OF THE POLAR SEA. 



87 



of the lake have been low, but our informa- 

 tion did not enable us to judge whether the 

 decrease was merely casual, or going on 

 continually, or periodical. The distance of 

 this island from Norway house is thirty- 

 eight miles and a half. 



The westerly winds detained us all the 

 morning of the 9th, but, at two P.M., the 

 wind chopped round to the eastward; we 

 immediately embarked, and the breeze af- 

 terwards freshening, we reached the mouth 

 of the Saskatchawan at midnight, having 

 run thirty-two miles. 



Sunday, October 10. — The whole of this 

 day was occupied in getting the boats from 

 the mouth of the river to the foot of the 

 Grand Rapid, a distance of two miles . There 

 are several rapids in this short distance, 

 during which the river varies its breadth 

 from five hundred yards to half a mile. Its 

 channel is stony. At the grand rapid the 

 Saskatchawan forms a sudden bend, from 

 south to east, and works its way through a 

 narrow channel, deeply worn into the lime- 

 stone strata. The stream, rushing with im- 



