Nortk-West Continent of America. 



183 



very great advantages which they would receive from my 

 successful termination of it. They expressed themselves 

 very much satisfied at my communication, and assured 

 me that they would not deceive me respecting the subject 

 of my inquiry. An old man also, who appeared to pos- 

 sess the character of a chief, declared his wish to see me 

 return to his land, and that his two young daughters should 

 then be at my disposal. I now proceeded to request the 

 native, whom I had particularly selected, to commence 

 his information, by drawing a sketch of the country upon 

 a large piece of bark, and he immediately entered on the 

 work, frequently appealing to, and sometimes asking the 

 advice of, those around him. He described the river as 

 running to the East of South, receiving many rivers, and 

 every six or eight leagues encumbered with falls and rapids, 

 some of which were very dangerous, and six of them im- 

 practicable. The carrying-places he represented as of 

 great length, and passing over hills and mountains. He 

 depicted the lands of three other tribes, in succession, who 

 spoke different languages. Beyond them he knew nothing 

 either of the river or country, only that it was still a long 

 way to the sea ; and that, as he had heard, there was a 

 lake, before they reached the water, which the natives did 

 not drink. As far as his knowledge of the river extended, 

 the country on either side was level, in many places with- 

 out wood, and abounding in red deer, and some of a small 

 fallow kind. Few of the natives, he said, would come to 

 the banks for some time ; but that at a certain season they 

 would arrive there in great numbers, to fish. They now 

 procured iron, brass, copper, and trinkets, from the West- 

 ward ; but formerly these articles were obtained from the 

 lower parts of the river, though in small quantities. A 

 knife was produced which had been brought from that 

 quarter. The blade was ten inches long, and an inch and 

 an half broad, but with a very blunted edge. The handle 

 was of horn. We understood that this instrument had 

 been obtained from white men, long before they had heard 

 that any came to the Westward. One very old man ob- 

 served, that as long as he could remember, he was told of 

 white people to the Southward ; and that he had heard, 

 though he did not vouch for the truth of the report, that 

 one of them had made an attempt to come up the river, 

 and was destroyed* 



