Topographical Notices. 287 



The accounts are not so favorable of tlie north shores of 

 lake N'ipissiiig-, though there arc said to be some consider- 

 able tracts of good land towards the eastern end. On the 

 upper parts of the Little river, a great proportion of the 

 lands will be found fit for settlement, particularly in the 

 neighborhood of the Turtle lakes. The nature of the route 

 leading between them and lake Nipissing, has already been 

 described, and a little to the north, between the same 

 lakes, is a winter path about fifteen miles in length, also 

 through a fertile level tract. A rich deep soil is said to be 

 generally prevalent in these parts, timbered chiefly with 

 maple, bass-wood, and elm. 



Had I obtained no distinct account of these lands, occu- 

 pying the great valley of the Nipissing, it would seem hardly 

 possible to conceive them to be generally barren (as is 

 commonly stated), when we know that after gradually 

 ascending southward, to a superior elevation, of at least 

 four hundred feet, luxuriant hard-woods are found to 

 extend uninterruptedly across the country. 



I now proceed to dei^cribe the routes which we followed 

 between Peiietanguishine and the Ottawa. 



From the Deux Kivieres, vvhich I left on the 30th of 



August, a gradually rising tract of barren sand is crossed, 



by a most harrassing portage of three or four miles, which^ 



in many places, can hardly be traced through the thickets. 



It leads to a small lake, the water of which runs to the 



Deux Uivitrcs rapids. This was the only place in the 



whole journey, where I observed leeches ; they were in 



great abundance of two kinds, one of a dark red colour, 



the other greenish, with yellow spots on the back. After 



makinganotherportageof about half a mile, the same stream 

 of water, i* followed three or lour miles through a large 



