
CHAPTER XI. 
CAPABILITIES OF THE REGION WITH REFERENCE TO 
SETTLEMENT. 
REGION IN THE VICINITY OF THE LAKE OF THE Woops—Areas capable of cultivation 
7 —Barren region—Vegetation of the lake—REGION BETWEEN THE LAKE OF THE 
Woops anD REp River PRatrRiE—Country in the vicinity of the Govern- 
ment Road—Country bordering on the Reed and Roseau Rivers—Height of 
Land Muskeg—Tue Rep River Pratrre—Soil, and nature of the surface— 
Measure of agricultural capacity—Wood—Climate—Progress of the spring 
here and at other points in the Fertile Belt—Rainfall—Water supply— 
CoUNTRY OF THE SECOND PRAIRIE STEPPE—Pembina Escarpment—Western 
margin of the great plains — Turtle Mountain — Timber — Country in the 
vicinity of the Souris River—Meteorological cycle—CouNTRY oF THE THIRD 
PRAIRIE STEPPE—Plateau of the Tertiary—Eastern limit of buffalo—Big 
Camp of half-breeds—Fertile Belt at the base of the mountains—Timber of 
the mountains—Climate of the Third Steppe. 
619. In this chapter it is proposed to examine briefly the nature 
of the country in the vicinity of the 49th parallel; with regard espe- 
cially to its adaptability for settlement and agriculture, and its 
superficial features. The nature of the surface, however, depends so 
closely on the underlying rocks, and especially on the drift deposits, 
where these are largely developed, that much has already of necessity 
been given, which might properly be included here. It is not 
intended to go over any of those general points which have received 
notice, but merely to touch on those which have not yet been men- 
tioned, using the material of the foregoing chapters as a substratum. 
Lake of the Woods Region. 
620. A very small proportion of the country immediately sur- 
rounding the Lake of the Woods, is at all suitable for agricultural 
settlement. The northern and eastern shores are entirely composed 
of barren rock, and though valleys in this district 
the part of it occupied by Huronian rocks—may be found of better 

and especially in 
appearance, the soil will probably be sandy and poor. Pine timber 
of fair growth occurs in some localities, but forest fires have already 
