276 Topographical Notices. , 



rapids of the lower Nesswabic for the present, which I 

 therefore resolved to do, and resumed the ascent of the 

 Ottawa on the 27th of August. 



On the upper des Allumettes are two trading houses, one 

 belonging to the Company, called Fort William, and the 

 other to some private traders. At these stations we had 

 made little doubt of obtaining some distinct accounts of the 

 country towards the Hurons, and also of procuring a guide 

 acquainted with it, in our intended direction, at least until 

 fairly past the division of the waters; but in both these 

 particulars 1 was disappointed. The lands of the Algonquin 

 Indians frequenting the Ottawa, do not extend quite to the 

 height of land, at least on the Nesswabic ; and the traders 

 on the Grand river, have no communication with the 

 Mississaguas, who hunt beyond the Algonquins. All the 

 information obtained, therefore, amounted to this, that 

 along the upper waters of the Nesswabic was a great extent 

 of fertile level country, and that by following up the m( st 

 westerly branch of this river, canoes could pass to the 

 streams running in an opposite course. We had previously 

 received information of a considerable river rising in that 

 direction, and fiowing south-westerly to lake Huron ; but 

 whether it was this or some other that might be reached by 

 the above route, I could, not ascertain. 



As to a guide, after stomc fruitless enquiry, I was obliged 

 to be satisfied with an Indian canoe-man, in the employ of 

 the traders. He had travelled no part of our intended 

 route, but was an expert tracer of hunting tracks and 

 portages, and could act as interpreter, in obtaining 

 Information from the Indians we might fall in with. 



From the lake des AUumettes, the Deep river continues 

 to form a fine navigation, for about twenty-five miles. It 



