The Chief Dangers Are From Stumps And Branches Of Trees
In The Narrows; And What Previously To The Great Fall In The Water We
Could Have Passed Over Without Difficulty, Now Occasions Us Some Anxiety
And Trouble.
The course the river took to-day was considerably to
the north.
June 17. - A very severe frost, the ice a quarter of an inch thick. About
a mile down the river, we saw a native burial-place or tomb, not more
than a month old; the characters carved on the trees were quite fresh:
the tomb had no semicircular seats, but in other respects was similar to
those seen on our last journey. The country still continued perfectly
level, the greater part extremely good and rich; back from the river it
was occasionally marshy, with barren rocky scrubs; the timber large, and
generally good: we could not see beyond a mile on the opposite side, but
the country there appeared much the same. One of the men, who was some
distance ahead of the horses, saw a large party of the natives, who fled
at his approach, and swam the river; there were upwards of twenty men,
besides women and children: the moment they were safely across, they
brandished their waddies and spears in token of defiance: this was the
first time any of the natives were seen armed, or in any way hostilely
inclined. The river ran to the north-west by north over a bottom of rock
and sand: in point of depth, it was amply sufficient for much larger
boats than ours; but it was impossible always to avoid concealed
dangers, over which the waters did not cause the slightest ripple.
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