September 21.

We set out at seven this morning in dark foggy weather and changed our course two points to the westward.  The party were very feeble and the men much dispirited; we made slow progress, having to march over a hilly and very rugged country.

Just before noon the sun beamed through the haze for the first time for six days and we obtained an observation in latitude 65 degrees 7 minutes 06 seconds North, which was six miles to the southward of that part of Point Lake to the way our course was directed.  By this observation we discovered that we had kept to the eastward of the proper course, which may be attributed partly to the difficulty of preserving a straight line through an unknown country, unassisted by celestial observations and in such thick weather that our view was often limited to a few hundred yards, but chiefly to our total ignorance of the amount of the variation of the compass.

We altered the course immediately to west-south-west and fired guns to apprise the hunters who were out of our view and ignorant of our having done so.  After walking about two miles we waited to collect the stragglers.  Two partridges were killed and these with some tripe de roche furnished our supper.  Notwithstanding a full explanation was given to the men of the reasons for altering the course, and they were assured that the observation had enabled us to discover our exact distance from Fort Enterprise, they could not divest themselves of the idea of our having lost our way, and a gloom was spread over every countenance.  At this encampment Dr. Richardson was obliged to deposit his specimens of plants and minerals collected on the sea-coast, being unable to carry them any farther.  The way made today was five miles and a quarter.

September 22.

After walking about two miles this morning we came upon the borders of an extensive lake whose extremities could not be discerned in consequence of the density of the atmosphere but, as its shores seemed to approach nearer to each other to the southward than to the northward, we determined on tracing it in that direction.  We were grieved at finding the lake expand very much beyond the contracted part we had first seen and incline to the eastward of south.  As however it was considered more than probable, from the direction and size of the body of water we were now tracing, that it was a branch of Point Lake, and as in any case we knew that by passing round its south end we must shortly come to the Copper-Mine River, our course was continued in that direction.  The appearance of some dwarf pines and willows, larger than usual, induced us to suppose the river was near.  We encamped early having come eight miles.  Our supper consisted of tripe de roche and half a partridge each.