Page:Science vol. 5.djvu/368

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��of the same class have quite lately been placed OQ the South Saskatcbevran; and it ie proposed to employ these In the present emergency in carrying supplies from Medicine Hat, where this river is crossed by the Canadian Pacific railway, to the vicinity of Prini'e Albert,

This portion of the interior of the contineqt was reached in the days of the fur companiea, either by the canoe route from Lake Superior, or by ascending the Nelson Kiver fiom York Factory on Hudson Bay; and it was by the first-mentioned that Sir Garnett Wolseley, with his little force, penetrated to the valley of the Red River in 1870. When St. Paul "had be- come a commercinl centre, the Hudson-Bay company began to bring the greater part of its goods fi-om the soutii; wliile in later years the police-posts, settlements, and cattle-ranches established in the far west were supplied from Fort Henlon, on the Missouri. The Canadian Pacific railway, pushed with unexampled ra- pidity from Winnipeg across the plains, and completed to the summit of the Rocky Moun- tains about eighteen months ago, has, how- ever, completely changed the old lines of travel. The lime -honored liail from the Red River by Forts Carletou and Pitt to Kdmonton — a journey of nearly nine hundred miles, requir- ing, with loaded cnrts or wagons, under the most favorable circumstances, nearly forty days — need no longer be followed. The points above mentioned, with other isolated little settlements of more recent date along the North Saskatchewan, are now reached by new trails from the nearest stations to the Bonth on the railway; and a system of telegraph- lines, constructed and operated by the govern- ment, unites the more im|>ortant of them. After looving the railway, however, the dis- tances to be traversed in the old-fashioned way, before the more remote settlements are reached, are still very considerable. Thus to Cnrleton and Prince Albert, from Qu'Appelle station, the trail-distances arc '2'2ii ami 263 miles respectively; from Swift-Cnrront station to Battleford, 202 miles; and from Calgary to Edmonton, Idi miles.

The length of this note does not admit of any detailed description of these and other main roads. It may be remarked, however, that while the trail from Qu'Ap|»elle toward Carle- ton aud Prince Albert, as far as the crossing of the South Saskatchewan, is generally through an oijen country, groves and belts of aspen are not infrequent in its vicinity. The longest stretch quite nitliout timber is that known as the salt plains, about thirty miles only in width.

���The country in the vicinity of Cnrleton, Prince Albert, and Duck Lake, is rolling, or characterized by low hilb with numerous and in some cases extensive gi-oves (-bluffs') of wood. The settlement is of a scattered char- acter, but for the most part confined to the point of land between the two branches of the .Saskatchewan, the total population being probably about three thousand.

At the crossing of the South .SaskatcbewaDi by Ihe trail from Swift Current to Battleford, there is a good ferry. This trail, to within about twenty miles of Battleford, is entirely des- titute of wood. Battleford was at one lime selected as the seat of government of the North- west territory, but, since the definite location of the railway, has been abandoned in favor of Regina. There are scattered settlements of half-breeds and whiles in the neighborhood, and several Cree Indian reserves. The trul from Calgary to >Almonton crosses the Bow, Red Deer, and Battle rivers, end several smaller streams flowing fmra the foot-hills and mountains. Ferries exist where ncL'essarj-; and, should these not bo destroyed, a rapid advaiioB by this route would be easy. For sixty mile* there is no wood on this trail: lioyond that point timber is abundant. Edmonton ia a somewhat im|Kjrtnnt centre, with a number of little settlements of whites and half-breeda sub- sidiary to it. Geobue M. Dawsox.

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��THE GLOW-LAMP.

��It was stated not long ago lliat the number of incandeacent lunins in iliia country alone i hundred thousanij. Sucli a aua;eM ut IhiB warraan a glance at thelil-iory of the lamp, which IsKiveabf A. Geljrl in the London elfclrical mjeuf.

Willie the src-lHiiip emits twenty-two hundrwl die-liglit per horse-pi>wer, and the glow-lainp giTM but a faundreil and twenty, It 1b the possibility of w reducing the light to a minimum that has brought the latter system forward; for, alUiough ic is true that the an?-llght may he conslderrd capable of a dlrialoa into lamps of lulcnsitiM varying from twenty lo tea gns-Dames, that minimum is in many eaaes, especially for domestic purpose*, a groat deal too high, whilst the regulating apparatus Is expenslTe.

But two Bub^cances are ku»wn which possess sach properties aa are indlspeiisnble tor the production of Ihe glow-light; nauiely, platinum and it* alloy with iridium, and, secondly, carljnn. The former baa tb« advantage, that, when healod to whiteness. U doea bM consume away even In the air; but, fn a no iMi Important respect, that metal i» far behind eafbon, for it Is by no means capable of sustaining i^ueh a degree of heat wiihout fiislngi and this la uf vltd

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