A General History of the Fur Trade. 



named, as there is no ground about it that answers to that 

 description, except a small spot at the embarking place at 

 the West end: to the East is an entire bog; and it is with 

 great difficulty that the lading can be landed upon stages, 

 formed by driving piles into the mud, and spreading branches 

 of trees over them. The portage rises on a stony ridge, 

 over which the canoe and cargo must be carried for six hun- 

 dred and eleven paces. This is succeeded by an embarka- 

 tion on a small bay, where the bottom is the same as has 

 been described in the West end of Rose Lake, and it is with 

 great difficulty that a laden canoe is worked over it, but it 

 does not comprehend more than a distance of two hundred 

 yards. From hence the progress continues through irregu- 

 lar channels, bounded by rocks, in a Westerly course for 

 about five miles, to the little Portage des Couteaux, of one 

 hundred and sixty-five paces, and the Lac des Couteaux, run- 

 ning about South- West by West twelve miles, and from a quar- 

 ter to two miles wide. A deep bay runs East three miles 

 from the West end, where it is discharged by a rapid river, 

 and after running two miles West, it again becomes still 

 water. In this river are two carrying-places, the one fifteen, 

 and the other one hundred and ninety paces. From this to 

 the Portage des Carpes is one mile North- West, leaving a 

 narrow lake on the East that runs parallel with the Lake des 

 Couteaux, half its length, where there is a carrying-place, 

 which is used when the water in the river last mentioned is 

 too low. The Portage des Carpes is three hundred and 

 ninety paces, from whence the water spreads irregularly be- 

 tween rocks, five miles North-West and South-East to the 

 portage of Lac Bois Blanc, which is one hundred and eighty 

 paces. Then follows the lake of that name, but I think im- 

 properly so called, as the natives name it the Lake Passeau 

 Minac Sagaigan, or lake of Dry Berries. 



^ Before the small-pox ravaged this country, and complet- 

 ed, what the Nodowasis, in their warfare, had gone far to 

 accomplish, the destruction of its inhabitants, the popula- 

 tion was very numerous : this was also a favourite part, 

 where they made their canoes, &c. the lake abounding in 

 fish, the country round it being plentifully supplied with va- 

 rious kinds of game, and the rocky ridges, that form the 

 boundaries of the water, covered with a variety of berries. 



When the French were in possession of this country, they 

 had several trading establishments on the islands and banks 

 of this lake. Since that period, the few people remaining, 

 who were of the Algonquin nation, could hardly find sub- 



