1928 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FORESTS 71 



are large areas of sandy country on which the prevailing timber is second-growth 

 jack pine. There is, however, much mature timber suitable for pulpwood. 



At the east end, Whiteclay Lake narrows down and for a couple of miles is 

 like a river, with steep, high rocks, often precipitous, on either side. Near the 

 lower end of this stretch the survey was connected with the traverse made by 

 O.L.S. Bush, as previously stated. 



From Whiteclay Lake the party moved down the Ogoki River to Waboose 

 Falls, a distance of about thirty miles, where a start was made from the lower 

 end of the traverse made by O.L.S. Bush. 



From Waboose Falls the Ogoki River flows in a generally easterly direction 

 through a rolling, sandy country. The river is four to five chains wide with a 

 sluggish current, and is broken at several places by rapids and falls. There are 

 three portages but at two of these the rapids can be run by light or partly-loaded 

 canoes. The last one is Island Falls and a portage is necessary here, as there is 

 a steep pitch here of over six feet. 



The river drops twenty-two feet from the foot of Waboose Falls to the 

 bottom of Island Falls, but there does not appear to be any point where this can 

 very well be concentrated. 



About six miles below Island Falls, the Ogoki River bends sharply to the 

 north ; Otter Creek enters from the south. The canoe route to Ombabika leaves 

 the Ogoki River and follows Otter Creek for about four miles to where a small 

 creek enters on the east side from a rather extensive area of marsh and muskeg. 

 This creek is rather tedious canoeing as it is shallow and very crooked in places, 

 and in order to carry the traverse through it was necessary to leave the creek 

 and cut a line through the woods for about a mile and a half. This creek runs 

 from a narrow lake which is extremely shallow at the west end. It is said that 

 there is great difificulty in navigating this creek in dry seasons. 



This lake is followed by another small lake after a nine-chain portage, and 

 then a fifty-chain portage leads over sandy and stony country to a large lake, 

 from which another crooked creek flows to the Kapikitongwa River. The fifty- 

 chain portage referred to above is over the divide between the waters flowing to 

 the Ogoki and Kapikitongwa River. 



The Kapikitongwa River is a couple of chains wide and flows with a sluggish 

 current for several miles, but the flow of water is very small. The banks are 

 very low and marshy and for some distance as one goes upstream, but the ground 

 gradually rises and considerable clay appears along the banks. From the point 

 where the canoe route enters the Kapikitongwa River to the first portage is 

 twelve miles. Nine and a half miles further upstream, the route leaves the 

 Kapikitongwa River and goes up the Powatik River, a small stream which flows 

 through swampy country from Summit Lake. There are three portages and 

 two small rapids on the portion of the Kapikitongwa River traversed, and three 

 portages and one small rapid on the Powatik River. 



Summit Lake is about three and a half miles long. It is so shallow that it 

 is with difficulty that it is crossed by canoes even when the water is moderately 

 high. The shores are very low and soft and it was a matter of great difficulty 

 to carry the survey across it. In some cases stakes ten feet long had to be driven 

 to make supports for the transit, and platforms of logs were built around the 

 instrument to minimize the vibrations. Fortunately, observations were possible 

 at both ends of the lake. 



Summit Lake is on the divide between the waters flowing to James Bay 

 and to Lake Superior, and a small, sluggish stream flows southerly through a wet 

 marshy country for a distance of a little over four miles to where it enters Cross 



