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Les diegremmes suivants illustrent la mAthode. 1 2 3 4 5 6 ^p 1-: .%■ ■\ • #. -r: — '"•~~fr «♦ i.. 4th Session, Ist Parliament, 3t Victoria, 1871. RETURN To an Address of the House of Commons, dated 80th March, 1871 ; Report of Mr. S. J. Dawson, upon the Red River Ex- pedition of 1 870. Printed by Order of Parliament. ■^^- t. OTTAWA ^ Print«d br I. B. Taylor, 29, 31, & 33, Eideau Street. mi. # rmt", fH^^ w, V'^ ri' (' ^ N r^f^'f'*'^ •i f w. 'r 4, V ^4 &.: 1 ^^'( Sljt "H - J,.: \» ,^f \ \ ^> «♦ <%> ^t. ,^f \M ,v* ??^ 5S?r r^.'.v; O <^'* ,^^''Vi*' »t ^ ' V- jS ^^ \%i i?r ^ v?i %! i RETURN To an Adch'css of the House of Commons, ilatod 30th March, 1871, for copy of the Rei)ort of Mr. S. J. Dawson, upon the Red River Expedition of 1870 ; also copy of any document submitted by him in '-cferenco to the strictures \)ublished in England by an Officer of the Expeditionary Force. By Command. J. C. AIKINS, Secretary of State. Department of the SEORETAin- of State, • Ottawa, 5th April, 1871. * Ottawa, 22ncl March, 1871. Sir, — In submitting to your notice the following Report on the Red River Expedition, I beg to express the deep appreciation waich I must ever entertain of the cordial and unvarying support which, as being in chargt^ of the arrangements necessary for the trans- port of the Expeditionary Force through the uninhabited region west of Lake Superior, 1 experienced from your Department. I have the honor to be, Sir, Vour njost obedient servant, S. J. l^WSON. Hon. H. L. Langevin, C.B., Minister of Public Works, &c., erior frequently, I was in a position to explain to the Government that the reports as to its impractability were exaggerated, that it had been for many years the high- way of the Noi-th-west Company of Canada, and that, after the mountainous country on the borders of Lake Superior was ptussed, there would be no dLBSculty whatever in sending forward a force of considerable numbers, by means of boats. The suggestions which I had the honor to submit, in this regard, having been ap- proved of, the nrrices of the principal boat-builders throughout the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec wen speedily called into requisition. Eai'ly in January the first coxitracts were given out and the work of boat-building went on >»ithout interi-uption until the opening of navigation. At the same time a number of flat scows were ordered and built for use in shallow rapids, and every article of outfit that could possibly be required, whether in the way of digging fer the boats, tools for repairing them or outfit for the voyageurs, was provided in ample quantity. t I was furthermore dirncted (iii January, 1870), to increase the force on the Thunder Bay Road, in as far n» tho soaion and the nature of the locality would {Xirmit, bo as to h»v« the larger bridges completed and other necessnry preparations made, before the opening cf navigation. In order the bettor to ensure those instructions being carried out, an activ* and experienced ollicer, Mr. Lindsay Russell, was despatched by way of Superior City, from which i)laco ho had to walk two liundred miles on snow shoes to Thunder Bay. A copy of his instmictions is annexed, and I may here remark that he executed them with energy and skill. It was at this time apprehended that the insm'gonts at Red River might endeavour to tamper with the Saulteux Indians, a trib4 which occupies the country about Fort Frances and the Tjako of the Woods in formidable numbers, and in order to establish and Iceep up friendly relations with these Indians, by direction of the Government, I sent in- Mlruotions to a trusty agent at Fort William, to proceed to Fort Frances where ho had long resided, and cuter into communication with the chiefs and leading men of the tribo. A copy of these instructions is hereunto annexed. Before the navigation opened, it became necessary to secure the sernces of a number of skilled voyagcurs to manage and navigate the boats, and agents were accordingly despatched to the various localities throughout tho country where the desired class of men was to bo found. Fin'themiorc, in hiring men for the Public Works, in view of the probability of thr> necessity arising of their being required as voyageurs, such only were engaged as had had some experience in navigating the inland waters of tho countiy, or iii driving logs in rapid rivers. The total number of men thus engaged, either as workmen or voyageurs, was eight hundred, and it was kept at that number throughout the season. Having been in communication with the military authorities, at various times, during tho mouth of April, I wius most careful to inform them as to the condition of the Thunder Bay Road, and the character of tho country generally, through which tho Expedition would have to pass. They were furnished with maps shewing the length, respectively, of the portages and navigable sections ; and in order that there might be no misapprehension as to the state of the road, I submitted to them a memomndum of which the following is a copy ;— t " MEMORANDUM. " Ottawa, 25tli April, 1870. " When the work of road making was brought to a close last fall, a section of 25 miles, reckoning from Thunder Bay, was practicable to waggons, Avith only one interruption at the Karainistiquia, which was then unbridged, and continuing on the line an additional section of ten miles was cut out in such a way as to l^ practicable to oxen with sleds or carts. " The two large rivers — Kamiuistiquia and Matawin — which cross tho line, were bridged last winter, and bridges were also built over the more considerable of the smaller streams, so that, practically, tho work of bridging may be considered as completed. " It may be added that portage roads were laid out and opened, in as far as such work could be done in winter, between Shebandowan Lake and Lac des Mille Lacs. "At the same time instructions were sent to the officer in charge, to set all the avail- able force to work on. tho road as soon as the snow should have so far cleared off, as to admit of operations thereon being resumed, so that about eighty men are by this time engaged on the unfinished section of tho line. " An additional force of 120 men will be sent to their aid by the first steamer, and a week later, a further number of about fifty will go up. "OpENINC and iMPnOVEMENT OF THE PoRTAGES. "The voyageurs whogoupinchargoof the first shipment of boats should, immediately on thoir iin-iviil at Tluiiulcr Iliy, Ij > .s(n»t to open iintl iiii}»rovo Iho Porl:i;:,'»*.s liotwouu 8I10- Imndownn liRko and llniny Liikd, aiul for tliis itmposo thoy ciiu lu- supplidtl with amoos at Fort William, aia' outfit from tho ( Jovornnicnt stores at ilio woi k.s. *' Thk Wacoon Hkkvick. " Htablos will bo refjiimnl at Tlumdiu' Hay, at tho half-wiiy SLalion, luul at Sln;)>au (lowaii liftko, together with touts or huts for tlis coukl be fed. Tliese canii»s would only i'e([uiro oiu; or two men to be Btationod at each, to take care of the hay and oats, and have victuals in readi- ness for the teamsters as they passed. " lioth at Thunder Bay and the halfway Station of tli'j KaniniistiiiniM, it would be necessary to liave a blacksmith with shoeing a|»paratus and ;i Mipjdy of jiorse tiiiot'i. ♦ " Tlie waggon service would require in all — Teamsters 73 Men at Camps t Overseers 3 Blacksmiths 2 Clerk or time keeper 1 83 " Boats and SfPrtiES ovi;u Tulndkk JJay IJoad. " 0[»eiation.s in this regard may be at once conjuienccd by organizing the waggon ser- vice and sending boats, provisions, oats, hay, itc, forward to tho Mutawiu Crossing, 2r> niiles fi'om Thunder ^iiy. And at this point a small spaco sliould be cleared to guard against lire, and a few huts erected to serve as storehouses. " The Boat Servici::. " In providing for this, throe voyageurs should be suHlcieut for each boat, that is, with tho aid of the soldiers in rowing and in transporting articl(!S o\'cr tho Portages. "With this arrangement it would be necessary, that, in running rapids, the crews of two boats .should be put in one, running fii-st one, and then tho other. The voyageurs may not be all ecpially ex|iert, and, perhaps, four to each boat might, in some cases be neces- sary. " It is reasonable to believe, however, that after a little pi'actice, m:vny of the soldiers will become almost as skilful in the management of a boat as tho voyageur.s, and they will have had ;ui onp iLunity of gainhig experience bcforo any of tho difficult sections are reached. " In case of necessity, additional force can be supplied, to uomo extent, from among tho men on the woj-ks, most of whom have had more or less experience as boatmen. I'^jich brigade of boats would require an overseer voyageur, for the maiutenimco of discipline among tho crews, calling them to time in tho morning, etc. '* There jshould also be a clei-k or two attached to tho ioroo, to keep the time siud accounts of the voyageurs. " When the gr-aater part of tho boats, and a considerable [wrtion of tho supplies, have ro.iohed Shebandowan Lake, oxen and horses .should bo placed ou the Kji';haboiwe»Hcig!it of Land, Baril, Brul6, and French Portages, a.s follows : , " Ou Kashaboiwe Portage, 1 span of horses, 2 yoke of oxen. Height of Land, 1 span of hoi-sos, 2 yoke of oxen, Baril Portage, 2 yoke of oxen. Brule Poi"tage, 2 yoke of oxen. French Portage, 2 yoke of oxen, 2 span of horses. 'f 5 " It woiilil,at first, baroly bo jtossibk-, to .siipplv i»r.)vi^n(lci lor luir.ioa and oxou at, miv point beyond the Frcncli Portage, " AsHuming that on reaching Fort Franms, the forco will n-quiiv on.' Inin(lr(»l l.oiit:i, thorn will roniain forty, besides scows, with whioh to sond forward mipi.lio:} from Iho terminus of the Tlumder Bay road at Whelwtulowan 1/iko to Kort Fianvcii. "These might bo distributed on tliu difloront licoiiun.s ai follows : PiO'ils. Sco\.r-. " On Shobandowau Lake | Kashaboiwo Lako "j Summit Pond 1 Lac dcs Mill© Lacs ;; Baril Lake -2 Windogoostigoon Lakt».s l Kaogassikok Lake ;', Pond,Doux lliviiiivs J'ortagp 1 SturgeonLako i Hivcr between Sturgeon Lako and Island Portage 4 Nequaquon Lako ;\ Between Ncquaqiion and Nani(>nkan hakos, on South Channel 1 Nameukau Lake 2 Rainy Lake 6 Total 36 boats and G scows. Ivcsorro 1 to "By distributiiig the boatrf to bo employed in tli(> Irans^port of sui)j)lics in relays, as above, much labor in portaging will bo avoided, and fuwer men rcijuirod to man them, inasmuch as tho crows of diflorent sections can join together when necessary. " To man the boats in tho Lako region when distril)uted in this way, one hundred and thirty men, with three competent overseorw, would be sulUoicnt. Of those at least thirty men should bo stationed permamontly on tho rough section between Sturgeon Lake and Island Portage. "Three boat carpenters sho'.il-.I :','^eo!!ip;,:iy the ibrco with (t^ols and matcriRJ to make repairs when necessary. "Provision has already been made l)y tlio ({overnmciit for (he constj-uclion of the huts and stables referred to in tho foregoiuf;-, and uawed lumber Las been orcUued for those to be built at Thunder Bay. " (Signed,) S. J. Dawsok." Fully appreciating tho ditlioultios to bo encountered on ;• road of forty five miles in length, of which a stction of twenty live miles, only, Avas represented as being practicable to waggons, and an additional section of ten mile,^ o])enod so that oxen with carts or sleds could pass over it, His Excellency tho Lieutenant General Commandiug tho Forces de- termined on sending forward the regular ti-oops to aid in o])ening and improving tho road and the Colonel in immediate command of the expeditionary Field Force, also, well aware that much work was needed on the road, before the stores couKl pass over it, recommended certain companies of the troops to bo ser.t forward to aid in its constiuction. It