CHURCHILL AND NELSON RIVERS. 9 



cultivation and drainage of land, and perhaps also to the increased rain- 

 fall in Manitoba during the last few years. These analyses may, 

 therefore, be found to possess some historical interest : — 



WATER OF THE ASSINIBOINE IN 1873. 



Total solid contents in 

 grains per Imperial gallon. 



1. Organic matter (loss by ignition) 7 * 71 Assiniboine 



2. Calcic sulphate 4-39 water ' 



3. Calcic carbonate 7-05 



4. Iron, alumina and silica 109 



5. Alkaline salts, chiefly as chlorides , 9-75 



6. Magnesia sulphate , 7 • 81 



30-09 



37-80 

 Hardness by Clarke's scale, lO^ 8 . 



WATER OP THE RED RIVER IN 1873. 



Total solid contents in 

 grains per Imperial gallon. 



1. Organic matter (loss by ignition) 5-28 water^™' 



1 . Calcic sulphate 2-42 



3. Calcic carbonate 10,- 50 



4. Iron and alumina, 2-80 ; silica, -98 3-78 



5. Alkaline salts, chiefly as chlorides 5-18 



21.88 



27-16 

 Hardness by Clarke's scale, 9". 



It will be observed from the above analyses that (all things consid- Comparison of 

 ered) the water of the Eed Eiver is rather better than that of the waters - 

 Assiniboine. This, I think, is contrary to the general belief, owing to 

 the greater quantity of mechanically suspended impurities in the Red 

 Eiver water. The amount of organic matter in both is considerable, 

 and would, no doubt, be greater in fresh samples. 



They contain a large quantity of lime salts, the carbonate pre- Relative 

 dominating in the Eed Eiver, while the Assiniboine has the most composition. 

 sulphate. Magnesia sulphate does not appear to be present in appre- 

 ciable quantity in the water of the Eed Eiver, while its occurrence in 

 so large a proportion in the Assiniboine water constitutes its worst 

 feature. If the Eed Eiver in any part of its course contained magnesia 

 sulphate, its absence in the stream near Fort Garry at the above date 

 may be accounted for by its having been precipitated by the carbonate 

 of iron contained in springs and surface water flowing into the river, 

 or by the carbonate of potash resulting from the lixiviation of the 

 ashes left by the extensive burning of the timber belt going on almost 

 every year along the course of the river. And this suggests a means 

 by which the Assiniboine water might be freed of its Epsom salts, in 



