ACEOSS THE SUB-AECTICS OP CANADA 



of this native family was our worthy cook, John, who also 

 laid claim to the distinction of being an Eskimo linguist. It 

 was noticeable, however, at this time, that John was unusually 

 silent and backward, more so indeed than any one in the 

 party. After leaving the lodge I asked him if he had under- 

 stood what the natives were saying, and was not a little 

 amused when he replied, " Y-e-s, but, — b-u-t, t-h-e, — the 

 trouble was I couldn't get them to talk." After a pleasant 

 but brief ^'isit of less than one hour, during which time we 

 received some valuable information about our route, as well 

 as much assurance and encouragement, with many hearty 

 " tabowetings " (good-byes) , we parted. As we did so, Louis, 

 my steersman, with an expression of pleasant disappointment 

 on his face, exclaimed, " They are not savage, but real decent 

 people." 



The current being strong, our friends at the topick were 

 soon far behind. They had told us that from there to the sea 

 (Hudson Bay) was about twenty days' journey, and though 

 we thought we could likely make it in half that time, we were 

 impressed and spurred on by the knowledge of the fact that 

 we were now far into the interior of the country, and, at the 

 least, eight hundred miles by our road from the nearest Hud- 

 son's Bay Company's post, IFort Churchill. This day and the 

 next after visiting the Eskimos we had beautifully bright 

 weather, but the enjoyment of it was marred by our encoun- 

 tering swarms of black flies. 



As we glided down the river several white wolves were seen 

 upon the shore, gnawing at the carcase of a deer, and at a 

 distance of about ten miles below the topick we entered 

 another large expanse of water, named Wharton Lake. 



While traversing the shores of this lake, which is about 

 twenty miles in length, a number of magnificent specimens 

 of reindeer in prime condition were seen, and several of them 

 shot at ranges of from two to four hundred yards. By this 

 time — the 22nd of August — the skins as well as the carcases 



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