OF THE POLAR SEA. 



219 



on the gravelly acclivities of the hills are used as substitutes. Three 

 more of the hunters arrived with meat this evening, which supply 

 came very opportunely as our nets were unproductive. At eight 

 P.M. a faint Aurora Borealis appeared to the southward, the night 

 was cold, the wind strong from N.W. 



We were detained some time in the following morning before the 

 fishing-nets, which had sunk in the night, could be recovered. 



After starting we first crossed the Orkney Lake, then a portage 

 which brought us to Sandy Lake, and here we missed one of our 

 barrels of powder, which the steersman of the canoe then recollected 

 had been left yesterday. He and two other men were sent back to 

 search for it, in the small canoe. The rest of the party proceeded 

 to the portage on the north side of the Grizzle-Bear Lake, where 

 the hunters had made a deposit of meat, and there encamped to 

 await their return, which happened at nine P.M. with the powder. 

 We perceived, from the direction of this lake, that considerable 

 labour would have been spared if we had continued our course yes- 

 terday instead of striking off at the guide's suggestion, as the bottom 

 of this lake cannot be far separated from either Hunter's Lake or 

 the one to the westward of it. The chief and all the Indians went 

 off to hunt, accompanied by Pierre St. Germain, the interpreter. 

 They returned at night bringing some meat, and reported that they 

 had put the carcasses of several rein-deer en cache. These were sent 

 for early next morning, and as the weather was unusually warm, the 

 thermometer, at noon, being 77°, we remained stationary all day, 

 that the women might prepare the meat for keeping, by stripping 

 the flesh from the bones and drying it in the sun over a slow fire. 

 The hunters were again successful, and by the evening we had col- 

 lected the carcasses of seventeen deer. As this was a sufficient store 

 to serve us until we arrived at Winter Lake, the chief proposed that 

 he and his hunters should proceed to that place and collect some 

 provision against our arrival. He also requested that we would 



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