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 12 3 
 
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tMCMOeOn RHOIUTION TUT CHAUT 
 
 (ANSI and (SO TeST CHAUT h4o. 21 
 
 A 
 
 s APPLIED IN/HGE 
 
 '653 Eost Mam Street 
 
 Rochester. New Vork U609 USA 
 
 (716) 462 - 0300 - Phone 
 
 (716) 288 - 5989 - Fq« 
 
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA 
 ROBERT BELL. M.D.. D.Sc., LLD, F.R.S.. D.h.cto« 
 
 REPORT 
 
 ON THE 
 
 TOPOGRAPHY A\D GEOLOGY 
 
 OF 
 
 GREAT BEAR LAKE 
 
 AXIl OF A 
 
 CHAIN OF LAKES AND STREAMS 
 
 THKXfE TO 
 
 GREAT SLAVE LAlvE 
 
 Bt 
 
 J. MACINTOSH BELL, M.A. 
 
 
 I ■ 
 
 ll u 
 
 OTTAWA 
 PRINTED BY s. E. DAWSOX, PRixteR TO THE KIN(;-,S MOST 
 EXCELLENl' MAJESTY ^-'-^''^ MOsT 
 
 1901 
 
 Sio. lis 
 
 i 
 
 1 i'k 
 
1 
 
 ; i, 
 
 . 
 
 RoiiKiiT Hkll, M.D., D.Sc., LL.D., F.R.8. 
 
 Director OeoloKicnl Survey of Canada. 
 
 HiR, — I herewith beg to submit my report on the exploration dui ini; 
 the oeasons of 1899-1900, of Great Bear lake and of a chain of lake-, 
 ami streams thence to Great Slave lake. 
 
 I have the honour to be, sir, 
 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 J. MACINTOSH BELL. 
 
 OrrAWA, April, 1901. 
 
 li 
 
REPORT 
 
 ox THI 
 
 TflPOGRAPHV m GEOLOCV OF GREAT MH LAKE 
 
 AND or 
 
 A Cham of Lakes and Streams tb«nce to Oreat Slave Lake. 
 
 Bv J. Macintosh Bell, M.A., 
 
 ICOO. 
 
 The following report is bated on work which wm carried out around Di.irict 
 Great Bear lake and throu«li the country thi-nce to Oretit Hiave lake. """"'''"'• 
 under the direction of Dr. Holicrt Bell, in connection with his explor- 
 ations during the seasons of 1.H91)-I9<(0. In the summer of lf*9!», I 
 acted as Dr. Bell's assistant, and worked along the northwest arm of 
 Great Slave lake and later along its north-eastern and south-eastern 
 shores. When Dr. Bell started south in September, he thought it r,.iitinimnc« 
 advisable to leave me in the country in ordt. to continue operations Ihirlng winter. 
 during the wint'ir and the following summer. Accordingly arranf;e- 
 raents were miide for me to pass the winter with .Mr. F. C. Gaudet, of 
 the 'tdson's Bay Company. During t*- "old months, trips wen- 
 underi. ven east and west of Slave river iaminations were made 
 
 of the Palwozoic rocks in these directions, i had hoped to be able to 
 examine the country around the heod-wateiu of the Buffalo river, but 
 when I recei\ed instructions from Ottawa by the Hudson's Bay 
 Company's packet, it was already too late in the season to do any 
 exp .rins south of Great Slave lake, and I devoted ail my efforts in 
 preparing to make my trip to Great Bear lake a success. My ri,,,rHct.r of 
 instructions directed that I should undertake a topographical and tHm""*"* 
 geological survey not only of <ireat Hear loke itself, but of the Indian 
 tanoe-route between that lake and Great Slave lake, together with as 
 much as possible of the adjoining countrv. 
 
 Having made careful inquiries from the Indians, as well as from U.-t n.utf to 
 other people cognizant of the facts, rega-ding the various -outes r.o jjj.™' '^'" 
 
fl c 
 
 ORIAT HEAR LAKE TO ORIAT KLAVB I.AKI. 
 
 P«rtv Ifuvf 
 
 Kort 
 KvMilution. 
 
 (inmt B«t»i- lake, I dti-Med that the bo«t wny tiiithsr wiu by tba 
 Mackenzio ami Hear rivow, retarniiiK troin «in«at iWr lake vin Lao 
 Ste. Croix and Lac la .Martre. It will he apparent that thi« plan wa» 
 the more feasilile wb-n It i» mentir>nefl that no Rup|>liaa whate\-or 
 could be obuinad at Fort Hae, while there waa a chunce of obuining 
 a fair supply from the Hudion'x lUy Coinpuny at Fort Himpttm. 
 Aceonlingly I left Fort Hewlution on April Itth with two oanoenion, 
 Charlen Kuan and Loui» Trpmblay, and one dog team carryinj^ my 
 oiiiioe and duimag* which waa tu go with ui over (irnat Slave lake to 
 ••'ort Providtnci'. Another lotid with inNtrument* and supplier had 
 pretHided ui anil we met the men and dof{H rt'turning whil<> we were 
 makinij the travfrne of the lake. Unfortuniitely the condition of the 
 snow upon the ice, owing to the mild weather, was nuch that we were 
 able to travel only at night and even then with ditKculty iiiosf .f the 
 time. The trip to Hay river that I had made in two dnyn duniii,- the 
 AwiyestKon tinrvr, now took us five. We did not reach Fort Providence till the 
 23rd. I may ht-re take the opportunity of thanking the Krv. Mr. 
 Marsh and the members of hiH miHsioti for the hospitality wliich we 
 received in passing through, and for the information he gave m.- ofjn- 
 cerning the northern country. I delayed at Foit Providence till the 
 2Hth, taking oMtroiiomical observations to eomparc with those made 
 Iwfore at the same place by other observers. 
 
 Willow rivor. I..>aving Fort Providence we proceeded to the mouth of th*- Willow 
 river, Horoe 16 miles below, where we decided to wait till the ice 
 broke up. The seadon was already far advance<l, the willows were in 
 blossom and the river was now unsafe for traval, so that I knew it whs 
 useless to proceed further by dog team. Willow river wa-s a convenient 
 place beciUMP the Hudson h Bay Company's steamer Wrigley wa.s drawn 
 up then-, and I had \men advised to take pissage in hii' as far as Kort 
 Simjison .111 account of the danger due to the ice at f'lis time of the 
 year, and moreover there was almmlance of Ijoth fish and wild fowl 
 there, and the food question is always an important matter in the north. 
 The ice on the Willow river broke u|> on the 6th of May and the 
 Mackenzie on the 12th, hit, the Wrigley was unable t« leave before the 
 21st. I therefore passed the intervening time in making short explor- 
 ations up the Willow river. This stream, which join.s the Mackenzie 
 in latitude 61 ' 22' 36 , in interesting as being the route foil jwe- hy the 
 Indians of the Mackenzie. Near its junction with the .M.. ;:e the 
 rivbr is over 300 yards broad, but there its current is comparatively slow, 
 it soon dwindles, however, to a rapid stream of 15 yards in width, but 
 
 l)e«;ri|ition i.f with a stroiij; volume of water. For the first six miles the country is 
 low and swampy and the margin- are covered with willow and alder, but 
 
 Ex|ilurotiiiii 
 
 ciitmtry. 
 
IN 
 
 ttolTE lttAVKK!IKI> ASIb TOI>Ui.:UI*liy. 
 
 . «• 
 
 uliovt) ttiU tho \>»uk» rvacli 4U t4> 00 fiwt in lioit(lir*ntl tli>> i-uuiitry in 
 K<>ncr»l bitcoiiK** lii|{lii>r *ml lM>t(«r wimmIixI. Flxprnuri") •>( till I'oiUiiiii- 
 inK hui{i' Archii'iiri bouiiifrH iimJ ovfrlitiil liy lUtiuJ •nil^Kilt, nm coiiimnn. 
 In pliii-iM ,iriiiri« |ilut.«nux »ln>i»>ly unvn nt th«« tim<' »1 our viiii», oliiiM'ti 
 tkwtty fmiii till- rivt-r. At n iliaUnce olf tvii iiiilci u|),th«Mtrpuiu ticrouiitt 
 Hwift <ini| l)i'i>lcfrii, nnil HO'ordiiiu to tlt<- Itiiiiunx, it is almost it rniiiin 
 uiiu'4 rapiil from thi-. |M)int tu Willow Ui«', nenr Mont n U C'urn.', 
 ititliouj{h ill low water, trai'kiii); u Kiiiij to In- ^iumI ami navigation not 
 y>ry (iitllcult. 
 
 Tilt' Wrigl<»> r^iicheil Fori Hitntmon on the '2\*t of May, iind F n-- 
 
 II 1 1 ■ .1 J . 1 . . Arrm'at I'utt 
 
 maiiimi here u wt-elc to iniikf roiwly f't ■•utnt loc the luniiiicri trip uikI .S|iii|.«in. 
 
 to oWtaiii mom inforiiiiition ooaceriiiiiL.' th>' Hear Ijike country Wo 
 «et out from Foil Siinpsoii oil tlie '.'f'th of Miiy in "ur own tiiniH', th« 
 iwift current of tin* Mackenzie xo iiiatfrially aiding our paildlet that 
 we reache<J Fort Wriyley in a day and a half. At Kochi-r <|uitrem|)«- 
 4-l'eou, about .'JO miles lielow thi* [>o t, we lialto<l for . f>'w day» on 
 our jouiney in ortW to make a short trip into the int 'i' r The riMki 
 of this mountain have l>'en so well deHcrilx-d iiy Mr. McC<mnell of the 
 Cieologii'al Survey, that it i- iinneii's^iry for me toclalioratt- his account. 
 Arriv inu at Fort Norman on the .'Jni of .Fune, wo learned that Itear 
 Luke river hml broken up only the day liet'ore an<l that In<lian.s loin- Kort Nunnan. 
 ill); down from (!reat K-ar lukc announced that travelling; theicoron 
 the river would lie ijuite iiiipoiiiiilile for three weeks to come. Here, 
 therefore, I aKiiiii occupie<J inyxelf in making short trip^t into the in- 
 terior and hy rearrani;inK my plans and outfit. At Fort Norman I 
 engHtjed two more men, Charles Camsell and -John Sandersin, the ,,-.|,l„'J,'ii? 
 former agreeing to help me as much m poiwilile in scienlitic work ami " i''">'''- 
 the latter to act as guide and interpreter around IJ -eat Hear lake. 
 
 On the 2lst of June, I left Fort Norman with ray party of four ami ''"••"■ "^'''■ 
 »ooii after entered the Uear river. At its mouth this stream i-t alKJut 
 ;j.">U yardx in width. Its dear waterx join t'le Mackenzie throu^'h a 
 deep woiKled volley, which tliey have rut thi'ough the soft Teiliar" 
 strata. The deciduous treeb were already in full leaf and the stf t, !y 
 slopin;.; Iiaiiks of the river were hriglit with hundreds of in'i'the.i. 
 flowers. For the first 40 mile.s the physiography of the liear river 
 does not vary muoli. The banks are comparatively low, seldom e.xceed- 
 jng 'MO feet in height. They are well wooded with white spruce, TiinUr. 
 canoe birch, aspen and l)alsam poplar. Continual land sliile.* on either 
 side of the river, as a result of th" eating away of the baiik.s, have 
 given the river-slopes a lough step-like appearance. Tin- banks were 
 at lliis time piled with ice to a height of twenty feet, sometimes stretch- 
 
 
8 c 
 
 ORIAT BBAR tAKK TO OHKAT SLAVE LAKE. 
 
