North-West Continent of America, 161 



mouth, but without any ill consequence resulting from 

 such an act of criminal negligence. I need not add that 

 one spark might have put a period to all my anxiety and 

 ambition. 



I observed several trees and plants on the banks of this 

 river, which I had not seen to the North of the latitude 

 52, such as the cedar, maple, hemlock, &c. At this time 

 the water rose fast, and passed on with the rapidity of an 

 arrow shot from a bow. 



Friday 14. The weather was fine, clear, and warm, and at 

 an early hour of the morning we resumed our repair of the 

 canoe. At half past seven our two men returned hungry 

 and cold, not having tasted food, or enjoyed the least re- 

 pose for twenty-four hours, with their clothes torn into 

 tatters, and their skin lacerated, in passing through the 

 woods. Their account was the same as that brought by 

 the Indian, with this exception, that they had reason to 

 think they saw the river, or branch which our guide had 

 mentioned ; but they were of opinion that from the fre- 

 quent obstructions. in this river, we should have to carry 

 the whole way to it, through a dreadful country, where 

 much time and labour would be required to open a passage 

 through it. 



Discouraging as these accounts were, they did not, 

 however, interrupt for a moment the task in which we 

 were engaged, of repairing the canoe ; and this work 

 we contrived to complete by the conclusion of the day. 

 The bark which was brought by the Indian, with some 

 pieces of oil-cloth, and plenty of gum, enabled us to put 

 our shattered vessel in a condition to answer our present 

 purposes. The guide, who has been mentioned as mani- 

 festing continual signs of dissatisfaction, now assumed 

 an air of contentment, which I attributed to a smoke that 

 was visible in the direction of the river ; as he naturally 

 expected, if we should fall in with any natives, which 

 was now very probable, from such a circumstance, that 

 he should be released from a service which he had found 

 so irksome and full of danger. I had an observation at 

 noon, which made our latitude 54. 23. 43. North. I also 

 took time, and found it to slow apparent time 1. 38. 44. 



Saturday 15. The weather continued the same as the 

 preceding day, and according to the directions which I 

 had previously given, my people began, at a very early 

 hour, to open a road, through which we might carry a par* 



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