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gradually to the hills by which ii is bordered. A smaller stream flowing 
from some small lakes in sight, joins the river just below this place. A 
few remains of snow drifts still are to be seen here and there, but the 
country generally appears green and fresh." 
Several very stormy days on which it snowed pretty steadily, kept 
them all in camp, after this they decided from the small hunt to move 
on, so thai after a slay of eight or ten days, they were again going 
northward. The river leading from the lake was very shallow and 
nearly impassible, so a portage, two miles and a half in length, was made 
northward over rocky country, to a lake, apparently in the same chain. 
Camp was made on the shore of this lake, and on the morning of July 
1 8th, they started in the canoe again. 
" Found the lake to be of about two miles in length, just as the 
river leaves it there is a rapid, in the centre of which is a small island 
on which we made a portage. Onwards, we found the river the whole 
way, with the exception of three small rapids, two of which we ran, more 
of the nature of narrow lake expansions than a river. It has very little 
current, and is very deep, with a width averaging two hundred yards. 
We passed through two lakes beside the one on which we camped last 
night, of two or three miles in length. On both sides of the river the 
country is rough, being covered with hills and bluffs of grey rock and 
stones. The general course of the river is north east. After having 
made eighteen miles we camped at the point where the river leaves the 
third lake, on the western bank where there is a fine sandy beach with 
a grassy bank rising to a hill behind. This Mr. Pike and I climbed and 
from there we had a good view ahead. The country we found fine and 
smooth, again with grassy ridges and valleys. 
"July 19th Starting out, we found a strong current with small 
rapids widening out again, after about a mile, into a long narrow lake 
possibly ten miles in length. A river from the west was noticed shortly 
after leaving camp. The banks on both sides were rocky. Leaving 
this lake the river flows for three or four miles with strong current having 
three or four rapids all of which we ran, then we enter a small lake on 
which, on finding a line sandy beach on the east shore, we camped. 
From the north end of the long lake the country is pretty level prairie 
