to Albany River, and from thence to Hudfon’s Bay. There is affola
communication-'«ith Lake-Superior, through , what is- called the ffipigan
country, that enters the Lake Winipic about thirty-five leagues Eaft of the
Grande Portage. In fhort, the country is fo broken by'lakes and rivers,
that people may find their way in canoes in any direfttèfe' théy pîeâfe.
It is now four miles to PortagècfoLhfte, which is-But^ fhbrfSthï>h|h
feveral canoes have been loft* in: attempting to run the rapid. Front
thence it is twenty-fix miles to Jaeob’s Fahs, which are about fifteen feet
high; and fix miles and an half to the woody point* forty yards’ frôrh which
is another Portage. They both form an high fall, but not perpendic’ufàr.
From thence to another galet,| or rocky -Portage, is about two; miles,
which is one continual rapid and cafeade * and about' tiro milès fiirthhr
is the Chute à 1’Efclave, which is upwards o f thirty feet; The Portage
is long, through a point covered with wood; it is fix miles and an half
more to the barrier, and ten miles to the Grand Rapid. From thence,
on the North fide, is a fafe road, when the waters are high, through final!
rivers arid lakes, to the Lake du Bonnet, called the Pinnawas, from the
man who difcovered it : to the White River, fo called From itsbemg, for
a confiderable length, a fucceffion o f falls and catara&s, is twelve miles.
Here are feven portages, in fo Ihort a fpace, that the whole of them are
difcernible at the fame moment. From this to Lake du Bonnet is fifteen
miles more, and four miles acrofs it to the rapid. Here the Pinnawas
road joins, and from thence-it is two miles to thé Galet du Lac da Bonnet ;
from this to the Galet du Bonnet one mile and an half; theriée to the Por-
tage of the fame name is three miles. This Portage is dear half a league
in length, and derives its name from a cuftom the Indians have of crowning
ftones, laid in a circle, on the higheft rock in the portage, with
wreaths,
wreaths-of herbage and branches; There have been examples of men?
taking {bven packages;o f nihe-ty pounds eablf, at one end of the portage,
and putting them flown at the other without {topping.
To this, another ifItiaHv•£bItkg^;, immediately fucceeds, over a rock
producing a fall.'-,;i From thence to the fell of Terre Blanche is two miles
and an half; to the firft portage Des Eaux qui Remuent is three miles;
to the next, o f the fame-name; is but a few yards diftant; to the third
and laft, which is a Discharge, is three mites and an half; and from this
to the laft Portage of the river one mile and an half; and to the eftablilh-
ment, or provifibn houfe, is tWt> mtleS ahdan half.* Here alfcf the French
had their principal inland depot,‘and got their canoes made.
It is here, that the prefent traders, going te-great diftahces/ and where
provifion is difficult to procure, receive a fupply 'to carry them to the
Rainy Lake, or Lake Superior. From the^eftatliflimerit to the entrance
o f Lake Winipic is four miles and ari half, latitude North.
Thb^ttraritrjf; • foil,'produce, and'-itllriiate/'-’-irriffi! '‘likkd Superior to
this place bear a general refemblance, with a predominance o f rock
and water: the former is of the granite kind. Whefe there is any
foil it vilfi wdll covered with wood,Ttich as dak' elm, afli %£ dif*
ferent kinds, maple of two kindk, pines of various defcriptions, among
which are what I callJ the Cyprefs/ with thri' 'Irtf&Wb&ik
liafd, poplar, cedar, blaick and white birch, &c.( &fc. Vaft quan-‘
tides of wild rice are feen throughout the country, which the natives
collefl