North-West Continent of America. 



203 



composed of the dried rows of fish, pounded, and boiled 

 in water, thickened with a small quantity of Hour, and 

 fattened with a bit of grian. These articles, being brought 

 to the consistency of an hasty-pudding, produced a sub- 

 stantial and not unpleasant dish. The natives are very 

 careful of the rows of fish, which they dry, and preserve 

 in baskets made of bark. Those we used were found in 

 the huts of the first people who fled from us. During our 

 abode in Canoe Island, the water sunk three perpendicular 

 feet. I now gave the men a dram each, which could not 

 but be considered, at this time, as a very comfortable treat. 

 They were, indeed, in high spirits, when they perceived 

 the superior excellence of the new vessel, and reflected 

 that it was the work of their own hands. 



At eleven we arrived at the rapids, and the foreman, 

 who had not forgotten the fright he suffered on coming 

 down it, proposed that the canoe and lading should be 

 carried over the mountain. I threatened him with taking 

 the office of foreman on myself, and suggested the evident 

 change there was in the appearance of the water since we 

 passed it, which, upon examination, had sunk four feet 

 and an half. As the water did not seem so strong on the 

 West side, I determined to cross over, having first put 

 Mr. Mackay, and our two hunters, on shore, to try the 

 woods for game. We accordingly traversed, and got up 

 close along the rocks, to a considerable distance, with the 

 paddles, when we could proceed no further without as- 

 sistance from the line ; and to draw it across a perpendicu- 

 lar rock, for the distance of fifty fathoms, appeared to be 

 an insurmountable obstacle. The general opinion was, to 

 return, and carry on the other side ; I desired, however, 

 two of the men to take the line, which was seventy fathoms 

 in length, with a small roll of bark, and endeavour to climb 

 up the rocks, from whence they were to descend on the 

 other side of that which opposed our progress ; they were 

 then to fasten the end of the line to the roll of bark, which 

 the current would bring to us; this being effected, they 

 would be able to draw us up. This was an enterprize of 

 difficulty and danger, but it was crowned with success ; 

 though to get to the water's edge above, the men were 

 obliged to let themselves down with the line, run round a 

 tree, from the summit of the rock. By a repetition of the 

 same operation, we at length cleared the rapid, with the 

 additional trouble of carrying the canoe, and unloading at 



