34

‘FRASER LAKE AND Forr FRASER.

“Fraser Lake (Nau-tley of the Indians) is about twelve miles in length, shallow at
both ends, but apparently deep in its central portion. Its elevation is about 2,225 feet.
It discharges eastward, over low ground forming a continuation of the trough in which
it lies, on a part of which Fort Fraser is situated. The country about its west end is
also low, and in part swampy. Near Fort Fraser is the Indian village of Nau-tley, and
at the other end that of Stella, each inhabited by a few families, the remnants of a
once more numerous tribe, who appear to live in comparative comfort, and cultivate
small garden patches, but are neither industrious nor cleanly.

““The lake is bordered to the north and south by rather bold and broken hills, some
of which probably rise from 600 to 800 feet above it, and are of Tertiary volcanic rocks.
There are, however, in some places patches of flat terrace country of considerable size,
suitable for agriculture, where the bays of a former larger lake have been filled with
sediment. Benches are distinguishable on the higher slopes to a height estimated at
over 200 feet above the lake, or 2,450 feet above the sea. The hills on the north side
show a general tendency to form ranges, which run from the lake in a north-west ward
direction, with steep bluffy fronts south-westward, and longer slopes to the north-east.
The Douglas tir again appears in some abundance on the hills about Fraser Lake, though
not observed in any part of the Upper Nechaco country.

“The Stellako River, uniting Francais and Fraser Lakes, is wide and still at its
mouth, on the south side of which the Indian village lies. On its north side it is joined
by a stream called the En-dako, coming from a direction a little north of west, and
navigable for canoes one day’s journey, to a lake which is described as not being very
large. The Stellako soon becomes more rapid when followed up, and for the greater
part of its course may be described as a succession of rapids, difficult for canoes, in
consequence of their shallowness and the number of boulders and stones with which they
are encumbered. In one place a fall of nearly five feet occurs, rendering a portage
unavoidable, and in several other rapids it is necessary at most stages of water to lighten
canoes before tracking them up.

““PRANCAIS LAKE VALLEY.

“The working time occupied in ascending by this river from Fraser to Francais
Lake was ten hours twenty-five minutes. It is very tortuous, but in a straight line the
distance is not more than six miles. The river is bordered in some places by terraces of
rolled gravel and coarse sand, which, from their number and arrangement, show that it
must have cut down by degrees to its present level. Granite cliffs, forty to fifty feet
high, occur in some places. The aspect of the country to the south is pleasing, being in
great pirt open woodland, with some wide, grassy meadows, and apparently a very
fertile soil.

“Francais Lake has a length, according to my track survey, which was carefully
checked by micrometer measurements, of fifty seven and three-quarter miles, with an
average width of a mile and a half, and an elevation of 2,375 feet. It lies, in the main
nearly east and west, but is slightly sinuous, and shows a decided tendency to narrow at
its western end. It resembles the valley of an ancient river which, from change in
relative elevation of its lower end or blocking of its outflow in some other way had been
converted into a lake. The two sides maintain a remarkable parallelism following each
other in their flexures so as to preserve the width of the lake nearly uniform usta
is a marked departure from the appearance usually seen in river valleys in one respect
The wider reaches of the valley appear rather to lie in the mountainous parts of its
length than in those comparatively flat and low.

“A very considerable area of tiie low, undulating country near Francais Lake lies
beneath the three thousand foot contour line, a great part of it having perhay s a mea
altitude of 2,500 feet. If severe summer frosts do not occur, this region Shamil be usef il
agriculturally, and, judging from the flora alone, I think there can be little doubt th x
most of it would be suited at least to the growth of barley, oats and the hardier r sat
crops. The soil is very fertile, and the country in general, like that about Fraser Li ke
we suited to the support of stock. The area of the lower undulating and level ESR
Piece of Francais Lake may be estimated, very roughly, at about 200