Echemamis and sea rivers.

On the other side of the stone the Echemamis rises and, taking a westerly direction, falls into Nelson River.  It is said that there was formerly a stone placed near the centre of this portage on which figures were annually traced and offerings deposited by the Indians; but the stone has been removed many years and the spot has ceased to be held in veneration.  Here we were overtaken by Governor Williams who left York Factory on the 20th of last month in an Indian canoe.  He expressed much regret at our having been obliged to leave part of our stores at the Rock depot, and would have brought them up with him had he been able to procure and man a boat, or a canoe, of sufficient size.

Having launched the boats over the rock we commenced the descent of the Echemamis.  This small stream has its course through a morass and in dry seasons its channel contains, instead of water, merely a foot or two of thin mud.  On these occasions it is customary to build dams that it may be rendered navigable by the accumulation of its waters.  As the beavers perform this operation very effectually endeavours have been made to encourage them to breed in this place, but it has not hitherto been possible to restrain the Indians from killing that useful animal whenever they discover its retreats.  On the present occasion there was no want of water, the principal impediment we experienced being from the narrowness of the channel, which permitted the willows of each bank to meet over our heads and obstruct the men at the oars.  After proceeding down the stream for some time we came to a recently-constructed beaver dam through which an opening was made sufficient to admit the boat to pass.  We were assured that the breach would be closed by the industrious creature in a single night.  We encamped about eight miles from the source of the river, having come during the day seventeen miles and a half.

On the 4th we embarked amidst a heavy rain and pursued our route down the Echemamis.  In many parts of the morass by which the river is nourished and through which it flows, is intersected by ridges of rock which cross the channel and require the boat to be lifted over them.  In the afternoon we passed through a shallow piece of water overgrown with bulrushes and hence named Hairy Lake; and in the evening encamped on the banks of Blackwater Creek, by which this lake empties itself into Sea River; having come during the day twenty miles and three-quarters.

On the morning of the 5th we entered Sea River, one of the many branches of Nelson River.  It is about four hundred yards wide and its waters are of a muddy white colour.  After ascending the stream for an hour or two and passing through Carpenter’s Lake, which is merely an expansion of the river to about a mile in breadth, we came to the Sea River Portage where the boat was launched across a smooth rock to avoid a fall of four or five feet.