32 



EXPLORATIONS IN THE FAR NORTH. 



understand why their minister objects to their children associat- 

 ing with those of the Roman Catholic Pierre Jean Francois, 

 who live on the left bank of the river opposite the reserve. 



The Saskatchewan. The Saskatchewan, or as it is called by 

 the natives — Kissiskatchewan (Swift Current), is said to drain 

 a larger area of fertile land than any other river in the British 

 Empire. The melting snows in the Rocky Mountains main- 

 tain a sufficient depth of water to enable light draft steamers to 

 run as far as Edmonton on the North and Lethbridge on the 

 South Branch. The two branches unite about four hundred 

 and fifty miles above the mouth. Like nearly all the rivers of 

 the Northwest and North, the Saskatchewan has not only a 

 "swift current " but also many rapids. The largest of these, the 

 Grand Rapids, are within five miles of the mouth, where the 

 river breaks through a series of limestone ridges 



Grand Rapids was the scene of an interesting chapter in the 

 history of the conflict between the fur companies in the early 

 part of this century. During the month of July, 1819, Gov. 

 William Williams of the Hudson's Bay Company, with a number 

 of clerks and engages and a force of discharged soldiers of the 

 DeMeuron's regiment, there met the brigade of boats bringing 

 down the Northern furs of the northwest Company. His men 

 were armed with muskets, two four-pound guns, and a number 

 of swivels from Hudson's Bay. The last mile of the rapids 

 could not be ascended by loaded boats so a trail had been cut, 

 from a little cover below the gorge, through the heavy forest to 

 the smooth but swift water a mile above. In running down, the 



Lake Winnipeg. This Cree syllabary was perfected in 1841. It has been 

 described at length by Dr. McLean in his work entitled, James Evans, In- 

 ventor of the Syllabic System of the Cree Language, 1890. The system is based 

 upon the phonetic principle, and each character represents a syllable, thus — 



~]ma p me J mo |_ ma 



<\ cha p che J cho (j cha, etc. 



Only thirty-six characters are required for the Cree language. 



Archdeacon McDonald, of McPherson, has invented a more cumbrous 

 system for the Loucheux language, which employs the Roman letters, 

 but contains about 500 syllables, which "notwithstanding the apparent dif- 

 ficulty, some of the Indians have learned in a fortnight." Dr. McLean in 

 a letter to J. C. Pilling, Biography of the Athabascan Languages, p. 59. 



Compare Petitot: "La lang crise est douce, sonore, musicale et tres 

 scandee. C'est l'italien du Nord-Ouest." Legends, p. 446. 



