36th. 
A JOURNEY TO THE 
tween it and the fea being entirely barren hills 
and wide open marfhes. In the courfe of this 
day’s furvey, I found the river as full of fhoals as — 
the part which 1 had feen before; and in many 
places it was fo greatly diminifhed in its width, 
‘that in our way we pafled by two more capital falls. 
Early in the morning of the fixteenth, the wea- 
ther being fine and pleafant, I again proceed- 
ed with my furvey, and continued it for ten © 
miles farther down the river; but {till found it 
the fame as before, being every where full of falls 
and fhoals. At this time (it being about noon) 
the three men who had been {ent as {pies met us 
on their return, and informed my companions 
that five tents of Efquimaux were on the weft 
fide of the river. ‘The fituation, they faid, was 
very convenient for furprizing them; and, ac-. 
cording to their account, I judged it to be about 
twelve miles from the place we met the fpies. 
When the Indians received this intelligence, no 
farther attendance or attention was paid to my 
furvey, but their whole thoughts were immedi- 
ately engaged in planning the beft method of at- 
tack, and how they might fteal on the poor Ef. | 
quimaux the enfuing ane and kill them all | 
while afleep. To accomplith this bloody defign | 
more effectually, the Indians thought it neceflary | 
to crofs the river as foon as poffible; and, by the | 
account of the {pies, it appeared that no part was 
more convenient for the purpofe than that where | 
we had met them, it pane there very fmooth, 
‘and | 
