Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-06-02

least 200, 600 acres CT the very best soil
| The lakes and rivers Of this region present
| long reaches of navieable water, the prin.
cipal of which extends from Fort FrerciS
on Rainy Lake to the to the western ex.
| tremity of Lac Plat, distance of 1853 miles
| Dense forests cover the whole of this re-.
| gion. At Rainy Lake there is a popula.
tio.' of Is, 900 Indians. Wild rice grows
in the greatest abundance throughout the
whole of this district; while on the islands
of the lakes the Indians have cultivated
maize from time immemorial, never know
ing it to fail circumstance which goes to
show that the climate even of this most
rugged portion of the Province is not en-.
tirely unfavorable to agricultural opera.
| tons
From the Lake of the Woods to Lake
Winnipeg, the Winnipeg River presents a
succession of lake-like expanses and foam.
ing cataracts, making altogether descent
of 360 feet in 100 miles. Its shores are
generally rocky, but back from the river
the country is comparatively level and we'll
suited for farming purposes. From the
Lake of the Woods Mr.. Dawson's route TO
Fort Garry passes through Lac Plat, mar.
row but navigable channel "a miles to the
western extremity of the lake, then thro
| so miles of wooded country generally level,
and finally for 80 miles over level prairie
the whole distance from Lake Superior to
! Fort Garry being about 800 miles, 800 of
which are open to steam navigation.
! The Red River country differs widely in
physical character from that Just describ-
ed. Instead of the lakes with their wood
ed islets, the clear running streams and
| toaming rapids, the swelling, forest-cover-
ed hills, an undertaking fiat now spreads
ont in every direction, Vast prairies, over
which the eye seeks vainly fora prominent
point to rest on, constitute the greater por.
! ton of the country: while the rivers flow
with a sluggish current through the great
alluvial plain. Although the scenic beauty
which characterizes the region to the east
ward is wanting, this region is incomparbly
superior in all that can minister to the
wants of man. The territory en-
! braced by the settlements OF Manitoba be-
ginning ten miles south of Lake Winnipeg
and extending sixty miles up the Red
! River and an equal distance up the ASSN
| iboine-is described. without much exag-
geration, as paradise of fertility"
! Many of the farms have been cultivated
for fourty years without any appreciate
falling of. Here, Indian corn never fails
to ripen Melons grow with the utmost
! luxuriance in the open air, and ripen in
| August. Wheat ripens in ninety days
from the time of sowing The season
opens about the middle of Apri,a and closes
about the middle of November AT this
| time the rivers, marshes and lakes freeze,
and snow falls to remain on the ground un-
| til the first week in April.
The Red River rises near the source of
the Mississippi, Cows northward through
Minnesota, and enters Manitoba near Penn.
| bina, from which point to Lake Winnipeg,
distance of 104 miles in direct line,
course is almost due north 1t has. Il
average width OF about 800 feet through
! this part of its course, and is navigable to
vessels of light draught. The settlements
| begin some ten miles from Lake Winnipeg,
at which point the river banks are from 20
| to 80 feet high. Beyond the settlements
! the prairie is almost level, sloping slightly
| toward the river. Though but fra fion
of the Great Northwest the country Water
ed by the Red River and its chief tributary
| the Assiniboire and between these rivers
and Lake Winnipeg, exceeds Great
Britain in area and also in the
fertility and general arableness of its soil.
| From the vast prairies in the south to
the wooded part in the northwest, around
and between the lakes it presents very
desirable variety of prairie and woodland,
and to great extent that combination OF
| them which offers to the settler the peculiar
advantages of BOTH free from the disad-
vantages arising from the exclusive pres
ence of either. The valley of the Assini-
boine possesses an extensive and valuable
forest of oak, elm, ASH maple, poplar and
pspen; while the flats and hillsides through
which the river runs above La Portage are
covered with the same varieties OF wood
All the affluents OF the Assiniboine flow
through deep ravines which they have cut
in the great plain they drain, and these
narrow valleys arc well clothed with tim
Der. The settlement at Prairie Ia Portage
is delightfully."- situated 60 miles west OF
Fort Garry. At this point the prairie,
which is Of the richest description, IS
boundless to the eye toward the north and
east The river bank is fringed with tnee
groves of oak, elm, ash, and ash-leayeo
maple; while on the south side the forest is
from three to six miles deep. Throughout
the whole territory game and fish abound
| in great variety.
Stone of various kinds. fit for building
purposes is found on Lake Winnipeg
Limestone crops .uu along the Red River,
and is very abundant on the Manitoba and
! Winnipegos lakes; sandstone and limestone
occur on the Assiniboine. Fish are very
abundant in all the rivers and lakes
Lakes Manitoba and Winnipegos literally
swarm with whitefsh, equal in size ana
superior in flavor to the whitefsh OF Lake
Huron. Sturgeon, whitefsh, pike, dore,
and other kinds of fish are found in Lake
4 Winnipeg,
! THE SETTLERS
are chiefly French Canadian traders ana
uoyaqeurs and their halfIndian de-
sccndants, Scotch, and English, with
sprinkling of the omnipresent Yankee,
The French settlements extend
southwark from Fort Garry along the
Red River chiefly on the west side very
/ few are on the east side, except ia the Par