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GEOLOG]

ALF

AT-TA

GEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY OF CANADA.
ALFEED B. C. SEIWYN, C.M.G., LL.D., F.RS., Director.

REPORT

AN EXPLORATION OF PORTIONS OF THE

AT-TA-WA-PISH-KAT & ALBANY RIVERS,

LONELY LAKE TO JAMES' BAY.

R. BELL, B.A.Sc, M.D., LL.D.

188G.

i * •;

In:

PUBLlSiHED BY AUTHORITY OF PARLIAMENT.

MONTREAL :

DAWSON BROTHKRS.

1887.

To A. R. (

Sir,— I
Muring the i?
Dt'cemhei' ]i
Intonor.

To A. I!, o. S«,wvN, J!,,.. c.M.G, 1,I,D, y.R.s.,

*»«r ./„. aeo,^^, „„, «„.„, ^,,,^,^ ,^^^ ^^ ^_ _^^

n«h:X:::* L^:°2^'»'-/j.'t of „„ ,»„„,,, „„„,

Interior. -Kepoit of the Minister of the

T have the honor to be,
i Sir,

Your obedient servant,

ROBKRT BELL.

tWi

AT-TA"

The woi-k

1886 C(»n.si.st

Island, in oi

which I liad j

laid down upi

to one incli ;

parts of the J

and, if possib

objects were s

the results, ai

were accompi

In pursuaiK

June, and a<t<

in Toronto, I

aiiJ arrived th

above i-eferi-od

good progi'oss

tion.- Were ace

Sheguendah, 1

«ible to coniple

niore northcM n

REPORT

AN EXPLORATION OF PORTIONS OF THE

AT-TA-WA-PISH-KAT AND ALBANY RIVERS,

( ■r-

,'■■ f1

LONELY LAKE TO JAiLES' BAY

ROBHfrr BRLL, B.A.Sc, ^.D., LL.D

The work which I was inatinicted to cai'iy on (luring the season of injtruotiong.
1886 consisted, first, of an examination of the Ofrand Manitoulin
Island, in order to verify the boundaries of the various formations
wluclil liad previously traced in 1865 and 1866, and which will now bo
laid down upon a map about to be published on a scale of four miles
to one inch ; and secondly, to make an exploration and survey of
pai'ts of the At-ta-wa-pish-kat River on the western side of James' Bay,
and, if possible, to complete the survey of the Albany F{i\rei'. Tho-^o
objects were successfully fulfilled, and I shall now proceed to describe
the results, and at the same time refei* to the methods by v^hich they
were accomplished.

In puisuance of the above instructions 1 loft Ottawa on the 12th of
June, and after spending two days in obtaining some necessary articles
in Toronto, I proceeded to Manitowaning on C4rand Manitoulin Island, Manitoulin

I'll 1 , ,, 1 .-< . , 1 1 , . 1 . Islaiul.

mA arrived there on the 16tli. hight days wci-e devoted to the object
above referred to, and as the roads and the weather were favorable,
!,'Ood progress was made, and the details of Ijoundaries of the forma-
tion> were accurately located over a large area in the townships of
Sheguendah, Ilowland, and Bidwell. But as it was evidently impos-
sible 10 complete the work before it became advisable to start for my
more nortlu'i n field, I left Manitowaning on the 24th of Juvie, and

AT-TA-WA-PI61I-KAT AND ALBANY RIVERS.

Men and
Aci^iBtunti-'.

Start from
Wabigoon.

ari'ived at SaultSte. Marie on the 2r)Ui. Here I hired six reliable men
Htf voyageiirH, ami piucliabetl a liark canoe. Leaving tlie Sault on the
27th, I arrived at Port Arthur on the 28th. Mr. John MacMillan and
Mr. Alfred P. Muri-ay accompanied me as assistants. Within an
hour after arriving at Port Arthur, the whole party was sent on by
the Canadian Pacitic railway to Wabigoon, which had been seieetoil
as the point from which a start could bo made on the best route t(j thc-
region to be explored.

After purchasing most of our provisions for the season at Port
Arthur, 1 proceeded to Red Rock, whoi-o J succeeded in obtainiiiij a
canoe from Mr. Nowton Flannigan, of the Hudson's Bay Company. I
might heie remark that canoes large enough for our purposes have
of late years become scarce antl difficult to obtain. But I had arrangetj
•with Mr. Alex. Matheson, the H. B. Co. 's agent at Rat Portage, to have
two ready for me, and these were now sent to Wabigoon. On
the 1st of .Ful}', having forwarded my supplies and the other two
canoes from Port Arthur, I proceeded to Wabigoon, arriving thuie
on the 2nd. Our joui'noy began with a portage about nine miles long.
in H north-north-easterly direction, from Wabigoon to Big .Sandy
Lake. The four bai-k canoes were carried across this portage on our
men's shoulders, while most of the supplies were taken by waggon
over a " tote-road." While this woi-k was in progress, I proceeded
to Eat Portage to procure some necessary supplies from the Hud-ions
Bay Company, and returned on the Gth. The poi-taging having heen
completed on that day we cros-ised Big Sandy Lake, and camped at the
south-western extremity of MinnietakieLake.

Routes Followed.

Sketch of
routes.

Before entering into details of my exploration and its resultti, the i
description will be rendered clearer by the following short sketch of
the routes followed throughout the season. From Wabigoon, .if
general north-easterly course was followed, via Lake Minniotakie and
Lake St. Joseph, the Albany and Attawapishkat Rivers, to James Bay.
The water-shed between the rivers just named was crossed frora the]
highest of the chain of lakes on the Eabamet Branch, by which wel
the Albany at about 90 miles in a straight line below the outlet of|
Lake St. Joseph. On crossing the height of land we struck the he
waters of a bianch of the Attawapishkat, having a north-easterl/j
course. This we followed with much difficulty to its junction wittr
the main river, a distance of about thirty miles.

So(m after passing the height of land, I decided to send back Messi^j
MacMillan and Murray with two of the men from Sault Ste. Marie wj

lEu]

PELICAN RIVER AND LONELY LAKE.

rnuke .1 geological exploration of the route from Lake St. .loHepli to
Cat Lake and thence by Goose River to the west enil of Lonely Luke.
They explored about two-thirds of Cat River and returned via Lake Cat River.
St. Joseph and the route by wliich wo had entered it.

On arriving at the Attawapishkat River with ray lour men, I letl

the imlk of our stores in charge of one of them, an(' proceeded with

the others to explore the river towai-ds its source. Returning to this

I amp after a few days, we next descended the river to the sea, making

ii careful track-survey of it, taking numerous latitudes all the way to

its mouth, a distance by the general com-se of the river of about 300

miles. We then coasted in our canoes to the mouth of the Albany Albany River.

River. A iletailed track-survey of this large stream was made from

James' Bay to " The Forks" or the junction of the Kenogami, above

whidi point I had aurveyed both branches instrumentally in 1871. The

Ivenogami was ascended to Ix)ng Lake, from which, passing over the

Lake Superior heightrof-land, we descended the Black River to its

intersection with the Canadian Pacific railway. As I was obliged to

convey my men hom^ to Sault Ste. Marie, the most direct route for

doing so was by way of Port Arthur, which we reached on the 13th of

October.

The (litlei'ent pai-tsof the route above indicated will now bedescribetl
with mure particular I'eference to their geological features, but at
ihe same time the geographical peculiarities, the aspect of each sec-
'.ion, the timber, soil, climate, etc, will also be noticed.

Pelican River and Lonely Lake.

' I

As the geology of the route between Wabigoon and Lonely Lake
Post, via Frenchman's Head or "Lost Lake," was examined and
reptirted upon in 1872, on this occasion, in order to explore new
ground, I followed the main Pelican River from the point at which itPeiiciui River.
turns dtl' at right angles from Frenchman's Ilesul Channel between
Pelican Lake and Frenchman's Head Lake, and flows north-north-
taslward into Lonely Lake. The Indians informed me that the outlet
1 01 Sturgeon Lake, which supplies a large part of the water of Pelican
River, enters the north-east bay of Abram's Lake, and we ascertained
in 1872 that the stream which we then descended, called Sturgeon
Lake Piiver, and which enters the eastern part of Minnietakie Lake,
does not flow out of Sturgeon Lake at all. At a distance of six miles,

I a straight line, fron\ the above point of divergence from French

j man's Head Channel, we came to the level of Lonely Lake at the foot

I of a slight rapid, down which we ran our loaded canoes without diffi-

[cnlty. The eastern part of Lonely Lake spreads itself in straggling

Kuroiiinn
rooks •

Luriely Lake-

AT-TA.-WA-1'I8K-KAT AND ALBANY RIVERS.

channels and hays over a much widoi- area (lian has l>.ithor(o licen
roprcHontod on tho sketcli-mapH <>»'tho region.

The Huronian i-ocks ai-e ovorywhoro inot with from Wabigoon to
the south Hide ol' Pelican Lake, where thoy give place to Lauroutiun
f^neiwH. Near the junction with tho lattc. .the Huronian schiHts run
al)Out west with a wtraight course, and tlie distinct banded structuie
which here characterizes them is nearly vertical. Both Abram's and
Pelican Lakes are traversed by partially submerged ridges of bouldei\
liaving the same south-westerly cour.-ie as tho glacial sfriiP.

Along the Pelican Kiver, the rocks ccmsist of grey, baniled gnois,-.
of which the strike is for the most part between east and nortli-oa-^t
and the lamination is on odg'v Gneiss, of common rod and giw
"^varieties. continued all along our course through Lonely Lake \i> its
eastei'U extremity, but a marked change was noticed in the strike in
the narrow north-westwai-d "Jog," where its course was about noitli
with a dip to tho oast of from 10'^ to 50*-'. About ihc middle of this
section of the lake, tho gneiss is much broken and mixed with granite.
The shores of the oaslcrn part M' the lake are mostly marshy, but al
the eastern extremity, massive gneiss is soon, and at a point on the
north-west side, two miles from the extremity, tho strike of a similar
variety was observed to bo north-west. It may be hero incideiitiiliy
remarked that gneiss with a little granite and a few trap dykes, an
the only rocks which have been observed on any part of this sheet ot
water, which is nearly 100 miles in length.

Pelican Hiver is the largest feeder of Lonely Lake, and as its watcis
are tolerably clear, they impart the same chanactcr to tho lake west
of its mouth, i)ut to the eastward tho water of the lake acquires the
brownish color of Root River, which empties into its eastern extremity.

Root River.

Root River. The general upward course of Root River, which is followed in going

from Lonely Lake to Lake St. Joseph, has a north-easterly bearing, hut
the stream is very crooked, and it curves considerably to the south-
eastwai-d of a straight liue. We followed this river to a point eighteen
miles in a direct course from its mouth. Here the main stream bend«
otf to the west, and w-e turned up a small branch from the north-north'
east, which having no other name, we called Pond Lily Brook, uiidai
the end of three and a-half miles, in a straight line, came to the
hoight-of-land portage, half-a-mile long, leading over to the western
extremity of Lake St. Joseph. Tho lower half of the eighteen miles
of Root River which we followed, is a sluggish stream, expanding in
several places into .small li kes with wide marshy borders. On the

]

LAXE 8T. JOSBPII.

abovo route, luassivo gnoiss i-* exposal in many placOH all tlie way
fioni the east eml of Lnnoly Lake lo tho west en<l of Lake St. Joseph. On
the top of tho nearly bare hills of gneigs, on the west siJo of Pond Lily
BiooU, halfway between its Junction with Root River and the heii^ht-
of-land portage, some angular fragnientrt of tine-grained silicoouis mag- *'"*"''* '••
Molitc wore found. The hoigbt-<»f-land |V)rtj.g<;, which risi's onl}' a few
toet above tho level of Lake St. .lotoph, paHses over bouldery and
clayey ground, with a bog in tho middle.

Lake St. Joseph.

In 1885, Mr. Thomas Fawcett, D.L.S., measured a zig-zag line
tlirou^'li Lake St. Joseph by moans of tho Lugeol micrometei-, tho
aiigle« being taken with [he transit. In eonstructing tho accompany-
iiig map, his distames have been adopted, while tho details are taken g|"'j^g^|*,'j*'
from ni)' owi. sketching, based on a track-survey made by a floating
lioat-log and careful timing of the 8pee<l of my canoe, all bearings
lii'inji taken by a gotxi compass.

