278 



y carnal of a Voyage through the 



Wednesday ^ 4. The weather was cold and raw, with 

 small rain, but our necessities would not suffer us to wait 

 for a favourable change of it, and at half past five we ar- 

 rived at the swampy carrying-place, between this branch 

 and the small river. At three in the afternoon the cold 

 was extreme, and the men could not keep themselves 

 warm even by their violent exertions which our situation 

 required ; and I now gave them the remainder of our rum 

 to fortify and support them. The canoe was so heavy that 

 the lives of two of them were endangered in this horrible 

 carrying place. At the same time it must be observed, 

 that from the fatiguing circumstances of our journey, and 

 the inadequate state of our provisions, the natural strength 

 of the men had been greatly diminished. We encamped 

 on the banks of the bad river. 



Thursday 15. The weather was now clear, and the 

 sun shone upon us. The water was much lower than in 

 the downward passage, but as cold as ice, and, unfortu- 

 nately, the men were obliged to be continually in it to 

 drag on the canoe. There were many embarras, through 

 which a passage might have been made, but we were 

 under the necessity of carrying both the canoe and bag- 

 gage. 



About sun-set we arrived at our encampment of the 13th 

 of June, where some of us had nearly taken our eternal 

 . vovage. The legs and feet of the men were so benumbed, 

 that I was very apprehensive of the consequences. The 

 water being low, we made a search for our bag of ball, but 

 without success. The river was full of salmon, and ano- 

 ther fish like the black bass. 



Friday 16. The weather continued to be the same as 

 yesterday, and at two in the afternoon we came to the 

 *carrying-place which leads to the first small lake ; but it 

 was so filled with drift-wood, that a considerable portion of 

 time was employed in making our way through it. We 

 now reached the high land which separates the source of 

 the Tacoutche Tesse, or Columbia River, and Unjigah, 

 or Peace River: the latter of which, after receiving many 

 tributary streams, passes through the great Slave Lake, 

 and disembogues itself in the Frozen Ocean, in latitude 

 69- North, longitude 135. West from Greenwich ; while 

 the former, confined by the immense mountains that run 

 yearly parallel with the Pacific Ocean, and keep it in a 



