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diff --git a/old/69759-0.txt b/old/69759-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 9db3c03..0000000 --- a/old/69759-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,10958 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of The North-West Passage by land, by -Viscount Milton - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: The North-West Passage by land - Being the narrative of an expedition from the Atlantic to the - Pacific - -Authors: Viscount Milton - W. B. Cheadle - -Release Date: January 9, 2023 [eBook #69759] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Peter Becker, Charlie Howard, and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was - produced from images generously made available by The - Internet Archive) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE BY -LAND *** - - - - - -Transcriber’s Note: Italics are indicated with _underscores_. - - - - -[Illustration: OUR PARTY ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS. - -(_From a Photograph._)] - - - - - THE - NORTH-WEST PASSAGE - BY LAND. - - - BEING THE NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION FROM THE - ATLANTIC TO THE PACIFIC, - - UNDERTAKEN WITH THE VIEW OF EXPLORING A ROUTE ACROSS - THE CONTINENT TO BRITISH COLUMBIA THROUGH BRITISH - TERRITORY, BY ONE OF THE NORTHERN PASSES - IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. - - - BY - VISCOUNT MILTON, F.R.G.S., F.G.S., &c., - AND - W. B. CHEADLE, M.A., M.D. CANTAB., F.R.G.S. - - _Ros._ Well, this is the Forest of Arden. - - _Touch._ Ay, now I am in Arden; the more fool I; when I was at - home, I was in a better place: but travellers must be content. - AS YOU LIKE IT. - - - LONDON: - CASSELL, PETTER, AND GALPIN, - LUDGATE HILL, E.C. - - [THE RIGHT OF TRANSLATION IS RESERVED.] - - - - - TO - THE COUNTESS FITZWILLIAM - AND - MRS. CHEADLE, - - WHO TOOK SO GREAT AN INTEREST IN THE SUCCESS OF THE TRAVELLERS, THIS - ACCOUNT OF THEIR JOURNEY IS DEDICATED BY - THE AUTHORS. - - 4, GROSVENOR SQUARE, - _1st June, 1865_. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - CHAPTER I. - PAGE - Sail for Quebec--A Rough Voyage--Our Fellow-Passengers-- - The Wreck--Off the Banks of Newfoundland--Quebec--Up - the St. Lawrence--Niagara--The Captain and the Major-- - Westward Again--Sleeping Cars--The Red Indian--Steaming - up the Mississippi--Lake Pippin--Indian Legend--St. - Paul, Minnesota--The Great Pacific Railroad--Travelling - by American Stage-Wagon--The Country--Our Dog Rover--The - Massacre of the Settlers by the Sioux--Culpability of the - United States Government--The Prairie--Shooting by the - Way--Reach Georgetown 1 - - - CHAPTER II. - - Georgetown--Minnesota Volunteers--The Successful Hunters-- - An Indian Hag--Resolve to go to Fort Garry in Canoes-- - Rumours of a Sioux Outbreak--The Half-breeds refuse to - Accompany us--Prepare to Start Alone--Our Canoes and - Equipment--A Sioux War Party--The Half-breed’s Story-- - Down Red River--Strange Sights and Sounds--Our First - Night Out--Effects of the Sun and Mosquitoes--Milton - Disabled--Monotony of the Scenery--Leaky Canoes-- - Travelling by Night--The “Oven” Camp--Hunting Geese - in Canoes--Meet the Steamer--Milton’s Narrow Escape-- - Treemiss and Cheadle follow Suit--Carried Down the - Rapids--Vain Attempts to Ascend--A Hard Struggle--On - Board at last--Start once more--Delays--Try a Night - Voyage again--The “Riband Storm”--“In Thunder, Lightning, - and in Rain”--Fearful Phenomena--Our Miserable Plight-- - No Escape--Steering in Utter Darkness--Snags and Rocks-- - A Long Night’s Watching--No Fire--A Drying Day--Another - Terrible Storm--And Another--Camp of Disasters--Leave it - at last--Marks of the Fury of the Storms--Provisions at - an End--Fishing for Gold-eyes--A Day’s Fast--Slaughter - of Wild-Fowl--Our Voracity--A Pleasant Awakening--Caught - up by the Steamer--Pembina--Fort Garry--La Ronde--We go - under Canvass 18 - - - CHAPTER III. - - Fort Garry--Origin of the Red River Settlement--The First - Settlers--Their Sufferings--The North-Westers--The - Grasshoppers--The Blackbirds--The Flood--The Colony in - 1862--King Company--Farming at Red River--Fertility of - the Soil--Isolated Position of the Colony--Obstructive - Policy of the Company--Their Just Dealing and Kindness to - the Indians--Necessity for a proper Colonial Government-- - Value of the Country--French Canadians and Half-breeds-- - Their Idleness and Frivolity--Hunters and Voyageurs-- - Extraordinary Endurance--The English and Scotch Settlers-- - The Spring and Fall Hunt--Our Life at Fort Garry--Too - Late to cross the Mountains before Winter--Our Plans-- - Men--Horses--Bucephalus--Our Equipment--Leave Fort - Garry--The “Noce”--La Ronde’s Last Carouse--Delightful - Travelling--A Night Alarm--Vital Deserts--Fort Ellice-- - Delays--Making Pemmican--Its Value to the Traveller-- - Swarms of Wild-Fowl--Good Shooting--The Indian Summer--A - Salt Lake Country--Search for Water--A Horse’s Instinct-- - South Saskatchewan--Arrive at Carlton 36 - - - CHAPTER IV. - - Carlton--Buffalo close to the Fort--Fall of Snow--Decide to - Winter near White Fish Lake--The Grisly Bears--Start for - the Plains--The Dead Buffalo--The White Wolf--Running - Buffalo Bulls--The Gathering of the Wolves--Treemiss - Lost--How he Spent the Night--Indian Hospitality--Visit - of the Crees--The Chief’s Speech--Admire our Horses-- - Suspicions--Stratagem to Elude the Crees--Watching Horses - at Night--Suspicious Guests--The Cows not to be Found-- - More Running--Tidings of our Pursuers--Return to the Fort - 59 - - - CHAPTER V. - - The Ball--Half-breed Finery--Voudrie and Zear return to - Fort Garry--Treemiss starts for the Montagne du Bois-- - Leave Carlton for Winter Quarters--Shell River--La - Belle Prairie--Riviere Crochet--The Indians of White - Fish Lake--Kekekooarsis, or “Child of the Hawk,” and - Keenamontiayoo, or “The Long Neck”--Their Jollification-- - Passionate Fondness for Rum--Excitement in the Camp-- - Indians flock in to Taste the Fire-water--Sitting out - our Visitors--A Weary Day--Cache the Rum Keg by Night-- - Retreat to La Belle Prairie--Site of our House--La Ronde - as Architect--How to Build a Log Hut--The Chimney--A - Grand Crash--Our Dismay--Milton supersedes La Ronde--The - Chimney Rises again--Our Indian Friends--The Frost sets - in 70 - - - CHAPTER VI. - - Furnishing--Cheadle’s Visit to Carlton--Treemiss there--His - Musical Evening with Atahk-akoohp--A very Cold Bath-- - State Visit of the Assiniboines--Their Message to Her - Majesty--How they found out we had Rum--Fort Milton - Completed--The Crees of the Woods--Contrast to the Crees - of the Plains--Indian Children--Absence of Deformity-- - A “Moss-bag”--Kekekooarsis and his Domestic Troubles-- - The Winter begins in Earnest--Wariness of all Animals-- - Poisoning Wolves--Caution of the Foxes--La Ronde and - Cheadle start for the Plains--Little Misquapamayoo-- - Milton’s Charwoman--On the Prairies--Stalking Buffalo-- - Belated--A Treacherous Blanket--A Cold Night Watch--More - Hunting--Cheadle’s Wits go Wool-gathering--La Ronde’s - Indignation--Lost all Night--Out in the Cold again-- - Our Camp Pillaged--Turn Homewards--Rough and Ready - Travelling--Arrive at Fort Milton--Feasting 79 - - - CHAPTER VII. - - Trapping--The Fur-bearing Animals--Value of different - Furs--The Trapper’s Start into the Forest--How to make - a Marten Trap--Steel Traps for Wolves and Foxes--The - Wolverine--The Way he Gets a Living--His Destructiveness - and Persecution of the Trapper--His Cunning--His - Behaviour when caught in a Trap--La Ronde’s Stories of the - Carcajou--The Trapper’s Life--The Vast Forest in Winter-- - Sleeping Out--The Walk--Indians and Half-breeds--Their - Instinct in the Woods--The Wolverine Demolishes our - Traps--Attempts to Poison him--Treemiss’s Arrival--He - relates his Adventures--A Scrimmage in the Dark--The - Giant Tamboot--His Fight with Atahk-akoohp--Prowess - of Tamboot--Decide to send our Men to Red River for - Supplies--Delays 99 - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - Milton visits Carlton--Fast Travelling--La Ronde and Bruneau - set out for Fort Garry--Trapping with Misquapamayoo-- - Machinations against the Wolverine--The Animals’ - Fishery--The Wolverine outwits us--Return Home-- - The Cree Language--How an Indian tells a Story--New - Year’s Day among the Crees--To the Prairies again--The - Cold--Travelling with Dog-sleighs--Out in the Snow-- - Our New Attendants--Prospect of Starvation--A Day - of Expectation--A Rapid Retreat--The Journey Home-- - Indian Voracity--Res Augusta Domi--Cheadle’s Journey to - the Fort--Perversity of his Companions--“The Hunter” - yields to Temptation--Milton’s Visit to Kekekooarsis--A - Medicine Feast--The New Song--Cheadle’s Journey Home-- - Isbister and his Dogs--Mahaygun, “The Wolf”--Pride and - Starvation--Our Meeting at White Fish Lake 113 - - - CHAPTER IX. - - Our New Acquaintances--Taking it Quietly--Mahaygun - Fraternises with Keenamontiayoo--The Carouse-- - Importunities for Rum--The Hunter asks for more--A - Tiresome Evening--Keenamontiayoo Renounces us--His - Night Adventure--Misquapamayoo’s Devotion--The Hunter - returns Penitent--The Plains again--The Wolverine on - our Track--The Last Band of Buffalo--Gaytchi Mohkamarn, - “The Big Knife”--The Cache Intact--Starving Indians-- - Story of Keenamontiayoo--Indian Gambling--The Hideous - Philosopher--Dog Driving--Shushu’s Wonderful Sagacity--A - Long March--Return to La Belle Prairie--Household Cares-- - Our Untidy Dwelling--Our Spring Cleaning--The Great Plum - Pudding--Unprofitable Visitors--Rover’s Accomplishments - Astonish the Indians--Famine Everywhere 138 - - - CHAPTER X. - - La Ronde’s Return--Letters from Home--A Feast--The Journey - to Red River and back--Hardships--The Frozen Train-- - Three Extra Days--The Sioux at Fort Garry--Their Spoils - of War--Late Visitors--Musk-Rats and their Houses-- - Rat-catching--Our Weather-glass--Moose Hunting in the - Spring--Extreme Wariness of the Moose--His Stratagem to - Guard against Surprise--Marching during the Thaw--Prepare - to leave Winter Quarters--Search for the Horses--Their - Fine Condition--Nutritious Pasturage--Leave La Belle - Prairie--Carlton again--Good-bye to Treemiss and La - Ronde--Baptiste Supernat--Start for Fort Pitt--Passage - of Wild-Fowl--Baptiste’s Stories--Crossing Swollen - Rivers--Addition to our Party--Shooting for a Living-- - The Prairie Bird’s Ball--Fort Pitt--Peace between the - Crees and Blackfeet--Cree Full Dress--The Blackfeet--The - Dress of their Women--Indian Solution of a Difficulty-- - Rumours of War--Hasty Retreat of the Blackfeet--Louis - Battenotte, “The Assiniboine”--His Seductive Manners-- - Departure for Edmonton--A Night Watch--A Fertile Land-- - The Works of Beaver--Their Effect on the Country--Their - Decline in Power--How we crossed the Saskatchewan--Up the - Hill--Eggs and Chickens--Arrive at Edmonton 161 - - - CHAPTER XI. - - Edmonton--Grisly Bears--The Roman Catholic Mission at St. - Alban’s--The Priest preaches a Crusade against the - Grislies--Mr. Pembrun’s Story--The Gold Seekers--Perry, - the Miner--Mr. Hardisty’s Story--The Cree in Training-- - Running for Life--Hunt for the Bears--Life at a Hudson’s - Bay Fort--Indian Fortitude--Mr. O’B. introduces Himself-- - His Extensive Acquaintance--The Story of his Life--Wishes - to Accompany us--His Dread of Wolves and Bears--He comes - into the Doctor’s hands--He congratulates us upon his - Accession to our Party--The Hudson’s Bay People attempt - to dissuade us from trying the Leather Pass--Unknown - Country on the West of the Mountains--The Emigrants--The - other Passes--Explorations of Mr. Ross and Dr. Hector-- - Our Plans--Mr. O’B. objects to “The Assiniboine”--“The - Assiniboine” protests against Mr. O’B.--Our Party and - Preparations 183 - - - CHAPTER XII. - - Set out from Edmonton--Prophecies of Evil--Mr. O’B.’s - Forebodings--Lake St. Ann’s--We enter the Forest--A - Rough Trail--Mr. O’B., impressed with the Difficulties - which beset him, commences the study of Paley--Pembina - River--The Coal-bed--Game--Curious Habit of the Willow - Grouse--Mr. O’B. en route--Changes wrought by Beaver-- - The Assiniboine’s Adventure with the Grisly Bears--Mr. - O’B. prepares to sell his Life dearly--Hunt for the - Bears--Mr. O’B. Protects the Camp--The Bull-dogs--The - Path through the Pine Forest--The Elbow of the McLeod-- - Baptiste becomes Discontented--Trout Fishing--Moose - Hunting--Baptiste Deserts--Council--Resolve to Proceed-- - We lose the Trail--The Forest on Fire--Hot Quarters-- - Working for Life--Escape--Strike the Athabasca River-- - First View of the Rocky Mountains--Mr. O’B. spends a - Restless Night--Over the Mountain--Magnificent Scenery-- - Jasper House--Wild Flowers--Hunting the “Mouton Gris” and - the “Mouton Blanc” 203 - - - CHAPTER XIII. - - Making a Raft--Mr. O’B. at Hard Labour--He admires our - “Youthful Ardour”--News of Mr. Macaulay--A Visitor--Mr. - O’B. Fords a River--Wait for Mr. Macaulay--The Shushwaps - of the Rocky Mountains--Winter Famine at Jasper House-- - The Wolverine--The Miners before us--Start again-- - Cross the Athabasca--The Priest’s Rock--Site of the - Old Fort, “Henry’s House”--The Valley of the Myette-- - Fording Rapids--Mr. O’B. on Horseback again--Swimming the - Myette--Cross it for the Last Time--The Height of Land-- - The Streams run Westward--Buffalo-dung Lake--Strike the - Fraser River--A Day’s Wading--Mr. O’B.’s Hair-breadth - Escapes--Moose Lake--Rockingham Falls--More Travelling - through Water--Mr. O’B. becomes disgusted with his Horse-- - Change in Vegetation--Mahomet’s Bridge--Change in the - Rocks--Fork of the Fraser, or original Tête Jaune Cache-- - Magnificent Scenery--Robson’s Peak--Flood and Forest-- - Horses carried down the Fraser--The Pursuit--Intrepidity - of The Assiniboine--He rescues Bucephalus--Loss of - Gisquakarn--Mr. O’B.’s Reflections and Regrets--Sans Tea - and Tobacco--The Extent of our Losses--Mr. O’B. and Mrs. - Assiniboine--Arrive at The Cache 236 - - - CHAPTER XIV. - - Tête Jaune Cache--Nature of the Country--Wonderful View-- - West of the Rocky Mountains--Rocky Mountains still--The - “Poire,” or Service Berry--The Shushwaps of The Cache-- - The Three Miners--Gain but little Information about the - Road--The Iroquois return to Jasper House--Loss of Mr. - O’B.’s Horse--Leave The Cache--The Watersheds--Canoe - River--Perilous Adventure with a Raft--Milton and the - Woman--Extraordinary Behaviour of Mr. O’B.--The Rescue-- - The Watershed of the Thompson--Changes by Beaver--Mount - Milton--Enormous Timber--Cross the River--Fork of the - North Thompson--A Dilemma--No Road to be Found--Cross - the North-west Branch--Mr. O’B.’s Presentiment of Evil-- - Lose the Trail again--Which Way shall we Turn?--Resolve - to try and reach Kamloops--A Natural Bridge--We become - Beasts of Burden--Mr. O’B. objects, but is overruled by - The Assiniboine--“A Hard Road to Travel”--Miseries of - driving Pack-horses--An Unwelcome Discovery--The Trail - Ends--Lost in the Forest--Our Disheartening Condition-- - Council of War--Explorations of The Assiniboine, and his - Report--A Feast on Bear’s Meat--How we had a Smoke, and - were encouraged by The Assiniboine 264 - - - CHAPTER XV. - - We commence to Cut our Way--The Pathless Primeval Forest-- - The Order of March--Trouble with our Horses: their - Perversity--Continual Disasters--Our Daily Fare-- - Mount Cheadle--Country Improves only in Appearance-- - Futile Attempt to Escape out of the Valley--A Glimpse of - Daylight--Wild Fruits--Mr. O’B. triumphantly Crosses - the River--The Assiniboine Disabled--New Arrangements-- - Hopes of Finding Prairie-Land--Disappointment--Forest - and Mountain Everywhere--False Hopes again--Provisions - at an End--Council of War--The Assiniboine Hunts - without Success--The Headless Indian--“Le Petit Noir” - Condemned and Executed--Feast on Horse-flesh--Leave - Black Horse Camp--Forest again--The Assiniboine becomes - Disheartened--The Grand Rapid--A Dead Lock--Famishing - Horses--The Barrier--Shall we get Past?--Mr. O’B. - and Bucephalus--Extraordinary Escape of the Latter-- - More Accidents--La Porte d’Enfer--Step by Step--The - Assiniboine Downcast and Disabled--Mrs. Assiniboine takes - his Place--The Provisions give out again--A Dreary Beaver - Swamp--The Assiniboine gives up in Despair--Mr. O’B. - begins to Doubt, discards Paley, and prepares to become - Insane--We kill another Horse--A Bird of Good Omen-- - The Crow speaks Truth--Fresher Sign--A Trail--The Road - rapidly Improves--Out of the Forest at last! 286 - - - CHAPTER XVI. - - On a Trail Again--The Effect on Ourselves and the Horses-- - The Changed Aspect of the Country--Wild Fruits--Signs of - Man Increase--Enthusiastic Greeting--Starving again--Mr. - O’B. finds Caliban--His Affectionate Behaviour to him-- - The Indians’ Camp--Information about Kamloops--Bartering - for Food--Clearwater River--Cross the Thompson--The - Lily-berries--Mr. O’B. and The Assiniboine fall out-- - Mr. O’B. flees to the Woods--Accuses The Assiniboine of - an attempt to Murder him--Trading for Potatoes--More - Shushwaps--Coffee and Pipes--Curious Custom of the - Tribe--Kamloops in Sight--Ho! for the Fort--Mr. O’B. - takes to his Heels--Captain St. Paul--A Good Supper-- - Doubts as to our Reception--Our Forbidding Appearance-- - Our Troubles at an End--Rest 311 - - - CHAPTER XVII. - - Kamloops--We discover True Happiness--The Fort and - Surrounding Country--The Adventures of the Emigrants who - preceded us--Catastrophe at the Grand Rapid--Horrible - Fate of Three Canadians--Cannibalism--Practicability - of a Road by the Yellow Head Pass--Various Routes - from Tête Jaune Cache--Advantages of the Yellow Head - Pass, contrasted with those to the South--The Future - Highway to the Pacific--Return of Mr. McKay--Mr. - O’B. sets out alone--The Murderers--The Shushwaps of - Kamloops--Contrast between them and the Indians East of - the Rocky Mountains--Mortality--The Dead Unburied-- - Leave Kamloops--Strike the Wagon Road from the Mines-- - Astonishment of the Assiniboine Family--The remarkable - Terraces of the Thompson and Fraser--Their Great Extent: - contain Gold--Connection with the Bunch-grass--The Road - along the Thompson--Cook’s Ferry--The Drowned Murderer-- - Rarity of Crime in the Colony--The most Wonderful Road - in the World--The Old Trail--Pack-Indians--Indian Mode - of catching Salmon--Gay Graves--The Grand Scenery of - the Cañons--Probable Explanation of the Formation of the - Terraces--Yale--Hope and Langley--New Westminster--Mr. - O’B. turns up again--Mount Baker--The Islands of the Gulf - of Georgia--Victoria, Vancouver Island 322 - - - CHAPTER XVIII. - - Victoria--The Rush there from California--Contrast to San - Francisco under similar Circumstances--The Assiniboines - see the Wonders of Victoria--Start for Cariboo--Mr. - O’B. and The Assiniboine are Reconciled--The former - re-establishes his Faith--Farewell to the Assiniboine - Family--Salmon in Harrison River--The Lakes--Mr. - O’B.’s Triumph--Lilloet--Miners’ Slang--The “Stage” to - Soda Creek--Johnny the Driver--Pavilion Mountain--The - “Rattlesnake Grade”--The Chasm--Way-side Houses on the - Road to the Mines--We meet a Fortunate Miner--The Farming - Land of the Colony--The Steamer--Frequent Cocktails--The - Mouth of Quesnelle--The Trail to William’s Creek--A Hard - Journey--Dead Horses--Cameron Town, William’s Creek 351 - - - CHAPTER XIX. - - William’s Creek, Cariboo--The Discoverers--The Position - and Nature of the Gold Country--Geological Features-- - The Cariboo District--Hunting the Gold up the Fraser to - Cariboo--Conjectured Position of the Auriferous Quartz - Veins--Various kinds of Gold--Drawbacks to Mining in - Cariboo--The Cause of its Uncertainty--Extraordinary - Richness of the Diggings--“The Way the Money Goes”-- - Miners’ Eccentricities--Our Quarters at Cusheon’s-- - Price of Provisions--The Circulating Medium--Down - in the Mines--Profits and Expenses--The “Judge”-- - Our Farewell Dinner--The Company--Dr. B----l waxes - Eloquent--Dr. B----k’s Noble Sentiments--The Evening’s - Entertainment--Dr. B----l retires, but is heard of again-- - General Confusion--The Party breaks up--Leave Cariboo-- - Boating down the Fraser--Camping Out--William’s Lake-- - Catastrophe on the River--The Express Wagon--Difficulties - on the Way--The Express-man Prophesies his own Fate--The - Road beyond Lytton--A Break-down--Furious Drive into - Yale--Victoria once more 364 - - - CHAPTER XX. - - Nanaimo and San Juan--Resources of British Columbia and - Vancouver Island--Minerals--Timber--Abundance of Fish-- - Different kinds of Salmon--The Hoolicans, and the Indian - Method of Taking them--Pasturage--The Bunch-grass: - its Peculiarities and Drawbacks--Scarcity of Farming - Land--Different Localities--Land in Vancouver Island-- - Contrast between California and British Columbia--Gross - Misrepresentations of the Latter--Necessity for the - Saskatchewan as an Agricultural Supplement--Advantages of - a Route across the Continent--The Americans before us-- - The Difficulties less by the British Route--Communication - with China and Japan by this Line--The Shorter Distance-- - The Time now come for the Fall of the Last Great Monopoly-- - The North-West Passage by Sea, and that by Land--The Last - News of Mr. O’B.--Conclusion 385 - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. - - - PAGE - OUR PARTY ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS _Frontispiece_. - - OUR NIGHT CAMP ON EAGLE RIVER.--EXPECTING THE CREES 68 - - OUR WINTER HUT.--LA BELLE PRAIRIE 76 - - A MARTEN TRAP 102 - - SWAMP FORMED BY BEAVER, WITH ANCIENT BEAVER HOUSE AND DAM 179 - - FORT EDMONTON, ON THE NORTH SASKATCHEWAN 183 - - THE FOREST ON FIRE 225 - - OVER THE MOUNTAIN, NEAR JASPER HOUSE 231 - - VIEW FROM THE HILL OPPOSITE JASPER HOUSE.--THE UPPER LAKE OF - THE ATHABASCA RIVER AND PRIEST’S ROCK 232 - - CROSSING THE ATHABASCA RIVER, IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS 245 - - THE ASSINIBOINE RESCUES BUCEPHALUS 259 - - OUR MISADVENTURE WITH THE RAFT IN CROSSING CANOE RIVER 271 - - A VIEW ON THE NORTH THOMPSON, LOOKING EASTWARD 275 - - THE TRAIL AT AN END 281 - - MR. O’B. TRIUMPHANTLY CROSSES THE RIVER 292 - - THE HEADLESS INDIAN 296 - - THE TERRACES ON THE FRASER RIVER 338 - - YALE, ON THE FRASER RIVER 345 - - THE “RATTLESNAKE GRADE.”--PAVILLON MOUNTAIN, BRITISH COLUMBIA; - ALTITUDE, 4,000 FEET 356 - - A WAY-SIDE HOUSE.--ARRIVAL OF MINERS 357 - - A WAY-SIDE HOUSE AT MIDNIGHT 357 - - MINERS WASHING FOR GOLD 370 - - THE CAMERON “CLAIM,” WILLIAM’S CREEK, CARIBOO 371 - - GENERAL MAP OF BRITISH NORTH AMERICA, SHOWING THE AUTHORS’ - ROUTE ACROSS THE CONTINENT (_Bound with Volume._) - - MAP OF THE WESTERN PORTION OF BRITISH NORTH AMERICA, SHOWING - THE ROUTE ACROSS THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS BY THE YELLOW HEAD, - OR, LEATHER PASS INTO BRITISH COLUMBIA, ON A LARGER SCALE. - (_In the Pocket._) - - - - -PREFACE. - - -The following pages contain the narrative of an Expedition across the -Continent of North America, through the Hudson’s Bay Territories, into -British Columbia, by one of the northern passes in the Rocky Mountains. -The expedition was undertaken with the design of discovering the most -direct route through British territory to the gold regions of Cariboo, -and exploring the unknown country on the western flank of the Rocky -Mountains, in the neighbourhood of the sources of the north branch of -the Thompson River. - -The Authors have been anxious to give a faithful account of their -travels and adventures amongst the prairies, forests, and mountains -of the Far West, and have studiously endeavoured to preserve the -greatest accuracy in describing countries previously little known. But -one of the principal objects they have had in view has been to draw -attention to the vast importance of establishing a highway from the -Atlantic to the Pacific through the British possessions; not only as -establishing a connection between the different English colonies in -North America, but also as affording a means of more rapid and direct -communication with China and Japan. Another advantage which would -follow--no less important than the preceding--would be the opening -out and colonisation of the magnificent regions of the Red River and -Saskatchewan, where 65,000 square miles of a country of unsurpassed -fertility, and abounding in mineral wealth, lies isolated from the -world, neglected, almost unknown, although destined, at no distant -period perhaps, to become one of the most valuable possessions of the -British Crown. - -The idea of a route across the northern part of the Continent is not a -new one. The project was entertained by the early French settlers in -Canada, and led to the discovery of the Rocky Mountains. It has since -been revived and ably advocated by Professor Hind and others, hitherto -without success. - -The favourite scheme of geographers in this country for the last three -centuries has been the discovery of a North-West Passage by sea, as -the shortest route to the rich countries of the East. The discovery has -been made, but in a commercial point of view it has proved valueless. -We have attempted to show that the original idea of the French -Canadians was the right one, and that the true North-West Passage is -by land, along the fertile belt of the Saskatchewan, leading through -British Columbia to the splendid harbour of Esquimalt, and the great -coal-fields of Vancouver Island, which offer every advantage for the -protection and supply of a merchant fleet trading thence to India, -China, and Japan. - -The Illustrations of this Work are taken almost entirely from -photographs and sketches taken on the spot, and will, it is hoped, -possess a certain value and interest, as depicting scenes never before -drawn by any pencil, and many of which had never previously been -visited by any white man, some of them not even by an Indian. Our most -cordial thanks are due to Mr. R. P. Leitch, and Messrs. Cooper and -Linton, for the admirable manner in which they have been executed; -and to Mr. Arrowsmith, for the great care and labour he has bestowed -on working out the geography of a district heretofore so imperfectly -known. We also beg to acknowledge the very great obligations under -which we lie to Sir James Douglas, late Governor of British Columbia -and Vancouver Island; Mr. Donald Fraser, of Victoria; and Mr. McKay, of -Kamloops, for much valuable information concerning the two colonies, -and who, with many others, showed us the greatest kindness during our -stay in those countries. - - 4, GROSVENOR SQUARE, - _June 1st, 1865_. - -[Illustration: - - The Western Portion of - BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. - _Showing the Route followed by_ - Lord Milton & Dr. Cheadle. - from the Saskatchewan to British Columbia - 1863–4. -] - - - - -THE - -NORTH-WEST PASSAGE BY LAND. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - - Sail for Quebec--A Rough Voyage--Our Fellow-Passengers--The - Wreck--Off the Banks of Newfoundland--Quebec--Up the St. - Lawrence--Niagara--The Captain and the Major--Westward Again-- - Sleeping Cars--The Red Indian--Steaming up the Mississippi-- - Lake Pippin--Indian Legend--St. Paul, Minnesota--The Great - Pacific Railroad--Travelling by American Stage-Wagon--The - Country--Our Dog Rover--The Massacre of the Settlers by the - Sioux--Culpability of the United States Government--The - Prairie--Shooting by the Way--Reach Georgetown. - - -On the 19th of June, 1862, we embarked in the screw-steamer -_Anglo-Saxon_, bound from Liverpool to Quebec. The day was dull and -murky; and as the trader left the landing-stage, a drizzling rain -began to fall. This served as an additional damper to our spirits, -already sufficiently low at the prospect of leaving home for a long and -indefinite period. Unpleasant anticipations of ennui, and still more -bodily suffering, had risen up within the hearts of both of us--for we -agree in detesting a sea-voyage, although not willing to go the length -of endorsing the confession wrung from that light of the American -Church--the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher--by the agonies of sea-sickness, -that “those whom God hateth he sendeth to sea.” - -We had a very rough passage, fighting against head winds nearly all the -way; but rapidly getting our sea-legs, we suffered little from ennui, -being diverted by our observations on a somewhat curious collection of -fellow-passengers. Conspicuous amongst them were two Romish bishops -of Canadian sees, on their return from Rome, where they had assisted -at the canonisation of the Japanese martyrs, and each gloried in -the possession of a handsome silver medal, presented to them by his -Holiness the Pope for their eminent services on that occasion. These -two dignitaries presented a striking contrast. One, very tall and -emaciated, was the very picture of an ascetic, and passed the greater -part of his time in the cabin reading his missal and holy books. His -inner man he satisfied by a spare diet of soup and fish, gratifying -to the full no carnal appetite except that for snuff, which he took -in prodigious quantity, and avoiding all society except that of his -brother bishop. The latter, “a round, fat, oily man of God,” of genial -temper, and sociable disposition, despised not the good things of this -world, and greatly affected a huge meerschaum pipe, from which he -blew a cloud with great complacency. As an antidote to them, we had -an old lady afflicted with Papophobia, who caused us much amusement -by inveighing bitterly against the culpable weakness of which Her -Majesty the Queen had been guilty, in accepting the present of a -side-board from Pius IX. A Canadian colonel, dignified, majestic, and -speaking as with authority, discoursed political wisdom to an admiring -and obsequious audience. He lorded it over our little society for a -brief season, and then suddenly disappeared. Awful groans and noises, -significant of sickness and suffering, were heard proceeding from his -cabin. But, at last, one day when the weather had moderated a little, -we discovered the colonel once more on deck, but, alas! how changed. -His white hat, formerly so trim, was now frightfully battered; his -cravat negligently tied; his whole dress slovenly. He sat with his head -between his hands, dejected, silent, and forlorn. - -The purser, a jolly Irishman, came up at the moment, and cried, -“Holloa, colonel! on deck? Glad to see you all right again.” - -“All right, sir!” cried the colonel, fiercely; “all right, sir? I’m -_not_ all right. I’m _frightfully ill_, sir! I’ve suffered the tortures -of the--condemned; horrible beyond expression; but it’s not the pain -I complain of; that, sir, a soldier like myself knows how to endure. -But I’m thoroughly ashamed of myself, and shall never hold up my head -again!” - -“My dear sir,” said the purser, soothingly, with a sly wink at us, -“what on earth _have_ you been doing? There is nothing, surely, in -sea-sickness to be ashamed of.” - -“I tell you, sir,” said the colonel, passionately, “that it’s most -demoralising! Think of a man of my years, and of my standing and -position, lying for hours prone on the floor, with his head over a -basin, making a disgusting beast of himself in the face of the company! -I’ve lost my self-respect, sir; and I shall never be able to hold up my -head amongst my fellow-men again!” - -As he finished speaking, he again dropped his head between his hands, -and thus did not observe the malicious smile on the purser’s face, or -notice the suppressed laughter of the circle of listeners attracted -round him by the violence of his language. - -The young lady of our society--for we had but one--was remarkable for -her solitary habits and pensive taciturnity. When we arrived at Quebec -harbour, a most extraordinary change came over her; and we watched her -in amazement, as she darted restlessly up and down the landing-stage in -a state of the greatest agitation, evidently looking for some one who -could not be found. In vain she searched, and at last rushed off to the -telegraph office in a state of frantic excitement. Later the same day -we met her at the hotel, seated by the side of a young gentleman, and -as placid as ever. It turned out that she had come over to be married, -but her lover had arrived too late to meet her; he, however, had at -last made his appearance, and honourably fulfilled his engagement. A -wild Irishman, continually roaring with laughter, a Northern American, -rabid against “rebels,” and twenty others, made up our list of cabin -passengers. Out of these we beg to introduce, as Mr. Treemiss, a -gentleman going out like ourselves, to hunt buffalo on the plains, and -equally enthusiastic in his anticipations of a glorious life in the -far West. We soon struck up an intimate acquaintance, and agreed to -travel in company as far as might be agreeable to the plans of each. - -Before we reached the banks of Newfoundland we fell in with numerous -evidences of a recent storm; a quantity of broken spars floated past, -and a dismasted schooner, battered and deserted by her crew. On her -stern was the name _Ruby_, and the stumps of her masts bore the marks -of having been recently cut away. - -Off the “banks” we encountered a fog so dense that we could not see -twenty yards ahead. The steam whistle was blown every five minutes, -and the lead kept constantly going. The ship crashed through broken -ice, and we all strained our eyes for the first sight of some iceberg -looming through the mist. A steamer passed close to us, her proximity -being betrayed only by the scream of her whistle. Horrible stories of -ships lost with all hands on board, from running against an iceberg, -or on the rock-bound coast, became the favourite topic of conversation -amongst the passengers; the captain looked anxious, and every one -uncomfortable. - -After two days, however, we emerged in safety from the raw, chilling -fogs into clear sunlight at the mouth of the St. Lawrence, and on the -2nd of July steamed up the river to Quebec. The city of Quebec, with -its bright white houses, picked out with green, clinging to the sides -of a commanding bluff, which appears to rise up in the middle of the -great river so as to bar all passage, has a striking beauty beyond -comparison. We stayed but to see the glorious plains of Abraham, and -then hastened up the St. Lawrence by Montreal, through the lovely -scenery of the “Thousand Islands,” and across Lake Ontario to Toronto. - -We determined to spend a day at Niagara, and, taking another steamer -here, passed over to Lewiston, on the American side of the lake, at the -mouth of the Niagara River. From Lewiston a railway runs to within a -mile of the Falls, following the edge of the precipitous cliffs on the -east side of the narrow ravine, through which the river rushes to pour -itself into Lake Ontario. Glad to escape the eternal clanging of the -engine bell warning people to get out of the way as the train steamed -along the streets, we walked across the suspension bridge to the -Canadian side of the river, and forward to the Clifton House. We heard -the roar of the cataract soon after leaving the station, and caught -glimpses of it from time to time along the road; but at last we came -out into the open, near the hotel, and saw, in full view before us, -the American wonder of the world. Our first impression was certainly -one of disappointment. Hearing so much from earliest childhood of the -great Falls of Niagara, one forms a most exaggerated conception of -their magnitude and grandeur. But the scene rapidly began to exercise -a charm over us, and as we stood on the edge of the Horseshoe Fall, on -the very brink of the precipice over which the vast flood hurls itself, -we confessed the sublimity of the spectacle. We returned continually -to gaze on it, more and more fascinated, and in the bright clear -moonlight of a beautiful summer’s night, viewed the grand cataract at -its loveliest time. But newer subjects before us happily forbid any -foolish attempt on our part to describe what so many have tried, but -never succeeded, in painting either with pen or pencil. On the Lewiston -steamer we had made the acquaintance of Captain ----, or, more properly -speaking, he had made ours. The gallant captain was rather extensively -got up, his face smooth shaven, with the exception of the upper lip, -which was graced with a light, silky moustache. He wore a white hat, -cocked knowingly on one side, and sported an elegant walking cane; -the blandest of smiles perpetually beamed on his countenance, and he -accosted us in the most affable and insinuating manner, with some -remark about the heat of the weather. Dextrously improving the opening -thus made, he placed himself in a few minutes on the most intimate -terms. Regretting exceedingly that he had not a card, he drew our -attention to the silver mounting on his cane, whereon was engraved, -“Captain ----, of ----.” Without further inquiry as to who we were, he -begged us to promise to come over and stay with him at his nice little -place, and we should have some capital “cock shooting” next winter. The -polite captain then insisted on treating us to mint-juleps at the bar, -and there introduced us with great ceremony to a tall, angular man, as -Major So-and-so, of the Canadian Rifles. - -The major was attired in a very seedy military undress suit, too small -and too short for him, and he carried, like Bardolph, a “lantern in the -poop,” which shone distinct from the more lurid and darker redness of -the rest of his universally inflamed features. His manner was rather -misty, yet solemn and grand withal, and he comported himself with so -much dignity, that far was it from us to smile at his peculiar personal -appearance. We all three bowed and shook hands with him with an -urbanity almost equal to that of our friend the captain. - -Both our new acquaintances discovered that they were going to the same -place as ourselves, and favoured us with their society assiduously -until we reached the Clifton House. - -After viewing the Falls, we had dinner; and then the captain and major -entertained us with extraordinary stories. - -The former related how he had lived at the Cape under Sir Harry Smith, -ridden one hundred and fifty miles on the same horse in twenty-four -hours, and various other feats, while the “major” obscurely hinted that -he owed his present important command on the frontier to the necessity -felt by the British Government that a man of known courage and talent -should be responsible during the crisis of the _Trent_ affair. - -We returned to Toronto the next day, and lost no time in proceeding on -our way to Red River, travelling as fast as possible by railway through -Detroit and Chicago to La Crosse, in Wisconsin, on the banks of the -Mississippi. - -We found the sleeping-cars a wonderful advantage in our long journeys, -and generally travelled by night. A “sleeping-car” is like an ordinary -railway carriage, with a passage down the centre, after the American -fashion, and on each side two tiers of berths, like those of a ship. -You go “on board,” turn in minus coat and boots, go quietly to sleep, -and are awakened in the morning by the attendant nigger, in time to -get out at your destination. You have had a good night’s rest, find -your boots ready blacked, and washing apparatus at one end of the car, -and have the satisfaction of getting over two hundred or three hundred -miles of a wearisome journey almost without knowing it. The part of -the car appropriated to ladies is screened off from the gentlemen’s -compartment by a curtain; but on one occasion, there being but two -vacant berths in the latter, Treemiss was, by special favour, admitted -to the ladies’ quarter, where ordinarily only married gentlemen are -allowed--two ladies and a gentleman kindly squeezing into one large -berth to accommodate him! - -At one of the small stations in Wisconsin we met the first Red Indian -we had seen in native dress. He wore leather shirt, leggings, and -moccasins, a blanket thrown over his shoulders, and his bold-featured, -handsome face was adorned with paint. He was leaning against a tree, -smoking his pipe with great dignity, not deigning to move or betray -the slightest interest as the train went past him. We could not help -reflecting--as, perhaps, he was doing--with something of sadness -upon the changes which had taken place since his ancestors were lords -of the soil, hearing of the white men’s devices as a strange thing, -from the stories of their greatest travellers, or some half-breed -trapper who might occasionally visit them. And we could well imagine -the disgust of these sons of silence and stealth at the noisy trains -which rush through the forests, and the steamers which dart along lakes -and rivers, once the favourite haunt of game, now driven far away. How -bitterly in their hearts they must curse that steady, unfaltering, -inevitable advance of the great army of whites, recruited from every -corner of the earth, spreading over the land like locusts--too strong -to resist, too cruel and unscrupulous to mingle with them in peace and -friendship! - -At La Crosse we took steamer up the Mississippi--in the Indian -language, the “Great River,” but here a stream not more than 120 yards -in width--for St. Paul, in Minnesota. The river was very low, and -the steamer--a flat-bottomed, stern-wheel boat, drawing only a few -inches of water--frequently stuck fast on the sand bars, giving us an -opportunity of seeing how an American river-boat gets over shallows. -Two or three men were immediately sent overboard, to fix a large pole. -At the top was a pulley, and through this a stout rope was run, one end -of which was attached to a cable passed under the boat, the other to -her capstan. The latter was then manned, the vessel fairly lifted up, -and the stern wheel being put in motion at the same time, she swung -over the shoal into deep water. - -The scenery was very pretty, the river flowing in several channels -round wooded islets; along the banks were fine rounded hills, some -heavily timbered, others bare and green. When we reached Lake Pippin, -an expansion of the Mississippi, some seven or eight miles long, and -perhaps a mile in width, we found a most delightful change from the -sultry heat we had experienced when shut up in the narrow channel. Here -the breeze blew freshly over the water, fish splashed about on every -side, and could be seen from the boat, and we were in the midst of a -beautiful landscape. Hills and woods surround the lake; and, about half -way, a lofty cliff, called the “Maiden’s Rock,” stands out with bold -face into the water. It has received its name from an old legend that -an Indian maiden, preferring death to a hated suitor forced upon her by -her relatives, leaped from the top, and was drowned in the lake below. -Beyond Lake Pippin the river became more shallow and difficult, and we -were so continually delayed by running aground that we did not reach -St. Paul until several hours after dark. - -St. Paul, the chief city of the State of Minnesota, is the great -border town of the North Western States. Beyond, collections of houses -called cities dwindle down to even a single hut--an outpost in the -wilderness. One of these which we passed on the road, a solitary house, -uninhabited, rejoiced in the name of “Breckenridge City;” and another, -“Salem City,” was little better. - -From St. Paul a railway runs westward to St. Anthony, six miles -distant--the commencement of the Great Pacific Railroad, projected to -run across to California, and already laid out far on to the plains. -From St. Anthony a “stage” wagon runs through the out-settlements of -Minnesota as far as Georgetown, on the Red River. There we expected to -find a steamer which runs fortnightly to Fort Garry, in the Red River -Settlement. The “stage,” a mere covered spring-wagon, was crowded -and heavily laden. Inside were eight full-grown passengers and four -children; outside six, in addition to the driver; on the roof an -enormous quantity of luggage; and on the top of all were chained two -huge dogs--a bloodhound and Newfoundland--belonging to Treemiss. -Milton and Treemiss were fortunate enough to secure outside seats, -where, although cramped and uncomfortable, they could still breathe the -free air of heaven; but Cheadle was one of the unfortunate “insides,” -and suffered tortures during the first day’s journey. The day was -frightfully hot, and the passengers were packed so tightly, that it was -only by the consent and assistance of his next neighbour that he could -free an arm to wipe the perspiration from his agonised countenance. -Mosquitoes swarmed and feasted with impunity on the helpless crowd, -irritating the four wretched babies into an incessant squalling, which -the persevering singing of their German mothers about Fatherland was -quite ineffectual to assuage. Two female German Yankees kept up an -incessant clack, “guessing” that the “Young Napoleon” would soon wipe -out Jeff. Davis; in which opinion two male friends of the same race -perfectly agreed. The dogs kept tumbling off their slippery perch, -and hung dangling by their chains at either side, half strangled, -until hauled back again with the help of a “leg up” from the people -inside. This seventy mile drive to St. Cloud, where we stayed the first -night, was the most disagreeable experience we had. There six of the -passengers left us, but the two German women, with the four babies they -owned between them, still remained. The babies were much more irritable -than ever the next day, and their limbs and faces, red and swollen from -the effects of mosquito bites, showed what good cause they had for -their constant wailings. - -The country rapidly became more open and level--a succession of -prairies, dotted with copses of wild poplar and scrub oak. The land -appeared exceedingly fertile, and the horses and draught oxen most -astonishingly fat. Sixty-five miles of similar country brought us, -on the second night after leaving St. Paul, to the little settlement -of Sauk Centre. As it still wanted half an hour to sundown when we -arrived, we took our guns and strolled down to some marshes close at -hand in search of ducks, but were obliged to return empty-handed, -for although we shot several we could not get them out of the water -without a dog, the mosquitoes being so rampant, that none of us felt -inclined to strip and go in for them. We were very much disappointed, -for we had set our hearts on having some for supper, as a relief to -the eternal salt pork of wayside houses in the far West. On our return -to the house where we were staying, we bewailed our ill-luck to our -host, who remarked that had he known we were going out shooting, he -would have lent us his own dog, a capital retriever. He introduced us -forthwith to “Rover,” a dapper-looking, smooth-haired dog, in colour -and make like a black and tan terrier, but the size of a beagle. When -it is known from the sequel of this history how important a person -Rover became, how faithfully he served us, how many meals he provided -for us, and the endless amusement his various accomplishments afforded -both to ourselves and the Indians we met with, we shall perhaps be -forgiven for describing him with such particularity. Amongst our Indian -friends he became as much beloved as he was hated by their dogs. -These wolf-like animals he soon taught to fear and respect him by his -courageous and dignified conduct; for although small of stature, he -possessed indomitable pluck, and had a method of fighting quite opposed -to their ideas and experience. Their manner was to show their teeth, -rush in and snap, and then retreat; while he went in and grappled with -his adversary in so determined a manner, that the biggest of them -invariably turned tail before his vigorous onset. Yet Rover was by no -means a quarrelsome dog. He walked about amongst the snarling curs -with tail erect, as if not noticing their presence; and probably to -this fearless demeanour he owed much of his immunity from attack. He -appeared so exactly suited for the work we required, and so gained our -hearts by his cleverness and docility, that next morning we made an -offer of 25 dollars for him. - -The man hesitated, said he was very unwilling to part with him, and, -indeed, he thought his wife and sister would not hear of it. If, -however, they could be brought to consent, he thought he could not -afford to refuse so good an offer, for he was very short of money. - -He went out to sound the two women on the subject, and they presently -rushed into the room; one of them caught up Rover in her arms, and, -both bursting into floods of tears, vehemently declared nothing would -induce them to part with their favourite. We were fairly vanquished by -such a scene, and slunk away, feeling quite guilty at having proposed -to deprive these poor lonely women of one of the few creatures they had -to lavish their wealth of feminine affection upon. - -As we were on the point of starting, however, the man came up, leading -poor Rover by a string, and begged us to take him, as he had at last -persuaded the women to let him go. We demurred, but he urged it so -strongly that we at length swallowed our scruples, and paid the money. -As we drove off, the man said good-bye to him, as if parting with -his dearest friend, and gave us many injunctions to “be kind to the -little fellow.” This we most solemnly promised to do, and it is almost -needless to state, we faithfully kept our word. - -A fortnight afterwards, these kindly people--in common with nearly all -the whites in that part of Minnesota--suffered a horrible death at -the hands of the invading Sioux. This fearful massacre, accompanied -as it was by all the brutalities of savage warfare, was certainly -accounted for, if not excused, or even justified, by the great -provocation they had received. The carelessness and injustice of the -American Government, and the atrocities committed by the troops sent -out for the protection of the frontier, exasperated the native tribes -beyond control. Several thousand Indians--men, women, and children-- -assembled at Forts Snelling and Abercrombie, at a time appointed by -the Government themselves, to receive the yearly subsidy guaranteed -to them in payment for lands ceded to the United States. Year after -year, either through the neglect of the officials at Washington, or the -carelessness or dishonesty of their agents, the Indians were detained -there for weeks, waiting to receive what was due to them. Able to bring -but scanty provision with them--enough only for a few days--and far -removed from the buffalo, their only means of subsistence, they were -kept there in 1862 for nearly six weeks in fruitless expectation. Can -it be a matter of surprise that, having been treated year by year in -the same contemptuous manner, starving and destitute, the Sioux should -have risen to avenge themselves on a race hated by all the Indians of -the West? - -Unconscious of the dangers gathering round, and little suspecting the -dreadful scenes so shortly to be enacted in this region, we drove -merrily along in the stage. As we went farther west, the prairies -became more extensive, timber more scarce, and human habitations more -rare. Prairie chickens and ducks were plentiful along the road, and -the driver obligingly pulled up to allow us to have a shot whenever a -chance occurred. On the third day we struck Red River, and stayed the -night at Fort Abercrombie; and the following day, the 18th of July, -arrived at Georgetown. The stage did not run beyond this point, and -the steamer, by which we intended to proceed to Fort Garry, was not -expected to come in for several days, so that we had every prospect of -seeing more of Georgetown than we cared for. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - - Georgetown--Minnesota Volunteers--The Successful Hunters--An - Indian Hag--Resolve to go to Fort Garry in Canoes--Rumours - of a Sioux Outbreak--The Half-breeds refuse to Accompany us-- - Prepare to Start Alone--Our Canoes and Equipment--A Sioux - War Party--The Half-breed’s Story--Down Red River--Strange - Sights and Sounds--Our First Night Out--Effects of the Sun and - Mosquitoes--Milton Disabled--Monotony of the Scenery--Leaky - Canoes--Travelling by Night--The “Oven” Camp--Hunting Geese - in Canoes--Meet the Steamer--Milton’s Narrow Escape--Treemiss - and Cheadle follow Suit--Carried Down the Rapids--Vain Attempts - to Ascend--A Hard Struggle--On Board at last--Start once - more--Delays--Try a Night Voyage Again--The “Riband Storm”-- - “In Thunder, Lightning, and in Rain”--Fearful Phenomena--Our - Miserable Plight--No Escape--Steering in Utter Darkness-- - Snags and Rocks--A Long Night’s Watching--No Fire--A Drying - Day--Another Terrible Storm--And Another--Camp of Disasters-- - Leave it at last--Marks of the Fury of the Storms--Provisions - at an End--Fishing for Gold-eyes--A Day’s Fast--Slaughter - of Wild-Fowl--Our Voracity--A Pleasant Awakening--Caught up - by the Steamer--Pembina--Fort Garry--La Ronde--We go under - Canvass. - - -The little settlement of Georgetown is placed under cover of the belt -of timber which clothes the banks of the river, while to the south -and east endless prairie stretches away to the horizon. The place is -merely a trading post of the Hudson’s Bay Company, round which a few -straggling settlers have established themselves. A company of Minnesota -Volunteers was stationed here for the protection of the settlement -against the Sioux. They were principally Irish or German Yankees; -_i.e._, emigrants, out-Heroding Herod in Yankeeism, yet betraying their -origin plainly enough. These heroes, slovenly and unsoldier-like, yet -full of swagger and braggadocio now, when the Sioux advanced to the -attack on Port Abercrombie, a few weeks afterwards, took refuge under -beds, and hid in holes and corners, from whence they had to be dragged -by their officers, who drew them out to face the enemy by putting -revolvers to their heads. - -On the day of our arrival two half-breeds came in from a hunting -expedition in which they had been very successful. They had found -a band of twenty elk, out of which they killed four, desisting, -according to their own account, from shooting more from a reluctance -to waste life and provision!--a piece of consideration perfectly -incomprehensible in a half-breed or Indian. We went down to their camp -by the river, where they were living in an Indian “lodge,” or tent -of skins stretched over a cone of poles. Squatted in front of it, -engaged in cutting the meat for drying, was the most hideous old hag -ever seen. Lean, dried-up, and withered, her parchment skin was seamed -and wrinkled into folds and deep furrows, her eyes were bleared and -blinking, and her long, iron-grey hair, matted and unkempt, hung over -her shoulders. She kept constantly muttering, and showing her toothless -gums, as she clawed the flesh before her with long, bony, unwashed -fingers, breaking out occasionally into wild, angry exclamations, as -she struck at the skeleton dogs which attempted to steal some of the -delicate morsels strewn around. - -Finding upon inquiry that, in consequence of the lowness of the -water, it was very uncertain when the steamer would arrive, if she -ever reached Georgetown at all, we decided to make the journey to -Fort Garry in canoes. The distance is above five hundred miles by the -river, which runs through a wild and unsettled country, inhabited only -by wandering tribes of Sioux, Chippeways, and Assiniboines. After -much bargaining, we managed to obtain two birch-bark canoes from some -half-breeds. One of them was full of bullet holes, having been formerly -the property of some Assiniboines, who were waylaid by a war party of -Sioux whilst descending the river the previous summer, and mercilessly -shot down from the bank, where their enemies lay in ambush. The other -was battered and leaky, and both required a great deal of patching -and caulking before they were rendered anything like water-tight. We -endeavoured to engage a guide, half-breed or Indian, but none would -go with us. The truth was that rumours were afloat of the intended -outbreak of the Sioux, and these cowards were afraid. One man, indeed-- -a tall, savage-looking Iroquois, just recovering from the effects of a -week’s debauch on corn whisky--expressed his readiness to go with us, -but his demands were so exorbitant, that we refused them at once. We -offered him one-half what he had asked, and he went off to consult his -squaw, promising to give us an answer next day. - -We did not take very large supplies of provisions with us, as we -expected not to be more than eight or ten days on our voyage, and knew -that we should meet with plenty of ducks along the river. We therefore -contented ourselves with twenty pounds of flour, and the same of -pemmican, with about half as much salt pork, some grease, tinder, and -matches, a small quantity of tea, salt, and tobacco, and plenty of -ammunition. A tin kettle and frying-pan, some blankets and a waterproof -sheet, a small axe, and a gun and hunting-knife apiece, made up the -rest of our equipment. - -Whilst we were completing our preparations, another half-breed came -in, in a great state of excitement, with the news that a war party -of Sioux were lurking in the neighbourhood. He had been out looking -for elk, when he suddenly observed several Indians skulking in the -brushwood; from their paint and equipment he knew them to be Sioux -on the war-path. They did not appear to have perceived him, and he -turned and fled, escaping to the settlement unpursued. We did not place -much reliance on his story, or the various reports we had heard, and -set out the next day alone. How fearfully true these rumours of the -hostility of the Sioux, which we treated so lightly at the time, turned -out to be, is already known to the reader. As we got ready to start, -the Iroquois sat on the bank, smoking sullenly, and showing neither -by word nor sign any intention of accepting our offer of the previous -day. Milton and Rover occupied the smaller canoe, while Treemiss and -Cheadle navigated the larger one. At first we experienced some little -difficulty in steering, and were rather awkward in the management of a -paddle. A birch-bark canoe sits so lightly on the water, that a puff -of wind drives it about like a walnut-shell; and with the wind dead -ahead, paddling is very slow and laborious. But we got on famously -after a short time, Milton being an old hand at the work, and the -others accustomed to light and crank craft on the Isis and the Cam. We -glided along pleasantly enough, lazily paddling or floating quietly -down the sluggish stream. The day was hot and bright, and we courted -the graceful shade of the trees which overhung the bank on either side. -The stillness of the woods was broken by the dip of our paddles, the -occasional splash of a fish, or the cry of various birds. The squirrel -played and chirruped among the branches of the trees, the spotted -woodpecker tapped on the hollow trunk, while, perched high on the -topmost bough of some withered giant of the forest, the eagle and the -hawk uttered their harsh and discordant screams. Here and there along -the banks swarms of black and golden orioles clustered on the bushes, -the gaily-plumed kingfisher flitted past, ducks and geese floated on -the water, and the long-tailed American pigeon darted like an arrow -high over the tree-tops. As night approached, a hundred owls hooted -round us; the whip-poor-will startled us with its rapid, reiterated -call; and the loon--the most melancholy of birds--sent forth her -wild lamentations from some adjoining lake. Thoroughly did we enjoy -these wild scenes and sounds, and the strange sensation of freedom and -independence which possessed us. - -Having shot as many ducks as we required, we put ashore at sundown, and -drawing our canoes out of the water into the bushes which fringed the -river-bank, safe from the eye of any wandering or hostile Indian, we -encamped for the night on the edge of the prairie. It became quite dark -before we had half completed our preparations, and we were dreadfully -bothered, in our raw inexperience, to find dry wood for the fire, and -do the cooking. However, we managed at last to pluck and split open the -ducks into “spread-eagles,” roasting them on sticks, Indian fashion, -and these, with some tea and “dampers,” or cakes of unleavened bread, -furnished a capital meal. We then turned into our blankets, _sub -Jove_--for we had no tent;--but the tales we had heard of prowling -Sioux produced some effect, and a half-wakeful watchfulness replaced -our usual sound slumbers. - -We often recalled afterwards how one or other of us suddenly sat up -in bed and peered into the darkness at any unusual sound, or got up -to investigate the cause of the creakings and rustlings frequently -heard in the forest at night, but which might have betrayed the -stealthy approach of an Indian enemy. Mosquitoes swarmed and added to -our restlessness. In the morning we all three presented an abnormal -appearance, Milton’s arms being tremendously blistered, red, and -swollen, from paddling with them bare in the scorching sun; and -Treemiss and Cheadle exhibiting faces it was impossible to recognise, -so wofully were they changed by the swelling of mosquito bites. - -Milton was quite unable to use a paddle for several days, and his canoe -was towed along by Treemiss and Cheadle. This, of course, delayed us -considerably, and the delight we had experienced during the first few -days’ journey gradually gave place to a desire for change. - -Red River, flowing almost entirely through prairie land, has hollowed -out for itself a deep channel in the level plains, the sloping sides of -which are covered with timber almost to the water’s edge. The unvarying -sameness of the river, and the limited prospect shut in by rising banks -on either side, gave a monotony to our daily journey; and the routine -of cooking, chopping, loading and unloading canoes, paddling, and -shooting, amusing enough at first, began to grow rather tiresome. - -The continual leaking of our rickety canoes obliged us to pull up so -frequently to empty them, and often spend hours in attempting to stop -the seams, that we made very slow progress towards completing the five -hundred miles before us. We therefore thoroughly overhauled them, and -having succeeded in making them tolerably water-tight, resolved to make -an extra stage, and travel all night. The weather was beautifully fine, -and, although there was no moon, we were able to steer well enough by -the clear starlight. - -The night seemed to pass very slowly, and we nodded wearily over our -paddles before the first appearance of daylight gave us an excuse for -landing, which we did at the first practicable place. The banks were -knee-deep in mud, but we were too tired and sleepy to search further, -and carried our things to drier ground higher up, where a land-slip -from a steep cliff had formed a small level space a few yards square. -The face of the cliff was semi-circular, and its aspect due south; not -a breath of air was stirring, and as we slept with nothing to shade -us from the fiery rays of the mid-day sun, we awoke half baked. Some -ducks which we had killed the evening before were already stinking and -half putrid, and had to be thrown away as unfit for food. We found the -position unbearable, and, reluctantly re-loading our canoes, took to -the river again, and paddled languidly along until evening. This camp, -which we called “The Oven,” was by far the warmest place we ever found, -with the exception of the town of Acapulco, in Mexico, which stands in -a very similar situation. - -A week after we left Georgetown our provisions fell short, for the -pemmican proved worthless, and fell to the lot of Rover, and we -supplied ourselves entirely by shooting the wild-fowl, which were -tolerably plentiful. The young geese, although almost full-grown and -feathered, were not yet able to fly, but afforded capital sport. When -hotly pursued they dived as we came near in the canoes, and, if too -hardly pushed, took to the shore. This was generally a fatal mistake; -Milton immediately landed with Rover, who quickly discovered them lying -with merely their heads hidden in the grass or bushes, and they were -then captured. - -When engaged in this exciting amusement one day, Milton went ahead -down stream in chase of a wounded bird, while Treemiss and Cheadle -remained behind to look after some others which had taken to the land. -The former was paddling away merrily after his prey, when, at a sudden -turn of the river, he came upon the steamer warping up a shallow -rapid. Eager to get on board and taste the good things we had lately -lacked, he swept down the current alongside the overhanging deck of -the steamer. The stream was rough and very strong, and its force was -increased by the effect of the stern-wheel of the steamer in rapid -motion in the narrow channel. The canoe was drawn under the projecting -deck, but Milton clung tightly to it, and the friendly hands of some -of the crew seized and hauled him and his canoe safely on board. The -others following shortly afterwards, and observing the steamer in like -manner, were equally delighted, and dashed away down stream in order to -get on board as quickly as possible. - -The stern-wheel was now stopped, but as they neared the side it was -suddenly put in motion again, and the canoe carried at a fearful pace -past the side of the boat, sucked in by the whirlpool of the wheel. By -the most frantic exertions, the two saved themselves from being drawn -under, but were borne down the rapid about a quarter of a mile. Rover -attempting a similar feat, was carried down after them, struggling -vainly against the powerful current. Great was the wrath of Cheadle -and Treemiss against the captain for the trick he had served them, and -they squabbled no little with each other also, as they vainly strove -to re-ascend the rapid. Three times they made the attempt, but were -as often swept back, and had to commence afresh. By paddling with all -their might they succeeded in getting within a hundred yards of the -steamer; but at this point, where the stream narrowed and shot with -double force round a sharp turn in the channel, the head of the canoe -was swept round in spite of all their efforts, and down they went again. - -When they were on the eve of giving up in despair, the other canoe -appeared darting down towards them, manned by two men whose masterly -use of the paddle proclaimed them to be old voyageurs. Coming -alongside, one of them exchanged places with Cheadle, and thus, each -having a skilful assistant, by dint of hugging the bank, and warily -avoiding the strength of the current, they easily reached the critical -point for the fourth time. Here again was a fierce struggle. Swept back -repeatedly for a few yards, but returning instantly to the attack, they -at last gained the side of the steamer. The captain kindly stopped half -an hour to allow us to have a good dinner. Finding the steamer would -probably be a week before she returned, we obtained a fresh stock of -flour and salt pork, and went on our way again. Presently we found -Rover, who had got to land a long way down the stream, and took him on -board again. - -After a few days’ slow and monotonous voyaging, being again frequently -obliged to stop in order to repair our leaky craft, we decided to try a -night journey once more. The night was clear and starlight, but in the -course of an hour or two ominous clouds began to roll up from the west, -and the darkness increased. We went on, however, hoping that there -would be no storm. But before long, suddenly, as it seemed to us, the -darkness became complete; then, without previous warning, a dazzling -flash of lightning lit up for a moment the wild scene around us, and -almost instantaneously a tremendous clap of thunder, an explosion like -the bursting of a magazine, caused us to stop paddling, and sit silent -and appalled. A fierce blast of wind swept over the river, snapping -great trees like twigs on every side; the rain poured down in floods, -and soaked us through and through; flash followed flash in quick -succession, with its accompanying roar of thunder; whilst at intervals -between, a dim, flickering light, faint and blue, like the flame of a -spirit lamp, or the “Will-o’-the-wisp,” hovered over the surface of the -water, but failed to light up the dense blackness of the night. With -this came an ominous hissing, like the blast of a steam pipe, varying -with the wind, now sounding near as the flame approached, now more -distant as it wandered away. - -We were in the very focus of the storm; the whole air was charged with -electricity, and the changing currents of the electric fluid, or the -shifting winds, lifted and played with our hair in passing. The smell -of ozone was so pungent that it fairly made us snort again, and forced -itself on our notice amongst the other more fearful phenomena of the -storm. We made an attempt to land at once, but the darkness was so -intense that we could not see to avoid the snags and fallen timber -which beset the steep, slippery bank; and the force of the stream -bumped us against them in a manner which warned us to desist, if we -would avoid being swamped or knocking holes in the paper sides of our -frail craft. We had little chance of escape in that case, for the river -was deep, and it would be almost impossible to clamber up the slippery -face of the bank, even if we succeeded in finding it, through the utter -darkness in which we were enveloped. There was nothing else for it but -to face it out till daylight, and we therefore fastened the two canoes -together, and again gave ourselves up to the fury of the storm. We had -some difficulty in bringing the two canoes alongside, but by calling -out to one another, and by the momentary glimpses obtained during the -flashes of lightning, we at last effected it. Treemiss, crouching in -the bows, kept a sharp look-out, while we, seated in the stern, steered -by his direction. As each flash illuminated the river before us for -an instant, he was able to discern the rocks and snags ahead, and a -vigorous stroke of our paddles carried us clear during the interval of -darkness. - -After a short period of blind suspense, the next flash showed us that -we had avoided one danger to discover another a few yards in front. -Hour after hour passed by, but the storm raged as furiously, and the -rain came down as fast as ever. We looked anxiously for the first gleam -of daylight, but the night seemed as if it would never come to an end. -The canoes were gradually filling with water, which had crept up nearly -to our waists, and the gunwales were barely above the surface. It -became very doubtful whether they would float till daybreak. - -The night air was raw and cold, and as we sat in our involuntary -hip-bath, with the rain beating upon us, we shivered from head to foot; -our teeth chattered, and our hands became so benumbed that we could -scarcely grasp the paddles. But we dared not take a moment’s rest from -our exciting work, in watching and steering clear of the snags and -rocks, although we were almost tempted to give up, and resign ourselves -to chance. - -Never will any of us forget the misery of that night, or the intense -feeling of relief we experienced when we first observed rather a -lessening of the darkness than any positive appearance of light. -Shortly before this, the storm began sensibly to abate; but the rain -poured down as fast as ever when we hastily landed in the grey morning -on a muddy bank, the first practicable place we came to. Drawing our -canoes high on shore, that they might not be swept off by the rising -flood, we wrapped ourselves in our dripping blankets, and, utterly -weary and worn out, slept long and soundly.[1] - -When we awoke, the sun was already high, shining brightly, and -undimmed by a single cloud, and our blankets were already half dry. -We therefore turned out, spread our things on the bushes, and made an -attempt to light a fire. All our matches and tinder were wet, and we -wasted a long time in fruitless endeavours to get a light by firing -pieces of dried rag out of a gun. Whilst we were thus engaged, another -adventurer appeared, coming down the river in a “dug-out,” or small -canoe hollowed out of a log. We called out to him as he passed, and he -came ashore, and supplied us with some dry matches. He had camped in -a sheltered place before sundown, on the preceding evening, and made -everything secure from the rain before the storm came on. We soon had -a roaring fire, and spent the rest of the day in drying our property -and patching our canoes, which we did caulk most effectually this -time, by plastering strips of our pocket-handkerchiefs over the seams -with pine-gum. But our misfortunes were yet far from an end. We broke -the axe and the handle of the frying-pan, and were driven to cut our -fire-wood with our hunting-knives, and manipulate the cooking utensil -by means of a cleft stick. - -Our expectations of having a good night’s rest were disappointed. About -two hours before daylight we were awakened by the rumbling of distant -thunder, and immediately jumped up and made everything as secure as -possible. Before very long, a storm almost as terrible as the one of -the night before burst over us. Our waterproof sheets were too small -to keep out the deluge of water which flooded the ground, and rushed -into our blankets. But we managed to keep our matches dry, and lighted -a fire when the rain ceased. Meantime, about noon, nearly everything we -had was soaked again, and we had to spend the rest of the day in drying -clothes and blankets as before. - -On the third day after our arrival in this camp of disasters, just as -we were nearly ready to start, we were again visited by a terrible -thunder-storm, and once more reduced to our former wretched plight. -Again we set to work to wring out trousers, shirts, and blankets, and -clean our guns, sulkily enough, almost despairing of ever getting away -from the place where we had encountered so many troubles. - -But the fourth day brought no thunder-storm, nor did we experience any -bad weather for the rest of the voyage. - -We paddled joyfully away from our dismal camp, and along the river-side -saw numerous marks of the fury of the storm; great trees blown down, -or trunks snapped short off, others torn and splintered by lightning. -The storm had evidently been what is called a “riband storm,” which -had followed the course of the river pretty closely. The riband storm -passes over only a narrow line, but within these limits is exceedingly -violent and destructive. - -We had by this time finished all the provisions we brought with us, -and lived for some days on ducks and fish. A large pike, of some ten -or twelve pounds, served us for a couple of days, and we occasionally -caught a quantity of gold-eyes, a fish resembling the dace. Having -unfortunately broken our last hook, we caught them by the contrivance -of two needles fastened together by passing the line through the eyes, -and threading them head first through the bait. One night found us -with nothing but a couple of gold-eyes for supper, and we were roused -very early next morning by the gnawing of our stomachs. We paddled -nearly the whole day in the hot sun, languid and weary, and most -fearfully hungry. Neither ducks nor geese were to be seen, and the -gold-eyes resisted all our allurements. We knew that we must be at -least 150 miles from our journey’s end, and our only hope of escaping -semi-starvation seemed to be the speedy arrival of the steamer. For -be it remembered, that for the whole distance of 450 miles between -Georgetown and Pembina, sixty miles above Fort Garry, there are no -inhabitants except chance parties of Indians. We were sorely tempted to -stop and rest during the heat of the day, but were urged on by the hope -of finding something edible before nightfall. - -Our perseverance was duly rewarded, for shortly before sundown we came -upon a flock of geese, and a most exciting chase ensued. Faintness and -languor were forgotten, and we paddled furiously after them, encouraged -by the prospect of a substantial supper. We killed three geese, and -soon after met with a number of ducks, out of which we shot seven. -Before we could find a place at which to camp, we killed two more -geese, and were well supplied for a couple of days. We speedily lit a -fire, plucked and spitted our game, and before they were half cooked, -devoured them, far more greedily than if they had been canvass-backs -at Delmonico’s, or the Maison Dorée. The total consumption at this -memorable meal consisted of two geese and four ducks; but then, as -a Yankee would express it, they were geese and ducks “straight”-- -_i.e._, without anything else whatever. We slept very soundly and -happily that night, and at daybreak were awakened by the puffing of the -steamer; and running to the edge of the river, there, sure enough, was -the _International_. The captain had already caught sight of us, and -stopped alongside; and in a few minutes we were on board, and engaged -in discussing what seemed to us a most delicious meal of salt pork, -bread, and molasses. We had been sixteen days since leaving Georgetown, -and were not sorry that our canoeing was over. On the following day we -reached Pembina, a half-breed settlement on the boundary-line between -British and American territory; and the next, being the 7th of August, -arrived at Fort Garry. Directly we came to anchor opposite the Fort, a -number of people came on board, principally half-breeds, and amongst -them La Ronde, who had been out with Milton on his previous visit to -the plains. He indulged in the most extravagant demonstrations of -delight at seeing him again, and expressed his readiness to go with him -to the end of the world, if required. - -He informed us that our arrival was expected. Two men, who had left -Georgetown after our departure from that place, had arrived at Fort -Garry some days before by land, and from the unusually long time we -had been out, serious apprehensions were entertained for our safety. -Indeed, La Ronde had made preparations to start immediately in search -of us, in case we did not arrive by the steamer. We pitched our tent -near his house, in preference to the unsatisfactory accommodation -of the so-called hotel, and had no cause to regret having at once -commenced life under canvass. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - - Fort Garry--Origin of the Red River Settlement--The First - Settlers--Their Sufferings--The North-Westers--The - Grasshoppers--The Blackbirds--The Flood--The Colony in - 1862--King Company--Farming at Red River--Fertility of the - Soil--Isolated Position of the Colony--Obstructive Policy of - the Company--Their Just Dealing and Kindness to the Indians-- - Necessity for a proper Colonial Government--Value of the - Country--French Canadians and Half-breeds--Their Idleness and - Frivolity--Hunters and Voyageurs--Extraordinary Endurance-- - The English and Scotch Settlers--The Spring and Fall Hunt-- - Our Life at Fort Garry--Too late to cross the Mountains before - Winter--Our Plans--Men--Horses--Bucephalus--Our Equipment-- - Leave Fort Garry--The “Noce”--La Ronde’s last Carouse-- - Delightful Travelling--A Night Alarm--Vital Deserts--Fort - Ellice--Delays--Making Pemmican--Its Value to the Traveller-- - Swarms of Wild-Fowl--Good Shooting--The Indian Summer--A Salt - Lake Country--Search for Water--A Horse’s Instinct--South - Saskatchewan--Arrive at Carlton. - - -Fort Garry--by which we mean the building itself, for the name of the -Fort is frequently used for the settlement generally--is situated on -the north bank of the Assiniboine river, a few hundred yards above its -junction with Red River. It consists of a square enclosure of high -stone walls, flanked at each angle by round towers. Within this are -several substantial wooden buildings--the Governor’s residence, the -gaol, and the storehouses for the Company’s furs and goods. The shop, -where articles of every description are sold, is thronged from morning -till night by a crowd of settlers and half-breeds, who meet there to -gossip and treat each other to rum and brandy, as well as to make their -purchases. - -The Red River settlement extends beyond Fort Garry for about twenty -miles to the northward along the banks of Red River, and about fifty -to the westward along its tributary, the Assiniboine. The wealthier -inhabitants live in large, well-built wooden houses, and the poorer -half-breeds in rough log huts, or even Indian “lodges.” There are -several Protestant churches, a Romish cathedral and nunnery, and -schools of various denominations. The neighbouring country is -principally open, level prairie, the timber being confined, with a few -exceptions, to the banks of the streams. The settlement dates from -the year 1811, when the Earl of Selkirk purchased from the Hudson’s -Bay Company and the Cree and Sauteux Indians a large tract of land -stretching along both banks of the Red River and the Assiniboine. The -country was at that time inhabited only by wandering tribes of Indians, -and visited occasionally by the employés of the North-West and Hudson’s -Bay Companies, who had trading posts in the neighbourhood. Vast herds -of buffalo, now driven far to the west of Red River, then ranged over -its prairies, and frequented the rich feeding grounds of the present -State of Minnesota, as far as the Mississippi. - -The first band of emigrants--Scotch families, sent out under the -auspices of Lord Selkirk--reached the colony in 1812, and were -reinforced by subsequent detachments until the year 1815. Never -did the pioneers of any new country suffer greater hardships and -discouragements than were experienced by these unfortunate people -during the first seven or eight years after their arrival. They -were attacked by the Canadians and half-breeds in the employ of the -North-West Fur Company, who looked on them with jealousy, as _protegés_ -of their rivals of the Hudson’s Bay Company, and were compelled to -flee to Pembina. Here they spent the winter living on the charity of -the Indians and half-breeds, and suffering the greatest hardships from -the scarcity of provisions, and want of proper protection against the -severity of the climate. When they returned to the colony they were -again attacked by their persevering enemies, the North-Westers, many -of their number shot down, the rest driven a second time into exile, -and their homes pillaged or burnt. They went back a third time, but -their attempts to live by the cultivation of the soil were defeated -by various misfortunes. Crops promising to repay them a hundred-fold -were devoured by swarms of grasshoppers, which appeared two years in -succession, and all they were able to save was a small quantity of -seed collected by the women in their aprons. These insects came in -such armies that they lay in heaps on the ground; fires lighted out -of doors were speedily extinguished by them, the earth stank, and -the waters were polluted with the mass of decomposing bodies. The -grasshoppers disappeared, and have not since re-visited the colony; -but they were succeeded by myriads of blackbirds, which made terrible -havoc with the grain. It was not until the year 1821, nine years after -the first establishment of the colony, that these unfortunate settlers -succeeded in reaping to any extent the fruits of their labours. The -North-West Company was at that time amalgamated with the Hudson’s Bay -Company, when the colonists were left in peace, and have steadily, -though slowly, progressed up to the present time. The only misfortune -which has since occurred to them was a disastrous flood, which swept -away horses, cattle, and corn-stacks, as well as several of the -inhabitants.[2] - -In 1862 we found them a very heterogeneous community of about eight -thousand souls--Englishmen, Irishmen, Scotchmen, English Canadians, -French Canadians, Americans, English half-breeds, Canadian half-breeds, -and Indians. Nearly the whole population, with the exception of a few -storekeepers and free-traders, live by the Company, and the Company is -king. The Company makes the laws, buys the produce of the chase and of -the farm, supplying in return the other necessaries and the luxuries of -life. - -The farmers of Red River are wealthy in flocks, and herds, and grain, -more than sufficient for their own wants, and live in comparative -comfort. The soil is so fertile, that wheat is raised year after year -on the same land, and yields fifty and sixty bushels to the acre, -without any manure being required. The pasturage is of the finest -quality, and unlimited in extent. The countless herds of buffalo which -the land has supported are sufficient evidence of this. But, shut -out in this distant corner of the earth from any communication with -the rest of the world--except an uncertain one with the young State -of Minnesota by steamer during the summer, and with England by the -Company’s ship which brings stores to York Factory, in Hudson’s Bay, -once a year--the farmers find no market for their produce. - -It is the interest and policy of the Company to discourage emigration, -and keep the country as one vast preserve for fur-bearing animals. -The colony has therefore been recruited almost entirely from their -own servants, who settle at Fort Garry on their retirement from the -service. It is also their interest to prevent any trading except -through themselves. In 1849 they attempted to enforce their monopoly -of the fur trade, and four half-breeds were arrested for infringement -of the laws by buying furs from the Indians. The half-breeds rose in -arms, and a revolution was imminent. The trial was not proceeded with, -and since that time they have been content to put every obstacle in the -way of free-trade, by tabooing the offender, and refusing to furnish -him with anything out of their stores. This obstructive policy keeps -up a continual ill-feeling amongst the independent population of the -settlement, who naturally enough have little belief in the justice of -laws framed, as they imagine, for the protection of the Company rather -than for the general good. The members of the Legislative Council, -the magistrates, and all other public officers, are nominated by the -Governor. - -The Hudson’s Bay Company have, we believe, exercised their almost -absolute power well and justly, in so far that they have administered -with impartiality the laws which they have made. They have gained -the affection and respect of the Indians by kindly intercourse and -just dealing. But the day of monopolies has gone by, and it seems -strange that the governing power of this colony should still be left -in the hands of a trading company, whose interests are opposed to its -development. It is time the anomaly should cease, and a proper colonial -government be established, whose efforts would be directed to the -opening out of a country so admirably adapted for settlement. - -From Red River to the Rocky Mountains, along the banks of the -Assiniboine and the fertile belt of the Saskatchewan, at least sixty -millions of acres of the richest soil lie ready for the farmer when he -shall be allowed to enter in and possess it. This glorious country, -capable of sustaining an enormous population, lies utterly useless, -except for the support of a few Indians, and the enrichment of the -shareholders of the Last Great Monopoly. - -Since the time of our visit the Company has passed into other hands. -The fact that the new directors sent out Dr. Rae to survey a route -for a telegraph line through their territories into British Columbia, -redounds greatly to their credit, and induces a hope that their policy -will be more liberal than that of their predecessors. - -The stationary condition of the Red River colony is not, however, to be -entirely attributed to the despotic rule of the Hudson’s Bay Company, -but in some measure also to the incorrigible idleness and want of -thrift exhibited by the French Canadians, and their relatives, the -French half-breeds, who form the largest section of the inhabitants. -The latter, the most numerous of the two, are also the most unreliable -and unprofitable members of society. Desultory, fickle, mercurial, and -passionately fond of gaiety and finery, they have an utter distaste for -all useful labour, and rarely succeed in raising themselves into any -permanent position of comfort and independence. - -They are so admirably delineated by Mr. Ross, in his “History of -the Red River Settlement,” that we shall be excused for quoting his -description. He says, “The Canadians and half-breeds are promiscuously -settled together, and live in much the same way. They are not, properly -speaking, farmers, hunters, or fishermen, but rather compound the -three occupations together, and follow them in turn, as whim and -circumstances may dictate. They farm to-day, hunt to-morrow, and fish -the next day, without anything like system, always at a nonplus, -but never disconcerted. They are great in adventuring, but small in -performing, and exceedingly plausible in their dealings. Still, they -are oftener useful to themselves than others, and get through the world -as best they can, without much forethought or reflection. Taking them -all in all, they are a happy people.” They spend much of their time -in singing, dancing, and gossiping from house to house, getting drunk -when the opportunity offers. They are a merry, light-hearted, obliging -race, recklessly generous, hospitable, and extravagant. Dancing goes -on nearly every night throughout the winter, and a wedding, or “noce” -as it is called, is celebrated by keeping open house, and relays of -fiddlers are busily employed playing for the dancers all through the -night, and often far on into the next day. By that time most of the -guests are incapacitated from saltatory exercise; for rum flows freely -on these occasions, and when a half-breed drinks he does it, as he -says, _comme il faut_--that is, until he obtains the desired happiness -of complete intoxication. Vanity is another of their besetting sins, -and they will leave themselves and their families without the common -necessaries of life to become the envied possessors of a handsome suit, -a gun, a horse, or a train of dogs, which may happen to attract their -fancy. Being intensely superstitious, and firm believers in dreams, -omens, and warnings, they are apt disciples of the Romish faith. -Completely under the influence of the priests in most respects, and -observing the outward forms of their religion with great regularity, -they are yet grossly immoral, often dishonest, and generally not -trustworthy. - -But as hunters, guides, and voyageurs they are unequalled. Of more -powerful build, as a rule, than the pure Indian, they combine his -endurance and readiness of resource with the greater muscular strength -and perseverance of the white man. Day after day, with plenty of food, -or none at all, whether pack on back, trapping in the woods, treading -out a path with snow-shoes in the deep snow for the sleigh-dogs, or -running after them at a racing pace from morning to night, when there -is a well-beaten track, they will travel fifty or sixty miles a day -for a week together without showing any sign of fatigue. - -The other division of the inhabitants of the Red River settlement, -the English and Scotch, with the better portion of their half-breed -relations, form a pleasing contrast to their French neighbours, being -thrifty, industrious, and many of them wealthy, in their way. Some of -the more Indian of the English half-breeds are, indeed, little better -than the Canadians, but these seem to be the exception, for we met but -few who equalled the French half-breeds in idleness and frivolity. - -These different classes have each their own quarter in the settlement. -The English and Scotch inhabit the west bank of Red River, north of the -Assiniboine, while the French Canadians dwell on the east bank of Red -River, and along the south bank of the Assiniboine. The Indian tribes -who frequent Fort Garry are the Sauteux and other branches of the great -Chippeway nation, and occasionally a few Crees, or Assiniboines; the -Sioux, the natural enemies of all the former tribes, sometimes visit -the colony in time of peace. - -The two great events of the year at Red River are the Spring and Fall -Hunt. The buffalo still forms one of the principal sources from which -provisions are obtained. Pemmican and dried meat, like bacon with us, -are staple articles of food in every establishment. At these seasons -the whole able-bodied half-breed population set out for the plains in a -body, with their horses and carts. Many of the farmers who do not go -themselves engage half-breeds to hunt for them. These expeditions now -assume very large proportions. The number of hunters frequently exceeds -500, and they are accompanied by the women and children, to prepare -the meat. The number of carts often reaches 1,500 or 1,600. When the -buffalo are found, the horsemen are formed into line, and ride up as -close as possible before the herd takes flight at full speed. Then the -captain gives the word, and all charge, as hard as horses can gallop, -into the middle of the herd. The fattest beasts are singled out and -shot down, and often more than 1,000 carcases strew the ground. - -We spent three weeks at Fort Garry very pleasantly. The weather was -beautifully bright and fine, without a cloud in the sky, and although -intensely hot, we enjoyed our lazy life thoroughly for a time. - -The Bishop, Dr. Anderson, showed us great kindness and hospitality, and -the Governor of Red River, Mr. M‘Tavish, afforded us every assistance -in fitting out our expedition. The only drawback to our comfort was -the presence of armies of mosquitoes and sand-flies, which attacked -us every night. In order to get any sleep, we were compelled to smoke -out our tent before turning in. This we effected by cutting a hole -in the ground at one end, and lighting a small fire in the bottom, -which we covered up with sods and earth when it was well alight. The -fire generally continued to smoulder and smoke until morning, but it -frequently acted so effectually that we were awakened in the night by a -sense of suffocation, and were compelled to rush out of the tent, to -escape being stifled. - -During our stay, Lord Dunmore, and a party of officers of the Guards -stationed at Montreal, arrived on their way to hunt buffalo on the -plains. Their preparations were soon completed, and they started before -us for Fort Ellice, on the Assiniboine. - -We found, upon careful inquiry, that it was already too late in the -season to attempt crossing the mountains before winter. We therefore -decided to travel westward, to some convenient point on the river -Saskatchewan, and winter there, in readiness to go forward across the -mountains the following summer. We also learnt that several parties of -emigrants, about 200 in all, chiefly Canadians, had passed through in -the early part of the summer, on their way to British Columbia. - -By the evening of the 22nd of August we had completed our arrangements, -ready to start on the morrow. We had engaged four men--Louis La -Ronde, our head man and guide, Jean Baptiste Vital, Toussaint Voudrie, -and Athanhaus Bruneau, all French half-breeds. La Ronde had a great -reputation as a hunter and trapper, and was very proud of having been -out with Dr. Rae on some of his extraordinary journeys. He was a -fine, tall, well-built fellow, with a handsome face and figure, and -was reported to be quite irresistible amongst the fair sex. Vital -was a sinister-looking dog, thick-set and bull-necked, surly and -ill-conditioned. He professed to have been out with Captain Palliser’s -expedition, and was eternally boasting of his skill and bravery in -encounters with Indians, and the extraordinary number of grisly bears -which he had slain. Voudrie was a little, dark-complexioned fellow, -very loquacious and plausible, but making no pretensions to any great -knowledge of hunting or travelling. Bruneau was the son of a Red River -magistrate--a tall, good-looking fellow, but very simple, and the -butt of all the others. Our conversation with the men was carried on -in Canadian French, for their knowledge of English was very imperfect. -Amongst themselves they used a mixed patois of French and Indian, for a -long time perfectly incomprehensible to us. - -We succeeded in obtaining very good saddle horses. Treemiss bought the -champion runner of the settlement, and Milton had an old favourite of -his and La Ronde’s, the hero of a thousand runs. Cheadle’s horse was, -however, the most extraordinary-looking animal in the whole cavalcade. -Bucephalus stood about fifteen hands, was straight in the shoulder, one -of his legs was malformed and crooked, his head was very large, and -his tail very long. On the road he was continually stumbling; and when -Cheadle rode him about the settlement, he was at first nearly pitched -over every gate and fence he came to. When the horse caught sight of -one, he made for it, and suddenly stopping, stood stock-still, as a -hint for his rider to dismount and tie him up--an illustration of the -gossiping habits of his late owner. But he turned out the most useful -horse of the whole number, galloped over the roughest ground after -buffalo without ever making a mistake, or giving his rider a fall, and -eventually carried packs over the mountains into British Columbia. - -Our supplies consisted of pemmican, dried meat, flour, tea, salt, -tobacco, rum, a large quantity of ammunition, blankets, and buffalo -robes, and knives and trinkets for presents or barter. These and a -canvass tent were carried in six of the small rough carts of the -country, which are made entirely of wood; and although they break more -readily than if iron were used, yet they are easily repaired when -travelling where iron and blacksmiths are not found. - -We discarded boots and coats, adopting the costume of the country, -viz., moccasins, and hunting-shirts of the skin of the Cariboo deer. -Our weapons were a double-barrelled gun, hunting-knife, and a revolver -a-piece, which last we only carried when in dangerous localities. - -And here we would offer a word of advice to any future traveller in the -Hudson’s Bay territories. If he intends merely to hunt buffalo on the -plains in the summer, when he can take carts along with him, and ample -supplies, let him take a rifle if he will; but if he wishes to see wild -life in every phase, and rough it through the winter, as we did, let -him be content with a double-barrelled smooth-bore, which will carry -ball well. Carts cannot travel in the deep snow, and everything has to -be carried on dog-sleighs. Every pound of weight is a consideration, -and a gun packed on a sleigh is almost certain to be bent or broken. In -the woods the hunter must carry all his baggage and provisions on his -back. - -Two guns are, therefore, out of the question in both cases. The hunter -and trapper lives by the feathered game which he kills, rather than by -the larger animals, which are only occasionally met with; and although -he may be a crack shot, he cannot kill birds on the wing with a rifle, -or two or three at a time, as he must do if he would avoid starvation, -and economise his ammunition. A good smooth-bore shoots well enough, up -to sixty or eighty yards, for all practical purposes, and during our -experience we never met with an instance where we could not approach -within that distance of large game. - -We left Fort Garry on the 23rd of August, in the highest spirits, -feeling free as air, riding alongside our train of carts, which carried -all we possessed on the continent. We had several spare horses, and -these trotted along after us as naturally as Rover. The road followed -the left bank of the Assiniboine pretty closely, passing through level -prairie land, with here and there patches of woodland and a few houses. -As we passed one of these hamlets, Voudrie informed us that a cousin -of his--the cousins of a half-breed are legion--had been married -that morning, and invited us to the wedding festivities, which were -then going on at the house of the bride’s father close by. As we had -some curiosity to see a “noce,” we agreed, and immediately camped, and -walked to the house, where we were duly introduced by Voudrie, and -warmly welcomed by the assembled company. - -After we had discussed some meat, cakes, pasties, tea, and whisky -spread out on the ground outside, we adjourned to the ball-room, -the sitting-room of the little two-roomed house. It was crowded -with guests, dressed in full half-breed finery. At one end were two -fiddlers, who worked in relays, the music being in most rapid time, and -doubtless very fatiguing to the instrumentalists. The dance, in which -about half a dozen couples were engaged when we entered, appeared to -be a kind of cross between a Scotch reel and the “Lancers,” a number -of lively steps, including a double-shuffle and stamp, being executed -with great vigour. The dancing _was_ dancing, and no mistake, and both -the men and their fair partners were exceedingly hot and exhausted -when the “set” was finished. The figures appeared so intricate, and -the skill of the performers so admirable, that we were deterred by our -natural diffidence from yielding to the repeated solicitations of the -M.C. to select partners and foot it with the rest. At length, however, -Milton, with a courage equal to the occasion, and, it is suspected, -strongly attracted by the beauty of the bride--a delicate-featured, -pensive-looking girl of sixteen or seventeen, with a light and graceful -figure--boldly advanced, and led her out amid the applause of the -company. He succeeded in interpreting the spirit of the music, if not -with the energy, certainly with a greater dignity and infinitely less -exertion than his compeers. His performance was highly appreciated -by all--including Treemiss and Cheadle--who gazed with admiration, -mingled with envy, at a success they were unequal to achieve. - -Weary at length of the hot room, and the incessant scraping of fiddles -and stamping of feet, we returned to camp and proposed to start again. -La Ronde, who had been in various stages of intoxication ever since -leaving Fort Garry, taking parting drinks with his friends at every -opportunity, had disappeared, and the others endeavoured to persuade -us that it was too late to go further that night. We overruled their -objections, however, and set out. La Ronde made his appearance before -we had gone very far, considerably sobered, and very penitent. He -assured us he had had his last drunk for many a long day, saying, “Je -boive pas souvent, messieurs, mais quand je boive, je boive comme il -faut, c’est ma façon voyez vous.” And so it turned out, for we never -had to complain of him again, and although we frequently offered him -rum, he always refused it, declaring he did not care for it unless he -could have a regular carouse. And thus it is with both half-breeds and -Indians; they do not drink from a liking for the taste of the liquor, -but simply to produce the happy state of intoxication. - -After leaving Portage La Prairie, fifty miles beyond Fort Garry, and -the western boundary of the settlement, we entered a fine, undulating -country, full of lakes and marshes thronged with wild-fowl, and -studded with pretty copses of aspen. As we rode along we continually -came across the skulls of buffalo, whitened by age and exposure. A -few years ago buffalo were plentiful along the road between Red River -and Carlton. The prairies were gay with the flowers of the dark blue -gentianella, which grew in great profusion. - -Each day was like the one before, yet without a wearisome monotony. -Sometimes we jogged dreamily along beside the carts, or lay basking -in the bright sunshine. When tired of idleness, we cantered ahead, -with Rover in attendance, and shot geese and ducks at the lakes, or -prairie grouse in the copses. Feathered game was so plentiful that we -easily killed enough to feed the whole party, and rarely had occasion -to trench on our stock of pemmican. A little before sundown we camped -by wood and water, hobbled the horses, and then ate our suppers with -appetites such as we had never known before. At night, while smoking -our pipes round the camp fire, La Ronde amused us with stories of his -hunting adventures, of encounters with the Sioux, or of his journey -with Dr. Rae, after which we turned into our blankets and slept soundly -till daybreak. - -About midnight, however, on one occasion, when all were sound asleep, -the men under the carts, and ourselves in the tent, Treemiss suddenly -jumped up with a great shout, and rushed, _sans culottes_, out of the -tent, crying, “Indians! Indians! Indians!” Awakened thus rudely, we -ran out after him, frightened and half asleep, and Milton, observing a -figure stealthily moving near one of the carts, dashed at it, seized it -by the throat, and half strangled--Voudrie, who, hearing the noise, -had jumped up also to see what was the matter. When we found there was -no real cause for alarm, we searched for Treemiss, and found him on -the top of a cart, busily engaged in unpacking one of his boxes. He was -still in a state of somnambulism, and tremendously puzzled, when we -awoke him, to find himself where he was, shivering in his shirt in the -cold night air. We had a hearty laugh over the affair next morning, and -concluded that a mushroom supper, and La Ronde’s wild stories together, -were the cause of the horrible nightmare. While we were talking it -over, the men told us Vital was missing. We had remonstrated with him -about his laziness the day before, and he had taken it in high dudgeon, -and decamped in the night. - -During the day we met a train of carts returning to Red River, and -engaged one of the drivers, a loutish-looking youth, who rejoiced in -the name of Zear, in place of Vital. The man in charge was the bearer -of a note from Lord Dunmore, stating that he was lying ill at Fort -Ellice, and requesting Cheadle to come to his relief as quickly as -possible. The next morning, therefore, we tied our blankets behind -our saddles, hung a tin cup to our belts, and taking a couple of -“gallettes,” or unleavened cakes, a-piece, set out on a forced march to -the Fort, leaving the men to follow more slowly with the carts. - -We rode hard, and reached our destination on the evening of the third -day, when we found that our exertions had been useless, as Lord Dunmore -had left the day before. When the carts arrived two days afterwards, -several of them required repairs, which delayed us two days longer. We -were very kindly entertained by Mr. Mackay, the officer in charge of -the Fort, and amused ourselves by visiting the half-breeds and Indians, -whose lodges were erected in considerable numbers round the Fort. From -one of them we purchased a “lodge” in place of our canvass tent, the -former being far more comfortable during the cold autumn nights, as it -admits of a fire being made in the centre. - -The half-breed hunters had just been driven in by the Sioux, who had -killed four of their party, having surprised them while cutting wood -away from the camp. The remainder of the half-breeds came up, however, -and drove them off, killing one, whose bow and arrow they showed us. -The Indians who frequent the fort are Sauteux, Assiniboines, and Crees; -and the half-breeds, nearly all of whom are related to one or other of -these tribes, share their hostility to the Sioux and Blackfeet, and -occasionally join the war-parties of their kinsfolk. The women were -busily engaged in making pemmican, which is prepared in the following -manner:--The meat, having been dried in the sun, or over a fire in -thin flakes, is placed in a dressed buffalo skin, and pounded with a -flail until it is reduced to small fragments and powder. The fat of -the animal is at the same time melted down. The pounded meat is then -put into bags of buffalo hide, and the boiling grease poured on to it. -The mass is well stirred and mixed together, and on cooling becomes as -solid as linseed cake. Although we found pemmican decidedly unpalatable -at first, tasting remarkably like a mixture of chips and tallow, we -became very partial to it after a time. A finer kind of pemmican is -made by using only marrow and soft fat, leaving out the tallow, and -sometimes adding berries of different kinds and some sugar. The berry -pemmican is much prized, and very difficult to get hold of, and is -really capital eating.[3] - -In a country where food is scarce, and the means of transport very -limited, pemmican is invaluable to the traveller, as it contains a -large amount of nourishment in very small weight and compass. It is -uncommonly satisfying, and the most hungry mortal is able to devour -but a very small portion. Many a time have we sat down half-famished, -despising as insignificant the dish of pemmican set before us, and -yet been obliged to leave the mess unfinished. The voyageurs of the -Hudson’s Bay Company, whose power of enduring fatigue is probably -unequalled, subsist almost entirely upon this kind of food. It has, -however, one drawback: it is very difficult of digestion, and a -full meal of it is certain to cause considerable suffering to an -unaccustomed stomach. There are few half-breeds who do not suffer -habitually from dyspepsia. - -Having crossed the Assiniboine river above the Fort, we now left it -to the right, travelling for several days through rich, park-like -country, similar to that we had previously traversed. Innumerable -lakes and pools, swarming with wild-fowl, supplied us with constant -shooting, and Rover with abundance of work. Canada geese, white -geese, mallards, canvass-backs, large-billed ducks, various kinds of -pochards, blue-winged teal, and common teal, were the most common of -the different species which thronged the waters. Occasionally the -appearance of a new species of duck, or a flock of white swans, gave -fresh zest to the sport. The ducks at this season are most delicious, -possessing much of the ordinary flavour of the wild bird, with all the -fatness and delicacy of the tame one. The broods of prairie grouse were -already full grown, and very plentiful. When driven into the little -round copses of aspen which are such a prominent feature of the “park -country,” they afforded capital sport. - -We were now enjoying all the glory of the Indian summer. The days were -of that clear, unclouded brightness almost peculiar to the country; -the temperature of a delightful warmth, except at night, when it was -slightly frosty, the water sometimes showing a thin incrustation of -ice by morning. The mosquitoes and sand-flies had disappeared with the -first cool evening, and we slept in peace. - -After passing the deserted old Fort at Touchwood Hills, we came, in -the course of a day or two, to a long stretch of bare rolling prairie, -destitute of tree or shrub, and its hollows occupied by nothing -but salt lakes, where we were obliged to carry with us a supply of -fire-wood and fresh water. When we were coming to the old park country -again, one evening at dark, Cheadle and La Ronde, who were out shooting -ahead of the train, came to a little skirt of wood on the shores of a -small lake, where they awaited the arrival of the carts, in order to -camp. These soon came up, the horses were taken out and hobbled, and -whilst the camp was being prepared, La Ronde walked down to the lake -to try and get a shot at what he supposed were ducks on the water. -He crept cautiously up, but when he peeped through the bushes which -fringed the shore, he found to his astonishment that what he took for -ducks were prairie hens. The lake was dry, and the saline incrustation -in its bed had in the twilight, at a little distance, the most complete -appearance of water. Although it was nearly dark, we had no choice but -to harness up again, and go forward until we did find water somewhere. -La Ronde and Cheadle were considerably chaffed for the mistake they -had made, and Milton galloped off in search of a suitable camping -ground. After riding two or three miles, principally through thick -wood, without meeting with a sign of water, his horse suddenly neighed -and turned abruptly out of the track into the bushes. The quacking of -ducks at a little distance induced his rider to dismount and search, -and there, sure enough, hidden amongst the trees, was a fine sheet of -water. The instinct of the horse saved us many miles’ journey in the -dark, for we travelled far next morning before we found another lake or -stream. - -On the 25th of September we reached the south branch of the -Saskatchewan, here a stream of about eighty yards wide, flowing in a -valley cut deep in the plain level, the sides of which are steep and -wooded. The two branches of the river are only eighteen miles apart at -this point, and after crossing the south branch on the morning of the -26th, we reached Carlton the same day, having now accomplished about -500 out of the 1,200 or 1,300 miles from Red River to the foot of the -Rocky Mountains. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - - Carlton--Buffalo close to the Fort--Fall of Snow--Decide to Winter - near White Fish Lake--The Grisly Bears--Start for the Plains-- - The Dead Buffalo--The White Wolf--Running Buffalo Bulls-- - The Gathering of the Wolves--Treemiss Lost--How he Spent the - Night--Indian Hospitality--Visit of the Crees--The Chiefs - Speech--Admire our Horses--Suspicions--Stratagem to Elude the - Crees--Watching Horses at Night--Suspicious Guests--The Cows - not to be Found--More Running--Tidings of our Pursuers--Return - to the Fort. - - -Carlton House, of which Mr. Lillie was in charge at this time, like -the other forts of the Hudson’s Bay Company, consists of a few wooden -buildings, surrounded by a high square palisade, flanked at each -corner with small square towers. It stands on the south side of the -Saskatchewan, in the low ground close to the river, and below the -high banks which formed the ancient boundary of the stream. The north -Saskatchewan is very similar in appearance to the south branch, but -of rather greater size. Situated between the vast forest on the north -and the prairie which stretches away to the south, it was formerly a -post of very considerable importance. But as the fur-bearing animals -of the woods have decreased, and the buffalo are often far distant, it -has ceased to be one of the most profitable establishments. When we -arrived there, however, we were gladdened by the news that this year -the buffalo had come up closer than usual, the bulls being but one and -the cows not more than two days’ journey distant. - -The night after our arrival snow began to fall heavily, and continued -most of the next day, covering the ground to the depth of five inches. -But Mr. Lillie assured us that this could not be the commencement of -the winter, and would all rapidly disappear, to be followed by several -weeks of fine weather. And, in accordance with this prediction, a thaw -set in on the following day. - -We had now decided, by La Ronde’s advice, to go into winter quarters -amongst the peaceful Wood Crees near White Fish Lake, about eighty -miles N.N.W. of Carlton, and situated on the borders of the endless -forest which stretches away to the northward. Here we should find -very good trapping grounds within 80 or 100 miles of the plains, and -the buffalo, who had already crossed the north Saskatchewan in great -numbers, might possibly advance within one or two days’ journey of our -position. We therefore transferred our winter supplies to the Fort, -and prepared for an excursion on to the plains to run buffalo, before -finally establishing ourselves for the winter. - -Milton started with the carts next day; but two grisly bears having -been seen the day before within five or six miles of the place, -Treemiss and Cheadle set out at daybreak in search of them, intending -to catch up the carts, if possible, the same day. Directed by some -half-breeds, they rode on several miles, and then came upon the tracks, -which they followed for a considerable distance. But the snow had -rapidly melted away, and their skill was unequal to following the trail -on the bare ground. They were therefore compelled, very reluctantly, -to relinquish the pursuit, and returned to the Port grievously -disappointed. The footprints of one of the animals were of enormous -size, and showed in the snow with great distinctness. The length was -that of a man’s fore-arm, and the mark of the claws like the impress of -human fingers. - -After dining with Mr. Lillie, they started after the carts, which they -regained at dark, after a hard ride of some thirty miles. We all arose -the next morning in great excitement, knowing that we might expect to -see buffalo at any moment, for even Milton, who was an old hand at -“running,” and had been out with the Great Fall Hunt, from Fort Garry, -two years before, could not conceal a certain inability to sit still, -and a restless, nervous impatience to be at the wild sport again. La -Ronde rode ahead to reconnoitre, and Treemiss, too impatient to wait, -followed him shortly after. We remained with the carts, expecting La -Ronde’s report. He did not return, however, and we presently came upon -a buffalo bull lying dead close to the track, a victim, doubtless, to -La Ronde. Several wolves were prowling about, and whilst the men were -engaged in cutting up the animal, we rode in chase of a large white -fellow. Milton led, and turned him repeatedly, but missed him with both -barrels, and Cheadle took up the chase, but with no better success. -We rode over him time after time, but failed to hit him, as he dodged -about under our horses, snarling and showing his teeth. The horses -were at length thoroughly blown, and the wolf gaining at every stride, -we gave up the chase. After riding seven or eight miles, we arrived at -the camp, long after dark, exceedingly cold and hungry, and much vexed -with La Ronde for keeping all the sport to himself. Treemiss had been -more fortunate than we, and produced, with great triumph, the tongues -and marrow-bones of two animals which he had killed. - -We were under weigh very early on the following morning, and Cheadle -excited great merriment by the ludicrous appearance which he made, -bestriding a little roan mare of fourteen hands, which looked very -unfit to carry his big frame of thirteen stone. But Bucephalus was too -sorely galled to bear a saddle, and Cheadle, determined not to miss -the sport, despised ridicule, and went forth on the little cart mare. -After two or three miles’ travelling, the carts which were in front of -us suddenly stopped, and Voudrie came running hastily back, crying in -an excited manner, but with subdued voice, “Les bœufs, les bœufs, les -bœufs sont proches!” We rode up quietly, and saw a herd of nine bulls -feeding about a mile off, and other bands in the distance, about sixty -in all. Girths were now tightened, and guns examined, and then we went -forward at a foot’s pace, feeling in much the same nervous condition as -a freshman at the university in his first boat-race, waiting for the -sound of the gun which gives the signal to start. - -We rode in line, with La Ronde as captain in the centre. When we -arrived within a quarter of a mile of the largest band, they began to -move slowly off; and La Ronde, imitating the lowing of a buffalo, the -other groups looked up from their grazing, and then trotted off to -join the main body who were still walking quietly along. We now went -forward at a canter, and the herd having collected together, broke -into a lumbering gallop; but we gained on them rapidly, until within -about 200 yards, when they went off at speed. La Ronde gave the signal -with a wild “Hurrah! hurrah! allez! allez!” and away we all went, -helter-skelter, arms brandishing, and heels hammering our horses’ ribs -in true half-breed fashion--a mad, wild charge, Milton leading on his -old red horse, and Cheadle bringing up the rear on the little roan -mare. As we closed with them, the herd broke up into bands of three -or four, and each person selected the one lying most favourably for -himself. A succession of shots soon told that the slaughter had begun; -but we were all quickly separated, and each knew nothing of the success -of the rest, until the run was over. - -Buffalo running is certainly a most fascinating sport. The wild charge -together into the thick of the herd, the pursuit of the animal selected -from the band, which a well-trained horse follows and turns as a -greyhound courses a hare; the spice of danger in it from the charge of -a wounded animal, or a fall from the holes so numerous on the prairies, -contrive to render it extremely exciting. There is something also very -ludicrous in the appearance of the bulls as they lumber along in their -heavy gallop. Their small hind-quarters, covered only with short hair, -seem absurdly disproportioned to the heavy front, with its hump and -shaggy mane; and as they gallop, their long beards and fringed dewlaps -sway from side to side, whilst their little eyes roll viciously, as -they peep out of the forest of hair at the enemy behind them. - -It was curious to see how the wolves seemed to spring up, as it were, -out of the ground, at the sound of the first shot. Two or three -appeared on every little eminence, where they sat watching the progress -of the hunt. When we left one of the dead animals, after cutting off -the best meat from the carcase, they began to steal towards it, and -before we had got many hundred yards, a dozen of them were tearing at -the body, and generally managed to pick the bones clean before morning. - -In this run all were successful. La Ronde killed two, and the rest of -us one a-piece, even Cheadle making his appearance in due course on his -diminutive steed, with a tongue hanging to his saddle. - -Whilst the men were engaged in cutting up the animals nearest at hand, -Treemiss, still unsatiated, started again in search of game, and -Cheadle set out with Zear to the animal he had killed, which lay above -a mile away. It presently began to rain heavily, and Milton went on -with the train, to camp in a grove of trees by the river-side. The rain -changed to sleet, and it became bitterly cold. - -Evening began to close in, and still Treemiss and Cheadle did not make -their appearance. La Ronde rode out in search of them, and guns were -fired at intervals, to signal the position of the camp. A little after -dark, however, Cheadle arrived with Zear, drenched to the skin and -miserably cold. They had caught a glimpse of Treemiss several hours -before, as he passed them in full career after a band of buffalo. A -portion of the herd crossed about a hundred yards in front, and Cheadle -brought down the leader, to the great admiration of Zear. This delayed -them cutting up the meat until darkness came on, and they had some -difficulty in finding the camp. We continued to fire occasional shots -until after midnight, and raised a firebrand on one of the lodge poles -as a beacon, but were fain to retire to rest minus our companion. - -At daybreak next morning all the men were dispatched in search, but -without success. Presently, however, a group of horsemen were descried -riding towards us, and proved to be Treemiss and a party of Crees. -After wandering about, the night before, until after dark, completely -lost, he turned aside into a clump of trees, and attempted to light -a fire. But matches, tinder, and wood were all wet, and he could not -succeed. Mounting his tired horse once more, he rode along for several -hours, drenched to the skin, and almost numb with cold. At length, -by a fortunate accident, he came upon an Indian camp, and was most -hospitably received. He was taken into the chiefs lodge, his clothes -dried, meat and Indian tea set before him, and as a cordial after, a -mug of warm water mixed with grease. Weary as he was, however, he -found it almost impossible to sleep that night. Both men and squaws -turned out continually to cook meat, smoke, or beat presuming dogs, -which were seized as they rushed out of the lodge by others lying in -wait at the door, and a general fight ensued. When morning came, he -made his hosts understand that he had lost his way, whereupon they -saddled their horses, and as if by instinct, led him straight to our -camp. - -We shook hands with our visitors, and inviting them into the lodge, -passed round the calumet, according to the rules of Indian politeness. -For a long time they sat round with legs crossed, smoking in perfect -silence. At last, after some preliminary conversation, the chief, a -fine-looking fellow, dressed in a spangled shirt, a cap covered with -many-coloured ribands, and an elaborately-worked medicine-bag, rose and -made an oration in the Cree language. He delivered himself with much -dignity, his gestures were graceful and easy, and his speech fluent. He -said, “I and my brothers have been much troubled by the reports we have -heard from the Company’s men, who tell us that numbers of white men -will shortly visit this country; and that we must beware of them. Tell -me why you come here. In your own land you are, I know, great chiefs. -You have abundance of blankets, tea and salt, tobacco and rum. You have -splendid guns, and powder and shot as much as you can desire. But there -is one thing that you lack--you have no buffalo, and you come here to -seek them. I am a great chief also. But the Great Spirit has not dealt -with us alike. You he has endowed with various riches, while to me -he has given the buffalo alone. Why should you visit this country to -destroy the only good thing I possess, simply for your own pleasure? -Since, however, I feel sure that you are great, generous, and good, I -give you my permission to go where you will, and hunt as much as you -desire, and when you enter my lodge you shall be welcome.” - -With this conclusion he sat down and resumed the pipe, awaiting our -answer. He had put the case so truly and forcibly, that we really felt -almost ashamed of ourselves, and should have found some difficulty in -replying, had he not ended his speech so graciously. As it was, we -merely thanked him for his courtesy, and made him and his companions -what we considered a very handsome present of knives, ammunition, tea, -salt, and tobacco. They did not seem satisfied, and wanted a gun, -blankets, and above all, rum. These we refused, and at length they took -their departure, apparently in good humour, although they intimated -that they doubted whether we were such very great people, after all, -since we had no rum. As they went out they viewed our horses with -evident admiration, and La Ronde became very uneasy, assuring us that -they were displeased with their reception, and would certainly follow -our trail and attempt to carry them off. We accordingly took measures -to evade their pursuit, and save our property. Moving forward three -or four miles, we encamped close to the river, as if about to cross, -and kept watch during the night. No alarm occurred, and the following -morning we turned off at right angles, travelling at great speed some -twenty miles, until we reached a small stream called Eagle River, -when we camped again. The weather favoured our escape, a dense fog -shrouding us from the view of any who might be watching our movements. -This was followed in the afternoon by a high wind, which, although it -dispersed the mist, raised the grass bent down by our passage, and thus -completely effaced our trail. At night we again kept diligent guard, -picketing all the most valuable horses close to the lodge. - -We spent the next day in looking for the cows, but no sign of them -could be seen. We therefore resolved to spend a few days longer in -running bulls, and then return to the Fort. We were still obliged to -keep careful watch during the night, for the attempt on the horses -was more likely to be made after the lapse of some days, according to -Indian custom. Each took his turn on guard, and it must be confessed -we felt somewhat uncomfortable as we crouched in the shade of the -bushes alone, while all the rest were asleep. It was fortunately bright -moonlight, but the loose horses continually strayed out of view, and as -we stole round from time to time to drive them in, we half expected to -feel the hand of some ambushed Indian laid upon our shoulder, when we -passed through the thick underwood. - -[Illustration: OUR NIGHT CAMP ON EAGLE RIVER.--EXPECTING THE CREES. - - (_See page 68._) -] - -One afternoon two Indians, youths of about seventeen, came to our -camp, and expressed their intention of honouring us with their company -till the morrow. We had strong suspicions that they were spies, but -invited them to sleep in the lodge, and redoubled our vigilance -in keeping watch. But the night again passed without alarm, and we -concluded that we had succeeded in throwing our pursuers off the trail. -After hunting several days more, with varied success, we made a rapid -journey back to the Fort, which we reached on the 8th of October. On -our way we overtook the Company’s train of carts returning, laden with -meat. Mr. Sinclair, who was in charge, informed us that when first the -hunters went out on the fall hunt, they found buffalo in extraordinary -numbers. Vast herds covered the ground in every direction, so that the -earth fairly shook again beneath their trampling, and at night sleep -was almost impossible from the constant lowing, and the tumult of their -passage. By the time he got there the large bands had been broken up, -and the cows, who are much wilder than the bulls, driven far to the -south. He also told us that he had met the party of Crees who had -guided Treemiss to the camp on the occasion when he lost his way. They -related the whole story to him, with the further information that they -had been much disappointed with us, and vastly smitten with our horses, -which they had made up their minds to carry off. Accordingly, a large -party cautiously followed our trail the next day, but when they arrived -at our old camp by the river--the point where we had turned off at -right angles--they were unable to trace us any further, and concluded -that we had crossed the river. We were greatly pleased to find our -suspicions were not groundless, and that the stratagem we adopted had -been so completely successful. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - - The Ball--Half-Breed Finery--Voudrie and Zear return to Fort - Garry--Treemiss starts for the Montagne du Bois--Leave Carlton - for Winter Quarters--Shell River--La Belle Prairie--Riviere - Crochet--The Indians of White Fish Lake--Kekekooarsis, or - “Child of the Hawk,” and Keenamontiayoo, or “The Long Neck”-- - Their Jollification--Passionate Fondness for Rum--Excitement in - the Camp--Indians flock in to Taste the Fire-water--Sitting out - our Visitors--A Weary Day--Cache the Rum Keg by Night--Retreat - to La Belle Prairie--Site of our House--La Ronde as Architect-- - How to Build a Log Hut--The Chimney--A Grand Crash--Our - Dismay--Milton supersedes La Ronde--The Chimney Rises again-- - Our Indian Friends--The Frost sets in. - - -The night after our return to Carlton, a ball was got up by the -half-breeds in honour of our visit. Mr. Lillie gave up his best room -for the purpose, and we provided the refreshment, in the shape of rum; -the expectation that we should do so being no doubt one of the greatest -attractions the entertainment offered. The men appeared in gaudy array, -with beaded firebag, gay sash, blue or scarlet leggings, girt below the -knee with beaded garters, and moccasins elaborately embroidered; the -women in short, bright-coloured skirts, showing the richly-embroidered -leggings, and white moccasins of cariboo-skin, beautifully worked with -flowery patterns in beads, silk, and moose hair. Some of the young -girls were good-looking, but many of them were disfigured by goitre, -which is very prevalent among the half-breeds at all the posts on -the Saskatchewan, although unknown amongst the Indians. Sinclair, who -acted as musician, was kept hard at work, with but short respites for -refreshment, and the revelry continued far into the small hours. - -As winter was now close at hand, we hastened our departure for White -Fish Lake. Treemiss had decided to fix his residence at the Montagne -du Bois, or Thickwood Hills, about fifty miles N.W. of Carlton, where -large game was more abundant, and which was nearer to the plains. The -Montagne du Bois had moreover the additional attraction of being the -home of Atahk-akoohp, or “Star of the Blanket,” the most noted hunter -of the district. La Ronde and Bruneau accompanied us, to remain during -the winter; Voudrie and Zear returning to Fort Garry, in charge of the -most valuable horses and our letters for England. - -On the 10th of October we transferred horses, carts, and baggage to the -north side of the Saskatchewan, and in the evening bade good-bye to the -people of the Fort, and followed our train, camping for that night on -the bank of the river. Next morning we said adieu to Treemiss, as from -this point our roads diverged. - -We were now once more travelling through mixed country. The weather was -still beautifully fine, and during the day pleasantly warm. The nights -began to be very keen, and the lakes were already partly covered with a -thin coating of ice. - -The wild-fowl had taken their departure for the south, only a few -stragglers remaining from the later broods. Many of the latter fall -victims to their procrastination, being frequently found frozen fast in -the ice. But this, the Indians assert, takes place in consequence of -their excessive fatness, which renders them unable to rise on the wing, -and they are thus detained behind, to suffer a miserable death. - -In four days we arrived at the Shell River, a small tributary of the -Saskatchewan; and here we had all to jump into the stream and assist -in helping the heavily-laden carts down the steep bank, and up the -opposite slope. The water was cold as ice, and we hardly enjoyed our -compulsory bath, but the noonday sun shone warmly, and a rapid walk -soon restored the circulation in our benumbed limbs. - -The next day brought us to a lovely little spot, a small prairie of -perhaps 200 acres, surrounded by low wooded hills, and on one side a -lake winding with many an inlet amongst the hills and into the plain, -while here and there a tiny promontory, richly clothed with pines and -aspens, stretched out into the water. The beauty of the place had -struck the rude voyageurs, its only visitors, except the Indians, and -they had named it La Belle Prairie. - -As we crossed it, we remarked to one another what a magnificent site -for a house one of the promontories would be, and how happy many a -poor farmer who tilled unkindly soil at home would feel in possession -of the rich land which lay before us. The same day we struck the river -Crochet, a stream of about the same size as Shell River, and assisted -to help the carts across, as we had done at the latter. About half a -mile beyond, we saw two small wooden houses. We encamped in an open -space at a little distance, and then walked up to make the acquaintance -of the occupants. One of the huts had been built by an enterprising -free-trader, Mr. Pruden; the other, at its side, by the Company, in -opposition. Mr. Pruden was at length induced to enter the Company’s -service as Chief Trader at Carlton, and presented his dwelling to two -families of Indians. The Company’s establishment was dismantled, and -remained untenanted. A fishery was still worked occasionally at White -Fish Lake, close by. In the house we found an old Indian engaged in -mending a net, and his squaw squatted by the hearth indulging in a -pipe. They shook hands with us very cordially, La Ronde introducing us -as a great chief and great medicine man, who had travelled far for the -pleasure of making their acquaintance. The old fellow rejoiced in the -name of Kekekooarsis, or “The Child of the Hawk,” in allusion to the -beak-like form of his nose. - -We smoked several pipes with him whilst answering the numerous -questions he addressed to us through La Ronde, and were so delighted -with his urbanity, that in a weak moment we promised to make him a -present of a small quantity of rum. Alas! mistaken generosity, fruitful -of anxiety and trouble! The old gentleman became all excitement, said -we were the best fellows he had met for many a day, adding that if -he might venture to offer a suggestion, it would be that we should -fetch the fire-water immediately. We accordingly went back to the -lodge, sent off to him a very small quantity well watered, taking the -precaution to fill a small keg with a weak mixture, and hiding the cask -in the cart. - -It does not answer, however, to dilute the spirits too much. It must -be strong enough to be inflammable, for an Indian always tests it by -pouring a few drops into the fire. If it possesses the one property -from which he has given it the name of fire-water, he is satisfied, -whatever its flavour or other qualities may be. - -We had hardly covered up the cask, when Kekekooarsis appeared, -accompanied by his squaw, a withered old hag, and Keenamontiayoo, “The -Long Neck,” his son-in-law. The men were already half drunk, singing -away the Indian song without words, and clamorous for more rum. They -produced a number of marten and other skins, and all our explanations -failed to make them understand that we had not come as traders. - -After two hours’ continued discussion, we doled out another small -quantity, as the only way to get rid of them. How they chuckled and -hugged the pot! exclaiming, “Tarpwoy! tarpwoy!” (It is true! it is -true!) hardly able to believe the delightful fact. At the first dawn of -day, they entered the lodge again, bringing more furs for sale. - -Boys rode off as couriers in all directions to carry the welcome -tidings to their friends in the neighbourhood. Before long men came -galloping up from different quarters, and these were presently followed -by squaws and children, all eager to taste the pleasure-giving -fire-water, and our lodge was soon crowded with importunate guests. -To end the matter, we sent them off with what remained in the little -keg, all they actually knew that we possessed, for we had kept the -cask in the cart hidden securely out of their sight. In about two -hours all returned, more or less intoxicated and the infernal clamour -re-commenced with tenfold importunity. First one fellow thrust a -marten skin into our hands, another two or three fish, while a third, -attempting to strip off his shirt for sale, fell senseless into the -arms of his squaw. The demand was the same with all, and incessant: -“Isquitayoo arpway! isquitayoo arpway!” (Fire-water! fire-water!) Hour -after hour we sat smoking our pipes with an air of unconcern we did not -feel, and refusing all requests. Afternoon came, and the scene still -continued. We dared not leave the lodge, lest they should search the -carts and discover our store. - -Wearily passed the time till darkness came on, and still the crowd -sat round, and still the same request was dinned into our ears. But -we were thoroughly determined not to give way, and at last they began -to conclude we were inexorable, and dropped off one by one, immensely -disgusted with our meanness. In the dead of night we stealthily arose, -and La Ronde went out to reconnoitre the position of the Indians. None -were near, and all was perfectly still. We now proceeded, with the -greatest caution, to remove the cask from its hiding-place, and La -Ronde and Bruneau went off to cache it safely at some distance. They -returned before daylight, very cold and wet, having crossed the river, -and deposited the cause of our troubles in the bush some miles away. - -In the morning Keenamontiayoo came to our lodge, but did not renew his -importunities. Our firmness the day before had produced a most salutary -effect. We were, however, so much disgusted with our experience of -the last two days, that we resolved to give up the idea of fixing our -winter residence here, and retreat to La Belle Prairie, putting a -distance of nine or ten miles between our troublesome neighbours and -ourselves. - -[Illustration: OUR WINTER HUT.--LA BELLE PRAIRIE. - - (_See page 76._) -] - -We retraced our steps accordingly the next day, and set up our lodge -on the banks of the lake of the Beautiful Prairie. The site selected -for our dwelling was the middle of the wooded promontory which had -before attracted our admiration. As it was now the end of October, it -was necessary to use all speed in putting up a house, lest the winter -should set in before our work was completed. And, moreover, we were -obliged, for the same reason, to be content with a building of very -small size, and the simplest construction. La Ronde acted as architect, -and proceeded to work in the following manner. - -A rude enclosure, fifteen feet by thirteen, was first made of rough -poplar logs, morticed together at the corners of the building. The -logs, however, did not by any means lie in apposition, and the spaces -between them would admit of a hand being passed through. As yet there -was neither door, window, nor roof, and the walls were but six feet -high in front, and little over five feet behind. These deficiencies -were, however, soon supplied by the ingenious La Ronde, in a much -simpler fashion than we had suspected. A doorway and window was hewn -through the solid walls; a door constructed of boards from the carts; -whilst a piece of parchment supplied the place of window-glass. The -roof was covered in by straight poles of young, dry pines, and over -this was a thatch of marsh grass, weighted down by loose earth thrown -over. The lowness of the building, externally, was remedied inside -by digging out the ground two feet, rendering the building very much -warmer. The interstices between the logs were filled up with mud, -mixed with chopped grass, to give it tenacity. But we had still the -most important and difficult work of all--to build the chimney. -For a long time we were unable to discover any clay wherewith to -cement the boulders of which a chimney is constructed in backwood -fashion, and began to be seriously afraid that the strong frost would -commence before our fire-place was ready. This would, of course, have -been exceedingly awkward, for it was difficult enough to work with -untempered mortar, and if it were frozen, building would obviously be -out of the question. - -At last, after digging through several feet of rich loam, we discovered -some clayey soil, with which we made shift, and the fire-place rose -rapidly. As it approached completion, a fire was lighted, and we were -congratulating ourselves upon complete success--when, crash! and down -it tumbled. Great was our consternation, and for some time we were -completely nonplused. An animated discussion took place as to the -manner of raising a more durable structure. La Ronde and Bruneau were -much chagrined at their failure, declared the clay was worthless, and -were too sulky to set to work again at once. There was, however, no -time to be lost in repairing the damage, or we should be left without -a fire-place when the thermometer was down below zero. Milton took -upon himself to be engineer, and built up a framework of green wood -to support the clay, and Cheadle, meanwhile, with horse and cart, -collected a stock of the most rectangular stones to be found. By this -means we built a substantial fire-place, which stood bravely all the -winter. - -Whilst we were engaged in these labours we had several visits from our -Indian friends, but they had ceased to be very troublesome. The hunter, -Keenamontiayoo, called on his way to the Fort for winter supplies, and -returned with the news that the buffalo had already advanced within two -days’ journey of La Belle Prairie. This, however, proved to be without -foundation. We found old Kekekooarsis and the squaws exceedingly useful -to us. The former we employed to make snow shoes and some dog-sleighs, -whilst the latter mended our moccasins, and made up winter clothing. - -On the 23rd of October the lake was completely frozen over, and near -two inches of snow covered the ground. A partial thaw took place, -however, on the 26th, after which the winter fairly commenced. Our work -was finished only just in time. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - - Furnishing--Cheadle’s Visit to Carlton--Treemiss there--His - Musical Evening with Atahk-akoohp--A very Cold Bath--State - Visit of the Assiniboines--Their Message to Her Majesty--How - they found out we had Rum--Fort Milton Completed--The Crees - of the Woods--Contrast to the Crees of the Plains--Indian - Children--Absence of Deformity--A “Moss-bag”--Kekekooarsis - and his Domestic Troubles--The Winter begins in Earnest-- - Wariness of all Animals--Poisoning Wolves--Caution of the - Foxes--La Ronde and Cheadle start for the Plains--Little - Misquapamayoo--Milton’s Charwoman--On the Prairies--Stalking - Buffalo--Belated--A Treacherous Blanket--A Cold Night Watch-- - More Hunting--Cheadle’s Wits go Wool-gathering--La Ronde’s - Indignation--Lost all Night--Out in the Cold again--Our Camp - Pillaged--Turn Homewards--Rough and Ready Travelling--Arrive - at Fort Milton--Feasting. - - -Our house now required flooring and furnishing, and it was decided that -Milton and La Ronde should undertake this, while Cheadle, with Bruneau, -made a journey to Carlton, to obtain a stock of pemmican, before the -snow rendered the road impassable for carts. Accordingly, on the 29th -the horses were sought, Bucephalus captured and harnessed, and the -party set out. A bitter north wind blew strongly, and at night the -snow began to fall fast. They travelled with great speed, reaching the -banks of the Saskatchewan by dusk on the following day. At the crossing -they found a lodge erected, and two carts laden with provisions, which -they judged to belong to Treemiss, who had probably come over on a -similar errand. After firing several shots in vain, they turned into -the lodge and made free with the provisions, their own stock being -exhausted. On the following morning, after much shouting, and burning -a great deal of powder, a party appeared on the opposite bank, and -proceeded to bring over the barge. This was a work of much difficulty, -as the river was already half frozen over, a passage being still open -in the middle, down which great masses of ice crashed and grated -along. As the barge approached, a loud whoop announced the presence of -Treemiss, who was hardly recognisable dressed in long capote and cap, -with band and lappets of fur, after the half-breed fashion. The barge -brought carts across going to Fort Pitt, and whilst it was unloading, -Treemiss related his adventures since we parted from him. He had -nearly finished his house, which, like ours, consisted of only one -room, but in a far higher style of architecture, being loftier, and -having a high-pitched roof. He too had met with great annoyance from -the possession of a little rum, and Atahk-akoohp and his friends had -let him have no peace until they had obtained the whole of it. Their -drunken orgies lasted through the night, and a dirty Indian crept in -to share Treemiss’s bed. He was forthwith turned out by the indignant -owner, but quickly returned, and after several repetitions of the same -performance, Treemiss took him by the shoulders and put him out of -doors. Atahk-akoohp at length alone remained, sitting over the fire, -singing the Indian song. Treemiss now flattered himself that at last he -should be left to sleep in peace. Atahk-akoohp, however, discovering -that all his audience had departed, with the exception of Treemiss, who -appeared to be sound asleep, proceeded to arouse the latter by digging -him in the ribs, repeating the operation through the night, as often as -his victim showed any want of attention to his tuneful efforts. - -In landing on the ice on the south side, two unfortunate fellows broke -through, and plunged overhead in the water. They were soon rescued, -but their clothes instantly froze as stiff as boards, and they had a -most ludicrous appearance as they walked shivering and covered with -ice, swinging their legs stiffly as if partially paralysed, the rigid -case in which they were enclosed preventing flexure of the knee joints. -A party had come into the Fort from Red River, but had brought no -letters for any of our party. We had as yet received none since leaving -England. Some old newspapers furnished a little intelligence of the -outer world, containing, amongst other things, the news of the massacre -of the whites in Minnesota by the Sioux--the first knowledge we had of -the horrors we had somewhat narrowly escaped. - -A short time before Cheadle’s visit, Mr. Lillie had been surprised by -a band of 300 Assiniboines, arrayed in gayest dress and full paint, -who marched up to the Fort in solemn procession. After the calumet had -been duly passed round, and proper presents made, the chief arose, -and, in a complimentary speech, expressed the delight with which they -had received the news that the Company had come to a better mind, and -again provided the much-loved fire-water for their Indian friends. -Mr. Lillie assured them they were mistaken, but without obtaining -belief, and they proceeded straightway to make a strict search. Every -corner of the building was visited and turned out, and they even went -down into the ice-cellar, where the meat is kept. Failing to discover -anything, they expressed great regret that the good news was not true, -and requested Mr. Lillie to forward a strong remonstrance from them to -Her Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria, for prohibiting that which her Red -Children loved so well, intimating that they themselves were the best -judges of what was good for them. - -The origin of their visit (the first they had made for ten years) -was as follows:--Whilst our party were at the Fort on the previous -occasion, a small quantity of rum had been spilled upon the floor of -the store, in drawing some from the cask. Two Assiniboines came in to -trade, and smelt the delicious odour their noses had not experienced -for many a year. Without giving the smallest sign that they perceived -anything unusual, or making any inquiry, they hastened back to the -tribe with all speed, and communicated the joyful tidings. Instantly -the camp was all excitement, and preparations made for the state visit -to the Fort which has been related. But they arrived too late. A few -days before, we had carried the treasure far beyond their reach. - -After one day’s rest, Cheadle and Bruneau set out on their return. The -Saskatchewan was already frozen over above and below the Fort, but an -open passage still existed at the usual crossing-place, and the barge -was the means of conveyance from one ice-bank to the other. - -The cart was loaded on the ice, and before it reached the shore, broke -through and upset, immersing Bucephalus in the water. Fortunately it -was not very deep, and after some delay he was lugged out. In a few -minutes he appeared in a new character, white as if made of frosted -silver, and bristling like a hedgehog with the long icicles which -formed on his shaggy coat as the water dripped off. It took a long time -to unload the cart, haul it out, carry the things to the bank, and -re-load; and the horse, ice-clothed and shivering in the bitter north -wind, was a most pitiable object. However, a brisk march of ten miles -set him all right again, and the party arrived at Fort Milton, as La -Ronde had named our hut, without further adventure, early on the third -day. - -During their absence Milton and La Ronde had not been idle. A couple -of bunks had been put up, which, furnished with dry grass and buffalo -robe, were to us most luxurious sleeping-places. The door and parchment -windows were completed, and two rough tables, one for the kitchen -department, and another for the dining end of our small, one-roomed hut. - -On the 7th of November La Ronde started across the lake, on which the -ice was already four or five inches thick, to explore the forest on the -northern side, and discover the most promising ground for trapping. -During his absence we were engaged in putting up shelves, making -candlesticks and chairs, &c., and arranging our goods and chattels in -their places; whilst Bruneau erected a platform outside, raised on high -posts, on which to store our meat secure from wolves and dogs. - -Our Indian friends paid us visits occasionally, but were exceedingly -well-behaved, and we felt quite at ease, having safely cached the -spirit cask some distance from the hut, and it was now completely -hidden by the accumulating snow. - -The Wood Crees are of different habits and disposition to their -relatives, the Crees of the Plains--a race of solitary trappers and -hunters on foot, contrasted with a race of gregarious horsemen. They -are very peaceable, and pride themselves upon an honesty unknown -amongst their lawless brethren of the prairies. During the six months -we spent amongst the Crees of the Woods, we had not occasion to -complain of a single theft. Three months of this time we lived amongst -them entirely alone, and, although they often importuned us to give -them different things to which they took a fancy, they never offered to -dispute our right of ownership. - -They are most expert trappers and hunters of moose, and occasionally -seek buffalo when they enter the skirts of the woods in severe winters. -They are far better clothed and equipped than the Plains Indians, being -able to obtain what they may require at the trading posts in exchange -for furs. But they often suffer severely from starvation, as moose are -now becoming scarce; while the Plains Crees, following the buffalo, -seldom lack food, although they possess little marketable property -wherewith to buy clothes and luxuries at the Forts. These Indians, as -indeed all others we met with, managed their families admirably. An -Indian child is seldom heard to cry, and matrimonial squabbles seem -unknown. Our friend Keenamontiayoo was a most affectionate husband -and father, and his wife and children obeyed him at a word, evidently -looking up to him as a superior being, to be loved with respect. - -Among the things which struck us when we became more extensively -acquainted with the Indians, was the absence of deformity and baldness, -or grey hair, amongst them. The former may no doubt be accounted for by -the influence of “natural selection,” and perhaps the careful setting -of the infants’ limbs in the “moss-bag,” or Indian cradle. This is a -board with two side flaps of cloth, which lace together up the centre. -The child is laid on its back on the board, packed with soft moss, and -laced firmly down, with its arms to its side, and only its head at -liberty. The cradle is slung on the back of the mother when travelling, -or reared against a tree when resting in camp, the child being only -occasionally released from its bondage for a few moments. The little -prisoners are remarkably good; no squalling disturbs an Indian camp, -and strict obedience is obtained without recourse to corporeal -punishment. - -On one occasion Kekekooarsis arrived in a state of great excitement -from domestic troubles. He had sold one of his daughters in marriage-- -after the Indian fashion--for a horse, but his ungrateful son-in-law, -after carrying off his bride, returned in the night and stole back the -horse given in payment. Kekekooarsis, indignant at such behaviour, -retaliated by secretly fetching his daughter home, and was now in -considerable fear of the disappointed bridegroom, whom he anticipated -might do him bodily injury, and begged us to give him shelter for the -night, lest he should be waylaid on his return home in the dark. This -we of course granted, but his apprehensions appeared to have been -groundless, for the husband bore his loss with perfect indifference, -and made no attempt to regain his wife. - -On the 9th La Ronde returned, having found but little sign of game -until a day’s journey distant, when marten tracks became tolerably -plentiful, and he had set a few traps. On the following day the frost -set in with great severity, and six inches of snow had fallen during -the night. The men now set to work to construct a couple of horse -sleighs, in readiness for a journey to the plains in search of fresh -meat. Whilst they were thus engaged, we employed ourselves in supplying -the larder, with Rover’s assistance, and rarely failed to bring in a -supply of prairie grouse, wood partridges, and rabbits. The latter were -very wary, and we saw so few that, until the snow fell, we had no idea -that they were numerous. When the snow became deep, it was furrowed by -their paths in all directions, and we caught them by placing snares -across these runs. - -With the exception of wolves and buffalo, wild animals of any kind are -rarely seen in the Hudson’s Bay territories, unless they are carefully -tracked up. They are so constantly hunted by the Indians, and whenever -they encounter man are so invariably pursued, that they are ever on -their guard, and escape unseen on the slightest alarm. It is only when -the snow betrays their numerous footprints, that a novice can bring -himself to believe there really is any four-footed game in the country. - -The tracks of wolves and foxes were numerous on the lake, and the -former regularly announced daybreak and sunset by a chorus of howls. -Being somewhat afraid that our horses might be attacked by them, we set -baits, poisoned with strychnine, at different points round the lake. -The animals are so wary and suspicious, that they will not touch a bait -lying exposed, or one which has been recently visited. It is necessary, -therefore, to cover the enticing morsel carefully with snow, smoothing -the surface evenly over it, and not approaching the place afterwards, -unless a distant view shows that it has been dug out by a too hungry -victim. The foxes especially are exceedingly cautious, frequently -visiting the place for days and even weeks, marching round, but not -daring to enter in and partake. For a long time we had no success; many -of the baits were taken, and we tracked the animals for long distances, -but the poison appeared to have had no effect. At last we were rewarded -by finding an immense white wolf, the unusual size of whose footprints -had rendered him a particular object of pursuit. He had a most -magnificent skin, which was carefully preserved, and his carcass used -as a means of destruction for his brethren. In a week all the large -wolves were destroyed, and our horses considered safe for the winter. - -When the sleighs were completed, La Ronde paid a rapid visit to his -traps, returning in two days with a fisher and a few martens, and -the following day he set out with Cheadle for the plains, taking two -horses and sleighs to bring back the produce of their hunt. They were -accompanied by an Indian boy--the son of the