The moan often barometric observations, noted on as man}- ditforent Le^e' of iiake.
(lays, on Lake St. Joseph, give its elevation as 1,172 feet above the
hoa. Its general coui-so is east-north-east, true, and its length from
the western extremity to the northern of its two outlets at its opposite
end, is tifty-oight miles, and to the more southern outlet tift)--tive miles.
The breadth vai'ies from a quarter of a mile to throe miles, with an Dimetisions.
oxtremo width of eight, measui-ing across jjoints, but the average
would bo about one m'le and a-half. It may, therefore, be described
as a narrow sti-aggling sheet of water of tho above dimensions, the
jii'^a of its water-surfact being much reduced by the points and ponin-
Milas and the groat number of islands of all sizes, from thi-ee miles in
length downward, which it contains. The largest space of open water
is the Grand Traverse, at about twu-thirds of the distance from tho
west end, which is three miles wide and measures eleven miles from
south-west to noi'th-east.

Tho countrv around Lake St. Joseph mav, in a general wav. be jj'""''""'"*'"^
said to be level, although some low rocky hills are to be seen in places.
Ridges of granite, nearly destitute of timber, occur around the western
mouth of Cat River, not far from the west end of the lake. To the
eastward of tho first nai-rows, oast of the eastern moutli of this river,
rounded bills of gneiss may bo seen on both sides ; and again on the
west side of a northern arm, fifty miles from the west end. In the
iKUTow section towards the cast end, which has a general south-east
^iHU'se, but in which all the points ami bays i-un north-oast ami south-
west, a few low ridgos of gneiss run [»arallol with these, and sorao long

10 a

AT-TA-WA-l'ISK-KAT AND ALBANY RIVERS.

.! i

Glaciul striii'-

Soil.

Climate.

Timber-

I'owK ot' boulders or moraines, rining just out of the slmllow water, have
the same direction. it will be observed that while the general eoui^c
«^f the lake is about east-north-oast, the bays and points i-un luoit!
nearly north-east and south-west. A table of the directions of the
glacial stritc is given further on, from whiclj thoir average bciuiiii;
v/ill be seen to be south-west, thus corresponding with the geucnil
trend of the depressions in the face of the country. At the "Fall
Fishery Station," forty-four miles from the west end, the surface of the
<|uart'.ose gneiss, which occurs there, is thoroughly pl aned p tt', ami
along with the strijv, running S. i>0" W., the bruised croscont-shnjiod
marks, indicating great pressure, uiay be seen following each other in
rows, their concavities looking south-westward, showing that the
glacial movcaient was in that direction.

It would be difficult to estimate the proportion of cultivatable >uil
compared with the worthless ai-oa in the country adjacent to the shores
of Lake St. Joseph, but the percentage does not appear to be great.
In some places, both on the niain shores and the larger islands, Kiw
banks of sand aiid of yellowish loam were seen, but, as a ride, the sur-
face appears to be either too stony or too level and wot to give imuli
promise as a iarming region. The Indian name of Lake St. Joseph i<
" the lake of the swami)y •'ountry."

The climate in the immediate vicinity of the lake, at all event-,
appears to be sufficiently good to admit of the growth of a variety ot
crops. At Osnaburgh House, near the easi end, where the soil is of (i
sandy nature, the principal crop cultivated at present is j)otat()es, but
eaily Indian corn, peas, beans, and a variety of roots and other vege-
tables, to say nothing of a profusion of flowers, were in a tiourishinj,'
condition in the end of July. In former years, when cattle were kept
at the post, barley was said (o lu-ne been a rogidar crop. Hay grous
very luxuriantly. 1 was credibly informed that pumpkins and niu>k-
melons had frequently ripenotl at this establishment.

The timber all around Lake St. Joseph has sutfcred greatly tVom
forest tiros at many ditl'eront timC' t'rom about a century ago to the
present year. Parts of the main shores and many of the island-,
especially in the neighborhood of the Grand Traverse, have escaped
the fires, and lioro full-sized timber may bo seen. The second growtli
woods are of all agos, from seedlings of a year or two, up to trees nearly
as large as those of the orii^inal forests. As elsewhere in those lati-
tudes, where the old forests of spi-iu'c, tamarac, balsam, white hirtii,
etc., have been burnt, they are succeeded by a growth of niixed
aspens and white birch, with asprinkling of spruce, or else by one con-
sisting almost entirely of Hanksian ]nin\ In regard to relative almiid-
nnco, the trees found around the lake may bo mentioned in the follow-

ROCKS OK 1-AIvE ST. JOSEPH.

11 (i

I'Vi'Ilt-,

iotv 111
I is iif'.i
OS, but

isliiii,:,'

I'roni
to the

I'SCUltC'il

neai'lv
<(• luti-
liiirli,

1110 I'lill-

ulmii'l-

iiiif oi'dn- : — whito anc! Idtuk spruce, tamniiio, :ihpeii, white birch,
Baiiksian pine, rouyli-barkcd pophir, huisaiii, wiiitc cedar, pigeon
cherry, rowan and bhick ash. The ground or mountain maple (Acer
spicitUun), which is intercHting as an indicatoi- of climate, is common,
and it wais traced for a long distance down (ho Albany. Of (he above
kinds of limber, the white spruce and the (aniarac are the most impor-
tiiiil commercially. The cedar is continetl chiefly (o the immediate
chores of the lake, whore it often forms a continuous but nariow bor-
ilcr. It has (he same habit around the o(her lakes and along the rivers
in tiio whole of this part of the Dominion, But it is also froquently
I'oinid ill lai'ge patches in tho inland swamps of these regions. About
twenty spruce logs, ♦or sawing into boards, were lying at Osnaburgh "^i" '"(P"-
House at the time of our visit. They would average eighteen or twenty
iiuhcs in diameter at the liutts, the largest being about two feet. Tho
si.\ largest showed tho following number of ringsof growth : — 113, 97,
121, 116, 107, and 120, or an average of 112, these rings indicating, it
is siipiioscd. a corresponding nuiwber of years. A new tiiinarac flag-
stall', which was about to bo erected, measured about eighteen inches
in iliaiuetcr at the butt and showed 244 rings of growth.

The iiunibor of Indians living around Lake St. .loseph is rot very Indians.
i,'roat. They live principally ujk)!! tish in summer and rabbits in win-
U'l, liut tllc^e resources ai c supplemented by geese and ducks in the
spring and autumn, and occasionally by larger game, such as carribou
and bears at any season. The tislies of the lake comprise wbite-tish,
iTicy trout, sturgeon, pike, pickerel, yellow-barred |)cri',, grey and red
Miilvt'i's, besides some smaller >pecies.

EocKS OF L.VKE St. .Iosetk.

Tho rocks observed on the shores of Lake St. Joseph will now bo
iloseribed. Leaving tho portage at the west ontl of iho lake, massive-
;,'rcy gneiss, striking about east and west, occurs on both sides at be-(ineiBs.
twtfii two an<l three miles, and again on the north side at four miles
ami a-lialf, where it strikes S. S0° W. About a mile further on the
rock has changed to a light pinkish-grey granite of medium texture, <iriinite.
which consists principally of felspar and (pnirtz, the mica being in very
small (luantity. This rock extends up the channel which forms t he wost-
I'ln mouth of Cat Kiver, for at least four miles, but the channel was not
explored any further. Along the nniin channel of (he lake, beginning
at six miles from tho extremity, u soft, glistening, green, calcareous Greomcliist?.
stliist Hanks this granite on its south side. This schist continues for
icn iiiilos, with a strike varying from S. tJO" W. to S. 70"^ \V. A snudl
island at eighteen milos, consists of C(»arBe,mussivegrey siliceous schist,

'11

il
1

12 o

AT-TA-\VA-PISH-KAT AND ALBAN'" RIVERS.

Conglomerate.

iJneiss.

striking west. Another small islauti, half-a-mile north of the la^t. is
Dioritic jchist.". formed of massive dark greenish-grey dioritic schist. A simihir schist,
j'unning N. 80° W. was found on another inland two miles further on.
or about three miles east of the eastern mouth of Cat Eivei-. Haifa
mile east of the last-named island, a grey rusty-surfaced mica schist on
a small island was found to run N. 60° W. At the western entrance
of the narrows, twenty miles from the west end of the lake, groen
schists strike N. 50° W. The long island in those narrows consist-i of
dioritic schist and conglomerate. An islet on the north si('e of the
eastern entrance of these nan-ows, or about seven miles E. by S. of the
eastern mouth of Cat Eiver, consists of a massive coarse crystalline
hornblende rock, becoming somewhat schistose on the souih side, ItH
strike is east and west.

About a mile oast of the last mentioned islet, both shores of the lake
were found to consist of gneiss, so that the dudiliij^ lino between the
Iluronian and Laurentian, which occurs in this interval, will be
about twenty-four miles, in a straight 4ine from the western extromity
of the lako. Time did not permit of a fuller oxainination of the Iluron-
ian rocks of tho western part of Lako St. Joseph, but the foregoing
examples will serve to give an idea of their characters which, it will
be observed, are somewhat varied.

The gnei.ss near its contact with the Iluronian schists, and for some
distance onward, strikes east and west, or parallel with the latter. At
thirty-eight miles from the western extremity of the lake, a long bay
runs off to the north-eastward. Tho gneiss in its vicinity is of a horn-
blendic character, and its strike is S. 45" W. On the northern shore
of the lake, forty-four miles from the west end, is the fishing station,
already mentioned, at which largo quantities of white-fish are taken
late in the autumn or Just before the ice forms. At this place the rock
consists of light grey gneiss. A northwai-d arm of the lake runt* tor
•six miles beyond the fishery, and the massive light-colored gneiss ex-
tends all the way to its extremity.

The rocks of the eastern pai-t of the lake correspond with some of
those of the Hu'-onian soi-ios. On the northern side, at four miles from
the southern outlet, or three miles from the Hudson's Bay Company ■*
post called Osnaburgh House, which is situated opposite to this outlet,
a grey mica-schist dips S. (50" lv<(IO°, or strikes S. 'HY" W. It is cut
by a wide vein of coarse light-colored granite, in which a considerable
proportion of mica is mixed with tho felspar and quartz. OpjHwite tn
this point is the mouth of a small rivei, called the Pedler' i Path, wliieh
forms pai't of a route to Lako Ni])igon. My assistant. Mr. Murray
ascended it tor about six miles, in which distance he passed tiiroiigb
three small lakes. He found the rock at the mouth to consist of rather

Strike .

Huroniiii
rock.«-

PedU-r's Piilli,

bill]

ALBANY RIVER— UPPER SECTION.

13 U

fint'-grained hornblerulic schist, striking west. The long bay running
northward i'rom Osnaburgh Eouse, was examined by Messrs. Murray j^^^f^*'"l°f
and Mac'Millan to the extremity, from which the northern outlet of the
lake flows. The}' found the rocks along the western shore to consist
of hornblende and miea-sehists witli some tine-grained gneiss, all strik-
ing about east and west, except at the northern extremity of the bay,
where a fine-grained gneiss had a north-\ «>torly strike. The schists
are traversed in several places by large veins of coarse granite, which
liaving resisted denudation better than the surrounding i-ock, stand out
iiij riraall points in the lake. On the east side of this bay, gneiss was the
only rock observed north of the southern outlet, where, however, a
grey mica-schiwt, striking north-west, occurs along with light-colored
coarse granite.

This completes the description of the geology of Lake St. Joseph
as far as I was able to investigate it in the limited time at my disposal.
It will be observed that the prevailing rocks around it are gneisses, but
that Huronian schists, etc., extend between seven and twenty-four
miles from the west end, and ai-c again developed around the eastern
t xtremity ; also that granite prevails about the western mouth of Cat
River, and this rock will be shown to extend from near the southern
('Utlet of the lake for a considerable distance down the Albany Eiver.

Albany Eiver — Upper Section.

Leaving Lake St. Joseph by the southern outlet, at two miles down
Uie Albany Eiver, which takes its rii'e in this body of watei', we came
10 Hugh's Creek Portage, on the north side, 460 paces long, with a de- Hugh's Creek
bcent often feet in the river. The rock is here dai-k green, fissile, horn- ° ***'
blende schist, striking N. 65° W., nearly .■ertically. From the foot of
ibis rapid an expansion of tiie river, called Deep-and-Shoal Lake, ex-
tends north-westward to the rapids at the northern outlet of Lake
St. .Joseph. A river without any recognized name enters the Albany-
from the south, six miles below the southern outlet. Two miles below
Hughs Creek Portage, a light pinkish grey granite makes its appear- uranites.
ance on the points and continues for nine miles, or to the northern
'lUtlot of an expansion, three miles wide, called Atik-o-ki-wam or Deer
Lodge Lake, which has two discharges that unite again only nine
miles further down. The Albany, with its lake-like expansions, from
ite head at Lake St. Joseph to Deer Lodge Lake is shallow, and full
of angular and rounded boulders of granite. The shores are mostly
low and covered with brush and grass alternating with knobs of gran-
ite. The tiinbei- further back was burnt two or three years ago. At
the northern outlet of Deer Lodge Lnke, the rock is a sonewhat

14 a

AT-TA-WA-PI8H-KAT AND AI-BANY RIVERS.

