Nine Lies of B.G. Davies

The Line in the Sand (Part 6)

Image: Ninth Lake Pictograph, Spanish River. Appropriated from: https://albinger.me/anishinaabe-pictographs/

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Leaving Metagama Station on the Canadian Pacific Railway we put out our canoes in a small stream a little east of the station and paddled  1 1/2 miles west parallel with the line of the railway, the creek winding its way through a marsh, between low ridges of pink granite. At about 1 1/2 miles from the station the creek expands into a small lake, from the west of which the creek runs and taming northeast crosses the railway near the depot camp of the Metagama Lumber Company.

We then paddled northeast about one mile across a lake to a short portage on the right, where we were able to draw our canoes up with a line from the shore. Here the rock is pink granite varying in texture from fine-grained to a pegmatitic variety. From this point we paddled northeast up stream, for about 4 miles, passing through three small expansions. Here a branch of the the Spanish River enters from the north, while what is called the Lost Channel turns southeast for 2 1/2 miles and joins the Mattagami Branch of the Spanish River, thus forming a large island. At a distance of 2 miles down this channel there is a 5 chain portage on the right over granite, the glacial striae here observed having a direction north 10 degrees east. A quarter mile below is a second portage 20 chains in length on the right, around a rapid; the river running between walls of granite 50 to 75 feet high, which leads to the Mattagami branch.

MATTAGAMI BRANCH. Turning north-north-east, we paddled through a lake for about three quarters of a mile to the dam of the lumber company, where a short portage on the left was necessary. From the dam our course was through two small expansions. There are ridges of sand and gravel on either side, but these give place to pink granite about two miles above the dam. The timber has been cut and a fire has been through this part recently so that the rock is exposed in many places. A paddle of nine miles north through a series of small expansions of the river, brought us to one of the Metagama Lumber Company's camps. The rock at this point is reddish grey gneiss.

Above this is Lake Mosquitowagemaw, which is quite narrow and about 4 miles long, on which the pine is now being cut. To the north of this are two small lakes which are bounded on each side by terraced ridges of sand. For the next three miles the river is very crooked, flowing between sandy banks; above this is a small lake. From this we paddled one quarter of a mile up a small creek, with very brown water, pushed through some reeds into a small clear water pond, at the north side of which is a 14 chain portage leading northward over a level, sandy plain to Perch Lake, which is about half a mile in length and contains beautifully clear water. From the north end of this lake a 30 chain portage leads to Blue Lake, about 1 1/2 miles in length, to the north of which is the height of land between Hudson Bay and St. Lawrance River waters.

J. L. ROWLETT PARSONS, B. A Geologist with Exploration Survey Party Number 3 to GEO. B. KIRKPATRICK, A Commissioner, &C. December 31, 1900

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We never intended to cross the watershed. Our intent, as directed by Gray, was to seek the portage out of Perch Lake, the final lake on the East Branch of the Spanish River. We were to work our way across a series of small lakes and swampy ponds to join the headwaters of the Montreal River. From there, we would descend the Upper Montreal in a North-East direction, until the river makes its turn to the South. Since this was to be a short trip added on to the end of our original charge, and because Jimmy had warned us the headwater portages would likely be difficult, we had taken with us only basic survey and note-taking equipment and only the food provisions necessary for us to reach Fort Matachewan on the Montreal River. We would resupply at the Hudson Bay Post with enough dry beans, oil, and flour for our return voyage to Sudbury, the route being a retracing of our earlier downstream journey.