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Les diogremmes suivants iiiustrant la mAthode. irreta to peiure, nA □ 32X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 :•. .;;.;- • *; v.:.".:.. „'■' " •»•■■••• ~ ■ -.-**..'? !.i.aM,(v»- t » •- • „' ■ i^- "■ -if.- .., i^sii. .x't^ ',)-.,: r. .::■ '.r^:-[\ .,,. .:-.'■. .-.■; :...,.,..„.,, .-■'-- - - i"' ■ ■,•:•,■•■•-•■■— -^^--.'.t •;'■„■ , ■■ ■■- ^,, .1 , ■, , , - •-■•/,, ■ x-.;. '*"■■'■' ""^'^'ifiiil'f**'"*' "****'*" • ■ ■|:..i ■ ■*.■■•. rr: I •i^■«■ C A ... - «*^*#6^.»*s 4»^ tt**^,--.j^ .y'. Jj ■'^.' *.»•■ M* '•»- & I 4 ^ * ■w 5 1. 1 i r., ,/ A VISIT TO UEI> UIVKR. 665 A VISIT TO UKI) KIVER. TliKlJK is II s])ot on this continent wliieh travi'lcrs ilo not vi.--it, iiiul troin wliii'h civil- ization sei'nis in a nieasniv s'uit ont. Deserts, alniiint trackless, divide it on all sides from the habitations ot' cnltivated man; no railroads, or stcanu'i'. or ic]e;;ra|ih wires, or linos of stages make their way tliither: to reach it, or, once there, to escape from it. is an exjiloit of which one may almost boast. Jteceiving no impres- sions from without, it reflects none. It sends forth neitiier lu-wspapers, nor books, nor coitc- siiondcnts' letters; no para;^r.i|)b in any news- paper records its weal or wot. ; it is not even marked on the maj)sor mentioned in thej^'a/.et- tecrs. Vet Ui;i> l{ivi;u Si/iti.kmknt, for that is the name of the nn known sjiot. eoatuiuii a |)opiilation of nearly CtMXl sonis, eleven plucos of public worship, profui^ely sii]iplied with elerj^y (indudin;; two bishops;, a citadel of formidable Htre>ij;th and lar;.'e size, several lar^e two-story stone houses, with "modern conveniences," a dozen mills, ever so many model farms, stocked with fnic cattle, ami provided «itli all the mod- ern implcuu'iits of agriculture, one or two man- ufacturing,' i'slablislinients, a court lioii^c with a recorder at ifi40(H) a year, a (governor, stalf, and im|N)siu;^ body of mounted ])olice. There is more than one giHid library there, and several good cellars; a man may hin;iton or Cin- cinnati. Assuredly sinrh an oasis in the great North American zahara ou,:,dit not to share the fate of the braves who lived before Agamem- non. It was in the month of June that I started, in rompany with a gentleman whose duties obliged him to undertake the jtjuruey for the settlement on lied River. AVe lelt Sault St. Marie in a "IS'orth canoe," pulled by ten stout half-breeds. I can recommend this mode of traveling to lazy men. One lies down on blankets or skins, or whatever couch has been prejjarcd ; the motion of the canoe after the first day is positively delightful, and the judicious traveler takes care to lay in a stock of books and cigars to occujty the day. Notliiii:,' to l)C done there but read and smoke ; for one soon tires of the stories which the half-breeds toll, and of the jilaintive old rrench songs (among which 1 recognized some that 1 had heard be- fore in Normandy and Lower Brittany) which they chant in time to the paddles. At night wc ran ashore and camjied ont ; this, to be hon- est, was the least pleasant part of the journey, for besides the insects — themselves enough todis- gust a traveler — the night dews, and tlie morn- ing mist were formidable enemies to one who had been visited by our periodic "chills." How- ever, none of ns sulVcred, and after nine days' travel, during which we were occasionally en- livened by the danger of a traverse, when a sudden Haw might have sent us idl to the Itot- tom in ten minutes beyond hojic of salvation, wc arrived at Tort William, the great western settlement of the Hudson IJay Company on Lake Sajjcrior. A coiijile of days wcr-? jiassed there, rambling through the couniry and on the lake shore in seaicli of game and geological s]iecimens ; on the third we took to our canoe again, and began to ascend the river toward Rainy Lake. 