EUNNING THE KAPIDS 



tage of the discovery of -some straight spruce saplings, we 

 landed as night approached, and a number of our men were 

 sent to select a few for the purpose of making good tent-poles 

 to take the place of rough ones we had been using. Besides 

 ■spruce and other varieties of timber, balsam trees, the last 

 seen on the northward journey, were found at this camp. 



On the morning of the 16th, though the weather continued 

 showery and a strong head wind had set in, we were early 



ASHORE FOR LUMCH. 



on our way, for we were anxious to reach Chipewyan a day 

 or two before the return of the Grahame, that we might rate 

 our chronometer and make all necessary preparations for a 

 good-bye to the outermost borders of civilization. In descend- 

 ing the Athabasca we were making no survey of the course, 

 nor any continuous examination of the geological features of 

 the district, but were chiefly concerned in getting down to 

 Chipewyan, where we were to receive our full loads of 

 supplies, and from which place our work was really to begin. 

 Despite the unpleasantness of the weather, therefore, our 



43 



