"No fear of the wife and child," replied Stanley, patting his better
half on the shoulder. "If Indians should find out the camp, Oostesimow
can palaver with them; and should Esquimaux pay you a visit, Moses will
do the polite. Besides, had you not interrupted, I was going to have
given special instructions to Frank regarding you. So, Master Frank, be
pleased to take Eda off your shoulder, and give ear to my instructions.
While you are examining the other side of the water, you will keep as
much as possible within eye-shot, and always within ear-shot, of the
camp. In a still day like this a gun-shot can be heard five or six
miles off; and should you see any sign of the natives having been here
recently, return instantly to the camp."

Frank promised implicit obedience to these instructions, and the whole
party then set to work to pile the goods on a ledge in the steep cliffs
behind the spring, so that a fortress was soon formed, which, with two
such stout and courageous men as Moses and Oostesimow, armed with two
guns each, a brace of pistols, two cutlasses, and an ample supply of
ammunition, could have stood a prolonged siege from much more practised
enemies than Indians or Esquimaux. After having completed these
defensive arrangements, and provided occupation for those who remained
in camp, by laying on them the duty of having the goods examined, in
order to see that nothing had been damaged by wet or rough usage, the
two canoes pushed from the shore, and bounded lightly away, while the
men sang merrily at their easy labour; for now that the canoes were
light, they might have been propelled by two men. Frank directed his
course obliquely up the river, towards the island already alluded to,
and Stanley proceeded with the current towards the narrows beyond which
he expected to catch sight of the sea.

After passing above the island, which was found to be low and thinly
covered with vegetation and a few scrubby bushes, Frank and his men
pushed over to the other side and proceeded carefully to examine the
coast. It was found to be much the same as that which they had just
left. A narrow belt of sandy and shingly beach extended along the
margin of the river, or, as it might be more appropriately termed, the
lake, at least in as far as appearance went. This strip or belt was
indented here and there with numerous bays and inlets, and in many
places was intersected by rocky capes which jutted out from the
mountains.