PRELIMINARY CHAPTER. Q\ 



attempt by the Thlew-ee-choh would be as 

 rash as its result would be fruitless ; secondly, 

 the hope of crossing the country direct to 

 Bathurst's Inlet, or in any other direction lead- 

 ing towards Point Turnagain, had long been 

 relinquished, in consequence of the unanimous 

 testimony of the Indians, as to the insurmount- 

 able obstacles that would oppose the transport 

 of canoes, and even the requisite provision for so 

 long and arduous a journey. The whole of the 

 streams west of the Thlew-ee-choh, within the 

 knowledge of the Indians, are its tributaries, and 

 are too shallow and rapid, and too much inter- 

 rupted with rocks and other dangerous obstruc- 

 tions, to be navigable in any thing larger than a 

 small canoe. There remained, therefore, but one 

 way of penetrating to the sea, viz. by travers- 

 ing the intervening mountains ; and this, with 

 such boats or canoes as would carry even the 

 very limited number of men that composed my 

 party, was totally impracticable. Had I not 

 been fully convinced of this, I should, in the 

 hope of accomplishing one of the great objects 

 * of my mission, have undoubtedly ventured to 

 remain out another season, even though such an 

 act had not received the sanction of the Com- 

 mittee. 



The other points of my instructions were 

 followed up to the best of my ability, as, it is 



c 3 



