DOWUKQ. INTRODUCTION / F 
The general valley is a narrow cut through clay, with cut banks on 
either side for most of the distance to the first branch. 
The country on either side is covered by a mossy .swamp with a 
spares growth of black spruce and tamarack. The cour.se of the river, 
from the mouth of the Wa,shagami, is east-south-east, but above thi.s it 
evidently takes another direction, changing its upward course toward 
thy south and, as its head-waters lie lietween the heads of the Atlawa. 
piskat and NVlnisk rivyi-s, it jirobably llows to the north-east for some 
distance before turning to the e.a.st. The upper part is an older channel 
and its cour.se, as before mentioned, wa.s probably through the Sutton 
Mill lakes valley to the sliore of the bay, wliich was at that time not so 
far from the lake as at the prc-sent time. In the latter part of its course, 
it is now cutting down a new valley through marine clays which cover 
the underlying rocks to a depth varying from twenty to fifty feet. From 
the lowe.st rock expo.sure U» the sea, the current is swift and it i.s con- 
stantly moving a large quantity of gravel and finer material towards 
its mouth, and into the bayintn wliich it empties. Limestone in appa- 
rently horizontal bods is exposed at intervals in that section which 
lies between forty and one hundred inile.s from the sea. From the 
fossils collected it would appear tliat thf’}' aie probably of Silurian age. 
Above the Little F.kwan, the river issue.s from a wide valley which 
is cut through a higher pdateau, but this valley gradually narrows 
before the Washagami is reached, and cut banks of clay, higher but 
somewhat similar to those in the river below, occtir at man}' of the 
bends. The.se clays contain marine .shells such as i'a.riciim rugom, 
Mnauma ('alcarvft, Mya truDcalii and Cardhun ciliatuvi. These were 
also found about 390 feet above tide at the highest point at which the 
clays were seen. In the lied of the river the Jiving fresli water species 
noticed were : 
Anodonta Kcnnicotti Lea, A. maryinata. Say, and Lnnipsilis luteidns 
{Latnnrck) var., as identified by Dr. Whiteaves. 
The Washagami river is but a small stream, divided a few miles 
from the Ekwan into two branches. The northern branch comes 
from a long lake-valley running north and south, or parallel to that of 
Sutton Mill lakes, and thi-s may also have been one of the outlets for 
a stream such as the upper part of the Kkwan. The lower part of 
this valley or the portion near tlie Ekwan, is now being cut into by 
the stream and a .short new valley eroded. 
The fall in the Ekwan from the mouth of the Washagami, as given 
by our barometric readings, is over 300 feet. North of this, to beyond 
F<,iiininpr new 
va'ley. 
Miuini' clays. 
Washagami 
river. 
Fall in stream 
