effect of the season on the foliage, now ready to drop from the
trees. The light yellow of the fading poplars formed a fine contrast
to the dark evergreen of the spruce, whilst the willows of an intermediate
hue, served to shade the two principal masses of colour into
each other. The scene was occasionally enlivened by the bright
purple; tints of the dogwood, blended with the browner shades of
the dwarf birch, and frequently intermixed with the gay yellow
flowers of the shrubby cinquefoil. With all these charms, the scene
appeared desolate from the want of the human species. The stillness
was so great, that even the twittering of the whiskey-johneesh,
or cinereous crow, caused us to start. Our voyage to-day was sixteen
miles on a S.W. course.
Sept. 14.—We had much rain during the night, and also in the
morning, which detained us in our encampment later than usual.
We set out as soon the weather cleared u p ; and in a short time
arrived at the head of Steel Eiver, where it is formed by the junction
of Fox and Hill Eivers. These two rivers are nearly of equal
width, but the latter is the most rapid. Mr. MDonald, on his way
to Eed Eiver, in a small canoe, manned by two Indians, overtook us
at this place. It may be mentioned as a proof of the dexterity of
the Indians, and the skill with which they steal upon their game,
that they had on the preceding day, with no other arms than a
hatchet, killed two deer, a hawk, a curlew, and a sturgeon. Three
of the Company’s boats joined us in the course of the morning, and
we pursued our course up Hill Eiver in company. The water in
this river was so low, and the rapids so bad, that we were obliged
several times, in the course of the day, to jump into the water, and
assist in lifting the boat over the large stones which impeded the
navigation. The length of our voyage to-day was only six miles and
three quarters.
The four boats commenced operations together at five o’clock the
following morning; but ours being overladen, we soon found that we
were unable to keep pace with the others ; and, therefore, proposed
to the gentlemen in charge of the Company’s boats, that they should
relieve us of part of our cargo. This they declined doing, under
the plea of not having received orders to that effect, notwithstanding
that the circular, with which I was furnished by Governor Williams,
strictly enjoined all the Company’s servants to afford us every
assistance. In consequence of this refusal we dropt behind, and our
steersman, who was inexperienced, being thus deprived of the
advantage of observing the route followed by the guide, who was in
the foremost boat, frequently took a wrong channel. The tow-fine
broke twice, and the boat was only prevented from going broadside
down the stream, and breaking to pieces against the stones, by the
officers and men leaping into the water, and holding her head to the
current until the fine could be carried again to the shore. It is but
justice to say, that in these trying situations, we received much
assistance from Mr. Thomas Swaine, who with great kindness waited
for us with the boat under his charge at such places as he apprehended
would be most difficult to pass. We encamped at sunset,
completely jaded with toil. Our distance made good this day was
twelve miles and a quarter.
The labours of the 16th commenced at half past five, and for some
time the difficulty of getting the boats over the rapids was equal to
what we experienced the day before. Having passed a small brook,
however, termed Half-way Creek, the river became deeper, and
although rapid, it was smooth enough to be named by our Orkney
boatmen Still-water. We were further relieved by the Company’s
clerks consenting to take a few boxes of our stores into their boats.
Still we made only eleven miles in the course of the day.
The banks of Hill Eiver are higher, and have a more broken outline,
than those of Steel or Hayes’ Eivers, The cliffs of alluvial clay
rose in some places to the height of eighty or ninety feet above the
stream, and were surmounted by hills about two hundred feet high,