﻿1848. CANADA GEESE. 151 



The sandy banks of the river show sections in 

 many places upwards of twenty feet high ; and, in 

 almost all, the sand is distinctly stratified ; the 

 layers being of different colours, and often having 

 clayey or loamy seams interposed. The whole of 

 the banks, from Salt River downwards to Slave 

 Lake, appear to be alluvial ; and many small lakes 

 existing behind them communicate with the river 

 by narrow channels. In ordinary seasons at this 

 date, vast numbers of Canada geese moult in the 

 district, and are followed by their young brood not 

 yet fully fledged, which fall a ready prey to the 

 natives or voyagers descending the river. In 1825 

 I could have filled a boat with these delicate young 

 birds. This year, owing to the high waters, the 

 greater part of the broods had retreated to the 

 lakes, where grass could be more easily procured, 

 and we obtained only a few. The natives observe, 

 that, besides the old birds which rear young, and 

 moult when their offspring are obtaining their 

 plumage, there are a considerable number who do 

 not breed, but keep in small bands, and are called 

 " barren geese." Of these we saw some flocks ; 

 but they were not easily approached without a 

 greater loss of time than we could spare. 



We kept at the oars all day, except when we 

 landed to breakfast, or to cook supper, and, after 

 sunset, resumed the plan of drifting, with very little 



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