Korth-West Continent of America, 163 



eccasioned a considerable delay, as we were destitute of 

 the materials necessary for her effectual reparation* On 

 my being informed of this misfortune, I returned, and or- 

 dered Mr. Mackay, with two Indians, to quit their occu- 

 pation in making the road, and endeavor to penetrate to 

 the great river, according to the direction which the guide 

 had communicated, without paying any attention to the 

 course of the river before us. 



When the people had repaired the canoe in the best 

 manner they were able, we conducted her to the head of 

 the falls ; she was then unloaded and taken out of the 

 water, when we carried her for a considerable distance, 

 through a low, swampy country. I appointed four men 

 to this laborious office, which they executed at the peril of 

 their lives, for the canoe was now become so heavy, from 

 the additional quantity of bark and gum necessary to 

 patch her up, that two men could not carry her more than 

 an hundred yards, without being relieved ; and as their 

 way lay through deep mud, which was rendered more dif- 

 ficult by the roots and prostrate trunks of trees, they were 

 every moment in danger of falling ; and beneath such a 

 weight, one false step might have been attended with fatal 

 consequences. The other two men and myself followed 

 as fast as we could, with the lading. Thus did we toil till 

 seven o'clock in the evening, to get to the termination of 

 the road that had been made in the morning. Here Mr. 

 Mackay and the Indian joined us, after having been at the 

 river, which they represented as rather large. They had 

 also observed, that the lower part of the river before us 

 was so full of fallen wood, that the attempt to clear a pas- 

 jsage throught it, would be an unavailing labour. The 

 country through which they had passed was morass, and 

 almost impenetrable wood. In passing over one of the 

 embarras, our dog y which was following them, fell in, and 

 it was with very great difficulty that he was saved, as the 

 current had carried him under the drift. They brought 

 with them two geese, which had been shot in the course 

 of their expedition. To add to our perplexities and em- 

 barrassments, we were persecuted by musquitoes and 

 sand-flies, through the whole of the day. 



The extent of our journey was not more than two miles 

 South-East ; and so much fatigue and pain had been suf- 

 fered in the course of it, that my people, as might be ex- 

 pected, looked forward to a continuance of it with dis- 



