Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-01-29

senting, as its name implies, swift current.
It is navigable for boats from the Rocky
Mountain House, in longitude ,116 deg to
Lake Winnepeg, upwards of seven hundred
miles in direct line, but by the actual course
of the stream, nearly double that distance
Though above Edmonton the river is much
INSTRUCTED by rapids, yet from that Fort to
Lake Winnepeg, it is descended without
portage alike by boats and canoes, while even
on the upward voyage, the only break in the
is the Grand Rapids at the mouth
OF the river. saiitk eds r...l.. --s 5.5 g. So.
- "The Bow river, or south branch Of the
takes its rise in the Rocky
Mountains near the international frontier, and
is of considerable size, without any impedi-
ment of any moment.
at the crossing place Gas far as latitude lO5)
the Bow river was about third of mile In
width, with strong current, and some twenty
miles below falls into the main Saskatchewan,
whence the two streams flow towards Lake
Winnepeg, forming at their mouth the Grand
Ramds Of about three miles in length"
Ia the narrative of Capt. John Franklin's
Journey to the shores of the Polar Sea in the
wears 1892, q fuller description of these
Saskatchewan Rapids is given, than has been
elsewhere published. We propose to compile
some particulars of his course westwardly
from the mouth of the river in Lake Winnie
peg to Cumberland House, in latitude 81 deg
longitude 102 deg, where be left the river on
his north-westward journey. -..-..s u
Capt. Franklin's party, on the 10th OF Oc-
tober, 1919, began to ascend the Saskatche-
wan. From the mouth of the river to the
foot of the Grand Rapid, the distance is two
miles. There are several rapids in this short
distance, during which the river varies its
breadth from five hundred yards to half
mile. It's channel is stony. At the Grand
Rapid, the Saskatchewan forms sudden
bend, from south to east, and works its way
through narrow channel, deeply worn into
the limestone strata. The stream rushing
with impetuous force over rocky and uneven
bottom, presents sheet of foam, and seems
to bear with impaience the Strengthened con-
finement of its lofty banks. The
portage is eighteen hundred yards long, and
its western extremity was found to be in 90
deg. min. % sec north latitude and SO deg.
% min. 2 sec. west longitude"
By noon on the 18th of October, the boats
and their cargoes having been conveyed across
the portage, the party resumed their voyage.
1.-THE Saskatchewan becomes wider above the
Grand Rapid, and the scenery improves
The banks are high, composed Of white clay
and limestone, and their submits are richly
clothed with variety of frs, poplars, birches,
and willows" Capt Franklin proceeded, as
before stated, to Cumberland House with no
further difficulty of navigation; but it was
not until the 22d of November, that the Sas-
katchewan was completely closed by ice. On
the LIST of December, he mentions that there
had been determined thaw" during the pre-
eeding three days. The ice on the Saskatche-
wan river and and a lake expanded from its
channel broke up, and the travelling across
either became dangerous. This mild weather
continued until the Goth of December. The
latter circumstances, though not relating to
the immediate topic of navigation, illustrate
the great similarity of climate to what we ex-
perience Especially in 1859 in Minneso-
ia. ... B. -. ..-...,. ....... .-..-..-... .. .
These statements from the journal Of Capt
Franklin are sufficient to establish that, in
volume and depth the Saskatchewan is fully
equal to the Mississippi above Cairo. Nor
are the rapids at the mouth an insuperable
obstacle to the conveyance of q steamer from
Lake Winnipeg into the navigable waters
above them. Gentlemen connected with the
Hudson Bay Company represent, that the
channel at the most agitated point, is deep
boats under skilful pilotage descending the
rapid with safety, while of course, vessel
could be cordelled through in the opposite d.
rection. 1t would not be expedient to attempt
this, except to introduce steamers as the nav
igation of the Saskatchewan demands them !;
but it is feasible and probable that steamboats,
now moored in the Mississippi and Minnesota
rivers, will yet seek the Northwestern limits
of their voyages within view Of the Rocky
Mountains. -...
When, however, an efficient public organi-
zation is extended over the Saskatchewan
valley, there is reason to believe, that one OF
its first measures will be to shorten the route
from the Red River of the North to the chan
mel of the South Saskatchewan by an inn
provement most obviously suggested by ma
ture.
The Assiniboin falls into the Red River
near Fort Garry--its course is quite directly
from the west-such is also the direction OF
its principal tributary, the GU Appellee or
Calling River. Mr.. James Mckay, an intelli-
gent officer Of the Hudson Bay Company, as
sured q member of the committee last sum-
mer, that the sources of the stream last named,
the Gu Appelle, were within short distance
from the South Standardization the
"elbow" as it is called, whence that river
turning from a course west to east, bends
enthusiastically to its junction with the
North Saskatchewan, a direction which the
united stream mostly retains to its mouth.
Mr.. Mckay states, that with little expense the
Calling and South Saskatchewan channels
might be connected, thereby improving the
navigation of the Assiniboin, and enabling
the river boats soon to be multiplied on the
Red River of the North, to avoid the exposure
and perils of Lake Winnipeg and the incon-
venience of transhipment at the rapids. The
feasibility of such connection has been re-
Gently confirmed, by explorations on the spot,
made under the direction of the Canadian
Government; and, when accomplished, great
facility for direct communications to the most
favorable pass of the Rocky Mountains-that
in latitude so, known as the Kootonais Pass
will have been secured. ..
The topic last under consideration will sug-
gest to the student of a map of Central Brit
ish America ESQ suffer us to style the i'm
mense and fertile plains, whose western limit
is the eastern boundary of British Columbia)
that similar, only much greater, extension
complished between the head of steamboat
navigation on the North Sasl atcbewan at Fort
Edmonton, Qat "a. long 113s and the Atha-
basca and Peace Rivers, navigable tributaries
of Mackenzie River. In similar ATTITUDES, Rus
STA, has thus linked by short canals, the chan
nels of great inland streams; and when it is
considered that the sources of Frazer River are
from those of Peace River by the
distance of only 81 yards-the former an af-
fluent of the Pacific, and the latter flowing
from the west side Of the Rocky Mountains
irto the mighty river of the
Arctic Ocean-the late prediction of Lord
Bury, that canal will yet wind through the
gorges of the Rocky Mountains in high Nor
thern latitude, may be fulfilled within his own
allotment of life. a .asa.
Such is the immOnse system of river COM
which welcomes the first steam