The length of our voyage today was in a direct line sixteen miles and a quarter on a South-South-West course.  We encamped soon after sunset and the tent was scarcely pitched when a heavy rain began, which continued all night.

Sixteen miles on the 11th and five on the following morning brought us to the commencement of Hayes River which is formed by the confluence of the Shamattawa and Steel Rivers.  Our observations place this spot in latitude 56 degrees 22 minutes 32 seconds North, longitude 93 degrees 1 minute 37 seconds West.  It is forty-eight miles and a half from York Factory including the windings of the river.  Steel River, through which our course lay, is about three hundred yards wide at its mouth; its banks have more elevation than those of Hayes River, but they shelve more gradually down to the stream and afford a tolerably good towing path, which compensates in some degree for the rapids and frequent shoals that impede its navigation.  We succeeded in getting about ten miles above the mouth of the river before the close of day compelled us to disembark.

We made an effort on the morning of the 13th to stem the current under sail but, as the course of the river was very serpentine, we found that greater progress could be made by tracking.  Steel River presents much beautiful scenery; it winds through a narrow but well wooded valley which at every turn disclosed to us an agreeable variety of prospect, rendered more picturesque by the effect of the season on the foliage, now ready to drop from the trees.  The light yellow of the fading poplars formed a fine contrast to the dark evergreen of the spruce, whilst the willows of an intermediate hue served to shade the two principal masses of colour into each other.  The scene was occasionally enlivened by the bright purple tints of the dogwood, blended with the browner shades of the dwarf birch and frequently intermixed with the gay yellow flowers of the shrubby cinquefoil.  With all these charms the scene appeared desolate from the want of human species.  The stillness was so great that even the twittering of the whiskey-johneesh, or cinereous crow caused us to start.  Our voyage today was sixteen miles on a South-West course.

September 14.

We had much rain during the night and also in the morning, which detained us in our encampment later than usual.  We set out as soon as the weather cleared up and in a short time arrived at the head of Steel River where it is formed by the junction of Fox and Hill Rivers.  These two rivers are nearly of equal width but the latter is the most rapid.  Mr. McDonald, on his way to Red River in a small canoe manned by two Indians, overtook us at this place.  It may be mentioned as a proof of the dexterity of the Indians and the skill with which they steal upon their game that they had on the preceding day, with no other arms than a hatchet, killed two deer, a hawk, a curlew, and a sturgeon.  Three of the Company’s boats joined us in the course of the morning and we pursued our course up Hill River in company.  The water in this river was so low and the rapids so bad that we were obliged several times in the course of the day to jump into the water and assist in lifting the boat over the large stones which impeded the navigation.  The length of our voyage today was only six miles and three-quarters.