North-West Continent of America, 117 



we passed, there was a quantity of wood, .which had been 

 cut down by axes, and some by the beaver. This fall, 

 however, was not made, in the opinion of my people, by 

 any of the Indians with whom we were acquainted. 



The land to the right is of a very irregular elevation and 

 appearance, composed in some places of clay, and rocky 

 cliffs, and others exhibiting strata of red, green, and 

 yellow colours. Some parts, indeed, offer a beautiful 

 -scenery, in some degree similar to that which we passed 

 on the second day of our voyage, and equally enlivened 

 with the elk and the buffalo, who were feeding in great 

 numbers, and unmolested by the hunter. In an island 

 which we passed, there was a large quantity of white birch, 

 whose bark might be employed in the construction of ca- 

 noes. 



Thursday 16. The weather being clear, we re-embark- 

 ed at four in the morning, and proceeded West by North 

 three miles. Here the land again appeared as if it run 

 across our course, and a considerable river discharged 

 itself by various streams. According to the Rocky Moun- 

 tain Indian, it is called the Sinew River. This spot would 

 be an excellent situation for a fort or factory, as there is 

 .plenty of wood, and every reason to believe that the coun- 

 try abounds in beaver. As for the other animals, they 

 are in evident abundance, as in every direction the elk and 

 thebuffaloe are seen in possession of the hills and the plains. 

 Our course continued West-North- West three miles-and 

 an half, North- West one mile and an half, South- West by 

 West two miles ; (the latitude was by observation 56. 16. 

 .54.) North, West by North half a mile, West-North- West 

 three quarters of a mile ; a small river appearing on the 

 right, North-West one mile and an half, West by North 

 half a mile, West by South one mile and an half, West 

 one mile ; and at seven we formed our encampment. 



Mr. Mackay, and one of the young men, killed two 

 elks, and mortally wounded a buffaloe, but we only took a 

 part of the flesh of the fornier. The land above the spot 

 where we encamped, spreads into an extensive plain, -and 

 stretches on to a very high ridge, which, in some parts, 

 presents a face of rock, but is principally covered with ver- 

 dure, and varied with the poplar and white birch tree. 

 The country is so crowded with animals as to have the ap- 

 pearance, in some places, of a stall-yard, from the state of 

 the ground, and the quantity of dung which is scattered 



