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LIFE AND LABOUR 
 
 IN THE 
 
 FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
LIFE AFD LABOUR 
 
 IN THE 
 
 . 
 
 r 
 
 FAR, FAR WEST: 
 
 iBemg: d^otesi of a Cour 
 
 i» 
 
 THE WESTERN STATES, BRITISH COLUMBIA, MANITOBA, 
 AND THE NORTH-WEST TERRITORY. 
 
 «Y 
 
 W. HENRY BARNEBY. 
 
 WITH SPECIALLY PREPARED ilAP, fiUOWiyG THE AUTHOR'S ROCTE. 
 
 CASSELL & COMPANY, Limited: 
 
 LONDON, PARIS & NEW YORK. 
 
 [all rights ukserved.] 
 1884. 
 
18 7 8 7 4 
 
 
 >j 
 
iln illemoriam. 
 
 IN AFKKCTIONATI-; lUlMKMllRANCK 
 
 lib 
 
 MV FlUENH AMt I'ELI.OW TUAVELLKH, 
 
 CHARLES xAIEYSEY I'.Ol/roN t!LlVE. 
 
 l.ntv (>/ ll'hitlirlil, llmfurdshire, 
 
 THIS VOI.l'MK IS DKDICATED 
 
 HV ' 
 
 THE AUrilOIi. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 This volume is an actual transcript from a journal 
 kept during* a tour made in North America in the 
 spring and summer of 1S83, in company with \y two 
 friends, tlio late ^leysey Clive, of Whitfield Court, 
 County of Hereford, and my brother-in-law, Arthur 
 Mitchell, of The Ridge, AViltshire. 
 
 Our object was not only to enjoy a pleasant trip 
 and to see as much as we conveniently could of a new 
 country, but also to collect as much information as 
 possible, more especially as regards farming and emigra- 
 tion, in the hope of thus being able to assist those in 
 England who might be thinking of seeking a new home 
 across the Atlantic. There was a kind of unwritten 
 agreement among us, that whatever information we 
 might be able to procure should, in one form or 
 another, subsequently be made available to those in- 
 terested in the subject; and in pul)lishing the present 
 volume (which I do with the full concurrence of the 
 late Meysey Clive's friends, and also with that of 
 Arthur Mitchell), I feel that I am but following out 
 the wishes of that valued friend and pleasant fellow- 
 
viii 
 
 VUEFAGE. 
 
 tnivollcr, wliosc illness and death brought our travels 
 to so sad a termination. 
 
 Clive and I were old friends; wo lived in the same 
 county, and had known each other IVoui childhood, and 
 a close friendship had for g-enerations existed between 
 our families. The other member of the l)arty (Arthur 
 Mitchell) only joined us just before we started, and was 
 ])reviously unacquainted with Clive ; but from my ex- 
 perience of him as a travellini^ companion in the 
 dilferent journeys we had made to^'ether in Uussia, 
 Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and other countries, 1 had 
 no hesitation in feeling that he was just the man to 
 make our trio a well-assorted one. 
 
 • This journal was written during our travels. In 
 fact, I sent it home to my wife by instalments, on loose 
 paper, which saved a repetition in letter-writing ; and, 
 besides, I should not have had time to write two full 
 descriptions of what we were doing. 
 
 Upon my return homo I found a large portion care- 
 fully re-written by her in a book ; and it is to this care 
 and industry that the public and I are indebted for the 
 present volume ever seeing the light at all ; and I for 
 one am sincerely grateful to her for the trouble she has 
 taken in thus assisting me in the matter. As stated, 
 this journal was written whilst on our travels ; and at the 
 time of writing I had no thought whatever of publish- 
 ing it in book form. It has been merely completed 
 
I 
 
 rUKFACE. is 
 
 since my return to Kii«jfljin(l, and in it I simply place 
 before my readers my actual im})ressions as they oc- 
 curred to me on the spot. 
 
 I am also indehted to my friend, Mr. BailHe- 
 Grohman (author of "Camps in the Uockies") for his 
 contribution of the very interestinj^ chapter about the 
 Kootenay district in British Columbia, '<vhieh will be 
 found in the Appendix. It was a source of much 
 regret to nv that I was unable to join in the proposed 
 expedition which he and Clive arranij^ed to make ; but 
 it was absolutely impossible for me to do so, on account 
 of an engaL^ement for the LSth July to form one of a 
 party travelling in Manitoba and the North-West Terri- 
 tory, which engagement was in fact the original reason 
 for this my second expedition to America. The perusal 
 of this chapter tends only to sharpen the appetite, and 
 makes mc very wishful to visit that district some day 
 in the future, should I ever find myself again on the 
 other side of the Atlantic. 
 
 It only remains for me to add that this is my 
 first — as it probably will be my last — venture as an 
 author ; and I trust the perusal of this volume may not 
 prove uninteresting, especially to those who asked for 
 its publication. That I was acceding to their wishes 
 must be my apology for " rushing into print." 
 
 W. H. B. 
 
 Bredcnhury Court, Herefordshire, 
 May, 188-i. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 EN ROUTE. 
 
 The start — A Narrow Escape — New York — Kailway Travelling in America 
 — American Hospitality — St. Louis — Denver — Manitou— Tne Ute 
 Pass— The " Garden of the Gods "—Pike's Peak— Crystal Park . 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 THROUGH MORMONLAND TO SAN FRANCISCO. 
 
 Pueblo — 'The Doomed Cotton-tree — The Highest Inhabited House in the 
 World — The Royal Gorge of Arkansas — Salida — Lcadvillo — Travel- 
 ling under Difficulties — American Enterprise — The Black Caiion — 
 A Pleasant Piece of Information — The Green River — Price River 
 Cailon — A Mormon Settlement — Salt Lake City — The Tabernacle — 
 President Taylor explains — The Central Pacific Riiilway — Notices 
 to Passengers — Wadsworth — The Sierra Nevadas — Sacramcnta— 
 Benicia — Oakland — San Francisco — John Chinaman — How he 
 amuses himself — A Mistake — The Golden Gate .... 
 
 19 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 
 
 Madera — Travellers Beware ! — The Fresno Flats — A Magnificent Forest — 
 A Ride behind Six Horses — A Glorious View — The Yosemite Valley 
 — The Mirror Lake — The Nevada Falls — Glacier Point — El Capitan 
 —The Dome— The Half Dome— The Cap of Liberty— The Sentinel 
 Dome— Lost in the Forest — " The Point " — Master Bruin— Hotels 
 in the Valley 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 LOS ANGELES. 
 
 The Man and the Boar — A Meal of Bear — The Mariposa Grove of Big 
 Trees — The Grizzly Giant — An Angry Darkie — A Tree Forest — 
 
 44 
 
 1 
 
xtt 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 I'AOK 
 
 Among the Pioneers — An Expensive Drive — Fourteen Miles an 
 Hour Down a Mountain — An Energetic Driver — An Interview with 
 American Farmers — Their Opinion of California — A Blizzard — Back 
 in Madera — En route for Los Angeles — How a Native was Surprised 
 — Los Angeles — The Vineyards of San Gabriel — A Charming Villa 
 — A Laconic Advertisement — A Huge Geranium Bush — An Island 
 for Sale — Back to San Francisco — Bay Point 
 Harvest Operations in California — At Benicia again 
 
 A Large Corn-field — 
 
 65 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 UP THE COAST TO VICTORIA. 
 
 On Board the Dakota — A Last Glimpse of San Francisco — Improving the 
 Occasion — "No more Sea" — A View of the Olympians — Vancou- 
 ver's Island — The Straits of San Juan — Capo Flattery — " These 
 Sleepy English" — Waiting for a Tug — At Victoria — Neglected 
 Streets — The Lieutenant-Governor — Mr. Justice Walkem — The 
 Swiftsure — Esquimalt — Mount Baker — Chinese Servants — Their 
 Trustworthiness — Saanich — Back to Victoria ..... 
 
 SS 
 
 CHAPTEE VI. 
 
 THROUGH THE CASCADE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 San Juan de Fuca — Kuper Pass — Straits of Georgia — An Iron Island 
 — The Cascade Mountains — Eraser River — How Salmon are Tinned 
 — New Westminster — Port Moody — The IMce of Land at Port Moody 
 — The Indians and their Dead — Hope — Emory — Yale — Doubt, Dis- 
 cussion, and Decision — Hell's Gate — Boston Bars— Gold-du.st — 
 Back at Yale — A Tricky Engine-driver — Hotels in British Columbia 
 — Agriculture and Labour in British Columbia — An Uncomfortable 
 Walk through Fairjdand — In an Indian Canoe to English Bay — A 
 Unique Reception — An Unceremonious Native — Coal Harbour — An 
 Exciting Drive — Philip suddenly becomes Sober — His History — 
 Columbian Veracity — Back at Victoria 
 
 103 
 
 1^ ^ 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE PROSPECTS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. 
 
 John Chinaman's Expeditious Dish — Timber and Timber-fallers — Axe or 
 Saw ? — Indian Industry — Hunting on a Limited Scale — The Argu- 
 mentum ad Hominem — Cowichan — Nanaimo — Departure Bay — Turn- 
 ing the Corner — The Best Climate in the World — A Pleasant and 
 Prosperous Settlement— Coal Island — Reciprocal Rejoicings — Matri- 
 mony : Supply and Demand — Vancouver Island — Hints to Settlers 
 — Agricultural Operations — Land Prospecting — A True Story — A 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Xlll 
 
 I'AUK 
 
 Pic-Nic — Cordova Bay — Langford Lake — Canadians and British 
 Columbians — llhadamanthus lludivivus — Firo I — A Curious Mistake 
 — Farewells — When to Visit British Columbia — The Terminus of 
 the Canadian Pacifie Railway 127 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 EASTWARD HO ! 
 
 Last Look at Victoria — Port Townsend — Seattle — Rival Toutera — 
 Washington Territory — Tacoma — Judge Lynch — Portland, Oregon 
 Territory — The Party Divides — On the Iron Road again — 
 The Dalles— Wallula— The Spokane Falls— Sand Point— Idaho 
 Territory — Heron — Horse Plains — The ' ' Cow-catcher " — The 
 Flatheads — A Narrow Escape — Missoula — A Comfortable Hotel — 
 Profuse Profanity 
 
 157 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THROUGH THE ROCKIES IN A BUGGY. 
 
 A Plenitude of Money — A Refractory Steed — A Night in a Log-house — 
 The Result of Evil Communications — "George" becomes more 
 Capricious — A Struggle — " George " Wins — Now Chicago — Plain 
 Speaking — A Delay — A Shaky Wheel — A Crash — Five Thousand 
 Feet above the Sea Level — Sweotlands — Stage Coaching in the 
 Rockies — Cui-ious Phenomenon — Helena, Montana Territory . .170 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 AGRICULTURE IN MONTANA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 Hn route for Glyndon, Minnesota — Montana Territory — Character of the 
 Land — Bozeman — Yell()w.stone River — Yellowstone Park — Crow 
 Indian Reservation Ground — Glendivo — Dickinson and its Streets 
 — Dakota Territory — Its Agriculture — Across the Missouri — Bis- 
 marck — Glyndon — Winnipeg — Farming Notes — Trip to Otterbume, 
 Manitoba — Inspection of Fai-ms — A Drive iu a Buck-board . .180 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 THE NORTH-WEST TERRITORY. 
 
 Agriculture between Winnipeg and Marquette — Scotch Settlers — Portage 
 la Prairie — Brandon — \'irden — A Visit from the Police — The One- 
 mile Belt — Tree Planting — A Prairie Sunset — Moon-rise on the 
 Prairie — Indian Head — A Drive to Fort Uu'Appelle — A Field of 
 Twelve Hundred Acres — Farming in Minnesota and in the North- 
 West compared — A Settler's Story 
 
 202 
 
XIV 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 AMONG THE REDSKINS. 
 
 Indian Settlers— A Roman Catholic Jlission— The Creo Indian Camp — 
 Survival of Cruel Customs — A Ceremonious Reception — Indian 
 Blusic — Dog Stow — Musical Accompaniment to a Speech — Indian 
 Braves on the Boast — Tho Pale-faces respond — An Embarrassing 
 Offer 
 
 TAOE 
 
 211 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 PRAIRIE LAND IN THE NORTH-WEST. 
 
 The Touchwood Qu'Appelle Colonisation Company — Rolling Prairie — Flat 
 Prairie — A Risky Drive — A Sioux Settlement — A Red-skin on the 
 Hunt — " Millions of Mosquitoes" — Among tho Settlers — Their Re- 
 quests — Winter in the North-West— A Nasty Accident . . . 220 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 REGINA AND MOOSEJAW. 
 
 The Musk-Rat — After-Glow — Wholesale Interviewing — Railway Travel- 
 ling in the North- West — Regina — The Canadian ISIounted Police — 
 A House on Wheels— The " Noble Savage " Found at Last— A Taste 
 of Sulphur — Moosojaw — Its Future — The Crees — A Massacre of 
 Mosquitoes — Conflicting Rumours ....... 229 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 MEDICINE HAT AND THIRTEENTH SIDING. 
 
 ' Old Wives' Lakes " — Tho Spear Grass — Sunrise on the Prairie — Swift 
 Current — Frozen Sub-soil — Maple Crook — Five Miles Without an 
 Engine — Medicine Hat — Another Hand-shaking — Anti-Liquor Law 
 in tho North- West — Across Saskatchewan River — A Vigorous Rail- 
 way Contractor — Thirteenth Siding — The Open Prairie — Agricul- 
 ture in tho North- West 239 
 
 
 CHAPTER X\l. 
 THE BLACK-rOOT INDIANS. 
 
 " Crow Foot " and the Railwaj' — A Claim for Damages — Unsophisticated 
 Natives — Sixty Miles for the nearest Doctor — Revolting Spectacles 
 — Native Agriculture 255 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 XY 
 
 CHArTER XVII. 
 
 AT THE END OP THE TEACK. 
 
 !klirages of the Prairio — Bow River — Burial among the Indians — The End 
 of the Track — Railway Construction — A Rif^ht Royal Hotel — Fann- 
 ing and Prices at Calgary — A Reunion — Clive's Experiences . 
 
 I'AOB 
 
 263 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 A DRIVING TOUR. 
 
 Livingstone — Glen's Farm and Government Farms — Colonel de Winton's 
 Ranchc — A "Round Up" — Cochrane Rancho — A Day's Track- 
 laying — Professional Jealousy — Sixteenth Siding — An Inquiry as 
 to " Them Fellows " — Indisposition of Clive 276 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 MEDICINE HAT TO BRANDON. 
 
 Moose jaw — An Enterprising Editor — Elkhom — Commotion and Separation 
 — The Assinihoine Farm — " Back-setting " — A Weedy Country — A 
 Cold Climate— A Considerable " Trifle "—Brandon 
 
 288 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 BY ROAD TO CARTWRIOHT. 
 
 Plum Creek — Across the Souris — A Prairie Fire — Sod v. Wood Huts — Ex- 
 periences of Settlers — A Novel Method of Herding Cows — Welcome 
 Hospitality — " Bachelors' Home " — Turtle Mountains — Deloraine — 
 Agricultural Notes — Desford — Wakopa — Cartwright — A Pig in the 
 Wrong Place — No Medical Aid 
 
 298 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 CARTWRIGHT TO MANITOBA CITY. 
 
 Farmers Wanted — Labour and Living at Cartwright — General Aspect of 
 Southern Manitoba — Observations on the Crops — Pembina Crossing 
 J — A Discontented Settler — Manitoba City 313 
 
 CHAPTER XXIL 
 
 SOUTHERN MANITOBA — PRESENT AND FUTURE. 
 
 More Capital Wanted — How Lands are " Settled " in Southern Manitoba 
 — A Short-sighted Policy— Character of the Soil — Suggestions — A 
 Reaction from the " Land-grab " Fever — Locking-up Land — Labour 
 in Manitoba 323 
 
xvi CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 EXPERIENCES OF TWO SETTLERS. j.^^^^ 
 
 Advice to IntonJint? Emigrants — A Drive round an Estate— Prices of Im- 
 plements and Live Stock — A Fair Profit from a Holding of IGO 
 Acres — Fuel — Weeds — Visit to a Stock Farm — The Prairie Rose . 334 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 AMONG THE MENNONITES. 
 
 Pembina— Roscnfold— The Blennonites — Victims of Slander — How they 
 
 Live — Their Gardens — Their Mode of Farming and of Settlement . 3;37 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 ALONG THE RED RIVER VALLEY. 
 
 A Rush for the Triiin — Morris — Comparative Richness of Lands — Winnipeg 
 — Clive's Indisposition more Serious — Winnipeg ]\Iu(l — A Drive to 
 Kildonan — General Remarks on Manitoba and the North- West . 370 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 Olive becomes Worse — IMcssrs. Stewart and Campbell's Cattle Rancho — 
 
 Clive's Death— The Return Journey 380 
 
 Appendix A 391 
 
 Appendix B— Table of Distances 395 
 
 Appendix C — The Kootenay Lake District 397 
 
Life and Labour 
 
 IN THE 
 
 Far, Far ^Vest. 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 EN ROUTE. 
 
 The Start — A Narrow Escape — New York— Railway Travcllinf!^ in America — 
 American Hospitality — St. Louis — Denver — Manitou — The Ute Pass — 
 The " Garden of th(3 Gods "—Pike's Peak— Crystal l»ark. 
 
 On the lOtli May, 1883, we sailed from Liverpool 
 in the s.s. Germanic (5,004 tons), White Star Line, 
 Captain Kennedy, Commander, our party consistinj^ 
 of my friend and neighbour Meysey Clive, my brother- 
 in-law Arthur Mitchell, and myself. We had secured 
 some months earlier the best accommodation procurable — 
 namely, the purser's cabin on deck for one of our party, 
 and a large, roomy, family cabin below for the other 
 two. 
 
 We had a beautiful run down the Mersey, and were 
 favoured with calm sea and fine weather until we 
 reached Queenstown, where, as we had some hours to 
 
 B 
 
2 
 
 LIFE AND LABOUR IX THE FAB, FAB WEST. 
 
 \ ; 
 
 I 
 
 wait for the mails, we landed, and took the opportunity 
 of looking- round Cork. Before 5 p.m. we had weighed 
 anchor and had started for New York — a run of 2,885 
 miles from Queenstown to Sandy Hook at the mouth of 
 New York Harbour — the rain meantime coming down 
 in the most correct Irish style, until we lost sight of 
 land. AVe did not have a particularly good or quick 
 passage, for we exj^erienced three days of heavy sea, and 
 mostly head winds ; and two days of fog, during nearly 
 the whole of which we had to run at half-speed, and 
 the horrible noise of the fog-horn was incessantly heard. 
 When this at last cleared off the weather was most 
 enjoyable, and it was a grand sight to see our fine vessel 
 being pushed along as fast as possible in order to make 
 up for lost time. Each line of Atlantic steamers has 
 its own separate course for both the outward and return 
 journeys ; and during our passage we saw no vessels 
 except two or three sailing ships, until nearing New 
 York on the 19th May. That night there was rather 
 a commotion on board, owing to another steamer having 
 come unpleasantly near to us ; and it subsequently 
 transpired that we had really only narrowly escaped a 
 collision. 
 
 On reaching New York Harbour on the 20th, we 
 were put in quarantine to await inspection by the 
 doctor, and found ourselves in company with four or five 
 other large ships, all full of emigrants. It is the duty 
 
I 
 
 EX liOUTE. 
 
 a 
 
 :;unity 
 
 2,885 
 
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 down 
 
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 return 
 
 vessels 
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 rather 
 
 having 
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 I by the 
 or five 
 lie duty 
 
 I 
 
 of the medical officer ,vho comes on hoard to see that 
 all the emi<^rants are vaccinated; and our doctor had 
 performed this operation on about one hundred of 
 them during the passage out. On being released 
 from quarantine we landed, and went at once to the 
 Brevoort House Hotel, where we secured rooms. New 
 York did not seem to have changed much since 1 
 saw it two years ago, except that the Brooklyn sus- 
 pension bridge, then in course of construction, was 
 finished, and was to be opened the following week 
 with great ceremony by my friend, the Honourable 
 Abram S. Hewitt, member of Congress for New York. 
 The "Empire City" is now becoming so well known 
 that it is unnecessary for me to say much about it. 1 
 consider the harbour to be one of the finest I have ever 
 seen ; I should fancy that this one, and that of San 
 Francisco, are unequalled in America. Broadway is the 
 principal business street; the Fifih Avenue is the 
 fashionable quarter, and is remarkable for its handsome 
 houses and numerous churches. The city is regularly 
 built in blocks ; Broadway runs diagonally to the 
 avenues, thus intersecting all the blocks. The central 
 park is extremely well laid out, and is quite worth a 
 visit. To strangers, the elevated railway is one of the 
 principal sights of New York ; it is carried on trestles 
 right along the street ; the trains running on a level 
 
 with the first-floor windo\\'s of the houses. There are 
 B 2 
 
 ii 
 
4 LIFf'J A\f) LAllOUlt IN TlIi: FA I!, FA It WEST. 
 
 very fow hired carriaj^^es to be had in New York, and 
 tliose there are are frightfully dear ; but street ears (or 
 trains) run nearly everywhere, both here and in other 
 American eities ; the fares are clieap, and they are a 
 <,n'eat convenience. Soni(? of the cars are ch)sed like 
 ours; others are open, with cross seats, and are, in 
 summer, very ])leasant to travel in. 
 
 I may here add a word about the river steaml)oats 
 of America, of which the best are tliose plyini^ near 
 New York. These are veritable iloatin*^ palaces, ac- 
 commodatin<i^ about 1,000 passengers. The arrange- 
 ments are generally as follows : The deck projects over 
 the hull so as to give more space in the vessel, and yet 
 cause her to make as little resistance to the water as 
 possible ; the goods and engines are usually on the 
 lower deck ; and the upper one is an immense saloon, 
 with sleeping berths all round. There are open spaces 
 fore and aft to walk or sit about. On the steamers near 
 New Y'^ork the commissariat is good, but on many of 
 tlie others it is very bad. 
 
 Perhaps, before proceeding to a more detailed ac- 
 count of the various parts we visited, it may be as well 
 to give here some general information on railway 
 travelling in America. This I had always heard was 
 good ; and so it is on some lines, or if you travel by 
 a Pullman car, to secure the comfort of a seat in which 
 it is well worth while to pay the extra fee demanded. 
 
ii'.V ROUTE. 
 
 a 
 
 111 
 
 [d ac- 
 well 
 
 [ilvvay 
 was 
 
 [el by 
 vvliicli 
 in dec! . 
 
 Theso cars ajv attached to most trains, l)nt not to all ; 
 the ordinary cars arc cramped, and oi'teii crowded : they 
 hold about sixty jx'ople, and the seats all i'a(!e the 
 cii<^ine. ThoULfh they can be turned round, the con- 
 ductor does not usually allow this to be done, for 
 Americans never sit with their back to the eni^iiKV In 
 hot weather all the win(h)ws are open, as are t)t"ten the 
 doors at each end besides, so that it is itnpossihle to <^ot 
 out of the drau«4'ht ; indeed, the windows are so made 
 that they only ^'o nj) hair-way, and the wooden frame 
 of the glass interferes sadly with the view. Tn dry 
 weather the dust and eni^ine-blacks bh)w in in clouds ; 
 and as these blacks are almost small coals, the extreme 
 unpleasantness can hardly be described. There are no 
 classes on American railways, so you cannf)t choose your 
 company ; and may have either a New York senator or 
 a nigger for your nearest fellow-passenger. But al- 
 though no ckisses are recognised, a new system is creep- 
 ing in of having slower trains, called emigrant trains ; 
 and in these the fares are at a reduced rate, thus 
 making them second-class trains. Each car, or number 
 of cars, has a conductor and porter ; each separate Pull- 
 man has both officials. They invariably bang the doors 
 with a louder crash than any one else on entering or 
 leaving the car. This perpetual door-banging is one 
 of the greatest nuisances in American railway travelling. 
 Whether it be passengers, conductor, porter, or news- 
 
LIFE AND LADUUU IN THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 m\)or-u\i\u (who takes it in turns to conic round with 
 hooks, piipcrs, fruit, and cii^ars), all hjin<; the doors as 
 liard as tiiry can (a|)|)arcntly) in j)assin<,' hackwards and 
 forwards. It is really dillicult to explain the want of 
 quiet e.\[)erieneed in American travelling': the motion 
 of the cars is noisy and uncomfiU'tahle, and, added to 
 this and the perpetual door-hanj^ing, there is the hoarse 
 whistle of the enfij-ine, and the almost incessant tollin<^ 
 of its hell ; for few of the railways are thorou<;hly 
 fenced in, and in many cases the train runs throus^-h tnc 
 open streets of the towns, soundin*^ the hell, of course, 
 all the time. In the Pullman cars you are allotted a 
 comfortable sleeper if on a lon<^ journey, or an arm- 
 chair if it is only a dravvinj^-room car. A man, who is 
 called a porter (usually a neg'ro), is mostly em])loyed 
 to look after the car, and, as a rule, does not consider it 
 his duty to look after the ])assengers — so much so that 
 any help from him is quite exceptional, and many a 
 time have I had a great struggle to get up or down 
 at the end of the cars, over-weighted by my luggage, 
 the porter meanwhile looking on, and never thinking 
 of coming to the rescue. There are only two doors 
 to each car (forward and aft), and to get in or out takes 
 a considerable time, for the last step is some distance 
 from the ground. The trains almost alw^ays start off 
 without warning, either by bell, whistle, or word of 
 mouth ; and this increases the inconvenience of there 
 
EN JlOUTn. 
 
 fnking 
 
 doors 
 
 takes 
 
 [stance 
 
 iirt off 
 
 lord of 
 
 there 
 
 bein<? so fj'w ways of oiitrance and exit, for peojile will 
 stand on the platform, and there is always a scrimniaj^o 
 to re;j^ain one's j)laee when the train moves olV. There 
 are no re^nlar station porters, so yon nuist look after 
 yonr own Inn'j^a^e, for no one will ^ive yon the sli^^ditest 
 assistance, nnless yon send it to the hi«,'(;age-room some 
 time (often an honr) before yonr train is to start, and 
 have it cheeked to your destination. The arrange- 
 ments for smokin<j^ are had ; sometimes there is no 
 accommo(hition exc<'ptini:f on the platform outside; but, 
 as a rule, there is one car in which it is allowed. In the 
 Pullmans, however, there is ^'enerally a little room 
 attached. A ni^ht journey in an ordinary car must 
 be simple torture, hut most trains running any distance 
 carry a Pullman's "sleeper." These make up twenty- 
 four berths in two tiers, of which the lower berths are 
 preferable, as the npper ones are liable to get covered 
 with the coal-blacks and dust penetrating through the 
 top ventilators. Some trains carry dining-room cars, 
 which are a great convenience, for in the matter of 
 wayside refreshments I think America is nearly as far 
 behind the Continent as we are in England. The per- 
 manent way of the railroads is in some places still very 
 rough ; hut in the Eastern States this is now improving 
 with the increase of traffic. 
 
 We left England with no definite views as to 
 our route, further than that I had accepted an invi- 
 
 i 
 
i« 
 
 8 /.//'V-; AM) LMunm in the far, fmi wI':st. 
 
 fjition from tl>o Directors of tlic Midlsiiul of Canadji 
 l\)inp;iny to JUH'oiu])iiny tluMii aloii}^ the Oamidijui Pjicitie 
 llailwjiy, travelli'i'^ in tlieir ollieial car, on a visit of 
 insj)(H!tion to the newly o])ene(I-up Canadian Provinces 
 of Manitoba and tlie North- West. Mr. Cox, tlie Presi- 
 dent of the Midhmd of Canada line, and Mr. Jall'ray, 
 one of the Directors (with both of whom I had become 
 acquainted when visitini^ Canada in I SSI), had sent rae 
 this invitation, and had included in it my two friends. 
 We were to meet for this exjM'dition at Glyndon or 
 Winnipeg, on 1 8th .Inly ; and therefore had an interval 
 of nearly two months before doin;^ so. T\\'\n interval 
 we decided to (ill up by visitin*^ the Yosemite Valley, 
 Southern California, and San Francisct) ; possibly also 
 oxtendinu our tour to liritish Columbia. After our 
 trij) to the North-West Territory, we hoped to have 
 further extended our tour to the ]^]astern portions of 
 Canada and the United States, and to Niagara (which 1 
 should have been well pleased to see again), being 
 interested in agriculture ; Meysey Clive and I were also 
 anxious to have visited some of the new homes of the 
 Hereford cattle ; but, ahis ! these later projects were 
 destined to bo brought suddenly to a most unforeseen 
 and melancholy termination. 
 
