C Ihe Ladies c cu. V'VVAN - History and Classics, Department of

Appendix 1 2 I 5beach of pools + stones. Mter that exhausting walk on 6-9through muskegfirs alders lovely. Mountains ahead still due westhigh hills aX river: mosquitoes quite devilish all the world buzzing +black with them till one got almost panicky. At 9 we carne at lastto Barrier R. on L. bank + camped on island just above thejunction pretty tired. Mosquitoes a little better than among the stones +willows we slept on sand. Men saw a beaver. A ti'])' brightyellow warbler wesaw but a very birdless country. Masses of blue Lupin in a spruce wood. Wild rosesIoveJy brilliantpink. Linnaea also 10veJy. Fine mountains ahead of us.We have broken back of journey now we feel. Discovered one ofNatives' remedies rub in sphagnum moss to seams + weak placesof gloves keeps off mosquitoes so long as moisture remains.MONDAY 12 JULYLeft Barrier River camp at 8 o' c not a bad night on hard sand.We set off up the L bank muskeg + very spongy going: thenalder swamps with broken twigs aX our faces devilish hard workstooping. Dull clouc!J dqy. One climb up a hill-side to dodge aface of rock. River very winding + hills enclosing it folded in oneach other one a regular canyon rocky perhaps 300 ft. high.Mosquitoes very bad all day. Some very brilliant terracotta-redstones. Walkedfrom 8-11.30 making better pace say I mile anhour. At 12.30 on again + at last out from the folded hills toview of open country + a fine mountain range. A shower fell enoughto wet us + the walking through muskeg willows + alders +wading small creeks soaked us above the knees. Saw more birdstoday: 3 Loons: I Gull: yellowshanks: robin: a warbler like birdsilver breast + black head + a sparrow or so. We have seen tracksof moose in the mud more than once. Found a most beautifulyellow poppy with finely cut blue leaf growing on stony shore.Another campfire 5-6 + then on again tillS.30. Brandy at teato binge us up. Short nights + continuous going with never a sitdown in peace for the mosquitoes are making us feel a bitempty. Rain clouds driving aX mountains lovely green slopescatching the light blue summits + here + there a little patch ofsnow. Found small rhododendron in seed. LoneJy + satisfyingcountry a paradise but for the little devils-Easier water all day.2nd half of d'!)' we Xed over R bank. River much narrower now +towards end of day stones smaller. Lazarus a wonder. He was up till10 o' emending mocassins last night + quite cheerful when wewoke him at 6 AM. Settled in to bed by 10.30 with wonderfulmountain view on stony spit on L bank. We covered stones withwet poplar shoots + ourselves with our soaking wet breeches +coats.TUESDAY 13 JULYTo Island CampA dull sunless morning. We got up at 6 + left at 8. River windingback on itself in coils all the time + we had a very easy day'swalking cutting aX flat stony bits of ground + often beingferried across. Water much better too. few rapids + mostlyshallow. Now + then we had a scramble through white poplars +jagged undergrowth whose dead sticks threatened our veils +puttees. 2 things dear as life just now. On the whole mosquitoes betterall day. We were pretty well surrounded by fine mountains nowa wondeifuI solitary bit of country. So good (!) were the mosquitoesthat we were able to cut our nails + smoke after lunch + after teacomb our hair-we have to snatch at such moments. The mountains arevery rocky red + black many barren others with moss tosummits + spruce fir growing 1/2 way up. Saw 2 red-throatedLoons flying down. heard the Loon's note. saw 5 or 6 common gulls.tracks of bear + caribou. We walked from 8 till 8.30 or so:stopping an hour for lunch ditto for tea. Camped on a stonyspit on sand. Fine mountains + sunset looking-sky. Plenty ofreserve energy after such a good day. Several Asters on stonyground + quantities of that lovely pale yellow poppy on graystones. Flowers up here full of interest. Made Dough Nuts(Puffialunas) for supper. Sun came out after tea but except in muskeg wheremosquitoes were thick as ever a pleasant breeze kept them down a bit.WEDNESDAY 14 JULYGot away at 8 0' c from our stony camping ground which wefound was an island. At 1st we had some easy walking + pleasantloops being canoed aX from one stony flat to another. Dull d'!)'clouds down over the mountains + mosquitoes very hungry as Lazarussays. Whenever he stops to ferry us he says "I guess you fellerschance go across": + points out where we can short cut a riverbend by saying "I guess you fellers make portage." We had somevery tiresome walking through muskeg + it being a sultry day itwas as much as we could do to put one foot before another.Came on sheets of the white Dryas (octopetala?) in muskeg: alovely show. Clouds cleared up + we were still ringed in by thesilent mountains some deep blue some barren. In an hour ortwo it seemed as if we were on a plateau on top of the divide solevel was the winding river after the rapids of the last few daysSoon after breakfast we passed on our R. a big river coming innot marked on the map. We have left behind the poplars mostly+ see little but willow + spruce now. We had a lot of walkingamong scrubby willows + Xing of tiresome muddy creeks. saw Q