Mr.M'Kay embarked with Mr.de Montigny and two Indians, in a small canoe, to examine the course of this river, a certain distance up.

On entering the stream, they saw a great number of birds, which they took at first for turkeys, so much they resembled them, but which were only a kind of carrion eagles, vulgarly called _turkey-buzzards_.

We were not a little astonished to see Mr.de Montigny return on foot and alone; he soon informed us of the reason: having ascended the _Kowlitzk_ about a mile and a half, on rounding a bend of the stream, they suddenly came in view of about twenty canoes, full of Indians, who had made a rush upon them with the most frightful yells; the two natives and the guide who conducted their little canoe, retreated with the utmost precipitancy, but seeing that they would be overtaken, they stopped short, and begged Mr.M'Kay to fire upon the approaching savages, which he, being well acquainted with the Indian character from the time he accompanied Sir Alexander M'Kenzie, and having met with similar occurrences before, would by no means do; but displayed a friendly sign to the astonished natives, and invited them to land for an amicable talk; to which they immediately assented.

Mr.
M'Kay had sent Mr.de Montigny to procure some tobacco and a pipe, in order to strike a peace with these barbarians.

The latter then returned to Mr.M'Kay, with the necessary articles, and in the evening the party came back to our camp, which we had fixed between the villages.