 Trend of 
 T»Uey. 
 
 f islands. 
 
 Ice makes 
 navigation 
 difficult. 
 
 iDg for miles along the shore. This made tracking especially diffi- 
 cult. The valley of the river for the first forty miles as far as the Egg 
 islands, runs about 16' north of east and the river has a current of 
 from three to four miles an hour. Ite average width U over 200 yards. 
 The high banks just described alternate with grassy swampy shores 
 with scarcely any beach. The river was, however, very high and 
 probably in low water gravel beaches are more or less common. At 
 about forty-two miles above its mouth, the river widens to more than 
 400 yards to inclose the Egg islands, the largest of which is about one 
 mile ,n length. These are alluvial islands, four in numlwr, changing 
 in size from year to year. At the time we passed chey were completely 
 covered with ice to a thickness of twenty and in places even thirty 
 feet. Great pieces of ice kept breaking off from these masses causing 
 huge waves to pass across the river, thus rendering navigation par- 
 ticularly difficult and we were often in danger of being swamped 
 Above the Egg islands, the upward course of the river soon enters 
 that spur of the mountains which crosses the Mackenzie below Fort 
 Simpson. Above this the rapidity of its current quickly increases, 
 Aa^d^Mount culminating in the canyon of the Bear river. Just below the rapid in 
 the canyon, Mount Charles rises to a height of 1,500 feet on the left 
 side of the river This is the highest peak of the mountains in this 
 vicinity. I delayed for an afternoon to ascend it, in order to study the 
 geology and to obtain a view of the surrounding country. In climbing 
 the hill I was surprised at the size of the trees around its lower slope 
 Mhite spruce of about twenty inches in diameter were quite co.umon, 
 as well as iine specimens of canoe- birch, balsam-poplar and aspen. The 
 sunny slopes were gay with flowers, many of which one might expect 
 to find only in more southern latitudes. There was still a little snow 
 on the summit, but for the most part, the hill was green and covered 
 with shrubs. The view from the top was one of great beauty. Stretch- 
 ing to the horizon could he seen a wooded country thickly interspersed 
 with lakes. Far away towards the south, Mount Clark stood out clear 
 agamst the sky. It was connected with the mountain on which I 
 stood by a line of low rugged limestone hills which continue<l on 
 towards the north in the direction of the Mackenzie. To the westward 
 lay the valley of the great Mackenzie, and nearer in the landscape wf : 
 a chain of large lakes parallel to this stream, and having an outlet 
 through the Willow river into the Rear river. A small deep river 
 which drained the country to the northward could be seen to enter 
 the Bear almost at the foot of Mount Charles. To the north-eastward 
 was the deep depression of Great Bear lake. Continuing our way up 
 the river, we soon entered the canyon with an easily navigable rapid 
 
 View frcim 
 aoiuniit. 
 
 Chain «i 
 lakes to tlie 
 we»t«-,ird. 
 
-] 
 
 ROUTE TRAVEBSED AND TOPOORAPHT. 
 
 9 C 
 
 Camp at 
 (Ireat Hear 
 lake. 
 
 but my men had some difficulty in tracking our canoes past it owing 
 
 to the steepness of the banks. There is a portage on the north side 
 
 which is used bv the Indians, when the watei is too high to permit of 
 
 tracking along the shore. They also use it to carry part of the loads 
 
 in order to lighten their canons when heavily laden. For two or three Dt-scription of 
 
 miles (which is the length of the canyon) the banks of the river are '^*"'""- 
 
 very steep and from 150 to 200 feet in height. The river has here 
 
 cut itself a deep channel through the soft cretaceous strata. Soon 
 
 after passing above the rapid, the banks become sloping and less 
 
 wooded. Cut-banks of .sand and gravel were sometimes observed, 
 
 but as a rule the shores were low and swampy. 
 
 We reached Great Bear lake on June 23rd and were disappointed 
 to find that the ice on its surface was still intact, so that we were 
 obliged to pitch our camp on the south side near the outlet. Here we 
 waited till July 4th, when the lake was sutiiciently clear of ice to allow 
 us to proceed along the north shore. The country around the 
 outlet is particularly dreary. It is an old camping ground of the 
 Indians who gather here in winter for the fishing, which is good 
 throughout the season, as the current is swift and the water remains 
 open during the whole winter. The country hereabouts is quite desti- 
 tute of trees, as they have all t)een used for fuel by the Indians. The 
 low swampy shore-line continues to the southward in an immense 
 muskeg which is said to stretch some twenty-five miles into the interior 
 or towards the south-west. 
 
 Several short trips were made into the interior along the south shore Trip- niadt- 
 while we wore waiting at the head of the river, but they failed to give '"f!',i,'Jr. 
 much information either of topographical or geological interest. Some 
 three or four miles along the south shore the trees reappeai' and con- 
 tinue as far as we could see. Shoals occur all along this shore and 
 make it exceedingly difficult to ol)tain landing places. 
 
 Wiiile eneanijjed at the head of the Hear river, we were visiterl by Vi«it.-'l !)>• 
 a band of Hareskin natives who came under the leadership of an ''"''•'"*• 
 Indian who at fiist appeared to lie very unfriendly. He wanted to 
 know whence we had come and 'a hat was our reason for being there. 
 He siiid that he wished us to understand that we were to kill ii^ cari- 
 bou, as, if the white man went among them they would all surely dis- 
 appear. However, after considerable exchange of conversation he 
 realized that our intentions were friendly, and he lieeanie quite cordial, 
 telling us where most of the carilwu were to lie found and where 
 the best fishing places were, and, as a last consideration he agreed to KnjiaKf one as 
 meet «= about the middle of August in MacTavish biy, and to send *"'""' ' 
 
 uy 
 
10 c 
 
 GREAT BEAR LAKE TO GREAT SLAVE LAKK. 
 
 Visit site of 
 Fort Franklin 
 
 Canoe- route 
 to Keith bay. 
 
 one of his band to guide us thence southward to Great Slave lake. 
 Har»,kinancl The Hareskin and Dogril> Indians are, for the roost part, a harmless 
 InJians. and good natured race, living on the fish they catch or the deer they 
 
 kill. As a rule they travel at least once a year to trade with the 
 Hudson's Bay Company either at Fort Rae or Fort Norman. They 
 are, as yet, but little civilized, although the majority of them have 
 recently been christianized by the Oblate fathers. They are rather a 
 handsome people being tall and well built und their picturesque deer- 
 skin coats, ornamented with beads and porcupine quills, give them a 
 pleasing appearance. 
 
 Leaving our camp on the south side of the outlet we crossed to 
 the site of Fort Franklin. The timber of this building had been 
 used to warm the wigwams of the Indians and all that remained to 
 mark its situation, were a few piles of stones where the fireplaces had 
 been. At this place a small river enters the lake and is known to the 
 Indians as Grey Goose river which tlous from a lake of the same name, 
 and other lakes farther to t!.e north. Near tll^se lakes, another river 
 takes its rise and flows towards Smith bay. The canoe-route thus 
 formed is used by the Indians in travellinjf from Smith bay to Keith 
 bay, when the ice of Great Bear lake prevents them from following 
 the lake shore. Keith bay, the mo.-t western part of Great Bear 
 lake, stretches eastward towards Cape Etta and Gros Cap. The 
 north-western shore of Keith bay is broken by two deep indentations. 
 The most westerly T called Russel bay, and the other and deeper 
 Richardson bay. Following the nortiiein shore of Keith bay is a 
 o'/l^aunryl'''-^ """"^^ "^ '*"' ^""^^^ '''"'*- "'■^•«'' exceedin? 500 feet in height. For the 
 most part, these hills are at a distance of frem three to four miles 
 back from the lake shore, but in se\eral places they touch the water's 
 edge. Whiskeyjuck hill is a rounded elevation near the shore, about 
 thirteen miles from the head of the Hear river. The hills follow the 
 immediate shore-line to the south-west of Richardson bay. The whole 
 northern shore of Keith bay, including Russel and Richardson bays 
 is low, but easy of approach. A fine sandy beach, replaced in some 
 parts by gravel and boulders, is prolonged at the point in long narrow 
 bars, sometimes of extraordinary shape and strewn with immense 
 erratics. Two small rivers enter the foot of Russel bay. The most 
 northerly, the Salatreil, a very small stream, has cut itself a deep 
 winding channel through the great stretches of sand which occur there. 
 Another river enters the western extremity of Richardson bay. We 
 reached this point on July 12th, having been delayed several times by 
 the ice and in each case I made short trips into the interior. 
 
 f. 
 
n 
 
 BOUTB TRAVERSED AND TOI'OiiHAPHY. 
 
 11 C 
 
 From Richardson bay we decided that it was best to follow an old K?"''' frum 
 
 ... . J Kieliarilnon 
 
 Indian canoe-route commencing at the river above mentioned across bay. 
 
 the Gros Cap peninsula to Smith bay, rather than attempt to 
 
 follow round the north shore of Richardson bay with the chance of 
 
 being again delayed by the ice, which was still packed around Gros 
 
 Cap. The western extremity of Richardson bay is low and swampy 
 
 and the river which enters it has only a very slight current. We 
 
 followed this up for about 2 miles and here it had dwindled to a small 
 
 stream flowing from the north-west. At this distance, after searching 
 
 for .some time, we discovered a portage about half a mile long, which 
 
 brought us into a small lake, le.ss than three-quarters of a mile in length, 
 
 from which a portage of a few hundred yards took us into a small muskeg 
 
 lake. Havinjj left the ice behind us at Richardson bay, I wos ostein- I'?';*' ''•••'d 
 
 * wit 11 Wft t€*l? 
 
 ished to find the lake filled with pond lilies, Nnpharadvena (?), in flower, iiii,.«. 
 especially as this is rather a late summer flower about Ottawa. It is 
 quite possible that it may have l)een Xiiphar /lo/ysephalum, as the flower 
 seemed rather too large for the other species. From this lake, a port- 
 age of 150 yards brought us into one of less than two miles in length, 
 whence a portage of a quarter of a mile carried us into Lac des Marin- Lac do* 
 guoins, a beautiful stretch of brown-coloured water about five miles in 
 length by three miles in width. Its shores were well wooded with white 
 spruce, willows and alders, but none of them of great size. Here I 
 saw the most northern specimen of white birch on the north-west side 
 of Great Bear lake. To the west of Lac des Maringuoins there is a 
 short range of sandy hills. 
 
 Leaving this lake we entered a small river flowing from its northern 
 end, which we followed till we arrived at Ice-bound bay, the most 
 southern portion of Smith bay. It is not more than 8 or 9 miles in a 
 straight line from Lac des Maringuoins to Ice bound bay, but the 
 river is shallow, rapid and exceedingly crooked, which gave us much 
 trouble in navigating it. Its bed is often almost blocked by large T-aimntian 
 Laurentian boulders, so large in fact that in several places I was almost 
 convinced I had discovered an outcrop of these rock.s in situ. In one 
 part, the strecm widens into a small lake, from which hundreds of 
 ducks and other waterfowl rose as we passed along. The stream teemed 
 with whitefish, passing up from the cold waters of Ice bound bay to 
 the warmer water of the inland lakes. Reaching Icebound bay on !)< laved by- 
 July 16th, we were surprised to find the bay filled with ice. A strong 
 north wind kept the ice against the shore and prevented our moving 
 until July 21st. We therefore fixed our camp in a aood place in order 
 to examine thoroughly the .surrounding country. 
 
 M 
 
19 
 
 CHEAT BEAR LAKE TO GREAT SLAVE LAKE. 
 
 View fn.m 
 Knife hill. 
 
 Smith bay 
 sighted. 
 
