li A GENERAL HISTORY

Lake Saginaga takes its names from its numerous Iflands. Its greateft
length from Eaft to Weil is about fourteen miles, with very irregular
inlets, is no where more than three miles wide, and terminates at the fmall
portage of La Roche, of forty-three paces.’ From thence is a rocky,
{tony paflage of one mile, to Priarie Portage, which is very improperly
named, as there is no ground about it that anfwers to that defcrip-
tion, except a {mall fpot at the embarking place at the Welt end:
to the Eaft is an entire bog; and it is with great difficulty that the
Jading can be landed upon ftages, formed by driving piles into the mud,
and {preading branches of trees overthem. The portage rifes on a flony
ridge, over which the canoe and cargo mutt be carried for fix hundred
and eleven paces. This is fucceeded by an embarkation on a {mall
bay, where the bottom is the fame as has been defcribed in the Weft end
of Rofe Lake, and it is with great difficulty that a laden canoe is worked
over it, but it does not comprehend more than a diftance of two hundred
yards. From hence the progrefs continues through irregular channels,
bounded by rocks, in a Wefterly courfe for about five miles, to the litile
Portage des Couteaux, of one hundred and fixty-five paces, and the
Lac des Couteaux, running about South-Weft by Welt twelve miles,
and from a quarter to two miles wide. A deep bay runs Eaft three
miles from the Weft end, where it is difcharged by a rapid river, and
after running two miles Weft, it again becomes ftill water. In this river
are two carrying-places, the one fifteen, and the other one hundred
and ninety paces. From this to the Portage des Carpes is one mile North-
Wefi, leaving a narrow lake on the Eaft that runs parallel with the
Lake des Couteaux, half its length, where there is a carrying-place, which
is ufed when the water in the river laft mentioned is too low. The

Portage