North-West Continent of America, 



285 



which we brought away, to have weighed two hundred and 

 fifty pounds ; and as we had taken a very hearty meal at 

 one o'clock, it might naturally be supposed that we should 

 not be very voracious at supper ; nevertheless, a kettle full 

 of the elk-flesh was boiled and eaten, and that vessel replen- 

 ished and put on the fire. All that remained, with the bones, 

 &c. was placed, after the Indian fashion, round the fire to 

 roast, and at ten next morning the whole was consum- 

 ed by ten persons and a large dog, who was allowed his 

 share of the banquet. This is no exaggeration ; nor did 

 any inconvenience result from what may be considered as 

 an inordinate indulgence. 



Friday 23. We were on the water before day-light ; 

 and when the sun rose, a beautiful country appeared 

 around us, enriched and animated by large herds of wild 

 cattle. The weather was now so warm, that to us, who 

 had not of late been accustomed to heat, it was overwhelm- 

 ing and oppressive. In the course of this day we killed a 

 buffaloe and a bare ; but we were now in the midst of 

 abundance, and they were not sufficiently fat to satisfy our 

 fastidious appetites, so we left them where they fell. We 

 landed for the night, and prepared ourselves for arriving 

 at the Fort on the following day. 



Saturday 24. The weather was the same as yesterday, 

 and the country increasing in beauty; though as we ap- 

 proached the Fort, the cattle appeared proportionably to 

 diminish. We now landed at two lodges of Indians, who 

 were as astonished to see us, as if we had been the first 

 white men whom they had ever beheld. When we had 

 passed these people, not an animal was to be seen on the 

 borders of the river. 



At length, as we rounded a point, and came in view of 

 the Fort, we threw out our flag, and accompanied it with 

 a general discharge of our fire arms ; w r hile the men were 

 in such spirits, and made such an active use of their pad- 

 dles, that we arrived before the two men whom we left 

 here in the spring, could recover their senses to answer 

 us. Thus we landed at four in the afternoon, at the place 



which we left on the ninth of May. Here my voyages 



of discovery terminate. Their toils and their dangers, 

 their solicitudes and sufferings, have not been exaggerated 

 in my description. On the contrary, in many instances, 

 language has failed me in the attempt to describe them. I 