hunter, Keenamontiayoo-- -who brought a very diminutive horse, a two-year-old colt, the size of -a Shetland pony, to carry his share of the spoils. Misquapamayoo, or -“The thing one catches a glimpse of,” was an exceedingly active, clever -youth of fourteen, with very large black eyes, and an open, merry -face, very willing and obliging, and performing all his duties with -the dignity and importance of a man. He became afterwards a devoted -follower of ours, and did good service on many occasions, often amusing -us by his insatiable curiosity and intense enjoyment of anything which -seemed to him strange or ridiculous, falling into fits of laughter on -the slightest provocation. During the absence of this party, Milton -remained at home with Bruneau, to attend to the traps and take care -of house and property. Being somewhat dissatisfied with Bruneau’s -performance of his duties as housemaid and laundress, Milton took -the opportunity afforded by the visit of an Indian and his squaw, to -engage the latter for a general washing and house-cleaning. Although -it was night when they arrived, the woman set to work immediately, -diligently melting snow at a roaring fire for hours, and when about -midnight she had obtained a sufficient supply of water, proceeded to -scrub blankets and clothes. Milton expostulated, and suggested she -should retire to rest, but in vain. The splashing and scrubbing went on -without cessation, and sleep was impossible. At length Milton, driven -to desperation, jumped out of bed, threw away all the water, and put -out the fire. The squaw thereupon retired to rest in much astonishment, -and for a time all was still. Presently, however, when she imagined -Milton had fallen asleep, she quietly got up, and re-commenced her -labours. The unhappy retainer of her services was fairly beaten, and -compelled to resign himself to his fate, venting many maledictions on -the untimely industry of his servant. - -The hunting party meanwhile pursued their way to the plains, following -an old Indian track to the south-west for about eighty miles. Passing -through a hilly country, well wooded and watered, on the morning of -the fourth day they reached the brow of a hill, whence they saw the -prairie stretching away before them. La Ronde quickly detected five -buffalo, grazing about a mile distant, and a camp was immediately made. -After a hasty meal of dry pemmican--a fire being dispensed with for -fear of frightening the game--they prepared for the hunt. The day was -unusually warm, and in a weak moment La Ronde and Cheadle both divested -themselves of leather shirt and capote before starting. After a great -deal of dodging and crawling on hands and knees through the snow, -they gained a point where, peering through a little patch of scrub, -they saw the five bulls within twenty yards of them. La Ronde, in his -excitement, hurriedly whispered instructions to Cheadle in a most -unintelligible jargon of mingled French, English, and Cree. The latter, -equally excited, and bewildered by directions he could not understand, -hesitated to fire. La Ronde, in despair, stealthily raised his gun, -when Cheadle, unwilling to be forestalled, raised his also, and in so -doing incautiously protruded his head out of cover. - -In an instant the whole band started off full speed, saluted, as they -went, by an ineffectual volley at their sterns. Many were the mutual -recriminations, and fiercely did La Ronde “sacré.” The buffalo were -gone, no more to be seen, and small was the pemmican remaining in the -camp. Far away in the distance the frightened bulls began to slacken -their pace, and at last commenced slowly walking and feeding along. The -only chance remaining was to try and come up with them again, and the -disappointed hunters set off in pursuit at a run, carefully screening -themselves from observation. After about two hours’ hard work, they -succeeded in getting before them, and lying concealed in their path, -killed two as they passed slowly by. - -It was now nearly dark, and the party were three or four miles from -camp. It was impossible to fetch the horses and sleighs, and carry the -meat back that night, and if the carcasses were left, the wolves would -pick the bones clean by morning. There was, therefore, no choice but to -camp on the spot for the night. But little shelter could be found, and -the only wood was a few dry poplar saplings. - -The two dead buffalo lay some 200 yards apart, and placing a gun and -powder-horn against one to scare away the wolves, they lighted a small -fire near the other, and proceeded to take off his hide, and cook -steaks for supper. By this time night had quite closed in, and a strong -north wind blew icily cold, piercing the single flannel shirts of the -unfortunate hunters like gauze. Bitterly did they now repent having -left shirts and capotes behind; for the prospect of spending the long -winter night with the thermometer below zero, and without shelter or -proper fire, was unpleasant enough. - -All the wood that could be found--a very scanty supply--was collected -to replenish the tiny fire, the snow scraped away, and willows cut -and strewn for a couch. The raw buffalo hide was divided into two, -and Cheadle made himself very small to creep under one half, while La -Ronde and Misquapamayoo huddled together under the other. The reeking -hide was delightfully warm, and the weary travellers were soon sound -asleep. But their comfort was, alas! of short duration. Before long, -the sleepers awoke half frozen and benumbed in every limb. The scanty -coverlet, so soft and warm at first, had quickly frozen hard as stone, -and formed an arch over the recumbent bodies, through which the keen -winter wind rushed like the draught under the arch of a bridge. - -Sleep was out of the question, and kicking aside their deceitful -protection, the shivering trio stamped restlessly to and fro, -cherishing with sparing hand the miserable fire, or cooking strips of -meat to while away the dreary hours, watching anxiously the voyageur’s -clock, “Great Orion,” which “sloped,” as it seemed, very, very “slowly -to the west.” He did get through his journey at last, however; and when -the wolves proclaimed the dawn with the usual chorus of howls, La Ronde -and the boy started back to fetch the sleighs, whilst Cheadle went in -pursuit of a buffalo which had been severely wounded the night before. - -After hunting several days with tolerable success, the sleighs were -loaded with meat, and the party turned their faces homewards. But their -adventures were not yet over. Several bands of buffalo were descried -close at hand, and it was resolved to have one more day’s hunting -before returning to La Belle Prairie. The character of the country, -which was undulating, with scattered patches of small timber, was very -favourable for stalking, and a small band was successfully approached -within some forty yards. They were lying asleep in a little hollow, and -Cheadle agreed to wait ensconced behind a hillock, whilst the other two -crept round to approach them on the opposite side. - -Long he waited, peering over the brow of the hill through the long -grass, and anxiously watching in vain for some sign that the others had -reached their post. Presently one of the bulls got up and stretched -himself, but did not appear disturbed. Cheadle, unwilling to spoil the -chance of the others, still forbore to shoot, and as he lay and waited, -began to dream; thoughts of home, and old familiar scenes and faces -took possession of his brain; - - “Old wishes, ghosts of broken plans, - And phantom hopes assemble;” - -and La Ronde, buffalo and all, were completely forgotten. Suddenly he -was aroused from his reverie by a great shouting of “Tir donc! tir, -Docteur! tir-r, sacré! tonnerre! tir-r-r!” and there were the buffalo -rushing by as hard as they could tear, with La Ronde and Misquapamayoo -running after them, blazing away as rapidly as they could load. They -fired at random and without effect, but Cheadle, more deliberate, -wounded one badly in the body, which pulled up for a moment, and then -followed behind the rest. - -La Ronde, utterly disgusted, refused to follow them, and vowed that -never again would he lead the absent-minded Cheadle up to buffalo. He -declared that he had waited a full half hour, expecting him to shoot, -and then being impatient, he whistled softly; one of the bulls arose, -presenting his broadside, and he thought that surely that fine chance -would be taken. Again he waited a long time, and then waved his cap as -a signal to fire, but in vain. At last, in a fit of despair and rage, -he jumped up and shouted as before related. - -After a short rest, and having somewhat recovered their equanimity, -they again set out, and soon observed a herd of twelve feeding, still -undisturbed. As they had already nearly enough meat, it was agreed to -give the boy a chance, and he accordingly crept up to them alone, -whilst the rest lay in wait for a chance as they passed. But the young -one missed his mark, and the herd went off in the wrong direction, out -of reach of the two in ambush. - -Ill luck ruled the day, but La Ronde said, “Try it again;” and as the -last herd had not fairly seen their enemies, they pulled up about a -mile distant, and began to feed slowly along. After alternately racing -at full speed, when out of view, and crawling stealthily over exposed -places for miles, continually finding the animals had moved off by -the time the place where they were last seen was reached, the hunters -succeeded in ensconcing themselves behind a hillock on the other side -of which the buffalo were feeding, and moving on round the base towards -them. - -It was now La Ronde’s turn to have the first shot, and as soon as the -fore-quarters of the leader of the band moved slowly into view, some -twenty yards off, he fired. As the animal did not drop instantly, -Cheadle, who was determined not to return empty-handed after all, and -had covered him carefully, dropped him with a second shot behind the -shoulder. La Ronde was highly indignant at his conduct, and declared it -was unsportsmanlike, but was much chagrined to find, on cutting up the -animal, that his own shot had merely passed through the shoulder-blade -without breaking it, and the animal would doubtless have escaped but -for the second bullet, which passed through the heart. This beast -proved a splendid young bull, of three years old, with a magnificent -skin, and a mane with hair half a yard in length. Before the animal -was cut up, and the meat packed on the horses, which they had this time -brought with them, night had already come on. - -The chase had led them six or seven miles from camp, and the young moon -had nearly gone down. La Ronde, however, pressed confidently forward, -although it seemed impossible to find the way in the dark through a -country of such uniform character. After travelling several hours, he -stopped all at once, and began striking sparks with flint and steel, to -enable him to see the old track near the camp. It could not be found, -however, although La Ronde very positively asserted that it must be -close at hand, and the camp itself within a few hundred yards of the -place where they stood. La Ronde had steered his course entirely by the -stars, and judged by the direction, and time, and rate of travelling, -that they must be close to their destination. All were impressed with -the idea that the camp lay to the right, and a divergence was made for -a few hundred yards in that direction; but no landmarks could be made -out, and it was resolved to camp for the night in a copse of small -poplars. A pack of wolves kept up a continual howling, snapping, and -growling at a little distance to the left, and Cheadle was very anxious -to move there, thinking it probable that they were quarrelling over the -meat that had been left packed on the sledges in the camp. But La Ronde -dissuaded him, saying he was sure the camp lay to the right, and the -wolves would not dare to enter so soon a place strewed with blankets -and other property of men. - -The night was bright and very cold, and the fire miserably small, the -only dry wood to be found being a few dead saplings of aspen, the size -of pea-rods. Blankets and buffalo robes had been left in the old camp, -and the hunters were little better off than they had been a few nights -before. The covering this time was a large waterproof sheet, which had -been brought to roll up meat in, and was, if possible, less efficient -than the raw hide had been. The moisture of the breath condensed and -froze in cakes inside the sheet, and all advantage from sleeping with -head under the covering was thus lost. As in the previous adventure, -sleep was not to be obtained, and the similar weary watch for daylight, -stamping about, mending the tiny fire, observing the progress of Orion, -and listening to the snapping and growling of the wolves, seemed -interminable. - -Since, however, it was nearly midnight when the search for the camp was -given up, the season of misery lasted, in reality, little more than -half as long as before, although, for its duration, the hardship was -quite as severe. - -At daybreak La Ronde reconnoitred, and discovered that the camp was -within 300 or 400 yards to the left; and, when approached, showed -ominous marks of disorder. The wolves had been dividing the spoils, as -Cheadle shrewdly suspected. The whole of Misquapamayoo’s little store, -consisting of choice morsels, which he had prepared and packed with -nicest care, was gone, and nearly the whole of our sleigh load beside. -The new supply, however, nearly made up for the loss; and the horses -were therefore at once harnessed to the sleighs, and all speed made for -Fort Milton once more. - -The journey home was slow and tedious. Although there had been no -regular thaw, the warm sun had melted the snow on the hill sides and -southern slopes, and the labour of dragging the loaded sleighs over the -bare ground was so harassing to the horses, that but short stages could -be made, and those at a slow pace. At one point the way lay across a -large lake. The snow on this had almost entirely disappeared, and the -horses fell so continually over the bare ice, that the attempt to take -them across was obliged to be abandoned. Misquapamayoo’s Lilliputian -steed in particular, whose feet were small as those of a deer, was -utterly unable to stand on the slippery surface, and for a long time it -seemed as if the only chance of getting him off again would be to drag -him to _terra firma_ by the tail. The horses had now to be taken out of -the sleighs, which were drawn by hand across the lake, and a road cut -through the woods which skirted the banks, whereby the horses were led -round to the further side. This operation occupied a whole morning, and -it was not until the evening of the fifth day of travelling that the -party reached La Belle Prairie, after an absence of twelve days. - -One little incident of the journey home serves to illustrate the -rough and ready manner of proceeding characteristic of the voyageurs. -One of the sleighs in passing along the side of a steep hill, upset, -overturning with it the horse, who lay helplessly on his back, with -his legs kicking in the air. Cheadle was proceeding to unharness him; -but La Ronde cried, “Ah! non, Monsieur, pas besoin;” and both lifting -together, they sent horse and sleigh rolling over and over down the -hill, until at last they came right side up, and the train proceeded. - -Great was the delight of Milton and Bruneau at the happy return, and -Keenamontiayoo and some Indians who were at the house were not slow to -assist in the feast of fresh meat, which lasted far into the night, the -party from the plains enjoying, on their part, the luxury of bread. - -Truly the pleasures of eating are utterly unknown in civilised life. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - - Trapping--The Fur-Bearing Animals--Value of different Furs--The - Trapper’s Start into the Forest--How to make a Marten Trap-- - Steel Traps for Wolves and Foxes--The Wolverine--The Way he - gets a Living--His Destructiveness and Persecution of the - Trapper--His Cunning--His Behaviour when caught in a Trap-- - La Ronde’s Stories of the Carcajou--The Trapper’s Life--The - Vast Forest in Winter--Sleeping Out--The Walk--Indians and - Half-breeds--Their Instinct in the Woods--The Wolverine - Demolishes our Traps--Attempts to Poison him--Treemiss’s - Arrival--He relates his Adventures--A Scrimmage in the Dark-- - The Giant Tamboot--His Fight with Atahk-akoohp--Prowess of - Tamboot--Decide to send our Men to Red River for Supplies-- - Delays. - - -The supply of meat which we had obtained being sufficient for some -time, we stored it up on the platform out of doors, to be preserved -by the frost, and turned our attention to trapping in the woods. Our -attempts had hitherto been confined to setting a few small steel traps -round the lake, and placing poisoned baits for the wolves. But we were -now desirous to fly at higher game, and, far in the depths of the -vast pine forest, seek trophies sure to be gratefully received when -presented to dear friends of the fair sex at home. The animals which -furnish the valuable furs from this region are the silver and cross -foxes, the fisher, marten, otter, mink, and lynx--whilst amongst -those of less worth are the wolverine, beaver, ermine, and musk-rat. -The beaver was formerly found in great numbers, and its peltry highly -prized; but from the assiduity with which it was hunted, it has now -become comparatively scarce; and from the substitution of silk for -beaver skin in the manufacture of hats, the latter has become almost -worthless. Of all furs, with the single exception of the sea-otter, -which is found only on the Pacific coast, the silver fox commands the -highest price. The fur of the silver fox is of a beautiful grey; the -white hairs, which predominate, being tipped with black, and mixed -with others of pure black. A well-matched pair of silver fox skins -are worth from £80 to £100. The cross foxes, so called from the dark -stripe down the back, with a cross over the shoulders like that on a -donkey, vary in every degree between the silver and the common red fox; -and the value of their skins varies in the same ratio. After the best -cross foxes come the fisher, the marten, and the mink. These three are -all animals of the pole-cat tribe, and both in size and value may be -classed in the order in which they have been mentioned. The skin of a -fisher fetches from sixteen shillings to thirty shillings; a marten, -fifteen shillings to twenty-three shillings; and a mink, from ten -shillings to fifteen shillings. The otter, which is less common than -the two last named, commands a price of one shilling an inch, measured -from the head to the tip of the tail. The ermine is exceedingly common -in the forests of the North-West, and is a nuisance to the trapper, -destroying the baits set for the marten and fisher. It is generally -considered of too little value to be the object of the trapper’s -pursuit. The black bear is also occasionally discovered in his winter’s -hole, and his skin is worth about forty shillings. The lynx is by no -means uncommon, and generally taken by snares of hide. When caught, -he remains passive and helpless, and is easily knocked on the head -by the hunter. The other denizens of the forests are the moose, and -smaller game, such as the common wood partridge, or willow grouse, the -pine partridge, the rabbit, and the squirrel. By far the most numerous -of the more valuable fur animals in this region are the marten and -the mink, and to the capture of the former of these two--the sable -of English furriers--the exertions of the trapper are principally -directed. At the beginning of November, when the animals have got -their winter coats, and fur is “in season,” the trapper prepares his -pack, which he makes in the following manner:--Folding his blanket -double, he places in it a lump of pemmican, sufficient for five or -six days’ consumption, a tin kettle and cup, and, if he is rich, some -steel traps, and a little tea and salt. The blanket is then tied at -the four corners, and slung on the back by a band across the chest. A -gun and ammunition, axe, knife, and fire-bag, complete his equipment. -Tying on a pair of snow-shoes, he starts alone into the gloomy woods-- -trudging silently forward--for the hunter or trapper can never lighten -the solitude of his journey by whistling or a song. His keen eye scans -every mark upon the snow for the tracks he seeks. When he observes -the footprints of marten or fisher, he unslings his pack, and sets to -work to construct a “dead fall,” or wooden trap, after the following -manner. Having cut down a number of saplings, these are divided into -stakes of about a yard in length, which are driven into the ground so -as to form a palisade, in the shape of half an oval, cut transversely. -Across the entrance to this little enclosure, which is of a length to -admit about two-thirds of the animal’s body, and too narrow to admit -of its fairly entering in and turning round, a short log is laid. A -tree of considerable size is next felled, denuded of its branches, -and so laid that it rests upon the log at the entrance in a parallel -direction. The bait, which is generally a bit of tough dried meat, or -a piece of a partridge or squirrel, is placed on the point of a short -stick. This is projected horizontally into the enclosure, and on the -external end of it rests another short stick, placed perpendicularly, -which supports the large tree laid across the entrance. The top of the -trap is then covered in with bark and branches, so that the only means -of access to the bait is by the opening between the propped-up tree and -the log beneath. When the bait is seized, the tree falls down upon the -animal and crushes him to death. An expert trapper will make forty or -fifty traps in a single day. - -[Illustration: A MARTEN TRAP. - - (_See page 102._) -] - -The steel traps resemble our ordinary rat-traps, but have no teeth, and -the springs are double. In the large traps used for beavers, foxes, -and wolves, these have to be made so powerful that it requires all -the force of a strong man to set them. They are placed in the snow, -and carefully covered over; fragments of meat are scattered about, -and the place smoothed down, so as to leave no trace. To the trap is -attached a chain, with a ring at the free extremity, through which a -stout stake is passed, and left otherwise unattached. When an animal is -caught--generally by the leg, as he digs in the snow for the hidden -morsels--he carries off the trap for a short distance, but is soon -brought up by the stake getting entangled across the trees and fallen -timber, and is rarely able to travel any great distance before being -discovered by the trapper. - -The fur-hunter’s greatest enemy is the North American glutton, or, as -he is commonly called, the wolverine or carcajou. This curious animal -is rather larger than an English fox, with a long body, stoutly and -compactly made, mounted on exceedingly short legs of great strength. -His broad feet are armed with powerful claws, and his track in the snow -is as large as the print of a man’s fist. The shape of his head, and -his hairy coat, give him very much the appearance of a shaggy brown dog. - -During the winter months he obtains a livelihood by availing himself of -the labours of the trapper, and such serious injury does he inflict, -that he has received from the Indians the name of Kekwaharkess, or “The -Evil One.” With untiring perseverance he hunts day and night for the -trail of man, and when it is found follows it unerringly. When he comes -to a lake, where the track is generally drifted over, he continues -his untiring gallop round its borders, to discover the point at which -it again enters the woods, and again follows it until he arrives at -one of the wooden traps. Avoiding the door, he speedily tears open an -entrance at the back, and seizes the bait with impunity; or if the trap -contains an animal, he drags it out, and, with wanton malevolence, -mauls it and hides it at some distance in the underwood, or at the -top of some lofty pine. Occasionally, when hard pressed by hunger, he -devours it. In this manner he demolishes the whole series of traps, -and when once a wolverine has established himself on a trapping-walk, -the hunter’s only chance for success is to change ground, and build a -fresh lot of traps, trusting to secure a few furs before the new path -is found out by his industrious enemy. - -Strange stories are related by the trappers of the extraordinary -cunning of this animal, which they believe to possess a wisdom almost -human. He is never caught by the ordinary “dead fall.” Occasionally one -is poisoned, or caught in a steel trap; but his strength is so great, -that many traps strong enough to hold securely a large wolf will not -retain the wolverine. When caught in this way, he does not, like the -fox and the mink, proceed to amputate the limb, but, assisting to carry -the trap with his mouth, makes all haste to reach a lake or river, -where he can hasten forward at speed, unobstructed by trees and fallen -wood. After travelling far enough to be tolerably safe from pursuit -for a time, he devotes himself to the extrication of the imprisoned -limb, in which he not unfrequently succeeds. The wolverine is also -sometimes killed by a gun, placed bearing on a bait, to which is -attached a string communicating with the trigger. La Ronde assured us -most solemnly that on several occasions the carcajou had been far too -cunning for him, first approaching the gun and gnawing in two the cord -communicating with the trigger, and then securely devouring the bait. - -In one instance, when every device to deceive his persecutor had -been at once seen through, and utterly futile, he adopted the plan -of placing the gun in a tree, with the muzzle pointing vertically -downwards upon the bait. This was suspended from a branch, at such a -height that the animal could not reach it without jumping. The gun -was fastened high up in the tree, completely screened from view by -the branches. Now, the wolverine is an animal troubled with exceeding -curiosity. He investigates everything; an old moccasin thrown aside -in the bushes, or a knife lost in the snow, are ferreted out and -examined, and anything suspended almost out of reach generally offers -an irresistible temptation. But in the case related by La Ronde the -carcajou restrained his curiosity and hunger for the time, climbed the -tree, cut the cords which bound the gun, which thus tumbled harmless -to the ground, and then, descending, secured the bait without danger. -Poison and all kinds of traps having already failed, La Ronde was -fairly beaten and driven off the ground. - -For the truth of this particular story we, of course, do not pretend -to vouch, but would merely observe that our own subsequent experience -fully proved the wolverine to be an animal of wonderful sagacity -and resource; and that, supposing the gun to have been set, and -afterwards found cut down as related, there is little doubt that La -Ronde interpreted the mode of procedure with perfect correctness. An -Indian or half-breed reads the signs left behind as easily and truly as -if he had been present and witnessed the whole transaction. In other -instances, where we have had ample opportunities of judging, we never -detected a mistake in their reading of the language of tracks--marks -left printed on that book the hunter reads so well, the face of Nature. - -Until nearly the end of December we employed ourselves by accompanying -La Ronde on his trapping expeditions. We thus could distinguish the -track of every animal found in the forest, and learnt much of their -habits and peculiarities. Cheadle was especially fascinated by this -branch of the hunter’s craft, and pursued it with such diligence and -success, that he was very soon able to make a trap and set it almost as -quickly and skilfully as his accomplished preceptor, La Ronde. There is -something strangely attractive in the life, in spite of the hardships -and fatigues which attend it. The long, laborious march, loaded with -a heavy pack, and cumbered with a quantity of thick clothing, through -snow and woods beset with fallen timber and underwood, is fatiguing -enough. The only change is the work of making the traps, or the rest at -night in camp. Provisions usually fall short, and the trapper subsists, -in great measure, upon the flesh of the animals captured to obtain the -fur. But, on the other hand, the grand beauty of the forest, whose -pines, some of which tower up above 200 feet in height, are decked and -wreathed with snow, and where no sound is heard, except the occasional -chirrup of a squirrel, or the explosions of trees cracking with intense -frost, excites admiration and stimulates curiosity. The intense -stillness and solitude, the travelling day after day through endless -woods without meeting a sign of man, and rarely _seeing_ a living -creature, strikes very strangely on the mind at first. The half-breed -trapper delights in wandering alone in the forest; but Cheadle, who -tried the experiment for two days, found the silence and loneliness so -oppressive as to be quite unbearable. - -The interest in the pursuit was constantly kept up by the observation -of tracks, the interpretation of their varied stories, and the account -of the different habits of the animals as related by our companion. -There is also no small amount of excitement in visiting the traps -previously made, to see whether they contain the looked-for prize, -or whether all the fruits of hard labour have been destroyed by the -vicious wolverine. - -At night, lying on a soft, elastic couch of pine boughs, at his feet a -roaring fire of great trees heaped high, from which rises an enormous -column of smoke and steam from the melted snow, the trapper, rolled up -in his blanket, sleeps in peace. Sometimes, however, when the cold is -very intense, or the wind blows strongly, a single blanket is but poor -protection. The huge fire is inadequate to prevent the freezing of one -extremity, while it scorches the other, and sleep is impossible, or, if -obtained, quickly broken by an aching cold in every limb as the fire -burns low. On these winter nights the Northern Lights were often very -beautiful. Once or twice we observed them in the form of a complete -arch, like a rainbow of roseate hues, from which the changing, fitful -gleams streamed up to meet at the zenith. - -After we had been out a day or two, our provisions generally came -to an end, and we lived on partridges and the animals we trapped. -As soon as the skins of the martens and fishers were removed, their -bodies were stuck on the end of a stick, and put to roast before the -fire, looking like so many skewered cats. These animals not only smell -uncommonly like a ferret, but their flesh is of an intensely strong and -disgusting flavour, exactly corresponding to the odour, so that a very -strong stomach and good appetite is required to face such a meal. The -trapper’s camp in the woods is always attended by the little blue and -white magpie, who, perched on a bough close by, waits for his portion -of scraps from the meal. These birds invariably “turn up” immediately -after camp is made, and are so tame and bold that they will even steal -the meat out of the cooking-pot standing by the fire. - -The snow was at this time not more than eight inches deep, and we -did not as yet use snow-shoes in the woods, where the brushwood and -fallen timber rendered them somewhat awkward encumbrances. But the -walking was consequently very fatiguing, and we reached home, after -five or six days’ absence, invariably very much wearied and jaded. On -these excursions we were much struck, amongst other things, with the -great difference between the walk of an Indian or half-breed and our -own. We had before observed that, when apparently sauntering quietly -along, they went past us with the greatest ease, even when we flattered -ourselves we were going at a very respectable pace. This was now, in a -great measure, explained. In walking in the snow, in Indian file, we -observed La Ronde’s great length of stride; and Cheadle, in particular, -who prided himself upon his walking powers, was much chagrined to find -that he could not tread in La Ronde’s footsteps without springing from -one to the next. Afterwards he discovered that his longest stride was -only just equal to that of the little Misquapamayoo! - -The superiority of the Indian in this respect doubtless results from -the habitual use of moccasins, which allow full play to the elastic -bend of the foot. This is impeded by the stiff sole of an ordinary -boot. The muscles of an Indian’s foot are so developed, that it appears -plump and chubby as that of a child. Misquapamayoo continually derided -the scraggy appearance of our pedal extremities, and declared there -must be something very faulty in their original construction. - -The unerring fidelity with which our guide followed a straight course -in one direction in the dense forest, where no landmarks could be seen, -in days when the sun was not visible, nor a breath of air stirring, -seemed to us almost incomprehensible. La Ronde was unable to explain -the power which he possessed, and considered it as quite a natural -faculty. Cheadle, on the other hand, found it quite impossible to -preserve a straight course, and invariably began to describe a circle, -by bearing continually towards the left; and this weakness was quite -incomprehensible to La Ronde, who looked upon it as the most arrant -stupidity. - -Hitherto no wolverine had annoyed us, and we succeeded in accumulating -a nice collection of furs. But at last, when starting to visit our -walk, we observed the tracks of one of very large size, which had -followed our trail, and La Ronde at once declared, “C’est fini, -monsieur; il a cassé toutes notres etrappes, vous allez voir;” and sure -enough, as we came to each in succession, we found it broken open at -the back, the bait taken, and, where an animal had been caught, it was -carried off. Throughout the whole line every one had been demolished, -and we discovered the tails of no less than ten martens, the bodies -of which had apparently been devoured by the hungry and successful -carcajou. - -We had on a former occasion suspended small poisoned baits, wrapped in -old moccasins or other covering, on the bushes at different points. One -of these the wolverine had pulled down, unwrapped it, and bitten the -bait in two. Terrified at the discovery that it was poisoned, he had -rushed away at full speed from the dangerous temptation. It was useless -to set the traps again, and we thereupon returned home disconsolate, La -Ronde cursing, with all his might, “le sacré carcajou.” - -One day the crows, which always announced the presence of any one -on the lake by a tremendous cawing, gave their usual signal of an -arrival. Going out on to the lake, we saw several sleighs advancing -across it, the bells on the harness jingling merrily in the frosty air, -as the dogs galloped along. Our visitors proved to be Treemiss and a -party from the Fort, on a trading expedition amongst the Wood Crees. - -Treemiss had met with various adventures since we had last seen -him, and in one instance was in some danger of losing his life. -Atahk-akoohp, the hunter, came one evening, with several others, into -his hut, all half drunk, and importuned him to trade for furs. Vexed by -Treemiss’s refusal to do so, he threw a marten-skin violently into his -face. Irritated by the insult, Treemiss struck him with his fist. In an -instant all was uproar and confusion; knives flashed out, the candle -was kicked over and extinguished, and all were groping and stabbing at -Treemiss in the dark. Summarily upsetting an Indian who opposed his -passage, he made for his gun, which lay near the door, seized it, and -made good his escape outside, not, however, before receiving several -slight cuts and stabs through his clothes. - -He waited, gun in hand, ready for his assailants, listening -with anxiety to a terrible commotion which was going on inside. -Atahk-akoohp, the aggressor, a man of lofty stature and powerful build, -he knew to be savage in the extreme when aroused. But he had a friend -within. He had shown much kindness to a half-breed named Tamboot, a -man of still more gigantic build and strength than Atahk-akoohp, and -this fellow now stepped forth in his might as the champion of his -friend. Seizing the huge form of Atahk-akoohp, he raised him in his -arms like a child, and dashed him on the floor with such violence, -that he lay almost senseless, and was so much injured that for above -a week afterwards he was unable to leave his bed; then, declaring he -would serve each in turn in the same manner, if they offered to lay -a hand on his benefactor, he made the rest sullenly retire. Tamboot -had previously killed two of his enemies by sheer exertion of force, -without using a weapon; and his reputation for courage and strength -stood so high, that none dared to interfere, and thus peace was once -more restored. - -Our stock of flour and tea having by this time become exceedingly low, -and as but a small quantity of the latter only could be obtained at -Carlton, we decided to send the men back to Red River for a supply of -these necessaries, required for our journey forwards in the spring. -We accordingly engaged the Indian hunter, Keenamontiayoo, and his -boy, Misquapamayoo, to assist us in hunting, and perform any services -we might require during their absence. Some delay, however, occurred -before this plan could be put into execution, owing to the illness of -La Ronde. During this time we were all detained at home, and the days -passed by in somewhat dreary monotony. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - - Milton visits Carlton--Fast Travelling--La Ronde and Bruneau set - out for Fort Garry--Trapping with Misquapamayoo--Machinations - against the Wolverine--The Animals’ Fishery--The Wolverine - Outwits us--Return Home--The Cree Language--How an Indian - tells a Story--New Year’s Day among the Crees--To the - Prairies again--The Cold--Travelling with Dog-sleighs--Out - in the Snow--Our New Attendants--Prospect of Starvation-- - A Day of Expectation--A Rapid Retreat--The Journey Home-- - Indian Voracity--Res Angusta Domi--Cheadle’s Journey to the - Fort--Perversity of his Companions--“The Hunter” yields to - Temptation--Milton’s Visit to Kekekooarsis--A Medicine Feast-- - The New Song--Cheadle’s Journey Home--Isbister and his Dogs-- - Mahaygun, “The Wolf”--Pride and Starvation--Our Meeting at - White Fish Lake. - - -On the morning of the 24th of December, Milton harnessed our three -Indian dogs to the little sleigh, and set out with Bruneau for the -Fort. La Ronde remained with Cheadle at the hut, engaging to join the -others at Carlton as soon as sufficiently recovered. Misquapamayoo had -also arrived, to commence his service as attendant on Cheadle. We both -spent our Christmas Eve somewhat drearily--Milton camping in the snow, -half-way to Carlton, supping on pemmican and gallette, and Cheadle, -in the hut, faring likewise; but the latter, feeling very dismal and -un-Christmaslike, he and La Ronde unearthed the hidden rum cask, and -established a weak conviviality by the aid of hot punch. - -Milton and Bruneau went merrily along on their way to the Fort. The -road had just been well beaten by the passage of trains to La Crosse; -a slight thaw had followed, and the track was now frozen hard, so that -the dogs galloped away with the lightly-laden sleigh at a tremendous -pace over the ice. The two followed at speed, occasionally jumping -on to the sleigh for a time, to gain breath again. But the cold was -too great to allow a very long ride, and running was soon resumed. -They travelled with such expedition that although it was afternoon -when they left the hut, they travelled at least thirty miles before -nightfall, camping beyond the crossing of the Shell River. Milton, -eager beyond measure to arrive at the Fort in time to share the -Christmas festivities, arose in the middle of the night, and succeeded -in convincing Bruneau that it was nearly daybreak. They therefore -harnessed the dogs and started again. To their surprise, the moon rose -instead of the sun, but they kept on their way, and daybreak appeared -after several hours. They arrived at Carlton just in time to sit down -to Mr. Lillie’s Christmas dinner, having accomplished the journey of -eighty miles in the wonderfully short time of twenty-six hours. Plum -pudding and a bottle of sherry graced the board, and were both done -full justice to by the company. - -La Ronde came in on the 27th, and on the following day set out with -Bruneau on their distant journey. They took with them two dog-sleighs, -and the best trains of dogs to be obtained at Carlton. The provision -they expected to bring was four sacks of flour and thirty or forty -pounds of tea; and the journey of 600 miles and back would occupy at -least two months. The snow was now so deep that a track would require -to be trodden out with snow-shoes to enable the dogs to travel, and the -undertaking was certain to be very laborious. The route they intended -to take was by Touchwood Hills and Fort Pelly on to the Manitobah Lake, -and thence to Fort Garry. - -Cheadle, now left with only the Indian boy, went off into the woods to -make another attempt to circumvent his ancient enemy, the wolverine. -With pack slung on his back, gun on shoulder, and axe in belt, little -Misquapamayoo stalked along to lead the way, with all the dignity -and confidence of a practised hunter. No track or sign escaped his -observant eye, and he made and set traps, arranged the camp, cut wood, -and cooked meals, with the readiness and skill of an old trapper. The -heavier work of wood-chopping and the weightier pack fell, of course, -to Cheadle’s share; but Misquapamayoo was indefatigable in performing -everything in his power, and this was by no means contemptible, for -he could carry weights and use an axe in a manner which would have -surprised an English boy of the same age. He assumed an air of grave -superiority over his companion in all things relating to the hunter’s -or voyageur’s craft which was very amusing, although certainly -justified by the facts of the case. - -The two spent their time in the woods merrily enough, for it was -impossible to be dull with such a lively, light-hearted companion -as Misquapamayoo. This may perhaps be thought strange when it is -stated that Cheadle, when he set out, did not know more than two or -three words of the Cree language. Yet this very circumstance was a -prolific source of amusement, and nothing delighted the boy more -than to instruct his companion, falling into fits of laughter at his -mispronunciations and mistakes. The easy manner in which communication -was carried on between the two, each ignorant of the other’s language, -was very astonishing. But Misquapamayoo appeared to divine by instinct -what was required, and it seemed difficult to believe at first that -he really did not understand a word of English. The perceptions of an -Indian are so nice, his attention so constantly on the alert, and his -conclusions so rapidly formed, that he draws inferences from general -signs with great readiness and accuracy. - -The wolverine had renewed his visits along the line of traps, and -broken all which had been reconstructed, devouring the animals which -had been caught. Cheadle now adopted a device which he flattered -himself would catch the enemy in his own toils. All the broken traps -were repaired and set again, and poisoned baits substituted for the -ordinary ones in the traps--not in every instance, but here and there -along the line. - -The forest in which we hunted commenced on the further side of our -lake, stretching away to the north apparently indefinitely. This was -broken only by numerous lakes and swamps, and patches of timber which -had been burnt. The lakes are always sought by the trapper, not only -because they enable him to travel more rapidly, and penetrate further -into the less hunted regions, but also because the edges of the lakes, -and the portages between them, are favourite haunts of the fox, the -fisher, and the mink. On one of these lakes a curious circumstance -was observed. The lake was about half a mile in length, and of nearly -equal breadth, but of no great depth. The water had seemingly frozen -to the bottom, except at one end, where a spring bubbled up, and a -hole of about a yard in diameter existed in the covering of ice, which -was there only a few inches thick. The water in this hole was crowded -with myriads of small fish, most of them not much larger than a man’s -finger, and so closely packed that they could not move freely. On -thrusting in an arm, it seemed like plunging it into a mass of thick -stir-about. The snow was beaten down all round hard and level as a -road, by the numbers of animals which flocked to the Lenten feast. -Tracks converged from every side. Here were the footprints of the cross -or silver fox, delicately impressed in the snow as he trotted daintily -along with light and airy tread; the rough marks of the clumsier -fisher; the clear, sharply-defined track of the active mink; and the -great coarse trail of the ever-galloping, ubiquitous wolverine. Scores -of crows perched on the trees around, sleepily digesting their frequent -meals. Judging by the state of the snow and collection of dung, the -consumption must have gone on for weeks, yet the supply seemed as -plentiful as ever. - -This circumstance afforded an explanation of the fact that many of the -rivers and fresh-water lakes in this country are destitute of fish, as -all but the deeper ones freeze to the bottom, and therefore any fish -they contained would be destroyed. - -When the trappers turned homewards they found that the wolverine had -followed them closely. On the ground which they had passed over on -the previous day, every trap was already demolished and the baits -abstracted. Cheadle fondly imagined that at last his enemy was -outwitted and destroyed, but Misquapamayoo’s sharper eyes discovered -each of the baits which had been poisoned, lying close at hand, bitten -in two and rejected, whilst all the others had disappeared. The baits -had been made with great care, the strychnine being inserted into the -centre of the meat by a small hole, and when frozen it was impossible -to distinguish any difference in appearance between them and the -harmless ones. It seemed as if the animal suspected poison, and bit -in two and tasted every morsel before swallowing it. The baits had -purposely been made very small, so that in the ordinary course they -would have been bolted whole. That the same wolverine had frequented -our path from the first, we knew perfectly well, for he was one of -unusually large size, as shown by his tracks, which were readily -distinguishable from the others we observed from time to time. - -On the 28th of December, Milton left Carlton, and resting one night at -Treemiss’s hut, arrived the following day at La Belle Prairie. Cheadle -and Misquapamayoo had come in just before, and a very pleasant evening -was spent in talking over all that had happened during the separation. - -Associating entirely with Indians until the return of our men, we -rapidly picked up the Cree language, and in the course of a few weeks -could speak it fluently if not grammatically. Nothing is easier than -to get a decent smattering of Cree, although the construction of the -language is extremely intricate. The name of many articles is the -explanation of their use or properties, the word being a combination of -a participle and noun, the latter generally the word _gun_, “a thing;” -as _parskisi-gun_, a “shooting thing;” _miniquachi-gun_, a “drinking -thing” or cup. This also appears in their proper names, which are -generally descriptions of some personal peculiarity; as in the names -Kekekooarsis and Keenamontiayoo, which have been mentioned before. The -consonants _d_, _f_, and _l_ are not found in the Cree alphabet, and -the Indians find great difficulty in pronouncing the two first when -trying to use English words. The appropriate gestures and expressive -pantomime with which an Indian illustrates his speech, render it easy -to understand. We soon learnt to interpret without much difficulty -the long hunting stories with which Keenamontiayoo whiled away the -evenings in our hut. The scene described was partly acted; the motions -of the game, the stealthy approach of the hunter, the taking aim, the -shot, the cry of the animal, or the noise of its dashing away, and the -pursuit, were all given as the tale went on. - -We had arranged with Keenamontiayoo to start with him in a few days for -the plains, intending to pay a visit to a small camp of Wood Crees, -who we had heard were hunting buffalo about eighty miles off. We were, -however, astonished on the evening of the last day of the year, by -the arrival not only of the Hunter, but Kekekooarsis also, with their -wives, children, and relatives. They seemed very much delighted with -themselves, and were very complimentary to us. All quietly settled down -and began to smoke. It was plain they intended to stay some time with -us. As our room was so extremely small, we found it inconvenient to -accommodate so many visitors, but all our efforts to understand their -explanations were in vain, and we had to make the best of it. - -On the following morning we were somewhat enlightened. At daybreak -the men got up, and fired off a great many shots in honour of the new -year. Then ensued a general shaking of hands all round, and a kissing -of the women and children. The latter part of the ceremony we, however, -very ungallantly omitted. We subsequently learnt that it is the custom -for those who have nothing wherewith to feast, to visit their friends -who may be in greater plenty; and our neighbours thought that they -could not do better than with us. As they _had_ come, we hastened our -departure, and set out with Keenamontiayoo and his son, leaving old -Kekekooarsis and the women in charge of the house until our return. We -took with us two dog-sleighs, and travelled in snow-shoes, for the snow -had now become far too deep to move without them. We had used them for -short distances for some time, and had become tolerably expert, but -found marching all day long in them very fatiguing at first. The Hunter -led the way, his son followed driving one train of dogs, and we came -next with the other. - -After travelling a day and a half, we diverged from the track that La -Ronde had taken, and steered a point or two more west. The country was, -as before, a mixture of woods, lakes, and patches of open prairie, -somewhat hilly, and difficult for sleighs. The weather turned intensely -cold--far more severe than any we had before experienced. Light -showers of snow fell in minute particles, as it were frozen dew, when -the sun was shining brightly and the sky without a cloud. Clothed in -three or four flannel shirts, one of duffel, and a leather shirt; our -hands encased in “mittaines,” or large gloves of moose-skin lined with -duffel, made without fingers, large enough to admit of being easily -doffed on occasion, and carried slung by a band round the neck; our -feet swathed in bands of duffel, covered by enormous moccasins; and our -ears and necks protected by a curtain of fur, we were yet hardly able -to keep warm with the most active exercise; and when we stayed to camp, -shivered and shook as we essayed to light a fire. - -Masses of ice, the size of a man’s fist, formed on Cheadle’s beard and -moustache--the only ones in the company--from the moisture of the -breath freezing as it passed through the hair. The oil froze in the -pipes we carried about our persons, so that it was necessary to thaw -them at the fire before they could be made to draw. The hands could -hardly be exposed for a moment, except when close to the fire. A bare -finger laid upon iron stuck to it as if glued, from the instantaneous -freezing of its moisture. The snow melted only close to the fire, which -formed a trench for itself, in which it slowly sank to the level of the -ground. The steam rose in clouds, and in the coldest, clearest weather, -it almost shrouded the fire from view. The snow was light and powdery, -and did not melt beneath the warmth of the foot, so that our moccasins -were as dry on a journey as if we had walked through sawdust instead of -snow. The parchment windows of our little hut were so small and opaque, -that we could hardly see even to eat by their light alone, and were -generally obliged to have the door open; and then, although the room -was very small, and the fire-place very large, a crust of ice formed -over the tea in our tin cups, as we sat within a yard of the roaring -fire. One effect of the cold was to give a most ravenous appetite for -fat. Many a time have we eaten great lumps of hard grease--rancid -tallow, used for making candles--without bread or anything to modify -it.[4] - -When well sheltered by woods, and with an enormous fire blazing at our -feet, sleeping in the open air was pleasant enough. Tents are not used -for winter travelling, as the huge fire could not be made available. -On arriving at the ground we selected for a camp, every one set to -work as quickly as possible. One unharnessed the dogs and unpacked -the sleighs; another collected dry logs; a third cut fine chips, and -started the fire; whilst the fourth shovelled away the snow in front -of the fire with a snow-shoe, and strewed the bare ground with pine -branches. Then all squatted down, smoking and superintending the -cooking of supper, the hungry dogs seated round, waiting anxiously for -their share. A pipe and talk followed, and then each rolled himself in -his blankets or buffalo robe, covering head and all, placed his feet as -near to the fire as he dare, and slept. All huddled together as closely -as possible, and when silence had reigned some time, the dogs crept -softly in towards the fire, and lay between us, or at our feet. Before -sleeping, however, it was necessary to secure out of reach of the dogs -not only provisions, but snow-shoes, harness, and everything with any -skin or leather about it. An Indian dog will devour almost anything of -animal origin, and invariably eats his own harness, or his master’s -snow-shoes, if left within his reach. - -Our new attendants showed us the greatest attention, and indeed were -extremely proud of serving the Soniow Okey Mow, and the Muskeeky Okey -Mow, as they had named us, which, being interpreted, signifies the -“Great Golden Chief,” and “My Master, the Great Medicine.” And we -found constant amusement over our camp-fire at night in teaching them -English words, and learning Cree. The circumstance that there were -some words which were almost identical in the two languages--words -which had been adopted from one language into the other--struck them -as very ludicrous, and they never tired of laughing over _pemmicàrn_, -“pemmican;” _mùskisin_, “moccasin;” _shùgow_, “sugar;” and the like. -And when we used wrong words for others very similar, as we frequently -did purposely--calling the old man Kekekooarsis, Kekwaharkosis, or -the “Little Wolverine;” or an Indian named Gaytchi Mohkamarn, or “The -Big Knife,” Matchi Mohkamarn, “The Evil Knife”--the joke was always -irresistible, and they rolled about and held their sides in fits of -laughter. - -On the fourth day after leaving La Belle Prairie, we reached the -camping ground, where we expected to meet Indians, but found the camp -broken up, and saw by the tracks that the party had dispersed in -various directions. We therefore kept on in a straight line for the -prairie. The weather had become colder and colder, and as we passed -over a large lake just before dark, the wind blew so keenly that our -faces ached again, and our teeth chattered, although we hurried over it -into a little wood as rapidly as the dogs could go. Milton’s nose and -cheeks were frost-bitten, and required careful rubbing to restore them. -On the morrow, by the Hunter’s advice, we stayed in camp, while he went -out alone to reconnoitre, and try and kill a buffalo. Our provisions -were by this time reduced to a few handfuls of flour, and a little -pemmican--hardly more than sufficient for that day’s consumption. We -had started with a fair supply of white-fish and pemmican; but six dogs -rapidly reduced it. Two fish a day, or three pounds of pemmican, is the -regular allowance for a sleigh-dog when travelling; and the quantity -required to satisfy a man in the cold winter is greater still. We -therefore spent an anxious day, waiting for Keenamontiayoo’s return, -wondering whether he would be successful in obtaining meat. We put -ourselves upon short commons, and the dogs upon still shorter, and even -went to the length of fixing upon one useless, toothless old fellow as -a victim to our appetites, in case of extremity. - -The day wore on slowly and monotonously, the cold was severe as ever, -and we diligently cut and stacked a large supply of wood for the -night fire. Night closed in around us, and we still watched in vain -for the Hunter, and speculated whether the delay was a sign of his -good luck or the reverse. Hours of darkness passed away, and yet we -listened anxiously, expecting to hear the footfall of the returning -Indian. Misquapamayoo became very uneasy, and sat silent and absorbed, -listening intently for his father’s step, and at last took to firing -his gun at short intervals, to signal our whereabouts. No answering -shot replied, but about midnight Keenamontiayoo appeared, bending -beneath a load which, on nearer view, showed to our gloating eyes the -heart, tongue, and other tit-bits of buffalo. These were soon cooked -and eaten, and over our supper he told us that he had hunted all day -without resting, but had not found a trace of buffalo. On his return, -however, just before dark, he discovered a solitary bull, which he -killed. The cold had so benumbed him that he was quite unable to cut -any meat until he had made a large fire, and afterwards was detained a -long time covering up the carcase with timber and snow, to protect it -from the wolves. - -The next morning we moved camp close to the dead buffalo, and spent -that day in cutting him up, and collecting a good supply of dry wood, -which was scarce at this place. - -The following day we found two more buffalo, and succeeded in badly -wounding one of them. Darkness came on before we could overtake him, -but we found him next morning, having been pulled down and partly eaten -by the wolves during the night. - -At this time Milton’s face, which had been frost-bitten two days -before, swelled up with erysipelas in a most alarming manner. We were -80 or 100 miles from home, without any protection from the extreme -severity of the weather. We decided to cache a great part of the meat, -and travel back to La Belle Prairie as fast as the dogs could go. - -The afternoon was spent in securing the meat which we were compelled -to leave behind, by enclosing it in a pyramid of logs, against which -we heaped a high bank of snow. This, when well beaten down and frozen, -held the timber firmly in position, and the Hunter declared it -perfectly impregnable to a whole army of wolves, although a wolverine -would certainly break it open if he found it. - -The next morning a light load was placed on one sleigh, and on the -other Milton, smothered in buffalo robe and blankets, was securely -bound. Keenamontiayoo led the way, the boy followed driving one sleigh, -and Cheadle brought up the rear, in charge of his patient on the -other. The journey was very harassing and tedious. Our old track had -been completely snowed up, and the wretched dogs were not equal to -the emergency. Shushu, the leader, was willing, but young, thin, and -weak; the middle one, Comyun, was aged and asthmatic; and the shafter, -Kuskitaostaquarn, lame and lethargic. From morning to night the air -resounded with howling, and the cries of the drivers anathematising -Comyun and Kuskitaostaquarn. The sleighs constantly upset, from running -against a stump or slipping over a hill-side; and when we hauled and -strained to right them, the dogs lay down quietly, looking round at us, -and not offering to pull an ounce to help. When the driver, aggravated -beyond endurance, rushed up, stick in hand, and bent on punishment, -they made frantic exertions, which only made matters worse, resuming -their quiescent attitude the moment he returned to haul again at -the sleigh; and all the time the unfortunate Milton lay, bound and -helpless, half buried in the snow. In spite of all these hardships and -difficulties, he rapidly recovered, and by the time we reached home, -after three and a half days’ hard travelling, was nearly well. - -On our arrival we found, to our surprise, that the women had made the -hut very clean and tidy, but had consumed all the provision we left -behind, and were, moreover, quite equal to a great feast on the meat we -had brought. We had providentially locked up a little flour, and this -was all that remained except the buffalo meat. - -The Indians now returned to their homes, taking with them the greater -part of the fresh meat, the Hunter engaging to return in a week to -accompany us on a fresh expedition to the plains. To our astonishment, -however, he appeared on the third day, in company with Misquapamayoo -and Kekekooarsis, and informed us that provisions were exhausted. The -meat they had carried away with them three days before appeared to us -to be enough for a fortnight, but they assured us it was all eaten, -that the ice had become so thick that it was impossible to catch any -more fish, and that the only thing to be done was to be off to the -plains again immediately. We were quite taken aback and disappointed, -for we had counted on a large quantity of fish, with which old -Kekekooarsis had promised to supply us from his fishery at White Fish -Lake. - -Our whole store consisted of a few pounds of meat, and a handful of -flour. The Indians brought twenty-two fish, and had left thirteen -with their families. This was, of course, absurdly insufficient for -a five days’ journey to the plains, and then have the risk of not -finding buffalo after all. We resolved upon a surer means of avoiding -starvation, by going over to the Fort for pemmican. - -Milton was still quite unfit to travel, and he was therefore obliged -to remain behind, while Cheadle went to Carlton. We divided the food -equally between us, and the latter set off with the Indians at once. - -They journeyed rapidly on for the first day, and Cheadle confidently -expected to reach Carlton on the evening of the second. The cold, -however, was so severe, that the Indians refused to stir in spite of -all his entreaties, and sat cooking and eating the few fish there were -until afternoon, replying to all his expostulations and suggestions -that it would be better to leave some food for the morrow, with the -eternal “Keyarm” (It’s all the same). - -After they had consumed all but two, he prevailed upon them to start, -but after a few miles, they declared it was “osharm aimun” (too hard), -alluding to the bitter cold, and camped again for the night. They had -not yet got half way. Now the provisions were quite finished, and -seeing the “Okey Mow” was really angry, they rose before daylight, not -a whit uncomfortable or discontented with the knowledge that they had -forty miles to march with empty stomachs, or pity for the unfortunate -dogs who had now not tasted a morsel of food for two days. It was -otherwise, however, with Cheadle. Toiling away on snow-shoes until -noon, he experienced a wonderfully disagreeable sensation of emptiness, -and a tendency to bend double; and his walking in this stooping -attitude elicited frequent ridicule from the boy, who was vastly -delighted, and kept crying, “Keeipah, keeipah” (Quickly, quickly). -There was no help for it but to keep “pegging away,” and at dusk they -gained the well-beaten trail about five miles from the Fort. Snow-shoes -were doffed and tied on the sleighs; the dogs, knowing the end of the -journey was near, set off at a gallop; and the “Muskeeky Okey Mow,” -now quite recovered, astonished his companions by running ahead, and -arriving first at the Fort. - -The next day, when the provisions were ready for the Indians to set out -with at once to the relief of Milton, Keenamontiayoo was discovered to -be in a state of intoxication. By noon he was sufficiently sobered to -start on the journey, and promised to make all possible haste. He was -very much ashamed of himself, and penitent withal, more particularly -because he had parted with a valuable hunting-knife, which he prized -very highly, for a teacupful of rum. It was one which the “Soniow Okey -Mow” had given him on our return from the plains, as a reward for his -good behaviour to us, and he had vowed never to part with it. A little -rum offered to him by one of the half-breeds, who coveted the knife, -overcame his resolution at once. The temptation is irresistible to an -Indian. - -After the departure of the party for the Fort, Milton spent a few days -in monotonous solitude, eking out a scanty subsistence by the help of -his gun. Concluding, however, that the society of Kekekooarsis even -would be better than none, he put on his snow-shoes and marched over -to White Fish Lake. But there food was even scarcer than at home. -The fish were soon eaten, and the only supply then was an occasional -marten, mink, or otter, trapped by Kekekooarsis, and a few partridges -and rabbits, which Milton provided. But game was beginning to be scarce -in the immediate neighbourhood, and the strait had become more than -unpleasant when the Hunter and his son returned with the pemmican sent -off by Cheadle. - -After his return, Keenamontiayoo went out into the woods to hunt -moose. For several days he had no success, and came back to perform a -solemn invocation to the “Manitou”[5] to bless his next attempt. Drums -were brought out, and rattles made of bladders with pebbles in them, -“medicine” belts of wolf skin donned, and other “medicine,” or magic -articles, such as ermine skins, and musk-rat skins covered with beads. -The Hunter and his father-in-law drummed and rattled, and sang songs, -finishing, after some hours, by a long speech which they repeated -together, in which they promised to give some of the best meat to the -Manitou if he granted success, and to compose a new song in his praise. - -Before daylight Keenamontiayoo started, and at night returned in high -glee, for his prayer had proved very efficacious, and he had killed -two moose. The moose is a sacred animal, and certain portions of the -meat--such as the breast, liver, kidneys, and tongue--must be eaten -at once, and the whole consumed at a single meal. Women are not allowed -to taste the tongue, and all scraps are burnt, never given to the dogs. -The Hunter had brought the best part home with him, and Milton had -the pleasure of joining in a great feast. Tit-bits were cut off and -cast into the fire, as the promised offering to the Manitou, the men -chanting and beating drums and rattles the while. Then all feasted to -repletion, and Milton was kept from sleep by the persistency with which -Keenamontiayoo sang the new song he pretended to have composed for -the occasion, which he continued to sing over and over again without -cessation till nearly daylight. As he had been out hunting all day, -and busily engaged ever since his return, it is shrewdly suspected he -attempted to impose upon his Manitou, by making shift with an old hymn, -for he certainly could not have had much opportunity for composing the -new one he had promised. - -Cheadle had remained at the Fort to await the arrival of the winter -express from Fort Garry, which comes once a year, bringing letters -for Carlton, and the more distant forts. Dog-sleighs arrived from all -quarters--Edmonton, La Crosse, Norway House, &c.--bringing letters -for England, in return for those brought for them by the Red River -train. It was a time of great excitement at the Fort, and when the -tinkling of sleigh bells gave warning of an arrival, all rushed out to -greet the new-comers and hear the latest news. We naturally expected -a large batch of letters, the arrears of all sent from home since we -left, for we had as yet received none. Dreadful was the disappointment, -therefore, when the Fort Garry express came in, and the box of letters -was seized and ransacked, to find not one for any of us. The only hope -left was that La Ronde might bring some when he returned. - -Cheadle was now anxious to return as soon as possible, although without -the pleasant intelligence he had expected to carry with him. But -there was some difficulty in finding the means of transport, and the -cold was now so great that it would have been dangerous to cross open -country without a sleigh on which to carry an ample supply of robes and -blankets. At last an English half-breed, named Isbister, volunteered to -accompany him with his train of dogs, if he could travel rapidly, so as -to allow him to return to the Fort within three days, in order to join -a party of hunters going to the plains. - -The offer was gladly accepted, and at noon the two set out. The north -wind blew very bitterly, the thermometer being down to thirty degrees -below zero. The track was tolerably good, although not firm enough -to allow snow-shoes to be dispensed with, and now rapidly drifting -up. Away went the dogs with the lightly-laden sleigh, and Isbister -and Cheadle strained their utmost to keep up, tearing along on their -snow-shoes, with a motion and swinging of arms from side to side, like -fen-skaters. - -In spite of all this exertion, a very great many flannel shirts, a -leathern shirt, duffel shirt, and thick Inverness cape over all, -Cheadle was frost-bitten in many places--arms, legs, and face; and -when they pulled up to camp for the night in a clump of pines, he was -quite unable to strike a light, and even Isbister with difficulty -accomplished it. With a roaring fire, sleeping fully clothed, with -the addition of two buffalo robes and two blankets, it was impossible -to keep warm, or rest long without being admonished, by half-frozen -toes, to rise and replenish the fire. The dogs crept shivering up and -on to the bed, passing, like their masters, a restless night. The -thermometer on this night went down to thirty-eight degrees below zero, -the greatest cold which was experienced during this winter--the lowest -ever registered being forty-five degrees below zero. - -The following morning they set forward again at a racing pace, -and reached the hut before dark--very fast travelling indeed on -snow-shoes, on a trail that was not in first-rate order. A man can, -indeed, walk much faster on snow-shoes, with a fair track, than on the -best road without them; but when the trail is frozen perfectly hard, -the voyageur casts them off, and runs behind the dogs, who are able to -gallop at great speed along the slippery path; and in this manner the -most extraordinary journeys have been made. - -On entering the hut it proved to be empty, Milton being still at White -Fish Lake. They had observed strange footmarks leading to the hut as -they crossed the lake, and were puzzled whose they could be. Some one -had evidently visited the house that day, for the chimney was not yet -cold, nor the water in the kettle frozen. - -After feeding the dogs, and making a hasty supper on raw pemmican and -tea, Isbister set to work to convert the sleigh into a rude cariole, or -passenger sleigh. Then wrapping himself in robe and blanket, he seated -himself therein, and in two hours after his arrival was on his way back -again to Carl ton. The dogs ran in with him by eleven o’clock on the -following morning, having accomplished upwards of 140 miles in less -than forty-eight hours, and the last seventy without stopping for rest -or food. - -Cheadle meanwhile remained a prisoner at Fort Milton, being so stiff -and sore from his unusual kind of exercise, and so lame from using -snow-shoes, that he crept about slowly and painfully, to perform the -necessary duties of cutting wood and cooking. As he sat over the fire -in the evening, alone, in somewhat dismal mood, the door opened, and -in walked a French half-breed, of very Indian appearance. He sat down -and smoked, and talked for an hour or two, stating that he was out -trapping, and his lodge and family were about five miles distant. In -due time Cheadle produced some pemmican for supper, when the visitor -fully justified the sobriquet which he bore of Mahaygun, or “The Wolf,” -by eating most voraciously. He then mentioned that he had not tasted -food for two days. He had visited our hut the day before, lit a fire, -melted some snow in the kettle, and waited for a long time, in the hope -that some one might come in. At last he went away, without touching -the pemmican which lay upon the table ready to his hand. The story -was, doubtless, perfectly true, agreeing with all the signs previously -observed, and the fact that the pemmican was uncut. - -With the pangs of hunger gnawing at his stomach, and viewing, no doubt, -with longing eyes the food around, he had yet, according to Indian -etiquette, refrained from clamouring at once for food, but sat and -smoked for a long time, without making the slightest allusion to his -starving condition. When, in due course, his host offered him something -to eat, he mentioned the wants of himself and family. The next day he -left, carrying with him supplies for his squaw. He was exceedingly -grateful for the assistance, and promised to return in a day with his -wife, who should wash and mend all our clothes, as some acknowledgment -of the kindness. - -Cheadle, being now somewhat recovered from his late severe journey, -strapped on his snow-shoes, and set out to seek Milton amongst the -Indians at White Fish Lake. He suffered so severely from snow-shoe -lameness, however, that he with difficulty accomplished the nine or ten -miles’ journey by nightfall. Opening the door of the hut, he discovered -the old squaw--frying-pan in hand--engaged in cooking the evening -pemmican, and was warmly received by all, Milton being quite tired of -living entirely amongst savage society, and the Indians always ready -to welcome the white man hospitably. The Hunter and Misquapamayoo were -absent, having gone to bring in the meat of a moose, which the former -had killed. We returned home on the following day, leaving word for the -two Indians to join us as soon as possible. