292 
SIR RODERICK I. MURCHISON’S ADDRESS. [May 24, 1858. 
acquitted himself of liis task, and has placed before us in a compact 
form the services of so many of our Arctic heroes. 
North America. — British Possessions . — In the Address of last year I 
entered somewhat into the details of the expedition which, under 
Palliser and his associates Blakiston and Hector, upon the recommen- 
dation of the Council, had been despatched by Government to survey 
the water parting between the basins of the Missouri and Saskat- 
chewan rivers, and to explore the edges of the Eocky Mountains 
within our own territories. Since then we have received, through the 
courtesy of the Colonial Office, several communications conveying 
the information that Capt. Palliser reached San Josef, an American 
town seven miles from the British frontier. The bend of the Pem- 
bina river near that place is within the American territory ; but it 
has been carefully surveyed, as a large portion of the river flows 
through British ground. After visiting Turtle Eidge, the expedi- 
tion reached Fort Ellice, at some distance from which, coal of fair 
quality was found, and afterwards reached the Qui Appelle Lake, 
on which is situated the most western station of the Hudson Bay 
Company’s traders. Thence, the explorers started for the Saskat- 
chewan, and in the course of their journey were for the first time com- 
pelled to carry fuel with them. The river was found to be navigable 
for large boats from the point reached, 109° longitude, to Eed Eiver. 
From Fort Carlton, his winter quarters, Captain Palliser proceeded 
to Fort Pelly, and subsequently to Chicago, Detroit, and Montreal. 
The paper notices the different Indian tribes met with, the charac- 
ter of the country, the swarms of buffaloes, and the wholesale and 
indiscriminate slaughter of them by the Indians, and describes the 
resources of the country, and its adaptability for agricultural pur- 
poses. Guides and a party of men had been engaged to assist 
in the projected operations, and in the summer Captain Palliser in- 
tended to start for the south branch of the Saskatchewan, through 
the country of the Black-foot Indians. From Lieut. Blakiston the 
Secretary has heard that he had completed and sent the map of the 
route to Captain Palliser for transmission to the Colonial Office. 
The magnetic observations of Lieut. Blakiston and the geo- 
logical researches of Dr. Hector, from whom I have received very 
satisfactory reports, will doubtless prove valuable, and may be 
alluded to with more effect at our next Anniversary. 
On that occasion also I trust it may be in my power to report 
good progress on the part of the survey which, under the command 
of our Associate Lieut.-Col. Hawkins, has proceeded to co-operate 
