222 ASSINNIBOINE AND SASKATCHEWAN EXPEDITION. 



CHAP. XXXV. 



THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN EED RIVER AND THE PACIFIC. 

 — THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BASIN OF LAKE WINNIPEG. 



The Result of Captain Palliser's Expedition. — Valley of the Saskatchewan. 

 — Character of the Valley. — The Rocky Mountain Passes. — Route across 

 the Continent. — Lieutenant Palmer's Explorations in British Columbia. — 

 Roads in British Columbia. — Lieutenant Richard Mayne's Explorations 

 in British Columbia. — Thompson River. — Present position of British 

 Columbia. — The Customs and Imports of the Colony. — The Gold Fields. 

 — Their extent. — Captain Palliser's suggested Boundary of the New 

 Colony in the Basin of Lake Winnipeg. — Objections to this Boimdary. 

 — Importance of the New Colony being conterminous with Canada on 

 the East. — The Natural Boundary of the New Colony. — Importance 

 of the East Coast of Lake Winnipeg. — Necessity for a Natural Northern 

 Boundary. — Suggested Boundary. — The Natural Advantages of the 

 Basin of Lake Winnipeg. — The Great American Desert. — The Fertile 

 Belt in the Basin of Lake Winnipeg. — Its Importance. — Its Natural 

 Resources. — Conclusion. 



FORT GARRY, RED RIVER TO THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, 

 THENCE TO THE PACIFIC. 



In the Blue Book recently published *, Capt. Palliser 

 enumerates the result of the explorations of the expedition 

 under his command across the continent, and states that 

 his endeavours, in conjunction with Mr. Sullivan, "to find 

 a route practicable for horses from Edmonton westward 

 across the Bocky Mountains, as far as the longitude of 

 Fort Colvile, and entirely within British territory, have 

 been perfectly successful." In addition to this, Capt. 

 Palliser pursued his way for more than fifty miles to the 



* Papers relative to the Exploration of British North America, August 

 18th, 1860. 



