mile, and South-Weft one mile. The canoe being ftrained from its having
been very heavily laden, became fo leaky, that we were .obliged, to land,
unload, and,gum it. As this.circumftancc took place about twelve,.I had
an opportunity of taking an. aftithde, which made our latitude 55/58- 48.
When the canoe was repaired ..^eontinqqd our courfe, fleering Soutfe-
Weft by Weft »one m ile and an half, when I had the misfortune to drop
ray pocket-compafeinto the water ; Weft, half a mile, M^eft-South-Weft ,
ftipr miles and an half. Here».the banks are fteep and hilly, andia ft>me
parts undermined by therdyer. Where the earth has give n way^the fa eg
of the clifts difeoy^ numerous ftrata,'..conftfting of reddifh earth and
final 1 Rones, bitumen, and a greyilh carth, below .whichjj near the water-
edge, is a red ftorte. Water iffues from molt of the banks, and the ground
on which it fpreads is covered with a thin white feuxf, or particles, of
a faline fubftance: there are leveral o f thefe fait fprings. At half pall
fix in the afternoon the young men landed, when they killed an elk
and wounded a buffalo. In this fpot we formed our encampment; for
the night*
From the place which we quitted this morning, the Weft fide of the
river difplayed a fucceffion of the mod beautiful feenery I had ever beheld.
The ground riles at intervals to a confiderable height, and ftretch-
ing inwards to a confiderable diftance: at. every interval or paufein the
rife, there is a very gently-afcending fpace or lawn, which is alternate
with abrupt precipices to the fummit of the whole, or, at leaft as far as
the eye; could diftinguifh. This magnificent theatre of nature has all
the decorations which the trees and animals of the country can afford it:
groves
groves of poplars in evefy fliape vary the feene $j and their intervals are
enlivened" with* vaft herds of elks and buffaloes: the former choofing the
fteeps and uplands, and the’latter preferring the plaint. At this time
the buffaloes were attëlided with their young, ones who were frifiring .
about them; and it appeared that the elks would foón exhibit the fame
enlivening ciïcumftan'cëV' TBfe- %hólè^COuhtry difplayed an exuberant
verdure; thé trees that bear a blofforir wërë adV'anfciftgfaftto that delightful
appearance and the vëlvet rind of their branchés refle&ing the
oblique fays 4df a rifirig or fetting ftfn, added a fplendid gaiety tó the
fcèiie, which :no • ex pfeffións of inirïë^are^' qualified to' deferihe. ; The
Eaft fide- of. the'rivfer confifts oft a range of high larid covered with the
white Fpruce A d the fdft bireh^whifethè banks abound .wkh the alder
and the willow. Theewater continued to-rifë; and the' current being
prépdïtrÖttably ftrong;' wé made a-: greater ufe 'of fetting poles than
paddles.
; The weather was'overcaft. With a ftrohg wihd:a-head, we embarked Saturday t i .
at four in "the morning, and left all tlfe frelh mèat behifid us, but thé
■ portion which had been affigned to the kettle';* the Canoe being already
too Heavily laden. * Out courfe was Weft-South-Weft one niife, Where
. a fmall river flowed Jm from thé' Éaft, named Sefy, or River
with the High Banks; Weft half a -milef'Sëutb hal f amik, South-Weft
by Weft’three quartërsöf hmilë,:5Wëft:’oh6’milè and a quarter, South-
Weft a quaifcer o f a mile, South-South- Weft half a mile, and Weft by-
South a mile and an half. Here I took a meridian* altitudefwhieh gave
| |É 56. 3. North latitude. We then proceeded Weft three miles and an
fire, one mile,
X 2 Weft