JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE THROUGH THE

Rtream, and refts upon drift wood, fo as to be eight or ten feet deep.
The caftern banks are more elevated, and the foil a yellow clay mixed
with gravel; fo that. the trees are neither fo large or numerous as on the |
oppofite fhore. The ground was not thawed above fourteen inches in
depth; notwithftanding the leaf was at its full growth; while along the
lake there was fcarcely any appearance of verdure,

The Indians informed me, that, at a very {mall diftance from either
bank of the river, are very extenfive plains, frequented by large herds of

buffaloes; while the moofe and rein-deer keep in the woods that border
on it. The beavers, which are in great numbers, build their habi-
tations in the {mall lakes and rivers, as, in the larger ftreams, the ice
carries every thing along with it, during the {pring. The mud banks
in the river are covered with wild fowl; and we this morning killed two
{wans, ten geefe, and one beaver, without fuffering the delay of an
hour; fo that we might have foon filled the canoe with them, if that.
had been our object.

From the {mall river we fteered Eaft, along the infide of a long fand-
bank, covered with drift wood and enlivened by a few willows, whicl
{tretches on as far as the houles erected by Meffrs. Grant and Le Roux,
in 178% We often ran aground, as for five fucceflive miles the depth
of the water no where exceeded three feet. ‘There we found our people,
who had arrived early in the morning, and whom we had not feen fince
the preceding Sunday. We now unloaded the canoe, and pitched our
tents, as there was every appearance that we {hould be obliged to remain
here for fome time. I then ordered the nets to be fet, as it was abfo-

lutely