CHURCHILL AND NELSON RIVERS. 21 C 



capping of modified clay,) continued, with the same characters, for a 

 long distance up stream, I have no doubt the shells may be found at a 

 greater distance inland than that at which they were observed by 

 myself. The species noticed at this locality were Mya arenaria, M. 

 truncata, Saxicava rugosot, and Tellina proxima. Among the islands 

 further down, where the banks have diminished to about seventy feet 

 in height and the bed of the river has descended to within 100 feet of shell8 in ol 

 the sea-level, Pecten Islandicus and Gardium Islandicum. were found in at s ea-ievei. 

 addition to the foregoing species. These shells, together with Rhyncho- 

 nella psittacea, were very abundant in the clay forming the bed of the 

 lagoon at Fort Churchill. 



The comparatively rapid elevation of the land, or retiring of the sea, Apparent low- 



r J x ; t enngofthesea. 



around James Bay and at York Factory was referred to in my reports 

 for 1877 and 1878. The same phenomenon is also noticeable at Fort 

 Churchill. From various circumstances connected with the history of 

 old Fort Prince of Wales, at the mouth of the river, and other data, I 

 conclude that the relative level of the sea and land in this vicinity is 

 changing at the rate of about seven feet in a century. This recession 

 of the sea may be due to a general lowering of its level relatively to 

 the land, and partly to the silting up of portions of Hudson's Baj^, in- 

 terrupting the free flow of the tides. 



Spi-uce and tamarac timber are found growing near the sea coast in Timber of the 

 favourable situations as far as Seal Eiver, beyond which their north- urc l ' 

 eastern limit curves inland. The spruce, although not growing as a 

 continuous forest quite as far north as Fort Churchill, is still found of 

 sufficient size in the neighbourhood of this post to be used for building 

 houses, boats, &c. The balsam poplar is rare and of small size at Fort 

 Churchill. White birch, which was found on the main river, eighteen 

 miles above the forks, is said to occur at about sixty or seventy miles 

 west of the mouth of the river. Along the direct overland route from 

 Fort Churchill to York Factory the timber is reported to be generally 

 small, and large prairie-like openings are said to occur, in which the 

 ground is dry and covered with grass or other herbage. 



I saw very good potatoes and turnips growing in the garden at Fort p otatoes grown 

 Churchill. Previous to the advent of Mr. and Mrs. Spencer, the culti- churohiii 

 vation of potatoes had not been attempted, and the possibility of rais- 

 ing them at Churchill, when suggested by Mrs. Spencer, was ridiculed 

 by the oldest inhabitants. However, in spite of predictions of certain 

 failure, ground was prepared, seed planted, and a good crop harvested. 

 The experiment has been repeated successfully for seven consecutive 

 years, so that the question of the practicability of cultivating the potato 

 on the shore of Hudson's Bay in this latitude has been pretty well 

 solved. 



