Tn /A- Arctic Regions. 13 



mattawa and Steel Ri Our observations place 



this spot in latitude 56 deg. 22 min. 32 Bee. N"., longi- 

 tude 93 deg. 1 min. 37 sec, \V. It is forty-eight 

 miles and a half from York Factory, including the 



windings of the river. Steel River, through which 

 our course lay, is about three hundred yards wide at 

 its mouth ; its banks have more elevation than those 

 of Hayes' River, but they shelve more gradually down 

 to the stream, and afford a tolerably good towing path, 

 which comp in Borne degree, for the rapids and 



frequenl Bboals that impede its navigation. We suc- 

 Led in getting about ten miles above the mouth of 

 the river, before the close of the day compelled us to 

 disembark. 



We made an effort, on the morning of the 13th, to 

 stem the current under sail, but as the course of the 

 liver was very serpentine, we found that greater pro- 

 gress could be made by tracking. Steel River presents 

 much beautiful scenery ; it winds through a narrow, 

 but well wooded valley, which, at every turn disclos- 

 ed to us an agreeable variety of prospect, rendered 

 more picturesque by the effect of the season on the 

 foliage, now ready to drop from the trees. The light 

 yellow of the lading poplars formed a fine contrast to 

 the dark ■ spruce, whilst the willows, 



of an intermediate hue, served to shade the two prin- 

 cipal masses of color into each other. The scene 