Diorite.

I I

■1; !

Smooth Stoiiey
Portage.

Kiigaini
Porfnges.

Granite.

Oneis*.

Etow-i-ma-ini
River.

Kuroniun
roolcs.

Iron ore.

l! ,

coarsely crystalline dioi-ite, having a briglit fracture, the crystals of
black hornblendo and white felspar together, giving it a general daiic
grey colour. It probably belongs to a large dyke cutting the granitiv

PVom Deor Lodge Lake wo followed the northei-n and larger channel,
which is broken by numerous rapids. Portages arc required at four
of these, the tirst being the Smooth Stoney Portage (m the north Hide.
at four miles, Y15 paces long, with a fall of tliirty-six feet. The others
ai-e called the throe Kagami Portages, and all occur in the last niiK>
before arriving at the junction of the two channels.

The 1st Kagami Portage, on the N. side, has a fall of five feet, anil
is 100 paces long.

The 2nd Kagami Portage, on the S. side, has a fall of 2T feet, and is
750 paces long.

The 3rd Ivvgitmi Portage, on the N. side, has a fall of eighteen foot,
and is 510 paces long.

Between the diorite at the outlet of T>oer Lodge Lake and Smooth
Stoney Portage, granite occurs in several places. At one locality in
this intoi'val a granitoid rock showed traces of lamination, runniiiir
north-easterly. At the portage just mentioned, a massive grey granitu
gneiss strikes N. 30"" E. At the first ami second Kagami Portages tlu'
rock consists of tine-grained reddish grey granite, in which quartz !•<
the most and mica the least abundant constituent; while at the tliinl
of these portages it is a pinkish-grey gneiss striking N. G0° W.. witii
vertical lamination. A great rapid or chute occurs in the soutlioin
channel from Door" Lodge Lake where It falls into the other brancii
op])osite to this portage.

From the foot of the long island just described, the general course ol
the river is north-eastward to the juncMon of the Ktow-i-ma-mi River,
from the northward, a distance of thirty miles. I', is consideraMy
broken by ra])ids, but we ran our loaded canoos down all exce))t twn
of them, at which portages required to be made. Gneiss, which was
generally coarse, grey, and massive, was observed in several place.-i in
the above thirty miles, and wherever the lamination was apparent, the
Htrike was to th.o northwestward. At a southward angle of the river,
about eight miles above the Etow-i-nia-mi branch, the Misclikow River
falls in from the south.

Below the Etow-i-ma-mi the Albany turns south-oast for tivo miles.
when it is joined by the Sha-buslM|uai-a River from the southward. At
two and a-half miles below the former branch, Huroiiian rocks make
their ap])earance. They consist of light-greenish, rather finely cry-
stalline hornblende schist ; black, with some light colored schist, td-
gather with fifteen or twenty feet of finegiained br.nded magnetic iron
ore with slaty partings. A specimon of this ore wjw analysed by Mr.

ALBANY- RIVER — IfPPBR SECTION.

15 U

Konrick of tho Geological Survey, ami found to contain 42-09 per cent.
Ill metallic iron, ami to be free from titanic acid. Along with the mag-
netite is a band of iron pyrites, a few inches thick, with traces of cop-
jier. These rocks are so much disturbed that it 's impossible to
(It^tcrrainc their strike. The joints in the hornblende schist areslicken-
Milod, and many of them are occupied by strings of calcspar.
A liark gi-een hornblende schist occurs at two miles before coming to ifornbiendo

It holds patches

the Sha-bush-quai-a River, and strikes X. 70°E.<90°. '" '^" ' ' '"''''''•

nt calcspar and quartz running with the cleavage.
The Eska-iiua, or Green Bush Portage, being the 8th from Lake Uraen Biwh

. o o Portaff©.

St Joseph, is met with at a mile and a-half below the Sha-bush-quai-a
River. It is on the right or south side, and is 505 paces long. There
is a nearly perpendicular fall in tho river of fifteen or twenty feet, and
tlie total descent at the portage is about twenty-five feet. The rock is
!i soft, green schist, striking N. 85® W. with great i-egularity. Specks
(ifcoppei- pyrites wore found in small quai-tz veins in the schist at the Copper pyrites.
foot of the fall. A mile below this portage, similar schist and a horn-
blende rock, having a pitted weathered surface, strikes S. 80° W.

The Lower Eska-qua, or 9th Portage, on the right side, and 185
pill es long, with a descent of twenty-five feet, occurs at two miles be-
low the last. Soft green schist with calcspar in the joints and cloav-
ii^e-planes is found here. One band shows a concreticaary lenticulai-
>iiucturo. The strike is S. 65° W., with a south-eastward dip of 75°.

Tiio head of the lOLh, or SnJKe Portage (Kenaibik Inigum), on the snake Portage.
left side, is a mile and a-half below the last. It is 480 paces long, and
tiie descent in tho rivoj" is ton feet or more. Soft, gi-een schist, strik-
ing S. 75° W. is hero largely exposed. Much of it has the concretionai-y<'">»J[e'^^.['^^''y
stnict'.ire so often observed in the Huronian schists. It is traversed by
a band or dyke of coarse, grey felsite. from nine to thirteen feet wide,
ill which grains of blue quartz are thickly disseminated. Its general
course crossQsthe cleavage of the schist, but it bonds suddenly at an
iiugle of 55°. Large glacial furrows, running in a south-v.-esterly
direction, occur at Snake Portage. Between this portage and the inlet
of Maminiska Lake, four miles further on, chloritic schists are exposed
in twoiilaces, the strike ranging from S. 10° W. to S. 25° W., tho bed-
ding or cleavage being vertic. .

The country on either side of the Albany River, all the way fi-om
Lake St. Joseph to where tho Huronian rocks commence, bolow *J,'„^{'r*j!f'' °
the Etow-i-ma-mi branch, is generally level, fow hills of any kind being
i>eeii. The shores of tho river arc rockj- or bouldery, but the baidts
often show gravel, sand, loam, and clay. But from the last-mentioned
locality to Maminiska Lake and to the south of this sheet of water,
tmmerdus earthy-looking hills are visible. Wherever a view can be

16 a

AT-TA-VVA-ri8H-KAT AND ALBANY LIVERS.

m 1 1

Elm and «fh.

MaminiFkii
Like.

Cellar River
and Lalie.

Diorite.

Qaartz veiiif •

Patiiwoneii
Lake.

Iluioiiian
Bohiet*.

obtained over the country, long slopes or gentle undulationB may le
seen, the hill-sides being covered either with old timber or a second
growth of aspen and white birch. Some small grey elm trees were
observed at the inlet of Maminiska Lake, being the first noticed since
leaving Minniotakio Lake, where .t single small tree this species was
seen. A grove of black ..sh occurs with the elms, but this tree is mi
uncommon along the Uppei- Albany.

Maminiska Lake runs north of east, and is about sixteen miles long.
It is divided by a very narrow place, about half-way down, into two
equal parts, each three miles wide. The rock at the narrows consists uf
a hai-d close-grained diorito, of a somewhat concretionary character. An
obscurely stratified appearance in it has a west-south- westerly bearing,

Cedar Kiver enters the north side of the lower division of Maminiska
Lake. An Indian, whose hunting grounds surround Cedar Lake, at
the head of this river, described it sis being about the size of the lowei
division of Maminiska Lake, and containing many islands. It would
appear to lie about thirteen miles north of the latter. He saiil tbeiT
were six portages on Cedar Eivei- between the two lakes.

The outlet of Maminiska Lake is on the south side of the eastern
half, and, after a rapid descent southward of two miles, the river falN
into the head of Patawonga Lake.

The 11th Portage, 110 paces long, by which we got past a steep
chute, with a fall of eighteen feet, is on the left side, and about mid
way between the two lakes. The rock at this chute is a coarse, grey
stratified concretionary diorite, with spots of light-coloured felspar ami
a smaller proportion of spots and patches of green epidote scattered
irregularly through it. It strikes west, dipping southward at an angle
of 60° to 70°, and contains a good many irregular veins of (luartz,
holding epidote and hornblende, the veins for the most part runnirn,'
with tLo stratification. A number of these veins, front three to four-
teen inches thick, were carefully examined for metallic ores, but none
could be detected.

Patawonga Lake is about thirteen miles long, with a course beariii;,'
to the south of east, and varies from half-a-mile to two miles in width.
It is surrounded by a level country. Two rivers fiow into it from the
south and one from the north. On the south side, near the outlet.
schists, supposed to be Huronian, standing in a vertical attitude, strike
east and west. An islot, about midway between the extremities, con-
sists of a gneissoid rock, composetl of quartz, hornblende, and ;i
triclinic felspar, striking N. 75° W. Ordinary gneiss occurs on an
island in the outlet.

Within the first two miles from the outlet of Patawonga Lake theie
iB a strong rapid, with a descent of from twenty to thirty feet, reqiiii-

.u]

ALBANY RIVER — UPPER SECTION.

n a

ing a porta/j;e (the 12th) of a few hundred yards, but it varies in 12th portage.
Iniiifth Hfcnrding to thn hfi^ ^ rht of t hp ivnti^r; and at three mileH the
river falls into Ka-wi-tog-kam-igamog Lake. This is tive miles long
and has a north-easterly course. It is remarkable for having a s traight
ridffo of drift which forms an island nearly two miles long, r inning
down the middle of its lower part. The 13th Poi-tage, 2!>0 paces long,
crosses part of an island at one mile below the last lake, and the
descent in the river is about twenty feet, (rneiss was observed in two
places in the next two miles. At the end of this distance wo entered
ii lake measuring about two miles along its north-west side, and which
from its shape mi<?ht be called, for convenience, Triangular Lake. The
Eaiiumet River enters the north-eastern angle of this lake, while the Eabamet River,
downward continuation of the Albany flows out of its south-eastern
corner. From the junction of the Etow-i-ma-mi, mentioned above, to
this lake, a distance of upwards of forty miles, the general course of
the Albany has been about east, but it now turns south-east. Tri-
angular Lake is within twenty miles of Abazotikitchewan Lake, at
which I struck the Albany in 1871 when making a micrometer survey
of a canoe-route from Lake I»lipigon. From this point, the survey of
the river was then carried down-stream to The Forks, or junction of
the Ivcnogami. In order to connect the upper part of the river with Connecting
this survey, I sent Messrs. MacMillan and Mur/ay to make a track- Albany River-
survey of the intervening link. They found th'» distance to be about
twenty miles and the general course of the r''\ or south-east, as just
stated, with only one rapid requiring a portag ; 'between the points
referred to. In this stretch, the river has th' luuno general lake-like I-nkc-Hke
character which it has maintained from the head 01' Maminiska Lake, river,
a distance of twenty-six miles, and which continies to the foot of
Maivokiljatan Lake, about thirty-four miles below Abazotikitchewan
Lake, or for eighty miles in all.

Mr. MacMillan found gneiss here and there on the shores of the
Albany for about half the distance from Triangular Lake to Abazoti-
kitchewan Lake, but in the second part of the distance, hornblende
schists, striking east and west, continued to the north side of the letter Be^J^g^^^^j^
lake, where I had found similar rocks with granite and trap in 1871. "'='"•'''•
Gneiss, with a west and north-west strike, was then described aa
occurring all around the southern part of the last mentioned lake.
(Report of Progress for ICil, page 109.) The breadth of the horn-
blendic schist belt is apprently between six and seven miles, at right
angles to the strike, and it is perhaps connected with the Iluronian
belt which T found between Lake of the Narrows and Martin's Falls,
and which appears to be folded and repeated to the north of the part
of the Albany referred to. TSame report, page 110.)
2

■♦'

'11

ti !

18 o

AT-TA-WA-PISH-KAT AND ALBANY RIVERS.

Mioaooous
gneiss.

Apatite.

