48 A General History of the Fur Trade. 



The Mud Lake must have formerly been a part of the 

 Cedar Lake, but the immense quantity of earth and sand, 

 brought down by the Saskatchiwine, has filled up this part 

 of it for a circumference whose diameter is at least fifteen 

 or twenty miles : part of which space is still covered with a 

 few feet of water, but the greatest proportion is shaded with 

 large trees, such as the hard, the swamp-ash, and the willow. 

 This land consists of many islands, which consequently form 

 various channels, several of which are occasionally dry, and 

 bearing young wood. It is, indeed, more than probable 

 that this river will, in the course of time, convert the whole 

 of the Cedar Lake into a forest. To the North- West the 

 cedar is not to be found. 



From this lake the Saskatchiwine may be considered as 

 navigable to near its sources in the rocky mountains, for 

 canoes, and without a carrying-place, making a great bend 

 to Cumberland House, on Sturgeon Lake. From the con- 

 fluence of its North and South branches its course is Wes- 

 terly ; spreading itself, it receives several tributary streams, 

 and encompasses a large tract of country, which is level, 

 particularly along the South branch, but is little known. — 

 Beaver, and other animals whose furs are valuable, are 

 amongst the inhabitants of the North- West branch, and the 

 plains are covered with buffaloes, wolves, and small foxes ; 

 particularly about the South branch, which, however, has 

 of late claimed some attention, as it is now understood, that 

 where the plains terminate towards the rocky mountain, 

 there is a space of hilly country, clothed with wood, and 

 inhabited also by animals of the fur kind. This has been 

 actually determined to be the case towards the head of the 

 North branch, where the trade has been carried to about the 

 latitude 54. North, and longitude 1144. West. The bed 

 and banks of the latter, in some few places, discover a 

 stratum of free stone ; but, in general, they are composed 

 of earth and sand. The plains are sand and gravel, cover- 

 ed with fine grass, and mixed with a small quantity of vege- 

 table earth. This is particularly observable along the North 

 branch, the West side of which is covered with wood. 



There are on this river five principal factories for the con- 

 venience of trade with the natives. Nepawi House, South 

 branch House, Fort-George House, Fort- Augustus House, 

 and Upper Establishment. There have been many others, 

 which, from various causes, have been changed for these, 



