THE SILVER FALLS. 



121 



procure some flour and potatoes, and then hurried on to 

 Lake Winnipeg, camping at the mouth of the river. 



Fort Alexander is situated within one mile and a half 

 from Lake Winnipeg. In fields near the fort I saw wheat 

 in process of being harvested on the 3rd of September, 

 and obtained some new potatoes of great size and excel- 

 lent quality. I was informed by the officer in charge of 

 the fort that Indian corn succeeded well in many parts of 

 the south-eastern rim of the lake, and that it was very 

 rarely touched by late spring frosts ; it is cultivated by the 

 Indians. On the following morning I aroused the men at 

 three, and made the first lake traverse by moonlight. The 



Fort Alexander, Mouth of the Winnipeg River. 



west shore of Traverse Bay is high, and shows an excel- 

 lent soil, thickly covered with balsam-poplar, aspen and 

 birch. The lodges of Indians are very numerous on the 

 west point, which forms one of their most important fish- 

 ing stations. When we landed to breakfast or dine, oppor- 

 tunities were afforded of examining the precipitous, but 

 unstable cliffs which were occasionally exposed. At a 



