Page:Narrative of the Discoveries on the North Coast of America.djvu/174

 which much increased the distance and fatigue. The land is very low, and intersected by innumerable salt creeks. In fording these we were constantly wet to the waist, and the water was dreadfully cold. We crossed a strong deep river, and a shallow inlet, half a mile broad, in our portable canoe, which transported us all at two trips. The former was subsequently ascertained by Sinclair, after whom I called it, to issue from a large brackish body of water about five miles from our ferry. The latter, to which I gave the name of our other guide, M'Kay, receives a stream at no great distance from where we crossed it, for its waters flowed gently towards the sea, and were nearly fresh. Our route was tortuous in the extreme, and we had ascended M'Kay's inlet for several miles before we could distinguish the opposite shore. We passed during the day many large Esquimaux sledges, exceedingly well put together, and stoutly shod with horn. These vehicles were, in all probability, left here by the people of the great camp at Staines' River, on their eastward journey, to be resumed on their return when winter sets in. We also saw innumerable tracks of reindeer, and the trail of two hunters. Several Canada geese, with their young brood, ran across our path, but I did not allow them to be fired at. The snow