to the east, and we could see the water leaping and tossing in a
wild rapid as it came round through the opening in the hills. I
had a great wish to see the fifteen miles of it which flows between
this point and Seal Lake. I would have given much not to have to
leave the river at all, but above that point it could not be
travelled in the canoes, and I dared not take the time to portage
which indeed would also have been impossible.

The region we were now to traverse, I learned from Gilbert, was
great marten country, and so I named the tributary stream we
followed, Wapustan [Marten] River. Our way led along a
continuation of the river terrace we had travelled since leaving
the head of North Pole Rapid. During the earliest part of that
day's march it was particularly hard work to get over the
windfalls. At first it seemed as if I could not; but after a
struggle they were passed, and we had again a bear trail to follow.
On the way we passed great beds of blossoming cloudberries, which
with blossoms of the bunchberry, the Labrador tea, and the pale
laurel, made up the list of flowers found so far. Towards evening
we stopped to make camp at the edge of rougher country, a mile and
a quarter up the Wapustan. The map grew slowly during these days,
and the desire to reach Seal Lake grew stronger and stronger.

Near the camp was a big boulder, and lying round and over it were
numbers of wigwam poles. They were very old, and looked as if it
might have been many years since they had been used. George said
it was a winter camp. In the winter time the Indians, in making
their camps, dig down into the snow to a rock to build their fire.
At a number of places on our journey we found poles lying round a
boulder in this way.