82 RED RIVER EXPLORING EXPEDITION. 



sudden southerly bend, which it maintains for a distance 

 of four miles ; it then again assumes a course due west for 

 about sixteen miles, and receives the Pekan, or Little Fork, 

 the Missatchabe, or Big Fork, and the Kakmaskatawagan 

 Eivers, on the south or United States side ; the course 

 then turns abruptly due north, and continues for a dis- 

 tance of six and a half miles, when it again resumes a 

 westerly direction for eighteen miles, its otherwise gentle 

 and uniform current is here broken by the Manitou Eapids 

 and Long Eapids, which let the river down about two and 

 a half feet, and three feet respectively. Six miles from 

 the Long Eapids a short northerly bend again occurs, after 

 which the river, with slight meanclerings, pursues a north- 

 west by west direction, until it debouches into the Lake 

 of the Woods. In this part of its course it receives on 

 the British side, small sluggish streams known by the 

 names of the Kiskarko or Pine Eiver, the Kahlawakalk, 

 and Kawawakissinweek, and from the territory of the 

 United States, the Muttontine, or Eiver of the Eapids, the 

 Wishahkepekas, and Kapowenekenow, or Winter Eoad 

 Eiver. Its affluents, on the British side, are insignificant 

 outlets to the swamps which occupy the region north of 

 Eainy Eiver valley ; but some of those on the United 

 States side are of important dimensions. 



Fort Frances, two miles from the source of Eainy 

 Eiver, is situated on the right bank, in lat. 48° 36', and 

 longitude 93° 33' W. Mr. Pether, the gentleman then in 

 charge, stated that the river never freezes between the 

 falls and the Little Fork, a distance of twelve miles, nor 

 between the falls and its source in Eainy Lake. Wheat 

 is sown at this establishment of the Honourable Hudson's 

 Bay Company, from the 20 th to the 23rd of May ; it 

 ripens about 1st September. Potatoes, turnips, carrots, 

 and indeed all common culinary vegetables succeed well. 



