160 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



and proceeded to the entrance of the Yel- 

 low-Knife River of the traders, which is 

 called by the natives Beg-ho-lo-dessy ; or, 

 River of the Toothless Fish. We found 

 Akaitcho, and the hunters with their fami- 

 lies, encamped here. There were also 

 several other Indians of his tribe, who 

 intended to accompany us some distance 

 into the interior. This party was quickly 

 in motion after our arrival, and we were 

 soon surrounded by a fleet of seventeen 

 Indian canoes. In company with them we 

 paddled up the river, which is one hundred 

 and fifty yards wide, and in an hour came 

 to a cascade of five feet, where we were 

 compelled to make a portage of one hun- 

 dred and fifty-eight yards. We next crossed 

 a dilatation of the river, about six miles in 

 length, upon which the name of Lake 

 Prosperous was bestowed. Its shores, 

 though scantily supplied with wood, are 

 very picturesque. 



Akaitcho caused himself to be paddled 

 by his slave, a young man of the Dog-Rib 

 nation, whom he had taken by force from 



