EXPLORATIONS IN WESTERN CANADA, ETC. 
103 
DESCRIPTION OF LOCALITIES IN THE ORDER OF EXPLORATION. 
CANADA. 
The regiou about Wimiii)eg is a flat prairie about 25 or .30 feet above the river. 
The bed aud banks of the lied River of the Nortlr are muddy in the extreme and full 
of stumps aud snags. lu seining, where we did not sink into the mud beyond possi- 
bility to work, snags were sure to interfere. An old French tisberman has cleared the 
snags from a short stretch of bank, and here from morning till night he drags a seine 
over the same ground, making about 20 hauls during the day. The abundance of 
fishes is evident from the fact that a number are taken with every hank The principal 
species are the gold eye which is smoked and dried; the various suckers 
and buffalo; the pickerel (here the species of Sthostedion go by this na;me); the pike 
( L«cb(s), sturgeon, and catfish. The last are extremely abundant, and are taken in 
quantity with hand lines. 
The White Mud River at Westbourne is tributary to Lake Manitoba. It is a 
narrow stream, 00 to 80 feet wide, and swilt. There are pebbly weed-covered stretches, 
alternating with deep mnddy iiools. Tiie country about Westbourne seems to be low 
and swampy. Lucius (ucius is reported to ascend in such numbers to spawn that they 
can be shoveled out. 
The Assiniboiue at Brandon ]ueauders through a valley about a mile wide. The 
stream itself is swift and between 200 and 300 feet wide. The current changes with 
every bend, now approaching one side, now another. The bottom of the stream is 
gravelly in places, but for the greater jiart the soft mud is 2 or more feet deep. I did 
not learn of any fishing here for the market. 
In order to reach the Qn’Appelle River it was necessary to ride nearly 20 miles 
by stage. The road is over a wind-swept prairie, with clumps of low shrubs. At 
longer or shorter intervals there are shallow depressions which resemble enormous 
sink holes of limestone conntries. FTothing is seen of the Qn’Ai)peIle Valley till one 
is at its brink, where, about 300 feet below the general level of the prairie, lies the 
valley of the Qu’Appelle, or “ Who Calls ” River. The valley is over a mile wide and 
is flanked by abrupt walls. It is occupied by a series of four lakes having an average 
depth of about 43 feet. The latter are connected by a swift, clear stream only 15 
to 20 yards wide. They abound in fish. JEtheostoma nigrum flourishes in perfection 
in the stream connecting the lakes. Two species of whitefish {Coregonns) are taken 
in these lakes, but I was unable to obtain any specimens. 
The country about Regina is mostly a level iirairie. Lacawana Creek is a small 
stream about 4 yards wide. Its bed is very muddy, so much so that it was almost 
impossible to draw a net. The banks are abundantly supplied with various water 
weeds. ISTear the town the stream has been dammed to form a reservoir for tlie city. 
The bank of the reservoir nearest the city has a strip of chara about 20 feet wide. 
These chara fields harbored thousands of Pimei^hales and a few Eucalia. Below the 
dam a single haul of the seine secured about a peck or more of Eucrdia. Only four 
si)ecies were taken at this place. Suckers, and especially pike {Lu.cius), are said to be 
very abundant during their breeding season or in the early spring. 
