278 | JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE THROUGH THE
f t # ' v* The blind old man gave a very favourable •Jap. a g P l a l account of us to his friends,
v—- t— * and they all three during the whole o f jthe
afternoon. That? our guide,however, might nopefcape from us during
the night, I determined to watch him.
Sunday 3 0 / - Our ftrangers conducted themfelves with great good-humour throughout
the day. According to their information we fhould find their friends
above and below foe carrying,-place. j They mentioned, alfoj f hat Come
o f them were not o f their tribe, but are allied to the people of ithe iea
coaft, who trade with the white men. I had a meridian altitude, that
gave 53. 3. 17. North latitude.
July. Laft night I Had the firft watdh, when one of my Indians propafed to
Monday . ^ ^ as jje underftood, from the old man’s csmverlApcmj that
he intended, in the c^irfe of the night, to make his efcape. Accordingly
at eleven I extinguifhed my light, and fat quietly in my tent, from
whence I c<mid'''nb{etyë'ïfe”mötiöés of thé natives. About twelve,
though the night was rather dark, I obferve'd the o ld man creeping on his
hands and knees towards the water-ficje. We. 'accordingly followed him
very quietly to rite canoe/and he would have 'gcftie away with,it, if'he
had not been interrupted in his dèfign. On upbraiding him for * his
treacherous condtó, when he had been treated with fo* ;mudh kindnefs
by us, he denied the intention of which we accufed hirpj and declared
that his foie objeél was to affuage his third. ; At length, however, he
acknowledged the truth, and when we brought him to the fire, his
friends, who now awoke, on being informed of what had patted, reprobated
his conduct, and alked him how he could expeft that the white
people
NORTH-WEST CONTINENT OF AMERICA. 2 7 9
people-would return to this country, if they experienced fuch ungrateful *703.
treatment:1 The guide faid, for hiss-part, he was not a woman, and would
a*Ver run away through fear.i But notwitbdandirtg this courageous dev
elaratian, at one I awakened Mr. Macka^’ related to him what had
paded) and reqbeftecf him sfot to mduigrihimfirifinfteep till I foould
- It ’^fOTeT'awoke, aria oh*'quitting my tent I w^s fur- 1
prifed at the guide and his companion, and my apprehenfions
were increased wheh I obferved that ‘ the: canoe W’sfoehiovfed from its
late fituation. To my inquiries a-fter them, fomC! <$[ thb’men very cofn-
pofedly'anfwered that thby- were-gone-up'the river,' and had left the old
man behind them. Mr. Maefeay aHB’ told'ifte; that while he was bufily !
employed outheeanoe/tPiey had gotferihe point before he had obferved
fheir'%epariure. The interpreter now informed rlie that at the dawn of
day-the guide badexprefled his deftghVls%o^n ps the fun was up, to go-
and wait for us, whertr ne'Vrrght find'his friend; I hoped this might
be true’; but that hfy pebpie fhould* fufFer them £b depart without
giving- meridtice,' was a cifchmftantd that awalfenfed very'painful re-
fleffions hi my bread. The weather i/f SLsl clear in the forenoon. My ofo
fetvatibd this day gave 53. 3. 32. North latitude.
At five in the afterrfdon our vettel whs completed, and really for fer-
vic'el She proved a ftronger hhdf 'betVer boat tfifn the old* one, though*
Had it hot been tor the gum obtained-from the latter*, it would have been*
st matter of great difficulty to have procured a fufficierrcy of'that articfe-
to have prevehfed Her trom leaking. The remainder of the day waif
employed by^th'e,people in cleaning and refrelhing themfelvesy as they
had enjoyed no relaxatfonTrom their.labour fiiice we landedon-this fpori.
The