 On reaching New York we were received by old 
 friends there, and others to whom we had introductions, 
 with that open-hearted hospitality which is so charac- 
 
EN ROUTE. 
 
 tcristic of our cousins iioross i\w, Atluniic. My fri(Mi<l, i\lr 
 Ilowitt, in particuliir, was most kind in not onlyodorin*^ 
 us the julvjintiit^cs of his own lu)S])itality, l)ut in intro- 
 duoiu}^ us to sovcral of liis fri(>n(ls ; and liad wo availed 
 ourselves of all the attractions thus oU'ered us in th(; 
 " Ein])ire City," w(* should have found eisoun-h -and 
 nioro than enough — occupation then; for the whole of 
 th(! time at our disposal, without visiting the " Far, 
 Far VV(?st " at all. I think tliere is no one; in th(» 
 world so hosj)ital)le and kind as the Aineri(;an }^('ntl(!- 
 inan : whether in the lOastern or Western States, it is 
 just th(^ same — the same courtesy and kindness, the 
 same readiness to he of any help or s(!rvice to the 
 strauf^or who is fortunate enou^'h to ho possessed of 
 an introduction to him, always distin<^'uish him. We 
 had some difHculty in partin<^ with our kind friends, 
 so pressin*^ was their hospitality, both in New York and 
 afterwards at St. Louis ; but we were bent this time on 
 penetrating to the Far, Far West. 
 
 After makin<^ various arrangements, and })idding 
 adieu to a nund)er of our New York friends, we started on 
 the evening of the 22nd May by the Fennsylvania route 
 from New York to J)enver, and found this lini; a well- 
 managed one, and our Pullman sleepers comfortable 
 enough. The next day we traversed some very pretty 
 scenery in the Alleghany Mountains, after which we 
 passed on out of Pennsylvania State througli those of 
 
 t 
 
! 
 
 
 
 10 
 
 LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 Ohio, Indiiina, {ind Illinois, till we reached St. Louis, on 
 the borders of Missouri, ii distance of 1,()G4 miles from 
 New York, which took us about forty-six hours to per- 
 form. The States of Ohio and Pennsylvania both con- 
 tain for the most part undulating, well-wooded lands. 
 We thought the soil of Illinois State (especially as we 
 neared St. Louis) better for agricultural purposes than 
 any we had previously seen. At the St. Louis Station 
 we were met by my friend Mr. Wainwright, who took 
 us (after breakfasting with him) to inspect his lager- 
 beer brewery, which we found very interesting. He 
 si owed us through immense cellars, where the beer was 
 kept almost iced, for lager beer will not keep as our 
 English beer does, and must be stored in a cool tem- 
 peratm'e — which is a difficult thing to manage in a 
 place like St. Louis, well known to be one of the hottest 
 in this district. We tasted some of the beer, which was 
 excellent. A tap is always kept going for the workmen, 
 of which they avail themselves pretty freely. We went 
 afterwards to the Corn Exchange to see the brokers 
 gambling in corn. I saw one two years ago in Chicago, 
 and this is managed on the same plan ; a hollow is 
 made in the middle of the floor, so that all the parties 
 engaged can see one another. We were shown some 
 capital Californian barley and some beautiful white 
 Indian corn. 
 
 We left St. Louis by 8.30 p.m. train for Denver, and 
 
EN EOUTE. 
 
 n 
 
 cliangocl trains next m<>niing at Kansas City, wliicli 
 seemed a busy pljice. The station was full of emif^rants, 
 and everything about the district gave signs of life and 
 activity. Outside the city people were camping out in 
 tents. The countrj^ round was well wooded ; the soil 
 mostly of a dark loamy colour ; though poor in places, 
 it was, apparently, generally very fertile, and the crops 
 seemed more forward than farther east. Kansas City 
 is on the Missouri river, and I am told that lands more 
 than one hundred miles to the west of that river are 
 farmed at a great risk, as a drought may at any time 
 destroy all the crops. The wheat-fields of Kansas State 
 were all in ear, the seed having been sown last Septemr 
 bar ; the heads of the coni were very even throughout, 
 but the straw short. The railroad is not fenced in, and 
 where a road crosses the line a post is erected with 
 cross boards, marked " railway crossing," in order to 
 warn the people passing by. The houses of the settlers 
 here were mostly built of wood, though a few were of 
 stone. When they stood alone, some trees were always 
 phmted round to afford shelter. Here and there was 
 an attempt at fencing in, but the lands were generally 
 unenclosed. 
 
 As we went farther west the country became more 
 and more ojDcn, and cattle ranches took the place of 
 arable land ; in fact, it was really open and undulating 
 prairie. The next morning our journey was very 
 
12 
 
 LIFI-: AXI) LAUOUn LV THE FAE, FAR WEST. 
 
 monotonous, beint^ entirely over the o])en prairie, 
 throuL»-li bad and bnrnt-up land ; and the only exeite- 
 nient we had was when our train starth'd and seattered 
 a herd of antelopes gTazin<»' near the traek. We 
 watched the ehain of the Uocky Mountains j,n*adually 
 risinu^ in the Far distanee, but were a little disa])pointed 
 with this view of them, owing probal)ly to the fact that 
 the plateau we were traversing was in itself some 4,U00 
 to 5,000 feet above the sea ; and though the mountains 
 rise straight up from the plain, the prairie being at so 
 great an elevation necessarily takes otf from their real 
 lieight. '^i'he atmosphere here was very clear, and on 
 leavirig the train at Denver (which we reached at 8.15 
 a.m.), the air struck us as remarkably light and bracing. 
 Denver is situated quite on the open prairie, 5,314 feet 
 above the sea ; it has a lively look, and seemed a very 
 go-ahead place. It is distant 933 miles from St. Louis, 
 or 1,997 miles in all from New York — a journey which 
 it had taken us two days and four nights of continuous 
 travelling to accomplish, exclusive, of course, of one 
 stoppage of a day at St. Louis. 
 
 We decided not to remain at Denver, but to con- 
 tinue our journey on to Manitou, taking the train as far 
 as Colorado Springs (along a new line, the Denver and 
 New Orleans Hail way), and tliei^ '^ driving live miles to 
 Manitou, from which point I commence a more detailed 
 account of what we did and saw. The track from 
 
EN ROUTE. 
 
 13 
 
 feet 
 
 rom 
 
 Denver to Colorado Springs is about seventy-eight miles 
 in length, the whole distance being over burnt-up prairie. 
 Although it was only towards the end ol May, the 
 grass was perfectly brown, and looked worthless, owing 
 to the scarcity of water. I was told, however, that 
 after the wet season — which is, I think, in June or 
 July — this dead-looking grass freshens up again in the 
 most wonderful manner. The Denver and New Orleans 
 Railroad had only been opened during the previous 
 year; at present it runs as far as Pueblo. It has to 
 contend with an opposition line (the Denver and llio 
 Grande), and hardly seems promising as a paying con- 
 cern, for there are very few houses along the route, and 
 the stations are but poor places. As we drove from Colo- 
 rado Springs to Manitou, the country still looked utterly 
 desolate, being quite devoid of trees, and everything 
 appeared to be completely dried or burnt-up. On 
 arriving at our destination, we put up at the Manitou 
 House Hotel, and there made the acquaintance of Dr. 
 Bell's secretary, who was on the look-out for us. Dr. 
 Bell himself had been a fellow-passenger of ours on 
 board the Germanic. Manitou is situated about 6,124 
 feet above the sea, amongst the lower spurs of the 
 Rocky Mountains, and is distant about eleven miles 
 from the summit of Pike's Peak, three miles from the 
 Garden of the Gods, and five miles from a charming place 
 called Glen Eyre, the residence of General Palmer, Presi- 
 
 I 
 
f 4 
 
 il 
 
 u 
 
 LIFE AXD LABOUR IN THE FAB, FAR WEST. 
 
 dent of the Denver and Rio Grande Railway. It is, on 
 the whole, a very pretty situation, and the place is fast 
 becoming rather a fashionable resort amongst Americans. 
 The air is very pure and good, and the climate exces- 
 sively dry, and suitable for consumptive and rheumatic 
 patients. The scenery here is beautiful, especially in 
 the " Parks," as some of the high valleys up in the 
 mountains are called. 
 
 The morning after our arrival at Manitou (May 
 27th), Meysey Clive and I took a very pretty short 
 walk up the Ute Pass, which leads, I believe, to 
 Leadville. On returning to our hotel we found that an 
 excursion train which had come in from Denver rather 
 interfered with our luncheon arrangements ; for the 
 tourists got possession of the dining-room, and we 
 " inhabitants " had to take what we could get. In 
 the afternoon we walked to the " Garden of tlie Gods," 
 about three miles from Manitou. This is a very curious 
 place ; it looks as if the soil or crust of the earth 
 had all been washed away, leaving the bare projecting 
 rocks. These are all red sandstone, and their colour and 
 formation are very remarkable ; some are of very fan- 
 tastic shapes, and of a considerable height. There is 
 a good deal of brushwood growing amongst them 
 wherever it can obtain a foothold. At the farther end, 
 at " The Gate of the Gods," one passes between two 
 huge masses of red sandstone, immediately behind which 
 
EN ROUTE. 
 
 15 
 
 ^y 
 
 acting 
 and 
 fail- 
 ure is 
 them 
 end, 
 two 
 hicli 
 
 there is a white rock of a formation from which plaster- 
 of- Paris is made ; the effect produced by the contrast 
 of the two colours so immediately in contact is most 
 curious. Afterwards we walked about two miles farther 
 to General Palmer's house. There are some nice 
 specimens of trees here, and it is even more remark- 
 able than the " Garden of the Gods " itself, for the 
 rocks — some of which are red sandstone, some grey, 
 and some almost white — take every eccentric variety 
 of form. One of them is called the Eaijrle's Kock. We 
 were told that a pair of these birds used to build 
 there every }'ear ; but about two years back some 
 men descended from the top of the cliff by a rope, 
 and stole the eggs. Since then the eagles have de- 
 serted the place, but the remains of the nest were still 
 to be seen. We walked back to Manitou at a pretty 
 brisk pace. 
 
 Meysey and I had a " drink" in the morning from 
 the soda spring, which rises in the village of Manitou, 
 and found it very pleasant to the taste, much like a 
 soft soda-water. There is also an iron spring here, 
 though there is no iron or other mineral in the neigh- 
 bourhood available for working ; and in the hotel there 
 are two tanks for the use of visitors, one of soda-water, 
 the other of iron. 
 
 We had intended starting for Leadville the next 
 morning, but found that 150 newspaper employes were 
 
 
k; 
 
 LIFE AND LABOUR IN TUB FAB, FAB WEST. 
 
 going there at the same time on a pleasure trip ; and 
 as they would take up most of the hotel accommoda- 
 tion, we thought it best to abandon the idea, and make 
 Manitou House Hotel our quarters a little longer. 
 
 On the following day Meysey Olive and Arthur 
 Mitchell started to make the ascent of " Pike's Peak," 
 leaving the hotel at 3 a.m. I did not accompany 
 them, but preferred going to see "Crystal Park;" for 
 I had heard so much about Colorado " Parks " that I 
 was anxious to see one, and this appeared the easiest ot 
 access. I heard Olive and Mitchell make their start, 
 and about 5 a.m. got up myself. First of all I went 
 to the soda spring to have a drink, and then, having 
 inquired the way, set off for the Crystal Park. I was 
 not long before I lost the path, but regained it by 
 taking a straight course up the side of the mountain, by 
 which means I soon struck the zig-zag path. 
 
 It was a very hot morning ; the sky was cloudless, 
 and the air pure and bright. When I regained the 
 track I could see Manitou in the valley below me ; the 
 " Garden of the Gods" beyond, with the red sandstone 
 rocks shining in the sunlight ; and beyond that, again, 
 the broad brown Prairie, with Colorado Springs, and its 
 wide streets lying flat on the plain, looking exactly as 
 if it had been squashed out flat. To the right and left 
 of me was the range of the Eocky Mountains, studded 
 over with stunted fir-trees ; for on the eastern slopes 
 
ST. 
 
 EX ROUTE. 
 
 17 
 
 rip ; and 
 )nimoda- 
 nd make 
 jer. 
 
 [ Arthur 
 's Peak," 
 icompany 
 .irk;" for 
 t" that I 
 easiest ot 
 leir start, 
 [1 I went 
 Q, havin«^ 
 k. I was 
 [led it by 
 mtain, "by 
 
 cloudless, 
 lined the 
 
 me; the 
 sandstone 
 it, again, 
 s, and its 
 
 xactly as 
 and left 
 
 , studded 
 
 n slopes 
 
 of the Kockies the trees do not grow to any si/e. The 
 mountain formation appeared to be grey granite. The 
 path was k)Ose shingle, and bad for walking ; something 
 like a sea beach of small pebbles. The trail I was 
 following was a good one, and broad enough for a small 
 carriage ; but it would be impossible to pass anything, 
 and once started you must go right up to the top. T 
 understand that yesterday the landlord of our hotel 
 sent up a party in a trap who wished to visit the Park ; 
 perhaps they did not like the look of the road ; anyhow, 
 they wanted to turn back, but found it impossible to do 
 so ; and they had to go all the way to the top before 
 they could mannge it. 
 
 After a charming walk I reached the Park, through 
 an opening in the mountains barely wide enough to 
 allow of the passage of a stream of water and of the 
 road which formed the entrance. I found that some 
 new-comers had just taken possession of the place ; 
 they had bought the rights, and were going to " run " a 
 ranche, and start some accommodation for invalids, the 
 speculator's brother being a doctor. 
 
 These Colorado Parks are really valleys high up in 
 the mountains : this one was about 8,000 feet above the 
 sea. A Park without water is practically useless. The 
 new proprietor told me the grass here was excellent, 
 and he pointed out a spring the water of which was as 
 cold as if iced. He also showed me the place from 
 
IS 
 
 LIFE AND LAltnvn IN THE EAli, VAli WEST. 
 
 which the Park dorives its name of "Crystal." On 
 cxaininin}^ it I found a quantity of whito crystals 
 anioui^st a heap of loose shiui^lo and soil; the more 
 one disturbed the deposit, the more crystal stones 
 turned up. I noticed an immense granite rock lying 
 on its side, a portion of which was split oil" as smoothly 
 as if cut with a knife, and lay just below the main 
 rock, as though it had quietly slidden oil*. None of 
 the timber here is of large growth, and there is nearly 
 as much of it dead as alive, in the form of old trees 
 lying about, charred and burnt up with the heat of 
 the sun. 
 
 I had a very pleasant walk back to the hotel, 
 varying my route by keeping this time to the proper 
 path. As Clive and Mitchell had not returned from 
 "Pike's Peali" by 5 p.m., I went on by myself (as I 
 had previously arranged) to Pueblo, where they were 
 to pick me up the next morning on their way to Salt 
 Lake City. 
 
 I 
 
:sT. 
 
 ial." On 
 crystals 
 the more 
 ,\1 stones 
 •ock lying 
 smoothly 
 the main 
 None of 
 e is nearly 
 ' old trees 
 le heat of 
 
 the hotel, 
 
 the proper 
 
 Lirned from 
 
 self (as I 
 
 they were 
 
 ray to Salt 
 
 CllAITlOli II. 
 
 TlllloriJIl MOKMOM.WI) TO SAN FIIANCISCO. 
 
 rut'blo— Tlic Dooirud ( iiltnii-trcc— Tho lli>;!:lu<st Inlmbittd lloiist' in tho WorM 
 — Tlic IJoyal (lorfic of ArkaiiMiis S.ilidii Lcitdvilln — Tvavrllinpf mnlcr 
 Didiciiltirs - AimiMcan I'!iili'i]iiiHc -Tin' liluck Cafioii — A Pleasant I'iccc 
 it Iiiformalioii — 'riir (Jiciii Kivcr I'liif Kivcr ('iirum- A Mcirtiiim 
 Si'tt lenient — Salt Liiko City 'I'lie'ruhernaclo — I'residont Taylor explains 
 —Tile Central Pa<ilit; K;iil\vay -N'ttfices to I'lissenpTM— Wuilsworth 
 The Si(;ria Nevadas — Sacniinento - Ki iiieia — Oakland — San l'"ran('iseo — 
 John Chinunmn — llow ho unuise.s himself — A MiHtuku — The CJoldon 
 tfute. 
 
 I LKiT Manitou by the 5 ]).m. train (by Denver and 
 
 ilio Grande railroad) for Colorado Si)rings, and there 
 
 i(ot into an Atchenson, Topeka, and Santa Fe carriage, 
 
 which took nie to Pueblo. The country through 
 
 which I travelled appeared to be a mere desolate, 
 
 dried-iip prairie ; farming on the plains of Colorado 
 
 must be hopeless work ; and as for mines, I should 
 
 advise only very knowing ones to turn their hands to 
 
 them, unless they want their fingers burnt. 
 
 Arrived at Pueblo, I had to walk to the hotel : a 
 
 darkie belonging to it had followed me from the 
 
 depot, and after a bit offered to help me with my bag ; 
 
 but his services came too late ; he had kept well out of 
 
 njy way until he found I was determined to walk. I 
 
 crossed the Arkansas river, which flows through here, 
 c 2 
 

 ' I 
 
 8» 
 
 Lirr: axp laiioih in tui: fah, far wkst. 
 
 and finally arrived at tlu? Nunui House Hotel. There 
 were a ^'reat many scjuatters and campers-out round 
 the town, a rou^h-Iookini;^ lot ; indeed, Puehlo struck 
 mo as beiuf^ very Spanish or l\lexican — (juite difl'eront 
 to the other American cities I had seen — and the 
 people looked extremely roui,^! and lawless. A ma<(ni- 
 licent cotton-tree, measm'iiiLj, I should think, about 
 8 feet in diameter, which was jj;rowinL^ in one of the 
 thoroug'h fares, was beini;' cut down. It is a <^reat 
 shame to remove such a tree as this, and I felt 
 indignant with the Pueblo citizens for allowing it. 
 
 The next morning was very hot, but I was up at 
 5.'i() a.m., and walked the mile to the station (bag 
 and all) to catch the 7.15 a.m. train to Salt Lake City. 
 I'j)t roiilc I passed the poor doomed cotton-tree, and 
 later in the day I saw an article in tlie paper 
 expostulating against its fall, and placing the ntws 
 under the head of " Deaths" : — 
 
 "AFTKU TEN CENTURIES THE UIG TREE RECEIVES ITS DEATH STROKE. 
 
 '* Tlie big tree must go. The work of carrying out the order of the 
 city council began in eai-ncst yesterday morning, and during tlie day 
 the vandals were climbing all over it with saws^ axes, pnlleys, and 
 ropes, ha\dng ladders fastened along the linjbs. The very first thing 
 done was to girdle the monster, so as to make a sure thing of killing 
 liim, whether they ever got through the job of dismembering or not. 
 The work of severing and letting down the huge limbs without 
 making damage is no easy one, and but little progress was made 
 yesterday. * It's a blinked blanked shame,' was heard all along the 
 street, all day long, but after the girdling operation had been com- 
 
tUnOUCIl MOUMOS'LAND TO SAX lUtASCISCO. 21 
 
 plctt'd pcojilf rculiHrd that it was too Into tlum to make olijt'rtioiiH. 
 8011H', howKViU", iiixiHt tluit l»y all tlid j^oiIh of war tho rest of tlu^ 
 cotton woods on Union Avcnur shall j;t) too. If vumlulisni pruvails, 
 then ovju-ytliiii^ j,'o«ih. If tlir Itif^ treo dies, tho woodman must make 
 a holocaust of all tlm troes in town. 
 
 "Thcri' have \n>vn various mis-statotuonts as to the circumfiu'cua' 
 of thti liig trcci. Tht! actual <:;irth of tho old fellow a yard from the 
 j^round is just twonty-ono (L'l) feet. At tlm lovid of tho ground it is 
 twenty-two ('2'2) ftsot and ci;^ht (M) inch(>s. Years a;^o, before Union 
 Avenuo was tilled up to its present grade, tlu^ lill being three or four 
 feot, the circumferenco of tin; tree at the base was twenty-six (!'()) feet 
 and two inches. This would makt; its greatest dianu;ter nearly nine 
 feet. W(! have never heard of anybody disputing the a.ss(!rti(»u that 
 it is tli(! biggt!st tree in ('oU)rado. Its age can probal)ly be obtained 
 a[»proximat«dy by counting th<' annular marks in the trunk after it 
 has been cut down. The ( 7ti>/i!fn'« Las been authorised to oiler ten 
 dollars for a cross section of tho trunk near tho gi'ound, and we would 
 also suggest that a .section ought to be sent to the exposition. 
 
 ** There liave also been stories told to the eti'ect that all the way 
 from three to seven different men have bcfen hung from the big tree at 
 various times when the town was young and brash. All such are 
 imaginary tales, invented for tho edification of awe-stricken tender- 
 feet ; and the crime of nuirder has never stained the old monarch's 
 record. It would have been cut down long ago had it chanced to 
 rear its bulky form a foot in eitlier direction toward the east or the 
 west side of the street." 
 
 
 Clive and Mitchell looked rather done up after their 
 walk up Pike's Peak yesterda}^ but said that they had 
 enjoyed it very much. The summit of Pike's Peak 
 is 14,33G feet above the sea-level, and they told me 
 they had a very fine walk, which lay at first through 
 well-wooded slopes; at a height of 11,000 feet they 
 
 
22 
 
 LTFE AXD LABOUR IX THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 J 
 
 reiiclied the timber line, and stopped 45 minutes for 
 breakfast ; farther on they stopped to rest at intervals 
 for a few minutes at a time, and eventually reached the 
 summit at 10.45. Plere they found a Government 
 Observatory posted ; it was occupied by one solitary 
 man, and is said to be the highest inhabited house in 
 the world. The thermometer was standing at 20 degrees 
 at the time of their visit; and they were told that 
 during the previous night it had been down to 19 degrees, 
 lioth Olive and Mitchell were much affected by the 
 extreme rarification of the air at this height : Clive 
 had felt it the most, and at a lower altitude ; but at 
 a height of 11,000 feet Mitchell experienced its effects; 
 so that from that point they made their way upwards 
 very slowly, their breathing being affected more and 
 more as they ascended ; and on reaching the summit, 
 Clive was quite exhausted, and had to lie down. They 
 had followed a horse trail the whole way up, but for the 
 last 3,000 feet it was covered with snow, though not 
 difficult to find. The views from the summit were very 
 fine, as Pike's Peak stands rather by itself, away from 
 the main chain of the Eocky Mountains. It is the 
 higltest mountain in the district ; the view on one side 
 is over the " boundless " prairie ; on the other sides are 
 masses of mountains, with the green " parks " amongst 
 them. They started to come down again at 1.30, and 
 after stopping once for half an hour to rest, reached 
 
THROUGH MOBMONLAND TO SAX FnAXCISCO. -2:] 
 
 es for 
 :ervals 
 ed the 
 nment 
 olitary 
 use in 
 legrees 
 i that 
 egrrees. 
 by the 
 Clive 
 but at 
 effects ; 
 pwards 
 ^re and 
 ummit, 
 They 
 for the 
 
 (jh not 
 
 ?re very 
 ly from 
 is the 
 >ne side 
 des are 
 .mongst 
 .30, and 
 reached 
 
 the hotel at 5.30 — half an hour after I had left for 
 Pueblo. I am not fond of climbing great heights 
 myself ; and, besides, I had particularly wanted to see 
 a specimen Colorado " Park ;" so of course I told them 
 that Pike's Peak could not possibly be compared to the 
 beauties of Crystal Park. Fancy coming to Colorado 
 and not seeing one of the main features of the country 
 —a "Park!" 
 
 After a short run in our car on the narrow (3 feet) 
 gauge of the Denver and Rio Grande Eailvvay, an observa- 
 tion-car was attached to the train, and we commenced 
 the passage of the Royal Gorge of Arkansas, which 
 is considered the finest canon in Colorado. The cliffs 
 rise on each side to an immense height, leaving only 
 just room between them for the course of the Arkansas 
 river and the line. The railway system of Colorado is 
 in the habit of making use of these canons to get at its 
 traffic; and the engineering is wonderful, in places 
 which look both formidable in themselves and hopeless 
 for traffic ; but mines of wealth are hidden in the 
 heart of these mountains ; and railway officials know 
 besides how to make their profits by high charges. 
 The Royal Gorge is well worth coming a long way to 
 see, though we might have enjoyed the views in m re 
 comfort if the engine had not scattered so many blacks 
 about. The cliifs on either side rose in some places 
 almost perpendicularly to a height of from 3,000 to 
 
 i \ 
 
 ■ 
 
 f 
 
i ^ 
 
 I »J 
 
 U LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAB, FAR WEST. 
 
 4,000 f 3et. On emerj^ing from the cailon, we left the 
 observition-car behind, and came once more on deso- 
 hition and dricd-up prairie. At 11 o'clock we reached 
 Vallie Station, and here we had a fine view of the 
 cliain of the Eocky Mountains in the distance ; but 
 everywhere near us was the same variety of stunted 
 trees and burnt-up vegetation. Presently we passed 
 some charcoal burners. These are large white-painted 
 buildings, with furnaces burning charcoal from the 
 pinon tree (which looks as if it might be a cross 
 between a pine and a hemlock spruce). The charcoal 
 is used for smelting purposes, and there i^ also a good 
 deal of tar made at the same time. The trees were 
 small and stunted, apparently about 15 to 20 feet 
 high ; but the wood is reported to be remarkably hard. 
 It costs four dollars a cord, and will not split. I must 
 say the trees look more curious than valuable ; how- 
 ever, they have proved a fortune to many who bought 
 them in the forest. 
 
 The country appears to breed good useful horses ; 
 but nowhere can I see that the land can be worth culti- 
 vating, while there are so many other outlets for farming 
 and capital in the States. It is said that the grass 
 (such as it is) is liked by the cattle, and that it becomes 
 green after the rains, the rainy season being in June 
 and July. When properly irrigated, no doubt the 
 country could be farmed at a profit, but I saw nothing 
 
3 
 
 grass 
 
 THROUGH MOBMONLANV TO SAX FRANCISCO. 
 
 25 
 
 in Colorado which would persuade me to send a farmer 
 there. 
 
 Soon we arrived at Salida, situated on a high open 
 space, with houses (of wood) rapidly growing up. A 
 branch line leads from here to Leadville. The place is 
 beautifully situated, the mountains forming a complete 
 amphitheatre all round ; we were glad to find a 
 very good refreshment-room here. On resuming our 
 journey we comminced the ascent of Marshall's Pass, 
 the summit of which is 10,900 feet above the sea — the 
 highest railway pass in America. The whole system 
 of the Denver and Rio Grande Railway is narrow 
 gauge — 3 feet instead of 3 feet S inches. The route 
 winds round and round, and doubles over and over, in 
 order to reach the summit. We had not gone far 
 before one of the couplings broke between our car 
 and the one behind. I was standing on the platform, 
 and the couplings went with a bang, followed by a 
 whiz from the signal-cord overhead, which finally 
 snapped. The car was, however, stopped by the 
 atmospheric break from running down-hill. Our pro- 
 gress was rather delayed by an excursion train ahead 
 of us, which was taking a party of about GOO people 
 from St. Louis to San Francisco. Their engine came 
 to a standstill now and then, and ours broke down 
 also, not only once, but three times ; our last stoppage 
 being in a snow-shed within a few hundred yards of 
 
2G 
 
 LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 the summit. No sooner did we stop tliaii out jumped 
 ji lot of passengers ; and, invariably, many amongst 
 them began poking about in search of any indication 
 or minerals. It showed what indefatigable people the 
 Americans are, and how their restless activity induces 
 them always to be about something, and never to let 
 a minute or a chance pass by without trying to turn 
 it to account. We were nearly two hours late when 
 we did reach the top, although we had two engines. 
 The views during the whole ascent were very good, 
 though the scenery was more desolate than pretty. 
 The curves are very sharp, and I should think it probable 
 that there will be a "real big" accident on this section 
 of the Denver and Rio Grande Eailway at no distant 
 date. In makin"; the line the workmen have burnt a 
 great many trees. It is a pity to see such destruction. 
 Snow-sheds are placed at intervals only, and there is 
 nothing to prevent good views being obtained during 
 the ascent. The trees which were most noticeable on 
 this section of the line were the Finns Enyehnamii, 
 Arislata, Contorfa, Edtdis, Ponderosa, Virginia cedar, 
 Popidus F reman fi, Salix. 
 
