The channels of the river had here widened into great
sheets of water, so shallow that for stretches of many miles, east and
west, the depth never exceeded five feet. Mackenzie and 'English
Chief,' his principal follower, ascended to the highest ground on the
island, {85} from which they were able to command a wide view in all
directions. To the south of them lay the tortuous and complicated
channels of the broad river which they had descended; east and north
were islands in great number; but on the westward side the eye could
discern the broad field of solid ice that marked the Arctic ocean.

Mackenzie had reached the goal of his endeavours. His followers, when
they learned that the open sea, the _mer d'ouest_ as they called it,
was in sight, were transformed; instead of sullen ill-will they
manifested the highest degree of confidence and eager expectation.
They declared their readiness to follow their leader wherever he wished
to go, and begged that he would not turn back without actually reaching
the shore of the unknown sea. But in reality they had already reached
it. That evening, when their camp was pitched and they were about to
retire to sleep, under the full light of the unsinking sun, the inrush
of the Arctic tide, threatening to swamp their baggage and drown out
their tents, proved beyond all doubt that they were now actually on the
shore of the ocean.

For three days Mackenzie remained beside the Arctic ocean. Heavy gales
blew in from {86} the north-west, and in the open water to the westward
whales were seen. Mackenzie and his men, in their exultation at this
final proof of their whereabouts, were rash enough to start in pursuit
in a canoe. Fortunately, a thick curtain of fog fell on the ocean and
terminated the chase. In memory of the occurrence, Mackenzie called
his island Whale Island. On the morning of July 14, 1789, Mackenzie,
convinced that his search had succeeded, ordered a post to be erected
on the island beside his tents, on which he carved the latitude as he
had calculated it (69 deg. 14' north), his own name, the number of persons
who were with him and the time that was spent there.

This day Mackenzie spent in camp, for a great gale, blowing with rain
and bitter cold, made it hazardous to embark. But on the next morning
the canoes were headed for the south, and the return journey was begun.
It was time indeed. Only about five hundred pounds weight of supplies
was now left in the