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

2 I 6 Appendix 1more Red throated Loons. Walked from 8-11 and again from 12-3 when wecame to Fish river going away into (coming away from) Mts. onour right. We made a short portage over muskeg + willow in ashower of rain + made a fire for tea + Pemmican. Mter that theRat became a little winding river some 20-25 ft. wide bordered ~willows + scattered spruce firs winding back + back on itself ""l'"""Pftrt.y as it issued from a great barren mos9 slope completely hidden by 20ft. banks. We walked at 1st could only cut straight corners fromloop to many loops ahead by watching the tree line + plungingfeverishly from one niggerhead to another: nightmare ish formof vegetation hard heads of grass sunk knee deep or thigh deepin bog + when you step on them they wobble + you sink intoclefts between. Mter awhile we went in the canoe so peacefulgreen willow-bordered + sluggish current. Mountains encloseus still we scan thern in vain for mountain sheep A lovelY wild place.Drenching shower just after we left the canoe on coming toswifter water + at last at 8.30 we camped on Caribou moss afterstearning ourselves dry standing by bonfire of dead spruce.THURSDAY 15 JULYA most wonderful + full day. Clouds low on the rnountains,mosquitoes rnore ferocious than ever after a chilly + ratherwakeful night. We set off at 8.15 up that curious winding riverhidden ow'!)' in the muskeg under 25foot banks its course discernible onlyby spruce firs who looked like dotted lines up the slope. Wecanoed + walked in turn + carne out to a most peaceful lake.Took a wrong turn soon after turning left up a burn instead ofstraight up the now sluggish Rat. We were walking + guessedLazarus was wrong so ran + intercepted him + he nipped up aspruce to scan the horizon. Mountains green + very fine clouds clearedoff. Aland of flowers. All the treasures we have found seem to be inbloom at once here. We did 4 portages the 1st a IS yard onefrorn one peaceful lake to another: the next a few hundred yardone ditto: the next where we had dinner a 1/2 mile one. Wehelped to drag the canoe along these portages over muskegniggerheads + swarnps. Last of all we came to Loon Lake ringedby rnountains with rnost beautiful reflections a solitary Loon there.At the End of Loon L. wh: is the divide between Alaska + NWTwe rnade another portage of 2 or 3 hundred yards: the canoeteased its way along a channel just its own breadth overhung byalders + willow completely + but for these shrubs we could havepaddled right into the Little Bell. A wonderful feeling oftriumph. During the 3rd portage, the long one, we saw amountain sheep hurrying up the rocky face. Then we began thedescent who seemed wonderfully fast after the toil of many days.At 1st very sluggish + winding like the Rat with high banks.There we sat + lazily went down wonderful mt. peaks toweringabove us. (Sun came out in glearns). They were rocky black +reddish patches of snow + great lines of gray + yellow wheremosses seamed their sides. We cd. only keep our sense of directionby looking at these peaks: now one wd. be on our left + thenext moment on our right. Presently the current was moreswift + we shot a succession of little rapids: almost too exciting +rough water over stones which we bumped expecting to capsizeany moment or catch in the branches-swirling down with thedeep water. Then it became too shallow + we got out to walkagain + had a mile or 2 of open country aX niggerheads with sunon gloriOUS mts screes + rocks like a castle to our left. We lostall sight of our guides + made for a point more or less whereLazarus pointed out Bell R. wd. come in: Knee deep or deeperoften between the tussocks, + they got there 1st + came up thebank + holloed to us. Got in canoe again + shot a succession ofworse rapids Gwen murmuring "Delicious delicious" each timeI holding on to edge awaiting final bump. Found on top near LoonLake Draba, a white pond weed, a new yellow Flower +c +C. Came at last at8.45 to where the Belljoins the Little Bell + far from rnosquitoesat last camped in a cold wind on L. bank among the willowssuch a good supper. A wash of sorts + a change ofdothes after 9 dir!>'d'!)'s~! Our guides are rnore + more cheerful at feelingtheir troubles behind them. It is a fine feeling going downstream after so much toiling up. Cooked bannock + DoughNuts.FRIDAY 16 JULYWoke up 6 o'c to find no mosquitoes. Took down net + dressedstanding up in tent + got into dry clothes a welcome change.Aw'!)' at 7.30. Lovely day of sunshine in canoe all day. We tookturns at paddling or lay back in canoe + drowsed in blazing sunas we went downstream about 5 miles an hour. Fine mountains still:river perhaps 50 yards wide + sluggish, banks Fairly low. Whitestemmedpoplars again now, + the hills more densely wooded.Saw a loon + 2 black eagles with white wing spots fine huge birds with veryserrated wingfeathers. Saw fresh beaver tracks in mud + all got out +climbed bank to a little lake but no beaver! Jimmy had a shot at someducks. These Indians live for fresh meat + are straining their eyesfor caribou all the time. "My God ''!)'s Lazarus "but I feel strong when I getfresh meat. " and he stretches his arms as if to feel his muscles. The world ismosquito-free + we enjoy every minute of this rest + sunshine.