Here a misfortune, which had been threatening for several days, came upon the party.  Mr. Young’s arm was so swollen, from the shoulder to finger tips, that he could scarcely move it, the pain being excessive.  It had been brought on doubtless by cold and exposure.  Seeing that he could be of no further use to the party, it was decided to divide forces, Mr. Smith returning with the sick man to Rigolet for medical assistance.  The separation took place August 8, when the party had been on the river eleven days.  The party were very sorry to return at this point, since from the best information which they could get in regard to the distance, the falls were but fifty miles above them.  Under the circumstances, however, there was no help for it.  So Smith and Young, bidding their friends good fortune, started on their return trip.  The mouth of the river was reached in three days, a little less than one-third the time consumed in going up, and that, too, with only one man to handle the boat.

On the way down the river another party, composed of Messrs. Bryant and Kenaston of Philadelphia, was met, who were on the same business as the Bowdoin party, the discovery of the falls.  Mr. Bryant handed to Mr. Young a twenty-five pound can of flour, which, he said, he had found in the whirlpool below the first falls.  It had been in the boat which was overturned in the Horseshoe Rapids, and had made the journey to the first falls, a distance of over fifty miles, without denting or injuring the can in any way.  It was a great relief to the Bryant party to learn the cause of the mishap, as they had feared a more serious calamity.

After the departure of the other two, Messrs. Cary and Cole encountered much rapid water, so that their progress was necessarily slow.  On the third day, when they had proceeded sixty-five miles above Lake Waminikapon, and had seen no indications of any falls, the rapidity of the current forced them to leave the river and make any further progress on foot.  The boat was cached at this point, together with all that was left of provisions and instruments except the compass and food for six days.  They left just enough provisions to carry them to their last cache at Ninipi River, and hoped, by careful use of the remainder, to find the object of their search.  If they had not enough provisions, then they must turn back, leaving reports of falls as destitute of confirmation as ever.

The land bordering the river at this point was heavily wooded, and in places where the river shore could not be followed on account of the cliffs, their progress was necessarily slow.  Finding an elevation of land at no great distance from them, they ascended it for a general survey of the country.  Far away in the distance could be seen the current of the Grand River flowing sluggishly but majestically on its course to the sea.  Lakes on all sides were visible, most of them probably of glacial origin.  Descending from this mountain, which the explorers christened Mount Bowdoin, a course was laid on the river bank, where camp was made that night.  Being now somewhat weak from hard labor and insufficient food, their progress was slow through the thick wood, but on the next night camp was made on the edge of the plateau or table land of Labrador.