OF THE POLAR SEA. 



191 



composed of fine yellow sand, with some limestone rocks. The 

 surface soil was alluvial. At eight A.M. we passed a portage on 

 which the limestone rocks were singularly scattered through the 

 woods, bearing the appearance of houses and turrets overgrown with 

 moss. The earth emitted a hollow sound, and the river was divided 

 by rocks, into narrow crooked channels, every object indicating that 

 some convulsion had disturbed the general order of nature at this 

 place. We had passed a portage above it, and after two long por- 

 tages below it we encamped. Near the last was a small stream so 

 strongly impregnated with sulphur, as to taint the air to a great 

 distance around it. We saw two brown bears on the hills in the 

 course of the day. 



At day-light, on the 1 1 th, we embarked. The hills continued on 

 both sides to the mouth of the river, varying from eight hundred to 

 one thousand feet in height. They declined to the banks in long • 

 green slopes, diversified by woody mounds and copses. The pines 

 were not here in thick impenetrable masses, but perched aloft in 

 single groups on the heights, or shrouded by the livelier hues of the 



poplar and willow. 



We passed the mouth of the Red Willow River on the south 



bank, flowing through a deep ravine. It is the continuation of the 

 route by the Pembina, before mentioned. At noon we entered the 

 majestic Athabasca or Elk River. Its junction with the Clear Water 

 River is called the Forks. Its banks were inaccessible cliffs, appa- 

 rently of clay and stones, about two hundred feet high, and its 

 windings in the south were encircled by high mountains. Its breadth 

 exceeded half a mile, and was swelled to a mile in many places by 



long muddy islands in the middle covered with trees. No more 



portages interrupted our course, but a swift current hurried us 

 towards the quarter in which our anticipated discoveries were to 

 commence. The passing cliffs returned a loud confusion of echoes 

 to the sprightly canoe song, and the dashing paddles ; and the eagles, 