'I'he liist day or two were very plea.'iant. The scenery was line, and my com- panion, who was a tolerable sportsman, made Some clever shots at the wild fowl, whose homes we were tli>.lurliiiig. l!iit our jileasure was .soun to end. Rain began to fall, jnobaMy in order to IIAUrEU'S NKW MONTHLY MAGAZINK. justify tin- iiunie of the luko to our cars ; ntul on wurm ovciiin;et knight he ; in the depth of the pathless woods, on tiic virgin streams, in the bosom of the arctic snows, his spurs were won. A man of i)rivate means, which he sacrificed to this Conqiany, he was uisc brave and enterprising. Neither expense, nor danger, nor obstacles, could deter him from his resolves. To the perseverance of the Scot ho united the fire of tlic Celt ; with the proud self-reliance of the peer, he combined the shrewd tact of the merchant. At that time the great fur country was dis- puted by two rival companies, the Hudson Bay Company and the Northwest Company. Their charters were distinct, and so wei"c their terri- tories. Hut there was not room for both. Ev- ery man in tie Northwest knew that one of the two must perish, and those who measured the respective strength of the rivals, said confident- ly that the Hudson Hay C'ompany was doom- ed. 'J'homas, Earl of Selkirk, made up his mind that it must conquer, and that the North- westers must go to the wall. Examining with the eye of a soldier tlu; coun- try where the war was to be carried on, he saw that two gviuul essentials were wanting to his side — i)hysical strength, and a basis of opera- tions. To sui)ply both, he obtained from the (,'ompany, and from various Indian tribes claim- ing to hold lioniiuion over tiic tcrriinry. a grant of land in llio neighborhood of Hcd liiviv, a trib- ute-- ' i l^iikc Winnipeg, which joins (lie liiko ab(,... lOO miles northwest of Fort AVilJiani. ihd ma'Ie arrangements to transport lliiiher colonists from the Scotdi Highlands. A stout colony firmly established there would not only e(iualize the strength of the cfmibatants. but would afl'onl the Huds(>n Hay Company an iin- : rivaled liasis of opt'rations, as well ?'s a conven- I lent stepping-stone to the trade of the WcFt, I Accordingly, it; the summer of 1812, the EnrI I of Selkirk transplanted the "first brigade of colonists to Ucd l{iver. The settlers were to have a hundred acres of land each, to be paid for in produce (the payment was nl^erward re- mitted) ; they were to have a minister of their own ])ersuasion ; they were to enjoy the rights of Hrilisii subjects ; and they were guaranteed a market at their own doors for all their jiroduce. On these tenns hardy Highlanders were not wanting lo risk the ad^ cntnrc. Hut neither were the Northwesters blind. Their jireparations were made silently, elVociive- ly. No sfioncr had the " first brigade" arrived, than a band of men, begrimed with war-)iaint, dressed in Indian dress, and armed to the teeth, rode down ujion them and bade them dejiart. Strange to say, there was not an intelligi1)le word spoken on either side. The colonists spoke nothing but Gaelic; their assailants Indian- EreiK h. Hut the gestures of the latter were too plain to be mistaken. Out of charity they agreed to carry the women and children on the crup- pers of their horses ; the men were to walk. For the '•services'" of their guides they ]iaid as they could. A wonuin gave her wedding-ring; a Gael the cherished musket his father had borne at Culloden. So they traveled, sore i>f beart and foot, by the side of their conquerors, to Pembina. After living there on charity during the win- ter, they returned to Hed Hivcr in the s])ring, A year's jicace enabled them to break jnound and roar shelter. In 1815 the Northwest'Ts were ujion them again. This time there was resist- ance. Accordingly the Northwcstersburncd ilow n the Colonial House, took the Governor prisoner, killed his aid. Then