At noon we bade farewell to our kind friend Mr.Smith.
The crews commenced a lively paddling song on quitting the shore, which was continued until we had lost sight of the houses.

We soon reached the western boundary of the lake, and at two entered the Stony River, one of the discharges of the Athabasca Lake into the Slave River, and having a favouring current passed swiftly along.

This narrow stream is confined between low swampy banks, which support willows, dwarf birch, and alder.
At five we passed its conflux with the Peace River.

The Slave River, formed by the union of these streams, is about three quarters of a mile wide.

We descended this magnificent river, with much rapidity, and after passing through several narrow channels, formed by an assemblage of islands, crossed a spot where the waters had a violent whirling motion, which, when the river is low, is said to subside into a dangerous rapid; on the present occasion no other inconvenience was felt than the inability of steering the canoes, which were whirled about in every direction by the eddies, until the current carried them beyond their influence.