30 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 





effect of the season on the foliage, now ready to drop from the 

 trees. The light yellow of the fading poplars formed a fine contrast 

 to the dark evergreen of the spruce, whilst the willows, of an inter- 

 mediate hue, served to shade the two principal masses of colour into 

 each other. The scene was occasionally enlivened by the bright 

 purple tints of the dogwood, blended with the browner shades of 

 the dwarf birch, and frequently intermixed with the gay yellow 

 flowers of the shrubby cinquefoil. With all these charms, the scene 

 appeared desolate from the want of the human species. The still- 

 ness was so great, that even the twittering of the whiskey-johneesh, 

 or cinereous crow, caused us to start. Our voyage to-day was sixteen 

 miles on a S.W. course. 



■ 



Sept. 19. — We had much rain during the night, and also in the 

 morning, which detained us in our encampment later than usual. 

 We set out as soon as the weather cleared up, and in a short time 

 arrived at the head of Steel Kiver, where it is formed by the junction 

 of Fox and Hill Rivers. These two rivers are nearly of equal 

 width, but the latter is the most rapid. Mr. M'Donald, on his way 

 to Red River, in a small canoe, manned by two Indians, overtook us 

 at this place. It may be mentioned as a proof of the dexterity of 

 the Indians, and the skill with which they steal upon their game, 

 that they had on the preceding day, with no other arms than a 

 hatchet, killed two deer, a hawk, a curlew, and a sturgeon. Three 

 of the Company's boats joined us in the course of the morning, and 

 we pursued our course up Hill River in company. The water in this 

 river was so low, and the rapids so bad, that we were obliged several 

 times, in the course of the day, to jump into the water, and assist 

 in lifting the boat over the large stones which impeded the naviga- 

 tion. The length of our voyage to-day was only six miles and three 

 quarters. 



The four boats commenced operations together at five o'clock the 

 following morning j but our boat being overladen, we soon found that 



