27 



Indians say that a large river empties into the lake at the head of this 

 bay. The north-east and norfch-wt?st bays are not so deep as the south- 

 ern ones; t lie di.-tance from the end of the point to tl.e month of the 

 Papasqutsatee River, a large stream comin/ in at the head of the north- 

 west bay, being fifteen miles, with an average breadth of rather more 

 than four miles. From the mouth of the Toquaoeo River, which enters 

 the north-east, bay at its head, to the en 1 of the point, the distance is 

 nineteen miles, the average breadth being under four miles. By this 

 river a canoe route goes to a Hudson Bay post, called N"itchicoon, 

 situated on a branch of the East Main River, to the north-east. This 

 stream falls rapidly during the dry season, being an exception t > the 

 other rivers running into the lake, which, taking their rise in large lakes, 

 are not generally affected by local rainfall. 



Besides those above referred to, the larsre river flowing out of Take 

 Temiscaruie, and passing through Lake Mistassini. enters the lake on 

 the east side about twenty miles from the bead of the north-east bay. 

 Almost directly opposite this river, on the west side, a smaller stream, 

 called the Wabassinon River, enters. 



The shore of the ] ;l ke i s indented by a number of smaller bays, and 

 many islands also occur along its margin. The shores are mostly 

 rocky, wrh no marshes or beach, a fact accounting for the absence 

 of any great uumber of wading birds or gram naceous ducks. Tne 

 western bank rises from thirty to sixty feet above the surface of 

 the water, and is in many places perpendicular. The eastern bank is 

 not so elevated, and rises more gradually. 



To the south of Mistassini, and running north of east, is a ridge of 

 hills forming an escarpment about 300 feet high, and constituting the 

 Height of Land between the waters flowing to the St. Lawrence and 

 those draining to Hudson Bay, and the present division lines between 

 the Province of Quebec and the North-east Territory. To the north is 

 another range, passing within ten miles of the lake and trending away 

 to the westward. The highest of these hills does not rise more than 

 500 feet above the level of the lake. 



The country in the vicinity of the lake is generally slightly rolling, 

 with rounded hills, rising from thirty to sixtv feet above the water, 

 and interspersed with numerous small lakes and marshes. 



