CANADIAN ENVIRONMENT OF THE OUANANICHE 127 



network of waterways stocked with the gamest of the 

 game-fishes of the North. Mistassini is the only large 

 inland lake north of the Province of Quebec that had 

 been carefully surveyed up to 1894. Mr. Low tells 

 us that it is over a hundred miles in length. In the far 

 east, where the maps show only dotted lines, signify- 

 ing the existence of an unknown lake, Mr. Low in 

 1894 found an inland body of water larger than grand 

 lake Mistassini. Michikamaw, as the great lake is 

 called by the Indians, is fifty miles away from the 

 dotted lines that represent it on the maps, and, while 

 it is at least a hundred miles long, it is much wider 

 than Mistassini. But few of the rivers in the north- 

 east territory have been surveyed as yet. The Low 

 expedition of 1894 was the first party of white men to 

 thoroughly explore the great falls of the Hamilton 

 River, which are the finest in America, if not in the 

 world. Early in the year the expedition left Esquimaux 

 Bay or Hamilton Inlet to cross the interior of Labra- 

 dor. Mr. Low travelled five hundred miles in dog- 

 sleighs, making explorations. Then about March 1st 

 the whole party commenced the ascent of Hamilton 

 River. Six or eight Eskimo half-breeds were engaged 

 to assist in hauling provisions, etc., but were dispensed 

 with after a fortnight, each of the remaining men hav- 

 ing eight hundred pounds of supplies to carry, necessi- 

 tating three trips, or five including returns, and that 

 over a distance of three hundred miles, equivalent to a 

 journey of fifteen hundred miles. Up to about the 19th 

 of May the explorers ascended the river in sleighs. 

 Then the ice gave way, and the progress of the party 

 was rendered extremely dangerous by reason of the 



