206 



RED RIVER EXPLORING EXPEDITION. 



from the great prairie, some thirty feet above the stream 

 during its summer level. 



In the letter referred to on page 219, the Eev. Mr. Black 

 says, "As to church matters, we have here two congre- 

 gations, or rather a congregation and a mission station 

 belonging to this congregation. In the one where I live 

 there are about sixty families ; in the other (situated at 

 Mr. Gunn's, Stone Fort) there are ten or eleven in all. 

 There are somewhat upwards of 120 members in full 

 communion. The people are mostly Scotch, or of Scotch 

 parentage. There are a few Orkney men, whom our 

 Highlanders scarcely recognise as Scotch, a few half-breeds, 

 one Englishman, and one Swiss. We have sabbath schools 

 at both places : here the attendance may just now average 

 eighty-five ; below about thirty. Here we have divine 

 service every Sabbath forenoon, and in the afternoon 

 alternately here and below. We have also week lectures 

 on Thursdays, and prayer meetings on Tuesday evenings. 

 In regard to temporalities, the congregation below have 

 no property but their small meeting-house ; the one here 

 has about 300 acres of good land, a stone church which 

 cost about 1,000/., and the cottage in which I live. My 

 stipend is 150/. sterling a year, 100/. of which is raised 

 by voluntary contributions, and 50/. is allowed me by the 

 Hudson's Bay Company. My people are mostly all 

 farmers in comfortable circumstances, but none rich. 

 They are, however, allowed to be the most steady and 

 industrious portion of our population." 



THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCHES. 



By far the most imposing ecclesiastical building in the 

 settlement is the Eoman Catholic Cathedral of St. Boniface, 

 near Fort Garry. The external appearance is neither 



