ACROSS THE SUB-ARCTICS OF CANADA 



carried nicely in the canoes, we decided to take them only. 

 At this the guide became sulky, and thought he would not go. 

 His wife and two daughters, who were to accompany him as- 

 far as their home, tried to persuade him, but, Indian-like, he 

 would not promise to do one thing or the other. At last we 

 told him to go where he chose, as we were in no way dependent 

 on him, but knew our own way well enough. 



As arranged, the Grahame steamed away during the after- 

 noon for the Great Slave Eiver, with Dr. McKay, Captain 

 Mills and Bishop Young on board; but our own start was- 

 deferred until the next morning, and in the meantime home 

 letters were written, for a packet was to go south from here 

 about the 16th of July. 



On the morning of the 21st of June, the whole outfit 

 being snugly stowed in the three canoes, our party set out 

 on an easterly course up the lake. Old Moberly was also 

 on hand with his family and big bark canoe. The morn- 

 ing was beautifully fair and calm; all nature seemed to be 

 smiling. But soon the smile became a frown. The east 

 wind, as if aroused by our paddles, began to stir itself, and 

 before long made things unpleasant enough, .coming not alone 

 but with clouds of mist and rain. Though we could make but 

 slow progress, we persisted in travelling until -9.30 p.m., 

 when, having made about twenty-four knots, we pitched camp 

 in a little sandy bay, worthy to be remembered because of 

 the swarms of mosquitos which greeted us on landing. We 

 had been reminded of the existence of these creatures at 

 Chipewyan and at earlier camps, but here it was a question 

 of the survival of the fittest. Mosquito nets, already fixed to 

 the hats, had to be drawn down and tightly closed, and mos- 

 quito oil or grease smeared over our hands. 



The north shore of the lake, bold and rocky of aspect,, 

 consists chiefly of Laurentian gneiss, and is of little geo- 

 logical interest save at a few points, which will be spoken 

 of as they are reached. The south shore, which was examined 



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