160 COURSE OF THE RAPIDS. 



lure them on to the relief, as we then supposed, 

 of our long-suffering countrymen. 



The rapids ran in a meandering course for an 

 estimated distance of four miles, and then ex- 

 panded into a wider part, the last bearing of 

 which was north-east, where it was lost in a 

 transverse range of mountains. According to 

 the Indians, there was a large river not far off, 

 that issued from the Cont-woy-to, or Rum Lake 

 of Hearne, and fell into the Thlew-ee-choh. The 

 distance of the lake was considered to be five 

 days' march for a good hunter; and as they walk 

 with little rest, I think this estimate not unlikely 

 to be correct ; though it is difficult to imagine 

 an outlet at each extreme, running in opposite 

 directions. The Indians, however, were unani- 

 mous on this head, and would not admit of there 

 being a swampy marsh or narrow neck of land 

 dividing the two waters ; indeed, they one and all 

 laughed at the idea, and said that I had crossed 

 the western river myself, meaning Bellenger's 

 Rapid, where my friend Franklin had so narrow 

 an escape. But without dwelling longer on the 

 subject, as to which I had always my doubts, I 

 was now easy as regarded the magnitude of the 

 Thlew-ee-choh, but very far from being so with 

 respect to its course. The river, it was evident, 

 would go on increasing by successive contribu- 

 tions from every valley throughout its descent, 

 and would probably become a noble and ex- 



