We Left Sail Island With A Fair Wind
And Soon Afterwards Arrived At A Depot Situated On Swampy Lake Where
We
received a supply of mouldy pemmican.* Mr. Calder and his attendant were
the only tenants of this cheerless abode,
And their only food was the
wretched stuff with which they supplied us, the lake not yielding fish at
this season.
(*Footnote. Buffalo meat, dried and pounded and mixed with melted fat.)
JACK RIVER.
After a short delay at this post we sailed through the remainder of
Swampy Lake and slept at the Lower Portage in Jack River; the distance
sailed today being sixteen miles and a half.
Jack River is only eight miles long but, being full of bad rapids, it
detained us considerably. At seven in the morning of the 24th we crossed
the Long Portage where the woods, having caught fire in the summer, were
still smoking. This is a common accident owing to the neglect of the
Indians and voyagers in not putting out their fires, and in a dry season
the woods may be seen blazing to the extent of many miles. We afterwards
crossed the Second, or Swampy, Portage and in the evening encamped on the
Upper Portage, where we were overtaken by an Indian bringing an answer
from Governor Williams to a letter I had written to him on the 15th in
which he renewed his injunctions to the gentlemen of the boats
accompanying us to afford us every assistance in their power.
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