DEPARTURE FROM CHIPEWYAN.
DIFFICULTIES OF THE VARIOUS NAVIGATIONS OF THE RIVERS AND LAKES, AND OF
THE PORTAGES.
SLAVE LAKE
AND FORT PROVIDENCE.
SCARCITY OF PROVISIONS, AND DISCONTENT OF THE CANADIAN VOYAGERS.
DIFFICULTIES WITH REGARD TO THE INDIAN GUIDES.
REFUSAL TO PROCEED.
VISIT OF OBSERVATION TO THE UPPER PART OF COPPER-MINE RIVER.
RETURN TO THE WINTER QUARTERS OF FORT ENTERPRISE.
DEPARTURE FROM CHIPEWYAN.
July 18, 1820.
Early this morning the stores were distributed to the three canoes. Our
stock of provision unfortunately did not amount to more than sufficient
for one day's consumption exclusive of two barrels of flour, three cases
of preserved meats, some chocolate, arrowroot, and portable soup, which
we had brought from England and intended to reserve for our journey to
the coast the next season. Seventy pounds of moose meat and a little
barley were all that Mr. Smith was enabled to give us. It was gratifying
however to perceive that this scarcity of food did not depress the
spirits of our Canadian companions who cheerfully loaded their canoes and
embarked in high glee after they had received the customary dram. At noon
we bade farewell to our kind friend Mr. Smith. The crews commenced a
lively paddling song on quitting the shore which was continued until we
had lost sight of the houses. We soon reached the western boundary of the
lakem and at two entered the Stony River, one of the discharges of the
Athabasca Lake into the Slave Lake and, having a favouring current,
passed swiftly along. This narrow stream is confined between low swampy
banks which support willows, dwarf birch, and alder. At five we passed
its conflux with the Peace River. The Slave River, formed by the union of
these streams, is about three-quarters of a mile wide. We descended this
magnificent river with much rapidity and, after passing through several
narrow channels, formed by an assemblage of islands, crossed a spot where
the waters had a violent whirling motion which, when the river is low, is
said to subside into a dangerous rapid; on the present occasion no other
inconvenience was felt than the inability of steering the canoes which
were whirled about in every direction by the eddies until the current
carried them beyond their influence. We encamped at seven on the swampy
bank of the river but had scarcely pitched the tents before we were
visited by a terrible thunderstorm; the rain fell in torrents and the
violence of the wind caused the river to overflow its banks so that we
were completely flooded. Swarms of mosquitoes succeeded the storm and
their tormenting stings, superadded to other inconveniences, induced us
to embark and, after taking a hasty supper, to pursue our voyage down the
stream during the night.
At six on the following morning we passed the Reindeer Islands and at ten
reached the entrance of the Dog River where we halted to set the fishing
nets. These were examined in the evening but, to our mortification, we
obtained only four small trout and were compelled to issue part of our
preserved meats for supper.
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