SOURCE OF ST. PETER's RIVER. 159 



the sand ; perhaps also from some of the drift-wood which 

 is often carried ashore by the waves. 



The lake appears to abound in fish, judging from the quan- 

 tity that we saw gliding along the surface of the water ; upon 

 the beach there were many that lay dead, and that in some 

 places rendered the air quite fetid. These belonged chiefly 

 to the pike, the salmon-trout, &c. We cannot learn that 

 there is any great variety in the fish found in this lake. 

 The streams passed this day, during our ride along the 

 beach, were inconsiderable ; the first is termed the Riviere 

 des JBois, probably from the quantity of drift-wood ob- 

 served near it; the English appellation for it is Stick 

 river ; the second, which we met, was the Big Calamick, 

 (K^-no-mo-konk of the Indians,) where the party dispersed, 

 during the evening, each to attend to his own avocations. 

 Major Long and Mr. Colhoun commenced observations 

 for latitude, which they found difficult to complete on 

 account of the fog which spread over the lake. Hunting 

 and fishing parties were sent out, but which returned with- 

 out having met with any success. 



The colour of the streams which we passed indicates their 

 origin in a swamp ; and the great excess of water in this 

 fen during some seasons, together with the loose nature of 

 the sandy bar which divides it from the lake, causes it fre- 

 quently to force the dam, and open to itself a new passage 

 into the lake ; there are near to this place two streams, one 

 of which, named Pine river was opened last year ; the other, 

 termed New river, was formed a short time before. We 

 crossed both these streams as well as the little Calamick, 

 and finding that the travelling on the beach had become 

 very uncomfortable, owing to a heavy fog, and a strong 

 lake wind which announced an approaching storm, we 

 crossed the sand hills, and travelled on the prairie ; in this 