 Journey 
 continued 
 througli ice. 
 
 TreeleBK 
 island. 
 
 Reach 
 Smith b.iv. 
 
 A bluff of sand and sandstone overlaid with boulder clays, known 
 as Knife hill, came to the water's edge at the north-west point of the 
 bay. This hill is about 600 feet high and from its summit a splendid 
 view was obtained, not only of the surrounding country, but also of 
 the northern shore of Smith bay and the islands in the lake. To the 
 south and south-west could be seen an elevated rolling sandy country, 
 having small lakes with wooded shores in the valleys and becoming 
 almost mountainous far away on the horizon. To the east lay the 
 Sweet Grass hills, stretching oflF towards Gros Cap. Being high and 
 having steep cut-banks of white sand, I supposed at first they might be 
 partly covered with snow, but closer observation showed their true 
 character. To the north lay high hills on the northern shore of Smith 
 bay, which could be seen to rise higher farther away, und then to dis- 
 appear in the north-western horizon. To the east and west lay the 
 water of Smith bay, vanishing in either direction at the sky line. 
 Westward its extant is much greater than hitherto supposed, but at 
 the time of our visit this part of the lake was completely jammed with 
 floating ice, so that we were unable to go into it at all. 
 
 When, at last, the wind changed on July ilst and allowed us to pro- 
 ceed, it was only by breaking our way through the ice for 4 miles that 
 we were aole to reach open water. From this point we were no more 
 troubled with ice. and were glad to leave behind what had been so 
 gieat an obstacle to our progress. A long traverse across an open 
 stretch of water is always a dangerous undertaking, and my men did 
 not like to risk the straight traverse to the north shore of .Smith bay, 
 which was nearly 18 miles. We preferred to go somewhat out of our 
 way in order to pass by Treeless island which lay about half way across 
 and almost diiectly north of Knife point and hill at a distance of about 
 7 miles. Treeless island i- a low wind-swept spot of land, loushly 
 tnangular in shape, being about I'J miles long by 1| miles wide at its 
 base. Its greatest height is about 100 feet and from this part of the 
 island I was able to obtain good bearings along the southern shore of 
 Smith bay. Treeless island thoroughly deserves its name. It is quite 
 treeles.s but supports a few stunted specimens of willow brush Saii.r 
 glaiica and .S. a/ieciiim. 
 
 A traverse of thirteen mile.-, in a direction a little east of north, 
 brought us from Treeless island to the north shore of Smith bay near 
 the mouth of a river which we ascended for two or three miles. I was 
 unable Kj find out anything of interest about this stream, but it seems 
 to have cut for itself a deep valley through the range of rounded 
 wootied hills which lie to the north of this part of Smith bay, some 
 

 
 ROUTE TRAVER8BD AND TOPOORAPHV. 
 
 13 C 
 
 six or seven miles back from the shore. This is probably the Katsoye- Katteyedie 
 die river of Pi-re Petitot's map, and if it is this stream, its source is in "^"' "' 
 
 a large lake to the north called Petitot lake or Lac des Bois. We 
 were delayed by wind and rain near its mouth, and I made several 
 short excursions into the surrounding country. Between the hills 
 and the lake is a low rolling tract with many ponds and rauskeg.'i. The Tiiii>)er. 
 low country is almost devoid of timber of any kind, and in fact from '*"'** 
 this point onward till we neared Fort Confidence we f aw very few trees 
 indeed, and these were small in the trunk and stunted in height. After 
 leaving the Katseyedie river, the shores for some di.stance are sandy. 
 Low battures extend out into the lake, sometimes completely separating 
 stretches of water from the lake, and often being cut off from the 
 mainland so as to form gravelly or sundy islands, the home of hundreds 
 of gulls and wild fowl. Low uninteresting shores extend to within 
 thirty miles of Fort Confidence. The beach is .strewn with huge Krratics. 
 glacial erratics. Shoals are so common that landing places are found 
 with difficulty and in many sections the shores are so flat and swampy 
 that we could not get a camping place. The hills, which were men- 
 tioned before as being north of the mouth of the Katseyedie river, 
 follow along the north shore of Dease bay for about fifty miles, when 
 they gradually decrease in height and disappear. At the same time 
 behind these hills, but at a distance of ten to fifteen miles liack from Prominent 
 the shore, a new range becomes prominent These are much higher '^'"*'^ "' *"'''■ 
 and bolder in outline. They approach to within ten miles of the shore, 
 about sixty miles east of the Katseyedie river and follow it for some 
 six i..r seven miles, when they bend more to the north, and finally dis- 
 appear against the horizon. It was a pleasing change from the cheer- 
 less, gravelly, treeless shores to reach Limestone point with its pro- 
 nounced shore-line and with white spruce in the bay behind. Lime- 
 stone point is about ninety miles east of the mouth of the Katseyedie 
 river, and about thirty miles west of Fort Confidence. From this on- Natural 
 ward, the general appearance of the country becomes completely in*'i^ve. 
 changed. High rocky banks following the immediate shore line re- 
 place the swampy or gravelly shores which had prevailed for some 
 distance. 
 
 We reached old Fort Confidence on the last day of July and pitched Fort 
 our camp in order to make explorations into the country around. It was ^'""°"*°°*' 
 at this post that Sir John Richardson and Dr. Rae with Messrs. Dease 
 and Simpson wintered in their search for Sir John Franklin in the 
 middle of the century. We were surprised to find the log houses of Buildings 
 the fort still in good condition, although nearly half a century had TOnditif^ 
 elapsed sinc« their occupation, more especially as not even the chimneys 
 
 ii 
 
 1 
 
 
 m 
 
U c 
 
 OREAT BEAR LAKE TO XREAT SLAVE LAKE. 
 
 Flowers 
 abundant. 
 
 Objett of trip 
 into ISarren 
 Land. 
 
 Route 
 followed. 
 
 Copiwnnine 
 river re.'iched . 
 
 Distance from 
 Oreat Bear 
 lake to 
 Copiiermine" 
 river.' 
 
 De»erii)tion of 
 country. 
 
 Ditticulties of 
 travel. 
 
 were standing of Fort Franklin at the head of the Bear river. Not a 
 Mingle nail hkd been used in the buildings at Fort Confidence, but hIciI 
 ful dove-tailing had given them both neatne.ss and durability. The 
 fort is situated in a sheltered place, protected by a big island. lu 
 location is one of the few well- wooded spots on (Jreat Bear lake and 
 the trees are fine specimenn, worthy of a uioi-e southern latitude. The 
 ground had been free from snow for some weeks and Papaver Ai-cdca, 
 Litpinui Arcficiig, and many other northern flowers, which mature 
 quickly at this 8ea.son of perpetual sunlight, brightened the mossy hill- 
 sides with colour. The park-like appearance of this far northern spot 
 was indeed refreshing after the dreary country we ha'l passed through 
 since leaving the mouth of Betir river. 
 
 After having , laced our provisions, etc., «n cache on a small rocky 
 island near the mouth of the Dease river, we started on August Ist on 
 a trip into the Barren Land. Our object was to reach the Coppermine 
 river, or at least to learn something of the geology and geography of 
 the country intervening Vietween it and Great Bear lake. Our trip 
 lasted some 10 days, and before turning ba.k we saw the waters of the 
 Coppermine at a point which I suppased to be about 15 or 20 miles 
 from its mouth. Our general course from the mouth of the Dease to 
 the Coppermine was about 15° north of east, but often great deviations 
 to either side were made to avoid high hills, lakes or other natural 
 barriers. We followed the valley of the Dease for the first .'Jo miles 
 and fording its two eastern branches crossed the height of land and 
 reached the headwaters of the Happy river, a tributary of the Copper- 
 mine, from which we cut across country to the main stream. 
 
 The distance traversed between Great Hear lake and the Copper- 
 mine was approximately 60 miles, although it is very likely that in 
 part of its course the Coppermine approaches somewhat nearer to Great 
 Bear lake. For the Krst 15 uiiles the country is comparatively Hat, 
 thickly interspersed with kikes and well or fairly well wooded with 
 spruce. Beyond this the region is a succession of hills and valleys 
 with practically no timber. Willows, however, were seen at several 
 favourable localities and fair-sized, though rather " scra;;gy " specimens 
 of white spruce were observed on the Happy liverv The Coppermine 
 itself is said ;o be wooded to within l'5 miles of its mouth. After 
 crossing the Happy river, the country becomes almost mountainous : 
 and boldly outlined and lofty hills rise in every direction. The hills 
 seem to be grouped in ranges which run almost north and south. 
 They are not of great altitude, t'.ie highest seldom reaching more than 
 800 feet above the plain below. The country is a particularly difficult 
 one to pass over, the valleys are low and swampy and covered with 
 
^] 
 
 TRIH TO rOPPERMINE RIVER. 
 
 15 
 
 I>eaHe river 
 (!e!*critH-d, 
 
 " tett's-de-femines," «nd any one who has tried to walk throu{,'h a 
 country covered with thet? little hummocks will !« able to appreciate 
 our difficulties. You soon become tire<l out by endeavouring; to step 
 the unequal distances between these mounds of grass ; you piun;;)' 
 violently and are at every few steps knee-deep in the ice-cold niuck 
 and ' iliagnuni between theiu. Tlien after leaving the swampy valleys, 
 the slopes were strewn with small angular bits of stone from the hills 
 above, which was anything but a pleasing change when walking with 
 wet and tired feet. 
 
 The Coppermine river, when- we saw it, is a fine large stream with Ci>i>i«rniin»- 
 an even current of about .3 miles an hour, and over a (juarter of a mile trii>ut»r.v. 
 in width. Lo'i/ rounded or niammillated hills rise on its opposite 
 side and it .seems to loae itself among similar hills in the direction of 
 the sea. Its tributary, the Happy river, is not a large stream, and 
 would be navigable for canoes with some dilficulty, although I believe 
 both the Indians and the Eskimos use it for navigation. 
 
 The Dease river too is not of any considerable size, being Ie8.s than 
 100 yards in breadth at its mouth. It is moreover exceedingly rapid 
 and is not a feasible route for canoes passing up stream. It is formed 
 by the union of two branches : the northerly, and larger branch, flow- 
 ing from the north, while the south branch is formed by the union of 
 two streams which drain the country to the south-west. The immed- 
 iate valley of the main part of the Dease is rocky throughout its course. 
 The country between it and the Coppermine is particularly dreary and 
 desolate. It i.s thickly strewn with lakes some of which are of con- 
 siderable size. Returning from the Coppermine, we aketched the 
 shores of a Ik lake which I supposed to l>e the one aptly named by 
 Sir John Ricuo.dson, Dismal lake. Certainly nothing could be more 
 dismal than the wind-swept treeless shores of this northern lake in the 
 heart of the Barren Lands and in a drizzling snow-stonu, as was our 
 experience when we visited it. 
 
 Near Dismal lake we fell in with a party of Eskimos who ran from Vaity nf 
 us as we approached, in spite of all our efforts to retain them. They 
 had evidently learned from their forefathers of the murderous treat- 
 ment which their people had received from Heme and his followers 
 when exploring the Coppermine and expected the same from us. liut 
 as a matter of fact, even had wo been Idoodthirstily inclined, we would 
 have put up a poor fitjht, as we were all quite tired out. Their camp Their cum p. 
 was a most extraordinary place and it would be hard to imagine a ■ 
 more uncomfortable situation. It lay almost on the shore of Disn)al 
 lake with a pond in the rear. A hillock was cupped iiy three or four 
 
 ! ! 
 
 ' 1 
 
 : \ 
 
 Keturii 
 to Kurt 
 Ci>nti(li'ncf. 
 
