﻿1848, PORTAGE OF THE DROWNED. 145 



the flowers in the sun, powder them, and mix them 

 with bear's grease. The Eleagnus argentea, which 

 is also abundant on the banks, is named by the 

 Chepewyans Tap-pah^ or grey berry. It is the 

 bear-berry of the Crees, and the stinking willow of 

 the traders ; so called, because its bark has a dis- 

 agreeable smell. 



July 15th The portage was completed, and 



breakfast prepared and eaten, in five hours and a 

 half. At the lower end of the path, a sienitic 

 rock, composed of crystallised quartz, aurora-red 

 felspar, and greenish-black hornblende, yields large 

 cubical blocks of a handsome stone. One of the 

 small boats was overset in lowering it down a 

 narrow channel, and the oars, a coil of rope, and 

 the boat-lockers were swept away by the current. 

 A boat's anchor, and some clothes belonging to 

 two of the crew, were in one of the lockers. 



An hour before noon we had crossed the Port- 

 age of the Drowned (Portage des Noyes)^ where 

 granite is the prevailing rock. This being the last 

 of the portages, three of the small boats brought 

 from England were stowed with pemican for the 

 sea- voyage ; and Mr. Bell was left to follow with 

 the large boat and the fourth small boat, con- 

 taining the stores for house- building, nets, am- 

 munition, and other supplies for winter use. He 



VOL. I. L 