Leaving the Albany and following up the lowest section or link in
the Eabamet Biver, a small stream unbroken by rapids, we entered

Eabamet Lake. Eaba met Lake at a distance of only about one mile. This sheet of
water runs oast-south-east and is about eleven miles long by one mile
and a-half wide, and the stream by which we entered it flows out
near the middle of the south-western side. In the vicinity of the out-
let, micaceous gneiss dips S. 80° E. < 45°. About a mile from the
upper end of the lake on the same side, ordinary grey gneiss strikes
north-westward. On the noi-th-east side, four miles from the upper
exti'emity, a very micaceous grey gneiss, passing into mica-schist,
strikes N. C0° W. and dips north-eastward at an angle of 70°. It is cut
neai-ly at right angles to the strike by irregular dykes of a cour.se,
light grey granite, with branches following the lamination, holding
considerable numbers of grains and small crystals of a green mineral
which Mr. Hoff'mann finds to be apatite.

Prom the head of Eabamet Lake, the river is rapid and has an up-
ward north-westerly course of three miles, with Eound Lake (one mile
in diameter) half way, and we then enter Fishing Lake. The rocks
between these lakes consist of dark grey compact folsite in very even
lamina) and green dioritic schif.ts, interstratified with a grey gneissoid
rock, containing a triclinic felspar. The strike is east and west.
These rocks are classified with the Huronian.

Fishing Lake runs north-north-east and is about eight miles long.
No fixed rocks are seen on its shores. The rapid stream flowing into
the head of Fishing Lake has an upward northerly course of four miles,
and flows out of a lake about a mile wide and six miles long, running
north-west. Coai-se, grey gneiss occurs at the outlet of this lake.
This point is thirteen miles north of the last gneiss seen near the head
of Eabamet Lake, and as the strike of the Huronian rocks above the
latter is eaat and west, the belt to which they belong has a posHible
width of the above amount, but it pi-obably does not extend more than
eight miles north of the head of Eabamet Lake, and it may be connect-

Huronian belt, ed with the Huronian belt to the south-west, extending along the
Albany from near the Etow-i-ma-mi branch tc the outlet of Patawonga
Lake, a distance of about thirty miles. Continuing northwaid from
the six-mile lake referred to, after ascending another short link of
river, less than a mile long, we entered a lake which also measures six
miles from south to north, but which has an extreme width of aboui
five miles. The shores of this lake, almost all the way round, consist
of boulders and shingle. Gneiss was found in situ at three places in
the northern part. The surrounding country is level, with the e.xcep-
tion of an isolated hill about two miles from the south-west side of the
lake, which is oonspicuous from the rarity of any inequalities in the

Felaite and
dioritic aohists.

Pishing Lake.

■ link in
entoied
sheet of
>ne mile

3W8 out

the out-

i'om the

strikes

e upper

a-schist,

It is cut

k coarse,

holding

mineial

as an up-
one mile
he rot'ks
ery even
gneissoid
nd west.

tiles long,
tving into
our miles,
;, running
thiH lake.
• the heatl
above the
1 possible
more than
e connect-
along the
'atawonga
(raid from
rt link of
asures six
h of iiboui
.nd, consist
3 places in
the excep-
side of the
ties in the

J*;*--'

■^vV',»,

amono- 1 1

nipuis in
'liie (i) tl,

0-vn

' e man.'i

<• . ..-ifc'#.^...la„.

«fa.]

BOULDER RIVBR.

19 Q

riiirfaco of the country in tluH repfion, no other hills having boon seen
mi our route ninco leaving Miimini8ka Lake.
From the lake last doscribed, we would have reached the Attawa- Rouio to.

, , T«. ..1 Attawnpishkat

pi.slikat River most easily by crossing the height-oi-land to the north- River,
westward and dosccnding the Martin-drinking Eiver. We afterwards
learned that tho first j)ortago loading to this stream loaves the western
bay of the lake, and not the north-western, where wo searched for it
in vain.

Tfaving no guide, we followed tho only route we could find — one
which left tho r.ortii-eastcrn extremity of tho lake by a short portage
into a tributary lake, four milos long, running in a north-eastorly
direction. From the head of this lake we crossed the hoight-of-land by Heinht of land.
11 portage S80 paces long, and came to a lake one mile long, from which
the water flowed north-eastward. Tho variation of tho compass in
Lhis vicinity, from my observations, would appear to be loss than 1° E.

Boulder Eiver.

We descended the small rivor which has its source in this lake, to
the Attawapishkat Eivcr, and found the distance, in a straight lino, to
be about twonty-five miles. The Indians do not navigate this stream,
and as they have no name for it, wo called it Houlder River, from tho Boulder River.
very bouldery character both of its bod and the country on either side.
Its general course is pretty straight, and bears a little cast of north-
east. It consists of a series of short stretches of dead water, with
bouldery rapids between them. At most of these, we were obliged to
make portages on account of tho small quantity of water flowing
amonu,- tlio closely crowded boulders, although tho descent might not
be great. In some cases, however, a clear channel, down which canoes ^jj^'i'^^^jg
could be run, was formed through the midst of bods of boulders. Thog°}J',^||^
formalion of those curious channels, which I have observed at bouldery
rapids in many of the smaller rivers, north of tho great lakes, may be
due t(i the action of frazil or anchor ice in buoying up the boulders, so
that they might be rolled or partially floated down the rapids by
degrees, from year to year, until tho existing channels wore formed.
Wo managed to float our canoes down some of the numerous rapids of
this river by removing boulders. This process was resorted to when-
I'ver it could be done in less time than would bo consumed in cutting
out a portage-trail, unloading the canoes, carrying over evoiy thing and
reloading. But in addition to clearing a considerable number of such
channels, we made upwards of thirty complete portages, which 30 portages,
required the trails to be cut through the woods in every instan i;. All

l1l__

20 o

AT-TA-WA-PI8H-KAT AND ALBANY RIVERS,

StBrgcon Tiake,

Country on
eitlier aide of
Boulder River.

Timber.

Rock?.

Upward
exploration of
Attawapishkat
Biver.

these oporatioDH ontailed n great arnoiinf of labor, occupying from the
5th to the 18th of August. Soon after crossing the hoight-of-lami, 1
left most of my party to bring on our hirger canoes and supplies, und
pushed on in a light canoo to tho junction of Boulder River with tin'
Attawapishkat, in order to ascertain whether it was possible to reach
the latter at all by this route.

At seven miles befoie joining the Attawapishkat, Boulder Jlivei
falls into a lake, three miles long, which the Indians call Sturgeon
Luke, from the abundance of this tish to bo found in it. While in the
act of setting our gill-net, the evening we camped on its shores, a stur-
geon, measuring upwards of five feet in length, was caught in it. Below
Sturgeon Lake, the river is not so difficult as above; and after havinjr
advanced nearly to this lake with a sufficient supply of provifsionn (or
the remainder of the season, 1 sent back Messrs. MacMillan and Murray
with two canoemen, as already stated, and continued the exploration
with tho aid of the remaining four voyageurs.

While the labor of cutting out portages and transporting our sup-
plies was going on, numerous observations for latitude were taken,
and I alsf) explored the country for some distance on either side ot
Boulder River through a considerable part of its course. The surface
consistsof a series of rounded bouldery ridges of no great height, irregu-
larly disposed, but running generally in a north-easterly and south-
westerly direction, with swampy spaces, covered with a deep hum-
mocky growth of sphagnum moss between them, in some sections, the
timber had been burnt oflf the ridges and dry parts, exposing the naked
surface, which was then seen to consist of boulders of all sizes and of a
variety of kinds, mixed with some gravel and sand, and presenting a
sterile and forbidding nppearance.

On the dry ground, the tirabei- consisted of black spruce, tamaiac,
balsam, aspen and white birch, but on the wet level tracts, it was prin-
cipally black spruce. All the ra])ids in Boulder River were overhung
by thick groves of good-sized white cedar, and the same tree was met
with in groups in some of the swamps at a distance from the river
The rough-barked poplar occurs near the stream, but was seldom seen
inland. Common varieties of gneiss were noted in a number of places
in the bed of Boulder River. There was no regularity in the general
strike. Locally, the gneiss ran in various directions, from north-west
to south-west.

Having reached the Attawapishkat River, I left my supplies in
charge of one man on an island, half a mile long, which I called J^olin's
Island in his honor, and taking the other three men, proceeded to
exDlore the upward course of the stream. Its general direction wa^

S .!

i A

aiii]

BOULDER RIVKR.

21 d

found to be about W. by N. At three miles we came to a veiy steep

rapid, with a rise of fifty to sixty feet in about a mile and a quarter,

which, for convenience, I called the Long Eupid. NotwithHtanding Limg Rapid.

the Htrongth of the current my men poled our canoe all the way up.

No rock in situ in seen, but nearly all the boulders which f<irm the bed

and shores of Long llapid are more or less angular, and consist of an

indistinctly and coarsely stratified grey syenitic gneiss, consisting of

grey felspar, bluish-white quartz and black hornblende. The weathered

surfaces are rough and pitted. My bai-onieters showed the head of

Loni,' Rapid to bo eighty feet above the level of the river at Nolin's

Island. A mile further on, a lagoon occurs on either side of the river.

1 afterwards learned from the Indians of the country that there is a P'TfiMfo .'<> N.

■' cbunnel.

portage from the lagoon on the north side to another channel of the
Attawapishkat, nearly as large as the one we were ascending, and
which falls into it only thirteen miles, in a straight line, below this
portajiio.

At the next rapid, which is only a short distance above the lagoons*
th ' ascent is fifteen feet. Here the river rushes over and among lai-ge
angular masses of pinkish-grey granite, consisting of an even ''xtureQ,.nnite,
of ijuartz, felspar and mica, with a medium or fine texture. The
apjioaiances indicate that this rock exists in place just beneath.

TIk' tiner materials of the drift along this section of the river contain Composition of
a large proportion of soft, yellowish limestone, but there is besides, a" '"'"'■' •
hard, bluish limestone, containing chert, which frequently occurs also
as good sized boulders. In addition to these, among the more notice-
ai)le constituents of the drift of this region, may be mentioned the dark
grey, finely quaitziferoiis felsite or grey wackd, resembling dark sand-
stone or friable quartzite in appearance, and holding i-ounded spots of
a lighter color, weathei-ing into jiits of the same form, which is so
generally and abundantly diffused in the drift all over the country, to
the west and south-west of James' Bay. Hai-d reddish and brownish
sandstones, impure jaspery iron ores and red jaspers, having the
peculiar oolitic structure of those of the Manitounuck and Animikie
series, may also be mentioned among the constituents of the drift along
this part of the river.

Ascending the Attawapishkat fiom the last-mentioned rapid, we
passed a dozen other rapids, alternating with small lake-like expanses,
and at eleven miles, in a straight line from Nolin's Island, entered a
direct south-westward continuation jof the southwest arm of Attawa-^^^^ jgi^^.^^
pishkat Lake, but three or four feet below its level and separated from ^''^•
it by a short rapid, flowing out of the middle of the south side of the
latter. The northern channel of the Attawapishkat River, above
veferred to, is said to discharge from the eastern extremity of this lake,

1^^

22 (>

AT-TA-WA-PISH-KAT AND ALBANY RIVERB.

Lake
Lao^doTCiie,

Features.

but this portion was not compiotoly explored. Atliiwiipislikat Lake
is, however, apparently about nine milo« long. Its inlot is near the
west end.

Lake Lanspowne.

