North-West Continent of America. 



255 



bour. The only bird we saw to-day was the white-headed 

 eagle.* 



Our guide directed us to draw the canoe out of the reach 

 of the tide, and to leave it. He would not wait, however, 

 till this operation was performed, and I did not wish to 

 let him go alone. I therefore followed him through a bad 

 road encumbered with underwood. When we had quit- 

 ted the wood, and were in sight of the houses, the young 

 man being about fifteen or twenty paces before me, I was 

 surprised to see two men running down towards me from 

 one of the houses, with daggers in their hands, and fury 

 in their aspect. From their hostile appearance, I could 

 not doubt of their purpose. I therefore stopped short, 

 threw down my cloak, and put myself in a posture of de- 

 fence, with my gun presented towards them. Fortunately 

 for me, they knew the effect of fire-arms, and instantly 

 dropped their daggers, which were fastened by a string to 

 their wrists, and had before been held in a menacing atti- 

 tude. I let my gun also fall into my left hand, and drew 

 my hanger. Several others soon joined them, who were 

 armed in the same manner ; and among them I recognized 

 the man whom I have already mentioned as being so trou- 

 blesome to us, and who now repeated the names of Macu- 

 bah and Benzins, signifying, at the same time, by his ac- 

 tion, as on a former occasion, that he had been shot at by 

 them. Until I saw him my mind was undisturbed ; but 

 the moment he appeared, conceiving that he was the cause 

 of my present perilous situation, my resentment predomi- 

 nated, and, if he had come within my reach, I verily be- 

 lieve, that I should have terminated his insolence forever. 



The rest now approached so near, that one of them 

 contrived to get behind me, and grasped me in his arms. 

 I soon disengaged myself from him ; and, that he did not 

 avail himself of the opportunity which he had of plunging 

 his dagger into me, I cannot conjecture. They certainly 

 might have overpowered me, and though I should proba- 

 bly have killed one or two of them, I must have fallen at 

 last. 



One of my people now came out of the wood. On his 

 appearance they instantly took to flight, and with the ut- 

 most speed sought shelter in the houses from which they 

 had issued. It was, however, upwards, of ten minutes 

 before all my people joined me ; and as they came one after 



„ * This bay was now named Mackenzie's Outlet. 



