224 R. Bell — Rising of the Land around Hudson Bay. 



may be seen at all elevations up to about 70 feet. In summer 

 these people generally camp on the shore, and their favorite 

 locations are at the mouths of small streams into which the 

 sea trout run at high tide. Here they construct weirs of 

 stones, which impound the fish when the tide retires. On 

 Outer Digges Island, I have found these fish traps and the 

 rings of stones and other structures marking their old camp- 

 ing places, up to a height estimated at 70 feet. 



Among the historical evidences bearing upon this question 

 since the advent of the white man, may be mentioned the fact 

 that in 1610, Henry Hudson, the navigator, wintered in a bay 

 full of islands on the east coast south of latitude 53°. None of 

 the bays in this region would now be possible for this purpose, 

 showing that a considerable change in the level of the sea has 

 taken place in less than 300 years. 



In 1674, Charles Bayley, then local governor for the Hud- 

 son's Bay Company, sailed through in a sloop between Agoomski 

 Island and the main west shore of James Bay. It would now 

 be impossible to pass here in a sea-going vessel of any kind. 

 In 1886 I found it difficult to get through in bark canoes, 

 drawing only a few inches of water. The shoaling is not due 

 to a silting up, since the almost dry bottom consists of a level 

 surface of till with bowlders scattered thickly over it. 



From 1675 to 1685 the Hudson's Bay Company's establish- 

 ment in the mouth of Moose River was upon Hayes' Island, 

 which, it is to be presumed, was selected for convenience of 

 landing goods from their vessels and shipping out their returns. 

 This island is now unapproachable except by canoes and small 

 boats. For more than 200 years the factory* has stood upon 

 Moose Island, the next below Hayes' Island. The annual ship 

 from England anchors in the channel cut through the sands off 

 the mouth of Moose River. On account of the risk of rough 

 water, it is necessary to discharge the cargo by schooners. 

 Within the memory of living men, these schooners could 

 ascend to a wharf built opposite the large storehouse of the 

 factory. But for many years, the same schooners have been 

 unable to ascend all the way, and the cargo requires to be trans- 

 ferred into scows, which complete the trip to the wharf ; and 

 the distance to which the schooners can ascend is constantly 

 diminishing. In the beginning of the present century Prin- 

 cess Island, a narrow bushy strip immediately in front of the 

 factory, was separated by a channel with a good depth of water 

 at the lowest tides. Last autumn I saw it quite dry on several 

 occasions during ebb tide. It is well known to every one who 

 has lived at this post in the present generation that every now 

 and then a new " lump " will appear in the bed of the river 



* Factory, a residence of a factor or agent. 



