The New York herald., 1869-01-09


Condition or che Iuhabit.nts in the Great
British Northwcst-ifichness Of Farming
Lands-Deuiinss with the Hudson'x Bay
Company.
[Fiom the ottawa Times, Jan. al
The following extracts OF letter from Mr.. Charles
Mair. paymaster on the government road now being
constructed In the Northwest, will, doubtless be
read VITA tnterest:--
We crossed the Red river to st. Boniface, opposite
to Fort Carry the doctor driving me out In his glg
and drove over the virgin prairie for thirty miles due
east to Oak Point, which we have dubbed Mis'amis-
kano, and where we have established our head
quarters. The country traversed Is beautiful one,
covered with tall, luxuriant hay. which springs
rom loamy surface IN many places four feet
conceiyaby rich, indeed, is al this country;
bounj.ess and rich beyond all description or CON-
aIi.nrso aTIiIon a. OAK Point we rented hoase from "a
my other letter Here also begin the woods which
stretch clear through to the Lake OF the Woods This
wood consists mainly Of small poplar, sort o. bas
taId red pine, few cedars and vast quantities OF
req willow or qunrpeynug az tho Crees call them.
II In no respect resembles Canadian Forest but ra-
ther the gro9lh which springs up in place OF pnery
when IRE has swept 1t away with this singular dif
ference however, that 1t rests upon perfectly level
country Almost and IL nouriShed by rich loans, in
stead OF rock anu sand. The poplar is the nrewood
ny and l. burned when dry ~. Few s,s o.
burn briskly and give much heat. About ten
miles from here shanty has been built, aud
course, through such country a. have described,
tnere Is little difficulty IN the work OF destruction.
Inc timber ls small, the country is level and free
rom stones except bouderl, and there Is an easy
drainage into the numerous rivers (creeks would
cali them IN Canadal which invariably cut their way
for twenty feet or more beneath the surface. was
out at the works to-day and the cleared portion Of
the track looks very fine and straight Certainly,
when al Is grubbed out and graded. 1t win be mag
There are not many Indians In this ne!ghborhood
at present, most OF them being away in pursuit Of
In speaking OF an Indians home it is called
clodge:" Ihe lodge In some vast widerness' that
Cowper sighed for can be had cheap herc-srt cheap.
IL Is composed OF skins stretched over some eight
or nine poles standing on end on the ground
and conyerging to common centre near the
top ian Illustration here accompanies this description,
which, OF course We ere unable To reproduce in
PRINT. The smoke from the Gre, which Is built In
though very with its Suao T robes and
skins OF all kinds it has very raktsh and Ojibway
lsh look; I never LOOK at one without fancying 70
myself that II Is full OF wolves inside. This ID the
Noy'west Indians house. and they are to be met
with everywhere from the Rainy lake to the Macken-
tered about the village o Winnpe WSsre sa the poor poor
lndian' comes TO barter and drink frewater.
inc s5e n aas Ss an ana s
Blackfeet who come down on horseback annually
TO have stalk" and smoke the pipe Of peace with
real Indians, wild and eloquent and the Doc
tor tells me 1t ls strange sight to see them at
their dances and medicine mysteries circumscrib.
ing that little speck OF ciyZationhe future city OF
winnipeg. Many OF the Sioux who committed the
horrible outrages In Minnesota are now aboutLake
~
TO take me back to the village Tor trip up the Assin
nibCne some sevenry-fve miles, TO Portage Ia Prai-
RE and Lake Manit0ban. Portage Ia Prairie will be
the most lourshng city In the great West for many
reasons, Which VIII defer giving until have been
there. err 1s~ete'
So far as have vet seen the country is great in
exhaustible lnconcevGbly rich. Farming here Is a
pleasure; there Ia no toll IN It, and ali VINO do farm
are comfortable and some wealthy. What do you
think OF farmer within q bowshot OF here being
worth "a, coo or $4,000. and selling the nudsonf
Bay Company last week 5000 worth OF cattieP 4
man who came iom Lower Canada nineteen years
ago. not worth sixpence.
Ine hall breeds are the only people here who ere
starving Five thousand OF them have TO be fed this
winter, and IL Is Their fauit--thCy won't farm.
They will hunt buifaloe5 drive OK carts $40 miles
up ana 800 miles back 10 St. Cloud, at the rate OF
twenty miles daydo anything but farm. Hitherto
1t was SO easy 10 live here that Ii did not matter
whether they farmed or not; but the erasshoDpers
pat stop 10 that last surnmer and now they are on
their beam ends AZ for the farners-Scotch,
English and Frencl--no OF them requires relief,
other than seed wheat which they quite able to
pay for. This Is the trre state OF tho here; but
IL docs not lessen the claims upon humanity. IL VIII
take G40oo0 to feed the people through 20 next fal,
but the 10000 VIII he forthcoming. AS Tor the
future OF this country, ls is as inevitable as to-ncr
rows sunrise. The climate is delightful The weather
Just now-and there is 10 appearance OF change
IL clear, clouiiess, bland ana inspiring, and the
thermometer has not sunk below thirty degrees for
week. In deep winter there are short spells Of
we're weather bat they are short; they all tell me,
sertion. never lclf such 6ne weather in November
In canada as we Lave here just now and there Il ar
exlaration ia II quite new 60 NE. But enough ior
the present.