14^ Notice oj the Progress of the Arctic Land Expedition 
of Fox and Hill Rivers. During the ascent of Steel River^ the 
banks gradually increase in height ; and in the lower part of 
Hill River, they exceed 300 feet. These high clayey banks are 
broken into conical hills by the deep ravines which open in- 
to the river. The travellers had no opportunity of judging of 
the nature of the interior ; but wherever the current had worn 
away the bank, the section exhibited only the clay above men- 
tioned. 
About 90 miles' from the sea-shore, a ridge of primitive rocks 
presented itself, crossing the bed of the river, and producing a 
fall termed the Rocky Passage. Above this spot, the banks of 
the Hill River gradually decrease in height, the channel conti- 
nuing uniformly rocky, and at length the superincumbent clay 
entirely disappears, leaving the rocks on the borders of the 
etream either quite naked, or partially covered with soil, and 
clothed with trees. Eight or nine miles above the rock-portage, 
there is a small range of conical hills, the most remarkable of 
which is termed the Hill, and gives the name to the river. It 
is from 500 to 600 feet high. Above this hill, the shores were 
low and rocky, but the woods concealed the interior from our 
view. The rocks seem to be primitive ; and the flatness of the 
country was ascribed to the abundance of the water, which, 
filling the valleys, generally so deep in this formation, leaves 
the summits of the ridges alone uncovered. Thirty-five lakes 
are visible from the top of the Hill. No material variety in the 
appearance of the land was observed before they arrived at the 
Painted Stone ; and even after crossing into Nelson River, the 
same species of rock was seen exposed. 
At the entrance of Lake Winnipeg, an alluvial stratum 
again covers the rocks to an unknown depth. It differs a little 
from the clay through which Hayes River runs, in being of a 
whiter colour, and probably in containing a considerable portion 
of calcareous matter. Calcareous rocks make their appearance 
in great abundance on the western side of Lake Winnipeg, the 
whole country for at least 300 miles along the course of the Sus- 
katchewan appearing to be composed solely of them. There is 
a fine section of them at the Grand Rapid, near the mouth of the 
river. At this place, the stream forces its way through a chasm 
about 60 feet deep, the rocks on each side being disposed in thin 
