-ms-
•'June.
tailed from them. In fa&plt had been mÿ intentlàn* to labd where I
.might môft-probâbly é^kwèf-ïhé-ifianr^hg-flace, s wMèb was oar nforè
immediate objed,'andundértàfce marches? of ftwo or three' days, 5b differs
jefât direâiofts, mdèarcti o f another river. If u^lbdcfeMül in this attempt,
L was 'my purpofet<roontinuè;mÿ progrefs up the prefent river, as far as
i t was* navigable, and ifw e did -not meet with natives'ft© -ipftriî6fc. us1 in
©ur further progrefs,! had determined to return to the fofk* and takpthe
other brdnch, with the hope o f better fortune,
It was about three in the ^afternoon when we lénièd, and at five' thé
whole -party o f Indians were affenLledi ' It U«m6#éd Only o f three
men, three women, -and feveft dr -eight fe^yattd their
fcratched legs,’ bleeding feet,and dilheveiled hair, as’ifi thé hurry of their
flight they had left their fhoes and leggins behind- -them, - they -difpfeyed
a moft wretched appearance: they were -eorfeled, bowevérywkb' heads,
and other trifles, which feemed t® pfealLdhenr; they'Lfcd pefkhijehklh©
given them to eat, which was not ufrw€lcomey and'»iu èüf - '©pinion,'' at
leaft, foperior to their own ,««10*1^'^ d¥ie«i
fifh,
When I thought that they were fuffkientiy cotnfjofed, I feht fortlfe
men to iwy -tent, to gain fueh infermatroft^e^eSipg ^he^iidfhtVy as I
concluded it Was in their power to^iffof-d me.* But my £kpg&Mo®¥vfc$e
by no means fatisfied: ’they faid that ^hey weremot ae(Jtminted With any
fiver ttf the Weftward, but that there Was one from whence they were
juft Arrived, over A carrying“lplAe#-df ele^ri diys march, which they ¥e-
prfefented as being a branch only of the river before -us. Their irbiis
work
workbhey obtained/fromthe people who inhabit the bank-of; that river,
and an adjacent lake,, in exchange for beaver fkins, and.drefled moofe
fkins. They' reprefentedthe latter as travelling, during a moon, to get
to thecountryiofother fcribes,whplivein houfes, with whom they traffic
for the fame'eofarnodities;; andthat thefe alfo extend theirjournies in the
fame manner t© the fea coaft, or, to ufe their expreffion, the Stinking
Lake; where they-trade with people like us, that come, there in yeffels as
big as iflapds. | They added, that *tbe '.people to- the Weftward, as they
haye>beere told;are vejy numerous. Thofe who inhabit the other branch
they Bated. as conhfting »of shout forty families, while they them fdves
did n0n amount:;:to more; thanfea fdurth o f thaknumfeer;, and were
.almoft continually compelled' to remain inv-their ftrong holds, where
they fometimeS perifhed with cold and hunger, to,fecure. themfelves from
their enemies; whomever failed tosaltack them whenever an opportunity
prefen ted mfel f;« *.t
11 This account oLthecountry, from: a; people who Lhad every reafpn to
fnppofe were well aeqhaiated withevery part of it, threatened to difcom
cert the projeft on which my heart was fet, and in which my whole
mind was occupied. It occurred to me, however, that from fear, or
other motives, they might be tardy in their communication; I therefore
affured them that, if : ihpy would disefl me to theiriVer which I deferibed
-to them, I would come in latge.veffelsjhke thofe that their neighbours
had deferibed, tothe mouth of .it, and bring them arms and ammunition
in exchange for the produce of their country ; fa that they might be
able to defend themfel ves againft their enemies, and no longer remain in
that abjefl, diftreffed, and fugitive Bate in which they then lived. I
D d added