132 
A JOURNEY TO THE 
1771. dians with us who knew the beft road, we made 
“~— a tolerable fhift to get on, though not without 
July. 
sth. 
6th, 
being obliged frequently to crawl on our hands 
andknees. Notwithftanding the intricacy of the 
road, there is a very vifible path the whole way. 
acrofs thefe mountains, even in the moft difficult 
parts: and alfo on the fmooth rocks, and tnofe 
parts which are capable of receiving an imprefii- 
on, the path is as plain and well-beaten, as any 
bye foot-path in England. By the fide of this 
path there are, in different parts, feveral large, 
flat, or table ftones, which are covered with ma- 
ny thoufands of fmall pebbles. Thefe the Cop- 
per Indians fay have been gradually increafed by _ 
paflengers going to and from the mines; and on | 
its being obferved to us that it was the univerfal _ 
cuftom for every one to add a ftone to the heap, | 
each of us took up a {mall ftone in order to in- | 
creafe the number, for good luck. 
Juft as we arrived at the foot of the Stony | 
Mountains, three of the Indians turned back; fay- | 
ing, that from every appearance, the remainder | 
of the journey feemed likely to be attended with — 
more trouble than would counterbalance the 
pleafure they could promife themfelves by going 
to war with the Efquimaux. 
On the fifth, as the weather was fo bad, with 
conftant fnow, fleet, and rain, that we could not 
fee our way, we did not offer to move: but the | 
fixth proving moderate, and quite fair till toward 
noon, we fet out in the morning, and walked | 
about | 