had been suggested to tho military authorities that the troops might pass by land from tlie Lake of tlio Woo(Jh tp Kort (tarry ; but,, in onler tliiit thoy might be in a ponitionf to judgo for themselvcH hh to whether it would ho l>ett«r to go by that routo or by way o the Winnipeg, I sent them ii mcniorftiidum of which the following in a copy : " MEMORANDUM. " Lakk ok tiik Woods to Font Gahry. Otiawa, 18 April, 1870. "Accompanying tliifl nienioratiduni is a rough plan of the Winnii)eg River made from Track Survey, together with a tivblo of distances, showing the length of the PortAgen and Navigable Jaoctions, respectivcl}', between Rat J?ortage at the outlet of the lAke of tho Woods and I^ako Winni[»ng. From the Lake of the Woods to Fort Garry are two routes, the one by water, I )ciiig that ju8t roforrod to, and the other by land from the "North West Angle." " Having regard to tho passage of a largo body of meii with outtit and supplies tho following facts are submitted with a viow of supplying information on which an opinion can bo based as to which it wo\ild bo most advantageous to adopt. "Tiik Water Route. " By this route, tho distance between Rat Portage, at tho outlet of the Lake of the Woods, and Fort Alexander, at tho entrance to Lake Winnipeg, is in round numbers 149 miles. " In this distance tho number of l*ortagcs is twonty five and their aggregate length as ascertained by actual measurement tlireo miles and six chains. " The Winnipeg River [)resents no serious difficulties to the largest class of canoes and it has long been navigated by tho Hudson Bay Company's Boats. " In the navigable sections, tho depth of water is sufficient for large boats and there are but few heavy rapids to be run, and these short. " In several instances tho entrances to tho carrying places are close to the brow of the falls, and in such cases boats should be brought in with caution, one by one. " As a general rule, with practised guides and skilful boatmen, the Winnipeg may be considei'ed a safe river, or, if an exception exists, it is at the seven portages, which have always to be passed with great care. " As canoe men, tlie Indians who frequent tho Winnipeg cannot be excelled, and, as boatmen, many of them have had a good deal of experience. " The Winnipeg River, in its general character, may Ijo regarded as a scries of Lakes separated by short rapids or water-falls. A brief description of the different sections will be found in the printed slips annexed. " The Land Route. " The coimtry lying bctweon the Lake of tho Woods and Re|w, .si)rou(ling out to tho liori/oii on oithw side. The forcHt country ends at Ouk Point settleniont, and fVoni th»nco to Fort Garry the diHtuncs iH thirty inileH ovor opon ))nurie. " It should l»o raoutioned that on the Rod Uivor, which has to Ui crosstHl on approaxjh- ixig Foi-t Garry from the East, there is no bridge. Th« cliiinnel is 400 ftot in width and the water deep — carriages ai-o at present crossed by means of a scow. "The two Routks Comivvkicu. "The obstacles to the navigation of the Winnii)cg ni«y l»o bric^Hy snmnicd up ns pre- nentiug thj-oe miles and .six chains of land cariiago, in twenty five diffcnMit sections, the longest of which i.^ g of a mile in length. " On theother liand, the land route presents thirty niilos of road to bo opened, ninety miles of a march, and a br«ad unbridgod river, just in front of a foitress, to cros.s. "On the land route, moreover, even after the thirty miles of jiew road were opened, it is probable that there would be dilHc ulty in obtaining tlio means of transport ; ailded to which, it would be in the power of the insin-gents, if .so disposed, to offer serious op- position, on the march, more especially where the rood runs on a narrow gravelly ridgo «w described, with impaH.s8G 110 '230' '226' 'iio' '2Sg" 'iio' "cg' ' '«(')' Water Miles and Chains. 892 44 '"as" 'l",i22' "ioo ' '336' "iw' '"286 ""264 3.06 chs. 9. .20 21. .20 2.40 1. 17.40 21. 7. .05 1.16 4. 0. G. .10 REMARKS. -*•- Croed open portage. Good running. Fine navigable section. Run or portaged, according to height of water. Jn this section two rapids " Dcchai-g»5'* and "Stecprock." Approach with care. A heavy pitch to run or portage. 'Cave" rapids just below portage, short run, then fine Often run. [.among islands. Fine navigation, two ripples near " Chuto K Jacquot." Fine, after leaving foot of Chute. "I No difficulty, but care required with Ifoata, e.speeially at heat! of 2nd portage. Quiet water. Apjiroach this fall with caution. No impediment. No impediment. Always nin, but requires experienced guides, ^ Good, only one little rapid to nui. 2.08 16.40 '"!74' "'d.ho "".ho "3/" "•y." ' ' ' M "it." 6.50 145.45 - The total di.stance past the seven portages is under three miles. This is the worst, indeed, the only dangerous part of the Winnipeg. It is avoided except at low water, by going by the "Pinawa" Channel.— See Map. Good to Galais de Bonnet. Thiii hi the Imij^'eHt portage on tlie route, but it is wellopened. (^The two " Silver " Falls are in close proximity and can i be passed in one portage of twenty live chains. Two little rapids to run. Last portage. CO. Through Lake Winnipeg audupSedjRiver, no impediment. I 9 Synopsis. Mis. Ohs. " Navigable water in sections as above, betwewi Rat Portage and Fort Alexander 146.45 ■A-ggregjite length of Portages 3.06 Total US.61 Distances, hy Water Route, from Fort Frances to Stone Fort. Mis. Chs. Fort Frances to Lake of the "Woods, no imjieditneni 67. Lake of the Woods to Rat Portage, no impediment 64. Rat Portage to Fort Alexander, as per tal)le above 1 48.51 Fort Alexander to Stone Fort, no impediment 60. 339.51 Jfemorandum. "The Seven Poj'tages might be much improved by extending the carrying places, as follows : Yds. Chs. 1. Let a portage be cut from the head of the first chute, clear through to the foot of the 3rd chute. Its length would be 880 Then quiet water for 40 2. Portage past 4th Chute QQ Then quiet water for 48 3. Cut portage by which 5th and 6th chutes can bo passed at once . . 308 Then quiet water to 7th chute 60 4. Portago past 7lh chute 132 1386 148 "The 7th chute can be run, if the water should prove farorable. A few men of tho expedition, with Indians sent in advance, could soon prepare the portages in the manner above indicated." It would be tedious to enumerate all tht details of tho preliminary arrangements made to facilitate the passage of the Expeditionary Force through a wilderness which afforded notiiiug in itself. Suffice to say that, as tlie residt proved, there was scarcely an article which could by any possibility be useful omitted, nor a mechanic, whose services were likely to be callad into requisition, left behinrl. Among the civilians sent forward were boat builders with their tools, blacksmiths with portable forges and carpenters with the implements of their trade.. Waggoni for the road transport were provided by Col. Wiley of the I\tilitia Depart- ment, and by him, also, were purchased the supplies of flour, pork and other provisions for the Expedition. It is due t« that careful and energetic officer to say that the supplies were of excellent quality and put in packages of size and weight the best adapted to the means of transport. In order to establish and keep up regidar communication with the E.Tpedition, th« G!t)vernment chartered two steamers— the Chicora and Algoma—3iH mail boats, both well fitted up and adapted for ths conveyance of pussengei-s and stores. Tlieso steamers were to be paid at a fixel rate, and ware to run bitwe^n Colliugwood and Thunder B.iy, leaving the former plao?, alternatolr, at intervals of five days, throughout the season of navigation. 4.7—2 T 10 Advance of the Expedition to Thunder Bat, Lake Superior. The Algoma set out on lior fust trip on the 3rd of May and by her, voj^ageurs and workmen, to the number of one liundred und forty, were sent forward to Thunder Bay. An agent was at tlxo same time despatched to Sault Ste. Marie for the purpose of orga nizing a force to imi)j'ove tlie Portage road on the British side, and to provide means of embarkation at the head of the i-apids. The Chicora left CoUingwood on the 7th INIay, freighted with boats, stores, supplies and outfit. By this steamer an additional force of 1 20 workmen and voyageurs was pent forward. On reaching Hault Sto. Mario, liowevor, the canal, which is on the United States side, was found to be shut against Canadian Vessels and the Chicora had, in consequence, to discharge her cargo at the foot of the rapids on the British side. The voyageurs and workmen immediately joined the force which had been organized, according to the instruc- tions sent by the Ahjoma, to work on the Portage Road, and by the united exertions of the two parties it was quickly put in good order. At the same time, a small wharf was run out at the head of the raj)ids, to facilitate embarkation, and a scow, which had been brought from CoHingwood in litted pieces, was put together to serve the purposeof conveying troojjs and stores from the wharf, whore the watt* was sliallow, to vessels which came to anchor in t)ie river, which they had to do at some distance A'om the shore. In the mean time, the boats were being scut lajiidly forward ; those which had been built at Quebec and Toronto were brought by rail to CoUingwood to be there shipped in the regular steamers, while a propeller with two schooners in tow, freighted with boats and stores was passing up by the Welland Canpl. The steamer Ah/oma wluah, as stated, liad left Colingwood on tie 3)"d May, made rlie trip without interruption to Tluuider Bay ; but, on returning, according to an an-ange- ment made with her Captain, she did not re-pass the Canal, but remained at the head of the Sault Ste. Marie Rapids. Thus, although the Canal Avas shut, the precnutions taken t/ii.srued a line of commu- nication, the Ah/oma being available for transport on Lake Superior and the Chicora on Lako Huron, with an intervening Portage of three miles on the British side, at Sault Ste. Marie. The Canal being, for the time, closed to British Vessels, the Chicora on her next trip took foi'ward a detachment of Volunteers to Sault Ste. Marie, as well as a quantity of Military Stores and retuniing, was again ready to start on the 21st of May. By this ti'ip (21st May) there went forward several companies of the regular troops and a numlier of voyageurs and workmen ; on arriving at Sault St. Marie, it was found that orders had been .sent by the United States Authorities to allow Canadian vessels, having no troops or military stores on board, to pass through the Canal. In this state of nuvttcrs, the troops having been disembarked, on the British side, marched over the Portage Road, while the Chicora passed through the Canal. The Propellei- and schooners already referred to bad been in waiting for some days below the locks, and they also were permitted to pass. The troops were soon brought on board at the head of the ra]iids and the Chicora proceeded on her way to Thunder Bay, where she arrived on the 25th of ^lay. I may here remark that no action on the part of the Canadian Government could have provided for the arrival of the Troojjs at an earlier date ; when the Algoma set out from CoUingwood, on the 3rd of May, it was not even known that she would get through on account of the ice which generally remains in the straits, above Sault Ste. Marie, till a later time than that at which she would be there, and when the Chicora left on the 7th it was well understood that there was at least a proljability of her finding the Canal shut. In view of such a contingency, men had been set to work on the Portage Road, on the British side at the earliest possible moment, so that, if delay occurred, it was due to no remissness on the part of those who acted for the Canadian Government. The route being once fairly open, voyageurs, together with troops, military stores 11 T and bocats continued to i-.n In o from time to time, but although the Sault Ste. israrie fknal ■was now free to vessels with ordinary freight, it was still shut to troops and military stores, and it proved to be a very tedious process to get tlio large amouut of iirtioles laud(>d at that place, in the Hrst instance, over the portage. It was towards the end of Juiu; (about the 27th), before the last ofthe niilitaiy stores arrived, and a large proi)ortionof the horses and waggons did not I'each Thunder Bay until tliat time. I would invite particiUar attention to this tact, inasmucli as the state of the '1 hunder Bay road has been made to answer for the delay which occurred, when, up to tlio date I have stated, there was a deficiency in the means of transport, even for that })ortion of the road which was admitted to be in good order. Tliis deficiency in the means of transport, on the Thunder Bay road, might have been remedied, as I shall shew further on, by bringing additional muubcrs of horses and waggons from Collingwood. In the meantime, I may remark that no avoidable delay occurred in getting the stores over the Sault. 