North-WeU Continent of America, 



167 



quarters of a mile, South one eighth of a mile, when we 

 came to an Indian cabin of late erection. Here was the 

 great fork) of which our guide had informed us, and it ap- 

 peared to be the largest branch from the South-East. It is 

 about half a mile in breadth, and assumes the form of a 

 lake. The current was very slack, and we got into the 

 middle of the channel, when we steered West, and sound- 

 ed in sixteen feet water. A ridge of high land now 

 stretched on, as it were, across our present direction : 

 this coarse was three miles. We then proceeded West- 

 South- West two miles, and sounded in. twenty-four feet 

 water. Here the river narrowed and the current in- 

 creased. We then continued our course North-North- 

 West three quarters of a mile, a small river falling in from 

 the ^North-East. It now veered to South by West one 

 mile and a quarter, West-South-West four miles and an 

 .half, West by North one mile and a quarter, North- W r est 

 by West one mile, West a mile and a quarter : the land 

 was high on both sides, and the river narrowed to an hun- 

 dred and fifty, or two hundred yards ; North- West three 

 quarters of a mile, South-West by South two miles and an 

 half: here its breadth again increased; South by West 

 one mile, West-South- West half a mile, South- West by 

 South three miles, South-South-East one mile, with a 

 small river running in from the left, South with a strong 

 current one mile, then East three quarters of a mile, South- 

 West one mile, South-South-East a mile anjd an half; the 

 four last distances being a continual rapid ; South- West 

 by West one mile, East-North-East a mile and an half, 

 East-South-East one mile, where a small river flowed in 

 on the right ; South-West by South two miles and an half, 

 when another small river appeared from the same quarter; 

 South by East half a mile, and South-West by West one 

 mile and a quarter : here we landed for the night. When 

 we had passed the last river we observed smoke rising from 

 it, as if produced by fires that had been fresh lighted,; I 

 jherefore concluded that there were natives on its banks ; 

 but I was unwilling to fatigue my people, by pulling back 

 against the current in order to go in search of them. 



This river appeared, from its high water-mark, to have 

 fallen no more than one foot, while the smaller branch, 

 from a similar measurement, had sunk two feet and an 

 .half. On our entering it, we saw a flock of ducks which 

 were entirely white, except the bill and part of the wings. 



