[1] There is a very large salt block at Eastlake, 1 m. east of
Manistee, and Filer City, a few miles south-east, is another source
of supply.
MANITOBA, a lake of Manitoba province, Canada, situated between 50° 11´
and 51° 48´ N. and 97° 56´ and 99° 35´ W. It has an area of 1711 sq. m.,
a length of shore line of 535 m., and is at an altitude of 810 ft. above
the sea. It has a total length of 119 m., a maximum width of 29 m.,
discharge of 14,833 cub. ft. per second, and has an average depth of 12
ft. Its shores are low, and for the most part swampy. The Waterhen
river, which carries the discharge of Lake Winnipegosis, is the only
considerable stream entering the lake. It is drained by the Little
Saskatchewan river into Lake Winnipeg. It was discovered by De la
Verendrye in 1739.
MANITOBA, one of the western provinces of the Dominion of Canada,
situated midway between the Atlantic and the Pacific coasts of the
Dominion, about 1090 m. due west of Quebec. It is bounded S. by the
parallel 49° N., which divides it from the United States; W. by 101° 20´
W.; N. by 52° 50´ N.; and E. by the western boundary of Ontario.
Manitoba formerly belonged to the Hudson's Bay Company, and after the
transfer of its territory to Canada was admitted in 1870 as the fifth
province of the Dominion. At that time the infant province had an area
of 13,500 sq. m., and some 12,000 people, chiefly Indian half-breeds. In
1881 the limits were increased as above, and the province now contains
upwards of 73,956 sq. m., extending 264 m. from north to south and
upwards of 300 from east to west. The old district of Assiniboia, the
result of the efforts in colonization by the earl of Selkirk in 1811 and
succeeding years, was the nucleus of the province.
The name Manitoba sprang from the union of two Indian words, _Manito_
(the Great Spirit), and _Waba_ (the "narrows" of the lake, which may
readily be seen on the map). This well-known strait was a sacred place
to the Crees and Saulteaux, who, impressed by the weird sound made by
the wind as it rushed through the narrows, as simple children of the
prairies called them _Manito-Waba_, or the "Great Spirit's narrows." The
name, arising from this unusual sound, has been by metonymy translated
into "God's Voice." The word was afterwards contracted into its present
form. As there is no accent in Indian words, the natural pronunciation
of this name would be Man-i-to-ba. On this account, the custom of both
the French and English people of the country was for years before and
for several years after 1870 to pronounce it Man-i-to-ba, and even in
some cases to spell it "Manitobah." After the formation of the province
and the familiar use of the provincial name in the Dominion parliament,
where it has occupied much attention for a generation, the pronunciation
has changed, so that the province is universally known from ocean to
ocean as Man-i-to-ba.
_Physical Features._--The drainage of Manitoba is entirely
north-eastward to Hudson Bay. The three lakes--whose greatest lengths
are 260,122 and 119 m. respectively--are Winnipeg, Winnipegosis and
Manitoba. They are all of irregular shape, but average respectively
30, 18 and 10 m. in width. They are fresh, shallow and tideless.
Winnipegosis and Manitoba at high water, in spring-time, discharge
their overflow through small streams into Winnipeg. The chief rivers
emptying into Lake Winnipeg are the Winnipeg, the Red and the
Saskatchewan. The Assiniboine river enters the Red river 45 m. from
Lake Winnipeg, and at the confluence of the rivers ("The Forks") is
situated the city of Winnipeg. The Winnipeg, which flows from the
territory lying south-east of Lake Winnipeg, is a noble river some 200
m. long, which after leaving Lake of the Woods dashes with its clear
water over many cascades, and traverses very beautiful scenery. At its
falls from Lake of the Woods is one of the greatest and most easily
utilized water-powers in the world, and from falls lower down the
river electric power for the city of Winnipeg is obtained. The Red
river is at intervals subject to freshets. In a century's experience
of the Selkirk colonists there have been four "floods." The highest
level of the site of the city of Winnipeg is said to have been under 5
ft. of water for several weeks in May and June in 1826, and 2½ ft. in
1852, not covered in 1861; only the lowest levels were under water in
1882. The extent of overflow has thus on each occasion been less. The
loose soil on the banks of the river is every year carried away in
great masses, and the channel has so widened as to render the
recurrence of an overflow unlikely. The Saskatchewan, though not in
the province, empties into Lake Winnipeg less than half a degree from
the northern boundary. It is a mighty river, rising in the Rocky
Mountains, and crossing eighteen degrees of longitude. Near its mouth
are the Grand Rapids. Above these steamers ply to Fort Edmonton, a
point upwards of 800 m. north-west of the city of Winnipeg. Steamers
run from Grand Rapids, through Lake Winnipeg, up Red river to the city
of Winnipeg, important locks having been constructed on the river at
St Andrews.
