He then shifted his camp to a place three miles to the north-east, below a precipice from which issued streams of fine water as cold as ice.

And here he took careful observations with his astronomical and surveying instruments, in order to fix his position.
Fortunately the day was one of bright sunshine.

Otherwise, had there been a long persistence of cloud, he might have been obliged to leave the Pacific coast without being able to fix precisely the place where he had reached the sea.
Then he yielded to the passionate desire of his people to withdraw inland from the possibly dangerous inhabitants of the coast, and returned with them to the encampment where the porcupine had been eaten.

Here the guide made off into the woods.

Mackenzie followed him, and thus reached a village from which two men issued armed with daggers and intending to attack him.