| (pp. 210-211)
"This party was quickly in motion after our arrival, and we
were soon surrounded by a fleet of seventeen Indian canoes. In company with
them we paddled up the river, which is one hundred and fifty yards wide, and,
in an hour, came to a cascade of five feet, where we were compelled to make
a portage of one hundred and fifty-eight yards
We next crossed a dilatation of the river, about six miles in length, upon which the name of Lake Prosperous was bestowed. Its shores, though scantily supplied with wood, are very picturesque, as will appear from the annexed interesting sketch by Mr. Hood, which exhibits an accurate representation of our brigade, at the time of passing through it. Akaitcho caused himself to be paddled by his slave, a young man, of the Dog-rib nation, whom he had taken by force from his friends; when he thought himself, however, out of reach of our observation, he laid aside a good deal of state, and assisted in the labour; and after a few days' further acquaintance with us, he did not hesitate to paddle in our presence, or even carry his canoe on the portages. Several of the canoes were managed by women, who proved to be noisy companions, for they quarrelled frequently, and the weakest was generally profuse in her lamentations, which were not at all diminished, when the husbands attempted to settle the difference by a few blows with his paddle." |
