•gagg y g wef# <]>fehgect 10. 0 w y , -Our cetMfc was North by. Eaft a smile
and an hdfo MorthrNarth-Eaft a mile and an half down another rapid
on the Weft fide; it reguiresgreat careitQ.skeep direfii.ly' between the
eddy*current, and that which was driving down with-fo much impetnofityu
We- then proceeded North-North-Weft, a river from the right,; a mile
and a quarter, NoxtH-Moith=Eaft a mile and an half, a fiver front .tlj©
left; North one mile and three .quarters, -North-Eaft two miles, Norths
Haft by Eaft two miles and a quarter, Eaft by North »iefllisiA'}-
Eaft by Eaft four miles, a river from the left, and Eaft fey SoOt-h a mile and
an half. Here was oar encampmeht on the 26th of Mayv beyond which
it would be altogether fuperfluous for me to take the eoUrfes, as they are
inferted in their proper places.
, As we continued our voyage, cmr attention was .attra£ied by theap*-
©earance o f an Indian encampment. We accordingly landed, and found
there had been five fires, and within that number o f days, fo that there
muft have been feme inhabitants in the neighbourhood; though we were
not fo fortunate as to fee them. It appeared that they, had killed a nurm
ber o f animals, and fled in a ftate of alarm, as three of their canoes were
left earelefsly on the beach, and their paddlea laying about feudiforder.
We foon after eame to the carrying-place called the Portage de la Mofo
tagne de Roche. ..Here-1 had a meridian altitude, which made the latitude
§6, 3^ 51. North, p
The water, as I have already obferved, was much lower than when we
came up it, though at the fame time, the current appeared to be ftronger
from this, place to. the forks; the navigation, however, -would now be
•attended with greater facility., asuhere is.a ftony beech ail the way, fo
that
that poles, or the towing line, may be employed with the belt efffea,
where the current oyCrpSowers tbeufe of paddles.
We* were now reduced to a-veiyl fhort allowance; the difa]
m^nt,. therefore^ d| not Joeing any animals was proportioned to our
exigences, as we did not poffefs at this time more than was fufficjent to
ferye far meals. I now p a t c h e d Mr. Mackay and" the ‘Indians
to, proceed,to the? foot, of&erapjds, anclendeaypur in their way to pro-?
cure feme provifions, while I prepared to employ tjie utmoft expedition
in.getting there; having.-determined, notwithftaqdjng the chftnclination
of my-people, from the.recolle&ion of what they had fuffered in coming
that^ay^to returnhy the fame rnufo. I had obferved, indeed; that the
water which had-fallen fifteen-feet perpendicular, at the , narrow pafs
below :us, had loft -much of its former turbulence^'?'].
‘ As. difpatch waseffentkl in procuring a fupply.of provifions,.we did
not delayi,a.'■ mdmen'p -in making preparation' to renew our progrefs.’
Five ©f the-men■ began tbicahry*the 'baggage, while the fixth and my^
folf took the capoe. afunder, to cteakrfe her of the .dirt, and expofe her
lining and timbers-to the air, which; would render her much lighter.
About fon-fet Mr. Mackay and our hunters returned with- heavy bur*
dens qfthe flelh, of a .buffalo: though not -very tender, it wap very ac*
ceptabli and ^gs the only animal that they had feen, though the country
yras covered with .traces of them, a? well as o f the moofodeer and
the elk. The former had done ratting, and the latter were! begin-,
ping to' run. Ohr people returned, having left their loads mid-way
on the carrying place. \M y companion and myfelf completed our
3 ^ | under;-'