to the sea--or, as you call it, the great
salt lake. Do my brothers know anything about this river? If so, let
them speak."

Hereupon an old chief, with hair like small iron wire, and a skin like
shoe-leather, got up, and delivered himself as follows--

"We are glad to hear what our white brother says. It encourages us to
know that you will make a trading fort in our country, for we have need
of one. Hitherto we have had to travel far--very far--with our furs; or
if, to save trouble, we intrusted our furs to the Chipewyans, they often
pillaged us, or, at most, gave us very little for the fruits of our
toil. For a long time we have been so discouraged that we had no motive
to pursue the beaver, except to obtain a sufficiency of food and
clothing. Now if you come to us, we shall be happy--wauch!"

The last word was equivalent to the expression--"There, think o' that!"
The old man paused as if to give his audience time for reflection.

"As to the great river," he continued sententiously, "we know of its
existence; but none of our tribe has ever followed its course down to
the great salt lake. We earnestly advise our brother not to go there,
for it is a dreadful river. It is said that there are two impassable
falls in its course; and it is so long that old age will come upon you
before the time of your return. You will also encounter monsters of
horrid shapes and awful strength on the land and in the water--wauch!"

The old chief began to glare solemnly at this point, and the whole tribe
followed his example.

"It is said," he continued, "that there are bears which eat the trees as
if they were grass; whose cubs, even at their birth, are strong enough
to kill the stoutest man. There are monsters in the river so big that a
canoe full of men would be but a mouthful to them. There are so few
animals or fish fit for food, that you will all certainly be starved.
And, besides all this, evil spirits dwell there, whose chief delight
lies in attacking, killing, roasting, and devouring men--wauch!"

Here the Indian sat down with the decision of a man who has given
unanswerable arguments for the overturning of foolish plans;
nevertheless, Mackenzie's plans remained unaltered. Not so, however,
those of a young Indian, who had been engaged to guide the explorers to
the other end of the lake, in order to save them from the loss of time
which would be occasioned by the necessity of coasting round its
numerous bays. Th