The
Canoes, After Being Lightened Of Part Of Their Cargoes, Ran Through This
Defile Without Sustaining Any Injury.
Accurate sketches of this
interesting scene were taken by Messrs.
Back and Hood. Soon after passing
this rapid we perceived the hunters running up the east side of the river
to prevent us from disturbing a herd of musk-oxen which they had observed
grazing on the opposite bank; we put them across and they succeeded in
killing six, upon which we encamped for the purpose of drying the meat.
The country below the Rocky Defile Rapid consists of sandy plains, broken
by small conical eminences also of sand, and bounded to the westward by a
continuation of the mountain chain which we had crossed at the Bear Lake
Portage, and to the eastward and northward at the distance of twelve
miles by the Copper Mountains, which Mr. Hearne visited. The plains are
crowned by several clumps of moderately large spruces about thirty feet
high.
This evening the Indians made a large fire as a signal to the Hook's
party that we had passed the TERRIFIC rapid in safety.
The position of our encampment was ascertained to be latitude 67 degrees
1 minute 10 seconds North, longitude 116 degrees 27 minutes 28 seconds
West, variation of the compass 44 degrees 11 minutes 43 seconds East, dip
of the needle 87 degrees 31 minutes 18 seconds.
Some thundershowers retarded the drying of the meat and our embarkation
was delayed till the next day.
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