At Noon We Arrived At An Arm Of Point Lake, An Extensive Expansion Of The River, And Observed The Latitude 65 Degrees 9 Minutes 06 Seconds North.

We continued our walk along the south end of this arm for about a mile farther and then halted to breakfast amidst a cluster of pines.

Here the longitude 112 degrees 57 minutes 25 seconds was observed. After breakfast we set out and walked along the east side of the arm towards the main body of the lake, leaving Samandre to prepare an encampment amongst the pines against our return. We found the main channel deep, its banks high and rocky, and the valleys on its borders interspersed with clusters of spruce-trees. The latter circumstance was a source of much gratification to us. The temperature of its surface water was 41 degrees, that of the air being 43 degrees. Having gained all the information we could collect from our guide and from personal observation we retraced our steps to the encampment, and on the way back Hepburn and Keskarrah shot several waveys (Anas hyperborea) which afforded us a seasonable supply, our stock of provision being nearly exhausted. These birds were feeding in large flocks on the crow-berries which grew plentifully on the sides of the hills. We reached the encampment after dark, found a comfortable hut prepared for our reception, made an excellent supper, and slept soundly though it snowed hard the whole night.

The hills in this neighbourhood are higher than those about Fort Enterprise; they stand however in the same detached manner without forming connected ranges; and the bottom of every valley is occupied either by a small lake or a stony marsh. On the borders of such of these lakes as communicate with the Copper-Mine River there are a few groves of spruce-trees, generally growing on accumulations of sand on the acclivities of the hills.

We did not quit the encampment on the morning of September 13th until nine o'clock in consequence of a constant fall of snow; but at that hour we set out on our return to Fort Enterprise and, taking a route somewhat different from the one by which we came, kept to the eastward of a chain of lakes. Soon after noon the weather became extremely disagreeable; a cold northerly gale came on attended by snow and sleet, and the temperature fell very soon from 43 to 34 degrees. The waveys, alarmed at the sudden change, flew over our heads in great numbers to a milder climate. We walked as quickly as possible to get a place that would furnish some fuel and shelter; but the fog occasioned us to make frequent halts from the inability of our guide to trace his way. At length we came to a spot which afforded us plenty of dwarf birches but they were so much frozen and the snow fell so thick that upwards of two hours were wasted in endeavouring to make a fire, during which time our clothes were freezing upon us.

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