NORTHERN OCEAN 71 



My instructions on this occasion amounted to no more than 1770. 

 an order to proceed as fast as possible ; and for my conduct ^ ^^^^' 

 during the journey, I was referred to my former instructions of 

 November 6th, 1769. 



Every thing being in readiness for our departure, on the 

 twentv-third of February I began my second journey, accom- 23rd. 

 panied by three Northern Indians and two of the home-guard 

 (Southern) Indians. I took particular care, however, that 

 Mackachy, though an excellent hunter, should not be of our 

 party ; as he had proved himself, during my former journey, 

 to be a sly artful villain. 



The snow at this time was so deep on the top of the ram- 

 parts, that few of the cannon were to be seen, [14] otherwise the 

 Governor would have saluted me at my departure, as before ; 

 but as those honours could not possibly be of any service to 

 my expedition, I readily relinquished everything of the kind ; 

 and in lieu of it, the Governor, officers, and people, insisted on 

 giving me three cheers. 



After leaving the Factory, we continued our course in much 

 the same direction as in my former journey, till we arrived at 

 Seal River ; when, instead of crossing it, and walking on the 

 barren grounds as before, we followed the course of the river, 

 except in two particular places, where the bends tended so 

 much to the South, that by crossing two necks of land not 

 more than five or six miles wide, we saved the walking of near 

 twenty miles each time, and still came to the main river again. 



The weather had been so remarkably boisterous and 

 changeable, that we were frequently obliged to continue two 

 or three nights in the same place. To make up for this 

 inconveniency, deer were so plentiful for the first eight or ten 

 days, that the Indians killed as many as was necessary ; but 

 we were all so heavy laden that we could not possibly take 

 much of the meat with us. This I soon perceived to be a 

 great evil, which exposed us to such frequent inconveniences, 

 that in case of not killing any thing for three or four days 