Still following up the river, for three miles from the inlot of the hiNt
mentioned lake, in which the i-iso amoi!nt8 ti) only a few feet, we
entered (ho largest sheet of water on Iho Attawapislikat, but straii^civ
enough the Indians had no definite name tor it. I, therefore, propoMul
to call it Lake Lansdowne, in honor of the (Jovoinor-General of the
Dominion. As explained in my sunimary report, it was found to li.ivo
a length of about thirteen miles, from south-east to north-west, and an
extreme breadth of about ten miles. Lake Tjansdowne is divorsitied
by many beautiful islands, two of which measure about four miles oacli
in length. The bays ami points have all a north-east and south-west
direction. A large, rounded, but not high hill, covered with socnud
growth deciduous timber was seen in the western part of the lake,
near the inlet or mouth of the upward cominuation of the Attawa]iiHii-
kat Iliver. The points and islands in the northern part of the iakc
are higher than elsewhere and have steep, wooded slopes, bul llicy
appear to bo all composed of dritt, and no rock in situ was soon any-
where around the lake. Long narrow n\orames or rows of boulders
extend south-westward olf tliO extremities of some of tln^ point' muI
islands along the north-east side. Except whore forest tires have iiin.
lai'ge spruce and tamarac trees, and some cedars were observed on llu'
islands and on the maiidand near the lake, and also along the river
between it and Nolin's Island. 'Phe mouth of the upper division oftlio
Altawapishkat liiver, which the Indians described as a wide traiKiuil
stream, is in the south-western bay of the lake. The Martin-drinking
lliver.by which we should have fravelkd from the second highest nt'llu'
Kabamet chain of lakes, entors a bay on the south side between the
inlet an<l outlet. On the opj)osite side of the lake, a bi'ook is le; irled
w'eeni^k'liivor ^y '''*' ''^^■*' Indians to ontc!. t-lio first bay northward of the outlet; and
by way of this stream, there is said to be a canoe-route to a lake <in the
Weenisk River, described its being a;* large as Lake Lan.sdowne, and
called Wu-pi-(juai-o Lake. Another canoc-i'oute to the same lake wiis
stated to begin in one of the northern bays of Lake Lansdowne, and a
third route, which, however, strikes the Weenisk IJivcr above the lake
referred to, was described us beginning in a bay a short (listaneo south-
west of the om' last mentioned. Wa-pi(|uai-o Lake would iippear to
correspond witli " Weenisk" Lake of Arrowsmith's map, as the Indians
stated that it receives a huge stream from the west and discbiirgef'
tho Weenisk IJiver to the north.

Timber.

I,AKE LANSnoWNE.

23 o

A triangular iHliiml, measuring about n inilo and v half on eacli side^
is fornuHl ut, tho outlet of Lai<e Lansdowiui by a small cluinni'l nortb
(it'lho main disdiargo, by vvliicli wo entered. In the bod of the south-
ern cliaimol, at a mile below the outlet, there is an exposure, at low
walcr, (;f agroy, friable, "pepper and salt" gneiss, with a few reddish tsnoisg.
craiiiH. The strike is S. 75° W., but the stratitication is not con-

f.|licilOUS.

Hclow Nolin's Island, at the Junetion of l^oulder Hivor, the Attawa- i',„ni Noiin's
nif-likat flows cnstward and is interrupted by three rapids in t be tirst ,io^",»„r(l.
toui miles. Its course then forms a semicircle to the southward, four
miles ill diameter, and has marshy lagoons on either side. From the
most south-easterly of these, a triil leads directly to Martin's Kails on
the Albany. An intelligent Indian, who had just come from that I 'iid- .(j"",'i|,";^ p^||„
iiig poll, informed me Ibat the trail Uccps the same bearing alt the
way, and on ])lotting it upon the map of my surveys of the two rivers,
the position of the post is tbund to be directly in the lino of tiiis trail.
The distance is about sixty mil(>s, and the Intlians rejjort the country
as level and covered with sphagnum. The trail is said to be cro.ssed
hy five streams flowing into the Attawai>ishkat ami only one into the
Albany.

Al llic termination of the above semi-circio, the channel we bavo,.|,^,mm^ j(,j„^
het'ii following Joins t ho north branch from Atr,awapishU'at I<ake, the
two branches here flowing towards each other from exactly opposite
(lir('(tii)ns and meeting in the sumo line which bears about N.N.R. and
S.S.W. The distance from the southern outlet ot' the lake to this junc-
tion is about twenty miles in a straight lino.

For tbirty miles below this junction, the general course of the river
is about east, and in this distance, it maintains a j)rotty uniform
ciiaractor, being alternatelv swift and rapid with long bends. Tho<'hiiraoiciof

II 'till-' II hiiiikn.

banks art> ()|^iiouldcr-ciay, ice-swc|tt and sloping gentl^' down from the
blink to tlie summer level of the water, the whole height being about
thirty feet. The surface of the country on both sides is low and level,
lis inili'otl it has been all the way from Lake jjansdowne. Kxcopt
whi'i'c tlie timber has been destroyed by lire, tliero is a good growtliTimbcr.
ot Hpruce. tamarac, balsam, ])oplars and white birch along the banks
of the river, but it does not extend far back, the country generally
beini;; open sphagnum swamps with small scattered tamarac and black
spruce trees.

Tiiii'c miles below the junction of the two cbunnols, dark greyuncisi.
h(trniil('ii(lie gneiss is exposeil on the soutb sidy. 1 1 is ilistinctly
Iwldod and strikes N. ^O* VV. ■ 9(»^. Haifa mile further down, grey,
f^tidiifily liiiinlcd or ribboneil gueiss strikes with regulai'ity, N. liO" W.
a Htiong rapid, thirteen mile.* below the junction, a ('onsiderablo

1 1 I tf'.:

1< '«!l

i| 5

n?^r"

24 a

AT-TA-WA-PISn lv4T AND ALBANY RIVERS.

i i^'

Alluvial
islands.

Trail to
Martin's Fall.-'.

Timber.

Course of river
changes.

Mattawa

Ltwt exposure
of Arohit'an
rocks.

area of fine- grained light reda sli-grey contorted gneiss is exposed, the
general strike of which is eant and west. At nineteen miles below
the junction, the river makes an " elbow " to the soutli-west and
i-eceives, at the angle, a large brook from that direction. On the
south side, Just below this brook, coarse grey gneiss is met with,
striking from S. 40° to S. 60° W., but mostly in the latter direction,
and dipping to the south-eastward at an angle of 40°. Two and a-half
miles fui'thcr down, similar gneiss has an average strike of S. 50° VV.,
with a dip to the south-eastward. \ Knobs and hummocks of this rock
continue in the channel and on the right bank for more than a mile
farther. In the last eight miles of the above thirty miles stretch,
the river divides itself among num'irous alluvial islands, one group of
which (ten or twelve in number), is about two miles in breadth.
Another Indian trail to Martin's Falls leaves the river at ho termin-
ation of this stretch. The distance is about titty miles and iiie country
traversal is described as a sphagnum swamp similar to that crossed
by the trail to the same post which has been mentioned as leaving the
Attawapishkat higher up. The old timber is still standing along the
banks in some parts of the above section of the river, but as a rule.
the forest consists of a second growth of poplars, white birch, sjuuce,
tamarac and a little balsam. Here, as elsewhere, along this iivei\
much of the timber has been killed by tires within the last few years
and only bushes and young trees have yet replaced it. Small black
ash trees have been noticed hero and there, all the way from Lake
Lan.sdowne to beyond the termination of the ])resent stretch, and
white cedais have been of frequent occurrence, except whore the
ground is unfavourable for their growth.

At the termination of this thirty miles-stretch, the general cour.<e
of the Attawapishkat changes to N.N.Iv, for about sixty miles, or to
latitude 53" 0' 0", where a brook falls in from the left or west side.
In the first nine miles of this distance, the river divides into two main
channels, with several smaller ones, all flowing sluggishly through a
level countiy between low alluvial banks. The ])laco whore they <ome
together again is called Mattawa by the Indians and is a favourite
Inirying-place for their dead. From Mattawa, the stream again
becomes swift and rapid, as it Avas above these islands, and the lianks
resume their ice-swept bouldery and clayey character.

At eight miles below Mattawa we jiasscd the last e.xpo.'^ure ot
Ardueun rock on the river. At low water it forms a conspicuous
island in the middle of the stream and consists of a strongly bandod
mottled grey gneissoid rock, but is composed of light-coloiirod felspar
and black hornblende. The strike is straight and regular, X. 5° K.
and the dip is eastward at an angle of 45°. It is cut by a dyke of the

hank*

[oMWC I't'

■ijiiciious
banded

N. r)° K.
Ike of the

K O

A *

w o

5 fc

5 a

ili

SELL.]

same com

running ir

towards w

side. Sev

locality, \v

Shebandov

Tliree ni

bouldory (

ii|j])car to

these eai-tl

whicli it n

smooth sw

ncciHTencc

twenty to

clay with 8

At the fc

furthoi' on,

tionetl islai

baniv tor tli

partly of c

iiu'^c!- prop

iiiMi-srainc'il

larire fucoic

this locality

the banks c

often form c

:i mile or tw

:i5 a rule, thi

horizontal, c

^vt'iv ()liserv<

In the abo

I't'Coives 110 t

"1' three sma

W'un alreadj

of branches i

fiills in at ab(

'inrc of the b

'■'\'er. from t'

tl'll". A,

'"5 name for

after the Go\

''"1 if from

'Wo^iie tiie

•]

LAKE LAN8D0WNE.

25 G

^aIlK' composition, ten feet wide, boaring due north, with smaller dykes
running in other directions. A dislocation was noted running S. 60° W.,
towards which the stratification bends in approaching it from either
side. Several boulders of a reddish grey syenite were observed at this
locality, which exactly resemble the syenite in the Huronian i-ocUs of
Shebandowan Lake.

Three miles below this rocky island, the river cuts through ridges ofBidges aiKtfeet
boiililory clay, capped with gravel, about 200 feet high, which here "
iipiJiar to run about north and south. From where the river enters
these earthy ridges, its course is eastward for about four miles, after
which it resumes the general north-north-east trend and flows with a
smooth swift current, unbroken by rapids, such as are of frequent
occurrence in the upper reaches, for twelve miles, between banks from
twenly to forty feet high, com])Osed of sandy and pebbly yellowish
clay with some boulders.

At the foot of an eastern "Jog" in the river, about eleven miles
further on, or sixteen miles in a straight line from the above men-
tioned island of gneissoid rock, unaltered limestone is seen in the right

bank for the first time in situ. The strata are hoi-izontal and consist,''!''' j"""''""'"*'

limeMone.

partly of compact yellowish drab, i-ather thin beds, together with a

hvin-'v proportion of porouH and rusty looking layers, associated with

iinn--taiued yellowish marl. The orly fossils observed consist of

lai'jru fucoids which cover the surfaces of some of the beds. Below

this locality, yellowish limestones are exposed almost continuousl^'in

the banks or bed of the river for the next thirty-foui- miles. They

iiften fiirni clitts from fifteen to thirty feet high, which are sometimes L|„g^t„j,„

;i mile or two long. Thick layers were observed in a few places, but, "''"'^^

;i5 a rule, the beds are thin. The strata appear to the eye to be quite

horizontal, except in two localities where very local gentle undulations

weio observed. The river in this section is wide, shallow and swift.

In the above N.N.E. stretch of about sixt}- miles, the Attawapishkat
leceives no tributaries from the west that wo could detect, except two
or three small brookt., and the larger one at its termination, which has
been already i-eferred to. But it is joined by a considerable number
of branches from the east in the same interval, the largest of which
falls in at about forty miles down or eight miles below the first appear-
:inie i)f the horizontal limestone. The latitude of the mouth of this
liver, from t!ie mean of two very closelj' agreeing observations is 52°
^1 11". A ])arty of Indians of the country whom we mot here had
110 name for this stream, and [ propose to call it Streatfield River, streatfield
alter the Governor (lenoral's secretary. The accom])anying illustra-"*^®"^
turn is from a photograph looking down-sti-eam, wliich was taken
opposite llie mouth of this branch. It is a good representation of the

26 o

AT-TA-WA-PI8H-KAT AND ALBANY RIVERS.

character of the Atttawapiskat where it flows over the horizonta!
limestones.

Timber. Along the ujjper part of this stretch (of sixty miles) the timber i?

mostly green, and .some of it is of fair size, but throughout the gre.'tter
part of the distance the woods have been burnt at ditterent jioriodti
many years ago, Jind, whether original forest or second gi-owtii, iLc
trees are generally of small size. ]n some parts, spruce and tamarai'
are mixed with the poplars anil white birch, but in others the loni-
ferous and deciduous trees occupy separate areas. The sections of old
timber and second-growth alternate at intervals of varying lengtli
with others more or less recently burnt and not yet reforested. The
white cedar is scarce, but an occasional tree is found in favorable

Last black a-h. situations much furtlujr down the river. The last black ash obseived
on the Attawapishkat was passed in this section. An Indian fiom
the Wai-nusk Eiver, who was ascending this stretch, and who had
never before been so far south, informed us that ho had here seen the
cedar for the tirst time in his life. He had not yet noticed the Idack
ash, and had never even heaid the Indian name of the tree.

