From Lake Winnipeg to Hudson's Bay. 349 



It becomes narrower as soon as another rapid is approached. The 

 entire length of the river is a series of lakes and channels with 

 rapids, making frequent portages necessary. Not long after leaving 

 White Mud Falls, Bladder Rapids have to be avoided by a portage 

 of twenty chains. Then the Forks are reached, where a part of the 

 river flows off toward Duck Lake. A short distance below these 

 forks another portage has to be made to overcome the Paskitotow- 

 winiga Rapids. Scarcely are these left behind when another one 

 is to be crossed, which is immediately followed by Red Rock Rapids, 

 where two portages are made. A few miles below this are the Rock 

 Rapids, where five rocky islands lie obliquely across the stream. 

 The water dashes and foams between them furiously. The trap 

 formation here is very peculiar. The cleavage is both vertical and 

 horizontal, presenting the appearance of a stone wall. 



From Cross Lake to Lake Sepewisk, one is always within ear-shot 

 of a rapid. The country is low, level and rocky from Lake Win- 

 nipeg to Lake Sepewisk ; but at the head of the latter it becomes 

 slightly undulating. This lake is but a river of many channels, and 

 is very picturesque. It is full of rocky islands covered with a 

 garmenting of evergreen. After leaving it we have, for the first 

 time since leaving Lake Winnipeg, all the waters of the Nelson 

 connected into one channel. The stream here is but twenty chains 

 in length, is very deep, with a strong current. From the head of 

 this channel the country on each side rises. Of land there is practi- 

 cally none. It is the rock of ages ; yet the whole surface is wooded 

 principally with spruce, with some tamarac, pitch-pine, birch and 

 poplar. The spruce will average from eight to ten inches. Not 

 far down the channel Devil's Creek discharges its waters into the 

 river, through a canon, and, owing to its dismal appearance, the 

 Indians have a superstition that it is the dwelling-place of the evil 

 spirit, and will not venture near it. Here the scenery is fine. The 

 water tumbles, and lashes, and foams among the small rocky islands- 

 Devil's Creek is but passed when the White Waterfalls of the Otter 

 River — where the latter joins the Nelson — send the spray far into 

 the air, and give life and strength to the situation. Not far below 

 White Water River discharges the waters of White Water Lake, a 



