s the
transport, by this arrangement, would only cost them one-third of what
it cost them to employ the half-breeds. His Excellency, however, was
quite "sick" of the Portage La Loche subject; he knew as much about it
as anybody, and felt quite assured that it was the easiest part of the
men's duties throughout the voyage! While canoes were used, the duty
at Portage la Loche was not nearly so severe as at present; a canoe
carried only twenty-five pieces, and was manned by six men; a boat's
crew consists only of seven men, while the cargo consists of from
sixty to seventy pieces.

The descent of the Clear Water and Athabasca rivers was effected
without any accident, and we arrived at Athabasca on the 16th of
September; whence I set out again, after a few days' delay, for Fort
Resolution, on Great Slave Lake, where I was detained by stress of
weather until the 29th.

I left the post late in the evening, and intended to encamp on an
island at a convenient distance; but the season being far advanced, I
felt anxious to proceed, and inquired of my pilot whether he thought
there would be any risk in travelling all night? "Not the least," was
the reply; and we rowed on accordingly till morning; when lo! the only
objects to be seen were sea and sky. In vain we strained the organs
of vision to discover land; there we were, as if in the midst of the
ocean, surrounded on all sides by the unbroken circle of the horizon.
I do not know that I ever felt more seriously alarmed than at this
moment, thus to find myself exposed on an unknown sea, as it might
well be termed, in an open boat, and at such an advanced period of
the season, without any means of ascertaining what course to steer for
land. It would appear our steersman had been napping at the helm in
the course of the night, and thus allowed the boat to deviate from her
course without noticing it; hence the awkwardness and even the danger
of our present situation.

While considering with myself what was best to be done, a fine breeze
sprang up; I ordered the sail to be hoisted immediately, determined on
going before it until we made land, no matter where. Fortunately the
wind continued steady all day, and we at length reached the land a
little after sunset, having run at least forty miles. We put ashore
at the first convenient landing we could find, and encamped for the
night. Having consulted a map I had with me, and observing by the sun
the direction in which we had crossed