CFURCHILL AND NELSON RIVERS. 31 C 



The Kinoutchewan or Long Ripids, at tlio head of (rod's Lake, are 

 passed hv throe portages, with a total length of 24()0 yards, and a 

 demic'harge 1234 yanls long. Alx)ve these the upward et)urse of Island 

 Lake River turns east-sou th-ejvst, and passes through the lower part of Beaver-hiii 

 Beavei-hill Lake, which stretches to the south-westwai-d about thirty ^^^' 

 miles. At the end of this reach of the river there is a short demi- 

 charge into a small round lake, from which a portage of 650 yai-ds 

 leads us into another small sheet of water called Goose Lake. The 

 Kinoutchewanoose, or Little Long Rapids, fall into the southern part 

 of this lake, and are surmounted by four portages, having an aggregate 

 length of 957 yards. 



From Goose Lake the Ishmd Lake River has a nearlv direct upward I-«land Lako 



River 

 course, bearing southward, all the way to the lake from which it takes 



its name, the distance being twenty-three miles. Its volume is about 



the same as that of Trout River (between Oxford and Knee Lakes), 



and its width, which varies much, may avei'age about 200 yards. In 



some parts of its course it passes between walls and banks of bare 



gneiss rock, which sometim.es rise to the height of lift}' feet or rather 



moi-e. Indeed this character prevails all the way from God's Lake. 



The rocky parts are the narrowest, and in the intervals between them 



the river often opens out into reedy and marshy bays with clayey soil 



around them. The Island Lake post of the Hudson's Bay Company, p^^t of ^jj^ 



in charge of Mr. Linklater (to whom Mr. Cochrane 'was indebted for H. B. Company. 



much kindness), stands on an island near the outlet of the lake. 



Islwi'f Lake lies nearly east and west, and its greatest length is Island Laki. 

 about seventy miles. The main body of the lake, however, measures 

 only forty-eight miles, and has an average width of twelve miles. 

 Both the northern and southern shores curve gently to the south, 

 parallel to one another. The whole form of the main lake, and the 

 positions of the inlet and outlet, present a striking resemblance to the 

 outline of the human stomach and the situations of its orifices. This 

 lake is very appropriately named, being literally filled with islands in Many islands, 

 every part. The aggregate area of these islands is apparantlyas great 

 as that of the water-surface. The number probably amounts to sevei*al 

 thousands, and they present a great variety in form and size, the 

 largest being several miles in length. Mr. Cochi-anc counted upw^ards 

 of one thousand adjacent to the main land all around, most of which 

 are indicated on the accompanying map, and the whole of the interior 

 of the lake is studded with an equal {)rofusion. 



A narr()w and straight bay runs west from near the outlet tor a Narrow Bay. 

 distance of nine miles, which, for convenience of description, might be 

 called Xarrow Bav. Fiorn its northern shore a canoe-route starts to 



