the purpose, the willows furnishing us with fire.  But we had to await the return of Junius before we could make the traverse.  In the meantime we gathered a little tripe de roche and breakfasted upon it and a few partridges that were killed in the morning.  St. Germain and Adam were sent upon some recent tracks of deer.  Junius arrived in the afternoon and informed us that he had seen a large herd of musk-oxen on the banks of Cracroft’s River, and had wounded one of them but it escaped.  He brought about four pounds of meat, the remains of a deer that had been devoured by the wolves.  The poor fellow was much fatigued, having walked throughout the night but, as the weather was particularly favourable for our crossing the river, we could not allow him to rest.  After he had taken some refreshment we proceeded to the river.  The canoe being put into the water was found extremely ticklish, but it was managed with much dexterity by St. Germain, Adam, and Peltier, who ferried over one passenger at a time, causing him to lie flat in its bottom, by no means a pleasant position owing to its leakiness, but there was no alternative.  The transport of the whole party was effected by five o’clock and we walked about two miles farther and encamped, having come five miles and three-quarters on a south-west course.  Two young alpine hares were shot by St. Germain which with the small piece of meat brought in by Junius furnished the supper of the whole party.  There was no tripe de roche here.  The country had now become decidedly hilly and was covered with snow.  The lake preserved its western direction as far as I could see from the summit of the highest mountain near the encampment.  We subsequently learned from the Copper Indians that the part at which we had crossed the river was the Congecathawhachaga of Hearne, of which I had little idea at the time, not only from the difference of latitude, but also from its being so much farther east of the mouth of the Copper-Mine River than his track is laid down, he only making one degree and three-quarters’ difference of longitude and we upwards of four.  Had I been aware of the fact several days’ harassing march and a disastrous accident would have been prevented by keeping on the western side of the lake instead of crossing the river.  We were informed also that this river is the Anatessy or River of Strangers and is supposed to fall into Bathurst’s Inlet, but although the Indians have visited its mouth their description was not sufficient to identify it with any of the rivers whose mouths we had seen.  It probably discharges itself in that part of the coast which was hid from our view by Goulbourn’s or Elliott’s Islands.

September 10.