fall all day: consequently we effected but a trifling distance, and that too with much difficulty. In the evening we halted, having only performed about seven miles. One of the Indians gave us a fish which he had caught, though he had nothing for himself; and it was with much trouble that he could be prevailed upon to partake of it. The night was cloudy, with snow.
“On the 29th, we set out through deep snow and thick woods; and after crossing two small lakes, stopped to breakfast; sending the women on before, as they had already complained of lameness, and could not keep pace with the party. It was not long before we overtook them, on the banks of a small lake, which though infinitely less in magnitude than many we had passed, yet had not a particle of ice on its surface. It was shoal, had no visible current, and was surrounded by hills. We had nothing to eat, and were not very near an establishment where food could be procured. However, as we proceeded, the lakes were frozen, and we quickened our pace, stopping but twice for the hunters to smoke: nevertheless the distance we completed was but trifling; and at night we halted near the lake, the men being tired, and much bruised, from constantly falling amongst thick broken woods and loose stones concealed under the snow. The night was blowing, and hazy, with snow.
“On the 30th we set out with the expectation of gaining the Slave Lake in the evening; but our progress was again impeded by the same cause as before, so that the whole day was spent in forcing our way through thick woods and over swamps covered with snow. We had to walk over pointed and loose rocks, which sliding from under our feet, made our path dangerous, and often threw us down several feet on sharp, edged stones lying beneath the snow. Once we had to climb a towering and almost perpendicular rock, which not only detained us, but was the cause of great anxiety for the safety of the women, who being heavily laden with furs, and one of them with a child on her back, could not exert themselves with the activity which such a task required. Fortunately nothing serious occurred, though one of them once fell with considerable violence.
“During the day one of the hunters broke through the ice, but was soon extricated; when it became dark, we halted near the Bow String Portage, greatly disappointed at not having reached the lake. The weather was cloudy, accompanied with thick mist and snow. The Indians expected to have found here a bear in its den, and to have made a hearty meal of its flesh; indeed it had been the subject of conversation all day, and they had even gone so far as to divide it, frequently asking me what part I preferred; but when we came to the spot – oh! lamentable! it had already fallen a prey to the devouring appetites of some more fortunate hunters, who had only left sufficient evidence that such a thing had once existed. One of our men, however, caught a fish, which, with the assistance of some weed scraped from the rocks (tripe de roche),