North-West Continent of America. 113 



night when he took his leave, after I had gratified him with 

 a present of tobacco. 



Sunday 12. Some of the Indians passed the night with 

 us, and I was informed by them, that, according to our 

 mode of proceeding, we should, in ten days, get as far as 

 the rocky mountains. The young men now returned, to 

 my great satisfaction, and with the appearance of content- 

 ment : though I was not pleased when they dressed them- 

 selves in the clothes which I had given them before we left 

 the Fort, as it betrayed some latent design. 



At four in the morning we proceeded on our voyage, 

 steering West three miles, including one of our course 

 yesterday, North- West by North four miles, West two 

 miles and an half, Nort-West by West a mile and an half, 

 North by East two miles, North- West by West one mile, 

 and North-North- West three miles. After a continua- 

 tion of our course to the North for a mile and an half, we 

 landed for the night on an island where several of the In- 

 dians visited us, but unattended by their women, who 

 remained in their camp, which was at some distance from 

 us. 



The land on both sides of the river, during the two last 

 days, is very much elevated, but particularly in the latter 

 part of it, and, on the Western side, presents, indiffer- 

 ent places, white, steep, and lofty cliffs. Our view being 

 confined by these circumstances, we did not see so many 

 animals as on the 10th. Between these lofty boundaries, 

 the river becomes narrow, and in a great measure free 

 from islands ; for we had passed only four : the stream, 

 indeed, was not more than from two hundred to three 

 hundred yards broad ; whereas before these cliffs pressed 

 upon it, its breadth was twice that extent and besprinkled 

 with islands. We killed an elk, and fired several shots at 

 animals from the canoe. 



The greater part of this band being Rocky Mountain 

 Indians, I endeavoured to obtain some intelligence of our 

 intended route, but they all pleaded ignorance, and uni- 

 formly declared, that they knew nothing of the country 

 beyond the first mountain ; at the same time they were 

 of opinion, that, from the strength of the current and the 

 rapids, we should not get there by water ; though they 

 did not hesitate to express their surprise at the expedition 

 we had already made. 



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