THE "FERTILE BELT" OF THE GREAT WEST. 161 



This prodigious development of agricultural 

 wealth has practically an unlimited power of 

 expansion. For, in addition to the vast areas 

 of the United States still untouched by ad- 

 vancing agriculture, there is the great region 

 of Manitoba and the " fertile belt " of North 

 Western Canada, stretching in a block of fertile 

 land 700 miles westward from the Red River 

 of the North, watered by navigable rivers, in 

 extent many times larger than the British 

 Islands, with abundance of coal, now at last 

 brought into prominent notice by the Canadian 

 Government* 



The war in America interrupted progress for 

 a time, but its attractions are now beginning to 

 be realised. A railway from Lake Superior to 

 the Red River is completed, and another in 

 progress which will tap the produce of this vast 

 region, and, after a run of 500 miles of land- 

 carriage, place it on board large steamers 

 which, traversing the lakes and the St. Law- 

 rence, will tranship it to ocean-going steamers 



* See Appendix, page 181, for description of this new 

 country. 



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