138 DESCENT OF BEAR LAKE RIVER. June, 



the bank of the river, each of them carrying his 

 own bedding and clothing. I cautioned them 

 against going inland, and promised that we would 

 wait from time to time at particular points for 

 their coming up. Half an hour after setting out, 

 finding the river smoother than we expected, 

 and Bruce being of opinion that we could embark 

 all the party, we put ashore, and in a short time 

 Morrison and Mitchell joined us, but David Brodie, 

 having struck into the woods with the view of 

 making a straighter course, did not arrive in the 

 hour that we remained waiting for him. Sup- 

 posing then that he had gone past, we resumed 

 our voyage, taking into the coble Morrison and 

 Mitchell. 



The rate of our descent of the stream rather ex- 

 ceeded four miles an hour, and at half-past six A. m. 

 we reached the cache situated fourteen miles from 

 the lake. Brodie not arriving in the course of the 

 day, I became convinced that he had lost himself 

 in the woods, and therefore sent Morrison and 

 Mitchell back to the lake to acquaint Narcisse 

 with what had happened, and to endeavour to 

 engage an Indian who was residing at the fishery 

 to go in quest of Brodie. In the mean time we 

 fired our fowling-pieces at intervals, and set fire 

 to some trees that the smoke might be seen from 

 a distance. 



