Commercial Importance of Hudson's Bay. 489 



in the centre of the Labrador peninsula is furthest inland towards 

 the south, the rivers which fall into the southern part of this coast 

 are the largest, and the remainder become progressively smaller as 

 we go north. Numerous streams converge to the head of James 

 Bay from all points southward of an east and west line passing 

 through its southern extremity. The Moose, about a mile wide, is 

 the principal of these. On the western side the Albany and the 

 Churchill are the longest, but the Nelson, with a course of only 

 about four hundred miles, discharges the greatest bod}'' of water 

 into the sea. Indeed, this great artery of the Winnipeg system 

 may be considered as one of the first-class rivers of the world. 

 Few of the rivers of Hudson's Bay afford uninterrupted navigation 

 for large vessels to any great distance from the coast. During the 

 season of high water, shallow-draft steamers might ascend the 

 Moose River and two of its branches for upwards of one hundred 

 miles. Hayes River and two of its branches might apparently be 

 navigated by such craft in the spring to points about one hundred 

 and forty miles inland, and the Albany for nearly two hundred and 

 fifty miles ; while larger steamers might ascend the Nelson for 

 seventy or eighty miles from the open sea. The Nelson is the 

 only muddy-water river entering Hudson's Bay. Most of the others 

 have a slightly brownish tinge*, but their waters are perfectly 

 wholesome and contain only very small quantities of foreign matter. 

 The Churchill, which is the second largest river of Hudson's Bay, 

 is a beautiful clear- water stream, somewhat larger than the Rhine. 

 It is remarkable for having at its mouth a splendid harbour with 

 deep water and very natural convenience for the purposes of 

 modern commerce. 



" The only harbours on the west side of Hudson's Bay are those 

 formed by the mouths of rivers, but none of them, with the excep- 

 tion of Churchill Harbour, can be entered by vessels drawing more 

 than ten or eleven feet, and only at high water even at these. The 

 Churchill is unlike all the other rivers in having a deep, rocky, 

 and comparatively narrow mouth, which can be entered with ease 

 and safety by the largest ships at all stages of the tide. On the 

 point at the west side of the entrance of the harbour stands the old 



