At sunset we encamped on an island in Beaver Lake and, at four A.M. the next morning, passed the first portage in the Ridge River.  Beaver Lake is twelve miles in length and six in breadth.  The flat limestone country rises into bold rocks on its banks and at the mouth of the Ridge River the limestone discontinues.  The lake is very deep and has already been noticed for the number and excellence of its fish.  The Ridge River is rapid and shallow.  We had emerged from the muddy channels through an alluvial soil, and the primitive rocks interrupted our way with frequent portages through the whole route to Isle a la Crosse Lake.  At two P.M. we passed the mouth of the Hay River, running from the westward, and the ridge above its confluence takes the name of the Great River, which rises at the height of land called Frog Portage.

The thermometer was this day 100 degrees in the sun and the heat was extremely oppressive from our constant exposure to it.  We crossed three portages in the Great River and encamped at the last; here we met the director of the North-West Company’s affairs in the north, Mr. Stuart, on his way to Fort William in a light canoe.  He had left the Athabasca Lake only thirteen days and brought letters from Mr. Franklin who desired that we would endeavour to collect stores of every kind at Isle a la Crosse and added a favourable account of the country to the northward of the Slave Lake.

On the 16th at three A.M. we continued our course, the river increasing to the breadth of half a mile with many rapids between the rocky islands.  The banks were luxuriantly clothed with pines, poplars, and birch trees, of the largest size, but the different shades of green were undistinguishable at a distance and the glow of autumnal colours was wanting to render the variety beautiful.

Having crossed two portages at the different extremities of the Island Lake we ran under sail through two extensive sheets of water called the Heron and Pelican Lakes, the former of which is fifteen miles in length and the latter five; but its extent to the southward has not been explored.  An intricate channel with four small portages conducted us to the Woody Lake.  Its borders were indeed walls of pines, hiding the face of steep and high rocks; and we wandered in search of a landing-place till ten P.M., when we were forced to take shelter from the impending storm on a small island where we wedged ourselves between the trees.  But though we secured the canoes we incurred a personal evil of much greater magnitude in the torments inflicted by the mosquitoes, a plague which had grown upon us since our departure from Cumberland House and which infested us during the whole summer; we found no relief from their attacks by exposing ourselves to the utmost violence of the wind and rain.  Our last resource was to plunge ourselves in the water, and from this uncomfortable situation we gladly escaped at daylight, and hoisted our sails.