THE MISTASSINI EIVEE AND ITS FIFTH FALLS 223 



the geography in detail of this Northern oountiy, 

 that the river has no connection whatever with the 

 lake of the same name. Undoubtedly it was early 

 given the name of the great lake because of the erro- 

 neous belief that it received the discharge of its waters, 

 the fact being that Lake Mistassini is discharged by 

 way of the Rupert Kiver into James's Bay. The river 

 named after it is not even so direct a highway to the 

 great lake as is the Ashuapmouchouan. 



The facility and ease with which the Mistassini ma.j 

 be ascended to the foot of the fifth falls makes it 

 an enjoyable trip for parties accompanied by ladies. 

 The basin below the falls is fully a- quarter of a mile 

 across, and on either side of it are splendid sandy 

 beaches suitable for camping purposes. But the camp 

 site par excellence is the summit of the pretty island, 

 some half acre or so in extent, that divides the falls 

 in two. An immense body of water, especially in the 

 spring of the year, hurls itself over the precipice in a 

 large fleecy mass, like that at Montmorenci or the 

 Ouiatchouan, by a sheei" fall, here of some twenty-five 

 to thirty feet in height. This main fall is some two 

 to three hundred yards in length. Its constant roar 

 may be heard for miles around, and its spray is con- 

 tinually ascending to nearly half its height. The 

 lesser falls, on the north side of the island, contain a 

 very much less volume of water than the other, and 

 are not quite twenty feet in height. In part they are 

 broken in two, forming a natural fishway or ladder, 

 by means of which, and by which alone, the ouana- 

 niche continue their ascent of the river. Some two- 

 thirds of the distance up this lesser fall — say twelve 



