263 Topographical Notices. 



bank. In other places, a singular tough moss of a redish 

 colour, forms a quaking precarious wharf, extending many 

 yards into the deep water. Where the shells are least 

 decomposed, a strong unpleasant odour is emitted from the 

 moss ; the water, however, has merely a slight earthy 

 flavour, is remarkably clear, and abounds with several 

 kinds of fish : the surface, when viewed either near or at a 

 distance, has a bright green appearance, quite different 

 from that of any other I ever saw. 



These ponds commence about a mile and a half from the 

 Musk-rat lake, and as far as I followed them, extend about 

 seven miles south-easterly ; there being in this space nine 

 basins, one or two of them upwards of a mile in length, 

 and fi-equently separated merely by reedy flats or narrow 

 sand banks. A few days labor only is wanting to complete 

 the canoe route along them, as we found, nearly through- 

 out, old timber roads leading from one basin to the other. 

 Tlie portages are all short, excepting the first from the 

 Musk-rat lake, and the last to the Ottawa, which is nearly 

 three miles, both being, however, along level and firm 

 roads. 



This chain of small lakes does not end where we left 

 them, but, taking a southerly direction, they continue into 

 the surveyed lands of Horton, — the tract along which they 

 extend is the highest, and probably most fertile, in this 

 part of the country. From hence toM'ards the higher parts 

 of the Bonnechere, the ground declines, so that between 

 that river and the Musk-rat lake, the lands are low and 

 level. This is evident from what is known of the Snake 

 creek, which forms a still winding channel, from the 

 vicinity of the Bonnechere to the lake. 



1 have been particular in attempting to give an idea of 



