CnURCniLL AND NELSON RIVERS. 9 



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

 fall in Manitoba during the last lew j^ears. Those analyses may, 

 thei'olbre, bo found to possess some historical interest: — 



WATER OF THE A8SINIB0INE IN 18Y3. 



Total Boliil coiitonis in 

 grraini! per Imperial (gallon. 



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



2. Calcic sulphate 4-39 '^^^®^* 



3. Calcic carbonate 7-05 



4. Iron, alumina and silica 1 • 09 



5. Alkaline salts, chiefly as chlorides 9 • 75 



6. Magnesia sulphate 7-81 



30-09 



37-80 

 HardnesB by Clarke's scale, 10'5«. 



WATER OF THE RED RIVER IN 1873. 



Total solid contentR in 

 grains per Imperial gallon. 



1 . Organic matter (loss by ignition) 5-28 watef ^^^^ 



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, 0°, 



It will bo observed from the. above anal3^ses that (all things consid- comparison of 

 ered) the water of the Eed Eiver is rather better than that of the ^*^®'"^- 

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

 the greater (quantity of mechanically suspended impurities in the Red 

 River 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- j^gij^tj^g 

 dominating in the Eed Eiver, while the Assiniboine has the most °°™p"^^'^°°- 

 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 

 a-shes 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 