 We were so fortunate as to form the acquaintance 
 of an American gentleman from Boston, Massachusetts, 
 who was well up in the botany of the country, and 
 who gave us a great deal of information about the 
 various trees and plants which we passed, and was very 
 
THEOUGn MOEMOXLAXD TO SAN FRANCISCO. 27 
 
 learned in their habits and mode of growth. As usual 
 amongst Americans, he was most willing to impart his 
 knowledge to others ; and his kindness was fully ap- 
 preciated b}^ us all. 
 
 In making the descent one of our engines preceded 
 us, and we were not sorry to find that we were going 
 down very slowly and steadily, as we had to look down 
 great heights, and were anticipating that possibly the 
 gradients we had noticed during our ascent might be 
 repeated here ; but the descent on the western seemed 
 lighter than the ascent on the eastern side. After pass- 
 ing through a better-looking country, with more grass 
 and water than we had seen for some time, we arrived at 
 Gunnistcn City, when we came at last into some lovely 
 scenery. The city itself is a windy, hot, dusty place, 
 with a sand storm always blowing, and we came in for 
 the full benefit of one on our arrival. From here to 
 Salt Lake City the route of the Denver and Rio Grande 
 Railway is only just completed ; in fact it was opened on 
 the 20th of this month (May), so I expect we are some 
 of tlie first English travellers to run over it ; but prob- 
 ably it will become a very popular route when the 
 features of the line are better known. We crossed the 
 Green River, and afterwards came to Price's River, and 
 then passed some beautiful white sandstone cliffs which 
 appeared to take all kinds of oddly peaked shapes. Soon 
 we were agreeably surprised at entering what is here 
 
28 
 
 LIFE AND LABOUIt IN THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 ii 
 
 ;| 
 
 ill 
 
 called the " Black Cafion," which appeared to me even 
 finer than the Eoyal Gorge through which we had passed 
 in the morning. The rocks are not so high, but the 
 forms are very striking, and the colouring magnificent and 
 infinitely varied. Besides, trees grow luxuriantly here, 
 there, and everywhere, whilst the Eoyal Gorge contains 
 none worth speaking of. There is a broad river rushing 
 by, with only just room for the railway to pass along. 
 This canon could hardly ever have been visited before 
 the line was laid ; it comprises some of the finest rock 
 scenery I have ever seen, and we came upon such charm- 
 ing views at every turn of the railway that I was quite 
 sorry I could not see this beautiful scenery more leisurely 
 on foot ; but as there is no road or path this could not 
 have been managed, unless one had walked along the 
 line itself. Sometimes we came across perfect little bits, 
 the river in the centre with another river joining it, so 
 as to form a triangle ; or perhaps a waterfall coming 
 down from the cliffs above. One remarkable rock specially 
 attracted our attention. It was a formation just like the 
 Matterhorn rising out of the valley, with a torrent on each 
 side rushing down to join the main river. We made a 
 note of this gorge as the finest we had ever seen ; its 
 lenorth must be from 20 to 30 miles. The chanofe to it 
 was all the more delightful from being so unexpected, and 
 from tb' contrast it formed with the sage- bush scenery 
 we had passed by earlier in the day. We stopped for 
 
THROUGH MORMONLAXD TO SAN FRANCISCO. 
 
 29 
 
 supper at Cimarron, at the end of the pass. The land- 
 lord there told us he had only had his place open for a 
 week, and that there was some fine fishing in the neigh- 
 bourhood. I sliould think this would be a good point at 
 which to make a halt, so as to explore the pass we have 
 just been through. Night fell, so we could see no more, 
 but by the mov^ement of the train, and especially of our 
 friend the excursion train (which was still ahead of us, 
 and winding below us), I expect we must have missed 
 some good scenery, which we might have seen had 
 we been " on time " ; as it was, we were quite two 
 hours late. Our darkie informed us, before going to 
 bed, that we should soon pass over the bridge which 
 broke down a few days ago, when the engine-driver 
 and two men were killed. This accident accounted 
 for all the enq-ines on the Denver and Rio Grande 
 Railroad being in mourning, black and white rib- 
 bons, &c. The day had been fine throughout, and not 
 too warm ; we certainly had had a most charming rail- 
 way journey. This route is to be recommended on 
 account of its wonderful scenery. 
 
 We passed over the broken bridge about midnight, 
 crossing it very slowly, but we reached the other 
 side in safety. I awoke about 5 a.m., and got np 
 to find that we were leaving tae Rocky Mountains 
 behind us, and were traversing a regular desert, where 
 even the sage-bush would hardly grow, and that 
 
 .■^1 
 
 ih:i 
 
I ) 
 
 fr ' 
 
 % 
 
 {''■'■ 
 
 if 
 
 i 
 
 |l:' 
 
 I 
 
 80 LIFE AND LABOUR JX THE FAR, FAR, WEST. 
 
 only in patches. There was not a jsign of a drop 
 of water anywliere about, except in the huge tanks, 
 which are kept at rei^ular intervals for the use of 
 the engines. The line of railway was quite open and 
 unprotected, and the bridges were all of wood. There 
 was a sharp frost in the morning, but the atmosphere 
 was clear and bright. We saw the Kockies in the 
 distance tinged with red. The district through which 
 we were passing had the appearance on all sides of 
 having- been the bottom of a hucfe lake. We crossed 
 the Green River at 9.15 a.m. (three hours late), and for 
 the moment saw a little green along its banks ; then 
 everything became brown and sandy again. I do not 
 know whether any rain ever I'alls in this part, but we 
 certainly passed over many dried-iip rivers. The moun- 
 tains reminded me of the hills round Swansea, which 
 are devoid of vegetation on account of the copper- 
 smoke ; all here I oked equally bare, and I do not think 
 I could conscientiously recommend this district to an 
 emigrant as a field for labour ! 
 
 Leaving the prairie — of which we had got quite 
 tired — we reached Price River Gallon, at the mouth of 
 Avhich are some rocks described as Castle Gate. Here 
 we saw a very large Pondcrosa tree, the same species as 
 many of those we had noticed in the Black Canon yes- 
 terday evening. There were many more about. At 
 last we arrived at Provo, a Mormon settlement 46 miles 
 
TJIliOUGII MOUMOXLANI) TO SAX FIIAXCISCO. :il 
 
 from Salt Lake City, and near Utah Lake, which we 
 saw in the distance, surrounded by fine mountain 
 scenery. This was the first Mormon settlement we had 
 noticed, and the place gave si^^ns of great industry, the 
 cultivation being very good, with nice orchards dotted 
 all about. We were told that thirty years ago the 
 whole of this territory was as much a desert as that 
 which we had so lately passed through ; irrigation has 
 therefore certainly done wonders here. The view from 
 Prove, looking towards Utah Lake, is exceedingly pretty, 
 backed up by mountains, some of which are partially 
 snow-covered. The lake itself is fresh water, not salt, 
 like its neighbour. Salt Lake. 
 
 We reached Salt Lake City two hours late, at about 
 4 p.m. ; and went first to the Walker House Hotel, and 
 then took a stroll about the city. We found that some 
 races had been going on during the day, so there were a 
 lot of roughs about. We walked in the direction of the 
 Tabernacle, but could not get in, as it was too late in 
 the day. We amused ourselves by watching all the 
 passers-by, and wondering if they were Mormons. On 
 meeting one man with two women, we declared this 
 must be a Mormon family out for a walk. Later, we 
 saw a man A\dtli four women, and dubbed them at once 
 as another Mormon family. It is easy to see which 
 houses are inhabited by Mormons, for they always have 
 a separate door for each lady. 
 
 ■■■t 
 
 n 
 
 ill li 
 
■;i( 
 
 ^*i 
 
 "!;; 
 
 ' !i 
 
 t 1 ,1' 
 
 
 1 
 
 ;[ 
 1 
 
 
 i 
 
 i; 1 
 
 ■ 
 
 1 
 
 . 1' 
 
 ! 
 
 i 
 
 
 ^i '\ 
 
 32 
 
 LIFE AXD LABOUR ly THE FAB, FAR WEST. 
 
 We wjilked up a hill to obtain a good general view 
 of Salt Lake Cit}', which from this elevation looked 
 much like an Italian town. The streets are very broad 
 — too broad indeed — and dreadfully dusty. There are 
 many shade trees ; and a stream of water runs down a 
 narrow channel at the side of each street. On the hill 
 which we ascended behind the city we came upon a 
 j)arty of Indians, with s(juaws and children, in two 
 groups, playing cards. We learnt that these people 
 were devotedly attached to gambling in any and every 
 form. I cannot say that I admired the beauty of the 
 various families, but the}' appeared very peaceable, and 
 did not in the least mind our looking on at their game. 
 After breakfast the next day (May 3 1st), we went to see 
 the Tabernacle — whicli is large enough to hold 12,000 
 people — the Winter Tabernacle, and the New Temple 
 building, which is in course of construction. The 
 Tabernacle is a wooden erection, and is wonderfully 
 built for sound. Standing at one end, we could hear a 
 man speaking in a low whisper at the other, and even 
 distinguish what he said. The sound of a pin dropping 
 on the iloor is also distinctly audible. The seats are 
 placed in ascending tiers, and are all of wood with 
 backs. The building is not ornamental, but is simply 
 intended to accommodate a large number of people, so 
 that all may see and hear ; both which objects are suc- 
 cessfully attained. This Tabernacle is used only during 
 
TnnOUGH MOUMOSLAND TO SAX VRANCISCO. 
 
 a;j 
 
 tlie summer months ; tlie Winter Tabernacle is of nuicli 
 Huialler dimensions, and is built of stone, and thoroufj^hly 
 warmed. The New Temple is a fine square block of 
 buildinf^, now in c:urse of construction. It is bein;^ 
 entirely built of the finest grey granite. The work has 
 periodically to be stopped till more funds come in, and 
 it will, [ should think, take many years to complete, 
 even if ever finished. The site has been very judi- 
 ciously chosen, both for effect and convenience to the 
 citizens. 
 
 We next called upon President John Taylor (the 
 successor of Brigham Young), having been told that he 
 liked seeing strangers. We were, however, informed 
 that he was out driving, and were asked to call again. 
 In order to occupy our time, we went to see the late 
 President's grave, and in so doing passed the house 
 where he used to accommodate his eighteen wives. The 
 grave, which we found in a place by itself, was merely a 
 slab of granite, surrounded by iron railings, with no 
 name or inscription on it. 
 
 On returning, we again called on President John 
 Taylor, and in due course he came into the room to 
 receive us. He is a tall, largely-made man, with big- 
 head and hands. I believe there are six Mrs. Taylors, 
 and we were rather disappointed at not being intro- 
 duced to them. The house was a good- sized one, and 
 
 everything seemed very comfortable. The President 
 J) 
 
 Hi 
 
:ti 
 
 LIFE AXl> LABOUR IX THE FaU, FAIt WEST. 
 
 if 
 
 told us that tlio Mormon territory was about (KM) luilcs 
 lo \<r l)y ;}()() broad, and now extended into New Mexico 
 and Arizona. We visited afterwards the Salt Lake 
 Muse.' in, wliich is kept by an lOtit^lisbnKin (a Mormon) 
 who canii her* in 1S()4. Jfe told us ho had then been 
 one of a party of SOO einiy;rants ; and that for the last 
 1, ()()() miles they had travelled over the prairie and 
 desert in ox-caris and wapf^'ons, and had suffered ter- 
 rible ])rivations. Numbers of his fellow-travellers had 
 died on the way ; and, thouLi^h so many years a^o, ho 
 related, with an evidently keen recollection, the hard- 
 ships they had under<:jone, and the joy and thankful- 
 ness with which they had at last sighted Salt Lake City 
 and its well-cultivated lands. On their arrival they had 
 been kindly cared for and housed by the settlers until 
 they were able to shift for themselves. We also heard 
 from this man how the Mormons send out their mis- 
 sionaries all over the world to make fresh converts, and 
 induce them to come to the Mormon territory. It 
 must not, however, be su])posed that all the settlers in 
 Utah are of the Mormon persuasion, for there are a 
 great many so-called "Gentiles" among them. Salt 
 Lake City is beautifully situated at the foot of moun- 
 tains, which surround it in a kind of semi-circle. 
 Everything looks prosperous ; the lands are well-stocked 
 and irrigated, and thoroughly cultivated to the best 
 advantage ; but there can be no doubt that this system 
 
TIlllOUGH ytOUMONLASD TO SAX FRANCISCO. il5 
 
 ' 
 
 of Monnoiiisiu sliould be abolislicd ; it is a disi^raoi' to 
 a civilised coininunity like tlic Ujiitcd States tliat it 
 should bo allowed. As a matter of fact a law bas been 
 passed suj)i)ressiii^ it; but when an att«Mii|)t was made 
 to put this iu force, it was tou. <l that no verdict could 
 be obtained, owin^ to the majorl^^^y of the jury beiu^^ 
 themselves Mormons. It is often thou«;ht that each 
 member of this persuasion may have as many wives as 
 he pleases; but this is not the case; it is only allowed 
 as a ^reat favour, and each candidate for the privile<^e 
 has to prove to the satisfaction of the Elders that his 
 means are sufKcient to support the number of wives he 
 wishes to have. The original settlers have in most 
 cases moved south into Arizona, where, ai a greater 
 distance from civilisation, they can better enjoy a 
 plurality of wives without restrictions. Salt Lake Cit}' 
 is, of course, the centre of the Government. TIk; set- 
 tlements are by no means diminishin<^, but on the 
 contrary increasing, and more and more of the territory 
 is, by dint of irrigation, being rapidly brought under 
 cultivation. I tasted some excellent mutton here, better 
 than any I have tasted before in America. 
 
 The same afternoon we left Salt Lake City by the 
 4 p.m. train, via Denver and Eio Grande llailway, to 
 join the Central Pacific llailway at Ogden, having an 
 hour for dinner at the latter place. The Central Pacific 
 
 and Union Pacific llailroads meet here, one going west, 
 D 2 
 
 i 
 
36 
 
 LIFE AND LABOUR IN TEE FAB, FAB WEST. 
 
 f 
 
 I 
 
 i I . 
 
 i!; 
 
 I 
 
 1! 
 
 ( 
 
 4 ! 
 
 the other east ; and our route lay west by the Central 
 Pacific to San Francisco. Now that the Denver and 
 llio Grande line runs into Ogden, and that therefore 
 there is direct communication eastwards by this route 
 to Pueblo, St. Louis, and New York, I expect the 
 Union Pacific will be mulcted of a good deal of its 
 eastern trafhc. Starting west from Ogden, the country 
 seemed poor, the sage-bush being again almost the sole 
 occupant of the sandy soil. 
 
 The following notice was written on the backs of our 
 tickets : — " Passengers are allowed to carry one canary 
 each in a cage, without extra charge or fee to the baggage- 
 man or porter.'' In our car the following notice was 
 posted up: — " AVaruing — Passengers are hereby warned 
 against jilaying games of chance with strangers, or 
 betting on three-cards, monte, strap, or other games. 
 You will surely be robbed if you do. — A. M. Towne, 
 General Superintendent." Here is another specimen, 
 also put up in the cars — " Passengers are requested not 
 ^"0 spit on the lloor of the cars." A line of spittoons 
 was arranged along the floor, one for every two 
 passengers. 
 
 There was a civil darkie in our Silver Car (Pallmans 
 are not used at present on this route), and he told us 
 that to-morrow we should pass through nothing but 
 sand and desert, and that the windows would have to be 
 closed, and the ventilators also. This did not sound 
 
 L. 
 
I^entral 
 er and 
 erefore 
 i route 
 2ct the 
 . of its 
 iountry 
 :he sole 
 
 i of our 
 canar}"" 
 iggage- 
 ice was 
 V. arned 
 ^ers, or 
 games. 
 
 TOWNK, 
 
 ecimen, 
 jted not 
 pittoons 
 ry two 
 
 ullnians 
 ; told us 
 Ung but 
 Lve to be 
 )t sound 
 
 THBOUan MORMOXLAND TO SAN FRANCISCO. 37 
 
 cheerful, and we went to our sleepers expecting a hot 
 dusty journey on the morrow. Our fears, however, were 
 hardly justified by the event, happily for us, although 
 on awaking the next day we found we were still travel- 
 ling through the same uninteresting country, with 
 nothing but sage-bush. There were mountains in the 
 distance along the whole route, which relieved the 
 monotony, and here and there we saw a patch of culti- 
 vated land. We were remarkably fortunate after all, in 
 that there was no dust or great heat, and we enjoyed 
 inste' 1 a beautiful cool wind. The promised desert was 
 certainly there, but luckily a heavy fall of rain on the 
 previous da,y had laid the dust ; in fact, pools of water 
 were to be seen all along the track, a very unusual 
 occurrence at this time of the year, but an extremely for- 
 tunate one for us, as otherwise we should doubtless have 
 been overwhelmed with dust. We willingly forgave the 
 darkie his false alarm. The mountains in the distance 
 looked as if they ought to carry sheep, but probably by 
 the end of the summer every blade of grass will be burnt 
 up. We had luncheon at Humbold, a station with some 
 nice poplar trees round the house ; otherwise the country 
 was everywhere a desert. But although a desert covered 
 with sage-bushes (which it appears will thrive on nothing, 
 and which live to an immense age), there were some 
 extremely pretty white and yellowish flowers about, which 
 smelt very sweet and grew in bunches, and we jumped 
 
 ! 
 
 Ill 
 
 i 
 
 il 
 
 I 
 
 ■' ; "I 
 
: I 
 
 m 
 
 LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAB, FAB WEST. 
 
 W 
 
 1 1 
 
 i 
 
 il 
 
 off the cars and gathered a quantity. One portion of 
 tlie country through which we passed exactly resembled 
 the sea-shore at low water. Just at dusk we came to a 
 place called Wads worth, where one ought to branch off 
 if one wants to see Lake Tahoe. At dusk, directly 
 after leaving this, we began the ascent of the Sierra 
 Nevadas ; the scenery here I was very anxious to see, 
 and, there being a pretty fair moon, I did my best to 
 see what I could during the night, and in consequence 
 did not get much sleep. However, as it happened, there 
 were some very long snow sheds, and probably but little 
 could have been seen either by day or night. The 
 darkie, by my orders, awoke me at 3.45 a.m., when we 
 were just passing " Cape Horn,'' round which point, 
 high up on the mountains, the railway track is laid. 
 Ten truck-loads of cattle fell over this point last " fall."* 
 Beautiful views were obtained in descending the Pacific 
 slope of the Sierra Nevadas, the whole country looking 
 like an immense park or arboretum ; all kinds of firs and 
 pines, such as we grow at home as ornamental trees, 
 were here flourishing luxuriantly in a wild state. We 
 stopped at Sacramento for breakfast, and after this 
 passed on through a fine agricultural country. The 
 corn crop appeared to be already fit for cutting, and in 
 some cases the harvest had actually commenced. I found 
 oub afterwards that it is generally begun before this 
 
 • I.e., Autumn. 
 
TmtOUGU MORMONLAXD TO SAN FEAXCISCO. 30 
 
 period, but that this had been a wet and backward 
 season, visible evidences of which were afforded by tlie 
 swollen state of the rivers through late rains, especially 
 of the American and Sacramento rivers. 
 
 On arriving at Benicia (the place where " the Benicia 
 Boy,'' Heenan, came from, who fought Sayers some 
 years ago in England) we crossed an arm of the bay in 
 a huge ferry-boat, 510 feet long by 120 feet broad, 
 which took train, engine and all, over in two sections. 
 A run along the side of the bay brought us to Oakland, 
 where we left the train and went on board another 
 enormous ferry-boat, which in about ten minutes 
 landed us at San Francisco. The city looks very well 
 from this approach: the harbour is a magnificent one, 
 being over 40 miles long in one direction, and I do not 
 know how many in the other. It is surrounded on all 
 sides by grass hills, the town being built partly at their 
 base, and partly on one of the hills. These latter look 
 all parched and burnt up, and there are no trees or green 
 of any description to be seen. We walked, baggage and 
 all, to the Palace Hotel, and put up there ; it is an 
 '^normous building, about the largest hotel in America, 
 and contains at least 1,000 bedrooms ; my number was 
 500 on the third floor. Afterwards we went to the 
 Pacific Steamship Company's Ofiice, and also to the 
 Yosemite Valley Ofiice, and made various inquiries as to 
 our future route ; but, this being Saturday, we found the 
 
 m 
 
 'I 
 
 ! 
 
 f 
 
 
' f 
 
 10 
 
 LIFE AXD LABOUR IN THE FAR, FAB WEST. 
 
 Lank closed, and could not do all we wished. We went 
 in search of the Honourable Dr. Gwyn (late Member of 
 Congress for California), to whom I had an introduction 
 from an English friend, but he had changed his house, 
 and we could not find him. In our rambles we had 
 occasion to use one of the 'Frisco street cars on endless 
 ropes. They are admirably contrived for going up and 
 down hill, and their motion is very quiet and agreeable. 
 The plan seems a simple one : two cars are joinod to one 
 another, and are attached to a perpetually revolving wire 
 rope placed in an open groove underground, and worked 
 by a fixed steam engine. To this rope the cars are 
 attached, by the simple process of moving a lever which 
 grips the wire, and thus the cars are carried on until the 
 conductor releases his hold. In returning to the busi- 
 ness part of the city, we accidentally came upon the 
 Chinese quarter, which is entirely inhabited by subjects 
 of the Celestial Empire, of whom we saw great numbers, 
 but found it impossible to tell the difference in dress 
 between the men and women. We visited one of their 
 shops, and bought some things ; then looked into the 
 Chinese theatre, and promised the door-keeper we would 
 come again later in the evening. At almost every other 
 window we saw individuals having their pig-tails dressed 
 and their ears cleaned (!) — apparently a very favourite 
 amusement of theirs. We hurried back to the hotel, 
 only to find ourselves locked out from dinner ; so we had 
 
THROUGn MORMONLAND TO SAN FRANCISCO. 
 
 41 
 
 supper instead, and afterwards set out for the theatre. 
 The performance was a sight worth seeing once, but 
 once would he quite enough, as it is hard (for a Euro- 
 pean at least) to keep up the interest. The acting was 
 of the feeblest description — indeed, according to our ideas, 
 it seemed no acting at all ; but each player kept on 
 chattering and making an immense noise. The so-called 
 band, mostly comprised of men banging great brass 
 plates together, was placed on the stage. The dresses 
 of the performers were very gorgeous, and their features 
 were partly hidden by long beards unmistakably stuck 
 on to their lower lips. There were not many European 
 spectators present, but the building was filled with 
 Chinese (the ladies being placed by themselves in a 
 gallery), and they all seemed to appreciate the perform- 
 ance very much. Subsequently, an offer was made by 
 one of the employees of the theatre to show us some of 
 the opium dens and other slums of this quarter; but 
 we declined the proposal, thinking such sights were 
 better imagined than seen. 
 
 The following day being Sunday, we went to church, 
 but had a difficulty in finding it at first, as Mitchell by 
 mistake had looked out the clergyman's house in the direc- 
 tory instead of the church, so that we went first to the 
 former ; however, we succeeded eventually in discovering 
 it. In the afternoon we went in search of Mr. Coleman, 
 Dr. Gwyn's son-in-law, and left cards at his house. 
 
 
 ' ' i 
 
 ■•A 
 
 
i I 
 
 !l 
 
 42 
 
 LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 Later wo made an expedition to Cliff House, about six 
 miles from San Francisco, doinj^ the distance partly by 
 car, and partly by carria^^e. Cliff House is an hotel 
 situated facing the Pacific Ocean. The interest there is 
 centred on two or three rocks about a quarter of a mile 
 off, out at sea ; on and about these rocks we saw scores 
 of seals disporting themselves. There must have been 
 between two and three hundred of them ; they are pro- 
 tected by the United States Government, and not allowed 
 to be killed. We were much amused at seeing them 
 crawling about the rocks, and taking headers into the 
 water ; we continually heard their barks in the distance. 
 Walking up to the signal station, we had a good 
 view from there of the " Golden Gate," as the entrance 
 into San Francisco Bay is called ; and, after duly admiring 
 it, we crossed the sand hills, and so, rejoining our 
 carriage, returned to the city. The next morning, 
 June 4th, we called upon Mr. Powell, Bank of British 
 Columbia, General Hutchinson (both in California Street), 
 and on Mr. Coleman, of the Pacific Transfer Agency, 
 but found that the latter had gone to England. 
 
 Returning to the hotel, we learnt that Dr. Gwyn 
 himself had been to call on us. He came again later 
 on, and we settled with him that our best plan for con- 
 tinuing our tour would be to go to the Yosemite Valley 
 first, and then that the following Sunday evening he 
 should, meet us at Madera, and go with us to Los 
 
THIiOUGir MORMONLAND TO SAX FRANCISCO. 43 
 
 Angeles and its neighbourhood, in order that wo might 
 see the vineyards and orange groves of Southern Cali- 
 fornia. Accordingly, we made a hurried start at 4 p.m , 
 having procured tickets to IMadera, Yosemite, Mariposa 
 Grove of Big Trees, back to Madera, Los Angeles, and 
 back to 'Frisco. Every one told us that to reach the 
 Yosemite we ought to go via Madera and back by the 
 same mute ; but we have since come to the conclusion 
 that everybody was wrong, as by adopting this plan we 
 missed seeing the Calaveras grove of big trees. 
 Doubtless it is the easiest route ; but those who have 
 time to manage it should go by the one route and 
 return by the other. I fancy that the best plan w^oiild 
 be to go from San Francisco rm Stockton to Milton, 
 stage to Murphys, thence to the Calaveras grove and 
 back to Milton, and on by stage from there to the 
 Yosemite. Then, on returning, stage from the Yose- 
 mite to Clarke's, from there to the Mariposa grove of 
 big trees, and back to Clarke's ; and the second day 
 stage to Madera and sleep there, returning to San Fran- 
 cisco the following morning. This plan would take a 
 longer time, and entail more staging than the one we 
 adopted ; but, on the other hand, there would be the 
 advantage of entering and leaving the valley by dif- 
 ferent routes, instead of by the same one. 
 
 . ■ is 
 
'» 1 
 
 il 
 
 CHAPTER Til. 
 
 THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 
 
 Madera— Travcllors litnviiro !— Tlio Fresno Flats— A ^Mai^niificcnt Forest— A Ride 
 behind Six Horses— A tilorious View — Thi; Yosiiiiite Valley — The Mirror 
 Lake — The Nevada Falls— Glacier Point— I-Jl Capitau— The Dome— Tho 
 Half Dome— The Cap of Liberty — The Sentinel Doino— Lost in tho 
 Forest— "Tho I'oint "—Master Bruiu— Hotels in tho Valley. 
 
