118 



Journal of a Voyage through the 



over it. The soil is black and light. We this day saw 

 two grisly and hideous bears. 



Friday 17. It froze during the night, and the air was 

 sharp in the morning, when we continued our course West- 

 North- West three miles and an half, South- West by- 

 South two miles and an half, South-West by West one 

 mile and an half, West three quarters of a mile, West- 

 South- W est one mile and a quarter, and South-West by 

 South one mile and an half. At two in the afternoon the 

 rocky mountains appeared in sight, with their summits 

 covered with snow, bearing South-West by South : they 

 formed a very agreeable object to every person in the 

 canoe, as we attained the view of them much sooner than 

 we expected. A small river was seen on our right, and 

 we continued our progress South-West by South six miles, 

 when we landed at seven, which was our usual hour of 

 encampment. 



Mr. Mackay, who was walking along the side of the 

 river, discharged his piece at a buftaloe, when it burst near 

 the muzzle, but without any mischievous consequences. 

 On the high grounds, which were on the opposite side 

 of the river, we saw a buffaloe tearing up and down with 

 great fury, but could not distinguish the cause of his im- 

 petuous motions; my hunters conjectured that he had 

 been wounded with an arrow by some of the natives. We 

 ascended several rapids in the course of the day, and saw 

 one bear. 



Saturday 1 8. It again froze very hard during the night, 

 and at four in the morning we continued our voyage, but 

 we had not proceeded two hundred yards, before an acci- 

 dent happened to the canoe, which did not, however, 

 employ more than three quarters of an hour to complete 

 the repair. We then steered South by West one mile and 

 three quarters, South-West by South three miles, South- 

 West by West one mile and a quarter, West by South 

 thrte quarters of a mile, South-West half a mile, West by 

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

 South-South-West, where there is a small run of water 

 from the right, three miles and an half, when the canoe 

 struck on the stump of a tree, and unfortunately where the 

 banks were so steep that there was no place to unload, 

 except a small spot, on which we contrived to dispose the 

 lading in the bow, which lightened the canoe so as to raise 

 the broken part of it above the surface of the water \_\f$ 



