210 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



the stream, is about three or four feet in height, 

 and about two hundred and fifty yards wide. Its 

 position by our observations in latitude 67° 19' 

 23" N., longitude 109° 44' 30" W., variation 41° 

 43' 22", dip 88° 58' 48". I have named this river 

 Hood, as a small tribute to the memory of our 

 lamented friend and companion. It is from three 

 to four hundred yards wide below the cascade, 

 but is in many places very shallow. The 

 banks, bottom, and adjacent hills, are formed of 

 a mixture of sand and clay. The ground was 

 overspread with small willows and the dwarf 

 birch, both too diminutive for fuel; and the stream 

 brought down no drift wood. .We were mortified 

 to find the nets only procured one salmon and five 

 white fish, and that we had to make another inroad 

 upon our dried meat. 



August 1. — At two this morning the hunters 

 returned with two small deer and a brown bear. 

 Augustus and Junius arrived at the same time, 

 having traced the river twelve miles further up, 

 without discovering any vestige of inhabitants. 

 We had now an opportunity of gratifying our 

 curiosity respecting the bear so much dreaded 

 by the Indians, and of whose strength and fero- 

 city we had heard such terrible accounts. It 

 proved to be a lean male of a yellowish brown 

 colour, and not longer than a common black bear. 



