THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. 39 
CONQUEST OF WILD CANADA. 
Abstract of paper by PRoF. COLEMAN, on March 9th, 
from Minutes. 
The struggle implied in the title was not of a military nature, 
but rather an attempt to trace the enterprise of those that had 
most to do with founding and developing our country. 
Every surviving animal conquers its surroundings and makes 
use of its environment. 
In this country other animals than man had made his work 
easier. The deer beat runways connecting drinking places with 
pasture lands and browsing grounds, and these runways were 
utilized by explorers and the early settlers. 
He referred to the part the beaver had played in helping man 
by making clearings in the forest and spoke highly of the great 
intelligence shown by him as hydraulic engineer, in being able, 
by the placing of comparatively small obstructions in the streams, 
to flood such extensive food-yielding areas. 
The first conquerors in the shape of man were Indians. 
Without metal for making weapons or implements of any kind it 
must have been difficult for them to live. They opened trails which 
were found by the white man to be the dry, quick, short way 
from place to place. Travelled much by water. Had to devise 
their own craft; built the bark canoe so well that it has never 
been surpassed for short windings and portages. Canoe only 
available for summer. For winter use the snowshoe and the 
toboggan stand above all other devices. With these and his bow 
and arrow and traps he obtained part of his living, and his garden 
supplied the rest. 
Gardening was carried on by the Indians far more extensive- 
ly than is generally known. They got corn from some place un- 
known, and pumpkins and beans. Gardening was brought to 
so advanced a stage probably because the noble red man himself 
