DISCOVERY BY ALEXANDER MACKENZIE

over their surroundings. Early next day they returned to
Mackay, who complained that his men were discontented
and wanted to go home. Indeed, while Mackenzie was
taking observations at noon they went so far as to load, of
their own accord, his canoe to return east.. Feigning not
to notice dissatisfaction, he let them go by water while he
followed over land.

Here a little incident still added to their apprehensions.
His men had already got to an Indian house, there to pass
the night, when, by inadvertence, he let go an arrow, which,
to his alarm, struck the lodge they had just entered. That
was too much for their strained nerves. They thought
themselves attacked by the mysterious Carriers, and the
explanation their chief gave them of the accident served
only to increase their fears. The arrow was without any
head, and yet it had penetrated more than an inch a hard,
dry log.t. Why remain in the power of a people possessed
of such means of destruction? moralized his crew.

About midnight a rustling noise was heard in the woods
which created a general panic, while their dog remained in
a state of nervous restlessness until two, when the sentinel
informed Mackenzie that he saw something like a human
form creeping along on all-fours. This ultimately proved
to be a blind old man, who was welcome as a means of
clearing up the mystery which had attended the Indians’
actions for the last few days. He explained that, shortly
after they had passed on their way to the sea coast,
natives had arrived from up the river who had declared
them to be perfidious enemies; and their unexpected
return so soon after they had proclaimed that they were

1. ‘I have been assured, by one of the most respectable Factors, that he
has seen an Indian pierce an inch plank with an unbarbed arrow, shot from
his bow, the mere wooden point passing through and protruding on the other
side” (‘‘Journal of the [Protestant] Bishop of Montreal,” p. 97).

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