NARRATIVE OF THE EXPEDITION, 261 



the source of the L'ail de Corbeau, and encamped, Dr, Houghton, 

 who had been left behind with Lieut, Allen, to complete the vac- 

 cinations, rejoined me about seven o'clock. Guelle Plat had pro- 

 mised to send me guides, to cross the country to the Crow-Wing 

 Eiver, early the next morning (18th), but, as they did not arrive, 

 I proceeded across the arm of the lake for the main shore without 

 them. After reacliing it, some time was spent in searching for 

 the commencement of the portage path. It was found to lie 

 across a dry pine plain. The Canadians, who are quick on find- 

 ing the trail of a portage, wanted nothing more, but pushed on, 

 canoes and baggage, without any further trouble about the Indian 

 guides. A portage of 1,078 yards brought us to the banks of a 

 small, clear, shallow lake, called Warpool, which had a very nar- 

 row, tortuous outlet, through which the men, with great difficult}^, 

 and by cutting away acute turns of the bank with their paddles, 

 made way to force the canoes into Little Long Lake, which we 

 were twenty -four minutes in crossing. The outlet from this lake 

 expanded, at successive intervals, into three pond-like lakes, re- 

 dolent with the nymphfe valerata; the series terminating in a 

 fourth lake, lying at the foot of elevated lands, which was called 

 the Lake of the Mountain. At the head of the latter, we de- 

 barked on a shaking bog. At this spot commences the portage 

 P/e, Avhich lies over a woodless and bleak hill. It is short and 

 abrupt, and terminates on the banks of a deep bowl-shaped lake, 

 ■where we took breakfast at twelve o'clock. We were now at the 

 foot of elevated lands. Here began the mountain portage, so 

 called. Its extent is, first, nine hundred and ten yards, terminat- 

 ing on the shores of a little lake, without outlet, called the Lake of 

 the Isle. There is then a portage of 1,960 yards to another 

 mountain lake, without outlet. We were now near the apex of 

 the summit between Leech Lake and the source of De Corbeau. 

 Another portage of one onwaybee or about a thousand yards, 

 partly through a morass, carried us quite across this summit, and 

 brought us out on elevated and highly beautiful grounds over- 

 looking the Kaginogumaug, or Longwater Lake, which is the 

 source of the Crow- Wing Eiver. Here we encamped (18th). 



There is no rock stratum seen in place, on the De Corbeau 

 summit. Its surface is purely composed of geological drift and 

 boulders. The journey had been a very hard and fatiguing one 



