NARRATIVE. 71 



objects discernible except some Indians and their dogs, and the indis- 

 tinct forms of their lodges on the beach. 



July Vltli. Before we were stirring this morning, our friends of 

 the " Dancing Feather" made their appearance, and we learned to 

 our surprise that they had been encamped for some time and had 

 already finished their breakfast. The fact was their voyageurs were 

 a little piqued at our having pushed on ahead of them, and were 

 resolved we should not gain any advantage by it. So getting up 

 very early they came up with all speed, and silently passing the spot 

 where we were encamped, pitched their tent at some distance beyond, 

 and made haste to get breakfast before we were up. 



The Pic is a post of the Hudson's Bay Company ; the smallest 

 of the three on the lake* ; the name is derived not as we at first 

 supposed, from the pointed hills across the river, but from an Indian 

 word, Peek or Neepeelc, signifying, I believe, " dirty water." The 

 same word occurs in Neepeegon. It is situated near the mouth" of a 

 rather sluggish stream of turbid, brown water, about two hundred 

 and fifty yards broad, flowing through a valley, wide near its mouth 

 and narrowing higher up, apparently a delta of the river. There 

 are considerable falls at some distance up the river. A sand-bar, on 

 which there are six feet of water, extends across its mouth, and par- 

 ticularly on the northern side there is a very broad beach of white 

 sand, like that of the sea-shore, drifted into hills, and at the top of 

 the beach into a high ridge or dune, like that at Michipicotin, but 

 smaller, whence . there is a steep descent into the pitch-pine woods 

 behind the post. Near the beach is a remarkable dyke of pitchstone. 



The establishment consists of a number of whitewashed red-trimmed 

 buildings of one story, like the fishermen's cottages of our coast, rang- 

 ed round a hollow square and surrounded by a high palisade. The 



* The following lists of the furs obtained for the two last years, as given by Mr. 

 Beggs to one of the gentlemen who remained behind here, may be of some value as an. 

 indication of the relative abundance of the different species : 1847, bears, 21, beavers, 

 12-5, lynxes. 237, fishers, 83, cross foxes, 6, red do., 18, silver do. ,3, martins, 710, minks, 

 297, musk-rats, 2,450, otters, 137, wolverine, 1, ermines, 32. 1848, bears, 20, beavers, 

 126, lynxes, 61, fishers, 66, red foxes, 6, white foxes, 6, martins, 1,167, minks, 402, 

 musk-rats, 1,999, otters, 179, ermines, 118. The inverse proportions of lynxes and mar- 

 tins confirm what Mr. Swanston said. It is to be observed that the number of hunters 

 is much smaller here than at either of the other posts. 



