and in about half an bounce came fmall
raft. At this time it began to thunder,and torrents of raimfcowfcllowed,
which terminated our jobrney for the day. Our qousEfo »wasi about Souths
twenty-one miles from the lake already mentian^dsHi Wemowi difoomttd
the tops of mountains* covered with fnow, over very high- intermediate
land. We killed a whitehead and a grey eagle, and three grey partridges;
we IhwiallbtWo otters in the ;ri«e%*nd: fe ver al bearer* lodges
along it. When the rain icdafed, we eaught^fewfmall ftlhjiansi impaired
the raft for the fervice of the enfuing day.
At an early hour o f this morning we prepared to crofs the water. The
traverfe -is about thirty yards; and: it i deqdranfcfiye: trips.to get us akl
over. At a fhort diftance below, a fmall river falls in, that ebmes from
the direftion in which we were proceedmg. -Ifc is* a rapid for abdiit
Three hundred yards, when it expands into a lake^akwigiwhiclt oiir.road
conduced us, and beneath a range of beautiful hills, covered with verdure.
At half pad eight we came to, the. termination of the lake^where
there were two houfes that occupied a rooft delightful fituation* and asthey
contained their neceflary furniture, it feeiled probable tbatltheir owners
intended fiiortly to return. Near them wep'ieyeraitgrav^s. or tombs, to
which the natives are particularly attentivejiand.qeveF fuflfer, an^} herbage
to grow upon them. In about half an hour we. reached a place
where there were two temporary huts, that contained thirteen men* with
whom we found our guide who had preceded -us» in order -to feeure a
good reception. The- buildings were detached from each other, and
conveniently placed for filhing: in the Jake. Their inhabitants called
themfelves Slaua-culs-Dinais, which denominatipn, as; for,; as my interpreter,
prêter could explain it to rme,/?I| understood • to mean Red-filh Men.
They .'Were mueb more cleanly, heal^hy^ and, agreeable in their appearance,
than any of the, natives whqm We had palfed ; .qeVerthelefs,'1 have,
no-doubt that they are the.fame people;;from their ..name alone, whi.eh h
of, the Çhepewyan language. Myintirpretefs«,how.ev#r, underftood very
little of,what theyja-id, fo that I did not expeQ; much- information from
them. qjppigeof them laid it was. a: journey of• four days :to the fea, and
others were ;of qpiniqn' that it was .fix^ft and the^bweye among them who
extended it to eight ; but they all uniformly, declared that they had been
to the coaft. did rfofc..entertain, the fmalleft apprdienljQg, of
danger ,|rom us, and, when we difcharged our pieces, expreflèd, no fenk
Cation but that, ,qfr aftonilhment, which, as may be,' fuppofed, waS pro-,
portipqably ençreafed when one..of the hunters Ihqt>an eagle,, at a.con-,
fi^erable diftance. Atf twelve, 1' obtained an altitude, \fhich made,;
'dyf latitude ,5 ^ 5 4 . 32.;<NprJth, befog not,f<? for Sopth as I ex-:
pç$ed..
I npyryrçntj accompanied,by one of my men^an interpreter, and the
guide, to vifit fome huts at the diftance o f a mile. On pur arrival the inhabitants
prefented us with a difh pf bojled trout,pha fmall kind. The
fifh woujd, have been excellent if it had not tailed of the. kettle, wfoch
yras mad,e 0Ç the bark of,the„ white fprqce, and of the dried grafs with
whiçhit i^sS'hpiled, B©lides.this fond.pf trout,,red; anti white carp,and
jub, are the only filh I«faw as the producepf the Je waters.
wThefq peqple appè^red to Jive , in a ftate. of comparative com for
they take,a gyeat|r*ffiare in tJjp.lahPh^ i^axl ^ common
Q q 2 . ~ among