IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 ^B2£ tii mm §22 1.1 Itt t.: |i£ 12.0 "^ lJi& I fliotographic Sciences Corporation iO'' <^ ? > V.»EST MAIN STRir WiUTIR,N.Y. MSM (716)172-4303 ;\ '4^ CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. ClHIN/l/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historicai IMicroreproductiont / inttitut Canadian da microraproductiont historiquas Technical and BibHographic Notaa/Notat tachniquaa at biMiooraphiquaa Tha Inatituta haa attamptad to obtain tha baat original copy avallabia for filming. Faaturaa of thia copy which may ba Mbliographicaily unlqua. which may altftr any of tha Imagaa in tha raproduction. or which may aignlficantiy changa tha uauai madiod of filming, ara chackad baiow. El D D D D D Colourad covara/ Couvartura da couiaur rn Covara damagad/ Couvartura andommagAa Covara raatorad and/or iaminatad/ Couvartura raataurto at/ou paliicuMa F~| Covar titia miaaing/ La titra da couvarturc manqua □ Colourad mapa/ Cartaa gAographiquas an couiaur Colourad ink (i.a. othar than blua or black)/ Encra da couiaur (i.a. autra qua blaua ou noira) I I Colourad plataa and/or iliuatrations/ Planchaa at/ou iliuatrationa an couiaur Bound with othar matarial/ Rali4 avac d'autrat documanta Tight binding may cauaa shadows or distortion along intarior margin/ La raiiura sarrAa paut causar da i'ombra ou da la distortion la long da la marga intiriaura Blank laavas addad during rastoration may appaar within tha taxt. Whanavar possibia, thasa hava baan omittad from filming/ II sa paut qua cartainas pagas bian4;has ajoutias lors d'una rastauration apparaissant dans la taxta. mais. iorsqua caia Atait possibia. cas pagas n'ont pas AtA filmAas. Additional commants:/ Commantairas supplAmantairas: L'Instltut a mIcrofilmA la maiilaur axamplaira qu1l lui a it* poaalbia da aa proourar. Laa dAtails da cat axamplaira qui aont paut-Atra unlquaa du point da vua bibliographiqua. qui pauvant modlfiar una imaga raproduita. ou qui pauvant axigar una modification dana la mAthoda normala da f ilmaga aont indiquAa ci-daaaoua. 1 t |~~| Colourad pagas/ D Pagaa da couiaur Pagaa damagad/ Pagas andommagAaa Pagas raatorad and/oi Pagas rastaurAaa at/ou pailiculAaa Pagas discolourad, stalnad or foxa< Pagas dAcolorAas. tachatAaa ou piquAas Pagas datachad/ Pagaa dAtachAas Showthroughy Tranaparanca Quality of prir QualitA InAgaia da I'lmprassion Includas suppiamantary matarii Comprand du matArial supplAmantaira Only adition avallabia/ Saula AdKlon disponibia pn Pagaa damagad/ r~~| Pagas raatorad and/or iaminatad/ Ty\ Pagas discolourad, stalnad or foxad/ l~~| Pagas datachad/ Fyj Showthrough/ I I Quality of print variaa/ r~~| Includas suppiamantary matarial/ I — I Only adition avallabia/ Pagas wholly or partially obscured by arrata slips, tissuas. ate. hava baan rafilmad to anaura tha bast possibia imaga/ Las pagas totalamant ou partialiamant obscurcias par un fauillat d'arrata, una paiura. ate. ont AtA fiimAas A nouvaau da fa^on A obtanir la maillaura imaga possibia. P b t s o fi s T si T M a b4 H( rs This itam is filmad nt tha raduction ratio chackad ImIow/ ca dc 10X »cum snt a St rii m% a 14X u tau xda raou ction 18X indK |uac i-dat sous 22X 28X 30X 1 1 y 12X 16X 20X a4X 2MK 32X TiM copy film«d hor* has b—n r«producMl thanks to tho gonorotity of: Library Oiviuon Provincial Archival of Brhiih Columbia Tb« imago* appoaring horo ar* tho boat quality poasibio considoring tho condition and lagibility of tho original copy and in liaoping with tho filming contract apocKicationa. Original copies in printed papar covors m filmad boginning with tho front covar and anding on tho last paga with a printad or illustratad impras- sion, or tho bacli covar whan appropriata. All othor original copios ara filmad boginning on tho first paga with a printad or illustratad impras- aion. and anding on tho last paga with a printad or illustratad imprassion. Tha last racordad frama on oach microficho shall contain tha symbol ^^ (moaning "CON- TINUED"), or tha symbol Y (moaning "END"), whichavar applias. IMaps. platas. charts, ate. may ba filmad at diffarant reduction ratios. Thosa too larga to ba entirely included in one exposure ere filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right end top to bottom, as many frames as required. Tito following diagrams illustrate the method: L'exompleire film* f ut reproduit grlco * la g4n4rosltA do: Library Division Provincial Ardiivtt of British Columbia Lea imagoa suivantae ont 4t* reproduitos avac la plus grand aoin, compto tenu do la condition et do la nettotA do I'exemplaire film*, et en conformit* avec loo conditiona du cortrat da filmago. Los exemplairea originauM dont la couverture en papier est ImprimAo sont filmte en commenvant par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la derniAro page qui comporte une emprointe d'impression ou d'illusuation, aoit par le second plat, aelon le cas. Tous les autres aKomplairas originaux sont filmAs en common^ant par la pramlAre page qui comporte une emprointe d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminent par la darniAre page qui comporte une telle emprointe. Un doe symboles suivants apparattra sur la darnlAre image do cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole -^ signifie "A SUIVRE". le symbole Y signifie "FIN". Les certes. planches, tableaux, etc.. peuvent Atre filmAs * des taux da reduction diffArents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un soul clichA. il est t::mA A partir da I'angle supArieur gauche, do gauche A droite, et do heut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants iilustrent la mAthode. 1 2 3 1 6 mmi'- tvtufv-'vk'' .^aaasaam *?■>." |i ilHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIItt '^ 5 i mWlWUBm HISTORICAL AND lENTIFIC SOCIETY af o^niDOF-^j^, 'm^Wi mm. JiiiL Pi S^ /^/ Win Mid'tlurh, E>*ii., V.i:.. April .'4t/>, t.S'S',. TRANSACXION 13. ^1 lif/ ./. If Rowiin, KhU; C. h\, Apiil £.itlt. 18H.',. |TJHE Pf^AIRIE ej-n?^KEN, />'// Kriief E. T. Hi'fonJMrlm'rn, Man., 2. 'ml \fa;/, tSSJf. PAPRRS KRAI) HRP'OKR TIIR SOriRTY SEASON 1884. W I S N I PKG : MANITOBA DAILY KKKK fUKMS. 1881. .-. — •^•*.*«**-l** — * — —**•* — - ^ — *-.^ IIIIIIIIIIMIIHIIIIIIIIilllllllSilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllMllllillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllilllllllllllillllllllr : THE RED RIVER HY VVM. MrHlKU'H. KSQ, C.K ki' HiulHoii'g Hay (Company ostablish- lii'ir lirst fort at I^iki* \\ innipug in Itut it wa» not until 17<>>i that tlioy kii to unttT into tho Red River coun- It takus its rise or hoacl waters at |k-ii;ht of Land, from Lac Uois de |\, whicli divides it from one branch ht'ud waters of the Mississippi IT, and Hilly a short distance from it, tlu' 4rith parallel of north latitude, lit'tMet'U the !)5th and lOlst degrees ^iii^'itiule. According to the estimate hi' I'liitotl States authorities its valley liids east and west 2'J5 by north and (h '.M) miles. It contains approxi- L'ly <>7,r)00 s<|Uare miles, or 259,200,- l.