portages* ^conducted us to the Woody Lake. < -Its borders, were,
indeed, walls of pines,; hiding-the face ofi steep and high rocksi: and
we wandered, in search of a landing, place till ten P.M., when we
were forced, to take shelter from an impending storm, on a small
island--where we wedged ourselves between . the trees. But though
we (secured the canoes,I we. incurred a personal evil .of much greater,
magnitude, in the:.torments .inflicted' by the musquitoes,;,a plague,
which had grown upon us. since:our departure from Cumberland
House, and which infested us during the whole summer ; we found
no relief from their attacks. by exposing ourselves to the utmost violence
of the wind and rain. Our last resource was to plunge
ourselves in the water, and from this uncomfortable situation we
gladly escaped at day-light, and hoisted our sails.
The Woody Lake is thirteen miles in length, and a small grassy
channel at its north-western extremity, leads to the Frog Portage,
the source of the waters descending by Beaver Lake to the Saskatchewan.
The distance to the Missinippi, or Churchill River, is only
three hundred and eighty, yards; and as its course crosses the
height nearly, at right. angles to the. direction of the Great River,
it would be superfluous to compute the elevation at this place. The
portage:'is in latitude, 55°> 2.6' 0" N .,. and longitude 103° 34:50"
W. Its name, according to Sir Alexander-,Mackenzie, is derived
from the Grees having left suspended a stretched .frog’s skin,
in derision of the Northern Indian mode of dressing the. beaver.
The part of the Missinippi, in which we embarked, we should have
mistaken for a lake, had it not been for the rapidity of the current
against - which we made our way. At four P.Mi we > passed a long
portage occasioned by a ledge of rocks, three hundred yards in
length, over which the river falls seven or eight feet. After crossing
another portage we encamped.
On-the 18th we had rain, wind, and thunder, the whole day ; but
this weather was much preferable to the heat we had borne
hitherto. We passed three portages, »and, at-six P.M., encamped on
the north-bank. Below. the third» portage is the mouth of the
Rapid River; 'flowing from- a large, lake to the southward, on which-a
post was formerly maintained by the North-West Company. Next
morning we found; ourselves involved in a confused mass of islands,
through the openings of which we could not discern the shore. The
guide’s knowledge- of the river did not extend beyond the last
portage,.and our perplexity‘‘continued,-till we observed some foam
floating- on the water, and took the direction from which it came.
The noise-of a heavy-fall, at the Mountain Portage, reached our ears,
at the distance of four miles, and we arrived there at eight A.M.
The portage was a difficult ascent over-a rocky island, between
which and the main shore were two cataracts- and the third in sight
above them, making: another portage. -We1 surprised a large brown
bear which immediately retreated into the woods. To the northward
of > the-second portage we again found the channels intricate,
but the shofes being sometimes visible, we ventured to proceed.
The character of the country was new and more interesting than
before. - The mountainous and strong- elevations receded from the
banks, and the-woods crept through their openings to the valleys
behind; the adventurous pine alone ascending their bases, and braving
storms unfelt below;
At noon we-landed at the Otter Portage, where the river ran with
great velocity for half a mile, among large stones. Having carried
across the- principal part of the* cargo, the people attempted to
track the. canoefe along the edge of the rapid. With the first
they succeeded,- but the other, in which were the foreman and
steersman,- was overset and swept away by the current. An account
of this misfortune» was speedily conveyed to the upper end of the
portage, and the men launched the remaining eanoe into the rapid,
though wholly unacquainted with the dangers of it. The descent
was quickly accomplished, and they perceived the bottom of