268 FORT MACPHERSON. 



On the 4th of September, after remarking the 

 continually increasing luxm-iance of vegetation and 

 growth of the trees, and passing a channel which we 

 took to be the mouth of the Peel River, we reached a 

 position at first conjectured to be Point Separation, 

 which observations placed us four miles to the south 

 of. Mr, Pullen and myself left our encampment with 

 one boat to examine the banks, bury information, 

 and erect a cross ; and on return, learned that an 

 Indian had visited the party, and given the men to 

 understand by signs that a settlement of whites was 

 not far distant, to which Mr. Pullen determined to 

 proceed, though now pretty confident that we had 

 ascended the Peel by mistake, and were near the fort 

 of the Hudson's Bay Company, established on its 

 bank. This opinion was correct ; we were met on 

 the morning of the 5th by Mr. Wm. Lucas Hardisty, 

 the gentleman in charge of the post, who had been 

 informed of our approach by the Indian who visited 

 the tents last evening ; and he now escorted us to 

 the establishment, which was styled Port Macpherson. 



I enter now upon the relation of a period which 

 has little in common with the foregoing parts of my 

 narrative : an entirely new phase of existence has to 

 be presented — new habits, new companions, almost a 

 new nature. No longer inmates of a ship, no longer 