16 c 
 
 ORIAT BBAR LAKE TO OREAT SLAVE LAKE. 
 
 C»riVioti 
 plentiful. 
 
 Return 
 jonmt-y 
 coinuienced 
 Aug. 13th. 
 
 Narakay 
 inlandt. 
 
 Pawription 
 of. 
 
 MacTavish 
 and Dease 
 bays. 
 
 River snpiKis* 
 ed to be the 
 Takaatchu. 
 
 huU. The walls were of flat stones placed on edge and the roofs were 
 made of caribou skins. In the middle of the camp was a pile of raw 
 caribou meat which the Eskimos are in the habit of laying by in the 
 time of plenty. We waited some time at their camp, hoping they 
 would return, but they did not do so. The caribou were grazing on the 
 Barren Lands in vast herds and musk-oxen were also seen, so that there 
 was no necessity for them to return to the food-supply at their camp. 
 We were evidently the first white men they had seen, as not a single 
 article of white man's manufacture was found in their camp. 
 
 We left Fort Confidence, near the mouth of the Dease, on August 
 13th, and started on our return journey along the southern shore of 
 Dease Uy. A large island, nearly 12 miles in length and covered 
 with rocky hills, almost fills the northeast end of Dease bay. This 
 island is known to the Indians as Nelu-wera-nelue. Good weather 
 favoured us till we rounded Cape Macdonnel, the promontory between 
 Dease and McTavish bays, which we reached on the 15th. For the 
 first 30 miles, or as far as the Narakay islands, the southern shore of 
 Dease bay is rough and rocky. Low broken hills follow the immediate 
 shore and extend into the interior. Deep bays with wooded shores 
 and small rocky islets are common. 
 
 The Narakay islands themselves, of which there are seven or eight, 
 are a prominent feature in the topography of this part of the lake. 
 They are high and rocky and all present steep shores of greenstone to 
 the water's edge. They lie about two miles off the mainlsiid and can 
 be seen distinctly for miles in either direction. After passing the 
 Narakay islands, the country becomes low and swampy and assumes 
 the uninteresting character of the north shore of the bay. The scenery 
 shows great stretches of treeless tundra unbroken except for mounds 
 of gravel or banks of sand. Low swampy islands with shallow pebbly 
 shores lie off the gravel points, rendering navigation diflicult near shore. 
 It would be hard to imagine a more dreary landscape than that around 
 Cape Macdonnel. The cape itself is a long narrow gravel point, strewn 
 with immense Archwan boulders, stretching far out into the lake, and 
 to the north east and east are the dark and gloomy shores of Dease 
 and MacTavish bays. The shore-line of MacTavish bay, east of Cape 
 Macdonnel, is for the first fifty miles a repetition of the south shore of 
 Dease bay, with the exception that perhaps the mainland is somewhat 
 higher and better wooded. The approach to the shore is even more 
 ditficult than in Dease bay and the submerged beach extends fully 200 
 yards from the shore before dropping ten feet. Some forty-five miles 
 east of CapeMacdonnel a good sized river enters, probably the Takaatcho 
 
^•] 
 
 FORT CONFIUEXCK TO CAMSELL KIVEH. 
 
 17 c 
 
 of Petitot, iiltlumgh it is nither ditHcult t'> correliiU* the two. Near 
 itH moutli we found >;reiit qimiititifM of drit'twoofi, Rmon« which were 
 some good sized trunks. I was r.ither HUrprised to «ee these, i>ut 
 learnctl afterwards that in the interior the valley of this river is well 
 woode.l. 
 
 SiK)n after passini; the nintilh of the Takiiatcho river, the wjntry 
 hecouies rocky and hilly, and some nil uiil.s Ijeyond the river, the hilU 
 come to the water's elge. Among ihein is a steep angular kiiuh of 
 greenstone, culled Hiiick rock which ri-es to ii heiglit of OiiO fi-et. It 
 leceive.s its name from the dark colourof the rock of which it is composed. 
 The .shore line of MacTavisli bav, which runs alnu)st strnight east from Tr- ii'l ■■< 
 (."iil)e Ma>'l)oiinel, after passing Black rock turns to the north east Maiimi-h 
 and north for alioiit fifteen miles, whence it trends southward and '•'>• 
 south-westward to enclose Eda Travers hay, unci from thi.s Ixiy onwiinl 
 the shore-line is much cut up and indented. Deep fiords run far into 
 the interior of the country and narrow unexpected chnnncis .separate 
 r.)cky islands fron the mainland. The extreme south eastern part of 
 the lake is known as Klarondesh hay, ii deep arm stretching towards 
 the eust-southeast ami out off from the main ptrtion of MacTavish 
 bay by a high rocky island, over 13 miles in length, called by the 
 Indians Ndutcho island. The channels separating it from the main- 
 land are so narrow that we at first doubted their existence and con- 
 sidered the western shore of the island to be the mainland east of 
 M.icTavish bay. 
 
 The whole eastern shore.s of MarTaviah bay, including Klarondesh Hill- uf 
 bay and Eda Travers bay, is surrounded by high hills of granite and ^^;!,"„,'t,'.lll•. 
 greenstone. For miles along some parts jf the shore these hills rise 
 almost perpendicularly from the water's ocge to a height of GdO and 
 700 feet. Occasionally wo had difficulty in finding a landing place, 
 but as a rule, sheltered harbours were found in which tho scenery was 
 usually very fine. The high rocky walls were stained and weathered 
 to beautiful shades of purple, red and brown, and gave, with the 
 reflection of the precipitous cliffs in the clear northern waters, a singu- 
 larly rich effect. I climbed several high hills along the eastern .shore liinlw •>■.• vi.'w 
 of Eda Travers bay and was able to get a good view of the country to " ^""""■>- 
 the eastward. As far as the eye could reach stretched hill after hill, 
 lake after lake, aiid forest after forest. (Jn a large scale or in a 
 general way the country would best Ije described as high, rough and 
 broken. The hills were not associated in ranges, and the country has 
 the general appearance of an elevated jieneplain Separate mountains 
 are, as a rule, conical in shape, but often the greeiist'jno hills ended 
 
 2 
 
18 t 
 
 (IHEAT URAII LAKK TO (IHIAT •I.AVK LAKK. 
 
 Timhrr 
 pumU); >if 
 MDaoniiu 
 
 Reach nmiitli 
 
 of CWIIM'II 
 
 Indian ir»>'l<' 
 dua|>|<iintx 
 
 TripacnxK 
 oounty t() 
 (hwt .Sla%i' 
 bkeijitlinilt. 
 
 OUUM-II I 
 
 abruptly in sUep mural precipicet, relieved liy talus xlopmi. The hiuhfRt 
 hillt »t the shore do not exceed 8(tO feel in heisht, hut they are prohaWly 
 hi«her in the interior. Around Klarondexh bay, thi« country in limilar 
 to that farther north although it In not so elevated. 
 
 All the ea-*tern shore of MacTavish Uy is wjxxied. in the valleys 
 in thu iiitoi lor nnd around the bay» and sheltered chunneln, this tiniUr 
 may \m of econoniiu importance. White spruce is the prevailing fore»t 
 tree, although canoo-hirch is found as far north as Etla Travrrs Uiy 
 and is suttiiiently large in Klarondesh bay Uj permit of its liark lieinj^ 
 used for making canoes. Taniarac and both baltiani (loplHr and a«ipen 
 •bound in Klarondesh hay, although they are not of any great size. 
 
 We reached the mouth of the Can»s»'ll river, which enter.s the 
 southern part of Klarondcsh hay, aljout eighteen miles east of the 
 south end of Ndiitcho island, on the 24th of August, which was the 
 agreed place of rendezvous for the Indians, but we were disappoitited 
 to find that they had already left for their hunting grounds, niul we 
 had no prospect liefore us Imt tu start across country without a guide 
 through iin unknown region, all the way to 'Ireat Slave lake. 
 
 It WIS tot) late in the year U> attempt to foll.iw around the 
 shore of (Jreut Heir lake and take the route across country by way of 
 Lac le Mart re, so we decided to attempt the one by Lac St. t'roix 
 whiih began with the Camsell river. This route was said to be the 
 more diltieult but the shorter of the two. The trip acro.«s eountry 
 without 11 guide did not prove an easy one, and we often hail great 
 dithculty in getting along. 
 
 The C'tmsell river has, at its mouth, a small island which divi.les 
 the channel into two. The total width of the stream is about 100 
 yards. The current at the mont'. is so strong that it miiy almost be 
 termed a rapid, but it soon lessens, and at less than half a mile above 
 the mouth, the river forms an expansion called Haiiiy lake. This 
 lake which is only six miles in length is surrounded by low mainmill- 
 ated hills, which are wooded to the water's edge. At the eastern end 
 of Hainy lake, the Camsell river enters with a short rapid, having a 
 total drop of aljout four feet. It is ordinarily passed by a portage of 
 a few steps on the eastern bank, but the water was too high and we 
 were ul)liged to make a poitage of about 100 yards on the opposite 
 shore. Aiiove this rapid the valley of the river turns abruptly to the 
 north for about two miles and then it bends south. Just above this 
 stretch is another short rapid, having a drop of five feet. Here there 
 s fi portage on fh.. ea^t bank, but it is used only in high water. Les.s 
 
■1 
 
 roRT rONKIUKNCK TO CAMHriJ. Hiveil. 
 
 \'J (■ 
 
 than half a mile ubovi- tbin i* the White Kn^le full, tht- roar ut *hich ^^1'"' *'*""'" 
 
 can b« heard diitinctly at Ort'ut ilenr lake, <>n a calm day. NVIiitp 
 
 Eaglt! fall in morv currectly a caitciule of aliiioitt a quarter of a iiiili' 111 
 
 length, the total drop Ix-iiig leitit than Hfty feet. Here th)- river ttowi 
 
 over Hyenite rocka. The loenery ahout the falls with the 1>1up liill» 
 
 risiiiig in the background and the foniiiin){ river lielow ii particularly 
 
 pretty. 
 
 At the White Eiiule fall, we were obliiwd to cut our own portage- IWtiiw at 
 road through the wood* from the fiK)t uf the bay east of the falU tu (,,11. 
 the Hlack water alK>vo. We had some ditticulty in doing this, as the 
 troPit Htooil thickly together and were of conxidcrable iii»>. The {Mirtage 
 is alxmt (iOO yards in length, partly over nmgli rocky groumi ami 
 partly through a Mwamp. The country now ceawd t<> be mount- 
 ainous but iiiolated rounde<l hilU were to lie .seen on every side. PaMsing 
 on up till- river, we canit- to another chute about three miles Mouth-easi 
 of Wliit«> Kagle fall. Here the drop was aliout ten feet and the 
 obstruction is passed by a portage of a ft>w steps on the west bink. 
 Soon after passing this rapid, we emerged upon a beautiful lake, which 
 I sup|>OMed to be the [.<ac Clut of Pi-re Petitot. It is not a large lake, 
 lieiiig about six miles long by as many wide, and its area is greatly 
 diminished by a lar!;e island which fills the centre of the lake. To the 
 east of Lac Clut runs a low range of hilU which continues on t<^)wards 
 the Houth-west. 
 
