220 TRANSACTIONS OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
NOTES ON THE NOKTH-WEST TEEEITOEIES 
OF CANADA. 
RESUME OF LECTURE BY RICHARD A. PENROSE. 
(Read 28th February, 1889.) 
The British North American dominions are considerably larger 
than Europe. The country north of the St. Lawrence, and up to 
the "Kockies," may be divided into two districts. The eastern 
part, to the line of lakes running north from Winnipeg, is almost 
entirely occupied by the Archaean rocks, and covered with fir 
forests. West of that line the later rocks occupy the whole 
region, generally having over them a huge deposit of silt and 
glacial detritus, with a grassy covering. This is the Canadian 
North- West. It is, comparatively speaking, still almost unpopu- 
lated, as in many places you can travel for over a hundred miles 
without meeting any one. The rivers drain north and north-east 
— the wrong way for commerce — and they are not likely to 
considerably help the country's development; but, fortunately, 
railways can be easily and cheaply made. Granted business-like 
financial management — an absence of hurtful speculative booms, 
either in land, in trading, or in railway construction — and there is 
every prospect of steadily-improving prosperity. Future emigrants 
will reap the benefit of the experience now being gained by 
present settlers ; and there will gradually accumulate a numerous 
population, hard-working (for it is only by hard work that success 
can be obtained) and hardy, as the climate is essentially conducive 
to healthy, strong frames — a population forming the best sort of 
nucleus for a nation able to take care of itself, and be a credit 
to the English-speaking race. Much time is lost by town-bred 
youths going out without experience or adequate ideas of the 
peculiarities of the life before them. It cannot be too strongly 
insisted on, that previously to leaving England they should 
experience a short apprenticeship of hard farm-work and horse 
