104 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



the remainder of the day to cross the next 

 portage, which was three-fourths of a mile 

 in length. 



On the 22 d we crossed three small port- 

 ages, and encamped at the fourth. At one 

 of them we passed some of the Hudson's 

 Bay Company's canoes, and our application 

 to them was unsuccessful. We began to 

 suspect that Isle a la Crosse was the nearest 

 place at which we might hope for assistance. 

 However, on the morning of the 23d, as we 

 were about to embark, we encountered the 

 last brigades of canoes belonging to both 

 the Companies, and obtained a guide and 

 foreman from them. Thus completely 

 equipped, we entered the Black Bear Island 

 Lake, the navigation of which requires a 

 very experienced pilot. Its length is 

 twenty-two miles, and its breadth varies 

 from three to five, yet it is so choked with 

 islands, that no channel is to be found through 

 it exceeding a mile in length. At sunset we 

 landed, and encamped on an island, and at 

 six A.M. on the 24th left the lake, and 

 crossed three portages into another, which 