 Leaving Lac Clut at a |)oint towards its south-western extremity, it Luiiiroimrd. 
 short stretch of river brought us inU) another lake, which I have nitmed 
 Lac tirouard. It is a narrow lake alxiut sixteen miles in length, but 
 its greatest breadth does not reach three miles. A few miles up it 
 divides in two, one arm stretching t^iwards the south and the other 
 towards the south-west. So fur our course had lieen I'asy, but here we K<>Mt<'ilitticnlt 
 were in a dilemma as to which way to go. I climbed the highest hills " ' ' ' """" • 
 in the neighlxiurhood but could not see the valley of the river in citlior 
 direction. After considcrabli- discussion, we finally decided to follow 
 the way towards the south-west and wore disappointed on reaching its 
 south-western extremity to find no river. Uiter we learned that the 
 Cam.sell river enters the southern bay, but as a matter of fact the 
 river is here seldom i:sed by the Indians, as it is exceedingly rapid and 
 chance really took us in the rifjlit direction, for after searohinL' around 
 for some time we discovered a trail leading to another lake, not a 
 quarter of a mile distant from Lac (Jrouard. This lake, I at first t(X)k 
 to Ix' a small one, but afterwards found out that what I then con- 
 sidered to be the whole lake was in reality merely the most north- 
 
 ':) 
 
30o 
 
 (liiRAT UK.tN LAKR TO ORIAT rLAVI LAKR. 
 
 IhIuiiiU 
 dilHctilt. 
 
 PAiitrrljr b«y of t,h*» UrKe*t Uke on our tMmme. Ft i« niucli r)«<M>rt«l to 
 UkcHotuh by th« Indwn* in winfir nml in naiiHNltty them Ukn Mott»h (Two 
 ye«r old Moo**- lalii>). I-nkx Hottiih in n iim;{iiiHcent stretcl, of beauti- 
 ful rlj-ar wnt«'r. It* ninzi* i>f rocky ir<N» ■•.ivurwl iitlaniU rivalu tliDm of 
 ihf 8t. I^wn'ticfl in beauty. To th« wwt ami hkuiIi east iimical liilli 
 ri<t« to A height of miMJ feet fnnn a compArativi-ly low levfl iMuintry ami 
 to iho M>uth-weiit runs u low rnnx*' i>f inoiiiitain«, which are -laiil to 
 stntch aliiKut to MacVicar Iwy of Ur»at liear lake. Lake Hottah 
 is abimt forty railHn -i length from north to «iuth, ami is in place* 
 over ten niilen in width. It has it« outlet from the northwestern end, 
 towardd Mac Vicar bay and a lar^'e rivvr drainii.g the country to the 
 •touth-weKtwatil enterx the lakeon •V(we»iern "lide. ItHina/eof ixland* 
 made it exceedingly difficult to survey, and on account of the great 
 width it was only by climbing hilU that I watt able to sketch in the 
 contours of the western xhoro or the 0|ipo>itH one from that along 
 which I was pasHing. 
 
 I^ikr Htiiir». From the south eastern extremity of Hottah Fjike, a portage of l'!) 
 
 yanis brought us into Like ."toirs, and we were a^ain in the waters of 
 the Catii.sell river, but unfortunately in passing along the lake we 
 nifsed the river which Hows into it and up which we intende<l to go, 
 and before we knew of our mistake we were at the f<x)t of the lake 
 and there we found the river flowing out of it. A trip was marie to a 
 hiish hill in the interior and from it we discovered that the river flowed 
 into the 'ake from a liay alxtut half way down. We were, therefore, 
 obliged to return that far. I^ke Stairs is about n-ne miles in length 
 and less than four mih's in its greatest breadth. Entering the river 
 from Lake Stair?, we found that it had diininislied very much in volume 
 since we had last seen it, lieing now little more than forty yards wide. 
 
 Ileavtr Lolk-e Some three miles alwve Lake Stairs, it flows out of Beaver Lodge lake. 
 This sheet of water hiis roughly the outline of a dumb-ltell, having two 
 large tixtremities and a narrow central portion. At the narrows are 
 two conical hills in the form of a Wiver's house and these give the 
 lake its name. To the north of Heaver fxxlge lake and lietween it 
 and I^ke Stairs runs a low ridge of rocky hills. 
 
 We left Heaver Ixxlge lake at its northeastern extremity and after 
 paddling a mile and a half again.st a sluggish current entered Lac 
 Malfait, which has a most extraordinary form, Its shore-line is more 
 broken than that of any other lake I have ever seen. Deep bays 
 stretch in every direction and numerous islands with narrow channels 
 between them divide the water into smaller lakes. Although it is 
 really a small take, we searched a whole aftcrnofjn iu trying t. find the 
 
 Lac Malfait. 
 
-1 
 
 TOPOriRAPIIV AXD OKOLOGV. 
 
 21 r 
 
 
 rivar whicli tluwit inUi it, liut without nuccmit, tiid wit NfiFrwiird« 
 laarnnl that it entrr* thr UIcp very near to ita (liiclmrj{v. After we 
 were aliiHMt in ('' pnir a^ tu how we sihouliJ tfi't out of thf lake, we 
 ciiitt-uvered a |>ortaK*' *>' aliout half a mile lony near the eavtern etui 
 lemliiig o\er a iiamly moraine through a lienutifully woo<l«(J trai't to 
 another lake, wliich ktretcheti off towardu the south. The latter, l'"rt^«. t<> 
 which I called l^tke IsalM>lla, is about iievcn miles in length. Towards 
 ilH Hiiuth-wrtitern end there iit a ridge of low hilU with even outline 
 which leeniH to )« a continuation nf tlio«e <teen Houtli-west of Like 
 Hottah. Theite hills, from their form appear to coniist of I'alii-ozoir 
 rock'>, while all the hills to the etiHtward, judgiiii; fi-uui thi'ir rounded 
 appearance, would seem to lie of \rchii'un origin. I.«a\ing I^ke 
 loaliellii, we made three short iMirtnges /ith two i-niall lakes lietween 
 them, before we again reache<l a sheet of water of notable *ize. 
 
 The (irat consirleruble lake we came to wan the one I suppined, from t^i Ste.Cmix 
 its ixmition, to l>e Lac Ste. Croix, mentioned by I'lre Petit^jt. It is it 
 lake, lo Klled with islandi and channels, that I was only able to obtain 
 a lough idea of its *'ze ami to make a very indifferent track survey of 
 it. I'he Camsell Kiver is said to (low from the northern end of this 
 lak> Hn<l to enter Lake Isalx'lla near the p<irtage, but we did not see 
 it. I..ac .Sto. Croix is about sixtcfn miles in length, and is probably 
 seven miles in M'idtli. We made a p<jrtage of a few steps from its 
 80Utb-'.> t>st end to leave it, but we afterwards learned that this wa" 
 not necessary and that the Indians usually follow the southeastern 
 shore and pass up the Camsell river into the next lake called Lac Un- |{>'V. 
 Rev, which is marked as lyinx to the south of Lac Ste. Croix. The 
 country around Ijic Hey is low and uninteresting with numerous 
 grassy swamps near the wiiter'sedge. It is als>ut seven miles in length 
 and lies almost eiist-and-west. Tfs shores are well wcMided. Here I 
 noticed the lianksian pine for the first time in going south. We 
 experienced some difficulty in fmding our way out of Lac Hey, but at 
 last discovered the Camsell river entering it with a sninll chute at its 
 eastern extremity, .lust alM)ve this chute, we came into a narrow lake 
 about nine miles long, lyin^ almost north-ea.st and south-west. High 
 roundel! hills lie to the east of it and they seem to belong to the 1. ■ 
 range which was seen before towards the south-'vest. Here again we 
 had difficulty in tinding our way out. Naturally we passed ri^dlt to 
 the south-eastern end and here found the river flowing in. But just 
 al)ove the entrance it divided into two, one branch flowing from the 
 south-west and the other and larger branch from the south. We fol- KcpiitH.iiHicult 
 lowed ihti ialfer up ihiouiih a small e.\pan-iou and soou caiut- tu a '" "'"'■ 
 rapid where we were disappointed to find that no Indians had passed 
 
 i. fi 
 
 
 a 
 
 i'h 
 
aa c 
 
 fiHEAT BEAR LAKE TO (JREAT 8LAVP. LAKB. 
 
 that wiiy lately and there were no signs of a portage-trail at the rapid. 
 We had coioe the wrong way uud were again obliged to turn back. 
 
 In order to save time, I went to the top of a high hill which lay near 
 the lake and from it I saw a string of lakes stretching ofl' towards the 
 south-east from the southern end of Lac Fabre. This was near a place 
 where we had seen some old Indian camps. Going to it, we found u 
 portage-trail leading to a small lake about 300 yards from Lac Fabre. 
 On paddling to the end of this small lake, we easily found a portage 
 leading into another lake about two miles in length, whence a rough 
 Lake Rogers, hilly portage led us into a rather large lake, which I have called Lake 
 Rogers. This is a very pretty sheet of water filled with numerous 
 tree-covered islands and bounded to the south-west by low wooded 
 hills. Lake Rogers is almost twelve miles in length. The Camf^ell 
 river enters it by two mouths at its north-east end and leaves it with 
 a rapid about half way down its western t>hore. 
 
 Track Miirvi'v 
 made. 
 
 Here again we missed our way and lost nearly a whole day by going 
 to the foot of Lake Rogers, whereas we should hive left it very near 
 the place where we entered it. But owing to having imide this 
 mistake I was able to get a complete track-survey of the lake and I 
 also saw something of the country to the south-west of it, as I made 
 an excursion into the interior from that end, hoping to find the por- 
 tage out of the lake. The sheltered channels of l..ake Rogers were 
 filled with yellow pond lilies and potoniogetons. Passing up the Cam- 
 sell river from I.,ake Rogers, we were obliged to make a short portage 
 around the Duck falls, some two or three miles to the north-east of 
 Lake Rogers, and above these we entered I.jike Grant. To the north 
 of Lake (Jrant are high rounded hills, n e mtinuation of tho.se seen on 
 LakeUmiit. Lac Fabre. Lake Grant has its greatest length (a little over si.x miles) 
 from east to west. The Caiiisell river (lows into it at its extreme 
 eastern end, but between it and Lake Rosamond, which is the next 
 lake, the river is too rapid to l)e followed and a portage is made into 
 a bay of Liike Kosaniond, which approaches to within a ([uarter of a 
 mile of Lake Grant. 
 
 trail foiiiiif. 
 
 Here we were surprised to find a brojvd and well used port. ige trail, 
 after the poorly cut portages we had heretofore passeil over, but we 
 afterwards learned that we had so far been following a mere hunting 
 trail, the regular route to Lake Rosamond from the north coming 
 farther to the east of Lac Ste. Croix, and from the north-east end of 
 Lac Fabre it strikes directly to Lake (irant. Lake Rosamond lies 
 also north and south. It is over twelve miles long and like most of 
 the northern lake^, it is much divide<l into hays and is fillf^l with 
 
-] 
 
 TOPOr.RAPHY AND OEOLOr.Y. 
 
 23 c 
 
 » 
 
 islands and has an e.xceedinely intricate shore-line. To the east of the Ijil'"''"* 
 lake runs a range of hif;h mauimillated hills, whose direction is almost KoiuunomL 
 north and south. To the west a sin^h' mound-like hill rises to a height 
 of 1,000 feet. A country thickly wooded with aspen, balsam-poplar, 
 canoe-birch, white spruce and fianksian pine stretches to the south- 
 west of liake Uosamond. The Camsell river enters the lake at its 
 extreme southern end, but t)eing very rapid, it is not followed to the 
 ne.\t lake south of it. 
 
