240 



RED RIVER EXPLORING EXPEDITION. 



flows at the rate of 3 miles an hour. The mean depth 

 across the river here is 14 feet, but it is in the memory of 

 those living at the fort, when the river was crossed on 

 horseback during a very dry season. 



About 158 miles below Tort a la Corne, near Tearing 

 Eiver, the main Saskatchewan is 330 yards broad, 22 

 feet deep in the channel, has a mean sectional depth of 

 20 feet, and flows at the rate of two miles an hour. 

 Two hundred and ninety one miles below the Grand 

 Forks the main Saskatchewan enters Cedar Lake, a 

 dilatation of the river thirty miles long. Issuing from this 

 large body of water, it expands into a small lake, but soon 

 again contracting its channel, the Cross Lake Eapids come 

 into view; these rapids have a fall of 5 J feet. Hudson's 

 Bay Company's boats of four or five tons are tracked up 

 them with half cargo, but loaded boats, descending, run 

 the rapicls. The Saskatchewan then enters Cross Lake, 

 and after issuing from this elongated expanse of water 

 begins a rapid course to Lake Winnipeg, with* a current 

 often 3 and sometimes 3^ miles an hour. The head of 

 the Grand Eapid is about four miles from the mouth of 

 the river. The length of the portage is one mile seven 

 chains, and the rapids below the portage are about 1^ 

 mile long, so that the total length of the Grand Eapid 

 exceeds 2\ miles. The fall from the west to the east end 

 of the portage, as ascertained by leveling, is 28^ feet ; 

 the fall below the portage is estimated to be 15 feet ; 

 consequently the total fall is about 43 feet. The Grand 

 Eapid is run by Hudson's Bay Company's loaded boats ; 

 in ascending from the foot of the Eapids to the east end of 

 the portage, boats are tracked or towed up with half 

 cargo ; they are then run back again, and again tracked 

 up with the other half of their freight. From east to 

 west end of the portage boats are tracked up on the 



