166 RED RIVER EXPLORING EXPEDITION. 



be four feet ten inches in diameter six feet from the base, 

 and four feet eight inches in diameter ten feet from the 

 base ; at the base it measured 16*5 feet in circumference, 

 and showed 150 well denned rings. 



German Creek, or La Eiviere Seine, flows into Eed Eiver 

 about two miles below Fort Garry. In 1858 this river 

 was explored by Mr. Dickinson, whom I had requested 

 to try and penetrate to the Lake of the Woods. Mr. 

 Dickinson set out on the 16 th September : his description 

 of the country is published in my Eeport on the Assinni- 

 boine and Saskatchewan Expedition, and the introduction 

 of an abstract here, while completing the view of the 

 Valley of Eed Eiver within British territory, will not 

 materially affect the narrative of our explorations in the 

 succeeding year. I give the following description nearly 

 in Mr. Dickinson's own words : — 



" As the country east of Eed Eiver, extending to the 

 Lake of the Woods, is quite unknown, except for a few 

 miles back from the river, to any but Indians, I was 

 anxious to procure one of them as a guide. Having 

 succeeded in doing so after some little delay, I was obliged 

 to examine this part of the country first, as the Indian 

 guide was about to leave . the settlement in a few days for 

 his winter quarters. 



" Considering that one of the objects of this exploration 

 should be that of ascertaining where a summer road could 

 be most easily made from Eed Eiver to the Lake of the 

 Woods, that being now a subject of great interest among 

 the settlers, who were about sending a party out for that 

 special purpose, I thought it advisable first to go along 

 the straight picket fine made by Mr. Dawson last winter, 

 in which direction, I understand, he reports that a road 

 can be made for some miles, in order that I might be able 



