135 



date assijLjned is al)Oiit ISoC. It is not reported whether this was simply 

 the result of a. temporary tiood or a constant condition. The area of the 

 surface is subject to quite marlced variation at present, possibly more so 

 than before the removal of much of the surrounding- forest. The Govei'n- 

 ment Survey shore line of 1834 lies at places considerably outside present 

 maps of the lake. Mr. Large expresses his opinion that it perhaps marked 

 the limit of the swampy ground. 



In appearance and vegetation the various parts of the lake plain differ 

 considerably from each other. In some places the soil is a reddish or 

 brownish muck, in other places it is a. blackish soil. In some parts it is a 



Fig. 2. 



sedgy, ferny meadow, in others it is covered with a dense growth of bushes, 

 as clumps of willow, CcphaJatitJnis and Conms. There seem to be indica- 

 tions, however, that it was once nearly alike in vegetation, and that the 

 sedgy, ferny meadow has been cleared off by artificial means. One indica- 

 tion of this is that we have wholly different regions on dift'erent sides of 

 fences, one side of the fence being bushy, and the other covered with 

 sedges, gi-asses and ferns only. In one place where there was such a level 

 meadow, a few dead willow s])i'outs were noticed. Examination revealed 

 that they were charred about the roots and had probably been killed by 



