Its shores, though scantily supplied with wood, are very picturesque.
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 his 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 husband attempted to settle the difference by a few blows from his paddle.
An observation near the centre of the lake gave 114 degrees 13 minutes 39 seconds West and 33 degrees 8 minutes 06 seconds East variation.
Leaving the lake we ascended a very strong rapid and arrived at a range of three steep cascades situated in the bend of the river.

Here we made a portage of one thousand three hundred yards over a rocky hill which received the name of the Bowstring Portage from its shape.

We found that the Indians had greatly the advantage of us in this operation; the men carried their small canoes, the women and children the clothes and provisions, and at the end of the portage they were ready to embark, whilst it was necessary for our people to return four times before they could transport the weighty cargo with which we were burdened.

After passing through another expansion of the river and over the Steep Portage of one hundred and fifteen yards we encamped on a small rocky isle, just large enough to hold our party, and the Indians took possession of an adjoining rock.