INVESTIGATIONS IN MINNESOTA AND NORTH DAKOTA. 367 



iiortlieni tributaries of the RedEiverof the North. Much of its course 

 lies near tlie forty-uinth parallel, which it crosses several times. Neche 

 is 15 miles from the mouth of the river, and lies in a level country, 

 a part of the ancient lake bed. There is little to indicate that this 

 country has been submerged, other than its flatness, presence of 

 gravel, shells, etc., but near Pembina there is proof not only that the 

 level country has been inundated, but that the water has stood several 

 feet above the level. I refer to the Pembina Mountain, an elevation 

 many feet in height near the mouth of the river, bearing on its sides in 

 unmistakable characters the writing of the waves of the ancient Lake 

 Agassiz. 



The river at the time it was examined was somewhat swollen from 

 recent rains, and the water was muddy and very swift; the bed of the 

 stream was composed of clay, firmer and harder than the material which 

 composes the steep banks, Tliis material was so loose that at places 

 large quantities of it had slid into the stream. The stream was well 

 stocked with fishes, but limited in variety ; several pickerel and a num- 

 ber of suckers weighing- from 14 to 3 pounds were taken; a few darters 

 and minnows were also found. 



Park Biver, Grafton, N. Dale., August 16. — This is a foul, sluggish 

 river, rising in the western part of Walsh County, just beyond the 

 flood-plain or in the low hills bordering the old lake basin on the west, 

 and flowing- almost east to the Red lliver of the North. The town of 

 Grafton is about 20 miles from the mouth of the stream and 40 miles 

 from its source. The river here is about 15 feet wide and 14 to 3 feet 

 deep. The banks are low, composed of fine sand and clay and other 

 sedimentary deposit. The bed of the stream is of the same material, 

 and overgrown with rank water vegetation. The low flood-plain is 

 covered with a growth of forest trees — ash, elm, basswood, and oak being 

 the most common. Wild gooseberries grow in great abundance among 

 the trees. The stream contains only a few varieties of fishes, and these 

 are poorly represented. The water is cloud 3/ and brackish ; from this 

 cause the river was called by the early settlers Salt River. 



Forest River ^ Minto, N. Dale, August 17. — Forest River is a very 

 beautiful little stream of quite a different character from the other 

 streams of this region, and though of nearly the same size and flowing 

 in the same direction as the one last described it differs from it in many 

 respects. The water is clear and sweet, the current swift. The stream 

 is 15 or 18 feet wide, and will possibly average 13 feet in depth, although 

 many places are much deeper. The river was seined just below a low 

 dam at the crossing of the Great Northern Railroad. Although at 

 this place the bed of the stream is mostly composed of mud, the waters 

 of the upper course flow almost entirely over beds of clean sand and 

 gravel, the water at such j)laces being devoid of vegetation. The 

 stream is fed by springs, and the water (whose temperature was 67°) 

 is from 4 to 6 degrees colder than any other stream of this region. The 



