the Copper-Mine River than his track is laid down, he only
making one degree and three-quarters' difference of longitude and we
upwards of four. Had I been aware of the fact several days' harassing
march and a disastrous accident would have been prevented by keeping on
the western side of the lake instead of crossing the river. We were
informed also that this river is the Anatessy or River of Strangers and
is supposed to fall into Bathurst's Inlet, but although the Indians have
visited its mouth their description was not sufficient to identify it
with any of the rivers whose mouths we had seen. It probably discharges
itself in that part of the coast which was hid from our view by
Goulbourn's or Elliott's Islands.

September 10.

We had a cold north wind and the atmosphere was foggy. The thermometer 18
degrees at five A.M. In the course of our march this morning we passed
many small lakes and the ground, becoming higher and more hilly as we
receded from the river, was covered to a much greater depth with snow.
This rendered walking not only extremely laborious but also hazardous in
the highest degree, for the sides of the hills, as is usual throughout
the barren grounds, abounding in accumulations of large angular stones,
it often happened that the men fell into the interstices with their loads
on their backs, being deceived by the smooth appearance of the drifted
snow. If anyone had broken a limb here his fate would have been
melancholy indeed; we could neither have remained with him nor carried
him on. We halted at ten to gather tripe de roche but it was so frozen
that we were quite benumbed with cold before a sufficiency could be
collected even for a scanty meal. On proceeding our men were somewhat
cheered by observing on the sandy summit of a hill, from whence the snow
had been blown, the summer track of a man, and afterwards by seeing
several deer tracks on the snow. About noon the weather cleared up a
little and, to our great joy, we saw a herd of musk-oxen grazing in a
valley below us. The party instantly halted and the best hunters were
sent out; they approached the animals with the utmost caution, no less
than two hours being consumed before they got within gunshot. In the
meantime we beheld their proceedings with extreme anxiety, and many
secret prayers were doubtless offered up for their success. At length
they opened their fire and we had the satisfaction of seeing one of the
largest cows fall; another was