-vcrcB (if land, HO per cent, of which )iige eoiaprises TllK FINEST FAKMINd LAND Ithc pniduetion of cereals and stock- Tiiij; in the world. Wheat, corn, oats, I alley and Hax are raised in abund- |i|uiuititieH, and with less labor than llie oliUr .States or Territories. The River south of us up to the bound- lliiio fi'iiiii Itreckenridge, a distance of J4i 1(K) iiiilos by river, has a total fall |!'7 -*2-10() feet, «ir an average of very ily r> inches per mile. Between the tniiitinnal boundary and Winnijieg til are .some small rapids and shoals. ku lici'u ill low water there is a fall of L niiio foot to St. Andrews, from b'o 1(1 Lake Winnipeg there is a fall of ki' seven feet; at the mouth of tho river IV are several channels through the \ I « hicli has formed there, and which hw^ nearer to the surface of the water py year, and extending into the lake lliu rate of SIX FEET PER YEAR. ! river is tortuous in its course- more li of us than to the north, and its li:uH cut its course through the alluv- Jeposits and clays on an average of Itet l)el()\v the prairie level to the or- py Iciu wiiter mark. The depth of IT varies from two feet in places to 20 feet (hut this only in the unimproved portions), Tind averaging KM) to HOO feet in width, and in tlu* year 1880 was hjkmi and free from ice 214 days, or over seven months. It passes through one of the most fertile valleys in the world. In 1815 Mr. Rol)ert McBeth, surveyor, « f Kildonan, first knew Red River, and he says the river is now about one-third wider tlian then, and that in the fall of that year boats got aground at several points on the river coming up — viz., at St. Andrews, St. Pauls, and a short dis- tance above where Broadway bridge now st4inds. At that time there was A KELT OF TIMHER along tho river on each side, in places a mile deep, and very good timber, oak, elm, ash and poplar. The Hudson's Bay post was where Ft>rt CJarry now stands, or what remains of it. Tliere arc i>eople now living in St. Boniface who, 00 years ago crossed the Red River opposite the Archbishop's on horseback and on foot, jumping from one stone to another. Roger CJoulot (surveyor) has walked across Red River opposite St. Boniface. Father Dugiist has seen half-breeds cross- ing frequently on horseback, and says that the point between the Red and As- siniboine rivers has lost fully 400 feet in the last thirty years. In 1833 Father Thibault crossed the Assiniboine river on a fallen tree at the point where Main street bridge now stands. Mrs. Moyses, n(»w living at Armstrong's Point, tells me that in 1851 a York boat would touch both banks of the Assiniboine in turning. Also at Moorhead, on the Red river, about forty years ago, Andre Beauchemin took a running lea|) and jumped across the river. THE .ST. BONIFA<'E CLEROY state that the river has increased in width some 150 feet en their side in the last sixty years, the same process going on on the other side of the river shows some 300 feet added to its width, which can be f oaaily accounted for from the combined octittii «»f the water and fnwt; the former, at high water, acta as an undermining ai{ont in the very seluable and slipiwry ulaya, which occur in layers; and the latter, by downward as well as by side |ienetration in the banlcH, prinlucing cracks along the shore line that become fdleil with rain and in time are forced by the ice exi>ansion into groat gain, but this combined action slides hu^u iiiiisHes into the river yearly, the lighter |mrticleH of which are carried BY MKrllAMCAL KI'MPENHION to the delta of the river mouth, thus in time lengthening the river and KUing up a |M)rtion of the lake, making new fiirms for future generations. You will thus see fmm the foregoing evidence what remarkable changes have taken place in the memory of the old in- habitants, and men who are now livine among you are witnesses of the fact; and these changes are going on at the present time, making the Red River yearly more capable of carrying off its own freshet water within its own banks, and unlike some of its tributaries not {ierceptibly lessoning its depth. ( >n the other hand all tho evidence goes to show tluit the channel is deeper than f<»nnerly, as steamers now ply over in the lowest wa- ter where York boats used to ground — and the greatest of all changes since 1872 is the .loole ser^'ice it has |)erfonnod in floating every re<|uirement to build rail- ways, bringing in locomotives, railway iron, immigrants and freights of all kinds. ESTABLISH IN«i I'KOHi'KKOrs CITIES on its banks and settling its fertile val- ley — with farmers. Now we have a rail- way on both sides of the river, which has for a time rendered it of little value as a highway for traffic except to supply the saw mill with timber from it sources and tributaries. Although there are more steamers and of greater tonnage now than fonnerly plying upon it from Win- nipeg north only, the question now pre- sents itself, what will im future be ? and what i)art will it play in the development of this wonderful country of (mrs f It is the international commercial link which joins us by a natural highway to our cousins over the boundary line, which ere long will bring on its watM-« millions of bushels of grain seeking i's natural outlet by Hudson's Bay. It was once supposed that the extension of railways would destroy the usefulness of water- ways, but experience has shown that the I navigation of tho Ohio grows gri*nt« yeiir. TIIK rAKKIAOB OK rKRIOIIT now far exceeds the traffic on any i in the country and at a cost of le«l half what would lie reuuired fur iti| riagf on any railway, if any 'vnti present will consult tho anni^il rt'in the Chief 4tf Engineers of tin- 1^ States army he will find that thvl (luvernmeiit have been giving yi-ari ItronriationH for the impniveuieiit led Kiver of the North throu);li M sotu and Dakota. And what liavri dono^ They have made alow waterl nel for 100 miles of three feet cniitij depth on the up|)er waters of tlu' I'ivor of ours, which has incruauj| trattic from (jne bushel sent nrevi improvement to twenty bushels m im|>rovement, and so much ini|M)rta attached to this work that they are \ $200,000 to construct a l«>ck aiif I river, which is the first step to im the city of Winnipeg the heatl nf navigation, which meiins mucli tv| place, and in order to attain this i desired object a lock, with a inm dam, could be constructed at Sl| drews, which would give a c<>n depth of water, and which in lii<{li i would be no obstruction. If Win and this Province have their inter heart, and wish to sustain their i perity, IMPROVE THE WATERWAYS, fet Minnesota and Dakota <,'nun| ludson's Bay, and you can send toba wheat to within 050 miKs oil sea board for 2 to 4 cents a hushd cording to facilities, and all other fn in proportion during the season of gation, as against the rates by otiier 4 lets — surely the Red River of tlie M deserves such helping measures comimratively small cost, as will tii^ i.viiice to ru'i|» riclily for liiiy out- 111(1 It will |inivu H iHirfuct curu for in' rcaolutiuiw hiuI outcry nboiit Imlifs. It moans thu cstablishiiiont "m \Vini)i|N}(< of a gruat grain dia- iin{; cuutro, which will ut6 tiie re<]uirenient8 of conunerce I pruHOMt day, and navigable waters |as ours, running in a direct line to CH, 7H.'