August 13.

We caught twenty fish this morning but they were small and furnished but a scanty breakfast for the party.  Whilst this meal was preparing our Canadian voyagers, who had been for some days past murmuring at their meagre diet and striving to get the whole of our little provision to consume at once, broke out into open discontent, and several of them threatened they would not proceed forward unless more food was given to them.  This conduct was the more unpardonable as they saw we were rapidly approaching the fires of the hunters and that provision might soon be expected.  I therefore felt the duty incumbent on me to address them in the strongest manner on the danger of insubordination and to assure them of my determination to inflict the heaviest punishment on any that should persist in their refusal to go on, or in any other way attempt to retard the Expedition.  I considered this decisive step necessary, having learned from the gentlemen most intimately acquainted with the character of the Canadian voyagers that they invariably try how far they can impose upon every new master and that they will continue to be disobedient and intractable if they once gain any ascendancy over him.  I must admit however that the present hardships of our companions were of a kind which few could support without murmuring, and no one could witness without a sincere pity for their sufferings.

After this discussion we went forward until sunset.  In the course of the day we crossed seven lakes and as many portages.  Just as we had encamped we were delighted to see four of the hunters arrive with the flesh of two reindeer.  This seasonable supply, though only sufficient for this evening’s and the next day’s consumption, instantly revived the spirits of our companions and they immediately forgot all their cares.  As we did not after this period experience any deficiency of food during this journey they worked extremely well and never again reflected upon us as they had done before for rashly bringing them into an inhospitable country where the means of subsistence could not be procured.

Several blue fish resembling the grayling were caught in a stream which flows out of Hunter’s Lake.  It is remarkable for the largeness of the dorsal fin and the beauty of its colours.

August 14.

Having crossed the Hunter’s Portage we entered the Lake of the same name in latitude 64 degrees 6 minutes 47 seconds North, longitude 113 degrees 25 minutes 00 seconds West; but soon quitted it by desire of the Indian guide and diverged more to the eastward that we might get into the line upon which our hunters had gone.  This was the only consideration that could have induced us to remove to a chain of small lakes connected by long portages.  We crossed three of these and then were obliged to encamp to rest the men.  The country is bare of wood except a few dwarf birch bushes which grow near the borders of the lakes, and here and there a few stunted pines,