246 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



but the wind became more moderate in the 

 morning. We passed to-day through several 

 nameless lakes and swamps before we came 

 to Train Lake, which received its name 

 from being the place where the traders 

 procured the birch to make their sledges, 

 or traineaux ; but this wood has been all 

 used, and there only remain pines and a 

 few poplars. We met some sledges laden 

 with fish, kindly sent to meet us by Mr. 

 Clark, of the Hudson's Bay Company, on 

 hearing of our approach. Towards the 

 evening the weather became much more 

 unpleasant, and we were exposed to a 

 piercingly cold wind, and much snow-drift, 

 in traversing the Isle a la Crosse Lake ; we 

 were, therefore, highly pleased at reaching 

 the Hudson's Bay House by six P. M. 

 We were received in the most friendly 

 manner by Mr. Clark, and honoured by 

 volleys of musquetry. Similar marks of 

 attention were shown to us on the following 

 d av by Mr. Bethune, the partner in charge 

 of the North-West Company's Fort. I 

 found here the letters which I had addressed 



