146 



RED RIVER EXPLORING EXPEDITION. 



a general north-easterly direction for a distance of twenty- 

 nine miles, before it turns south-westerly towards Fort 

 Garry. This deviation is necessary in order to avoid 

 Long Lake, an ancient bed of the river, now converted 

 into a narrow, winding lake of great length. 



On each side of the road is a very magnificent prairie, 

 bounded on the right by the wooded banks of the Assinni- 

 boine, and on the left by the horizon ; a few scattered 

 clumps of poplar are seen here and there, but no trees, 

 until the " Big Eidge" comes in sight. The ridge is pro- 

 bably an ancient beach of Lake Winnipeg ; its elevation 

 does not appear to be more than sixty feet above the 

 prairie level. Where the road touches Long Lake, 

 a spur of the Big Eidge is distant about three miles. 

 I made a diversion from the main track for the purpose 

 of examining the character of the ridge. It rises almost 

 imperceptibly from the prairie, and at its base are nu- 

 merous small fragments of limestone. Ascending the ridge, 

 the limestone debris was found to increase in quantity, 

 and near its summit the slabs were of large dimensions. 



Our cart-horse beginning to show signs of breaking 

 down soon after we left the Big Eidge, Hallet proposed 

 to put his buffalo runner into the shafts, thinking that the 

 journey had so far subdued his spirit, that he would 

 submit to the indignity of drawing a light cart. He travel- 

 led for a few hundred yards quietly enough, but when we 

 came into the open prairie, he started off at a gallop, and 

 swerving suddenly, overthrew the cart, projecting its con- 

 tents into the grass. Mr. Napier received a serious 

 sprain in the wrist, but I fortunately escaped without 

 injury, having fallen on my feet. The buffalo runner 

 soon broke loose from the shafts, and after a short gallop 

 stopped to survey the ruin he had made. Hallet caught 

 him without much trouble, but did not venture to harness 



