communicated to you last year, and which, so far as this point is concerned, will serve for your guidance for the present season. 6. There are, however, two matters to which I am to request you to direct your particular attention, namely, the salt region in the neighbourhood of Lake Manitobah, adverted to in your report for last year, and the deposit of Tertiary coal or lignite, reported to exist in the valley of Mouse River. 7. It is most important that you should ascertain, by actual examination, as far as possible, the existence, extent, and character of these deposits. 8. In ascending or descending the different rivers you may have occasion to explore, it is advisable that you should note with care, their breadth, depth, rate of current, and the probable quantity of water discharged by them at different points, and at different seasons of the year; their facilities for navigation by boats or steamers, and whether they overflow their banks to any extent at any season of the year. 9. The general aspect of the whole region should be carefully described. The character of the timber and soil observed, and the general fitness of the latter for agricultural purposes ascertained as far as may be from observation and inquiry. 10. It is desirable that your meteorological observations should be made with the maximum and minimum thermometer, and with the wet and dry bulb. The temperature of the rivers, lakes, and springs should also be recorded, and the rainfall observed. Any reliable information you can obtain as to the quantity of snow precipitated during the winter, would also be of interest. 11. Your topographical explorations should be made with reference to the construction of a map (as complete as possible) of the region explored, on a scale of two miles to one inch-and your operations should be conducted in view of a possible extension, at some future time, of the exploration, so as to embrace the entire valley of Lake Winnipeg and its feeders. 12. With a view to illustrate the natural history of the country, you will avail yourself of such opportunities as may present themselves to collect any objects that may be useful for that purpose. 13. Any geological or natural history specimens which you may have collected during your explorations, may be left by you at Red River, on your return, with the other property of the Government belonging to the expedition, to await the orders of the Government, with the other articles referred to in the tenth paragraph of my letter of the 14th inst. 14. I am to add that his Excellency, having every confidence in your judgment and discretion, does not wish to trammel you with more detailed instructions, and that you are left at liberty to make any other exploration, in addition to those particularly named therein, should you, upon information obtained in the locality, deem it desirable for the general purposes of the expedition. 15. It is hardly necessary to state that you will be held responsible for the conduct, diligence, and fidelity of the party under your charge. 16. With a view to distinguish your branch of the expedition for the present year, it will be convenient to designate it as the "Assinniboine and Saskatchewan Exploring Expedition;" by this title therefore you will describe it in your reports. I have the honour to be, Sir, Henry Y. Hind, Esq., Toronto. Your obedient servant, T. J. J. LORANGER, Secretary. I am indebted to Mr. F. B. Meek, of Washington, U.S., for the description of the Cretaceous fossils collected during the exploration. Mr. Meek's remarks and descriptions are contained in Chapter XIX. of my Report on the expedition to the Canadian Government. The Silurian and Devonian fossils were examined and described by Mr. Billings, the paleontologist to the Canadian Geological Survey. The descriptions and remarks of Mr. Billings are contained in Chapter XX. of the Report referred to in the preceding paragraph. I am glad to have another opportunity of expressing my obligations to these gentlemen. I have also much pleasure in tendering my warmest thanks to Sir George Simpson, not only for the letters of introduction with which he favoured me to the officers of the Hon. Hudson's Bay Company's service in Rupert's Land, but also for his personal efforts when at Fort Garry, to facilitate the progress of the expedition by every means in his power. The assistance rendered by Sir George Simpson was of the greatest use to me, and the courteous manner in which it was granted increases my indebtedness to him. From the officers of the Hon. Hudson's Bay Company's service in charge of the different posts, I received without any exception kind attention and valuable assistance; in the following pages many friendly actions are faithfully recorded. CHAP. XIII. FORT GARRY TO THE BOUNDARY LINE, VIA THE ASSINNI BOINE AND LITTLE SOURIS. Members of the Expedition.-Iroquois Indians from Caughnawaga.-Detroit.-Sault Ste. Marie.—Grand Portage.-Fort Frances.-Red River.— Expedition into the Interior.-The Start.-Supplies.-Prairie Ridges.Pigeon Traps.-Stony Mountain.-Birds.- Saline Efflorescence.-Character of the Big Ridge.-The Assinniboine.-Grasshoppers.- Ojibway Encampment.-Archdeacon Cochrane.-Prairie Portage.— Cliff Swallow. -Thunder Storms.-Ojibways.-The Bad Woods.-Assinniboine Forest. -River.-Rabbits.-Sandy Hills of the Assinniboine.-Latitude.— Dimensions of Valley. - Variation of Compass. - Sand Dunes. - Aspect of Country.- Hail Storm.- "Smokes."- Balsam Spruce.-Pine Creek.— The Little Souris.-Grasshoppers.-Fish.-Sioux.-Cretaceous Rocks.Blue Hills.- Pembina River.- Backfat Lakes.- Vast Prairie.- Prairie Fires.-Horizontal Rocks.-Inoceramus.- Guelder Rose.-Lignite.-Ancient Lake Beaches.-Sand Dunes.-Oak Lake.-Souris Sand Hills.Night Hawk.-Bog Iron Ore.-Floods in 1852.-Bois de Vache.-Grasshoppers, infinite Multitude of.-Appearance of the Sky, of Prairie. Little Souris Valley.-Tracks.-Turtle Mountain.-Sioux.-Character of Prairie.-Souris Lakes.- Boulders.-Mandan Village.-Probable Source of the Little Souris.-Character of the Souris south of the 49th Parallel. -Absence of Timber on the 47th Parallel. THE gentlemen whose names are subjoined composed the expedition which started from Toronto for Red River on the 29th April, 1858. HENRY YOULE HIND, M. A., in charge of the Expedition. The following Iroquois Indians were engaged at Caughnawaga near Montreal to man the canoes : Charles Skanasati, guide. Martin Takatsitsienseré. Louis Pekageiaien. Ignace Tior-ateken. Lazare Aneratentka. Mathias Shaitikarenes. Thomas Orite. Louis Atioksisaks. Thomas Shakashetstha. Mathias Asinrathon. Ignace Taseraren. Thomas Tekarenhonte. Pierre Aronhiakenra. Fortunately the steamer "Illinois" from Detroit to Lake Superior Ports had some freight for Grand Portage, the Lake Superior termination of the Pigeon River route to Red River. By this long-neglected communication I determined to go. Having secured a passage to Grand Portage direct, and embarked our baggage and stores, which weighed nearly six thousand pounds, we left Detroit on the 30th April, and reached the Sault Ste. Marie on the 2nd of May. A week before leaving Toronto I wrote to Mr. Simpson, the officer in charge of the Hudson's Bay Company's post at Sault Ste. Marie, enclosing a copy of a letter from Sir George Simpson, and requesting him to send two new North canoes, fully appointed, to the United States side of the St. Mary's river, in order that their embarkation might occasion as little delay as possible. The canoes were lying in readiness on the wharf at the Sault together with a supply of gum, watap*, cod-lines, and other indispensables to canoe navigation. The root of the tamarac, used for sewing together the pieces of birch bark of which the canoes are constructed. |