North-West Continent of America* 



201 



hunch on its back ; the flesh is white, but neither rich nor 

 well flavoured. Its jaw and teeth are like those of a dog, 

 and the latter are larger and stronger than any I have ever 

 seen in a fish of equal size ; those in front bend inwards, 

 like the claws of a bird of prey. It delights in shallow 

 water, and its native name is Dilly. 



V/ e received as many fish and berries from these peo- 

 ple as completely satisfied our appetites. The latter ex- 

 celled any of the kind that we had seen. I saw, also, 

 three kinds of gooseberries, which, as we passed through 

 the woods, we found in great abundance. 



Thursday 25. I arose before the sun, and the weather 

 was very fine. The men who were to accompany us went 

 to visit their machines, and brought back plenty of fish, 

 which they strung on a rope, and left them in the river. 

 We now embarked thirteen in a canoe, and landed my men 

 on the South bank, as it would have been impracticable to 

 have stemmed the tide with such a load. The under-wood 

 was so thick that it was with great difficulty they could pass 

 through it. At nine we were under the necessity of wait- 

 ing to ferry them over a river from the South, which is 

 not fordable. Afier some time we came to two deserted 

 houses, at the foot of a rapid, beyond which our boatmen 

 absolutely refused to conduct us by water. Here was a 

 road which led opposite to the village. We had, however, 

 the curiosity to visit the houses, which were erected upon 

 posts ; and we suffered very severely for the indulgence of 

 it ; for the floors were covered with fleas, and we were 

 immediately in the same condition, for which we had no 

 remedy but to take to the water. There was not a spot 

 round the houses, free from grass, that was not alive, as it 

 were, with this vermin. 



Our guides proposed to conduct us on our way, and we 

 followed them on a well-beaten track. They, however, 

 went so fast, that we could not all of us keep up with them, 

 particularly our sick Indian, whose situation was very em- 

 barrassing to us, and at length they contrived to escape. 

 I very much wished for these men to have accompanied us 

 to the village, in order to do away any ill impressions 

 which might have arisen from the young chief's report to 

 his father, which we were naturally led to expect would 

 not be in our favour. 



This road conducted us through the finest wood of cedar 

 trees that I had ever seen. I measured several of them 



