Eager to secure so valuable a prize, we instantly opened a fire upon him from four muskets, and in a few minutes he fell, but not before he had received fourteen balls.

The carcass was towed to the bank, and the canoe speedily laden with meat.

After this piece of good fortune, we descended the stream merrily, our voyagers chanting their liveliest songs.

On arrival at the mouth of the river, we found that our nets had not produced more than enough to supply a scanty meal to the men whom we had left behind, but this was now of little importance, as the acquisition of meat we had made would enable us to proceed without more delay to Slave Lake.

The _poisson inconnu_ mentioned by Mackenzie, is found here.