70 REPORT OF THE No. 7 



canoes but by using a Johnston engine, this did not inconvenience us much. 

 From the Drowning River east, we moved along the line and carried a small 

 canoe which proved to be a handicap because we did not use it. We sent some 

 packers back to the Wababimiga River and thence to Nakina, where they took 

 the train to Ogahalla Station, along with our next lot of supplies. These, they 

 took down the Kenogami River and after making 8 portages, running numerous 

 rapids, they reached where the Muskego River joins it, about 15 miles below 

 O.L.S. Niven's Meridian. By lightening their loads they poled up the Muskego 

 River about 20 miles to the winter trail that goes northeast to Round Lake. 

 They portaged our supplies across here about 3}/2 miles and met us at Round 

 Lake on July 5th. We crossed Round Lake and fly-camped along Niven's 

 Meridian to the corner of the jog. We cut a trail for the main camp and supplies 

 to be moved northeast to our base line. This trail hit about 3}/^ miles east of the 

 corner. We, then continued to move east along the line, travelling without our 

 small canoe, as we had learned from the Indians that there were no lakes. To 

 save packing some of the heaviest stuff, we sent our canoes back from Round 

 Lake down the Muskego and Kenogami Rivers to the Big Ash River, which we 

 were told flowed nearly east along our line. When our packers arrived at the 

 Big Ash River, they found the river nearly dry and had to abandon their canoes 

 and carried some of the supplies in to us, walking up the bed of the river. We 

 then sent two freight canoes up the Kenogami and Pagwa Rivers to the Can- 

 adian National Railways for supplies at Pagwa River Station. Owing to the 

 lowness of the water, we had to dispose of our flour and canned goods at the 

 track and get these from the Hudson's Bay Company at English River Post. 

 Our big freight canoes only had about 700 pounds each but even then, the packers 

 had to unload and double up on their loads to get through. Owing to exception- 

 ally heavy rains on the 13th and 14th of August from the Kenogami River, we 

 were able to send our canoes and light loads up the Ridge and Pitushkabi Rivers 

 to meet our line again. From the Pitushkabi, we fly-camped east along the line 

 to the Ridge River. We, then back- tracked to our canoes at the Pitushkabi. 

 Although we had been having considerable rain, the Pitushkabi River was very 

 low and we were only able to use our canoes for taking our outfit and had to 

 walk the river or shores to the Ridge River. We went down the Ridge River 

 to the Kenogami at English River Post. We then proceeded up the Kenogami 

 and Pagwa Rivers to the Canadian National Railways. We found the water 

 very low and had to walk the shores about half the way out. We arrived at 

 Pagwa River Station on September the 7th, and disbanded our party and stored 

 our canoes. 



Game 



There is very little game in the country with the exception of caribou, 

 which are very plentiful in the muskegs, west and north of Round Lake. This 

 is an ideal country for them and being so far from travelled routes they are not 

 molested. As many as six were seen together. Our packers saw several moose 

 along the Muskego and Kenogami Rivers, above the Pagwa River. We only 

 saw one fresh beaver dam all summer. 



Speckled trout abound in all the rivers. We did not catch any in the 

 Wababimiga or Drowning Rivers, owing to the water being so high while we 

 were there, but there are several tourist parties taken in each season by guides 

 from Nakina. The Indians net sturgeon in the Kenogami and Pagwa Rivers. 

 We caught some small grass pike in the Round Lake. 



