A General History of the Fur Trade. 35 



again separated by a similar pond, from the last Portage de 

 Cerise, which is four hundred and ten paces. Here the 

 same operation is to be performed for three hundred and 

 eighty paces. They next enter on the Mountain Lake, run- 

 ning North- West by West six miles long, and about two 

 miles in its greatest breadth. In the centre of this lake, 

 and to the right is the Old Road, by which I never passed ; 

 but an adequate notion may be formed of it from the road I 

 am going to describe, and which is universally preferred. 

 This is first, the small new portage over which every thing 

 is carried for six hundred and twenty-six paces, over hills 

 and gullies : the whole is then embarked on a narrow line of 

 water, that meanders South-West about two miles and an 

 half. It is necessary to unload here, for the length of the 

 canoe, and then proceed West half a mile, to the new 

 Grande Portage, which is three thousand one hundred pa- 

 ces in length, and over very rough ground, which requires 

 the utmost exertions of the men, and frequently lames them", 

 from hence they approach the Rose Lake, the portage of 

 thatname being opposite to the junction of the road from the 

 Mountain Lake. They then embark on the Rose Lake, 

 about one mile from the East end of it, and steer West by 

 South, in an oblique course, across it two miles ; then West- 

 North-West passing the Petite Peche to the Marten Por- 

 tage three miles. In this part of the lake the bottom is mud 

 and slime, with about three or four feet of water over it; 

 and here I frequently struck a canoe pole of twelve feet long, 

 without meeting any other obstruction than if the whole 

 were water: it has, however, a peculiar suction or attrac- 

 tive power, so that it is difficult to paddle -a canoe over it. 

 There is a small space along the South shore, where the 

 water is deep, and this effect is not felt. In proportion to 

 the distance from this part, the suction becomes more pow- 

 erful : I have, indeed, been told that loaded canoes have 

 been in danger of being swallowed up, and have only owed 

 their preservation to other canoes, which were lighter. I 

 have, myself, found it very difficult to get away from this 

 attractive power, with six men, and great exertion, though 

 we did not appear to be in any danger of sinking. 



Over against this is a very high, rocky ridge, on the South 

 side, called Marten Portage, which is but twenty paces long, 

 and separated from the Perche Portage, which is four hun- 

 dred and efghty paces, by a mud-pond, covered with white 

 lilies. From hence the course is on the lake of the same 

 name, West-South- West three miles to the height of land, 



