river, and its islands, composed of alluvial soil, are well covered with
pines, larches, poplars, and willows. The breadth of the stream, some
distance above the Factory, is about half a mile, and its depth, during
this day's voyage, varied from three to nine feet.

At sunset we landed, and pitched the tent for the night, having made a
progress of twelve miles. A large fire was quickly kindled, supper
speedily prepared, and as readily despatched, when we retired with our
buffalo robes on, and enjoyed a night of sound repose.

It may here be stated, that the survey of the river was made by taking
the bearings of every point with a pocket compass, estimating the
distances, and making a connected eye-sketch of the whole. This part of
the survey was allotted to Messrs. Back and Hood conjointly: Mr. Hood
also protracted the route every evening on a ruled map, after the
courses and distances had been corrected by observations for latitude
and longitude, taken by myself as often as the weather would allow. The
extraordinary talent of this young officer in this line of service
proved of the greatest advantage to the Expedition, and he continued to
perform that duty until his lamented death, with a degree of zeal and
accuracy that characterized all his pursuits.

The next morning our camp was in motion at five A.M., and we soon
afterwards embarked with the flattering accompaniment of a fair wind: it
proved, however, too light to enable us to stem the stream, and we were
obliged to resume the fatiguing operation of tracking; sometimes under
cliffs so steep that the men could scarcely find a footing, and not
unfrequently over spots rendered so miry by the small streams that
trickled from above, as to be almost impassable. In the course of the
day we passed the scene of a very melancholy accident. Some years ago,
two families of Indians, induced by the flatness of a small beach, which
lay betwixt the cliff and the river, chose it as the site of their
encampment. They retired quietly to rest, not aware that the precipice,
detached from the bank, and urged by an accumulation of water in the
crevice behind, was tottering to its base. It fell during the night, and
the whole party was buried under its ruins.

The length of our voyage to-day was, in a direct line, sixteen miles and
a quarter, on a S.S.W. course. We encamped soon after sunset, and the
tent was scarcely pitched when a heavy rain began, which continued all
night.

Si