238 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



placed. A small owl, perched on the tree 

 near the spot, called forth many singular 

 remarks from our companions, as to its 

 being a good or bad omen. 



We walked the whole of the 13th over 

 flat meadow-land, which is much resorted 

 to by the buffalo at all seasons. Some 

 herds of them were seen, which our hunters 

 were too unskilful to approach. In the 

 afternoon we reached the Stinking Lake, 

 which is nearly of an oval form. Its shores 

 are very low and swampy, to which circum- 

 stances, and not to the bad quality of the 

 waters, it owes its Indian name. Our 

 observations place its western part in lati- 

 tude 53° 25' 24" N., longitude 107° 18' 58" 

 W., variation 20° 32' 10" E. 



After a march of fifteen miles and a half, 

 we encamped among a few pines, at the 

 only spot where we saw sufficient wood for 

 making our fire during the day. The next 

 morning, about an hour after we had com- 

 menced our march, we came upon a beaten 

 track, and perceived recent marks of snow- 

 shoes. In a short time an Iroquois joined 



