A JOURNEY TO THE RED RIVER 71 



so shallow that we sometimes ran aground. Where the 

 lakes were shallow they were often covered with reeds 

 and rushes, which prevented us seeing the escape of 

 the water-fowl which flew away at our approach. I, 

 however, succeeded in shooting a few ducks and other 

 birds, which made an agreeable addition to our pro- 

 vision. The country near the lakes was mostly covered 

 with a kind of thorn-bush, which it was difficult to move 

 amongst without tearing the clothes and lacerating the 

 flesh. 



Of the lakes mentioned above many were not noticed 

 in my map, though evidently permanent ; others had no 

 name, and some I learned only the Indian or voyageur 

 designation of. Of those marked on the map, and which 

 varied in size from two or three miles across to perhaps 

 twenty or thirty, the principal were the Death, Sturgeon, 

 Savannah, Cross, and Lake of the Thousand Islands. 

 The country in which these are situated forms now the 

 colonies or districts of Winnipeg and Manitoba, and has 

 become, or is rapidly becoming, the greatest corn-growing 

 land in the world. There was no sort of cultivation 

 here when I passed this way, and in fact the country 

 was uninhabited except by wandering Indians and an 

 occasional voyageur or trapper; yet the Company's 

 hunters had so well scoured the land that several kinds 

 of big game were already becoming scarce, and some of 

 the smaller sorts were nearly exterminated the beaver, 

 for example. 



As a rule I could not get an extensive view of the 

 country in any direction. It appeared to be tolerably 

 level, but the banks of the rivers were generally high, 

 and those of the lakes low, or sloping, except in the 

 case of some of the smallest. Large tracts of ground 

 were covered with bushes intermingled with trees, and 

 sometimes the woods were extensive. The scenery, on 

 the whole, was pleasant, but not grand or striking. 

 Some of the poncls, however, were very charming spots, 



