210 



Journal of a . Voyage, through the 



m the afternoon we arrived on the banks of another lake, 

 when it again threatened rain y and we had already been 

 sufficiently wetted in the course of the day, to look with 

 complacency towards a repetition of it : we accordingly 

 fixed our shed, the rain continuing with great violence 

 through the remainder of the day : it was, therefore, de- 

 termined, that we should stop here for the night* 



In the course of the day we passed three winter huts; 

 they consisted of low walls, with a ridge-pole, covered 

 with the branches of the Canadian balsam-tree. One of 

 my men had a violent pain in his knee, and I asked the 

 guides to take a share of his burden, as they had nothing 

 to carry but their beaver robes, and bows and arrows, but 

 they could not be made to understand a word of my re- 

 quest. 



Saturday 6. At four this morning I arose from my 

 bed, such as it was. As we must have been in a most 

 unfortunate predicament, if our guides should have de- 

 serted us in the night, by way of security, I proposed to 

 the youngest of them to sleep with me, and he readily 

 consented. These people have no covering but their bea- 

 ver garments, and that of my companions was a nest of 

 vermin. I, however, spread it under us, and having 

 laid down upon it, we covered ourselves with my cam- 

 blet cloak. My companion's hair being greased with fish- 

 oil, and his body smeared with red earth, my sense of. 

 smelling, as well as that of feeling, threatened to inter- 

 rapt my rest; but these inconveniences yielded to my 

 fatigue, and I passed a night of sound repose. 



I took the lead in our march, as I had done yesterday, 

 in order to clear the branches of the wet which continued 

 to hang upon them. We proceeded with all possible ex- 

 pedition through a level country with but little underwood ; 

 the larger trees were of the fir kind, At half past eight 

 we fell upon the road, which we first intended to have 

 taken from the Great River, and metst be shorter than 

 that which we had travelled. The West-road river was 

 also in sight, winding through a valley. We had not met 

 with any water since our encampment of last night, and 

 though we were afflicted with violent thirst, the river was 

 at such a distance from us, and the descent to it so long 

 and steep, that we were compelled to be satisfied with 

 casting our longing looks towards it. There appeared to 

 be more water in the river here, than at its discharge* 



