50 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



maux, who frequent its mouth. The Indians 

 too, with whom we have since conversed 

 upon this subject, are confident that he 

 would be able to subsist himself during the 

 winter. Credit, on his hunting excursion 

 to-day, found a cap, which our people re- 

 cognised to belong to one of the hunters 

 who had left us in the spring. This cir- 

 cumstance produced the conviction of our 

 being on the banks of the Copper-Mine 

 River, which all the assertions of the officers 

 had hitherto failed in effecting with some of 

 the party ; and it had the happy consequence 

 of reviving their spirits considerably. We 

 consumed the last of our deer's meat this 

 evening at supper. 



Next morning the men went out in search 

 of dry willows, and collected eight large 

 faggots, with which they formed a more 

 buoyant raft than the former, but the wind 

 being still adverse and strong, they delayed 

 attempting to cross until a more favourable 

 opportunity. Pleased, however, with the 

 appearance of this raft, they collected some 

 tripe de roche and made a cheerful supper. 



