The ^riAcipal bines are, the St. Louis, the Nipigon, the Tic, and the
Mfiftipicoten. indeed, the extent vof country from which any of them
§o#, or take their eourfe, in any dire&kwa, cannot adinitof it, ih Confer
quehee o f the ridge o f land that feparates them from the rivers that
empty themfelvfes into Hudlbh’s-Bay, the gulph o f Mexico, and the
waters that fall in Lake Michfegasn, which afterwards -become alpart of
the St. Laurence.
This vaft colle&ion of water is often 'covered with fog, particularly
Whdn the wind is ffom the Eaft, which, driving agaanft the % h barren
¥6cfes on the North and Weft ffbore, dtflcilves in torrents o f lain. It
is very generally faid, that the ftouns on this lake are -denoted >by a fwoll
on t|ie ipreceding day; hut this circumftance did not Appear from my
obfervaticm to be u tegular phenomenon, as the fwells more frequently
fiibfided without any fubfequent wind.
Along the furrounding rocks of this immenfe lake, evident marks
appear ©f the decreafe of its water, by the lines ohferyable along them.
The-l^ace, however,-between the higheft and the loweft,. is mot fo great
as in the 'fma’lldr lakes, as it does-wot amount to more than fix feet, the
former being very faint.
The inhabitants that are found along the coaft -of this water, are all of
the Algonquin nation, the whole of-which -do not -exceed150 families.*
• I n Mm, yeir 1668, when the firft milWaries vifited the South o f this lake, they-found the
"country full o f inhabitants.; "They 'relate, that, about this:time:a band of: the:-Nepifingues,..whb. were
converted, emigrated to the Nipigon country, which is. to the North of Lake Superior. Few of their
cleicenclants are now rekiaining, and not a'frace "of'the "teligtoh tOmrhUnit'^ted to them is to e
'difcovered. Thefe
Xheft people five chiefly on fifh ; indeed, from what ha* been faid
of the icountTyi it" pandit fig pxpg^edtp abound in animals, $$ jf i$
totally deftitate of .that ftelter, whieh k fo neceflar-y tp the®. The
rocks appear (to; have been over-rrun by fire, and the ftinted timber,
which once grew there, is frequentlyThen lying along the furfape of
them4-;bqt it is not eafy to be reconciled, that any thing (hould
appearance o f foil.- Between the fallen
trees there are briars, with hurtleberry and goofeherry buflies, rafp-»
berries, &c. which, invite the bears iq greater or leffer numbers, as
they are a favourite food o f that animal: beyond thefe rocky banks
are found a few moofe and fallow deer. The waters alone are abundantly
inhabited.
A very curious phenomenon was obferyed feme years ago at the Grande
Portage, for which no obvious caufe could be aligned. The water
withdrew with great precipitation, leaving, the ground dry that had
never before been vifible, the fall being equal to four perpendicular feet,
and milling back wkh great velocity above the common mark. It continued
thus facing and riling for feveral hours, gradually decreafing
till it> flopped at its ufugl height. There is frequently an irregular
influx iapd deflu*, which does not exceed ten inches, and is attributed
to the wind.
The bottom o f the bay, which forms an amphitheatre, is clear and
indefed.; and on the left corner o f it, beneath an hi-li, three or four
hundred feet in height, and browned by o,thors o f a ftiii greater altitude,
1 f 2 is