side of the river, when the bow met with the same. fate as the stern. At this moment the foreman seized on some branches of a small tree, in hopes of bringing up the canoe; but such was their elasticity, that, to our great surprise, he was jerked on shore in an instant, with a degree of violence that endangered his life. But our own danger was too great to leave us at leisure to enquire into his fate; for, in a few moments, we came across a cascade, that broke several large holes in the bottom of the canoe. The wreck becoming flat on the water, we all jumped out, and held fast to it. In this situation we were forced several hundred yards, with the constant expectation of being overwhelmed, When our strength was nearly exhausted, and every one began to think death inevitable, we came to shallow water and a small eddy, where, from the weight of the canoe resting on the stones, we were enabled to stop its further progress; and calling to the people on shore for assistance, amongst whom we espied the foreman unhurt, we were rescued from this imminent danger. The joy of escape was so great, that we scarcely considered our misfortune as it really deserved; our whole stock of balls, and some other useful articles, being irretrievably lost by this accident, and our canoe so shattered as to be unfit for service. In this deplorable condition, most men would have thought of nothing but the speediest means of return. The resolution of Mr. Franklin and Mr.

Roseberry

Roseberry was not to be shaken. They both were determined to overcome every obstacle within the power of man to subdue. They consoled the people, who were ready to despair, with kind attentions; and alleviated their fatigue with rest, and the best refreshments they could provide. When they were well recruited, they animated their drooping courage by exhortations, and well-timed praises of their past courage, which, with the prospect of soon reaching a smoother river, had such an effect, that they declared they were ready to follow wherever they would lead them. Our first employment was to seek for bark to repair our canoe; a task not effected without difficulty. Several falls in the river, and the obstruction of trees that lay across it, rendered a passage impracticable for miles; and every man was obliged to assist in carrying the canoe and the lading through a low, swampy country, their feet frequently sticking in quagmires of mud. Wearied with this laborious exertion, we sometimes ventured to put the canoe into the water; but her progress was soon interrupted by the drift wood and prostrate trees, which compelled us to advance alternately by land and water, according to circumstances, till we joyfully arrived on the bank of a navigable river, on the west side of the first great range of mountains.

Here I will close this part of my narrative, thinking it will be more convenient to you to divide

S4

divide it. In another letter, I shall relate the future events of our journey. Adieu. Ever your

THE excessive fatigues we had lately undergone made it necessary to halt, to recruit the strength and spirits of our men. Mr. Roseberry was, however, anxious to re-embark as soon as possible. The country, for some time, was rather low, and our view confined by woods, at a sinall distance from the banks. A little beyond, the river divided into two branches. We followed the most westerly course, and had not proceeded far before clouds of thick smoke rose from the woods, accompanied with a strong odour of the gum of cypress and the spruce fir; but notwithstanding that, we saw none of the natives. The banks here are composed of high, white cliffs, crowned with pinnacles in very grotesque shapes, that, with the assistance of a lively imagination,

might be compared to a succession of Gothic towers, whilst the river at their base tumbled in cascades and impetuous whirlpools, that complete the romantic scenery. This irregularity in the river once more obliged us to convey our crazy bark on the men's shoulders for more than half a mile, over a most rugged, rocky hill. After this fatigue, we partook, with our brave fellows, of a refreshing meal of pemican, rendered savory with wild onions, that grew plentifully on the banks, which were overshadowed by lofty firs and wide-spreading cedars. Our Indians shot the largest of two red deer, which came to the edge of the water to drink; and, from the number of their tracks, we suppose that they abound in this country. Many of the spruce trees had been stripped of their bark, probably by the natives, to make coverings for their cabins. The shores now became of a moderate height, covered with poplars and cypresses. We passed a comfortable night under the shelter of an Indian house, deserted by its inhabitants. It was of considerable size, and had accommodations for three families. Behind the beds was a narrow space, a little raised, for the purpose of keeping fish. The walls were formed of very straight spruce timbers, and the roof was of bark, supported by spars, resting on a ridge pole, fastened together by the fibres of the cedar. Along the upper part of the building were fixed large rods, on which they hang their fish to dry. The most extraordinary piece of furniture

left in this dwelling was a machine to catch farge fish, of such unwieldy dimensions, that the house must have been unroofed to let it in. It somewhat resembled an eel-basket in form, and was made of long pieces of split wood, placed an inch asunder, on six hoops. A boat of the same material was added to it, into which the fish may be driven, when they are to be taken out of the machine. On a point, at a little distance, we discovered an oblong heap, neatly walled and covered with bark, which we conjectured to be a tomb. Near it was fixed a pole, ten or twelve feet high, with a piece of bark hanging to it, which might express some memorial of the deceased. Several rivers, from different quarters, occasionally joined the main stream; and many islands appeared, on some of which we observed Indian. houses, like that I have just described. The cliffs are of various colours and shapes. In one place they rose like ancient castles, of white and red clay; and in another, the forms were equally grotesque, but of blue and yellow.

We perceived a canoe with one man in it, who, on seeing us, immediately gave the whoop, to alarm his friends on shore, who obeyed. his summons, by their hostile appearance on the bank ; being armed with bows and arrows, and spears, which they brandished, by way of defiance. According to our interpreters, they threatened us with instant death, if we should offer to land; and,

as