{ miles shorter than any other t4i the great consumers of the I at it saving of from i> to 10 cents usiiel of wheat; and on cattle and [products in proportion, this means I ]ir()duccr in this country an im- ! pruHt. Last year it was conceded Lnmercial authorities that in this piicc alone there was 2,500,000 bush- ' wheat, which at 9 cents |)er bushel ' 25,000 additional profit to the far- iiii liuit year's product available f'>r ou line article alone. With such ^te, iind the larger areas cultivated, I with the present {topulation would |)ublu, and with such incentives for 1 1«> come, THK OUTUIOK IS BKKIHT. i, in the near future; always bear- ^1 mind our youth as a country. re in the wide wt>rld has such a tran- I taken place in so few short years I tliis land we live in, which only ten I ago was called the (ireat Lone , and which is now the attraction of kurl', and to make it what it is de- to l-c. Providence has i>eopled it with its most energetic workers I all countries, and they are contin- I to come in greater numbers year ryuir. In oonclusicm, 1 will quote I A |Kipcr on the tloi i of the Mississ- [valloy, by "N. H. Shaler," whose rks are equally applicable to Red kr, its tributaries and thu waterways kis licritiij,'u of ours. Applying it to Riirthwust he says : Nature in giv- jis tl>e H.NKST KIVKK VALLKV.S lliu buiietit of our race that the world lis, has given with it a burden of la- i^ortliv of our (rovemment. I'nhappily at thu present time the evils of our system of appropriations for inter- nal inipr«)vement have Drought a certain odium up unreasoning disiMwition among our pun- pie unruHectingly to condenui all such projects. This state of the public mind will, it is hoiied, prove transitory. The problem of the lleil and other river sys- tems is a Dominion one, and it will S4Hin become so urgent that it nmst bo treated in a Dominifin way. If the Federal (lov- ernment, led by a sectional feeling that is in striking contrast with the state of the public mind a decade ago, refuses to undertake thu matter, then it will be nec- essarily undertaken by some form of association among the provinces and States that are most im- mediately concerned therein. It needs no Daniel cel, it could not fail TO WKAKEN THK BONIt of counnon interest, the source of common obligation, and fraught with danger to the Dominion at large. Once let it be established in the public mind that the vital interests of each section must be cared for by association of the Provinces and States immediately concerned there- in, and the idea of a groat all-sustain- ing commonwealth will be fatally weak- ened. Such a sundering of the moral union of the people would pave the way to it if it did not in itself warrant a politi- cal disintegration of the Dominion. It seems to me certain that no such ])olicy of blii ' neglect can ever meet with con- tinued approval in this country. Practi- cal modem govennnent exists for such duties, and will be properly judged by the efticiency by whicn they accomplish them. So the Government of the prac- tical age we are entering uiM)n will stand or fall by their power to combat the ele- mental enemies pestilencu, Aow\ and famine, or what else of ill to which man tamely submitted. mmmmm ■Wji -HI!;, f?5»5??^5»^^ » 1 lifii I- nov till- III 'It li, ta llii-t IllllllltU 'MlUllll'I'll |)t |i(irtitiii of nti' lit' Mini: itioii III! thu liiut i'> milfs ,.f the St mill lit OS. ] |mliirly lUm I milo until : littlu to the ^lii'li ]iiiint it A ami ftiUo' i^'f a (li.stmic( [Here it is jn IMT, wliich ( ikc TiaviTse. falHUit 22 I. Imlary tlow Hiiil half w< Bifckcnric 1 Like Travel water, stret( Ic 4") dt'LT p(i\it 30 niilef lilis in wid lieiglit of bi' iduntiy, |i>w into the 'liirii enijity Jiise latter W; Mita River, i liles to the M of Like 1 lilt a miles .'Stony Lak rliat similar ^ g in exn Irnif 25 mil( lilt 4 miles i III einl of w ntiiiues, aiK mis of miles Lu to the n |i->i>siippi Ri\ Paul. It i« iinneci waters flirt ivtl tu he: THE RED RIVER. BY JAMKS H. ROWAN. ES^.C.K I'lifil i» iu»w kiiitwii ft.-* tlif KimI Rivttr I till' iiiii'th, take.'* itN rise ill a iL'^imi of kiii-t iiiiiiil»frlfs« lake.-', sitiiatcil in ■iiuilii'i'ii |M)rlii(ii iif Buck I* r (UK I iiortli- |iiiitit>ii of Ottfi'tail Couiitifs, in tlie Btt' of MiiiiRMotA, Hot far from Detroit itioii oil the Xoitlmni I'acific llAilwnv ; fiut i'> luilfs lijvd of tlu! wi'sti'in hound- of the Stfttt! in latitude 4(5 degrees, luinutes. Fioiu thence it flows in a liulurly direction fora di.stnnce of alioiit I milu> until it runcbe.s a iioint ea.st, and llittlu to the south of Breckeiiridge, at kiirli |iiiiiit it mnkeis a slmrp turn to the f^t and follows tliat coui-se to Brocken- l^'f a distance of fthout 25 miles. [lleic it is joined by the Bois de Sioux Ivi r, wliich flows from the south out of ike Tiavi'rse. The Bois de Sioux River |n)H>iit 22 h 'les in length, and has one Imlary flowing into it from the east, diiil half way between Lake Traverse nil Bifckenridye. Name unknown. [Like Traverse is a cresent shajicd sheet : wfitcr, stretching from south west lati- idc 4") degrees, 30 minutes to north, i\U 30 miles in length and from I to 2 kills in width. At its southern end is licight of land which, in that part of hi iduntiy, divides the waters which Lw into tiie Arctic Ocean from those lliirli eliiltty Uito the (lulf of Mexico. Tin sc Inttir waters begin hero in the Miii- >i)ta River, which take its rise about 26 kilcs to the northwest of the southern if Like Traverse and flowing within liiiiit a miles of this point, empty into w^ Stony Lake, a sheet of water of some- |liat similar shape to Lake Travei-se, but mving in exactly the opnosite direction, |imf 25 miles in lengtii and averaging Jilt 4 miles in width ; from the south- In cud of which the Minnesota River piitiiiucs, and after flowing some hun- Ms uf miles first to the south east, and Lu to the