The current was very flromg through the whole of the day, and the
coming up along feme o f the banks was rendered very dangerous,
from the continual falling of large ftones, from the upper parts of
them. This place appears to be a particular pafs for animals acrofs
the river, as there are paths leading to it on both fides, every ten
yards.
■ In the courfe of the day we faw a ground: hog, and two cormorants.
The earth alfo appeared in fevferal places: to havé been turned up by the
bears, in fearch- of roots.
It rained very hard in the early part o f the night; feut thé weather became
clear towards the morning, when we; embarked at our ufiihl hour.
A s the current threatened to beivery ftromg, Mr.. Mackay,: the iWo
hunters, and myfelf, went on fhore, in order to lighten the canoe,-and
afcended the hills,-whieh are covered with! cypref®, and hut little encumbered
with underwood. We found a beaten path, and before we had
walked a mile fell in with an herd o f buffaloes, with; their;young oheis ;
but I would notfuffer the Indians to fire them; from an aj^trehenfion
that the report of their fowling pieces would alarm the native» that might
be in the neighbourhood; for we were at this time fo near the mountains,
as to juftify our expectation o f feeing feme ©f them» Wr, however,
lent our dog after the herd, and a calf was foon fecured by'him. While
the-young me» Were- flön^ing thö-aniinal, ‘ wh-foéalpdltw® reports, ofliire-
arms-from the canoe, which we anlWered, as it was a fignal for. my return :
we then heard atréther, and immediatelyhafteined down thè hih^withfoür
veal; through a very elofe wood. There we met one o f the men; who
informed
informed usJthat -the canoe was at a final diftdncé below, at the foot ö£
awêry ftrong rapid, and that as feverai waterfalls appeared up the river,
we fiiould be obliged to unload and carry. I accordingly haftened
t© i the canoe, and was greatly difplealed that fó muéh time had hééft
loft, as I had givenpréviöusdireêtiöas that the river ftcmldbe followed
as long as it was practicable, The*feft »Iftdkfts whom we law had info
rmedus that (at thé firft mountain
of rapids, cafeades, andFJalS; whiefe théy^ftÖVer 'attêttïptea tdkfëehd and1
where they always paffed over land the length- of5 q>day’sfoafeb. My fee»
imagined that the carryingpJ'aeö'Wai#at{a final! diftahcei-bëléstë-us, as
a path appeared to afeend aö hill, where there wero feveral tódgëSf, óf thé'
laft yearis cööftfüClion» • The aeédüftt Which had bééft given me Of 'thé
rapids, was; perfectly cdntéS; f-thött|pï - by kïöffing fo Jh£ d t e r I
mnft acknowledge with* fotas rilk, tóffoeh 'thé*
liver appeared to me to be pfaCticabte, as far as We «Oüldfeè:- thetta^
vèrfe, therefore, was attempted, attd proved füëcèfèfal. -Wè: ftOw tÖWëd
the canoe along ah ifland, and pfoceeded-wkhout atty eéhfiderable jHP
Iciilty Wh ife bached foe extremity o$Ut>whe0-the:!ine could re ïfo
ger employed; and in endeavouring to éléaï 'ttié'pèSftfÉ’^P.löt6:ifland,ttèf
c^noe was driven withfech violence op a ftony Ihore, ,aS4Ö rëcèiVekóft-J
fiderable injury. We now employed^v^y exertion in our .power,,to
repair the hréaéh that had héén made, ^ %ëhfos( fó dry födh drriïleS of
óur loading* as -more immediately ■ required i t : weithen tralnfooited thé'
whole Scfofs the poifit, when We reloaded, and* #ohiihöid! lohr’ cohrfe
about three quarters o f a «Ate, We ct*d& |H)^;pfrödÈfeai«ö’ftörötèi( 'èii
this IMëéf the Water, and dhiigér*
ótts, not only fröin the ftrength Of the current,: but b f thé dafekdés juft
j below