492 ASSINNIBOINE AND SASKATCHEWAN EXPEDITION. 



doned. When the Indians come to fish here, they cut up 

 the flooring and timber of this house for fuel, instead of 

 availing themselves of its shelter. 



September 11th. — Having stowed away as many fish 

 as we could find room for in the canoe, we left the Jack- 

 Fish Eiver in the morning, and being favoured with a fair 

 wind, sailed without stopping till dark, when we camped 

 on a small island in the entrance to Fisher Bay. On 

 Sunday the 12th we had to encounter a brisk contrary 

 wind from the south, but, by working sixteen hours against 

 it, and making some wide traverses between the islands, 

 we succeeded in reaching the point opposite Dog's Head, 

 at the beginning of the narrows, before night set in. 



By starting at daylight and sailing along the east coast 

 of the lake on the 13th we got in sight of the Grind- 

 stone Point about 2 p.m., when we set out on a longer 

 and more dangerous traverse than any we had yet accom- 

 plished. We had to cross from the east coast of the lake 

 to the Grindstone Point on the west coast, a distance of 

 about twelve miles. From the shape of the lake with its 

 many deep and broad bays this great traverse is unavoid- 

 able. When we started from the east side of the lake, 

 the high escarpment of rock forming the point seemed 

 quite low and blue in the distance. By spreading a 

 blanket we were assisted for a while by a side wind ; but 

 the wind soon changed and freshened, so that, we had 

 to lower sail and ply our paddles with all our strength 

 until reaching the point, nearly four hours from the time 

 we left the east shore. Taking advantage of a little moon- 

 light, which enabled us to coast along a straight shore 

 after dark, we did not stop to camp till arriving at the 

 Little Grindstone Point. The east coast of the lake from 

 the Dog's Head to where we left it to cross to Grindstone 

 Point, consists of a succession of knolls or low domes of 

 granite and gneiss rising generally eight to ten feet above the 



