146 
BRITISH NORTH AMERICAN EXPEDITION. [Jan. 25, 1858. 
The Papers read were : — 
1. Progress of the British North America Exploring Expedition, as far 
West as long. 109° on the Lower Saskatchewan River. By Captain 
John Palliser, f.r.g.s. 
Communicated by the Rt. Hon. H. Labouchere, m.p., f.r.g.s., H. M.’s Secretary 
for the Colonies. 
Montreal, Canada East, 8th Dec., 1857. 
Sir, — In continuation of my Report of the 27th July, 1857,* I have 
the honour to inform you of the farther progress of the British 
North America Exploring Expedition. 
On September the 28th I arrived at San Josef, an American 
town about 7 miles south of the British frontier line. The popula- 
tion consists of British as well as American half-breeds, whose chief 
dependence is on the proceeds of the buffalo hunt; and, while the 
more youthful part of the male population are away on the hunt, 
the then defenceless inhabitants are subject to the inroads of the 
Sioux Indians. These Indians last year attacked that settlement, 
stole almost all the horses, and shot a woman and the schoolmas- 
ter : indeed, hardly a year passes without some similar depreda- 
tions. Although that bend of the Pembina River, on which San 
Josef is situated, is inside the United States’ territory, yet the 
greater part of the river’s course is through the British dominions. 
It is an important river, and may hereafter prove valuable, as 
affording facilities for navigation. I have, therefore, had its course 
correctly laid down in our charts. 
On the 4th August we reached Turtle Mountain, a hill rising out 
of the prairie to about 300 feet ; it is 30 miles long, 10 broad. This 
hill is one of a series that we have since traced scattered irregularly 
in a line from south-east to north-west. The boundary line passes 
through the summit of this mountain, throwing the “ Souris ” or 
Mouse River into the British possessions. This river has hitherto 
been wrongly laid down in all maps ; and I have, therefore, also 
paid strict attention that its course should be carefully laid down in 
our charts. 
August 15th. — We reached Fort Ellice on Beaver Creek. Here I 
found the men I had sent direct from Fort Garry with the ten 
horses, and, as they had now rested more than a week, I took these 
ten horses on an expedition to “ La Roche Percee,” leaving the 
horses, that had been hitherto travelling with myself, to recruit. 
Proceeding on a south-west course from Fort Ellice, we arrived 
on the 18th of August at Moose Mountain, one of the chain of hills 
* See Proceedings, No. I., yol. ii. — E d. 
