North-West Continent of America. 43 



Sunday 12. It rained with violence throughout the 

 night, and till two in the morning ; the weather continuing 

 very cold. We proceeded on the same meandering course 

 as yesterday, the wind North-North- West, and the coun- 

 try so naked that scarce a shrub was to be seen. At ten, 

 in the morning, we landed where there were four huts, 

 exactly the same as those which have been so lately de- 

 scribed. The adjacent land is high, and covered with short 

 grass and flowers, though the earth was not thawed above 

 four inches from the surface ; beneath which was a solid 

 body of ice. This beautiful appearance, however, was 

 strangely contrasted with the ice and snow that are seen in 

 the vallies. The soil, where there is any, is a yellow clay 

 mixed with stones. These huts appear to have been inha- 

 bited during the last winter * and we had reason to think, 

 that some of the natives had been lately there, as the beach 

 was covered with the track of their feet. Many of the 

 runners and bars of their sledges were laid together, near 

 the houses, in a manner that seemed to denote the return 

 of the proprietors. There were also pieces of netting 

 inade of sinews, and some bark of the willow. The thread 

 of the former was plaited, and na ordinary portion of time 

 must have been employed in manufacturing so great a 

 length of cord. A square stone-kettle, with a flat bottom, 

 ajso occupied our attention, which was capable of contain- 

 ing two gallons ; and we were puzzled as to the means 

 these people must have employed to have chiselled it out 

 of a solid rock into its present form. To these articles 

 may be added, small pieces of flint, fixed into handles of 

 wood, which, probably, serve as knives ; several wooden 

 dishes ; the stern and part of a large canoe ; pieces of very- 

 thick leather, which we conjectured to be the covering of a 

 canoe ; several bones of large fish, and two heads ; but we 

 could not determine the animal to which they belonged, 

 though we conjectured that it must be the sea-horse. 



When we had satisfied our curiosity we re-embarked, 

 but we were at a loss what course to steer, as our guide 

 seemed to be as ignorant of this country as ourselves. 

 Though the current was very strong, we appeared to have 

 come to the entrance of the lake. The stream set to the 

 W est, and we went with it to an high point, at the dis- 

 tance of about eight miles, which We conjectured to be an 

 island y but, on approaching it; we perceived it to be con- 

 nected with the shore by a low neck of land. I now took 



