284 THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE BY LAND. 



an attempt, as they said the river was impracticable 

 for a raft, and very hazardous even for canoes. 

 Cheadle went out and explored the country for some 

 distance ahead, but returned with the unwelcome 

 report that it seemed perfectly impossible for horses 

 to get through such a collection of fallen timber, and 

 along such precipitous hill-sides as he had encoun- 

 tered. Every one looked very serious at this an- 

 nouncement, and Mr. O'B. expressed his opinion that 

 we must make up our minds to meet a miserable end. 

 In the evening we held grave council over our camp- 

 fire, trying to increase philosophy by smoking kinni- 

 kinnick, and, after careful deliberation, decided that 

 The Assiniboine should investigate the country on the 

 morrow, and if he thought it practicable, w^e would 

 endeavour to cut our way through the forest. We 

 calculated that Kamloops could not be more than 

 120 or 130 miles distant, and we should probably 

 enter upon more open country before long. It rained 

 heavily during the night, and until nearly noon the 

 next day, when The Assiniboine started on his voyage 

 of discovery. Soon after his departure we heard 

 a shot, and the barking of the dog Papillon, from 

 which we inferred that he had found game of some 

 kind, and as we had seen tracks of Cariboo deer, we 

 hoped that he might have met with one of these 

 animals. In the evening we were delighted by 

 his appearance, carrying a small black bear on his 

 shoulders, and reporting that he thought it possible 

 to get through, although our advance would neces- 

 sarily be very slow and laborious. From the summit 



