The Great North-West — The Territories. 405 



may be imagined from the fact that this lake receives the waters of 

 the Red River of the north, as well as of the River Winnipeg, the 

 Saskatchewan and others. 



A remarkable feature of this great extent of territory is its 

 division along lines, running generally north-west and south-east, into 

 three distinct prairie steppes, or plateaux as they are generally called. 

 The first of these is known as the Red River Valley and Lake 

 Winnipeg plateau. The width at the Boundary Line is about fifty- 

 two miles, and the average height about eight hundred feet above 

 the sea. At the Boundary Line it is about one thousand feet. This 

 first plateau lies entirely within the Province of Manitoba, and is 

 estimated to contain about seveD thousand square miles of the best 

 wheat growing land on the continent or in the world. The second 

 plateau or steppe has an average altitude of one thousand six hundred 

 feet, having a width of about two hundred and fifty miles on the 

 National Boundary Line, and an area of about one hundred and five 

 thousand square miles. The rich, undulating, park-like country lies 

 in this region. This section is specially favourable for settlement, 

 and includes the Assiniboine and Qu'Appelle districts. The third 

 plateau or steppe begins on the Boundary Line at the 104th meridian, 

 where it has an elevation of about two thousand feet, and extends 

 west for four hundred and sixty-five miles to the foot of the Rocky 

 Mountains, where it has an altitude of about four thousand two 

 hundred feet, making an average height above the sea of about three 

 thousand feet. Generally speaking, the first two steppes are those 

 which are most favourable for agriculture, and the third for grazing. 

 Settlement is proceeding in the first two at a very rapid rate ; and 

 in the third plateau numerous and prosperous cattle ranches have 

 been established. But the district destined in all probability to 

 excel them all is the Peace River country to the north and west of 

 the latter. 



A great deal has been written and published on the Canadian 

 North- West, and most readers are familiar with all that has been 

 said; but I wish to present, in this connection, the best sayings of 

 the best people on this question. It will do the world no harm to 

 revive this evidence in the days of Manitoba's depression. The 