more fighting; and fiiuil- ly, the brief mandate from the Northwest head- (piarters: "All settlers to retire innnediately from the Red River, and no api)carance of a colony to remain." A command executed to the letter. Three hundred miles over the wilder- ness the Highlanders were sent in exile, and their houses burned down. Nothing discouraged, the Hudson Hay Com- pany sent a strong force to escort the exiles back to the settlement. A new brigade arrived just in time to help them rebuild their houses. The Northwesters changed their tactics. Tlioy too hired Gaels, and sent them to Red Uiver, with instru»'lions to seduce the colonists to leave the jilace. The Highlanders, proof against cor- ruption, could not resist the old familiar sounds 1 A VISIT TO KKU HIVER. U6T Wlll- s were ifsist- lUlown soiicr, linul- hcad- liately •c of a t(l tlic wikler- l,', and oftlic (iatlic. They (IcstTU-il in droves. Di'imij). nliitioii niciiiicfd tlic ('ttlcnient. 'I'lic Karl of St'lki;k tiihnly prejiaicd to iniixjrt more brigades. At last, in .luno, IHIt!, matters eanie to a I crisis. Ncw;^ reached (Jovernor Senijile ut l{e-estal)lislied the colony on a new and solid Imsis. He chose mill-sites, set apart lands for reliizioiis anil educational estahlislunents, sur- veyed the colony, advanced the settlers tools and stixk. Under his directions a:.;ricidtnral operations were commenced on a soimd princi- ple, and in some spots a yield of forty-fold re- warded the Ili(;;hlanders' industry. Still, as farming had been hef^nn too late, the harvest was scanty, and at the aj>proach of winter the wholi! colony abandoned the ))lace. They lied to I'embina, there hojnnn to subsist on the product of the chase. When they arrived there, they found they must join a party of Indians und half-breeds which had set out some days previously. Oft' they started, thnnv^ii the snow. They were ill dad, and ill sujjplied with food. The thermometer ratified from ;t.">^ to 40 below zero. "Our Kuirerincrs," said one of the wretch- ed HiLihlanders, '-were almost beyond hum. in endurance, and even at this distant day we shudder at the jiainful recollection ; for many a time, wlien the last moutbftd was consuniid. and our ehildien cr}'in^ for more, we knew nut how or where the next morsel was to come from. A rabbit, a crow, a snow-bird, or even a ]'ieie of |iarehment, would be foip.nl. I'lha^-- ; und the-; from time to ti-ne \\r kept liod) ant darkened the air, and fell like a heavy shower of snow on the col- ony." In one nij;ht crops, gardens, and every green herb in the settlement perished. The Highlanders wej)t. To I'embina again that fall, and more sii ken- ing misery there. In the spring a fifth attemiit to .settle lied liiver. lint the June heats ipuck- cned the larvje the gnisshopjH'rs had let't in the ground. They arose from the earth in masses. They lay four solid inches deep on some spots. They poisoned the water. ISleu shoveled them aside with si)ades to make a \( ay into their hov- els. No green thing — neither the herbs, nor the leaves of the bushes, nor the b.'irk of the trees, nor the grass of the j)laiii — saw the Sep- tendier of that year. Kven out-iloor fires were extinguished by the shower of insects, and the air was infected by the ertluvia from their pii- tref^ving corpses. To return to J'eiidiimj was a necessity. Hut the perseverance of the Highlandert. grew nobler with obstacles. For the sixth lime, in the spring of IHL'O. they returned to Ked Hiver. Lord Selkirk's in)n will knew no such thing as failure. The nu'ii had not even saved seed out of the general ruin. At a cost of ,f!">(KX) he procured 250 bushels of seed wheat fn)m Missouri. Again the land was sowed ; and again tlie bright days of dune were darkened by the grassliopf)ers. I?ut man can always live down oltstaeles. The jilague abated. Karly in the season the gras.din]i])ers disajipeared, never