After Leaving This Place We Soon Came To The Next
Portage Of Two Hundred And Seventy-Three Paces; And Shortly Afterwards To
The Mountain Portage Of One Hundred And Twenty, Which Is Appropriately
Named As The Path Leads Over The Summit Of A High Hill.
This elevated
situation commands a very grand and picturesque view for some miles along
the river which at this part is about a mile wide.
We next crossed a portage of one hundred and twenty yards; and then the
Pelican Portage of eight hundred paces. Mr. Back took an accurate sketch
of the interesting scenery which the river presents at this place. After
descending six miles farther we came to the last portage on the route to
Slave Lake which we crossed and encamped in its lower end. It is called
The Portage of the Drowned and it received that name from a melancholy
accident which took place many years ago. Two canoes arrived at the upper
end of the portage in one of which there was an experienced guide. This
man, judging from the height of the river, deemed it practicable to shoot
the rapid and determined upon trying it. He accordingly placed himself in
the bow of his canoe, having previously agreed that, if the passage was
found easy, he should, on reaching the bottom of the rapid, fire a musket
as a signal for the other canoe to follow. The rapid proved dangerous and
called forth all the skill of the guide and the utmost exertion of his
crew and they narrowly escaped destruction.
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