north west, emj)ties into the psi-siiipi River in the neighborhood of It. Paul. It i« iiiineces.sary to follow this system watL-rs further, and they are only re- ^iivil to here because, about 25 or 30 eai» ago, an effort was made to bring a steamboat into the watei> of the Rt-d River by this route. For, during pt-ritids of jiigh water, i^ako Traverse uikI Big Stone are united, ami I believe tiic only rea-ion why the attempt was not successful, was, that she did not get to the height of land during the period of high water. Her machinery was, at a sul»se- • lueiit date reiiiovttd and placed on board tiie " International" which some of those now present may reniemlier to have seen on our river some years ago. I o]iened this paiier by stating '' What is now known as tiie Red River, because, that ]iortion of it extending from its source to Breckenridge, which is thenoint we had leachetl, was formerly called the Ottertail River. From this we find it fol- lowing a general coui-se almost due north to ( }rand Forks, a distance of about 120 miles. At Grand Forks the Red I^ake River flows in from the east and from this point down to Lake Winnipeg, a distance of about 190 miles, still following a cour.se about due north. It may here be stated, in ordtsr to pre- vent mistakes as regards distances, that the leni'ths of the river heretofore given have all been given in straight lines, and that, in order to arrive at anything like a true estimate of the length of tlitr river, it is necessary, for that jiortion of it extend- ing from its source to Winniiteg, to mul- tiply the distances by tuv. More accurate detailed distances of the liver will, how- ever, be given in a subsequent part of this paper. The course of the river from its source to its outlet having been traced, 1 shall now proceed to name its tributaries, tak- ing tnose which flow into it from the ea.-t first, and commencing from the south: The first of them is Buffalo River, which, rising some miles north of the source of Red River, in a country of very similar character ; , '., after flowing a distance of 60 or 70 miles, empties into the Red River at Georgetown, about 50 miles nortli of Breckenridge. Wild Rice River empties in 75 miles north of Breckenridge. iiii (I MniHli llivii, H.'Miiilf< iiuitli of Un-ck fiiiiil^;)', Snnd llill Uivri, finiil^viiiK *>• '!><' iici}{lilHtiiiiMMl itf Ft'o^ riiMil. Itri iiiilc.H iiiirili of |tr«H'kt>iit'inMi of Uciii|iti*-N ill, n^ nli'(;n imrtd of llri>cki>iii'i. nn of llir rivor, ImiI in CaiiJulinii It-rriloiy, we Imw .loi> OtM-k, foiii' niil«>M nortli of tlir Iti- tcriiAtioiiKl iMiiiiidnry. l^tHOAU iliviT, rising' in n Ukc o'' ilic haiih* nAiiii', wliit'li is xiiuAtt'ii in iic Uiiilt^d StAli's, not fAi' from the linkc of the Woods, Ami ilrniniiiL; a <-onsi
  • i'Alilt> ah-a, Howxin 10 iiiilvs north of tlio lnt«'niAtioiiAl iMMtiiilarv . \W, itivtM-, -is miU's north of liiti-i- iiAlioiiAl Imiindnrv. Sj'iiu' Uiver, tliA«-e, And then turninL; iiorthwAitl ami llttwiiij,' |>ArAllel to the Jletl River At the Alnive iiAined tlistAUcc for :M) mile» fAlls into it A)H)ut 3') miles north of Urcck- enrid'.'f Cheyenne River — this i> a reiiiArkAhlu >treAm, diAining A lArge areA of country, it tAkes its rise alM)Ut !)^} miles south of the InternAtioiiAl HoundAiy, and 100 miles west of Re«l River, theiut! it Hows eAsterly alxmt 55 miles, then southerly some 1)0 miles, then iiortheAsterly About HO miles, entering the Red River 51 milesi north of Breckenrid^e. It has a number of tributaries of lonsiderable si/e. Elm River empties in at 75 miles north of IJieckeiiridge. Little Fork River empties in at 85 miles north of Breckeuridge. (iinnd (!oiili-t' Uivci i-m|ilit-« in .ii iiiili^x north of Hretkeii ridge. CoVAii Creek i'iii|iiies in at 10;i i,|| north of Itrei kt'iiiid'^e. Tilth' Kiver with iis irilMilArifK ■ iii|,t in At I20 miles north of ltreikuiiri0 miles north of Itreekeiiriili^iiiri miles south of the InterilAtioilAl hmi Aiy. (hi the sAliie sitle of the Reil Rivei, now in CAiiAtliAii territory we eomi' In Riviere aiix MAiAis, 12 miles nmili the InternAtioiial HoiimlAiy. •Scratching River, 25 miles north uf i|| InternAtioiiAl HoiimlAiy. Riviere SaIU', 55 miles mirth of iIh teriiAtioiiAl HtuiiitlAry. AssinilHiinc River, extemling \vi ' fributAiy the t,>u'Appellt' for huiuliiil miles t«) the west aikI north, llowiii;;iui| the Retl River At Winnipeg «2 miles iiur of the tnttTiiAtionAl i^tumlAiy. Kuiilt reference will be niAile to this river >iilij <|UPntly. Ni!tley Creek Hows in 102 milc> iiutt of the InterilAtioilAl BoundAry. Knuii the foregoing it will be seen th exclinliiig Ally tribiitAry strcAins, wliid How into the Retl River aIiovc Hnvki^ riilge. such as the Ottertail, etc., luil eluding the Btds de Sioux, it has lh» trihutarm of consitlei-Alde size, ilivi almut et|ual numbers on latth sides dfiH river, those on the west however tliaiiili far the largest nieaof country. The area ttf lountry ilrained liy these streams, and which sends it> >iir)iii WAter into Lake Winniiteg, the jiiiAiJ part of which flows past the city ol'Wiil nipeg, is about 110,0tX) stiuare milo, whicYi H5,900 st^uaro miles are tliaimil' the Assiniitoine ami its tributarily f 45,(XH) s(|uare miles by the Retl Riven its tributaries, of the latter (j[uantily, al»'J 35,(XX) square nules aie in the I'liit^ States, antl 10,l*0() square miles aiv Canatla. A jtart of the water-dutl the Assiuiboiuu is also iu the L'uiti States. Ilic ;,'ii'nlfr pnrt of thix vnA nn-n iimy |i|iMtilH'«iir|)Ax «Mi richiH'-- ftinl fi-r- Itv. tiniii^li n |»Ai'l of lliiH |irnii'if tlif K<-•> tlinl it now IIowh, nt low [ill, nl n It'Vfl of fioiii 20 fi-cl to Wl fct-t liiH llu' iiiniiii' Ifvcl. Ht'lwfi'ii tin- Kirir iiimI low water \vvvU tlino in n III h III iiitiTvnl of Ininl nlNiiit Id fi-t-t ir liiw wntfi'. coVfi'ctI willi n tliick jittlli iif vftiiuiis trt't's, |ii'iiii'i|inll,v, oak, L I'liii. iiinplf, colloii W'mmI mill willoWH. Iiiiii^' til)' iiiiniiM'r il HU|)|MirlM a imik ui-tntioii of f«>iiiM mill vmioii-* othur kits; ill soiiif |ilAr<>H it i.o iiiiili'i- riiltivn- kii- riii" iiilt'ivftl ftvcrftu't'^ alMtiit oiir muir- iif ri mill' ill wiiltfi, mnl throii(/li it thu ki'i wimls from M(U' to xiilc. Whcif it ■irlii^ llic xiili'N, or in otlh^r wonU, t)ii> lie prairii' Imnk, tli«> sii|<-H mi' Htri-ii, ami |i- n |H'niliar fact, noti'iMiy the I uiteil (lie- Kiij,'inei'rs, that in nearly every I till' ileep water or cliannel \h near -I' |Miiiils, wliile the Itarx or mIiohIs are I tin 'ii iil>, oi, in other wonls, theihan- is (III the convex ami the ^hoftU on the Drnvi' niile of the river. lie Ih'iI of the river \n coniiiOHeil of liinv ami blue i-Iav, iirincipally the lat- , nil tii|) of whicii IS the true proirie I (if lilack Uiani, vmvin^ in feet in width, by means t»f lgiiii{ and the building of n lock and Di. nt a point called Arose Ra])id!. This Inltei Work is esiimaleil to cost $MKI,(NI0. Nl) appropriation has )H>en made, as yet, by Congress, fur this work, conse<|iiently nothing iN'Vond the survey Iiai- been undertaken ; but 91 I3, )mi> been voted and fl(Mt,N(Nt expended in dredging, re- moving siiags and overhanging trees on that poilioii iif the river extending from ItrecKeiiridge norlliwaid to ■.nine distance below Knigo, up til :i(Mli .lime. jSHi'. The ac.cuiiipAii,>iiig table shoWs hnw largely the local trade on the river has increased within the last few years, and the authori- ties ate of the opinion tliat this is due, i 7(5. 