Chap. X. FRANKLIN AND RICHARDSON'S JOURNEY. 371 



of ground, but found only a few small pieces of native cop- 

 per. The mountains varied in height from 1200 to 1500 

 feet ; their uniformity is interrupted by narrow valleys tra- 

 versed by small streams. The best specimens of metal we 

 procured were among the stones in these valleys, and it was 

 in such situations that our guides desired us to search most 

 carefully. It would appear, that when the Indians see any 

 sparry substance projecting above the surface, they dig 

 there, but they have no other rule to direct them, and have 

 never found the metal in its original repository. Our guides 

 reported that they had found copper in large pieces in every 

 part of this range for two days' walk to the north-west, and 

 that the Esquimaux come hither to search for it. The 

 annual visits which the Copper Indians were accustomed to 

 make to these mountains, when most of their weapons and 

 utensils were made of copper, have been discontinued since 

 they have been enabled to obtain a supply of ice-chisels 

 and other instruments of iron, by the establishment of trad- 

 ing posts near their hunting-grounds." * — p. 340. 



They now descended to that part of the river 

 named by Hearne the Bloody Fall. This rapid is 

 described as a sort of shelving cascade, about three 

 hundred yards in length, having a descent of from 

 ten to fifteen feet, and bounded on each side by 

 high walls of red sandstone, upon which rests a 

 series of lofty green hills. Here they caught forty 

 excellent salmon and white fish,^ in a single net, be- 

 low the rapid. No trees had been seen in this 

 day's journey ; but the ground is well clothed 



* Among Dr. Richardson's Geognostical Observations, a cir- 

 cumstantial account of the Copper Mountains will be found. — 

 Appendix, No. 1. 



2 b 2 



