in the Knifteneaux language. She proved to be'aRocky-Mountain
native, fo that my interpreters perfectly underftood her. She informed us
that her country is at the Forks of this ^ivéf/ andthat'ihe had been taken*
prifoner by the Knifteneaux, who had carried her acrofs the mountains
After having puffed the greatéft part of thefummer with ahem, fhe had
Contrived to efcape, before they had reached their own; coUntfyiahd had
»©-CTöffed the mountains, when fhe> expeöed tci meet her own friends:’
but after fufféring all the hard (hips incident tofuch a journey, fhe had;
been taken by a war-pariy - of the people with whom fhe then was*-
who had driven $ her relations from the'river ihto the mountains. She
had fince been detained by her prefent-fiufband, of Whom1 fhe had no1
caufe to complain; meverthelefs fhe exprefledi a ftrèrïg’ dëffre^td-réturh’
to her own; people.’ ! prefehtöd her wifcft^fey## ufeful articles, and
defired her to come to me at the lodges, which fhe readily engaged to
do. We; arrived thither hefor.e the Indians, and landèd,- «s’wsh&d pro-;
mifed. It1 was now; neartweJtei;atnoQn, but on attempting tö takëah-
altitude I found the angle too great & f ;myofe^tanti da
The natives, whom-we had already feeri, and feveral lathers, foon- joined:
us, with, a greater; riumberrof; women/than I hadipelifeosE^feut I did
notObferve the female prifoner among them. ; ThfeFewereithiriy-fivmofi
them, and my remaining ftore of prefents was not fufficient to enable me
to be very liberal to fo many, claimants.;A mong
of the adjoining nation, and a Rocky-MoUntain ; Indianj jwhoihad:
been with them forTome time»; > As hè wasi^tt®defftóodnby: my; dnter»;
preters, and was himfelf well acquainted with, the language ‘of the>
ftrangers, I poffeffed the means of obtaining everyinfonhadon: refpe&mg
the
NORTH-WEST CONTINENT OF AMERICA.
the country, which it might be in their power to afford me. For this
purpofe I fele&ed an elderly mart-,lfii4m-the four ftrangers, whofe countenance
had prepofTefredi rfteimhis' favour; I ftated to th'efe people, as
I had!already done to tfeofe from whdm-Ihad. hitherto derived. information,
thd^dbjeCls1 'of* my -voyage, arid? the Very great- advantages which
they Wddld receive; ■ from myhfue’efefsfhl termination of it. They ex-
pifefled theftifelVfeS very much fati^fied at my^commnnidatidflj and affured
iherbat they-would not deceive- life* refpeCting the fubjeB of my inquiry.
Ah old'ihan alfd** V?ho -appeared to, poffefs'* the -Charalter of- a chief, declared
his wifh to fee me return to his -land, >a«d’ that, his-two young,
daughters-fhould them be at my.difpofad.^ I -noil'spwrceededto requeft
the native, whom I had particularly felecled, tofcommenGe his informa-
tiori’ bydrawing Vfk'etch of-'the' country upon a ferge-'-pieceof bark, and
he immediately Cnterfed On! the work* frequently appealing to, and feme-
-times afkingt’the advice of,<thofeiarOiiind him. lHeideEepfbdd the river-ad
ru&ning -to the Eaft OfdSouthj receiving - many ' rivers/Uttd 'every fix oh
eight- leagues encumbered*; with falls-and rapid#,1 feme of-which were;
very dangerous, and fix of1 them impracticable. The carrying-places he-
reprefehtfed -as- ofi^rfeat length; and-paffing ovenhiLls and mountains. He;
depiCled the lands of' tbred'otheE^tribes/im fneCeffio'nj Wh
languages.! t -Beyondthem he knew nothing'e-hher ctf the river* oricountryy
on$y that it was ftill adorig way to.thfe fea jKand' that, as he had heard, there;
wSs a lake, before they; reached the -«y ater,Cwhiach .the natives>did; n©t drink*
As far as hisikno-wledgesofthe rlverextendod-y'lheicountryron'either.fide was
level, in’rh any places withdutw.oo,dirand,abounding in red deer,.andfom.e of
afinall-fallowkind.t tEewof the®atives;;hefaid;WouldiGometotfrebanks;
for feme time jj but that at a certain feafhn< theyuwould arrive there in greafe
' numbers,.