﻿160 ABUNDANCE OF FISH. July, 



advantage. In fact, a fortnight is no contemptible 

 portion of the six weeks during which the Arctic 

 Sea is navigable for boats. The ice on this lake 

 is sometimes eleven feet thick ; at Fort Resolution, 

 and at Big Island, which lies across the western 

 oulet of the lake, it varies from five to seven feet. 



July Wth. — This morning we crossed from Des- 

 marais's Fishery obliquely to the north side of the 

 lake, through an archipelago of islets and along the 

 south side of Big Island. There is more or less 

 current in the passages, and from the general 

 shallowness of the water, it is probable that the 

 limestone strata come near the surface, but they are 

 concealed by gravel and boulders. To the south 

 of this traverse, on a strait two miles wide, which 

 separates the site from Big Island, stood formerly 

 Fort George. The limestone beds are said to crop 

 out in its neighbourhood. 



During the whole summer, in the eddies between 

 the islands of this part of the lake, multitudes of fish 

 may be taken with hooks and by nets, such as trout, 

 white fish, pike, sucking-carp, and inconnu. In 

 spring and autumn wild-fowl may be procured in 

 abundance at several places in the neighbourhood, 

 which are their accustomed passes ; and the fishery 

 on the north side of Big Island seems to be inex- 

 haustible in the winter. With good fishermen and 

 a proper supply of nets, a large body of men may be 



