Ch. XI. FRANKLIN & RICHARDSON'S SECOND JOURNEY. 415 



blishments, and upwards of three hundred miles 

 from where the party had embarked, Mr. Charles 

 Dease received and prepared for them a meal at 

 midnight. The fort is situated in the midst of the 

 tribe of Indians which Mackenzie calls Quarrellers, 

 but whom the traders name Loucheux or Squinters. 

 Here a young man, a half-breed, named Baptiste, 

 the interpreter of the Fort, was lent to them for the 

 purpose of introducing the party to the Loucheux 

 chief. Lower down a party of these people stood 

 gazing at the strangers with much distrust, and 

 refused to accept their invitations, till at length a 

 youth, gaily dressed, paddled off in his boat, and 

 discovering Augustus, whom he recognised as an 

 Esquimaux, rose up in his canoe, threw up his 

 hands for joy, and desired every one to come off at 

 once. " They caressed Augustus, danced and 

 played around him, to testify their joy at his ap- 

 pearance among them ; and we could not help 

 admiring the demeanour of our excellent little 

 companion under such unusual and extravagant 

 marks of attention." 



The river was now divided by islands into seve- 

 ral channels. This was the ^sixth day after their 

 departure ; and here they passed the last of the fir- 

 trees, in latitude 68° 40', these being succeeded by 

 stunted willows, which became more dwarfish as 

 they approached the sea. After the dissipation of 

 a thick fog, the expanse of water to the northward 