 We left San Francisco by 4 p.m. on Monday, June 
 4th, by the Central Pacific Eailroad, going over to Oak- 
 lands by the ferry. The sleeper was full, and the 
 conductor uncivil, his example in this respect being 
 followed by the darkie. We met an Englishman of the 
 name of Veitch on board the train, and subsequently a 
 Mr. and Mrs. Graham, all bound for the Yosemite. 
 We thought our tickets included sleepers on the car, 
 but this proved to be a mistake; and when the con- 
 ductor came to us about sleepers, we did not quite hit 
 it off with him. It appeared that he had one or two 
 uppers to dispose of, but we wanted lower berths, and 
 as we guessed that there would be an hotel at Madera 
 (at which place we should be due at midnight) we 
 decided on sleeping there instead of in the car, which 
 would be stationary after 12 o'clock, and was sure to be 
 very hot and stuffy in this warm climate. So we 
 
THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 
 
 tj 
 
 refused the uppers, makin<^ up our niiuds to sleep at 
 the hotel ; and the conductor thereupon speedily took 
 his revenge by tellinj^ us to get into the other coach. 
 We accordingly turned out of the tSleeper, and went 
 into the ordinary car. However, we made ourselves 
 very comfortable there; and after a tedious journey 
 (having had supper at Lathrop) we arrived at Madera 
 11.50 p.m. I had telegraphed on for rooms, which had 
 a good etfect, for there was rather a crowd here, but the 
 landlord was very civil, and insisted u])on serving us 
 first. I found to my horror I had brought my wrong 
 travelling bag, having left everything I wanted for use 
 at San Francisco ! It was very hot at Madera, the 
 warmest night we had yet experienced. So we con- 
 gratulated ourselves on being in the hotel rather than 
 in the hot sleeper, now pleasantly shunted on a siding 
 for the night. One word of warning as to the San 
 Francisco Agency for the Yosemite. Do not believe a 
 word you are told. Most of the information given is 
 incorrect, the sole object being to sell tickets, and make 
 people go in and out of the Yosemite Valley viff' 
 Madera. We had been told that we could go via 
 Madera, drive to and sleep at Clarke's, visit the 
 Mariposa grove of big trees /icr/ morning, go on to 
 the Yosemite, and return via the Stockton route, thus 
 seeing the Calaveras trees if we wished to do so. We 
 found, however, that, though we could go via Madera, 
 
 4 !! 
 
 iilll-c 
 
 l!l; 
 
I 
 
 I 
 
 m LIFE AM) LABOUR IN THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 and sleep iit Clarke's, wo wore obliij^ed to <^o em by siix^e 
 earlif next niorning to the Yosomite, instead ot" goiu<; 
 to see tlie big trees; and that the latter were taken on 
 the return route, which of course prevented our going 
 on to Stockton and the Calaveras, and obliged us to 
 return to Clarke's, or to miss the Mariposa group alto- 
 gether. This j)lan naturally brings grist to the mill, 
 both by feeding the stage route and making people 
 stay two nights instead of one at Clarke's Hotel. We 
 were up at 4.45 a.m. the next morning. My first 
 thought was to run to the nearest store and got a rig- 
 out for our journey, as my "outfit" was reduced to 
 what I had on, my unfortunate travelling-bag having 
 been left behind at San Francisco. I soon came out 
 re-fitted ; having provided myself amongst other pur- 
 chases with a blue fiannel back-woodsman's shirt, which 
 I eventually found exceedingly useful. We found that a 
 great many people were going to the Yosomite Valley 
 (thirty-six passengers in all), so an extra coach had to 
 be put on. Some unfortunate travellers who came by 
 the southern route w^ere left behind at Madera for 
 twenty -four hours, to await the coach next day. The 
 first coach started at G a.m. We went by the second, 
 and set ofi' at 7 a.m., after having gone through the 
 farce of waiting for the Southern train, simply to tell 
 the people that the coach was full. We had the three 
 back seats: Veitch and a friend the box seat; the 
 
THE YO SEMITE VALLEY. 
 
 remainin<^ two rows of scats beiii<^ tilled by other 
 travellers. These coaches are the property ot the 
 " Yosemite Turnpike Jload Company," whose business 
 seems badly niana<^ed, and I am told that the Conipimy 
 pays no dividend, which does not surprise me. The 
 vehicles are curious-looking things, painted red ; the 
 body is like the tub of a boat with no bows, and is 
 slung on leather straps for springs ; and with good 
 reason, for no other method could withstand the effects 
 of the fearful jolting of these roads. They carry eleven 
 passengers, the driver's seat holding two besides him- 
 self. The coachmen are excellent whips, driving over 
 these awkward roads with wonderful ease. The team 
 consists of four and sometimes six horses. They are 
 little things, cross-breds as a rule ; but sometimes one 
 finds a thorough-bred mustang among them. The 
 bumping of the coach is atrocious, and should be felt to 
 be thoroughly appreciated. The first stage was over 
 the open prairie, uninteresting, and very hot and dusty. 
 The next on j was partly over prairie, and then at the 
 bottom of the foot-hills, and was still hotter and 
 dustier. The third stage was amongst the foot-hills, 
 and gradually ascending, till we came to a halt for 
 luncheon at a place thirty-six miles from Madera and 
 thirty from Clarke's, whore we also managed to get a 
 wash and general brush-up, which were sadly needed. 
 We came across the first fine scenery of our drive 
 
 'II 
 
 'i 
 
 ''i 
 
 I' 
 S ; ■ ! 
 
i 
 
 48 LIFE ASD LALUUll IN THE FAB, FAR WEST. 
 
 ihiriiif^ tlio (losci'iit to Frcsnu Flats, vvlicre vvc obtained 
 a iiiJiirnilicoiit view of I'orest ;iiul inountiiin. From here 
 the route gradually re-asceuded, passing the whole way 
 through beautiful natural forests of the finest timber, 
 growing here to an immense height. Traees of forest 
 tires are everywhere noticeable, caused in former times 
 by Indians, who used to burn the underwood. The 
 larger trees are therefore in numy cases injured by 
 fh'e at their base, but the injury to them was acci- 
 dental. * 
 
 We passed some magnificent sj)ecimens of Pondcrosa 
 (pitch })ine) and of LainharliaHU (sugar pine) ; also 
 JiaUant, Thuja (//(/anfca, and other pines. The Cali- 
 fornian and evergreen oaks grow beautifully here, 
 although not quite so well as in the district on the 
 other side of Fresno Flats. Shrubs and evergreens 
 abound everywhere; especially the Manzanita plant, 
 which is very nuicli like our arbutus. Flowers are to 
 be seen in every direction, and very many flowering 
 shrubs, the most noticeable being the Mariposa lily ; 
 the leather plant, with a large yellow flower, and 
 the Buck eye, which has a white flower. The drive 
 was most enjoyable, but a leisurely walk through 
 this magnificent forest would have been better still ; 
 ulaced as we were on the coach, we had to be con- 
 stantly on the look-out for the bumping ; and its 
 ellects were anything but agreeable. Some of the 
 
Tlll'J YOSIJMITE VALLUY. 
 
 48 
 
 ^y 
 
 Pundcronn and Ldin/jrrtiftna trees run up to 200 and 
 300 feet in liei»,dil,. We measured one twenty-six I'eet 
 in cireuniference, and this was by no nie:ins of ex- 
 ce])tional size. 
 
 Our driver handled his six liorses in fine styK', 
 and we went ah)n<^ at a j^reat j)aee, soon eatchiny" 
 up the coacii next before us ; but, all the same, we 
 did not reach Clarke's Hotel until 8.30 p.m., about 
 an hour and a half behind our time. From Mach'ra 
 to Clarke's is 06 miles, and on from Clarke's to the 
 Yosemite is 20 miles — total, 05 miles. We secured 
 rooms on our arrival, and then found to our surprise 
 we could not go to the Mariposa grove of Welling- 
 tonias io-morrow, but tliat the coach would go 
 on direct to the Yosemite, and that we must see the 
 Mariposa grove on our return. This was not at all 
 what we wished, and a considerable discussion ensued. 
 But the hotel and stage had the entire monopoly ; 
 there was no other hotel, there were no other horses, 
 and, being tied to time on account of having to meet 
 Dr. Gwyn on Sunday evening, we had no alternative 
 but to do as we were told. So with great reluctance 
 we made up our minds to go on to the Yosemite in the 
 morning, leaving the Mariposa grove until our return, 
 and abandoning the Stockton route out of the Valley 
 altogether. This decision was not made before we had 
 tried all sorts of threats with the landlord and the 
 
 Wl 
 
 m 
 
 \0 
 
 n 
 
 ■'I 
 
 '. M'l 
 
 I. 
 
ii 
 
 J 
 
 * 
 
 1 
 
 I 
 
 I « 
 
 :.(> 
 
 LIFl'! AM) LAliOl'li IX TlIi: FMi, VMi WEST. 
 
 sinu^o foiu])any in pMUM'al, Imt. 1 tlnnk iho inansi<jfor 
 was ac't'iistonu'd to tins, for we I'duikI out aftcrvvanls 
 Hull we wore not the lirst tnivcllcrs who had been so 
 deceived. 
 
 We siarti'd oil' for more jolting and l>uni|)ini,' in 
 the stai;-e at (i.MO a.m. on thi' foMowin^ day, passinjj^ 
 at^ai'.i throui^h mat^nilieent I'orest seenery, and ehanij^in^ 
 lu)rses once. We did not have our white driver oi" 
 yesterday, but a nijji'ii^er instead, wlio drove well, l)ut 
 did not take us as fast as we went tlie day before, 
 lor the road was mueli worse, bein^ very narrow and 
 bad, and carried mostly at a hiij^h eh»vation aU>n<jf the 
 side of the uu)untains. The hitter were all densely 
 timbered, and the i»i5j^antie ])ro})ortions of the j)ines 
 and th's continued much the sanu' as yesterday. When 
 we came to " Inspiration Point," seven miles i'rom the 
 hotel in the N'allev, Clive and I u'ot down to walk, 
 and Mitchell went on with the coach. The view from 
 this place, with the Yosemite Valley below, was one 
 never to be forij^otten. Here we actually were at last, 
 after years of talk, and after a journey of between 0,000 
 and 7,0i)0 miles. It was a glorious sight ; the bright 
 green valley far below us, the trees looking quite 
 small on account of the distance, the river Merced 
 llowing along the centre, huge granite mountains 
 running itiuight down on each side 3,000 to 4,000, 
 and even 5,000 feet, El Capitan being the most 
 
TUM YOSHMTTI'] VALLHY 
 
 r,i 
 
 n()ti(;o;il)lo on i\w left i'roin iliis ]M)ini, iind tlu^ 
 
 Cailicdral Udcks ou i\\o ri^ht. Thv Smtiiicl Donu' 
 
 was farther olT, and tin; Hall" Dome, Dome, and (Moud's 
 
 Host, vvcro in i\w j^-rcaicr distance. It vv:is a niay'nili- 
 
 t'cnt si«^lit ; the ^^ranitc walls eonld hardly hold a 
 
 tree, and thou^^h the ininicnsc^ masses of rock at first 
 
 looked hare, the elVect of this h'ssened as i\u\ <»ye 
 
 rested on the <»'re<'n ol" the valley helow. 'IMie valley 
 
 itself is I, ()()() feet above the sea. We had a beantilnl 
 
 walk from lnsj)iration J*oint to Cooke's Hotel. I)nrin<^ 
 
 the first ])art of the des(;eiit w(; saw the " Hiidal Veil 
 
 waterfall on our ri^ht, coming tinnl)lin<^ (h)vvn in ii 
 
 hufje mass; on our left v/as the " Vir<^in's I'ears," 
 
 which was mere spray by the time it toueJied the 
 
 valley. Alter i)assin<; these, the Yosemite Fall itself 
 
 (1,000 feet hitj^h) came into vicnv, and before reacliin^ 
 
 it we arrived at the liotel, Mitchell bavin<^ met us 
 
 on the way. The whole of the valley is full of 
 
 "sjK'cimen" conifers, beautiful Pondrroaa, Lanifjcr- 
 
 fiana, Thuja (/if/nntca, Jialmm, &c., &c. ; then; arc also 
 
 some very fine Douglas firs. We came u|)on the first 
 
 of the latter after leavin^^ Inspiration Point. We 
 
 reached Cooke's Hotel about 3..'i() p.m., and settled 
 
 to do nothing more that afternoon, but only to look 
 
 at the Yosemite Fall and the other beauties of the 
 
 valley, which seemed to impress one more and more 
 
 the longer one looked at them. We found the 
 E 2 
 
 1 
 
 \l 
 
 '■\ 
 
 \\\\ 
 
52 
 
 LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 1 
 
 t ' 
 
 I I 
 
 I 
 
 ! 
 
 atmosphere of the valley itself rather warm, and there 
 were a good many mosquitoes about, but later in the 
 year these troubles would, I should fancy, be far worse 
 than they were at the time of our visit to the place. 
 Apparently we had come at the exact time for seeing 
 the waterfalls to perfection, especially as the season is 
 rather late this year; in an ordinary season the second, 
 or even the first, week in May is said to be better; 
 the flowers would certainly be more in full bloom at 
 that time ; but still, we saw a great many. 
 
 The next day we were up at 4.45 a.m., and after 
 breakfasting at 5.30, walked to the Mirror Lake to see 
 the reflection on its surface of the mountain opposite, 
 when the sun appeared over its summit. There was too 
 much ripple on the lake for the proper effect, so 
 that we were rather disappointed in the result, and I 
 said as much on being asked by an American what 
 I thought of it. He replied that it was the case with 
 many. " One American when here said it was nothing 
 
 better than a toad pond." However, I cannot 
 
 quite agree in this ; the lake is small, but pretty, and 
 the immense granite mountain coming sheer down in 
 a precipice of 5,000 feet is a sight in itself. The walk 
 from the hotel along the flat by the side of the Merced 
 River is full of beauty. Magnificent conifers grow 
 in every direction ; and one remarkable thing about 
 the Yosemite Valley is that all the trees seem to liave 
 
 iij 
 
i 
 
 i 
 
 THE YDS E MITE VALLEY. o3 
 
 room to grow, and it really forms oue Immouse 
 arboretum. Weeks could be spent in walking about 
 examining the trees and making occasional excursions 
 into the mountains ; but to do this properly one ought 
 to have plenty of time, and to camp out. 
 
 The " Mirror Lake " is distant about three miles 
 from Cooke's Hotel, and we continued our walk about 
 another five miles to the Nevada Falls, the route being 
 at first along the valley on a good road, and then u)) 
 a bridle-path which plunged into the forest all among 
 loose boulders, still following the river, until we reached 
 a trail which took us zig-zag up the mountain side. 
 Immense granite cliffs looked down on us on all sides. 
 The valley was well timbered, and the scenery lovely 
 in the extreme. A long pull up the zig-zag path took 
 us to an upper valley, where we rejoined the river and 
 saw the Vernal Fall — a beautiful waterfall dashing 
 down into a deep, dark gorge. Wo had a very fine 
 view of it, but could not get under it on account of the 
 spray. A ;nile above this we approached the Nevada 
 Fall, which is quite different ; not so broad, but much 
 higher. Three-quarters of the way down it strikes on 
 an invisible projecting rock, which sends the water 
 up again for some little distance, only to descend a 
 second time iu an immense jumble of water and spray. 
 [ have never before seen a waterfall similar to this ; 
 and it and the Vernal Fall are both well worth a visit, 
 
 •P 
 
 . 1 
 
 i • 
 6 ^ 
 
 \ 
 
 
 1 
 
'I 
 
 
 ■• 
 
 I 
 
 54 LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAB, FAB WEST. 
 
 and the more so on account of the beautiful scenery 
 through wliich they are approached. There is a good 
 inn at the Nevada Fall, where sleeping accommodatiou 
 can be procured. A view is obtained from here of 
 (ilacier Point in the distance (apparently an immense 
 height), on the summit of which there is also an inn 
 where a bod can be had. Just behind the little hotel 
 at Nevada Fall rises the " Cap of Liberty ; " from 
 here the ascent of " Cloud's Rest " is made, half way 
 up which I am told there is a small inn. The Nevada 
 Fall is about five and a half miles from Cooke's 
 Hotel, but the walk seemed longer. We returned by 
 the same route as far as the junction of the road 
 to the Mirror Lake, and then followed the regular road 
 to the hotel. It was a charming excursion, and we all 
 enjoyed it immensely. 
 
 We agreed to start early the next morning for 
 rilacier Point before it got too hot, and accordingly 
 were up again at 4.45 a.m., and after breakfast at 5.30, 
 set off on foot at G.15 on our expedition, hoping thus 
 to accomplish the climb in the cool of the morning. 
 The ascent commenced almost immediately, just behind 
 the church, the track being a good one, all amongst 
 shrubs and trees, with no boulders, but sandy and 
 very steep. The high mountain we were ascending 
 sheltered us from the sun. The path went up in zig- 
 zags, and at each turn we obtained most lovely views 
 
 I 
 
THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 6r> 
 
 of tlie valley beneath, first of all in the direction of 
 Inspiration Point, and farther up, towards Mirror Lake. 
 The lii<^her we ascended the more beautiful the valley 
 looked, with the Merced river flowinj^ along the centre ; 
 pine-trees of immense size and grandeur each standing 
 out separately as if purposel}' thinned out, or like 
 specimens in an arboretum ; and the little fields by 
 the side of the river forming patches of green, which 
 relieved the eye after gazing at the desolation of rock 
 above. 
 
 After a steep climb of an hour and a half, we came 
 to a little flagstaff fixed in the rock, where we halted for 
 a short rest, and meanwhile admired the view, which 
 was really a charming one. The pines appeared to 
 grow out of the solid rock, each tree, whether young or 
 old, being of wonderful growth and vigour, but not of 
 such immense size as those we had passed on our drive 
 from Madera to Clarke's and the Yosemite. On leaving 
 our flagstaff rest we continued our ascent, but now out 
 in the open, amongst mountain plants, with no shelter 
 either from rocks or trees. We still enjoyed the same 
 beautiful views of the valley beneath us ; but at this 
 elevation we could see over the tops of the cliffs which 
 formed its sides, and found that round-headed mountains 
 constituted the general character of the Sierra Nevada 
 range, and that the peaks which we had secii from below 
 were only variations here and there. At a distance of 
 
 
 III 
 
 ■r 
 
 J;* 
 
 
T 
 
 nn 
 
 TJFE AND LATiOrn IX THE FAIl, FAli WEST. 
 
 il 
 
 tlii'c'o-(juartc'rs of a mile from Glacier Point we apiin 
 entered the forest, and saw some more ma<j^niticent 
 specimens of tlie lir tribe, Douglas, Lani/jcrtinna, 
 J.a.sciocnrpn, PoHdrroKn, &c., iV'c. On reaching Glacier 
 Point (a hnt bnilt on the edj^e of a precipice some 3,()()0 
 feet deep) we had a splendid view oi the Sierra Nevadas, 
 and np the Little Yosemite Valley, havin<^ now tnrned 
 our backs upon the Yosemite Valley itself. Jiefore us 
 lay an enormous section of the mountaii^ rang-e, with 
 the Vernal Fall risj^ht in front of us, and the Nevada 
 Fall (which we had visited yesterday) higher uj) on the 
 same river. There was hardly a blade of grass to be 
 seen ; but all was one immense mass of granite moinitain 
 and vallev, with fir-trees distributed in forests and 
 groups here and there. The timber did not look very 
 fine, but then it was some distance off ; and, besides, as 
 its foothold appeared to be nothing but rock, this was, 
 perliaps, not surprising. The view was so entirely 
 difierent from what we had left behind when we turned 
 from the Y'^osemite, that the contrast was very remark- 
 able. It took us two hours and fifty minutes to reach 
 Glacier Point from Cooke's Hotel, and the walk well 
 repaid us, for it was beautiful in the extreme. Not 
 only ai'e the views very fine, but every tree is a specimen, 
 although not so large as those in other parts. 
 
 By climbing to this height also, we obtained a view 
 of the wonderful treeless mountains, El Capitan, The 
 
 • 
 
THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 
 
 
 Dome, Half Dome, the Cap of Liberty, &c. VVe 
 also saw in the distance what in this part are calh'd 
 snow-capped mountains ; but in every case the rock is 
 peeping- throui^h, and in another six weeks* time I do 
 not beheve that there will be any snow at all upon 
 them. From Glacier Point we had a most wonderful 
 view of the Half Dome, an immense granite mountain 
 rising straight up like a round-headed dolomite, and 
 then split in two, one side being rounded down smooth, 
 the other being a straight perpendicular precipice of 
 some 2,000 feet. This Half Dome divides the two 
 valleys of the Little Yosemite and the Yosemite Valley 
 proper. 
 
 Looking down, as I did now, upon the Mirror Lake 
 from a height of about 4,000 feet, the Yankee's expression 
 comparing it to a toad pond recurred to my mind ; and, 
 certainly, from this distance, it looked a very insignifi- 
 cant patch of water. I noted down my impressions of 
 the view while Clive was busy sketching. 
 
 I ought to have mentioned before that the Yose- 
 mite Fall was visible during the whole of our ascent ; 
 and besides this, we had also a view of the " Little 
 Yosemite Fall " (a continuation of the other), which is 
 not seen to advantage from the valley below ; they can 
 only be properly seen together whilst ascending the 
 opposite side of the valley, and their aggregate 
 height is 2,600 feet. The Yosemite is, I think, the 
 
 ri 
 
 'iitilli 
 
 t'i^: 
 
' 
 
 58 
 
 LlFi: AND LAIlOUlt IX TIIH FAU, FAR WEST. 
 
 finest of tlicse waterfalls, but they are all most 
 beautiful. 
 
 After a short rest at Glacier Point, we started off for 
 the Sentinel Dome, having to ascend ajj^ain throu«(li the 
 forest, where we saw some magnificent trees, amongst 
 which w(» especially noticed some Douglas (irs. At first 
 we misto'»k the trail (f'ootpa "> p" ; go" on the wrong 
 mountain, but on seeing the N uti tel Dome in the 
 distance (a barren granite rock \\ltli our fir-tree on the 
 summit) we made for it, and were well rewarded for 
 doing so, for we had a splendid view all round, when we 
 reached the highest point. On the one side were the 
 Yosemite Falls and Valley, on the other the Nevada Fall, 
 with the Vernal Fall below ; mountains all round, and 
 a magnificent panorama of the Sierra Nevadas in the 
 distance. In one direction were fir-trees growing out of 
 rocks half covered with snow, quite a wintry scene ; in 
 another, we looked right down into the valley towards 
 Milton, a deep-blue haze increasing the beauty of the 
 view. Again, in another direction we saw the wonderful 
 Half Dome, the Cap of Liberty, Cloud's Rest, and a 
 number of other summits. No panorama could be 
 better ; and it was quite different to anything I have 
 ever seen in Europe, for the mountains here have a 
 character of their own, everything looking desolate and 
 cold, as there are no patches of green grass to relieve 
 the immensity of the grey granite cliffs -, in fact, there is 
 
THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 
 
 ^<^ 
 
 no green, except tliat of the interminable dark pines, 
 which, however beautiful tlu*}' maybe taken individually, 
 j(ive the ell'ect of dreary sombre masses when se?en from 
 a distance. During our descent from the Sentinel Dome, 
 we again lost the trail, and spent nearly an hour hunt- 
 ing about the forest endeavouring to regain it, before 
 succeeding in doing so. When one loses one's way in a 
 forest like this, there is some dilliculty in finding it 
 again ; we could, however, certainly have retraced our 
 steps to the Sentinel Dome, although for the moment 
 we liad lost siglit of it. 
 
 On returning to Glacier Point, we stayed there 
 another couple of hours, and E think the view struck 
 us even more on this second visit than when we saw it 
 for the first time. We also went to "The Point," 
 which is situated at the head of a sheer precipice of 
 nearly 4,000 feet. The scene from here is more won- 
 derful and beautiful than I can describe, embracing as 
 it does the whole of the Yosemite Valley right and 
 left, the centre of the valley, far down below, being 
 overhung by a dark-blue haze, which added gr(»atly to 
 the effect. The valley looks the perfection of beaut}', 
 wdth the blue Merced river flowing througli it from end 
 to end, and gradually widening as the different water- 
 falls that come down into it help to increase the 
 volume of water ; here and there patches of green fields, 
 and all around splendid trees, almost every one of them 
 
 l;'i 
 
 I' 
 
 i 
 
 i ■ : 
 
(50 
 
 iJFf'j Axn LAiiorn ix tup: fau, fa a west. 
 
 § > 
 
 i 
 
 Jippciiririf^ to stand out sini^ly. This viow from " The 
 Point" — the real Ghicicr Point — is, I should tliink, one 
 of tlio lincst of its kind that tlie vvorhl can produce, 
 C()nil)ininii^, as it does, mountain, valley, and water 
 scenery of extraordinary heauty. The dee])-l)lue haze 
 was very remarkahle, and T fancy must be peculiar to 
 these valleys after mid-day. (A new wag<^on road, 
 twenty-four miles in len<ifth, is beint^ made from the 
 summit of (J lacier Point, to join the stage road, mid- 
 way between Clarke's and the Yosemito.) An English- 
 man joined us here, and together we slowly began 
 the descent, being very reluctant to return to the 
 hot valley after the beautiful mountain breezes wo 
 had been enjoying. On the way down we cut some 
 Manzanita walking-sticks ; but it is very dilficult to 
 procure any good ones. Farther on I noticed some- 
 thing stirring in the brushwood, and called out that it 
 was a young bear. Of course we tracked it, and, sure 
 enough, the footprints confirmed my belief. A bear 
 had been killed only yesterda]"" in this neighbourhood, 
 and as the one I saw was a snuiU one, I expect it was 
 one of the cubs. 
 
 The view from half-way down, about 1,000 or 1,500 
 feet above the valley, was again most striking. Lower 
 down, the p;;th seemed to wind through an enormous 
 rockery, with trees and shrubs on each side above and 
 below, placed as though carefully planted for effect. 
 
THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 
 
 01 
 
 Kvorytliin^ was bcjiutiful, and it rcinindod us of a 
 rockery adjoining an ftallan villa ; but liert' no human 
 hand liad created the loveliness — it was all perfectly 
 natural. This luis been, on the whole, the best :ind 
 pleasantest excursion we have yet nuide. It occupied 
 altogether about eleven hours. In the evening we 
 visited the old stick-nuiker, who lives half a mile off, 
 and bought some ^lanzanita walking-sticks, this wood 
 being peculiar to the Sierra Nevadas. The trees 
 which grow the most luxuriantly on these mountains 
 are : — Pondcrom or Pitch Pine ; Lambcrtiaim or Sugar 
 Pine ; Nohil'iH ; (iratidii^ (low in the valley) ; Douglas ; 
 Balsam; j\l(i/)ili.s (higher up the valley); Contorta lamara 
 (at a height of 7,000 feet) ; Monti cola (at a height of 
 10,000 feet) ; Tlnija (pgaiitca (which is very similar to, 
 if not the same as, Lihro Ci'drn-s DeciirrciiH). Curiously 
 enough, the Wellingtonias are not scattered among 
 other trees over the country and mountains, but grow 
 only in groups, viz., in the Fresno Grove, the Cala- 
 veras and two other groves, and in the Mariposa Grove, 
 which we are going to see to-morrow. (The Indian 
 name for Wellingtonia or Sequoia ^if/antca, is " Wha- 
 wha-ha-ha.") Almost every tree in the valley runs up to a 
 height of from 30 to 250 feet. We measured one Douglas 
 fir, 2G feet round, a^id this was no exception to the general 
 girth of the trees. Besides which the American Oak 
 (always green), and our garden evergreen oak grow here 
 
 '!> 
 
 :■ 
 
 ]H 
 
 ..:..l 
 
 i 1 
 
. I* 
 
 '< 
 
 62 
 
 LIFi: AM) LAIUJUU IN THE FAR, FAR W'KST. 
 
 to ju'i'fcction ; and not only liciv, but also all alonLC tlio 
 road from Trt'sno Flats — distant fifty miles I'nMn the 
 Yoseuiito Valley itself. 1 could hardly have imagined 
 that ever«^'reen oaks could ever attain to such mag- 
 nificent dimensions. 
 
 The beauty of the climate is a great advantage in 
 travelling here, for it is always bright and fine at this 
 time of the year, ami a rainy day is n(?ver thought of; 
 so much so, that peo})le were astonished at our having 
 umbrellas with us, those necessary a{)|)endages to Euro- 
 pean travelling being here regarded as quite useless. 
 
 Yesterday the thermometer stood at i)() degrees in 
 the shade ; but the heat was not excessive, owing to 
 the dryness of the atmosphere. For pedestrian expe- 
 ditions the great drawback is the dust, the paths being 
 inches deep with dust and sand, and very dry. There 
 are some rattlesnakes about, for which one must be on 
 the look-out. 
 
 In coming to see the Yosemite, the best route is via 
 Milton, taking the Calaveras grove of Wellingtonias 
 c/i rou/c if time permits. There are three hotels in the 
 valley : Cooke's, Bernard's, and Liebeg's. Of these the 
 latter is the best to stay at ; and from here the Nevada 
 Fall and M irror Lake should be visited, and an excur- 
 sion made to Glacier Point, in each case staying a 
 night at the hotels at the Nevada Fall and Glacier 
 Point respectively. The best route for leaving the 
 
THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 
 
 «]:3 
 
 valley is to drive to Clarke's via Inspiration Point 
 '.twenty-nine niiles), and thence to Madera (sixty-six 
 miles) ; or else to ^o strai^^ht from Glacier l*oint to 
 Clarke's hy a new road now in course of construction, 
 and tlience to Madera, after visitin<; the Mariposa <j^rove 
 of Wellin^tonias, distant about seven miles from Clarke's 
 Hotel, and if possible the Fresno Grove also, twelve 
 miles further on. Fresno Flats is on the road to Madera 
 (twenty-seven miles from Clarke's) ; and the whole route 
 bein<^ throui^h beautiful tindicr, this part should, if 
 possible, be traversed on foot, or on horseback, as so many 
 of the trees deserve careful and individual examination, 
 which is impossible from the top of a stai^e-coach. 
 One great advantaj^e in the Yosemite Valley is that all 
 the sights are free — an agreeable contrast to Niagara, 
 where one has to i)ay a dollar at every turn and at each 
 point of view ; but of course living, &c., is very dear. 
 Bootblacking is dear : Is. for a pair of boots, as Mitchell 
 and I found to-day on affording ourselves this luxury. 
 Washing is also dear: 5d, for a pocket-handkerchief, 
 and the same for a collar. However, dear or cheap, the 
 Yosemite ought to be visited, for it is a wonderful and 
 beautiful sight, of whi' ^ no description can really give 
 an adequate idea; but once seen, its splendid views, 
 waterfalls, and magnificent timber, would form a life- 
 long reminiscence. 
 
