STANLEY MISSION POST 79 



Stanley Mission Post is at an abrupt angle of 

 the Churchill River, for the down-trending waters 

 flow unseen through Rock Lake in an almost due- 

 south direction to narrow, then expand to broad 

 river width, at Stanley, and swing again into its 

 natural easterly course. The scattered settlement 

 is on both banks of the river, north-west and 

 south-east ; however, the greater number of mud- 

 plastered cabins and canvas-covered teepees (wig- 

 wams), and the Protestant church and mission, 

 are on the north-west shore. There is one 

 island in the bay opposite the north-west shore. 

 Wooded hills are behind the settlement, while 

 on the low ground there is clay soil in which 

 good potatoes are grown. I noticed Dandelions 

 growing here, and surmised they had been 

 brought up at some time in potatoes or other 

 foreign seed. Stanley Mission Post is the largest 

 settlement north of the Churchill River. It 

 contains about two hundred inhabitants, men, 

 women, and children ; and about twice that 

 number of dogs. Very few of the natives are 

 pure Indians, nearly all being a variety of castes 

 of halfbreed. All speak Cree. The Post, owing 

 to its geographical position, might almost be said 

 to be on the outer fringe of the Frontier, for it is, 

 though distantly, in touch with the large northern 

 town of Prince Albert through the route which 

 lies directly south, some two hundred miles in 

 length, via La Ronge Lake and Montreal River : 

 therefore the race of Indians is affected by contact 

 with civilisation, as almost all Indians are to-day, 

 except in the most remote and furthest-north 

 territories which they inhabit affected in purity, 