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - - Our New Acquaintances--Taking it Quietly--Mahaygun Fraternises - with Keenamontiayoo--The Carouse--Importunities for Rum-- - The Hunter asks for more--A Tiresome Evening--Keenamontiayoo - Renounces us--His Night Adventure--Misquapamayoo’s Devotion-- - The Hunter returns Penitent--The Plains again--The Wolverine - on our Track--The Last Band of Buffalo--Gaytchi Mohkamarn, - “The Big Knife”--The Cache Intact--Starving Indians--Story of - Keenamontiayoo--Indian Gambling--The Hideous Philosopher--Dog - Driving--Shushu’s Wonderful Sagacity--A Long March--Return - to La Belle Prairie--Household Cares--Our Untidy Dwelling-- - Our Spring Cleaning--The Great Plum Pudding--Unprofitable - Visitors--Rover’s Accomplishments Astonish the Indians--Famine - Everywhere. - - -When we reached the hut, we found “The Wolf” and his wife already -established there. The latter was a pleasant, clean-looking woman, -and she set to work diligently to wash and mend our clothes, while -we lords of the creation, including her husband, looked on, smoking -and discussing the news brought from the Fort, speculating on the -cause of our not receiving letters, and fixing our plans for the -future. The luxury of a day’s complete idleness after severe exertion -is immense, and we now fully appreciated it. In the course of two -days, Keenamontiayoo and Misquapamayoo made their appearance with a -sleigh-load of moose meat, which we found very delicious, especially -after being so long restricted to pemmican, and having no flour, and, -greatest hardship of all, a very small allowance of tea. - -The Hunter and “The Wolf” recognised each other as old friends who had -not met for many years, and they immediately fraternised tremendously. -The former at once put in a claim for half a pint of rum which Cheadle -had promised him as a reward if he made the rapid journey when carrying -back the provisions for Milton at the time of emergency. This was duly -allowed, and the two friends proceeded to make very merry indeed, -breaking forth into singing; and every now and then coming round to -shake hands with us, and proclaim what first-rate “Okey Mows” we were. -Keenamontiayoo shared his liquor fairly with his comrade, and when this -was finished, Mahaygun got up and made a speech to us, setting forth, -in the most flattering terms, the great obligations under which he felt -towards us for the hospitable manner in which we had treated him, and -stating that he really felt ashamed to ask any further favour. Still, -on the other hand, here was his dear friend Keenamontiayoo--his bosom -friend and sworn comrade--whom he had not met for so many years. -He had with great generosity treated him to rum, and how could the -kindness be properly acknowledged? There was but one way--by treating -him to rum in return, and to do that he must beg some from us. He felt -sure we should excuse him, and comply with his request, seeing there -was no other solution to the difficulty in which he felt himself to be -placed. - -Feeling much pleased with the man for his wonderful honesty in not -touching our provisions when he visited our hut during our absence, -we consented to present him with the same quantity we had given to -the Hunter, extracting a solemn promise from both that they would not -ask us for more. And now the revelry waxed furious. They sang and -talked, shook hands all round, and lauded us to the skies. And, when -the pot was drained, they importuned us for more. We reminded them -of the solemn promise they had given to rest content with what they -had already received, and “The Wolf” acknowledged the justice of our -remonstrances. Keenamontiayoo, however, was by this time beyond the -reach of argument or reason. He did not seem to understand, indeed, -that he had made any such engagement, and, tin cup in hand, went from -one to the other, marking with his finger on the mug the quantity with -which he would be content. We firmly refused to give a drop, and as he -found we were obstinate, and perceived his chance of succeeding become -less and less, his finger descended until at last he vowed that he -would be satisfied with the veriest film of liquor which would cover -the bottom of the cup. Hours passed by, and he still importuned us -unwearyingly, and we as steadily denied him. Cheadle at last rather -warmly upbraided him with his want of rectitude, when in a moment -he drew his knife from his belt, and seizing Cheadle by the collar, -pressed the point of the knife against his breast, exclaiming, “Ah! if -I were an Indian of the Plains now, I should stab you to the heart -if you dared to say no.” “Yes,” said Cheadle, quietly, and without -moving, “that’s just the point of it; you are _not_ a Plains Indian, -and therefore won’t do anything of the kind. The Indians of the Woods -know better.” This touched the right string, and he removed his hands -immediately, saying, however, that he was so much disappointed with us, -of whom he had previously formed so high an opinion, and so disgusted -with our meanness, that he would have no more to do with us, and -should return home forthwith. And accordingly, in spite of the urgent -entreaties of Misquapamayoo, he staggered out of the hut, and commenced -harnessing the dogs to the sleigh. - -It was by this time about midnight, the snow was falling heavily, and -the cold intensely bitter. Although the Hunter’s speech was tolerably -articulate, he walked with difficulty, and it was only by the reluctant -assistance of his son that he was able to get the sleigh ready. He -then sullenly took his departure, accompanied by Misquapamayoo, who -was in the greatest distress at his father’s misbehaviour. Their road -lay across an arm of the lake, and ere long Keenamontiayoo, overcome -by the liquor he had drunk, and benumbed by the intense cold, became -incapable of walking, and crawled along on hands and knees. Before -the lake was crossed he completely collapsed, lay down in the snow, -and fell heavily asleep. Misquapamayoo, in utter terror and dismay, -yet with unfailing readiness of resource, roused him violently, and -half dragged, half led him into a clump of trees at the side of the -lake. Here he immediately relapsed into a deep sleep, whilst his son -quickly collected wood and made a fire. Then, wrapping his father in -the blankets carried on the sleigh, he laid him alongside the fire, and -with affectionate care sat out the wearisome hours of night, sedulously -feeding the kindly flame, and though shivering and half frozen himself, -disdaining to deprive his helpless parent of a blanket. Dutifully the -boy watched whilst his father slept hour after hour, until the sun was -high in the heavens, when the man at last awoke, sober and unharmed, -and the homeward journey was renewed. - -After the departure of the Hunter and his boy, we quietly retired to -rest without further disturbance. In the morning we dispatched “The -Wolf” to White Fish Lake, with a message for the erring Keenamontiayoo, -urging him to return to his duty. The day passed without either of -them making their appearance, and at night we held council together -as to what course we should pursue if we were left entirely to our -own resources. The man had carried back with him all the meat he had -brought for us, and our stock of pemmican was getting low. On the -following morning, however, we were much relieved by the arrival of the -delinquent Hunter, accompanied by his son and “The Wolf,” and bringing -a sleigh load of moose meat as before. It appeared that the two had not -reached home until long after “The Wolfs” arrival at the hut the day -before--until dark indeed--and were too exhausted to return at once. -Keenamontiayoo was exceedingly penitent, shook hands with us fervently, -exclaiming that he had been “namooya quiusk, namooya quiusk” (not -straight, not straight); _i.e._, had not acted rightly, but assured -us that it was the only time he had ever done so in all his life, and -he would never do the like again. We readily made peace, and all was -serene once more. - -It was now the beginning of February, and we might look for the return -of La Ronde and Bruneau in the course of another month. Our scanty -stock of provisions, however, necessitated another excursion to the -plains in search of buffalo, and we accordingly arranged to set out in -a day’s time to fetch the meat we had been obliged to leave behind in -cache. Cheadle positively refused to agree to Milton’s again facing the -exposure and hardship which had so severely affected him before, and -he was reluctantly persuaded to remain at home, or rather take up his -quarters for the time with our Indian neighbours. - -On the 10th of February Cheadle started with the Indian and his boy, -taking with them two dog-sleighs. The old path had drifted up, and -was undistinguishable in the open, so that the road again required to -be trodden out with snow-shoes; and the snow was now so deep--nearly -three feet--that it was necessary for both men to walk in advance, -before the track was beaten firm enough to bear the weight of the dogs. -In spite of this heavy work, the party travelled so industriously, -that on the morning of the fourth day they reached the old camp -by the lake, where we had spent such an anxious time waiting for -Keenamontiayoo. - -On the present occasion also, as it happened, all were frost-bitten in -the face, though not very extensively, and again were reduced to one -day’s provisions. At every part of the road where the old track was -visible, there were the footmarks of the wolverine following it towards -the plains. They trembled for the cache, and as they found, day after -day, the wolverine had still followed the track, the Hunter, pointing -to the footprints, would exclaim, “Kekwaharkess maryartis! namatagun -weeash” (That cursed wolverine again! we shall not find a bit of meat). - -They quite expected, therefore, to have a hard time of it, for there -was but a poor prospect of finding many buffalo, and the only chance -would be to make a run for the Fort, which they might reach in three -days. However, as the Hunter entered the little wood by the lake, his -eyes were rejoiced by the sight of the track of a buffalo. The animal -had been going at speed, probably pursued by some hunter, and had -passed the day before. The party immediately halted by Keenamontiayoo’s -order, whilst he went forward to reconnoitre the open prairie. He soon -came back with the good news that there were five bulls feeding close -by. - -As they were in an open place, difficult of approach, and it was so -very important to kill one, it was decided that the Hunter should go -after them alone, whilst Cheadle and Misquapamayoo lay concealed in -the wood. They crawled to the edge of the cover, and watched anxiously -the movements of the Hunter and the buffalo. The latter continued to -graze undisturbed, and presently a puff of smoke, and the crack of the -Indian’s gun, announced the death of one, for but four went away. - -As these galloped off, the spectators were astonished to see another -puff of smoke, and hear the sound of a shot, evidently fired by some -one lying in wait as they passed, and presently a figure appeared in -full pursuit. Cheadle and the boy now came out of their hiding-place, -and drove the sleighs to another copse near to the carcass, where a -camp was quickly made. - -By dark the meat was all secured, and shortly after our party was -increased by the arrival of a very wild-looking Indian clad in skins, -and wearing an enormous pair of snow-shoes. He proved to be a Sauteur, -by name Gaytchi Mohkamarn, or “The Big Knife,” and informed us that -he likewise had only reached the plains that day from the Montagne du -Bois, and was stalking up to the five buffalo, the only ones to be -seen, when, before he could get within shot, he observed Keenamontiayoo -creeping close to them. He had wounded two as they passed him, but -darkness came on before he could come up with them, and he returned. - -He had tasted no food for two days, and had left his squaw and -children a few miles off in a similar condition. He feasted largely on -our fresh meat, and took his ease, without attempting to carry anything -back to his suffering family. He stated that he had left the people at -the Montagne du Bois in distress for want of food. Atahk-akoohp had -gone out to the plains for meat a month before, and had not since been -heard of. He told us that Treemiss had also suffered considerably, -and could obtain no provisions at the Fort, where he had now gone in -person; and he gave but small hope of finding more buffalo, for reports -from all quarters announced their disappearance. - -Next morning Gaytchi Mohkamarn went in pursuit of the wounded bulls; -Keenamontiayoo to look at our old cache, and search for more game; -whilst the other two remained in camp, preparing meat and cutting wood. - -At night the Hunter returned, reporting that, to his surprise, he had -found the cache intact, the wolverine having followed the track within -half a mile of the place, and then turned back, afraid to venture into -the open country; for these animals never stray any great distance -away from cover. The wolves had attacked our storehouse with vigour, -but although they had gnawed the logs almost through in many places, -had not been able to effect an entrance. Later on, Gaytchi Mohkamarn -appeared, carrying a tongue and covered with blood. He had killed -all the four buffalo, and did not believe there was another within a -hundred miles! Cheadle, with commendable prudence, immediately bought -two animals, for which he paid a few pounds of ammunition and some -tobacco. - -On the morrow Gaytchi Mohkamarn concluded it was time to look after his -wife, who had now starved for nearly four days, and after breakfast -went off with some meat for her; the rest spent the day in cutting -up the animals bought the day before. Next morning Gaytchi Mohkamarn -turned up again, with wife and dog-sleigh, with effects, moving to camp -by the animals he had killed, and reported that a good many Indians -would shortly arrive on their way to join him. All were in a starving -condition, not having tasted food for several days, and their prospects -for the remainder of the winter were very unpromising, for no buffalo -could be found. It seemed that our party, by the greatest good luck in -the world, struck exactly the place where the only buffalo left in the -district were at the time. - -During the day family after family came in--a spectral cavalcade: the -men, gaunt and wan, marching before skeleton dogs, almost literally -skin and bone, with hide drawn tightly and unpadded over “crate and -basket, ribs and spine;” dragging painfully along sleighs as attenuated -and empty of provisions as themselves. The women and children brought -up the rear, who, to the credit of the men, be it recorded, were in far -better case, indeed tolerably plump, and contrasting strangely with -the fleshless forms of the other sex. Although the Indian squaws and -children are kept in subjection, and the work falls principally upon -them, it is erroneous to suppose that they are ill-treated, or that the -women labour harder or endure greater hardships than the men. - -The Indian is constantly engaged in hunting, to supply his family -with food; and when that is scarce, he will set out without any -provision himself, and often travel from morning to night for days -before he finds the game he seeks; then, loaded with meat, he toils -home again, and whilst the plenty lasts, considers himself entitled to -complete rest after his exertions. This self-denial of the men, and -their wonderful endurance of hunger, was illustrated by the case of -our Hunter, Keenamontiayoo, who, several years ago, narrowly escaped -death by starvation. That winter buffalo did not come up to the woods, -and moose and fish were very scarce. After killing his horses one -after another when driven to the last extremity, the family found -themselves at last without resource. The Hunter, leaving with his -wife and Misquapamayoo a scanty remnant of dried horse-flesh, hunted -for two days without success, and at last, faint and still fasting, -with difficulty dragged himself home. All now made up their minds to -die, for the Hunter became unable to move, and his wife and boy too -helpless to procure food. After being eight days longer without tasting -food, and exposed to the fierce cold of winter, they were fortunately -discovered by some of the Company’s voyageurs, and the man tied on -a sleigh and carried to Carlton. The woman and boy had not starved -completely quite so long, nor gone through so much fatigue. They were -not, therefore, in quite such a desperate case, and were left behind -with a supply of food, and in two or three days they were strong -enough to travel on foot to the Fort. Keenamontiayoo, however, was -with difficulty brought round. He refused both food and drink, having -lost the desire for it, and his weakened stomach rejected all but the -most simple nourishment in minute quantity. His hair fell off, and for -weeks he lay helpless. He eventually recovered, owing to the careful -attention of Mr. Pruden, who was in charge of Carlton at the time, and -who endeared himself to all the Indians by his kindness and humanity. - -As this miserable company came, they were invited to sit down by the -fire. Their cheerfulness belied their looks, and they smoked and -chatted gaily, without appearing to covet the meat which lay around, or -making any request for food at once. No time was lost in cooking some -meat, and offering a good meal to all, which they ate with quietness -and dignity; too well-bred to show any signs of greediness, although -they proved equal to the consumption of any quantity that was put -before them. - -The Hunter was in his glory talking to his guests, most of them old -acquaintances, and after giving them food he induced three young -fellows, the dandies of the company, highly painted, gay with scarlet -leggings and sash, embroidered pouch-straps, and other Indian finery, -to commence gambling with him. This is conducted in very simple -fashion. Everything that each player intends to stake is collected. -The relative values are agreed on, and compared and divided into so -many stakes. An Indian will often risk knife, gun, ammunition, and -indeed everything he possesses, except the clothes he stands in. The -lookers on assist at the performance by beating frying-pans and tin -kettles, and singing the eternal “He he, hi hi, hay hay,” the ordinary -Indian song. - -The players squatted opposite each other, with legs crossed, and -capote or blanket spread over their knees. The game consisted in one -of the players hiding in his hands two small articles, as a ramrod -screw, or brass hair-wire, whilst the others endeavoured to guess -what was contained in either hand. The holder did his best to deceive -the others, by continually keeping his hands in motion, now under the -blanket on his lap, now behind his back, or clasped together. Between -each change the hands were held out for the choice of his opponent, who -watched eagerly, in great excitement, and generally took a long time to -make his guess. - -All this time the drumming and singing never ceased, and in time with -it the players swayed their bodies, and moved up and down in their -seats. As each gained or lost, the result was notched on a stick, each -notch representing a stake. - -This went on for half the day, with unceasing energy and unfailing -interest to the players and spectators, except Cheadle, who was weary -of the din and monotony of the amusement. At last the Hunter cleaned -out all the rest of everything but guns and knives, and the visitors -departed, not in the least depressed by their bad fortune. - -One Indian and his squaw still remained. He was a gigantic fellow, of -more than six feet high, and the bones of his huge frame stood out -conspicuous at the joints and angles, and the muscles showed distinct -in his gaunt meagreness. His aspect was positively hideous. His large -nose had been driven perfectly flat upon his face, over one eyeless -orbit was a black greasy patch, while in his gums two long canine teeth -alone remained. He had suffered this in a fight with a grisly bear, -a stroke of whose paw had torn out one eye, smashed in his nose, and -knocked out his teeth. The man was in what seemed a hopeless state -of destitution. He had gambled away literally every single thing he -possessed, with the exception of his wife, child, and a miserable dog. -A few ragged pieces of blanket were all the protection they had from -the cold, when the thermometer stood at 25° below Zero, and the north -wind blew fiercely. They possessed not a mouthful of food, nor had the -man any gun, ammunition, knife, snow-shoes, or other appliance required -by a hunter. - -For two days this fellow remained in Cheadle’s camp, eating from -morning till night. His toothless gums were never at rest. He consumed -not only all they gave him, but quietly “annexed” all the offal which -was thawing at the fire for the dogs. - -When the party started homewards two days afterwards, they left him -seated by the fire with his squaw, perfectly contented, engaged in -cooking the buffalo’s head, his only provision. There seemed every -probability that he would be starved to death, either by cold or -hunger; but, to our surprise, he made his appearance at our hut at the -end of the winter, hideous and gaunt as ever, but apparently in his -usual health and spirits. - -There was now more meat than we required at present, and the cache was -therefore left undisturbed, some given in charge of Gaytchi Mohkamarn, -and a small sleigh and two dogs hired in addition to the two brought -to carry the rest. These were loaded with all they could carry, and -the homeward journey commenced. The track was tolerably good, but the -travelling very tedious, on account of the heavy loads. One of the -dogs in the borrowed sleigh was the skeleton belonging to the hideous -Indian; but it soon appeared he was too weak to carry even himself with -ease, and was therefore dismissed by the Hunter, and a puppy harnessed -in his place, who pulled well, but ceased not to howl until released -from his bonds at the end of the day. The work was hard for all, each -having a sleigh to look after, and the upsets being more frequent than -ever. The firm path formed by the beating down of the snow was now -a considerable height above the ground, like a rail the width of a -sleigh, running along in the soft, floury powder at the sides. At the -turns, or on hill-sides, the sleighs were apt to slip off and upset, -and required great strength and greater patience to replace them on the -“line.” - -In going down hills it was necessary for the driver to lie face -downwards on the sleigh, with legs projecting behind, and act as a -drag by digging his toes into the snow as hard as he could, thus -also guiding it in the descent. At one very steep place, a descent -of several hundred yards into a lake below, Cheadle’s train got -over the brow before he could get up to act as drag. Away went the -sleigh, overriding the dogs, the whole rolling over and over in a long -succession of somersaults, until they reached the bottom, where the -dogs lay helpless, entangled in the harness and held down by the heavy -sleigh, which seemed as if it must have broken every bone in their -bodies, as it thumped upon them in their headlong fall. They were none -the worse, however, although it took a very long time to disentangle -them, and put them all right on the track again. The day’s journey was -attended by a constant succession of difficulties and disasters; the -snow was deep, the loads heavy, the dogs weak and obstinate, cunningly -taking advantage of every opportunity to shirk, refusing to pull when -it was most required, and showing wonderful speed and alacrity, rushing -off with the heavy sleigh when the distracted driver came near to -punish. Of all things in the world calculated to ruffle the most even -temper, driving a worthless train of Indian dogs stands unequalled. -It may be doubted whether the most rigidly pious evangelical would be -able to preserve his equanimity, or keep his lips free from language -unbecoming his profession, under circumstances trying almost beyond -human endurance; and indeed it is said that one of the missionaries -on the Saskatchewan, a most worthy and pious man, when travelling -with some of his flock in the winter, astonished and horrified his -companions by suddenly giving vent, in his distraction, to most -dreadful anathemas against his dogs. They were lying coolly down in -the most aggravating manner, with their heads turned round narrowly -watching him, but without making the smallest effort to help themselves -and him out of the difficulty into which they had fallen. - -After three days of this more than usually harassing work, the party -found themselves at dusk about fifteen miles from La Belle Prairie. -Finding no suitable camping ground at the moment, they went forward -until night had quite closed in. A young moon, already nearly down, -lighted the travellers for a time. Cheadle’s sleigh led the way, and -he continued on until the moon disappeared and it became very dark. -Yet still Shushu, the leading dog, showed no hesitation, and kept -the track unerringly, although it was drifted up level and almost -imperceptible to the eye, even in broad daylight. The only means of -judging the line of the path was by the feel of the firm footing -beneath the snow-shoes, contrasted with the light, powdery mass on -either side. Cheadle perceiving the sagacity of the dog was equal -to the occasion, determined to reach the hut that night, and hour -after hour kept steadily on, followed by the two Indians with their -trains, wondering why the “Okey Mow” would not camp. It became at -last so dark that the drivers could not see the dogs before them, but -merely followed glimpses of the retreating sleighs. Shushu, however, -went faster and faster as he neared home, and made but one mistake, -overturning the sleigh in a deep snow drift on the banks of the river -Crochet, within half a mile of the hut. But this delayed them some -time, for they had to sound the snow with poles for the lost line of -road, which was so deeply overlaid with drift snow that it was little -disgrace to Shushu to lose it there. At last the sleighs were put on -the “line of rail” again, and in a few minutes a light streaming from -the little parchment window of Fort Milton greeted the eyes of the -jaded voyageurs. They were received by Milton with vast delight, for -he had spent the last few days there alone, waiting anxiously for the -return of the expedition, which had been absent twelve days. Being now -tolerably supplied with meat, we both remained at home, hoping daily -for the return of our men from Red River. Two months had elapsed since -their departure, the time they had estimated would be required for the -journey; but we of course anticipated that they would somewhat exceed -this. - -We employed ourselves in shooting and trapping in the immediate -neighbourhood, and were occasionally visited by the Hunter and -Misquapamayoo, who failed not to bring us a good supply of moose-meat -whenever they were fortunate enough to kill one. This was a most -delightful relief to our staple of tough buffalo bull, and the only -food we possessed, except some of Chollet’s desiccated vegetables, -brought out only on the great feast days. Household cares occupied much -of our time. Milton presided over the culinary department, in which he -displayed great skill and ingenuity, severely taxed to make a variety -of dishes out of such limited resources, while Cheadle was hewer of -wood and drawer of water, or rather melter of snow and ice. - -We got on tolerably well for a length of time; but at last our small -dwelling became so choked up by the accumulation of chips, wood, and -débris of various kinds, and so disorderly by reason of our untidy -habit of leaving every article where last used, instead of restoring it -to its proper place, that our domestic duties were seriously impeded. -We resolved to institute a new order of things, commencing by a regular -“spring cleaning” and tidying. The sweeping out involved a difficulty, -since we had no brush, and the level of the floor was some two feet -lower than the ground outside. However, we improvised besoms of pine -boughs, and for dust-pans used the tin dinner plates. Our labours were -frequently interrupted by fits of laughter at the ludicrous appearance -we presented, down on our hands and knees, grubbing up the waste and -dust with our primitive contrivances. The result was most satisfactory, -and we viewed with the greatest complacency the improved condition of -our establishment, which now presented a most comfortable and orderly -appearance. - -Our triumphs were not confined, however, to the housemaid’s -department. Some months before, Treemiss had kindly presented us with -a few currants and raisins wherewith to make a Christmas pudding. From -a modest distrust of his own skill, Milton had hitherto hesitated to -attempt so high a flight; but encouraged by a series of successes -in the savoury branch of the culinary art, and urged by the eager -solicitations of Cheadle, he at length consented to attempt a plum -pudding. - -Having discovered, some time before, that the fruit was rapidly -diminishing in quantity in an inexplicable manner, Cheadle had taken -the precaution of securing it, together with a modicum of flour and -sugar, in his strong box. This likewise contained stores of powder, -shot, caps, tobacco, soap, and various etceteras. When the materials -for the pudding were sought, it was found that they had escaped from -the paper in which they had been enclosed, and were scattered about -at the bottom of the box, mixed with loose shot, caps, fragments of -tobacco, and other heterogeneous substances. - -After eliminating all foreign bodies as carefully as possible, the -pudding was duly mixed, tied up in the cloth after the established -manner, and placed in the pot. Many a time was it taken out and its -state examined by point of fork before it was at last--after boiling -nearly all day--pronounced thoroughly cooked. We had a brace of -prairie chickens also, but all interest was centred in the pudding. -No one who has not been restricted entirely to one species of food -for a long time can form any idea of the greedy eyes with which we -viewed that plum pudding. It proved delicious beyond all anticipation, -in spite of certain drawbacks in the shape of caps, buck-shot, and -fragments of tobacco, which we discovered in it. We had fondly hoped -to finish it at a sitting, but it was a very Brobdingnagian pudding, -and we were reluctantly compelled to leave a portion unconsumed. We -passed the night somewhat restlessly, partly caused perhaps by the -indigestible character of our evening meal, but principally from -impatience for the morning to arrive, that we might repeat the delights -of the previous evening. When day began to break, each watched the -movements of the other with anxious distrust, and before it was fairly -light both jumped out of bed at the same moment, each fearful he -might lose his share of the delicious breakfast. Never did schoolboy -view with such sincere regret the disappearance of his last morsel of -cake, as we did when sighing over the last mouthful of that unequalled -pudding. - -The time wore on monotonously. The beginning of March had arrived, -and still La Ronde and Bruneau had not returned. Our solitude was -occasionally enlivened by visits of Indians--invariably starving-- -who seriously impoverished our scanty larder. Rover also assisted -us to while away some of the dreary long winter evenings, which we -partly devoted to teaching him various additional accomplishments. -His performances were an unfailing source of wonder and delight to -our Indian visitors, who never tired of watching him stand on his -head, walk about on his hind legs, or sit up in begging attitude. But -one of his feats elicited loud “wah! wahs!” and “aiwarkakens!” their -expressions of astonishment. This was watching a piece of meat placed -on the floor, or sitting with it balanced on his nose. They could -not understand how a dog could be taught to refrain from seizing it -at once, instead of waiting for the word of command. Their own dogs, -being never fed except when at work, are always so lean and ravenously -hungry, that they steal everything they can get at. When meat is being -cut up, the squaw keeps a huge stick ready to her hand, with which she -thwacks unmercifully the starving curs, which seize every opportunity -of abstracting a morsel unperceived. - -During this period the only civilised person who visited us was -Mr. Tait, a half-breed in the Company’s service at Carlton, who -came over in a dog cariole, to collect furs from the Indians in our -neighbourhood. He brought us a few cakes and potatoes, luxuries we had -not tasted for many weeks. From him we learnt that almost everywhere -there had been great scarcity of food. At the Fort at Egg Lake the -people had been obliged to boil down buffalo hides for subsistence. -Two men, sent over to the nearest port, Touchwood Hills, for succour, -arrived almost dead with famine; but there they found the inmates at -the last extremity, and unable to afford them any assistance. At Fort -La Come the men had been half-starved for a long time; and even at -Carlton the hunters were sent out so scantily provided, that they were -driven to eating their dogs on the way. We considered ourselves very -fortunate in having escaped so well from the general dearth. - -The buffalo have receded so far from the forts, and the quantity of -white fish from the lakes, one of the principal sources of supply, has -decreased so greatly, that now a winter rarely passes without serious -suffering from want of food. This deficiency has become so urgent, -that the Hudson’s Bay Company contemplate the immediate establishment -of extensive farms in the Saskatchewan district, which is so admirably -adapted for agricultural and grazing purposes. - -The days when it was possible to live in plenty by the gun and net -alone, have already gone by on the North Saskatchewan. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - - La Ronde’s Return--Letters from Home--A Feast--The Journey to - Red River and back--Hardships--The Frozen Train--Three Extra - Days--The Sioux at Fort Garry--Their Spoils of War--Late - Visitors--Musk-rats and their Houses--Rat-catching--Our - Weather-glass--Moose Hunting in the Spring--Extreme Wariness - of the Moose--His Stratagem to guard against Surprise-- - Marching during the Thaw--Prepare to leave Winter Quarters-- - Search for the Horses--Their Fine Condition--Nutritious - Pasturage--Leave La Belle Prairie--Carlton again--Good-bye - to Treemiss and La Ronde--Baptiste Supernat--Start for Fort - Pitt--Passage of Wild-fowl--Baptiste’s Stories--Crossing - Swollen Rivers--Addition to our Party--Shooting for a Living-- - The Prairie Bird’s Ball--Fort Pitt--Peace between the Crees - and Blackfeet--Cree Full Dress--The Blackfeet--The Dress - of their Women--Indian Solution of a Difficulty--Rumours of - War--Hasty Retreat of the Blackfeet--Louis Battenotte, the - “Assiniboine”--His Seductive Manners--Departure for Edmonton-- - A Night Watch--A Fertile Land--The Works of Beaver--Their - Effect on the Country--Their Decline in Power--How we crossed - the Saskatchewan--Up the Hill--Eggs and Chickens--Arrive at - Edmonton. - - -On the 11th of March, as we were sitting in the hut talking to two -young Indians who had just arrived from the plains with a message -from Gaytchi Mohkamarn, to the effect that he should be compelled, -by hunger, to eat the meat we had left in cache, if we did not fetch -it immediately, the door opened, and in walked La Ronde. He was very -emaciated, and appeared feeble and worn-out. Bruneau arrived soon -after with a dog-sleigh, on which were a pemmican, a sack of flour, -a small chest of tea, and, above all, letters from home. How eagerly -we seized them, and how often we read and re-read them need hardly be -told. We made a feast in honour of the arrival; pancakes were fried in -profusion, and kettleful after kettleful of tea prepared. The latter we -had not tasted for many days, the former not for weeks. We sat up until -long after midnight listening to La Ronde’s account of his journey, -and the news from Red River. They had accomplished the journey of 600 -miles to Fort Garry in twenty-three days, and, after a week’s rest, set -out on their return on the last day of January. This and the 1st of -February were the two days on which Cheadle and Isbister travelled from -Carlton, the period of greatest cold, when there was seventy degrees of -frost. - -The two sleighs were laden with four sacks of flour, the tea, and -pemmican for themselves and the dogs. The snow was so deep, that -they were frequently obliged to tread out a track twice over with -snow-shoes, before it was firm enough to bear the dogs, who were even -then only able to drag the heavy sleighs by the help of the men pushing -behind with poles. They travelled thus slowly and laboriously for some -200 miles, when the pemmican gave out, and they were obliged to feed -the dogs upon the precious flour. - -When within two days’ journey of Fort Pelley, the dogs were so -exhausted, that one of the sleighs had to be abandoned, and one -miserable animal lay down to die by the road-side. Soon afterwards -they passed a sleigh with a team of dogs standing frozen, stark and -stiff in their harness, like the people suddenly turned to stone -in the story of the Arabian Nights. Some passer-by had found the -deserted sleigh, with its dead team, and placed them upright, as if -still drawing the load. Upon arriving at Fort Pelley they found the -inhabitants starving, with but half a bag of pemmican left. Here they -left a sack of flour. After this La Ronde was attacked by bronchitis, -and had great difficulty in finishing the journey, arriving in the weak -and emaciated condition described. - -We found, to our surprise, that we had, somehow or other, contrived -to manufacture three days since our last visit to the Fort six weeks -before. By our reckoning we made the day of their return Saturday, the -14th of March, whereas it proved to be Wednesday, the 11th. - -We now heard the particulars of the Sioux outbreak, and how the stage -to Georgetown had been attacked by them, the driver and passengers -scalped, and the wagon thrown into Red River. This occurred only a few -days after our journey by it. Two thousand Sioux had come to Fort Garry -for ammunition, and the greatest terror and excitement reigned in the -settlement. - -These Indians were rich in the spoils of war; strings of twenty-dollar -gold pieces adorned their necks, and they had bags of coin, officers’ -epaulettes, and women’s finery, swords, rifles, revolvers, and -bowie-knives; horses, and even buggies were amongst their trophies. - -La Ronde also brought the provoking intelligence that all the valuable -horses we sent back to Fort Garry, in charge of Voudrie and Zear, -had perished on the road through the carelessness of these worthless -fellows. - -Shortly after we were all comfortably asleep, we were aroused by the -yelping of dogs, and presently heard some one stealthily entering the -hut. It was pitch dark, and Milton hastily jumped out of bed and struck -a light, which disclosed the Hunter, his father-in-law, and the whole -family. They had heard of La Ronde’s return from the two young Indians -who had visited us that day, and lost no time in coming to welcome -him, and share in the good things which he had brought. We were very -sulky at the disturbance, and they slunk quietly to sleep on the floor, -dreadfully ashamed of themselves. - -La Ronde continued seriously ill for several days, but when he became -convalescent, we resumed the trapper’s life, varying it at times by -spearing musk-rats, now in full season, and although somewhat strong -flavoured, by no means despicable food. These animals are very numerous -on all the lakes, and their houses of reeds dot the surface of the ice -in winter like so many haycocks. They build these as soon as the water -is frozen over, lining them with soft moss and grasses, and storing -them with the aquatic plants on which they feed. A hole through the -ice communicates with the water beneath, and at various distances -breathing holes are kept open, covered with smaller mounds of cut -reeds, about the size of mole-hills. As long as the frost remains -severe the musk-rat’s house is impregnable; but when the sun shines on -it with greater power, enemies force an entrance through the softening -walls. The fox, the wolverine, and the mink prey upon the musk-rats -towards the end of winter; and the Indian, armed with a long, slender -spear, barbed at the point, approaches stealthily the family dwelling, -and plunging the weapon through the middle of it, often impales two or -three at a single thrust. - -When the skunk-skin which served us as a weather-glass informed us -through our noses that the thaw was at hand,[6] we looked eagerly -forward to the prospect of hunting moose. We had found many tracks -within a few miles of our house, and expected to have some good sport -with the assistance of Rover. The surface of the snow thawed by the -sun during the day is frozen into a firm crust by the night-frosts of -the early spring. This is strong enough to bear a man on snow-shoes, -or a dog of no great size, but breaks through beneath the small feet -and gigantic weight of the moose. When pursued by a dog, the animal -tries to escape; but sinking through up to the hocks at every stride, -and wounded about the legs by the sharp ice, he soon turns to bay, and -is easily shot by the hunter when he comes up. This is almost the only -way, except by watching their bathing-places in the rivers and lakes in -summer, that this wary animal can be killed by any but the most skilful -hunters. Few half-breeds, and not every Indian, is expert enough to -track and kill a moose under ordinary circumstances, and it is a saying -amongst them that a man may follow moose all his life, and never even -catch sight of one. Frequenting the thickest forests, where he can -only be seen when close at hand, his sense of hearing is so acute that -the snapping of the smallest twig or the crackling of a dry leaf is -sufficient to give him warning. A windy day offers the best chance of -approaching him, when the noises of the woods drown the sound of the -hunter’s stealthy footsteps. The moose adopts a cunning stratagem to -guard against surprise. When about to rest, he walks in a circle and -lies down within it, close to the commencement of the curve. Thus the -hunter following the track unconsciously passes close beside him as -he lies concealed, and whilst his pursuer follows the trail ahead, he -dashes away on one side unseen. This year, however, on the 30th of -March, the thaw set in suddenly and completely, so that no firm crust -formed on the snow, and our anticipations of sport were altogether -disappointed. - -Cheadle was at this time far away in the woods with Bruneau, and -immediately started homewards. They were only able to travel at night, -when it was frosty, for snow-shoes are useless in a thaw. On the second -evening these broke down, from being continually wet, and they were -obliged to flounder along as they could without them. Nothing can be -more fatiguing than walking through deep snow at the commencement of -the thaw. The thin crust on the surface will bear the weight of a man -in some places, and you walk on triumphantly for a few yards, and then -are suddenly shaken to pieces by crashing through up to your middle. -Struggling on, wading through the mass until you come to another -stronger portion, you step on to it, and are again let down with a run. -Travelling like this all night brought them to the edge of the lake, -only two miles from the hut. But they were too exhausted to proceed -further, and lighting a good fire, lay down and slept for several -hours, after which they were sufficiently restored to be equal to the -walk home across the lake. - -We now prepared to leave our winter quarters, as soon as the snow had -disappeared sufficiently to admit of travelling with carts. The first -thing to do was to find the horses, which had been turned loose at -the commencement of the winter. We had seen them or their tracks from -time to time, and knew in what direction they had wandered. La Ronde -followed their trail without difficulty, and discovered them about -eight or ten miles away. We were very much astonished at their fine -condition when he drove them back to La Belle Prairie. Although very -thin when the snow began to fall, and two of them had been used for -sleigh work in the early part of the winter, they were now perfect -balls of fat, and as wild and full of spirit as if fed on corn--a most -unusual condition for Indian horses. The pasture is so nutritious that -animals fatten rapidly even in winter--when they have to scratch away -the snow to feed--if they find woods to shelter them from the piercing -winds. No horses are more hardy or enduring than those of this country, -yet their only food is the grass of the prairies and the vetches of the -copses. The milch cows and draught oxen at Red River, and in Minnesota, -feeding on grass alone, were generally in nearly as fine condition as -the stall-fed cattle of the Baker Street Show. - -On the 3rd of April we loaded our carts and turned our backs on La -Belle Prairie, not without feelings of regret. Our Indian friends -were all away, and we reluctantly set out without saying good-bye to -either the Hunter or Misquapamayoo. On the 6th of April we reached the -Saskatchewan, which we found still firmly frozen over, and crossed on -the ice. At Carlton we found Treemiss, on his way back to England, and -he started with La Ronde the next day for Red River. We sent Rover with -them, as we were afraid of losing him after reaching British Columbia-- -a mistake we have never ceased to regret. As our guide forward we -engaged Baptiste Supernat, a tall, powerful, French half-breed, who -professed to know the route we intended to follow as far as Tête -Jaune’s Cache, on the western side of the main ridge of the Rocky -Mountains. After resting three days at the Fort, we re-crossed the -river on the ice, already beginning to break up, and journeyed quietly -along the northern bank, towards Fort Pitt. We took two carts and two -horses with us, and as Baptiste was our only attendant, one of us -drove, while the other walked ahead to look for game. The weather was -beautifully bright and fine, and the snow had almost gone. Flocks of -ducks and geese passed continually, and the whistling of their wings, -as they flew overhead on their way northwards, went on incessantly all -night, almost preventing sleep. The country we passed through was of -the usual rich character--mingled woods, rolling prairies, and lakes -and streams--except for one day’s journey, when we crossed a bleak -and barren tract. This was a level plain, backed by an amphitheatre of -bare, rugged hills. But beyond this, at a place called the Source, from -a river which springs out of the ground there, the country resumed its -former character. - -Baptiste proved, like all his race, very talkative, and told us many -curious stories, in the truth of which, perhaps, not very great faith -could be placed. One of these tales was the following:--Many years -ago, but within the memory of people still living, an Indian found a -piece of native iron in the neighbourhood of Edmonton, which he carried -out to the plains, and placed on the top of a hill. Since that time -it had regularly increased in size, and was now so large that no man -could lift it! The only thing which makes this tale worth mentioning, -is that it obtains universal credence amongst the half-breeds. Many of -them profess to have seen it, and one man told us he had visited it -twice. On the first occasion he lifted it with ease; on the second, -several years afterwards, he was utterly unable to move it! The man -most solemnly assured us this was perfectly true. - -Baptiste also told us that many years ago a nugget of gold was brought -to Mr. Rowand, of Edmonton, by an Indian, who stated he had found it -near the foot of the Rocky Mountains. The gold was forwarded to the -Company in England, and the Indian strictly enjoined to tell no man, -lest something evil should happen unto him. - -At Jack Fish Lake we met Gaytchi Mohkamarn and some Wood Crees of our -acquaintance. The former apologised for eating our meat in the winter, -urging the dire necessity which compelled him. After accompanying us -for a day, they left us, seeming really sorry that they would see us no -more. The principal difficulty we met with in this part of our journey -was the crossing of rivers, which were now bank full from the melted -snows. We generally adopted the plan of making a small raft, on which -one of us crossed; then, with a rope from either bank, we hauled the -raft backwards and forwards, until the baggage was all ferried over. -The horses were made to swim the stream, and the carts dragged across. -This we found rather miserable work, standing up to our knees in the -icy water, sometimes in the chilly evening, or the raw cold of early -morning. - -One river we crossed on a narrow bridge of ice which had not yet broken -up. A large fissure extended down the middle, through which we could -see the waters boiling along beneath. Taking the wheels off one of -the carts, we pushed the body before us on the ice, and placed it as -a bridge across the dangerous portion. As we removed the cart, when -everything had been brought over, the ice broke up in great masses, -which were whirled away down stream, and in a few minutes the river was -open. - -Some days before we reached Fort Pitt, we were overtaken by a party -of the Company’s men from Carlton, who accompanied us for the rest of -the journey. They travelled on foot, and their baggage was carried on -“travailles,” drawn by dogs. A “travaille” is an Indian contrivance, -consisting of two poles fastened together at an acute angle, with -cross-bars between. The point of the angle rests upon the back of the -dog or horse, the diverging ends of the poles drag along the ground, -and the baggage is tied on to the cross-bars. The Indians use these -contrivances instead of carts. The new-comers were out of provisions -and ammunition, and depended upon our liberality for subsistence. We -had little left, and had to work hard to kill a sufficient number of -ducks and prairie chickens, for ten hungry men will eat a great many -brace of birds. - -A peculiarity of the prairie grouse enabled us to procure a good -supply of them. In the spring of the year these birds assemble together -at sunrise and sunset, in parties of from twenty to thirty, at some -favourite spot, generally a little hillock, or rising ground, and -dance--yes, dance like mad! The prairie grouse is a running bird, -and does not ordinarily progress by hopping; but on these festive -occasions, they open their wings, put both feet together, and hop like -men in sacks, or the birds in a pantomime, or “The Perfect Cure,” up -to one another, waltz round, and “set” to the next! A prairie chicken -dance is a most ludicrous sight, and whilst they are engaged in it, -they become so absorbed in the performance that it is easy to approach -them. Their places of rendezvous are recognisable at once from the -state of the ground, the grass being beaten perfectly flat in a -circular patch, or worn away by the constant beating of feet. - -At the present juncture we took advantage of their weakness for -a social hop, and broke up the ball in a most sanguinary manner, -justified, we hope, by the dire necessity. We never, however, took this -mean advantage of them except when driven by actual hunger to obtain -food in the best manner we could. - -The prairie was at this time very beautiful, being covered with the -large blue flowers of a species of anemone. The grouse feed greedily -upon them when in bloom, and we always found their crops full of them. - -On the 20th we made a forced march, in order to get in that night, -travelling very fast and hard all day, and we were very weary before -we saw the welcome stockade, and gained the hospitable quarters of Mr. -Chantelaine, who reigned at this time at Fort Pitt. - -Fort Pitt stands, like Carlton, on the flat below the high old bank -of the river Saskatchewan, and is a similar building, but of smaller -size. This establishment furnishes the largest quantity of pemmican and -dry meat for the posts more distant from the plains. The buffalo are -seldom far from Fort Pitt, and often whilst there is famine at Carlton -and Edmonton, the people of the “Little Fort,” as it is called, are -feasting on fresh meat every day. - -The farming, although carried on in somewhat primitive fashion, is very -productive. Potatoes are abundant, and attain an immense size; carrots -and turnips grow equally well, and wheat would no doubt flourish as -luxuriantly here as at Edmonton or Red River, were there sufficient -inducement to sow it. - -We stayed several days visiting the Indians who were encamped around, -and trading a few horses from them. Cheadle was fully employed, for -the advent of a white medicine man is so rare an event, that every -one seized the opportunity to employ his services, or ask his advice; -and he was expected not only to cure present ailments, and prophesy -concerning prospective ones, but also, with retrospective view, declare -what course ought to have been pursued in various cases long gone by. -The little community in and around the hut was in a state of intense -excitement. Peace had just been concluded between the Crees and the -Blackfeet; large camps of both nations were within a day or two’s -journey of the Fort. From these there was a continual going and coming -of visitors, all anxious to avail themselves of the rare occasion of -a peace, generally only of very short duration. On these state visits -by the members of one tribe to those of the other, the men adorned -themselves in gaudiest finery and brightest paint. Scarlet leggings and -blankets, abundance of ribbons in the cap, if any were worn, or the -hair plaited into a long queue behind, and two shorter ones hanging -down on each side the face in front, each bound round by coils of -bright brass wire; round the eyes a halo of bright vermilion, a streak -down the nose, a patch on each cheek, and a circle round the mouth of -the same colour, constituted the most effective toilet of a Cree dandy. - -During our stay here a party of Blackfeet arrived to trade. They were -fine-looking fellows, generally better dressed and cleaner than other -Indians. They appeared of a less stature than the Crees, but still tall -and well made. Their faces were very intelligent, their features being -strongly marked, the nose large, well formed, straight or slightly -Roman, the cheek-bones less prominent, and the lips thinner than in -the Cree. The mouth was large, and the teeth beautifully white, as in -all Indians. The dress of the men differed but little from that of -their ancient enemies, the Crees, except being generally cleaner and -in better preservation. The faces of both men and women were highly -painted with vermilion. The dress of the latter was very singular -and striking. It consisted of long gowns of buffalo skin, dressed -beautifully soft, and dyed with yellow ochre. This was confined at the -waist by a broad belt of the same material, thickly studded over with -round brass plates, the size of a crown piece, brightly polished. These -Indians were very dignified in manner, submitting with great composure -to the gaze of an inquisitive crowd of half-breeds and Crees, who -looked with eager interest at a race seldom seen by them, except when -meeting on the battle-field. - -Although peace had been proclaimed, it was not by any means improbable -that some of the young Cree braves might attempt to steal the Blackfeet -horses. Mr. Chantelaine, therefore, had them secured for the night -together with ours, within the Fort. On the morrow a Cree came in from -the camp on the plains with the news that hostilities were imminent, on -account of a Cree woman having been killed in the Blackfoot camp. She -had gone there to be married to a Blackfoot chief, but on her arrival -another took a fancy to her. A quarrel arose, and, to put an end to the -matter, one of them stabbed the woman to the heart. Mr. Chantelaine -immediately communicated the news to the Blackfoot chief, and advised -him to be off at once. He agreed to this, and in a few minutes they -crossed the river. As they landed on the other side, a Blackfoot -runner, stripped to his breech cloth, breathless and excited, met them, -having been sent to warn them of impending danger. Eventually the alarm -turned out to be a false one, and the peace continued unbroken for the -few weeks we remained on the Saskatchewan. - -At Fort Pitt we engaged another man, who, like Baptiste, expressed -his willingness to go with us as far as we might require. Our new -attendant, Louis Battenotte, more generally known by the sobriquet -of “The Assiniboine,” from his having been brought up in childhood -by that tribe, was a middle-sized though athletic man, of very -Indian appearance. His hair was long and black, and secured by a -fillet of silk, his nose prominently aquiline, his mouth small, and -with unusually thin and delicate lips. His manner was very mild and -pleasing, and the effect of this was increased by the singular softness -and melody of his voice. - -At the time we were at Fort Pitt, his youngest child fell ill and died, -and he and his wife became so unhappy and unsettled on account of the -loss, that they became anxious to leave the scene of their misfortune, -and volunteered to accompany us. We were willing enough, and indeed -anxious, to secure the services of the man, who had the reputation of -being the most accomplished hunter and voyageur of the district, but -demurred for a long time to his proposal to take with him his wife -and son--the latter a boy of thirteen. We were, however, so charmed -with the fellow, that we at last agreed, not without many misgivings -as to the wisdom of allowing what we thought would be supernumeraries -on a journey so difficult as ours would be across the mountains, and -through a country where food would be difficult to obtain. But this -arrangement, which appeared of such doubtful wisdom at the time, -eventually proved our salvation. - -“The Assiniboine,” although he possessed but one hand--the left -one having been shattered by the bursting of a gun, which left but -two fingers--was as useful and expert as if he were unmaimed. His -gentle and insinuating manners, which had so fascinated us, belied -his character, for he was passionate and violent, and although his -countenance beamed forth benevolent, and he cooed softly as any -dove when at peace, yet, when angry and excited, his aspect became -perfectly fiendish, and his voice thundered like the roar of a -lion. But he proved a valuable servant in our many difficulties -afterwards, and we never regretted being misled by his seductive -manners. We learnt subsequently that he had killed another half-breed -in a drunken squabble, and had been dismissed the Company’s service -and excommunicated by the priest in consequence. The murdered man -was, however, a notorious bully, the dread and terror of all the -half-breeds. Every one agreed, moreover, that the provocation had been -excessive, and the deed done in a moment of passion. - -We left Fort Pitt on the 28th of April, choosing the road on the -north side of the river, as it was not advisable to encounter the -vast numbers of Plains Indians now collected together on the south. -The first night after our departure we kept careful watch over our -horses, fearful lest the Indians from whom we had purchased them might -attempt to steal them back. For it is common enough for them to repent -having parted with their horses, and ease their minds by again taking -possession of their former property. The night passed quietly, and we -turned in with daylight for a few hours’ rest before starting again. - -We now entered a most glorious country--not indeed grandly -picturesque, but rich and beautiful: a country of rolling hills and -fertile valleys, of lakes and streams, groves of birch and aspen, and -miniature prairies; a land of a kindly soil, and full of promise to the -settler to come in future years, when an enlightened policy shall open -out the wealth now uncared-for or unknown. - -Our live stock was increased before reaching Edmonton by the birth of a -foal, but this did not delay us in the least. The foal was tied on to a -“travaille” for the first day, and thus drawn along by its mother; and -after that marched bravely all day, swimming the rivers we had to cross -in gallant style. - -On the way we frequently met with marks of the labours of the beaver in -days long gone by, when they were a numerous and powerful race; and at -one place we found a long chain of marshes, formed by the damming up -of a stream which had now ceased to exist. Their dwelling had been -abandoned ages ago, for the house had become a grassy mound on the dry -land, and the dam in front a green and solid bank. - -[Illustration: SWAMP FORMED BY BEAVER, WITH ANCIENT BEAVER HOUSE AND -DAM. - - (_See page 179._) -] - -On Dog River, a small tributary of the Saskatchewan, a colony of these -animals still survived. We found fresh tracks along the bank, and a few -small trees cut down; and following these indications up the stream, -we came upon the dam. This was a weir of trunks and branches, over -which the water poured gently, to resume a more rapid course below. In -the quiet pool above, and close to the opposite bank, stood the beaver -house, a conical structure of six or seven feet in height, formed -of poles and branches plastered over with mud. We watched long and -silently, hid amongst the bushes which fringed the stream, hoping for -a sight of some of the tenants, but in vain. This settlement must have -been in existence a very long time, for we saw stumps of trees which -had been cut down by them, now moss-grown and rotten. Some of these -were of large size, one measuring more than two feet in diameter. The -beaver had fallen off wofully from the glory of their ancestors, not -only in the number and size of the communities, but in the magnitude of -their undertakings. - -The trees cut down more lately were all comparatively small, and it -would seem as if a number of beaver worked at the same tree, and a -weak colony felt unequal to attempt one of the giants which their -forefathers would not have hesitated to attack. Nor did we ever -discover any considerable stream dammed up by beaver of this present -time--a work requiring large timber, and numerous workmen; yet we -frequently met with the grass-grown banks described, works of the -golden age gone by, stretched across what had been streams of thirty or -forty yards in width. - -At a place called Snake Hills, we again struck the banks of the -Saskatchewan; and as the road on the north side beyond this point -was merely a pack trail through the woods, we prepared to cross the -river, in order to follow the regular cart track along the southern -bank. We were at first rather puzzled how to get over, for the river -was deep and wide, and we were unable to find any timber wherewith to -make a raft. But the ingenuity of “The Assiniboine” was not long at -fault. He built a slender framework of green willows, tied together -with strips of hide, and covered this with a buffalo skin tightly -stretched and well greased at all the seams. This frail canoe was but -six feet long, two in breadth, and about the same in depth. Baptiste -acted as ferryman, and transferred the baggage safely across. Then came -Cheadle’s turn, and his thirteen stone, added to the weight of the -ponderous Baptiste, sunk the light craft to the water’s edge. A log of -wood was attached on one side to prevent the canoe from capsizing, and -the two pushed off on their uncertain voyage. The slightest rocking -caused the boat to ship water, which also soaked rapidly through the -pervious skin, and Cheadle viewed with some anxiety the gradual sinking -of one of the most fragile vessels mortal ever embarked in. The -leakage went on rapidly, and the water crept up outside until it really -appeared to overhang the brim. It was already nearly dark, and the -prospect of immersion appeared so imminent that the passenger became -seriously uncomfortable. The bank was reached only just in time, for -the water was already beginning to trickle over the side. - -Milton was next brought over, and the rest remained behind to -superintend the passage of the horses and carts in the morning. The -latter were brought over in a very easy and simple manner. Each cart -was attached by a rope from one of the shafts to the tail of a horse, -the animals driven into the water, and the carts pushed after them. -Being built entirely of wood, these floated in their proper position, -and the horses swam across with them without difficulty. - -When the carts were again loaded, we found the bank so steep that the -horses were unable to drag them up the ascent. We possessed no extra -harness by which to attach another horse, but made shift after the -fashion of the country, by a rope from the shaft to a horse’s tail. It -was necessary to start gently, in order not to dislocate the caudal -vertebræ, but with Milton and the boy as postillions on the leaders, -and the rest of the party pushing behind, we went bravely up the hill. - -When we gained the level plain above, dense clouds of smoke on every -hand told that the prairie was on fire, and we soon reached the -blackened ground which the fire had passed over. The only pasture we -found for our horses was a large marsh where we encamped for the night. - -Before we reached Edmonton, our stock of provisions, as usual, began -to fall short; but wild-fowl were so plentiful, and we collected their -eggs in such quantity, that we were never short of food. Baptiste and -the Assiniboine family were indifferent as to the condition of the -eggs, or indeed rather preferred those which contained good-sized -chickens. They would hold up the downy dainty by a leg or wing, and -drop it into their mouths, as we should eat asparagus. - -On the 14th of May we came in sight of the Fort, prettily situated on a -high cliff overhanging the river on the northern side. We were quickly -fetched over in the Company’s barge, and took up our quarters in the -building, where we received every kindness and hospitality from the -chief trader, Mr. Hardisty. - -[Illustration: FORT EDMONTON, ON THE NORTH SASKATCHEWAN. - - (_See page 183._) -] - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - - Edmonton--Grisly Bears--The Roman Catholic Mission at St. - Alban’s--The Priest preaches a Crusade against the Grislies-- - Mr. Pembrun’s Story--The Gold Seekers--Perry, the Miner--Mr. - Hardisty’s Story--The Cree in Training--Running for Life--Hunt - for the Bears--Life at a Hudson’s Bay Fort--Indian Fortitude-- - Mr. O’B. introduces Himself--His Extensive Acquaintance--The - Story of his Life--Wishes to Accompany us--His Dread of Wolves - and Bears--He comes into the Doctor’s hands--He congratulates - us upon his Accession to our Party--The Hudson’s Bay People - attempt to dissuade us from trying the Leather Pass--Unknown - Country on the West of the Mountains--The Emigrants--The other - Passes--Explorations of Mr. Ross and Dr. Hector--Our Plans-- - Mr. O’B. objects to “The Assiniboine”--“The Assiniboine” - protests against Mr. O’B.--Our Party and Preparations. - - -The establishment at Edmonton is the most important one in the -Saskatchewan district, and is the residence of a chief factor, who has -charge of all the minor posts. It boasts of a windmill, a blacksmith’s -forge, and carpenter’s shop. The boats required for the annual voyage -to York Factory in Hudson’s Bay are built and mended here; carts, -sleighs, and harness made, and all appliances required for the -Company’s traffic between the different posts. Wheat grows luxuriantly, -and potatoes and other roots flourish as wonderfully here as everywhere -else on the Saskatchewan. There are about thirty families living in -the Fort, engaged in the service of the Company, and a large body of -hunters are constantly employed in supplying the establishment with -meat. - -At Lake St. Alban’s, about nine miles north of the Fort, a colony -of freemen--_i.e._, half-breeds who have left the service of the -Company--have formed a small settlement, which is presided over by -a Romish priest. Some forty miles beyond is the more ancient colony -of Lake St. Ann’s, of similar character, but with more numerous -inhabitants. - -Soon after our arrival Mr. Hardisty informed us that five grisly bears -had attacked a band of horses belonging to the priest at St. Alban’s, -and afterwards pursued two men who were on horseback, one of whom being -very badly mounted, narrowly escaped by the stratagem of throwing down -his coat and cap, which the bear stopped to tear in pieces. The priest -had arranged to have a grand hunt on the morrow, and we resolved to -join in the sport. We carefully prepared guns and revolvers, and at -daylight next morning rode over with Baptiste to St. Alban’s. We found -a little colony of some twenty houses, built on the rising ground -near a small lake and river. A substantial wooden bridge spanned the -latter, the only structure of the kind we had seen in the Hudson’s Bay -territory. The priest’s house was a pretty white building, with garden -round it, and adjoining it the chapel, school, and nunnery. The worthy -father, M. Lacome, was standing in front of his dwelling as we came up, -and we at once introduced ourselves, and inquired about the projected -bear-hunt. He welcomed us very cordially, and informed us that no day -had yet been fixed, but that he intended to preach a crusade against -the marauders on the following Sunday, when a time should be appointed -for the half-breeds to assemble for the hunt. - -Père Lacome was an exceedingly intelligent man, and we found his -society very agreeable. Although a French Canadian, he spoke English -very fluently, and his knowledge of the Cree language was acknowledged -by the half-breeds to be superior to their own. Gladly accepting his -invitation to stay and dine, we followed him into his house, which -contained only a single room with a sleeping loft above. The furniture -consisted of a small table and a couple of rough chairs, and the -walls were adorned with several coloured prints, amongst which were a -portrait of his Holiness the Pope, another of the Bishop of Red River, -and a picture representing some very substantial and stolid-looking -angels, lifting very jolly saints out of the flames of purgatory. -After a capital dinner on soup, fish, and dried meat, with delicious -vegetables, we strolled round the settlement in company with our host. -He showed us several very respectable farms, with rich cornfields, -large bands of horses, and herds of fat cattle. He had devoted himself -to the work of improving the condition of his flock, had brought out -at great expense ploughs, and other farming implements for their use, -and was at present completing a corn mill, to be worked by horse power. -He had built a chapel, and established schools for the half-breed -children. The substantial bridge we had crossed was the result of his -exertions. Altogether this little settlement was the most flourishing -community we had seen since leaving Red River, and it must be confessed -that the Romish priests far excel their Protestant brethren in -missionary enterprise and influence. They have established stations at -Isle à La Crosse, St. Alban’s, St. Ann’s, and other places, far out in -the wilds, undeterred by danger or hardship, and gathering half-breeds -and Indians around them, have taught with considerable success the -elements of civilisation as well as religion; while the latter remain -inert, enjoying the ease and comfort of the Red River Settlement, or at -most make an occasional summer’s visit to some of the nearest posts. - -In the evening we rode back to Edmonton, and there found Mr. Pembrun, -of Lac La Biche, who had arrived to take command of the Company’s -brigade of boats going with the season’s furs to Norway House, and Mr. -Macaulay, of Jasper House, who had come to fetch winter supplies. Mr. -Pembrun had crossed the Rocky Mountains several times in years gone -by, by Jasper House and the Athabasca Pass, and on one occasion in the -winter. - -He related several stories of these journeys, and amongst them one -which bears a strong resemblance to a well-known adventure of the -celebrated Baron Munchausen, but which will be readily believed by -those acquainted with the locality in which it occurred. - -The snow accumulates to a tremendous depth in the valleys, and at his -first camp in the mountains he set to work to shovel away the snow -with a snow-shoe, after the usual manner of making camp in the winter; -but having got down to his own depth without coming to the bottom, he -sounded with a long pole, when, not finding the ground, he desisted, -and built a platform of green logs, upon which the fire and beds were -laid. Passing the same place afterwards in the summer, he recognised -his old resting-place by the tall stumps of the trees cut off twenty -or thirty feet above the ground, showing the level of the snow at his -former visit. - -A party of miners came in from White Mud Creek, about fifty miles -further up the Saskatchewan, where a number of them were washing gold. -The captain of the band, a Kentuckian, named Love, brought with him a -small bag of fine gold-dust as a specimen, and informed us that they -had already made £90 a-piece since the beginning of the summer. From -what we heard from other sources afterwards, however, there seems -little doubt that this statement was greatly exaggerated. Love had been -in California and British Columbia, and had reached the Saskatchewan -by ascending the Fraser in a boat, and thence crossing the mountains -on foot, by the Leather Pass to Jasper House. He was very sanguine of -finding rich diggings on the eastern side of the mountains, and three -of his company had started on an exploring expedition to the sources -of the North Saskatchewan. Nothing had been heard of them since their -departure, two months before. - -Mr. Pembrun told us that he had found gold in a small stream near -Jasper House, having been confirmed in his discovery by Perry, the -miner, a celebrated character in the western gold regions, the story -of whose adventurous life he related to us. Perry was a “down-east” -Yankee, and at the time of the gold fever in California, crossed the -plains and Rocky Mountains alone. His means being too limited to enable -him to purchase horses, he put all his effects in a wheelbarrow, which -he trundled before him over the 2,000 miles to Sacramento. Tiring of -California, he returned to the Eastern States, but on the discovery of -gold on the Fraser River, resolved to try a miner’s life once more. His -sole property on reaching Breckenridge, on the Red River, consisted of -a gun, a little ammunition, and the clothes he wore. He borrowed an -axe, hewed a rough canoe out of a log, and paddled down the river to -Fort Garry, 600 miles. From thence he proceeded on foot to Carlton, 500 -miles further, supporting himself by his gun. At Edmonton he joined the -party of miners about to cross the mountains, and succeeded in reaching -British Columbia, having travelled about the same distance he had -formerly done with his wheelbarrow. - -This story brought out another from Mr. Hardisty, of an episode in -frontier life at Fort Benton, a trading post of the American Fur -Company, on the Missouri, in the country of the Blackfeet. One day -a solitary and adventurous Cree made his appearance at the Fort on -foot. Shortly after his arrival, a body of mounted Blackfeet arrived, -and discovering the presence of one of the hostile tribe, clamorously -demanded that he should be given up to them to be tortured and scalped. -The trader in command of the Fort was anxious to save the life of the -Cree, yet afraid to refuse to surrender him, for the Blackfeet were -numerous and well armed, and had been admitted within the stockade. -After much discussion, a compromise was agreed to, the white man -engaging to keep the Cree in safe custody for a month, at the end of -which time the Blackfeet were to return to the Fort, and the prisoner -was to be turned loose, with a hundred yards’ start of his pursuers, -who were bound to chase him only on foot, and with no other arms but -their knives. - -The Blackfeet took their departure, and the Cree was immediately put -into hard training. He was fed on fresh buffalo-meat, as much as he -could eat, and made to run round the Fort enclosure, at full speed, for -an hour twice every day. - -At the expiration of the stipulated month, the Blackfeet came to the -Fort, according to their agreement. Their horses were secured within -the walls, all their arms except their knives taken from them, and -then the expected victim was escorted to the starting-place by the -whole staff of the establishment, who turned out on horseback to -see fair play. The Cree was placed at his post, 100 yards ahead of -his bloodthirsty enemies, who were eager as wolves for their prey. -The word was given, and away darted the hunted Indian, the pursuers -following with frantic yells. At first the pack of Blackfeet gained -rapidly, for terror seemed to paralyse the limbs of the unfortunate -Cree, and his escape seemed hopeless. But as his enemies came within -a few yards of him, he recovered his presence of mind, shook himself -together, his training and fine condition began to tell, and, to their -astonishment and chagrin, he left them with ease at every stride. In -another mile he was far in advance, and pulling up for an instant, -shook his fist triumphantly at his baffled pursuers, and then quickly -ran out of sight. He eventually succeeded in rejoining the rest of his -tribe in safety. - -In the course of a few days we again went over to St. Alban’s to look -for the bears. M. Lacome provided four half-breeds to accompany us, and -we spent the whole day in a fruitless hunt. We found, indeed, places -where the ground had been turned up by the animals in digging for -roots, but none of the signs were very fresh. - -The next day we made another search, assisted by a number of dogs, but -the bears had evidently left the neighbourhood, and we returned to -Edmonton vastly disappointed. - -We were obliged to stay some time longer at the Fort, for the road -before us lay through dense forest, affording but little pasturage, -and it was necessary that the horses should be quite fresh and in -the highest condition before setting out on such a journey. The -time passed monotonously, the life in a Hudson’s Bay fort being most -uneventful and “ennuyant.” We wandered from one window to another, or -walked round the building, watching for the arrival of Indians, or the -sight of some object of speculation or interest. At dusk the scores -of sleigh dogs set up their dismal howling, and disturbed us in the -same manner at daybreak, from slumbers we desired to prolong as much -as possible, in order to shorten the wearisome day. In this habit -of howling in chorus at sunset and sunrise, the Indian dogs present -another point of likeness to wolves, which they so closely resemble -in outward form. One of the pack commences with short barks, and the -others gradually join in, and all howl with might and main for about -five minutes. Then they cease as gradually as they began, and all is -quiet again. - -We found some amusement in visiting the tents of the Indians and -half-breeds who were encamped near the Fort, and were much interested -in a little Cree girl, who was a patient of Cheadle’s. She had been out -to the plains with her family, and on the conclusion of peace between -the Crees and Blackfeet, a party of the latter came on a visit to the -Cree camp. On taking leave, a Blackfoot playfully snapped his gun at -the child; the piece proved to be loaded with two bullets, which, -entering the thigh of the unfortunate girl, shattered it completely. -When we saw her she was wan and deathlike, but bore with wonderful -fortitude the pain of the probe and knife. The parents were greatly -disappointed with the Doctor’s skill, for common report had told them -that he would be able not only to remove the broken bone, but also to -replace it by an efficient substitute, and thus restore the limb to its -original condition. - -At this time we made the acquaintance of Mr. O’B., a gentleman of -considerable classical attainments, on his way to British Columbia, -whither, however, he progressed but slowly, having left Red River -twelve months before. Mr. O’B. was an Irishman of between forty and -fifty years of age, of middle height and wiry make. His face was long -and its features large, and a retreating mouth, almost destitute of -teeth, gave a greater prominence to his rather elongated nose. He was -dressed in a long coat of alpaca, of ecclesiastical cut, and wore a -black wideawake, which ill accorded with the week’s stubble on his -chin, fustian trousers, and highlows tied with string. He carried -an enormous stick, and altogether his appearance showed a curious -mixture of the clerical with the rustic. His speech was rich with the -brogue of his native isle, and his discourse ornamented with numerous -quotations from the ancient classics. He introduced himself to us with -a little oration, flattering both to himself and us, remarking that he -was a grandson of the celebrated Bishop O’B., and a graduate of the -University of Cambridge; we should readily understand, therefore, how -delightful it must be for him, a man of such descent and education, to -meet with two members of his own beloved university so intellectual -as ourselves. He informed us that he was a man of peaceful and -studious habits, and utterly abhorred the wild and dangerous life to -which he was at present unfortunately condemned. He next astonished -us by telling us almost as much about our relations, friends, and -acquaintances as we knew ourselves; their personal appearance, where -they lived, what property they had, their families, expectations, -tastes, peculiarities, and his opinion of them generally. All his -statements were correct, and a rigid cross-examination failed to -confound him. He then proceeded to relate the history of his wandering -and eventful life. - -After leaving the university, he studied for the bar, and became -connected with the press; then went out to India and edited a paper -at Lahore. After a year or two he returned to England. Finding it -somewhat difficult to succeed in the old country, by the advice of an -old college friend, who had settled in Louisiana, he went out to seek -his fortune there. Before long he obtained a situation as secretary to -a wealthy planter, and for a time lived in happiness and ease. But the -vicissitudes of his career had as yet only commenced. The civil war -between the Northern and Southern States broke out, and the peaceful -Mr. O’B. was startled out of his dream of rest and safety by the bustle -and din of warlike preparations. Although sufficiently alarmed at the -prospect of hostilities, he yet flattered himself that he would be -considered a non-combatant. One day, however, his friend the planter -came up to him in a great state of delight and excitement, and warmly -shaking him by the hand, said, “My dear O’B., allow me to congratulate -you most heartily on the compliment which has been paid you; you have -been unanimously elected Captain of the Home Guard.” - -The newly-elected captain was horror-struck--visions of sharp-pointed -bayonets directed against his abdomen, and keen swords flashing in -descent upon his cranium, rose before his mental eye; the roar of -cannon and musketry, and the whistle of bullets, seemed already to -sound in his affrighted ears; wounds, agony, and death to stare him in -the face. Stammering out thanks, less warm than seemed appropriate to -the warlike Southerner, he stole away from his disappointed friend, and -secretly made preparations for escape. That