fide» prefects in' different places, white, fteep, and clbfty cliffs. fOat
view being eonfined by thefe eircumftances, we did not fee fo many
animals as on the loth. Between .thefe lofty boundaries1],1 the river becomes
narrow, and in a great meafure Free from iflands; for we had
paffed only four: the ftrearn, indeed, was not more than from two
hundred to three hundred yards broad; whereas before thefe cliffs
prefled upon it, its hreadth was twice that extent and befprinkled with
iflands. We killedm*elk, and fired leVOraLdhots at animals from thb
canoe.
The greater part of this band being Rocky Mountain Indians* I enr
deavoured to obtain feme intelhgence of our intended route, but they
a ll pleaded ignorance, and uniformly dedared, that they knew nothing
of-the country beyond the firft moun tain: at fame
opinion, that, from the Jxengtkof the current and the rapids, We Hjould
not get there by, water; though they did not hefitate to exprefs their fur-
prife at the expedition we had already made.
I inquired, with lome anxiety, after an old man who had already
given me an account of the country beyond the limits o f his tribe,
and was very much difappointed at being informed, that he had not
been fe^n for upwards of a moon. This man Had been at Zar i ba
another large river beyond the Rocky Mountain, and defcnbed to me
a fork of it between the mountains ; the Southern branch o f which he di-
refted me to take: from? thence, he faid, there was a carrying-place of
about a day’s march for a young man to get to the other river. _ To prove
the truth o f his relation, he confented, that his fon, who had been with
him
him in thole parts, Ihould. accompany me; and he accordingly■ fent him fMm
to the Fort fome days before my departure ; but the preceding night he
deferted with another yOung man, whofe application' to attend mê as â
hunter; being refufed, feej perfuaded the other to leàve'mê. I ndW
thought it right to repeat-to them what I had faid t o the . chief of the
firft band,-refpefting the advantages which Would “be derived from the
voyage, that the young, men might be encouraged to remain with? me ;
as wfthoütthem I Ihould not have attempted to'proceed.
The firft object that prefenfced itfelf to me this morning was the youn^ Monday ^,
man whom I bave^already mentioned, as having feduced aWay my intended
guided A t anyidther time or plâde I Ihould have ehaftifed him
for his paft côndüÊt, büt.iWnriy lîtuâtion it was neceflary tô pâfis over Ms
offence, left he Ihould endeavour té-dxercafë the- lamé influefted'aver thofè
who were fo efl’ential to my ferViee. O f the déferter he gave no fatis-i
fa&ory account, but continued toexprëfs his with to attend me in hts
placé, for which he did not pdflefs any neceffaryqualificatiorri.
The weather was cloudy, with an appearance of rain ;. and the Indians
prefled me with great earnéltnefs to pafs the day with them, and hoped
to prolong my flay among them by afliiring flip that the winter yet
lingered in the rocky mountains : but myobjedwas to-lofe no rime, kid
having given the chief fome tobacco for a' ftnall quantity of meat;
we embarked at four, when my young men could not cOfltce&l their
chagrin at parting with: their friends, for ? f o long a period as the
voyage threatened to occupy. When 1 ' Had aflured ^them that in
three moons we Ihould return to them,- We proceeded'on Our eéürib,
Weft