DANGEROUS RAPIDS. 367 



On the eastern side we noticed some marks, as 

 well as the remains of an Esquimaux encampment; 

 but nothing which denoted when they had been 

 there. Having made another cache of pemmi- 

 can, at the foot of Escape Rapid, in order to 

 lighten the boat as much as possible, we pur- 

 sued our course ; but had not got more than two 

 miles farther, when a thick fog and pelting rain 

 obscured the view, and obliged us to land for 

 shelter. As soon as it cleared, which was not 

 before the evening, we renewed the attempt ; and 

 were urged by a strong current considerably to 

 the eastward, the river now taking that direction 

 through a range of cliffy sand-hills, in which, 

 on some occasions of more than common ob- 

 struction, its eddies had scooped out extensive 

 basins. The current, always swift, now rushed 

 on still faster, and soon became a line of heavy 

 rapids, which more than once made me tremble 

 for our poor boat ; for in many parts, not being 

 able to land, we were compelled to pull hard to 

 keep her under command, and thus flew past 

 rocks and other dangers with a velocity that 

 seemed to forebode some desperate termination: 

 happily, however, we escaped ; though only to 

 begin another series. Along the banks of these 

 last lay several dead deer, which had doubtless 

 been drowned in attempting to swim to the op- 

 posite side. At 8 p.m. we arrived near a de- 

 tached mountainous rock dipping to the western 



