man and steersman for the other canoe, we
were compelled to wait for the appearance of the Isle a la Crosse canoes
under Mr. Clark.

On the 8th Mr. Williams embarked for York Fort. He gave us a circular
letter addressed to the Chiefs of the Hudson's Bay Company's Posts,
directing them to afford us all possible assistance on our route, and he
promised to exert every endeavour to forward the Esquimaux interpreter,
upon whom the success of our journey so much depended. He was
accompanied by eight boats. With him we sent our collections of plants,
minerals, charts, and drawings, to be transmitted to England by the
Hudson's Bay ships. After this period, our detention, though short, cost
us more vexation than the whole time we had passed at Cumberland House,
because every hour of the short summer was invaluable to us. On the 11th
Mr. Clark arrived, and completed our crews.--He brought letters from Mr.
Franklin, dated March 28th, at Fort Chipewyan, where he was engaged
procuring hunters and interpreters. A heavy storm of wind and rain from
the north-east again delayed us till the morning of the 13th. The
account we had received at York Factory of the numerous stores at
Cumberland House proved to be very erroneous. The most material stores
we received did not amount, in addition to our own, to more than two
barrels of powder, a keg of spirits, and two pieces of tobacco, with
pemmican for sixteen days.

The crew of Dr. Richardson's canoe consisted of three Englishmen and
three Canadians, and the other carried five Canadians; both were deeply
laden and the waves ran high on the lake. No person in our party being
well acquainted with the rivers to the northward, Mr. Conolly{47} gave
us a pilot, on condition that we should exchange him when we met with
the Athabasca brigade of canoes. At four A.M. we embarked.

We soon found that birchen-bark canoes were not calculated to brave
rough weather on a large lake, for we were compelled to land on the
opposite border, to free them from the water which had already saturated
their cargoes. The wind became more moderate, and we were enabled, after
traversing a chain of smaller lakes, to enter the mouth of the Sturgeon
River, at sunset, where we encamped.

The lading of the canoes is always, if possible carried on shore at
night, and the canoes taken out of the water. The following evening we
reached Beaver Lake, and landed to repair some damages sustained by the
canoes. A round stone wil