 At l<ake Itosamond we were fortunate enough to fall in with a party Di'^rili Imlian 
 of Dogril) Indian.s, three of whom I engaged to guide us to Fort Hae. ^,i,i,.. 
 It was a great relief for me to meet these Indians. We had hitherto 
 lost a great deal of valuable time in searching for portages and in 
 endeavouring to find our way southward. Moreover, as the season 
 was already far advanced, we never knew when we might have to stop 
 and wait until the ice formed upon the lakes. We had also lon^ been 
 without regular provisions and were leadini; a hand-to nio\ith e.xistence, 
 depending entirely upon the proceeds of our nets and riHes 
 
 I.ieaving Lake Rosamond, we avoidetl the Camsell fiver and fol- Ti-nika 
 lowed, instead, a route of three short portages with two small lakes ijjil^"**" " 
 l)etween, which brought us into Tenika-Dawa-sonecka lake or Small 
 Hats' House lake. This lake, with the exception of Lake Hottah, 
 was much the largest lake which we saw on our journey thiough the 
 country. It is a magnificent sheet of beautiful clear water, nearly 
 twenty miles in length and almost half as wide. The hills which tol- 
 lo«- the eastern shore of Lake Hosamund are continued along the 
 eastern shore of Dawaso-necka lake at some distance to the south- 
 east of it. The most prominent peak of tlie.se hills, which lies 
 towards the northern end, gives the lake its nime from its coni'Nil 
 shape. This peak ri.ses to a height of over I,U0IJ feet and i^ a striking 
 feature in the landscape. The eastern shore of Dnwaso-iiecka lake is 
 tliickly studded with islands, many of which, being high and locky, 
 •iive to the lake scenery a particularly pleasing I'tfect. Leaving 
 I)iHvaso necka lake at its southeastern end we entered a small rapid a 
 few yards in wiilth and on account of the small si/e of the vtioam we 
 had some <lithculty in making the few miles which intervened bi^tween 
 Dawaso-necka lake and Ijike Sarahk. Our P terboro (ano(' was too I,iiK.' Sarahk. 
 largg for the stream and we often reijuired to lift it out <i the water 
 in order to pass the .shallowest part.-;. Lake Sarahk is aliout eight 
 miles ir. length from north to south. IJounded rocky knobs follow its 
 eastern shore, l)Ut tree-covered hills rise to the south west. Lake 
 Saralik is said to be the source of the Camsell river. 
 
 ^ 
 
24 c 
 
 GREAT HEAR I.AKK TO CHEAT SLAVE LAKE. 
 
 Height of 
 luiul |«k>secl. 
 
 Marian river 
 and lake. 
 
 CroHi Great 
 Slave lake. 
 
 Ktlinontun 
 reached. 
 
 Acknowie' 
 iiieiit" il II' 
 
 1?- 
 
 Passing out of it we made four portages, witli Pinall muskeg lakes 
 between tliem, in order to cross the height of land into Nagle lake, 
 from wliich the water Hows towards Great Slave lake. Nagle lake 
 Is not the source of the western branch of the Marian river, as the 
 waters of the last two si. " lakes on the height-of-land How towards 
 the south. 
 
 We continued our journey without interruption down the Marian 
 river to the lake of the same name, which is eighteen miles lonj; by 
 ten miles wide. In 189'J, acting on Dr. Bell's instructions, I had made 
 a track survey of this fine bo<ly of water and in passing through it on 
 the present occasion I added numerous details to this work and made 
 some other improvements. The lake discharges into the head of the 
 Fort Rae arm of Great Slave lake by the Willow river, a sluggish 
 stream only two miles in length. 
 
 We reacheil Fort Rae on .September 20th, and after paddling down 
 the Arm to the main body of Great Slave lake, we crossed I'm latter 
 in our ca loe, going from island to islanil, although it was a hazardous 
 undertn iing at that time of the year, and arrived at Fort Resolution 
 on the 29th. Without lo.ss of time we continued our journey by canoe 
 up Slave river to Fort Chiiipewyan on Athabasca lake. As canoe 
 navigation was now closing, we remaine<I at this post until ice had 
 forine<l of sutiicient strength for safe travelling up the Athabasca 
 river, which was not until .Voveiiil)er 14th. On that date we started 
 for P^dniontoii and arrived there on December 7th, and reached Ottawa 
 on the 12th. 
 
 Wliile engaged in the above work, a helpful spirit was manifested 
 by everj'one I met in my journeys, so that it would be difficult to 
 enumerate here all the kindness I received, but [lecial acknowledg- 
 ment is due to Mr. F. C. Gaudet, in whose house at Fort ISi'solution I 
 spent the winter, to Chief Factor J. S. Carasell, in charge of Fort 
 Simpson when I passed down the McKeiizie river, to Messrs. liislop 
 and Xiigle and to the various Catholic and Protestant missionaries 
 throughout the eountry. 
 
 The following general account of the geolo!,'y of the region surveyed 
 or explored appeared in my Summary Report on the above work: 
 
 liKOLOOY. 
 
 Ge<il(iify. The .south-western portion of Great Bear lake, known as Keith 
 
 bay, toj;ethpr with ."<mith bay .Tnd Deaso hay to witliin thirty hii!es of 
 
TOPOOHAPHV AMI <iEOLO<iV. 
 
 25 r 
 
 It 
 
 t 
 
 Fort Confidence, art- surrounded by unaltered and almost horizontiil 
 Cretaceous strata. There are few outcrops of holid rocks, but shales 
 and sanilstones are exposed alonj^ Smith Ija}-, and the Sweet Grass hills 
 represent a low anticlinal fold, composed of hanl sandstone, which acts 
 as the backUme of the Gros Cap peninsula. Clay-shale', boulder- 
 clays, gravels and unconsolidated sandstone are exposed at various 
 pUces within the Cretaceous urea and the.so all show a b<-dding which Ciitucioi- 
 is almost horizontal. Presumably Cretaceous rocks an' also exposed 
 along the shore of MacTavish baj", east of Cape MacDonnel. Cn the 
 Hear river, the Bear Hiver Tertiary, similar to that already described li^ar Kivtr 
 by Mr. McConuell, at Fort Norman, extends some seven or eight miles 
 up the river, and consists chiefly of unaltered and slightly consolidated 
 sandstones in horizontal beds. Arenaceous shale and thin lignite 
 seams are occasionally interstratifiod. The beds are often overlain by 
 bou!der-cloy and cut sand-banks are common. Beyond the Tertiary 
 basin, Cretaceous rocks exteiul to " The llapid," where a rocky range of 
 Pttlicozoic strata, crosses »"ie river. Above this, there are fre<|uent 
 exposures of Cretaceous rocks, with some fossils almost ns far as (Jreat 
 Hear lake. Here they consist chieHy of dark ferruginous and arena- 
 ceous shales overlain by thin-bcddedand jointed light-yellow sandstones. 
 Talus slopes are common. The beds dip down-stream at a very slight 
 angle. It is from a stratigraphical and lithological comparison with 
 the rocks of Bear river, that the rocks of Great Bear lake are referred 
 to the Cretaceous, as nowhere on the lake were fossils found. On the 
 upper part of Hear river are horizontal gravel beds of sixty ami seventy 
 feet in thickness, overlain by Pleistocene deposits. These gravel beds r»il- 
 are probably analogous to those beds of the Mackenzie river which Mr. s^iAatohiwiiM 
 McConnell there calls .Saskatchewan gravels. Thoy are exposed at *•''■'* '1^. 
 se\eral places in the Cretaceous area. 
 
 ' Ordovician or possiblv Silurian rocks occur at "The Haiiid " on the !!'•<'« i"'-«ililv 
 Bear river where the mountain range crosses it. Alouiit Lnarli'.s, tlic 
 most prominent part of these mountains, is a hill of about l,.")O0 feet 
 in height, and consists of a large anticline, embracing subordinate folds. 
 The rocks are inteistratitied conglomerates, ([Uartzites and niagnesiaii 
 limestones ; the latter of great thickness. I found thin layers of gyp- 
 sum in several places, interstratitied with dark gray, shaly dolomite. 
 Salt springs are mentioned by Sir .lohn Franklin as occurring here, K-kI'imi .■» 
 but I was unable to locate them, and my Indian guide had never „,',,, i,,,',tiiiii., I 
 heard of their existence, although some thirty miles to the north-we.-^t- 
 ward he knew of salt in quantity. From the description given by 
 Richardson, it is pro'iable that the promontory between .MacVicai 
 
 'I I 
 
 
 MMi 
 
26 c 
 
 fiRBAT BEAU LAKK TO (IREAT SLAVE LAKE. 
 
 boiindary 
 seen. 
 
 Lower 
 
 Ciiiiibriaii 
 
 riKks. 
 
 Hill- uf 
 
 iiitrii.-^ive 
 
 grt'eiiHtonc 
 
 and Keith bays U Devonian, tluiunh I think from what the Indians 
 say, Cretaceous iocIch raust occur tiiere also. 
 
 ' Our route to Great Slave lake from Great Bear lake, lay not far 
 east of the Paliet.zoic boundary, as couI<l be seen l)y the outline of the 
 hills to the westward, and at the head-waters of tlio Marian river : and 
 at Nagle 1-. :e, the limestone rocks came to the water's edge. From 
 this vicinity, however, the strike seems to be almost south, while our 
 course was south-east, so that we did not see Paleoeoic rocks aj;ain. 
 till we arrived at Lake Marian. 
 
 ' From a point about thirty miles south-west of the mouth of the 
 Dease river, eastward, exposures of .solid rocks occur which are 
 analogous to rocks seen last year on Great Slave lake, and there 
 referred by Dr. Bell to the .\nimikie or lower Cambrian. A low 
 range of hills follows the shore of Dease bay for a considerable 
 distance, and gradually approaches the lake-shore, till it terminates at 
 a place called by Richardson, Limestone point, some twenty miles 
 from Fort Conttdeiice. The hills seem to be a series of anticlinal 
 folds running almost parallel to Dea.'-e bay. Limestone point at its 
 greatest height does not exceed one hundred feet. The lowest 
 exposures are of purplish dolomite, which changes to a ferruginous 
 .'late. Above this comes gray, semi-crystalline dolomite, associated 
 with light-gray .luartzite. Rocks of like nature occur all the way to 
 the Coppermine river, though isolate.1 and buiall hills of both granite 
 and syenite occur, which may be of different age. Along the I (ease 
 river the rocks consist chieHy of bright-red ((uartzite and drab and red 
 magnesian limestones. Nearer the Coppermine, (|uartz-conglonier.ites, 
 red and green shales, and pinkish sandstones are the prevailing 
 country rocks. Amygdaloid is, however, found, together with some 
 eorthy volcanic rocks. In a range of hills running north-oast and 
 south-west, probably a spur of the Copper mountains, occur thick 
 intrusive sheets of greenstone, freijuently presenting steep mural 
 precipices on either side. These hills rise to a height of about 1,000 
 feet. Greenstone rocks are also met' with, near the mouth of the 
 Dease river. Rocks similai- to these occur for a considerable distance 
 around the northern and north-eastern porticjii of Mac'J'avish bay, and 
 here greenstone intrusions with mural precipices, cutting through 
 horizontal Lower Cambrian strata, are of common occurrence. 
 
 ' The eastern part of MacTa\ ish bay is composed of a series of basic 
 rocks, or greenstones, that seem to overlie the Laurentian granites, of 
 which, however, exposures are seen at .several places. The southern 
 part of MacTavish bay and the islands th.-re, are mostly of granite. 
 
••] 
 
 TOPOURAPHV AND r.EOLOfiV. 
 
