the expectation of gaining the Slave Lake
in the evening; but our progress was again impeded by the same causes as
before, so that the whole day was spent in forcing our way through thick
woods and over snow-covered swamps. 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 at 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, and we had merely the consolation of realizing an old proverb.
One of our men, however, caught a fish which with the assistance of some
weed scraped from the rocks, (_tripe de roche_,) which forms a glutinous
substance, made us a tolerable supper; it was not of the most choice
kind, yet good enough for hungry men. While we were eating it I
perceived one of the women busily employed scraping an old skin, the
contents of which her husband presented us with. They consisted of
pounded meat, fat, and a greater proportion of Indians' and deers' hair
than either; and though such a mixture may not appear very alluring to
an English stomach, it was thought a great luxury after three days'
privation in these cheerless regions of America. Indeed had it not been
for the precaution and generosity of the Indians, we must have gone
without sustenance until we reached the Fort.

"On the 1st of November our men began to make a raft to ena