R. Bell — Rising of the Land around Hudson Bay. 225 



and become permanent, growing higher and higher, eventually 

 escaping submergence at most tides and at length becoming 

 covered with grass and then with bushes. Some islands which 

 were covered only with bushes forty or fifty years ago, now 

 support a growth of young trees. The small one on the west 

 side of Middleboro', below Moose Island, is an example of this 

 and the appearance of the trees upon it is within the memory 

 of Mr. Broughton, the gentleman now in charge of Moose 

 Factory. Middleton Island, between the mouths of Rupert 

 and Noddawai rivers, lies close to the east shore of Rupert 

 Bay. Up to a few years ago, canoes and boats could pass at 

 high tide through the long narrow grassy channel behind this 

 island, but last autumn I found it impossible to do so with my 

 canoes and we were obliged, at great inconvenience, to go 

 round outside. 



Two hundred years ago, the ships of the Hudson's Bay 

 Company appear to have had no difficulty in entering the 

 mouths of various rivers on the Eastmain coast which cannot 

 now be used as harbors. In old times the principal post of 

 the company on that coast was in the mouth of Eastmain River, 

 which had no doubt been chosen because it afforded a good 

 harbor. It is only a few years since the mouth of Little Whale 

 River, several hundred miles farther north, had to be aban- 

 doned as a harbor on account of the increasing shallowness of 

 the water. 



At York Factory there is a " ship hole " in the channel of 

 Hayes' River, directly in front of the storehouse. The sea- 

 going vessels of light draft employed in the Hudson's Bay 

 Company's trade have been accustomed to anchor in this hole 

 and formerly they remained afloat at all stages of the tide, but 

 of late years, vessels drawing even less than those of former 

 times have begun to " take the ground " at low water. In 

 objection to the belief that the land is rising it may be said 

 this may be due to a silting up of the hole, but on examining 

 the material brought up on the flukes of the anchors, I found 

 it to consist of light colored stiff bowlder clay or till. 



In 1782, after the French Admiral Lepeyrouse had destroyed 

 Fort Prince of Wales at the mouth of Churchill .Oliver, he 

 landed with cannons on the southeast side of Nelson River and 

 hauling them across the point between it and Hayes' River, 

 captured York Factory. Two ships belonging to the Hudson's 

 Bay Company which were then lying in Hayes' River, laden 

 with valuable cargoes, escaped under cover of the darkness of 

 the following*night and got safely to England. At the present 

 time, it is only possible for a sea-going vessel to get out from 

 this river at the top of high water with favorable wind and 

 careful piloting in daylight. To say nothing of the difficulty 



Am. Jour. Sci. — Fourth Series, Vol. I, No. 3. — March, 1896. 

 15 



