CHAPTER XLII. 



The Great North- West — The Territories. 



boundaries and areas of the north-west territories — testi- 

 mony of travellers and eminent men on the extent and 

 great fertility of the canadian north-west — the climate 

 of the high latitudes — the great bread and meat pro- 

 ducing country. 



^pf^SSINIBOIA, the first territorial division west of Manitoba 

 jJIIIl on ^ ne ^ ne °^ ^ ne Canadian Pacific Railway, lies to the 

 yllb^)\ west of the Province of Manitoba, and adjoins the Inter - 

 <*• national Boundary Line. It contains about one hundred 

 thousand square miles. Its northern boundary is near the fifty- 

 second parallel of latitude. On the west it is bounded by Alberta, 

 by the line dividing the tenth and eleventh ranges of townships 

 west of the fourth initial meridian. The eastern portion of the 

 district is drained by the Assiniboine River and its tributaries, while 

 the western part is watered by the Saskatchewan and the streams 

 flowing into it. 



Alberta comprises about one hundred thousand square miles of 

 excellent agricultural and pastoral territory, bounded on the south 

 by the International Boundary Line ; on the east by the District of 

 Assiniboia ; on the west by the Province of British Columbia ; and 

 on the north by the eighteenth correction line. 



Saskatchewan comprises about 114,000 square miles, bounded on 

 the south by the District of Assiniboia, and the northern boundary 

 of the Province of Manitoba; on the north it is bounded by the 

 eighteenth correction line, and on the west by a line dividing the 

 tenth and eleventh ranges of townships west of the fourth initial 

 meridian. 



