CHAPTER XIII. 

 DOWN TO THE SEA. 



Bakee Lake^ about seventy miles in length and perhaps 

 half that in breadth, was originally discovered and rudely 

 mapped by one Captain Christopher, about the year 1Y70. 

 In searching for the !N"orth-West Passage he sailed into it 

 v^ith two small vessels from Hudson Bay, passing en route 

 through Chesterfield Inlet and the two rivers flowiiig into it 

 from Baker Lake. Having with us a copy of Captain Chris- 

 topher's map, though of a very sketchy character, it afforded 

 us some information as to our future course. 



Since leaving the shores of Black Lake we had traversed 

 to this point a distance of just eight hundred and ten miles, 

 through an entirely unknown country. We had occupied 

 more time in doing so than we had expected, on account of 

 the extraordinary character of the weather; however, on the 

 evening of the 2nd of September we found ourselves at the 

 mouth of " the great river flowing to the northward," as 

 described by the Black Lake Indians. 



From our astronomical observations and survey it was 

 found that* the extremity of the lake as determined by Chris- 

 topher, and as located on the existing maps of Canada, was 

 nine miles too far south and about fifty miles too far west. 

 At the mouth of the river the water was found to be shallow — 

 in some places not more than three or four feet in depth — 

 and for some distance out into the lake shoals were observed. 

 Small sailing vessels or York boats would have no difficulty 

 in getting in, but it would be difficult to take the former 

 any great distance up the river on account of the rapids. 



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