8te. Marie portage road. I'he work at that place was in charge of a most able and energetic officer, Coi. Bolton, and I had placed a strong force of voyageurs at his disposal. When I passed Sault Ste. Marirf, on the 23rd IMay, Col. Bolton, took occasion to speak in the highest terms of the aid which he had received from the voyageui'fe, and from Mr. Graham, the olHcer innnediately over them. The regard was mutual, and I have much pleasure in saying that Col. Bolton's kind ahd considerate bearing to the voyageurs and all with whom he came in contact, made him a general favorite with the civilian portion of the Red River expeditionary force. Lake Superior to Shebandowan Lake. The condition of the road when the first detachment of troops reached Thunder Bay, on the 25th May, was quite as good as it had been represented to be, or anticipated. The larger bridges, embracing two formidable structures crossing the Kaministi(iuia and Matawin Rivers, res])ectively, had been completed. A temporary bridge had been thrown over the Sunshine Brook, and material was in readiness for a similar structure at the Oskondag^ — a small stream at the further limit to which the road had reached — the distance practicable to hoises and waggons, reckoning from Thunder Bay,_was twenty-eight miles, and from thence a track, over which oxen with carts or waggons could pass, had been roughly opened as far as the Oskondage, which latter )ioint is thirty-seven miles distant from Prince Arthur's landing. The officer commanding the Field Force, accompanied by Mr. Lindsay Russell, rode over the line, to a distance of several miles beyond the ]Matawin Bridge, soon after his arrival, and expressed himself to the efl'ect that it was as good as he expected to find it, and quite equal to what the country roads in Canada usually are. At this time the voyageurs and other laborers, who had been sent forward by the Algoma were at work on the unfinished sections, and several companies of trooj)s were soon sent to repair such places as had sustained damage from the crib work on side hill cuttings having been partially destroyed by a great fire which had swept over the country, a few days previous to our arrival. In order the better to understand the measures adopted for the [)rogress of the ex pedition, it is necessary to have clearly in view the condition and character of the route between Prince Arthur's Landing and Shebandowan Lalie, at which latter place it was finally to embark in boats. The tlistance between these places is forty-five miles by land, but for three miles downwards from Shebandowan Lake, to a point now called " Ward's Landing" the Matawin River, although jtresenting a series of shallow raj ids, is navi- gable to flat scows, or lightly loaded boats. Ward's Landing was, therefore, the point to be attained with the road, as from thence to Shebandowan Lake material and supplies could be conveyed in scows, which had been provided for the purpose. The precise dis- tance between Prince Arthur's Landing, Thunder Bay, and Ward's Landing, is forty-one miUa and sevehty chains, of which a section of twenty-eight miles was practicable to horses with waggons, on the arrival of the first detachment of the troops. But, for the sake of lucidity iu description, let the waggon road be considered as ending at a place 12 called the Mata-vriu Briilgts twenty-five miles from Thunder Bay, as that is the point to which the waggons, in tlio H'/st instance, actually came. This waggon road was succeeded by a stretch of twelve miles, roughly openod, to the Oskondage, and this, again, by a further section of four miles and seventy chains, ending at Ward's Landing. This latter was being cleared on our anival. There were thus three sections of road, more or less advanced, viz. : 25 miles of •waggon road, followed by 12 miles of what is known in such cases as ox-road, and four miles and 70 chains of road unf* oxpose>d, irt such circumstances, four flat scows and two strong carvel lioats were sent u\), manned hy 18 of the most exjierienced of tlio voyageurs ami a company of soldiers. After seven days of uneeasint,' toil they had only reached the Kaministaquia JBiidge, some twenty miles hy th« road from Tliunder J>ay, and from tlience to the Matawin Briilf,'e, it was one continuous pull in flat and stony rapids. On arriving at the lattei- ))iace, tin; boats, strong as they were, were found to hare been sadly torn and scrajHul in the rapids, and had to ])e immediately placed in th(5 hands of the biiilders for repali-s. The scows having Iteen built si)ecially with a view to such work, were, of course, but little damaged. If all the boats should bo exi)osed to wi-eck in the channel of a river, for which they were never intended, there was reason to ai)pre]u!nd the most serious consetjuences as to the future i)rogre:is of the expedition. We were but at the outset of the journey, and it was of the utmost importance tliat tliey should reach Hhebandowan Lake, where the linal embarkation was to take place, in good order. I therefore urged strongly ujion the officer commanding the Field Force, tlie expedienoy of sending to CoUingwood for wag- gons, where, as the sowing .season was over, any number of farmers could be found ready enough to come forvrard with their teams. T\iis advice was to a certain ext(>nt taken, and a limited niunber of waggons and horses were brought from that place, but the military teams began to fall oil', as their drivers saiil, from starvation, Ix'iug allowed but military rations. Some (10 of them were in hosi)ital, and tliere were mntlier horses nor waggons to spare for the boats. Seeing therefore that there was nothing for it but the river, I sent voyageurs to im})rove the portages, and endeavoured to organize some sy.stem by which tlie boats might l)e in as far as possible saved from damage. As the chief responsibility of getting forward tlie ]*]xpedition was thus thrown on the voyageurs, at a time wjien the impression was entertained in some quarters that it must be abandoned, 1 may be permitted, before proceeding further, to olTer some rcmai'ks in regard to the men, from whom so nuieh was expected, and l.»y whoso exertions a very dilFerent turn was soon given to the gen(>ral prospect. The men forming the voyageur force, luul l)een engaged in various parts of the country, and comprised among their luimber, boatmen and canoeraen, from the St. Maurice, the Saguenay, and the Ottawa. Tliere were Iroquois from Caughnawaga, and Algonquins from the I^ake of Two Idountains, Metis fi'oin Per.t^tanguishcne and Sault St. Marie, raftsmen from the Trent, and pure Indians fiom various points on Lake Superior. The following list shews the numbers and the localities whence they came : Ottawa lliver 150 men. St. JMaurico and Saguenay Eivei's 121 ,, Penetanguishene, Manitoulin, and various points on Lake Huron 08 ,, lliver Trent lU „ St. LaAvrence, Caughnawaga, and St. Regis 99 ,, Lake Superior, Indians, and Half Breeds 117 „ Toronto G „ 705 men. The management and organization of such an assemblage, was, of coui'se, a matter requiring great care and circumspection. I could not at once turn them over to the military. Two classes, utterly unacquainted with each other's habits and mode of life, had to be brought in contact. The one Jiighly disciplined, but utterly inexperienced in the nature of the work to be undertaken ; the other, rough, ready and inured to hard- ship, but holding all tixed rules and resti-aints in abhorrence. On the one hand was the soldier, accustomed to obey orders and cheerfully do whatever might be required of him, without troubling himself as to its object ; on the other, the voyageur, generous and obliging, but in the habit of thinking and acting for himself ; he, at least, would have his views about what he was to do, and how he should do it, and would, without meaning it, be very likely to give oflence to those accnstomed to unquestioning obedience, 14 Under these circiimstancea, and after fully weighing the matter in all ita bearings, I conceived it better to keep the voyageurs, fur a time at least, as much as possible apai't from the military, and place them under officers accustomed to their management. I ■woidd thus have an oi)portmuty of organizing them, discharging such as should prove inefficient, and replacing vhein from among the men on the works ; and, by the time Shebiuidowan Lake was reached, would be in a position to man the boats with picked crews of the most skilful voyageurs to be found in the country. Th« plan of dragging foi-ward the boats by the rocky channel of the river having been determined on, and notwithstanding my remonstrance, persevered in, it i-emained for me to aid in carrying it out in the manner which as I have said would aftbrd the greatest chance of safety to the boats ; the rocky portages wei-e laid with skids, and careful men wore sent with every brigad* whether manned by soldiers or voyageurs, or partly by both. The following table shews the numbor of boats sent by the river to the Matawin bridge, or rather to Young's Landing, and how manned ; Statement showing number of Boats sent from Thunder Bay by Kaministiquia River, ami nimiber of Men engaged in forwarding them. Date of Departure. No. of Boats. No. of Voyageurs. No. of Soldiers. 1870. June 6 C li 4 9 6 3 ;{ 1 4 8 9 10 8 rt 14 5 18 47 44 61 45 20 30 7 44 17 50 If) :«2 2G 95 14 53 „ 10 40 „ 11 „ 14 40 „ 20 21 .. 2i::::: ::::;;;;:;:;::.;:;.::::; ; oi ;; 22::::::;::::::::::::::::::;:::;;:::;:;;.;:;:::;" ;; 24:::::;:::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::::::::: 70 „ 25 40 29 ____..