night he took what little -money he had in hand, and, leaving all the rest of his property behind, -fled from the honour proposed for him. He succeeded in getting across -the lines into the Northern States, and there obtained an appointment -as Classical Professor at one of the colleges. This institution was, -however, supported by voluntary subscriptions, which failed under the -pressure of the war, the staff was reduced, and Mr. O’B. again cast -adrift. He next anchored for a short time near St. Paul, in Minnesota, -and thence proceeded to Fort Garry, with the intention of establishing -a school in the Red River Settlement. Classics were, however, at a -discount amongst the half-breeds, and consequently Mr. O’B.’s merits -as a pedagogue were not properly appreciated by the colonists. The -projected academy utterly failed, and after spending some time in Red -River, at a dead lock, he was fitted out by the kindness of Archdeacon -Cockran, the veteran missionary of this country, with necessaries for a -journey across the mountains, in search of a more congenial community -on the Pacific coast. - -He set out with the band of Canadian emigrants before alluded to, but -they appear to have discovered that he was helpless and requiring, and -left him at Carlton. From thence he was forwarded by the Company’s -boats going back to Edmonton. A prejudice against him arose amongst -the men, and they refused to proceed with him further than Fort Pitt. -He was therefore left behind at that place, and afterwards reached -Edmonton by a train of carts. At Edmonton he had remained nearly a year -when we met him, unable either to advance or to return, and in a state -of complete destitution. He had, however, received every kindness from -the officers of the Fort, who supplied him with food and tobacco. - -Having narrated his history, he propounded the real object of his -visit, which was to beg of us to allow him to accompany our party to -British Columbia. Had it been an ordinary journey, or had we possessed -the means of obtaining a proper number of men and horses, and plenty of -provisions, we should not have hesitated to take him with us, in spite -of his helplessness. But such an addition to our company was anything -but desirable, and we accordingly begged to reserve our decision. -Mr. O’B. had wintered with some miners, who had built a cabin about -a quarter of a mile from the Fort. Left alone by their departure in -the spring, he lived a solitary and anxious life, oppressed by fears -of wolves, which howled close by every night, and of grisly bears, -reported to be in the neighbourhood. He assured us that it was not -safe for him to remain longer at the cabin, since it was built near -some willows which were known to be much frequented by these dangerous -animals, and he accordingly took up his quarters under one of our carts. - -He was now attacked by a number of ailments which required the Doctor’s -advice daily, and seized these opportunities to urge his request. After -submitting unflinchingly to active treatment for several days, he at -last confessed that his malady was imaginary, and merely assumed as -an excuse for obtaining private interviews. But Cheadle maliciously -refused to believe it, assured him he was really seriously unwell, and -compelled him to swallow a tremendous dose of rhubarb and magnesia. - -After holding out several days, we were overcome by his importunity, -and agreed that he should form one of our party, in spite of the -rebellious grumbling of Baptiste and the Assiniboine. Mr. O’B. thanked -us, but assured us that we had in reality acted for our own interest, -and congratulated us upon having decided so wisely, for he should be -very useful, and ask no wages. - -Mr. Hardisty, and the other officers of the Fort, tried earnestly to -dissuade us from attempting to cross by the Leather Pass, alleging that -the season was not yet far enough advanced, and the rivers would be -at their height, swollen by the melting of the mountain snows. They -assured us that many of the streams were fierce and rocky torrents, -exceedingly dangerous to cross, except when low in the autumn, and that -the country on the West of the mountains, as far as it was known, was -a region rugged and inhospitable, everywhere covered with impenetrable -forest; and even if we descended the Fraser, instead of attempting to -reach Cariboo, we should find that river full of rapids and whirlpools, -which had often proved fatal to the most expert canoemen. This pass, -known by the several names of the Leather, Jasper House, Cowdung Lake, -and Yellow Head Pass, had been formerly used by the voyageurs of the -Hudson’s Bay Company as a portage from the Athabasca to the Fraser, but -had long been abandoned on account of the numerous casualties which -attended the navigation of the latter river. - -We were able to learn but little of the country on the west of the -mountains, nor could we obtain any certain information of the course -which the Canadian emigrants intended to follow. - -From Andrè Cardinal, the French half-breed who had guided the party -across, we learned that on reaching Tête Jaune’s Cache, on the Fraser, -at the western part of the main ridge, the band divided, part of them -descending the Fraser in large rafts, and the remainder turning south -for the Thompson River. Cardinal accompanied them until they reached -the main branch of the North Thompson, having been guided thither by -a Shushwap Indian from the Cache; and he further stated that, from -a lofty eminence, they had, like the Israelites of old, viewed the -promised land, the hills of Cariboo being visible in the far distance. -But, in cross-examination, his answers proved very contradictory and -obscure. He acknowledged that the Indian knew the gold country only by -vague report, and had never visited the region he pointed out as the -land they sought. And he was uncertain whether the emigrants intended -to try and reach Cariboo direct, or steer for Fort Kamloops on the -Thompson. He furnished us, however, with a rough outline of the road -as far as he had gone, which, except as to relative distances, proved -tolerably correct. - -In addition to the large band which Andrè Cardinal had guided across -the mountains, another party of five had left Edmonton late in the -autumn of the same year, 1862, with the intention of procuring canoes -at Tête Jaune’s Cache, and descending the Fraser to Fort George. - -Of the ultimate fate of any of these men, nothing whatever was then -known; the only regular means of communication between the eastern and -western side of the mountains being by the Company’s brigade, which -goes every summer from Fort Dunvegan on Great Slave Lake, by the Peace -River Pass, to Fort McLeod; and news brought by this party on their -return would not arrive until next year. - -With the exception of the Peace River Pass, which lies far away to the -north, all the other routes across the Rocky Mountains, as yet known, -lie south of the Leather Pass, and lead to the valley of the Columbia. -The Kicking Horse Pass, Howse’s Pass, the Vermilion Pass, the Kananaski -Pass, and the Kootanie Pass were all explored by Captain Palliser’s -expedition, and found to be practicable routes. But all these are far -to the south of the gold regions. The Athabasca Pass, used occasionally -by the Hudson’s Bay Company, strikes the Columbia River where it is -joined by the Canoe River, supposed to take its rise in Cariboo. But -the latter river, and the head waters of the north branch of the -Thompson, were entirely unexplored. - -Mr. Ross indeed reached Canoe River in one of his daring expeditions, -but finding the country covered with the densest forest, he turned back -at once. And Dr. Hector, who appears to have been the most enterprising -of all the members of Captain Palliser’s expedition, although he made -a determined attempt to reach the head waters of the North Thompson -from the sources of the North Saskatchewan, was unable to get through. -He encountered a forest-growth so dense, and so encumbered with fallen -timber, that he had “neither time, men, nor provisions to cope with it, -and was nearly overtaken by the snows of winter.” He expected to be -obliged to abandon his horses, and was thankful to escape by turning -south to the more open region of the Columbia valley. - -We therefore determined to adhere to our original design of taking -the Leather Pass, following the emigrants’ trail as far as might seem -desirable, and then trusting to our imperfect maps and the sagacity of -our men, to reach either Cariboo or Fort Kamloops at the grand fork of -the Thompson, as circumstances might render advisable. - -Mr. O’B. utterly ignored the difficulties of the long journey before -him in his delight at the prospect of escaping from the wilds of the -Saskatchewan, so uncongenial to his classical tastes and peaceful -habits, to the more civilised society of British Columbia. But although -insensible to the more obvious dangers of penetrating through an -unknown country, without road or guide, his peace of mind was seriously -disturbed by the reflection that a man so savage as the Assiniboine -would form one of the party. He came to us one day, with most serious -aspect and lengthened visage, requesting a private interview on -business of great importance. We immediately went aside with him, and -he began: “My lord, and Dr. Cheadle, I am sure you will thank me for a -communication which will enable you to escape the greatest danger. I -have been credibly informed that this ‘Assiniboine’--the man you have -engaged--is a cold-blooded murderer, a villain of the deepest dye, who -has been excommunicated by the priest, and is avoided by the bravest -half-breeds.” We assured him that we already knew all about it, and -as the deed had been done in a fit of anger, and under the greatest -provocation, we had decided that we were not justified in depriving -ourselves of the services of a man so eminently qualified for the -undertaking we had in hand. - -“What!” said Mr. O’B., “you don’t mean to tell me that you really -intend to trust your lives with such a man?” We said we really did -intend it. “Then,” said he, “in the name of your families, I beg to -enter my most solemn protest against the folly of such a proceeding;” -and declared that, although he still intended to go with us, it was -with the firm conviction that we should all fall victims to the -bloodthirsty Assiniboine. - -The Assiniboine, on his side, had an equally strong prejudice against -Mr. O’B., for he had learnt from the men who had travelled with him -from Fort Pitt how very helpless and troublesome he was, and protested -long and loudly against his being allowed to go with us. We overruled -all objections, however, and by the beginning of June were prepared -to set out. Our party, a motley company, consisted of seven persons-- -viz., ourselves, Mr. O’B., Baptiste Supernat, the Assiniboine, his wife -(commonly called. Mrs. Assiniboine), and the boy. We had twelve horses, -six of which carried packs. Our supplies comprised two sacks of flour, -of a hundred pounds each; four bags of pemmican, of ninety pounds each; -tea, salt, and tobacco. These last were the only luxuries we allowed -ourselves, for as we could obtain no provisions or assistance until we -reached some post in British Columbia, 700 or 800 miles distant, we -sacrificed everything to pemmican and flour. But little food of any -kind could be obtained from the country through which we had to pass, -and we were ignorant how long the journey might take. We had calculated -on fifty days as the extreme limit, with what accuracy will be seen -hereafter. - -We had some difficulty in procuring what we required for the journey, -having but little money left, but by judicious barter we at length -overcame the difficulty, although, when we came to pay our bill at the -Fort, we were compelled to beg off 3s. 4d., by which it exceeded the -contents of our purse! By the kindness of the residents of the Fort, -Mr. O’B. was fitted out for the journey with horse and saddle, forty -pounds of pemmican, and some tea and tobacco. - -The horses were by this time in fine condition, and we resolved to set -out at once, in order that we might have plenty of time before us in -case of unforeseen delays, although we should thus encounter the rivers -at their highest flood, and the morasses in their spongiest condition. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - - Set out from Edmonton--Prophecies of Evil--Mr. O’B.’s Forebodings-- - Lake St. Ann’s--We enter the Forest--A Rough Trail--Mr. O’B., - impressed with the Difficulties which beset him, commences the - study of Paley--Pembina River--The Coal-bed--Game--Curious - Habit of the Willow Grouse--Mr. O’B. en route--Changes wrought - by Beaver--The Assiniboine’s Adventure with the Grisly Bears-- - Mr. O’B. prepares to sell his Life dearly--Hunt for the Bears-- - Mr. O’B. Protects the Camp--The Bull-dogs--The Path through - the Pine Forest--The Elbow of the McLeod--Baptiste becomes - Discontented--Trout Fishing--Moose Hunting--Baptiste Deserts-- - Council--Resolve to Proceed--We lose the Trail--The Forest - on Fire--Hot Quarters--Working for Life--Escape--Strike - the Athabasca River--First View of the Rocky Mountains--Mr. - O’B. spends a Restless Night--Over the Mountain--Magnificent - Scenery--Jasper House--Wild Flowers--Hunting the “Mouton Gris” - and the “Mouton Blanc.” - - -On the 3rd of June, 1863, we left Edmonton, amid the good wishes of the -kind friends we had made there. But although they cheerfully wished us -God speed, we found from the men that public opinion at the Fort had -decided that our expedition would certainly end most disastrously,[7] -for they considered that the party was too small, and comprised too -many ineffectives, to succeed in overcoming the difficulties we -must necessarily encounter. We were not much disheartened by these -croakings, however, and started for St. Alban’s in the afternoon. -Here we were joined by our friend Mr. O’B., who had walked on the -night before to see the priest, and suffered dreadful anxiety at our -non-appearance until dusk. The next day we stayed at St. Alban’s, -exchanging some lean horses for fatter ones. Just before dark Mr. O’B. -came to us, and begged us to move on that evening, as the next day -would be the 5th of June, the anniversary of his departure from Red -River, in the first portion of his journey to British Columbia, which -had proved so unfortunate, and he felt a superstitious dread of the -coincidence. However, it was already too late, and Mr. O’B. had the -opportunity of verifying the truth of his presentiments. - -The road to Lake St. Ann’s passed through a fertile and park-like -country for about fifty miles, but at St. Ann’s the thick forest -commences, which extends far to the north, and westward to the -mountains. St. Ann’s was, doubtless, chosen as the site for a -settlement on account of the immense number of the _core-gonus_, or -white-fish, furnished by the lake, forming the staple food of the -inhabitants; but it is ill adapted for farming, on account of the -timber, which has been very partially cleared away for little fields -of potatoes and grain. This disadvantage has already been felt by the -settlers, many of whom have migrated to the more promising site of St. -Alban’s. The lake is a pretty sheet of water, several miles in length, -its shores dotted on the western side by forty or fifty houses, and -a church. Mr. Colin Fraser, the Company’s officer, treated us very -kindly, gave us milk, potatoes, and delicious fresh white-fish, and -amused us over our evening pipes by stories of the good old times, -when the wood buffalo were found in plenty as far as Peace River, and -game so abundant that starvation was unknown. He had been thirty-eight -years in the country, seventeen of which he had spent as the solitary -host of Jasper House, and told us that Cariboo deer and bighorns were -so numerous when he first went there, that a “green hand” and a boy -supplied the establishment with ample provision during one winter, when -the regular hunter had died. Mr. Fraser had not seen Fort Garry for -thirty years, and for fifteen had not been further than Edmonton, yet -he was happy and contented as possible. - -When we left Lake St. Ann’s the track led us immediately into the -densest forest, where the ground was boggy and rotten, thickly covered -with fallen timber. The horses sank in up to their girths, and every -few yards were obliged to jump over the obstruction in the path. Mr. -O’B. was now deeply impressed with the difficulties he encountered, and -declared that, although he had visited many countries, he had never -known what travelling meant before. His assistance was limited to good -advice, for he was afraid to approach a horse, and when his help was -required to load the animals, he was invariably missing. We generally -ferreted him out, and found him, hidden in the bushes, quietly smoking -his pipe, and diligently studying the last remnant of his library, the -only book he took with him--Paley’s “Evidences of Christianity.” - -On the second day after we left Lake St. Ann’s, the road became rather -better, there being a few patches of open country, and the timber -smaller, clustering in the swells of the low undulations. At noon we -reached a large lake, and travelled along its banks for the remainder -of that day. It appeared to be well stocked with wild fowl and fish, -the latter lying basking in the shallows, hardly moving away as our -horses approached along the shore. The mosquitoes were exceedingly -troublesome, obliging us to put up the Indian lodge we carried with -us, and we were frequently compelled to get up in the night to light a -fire, in order to smoke them out before we were able to sleep. - -On the 11th of June we struck the Pembina River, a clear, shallow -stream flowing to the N.E., over a pebbly bed, between perpendicular -banks of some eighty feet high. These showed the section of a -magnificent coal-bed, from fifteen to twenty feet in thickness. We -easily crossed the river by fording, and on the further bank met a -couple of half-breeds, who were returning to St. Ann’s from trapping -beaver. We stayed an hour or two examining the coal, and prospecting -the sand of the river for gold. - -The coal was not of first-rate quality, having an earthy fracture, -and burning with dull flame and much smoke, yielding a quantity of -yellowish-grey ash. The piece we examined was not, however, a fair -specimen, being one we picked up from the bed of the river, which was -strewn with blocks and fragments. Coal has also been discovered on the -McLeod, Athabasca, Smoky, Peace, and Mackenzie Rivers to the north; -and on the Saskatchewan, Battle, and Red Deer Rivers to the south. A -section of it appears in the cliff of the river-bank at Edmonton, where -it is used for the forge. The lignite strata have been thus observed at -numerous points, scattered over more than ten degrees of latitude, but -invariably in nearly the same longitude. - -A line drawn from Mackenzie River to the point where Red Deer River -joins the South Saskatchewan would give the line of coal formation -observed with tolerable accuracy. These coal-fields are of enormous -extent, and will doubtless one day form a large element of wealth in -this richly-endowed country of the Saskatchewan. - -After investigating the coal, we set to work to wash for gold in the -sand bars, and were rewarded by finding what miners call “the colour,” -_i.e._, a few specks of the finest gold-dust which remain with the -black sand left behind when the rest of the “dirt” is washed away. - -For the next two or three days the country presented the same slightly -undulating character, thickly wooded, with hardly a single break, and -without any eminence from which a view could be obtained. The only -sound ground was on the low narrow ridges which separated the wider -shallow valleys. These latter are occupied by “muskegs,” or level -swamps, the surface of which is covered with a mossy crust five or -six inches in thickness, while a thick growth of pines and the fallen -timber add to the difficulties of the road. No one but a Hudson’s Bay -voyageur would dream of taking horses into such a region. - -We met with occasional tracks of the moose and black bear, and at first -a few ducks on the streams and lakes; but as we pierced further into -the forest, the waters were untenanted by wild fowl. Pigeons, wood -partridges, and pine partridges became very plentiful, and we shot -them at first in great numbers. The wood partridge, or willow grouse, -frequents the thick woods and the low grounds, and is found on both -sides of the Rocky Mountains; when disturbed, it generally flies up -into a tree, and if there are several together, they tamely sit to -be shot, one after the other. In the spring, the male bird exhibits -himself for the delight of the female in the following manner. He sits -upon a branch, and ruffling his feathers, and spreading his tail like -a turkey-cock, shuts his eyes, and drums against his sides with his -wings, producing a sound remarkably like distant thunder. When thus -engaged, he becomes so absorbed in the performance, that he will allow -any one to approach him near enough to snare him with a noose attached -to a short stick. By the middle of June, the partridges were surrounded -by broods of young, and we ceased to hunt them. When we encountered -them, the hen bird, and often the cock also, would come rushing up -to within a couple of yards of us, with wings spread, and feathers -erect, just like a barn-door hen protecting her chickens. The pine -partridge is rather larger than the willow grouse, darker-feathered, -like an English grouse, with a scarlet patch over the eyes, and is -found only in the “muskegs” or pine swamps. The pigeon is the beautiful -long-tailed passenger pigeon, so common in the American woods; we -found this bird as far west as the sources of the North Thompson. - -A curious bird, which we met with only between the Pembina and -Athabasca, and which we called the “booming swallow,” attracted our -attention, but we were never able to obtain a specimen of it. It was -about the size of a pigeon, with long, narrow wings, like those of the -swift. It careered about in the air after the same fashion, apparently -catching flies, and, when at a great height, would dart down like an -arrow, making a strange booming sound, which can only be compared -to the swelling hum of a thrashing machine at the time when a sheaf -of corn is put into it. We never saw this bird in any other part of -America. - -Mr. O’B. employed his time in increasing the enmity which the men -had conceived for him by his dislike for work, and his imperative -manner when demanding their services. He did not attempt to assist in -packing his own horse, but required the help of the men to roll up his -blanket, or stow away his pemmican. Obstinately persisting, in spite -of all remonstrances, in marching last of the single file in which we -travelled, he frequently lagged behind; when he found that the party -ahead were out of sight, which was the case every few yards, from the -closeness of the trees, terror took possession of him, and he sat -down, without attempting to seek the path, making the woods ring again -with his cries for help. The first time this occurred, we stopped the -train in some alarm, and Baptiste hurried back to see what could have -happened, when, to his disgust, he simply found Mr. O’B., seated on a -fallen tree, bawling with all his might. After this, neither of the men -would go back for him, and the duty devolved upon us. Mr. O’B. was a -man of most marvellous timidity. His fears rendered his life a burden -to him. But of all the things he dreaded--and their name was legion-- -his particular horror was a grisly bear. On this point he was a -complete monomaniac. He had never yet seen a grisly bear, but he was in -the daily expectation of meeting one of these terrible animals, and a -sanguinary and untimely end at the same time. As he walked through the -forest, the rustle of every leaf and the creaking of the trunks seemed, -to his anxious mind, to herald the approach of his dreaded enemy. The -Assiniboine, taking advantage of his weakness, cured him for a time -of his carelessness in losing sight of the party, by lying in wait, -hid amongst the trees close to the track, and as Mr. O’B. passed by, -set up a most horrible growling, which caused him to take to his heels -incontinently, and for several days he kept near protection. As we sat -round the camp-fire one evening, a rustling in the bushes attracted -our attention, and we were startled for a moment by the sight of a -dark, shaggy object moving along, which, in the dim, fitful fire-light, -looked very like a bear. Mr. O’B. rushed up to us in abject terror, -when the animal, passing into clearer view, disclosed a foot clothed in -a moccasin, and we recognised the boy, enveloped in a buffalo robe, and -creeping on all fours, to practise on the fears of “Le Vieux.” - -On the third day after leaving Pembina River, we rested to dine at -a marshy meadow formed by the damming up of the stream by beaver, -exactly similar to those we noticed near Dog River and at Edmonton. But -now these places were of the greatest value to us, for they afforded -almost the only open grassy spaces we found with pasturage for our -horses until reaching the mountains. They were very common along our -track, the grassy mound and bank across showing the old beaver house -and dam in most cases. Nearly every stream between the Pembina and -the Athabasca--except the large river McLeod--appeared to have -been destroyed by the agency of these animals. The whole of this -region is little more than a succession of pine swamps, separated by -narrow ridges of higher ground, and it is a curious question whether -that enormous tract of country, marked “Swampy” in the maps, has -not been brought to this condition by the work of beaver, who have -thus destroyed, by their own labour, the streams necessary to their -existence.[8] - -On the evening of this same day we encamped early in a little open -space on the bank of a small stream, one of the very few we met with in -this part. Cheadle and The Assiniboine started up the river in search -of beaver, but the former, seeing some trout rising, turned back in -order to fish for them, and The Assiniboine went on alone. The camp -was made, Cheadle came in at dark with some fish, and we had supper. -Mr. O’B. went to bed, and the rest sat smoking and wondering what made -The Assiniboine so late, when the door of the lodge was lifted, and -he entered, literally trembling with excitement, and for some time -hardly able to explain the cause, merely saying, in his French patois, -“J’etais en pas mal de danger. J’ai vu les ours gris, proche--proche!” -and devoted himself to smoking a pipe, which his son immediately filled -and handed to him. When sufficiently calmed down by the composing weed, -he related his adventures. He had found beaver up the stream and shot -one, which sunk, and he was unable to secure it. Wandering on for some -time without meeting with anything more, he turned back, just before -dusk, and retraced his steps. When he arrived within a few hundred -yards of the camp, he heard a rustling in some underwood near by, and -thinking the horses had strayed there, turned aside into the cover to -drive them back. Instead of seeing the horses he expected, he found -himself face to face with an enormous grisly bear, which was engaged in -tearing open a rotten trunk in search of insects. On the appearance of -The Assiniboine, the animal desisted from its employment, and advanced -towards him with a terrible growling and lips upcurled, displaying -her great teeth and enormous mouth. The first bear was now joined by -two others of rather smaller size, who came running up, attracted by -the growling. The Assiniboine, an old and practised hunter, stood his -ground firmly, and as the old bear came within two or three yards, -suddenly threw up his arms. This, a usual device in hunting the grisly -bear, caused the animal to stop for a moment and sit up on her hind -legs, giving an opportunity for a steady shot. The Assiniboine took -a deliberate aim, and pulled the trigger, but, to his dismay, the -snapping of the cap only followed. He pulled the second trigger, and -that missed fire also. Strange to say, the bear did not attack him, -and as he continued to show a firm and immovable front, retired with -the others, and all three stood watching him. At every attempt he made -to move, one or other rushed towards him, growling fiercely. This -continued, for some time, but at length they resumed their occupation -of breaking up the rotten logs, and he stole off unperceived. He was -not, however, content to leave them undisturbed after his narrow -escape. When well out of sight he stopped, poured fresh powder into -the nipples of his gun, and re-capped it. He then crept cautiously -round, so as to approach them from an opposite quarter. He found them -still in the same place, occupied as before. Crouching behind a natural -barricade of fallen trees, he took a fair deliberate shot at the old -bear. Again both barrels missed fire, and the three, aroused by the -snapping of the caps, looked round, and quickly perceiving him, rushed -up, growling and showing their teeth, but stopped as they came to the -barrier of trees, which they fortunately made no attempt to pass. -The same scene previously described was now re-enacted, the animals -resenting any sign which the man showed of retiring, but refraining -from actual attack. At last they all suddenly set off at speed, -and after a time the Assiniboine reached the camp without further -molestation. The man probably owed his life to his courageous bearing, -and the circumstance that his gun missed fire, for had he wounded one -of them, all three would certainly have attacked and, undoubtedly, -killed him. - -Whilst The Assiniboine was relating his exciting adventure, Mr. O’B. -lay rolled in his blanket, quite unconscious that anything unusual -had occurred, not understanding a word of the mixed patois of Cree -and French in which the Assiniboine spoke. Milton therefore said in -English, “Mr. O’B., The Assiniboine has been attacked by three grisly -bears, close to camp.” At the word _bears_ he sat bolt upright, his -countenance betraying the greatest anxiety, and eagerly asked if it -was really true, and how it happened. We told him the story, and as -he listened his jaw fell ruefully, and his face assumed an agonised -expression. “Doctor,” said he, when we had finished, “we are in a -very serious position--in very great danger. This is a most terrible -journey; will you do me a great favour, and lend me your revolver? for -I am resolved to sell my life dearly, and how can I defend myself if -the bears attack us in the night? I’m an unarmed man.” - -“Oh, certainly,” replied Cheadle, producing the pistol, and playfully -working the hammer up and down with his thumb; “with the greatest -pleasure; here it is: oh, yes, if you like: perhaps, under the -circumstances, you had better take it; but I ought to tell you that you -must be extremely careful with it, for it is in the habit of going off -of its own accord.” - -Mr. O’B. hastily drew back his hand stretched out to take the pistol, -considered--hesitated--and at last decided that perhaps he had -better not meddle with so dangerous a weapon. He contented himself -with taking the large axe to bed with him, although it may be doubted -whether he would have used it very effectually if occasion had -required. We were all much excited at The Assiniboine’s story, and at -once resolved to go in pursuit of the bears at daybreak next morning. -As soon as it became light we prepared for the hunt. The woman and -boy were to accompany us in order to search for the beaver which -Assiniboine had killed the night before, Mr. O’B., to his infinite -dismay, being left alone in charge of the camp. He remonstrated -strongly, and dilated upon the probability of the bears taking -advantage of our absence to attack the undefended position. Finding we -were inflexible, “Delirant reges, plectuntur Achivi,” said Mr. O’B. -disconsolately, and immediately retired within the lodge, let down the -door, made up a tremendous fire to scare away the enemy, and remained -seated, with the axe by his side, in anxious expectation until our -return. We proceeded under the guidance of The Assiniboine to the scene -of his adventure the previous evening. There we found every detail of -his narrative confirmed--the rotten trunks torn asunder, the huge -footprints of the bears in the soft soil or long grass, worn into a -beaten track where they had so repeatedly charged up to him, his own -track as he took the circuitous route to his second position behind -the logs; and leading away from the place, the marks of the three -bears going off at speed. It appeared, however, that they had not left -the neighbourhood until that morning, for we found very fresh tracks -crossing the stream, and on the opposite bank, a wet line marked by the -drippings from the shaggy coats of the animals after emerging from the -water. - -We followed on, The Assiniboine leading, at a great pace, yet with -wonderful stillness, through the thick underwood, finding from time to -time fresher and still fresher signs--a rotten log newly torn open, a -bees’ nest just dug up, and footmarks in which the grass seemed still -rising after the removal of the pressure. We were in a high state of -excitement, stealthily advancing, with guns cocked and bated breath, -expecting every moment to see their terrible forms close to us, when -we came upon a hard, grassless stretch of ground, where the men were -unable to follow the tracks, and, after a long search, were, much to -our chagrin, compelled to give up the pursuit. - -Milton and Baptiste returned to camp to pack up and proceed on the -journey, Cheadle and Assiniboine being bent on following a fresh -moose-track which we had crossed. They rejoined the party before -nightfall, without having succeeded in finding the animal they had -followed. - -When Milton arrived near the camp, he observed Mr. O’B.’s head -cautiously protruded from the lodge door, taking an observation, and -when he perceived that human beings, and not bears, were approaching, -he ventured forth, welcoming them with great glee, and discoursing on -the dreadful suspense he had endured during their absence. - -On the following day, when Cheadle was about to start ahead of the -party, for the sake of meeting with game, Mr. O’B. warned him to be -very careful, advising him to load both barrels with ball, and carry -his gun on full cock, ready for emergency. Cheadle, however, told him -it was necessary to have one barrel loaded with small shot for the -feathered game, and marched off laughing, Mr. O’B. looking after him -with an expression of pity, and shaking his head ominously. Milton and -the rest travelled on nearly the whole day, wondering that they did not -find Cheadle at mid-day, as usual, waiting for them in some convenient -camping ground. Cursing his folly for leading them so far, they at last -pulled up in despair, and waited, in the belief that he must have lost -his way. Mr. O’B., however, took a different view. “My lord,” said he -to Milton, “you may depend upon it the Doctor has met those bears. -I’ve warned him repeatedly against the rashness of walking alone in -this way. It was only this very morning, as you heard, I advised him -to be careful, and load both barrels with ball. But he only laughed at -me, and walked off with his gun on half-cock, carelessly thrown over -his shoulder. And now you see the terrible consequences. There is not -the slightest doubt that he has been surprised by those three bears, -and torn to pieces, poor fellow!” Mr. O’B.’s prophecies of evil were, -however, upset by the appearance of the missing man. He had lost his -way in a series of swamps, and with some difficulty retraced his steps -to the right track. Then he had a long, stern chase to catch the rest, -who had, in the meantime, passed on before him. - -A short stage in the afternoon, passing through firmer ground, still -thickly covered with pines, and ankle-deep in a profusion of oak and -beech fern, brought us to the banks of the McLeod, where we camped for -the night. - -The McLeod is a fine stream, about 150 yards broad, flowing over a -rocky, pebbly bed, and clear and shallow like the Pembina. The channel -of the latter where we crossed it was clean cut through soft strata, -with perpendicular cliffs on either side; whilst the banks of the -McLeod are wider apart, rising steeply, but not vertically, to a -greater height, and richly clothed with pine and aspen. The McLeod -is subject to great floods at certain seasons, as evidenced by the -great boulders strewn high along the shore, and the collections of -driftwood accumulated at different points and turns of the river. On -the following day we forded it without difficulty, and sending the -men forward with the pack animals, hitched our horses to a tree, and -stopped to prospect for gold. - -After washing two or three pans of “dirt,” we found but slight and -doubtful traces of the precious metal, and re-ascended the bank -to follow our party. Our horses had, however, broken loose and -disappeared, but after a short distance, we discovered Milton’s, pulled -up by the bridle, which had caught on a stump. The other horse was not -to be found. We came up with the train, resting at a beaver swamp, and -found that Cheadle’s horse had joined the rest, but without bridle. -The large axe, too, had tumbled out of one of the packs, and we were -compelled to delay a couple of hours whilst the men went back in -search of the missing articles. The bridle was found, but the axe--far -more important, since it was the only large one we possessed--we did -not recover. - -The heat was very great, and the mosquitoes and gad-flies--called -“bull-dogs” by the half-breeds--tormented the horses to such an -extent that, in spite of the large green-wood fire which we made for -their benefit--the smoke keeping off the insects--they were unable -to feed, and rushed madly about in their distress. The “bull-dog,” or -_tabanus_, is a large fly, about twice the size of a “bluebottle,” -with a long body, banded with yellow, like that of the wasp, and its -mouth is armed with a formidable cutting apparatus of four lancets. -They are very numerous in wooded or swampy country, and are very -fierce and persistent in their attacks on both men and animals. The -“bull-dog” settles lightly and unnoticed on any exposed portion of the -skin, and the first warning of his presence is a sharp stab, like that -of a needle, which makes the sufferer wince again. There is, however, -no after-irritation or swelling, as is the case with the sting of a -mosquito. The horses suffer dreadfully from these creatures in the -summer, and their necks--a part which they cannot reach with either -head or tail to brush off their tormentors--are covered with great -clusters of these vampires, and dripping with blood. - -After crossing the McLeod, we continued to follow the western bank -pretty closely, the road being worse than any we had yet encountered, -the ground very boggy, and the pines closely set. The trail is merely -cut of sufficient width to allow of one horse with his pack to pass, -and this is encumbered with roots and fallen trees, for the travellers -in this region never delay to remove any obstructions a horse can -possibly be forced to jump or scramble over. The mossy crust having -been broken through by repeated tramplings, the horses sink up to their -hocks in the boggy substratum, while the thick wall of timber on either -side prevents any escape to firmer ground. A day’s journey on the road -to Jasper House generally consists of floundering through bogs, varied -by jumps and plunges over the timber which lies strewn, piled, and -interlaced across the path and on every side. The horses stick fast in -the mire, tumble crashing amongst the logs, or, driven to desperation, -plunge amongst the thickly-growing trees at the side, where they are -generally quickly brought up by the wedging of their packs in some -narrow passage between contiguous trunks. - -On the 16th we reached a point where the river makes a great bend to -the south, and the trail turns off at right angles to avoid it. Here a -small river enters the McLeod, and the hills are seen swelling higher -towards the west. In the smaller stream we observed some fish rising -at the fly, and on the banks fresh beaver “sign,” with here and there -tracks of moose and bear. As the horses had had little food for two or -three days, and some burnt ground offered better pasturage than usual, -we decided to rest for a day, and try our luck in hunting and fishing. -Cheadle and The Assiniboine set out at daybreak in search of moose, -while Milton and the rest devoted themselves to the trout. Mr. O’B. -also, attracted by the prospect of a meal on something more savoury -than pemmican, essayed to fish; but he splashed about so restlessly, -and met with so little encouragement, that he soon wearied of his -employment. Baptiste showed a most discontented and rebellious spirit -at this time, refusing to put up the lodge where Milton directed him, -and, after some altercation, sulkily packed up his small property, -declaring he should leave at once. However, he changed his mind, and -took to fishing with the rest. A nice dish of fish was caught before -evening, amongst which were two or three large white trout, from the -McLeod, several of the small banded trout, and some fish resembling -dace. Before dark Cheadle and The Assiniboine came back again, without -having met with any large game. They had followed a fresh moose track -a long distance, found the place where the animal had been recently -lying down, and as he lay pulled the twigs within his reach, the sap -being still moist where the bark had been abraded by his teeth. The -sagacity with which the hunter followed the tracks was very wonderful. -Without hesitation he passed rapidly and noiselessly amidst the thick -wood, and over the thickly-piled fallen trunks, at a pace which his -companion found it difficult to keep up with, never overrunning or -neglecting the footprints, which to Cheadle’s less instructed eye were -quite invisible, except on the closest scrutiny. The hunter has not -only to keep his eye on the trail, but also to look out constantly -for the animal he is following, which he may come upon at any moment, -and carefully avoid breaking a dry twig, or making a rustling in the -underwood through which he passes. Amongst the few qualities of the Red -Indian, good or evil, which have not been exaggerated are his power of -sight, sagacity in following a track, and interpreting the signs he -meets with. He will often follow a moose for days, and in winter, when -the sound of the breaking through of the crust on the snow beneath his -feet would betray his approach, will carefully cut out each footstep -with his knife. The moose in this case had changed his quarters, and -the pursuit was given up. - -Our dish of fish in the evening was an immense treat, and but for the -ominous taciturnity of Baptiste, we should have been jolly enough. In -the morning affairs looked brighter, Baptiste cheerfully helped to -pack the horses, talked away as usual, and seemed quite contented. -Cheadle started in advance of the party, and after an hour or two -pulled up to await the arrival of the train. When it came up, Baptiste -was missing, and Milton was the first to perceive his absence. The -Assiniboine declared he knew nothing more than that he stayed behind -after the train started to light his pipe, as he said, and he expected -him to make his appearance very shortly. We travelled on till noon, -and then, as Baptiste did not come, we felt convinced that he really -had deserted, and stopped to hold a solemn council on the course to -be taken under this change of circumstances. Baptiste had probably -never intended to go with us further than this point, and had taken -the opportunity to raise a dispute in order to have some excuse for -his conduct. He had carried off one of the most valuable horses, and -a small amount of provision. It was useless to attempt to follow him, -unless we determined to turn back to Edmonton. But we were firmly -resolved to proceed with our expedition, come what might, although we -could not conceal from ourselves that the work would be very heavy. -We had thirteen horses to pack and drive through the thick woods; -the one-handed Assiniboine, with his wife and boy, were our only -assistants; and Mr. O’B. represented a minus quantity. At least six or -perhaps seven hundred miles of the most difficult country in the world -lay before us, and not one of the party had ever previously set foot -in this region. But we resolved to trust to The Assiniboine, if he -would give his solemn promise to stand by us in every emergency, having -confidence that his wonderful sagacity would be sufficient to find the -road. We therefore at once proposed to him that he should be raised to -Baptiste’s position, and greater emoluments, as guide--requiring only -his solemn engagement to go through with us to the end. We sent him to -consult his wife, and after a short conversation with her, he came back -to say that they were both determined to stick to us faithfully, and -he felt no doubt about being able to find the emigrants’ track without -difficulty. - -On the next morning we again struck the McLeod, and continued to -follow it for a couple of days. In a small tributary we caught a few -trout in a somewhat novel manner. Whilst dinner was being prepared, -we went down to the stream with the boy, to fish with some of the -gad-flies which we caught on the horses. A number of trout were lying -in the shade of a large overhanging willow, and we disposed ourselves -along the trunk, in order to drop the tempting fly before the noses -of the fish. Cheadle, in his eagerness to accomplish this, fell head -first into the water with a tremendous splash, and the boy, in his -amusement at his companion’s misfortune, slipped also, and splashed in -after him. Finding that the fish immediately returned to the protecting -shade, in spite of their fright, and were even then too sleepy to take -the bait, we set the boy to manage the fly, whilst we stirred up the -fish judiciously with a long pole. They were then sufficiently roused -from their lethargic state to notice the bait, and a good dish of them -secured. Not one had been taken before this device was adopted. - -[Illustration: THE FOREST ON FIRE. - - (_See page 223._) -] - -The trail now led along the bed of the river, and, becoming fainter and -fainter, The Assiniboine began to suspect that we had strayed from the -main track to Jasper House, and were following some casual hunter’s or -miner’s path. We therefore encamped at noon in the middle of a thick -forest of young pines. The trees grew very closely together, and we -were obliged to cut a clear space for the horses and our own camp. -The Assiniboine started off to search for the proper path, the woman -and boy to the river to wash some clothes, and we remained behind -with Mr. O’B. The “bull-dogs” were very numerous, and we built a large -fire, for the benefit of the horses, in the little open space we had -cleared. We then proceeded to make a smaller one for ourselves, and -were quietly seated round it cooking our pemmican, Mr. O’B. having -divested his feet of his boots, lying at his ease, and smoking his -pipe with great satisfaction. Suddenly a louder crackling and roaring -of the other fire attracted our attention, and, on looking round, we -saw, to our horror, that some of the trees surrounding the little -clearing we had made had caught fire. The horses, in their pushing and -struggling to supplant one another in the thickest of the smoke, had -kicked some of the blazing logs among the closely-set pines, which, -although green, burn more fiercely than the driest timber. The moment -was critical enough. Cheadle, seizing an axe, rushed to the place, -and felled tree after tree, to isolate those already fired from the -rest, whilst Milton ran to and fro, fetching water in a bucket from -a little pool, which was fortunately close at hand, and poured it on -the thick, dry moss through which the fire was rapidly spreading along -the surface of the ground. We were, by this time, nearly surrounded -by blazing trees, and the flames flared and leapt up from branch to -branch, and from tree to tree, in the most appalling manner, as they -greedily licked up, with a crackle and splutter, the congenial resin of -the trunks, or devoured with a flash and a fizz the inflammable leaves -of the flat, wide-spreading branches. The horses became frightened -and unmanageable, some of them burst through the thick timber around, -in spite of the flames, and one, severely burnt about the legs, threw -himself down, and rolled in his agony in the very hottest of the fire. -We dropped axe and bucket, hauled at him by the head and tail in vain, -and at last, in desperation, beat him savagely about the head, when he -sprang up, and bolted away. But the delay caused by this incident had -nearly been fatal. The fire had rapidly gained head, the air became -hot, and the smoke almost stifling, the flames raged fiercely, with -terrific roar, and for a moment we hesitated whether we should not -abandon all, and make for the river. But we took courage, snatched up -hatchet and pail once more, and as each tree fell, and patches of moss -were extinguished, we began to hope. While we were thus busily engaged -in our frantic exertions, it occurred to us that our friend Mr. O’B. -had hitherto given us no assistance, and, looking round, descried him -still seated where we had left him, feebly tugging at a boot which he -appeared to have great difficulty in pulling on. We shouted to him, -for God’s sake, to come and help us, or we should all be burnt to -death. He replied, in a doubtful, uncertain manner, that he was coming -directly, when he had got his boots on. Roused at length by our fierce -objurgations, and struck by the suggestion that he would burn as easily -with his boots off as when properly shod, he ran up, trembling and -bewildered, bringing a tardy and ineffectual assistance in the shape -of half-pints of water in his little tin mug! Gradually, however, we -succeeded in cutting off the fire, which still raged fiercely away -from us, recovered our horses, and found that even the one which had -caused us such anxiety was not seriously injured, although singed all -over, and much burnt about the legs. - -The Assiniboine came back soon after, having found the road, and we -therefore re-packed the horses, rapidly retraced our steps to the point -where the trails diverged, and camped there for the night. Clouds of -smoke, visible during this and the following day behind us, showed -that the fire was still burning furiously. The next day we turned off -at right angles from the McLeod, passing through the usual routine of -muskeg and pine forest, and before night came were drenched through -and through by the rain of the most tremendous thunder-storm we ever -encountered, with the exception of the memorable one on Red River. At -our evening’s camping place we found an inscription on a tree, to the -effect that the three miners who had left the party in the Saskatchewan -to find out the sources of that river, discovering that they were -close to the Athabasca, had turned back to prospect the sources of -the McLeod. Heavy rain continued to fall without intermission the -following day, and we were obliged to remain under shelter of our -lodge. But the following morning broke clear and bright, and a good -trail of about half a mile brought us to the banks of the Athabasca, -flowing like the Saskatchewan, in a channel cut in the flat bottom of -the wide river-valley, the steep sides of which, 200 feet in height, -were thickly clothed with pine, spruce, and poplar, resembling those -of the McLeod. The river-valley of the Athabasca is, however, deeper -and wider, and its waters turbid, deep, and rapid. At this time it was -tremendously swollen--at the height of the summer flood--and formed a -striking contrast to the clear, shallow stream we had crossed before. -Full to the overflowing of the present banks, the stream, some 200 -yards in breadth, rushed along, swelling in great waves over the huge -boulders in its bed, and bearing along large pine-trees of five or -six feet in diameter, which played about like straws in the powerful -current. This river is called by the Indians Mistahay Shakow Seepee, -or the “Great River of the Woods,” in distinction to the Saskatchewan, -the Mistahay Paskwow Seepee, or “Great River of the Plains.” We viewed -it in some dismay, for there seemed little hope of rafting across it in -safety in its present condition. We were relieved, however, by finding -that the track still followed the bank of the river, and from a little -bare and rounded knoll we had our first view of the Rocky Mountains. -The prospect was a glorious one, and most exhilarating to us, who had -lived so long in level country, and for the last three weeks had been -buried in dense forest, which shut out every prospect, and almost the -light of day. - -Ranges of pine-clad hills, running nearly north and south, rise in -higher and higher succession towards the west, and in the further -distance we could see parallel to them a range of rugged, rocky peaks, -backed by the snow-clad summits of some giants which towered up -beyond. The snow which crowned the loftier peaks, and still lingered -in the hollows of the lower hills, glittered in the brilliant sunlight -through the soft blue haze which mellowed the scene, and brought -the far-distant mountains seemingly close before us. A cleft in the -ridge, cut clean as if with a knife, showed us what we supposed to be -the opening of the gorge through which we were to pass. The singular -rock on the left or eastern side of this gateway, somewhat like the -half of a sponge-cake cut vertically, we knew must be one of which we -had heard as La Roche à Myette, close to Jasper House. Following the -river-valley, we travelled through thick timber, marshes, and boggy -ground, pleasantly varied occasionally by beautiful park-like oases of -an acre or two in extent, and crossed several small streams, swollen -into muddy torrents. - -In the evening we encamped on a tiny prairie, rich with vetches in full -bloom. The frost set in keenly, so that water left standing in the cups -overnight showed an incrustation of ice one-eighth of an inch thick in -the morning; and Mr. O’B., who persisted in wearing boots in preference -to moccasins, found them frozen so hard that we were compelled to delay -our start until they were thoroughly thawed. The next day, at noon, we -reached a very picturesque little lake, circular in shape, and shut in -on every side by lofty mountains, with rugged, precipitous sides. A -solitary loon, resting alone on the surface of the lake, sent forth its -melancholy wail, and added to the wildness of the place. - -The flowers in the open glade were very gay; tiger lilies, roses, -the _Gallardia picta_, the blue borage, the white and purple vetch, -red orchis, and the marsh violet were the most conspicuous. After -leaving the lake, tracks diverged in various directions, and the one -we followed ended at the river’s edge. We, however, discovered an old, -grown-up track, which also came to an end very quickly, where was a -rough log structure, which appeared to have been used as a cache for -meat, for it was too small to have served as a dwelling. The river -here widened into a lake about a mile in length, and some half a mile -in breadth. We encamped for the night, hoping to recover the right -trail on the morrow. The mosquitoes and gad-flies were more tormenting -than ever, and the horses wandered restlessly about all night long. -Mr. O’B., who chose to make his bed in the open air, passed a wakeful -time, in expectation of being trampled to death by the horses, who -persisted in walking over him in spite of the thumpings they received -from a long pole which he invariably kept beside his bed for the -purpose, and before daylight he crept into the lodge for safety. -Milton, dreaming at the time, woke up with a shout, and Mr. O’B. cried -out in terror, “Oh, dear! oh, dear! this is perfectly horrible--what -has happened? _It’s only me--O’B.--don’t shoot, my lord!_” Every one -then woke up, and there was a general commotion; but finding the alarm -groundless, all returned to their blankets, except the unhappy cause of -the disturbance, who remained sitting out the hours of darkness, too -discomposed for sleep. - -[Illustration: OVER THE MOUNTAIN, NEAR JASPER HOUSE. - - (_See page 231._) -] - -On the morrow we remained in camp, mending moccasins, and fruitlessly -fishing, whilst The Assiniboine searched for the right trail. He -returned in the evening, having found the path, still following the -river. The trail began to ascend the river bank, and we presently -encountered a thick smoke. A little further we found the path -completely obstructed by fallen trees, and obliterated by the effects -of a fire which was still smouldering. Although this was encouraging, -as evidence of the recent presence of man, we made very slow progress; -now chopping through the trees which barred the road, now descending to -seek the very brink of the river, now again ascending the steep hill -side, so as to avoid as much as possible the difficulties which beset -us. The Assiniboine brought us out about noon where the path showed -clearly on a little open plateau, covered with wild flowers, at the -base of the “Roche à Myette,” which rose perpendicularly above. Here we -unpacked the horses and stayed to rest. - -In the afternoon we saw numerous fresh tracks of the bighorn, or -“mouton gris,” the wild sheep of the Rocky Mountains,[9] and The -Assiniboine and Cheadle scaled the steep sides of the mountains, which -now closely shut in the valley, in pursuit. The rest passed on along -a well-marked trail, which ascended abruptly, to avoid a precipitous -cliff overhanging the river at this point. Higher and higher still it -led them, along rocky ledges or up steep, green, slippery slopes, until -it reached the point where vegetation ceased, separated by a rocky -precipice from the height of perpetual snow. The horses frequently -stopped, and tried to turn back from their arduous task, and Mr. -O’B.’s steed, a powerful roan stallion, in high condition, coolly -lay down and refused to proceed. Mr. O’B. slipped off with great -celerity, remarking, “Poor fellow! my weight is too much for him.” -The horse took advantage of the opportunity and began to descend, -his owner remarking, indifferently, that it was no use attempting to -fetch him, as he was far too exhausted to proceed further. Milton and -the boy, however, speedily brought him back to the rest, and before -long the utmost height was reached. We were now fairly in the Rocky -Mountains, and even the woman and boy cried out, “Aiwakarken!” with -delight and admiration at the magnificent scenery around. On every -side a succession of peaks towered up, of strange fantastic shape. To -the west, the Priest’s Rock, a pyramid of ice, shone brightly above a -dark pine-clad hill; to the east, the remarkable Roche à Myette; in -front and behind, conical, pinnacled, and rugged mountains. Hundreds of -feet immediately beneath rushed the torrent of the Athabasca. Emerging -from the heart of the mountains through a narrow gorge into the wider -valley, the river expands into a lake three or four miles in length; -then again narrowing, flows in several channels round wooded islands, -to open out once more into a second lake, smaller than the first. -On the further bank of the river, between the two lakes, they had the -satisfaction of seeing, like a mere speck in the valley below, the -little wooden building we had been so anxiously expecting to reach, -for until it lay actually in view, it was very uncertain that we were -really following the road to Jasper House, and not some mere hunter’s -track into the mountains. - -[Illustration: VIEW FROM THE HILL OPPOSITE JASPER HOUSE.--THE UPPER -LAKE OF THE ATHABASCA RIVER AND PRIEST’S ROCK. - - (_See page 232._) -] - -Descending into the valley again by a similar path, Milton and his -party camped in a little sandy plain opposite the Fort, to await the -arrival of Cheadle and The Assiniboine. Jasper House is a neat white -building, surrounded by a low palisade, standing in a perfect garden of -wild flowers, which form a rich sheet of varied and brilliant colours, -backed by dark green pines which clustered thickly round the bases -of the hills. Above, a zone of light green shrubs and herbage still -retained their vernal freshness, and contrasted with the more sombre -trees below, and the terraced rocks above with their snow-clad summits. -In the neighbourhood of Jasper House the flowers were very beautiful -and various. Here grew Cinerarias, in the greatest profusion, of every -shade of blue, an immense variety of Composite, and a flower like -the lychnis, with sepals of brilliant scarlet, roses, tiger lilies, -orchids, and vetches. - -While Milton, with Mr. O’B., the woman, and boy, were taking the train -of horses over the mountain, Cheadle and his companion clambered up -the crags close to the Roche à Myette, following the tracks of the -_mouton gris_. Along narrow ledges of a precipice of limestone rock, -up to a giddy height, the hunters struggled on--breathless, and -their legs aching with the exertion of climbing such as they had long -been strangers to--without catching sight of a bighorn. When they -had ascended 700 or 800 feet, they espied a mountain goat--_mouton -blanc_--feeding quietly, along with a kid by its side, a few hundred -yards in advance. Making a long detour, and going higher yet, to get -above the animal, they crawled cautiously along to the point where -they had last seen the goat, and, peering over the edge of a rock, -saw its face looking upwards, about twenty yards below. The rest of -the body was hidden by a projecting stone, and Cheadle fired at the -forehead. The animal tumbled over, but got up again, bewildered, making -no attempt to escape. The Assiniboine now got a sight of the shoulder -and fired, when the animal scrambled away, with difficulty, a short -distance. They quickly followed and found it almost dead. Having no -more ball, The Assiniboine killed the kid with a charge of shot. On -going up to the game, it appeared that the first shot had merely struck -the frontal bone, close to the root of the horn, which it tore off -without further damage; but the shock had so stunned the beast, that -it was unable to move away. The hunters pushed the goat and kid over -the precipice, and scrambled down after it. Looking up at the precipice -from below, it seemed as if not even a goat could find footing, and -Cheadle wondered he had ever dared to venture there. They found also, -now the excitement of the chase was over, that their moccasins were -cut to shreds, and they had been walking nearly barefoot over the sharp -rocks, without noticing it at the time. The best portions of the meat -were cut off, the goat slung, together with the kid, on a pole, and -each shouldering an end, the two started after the rest of the party. -They had now to ascend the mountain-side, to which Mr. O’B.’s horse -had so objected--a very arduous task, with their heavy load. Many a -halt was made before they gained the summit. It was nearly dusk, and -far below, two or three miles away, they saw the light of the camp -fire. Being thoroughly done, and feeling almost unable to carry their -prize much further, they sat down and fired a number of signal shots -for the others to bring a horse for the meat. These were presently -answered, and the pair took up their load again to descend, hoping to -meet assistance before long. This was almost more harassing than the -climbing up, the grass and “Uva Ursi,” on the lower slopes, being very -slippery; but at last they reached the bottom, and coming to a stream, -The Assiniboine, thoroughly beaten, dropped the load, and plunged his -head in the water to refresh himself. Soon after, Milton and the boy -came up with a horse, to carry the meat, and that night we all enjoyed -the most delicious supper we had eaten since leaving Edmonton. Since -that time--three weeks before--we had not tasted any fresh meat, -with the exception of a few wood partridges, and the roast kid was an -immense treat, causing even Mr. O’B. to forget his troubles for a time. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - - Making a Raft--Mr. O’B. at Hard Labour--He admires our “Youthful - Ardour”--News of Mr. Macaulay--A Visitor--Mr. O’B. Fords - a River--Wait for Mr. Macaulay--The Shushwaps of the Rocky - Mountains--Winter Famine at Jasper House--The Wolverine-- - The Miners before us--Start again--Cross the Athabasca--The - Priest’s Rock--Site of the Old Fort, “Henry’s House”--The - Valley of the Myette--Fording Rapids--Mr. O’B. on Horseback - again--Swimming the Myette--Cross it for the Last Time-- - The Height of Land--The Streams run Westward--Buffalo-dung - Lake--Strike the Fraser River--A Day’s Wading--Mr. O’B.’s - Hair-breadth Escapes--Moose Lake--Rockingham Falls--More - Travelling through Water--Mr. O’B. becomes disgusted with his - Horse--Change in Vegetation--Mahomet’s Bridge--Change in - the Rocks--Fork of the Fraser, or original Tête Jaune Cache-- - Magnificent Scenery--Robson’s Peak--Flood and Forest--Horses - carried down the Fraser--The Pursuit--Intrepidity of the - Assiniboine--He rescues Bucephalus--Loss of Gisquakarn--Mr. - O’B.’s Reflections and Regrets--Sans Tea and Tobacco--The - Extent of our Losses--Mr. O’B. and Mrs. Assiniboine--Arrive at - the Cache. - - -We arrived opposite Jasper House on the 29th of June. The Fort was -evidently without inhabitants, but as the trail appeared to lead there -only, we purposed to cross the river at this point, and set to work to -cut timber for a raft. On the 30th we laboured hard with our two small -axes, felling the dry pine-trees, while Mr. O’B. devoted himself to -the study of Paley, over a pipe. It was late in the afternoon before -sufficient timber was cut down, and it had then to be carried several -hundred yards to the river’s edge. Mr. O’B. was required to assist in -this, but he had disappeared. We made diligent search for him, and at -last found him, squatted behind a bush, still enjoying his book and -pipe. We apologised for interrupting his studies, and informed him -that all hands were now required in order to get the wood down to the -river’s edge as quickly as possible, so as to be able to cross before -dark. Mr. O’B. assured us that he had been looking forward with eager -impatience for an opportunity of giving his assistance, but got up and -followed us with evident reluctance, and impressed upon us that his -weak and delicate frame was quite unfit for heavy work. A few of the -largest trunks were carried with difficulty by the united strength of -our whole party, and we were then detailed into parties of two, for -the transport of the rest. Milton paired off with O’B., Cheadle with -The Assiniboine, and the woman with the boy, for the lesser trees. -Mr. O’B. shouldered, with a sigh, the smaller end of the log, his -fellow-labourer the other, and they proceeded slowly towards the shore. -After the first few steps O’B. began to utter the most awful groans, -and cried out, continually, “Oh, dear! Oh, dear! this is most painful-- -it’s cutting my shoulder in two--not so fast, my lord. Gently, gently. -Steady, my lord, steady; I _must_ stop. I’m carrying all the weight -myself. I shall drop with exhaustion directly--_triste lignum te -caducum_.” And then, with a loud “Oh!” and no further warning, he let -his end of the tree down with a run, jarring his unhappy partner most -dreadfully. A repetition of this scene occurred on each journey, -to the great amusement of every one but the unfortunate sufferer by -the schoolmaster’s vagaries. At last, hurt repeatedly by the sudden -dropping of the other end of the load, Milton dispensed with Mr. O’B.’s -assistance, and dragged the trunk alone. The Assiniboine coming up at -the moment, indignantly vituperated Mr. O’B., and, shouldering the log, -carried it off with ease. The sun was setting when this portion of our -task was over, and we decided to defer crossing until the morning. As -we were engaged in discussing Mr. O’B.’s delinquencies, and commenting -rather severely upon his pusillanimity, he overheard us, and came up, -with the imperturbable confidence which he always displayed in all -social relations, remarking it was all very well for Cheadle, who had -“shoulders like the Durham ox, to treat gigantic exertion of this -kind so lightly, but I assure you it would very soon kill a man of my -delicate constitution.” Cheadle remarked that Milton was of slighter -build than himself, and he did his share without complaint. “Ah! yes,” -replied Mr. O’B., “he is fired with emulation. I have been lost in -admiration of his youthful ardour all the day! but you see I am older, -and obliged to be cautious; look how I have suffered by my exertions -to-day!”--showing us a small scratch on his hand. We exhibited our -palms, raw with blisters, which caused him to turn the conversation by -dilating on his favourite topic--the hardships of the fearful journey -we were making. - -Milton and the boy had volunteered to swim across with horses, in -order to carry ropes to the other side with which to guide the raft-- -a somewhat hazardous adventure, as the river was broad, and the stream -tremendously rapid; but before our preparations were completed on the -following morning, a half-breed made his appearance in our camp--a -welcome sight after our solitary journey of three weeks. He informed us -that he was one of Mr. Macaulay’s party who were out hunting. The party -had divided at McLeod River, and were to meet at the Fort that day. He -advised us to cross the river some miles higher up, beyond the lake, -where the stream was more tranquil, and thereby avoid the River Maligne -on the other side, which it was very hazardous to attempt to ford at -this season. - -We accordingly raised camp, and proceeded, under his guidance, along -the bank of the river for four or five miles. On the way we forded -several streams, or more probably mouths of one river, flowing into the -Athabasca from the south, very swollen and rapid. We crossed them on -horseback without much difficulty, by carefully following our guide; -but Mr. O’B., having taken a rooted dislike to equitation, since -his horse lay down with him when ascending the mountain, perversely -resolved to wade across. We pulled up on the further side and watched -him, as he followed, cautiously and fearfully, steadying himself by the -stout stick which he invariably carried. He went on with great success -until he gained the middle of the stream, when he suddenly plunged into -a hole, where the water was nearly up to his arm-pits. He cried out -wildly, “I’m drowning! Save me! save me!” then, losing his presence of -mind, applied, in his confusion, the saying of his favourite poet, “_In -medio tutissimus ibis_,” and struggled into deeper water still, instead -of turning back to the shallow part. He was in imminent danger of being -carried off, and Milton hastened to the rescue, and brought him out, -clinging to his stirrup. He was dreadfully frightened, but gradually -recovered composure when assured we had no more rivers to ford for the -present. - -In a short time we reached a sandy plain, richly clothed with flowers, -and camped close to a clear shallow lake, communicating by a narrow -outlet with the upper Athabasca Lake. Here we decided to remain until -Mr. Macaulay arrived. On scanning the heights beyond the lake with a -glass, we saw a large flock of bighorns on the loftiest crags, and The -Assiniboine and his son went out to hunt, but returned unsuccessful, -having been so enveloped in the mountain mists that they found it -impossible to proceed. - -During the day several more half-breeds arrived with their wives -and families, and in the evening two Shushwap Indians made their -appearance, and set to work to spear white-fish by torchlight. The few -they obtained they gladly sold us for a little ammunition and tobacco. -These were the first specimens of their tribe which we had seen. They -were lean and wiry men, of middle stature, and altogether of smaller -make than the Indians we had met before; their features were also -smaller, and more finely cut, while the expression of their faces was -softer and equally intelligent. They were clothed merely in a shirt and -marmot robe, their legs and feet being naked, and their long black -hair the only covering to their heads. These Shushwaps of the Rocky -Mountains inhabit the country in the neighbourhood of Jasper House, and -as far as Tête Jaune Cache on the western slope. They are a branch of -the great Shushwap nation, who dwell near the Shushwap Lake and grand -fork of the Thompson River in British Columbia. Separated from the main -body of their tribe by 300 or 400 miles of almost impenetrable forest, -they hold but little communication with them. Occasionally a Rocky -Mountain Shushwap makes the long and difficult journey to Kamloops -on the Thompson, to seek a wife. Of those we met, only one had ever -seen this place. This was an old woman of Tête Jaune Cache, a native -of Kamloops, who had married a Shushwap of the mountains, and she had -never re-visited the home of her youth. - -When first discovered by the pioneers of the Hudson’s Bay Company, the -only clothing used by this singular people was a small robe of the -skin of the mountain marmot. They wandered barefoot amongst the sharp -rocks, and amidst the snow and bitter cold of the fierce northern -winter. When camping for the night they are in the habit of choosing -the most open spot, instead of seeking the protection of the woods. In -the middle of this they make only a small fire, and lie in the snow, -with their feet towards it, like the spokes of a wheel, each individual -alone, wrapped in a marmot robe, the wife apart from her husband, the -child from its mother. They live by hunting the bighorns, mountain -goats, and marmots; and numbers who go out every year never return. -Like the chamois hunters of the Alps, some are found dashed to pieces -at the foot of the almost inaccessible heights to which they follow -their game; of others no trace is found. The Shushwaps of Jasper House -formerly numbered about thirty families, but are now reduced to as many -individuals. Removed by immense distances from all other Indians, they -are peaceable and honest, ignorant of wickedness and war. Whether they -have any religion or not, we could not ascertain; but they enclose the -graves of their dead with scrupulous care, by light palings of wood, -cut with considerable neatness, with their only tools--a small axe -and knife. They possess neither horses nor dogs, carrying all their -property on their backs when moving from place to place; and when -remaining in one spot for any length of time, they erect rude slants of -bark or matting for shelter, for they have neither tents nor houses. As -game decreases the race will, doubtless, gradually die out still more -rapidly, and they are already fast disappearing from this cause, and -the accidents of the chase. - -The half-breeds who had arrived at our camp were all short of -provisions, and eagerly offered moose-skins and various articles in -exchange for small quantities of pemmican and flour. We were very -anxious to husband our supplies, but could not see them want, or -refrain from asking them to share our meals. - -On the 3rd of July Mr. Macaulay arrived, and set up his tent close -to our lodge. His hunt had not been a very successful one, and as he -had only a few days’ supply of bighorn mutton, would be compelled to -set out again almost immediately. He was therefore quite unable to -replenish our stock, but invited us to sup on some delicious trout -which he had caught in one of the mountain lakes the day before. He -informed us that a winter rarely passed now without a great scarcity -of provisions at Jasper House, and their being driven to horse-flesh -as a last resource. From him we also heard another anecdote of our -old enemy, the wolverine. When returning to the Fort from a hunting -expedition at the beginning of the previous winter, Mr. Macaulay was -surprised to find that all the windows of the building, which are of -parchment, were gone. He fancied that some one had broken in to rob the -place. On entering he searched about, yet found nothing; but hearing -a noise in the room overhead, he went up, and there discovered a -wolverine, which was chased and killed. He had lived on the parchment -windows in default of more usual food, and had been so satisfied with -his diet, that his natural curiosity had slept, and strangely enough, -he had not investigated the packages of goods which lay about. - -We learnt from Mr. Macaulay that the three miners, of whom we had -heard at Edmonton as having gone to prospect the sources of the North -Saskatchewan, and whose notice we had seen on the tree when we first -struck the Athabasca, had already passed on their way across the -mountains to Cariboo. At Mr. Macaulay’s suggestion, we engaged an old -Iroquois half-breed to accompany us as far as Tête Jaune Cache. As -we had no money, he was to receive one of our pack-horses in payment. -We tried to persuade him to go forward to the end; but he did not -know anything of the country beyond The Cache, and would not venture -further.[10] - -At this point Mr. O’B.’s provisions came to an end. His 40lbs. of -pemmican, which he was very positive would last him until the end of -the journey, had rapidly disappeared before his vigorous appetite. Mr. -Macaulay kindly furnished him with a little tea and tobacco, and we -supplied the necessary pemmican, with many exhortations to him to use -it carefully, for a prospect of starvation was discernible even now. - -On the 4th of July, we started again, under the guidance of the -Iroquois, and were accompanied by Mr. Macaulay and two of his men to -the point where we were to cross the Athabasca. The path lay through -water, often up to the horses’ girths, or along the steep sides of -the narrowing valley, and it was already dusk when we reached our -destination. We camped for the night by the river’s edge, at a place -where was plenty of dry timber, some of which had been already cut down -for a raft by the Canadian emigrants. On one of the trees the names of -those of whom we had heard from Mr. Macaulay as being just before us, -were inscribed, and a statement that they crossed on the 16th June, -or nearly three weeks before. - -[Illustration: CROSSING THE ATHABASCA RIVER, IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. - - (_See page 245._) -] - -In the morning all set to work, cutting and carrying timber, Mr. -Macaulay working with the rest; but Mr. O’B., as before, could not -be found. As the last log was carried down to the water, he suddenly -came up with--“Oh! dear, _can_ I be of any use, my lord?