JOURNAL GF A VOYAGE THROUGH THE

this channel muft be dry. The river now turns to the weftward,
becoming gradually narrower for twenty-four miles, till it is not more
than half a mile wide; the current, however, is then much ftronger, and
the foundings were three fathom and a half. The land on the North
fhore from the lake is low, and covered with trees; that to the South
is much higher, and has alfo an abundance of wood. The current is very
ftrong, and the banks are of an equal height on both fides, confifling
of a yellow clay, mixed with fmall ftones; they are covered with large
quantities of burned wood, lying on the ground, and young poplar trees,
that have {prung up fince the fire that deftroyed the larger wood. It is
a very curious and extraordinary circumflance, that land covered with
ipruce pine, and white birch, when laid wafte by fire, fhould fubfe-
quently produce nothing but poplars, where none of that fpecies of tree
were previoulfly to be found.

A {tuff breeze from the Eaftward drove us on ata great rate under
fail, in the fame courfe, though obliged to wind among iflands. We
kept the North channel for about ten miles, whofe current is much
flronger than that of the South; fo that the latter is confequently
the better road to come up. Here the river widened, and the wind
dying away, we had recourfe to our paddles. We kept our courfe
to the North-Weft, on the North fide of the river, which is here
much wider, and affumes the form of-a {mall lake; we could not,
however, difcover an opening in any dire@ion, fo that we were at a
lofs what courfe to take, as our Red-Knife Indian had never ex-
plored beyond our prefent fituation. He at the fame time informed
us that a river falls in from the North, which takes its rife in the Eicch

Mountain, now in fight, which is the country of the Beaver Indians;

and