The next morning the net furnished us with ten white-fish and trout.  Having made a further deposit of ironwork for the Esquimaux we pursued our voyage up the river, but the shoals and rapids in this part were so frequent that we walked along the banks the whole day and the crews laboured hard in carrying the canoes thus lightened over the shoals or dragging them up the rapids, yet our journey in a direct line was only about seven miles.  In the evening we encamped at the lower end of a narrow chasm through which the river flows for upwards of a mile.  The walls of this chasm are upwards of two hundred feet high, quite perpendicular and in some places only a few yards apart.  The river precipitates itself into it over a rock, forming two magnificent and picturesque falls close to each other.  The upper fall is about sixty feet high and the lower one at least one hundred but perhaps considerably more, for the narrowness of the chasm into which it fell prevented us from seeing its bottom and we could merely discern the top of the spray far beneath our feet.  The lower fall is divided into two by an insulated column of rock which rises about forty feet above it.  The whole descent of the river at this place probably exceeds two hundred and fifty feet.  The rock is very fine felspathose sandstone.  It has a smooth surface and a light red colour.  I have named these magnificent cascades Wilberforce Falls as a tribute of my respect for that distinguished philanthropist and Christian.  Messrs. Back and Hood took beautiful sketches of this majestic scene.

The river, being surveyed from the summit of a hill above these falls, appeared so rapid and shallow that it seemed useless to attempt proceeding any farther in the large canoes.  I therefore determined on constructing out of their materials two smaller ones of sufficient size to contain three persons for the purpose of crossing any river that might obstruct our progress.  This operation was accordingly commenced and by the 31st, both the canoes being finished, we prepared for our departure on the following day.

The leather which had been preserved for making shoes was equally divided among the men, two pairs of flannel socks were given to each person, and such articles of warm clothing as remained were issued to those who most required them.  They were also furnished with one of the officers’ tents.  This being done I communicated to the men my intention of proceeding in as direct a course as possible to the part of Point Lake opposite our spring encampment, which was only distant one hundred and forty-nine miles in a straight line.  They received the communication cheerfully, considered the journey to be short, and left me in high spirits to arrange their own packages.  The stores, books, etc., which were not absolutely necessary to be carried were then put up in boxes to be left en cache here, in order that the men’s burdens might be as light as possible.