THE MOOSE WOODS. 



387 



elevations rose-bushes in bloom grow in the greatest pro- 

 fusion. It is only ten feet from the water, yet it does not 

 appear to be flooded in the spring ; water-marks and ice- 

 marks are nowhere seen above four feet from the present 

 level of the broad river. 



August 2nd. — The region called the Moose Woods, 

 which we entered last evening, is a dilatation of the 

 Saskatchewan flowing through an extensive alluvial flat 

 six miles in breadth, and cut into numerous islands by the 

 changing course of the stream. This flat is bounded by sand 

 hills, some of which are nothing more than shifting dunes. 

 The woods are in patches, and in the low land consist of 

 balsam-poplar, white wood, and aspen. Small aspen 

 clumps cover the hills, but no living timber of importance 

 has been seen as yet, although many fine dead trunks are 

 visible, probably destroyed by fire. The river continues 

 to flow through a broad alluvial flat for about twenty-five 

 miles. Its water is very turbid, like that of the Mississippi, 

 holding much solid matter in mechanical suspension. 



Beyond the Moose Woods the banks close upon the 

 river, and have an altitude not exceeding sixty feet. 

 The breadth of the stream contracts to 250 yards, with 

 a current fully three miles an hour. On the east bank 

 the prairie is occasionally wooded with clumps of aspen, on 

 the west side it is treeless, and shows many sand hills. 

 During the afternoon we landed frequently to survey the 

 surrounding country. Nothing but a treeless, slightly un- 

 dulating prairie was visible ; many large fragments of lime- 

 stone not much water-worn lie on the hill banks of the 

 river, which are about 100 feet in altitude. The river 

 continues very swift, and maintains a breadth of 250 

 yards. Frequent soundings during the day showed a 

 depth of ten to twelve feet. A little timber displays 

 itself occasionally on the east bank below the level of the 



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