288 B. N. A. BOUNDARY COMMISSION. 

week of May, 1874, the common flowering plants on this eastern part of 
the first prairie steppe, were ; Viola cucullata, V. pedata, Ranunculus 
rhomboideus, Anemone patens then going to seed, and the whole prairie 
covered with its brownish woolly heads; Geum triflorum, found most 
abundantly near the edge of the escarpment, less common westward ; 
Astragalus caryocarpus, becoming rapidly more abundant westward, Aten- 
naria plantaganifolia, Lithospermum canescens, first blossoms. . 
669. The undulating character of the prairie between Pembina 
Escarpment and Turtle Mountain, and the occasional occurrence of stony 
and gravelly hillocks, has received mention in the chapters on the drift. 
With reference to the soil west of Pembina River, nearly the same re- 
marks apply as to that east of it. It is fertile, though not so deep or 
inexhaustible as that of the Red River Valley, and rests ona gravelly, 
drift sub-soil. Swampy bottoms bearing a good growth of hay-grass 
abound, but their area is quite small as compared with that of the dry 
ground. Toward the end of the summer, most of these swamps dry up 
completely, and extensive regions are then without other water supply 
than that derived from the streams and rivers, which lie in deep vallies, 
and are often far apart. I do not think, however, that difficulty 
would be found in obtaining water, by wells sunk in any of the lower 
parts of the prairie. The rainfall of this region is probably slightly less — 
than that of the Red River Valley, but appears to be sufficient for agri- 
cultural purposes. 
670. It seems probable that at a period not very remote, a great part 
of this district was covered with forest trees. The humidity of the soil 
and climate is sufficient for their growth, and in some places, little hum- 
mocks, resembling those formed in a forest, and known as ‘ cradle hills’ 
were observed. On approaching Turtle Mountain, the tendency of this part 
of the prairie to reclothe itself, is shown by the occurrence of thickets 
of seedling poplars on the sheltered sides of the undulations, wherever 
the fires have not passed for a few years. Between Pembina River and 
Turtle Mountain, and especially toward the latter place, the deep narrow 
paths, or ruts, made by the buffalo when travelling, are still quite appa- 
rent ; though the animal has not been known so far east for many years. 
They have here a remarkably uniform north-west and south-east 
direction. 
671. The water of the swamps and ponds of this part of the prairie 
is generally sweet, but one distinctly saline lake was seen. It had not 
the thick fringe of grasses and sedges of the other ponds, and here, for 