401 107.!)9| 122.1)61 I24.3K| 134.75' 14^.23; lt51.03 l(i7.23 1S7.H!) 197.22 1 ;= r^ s rt St. Andrew's Ra])i*ls Stone Fort C. P. RCro.ssing, Selkirk Lfikc Winnipeg 2 %^'^ 5 "S 3 v'Z '^ ?*" 2 U J 5 S ^'* ~ "7. fi 5 T •■ ■f .£ IS -^ S i "" O.Kt 0.05 0.25 i 2.5N < 0.97 I 4.87 3.7(5 ().()! 2.50 ^ s ■s - ^ = 5^1 S •"" ! 1) — -e ■/. -c a — 3 o 215.82 215.92 2l5.97i 2 If). 221 208 . 80i 21'.l.77] 224.(54 228.40' 229.01 231.511 0.00 25.97 .'■)(5.50 19.10 (51.52 28.t)3 1.00 11.(54 13.85 35. (K> 25.00 70.50 48.0(» 3.12 11.50 1.30 10.23 (5.97 12.10 18.49 4.63 11.(56 7.28 17.84 1.84 1.32 3.37 6.(56 4.22 0.87 3.04 5.40 20.50 0.00 25.97 82.47 101.57 1(53.(^9 191.72 192.72 204.36 218.21 253.21 278.21 348.71 396.71 AV.i .8(5 .83 .9;{ .42 399.83 411.33 412, 422 429, 441 4(50, 4t».").(»5 476*71 483.99 501.83 503.67 504.99 508.36 515.02 519.83 520.70 523.74 529.14 549.(54 0.00 1.36 0.(52 0.3(t 0.51 0.52 1.42 0.89 0.90 0.36 0.25 0.28 0.19 £ i3 = 947.7.- 912.1- .s77.li'' 871.:'>-2 839 . 7:; 824.7(1 823..; I 812.117 799.4',' 786. (i!) 780. 4H 759 . X{ 7 50. "ill _, 4) Biivi'iage he IV water (li.>F 11(1 re ws Ra i.2;{ •19.;i:' 0.10 718.71 0.12 I 716. -21 Note ! — The distances along the river are given by the United States Eiigin from Breckenridgc to Pembina. If this means Fort Pc^mbina, or the town of P bina, and not tin- International Boundary, the distance (by river) between eitJMi tlie.se jKtints (which is unknown to the undersigned) would have to be added t Northern point.s, as they are lueasuri'd from the International Boundary to tlul.il| FLOOD levels. Fargo. LOW WATER. 1S81 1882 871.32 871.32 HIGH WATER 899.10 904.50 DlFKKRCil 9 LAKE WIXXIFJ K HKKiin UiE AHOVK :en hk.\ )NS LKVKI,. 947.7.- !)12.l- .s77.li'' H7l.:'.-2 >si!) . 7:; S24.7(; SL':5..;) 812. !)7 79<,».4'.i 78(1. (ill 7n(I.4H 7r>i> . x{ 7r>(),."iii * ' _, 'I' i J> ^^ fee half 7:ii.!i" 115 7:ji.hi U 7:{l.7."i )7 7ai.iiii i7 728. !)i 12 727. '."ail 59 72;J.o>F 2.1 719. ;i:! 10 718.71 12 716.21 States Eii;.'iii ,e town of P between eitln to he addi'il 1 1 lary to tiu- liil ER UlFFKBCil watei ilischarge feet per xecoml 111 water tli.xvhargo feet per second, cstiuiated at 20,0 liv water (li.> to 3,5(K) feet . Vli water discharge per .second (ahove A.ssinihoine River,) 50,05iiij Snow — not given. Winnipeg Rain — avorage II yeai-s — 1871-1881 V'.:'i ij Snow. STATEMENT SHOWING AMOUNTS APPROPRIATED nV THE CONdRESS OP THE d STATES OK, KOR, AND EXPENDED ON THK IMPROVEMENT OK THE RED II'VeJ 30th JUNE, 1883, AND IsT .lULY, 1883, RESPECTIVELY. APPROPRIATIONS. 14th August, 1876 \ * 10,000 00 18th June, 1878. 3rd March, 1879.... 14th June, 1880.... 3rd;March, 1881 ., 2nd August, 1882. 30,000 00 26,0(K) 00 20,000 00 18,000 00 10,(KX) 00 E.XPENDITURER. 1st Jul V, 1878, do ■ 1879. ^113,(KX) 00 do do do Balance unexpended. 1880 1881. 1882. I 8,4.35 i.VMil 15,157 !),.S4(i 42,l(J2l 22,i;)6l 811;},(HKM * Major Farquhar's original estimate for im])rovcment of river $14r),31i| Already appropriated ^113,000 (XI Required to complete 32,310 18 ^145,310 18 Major Farquhar's original estimate cost of lock and dam, Goose Rap.ds $219,287 99 Subsequently reduceahy 29.2H7 99 190,01111 $335,3111 i Owing to enhanced prices of material and labour United States Eiigiii| estimate Uiat the work will cost from 30 to 60 per cent, more than tlio uii estimate. xiter Immiij,',!,. i«)i't ilistniiei'li le iMinks up tjaiul St. Aiiiii e IhsIow tile 1 11 COMMERCIAL STATISTICS. FUKIUHT IIKOEIVED AND SHIPPED — HKA80N 187S. IIY WHAT lilNE. .11.421 kili'i l^'i'« 11, Davy ,13.i(iiiiBi'''^ Kiiikle ; & McCiurc .iH.D.IiiiBout Quiver Traii«i»oiiatioii Co.,. . i'r.."»7 iiii No OF I,B8.!NO OF I.H8. FREIOUT I FREIUHT DOWN. I VV. I'AHS- ENQER. not REMARKS. 25,()(K),(M)(»^ I2,0(K),(K)0 .'itatctl. Steaiuew. 220,000 1,200,()(X) 1,890,0001 I " iFlat boat 2,000,000 247, Steamboat & baigp « a u 62,670,000! 18,363,001 13,190| S OF THE n 'HE RED IliVt rURER. 9 .s,4:« • •* liV!l»i • ■ t If), 157 ,,, !),,S4K 42,1()2 $9(>,^(j;i >•* 22,i:i6 ^ll.-i.lXli) $145,3111 10 18 FREKJHT RECEIVED AND SHIPPED — SEASON 1879. UY WHAT LINE. lin Sttsaiuor fck Stwimur do Boat> io I River TraiiHportation Co., do do NO OF LBS. FREKJHT rx)WN. NO OF LBS, FREIUHT UP. PA88- ENOER. REMARKS. 2,622,949 5,431,683 8(H),()00 1,200,000 240,000 .577,860 17,817,190 7,040,390 88,659 not ' stated. Local freight. « « « 28,998,3891 6,720,342 Moorhead to Win- nipeg. Fishers lantling and St. Vincent to Winnipeg. Winni]»eg to St. Vincent. FREUiRT RECEIVED AND SHIPPED— SEASON 1880. BY WHAT LINE. Lille SteameVfi 1 (wi r^nHl ^^^^ ''^""^ ^f* • •n.ir ni,,^iJi:i Line of Steamers River Transportation Co., States Eiiar NO OF LBS. FREIOHT DOWN. NO OF LBS. FREIUHT. UP. PA88- ENOER. REMARKS. I • ! not .'),999,18ll 3,997,(K)0 stated. 9,833,;i45| ! 1,170,3201 I 4,090,284 10,568,995 7,040,390 102,000 28,633,620 14,667,966 16,620,215 of th.' total freight "was wheat. 12 FRKIQHT REC'EIVKD ANU 8UII>PKD — KEA80N 1881. OY WHAT LINE. Alsup Line Steam ers Qrandin Line Steamers Selkirk Steamers Flat Buatii and Bargcu .. NO OF LHS. FREIGHT DOWN. 5,258,854 4,497,180 I.<,5y6,(l0(> 5,150,365 28,502,399 NO OF L»8. FREIGHT ur. 2,783,805 16,680,000 5,I48,(X»0 PA88- ENQER. REMAHK- not stated. 