to return; and for the first time in their eight years' experience, the Hed Kiver colonists gath- ered in their lianest safely. More colonists ar- rived — Swiss, (iermans, and Scotch. Men still starved at seed time. The jioor Swiss sufl'ered horribly ; bartered their all fur the meanest j)it- taiice. Men gave their guns, women their rings, or what was dearer still, for a cat-llsh. But the colonial roots had struck, and, in coniiiari'-dii with the |tast, these seemed verj' bright times. IJiit the end was not yet. Lonl Selkirk died an exile in France, having escajied fron» the >tieritf vent so arrest him tV>r the atVair of .June, and his death was the signal for a new plague. His deputy, the (iovernor of the setdement, a fellow named M'Dowell. was as threat a pest a:- tiie );rassho]»pers. In the -.viM of l{ed liiver lie kept baniiiial house, with '"secretaries, assist- ant secretaries, accountants, orderlies, grooms, cooks, at'd butlers." From the time tlie stores ll> to tj ill 6 oert UAKl-KKS NKNV_A10VnUAMA0A/lNl. . ~„i,.r to decide wliitlicr they tlK-ir hill-top, .n «"'^,'^' ,!"„,,,. ,nu-. WhiU- .houldsailin^curchc^u '-> ^^^^^^ llK-ir miseries. mvvH t n ^^^^^^^^.j, ,,„t ri^eiMU. i.uh or man IH^^^^^^^^ them in tl>^ ^"'!;'^ '"..:'"' • ' I .-.ti »hc imiirlieoiis were emi>ty, Ua.(ioven>or.aHne >^'^^^_^,.,^,.,,,. ,,i^ „,„s were "-[' ''r, , ,. cHe ,th vv'-e a, . iii.ili vour honor, hij-h'. ' ..lli,luyourlu..n.r .V- ,f^^^^^^^ >vouUl .et to >-.K '• 1"^^,;.; J^^^^. ,,,,„.aered with veiiewea ^'"^'cY , . Selkirk's onler;* ,Ueeolonistsshau.eU,l). "^^J / j ^^.-.^u ,U ne- ^vere that they should ' ';' .^^^n,c Govevn- or received tlieir orm ., ,. uh the ur- a.Unst.hem,hutc.aen;^j..toh^^^^ Jthers, les. hope!"', su v - ^.^^_^_^ side of the dclimc, ^?'»''"«''^, ,;•'„, to say that Hefore luui., ".e» '■"■"*;^^'^ """^n.; water .er- ,,,,a the news was ^""^"- . -^ ,,,„ ,allin,:. '"'"'> ^*"' ;V'i "''\u.uV.t"f"thc laet, and «l'f 'n,ere eouhl he m. ^^^^^^ ,„ ,,,y ^vhere -»-'^'^ ""':;;;nI^tJ:i;ltieu.ly, -na on tlie thev were. » '"^j _ , ,i„ I ^vard hlessed with a new " »";''^Ve^.u.r of the time it ha« l"=2r it heeume u fixed laet-std v«nta,eoihein,aeousinoft Ooy n ^^_^^^^^^^ 1.,^ '■'^'■^"T:;Tde V u d ^■rr"'"'"">- AVh" ^"W • Company. Hi^ name - - » ,; , „,, „ Vroy- \ lhHt"«\-^ ^^ ^c > u a ,^^„ „ -.^ ,r n tane) Intake --T''''";,:;:^; Cl diuiwashrouKht 1 expecw;.^ ^IJ- ;;^^, ^,U Street mu.t t?JsametimeunwilUn;:toretun omcw ^^^^^ j^^.^^j ,, ^ k ^^^ ^^^^,,^ ,,„, ^^ ! ,r , hv. he met an old wunian *>' ^ -\\\^ ^,5. n^l-in^? "pon it ?^ '"Jrj^ ^,,Valo, take their '. -iin 1 hi.r and took liev sealp. NN '"-"7 , ,valk ont into the phuus, hi ^^^^ Si i;^:; :;-m-. ^;;^s;;; "hSn-- -•"^, r t:^^ ^^^^^'^^ r i 't culprit, and sternly 'Mnaikcd to t ^^^^.^.^^^^ ,^,„ tne„, lU c . ^^^ .^.^ j „,,j v.ut \"'U him that he has "'"" ^ \^*^ ' ,,,;„id not er not only f'^^' ^«j!^^ f„rn,cd, a palatial fae- sul.ven4veof alloydor.and IM I e ^^^^ ^^^^^ l,,^^,j,^ ^^^^ ^^ j,, , j or he t.nnislied in thi> woild. he i.. | ' j ,- tory ereeted, ""^^ j „,hI skilled work- s'' ^^ ^" r "'""\ W 1;:^ -W -^^ ^-^; '"tS^^'S^r'^er; M.U1 wasenlisu^^ lK.r of !-><-'■. eommen.ed '^ ^"^^ .^ 7..„„, u.eir ^vhon he ^ "'^ '' \^^, „,„ntlis' exertion ? Lv- haps. 'l"ho hulhdo we e d n n U, ''^/■^•;'"'- \^oUher a skinner, sorter, wool- hauus l.y the storm-, the odd f^^„,i„, 1 e.y body >va. euhe^ a ^^^^^^,.^^^,„,.,,, .vaBCS vhat from the frost, "";\^^';';^,nv other, dresser, teaser or ha ^ ^^ „ day. hirty-thvee persons 1^;" ;l;t«\;e th'ermom- -ere "'^^ "^J^ ^ryU • ^^ the faetory ,zot drunk ^vere severely tried. 1 hat wmtcr ti ^^^ ^^.^^^j, cv cry i^ ^.^,„^.^.^, j ^as eter often niuvked 15 ^'^^'^ ;;;"j^'^ ,. Qtt the day after ,^1'^. .jj^^^l ; cloth whieh eost $12 ty three feet thiek in the ^^^f^ ^,,, ^^,, .pulled ; the "' f ^^^^ ^ $1 i„ Kn.land ; the : [Mav the thaw hcgan, '^»f; "^J'^'JJ". The a yard t""';^^^',^;'^^ he colonists lived on short So watched tl>oir houses, ^--^^^ :,,,M tend lihemhty ^^ ,,., Governor diseo.