192 EXPEDITION TO THE 



duce of the river. The white-fish usually returns to the 

 lake about the middle of November. The residents at this 

 post cure a large quantity of the white>fish for winter; this 

 is, however, an expensive preparation, as their salt costs 

 them about two dollars per bushel ; they formerly obtained 

 English salt at Montreal at one dollar per barrel. They 

 object to the salt made in the United States ; the impuri- 

 ties which it contains render it unfit for the preservation 

 of the white-fish, at least such is the opinion of those with 

 whom we conversed. We mentioned to them the success- 

 ful experiments made in England on the substitution of 

 sugar to salt in the preservation of fish, and they pro- 

 mised to repeat them ; if the maple sugar should answer as 

 well as the cane sugar, there would probably be economy 

 in using it in place of salt. A circumstance which was 

 ascertained here, and which may interest the agriculturist, is 

 that cattle will feed upon fish. We saw cows that have 

 little if any other food, and that thrive well, yielding 

 abundance of good milk, the taste of which is not in the 

 least afiected by that of the fish. 



In the immediate vicinity of the post we saw but sand ; 

 and there is an extent of at least one mile square which ap- 

 pears to be formed entirely by the sand brought down by 

 Michipicotton river. This stream is there about one 

 hundred and forty yards wide ; it affords an easy commu- 

 nication with Moose river. We were told that the coun- 

 try north of this bay resembles that near Winnepeek river, 

 being entirely formed of small lakes, rivers, rapids, and 

 enclosing large rocky islands. The country is quite im- 

 passable during the summer season except with a bark ca- 

 noe, which the traveller carries over the portages, and 

 which he again launches after arriving at a navigable stream 

 or lake. In winter the whole country being frozen and co- 



