834) CONTRACTION OF THE RIVER. 



By a minute inspection of the marks, I was at 

 length 'satisfied that they all pointed N. E. and 

 S. W. with as much precision as if they had 

 been so placed by compass, and hence concluded 

 that it was in the former bearing that we 

 might expect to find the Esquimaux; though, 

 whether far or near, we had as yet no means 

 of determining. 



The river, from an imposing width, now gra- 

 dually contracted to about fifty yards, and this 

 narrow space had projecting rocks which com- 

 pressed the passage still more. In the language 

 of voyageurs, this form is denominated a spout ; 

 and the only danger attending the going 

 through it is the risk of being thrown into the 

 eddy at an unfavourable moment; in which 

 case, some serious accident is sure to occur. 

 We ran this one, and were lifted considerably 

 higher than the side water, as we shot down 

 with fearful velocitv. Familiar as I was with 

 such scenes, I could not but feel thankful that 

 we escaped safe, and determined for the future 

 to lower down all others. The stream after 

 these agitations settled into a calm though not 

 very gentle current, which swept us opposite a 

 magnificent river, as broad as the Thames at 

 Westminster, joining the Thlew-ee-choh from 

 the eastward. Some Esquimaux marks on the 

 banks seemed to point this out as their line of 

 route ; and I was far from being convinced that 