- I A VISIT TO UKD RIVRR. 6(50 ihpy lot « ic t'l s biul Hit I '» liinti'*! till':*'!'- \,\ the ivy thai I'r «i'r- liilliiit. mul the ^ wlicrc J (III thf of their ii.U', M\i ,r tlie tftll -H of Hc«l e jirei-enl ii-a. nt>» l,i,.l— Mill Vh»> wouUl or II *'>"*^> itvect inubt SVixil ("om- ilHCVTI, "ii»l I'vi'iy ^tock- Ic how Hiinc vci- viihout done hut to o, take their .n- hiili^s and Is imJ I*''*'**' t's Lam», hut I ^.aiiitiul fac- Knuh'iid f«r skilled work- i >Mis enlisted. rlivlds. Who ly suhf^i^tence. ojVived wealth xcviionV Kv- sorter, wool- .i.tuvev. w"j;c8 pot *a "-^"y- ctovy U'" ^l"^""^ collected was ^vhieh eost $1- , Kimhuul ; the ts lived on short ccn vctiarded ft* he Earl of Sel- V_'r.,000 in l'ln"t- ,ul their awil^iic^- ontiniu'd to e>i- t on an uiulimin- Guvcriiur disco^- -.re to hi' made by vc utVcrcd lor the .d wa>> t"'!"' rtcd. Kvciy thin;{ was Khandoned for llux. Fla.v 'is to hu the ^rt-ut staple of lied Uivir. Hut when till! M-ud caiiu!, uiid wai dlKtnhutud, niaitor.i were ko nrraii;{i'd tliat tlic (ioviriior's frieiid.s ^'ut all tliu In'nt i|iialitlfs, and i'on.sc'(|uuiitly the ' iremiiiiiis. AKain^t this tint di'iiiiKTacy of Red Kivcr not unnaturally rehcUed, und the ttax ^ scheme fell throu;*!!. | It was followed liy another Vv'cxd ronipany, , Hht.'eji and not hulValo hein^, however, tlu! wool- heari'vs this time. A sum of money was siih- scrilied in the colony for tht; |iurcliase of sheep in the liiited States, and a party sent to Mis- souri to hiiy. The commissioners arrived at Saint Loiii'i. visiteil the farms, funnd sheep, i.iid otleivd ijil ."><• a head. Tlu! Missouriaiis — u 'it> were proltuhly Yankees — thinking the lied liiwr men wanted them badly, asked $2. On tin-. ICae, tJK! head commissioner, took oflense, and swore he would have nolhiii;; to do witii such extoriioiiists. The Missouriaiis repented, and orteri'd to take the $1 .'it>; hut Kay was inex- orahli', luul shaking? the dust from his feet, jour- neyed to Kentucky, 4."»0 miles further. There he l)ou;.dit the sheep at his own ])rice, and had the satisfaction of imyiiig for their pasture and keep every nii,'ht on the way home. On the journey throui^ii Missouri he halted to shear the sliee)), iind contracted to deliver the wool, ut u hijih price, to a speculator. When the ww)! was ready for delivery, the i)urehascr proved unahle to raise the whole amount fixed; otiicr hidders, lit lower rates, «)rt'ered to take it; hut Rae, furiously iuiii;;iiant, refused to take a cent less than the previous price, and had the whole quantity hiirned oij the sj)ot. The weather was hot when they reached St. i'eter's, and the sheep had 1 '>()U miles to travel, line's ardor admitted of no delay. If a sheep showed signs of weak- ness, the order was, "Cut its throat, and drive on." As many as 45 were killed of a niornin>{. When the party arrived at lied liiver, out of 147.> animals, only 2.")1 survived; and of these many soon perished fnmi the etl'ects of the jour- ney. So the sheep scheme failed. It was followed by a new Company, tlie '• Tallow Company." The (Jovcnior confessed that eiTors had been made; but about this there was no mistake. Were not the |)lains teeming with pasture ? Where could limits Imj set to the production of hides and tallow ? A herd of 47^ cattle was purchased, and the stock-Kamhling was renewed with fervor. Each animal was tastefully hranded on the haunch, "T. T." — meaniiij; Tallow Trade, and the lied liiverians r t'esscd tiiey had never seen so beautiful a sij^ht as the whole herd j^razin^ |icaceal»ly together. Unconiiiioii accident : early in May a severe frost occurred, and twenty-six of the ftK)lish animals died. However, summer set all right, and the •toek was at a premium. When winter came it was a dirt'crcnt