194 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 
posts, we this day recommenced our journey, and 
were much amused by the novelty of the salute 
given at our departure, the guns being principally 
fired by the half-breed women in the absence of 
the men. Our course was directed to the end of 
the lake, and for a short distance along a small 
river; we then crossed the woods to the Beaver 
River, which we found to be narrow and very ser- 
pentine, having moderately high banks. We 
encamped about one mile and a half further: up 
among poplars. The next day we proceeded 
along the river; it was winding, and about two 
hundred yards broad. We passed the mouths 
of two rivers whose waters it receives ; the latter 
one, we were informed, is a channel by ch 
the Indians go to the Lesser Slave Lake. The 
banks of the river became higher as we at 
vanced, and were furnished with pines, poplars, 
and willows. 
Though the weather was very cold, we travelled 
more comfortably than at any preceding time 
since our departure from Cumberland, as we were 
enabled, by having light carioles, to ride in 
them nearly the whole day, warmly covered up 
with a buffalo robe. Mr, M‘Leod, of the North 
West Company, joined us. He had kindly 
brought some things from Green Lake, which, 
our sledges could not carry, Pursuing our route 
