354 ASSINNIBOINE AND SASKATCHEWAN EXPEDITION. 



recent rains from the hill banks, sand blown from the 

 dunes, and loam produced by the blending of the two. 

 Where it leaves the prairie the little river has exposed a 

 section of a drift hill round the base of which it sweeps. 

 Gravelly drift is seen to repose upon an ochreous stratified 

 rock, seamed with veins of selenite. It exhibits a stratum 

 of yellow and red ferruginous clay about six feet thick, 

 and below it a hard greenish sandstone, in which gigantic 

 concretionary masses are numerous. Veins of selenite 

 penetrate the greenish coloured rock, but are most abun- 

 dant in the ferruginous clay. This is the first rock seen 

 in position above the Mission. Subsequent comparison 

 with the rocks on the South Branch showed it to belong 

 to the uppermost member of the cretaceous series. 



On the morning of the 29th, we prepared to visit the 

 main body of the Crees at the Sandy Hills, and with a 

 view to secure a favourable reception sent a messenger to 

 announce our arrival, and to express a wish to see Mis- 

 tick-oos, their chief. Soon after breakfast we crossed the 

 valley and threaded our way between sand dunes ; one 

 dune was found to be seventy feet high, quite steep on 

 one side, beautifully ripple-marked by the wind, and 

 crescent-shaped ; from its summit we saw the woods 

 and hills beyond the South Branch of the Saskatchewan, 

 and what was more delightful to us, traced with the eye f 

 the Qu'appelle valley apparently with undiminished depth 

 and breadth through the Sandy Hills, until it was lost as 

 it dipped towards the South Branch. 



At eight o'clock a.m. we came in sight of the Cree 

 camp, and soon afterwards messengers arrived from Mis- 

 tick-oos, in reply to the announcement we had transmitted 

 to him of our approach, expressing a hope that we would 

 delay our visit until they had moved their camp half-a- 



