RESUME THE SURVEY OF THE RIVER. 303 



general, the motive, secret or avowed, of every 

 action of a northern Indian is, in my judgment, 

 selfishness alone. 



The length of the portage being four miles, 

 the people were occupied all clay in carrying the 

 baggage, which gave me an opportunity of veri- 

 fying my former observations, as well as of obtain- 

 ing the dip.* The survey, which, it may be 

 remembered, terminated here the preceding 

 autumn, was now continued ; and, taking Mr. 

 M c Leod for a companion, I followed the course 

 of the river for a few miles onward. After a 

 bend to the westward, it pursued a serpentine 

 and rapid course to the northward. About two 

 miles down, it was joined by a large stream from 

 the westward, which I am inclined to consider 

 as the main branch of the Thlew-ee-choh, but 

 which the Indians distinguished by the appel- 

 lation of the Contwoy-to River, calling the 

 one we came by, Thlew-ee-choh. Be this as 

 it may, there seems no doubt that this western 

 branch does take its rise in Contwoy-to, or 

 the Rum Lake of Hearne ; which lake was 

 fully identified by the Indians present as that 

 whose western extremity Sir J. Franklin's party 

 crossed in the first overland expedition at 

 Belanger's Rapid. They spoke of two outlets ; 



* Appendix. 



