104 Thirty Tears 



The wind and swell having subsided in the after- 

 noon, we re-embarked, and steered towards the western 

 point of the Big Island of Mackenzie, and when four 

 miles distant from it, had forty-two fathoms soundings. 

 Passing between this island and a promontory of the 

 main shore, termed Big Cape, we entered into a deep 

 bay, which receives the waters from several rivers that 

 come from the northward ; and we immediately per- 

 ceived a decrease in the temperature of the water, 

 from 59° to 4S°. We coasted along the eastern side 

 of the day, its western shore being always visible, but 

 the canoes were exposed to the hazard of being broken 

 by the numerous sudden rocks, which were scattered 

 in our track. We encamped for the night on a rocky 

 island, and by eight A. M. on the following morning, 

 arrived at Fort Providence, which is situated twenty- 

 one miles from the entrance of the bay. The post is 

 exclusively occupied by the North- West Company, 

 the Hudson's Buy Company having no settlement to 

 the northward of Qreal Slave Luke. We found Mr. 

 Went/.el and our interpreter Jean Baptiste Adam 

 here, with one of the Indian guides : but the chief of 

 the tribe and his hunters were encamped with their 

 families, BOme miles from the fort, in a good situation 

 for fishing. Our arrival was announced to him by a 

 lire "u the Lip of a hill, and before oighl a messen 

 Came to communicate his intention of seeing us next 



