of the situation. All persons coming from the West are
obliged to pass close to the neighbourhood of Fort Ellice. This station
is situated about 170 miles west of the provincial boundary, and about
300 miles south-east of the South Saskatchewan, forming the only post of
call upon the road between Carlton and Portage la-Prairie. I have only to
add that, unless vaccination is made compulsory among the half-breed
inhabitants, they will, I fear, be slow to avail themselves of it. It
must not be forgotten that with the disappearance of the snow from the
plains a quantity of infected matter--clothing, robes, and portions of
skeletons--will again be come exposed to the atmosphere, and also that
the skins of wolves, etc., collected during the present winter will be
very liable to contain infection of the most virulent description.

The portion of-your Excellency's instructions which has reference to the
Indian tribes of the Assineboine and Saskatchewan regions now claims my
attention.

The aboriginal inhabitants of the country lying between Red River and
the Rocky Monntains are divided into tribes of Salteaux, Swampies, Crees,
Assineboines, or Stonies of the Plains, Blackfeet and Assineboines of the
Mountains. A simpler classification, and one which will be found more
useful when estimating the relative habits of these tribes, is to divide
them into two great classes of Trairie Indians and Thickwood Indians--the
first comprising the Blackfeet with their kindred tribes of Bloods,
Lurcees, and Peagins, as also the Crees of the Saskatchewan and the
Assineboines of the Qu'Appelle; and the last being composed of the Rocky
Mountain Stonies, the Swampy Crees, and the Salteaux of the country lying
between Manitoba and Fort Ellice. This classification marks in reality
the distinctive characteristics of the Western Indians. On the one hand,
we find the Prairie tribes subsisting almost entirely upon the buffalo,
assembling together in large camps, acknowledging the leadership and
authority of men conspicuous by their abilities in war or in the chase,
and carrying on a perpetual state\of warfare with the other Indians of
the plains. On the other hand, we find the Indians of the woods
subsisting by fishing and by the pursuit of moose and deer, living
together in small parties, admitting only a very nominal authority on
the part of one man, professing to entertain hostile feelings towards
certain races, but rarely developing such feelings i