During the night the Aurora
Borealis was quick in its motions and various and vivid in its colours.
After breakfasting we reembarked and continued our voyage until three
P.M., when a strong westerly wind arising we were obliged to shelter
ourselves on a small island which lies near the extremity of the
above-mentioned peninsula. This island is formed of a collection of small
rolled pieces of limestone and was remembered by some of our boatman to
have been formerly covered with water. For the last ten or twelve years
the waters of the lake have been low, but our information did not enable
us to judge whether the decrease was merely casual, or going on
continually, or periodical. The distance of this island from Norway House
is thirty-eight miles and a half.
RIVER SASKATCHEWAN.
The westerly winds detained us all the morning of the 9th but at two P.M.
the wind chopped round to the eastward; we immediately embarked and the
breeze afterwards freshening we reached the mouth of the Saskatchewan at
midnight having run thirty-two miles.
Sunday, October 10.
The whole of this day was occupied in getting the boats from the mouth of
the river to the foot of the grand rapid, a distance of two miles. There
are several rapids in this short distance during which the river varies
its breadth from five hundred yards to half a mile. Its channel is stony.
At the grand rapid the Saskatchewan forms a sudden bend from south to
east and works its way through a narrow channel deeply worn into the
limestone strata. The stream, rushing with impetuous force over a rocky
and uneven bottom, presents a sheet of foam and seems to bear with
impatience the straightened confinement of its lofty banks. A flock of
pelicans and two or three brown fishing-eagles were fishing in its
agitated waters, seemingly with great success. There is a good sturgeon
fishery at the foot of the rapid. Several golden plovers, Canadian
grosbeaks, crossbills, woodpeckers and pin-tailed grouse were shot today;
and Mr. Back killed a small striped marmot. This beautiful little animal
was busily employed in carrying in its distended pouches the seeds of the
American vetch to its winter hoards.
The portage is eighteen hundred yards long and its western extremity was
found to be in 53 degrees 08 minutes 25 seconds North latitude and 99
degrees 28 minutes 02 seconds West longitude. The route from Canada to
the Athabasca joins that from York Factory at the mouth of the
Saskatchewan, and we saw traces of a recent encampment of the Canadian
voyagers. Our companions in the Hudson's Bay boats, dreading an attack
from their rivals in trade, were on the alert at this place.
