It is the continuation of the route by the Pembina
before mentioned. At noon we entered the majestic Athabasca or Elk River.
Its junction with the Clear Water River is called the Forks. Its banks
were inaccessible cliffs, apparently of clay and stones about two hundred
feet high, and its windings in the south were encircled by high
mountains. Its breadth exceeded half a mile and was swelled to a mile in
many places by long muddy islands in the middle covered with trees. No
more portages interrupted our course but a swift current hurried us
towards the quarter in which our anticipated discoveries were to
commence. The passing cliffs returned a loud confusion of echoes to the
sprightly canoe song and the dashing paddles and the eagles, watching
with half-closed eyes on the pine-tops, started from their airy rest and
prepared their drowsy pinions for the flight.
About twenty miles from the Forks are some salt pits and plains, said to
be very extensive. The height of the banks was reduced to twenty or
thirty feet and the hills ranged themselves at an increased distance from
the banks in the same variety as those of the Clear Water River. At
sunset we encamped on a small sandy island but the next morning made a
speedy retreat to the canoes, the water having nearly overflown our
encampment. We passed two deserted settlements of the fur traders on
opposite banks at a place called Pierre au Calumet. Beyond it the hills
disappeared and the banks were no longer visible above the trees. The
river carries away yearly large portions of soil which increases its
breadth and diminishes its depth, rendering the water so muddy as to be
scarcely drinkable. Whole forests of timber are drifted down the stream
and choke up the channels between the islands at its mouth. We observed
the traces of herds of buffaloes where they had crossed the river, the
trees being trodden down and strewed as if by a whirlwind.
At four P.M. we left the main branch of the Athabasca, entering a small
river called the Embarras. It is narrow and muddy with pines of an
enormous size on its banks. Some of them are two hundred feet high and
three or four feet in diameter. At nine P.M. we landed and encamped but,
finding ourselves in a nest of mosquitoes, we continued our journey
before daybreak; and at eight A.M. emerged into the Athabasca Lake. A
strong wind agitated this sea of fresh water which however we crossed
without any accident, and landed on the north side of it at Fort
Chipewyan where we had the satisfaction of finding our companions in good
health, and of experiencing that sympathy in our anxiety on the state of
affairs, which was only to be expected from those who were to share our
future fortunes.