24,612,062 27,iKj«),oo;; the tutal fj was wliLMt. During the season of 1880 therewere 8 steamboats and 221nrges, witlial number of flatboats, engaged in the commerce of the river between Al)ercr(iiulii| Winnipeg, but the Canailian authorities having placed an embargo on Amiiiraii tomspiying in Canadian waters, the numbers were reduce din 1881 t(» 4 steaiian 15 barges on the United States portion of the river, the balance being sold tuC dians to run north of tlie International Boundary. ESTIMATE OF WHEAT RAISED IN THE UNITED STATES PORTION OF THE HKD 1 VALLEY DURING THE SEASON 1879. Minnesota . Dakota fCSay County, I Wilkin » i Polk " Marshal " 1^ Kittson " f Richland I Cnss " ■{ Traile " I (}rand Forks " (^Pembina " 640,000 li; ;io(>,(KX) 510,000 75,0 500,0U8e, resembling the «)ther members of 1 fjunily in its general anatomy and enrauce, but differing in that its neck vithout any specially developed feather- Jts, and its tail feathers are very short stiti", except, however, the central which are softer and so long that ky project an inch beyond the (jthers , end the tail in a point. \t is a matter of doubt whether these I long feathers arc true tail feathers or Ircly developed coverts. The fact that )ir insertion is slightly above that of I true ({uills would seem to indicate It they are coveiis, but in color and kpc tliey grade perfectly into the ad- piing ({uill feathers, which fact, I think, ablishes their claim to be considered jtrue rectrices. It is from this pecul- |ity (if the tail that the bird gets the Bie of "sharptailed" or "pintailed" ^use, though, throughout tliis country, I bust known as the prairie chicken. \i\ Manitoba at least this bird in its tributiun is co-extensive with the kiries. I have found it abundant in Bit; Plain, Turtle Mountain, Souris Shull river districts, but cannot say far west it extends, in the east it I buun found as far as the north shore Lake Superior. It is supposed that Duu time it ranged much further to the jlth than at present, but that it is re- atin^r before the pinnated grouse Irao cupida) which has already enter- (Manitoba by the lied River Valley. ave seen a number of specimens taken jlun twenty miles of Winnipeg. It is pable that a record be kept of any facts regarduig this encroachment. Instead of giving a detiiiled descrijition lio bird a specimen of a female is ex- ited. There is little difference in gen- eral a|>puar'ince between the spxes. Tlie male has over or behind the eye a imtch of bare ])apillacious skin, which is of a bril- liant yellow (not red as was supposed liy Eastern naturalists) and on each side of the neck a bare air sac of a blue color and about the si^ce of a pigeon's egg. These are connected with the mouth for they can be inflated by blowing into the thnmt. When not displayed the sacs are merely sunken under the surrounding feathers which are ntit in any way specially developed iis in the Rufted and Pinnated (irouse. During the breeding season tliey are more or less inflated and are highly colored oven when the bird is quiescent. The female differs only in having these bare skin ornamentations much smaller (not absent as I have seen stilted). The young of both sexes are indistinguishable from the female (or frt < the male in non- breeding season) except that they aie smaller and have the hair-like feathers on the feet shorter and more marked with clouded gray. The leg-feathering ends at the base ^A the toes and half conceals them by reason of its length. Their toes, as with all grouse, are n»jtu- bly pectinated. Not having heard any theory iis to the use of these combs, ex- cept that of cleansing their feathers, I give the results of a few observations. In early spring the combs begin to drop oil', just an odd one adhering here and there. In a week or two tliey are iill gone and during the summer the toes are clean and smooth. After the second or third week, (about mid-August or earlier) both the young and parent birds begin to show a row of growing scales along both sides of each toe. These develop with the growth of the chicks until October, when the birds are full grown, and then the young and old show their snow combs perfectly developed. The combs 14 uxiBtin;^ only in wiutur, it is iiatunU tt>in- fer that they are meant tu act lu siiuw- shues or as extra claws to stay the bird from slipping on the crust and on the icy limbs of the trees where browse forms its winter food. These snow combs continue in perfection during the six months of winter, but are at once shed on the ad- vent of warm weather. The tail feathers, already alluded to, arc exceedingly stift' and sonorous. When the male is strutting before the female, or when either the male or female is shot at and dying the tail is rapidly opened and shut, the stiff feathers making a loud noise like porcupines' quills, or like the shaking of a newspaper. The muscles for expanding the tail seem to be very largely devel jped. The chickens winter in the dense bush, but in spring, before the snow is quite gone, they scatter over the prairie8,where only they are found during the summer. In the spring they are very shy for it is only the shy and wary ones who have successfully run the gauntlet of such winter hunters as owls, foxes, wolves, minks and Indians. Their advent on the still snow-covered plains might be reckoned premature and fatal to many, but they find a good friend in the wild rose (Rosa lucida). It is abundant almost everywhere, and the red-ripe hips, unlike other fruit, continue to hang on the stiff stems high above the damage of wet and earth. The rose grows most abundantly on the high, sandy knolls, where the snow is thinnest, and here the grouse congregate and are fed. In this section of the Northwest gravel is not abundant, so that birds re- •luiring to use it to aid digestion would be in a dilemma were it not that the st'.!^{e in what is called "the danc^ They commence at dawn. The birds n be seen standing in ordinaiy attitu until suddenly one lowers his head, spr out his wings horizontally, but sligl dipped, and his tail perpendicularly, tends his air sacs and erects his feathtj then taking the very shortest steps, stampini! liis feet so fastalid hard thatl sound is like that of a kettle druinj careers about, beating the air with wings and vibrating the tail so tliatl rattles loudly, uttering a sort of cribbj crow, which seems tocomc fromtlieiiiis When one commences all join in rattlj stamping, drumming, dancing, and louder, faster and faster, till tis tU madly whirl about they are fairly leag over each other in their excitement, continues for a minute or two, then i gnidually relax, bnt only for ii time, when they are again stiirtedl 1. He 11)10 leading I itf'. The whole jHsr- niiiti'' ruiiiiiiilH one 8(» strongly uf a ue iliiucu" as to suggest that the dance (lie birds was the prototype fif the In- I uxei'cise, the drumming noise, stamp- hi-hi's of the Indian corresponding Itht; wing drumming, tail rattling, ppini,' and crowing of the chickens. I space usually beaten by the dancing (iiii llfty t<) one hundred feet sifuare, is called in the Western ^ tates by I muiie of their "scratching ground." I (Luce is indulged in at any time of liiituniug from dawn till noon, but Lrally till the sun is up, and is carried jthrouiihout the month of May. |t will be seen that this corresponds hewhivt to the nian(fUvreB of the Old brld Ruti', a bird that is well known to |]x)lygHinous and for this and other pons I expect that it may yet be kven that the grouse do not pair. i'hen the birds are disturbed on the I they