SAMUEL SEYMOUR McDERMOTT 507 



the charm of the scenery by the mehmcholy mantle it spread over it ... a 

 spare growth of aspen, birch, spruce, and other evergreens . . . adds to the 

 wild and barren appearance of the rocks . . . our tents were pitched so that 

 we had a view of the splendid effect arising from the play of the moonbeams 

 upon the surface of this oceanlike basin, and our eyes were constantly bent 

 upon it until the noise of the cataract lulled us to sleep. [Ibid., vol. 2, pp. 

 91-92.] 



Probably Keating was right : "The artist could not behold, without 

 rapture, a scene so worthy of being painted." Seymour spent the 

 remaining daylight sketching the falls from a rock projecting far 

 into the water. The author, however, eventually had to drop his plan 

 of reproducing this picture because "it was found impossible to retain 

 their effect when reduced to the required size" (ibid., vol. 2, pp. 92-93) . 



On the 23d they passed the Slave Falls and the Upper Falls of the 

 Winnepeg, both of which Seymour drew and Keating published as 

 plates 9 and 10. At the upper part of the Slave Falls "there is a 

 jQne cascade, below which the rapids continue for a short distance, 

 presenting a beautiful landscape" (ibid., vol. 2, p. 99). To his view 

 Seymour gave added interest by showing the men in the act of portag- 

 ing, A few miles farther upstream they came on the Upper Falls — 

 for beauty, said Keating, "second only to the lower falls." Seymour's 

 view of this double cascade, however, "was not taken at a favourable 

 spot, as the roclcy nature of the bank prevented him from landing at a 

 place from which an advantageous view of both the falls could be 

 obtained" (ibid., vol. 2, p. 100). 



The explorers on the 25th entered the Lake of the Woods and 

 stopped for breakfast at Cosse's Island. There Seymour sketched 

 a view of the lake that was published as plate 11 (ibid., vol. 2, p. 109) . 

 No other drawing is mentioned until the Kakabikka Falls near Fort 

 William were passed on September 11. Difficult access kept the 

 artist from sketching more than a small portion of these falls (pi. 16), 

 but his drawing was used for plate 12 (ibid., vol. 2, p. 139). The 

 final contribution by Seymour to the dressing up of Keating's Narra- 

 tive (pi. 13) is a view of the north shore of Lake Superior done on 

 September 22 — "a very correct delineation" of an area "somewhat 

 west of the 'Otter's Head' " (ibid., vol. 2, p. 185). 



By October 26, Seymour was once again in Philadelphia, after an 

 absence of 6 months, and could settle down with his portfolio of 

 sketches to prepare illustrations for the new report. Information 

 is meager. Letters from Long to Macomb in the War Office Records 

 of the National Archives show that the artist was paid $1.50 a day 

 for his services on the expedition and received $280.50 for the 187 

 days between April 27 and October 30, 1823. In addition he was 

 allowed $127.99 for travel expense. A third notation is a statement 



