94 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
ernour Morris in his annual Discourse before the New York Historical 
Society in 1812 describes the Canoe “ that its slender and elegant Form, 
its rapid movements, its Capacity to bear Burthens and to resist the Rage 
of Billows and Torrents excites no small Degree of Admiration for the 
Skill by which it was constructed.” 
We are now on the Utawa,! or Grand River, which from its size 
may rather be considered a continuation of Lakes than a River. It 
takes its Rise in the Timmiskamain? Lake and forming the boundary 
Line between Upper and Lower Canada enters the St. Lawrence at the 
Island of Montreal taking a S.E. Direction. 
We embarked about 8 o’clock and were now in the Part of the 
River which is called the Lake of the Two Mountains. We passed the 
Indian Missionary Village of the Seminary of St. Sulpice to whom (the 
Seminary )the Island of Montreal belongs. On each side of the Banks 
of the River we found cultivated Fields and comfortable looking Farm 
Houses. The river continues to be about seven miles in Breadth for 15. 
miles, when it narrows and we appeared to approach the country of Mos- 
quitoes. The Paddles however appeared to keep them off. The Banks 
are low but finely wooded. Past a House belonging to Sir John Johnson. 
(At the Indian Village of Algonquins or Iroquois mentioned above the 
North West Company have a Post under the charge of a Mr. Fisher 
which is very productive having procured last year 60 Packs of Beaver 
each Pack weighing 90 Pounds. Each Beaver weighs from 1 Pound to 
1} Pound. ) 
At 1 o’clock we approached the Long Sault and landed at a small 
Village where Mr. Miles Macdonald? is living, now in a deranged state 
of mind. Here our Canoe was towed up by Ropes about one mile. 
During a Distance of 15 miles there are several Décharges and Portages 
which are called the Rapids of the Long Sault. At last we landed on 
the Upper Canada side and walked about 5 miles and on Travelling 
through Woods were dreadfully attacked by the Mosquitoes. Here 
Government is making a Canal to avoid the Rapids of the Sault, in 
the same manner as the Canal intended to be made at Montreal is to 
avoid the Rapids of St. Louis at La Chine. The Distance between the 
St. Lawrence and the Utawas is about 40 miles which forms a very fine 
Tract of Country which the British Government is now colonizing, in- 
tending it as a barrier against the Americans in any future war which 
might take place. And this Canal would make the Canadas indepen- 


1 Ottawa. 
2 Temiscamang. 
3 The first governor of Lord Selkirk’s colonyin Assiniboia. Arraigned at Mont- 
real for his proceedings at the capture of Fort William. 
