Akaitcho Who Was Here With His Family Pointed Out To Us The Smoke Of The
Distant Fires Which The Hunters Had Made.
The prospect is agreeably
diversified by an intermixture of hill and valley and the appearance of
twelve lakes in different directions.
On the borders of these lakes a few
thin pine groves occur, but the country in general is destitute of almost
every vegetable except a few berry-bearing shrubs and lichens, and has a
very barren aspect. The hills are composed of gneiss but their
acclivities are covered with a coarse gravelly soil. There are many large
loose stones both on their sides and summits composed of the same
materials as the solid rock.
We crossed another lake in the evening, encamped and set the nets. The
chief made a large fire to announce our situation to the hunters.
DIFFICULTIES WITH REGARD TO THE INDIAN GUIDES. REFUSAL TO PROCEED.
August 13.
We caught twenty fish this morning but they were small and furnished but
a scanty breakfast for the party. Whilst this meal was preparing our
Canadian voyagers, who had been for some days past murmuring at their
meagre diet and striving to get the whole of our little provision to
consume at once, broke out into open discontent, and several of them
threatened they would not proceed forward unless more food was given to
them. This conduct was the more unpardonable as they saw we were rapidly
approaching the fires of the hunters and that provision might soon be
expected.
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