46 Canadian Record of Science. 



ascended a small rapid and made another portage, above 

 which we began to perceive indications of coal along the 

 beach. The banks were here of a dark blue clay in which 

 thin seams of coal were observed. A number of boulders 

 similar in size to mill stones, but rounded on one side 

 were also met with. They had evidently tumbled from the 

 left bank, higher up, where the formation was clay and 

 gravel mixed with like stones. Continuing on, our course 

 being more southerly than before, we passed another sul- 

 phur spring flowing at the base of a rock, and encamped a 

 short distance above the mouth of a river having its rise in 

 the south-west, which will be described hereafter, and to 

 which I gave the name of Chief Trader Eoss. The breadth 

 of the Anderson was now from 50 to 400 yards, and we had 

 many narrow escapes in the smaller rapids which were 

 mostly ascended with the line. The canoe had also become 

 so very leaky that it was only by constant baling and fre- 

 quent repairs that we could at all get forward. 



Eesuming our course next day (July 4th) by making 

 a series of portages equal to two miles, we then had some 

 fine water until the afternoon, when we encountered 

 another defile of rocks similar to, but lower than, that 

 lately passed. Several long portages had to be made, but 

 not before our canoe had become nearly useless. It was so 

 very frail and leaky that it was impossible to proceed 

 farther up the Anderson, it being rapid to its source. 

 Another such day as the last would have completely finished 

 our canoe. The Indian Brulez informed me that the 

 Eoss Eiver had its rise in a " Great Fish Lake" lying to the 

 eastward of the La Porte, and that it flowed through a 

 chain of smaller lakes, and was broken but by a few 

 rapids. I therefore decided on proceeding by that route, 

 in order to examine the adjacent country, and be able to re- 

 port on any advantages that it might possess over the 

 others, as a means of communication with the Anderson. 

 Before leaving the latter, however, the Indian and I set out 

 next day to examine a portion of it beyond our encamp- 



