2 C GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 



Assistant. I was assisted during the season by Mr. A. S. Cochrane, who had 



accompanied me on a former survey, and through his efficiency as an 

 explorer the extent of our field-work was largely increased. On my 

 journey west, by way of the lakes, I picked up, at the Sault Ste. Marie, 

 Men. three men whose merits I had tested on long explorations in previous 



years. 



A few days after our arrival in Manitoba, the officers ef the Hud- 

 son's Bay Company kindly allowed myself and party to take passage 

 by the steamer Colville (which also towed our York boat) from Lower 

 Fort Garry to George's Island, or the greater part of the distance to 

 Norway House, for which they made no charge. They also gave me 

 the use of the York boat referred to for the summer. 



Before reaching Norway House, although diligent enquiry was 



made, no reliable information could be obtained with regard to the 



Want of Churchill Biver, the central portion of the Nelson, or the country 



information. \y m g between these two streams ; and even at this post very little was 



known on the subject. This arises from the fact that both these rivers 



Abandoned ^ave ^ 0U S smce been abandoned as " voyaging " routes by the Hudson's 



rivers. jj a y Company, and also that no Indians live at or near the parts I was 



to examine. At Norway House it was ascertained that a route for 



small canoes existed between Split Lake on the Nelson and the head- 

 Route to x • 

 Churchill River wa ters of the Little Churchill Biver, and I determined to follow it and 



the latter stream to the Great Churchill, and to descend this river to 



the sea. As it was necessary to find out everything as we went along, 



the question of how best to finish my survey of the central part of the 



Nelson Biver was left to be decided as circumstances might determine.- 



., _ . , Before leaving Norway House, Mr. Cochrane was instructed to pro- 

 Mr. Coehrane's ° « ' x 

 instructions. cee d to God's Lake and Island Lake and to make track-surveys and a 



geological examination of their shores, as well as of his routes in 



going from Oxford House and returning to it again. The position of 



Oxford House I had determined the previous year. Mr. Cochrane 



performed this service in a very satisfactory manner. 



„ I left Norway House on the 16 th of July with four Indians and two 



Norway House J J 



tS For , t .„ small canoes, and reached Fort Churchill, by the route above indicated, 



Churchill. i 



on the 5th of August, having completed a track-survey and made a 

 geological examination of the whole distance. On reaching the 

 junction of the Little with the Great Churchill Biver, I left most of 

 my outfit in charge of one man, and with the other three made an 

 upward exploration of the main river for two days, so that the time 

 occupied on the journey between Norway House and the sea, at Fort 

 Churchill, was only seventeen days, two of which were lost owing to 

 rain. 



