OF THE POLAR SEA. 



373 



They started at four A.M., and at the same time our hunters 

 were sent off in search of deer ; and the rest of the party proceeded 

 in the canoes to the first cascade in the river, at the foot of which 

 we encamped, and set four nets. This cascade, produced by a 

 ridge of rocks crossing the stream, is about three or four feet in 

 height, and about two hundred and fifty yards wide. Its position 

 by our observations is latitude 67° 19' 23" N., longitude 109° 44' 

 30" W., variation 41° 43' 22", dip 88° 58' 48". I have named this 

 river Hood, as a small tribute to the memory of our lamented friend 

 and companion. It is from three to four hundred yards wide below 

 the cascade, but it is in many places very shallow. The banks, 

 bottom, and adjacent hills, are formed of a mixture of sand and clay. 

 The ground was overspread with small willows and the dwarf birch, 

 both too diminutive for fuel ; and the stream brought down no drift 

 wood. We were mortified to find the nets only procured one salmon 

 and five white fish, and that we had to make another inroad upon 

 our dried meat. 



August 1.— At two this morning the hunters returned with two 

 small deer and a brown bear. Augustus and Junius arrived at the 

 same time, having traced the river twelve miles further up, without 

 discovering any vestige of inhabitants. We had now an opportu- 

 nity of gratifying our curiosity respecting the bear so much 

 dreaded by the Indians, and of whose strength and ferocity we had 

 heard such terrible accounts. It proved to be a lean male of a 

 yellowish brown colour, and not longer than a common black bear. 

 It made a feeble attempt to defend itself, and was easily despatched. 

 The flesh was brought to the tent, but our fastidious voyagers sup- 

 posing, from its leanness, the animal had been sickly, declined eat- 

 ing it; the officers, however, being less scrupulous, boiled the paws, 

 and found them excellent. 



We embarked at ten A.M., and proceeding down the river, took 

 on board another deer that had been killed by Credit last evening. 



