-V^ o% IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I *- ||M III S IIIIM III ^ 1^ IM 2.0 .8 1.25 1.4 1.6 ^ 6" — ► V] <^/ dl W /a om /A '/ # Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 872-4503 ^ iV \ \ ^ % >> ^ V '% V V Km CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHIVI/ICIVIH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques 1980 ^ Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibllographlquos The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. 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Those to^ . I'ge lo be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre filmSs A des taux de reduction diff^rents. Lorf^que le document est trop grand pour §tre reproduit en ur seul cliche, il est filmg d partir de Tangle sup6rieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n^cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 GEOLOG] ALF AT-TA n GEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY OF CANADA. ALFEED B. C. SEIWYN, C.M.G., LL.D., F.RS., Director. REPORT ON AN EXPLORATION OF PORTIONS OF THE AT-TA-WA-PISH-KAT & ALBANY RIVERS, LONELY LAKE TO JAMES' BAY. BY R. BELL, B.A.Sc, M.D., LL.D. 188G. m fl i * •; ;t In: PUBLlSiHED BY AUTHORITY OF PARLIAMENT. MONTREAL : DAWSON BROTHKRS. 1887. ii h ! i 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 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 6o AT-TA-WA-PI61I-KAT AND ALBANY RIVERS. Men and Aci^iBtunti-'. hi r 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. la 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. fl ' I II 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 ! a i: i ! Kuroiiinn rooks • Luriely Lake- 8a 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 en0" 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 antorly 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 ;> 11 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 i I i' ^m 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 mine 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 ij 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 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 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 ans, 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 ()|^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 Al 1 1 I tf'.: it 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. ]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. r 'L :'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» i _-: » ~V^-^!- - ^£2^^^' ft 'I ■*•., -V „1l*- 5'^ii%^M^?im ,fa&. 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. li 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 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 [M least, twenty ■r. ■X X r X f X y- = i I < 'A .. S •/. .A « A O 'A 'A II 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 1 f h jj 34 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}. M It * 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 1 (•^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. w. 55° 45° 30° 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 ii : • Jll ( 'Hi' ' i|i i I i III i 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. T 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. J