Now my job is to get the party back
to Northwest River, getting grub as we go. We will take the back
track to some good fishing grounds, catch fish, try to kill a
caribou, and wait for freeze. We can't take the canoe down the
Nascaupee. Hence the need of freezing. Stayed in camp all day.
Could not launch canoe. No place to fish or hunt. Feel better now
that the decision is made. Ate very thin rice and bacon soup and
drank tea. Long chat with Wallace. Feeling good in spite of short
grub. George is telling again how be will visit his sister at
Flying Post and what be will eat. We are talking of plans for our
home-going, and are happy despite impending hunger.
Wednesday, September 16th. - Temp. 29 degrees 6 A.M. Wind N.W.
Shifting to N.E. Little rain. Moved to rapid on south shore where
there is some trout fishing, and hard place to be wind bound. Must
fish a few days and get grub ahead for our long portage back to
Namaycush Lake. Ate last bit of bacon at noon, cut in three pieces
and boiled with rice and a little flour. Boys trolled in P.M. I
made camp and fished brook. Too cold. They lost two good
namaycush. I took two 10-inch trout. Boiled these into a mush and
put last handful of rice and a little flour into pot with them.
Good soup. Made us feel stronger.
Thursday, September 17th. - Temp. 33 degrees 6 A.M. Rained all last
night and all this P.M. For breakfast a whisky jack, stewed with
flour and about two spoonfuls of erbswurst. Good. Wallace and I
each had half a bird. If we get enough fish ahead to take us
across this portage, our pea meal and what fish we can get on river
will see us to the post. Hoping weather will improve so we can
make a good haul. Disheartening in extreme to be working all the
time in rain and wind and cold. I made a map this A.M. of our long
portage - about 30 miles. Will require about seven days. Wallace
and I stretched tarpaulin by fire and sat long beneath it chatting.
Wallace is a great comfort these evenings. There has been no
friction this trip whatever. I think I'll get a bully story out of
it despite our failure to find the Nascaupees. I'll get more in
freezing up, more in Northwest River people and more in the winter
journey to God's country.
Friday, September 18th. - Temp. 38 degrees 6 A.M. S.E. wind,
turning to N.W. gale about noon. Raw and snow by spells.