story. Thirty-two cattle died of the cold ; on very severe nights, when the thcrmomeiGr marked 40 and 4.5 ' below zero, the ears, horns, hoofs, and tails of the jM)or creatures fell otf. Resides which, the wolves Vol.. XIll. — No. 77. — U V helped them»elvcs to fifty-tlirci-. This was ilis- couraging. >Still, with summer, the slot khold ers' courage revived, und there was more talk of ft)rtniies in tallow. The .second winter settled the business. With all their care, thr man- agers could not keep out the wolves or protect the herd from the cold ; und ))cfore spring, the assets of the concern were ooKl by auction. The tuUow fortunes had melted away. Of all these failures, John (\im|iany gener- ally paid the damage, und the colony never ceased to prosper. It became un olijeci for the Com|iuny to retain within their domiiiit>ns those iimting their factors who luul realized small for- tunes; und us many of these had married na- tive women, whom they could not introduce into European or civilized American society, and were, iK-'sides, attached to the w ild life they hail led, they were only Uto ready to uccept lied River as a sort of refuge for their declining years. These ccmstitute the aristocracy of t\n' settlement. Next to them come the French ('anadians (the Swiss and Oermans have most- ly disappeared), who nr ; not to lie distinguished from the men of the same race in Lower Cun- adu ; and again below them come the half- breeds. The Scotch and French (,\inadians are mostly farmers, and some of them uncom- nioiily successful farmers. The half-breeds dis- like a settled life. They prefer the excitement of the chase, or the idle life of the fisherman. They are technically tenned plain-hunterH. Every spring they collect ut the fort, to the num- ber of u thousand or two — men, women, and chil- dren — buy, beg, or liorrow carts, horses, gun.s, knives, |Mjwdcr, oxen, and other hunting mate- rials ; elect a chief captain and u dozen secimd captains; establish rules for the guidance of their hunt, and start forth into the phiin. I had the gfjod fortune to lie allowed to join one of these cxpediti(ms. A priest accomiianies the jiarty to bless the undertaking. The rules established on these occasions are rigorous. No buffalo must be hunted on Sunday ; disobedience of orders is punished with the destruction of the otl'enderV saddle for the first ott'en.se, with a Hogging for the second; theft even, where the object stolen is only a sinew, is avenged by the exjiosure of the thief in the middle of the camp, while the crier thrice shouts his name, coupling with it the word " thief." Our march was long and often severe. With the phiiu-hunter there is no medium between a feast and a famine. Women and children often cry themselves to sleep every night for a week from sheer hunger; next week they are all ill of a surfeit. When the cxpeilition reaches the hunting-ground, the camp is i)ut ill order. The carts arc ranged in a circle, within which the women und children are placed. This done, the hunters mount their horses and sur\ey the ground. With sjiy-glass in hand the captain reconnoitres the plain, and as soon as u herd of bufililo is discovered, as- signs to each lieutenant his place in the hunt. N\hea all is ready, und the men prei>ured — tu 670 TIARPKR'S NEW MONTHLY MAOAZINE. many as four hundred often Rtart togctlior — the cntiimnnditr ({ivcs the word "Start!" It is a ravalry charnc. Tlic whole h(Mly advances lintt at n fdow trot, then at n KoHop, thiMi at full Sliced. As their sjM-cd inci-eam's, tlie earth troni- Iilcs ; but when the herd jicreeive their enemy, and l)enin to paw the ground and make off, the :4ound and nhcxk are like an eartli){uake. A cloud of dust arises mingled with smoke. Ui|:;ht into the midst of the herd dash the hunters, fir- ing aH they no at the fattest rattle ; ride on and on, through and throuj^h the (•h)se ranks