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


the construction of mills, The northern and
southern branches Of the Saskatchewan wa
ter the district have traversed for distance
of about three hundred miles. Forests OF
pine, cypress, thorn, poplar and aspen trees,
as well as others Of different kinds, occupy a
large portion Of il, covering the declivities Of
the mountains and banks of the rivers.
/" These originally, take their rise in the
highest chains, whence they issue in every
direction like so many veins. The beds and
sides of these rivers are pebbly, and their
course rapid ! but as they recede from the
mountains they widen, and the currents lose
something of their impetuosity. Their waters
are usually very clear. The country would
be capable Of supporting large population,
and the soil is favorable for the production OF
barley, corn, potatoes, and beans which grow
here as well as in the more southern coun.
tries. 0 i. II ..-,....r t...- ......-.
care these vast and innumerable fields Of
hay forever destined to be consumed by fire
or perish in the autumnal SHOWS? How long
shall these superb forests be the haunts of
wild beasts? And these inexhaustible quar-
ries, these abundant mines of coal, lead, sui
phur, iron, copper, and salt-petre- can it be
that thew are doomed to remain forever mac
tive? Not so. The day will come when
some laboring hand will give them value /; a
strong, active and enterprising people are des-
tined to fill this spacious void The wild
beasts will, ere long, give place to our domes-
tic animals, flocks and herds will Craze in
the beautiful meadows that border the num-
berless mountains, hills, valleys and plains Of
this extensive region" -. & =. .ts~
Life at Edmonton during the winter season
Sc <I,,c ckofchod
"The number of servants, including chill
dren, is about eighty. Besides a large garden,
| field of potatoes and wheat belonging to the
establishment, the lakes, forests and plains of
the neighborhood furnish provisions in album
dance. On my arrival at the Fort, the ice
house contained thirty thousand white-fsh,
each weighing four pounds, and five hundred
buffaloes, the ordinary amount Of the winter
provisions. Such is the quantity of aquatic
birds in the season, that sportsmen often send
to the Fort carts full of fowls. Eggs are pick
ed up by thousands in the straw and weeds
of the marshes. / visited Lake St. Anne "a
missionary station fifty miles northwest from
Edmonton The surface of this region is
fiat for the most part, undulating in some
places-diversi1ed with forests and meadows,
and lakes teeming with fish. In Lake ST.
Anne alone were caught, last autumn, more
than seventy thousand white-fsh, the most
delicious of the kind; they are taken with a
line at every season Of the year.
Notwithstanding the rigor and duration OF
the winter in the northern region, the earth in
general appears fertile; Vegetation is so for
ward in the sdring and summer that potatoes,
| wheat and barley, together with other veget-
ables of Canada, cOmr to maturity"
On the 18th of March, Father De Smet start
ed on his return trip, proceeding with sledges
drawn by dogs over the snow, to Fort Jasper,
situated Northwest from Edmonton on the Ath-
abasca river, half degree north of latitude "a
deg. Here occurred the following hunting ad-
venture:
"Provisions becoming scarce at the Fort,
ut the moment when we had with US con-
siderable number of Iroquois from the sur
rounding country, who were resolved to re-
main until my departure in order to assist at
the instructions, we should have found our
selves in an embarrassing situation had not
Mr.. Frazer come to our relief by proposing
that we should leave the Fort and accompany
himself and family to the Lake of Islands,
| where we could subsist partly on fish. AS
| the distance was not great, we accepted the
| invitation, and set out to the number of fifty
four persons and twenty dogs. l count the
latter because we were as much obliged to
| provide for them as for ourselves. A little
note of the game killed by our hunters during
| the twenty-six days of our abode at this place,
will perhaps afford you some interest-atleast
it will make you acquainted with the animals
| of the country and prove that the mountaineers
| of the Athabasca are blessed with good appe.
tites. Animals killed-twelve moose deer
two reindeer, thirty large mountain sheep, OF
big horn, two porcupines, two hundred and
ten hares, one beaver, ten muskrats, twenty.
| four bustards, one hundred and fifteen ducks
twenty-one pheasants, one snipe, one eagle
one owl; add to this from thirty to fifty-t
whitefsh and twenty trout every day"
| Father De Smst soon afterwards returned
to the Western slope of the Rocky Mountains
whittier we will not follow him.
We have thus exhibited the natural features
| of the great central district soon to be brought
| into close commercial relation with Minnesota
! by the navigation of these important rivers o.
the Northwest. We have rested our obser
vations hitherto upon latitude 55 deg, but the
suggestions already uttered in the British Par
lament, of an extension by canal to the navi-
gable tributaries of the Mckenzie will warrant
| the consideration of territorial division be-
yond that limit. ,v
ATHABAsCA.
| The valleys of the Peace and Athabasca
rivers, eastward of the Rocky Mountains from
latitude 55 deg to 5S deg, share the Pacific
| climate in a remarkable degree The Rocky
Mountains aye greatly reduced in breadth and
mean elevation, and through the numerous
passes between their lofty peaks, the winds
of the Pacific reach the district in question
Hence, it is that Sir Alexander Mackenzie,
under the date of May 10th, mentions the ex.
uberant vefduye of the whole country-trees
about to blossom, and buffalo attended by
their young During the late Parliamentary
investigation, similar statements were elected.
Dr. Richard King, who accompanied an expe-
dition in search of Sir John Ross, as "Surgeon
and Naturalist" was asked what portion Of
the country visited by him was valuable for
| the purpose Of settlement, In reply, he de-
| scribed "as very fertile valley" "square
piece of country" bounded on the south by
| Cumberland House, and by the Athabasca Lake
on the north. His words are as follows: 1.-THE
sources of the Athabasca and the sources of
the Saskatchewan include an enormous area
of country. 1t is, in fact, vast piece oil land
surrounded by water. When heard DR..
Livingston's description of that country,
which he found in the interior of Africa with
in the Equator, it appeared to me to be pre-
cisely the kind of country which am now
describing 1t is rich soil, inter-
spersed with we'll wooded country, there being
growth of every kind, and the whole vegeta-
Die kingdom alive" When asked concerning
mineral productions, his reply was, 81 do not
know of any other mineral except limestone;
limestone is apparent in all directions. =
The birch. the beach and the maple are in
abundance, and there is every sort of fruit"
When questioned further, as to the growth of
trees, DR.. King replied by a comparison with
with the magnificent trees round Kensington
Park in London He described farm near
Cumberland House, under very successful
cultivation luxuriant wheat, potatoes, barley