40 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



viceable condition, St. Germain being again 

 called upon to endeavour to construct a ca- 

 noe frame with willows, stated that he was 

 unable to make one sufficiently large. It 

 became necessary, therefore, to search for 

 pines of sufficient size to form a raft ; and 

 being aware that such trees grow on the 

 borders of Point Lake, we considered it 

 best to trace its shores in search of them ; 

 we, therefore, resumed our march, carefully 

 looking, but in vain, for a fordable part, 

 and encamped at the east end of Point 

 Lake. 



As there was little danger of our losing 

 the path of our hunters whilst we coasted 

 the shores of this lake, I determined on 

 again sending Mr. Back forward, with the 

 interpreters to hunt. I had in view, in this 

 arrangement, the further object of enabling 

 Mr. Back to get across the lake with two of 

 these men, to convey the earliest possible 

 account of our situation to the Indians. 

 Accordingly I instructed him to halt at the 

 first pines he should come to, and then pre- 

 pare a raft ; and if his hunters had killed 



