6 <strong>Ontario</strong> Archaeology No. <strong>81</strong>/82, 2006which is mentioned in a footnote supportingChamplain’s observations (Biggar 1922-1936:2:279-280).Mrs. Carl Price and Clyde C. Kennedy notedthree periods of occupation on this island:The latest Indian people to camp there,who could well be the Algonquin met byChamplain, left pieces of pottery, stonetools and weapons, and glass trade beads.Also found at the site were pieces of brasstrade pots and iron awls. [Price andKennedy 1961:23]Champlain’s Land LeagueSamuel de Champlain had a good compass set tothe magnetic meridian and was very precise in itsuse and well prepared to correct his readings totrue north (Heidenreich 1976:55). FromChamplain’s records, Heidenreich correctly identifiedhis land routes, which the explorer measuredin leagues. Heidenreich states that the JesuitFathers used the lieue d’une heure, about threestatute miles (Heidenreich 1968:40), and commentson other leagues in use at the time andunder which situations certain leagues were used.Champlain used a league that averaged 2.1 miles,or 3.4 km, during travel on inland routes(Heidenreich 1976:44-46). James Pendergastscaled a modern map over the 89-league routeChamplain had traveled to the Kichesipirini onMorrison Island from near the Sault St. Louisand found that Champlain was using a leagueapproximately equivalent to 2.3 to 2.4 statutemiles (3.7 to 3.8 km) (Pendergast 1999:85).Champlain’s Muskrat Lake RouteChamplain clearly declared they had canoednearly seven leagues down Lac de Nibachis, thenwalked northeast one league over a pleasant landscapewith well-beaten trails and found ChiefTessoüat’s camp on a lake. The most commonand convincing route known by historians indicatedthat Champlain was escorted, by canoe, tothe northern end of modern Muskrat Lake. Fromthere the group portaged over Stoqua’s PortageR<strong>oa</strong>d to Lower Allumette Lake near Perretton(Figures 1, 3 and 4). Supposition of this routewas probably based on a map by J. L. Morris,which puts the end of Stoqua’s Portage R<strong>oa</strong>d andTessoüat’s encampment near Perretton on LowerAllumette Lake (Figure 3; Biggar 1922-1936:2:Plate 11).Notes on the History of Renfrew County onlymentions that “The <strong>part</strong>y paddled alongMuskrat Lake to its northerly end, then portagedacross to the widening of the Ottawa River nowknown as Lower Allumette Lake. ThereChamplain met Tessoüat” (Price and Kennedy1961:21). Clyde C. Kennedy indicated on hismap that Champlain traversed the same generalland route from the north end of Muskrat Laketo Morrison Island as shown on the map byMorris (Kennedy 1970:72).Stoqua’s Portage R<strong>oa</strong>dStarting from the north end of Muskrat Lake,Stoqua’s Portage R<strong>oa</strong>d to Perretton extendsapproximately northeast (Figures 3 and 4). Thelanding is about 15 km from the head of themarsh at the south end of Muskrat Lake. Ther<strong>oa</strong>d measures about 4.8 km in length, one lieued’une heure, from the landing to Lower AllumetteLake at Perretton (Figure 1). This portage is alsoshown on J. McNaughton’s map of 1832-1836and could be the portage described byChamplain. Historians concluded in the earlytwentieth century that Stoqua’s Portage R<strong>oa</strong>d,4.8 km in length, would be an acceptable choiceto satisfy Champlain’s records (Figure 3).The Indian R<strong>oa</strong>dIndian R<strong>oa</strong>d leads over the bedrock fault that wasthe genesis of Muskrat Lake and the MuskratRiver channel (Figures 1 and 4). The originalcondition of this portage cannot be determined,as the r<strong>oa</strong>dway has been graded for modern traffic.The steep fault runs past Cobden, throughMuskrat Lake, and continues northwest fourkilometres south of Pembroke.Modern Indian R<strong>oa</strong>d begins at the base of thefault where Highway 417 crosses the Muskrat
Croft Champlain’s Portage from Muskrat Lake to the Ottawa River 7Figure 3. J.L. Morris’ map of Champlain’s route from near Gould’s Wharf on the Ottawa River to Muskrat Lake, Stoqua’sPortage and Lower Allumette Lake (Biggar 1922-1936:2:Plate 11).
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