The temperature was 52 degrees.
We set off next morning at a very early hour.

The men took the course of Point Lake that they might use their sledges, but the officers pursued the nearest route by land to Dr.Richardson's tent, which we reached at eleven A.M.It was on the western side of an arm of the lake and near the part through which the Copper-Mine River runs.

Our men arrived soon after us and in the evening Mr.Wentzel and his party, with the canoes in excellent condition.

They were much jaded by their fatiguing journey and several were lame from swellings of the lower extremities.

The ice on the lake was still six or seven feet thick and there was no appearance of its decay except near the edges and, as it was evident that, by remaining here until it should be removed, we might lose every prospect of success in our undertaking, I determined on dragging our stores along its surface until we should come to a part of the river where we could embark, and directions were given this evening for each man to prepare a train for the conveyance of his portion of the stores.