CHARLES PRATT. 



317 



brooks we saw magpies, cat birds, crows, and, occasionally, 

 the solitary thrush ; in the wet prairies, the rice bird, 

 black tern, plover, the golden-legged and common, the 

 yellow-headed blackbird, common meadow lark, chipping 

 sparrow, and grackle ; on ponds and in marshes, ducks of 

 many species, bittern (Ardea lentiginosa), and cranes. In 

 the morning, after a clear night, we always observed heavy 

 dew ; this phenomenon was not so frequently noticed on 

 the Souris under similar circumstances. There can be 

 little doubt that the sterility of the Great Prairie between 

 the Qu'appelle and the 49th parallel is owing to the 

 small quantity of dew and rain, and the occurrence of 

 fires. JSTorth of the Qu'appelle, the country seemed to 

 be far more humid, and the vegetation far richer and more 

 abundant in many localities than south of that great 

 valley. 



Another prairie eight miles broad, bounded by ridges 

 having a N. W. and S. E. direction, succeeded to the one 

 last described, and introduced us on the 16th to a hilly 

 country ; the range is called the Indian Head Hills ; it 

 contains many beautiful lakes, is well wooded, and forms 

 one of the northern spurs of the Moose Mountain, whose 

 position is given on Captain Palliser's map. The northern 

 slope of the Indian Head HiUs is very abrupt, the southern, 

 gentle and undulating. Here we met with Charles Pratt 

 and party going to Eed Eiver. Charles Pratt is a half- 

 breed catechist of the Church Missionary Society, well ac- 

 quainted with the habits of Indians and of buffalo, but 

 apparently scarcely sensible of the importance of his du- 

 ties and the responsibility of his charge. He gave me a 

 good deal of valuable information respecting the country, 

 and, with characteristic generosity, if not Christian sym- 

 pathy, told John McKay to take a young heifer belonging 

 to him when we arrived at the Mission and kill it in 



