14 Till-; PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF LABRADOR. 



St. Augustine, falling into a fine bay of the same name, 

 has its source in the lakes and marshes on the table- 

 land, which also give rise to the Kenamou, which falls 

 into Hamilton Inlet. By this route the Montagnais 

 can journey in their canoes from the Gulf of St. Law- 

 rence to Hamilton Inlet in seven days." 



The country north of Hamilton Inlet is thus descrilnd 

 by one of the Hudson Bay Companv's officers (^presum- 

 ablv Mr. McLean) who was sent to explore it : '• From 

 Northwest River House the Nasquapee River is as- 

 cended for about sixty-five miles, when it is left at Mont 

 d Reinc Portage. The country from Mont ;\ Reine 

 Portage to Little Seal Lake is as barren and as miser- 

 able as can be seen anywhere; the trees are all burnt, 

 and nothing but stones and dry stumps to be seen. Oi> 

 the ist of July, 1839, the ice was still firm on Meshiku- 

 mau or Great Lake. There is no wood to build on the 

 shores of that extensive sheet of water; it is oniv at 

 Gull Nest Lake that wood remains in that direction. 

 The borders of Nasquapee River, when the expedition 

 ascended it in June, were still lined with ice, some of it 

 ten feet thick." (Hind.) 



South of Hamilton Inlet, after passing the first range 

 of mountains on leaving the bay, an elevated plateau is 

 gained, says Hind, which continues until the shores of 

 the Gulf of St. Lawrence are approached, when the 

 country becomes more mountainous and slopes rapidly 

 to the seaside. The breadth of the plateau is 100 miles, 

 and it abounds in lakes. 



The Atlantic system of streams to the north is one 

 of small rivers flowing into the ocean in an easterlx" 

 course. 