The next stretch of the river from the junction of the above nun-
tio.ied brook, in latitude 5/5° 0' 0", bears K.N.E., and is about thiitv
miles long, terminating where the stream is Joined by a ver\- large
branch from the west, called the Muckitat-niichigan or Black Ftnee
Biver, which, as far as could be seen, has the same general course as
the united waters for some'distance below. The horizontal limestoin'
is exposed on both sides nearly all along the upper six miles of the
stretch under description, but in the remainder of it the banks and
bed of the river consist of drift, which is largely made up of thi'
limestone debris. The country on both sides is level throughoni th\>
]jortion of the river. A large brook falls in from the south at >i.\'
miles above the termination of this section.

Timber '^^^^ timber along both banks in the upper twelve miles of this

reach consists of old green spruce of fair size, but in the remaining
eighteen miles the green and recently burnt timber alternate in short
sections. In some parts the tire was actually burning as we passed bv.
The general course of the Attawapishkat, fron> the junction oi' the
Black Fence Eiver to its mouth, is about S. 70° E., and the ilistancr
in a sti-aight lino about 135 miles. The river has now become imich
larger, and it flows for many miles with a swift current between
rather low banks of drift, the country on both sides being level. This
latter character continues all the way to the sea. From this lar!.'e
branch to the mouth, the Attawaj)ishkat is characterijicd, \>y great

Many islands, numbers of islands. Jn the ujiper half of this long reac'\ only hfi'f""
dozen tributaries were observed, and scarcely any at all in the lower.

tllack Fence
lliver

liurizontal
limestone

Stretob of ia''>
mileg.

Bill ]

LAKE LAN8D0WNE.

•21 a

half, which may be duo to the even nature of the surface of the
country and its general and uniform slope to the eastward, thus caus-
ing the drainage to pass ott' in parallel lines direct to James' Bay.

Nineteen miles below the Black Fence Eivcr, the Missi sagaigan, or Big Lake River/
Big Lake Eiver, a good-sized stream, falls in from the south, opposite
the upper part of an island thiee miles long. In the sandy banks, aboui
the lower end of this island, marine shells were observed for the tirst .Marine shells,
time. The species collected are Saxicava rugosa, Tellina Grcsnlandica,
Cardhim Islandicum and Mya truncata. The barometric readings vrould
give this locality an elevation of about 500 feet above the scit Hori-
zontal betis of limestone occur in the bottom of the river, five miles
above this point, and again at three miles below it, at the head of an
island, which is over six miles long, and may be called Big Island.
From the foot of Big Island, the river forms a semi-circle to the south,
tour miles in diameter, and then it divides into channels, which form
lour islands, with a total length of six miles. The water is shallow
and the descent rapid in these channels, each of which is flanked by Limestone
clitls, about twenty feet high, of yellowish, crumbling, earthy lime-^
stone. This rock, and indeed all the limestones met with so far on
this river, resemble those of the Churchill and the Kenogami Kivers,
which are of Silurian age. Silurian age.

For tlu' next twenty-three miles, the river flows southeast, and has
upwards of twenty islands in this part of its course. On one of these,
about a mile in length, occu'-ring about the middle of this stretch, and
which we called Eainy Island, the following fossils, as determined by
ilr. Whiteaves, were collected in thinly-bedded limestone:

Favosites. — Species undeterminable. One fragment. Corallites abont Rainy island.
two inches in diameter; tabuhv complete.

Strophomena. — Species undeterminable. One valve.

Euomphalus (or Pleurotomaria), nov. sp. Four casts of the interior
d the shell.

Sfraparollus, allied to S, JVevadensis. One cast of the interior of the
shell.

Fragments of two other species of gasteropoda.

Ortlmeras, nov. sp. Four or five specimens of the si]»huncle only.

Mr. Whiteaves considers these fossils to be of Devonian age. Devonian age.

Throughout the above twenty-three miles, the river is generally wide
and smooth, with low banks, composed of drift, while flat-bedded
limestone is occasionally seen in the bottom. At the end of this
tlistanco, however, a sudden change takes place, and for thirty-three
miles, or to the head of Lowasky Island (the general coui-so being
ea.st) the river flows with a rapid current, between ( •lifts, and anion ir M"®''^?^
•iimost innumerable islands of yellowish limestones, all having an islands.

:'5

38 o

AT-TA-WA-PI8H-KAT AND AI.UANY RIVERS.

Structure of
limestone.

Many islets.

ivverage heij^ht of about forty foot. These limestones have a singular
structure. They consist of great, spongoy and cavernous masses, often
occupying the full height of the cliffs, vchich may bo described a.s
gigantic concretions, altei-nating with thinly-bedded portions, the
laminatiGn of which appeai-s bent at all angles, to accommodate it.self
to the spaces between the concretionary portions. Close to the latter,
the lamination often follows the contours of their outlines, but
furthei' away it dips at moi-e moderate angles. The islets, which are
thickly scattered among the larger islands in this part of the river,
often appear to consist of single masses of this kind. Their surfacoH,
generally present a massive and very uneven, or rugged, appearance,
but they sometimes show numerous patches of more or less concentric
lines, marking a subordinate or internal, indistinct concretionary
arrangement, or the edges of the thin beds, which have remained in
l)asin-likc forms, in the depressions on their exteriors. Both the
massive and laminated varieties have a yellow or yellowish-groy cclor
on fresh fracture, but the old sui-faces have wcatheied to a blue gv nHh-
grey. The accom])anying sketches leprci^ent the appearances of the
cliffs and islets in this part of the river.

The porous or cavernous masses are largely made up of fossil?,
although the number of species does not appear to be gi'cal, while the
thinly-bedded inter-spaces contain but few. Mr. Whitcaves has deter-
mined the following from the specimens brought home, and he eon
siders them to indicate the Devonian system : —

Favosites, species undeterminable. One fragment. Corallitcs poly
gonal ; their maximum diametei- five mm. ; tabula> complete, aiehe'l
and crowded.

Meristella (Whitefirldia), nov. sp. allied to Whitrfieldia tumi(hi,Ili\\-
man (sp.) and W. nasuta, Coni-ad.

Strophodonta, species uncertain, but allied to S. concava or S.ampld'

Long cylindrical corals, like Amplexus or Zaphrentis, and a krg(
trilobitc, apparently allied to Bronteus, but resembling Proetu.s in the
liroiid outer margin of tho''pygidium, were also observed, but owing to
the frialdo nature of the rock, specimens for identification cnuld not
be obtained, 'iiie iiumei'ous caverns, often of fantastic slia])0, but
seldom of very large size, in the cliffs and islets of this part of the
I'iver, give the scenery a very singular and pictui-esque eliaracter.
EquanRiver. The Indians from the Kipian River (the next lai-ge stream north ot'the
Attawapishkat) report similar light-coloured, cavernous roi I'is, alont'
the lower portion of its course.

At forty-four miles before coming to its mouth, the Attawapishknf

divides into two channels. We followed the southern or sniallor "t

Lowasky River, them, which is called Lowasky River on Arrowsmith's map, '^d the

Devoninn
fossils.

Caverns

OEOLOOICAL AND- NATURAL. HISTORY SURVEY OF CANADA.

ALFMD «. C. SBLWYH, C. M. G., LI, D., f. «. »., OI»«CTO»

_-: » ~V^-^!- -

^£2^^^'

ft 'I

■*•., -V „1l*-

5'^ii%^M^?im

,f<Bffl^£fi>a&.

CAVERNOUS LIMESTONE ON ATTAWAPISHKAT RIVER.
From Skrtchks bv Dr. R. Bill.

lEu]

BEU]

I,AKE LAN8P0WNE.

20 <1

island between it and the northern or lurgor channel, which has the
above length (44 miles) may he called Lowtisky Island. The lime-
stones alx)ve described extend for a few miles down the soiithom
liranch, and there may be small channels in this neighborhood between
the two branches, but in the rest of its course the Lowasky River pre-
sented little requiring description. The banks, which are generally
low, consist of bouUiery clay, with stratified gravel or loam occasionally
at the top. Numerous shallow rapids occur. The tide extends to the Tide,
toot of three such rapids, close together, about eleven miles from the
mouth. A channel, which appeai-ed to be a feeder, but which may be
a discharge, occurs at four miles from James' Bay. In the marshes Marflhos .
on either side of the mouth of the river, we observed great numbers of
1,'eeHe and ducks as we passed out to sea, on the 7th of September.

Throughout the long stretch from Black Fence River to the sea, the
country on both sides maintains the same level and swampy char- i-ovei and
acter which has been described as prevailing higher up. The timber
ion the borders of the river, where still green, is smaller along this T""»'>e''
section than along the upper parts. Some portions, consisting prin-
cipally of spruce and tamarac, appear to belong tt) the original forest,
liiit nnich of it is no doubt second-growth, and these two species arc
[then ii^iuilly mixed with poplai's and some small white bii-ch. The
(jiDwing timber, whethei- original or second-growth, is not often con-
Itinnous for any great distance, being interrupted nearly the whole
Iway by frequent sections of burnt ground.

From the barometric readings obtained on Lake Lansdowne, this lovcI of Lake
pheot of water would appear to be about 960 feet above the sea, which """" '"*"*■
phows that the general fall in the surface of the country between it
Ind .Fames' Bay must be very gradtuil indeed. It is a remarkable
p t that we ditl not require to make a single portage in the whole
ptanco from this lake to the sea, and I could hear of no portages inNoporuiges.

continuation of the river above the lake. The Indians describe
he lattoi- as a wide and tranquil stream, expanding into several lakes
Jong its course.
Sturgeon are abundant in the lakes of the Attawapishkat, and they Fishes.
ppear to constitute the principal food of the few Indians who inhabit
bo country. Whitefish are also caught both in the lakes and along
lie liver itself. Eike-afui_8uckers are abundant in all the waters.
Ilie (janada goose breeds in considerable numbers in the open swamps UirJs.
^hind the wooded borders of the lower section of the river, and the
|)ung birds, ready to fly, were congregating in flocks, all along the
ver stretch, in the end of August and the beginning of September.
he dusky and other species of ducks were also numerous, and the
^liow-iegged plover was very abundant. We saw a few cariboo and
feral black bears while descending the lower part of the river.

30 a

AT-TA-WA-ribA-KAT AND ALBANY RIVEBH.

-[ndiant.

Kapusbko-.v
River.

Fort Albany.

Low shore.

Bouldery reefs

Akimi.ski
Island.

The Indians of the AttawnpiHhkat and Weeniak dintricU appear to
liavo diminished greatly in numbers Mineo the hist sixty or sovcntj-
years. At that time several trading posts were maintained in this
territory, whore none now exist. Wo met with only a few families,
but a good many Indian graves were noticed along the banks oC the
i-iver. Those living tar up the stream never go to the sea. Onc^ old
man with whom wo talked had never been at any trading post. Few
of them had overseen a white man before. One young man wIkmii
we fell in with <m Attawapishkat Lake accompanied us up to Luke
Lansdowno, and after a few days' acquaintance, I had no difficulty in
engaging him to go with us to James' Bay, and thence up the Albany,
from which he was to cross by one of the Martin's Falls trails to his j
own river again.

After leaving the southern mouth of the Attawapishkat, we reachei
the Kapushkow Eivor in our canoes in three hours and a half, the
distance being only about ton miles. Starting from this river cailj I
next morning (8th September), we ran the whole distance to Forti
Albany the same day, by sailing and paddling, arriving there lute in 1
the evening. The sltre of James' Bay between the two rivor!iis|
extremely low. The boach along high-water mark is sandy anJ
marshy, but when the tide is out, reefs of boulders and stones, whict i
look interminable, stretch out to sea as fai- as the eye can reach. The |
tide had fall in some time before we approached the Albany Kiver.
and in order to get past these reefs in our canoes we were obliged to I
go so far out to sea that the tops of the ti-ees on the nearest part of
the shore were barely visible at a few points. Even at high watci|it
requires an experienced jiilot to take a sail-boat over these extensive
bouldery reefs. Wo were told that the water is so shallow that no
large vessel could pass between the west shore of .lames' iky id
" Agoomska" Island. This large island lies nearer to the west nhoi^
of the bay than is represented on the maps, and it is called by the
Indians of the region Agimiski or Akimiski.

Mouth of
Albany River

Albany Island

Albany Eiver.

Where the Albany River flows into James' Bay, the coast isaslo^l
as possible, the water in front very shallow, and the country inianiij
level and swampy. As the water of the bay is receding rapidly (inil
geological sense), it becomes difficult to draw the line between tiicsei
and what may be considered land. Fort Albany, one of the oldestaDiij
largest trading posts of the Hudson's Bay Company, is built ont
south side of an island of the same name, six miles long and two a
a-half wide, lying just inside the present mouth of the river. T^l
channels on either side are of about equal size. Below it are two island

ALBANY RIVER.

