During The 20th It Rained Heavily And We Passed The Day In Anxious
Suspense Confined To Our Tents.
A black bear came to the bank on the
opposite side of the river and, on seeing us, glided behind the trees.
Late on the 21st Mr. Robertson of the Hudson's Bay Company arrived and
furnished us with a guide, but desired that he might be exchanged when we
met the northern canoes. We took advantage of the remainder of the day to
cross the next portage which was three-fourths of a mile in length.
On the 22nd we crossed three small portages and encamped at the fourth.
At one of them we passed some of the Hudson's Bay Company's canoes and
our application to them was unsuccessful. We began to suspect that Isle a
la Crosse was the nearest place at which we might hope for assistance.
However on the morning of the 23rd, as we were about to embark, we
encountered the last brigades of canoes belonging to both the Companies
and obtained a guide and foreman from them. Thus completely equipped we
entered the Black Bear Island Lake, the navigation of which requires a
very experienced pilot. Its length is twenty-two miles and its breadth
varies from three to five, yet it is so choked with islands that no
channel is to be found through it exceeding a mile in breadth. At sunset
we landed and encamped on an island, and at six A.M. on the 24th left the
lake and crossed three portages into another which has probably several
communications with the last, as that by which we passed is too narrow to
convey the whole body of the Missinippi.
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