»789* and entertained fimilar apprehensions that we Should not return by this
Jwly» , • v ' * -
'--- v— y paSTage. He had his alarms alfo refpe&ingthe Efquimaux, who might
kill us, and take away the women. Our Indians, however, allured him
that we had no fears o f any kind, and that he need not be alarmed for
himfelf. They alfo convinced him that we Should return1 by the way
we were going, fo that he confented to re-embark without giving us
any further trouble; and eight fmall canoes followed us. O u r courfes
this day were South-Weft by Weft Six miles, South-Weft by South
thirty miles, South-Weft three miles, Weft-by*South twelve miles, Weft
by North two miles, and we encamped at eight in the evening on :the
Eaftem bank of the river.'
The Indians whom I found here, informed me, that fromr the place
where I this morning met the firft of their itribeltthe dfflance overlandj^on
the Eaft fide, to the Sea, was not long; and that froifar hence;: by pro*
ceeding to the Westward, it was Still. Shorter. They alfo reprefented the
land on both Sides as projecting to a point. Thefe- people do hot appear
to harbour any thieviSh difpofitions; at leaft we did not perceive that
they took, or wanted to take, any thing from us by Stealth or artifice.
They enjoyed the amufements of dancing and jumping incommon with
thofe we had already feen; and, indeed,- thefe exercifes feem. to be their
favourite diverfionS. About mid-day the weather was fultry, but in the
afternoon it became cold. There was a large quantity of wild’ flax; the
growth o f the Iaft year, laying on the ground, and the new plants were
fprouting up through it. This circumftance I did not obferve in any
other part.
At
- ' ,At -four- in thehajorrilngwb embarked, at a finaHsdiftance from the place
*789.
July-
o f'o u r encampment |$| the'-river,'.which's .here becon®Marrower,: fiows
. , . ' , ’ Friday to.
between,higmuooks p and a meanwrmgjBowpfeJtofok us? Ndrth-Weft-four
became low; rndefed/from th lfirftra p id ;
tbp^puntry*dqps;.qot wear a mountainous appearance $fcut the babk$ o f
the river., a r e gefjetfaily'/kfty, !itr .foMe/places perfedlypaked, and in
others.■ well* Covered* with)jfmall trees; fiaeh as?the fir* a n d 'lM -h ir c h .
We continued'-mm laft. courfe for Itwo .miles; %ith mountams^befe^e ^
whofe tops were covered with fnow.
>, The land,is,: low oh both fides of the .river, except thefe mountains;
whofe bafe is diftant aboutr-ten miles: here the* river widens, and'runs
through various channels, formedhy iflands, fome of which, arp/without
a trpé; and little .more than banks of mud - and fand; widfe others are
covered with;a kind'pfc ifprucey fir, and trees of »a larger fixe than wé
had feen for the .laft ten days, li Their banks, which are about fix feet
above :the 1 furface of the water, difplay a face of folid ice, intermixed
with véins óf black earth and as the heat o f the fun melts the ice, the
tr ees'frequently , fall intet the riveted
- Soefgricps jwere the-thrumels ofithe river at this? time, that we were
at a lofe/which, to take. Our guide preferred the Eaftemmoft, on j ap-
c#puf?of the EfijuimauiX,, but I determined to< take the middle channel, as
it aPPCared to be a larger body o f water,,and running North and South:
hfififks, as there was a greater chance of feeing them ! codeluded; that we
could always goto the Eaftward, whenever we might prefer it. Our courfe
was