fix ,miles, with a:very ftrongfeurrent, whefé*the goods» areearned fevdh
hundred and forty paces*;,,.the eanoe, beiug;toy/ed upfiyithedine, .when
the water is*nqt; vefy high,»*!\ffie noyv eotfi? Lag -d?ft Ofeaudihresi which
is computed to be thirty tnilpsijin^tength,,: Tblengh)ifc As eaHed'Mlake,
there is a fi rdng draught downwards^ and its breadth is frorrrtwo tofour
mifev. At the end of this is the Rortage 4 es Chats, oyer which the canoe
and ladinga^ earried two hundred and, fevf nty-foür panes; and very difficult
it is for the former. The river is here barred by a ridge of black
rocks, rifing in pinnades and covered with wood* which, from-the final!
quantity oMbil that nêurifhés it, is low and ifêiiled.^:.rïhÊiKi^|ra:dst^
way ovf rjaadihroügh thefe roeks,in nuifeerpusicbannels,; falling fifteen feet
and upwards. From henee two trips are made througha ferpentSneehan-
nelJfbrtBed by the rocks, for feveral miles, whpn the CBfeeht fl,a6ckens, and
is accordinglyealledthe. Lake des Chats. ' At the channels ;ofdhe grand
Calumet, which .are computed to be at the diftance of eighfeÉH'tpilas* thé
current recovers its ftrength, and proceéds to the Portage Dufört, which
is two hundred and forty-five paces long 5 oyer which4the.;;candehnd
baggage are tranfported. From hence thq current becomes more rapid,
and requires two trips torfhe Décharge des Sables*, where the goods'
are carried one hundred andr.thirty-fiyé paces* and.the canhetotded.
Then /follows the Mountain Portage, where the .Canoe* and - lading
are alfo carried , three b undrad,.; and.eighty-ftye paces; tlieh the
'Déchargo-öf the Derigé where d^ jg^ds >,are:|£^rtied twc^p^red,:tod
fifty? pa<fes$ and thence..to dtf thejJongeft
• The place:where the goods alone are cartried; is called a Bf'cjïdrj^l^a^hàp*^1 gool45.ààd c,anj3ês
ér£Ïójfn ü-jnfôoited, oyeriand, is denominated ^Portage.
carryinghas
been a military eftablifhment fince the upper pods were given up to
the :Americans im* the year 1754 ; and is the Wefternmoft military
pofitj'Oniwhich We have in thist country. It is a-place ,pf' no trade, and
the greater part, if nofcthe whole; of the Indians, come here, for *10 other
purpofe hut to receive the prefents which our government annually
allows them.» They »are .from ,the/ American territory Except about
thirty fafedies;#ho;are; the inHabitaftfs pCthidake Trout tfee F rench river,
and df: the Algonquin fpati^jip and trade in Ithoh ipeJtrieaa 'fifes theyjufed
ferfflerly to do'ntiMiehilimakinaCj biit iprincipaUlf with Britilh fubjelbs.
The Americans pay them, very little attehdof», and iteli them that they
keep pofl’eflion: of their g countryj by ; right, ©fi conqiucft-: that, as. their
brothers* they; wiilshh fmends iriih themj\^!leithey?dpf^vedts-.and,that
fheit' taraders’wift »bringkhqpiievery ikind;)0.£ ^ ’pds .they,require, which
they may procuretfty their induf try, .
to Our commanders.treat» them m a verydjfferen^jiihnner, andj finder the
ehara&er ofdiereprefentatives of,their father;, »fyvhich parental title the
natives give to his prefent Majefty^ihejgommon father of nil his people)
prefent them? with fuch things; .as the«;a6lual hate of their ftores will
allow.
f 1 How. far this eonduft, if continued»! mny*! at a, future exigency, keep
tbefe peoplednlour intereft, iif they are gyq$<W8>j6thy »til &» V not an objeft
of my prefentconfideration; at s the fajne time, I cannot avoid expref-
fing my perfedl convi&ion, that it would not. be of the leaft .advantage
to our prefent or future commerce in that- country, qr to the people
themfelvesipas it only tends to keep many of them in a ftate o f idienels
about