Here we made the longest portage of the journey down the
George River, carrying the stuff one and a quarter mile.
Below Helen Falls the mountains spread in a wider sweep to the sea,
and the river gradually increased in width as it neared Ungava.
Still it flowed on in rapids. So often we had asked each other,
"Will they never end?" However, in the afternoon on August 26th,
we reached smooth water, and had a few hours' paddling. Then
darkness began to close in. If only we could keep on! I knew from
my observation that day we could not be many miles from our
journey's end now; but it was not to be that we should reach our
destination that night, and camp was pitched at a point, which I
thought must be about seven or eight miles above the post.
It was very disappointing, and when George said, "If the ship is
there they will be sure to try to get off Saturday night," I felt
rather desperate. Still it would not do to take chances with the
George River in the dark.
In spite of anxieties I slept that night but felt quite strung in
the morning. At breakfast I used the last of the crystalose in my
tea. It seemed very wonderful that the little ounce bottle of this
precious sweet had lasted us as long as sixty pounds of sugar.
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