S20 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA 
sions, and many of them even wear the Indian 
dresses, which they find more convenient than 
their own. 
Having ascended the Utawas River for about 
two hundred and eighty miles, which it takes 
them about eighteen days to perform, they then 
cross by a portage into Lake Nispissing, and 
from this lake by another portage they get upon 
French River, that falls into Lake Huron on 
the north-east side; then coasting along this last 
lake they pass through the Straits of St. Mary, 
where there is another portage into Lake Su¬ 
perior; and coasting afterwards along the 
shores of Lake Superior, they come to the 
Grand Portage on the north-west side of it ; 
from hence by a chain of small lakes and rivers 
they proceed on to the Rainy Lake, to the 
Lake of the Woods, and for hundreds of miles 
beyond it through Lake Winnipeg, &c. 
The canoes, however, which go so far up 
the country, never return the same year; 
those intended to bring back cargoes imme¬ 
diately, stop at the Grand Portage, where the 
furs are collected ready for them by the agents 
of the company. The furs are made up in 
packs of a certain weight, and a particular 
number is put into each canoe. By knowing 
thus the exact weight of every pack, there can 
be no embezzlement; and at the portages 
there is no time wasted in allotting to each 
