278 THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE BY LAND. 



you will keep perfectly cool and collected — animosiis 

 et fortis a^Jpare — ^but csquo animo, you know; not 

 shout at one another as you did before; Assini- 

 boine quite frightened me with his strong language. 

 But I have a very particular favour to ask, and 

 that is, that you and Lord Milton will agree to post- 

 pone crossing the river until to-morrow, for I am op- 

 pressed with a most fearful presentiment that if we 

 make the attempt to-day we shall all be lost — every 

 one of us drowned. Doctor. Think of the responsi- 

 bility, before it is too late ; you and his lordship are 

 answerable for our lives." 



Cheadle explained that provisions w^ere getting so 

 short, w^e could not afford to waste a day, and the 

 presentiment of evil was merely uneasiness arising 

 from the recollection of the late accident, which was 

 not likely to be repeated. Mr. O'B., however, shook 

 his head solemnly, unconvinced, gave us a quotation 

 about Cassandra, and embarked with most woful 

 misgivings. We crossed without mishap, and the 

 moment we neared the side, Mr. O'B., eager to get 

 safe on shore, jumped overboard into shallow water, 

 but was immediately collared and pulled back by The 

 Assiniboine,and obliged to wait tiF^the raft was secured. 

 Mr. O'B.'s presentiment w^as, happily, unfulfilled. 



When we proceeded to search for the trail, we dis- 

 covered, to our dismay, that w^e were upon a small 

 island, instead of the west bank of the river, as we 

 supposed. The north-west branch entered the main 

 river by two mouths, and we were upon the spit of 

 land betw^een the fork of these channels. There were 



