HAMILTON SCIENTIFIC ASSOCIATION 



the Hudson's Ba\' Company, is situated upon a slightly elevated 

 point on the south shore of Cumberland Lake and is also the site 

 of a Church of England mission. 



The population, outside of missionary and trader, is composed 

 of a few Indians, who subsist by fishing and trapping, no attempt 

 being made at the cultivation of the land, or the raising of field or 

 garden produce. And this fact has proved unfortunate, for at the 

 time of our visit imported supplies were exhausted, and fish alone 

 furnished the village provender. This description of food in the 

 shape of sturgeon was, however, plentiful, and could be bought in 

 any quantity for 4 cents a pound, and this was in fact being done 

 on a larger scale, by a local company, and shipments made to 

 American markets by way of Lake Winnipegosis. 



Proceeding down the Saskatchewan about 70 miles below Cum- 

 berland House, the " Pas" was reached, where is situated another 

 small Post of the Hudson's Bay Company. The "Pas" is of 

 special interest at the present time as being the proposed crossing 

 place of the Hudson's Bay extension of the Canadian Northern 

 Railway, and on this account may ere long be a place of some im- 

 portance, though of but little now. One hundred and fifty miles 

 below Cumberland House the Saskatchewan passes into Cedar 

 Lake, a beautiful expanse of water about 30 miles in length from 

 west to east, and half from north to south. Here the low, swampy 

 character of country so predominant to westward is lost sight of 

 and replaced by rocky shores and well timbered uplands, said to be 

 ' favorite resorts of big game. In passing through this lake we ob- 

 served two fine moose standing in the shallow water near a point 

 on the north shore, but as we could not exactly claim to be in need 

 of food, we refrained from committing a violation of the law, and 

 passed on to Grand Rapids, where the great Saskatchewan is dis- 

 charged into the waters of Lake Winnipeg. 



The Grand Rapids are not navigable for canoes or other craft, 

 being very rough and having a heavy fall. • They thus form the 

 only serious obstruction to navigation between Edmonton and Lake 

 Winnipeg, a distance of about 950 miles, during seasons of high 



