70 ASSINNIBOINE AND SASKATCHEWAN EXPEDITION. 



kenzie's new residence accompanied us to the island, and 

 although very anxious to make the traverse across the 

 lake after passing the Narrows, he remained for a few 

 hours to cut a couple of oak logs which he proposed to 

 take with him to Fairford, to mend the old freighter's 

 boat which had formed his pay for six weeks' labour. 

 He embraced this opportunity, on account of the difficulty 

 of procuring oak timber near the Mission. Although oak 

 was seen several times on the shores of Lake Manitobah, 

 north of the Narrows, yet nowhere was it found of such 

 serviceable thickness (fifteen inches) and length as on 

 Manitobah Island. In the rear of the marshes which 

 border the lake it is known to exist in small quantities. 



Among the Devonian fossils procured on the island 

 w T ere Atrypa reticularis, Atrypa aspera, two species of 

 Chonetes, a small Productus, an Orthoceras, and fragments 

 of a large fish. 



I remained on this island with Whiteway for three 

 days ; we shot a mink, a few duck, and saw a red fox, 

 but although the island was so small, we found it impos- 

 sible to kill him. Indians appeared occasionally in their 

 canoes on the north-east coast of the lake, but although 

 they heard our guns and fired in return, yet they would 

 not venture near us. They have all a great aversion to 

 caves and overhanging rocks, conceiving that such places 

 are the abode of fairies, or Manitou. The origin of this 

 superstition in relation to Manitobah Island is due to the 

 sounds produced by the waves as they beat upon the 

 beach at the foot of the cliffs near its northern extremity. 

 During the night time, when a gentle breeze is blowing 

 from the north, the various sounds heard on the island 

 are quite sufficient to strike awe into the minds of the 

 superstitious Indians. These sounds frequently resemble 

 the ringing of distant church bells ; so close, indeed, is 



