DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FORESTS FOR 1933 77 



high and the channels full or partly full wading or to swim was the result. The 

 use of a canoe while traversing was out of the question and was found impracti- 

 cal for many reasons and the idea abandoned. 



Locating highest tide or traversing the brush line which runs in places 

 as far back as a mile or more from ordinary high tide line was done by following 

 the general line of growth of willow brush and drift logs. The crossing of the 

 creeks at this point in most cases was made convenient on account of log jams. 



From the mouth of the Moose River, in an Easterly direction, along the 

 coast to the Harricanaw River, and thence Northerly to east point, the country 

 is flat and desolate. The water of the Bay is always thickly mixed with silt 

 and is shallow, which makes navigation with large canoes difficult, particularly 

 when not travelling at high tide period. This is shown by the fact that the 

 difference in elevation in low tide and high tide is about four feet, while the 

 average distance between them is approximately one mile. 



The country between highest tide line and timber line, which in many 

 places is a mile in width is clay soil covered with a thick growth of willows. 

 The timber appears to be spruce mixed with birch and poplar. 



The most important topographical feature of this portion of the coast is 

 Matateshs Point. Here an outcrop of limestone appears coupled with the 

 finding of samples of coal and lignite, which makes this point an interesting 

 geological study. This however has been dealt with more fully in an interview 

 given the Mines Department on September 8th, 1932. 



Between the Harricanaw River and East Point there are two small rivers 

 which empty into the Bay, viz., the Piscapecassy and the Misisicabi, both of 

 these streams appear to be navigable for large loaded canoes. 



From east point to Gull Point there is somewhat of a change in the Physical 

 features of the coast. Tide and timber lines come closer together, showing 

 a sharper change in elevations. The shore is stoney and strewn with large 

 boulders. The ocean bed is of similar construction, which tends to clarify 

 the water. 



Harricanaw River 



The part of the Harricanaw River surveyed under these instructions, 

 flows in a northwesterly direction a distance of twenty one miles from the 

 Ontario-Quebec Boundary to its mouth where it empties into James Bay. 

 In this distance there are many islands, consisting of clay soil, with stone and 

 boulder strewn shores. The banks of the river are usually steep and rise to 

 a height of about thirty feet, however on nearing the mouth they become gradu- 

 ally lower to a height of about six feet and finally coinciding with the coast 

 line land level. The river has a fast current and is a most dependable river 

 for use of large loaded canoes at low and high water stages. 



Near the Provincial Boundary and off the westerly shore of Island K. 

 (Low Shoal Island) will be found the largest rapid on this portion of the river, 

 there being a fall of 9.4, feet, which is taken up in a distance of seventy-two 

 chains. The river bed in this section and also off the easterly shore of Island K. 

 is of limestone shale formation, outcrops of limestone carrying small seams of 

 gypsum were noticed along the southeasterly end of Island K. 



