tow.] JAMES' BAY. 19 J 



On the east side of Eupert Bay, about half way between the mouths 

 of the Eupert and Nottaway rivers, a small stream called Fish Eiver 

 enters. 



In lat. 51° 30', on the east side of Eupert Bay and near its mouth, 

 the Eupert Eiver flows in. This large body of water flows from Lake 

 Mistassini, which is fed by several comparatively large streams, the 

 longest and largest of which is the Temiscamie Eiver, which rises to 

 the north-east of the lake, near the headwaters of the Peribonka 

 Eiver flowing into Lake St. John. 



The Eupert Eiver, for one hundred miles from the sea, is very Portages o« 



. : , . Rupert Rirer 



rough, and in ascending it canoes with their loads are forced, on route, 

 account of its heavy rapids and falls, to make portages aggregating 

 over ten miles in length. 



Continuing up the east side of James Bay, the next river flowing in 

 is the East Main or Slude Eiver, whose mouth is in lat. 52° 15'. This 

 is a very large river, rising fully five hundred miles inland at the 

 ■central water-shed of the Labrador Peninsula, which divides the 

 waters running north into Ungava Bay, from those flowing west and 

 south into Hudson Bay, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence respectively. 



As has been previously stated, the course of the East Main Eiver 

 ■was roughly laid down by Mr. Clonston In 1824, who made a track 

 survey to near its head. A copy of his map was obtained at Little 

 Whale Eiver last year and it is now in the office of the Geological 

 Survey. The Hudson Bay Company use the upper part of this river 

 as a route to their post of Nitchicoon. situated on a lake a short 

 distance beyond the height of land on the head of one of the rivers 

 flowing north into Ungava Bay. The route followed from Eupert 

 House is by the Eupert Eiver to a short distance beyond Lake 

 Nemiscow, where a northern branch is taken, and passing thence 

 through a chain of lakes, the East Main is reached, about two hundred 

 miles from its mouth, and then ascended to its head through several 

 more lakes. The lower part of the river is broken by a number of 

 heavy rapids and falls, entailing long portages, and therefore the Fails and 

 Eupert is taken in preference, thus obviating the long coast journey 

 in open canoes, with its attendant delays and dangers. The present 

 route to Nitchicoon is so difficult that the Hudson Bay Company have 

 tried to find an easier one by the Big Eiver to Fort George, but this 

 was ascertained to be longer and harder than the one used at present. 

 The difficulty of the trip can be appreciated when it is learned that the 

 lai-ge canoes leave Nitchicoon with the first open water in the spring and 

 are often dragged over the frozen lakes to the river, they thus reach 

 Eupert House about 1st July ; where, unloading their furs, they embark 

 the trading outfit for the ensuing year and start immediately inland, only 