-_ _ GO July 1 .35 .a 4*i. •■••■■ ■■■ 36 „ 4 - 50 .. c 50 101 5.5G 471 From the point called "Young's Landing" for eight miles upwards, the river, as already explained, is exceeilingly diliicult. Soon after the arrival of the first brigade of boats at that point, the officer commanding the Field Force sent a number of soldiers, un- accompanied h>j voyageurs under the command of a very active and energetic officer to try the passage, but after doing all that could bo expected of inexperienced men and straining every nerve to get forward, they were obliged to return having been unable to get their boats up the rapids. Some interest had been excited by this experiment, which it was said was designed to showhownmch could be effected in the rapidsindependentlyof thevoyageurs. Before the discouraging elfects of this failure could spread far I had sent forward a Imnd of voyageurs who took up the boats and, from that time forward, the boats, in this difficult section were manned wholly by voyageurs. To get them all past the section just referred to, occupied a force of 120 men for upwards of a month and it had become necessary to spread so many people along the IMver, in this toilsome work of dragging boats up rocky channels that, much to my regret, I was compelled to reduce the force on the road. At this time (about the 20th of June) matters liad become exceedingly critical. The Indians brought at great ex))ense from Nijtigon and the Grand Portage mostly left. The Fort William Indians, after a trip or two, deserted us. Fond as they are of voyaging, in the usual way, the work of di-agging boats had become so distasteful to them that neither the agent of tlie Hudson Bay Company nor Mr. Chond, the missionary at Fort William, both t t 15 t \ of whom used their inlluenco in onv fiivor, couUl induce them to continue at it, and I becamo apprehensive that we should ha without jjuidos in the interior. Discontent, at the same time, began to manifest itself amon^ a section of the other voyaj^ours. "Why" they said, do you keep us draggijig boats over rocks where there is no water to float them, when a single waggon conld accomi»lish more in a day than eight of us can in toi\ ? J>y using waggons you would have yoiu- boats in good order ; whenws, l)y exposing them to such usage as this, they are being rendered unlit for the long journey yet before us." The majority of thoni, however, kept cheerfully at their work and when defections took i)lace 1 had still the foi'ce on the works from which to supply the loss. These men knew perfectly well that waggons in sulHcient number could easily have been obtained, by simply sending for them. Appreciating this, tiieir patienei> and endurance, undei toil which they believed to be unnecessary and arising from a mistaivO, cannot be too highly commended. As may i)e sujjjjosetl, tlu^ boats sutVored terribly, row-locks were lost, and oars in fpiantity broken, and the tool chests were almost depleted of their contents. Boat builders were, how(^ver, maintained at diilerent j)oints along the route, and as the strained and patched boats were brought forward they managed to repair and fit them for further trials. Carpenters were set to work to make oars, the blacksniiths produced row-locks as fast as they could, and additional tools were ordert'd from Toronto. Uy struggling on in this way the expedition was saved from disaster and those who were looking for an order to return won* tlooiued to disa[»pointment. While the boats Avere being dragged thus tediously over the rocks of the Karaanis- taquia and JMatawin Kivers, operations wejv going forward on the road. The waggons, at lirst A'cry limited in number, were gradually coming forward and stores were accumula- ting at the Matawin and Oskondago. Except on two occasions, after days of heavy I'ain, the road as far as the .Mata win Britlge, was kept in fair condition. From thence to the Oskondage, it was in a bad state no doubt, hut never so titterly bad but that a yoke of o.xen, with a waggon, could take from eight to twelve hundred pounds weight over it, and horses with waggons, as Avell as oxen, passed frequently to that point. The principal part of the workmen who i-emained at my disj)osal, over and above the numbers engaged in the channel of the river, were placed at convenient intervals along the route, west of the Matawin bridge, several comitanies of the regular troops, were stationed, in the lirst instance, at various places j"(>quiring repair, east of that place, and were afterwards removed to Brownes lane and the section West of the Oskoudag^. It must not be supposed, however, that we had the whole army at work om the roads. On the contrary, the main body of the ^lilit^iry Force remained at Thunder Bay, until after Ceneral Lindsav's visit, when thev were nxoved forward to the Matawin. The following statement shows the amount of work furnished by the Military. Statement of Amounts paid to Regulars and Volunt«era for labour performed on the Thunder Bay Itoad. 1870. .^ ^»o June .") To cash paid Pnvinaster (>Oth liiHos. us uer account rcceint 210 3 li) 4 139 170 23 128 4 210 206 440 268 ?f» ,, do Sorjjt. Curran anil men do 00 „ 10 do bifUt. Honeajjo, H. K, do 12 „ 10 do t'apt. Allevn, IJ. A. do 95 „ 13 do T*ftyniastor OlJth Kitlcs do a?, „ 20 ilo do do do M „ 24 do do Ist Ihitnrio l^attalion do a?, „ 30 do do 00th Rifles do ... 37 July 1 do do Ist ( )ntario Kiflcs do ^?, „ 14 do d(» (»Oth Kiriea do .^ „ 18 do di> do dod to, aiul it was fi;rt!ior)uore arranged that the number ui voyagours aucunipanying each Iirigude ;>heuld bo twelvt), besidca a pilot, niakiug thirlLcu iuall. SlIKDANDOWAN LaKE TO FORT GaURY. At sunset, on tlie evening of tho IGth July, tho Colonel Conmianding the GOth Rifles (Col. Fielden) set out from McNudl's Laiuling, Shebaiulowan Lake, with a fleet of .seven- teen boats, and by ten a. m. on tlio following morning was at Kasliai>niwe Tortag.". This being the first detachment of the i'orce which had embarked, I accompanied it for a short distcance, in order to asc(frtain liow the arrangementswhich had ])een Juado would meet tho test of actual wo;k on the j)ortages. If I had had any apiirehension on this head, it was quickly r(>moved, for no sooner had Col. Fiolden landed than with his oflicors, soldiers and voyaget^rs, ho .set vigorously to work to get tho stores and artilleiy across. I had placed a force of voyageurs on this portage, a few days previously to lay it with akids, that is logs laid transversely, to facilitate tho passage of the h(jats. Taking somo of these voyageurs with me, I proceeded to tho Height of Land })ortage in order to mako some necessary arrangements for getting the boats up a little brook which connects Kashaboiwe Lake with the summit pond, and having effected this, I returned on the follow- ing morning, to tho Kashaboiwo Portage. In the meantime, Col. Fielden had made such good progi*es3 that all his stores and most of his boats were across, and in an hour or two he would set out for the Height of Land portage, and be over it on the evening of the fol- lowing day. Theso two portages, tho Kashaboiwe and Height of Land, are the longest on the rout«, being, respectively, three quarters of a mile and a mile in length, equal to one fourth part of the aggregate length of the portages between Shebandowan Lake and Lake Winnipeg. If, therefore, Col. Fielden could, in two or three days, get over a fourth part of tho entire distance to be accomplished by land, it was easy to calculate, at least to a few days, the time at which the force would reach the Red River settlement, for the route is remarkable in so far as that between the portages there are no impediments to speak of, or difficult rapids to be encountered. With such a vigorous and active leader as Col. Fielden in advance, there could be, now, no doubt that the Expedition was a success. As I was proceeding back to McNeill's Landing, I met a messenger with the follow- ing note, which wiU at least serve to shew how diihcult it was for me to absent myself for a moment from the scene of principal operations, at this time. Sunday afternoon, 4.45 P.M. McNeill's Bay, Shebandowan Lake. Deau Mr. Daavson, — I have been obliged to .start oif Capt. Buller's brigade without either voyageurs or guides, the former were ready, with exce[»tion of thrir cooking utensils, which had not turned up. Of the latter, Mr. Graham knew nothing. I enquired of Mr. Hamel, and he told me there were no Mission Indians hero. I have to look to you for both voyageurs and guides. This is only the second day of the opei-ation, 47-3 18 and yot neither nvo vciuly. F liavd oi-dorcd CiX])t. Hulloi' to halt on tho first portage until I can send him Ijoth voyaf^eius and guides. Plca.se send nio word what I am to do. Tho carta arc all here also, waiting for your men to take tliem on to tho portages. Very truly youns, S. J. Dawson, Es(i. (Signed,) G. J. WOLSELEV. I had heon l»arely two days .'ihKont, and hero matters were already in a moss. I at once furnished the l)iigade with a guide, from tho ci-ew I had wi'h mc and .soon after- wards met tho voyagiMiis in a l)oat liuiiyiiig after thi-m, so that they had not to *' halt on tlio first portage ;" tho men excused themselves l)y saying that as it was a Sunday evening, tliey did not know they were to be called on. I, however, took mcjujures to prevent any ground arising for such complaints in tho future. At this time, tho voyagours wcro by hundred.s within easy reach of Shebandowan Lake, engaged in dragging boats to tho Oskondage, or in scows carrying stores from Ward's to McNiell's Landing, and had only to got warning to lio in readiness at a moment's notice. ]iut I had extreme diflicidty in getting guides, tho Indians, as already shown, having had enough of it in tlio rapids of the Kaministaquia. There could, how- ever, bo no difliculty in reaching tho Height of Land Portage, with tho aid of a maj), and at tho latter place, I had met some Indians who engaged to j)ilot tho brigades in Lac des Millo Lacs, and soon afterwards a few of the Fort William Indians rejoined us. But, even among tho Indians, there were few really well Rcquainted with tlie route. It had been long abandoned us a line of traflic, so that with tho exception of such as had gone on voyages to Port Frances — and the number was limited — it was known only to a few wandering families of hvniters, and fortunately these camo to our aid when most wanted. On returning to the camp at Shebandowan Lake, I found Col. McNeill, V.C., most actively occupied in organizing the Force, arranging stores and sending off tho boats. I had stationed at this place Mv. Graham, Avho displayed great energy in arranging tha boat outfit, getting the boats repaired, and organizing and telling off the voyageurs for tho different Brigades. Rapid progress was now being made. Col. Fielden, in ailvance, was leading tho way to the interior, and Col. McNeill, who evinced a most extraordinary faculty for eliminating order out of chaos, was sending off brigades as fast as stores and outfit arrived from Ward's Landing. At this time waggons wore coming through from Thunder Bay to Wai'd's Landing. The voyageurs were mostly on the river between Young's Landing and the Oskondage, but were bringing the boats rapidly forward, and a few additional Indians came up from the Mission to act as guides. Matters being in this favorable position, I again went forward with a light canoe, and overtook Col. Fielden on tlie evening of tho 20th July, at tho Deux Riviires Portage ; most of his stores and boats were already over, and in eight days more ho would bo at Fort Frances. Ho had crossed the following portages : Kashaboiwo Miles. Chains. GO Height of Land. 1 Barril Portase.. 10 Brule Portasre., 20 French Portage. Pine Portage... ji-" 25 30 Deux Rivieres, nearly crossed 62 2 43 Col. Fielden, Avith the advance, was now fairly over the most difficult section of the route. In nine days he had made a hundred miles, and crossed seven portages, the aggrc- canoe. 19 gat« longtli of wliith was conaitUM-ivltly ovor a thinl |»!U't of tlio totivl lutul caiTini^o to 1»« encountored, iind lio was now uhout unlcriii'^ on a l:ir!,'t» river, wIkm'o tlio jtortai^os woro filiort, and tho routo nioro open and fi'(i|ii 'iitod. In order that this j^'ullaiit olliccr's merit may lio tlio liottor understood, it is but fair to explain, that whon he set out from Sh ehandowau Lake, the mn.st skilful of tim voyagourH wero •till engagod with the boats in the ohanuel of tlio ^Fatawiu. I had thcreforo to supply him with Yoyat,'e»n's, who, althou<:;h .stron:^ and aiTustoiuud to rou<,'hing it in tho woods, driving logs, and so forth, were, nevertlieless, not considered ei|ual to many of the otheitJ in tho managomout ot' lioiits. J»ut lh(>y wero cxL'ellent axmen, and on them fell tho work of oitoning llio long aliaudonod porLa'^es lietween Lac des Millo Lacs and Sturgeon Lako, for tlio necessity of keeping so many men on the river, combined with tlio defection of tho Indians, had prevented me fconi sending voyageurs very far in advance to improve the ]»nrtagPH. 