30 Thirty Tears 



rapid. Several golden plovers, Canadian gros-beaks, 

 cross-bills, wood-peckers, and pin-tailed grouse, were 

 shot to-day ; and Mr. Back killed a small striped 

 marmot. This beautiful little animal was busily em- 

 ployed in carrying in its distended pouches the seeds of 

 the American vetch to its winter hoards. 



The portage is eighteen hundreds yards long, and 

 its western extremity was found to be in 53 deg. 08 

 inin. 25 sec. North latitude, and 99 deg. 28 min. 02 

 sec. West longitude. The route from Canada to the 

 Athabasca joins that from York Factory at the mouth 

 of the Saskatchawan, and we saw traces of a recent 

 encampment of the Canadian voyagers. Our com- 

 panions in the Hudson's Bay boats, dreading an attack 

 from their rivals in trade, were on the alert at this 

 place. They examined minutely the spot of encamp- 

 ment, to form a judgment of the number of canoes 

 that had preceded them ; and they advanced, armed, 

 and with great caution, through the woods. Their 

 fears, however, were fortunately, on this occasion, 

 groundless. 



By noon, on the 12th, the boats and their cargoes 

 having been conveyed across the portage, we embark- 

 ed and pursued our course. The Saskatchawan be- 

 comes wider above the Grand Rapid, and the scenery 

 improves. The banks are high, composed of white 

 clay and limestone, and their Bummits are iichly 



