No. I] GEOGNOSTICAL OBSERVATIONS. 513 



small stream. On the north side of Methye Lake, the elevations of sand 

 assume a more decided hilly form, and on the further side of Methye Portage, 

 they form boundaries to the beautiful valley of the Washacummow, from one 

 thousand two hundred to one thousand five hundred feet high. The prevail- 

 ing tree, in this sandy district, is the Pinus Banksiana. This valley from two 

 to three miles wide, and bounded on each side by these almost precipitous sand- 

 hills, is traversed by the Clear Water or Washacummow River. At the dis- 

 tance of ten miles below the portage, the channel of the river is obstructed by 

 a ridge of limestone. This ridge appears to have once blocked up the outlet 

 of the valley altogether, for portions of it still rise from the solid strata through 

 the thin sandy soil of the plain to the height of fifty or sixty feet. These pro- 

 jecting parts have generally a columnar form, and bear from their arrange- 

 ment a striking resemblance to the ruins of an extensive city. The stone much 

 resembles that at the Grand Rapid on the Saskatchawan, but perhaps contains 

 silica instead of alumina. Like that it yields readily to the action of the 

 stream, falling down in large tabular masses. The outline of the sandy boun- 

 daries of this singular valley, strongly countenances the idea of the waters of 

 the Washacummow having been at some distant period accumulated therein. 

 Tongues of sand frequently project from the hills on each side, and run across 

 the plain, exactly similar in appearance to the ridges thrown up by the currents, 

 and eddies of an extensive lake. The ground on the portages sounds hollow ; 

 and this, together with the mince form appearance of the rocks, and the occur- 

 rence of sulphureous springs in the neighbourhood, has impressed the traders 

 with a notion that the whole has been the work of a volcano. From this spot 

 downwards, the bed of the Washacummow is formed of this stone, or of a cal- 

 careous sandstone into which it passes. It produces a long succession of cas- 

 cades and rapids. At the White Mud Portage the strata are horizontal, and 

 consist of siliceous limestone. The portage obtains its name from the exis- 

 tence of some whitish marl in the hollows, formed by the decomposition of the 

 rock. The same rock occurs at the Cascade and intermediate portages. A 

 short way below the last portage, a small rivulet, having a strong smell of sul- 

 phurated hydrogen gas, flows in ; and two or three sulphureous springs arise 

 on the bank of the river, issuing apparently from a siliceous limestone. The 

 beds of the springs were incrusted with calcareous tufa. Further down, the 

 channel of the river is composed of horizontal beds of common yellowish-grey 



compact limestone. At the junction of the Red Willow River, there rises 



3 u 



