July 5, the party set out with their new guide, and on the same
afternoon passed the mouth of the Great Bear river, which joins the
Mackenzie in a flood of sea-green water, fresh, but coloured like that
of the ocean. Below {81} this point, they passed many islands. The
banks of the river rose to high mountains covered with snow. The
country, so the guide said, was here filled with bears, but the
voyageurs saw nothing worse than mosquitoes, which descended in clouds
upon the canoes. As the party went on to the north, the guide seemed
more and more stricken with fear and consumed with the longing to
return to his people. In the morning after breaking camp nothing but
force would induce him to embark, and on the fourth night, during the
confusion of a violent thunder-storm, he made off and was seen no more.

The next day, however, Mackenzie supplied his place, this time by
force, from a band of roving Indians. The new guide told him that the
sea was not far away, and that it could be reached in ten days. As the
journey continued the river was broken into so many channels and so
dotted with islands, that it was almost impossible to decide which was
the main waterway. The guide's advice was evidently influenced by his
desire to avoid the Eskimos, and, like his predecessor, to keep away
from the supposed terrors of the North. The shores of the river were
now at times low, though usually lofty mountains could be seen about
ten miles {82} away. Trees were still present, especially fir and
birch, though in places both shores of the river were entirely bare,
and the islands were mere banks of sand and mud to which great masses
of ice adhered. An observation taken on July 10 showed that the
voyageurs had reached latitude 67 deg. 47' north. From the extreme
variation of the compass, and from other signs, Mackenzie was now
certain that he was approaching the northern ocean. He was assured
that in a few days more of travel he could reach its shores. But in
the meantime his provisions were running low. His Indian guide, a prey
to fantastic terrors, endeavoured to dissuade him from his purpose,
while his canoe men, now far beyond the utmost limits of the country
known to the fur trade, began to share the apprehensions of the guide,
and clamoured eagerly for return. Mackenzie himself was of the opinion
that it would not be possible for him to return to Chipewyan while the
rivers were still open, and that the approach of w