SOURCE OF ST. PETEr's RIVER. 175 



the change in the direction of the trade having made this 

 a place of but very little importance. 



The residents of the fort chiefly support themselves up- 

 on the produce of their fisheries, which yield abundance 

 of choice food. We were present at the hauling in of the 

 net, which contained upwards of three hundred fish, con- 

 sisting principally of white-fish, trout, the salmon of the 

 Ohio, sturgeon, suckers, perch, &c. Of these the white- 

 fish deservedly ranks first ; it is, we think, the best fish we 

 have ever eaten, and is remarkable for the whiteness and 

 firmness of its flesh, as well as for the total absence of the 

 strong or fishy taste, which characterize almost every kind 

 of fish. Its weight varies from three to six pounds. The 

 largest known are said to be caught in the Athabasca, and 

 to weigh twenty -two pounds. 



The garden near the fort is in good order, and yields 

 very large potatoes, turnips, &.c. ; but maize and wheat do 

 not come to maturity, so that the tilling of the ground is 

 not attended to. 



The fort is situated, according to Mr. Colhoun's obser- 

 vations, in latitude 48° 23' 33" north. It stands on the 

 river, at about a mile from its discharge into Lake Superior ; 

 the country around it, to a considerable distance, is level, 

 rising gradually from the lake shore till it mingles with 

 the highlands, at a distance of from four to five miles from 

 the lake. The situation is very cold, and the quantity of 

 snow which falls annually is considerable. The winters are 

 long; they last about seven months. 



The proceeding through the lake in canoes being judged 

 unadvisable, we refitted an old boat which had been left 

 by the Boundary-line Commissioners ; it was the only 

 craft of the kind which we could obtain, and although it was 

 very old and crazy, yet, our soldiers, who were better ac- 



