APPENDIX. 549 



ing declivities. To the west of it is a low ridge of sand- 

 hills, which terminate abruptly, and form a passage for 

 the escape of the waters towards the north. Within a 

 mile of the lake is a slight descent that way, forming a 

 shallow rapid only a mile distant from Lake Aylmer, — 

 the surface of which lake may be considered as three 

 feet below the highest part of the dividing land. The 

 river then winds its way through sand-hills, declining 

 to the north-west; and, about four miles down the 

 stream, passes the first rocks of gneiss in situ : — they 

 have an even and tabular surface ; and are broken into 

 perpendicular cliffs, about five feet high, which fall to 

 the east. 



About five and twenty miles on the north-east of 

 Lake Aylmer, the river cuts its way transversely, but 

 without changing its direction, through a range of 

 mountains running east and west, and then becomes 

 very much interrupted by rapids. Sand-banks begin to 

 appear again, and hills with " long sloping declivities, 

 " partially covered with the usual blocks of granite" ; 

 — till within sixty miles of Bathurst's Inlet, latitude 

 65° 40', longitude 106° 35', where a barrier of moun- 

 tains, probably continuous with the ranges to the east of 

 that inlet, turns the river away to the east at an acute 

 angle, for about thirty miles." Lake Beechey occupies 

 the bend produced by this obstruction. The rocks 

 around it were very rugged and desolate * ; but, as the 

 expedition was at this time passing rapidly down the 

 stream, no specimens were obtained. Some cascades, a 

 mile and a half long and sixty feet in descent, terminated 

 the lake ; and then the river followed the windings of a 



* In many places, Captain Back observes, the rugged- 

 ness of their aspect reminded him of that of the bva 

 round Vesuvius. 



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