up we saw several seals. Gulls, ducks, and geese were there in
numbers, and muskrats were plentiful.

It was after 7 P.M. when we went into camp, having made nineteen
miles since morning, and every foot of the way we had been
surrounded by scenes of exquisite beauty; for Seal Lake in the calm
of a summer day, with the summer sunshine upon it, and the
beautiful Labrador sky above, is altogether lovely. When the day's
journey ended I had seen so much that was beautiful, and so varied
in its beauty, that I felt confused and bewildered. I had, too,
not only seen Seal Lake, I had seen the Nascaupee River flowing out
of it; our camp was on the sand-point where the river enters it;
and, best of all, there came the full realisation that _I_ was
first in the field, and the honour of exploring the Nascaupee and
the George Rivers was to fall to me.

It was Monday, July 17th, three weeks less a day since we had left
Northwest River post. According to the daily estimates about one
hundred and fifteen miles of our journey had been accomplished, and
now our next objective point was _Lake Michikamau_.




CHAPTER VII

OFF FOR MICHIKAMAU

It was well for me that a mind at rest, on at least one very
important point, was my portion that night, else the nightlong