MINGAN: ITS ATTRACTIONS. 257 



Mingan is situated about three hundred and sixty miles from Que- 

 bec, in a straight line, while it is only twenty-five miles from the 

 opposite shore of Anticosti and is a little east of a point opposite 

 the extreme southwestern portion of that island. The attractions 

 of the place are only its fishing and the houses of the company's 

 post with that of the Guai'd depeche. From your position on board 

 your little vessel in the harbor, you can see them all ; the long 

 plank walk with the net shop at its eastern extremity has near it 

 the officers' house with a cosy little office close by ; farther down 

 are the storehouses, wherein are the provisions, clothing and such 

 like stores with which the general trading of the establishment is 

 done, while bundles of fine fur hang suspended from cross bars and 

 nails in the lofts above. Just around the bend, the walk continues 

 to an old unused wharf where it terminates ; being a distance of 

 one-tenth of a mile. I say one-tenth of a mile, — many is the time 

 that this plank walk has been paced, while sauntering for pleasure 

 or to pass the time away, undoubtedly by each individual dweller 

 of this establishment. A few barns or outbuildings, of one sort or 

 another, placed here or there as the case may be, complete that 

 portion of the post which has been built up to the present time. 

 Most of these buildings have been tastily painted, thus presenting 

 a neat and attractive picture to one viewing it from the vessel in 

 the harbor, or the de'ck of the little steamer, that, plying between 

 here and Quebec, touches all the important points along the coast 

 for a distance of some few hundred miles. If you visit this charm- 

 ing little spot, you are sure of a cordial reception from the gentle- 

 manly officers of the post, who are only too pleased to welcome 

 strangers amongst them. ' , 



If there is plenty of time at your disposal, hire, for a small amount, 

 a guide and canoe and make a day's trip up the river. The Min- 

 gan river flows in a west varying to southeasterly direction, and 

 enters the Gulf not far from the Romaine river which flows from 

 nearly a contrary direction. At the mouth of both rivers are shal- 

 lows and accumulations filling the water with ridges that control 

 strongly the current at this point. These sand bars are constantly 

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