--can I help -you, Doctor?” We expressed our sorrow that he was too late, but The -Assiniboine was very angry, and vowed he should not come on board the -raft. It required the exercise of all our authority to overrule his -determination, and we saw in this occurrence signs pregnant of future -trouble. By noon the raft was ready, and we drove our horses into the -stream. When we had seen them safely across, we rewarded our half-breed -friends by dividing the last remains of our rum amongst them--a treat -they appreciated above everything--and bidding a hearty good-bye to -Mr. Macaulay and the rest, pushed off on our adventure. The stream -at this place was deep, wide, and tranquil, and we crossed without -difficulty or mishap. Before we were fairly over we found that we had -left one of our two remaining axes behind; but we did not turn back to -regain it, since it was no light matter to navigate so large a raft. -Had we known how sorely we should need this axe afterwards, we should -not have spared any trouble to obtain it. - -We landed on a sparsely timbered flat, where the trees had all been -destroyed by fire, packed the horses, and travelled a few miles before -sundown. By noon on the following day, still following the Athabasca, -we reached a beautiful little prairie, surrounded by pine hills green -almost to their summits, and overtopped by lofty snow-clad peaks. One -of these, which has received the name of the Priest’s Rock, was of -curious shape, its apex resembling the top of a pyramid, and covered -with snow. The prairie was richly carpeted with flowers, and a rugged -excrescence upon it marked the site of the old Rocky Mountain Fort, -Henry’s House. - -The track, leaving the valley of the Athabasca at this point, turned -towards the north-west, and entered a narrow rocky ravine, the valley -of the river Myette. The stream was not more than thirty yards in -width, but deep and rapid, and its bed beset with great rocks and -boulders. The path was obstructed by large stones and fallen timber, -lying so thickly that our two men were kept hard at work all the -afternoon, and the horses progressed only by a succession of jumps. We -made but a short distance with great labour, and camped for the night -on the banks of the stream. - -For the whole of the next morning the road presented the same -difficulties, and our advance was as slow as on the preceding day. At -mid-day we reached the place where we were to cross the river, and -pulled up to make a raft. After crossing by this means, we toiled on -through a ravine so narrow, and where the mountains came down so close -to the water’s edge, that, in order to pass them, we were compelled -to traverse the stream no less than six times more before evening. -In each of these cases we crossed on horseback, the river now being -a succession of rapids, not more than four or five feet deep. These -passages of the river were difficult, and many of them dangerous, for -the water was very high, and the current extremely powerful. - -At the last fording-place, the waters rushed down a swift descent in -a foaming cataract, raging and boiling so fiercely round great rocks -which studded the channel, that we hesitated before we ventured to urge -our horses forward. But the Iroquois led the way, and crossed safely, -although his horse staggered about and hardly held his own. We then -drove the pack-horses before us, and plunged in. The water streamed -over our horses’ shoulders, as they struggled against the current, and -slipped amongst the smooth boulders, tumbling about and regaining their -footing in the most wonderful manner. Mr. O’B. was compelled to mount -his steed again for this occasion, and, judging from the despairing -expression of his countenance, he did so with little hope of reaching -the other side in safety. He was exhorted carefully to follow the line -taken by the guide, and Milton and the woman rode on either side of -him. Clutching the mane with both hands, he did not attempt to guide -his horse, but employed all his powers in sticking to the saddle, and -exhorting his companions, “Steady, my lord, please, or I shall be -swept off. Do speak to Mrs. Assiniboine, my lord; she’s leading us -to destruction; what a reckless woman! ‘_varium et mutabile semper -femina!_’ Mrs. Assiniboine!--_Mrs. Assiniboine!_ oh, dear! oh, dear! -what an awful journey! I’m going! I’m going! Narrow escape that, my -lord! very narrow escape, indeed, Doctor. We can’t expect to be so -lucky every time, you know.” And the moment he gained the shore, he -scrambled off and left his horse to its own devices. - -Many of the pack-horses were carried off far down the stream, and we -fully expected some of them would be lost, but they eventually all -struggled ashore. The only damage we suffered was the wetting of the -flour and pemmican, but by immediate care the injury was in great -measure repaired. - -The next day we followed the south bank of the Myette, the narrow -strip of bank between the mountain sides of the valley and the river -being very boggy, and much of it under water. A few hours of this -disagreeable travelling brought us to the last crossing of this -aggravating river, where we expected to have to construct a raft. On -reaching the place, however, we observed a small “cajot,” or raft, -moored by willows to the opposite bank, left there doubtless by the -three Americans who had passed a few weeks before. - -The boy volunteered to swim his horse over and fetch it across, and, -stripping to his shirt, mounted, and rode into the water. The horse -soon swam to the other side, but the bank was steep, and he reared -and fell back in attempting to scramble up. The boy slipped off, -but regained his seat, and, becoming frightened, turned the horse’s -head and swam back again to us, without accomplishing anything. The -Assiniboine now resolved himself to try and bring the raft over, and -by his direction we drove all the horses across, with the exception of -one. They all succeeded in climbing up the bank at various points, and -then The Assiniboine, having tied the end of a long rope to the tail of -the remaining horse, stripped and drove him in, holding on to the mane -with his only hand. They crossed and landed with little difficulty, -but the rope had become unfastened, and we were yet in a quandary how -to bring the raft across at once, for the river was too deep for any -pole, and too wide for the rope to be thrown across. In this dilemma -we fastened one end of the rope round the body of the dog Papillon, -which The Assiniboine had brought with him, and when called by his -master he swam across with it. We then ferried all the baggage over in -a few voyages, and bade final adieu to the unkindly Myette with immense -satisfaction. We pursued our way along the base of the pine-clad hills, -now beginning to diverge more widely, and through scenery which bore a -strong likeness to the beautiful vale of Todmorden, in Yorkshire. One -of the snowy peaks closely resembled the pyramidal Priest’s Rock, and -white-topped mountains rose up more thickly around us. - -Extensive fires had swept over this portion of country years before, -and great trees lay fallen across the path, tangled and interlaced on -every side. We had great difficulty in driving the horses along, for -they continually forked out of the track, to escape the barriers across -it, and hid themselves in the thick wood. We met with many severe -falls, in jumping our horses over the fallen trees, which were often -so close together that there was barely standing room between for the -horse, from which to take a second spring over the succeeding trunk. -We camped that night on the banks of a small stream, a source of the -Myette, which our Iroquois told us was named Pipestone River. The place -was very pretty, a tiny plain, covered with flowers, and surrounded by -the Rocky Mountains in all their grandeur. - -The path proved easier the next day, the 9th of July, the fifth day -after leaving Jasper House, and in the course of our morning’s journey -we were surprised by coming upon a stream flowing to the westward. We -had unconsciously passed the height of land and gained the watershed of -the Pacific. The ascent had been so gradual and imperceptible, that, -until we had the evidence of the water-flow, we had no suspicion that -we were even near the dividing ridge. - -The next afternoon found us encamped at Buffalo-dung Lake, which the -Iroquois assured us was well stocked with trout; and several Shushwap -slants of bark, and frames for drying fish, bore out his assertion. -The lake consists of two portions, connected by a short, narrow -channel. The mountains appeared to rise immediately out of the water -on the further or southern shore of the lake, whilst close behind -us on the northern side, commenced verdant and swelling hills, the -bases of loftier heights, which rose up further back in many a naked, -ragged rock or ice-crowned peak. Two of these on opposite sides of the -lake were particularly fine, one to the north-west, the other to the -south-west; and the Iroquois assured us that they should be known from -that time forth as “Le Montagne de Milord” and “Montagne de Docteur.” -We, however, took the liberty of naming them Mount Fitzwilliam and -Mount Bingley. The lake was drained by a small stream issuing from the -western extremity, and ultimately falling into the Fraser. - -On the 10th we struck the Fraser River, sweeping round from the -south-west through a narrow gorge, to expand some miles lower down -into Moose Lake. Our route now lay along the north bank of the Fraser, -and the travelling was exceedingly difficult and harassing. The river -had overflowed its banks up to the almost perpendicular sides of the -straitened valley in which it is confined. The track was completely -under water up to the horses’ girths, and we spent the greater part of -the day in wading and the rest in toiling through swamps beset with -fallen timber. It was impossible to stop, for there was neither dry -place in which to camp nor pasture for the horses, and we therefore -travelled on until dark, very thankful to find a place of rest at last. -All agreed that it was the hardest day we had yet gone through, and Mr. -O’B. had two of his hair-breadth escapes, which formed a text for him -to discourse about the perils and sufferings which he encountered “on -this most extraordinary journey.” Since his successful crossing of the -Myette, he had been somewhat more reconciled to horseback, and on this -day mounted his steed rather than wade on foot. - -Soon after we set out, he dropped behind the rest of the cavalcade, and -before long, Cheadle, who was driving some of the hindmost horses, was -arrested by a most tremendous bawling for help from the rear. He ran -back in haste, and found Mr. O’B., in rather muddy condition, and with -very disconsolate air, leading his horse by the bridle. It appeared -the horse had shied and pitched him off amongst the logs and _débris_ -around, and he imagined himself severely hurt. But no important injury -could be found, and, by dint of great persuasion, and some assistance, -Cheadle induced him to re-mount, and exhorted him to keep close up to -the rest. But he was too much afraid of his horse to urge him on by -any but the most gentle, verbal persuasion, and tender pattings on the -neck. He was soon left behind again, and the ears of the party saluted -by another succession of piteous cries from the rear. Cheadle again -went back to his assistance, in very unamiable mood, but was unable -to resist a burst of laughter when he came upon the unfortunate Mr. -O’B. He was driving his horse before him, with the saddle under its -belly, and the bridle trailing on the ground. He was covered with mud, -his long visage scratched and bleeding, and his clerical coat, split -asunder to the neck, streamed from his shoulders in separate halves. -“Very nearly killed, Doctor, this time. I thought it was all over. -‘_Semel est calcanda via lethi_,’ you know. My horse fell and rolled -on to me, tearing my coat, as you see. I’ve had a most providential -escape.” He could not be persuaded to mount again, and had a wearisome -time with his horse, which, if he offered to lead it, hung back and -refused to budge, and when he drove it before him, persisted in going -the wrong way. - -But if this 10th of July was a hard and harassing day, the 11th was -still worse. In the first place, we were delayed a long time in -starting, for Bucephalus was not to be found. He was, at length, -discovered by The Assiniboine on the other side the Fraser, and the man -was obliged to strip and swim the ice-cold river to fetch him back. -Soon after we started, we came to Moose River, which was somewhat -difficult to ford, for the water was high and rapid, pouring over the -horses’ shoulders in the deepest part. Mr. O’B. lost nerve and steered -badly, his horse lost its footing, and nearly took a voyage into the -Fraser; the rider, however, gripped mane and saddle firmly, and both -got ashore together, adding another “hair’s-breadth escape” to Mr. -O’B.’s list. - -We reached Moose Lake before noon, and travelled along it until dark -without finding any resting-place. The lake was high, and the sides -of its basin mountains, up to the base of which the waters spread. It -was again a day of marching through water, and the horses perversely -wandered off into the deeps, and floated about, soaking flour and -pemmican. Accumulations of driftwood barred the passage along the shore -in many places, and we were compelled to scale the mountain-sides. -Horse after horse rolled back in the attempt, and we had to cut off -their packs in the water, and carry up the loads on our backs, to -enable the animals to scramble up the steep ascent. We worked hard in -the hope of reaching the end of the lake before dark, but the sun went -down when we were still several miles distant, and we were compelled -to spend the night in a bare sand-pit, where there was not a blade of -grass for our hungry and tired animals, who ranged restlessly to and -fro until the morning. - -Moose Lake is a fine sheet of water, about fifteen miles in length, and -not more than three miles in breadth at the widest point. The scenery -was very wild and grand, and forcibly reminded us of Wast Water. On -the south side, the hills rose perpendicularly out of the water for -perhaps 2,000 feet, beyond which was the usual background of rocky and -hoary peaks. Over the edge of this mighty precipice a row of silver -streams poured with unbroken fall, the smaller ones dissipated in mist -and spray ere they reached the lake below. This beautiful series of -cascades we named the Rockingham Falls. - -Continuing to follow the Fraser on the morrow, we reached an open -space a few miles beyond the end of the lake, and stayed there the -remainder of the day. The place was rich in grass and vetches, and -our horses ate greedily after their long fast, whilst we overhauled -our provisions. The flour and pemmican had been greatly injured by -the repeated wettings of the last few days, but the greater part of -it we rendered available by careful drying in the sun. Our desiccated -vegetables were, however, past redemption, but we made the best of the -misfortune by living almost entirely upon them for the next few days. -Mr. O’B. was missing for some time after we arrived, and we learnt from -The Assiniboine that he had heard frequent calls for help coming from -“Le Vieux,” as he called him, who had, as usual, fallen behind, but -he had utterly disregarded them. In course of time, Mr. O’B. appeared -in his shirt sleeves, carrying his coat, blanket, and saddle, and most -thoroughly disgusted with his horse, which had driven him to the verge -of distraction by its vagaries, and the misfortunes into which it led -him. He told us he had come to the conclusion that he should be much -happier on foot, and wished to lend him to us to use as a pack animal -for the rest of the journey. - -The descent on the western slope was very rapid and continual, although -nowhere steep, and a change in the vegetation marked the Pacific side. -The cedar, the silver pine, and several other varieties now first -appeared, and became more and more frequent. A species of aralea, -a tall prickly trailer, many kinds of rosaceæ, and new deciduous -shrubs, showed strangely to our eyes. The timber was altogether of a -larger growth, and the huge trunks which barred the path rendered our -progress very laborious. The pack horses wearied us by breaking away -into the forest, rather than leap over the obstructions in the way, -and from morning till night we were incessantly running after them -to drive them back. Then they rushed about in every direction but -the right one, crashing and tumbling amongst the timber, and often -involving themselves in most serious embarrassment, jamming their packs -between adjacent trees, trying to pass under an inclining trunk too -low to admit the saddle, or jumping into collections of timber where -their legs became helplessly entangled. On the afternoon of the 13th -we came to a place where the trail passed along the face of a lofty -cliff of crumbling slate. The path was only a few inches in width, -barely affording footing for the horses, and midway a great rock had -slipped down from above, resting on the narrow ledge by which we had -to pass. This completely barred the way, and the perpendicular cliffs -rendered it impossible for us to evade it by taking any other route. -We therefore cut down a number of young pine trees, and using them as -levers, set to work to dislodge the obstacle. After an hour’s toil, we -succeeded in loosening it from its position, and with a single bound -it rolled down with sullen plunge into the deep river, far below. We -then led the horses past, one by one, with the greatest caution. The -path was so narrow and dangerous, that we gave it the name of Mahomet’s -Bridge. - -The scenery at this point was very fine; the mountains shutting in -the valley very closely on either side, and the river below tearing -and roaring along over its rocky bed with great velocity. The cliff -just mentioned was the first slate-rock we met with, joined with the -carboniferous limestone, which indicated the approach to the auriferous -region. Slate is the “bed-rock” with which gold is invariably found -associated in the Cariboo mines, and therefore this first appearance of -it, in passing from east to west, is of considerable interest. Bearing -upon this is the curious fact, that east of the Rocky Mountains gold in -any quantity has only been found, we believe, in those streams which -rise on the _western_ side of the main ridge, as in the Peace River, -which rises far to the west, or those which come from the very heart of -the range, as the North Saskatchewan. - -A few hours’ travelling in the morning of the 14th brought us to the -Grand Fork of the Fraser, where an important branch from the north -or north-east flows by five separate mouths into the main body of -the Fraser, which we had been following thus far. Here we pulled up, -in order to search carefully for safe fords by which to cross these -numerous swollen streams. This Grand Fork of the Fraser is the original -Tête Jaune Cache, so called from being the spot chosen by an Iroquois -trapper, known by the _sobriquet_ of the Tête Jaune, or “Yellow Head,” -to hide the furs he obtained on the western side. The situation is -grand and striking beyond description. At the bottom of a narrow -rocky gorge, whose sides were clothed with dark pines, or, higher -still, with light green shrubs, the boiling, impetuous Fraser dashed -along. On every side the snowy heads of mighty hills crowded round, -whilst, immediately behind us, a giant among giants, and immeasurably -supreme, rose Robson’s Peak. This magnificent mountain is of conical -form, glacier-clothed, and rugged. When we first caught sight of it, -a shroud of mist partially enveloped the summit, but this presently -rolled away, and we saw its upper portion dimmed by a necklace of light -feathery clouds, beyond which its pointed apex of ice, glittering in -the morning sun, shot up far into the blue heaven above, to a height of -probably 10,000 or 15,000 feet. It was a glorious sight, and one which -the Shushwaps of The Cache assured us had rarely been seen by human -eyes, the summit being generally hidden by clouds. After leaving the -old Cache, we entered upon fresh difficulties--deep streams to cross, -timber to jump every ten yards, and the whole valley flooded. The horse -which carried our flour took to swimming about in deep water, and one -packed with pemmican wandered into the Fraser, and was borne down the -stream for some distance. However, he managed to find foothold at last -under the bank, and we were able to haul him out with ropes. - -The next day, the 15th of July, still found us struggling through -floods, logs, and _débris_, and was signalised by the occurrence of -an irremediable misfortune. In order to prevent the possible loss or -damage of provisions by the horses disporting themselves in deep water, -we led those which carried flour and pemmican. Two of the others, -however, who were running loose--a horse most aptly named Gisquakarn, -or “The Fool,” and Bucephalus--strayed over the true river-bank into -the stream, and were swept off in a moment. They soon disappeared from -our view, and the Iroquois and boy went in pursuit, whilst we followed -with the rest of the horses. About a mile down stream we caught sight -of the animals, standing in a shallow in the middle of the stream, -and as we came just at this time to one of the rare natural gardens -of the mountains, brilliant with flowers and rich in strawberries, we -camped in the open ground. We were in full view of the two animals in -the river, and hoped they would be tempted to join their companions on -shore. Bucephalus began to neigh, and eventually commenced swimming -towards us; but Gisquakarn, “The Fool,” instead of following in -the right direction, steered down mid-stream, and Bucephalus, after -a moment’s hesitation, turned away and followed him into the fiercest -strength of the irresistible flood. Away both went, far outstripping -our utmost speed in pursuit, their packs only being visible in the -distance, bobbing about like corks in the rolling waters. - -[Illustration: THE ASSINIBOINE RESCUES BUCEPHALUS.] - -The Assiniboine led the chase, and soon left all the rest of us far -behind, for he had a wonderful facility in getting over obstructions, -and the way in which he vanished amidst the closely-set trunks, and -past the barriers of fallen timber, was marvellous. He did not rush -and tear along, but glided out of sight, apparently unhindered by -the obstacles which opposed our progress. We struggled on far in the -rear, and occasionally caught a glimpse of the horses like specks in -the distance, still borne down the middle of the torrent. About two -miles below, another shallow gave them resting ground for a moment, -and enabled The Assiniboine to come up. The current was so strong, -however, that they were soon swept off again; but Bucephalus, observing -The Assiniboine, attempted to reach the shore. The place was a fearful -rapid, where the water poured madly in rolling billows over immense -boulders. As the horse neared the land for an instant in passing, The -Assiniboine leaped in, threw his arms round the animal’s neck, who -neighed gratefully when he saw his deliverer come to the rescue, and -the two, mutually supporting each other, eventually gained the shore. -The escape of The Assiniboine seemed marvellous, and we did not fail -amply to reward him for the intrepidity he had displayed. Few men would -have dared to plunge into such a boiling torrent, and as we looked at -the huge rolling waves after it was over, we could hardly believe it -possible that the thing had in reality occurred. - -Having unpacked Bucephalus, and spread all the soaked baggage out to -dry in the sun, we started forward again to learn the fate of the other -horse Gisquakarn, who had obstinately pursued the middle course-- -in this case certainly not the safest. After another mile’s run, we -descried him under the opposite bank, where it was too abrupt to climb, -his head buried in the bushes which fringed the shore, and hardly able -to stand against the rush of water. It seemed madness to attempt to -cross the stream on a raft in its present swollen state, and we were -reluctantly compelled to abandon him to his fate for the present. The -Iroquois started immediately for Tête Jaune Cache, which he calculated -could not be more than seven or eight miles distant, in order to obtain -the assistance of the Shushwaps there, who possessed canoes in which -the river might be crossed. The rest of us returned to camp with our -injured property, and employed ourselves in investigating the extent -of our losses. Early the next morning the Iroquois returned with two -young Shushwaps, who crossed the river, and proceeded to the place -where the horse had been last seen. From the marks on the bank it was -evident that the animal had made frantic but futile endeavours to climb -the bank, but had at last rolled back and been carried off, nor did we -ever find any further traces of him. - -This misfortune was no light one. We had now neither tea, salt, nor -tobacco, for our whole store of these luxuries had been carried by -the horse which was lost. All our clothes, matches, and ammunition -were gone, except what we carried on our persons at the time. All our -papers, letters of credit, and valuables, Milton’s buffalo robe and -blanket, Cheadle’s collection of plants, the instruments and watches, -had set out on their voyage towards the sea. But there was much reason -for congratulation as well as lamentation. No actual necessaries of -life had gone; we had still the pemmican and flour. The journals, -too, without which the present valuable history could never have been -published, were saved with Bucephalus. - -Mr. O’B. lost his letters of introduction, his tin kettle, and a pair -of spectacles; but his Paley, carefully carried in his breast-pocket, -still remained to him. The loss of the spectacles, however, obliged him -to pursue his studies under great disadvantages, for he was now reduced -to reading with one eye only, for the only pair he had left boasted -of but a single glass. As we sat over the camp fire at night, talking -about our losses, drinking the last of our tea, and smoking some of the -last pipes we were destined to enjoy for many weeks, Mr. O’B. improved -the occasion with a certain characteristic philosophy. He directed -our attention to the consideration of how much worse the misfortune -would have been if he, or one of us, had been riding the animal -which was lost. Then the loss of his kettle was, after all, of little -consequence, for the tea to use in it was gone too. “No,” said he, -“what grieves me is the loss of your tobacco; it’s a very serious thing -to me, as well as you; for, do you know, my own was just finished, -and I was on the very point of asking you to lend me some till we get -through.” Milton being the only man who had any tobacco left, some four -small plugs, smilingly took the hint, and shared it with the rest of -the party. - -On the following day we moved on towards The Cache with the Iroquois -and Shushwaps, whilst The Assiniboine and his son searched the river -closely for traces of the lost horse or baggage. As we were following -along the track with the train of horses, in single file, Cheadle, -who was driving some of the rearmost pack-horses, heard loud cries -behind--“Doctor, Doctor! Stop, stop!” and was presently overtaken by -Mr. O’B., who came up out of breath, gasping out, “Doctor, Doctor! You -had better go back directly, something’s happened; don’t you hear some -one shouting for assistance? I expect it is Mrs. Assiniboine with one -of the horses fast in a bog.” Anathematising Mr. O’B. for not having -himself gone back to help her, and receiving in reply a tribute to the -greater value of his own aid, Cheadle ran hastily back a few hundred -yards, and there came upon the woman, endeavouring perseveringly, but -vainly, to extricate a horse, which was almost buried in a morass, by -first beating him vigorously, and then hauling at his tail. By cutting -off the packs, and one hauling at the head and the other the tail, -the horse was at last got out, and then Mrs. Assiniboine relieved her -feelings by a torrent of violent language in the Cree tongue, eminently -abusive of Mr. O’B., who she declared was close behind her when the -accident happened, but instead of coming to her, took to his heels -and bolted, afraid lest he should be left behind with only a female -protector! She was very indignant, and declared she would never lift -a finger to help him in anything for the future; and from that time -neither the man, his wife, or son could ever be induced to oblige “Le -Vieux” in the smallest matter, and were quite unable to understand the -considerations of humanity which prevented us once from abandoning Mr. -O’B. to his fate--far the wisest course, they assured us, to take -with so timid and useless a member of the party. - -In the evening we arrived at The Cache, and saw the bark slants of -the Shushwaps on the opposite side of the river; but waited till next -morning before attempting to cross. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - - Tête Jaune Cache--Nature of the Country--Wonderful View--West of - the Rocky Mountains--Rocky Mountains still--The “Poire,” or - Service Berry--The Shushwaps of The Cache--The Three Miners-- - Gain but little Information about the Road--The Iroquois - returns to Jasper House--Loss of Mr. O’B.’s Horse--Leave The - Cache--The Watersheds--Canoe River--Perilous Adventure with - a Raft--Milton and the Woman--Extraordinary Behaviour of Mr. - O’B.--The Rescue--The Watershed of the Thompson--Changes by - Beaver--Mount Milton--Enormous Timber--Cross the River-- - Fork of the North Thompson--A Dilemma--No Road to be Found-- - Cross the North-west Branch--Mr. O’B.’s presentiment of Evil-- - Lose the Trail again--Which Way shall we Turn? Resolve to try - and reach Kamloops--A Natural Bridge--We become Beasts of - Burden--Mr. O’B. objects, but is overruled by the Assiniboine-- - “A hard Road to Travel”--Miseries of driving Pack-horses--An - Unwelcome Discovery--The Trail Ends--Lost in the Forest--Our - Disheartening Condition--Council of War--Explorations of The - Assiniboine, and his Report--A Feast on Bear’s Meat--How we had - a Smoke, and were encouraged by The Assiniboine. - - -We reached Tête Jaune Cache on the 17th of July, and on the morning -of the 18th were ferried across the Fraser by the Indians. The water -rolled over the bed of boulders at a great pace, swelling into large -waves, on which the light dug-out of the Shushwaps tossed like a -nutshell. Mr. O’B., at our suggestion, lay on his back at full length -at the bottom of the canoe, for we were really afraid he might upset -such a very frail craft. When we reached the middle of the stream, we -saw his head suddenly rise up, and his hands making frantic endeavours -to loosen his cravat and shirt collar. When we cross-examined him after -he had safely landed, it appeared that he suffered great anxiety when -rocking about on the waves, expecting to be swamped, and had a misty -idea that he could swim ashore with greater ease without a necktie. - -A few miles below Tête Jaune Cache the Fraser, after running almost due -west from Moose Lake, receives a tributary from the south-east, then -suddenly turns almost due north; and, according to Indian report, is -joined a little lower down by an important branch from the north-east. -The Cache is situated in a valley of triangular form, with the apex to -the south, and enclosed by lofty mountains. The valley is some fifteen -miles in length, and not more than five in width at the broadest part. -Across the base runs the Fraser, from east to west, turning north, -when it meets the range of hills which forms the western side. The -commencement of a bold range of mountains, running nearly north and -south, and dividing the watershed of the Columbia from that of the -Thompson, closes up the point of the valley. The main chain of the -Rocky Mountains forms the eastern boundary. Part of the valley of The -Cache appears to be rich; but immediately to the south is a stretch -of sandy, undulating country, partially covered by small spruce, and -terminated by the range of hills mentioned as dividing the watersheds. -Then commence the dense forests of the North Thompson. - -The view from The Cache looking westward is, we imagine, one of the -most wonderful in the world. Away as far as the eye can reach, north, -south, and west, are mountains packed behind mountains, separated -only by the narrowest valleys, most of them snow-clad, and apparently -stretching away to the Pacific. - -Although we had crossed the main chain of the Rocky Mountains, and were -now in British Columbia, we were surprised to find we were still really -in the midst of Rocky Mountains. For, in truth, the mountains which -rise like a wall from the prairies of the eastern side extend to the -western ocean. The exact reverse of this view may be seen from the Bald -Mountain in Cariboo, and we were assured by Mr. Fraser, of Victoria, -who had visited both the Andes and Himalayas, that nothing there could -compare with these hundreds of miles of mountains in British Columbia. - -As there was very good pasturage for the horses, we resolved to rest -a day here, in order to thoroughly overhaul our provisions, after -their recent wettings, and obtain what information we could from the -Shushwaps concerning our future course. The Indians brought in a -plentiful supply of the poire, wild pear, or service berry, which we -purchased for some needles and thread. This fruit grows on a shrub, two -or three feet in height, with leaves resembling that of a pear-tree, -but smaller, and it is said by the Hudson’s Bay people that wherever it -flourishes wheat will also grow to perfection. The berry is about the -size of a black currant, pear-shaped, and of delicious sweetness and -flavour. They are much used by the Indians on both sides the mountains, -who dry them for winter use. From these Indians also Milton, who had -lost his buffalo robe by the recent misfortune, obtained a couple of -marmot robes wherewith to cover himself at night, some large cubes of -iron pyrites used instead of flints, and two curious stone pipes, which -they willingly parted with, being as destitute of tobacco as ourselves. -From them we learnt that there were but two families of them at this -place, and the two old men of the society had three days before started -in their canoes down the Fraser, to convey the miners, mentioned as -having crossed the mountains just before us, to Fort George. These -men had arrived in very destitute condition nine days before, without -any clothing but their shirts, and having lived for a long time on -partridges and squirrels. The Shushwaps could give us no information -about the party of emigrants who had sought the Thompson valley the -summer before. Whether they intended to strike direct for Cariboo or -follow the river down to Kamloops, we could not ascertain. They told -us that it was but six days’ journey on foot to the gold country-- -probably meaning Cariboo--or not more than eighty or a hundred miles, -but that the country was very difficult. An old squaw, a native of -Kamloops, who had left there as a girl to become the wife of a Rocky -Mountain Shushwap, assured us that we could reach that fort in eight -days, and traced a rude map of the route for us. The correctness and -value of her information will be appreciated from the sequel. - -On the 19th we prepared to start, but heavy rain coming on, we remained -until the following day. With the exception of two thunder-storms, the -weather had been uniformly bright and warm since we left Edmonton, -seven weeks before. The next morning proving fine, the Iroquois set -out on his return to Jasper House, and we shortly after went in search -of our horses, to prepare for the commencement of our journey forward -to Cariboo. But we were delayed for several hours searching for Mr. -O’B.’s horse, which was nowhere to be found. The Assiniboine evidently -chuckled over the loss, although he declared he could not for the life -of him imagine what had become of the horse. Mr. O’B. was indignant, -and vituperated the Iroquois and Assiniboine, but did not attempt to -assist in the search; and we abandoned it at length with the conviction -that the Iroquois was the thief, and it was useless to pursue him. - -One of the young Shushwaps agreed to accompany us for a day’s journey, -in order to show us the emigrants’ trail, and we determined to follow -it as far as practicable, hoping to reach Cariboo in the end. The track -led us through an easy country, sandy and undulating, and lightly -timbered with small spruce. We crossed a small tributary of the Fraser, -skirted the shores of a small lake, and by evening had imperceptibly -passed the height of land between the watershed of the Fraser and that -of the Columbia. The Shushwap stayed the night with us, put us on the -trail of the emigrants the next morning, and then returned. We said -good-bye, little knowing the long and weary time we should pass before -we again saw the face of man. - -The track here bore to the right, to enter the most westerly of the -two narrow valleys, into which that of The Cache is divided by the -line of hills to the south marked Malton Range in the map. A mile or -so brought us to Canoe River, a tributary of the Columbia, running -towards the south-east. The stream has worn a deep channel in the sandy -ground, and we descended a steep cliff to gain the valley of the river, -which we cut nearly at right angles. The waters were at high flood, -and the current very strong; the banks were beset with driftwood and -overhanging trees, and we moved some way up the stream in search of a -place where it would be possible to raft across. We found a small open -space at last, near which stood some dead pines, and where the opposite -bank was for a short distance more free than usual from fallen trunks, -rocks, and brushwood. We then drove the horses across, and commenced -cutting down wood for the raft. By the loss of the two axes previously -we were now reduced to one small one, and had to work hard in relays -until afternoon before we had felled enough timber for our purpose. -Then came the task of carrying it down to the edge of the river, and -Mr. O’B.’s services were called into requisition amongst the rest. We -arranged that on the present occasion he should be put in for some -really hard work, as Cheadle’s partner. The sight was a most ludicrous -one: Mr. O’B. staggering along under one end of a heavy log, with loud -cries and fearful groans, trying to stop, but driven forward by the -merciless Cheadle, who could hardly carry his load for laughter at the -exclamations and contortions of his companion. Mr. O’B. sat down after -delivering his load, and vowed he was utterly incapable of any further -exertion, but Cheadle induced him to make another attempt, and managed -to find a tree as heavy as the first. Mr. O’B. entreated, groaned, -begged for mercy, and implored Cheadle to stop for a moment, only one -moment; but he was obliged to push on to the end, where he sat down, -declaring he was regularly broken down. Yet he was not too exhausted -to talk and complain very loudly. Finding, however, that too much time -was lost by keeping him at hard labour, we detailed him to carry the -light poles for the cross pieces of the raft. When all the wood was -brought down, the logs were securely lashed together, and we prepared -to cross. The stream was so strong that it was with great difficulty -all got on board, and the raft had drifted some distance before we -fairly got to work with the poles we all carried. Away we went down -stream at a fearful pace. At first it appeared certain that we must -run foul of some rocks, and a tree overhanging the bank on the side -we started from. Very vigorous poling, urged on by the frantic shouts -and anathemas of The Assiniboine, barely saved us from this danger. -In avoiding Scylla, however, we fell into Charybdis, for the current, -setting in strongly at this place toward the opposite side, almost -before we were aware, or could make any effort to prevent it, carried -us across into a billowy rapid. Over this we passed like an arrow, and -were helplessly borne straight to what seemed certain destruction, a -large pine-tree, through the lower branches of which the water rushed -like the stream from a mill-wheel. “À terre--à TERRE avec la line!” -shouted The Assiniboine, as we neared the bank for an instant, and -making a desperate leap into the water caught the bushes, scrambled up -the side, and whipped his rope round a tree. Cheadle jumped at the same -moment with the other rope, and did likewise; but the cords, rotten -from repeated wettings, snapped like threads, the raft was sucked under -the tree, and disappeared beneath the water. Milton and the woman -were brushed off like flies by the branches, but Mr. O’B., in some -incomprehensible manner, managed to stick to the raft, and re-appeared -above water further down, sitting silent and motionless, sailing along -to swift destruction with seeming resignation. The Assiniboine and the -boy--who had leaped ashore with his father--rushed along the bank in -pursuit. Cheadle, however, who was following, with a confused notion -that everybody was drowned but himself, heard a cry proceeding from the -tree, and looking in that direction, observed Milton clinging to the -branches, his body sucked under the trunk, and his head disappearing -under water and rising again with the varying rush of the current. The -woman was in similar position, but further out and on the lower side. -Both were in imminent danger of being swept off every moment, and -Cheadle, shouting to them for God’s sake to hold on, clambered along -the tree and laid hold of Milton, who was nearest. He cried out to help -the woman first, but Cheadle, seeing the woman was more difficult to -reach, and Milton in the greater danger, helped him out at once. - -[Illustration: OUR MISADVENTURE WITH THE RAFT IN CROSSING CANOE RIVER. - - (_See page 271._) -] - -We then crawled carefully forwards to the rescue of the woman. She was, -however, so far below, that it was impossible to lift her out, and we -therefore held her as well as we could, and shouted to The Assiniboine -to be quick with a rope. - -He, in the meantime, had caught up the raft in its swift career, and -cried loudly to Mr. O’B., who sat motionless in the stern, to throw the -end of the broken rope. Mr. O’B. responded only by a gentle shaking -of the head, and a “No, no; no, thank you,” looking solemnly straight -before him. The raft, however, bringing up for a moment against another -overhanging tree, was arrested by The Assiniboine. Mr. O’B. instantly -seized the opportunity of escape, darted on shore, and buried himself -in the woods, regardless of the entreaties of his deliverer, to help in -securing the raft. - -After we had shouted some time, The Assiniboine seemed to understand -us, and hastened to unfasten a rope. But this took time, and we began -to fear we should not be able to keep the woman up until he came. -Presently Mr. O’B. appeared on the bank, gazing at us in a bewildered -manner. We cried to him to run down to The Assiniboine and tell him to -bring a rope quickly; but he did not seem to comprehend, and untying -his neckerchief, held that out to us. The boy, coming up at the moment, -brought it to the tree, and with that and Milton’s belt, passed round -the woman’s waist, he kept her above the water until her husband -arrived with a rope,--and Mrs. Assiniboine was saved. She was, -however, benumbed and nearly insensible, but gradually recovered with -warmth and a draught of rum, which Cheadle had fortunately reserved for -emergencies, in his flask. We had great difficulty in getting a fire, -for the tinder was wet, and we had lost our matches previously in the -Fraser; but we succeeded at last, dried our things, and investigated -our losses. Strange to say, the guns and powder-horns had not been -swept off, and the provisions were safe; but the packs which contained -the whole property of the man and his family were gone. - -In talking over the adventure afterwards, Mr. O’B. assured us that he -had not the slightest recollection of anything which occurred after the -raft sank under the tree, until he found himself safe on shore. Before -we had rested very long, Mr. O’B. called Cheadle aside, and requested -him, as a special favour, to induce Milton to agree to move on for -a few miles. “For,” said he, “you see, Doctor, I’m rather nervous. -I’ve had a terrible shock to-day--a terrible shock! ‘_Mihi frigidus -horror membra quatit._’ I’m trembling with the recollection of it now. -Ah! Doctor, Doctor, you don’t know what I suffered. The sound of this -dreadful water in my ears is more than I can bear. I want to know -whether you think there will be any more rivers to cross. But please -move on a few miles, _please_ do, there’s a good fellow, just to oblige -me, out of hearing of this terrible noise. ‘_Heu me miserum! iterum -iterumque, strepitum fluminum audio!_’” We agreed, and went forward a -mile or two to better feeding for the horses, and there camped for the -night. - -On the following day we made a long detour to the right, to get round -the range of hills to the south, and entered the narrow valley on the -west of it. The trail was not very distinct, and passed amongst rocks -and burnt timber. At dinner-time we discovered that the frying-pan and -some of the tin plates were lost, and thenceforward were driven to cook -our pemmican and bake our bread in the kettle. A small stream flowed -along the bottom of the ravine towards the north, falling probably into -either the Fraser or Canoe River; but the next day we passed the height -of land, and gained the watershed of the Thompson. This was occupied -by a small marshy lake, marked Albreda Lake in the map, filling the -bottom of the ravine. It appeared to have been drained formerly by a -stream flowing from either extremity, like the Summit lake between Lake -Lilloet and Anderson Lake, in British Columbia; but the northern end -was now blocked up by an old grass-grown beaver-dam, and its waters -escaped only towards the south. We continued to follow the stream thus -formed, which was reinforced by several branches from the westward, -and saw before us a magnificent mountain, covered with glaciers, and -apparently blocking up the valley before us. To this Cheadle gave the -name of Mount Milton. The trail now entered thick pine forest, where -the timber was of enormous size. Two trunks of the giant cypress -(_Thuja gigantea_) or cedar, as it is commonly called, which grew side -by side, measured over six and a half embraces, or thirty-nine feet; -the other, five embraces, or thirty feet in circumference, giving -diameters of thirteen feet and ten feet. Pines, of almost equal girth, -towered up to a height of over 300 feet. There was no open ground, and -the horses fed on twigs and mare’s-tail; the road was hilly, swamps -occupying the hollows. - -[Illustration: A VIEW ON THE NORTH THOMPSON, LOOKING EASTWARD. - - (_See page 275._) -] - -On the fifth day after leaving The Cache we crossed to the western -bank of the river we were following, and which we concluded to be a -branch of the Thompson. This had now become about thirty yards in -width, and so deep that we were compelled to carry the horses’ packs on -our shoulders as we rode across, to prevent their being soaked. After -crossing two smaller streams from the west, we came to a deep arm of -the river, with banks of soft mud, which we crossed, after long delay, -by leading the horses over an old beaver-dam. We were still in the -midst of snowy mountains, and steep pine-clad hills closely shut in the -valley on either side. - -On the 25th July, the sixth day after leaving The Cache, having -passed Mount Milton to the right, we were arrested by a large river -flowing from the north-west, which here joined the one which we had -followed from the north. This river was some sixty yards in width, and -bank-full with glacier-water. At the angle formed by the junction of -the two rivers we camped, in order to search for the emigrants’ trail -forward. We found one of their camps here, and more wood cut down than -needed for fires, leading us to suppose that they had made a raft, and -crossed to one bank or other of the main river below the fork. We had -expected that they would have turned up the north-west branch without -crossing it, striking direct for Cariboo. But we could not find any -trail in that direction, and The Assiniboine having failed to discover -any traces of one on the eastern bank of the main river, to which he -crossed on a tiny raft, we concluded that they must have gone to its -western shore, and began to prepare to cross thither ourselves. - -On a tree we found an inscription to the effect that Andrè Cardinal, -the guide, left the emigrants here to return to Edmonton. This, then, -was the place from which, as he informed us, he had shown the emigrants -the hills of Cariboo in the distance. This circumstance, and the -statement of the old woman at The Cache, that the journey either to -Cariboo or Kamloops would take us about eight days, put us quite at our -ease, although we had now but a very small quantity of provisions left. -We felt the want of tea very much, far more than the loss of salt or -vegetables, or indeed any other luxury. Abstinence from all alcoholic -stimulant we had endured for above a year without the slightest -discomfort, but the craving for tea and tobacco never left us. We had -eked out our little stock of the latter hitherto by mixing it with -what the Indians call “kinnikinnick,” the inner bark of the dog wood. -We had only enough for three or four pipes left amongst us now, and we -reserved them for special need. - -We fully expected to reach our destination in the course of a few -days, and set to work to prepare our raft with great confidence. This -occupied the whole of the 26th, for we determined to use very large -timber, for greater safety. We worked away in relays, and between the -spells of labour washed for gold, but did not succeed in finding any -traces of it. The sand at the side and in the bed of the river was full -of innumerable particles of shining talc, which glistened very brightly -in the sun, and The Assiniboine, believing it to be gold, drew our -attention to it as an encouraging sign that we were approaching our -destination. The waters rose during the day, and were a foot higher by -evening, sinking to their former level during the night: the alternate -effect of the sun and night frosts on the mountain snows. The weather -was bright and oppressively hot, and the mosquitoes and tiny sand-flies -so numerous that we could obtain little sleep. By evening we had all -the timber cut and carried down to the water’s edge ready to tie -together. - -On the morning of the 27th, Mr. O’B., one of whose good qualities was -early rising, surpassed himself--whether in consequence of being -disturbed by mosquitoes, or from anxiety for the public good, remains -uncertain--and turned out with the earliest peep of dawn. Rousing -Cheadle, with the request that he would get up immediately, as he had -something of importance to communicate, he took him aside and said, -“In the first place, Doctor, I hope that you and Assiniboine will be -very careful indeed in crossing the river, for you know I think you -managed very badly indeed last time, I may say disgracefully so. It was -a mercy we were not all drowned; look what an escape _I_ had! Now, if -you will take my advice, you will keep perfectly cool and collected-- -_animosus et fortis appare_--but _æquo animo_, you know; not shout at -one another as you did before; Assiniboine quite frightened me with his -strong language. But I have a very particular favour to ask, and that -is, that you and Lord Milton will agree to postpone crossing the river -until to-morrow, for I am oppressed with a most fearful presentiment -that if we make the attempt to-day we shall all be lost--every one of -us drowned, Doctor. Think of the responsibility, before it is too late; -you and his lordship are answerable for our lives.” - -Cheadle explained that provisions were getting so short, we could -not afford to waste a day, and the presentiment of evil was merely -uneasiness arising from the recollection of the late accident, which -was not likely to be repeated. Mr. O’B., however, shook his head -solemnly, unconvinced, gave us a quotation about Cassandra, and -embarked with most woful misgivings. We crossed without mishap, and the -moment we neared the side, Mr. O’B., eager to get safe on shore, jumped -overboard into shallow water, but was immediately collared and pulled -back by The Assiniboine, and obliged to wait till the raft was secured. -Mr. O’B’s presentiment was, happily, unfulfilled. - -When we proceeded to search for the trail, we discovered, to our -dismay, that we were upon a small island, instead of the west bank -of the river, as we supposed. The north-west branch entered the main -river by two mouths, and we were upon the spit of land between the -fork of these channels. There were numerous traces of the emigrants’ -visit, but what line they had taken we could not make out, although we -searched diligently till night came on. Next morning The Assiniboine -was up betimes, and crossing the west channel by a natural bridge, -formed by the accumulation of driftwood against a sand-bar, soon -discovered the trail leading up the north-west branch in the direction -of Cariboo. He followed this for about a mile, when it came suddenly to -an end. The ravine was narrow, the sides steep and heavily timbered, -and lofty, limestone mountains loomed up ahead. - -The emigrants had evidently found the work of cutting a road to -Cariboo so arduous that they had abandoned the task, and turned their -faces southward to seek Kamloops; and agreeably to this surmise The -Assiniboine discovered another trail leading down the river in that -direction. The time had now come when we must make our final decision -whether to try and reach Cariboo or follow the trail towards Kamloops. - -We held a council, and after much discussion at last agreed that -it would be impossible, with our weakened forces, worn-out horses, -short supplies, and little axe, to cut our way through the almost -impenetrable country to the west. It was with a feeling of bitter -disappointment that we gave up our cherished idea of finding a road -direct to the gold-fields, but the attempt would have been madness, and -we very sulkily commenced transferring the packs to the mainland on the -west. The driftwood bridge saved us from the labour of making another -raft, but carrying the baggage on our backs proved no light work. The -footing on the trunks, piled together so irregularly, was slippery -and uncertain, and the flood poured fiercely through the weir, making -our heads giddy with the rush of waters and their deafening roar. When -we had crossed this, which was at least forty yards in width, we were -obliged to scramble with our loads as we could up a perpendicular -hill-side, through piles of fallen timber, in order to reach the track. -Mr. O’B. stole across quietly, without troubling himself with even his -own baggage, and then sat down and took out his Paley--his pipe, alas! -was useless now--declaring he was sorry he had omitted to bring his -property, but that he would not cross such a dangerous place again for -the world: his head would not stand it. He was afraid he should become -giddy and fall over, and therefore begged that we would let him rest in -peace. We left him there, ourselves re-crossing for other loads; but as -we returned with them we were astonished to meet Mr. O’B. scrambling -over the logs with the most astounding agility. The Assiniboine having -discovered him sitting idle, advanced towards him with so menacing an -air that he fled across the bridge with great celerity, and took his -share of work without complaint. Mr. O’B. firmly believed that The -Assiniboine intended to murder him on the first convenient opportunity, -and viewed any offensive demonstration on his part with unqualified -terror. When we had taken the baggage across, we proceeded to drive -the horses into the stream below the dam. They swam to a shallow in -the middle, and there remained. The day was exceedingly sultry, and -they enjoyed the coolness of the water, and the comparative freedom -from gad-flies and mosquitoes. For above an hour they refused to move, -in spite of all we could do. We shied showers of sticks and stones at -them, shouted and stormed at Bucephalus, the “Grand Rouge,” the “Petit -Rouge”--then tried the “Gris,” the “Sauvage,” the “Petit Noir;”--all -were of one mind. They had found a cool and pleasant place, where were -neither packs nor hurtful rocks and trees. Blows they were tolerably -safe from, and angry words they regarded not. At last the boy, by some -well-directed missiles from the driftwood bridge, rendered the place -too hot for them, and they abandoned the position, swimming across as -we desired. - -[Illustration: THE TRAIL AT AN END. - - (_See page 281._) -] - -The rest of the day was fruitful in difficulties and mishaps. The trail -had been made by the Canadians when the river was low, and was now -frequently lost in deep water. At these points we were obliged to cut -a new line for ourselves, along steep, timber-strewn hill-sides. The -forest was as dense as ever, and the trees of the largest. “Muskegs” -occupied the hollows between the pine-clad hills, which ran up at short -intervals with steep front towards the river. The horses mired and were -dragged out--walked into the river, and were hauled back--entangled -themselves in fallen timber, and were chopped out--or hid themselves -in the thick wood, and had to be sought. At night The Assiniboine was -fairly done, and all of us thoroughly tired out. - -We met with similar country and the same difficulties until the -afternoon of the second day after leaving the island, when we -came upon two camps, where were strewn pack-saddles and harness, -and great cedars cut down on every side, with heaps of chips and -splinters, showing that they had been used to make rafts and canoes. -An inscription in pencil on a tree told us this was the emigrants’ -“Slaughter Camp.” We searched in every direction, but no trail forward -could be discovered. - -The truth, serious enough, now plainly forced itself upon our minds, -that the whole band of emigrants had given up in despair the idea of -cutting their way through forests so dense and encumbered, abandoned -their horses, killed their oxen for provisions, and made large rafts in -order to drop down the river to Kamloops. - -We were in a very disheartening position. Before crossing the Fraser -a fortnight before we had lost nearly everything we possessed. Our -provisions were now reduced to about ten pounds of pemmican, and the -same of flour, or not three days’ rations for the six persons. Game of -all kinds--as is always the case in vast forests--was exceedingly -scarce, and if it had been plentiful, we could have killed but little -with the few charges of powder we had left. Our clothes were already -in rags, and we were obliged to patch our moccasins with pieces of the -saddle-bags. The horses were weak and in wretched condition, having had -little proper pasture since leaving Edmonton two months before, and -for the last fortnight had subsisted upon leaves and twigs, with an -occasional mouthful of marsh grass, or equisetum. - -We had only one small Indian axe with which to cut our way through -the encumbered forest which surrounded us, and we knew not how long -or difficult the journey before us might be. The Canadians--a party -of fifty or sixty strong, all able-bodied men provided with good -axes, and expert in the use of them--had, after a few days’ trial, -failed to make any satisfactory progress through the obstructions -which beset them, and had evaded the difficulty by braving the dangers -of an unknown river full of rocks and rapids. We were a weak party, -our mainstay, The Assiniboine, having but one hand. Even along the -partially cleared trail we had followed thus far, the work of making -it passable had been very heavy, and our progress slow and laborious. -We had been delayed and harassed every day by the horses miring in -muskegs, entangling themselves amongst fallen timber, rolling down -hills, or being lost in the thick woods. The attempt to force our way -through the forest, therefore, seemed almost a desperate one. On the -other hand, to make a proper raft with our small means and strength -would occupy many days, and necessitate the abandonment of the horses, -our last resource for food. In an ordinarily tranquil stream our -weak and motley company was utterly incompetent to manage that most -unmanageable of all transports, a large raft. In a stream swollen, -rocky, and rapid as the Thompson, the experiment was certain to prove -disastrous. We had been solemnly and earnestly warned by the Shushwaps -of The Cache against such an attempt, as they said the river was -impracticable for a raft, and very hazardous even for canoes. Cheadle -went out and explored the country for some distance ahead, but returned -with the unwelcome report that it seemed perfectly impossible for -horses to get through such a collection of fallen timber, and along -such precipitous hill-sides as he had encountered. Every one looked -very serious at this announcement, and Mr. O’B. expressed his opinion -that we must make up our minds to meet a miserable end. In the evening -we held grave council over our camp-fire, trying to increase philosophy -by smoking kinnikinnick, and, after careful deliberation, decided that -The Assiniboine should investigate the country on the morrow, and if -he thought it practicable, we would endeavour to cut our way through -the forest. We calculated that Kamloops could not be more than 120 or -130 miles distant, and we should probably enter upon more open country -before long. It rained heavily during the night, and until nearly noon -the next day, when The Assiniboine started on his voyage of discovery. -Soon after his departure we heard a shot, and the barking of the dog -Papillon, from which we inferred that he had found game of some kind, -and as we had seen tracks of Cariboo deer, we hoped that he might have -met with one of these animals. In the evening we were delighted by his -appearance, carrying a small black bear on his shoulders, and reporting -that he thought it possible to get through, although our advance -would necessarily be very slow and laborious. From the summit of the -hill at the foot of which we were encamped, he had seen, far to the -south, mountains crowded behind mountains, the everlasting pine-forest -extending in every direction, without a sign of open country; the only -favourable circumstance which he observed being that the hills appeared -to become lower, and fewer of them were capped with snow. We all set -eagerly to work to skin and cut up the bear, and had a great feast that -night. This was the first fresh meat we had tasted since the mountain -sheep at Jasper House, and we found it a great treat, although we -had neither bread nor salt to eat with it, tea to drink with it, nor -tobacco to smoke after it. We invented a substitute for the latter on -this occasion by mixing the oil out of our pipes with the kinnikinnick -we smoked, but this was soon finished, and we were reduced to the small -comfort to be derived from the simple willow-bark. We all felt happier -after the meal, and The Assiniboine exhorted us to be of good courage, -for we had now a week’s provisions by using economy; “Nous arriverons -bientôt.” - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - - We commence to Cut our Way--The Pathless Primeval Forest--The - Order of March--Trouble with our Horses; their Perversity-- - Continual Disasters--Our Daily Fare--Mount Cheadle--Country - Improves only in Appearance--Futile Attempt to Escape out of - the Valley--A Glimpse of Daylight--Wild Fruits--Mr. O’B. - triumphantly Crosses the River--The Assiniboine Disabled--New - Arrangements--Hopes of Finding Prairie-Land--Disappointment-- - Forest and Mountain Everywhere--False Hopes again--Provisions - at an End--Council of War--Assiniboine Hunts without Success-- - The Headless Indian--“Le Petit Noir” Condemned and Executed-- - Feast on Horse-flesh--Leave Black Horse Camp--Forest again-- - The Assiniboine becomes Disheartened--The Grand Rapid--A Dead - Lock--Famishing Horses--The Barrier--Shall we get Past?--Mr. - O’B. and Bucephalus--Extraordinary Escape of the Latter--More - Accidents--La Porte d’Enfer--Step by Step--The Assiniboine - Downcast and Disabled--Mrs. Assiniboine takes his Place-- - The Provisions give out again--A Dreary Beaver Swamp--The - Assiniboine gives up in Despair--Mr. O’B. begins to Doubt, - discards Paley, and prepares to become Insane--We kill another - Horse--A Bird of Good Omen--The Crow speaks Truth--Fresher - Sign--A Trail--The Road rapidly Improves--Out of the Forest at - last! - - -On the 31st of July we left Slaughter Camp in a pouring rain, and -plunged into the pathless forest before us. We were at once brought -up by the steep face of a hill which came down close to the water’s -edge. But the steepness of the path was not the greatest difficulty. -No one who has not seen a primeval forest, where trees of gigantic -size have grown and fallen undisturbed for ages, can form any idea of -the collection of timber, or the impenetrable character of such a -region. There were pines and thujas of every size, the patriarch of -300 feet in height standing alone, or thickly clustering groups of -young ones struggling for the vacant place of some prostrate giant. -The fallen trees lay piled around, forming barriers often six or eight -feet high on every side: trunks of huge cedars, moss-grown and decayed, -lay half-buried in the ground on which others as mighty had recently -fallen; trees still green and living, recently blown down, blocking the -view with the walls of earth held in their matted roots; living trunks, -dead trunks, rotten trunks; dry, barkless trunks, and trunks moist and -green with moss; bare trunks and trunks with branches--prostrate, -reclining, horizontal, propped up at different angles; timber of every -size, in every stage of growth and decay, in every possible position, -entangled in every possible combination. The swampy ground was densely -covered with American dogwood, and elsewhere with thickets of the -aralea, a tough-stemmed trailer, with leaves as large as those of the -rhubarb plant, and growing in many places as high as our shoulders. -Both stem and leaves are covered with sharp spines, which pierced our -clothes as we forced our way through the tangled growth, and made the -legs and hands of the pioneers scarlet from the inflammation of myriads -of punctures. - -The Assiniboine went first with the axe, his wife went after him -leading a horse, and the rest of the party followed, driving two or -three horses apiece in single file. Mr. O’B. had by this time been -trained to take charge of one pack-animal, which he managed very well -under favourable conditions. But although it had been hard enough to -keep our caravan in order when there was a track to follow, it was ten -times more difficult and troublesome now. As long as each horse could -see the one in front of him, he followed with tolerable fidelity; but -whenever any little delay occurred, and the leading horses disappeared -amongst the trees and underwood, the rest turned aside in different -directions. Then followed a rush and scramble after them, our efforts -to bring them back often only causing them to plunge into a bog or -entangle themselves amongst piles of logs. When involved in any -predicament of this kind, the miserable animals remained stupidly -passive, for they had become so spiritless and worn out, and so injured -about the legs by falling amongst the timber and rocks, that they -would make no effort to help themselves, except under the stimulus of -repeated blows. These accidents occurring a dozen times a day, caused -the labour to fall very heavily; for we were so short-handed, that each -man could obtain little assistance from the rest, and was obliged to -get out of his difficulties as well as he could, unaided. When this was -accomplished, often only to be effected by cutting off the packs, most -of the party had gone he knew not whither, and the other horses in his -charge had disappeared. These had to be sought up, and a careful cast -made to regain the faint trail left by the party in advance. Another -similar misfortune would often occur before he joined his companions, -and the same exertions again be necessary. The work was vexatious and -wearisome in the extreme, and we found our stock of philosophy quite -unequal to the occasion. - -With a view of economising our provisions and making more rapid -progress, we reduced our meals to breakfast and supper, resting only a -short time at mid-day to allow the horses to feed, but not unpacking -them. Our fare was what the half-breeds call “rubaboo,” which we made -by boiling a piece of pemmican the size of one’s fist in a large -quantity of water thickened with a single handful of flour. The latter -commodity had now become very valuable, and was used in this way only, -three or four pounds being all we had left. Occasionally we were lucky -enough to kill a partridge or skunk, and this formed a welcome addition -to the “rubaboo.” The mess was equally divided, and two ordinary -platesful formed the portion of each individual. Under these trying -circumstances we had the advantage of Mr. O’B.’s advice, which he did -not fail to offer at every opportunity. When we stopped for the night, -and the work of unloading the horses and preparing camp was over, he -would emerge from some quiet retreat, fresh from the solace of Paley, -and deliver his opinions on the prospects of the journey and his views -on the course to be pursued. “Now, my lord; now, Doctor,” he would -say, “I don’t think that we have gone on nearly so well to-day as we -might have done. I don’t think our route was well chosen. We may have -done fifteen or twenty miles (we had probably accomplished three or -four), but that’s not at all satisfactory. ‘_Festina lente_’ was -wisely said by the great lyric; but he was never lost in a forest, you -see. Now, what I think ought to be done is this: the Doctor and The -Assiniboine are strong vigorous fellows; let them go five or six miles -ahead and investigate the country, and then we shall travel much more -easily to-morrow.” The two “vigorous fellows” were, however, generally -too much jaded by hard work during the day to adopt his advice, and -declined the proposal. - -The valley continued to run nearly due south, and ranges of mountains -separated only by the narrowest ravines came down from the N.E. and -N.W. up to it on each side at an angle of 45°. These proved serious -obstacles to our progress, rising almost perpendicularly from the -water’s edge. - -On the 1st of August we came in sight of a fine snowy mountain which -appeared to block up the valley ahead, and we hoped this might be -the second of two described to us as landmarks by the old woman at -The Cache, which she stated was not far from Fort Kamloops. To this -Milton gave the name of Mount Cheadle, in return for the compliment -previously paid him by his companion. The river also became wider and -less rapid, and at one point divided into several channels, flowing -round low wooded islands. Only one snowy mountain could be seen to the -right, to which we gave the name of Mount St. Anne; but the road was as -encumbered as ever. - -After cutting a path for two days, The Assiniboine was almost disabled -by thorns in his hands and legs, and as we had not accomplished more -than two or three miles each day, we attempted to escape out of -the narrow valley in which we were confined, in the hope of finding -clearer ground above. But the mountain sides were too steep; the horses -rolled down one after another, crashing amongst the fallen timber; -and we were compelled to imitate the example of the King of France, -and come down again. On the 3rd we reached a marsh about 300 yards in -length, scantily covered with timber, the first open space we had met -with for ten days; and the change from the deep gloom of the forest -to the bright sunlight made our eyes blink indeed, but produced a -most cheering effect on our spirits. The horses here found plenty of -pasture, although of poor quality--a great boon to them after their -long course of twigs and mare’s-tail. This was altogether a brighter -day than common, for we met with several patches of raspberries, as -large as English garden-fruit, and two species of bilberry, the size of -sloes, growing on bushes two feet high. The woods were garnished with -large fern, like the English male fern, a tall and slender bracken, and -quantities of the oak and beech fern. We had the luck, too, to kill -four partridges for supper; and although the day was showery, and we -were completely soaked in pushing through the underwood, we felt rather -jollier that night than we had done since the trail ended. - -Before evening we came to a rocky rapid stream from the N.W. We all -mounted our horses to traverse it except Mr. O’B., who had never become -reconciled to riding since his dire experience along the Fraser. What -was to be done? Mr. O’B. obstinately persisted that he dare not -venture on horseback, and the river was too deep and rapid to be safely -forded on foot. After some useless discussion with him, we plunged our -horses in, The Assiniboine and his family having crossed already; but -before Cheadle’s horse had left the bank a yard, Mr. O’B. rushed madly -after, dashed in, and grasping the flowing tail of Bucephalus with -both hands, was towed over triumphantly. After this great success, his -anxiety about prospective rivers was greatly alleviated. - -After leaving the little marsh above-mentioned, we were again buried -in the densest forest, without any opening whatever, for several days, -and worked away in the old routine of cutting through timber, driving -perverse horses and extricating them from difficulties, and subsisting -on our scanty mess of “rubaboo.” Tracks of bears were numerous, and we -saw signs of beaver on all the streams, but our advance was necessarily -so noisy that we had small chance of seeing game, and we could not -afford to rest a day or two for the purpose of hunting. - -[Illustration: MR. O’B. TRIUMPHANTLY CROSSES THE RIVER. - - (_See page 291._) -] - -On the 5th The Assiniboine’s single hand became so swollen and painful -from the injuries caused by the thorns of the aralea, that he was -unable to handle an axe, and the task of clearing a path devolved upon -Cheadle. This misfortune retarded us greatly, for he was, of course, -not so expert a pioneer as The Assiniboine, and his assistance could -ill be spared by the horse-drivers, who were now reduced to Milton and -the boy--with Mr. O’B., who began to afford more active assistance -than he had done hitherto. During this day the valley appeared to open -out widely a few miles ahead, and we reached a rounded hill, from -which we could see some distance to the south. But we were bitterly -disappointed; vast woods were still before us without a sign of open -country, and in the distance the hills closed in most ominously. At -the foot of this eminence we crossed a rapid stream, flowing into the -main river by two channels some twenty yards in width, which Mr. O’B. -crossed with great success by his improved method. - -The following day we struggled on from morning to night without -stopping, through difficulties greater than ever; but on the 7th of -August, the eighth day of our being lost in the forest, we crossed -another stream, about thirty yards wide, clear and shallow, and -evidently not fed by mountain snows. We named it Elsecar River. Soon -after we were greatly encouraged by entering upon a tolerably level -space, about a square mile in extent, the confluence of five narrow -valleys. Part of this was timbered, some of it burnt, and the rest -marshy meadow, with a few stunted trees here and there. In the burnt -portion we found large quantities of small bilberries, not yet ripe, on -which we stayed and dined, and then forced our way to the marshy open, -where we encamped. - -The hopes of speedy escape which had sprung up when we first observed -the retreat of the hills to the west, were quickly dispelled. The -flat proved to be a mere oasis in the mountains, surrounded by steep, -pine-clad hills, from which the narrow gorges between the different -ranges afforded the only means of egress. On this evening we ate our -last morsel of pemmican, and the only food we had left was about a -quart of flour. The distance from Tête Jaune Cache to Kamloops was, -according to our map, about 200 miles; but this estimate might be very -erroneous, the exact latitude of either being probably unknown when -our map was made. Calculating that we had travelled ten miles a day, -or seventy miles, when the road ended, and had done three miles a day, -or thirty altogether, since we began to cut our way, we had still 100 -miles to travel before reaching the Fort. Nearly the whole of this -distance might be country similar to what we had already encountered. -At any rate, the prospect around gave us no hope of speedy change for -the better. We progressed so slowly, at the best only five or six miles -a day--often not one--that it must take us many days yet to get in. -There seemed no chance of any assistance, for since leaving Slaughter -Camp we had seen no sign that man had ever before visited this dismal -region. No axe mark on a tree, no “blaze” or broken twig, no remains of -an old camp fire had greeted our eyes. Animal life was scarce, and the -solemn stillness, unbroken by note of bird or sound of living creature, -and the deep gloom of the woods-- - - “Nulli penetrabilis astro - Lucus iners,” - -as Mr. O’B. quoted--increased the sense of solitude. We had become so -worn-out and emaciated by the hard work and insufficient food of the -last ten days, that it was clear enough we could not hold out much -longer. We held a council of war after our last meal was ended, and Mr. -O.’B. laid down his one-eyed spectacles and his Paley, to suggest that -we should immediately kill “Blackie,” as he affectionately denominated -the little black horse he usually took charge of on the way. The -Assiniboine and Cheadle proposed to starve a few days longer, in the -hope of something turning up. Against this Mr. O’B. entered a solemn -protest, and eventually Milton’s proposal was agreed to. This was -that The Assiniboine should spend the next day in hunting: if he were -successful, we were relieved; and if not, the “Petit Noir” must die. -There seemed some chance for his life, for The Assiniboine had caught -sight of a bear during the day, and the dog had chased another. Their -tracks were tolerably numerous, and The Assiniboine we knew to be the -most expert hunter of the Saskatchewan. - -[Illustration: THE HEADLESS INDIAN. - - (_See page 296._) -] - -Early next day The Assiniboine set out on his hunt; Cheadle and the -boy went to a small lake ahead to try to get a shot at some geese -which had flown over the day before; Milton gathered bilberries; and -Mr. O’B. studied; whilst the woman essayed to patch together shreds -of moccasins. The party was not a lively one, for there had been no -breakfast that