1 hid, however, sent an additional numl)er with Ool. Fioldcn, over and above tliosu recpiiro 1 for his boats, to aiil in this work, and on reaching Deux lliviiircs, I sent forward a crew of jiicked voyagoum to man tho i-apids on tho Maligne, the next after Deux Uiviores l'orti»go, and at thoso rapids they remained until all tho boats wero run past. Having made this arrangement, T again loft Col. Fielden with the satisfaction of knowing that tho Expedition was Ix'ing rirtually led by an ollicer fully 0(pial to the task. On 29th July, 1 was again at Shebandowan Lako, and there was now further work to bo provided for, as will bo seen from tho following correspondence. Camp Wards Landinc, 19th July, 1870. Sir, — Referring to a conversation I had with you some days .ago at tho Alattvwin Cam}), when I told you that upon trial the boats would not hold so nuich as I had boon led to expect, I have the honor to inform you that I acted upon tho suggestion you then made of sending an extra boat with each brigad(\ By doing so and by having only two voyageurs in each boat, I have been able to take GO (lays i-ations for each brigade, with every one embarked in it. I shall have 21 brigades as far as Fort Finances and 20 from there to Fort Garry; up te the former place, I shall therefore require 120 boats and from thence on, only 120. As by this arrangement I shall make use of 2r)2 voyagiuu's. T have to requst you will kindly inform mo whether you can send ft)rwai'd the supplies noted in the margin to Fort Frances, after tho last detjichment of troops have endnirked at Shebandowan Jiake, by means of tho boats and voyageurs left behind, and if so, tho date when I may depend upon having them ut that post. I have to add that the sooner they can bo sent there tho bettor, as it is impoi-tant that I should have this reserve close beliind me whon I enter tho Province of Manitoba. I have tho honor to be, , »fec., itc, Ac, (Signed,) G. J. Wolselkv, Conunanding Kcd Iviver Field Force. S. J. Dawson, Esq.. •fee, ike, «kc., Supt. Public Works. Ward's Landing near SiiEnANDowAN Lake, 20th July, 1871. Sib, — I have tho honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 19th instant, and, in reply, beg leave to say that, with the boats and voyageurs to bo left at my dis- posal, I can send forward tho supplies you mention from this place to Fort Francos by the 15th day of September next. 10 - The following will l)o rocjuiroil for rations to tho voyagours while engaged in this service, 150 half brls, pork, 150 half hrls. flour, 40 Imgi peas or beans, 7 chests tea. Tho boats now remaining at Tlmnder Bay will of courso bo brought to this place by th« military transport. 1 would also require the use of six yoke of oxen for transport on the portages, with a quantity of hay, oats or ox feed proportioned to tho time they should be so used. I have the honor to be, &c., &c., &c., (Signed,) S. J. Dawson. Col. Wolseley, Commanding Red River Field Force. I may hero rsmark that instead of 252 men, the expedition was accompanied by 315 voyagtui-s, besides 1 85 engaged with reserve stores. The arrangement, al)Ovo detailed, having been agi'eed to, as soon as the last bi'igado of boats with soldiera liad left McNiell's Landing, the reserve stores began to bo sent for- ward from Thunder Bay. A number of boats which had be(!n left at that place were also brought up by waggon, and it now became evident to all, that much time would have be'^ii gained and labour Havcd, in the first instance, by kee[)ing the whole voyageiir force on the road making it at once ])assable to waggons, getting a sufficient number of those from Collingwood and bringing forward boats and stores to Ward's Landing. To shew how easily this might havo been done, I may call attention to the fact that at 2 o'clock on tho afternoon of 2nd August, seven boats, placed on waggons, were sent off from Thunder Bay, and, at sunset on tho following evening, were at Ward's Landing. How different was this from dragging them over rocks and stones in the bottom of a sliallow stream. There was not a boat brought by the river that cost less for transport than $300, making on a hundred which were so conveyed some $30,000. while on 53 brought by waggon tho cost did not exceed $20 or $25 each, and then how very diffei'cnt was tho condition of the boats, in tho one case fi'csh and sound as thuy came from the hand of the builder. In tho other torn and broken with many row-locks, oars and rudders lost or smashed, and requiring repairs, in some ases very extensive ones, before they could be used. The military haviug all left, arrangements were quickly made for sending fonvard tho reserve supplies. In this work a small steam launch which had been prepared at Toi'onto, did good service. It was first used on Shebandowan Lake, but as tho suj)p]ies were moved on, it was taken to Lac dcs Mille Lacs, and it saved the work of at least twenty men. With throe full loaded boats in tow, it iijade fair speed, and was only on one or two occasions wind Ijound, for a short time. I may dismiss this subject by saying, that by means of tlio voyagours left behind, the stores were taken in good time to Fort Frances. The first reaching that place on the 3rd of September, and tho last on the 17th, besides somo that were left by order of tho military at Deux Rivieres Portage, to meet tho troops as they returned from Red River. Wliile the military are on the way to Red River and the reserve stores following, a brief description of tho line of the route, as regards its general features, may not be out of place. Between the terminus of the Thunder Bay road, on Shekindowan Lake, and Lake Winnipeg, by the route followfcd by the expedition, the distance is, in round numbers, 488 miles. In this distance are three sections differing materially in general character. The first, known as tho Lake Region, commences at the end of the Thunder Bay road and ends at Fort Frances. The distance between these points by the route followed by the expedition, which went round by Loon Lake to avoid the rapids of Sturgeon River, is 208 miles, and by the more direct routo usually travelled, about 190 miles. This section presents a continuous succession of lakes separated by short portages, except in •ne Listance where there is a stretch of eleven miles of river, sometimes called the n 315 on Maligne. It was to tlio riipuls in this strofoh '.htit I liad sont a piokod crciw of Toyaj,'ouiT to bo in attendance wl)ilo the hoatH woro passing, and run tlicni down. In nil otlu'n places, tlie work to bo dono consiHted niurcly in caiTying baggngc and siipplicH, ami liaiding boats from omM[uiet shoot of water to another. Tlio aggrcgato length of the portages between Shol)andowan Lako and Fort Frnnees is picciHely three miles and 70 rhaiiis ; Mio two lirst aro tho longest namely, Kashaltoiwo and Height ot Laiul portages, and tlu^so aro I'cspectively three-qiiartera of a milo and one mile in leii<,'th. The ollior portages are very uhort, only threo exceeding a rpuirter of a mile, and noni; extending to half a mile. Hero then is tho labour the voyageurs and soldiers had to encounter in getting to Fort Francos, that is to say — they had to get boats, ammunition, and 00 days' rations, tho latter gi-adually getting less, over threo miles and 7G chains of land, and row or sail thro»igh Bomo two hundred miles of water, where countless islands rendered the shelter so perfect that the highest winds could not stop them, while the breeze would often till their sails and relieve t'.ioin from the toil of the oar. Tho weight of tlu; boats varied some- what, those of tho clinker construction biiing fi-om G50 lbs., to 7r)0 lbs., and the carvel from 860 to 950 lbs. With eaeli brigade of six boats wore from sixty-live; to seventy-live strong men, soldiers and voyageurs, ten men were rpiite equid to drawing a boat acrus:H a portage, bnt tho crews joined together and hauled them across with groat ea.se. The baggage and stores gave the most irksome work to the in(!xperienced soldiers, but it iliil II ' "'* not last long at a time, and after tho toil involved in g(;tting across a jtortage, Ihey were soon again afloat and winding their way among labyrinths of islands. Sometimes mLstake.s occurred on the lakes, more especially when the sails where hoisted. The boats in tacking, would leave the usual track and, as new lake.T opened up and nnknewn islands came in view, the guides would get bewildered and scarcely know which way to turn. A ca.se of this kind occurred in the Lac des ]\lille liacs, and I mon- ' tion it to .show, how easy it is for the best guides to get astray in these island-studded lakes. A half Indian voyageur who had been for many years in tli) .service of the Hudson's Lay Company, and was supposed to know every rock between liako Superior- and the Arctic Seas, came with a brigade of boats to the lake just named. The wind was up, tho sails were set at once, and off went tho boats dashing at great s|)eed through tho watei', and leaving island after island behind tliem. Tho wind was nearly but not (pute fair, and it would be a pity to change them from their track while they wen; making sucla speod, almost in the direction they should go. At last they were put about, but tho guide looked in vain for some point or island ho could recogui/a. All was new to him. Time and again, the islands bounding the prosi)ect were made for, but only to open up new vistas and lakes more bewildering than the la.st. This lako is well named Lac des Mille Lacs. It is, however, the only one on the upper part of the route which from its dimensions could admit of the boats going far astray, and in order to guard against the recurrence of such blunders, 1 6,tationed some Indians who have their hunting grounds in tho neighborhood, at the Height of Land, so that they might be in readiness to act as pilots in this perplexing lake. Much has been said about tho barionness and forbidding aspect of tho Lake region, and no doubt it is in many jdaces somewhat rocky, but not more so than the regions of the Upper Ottawa, or tho countiy intermediate between the Ottawa and tho Georgian Bay. Timber, both red and white pine, of fair dimensions, is in unlimited abundance, and in many places, more especially on Tlainy Lake, thei-e aro indications of valuable minerals. Arrived at Fort Frances, the Expedition had before it 131 miles of unbroken navi- gation, ending at Rat Portage. First, llainy River, winding for 67 miles with a gentlo current through forests of tho most luxuriant growth, broken hero and there by slopes of green sward, where the Indians of former times had practised the art of cultivation, so long forgotten to their descendants, and then the Lake of the Woods, where the course lay for 64 miles farther, through islands which, although the lako is large, afford shel- tered channels where the stiffest breeze is hardly felt. There is, however, a traverse of seven miles at the entrance of tho lake where boats are sometimes wind bound. 