OF THE POLAR SEA. 



31 



we were unable to keep pace with the others ; and therefore proposed 

 to the gentlemen in charge of the Company's boats, that they should 

 relieve us of part of our cargo. This they declined doing, under the 

 plea of not having received orders to that effect, notwithstanding 

 that the circular, with which I was furnished by Governor Williams, 

 strictly enjoined all the Company's servants to afford us every assist- 

 ance. In consequence of this refusal we dropt behind, and our 

 steersman, who was inexperienced, being thus deprived of the advan- 

 tage of observing the route followed by the guide, who was in the 

 foremost boat, frequently took a wrong channel. The tow-line broke 

 twice, and the boat was only prevented from going broadside down the 

 stream, and breaking to pieces against the stones, by the officers and 

 men leaping into the water, and holding her head to the current 

 until the line could be carried again to the shore. It is but j ustice 

 to say, that in these trying situations we received much assistance 

 from Mr. Thomas Swayne, who with great kindness waited for us 

 with the boat under his charge, at such places as he apprehended 

 would be most difficult to pass. We encamped at sunset, completely 

 jaded with toil. Our distance made good this day was twelve miles 

 and a quarter. 



The labours of the 1 6th commenced at half past five, and for some 

 time the difficulty of getting the boats over the rapids was equal to 

 what we experienced yesterday. Having passed a small brook, how- 

 ever, termed Half-way Creek, the river became deeper, and although 

 rapid, it was smooth enough to be named by our Orkney boatmen 

 Still-icater. We were further relieved by the Company's clerks con- 

 senting to take a few boxes of our stores into their boats. Still we 

 made only eleven miles in the course of the day. 



The banks of Hill Kiver are higher, and have a more broken out- 

 line, than those of Steel or Hayes' Rivers. The cliffs of alluvial clay 

 rose in some places to the height of eighty or ninety feet above the 

 stream, and were surmounted by hills about two hundred feet high, 



