This Detail Of It Has Only Been As An
Excuse For The Scantiness Of Our Observations On The Most Interesting
Part Of The Country Through Which We Passed.
The north side of the Methye Portage is in latitude 56 degrees 41 minutes
40 seconds North and longitude 109 degrees 52 minutes 0 seconds West.
It
is of course one hundred and twenty-four miles from Isle a la Crosse and
considered as a branch of the Missinippi, five hundred and ninety-two
miles from the Frog Portage. The Clear Water River passing through the
valley, described above, evidently rises not far to the eastward. The
height, computed by the same mode as that of the Echiamamis, by allowing
a foot for each mile of distance and six feet on an average for each fall
and rapid, is two thousand four hundred and sixty-seven feet above the
level of the sea, admitting it to be nine hundred feet above the Clear
Water River. The country in a line between it and the mouth of
Mackenzie's River is a continual descent, although to the eastward of
that line there may be several heights between it and the Arctic Sea. To
the eastward the lands descend to Hudson's Bay, and to the westward also,
till the Athabasca River cuts through it, from whence it ascends to the
Rocky Mountains. Daring was the spirit of enterprise that first led
Commerce with her cumbrous train from the waters of Hudson's Bay to those
of the Arctic Sea, across an obstacle to navigation so stupendous as
this; and persevering has been the industry which drew riches from a
source so remote.
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