Their
simultaneous motions were strongly contrasted with the awkward confusion
of the inexperienced Englishmen, defended by the torrent, who sustained
the blame of every accident which occurred.
At sunset we encamped on an island in Beaver Lake and, at four A.M. the
next morning, passed the first portage in the Ridge River. Beaver Lake is
twelve miles in length and six in breadth. The flat limestone country
rises into bold rocks on its banks and at the mouth of the Ridge River
the limestone discontinues. The lake is very deep and has already been
noticed for the number and excellence of its fish. The Ridge River is
rapid and shallow. We had emerged from the muddy channels through an
alluvial soil, and the primitive rocks interrupted our way with frequent
portages through the whole route to Isle a la Crosse Lake. At two P.M. we
passed the mouth of the Hay River, running from the westward, and the
ridge above its confluence takes the name of the Great River, which rises
at the height of land called Frog Portage.
The thermometer was this day 100 degrees in the sun and the heat was
extremely oppressive from our constant exposure to it. We crossed three
portages in the Great River and encamped at the last; here we met the
director of the North-West Company's affairs in the north, Mr. Stuart, on
his way to Fort William in a light canoe. He had left the Athabasca Lake
only thirteen days and brought letters from Mr. Franklin who desired that
we would endeavour to collect stores of every kind at Isle a la Crosse
and added a favourable account of the country to the northward of the
Slave Lake.
On the 16th at three A.M. we continued our course, the river increasing
to the breadth of half a mile with many rapids between the rocky islands.
The banks were luxuriantly clothed with pines, poplars, and birch trees,
of the largest size, but the different shades of green were
undistinguishable at a distance and the glow of autumnal colours was
wanting to render the variety beautiful.
Having crossed two portages at the different extremities of the Island
Lake we ran under sail through two extensive sheets of water called the
Heron and Pelican Lakes, the former of which is fifteen miles in length
and the latter five; but its extent to the southward has not been
explored. An intricate channel with four small portages conducted us to
the Woody Lake. Its borders were indeed walls of pines, hiding the face
of steep and high rocks; and we wandered in search of a landing-place
till ten P.M., when we were forced to take shelter from the impending
storm on a small island where we wedged ourselves between the trees. But
though we secured the canoes we incurred a personal evil of much greater
magnitude in the torments inflicted by the mosquitoes, a plague which had
grown upon us since our departure from Cumberland House and which
infested us during the whole summer; we found no relief from their
attacks by exposing ourselves to the utmost violence of the wind and
rain. Our last resource was to plunge ourselves in the water, and from
this uncomfortable situation we gladly escaped at daylight, and hoisted
our sails.
The Woody Lake is thirteen miles in length and a small grassy channel at
its north-western extremity leads to the Frog Portage, the source of the
waters descending by Beaver Lake to the Saskatchewan. The distance to the
Missinippi or Churchill River is only three hundred and eighty yards and,
as its course crosses the height nearly at rightangles to the direction
of the Great River, it would be superfluous to compute the elevation at
this place. The portage is in latitude 55 degrees 26 minutes 0 seconds
North, and longitude 103 degrees 34 minutes 50 seconds West. Its name
according to Sir Alexander Mackenzie is derived from the Crees having
left suspended a stretched frog's skin in derision of the Northern Indian
mode of dressing the beaver.
The part of the Missinippi in which we embarked we should have mistaken
for a lake had it not been for the rapidity of the current against which
we made our way. At four P.M. we passed a long portage occasioned by a
ledge of rocks three hundred yards in length over which the river falls
seven or eight feet. After crossing another portage we encamped.
On the 18th we had rain, wind, and thunder the whole day but this weather
was much preferable to the heat we had borne hitherto. We passed three
portages and at six P.M. encamped on the north bank. Below the third
portage is the mouth of the Rapid River, flowing from a large lake to the
southward, on which a post was formerly maintained by the North-West
Company. Next morning we found ourselves involved in a confused mass of
islands through the openings of which we could not discern the shore. The
guide's knowledge of the river did not extend beyond the last portage,
and our perplexity continued till we observed some foam floating on the
water and took the direction from which it came. The noise of a heavy
fall at the Mountain Portage reached our ears at the distance of four
miles and we arrived there at eight A.M. The portage was a difficult
ascent over a rocky island between which and the main shore were two
cataracts and a third in sight above them, making another portage. We
surprised a large brown bear which immediately retreated into the woods.
To the northward of the second portage we again found the channels
intricate but, the shores being sometimes visible, we ventured to
proceed.
