CHAEACTEE OF THE MAIN SASKATCHEWAN. 



445 



being a rich alluvial loam of a considerable depth, well 

 watered and drained by many fine creeks, and clothed 

 with abundance of timber for fuel, fencing, and building. 

 In some places stony points, projecting into the river, 

 contract it to a width of five or six chains ; stretching out 

 from these points there are shoals over which, as already 

 observed, the current is very strong and rough. Among 

 the islands the river attains a width of a quarter to half a 

 mile, but where it is broad its depth is diminished in 

 many places by mud flats. We stopped to camp for the 

 night about half-past six p.m., nearly fifty-three miles 

 from where we started in the morning. 



August 11th. — We left our last night's resting-place at 

 daybreak this morning, and passed through an excellent 

 tract of country all day ; the soil on both sides of the 

 river consisting of a very rich alluvial deposit, ten feet in 

 thickness, above the surface of the water, well wooded 

 with large poplar, balsam-spruce, and birch, some of the 

 poplars measuring two and a half feet in diameter ; and, as 

 far as I was enabled to ascertain, the land continues good 

 for a great distance on either side, but more especially on 

 the south side of the river. In many places the river is 

 studded with large alluvial islands supporting a most lux- 

 uriant growth of poplar and willows. Among these 

 islands the channel is sometimes intricate, being occa- 

 sionally interrupted by sand-bars and snags. We en- 

 camped about 6 p.m., having attained a distance of about 

 forty-seven miles to-day. We passed a sleepless night ; a 

 terrific thunder-storm coming on after dark, and having no 

 tent to protect ourselves from the driving rain, we were 

 drenched to the skin. Our constant tormentors, the mos- 

 quitoes, were also excessively annoying. 



The general character of the country we passed during 

 the next day is excellent, the soil being rich and the 