 The following reliable information was given me : 
 
 IP 
 
 
 if 
 1*1 
 
 
 III, 
 
 iH' 
 
 vi 
 
 II 
 
 i! 
 
 ■li 
 
 1,1 
 
 1"; I 
 
11 ! i I , 
 
 'J- 1 
 
 ^V g !• 
 
 64 
 
 LIFE AXD LABOUR IN THE FAB, FAB WEST. 
 
 — "Hotels in the Yoseniite open (say) May 1st, close 
 November 1st. Business drops oft' in July and August, 
 and opens up again from September to the middle of 
 October. The waterfalls are entirely dry from the 
 middle of August to October 1st; and, as far as they 
 are concerned, it is of no use coming here in July or 
 August, liain generally falls early in October. Stages 
 commence running in April or May. After August 1st 
 they only run three times a week, and stop running 
 altogether November 1st." 
 
 w- 
 
close 
 
 _._ , , , 
 
 gust, 
 
 
 le of 
 
 
 the 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 they 
 
 
 
 LOS ANGELES. 
 
 [y or 
 
 
 Tlio :SI;in iiiiil tho r.cjir— A :SIr!il of Hcur— Tli'' .Aliiiiposa r!rov(> of Bii;- Trcps— 
 'J'lio (rrizzly (Jiiint— An Ansjrv Darkid— A 'I'lci; Forest — Aiiioim- ilir 
 I'loiU'irs— An Expensive Drive — Fonrtocn Miles an Hour Down a 
 ^fountain — An Knerj^ctie Driver — An Interview witli American Fanners 
 — Their Opinion of California— A lUizzard — Haek in ^[aderu — En roatr 
 for Los Anf^elt's — How a Native was Surprised— Los An<:;(jlt's — The 
 Vineviirds of San (iahriel — A Charminijf Villa— A Laeoni • Advertisement 
 — A Hui;i) (leraniuni Bush — An Island for Sale — I'.aek to San Francisco 
 — Bay Toint— A Larjje Corn-field —Harvest Operations in California — 
 At Beuicia again. 
 
 On June 9th we reluctantly bade farewell to th(» 
 Yosemite Valley. We were up a little before 5 a.m., 
 and after breakfast at 5.30 set oil' on the coach at O.'M) 
 for Clarke's Hotel (^O miles distant), driving- alonj.^ 
 the valley to Inspiration Point, and thence on to 
 Clarke's, by the same route we had traversed on our 
 arrival. The view from Inspiration Point (from whence 
 we took our last look at this beautiful valley) impressed 
 us quite as much as it had done before ; it must indeed 
 be reckoned as one of the most charming in the world. 
 
 We had two box seats and one inside place. When 
 we stopped to change horses, I was invited to eat bear ; 
 and it appeared that the animal we had heard talivcd 
 of as having been killed in the neighbourhood was 
 ti;e particular bear in question, and had fallen by the 
 
 W 
 
 ( ' Mi 
 
 J.' 
 
 i 
 
 :il|! 
 
I 
 
 il H' 
 
 '•i 
 
 id 
 
 1' 
 
 f 
 
 I' 
 
 r.n lift: axd LAnouR jy the far, far west. 
 
 liiuid of ;i cleterminod dirty-looking follow, whom we 
 now saw stjiiidniL;- over its skin. The latter was neatly 
 |K'o-nvd out on the _i>Tound, under^^'-oing the process of 
 being" preserved. The man told us that he had been 
 out after horses, when he met a black bear which 
 
 frothed in his fa 
 
 ce, 
 
 and, he believed, intended to 
 
 attack hi)n ; aUliouL;h he never before know an instance 
 of a boar turning* upon a man without provocation. 
 Anyhow, he had let olf his rillo and wounded him ; 
 and then, mana^'inij^ to get away to fetch his dogs, soon 
 despatched him. The meat was not bad to the taste, 
 rather like beef, but very tough and difficidt to swallow, 
 even with the help of jiotatoes and water. I could not 
 let such a delicacy pass without calling Clive to come 
 and assist. There was another man in the hut, a 
 savage-looking fellow, who must either have been half- 
 starved, or else was verv much devoted to boar's meat, 
 judging from the way in which he was devouring 
 it. Our host was very hospitable, but had a peculiar 
 manner ; and I have since been informed by Mitchell 
 that a twenty-five gallon cask of whiskey had arrived 
 at the hut only the previous day, which fact would 
 ]X'rhaps account for a good many oddities. We 
 reached Clarke's about 1 p.m., after a fearful jolting, 
 and had a scrimmage at once with the manager, who 
 wanted to give us only two rooms, instead of three. 
 Having gained our point, and " got through " a hurried 
 
 K 
 
LOS AXGELES. 
 
 67 
 
 lunclieoii, we sot off in ii waixgon and six liorsos (driven 
 by a nigfifor) for tlie Mariposa Grove of AVellinn'tonias 
 — " bi<jf trees." It was seven miles distant; and on 
 reacliinf^ it we drove al)out another ei^-lit miles to 
 examine the trees — the roads heinij^ plainied so as to 
 show off the finest specimens to advantaLTO. 
 
 yll /o.sf T have seen the hiuf trees, and ^ will q-ivc 
 my impression of them as nearly as I can. Wc were 
 drivini^ aloni;' throni^h the forest, not exp('('tini>" to 
 come upon them, when suddenly we noticed four 
 immense specimens, which struck us with amazement. 
 They were planted at rii;'ht auL^les, (piite evenly ; 
 and were, I should ima<^-ine, each of them at least 
 250 feet hii;'h, and much nu)re than 1, 0(10 years old. 
 The hark was of a bri^'htish red colour, like brick- 
 dust, or brick-dust and Grej^'ory's Powder mixed. The 
 trunks were straight and upright, running thick for 
 a considerable height up, and then gradually ta})er- 
 ing to the top, with not a brancli for at least iilty 
 feet from the ground ; the top boughs as a rule 
 are not hirge, and the old trees look more like gigantic 
 Scotch firs than anything else ; some of the Welling- 
 tonias keep their shapes as when young, but this is 
 not the general rule. 1'he trees are scattered over an 
 area of about two square miles, the road we followed 
 in order to see them traversing altogether about eight 
 miles. Tliey do not form the onl}' occupants of the 
 
 ¥ 2 
 
 ' ^ m 
 
 v^ 
 
 i .1 
 
 Omi 
 
■; t 
 
 ■ ! 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 .It 
 
 (\S 
 
 LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAJi, FAR WEST. 
 
 ^rovc (wliicli is really a part of the Sierra Nevada 
 I'orest, and is at an elevation of about 7,000 feet above 
 the sea) ; on the eontrary, other forest pines are thickly 
 studded about. In no case are there many Welliug- 
 tonias together; they «;'ro\v either sinj^ly, in pairs, 
 threes, fours, or sixes ; and only occasionally are there 
 more in one ^roup. This disjmsition adds very much 
 to the general effect, and shows off these gigantic trees 
 far better than if they were all together, and the sole 
 occupant!"' of one wood. Each tree is a picture in itself, 
 and the bark is of such a bright colour that one can 
 distinguish them at a great distance through the 
 forest, at first by the peculiar colour, and then by the 
 imuKMise size of the trunk. 
 
 The brick-dust shade of the bark is particularly 
 eifective when seen as we saw it, with the sunlight 
 i'alling on it through the trees, and thus bringing the 
 Wellington ias out in strong contrast to the darker pine- 
 trees by which they were surrounded. The branches 
 are mostly rather short, and stumpy at the ends. There 
 is one tree called the "Gri/zly Giant," a monster still 
 in trunk and limb, but it has seen its best days, and now 
 looks like a memorial of past glory. It is supposed to 
 be some 1,.jOO years old, and must have been one of the 
 finest o!" <he Grove in its time ; it is about 30 feet in 
 diameter, auo took 3<'' paces to walk round. Its upper 
 branche''. are vcvj large, and dilt'c ent to those of any of 
 
LOS AXGELES. 
 
 69 
 
 its neighbours. Some of the other trees, however, [ 
 admired even more than tliis, as they appeared to me 
 better <j^ro\vn ; possibly they were youn^^-r ; immense 
 trees they vv^ere, runninL^ up ch^an and strai^ltt as a 
 hircli-pole to a heij^^lit of 'M)() to 3:2;") feet, and witli 
 trunks tlie perfection of eoiouriny and growth ; clean, 
 straight, and beautiful. There are an immense quantity 
 in the (Jrove, and all have plenty of s{)ace for growth. 
 There were a good many double trees, and one enormous 
 one in which a tunnel is cut, through which we drove 
 (coach, ft)ur horses, and eleven passengers). There are 
 scarcely any young trees of the size of ours at home, but 
 those Ididsee have not such healthy-lookingfoliage as our 
 English ones; wiio knows therefore whether in time we 
 may not grow in England as big or bigger Wellingtom'as 
 than those to be seen in the ]\Iari])osa Grove of California? 
 But if so, it will be a long time hence, in the days of our 
 very remote successors, if the world lasts long enough. 
 I procured some genuine seed, which I mean to send 
 home. 
 
 On the whole I was much more struck than I had 
 anticipated with the immense grandeur of these ^lariposa 
 Wellingtonias, ind 1 should certainly recommend all 
 who are able to do so, to come and see them for them- 
 selves, so as to be able to appreciate, and to feel, their 
 enormous size. The foliage was so high up that it was 
 impossible to see it accurately, but I do not think the 
 
 il 
 
 ti 
 
 if 
 
 1 ii 
 
 ! -1 
 
 1 
 
 ■ 
 
 
 - iP 
 
 
 i 
 
 i 1 
 
 * 
 
 ;i ^^f! 
 
 
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 1 
 
 ^ IIt 
 
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 •»I 
 
 |li 
 
 i!^ -Ifi 
 
 70 
 
 7JFJ7 JX7) LABOUR IX THE FAl!, FAR WEST. 
 
 t^n'oen pronccs are vc^y larc^o, and tlio cones are certainly 
 small. Some of the trees were burnt at their base : this 
 was the work of the Indians, who, when in possession of 
 this part, used to fire the forest to i^et rid of the l)rnsh- 
 wood. There is one dead recumbent tree in the Grove, 
 which was blown down some time ai^o ; a ladder is 
 ])laced against it, so that one can ascend, and walk about 
 on the trunk. 
 
 There are two c^roves in the Mariposa tj^roup,thc Upper 
 one containini:;' .'5 G 5 tree,; (of which \:25 are 40 feet in cir- 
 cumference), and the Lov/e^ Grove, containiiig" 5sO trees. 
 ]\Iany of the trees are named after celebrated individuals, 
 both American and European. The larj^est spocimc n, 
 " The Grizzly Giant," is 92 feet in circumference, and 
 I believe 3.:25 feet in heirrht. One drives through eight 
 miles of the grove, and the nearest tree of the group is 
 di.-lantsix miles from Clarke's, the Fresno Grove being 
 twelve miles from the Mariposa Grove. I am told that the 
 height of the trees in the Calaveras group surpasses 
 that of those in the Mariposa Grove ; but after what I 
 ha\'e seen to-day, I am fully satisfied, and the sight of 
 tliio> grove only is sufficient to leave a lasting impression 
 on my mind. On leaving the grove we drove to Clarke's 
 Hotel, which we reached at 7 p.m., thus making a staging 
 day of 12J hours. The bumping and shaking we had 
 undergone were really fearful, but the sight of the trees 
 had well repaid us for any trouble we had taken in coming. 
 
i! 
 
 LOS AXGELES. 71 
 
 Next morning- (June lOtli) we wcic up ;it 1. 1 •') a.m.. 
 and the coach not bein<'* due to start lor ^ladera till 
 () a.m., the darkie waiter was very an^-rv with us Tor 
 our early liours ; so lie would not <^et us our breakfast 
 before the usual time, and we had to forag-e for our- 
 selves. "Clarke's" is a pretty spot, but tlie hotel is not 
 to be recommeiulcd, being; badly managed and dear : 
 bad attendance, inferior food, c'C'c, and the cliarge ih 
 dollars per day. "^I'here were two coaches to start, 
 taking twenty-two passengers in all, and we did not 
 get oir till ()..'}() a.m. However, our driver jiroved to 
 be the best whijt on the road. We took the same 
 route to Madera as that b}' which we had come "U 
 the previous Tuesday, and on our way passed a ])ai iy 
 of about half-a-dozeu people camping out, which is 
 really the best way to see this country. The drive 
 (from Clarke's to Fresno Flats, tweiit3'-seven miles) 
 was exceedingly pretty, being through oiu; imniense 
 forest. It is all free, so that any one who desires 
 may come and cut down a tree, and take it away 
 without charge. The monarchs of the forest are 
 fortunately so large that they are considered almost 
 worthless ; the extra trouble in converting them is 
 thus their safeguard, and the smaller trcM.'s are those 
 that first of all fall to the woodman's axe. Signs of 
 the pioneer were here and there visible, and the 
 secluded approach to the Yosemite is already being 
 
 i- \ 
 
 3 
 
I 
 
 I 
 
 
 !li 
 
 4- 
 
 LIFE AXD lAJlOUn IX Till: FAlt, FAR WEST. 
 
 viewed as a source of future f,''iiin. Occasionally a 
 liiininiock mi^ht be seen slun<;' between two tree;- ; and 
 ilie doi,^ and rille, filling in tlie picture, were tokens of 
 some s(|uatter's location. A dense mass of smoke was 
 anotber si<^-n tbat tbe work of destruction bad com- 
 menced, and tbat a section of <^-round was beins^ 
 cleared. '^Plie enn'^'rant cuts down in tlu; lirst instance 
 wbiit timber be requires for leucine', and lor buildiuLC 
 bis bouse, and tlien proceeds to burn tbe remainder; 
 and in many cases be burns, not only bis own trees, 
 but tbe adjoining' ones. Timber is re*»'ardcd as sucb 
 useless lumber tbat no one tliinks of complaining, but 
 il is no easy matter to stop a forest iiro wben once 
 started. AVe passed tbrougb two or tbree of tbose 
 so-called clearings — smoke, fire, and all, but tbey were 
 in a balf-extinguisbed state. Tbe forest ])ioneers of 
 tbis part of Califv)rnia arc bardy, experienced back- 
 woodsmen, and it is no place for a young band to try 
 liis fortunes. Clearing a section of forest is an ex- 
 pensive and arduous task ; and wbat is now being done 
 in tbe Sierra Nevada mountain forests will not bring 
 in a great return in ])oint of farming. All tbis district, 
 now so renu)te from railway communication, will 
 doubtless be eventually opened up; and tben tbese 
 magnillcent forests will become a source of wealtb to 
 tbe timber trade, wbercas now tbe expense of baiding 
 and conversion is tbeir great safeguard. At a station 
 
LOS ASGELES. 
 
 78 
 
 culled IJiifVct I siiw, iuid c<)})a'd oft', tlio Collowiiii^ list 
 of tolls lor iisiu^" the Company's road IVoiii Fresno 
 Flats to the Vosemitc : — 
 
 1 
 
 Toi-L KOAI). HaTKS of TllLL. 
 
 PnssciiLfcr Tciiius, per uniiniil . . 1 dollur. 
 Freight Tfiuiis „ , .1 (lolliir. 
 
 Horsi! iiiul Jlidcr .... T)!) eiMits. 
 
 Puck Aniuiuls, \)vx aiiiiniil . . . .'')() cents. 
 
 Loose Aniuials ..... .OO cents. 
 
 Cattle •_>.") cents. 
 
 Slieej) and Hogs .... 10 cents. 
 
 Apparently it is rather expensive work to drive alonj 
 this road, lor there are live toll-irates. W 
 
 1 
 
 )assec 
 
 I 
 
 IJuU'et at '^..^O a.m. ; the thermometer then stood at 
 lOO"- in the shade ; and later on, the heat increased, and 
 it was altoj^jther, I ^hink, the hottest and one of the 
 dustiest days we huv ^cthad. AVe lunched at twelve, 
 and tlien proceeded on our journey, ahout which 1 need 
 
 not 
 
 say much, as we were retnrnuii;- aloui;- the .sanu 
 
 th 
 
 route l)y which we had come last Tueschiy, the onlv 
 dill'erence lu-ini'' that instead of ascendinu" we w(>re 
 i>"radually descendini^-, and that we were tied to iime, 
 being bound to catch the ().7 train south from ^Madera 
 to Los Angeles. Our driver knew this, and he exerted 
 himself accordingly. Clive and I had the hox seat 
 (we all three occupied these places in turn) when oj^- 
 friend, the driver took us down the side of a nioun- 
 
 i : ! 
 
 ■• ' 
 
 *li i\ 
 
 jUlibn, 
 
IJFf: AM) LAIIOUR IN TJIi: FAh\ FAR WEST. 
 
 In * 
 
 III 
 
 11 
 
 t:iiii in Ix'antifiil style, at Ji rate (»f (juito foiirtcon 
 miles an lioiir. He hud a team of six liorses, jind the 
 run down was about live miles ; the road a j^'ood ^rade, 
 but with some very sudden bends and turns, and ex- 
 tremely narrow (otdy just room to ])ass aloni^) ; the onter 
 ) was not in the best of repair. liesides this 
 
 h' al 
 
 tlh-n 
 
 e were in many places, oii tlie umer sk 
 
 th 
 
 de, si 
 
 lari) 
 
 projecting" roeks, which would have made it rather 
 awkward for us had a wle-el touched them. Our 
 coachman commenced iiummin^^ a tune at the top of 
 
 tl 
 
 10 incline, w 
 
 hieh he did not cease \intil we reached 
 
 tlie bottom ; and, during- the whole time, h 
 
 e woi 
 
 ked 
 
 his team with voice, hand, and foot (the right foot 
 havini,'' command of the break), Not a mistake was 
 made by horse or man, and it seemed to us a wonderful 
 feat of driving, especially con>idering the pace at whicli 
 we went. 1 occupied the outside seat on the box, 
 Clive being next me, ;nid I had to hold on sometimes 
 with both hands to prevent myself being jerked off the 
 coach. These Californian roads are abominably rough, 
 for they are only cut out, not stoned, and no trouble 
 is taken to remove projecting rocks ; so that these, com- 
 bined with the ruts, make the bumping one has to 
 undergo very unpleasant at times, as we found to our 
 cost during our drive to the Yosemite and back. 
 AVhilst on the drive to Madera we formed the acquaint- 
 ance of two American farmers from the State of Iowa. 
 
LOS AXGHUCS. 
 
 7r> 
 
 was 
 
 Tljoy wort' iiitclliLCcnt incii, and had conic out to tlic 
 Far West to sec tlic state ol' the coiintrv. Uut they 
 did not seem as satislic<l with California as tlicy had 
 expected to l)e, and nuich preferred their own State 
 of Iowa as a wlieat-])roducini^ country, thouj^'h Ihty 
 were mucli struck with the orange L;'roves of S(»nt]iern 
 California. There can, however, he no douht that tlien; 
 is a field for lahour in thi. country, and at a hiii'h rate 
 of was^H's ; hut the two seasons (only the dry and the 
 wet) and the mixture of races — Mexican and Chinese 
 beini^ employed — are drawbacks to recommending' the 
 British workman to seek his home so far from Kurope, 
 when other o])eninjj^s, without these disadvanta<^vs, can 
 be found nearer home. So i'ar as California as a wheat- 
 ^Towini^ State is concerned, I am of opinion tliat its 
 best days are over, now that there is so much com- 
 petition elsewhere ; but I believe it has a «ji-reat future 
 before it as a vine-growing and orange-producing 
 district. 
 
 When it came to the last stage it was evident that 
 our chance of catcliing the train at ^Madera (twelve 
 miles off) was a very doubtful one ; but the remainder 
 of the journey was over prairie, and our two coaches 
 both went at full gallop, keeping a little distance apart, 
 so as to avoid the dust. About a mile from Madera 
 there was a shout of " the driver's hat," for the latter 
 had been blown off, and was seen making the best of 
 
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 LIFE AXD LABOUR tX THE FAU, FAR WEST. 
 
 its way tliroiig-h clouds of sand and dust ; ]\[itclioll, how- 
 ever, managed to secure it after a considerable run. 
 The dust raised by our two gallopin^^ coaches was 
 tremendous ; and in addition to this, when about three 
 miles from Madera, a blizzard (or sand-storm) set in, 
 which was anythin<^ but pleasant. However, the pace 
 answered, and at six o'clock, or a little after, we 
 galloped into Madera station, to find the train already 
 there, with Dr. Crwyn, who had come all the way from 
 San Francisco to meet us, anxiously looking out for us. 
 He said they had all given us up as too late for the 
 train ; and had this really been the case, it would have 
 been a great nuisance, and very inconvenient both for 
 us and for Dr. Gwyn, who had so kindly come from 
 San Francisco in order to meet us and take us to Los 
 Angeles to see the vineyards and ornige groves there, 
 and the farming generally in Southern California ; but 
 fortunatel}' we just managed to save it, though it was 
 a close run ; so we jumped into the cars, and presently 
 set to work to have a good wash and brush up, and to 
 get ourselves " fixed up " generally, for of course we 
 were in a dreadful mess, and quite covered with dust 
 and sand. The blizzard continued for some time 
 after we weic in the train, blinding everything, and 
 obliging us to have all the windows and ventilators 
 closed. This part of California is difficult to irrigate ; 
 the country looked much more burnt up than it had 
 
LOS ANGELES. 
 
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 (lone the previous week, and all the flowers appeared 
 withered. AVe turned into our sleepers rather early, 
 being very tired ; for the last two nights we had not had 
 more than four or five hours' sleep ; and though, after 
 the hard week we had just gone through, I cannot say 
 that a railway sleeper was the place one would select, 
 yet, thanks to the fearful bumping we had had on the 
 coach, we found the rest most delightful, if only by 
 contrast. 
 
 The next morning, however (June 11), I was up at 
 5 a.m. all the same, and indulged in a wash in a basin 
 in the lavatory, which rather surprised a Californian 
 who came in and found me making the best of my time, 
 with nothing on but a pair of trousers tucked up to the 
 knees. After a good stare he said " Good morning," to 
 which I responded, " Good morning, but hot," which 
 terminated the conversation. 
 
 We were passing through a miserable country, im- 
 possible to irrigate, and entirely burnt up ; quite dif- 
 ferent "to what I had expected to see in this section of 
 the country, for I had thought to find good land the 
 whole way from San Francisco to Los Angeles. It may 
 be better nearer the Pacific coast, but that would be 
 twenty miles or more to the westward. 
 
 We arrived at Los Angeles 7.55 a.m., and were met 
 at the Depot by the Hon. De Bath Shorb, of San 
 Gabriel, with whom we adjourned to the telegraph 
 
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 LIFE AND LABOUR IX THE FAE. FAR WEST. 
 
 offico, and wired to San Francisco to get the destination 
 of our tickets changed from Portland (Oregon) on tlie 
 17tli, to Victoria (Britisli Columbia) on the 15tli. 
 Then we went to breakfast, which I suppose was sup- 
 plied either by J)r. Gwyn's or ]\Ir. Shorb's orders. It 
 consisted of mayonnaise of lobster, and sauterne ; cold 
 asparagus, fried trout, roast chicken, omelette, cherries, 
 strawberries, and coffee ; after which we were ollered 
 champagne, which we declined, and had a cigar instead. 
 Contrary to our expectations, Los Angeles is not at all 
 a pretty place. It seemed markedly Spanish in its 
 aspect and numners. After breakfast (at which I 
 should have mentioiied that we were joined by the 
 j\Iayor of Los Angeles), we started off' in a carriage 
 drawn by four grey horses to see the vineyards of San 
 Gabriel. On our arrival at one of these, we were 
 taken over an extensive range of new buildings, which 
 had just been put up ; and then had to taste all the 
 wines, of which we thought the best were port and 
 Ano;elica. Afterwards we were driven throuuh the vine- 
 yard, and then on through others, until we reached 
 Mr. Shorb's house, where we were regaled with cake 
 and mint julep — the latter is a compound of whisky, 
 sugar, water, and ice, and is a nice cooling drink. As 
 we had hardly tasted anything but water for the last 
 three weeks, this visit to the vineyards made rather a 
 diff'erence in our mode of living. After a short rest, 
 
LOS AXGELES. 
 
 ?.> 
 
 Mr. Sliorb, tlio ^Liyor of Los Angeles, Olive, ^Mitchell, 
 and I, drovT on in our carriage and four to call upon a 
 Mr. Rose, of Sunny Slopes, and see his vineyard and 
 orangery, and also his stud of horses, which are very 
 good. The vineyard appeared to be in excellent order, 
 and the crop of oranges and lemons very abundant. 
 Great quantities of these hitter fruits are produced in 
 this country. They are sold here at the rate of 1 dollar 
 50 cents, per box of about 1:20 oranges. We noticed a 
 great many pomegranate trees in bloom. It is a very 
 pretty shrub, with a red (lower (often double), and 
 some of the hedges are formed of it. 
 
 Later on we continued our drive to the Sierra Madre 
 ViUa, where we were to pass the night. This is a 
 remarkably pretty place, completely surrounded by 
 vineyards, and orange and lemon groves, and with large 
 bushes of geranium (six feet high), growing in the 
 garden and grounds. This place (an hotel) is thirteen 
 miles from Los Angeles, and is situated 1,800 feet 
 above the sea, on a slope of the Sierra Madre Moun- 
 tains. AVe had very nice rooms, and I was glad of a 
 little rest ; and, with a cigar and arm-chair, and my feet 
 well out of my bed-room window, succeeded in makin 
 myself very comfortable for a bit ; enjoying meantime 
 the beautiful view towards the Pacific Ocean, of which, 
 though twent3^-five miles distant, we could here obtain 
 a glimpse. The climate in these parts is delightful. 
 
 
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 Lirn AXD LABOUR IX THE FAB, FAR WEST. 
 
 This evonini;^ thero wiis ;i nice breeze, and it was not at 
 all too warm. There was a very slight fall of rain 
 (luring tlie da}' — rcrj/ little, but still certainly rain — a 
 most unusual occurrence at this time of year. Dr. 
 Gwyn told us that durinj^ his thirty-five years' expe- 
 rience, he had never before known it happen at this 
 season. 
 
 We had passed an extremely pleasant day, and I am 
 very glad we came to this southern part of California, 
 and that I have seen what a luxuriant country it can 
 be made, provided water can be obtained for irrigation. 
 We were disappointed with Los Angeles, Avhicli we had 
 expected to find a very pretty place ; and the drive of 
 ten or twelve miles from there to the San Gabriel wine 
 manufiictory is mostly over prairie, and is nninteresting 
 in point of scenery; but the view from the Sierra 
 Madre Villa is decidedly good, though not so very 
 remarkable. A plain in the foreground, studded with 
 orange-groves and vineyards, and low mountains to the 
 right and left. A great many invalids come here as a 
 health-resort during the winter (from October to April), 
 on account of the dryness of the soil and the pleasant 
 climate. The principal drawback to the place appears 
 to be the presence of rattlesnakes, of which there are a 
 
 
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 many 
 
 about. 
 
 Chinese and Mexican workmen are much employed 
 here; we saw six of the former eno-acred in filling a 
 
 the 
 
 &"&' 
 
LOf? AXGELES. 
 
 81 
 
 cart, on our arrival at the villa. The following notice 
 was put up outside a saloon on the Southern Paciile 
 Kailway, at a station house called Lan<r, which we passed 
 this morning: — "Eating Mouse. (Jood, you het." In 
 Los Angeles I saw a tradesman playing a custonu'r 
 over the counter for cigars with dice ; double or (piits, 
 I suppose. 
 
