On the south shore, in the angle of the two rivers, stood the Hudson's Bay Company's fort, whilst the old X.Y.

Company's post, at that time the best equipped on the river, stood on the north bank opposite the Smoky.
In a delightful afternoon spent in rambling over this interesting neighbourhood, Mr.Mackenzie made out for me the site of the latter establishment, now in the midst of a dense thicket of nettles, shrubs, and saplings.

In this locality the antagonisms of old had full play--not only those of the traders, but of the Indians--and the river exhibited much more life and movement then than at the time of our visit.
In remote days a constant warfare had been kept up by the Crees on the river, who, just as they invaded the Blackfeet on the Saskatchewan, encroached here upon the Beavers--at that time a brave, numerous and warlike tribe, but now decayed almost to extinction, the victims, it is said, of incestuous intercourse.

The Beavers had also an enemy in their congeners, the Chipewyans, the three nations seemingly dividing the great river between them.

But neither succeeded in giving a permanent name to it.