aow.] JAMES' BAY. 41 J 



River, and thence by two portages into a large lake on the Bishop Rog- 

 gan River. 



The following details show the difficulty of taking canoes over this 

 route. 



The first portage from Big River is three miles and four chains 

 in length, and passes almost directly north, ending in a small lake one- 

 quarter of a mile broad, joined to another small lake by a brook five 

 chains long ; the second lake is thirty chains across. 



From it the next portage, of five chains, was made to another small Succession of 



' o ' portages- 



lake, half a-mile wide, followed by a portage of sixty-seven chains end- 

 ing at a similar lake half a mile long, succeeded by a portage of seventy 

 chains, ihcn a lake of fifteen chains, followed by a portage of forty-six 

 chains, a lake of ten chains, and another portage of seventeen chains, 

 to a slightly larger lake called Wa-we-cho-to-chis, where the Indians, 

 while traversing the portages, stop to fish. This lake is two miles 

 long from the upper end to its discharge, a small sluggish brook ob- 

 stucted by beaver dams. The route follows the winding course of this 

 stream for half a mile to a portage three miles long, ending at a small 

 lake three-quarters of a mile broad, followed in succession by a portage 

 of thirty chains, a lake of twenty chains, a portage of forty-one chains, 

 a lake of forty chains, a portage of forty chains, a lake of one mile, 

 a portage of fifteen chains, a lake of fifteen chains, and a port- 

 age of twenty chains, to the banks of a small river tributary to 

 Big River. This stream was ascended one mile and a quarter 

 past three small rapids to Lake A-wi-chi-na-wi-ga-chi, a large body of 

 deep clear water well stocked with fish, an abundant supply of pickerel, 

 pike, white fish, and suckers being taken in the net here. This lake 

 has two bays extending from its outlet, the western bay is several miles 

 long, the northern one was followed three miles to its head, where a 

 sluggish stream fifteen feet wide was ascended one-quarter of a mile to 

 a lake thirty-five chains wide, followed by five portages of thirteen, 

 thirty-six, eight, fifty-five, and eighty chains long, connecting lake 

 traverses respectively of twenty, twenty-five, and one hundred and 

 twenty-five chains to Pi-a-go-chi River, at this point a shallow rapid 

 stream one hundred feet wide. This river empties into James Bay 

 near Wasticoon, a high rocky island about eight miles north of* the 

 mouth of Big River. From the portage a short rapid, full of large 

 boulders was ascended for half a mile and Pi-a-go-chi Ljake entered 

 near its western end. This is a long, narrow lake surrounded by low 

 rocky hills in many places rising abruptly two hundred feet from the 

 water. The route follows its eastern bay four miles and a half, and 

 leaves it by a portage on the north shore several miles from its eastern 

 end. The portage is fifty-five chains long and passes over two rocky 



