August 14.
Having crossed the Hunter's Portage we entered the Lake of the same name
in latitude 64 degrees 6 minutes 47 seconds North, longitude 113 degrees
25 minutes 00 seconds West; but soon quitted it by desire of the Indian
guide and diverged more to the eastward that we might get into the line
upon which our hunters had gone. This was the only consideration that
could have induced us to remove to a chain of small lakes connected by
long portages. We crossed three of these and then were obliged to encamp
to rest the men. The country is bare of wood except a few dwarf birch
bushes which grow near the borders of the lakes, and here and there a few
stunted pines, and our fuel principally consisted of the roots of decayed
pines which we had some difficulty to collect in sufficient quantity for
cooking. When this material is wanting the reindeer lichen and other
mosses that grow in profusion on the gravelly acclivities of the hills
are used as substitutes. Three more of the hunters arrived with meat this
evening which supply came very opportunely as our nets were unproductive.
At eight P.M. a faint Aurora Borealis appeared to the southward, the
night was cold, the wind strong from North-West.
We were detained some time in the following morning before the
fishing-nets, which had sunk in the night, could be recovered.
After starting we first crossed the Orkney Lake, then a portage which
brought us to Sandy Lake and here we missed one of our barrels of powder
which the steersman of the canoe then recollected had been left the day
before. He and two other men were sent back to search for it in the small
canoe. The rest of the party proceeded to the portage on the north side
of the Grizzly-Bear Lake, where the hunters had made a deposit of meat,
and there encamped to await their return which happened at nine P.M. with
the powder. We perceived from the direction of this lake that
considerable labour would have been spared if we had continued our course
yesterday, instead of striking off at the guide's suggestion, as the
bottom of this lake cannot be far separated from either Hunter's Lake or
the one to the westward of it. The chief and all the Indians went off to
hunt accompanied by Pierre St. Germain the interpreter. They returned at
night bringing some meat and reported that they had put the carcasses of
several reindeer en cache. These were sent for early next morning and, as
the weather was unusually warm, the thermometer at noon being 77 degrees,
we remained stationary all day that the women might prepare the meat for
keeping by stripping the flesh from the bones and drying it in the sun
over a slow fire. The hunters were again successful and by the evening we
had collected the carcasses of seventeen deer. As this was a sufficient
store to serve us until we arrived at Winter Lake the chief proposed that
he and his hunters should proceed to that place and collect some
provision against our arrival. He also requested that we would allow him
to be absent ten days to provide his family with clothing as the skin of
the reindeer is unfit for that purpose after the month of September. We
could not refuse to grant such a reasonable request but caused St.
Germain to accompany him that his absence might not exceed the appointed
time. Previous to his departure the chief warned us to be constantly on
our guard against the grizzly bears which he described as being numerous
in this vicinity and very ferocious; one had been seen this day by an
Indian, to which circumstance the lake owes its appellation. We
afterwards learned that the only bear in this part of the country is the
brown bear and that this by no means possesses the ferocity which the
Indians, with their usual love of exaggeration, ascribe to it. The fierce
grizzly bear which frequents the sources of the Missouri is not found on
the barren grounds.
The shores of this lake and the neighbouring hills are principally
composed of sand and gravel; they are much varied in their outline and
present some picturesque scenery.
The following observations were taken here: latitude 64 degrees 15
minutes 17 seconds North, longitude 113 degrees 2 minutes 39 seconds
West; variation of the compass 36 degrees 50 minutes 47 seconds East; and
dip of the needle 87 degrees 20 minutes 35 seconds.
On August the 17th, having finished drying the meat which had been
retarded by the heavy showers of rain that fell in the morning, we
embarked at one P.M. and crossed two lakes and two portages. The last of
these was two thousand and sixty-six paces long and very rugged so that
the men were much fatigued. On the next day we received the flesh of four
reindeer by the small canoe which had been sent for it and heard that the
hunters had killed several more deer on our route. We saw many of these
animals as we passed along; and our companions, delighted with the
prospect of having food in abundance, now began to accompany their
paddling with singing, which they had discontinued ever since our
provisions became scarce. We passed from one small lake to another over
four portages, then crossed a lake about six miles in diameter and
encamped on its border where, finding pines, we enjoyed the luxury of a
good fire, which we had not done for some days. At ten P.M. the Aurora
Borealis appeared very brilliant in an arch across the zenith from
north-west to south-east which afterwards gave place to a beautiful
corona borealis.
