We passed the mouth of a broad channel leading to the north-east, termed La Grande Riviere de Jean, one of the two large branches by which the river pours its waters into the Great Slave Lake; the flooded _delta_ at the mouth of the river is intersected by several smaller channels, through one of which, called the Channel of the Scaffold, we pursued our voyage on the following morning, and by eight A.M.reached the establishment of the North-West Company on Moose-Deer Island.

We found letters from Mr.Wentzel, dated Fort Providence, a station on the north side of the lake, which communicated to us, that there was an Indian guide waiting for us at that post; but, that the chief and the hunters, who were to accompany the party, had gone to a short distance to hunt, having become impatient at our delay.
Soon after landing, I visited the Hudson's Bay Post on the same island, and engaged Pierre St.Germain, an interpreter for the Copper Indians.
We regretted to find the posts of both the Companies extremely bare of provision; but as the gentlemen in charge had despatched men on the preceding evening, to a band of Indians, in search of meat, and they promised to furnish us with whatever should be brought, it was deemed advisable to wait for their return, as the smallest supply was now of importance to us.

Advantage was taken of the delay to repair effectually the canoe, which had been broken in the Dog Rapid.

On the next evening the men arrived with the meat, and enabled Mr.McCleod{52}, of the North-West Company, to furnish us with four hundred pounds of dried provisions.

Mr.McVicar, of the Hudson's Bay Company, also supplied one hundred and fifty pounds.