He was accompanied
by eight boats. With him we sent our collections of plants, minerals,
charts, and drawings to be transmitted to England by the Hudson's Bay
ships. After this period our detention, though short, cost us more
vexation than the whole time we had passed at Cumberland House because
every hour of the short summer was invaluable to us. On the 11th Mr.
Clark arrived and completed our crews. He brought letters from Mr.
Franklin dated March 28th at Fort Chipewyan where he was engaged
procuring hunters and interpreters. A heavy storm of wind and rain from
the north-east again delayed us till the morning of the 13th. The account
we had received at York Factory of the numerous stores at Cumberland
House proved to be very erroneous. The most material stores we received
did not amount in addition to our own to more than two barrels of powder,
a keg of spirits, and two pieces of tobacco, with pemmican for sixteen
days.
The crew of Dr. Richardson's canoe consisted of three Englishmen and
three Canadians and the other carried five Canadians; both were deeply
laden and the waves ran high on the lake. No person in our party being
well acquainted with the rivers to the northward, Mr. Connolly gave us a
pilot on condition that we should exchange him when we met with the
Athabasca brigade of canoes. At four A.M. we embarked.
We soon found that birchen-bark canoes were not calculated to brave rough
weather on a large lake, for we were compelled to land on the opposite
border to free them from the water which had already saturated their
cargoes. The wind became more moderate and we were enabled, after
traversing a chain of smaller lakes, to enter the mouth of the Sturgeon
River at sunset, where we encamped.
The lading of the canoes is always if possible carried on shore at night
and the canoes taken out of the water. The following evening we reached
Beaver Lake and landed to repair some damages sustained by the canoes. A
round stone will displace the lading of a canoe without doing any injury
but a slight blow against a sharp corner penetrates the bark. For the
purpose of repairing it, a small quantity of gum or pitch, bark and pine
roots are embarked, and the business is so expeditiously performed that
the speed of the canoe amply compensates for every delay. The Sturgeon
River is justly called by the Canadians La Riviere Maligne from its
numerous and dangerous rapids. Against the strength of a rapid it is
impossible to effect any progress by paddling and the canoes are tracked
or, if the bank will not admit of it, propelled with poles, in the
management of which the Canadians show great dexterity.
