14 Thirty Years 
was occasionally enlivened by the bright purple tints 
of the dogwood, blended with the browner shades of 
the dwarf birch, and frequently intermixed with the 
gay yellow flowers of the shrubby cinquefoil. With 
all these charms, the scene appeared desolate from the 
want of the human species. The stillness was so 
great, that even the twittering of the Whiskeyjohn- 
eesh, or cinereous crow, caused us to start. Our voy- 
age to-day was sixteen miles on a 8. W. course. 
Sept. 14.—We had much rain during the night, 
and also in the morning, which detained us in our 
encampment later than usual. We set out.as soon 
‘as the weather cleared up, and in a short time arrived 
at the head of Steel River, where it is formed by the 
junction of Fox and Hill Rivers. These two rivers 
are nearly of equal width, but the latter is the most — 
rapid. Mr. M’Donald, on his way to Red River, in a 
small canoe, manned by two Indians, overtook us at 
this place. It may be mentioned as a proof of the 
dexterity of the Indians, and the skill with which 
they steal upon their game, that they had on the 
preceding day, with no other arms than a hatchet, 
killed two deer, a hawk, a curlew, and a sturgeon. 
Three of the Company’s boats joined us in the course 
of the morning, and we pursued our course up Hill 
River in company. The water in this river was so 
low, and the rapids so bad, that we were obliged 