22 TllK WrNNIPEG. On rofevonco to tlio mcmorandnin on a, procodinf; pac^n, it will 1)0 soon that tliis rivei- i)rosnnts n seiios of lako-like roaches with shoi-t intervals of rapid water between them. It is in volume not inferior to the Ottawa — ])orhaps greater, after it receives its chief tributary the English Eivor which joins it just above Portage do L'llo from the cast. Some of the navigable sections are like the Chats and Duchene Lakes on the Ottawa, differing only in the circumstance of being full of islands. This river had long been used as a highway for the boats of the Hudson's Bay Company, and the carrying places were found to bo well opened and in good order. At certain stages of the water some of the portages ore difficult of approach, but when tho exp'^dition passed the water was low, and the worst places had quite lost their terrors. The distance from Hat Portage at the outlet of the Lake of tho Woods to Fort Alexander on Lake Winnipeg i^ one hmidred and forty- jiino miles. The portages are numerous 1)ut short ; their aggregate length at high water amounting only to three miles nnd six chains. The water, liowcver, was so low when tho Expedition passed that at several places, such as the Cave, the Seven Sortages and Silver Falls, much of the land carriage was avoided by V^eeping in the bed of tho river and lifting tho boats over rocky points. Upon the whole, the Expedition experienced no dilficidty whatever on the Winnepeg. Guides had been obtained at Fort Frances and Eat Poi-tage, where the Indians are nmnerous, and some few of the voyageui-s, who had not distinguished themselves, Avcre sent back from the former station and their places sjipplied with Indians well acquainted yith the route. I should n\ention that Mr. Boyd, a merchant in the Red River Settlement, and now a member of the Government of Manitoba, together with «ome other settlers, sent six Hudson's liay boats to meet tho Expedition. This atforded an opportunity of comparing these boats with those which had been provided in Ontario and Quebec, and I have some satisfiiction in saying that tho latter proved to 1)0 the fastest sailers, tho most easily mantiged in tho portages and rapids and in every way tho best adapted to the purposes of the Exi)edition. From Fort Alexander to Lower Fo^t Garry (Stone Fort) the dista.ice is GO miles, and in this section there is no impediment whatever to the navigation. The route, generally, between tho terminus of tho Thunder Bay road, Shebandowan liake and Lake Winnipeg, will compare very favorably with any other canoe or boat route of erpial length in British North America. The entire distance is four hundred and eighty-eight miles, with some forty portages (more or less according to the stage of water) liaving an aggregate length of seven miles. Between these portages, the navigation, excepting for a few miles in a iiarrow brook at Fi-ench Portage, is tho easiest conceivable. There are no diflicult rapids to run. In fact, except on the the Maligne already referred to, and at a few jjlaces on the Winnipeg, as regards the facility of getting over them with boats or canoes, the rapids are the merest ripples. The force, in getting through, had just seven miles of land carriage to get over with light boats, CO days rations gradually diminishing, and their ammunition, and this in short sections, so fur sejiarated as to make the fatigue less than it would have been had tho portages been longoi- and fewer in number. The labor on the poitagos was, no doubt, trying to men unaccustomed to such work, but it did not last long at a time, and all besides was the smoothest sailing conceivable. Lot, now, the route which could afford such easy transport be compared with other known routes of similar character, on which many Canadiaiis are engaged in occupations involving the constant pi-actico of work of the same nature as that which the Expedition- ary Force had to perform, and first, as regards tho Ottawa, it is not necessary to refer to tho time when aiticles had to l)e carted from Carillon to Grenville, when voyageurs had to portage their canoes past the Chaudiere and Duchene, struggle up the Chats Rapids and toil for weeks in powerful whirlpools or on the long portages between the Chineux and the Calumet. The labor involved in getting from the Joachim, the upper limit of steam navigation, to Lake Tomiscamiu(pio a distance of a hundred and twenty miles, is vastly greater than on the whole route t« Red Uivei*, — a greater length of land carriage, and rapids more powerful and diflicult to overcome. But if tho difficulties on tho -► I 1 23 1 broad Ottawa are greater, how much more are they not so on its tributaries tho Gatineau, Madawasku, Coulowgc or Petowawo. Iluudrtiils, I jnay say tliousauils of adventurous Umibernien yearly lind their way to the high roigons (h'auicd by these rivers with boats and half a year's supplies besides. Tho St. INIaurioe is, perhaps, one of the most difficult rivers on tlie continent, nmning down, as it does, directly across the strike of rock from a plateau lifteeu hundred feet above the level of the St. Lawrence, and it forms a case in point as regards compai-ison for by this route a French Military Expedition passed, in former years, to the IMoose and down that lliver to Hudson's Bay, with artillery and munitions of war. 1\vo of their Held ]>ieces still I'cmain on a portage at tho sources of tlio St. Maui'icii and histoiy tc^lls of their doings at Hudson's Bay, whci'n they took and held forts, oxu; of wliich was well mounted witli artillery Although no dou1)t greater things liii\(! been done in other ways, still this is of its kind a feat as yet unparallch'd in military annals. The Chevalier do Troyes had no boats such as wer<^ supplied to the lied JU\er River Expeditionary Force and in his day the liircheu skiff was alone used on the inland waters, between the St. Lawrence and Hudson's ilay As compared with the route by York Factory, the line followed by the Exi»edition has many evident advantages, and, in this regai'd, I inay refer to a journey made from York Factory to Fort Garry by Col. Crofton inlSlG. TJiat gallant soldier whose clear and comprehensive evidence given before a Committee of tho l[ous(; of Commons (England), in 1857, did so much to remove tlie veil in Avhich an exclusive monoj.oly had shrouded tho regions of the North-West, came by York Factoiy to Ued lliver, witli 317 soldiers, 17 women and 19 children, in all 383 persons. Among his munitions of war were tlu-ee 6-pounders and one 9-pounder field pieces. In his evidence, spealdng of the Fort William route, he says : — " I woidd undertake to take my regiment by it ; " and, on being further questioned, replied as follows : — " I did worse than that, for I took artillery from Fort York, in Hudson's Bay, to " Red lliver, 700 miles, l)y the compass, over lakes and rivers, and that is a much loorse " route than the other." " Do you mean to say that under present circumstances (this was 13 ycais ago,) tlie " route from Fort William to Fort Garry is a better route for military to go than from " Fort York 1 — I am quite sure of it for I htive gone both." " Questibn by Sir John Packington — Did you say you took artillery from Fort York "toEcdKiver?— I did." " What distance is that ?— Itis about 736 nules." " How did you convey it? — We carried the guns in canvas, wo took tho guns ofi' their " carriages, we had rope handles aifd carrying straps, and between them so carried the guns." At the time the gallant Crofton formed the opinions to whidi lid has given such forcible expression, steam had not reached Ijake Su})orior, and tlio Thundei-Bay road had not been dreamt of; still, with experience of lioth routes, lie considered it (the Fort Wil- liam road,) vastly better than the route by Hudson's Bay. One cannot but lie struck with the marked difference in the circumstance, uiuler which ho made his journey by tho one route, and those attending the advance of llie Expedition- ary force l)y the other. In the one case -were the ever fiozeu shores of Hudson's Bay, and soldiers, with artillery, and women with children to l»ring forward to an unknown land by a route till then untried by a military foi-ce. In the other, light boats, fitted with everythuig that could bo conceived to be useful, anil manned witli active men in the very prime of life. Women and children had to be protected from tlie chill blasts of aulunni, as Col. Crofton's l)and came upwards from tho sen. The soldiers of the Expeditionary force had to work hard enough at times, no douljt, on the portages, as they came to the successive f\ills of the Winnipeg, biit they were soon again on ojjcn lakes with the soft winds of summer in their sails. A quarter of a century ago, Col. Crofton's .soldiers could have had nothing to cheer them save a consciousness of doing tlieir duty, as thej advanced, The land before them 24 had been reprcsentotl as sterilo and shrouded for more tliaii half the year iii the gloom of a Siberian winter. As the Expeditionary force went on, the soldicis knew that they were taking part in a movement to become historical, that they were, in fact, carrying the scepti'o of their Queen to a land of sunshine and fertility, and of proportions so vast that it might hold the half of Europe in its lap. The Red River Settlement. To understand ])roceodings at this jtlacc it may be well to explain that before learing Thunder Day, the Col. commanding the Ji]x))editionai'y lield force had written as I also did to the oliicer representing tlio Hudson IJay Company at Fort Garry, requesting him to i)lace a force of workmen on the Lake of the Woods road, so that it might be available for the return, if not fur the advance of tlic troops. The following are copies of the letters so addressed, from Thunder Bay, Ueueral Lindsay being there at the time. (Copy) Prince Arthur's Landing, Thunder Bay, 30th June, 1870. Sir, — With reference to the proclamation I have forwarded to you in a letter of this date, I have the honor to iuforn\ you that I am most anxious that steps should be im- mediately taken for opening out a cart road from the end of Mr. Snow's road to the north-west corner of the Lake of the Woods. It is not necessary that the road should be of a permanent character, as it will only bo required this year for military purposes, hereafter it could be enlarged and made fit for commercial trailic, but now a corduroyed track over the swamps, wide enough and strong enough for the passage of Red River carts (lightly loaded), would answer our pur- poses. ]Mr. Dawson who rci)resents the Public Works Department here, will foi'vvard more fully detailed instructions regarding the construction of the road required, and will authorize yon to a^jpoint a surveyor to supei'intend and direct the work and to make the necessary disbursements. I have to request that you will kindly render the gentlemen you employ upon this service every possible assistance while so engaged. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your most obedient servant, (Signed,) G. J. Wolseley, Commanding Red River Expeditionary Force. To the officer representing The Hudson Bay Company, Fort Garry. (Copy.) Government Depot, Thundbr Bay, 30th June, 1870. Sir, — Under existing circumstances, it is desirable that the road to the north-west angle of the Lake of the Woods should be opened in such a way as to be practicable to carts without delay, and it has occurred to me that you might find some reliable and energetic person in your section who would bo willing to undertake the work. What is required is a track over which carts can bo driven from the end of the road, ali-eftdy opened, to the north-west angle of the Lake of the Woods. Before a couiplete road can be made, it is always necessary to open a cart track or ox road, over which supplies can be drawn while the work progresses, and it is a preliminary cart track of this kind which is at present required. / i I 1 it ph wo a " 1 The total distance roinaining to be opened is about tliirty miles. In the dry sections it would only be necessary to clear oil' the wood and <,'rub out the roots. In swampy places cross laying (coixluroy) or fasciniiig wo\Ud lie roipiired. The person yo>i employ would of course nndci'stand the amount of work necessary to form a track over which a cart could pass. Should you find anyone willing to undertake this work and able to perform it, the Department of Public Works of Canada will pay for the laboi- and necessary sujiplics. The Commander of the Military Force, now on the way to the lied River settlement, has also written you on this subject. I have the honor to be, &c., «Jic., itc, (Signed,) S. J. Dawson. J. H. McTavish, Esq., The Hudson Bay Co., Fort Garry. .1 Mr. McTavish describes his action in this matter as follows : " Enclosed herewith you will find co])y of Colonel Wolseley's letter to mo. " On its receipt, I issu(;d notices in the Colonel's name, calling for men to connnenco the work, and went myself through the English portion of tin; settlement, but failed in getting a single English half-breed or Swampy. None but I'^-ench half-breeds ollered, though it was given out and well nnderstooil, that the road was to be pushed tiu-ough in order to hurry in Her Majestv's troops. " (Signed,) J. H. McTavish." 