do not hide in the grass, but |)iediately take wing and scatter, utter- iis they rise a peculiar vibrsitory ack," "cack," "cack," silmost like a gh. This is nearly always uttered (ultaneously with the beating of the , and so rarely heard except under circumstances that I at first sup- «d it was caused by the wings alone, snicti have heard the sound both cn the bird was sailing and when it Ion the ground, besides seeing it Hy off Intly. They have also a call, a soft, \r whistle of three slurred notes, E A laiRl a sort of grunt of alarm, which is ped in by the pack as they fly off. pir mode of flight is to flap and sail by ns every forty or fifty yards, and so ^d and strong are they on the wing I have seen a chicken save himself his swiftness from the first sttop of a |egrine falcon, while another wu ' seen iscape by flight from a snowy owl. lie hen nests in the long grass tangle, lerally near cover, or on the edge of Itimber. The nest is a slight hollow ped over by the gniss and lined only I a few stmws. She lays from 14 to ^g^s no larger than that of a common on. Just before expulsived non-fertile. Assuming that ihey really and faithfully pair it may be accounted for in this instance, by supiHising that the male was killed, and that the female laid her last egg uninipregnated and carried nut her duties alone. Having determined to raise some of the grouse in the barnyard, I set two common hens with prairie chicken eggs. Theegi^s were subjected to some very rough usage, all of them having made a long journey, either with a man on horseback or in a buggy over the prairie. The amount of shaking they bore would have endan- gered the vitality of any barn fowl egg. Besides this, through the negligence of the hen, they were several times left cold for some hours. Notwithstanding these disadvantf^es, after about twenty days the whole of the eggs came out. 1 put them with one large hen and enclosed for them a piece of prairie, in its natural state, so as to have their surroundings its natural as possible. They were bright little chicks, clad in golden down, with black spots above. When they s<|uatted in the grass their color was a perfect con- cealment. Their only note was the triple whistle- call, in a higher key, how- ever, than that of the old ones. At first their wings all appeared with rows of large blood quills. As soon as they could run they showed a desire to drink, and on water being set before them they drank much and often. This was rather surprising, as in a state of na- ture they are hatched in the driest places and far from water. 2nd day. — They are very active, catch- ing flies, etu., they care little for any kind of food but that of living insects, but will now and then eat a little hard-boiled egg, or if oatmeal be wetted and splashed about the grass they will peck ofl' a good deal of it. 3rd day. — Three are dead ; one was drowned and two were killed by the hen trampling them. The hen was a Brahma and weighed about six pounds. I would recommend that a (iame or Bantam hen be used in future, as the mother prairie chicken weigha barely two ])ounds at 16 t.liig time. This left nie m»w twenty-two chicks. 4th day. — The chicks nre now (leveloji- in^ their scapuhini. 7tlj day.— They can now Hy » little, us tile wing 'luills are very large and strong. I have reiison to l>elieve that when wihl, tliat their developnient is even more ra|tid. 8th day.— They are now Hedging on ' tlie neck, the wings are completely feathered; otherwise they are cUd in down. At this time, when in a sttite of nature, should the old l>ird be surprist'd, slie goes off with a loud whirr, but im- mediately a do/en little "whirrn" are heard as she Hies, and is folluweth day.— All fly well, and their voices are changing from the high-pitched "peep" to the deejwr "chuck" of the old ones. 13th day. ^They now number but fif- teen, the loss be'ng caused by the clumsi- ness of the foster mother and the strict confinement. Yet if they be let out, they would be lost in the long gniss. and could not be gathered together again by the hen, as they not understand her "chuckle." Tlicy are now well giown sind feathered on the back. They still adhere to insect food, rarely eating anything of a vegetable nature except that they are fond of wild strawberries. An ant's nest that would quite iill an ordinar}' bucket they pick clean in a day. 14th day. — A cold day, though this is the 13th of .July. Fearing for the safety of the chickens I took them into the house. They sat under the stove on thi> tin. Here they clianced also to receive the direct rays of the sun as it shone through the window. Suddeidy one of them jumi)ed up and commenced to dance in the same manner as the old ones did on the hill, immediately the whole brood joined, their little feet stamping together on the tin under the stove, sounded like so many kettle drums, while their miniature crowing and strut- ting combined to fonn a most ludicrous spectacle. 17th day. -They number 13. They are now more than ever fond of the dance. They show the bare skin patches over the eye and on the neck, but these are neither colored nor inflated. Their heads are beginning to fledge and their tails to grow. Their wings aiv i much h)nger in proimrtion to tlmvl adult birds. About this time I was traversiiiL; scrub land by night when suddiiilti heard at my feet a well-known wliiri clutched in the darkness and caii<,'ht| young prairie chicken in each hand, if of these on examination was t'>iiiiii have hanging from the anus eiglit intestinal worms, which at once lir;4ui.| recede iiit«> the canal. iSome of th were sent to the Smiths8 1 I and Hve inches across, which gives a u ! wing surface of 110 square inches i>r| : square inches to each ounce of weid I The young one weighs an ounce, cachl I its wings is four indies long by I inches across, which gives a total vj i surface of IG s(|Uare inches to its ounce of weight. Therof«)re the y>\ ! chick has in projyortion nearly five tin as much wing support as the mature ii I although, of course, the latter is ml than compeiiRated by the vastly <.'n^ I proportion of muscuLar i)ower. ! 22nd day. — They now have the di voice and are all feathered except mit throat, neck and breasts, where they retain the yellow down. They will i eat a little grain and are fond of cuii eggs and soaked bread, but insects ( tinue to be their favorite food. BurrJ ing beetles, however, they will not fail 28th day. — To-day I emptied a lut[ ashes into the pen, whereupon thevl dulged in most extravagant expressioiul delight, and for a long time contiiiueiij dust themselves most vigorously. 3l8t day. — Tri'id them with a hawk. All chuckled and s(|uatted eici two, the latter spreading their wings i tail and raising their feathers, cro* loudly and defiantly. 