1793* my other interpreter affured them that .we entertained* the molt friendly
l—- v-— ’ difpdfition, fuch figttals as I ll^nesi^€^s#ottld be
comprehended by them. I had not; indeed, been long at my-fiction,
and my Indian in ambulh behind me, when two1 of-rthe natives .came
bff in a banbb, but'hopped when they had got withifi ari'hundred yards
of me. ' I made figns for them to land, and as* an-inducement, difplayed
•lodking glaffes, beads; add other alluring, trinkets. At length, but with
every mark of1 extreme g^prehenfion, they approached. the (hobe- item
fOremoft, but would nor t?Mtdih*-'to'land1. -T now’made them a*pre-
fent of fome beads, with' which they Were goirtg i to pulh off,* when I
renewed my entreaties, and, after fomdtime, p-rdvaired^dn tfetifr tb< come
alhore, kiidfit down by meV^ My hunter now thought it- right; to join
me, arid created fonie alarm in my' new acquaintance: Itwas; however,
foon removed, and I had the fatisfaftion to find that he, and
thefe people perfectly tin&erftood each other. I inftnifted'him-to fay
every thing that might tend tb Tooth their fears and win^their confident??.
I exprefled my wi{h£bcondu6t them to out canoe, bur they de6lined’ffi^
offer; and when-they obferved fome of my • people-doming ’towards us,
they rdqtiOffedTme tolb£them retui^' and I was' fo: well'fatisfied‘With
the progrefs I had made in my • ihtercoutfe With' theih,’ that I did not
hefitate a moment in complying with their defire.’ During .their fhort
ftay, Ife y bSffefvM iis, and e^ery'thing about‘us,* with1 a mixture *bf
admiration and aftonilhmeht. We could plainly diftinguilh th&t thdir
friends received them with great joy bn their-Return, and th&t the articles
which they carried back with them were examined with getierkl
and eager curiofity ; they alfo appeared to hold a fcorifultatidn; which
lafted about a quarter of an hour, and the refult Was, an invitation to
come
cdme -Over-to them, Which was ^cheerfully acceptëdv>- (Neverthelefs, on
Our'land-in-gyjtheyhetfayed ievicle n t figns. o f confufion^which arofe, probably
from thequieknë#*öfi our mOvèfeènfï*ï!aSHhe*profpe£tvM a-friendly
Communication'had fo- cheered*-th‘eTpirks''bfi my-people, that they pad*
-dled acrofs thejT$ver With the utmoft expedition. £§ The-two men, however,
Who ?-had been' with us; appeared,; very^naturall^f^to. poflefs the
greateft ftaresofièÖriragë* ©n* th©'--d'ec&<fi®nyhndrweiie ready to~reeeive us .
ontb'nrdanding;1 buf-^bür^emeanör:'¥óbn--diïpeltediigl'h. thèir apprehen-
•lions,» and .the -möft • famihar*eommahïe%ion‘ toökrplac'e- between us.
When I had.Secured >Éh'4if confidence, ^y, the djftribütion of trinkets
among them, arid, treated- the,'children- withfugar, I inftrubled ■ my-' interpreters
tó cblleB every-necOffary information -in.their poWer tb afford
;:me.rV rv’
£ According to their account, thisv river,*W,hO'fe i courfe fsJ very-1 exten-
five, runs-towards -the*mid-day fun; and that at its mouth, as they had
-ifeeen 'informed, whitei.pèople-were building houfes.- They reprefented
-its current .to be uniformly firofig, and that in three--places it was
altogether' ïmpaffablëjyfrotn the falls-and- rapids, which, poured along
fee tween perpendicular rocks that were much higher; and more rugged,
than any-we had ydt-feen, and would.not.admit of any .palege over them.
Butlbefides the dangers artd difficulties: of the navigation, they added,
that we (hou-ld have to encounter the inhabitants of the\country, whb
•were very numerous»--They-'alfo-reprefented. their-immediate neighbours
as a very malignant race, whq Jived in large fubterraneous receffes:
and when they were made to underhand that it -was- our defign to proceed
to the Tea, they diffuaded us from.profecuting our intention, asiwe
Ihould