Up the Ottawa. 107 



Rivers, belonging to the Highland Chief McNab, who first 

 settled this portion of the Upper Ottawa, about the year 

 1824, but it was not regularly laid out till 185 1, when the 

 property came into the hands of D. McLachlan, Esq., who 

 had the honor of entertaining the Prince of Wales, while on 

 his tour on the Ottawa. Here His Royal Highness planted 

 a young oak in memorial of his visit, which may be seen by 

 the tourist. Arnprior is forty miles from Ottawa City, and 

 a station on the Ottawa & Brockville Railway, whence the 

 tourist may take the cars on his return trip to Montreal ; 

 but while up here we would recommend him by all means 

 to proceed about twenty miles further to Portage du Fort, 

 where several islands divide the river into a number of 

 channels, and it is crossed by a reef of crystalized limestone, 

 forming the Portage die Fort Rapids, or more properly 

 speaking, Falls. At the head of the largest island is situated 

 the village, named after the rapids, on the Canada side, which 

 is one of the principal business places for lumbermen. The 

 whole distance lies through magnificent scenery : river, lake, 

 plain, rapid, and mountain succeed each other, and form a 

 fairy landscape of varied interest and beauty. Nature has 

 been no niggard of her benefits to this section of the Ottawa 

 Valley. The soil is rich in production, and the hills abound 

 in minerals. This is the belt of country where the change 

 from the gneiss and primitive to the metamorphic limestone 

 rock occurs, and it is at such points that these productions 

 are to be with certainty looked for. For some distance the 

 banks of the river are composed of white marble. Between 

 Portage du Fort Village and the head of the Calumet Falls, 

 a distance of seven miles, by a good macadamized road, the 

 tourist reaches the next navigable point of the Ottawa, 

 which is open to the Chapeau Rapids, on the north side of 

 Alumette Island, opposite to, but five miles from Pembroke, 

 on the south, or by the south channel and Westmeath to 



