In the Arctic Regions. 191 
July 18.—As the Indians persevered in their deter- 
mination of setting out this morning, I reminded them 
through Mr. Wentzel and St. Germain, of the neces- 
sity of our having the deposit of provision made at 
Fort Enterprize, and received a renewed assurance of 
their attending to that point. They were also desired 
to put as much meat as they could en cache on the 
banks of the Copper-Mine River on their return. We 
then furnished them with as much ammunition as we 
could spare, and they took their departure, promising 
to wait three days for Mr. Wentzel at the Copper 
Mountains. We afterwards learned that their fears 
did not permit them to do so, and that Mr. Wenizel 
did not rejoin them until they were a day’s march to 
the southward of the mountains. 
We embarked at five A.M. and proceeded towards 
the sea, which is about nine mile distant from the 
Bloody Fall. After passing a few rapids, the river 
became wider, and more navigable for canoes, flowing 
between banks of alluvial sand. We encamped at 
ten on the western bank at its junction with the sea. 
The river is here about a mile wide, but very shallow, 
being barred nearly across by sand banks, which run 
out from the main land on each side to a low alluvial 
island that lies in the centre, and forms two channels ; 
of these the westermost only is navigable even for ca- 
noes, the other being obstructed by a stony bar. The 
