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Show without having ~ct•n even the tt·acl\.s of any large game, lmt brought in three g<'CH~ anc\ tWO (.\u(·ks. rrhc pla.ins arc Wa.· ving. aml as we walked in them, we ('ould plainly discover~ range or mountaius hearing soullu·ast and n<wthwcst, becoming higher a.s thry advanced towards the north, the nearest point be~uing south about sixty miles fs·om us. Oul' stot·es 1Jein~ sutli.ciently dry to be reloaded, an(\ as we !:lh:tll be obligt~d to sto1, fos· the pm·pose or making some celestial observations at the mouth of the rivt~r, which t•annot be at a gt·cat distance, we conclutlcll to cmha.rk aml complete the clrying at that I>lace: we thcrcl'ol'C set out at two o'elock. FoL' the fit•st four miles we pas ·ell t hl'ce i ·lands, at the lower l>ointt of which wetc the same uumbet· nf nq>ids, bcsidt·s a fourth at a. distance from them. UUl·ing the next ten miles we 1msscd eight islands and tln·cc mo•·e rapids, and reached a point of rocks on the left side. 'l'he islands were of various sizes, but were all (•ompmwd of round !:!tone and saud: the raJ>ic.la were iu many },laces tliflicult and dan~ ge•·ous to pass. About this place the country betomes lower than u ·ual. the ga·ouud oves· tlw t·ivct· not l)Cing highel' than nind) ot• a hun(h·ed ft•ct, and <'Xtcnding hack into a "a· ving l)lain. ~oon aJtt~r leaving this l)Oiut of rocks, "centerNl a. nanow channrl fot·mctl by the 1u·ojectiug cliff.":~ of tlu· bauk. whit·h l'ise ncal'ly peq>cndicula•· f1·om the" ater. The l'iver is not howe Yet· ra1>i<l, I.JIIt g1·ntle atHl smooth dus·ing its contincmcut, whjeh la. b fol' three mih·s, when it falls, ot· rathc•· widen!:! into a kind of hasiu neat·ly J'oun<l, aml without any pet·cepliiJlc cuncnt. Afte•· passiug LIH·ough this basin, wa we1·c joined IJy tlw th &·ee Indians who had 1•iloted us tbt·ough the rapids since we left the l'ot·ks, and who in COIIlJ>any with Olll' tWO chiefs had gone befot·e us. rrJwy had now halted bCL'C to Wal'll US of a dan~el'UUS t•at>iO, whicb begins at the lower JlOiut or the ba~in. As the day was too far spent to descend it, we tlctea.·mined to examiue befol'c we attempte(t it, and thct·eforc landed ueat• nu island at the head ol' the rapid, and studied particula.dy all its nart·ow aud diffioull V]J tlte JJ-liSSOIL/'1. parts. 'l'lte spot wbcJ·c we landed was an old fishing establishment, of which thet·<· yet r~mained the timbers of' a house ca•·efully raised on scaffolds to 1n·otl~c t them against the spt·ing tide. Not bring able to pt·ocure any othea· fuel, and the night being ~..~old, we wes·e again obliged to use t.l&c property ol' the Indians, who stills·emain in tho plains hunting the antelope. Our ,,..ugt·tss was only twenty milt~s in consequence of the difficulty of passing the rapids. Our game consisted of two t<~al. Wedne!:lday, 16. HaYing examined the rapids, which we found more diflieult tha.n the t·rpoJ•t of the Indians had induced us to believe, we set out cal'ly. and putting out· Indian guide in front, our smallest canoe next, antl the rest in succession, began the descent: the passag<' proved to be very disagreeable; as there is a continuation of shoals cxtt'nding from bank to bank fot· the distance of tht·cc miles, dm·ing which the channel is narrow and et·ookcd, and obstructed by large rocks in evct·y (lit·cction , :;o as to t'NJuh·e gr<~at dexterity to avoid being daslwd on th('tn. We got through the rapids with no injury to any or the boats except. the bind most, "hich ran on a rock; but 1Jy the assistance of the other boats, and of the Indians who were very alet·t, she escaped, thou!;h the haggage she containc(l wa.s wet. 'Vithin tha·ee miles after leaving the rapid we passed three small islands, on one of which were tho parts of a house put on seatfolds ~\s n ·m\1, an(l soon after came to a rapid at the lowet· exu·cmity of th1·ee ~mall i!>lanclH; and a s<·cond at the di ~)tancc ol' a mile and a half below them; t·caching six miles bt•}ow the grNl.t rapid a point of t•ocks at a rapid opJWSito 1o the upper point of a small island on the left. Thl'Cl' miles fUl·thel' i~ anotht•t· ra11itl; and two milt.·s beyond this a 'CI'Y bad s·apid. o1· rathc1· a fall of tbc rivt•t•: this, on examination. ps·ovcd ~w ditlicult to pa!:lS. that we thought it impa·t.dcnt to attempt. all(l th(•t•et'ot·e unloaded the canoes aut! mude :1 portag<• Of tlu·ee qmu·tei'S of il mile. rJ'he l'apid, which is of about the same extent, is much broken by s•n(lks and shoal!-1, VOL. II. c |