A BUFFALO POUND. 



355 



mile further west, where the odour of the putrid buffalo 

 would be less annoying. We employed the time in 

 ascertaining the exact position of the height of land, and 

 soon found a pond from which we observed water flowing 

 to the Saskatchewan and the Assinniboine. The pond 

 was fed by a number of springs and small streams, a foot 

 or two broad, issuing from the Sandy Hills at right angles 

 to the valley. 



Sand hills or dunes cover the country for a consider- 

 able distance on both sides. We selected this spot to 

 level across it, and found the depth to be 110 feet below 



Transverse Section of the Valley of the Qu'appelle at the height of land. 



the first plateau, its breadth, although partially invaded 

 by sand dunes, seventy-three chains, or nearly one mile. 

 On the south side it rises much more gently than on the 

 north, and shows two terraces, both of which are covered 

 with drifting sand. Here we commenced taking the 

 levels to the South Branch, twelve miles distant from us, 

 an operation which we soon found necessary to close for 

 the present, in consequence of the arrival of about sixty 

 Cree horsemen, many of them naked with exception of 

 the breech cloth, and belt. They were accompanied by 

 the chiefs son, who informed us that in an hour's time 

 they would escort us to the camp. 



They were about constructing a new pound, having 

 literally filled the present one with buffalo, and being 

 compelled to abandon it on account of the stench which 

 arose from the putrifying bodies. We sat on the ground 



