OF THE POLAR SEA,

171

the encampment its rays gilded the tops of thehills.

The night was warm, and we were much an-noyed by the musquitoes.

June 15.—We this morning experienced asmuch difficulty as before in prevailing upon theIndians to remain behind, and they did notconsent until I had declared that they shouldlose the reward which had been promised, ifthey proceeded any farther, before we had pre-pared the Esquimaux to receive them. Weleft a Canadian with them, and proceeded, notwithout apprehension that they would followus, and derange our whole plan by their ob-stinacy. Two of the officers and a party of themen walked on the shore, to lighten the canoes.The river, in this part, flows between high andstony cliffs, reddish slate clay rocks, and shelvingbanks of white clay, and is full of shoals anddangerous rapids. One of these was termedEscape Rapid, both the canoes having narrowlyescaped foundering in its high waves. We hadentered the rapid before we were aware, and thesteepness of the cliffs preventing us from landing,we were indebted to the swiftness of our descentfor preservation. Two waves made a com-plete breach over the canoes; a third would inall probability have filled and overset them, which