i NORTH-WEST CONTINENT OF AMERICA.

Ep as gefted, muft be well acquainted with the other river, which was the

object of my inquiry. Iengaged one of them, by a bribe of fome
beads, to defcribe the circumjacent country upon the fand. This fingular
- map he immediately undertook to delineate, and accordingly traced out
a very long point of land between the rivers, though without paying the
- Jeaft attention to their courfes, which he reprefented as running into the
great lake, at the extremity of which, as he had been told by Indians of
other nations, there was a Belhoullay Cou, or White Man’s Fort.
This I took to be Unalafcha Fort, and confequently the river to the
Weft to be Cook’s River; and that the body of water or fea into which
this river difcharges itfelf at Whale Ifland, communicates with Norton
Sound. I made an advantageous propofition to this man to accompany
me acrofs the mountains to the other river, but he refufed it. At
the fame time he recommended me to the people already mentioned,
who were filhing in the neighbourhood, as better qualified to affift me
in the undertaking which I had propofed.

One of this fmall company of natives was grievoufly afflited with
ulcers in his back; and the only attention which was paid to his miferable
condition, as far at leaft as we could difcover, proceeded from a woman,
who carefully employed a bunch of feathers in preventing the flies from
fettling upon his fores.

At ten this morning we landed near the lodges which had already been
mentioned to us, and I ordered my people to make preparation for pafling
the remaining part of the day here, in order to obtain that familiarity
with the natives which might induce them to afford me, without referve, the

information