As The Day Was Fine And The Lake Smooth We
Ventured Upon Paddling Across To The Reindeer Islands, Which Were Distant
About Thirteen Miles In A Northern Direction, Instead Of Pursuing The
Usual Track By Keeping Farther Along The South Shore Which Inclines To
The Eastward From This Point.
These islands are numerous and consist of
granite, rising from one hundred to two hundred feet above the water.
They are for the most part naked; but towards the centres of the larger
ones there is a little soil and a few groves of pines.
At seven in the
evening we landed upon one of them and encamped. On the following morning
we ran before a strong breeze and a heavy swell for some hours, but at
length were obliged to seek shelter on a large island adjoining to Isle a
la Cache of Mackenzie, where the following observations were obtained:
latitude 61 degrees 50 minutes 18 seconds North, longitude 113 degrees 21
minutes 40 seconds West, and variation 31 degrees 2 minutes 06 seconds
East.
The wind and swell having subsided in the afternoon we reembarked and
steered towards the western point of the Big Island of Mackenzie and,
when four miles distant from it, had forty-two fathoms soundings. Passing
between this island and a promontory of the main shore, termed Big Cape,
we entered into a deep bay which receives the waters from several rivers
that come from the northward; and we immediately perceived a decrease in
the temperature of the waters from 59 to 48 degrees. We coasted along the
eastern side of the bay, its western shore being always visible, but the
canoes were exposed to the hazard of being broken by the numerous sunken
rocks which were scattered in our track. We encamped for the night on a
rocky island and by eight A.M. on the following morning arrived at Fort
Providence which is situated twenty-one miles from the entrance of the
bay. The post is exclusively occupied by the North-West Company, the
Hudson's Bay Company having no settlement to the northward of Great Slave
Lake. We found Mr. Wentzel and our interpreter Jean Baptiste Adam here
with one of the Indian guides: but the chief of the tribe and his hunters
were encamped with their families some miles from the fort in a good
situation for fishing. Our arrival was announced to him by a fire on the
top of a hill, and before night a messenger came to communicate his
intention of seeing us next morning. The customary present of tobacco and
some other articles was immediately sent to him.
Mr. Wentzel prepared me for the first conference with the Indians by
mentioning all the information they had already given to him. The duties
allotted to this gentleman were the management of the Indians, the
superintendence of the Canadian voyagers, the obtaining and the general
distribution of the provision, and the issue of the other stores. These
services he was well qualified to perform, having been accustomed to
execute similar duties during a residence of upwards of twenty years in
this country.
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