26 ASSINNIBOINE AND SASKATCHEWAN EXPEDITION. 



twenty to twenty-five feet above its level near the mouth, 

 and diminish in altitude in ascending the stream. They 

 are fringed with aspen, poplar, spruce and tamarac. In 

 the rear, swamps occur, often covered with deep moss, 

 and containing islands of tamarac and a few balsam 

 spruce of fair dimensions, but scarcely suitable for any 

 other purposes than those which a limited settlement 

 might occasion. 



The river proving too rapid for using the sweeps, we 

 were compelled to track up, a difficult and tedious labour 

 to the men, but offering an excellent opportunity for 

 making traverses into the country, which, however, were 

 never deep, the swamps soon arresting progress inland. 

 The general aspect of the river for the first four miles is 

 very attractive, resembling in many particulars Eainy 

 Eiver. About three miles from the lake the limestone 

 disappears, being covered with drift or alluvial clay. The 

 banks rise gently with the stream, which is rapid and 

 shallow. The yellow autumnal foliage of the aspens 

 contrasts beautifully at this season of the year with the 

 spruce and tamarac, and gives a charming appearance to 

 the river banks. Towards evening we arrived at a 

 camp of Swampys, containing four tents. They had an 

 abundance of white-fish, and told me the river was " full 

 of them." Anxious to test the statement I intimated a 

 wish to purchase a score of fresh fish, and offered an 

 Indian some tea and tobacco if he would catch them im- 

 mediately. He accepted the offer, entered his canoe, and 

 crossing over to a well-known eddy, in fifteen minutes 

 brought back twenty white-fish, weighing on an average 

 three pounds each. We camped close to the Swampys, 

 on the edge of a cranberry marsh, as we knew that if we 

 tracked a mile or so up the stream they would follow us, 

 and our party might be increased by others in advance of 



