Page:Across the sub-Arctics of Canada (1897).djvu/83

 Corrigal; who had been crippled, was now at work again, and proved to be a capital hand. All hands worked well, but it was amusing to note the craftiness of the Iroquois, who invariably tried to secure such articles to carry as biscuits, tents or dunnage bags. With immense loads of comparatively little weight they would then stagger off like old Atlas himself.

When the last loads for the week were laid down at camp, we were a thoroughly tired party. For the past six days we had been laboring on long portages, and during that time had carried the entire outfit for a distance of about eight miles, over the roughest kind of country, representing a total transport of fifty-six miles, or a walk of 104 miles for each man. Sunday was spent, therefore, by all in enjoying complete rest. The weather continued fine and warm, as it had been all week.

During the succeeding day and a half six little lakes and as many short portages, leading in a northerly direction, were crossed, and then at noon on the 11th inst. Wolverine Lake was discovered and its position in latitude determined. This lake, only about three miles in width by six in length, is by no means a large body of water, but because of its many deep shore indentations and consequent coast-line of forty or fifty miles, it was thought by us to be large enough before we discovered our road out of it, which we knew to be by the ascent of a large river from the north. The shores of the lake were heavily and beautifully wooded with spruce and birch timber, and its surface was studded with islands. At nightfall, after exploring the uttermost recesses of several deep bays, without discovering