from you; and therefore, we are determined to go on with you, or to
return to our lands." After much argument, however, he yielded and
agreed to stay behind, provided Mr. Wentzel would remain with him. This
gentleman was accordingly left with a Canadian attendant, and they
promised not to pass a range of hills then in view to the northward,
unless we sent notice to them.

The river during the whole of this day's voyage flowed between alternate
cliffs of loose sand{22} intermixed with gravel, and red sand-stone
rocks, and was every where shallow and rapid. As its course was very
crooked, much time was spent in examining the different rapids previous
to running them, but the canoes descended, except at a single place,
without any difficulty. Most of the officers and half the men marched
along the land to lighten the canoes, and reconnoitre the country, each
person being armed with a gun and a dagger. Arriving at a range of
mountains which had terminated our view yesterday, we ascended it with
much eagerness, expecting to see the rapid that Mr. Hearne visited near
its base, and to gain a view of the sea; but our disappointment was
proportionably great, when we beheld beyond, a plain similar to that we
had just left, terminated by another range of trap hills, between whose
tops the summits of some distant blue mountains appeared. Our reliance
on the information of the guides, which had been for some time shaken
was now quite at an end, and we feared that the sea was still far
distant. The flat country here is covered with grass, and is devoid of
the large stones, so frequent in the barren grounds, but the ranges of
trap hills which seem to intersect it at regular distances are quite
barren. A few decayed stunted pines were standing on the borders of the
river. In the evening we had the gratification of meeting Junius, who
was hastening back to inform us that they had found four Esquimaux tents
at the Fall which we recognised to be the one described by Mr. Hearne.
The inmates were asleep at the time of their arrival, but rose soon
afterwards, and then Augustus presented himself, and had some
conversation across the river. He told them the white people had come,
who would make them very useful presents. The information of our
arrival, seemed to alarm them very much, but as the noise of the rapid
prevented them from hearing distinctly, one of them approached him in
his canoe, and received the rest of the message. He would not,