The party were very feeble and the men
much dispirited; we made slow progress, having to march over a hilly and
very rugged country.
Just before noon the sun beamed through the haze for the first time for
six days and we obtained an observation in latitude 65 degrees 7 minutes
06 seconds North, which was six miles to the southward of that part of
Point Lake to the way our course was directed. By this observation we
discovered that we had kept to the eastward of the proper course, which
may be attributed partly to the difficulty of preserving a straight line
through an unknown country, unassisted by celestial observations and in
such thick weather that our view was often limited to a few hundred
yards, but chiefly to our total ignorance of the amount of the variation
of the compass.
We altered the course immediately to west-south-west and fired guns to
apprise the hunters who were out of our view and ignorant of our having
done so. After walking about two miles we waited to collect the
stragglers. Two partridges were killed and these with some tripe de roche
furnished our supper. Notwithstanding a full explanation was given to the
men of the reasons for altering the course, and they were assured that
the observation had enabled us to discover our exact distance from Fort
Enterprise, they could not divest themselves of the idea of our having
lost our way, and a gloom was spread over every countenance. At this
encampment Dr. Richardson was obliged to deposit his specimens of plants
and minerals collected on the sea-coast, being unable to carry them any
farther. The way made today was five miles and a quarter.
September 22.
After walking about two miles this morning we came upon the borders of an
extensive lake whose extremities could not be discerned in consequence of
the density of the atmosphere but, as its shores seemed to approach
nearer to each other to the southward than to the northward, we
determined on tracing it in that direction. We were grieved at finding
the lake expand very much beyond the contracted part we had first seen
and incline to the eastward of south. As however it was considered more
than probable, from the direction and size of the body of water we were
now tracing, that it was a branch of Point Lake, and as in any case we
knew that by passing round its south end we must shortly come to the
Copper-Mine River, our course was continued in that direction. The
appearance of some dwarf pines and willows, larger than usual, induced us
to suppose the river was near. We encamped early having come eight miles.
Our supper consisted of tripe de roche and half a partridge each.
Our progress next day was extremely slow from the difficulty of managing
the canoe in passing over the hills as the breeze was fresh.
