348 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



The night was warm and we were much annoyed by the mus- 

 quitoes. 



June 15. — We this morning experienced as much difficulty as 

 before in prevailing upon the Indians to remain behind, and they 

 did not consent to do so until I had assured them that they should 

 lose the reward which had been promised, if they proceeded any 

 farther, until we had prepared the Esquimaux to receive them. We 

 left a Canadian with them, and proceeded on our journey, not with- 

 out apprehension that they would follow us, and derange our whole 

 plan by their obstinacy. Two of the officers and a party of the men 

 walked on the shore, to lighten the canoes. The river, in this part, 

 flows between high sand stone cliffs, reddish slate clay rocks, and 

 shelving banks of white clay, and is full of shoals and dangerous 

 rapids. One of these was termed Escape Bapid, from both the 

 canoes having narrowly escaped foundering in its high waves. We 

 had entered the rapid before we were aware, and the steepness of 

 the cliffs preventing us from landing, we were indebted to the 

 swiftness of our descent for our preservation. Two waves made a 

 complete breach over the canoes ; a third would in all probability 

 have filled and overset them, which must have proved fatal to every 

 one in them. The powder fortunately escaped the water, which 

 was soon discharged when we reached the bottom of the rapid. At 

 noon we perceived Hepburn lying on the left bank of the river, and 

 we landed immediately to receive his information. As he repre- 

 sented the water to be shoal the whole way to the rapid, (below 

 which the Esquimaux were,) the shore party were directed to con- 

 tinue their march to a sandy bay at the head of the fall, and there 

 await the arrival of the canoes. The land in the neighbourhood of 

 the rapid, is of the most singular form : large irregular sand hills 

 bounding both banks, apparently so unconnected that they resem- 

 ble icebergs ; the country around them consisting of high round 

 green hills. The river became wide in this part, and full of shoals* 



