SOURCE OP ST. Peter's river. 105 



one of the wildest and most deserted spots on the surface 

 of the earth. The accidental meeting in such a solitude 

 with one who belongs to a civilized country, and who 

 speaks the same language, is delightful ; we forget that we 

 meet with a stranger, with one of a ditferent nation ; we 

 are in such cases almost inclined to greet an utter stran- 

 ger as though he were a friend from whom we had 

 been long separated. The hurry with which both parties 

 were travelling prevented us, however, from delaying any 

 time; and with a sincere welcome, and mutual good wishes 

 for the success of our respective journeys, we passed, and 

 soon lost sight of each other's canoes. 



On the 25th of August we proceeded and reached the 

 head of Winnepeek river. Our paddlers had a compara- 

 tively easy task all day except at one place, where they 

 attempted to paddle up the stream instead of resorting to 

 the towing line as is usual. This place, called the " Grandes 

 Dalles," presents the most rapid current against which we 

 have ever seen a canoe paddled. It is a narrow strait, 

 not exceeding forty yards in breadth ; it is bounded on 

 both sides by perpendicular precipices of granite; great 

 exertions ai'e required on the part of the canoe-men in or- 

 der to ascend this, and one of the canoes, after two unavail- 

 ing attempts to stem the current with paddles, was towed 

 up with a line. A short distance above this we passed a 

 cross at a place called the " Petites Dalles." This spot has 

 acquired a melancholy celebrity as having been the scene 

 of the murder of one Owen Keveney, one of the men em- 

 ployed by the Hudson's Bay Company or the colony. 

 His death was almost the only crime committed in the 

 Indian tei'ritories that was punished. After a protracted 

 trial, his murderer, de Reinhard, was convicted and exe- 

 cuted. We heard all the particulars of the transaction 



