86 NARRATIVE OF THE EXPEDITION. 



were observed, in some places, to be deposited over its vegetation 

 so as to arrest its growth. The largest trees were often half buried 

 and destroyed. Not less than nine miles of the coast, agreeably 

 to voyageur estimates, are thus characterized by dunes. 



I found the sandstone formation of Cape Iroquois to reappear 

 at the western termination of these heights on the open shores of 

 the lake, where I noticed imbedded nodules of granular gypsum. 

 'At this point, known to our men as La Pointe des Grandes Sables, 

 we pitched our tents, at nightfall, under a very threatening state 

 of the atmosphere. The winds soon blew furiously, followed by a 

 heavy rain-storm — and sharp thunder and lightning ensued. Our 

 line of tents stood on a gently rising beach, within fifty yards of 

 the margin of the lake, where they were prostrated during the 

 night by the violence of the waves. The rain still continued at 

 early daylight, the waves dashing in long swells upon the shore. 

 At sunrise the tempest abated, and by eight o'clock the atmo- 

 sphere assumed a calm and delightful aspect. It was eleven 

 o'clock, however, before the waves sufficiently subsided to permit 

 embarkation. Indeed, a perfect calm now ensued. This calm 

 proved very favorable — as we discovered on proceeding three 

 leagues — to our passing the elevated coast of precipitous rock, 

 called Ishpabeca,* and Pictured Rocks. This coast, which ex- 

 tends twelve miles, consists of a gray sandstone, forming a series 

 of perpendicular facades, which have been fretted, by the action 

 of the waves, into the rude architecture of pillared masses, and 

 open, cavernous arches. These caverns present their dark mouths 

 to observation as the voyager passes. At one spot a small stream 

 throws itself from the cliffs into the lake at one leap. In some 

 instances the cliffs assume a castellated appearance. At the spot 

 called the Doric Rock, near the commencement of these pictur- 

 esque precipices, a vast entablature rests on two immense rude pil- 

 lars of the water- worn mass. At a point called Le Portail, the vast 

 wall of rock had been so completely excavated and undermined 

 by the lake, that a series of heavy strata of rock rested solely on 

 a single pillar standing in the lake. The day was fine as we passed 

 these geological ruins, and we sat silently gazing on the changing 

 panorama. At one or two points there are small streams which 



* From iupa, high ; auhilc, a rock ; and the substantive termination, a. 



