g, as we were desirous of availing
ourselves of every part of this favourable weather. The hunters arrived
in the course of the night. It appeared that the dog which escaped from
us two days ago came into the vicinity of their encampment, howling
piteously; seeing him without his harness, they came to the hasty
conclusion that our whole party had perished in a rapid; and throwing
away part of their baggage, and leaving the meat behind them, they set
off with the utmost haste to join Long-legs. Our messenger met them in
their flight, but too far advanced to admit of their returning for the
meat. Akaitcho scolded them heartily for their thoughtlessness in
leaving the meat, which we so much wanted. They expressed their regret,
and being ashamed of their panic, proposed to remedy the evil as much as
possible by going forward, without stopping, until they came to a
favourable spot for hunting, which they expected to do about thirty or
forty miles below our present encampment. Akaitcho accompanied them, but
previous to setting off he renewed his charge that we should be on our
guard against the bears, which was occasioned by the hunters having
fired at one this morning as they were descending a rapid in their
canoe. As their small canoes would only carry five persons, two of the
hunters had to walk in turns along the banks.

In our rambles round the encampment, we witnessed with pleasure the
progress which vegetation had made within the few last warm days; most
of the trees had put forth their leaves, and several flowers ornamented
the moss-covered ground; many of the smaller summer birds were observed
in the woods, and a variety of ducks, gulls, and plovers, sported on the
banks of the river. It is about three hundred yards wide at this part,
is deep and flows over a bed of alluvial sand. We caught some trout of
considerable size with our lines, and a few white fish in the nets,
which maintained us, with a little assistance from the pemmican. The
repair of our canoes was completed this evening. Before embarking I
issued an order that no rapid should in future be descended until the
bowman had examined it, and decided upon its being safe to run. Wherever
the least danger was to be apprehended, or the crew had to disembark for
the purpose of lightening the canoe, the ammunition, guns and
instruments, were always to be put out and carried along the bank, that
we might be provided with the means of subsisting ourselves, in case o