The Great N orth- West— The Territories. 413 



North- West : — " Judging from what I saw myself, and from what I 

 heard from others conversant with the territory, whom I was con- 

 tinually meeting, its agricultural area is almost unlimited, the 

 fertility of its soil unequalled, producing crops, such as I, a native 

 of this Province, or the Ontario farmer, never saw before. I met a 

 great many I had known in Ontario, and others as well, settled all 

 over this new country, and never heard a complaint from one of 

 them ; all speaking as if they individually had made the best selec- 

 tion, and that their particular location or grant from the Govern- 

 ment was the best. I never met a more contented or hopeful lot of 

 men, and well they may be, for they have the finest land under 

 heaven as a free gift, ready by nature for the plough, and safe by the 

 industry of a few years to place themselves and families in comfort- 

 able circumstances for the rest of their days. I saw several whose 

 first year's crop had so gladdened their hearts that they already 

 fancied themselves above all want. Two friends, lately from Eng- 

 land, accompanied me, and liked this grand country so much that 

 they bought land for their sons, intending on their return to send 

 the boys out next spring ; and they are men who have seen many 

 countries, and are consequently well able to choose and judge for 

 themselves. I left that section of the North-West, say four hundred 

 miles west from Winnipeg and the Qu'Appelle Valley nearer Win- 

 nipeg, towards the end of October. The weather was bright and 

 clear ; the mildness of it astonished me. No one could wish for 

 better; it was thoroughly enjoyable, and just the climate for strong 

 exercise without fatigue. I do not know if you care to hear it, but I 

 may as well tell you of that which pleased our English friends who 

 love sport so much — that game, such as snipe, duck and prairie 

 grouse were abundant, and that we were all well supplied with these 

 luxuries on the prairies." 



The following is an extract from a letter dated October 24th, 

 1882, written by Mr. R. W. Cameron, of New York, to the Hon. J. 

 H. Pope, Minister of Agriculture. Mr. Cameron is a man of great 

 experience: — " For agricultural purposes the whole plain from Win- 

 nipeg to beyond Moose Jaw, a distance of nearly five hundred miles, 

 is, with small exceptions, as fine in soil and climate as any that has 



