1908.] 



ROUTES TRAVERSED MACKENZIE. 



119 



leaving Lake Hardisty I had observed an increased luxuriance in the 

 forest growth, evidently the result of a more favorable soil and the 

 slightly decreased altitude. Paddling down this river, which was a 

 broad, deep channel winding in a circuitous manner between high, 

 sparsely wooded banks, we descended a short riffle a feAv hundred 

 yards below the large rapid, and another a quarter of a mile beyond. 

 "Within a quarter of a mile below the second riffle we came to a rapid 

 about a quarter of a mile long and quite formidable. We were 

 obliged to portage everything on the left side of the river over a 

 rocky ridge and diagonally down a mossy hillside. At the lower 

 end of the rapid, which fell into a small, rock-bordered pond, we 

 encamped. Currants {Rihes ru'brum and jwostratum) were abundant 

 and ripe. 



On August 25 we crossed the small pond and ran a small rapid 

 which fell into the narrow arm. of another lake. AYe paddled to the 

 extremity of three bays before finding the outlet, which flowed from 

 the westernmost bay. To the left of this stream, which starts from 

 the lake with a moderate current, rises a high, rounded rock with a 

 few trees growing on its sides. A few hundred yards below we 

 came to a short rapid, where we made a portage of about 75 yards 

 through thick spruce woods. The extremities of this portage were 

 marked by blazed trees. This rapid fell into what apparently was 

 a small lake, but which proved to be an inlet of Klarondesh Bay, 

 which connects with MacTavish Bay. Searching for the outlet, we 

 explored the first northerly bay, but had to retrace our way, and then 

 took the western bay, where we encamped after going a short dis- 

 tance. The shores here are low and well wooded to the water's edge. 



The next day, August 26, we pursued our way northward up the 

 inlet. After proceeding about 2 miles we came to an easterly inlet, 

 which we explored, but finding no outlet had to retrace our wa}^ A 

 mile or two beyond we passed another narrow easterly bay. A range 

 of high, rocky hills now appeared ahead. The channel then widened 

 out and a long, high, and narrow gravelly island, nearly devoid of 

 trees, a favorite camping ground for the natives, was passed on the 

 right. From this we crossed diagonally westward to a high, rocky 

 point, where we encamped. From the summit this point was seen 

 to lie between two diverging arms of the lake, the one we had 

 traversed being the narrower. To the westward lay the range of 

 granite hills, and northward stretched a maze of high, rock}^ islands. 



On August 27 we started before sunrise and pursued our way north- 

 ward and then eastward among islands, passing to the left of several 

 large ones, and finally entering a channel about a quarter of a mile 

 wide, bordered on either side by high, rocky, sparsely wooded hills. 

 We followed this channel for about 1 miles, and encamped in a 

 sandy bay, where a low level spot at the base of a high gravelly point 



