It was not accompanied either with dancing, drum, or rattle; but consisted of soft, plaintive tones, and a modulation that was rather agreeable: it had somewhat the air of church music." The country through which they travelled abounded in beavers.

It was the month of July, however, and they were harassed with thunderstorms, some of which were followed by hailstones as big as musket balls.

After one such storm the ground was whitened for two miles with these balls of ice.
In order not to be deserted by all of their new guides, Mackenzie was obliged to insist on one of them sharing his hut.

This young Amerindian was dressed in beaver garments which were a nest of vermin.

His hair was greased with fish oil, and his body smeared with red earth, so that at first Mackenzie thought he would never be able to sleep; but such was his fatigue that he passed a night of profound repose, and found the guide still there in the morning.