‘ Te eh ee ee 
312 B. N. A. BOUNDARY COMMISSION. 
covered with forest; but that extensive prairies bave continued to 
exist in the drier regions, from that time to the present day. 
733. The causes now in operation tending to the perpetration and 
spread of the treeless area, are suiticiently obvious, being prairie fires and 
their attendant consequences. Judging from the present origin and in- 
fluence of these conflagrations, it can hardly be doubted, that ever since 
the first peopling of this continent, the area of treeless prairie has been 
in process of enlargement in an increasing ratio. 
734. In the vicinity of the forty-ninth parallel, west of Turtle Moun- 
tain (long. 100°), trees are never found growing on the open surface of the 
plain. When they exist, they lurk in sheltered river yallies and ravines, 
where they are protected, in great measure, from the sweep of prairie 
fires, and find more abundant moisture ; yet even in these retreats, they 
suffer periodical destruction. On the growth of trees for a number of 
years, they become surrounded with much vegetable matter, and the fire 
catching in this, burns down into the valley, and sweeps away a greater 
or less area of woodland. 
735. The increase of the area of the plains at the borders, and the 
destruction of the forest, are clearly perceptible, and have been noticed by 
ail the explorers of the region. Capt. Palliser writes :—‘ Large tracts of 
country now prairie lands have at one time grown valuable forests, and 
their present absence is the result of the repeated ravages of fire. Where 
a scattered and stunted growth of willows is found, as a general rule 
was ancient forest land, which, when dug to a sufficient depth, still dis- 
closes numerous roots of destroyed timber,” and in another place :—“ It 
is most lamentable to see so often such masses of valuable timber des- 
troyed, almost invariably by wanton carelessness and mischief. The 
most trivial signal of one Indian to another has often lost hundreds of 
acres of forest trees, which might have brought wealth and comfort to 
the future settler, while it has brought starvation and misery to the 
Indian tribes themselves, by spoiling their hunting grounds. The 
Indians, however, never taught by experience, still use ‘signal fires’ to 
the same extent as in former years, driving the animals from their re- 
treats, and marring the fair face of nature for the future colonist.” * 
Mr. Selwyn, in his last published report, makes the following remarks on 
the same subject: ‘* The drying up of the country already alluded to has 
been ascribed to various causes, but is generally supposed to be con- 
*Exploration of British North America, pp, 83, 89. 