1 I The reluctance of the English half-breeds to join in the worl:, is explained by tho fact that the road starts from the French settlement, and there was some feeling of di.s- trust still existing]jctvv-een the two parties. If,howevei',theFrenc]i wen; the first to run to open the roads, which they believed necessary to the advance of tlie troops, the I*]nglish had at tho same time sent boats to meet tho J!]x[)edition. All partitss were thus doing their best to facilitate its approach, and when it came its appearance was hailed by all with equal i)leasure. The policy of the Covernment, and the action of the Dominion rarliament, had dis- armed the niidcontents, and many of those who had taken part in the insurrection, were out, with no more formidable weapons than hatchet and shovel, making a road for Htr Majesty's troops. Tho Expeditionary Force on its arrival, was received everywhere; witli open arms. The people were quietly following their usual occupations, and the insurgent leader who liad remained in Fort Gai-ry, with some thirty men, went leisurely out as the troops marched in. Peace reigned everywhere, and the Colonel commanding the Expeditionary Force was in a position to address the troops in the following strain : " From Prince Arthur's Landing to Fort Garry, is over GdO miles though a wilder- " ness of forest and Avater, where no supplies of any description are obtainable. You had " to carry on your backs a vast amount of supplies, over no less than 1:7 jiortages, making " a total distance of seven miles, a feat unparalleled in aur military annals. " You have descended a great river, esteemed so dangerous from its rapids, falls and '' whirlpools, that none but experienced voyageurs attempt its iiiivigation. Your cheer- " ful obedience to orders has enabled you, under the blessing of Divine Providence, to " accomplish your task without any accident. " Although the banditti who liad been oppressing this people, fied at your api)roach, " without giving you an o[)port>uiity of proving how men capable of such labor couhl " fight, you have deserved as well of your country as if you had won a battle." This is no doubt very eloquent, and the soldiers deser\'ed all that could be said in theil* 47-4 2G prh,ise, but as it occurs in a docTiment, wliicli will doubtless be placed on record, I must protest against its being iiccej)ted as a correct representation of the state of matters exist- ing in the lied River Hettlenient, when the troops arrived. The people to Avhom lie alludes instead of flying at his approach, like banditti, were fjuietly following their usual occupations, except those who were out, at his par- ticular request, making a road to facilitate the movements of Her Majesty's troops, and the soldiers had had experienced guides on the Winnipeg, although the contrary is implied. A little latitude should, no doubt, bo allowed under the circumstances ; but, with all due allowances, I may be permitted to enter a mild protest against a river which has formed the highway of the white man since he first made his apj)Qarance in these regions, l>eing called so difficult from its ftills, whirlpools and I'apids that none but experienced voyagexirs attempt its navigation. Why ! men, women and children have passcl by hun- dreds up and down the Winnipeg, and tlie boats of the Hudson's Bay Company, some of them the moat unwieldy tubs imaginable, are constantly used on its waters. In former times, the whole trade of the northern ])aits of the continent ])assed by the Winnipeg. The French first used it as a highway ; succeeding them came the great north west company of Canada, who also followed it, and, at a latei* day, when the Hudson Bay Comjiany had its Head Quarters on the Albany, the route to the Saskatchewan was by way of LacSeuland the Winnipeg. Whatever may be said of otiier parts of the route, the Winnipeg was at least a well known and long travelled highway, presenting remarkable facilities for boats. As u case iii point, I may draw attention to the fact, that, at the very time the Ex- peditionai'y Force was jnissing, two frail and poorly manned canoes, the one occui)ied by a very fat newspaper editor, and the other by a gentleman who had his wife with him, passed over all the rapids, portages and whirlpools of tlie Winnipeg v.'ithout its occurx'ing to their occupants that they were doing anything extraordinary. i / I ♦* The Bauuacks axd Buildixgs at Fort Garry. Being quite inadequate to the accommodation of so largo a number, it became neces- sai'y to provide other buildings, a matter which the scarcity of material, arising from the disturbed state of affairs for some time previously existing in the Settlement, rcndei*ed difficult. The following correspondence will serve to explain the action taken. (Copy.) Sir, 7 Captains. 14 SubalteniH. r> Staff Serjeants. 28 Serjeants. 7 Buglers. 815 Rank aud File. 1 Commanding Officer. 1 Field Officer. 1 (!haplain. 4 Staff Officers. — (Regimental.) 2 Control do. In the lower Fort there will not be any Control Officers. Fort Garrv, August 31st, 1870. I have been instructed by theLieuteuant-General commanding in British North America, to make arrangements for housing the two Battalions of Militia in this Settlement. Mr. Donald Smith has placed all the buildings that can be spared by the Hudson Bay Company in the Upper and Lower Forts at my disposal for that })iirpose. Some alterations arc required to fit them up as bari'acks, and a few small buildings have to be erected to serve as cook and wash-houses, &c. The strength of each battalion is as per margin. One will be (piartered at the upper, the other at the lower Fort. The scarcity of labor, which has always been hitherto tho chief difficulty in cai'rying out any works here, will not be felt in providing these buildings, as the services of all the officers and men of these two battalions are available, and from their ranks numerous skilled mechanics can be obtained. As all the expenses incurred are to be defrayed by the Dominion Government, I conceive it to be very essential that an officer representing the Public Works Department I '% r3 •fl, I must tters exist- iclitti, were it his par- I'oops, and is implied. it, with all which has se regions, xperionced xl by hnii- y, some of sed by tlio leat north idson Bay m was by route, tlie emarkable le the Ex- ;cu[)ied by ivitli him, occurring 1 / inie neces- 1, arising ettlement. 1870. bish North Battalions lat can be id Lower ,tions are buildmgs One will therto the be felt in icers and leir ranks rnment, I ipartment of Canada should carrv <-,. .M the works required, or, having arranged with the Hudson BayConipauy for their execution, should exercise a supervision over thoin wlulst in progi-esH. ^^^ ,„,e an otlicer of hiyh position in that department, I have therefore the honor to veauest vour assistance, and that, sliould your views coincide with mine upon this sub- icct von will have the goodness to act on the part of the Public Works Department, and anpomt some eflicieut oiiic(-r to take charge of lltting up the barracks reqmred. ' Enclosed is a rough outline of the various services rerpured \n both borts. J have the honor to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, (Signed.) O. J. Wolsemcy, Ooloncl, Counnanding lied Kiver Expedition. To S. J. Dawson, Estpiire, Public Works Departnicnt, Fort Garry. Fort Garry, 5th September, 1870. Sir,— In continuation of my letter to you of the 31st ultimo. I have now the honor to foward you rough speciiications of the work required at both forts to fit them for the occupation of troo[)s. _ Of course, as the work progresses, many details not given \n these papers, will have to be atteniled'to. These will be ])ointed out by tlie Lieut.-Colonels commanding the two battalions, to whatever olKcer you place in charge of the work. 1 should feel much obliged if you could give me a statement as to what may be tlio prospect of getting these services carried out before the severe weatlu^r sets in, before say the 1st November or tliereabuuts. , • f i It is perhaps superiluous to inform you, that housing of tlie Militia here is of a pub- lic importance that sliould take precedence of every other public work. The Lieut, (iovernor authorises me to add that he concurs in this opinion. 1 have the honor to be, Sir, Your obedient se.'vant, (Signed,; G. J. Woi.sei.ey, Colonel, Commanding Ked River Exi)editionaiy Force. S. J, Dawson, Esq., Public Works Department, Fort Garrv. WiNNiiT.G, Red RrvER Settlement, 5th September, 1870. Sir,— Li reference to your letters of the 31st ultimo and 5 th instant,! beg to say that all that it is possible to do will be done towards carrying out tlie work you mention. I liave already ordered the purchase of all the lumber to be procured in the settle- ment, and liave entered into eominunieation with the manager of a small saw mill at Pembina, in the ho[)e of obtaining an additional quantity. (^ther necessary material, such as nails, ghiss, lirc, have been ordered from St. Cloud, and the carptsnters, now on the line of route betwewn Fort Frances and Lake Superior, have been sent for. 28 The difficulty of lin(lin,a; skillcl labor and tlip scarcity of matorial in this remote section must occasion delay, but I trust, ncvertholcas, to liavo tl'io work well on liofora t!ie severe ■weather sets in. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your most obedient servant, (Signed,) S. J. Dawsox. Colonid Wolseley, Commanding Red Tviver Ex])cditionivry Force, Tort Gurrv. The Carpenters who had proved themselves so useful at putting up store houses and stables along the route between Thunder Bay and Sliebandowan Lake soon arrived in the settlement and set actively to work. By the r)th day of Octo'ner the troops wore all in shelter, and before th<> nevero weather set 'v.