214 Thirty Years 



places very shallow. The banks, bottom, and adja* 

 cent hills, are formed of a mixture of sand and clay. 

 The ground was overspread with small willows and the 

 dwarf birch, both too diminutive for fuel ', and the 

 stream brought down no drift wood. We were morti- 

 fied to find the nets only procured one salmon and 

 rive white fish, and that we had to make another in- 

 road upon our dried meat. 



August 1. — At two this morning the hunters re- 

 turned with two small deer and a brown bear. Au- 

 gustus and Junius arrived at the same time, having 

 traced the river twelve miles further up, without dis- 

 covering any vestige of inhabitants. We had now 

 an opportunity of gratifying our curiosity respecting 

 the bear so much dreaded by the Indians, and of whose 

 Strength and ferocity we had heard such terrible ac- 

 counts. It proved to be a lean male of a yellowish 

 brown color, and not longer than a common black 

 bear. It made a feeble attempt to defend itself, and 

 was easily despatched. The flesh was brought to the 

 tent, but our fastidious voyagers supposing, from its 

 leanness, the animal had been sickly, declined eating 

 it ; the officers, however, being ]r S s BCrUpuloUS, boiled 



the paws, and found tliem excellent. 



We embarked at ten A.M.. and proceeding down 

 the river, 1m. .k mi hoard another deer that had been 

 killed by Credit last evening We then ran along 



