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"remain all day in our encampment to pass … fort … night. We have strong assurance that our remaining … will be successful and at … net gives a good deal of fish; passed the fort in the night undiscovered, encamped … in the lake." (The fort they got passed here was Oxford house on the East side of Mid-Lake, so called from being about midway between York-Factory and Lake Winipie: it is about twelve leagues thirty six miles long, full of islands, and the passage very intricate) "Oct^r 19^th. … until … the risk of the day. We have not yet lost much … by missing our road … took 7 carp, 3 small pike. Oct^r 20^th. We were much at a loss for the road and saw a small canoe and when we came alongside were surprised to find it was a halfbreed in the Hudson's Bay employ: this will … (Many lines are here completely obliterated.) Here it was that the more formidable difficulties obstructions in their progress occurred. They were frequently at a loss to find the best, or indeed the only proper route. In the lower parts of the river and in the lakes, poles (which they call maypoles) are erected on most of the conspicuous points, some on the right and some on the left hand of the direct route, but all right upon the route. Where these fail it is necessary to look out for portage paths, beaver dams, vestiges of

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