96 Thirty Years 



into the Slave River, and having a favoring current 

 passed swiftly along. This narrow stream is confined 

 between low swampy banks, which support willows, 

 dwarf birch, and alder. At five we passed its conflux 

 with Peace River. The Slave River, formed by the 

 union of these streams, is about three-quarters of a 

 mile wide. We descended this magnificent river with 

 much rapidity, and after passing through, several nar- 

 row channels, formed by an assemblage of islands, 

 crossed a spot where the waters had a violent whirl- 

 ing motion, which, when the river is low, is said to 

 subside into a dangerous rapid ; on the present occa- 

 sion, no other inconvenience was felt than the inabili- 

 ty of steering the canoes, which were whirled about in 

 every direction by the eddies, until the current carried 

 them beyond their influence. We encamped at seven, 

 on the swampy bank of the river, but had scarcely 

 pitched the tents before we were visited by a terrible 

 thunder-storm ; the rain fell in torrents, and the vio- 

 lence of the wind caused the river to overflow its 

 banks, so that we were completely flooded. Swarms 

 of mosquitoes succeeded the storm, and their torment- 

 ing stings, superadded to other inconveniences, induced 

 us to embark, and, after taking a hasty BUpper, to 

 pursue <»ur voyage down the stream during the night. 



At six on the following morning we passed the 

 Reindeer Islands, and at ten reached the entrance of 



