TOUCHWOOD HILLS FOKT. 



413 



and brought to the fort for exportation. There is no 

 timber visible on the west side of the range, with the 

 exception of small aspen and burnt willow bushes. All 

 the wild flowers, so numerous and beautiful in the val- 

 ley of Long Creek, are met with on the summit plateau 

 of the Touchwood Hills, of even larger growth and 

 in greater profusion. Little prairie openings fringed with 

 aspen occur here and there, through which the trail 

 passes ; we then come suddenly on to the banks of a 

 romantic lakelet, in which ducks with their young broods 

 are swimming, and flocks of white cranes start from their 

 secluded haunts at the unexpected intrusion. The breadth 

 of this beautiful plateau is about four miles, its level 

 above the " salt prairie " to the west may be about 

 500 feet. Our course lay diagonally across it, so that 

 we had to pass through seven miles of this delightful 

 country. The Heart Hill, with others not seen before, 

 come into view as we approach the eastern limit and 

 begin a descent to Touchwood Hills Fort. The Last 

 Mountain is visible in the west, but blue in the distance ; 

 the Little Touchwood Hills lie before us, the trail to 

 Fort Ellice stretching towards their eastern flank. The 

 country between the two ranges is dotted with lakes 

 and groves of aspen. From a small hill near the fort 

 I counted forty-seven lakes. 



Touchwood Hills Fort, August 16th. — Arrived at the 

 fort after sunset last evening. It is situated on the south- 

 east flank of the range near the foot of a hill from which 

 an extensive view of the country is obtained. Heart Hill, 

 or Ka-ou-ta-at-tin-ak, is about 700 feet above the general 

 level of the plain, and seven miles in an air line nearly 

 due north (true) of the post. The general direction 

 of the range is N. 45° E. (true). It appears to consist of 

 a series of drift hills, many of which rise in rounded 