 27 C 
 
 thoutfli greenstone dykes are coninion. Crystiilline rocks, composed An :i nf 
 
 ,.„',,,. . , ... , cr\ stall illf 
 
 chietly ot phorphyries, syenites and granites, with numerous greenstone i,,^k4. 
 intrusive sheets, occur all the way from Great Bear lake to Luike 
 Marian. Hornblende gneiss is ejtposeil on the Marian river. Certain 
 rooks, met with near the headwaters of the Cauisi'll river and near 
 Lake Marian, may be referred to the Huronian system, or possibly 
 they may \m analogous to those met with on (ireat Slave laki', iind 
 named liy Dr. Bell, the Intermediate series. 
 
 'With regard to the occurrence of copper ores in the Great l!ear Mi.i'ral-. 
 lake country, I may say that in the amygdaloid and associated rocks 
 near the Coppermine, specimens of chu opyrite and stains of copper 
 carbonate were found, but the locality of nati\e copper, etc., spoken of 
 l)y the old explorers was not met with, as it probably lies farther 
 south. In the greenstones, east of MacTavish hay, occur numerous '>c<iirr(iicii if 
 interrupted stringers of calc-spar, containing chalcopynte ana the ,i,,to,>iifirme<l. 
 steep rocky shores which here present themselves to the lake are often 
 stained with cobalt bloom and copper-green. According to Indian 
 report, native copper occurs also at the north-east end of MauTavi&h 
 ba, . Siderite was found in pockets, in i|uartz and calc-spar in Sid.Titp. 
 Cambrian rocks on the southern shore of Dease bay. Several other 
 minerals seem to be connected with it. Iron ore in the form of '■""" '"■''■ 
 reniform hieniatile, was found, but in uncertain quant ''y at lloeher 
 Rouge on Edatravers l)ay, in the north-eastern part of AlacTa' ish 
 bay. Ilieraalile also occurs near the Coppermine river and at several 
 localities on the east shore of MacTavish bay. Here the ore is associ- 
 ated with what seems to be a dark-reddish trap, which I was unable 
 to identify more precisely in the field. Talus slojies of the ore and 
 country rock are common. 
 
 ■ Evidences of glaeiation, in the form of numerous glacial ^ii.ities (;h„i:itiiin. 
 were everywhere visible from the mouth of the Hear river, but it 
 was not till the harder rocks of the Ixjwer Canjbrian were met wiMi 
 that glacial stria' were seen. The ;;eneral course of the strialioii is a 
 little north of astronomical west, though ;.'reat local differences occur. 
 On the barren lands near Dea.se river, I noticed glacial stri;e in a 
 direction X. 85° W. and fainter markings almost exactly at right 
 angles. As Great Slave lake was approached, the eours" .'f striation 
 seemed to lie much more southward. Rows of di-jmlins, --oine of them 
 three or four hundred feet in height, and long winding eskers were seen 
 near the headwaters of th<- Dease ri\er, and near Dismal lake, kames 
 occur. 
 
28 c 
 
 CHEAT GEAR LAKE TO OKEAT SLAVE LAKE. 
 
 Rfo-nt ice 
 depoHito. 
 
 Shore-liiicM 
 (irwit liwir 
 lake. 
 
 ' Modern iee deposits are seen on the Bear river and are Ijeing 
 annually added to by the ice freezing to the botton. around the shallow 
 shores of Hear lake, ,ind in the spring th.. ice rises and carrien away 
 ■•' pebbles, sand, and wmotinieH even lx)uldj.'s of good size. Around 
 Great Bear lake wonderful e.xamples of old shore lines occur, showina 
 the fornier extent of the lake. On the north-west side they exceed, in 
 places, three hundred feet in h.ight. and are at .; distance of three to 
 four n.ile,, bick from the lake shore. This height on the north is much 
 gi-eater than any observed on th,- southern .side, which n.ight show a 
 tilting of the lake- towards the south or south-west. Besides these 
 broad beaches of one hundred to one hundred and fifty yards wer^ 
 often mot with, and in places terraces of pebbles, showing old shore 
 lines, extend for a short distance from the present shore of the lake at 
 various heights of from ten to one hundred feet. These are especially 
 common in the northern i)art of MacTavish Iwy." 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 Descriptio.nh iiv Dh. A. K. Baki.ow, of rocks coLi.KriKi> IV IDOO, 
 iiv J. Macintosh FiKLL, >[. A., in Gkeat IJkak I.akb 
 
 DiXTHICT and TIIENCK TO GREAT SLAVE LaKK. 
 
 1. Mount Chiirles, Ui-eat '" river. 
 
 A fossil cornl — f/afi/citeii ralennlaria (Fischer) \n,r.grai'ili>i (Hall). 
 
 This fossil is distinctive of the Gulenn-Tienton t'onimtiuii in tlie 
 west. It occurs abunilantly around Lake Winnipeg;. Further 
 north Mr. J. h. Tyrn 11 ol>tiiined a specimen (luose) iit Church- 
 hill liarlx»ur. The same variety is characteristic of the Hudson 
 River formation in Ontario (see page 09, Report on Corals by 
 Mr. Lawrence Lambe). The above locality on (treat Bear 
 river therefore indicates a north-western extension of the 
 Galena formation. 
 
 2. Great Bear lake, five miles S.W. of Limestone point, t^uartzite 
 grit. 
 
 A deep He.sh-red rock with more or less rounded individuals of 
 grayish translucent ({uartz. 
 
 Under the microscope the rock is seen to be made up largely at 
 least of quartz, now for the most part forming an interlocking 
 mosaic. The individuals of quartz differ greatly in size, but the 
 larger ones are imbedded in a matrix relatively less in i(uantity, 
 i'onsiiting of much .smaller grains of ijuartz, together with a 
 comparatively large amount of iron oxide. Felspar is either 
 rare or entirely absent. The original clastic character of the 
 rock is beyond a doubt as the outlines of the old and worn 
 grains are still plainly discernible owing to the presence of films 
 of iron oxide on the surface of these nucleal fragments. The 
 eminc ntly vitreous character of the rock is occasioned by the 
 very complete infiltration of the secondary interstitial silica or 
 cement in optical continuity with the original quartz fragments. 
 It would be difficult to secure a more typical or characteristic 
 example of this secondary enlargement of the quartz, so fre(|uent 
 in rocks of fragmental origin. 
 
 •* 
 
 € 
 
30 C ORKAT IIBAB LAKE TO (iHKAT «LAVK LAKI. 
 
 3. Great iWr Ink.-, mouth of Dease river. DiaUse. 
 
 A dark-Krwnish eruptive rock in whirh the ophitic .tructure m»y 
 >je »e«ti by tlie umiided eye. 
 
 Much of th« piagiocloMe i* fairly fresh antljthe twinning lamelU- 
 tion is aa a rule quito appan-nt. The tabuUr or lath shaped 
 individuals with well marked interlacing structure pierce 
 allotriomorphic arca-s made up largely of calcit« .uid serpentine, 
 representing the original bisilicute material. Some of the 
 plagioclase in altered chietly U, ncapolite. .S.,me scales of 
 biotite may occasionally l)e noticed. Irregular grains and 
 skeleton octahedral crystals of titaniferous magnetite are rather 
 abundant. 
 
 4. Oreat Bear lake district, south shore I^ease bay. 
 A bruwnish-griiy fragmental rock. 
 
 The rock is v.ry much decomposed and portion.s of it are abund- 
 antly stained with iron hydroxide. The thin section shows an 
 association chieHy of oalcite and quartz with irregular individu- 
 als of pyrite. It is probably some decomposed rook of tufaceous 
 origin. 
 
 T). South shore of Dease Uy, Great Bear lake district. 
 
 The hand specimen shows a yellowish-brown and greenish frag- 
 mental rock. 
 
 Under the microscope more or less rounded fragments of volcanic 
 rocks together with nmch smallei individuals of (juartz are 
 embe<lded in a matrix made up chiefly of calcite. The volcanic 
 fragments include various glassy and sometimes cellular leaves 
 with small indefinite lath-shaped crystals of felspar. It is a 
 pyroclastic rock, probably a porphyrite tufl". 
 
 (■>. Black rock, Great Bear lake. 
 
 A massive, medium-grained, dark greenish-gray eruptive rock. 
 The thin section shows a dia).ase with somewhat coarse ophitic 
 structure. 
 
 The tabular crystals of plagioclase, most of which have undergone 
 iulvam'ed .suus.suritzation pierce the irregular individuals of pale- 
 coloured augite. Many of the augite crystals are twins and 
 some show incipient alteration to brownish-green compact horn- 
 blende. Areas of greenish serpentine are rather abundant, 
 (irains and imperfect crystals of iron ore, probably titaniferous 
 magnetite .ilso occur. 
 
-1 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 31 c 
 
 7. Mouth of Camxell river. * 
 Porphyry. 
 
 The hand specimen bliows ii pttle-rt*dili»h vi-ry fine >,"-iiinwl rock 
 
 with Hinall spots of moiiic greenish niiiieral. 
 The tliin section Mhow8 a tine-grained niicrogranitic ground umss 
 
 ill which ure einliediied phenocryitts of deconipoxed felipiir. 
 
 Areas of a greenish (ieconiposition product occur. Sericite is 
 
 abundant and some larger individuals of i|UHrt7.. 
 
 8. Great liear lake di.strict, o niileH south of Dituual lake. 
 A reddish granitoid rock. 
 
 Kiotite-granite or granitite. 
 
 The rock is made up of a crystalline granular admixture chietly 
 of orthoctase <|uart/ and plagiocluse. The biotite has been 
 wholly converted into a deep green chlorite. The plagiocla-ne 
 is much more altered than the orlhoclase, but l»oth by their 
 turbidity are in marked coutra.st to the quartz. The t|uartz 
 shows undulous extinction as a result of strain. .\ little iron 
 ore probably magnetite is present. Some calcite present in 
 association with some of the chlorite suggests the presence of 
 original hornblende. 
 
 !t. Cache island, mouth of Dease river. 
 
 A dark greenish-gray comparatively coarse grained eruptive rock. 
 
 Diorite. 
 
 The thin section shows the rook to lie made up chierly of plagioclase 
 and hornblende. The plagioclase has undergone somewhat 
 advanced saussuritzation, but the twinning lainellation is still 
 plainly di.scernible in places. The hornblende is prevailingly 
 green with often a brownish tint, and some portions and indi- 
 viduals are of a decide<i browni.sh colour. Apatite is rather 
 abundant in c'Omi>aratively large prismatic forms. lion ore 
 probably titaniferous magnetite is abundant in irregular grains, 
 and imperfect skeleton, octahedral crystals. 
 
 10. Southeast shore, Lake Rosamond. 
 
 A flesh-red comparatively coarsegrained porphyritic granite. The 
 thin section shows a crystalline admixture of microcline, micro- 
 perthite, plagioclase, quartz and biotite which has been almost 
 wholly converted into chlorite. The felspar shows partial 
 alteration, especially the plagioclase, but some of the microcline 
 is quite fresh. ( )ccasional rather large imperfect prism.s of 
 
 ¥i 
 
 M 
 
3-J r 
 
 OREAT IICAK LAKE TO (iRBAT MLAVE LAKE 
 
 zircin %vere notici'<l. Ilmenite nlt^red to leucoxeiie and iron 
 hydroxide are often a<<»ociittcd with the chlorit<> Small priMius 
 of apatite likewise occur. 
 
 1 1. Windy liay, (Jreat fJ<'.»r lake, 
 
 A wry flnn-grained, mottled gn«nisli and rod cherty riKk. The 
 thin section hIiowh a d)niiii(Mise<l ground-maM in Honi«- placed 
 very flne graim-d and suiined reflJitth by iron hydroxide, while 
 in i.ther* it has Iwcoum more or less devitr tied with accompany- 
 ing dei-oniptjsition, and ig now made up of indeflnite lath- 
 Khapttd cryttaJH largely replacfd hy chlorite. In thiH ground- 
 uiasH are embedded phenocrystH of felspar which have under- 
 gone rather advanced altt-ration. Magnetite in preHent in 
 irregular grains. This rock is closely related to No. 12 and is 
 {iroliably a portion very p<x>r in phenocrysts. 
 
