ON AND ABOUT WATER 161

somewhat late when we attain the end of Morice Lake and
are borne off by its outlet. Shortly after, we fall upon a
smaller though fairly long lake, to which I give the name
of Le Jacq, that of my worthy predecessor at Stuart Lake
Mission. Owing to the time we have lost in uselessly
making a canoe, and because of the magnitude of Morice
Lake, we are now getting short of provisions, and must try
our luck at fishing, though we know quite well that the
water of these mountain lakes is much too clear, too free of
animal or vegetable substances, to contain much fish.
We land and set our nets for the night.

September 21: Thirteen fishes in our nets this morning.
We did not expect so many. The weather is cold, the
wind icy, though we are visibly receding from the vicinity
of the mountains. Snow, which is constantly falling,
hinders my amateur surveying, while my crew are tired and
sigh after the Nechaco River, of which we guess that Morice
and Le Jacq lakes must be the headwaters. At last
we reach the end of the lake; we can now advance along its
outlet without paddling too hard. But what is that
deafening uproar which we hear?

“Get up, John, and see what the matter can be.”

“Heavens! The river disappears . . . To the
shore, quick %

We were on top of a fall in the river! (See illustration.)
Having hurriedly landed, we portage our impedimenta,
as well as the canoe, and camp just below the fall, whose
continuous roaring would help us to sleep if fatigue was
not enough to do as much. My men are sad and dejected.
Not expecting such obstacles in their way, they imagine
that we must be lost and that the stream on which we camp
leads into the sea, despite the fact that my compass and
the tracings of my field-book assure me that, from Cambie
Lake to the spot we have reached, our itinerary has been
in the form of a perfect horse-shoe. We are now, therefore,
making directly for Fraser Lake, our point of departure
where we have to return.

Sunday, September 22: Nothing to eat, no fish here.
My crew have among themselves just a small one, which
they found yesterday floating dead on the surface of the water.
We cannot for that reason, observe the Lord’s Day rest.