North-West Continent of America. 139 



as unsuccessful as it had hitherto been. The water rushed 

 before us with uncommon velocity ; and we also tried the 

 experiment of sending fresh branches down it. To add to 

 the disagreeableness of our situation, the gnats and mus- 

 quitoes appeared in swarms to torment us. When we re- 

 turned to our companions, we found that they had not 

 been contented with remaining in the position where I had 

 left them, but had been three or four miles down the river, 

 but were come back to their station, without having made 

 any discovery of the people on the water. 



Various, very unpleasing conjectures at once perplexed 

 and distressed us. The Indians, who are inclined to 

 ' magnify evils of any and every kind, had at once con- 

 signed the canoe and every one on board it to the bottom ; 

 and were already settling a plan to return upon a raft, as 

 well as calculating the number of nights that would be re- 

 quired to reach their home. As for myself, it will be 

 easily believed, that my mind was in a state of extreme 

 agitation: and the imprudence of my conduct in leaving 

 the people, in such a situation of danger and toilsome ex- 

 ertion, added a very painful mortification to the severe 

 apprehensions I already suffered : it was an act of indis- 

 cretion which might have put an end to the voyage that I 

 had so much at heart, and compelled me at length to sub- 

 mit to the scheme which my hunters had already formed 

 for our return. 



At half past six in the evening, Mr. Mackay and the 

 Cancre set off to proceed down the river, as far as they 

 could before the night came on, and to continue their jour- 

 ney in the morning to the place where we had encamped 

 the preceding evening. I also proposed to make my ex- 

 cursion upwards ; and, if we both failed of success in 

 meeting the canoe, it was agreed that we should return to 

 the place where we now separated. 



In this situation we had wherewithal to drink in plenty, 

 but with solid food we were totally unprovided. We had 

 not seen even a partridge throughout the day, and the 

 tracks of rein-deer that we had discovered, were of an 

 old date. We were, however, preparing to make a bed 

 of the branches of trees, where we should have had no 

 other canopy than that afforded us by the heavens, when 

 we heard a shot, and soon after another, which was the 

 notice agreed upon, if Mr. Mackay and the Indian should 

 see the canoe j that fortunate circumstance was also con- 



