North-West Continent of America* 



15 



throughout the year, but that they had been driven away 

 by the Knistenaux, who continually made war upon them. 

 If an establishment is to be made in this country, it must 

 be in the neighbourhood of this place on account of the 

 wood and the fishery. 



At eleven we ventured to re-embark, as the wind had 

 driven the greatest part of the ice past the island, though 

 we still had to encounter some broken pieces of it, which 

 threatened to damage our canoe. We steered South-East 

 from point to point across five bays, twenty-one miles, 

 ' We took soundings several times, and found from six to 

 ten fathom water. I observed that the country gradually 

 descended inland, and was still better covered with wood 

 than in the higher parts. Wherever we approached the 

 land, we perceived deserted lodges. The hunters killed 

 two swans and a beaver ; and at length we landed at eight 

 o'clock in the evening, when we unloaded and gummed 

 our canoe. 



Friday 26. We continued our route at five o'clock, 

 steering South-East for ten miles across two deep bays:, 

 then South-South-East, with islands in sight to the East- 

 ward. We then traversed another bay in a course of three 

 miles, then South one mile to a point which we named the 

 Detour, and South-South- West four miles and an half, 

 when there was an heavy swell off the lake. Here I took 

 an observation, when we were in 61. 40. North latitude. 

 We then proceeded South-West four miles, and West- 

 South- West among islands : on one of which our Indians 

 killed two rein-deer, but we lost three hours aft wind in 

 going for them : this course was nine miles. About seven 

 in the evening we were obliged to land for the night, as the 

 wind became too strong from the South-East. We 

 thought we could observe land in this direction when the 

 wind was coming on from some distance. On the other 

 side of the Detour, the land is low, and the shore is flat and 

 dangerous, there being no safe place to land in bad wea- 

 ther, except in the islands which we had just passed. 

 There seemed to be plenty of moose and rein-deer in this 

 country, as we saw their tracks wherever we landed. 

 There were also great numbers of white partridges, which 

 are at this season of a grey colour, like that of the moor- 

 fowl. There was some floating ice in the lake, and the 

 Indians killed a couple of swans. 



