CRITICAL POSITION IN THE RAPIDS. 439 



quently passed another, half covered with old 

 drift willows and quills. A herd of musk-oxen 

 and a few straggling deer were quietly feeding 

 on the sand-hills ; and many of the white, brown, 

 and laughing geese were flying about, and 

 seemed to be collecting for their southerly mi- 

 gration. 



On the 4th, a hard gale from the N. W. indi- 

 cated the commencement of the fall weather; 

 and, while we were travelling, many hundreds 

 of geese flew high past us to the south. It was 

 necessary to haul the boat all day ; and we as- 

 cended between sixteen and twenty rapids, which, 

 owing to the shallowness of the water, were very 

 troublesome. Sand-banks and islands appeared 

 in every direction, and so changed was the 

 face of the river that it was not easy to recog- 

 nise it. In the centre of the Hawk Rapid the 

 line broke, and threw us into a very critical 

 situation ; one, indeed, which, with a less ac- 

 tive crew, might have been followed by serious 

 consequences. However, by clinging to the 

 rocks until the damage was repaired, the boat 

 was held fast, and prevented from descending 

 again. As we advanced, the shoals and bars 

 greatly impeded our progress ; so that, in an or- 

 dinary season, the navigation would have been 

 impracticable even for a boat entirely light. 

 September 6th. — The morning set in with 



f f 4 



