Tue Great JourNEY 93

islands.” ‘This was the first definite report of
the western ocean that Mackenzie had secured.
He was suspicious that they were not telling
all they knew, and doubtful of his interpreter;
yet he could get no more out of them that day.
For a time he thought of going by land along
the track by which the iron had come from the
coast; it was no use toiling up the river if it led
nowhere. He renewed his attentions to the
natives, giving them pemmican and their chil-
dren sugar, and he asked no more questions
until the morning. Then, after a long and
fruitless examination, Mackenzie, who had
some knowledge of more than one Indian
language, chanced to catch some mention of
a great river, accompanied by a gesture up-
stream. Seizing on the clue, he discovered
that the native knew of “a large river that
runs towards the mid-day sun, a branch of
which flowed near the source of that which we
were now navigating; and that there were only
three small lakes and as many carrying-places
leading to a small river which discharges itself
into the great river.” ‘The missing link in his
knowledge was supplied, a native was induced