The nets were taken up at daylight but they furnished only a solitary pike.  We lost no time in embarking and crossed the crooked channel of the Dog Rapid when two of the canoes came in such violent contact with each other that the sternmost had its bow broken off.  We were fortunately near the shore or the disabled canoe would have sunk.  The injury being repaired in two hours we again embarked and, having descended another rapid, arrived at the Cassette Portage of four hundred and sixty paces, over which the cargoes and canoes were carried in about twenty-six minutes.  We next passed through a narrow channel full of rapids, crossed the Portage d’Embarras of seventy yards, and the portage of the Little Rock of three hundred yards, at which another accident happened to one of the canoes by the bowman slipping and letting it fall upon a rock and breaking it in two.  Two hours were occupied in sewing the detached pieces together and covering the seam with pitch but, this being done, it was as effective as before.  After leaving this place we soon came to the next portage of two hundred and seventy-three paces; and shortly afterwards to the Mountain Portage of one hundred and twenty, which is appropriately named as the path leads over the summit of a high hill.  This elevated situation commands a very grand and picturesque view for some miles along the river which at this part is about a mile wide.

We next crossed a portage of one hundred and twenty yards; and then the Pelican Portage of eight hundred paces.  Mr. Back took an accurate sketch of the interesting scenery which the river presents at this place.  After descending six miles farther we came to the last portage on the route to Slave Lake which we crossed and encamped in its lower end.  It is called The Portage of the Drowned and it received that name from a melancholy accident which took place many years ago.  Two canoes arrived at the upper end of the portage in one of which there was an experienced guide.  This man, judging from the height of the river, deemed it practicable to shoot the rapid and determined upon trying it.  He accordingly placed himself in the bow of his canoe, having previously agreed that, if the passage was found easy, he should, on reaching the bottom of the rapid, fire a musket as a signal for the other canoe to follow.  The rapid proved dangerous and called forth all the skill of the guide and the utmost exertion of his crew and they narrowly escaped destruction.  Just as they were landing an unfortunate fellow, seizing the loaded fowling-piece, fired at a duck which rose at the instant.  The guide, anticipating the consequences, ran with the utmost haste to the other end of the portage but he was too late:  the other canoe had pushed off and he arrived only to witness the fate of his comrades.  They got alarmed in the middle of the rapid, the canoe was upset, and every man perished.

The various rapids we passed this day are produced by an assemblage of islands and rocky ledges which obstruct the river and divide it into many narrow channels.  Two of these channels are rendered still more difficult by accumulations of drift timber, a circumstance which has given a name to one of the portages.  The rocks which compose the bed of the river and the numerous islands belong to the granite formation.  The distance made today was thirteen miles.