Beaver Lake is
twelve miles in length and six in breadth. The flat limestone country
rises into bold rocks on its banks and at the mouth of the Ridge River
the limestone discontinues. The lake is very deep and has already been
noticed for the number and excellence of its fish. The Ridge River is
rapid and shallow. We had emerged from the muddy channels through an
alluvial soil, and the primitive rocks interrupted our way with frequent
portages through the whole route to Isle a la Crosse Lake. At two P.M. we
passed the mouth of the Hay River, running from the westward, and the
ridge above its confluence takes the name of the Great River, which rises
at the height of land called Frog Portage.
The thermometer was this day 100 degrees in the sun and the heat was
extremely oppressive from our constant exposure to it. We crossed three
portages in the Great River and encamped at the last; here we met the
director of the North-West Company's affairs in the north, Mr. Stuart, on
his way to Fort William in a light canoe. He had left the Athabasca Lake
only thirteen days and brought letters from Mr. Franklin who desired that
we would endeavour to collect stores of every kind at Isle a la Crosse
and added a favourable account of the country to the northward of the
Slave Lake.
On the 16th at three A.M. we continued our course, the river increasing
to the breadth of half a mile with many rapids between the rocky islands.
The banks were luxuriantly clothed with pines, poplars, and birch trees,
of the largest size, but the different shades of green were
undistinguishable at a distance and the glow of autumnal colours was
wanting to render the variety beautiful.
Having crossed two portages at the different extremities of the Island
Lake we ran under sail through two extensive sheets of water called the
Heron and Pelican Lakes, the former of which is fifteen miles in length
and the latter five; but its extent to the southward has not been
explored. An intricate channel with four small portages conducted us to
the Woody Lake. Its borders were indeed walls of pines, hiding the face
of steep and high rocks; and we wandered in search of a landing-place
till ten P.M., when we were forced to take shelter from the impending
storm on a small island where we wedged ourselves between the trees. But
though we secured the canoes we incurred a personal evil of much greater
magnitude in the torments inflicted by the mosquitoes, a plague which had
grown upon us since our departure from Cumberland House and which
infested us during the whole summer; we found no relief from their
attacks by exposing ourselves to the utmost violence of the wind and
rain.
