Volume 1

70 REED RIVER ROUTE.
N. side of the entrance of that river for the spot. The
Indians did not all join us this evening.
Reed river, which I had examined, comes in from the E.
It receives its water from a lake of the same name not
many [about 25] miles W. of Lac des Bois. The lake
receives its waters from a number of rivulets which flow
from all directions excepting the W. These are supplied
by a low marshy country, excepting on the N., where they
take their water from Cypress hills. Reed lake is nearly
filled with small islands of reeds {^Phragmites communis]
and rushes [bulrushes, Scirpus lacustris], and surrounded by
reeds and long grass for about half a mile from the water's
edge. Fish are plenty, such as pike [probably Stizostedion
canadense], pois d'ouce, and suckers, with other small
kinds. Sturgeon [Acipenser rubicundiis\ also frequent this
lake in the spring, by way of Reed river. The course of
this river is winding, and interrupted
by rapids, occasioned
by frequent reefs of stone crossing the channel. The
banks are well wooded. The country is low, particularly
on the N.; it abounds in moose and red deer, with a few
bears in the winter, when the weather is severe ;
buffaloes
also resort here. While the French were in possession,
they frequently passed by this route " to the Assiniboine.
Aug. 2Qth. I was unwell last night, as I imagined, from
the violent exertion of the day before, when the weather
had been hot and sultry. This morning I felt easier, but
weak and languid, from the extraordinary evacuations during
the night.
" Tanner's Nam, ed. James, 1830, p. 64, speaks of this route :
" We then
returned to the Lake of the Woods.
From this lake the Indians have a road,
to go to Red River, which the white men never follow ;
this is by way of the
Muskeek, or swamp carrying place. We went up a river which the Indians
call Muskeego-ne-gum-me-wee-see-bee, or Swamp River, for several days ;
we
then dragged our canoes across a swamp for one day. . . Then
we put our
canoes into a small stream, which they called Begwionusk, from the begwionusk,
or cow parsley, which grows upon it ;
this we descended into a small Sahkiegun
[lake], which they call by the same name." This last is the Pekwionusk,
Reed or Reedgrass, or Roseau r. It is named as Begwionushko r. on p. 172,
and said to fall into Red r.
" about 10 miles below Pembinah."