 12. Echo luiy, Great Bear lake. 
 
 A dark reddish-brown porphyritic rock 
 
 The thin sections show a uiicrofelsitir ground-mass, which is in 
 part replaced by chlorite and other ilecomposition products in 
 which is embedded irregular phenocrysts of orthoclase, plngioc- 
 laso, microperthite and quartz. The rock is a quartz porphyry 
 which has undergone considerable alteration. 
 
 13. North shore of McTavish bay. Great Bear lake. 
 
 A greyish comparatively coiirse-grained granitic rock. The thin 
 section shows a biotitegranite or granititc. It is composed of 
 orthoclose, plagioclase, microuline, microperthite and quartz with 
 a smaller proportion of biotite which has been wholly converted 
 into chlorite. The plagioclase has undergone advanced altera- 
 tion and forms the pale-yellowish grains seen in the hand speci- 
 men. It is replaced now largely by scales and plates of sericite 
 tojiether with a much smaller proportion of calcite. The other 
 felspars are quite fresh. 
 
 1 1. Echo bay, Great Bear lake. 
 
 A dark-grey porphyritic rock. 
 
 The thin section shows a p<jrphyrite. The ground-mass varies in 
 texture from mierOi;ranitic to raicrofelsitic, with a rather large 
 proportion of green chloritic decomposition product. In this 
 are embedded phenocrysts of plagioclase, some of which are 
 largely oltered to calcite. Irregular spaces are now occupied by 
 what is apparently secondary quartz and calcite. Magnetite is 
 rather abundant in irregular grains and occasional octahedral 
 crystals. 
 
APPtXDIit. 
 
 .-» C 
 
 15. Five miles north ot mouth of C»m«ell river. 
 A (lark-)iriivrnisli porphyriti"' rock. 
 Vorphyritp. 
 
 The thill taction .-thowg n rediiiith bn.wn for the imiHt p*rti lotropic 
 «r<iuncl-mnHs in which aneinlieddcij ph»-iio<;rynt» of plaj{ioiln»e. 
 The ijrouml ii)a«.s haN n utrikinj,' perlitic struttun-, decora- 
 pmition taking place iilonj{ the cracks. Consiilerahli- area.s of 
 greenish <lecompoMition prixluct occur. Magnetito i» present in 
 irregular graiim. 
 
 16. Thi-ce milen wiuth of mouth of CaniHell river. 
 Porjihyiite. 
 
 A ilHrk-browni.sh groy porphyritic n>ck. 
 
 The thin section shows a microgranitic ground nias« with a con 
 sifleraKle amount of chlorite, in which are developed tatiular 
 piienocrysts of plagioclas*-. Considerable areas , if chlorite occur, 
 which do^btles^ represent the original bisilicate miimral. 
 
 17. Echo b;iy, Great Bear Like. 
 
 A dark-gray jiorphyrilic rock. 
 
 The thin section shows a iH.rphyrite. The ground iimgti is micro- 
 felsitic, often ilecomposed with the formation of secondary 
 sericite and calcite, and with very abundantly disseminated 
 griins and du.st-like particles of magnetite. It is also stained 
 in places by iron hydroxide. In this are embedded phenocrysts 
 of felspar, proljably plagifKilase. This is so much decomposetl 
 that the twinning stri;e arc obliteratefl, but the character and 
 disposition of the secondary scales and plates of calcit« anil 
 sericite show that most of the porphyritic individuals are 
 plagioclase. 
 
 is. Echo bay, (ireat Bear lake. 
 
 A fine-grained reddish jaspcry rock. 
 
 The thin section shows a fine-grained rock consi.sting essen- 
 tially of quartz together with a comparatively large propor- 
 tion of hiematite. It appears to be an acid lava which has 
 undergone advanced devitrification. There is a marked 
 •pherulitic structure with separating areas of holocrystalline 
 material, the whole intimately penetrated by minute beautifully 
 dendritic forms of hwmatite. A little calcit*- was noticed in 
 irregular grains. 
 
 1 
 
34 e 
 
 •iRKAT HIAH LAKK TO ORKAT HtAVK LAKB. 
 
 19. North end of Hotuh lake. 
 A dark greenixh gr*j, mimht*, eru|>livf rock with • reddish tint 
 owing Ui the abundance of diMeminated deep-reddith crynUlu 
 of feUpw. 
 
 The thin •ection ihowt a diorite mad** up chierty of greeniih, 
 ■trongly pleoohroio horni*lende in irregular indiTiduaU and 
 feiapM-, tnoet of which at leaat ia pr««uinal)ly plagioclaM much 
 deoumpoaed and aUiniKj by iron hydroxide. A little orthoclaM 
 ii preient, and quartz for the moHt part in aMociatioii with 
 febpar forming areas of granophyre which All up irregular 
 intenpacea bet\.een the other constituenta. Magnetite in 
 abundant and pyrite ia also present. 
 
 20. Middle of Hottah lake, Great Bear lake. 
 
 A dark-greenish, somewhat coarse, basic eruptive rock, in which 
 a rude ophitic structure in plainly discernible. 
 
 The thin section shows an asnooiation iif Ubular crystal* of 
 decomposed plagioclase, panetratinK allotromorphic masses of 
 green strongly trichroic green hornblende. A large amount of 
 ilmenite almost completely altered to leuooxene occurs, as well 
 as long aoicular prisms of apatite. The rock is a uralitic 
 diabase. 
 
 21. Five miles wuth of Big point, (Jreat Bear lake. 
 A dark-gray porphyritic rock. 
 
 The rock in evidently a hypaliasaal form of the porphyrite 
 approaching the so-called propylite of Hungary and Western 
 America. iSome portions of the rook present a distinct and 
 decided although comparatively coarse ground-masH with 
 phenocrysis chiefly of plagioclase and areax of chlorite. In 
 other places no sharp line exists between the phenocrysts and 
 ground-mass and the rock shows a disposition to assume the 
 holocrystalline structure. The magnetite is abun.lant in 
 irregular grains, while occasional pliites of biotite occur. The 
 rock ia much decomposed and traversed by veins of chlorite and 
 calcite. (Occasional irregular plates of altered biotite). 
 
 22. Middle of Lake Manai. 
 
 A pale reddish-grey compact arkose. 
 
 The thin section shows irregularly often angular, subangular, or 
 rounded grains of orthoclase. plagiocla.s»>, micmclinp nnd quartz, 
 together with small scales and plates of biotite, most of which 
 has undergone more or less complete chloritization. These are 
 
APPC^DIX. 
 
 SA e 
 
 cionely ciinipacU'd together with little or no finer intfratttinl 
 material. A little magnfti'e is »i»o preaent. 
 (Pluaioiliiw, microcliiie, innKnelitp). 
 
 23. Kuur iiiilea louth of Poplar point, Maiiai river. 
 A fine jjruiiitHJ compart browni»h rcx-k. 
 
 Thn thin Hrctinn ihowN a flni''graitie<) arkone made up of angular 
 or slightly roauil«<l grains of orthuclaan, plagioclaae and cjuartz 
 I'loiely compacted togrtlier. Thf fi-Upam, which i»re very 
 abundant, an* much alt«-r«*d and itaim-d with iron hydroxide. 
 The rock ha« undergone t'oniideriibli> dt^ompoaition and chlorite- 
 is abundantly ditaeminated. 
 
 24. Fourth of «i.\ falU, Manai river. 
 
 A coarse reddish iMuiic granitoid rock. 
 
 The thin nection show!* u hornblende-biotite-grnnite or hornblende- 
 granitite mode up chiefly of orthoclase, plagioclate, microoline 
 and quartz, together with hornblende and biotite. Most of the 
 felspars, especially the rnicrocline are frexh. but some of th»- 
 plagioclase showx incipit t decomposition. A little epidote, 
 occasional small prisma of zircon and irregular grains of magne 
 tite are also present. 
 
 25. Ten miles south of Poplar point, Manai river. 
 A dark-gray porphyritic ro<^k. 
 
 TVip thin xectioc xhows a fine-grtiinitl };round-masi4 in which aro 
 developed phenoorytit!< of felspir iind quartz. Much of tlie fel- 
 spar is plngiocl.'we, but it i.s so decomposed that the cwinnint; 
 striae are very difficult to make out. Some yi-llow-brown areas 
 now largely made up of epidote r>-prei<ent the original coloured 
 constituent. Magnetite is rather abundant. 
 
 The rock is proliably a (juartz porphyrite. 
 
 26. I..ake Rogers. 
 
 A tlesh-red gninitic rock traversed by small veins of chlorite. 
 
 The thin section shows a crystalline ;.'ranular admixture of ortho- 
 clase, rnicrocline, plagioclase and (juartz, with irrt-jjuiar .sc;ile.s 
 and plates cf chlorite, most of which has prol)ably Iwi'n derived 
 from thedeconipo.sitionot' biotite. Granophyre is very .ibundant 
 and characteristic. 
 
 27. Hottah lake. 
 
 A massive greenish-gray eruptive rock. 
 
 .. 
 
 k 
 
36 c 
 
 'iREAT HKAK LAKK TO OREAT 8I,AVK LAKE. 
 
 The thin secti<m shows a rock composed chieHy of pliigioclase and 
 hornblende. The plHgioclase has undergone advanced decom 
 position to saussurite forininj,' an interlacing network of tabular 
 crystals piercing the allotroniorphic hornblende. Biotite and 
 epidoto also occur aggregated together in aiiiall u»a,sses. 
 
 Magnetite, probably titaniferous, likewise occurs, 
 r North end of Ijic Ste. Croix. 
 
 Granite |)orphyry. 
 
 The hand specimen shows a porphyritic rock with a dark grayish 
 ground-mass in whicli are enilwdded large phenocrysts of 
 reddish felspar and much smaller individuals of grayish trans- 
 lucent quartz. 
 
 The thin section shows a comparatively coarse microgranitic 
 ground-iniiss niiule up nf ,|uartz, orthoclase, plagioclase and a 
 large amount of chlorite, and some ilmenite decomposed to 
 leucoxene. Uranophyre is very abundant and characteristic. 
 In this aro embedded large phenocrysts of inicroperthite and 
 ortlioelase and smaller .lec.!mpo.seil individuals of plagioclase. 
 Quartz in rounded (lihexalie<hal crystals is also abundant. 
 
 29. North end of Ijake Marian. 
 
 A <lark-gray gneissie rock, evidently one of the more basic 
 gnei.sses usually classified as Laurentian. 
 
 The thin section shows a rock made up chietiy of orthoclase, 
 plagioclase, .juartz and biotite. Much t)f the felspar is more or 
 less turbid as a result of decomposition. The biotite is reddish- 
 brown in colour and its marked parallel disposition gives the 
 rock its very evid *oliation. 
 
 30. North end of Lake Kogers. 
 
 A comparatively coarse-grained hornblendic rock with conspicuous 
 deep-red individuals of felspar. 
 
 The thin section shows a quartz-mica diorite. The plagioclase 
 has undergone advanced decomposition so that only in rare 
 instances can the twinning lamella- lie distinguished. A clear 
 mineral, probably .juartz fills in the irregular interspaces, ""he 
 hornblende is the green compact variety. The biotite has 
 undergone considerable bleaching and chloritization. A little 
 epidote and apatite are also present. 
 
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