\, tlie rci-ieatiijii rooms, specified bv Col. Wolseley, were in i-eadiness, besides various otiier buihlings. The boats, as will be seen from the followiug correspondence, were turned over tome and I had tiieiu put in safety for Iho wiiitei-, Sixty-live boats, most of thorn in fair order, remain at Fort Oarrv : — (Copy.) Fort Garuy, 7th September, 1870. Sir, — T have the honor, by diroctiou of the ( 'olonol commanding, to request you will be good enough to inform him whether you are prejKired at once to takt; over the boats and eiiuipinents, no longer re(piired for the jiurpost's of the Expedition, and now lying at the lower Fort and in the Assinii)oine River here. Sliould you wish to leave them in the viciuitv of the troops. Colonel Wolseley will order that the necessary guards 1)0 placed over them for their ja'otection, and would rerpiest in that case that you will allow the oHicers commanding the regiments the use of such boats as they may wish for recreation of theolHcei-s and men. I have the honor to lie, Sir, Your obedient servant, (Signed,) W. B. Irvine, Assistant Controller. S. J. Dawson, Esq., etc., etc., etc' Fort Garrv. (Copy.) WiNXiPEO, Rkd Rivkr Settlement, 7th September, 1870. Sir, — I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of this date and, in reply thereto, beg leave to say that I shall within a few days be ])repared to take over the boats and boat e(pii])ment no longer required foi- tlie purposes of th(} Expedition, and now lying at the lower Fort and in the Assiniboine River. The boats will be haided up in the viciiuty of the force and put in safety from floods and weather, and when thus secured, it would certainly be advisable that they should be ])hiei'd in charge of the troops. The ollicers commanding regiments can, of course, have the use of such boats as they "wish for the reci'eation of the officers and men. I have the honor to bo, Sir, Your most obedient servant, (Signed,) S. J. Dawson. Col. Irvine, Assistant Conti'oller, Ac,, Fort Gtti'ry. / 20 lis remote section bofore the sevuro ervant, J. Dawsox. itore liouses and I ariivod in the oops wore all in )ociii('(l by Col. rnoil over to me Jm in fail- ox-clei\ iibcr, 1870. equost yon will ; over the boats d now lying at 1 Wolseley will ion, and would nonts the use of -'ontroUer. her, 1870. lis date and, in » take over the ition, and now 'ty from flootls tlify should be 1 boats as they It, Dawsox. ] LAKKOFTlin AVOOPS ROAD. As alroiKly oxplnincd, ^Ir. Ml•'^.l\i^!l. tho rcvsideut Faotnr of tlio Ifudstju's Ray Coni- / Pi^ny, at tlir iv(iur>(t boiu of t!u' (.'ouiiinnlimt of tho Fiold l"'oivi> and tlio Mana;^o-,' of tlio Pulilic Works c'-uvcyod lo biui by letters (couic's of which ai'o on a i)ro',.'eding i>ag(') from Thunder Bay, had set a force tt work on the Lake of the Woods roail. The distance rcmaininj: to be opcni>d was i'ouml to bo somewhat fj;roatcr than the confused reports, received up to that time, had led us to anticiiiato. The party sent out with Mr. Snow, in the fall of 1S(>S had not even penetrated to the Lake of the Woods, Avith their Kxploratoiy lint>s, and much of the road they had opened was a mere prelimin- ary trftck, on which nothing more had been done thancuttinij down and rolling otfthe trees. On this Section, the people emplovt>d by Mr. jNlcTavish were making bridges over the Swamps ; they haii also opened a road from the i)oint at which Mi'. Snow's road ternun- ates East of White Mn\ith Kiver to Wrcli I'iver, and from thence had cut a bridle path to the Lake of the Woods, but it was mostly through Swamp, and horses could with dilliculty 1.C taken over it with [laclc saddles. l>y this route, a company of the Kegular troo])S, on their return, went from Fort Oarry to the North West angle of tlie Lake of the Woods, where they embarked in l)iiAts and a comp.any of Volunteer.^ which had been stationed at Fort Frances, took the same road from the North West angle to Koi't (iari-y. The iVimmandant of the Kield Force left Fort Uariy on the lOth September and passed Ky land to tlu? Lak(» of the Woods, where his canoe, witk a crew of active voyag(mrs, was in waiting to carry him to Lt'ke Sup(U'ior. Tin: Kkti i«N ok tiii; l\K(ifr.Au Tito.oi's and Vovaoiurs. Was marked by th(! same good fortune as had attende-1 the advance of the Force from Shebaudowan i/ike to Fort (lariy. The voyageurs who had accompanied the Voluuteer.s were now di.^engageil, so that there was no laek of sic ilful boatmen and the joui-ney to Lake Supoi'ior was I'anidly accouiplished, under the able management of Colonel I'Melden. The weather was delightful and the tlies had vanished. In fact, thronglKUit the Summer, to whatever cause it may have been owing, there was a remarkable absence of troublesome insects. To the sohliers the homeward Jounuy must have been ])loasant. The V)oat« were light and better manneil than they had been on the advance, and it would bo dilHcult to imagine anything more l)eauliuil than the Kivers, Falls and Island studded Lakes, by ■which they jiassed. Autumn had just begun to tinge the forests and the weather w.as all that coidd be desired. The Expedition had been entirely successful and they were I'o- turning to n^ceivf? the well merited thanks of the t^ountry and their Sovereign. The average rate \)vv day, notwithstanding all impediments in the way of portages, or rapiils, was about "J^Jmiles. some davs luuch more and some less. Waggons were in wait- ing for the luggage at Shebandowan Lake and the terrible Thunder Day Road, which had been greatly improved dui'ing the absence of the troops, was ])ut two days easy march, '^riiis shows how readily it laight hav(> bci>n ]tassed at tir.st, if the Voyageurs, instead of being set to dragging boats by the Ki\'er, had iieen kept for a tiuie at work on it. j\Iany of tlu! voyageurs. at their own reiiucst. were paid off at Fort Garry, They had been struck with the beautv of the eountrv and the I'ertilitv of the soil, and I have no doubt will prove a valuable addition to the po])ulation. 1 was detained for some tiuu^ in making necessary arrangements for the construction of barracks, and the ))rogr<'ss of the worlc en the Lake of the Woods road, and «nly left the north-west angle on the •-'."b'd ol Septembei-. I reached Thunder Day on the 1st October, and in a few days saw thi> last of the regular troo))s embark on the .steamers ; officers and men had alik(* distinguished themselves by unllinching perst^verence, perfect sobriety, and all the good (jnalities which mark the J?ritish soldier. A feeling of regard had grown np between them find the voyageurs, and fur the latter I can say that they parted with the tried frieufls who had shared their toils, with regret, and with a heartfelt wish for their future prosperity and happiness. \ 30 Tlic steamers having been fnlly freighted with military stores, «tc., the voyagenrs coiihl only Ihjia o Tliuii'lor Buy on ihi suocoodiug tri^)^^. Tiioy roiicho;! tlieir liomnt in safety, and it is Mutiafaciory to know tliat not u singli.- serious aoeident occurred, and not a life was lost, from the outset of the Expedition until its return. Tho Expedition having been attended with success, I woidd gladly close this report without referring tu blunders which nught have led, and very nearly did load, to au op- j)osite result ; but so mneli has been said and written of a character to produce an ini- pi-ession, tho revers(* of tho truth, that justice to the men by whoso pei-severence and toil it was mainly saved from disaster, compels me to draw attention to certain circumstances ■which I should otherwise have left unnoticed. I have already shewn tiiat, on the arrival of tho first detachment of the military forco at Thunder Bay, the road fortwenty-five miles was in such acondition that Ijoats and military stores might at onco have been sent forwiu-d, as far as Matawin Bridge. I have also pointed out that any (hsficiency in tho means of transport, occasioned by tho detention of a portion of that which had been provided (drawing stores over tho porbnge road), at Sault 8t. Marie, might easily liave been lemodied by sending to Collingwood or tho settlemouu in its vincinity for additional horses and waggons. 8oon after the airival of the first of the troops, twenty-eiglit boats were taken by waggon over the road to tlie Matawin Biidge, thus pi'oving that it was not only practi- cable but quite easy to send them in that way. In this position, the true plan would have been to set all the available force, both soldiers and voyayeurs, to work on the unfinished section of tlie road, so as to have it com[)leted by the time tho stores should reach the Matawin Bridge. But instead of adopting a line of action, so obvious, and judicious, the boats, on the advice of inex- ])erienced persons, \/ho, although living in tho viciaity, had never been over the country through wliich the road passes, or had ever so much as seen Shobaudowan Lake, were ordei-ed to the rougli and rocky channel of the river, while at the same time, with excep- tion of a few comitiiuies of the regular troo})S, sent forward to aid in repairing tho damage occasioned by the lire, the main body of tlie military forjo was maintain«d in inactivity at '.riiunder Bay, and tliere it in great part i',?maiued, UTitil General Lindsay made his appearance and ordered a general movement forward. I have already described the operation of dragging tho boats over the rocks of the Kaministaquia and Matawin, and tho damage to which th«y were thereby subjected. The voyageius knew the work and privations to which they were thus exposed, to be xmnecessary. They saw that a few additional waggons, only, were required to relieve them from the toil, and save the boats on which the success of the Expedition dopended. They were, indeed, accompanied some times by the soldiers, who did a portion of the dragging, as far as the Matawin Bridgs, but the soldiers never returned on a second excur- sion of the same nature, while the voyagenrs had to tramp back again to Thunder Bay, and renew the work ; and, in the ditficult sections between Young's Landing and Brown's Lane, the soldiers could not aid at all. Most of the native Indian voyagenrs, brought at great expense to the ground, and whose services would have been invaluable as guides, became, as I have already explained, disheartened and left. The Nipigon Indians deserted in a body. Those from Fort William and the Grand Portage could not endure the toil, and their places had to bo filled with men from among the workmen ou the road ; under these circumstances, I think I am justilied in claiming some little credit for tho voyagenrs, who, iu storm and sunshine, stood manfully to their posts, and com- pelled success against blunders, wliich would otlierwise have resulted in disaster. If, under the great trials to which they were so unnecessarily exposed, any consider- able number of them had left, the E:q)0(Ution could not have proceeded, the route would liavo been pioclaimed impracticable, and the North-West Territories might possibly have been lost to Canada. That so great a national calamity was averted, and that the first considerable Expedition which the Dominion sent forth, has been crowned with success, is in no small measure due to the ])ersevej'ance, the skill and iinwavoriiig constancy of f, 9 I \ voyajcfeurs in safety, not a life his i'ei)ort to au op- ce an im- ;e and toil iimatiinces taiy foico id military have also tention of ), at Suult jttlemoiiU taken by ily practi- Ebrce, both to have it instead of e of inex- lie country iake, were nt\\ excep- ho damage inactivity made his ! rocks of thereby B exposed, to relieve Impended. tion of the and excur- nder Bay, ding and voyageurs, invaluable Nipigon could not )rkmen on ttle credit and com- m 4 # 31 the voyagours. They wore of that class wliicli lias, pcrhaiis, done more than any other lo advance the prosperity of the country. Of such as tiioy were are the men wlio aro yearly engaged iu th(» adventurous work of carrying the produce of the forests, or rather the forests tlieniselves, along tlie rivers of the country. Their calling may ptuhai)a be considered a humlde one, but tiiat is no lea son why, when tliey perform important public services, and do great things, they should be utterly ignored and their hard won laurels snatched from them and placed on the brows of others. In giving credit to the voyageurs for their services, 1 uni \eiy fai- from wishing to dispanige the work of the soldiers. On the contrary, 1 can most eheerfnlly bear testi mony to their aptitude in acipiiring a knowledge of the voyageurs art, their unvarying perseverenco and orderly behaviour. The soldiers are far more likely to s\itVer from the indiscreet remarks of those who assume to speak for them than from anytliing I liavesiud. The temlency of exaggerated statements is to ])roduce an impression tla; oi>pusil(( ol' that which they are inten' tsfrifftiin piddishcil in Knyland bij an officer of the Expeditionanj Fo^'ce., is not printed.] consider- ate would sibly have it the first 1 success, iistancy of