•62 EXPLORATIONS IN THE FAR NORTH 



yards in width, with perpendicular granite walls. A huge 

 quadrangular boulder had fallen from the left bank, obstruct- 

 ing the stream so that a high cascade was formed; below, the 

 steep descent of a hundred yards terminated in an overfall into 

 a circular basin two hundred yards in diameter, into which fell 

 several other cascades. The outlet to this boiling cauldron 

 was by another fall of considerable height. 



Tormented by clouds of mosquitoes, we continued our jour- 

 ney past small rapids and numerous islands until we reached a 

 large eddy wherein hundreds of driftlogs were circling, the 

 channel below being entirely concealed by a log jam that was 

 probably centuries old. 



Two short portages were formerly made here along the east 

 bank, but the New Portage, on the other bank, is much longer. 

 This rapid is larger and still more picturesque than the Cas- 

 cade above. Great heaps of driftwood lay upon the rocks and 

 the heads of the islands; the logs, denuded of their bark and 

 frayed and worn by long buffeting by the stream, mingled 

 their whitened forms in inextricable confusion. The muddy 

 waters poured through the granite gorges to fall with ceaseless 

 roar in cascades of considerable height. The heavy forest, 

 through which the sunlight scarcel)' penetrated, stretched in an 

 unbroken wall on either bank. The wild grandeur of the scene 

 was unmarred by evidences of man's presence, save the grass- 

 grown portage path and a few crumbling posts beside the Raft 

 Portage, which marked the grave of a Good Hope Indian. As 

 we sped swiftly down the narrow channel below, we saw fre- 

 quent signs of the presence of beavers; Mackenzie reports their 

 occurrence there in great numbers at the time of his journey in 

 1789. The metis kept a constant lookout for bears, which were 

 said to be common in the vicinity of the rapids. 



Emerging at length from the labyrinth of islands we crossed 

 the main stream, here over a mile in width. Some of the islands 

 were covered by several feet of silt, deposited by melting ice; 

 this was honeycombed by bank swallows. Other islands of 

 naked rock afforded a secure nesting place for gulls. A short 

 distance above us the mist hung over the rapids, where the 

 main stream poured over the ledges that had interrupted our 

 course at the New Portage. 



Before us was the "Mountain," a narrow ridge extending 



