386 ASSINNIBOINE AND SASKATCHEWAN EXPEDITION. 



The river is about half a mile broad, with a current in the 

 lead fully two miles and a half an hour. Large drifted 

 trees are sometimes seen on the beach, and one pine was 

 noticed this morning. They have probably traveled from 

 the flanks of the Eocky Mountains. 



About 60 miles from the Elbow, small forests of aspen 

 begin to show themselves on the banks, after passing 

 through a low country, which is an expansion of the river 

 valley. Eipple marks are numerous on the fresh mud, the 

 furrows lying parallel to the course of the stream, they are 

 quite recent and similar to those observed on Eed Eiver 

 in the spring. The ash-leaved maple begins to show itself, 

 the aspen being still the prevailing tree, but the " woods 

 are not continuous, and the prairie on either side of the 

 river remains bare ; it is fast regaining its former altitude. 

 Sand hills are visible in the distance from the top of the 

 bank, and on its side groves of the mesaskatomina are very 

 abundant and the fruit fine flavoured. The exposed cliffs 

 consist of reddish loam, but rock in position is no longer 

 seen below them. At a point fifty-three miles from the 

 Elbow we made a careful section of the river, and found 

 its breadth to be nearly one-third of a mile (28 chains) ; 

 its greatest depth was ten feet on the east side, but on the 

 west side there is another channel with nine feet of water. 



Approaching the Moose Woods we passed for several 

 hours between a series of low alluvial islands from ten to 

 twelve feet above the water. They sustain some fine 

 elm, balsam-poplar, ash, ash-leaved maple, and a vast pro- 

 fusion of the mesaskatomina. The river valley is bounded 

 by low hills leading to the prairie plateau four to eight 

 miles back. The country here furnishes an excellent 

 district for the establishment of a settlement. The spot 

 where we encamped for the night is an extensive, open, 

 undulating meadow, with long rich grass, and on the low 



