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BAROMETRICAL OBSERVATIONS. 



July, 



metrical observations, the latter would be nine 

 hundred and fifty feet above the sea by his data.* 



* The exact heiglit assigned by Captain Lefroy to Methy 

 Lake is 1540 feet, which I have reduced in the text to the 

 even number of 1500, as agreeing better with my own esti- 

 mates. If this be nearly correct, Captain Lefroy gives too 

 small an altitude to Isle a la Crosse Lake, since the route from 

 thence to the portage is chiefly lake-way ; and the Methy River 

 cannot have a descent of 240 feet, which his altitudes would 

 assign to it. 



In the year 1848 I made several observations with the 

 aneroid on Methy Portage to ascertain its levels, but they were 

 neither so carefully made nor so extensive as they would have 

 been, had I been less anxiously and constantly employed about 

 the transport of the goods and boat. The error in this case 

 is not, however, likely to be many feet, as the portage is evi- 

 dently very nearly level as far as the Cockscomb. The height 

 of the latter was ascertained on July 27. 1849, by Delcros' 

 barometer, the observations being as follow : — 



These furnish two sets for calculation, — 

 the first giving a height of 

 and the second of - - 



The aneroid barometer in 1848 gave 



- 640 feet 



- 632 „ 



- 631 „ 



Mean - 634 „ 



Sir Alexander Mackenzie estimated this declivity at 1000 

 feet, Lieutenant Hood at 900 feet, both judging merely from 

 the eye and time employed in its descent. 



