It Flowed To The Northward And, After Winding About
Five Miles Terminated In Point Lake.
Its current was swift, and there
were two rapids in this part of its course which in a canoe we could have
crossed with ease and safety.
These rapids, as well as every other part
of the river, were carefully examined in search of a ford but, finding
none, the expedients occurred of attempting to cross on a raft made of
the willows which were growing there, or in a vessel framed with willows
and covered with the canvas of the tents, but both these schemes were
abandoned through the obstinacy of the interpreters and the most
experienced voyagers, who declared that they would prove inadequate to
the conveyance of the party and that much time would be lost in the
attempt. The men in fact did not believe that this was the Copper-Mine
River and, so little confidence had they in our reckoning, and so much
had they bewildered themselves on the march, that some of them asserted
it was Hood's River and others that it was the Bethetessy. (A river which
rises from a lake to the northward of Rum Lake and holds a course to the
sea parallel with that of the Copper-Mine.) In short their despondency
had returned, and they all despaired of seeing Fort Enterprise again.
However the steady assurances of the officers that we were actually on
the banks of the Copper-Mine River, and that the distance to Fort
Enterprise did not exceed forty miles, made some impression upon them,
which was increased upon our finding some bear-berry plants (Arbutus uva
ursi) which are reported by the Indians not to grow to the eastward of
that river. They then deplored their folly and impatience in breaking the
canoe, being all of opinion that had it not been so completely demolished
on the 23rd it might have been repaired sufficiently to take the party
over. We again closely interrogated Peltier and Vaillant as to its state,
with the intention of sending for it; but they persisted in the
declaration that it was in a totally unserviceable condition. St.
Germain, being again called upon to endeavour to construct a canoe frame
with willows, stated that he was unable to make one sufficiently large.
It became necessary therefore to search for pines of sufficient size to
form a raft and, being aware that such trees grow on the borders of Point
Lake, we considered it best to trace its shores in search of them; we
therefore resumed our march, carefully looking but in vain for a fordable
part, and encamped at the east end of Point Lake.
As there was little danger of our losing the path of our hunters whilst
we coasted the shores of this lake I determined on again sending Mr. Back
forward with the interpreters to hunt. I had in view in this arrangement
the further object of enabling Mr. Back to get across the lake with two
of these men to convey the earliest possible account of our situation to
the Indians.
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