Augustus And Junius Not Having Returned Next Morning We Were More Alarmed
Respecting Them, And Determined On Proceeding To Find
Out the cause of
their detention, but it was eleven A.M. before we could prevail upon the
Indians to
Remain behind, which we wished them to do lest the Esquimaux
might be suspicious of our intentions if they were seen in our suite. We
promised to send for them when we had paved the way for their reception,
but Akaitcho, ever ready to augur misfortune, expressed his belief that
our messengers had been killed and that the Esquimaux, warned of our
approach, were lying in wait for us, and "although," said he, "your party
may be sufficiently strong to repulse any hostile attack, my band is too
weak to offer effectual resistance when separated from you, and therefore
we are determined to go on with you or to return to our lands." After
much argument however he yielded and agreed to stay behind, provided Mr.
Wentzel would remain with him. This gentleman was accordingly left with a
Canadian attendant and they promised not to pass a range of hills then in
view to the northward unless we sent notice to them.
The river during the whole of this day's voyage flowed between alternate
cliffs of looses and intermixed with gravel and red sandstone rocks, and
was everywhere shallow and rapid. As its course was very crooked much
time was spent in examining the different rapids previous to running
them, but the canoes descended, except at a single place, without any
difficulty. Most of the officers and half the men marched along the land
to lighten the canoes and reconnoitre the country, each person being
armed with a gun and a dagger. Arriving at a range of mountains which had
terminated our view yesterday, we ascended it with much eagerness,
expecting to see the rapid that Mr. Hearne visited near its base, and to
gain a view of the sea; but our disappointment was proportionably great
when we beheld beyond a plain, similar to that we had just left,
terminated by another range of trap hills, between whose tops the summits
of some distant blue mountains appeared. Our reliance on the information
of the guides, which had been for some time shaken, was now quite at an
end, and we feared that the sea was still far distant. The flat country
here is covered with grass and is devoid of the large stones so frequent
in the barren grounds, but the ranges of trap hills which seem to
intersect it at regular distances are quite barren. A few decayed stunted
pines were standing on the borders of the river. In the evening we had
the gratification of meeting Junius who was hastening back to inform us
that they had found four Esquimaux tents at the Fall which we recognised
to be the one described by Mr. Hearne. The inmates were asleep at the
time of their arrival but rose soon afterwards, and then Augustus
presented himself and had some conversation across the river.
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