130 EXPEDITION TO THK 



Croix, Maligne or Bad river, &c. Among the lakes are Ver- 

 milion, Namikdn, or Sturgeon lake, and de la Croix. There 

 can be no doubt that the level of the water changes much, 

 even at this elevated summit, for we find that the routes 

 followed by canoes vary frequently. We are informed 

 that that which we pursued is often so dry as to ad- 

 mit of an easy portage of a mile in the bed of a river 

 which at that time contained sufficient water to float our 

 canoes, even with their heavy loads. As these routes are 

 not all equally long, the shortest and easiest are selected 

 whenever the level of the water admits of their being tra- 

 velled. In determining the boundary line the commis- 

 sioners will doubtless take this point into consideration, so 

 as to establish it along those streams which afford an un- 

 interrupted navigation at all seasons. We observed as we 

 advanced that the country became more broken, the hills 

 were higher, the islands rose to a greater height, and the 

 region assumed characters indicating a dividing ridge. A 

 journey of a few days more brought us to the " Portage de 

 la Prairie," one end of which communicates with the wa- 

 ters of Lake Winnepeek, while the stream at the other 

 end flows towards Lake Superior. This was the point to 

 which we had been long anxiously looking, and we experi- 

 enced much real satisfaction on reaching it. The difficulties 

 which we had experienced within the last days were in- 

 creased by the badness of the weather. The features of 

 the country became more dreary than ever, and were in no 

 manner relieved by the picturesque effect of the rocks. 

 One afternoon, that of the 6th, we had, it is true, enjoyed 

 great delight from the stillness and soft beauties of Deep 

 river. This stream has a narrow and smooth channel which 

 winds through an alluvial region. Its course is so mean- 

 dering that our compass frequently ranged through up- 



