Having expressed our surprise at his apparent temerity he coolly said the men from the lower countries did not understand the management of their dogs and that he depended on his superior skill in driving, and we soon gathered from his remarks that the voyagers of the Athabasca department consider themselves very superior to any other.

The only reasons which he could assign were that they had borne their burdens across the terrible Methye Portage and that they were accustomed to live harder and more precariously.
March 25.
Having now the guidance of the old Canadian we sent forward the Indian and one of our men with letters to the gentleman at the Athabasca Lake.
The rest of the party set off afterwards and kept along the river until ten when we branched off by portages into the Embarras River, the usual channel of communication in canoes with the lake.

It is a narrow and serpentine stream confined between alluvial banks which support pines, poplars and willows.

We had not advanced far before we overtook the two men despatched by us this morning.

The stormy weather had compelled them to encamp as there was too much drifting of the snow for any attempt to cross the lake.