JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE THROUGH THE

information that I fhould require from them. This objeét, however,
was in danger of being altogether fruftrated, by a mifunderftanding that
had taken place between the natives and my young Indians, who were
already arrived there. Before the latter could difembark, the former
feized the canoe, and dragged it on fhore, and in this aét of violence the
boat was broken, from the weight of the perfons in it. This infult was
on the point of being ferioufly revenged, when I arrived, to prevent the
confequences of fuch a difpofition. The variation of the compals was

about twenty-nine degrees to the Eaft.

At four in the afternoon I ordered my interpreter to harangue the
natives, affembled in council; but his long difcourfe obtained little fatif-
fa€tory intelligence fromthem. Their account of the river to the Weft-
ward, was fimilar to that which we had already feceived; and their
defcription of the inhabitants of that country, was ftill more abfurd and
ridiculous. They reprefented them as being of a gigantic ftature, and
adorned with wings; which, however, they never employed in flying.
That they fed on large birds, which they killed with the greateft eafe,
though common men would be certain vitims of their voracity if they
ventured to approach them. They alfo defcribed the people that inha-
bited the mouth of the river as poffefling the extraordinary power of kill-
ing with their eyes, and devouring a large beaver-ata fingle meal. They
added@@that canoes of very large dimenfions vifited that place. They
did not, however, relate thefe ftrange circumflances from their own
knowledge, but on the reports of other tribes, as they themfelves never
ventured to proceed beyond the firft mountains, where they went in.

fearch of the fmall white buffaloes, as the inhabitants of the other fide’

endeavour