266 WE APPROACH OUR GOAL. 



morning on Escape Reef, to examine the compasses, 

 which had become unaccountably sluggish, and 

 indeed useless ; and passing between this and the 

 mainland, grounded in the afternoon in Shoalwater 

 Bay, and landed for the night on Tent Island, which 

 is aptly named, for several curious very slight frames 

 of wood, which were evidently for tents, stood near 

 where we pitched our canvas houses. This was a 

 beautiful spot, verdant and level, and intersected by 

 long lakes of pellucid water. During the day two 

 Esquimaux men — the last we saw on the voyage — 

 came out to us in their kiaks, and accompanied us 

 for a considerable distance : they were full of talk, 

 but we could only make out that a large river was 

 near, with white men on its banks. In our progress 

 on the 26th, we began to observe low scrub along 

 the shore ; the water also was greatly discoloiu'ed, 

 turbid, and perfectly fresh; all evidencing near 

 approach to the goal of our ardent v^dshes. 



We were engaged dming the 27 th in making 

 observations and examining sundry labyrinthine 

 passages ; and in the afternoon entered a narrow, but 

 deep and rapid channel, which we ascended for 

 about two miles, where we landed on the left bank, 

 and hailed with satisfaction our entrance into 

 the Mackenzie River, and the probable speedy 



