88 A JOURNEY TO THE 



1770. of this river, where the Indians resided, my guide proposed to 



•^"^'stop some time, to dry and pound some meat to take with us ; 



to which I readily consented. We also set our fishing-nets, 



and caught a considerable quantity of very fine fish ; such as 



tittemeg, barbie,^ &c. 



[37] The number of deer which crossed Cathawhachaga, 

 during our stay there, was by no means equal to our expecta- 

 tions, and no more than just sufficient to supply our present 

 wants ; so that after waiting several days in fruitless expecta- 

 tion, we began to prepare for moving; and accordingly, on 

 6th. the sixth of July, we set out, though we had not at that time 

 as much victuals belonging to our company as would furnish 

 us a supper. During our stay here, we had each day got as 

 much fish or flesh as was sufficient for present expenditure ; 

 but, being in hopes of better times, saved none. 



Before we left Cathawhachaga, I made several observations 

 for the latitude, and found it to be 63° 4' North.^ I also 

 brought up my journal, and filled up my chart to that time. 

 Everything being now ready for our departure, my guide 

 informed me that in a few days a canoe would be absolutely 

 necessary, to enable us to cross some unfordable rivers which 

 we should meet, and could not avoid. This induced me to 

 purchase one at the easy rate of a single knife, the full value 

 of which did not exceed one penny. It must be observed, 

 that the man who sold the canoe had no farther occasion for 

 it, and was glad to take what he could get ; but had he been 

 thoroughly acquainted with our necessities, he most assuredly 

 would have had the conscience to have asked goods to the 

 amount of ten beaver skins at least. 



[38] This additional piece of luggage obliged me to engage 

 another Indian ; and we were lucky enough at that time to 

 meet with a poor forlorn fellow, who was fond of the office, 

 having never been in a much better state than that of a beast 

 of burthen. Thus, provided with a canoe, and a man to 



[' Whitefish, suckers, &c.] [* See note on p. 87.] 



