20 On the Geography and Geology 



feet broad at the west end of the sandy beach forming the bottom 

 of the bay. 



The Written Rocks, chiefly worthy of notice as a point of re- 

 ference, are rather more than four miles west of the Black River, 

 the intervening shore being both alluvial and rocky. They are a 

 cluster of islets close to a large promontory, the east cape of a 

 bay, about two miles broad ; and are separated from the main 

 by a narrow passage, not quite a mile long. They have received 

 their name from the drawings figured on the flat surface of the 

 rocks, simply by detaching the dark lichens which grow on them. 

 At their west end there is a fair representation of an Indian firing 

 on two animals. 



The low intervals of the main about tlie Written Rocks are to- 

 lerably wooded, but the other parts very sparingly. Hereabouts 

 the rocks have a very glaring appearance, from their weathering 

 bright red. They are lofty, but shattered. The first bay west of 

 the Written Rocks is surrounded by high land, particularly on its 

 west side, where it attains an elevation of 800 feet towards the 

 bottom. From its west angle there is a straight line of ruined 

 cliffs for 1850 yards, a dangerous pass for canoes during certain 

 winds. It ends abruptly at Cape Verd, by the main turning to 

 the north ; but speedily resuming a westerly course. Two or 

 three miles to the west of Cape ^'erd are the isles of the Pays 

 Plat. 



From Cape Verd westward to Fort William, the coast is divided 

 into three very large bays, Nipigon, Black, and Thunder Bays, 

 parted by great headlands. 



The first of these, Nipigon*, properly so called, instead of being 

 confined to the great curvature near the river of that name, may, 

 with greater justice, be extended from Cape Verd to one of the 

 points near Gravel Point, about 36 miles apart, in a straight line, 

 trending south of west, but 46 miles along the canoe route to Fort 



* The district which I have included under this appellation is named by 

 the voyageurs " Pays Plat ;" with what reason I am at a loss to discover j as 

 it is high and rugged. The nanie may refer to the shallows outside of tiie 

 island of St. Ignatius. 



