NOTES ON MANITOBA. 



NOTES ON THE PHYSICAL PHENOMENA OF MANITOBA 

 AND THE NORTH-WEST TERRITORIES. 



From Observations made during Explorations in 1872, 1875, and 1879. 

 BY JOHN MACOUN, M.A. 



• 



Tlie region to which, the following remarks will mainly apply is 

 bounded on the south by parallel of Lat. 49°; on the north by parallel 

 of Lat. 60°; on the east by meridian 95°; on the west by the line 

 of the Rocky Mountains. An area, in round numbers, of 667,600 

 square miles. 



For many years this vast region was almost a blank on our maps 

 — little was known of it, either by Englishmen or Canadians, beyond 

 the fact that furs were obtained therefrom. It was not so, however, 

 with the Americans. More than twenty years ago they recognized 

 its value, foretold its great future, and even described it as the pro- 

 spective granary of the world. 



In 1857, Capt. Palliser was commissioned by the British Govern- 

 ment to examine the country south of the 54th parallel. Commencing 

 his examination at the international boundary, in the vicinity of the 

 Red Eiver, he made a few traverses and reached Fort Ellice late in 

 season. Proceeding up the right bank of the- Qu' Appelle to its head, 

 he crossed the South Saskatchewan and proceeded northward to 

 Carlton, where he wintered. In June, 1858, he turned to the south- 

 west and spent the summer on the Great Plains, wintering that year 

 at Edmonton. In the following spring he again proceeded south to 

 the boundary, but afterwards passed to the west into British Columbia. 



He reported in very favorable terms of the northern portion of the 

 country that he had traversed, but of the southern portion he spoke 

 much less favorably — alleging that running water was very scarce ; 

 that no wood was to be seen except in the river valleys ; and, that 

 owing to the enormous herds of bxiffalo which covered the plains at 

 that time, feed in many places was poor. 



As far as public opinion was concerned the only immediate result 

 of this exploration was that a certain district in the north became 

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