5^ EXPEDITION TO THE 



CHAPTER II. 



Fort Douglas, and Lord Selkirk's colony. Bark canoes. 

 Lake Winnepeek. Fort Alexander. River Winne- 

 peek. Rapids. Portages. Fine falls. Lake of the 

 Woods. North-westernmost point of the boundary 

 line. Rainy Lake river and lake. Fort. Se7'ies of 

 rapids and lakes. Dividing ridge. Falls of KamanC' 

 tekwoya. Arrival at Fort William. 



WITH a view to comply with his instructions, Major 

 Long proposed to travel along the northern boundary of 

 the United States to Lake Superior ; but he was informed 

 at Pembina that such an undertaking would be impracti- 

 cable ; the whole of the country from Red Lake to Lake 

 Winnepeek, Lake of the Woods, and Lake Superior, being 

 covered with small lagoons and marshes, which rendered 

 it impenetrable for horses. The only practicable mode was 

 to follow the principal streams in bark canoes, which be- 

 ing very light could be carried whenever the navigation 

 was obstructed by shoals, rapids, &c. Several routes were 

 suggested; that by Lake Winnepeek appeared the best, 

 and was adopted. It is the same which was formerly tra- 

 velled by the partners and clerks of the North-west Com- 

 pany, and which is still occasionally used by the Hudson's 

 Bay Company. Our horses becoming useless, we had to 

 dispose of them, and in this transaction we were more for- 

 tunate than we could have expected. Horses from the 

 United States are in great repute, and notwithstanding the 

 hardships which ours had undergone they were sold, with- 



