SOURCE OF ST. PETEr's RIVER. 115 



abundance, Mr. Say was led to believe that this short-lived 

 insect never witnesses a rising sun, but that after perform- 

 ing, in a short time, all the duties assigned to it in its per- 

 fect state, it deposits its eggs and expires in the night, a 

 few hours after it has been evolved from the chrysalis. 

 The next evening the ephemera were again seen very 

 abundantly, but it was evident that this was a new swarm, 

 and not part of that previously observed. 



The mosquetoes, which had not been seen for some time 

 past, again made their appearance Avhile we were on Rainy 

 river; the weather, which was warm and moist, contribut- 

 ed to increase their numbers. Although we expei'ienccd 

 much rain while on this river, and on the lake from which 

 it flows, we have not been able to discover that the cli- 

 mate is more damp there than elsewhere ; the name which 

 they bear may have been, therefore, derived from an ac- 

 cidental fall of rain experienced there by the first white 

 visiters, or it may be derived from the colour of their wa- 

 ters, which has much of the appearance of rain water, and 

 which differs greatly from the limpid character of Winne- 

 peek river. 



Rainy-lake river receives but few tributaries. We shall 

 mention only the River of Rapids, Pine river, Black river, 

 and the Grand and Little Fork. 



The first of these is so called from the fine rapids which 

 it presents immediately above its mouth; it is said to 

 take its rise in lakes and swamps ; its course is about eighty 

 miles long; it enters from the left bank. 



Pine river, which flows from the north, is about thirty 

 yards wide at its mouth. 



Black river is a small tributary from the south-east. 



The Grand Fork, which enters from the left bank, is 

 the largest tributary of the river, and probably contains as 



