Journals, стр. 7
We saw some reindeer on one of these islands, and our hunters went in pursuit of them, when they killed five large and two small ones, which was easily accomplished, as the animals had no shelter to which they could run for protection. They had, without doubt, crossed the ice to this spot, and the thaw coming on had detained them there, and made them an easy prey to the pursuer. This island was accordingly named Isle de Carreboeuf.
I sat up the whole of this night to observe the setting and rising of the sun. That orb was beneath the horizon four hours twenty-two minutes, and rose north 20° east by compass. It, however, froze so hard, that, during the sun’s disappearance, the water was covered with ice half a quarter of an inch thick.
.—We embarked at half past three in the morning, and rounding the outside of the islands, steered northwest thirteen miles along the ice, edging in for the mainland, the wind west, then west two miles; but it blew so hard as to oblige us to land on an island at half past nine, from whence we could just distinguish land to the southeast, at the distance of about twelve leagues; though we could not determine whether it was a continuation of the islands, or the shores of the lake. 3 I took an observation at noon, which gave me 61° 53′ north, the variation of the compass being, at the same time, about two points. M. Le Roux’s people having provided two bags of pemmican 4 to be left in the island against their return; it was called Isle à la Cache.
The wind being moderated, we proceeded again at half past two in the afternoon, and steering west by north among the islands, made as course of eighteen miles. We encamped at eight o’clock on a small island, and since eight in the morning had not passed any ice. Though the weather was far from being warm, we were tormented, and our rest interrupted, by the host of mosquitoes that accompanied us.
II
.—Towards morning, the Indians who had not been able to keep up with us the preceding day, now joined us, and brought two swans and a goose. At half past three we re-embarked, and steering west by north a mile and an half, with a northerly wind, we came to the foot of a traverse across a deep bay, west five miles, which receives a considerable river at the bottom of it; the distance about twelve miles. The northwest side of the bay was covered with many small islands that were surrounded with ice; but the wind driving it a little off the land, we had a clear passage on the inside of them. We steered southwest nine miles under sail, then northwest nearly, through the islands, forming a course of sixteen miles. We landed on the mainland at half past two in the afternoon at three lodges of Red Knife Indians, so called from their copper knives. They informed us, that there were many more lodges of their friends at no great distance; and one of the Indians set off to fetch them: they also said, that we should see no more of them at present; as the Slave and Beaver Indians, as well as others of the tribe, would not be here till the time that the swans cast their feathers. In the afternoon it rained a torrent.
.— M. Le Roux purchased of these Indians upwards of eight packs of good beaver and marten skins; and there were not above twelve of them qualified to kill beaver. The English Chief got upwards of an hundred skins on the score of debts due to him, of which he had many outstanding in this country. Forty of them he gave on account of debts due by him since the winters of 1786 and 1787, at the Slave Lake; the rest he exchanged for rum and other necessary articles; and I added a small quantity of that liquor as an encouraging present to him and his young men. I had several consultations with these Copper Indian people, but could obtain no information that was material to our expedition; nor were they acquainted with any part of the river, which was the object of my research, but the mouth of it. In order to save as much time as possible in circumnavigating the bays, I engaged one of the Indians to conduct us; and I accordingly equipped him with various articles of clothing, etc. I also purchased a large new canoe, that he might embark with the two young Indians in my service.
This day, at noon, I took an observation, which gave me 62° 24′ north latitude; the variation of the compass being about twenty-six or twenty-seven degrees to the east.
In the afternoon I assembled the Indians, in order to inform them that I should take my departure on the following day; but that people would remain on the spot till their countrymen, whom they had mentioned, should arrive; and that, if they brought a sufficient quantity of skins to make it answer, the Canadians would return for more goods, with a view to winter here, and build a fort, 5 which would be continued as long as they should be found to deserve it. They assured me that it would be a great encouragement to them to have a