ALTITUDE OF THE ROCKS. S7I 



but for what purpose this <c picquet" mounted 

 guard at the foot of the rapid, was not quite so 

 clear to our comprehensions. 



To the westward the rocks attained consider- 

 able altitude, and, comparatively speaking, had 

 become even mountainous. They were desolate, 

 rugged, and barren ; but to the eastward there 

 was more vegetation, on a shelving and regular 

 country. More rapids were passed ; and, at 

 8 p. m., we encamped under the lee of a high 

 rock, partially clad with shrubs and moss, in 

 which the musk oxen and deer had tramped deep 

 tracks. It was opposite to a solitary bank of 

 sand, that formed the western entrance to a small 

 river apparently a favourite resort of geese, 

 which, having frequented it in numberless flocks 

 during the moulting season, had left thousands 

 of the finest quills strewed on the sand. Carts 

 mifrht have been laden with them. 



The morning of the 27th was cloudy and 

 cold ; the thermometer being 40° with a south- 

 west wind. We were on the water by 4 

 a.m., and were gratified to find that the river 

 maintained the same direction, with a breadth 

 varying from three quarters of a mile to a mile, 

 and with a border of granitic mountains on each 

 side. A rapid that was passed caused it to 

 deviate a little to the westward ; and, on the 

 risrht bank of a second one, more intricate than 



B B 2 



