North-West Continent of America* 151* 



CHAPTER VI. 



Continue the voyage. State of the river. Succession of 

 courses. Sentiment of the guide. Conical mountain. 

 Continuation of courses. Leave the main branch. Enter 

 another. Description of it. Saw beaver. Enter a lahe* 

 Arrive at the upper source of the Unjigah, or Peace Ri- 

 ver. Land, and cross to a second lake. Local circum- 

 stances. Proceed to a third lake. Enter a river. En- 

 counter various difficulties. In danger of being lost. The 



t circumstances of that situation described. Alarm and 

 dissatisfaction among the people. They are at length 

 composed. The canoe repaired. Roads cut through 

 -woods. Pass morasses. The guide deserts. After a 

 succession of difficulties, dangers, and toilsome marches, 

 we arrive at the great river. 



June, 1793.-) A . t , 



Monday 10. \ ten we were ready to embark. I then took 



leave of the Indians, but encouraged them to expect us in 

 two moons, and expressed an hope that I should find them 

 on the road with any of their relations whom they might 

 meet. I also returned the beaver-skins to the man who 

 had presented them to me, desiring him to take care of 

 them till I came back, when I would purchase them of 

 him. Our guide expressed much le&s concern about the 

 undertaking in which he had engaged, than his compan- 

 ions, who appeared to be affected with great solicitude for 

 his safety. 



We now pushed off the canoe from the bank, and pro- 

 ceeded East half a mile, when a river flowed in from the 

 left, about half as large as that which we were navigating. 

 We continued the same course three quarters of a mile^ 

 when we missed two of our fowling pieces, which had 

 been forgotten, and I sent their owners back for them, who 

 were absent on this errand upwards of an hour. We now 

 proceeded North-East by East half a mile, North-East 

 by North three quarters of a mile, when the current slack- 

 ened : there was a verdant spot on the left, where, from 

 the remains of some Indian timber-work, it appeared that 

 the natives had frequently encamped. Our next course 

 Was East one mile, and we saw a ridge of mountains co- 



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