142 Mackenzie’s Voyages

coast. The coast Indians lived upon the “Stinking Lake,”
and traded directly with white men who came in vessels as
big as islands.

The people to the west were numerous and hostile towards
strangers, yet for a moment he entertained the thought of
an excursion overland in that direction, but immediately
abandoned the tentative project as impracticable. “Then he
thought of throwing in his lot with these Indians, and
travelling with them by gradual stages to the sea, after the
manner of Samuel Hearne, but this wild scheme was at
once thrown aside as quixotic. Mackenzie suspected that
his interpreters, who were tired of the voyage, might
possibly have refrained from putting his inquiries before the
natives in the proper way. He knew a word or two of the
language, and his quick ear caught references to a big river
which runs towards the noonday sun, a branch of which
was separated from the headwaters of that which they were
now navigating by a short carrying-place. ‘The inhabitants
were numerous and warlike and lived in carpentered houses
built on islands.

With hope renewed, Mackenzie enlisted the services of
one of these people as a guide and prepared to depart immedi-
ately. He describes them as of low stature, not pleasing in
appearance, with round faces, long hair and high cheek-
bones. Their garments consisted of moccasins, leggings up
to the hips and tunics made of beaver-skins and caribou
hide. The women were cleaner than the men, and both
wore a black artificial stripe across the face under the eyes
extending from ear to ear.

They had much iron in use, which was a gratification to
the explorer, as it indicated that it was not impossible to
reach the sea-board whence this article of trade had come.
Their course up the Parsnip was continued, the river