The surface of Manitoba is somewhat level and monotonous. It is
chiefly a prairie region, with treeless plains of from 5 to 40 m.
extent, covered in summer with an exuberant vegetable growth, which
dies every year. The river banks, however, are fringed with trees, and
in the more undulating lands the timber belts vary from a few hundreds
of yards to 5 or 10 m. in width, forming at times forests of no
inconsiderable size. The chief trees of the country are the aspen
(_Populus tremuloides_), the ash-leaved maple (_Negundo aceroides_),
oak (_Quercus alba_), elm (_Ulmus Americana_), and many varieties of
willow. The strawberry, raspberry, currant, plum, cherry and grape are
indigenous.
[Illustration: Map of Manitoba.]
_Climate._--The climate of Manitoba, being that of a region of wide
extent and of similar conditions, is not subject to frequent
variations. Winter, with cold but clear and bracing weather, usually
sets in about the middle of November, and ends with March. In April
and May the rivers have opened, the snow has disappeared, and the
opportunity has been afforded the farmer of sowing his grain. June is
often wet, but most favourable for the springing crops; July and
August are warm, but, excepting two or three days at a time, not
uncomfortably so; while the autumn weeks of late August and September
are very pleasant. Harvest generally extends from the middle of August
to near the end of September. The chief crops of the farmer are wheat
(which from its flinty hardness and full kernel is the specialty of
the Canadian north-west), oats, barley and pease. Hay is made of the
native prairie grasses, which grow luxuriantly. From the richness and
mellowness of the soil potatoes and all taproots reach a great size.
Heavy dews in summer give the needed moisture after the rains of June
have ceased. The traveller and farmer are at times annoyed by the
mosquito.
_Area and Population._--The area is 73,956 sq. m., of which 64,066 are
land and 9890 water. Pop. (1871), 18,995; (1881), 62,260; (1891),
152,506; (1901), 254,947 (138,332 males, 116,615 females); (1906),
365,688 (205,183 males and 160,505 females). The principal cities and
towns are: Winnipeg (90,153), Brandon (10,408), Portage la Prairie
(5106), St Boniface (5119), West Selkirk (2701), and Morden (1437). In
1901, 49,102 families inhabited 48,415 houses, and the proportion of the
urban population to the rural was 27.5 to 72.5. Classified according to
place of birth, the principal nationalities were as follows in 1901:
Canada, 180,853; England, 20,392; Scotland, 8099; Ireland, 4537; other
British possessions, 490; Germany, 2291; Iceland, 5403; Austria, 11,570;
Russia and Poland, 8854; Scandinavia, 1772; United States, 6922; other
countries, 4028. In 1901 the Indians numbered 5827; half-breeds, 10,372.
Of the Indian half-breeds, one half are of English-speaking parentage,
and chiefly of Orkney origin; the remainder are known as Metis or
Bois-brûlés, and are descended from French-Canadian voyageurs. In 1875 a
number of Russian Mennonites (descendants of the Anabaptists of the
Reformation) came to the country. They originally emigrated from
Germany to the plains of southern Russia, but came over to Manitoba to
escape the conscription. They number upwards of 15,000. About 4000
French Canadians, who had emigrated from Quebec to the United States,
have also made the province their home, as well as Icelanders now
numbering 20,000. During the decade ending 1907 large reserves were
settled with Ruthenians often known as Galicians, Poles and other
peoples from central and northern Europe. Some 30,000 of these are found
in the province. The remainder of the population is chiefly made up of
English-speaking people from the other provinces of the Dominion, from
the United States, from England and Scotland and the north of Ireland.
_Religion._--Classified according to religion, the various denominations
were, in 1901, as follows: Presbyterians, 65,310; Episcopalians, 44,874;
Methodists, 49,909; Roman Catholics, 35,622; Baptists, 9098; Lutherans,
16,473; Mennonites, 15,222; Greek Catholics, 7898; other denominations,
9903; not specified, 638.
_Government._--The province is under a lieutenant-governor, appointed
for a term of five years, with an executive council of six members,
responsible to the local legislature, which consists of forty-two
members. It has four members in the Canadian Senate and ten in the House
of Commons.
_Education._--The dual system of education, established in 1871, was
abolished in 1890, and the administrative machinery consolidated under a
minister of the Crown and an advisory board. This act was amended in
1897 to meet the wishes of the Roman Catholic minority, but separate
schools were not re-established; nor was the council divided into
denominational committees. There are collegiate institutes for more
advanced education at Winnipeg, Brandon and Portage la Prairie, with a
total of 1094 pupils enrolled. There is also a normal school at Winnipeg
for the training of teachers. Higher education is represented by the
provincial university, which teaches science and mathematics, holds
examinations, distributes scholarships, and grants degrees in all
subjects. It has affiliated to it colleges of the Roman Catholic,
Episcopalian, Presbyterian and Methodist denominations, with medical and
pharmaceutical colleges. The arts colleges of the churches carry on the
several courses required by the university, and send their students to
the examinations of the university. A well-equipped agricultural college
near Winnipeg is provided for sons and daughters of farmers.
_Agriculture_ is the prevailing industry of Manitoba. Dairy-farming is
rapidly increasing in importance, and creameries for the manufacture of
butter and cheese are established in almost all parts of the province.
Large numbers of horses, cattle, swine and poultry are reared. The
growth of cereals is the largest department of agriculture followed.