ly bear often descends from his rugged heights
into the plains, and affords sport to the daring hunter. The musk-rat
and beaver inhabit the borders of the lakes. The cariboo and moose
frequent the Fertile Belt, though the musk-ox confines himself to the
more northern regions. Wolves have been almost exterminated in the
neighbourhood of the Red River settlement. The half-breeds and Indians
possess peculiarly hardy and sagacious horses, which are trained for
hunting the buffalo. Their dogs are large and powerful, and four of
them will draw a sleigh with one man over the snow at the rate of six
miles an hour. Herds of cattle, as well as horses and hogs, are left
out during the whole winter, it being necessary only--should a thaw come
on, succeeded by a frost--to supply them with food; otherwise, unable to
break through the coating of ice thus formed, they are liable to starve.

The farmers of the Red River settlement grow wheat, barley, oats, flax,
hemp, hops, turnips, and even tobacco, though Indian-corn grows best,
and can always be relied on. Wheat, however, is the staple crop of Red
River. It is a splendid country for sheep pasturage, and did easier
means of transporting the wool exist, or could it be made into cloth or
blankets in the settlement, no doubt great attention would be given to
the rearing of sheep.

THE THIRD ZONE--THE DISMAL SWAMP IN THE UNITED STATES.

Returning again to the east coast, about the latitude of Chesapeake Bay
and Cape Hatteras, we find a low level region known as the Atlantic
plain, running parallel to the coast, on which the long-leaved or
peach-pines flourish. This region is generally called the Pine Barrens.
Wild vines encircle the trees, and among them are seen the white
berries of the mistletoe. In winter these Pine Barrens retain much of
their verdure, and constitute one of the marked features of the country.
Amid them are numerous swamps or morasses. One of great size,
extending to not less than forty miles from north to south, and
twenty-five in its greatest width, is called the Great Dismal Swamp.

The soil, black as in a peat-bog, is covered with all kinds of aquatic
trees and shrubs; yet, strange to say, instead of being lower than the
level of the surrounding country, it is in the centre higher than
towards its margin; indeed, from three sides of the swamp the waters
actually flow into different rivers at a considerable rate. Probably
the centre of the morass is n