 I was very glad ofc" a few hours' rest in this charming 
 place, where everything is so quiet; but all the same, 
 I did not get to bed till nearly twelve o'clock, for I 
 had a good many letters to write. When we awoke tlu' 
 following; mornin"" the birds in the oran^'e-ijroves were 
 singing merrily. I was up at (5.50, and alter breakfast 
 (it being a nice cool morning) we went into an orange- 
 grove to pick and eat the fruit ; for oranges are never so 
 nice as when one picks them for oneself straight off the 
 tree. AVhile thus occupied, I noticed a large geranium 
 bush, growing almost wild ; the topmost flower was as 
 high as my head. About 11.30 we very reluctantly left 
 the Sierra Madre Villa and its pleasant quiet, and set otf 
 in a two-horse buggy, in charge of the clerk from the 
 hotel, who was to take us for a drive, and land us at 
 Mr. Shorb's (our host of yesterday) in time for luncheon. 
 We went with him to see two new orange-groves, and 
 then to a large scattered village called Pasadena, built 
 on land sold in lots by Mr. Shorb. Nine years ago 
 there was not a house in the place ; it is now divided 
 
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 LIFE AND LABOUR LY THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 into lots of five acres und upvviirds, and a very thriving 
 community is arising, nearly every house having its 
 orange-grove or vineyard. There is no saloon or public- 
 li(nise in the place, and all the people by mutual consent 
 (are supposed to) drink water oi'ly. Houses are being 
 rapidly built, and I saw a large hotel in course of con- 
 struction. On the whole I take Pasadena to be a place 
 with n future beAjre it, partly on account of its climate, 
 which will make it a winter resort for invalids. 
 
 On our arrival at Mr. Shorb's house, about 1.30, we 
 were immediately presented with a mint-julep; this was 
 (juickly followed by luncheon, which was a feast indeed. 
 We were waited on by a Chinese, whose sex we could 
 not make out : 1 thought it was a woman, but Mitchell, 
 judging by the feet, declared it was a man. The enter- 
 tainment was a splendid one, with all sorts of Californiau 
 wines, and champagne to finish up with. Mrs. and Miss 
 Shorb, and a very polite nephew, joined us at the feast. 
 I understand that Mr. Shorb is in treaty to buy the 
 island of Santa Catalina, of which we could just catch 
 a distant glimpse from here; it is about 27,000 acres in 
 extent. After luncheon we drove to San Gabriel Station, 
 where we said good-bye to Mr. Shorb, but before doing 
 so, I asked him to send ten gallons of Californian port, 
 and the same quantity of Angelica wine, home to me in 
 Herefordshire. 
 
 We returned from San Gabriel to Los Angeles, and 
 
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LOS AXCELES. 
 
 8:i 
 
 
 there caught the tniiii for Sail Francisco, in which we 
 procured shvpers, Dr. (iwyn still ucconipatiying us. 
 The drawback to the Los An^-ch's district, and to other 
 parts of California, appears to be the dilHculty of gettiu'^ 
 water for purposes of irrigation. Fuel is also scarce ; but, 
 of course, in such a warm climate comparatively little is 
 required, and wood is principally used for the purpose. 
 The country is, however, very bare of trees for fuel, a 
 great deal having been already cut down ; but I saw some 
 groves of Eucalyptus being planted, which shows that 
 tlie inhabitants have an eye to the future. I was told 
 that soft coal, brought from Australia, costs as much as 
 ten dollars (£2) per ton. There are a great many tropical 
 plants growing near San Gabriel ; and I hear that in 
 April, and the beginning of ^lay, the fields are covered 
 with masses of beautiful w^ild flowers. English walnut- 
 trees thrive well here, and a great many are being 
 planted ; fig-trees of large size grow in the fields, and 
 currant and gooseberry bushes and almond-trees abound. 
 Cherries are just being imported, and, as far as they have 
 been tried, do well. Xary pretty avenues are formed of 
 the pepper-tree, which is both shady and handsome in 
 its growth. Chinese and Mexicans are tlie gardeners, 
 and do the grape-pruning, and indeed all the work, even 
 to selling vegetables to the natives, instead of the latter 
 growing them for themselves. I am told that this 
 mixture of races in labour is freely employed ; otherwise 
 
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84 
 
 Lirr: j.vn LAV.nrn in tut: rw, fat: west. 
 
 t it 
 
 one iniu'lit liiivc tli()ii<'-lit it rutlicr ohjcctionuble. The 
 next nK^rnint^ (Jmic l.'i) we passed tliroui^'li Ji drcarv 
 country, sadly in want ol' water and rain. We liavo 
 really been most fortunate in the weather, Tor thonyli it 
 was vor}' hot when we took the oars i^"oin<^ south, yet 
 yesterday and to-day have both been very ])leasant, and 
 nice and cool. AVe breakfasted at ^Merced, where we 
 came across two men, whom we had previously seen in 
 the Yosemite, driving- a large car covered with advertising 
 ])lacards, and who had told us that their object in 
 travelling the country in such a way was " to run an 
 advertisement." AVe reached San Francisco at 2. 'JO 
 p.m., having passed ]}ay Point at 12.30, at which place 
 l-)r. Gwyvi's son has an estate of 2,000 or 2,500 acres. 
 
 On our arrival at San Francisco, we went at once to 
 tlie Palace Hotel, and then to Mr. Powell's, to secure 
 our tickets on board the Dakota, of the Pacific Steam 
 Ship ComjDany, which was to sail on Friday for Victoria 
 (British Columbia) ; after whicli we visited the Dakota 
 herself, and thought she looked rather like an old tub, 
 with one of the old-fashioned ascending and descending 
 high-pressure shafts. We afterwards saw the Portland 
 (Oregon) boats, which are fine new vessels ; also the 
 Chinese and Australian line steamers. Among the latter 
 we were fortunate in seeing the Cifj/ of PcJcin, a very 
 fine vessel, which was to sail next da}'. Here we were 
 amused by the sight of some Chinese eating their dinner 
 
ms AXGELESI. 
 
 8S 
 
 of rice witli cliopsticks. After r('tui'iiiii<4" to tlu' Palace 
 Hotel wo took aiiotlicr stroll about the streets bel'oi'e 
 coiiiiun- ill for the iiio-lit. 
 
 Dr. (jivvyn liad asked us to visit his son's j)la('e at 
 JJay Point, so we met hiui to-day (.June I Ith) at the 
 Central Paeifie Station, and arrived at Bay Pointat 12. .'iO, 
 where we were met by the Honourable Mr. Gwyn, jun., 
 and taken for d drive throuu'h vast eorn-tlelds, one beinj^* 
 as large as 040 aeres, or ii s([uare mile. Young Mr. ( Jwyn 
 drove me in his buggy, while Dr. Gwyn wen> with 
 CMive and Mitehell. The Culifornian eorn crop does 
 not appear to me to be larger, in ])oint of bushels to the 
 acre, than that in England; but the great advantage 
 they have over us is, that there is no uneertainty as to 
 fine weather for harvest; the only doubt is whether or 
 not there will be a sufficient quantity of rain after the 
 seed is planted, and, as far as I could gather, there is a 
 failure in this respect about once in six or seven years. 
 As to the harvest operations, the grain is threshed and 
 bagged in the fields, the sacks remaining there, or along- 
 side the railway track, until fetched away by the cars ; 
 for, as there is no fear of any rain, it is unnecessary to 
 place them under cover, or to house them in granaries. 
 The straw is either burnt, or turned in, according to the 
 mode of cutting; and if there are any cattle on the 
 ranche, of course what is required for them is kept. 
 Different machinery is used for cutting the wheat ; on<3 
 
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 80 
 
 LIFH AXD LMinrJ! IS' THE FAli, I'AU WEST. 
 
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 macliinc is ;i " licadcr," i.e., it just takes oil' the licads ; 
 nnotlicr is a vory clever one, and lirads, stacks, and 
 tlireslu'S tlie corn and puts it into sacks by a successive 
 process. Wiiat is called " hay " in this country is 
 really oats, harley, or wheat, <'ut when i^-reen, which, after 
 heiui^ left for a short time in heaps in the lield to dry, is 
 stored in a harn for use. ^rh(> straw, with the ^-rain left 
 in it, is freely eaten hy the horses. These latter are of 
 a suj)erior breed, and ^"o alonj^" at a <^'ood pace ; both they 
 and the livestock y-enerally looked very well and healthy, 
 bein^' fat and sleek, and alto^'ether in y;ood con- 
 dition. 
 
 On our arrival at Bay Point we wore each presented 
 with a mint-julep, made by Mrs. Gwyn herself; and this 
 was s])eedily followed by lunclieon, at which we were 
 joined by IMrs. Gwyn, three lady friends, and a ne])hew. 
 Afterwards we started oil" to see some more farm-lands, 
 young j\Ir. Gwyn being our charioteer. We had a long 
 drive through the ])artially-ri])ened corn-fields, until we 
 really began to grow tired of tlie siglit of the golden 
 mass. The harvest is rather backward this year; it 
 gi'nerally commences at the end of May or early in June. 
 1 ascertained here that corn farms are simply called 
 "ranches," a grass farm being distinguished as a " cattle 
 ranche." 
 
 At a place called ^lai-ting, where a fish-canning 
 business is carried on, we said good-bye to Mr. Gwyn, 
 
LOS Axain.KS. 
 
 17 
 
 jun., imd, iuci.iMpiiiiitd l)y Di". Civv}n, crnsscd in a 
 stcaiiiboat ferry to Hcnicia, wlicrc we ci\\\<^\\i the train on 
 tlio Central Pacilic IJailway, and after brini;- carried 
 (train and all) across the ^nip in the line in a hn«re ferry- 
 boat, we went on to Oaklands, where wc took the 
 ferry a«,niin, and finally reached San Francisco about 
 7.30 p.m. 
 
 
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 CHAPTEll V. 
 
 UP THE COAST TO VICTORIA. 
 
 On Board the Dnlota — A Last Glimpse of San Francisco — Imjirovinp: the 
 Ocvasioii— " No moro Sou" — A View of the Olympians — Vancouver's 
 Island— The Straits of Sun Juan— Cape Flattery- " These Sleepy 
 Fni^lisli" — AVaiting for a Tug — At Victoria — Xe<>lected Streets— The 
 Tiieutcnant-Governor — Mr. Justice AValkem — The iSwiftsure — Fsquimalt — 
 Jlonnt liaker— Chinese Servi'nts — Tlieir Trustworthiness — Saanich — 
 Hack to Victoria. 
 
 AVe were busy next morning preparing for our start to 
 British Columbia. Amongst other purchases I bought 
 some excellent photographs of the Yosemite, &c. As I 
 wanted to send home some things which I could spare, 
 and a few valuables, in the shape of broken stones, 
 bits of bark, &c., for the children's museum, I had a 
 great scurry and hunt to find a suitable box in which to 
 pack them ; but I finally discovered one in the cellar of 
 a dry goods shop. The shop -boy there w^ould keep on 
 informing me that he " guessed he had lost his knife," 
 to which I replied that I guessed I would fiot give him 
 another one. 
 
 Dr. Gwyn called at 1 1 o'clock, and we had promised 
 to be at the Palace Hotel to meet him, for it had been 
 arranged that he should take us to call on Mr. Crocker, 
 the President of the Southern Pacific Railroad, and 
 
Ur THE COAST TO VICTORIA. 
 
 89 
 
 Second Vice-President of the Central Pacific Rjiilway. 
 The "endless rope" cars of San Francisco are quite a 
 feature of the place. They ascend and descend a series 
 of hills in the most charmingly quiet manner, without 
 any noise or shaking. We found tliem most convenient, 
 and constantly made use of them in going from one part 
 of the city to another. 
 
 Our kind friend, Dr. Gvvyn, had done so much to 
 make our visit to San Francisco a pleasant one, that it 
 was with great regret that we said farewell to him, and 
 hurried off to catch our boat, which was timed to 
 leave at 2 p.m. He had been making all sorts of 
 engagements for us, until he found that we had no 
 dress-clothes with us — for we had sent them direct to 
 Toronto from ^ew York — otherwise we might have seen 
 a good deal of San Francisco society. One entertain- 
 ment would have been for this evening in the form of a 
 dinner-party of thirty ; but on the whole things are just 
 as well as they are, for all this would have delayed our 
 progress a good deal, which would not have been very 
 convenient to us during this trip. 
 
 We drove down from the Palace Hotel to the 
 ^kiJcota steamer, and stopped at the post-office on 
 our way, where we were fortunate in just catching the 
 mail and receiving some letters. It takes about three 
 weeks for letters from home to reach San Francisco. 
 The newspapers were not sorted, so we could not get 
 
 
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90 
 
 LIFE AND LABOUR m TEE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 
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 ours. Tlie last Englisli paper we have seen is dated 
 al)out 25tli May, so we are getting rather behind the 
 times, for the American papers contain but little Eng- 
 lish news. We left directions for future letters to be 
 forwarded to Portland (Oregon), and then drove on to 
 the wharf, Avhich we reached at 2 p.m., and found a 
 large crowd waiting there to see the Dakota off to 
 Victoria. We heard that she had refused yesterday to 
 take any more freight ; so, as she is not a large vessel, 
 we expected to be rather crowded wl3n we found that 
 we were to be 534 passengers on board, including emi- 
 grants. We had a pretty good deck-cabin, to hold 
 three. We called it our sardine-box, and it was rather 
 a tight fit. There was a great crowd for drawing places 
 at the dinner-table, and we did not notice when the 
 drawing commenced ; so we were told off for the second 
 table, and came in for second dinner, as there were too 
 many people to be accommodated at one time in the 
 saloon. 
 
 Just before passing out of the " Golden Gate," we 
 took our last look at San Francisco. It was a pretty 
 sight ; but I do not think the approach from the sea is 
 very good. Perhaps one would appreciate it more if 
 one had been some time at sea. The weather was 
 rather cloudy, and looked like wind. Our company on 
 board were a rough lot, and I was glad to hear, in 
 answer to an inquiry made by one of the passengers, 
 
> 
 
 UP THE COAST TO VICTORIA. 
 
 91 
 
 li 
 
 that there was no "bar" {i.e., place to buy drink) on 
 board. Soon after ei<^ht o'clock the steward commenced 
 putting a long line of mattresses down on the floor of 
 the saloon, for those passengers who could not procure 
 berths or cabins, so we had to turn into our " sardine- 
 box" pretty early, in order to be out of the way. 
 
 Though we were tightly packed, our little cabin 
 was so well ventilated that the presence of three 
 "sardines" did not appear to make much difference to 
 the atmosphere. The weather had become quite cold 
 in the evening after leaving San Francisco, and we were 
 surprised to learn the next morning that this was tlie 
 usual temperature, and that it was never very warm on 
 this coast. There was a little swell, and I was told 
 that a storm was predicted for the 21st, so altogether 
 the Pacific Ocean is different from what I had fancied it, 
 for I had expected warm weather, and never more than 
 a ripple on the water. AYe waited humbly, seated out- 
 side the saloon, when breakfast commenced, mindful that 
 we had only second turn; but as the swell of the 
 Pacific Ocean had had the usual effect on the majority 
 of the passengers, half the guests could not put in an 
 appearance, so we poor wanderers were allowed to go in 
 and eat with the grandees of the first detachment, com- 
 posed of a class which I cannot as yet determine, until 
 I have had further opportunity of judging. 
 
 The Bakota is a steady old vessel with paddle- 
 
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 LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAll, FAB WEST. 
 
 If 
 
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 wheels, und is a little inclined to pitch ; iiud prohiihly 
 it was thanks to this proclivity of hers that we were 
 included in the first table, for at luncheon time there 
 was no chani^e in the arran<^ements, except that there 
 were perhaps even fewer faces than at breakfast. The 
 sea was really not at all rough, but the steamer pitched 
 a little, and there was some shaking from the engines, 
 which I found quite enough to prevent my using my 
 pen very steadily. The weather was rather warmer 
 tlum on the previous evening, but still cold and cloudy. 
 We only ran 190 miles up t<» twelve o'clock, which 
 proved the Dakota to be anything but a fast vessel. 
 San Francisco is distant 7oG miles from Victoria (British 
 Columbia), and we must mend our pace if we are to 
 arrive there by 2 p.m., Monday the ISth, which is the 
 date and time at which we hope to be released from 
 this slow old tub — whose name, by the way, I think 
 ought to be changed, for " Dakota " is a good go-a- 
 head State, and our old vessel is very, very slow, not 
 making: more than ei^'ht or nine miles an hour. 
 
 We turned into our sardine-box rather early, as 
 there was nothing else to do, for the nights are cold, 
 and the floor of the saloon taken up, as before, wdth the 
 mattresses for the extra passengers after 8 p.m. 
 
 Next day, Sunday (June 17tli), everything went on 
 in much the same way, and several of the passengers 
 again spent the day in bed. Service was held in the 
 
UP THE COAST TO VICTORIA. 
 
 93 
 
 saloon in the forenoon ; I do not know to what 
 denomination the offieiatuii^ minister belonged, but he 
 read a prayer, and a cliapter from tlie Bible, and then 
 gave us a sermon in which he told us he was from 
 San Francisco. His discourse was a very ])('culiar one, 
 and rather disjointed ; in it he quoted from Rev'elation 
 xxi. 1, and informed us that he could not give a 
 description of heaven ; but he gave us a few words 
 on the subject, and said, among other things : " lie- 
 member there will be no sea; that will doubtless l)e 
 pleasant to many of us ; if is ,so naim'xitincj. llemember 
 there wnll be no sea, no oc:»an, and how glad many 
 of us will be that it should be so." He stated further 
 that some people said that heaven would be in some 
 planet, or even on this earth ; but the burden of his 
 discourse was that there would be no sea. 
 
 At twelve o'clock we had run only 200 miles since 
 yesterday, which is at the rate of about eight and a half 
 miles an hour ; so the Dakota continues to prove herself 
 not a fast vessel, and would hardly do to compete with 
 the Germanic or the JIaxJca in the Atlantic service. 
 We are (as I said) 534 passengers on board ; many 
 of them are emigrants, and about 150 are saloon 
 j^assengers. They are mostly a queer-looking lot, and 
 difficult to make out. Some of them are going to take 
 up land ; some are merely land-jobbers , others are, J 
 suppose, on their way to the Canadian Pacific liailway ; 
 
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 LIFE AND LABOUR IX THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 but most appear to bo small speculators going to see 
 what they can get out of the new country — British 
 Columlna and Washington Territory now being opened 
 up. Apparently every one is anxious to know where 
 tlie Pacific terminus of the Canadian Pacific Jlailway 
 is eventually to be made, but this is kept so quiet that 
 no one can ascertain it with any certainty, and indeed 
 it has lately been changed. 
 
 We had a stiff head wind all the afternoon, so strong 
 that we thought our old ship would come to a complete 
 standstill. The weather was still cold, and we found 
 our great-coats very useful ; and, in fact, felt that we 
 should be glad of a little warmer weather on landing. 
 ])uring the whole day nothing occurred to relieve the 
 monotony of the journey; for, of course, although follow- 
 ing the coast-line, we were out of sight of land. 
 
 The next morning there was not so much wind, but 
 as it was still dead against us, we expected to be about 
 twelve hours late in arriving at Victoria. At noon we 
 had run 2.25 miles since the previous day. About 1.30 
 p.m. we were rejoiced by the sight of land, and found it 
 was the coast-line of Washington Territory; such beautiful 
 mountains (the Olympian Kange) in the distance, capped 
 with snow, and immense forests coming right down 
 to the coast, with green grass in patches just above the 
 ocean-line; it was so pleasant to see a little green 
 once more. We passed Cape I'lattery and its light- 
 
IT THE COAST TO VICTORIA. 
 
 95 
 
 t- 
 
 house at about 5.35 p.m., admiring the view as we 
 (lid so, which was very line indeed. 
 
 We were just rounding the point to enter tlie Straits 
 of San Juan, and before us on the other side lay 
 Vancouver's Ishmd (British Territory) with mountains 
 clothed from summit to base with forest. The straits 
 are eleven miles broad, and in their centre rests the 
 international boundary between the United States and 
 British Columbia, Washington Territory appears here 
 to be one mass of forest comin"; close down to the water's 
 edge. Before us lay the Olympian Range of ^lountains, 
 covered with snow. I look upon these as being the 
 finest mountain-chain I have seen in America, and the 
 scenery as a whole seems to me much better tluin that 
 of the Rocky Mountains. The view from Cape Flattery 
 would make a very pretty picture, with the dark green 
 forest rising in tiers, mountain upon mountain com- 
 pletely covered with fir-trees ; the lighthouse standing 
 on a grassy knoll with dark caves beneath ; brown sea- 
 weed on the rocks, and the waters of the Pacific Ocean 
 filling up the rest. 
 
 We had sixty miles to run from Flattery Point to 
 Victoria, and the captain said we should be there b} 
 11 p.m. When we were about four miles distant the 
 Dakota made signals for a tug ; and receiving no 
 response, at last fired off a gun, which made a great 
 noise, and awakened all the chickens on board. No 
 
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 LIFE AND LABOUR IX THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
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 reply, however, ciime from land, wliicli induced our 
 American captain (who was a capital fellow, by-the-by) 
 to shout out, " No wonder gettin<^ no answer when one 
 comes across these sleepy English !" We had therefore 
 to lay to for a bit, the wind meanwhile blowing pretty 
 fresh. In the coursr^ of an hour a signal came from 
 land, and eventually the long-looked-for tug, by which 
 we were taken, through a very winding course, into the 
 harbour and up to the wharf, where we arrived soon 
 after midnight. There was a good moon, which enabled 
 us to see all the operations of the vessel, and to dis- 
 tinguish the shore besides. 
 
 Clive had already gone to bed when we reached the 
 wharf, so he and Mitchell stuck to the vessel, but I went 
 ashore, and secured a room at Driard House Hotel, very 
 pleased to find myself landed at Victoria, British Colum- 
 bia, at last, though it seems a long way from home, 
 especially when one considers that a letter takes nearly a 
 month to reach England from here. 
 
 We had left San Francisco at 12.30 p.m., June 15th, 
 and reached Victoria at midnight, June 18th. The run 
 of the Baliota was as follows : — 
 
 June 16tli . 
 
 . 12 noon . 
 
 . 190 miles. 
 
 „ 17Lh . 
 
 5> 
 
 . 206 „ 
 
 „ 18th . 
 
 >» 
 
 . 225 „ 
 
 „ 18th . 
 
 . miduiglit . 
 
 . 135 „ 
 
 Clive and Mitchell made their appearance about 
 
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 wall, 
 
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 tary, 
 
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 Club, 
 
 We ^ 
 
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 boat) 
 
UP THE COAST TO VICTORIA. 
 
 97 
 
 7 a.m. the next morninf^ (having slept on the Dako/a), 
 and after breakfast we sa'iied out to see Victoria, which 
 struck us as very ^Liglish in appearance; tiie streets 
 rather untidy, like those in English country towns, with 
 grass growing, excepting in the main streets, on the 
 side walks, and everything nice and green, quite a 
 difference to burnt-up California. Each house seemed 
 to have a pretty flower-garden attached, much the same 
 as one sees in Jersey or Guernsey ; one little place 
 especially we noticed, covered with a mass of creepers 
 hanging in festoons. Clive and I called in the course of 
 the morning upon the Lieutenant-Governor, Mr, Corn- 
 wall, at Government Plouse, which is beautifully situated, 
 about a mile, or a little more, from the town. We 
 found him at home, and he invited us to dine with him 
 that evening, and to bring Mitchell also. We aftei- 
 wards called npon Mr. Justice Walkem, to whom, as 
 well as to the Lieutenant-Governor, I had introduc- 
 tions from friends in England. The Governor's secre- 
 tary, Captain Tatlow, came in the afternoon, and lionised 
 us about Victoria, putting our names down at the Union 
 Club, where he introduced us to some of the members. 
 We went round one of the Hudson's Bay stores, and 
 were much struck with the appearance of the place, and 
 the utility of its contents. It was a great disappoint- 
 ment to us to find that the Otter (the Hudson's J^ay 
 
 boat) had started only yesterday on a trip up the coast, 
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 TJFE AXD LABOUn IX THE 7M/.', FAR WEST. 
 
 witli stores for tlio (lilFL'ri'nt ports. Viv should very 
 much have liked to i^o by tliis vessel ; and, had we been 
 able to do so, we should have seen a i^reat deal more 
 of the country than by an ordinary steamer, as we 
 should have visited all the numerous Hudson's ]5ay 
 Company's stations up the various creeks and inlets. 
 Unfortunately for us, these boats make their trips up 
 the coast only (»nce a fortni<^ht, so there was no other 
 chance ; and on inquirin^^ about other routes northwards, 
 we found that no steamer at all was ^'■oin<^ at present. 
 
 Later in the day Mr. Justice Walkem came to call 
 i)n us, and asked us to dinner for Thursday evenin<^. 
 So far 1 like Victoria very much indeed ; and we are 
 told that the climate is excellent, and the temperature 
 always moderate. 
 
 The hills north and west of the town are not 
 high, but are completely covered with fir-trees ; the finest 
 views are to be obtained in the direction of Washington 
 Territory, not in that of British Columbia. The harbour 
 is very narrow and difficult of approach, so I should not 
 think Victoria can ever be a large port ; and there does 
 not appear to be much cultivated land, or indeed land 
 much adapted for cultivation, in the immediate vicinity. 
 We dined with the Lieutenant-Governor in the evening, 
 as previously arranged, but left early, as he and Mrs. 
 Cornwall were going to a party. Mr. Justice Walkem 
 called again the next morning, and we went with him to 
 
 gre( 
 Th 
 awr 
 was 
 
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 sto 
 
UP THE COAST TO VICTOlil.U 
 
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 sue the Government Houses, and also tlie Courts over 
 vvliicli lie presided. Later in tlie day we were intro- 
 duced to .Judi^v Grey, after wliieli wo called at tlie Hank 
 of North America, and at that of British Cohimhia. 
 Mitchell had an introduction to the Manau'er (»r the 
 latter, but he was not at home, so we were received hv 
 the Deputy-Mana^j^er, Mr. Jones, who altordi-d us a y'reat 
 deal of information. 
 
 It had been previously settled that we were to have 
 luncheon at Government House, and afterwards j^'o to a 
 party on board II. M.S. StriJ'/,snn> (an En^ji-lish war vessi-i 
 of 10 ^uns lyino- in Esquimalt Hay), and we ofl'ered 
 Mr. Jones a lift both ways, he undertaking" to show us 
 some pretty scenery in the nei^-hbom-hood on the return 
 journey. Accordingly, after lunchin*:^ with the Governor, 
 we picked up Mr. Jones, and drove on to the landing- 
 stage at Esquimalt Bay, off which the Swiffsure was lying. 
 We v.'^ent on board with the Lieutenant-Governor, who 
 was received by Captain Atcheson and the officers, and was 
 greeted by the strains of "God save the Queen." 
 The ship looked very gay, all decked out with flags and 
 awnings, and prepared for a dance, for which the deck 
 was in capital order. Afterwards we went round the 
 ship, and then at about 4.30 were taken to see the new 
 dry dock, which is being built under the superintendence 
 of Mr. Bennett, C.E. For the present the work is 
 stopped, in obedience to a telegram received a few days 
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 since I'roni Ottawa. Tliis is tlie hcad-cjuarters of tlie 
 Xortli Pacific Naval Station, and vvc went ronnd the dock- 
 yard where tlio stores are kept. Admiral I^yons is at i)ri'- 
 sent in command oL' this station. We nnl'ortunati'ly 
 missed making iiis ac([naintance, as lie was away lor a 
 cruise in the MhI'iik', which vessel we suhseqnently saw 
 two or three times. \ re<;Tette(l still more havin«»* missed 
 him, as it al'terwards transj)ired that Mrs. I^yons was the 
 dani>-hter of an old friend of my wife's family, who was 
 also an acquaintance of my own. 
 
 Esquinialt is a Icjvely spot, and, if railway communica- 
 tion is estahlished, it will probahly some day become a 
 place of greater importance, as an excellent harbour could 
 be formed there. We had a ■ jry pretty drive back by the 
 (lorge ; the roads in the vicinity of Victoria are excellent, 
 and there are charming drives and rides in every direction 
 among the woods and forests, which come close up to 
 the town. Capital boating can also be had along the 
 little inlets of the sea, and the whole place is said to 
 abound with fish. Mount Baker (10,700 feet) is the 
 great feature in the scenery, and the rugged mountains of 
 Washington Territory bound the horizon to the south. 
 Forests seem to extend in every direction in the vicinity 
 of Victoria ; in fact, the whole of Vancouver's Island is 
 covered with forest, excepting where it has been cleared 
 in small patches for farming purposes. 
 
 Mr. Jones took us to his house for dinner. We 
 
17' Tllh' COAST TO VICTORIA. 
 
 lol 
 
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 found tliat the Cliiiiimian \vlii» waited at ta))le was also 
 i'uok ; lio cooked and served our diniu'rat the same time, 
 and that without any help. Tpon iiujuiry we were told 
 that tills man "runs" the whole ol" the lower |).ui ol 
 the house, besides doinu^ all the family's washin}^' ! II is 
 wa<;'es are £75 per annum. I eaught his eye after he 
 had placed a dish of curry and rice on tin.' table, with 
 the manufacture of which he seemed nmch pleased, 
 ])rol)ably on account of his own partiality for rice. The 
 Lieutenant-Governor had told us he had to o^ive his 
 " Chinaman " cook £100 a year, and an underling to help 
 in the kitchen. The general opinion here is that it would 
 be impossible to get on without Chinese servants, and 
 that, if left alone to do their work, they are thoroughly 
 trustworthy. If this is the case, I think we had better 
 import some to England. 
 