31 O

iil's^and and mud, covoretl with grasH, sedgeH and bushes, but Albany

lolaiid ia tho first one which is limbered. As the mouth of the river

iinii the adjacent shores arc so ditlicult to define, ail m(MisuremontH of

Ustancos in tho following doHcription of the river will bo taken from

the Foi't itself, which is situated about seven miles in, from tho general

lini' of the present mean high tide mark. Tide-wscer extends for Tide-water.

only iiboul three miles above the Fort,

.Vs stated in a ])revious part of this report, in 1871 I made a micro- MitTometer
nietor and compass survey, with numerous latitudes, of the Albany""'"'^
I'lom Abazotikitc hewan Lake downwards to The Porks, or junction of
the Knio^ami or Lonuf Lake River, and thence up this river and via
Lniii Lake and Pic liivor to Lake Superior. A track-survey having
I boeii made the present season of the upper part of the Albany, from
1 Lake St. Joseph to Abazotikitchowan Lake, tho lower section of the
i river, extending from the mouth to The Forks, was all that remained
I til ciimplote the survey <»f the whole stream. It was only possible with
the time and means at lay disposal to make a track-survey of this part, Tmok-survoy
Ion mil- return journey last autumn, but this was done with great care,
anil hiiviiig ascertained the latitude and the variation of the compass
lin numerous places, 1 think the resulting map will prove very nearly
l-correct.

In size, the Albany is comparable with the Ottawa, and at high .Size of Albany
I water it might bo navigated by powerful river steamers from the mouth
jtn Martin's Falls, where tho tirst portage occurs, a distance of about
1250 miles, following the general trend of the river. Its upward
[course, from Fort Albany to The Forks, bears about S. 45° W. (true)
lamitiio distance, in a straight line, is about 131 miles. For sixteen
linilw above the Fort, the river is wide, between the main shores,
land full of islands of various sizes, and although the descent in the igi„nd.s near
labove distance is rapid, this portion may be called its delta. The™"""'
lohannels spread widely over the flat-lying Devonian limestones, and
jthfi Lower and Upper Big " Falls," the strongest rapids below Mai-tin's

Falls, occur in this part. Big Island, which is the largest of this

croup, is six miles long. At thirteen miles from the Fort, a channel
Ikaves the main river on the noi-th side, and flows directly to tho sea,

pllini; into it several miles northward of Albany Island.
For nearly twenty miles above the head of tho delta, the river flows

h a single channel free from islands, but from thence upward to The

rorks, a considerable number are mot with. The largest of them are .

fishinsf Creek (five miles long), Black Bear (seven miles), Norran's

andChee-pye Islands.
Some rivers and numerous brooks fall into the Albai / below The Branches.

forks, from the swampy country on either side. The larger tributaries

32 o

AT-TA-WA-PI8H-KAT AND ALBANY HIVERS.

Rate of fill!

Flat country.

are Lower Fishing Creek from the south, almost opposite Fort A i ban \\
Upper Fishing Creek, from the nortl ^ at about one-third the distance
to The Forks, and two other large broolis from the same side u few
miles below it; Chemahogan River, from the south, at two-tliird*
of this distance, and the Chee-pyo liiver, eight miles farther
down. The latter is the largest branch below the Kenogami. The
Henley River falls in from the north, ten miles below The Fork^
Jlenley House, a formei- Hudson's Bay Company's post, was built una
Henley Rivor gravelly island, which is now being swept away, at the north of this
stream. Several lakes, abounding in tish, are said to occur on the
course of this river.

From The Forks all the way down to the delta, the Albany flows in
long sweeping curves, with a pretty uniform current, broken hv
occasional rapids. The elevation of The Forks, from baronH'tiir
observations, is sibout 300 feet over the sea, wiiich would give an
average fall of about two feet in the mile, following the course of the
stream. In two of the stretches, known as the ' Long Opening.s," the
river is so straight that, sitting in a canoe and looking fi-om one emi
of them, the sky and water appear to meet on the horizon.

The country on either side is quite flat, and behind the strip? ot
forest, which extend to a varying breadth from the banks of the river,
it is covered with sphagnum, with only stunted tamaracs and lilack
spruces at wide intervals. In some parts, it is so open as to be called
•'plains," and on these the cariboo are found occasionally in consiikr
able numbers, especially during the winter.

Blurt's of stoney clay, fifty feet or more in height occur along sonic
sections, but, as a rule, the banks are lower. Both sides are completely
ice-swept throughout the entire length of this stretch. There is often I
a cut-bank a few fee*^ high at the top, but from the foot of thi^^. the]
wide shore slopes gradually down to tlie low-water level. Tlie iipinT
portion of this slope, comprising the greater ]»art of its bivudth, i-
paved with boulders and worn stones, all crowded closely together and I
forced down to an even surface by the repeated moving pressure ot the
river ice as it is carried rapidly along during the spring freshets. The|
rise and fall of the river between high and low-water mai'ks uoulJ
appear to average nearly thirty feet, but wheie temporaray ice-janis
have occurred, it sometimes exceeds this. The Indians say that it]
rarely overflows any of the country beyond the banks.

Thin horizontal beds of light yellowish-grey limestone, of Devcniaoj
age, begin at the first rapid, about three miles from Fort Albany t
are exposed almost continuously in the bed of the river for several I
miles above. The descent in the stream is so rapid that the thickDe>sj
of the level sti-ata over which it falls, must amount to, at least, twenijl

Plains.

Character
bankf.

Devonian
limestone?

i Albany,
I diKtanie
ide ii tew
wo-thii'ds
!S farther
mi. Tlic
be Foi'lv>,
built (m;i
rth of till?
ur on the

ly flows in
jroken liy
oan imetric
d Ljive an
avse of thf
nings," the
)m one end

,e strip.- of
)f the river.
and black j
to be called
in con!*iilor-

along sonit; |
completely
(^•e is often I

of this, the I

The upiKi'

bi'oadth, i-

)gothei' and I

essureofthe
;Hbcts, The)

lark- wou!'!

iray ice-jam? i
say that it ]

of Devcnanj
t, Albany and I
for [<evenil
the tliickDe>M
least, twenty

■r.
■X
X

X f

X y-

= i

I <

'A ..

S •/.

.A «

A O

bell]

or thirtj
were see
the bed
miles bell
and iindii
of angulf
there is
system, fi
is Ml-. VYl
tlje Albai

Syringo^
Helion/i

specimen
Favositt

allite.s one
Favositt

.strongly d
Dictyom
Ptilodici

Meek'.s spe

is apparen
Strophon

perfect spe
Sirophodi
S. Paten
S. coiicao
Orthis, H]
Spirifera,
Meristelk
Atnjpa re
Cenfroneli
Conocardi,
Proetus c)

Ml'. Whii
I'evoniari ar

^eginnin^
llienco for g
I'ftis being o
iit a lew )>lii(
•^tonas may
lip the Allii
%01't Ibr li

..]

ALBANY RIVER.

33 a

or thirty feet in this part of the river. Flat beds of similar limestone
were seen here and there, sometimes covering considerable areas in
the bed of the river, but rai*ely in the banks, to within about fifteen ,
miles below The Forks. From this circumstance and owing to the level
and undisturbed nature of the country, as well as from the abundance
of .ingular fragments of Devonian limestone in the drift all along,
there is no doubt that the Albany flows over flat-lyipf? strata of this
system, from the point above named to its mouth. The following
is Mr. Whiteaves' list of the fossils collected in the above section of
tlie Albany :

Syringopora Hisingeri, Billings. One small fragment. l-'st of fossilg.

Helioi^hylhim Canadense, Billings. One small but nearly perfoct
specimen and two fragments.

Fauosites hemispherica, Yandell and Shuniard. One fragment. Cor
allites one mm. in diameter: tabulte complete.

Favosites, species indeterminable. Fragments. Epitheca thick'and
strongly developed : corallites two mm. broad : tabulie complete.

Bkiijonema, species indeterminable. One specimen.

Ptilodictya Gilherti, Meek, var. One specimen which resembles
Meek's species in its microscopical characters, but in which the frond
is apparently undivided.

Strophomena rhomboidalis, Wilckcns. One well-preserved and nearly
pei'fecl specimen of each valve.

Strophodonta demissa, Conrad. Four ventral valves.

S. Patersoni ? Hall. One fragment.

S. concava ? Hall. An exfoliated cast of a ventral valve.

Orthis, species indeterminable. One specimen.

Spirifera, two or three s])ecies. Fragments only.

Meristella, t\ov. sj)., allied to M. unisulcata, Conrad.

Atnjpa reticularis, L. Two specimens.

Centronella glans-fagen, Hall. One perfect specimen.

Copocardium trigotiale, Conrad. Two specimens.

Proetus crassimarginattis, Hall. One pygidium.

Ml'. Whiteaves remarks that the above fossils " are clearly of
Devonian and probably of Lower Dovoniai: age."

Beginning at about fifteen miles below The P^orks and extending Supposed
thence tor some miles ui>stream, yellowish limestones, some of the ' ""*"'■
bftis beinif of a very spongy or finely vesicuhir character, are exjjosed
:it a lew ]>laces along the north-west shore of the river. These lime-
stones may belong to the Upper Silurian System, like those higher
lip the .Vlliany and also on the Konogami. (See Geol. Survey
Report lor 1871.)
3

■

If '

" IV

AT-TA-WA-PISH-KAT AND ALBANY RIVERS.

^■]

Post Pliocene Marine shells of Post Pliocene age, washed from the river banks
were observed in many places all the way from the sea to The Foi-ku,
They were abundant in a modified grey clay in the north-wost bank,
from Cap Island, thirty miles below The Forks, for a numbei- of miles
upward. The following species were collected in this section : Tellina
Granlandica, T. proxima, Saxicava rugosa (valves closed), Cardim
Grcenlandicum, Mya triincata (with the epidermis), ylsfar/e Laitrentiana.

Timber. Forest fires have destroyed much of the timber along the l)anksof

the part of the Albany now under description. Old spruces ami
tamaracs of good size are still green in some sections, but second-
growth timber, much of it well grown up, prevails for the greater part
of its length. A good deal of both kinds have been only recently
burnt. In addition to the spruce and tamai-ac, balsam, aspen, rough-
barked poplar and white birch occur all along. Banksian pine and

Tedar, elm and ground maple were observed in the upper part. White cedar was til's!
seen about twenty miles below The Forks, Grey elm and black
ash were noted on the Kcnogami just after we left the Albany or
BOTie distance further north than they were observed when surveyini;
this river in ISTl. Groves of both these kinds of trees arc found on
the alluvial flats at the mouths of all the branches of the Kcnogami
Cedar of good size is common all along the banks of this stream. It
may be remarked that the occurrence, or otherwise, of certain tree*
along a river like the Albany may be due to the nature of the groiind
as much as to latitude.

The Kenogami Eiver and Long Lake were surveyed and reported
upon in 1810 and 1811, and nothing requiring special description in
this place was observed on our homeward journey, with the exception
of some facts as to the drift, which will be mentioned further on.
The rocks along the Black River, by which we travelled from Long I
Lake to the Canadian Paciti.. Railway line, as stated in my sunimarr
report, were found to consist of crystalline schists and diorito, gianite.
syenite and gneiss, but further exploration will be req.j'rod intliL*|
region before anything definite can be said as to their distribution.

Kenogami
River and Long
Lake.

Black River.

Courses of
glacial Etria}.

List, siigwino the Courses or the Glacial Stri^- in TiiiRTTnnj
Localities in the Region explored in 1886.

The glacial stria' were carefully loolvcd for wherever tlie solid rockj
was exposed, anil their course was recorded in all cases wluno itcni
be distinctly seen. Exceptional instances, such as those on iiearljj
vertical walls of rock, or on very uneven surfaces, are omitted fwBJ
the following list. The bearings refer to the magnetic meridian, tutj
the dift'eronces between them and the true bearings are not great, aj
the line of no variation passes through tiie central part ol' the legioiil
which they covei-.

1. Minnie

1 Abram

4. Islands

5. Island i
(i. Point ii

7. Point o:
Co.'s

8, Rapid a
i». Koot Ki'

10- Root liii

11. N. side c

12. A\'e.stern

13. Island in

14. Islet in F

15. Islet in L
la Fall Fish
17. Extreniit
IS. Nortiiern

miles b
I!i. First Kagi
20. Albany Ri
-'1. Narrows a

22. Middle of

23. Outlet of I
2-!. -Vortli siior
-^ Inlet of Sti
■''<■ Attawapisl

from lal<
'I Atta\va]iisl
-^- do.

