NORTH-WEST CONTINENT OF AMERICA.

fire, as there was no good ground for an encampment: they emptied
their canoe of the water which it had taken in, and continued their
route, but did not encamp till fun-fet. The Englifh chief was very much
irritated againft the Red-Knife Indian, and even threatened to murder
him, for having undertaken to guide us in acourfe of which he was
ignorant; nor had we any reafon to be fatisfied with him, though he
{till continued to encourage us, by declaring that he recollected having
pafled from the river, through the woods, to the place where he had
landed. In the blowing weather to-day, we were obliged to make ule
of our large kettle, to keep our canoe from filling, although we did not

carry above three feet fail. The Indians very narrowly efcaped.

We embarked at four this evening, and fteered along the South-
Well fide of the bay. At half paft five we reached the extremity of the
point, which we doubled, and found it to be the branch or paflage that
was the objeét of our fearch, and occafioned by a very long ifland, which
feparates it from the main channel of the river. It is about half'a mile
acrofs, and not more than fix feet in depth; the water appeared to
abound in fifh, and was covered with fowl, fuch as {wans, geele, and
feveral kinds of ducks, particularly black ducks, that were very

numerous, but we could not get within gun fhot of them.

- The current, though not very ftrong, fet us South-Weflt by Well,
and we followed this courfe fourteen miles, till we paffed the point of
the long ifland, where the Slave Lake difcharges itfelf, and is ten miles
in breadth. There is not more than from five to two fathom water,

fo that when the lake is low, it may be prefumed the greateft part of
this

Monday ag,