Cloudy in A.M. Rain P.M.
and night. Wind south. Stopped to mend moccasins and give caribou
a bit more drying before we start to cross mountains. Looked ahead
and saw two more lakes. May be a good deal of lake to help us.
Mended moccasins with raw caribou skin. While George got lunch I
took sixteen trout, fin for bait. In P.M. Wallace and I took canoe
and went back over course to last rapid, exploring to see that we
had not missed river. Sure now we have not. So it's cross
mountains or bust, Michikamau or BUST. Wallace and I came upon two
old loons and two young. Old tried to call us from young. Latter
dived like fish. Caught one. Let it go again. We caught eighty-
one trout at last rapid in about an hour, mostly half-pounders;
fifteen about pounders, hung to smoke. Big feed for supper. Rest
for to-morrow. Rained good deal. Sat under drying stage with a
little fire, tarpaulin over us and had big supper - fried trout,
trout roe, loaf of bread, coffee. Last of coffee. Hate to see it
go. Little sugar left. A bit in morning and evening cups.
Friday, August 21st. - Rain all day. Wind changed to north, colder.
Portaged to little lake above camp. Found wigwams at each end of
portage. Looks like old Montagnais trail. Then more lakes and
short portages. Made 4 miles very easily, then, after pot of tea
and big trout feed, portaged 1 mile west to another little lake,
just over Height of Land. Our stream tumbles off the mountain, and
does not come from this last-named lake at all. Little 4-foot
ridge turns it. Went into camp very early, chilled through.
Saturday, August 22nd. - Portaged across Height of Land. Delighted
to find on end of lake to westward many Indian signs. Believe this
enters southeast bay of Michikamau, or a lake connected with it.
Rained hard by spells. West wind. Camped on island early in P.M.
after a very short march, to repair canoe, and to wait for head
wind to fall. Caribou meat roasted at noon. Two loaves of bread,
dried apples and tea - no meat or fish - supper.
Sunday, August 23rd. - West wind. Rain and clear by spells. Drank
last of chocolate - two pots - for breakfast. Dried blankets in a
sunny spell, and about 10 A.M. started. Coming to point round
which we expected to get view of lake ahead - "Like going into a
room where there is a Christmas tree," said George. Narrow channel
around point 2 1/2 miles from east end. Thence we saw a long
stretch of lake running west. Believe it Michikamau's S.E. bay
sure. Mighty glad. Ate boiled dried caribou, pea soup, tea.
Dried caribou hurts our teeth badly. Went west 2 1/2 miles and
climbed barren hill on north side of lake. Ate blue berries, bake-
apple berries, and moss berries. Saw on north, water in big and
little masses, also on N.W. many islands of drift, rocky and spruce
clad. One long stretch of lake, like a river, runs east and west,
about 2 miles north. Wonder if it is Low's Northwest River. Went
west on our lake 3 miles. Caught a fish like pike, with big square
head, 3 1/2 lbs. Found our lake ends, stream falling in from
another lake west. Came back 2 miles to outlet into waters north.
Camped. All feel bully. On Michikamau waters sure.
Monday, August 24th. - Rain, north wind, cold. In camp all day.
Bad head wind. George and I scouted. All restless at inactivity
but George. He calm, philosophical, cheerful, and hopeful always -
a wonderful man.
Tuesday, August 25th. - Cold N.E. wind. Rain. Made start. Nasty
portage into Northwest River (?). Wallace turned round and started
to carry his pack back. Wind fair part of time. Part of time
dangerously heavy. Landed on point running out from north shore.
Wigwam poles. Have diarrhoea. All chilled. Not sure of way
ahead, but not worried. Camped at 5 P.M. Nice camp in clump of
balsam. Not craving bread so much. Idleness and a chance to think
make us hungrier. Flies about gone. Proverb - On a wet day build a
big fire.
Wednesday, August 26th. - Temp. at 5 A.M. 40 degrees. Bright and
clear save for one shower in P.M. Started happy. Shot goose with
pistol after long chase. Goose would dive repeatedly. Shot
several times at rather long range. Paddled 20 to 25 miles on big
lake running east and west. No outlet west. Came back blue and
discouraged. Passed our camp of last night to climb a mountain on
N.E. side. Caught very pretty 2-lb. pike trolling. Wallace and I
got supper. George went to climb mountain, found river this side
(west) of mountain, running into this lake from N.W. What is it?
Low's Northwest River? Can't see what else. Glad again. Very
hopeful. Sick and very weak. Diarrhoea. Pea meal and venison and
goose liquor. Better. Bright northern lights.
Thursday, August 27th. - Bright and lightly clouded by spells. No
rain. Northwest River panned out only a little stream. N.G.
Guess we must portage. Desperate. Late in season and no way to
Michikamau. One more try for inlet, and then a long nasty portage
for the big lake. See little hope now of getting out before
winter. Must live off country and take big chances. Camping near
where we camped last night. Going up Northwest River and hunting
outlets some more, took our time. Ran across geese this A.M. I
went ashore and George and Wallace chased them close by. Shot
leader with rifle. Then two young ones head close in shore. I
killed one with pistol and two others started to flop away on top
of water. Missed one with pistol, and killed other. While
exploring a bay to N.W., we landed to climb ridge.
