72 ASSINNIBOINE AND SASKATCHEWAN EXPEDITION. 



they told him that they had repeatedly heard shots from 

 the Narrows, but did not care to know who had fired 

 them in that quarter. A quiet admission that the terrors 

 of Manitobah Island were sufficient to check the curiosity 

 even of an Ojibway Indian. 



It was past noon on the morning of the 26 th when we 

 reached Manitobah House ; we remained there for an 

 hour to partake of the hospitality of Mr. and Mrs. Mack- 

 enzie, and procure a supply of white-fish and potatoes. 

 In the afternoon we pulled towards McKay's Point, passed 

 between Sugar Island and Birch Island, both low and 

 marshy areas, and camped at sunset on Pelican Island, a 

 circular sandy beach enclosing an extensive marsh, in 

 which duck still remained in considerable numbers. The 

 lake near the coast is shallow, the greatest depth recorded 

 being thirteen feet. 



The whole of the coast as far as Swan Creek is very 

 low, and bordered by beaches enclosing marshes. Here 

 and there wooded points ten to twelve feet above the 

 lake level separate the marshes from one another ; on one 

 of these points we observed some very fine elm, but the 

 prevailing timber consists of aspen. A mission was es- 

 tablished some years since at Elm Point, by the Eev. 

 Mr. Cowley, but abandoned soon after. An attempt was 

 made to open a cart track from this Mission to the prairies 

 near Oak Point, but it was thought that the Indians who 

 professed to guide Mr. Cowley through the driest part of 

 the country, took him through the most swampy portion. 

 The Indians now say that dry ridges exist, with inter- 

 vening marshes, over and through which a cart track 

 could be established without difficulty ; but it is evident 

 that the character of the country on this part of Lake 

 Manitobah is not fitted for farming purposes. Isolated 

 areas like Elm Point are doubtless to be found, but not 



