erritory, the disgrace and opprobrium of his
profession and his church.

Such are a few facts connected with the establishment of the Wesleyan
Mission in the Hudson's Bay territory, and illustrative of the sort
of encouragement given by the Committee to Protestant Missionaries.
By way of rider to these, I may just remind the reader that Roman
Catholic Missionaries have since been freely permitted to plant
churches wherever they pleased, even in districts where Protestant
Missions were already established.

After all, this is not much to be wondered at, since Sir G.
Simpson openly avowed to Mr. Evans his preference of Roman Catholic
Missionaries; one reason for this preference being, that these never
interfered with the Company's servants, nor troubled them with any
precise or puritanical notions about the moral law.

CHAPTER XXI.

SKETCH OF RED RIVER SETTLEMENT.

RED RIVER--SOILS--CLIMATE--PRODUCTIONS--SETTLEMENT OF RED
RIVER, THROUGH LORD SELKIRK, BY HIGHLANDERS--COLLISION BETWEEN
THE NORTH-WEST AND HUDSON'S BAY COMPANIES--INUNDATION--ITS
EFFECTS--FRENCH HALF-BREEDS--BUFFALO-HUNTING--ENGLISH
HALF-BREEDS--INDIANS--CHURCHES--SCHOOLS--STORES--MARKET FOR
PRODUCE--COMMUNICATION BY LAKES.

Red River rises in swamps and small lakes in the distant plains of the
south; and after receiving a number of tributary streams that serve to
fertilize and beautify as fine a tract of land as the world possesses,
discharges itself into the eastern extremity of Lake Winnipeg in
lat. 50 deg.. The climate is much the same as in the midland districts of
Canada; the river is generally frozen across about the beginning of
November, and open about the beginning of April. The soil along the
banks of the river is of the richest vegetable mould, and of so great
a depth that crops of wheat are produced for several years without the
application of manure. The banks produce oak, elm, maple, and ash; the
woods extend rather more than a mile inland. The farms of the first
settlers are now nearly clear of wood; an open plain succeeds of from
four to six miles in breadth, affording excellent pasture. Woods and
plains alternate afterwards until you reach the boundless prairie.
The woods produce a variety of delicious fruits, delighting the
eye and gratifying the taste of the inhabitants; cherries, plums,
gooseberries, currants, grapes, and sasgatum berries in great
abundance. Coal has been discovered in several places