 On Thursday the Lieutenant-Governor arrived at 
 10.30, in order to take us for a drive to Saanicli (distant 
 about fourteen miles), and show us something of the 
 country. It is all densely wooded, with patches cleared 
 here and there for farming purposes, but the crops were 
 very backward, and I should not think there is much 
 to be done in the fjirming line about here. We had 
 luncheon at the inn, kept by a man of the name of Hen- 
 derson, having first walked down to see a branch of the 
 inlet, which we duly admired, for it was a very pretty 
 spot, with magnificent ferns and arbutus trees growing 
 
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 102 LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAIt, FAR WEST. 
 
 ill i^reiit luxuriance, as indeed they do throughout the 
 whole of this part • f the country. 
 
 AVe returned to Victoria by G p.m., just in time to 
 keep our dinner engagement at 6.30 with Mr. Justice 
 Walkem, with whom we spent a very pleasant evening, 
 JMrs. AValkem doing the honours. She is a native of Vic- 
 toria, and has never been out of British Columbia. 
 ^Tr. Walkem gave us introductions to Mr. Hughes 
 (the Government agent at New Westminster), also to 
 Mr. Rhodes and Mr. Onderdonk (Railway Contractor), 
 both of Yale. The Lieutenant-Governor had previously 
 furnished us with introductions to Mr. Onderdonk, and 
 Mr. Harvey of the Hudson's Bay Company, at Yale ; and 
 a letter besides to his brother, Mr. W. Cornwall, at 
 Ashcroft, 100 miles farther on. 
 
 I It 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THIlOUCill THE CASCADE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 Sun Ju;in do Fiica — Kiipcr Pass— Stniits of Georgia — An Iron Isliind— 'Die 
 Cascade ]Mountfiins — Fraser River — How Salnion are Tinned — New West- 
 minster — Port Moody— The Price of Land at Port IMoody — The Indians 
 and tlieir Dead — Hope — Emory — Yale — Douht, Discussion, and Decision 
 —Hell's Gate— Boston Bars— Gold-dust— IJack at Yale — A Trick> 
 Engine-driver — Hotels in British Columbia — Agriculture and Lalxnir in 
 British Columbia — An Uncomfortable \Valk through Fairy-land- -In an 
 Indian Canoe to English Hay — A Uniciue Jvect'i)tion — An l^nceremoniou< 
 Native — Coal Harbour — An Exciting Drive— Philij) suddenly becomes 
 Sober — His History — Culumbian Veracity — Hack at Victoria. 
 
 Friday, June 2:2nd, we were up at 5 a.m., and left 
 Victoria at 7 a.m. by the steamer Enterprise on an 
 expedition to New AVestminster, which is distant about 
 seventy-five miles, situated on the mainland of Britisli 
 Columbia. The scenery was quite fascinating the whole 
 way ; we first steamed along the Sound, and then made 
 our way through a quantity of beautiful islands, leaving 
 Vancouver's Island on our left. We took a particular 
 fancy to Saanich. The steamer for Nanaimo, which was 
 in front of us, turned round this headland, and went to 
 Nanaimo direct ; while we kept to the right, passing the 
 island of San Juan de Fuca, and steaming through quite 
 a narrow arm of the sea called Kuper Pass, and so out 
 into the Sti'aits of Georgia, and then over to New 
 Westminster. 
 
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 1<>4 LIFE AND LABOUR IX THE FAB, FAli, WEST. 
 
 The sconoiy was perfect up to Kuper Pass, and it 
 
 made us all the more sorry that we had missed the 
 
 Hudson's Bay boat (the Offer), which would have taken 
 
 us up north, visiting all the Company's stations, and 
 
 tluis seeing all the lovely inlets of this coast. I fear 
 
 we shall have now to give up all idea of this trip, 
 
 but it has been a great disappointment to us. We met 
 
 the Archdeacon of New Westminster on board the 
 
 I'jiifcrprise ; also Mr. Edgar Crow Baker, M.P. for 
 
 A'ictoria. The latter had heard through a relation 
 
 living in England of our proposed visit to British 
 
 Columbia. He was on his way to New Westminster 
 
 to attend a masonic meeting. 
 
 The Straits of Georgia were very calm, the water 
 half blue and half muddy — this is caused by the outlet 
 of the Eraser River, and the division of the colours 
 is very marked. We saw the Island of Texada in the 
 distance, which is said to be composed of almost solid 
 iron ; and also noticed the 49° parallel cut through the 
 hr-trees to indicate the boundary line between the 
 Dominion (or British Columbia) and the United States. 
 We had a splendid view of the Cascade Mountains in front 
 of us while crossing the Sound (which is about eleven 
 miles wide) ; and afterwards entered the Eraser Eiver, 
 which at its mouth is uninteresting, and apparently 
 rather shallow, with low swampy banks. However, the 
 scenery soon began to improve. In the distance Ave 
 
THROUGn THE CASCADE MOUNTAIXS. 
 
 105 
 
 noticed tlie entrance to BiuTard's Inlet, but about this 
 I shall have more to say hereafter. 
 
 We passed some salmon-canneries, of which there are 
 several below New Westminster, though none above 
 that point. We went to inspect one of these establish- 
 ments : a great deal of the work is done by Indians, 
 who are good workmen, but dirty-looking fellows. I 
 watched a line of them filling cans with fish ; they 
 fit in the large pieces first, and then squeeze in the 
 remainder with their fingers, so as to fill up the cans 
 to the top. The works comprise the manufacture of the 
 tin cans as well as canning the fish. 
 
 Before arriving at New Westminster the scenery 
 improved very much, the banks being clothed with 
 trees down to the water's edge, but the water itself 
 was muddy ; the river here is from a quarter to half 
 a mile wide. The site chosen for New Westminster 
 seems an admirable one, but the town is as yet only 
 a quarter built, and the trees behind it have been 
 damaged to such an extent by forest fires that nothing 
 is to be seen but bare poles. Douglas firs, hemlock 
 spruce, and T/if/ja gigaviea, grow here to a very large 
 size. On landing we went to the Colonial Hotel, where 
 we had very bad rooms and a worse dinner. I asked a 
 man where Mr. Hughes (the Government agent) lived, to 
 whom we had a letter of introduction from Mr. Justice 
 Walkem, and, curiously enough, he proved to be the 
 
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 106 
 
 LIFE AND LABOUR IX THE FAU, FAR WEST. 
 
 man himself. We went to a fish shop, and there saw 
 some beautiful salmon wei<^hint^ about thirty pounds ; 
 the price was only 2^d. per lb., and of course, as it is 
 so plentiful here, we had salmon at every meal. They 
 are caught below the town, sometimes to the number 
 of 1,500 at a catch. 
 
 We started the next morning at 8.30, in a buggy 
 and pair, for Port Moody on Burrard's Inlet, where 
 it is supposed that the terminus of the Canadian Pacific 
 Railway will eventually be made. It is distant about 
 six miles from New Westminster, the road being 
 through the forest ; the place derives its name from an 
 Englisliman, a Colonel Moody, who came here in ISGO 
 to survey for a line of railway ; he bought a great 
 quantity of land in the neighbourhood, and in con- 
 sequence has very possibly realised a large fortune, for 
 land here has very much increased in value. We were 
 deposited by the side of the inlet, and took a boat 
 to the new wharf now being constructed by the 
 Dominion Government, for this part of the road is 
 being built by that body. Two English ships were 
 unloading steel rails ; they had come direct from Europe 
 via Cape Horn, and had taken just five months to 
 perform the voyage.. The admiral's ship, the 3[atine, 
 was also in the harbour. 
 
 Port Moody consists of only about half-a-dozen 
 wooden houses ; it is beautifully situated at the head 
 
 ! 'W 
 
Tnnouan the cascade mountains. 
 
 107 
 
 of Burrard's Inlet (about seventeen miles from the 
 mouth), and is completely land-locked and surrounded by 
 thick forest, the best trees being Douglas fir and 
 Hemlock spruce. I walked along the fallen trunk of 
 one of the latter, and judged it to be 180 feet long with 
 the head off, so I think it must have been at least 200 
 feet high when standing. The railway is formed, but 
 the steel track is not yet laid. We spent a considerable 
 time in rowing about Burrard's Inlet, and went on both 
 sides of the bay ; the surrounding hills are completely 
 covered with trees, the forest coming down to the 
 water's edge in every direction. The water is almos^t 
 always perfectly calm ; its average depth is ninety feet, 
 and it is a considerable depth close up to the shore, for 
 vessels of twenty-six feet draught can come up to the 
 new wharf. At the farther end of the bay to the right, 
 several wooden houses are in course of erection, the 
 majority of which are saloons. A house is being built 
 at the extreme end of the bay by a man named Murray, 
 who was originally one of Colonel Moody's sappers. 
 He and his fellow-workmen were each given 100 acres 
 of land while the surs^ey was going on ; most of the 
 men have since sold, but Murray kept his, and it is now 
 valuable property, and selling at the rate of £200 per acre. 
 Of course the approaching completion of the Cana- 
 dian Pacific Eailway is raising the hope of all the land- 
 owners ; and they show that they appreciate their 
 
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 108 LIFE AXD LABOUR IN THE FAB, FAB WEST. 
 
 position, for from 500 to 000 dollars is actually beini; 
 asked for wharfage-front lots, while all the others are 
 ])riced at equally exorbitant rates. It will be a great 
 disappointment if the site of the terminus is changed to 
 English JJay (nearer Georgia Straits), or elsewhere, as 
 they say may possibly be the case ; one reason for the 
 change being that for a short time last winter (1882-3) 
 a portion of Burrard's Inlet was frozen over. 
 
 At the extreme end of the inlet is a large space left 
 dry at low tide. This will become the jn'operty of the 
 Syndicate ; and, if they build a sea-wall and fill up this 
 space, it will eventually become very valuable, and ma}' 
 probably be the site of the future city, provided the 
 terminus of the Canadian Pacific Eailway is really fixed 
 here. After spending several hours at Burrard's Inlet, 
 we drove back to New Westminster along the road by 
 which we had come ; dined at Delmonico's instead of 
 at the hotel, and slept on board the JV. P. Mthet, a river 
 steamer by which we were going up the Fraser to Yale, 
 100 miles away. Before leaving New Westminster, we 
 called upon Mr. Edwards, a land-surveyor, to ask him 
 the price of some of the town lots of Port Moody, which 
 w^e thought extremely high. The day throughout had 
 been nice and cool, much the same temperature as we 
 have enjoyed ever since our arrival in British Columbia ; 
 and we are told that the summer weather is always cool 
 like this, and the winter never very cold. 
 
THROUGH THE CASCADE MOUXTAINS. 
 
 109 
 
 Our steamer was a flat-bottomed one, and, instead of 
 the usual paddle-wheels or screw, had one immense 
 paddle-wheel at stern, called a stern-wheeler. She was 
 a comfortable boat, and very fast — indeed she has tlu? 
 reputation of being the fastest steamer (ni the river. On 
 coming on deck in the morning, we found we had 
 travelled about forty miles in the night, and were in the 
 midst of beautiful mountain scenery, rising on each 
 side of the river. The forest came down to the water's 
 edge, and many of the mountains were partly covered 
 with snow. On our left, in ascending the river, we saw 
 signs of the construction of the Canadian Pacific Hall- 
 way. We passed several small Indian settlements ; and 
 in one instance a church (about sixteen feet long by 
 twelve feet), with a cemetery not far off. I am told (and 
 I personally saw an instance) that those of the British 
 Columbian Indians who are not Christians, do not bury 
 their dead underground in the ordinary way, but place 
 the bodies on small platforms amongst the branches of 
 out-of-the-way trees, a roof of bark covering the whole ; 
 while the usual custom in each case is to hang up the 
 weapons of war, and to place alongside of the body the 
 tobacco pipe and pouch and snow-shoes, so as to make 
 the departed spirit comfortable on the way to the happy 
 hunting-grounds. The Indian men are capital workmen, 
 very willing and active. Their hair is always black, and 
 worn long. The squaws appear in considerable numbers 
 
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 tm LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAU, FAR WEST. 
 
 in their settlements, and look of a very inferior race. 
 They are of a (hirk-hrown colour. 
 
 The scenery gradually improved, and became really 
 very beautiful, so that I may safely say this is the most 
 beautiful river of its size (and it is very wide) that I have 
 ever seen. The mountain spurs on each side are from one 
 and a ludf to two miles apart, thus leaving a quantity of 
 Hat land, which looks good soil, only it is thickly covered 
 with trees, those on the river-banks being mostly large 
 specimens, with smaller trees and alders behind. The 
 nearer hills are very steep, and, 1 should think, difficult to 
 climb. The higher and more rocky mountains rise far- 
 ther back, and their shapes are splendid. Most of them 
 have snow in patches, but few are really snow-capped as in 
 Switzerland. The mountain timber is generally pine, 
 and not of large size. Great ravages have been made 
 ev^ery where by fire, and the effect is much spoilt by the 
 bare dead poles to be seen in every direction. We 
 noticed a good many specimens of 'JViifja gigantea both 
 to-day and yesterday. The difference between this tree 
 here and in the Yosemite Valley (there called the Lihro 
 cedro decurrens) is remarkable. Its bark here is 
 whitish ; and, when old, the foliage becomes ragged ; 
 whereas in the Yosemite the bark is reddish, and even 
 in old age the tree retains a good foliage, and is well 
 branched. Trees do not grow well on the mountains 
 here. The latter indeed are rather bare of vegetation ; 
 
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THROUGH THE CASCADE MOUNTATXS. 
 
 in 
 
 l)ut the scenery of the Fr;iser Kiver as far as Vale is 
 certainly extremely beautiful. Tiie river is very swift, but 
 muddy, though I believe that later in the year it is 
 ck^arer. 
 
 The town of Hope, about seventeen miles below Yale, 
 was, perhaps, the prettiest part of all. We stopped at 
 Emory, another exceedingly pretty spot, about four 
 miles from Yale. This was the farthest point to which 
 the Canadian Government originally intended to carry 
 the railway, justifying this course on the score that they 
 had fulfilled their bargain by bringing it to water 
 navigable by ships ; but naturally this did not satisfy 
 the British Columbians, and they insisted on its being 
 carried farther. 
 
 We reached Yale about four o'clock, and put up at 
 the Cascade Hotel, which was rather a miserable sort 
 of a place. We called upon Mr. Onderdonk (an 
 American), the contractor for the section of railway 
 between Burrard's Inlet and Kamloops Lake (2 CO or 
 270 miles), and presented our letters of introduction. He 
 was very courteous, and placed an engine and car at our 
 disposal to take us to see the completed railway works, 
 the track being laid for thirty-two miles from Yale to 
 just above Boston Bars. The admiral and his wife 
 were staying with Mr. Onderdonk, and he apologised 
 for not being able to make room for us in his house, 
 which is a very pretty one, but quite small. 
 
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118 LIFE AXn LAJinim in the FATi, FAR WEST. 
 
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 We called upon Mr. Harvey, of the Hudson's Bay 
 Company, to whom we ])resented a letter from the Lieu- 
 tenant-dovernor ; then upon a friend of Mr, Walkem's; 
 and lastly upon the General Superintendent of the Itail- 
 way, with a note from Mr. Onderdonk about the enj.^ine. 
 This f^entleman was not inelined to be over-polite, 
 possibly because he did not like turiiin<i^ out the euiJ-ine 
 at 8 a.m. ; however, we arranj^ed this little matter 
 satisfactorily in the end. 
 
 Fmdinu;' that there was an Eni'-lish church we 
 attended service there at 7 j^.m. ; it was built of wood, 
 and a lady, who I suppose was the wife of the clergy- 
 man, played tlie harmonium. Mitchell subsequently 
 discovered that the clergyman was a Mr. Horloch, a 
 Wiltshire man, and a friend of a brother-in-law of ours, 
 so he went to call on him. AVe went to Mr. Harvey's 
 house after church (he being a friend of the Lieutenant- 
 Governor's), but only stayed about an hour, having to 
 be up the next mornuig by 2 a.m. so as to be ready for 
 our special train at 3 a.m., up the completed portion of 
 the railway to seven miles beyond Boston Bars, which 
 would be thirty-two miles from Yale. We had a great 
 discussion as to whether or not we should go on to 
 the Corn walls' place, Ashcroft, 104 miles by stage from 
 Yale ; but after talking the matter well over, we agreed 
 that it was best to give it up, for it seemed hardly 
 worth while to do 200 miles staging for only two days 
 
Tunouan rui: cascade MorxTArxs. 
 
 11:5 
 
 lit Aslicroft, iuid yet not to sec t\w best part of tlic 
 country on b('3'on<l it, vi/., Kamltxjps and Sliuswaj) Lake 
 and district; for in onb-r to a('c'onij)lish tlio latter we 
 sliould liave bocn ol)li<4'('d to i^ivc up otlicr tbinj^'s 
 nearer Victoria wliicb we wisbed to see. 
 
 We were up at '2 a.m., and after a liasty breakfast 
 of dry bread and cold water, went out on tbe railway 
 track bebind tbe botel to wait for our en^'ine, cVc. ; as 
 soon as it arrived we junijK'd into tbe ba^-^-ay'e-car 
 sent for our accommodation, and started oiV. IMie line 
 runs alono- tbe left bank of tbe Fraser river (ascendini,' 
 tbe stream), and is sometimes unpleasantly near it ; a 
 considerable portion of tbe track is cut out of tbe rock, 
 and in many places tbere are beii])s of overbani^inn- 
 da/jri'S wbicb ()U<^'bt to be removed. Tbe curves are 
 ratber sbarp, and tbere are a o-n>at many wooden 
 bridges and a succession of sbort tuimels, fourteen of 
 tbe latter in as many miles. Tbe first part of tbe 
 scenery resembles tbat of tlie Fraser river below Yale, 
 but after ten or twelve miles it becomes less varied ; 
 tbe mountains appear all of mucb tbe same beigbt, and 
 tbe trees are of smaller "'rowtb tban wbat we bad seen 
 previously. Tbe river itself narrows and rusbes past 
 at a tremendous pace, particularly at a place called 
 "Hell's Gate," wbere it contracts to quite a narrow 
 cliannel, tw^o cliffs projecting on eitber side, opening 
 to allow of tbe passage of tbe water. 
 
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lU TJFE ANT) LAIJOUn IX THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
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 Wlicn we jirrivcd ((pjxtsitc IJoston H:irs, jin ('n«^inec'r 
 who was with us on the tniin, jiiinpt'd oil' and crossed 
 the river in a ferry. Tlie old wa^'^oii road l'ri>in Yah' to 
 Cariboo (500 or (JOO mih's fartlieron) foHows the river on 
 th(» opposite side ol' the bank ; in some phiees it is located 
 lii^h up onthe side of tlie rock and carried ah)n<^ on wooden 
 trestles. It was the work of (iovernor Sir dames Douglas, 
 in 1800, and seemed a very well-made, ^ood road, but it 
 has to pass some awkward bits occasionally. '^Phere are 
 terrible stories of what the miners, in their search for 
 t^old, had to go through in reaching Cariboo before tliis 
 road was made; and still more, on the return journey, 
 when bringing their treasure down with them. Cariboo 
 in those days was a lawless place, and the prices of 
 provisions and other necessaries of life were more than 
 exorbitant. 
 
 During the gold mania from 1859 to 1803, 40,000 
 ])eople were seeking gold in the bed of the K,.jr in this 
 part, finding it among the sand left dry when the river 
 was low ; even now people make a considerable income 
 by washing. The Lieutenant-Governor told me that 
 the Indians in his neighbourhood, when they wanted 
 money, simply went to the river, and washed till 
 they found sufficient gold to support them. We went 
 to the end of the completed track, and then our engine 
 reversed and pushed the car before it, and in this 
 way we returned to Yale, arriving there about 7 a.m. 
 
Tiinoi'nn Tin: cascade mountaixs. 
 
 iir. 
 
 'PIh' stcaiiKT to Xcw Westminster had already starteil, 
 but as we had nothing' else to do at Yale, we aifreed 
 to catch her up at Kinory, a few miles down the river. 
 Our en<,'ine-(lriver had to ^'et his breakfast, so we 
 did the same, and wlwn he had fhiished we followed 
 him back to the entwine. Directly he was on it he 
 started ofT, thouL,'h he knevv we were close by ; so we 
 had to run for it to ^et "aboard," and we felt (juite sure 
 that his intention had been to have left us behind if 
 lie could, for our trip under ^[r. Onderdonk's orders 
 was completed on our return to Yale, and after that 
 he was ^'oin<:f on his rej^ular duty, which took him ])ast 
 Kniory, where we wanted to n^o. Hovvever, we mana<,^e(l 
 to <^et a])()ard, and cau^^ht the New Westn.inster boat 
 (the ir. Ire I nil) at Hmory. 
 
 The return journey was much the same as our 
 journey up to Y'ale had been, and we a^ain admired 
 that pretty place, Hope. At Somerville J^ay we came 
 upon a very lar<^e encam|)ment of Chinese labourers 
 engaged on the railway works: the scene was a most 
 picturesque one. All along the river camps of these.' 
 men are constantly to be seen, and the works appear to 
 be pushed on with great spirit. This section of the 
 line is being made by the Government under contract 
 with Mr. Onderdonk. We made the acquaintance of 
 Mr. Justice Crease on board ; also of Mr. Marcus 
 Smith, who is Chief Engineer under the Government 
 
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IIG LIFE AXD LABOUR IX THE FAR, FAB WEST. 
 
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 l"<»r tlie CiiiKidian Pacific llailwuv. There was a farmer 
 oil tlie steamer, living on tlie Fraser Kiver at a place 
 called Cliilliwack, who was anxious to persuade us to 
 stop with him for a day or two in order to see his farm, 
 and those of some of his neii^hbours ; but we had to 
 al)andon the idea, as no steamer passed again for two 
 days. 
 
 Mr. Marcus Smith pointed out a place called Ma])le 
 llidge, where the railway branches off fi-om the Fraser 
 to cross the Pitt lliver, and thence to Burrard's Tnlet ; 
 he told us that a town named Port Hamond would 
 spring up here, as this would probably be an important 
 junction whenever a branch line was made south from 
 here to the American Territory, crossing the Fniser 
 l)y means of a bridge. We arrived jit New Westminster a 
 little late, rather after 10 p.m., so we decided to sleep 
 on board, instead of going back to the bad hotel we 
 had stayed at when here before. I think the British 
 Columbians would do well to take a few hints from 
 their neighbours the Americans as to the manner of 
 running their hotels ; for, with the exception of the 
 Driard Hotel at Victoria, I have not seen a good one 
 !;■( the whole country. 
 
 We had enjoyed our run up and down the Fraser 
 very much indeed. The trip by special train from Yale 
 to beyond Boston Bars and back was also well worth 
 doing ; and I am almost sorry that .we did not go on 
 
Til ROUGH THE CASCADE 2[0UXTAIXS. 
 
 117 
 
 to Asherot't (the Lieuteuaut-dovernor's place), l)ut it 
 liardly seemed worth while t<j drive 20S miles for the 
 sake of two days there, especially as we lieai'd that 
 the route after leaviiij^ IJoston liars was uninterestin;;", 
 and tlie country round Ashcroft very dry and dusty at 
 this time of the year. The climate tliL're is said to he 
 tpiite different to that in the part of British Columhia 
 which we have seen ; it is extrenuly cold in winter, and 
 but little rainfalls durint^ the summer; sii,^e-bush and 
 bunch-g-rass abound tiiere, and the latter when eaten 
 down by cattle does not ^row a<>'ain. Beyond Ash- 
 croft a new country opens up at Ivamloops Lake, and 
 beyond ag'ain at the Shuswap Lake and district, which 
 is said to be j^ood for farming'; but the extremes of heat 
 and cold to be met with beyond the Cascade llangv 
 would, I think, prove a drawback. 
 
 To the west of the Cascade ^Mountains the climate 
 is always mild and good, but there is a g-reat deal of 
 rain in winter. Vancouver's Island is said to possess a 
 better and drier climate than the mainland; and I think 
 that the part of British Columbia I have seen beats in 
 this respect anything I have ever heard of. From what 
 I have observed of the country up to the present, ' 
 consider, however, that farmers could do better ''urther 
 east. The farms which I have seen are all small, and 
 badly worked, and are only in patches here and there ; 
 for there is so much "lumber" {i.e., wood and timber) 
 
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 118 LIFE AND LABOUR IX THE FAli, FAR WEST. 
 
 Jil)out, that it is impossible to get one of any size, cind if 
 a ma.i were to set abont making one, lie would spend 
 his lifetime in cutting down the timber. Wages are 
 also very higli. They are said to be double here to 
 what they are in Eastern Canada. 
 
 Labourers get H to 2 Dollars - G /- to 8/- per day. 
 
 :^Llsous „ 4 to .'i „ r. 1(!/- to 20; 
 
 (Carpenters „ 3 „ — 12/- 
 
 Caideuers „ 3 „ - 12/- 
 
 = 12/- 
 
 Painters ,, 3 
 
 
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 ^laid-servants' wages are about £70 a year, till 
 married. A driver we had one day t'kl us he was 
 receiving £10 per montli and :dl found; and a timber 
 man we met later on, said he had to give a good axeman 
 IGs. per day, and board him as well. All the necessaries 
 of life are excessivelv dear; no coin less than a five- 
 penny-bit is taken or given in change: Some time ago 
 the Canadian Government tried to reduce the ^mall 
 change to less than this sum ; but the townspeople of 
 Victoria expostulated ; and, on finding that no notice 
 was taken of the complaint, they collected all the 
 coins of less value than a piece of ten cents (viz., 5d.), 
 packed them up in sacks, and sent them back to 
 Canada, with the settlers' compliments. Most of the 
 people have formerly been miners, and made money at 
 the diggings (Cariboo, &c.), and lost it afterwards. I 
 think this would be a good country for a labourer or 
 
 
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 THROUGH THE CASCADE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 1U> 
 
 artisan to come out to, but not for a fanner with small 
 means. There are openings for a man with capital tn 
 take up stock-farming ; but my opinion is that better 
 could be done elsewhere. 
 
 On getting up about G a.m. the next day, we found 
 that our steamer had shifted from the landing-stage to a 
 timber-yard. It was raining a little, but we mana^^-ed 
 to get to Delmonico's for breakfast, and afterwards set 
 off' for a drive to Hastings (on Burrard's Inlet), and 
 thence to Granville, the latter being thirteen-and-a-half 
 miles from New Westminster. We drove the whole 
 way right through dense forest, and passed s<^me mag- 
 niticent timber, I. 50 to 250 feet high: Douglas fir, 
 Hemlock spruce, T/u/ja //u/a/ifca, &c. AVe travelled 
 over what is called a "corduroy" road, made of logs of 
 wood placed crossw^ays, with a little sand on the top. 
 It does not make at all a bad road, though it is rather 
 bumpy. We reached Hastings only in time to see the 
 ferry steamer already started, and about 300 yards 
 away, going across to Moody ville; so we drove on t(» 
 Granville on Coal Harbour, and put up there. Our 
 object in making this expedition was to see English Bay 
 (five or six miles off), which is one of the places spoken 
 of as the possible railway terminus in case Port Mood\' 
 should be finall}'- abandoned for that purpose. A man 
 with a small steamer offered to take us there for ten 
 dollars ; but this we declined, ard settled to walk 
 
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 1:20 /./Fi? .LVD LABOUR IN THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 instead, tlioug-li wo had b:'LMi warned that the 
 trail was a bad one. The hindlord from the hotel 
 came to start us on our way, and after takinc:^ us 
 al)()ut a mile, left us with directions as to our route. 
 We soon ])hin<»vd into tlie thickest of forests, 
 following- an Indian trail, which we could hardly 
 see or find. There had b^en some rain durin<>; the 
 morning, and tlie result was that, bi'tween the drip 
 from the trees and the wet fern and underwood, we had 
 a regular drenching ; although I guarded against it as 
 much as possible by making an apron of my macintosh, 
 and keeping my umbrella up whenever I could, which 
 was not very often. In this way we trudged along 
 through wonderfully dense forest for about three miles. 
 It is impossible for me to describe how dense and 
 beautiful it was in its entirely natural state ; moss hung 
 I'rom many of the trees ; indeed, numbers of these and of 
 old stumps were quite covered with ferns, hanging 
 mosses, and creepers. In fact, mosses and ferns, and 
 many ]ilauts of which I did not know the names, grew in 
 every direction. I never before saw such a charminii 
 forest-scene ; and I must also acknowledge, that until 
 this trip I never before saw real trees — I mean trees of 
 such immense growth as those we have been admiring 
 within the last two months, and during this walk — for 
 the timber here was magnificent, and the foliage most 
 luxuriant, the colour of the leaves being beautiful in 
 
'•■*.*'■"■>■«.._-." 
 
