We followed some long bends from the S & SW and gradually back to WNW & W.  The river is contrailing & the water appears less muddy.  Frequent battious or flats & few Islands.

Commenced a [Thick] in the morning which continued until 8 when it became very warm.  The Thermometer at noon 76^o in the shade 92 exposed to the rays of the sun.  The race of the country displays no natural change from that passed yesterday.  Until the absence of hills.  Since coming above the Stag Hills - we saw several black bears along the banks of the river & Messrs Stewart & Herriot killed two Buffaloes & as men were dispatched for the meat, we encampt at 6:30 PM

Saturday 2nd.  3:50 Am Embarked.  between WNW & NW 10 miles.  A bend to the SW & South 2 1/2 miles observed Latitude 53.40.44 N.  SSW 2 miles.  SW 1 mile.  We passed the junction of Vermillion and Painter Creek at Lat 53.39.46 West  to NW hauled thru rapids 12 miles.  Days distance 27 1/2 miles.

For about 2 leagues below Vermillion Creek the river has a bend South & SW when it gradually turns again from the West & NW.  My observation places the Latitude of the junction of Vermillion Creek, 53.39 N opposite its mouth there were live trading posts, situated on a low point upon the north bank (& the opposite one to the Vermillion Creek.)  before the Ci atition.  The river is becoming narrower, not averaging a greater breadth than 150 yds which is not above the half, what it had some distance below here.  Its course is occasionally obstructed by rapids, formed by projecting points of rounded stones, obliging our crews to use the track line principally today.

The morning sharp and cloudy with showers, but turned to great heat during the day.  Thermometer at noon 80^o in the shade -- at 1 PM we met a small boat in batteus with two men from Edmonton.  The boat was []oke & the men embarked with us.  in the evening we had a heavy thunder storm with heavy rain.  We had at Sun set the singular appearance at the same time of a beautiful setting sun, rain bow & livid lightning.  We appear to have go out of the buffaloe district, we was none of the those animals along our days track.  Tho we saw two bear.  The fair of the country continues the same as that passed yesterday.  We encampt at 7:45 PM.  For some days the moskitos had disappeared but the great heat & rain of today brought them back in great numbers, to our great annoyance.

Sunday 3rd.  4:15 AM embarked between NW & west 10 miles passed Mouse Creek on our right.  SW to SSW 2 miles passed the site of old fort (Fort George []).  Came WbN passed there a hand 2 miles.  In the SW arrived at the head of Dog Rump Creek Fort 2 miles.  Then South screws and the center a strong rapid off SW 3 miles.  Passed Dog Rump Creek West 3 miles. Passed Dog Rump Creek on the left.

The course of the river has been very winding, with numerous rapids or rounding the projecting points rendering the tracking a very difficult duty.  Our men are frequently forced to wade out to their middle in the river where the projecting points of rounded stone or batture makes it necessary to keep the boats a distance off shore.  We passed Moose Creek coming from a Lake of the same name. [    ]

A thick fog in the morning, followed by clear & warm during the day.  Ther at noon 76.  At 9:15 we passed Moose Creek a small stream falling in with left a North Bank,  I am told it communicates with a Lake of the same name & then by making a few portages to a chain of small lakes we got to Beaver River which communicates with the [Athabacaw]- at 4 PM we passed the ruins of Fort George and old establishment situated on the right or North bank.  The county along the right or South bank of the rives is now covered with extensive forests, consisting principally of the Poplar on the left, the country is a mixture of forest & plains with swamps in some places.  We passed Dog Rump Creek  old fort in the Evening, it is situated on a low point of meadow land on the left bank of the river - about here the river is very rapid & winding - we encampt at 7:30 PM.

September 1826  Monday 4th.  4:20 AM embarked winding between SSW & SSE passed Stony Creek 4 Miles.  . . . Days distance 28 3/4 miles.

The course of the Rives is particularly winding. At 7 Am we passed the Stony River a [  ] at noon we passed an Island upon then forming was an establishment which my observation placed in Latitude 53 degrees 45 minutes 34 seconds N Long by [  ] 110.4 []

Thick fog in the morning followed by very warm weather during the day. Thermometer at noon 75 degrees.  We were favored with a fair wind for some hours, which gave our crews considerable relief from the labor of tracking.  Along the north banks [Igneous] Boulders or masses of limestone embeded in clay -- During the heat of the day we passed great numbers of a small striped black and green snake swimming from the South to the North Bank of the River and thereever along the Sandy Beach on the South shore, as if enjoying the bountiful influence of the  [  ] it appears that those crossing were leaving the cold of a northern aspect to gain the more pleasing heat of a southern exposure --The [  ] having become cool. We were less troubled by moskitos.

Tuesday 5th.  4:30 Am Embarked west to SW 6 miles West to NW 2 1/2  NW to North 5  North to NW 1/2 NW to West 1  West to SW and gradually to South for a short time 2 1/2 Crooked Rapids 1  SW to NW  2 Days distance 23 miles

The course of the River is if anything becoming more serpentous and the rapids more frequent making the labour of tracking very severe.  In the evening we passed a very strong chain of rapids the crooked rapid formed by a very strong bend of the river.

Thick fog in the morning.  We were joined by our hunters at 6:15 am which it appears were employed hunting deer, as they brought in a supply of one red deer.  besides the meat of a buffalo bull.  We crossed then and [ ] horses to the opposite or North Bank of the River.  Noon the weather became gloomy threatening rain Ther 70 degrees We had showers in the afternoon.  at 5:30 we hauled above the Crooked rapids - from here the journey has been made to Edmonton, I am informed in one day - by Dogs and sledge.  Behind here on the right banks of the river the plains are very extensive.  We encampt at 7pm having come 23 miles in the course of the day.

Wednesday 6th. 5:30 am embarked between NW and West 7 miles NW 1 1/2 NW to NNE 1/4  NW to West and then to SSW in a bend where we passed the junction of the Tesse Blanctic or the White Mud River 4 SW to South 2 1/2 carried on 1 and passed a small stream  [  ] South to SW 1 SW to west 1 Days distance 18 1/4.

The banks of the river now rise into steep cliff of considerable elevation. An interval between these being Delly ridges. Those on the South Bank\d densely wooded.  The fan of the cliffs present Coal shale with very fine quarries of fine stone having a yellow hue and apparently of an excellent quantity.

He had heavy rain during the morning, which cleared up at 10 AM.  At noon gloomy with heavy rain again in the afternoon.  We passed a small stream coming from the NW called the White Mud River.  on account of a fine white mud found on its banks. which the Indians use for whitening their leather robes - The river is frequently bounded by steep cliffs. presenting regular shale of Coal and fine free stone quarries - - At 7:15 We encampt on the fair of a clay cliff forming a very indifferent encampment.

Thursday 7th.  4:30 we embarked Between SW and NW 7 miles NW to West 2 1/2