harmon's journal. 



221 



a number of people, employed in building a fort 

 for a company of Americans, who denominate 

 themselves the Pacific Fur Company. He also 

 writes, that Mr. Alexander M c Kay and others, 

 have proceeded to the northward, in the vessel 

 that brought them there, on a coasting trade. — 

 Mr. Thompson, after having remained seven days 

 with the American people, set out on his return 

 to his establishments, which are near the source 

 of the Columbia River. From one of these posts, 

 he wrote the letter above mentioned, and deliver- 

 ed it to an Indian, to bring to the next tribe, with 

 the direction, that they should forward it to the 

 next, and so on, until it should reach this place. 

 This circumstance accounts for the great length of 

 time, that it has been on the way; for t e dis- 

 tance that it has come, might be travelled over, 

 in twenty five or thirty days. 



Monday, May 11. This morning I returned 

 from M c Leod's Lake, where I have been to send 

 off my people, who are to go to the Rainy Lake. 

 While there, one of my men, Pieere Lambert, 

 while crossing a small lake on a sledge, fell through 

 the ice ; and, before his companions who were 

 near could extricate him, he was drowned. The 

 day following, his corpse was brought to the fort 

 and interred. 



On my way home, the walking was exceeding- 



