isible Nature. No human voice, no sound of bird or
beast, no ripple of stream to break the intense silence of these vast
solitudes of the Lower Saskatchewan. At length, early in the month of
February, I quitted the valley of Saskatchewan at Cedar Lake, crossed the
ridge which separates that sheet of water from Lake Winnipegoosis, and,
descending the latter lake to its outlet at Waterhen River, passed from
thence to the northern extremity of the Lake Manitoba. Finally, on the
18th February, I reached the settlement of Oak Point on south shore of
Manitoba, and two days later arrived at Fort Garry.

In following the river and lake route from Carlton, I passed in
succession the Mission of Prince Albert, Forts-a-la-Corne and Cumberland,
the Posts of the Pas, Moose Lake, Shoal River and Manitoba House, and,
with a few exceptions, travelled upon ice the entire way.

The journey from first to last occupied 119 days and embraced a distance
of about 2700 miles.

I have now to offer the expression of my best acknowledgements to the
officers of the various posts of the Hudson Bay Company passed en route.
To Mr. W. J. Christie, of Edmonton, to Mr. Richard Hardistry, of
Victoria, as well as to Messrs. Hackland, Sinclair, Ballenden, Trail,
Turner, Belanger, Matheison, McBeath, Munro, and MacDonald, I am indebted
for much kindness and hospitality, and I have to thank Mr. W. J. Christie
for information of much value regarding statistics connected with his
district. I have also to offer to the Rev. Messrs. Lacombe, McDougall,
and Nisbet the expression of the obligations which I am under towards
them for uniform kindness and hospitality.

GENERAL REPORT.

Having in the foregoing pages briefly alluded to the time occupied in
travel, to the route followed, and to the general circumstances attending
my journey, I now propose entering upon the subjects contained in the
written instructions under which I acted, and in the first instance to
lay before you the views which I have formed upon the important question
of the existing state of affairs in the Saskatchewan.

The institutions of Law and Order, as understood in civilized
communities, are wholly unknown in the regions of the Saskatchewan,
insomuch as the country is without any executive organization, and
destitute of any means to enforce the authority of the law.

I do not mean to assert that crime and outrage are of habitual occurrence
among the people of this territory, or tha