Up the Ottawa. 99 



extremity of the cave is a curious raised mass of stone, called 

 the " altar," from its strange resemblance to such ; the floor is 

 strewed with beautiful fine white sand ; and as the entrance 

 to it is very small, it is used frequently by hunters as a 

 camping place. Probably if it could speak it could reveal 

 tales of Indian warfare and stratagem. In the lake is an 

 island very rich in metallic ore ; in fact the whole range of 

 mountains which traverse these backwoods teems with mine- 

 ral wealth. About five miles north-east from Buckingham, 

 and between it and Thurso, lie some newly worked plum- 

 bago or black-lead mines, which are very prolific; and 

 antimony is said to have been discovered at Lake Donaldson, 

 a few miles distant. 



One mile below Ottawa City the River Gatineau, which 

 has a course of 350 miles, and is the largest and most 

 important tributary of the Ottawa River, joins it. Seven 

 miles up occur the " Farmer's Rapids and Falls," and for 

 the next three and a half miles, four or five rapids and 

 cascades occur, presenting to' view a most picturesque por- 

 tion of this extraordinary river. On this river, forty miles 

 up, is Lake St. Mary's, — Pemachunga — and "Thirty-one- 

 mile-long Lake" — all splendid fishing places, but deep in the 

 solitude of the forest, no settlements being near them. 



About 6 p.m. the " Queen Victoria" arrives at her wharf 

 at Ottawa, and as this city has received the notoriety of 

 being the Capital of Canada, as well as from the beautiful 

 scenery in its vicinity, the traveller will probably remain 

 here some little time, and we will endeavour to give a short 

 description of the city and its surroundings. Ottawa, or 

 as it was originally called, Bytown, 126 miles from Montreal, 

 was laid out under the command of Col. By, of the Royal En- 

 gineers, who constructed the Rideau Canal, and forms three 

 districts, viz. : Lower Town on the east ; Central Town on 

 the west, and Upper Town on the north-west. All of them, 

 however, are on the south-west side of the Ottawa River, 



