Journals, стр. 115
I expected from the slackness of the current in this branch, that the western one would be high, but I found it equally low. I had every reason to believe that from the upper part of this branch, the distance could not be great to the country through which I passed when I left the Great River; but it has since been determined otherwise by Mr. J. Finlay, who was sent to explore it, and found its navigation soon terminated by falls and rapids.
The branches are about two hundred yards in breadth, and the water was six feet lower than on our upward passage. Our course, after the junction, was north-northwest one mile, the rapid northeast down it three quarters of a mile, north by west one mile and a quarter, north by east one mile and an half, east by south one mile, northeast two miles and an half, east-northeast a quarter of a mile; a rivulet; east by south one mile and an half, northeast two miles, east-northeast one mile, north-northeast a quarter of a mile, northeast by east-half a mile, east-southeast a quarter of a mile, east-northeast half a mile, northeast two miles, northeast by east two miles and a quarter, southeast by east a quarter of a mile; a rivulet from the left; east by north a mile and an half, east by south one mile, east-northeast one mile and three quarters; a river on the right; north-northeast three quarters of a mile, northeast a mile and a half, northeast by east a mile and a quarter, east-northeast half a mile, and northeast by north half a mile. Here we landed at our encampment of the 27th of June, from whence I dispatched a letter in an empty keg, as was mentioned in that period of my journal, which set forth our existing state, progress, and expectation.
.—Though the weather was clear, we could not embark this morning before five, as there was a rapid very near us, which required daylight to run it, that we might not break our canoe on the rocks. The baggage we were obliged to carry. Our course was north by east a mile and an half, north-northeast a mile and a half down another rapid on the west side; it requires great care to keep directly between the eddy current, and that which was driving down with so much impetuosity. We then proceeded north-northwest, a river from the right; a mile and a quarter, north-northeast a mile and a half, a river from the left; north one mile and three quarters, northeast two miles, northeast by east two miles and a quarter, east by north one mile, northeast by east four miles, a river from the left, and east by south a mile and a half. Here was our encampment on the 26th of May, beyond which it would be altogether superfluous for me to take the courses, as they are inserted in their proper places.
As we continued our voyage, our attention was attracted by the appearance of an Indian encampment. We accordingly landed, and found there had been five fires, and within that number of days, so that there must have been some inhabitants in the neighbourhood, though we were not so fortunate as to see them. It appeared that they had killed a number of animals, and fled in a state of alarm, as three of their canoes were left carelessly on the beach, and their paddles laying about in disorder. We soon after came to the carrying-place called the Portage de la Montagne de Roche. Here I had a meridian altitude, which made the latitude 56° 3′ 51″ north.
The water, as I have already observed, was much lower than when we came up it, though at the same time the current appeared to be stronger from this place to the forks; the navigation, however, would now be attended with greater facility, as there is a stony beach all the way, so that poles, or the towing-line, may be employed with the best effect, where the current overpowers the use of paddles.
We were now reduced to a very short allowance; the disappointment, therefore, at not seeing any animals was proportioned to our exigencies, as