New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-05-21

U,nn,,xeo distance of 1oa miles in @ direct line, its
course is due north. IL has an average wdth OF
about 800 feet through this part Of Its course ana
nayigsbe to vessels OF light draught. The settlements
begin some ten miles from Lake winnipeg at which point
the river banks are from 20 TO 30 feet high Beyond the
settlements the prairie is almost level slOpng slightly
toward the river Though but fraction OF the Great
North West the country watered by the Red River ana
its chief tributary the Assniboine and between these
rivers and Winnipeg exceeds Great Britain In area
and also the fertility and general arabenes OF Its SOIL
From the praes in the south to the wooded part
In the northeast, around and between the lakes, ~
presents very desirable variety OF prairie ana
woodland and, to great extent that combination
of them which offers to the settler the peculiar advah'
ges OF BOTH free from the disadvantages arising o
the exclusive presence of either The valley VI 'no
Assiniboine possesses extensive and valuable ioe'
of oak, elm ASH maple, poplar, and aspen; "no INC
fats and hsdes through which the river runs apoI'
La Portage are covered with the varieties OF wood
All the aluents of the Assniboine flow through ueeP
ravines which they have cut in the great pam
they drain, and these narrow valleys are wei ciohou
with timber The settlement at Prairie La Portage Is de-
rhtfuy situated 65 miles west OF Fort Garry Az TINS
point the prairie which is Of the richest Description is
boundless to the eve toward the north and east The
river bank is frnged with fine groves of oak, elm, as
and asleaved NAPLES while the south side the forest
is from three to six miles deep Throughout the whole
Territory game and fish abound in great variety Stone
Lake Winnipeg. Limestone crops out along the Red
River, and is very abundant on the Manitoba and WIN
npegos Lakes: sandstone and limestone occur on the
Assinbone Fish very abundant in all the rivers ana
lakes Lakes Manitoba and Wnnipegos literally swarm
with wbesh equal in size and superior In flavor TO the
whitefsh of Lake Huron. Sturgeon. whiteish, pike,
dor6 and other kinds of fish found in Lake Winnipeg
THE SETTLERS
are chiefly French Canadian traders and royogeurs and
their half Indian descendants, Scotch and English with
sprinking of the omnpresent Yankee The French set
Elements extend southwark from Fort Garry along the
Red River chiefly the west side Very few are on the
east side except the Parish of ST. Bonace The Scotch
and English settled principally north of Fort Garry
on the west bank of the river. On the Assinibone,
which enters the Red River Fort Garry, the settle
ments almost entirely the north side, and the pop
ulatiou as far as Headingy is of mixed character
Further mp the Assinbone is the settlement of Portage
la Prairie. The settlements are confined to the river
banks, the territorial rights Of the Indians being ex
tnguished only to a distance OF two miles back.-a far
as man can distinguish man from horse on q clear
day. according TO the terms of the gna grantthough
the settlers claim and exercise the privilege of cutting
hay two miles further from the river. The English
Scotch and American settlers not unlike the same
class of frontiersmen everywhere. They are in the
minority, however, and generally oppose the rebellion
which is almost entirely the work of the
HALF-BREEDs.
II is curious and amusing TO compare the character
now ascrbed to these rebeous half breeds by Canadian
writers with that which Investigators gave them before
the disturbance began They seem TO have been fear
fully demoralzed by their resistance to Canadian usurp
aton unless the Canadian writers have themselves been
the sufferers Mr. Dawson, for example in his report Of
the River Exploring Expedition, describes the half
breeds hardy vigorous and active race OF men, SUI
peror in physical appearance to either Of the races TO
which they allied. Among the habitants OF Lower
Canada he says they would look like a OF giants
nd tlav INNS md
neighborng Indians. He attributes this superiority
largely their leading life peculiarly favorable TO the
development of the human frame TO the nutritious food
which they use and to the extreme salubrty OF the
climate. Other unprecedented observers, before the
beion, unite in describing the habreeds superior
in every respect both mentally and physically, to the
races from which they derived. Now they are de-
scbed in the Canadian papers as worthless IMPROVE
dent race of savages not fit to live alone nothing will
answer them but the faithful supervision Of the pure
booded English Canadians. Indeed these writer's as
sure us, the Hudsons Bay Company have always been
compelled TO keep them in state of tutelage
10 prevent their starving outrght 1t being the custom
of those generous traders TO buy up all that they could
induce the hafbreeds to sell at harvest time and resell
it them for r and perles in the Winter when their
supplies were exhausted. Probably 10 man so compe-
tent to the task has made careful study of this
half-breed nation than the learned author Of "Pre
historic Man" in the New World--Prof Wilson Of
Toronto In his investigations in regard TO the extinc
by absorption this author was led to make
personal and critical study of the character OF the mixed
inhabitants of the Red River country where the remark
able process of ntermxture, absorption and repusOn
has taken place great scale. AS Prof Wilson's
observations unbiased by political or religious
preiudces his opinions of the character and capabilities
Of this peculiar people TO be worthy Of all possible
confidence We will set them down hereinafter.
The or ginal settlers of the Red River counry-now
Manitoba-were brought from the Orkney Islands by
Il M
English Scotch, and French Canadians. The white i'm
migration has consisted for the most part OF young
men, who have taken wives from among their
Indian neighbors. The result has been, not
only the growth Of hafbreed population greatly out
numbering the whites, but the formation OF tribe Of
hafbreeds who keep themselves distinct in manners,
habts and allegiance, alike from the Indians and the
whites noticeable difference is observable in these
half-breeds according to their white paternity Those
OF French descent more lively and frank In their
bearing but also less prone to settle down to the drud
cry of farming and other routine duties of civilized life,
than the others who chiefly OF Scottish descent They
are large and robust race with greater powers OF en-
durance than any Of the native tribes exhibit With the
reserved and unmpressibe Of the Indian they
are nevertheless, capable of displaying much vvacity
when interested excited. They retain the coarse,
straight black hair and the full mouth as the most per-
sstent features derived from their Indian maternity
but even in the first generation the dark eye has soft
and pleasing aspect compared with that of the pure In
dian As a general rule, the families descended
from such mixed parentage are larger than
those OF white parents; but the results
of this are somewhat eOunteracted by the preva-
Ience Of consumption among them Considerable atten-
ton Is paid to education by this portion of the popula
ton and not few Of the young have been sent to
the colleges OF Canada whence after creditabiy dst-
gushing themselves, they have returned to bear their
part In helping the progress OF the settlement. The
leader OF the rebellion is Of the number thus edu
Gated There are two classes Of these halfbreedshose
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