150 
1771. 
A JOURNEY TO THE 
When this piece of fuperftition was completed, 
~v— we began to advance towards the Efquimaux 
July. 
tents; but were very careful to avoid crofling any 
hills, or talking loud, for fear of being feen or 
overheard by the inhabitants ; by which means 
the diftance was not only much greater than it 
otherwife would have been, but, for the fake of 
keeping in the loweft grounds, we were obliged 
to walk through entire fwamps of ftiff marly clay, 
fometimes up to the knees. Our courfe, howe- 
ver, on this occafion, though very ferpentine, was 
not altogether fo remote from the river as entire- 
ly to exclude me from a view of it the whole way: 
on the contrary, feveral times (according to the’ 
fituation of the ground) we advanced fo near it, 
as to give mean opportunity of convincing my- 
felf that it was as unnavigable as it was in thofe 
parts which I had furveyed before, and which 
entirely correfponded with the accounts given of 
it by the {pies. 
It is perhaps worth remarking, that my crew, 
though an undifciplined rabble, and by no means 
accuftomed to war or command, feemingly a¢ted 
on this horrid occafion with the utmoft uniformi- 
ty of fentiment. ‘Ihere was not among them the 
leaft altercation or feparate apinion; all were 
united in the general caufe, and as ready to fol- 
low where Matonabbee led, as he appeared to be 
ready to lead, according to the advice of an old 
Copper Indian, who had joined us on our firft ar- 
rival at the river where this bloody bufinefs was 
firft propofed. 
Never 