morning. Mr. O’B., wearied of his Paley, declared that -he was beginning to have painful doubts concerning his faith, and would -read no more. He did not keep his resolution, however, but resumed -his reading the same evening, and brought out his book afterwards at -every resting-place with the same regularity as ever. In the afternoon -Cheadle and the boy returned empty-handed. The Assiniboine arrived -about the same time, and, producing a marten, threw it down, saying -drily, “J’ai trouvé rien que cela et un homme--un mort.” He directed -us where to find the dead body, which was only a few hundred yards -from camp, and we set off with the boy to have a look at the ominous -spectacle. After a long search, we discovered it at the foot of a large -pine. The corpse was in a sitting posture, with the legs crossed, and -the arms clasped over the knees, bending forward over the ashes of a -miserable fire of small sticks. The ghastly figure was headless, and -the cervical vertebræ projected dry and bare; the skin, brown and -shrivelled, stretched like parchment tightly over the bony framework, -so that the ribs showed through distinctly prominent; the cavity of -the chest and abdomen was filled with the exuviæ of chrysales, and the -arms and legs resembled those of a mummy. The clothes, consisting of -woollen shirt and leggings, with a tattered blanket, still hung round -the shrunken form. Near the body were a small axe, fire-bag, large tin -kettle, and two baskets made of birch-bark. In the bag were flint, -steel, and tinder, an old knife, and a single charge of shot carefully -tied up in a piece of rag. One of the baskets contained a fishing-line -of cedar bark, not yet finished, and two curious hooks, made of a -piece of stick and a pointed wire; the other, a few wild onions, still -green and growing. A heap of broken bones at the skeleton’s side--the -fragments of a horse’s head--told the sad story of his fate. They were -chipped into the smallest pieces, showing that the unfortunate man had -died of starvation, and prolonged existence as far as possible by -sucking every particle of nutriment out of the broken fragments. He -was probably a Rocky Mountain Shushwap, who had been, like ourselves, -endeavouring to reach Kamloops, perhaps in quest of a wife. He had -evidently intended to subsist by fishing, but before his tackle was -completed, weakness--perchance illness--overtook him, he made a small -fire, squatted down before it, and died there. But where was his head? -We searched diligently everywhere, but could find no traces of it. If -it had fallen off we should have found it lying near, for an animal -which had dared to abstract that would have returned to attack the -body. It could not have been removed by violence, as the undisturbed -position of the trunk bore witness. We could not solve the problem, -and left him as we found him, taking only his little axe for our -necessities, and the steel, fishing-line, and hooks as mementoes of the -strange event. We walked back to the camp silent and full of thought. -Our spirits, already sufficiently low from physical weakness and the -uncertainty of our position, were greatly depressed by this somewhat -ominous discovery. The similarity between the attempt of the Indian to -penetrate through the pathless forest--his starvation, his killing -of his horse for food--and our own condition was striking. His story -had been exhibited before our eyes with unmistakable clearness by the -spectacle we had just left: increasing weakness; hopeless starvation; -the effort to sustain the waning life by sucking the fragments of -bones; the death from want at last. We also had arrived at such -extremity that we should be compelled to kill a horse. The Indian had -started with one advantage over us; he was in his own country--we were -wanderers in a strange land. We were in the last act of the play. Would -the final scene be the same? - -Every one took a rather gloomy view when we discussed our prospects -that evening, and “Blackie” was unanimously condemned to die at -daybreak. The marten, made into a “rubaboo,” with some bilberries, -formed our only supper that evening, the stinking and nauseous mess -being distasteful even to our ravenous appetites, and poor Mr. O’B. -had not the satisfaction of retaining what it had cost him so great an -effort to swallow. - -Early on the 9th of August “Blackie” was led out to execution, but -although all were agreed as to the necessity of the deed, every one -felt compunction at putting to death an animal which had been our -companion through so many difficulties. The Assiniboine, however, at -last seized his gun and dispatched him with a ball behind the ear. In -a few minutes steaks were roasting at the fire, and all hands were at -work cutting up the meat into thin flakes for jerking. All day long -we feasted to repletion on the portions we could not carry with us, -whilst the rest was drying over a large fire; for although doubts had -been expressed beforehand as to whether it would prove palatable, and -Milton declared it tasted of the stable, none showed any deficiency of -appetite. The short intervals between eating we filled up by mending -our ragged clothes and moccasins, by this time barely hanging together. -Before turning into our blankets we crowned the enjoyment of the feast -by one last smoke. We had not had tobacco for weeks, but now obtained -the flavour of it by pounding up one or two black and well-seasoned -clays, and mixing the dust with “kinnikinnick.” But this was killing -the goose with the golden egg, and as pure “kinnikinnick” did not -satisfy the craving, we laid our pipes by for a happier day. We had -tea, too--not indeed the dark decoction of black Chinese indulged in -by unthrifty bachelors, or the chlorotic beverage affected by careful, -mature spinsters--but the “tea muskeg” used by the Indians. This is -made from the leaves and flowers of a small white azalea which we found -in considerable quantities growing in the boggy ground near our camp. -The decoction is really a good substitute for tea, and we became very -fond of it. The taste is like ordinary black tea with a dash of senna -in it. - -By noon on the following day the meat was dry. There was but little of -it, not more than thirty or forty pounds, for the horse was small and -miserably lean, and we resolved to restrict ourselves still to a small -“rubaboo” twice a day. As we had now two axes, and The Assiniboine’s -hand was nearly well, he and Cheadle both went ahead to clear the way, -and we again entered the forest, still following the Thompson Valley. -The same difficulties met us as before, the same mishaps occurred, -and the horses proved as perverse and obstinate as ever. The weather -was fine and exceedingly hot, and the second evening after leaving -“Black Horse Camp”--as we named the scene of “Blackie’s” fate-- -The Assiniboine, worn out by the continual toil, became thoroughly -disheartened, protesting it was perfectly impossible to get through -such a country, and useless to attempt it. We anxiously discussed the -question, as on every evening, of how many miles we had come that -day, and whether it was possible that the river we had struck might -not be the Thompson at all, but some unknown stream which might lead -us into inextricable difficulties. We got out our imperfect map, and -showed The Assiniboine that according to that the river ran due south -through a narrow valley shut in by mountains up to the very Fort, in -exact correspondence, so far, with the stream along the banks of which -we were making our way. This encouraged him a little, and he worked -away next day with his usual untiring perseverance. We found our diet -of dried horse-meat, and that in exceedingly small quantity--for we -still kept ourselves on half-rations--very insufficient, and we were -frightfully hungry and faint all day long. We rarely killed more than -two partridges in the day, and sometimes, though not often, a skunk or -a marten, and these were but little amongst six people. Cheadle at this -time discovered three fish-hooks amongst the wreck of our property, and -made some night lines, which he set, baited with horse-flesh. These -produced three white trout the first night, one of which weighed at -least a couple of pounds, but, although they were diligently set every -night afterwards, we never had such luck again, occasionally killing -a fish, but not a dozen in all during the rest of the journey. These -fish were marked like a salmon-trout, but with larger heads. They were -sluggish fish, lying at the bottom of the deepest holes, and would not -take a fly or spinning bait, preferring, like the other barbarous fish -of the country, a piece of meat to more delicate food. They had very -much the flavour of ordinary trout, but their flesh was whiter and less -firm. - -The aspect of the country now changed, and on the 12th of August we -entered a region rocky and barren, where the timber was of smaller -size, but grew much more thickly, and the surface of the ground was -covered only by moss and a few small lilies. The ravine suddenly -narrowed, its sides became precipitous, and the river rushed over a -bed of huge boulders, a roaring, mighty rapid. The fallen timber lay -as thickly and entangled as the spiculæ in the children’s game of -spelicans; we had literally to force our way by inches. We met with a -godsend, however, in the way of provisions, shooting a porcupine which -had been “treed” by the dog Papillon. We found it delicious, although -rather strong-flavoured, a thick layer of fat under the skin being -almost equal to that of a turtle. The road at this point became so -impracticable from the steep, encumbered hill-sides which came down to -the water’s edge, that we were frequently obliged to pull up and wait -for hours whilst The Assiniboine found a way by which it was possible -to pass. We expected every day to come to some barrier which would -completely prevent our further advance. What course could we take then? -Take to a raft or abandon our horses and climb past on foot? We feared -the alternative, yet were unwilling to confess the probable extremity. -We had come too far to turn back, even if we had been willing to -retreat. - -After three days’ travelling along the bank of this rapid, to which -we gave the name of Murchison’s Rapids, never out of hearing of its -continual roar, offensive to the ears of Mr. O’B., the valley became -narrower still, and we were brought to a standstill by a precipice -before us. We were shut in on one side by the river, and on the other -by hills so steep and embarrassed that it seemed hopeless to attempt -to scale them, for we had tried that before, and miserably failed. -There was nothing for it but to camp at once, and seek a way by which -to pass this barrier. The horses had not tasted grass since leaving -the marsh, four days ago, and for the last three had fed upon the moss -and lilies growing amongst the rocks. They wandered to and fro all the -night, walking in and out between us, and stepping over us as we lay -on the ground. Mr. O’B., too, passed a restless night in consequence, -and aroused us continually by jumping up and whacking them with his -great stick. The poor animals grubbed up the moss from the rocks, and -everything green within their reach had disappeared by morning. The -indefatigable Assiniboine started at daybreak to search for a path, -whilst the rest of us packed the horses and awaited his return. He came -back in an hour or two with the news that the country ahead grew more -and more difficult, but that we could, with care, lead the horses -past the present opposing bluff. This relieved us from the fear that -we might be compelled to abandon our horses here, and have to make our -way on foot. We had to mount the hill-side by a zig-zag, over loose -moss-grown rocks, leading the horses past one by one. The accidents -which occurred, though perhaps not so numerous as on some occasions, -were more extraordinary, and will serve to illustrate what occurred -daily. All the horses had safely passed the dangerous precipice except -one which Cheadle was leading, and Bucephalus, in charge of Mr. O’B., -who brought up the rear. The length of the zig-zag was about a quarter -of a mile, and when the former had got nearly over, he turned to look -for those behind him. They were not to be seen. Cheadle, therefore, -left his horse, and going back to see what had happened, met Mr. O’B. -climbing hastily up the mountain-side, but minus Bucephalus. “Where’s -the horse?” said Cheadle. “Oh,” said Mr. O’B., “he’s gone, killed, -tumbled over a precipice, _Facilis descensus_, you see. He slipped and -fell over--ἕπειτα πέδονδε κυλίνδετο ἽΠΠΟΣ ἀναιδής, you know, Doctor, -and I have not seen him since. It’s not the slightest use going back, I -assure you, to look for him, for he’s _comminuted_, smashed to atoms, -dashed to a thousand pieces! It’s a dreadful thing isn’t it?” Cheadle, -however, sternly insisted that Mr. O’B. should accompany him back to -the scene of the accident, and the latter reluctantly followed. - -The place where the horse had slipped and struggled was easily found, -for the bark torn off the recumbent trunks marked the course of his -headlong descent. The place from which he fell was about 120 or 130 -feet above the river, and the last thirty or forty feet of this a -perpendicular face of rock. Cheadle crept down and looked over the -edge, and on a little flat space below saw Bucephalus, astride of a -large tree, lengthwise. The tree was propped up by others horizontally -at such a height that the animal’s legs hung down on each side without -touching the ground. The two then descended, expecting to find him -mortally injured, but, to their astonishment, he appeared quite -comfortable in his novel position. The packs were taken off, and -Cheadle, by a vigorous lift--Mr. O’B. declining the suggestion that -he should haul at the tail, on the ground of the dangerous nature of -the service--rolled the horse from his perch. He was uninjured, and -Mr. O’B. led him past the most dangerous part, whilst his companion -toiled after, carrying the packs up the brow to safer ground. After the -horse had been re-loaded, the two pursued their way, but before many -yards were passed, the other horse slipped, and rolled down the hill. -He luckily brought up against some trees, before reaching the bottom; -but again the pack had to be cut off, again carried up, and the horse -hauled on to his legs and led up the steep. Soon after they joined the -rest, another horse, refusing to jump some timber in the path, bolted -aside and fell into a regular pit, formed by fallen trees and rocks; -every effort to extricate him was useless. We were alone, for the -rest of the party had gone on, and after trying in vain for nearly an -hour, Milton ran ahead, caught them up, and brought back the axe. It -was another hour’s work to cut him out and re-pack, but we found our -companions not far before us, and indeed there was little danger of -their leaving us any great distance behind. - -The river still continued a grand rapid, and a short distance more -brought us to a place where the ravine suddenly narrowed to about fifty -feet, with high straight-cut rocks on either side, through which, for -about 100 yards, almost at a right angle, and down a swift descent, -the waters raged so frightfully about huge rocks standing out in the -stream, that it was instantly named by The Assiniboine the “Porte -d’Enfer.” No raft or canoe could have lived there for a moment, and we -thankfully congratulated ourselves that we had decided to make our way -by land. - -We camped for the night close to where we had started in the morning, -and The Assiniboine, having cut his foot to the bone on the sharp -rocks, amongst which we walked nearly barefoot, was completely -disabled. That night he was thoroughly disheartened, declared the river -we were following was not the Thompson at all, and we must make up our -minds to perish miserably. Mr. O’B. of course heartily concurred, and -it required all our powers of persuasion, and an explanation by the -map, to restore hope. - -Another day similar to the last brought us to the end of the rapid. -The woman had bravely taken her husband’s place ahead with an axe, -and worked away like a man. The last of the dried horse-flesh, boiled -with the scrapings of the flour-bag, formed our supper. We had only -three charges of powder left, and this we kept for special emergency. -The Assiniboine, however, and his son had succeeded in “nobbling” a -brace of partridges, knocking the young birds out of the trees with -short sticks, missiles they used with great dexterity. We had been -cheered during the day by observing the first traces of man--except -the dead body of the Indian--we had seen for sixteen days. These were -old stumps of trees, which bore marks of an axe, though now decayed -and mossed over. The next day, however, was cold and wet, and we felt -wretched enough as we forced our way for hours through a beaver swamp, -where the bracken grew higher than our heads, and tangled willows of -great size required cutting away at every step. Slimy, stagnant pools, -treacherous and deep, continually forced us to turn aside. At last a -stream, whose banks were densely clothed with underwood, barred the -path, and we could not find a practicable ford. Drenched to the skin, -shivering, miserable, having had no food since the previous evening, -we felt almost inclined to give way to despair, for we seemed to have -gained nothing by our labours. There was no sign of the end. - -Our journey had now lasted nearly three months; for five weeks we had -not seen a human being, nor for the last three had we seen the smallest -evidence of man’s presence at any time in the wild forest in which we -were buried. - -After several futile attempts to cross the stream, The Assiniboine sat -down with his wife and son, and refused to go any further. We did not -attempt to argue the matter, but, merely remarking that we did not -intend to give in without another struggle, took the axes, and renewed -the search for a crossing place. Having at length discovered a shallow -place, and cut a path to it, we led the horses into the water, but -the mud was so soft and deep, and the banks so beset with slippery -logs, that they could not climb up, and rolled back into the water. -At this juncture The Assiniboine, fairly put to shame, came to our -assistance, and we unpacked the animals and hauled them out. We were -quite benumbed by standing so long up to our waists in the ice-cold -water, and after we had got the horses across, as the rain still poured -down, we camped on a little mound in the midst of the dismal swamp. -There was no chance of finding any other provision, and we therefore -led out another horse and shot him at once. Another day was occupied in -drying the meat, and in mending our tattered garments as before. Mr. -O’B., who, it is only justice to say, had improved vastly under his -severe trials, was now plunged in the depths of despair. He confided -to us that he loathed Paley, whom he looked upon as a special pleader; -that his faith was sapped to its foundations, and--“_curis ingentibus -æger_”--he was rapidly becoming insane, adding that he should have -lost his wits long ago but for his book; and now, since he must be -deprived of that consolation, there could be but one horrible result-- -madness. And in truth we had noticed a remarkable change during the -last week. From being the most garrulous of men, he had lately become -the most taciturn; and although solemn and silent in company, he -muttered to himself incessantly as he walked along. Revived, however, -by a plentiful meal of fresh meat, he became more cheerful, took a more -orthodox view of the “Evidences,” the one-eyed spectacles again stole -on to his nose, Paley again came forth from the pocket of the clerical -coat, and he was presently absorbed in theology once more. - -The rest of us discussed our prospects, and various plans were -proposed. It was certain that the horses, already mere skeletons, could -not hold out many days longer, unless they found proper pasturage. -For a long time past indeed we had expected some of them to lie down -and die in their tracks. Their bodies mere frames of bone covered -with skin, their flanks hollow, their backs raw, their legs battered, -swollen, and bleeding--a band for the knackers’ yard--they were -painful to look upon. - -The project of rafting was renewed, for the river now flowed with a -tempting tranquillity; but the recollection of the Grand Rapid and -Porte d’Enfer decided us against it, and doubtless we thus escaped -great disaster, for we afterwards met with several dangerous rapids -in the river below. We agreed to stick to our horses as long as they -could travel, then kill some for provisions, and make for the Fort on -foot. The Assiniboine was utterly dispirited, and continued gloomy and -morose, dropping from time to time hints of desertion, and reproaching -us bitterly with having led him into such desperate straits. He camped -apart from us, with his wife and boy, holding frequent and significant -consultations with them; and it required all the forbearance we could -command, to prevent an open rupture with the man and his family. - -On the morning of the 18th, before we started, our ears were greeted -by the cry of that bird of ill omen, a crow--to us proclaiming glad -tidings, for it was a sure indication of more open country being at -hand. Our spirits were raised still more by observing during the day’s -journey signs of man’s presence as recent as the preceding spring--a -few branches cut with a knife, as if by some one making his way through -the bushes. - -A heavy thunder-storm which came on obliged us to camp very early; -but the next day we struck a faint trail, which slightly improved as -we advanced, and towards evening we found the tracks of horses. The -path disappeared, and re-appeared again, during the next two days, -and was still very dubious and faint, so that we were afraid it might -be a deceptive one, after all; but on the night of the 21st we came -to a marsh where horse tracks were very numerous, and found on the -further side, where we camped, a large cedar felled, from which a canoe -had been made. On a tree was an inscription which was not legible, -although the words seemed to be English. To our intense delight, the -next morning we hit upon a trail where the trees had been “blazed,” or -marked with an axe a long time ago, and old marten-traps at intervals -informed us that we had at last touched the extreme end of an old -trapping path from the Fort. The valley began rapidly to expand, the -hills became lower, the trail continued to become more and more beaten, -and at noon on the 22nd we fairly shouted for joy as we emerged from -the gloom in which we had so long been imprisoned, on to a beautiful -little prairie, and saw before us a free, open country, diversified -with rounded hills and stretches of woodland. We stopped with one -accord, and lay down on the green turf, basking in the sun, whilst we -allowed our horses to feed on the rich prairie grass, such as they had -not tasted since leaving Edmonton. - -The day was gloriously bright and fine, and the delight with which we -gazed upon the beautiful landscape before us will be appreciated, if -the reader will reflect that we had travelled for more than eleven -weeks without cessation, and for the last month had been lost in the -forest, starving, over-worked, almost hopeless of escape. Even Mr. -O’B., who had resumed the study of Paley with renewed zest, looked up -from his book from time to time, and ventured to express a hope that we -_might_ escape, after all, and offered his advice upon the course to be -pursued in the happier time at hand. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - - On a Trail again--The Effect on Ourselves and the Horses--The - Changed Aspect of the Country--Wild Fruits--Signs of Man - Increase--Our Enthusiastic Greeting--Starving Again--Mr. - O’B. finds Caliban--His Affectionate Behaviour to Him--The - Indians’ Camp--Information about Kamloops--Bartering for Food-- - Clearwater River--Cross the Thompson--The Lily-Berries--Mr. - O’B. and the Assiniboine Fall Out--Mr. O’B. flees to the Woods-- - Accuses the Assiniboine of an Attempt to Murder Him--Trading for - Potatoes--More Shushwaps--Coffee and Pipes--Curious Custom of - the Tribe--Kamloops in Sight--Ho! for the Fort--Mr. O’B. takes - to his Heels--Captain St. Paul--A Good Supper--Doubts as to - our Reception--Our Forbidding Appearance--Our Troubles at an - End--Rest. - - -The trail was well worn and cleared, and after we reached the little -prairie we were able to proceed at a great pace; the horses as -inspirited as ourselves by the pleasing change, occasionally broke -into a trot, although, from their skeleton-like appearance, we almost -expected the shaking would cause them to tumble to pieces. The river -again became a rapid, and a dark hill, running east and west, loomed up -ahead, as if closing in the valley. But the country around had assumed -a Californian aspect--the colour of a lithograph--rolling swells, -brown with bunch-grass, and studded with scattered yellow pines. The -more sandy hills were covered with small spruce, and there, too, grew -quantities of bilberries as large as English grapes, and of delicious -flavour. Here and there wild cherry-trees, or thorns loaded with large -black haws, supplied us with a grateful though unsatisfying food. We -were up before daylight on the 23rd, eager to reach the Fort, and -journeyed through as pleasant a country and along as easy a road as -the day before, revelling in the broad sunlight. At noon signs of man -became more numerous. We found the print of a moccasin in the sand of -the river-bank, and saw an old canoe on the opposite shore. Presently -we were startled by the rustling of the bushes which closed in the -track before us, and, directly after, an Indian appeared, followed -by a squaw having a child upon her back. These were the first human -beings we had seen since leaving the Tête Jaune Cache, and the man was -immensely astonished by the greeting we gave him, shaking hands with -him violently, laughing, and asking questions he could not understand. -He evidently knew the word Kamloops, and we concluded from his signs -that we should meet more Indians shortly, and might reach Kamloops that -night. We hurried forward again for another ten or twelve miles, but -there was not a sign of the Fort, nor did we meet more Indians. On this -evening we ate the last morsel of dried horse, but resolved to trust -now to obtaining food from the Indians whom we expected to meet before -long. - -By mid-day on the 24th we reached another beautiful little prairie, -across which paths came into the one we followed from all directions. -We had just crossed a clear shallow stream, which we named Wentworth -River, when we heard Mr. O’B. shouting behind us, and calling loudly -for Cheadle. We stopped, and he came up, leading affectionately by the -hand a most hideously repulsive-looking Indian. He wore nothing but a -pair of ragged trousers, his skin was dirty, and his face perfectly -diabolical--a vast expanse of visage, in the midst of which a rugged, -swollen nose stood out, a mouth which yawned like the gates of Gehenna, -and eyes with a most malignant squint. Behind this monster, whom we at -once named “Caliban,” followed a younger fellow of more prepossessing -appearance; but Mr. O’B. regarded him not, pulling Caliban along, and -crying out, “Look here, my lord! look here, Doctor! I’ve been the -means of saving us, after all.” He chattered to his new-found friend -incessantly, patting him lovingly on the shoulder, and looking in his -face with most insinuating smiles. The two men made signs to us to -follow them, and we went with them to a little open space. Two squaws -and some children were seated over a fire, engaged in cooking berries -in an iron pot. Directly we mentioned Kamloops, they exclaimed, “Aiyou -muck-a-muck, aiyou tea, aiyou tobacco, aiyou salmon, aiyou whisky, -Kamloops!” from which we inferred there were abundance of good things -to be found there. The Assiniboine inquired by signs how long it would -take us to reach Fort Kamloops, and the younger man, in reply, imitated -fast walking, and then going to sleep four times in succession; -meaning thereby it would take us four days’ hard travelling to get -there. They offered us a portion of the berries, which we ate very -greedily, and then produced two rabbits, for one of which Mr. O’B. -gave a tattered shirt, and the other we bought for some needles and -small shot. Presently the old Shushwap we had encountered the previous -day turned up, hot and exhausted by his efforts to overtake us. He -hurried away again immediately, but returned in a few minutes with -some potatoes, to sell which he had come back in such haste. Mrs. -Assiniboine, to our surprise, produced a nice clean linen shirt of -Mr. Assiniboine’s, which she had managed by some means to save from -the general wreck, offered it to the old Indian, and the potatoes -were ours. We ate some raw at once, so famished were we; and when the -remainder and the rabbits were cooked, had a great feast. The Indians -agreed to raise camp and go with us, the younger fellow accompanying -us on foot, while Caliban took charge of the women and children in two -canoes. We came to a large stream flowing into the Thompson from the -west (Clearwater River), where we found Caliban awaiting us with the -canoes, by which we crossed to the southern bank, and there camped for -the night. - -During our journey the following morning we came upon the dead bodies -of two Indians--a man and woman--lying festering in the sun. They -were lying side by side, covered with a blanket, and all their goods -and chattels undisturbed around. We saw several more of these ghastly -spectacles afterwards, and made out from our Shushwap friends that -there had been a fearful mortality amongst the Indians, owing, as we -subsequently learnt, to the ravages of small-pox. At mid-day we found -Caliban and his ladies waiting to transfer us to the eastern bank of -the Thompson, whither the trail now led. We dined with them before -crossing, our fare being the fruit of a kind of lily, which tasted much -like the berry of the yew tree, and was exceedingly luscious. We ate -freely of it, both cooked and raw, and suffered horribly in consequence. - -When we had crossed the river, Milton and Mrs. Assiniboine accepted -the Indians’ invitation to go with them in the canoes, whilst the rest -brought the horses along the bank. Cheadle was shortly after seized -with severe pains in the stomach, accompanied by violent nausea and -vomiting. He was compelled to pull up and remain behind; and after -remaining some two hours, seated on a log in most woful plight, crawled -after the rest with some difficulty. He came up with them at the foot -of a steep, rocky bluff--to which we afterwards gave the name of -Assiniboine Bluff, from an incident which occurred there--up which the -trail passed by a tortuous zigzag. - -Up this the others led the horses one by one, the track, a mere ledge -of rock, ascending the perpendicular face of the bluff nearly to the -summit, and descending as rapidly by the other side. Last of all -Cheadle led his horse up the perilous path, and when he gained the top, -heard a great shouting and commotion going on amongst the party who -had descended before him. All was soon quiet, and by the time he got -down every one had disappeared. Darkness came on rapidly, the road lay -through thick wood, and Cheadle, hastening on, found The Assiniboine -and his boy at a standstill, unable to distinguish the trail any -longer. Although they had no provisions, there was nothing for it but -to give up the idea of meeting the canoe-party, as had been agreed, -and camp on the spot. Before very long it dawned upon Cheadle that Mr. -O’B. was wanting, and he inquired of the Assiniboine what had become of -him. The latter was evidently rather disconcerted by the question, and -answered in some confusion, “Il est bête! il m’avait querellé, et puis -s’est sauvé.” On cross-examination The Assiniboine confessed that he -had lost his temper with “Le Vieux” about his management of the horses, -and in his anger had struck him with his fist, whereupon Mr. O’B. fled -in terror, and disappeared in the woods. - -The night was pitch dark, the woods thick, and the trail very -indistinct. Mr. O’B. had the habit of always losing a good track in -broad daylight, and Cheadle felt serious apprehensions for his fate -now. But it was useless to look for him until morning, and the party -turned in supperless--the horses being in the same predicament. In -the meantime Milton had arrived in the canoe at a little prairie, -where were several Indian potato-gardens, from which Caliban and his -party provided a plentiful supper, and after waiting in vain for the -arrival of Cheadle and The Assiniboine, gave them up and sought -their blankets. Shortly before daylight Milton was awakened out of a -sound sleep by some one shaking him, and saying, “My lord! my lord! -you must get up directly; something very serious has happened,” and -Milton recognised the quivering accents of Mr. O’B. Quite at a loss to -understand how he had got there alone at that time, Milton sat up and -listened to his explanation. - -“My lord,” said Mr. O’B., “I accuse The Assiniboine of attempting to -murder me. We had some trouble with the horses, and as I stood by, not -knowing how to help, he came up to me with most fiendish expression, -and deliberately hit me a tremendous blow on the head with the back of -his axe. I was stunned, but managed to run off into the woods--hardly -recollect anything more--wandering about bewildered--‘_Hic mihi -nescio quod trepido male numen amicum confusam eripuit mentem_’--until -I caught sight of the fire, and found you here. You know, my lord, I -warned you and the Doctor at Edmonton of the dangerous character you -were trusting yourselves with. He is a most wicked man. I shall go -on to Kamloops as soon as it is light, and get out a warrant for the -apprehension of The Assiniboine immediately on his arrival.” - -Milton could not help laughing at his earnestness and fright, told -him that he must be mistaken as to the murderous intentions of The -Assiniboine, for had he struck him as described, Mr. O’B. would not -have wandered far. Cheadle’s party arrived in the course of an hour -or two, and we examined both The Assiniboine and his victim. A slight -swelling on Mr. O’B.’s occiput was the only injury to be discovered, -and we came to the conclusion that The Assiniboine’s account of the -quarrel was substantially correct. We rebuked the man very severely, -warning him of the danger of such behaviour in the country we were now -entering; while to Mr. O’B. we represented the absurdity of supposing -any murderous intent. But the latter was unconvinced. He dared not -leave the side of one of us for a moment, and it was most laughable to -observe how he watched every movement of The Assiniboine, apprehensive -of a renewal of hostilities. From Caliban we purchased a bucketful of -potatoes, for Milton’s embroidered Indian saddle and Mr. O’B.’s M.B. -waistcoat, the last article of trade he could rake up. Caliban and his -family bade us good-bye here, but the younger man and his squaw agreed -to guide us within sight of Kamloops. - -The following day we met some Indians, whom we took at first for -Mexicans, so little did they resemble the Red Men of the eastern side. -Their faces were of Asiatic cast, rather than the European character -shown by the fine bold features of the true North American Indian, the -countenance broader and rounder, the nose smaller and less prominent, -and the complexion darker and less transparent. Their horses were -equipped with Mexican saddles, and the bridles garnished by numberless -little bells. They treated us to coffee and a smoke, and who will -doubt the luxury of it to us, after six weeks’ abstinence? On the -afternoon of the 28th our guide turned back, after showing us a distant -range of hills which marked the position of Kamloops, and gave us to -understand that we should sleep there that night. The man had treated -us very kindly, and we presented him with the Assiniboine’s gun. We -heard afterwards that he dared not visit the rest of the tribe near -the Fort, afraid of retribution for a grievous offence against the -Shushwap laws. It seems to be the rule with them, as with the Jews, -that should a man die childless, his brother shall marry the widow. Our -friend had carried off a widow, and married her, whereupon the injured -brother-in-law vowed vengeance, and the offender feared to encounter -him. - -We walked on in the hot sun, weary, weak, and footsore, but at dusk -could not see our destination. We had not yet recovered from the effect -of the berries, and became so faint and exhausted that we yielded at -length to the request of The Assiniboine to ride on ahead, and leave -him to follow more slowly. Fortunately the horses had revived so much -with the good pasture of the last few days, that two were found able to -carry riders; and away we went, getting a canter out of our skeleton -steeds with much difficulty. Mr. O’B. had walked on before the rest, -in his eagerness to gain the protection of the law, and when we passed -him, began to run after us, crying, “Don’t leave me, my lord!” “Do stop -for me, Doctor! Please let me come with you!” But we had no compassion -on him, and galloped on. Whenever we looked behind us, we saw Mr. -O’B. still running at the top of his speed, afraid the bloodthirsty -Assiniboine might overtake him. We entered on a sandy plain, on the -further side of which were hills running east and west. The Fort _could -not_ be beyond them. On we went, hammering and shouting at our flagging -beasts, and ever and anon looking behind, when Mr. O’B. could still be -seen in the dim twilight, tearing after us with undiminished speed. At -last, after it was quite dark, we caught sight of a house, galloped up -to it, jumped off, left our horses to their own devices, and entered a -sort of yard, where were several half-breeds and Indians just rising -from their seats round a cloth spread on the ground, with the remains -of supper. An old Indian came, introduced himself, in a mixed jargon of -French, English, and Chinook, as Captain St. Paul, and inquired who we -were. We told him we had come across the mountains, and were starving, -begging him to give us some food as quickly as possible. He said we -should have abundance immediately, but that we must pay “un piastre -chaque.” We recklessly assured him that if it cost 100 dollars each -we must have it; and before long we were devouring a greasy mess of -bacon and cabbage and some delicious cakes, and drinking copiously the -long-desired tea. Before we had eaten many mouthfuls, Mr. O’B. arrived -breathless, but not the least exhausted, and attacked the good things -as savagely as ourselves. He was the only one of the company who had -the strength to perform the feat of running three or four miles, which -he had just accomplished. In about an hour The Assiniboine arrived -with the horses, and soon shared the delights of an unlimited feed. -The number of cakes we ate astonished even the Indians, whose views -on this subject are broad enough. Presently Mr. Martin and several -others arrived from the Fort, to be present at a half-breeds’ ball -which was to take place at St. Paul’s that evening. Mr. Martin received -us with great kindness, and invited us to take up our quarters with -him the next day. We were surprised to meet with such unquestioning -hospitality, for in truth we were as miserable and unprepossessing a -company as ever presented itself for approval: our clothes in tatters, -the legs of Milton’s trousers torn off above the knees, and Cheadle’s -in ribbons; our feet covered only by the shreds of moccasins; our faces -gaunt, haggard, and unshaven; our hair long, unkempt, and matted; and -we had no means of proving our identity, where our appearance was so -little calculated to inspire confidence or liking. But our story was -believed at once, and our troubles were over at last--at last! - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - - Kamloops--We discover true Happiness--The Fort and surrounding - Country--The Adventures of the Emigrants who preceded us-- - Catastrophe at the Grand Rapid--Horrible Fate of Three - Canadians--Cannibalism--Practicability of a Road by the Yellow - Head Pass--Various Routes from Tête Jaune Cache--Advantages of - the Yellow Head Pass, contrasted with those to the South--The - Future Highway to the Pacific--Return of Mr. McKay--Mr. O’B. - sets out alone--The Murderers--The Shushwaps of Kamloops-- - Contrast between them and the Indians East of the Rocky - Mountains--Mortality--The Dead Unburied--Leave Kamloops-- - Strike the Wagon Road from the Mines--Astonishment of The - Assiniboine Family--The remarkable Terraces of the Thompson - and Fraser--Their great Extent: contain Gold--Connection with - the Bunch-grass--The Road along the Thompson--Cook’s Ferry-- - The Drowned Murderer--Rarity of Crime in the Colony--The most - Wonderful Road in the World--The Old Trail--Pack-Indians-- - Indian mode of catching Salmon--Gay Graves--The Grand Scenery - of the Cañons--Probable Explanation of the Formation of the - Terraces--Yale--Hope and Langley--New Westminster--Mr. - O’B. turns up again--Mount Baker--The Islands of the Gulf of - Georgia--Victoria, Vancouver Island. - - -The sun was high when we turned out on the 29th of August. After a -substantial breakfast we crossed over to the Fort, which is situated on -the opposite side of the river. Here we were most hospitably received -by Mr. Martin and Mr. Burgess, who were in charge during the absence of -the chief trader, Mr. McKay. The first thing we did after our arrival -was to obtain a suit of clothes apiece from the store, and proceed to -the river, where we had a delightful bathe. We threw our rags into -the Thompson, donned our new attire, and then enjoyed the _otium cum -dignitate_ to our hearts’ content, and over grateful pipes inquired -the news--not of the day--but of the past year. Great events had -occurred during our seclusion from the world. We heard for the first -time of the marriage of the Prince of Wales, the Polish insurrection, -the prospect of war between Denmark and Prussia, the progress of the -American contest. But although this was delightful enough, it was -not the greatest pleasure we enjoyed. The height of happiness--we -say it advisedly, yet knowing the contempt which must overwhelm us: -it is true, oh, philosopher; it is true, dear lady, with strong mind -and spectacles, wearer of cerulean hose--the height of happiness was -eating and drinking! Deal with us gently, sour ascetics and stern -divines abhorring the carnal, and corpulent, virtuous magistrates who -sit in judgment on miserable creatures driven into sin by starvation-- -_expertis credite_. Have we not thousands on our side in this great -city who daily hunger?--not to mention a few aldermen and a well-fed -bishop or two to back us on principle? Talk not to us of intellectual -raptures; the mouth and stomach are the doors by which enter true -delight. Mutton chops, potatoes, bread, butter, milk, rice pudding, -tea, and sugar: contrast dried horse-flesh and water, or martens, or -nothing at all, with these luxuries! The ordinary bountiful meals of -the Fort were quite inadequate for our satisfaction, and we managed -to interpolate three more by rising early in the morning, before the -good people of the Fort were up, and breakfasting with Mr. and Mrs. -Assiniboine, who dwelt in the tent hard by, secretly visiting them -again between breakfast and dinner, dinner and supper. We rested -from eating only from a sense of repletion, not from any decrease of -appetite. Under this active treatment our meagre bodies rapidly waxed -gross, and three weeks afterwards Cheadle made the astounding discovery -that he had gained forty-one pounds since his arrival at Kamloops! - -The Hudson’s Bay Company’s Fort at Kamloops is situated on the south -bank of the Thompson, a few hundred yards below the junction of the -northern with the southern branch. Opposite the Fort the two streams -flow distinct in a common channel, the turbid, glacier-fed river from -the north contrasting with the limpid waters of the other, like the -Missouri after its junction with the Mississippi. The Shushwap branch -of the Thompson coming from the south turns to the west, to enter the -Shushwap lake, and flows in the same direction to Kamloops, below which -its waters are rendered muddy by the accession of the northern branch. -Seven miles below, the river expands into Lake Kamloops, and issues -from thence again clear and pellucid, to be lost at Lytton in the muddy -and turbulent Fraser. - -The country round Kamloops is of the Californian character before -described. Rolling hills, covered with bunch-grass and scattered pines, -rise in every direction. The pasturage is very rich and extensive, and -large bands of horses, herds of cattle, and flocks of sheep, are kept -here by the Hudson’s Bay Company. - -During our stay here, and in our subsequent travels through British -Columbia, we met some of the emigrants who had crossed the mountains -the year before, and heard the history of their adventures. It will -be remembered that when the first and principal body left Tête Jaune -Cache, they divided, one party making large rafts there to descend the -Fraser, whilst the others sought the head waters of the North Thompson. -Those who went down the Fraser, after much suffering and many mishaps, -eventually arrived at the Mouth of Quesnelle, having lost one of their -number, who sank from disease induced by hardship and exposure. The -party who followed the Thompson, about sixty in number, after vainly -endeavouring to cut their way to Cariboo, turned south, in order to try -and reach Kamloops. - -In a few days their provisions gave out, and their progress had been so -slow and difficult that they gave up in despair the design of making -their way by land. At “Slaughter Camp” they killed their oxen and dried -the meat; then built large rafts, on which they embarked, abandoning -all their horses, amounting to between forty and fifty. - -The Assiniboine had rightly interpreted the signs of their trail. All -went well with the voyageurs until they reached the Grand Rapid. The -men on the leading rafts did not perceive the danger until too late -to avoid it. The rafts were sucked into the rapids in spite of all -their efforts, and many of the unfortunate people drowned. Those who -followed were warned in time by the fate of their companions, and -succeeded in reaching the shore in safety. They had now to cut their -way along the precipitous banks which proved so difficult to us, but as -they landed on the opposite side of the river, we did not come across -their trail. After reaching the end of the Grand Rapid (Murchison’s -Rapids) they again made rafts, and, shooting the lower rapids safely, -arrived in wretched plight at Kamloops. - -The third party, consisting of five Canadians--three brothers named -Rennie, and two others, Helstone and Wright--crossed later in the -autumn, and obtained canoes at the Cache to descend the Fraser. The -Shushwaps there had informed us that they had discovered the canoes -lying bottom upwards, and their property strewn along the shore, below -some rapids, and believed that the whole party had been drowned. But -three of their number met with a far more horrible fate than this. We -now learnt that, in order to shoot the dangerous rapids with greater -safety, they had lashed the two canoes together; but in spite of this -precaution the boats were swamped. Two of the Rennies succeeded in -reaching the shore, and the other three men a rock in the middle of -the stream. For two days and nights the latter remained exposed to -the bitter cold of the commencing winter, without a morsel of food, -before their companions were able to effect their release. A rope was -at last passed to the rock, and the men hauled ashore, half dead with -hunger, and fearfully frost-bitten. They were so helpless as to be -quite unable to proceed further, and the two Rennies, having cut a -quantity of fire-wood, and given them almost the whole of their scanty -stock of provisions, set out on foot to seek assistance at Fort George, -which they calculated on reaching in six days. But they had under-rated -the distance; their path lay through dense encumbered forests, and -the snow had fallen to considerable depth before they reached the -Fort, frost-bitten, and almost dead from hunger and exhaustion, after -twenty-eight days’ travelling. Indians were immediately sent out to -the assistance of the unfortunate men left behind, but returned in a -few days, declaring the snow was too deep for them to proceed. Other -Indians, however, discovered the party some time afterwards. Helstone -and Wright were still alive, but, maddened by hunger, had killed -Rennie. When they were found they had eaten all but his legs, which -they held in their hands at the time. They were covered with blood, -being engaged in tearing the raw flesh from the bones with their teeth. -The Indians attempted to light a fire for them, when the two cannibals -drew their revolvers, and looked so wild and savage, that the Indians -fled and left them to their fate, not daring to return. The following -spring a party of miners, on their way to Peace River, were guided -by Indians to the place where these men were seen by them. The bones -of two were found piled in a heap, one skull had been split open by -an axe, and many of the other bones showed the marks of teeth. The -third was missing, but was afterwards discovered a few hundred yards -from the camp. The skull had been cloven by an axe, and the clothes -stripped from the body, which was little decomposed. The interpretation -of these signs could hardly be mistaken. The last survivor had killed -his fellow-murderer and eaten him, as shown by the gnawed bones so -carefully piled in a heap. He had in turn probably been murdered by -Indians, for the principal part of the dead men’s property was found in -their possession. - -The fourth band of emigrants--the party of three who preceded us by a -few days in the journey across the mountains, and descended the Fraser -in canoes under the guidance of the two old Shushwaps from The Cache-- -reached Fort George without any serious misadventure. - -Whilst taking our ease at Kamloops it may be well to consider the -question of the practicability of a road across the mountains by the -Yellow Head, or Leather Pass. The necessity for opening a communication -between the eastern and western sides of the Rocky Mountains, and -the advantages of a route across the continent which passes through -British territory, will, we apprehend, appear clearly enough upon a -more intimate acquaintance with the resources and requirements of -British Columbia. At present we wish merely to show that a road might -be constructed by the Yellow Head Pass without any great difficulty, -and that this route is in many respects superior to others hitherto -more generally known. In the first place, then, we may safely state -that, with the exception of one or two rocky and precipitous bluffs-- -few and trifling obstructions, compared with those which have been -so successfully overcome in making the road along the Fraser--there -are no engineering difficulties of any importance. From the Red River -Settlement to Edmonton, about 800 miles, the road lies through a -fertile and park-like country, and an excellent cart trail already -exists. From Edmonton to Jasper House, a distance of about 400 miles, -the surface is slightly undulating, the lower ground universally -swampy, and everywhere covered with thick forest. There is little -doubt that a better trail than the one at present used might be found -for this portion of the way, by keeping to the higher ground, for the -pioneers of the Hudson’s Bay Company sought the swamps in the first -instance, as offering fewer impediments to their progress, on account -of their being less heavily timbered. From Jasper House to Tête Jaune -Cache--the pass through the main ridge of the Rocky Mountains, about -100 or 120 miles in length--a wide break in the chain, running -nearly east and west, offers a natural roadway, unobstructed except -by timber. The rivers, with the exception of the Athabasca and the -Fraser, are small and fordable; even at their highest. The ascent to -the height of land is very gradual, and, indeed, hardly perceptible; -the level only 3,760 feet above the sea;[11] and the descent on the -western slope, although more rapid, is neither steep nor difficult. -From The Cache the road might be carried in almost a straight line to -Richfield, in Cariboo, lying nearly due west; the western extremity -of the pass, Tête Jaune Cache, being in latitude 52 deg. 58 min.,[12] -and Richfield in latitude nearly 53 deg. 3 min. 9 sec.[13] The region -to be traversed is mountainous and densely wooded, but the distance is -not more than ninety miles, according to the recent calculation of Dr. -Rae, which agrees with the six days’ journey, the estimate given us -by the Shushwaps of The Cache; and a road has already been made from -the Mouth of Quesnelle, on the Fraser, to Richfield, through similar -country. This would, therefore, complete the line of communication -through Cariboo to Victoria. An easier route might, perhaps, be found -by following the Canoe River, which is situate about twenty miles -south of The Cache, to its source in the Cariboo district, but nothing -is known of the country between Tête Jaune Cache and Cariboo, beyond -the general view of mountain and forest seen from Richfield and The -Cache. A third line offers itself by following the North Thompson to -the point where the Wentworth River enters it, about eighty miles north -of Kamloops. This stream, the Shushwaps informed us, came from the -Cariboo Lake, and passed through a tolerably open region. And lastly, -a road could be made down the valley of the Thompson to Kamloops, from -whence the Shushwap, Okanagan, and Kootanie districts--where diggings -of the richest kind have lately been discovered--and the road on the -Fraser, are easily accessible. From The Cache to within eighty miles of -Kamloops the only way lies through a succession of narrow gorges, shut -in on each side by lofty and inaccessible mountains. The whole of this -is obstructed by growing and fallen timber, generally of the largest -size; but the fact of our success in bringing our horses through -without any previous track being cut open, proves sufficiently that -there are no serious obstacles in the way of an engineer. There are no -great ascents or descents, and no bluffs of solid rock occur until the -last forty miles, where the country is otherwise open and unobstructed. -The flooding of the river by the melted snows from the mountains does -not interfere with the passage along the valley, for we traversed it -at the season when the waters are at the highest. The most serious -difficulty to the adoption of a route by Jasper House would be the want -of pasturage for cattle. The patches of open are few on the eastern -side, and although larger and more numerous within the mountains, on -the western side the forest is unbroken for above a hundred miles. - -Of the passes to the south, all, with the exception of the Vermilion -Pass,[14] descend abruptly on the west through rugged and difficult -country. The Vermilion Pass, which is the lowest, is 4,944 feet above -the level of the sea, or above 1,000 feet higher than the Leather Pass; -and although Dr. Hector states[15] that a road might be constructed -across it without material difficulty, it is open to the same objection -as the rest, that it communicates with the valley of the Columbia, -far to the south of the gold regions of Cariboo, passes through the -battle-ground of the Crees and Blackfeet, and is in unsafe proximity to -the American frontier. - -The principal advantages to be urged in favour of the southern passes, -appear to be that they communicate with more open country on either -side, that pasturage is plentiful along the road, and that from their -lower latitude they are liable to be blocked up by snow for a somewhat -shorter period. Against these the claims of the route by Jasper House -may be briefly summed up as follows:--First, it offers the most direct -line from Canada to Cariboo, communicating with the road on the Fraser -by the shortest route, since Tête Jaune Cache is in latitude 52 deg. 58 -min., Richfield Cariboo in latitude 53 deg. 3 min. 9 sec.[16] Secondly, -it is the only one which will afford easy communication with _all_ the -gold districts of British Columbia. Thirdly, it passes entirely through -a country inhabited only by peaceable and friendly Indians. Fourthly, -it is the easiest, lying only 3,760 feet above the sea,[17] with a -gradual slope on either side; and lastly, it lies four degrees north -of the American frontier. These considerations will, we imagine, cause -it to be eventually selected as the British highway to the Pacific; -and it is satisfactory to be able to state that Dr. Rae, who went out -in the spring of 1864 to discover the most suitable route for the -telegraph line which the Hudson’s Bay Company propose to carry across -the continent, decided upon taking it by the Yellow Head Pass, which -he surveyed as far as Tête Jaune Cache. We are permitted to remark -that his observations fully bear out the conclusion that there are no -serious obstacles to the formation of a road by this route from the -fertile belt of the Saskatchewan to British Columbia, as far as he -investigated it, viz., from Red River to The Cache. - -After a day or two, Mr. McKay returned, and very kindly engaged to find -us horses and accompany us as far as Yale, the head of navigation on -the Fraser, if we would remain at Kamloops a few days longer. Mr. O’B., -however, started at once for Victoria, eager to enjoy the pleasures -of a higher civilisation there. We must confess to a certain feeling -of regret at this, the first breaking up of the strange company who -had shared so many adventures together; and Mr. O’B. told us he bore -no ill-will, and would forgive and forget all his sufferings on the -journey. There were houses every six or seven miles along the road -from this point, and he set out, pack on back, without much fear of -danger before him. Yet, had he known that two men who had murdered -another coming down from the mines, were lurking in the neighbourhood, -he would have been very unhappy. One of these men was taken, a few days -afterwards, in the Bonaparte Valley; the other was supposed to have -crossed the Thompson, and to be lying concealed near Kamloops. - -Our horses were so weak that we left them at Old St. Paul’s to recruit -for a few days, and then brought them across the river. This was nearly -fatal to poor Bucephalus, who was too exhausted to swim, and narrowly -escaped drowning in the passage. They soon improved on the rich -bunch-grass, and we made a present of them to The Assiniboine, for his -use in re-crossing by the Kootanie Pass next spring. - -Numbers of Shushwaps frequented Kamloops, and their love of finery -made them very conspicuous amongst the roughly-dressed miners. The men -delighted in scarlet leggings, red sashes, and bright-coloured ribbons -in their caps; the women affected the gaudiest skirts, and the most -vivid-coloured handkerchiefs on their heads. They are beginning to -appreciate the advantages of agriculture, and grow potatoes with great -success; are keen traders, thoroughly acquainted with the value of -money, and by their labour alone as packmen, the miners were supplied -with necessaries for a long time, until a mule trail was cut open. -But although of superior industry to the Indians of the eastern side -of the Rocky Mountains, they compare very disadvantageously with them -in physique and intelligence, and presented many points of difference -from their relations we met at The Cache. They are of smaller stature -and less powerful build than the former; their faces are broader and -rounder; the cheek-bones higher; the nose smaller, less prominent, and -the nostrils more dilated. Their complexion is darker, and of a more -muddy, coppery hue than that of the true Red Indian, and their general -appearance so strange to our eyes when we first encountered a party -of them on our way down the North Thompson, that we never suspected -they were Indians, but took them for Mexicans, or some immigrants from -the east.[18] They are also talkative and mercurial, and exhibit none -of the dignity and conscious power which marks the Red Indian of the -plains. - -The tradition of the origin of their tribes, existing amongst some of -the Indians of British Columbia, appears to be a curious confusion of -the Bible histories taught them by the Romish priests, who have been -established amongst them for upwards of a century. For the following -version we are indebted to Mr. Greville Mathew, registrar of the -colony:--A race of men existed upon the earth at the time when a -great flood came. It rained day and night week after week. The waters -rose rapidly, so that all were drowned except one man. He made haste -to reach higher ground, and ascended a lofty hill. Still it rained -ceaselessly, the waters covered the face of the land, and followed -this last Indian relentlessly as he retreated higher and higher up the -mountain side. At length he gained the very summit, and as he sat and -watched, the pursuing floods continued to approach. In hopeless despair -he prayed to the Great Spirit, who responded to his prayer by changing -the lower half of his body into stone, so that, when the advancing -waters surged up to him, he remained unmoved. They rose to his waist, -and then the rains ceased and the floods began to subside. Although -delighted with his unexpected escape, the solitary Indian was oppressed -with dismay by the reflection that he was the only survivor, and in his -distress again prayed to the Great Spirit to grant him a “Klootcheman,” -or squaw. He then fell asleep, and after a time awaking, found his -lower limbs restored to flesh and bone, and a beautiful “Klootcheman” -by his side. From this pair sprang the Indian tribes in British -Columbia. This is a striking instance of a fusion of the story of the -creation with that of the deluge; originally derived, no doubt, from -the early Romish missionaries, but by lapse of time having passed into -a tradition of the tribes, and suggests a source of error affecting -philology. - -A fearful mortality has prevailed amongst them since the advent of the -whites, 300 having died in the neighbourhood of Kamloops alone from -small-pox the previous year. Their curious custom of leaving their dead -unburied, laid out in the open air, with all their property around -them, we observed on our journey to Kamloops, when, as the reader may -remember, we discovered many victims to the ravages of the pestilence. -Other diseases have been almost equally fatal, and before many years, -the once numerous natives of this country, although apparently easily -susceptible of a certain civilisation, will have diminished to a very -small company. - -On the 8th of September we left Kamloops with Mr. McKay, and -accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Assiniboine, the boy, and another Indian. -We had determined to take our friends down to Victoria, for, although -The Assiniboine had once visited the Red River Settlement, the woman -and boy had never seen anything more like a town than a Hudson’s Bay -Post. We crossed the Thompson at the foot of Kamloops Lake, which is -about twelve miles long and not more than half a mile in breadth, and -surrounded by fine rocky hills; then, leaving the river, we kept on to -the valley of the Bonaparte, where we struck the road from Cariboo to -Yale, as yet only partially completed. The Assiniboine and his wife -were both greatly astonished at the Queen’s highway, but the boy became -quite excited, exclaiming, whenever any person appeared in sight, -“Aiwarkaken! mina quatuck!” (By Jove! there’s another fellow!) But when -we encountered a real swell of the neighbourhood, driving a “buggy” and -pair, he was delighted beyond expression. We now followed the valley of -the Bonaparte until it joins that of the Thompson, viewing with wonder -the curious terraces which strike the eye of a stranger so oddly, and -give such a peculiar character to the scenery of the Thompson and the -Fraser. We first observed them on the North Thompson, some thirty or -forty miles above Kamloops, and they are invariably present all along -the main river until its junction with the Fraser at Lytton. On the -Fraser they stretch from a little north of Alexandria to the Cañons -above Yale, a distance of above 300 miles. These terraces--or benches, -as they are called in this district--are perfectly level, and of -exactly the same height on each side of the river. They differ from the -so-called “parallel roads” of Glenroy in their enormous extent, being -vast plains as compared with the mere ledges of the Scottish terraces, -and are also free from the erratic boulders which mark the latter. -In most places there are three tiers, each tier corresponding with -a similar one on the opposite side of the valley. The lowest of the -three, where the valley expands, presents a perfectly flat surface of -often many miles in extent, raised some forty or fifty feet above the -level of the river bank, with a sloping front, resembling the face of a -railway embankment. Higher still, the second tier is generally cut out -of the mountain side, seldom more than a few acres in extent, and -raised sixty or seventy feet above the lower one; while, marked at an -inaccessible height along the face of the bluffs which run down to the -river, and probably 400 or 500 feet above it, is the third tier. These -“benches” are quite uniform, and of even surface, entirely free from -the great boulders so numerous in the present bed of the river, being -composed of shale, sand, and gravel, the detritus of the neighbouring -mountains. They are clothed with bunch-grass and wild sage, while -here and there a few scattered pines relieve the yellow bareness so -characteristic of the district. Similar terraces were noticed by Dr. -Hector on the Athabasca, Kootanie, and Columbia Rivers, and they have -been also observed on some rivers in California and Mexico; but in none -of these instances do they appear comparable in extent and regularity -with those of the Thompson and Fraser. It is worthy of remark that in -nearly every instance where these terraces have been found, in various -countries, they occur in _three_ successive tiers, as in these of -British Columbia; which would seem to mark as many separate epochs when -important geological disturbances took place. - -[Illustration: THE TERRACES ON THE FRASER RIVER. - - (_See page 338._) -] - -Gold is found in all these benches on the Fraser in the state of the -finest “flour gold,” but not in sufficient quantities to satisfy the -miner when the richer diggings of Cariboo outrun all competition. There -seems to be some unexplained connection between these terraces and -the celebrated “bunch-grass,” for where the terraces commence on the -north, the bunch-grass is also first found, and both end together above -Yale. The rolling country between the two rivers is indeed clothed with -this grass, but it does not extend beyond the northern limit of the -terraces. In the valley of the Columbia, to the south-west, it grows -with great luxuriance, and here again the curious terraces are found. -The probable explanation of this circumstance is that the peculiar kind -of soil formed by the disintegration of the limestone, or soft volcanic -rocks, found in this district, is necessary to the growth of this -peculiar grass. - -Soon after we again reached the Thompson, we came to a place where a -portion of the road was not yet made, and led our horses over high -rocky bluffs, which at first sight appeared completely to bar all -passage. The trail was a mere ledge of rock of a few inches in width, -and conquered the precipitous ascent by a succession of windings and -zig-zags. The path was so narrow that it was quite impossible for -horses to pass one another, and as the river rushes hundreds of feet -immediately below, and even a slip would be certainly fatal, it is -necessary to ascertain that the road is clear before venturing over the -dangerous precipices. - -Along this part of the road we met a number of Chinamen at work -levelling the road, and their strange faces, large-brimmed hats, and -pig-tails caused intense amusement to our unsophisticated Assiniboines. -Further down a party of engineers were engaged in blasting the rock -where the road was to pass round the face of a bluff, and eight or -ten miles more brought us to the point where the road crosses to the -eastern bank of the Thompson. At this place, called Cook’s Ferry, we -stayed a night, and before we started in the morning some Indians -came in with the news that they had found a dead body stranded on the -shallows close by. We went to look at it with Mr. McKay, and from -certain marks tattooed upon the arm, and a complete correspondence -with the published description, we were satisfied that it was the body -of the murderer who had so long escaped pursuit. The man had probably -attempted to swim across the river in the night-time, and been drowned -in the rapids. Thus the only two men who had ever attempted highway -robbery in this colony--as far as we could ascertain--failed to -escape. The extraordinary rarity of crimes of violence in British -Columbia is owing, we believe, in great measure, to the vigorous -administration of the late Governor, Sir James Douglas, and the stern -justice meted out by Mr. Justice Begbie; but also in part, no doubt, to -the nature of the country. Shut in on every side by impassable mountain -barriers, the few outlets which exist are easily watched, and the -criminal has small chance of ultimate escape. - -From Cook’s Ferry the road continues to follow the eastern bank of -the Thompson to its junction with the Fraser at Lytton--twenty-three -miles; it is then continued along the same side of the Fraser for -thirty-eight miles, or within thirteen miles of Yale, where it crosses -the river by a beautiful suspension bridge. The road from Cook’s -Ferry to Yale, especially the part below Lytton, is probably the most -wonderful in the world. Cut out of the mountain-side of the gorge, it -follows the hills as they recede in “gulches,” or advance in bold, -upright bluffs, in constant windings, like an eternal letter S. The -curves of ascent and descent are as sinuous as the lateral; the road at -one time running down, by a series of rapid turns, to the very bottom -of the valley, and then rising as quickly to pass the face of some -protruding bluff, apparently a complete barrier to all advance, but -past which it creeps, looking from below like a mere line scratched on -the round front, 500 or 600 feet above the river. At these points the -road is partly blasted out of the solid granite rock, and the width -increased by beams of rough pine, which project over the precipice; but -it is yet too narrow for vehicles to pass each other, except at certain -points. There is, of course, no protecting wall; the road overhangs the -precipice, and nothing is to be seen supporting the platform on which -you stand--a terrible place to drive along, as we afterwards found. -The road has been made, in this skilful and laborious manner, from -where it first strikes the Thompson to Yale, a distance of nearly 100 -miles. - -The trail formerly ran up many hundred feet higher, the barrier bluffs -being passed by platforms slung by the Indians from the top of the -cliff by cords of bark and deer-skin. These consisted of a single -long pole, supported by a cross-pole at each end, the points of which -rested against the face of the precipice. There was nothing to lay hold -of, and a slip or hasty step, as the passenger walked along the rail -embracing the face of the rock, would cause the pole to swing away, and -hurl the incautious climber into the abyss below. - -The Bishop of Columbia, in his Journal, gives a very graphic -description of his journey along the old trail, in which he compares -his position to a fly upon the face of a perpendicular wall, in this -case between 2,000 and 3,000 feet high. Many a miner lost his life at -Jackass Mountain and Nicaragua Slide--places of this kind. There was -at this time no other way to the mines except a mule trail, little less -difficult, passing high over the mountain tops, and only available for -a short time in summer, on account of the snow. Supplies were carried -to the mines on the backs of the miners themselves, or packed on -Indians, who carried from 100 to 150 pounds over this perilous path. - -On our way we met many Indians still competing with the mule-trains. -Some of the men were loaded with 150 pounds, supporting them by a strap -across the forehead; the women carried 50 or 100 pounds; and one squaw -we met had on her back a fifty-pound sack of flour, on that a box of -candles, and on the top of the box a child. They seemed very jolly -and happy under their heavy labour, and never failed to salute us with -a friendly smile and “Klahowya?” or “How do you do?” The melody of -their voices and soft intonation was most pleasing, overcoming all the -roughness and uncouthness of the vile Chinook jargon.[19] - -Between Lytton and Yale lie most of the bars, or sandbanks, which -yielded such an extraordinary amount of gold when first discovered. -They are now deserted, except by a few Chinamen, who make from one to -ten dollars a day. As we descended the Fraser, the vegetation began to -change. The terraces disappeared, and the flat stretches, covered only -with bunch-grass and scattered yellow pine, gave place to an irregular -formation and a thicker growth of white pine, with here and there a -small birch, and a plentiful undergrowth of deciduous shrubs. - -On our way we passed many Indians engaged in salmon fishing, which -they practise in a very peculiar manner. They select some point in the -fierce rapids where a quiet eddy forms under the lee of a projecting -rock. Over the rock they sling a little platform of poles, within a -convenient distance of the surface of the water, and from this position -grope untiringly in the eddy with a kind of oval landing net. The -salmon, wearied by their exertions in overcoming the torrent, rest -for a time in the little eddy before making the next attempt to mount -the rapid, and are taken in hundreds by these clever fishermen. Here -and there were Indian graves adorned with numerous flags; and in many -instances carved images, nearly the size of life, and elaborately -painted, were placed around. The dead man’s gun and blankets, with most -of his other property, were generally suspended to poles about the -grave. Occasionally we passed an Indian winter store for fish--a rough -box, slung in a tree high out of reach. Some tribes bury their dead in -the same manner. - -About fifteen miles above Yale, the gorge through which the Fraser -runs, as it bursts through the Cascade Range, becomes very narrow, and -the river flows in a succession of terrific rapids, called the Cañons-- -or _canyons_, as the word is pronounced--for the remaining distance. -The mountains on each side, 3,000 or 4,000 feet high, seem almost to -meet overhead, peak after peak rising in close proximity. The Fraser, -rarely anything but a rocky rapid in any part of its course, here goes -utterly mad, and foams and rages down the narrow and falling channel -at the rate of twenty miles an hour. The volume of water which passes -through this outlet, here not more than forty yards in width, will be -more readily conceived when it is stated that the Fraser has already -collected the waters of over 800 miles, and amongst other rivers -receives the Thompson, of almost equal size with itself. Several -hundred miles above, each of these rivers expands into a broad and -deep stream, more than a quarter of a mile in width; yet at the Cañons -the vast accumulation is confined in a channel of less than fifty -yards wide. Huge rocks stand up in the middle of the stream in several -places, the waters escaping by a constricted passage on either side. - -The mass of the Cascade Range is grey granite, and the sides of the -chasm show beautiful sections of the rock, plaided with protruding -seams of white quartz, the harder rock having been worn away by the -action of the water, which the soft quartz seems to have resisted. -In many cases the opposite walls of the chasm correspond in a most -remarkable manner, so that they appear as if they would fit accurately -if placed in apposition, suggesting forcibly that they had been -portions of the same solid mass violently rent asunder. As we looked -on this and wondered, an explanation of the formation of the terraces -occurred to our minds. At one time the valleys of the Thompson and -Fraser were occupied by a succession of lakes, the Cascade Range being -the barrier which dammed in the enormous volume of water, and the -highest tier of terraces marking the level to which it rose. The tops -only of the lower mountains appeared at this time as rounded islands -above the surface. By some means--perhaps some grand convulsion of -Nature--the embankment of this huge reservoir broke down, the waters -partially escaped, and the lakes were drained down to the level of -the middle tier of benches. Twice more must a similar catastrophe -have occurred before the waters were lowered into their present narrow -and rocky channel. Each of these accidents must have been separated -from the preceding one by an immense lapse of time, during which -the enormous quantity of detritus accumulated to form the extensive -plateaux which have been described. - -[Illustration: YALE, ON THE FRASER RIVER. - - (_See page 347._) -] - -We arrived at Yale about four o’clock in the afternoon, and immediately -ordered the best dinner they could give us at the Colonial Hotel. The -house was kept by a Frenchman, who excelled himself on this occasion, -and provided a meal which to us, who had not eaten anything deserving -the name of a dinner for at least eighteen months, appeared perfection. -The champagne, however, and sundry drinks with fraternising miners, -caused us to wake with most tremendous headaches next morning. Some -of the visitors to the bar amused us greatly. One tall Yankee, -considerably intoxicated, was possessed with the idea that he was Lord -Nelson, and associating the great admiral in some way with cucumbers, -ate several in succession, to prove his identity. - -The little town of Yale is merely a single row of houses facing the -river, which, having just escaped through the Cañons, here sweeps to -the west, a broad and noble river. The town is built on a small flat, -backed on the north by lofty hills, and looking down the widening -valley to the south, where the receding mountains still tower up grand -and high. The situation is exceedingly picturesque, and the clean, -white, wooden buildings were as gay with flags as any Yankee could -desire. Gold may be obtained in the street of Yale, and a couple of -Indians were working with a “rocker” opposite the Hotel when we were -there. - -The next morning we bade good-bye to our kind friend, Mr. McKay, -and embarked on the steamer _Reliance_ for New Westminster. The -river expands rapidly below Yale, flowing between low, richly-wooded -banks. On the way we passed Hope and Langley, old stations of the -Hudson’s Bay Company. The site of the former is the most beautiful in -British Columbia--a wooded level shut in by an amphitheatre of lofty -mountains--Yale upon a grander scale. Before the discovery of the -Cariboo mines, it was a place of considerable importance, but has now -“caved in,” and become desolate. Soon after dark, we saw the lights -of New Westminster before us, and in the course of half-an-hour were -comfortably established at the Colonial Hotel. - -The city of New Westminster, the capital of British Columbia, stands in -a commanding position, on ground gradually rising from the river, which -is here three-quarters of a mile broad. The town has been beautifully -laid out by Col. Moody, R.E., the late Commissioner of Lands and Works, -and several streets of good wooden houses already exist. - -The great drawback to its situation is the dense forest of timber of -the largest size by which it is shut in. The little clearing which has -been already done has been effected with great labour by the help of -the engineers quartered there for several years; but, although the -land is fertile enough, the expense of clearing it is so heavy that but -little farming has been carried out. The place is still unsightly, from -the stumps of trees sticking up on every side. The river is navigable -to this point for vessels drawing eighteen or twenty feet of water, -and, should direct communication be established with England, it may -eventually rival Victoria. As yet, however, it is completely eclipsed -by that more favoured city. - -Staying only one night in New Westminster, we took our passages on -board the _Enterprise_ for Victoria, Vancouver Island, on the 19th of -September. We were presently surprised by encountering Mr. O’B., who -had come by way of Lilloet and Douglas. He was wonderfully altered -since we parted from him a week before. He, like ourselves, had become -somewhat corpulent, and had quite regained his spirits, and the -loquacity which had flagged so notably during our journey through the -forest. - -On entering the Gulf of Georgia, Mount Baker, a magnificent snow-clad -peak, about 10,700 feet in height, comes into view in the east, and -the thousand islands of the gulf, rocky or richly wooded, offer a -succession of beauties which render this voyage to Victoria one of the -most charming in the world. We reached our destination about dark, and -immediately betook ourselves to the Hotel de France. The proprietor, -however, mistrusting our leather shirts, and total want of luggage, -declared he had no room, and we moved off disconsolate. Before we got -far, a waiter came running after us to say it was all a mistake, and -requested us to go back, having, no doubt, discovered that we were -respectable, although at first sight our appearance was unpromising. -But we turned a deaf ear, and continued on our way to the St. George, -where we found capital accommodation, and having properly refreshed -ourselves, took the rough hint we had received, and betook ourselves to -the nearest tailor, to obtain more civilised attire. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - - Victoria--The Rush there from California--Contrast to San Francisco - under Similar Circumstances--The Assiniboines see the Wonders - of Victoria--Start for Cariboo--Mr. O’B. and the Assiniboine - are Reconciled--The Former re-establishes his Faith--Farewell - to the Assiniboine Family--Salmon in Harrison River--The - Lakes--Mr. O’B.’s Triumph--Lilloet--Miners’ Slang--The - “Stage” to Soda Creek--Johnny the Driver--Pavilion Mountain-- - The Rattlesnake Grade--The Chasm--Way-side Houses on the Road - to the Mines--We meet a Fortunate Miner--The Farming Land of - the Colony--The Steamer--Frequent Cocktails--The Mouth of - Quesnelle--The Trail to William’s Creek--A Hard Journey--Dead - Horses--Cameron Town, William’s Creek. - - -Victoria is very beautifully situated on the shores of a small rocky -bay--an indentation in the promontory which is formed by the sweeping -round of the sea into the land-locked harbour of Esquimalt. The site -was originally chosen by Sir James (then Mr.) Douglas, Governor of the -Hudson’s Bay Company’s territories west of the Rocky Mountains, for -the establishment of head-quarters, in place of Fort Vancouver, when -Oregon passed into the possession of the United States in the year -1844. Fourteen years afterwards, when the news of the discovery of gold -on the Fraser caused such excitement in California, the only buildings -were the Company’s Fort, and one or two houses inhabited by their -employés. In the course of a few weeks 30,000 people were collected -there, waiting for the flooded Fraser to subside, and allow them to -proceed to the diggings. Amongst this immense assemblage of people-- -the majority of them the most desperate and lawless of the Californian -rowdies--Governor Douglas, without the aid of a single soldier or -regular police-force, preserved an order and security which contrasted -most forcibly with the state of things in San Francisco and Sacramento -under similar circumstances. The city wore a very thriving aspect when -we visited it, and could already boast of several streets. The whole -traffic to and from British Columbia passing through it, has rapidly -enriched its merchants, and handsome brick stores are fast replacing -the original wooden buildings. - -We had by no means relinquished our intention of visiting Cariboo, -although we had failed to reach it by the direct route we had -originally projected. At Victoria we were more than 500 miles distant; -winter was fast approaching, and there was therefore no time to be -lost in setting out. We stole a day or two, however, to introduce -the friends we delighted to honour--Mr. and Mrs. Assiniboine, and -their son--to the wonders of civilisation to be found in Victoria. -To this end, we clothed them in gorgeous apparel, seated them in a -“buggy” drawn by a pair of fast-trotting horses, and mounting the box -ourselves, drove them in state to Esquimalt. They sat inside with great -gravity, occasionally remarking on the difference between bowling -along a capital road at the rate we were going, and advancing only -two or three miles a day, by hard labour, through the forest. Having -shown them a live Admiral, and a 100-pounder Armstrong on board -H.M.S.S. _Sutlej_, and completed the round of sights by showing them -the principal stores and the theatres, we left The Assiniboine to take -notes of what he had seen in a diary of hieroglyphics, which he had -instituted for the record of the wonders of Victoria. - -On the 29th of September we put a pair of socks, a flannel shirt, and -toothbrush apiece into our blankets, rolling them into a pack, miners’ -fashion, inserted our legs into huge jack boots, “recommended for the -mines,” and went on board the steamer _Otter_, for New Westminster. -The Assiniboine family accompanied us on their way back to Kamloops, -where they were to winter, intending to re-cross the mountains in the -spring by the Kootanie Pass. They were rather reluctant to leave their -new-found pleasures behind them, having been especially fascinated by -the ballet, and the delicacies provided for them by the pastry-cook. -Mr. O’B. remained in Victoria, re-establishing, under the worthy -clergymen of that city, the faith which had been staggered by his -over-dose of Paley. He had signalised his return to Christianity by -shaking hands with his ancient enemy, The Assiniboine, and the two -buried their former animosities for ever; for they are little likely -to meet again. At New Westminster we bade good-bye to the Assiniboine -family, who went forward to Yale, whilst we took steamer by the -Harrison River to Douglas, in order to see the rival route by the Lakes -and Lilloet. In spite of The Assiniboine’s cool confession that it -had been his design at first to desert us at Jasper House, when he -had solemnly promised to go through to the end, he had served us so -well, and led us so ably in a time of doubt and hardship, that we were -sincerely sorry to part with him and his family. They sailed up the -Fraser, and we stood watching them out of sight, wondering whether any -of the odd chances of life would ever bring us across them again. We -heard before leaving Victoria that, on his arrival at Kamloops, the -man was employed as a shepherd by Mr. McKay, and expected to return to -Fort Pitt in the following year, with a goodly string of horses. In the -shallows of the Harrison River we saw many thousands of spent salmon -wriggling and flopping about, half-stranded, and pursued by a number -of Indians, who were engaged in spearing them. Passing through Douglas -and Pemberton by the lakes and portages between them, we struck the -Fraser again at Lilloet, about 265 miles from New Westminster, and 300 -from Victoria. The scenery on this route, especially on Lakes Anderson -and Seton, is exceedingly wild and grand. Mountains rise abruptly from -the shores of the lakes on each side, steep, rugged, and barren; and -when we saw them their beauty was increased by the brilliant tints of -the American autumn. At various places on our way to Lilloet we heard -of our friend Mr. O’B., who had followed this route on his journey -down from Kamloops, instead of the one by Yale. He had found favour -with every one, for he knew the history family, friends, property, -and expectations of each, and the latest news of the neighbourhood -from which they came. At a certain town on the road, a number of -new-found friends and admirers, with whom he was spending a social -evening, observing the astonishing facility with which he imbibed his -native whisky, determined to see him under the table, and plied him -vigorously. But if their heads were hard, Mr. O’B.’s was harder, and -although he had not tasted any intoxicating liquor for two years, and -drank glass for glass with his entertainers without shirking, he proved -invincible. One after another the conspirators subsided helpless on the -floor, while Mr. O’B. remained sitting, smiling and triumphant, and -calmly continued to smoke his pipe, superior and alone! - -The town of Lilloet is situated on a grand plateau, one of the -terraces of the Fraser, which are here more than ordinarily extensive -and well-marked. The place was full of miners, on their way down to -Victoria for the winter. Drinking and card-playing went on until long -after midnight, amid a constant string of oaths and miners’ slang. -Our ears became familiarised with such phrases as “bully for you,” -“caved in,” “played out,” “you bet,” “you bet your life,” “your bottom -dollar” or “your gumboots on it,” “on the make,” “on the sell,” “a big -strike,” “can’t get a show,” “hit a streak,” and so on. We slept in a -double-bedded room, and towards morning there was a tremendous crash, -and Milton heard an angry growling proceeding from Cheadle, whose -bed had come down with a run. At daybreak we were aroused by a number -of fellows outside our door laughing, and shouting, “Who is this ---- -fellow putting on frills?” In a weak and absent moment Cheadle had -mechanically put his boots outside the door, as if expecting them to be -cleaned, and this had properly excited their derision. - -[Illustration: THE “RATTLESNAKE GRADE.” - - (_See page 356._) - -Pavilion Mountain, British Columbia; Altitude, 4,000 feet.] - -We now abandoned the idea of travelling forward on horseback, for we -were assured by several persons who had just arrived from Cariboo that -it would be impossible to take horses into William’s Creek on account -of the snow, which had begun to fall before they left the mines. We -therefore took our places in the “stage” running from Lilloet to Soda -Creek on the Fraser, 175 miles distant. A steamer plies between the -Creek and the Mouth of Quesnelle, a distance of sixty miles, and from -thence a pack trail runs to Richfield, in William’s Creek, the centre -of the Cariboo mines. The “stage” was a light open wagon, and besides -ourselves and one other passenger, carried nearly a ton of freight. But -we started with a team of five horses, two wheelers and three leaders, -and for the first day went along famously. “Johnny,” the driver, was a -capital whip, and quite a character. He was a regular Yankee, and his -Californian hat of hard felt, with a low steeple crown, and immensely -broad brim, gave him a ludicrous appearance in our eyes. He was like -all his race, a most unquiet spirit, always engaged in talking to us -or the horses, chewing, spitting, smoking, and drinking, and at the -last he was especially great; not a house did he pass without two or -three drinks with all comers. But in justice to Johnny, who was a very -good fellow in his way, it must be stated that he assured us that he -was generally a “total abstainer,” but occasionally drank for a change, -and then “went in for liquor bald-headed.” He was in the latter phase -during our brief acquaintance. - -The road, well made and smooth, and in many places eighteen feet wide, -crosses the Fraser by a ferry a short distance beyond Lilloet, and -then winds along steep hill-sides up the valley of the Fraser to the -north for twenty miles. At Pavilion Valley it turns to the north-east, -to the foot of Pavilion Mountain, where it ascends 1,500 feet by a -rapid zigzag. Here our team, now reduced to four, were quite unequal -to the task before them, and we clambered up the steep on foot. From -the top we had a good view to the south-east, and the curious formation -of the hill-side opposite attracted our attention. Near the top of -the hill was a hollow, and the surface below a succession of waving -swells, growing larger and larger towards the bottom. It seemed as if -the hollow was an extinct crater, from which the molten lava had long -ago flowed down in a billowy stream, and as if this, arrested at the -instant of its passage, had now become the grass-grown slope before us. -We had no time to go across and examine it carefully, but continued -our way over the grassy table-land on the top of Pavilion Mountain, -for six or eight miles. The road then went up rapidly, and brought us -to the top of the famous “Rattlesnake Grade.” We found ourselves on -the brink of a precipitous descent of 2,000 feet, and in full view -below saw the road following the configuration of the hill, with the -numberless windings and zigzags which had given rise to its name. Cut -out of the mountain side, and resting for several feet of its width on -overhanging beams, it was not broad enough to allow two vehicles to -pass in safety, except at the points of the turns, nor was there any -railing to guard the edge of the precipice. - -Every one immediately volunteered to ease the poor horses by walking -down, but Johnny negatived the proposition at once, and drove us down -at a furious rate, the heavily-laden wagon swinging round the sharp -turns in a most unpleasant manner. The giving way of the break, or of a -wheel, or the pole, must have been fatal; but all held together, as of -course it was likely to do, and we reached the bottom safely. - -[Illustration: A WAY-SIDE HOUSE--ARRIVAL OF MINERS. - - (_See page 359._) -] - -[Illustration: A WAY-SIDE HOUSE AT MIDNIGHT. - - (_See page 359._) -] - -After leaving Clinton, where the road from Yale comes in, the road -began to ascend, and on the right we passed an extraordinary chasm. -Commencing by a gradual depression at the northern end, it became a -deep fissure in the rocks about a quarter of a mile in length, ending -abruptly in the valley to the south. The depth of the gulf is some 400 -or 500 feet, and its width about the same. The sides of the chasm were -perpendicular and smooth, as if the rocks had been split asunder. The -road still went up, and after a few miles we reached table-land, -with a barren sandy soil, thickly covered with small spruce, and -intersected by numerous lakes. The accommodation along the road was -everywhere miserable enough, but after leaving Clinton it became -abominable. The only bed was the floor of the “wayside houses,” which -occur every ten miles or so, and are named the “Fiftieth” or “Hundredth -Mile House,” according to the number of the nearest mile-post. Our -solitary blankets formed poor padding against the inequalities of -the rough-hewn boards, and equally ineffectual to keep out the cold -draughts which whistled under the ill-fitting door of the hut. A -wayside house on the road to the mines is merely a rough log hut of a -single room; at one end a large open chimney, and at the side a bar -counter, behind which are shelves with rows of bottles containing the -vilest of alcoholic drinks. The miners on their journey up or down, -according to the season--men of every nationality--Englishmen, -Irishmen, and Scotchmen, Frenchmen, Italians, and Germans, Yankees and -niggers, Mexicans and South Sea Islanders--come dropping in towards -evening in twos and threes, divest themselves of the roll of blankets -slung upon their backs, and depositing them upon the floor, use them as -a seat, for the hut possesses few or none. The next thing is to have a -“drink,” which is proposed by some one of the party less “hard up” than -his friends, and the rest of the company present are generally invited -to join in. - -After supper and pipes, and more “drinks,” each unrolls his blankets, -and chooses his bed for the night. Some elect to sleep on the counter, -and some on the flour sacks piled at one end of the room, whilst the -rest stretch themselves on the floor, with their feet to the fire. -Occasionally a few commence gambling, which, with an accompaniment of -drinking and blasphemy, goes on for the greater part of the night. - -Descending from the high land, we came to the “Hundred Mile House,” -at Bridge Creek. This is the commencement of a tract of country more -fertile than any we met with, except that of the Delta of the Fraser; -and yet the amount of good land is of but small extent. Here and there -a rich bottom, a consolidated marsh, or the lowland on the banks of -some stream, had been converted into a productive farm, and the low -hills afford plenty of pasturage; but the whole of the rising ground -is merely sand and shingle, and nothing but bunch-grass flourishes -there. On the road we met a small bullock-wagon, escorted by about -twenty armed miners on foot. This proved to contain 630 pounds weight -of gold, the profits of a Mr. Cameron, the principal shareholder in the -noted Cameron claim. This gold, worth about £30,000, had been amassed -in the short space of three months, and represented probably less than -one-half the actual produce of the mine during that time. - -At Soda Creek we took the steamer for Quesnelle. Captain Done, the -commander, was a jolly, red-faced, portly fellow, of exceeding -hospitality. He invited us to his cabin--the only furnished room on -board--and bringing out a box of cigars, and ordering a whole decanter -full of “brandy cocktail” to be made at once, desired us to make -ourselves happy. Every quarter of an hour we were called out by the -nigger “bar-keep” to have a drink with the Captain and the “crowd,” as -the general company is termed. A refusal would have, been considered -grossly rude, and we had to exercise great ingenuity in evading the -continual invitations. The only excuse allowed is that of having just -had a meal, for a Yankee always drinks on an empty stomach, and never -after eating; and American manners and customs rule in the mines. The -steamer cost no less than 75,000 dollars, or £15,000; the whole of the -machinery and boiler-plates having been brought 200 miles on the backs -of mules. - -At Quesnelle Mouth we slung our roll of blankets on our backs, and -started on foot for William’s Creek. The road was very rough, a narrow -pack-trail cut through the woods; the stumps of the felled trees were -left in the ground, and the thick stratum of mud in the spaces between -was ploughed into deep holes by the continual trampling of mules. -The ground had been frozen, and covered with several inches of snow, -but this had partially melted, and rendered the surface greasy and -slippery. We stumbled about amongst the hardened mud-holes, and our -huge jack-boots soon blistered our feet so dreadfully, that by the -second day we were almost disabled. Fortunately we picked up a pair -of “gumboots”--long boots of India-rubber, used by the miners for -working in the water--which had been cast away by the road-side, and -substituting these for our cumbrous riding-boots, struggled on less -painfully afterwards. The trail, gradually ascending, passed along the -sides of pine-clad hills closely packed together, and separated only -by the narrowest ravines; we had indeed entered the same region of -mountain and forest which we had formerly encountered on the upper part -of the North Thompson. By the road-side lay the dead bodies of horses -and mules, some standing as they had died, still stuck fast in the -deep, tenacious mud. We passed a score of them in one day in full view; -and hundreds, which had turned aside to die, lay hidden in the forest -which shut in the trail so closely. Martens and wood-partridges were -numerous, and a tall Yankee, from the State of Maine, who had joined -our company, greatly distinguished himself, knocking them over with his -revolver from the tops of the high pines in a manner which astonished -us. As we approached William’s Creek, the ascent became more rapid and -the snow deeper, for the frost at this height had been unbroken. - -On the evening of the third day’s march we reached Richfield, -sixty-five miles from the Mouth of Quesnelle; but, acting on the advice -of our friend from Maine, walked on through Barkerville to Cameron -Town, lower down the same creek, where the richest mines were being -at this time worked. It was already dark, and we had a rough walk of -it--along the bottom of the narrow ravine through which runs William’s -Creek, scrambling over “flumes,” logs, and heaps of rubbish for about -two miles, before we doffed our packs at Cusheon’s Hotel. We had -reached Cariboo at last, although by a much more roundabout way than we -originally intended. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - - William’s Creek, Cariboo--The Discoverers--The Position and - Nature of the Gold Country--Geological Features--The Cariboo - District--Hunting the Gold up the Fraser to Cariboo-- - Conjectured Position of the Auriferous Quartz Veins--Various - kinds of Gold--Drawbacks to Mining in Cariboo--The Cause of - its Uncertainty--Extraordinary Richness of the Diggings--“The - Way the Money Goes”--Miners’ Eccentricities--Our Quarters at - Cusheon’s--Price of Provisions--The Circulating Medium--Down - in the Mines--Profits and Expenses--The “Judge”--Our Farewell - Dinner--The Company--Dr. B----l waxes Eloquent--Dr. B----k’s - Noble Sentiments--The Evening’s Entertainment--Dr. B----l - Retires, but is heard of again--General Confusion--The Party - Breaks Up--Leave Cariboo--Boating down the Fraser--Camping - Out--William’s Lake--Catastrophe on the River--The Express - Wagon--Difficulties on the Way--The Express-man prophesies his - own Fate--The Road beyond Lytton--A Break Down--Furious Drive - into Yale--Victoria once more. - - -William’s Creek takes its name from one of its discoverers, William -Dietz, a Prussian, who, with his companion, a Scotchman, named Rose, -were amongst the most adventurous of the pioneers of the Cariboo -country. Neither of them ever reaped any reward from the discovery of -perhaps the richest creek in the world. When a crowd of miners rushed -to the place, they left in search of fresh diggings. The Scotchman -disappeared for months, and his body was found at length by a party of -miners in a journey of discovery, far out in the Wilds. On the branch -of a tree hard by hung his tin cup, and scratched upon it with the -point of a knife was his name, and the words, “Dying of starvation.” -William Dietz returned unsuccessful to Victoria, and, struck down by -rheumatic fever, was dependent on charity at the time of our visit. - -The broken-up and irregular western flank of the Rocky Mountains -appears to be the true gold-bearing region of British Columbia. Gold -has indeed been found in nearly every part of the colony where it -has been looked for, but never in large quantities, except on the -streams issuing from this district, as the Eraser and Columbia with -their tributaries. It has been found also on the eastern slope, on -the North Saskatchewan and Peace Rivers. But the amount obtained on -the Saskatchewan has been inconsiderable; and it is worthy of remark -that, while this river takes its rise just to the west of the middle -line of the main ridge, Peace River, on which rich prospects have been -discovered, has its origin fairly on the western side, flows through -the auriferous tract for a considerable distance, and then turning -east, passes through a wide rent in the Rocky Mountains. In crossing -by the Yellow Head Pass, we met with carboniferous limestone, then -Devonian, and near Robson’s Peak, on the western slope, saw for the -first time the dark slates and schistose rocks, with veins of quartz-- -probably of the upper Silurian strata--which mark the auriferous -tract. West of this, an extensive region of what appears to be eruptive -trap commences, and probably continues up to the Cascade, or coast -range, to the westward; while to the south-east it stretches across the -valleys of the Fraser and Thompson to that of the Columbia. The Cascade -Range consists of granitic and plutonic rocks, and in places clay-slate -and semi-crystalline limestones occur. - -The district of Cariboo is the richest portion of the British Columbian -gold field, and here the geologic disturbance has been the greatest. -Cariboo is a sea of mountains and pine-clad hills, the former rising to -a height of 7,000 or 8,000 feet, surrounded by a confused congeries of -the latter. Everywhere the surface has been disturbed, so that hardly a -foot of level ground can be found, except at the bottom of the narrow -gullies running between these hills. Strata are tilted on end, and beds -of streams heaved up to the tops of hills. Round this centre of wealth -poured up from the depths below, the main branch of the Fraser wraps -itself in its semi-circular course, and has received from thence, by -numerous tributaries, the gold found in its sands. - -Gold was first discovered on the sand-bars of the Lower Fraser, in -the state of the finest dust. The old miners of California traced it -up the river, and followed it as it became of coarser and coarser -grain 400 miles along the Fraser, and then up the small affluents from -Cariboo. Here were found nuggets, and lumps of auriferous quartz. -The hunted metal was almost run to earth. But the exciting pursuit -is not yet quite over. The veins of auriferous quartz have not, so -far, been discovered, although conjecture points to their probable -position. Lightning, Antler, Keighley’s, William’s Creek, and many -others, all take their rise in a range known as the Bald Mountains, and -most of them radiate from one of them, the Snow-Shoe Mountain. Here -the matrix is presumed to lie, and although it may have been denuded -of its richest portion, carried down as the drift gold of the creeks, -fortunes still lie hid in the solid rock; and when the quartz-leads -are discovered, British Columbia may emulate California in wealth and -stability. The hundreds of mills in that country, crushing thousands of -tons of gold and silver quartz per day, have proved that this branch -of mining is far more paying and reliable than the uncertain and -evanescent surface diggings, which formerly there, as now in Cariboo, -furnished all the gold obtained. Several different qualities of gold -are found in Cariboo. In William’s Creek alone, two distinct “leads” -are found; one where the gold is alloyed with a considerable proportion -of silver, the other higher coloured and much purer. All the gold of -this creek is battered and water-worn, as if it had been carried some -distance from the original bed. At Lowhee, only three miles distant, -it is found in larger nuggets, less altered by the action of water, -and almost pure. On Lightning Creek the gold is smaller, much more -water-worn, but of the first quality. - -The great drawbacks to the mining in this district are, the nature of -the country, the mountains and dense forest forming great obstacles -to proper investigation, and rendering the transport of provisions -and other necessaries exceedingly costly; the long and severe winter, -which prevents the working of the mines from October until June; and -the great geological disturbances which have taken place, although -they doubtless are one cause of its exceeding richness, render the -following of the “leads” very difficult and uncertain. The two -former disadvantages will be removed ere long by the clearing of the -country, the formation of roads, and the employment of steam power to -drain the shafts. The difficulties encountered in tracing the course -of the gold are more serious; but more accurate knowledge of the -geological formation will give greater certainty to the search. At -present the changes which have taken place in the face of the country -continually upset the most acute calculations. The drift gold carried -down the streams settled on the solid “bed rock,” or in the blue clay -immediately above it, and has been covered by the gravel accumulated in -after times. Now, if the streams ran in exactly the same channels as -they did when the gold came down, the matter would be simple enough. -But great changes have taken place since then. At one point an enormous -slide has occurred, covering in the channel, and forcing the stream to -find a new course. At another, some convulsion appears to have upheaved -a portion of the old bed high and dry. In the first case the “lead” is -found to run into the mountain side; in the other it scales the hill. -But these eccentricities are only discovered by experiment, and many -a miner works for weeks to sink his shaft of thirty or forty feet, to -find nothing at the end of his labour. His neighbour above or below may -perhaps be making £1,000 a day, but the creek ran not through his claim -in these past ages when it washed down the auriferous _débris_. More -fortunate men, however, who, in mining phrase, “hit a streak,” often -make large fortunes in Cariboo in an incredibly short space of time. - -The extraordinary yield of the Cariboo mines may be inferred from the -fact that in 1861 the whole of the colonies of British Columbia and -Vancouver Island were almost entirely supported by the gold obtained -from Antler Creek alone; and from that time to the present year, or -for four years in succession, William’s Creek has also alone sustained -more than 16,000 people, some of whom have left the country with large -fortunes. And yet William’s Creek is a mere narrow ravine, worked for -little more than two miles of its length, and that in the roughest -manner. The miners are destitute of steam power, and many requisites -for efficient mining; and all that has been done hitherto has been mere -scratching in the dark. - -Out of many instances of the wonderful richness of these diggings it -may be mentioned that Cunningham’s Claim yielded, on an average, nearly -2,000 dollars, or £400 a day, during the whole season; and another, -Dillon’s Claim, gave the enormous amount of 102 lbs. of gold, or nearly -£4,000 in one day. One hundred feet of the Cameron Claim, held in the -name of another man, produced 120,000 dollars. - -The wealth thus rapidly obtained is generally dissipated almost as -quickly. The lucky miner hastens down to Victoria or San Francisco, -and sows his gold broadcast. No luxury is too costly for him, no -extravagance too great for the magnitude of his ideas. His love of -display leads him into a thousand follies, and he proclaims his -disregard for money by numberless eccentricities. One man who, at -the end of the season found himself possessed of 30,000 or 40,000 -dollars, having filled his pockets with twenty-dollar gold pieces, on -his arrival in Victoria proceeded to a “bar-room,” and treated “the -crowd” to champagne. The company present being unable to consume all -the bar-keeper’s stock, assistance was obtained from without, and the -passers-by compelled to come in. Still the supply held out, and not -another “drink” could any one swallow. In this emergency the ingenious -giver of the treat ordered every glass belonging to the establishment -to be brought out and filled. Then raising his stick, with one fell -swoop he knocked the army of glasses off the counter. One hamper of -champagne, however, yet remained, and, determined not to be beaten, -he ordered it to be opened and placed upon the floor, and jumping in, -stamped the bottles to pieces beneath his heavy boots, severely cutting -his shins, it is said, in the operation. But although the champagne -was at last finished, he had a handful of gold pieces to dispose of, -and walking up to a large mirror, worth several hundred dollars, which -adorned one end of the room, dashed a shower of heavy coins against -it, and shivered it to pieces. The hero of this story returned to the -mines in the following spring without a cent, and was working as a -common labourer at the time of our visit. A freak of one of the most -successful Californians may be appended as a companion to the story -just related. When in the height of his glory he was in the habit -of substituting champagne bottles--full ones, too--for the wooden -pins in the bowling alley, smashing batch after batch with infinite -satisfaction to himself, amid the applause of his companions and the -“bar-keep.” - -Our quarters at Cusheon’s Hotel were vile. A blanket spread on the -floor of a loft was our bedroom, but the swarms of lice which infested -the place rendered sleep almost impossible, and made us think with -regret on the soft turf of the prairie, or a mossy couch in the -woods. The fare, limited to beefsteaks, bread, and dried apples, was -wretchedly cooked and frightfully expensive. Beef was worth fifty cents -or two shillings a pound, flour the same, a “drink” of anything except -water was half a dollar, nor could the smallest article, even a box of -matches, be bought for less than a “quarter”--one shilling. Before -we reached William’s Creek we paid a dollar and a quarter, or five -shillings, for a single bottle of stout. - -Coin of any kind is rarely seen, gold-dust being the circulating -medium, and each person carries a small bag of it, from which the -requisite quantity is weighed out for each payment. - -[Illustration: MINERS WASHING FOR GOLD. - - (_See page 372._) -] - -In the mines we visited at Cameron Town the “pay-dirt,” as the -stratum of clay and gravel above the “bed-rock” in which the gold -lies is called, was from thirty to fifty feet below the surface. A -shaft is sunk to the required depth, and the “dirt” carried up by a -bucket raised by a windlass. This is emptied into a long box, called -the dump-box or “long tom,” having a false bottom of parallel bars, -with narrow spaces between them, raised a few inches above the true -bottom, across which several cross pieces are placed. A stream of -water, brought in a series of troughs called “flumes,” sometimes for -a considerable distance, pours into the dump-box at one end, and runs -out by another series of troughs at the other. As the dirt is emptied -in, a man armed with a large many-pronged fork stirs it up continually, -and removes the larger stones. The smaller particles and the clay are -carried down the stream, while the gold, from its greater weight, falls -through the spaces between the parallel bars of the false bottom, -and is arrested by the transverse ones or “riffle” of the true one. -The “pay-dirt” is generally not more than from three to five feet -thick, and the galleries of the mine are consequently very low, the -roof being propped up by upright timbers, and cross beams wedged in -above. The water is pumped out of the mines by a water wheel and chain -pump, but these are quite useless in winter, and become covered with -enormous icicles. One or two were still kept working, even at this -late season, by help of fires and roofing over. The Cameron, Raby, and -Caledonian Claims, three of the richest in William’s Creek, were, by -good luck, still in full swing, and we frequently went down with some -of the happy proprietors, and crept about the low dripping galleries, -washed for gold, or picked out the rich “pockets” formed under some -arresting boulder. In many places we could see the glistening yellow, -but generally it was imperceptible, even in the richest dirt. Mr. -Steele, of the Cameron Claim, kindly showed us the Company’s books, -from which it appeared that the yield varied from 40 to 112 oz. a shaft -in the day, and there were three shafts, making £2,000 to £5,000 per -week altogether. But the expenses were very heavy, averaging 7,000 -dollars a week, or about £1,500. Eighty men were employed, at wages -ranging from ten to sixteen dollars a day, or £2 to £3, and this alone -would reach £1,208. - -At noon, each day, the dump-boxes are emptied, and the gold separated -from the black sand which is always mixed with it. At the “washing-up” -of one shaft of the Raby Claim, which we saw, the gold filled one of -the tin cases used for preserved meats, holding nearly a quart, the -value of about £1,000 for fifteen hours’ work! Amongst the gold were -several shillings and quarter dollars, which had dropped out of the -men’s pockets, and turned up again in the dump-box. - -After going through the mines on William’s Creek, we walked over the -hill to Lowhee, a smaller creek, lying about three miles off in a yet -narrower ravine. The workings were very similar, but the gold was -richer and brighter, the pieces more jagged and angular, as if they had -not been carried very far from the original quartz reef. The Lowhee -gold is very pure, being ·920 against ·830 of William’s Creek. - -Before taking leave of Cariboo, we must not forget to mention glorious -“Judge” Cox, magistrate and gold commissioner there, prime favourite -of all the miners, and everybody’s friend. The “judge,” as he is -invariably called, after Yankee fashion, decides the cases brought -before him by common sense; and, strange to say, both winners and -losers, fascinated by the man, appear to be equally delighted with his -judgments. We received much kindness from him, and spent many pleasant -hours in his genial society. - -Nor would it be just to leave unnoticed the sumptuous dinner at which -we were entertained on the eve of our departure. The giver of the -feast, Dr. B----k, selected the ward of the hospital as an appropriate -dining-room, the single unfortunate patient in at the time being veiled -from sight by a sheet of green baize suspended from the wall. We had -soup, roast beef, boiled mutton, and plum pudding, with abundance of -champagne. The company was somewhat mixed, yet all fraternised with -easy cordiality. We had Mr. C----, manager of the Cariboo branch of -the ---- Bank, a gentleman of solemn aspect, and with a large -bald head, who wore spectacles, dressed in frock-coat, represented -respectability, and spoke on all points with authority; Mr. B. ----, -an old Hudson’s Bay man, highly convivial, delighting in harmony; Dr. -B----l, a medical gentleman, afflicted with the “_cacoethes bibendi_,” -as well as “_loquendi_”--a lean little fellow, with a large mouth, -who appeared in the full glory of a swallow-tailed coat, and was -perpetually smiling, yet, in reality, taking a gloomy view of things -in general; Mr. C----, a young lawyer, Irish and impressionable; Billy -Ferren, a successful miner, from his loquacity nicknamed “Billy the -Bladge,” rough, noisy, breaking forth into shouts and laughter; Dr. -B----k’s assistant, quiet and generally useful; and lastly, the lady of -the party, Mrs. Morris, more generally known by her Christian name of -Janet, fair, fat, and forty, and proprietor of a neighbouring house of -refreshment. She had kindly come in to cook the dinner, and when that -was duly set forth, she yielded to popular clamour, and joined us at -the table. - -[Illustration: THE CAMERON “CLAIM,” WILLIAM’S CREEK, CARIBOO. - - (_See page 373._) -] - -Before the cloth was drawn--metaphorically--_i.e._, whilst we were -still occupied with plum pudding, Dr. B----l, who had shown symptoms of -restlessness for some time, could repress the flood of eloquence rising -within him no longer, and having succeeded in catching the president’s -eye, and received a permissive nod in return, rose cautiously on his -legs. A vigorous rapping on the table procured silence, and Dr. B----l, -steadying himself by the table with one tremulous hand, and waving -the other gracefully towards ourselves, while the ever-beaming smile -irradiated his countenance, proposed Milton’s health in most glowing -terms, winding up his panegyric with a request for three-times-three, -and “He’s a jolly good fellow.” These were given uproariously--the -Hudson’s Bay man leading, and Janet bringing in an effective soprano. - -The eloquent Dr. B----l again rose, and proposed the health of the -other visitor in similar eulogistic terms, and that was drunk with -all the honours. When thanks had been returned by the honoured guests -in an appropriate manner, the irrepressible Dr. B----l rose for the -third time, and with grave countenance reproached the host for his -reprehensible neglect in omitting to propose the health of Her Most -Gracious Majesty the Queen. Dr. B----k felt humiliated; and although -urging in extenuation the precipitation with which his friend had -proposed the other toasts, fully acknowledged the gross disloyalty of -which he had been unintentionally guilty. He trusted the circumstance -might never come to Her Majesty’s knowledge; and he could assure the -company that the spark of loyalty never burnt brighter in any breast -than his. From his childhood he had been ready--nay, he might say -_wishful_--to die for his Queen and country. Animated by that desire, -he had gone out with the British army to the Crimea, and now, marching -in the van of civilisation in Cariboo, he was ready to die in the -cause. - -When Her Majesty’s health had been drunk amidst hearty applause, we -adjourned to the kitchen. More healths were drunk. Janet made a very -pretty speech, and presented Milton with a handsome nugget; Billy -Ferren followed suit with a second. Then each gave one to Cheadle -with similar ceremony. The irrepressible Dr. B----l rose every few -minutes to propose anew the health of one or other of the “illustrious -travellers,” and was remorselessly sung down by the equally -indefatigable Hudson’s Bay man, who always had “Annie Laurie” ready -for the emergency, and all joined in the chorus, and the obtrusive -speaker was ultimately overpowered. At last his eyes became glassy, -his smile disappeared, and he sat in his chair gloomily silent. All at -once, however, he got up, and rushing across the room, made ineffectual -attempts to force an exit through the mantelpiece, bobbing against it -very much after the fashion of a bird trying to escape through a pane -of glass; whereupon he was seized by the assistant, and led off into a -bedroom. Cards were now introduced, and we were initiated into “High, -Low, Jack and the Game,” and “Pitch seven up,” but were presently -disturbed by a tremendous crash in the bedroom adjoining; the assistant -ran out, and found Dr. B----l on the floor, having rolled off the bed -into a miscellaneous collection of pots, pans, brushes, and etceteras -which had been put there out of the way. - -After this interruption conviviality reigned again. We played “Pitch -seven up” till we were too sleepy to see the cards; the Hudson’s Bay -man tuned up indiscriminately, Janet sang “Auld Robin Gray” five or six -times, “Billy the Bladge” carried on a fierce argument with the manager -of the bank on colonial politics, everybody talked at the same time, -smoked and drank whisky until far on towards daylight, when we turned -out into the cold night with the thermometer standing at five degrees, -and made our way back to Cusheon’s. - -On the 30th of October, having spent ten days in William’s Creek, we -resumed our packs, and bade adieu to Cusheon’s, Cameron Town, and Judge -Cox, and started for the Mouth of Quesnelle. The snow had fallen to the -depth of six or seven inches, but this had been well beaten by previous -passengers. We reached the banks of the Fraser in three days, with far -greater ease than we had walked the same distance on our way in. To our -dismay, we found that the steamer to Soda Creek had stopped running for -the winter; but were relieved to learn that an open boat would start -for that place on the following day, in which we took our passages. The -owner of the boat, Mr. McBride, was one of a party which had ascended -the Fraser, and crossed to Peace River by Stuart’s and McLeod’s Lakes, -during the summer. They had followed the Peace River right through -the Rocky Mountains, and as far as Fort Dunegan, on the eastern side. -He described the country on the west of the mountains as resembling -the ordinary Fraser River country; but that to the _east_ of them a -mixture of fine woods and fertile prairies, abounding in game. On the -banks of Smoky River, one of the tributaries of Peace River, numerous -craters were observed, emitting dense volumes of smoke and sulphurous -gases from upwards of thirty funnel-shaped apertures, the size of -ordinary stove-pipes. The banks were in many parts covered with a -deposit of pure sulphur. On Tribe or Nation River, another tributary, -they found slate-rock and quartz veins, and very good diggings on some -of the bars. - -The boat in which we embarked was a large, strongly-built one, -constructed on purpose for the journey to Peace River. Forty passengers -were crowded into it, packed close as negroes in a slaver. The day -was very cold, and the snow fell heavily, wetting us through before -long; and the pools of “slush,” which formed at the bottom of the -boat, made our feet ache again with cold. A little below Quesnelle -Mouth is a rather dangerous “riffle,” or rapid, of lumpy water, where -the whirlpool is said to have sucked down canoes head foremost. We -shot this safely, although we shipped some water, and continued to run -down the stream at a great pace, until just after passing Alexandria, -when we stuck fast on a shallow rapid. The boat could not be got off -by any amount of pushing, and McBride called for volunteers to jump -overboard, and lighten the boat. Five or six fellows at once responded, -and as the boat was still immovable, each took another on his back, -and proceeded towards the shore. One little fellow, carrying a huge -six-feet Yankee, stumbled and fell, with his rider; both were soused -overhead, and essayed several times in vain to gain their legs, for the -current was so powerful that it swept them down at each attempt. The -lookers-on roared with laughter, but it was no joke to the sufferers -to be immersed in the icy waters of the Fraser on such a day. The -boat was now lifted off the shallow, the waders re-embarked, and we -continued our course until nearly dark, when McBride proposed to land -and camp for the night, as we were still many miles from Soda Creek, -and there were several awkward rapids before us. A few daredevils voted -for going forward, but the majority decided against it, and we pulled -in to the bank, at a place where there were some large stacks of wood, -cut for the use of the steamer. Every one now tried to strike a light, -but Milton was the first to succeed, and we were soon surrounded by a -circle of roaring fires, at the expense of the owners of the Quesnelle -steamboat. McBride produced some loaves and a flitch of bacon, which -very soon disappeared before the fierce attacks of the hungry party, -and we then turned in on couches of pine boughs. It snowed fast all -night, and we woke up in the morning under a thick white counterpane. -There was nothing for breakfast, and as soon as the morning mists -cleared away from the river we took to the boat again, and reached Soda -Creek safely in about a couple of hours. We had taken our places in the -“express wagon,” running between this place and Yale with letters and -gold; but, as the express-man had not yet returned from Cariboo, we -walked on fourteen miles to Davidson’s, near William’s Lake. The farm -here is, perhaps, the finest in British Columbia, comprising several -hundred acres of low land on the borders of the lake, the delta of a -small stream which enters at this point. Potatoes and other vegetables, -barley and oats, flourish wonderfully. Wheat had been sown for the -first time that year, and was already above ground, but looked rather -starved and yellow. The scenery of William’s Lake is very beautiful; -bold, rugged hills rising up grandly on the west. - -The day after our arrival at Davidson’s a large party of miners came -in with the intelligence that a boat which left the Mouth of Quesnelle -the day after we did had been swamped in the rapids below. Seven or -eight persons were drowned, and one of the lucky survivors was a man -who carried several pounds’ weight of gold in a belt round his waist. -The force of the current literally threw him ashore, and he managed to -scramble out. - -In two or three days the express arrived, and we started for Yale once -more. When we reached the bottom of the ascent to the high table-land, -we found the road covered with a thick sheet of ice, and all hands had -to get out and push behind the wagon. The horses fell frequently, and -had to be unharnessed and put on their legs again; but, after many -delays, we got to the top, where the snow was deeper, and the horses -travelled better. - -We carried 170 pounds’ weight of gold with us in the express wagon, and -the fact that this, worth about £8,000, could be thus forwarded without -any escort, is the strongest possible testimony to the orderly state of -the country. In addition to the driver, there was one other passenger -and ourselves, yet the former was the only one armed. He told us that -he frequently travelled in charge of the treasure quite alone, and had -made up his mind that he should be attacked some time. The temptation -would be too great, and the opportunities plentiful enough along the -lonely 400 miles, where the houses were ten or twenty miles apart, and -passengers rare except at certain seasons. He looked upon “The Chasm” -as the most suitable and probable place of attack; its yawning gulf, -hidden from the road by bushes, and its bottom covered by _débris_ and -underwood, offering every convenience for the disposal of his body. He -was by no means nervous, or in any way unhappy, but laughed and talked -about his anticipated fate with careless indifference. - -Five days’ driving brought us to the terrific road between Lytton and -Yale, and as we sat in the wagon, within a few inches of the unguarded -edge of the precipice of 700 or 800 feet, running up and down the -steeps, and along the narrow portions, winding round the face of the -bluffs, we could not help an uneasy consciousness that a very trifling -accident might eject us from our lofty position into the depths below. -And what made matters look worse was, that our carriage was gradually -coming to pieces. First one spring broke, and then another, and we -bumped about on the axles. Next the splinter-bar gave way, and had to -be tied up with a piece of rope. All these would have been trifling -accidents had the road been of a different character, but when, to -crown all, the pole snapped in its socket, and the wagon ran into -the horses, we had good cause to be thankful that this had happened -in the middle of a flat, just after crossing the suspension bridge. -Had it occurred a few minutes sooner, we should doubtless have been -precipitated headlong into the Roaring Cañons. The pole was past -mending, so the driver took the horses out and led them back to a -house about half a mile distant, the rest of us remaining behind to -guard the treasure by the light of a large bonfire, for it was already -quite dark. In about an hour the driver re-appeared, accompanied by a -friend, bringing a large covered wagon, drawn by two fine Californian -horses. The fresh horses were put in as leaders, and we soon started -with our four-in-hand, rattling along at a headlong gallop, for we had -now two drivers, one who managed the reins, while the other vigorously -plied the whip. The express-man had brought a bottle of whisky back -with him, and he and his friend devoted themselves assiduously to it -in the calmer intervals of their joint occupation. After a time it -was discovered that the reins of the leaders were not crossed, and -consequently useless for guiding purposes; but the two Californians led -the way admirably, sweeping round every curve with great precision. -Much of the road was as dangerous as any we had passed before, but the -men shouted and whipped up, the horses galloped furiously, the wagon -whisked round the precipitous bluffs, and tore down the steep descents -in mad career. We reached Yale before midnight, having been little more -than an hour doing the last fifteen miles of this fearful road. - -Leaving this picturesque little town for the second and last time the -following morning, we took steamer down the Fraser once more, and -landed in Victoria again on the 25th of November. - - - - -CHAPTER XX. - - Nanaimo and San Juan--Resources of British Columbia and Vancouver - Island--Minerals--Timber--Abundance of Fish--Different Kinds - of Salmon--The Hoolicans, and the Indian Method of Taking them-- - Pasturage--The Bunch-grass--Its Peculiarities and Drawbacks-- - Scarcity of Farming Land--Different Localities--Land in - Vancouver Island--Contrast between California and British - Columbia--Gross Misrepresentations of the Latter--Necessity - for the Saskatchewan as an Agricultural Supplement--Advantages - of a Route across the Continent--The Americans before us--The - Difficulties less by the British Route--Communication with China - and Japan by this Line--The Shorter Distance--The Time now come - for the Fall of the Last Great Monopoly--The North-West Passage - by Sea, and that by Land--The Last News of Mr. O’B.--Conclusion. - - -After our return to Victoria we received a kind invitation from Captain -Lascelles to accompany him in H.M. gunboat _Forward_ on a cruise to -San Juan and Nanaimo. The cruise was most enjoyable; we inspected the -coal-mines of the future Newcastle of the Pacific, and enjoyed most -thoroughly the hospitality of Captain Bazalgette and his officers on -the noted island of San Juan. - -We had now seen a great portion of British Columbia and Vancouver. We -had travelled through the former from Tête Jaune Cache by the Thompson -to the mouth of the Fraser, and again through the heart of the country -to Cariboo. We found the country abounding in mineral wealth. The -extent and richness of the gold fields, added to every month by fresh -discoveries, would alone be sufficient to render the colony one of our -most valuable possessions. But the indications that many other of the -most valuable minerals will be found in British Columbia, as in the -neighbouring state of California, are strong. At present, however, -every other pursuit is put aside for that of gold, and the real mineral -wealth of the country is little known. Coal, however, crops out at -Alexandria, Similkameen, and Burrard’s Inlet. In the sister colony of -Vancouver are the magnificent beds of coal, which have been already -extensively and most successfully worked at Nanaimo for the last four -or five years. - -The timber of British Columbia is, of its kind, unequalled. The Douglas -pine, with its straight uniform trunk, exceedingly tough and flexible, -furnishes the finest masts and spars for the largest vessels. These -trees often attain a height of upwards of 300 feet, with a diameter of -ten feet. The white pine and the gigantic cypress, the latter exceeding -even the Douglas pine in size, grow together with it in vast forests, -yielding an almost inexhaustible supply. But perhaps the most striking -feature in the resources of British Columbia and Vancouver Island is -the extraordinary number and variety of the fish, which frequent the -shores and swarm in all the rivers. In the spring two kinds of salmon -ascend the Fraser, millions of “hoolicans” crowd into its mouth, and -shoals of herrings enter every inlet. The hoolican is like a sprat, -but a little larger, and is a very delicious fish, rich in oil. -Flocks of gulls hovering over the shoals announce the arrival of these -fish; and their extraordinary numbers may be imagined from the way in -which the Indians take them. The river is literally alive with fish, -and the native fisherman carries a long piece of wood, armed with -sharp-pointed wires on each side, like the teeth of a rake. This he -sweeps through the water as he sits in his canoe, after the fashion -of a paddle, and at each stroke brings up a row of hoolicans impaled -upon the spikes. Three fresh species of salmon continue to ascend the -river in succession during the summer and autumn, and in the winter a -fifth variety makes its appearance in the harbours and inlets along -the coast. We saw some of fifteen to twenty pounds each caught in the -harbour of St. Juan in the month of December. Salmon of some kind is -thus in season all the year round. Trout abound in the mountain streams -and lakes, and the sturgeon frequents the deeps of the Fraser. In -Burrard’s Inlet oysters are found in great abundance; and, in fact, -everything good in the way of fish seems to be collected in this, so -far, highly favoured country. - -From the richness and extent of its pasturage, and the dryness of -its soil and climate, British Columbia offers great advantages to -the breeder of stock. But there are certain drawbacks, the principal -of which is that an immense extent of country would be required by -each stock farmer. The only grass is the “bunch-grass.” It covers the -terraces of the Fraser, and the rolling swells and mountain-sides of -the central region. Growing in the separate “tufts” from which it has -taken its name, it fixes but a slight hold upon the light, powdery -soil with its slender roots. Horses and cattle pull much of it up in -grazing, and sheep, which thrive equally upon it, crop the delicate -plant so closely that it frequently does not recover. In this way the -Lilloet flats, which were once celebrated as rich feeding grounds, -have now become bare, dusty plains, on which a few scattered plants of -wild sage and absinthe still remain, where the bunch-grass has been -destroyed. The facts, too, that the bunch-grass requires three years -to come to perfection, and fully recover after being eaten down, and -that, from its mode of growth in distinct tufts, the ground is really -but scantily covered with herbage, confirm the belief that, for a stock -farm to be successful, its range of pasturage must be very extensive. -But there is room enough now, and any who may devote themselves to -the raising of sheep and cattle will certainly reap a rich harvest of -profit. Strange to say, from some cause--either want of capital, or -the prospect of more rapid profit from other pursuits--it has been -little followed hitherto, and the land lies open to the first-comer. - -The extent of agricultural land in British Columbia is very limited -indeed. With the exception of a small district between the south end of -the Okanagan Lake and the Grand Prairie, on the road from thence to the -Thompson River; a few other patches of good land in the interior; and -the delta of the Fraser, which is covered almost entirely with dense -forest, and exposed to the summer floods, it is a country of rocks, -gravel, and shingle. The surface of the country east of the coast -range of mountains consists, principally, of a high table-land, from -which rise up mountains and hills, and indented by the valleys of the -Thompson and Fraser, and their countless tributaries. These valleys are -deep and narrow, and their sides generally steep. On the table-land the -night-frosts, prevalent throughout the summer, preclude the cultivation -of almost every description of produce. In the valleys the land is -generally very dry and sandy, or stony, and unless some very perfect -system of irrigation and manuring is adopted, would yield a wretched -return. - -In all the instances we saw where attempts had been made to raise -crops of cereals on the terraces of the Thompson and Fraser, or, -indeed, anywhere in the region of shingle and gravel, they had failed. -Cabbages, and vegetables of similar kind, if well watered, seemed to -flourish very well; but the oats and barley were short in the ear, and -the straw weak, stunted, and miserable. Water is sufficiently abundant, -but the soil of the irrigated tracts is so extremely light, and in -most parts underlaid by such a depth of gravel and shingle, that the -water percolates through as through a sieve, and the streams disappear -without spreading over the surface. The decay of the sparsely-growing -bunch-grass cannot have rendered the land rich in vegetable mould. -Occasional fertile spots, of a few acres in extent, occur on the margin -of the rivers, as along the north and south branches of the Thompson -above Kamloops. There are also patches of good land in the vicinity -of William’s Lake, Beaver Lake, and Alexandria, which have proved very -productive. But these rich bottoms and alluvial lowlands are striking -exceptions to the general character of the country. British Columbia, -rich beyond conception in many ways, is _not_ an agricultural country. -Vancouver Island, too, is merely a huge rock, in the hollows of which -vegetable mould has collected. But this is often too shallow to be -worked with the plough, and these fertile oases are generally of small -extent--fit for gardens rather than farms. - -In consequence, therefore, of the deficiency of the two colonies in -this respect, their population is still supplied with provisions -from California, and their gold goes into the pockets of Americans. -California is probably the richest country in the world. Possessing -every valuable mineral in inexhaustible abundance--except coal, -which has not been yet found in any quantity--she has also a soil of -extraordinary fertility. Her mountains are of gold and silver, and -her valleys as the land of Goshen. Wheat grows so luxuriantly that -“volunteer crops”--the produce of the second and even third year from -the seed shaken out in the gathering of the previous harvest--spring -up without the labour of man. Fruits of every kind, from the apples, -pears, and grapes of temperate climes, to the pine-apples and bananas -of the tropics, come to perfection within her limits. Oats grow wild on -the slopes of the Sierra Nevada; and in the alluvial plains, besides -the ordinary cereals, flourish maize, tobacco, and cotton. - -It is far otherwise with British Columbia. She probably equals -California in mineral wealth, but, being as it were a mere continuation -of the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific, a sea of hills, a land of -mountains and forests, or shingly swells and terraces covered with -bunch-grass, the former looks in vain for rich alluvial valleys. No -colony has been more misrepresented than this. - -In former times, when a preserve for fur-bearing animals under the -sway of the Hudson’s Bay Company, it was reputed to be “little better -than a waste and howling wilderness, wherein half-famished beasts -of prey waged eternal war with a sparse population of half-starved -savages; where the cold was more than Arctic, and the drought more -than Saharan;” and that--to quote the words of the Chancellor of the -Exchequer in the House of Commons a few years ago--“these territories -were bound by frost and banked by fog, and woe betide any unfortunate -individual who might be so far diverted from the path of prudence as to -endeavour to settle in those parts.”[20] - -But the accounts sent to this country soon after the first rush of -emigrants to the land of gold, differed widely from the old story. -It was now as much the interest of speculators and property-holders -to attract emigration by exaggerated praise of the colony, as it had -formerly been that of the Hudson’s Bay Company to repel it, and keep -their possession intact by representing it as a barren wilderness. -The most glowing reports were sent home, and were published in the -leading newspapers. The new colony was represented as a very paradise -for the farmer, and many men went out believing this, to find bitter -disappointment in the reality. Neither of the two accounts is correct; -the truth lies, as is usually the case in like matters, between the -two extremes, and we have been induced to set forth the truth somewhat -fully, from a desire to do away with the injurious misconception which -has prevailed on this subject. - -Although there is little land fit for agricultural purposes within the -boundaries of British Columbia, the fertile belt of the Saskatchewan -is separated from it only by the barrier of the Rocky Mountains. Of -the beauties and resources of this pleasant land, we have already made -mention in these pages. The rich prairies, with from three to five feet -of alluvial soil, are ready for the plough, or offer the luxuriant -grasses, which, in the old time, fattened countless herds of buffalo, -to domesticated herds. Woods, lakes, and streams diversify the scene, -and offer timber, fish, and myriads of wild fowl. Yet this glorious -country, estimated at 65,000 square miles, and forty million of acres -of the richest soil, capable of supporting twenty millions of people, -is, from its isolated position, and the difficulties put in the way -of settlement by the governing power, hitherto left utterly neglected -and useless, except for the support of a few Indians and the employés -of the Hudson’s Bay Company. And this rich agricultural country lies -but a step as it were from the gold fields. It is the very supplement -required to British Columbia. That communication could be easily -established has been already demonstrated. Why, then, should not the -miners be supplied with provisions from British territory, instead -of from California, and the gold of British Columbia enrich British -subjects rather than Americans? - -We would not, however, stop here. The advantages of a route across the -continent of America, which passes entirely through British territory, -seem palpable enough. The Americans, ever in advance of us in like -enterprises--not from individual superiority perhaps, but having a -more liberal and less lethargic government--have constructed a road, -and laid a telegraph line across the continent to California, and have -commenced a Pacific Railway. Greater difficulties had to be encountered -in carrying a road over more barren prairies, where wood and water are -scarce, and which are infested by hostile Indians. The pass through -the mountains in American territory is abrupt and high, unlike the -easier gradients of the Vermilion and Jasper House passes. But all -these obstacles were overcome, and San Francisco is now in daily -communication with the Atlantic States by both post and telegraph; -the latter having paid the cost of its construction in a single year. -The principal obstacle to be overcome in carrying a road across the -continent which shall pass entirely through British territory, appears -to be in the district between Lake Superior and Fort Garry. This region -consists in great measure of swamp and forest, and considerable outlay -and labour would be required to render it passable. But Professor -Hind[21] has satisfactorily proved that the difficulties are far -from insuperable, and not worthy of consideration in view of the -magnificent results which would follow its successful accomplishment. -In California and British Columbia, where far greater obstacles have -been successfully overcome, such objections would be considered light -indeed. - -Nearly 200 years have elapsed since Cavalier de la Sale conceived the -project of opening a communication between the Atlantic and Pacific by -a route across the continent, and in pursuit of this scheme, in 1731, -the French Canadians were the first to reach the Rocky Mountains. Since -then the subject has been repeatedly brought before the notice of the -Government and the public. - -The dream of the old enthusiasts, of thus reaching China and Japan, -is on the point of being realised--not by Frenchmen or Englishmen, -but by Americans. They have already made the road across the continent -from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and as we write, the intelligence has -arrived that a bill has passed the United States Congress, granting -a subsidy for the establishment of a line of steamers between San -Francisco and Hongkong. - -Victoria, with the magnificent harbour of Esquimalt, offers far -superior advantages, for the coal-mines of Vancouver Island are the -only ones on the Pacific coast of North America. Victoria is but -6,053 miles from Hongkong, or about twenty-one days’ steaming; and -if a railway were constructed from Halifax to some point in British -Columbia, the whole distance to Southampton would be accomplished in -thirty-six days--from fifteen to twenty days less than by the Overland -Route _viâ_ Suez.[22] - -At the present time this subject acquires additional interest from -the projected Federation of the British North American Colonies, and -the uncertain condition of our relations with the Northern States of -America. - -The time seems to have come when the Hudson’s Bay Company, having -done good service by a beneficent rule over the territories granted -it, which contrasts strongly with that of the American Fur Companies, -should share the fate of all the great monopolies which have fallen -before it. Lord Wharncliffe has lately brought this question before the -House of Lords, proposing the formation of the north-west territory -into a separate colony, and inquiring whether any steps had been taken -in the matter. But of course the Government had done nothing, and -apparently has no intention of moving. - -Millions of money and hundreds of lives have been lost in the search -for a North-West Passage by Sea. Discovered at last, it has proved -useless. The North-West Passage by Land is the real highway to the -Pacific; and let us hope that as our countrymen gained the glory of the -former brilliant achievement, valueless to commerce, so they may be the -first to establish a railway across the continent of America, and reap -the solid advantages which the realisation of the old dream has failed -to afford. - -The _cacoethes scribendi_ is upon us, and we would fain run on through -many pages, to describe our sojourn in the fair land of California, -fruitful in strange scenes and curious adventures. But the reader, -wearied perchance by the dull details and prosings of this last -chapter, will agree with us that the book is already long enough, and -we dare not gratify our wish to write more. He might ask, however, -what became of our friend, Mr. O’B. That migratory gentleman, like the -Wandering Jew, or the soul of the celebrated John Brown, is doubtless -still “marching on.” When we returned to Victoria, after our journey -to Cariboo, Mr. O’B. had departed, and his portrait is therefore -wanting in the Frontispiece. He had “moved on” to San Francisco. When -we arrived in that city, he had “moved on” to Melbourne, Australia. -From there he has probably “moved on” to New Zealand, or again reached -India, to circle round to England in due course, happy in any country -free from wolves, grisly bears, and Assiniboines. - -The many kindnesses we received from Sir James Douglas, and numerous -other friends in Victoria, must remain undetailed, though not -forgotten. We sailed in the S.S. _Pacific_, on the 20th of December, -for San Francisco; were caught in a white squall off Neah Bay; the -boiler burst; and Christmas Day came off before we reached our -destination. - -The glories of the Golden City; the pleasures enjoyed in the society -of Mr. Booker, and the other kind members of the Union Club there; -the wonders of the Big-tree Grove in the Mariposa Valley, where grow -Wellingtonias (called Washingtonias in the States), upwards of 400 -feet high--higher than St. Paul’s--on the stumps of which are built -ball-rooms, and on the prostrate trunks bowling alleys; the beautiful -ladies of “Frisco,” as the Californians playfully denominate San -Francisco, and the fraternising rowdies of “Copperopolis” and Columbia -City, must remain undescribed. These things, and how we dreamed through -the voyage down the smooth Pacific, with the languid carelessness of -lotos-eaters; how we escaped the wiles of the grass-widow,[23] and -quarrelled with argumentative Northerners on board the steamer _Golden -City_, are they not recorded in our journals? - -We reached Liverpool by way of Panama and New York, on the 5th of -March, 1864, and entered at once into the pleasures of a return home in -the company of old friends, who welcomed us as we disembarked from the -_China_. - - - LONDON: - CASSELL, PETTER, AND GALPIN, BELLE SAUVAGE WORKS, - LUDGATE HILL, E.C. - - - - -FOOTNOTES - - -[1] Mr. Ross, the author of the “Fur Hunters of the Far West,” in his -“History of the Red River Settlement,” makes mention of a storm very -similar to the one described above. In that instance the party were -camping out on the plains; three tents were struck by the lightning, -and two men, a woman, and two children killed. Several horses and dogs -were also killed. The rain fell in such torrents, that in the course of -a few minutes the flood of water was so great that two small children -narrowly escaped being drowned. A summer rarely passes in Red River -without the loss of several lives by lightning. - -[2] About the year 1835 the colony passed into the possession of the -Hudson’s Bay Company, by purchase from Lord Selkirk’s executors. This, -however, made but little change in its condition, the government having -been exercised by the Company, for Lord Selkirk and his executors, from -the first foundation of the colony. - -[3] The pemmican used in the Arctic expeditions was manufactured in -England of the best beef, with currants, raisins, and sugar; very -different to the coarse stuff which is the staff of life in the -Hudson’s Bay territories. - -[4] Fat seems to be the _summum bonum_ in everything, according to -Indian and half-breed tastes. They say, “What a fine horse! he’s as fat -as possible!” “What a fine woman! how fat she is!” and the same of men, -dogs, and everything. And fat is very important in that country. It is -the most valuable part of food in winter, and horses and dogs will not -stand work in the cold, unless fat. - -[5] These Indians believe in one “Great Spirit,” or more literally -“Perfect Spirit,” the Manitou proper, and a great number of inferior -spirits, or lesser Manitous. They appear to address their invocations -principally to the latter. - -[6] The skin of a skunk, which had been thrown aside near our hut, gave -out no scent when the frost was very severe, but on the least abatement -of the cold, its odour was perceptible. From the variations in the -intensity of the smell we could judge very closely of the warmth of the -weather. The scent is by no means so disagreeable as it is generally -represented, and only when very powerful is it at all disgusting. The -Indians use the gland which furnishes the secretion as a cure for -headache, and other maladies. - -[7] From Dr. Rae, who crossed by the same pass the following summer, -we learnt that a report had reached Edmonton to the effect that we had -all been murdered by the Assiniboine, who was returning rich in the -possession of our horses and property. - -[8] Hugh Miller explains the formation of peat-mosses in Scotland in a -similar manner. The timber felled by the Romans to make roads through -the forest dammed up the watercourses; pools were thus formed, which -were gradually converted into mosses by the growth and decay of aquatic -plants. - -[9] The bighorn is something like an ordinary sheep, but with very -large head, and curling horns of enormous size. The “mouton blanc” -resembles the common goat, but has soft, white hair, more like wool. -The Indians of British Columbia weave beautiful blankets of this -material. Both the “mouton blanc” and “gris” frequent the highest -crags, and are active as the chamois. - -[10] The Iroquois are Canadian Indians, so celebrated in our war with -the French in Canada. They are perhaps the most expert canoemen in the -world, and were employed by Sir George Simpson and other governors -of the Hudson’s Bay Company, in their journeys from Canada through -the Hudson’s Bay territories, most of which were performed by water. -Many stayed behind at the different forts, and at this day Iroquois -half-breeds are met with at the Company’s forts even in British -Columbia. - -[11] According to the observations of Dr. Rae, with small aneroid -barometer. - -[12] Dr. Rae. - -[13] Lieut. Palmer, R.E. - -[14] See reports of Captain Palliser’s expedition, published in the -Journal of the Royal Geographical Society for 1860. - -[15] Journal of Royal Geographical Society for 1860; Dr. Hector’s -Report. - -[16] From the observations of Dr. Rae. - -[17] From the observations of Dr. Rae. - -[18] There is a most striking difference, however, between the general -physique and features of the two sexes amongst the true Red Indians. -The men are tall, and their features bold and prominent, the nose being -generally Roman. The women are generally rather short, their faces -rounder, and the nose squat. This difference was well shown in the case -of The Assiniboine and his wife, of whom excellent portraits are given -in the Frontispiece. - -[19] Chinook is a jargon which was invented by the Hudson’s Bay Company -for the purpose of facilitating communication with the different Indian -tribes. These were so numerous, and their languages so various, that -the traders found it impossible to learn them all, and adopted the -device of a judicious mixture of English, French, Russian, and several -Indian tongues, which has a very limited vocabulary; but which, by the -help of signs, is readily understood by all the natives, and serves as -a common language. - -[20] _Vide_ “Prize Essay on British Columbia,” by the Rev. R. C. L. -Brown, M.A., Minister of St. Mary’s, Lilloet. - -[21] _Vide_ “Overland Route to British Columbia,” by Henry Youle Hind, -M.A., F.R.G.S., and “Narrative of Canadian Exploring Expedition,” by -the same Author; also Captain Palliser’s Report in the “Journal of the -Royal Geographical Society for 1860.” - -[22] _Vide_ Dr. Rathray, “Vancouver Island, and British Columbia.” - -[23] A grass-widow in America is a woman who has separated or been -divorced from her husband. - - -[Illustration: General Map of BRITISH NORTH AMERICA.] - - - - -Transcriber’s Notes - - -Punctuation, hyphenation, and spelling were made consistent when a -predominant preference was found in the original book; otherwise they -were not changed. - -Simple typographical errors were corrected; unbalanced quotation -marks were remedied when the change was obvious, and otherwise left -unbalanced. - -Illustrations in this eBook have been positioned between paragraphs -and outside quotations. 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