1 



DESCRIPTION OF THE COAST LINE. 107 



which was often left, in case the carrier were 

 unable or unwilling to take it on. From the 

 direction, too, in which they pointed to it, I was 

 the more confirmed in my former opinion, not 

 only that it lay considerably to the eastward, but 

 also that it inclined towards Hudson's Bay. 



On the other hand, one of the party confessed 

 that he had been on the Thlew-ee-choh when 

 he was a boy; and though, as he had gone 

 by land, he had no exact knowledge of the 

 route by water, still he knew that there was a 

 river about a day's march off,leading to some lakes 

 which would eventually conduct us to it. His 

 only apprehension was, whether the canoe could 

 be conveyed in any manner over the mountains 

 and falls, in our way to the Barren Lands, 

 where we should find the lakes to which he had 

 alluded. "We Indians," said he, "should not 

 think of attempting it, but the white men are 

 strong." On such a subject it was scarcely 

 prudent to hazard an assertion: but as much 

 depends on first impressions, I did not hesitate 

 to assure him, that I had the power to sur- 

 mount all such obstacles as he had described, 

 and only required an active hunter like himself 

 to accompany me, for which, I added, he 

 should be well remunerated ; though, to say the 

 truth, the general appearance off the country, 

 and the increasing altitude of the mountains, 



