108 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



of a river, said to afford, by other rivers 

 beyond a height of land, a shorter but more 

 difficult route to the Athabasca Lake than 

 that which is generally pursued. 



On the 28th we crossed the last portage, 

 and at ten A.M. entered the Isle a la 

 Crosse Lake. Its long succession of woody 

 points, both banks stretching towards the 

 south, till their forms were lost in the haze 

 of the horizon, was a grateful prospect to 

 us, after our bewildered and interrupted 

 voyage in the Missinippi. The gale wafted 

 us with unusual speed, and as the lake in- 

 creased in breadth, the waves swelled to a 

 dangerous height. A canoe running before 

 the wind is very liable to burst asunder, 

 when on the top of the wave, so that part 

 of the bottom is out of the water ; for there 

 is nothing to support the weight of its heavy 

 cargo but the bark, and the slight gunwales 

 attached to it. 



On making known our exigencies to the 

 gentlemen in charge of the Hudson's Baj 

 and North- West Companies' Forts, the) 

 made up an assortment of stores, amounting 



