1733-
May:
JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE THROUGH THE
Weft one mile, and'the wind To ftrong a-head,that it occafioned.the canoe
to take in water, and otherwife impeded our progrefs. Here we landed
to take time,, with, the mean of three altitudes, iwhich made the watch
flow, l. 42. 10. apparent time.,
We now proceeded Weft-South-Weft, one mile and a quarter, where,
we foiind a chief of the Beaver Indians on . an hunting party.., I
mained, however, in my canoe, and-though it was getting date, I did, not*
cftbofe to encamp with thefe. people,. left ‘ the friends ofymy hunter^
might difeoiirage them from proceeding on thevoyage., ,We, therefpre,
continued our courfe, . but ' lèverai Indians .kept cqmpany with . >us,
running- along the bank and converging'with my people* who fwere fa
attentive to them, that they drove the canoe-oma -ftony that we
were under -the neceflity o f landing to repair the.damages, and .put up
for the night, though very contrary to my willies. My hunters obtained
permiflion to proceed with fome of thefe people to their, lodges, on the
promife of-being back by the break o f day ; though I was not without
fome apprehenfion refpefiing them. The j chief,. however,- aiy| another
man, as well ,as lèverai people.from the lodges,-joined us, before ,wp had
completed ithe repair o f the canoe ; and they, made out a melancholy
ftory, that they had neither ammunition ortqbacco fufficient Jor their
neceflaryfopply during the fummer. I according! y jeferred him. to-the
Fort} where plenty of thole articles-were left in the care ,o£-my interpreter,
by whom they would be abundantly furnilhed, if they were
aftive and induftrious in purfuing their occupations. I did not.fail, on
thi^-oc.calion, to magnify the advantages of the prefent expeditio,n; obferv-
ing, at the fame time, that its fuçcefs would depend on the fidelity and
condu£l
NORTH-WEST'CONTINENT OF AMERICA. 3 57
condufl of the young men who were retained by me to hunt; The
chief alfo propofed to borrow my canoe, in order to tranfport himfelf c— -y-—1
and family acrofs,:the;uivef tdfeyera! iplaufible reafons, it is true, fug-
gefted themfelves for refilling his propofi tion ; but when I Hated to him, #
that, as the canoe.was intended for a voyage of fuch confequehce, no
woman could be perimttedito.be embarked in it, he acquiefced in the re-
fufal. It waS ngar, twelve at night wh.en<ke took, his leave, after I had
gratified him-withja prefent,of tobacco. -
rSome -of the Indians pafled the night with us, and I was informed by Sunday is,
foem, that, according !© our mode-of proceeding, we Jhonldpin ten days#
get as far as the rocky mountains/ .The young t men now;,returned, to
my great; fatikfaHion, hndi with ,t!he appearance of contentment r though
I was not pleated when they dreffed themfelves in. thetclpthes** which I
had given them: before .we left -the -Fort, as it .betrayed fame „latent defign.
At four in the morning , we proceeded on. our voyage; ■,fleering Weft
three miles-, including one of our courfe yefterday, North-Weft by North
four miles,-Weft two miles and an half, North-Weft by W,eft a mile and
an half; North by: Ea& too miles,iN.or6h-We%by;;,'Weft; cone mflej and
North-NortfoWeft three” miles.. After -av-coritinuation of our;eoi*rfe
.where- to the North for a mile and an half, wdiandeddor? themight on an
ifland feveral qf the Indians vifited- us^but Unattended foy their women,
.who remained in their camp, which was. at fome diftaijce from US* >1
The land on both lides of the river,, during the two daft days, is very
much elevated, but particularly in the latter part of it, and, on the Weftern
fide, ;