We observed many summer deer roads and some recent
tracks. Some marks that had been put up by the Indians were also noticed.
We have since learned that this is a regular deer pass and, on that
account, annually frequented by the Copper Indians. The lake is called by
them Contwoyto or Rum Lake in consequence of Mr. Hearne having here given
the Indians who accompanied him some of that liquor. Fish is not found
here.
We walked next day over a more level country but it was strewed with
large stones. These galled our feet a good deal; we contrived however to
wade through the snow at a tolerably quick pace until five P.M., having
proceeded twelve miles and a half. We had made today our proper course
south by east which we could not venture upon doing before for fear of
falling again upon some branch of the Contwoyto. Some deer were seen in
the morning but the hunters failed of killing any and in the afternoon we
fell into the track of a large herd which had passed the day before but
did not overtake them. In consequence of this want of success we had no
breakfast and but a scanty supper, but we allayed the pangs of hunger by
eating pieces of singed hide. A little tripe de roche* was also obtained.
These would have satisfied us in ordinary times but we were now almost
exhausted by slender fare and travel and our appetites had become
ravenous. We looked however with humble confidence to the Great Author
and Giver of all good for a continuance of the support which had hitherto
been always supplied to us at our greatest need. The thermometer varied
today between 25 and 28 degrees. The wind blew fresh from the south.
(*Footnote. The different kinds of gyrophora are termed indiscriminately
by the voyagers tripe de roche.)
On the 18th the atmosphere was hazy but the day was more pleasant for
walking than usual. The country was level and gravelly and the snow very
deep. We went for a short time along a deeply-beaten road made by the
reindeer which turned suddenly off to the south-west, a direction so wide
of our course that we could not venture upon following it. All the small
lakes were frozen and we marched across those which lay in our track. We
supped off the tripe de roche which had been gathered during our halts in
the course of the march. Thermometer at six P.M. 32 degrees.
Showers of snow fell without intermission through the night but they
ceased in the morning and we set out at the usual hour. The men were very
faint from hunger and marched with difficulty, having to oppose a fresh
breeze and to wade through snow two feet deep. We gained however ten
miles by four o'clock and then encamped. The canoe was unfortunately
broken by the fall of the person who had it in charge. No tripe de roche
was seen today but in clearing the snow to pitch the tents we found a
quantity of Iceland moss which was boiled for supper. This weed not
having been soaked proved so bitter that few of the party could eat more
than a few spoonfuls.
Our blankets did not suffice this evening to keep us in tolerable warmth;
the slightest breeze seeming to pierce our debilitated frames. The reader
will probably be desirous to know how we passed our time in such a
comfortless situation: the first operation after encamping was to thaw
our frozen shoes if a sufficient fire could be made, and dry ones were
put on; each person then wrote his notes of the daily occurrences and
evening prayers were read; as soon as supper was prepared it was eaten,
generally in the dark, and we went to bed and kept up a cheerful
conversation until our blankets were thawed by the heat of our bodies and
we had gathered sufficient warmth to enable us to fall asleep. On many
nights we had not even the luxury of going to bed in dry clothes for when
the fire was insufficient to dry our shoes we durst not venture to pull
them off lest they should freeze so hard as to be unfit to put on in the
morning and therefore inconvenient to carry.
On the 20th we got into a hilly country and the marching became much more
laborious, even the stoutest experienced great difficulty in climbing the
craggy eminences. Mr. Hood was particularly weak and was obliged to
relinquish his station of second in the line which Dr. Richardson now
took to direct the leading man in keeping the appointed course. I was
also unable to keep pace with the men who put forth their utmost speed,
encouraged by the hope which our reckoning had led us to form of seeing
Point Lake in the evening, but we were obliged to encamp without gaining
a view of it. We had not seen either deer or their tracks through the
day, and this circumstance, joined to the disappointment of not
discovering the lake, rendered our voyagers very desponding, and the
meagre supper of tripe de roche was little calculated to elevate their
spirits. They now threatened to throw away their bundles and quit us,
which rash act they would probably have committed if they had known what
track to pursue.
September 21.
We set out at seven this morning in dark foggy weather and changed our
course two points to the westward. The party were very feeble and the men
much dispirited; we made slow progress, having to march over a hilly and
very rugged country.
