44 Canadian Record of Science. 



son. These animals are however pretty numerous in the 

 country to the eastward which is said to be hilly and 

 destitute of wood. A few small lakes were passed on our 

 route. The composition of the hills, when exposed, was of a 

 reddish clay mixed with sand and small stones. Our course 

 latterly lay along the beach where the walking was rather 

 better, and on the 22nd we met six Esquimaux who had 

 been hunting higher up. They expressed much regret on 

 learning what had occurred below, but trusted that it would 

 not be attributed to their tribe which, they stated, had nothing 

 in common with the others. 



On reaching the encampment I procured a small Indian 

 canoe, an old ricketty affair, but the only one to be had, 

 with which I determined on examining the upper part of 

 the river (Anderson). With this view, as I could not take 

 them with me, I paid off most of the party, who proceeded 

 overland to Good Hope, and by whom I forwarded the 

 trading goods and furs. On the 25th I set out accompanied 

 by the Iroquois, Laporte and two Indians. One of the party 

 steered the canoe, the others tracking in their turn, but 

 always walked along the shore as the canoe was too small to 

 carry them. On the 29th, Laporte and one of the Indians 

 were sent home as I found that I could as well get on with- 

 out them, and the remainder of the voyage was performed 

 by the Iroquois and Brulez. 



After leaving, we found that the river trended to the east- 

 ward, the banks were well wooded, low, and composed of 

 clay and alluvial mud, the current smooth, and the river 

 deep but not so broad as below. The country also differed in 

 appearance. On the 27th we encamped above a shallow 

 part of the river which the Indians dam up with willow, &c, 

 in the fall of the year when the water is low, and by this 

 means take immense numbers of inconnues, white, jack and 

 other fish. The banks on the left (E.) at this place are com- 

 posed of a blue slaty marl and stone probably resting on a 

 bed of limestone. About noon of the 28th we encountered 

 the first rapids, three in number and small. We had however 

 to make a portage. Several more rapids were thus met and 



