iled today being sixteen miles and a half.

Jack River is only eight miles long but, being full of bad rapids, it
detained us considerably. At seven in the morning of the 24th we crossed
the Long Portage where the woods, having caught fire in the summer, were
still smoking. This is a common accident owing to the neglect of the
Indians and voyagers in not putting out their fires, and in a dry season
the woods may be seen blazing to the extent of many miles. We afterwards
crossed the Second, or Swampy, Portage and in the evening encamped on the
Upper Portage, where we were overtaken by an Indian bringing an answer
from Governor Williams to a letter I had written to him on the 15th in
which he renewed his injunctions to the gentlemen of the boats
accompanying us to afford us every assistance in their power. The Aurora
Borealis appeared this evening in form of a bright arch extending across
the zenith in a North-West and South-East direction. The extent of our
voyage today was two miles.

KNEE LAKE AND MAGNETIC ISLET.

About noon on the 25th we entered Knee Lake which has a very irregular
form and near its middle takes a sudden turn from whence it derives its
names. It is thickly studded with islands and its shores are low and well
wooded. The surrounding country as far as we could see is flat, being
destitute even of the moderate elevations which occur near the upper part
of Hill River. The weather was remarkably fine and the setting sun threw
the richest tints over the scene that I remember ever to have witnessed.

About half a mile from the bend, or knee, of the lake there is a small
rocky islet composed of magnetic iron ore which affects the magnetic
needle at a considerable distance. Having received previous information
respecting this circumstance we watched our compasses carefully and
perceived that they were affected at the distance of three hundred yards
both on the approach to and departure from the rock: on decreasing the
distance they became gradually more and more unsteady and on landing they
were rendered quite useless; and it was evident that the general magnetic
influence was totally overpowered by the local attraction of the ore.
When Kater's compass was held near to the ground on the North-West side
of the island the needle dipped so much that the card could not be made
to traverse by any adjustment of the hand; but on moving the same compass
about thirty yards to the west part of the islet the needle be