Original - North Central Michigan College Library

Chapter 3ARRIVAL AT MACEJNACOUR course in ascending the Outaouaishad been west-northwest; but on enteringthe Matawa our faces were turnedto the southwest. This latter river is computedto be fourteen leagues in length. In thewidest parts it is a hundred yards broad, andin others not more than fifty. In ascendingit there are fourteen carrying-places and discharges,of which some are extremely difficult.Its banks are almost two continuous rocks,with scarcely earth enough for the burial of adead body. I saw Indian graves, ifgravesthey might be called, where the corpse waslaid upon the bare rock and covered withstones. In the side of a hill on the northside of the river there is a curious cave concerningwhich marvelous tales are relatedby the voyageurs. Mosquitoes and a minutespecies of black fly abound on this river,the latter of which are still more troublesomethan the former. To obtain a respitefrom their vexations we were obliged at thecarrying-places to make fires and stand inthe smoke.On the twenty-sixth of August we reachedthe Portages a la Vase, three in number, and29