UP THE ASHUAPMOUCHOUAN 



THE Ashuapmouchouan is one of the three largest 

 tributaries of Lake St. John, being nearly three hun- 

 dred miles long. It flows into the lake from the 

 northwest, while the Saguenay carries off its surplus 

 waters towards the southeast. Consequently the 

 Ashuapmouchouan was formerly considered as the 

 headwaters of the Saguenay, and my friend Mr. Er- 

 nest Gagnon tells me that when he went to school 

 he was taught that Lake St. John was crossed by the 

 river Saguena} T . It was Bouchette, Surveyor-General 

 of Canada, who first applied the name Ashuapmou- 

 chouan to the river, which name had previously been 

 given by the Indians to a lake in which one of its 

 branches takes its rise. Ashuapmouchouan means 

 " where the moose feed." It has long been considered 

 the principal highroad from Lake St. John to Great 

 Lake Mistassini, though the latter may be reached 

 either by way of the Mistassini Eiver, the Peribonca, 

 or the Betsiamitz, as already described. The Ashuap- 

 mouchouan is a magnificent stream, traversing a most 

 interesting territory, and containing a number of lofty 

 waterfalls and several long stretches of exceedingly 

 heavy rapids. These rapids are difficult to navigate, 



