118 ACROSS THE SUB-ARCTICS OPCANA wo 
were formed of dark Huronian schists and clay. The 
schists were chiefly micaceous and hornblendic, such as 
those occurring about the Lake of the Woods, and were 
found dipping at high angles. 
Four or five miles to the east was a conspicuous. 
range of snow-covered hills, probably six hundred feet 
in height, while between them and the river appeared a. 
broad plateau, or a high level lake—which of the two we 
could not determine from the river bank. Time would 
not permit of our making side investigations when it 
was possible to be travelling, so on we sped, pulling at. 
the paddles as well as being hurried along by the 
current. Thus for a time we made good progress, and 
as the long miles were quickly passed the spirits of our 
little party were cheered. 
Late in the forenoon, as we were rounding a bend in 
the river, an Eskimo in his kyack was sighted ahead, 
and much to our amusement he was soon much farther 
ahead. The poor fellow, seeing our fleet of canoes, and 
being himself alone, evidently thought his safest move 
was to get out of the way, and this he did, leaving us. 
farther behind at every stroke, though we were doing 
our best to catch him. 
I shouted to him in his native tongue, but it was of 
no use; he did not slacken his pace until, some distance 
down the river, he reached an Eskimo encampment: 
of several topicks. Here he landed, hauled up his 
kyack, and informed the other natives of our approach. 
All eyes keenly watched us. As we drew nearer they 
soon observed by our canoes and personal appearance 
that we were not Indians, as they had supposed, but 
were “ Kudloonahs ” (white men), the friends of the Eski- 
