130 



A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



birth, but they remembered the expedition of Sir Alexander Mac- 

 kenzie towards the sea. 



This is a picturesque lake, about ten miles long and six broad, 

 and receives its name from a species of fish caught in it. This fish, 

 the methye, is not much esteemed ; the residents never eat any part 

 but the liver except through necessity, the dogs dislike even that. 

 The tittameg and trout are also caught in the fall of the year. The 

 position of the houses by our observations is latitude 56° 24" 20' N., 

 longitude 109° 23' 06" W., variation 22° 50' 28" E. 



On the 13th we renewed our journey and parted from Mr. Clark, 

 to whom we were much obliged for his hospitality and kindness. 

 We soon reached the Methye portage, and had a very pleasant ride 

 across it in our carioles. The track was good and led through 

 groups of pines, so happily placed that it would not have required 

 a great stretch of imagination to fancy ourselves driving through a 

 well arranged park. We had now to cross a small lake, and then 

 gradually ascended hills beyond it, until we arrived at the summit of 

 a lofty chain of mountains commanding the most picturesque and 

 romantic prospect we had yet seen in this country. Two ranges 

 of high hills run parallel to each other for several miles, until the 

 faint blue haze hides their particular characters, when they slightly 

 change their course, and are lost to the view. The space between 

 them is occupied by nearly a level plain, through which a river 

 pursues a meandering course, and receives supplies from the 

 creeks and rills] issuing from the mountains on each side. The 

 prospect was delightful even amid the snow, and though marked 

 with all the cheerless characters of winter ; how much more charm- 

 ing must it be when the trees are in leaf, and the ground is arrayed 

 in summer verdure ! Some faint idea of the difference was conveyed 

 to my mind by witnessing the effect of the departing rays of a bril- 

 liant sun. The distant prospect, however, is surpassed in grandeur 



