460 ASSINNIBOINE AND SASKATCHEWAN EXPEDITION. 



but could find no fossils. The current in this channel, as 

 in most places where the river is narrower than usual, is 

 strong, measuring two and a half to three miles an hour. 



About half a mile below Cedar Lake, on the right or 

 west bank of the river, which is now more than half a 

 mile in width, is situated Cedar Lake House, a winter 

 trading-post of the Hon. Hudson's Bay Company, lately 

 established with a view to compete with the " Freemen," 

 who come annually from Eed Eiver to trade with the 

 Indians in this locality. 



Between Cedar Lake and Cross-Lake Eapid, a little 

 below which the Saskatchewan expands into Cross Lake, 

 the river is very broad, and widens here and there into 

 deep bays and funnel-shaped indentations. It grows nar- 

 rower again a little above the rapid, where a projecting 

 point of limestone, obstructing the current, causes a small 

 smooth rapid on the south side, with a fall of about eight 

 inches. The Cross-Lake Eapid is occasioned by a band 

 of limestone intersecting the bed of the Saskatchewan 

 nearly at right angles ; and this is the first interruption of 

 any magnitude to the even flow of the river. The Saskat- 

 chewan is let down by this rapid about five and a half feet 

 in a short distance. There is a large island near the south 

 side of the river, extending the length of the rapid, and 

 dividing it into two channels. The broadest or northern 

 channel is that which came under my observation. It is 

 about thirty chains wide, and is the route followed by the 

 Hon. Hudson's Bay Company's boats. In order to ascend 

 the rapid, the Company's boats of four to five tons burden 

 have to be " tracked " or dragged up with half cargo, and 

 the other half of their load has to be carried over the port- 

 age, a distance of 230 yards. The fall from the west to 

 the east end of the portage (obtained by leveling) is 4*08 

 feet, and from the east end of the portage to the quiet 



