our travelers, Rob's
diary will serve as well as anything to explain their experiences for
the next few days:

"_Tuesday, June 24th._--Not quite a month out from Athabasca
Landing. Have come 553 miles. Steamboat now for the rest of
the way north. She is a side-wheeler, pretty big, with
several berths and a dining-room. I think she will be pretty
well crowded.

"More dogs here. To-day three or four big huskies ate up a
little Lapland dog puppy which one of the men had brought
along to take home with him. They broke through the bars of
the crate and hauled out the puppy and ate him alive! Don't
like the looks of them after dark.

"There is a mission school here. The Church people are
against fur-hunting. I don't see what else the natives can
do. If you wanted to buy any fur here you would have to go
to the independents and pay a big price. This place had very
little to eat left in it when we got here. Not much fish
just now, as the river is too high. The cargo of the mission
scows is not over the portage yet. Some people of the
Anglican Church go north with us, too, also four Northwest
Mounted Police, who go to Fort McPherson and Herschel
Island. They relieve others who will go out. Lonesome life,
I should think.

"_Wednesday, June 25th._--Loaded and got off 3 P.M. They
call this the Big Slave, then Mackenzie River, but I can't
see why it isn't just the same river that starts back in the
Rocky Mountains. Passed the little steamboat _St. Marie_.
The bishop of this country is on it, also many Indians. Our
boat asked him if the ice was out of Great Slave Lake, and
he says yes. Tied up very late at night.

"_Thursday, June 26th._--Have seen no game. The banks are
low and very monotonous. Not very pretty. Most people are
playing cards on the boat. No one to talk to but ourselves.
Have to slow up because the head wind is filling the scows
with water.

"There is very little darkness now, even at midnight,
although there is a sort of sunset even yet.

"_Friday, June 27th._--Tied up twelve miles from Resolution,
in delta of the Slave River. Low marshes all around. Some
men on the boat, traders and others, took canoe and paddled
over to the post.

"_Saturday, June 28th._--This is my birthday. If I were home
might hav