24 



A General History of the Fur Trade, 



mile and an half wide, for about thirty-six miles ; bounded 

 upon the North by very high rocks, with low land on the 

 South, and sandy ; it is intercepted again by. falls and cata- 

 racts, so that the Portages of the two Joachins almost join. 

 The first is nine hundred and twenty-six paces, the next 

 seven hundred and twenty, and both very bad roads. From 

 hence it is a steady current of nine miles to the River du 

 Moine, where there has generally been a trading-house ; the 

 stream then becomes strong for four leagues, when a rapid 

 succeeds which requires two trips. A little way onward is 

 the Ddcharge, and close to it the Portage of the Roche Ca- 

 pitaine, seven hundred and ninety-seven paces in length. 

 From hence two trips are made through a narrow channel 

 of the Roche Capitaine, made by an island four miles in 

 length. A strong current now succeeds, for about six 

 leagues to the Portage of the two rivers, which is about 

 eight hundred and twenty paces; from thence it is three 

 leagues to the Ddcharge of the Trou, which is three hun- 

 dred paces. Near adjoining is the rapid of Levellier ; from 

 whence, including the rapids of Matawoen, where there is 

 no carrying-place, it is about thirty-six miles to the forks of 

 the same name ; in latitude 46J-. North, and longitude 78f . 

 West, and is at the computed distance of four hundred 

 miles from Montreal. At this place the Petite Riviere falls 

 into the Utawas. The latter comes from a North-Westerly 

 direction, forming several lakes in its course. The princi- 

 pal of them is Lake Temescamang, where there has always 

 been a trading post, which may be said to continue, by a 

 succession of rivers and lakes, upwards of fifty leagues from 

 the Forks, passing near the waters of the Lake Abbitiby, in 

 latitude 48^. which is received by the Moose River, that 

 empties itself into James Bay. 



The Petite Riviere takes a South-West direction, is full 

 of rapids and cataracts to its source, and is not more than 

 fifteen leagues in length, in the course of which are the fol- 

 lowing interruptions — The Portage of Plein Champ, three 

 hundred and nineteen paces ; the Dexharge of the Rose, 

 one hundred and forty-five paces ; the Ddcharge of Cam- 

 pion, one hundred and eighty-four paces ; the Portage of 

 the Grosse Roche, one hundred and fifty paces ; the Portage 

 of Paresseux, four hundred and two paces ; the Portage of 

 Priarie, two hundred and eighty-seven paces ; the Portage 

 of La Cave, one hundred paces ; Portage of Talon, two 

 hundred and seventy-five paces ; which, for its length, is the 

 worst on the communication ; Portage Pin de Musique, 



