The circumstances of the operations up the Metis and Metis and Mistigougeche had been upon the whole favorable.  With the exception of a single thundershower, no rain had been experienced; the country was still sufficiently moist to insure a supply of water even upon the ridges.  The sun was observed daily for time and latitude, and the nights admitted of observations of the pole star for latitude at almost every camp.  At the stationary camp, however, the mists rising from the lake obscured the horizon and rendered the eclipses of Jupiter’s satellites invisible; nor was it possible to observe the only occultation of a star which calculation rendered probable during the period in question.  Much, however, had been accomplished.  A river little known had been carefully surveyed some miles beyond its junction with a branch unheard of by geographers.  This branch had been explored, its course and length determined; a path nearly coinciding with the boundary line for an extent of 86 miles had been measured and leveled, and regions before unseen visited.  One accident of a serious character had occurred, and one of the laboring men, although an homme du nord, seasoned in the service of the Hudsons Bay Company, had been rendered unfit by fatigue for further duty in the service; but with these exceptions the health and strength of the party were unimpaired.  All augured well for a speedy and successful completion of the task in a manner as perfect as had been anticipated.

10.  Instructions had been transmitted to the commissary, as soon as it was found that a portage to Katawamkedgwick and thence to Rimouski was impracticable, to have a vessel ready at Metis to transport the stores to the river Du Loup.  One was in consequence chartered, but, being neaped in the harbor of Rimouski, did not reach Metis till the 19th August.  When loaded, her sailing was delayed by an unfavorable wind, and its continuance prevented her from reaching the river Du Loup before the 29th August.  An entire week of very favorable weather was thus lost for field operations, and it was not even possible to employ it to advantage in observations, as all the chronometers but one and the larger instruments, in order to expose them as little as possible to change of rate or injury, had been forwarded from Metis in the vessel.  With the one chronometer and the reflecting repeating circle numerous observations were, however, made for the latitude of the river Du Loup.

11.  During the time the main body was engaged in ascending the Metis and in the other operations which have been mentioned an engineer was directed to proceed from Metis along the Kempt road for the purpose of exploring along the dividing ridge between the waters of the Bay of Chaleurs in the vicinity of Lake Matapediac and the St. Lawrence.  This line forms the continuation of that claimed by the United States, and is important in its connection with the proclamation of 1763; but as it falls without the ground which is the subject of dispute, it was not considered necessary to survey it.  The heights which could be reached were therefore measured with the barometer, and the position of the points at which the observations were taken referred to existing maps without any attempt to correct their errors.