REVLEWS—NORTH WEST TERRITORY. 187 
REVIEWS. 
North West Territory. Reports of Progress; together with a pre- 
liminary and general report on the Assiniboine and Saskatchewan 
exploring expedition, made under instructions from the Provincial 
Secretary, Canada. By Henry Youle Hind, M.A. John Lovell, 
Toronto, 1859. 
From the great interest felt by the people of Canada in the North 
West Territory, and its capacity as a scene of future occupation by 
industrious settlers, the appearance of Professor Hind’s Report on the 
Assinibome and Saskatchewan exploring expedition, will be welcomed 
with a lively curiosity as to its various contents. Nor will such curios- 
ity fail to find much to gratify it in the volume just issued from the 
press. Topographical and Geological Maps and Sections accompany 
the letter-press, executed on so large a scale as readily to present to 
the eye the minutest features that the opportunities of the exploring 
party enabled them to note; and well executed wood-cuts illustrate 
the additions contributed to North American Paleontology, by the 
good use which Professor Hind has made of his very favourable 
opportunities. 
Chapter XVI. introduces the ‘‘ Geological Report,’ with a sketch 
of the surface geology of part of the valley of Lake Winnipeg. Notices 
of numerous traces of glacial action, follow, with descriptions of many 
indications of change in the contour of the land. Many records of for- 
mer water-courses and the aspect of ancient river-valleys have also been 
noted. Next to the valley of the Qu’Appelle, Professor Hind remarks 
“the old course of the Little Souris through the depression now occu- 
pied by the Back-fat Lakes is the most curious and imposing. Standing 
upon one of the most prominent of the Blue Hills of the Souris, near 
their southern extremity, the ancient valley can be traced as far as the 
first lake, which is distinctly seen by the unassisted eye, and with a 
good marine telescope its outline is plainly visible.” In this as in 
other localities unheeded changes in the course of rivers have, in com- 
paratively recent times, wrought important alterations on the contour 
ofthe region ; while at other points, vast, unstable sand-hills and dunes 
are in constant motion and render extensive ranges of country mere 
barren wastes. 
In the following chapter, as well as in others, exposed sections are 
figured and described, with their included minerals and fossils. A 
boldly sketched view on p. 172, exhibits a specimen of exposed cliff at 
