The gale wafted us with unusual speed, and as the lake increased in breadth, the waves swelled to a dangerous height.

A canoe running before the wind is very liable to burst asunder, when on the top of a wave, so that part of the bottom is out of the water; for there is nothing to support the weight of its heavy cargo but the bark, and the slight gunwales attached to it.
On making known our exigencies to the gentlemen in charge of the Hudson's Bay and North-West Companies' Forts, they made up an assortment of stores, amounting to five bales; for four of which we were indebted to Mr.Mac Leod of the North West Company, who shared with us the ammunition absolutely required for the support of his post; receiving in exchange an order for the same quantity upon the cargo which we expected to follow us from York Factory.

We had heard from Mr.Stuart that Fort Chipewyan was too much impoverished to supply the wants of the Expedition, and we found Isle a la Crosse in the same condition; which, indeed, we might have foreseen, from the exhausted state of Cumberland House, but could not have provided against.

We never had heard before our departure from York, that the posts in the interior only received annually the stores necessary for the consumption of a single year.

It was fortunate for us that Mr.Franklin had desired ten bags of pemmican to be sent from the Saskatchawan across the plains to Isle a la Crosse for our use.