10 ACROSS THE SUB-ARCYTICS OF CANADA. 
engaged to meet us with a third canoe at Fort McMur- 
ray, were also western half-breeds, trained in the use of 
the pack-straps as well as the paddle, and were a pair 
of fine strong fellows. Thus it was arranged to com- 
bine in our party the best skill both of canoemen and 
portagers. 
Our reasons for not employing the Indians from Lake 
Athabasca were, that these natives had on nearly all 
previous expeditions proved to be unreliable. Such 
men as we had engaged, unlike these Indians, were free 
from any dread of the Eskimos, and as we advanced 
soon became entirely dependent on us as their guides. 
Besides, they were more accustomed to vigorous exer- 
tion at the paddle and on the portage than the local 
Indians, who are rather noted for their proficiency in 
taking life easy. 
Next in importance to procuring good boats and 
canoemen was the acquisition of a complete set of port- 
able mathematical instruments, but after some difficulty 
these, too, were obtained. The following is a list of 
them: One sextant with folding mercurial horizon, one 
solar compass, two pocket compasses, two prismatic com- 
passes, one fluid compass, two boat logs, two clinometers, 
one aneroid barometer, a pair of maximum and mini- 
mum thermometers, one pocket chronometer, three good 
watches, a pair of field-glasses, an aluminum binocular, 
and a small camera. These, though numerous, were not 
bulky, but they comprised a part of our outfit over 
which much care had to be exercised throughout the 
journey. A bill of necessary supplies was also carefully 
made out, and the order for them forwarded to the 
Hudson’s Bay Company’s store at Edmonton, with 
