Quitting The River We
Crossed A Portage And Came Upon The Methye Lake And Soon Afterwards
Arrived At The Trading Posts On Its Western Side.
These were perfect huts
which had been hastily built after the commencement of the last winter.
We here saw
Two hunters who were Chipewyan half-breeds and made many
inquiries of them respecting the countries we expected to visit, but we
found them quite ignorant of every part beyond the Athabasca Lake. They
spoke of Mr. Hearne and of his companion Matonnabee, but did not add to
our stock of information respecting that journey. It had happened before
their birth but they remembered the expedition of Sir Alexander Mackenzie
towards the sea.
This is a picturesque lake about ten miles long and six broad and
receives its name from a species of fish caught in it but not much
esteemed; the residents never eat any part but the liver except through
necessity, the dogs dislike even that. The tittameg and trout are also
caught in the fall of the year. The position of the houses by our
observations is latitude 56 degrees 24 minutes 20 seconds North,
longitude 109 degrees 23 minutes 06 seconds West, variation 22 degrees 50
minutes 28 seconds East.
On the 13th we renewed our journey and parted from Mr. Clark to whom we
were much obliged for his hospitality and kindness. We soon reached the
Methye Portage and had a very pleasant ride across it in our carioles.
The track was good and led through groups of pines, so happily placed
that it would not have required a great stretch of imagination to fancy
ourselves in a well-arranged park.
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