in a line between it and the mouth of Mackenzie’s River is a continual descent, although to the eastward of that line there may be several heights between it and the Arctic Sea.  To the eastward the lands descend to Hudson’s Bay, and to the westward also, till the Athabasca River cuts through it, from whence it ascends to the Rocky Mountains.  Daring was the spirit of enterprise that first led Commerce with her cumbrous train from the waters of Hudson’s Bay to those of the Arctic Sea, across an obstacle to navigation so stupendous as this; and persevering has been the industry which drew riches from a source so remote.

HIS JOURNEY TO CHIPEWYAN.

On the 8th two men arrived and informed us that they had brought us our ten bags of pemmican from Isle a la Crosse, but that they were found to be rotten.  Thus were we unexpectedly deprived of the most essential of our stores for we knew Fort Chipewyan to be destitute of provisions and that Mr. Franklin depended upon us for a supply, whereas enough did not remain for our own use.  On the 9th the canoes and cargoes reached the north side of the portage.  Our people had selected two bags of pemmican less mouldy than the rest which they left on the beach.  Its decay was caused by some defect in the mode of mixing it.

On the 10th we embarked in the Clear Water River and proceeded down the current.  The hills, the banks, and bed of the river were composed of fine yellow sand with some limestone rocks.  The surface soil was alluvial.  At eight A.M. we passed a portage on which the limestone rocks were singularly scattered through the woods, bearing the appearance of houses and turrets overgrown with moss.  The earth emitted a hollow sound and the river was divided by rocks into narrow crooked channels, every object indicating that some convulsion had disturbed the general order of nature at this place.  We had passed a portage above it and after two long portages below it we encamped.  Near the last was a small stream so strongly impregnated with sulphur as to taint the air to a great distance around it.  We saw two brown bears on the hills in the course of the day.

At daylight on the 11th we embarked.  The hills continued on both sides of the mouth of the river, varying from eight hundred to one thousand feet in height.  They declined to the banks in long green slopes diversified by woody mounds and copses.  The pines were not here in thick impenetrable masses but perched aloft in single groups on the heights or shrouded by the livelier hues of the poplar and willow.

We passed the mouth of the Red Willow River on the south bank flowing through a deep ravine.  It is the continuation of the route by the Pembina before mentioned.  At noon we entered the majestic Athabasca or Elk River.  Its junction with the Clear Water River is called the Forks.  Its banks were inaccessible cliffs, apparently of clay and stones about two hundred feet high, and its windings in the south were encircled