They started at four A.M. and at the same time our hunters were sent off in search of deer, and the rest of the party proceeded in the canoes to the first cascade in the river, at the foot of which we encamped and set four nets.  This cascade, produced by a ridge of rocks crossing the stream, is about three or four feet in height and about two hundred and fifty yards wide.  Its position by our observations in latitude 67 degrees 19 minutes 23 seconds North, longitude 109 degrees 44 minutes 30 seconds West, variation 41 degrees 43 minutes 22 seconds, dip 88 degrees 58 minutes 48 seconds.  I have named this river Hood as a small tribute to the memory of our lamented friend and companion.  It is from three to four hundred yards wide below the cascade but in many places very shallow.  The banks, bottom, and adjacent hills are formed of a mixture of sand and clay.  The ground was overspread with small willows and the dwarf birch, both too diminutive for fuel, and the stream brought down no driftwood.  We were mortified to find the nets only procured one salmon and five white-fish, and that we had to make another inroad upon our dried meat.

August 1.

At two this morning the hunters returned with two small deer and a brown bear.  Augustus and Junius arrived at the same time, having traced the river twelve miles farther up without discovering any vestige of inhabitants.  We had now an opportunity of gratifying our curiosity respecting the bear so much dreaded by the Indians, and of whose strength and ferocity we had heard such terrible accounts.  It proved to be a lean male of a yellowish brown colour and not longer than a common black bear.  It made a feeble attempt to defend itself and was easily despatched.  The flesh was brought to the tent but, our fastidious voyagers supposing, from its leanness, that the animal had been sickly, declined eating it; the officers however being less scrupulous boiled the paws and found them excellent.

We embarked at ten A.M. and, proceeding down the river, took on board another deer that had been killed by Credit that evening.  We then ran along the eastern shore of Arctic Sound, distinguished by the name of Banks’ Peninsula in honour of the late Right Honourable Sir Joseph Banks, President of the Royal Society and, rounding Point Wollaston at its eastern extremity, opened another extensive sheet of water, and the remainder of the afternoon was spent in endeavouring to ascertain from the tops of the hills whether it was another bay or merely a passage enclosed by a chain of islands.  Appearances rather favouring the latter opinion we determined on proceeding through it to the southward.  During the delay four more deer were killed, all young and lean.  It appeared that the coast is pretty well frequented by reindeer at this season, but it was rather singular that hitherto we had killed none (excepting the first) but young ones of last season which were all too lean to have been eaten by any but persons who had no choice.