CHURCHILL AND NELSON RIVERS. 27 C 



tion being Fox Hill (a part of the ridge running past the south end of f, jX Hiii. 

 Was kai-ow-a-ka Lake), which is visible to the north-westward from 

 the lower part of Split Lake. The Assean River enters the north side Assean River, 

 near the outlet, and at a narrow place, just west of it, there is a per- 

 ceptible current in the lake. 



From the termination of the fossiliferous dolomites to the outlet of 

 Split Lake, the rocks along the Nelson River consist of Laurentian La Ure ntian. 

 gneiss and schists, with the exception of a small area of what appear 

 to be Huronian strata at the foot of the lowest Gull Rapid. At a Huronian at 

 point on the north side, about one mile below this rapid, a coarse grey Gn]] ^p" 15 - 

 mica-schist, with strings and bunches of white quartz along the bed- 

 ding, dips N. 15° E. < 80°. Crossing the foot of the rapid itself is a 

 band of fine-grained massive mica-sohist, passing into dark grey 

 quartzite, ribboned with streaks of white quarts and red felspar. The 

 dip is N. 10° E. < 80°. A dark finely-crystallized diorite, probably 

 forming part of a dyke, was observed at the sides of the rapid. 



The Laurentian gneiss, in the section which has been indicated, T 



...... Laurentian 



presents some variety in composition, color, texture, and in the char- gneiss. 

 acter of its stratification, which it is unnecessary to describe minutely in 

 the present report. Sometimes the gneiss passes into hornblende or 

 mica schist. In a few places the latter is studded with garnets, and it Garnets. 

 generally contains veins of coarse, light-colored granite. The strike, strike. 6 Vems ' 

 which was recorded in many places, was nowhere found to preserve a 

 general uniformity of direction for any considerable distance, but in 

 the majority of all the cases noted it had a northwesterly tendencj^. 



On the first island above the narrows near the outlet of Split Lake, a„ ... T , 



r ' Spbt Lake. 



green hornblende rock, which may be Huronian, runs S. 15° W., ver- 

 tical, and on the east side of the point forming the narrows there is a 

 peculiar light reddish-grej'- gneiss, containing a ,*ft chloritic mineral. 

 The weathered surfaces are very thickly jutted, and have a rough, 

 spongy appearance. Split Lake and the geology of its shores have 

 been already referred to in describing my route from Lake Winnipeg 

 to the mouth of the Churchill River. 



Grass River. 



Having already surveyed the section of the Nelson River between 

 the "jog " at the foot of the Grand Rapid and Sipi-wesk Lake, I fol- 

 lowed the Grass River between these points, in returning to Norway 

 House, after completing the exploration of the river below Split Lake. 

 The upward course of the Grass River from its junction with the Upward cours< 

 Nelson bears south westward, nine miles to the outlet of Witchai 

 (" Stinking ") Lake, from which it runs southward, or parallel to the 



