52 NATURAL HISTORY. 



became unsettled and stormy. Geese, ducks, 

 plover, gulls, and tern, were seen sparingly 

 scattered along the east shore of the lake, which, 

 unlike the mountains to the north, which are 

 limestone *, is composed of smooth and rounded 

 granitic rocks of little altitude, intervening 

 between low banks, with sand, and skirted by a 

 swampy country behind. From the different 

 ridges of sand in the bays between the rocks, 

 and the increase of vegetation on them, I con- 

 cluded that the shore was gradually gaining on 

 the water ; and this opinion seems confirmed 

 by the fact that the Company has been obliged 

 to change the situation of Old Norway House, 

 on the opposite side, owing to the rapidly 

 progressive advance of the water there. In 

 fact, it has so undermined and washed away 

 the banks, as to have arrived within a few feet 

 of a building, the distance of which from the 

 edge of the lake in 1819 was upwards of three 

 hundred yards. Few pelicans were noticed ; 

 and as these birds are faithful attendants at 

 good fishing places, for which the lake is re- 

 markable, the Canadians augured an indifferent 



season. 



On the 17th of June, having hoisted the Com- 

 pany's flag, we arrived at the depot called 



* Richardson, Appendix to Franklin. 



