14t JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



sons, two of the hunters had to walk in turns 

 along the banks. 



In our rambles round the encampment, we 

 witnessed with pleasure the progress which the 

 vegetation had made within the few last warm 

 days ; most of the trees had put forth their leaves, 

 and several flowers ornamented the moss-covered 

 ground; many of the smaller summer birds were 

 obsen-ed in the woods, and a variety of ducks, 

 gulls, and plovers, were seen on the banks of the 

 nyer. The river is about three hundred yards 

 wide at this part, is deep and flows over a bed 

 of alluvial sand. We caught some trout of con- 

 siderable size with our hues, and a few white 

 fish m the nets, which maintained us, with a little 

 assistance from the pemmican. The repair of our 

 canoes was completed this evening. Previous to 

 embarking I issued an order that no rapid should 

 m future be descended until the bowmen had 

 exammed it, and decided upon its being safe to 

 run. Wherever the least danger was To be ap- 

 prehended, or the crew had to disembark for the 

 purpose of lightening the canoe, the ammunition, 

 guns and instruments, were always to be put out 

 and carried along the bank ; that we might be 

 provided with the means of subsisting ourselves, 

 m case of any accident befalling the canoes. 

 The situation of our encampment was ascer- 



