50 J GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 



Upper Great Whale River. 



Description of Great Whale Kiver heads in a small lake, half a mile long, 

 ' separated by a short portage of ten yards from Lake Ka-hi-pi-ta ni-cow, 

 a large body of water covered with small rocky islands, and nearly 

 divided by a long point running out from the east side. The route 

 passes through this lake around the point, a distance of three miles and 

 a half to a portage of twenty-five chains, which connects it with 

 Ma-squa chi-wi Lake. This lake is divided by ridges of hills forming 

 long points into three bays ; these lie in troughs parallel to the strike 

 of the rocks, here K 50° W. 



The route crosses the two western bays, and passes up the eastern 

 one to its head, the distance being four miles and one-half. From here 

 three portages of six, twenty-three and thirty-four chains, with con- 

 necting small lakes of fifty-eight and twenty-five chains were passed 

 over to Mis-him-in-i-we-tau Lake. The descent on the last portage is 

 one hundred and sixty feet. 



This lake, like Misquachiwi, is divided by rocky ridges into several 

 long narrow bays parallel to the strike of the rock. 



The portage reaches it at the upper end of the north-east bay, near 

 the inlet of the river, which falls into it through a deep rocky gorge. 

 This bay, with au average breadth of half a mile, runs ten miles in a 

 y direct N. W. course, to a long point separating it from a similar bay on 



the north side. • The hills on either side of the bay rise on an average 

 three hundred feet above the water, with numerous peaks one hundred 

 feet higher ; those on the south side slope gradually to the water's edge, 

 while on the north they rise abruptly in rocky cliffs directly from the 

 lake. 



Beyond the point the route runs more to the northward, and in two 

 miles and a half crosses the second bay, passing along the shore of a 

 large island, through a narrows, into another deep bay running to- 

 wards the north-west. Following along the east side of this, one mile 

 and three-quarters, the outlet was reached, and a rapid of fifteen chain 

 descended into Ka-bi-ma-chi-wan Lake, entering it about the middle, 

 one mile and three-quarters from its outlet. 



Leaving the north-east bay of Mishiminiwetau Lake the hills become 

 lower, with the ridges farther apart, and consequently the amount of 

 low swampy land is much greater. 



A rapid, ten chains long, with a fall of four feet, connects Kabiraa- 

 chiwan with Ka-chin-wa-ste-gin Lake, the river here is thirty yards 

 wide. The north shore of the latter lake was followed three miles and 

 a quarter to a portage, which leaves the lake from the head of a small 

 bay near its north-west end, where the river flows out. This portage 