»• do.

3«. do.

below M;
31- Attawapisli

eni niont
32. Attawai>isli

ern aioul

3''. Atlawiipi.sli
al)out 44

■'■'• Attawapisl
40 miles

(•^t this locality
35. Keiio^raiiii jj

^i«e Lak(J

repoi'teil

•I'iptionia

exception

'urthei- on.

from liong 1

• suiunwry I

te, granite,

rod inthi?

bution.

i^iiiRTY-nvij

solid i«U
lore it C'HiH I

on nearljl
InitliHl fivfflj
jeridian, m
lot great, «|

the rei

-1

ALBANY RIVER.

35 o

1. Minnietakie Lake, 8 miles from S. W. extremity S, 45° W.

2. do. 3 miles S. of Abram's Chute, at the outlet S. 40°

3. Abram's Chute S. 10°

4. Islands in the middle of Abram's Lake (below Chute) S. 40°

8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.

w.
w.
w.
w.

55°
45°

30°

20°
40°

25°

Island in Lonely Lake, 10 miles due east of H. B. Co. 'a post. . .. S. 60°
Point in Lonely Lake, 13 miles eastward of H. B. Co.'s post. ... S. 25°
Toint on N. shore of Lonely Lake, 16 miles eastward of H. B.

( o.'s post S,

Kapid at mouth of Root River, E. extremity of Lont^ Lake . . . S.

Root River, 5 miles in a straight lino from its mouth S. 50°

Koot River, 10 miles in a straight line from its mouth S. 45°

N. side of L. St. Joseph, 4 J miles from W. extremity S. 30°

We.stern mouth of Cat River, 9 miles from W. extremity S. 45°

Island in Lake St. .Joseph, 18 miles from W. extremity S. 60°

14. Islet in Lake St. Joseph, 4 miles E. of E. mouth of Cat River. ... S. 15°

15. Islet in Lake St. Joseph, 7 miles E. by S. of mouth of Cat River.. S. 45°

16. Fall Fishery on N. shore of L. St J., 44 miles from W. end S.

1", Extremity of N. arm of Lake St. J., 50 miles from W. end S.

18, Northern outlet of Deer Lodge Lake, on the Albany River, 13

miles below Lake St. Joseph S.

19, First Kagami Portage, Albany R., 22 miles below Lake St. J. . .. S.

20, .\lbany River, 2i miUis below Etow-i-ma-mi Brunch S.

21, Narrows about middle of Maminiska Lake S. 65°

22, Middle of Patawonga Lake S. 75°

Outk't of Eabamet Lake S. 80°

North shore and also head of Eabamet Lake S. 75°

Inlet I if Sturgeon Lake, Boulder River S. 70°

.\tta\vapishkat River, 3 miles below junction of the two channels

from lake of the same name S. 60'

27, Attawapishkat River, 13 miles below the above junction S. 42'

28, do. 22 miles below the above junction S. 22'

29, do. 23 miles below the above junction S. 15'

oO, do. Last exposure of Arehseaii rocks, or 8 miles

below Mattawa S. to S. 10° E.

31. Attawapishkat River (on limestone), about 75 miles from south-

ern mouth of river S. 18° W .

32. Attawapishkat River (on limestone), about 66 miles from south-

ern mouth of river S. 8° to 12° W.

(Old set.)

S. 60° to 70° E.

(New set.)

33. Attawapishkat River (on limestone), at head of Lowasky Island,

about 44 miles from southern mouth of river S. 02° W.

■il. Attawaiiislikat River, southern channel or Ixiwasky River, about

4fl miles from southern mouth of river S. 35° W.

Older, all

round U)

S. 80° \V.,

newer.

(■^t this locality the stria are newer in proportion as they become more westerly.)

35. Keno^'anu River, 8th Portage (ingoing up), about 20 miles below

Pine bake S. 40° W.

23.
24.
25.
20,

W.
W.

w.
w.
w.
w.
w.
w.
w.
w.
w.

w.
w.
w.
w.
w.
w.
w.
w.

w.
w.
w.
w.

i r

: •

Jll

(

'Hi' '

i|i

I i
III

36 a

Oeneral
direction.

Drift deposits

Remarkable
f eaturen ,

AT-TA-WA-PISH KAT AND ALBANY RIVERS.

Husmatite in
drift.

Composition of
the drift.

From the foregoing list it will be observed that the general direction
of the glacial striio is to the south-westward, as it is elsewliere
throughout the great Laurentian region between James' Bay, Lake
Winnipeg and Lake Superior. In descending from the Lam tiitiaii
plateau along the Attawapishkat River the course of the striiition
becomes more and more southerly, but on the horizontal limestones
further down the stream it runs in various directions betwe"n west
and south at the same localities.

The di'ift (principally boulder-clay) which overspreads the palaeozoic
basin westward of James' Bay appears to be a continuous sheet vary-
ing probably between thirty and ninety feet as far as can be judged by
the sections along the rivers. Over the generally level surface of the
Laurentian rocks further west, the thickness is more variable, but it
seldom appears to exceed 100 feet, and it becomes thinner and moiv
iri'egular as we rise higher and get further inland, and in these region?
the fundamental rocks protrude themselves more frequently tlirou;'li
it. It is of a looser and less clayey nature on the highei- grounds than
elsewhere, and consists largely of washed gravel and shingle.

Along the Attawapishkat, Albany and Kenogami Eiverh, as well as
on the west coast of James' Bay, the most remarkable feature i n t he com-
position of the drift is the abundance of pebbles and boulders of dark
grey granular siliceous felsite or greywackd. It constitutes the greater
number of the boulders and pebbles of the extensive reefs which have
been referred to, between Akimiski Island and the west shore, and is
abundant among the boulders of the coast between Rupert's IIoiiso and
Moose Factory. Well-rounded fragments of this rock are al^^o foiiml
along the Moose and Missinaibi Rivers, and as far west as Loiielv
Lake, and southward to Lake Sujjerior. It is characterized by rounii
spots, from the size of a pea to that of a cricket ball or larger, ot'a
lighter colour than the rest of the rock, which weather out into |)itsiif j
the same form. Microscopic sections show that it is composetl primi-
pally of small angular grains of felspar with others, somewhat roiiiideiJ,
of (juartz, the interspaces being filled in with a dark green amorpboii! i
mineral. This rock occurs in situ on Long Island, ott' Cape. loiies,(
the east main coast, where it strikes soutli-westward or with the greater j
length of the island. The same rock, no doubt, continues under tk
sea for some distance in the direction of its strike. The alnindanM
also of rounded pieces of hard, banded, siliceous hsematite in the drill
of both the Attawapishkat and Albany Rivers is another strikind
feature which was alluded to in reference to the latter in l^T'j
(Geol. Survey Report for 18*71, page 112.)

After careful observations as to the nature of the drift along tli«
rivers mentioned, the following appears to be about the relative abun-

HLl J

ALBANY RIVER.

37 a

(lance of its boulders and pebbles: the unaltered limestones which occur
In situ immediately beneath ; the dark grey siliceous grey wack<5 above
described; compact hard blue limestone; gneiss syenite and granite;
cryistalline dark, gi-ey and mottled and porphyritic diorites; slaty and
jaspei'y banded haematites, compact siliceous magnetites, sometimes con-
sisting of pure ore and fine-grained quartzite in thin alternate layers ;
quartzitesof diiferent shades; hard red sandstones and conglomerates;
chlorilic and hornblendic schists; dull rod jaspers with oolitic struc-
ture like those of the Manitounuck or the Animikio series, or mixed
with streaks and small disseminated spots of the peroxides of iron;
cumpact amygdaloids; brecciated hard blue limestone ; drab-colourcd
clay ironstone.

From our present knowledge of the distribution of the flat-lying Extent of
Italii'O/oic rocks west and south-west of James' Bay, it is pretty cer- rJi.ks'.'""'
tain that they occupy an area as extensive as the whole region
between the Ottawa River and Lakes Ontario, Erie and Huron. The
contours of the outer margins of this basin, as well as those of the dif-
ferent horizons within it, as far as they have 3'et been determined,
indicate that its geological centre or highest point is under James'
Bay, ott' the mouth of the Albany River. ' In such an extensive and
undisturbed basin, the occurrence of Carboniferous rocks might
appear j)()ssible, and if they existed at all it would probably be near
this centre. But the total absence of any trace of them in the drift Absence of
which has come from that direction, and spread itself over the exten- j*J'|[g"°''^®''°"'
sive region alluded to, leaves veiy little hope of finding such rocks in
this pint of the Dominion. The Devonian rocks no doubt underlie a
great part of James' Bay, and they pi'obably occupy a still greater
urea of the extraordinarily level bottom of the main body of Hudson's
iJuy itself, and here there would be a greater probability of the occur-
rence of Carboniferous rocks than in James' Bay. Yet no evidence of
thei'- existence has so far been afforded by the di'ift of the shores of the
larger iiay, or in any part of the surrounding country which has been
examined.

Judging from the approximate distribution of the rocks in Hudson's g^^^ggyj- j,,g
and James' Bays, and the courses which were probably followed by**"^'-
tlie drift, as indicated by tlie glacial Btriation all around these bays and
in the great interior regions to the south-west of them, the drift of the
country to the west and south-west of James' Bay would be derived
from the bottom and east side of this bay, or it may have partly come
originall)- from the site of Hudson's Bay, and thence been transiwrted
over the Hoor of James' Bay to the country referred to.

On the Kenogami, at six miles by the sti-eam above the mouth of
the largo southern branch called the Bagutchewan, the river makes a

Pre-Rlaoial
excavations.

Lignite.

Marine shells.

Acknowledge-
ment.

38 G

AT-TA-WAPISH-KAT AND ALBANY RIVERS.

Hudden bend to the north, and about a mile further another similar
bond. These unusually sharp curves, which are unlike any otheis in
the course of the stream, appear to be caused by the river traversing
pre-glacial excavations in the Silurian strata, which here consist of
dull-red, coarse, somewhat indurated arenaceous marl, with green
blotches and layers. These excavations had become filled up with
loose materials before the formation of the present river channel. At
the lower bend, gravel fifty feet deep is exposed. in the south bank.
At the upper bend, the excavation of the Silurian marls iis plainly
seen. Starting from the level of the river, the lower ten feet of the
filling of this hollow consists of bouldor-clay. Upon this rests a bed,
six to eight feet tniclc, of soft lignite, containing many flattened stems
of small trees, which are partially carbonized, but are somewhat
elastic when newly excavated and still wet. The lignite bed is over-
lain by thirty or forty feet of rudely stratified i-ed and grey drift,
holding rounded boulders and miiny pebbles. Marine shells were
observed in the drift along the Xonogami almost up to this point,
which, according to my barometric readings, would have an elevation
of about 500 feet above the sea.

Before concluding this report, I wish to acknowledge our usual
indebtedness to the officers of the Hudson's Bay Company for personal
courtesies or assistance in promoting the objects of our survey. I
would mention the following gentlemen who aided us during the past
season: — Messrs. Chief Commissioner Wrigle}'', Newton Flaiinigan,
Alexander Matheso ), John Ilourston, E. C. Wilson, William Mackay
and Isaac Hunter.

APPENDIX I.

List of Lepidoptera collected in the Southern Part op
Keewatin District.

By Dr. R. Belu

The following Lepidoptera were collected in 1883 while exploring
tho counlry from Wabigoon Lake to Red Lake, by way of Lonely
Lake, which adjoins on the west that explored in 188C. The species
were determined by Major H. H. Lyman of Montreal, with the excep-
tion of the last two, which were named by the Rev. George D. Hulst
of Brooklyn, at Major Lyman's request : —

1. Picrls napi, Esper., var. oleracea-cvstiva, Harris.

2. Argynnis polaris, Boisd.

3. Grapta Progne, Cram.

4. Limenitis Arthemis, Drury.

5. Pamphila metacomet, Harris.

6. Calliviorpha Lecontei, Boisd.

7. Euprepia Americana, Harris.

8. Apamea nictitans, Bkh.

9. Heliophita pallens, Linn.

10. Cluvrodes. transversata, Drury.

11. Metrocampa margaritata, Linn., var. perlata, Guen.

12. Sicya macularia, Harris.