*|93* of «the-rilitives, tbowgli Jo^je' tinieihad fence it bad h£en inhabited.
'tsssyzr-T* The greater spwft of the day; was divided between heavy Ihoweis and fmall
rain; ahd wfertoOk our ftation on the fbof© about fi* InvAe»ie^enmg,
afeoat three miles above the laft rapid.
Wednef. agliv' The rain ym -h violont ^hrooghout the whole of this day^thfet did
not venture to proceed. As we had almoft expended the contents oh a
run>keg, arid this heihg a day which allowed of: no a&v© employment* I
amufed myfelf with the experiment o f Oriclofing a letthi/ihit, and dif-
patching it down the ftream, to take its fate. I accordtng’ibtroduced »a
written acedunt of allou'rhardfhips, <&<c^ carOMly enclofMin bark^ ihto
the fmall barrel fey the bungrhole, which being' earefuWy figured, I con-
& gn ed^ sep ift^ to iy oargo to the merey o f the current.
Thurfd. 30. We were alarmed this morning at break o f day,5 fey th e continual barking
o f our dog, who never ceafed from running backwards and forwards
in the rear o f our filiation: when, however,-the day-advanced,-we dif-
oovered the canfe df our alarm to proceed from a wplf, who was g r a d ing
a ridge a fewyarbsbehiodus, and had been moftpBohably allured
by the feent o f our finall portion of frejh meefe :The-weaBfer;wds cloudy,
but it did not prevent us from renewing ,'ouri pf%refe at >ajfv«ry‘iearjy
hour. A considerable river appeared from thodeft,: and:!w&;Q0rtim;Ued
our courfe till feven in the evening, iwfteni w lan d ed a t : night >wherc
there was an Indian encampment.
Friday 3 1 . The morning was clear and cold, and the current very powerful. On
croffing the mouth of a river that flowed in from the right of us, we
were
»were very much'endangered;, indeed all the rivers, which I have lately
feen, appear to. oyerflo\®j|heir, natura.l hmits, as it may be foppofed, from
„the melting of the mountainifnewi ,The water is almoft white, the bed
»of the,Tivef|being-9£5hm^-ftd^^t ■ T.he mountains are,pne-f<aljd mafs of
Jshe fam£;tnat;erials5 but withou%'^j^%^jl fhade of-trees,- or decoration of
^»liage./^Aj:. nine thq m^werevfa,^o|d tfeat^we landed, in order to-kindle
a, fire, which^waS't eopfidered as ,ja very uncommon circumftance at this
feafon; >a fmall quantity of rum, however, ferved as an adequate fu|>
ftitp^e j^andj t|ie^ current fmooth" as; t©^ admi.ti<^f the ufe of paddles,.
I encouraged them to proceed without any^fhrther delay. I In a.
fhort trme*arrie.xitenfiv-eVview^opeifed!upon us, difplayingyatbeautifu 1 fheet
o f. Water, .that x,waB'btpigjht^ted'^y^he^calmnels'i of the weather, and a
fplogdid', fun. fthe mountains, which fwerq^covered with wood,
Opene^helt^ryfide^ that we entert^^dthe hope-offooh leaving them
'behindW^henowe^^J got* tp.tl^e termination of;this pr^fp.eft, the
river Was,.jarred with rocks,t forming,^afi^^&and fmall iflands,?, T^p pro*
Gged, onwards,-fWe^werp, under* the n,eceffi^y-,of,clearing a narrow paffage
the-driftfwood^.on the»^ft fhore. • Here.the. yie,w. convinced us that
out »late hopes wftO foundation,, as- .there^appeared a ridge. or
chain of mountains, running. Sputfe^and bj^rth, as1 fax.as.the eye could
reach.
On;, advancing two non,4hjsee , mjlesk; we arrived at, the fqrk, one
branch running about .^Veft-Ngrth-Weft, and the, other South-South-
Juaft. If I had been governed,hy my own judgment, I fhould haves taken
the former, as.it appeared to me to.be the moftJikely to bring us neareft
to the part where I wifhed to fall on the Pacific Ocean,, but the old man,
B b ' whom