The Pursuer, Being
Alarmed At The Sight Of Our Men, Gave Up The Chase When Near To The
Hindmost, Much To Our Regret For We Were Calculating Upon The Chance Of
Sharing In His Capture.
At four P.M. our men returned with the agreeable information that they
had seen the river flowing at the base of the Rock-nest.
The canoes and
stores were immediately placed on the ice and dragged thither; we then
embarked but soon had to cut through a barrier of drift ice that blocked
up the way. We afterwards descended two strong rapids and encamped near
the discharge of a small stream which flows from an adjoining lake. The
Copper-Mine River at this point is about two hundred yards wide and ten
feet deep, and flows very rapidly over a rocky bottom. The scenery of its
banks is picturesque, the hills shelve to the waterside and are well
covered with wood, and the surface of the rocks is richly ornamented with
lichens. The Indians say that the same kind of country prevails as far as
Mackenzie's River in this parallel, but that the land to the eastward is
perfectly barren. Akaitcho and one of the Indians killed two deer which
were immediately sent for. Two of the hunters arrived in the night and we
learned that their companions, instead of being in advance as we
supposed, were staying at the place where we first found the river open.
They had only seen our fires last evening and had sent to examine who we
were. The circumstance of having passed them was very vexatious as they
had three deer en cache at their encampment. However an Indian was sent
to desire those who remained to join us and bring the meat.
We embarked at nine A.M. on July 2nd and descended a succession of strong
rapids for three miles. We were carried along with extraordinary
rapidity, shooting over large stones upon which a single stroke would
have been destructive to the canoes; and we were also in danger of
breaking them, from the want of the long poles which lie along their
bottoms and equalise their cargoes, as they plunged very much, and on one
occasion the first canoe was almost filled with the waves. But there was
no receding after we had once launched into the stream, and our safety
depended on the skill and dexterity of the bowmen and steersmen. The
banks of the river here are rocky and the scenery beautiful, consisting
of gentle elevations and dales wooded to the edge of the stream and
flanked on both sides at the distance of three or four miles by a range
of round-backed barren hills, upwards of six hundred feet high. At the
foot of the rapids the high lands recede to a greater distance and the
river flows with a more gentle current in a wider channel through a level
and open country consisting of alluvial sand. In one place the passage
was blocked up by drift ice still deeply covered with snow. A channel for
the canoes was made for some distance with the hatchets and poles but, on
reaching the more compact part, we were under the necessity of
transporting the canoes and cargoes across it, an operation of much
hazard as the snow concealed the numerous holes which the water had made
in the ice. This expansion of the river being mistaken by the guide for a
lake which he spoke of as the last on our route to the sea, we supposed
that we should have no more ice to cross, and therefore encamped after
passing through it, to fit the canoes properly for the voyage and to
provide poles, which are not only necessary to strengthen them when
placed in the bottom, but essentially requisite for the safe management
of them in dangerous rapids. The guide began afterwards to doubt whether
the lake he meant was not farther on, and he was sent with two men to
examine into the fact, who returned in the evening with the information
of its being below us but that there was an open channel through it. This
day was very sultry and several plants appeared in flower.
The men were employed in repairing their canoes to a late hour and
commenced very early next morning as we were desirous of availing
ourselves of every part of this favourable weather. The hunters arrived
in the course of the night. It appeared that the dog which escaped from
us two days ago came into the vicinity of their encampment, howling
piteously; seeing him without his harness they came to the hasty
conclusion that our whole party had perished in a rapid and, throwing
away part of their baggage and leaving the meat behind them, they set off
with the utmost haste to join Long-legs. Our messenger met them in their
flight but too far advanced to admit of their returning for the meat.
Akaitcho scolded them heartily for their thoughtlessness in leaving the
meat, which we so much wanted. They expressed their regret and, being
ashamed of their panic, proposed to remedy the evil as much as possible
by going forward without stopping until they came to a favourable spot
for hunting, which they expected to do about thirty or forty miles below
our present encampment. Akaitcho accompanied them but previous to setting
off he renewed his charge that we should be on our guard against the
bears, which was occasioned by the hunters having fired at one is morning
as they were descending a rapid in their canoe. As their small canoes
would only carry five persons two of the hunters had to walk in turns
along the banks.
In our rambles round the encampment we witnessed with pleasure the
progress which vegetation had made within the few last warm days; most of
the trees had put forth their leaves and several flowers ornamented the
moss-covered ground; many of the smaller summer birds were observed in
the woods, and a variety of ducks, gulls, and plovers, sported on the
banks of the river.
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