umbling and falling at every step. At length we espied a light about a
mile further up the river on the opposite shore; we, therefore, crossed
over, at the expense of some heavy blows to the boat, and tracked along
the base of a steep bank, until we reached the fire. There we found a
Canadian and two Indian boys who had been sent from Bear Lake three days
before in a canoe, to procure some white mud from the banks of the
MacKenzie to decorate our house. This man was the bearer of a letter
from Lieutenant Back to me, which detailed the proceedings at the Fort.

[Sidenote: Friday, 2nd.] We embarked at daylight, having the canoe in
company. The weather was cold and raw throughout the day; the
temperature from 34 degrees to 45 degrees; but the party were kept in
constant exercise, either in tracking or walking; the steersman and
bowman only being required in the boat. Except where the river was
bounded by steep cliffs, the path was pretty good. Its general breadth
varied from three hundred to five hundred yards, and its banks were
tolerably well wooded, but the trees were small.

[Sidenote: Saturday, 3rd.] This morning the ground was firmly frozen,
and the thermometer stood at 28 degrees, when we commenced our
operations. Early in the afternoon we arrived at the lower part of the
mountain, and which we had kept in view this day, and the greater part
of the preceding. As we had now to ascend a succession of rapids for
fifteen miles, and two of our crew were lame, I directed the canoe to be
laid up on the shore, and took the Canadian and the boys to assist at
the tow-line. We had not advanced more than two miles before we met with
an accident that was likely to have been attended with serious
consequences: in the act of hauling round a projecting point, and in the
strength of the current, the tow-line broke, and the boat was driven
with great force against a large stone at some distance from the shore,
having deep water on every side. There it lay with the broadside exposed
to the whole pressure of the current, beating violently against the
stone; and from this situation it could not have been extricated, had
not Gustavus Aird, the strongest man of the party, ventured to wade into
the river at the imminent risque of being swept off his feet, until he
could catch the rope that was thrown to him from the boat. As soon as it
was dragged to the shore, we found that part of the keel was gone, and
the remainder much twisted, and al