, but under the expectation of seeing him again in May; at which
time the partners of the Company usually assemble at Fort Chipewyan,
where we hoped the necessary arrangements for our future proceedings
would be completed. We encamped at sunset at the end of fourteen miles,
having walked the whole way along the river, which preserves nearly a
true north course, and is from four hundred to six hundred yards broad.
The banks are high, and well clothed with the liard, spruce, fir, alder,
birch-tree, and willows. Having come nineteen miles and a half, on the
23d, we encamped among pines of a great height and girth.

Showers of snow fell until noon on the following day, but we continued
our journey along the river, whose banks and islands became gradually
lower as we advanced, and less abundantly supplied with wood, except
willows. We passed an old Canadian, who was resting his wearied dogs
during the heat of the sun. He was carrying meat from some Indian lodges
to Fort Chipewyan, having a burden exceeding two hundred and fifty
pounds on his sledge, which was dragged by two miserable dogs. He came
up to our encampment after dark. We were much amused by the altercation
that took place between him and our Canadian companions as to the
qualifications of their respective dogs. This, however, is such a
general topic of conversation among the voyagers in the encampment, that
we should not probably have remarked it, had not the old man frequently
offered to bet the whole of his wages that his two dogs, poor and lean
as they were, would drag their load to the Athabasca Lake in less time
than any three of theirs. Having expressed our surprise at his apparent
temerity, he coolly said the men from the lower countries did not
understand the management of their dogs, and that he depended on his
superior skill in driving; and we soon gathered from his remarks, that
the voyagers of the Athabasca department consider themselves very
superior to any other. The only reasons which he could assign were, that
they had borne their burdens across the terrible Methye Portage, and
that they were accustomed to live harder and more precariously.

_March 25_.--Having now the guidance of the old Canadian, we sent
forward the Indian, and one of our men, with letters to the gentleman at
the Athabasca Lake. The rest of the party set off afterwards, and kept
along the river until ten, when we branched off by portages into the
Embarras River, the usual channe