North-West Continent of America. 49 



stay here an act of necessity. Our nets were not very suc- 

 cessful, as they presented us with only eight fish. From 

 an observation which I obtained at noon, we were in 69. 7. 

 North latitude. As the evening approached, the wind 

 increased, and the weather became cold. Two swans 

 were the only provision which the hunters procured for us. 



Thursday 16. The rain did not cease till seven this 

 morning, the weather being at intervals very cold and un- 

 pleasant. Such was its inconstancy, that I could not make 

 an accurate observation; but the tide appeared, to rise six- 

 teen or eighteen inches. 



We now embarked, and steered under sail among the 

 islands, where I hoped to meet with some of the natives, 

 but my expectation was not gratified. Our guide ima- 

 gined that they were gone to their distant haunts, where 

 they fish for whales and hunt the rein-deer, that are oppo- 

 site to his country. His relations, he said, see them every 

 year, but he did not encourage us to expect that we should 

 find any of them, unless it were at a small river that falls 

 into the great one, from the Eastward, at a considerable 

 distance from our immediate situation. We accordingly 

 made for the river, and stemmed the cvirrent. At two in 

 the afternoon the water was quite shallow in every part of 

 our course, and we could always find the bottom with the 

 paddle. At seven we landed, encamped, and set the nets. 

 Here the Indians killed two geese, two cranes, and a white 

 owl. Since we entered the river, we experienced a very 

 agreeable change in the temperature of the air ; but this 

 pleasant circumstance was not without its inconvenience, 

 as it subjected us to the persecution of the musquitoes. 



Friday 17. On taking up the nets, they were found to 

 contain but six fish. We embarked at four in the morn- 

 ing, and passed four encampments, which appeared to have 

 been very lately inhabited. We then landed upon a small, 

 round island, close to the Eastern shore, which possessed 

 somewhat of a sacred character, as the top of it seemed to 

 be a place of sepulture, from the numerous graves which 

 we observed there. We found the frame of a small canoe, 

 with various dishes, troughs, and other utensils, which 

 had been the living property of those who could now use 

 them no more, and form the ordinary accompaniments of 

 their last abodes. As no part of the skins that must have 

 covered the canoe was remaining, we concluded that it had 

 been eaten by wild animals that inhabit, or occasionally fre- 



