On the 8th Mr. Williams embarked for York Fort.  He gave us a circular letter addressed to the chiefs of the Hudson’s Bay Company’s posts directing them to afford us all possible assistance on our route, and he promised to exert every endeavour to forward the Esquimaux interpreter, upon whom the success of our journey so much depended.  He was accompanied by eight boats.  With him we sent our collections of plants, minerals, charts, and drawings to be transmitted to England by the Hudson’s Bay ships.  After this period our detention, though short, cost us more vexation than the whole time we had passed at Cumberland House because every hour of the short summer was invaluable to us.  On the 11th Mr. Clark arrived and completed our crews.  He brought letters from Mr. Franklin dated March 28th at Fort Chipewyan where he was engaged procuring hunters and interpreters.  A heavy storm of wind and rain from the north-east again delayed us till the morning of the 13th.  The account we had received at York Factory of the numerous stores at Cumberland House proved to be very erroneous.  The most material stores we received did not amount in addition to our own to more than two barrels of powder, a keg of spirits, and two pieces of tobacco, with pemmican for sixteen days.

The crew of Dr. Richardson’s canoe consisted of three Englishmen and three Canadians and the other carried five Canadians; both were deeply laden and the waves ran high on the lake.  No person in our party being well acquainted with the rivers to the northward, Mr. Connolly gave us a pilot on condition that we should exchange him when we met with the Athabasca brigade of canoes.  At four A.M. we embarked.

We soon found that birchen-bark canoes were not calculated to brave rough weather on a large lake, for we were compelled to land on the opposite border to free them from the water which had already saturated their cargoes.  The wind became more moderate and we were enabled, after traversing a chain of smaller lakes, to enter the mouth of the Sturgeon River at sunset, where we encamped.

The lading of the canoes is always if possible carried on shore at night and the canoes taken out of the water.  The following evening we reached Beaver Lake and landed to repair some damages sustained by the canoes.  A round stone will displace the lading of a canoe without doing any injury but a slight blow against a sharp corner penetrates the bark.  For the purpose of repairing it, a small quantity of gum or pitch, bark and pine roots are embarked, and the business is so expeditiously performed that the speed of the canoe amply compensates for every delay.  The Sturgeon River is justly called by the Canadians La Riviere Maligne from its numerous and dangerous rapids.  Against the strength of a rapid it is impossible to effect any progress by paddling and the canoes are tracked or, if the bank will not admit of it, propelled with poles, in the management of which the Canadians show great dexterity.  Their simultaneous motions were strongly contrasted with the awkward confusion of the inexperienced Englishmen, defended by the torrent, who sustained the blame of every accident which occurred.