of the huffulo, until there arc but a few stra^rK'ers — the leanest bnites — alive. Each nnin has liis mouth full of balls, and loads and fires at fidl };ulloi>. As he seldom pulls a trifif^KT until his f;un is within a few foet of the mark, he hardly •Tver misses. Though the hunt seldi:.i>ition, will work, and acfpiire, in course oftinie, a com- fortable settlement ; but by far the greater por- tion of the race jireseiTC nomad habits tlinmgh- out, and ore contemjituously calletl scpiatters by the legitimate l{cd Hiverians. They often have a passion for show ; and will leave their chil- dren and wife in rags and ashes in «)rder to ap- pear ftn Sunday in a handsome tuni-out. Oth- ers, again, and this is more ciuiracteristic of tliu women than the men, will sacrifice every thing, will even work, for tea. I was informed that the bashful nuiidens of Red Hiver (the half- breeds, I mean), who will hardly ever dare to look a stranger in the face, or answer a civil question, who would deride an ofl'er of dress or even money, can not resist the temjitation of a coufde of pounds of souchong. The life of the thoroughly vagabond half- breed is well illustrated in Mr. Ross's sketch of Haptiste I'Esprit. lie was, it may bo ol)served, a well known character at Red River, and the type of a large class. liaptiste had a wife and children ; but they were all his jirojierty. 'When sjiring comes round Ra]itiste wants to join the hunt. He is in want of every thing. ^Vislles to make you believe he is the most honest fellow in the world. Wishes you to trust him, to try him once more. Promises every thing. Tries one ; tries him this way, that way, the other way, every way, but is refused ; yet the smile of confidence is never oft" his countenance while in his siiipplica- ting mood. Nor is it an easy task to resist im- jKirtunities so urgent, and particularly when en- forced by an olyect of charity; yet Haptiste is refused. But he is accustomed to refusals; such things never discourage him. Rajitiste tries another and another, but with no better success. Unfortunately for Daptiste his charac- ter is known. Nevertheless, Baptiste, still con- fident in his own cause, tries another; accus- tomed to persevere, tries again and again ; and at last, by dint of importunities and fair promises, gets a horse to hire from one, a cart from an- other; but as the risk is great, the price is in proportion. A man of means gets a horse and c^trt for $10 a trip. Baptiste promises $20. But he is in want of ammunition, of every thing else. Baptiste tries again ; tries one, tries two, tries a dozen ; at last succeeds. The rogue and the fool meet. Enptistc still wants clothing — I begir A VISIT TO RKD KIVER. (J7l nuin- ' liocit ■h ironuscp, irt from un- e ])ricc is in a horse and ;)mises $20. every thing le, tries two, lie ro^uc und s clothing— » I •omefhin;.' from the mcrehunt «« well ns the | tctthr. Iliinself und fiimily nre nuked. Hap- tiste Hi'ts out a^aiii ; cull.t here, ealls there, travels up, travels down, nothinx diseoum^ed ; HiitH creilit from some merchant ut last. After a montli's iircparation, and before Itapliste is ' half ri'Mily, the lime for starting arrives. The others lire oil"; na|i(isfe must start too, ready or \ not ready. At tiiis sta(,'o all Haptiste's hopes Imn;* on a hair ; he must ;;o, or all is ht«t ; but he eaii not ;;o without somethin;; to eat. Clutr- ify steps forwiml, and a day after the rest, oil" I ;,'oes Hapti-ite, belter skelter, with his horse and | jtart of his family ; but if no horse, as fn'<|nently ' iiapiieiis, they tr.imp it on foot, neik or nothiui.'. 