19^ A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



port willows, dwarf birch, and alder. At five we passed its conflux 

 with the Peace River. The Slave Eiver, formed by the union of 

 these streams, is about three quarters of a mile wide. We de- 

 scended this magnificent river, with much rapidity, and after passing 

 through several narrow channels, formed by an assemblage of islands, 

 crossed a spot where the waters had a violent whirling motion, which, 

 when the river is low, is said to subside into a dangerous rapid; 

 on the present occasion no other inconvenience was felt than the 

 inability of steering the canoes, which were whirled about in every 

 direction by the eddies, until the current carried them beyond their 

 influence. We encamped at seven, on the swampy bank of the 

 river, but had scarcely pitched the tents before we were visited by 

 a terrible thunder-storm ; the rain fell in torrents, and the violence 

 of the wind caused the river to overflow its banks, so that we were 

 completely flooded. Swarms of musquitoes succeeded the storm, 

 and their tormenting stings, superadded to other inconveniences, 

 induced us to embark, and, after taking a hasty supper, to pursue 

 our voyage down the stream during the night. 



At six on the following morning we passed the Eeindeer Islands, 

 and at ten reached the entrance of the Dog River, where we halted 

 to set the fishing nets. These were examined in the evening, but to 

 our mortification we obtained only four small trout, and were com- 

 pelled to issue part of our preserved meats for supper. The latitude 

 of the mouth of Dog River, was observed 59° 52' 16" N. 



The nets were taken up at day-light, but they furnished only a 

 solitary pike. We lost no time in embarking, and crossed the 

 crooked channel of the Dog Rapid, when two of the canoes came 

 in such violent contact with each other, that the sternmost had 

 its bow broken off. We were fortunately near to the shore or the 

 disabled canoe would have sunk. The injury being repaired in 

 two hours, we again embarked, and having descended another rapid, 

 arrived at the Cassette Portage of four hundred and sixty paces, 



