406. ' Thirty Years 
We landed, at their request, to purchase fish; yet, 
after the bargain had been completed, an old woman 
stepped forward, and would only allow of our receiv- 
ing two fish : she maintained her point and carried off 
the rest in spite of all remonstrance. The natives 
were all clothed in new leathern dresses, and looked 
much neater, and in better health, than last autumn, 
Being anxious to reach the Red River,.we continued 
rowing against the wind until after midnight. On 
reaching that place, the ground proved too wet for us 
to encamp ; we, therefore, proceeded a short distance 
lower down, and put up under some sandstone cliffs, 
where there was but just room for the tents, As we 
were now on the borders of the Esquimaux territory, 
we devoted the following morning to cleaning the- 
arms ; and a gun, dagger, and ammunition, were is- 
sued to each person, We had no reason, indeed, to 
apprehend hostility from the Esquimaux, after the 
messages they had: sent to Fort Franklin, but vigi- 
_ Jance and precaution are never to be omitted in inter- 
course with strange tribes. 
Monday Hmbarking at two in the afternoon of the 3rd, 
we soon entered the expansion of the river whence the 
different channels branch off, and steering along the 
western shore, we came to the head of a branch that 
flowed towards the Rocky Mountain range. Being 
anxious not to take the eastern detachment out of 
