xteen miles on the 11th, and five on the following morning, brought us
to the commencement of Hayes' River, which is formed by the confluence
of the Shamattawa and Steel Rivers. Our observations place this spot in
latitude 56 deg. 22' 32" N., longitude 93 deg. 1' 37" W. It is forty-eight miles
and a half from York Factory including the windings of the river. Steel
River, through which our course lay, is about three hundred yards wide
at its mouth; its banks have more elevation than those of Hayes' River,
but they shelve more gradually down to the stream, and afford a
tolerably good towing path, which compensates, in some degree, for the
rapids and frequent shoals that impede its navigation. We succeeded in
getting about ten miles above the mouth of the river, before the close
of day compelled us to disembark.

We made an effort, on the morning of the 13th, to stem the current under
sail, but as the course of the river was very serpentine, we found that
greater progress could be made by tracking. Steel River presents much
beautiful scenery; it winds through a narrow, but well wooded, valley,
which at every turn disclosed to us an agreeable variety of prospect,
rendered more picturesque by the effect of the season on the foliage,
now ready to drop from the trees. The light yellow of the fading poplars
formed a fine contrast to the dark evergreen of the spruce, whilst the
willows of an intermediate hue, served to shade the two principal masses
of colour into each other. The scene was occasionally enlivened by the
bright purple tints of the dogwood, blended with the browner shades of
the dwarf birch, and frequently intermixed with the gay yellow flowers
of the shrubby cinquefoil. With all these charms, the scene appeared
desolate from the want of the human species. The stillness was so great,
that even the twittering of the _whiskey-johneesh_, or cinereous crow,
caused us to start. Our voyage to-day was sixteen miles on a S.W.
course.

_Sept. 14_.--We had much rain during the night, and also in the morning,
which detained us in our encampment later than usual. We set out as soon
as the weather cleared up; and in a short time arrived at the head of
Steel River, where it is formed by the junction of Fox and Hill Rivers.
These two rivers are nearly of equal width, but the latter is the most
rapid. Mr. McDonald, on his way to Red River, in a small canoe, manned
by two Indians, overtook us at this place. It may be mentioned as a