\ / ' 
a 
324 TRAVELS THROUGH LO^ER CANADA : 
them with prodigious labour,, founds to his 
great satisfaction, that the account the Indians 
had given was true, and that the rivers on the 
opposite side did indeed all run to the west. 
He followed the course of one of them, and 
finally came to the Pacific Ocean, not far from 
Nootka Sound. 
Here he was given to understand by the na¬ 
tives, and their account was confirmed by the 
sight of some little articles they had amongst 
them, that an English vessel had quitted the 
coast only six weeks before. This was a great 
mortification to Mr. McKenzie ; for had there 
been a ship on the coast, he would most gladly 
have embarked in it rather than encounter the 
same difficulties, and be exposed to the same 
perils, which he had experienced in getting 
there; however there was no alternative; he 
set out after a short time on his journey back 
again, and having found his canoe quite safe 
under some bushes, near the head of the river, 
where he had hid it, together with some pro¬ 
visions, left on going down, to the coast, lest 
the natives might have proved unfriendly, and 
have cut off his retreat by seizing upon it, lie 
-finally arrived at one of the trading posts in 
security. When I was at Montreal, Mr. 
MfKenzie was not there, and I never had- an 
opportunity of seeing him afterwards. What 
I have here related respecting his two expe- 
