Featherstonhaugh^s Geological Report, 



155 



The Coteau de Prairie, about which very little has, been 

 known, is a very broad ridge of land dividing the waters tribu- 

 tary to the Missouri from those which discharge themselves into 

 the St. Peter's, and into Red river of Lake Winnipeg. Its gen- 

 eral direction is about N.N. W. and S. S. E., though in places 

 it appears to be irregular. To the south it comes down to the 

 sources of the Makato, whilst to the north it terminates for a 

 while near the sources of the Psec, when aflat country comes 

 in, intersected by the Shyan and Goose rivers. Lac du Diable* 

 is in this area, with I'urtle river. Here the Coteau rises again 

 to the north, but is called the Pembina hills by the traders ; 

 these extend beyond the Assinaboin river, and die away about 

 Flat lake, near seventy miles from Lake Winnipeg. f East of 

 the Pembina bills there are salt-springs, and from the some- 

 what vague accounts 1 received from the Indians, there is coal 

 in their vicinity . Avery respectable trader informed me he had 

 once picked up some bituminous coal on the shore of Lake 

 Travers. 



Between Lake Travers and the Missouri there are four of 

 these ridges : Coteau de Prairie, on the surface of which there 

 is nothing to be seen but small w^ooded lakes, with immense 

 quantities of muskrats, and which extends four days' easy 

 march to a valley through which a fine stream called Chane- 

 aska or White-wood river flows. This stream, which the 

 voyageurs have named riviere au Jacques, rises in the flat 

 area where Lac du Diable is ; it is well wooded, and joins the 

 Missouri about the forty-third degree. The next parallel 

 ridge is about one day's march to riviere aux Ormes; then 



* The Nacotalis call this Lake Minday Wakon, or Great Spirit's lake ; but a.^ 

 they attach a supernatural feeling to many things they do not comprehend, and 

 apply the name of Wakon even to a powerful magnet, the Canadian voyageurs 

 often mistake the Indians, and in this instance have given to this lake the now 

 popular name of the Devil's lake. 



1 1 have thought it might be useful to give geographical notices of some localities 

 of this unfrequented region : those which I did not visit myself are from good 

 authority. 



