OF THE POLAR SEA. 71 
The portage is eighteen hundred yards long, 
and its western extemity was found to be in 
53° 08' 25” North latitude, and 99° 28’ 02” West 
longitude. The route from Canada to the Atha- 
basca joins that from York Factory at the 
mouth of the Saskatchawan, and we saw traces 
of a recent encampment of the Canadian voy- 
agers. Our companions in the Hudson’s Bay 
boats, dreading an attack from their rivals in 
trade, were on the alert at this place. They 
examined minutely the spot of encampment, to 
form a judgment of the number of canoes that 
had preceded them ; and they advanced, armed, 
and with great caution, through the woods. 
Their fears, however, were fortunately, on this 
occasion, groundless. 
By noon, on the 12th, the boats and their 
cargoes having been conveyed across the port- 
age, we embarked, and pursued our course. 
The Saskatchawan becomes wider above the 
Grand Rapid, and the scenery improves. The 
banks are high, composed of white clay and 
limestone, and their summits are richly clothed 
with a variety of firs, poplars, birches, and wil- 
lows. The current runs with great rapidity, and 
the channel: is in many places intricate and 
dangerous, from broken ridges of rock jutting 
into the stream. We pitched our tents at the 
