NORTH-WEST CONTINENT OF AMERICA,

of the natives, which we had réafon to fuppofé they had quitted the
preceding day. At five we perceived a family, confifting of a man, two
women, and as many children, f{tationed by the fide of the water, whom
we had not feen before. They informed us, that they had but few fith,
and that none of their friends were in the neighbourhood, except the
inhabitants of one lodge on the other fide of the river, and a man who
belonged to them, and who was now occupied in hunting. Inow found
my interpreter very unwilling to afk fuch queftions as were di€tated to him,
from the apprehenfion, as I imagined, that I might obtain fuch intelli-
gence as would prevent him from feeing Athabafca this feafon. We
left him with the Indian, and pitched our tents at thé fame place where
we had paffed the night on the fifth of laff month. ‘The Englifh chief
came along with the Indian to our fire; and the latter informed us that
the native who went down part of the river with us had paffed there,
and that we fhould meet with three lodges of his tribe above the river of
the Bear Lake. Of the river to the Weltward he knew nothing but
from the relation of others. This was the firft night fince our de-
parture from Athabafca, when it was fufficiently dark to render the ftars
vifible.

We fet off at three this morning with the towing-Ime. I walked with
my Indians, as they went fafter than the canoe, and particularly as I
fafpe&ted that they wanted to arrive at the huts of the natives be-
foreme. In our way, I obferved feveral {mall {prings of mineral water
running from the foot of the mountain, and along the beach I faw feveral
lumps of iron ore. When we came to the river of the Bear Lake, I or-
dered one of the young Indians to wait for my canoe, and I took my

place

Sunday 2,