SOME LABRADOR RIVERS 



tagnais Indians. As the lower part of its 

 course is interrupted by numerous rapids and 

 falls, the Indians ascend the St. John River 

 and portage, with aid of a series of lakes and 

 small streams to the Romaine, where its waters 

 flow more smoothly. Low, 1 who has followed 

 this route, says of the Romaine below the place 

 at which the portage-route leaves it: " Noth- 

 ing is known of the river for over fifty miles 

 below this point, except that it is quite im- 

 passable for canoes, probably on account of 

 long rapids with perpendicular rocky walls, 

 where portages are impossible. Nothing but 

 the absolute impossibility of passing up and 

 down this part of the river would induce the 

 Indians to make use of the present portage- 

 route between the Romaine and St. John Rivers, 

 which is the longest and worst of those known 

 to the writer anywhere in north-eastern Canada. 

 Careful inquiries from a score of. Indians met 

 coming inland afforded no information con- 

 cerning this part of the river, which has never 

 been descended by any one so far as known." 



1 A. P. Low, Geological Survey of Canada. Report on 

 explorations in the Labrador Peninsula, Ottawa, 1896, p. 

 170. 



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