1908.] 



KOUTES TRAVERSED MACKENZIE. 



115 



left his route and pursued a northward course to the eastward of 

 his track. 



On August 13 we crossed Lake St. Croix diagonally, and from near 

 its northeast corner made a portage of a quarter of a mile over a low, 

 rocky ridge to a lake about 2 miles long east and west, by 1 mile 

 wide. Its shores are mainly high, and near its center stands a small 

 rocky island, high and well wooded. We passed to the eastward of 

 this island and crossed among some large low ones to the northeast 

 extremity. This lake is evidentlv the one referred to by Petitot in 

 his narrative (Autour du Grand Lac des Esclaves, p. 247) as Lac 

 Seguin.'^ From it we made a portage of 175 paces over another 

 rocky ridge to a smaller lake and encamped on its southern shore, 

 near the western extremity. To the eastward stood several high, 

 rocky hills, the highest of which showed a summit of very light 

 grayish rock, in striking contrast to the surrounding hills. To the 

 south, between us and Lake St. Croix, ran a rocky ridge. This is a 

 part of th^ ridge called by Petitot Mount Vandenburghe, and on 

 some maps the Barrier Mountains. To the westward a ridge of 

 mountains with a general north and south trend loomed blue in 

 the distance. From the summit of the ridge near camp an extended 

 view of characteristic scenery — irregular rock-bound lakes and rugged 

 ridges — could be seen (see PL XIV, fig. 2). The two common ferns, 

 C. acrostichoides and D. fragrans^ grew abundantly on the moss- 

 covered rocks, and about the margins of the lakes the water arum 

 {Calla paliistris) was still in flower. 



On August 14, the weather being unfit for traveling, we remained 

 in camp at this place, but on August 15 we struck camp, and, crossing 

 the end of the small lake, made a portage of 175 paces to another lake 

 of irregular shape, about IJ miles long east and west and less than a 

 mile wide. We crossed it, and from its northern shore made a portage 

 of about 1 mile over a rocky ridge and through several muskegs to 

 another lake, which proved to be large. On the eastern shore of the 

 part which we entered rose a rocky mount, about 800 feet high. Its 

 northwest side is long and very precipitous; its other slopes are more 

 gradual. Westward the lake is seen to be quite extensive. This is 

 the Lac Seguin of Petitot (1875), and the Lake Fabre of Bell (1901). 

 Going northward, we passed through channels between islands to 

 another expansion, which is nearly circular and contains only a few 

 small islands. This part we crossed in a northern direction and pad- 

 dled through a narrow, winding channel, running a small rapid, to a 

 small narrow lake, and out of this into another large one containing 

 many rocky islands. Some of these islands and parts of the shores 



^ But on liis map of 1875 this name is given to tlie larger lali:e to tlie north- 

 ward. 