1 At the camp all is bustle; m> r>ne is itistc is no favorite, nevertheless he could sin^; a good .son;;, tell a good story. Koine pity his family; Charity stretches forth her hand,! and n(jw the cart is loaded in a trice — IJaptiste I the while as proud as if he hud done all himself, ] quite satisfied, happy as hajipy could \k. The last to start, the last to cam]), Ihiptiste, fat as a | seal, and sleek as an Ksipiiinaux, arrives to re- sume again the delicious enjoyment of indo- lence. • As soon as he arrives, he sits down, smokes his pii>c, then unloads his [lony, und tells the story of his journey. Is highly pleased with the trip; praises his own iiidu.stry und success.' •'Look," says he to his wife, "at this piece, look at that piece, and at that," turning them over and over. Hiji wife is charmed ; counts his profits. There is enough to jiay all, so now they can enjoy themselves. A diiy, a week passes; but not a word about paying till' debts till the load gets nearlv expended ; then they begin to reflect. They distribute the remains | of the ]iidlits a day after the fair. This piece is laiil aside for a new gown for Madame, tiiat piece for a shawl. .'«o much for ten, so much for toiiacco, the two great luxuries of Kcd l{i\er; u bit to this gossip, a bit to that. M.idame has her cronies. 'I'hen there must be a merry let out. Friends are invited, a fca-f given, the last piece disappears, 'i'he loud is gone. Then liaptiste for the first time Ix'gins to ihiiik of the Uirrowed horse, thci borrowed cart, the generous friends who supplied him at starting. " \Vc must," says he, " pay something ; a little to one, » little toanolhcr." The ha]>py couple reason the matter over and over. The piece set asiilc for the new gown is cut in two; half goes for the horse, half for present use. " We can ilo no more now," oaid the wife. 'iV, this I5a|>tisto adds, "Amen. Hut we will pa} all next trip." The new shawl, the tea, tobacco, etc., are at- tended to, and the cronies ure not forgotten. After another consultation, IJaptiste, with the half piece worth two tlollars, the eighth of what he had jiromised, goes to settle with the owner of the horse, finds him, hangs down his head, is silent for some time, at last looks u]> with a sorrowful countenance, tells a jiitilul story, very different from the one he told his wife. "I have been unfortunate," said he ; " I had bad luck; my horse was sick, I broke my cart in the plains. Most of my jirovisions I lost in crossing u river. At'ter a hard nummer's labor, I hud scarcely a mouthful left for my family. Brought nothing home ; my cart was emjity. Ask my comrades; they will confirm the truth fif my statement. Here," says he,' holding uji the half piece, " is all I can give you now ; hut IJuptiste never cheated any body ; if you lend me the horse for next trij), I will jiay you all honestly." Symjiathy for jicMir Uuptiste, and a desire to be jiaid, have their ett'ect. The lender liclieves IJaptiste, lends him the horse again, und the debt is doubled. Of their domestic life, I obtained an occasional insight. On a^ourney through the settlement, some travelers visited one of their cabins, and found father, mother, and child, squatted, gijwy- iikc, within, there being no tuble, chair, or stool to render it comfortable. In one corner slcjit a y(mng woman, having before her bed a couple of jiieces of bark to serve as curtains, while on other jiarts of the floor slejtt four male travelers. A rain storm came on, and the rain beat through the log walls till we were all nearly ankle deep in water. I'lash, jilash througii this went the child, about four years old, to light her mother's pijie at the chimney. Having returned with the pipe, she began (juietly to nurse at her mother's breast ; and after a short meal from this source, cried for the pipe, which was filled and lighted for her. After smoking heartily, the child passed the pipe to her father, by whom it was passed to the mother, and from the mother liack to the litll'j girl, who still filled up the intervals by nuiving. Meanwhile the lady with the bark curtains was sujiplied with U pipe before she got up and dressed.