TO journal of a Voyage through the 



the poles of five lodges standing ; where we landed and 

 unloaded our canoe. I then dispatched one of my men 

 and two young Indians to see if they could find any natives 

 within a day's marrh of us. I wanted the English Chief 

 to go, but he pleaded fatigue, and that it would be of no 

 use. This was the first time he had refused to comply 

 with my desire, and jealousy, I believe, was the cause of 

 it in the present instance : though I had taken every pre- 

 caution that he should not have cause to be^jealous of the 

 Canadians. There was not, at this time, the least appear- 

 ance of snow on the opposite mountains, though they were 

 almost covered with it when we passed before. Set two 

 nets, and at eleven o'clock at night the men and Indians re- 

 turned. They had been to their first encampment, where 

 there were four fires, and which had been quitted a short 

 time before ; so that they were obliged to make the circuit 

 of several small lakes, which the natives cross with their 

 canoes. This encampment was on the borders of a lake 

 which was too large for them to venture round it, so that 

 they did not proceed any further. They saw several bea- 

 vers and beaver lodges in those small lakes. They killed 

 one of these animals whose fur began to get long, a sure 

 indication that the fall of the year approaches. They also 

 saw many old tracks of the moose and rein-deer. This is 

 the time when the rein-deer leave the plains to come to the 

 woods, as the musquitoes begin to disappear ; I, there- 

 fore, apprehended that we should not find a single Indian 

 on the river side, as they would be in or about the moun- 

 tains setting snares to take them. 



Monday 3. We proceeded with a strong Westerly wind, 

 at four this morning, the weather being cloudy and cold* 

 At twelve it cleared up and became fine : the current also 

 increased. The water had fallen so much since our pas- 

 sage down the river, that here, as in other places, we dis- 

 covered many shoals which were not then visible. We 

 killed several geese of a larger size than those which we 

 had generally seen. Several Indian encampments were 

 seen along the river, and we landed at eight for the night. 



Tuesday 4. At four in the morning we renewed our 

 course, when it was fine and calm. The night had been 

 cold and a very heavy dew had fallen. At nine we were 

 oblig-d to land in order to gum the canoe, when the wea- 

 ther became extremely warm. Numerous track s of rein- 

 deer appeared on the side of the river. At half past five 