1 imagine wild mother will often battle fur 1 young successfully against harriers other inferior birds of prey. It is not necessary to follow further! detail the growth and development nff 17 ;rriiU!4f, ii8 sutticiuiit iius Ituuii J I.I illustnitu tliu mpidity of thuir pi md t4> guide iiU who duairu to Iheiii. To bu brief, I may add tkat kni fully fuathurud whun six wuuks till fully ;;r(»wn at two mouths. Tlu*y this iii^u coiitiiiuu with the motiier, Itlmugh at this time not more than [stuvuii chicks are seen with the pra- r(l, out of the average original iof I'V still I think that the loss is ^meil l*y their falling victims to natunil enemies or are destroyed by if. 1 1< 1 1)0 observed that I never yet T.iin in their crops so that it I Milt api'oar that they can be injur- istjuiding grain. But when the rare fully grown they do tind their i the stacks with a regularity and liicity which permit the farmer to tpp't'ly to his table luxuries, while bull damage they cai: du to the ex- 1 [larts of the grain in stack is hardly 1 estimating. k- continue on the plains and about fius until the first fall of snow I iimnediately causes them to depart 8u to Mie timber. Rummer they rarely {lerch on trees, ^eii at night, for they sleep 8(|uat- lii the grass, but in winter they I them their favorite stations and live ly (III the browse there gathered. A ny li'luiiip of birch is sure to contain a ■every morning. This is the time Kirtsiiten, for now they are fat and (laviired. They att'ord good sport, uid are very hard to kill. Although |ch seems to be fatal to partridges, a en is able to carry almost as much it.'! a duck. 1 shot one which had bsh untry, especially [iui is sandy and well supplied with lushes. In winter they act more jpMperly adapted tree dweller than bf a ground-freijuenting bird, for jBy frosses8ed jlliat feeling of security from allhun- |\vliicli makes the rutHed grouse so I prey tr run a little and then dive. Each makes his own hole. They generally go down six inches <»r so and along abcmt a foot. By their breath has formed a front of them so that they out at one end. In servers are less likely non-conducting powers of snow impressed upon them as in Manitoba, so I may illustrate this. For days together the thermometer may range at twenty degrees beh)w zero (F) with six inches of snow resting on a (quarter of an inch of ice, completely keeping the water beneath at a temperature of thirty-two degrees above zero. Without the snow the same ice increased in a day to a thickness of two inchos. Likewise, under ten inches of snow the ground continued unfrozen, after the thermometer had for one month ranged from zero to forty degrees below. Thus we can etisily see that under six inches of snow and one inch of feathers, the chickens do not suffer even at fifty degrees below. The great disadvantage of the snow- bed is that when there the birds are more liable to become the prey of foxes, etc., whose sagacious nostrils betray the very spot beneath which rests a bird in sound slumber. I am inclined to think thai this is the only chance a fox has of catching an old bird, so wary are the birds at all other times. As the winter wanes it is not uncom- mon for a snow-storm t(j be accompanied with sleet. The storm at «mce drives the chickens into the drifts and after- wards levels oft' the holes they have 18 forinucl, tliu .sluut iliuii iiuuKUH and foriiiH H criiHt and iiiipriaonM or Ht^irvvs tliu liirds, nnd in this wiiy uiiuiy pumli. In tliu Hpring tliu iiiulting of thu miow u.\|MiMUHto viuw tliu ruiiiiiuiH of bonus iind futitliurs. Tliuru is littlu ulsu to nutu about tliuir bush lifu or wintur lifu. By spriiiK iiiaiiy of thu birds, by coiitiiiuully • pulliiii lar^u opuiiin^ right thn>ui:h iiuar thu uiid. About the middle of April, iiltiiougli ruducud in nuiiiburlsiiicujtiiuirf untiy on bush lifu, tliose who ruiiiaiii, thu survival of thu Kttest, oiiuu iiioru spread ovur the prairius, at first in Hocks, but soon to dispurse to uiitur uii their duties of repro- duction. There is another matter that I would like to refer to, but can only do so at present very briuHy, and that is thu ^trairiu chicken's Htiiess fordoiiiesticatioii. To what extent the stock V>f i>oultry on a farm in this country may bu in- cruasud, is a subject worthy of consid- eration. Our farmers require u fowl which have no delicate appendages liku combs, wattles, etc., but which has its legs and feet well ]>rotected by featiiurs, and will be able tu withstand a gruat degree of culd. The abundance of hawks ren- ders it desirable that tho| bird bo not glaringly bright in color likt' some of the common fowls. Thu prairie chicken seems to me worthy of a trial, lu it has many of the ((ualities which are wanting in that of the common fowl, and in addi- tion it hits the merit of maturing early and rapidly. In ten weeks a prairie chicken is full grown, while a common fowl takes thrice sis long. The grouse weigh only about two |M)unds, yet it yields more nutritive food for man than a !i| or 4 lb. domestic chicken, and it can fatten on food that the thu domestic chicken will not touch, and can take at one meal suHicieiit to last a wluile day if iiei'e8.sary, such is the size of its crop. I am not iiositivo, with iiiy personal experience,'^ that it can be do- mesticated, but it is worth trying. I know of one instance where a chicken was kept for six months, but at the end was as wild as ever, but then it was caught when full grown. Audubon tamed the pinnated grouse with little trouble, and Wilsnn *^ sucjessfiil with the <|uail. Tlu of eggs laid would doubtlesH \un thev were cautiously reiiioveil, tin confess I found them rather .sii»| for on taking (i eggs out of a inKt the rest wore desurted. The ti I rt were hatched l»y alien, but earlur her own, and I found the youii'^ crushed. Wilson says that all wv, to raise the yt>uiig have failed fr want of pro])erfon iiig, however, and if any iiichiIm Historical Society is inclined tntai trouble 1 will endeavor to Iind the sary stuck tu start with. COMMENTS. The reading of the paper was f! by a discussion in which scwni members took jiart. Thechuiiiiiiu of the imposibility of domestitatiii grouse of Eastern Canada, imii known iis the "i)artridge," and ti the same trouble wuuhl be fdiiiii the prairie grouse. Mr. C. N. \x forred to the territory over whi variety is found, spreading na tin ' the Rocky Mountains. Dr. Aijia* cized one or two of the theuiies Seton. Ho was also of the i>|iiiii'i the bird could not bedoniustitatuil some further discussion a vote oi\ to Mr. Sotou, socoiidod l)y Dr. .\ and carried. On iiKjtion of Mr. Mr. Bell, a vote of thanks was als^ tendered to Mr. McKillegaii forn the pai)er.