It proved to be a
succession of lake expansions, narrowing in one part, where it is
bordered by the cliffs, and the current is very rapid. The lake is
surrounded by hills of solid rock, some of those on the west
arising abrupt and separate, one, Mount Pisa, distinctly leaning
towards the east. Much of the surrounding country has been burned
over, being now grown up with white birch and poplar, and at the
narrows the angles in the cliffs are marked by lines of slender
birch reaching from the water's edge to the summit. A short
distance above, two large brooks enter from the east. Many of the
long, low points which reach out into the lake are spruce covered,
but away on the hills could be seen only the more delicate green of
the birch and poplar. There are a number of islands lying mainly
near the shore; and from its northern extremity an arm, which
according to the trappers is thirty miles long, stretches away to
the west. The river enters the lake round a low, sandy point, and
about the inlet the country is lower and less rugged. On the way
up we saw several seals. Gulls, ducks, and geese were there in
numbers, and muskrats were plentiful.
It was after 7 P.M. when we went into camp, having made nineteen
miles since morning, and every foot of the way we had been
surrounded by scenes of exquisite beauty; for Seal Lake in the calm
of a summer day, with the summer sunshine upon it, and the
beautiful Labrador sky above, is altogether lovely. When the day's
journey ended I had seen so much that was beautiful, and so varied
in its beauty, that I felt confused and bewildered. I had, too,
not only seen Seal Lake, I had seen the Nascaupee River flowing out
of it; our camp was on the sand-point where the river enters it;
and, best of all, there came the full realisation that _I_ was
first in the field, and the honour of exploring the Nascaupee and
the George Rivers was to fall to me.
It was Monday, July 17th, three weeks less a day since we had left
Northwest River post. According to the daily estimates about one
hundred and fifteen miles of our journey had been accomplished, and
now our next objective point was _Lake Michikamau_.
CHAPTER VII
OFF FOR MICHIKAMAU
It was well for me that a mind at rest, on at least one very
important point, was my portion that night, else the nightlong
fight with the mosquitoes had been horrible indeed. They seemed to
come out of the ground. When despair of getting any sleep had
taken possession of me, I turned with such calmness as I could
muster to the task of killing them off. By diligent application I
hoped in the end to secure a little respite. To interest myself I
began to count my kill; but when it had reached one hundred and
fifty, and yet they came, I gave it up. I was still busy when the
morning light came to reveal hundreds of the vicious little beasts
clinging to the slope of my tent.
At breakfast I learned that the men had fared little better.
Usually they had the advantage of me where mosquitoes were
concerned, for with four pipes going in the tent the mosquitoes had
little chance; but that night pipes were of no avail, and there,
too, the mosquitoes were master of the situation.
On Tuesday it rained, and we did not break camp till the following
morning, when at 9 A.M. we were off for Lake Michikamau.
Travelling was now much less difficult than it had been, though the
river continued rapid. Our course, a few miles above Seal Lake,
turned directly west, and as we entered Lake Wachesknipi high hills
appeared ahead, showing deepest blue and purple under the cloudy
sky. Again we made nineteen miles, taking on the way one
partridge, two geese, and a muskrat, and camping in the evening at
the foot of Red Rock Hill. Here we were destined to remain for two
days on account of storms of wind and rain.
How I disliked the rainy days, for I was not very patient of delay.
There was little one could do in camp, and lounging in a tent when
you are not tired has few redeeming features.
After noon on Thursday Job set off to climb the hill. In the
evening when I went out to supper the ground under the tarpaulins,
which were strung up for shelter on either side of the fire, was
covered with fresh cut shavings. Job had returned, and was
carefully putting the finishing touches to a new axe handle. He
said he had been up among the clouds, and reported two heavy rapids
and a little lake a few miles ahead.
The following afternoon, albeit it was still raining, the men
prepared to climb the hill again, and I wanted to go too. Job,
however, assured me that it would be impossible as the hill was
altogether too steep and slippery. I was much disappointed. It
seemed such an ignominious sort of thing too, to be an explorer,
and have one of my party tell me I could not do something he had
already done, and was about to do again, just for the mere pleasure
of it.
That it might not be too trying I had George go with me in the
canoe up to the rapids. The first one, Seal Rapid, was almost
three miles above our camp, and it came down from the west swinging
to the south round a high sand-point and entering a small lake
expansion. We landed at the head of a little bay south of the
point, and crossed to the rapids.
