DOWLING. 
WASHAGAMI RIVER 
21 F 
•swift, are completely paved from side to side to side with these boulder.s, 
now considerably rounded. The valley in the lower part approaching 
the Ekwan is wider and the present channel of the river seldom reaches 
either .side. 
In the distance travei’sed to the first lake, seventeen miles in direct Fall of ov<>r 
line, the fall is about fifty-live feet or an average of over two feet 
per mile for the lower third of this distariee, and this i.s increased in 
the upper to at least five feet per mile for a short distance. 
On reaching the first lake it is quite noticeable that there is no 
longer a river valley such as in the lower part, but the lakes occupy 
a wider depression that may have been an old channel. The first one 
is W.'ish.agami lake and it is succeeded by a chain of three closely con- 
nected small lake.s to another large one called Minagu or Spruce lake. 
Tile first mentioned is said to lie the largest or rather longest of the 
group. Beyond .Minago lake lie Moss and Tamarack lakes. On the 
north .side of tlie latter, high htll.s of black rocks, wliiiili are probably 
.similar to the trap rocks of Sutton Mill lakes, are reported. 
This serio-s of lakes appear to lie in a valley now draining south, but 
it seems too large or wide to have been formed by the small stream 
now draining through it. The present stream has no doubt formed a 
new channel to the south of the lake.s, a.s it is still very actively widen- 
ing the bends where it touches each side of its own valley, but above 
this there is an older valley. The origin of this, as well a.s of the 
valley of Sutlnn Mill lakes is no doubt connected with the early sys- 
tem of drainage, now probably diverted into other channels by the 
difilerential uplift of the coast. 
^ The portage route from the Wa.shagami to .Sutton Mill lakes i.s 
mainly along the surface of the higher plateau through mo.s.sy muskeg 
interrupteil by a few small lakes all draining eastwanl to the Little toStuton** ' 
Ekwan river. Leaving the M'ashagami, the trail runs nortlnvard nearly 
a mile through muskeg, ri.sing steadily to a gravel ridge having the 
appearance of a beach ridge. This is followed a mile to the north- 
east to the first small lake. On the north side of this ridge are. several 
small lakes which all drain to the cast from one to the other. At 
these lakes two short portages are unule and then the second long 
portage is reached. 'Phis is about a mile and a (pnarter long through 
lumpy mos.sy muskeg and only one .slight rise is cro.ssed where the 
ground is dry. It ends at a small lake about oOO yards long with low 
margin. From the north-east end of this, another long portage of 
aViout the same length running east north-east reaches the western 
I tirliigi* routo 
from Ui<^ 
