SOURCE OF ST. PETEr's RIVER. 79 



kind of navigation, soon became expert paddlers, and an- 

 swered well in that capacity ; but it requires the long ex- 

 perience of the voyagers to render them as cautious and 

 handy in the management of these canoes as their frailty 

 requires. In this respect we found the Bois Brules far su- 

 perior to the Canadians. 



Our journey down Red river was performed in a day 

 and a half; we encamped the first night on a small island, 

 about thirty-five miles below the settlement ; and the next 

 morning at an early hour- we reached the mouth of Red 

 river, which is situated forty-three miles below that of the 

 Assiniboin. The stream retains inuch the same characters 

 as above Fort Douglas. There are several rapids, more re- 

 markable for the shallowness and rocky nature of the bed 

 than for the swiftness of the water. At the first rapid, 

 which is about twelve miles below the fort, the banks 

 cease to be muddy ; they become gravelly, the soil is thin 

 and of a pale hue ; the growth was principally small aspen. 

 At twenty-eight miles, we saw limestone in situ ; it is a 

 horizontal secondaiy rock, such as probably underlays 

 these prairies. It was the first rock which we saw in place 

 after we had left the primitive islands in the valley of the 

 St. Peter, unless indeed the rapids in Red river be occa- 

 sioned by ledges of primitive rocks in place, which is not 

 impossible, but which we could not ascertain at the time thair 

 we passed over them. We observed in the limestone no or- 

 ganic remains, although it probably contains some. This is- 

 the only place where limestone has been found, by the set- 

 tlers, at the surface ; it is therefore resorted to for the lime 

 used in building at the fort, as well as for the tan yard, and 

 for the other wants of the colony, &c. At the island upon 

 which we encamped on the 17th of August, the river was 

 much wider : the eastern channel was small, but the west- 



