l v D "I BBKO \\|. NORTE BAST TKIUUTORY. 



OrBNEBAI DbBCBIPTION 01 Til K R0PEK1 UiVKK. 



A- the journey from Lake .Mi-ta— ini to Ruperl House was hurried, 

 and consequently largo areas of country were passed over in a Bhorl 

 • time, I will, in the following, give extracts from my daily 

 journal en route : — 



August 22nd Mr. Macoun and myself Left the Hudson Bay posl .-a 

 Mi-ta— ini at 4 p.m., in a large canoe, with ten men paddling, and 

 camped for the uighl at the " Big Narrows," eighteen mile-, from the 

 post. 



August 23rd. — Started al daybreak, and crossed the lake to the weal 

 Bide; proceeded up the shore to the Portage Bay, distant ton miles 

 from the outlet of the river, lid'-, passing over a low. rocky ridge, 

 by a portage two hundred yards long, wo entered the Rupert River, 

 and descended it a distance of ten miles, in a course of X 16 \\\. t<. 



a Bhorl portage, Crossing a Ion-- point, made to avoid heavy rapid- in 



the liver. Camped on the portage. 



The- outlet of Lake Mistassini i- about one hundred yards (vide. 

 Immediately below this the river spreads out, and forms numerous 

 channels between the island- with which it i- covered. The river is 

 so covered, and has a breadth varying from one-quarter to two miles, 

 as far as the last portage. The surrounding country is almosl flat, 

 with low, rounded hill-, never exceeding fifty feet elevation above the 

 level of the river. The timber is principally black spmce and white 

 birch, with poplar, tamarac and banksian pine, all of -mall size, never 

 having a diameter exceeding six inches, three feci from the ground. 

 Timber burnt near the portages. 



August 24th. — Continued down the river, now narrowing to a breadth 

 varying from one hundred yard- to one mile, having a swift current, 

 with several small rapids which are passed by portages in ascending 

 the river. The river continues full of .-mall rocky islands. Distance 



travelled today thirty mile- in a general northerly eour.-e. The 



sountry passed is not bo flat a- yesterday, some hill- rising from 

 seventy-five to one hundred feet above the river. The prevailing 

 timber is Mack spruce, birch^banksian pine and tamarac, all of -mall 



-i/.e. 



The greater pari of the south west Bide has been burnt, and is 

 covered with a second growth of white birch. The north-easl shore is 

 unburat, and black -print' predomina 



Heavy L, r ale from the A west, with showers "f rain, all day. making it 

 very cold and disagreeable to travel. 



25th, Continued down the river eleven mile.- to Lake M i-kit tenow, 



igb the ea-i end of which the river flows. 



