North-West Continent of America. 



185 



than expressed: I had no more than thirty days provision 

 remaining, exclusive of such supplies as I might obtain 

 from the natives, and the toil of our hunters,, which, how- 

 ever, was so precarious as to be a matter of little depend- 

 ence ; besides, our ammunition would soon be exhausted, 

 particularly our ball, of which we had not more than an 

 hundred and fifty, and about thirty pounds weight of shot, 

 which, indeed, might be converted into bullets, though 

 with great waste. 



The more I heard of the river, the more I was con- 

 vinced it could not empty itself into the ocean to the 

 North of what is called the River of the West, so that 

 with its windings, the distance must be very great. Such 

 being the discouraging circumstances of my situation, 

 which were now heightened by the discontents of my peo- 

 ple, I could not but be alarmed at the idea of attempting 

 to get to the discharge of such a rapid, especially when I 

 reflected on the tardy progress of my return up it, even if 

 I should meet with no obstruction from the natives ; a 

 circumstance not very probable, from the numbers of them 

 which would then be on the river ; and whom I could 

 have no opportunity of conciliating in my passage down, 

 for the reasons which have been already mentioned. At 

 all events, I must give up every expectation of returning 

 this season to Athabasca. Such were my reflections at 

 this period ; but instead of continuing to indulge them, I 

 determined to proceed with resolution, and set future 

 events at defiance. At the same time I suffered myself 

 to nourish the hope that I might be able to penetrate with 

 more safety, and in a shorter period, to the ocean by the 

 inland, western communication. 



To carry this project into execution I must have return- 

 ed a considerable distance up the river, which would ne- 

 cessarily be attended with a very serious inconvenience, if 

 I passed over every other ; as in a voyage of this kind, a 

 retrogade motion could not fail to cool the ardour, slacken 

 the zeal, and weaken the confidence of those, who have 

 no greater inducement in the undertaking, than to follow 

 the conductor of it. Such was the state of my mind at 

 this period, and such the circumstances by which it was 

 distressed and distracted. 



To the people who had given me the foregoing informa- 

 tion, I presented some beads, which they preferred to any 

 other articles in my possession, and I recompensed in the 

 . z 



