him, as he splashed a little, and then dived. In a
minute the Indian reloaded his gun, and paddled out into the stream, in
order to have another shot the moment the seal rose for air: this he did
in a short time, when another shot was fired, which turned him over
apparently lifeless. The Indian then laid down his gun, and seizing his
paddle, made towards the spot where the seal lay. He had scarcely
approached a few yards, however, when it recovered a little, and dived--
much to the Indian's chagrin, who had approached too near the head of a
small rapid, and went down, stern foremost, just at the moment his
friend the seal did the same. On arriving at the bottom, the animal,
after one or two kicks, expired, and the Indian at last secured his
prize. After this, we embarked again in our boat; and the wind _for
once_ determined to be accommodating, as it shifted in our favour,
almost at the same time that we turned to retrace our way. In a few
hours we arrived at the fishery near the mouth of the river, where we
found supper just ready.

After supper, which we had about eight o'clock, the night looked so
fine, and the mosquitoes in the little smoky house were so troublesome,
that we determined to walk up to the post; so, ordering one of the men
to follow us, away we went along the beach. The night was fine, though
dark, and we trudged rapidly along. It was very tiresome work, however,
as, the tide being full, we were obliged to walk upon the soft sand.
Everything along the beach looked huge and mystical in the uncertain
light; and this, accompanied with the solemn boom of the waves as they
fell at long intervals upon the shore, made the scene quite romantic.
After five hours' sharp walking, with pocket-handkerchiefs tied round
our heads to guard us from the attacks of mosquitoes, we arrived at
Seven Islands between one and two in the morning.

Not long after this, a boat arrived with orders for my companion, Mr
Anderson, to pack up his worldly goods and start for Tadousac. The same
day he bade me adieu and set sail. In a few minutes the boat turned a
point of land, and I lost sight of one of the most kindly and agreeable
men whom I have had the good fortune to meet in the Nor'-West.

The situation in which I found myself was a novel, and, to say truth,
not a very agreeable one. A short way off stood a man watching
contemplatively the point round which the boat had just disappeared; and
this man was my only comp