I took another load; George and Wallace followed, trying to
drag canoe up river. I made camp. They came in after dark, tired
out. Canoe left 2 miles down stream. Wallace shot partridge with
pistol. Came near going over falls with pack round his neck.
Drizzled all day. Heavy rain to-night. Great relief from heat.
Flies very bad in afternoon and evening.
Sunday, July 26th. - Rain most of the clay. Lay in tent in A.M.
hoping to be better of diarrhoea. Read Low's report, etc. Trouble
better.
Monday, July 27th. - Spent A.M. and two hours P.M. bringing up
canoe, dragging half way, George carrying rest. Started on at 4.
Alternate pools and rapids. Rapids not bad - go up by dragging and
tracking. After 1 1/2 mile camped.
Tuesday, July 28th. - Temp. 6 A.M. 46 degrees. Three miles. Cool,
cloudy, spell of sunshine now and then. Cold, nasty wading all
A.M. to make a mile. Fine portaging in P.M., just cool enough, no
flies. Pretty nearly blue in A.M. over lack of progress. Two
miles in P.M. brightened things up. By fire between logs we dry,
clothes now in evening. All tired out. Low new moon.
Wednesday, July 29th. - Temp. 6 A.M. 58 degrees. Worked 4 miles.
Small ponds alternating with rapids. Portage 1 mile in P.M. Very
tired. Tea, and finished fine.
Thursday, July 30th. - Temp. 6 A.M. 39 degrees. Paddled through a
succession of ponds about a quarter of a mile long each, tracking
or dragging over little falls or rapids between. Made portage of
100 rods in P.M. Need fish now. Grub not so heavy as it was.
Were starting to dry blankets at fire when rain started. All
crawled into tent. Need rain to raise river. Plenty caribou
signs - two old wigwams (winter) on rock. No fish but 6-7 inch
trout. Bully camp to-night.
Friday, July 3lst. - Temp. 6 A.M. 56 degrees. Rain all day. Two
rivers puzzled us. Came together just above our camp. One comes
over a fall from the south side; other rough, comes from northwest.
South branch comes from west, better, more level. Little ponds
between falls and short rapids. Scouted. Think south branch Low's
Northwest River. Wallace caught bully mess of trout while George
and I were scouting. George found old wigwam about a quarter of a
mile up south branch; also a winter blaze crossing stream north to
south, fresh. Trappers' line, think. Blake or M'Lean. Wigwam
old. Rain bad. River not very good, some ponds, some portage,
some dragging. Up south branch three-quarters of a mile stopped
for lunch. Stopped after a quarter of a mile portage for a scout.
Wallace and I made camp in rain while George scouted. George
reports 1 1/2 mile bad river,, then level, deep ponds, very good.
Caught trout. Rainy camp.
Saturday, August 1st. - Rained steadily all night and to-day.
Tired, chilled, ragged. Wallace not well and things damp. Stayed
in camp all day. Hoped to dry things out. Too much rain. Went
out in bare feet and drawers and caught ten trout.
Sunday, August 2nd. - Cleared this A.M. Boys dried camp while I
caught twenty-four trout, some half pounders. Getting bigger,
nearer Height of Land we hope reason. Water higher. Will help us.
Two cans baking powder spoiled. Good feed of trout. Not a bit
tired of trout yet. Observation shows 53 degrees 46 minutes 12
seconds lat. Went 3 miles in P.M. and camped.
Monday, August 3rd. - Temp. 6 A.M. 56 degrees. Big day. At foot of
a portage as we were getting ready to pack, I saw four wild geese
coming down stream. Grabbed rifle, four cartridges in it. George
got Wallace's rifle. All dropped waiting for them to come round
bend, 30 ft. away. George and I shot at once, both hitting leader.
All started flapping along on top of water, up stream. I emptied
my rifle on them, going at 40 to 50 yards, killing two more. Drew
pistol and ran up and into stream and shot fourth in neck. Got all
and threw fits of joy. Need 'em just now badly for grub. Through
little lake beginning at head of water, quarter of a mile above,
into meadow, fresh beaver house. At foot of rapid water, below
junction of two streams, ate lunch. Trout half to three-quarter
pounds making water boil. Caught several. From this point to
where river branches to two creeks, we scouted. Think found old
Montagnais portage. To-night heap big feed. George built fire as
for bread-baking.
Tuesday, August 4th. - Temp. 6 A.M. 56 degrees. Portaged 1 mile to
Montagnais Lake. Portage ran through bogs and over low ridges. I
sat on edge of lake looking at rod, when a caribou waded into lake,
not 100 feet away. Rifle at other end of portage. Hoped to find
inlet to lake, but only one ends in bog. Lots of old cuttings at
northwest corner of lake; two old wigwams. Troubled to know where
to go from here. All scouted whole afternoon. Lake 1 mile west.
Old trail runs towards it. George thinks caribou trail, no
cuttings found on it yet. I think portage. Looks like portage we
have followed and runs in right direction.
Wedncsday, August 5th. - Portaged from camp on Montagnais Lake, 1
mile west to another lake. No signs of Indians here. Camped at
west end of this. Saw two caribou. Dropped pack and grabbed
rifle; was waiting for them 250 yards away when a cussed little
long-legged bird scared them. At point near camp where lakes meet,
I cast a fly, and half pound and pound fontanalis, as fast as I
could pull them out. What a feed at 2 P.M. lunch. Climbing ridge,
saw that lake empties by little strait into another small lake just
alongside, at south.
