118 



NOKTH AMERICAN FAUNA. 



[NO. 27. 



two bays of the same lake. After making the portage we pursued 

 a winding, but generally westerly course for 2 or 3 miles and en- 

 camped at a narrow strait, an excellent fishing place, between two 

 slight expansions of the channel. The rocky margins were sparsely 

 clothed with the usual trees and shrubs. 



On August 22 our guide declined to conduct us farther, apparently 

 not having a personal knowledge of the route. He gave some direc- 

 tions to the other Indian, but after the first half day we were unable 

 to follow them and had to find our way as best we could. 



We went on at once, the guide accompanying us for a couple of 

 miles from camp, and leading us westward into a broad expansion 

 of lake. After j)arting with him we turned northward among some 

 islands and soon entered a channel leading toward the northeast. 

 It was narrow at first, but soon attained a width of nearly a mile. 

 After following this channel about 8 miles we passed a high crag on 

 the right, the extremity of a rocky hill. On the sloping side, as we 

 advanced toward it, could be seen the profile of a face. At the point 

 where this crag dipped to the water the width of the channel was 

 reduced to 50 yards and there was a perceptible current. About 3 

 miles beyond here we came to a mountainous island or point ex- 

 tending across our path. We passed westward and traveled for 3 or 

 4 miles through a broad channel bordered on the north by a high, 

 rocky ridge whose sparsely wooded sides, strewn with angular blocks 

 of stone, sloped steeply to the water. From this we emerged into 

 a large lake apparently nearly filled with large islands, and encamped 

 on the eastern shore. 



During the forenoon of August 23 we remained in camp finishing 

 necessary work, and we spent most of the afternoon attempting to 

 follow out the instructions given us by the guide; but becoming in- 

 volved in a mass of low islands, and not being able to recognize any 

 landmark referred to by him, we came back to our camping place 

 and started northward up a broad channel which lay between the 

 hilly eastern shore and a number of large, low islands. We encamped 

 on one of these after proceeding a few miles. 



On August 24 Ave pursued our way northward through an expanded 

 part of the channel and during the forenoon passed through a narrow 

 place where a fair current flowed northward. This convinced us that 

 we were approaching the looked-for outlet, but a range of high hills 

 which bordered the lake to the northward showed no indication of a 

 river valley. After exploring several deep bays, however, we found 

 where the river left by a formidable rapid about 300 yards in length. 

 (See PL XV, fig. 1.) The portage track led over rocky ground on the 

 left bank. Favorable spots at the rapid supported a good growth of 

 spruce, with a luxuriant undergrowth of Viburnum pauci/lorum, 

 Rosa acicularis, RuJjus strigosus^ and Vaccinium uliginosum. Since 



