﻿1848. 



DEASE RIVER. 335 



In the afternoon our way lay over hills of spotted 

 grey sandstone, sandy shale beds, and towards the 

 evening over knolls of gravel. The day's journey 

 was seventeen geographical miles. 



Our march on the 14th was made in a south- 

 west by west direction, and was short, for our guide 

 complained of being fatigued by his load. We 

 relieved him of a part, by distributing about forty 

 pounds of it among the men for their supper. 



The country we crossed in the course of the day 

 is composed of sandstone, with gravel banks, and 

 undulates, but is not mountainous. Thin groves of 

 trees occur here and there, especially on the borders 

 of rivulets, and many dwarfish and ancient dead 

 stumps remain on the sides of the eminences. The 

 soil is cracked, hummocky, and swampy, and affords 

 uneasy footing to pedestrians. I found much com- 

 fort by Avalking immediately behind the Indian, 

 that I might avail myself of his quick eye, and 

 tread exactly in his footsteps. 



We set out early on the 15th, that we might 

 reach the fort betimes. We lost, however, a con- 

 siderable time, while the guide went in pursuit of 

 several bands of deer that crossed the path. His 

 skill in hunting was indifferent, and he had no 

 success. The morning was snowy. Before noon 

 we forded a branch of the Dease, and at two 

 o'clock came to the banks of that river at the first 