 THROUGH THE CASCADE MOUNTAIXS. 
 
 Ill 
 
 the extreme. But I never could have inia<nned anv- 
 thing to he compared to tlie hjinging mosses, from 
 trees both dead and ali\e : it was quite like fairy-land. 
 Vie had great ditticulty in finding the path, and almost 
 as much in forcing our way through the mass ot foliage, 
 ike. The fern-k'aves at times were some feet above our 
 heads, and we were wet through to the skin, from the 
 waist downwards, when we arrived at the end of the 
 trail. Here we found a sm;dl Indian village, and 
 having made arrangements with an Indian (who was 
 digging potatoes in his garden, assisted by his squaw), 
 to take us in a canoe to English Bay, we were soon oH', 
 with the Indian at the stern, managing his craft by 
 means of a single paddle, with which he both pr*)pell('d 
 and steered it. There was very little room to sit in the 
 canoe, still less to move ; so we remained very (piiet, and 
 were only able to strike a match under great difficulties. 
 Except for the want of space, we had a very pleasant 
 row (or paddle), until, on reaching a certain point, our 
 Indian ran his canoe ashore, when we got out and 
 walked the remainder of the distance, about a mile and 
 a half, to English Bay. The sea washes right up to the 
 roots of the trees, and ferns grow close down to the 
 water line. We did not notice manv arbutus trees in 
 this district. During our walk through the forest we had 
 stopped to measure one tree, a 77/ ///a gigantea, which, 
 six feet from the ground was as much as thirty feet in 
 
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122 LIFE AND LABOUR IX THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
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 circumfeiviice. This was only a specimen of many 
 others we saw. It is out of this wood (which the 
 Indians call cedar) that they make their canoes, form- 
 ing them from a single trunk, and either burning or 
 hewing them out of the solid block. As far as our 
 experience goes, these canoes appear to be very crank 
 and easily upset, but the Indians manage them very 
 well. Of course our Indian could not speak a word of 
 English, so we were glad to get some information from 
 two white men we met on the sands, as to tlie where- 
 abouts of English Bay. On our arrival there we came 
 across the sole resident, a white man, who said he occu- 
 pied himself with gardening. The place was not quite 
 what we had expected to find it, for it lies much 
 exposed to winds, and, in order to form a good harbour, 
 a breakwater would have to be built. Besides, though 
 the anchorage further out is excellent, the deep water 
 does not run near enough to the sliore. 
 
 We were received on reaching English Bay by a large 
 dog and an odd-looking goose, which both ran to meet 
 us. We returned to our canoe, and instead of letting 
 the Indian stop at his " reserve," we made him paddle 
 us on to the bridge at the end of " False Creek," and 
 thus avoided returning through the forest. Upon our 
 leahig the canoe I gave the Indian a cigar, and 
 offered him a light from my own. He immediately 
 seized the latter, and was going to transfer it bodily 
 
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THRoran the cascade mount aixs. 
 
 l'2'.i 
 
 to his own moutli. But T just succeodctl in rescuin*^ 
 it in time, for which 1 was rewarded witli a hideous 
 j^rin from ear to ear. From here we walked on to 
 Granville, where we ordered some dinner. AVhilst 
 it was being prepared, we liired a boat, and rowed 
 across to the Point, about a mile distant, across Coal 
 Harbour, in order to see the "First Narrows" of the 
 inlet, and to catcli a glimpse of Moodyville in the 
 distance. The conclusion to which Clive and I came, 
 was that, on the whole. Coal Harbour was the best place 
 for the terminus of the Canadian Pacific Pailroad, 
 except for the expense of bringing the line on about 
 fifteen miles from Port Moody. Wo thought Poi*t 
 Moody stood next best, were it not for the ice which 
 occasionally makes its appearance there during a severe 
 winter, as was the case last season. Tlie position of 
 Moodyville, separated as it is by the north arm of 
 Ihirrard's Inlet from the present railway route, woidd be 
 a great drawback to constituting it the terminus and 
 harbour. Our evening's row was a charming one. It 
 was just like being on an Italian lake. The colour of 
 the watev was very nearly, though not quite, as blue ; 
 and everything looked perfectly calm and still. There was 
 not a ripple on the water, and the mountains uU round 
 were clothed with forest from top to bottom. It was a 
 grand sight to look fifteen mile& right down the inlet, 
 and one felt what an important place this will probabl}' 
 
 
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 121. LIFE AND LABOUIt JN THE FAIl, FAR WEST. 
 
 some day become, slioiild the railway terminus be 
 located here. 
 
 The scene was a h)vely one, and not easily to be 
 fori^otten ; but it was i>-etting- bite, so we rehictantly 
 returned to tlie inn, where we ^'ot a bad dinner, and 
 liavnii^ changed our wet ck^thes, interviewed our driver, 
 wlio, in waiting so h)ng, had accidentally taken too much 
 drink on board. After consulting as to what was to be 
 done, we settled to start with him and take our chance ; 
 so, accordingly, we set off, amidst a large concourse of 
 s])ectat(n-s, who seemed to know what was up. The 
 road was a narrow one, with a deep ditch on each side. 
 It was my turn to take the box-seat, so I had the 
 })Ieasure of sitting next our friend, whose driving was at 
 first rather wild. The horses made two bolts to turn in 
 at the inn at Hastings as we passed, but we got by all 
 right. 
 
 We went down the hills at a tremendous pace ; but, 
 drunk or sober, the man was an excellent whip. All of 
 a sudden he lit a cigar, and became sober ; and then pro- 
 ceeded to tell ns his history. It seemed that he had at 
 one time driven a team of six horses in a stage in Cali- 
 fornia, and was tired now of driving only two. His 
 present master gave him£lGa month and his board; 
 and he was " boss in the stable;" but he wanted a 
 biu'irer team, and said he should then get double his 
 present pay. Formerly he had been a mmer, and had 
 
TnEOUGII THE CASCADE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 125 
 
 made a considoniljle fortune, but ])uttin(^ it into sonio 
 speculation, had lost every farthing*. His parents lived 
 in Ontario, and he did not mean to go back there until 
 he was rich again. He had partially lost his hearing 
 from lying out in the woods when he was with his 
 horses in California. This troubled him a good deal, 
 and he said he would give all he " could earn, or win," 
 to recovxT it. He really was not such a bad fellow 
 after all, and drove beautifully, though he did take us 
 down the hills at a tremendous rate; sometimes pulling 
 up with a jerk when half-way down, to show what he 
 could do if he had a mind to it. 
 
 We arrived safely at Kew AVestminster, and parted 
 very good friends with the man (who was quite sober by 
 that time), and then took up our quarters on board the 
 I^vfcrprisc, by which vessel we were to sail to Victoria 
 the following morning. I ought to say that in the 
 early part of the day the landlord of the inn at Gran- 
 ville, in order to induce us to stay the night, had 
 declared that there was a steamer from there to Victoria 
 the next morning ; but we subsequently discovered that 
 she did not sail for two days. I mention this as a 
 sample of the kind of information given one. Ever 
 since we have been in British Columbia we have had the 
 greatest difficulty in obtaining any accurate or reliable 
 information on any subject, partly, no doubt, because 
 the people sometimes really do not themselves know. 
 
 
 i 
 
12« LTFE AND LARnUR IN THE FAIi, FAR WEST. 
 
 * i- 
 
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 But I must say I like tlio Hritisli Columbians (they 
 do not call themselves Canadians), for they are always 
 exceeding-ly civil and oblii-'inL^. In the eveninj^ we met 
 Mr. Marcus Smith, the enj,nneer, who is now living at 
 New Westminster, and had a lon^,'' talk with him about 
 various matters. Thus ended a very pleasant day and 
 a charming excursion. 
 
 Our vessel sailed at 7 a.m. the next day (June 
 :27th), following the same route back to Vict(jria by 
 which we had come. We luid another look at the 
 salmon-canning process in passing by ; and saw a few 
 large tish. When nearing I'luinper Pass — which divides 
 Galiano Island from Main Island — we saw the Ad- 
 miral's ship, the Mutlnc, making her way to Esquimalt 
 Hjirbour. She was a fine vessel, and looked very stately. 
 On our route we passed Portland, Coal, Stewart, and 
 Piers Islands, and many others. All this part of the 
 coast is excessively picturesque, more like a large lake 
 than anything else ; and we were told that ducks and 
 geese abound here in November. We arrived at Vic- 
 toria at 2.30 p.m., and spent the rest of the day at the 
 club, in paying calls, and seeing various f'iends, &c. 
 On going back to the hotel for the night we ordered 
 a carriage and pair to be in readiness the next day to 
 take us to Saanicli. 
 
1 ;, 
 
 CHAPTER VIT. 
 
 THK PROSPECTS OF lUUTlSII COLUMBIA. 
 
 Juhn Cliinamun'H HxiicditiDiis Dish -Tiiulifr and Timber- till lor« — Axi> or Saw r 
 — Iiidiim Industry — HiintinLf on ii Limited f>viilv -'Vlui Ar(/unientuiii n'l 
 Hoiiiinem — C'owichun — Xaniiimo -Dipartiirc May — Tiin\ing i\w Corner — 
 Tlio Host Climate in the World— A I'lca.sant and I'roHiicrniis Si'ttli'inent — 
 Coal Lsland- Reciprocal Kejoicinfi;.s — Matrimony: iSiipply and Dijmand-- 
 Yancouver Island — Hints to Settlers -Atjriciiltiiral Operations — Land 
 Prospecttinf? — A Trui; Story — A Pic-nic — Cordova IJay — L(injj:t'ord Lake 
 — Canadians and ihitish Columbians — Khadamanthus Kediviviis-Five ! 
 — A Curious ^Mistake — Farewidls— When to Visit British Columbia — The 
 Terminus of the Canadian Pacilic Kailwiiy. 
 
 AVe were rather kite after all in getting off in the 
 morning, for we did not leave the hotel until 8.30 a.m. 
 Our plan was to see Saanich, and then to take a canoe 
 from the further portion of North Saanich across to 
 Oowichan on the mainland; but this arrangement was 
 frustrated by various unforeseen occurrences. Fii^t ot" 
 all we drove ten miles to " Thomas's ; " he is an old 
 settler, and was formerly a Hudson's Bay man. He 
 took us over his lands, where we saw some beautiful 
 trees, mostly Douglas fir and some Thuja ffit/nntca, all 
 of immense growth. This occupied some time, and 
 we afterwards drove on to Henderson's, where we had 
 luncheon. We wanted to have something to eat " quick " 
 — cold beef, or anything, in fact; but on going down 
 into the kitchen, we found the "Chinaman" com- 
 
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 128 LIFK AXD I.AIlOrn IX Till: FAlt, FAlt WEST. 
 
 iiu'iKMii*,' to make a tart hy way of an cxjM'ditious dish. 
 AVc expostulated witli Mrs. Henderson, who, however, 
 s. id "Time was iiotliinLT to tliem Cliinanien," and tliat 
 the ■ eouhl never u'et out of the routine. 
 
 Atlci 1« .ivini,'' Hen(U'rs()n's we drc-ve on in search 
 of an Indinn reserve and a canoe; hut when we reaelied 
 one wt' i'ound that all the inhahitants had sj^one out 
 tishin_<(, so that no one was availal)le, and we in eon- 
 s('(|uenc'(' did not (juite know wliat to (hs for it was 
 H'ettin<.f late. Continuing" our drive, wc wore sur])rised ut 
 passini,'' a nice little ]u)})-yard, and soon afterwards came 
 to a farndjouse, where a woniiui i^'ave us some informa- 
 tion ; hut a canoe to-niL'-iit was evidently out of the 
 question; so we in(juired for lodj^'inys, and were told 
 of a man of the name of Armstrong, on the East road, 
 who niij^ht he al)le to accommodate us, and who could 
 |)ut ns oil' in a hoat to catch the niornin<^" steamer. AVe 
 found that a sofa-hcd coidd he made up for one of \is, 
 and that the other two could sleep toj^'ether in a h(d 
 in the same room with the hrothersArmstrone^ ; hut wo 
 did not see any great necessity for makint>- an arrany-e- 
 mont of this sort, so decided instead on returnintr to 
 Henderson's for the nio-ht, and on takin<^ our chance 
 of gettint^ a canoo in the morning. Wo walked part 
 of the way hack to Henderson's, where we procured 
 rooms ; and, directly afterwards, were fortunate in meet- 
 ing an Indian, who agreed, for six dollars, to start with 
 
THE rUOSPECTS OF UlUTlSIt COLUMlllA. 
 
 \1^ 
 
 US tlu' rollowin*,' inoniin<,' iit 5 a.m. and take us to 
 (.'owichau to catch the stcainci tluTe. Tlicre was an 
 intclli^^cnt man of the name of Sutton at II('n(h'rs«)n's, 
 wlio was part-owner ol' a saw-mill business at C.'owichan ; 
 he <^ave us a o-rcjit deal { information, and told us, 
 amonj,' other thin<^s, that his timher-fallers cost him 
 £1 a day, i.e., 10s. in cash anci ts. for food, lie said 
 that the hi<j;;h wa<^es in iJritish Coiumhia brou^'ht every- 
 thing" (h)wn ; and that all farniing'-la.ids were too hii^di 
 in ])rice, on account of the ^reat expectations peoj)le had 
 formed of the benefits to be g'ained in the fnture 
 tliroug'h the contemplated Island iiailway. 
 
 From this man 1 learnt th. > the Douy'las and the 
 British Columbian fir are one and the amethin*-'; it 
 is the fhu'st timber they have; trei's about live fi'ct 
 in diameter are best for the saw-mills, and answer their 
 purpose better than lar<j^er ones. On making a calcula- 
 tion 1 found that a Douglas lir of, say 200 feet high, 
 and five feet diameter, is only worth 2s. before being 
 felled. What would be the price of such a tree in 
 England, I wonder ? When a tree is to be cut down 
 a little platform is fixed round it about ten feet from 
 the ground, and the woodnuui uses his axe so skilfully, 
 that the appearance of the face of the stump when 
 down is exactly as if the tree had been sawn in two. 
 1 had often noticed this, and wondered that a saw 
 
 should be used for falling such large trees ; but now I 
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130 LIFE AXD LAIiOUB IN THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
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 found, to my surprise, that an axe is the only tool 
 employed for this work. 
 
 Tlie next day we were up at 4 a.m., as the canoe 
 taking us to Cowichan was to start at 5 a.m. ; so we 
 l>reakfasted at 4.30 upon cold eg^s, milk, and bread, 
 and then looked out for our Indian, who, however, did 
 not make his appearance. Getting uneasy for fear he 
 should he off his bargain, we went down to the cove 
 at 5.30 to look for him. Neither Indian nor canoe 
 was there ; but while Mitchell was looking at the 
 view, and when my back was turned, round came the 
 canoe from behind a rock, so it was lucky that Mitchell 
 had stayed behind. Instead of bringing a second man 
 with him, as agreed, the Indian (Bob by name) had 
 brought his two children, a boy and girl, one to help 
 him to row (not paddle), and the other to steer. The 
 canoe was a good- sized one, much larger than the one 
 we had travelled in the other day going to English 
 Bay, but the rowing was absurd, for the old Indian did 
 as little as he could, and the son less — the latter spent 
 most of his time in yawning, and cotching fleas in 
 his head. First they tried a little rowing, then 
 ])addling .: when we had crossed the " broad water," 
 and got into the shallows, they took to punting ; and 
 linally, when the wind got up (which old Bob had 
 evidently been waiting for all the time) we had a sail. 
 We were much amused when, on one occasion, Clive 
 
1 1* 
 
 
 THE PBOSl'ECTS OF BlilTISII COLUMBIA. 
 
 161 
 
 tried to expostulate with the Indian on the bud pace ; 
 of course neitlier understood the other's language, but 
 old Bob turned on Clive and gave him a paddle, saying 
 something meantime whicli we assumed meant, " Then 
 help to paddle 3'ourself." He was a lazy old fellow, 
 and his perf.n-mance annoyed us considerably, but there 
 was no remedy for it but patience. 
 
 After being cramped up m the canoe for more than 
 four hours we reached the pier-head of Cowichan only 
 just before the arrival of the steamer from Victoria for 
 Nanaimo ; but there was no time to have a bathe, to 
 whicli we had been lookini; forward. Cowichan is a 
 very pretty place, and one of tlic best farming settle- 
 ments on the island. We regretted extremely that we 
 could not remain here longer, but had we done so 
 we should have been unable to reach Nanaimo, which 
 we also much wished to see, it being the coal district 
 of the island. Cowichan has a very " settled " appear- 
 ance, it stands in a pleasant valley whicli runs down to 
 the " Salt Water," and it is nicely backed up by 
 mountains. 
 
 We left about eleven o'clock in the steamer W. G. 
 Hunt, and arrived at Nanaiino about 3.30 p.m. The 
 scenery was fine, but the timber smaller than what we 
 had been accustomed to of late. During our cruise to- 
 day, both in the canoe and the steamer, we saw (juaiiti- 
 ties of large arbutus trees, thirty to fifty feet high, 
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 lo2 LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 j^rowing right down to the water's edge. On arriving 
 ut Nunaimo, we took a walk to inspect the town, but 
 were not mucli struck with it; and then went on with the 
 steamer to coal at Departure Bay. This is the great 
 coaling station for the whole of the Pacific Coast, and 1 
 am told that the coal is of excellent quality. There 
 was a large vessel from San Francisco taking in coal 
 while we were there. 
 
 We met here a Gloucestershire farmer, who came 
 from a locality I knew. He was looking out for a 
 farm, but did not seem to think much of the country 
 from an agricultural point of view. The weather 
 (luring the whole day was very line, rather warmer than 
 usual, but just like a cool sunnner day in England. 
 Th(} Nanaimo hotels did not appear to be very tempt- 
 ing places in which to spend a night, so we nuide 
 arrangements to sleep on board the steamer this evening. 
 The distant view from Nanaimo is very grand, taking 
 in a hirge portion of the Cascade range of mountains. 
 Departure Bay is three miles further north, and is 
 the farthest point north and west which we shall 
 reach on this trip. When we start from here in the 
 morning we shall be turning homewards for the first 
 time since we left England on the 10th May; so, in 
 point of fact, our return route commences to-morrow. 
 
 Sleeping on board the steamer, we started off very 
 comfortably for Victoria. The morning was beautiful, 
 
 M 
 
THE rnosrECTs of British Columbia. 
 
 1:53 
 
 as indeed tliey always are here, so bright and mild. 
 The air is very pure and fresh, and a gentle breeze 
 generally s})rings up about 8 a.m., dying away again 
 about p.m. The British Columbians invariably praise 
 up their climate, though there are sometimes complaints 
 about other things ; and I think they are quite right, 
 for it is as perfect as any climate can be; and every one 
 we spoke to on the subject always said it was the best 
 in the world. The lights and shades were beautiful to- 
 day on the islands and mountains as we steamed 
 along — much better than yesterday. We stopped at 
 Maple Bay, where Mr. Smithe, the l*rime Minister, came 
 on board ; and then at Cowichan, which again struck 
 us as the pleasantest and most prosperous settlement we 
 have yet seen in British Columbia. The Indian reserve, 
 howe'.'^er, occupies the best of the lands, which is rather 
 a pity, as they are sure never to improve them, jdthougli 
 they are good workmen when employed in service. 
 The valley in which Cowichan is situated appears to be 
 fertile, hills covered with pine-trees rising at the back, 
 and on each side, beyond these again, high rocky moun- 
 tains are visible. We were very sorry we could not re- 
 main here a while to see more of the place. 
 
 Continuing our journey, we steamed by Piers Ishmd, 
 which we were told was for sale, and then past Coal 
 Island. The latter is almost joined to the maiidand 
 by a series of little islets, covered with well-grown 
 
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r.U LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAB, FAR WEST. 
 
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 urbutus trees. It lies just opposite the mill and 
 Armstrong's, on Saanich road ; it is from 300 to 
 lOO acres in extent, and is well timbered. We took 
 a great fancy to this island ; and it really is a lovely 
 spot, with a beautiful view of Mount I3aker and the 
 Cascade Mountains in front, and the Olympian range 
 in Washington Territory to the south, with the salt 
 water forming a foreground. We made the acquaint- 
 ance of the Hon. W. Smithe (the Premier), who gave us 
 a great deal of information on various matters relating 
 to British Columbia, and we again heard that the 
 climate was the best in the world, and the land very 
 good ; but be told us that the grain grown in the 
 country was only sufficient for the home consumption, 
 and there was none to spare for exportation. 
 
 We reached Victoria at 3 p.m., after a very charming 
 steam on the calmest of waters, through most delightful 
 scenery ; and went at once to the Driard Hotel, where 
 we found that Baillie-Grohman — a friend of ours 
 whose acquaintance we had formed on board the 
 Germanic — had also just arrived. He asked us all to 
 go with him on the 13th to Kootenay, {i new settle- 
 ment which he is trying to form and reclaim. The 
 invitation was a v^ry tempting one ; there would be 
 a fifty-mile ride, a row of tljLp. same distance down a 
 river, and then of a hundred miles on a lake, camping 
 out every night. But in the evening I made up my 
 
THE niOSrECTS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. 
 
 13 
 
 oo 
 
 mind tlmt I must decline this invitation, as far as I 
 myself was concerned, on account of my previous en- 
 gagement, made before leaving England, to meet the 
 directors of the Midland of Canada Eailway at Glyndon 
 on July ISth, and to accompany them to the Nortli- 
 West Territory. Clive had previously written to J5ailli( - 
 (jrrohman, suggesting that he should join him at Koote- 
 nay, in order that he might thus fill up some of his 
 spare time whilst I was in the North-West. ^litchell 
 seemed inclined to keep with me ; but I asked both him 
 and Clive not to consider me, but to do what thev 
 themselves liked best, at the same time saying that, as 
 far as I was concerned, I must keep to my engagement 
 for July 18th. Thus the matter rested for the time, but 
 eventually it was settled that Mitchell should go with 
 me to the North- West, while Clive joined Baillie- 
 Grohman in the Kootenay expedition, it being agreed 
 that he should rejoin us at Winnipeg, or wherever we 
 might be, after he returned from Kootenay. 
 
 I bought an Indian spoon to-day made by Naas 
 Kiver Indians (to the north of Fort Simpson, British 
 Columbia), also a rug formed of cedar-bark from the 
 Tlufja ()i(jantca, trimmed with otter skin, and made 
 with the wool of the mountain sheep. This was the 
 handiwork of Nitanat Indians, Vancouver's Island, 
 north-west of Victoria. To-morrow is "Dominion Day," 
 which accounted for the steamer being pretty full. It 
 
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136 LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAB, FAR WEST. 
 
 will be celohrated this year on Monday, July 2nd, as 
 the 1st July falls on a Sunday. " Dominion Day" is 
 the anniversary of British Columbia and other Canadian 
 J*rovinc('s joining tlie "Dominion of Canada" in 1S71 ; 
 and is kept in Canada on July 1st, in the same way as the 
 Americans celebrate Independence Day (July 4th). A 
 great deal of good feeling is sliown between Americans 
 and British Columbians on these days of rejoicing, 
 ^lany of the former come over to British Columbia to 
 celebrate Dominion Day ; and the compliment is re- 
 turned by the British Columbians crossing to the other 
 side of the Sound — i.e., into the States — to keep Inde- 
 pendence IJay. It is a true friendly feeling, mutual and 
 sincere, and one which I hope may continue. 
 
 It appears to me that the future prosperity of Bri- 
 tish Columbia must be derived from its mineral re- 
 sources rather than from agriculture. The timber also 
 is undoubtedly a great source of wealth, but tliis will 
 naturally diminish in time, although the supply at 
 present is immense, and in quality and size it is some 
 of the grandest in the world. Mr. Sutton, of Cowichan, 
 spoke of a length cut out, eighty feet long, as a " good 
 stick." Mr- Smithe, who farms at Cowichan, told us of 
 a Douglas fir in his neighbourhood, measuring thirty- 
 five feet round and twelve feet in diameter at a height 
 of ten feet from the ground. On a level with the 
 ground the trunk was as much as fifty feet round. 
 
THE rBOSFECTS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. 
 
 137 
 
 Planks six or seven foot wide, and oi*j^lity foot l()n<^, aro 
 froquontly cut from tlio Douglas lir. Tliis will <;ivo 
 some idoa of the inimonso size of the timber. Some of 
 the best specimens of the Douglas fir grow near Now 
 Westminster, but this tree and the Hemlock spruce 
 abound everywhere. 
 
 The climate of British Columbia is so excellent in 
 every way, that I much regret that the farming lands 
 are not more extensive, otherwise this would be the 
 place of all others to which a small British farmer 
 should emigrate. A labourer, however, or an artisan of 
 any descrij^tion, could do well here, and, if steady and 
 active, might put by a large sum of money. Of course 
 it must be remembered that the long lournev out is 
 most expensive. It cannot be managed under t3(), even 
 at emigration prices ; and it would cost an ordinary 
 traveller £50 to £G0 to reach Victoria (B.C.) direct from 
 Liverpool. It would be cheaper for an emigrant to go 
 round in a sailing vessel via Cape Horn, but the journey 
 would probably take about five months to perform. 
 Besides this, wages would go down if there was any 
 great influx of immigration. At present nursery girls are 
 at a premium, for the ladies of Victoria, although they 
 employ a Chinaman "to run the house," do not take 
 one to run the nursery; hence young girls willing to 
 " take the baby " command a high figure, and soon realise 
 the value of their services. A woman servant would 
 
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13S LIFE AND LAIiOUli IN THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
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 <»l)t:iiii iiistiint oinployment at u hh^h rate of wa^^es — €()() 
 or £70 a year, if not more — and would, besides, in all 
 probability, be able to retire from service and enter into 
 married life witliin six months, if she wished to do so. 
 It is for this reason that people tluidc it hardly worth 
 while to import women-servants, for the exjienses would 
 be heavy, and the result would probably be matrimony, 
 and not leng'thened service. At present, owin<( to the 
 railway reserve (ten miles on each side of the line), all 
 the lands are ap])arently locked nj), and no Government 
 lands can be bought on the island. These latter are 
 said to be full of minerals, but at present no one can 
 buy; lienee the tide of immigration is In'ought to a 
 standstill. 
 
 On Vancouver's Island I believe the best agricultural 
 land to be about Saanich, Cowichan, and Comox. The 
 interior is still all wood, and up to tlie present time has 
 not been surveyed. On the mainland there are some 
 farm-lands of good quality on the lower Fraser, though 
 with rather a heavy rainfall. Higher up the river they are 
 subject to floods. In the interior, on the other side of 
 the Cascade Mountains, near Shuswap Lake, there are 
 lands good for settlement, amounting to about the size of 
 an English county; but this is very small in extent when 
 compared with the North- West Territory. Mr. Marcus 
 Smith (the engineer), who knows the country well, said 
 that one must go eighty miles beyond Yale, and pass the 
 
 
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THE ritOSPECTS OF JiRITISJI COLUMBIA. 
 
 i:jj> 
 
 i 
 
 Cascade Kiingo, before strlkinfjf agrieiiltunil liiiids, iind 
 that even then they are very scattered. '^Phe hills 
 become rolling, and bunch-grass grows. The latter is 
 long grass, cured by the sun and ((uite dry. On farms 
 with this grass a large range is re(juired, for when once 
 eaten down it does not grow again till the next season. 
 Cattle fatten on it amazingly, ])ut shrep grazing on it 
 ruin it entirely, for they eat it down too close. Many 
 districts are already spoilt by over-grazing. 
 
 Mr. Smithe gave us the following information ai 
 regards settlers, &c. : — If a man came into the country 
 with the intenticm of taking up !()() acres at the Govern- 
 ment price of one dollar (Is.) an acre, he would have 
 no chance of procuring cleared land, but must take his 
 100 acres covered with lumber, and clear and fence it. 
 The latter would co.st him twenty dollars (£ i) per 1,000 
 rails, which would fence i^OO yards. To enclose fifty 
 acres would take 120 dollars (£21). Clearing land 
 from wood — which means willow and alder only — costs 
 about ten dollars per acre to "chop down," and it may 
 be remarked in passing that these two trees always 
 indicate good land. It takes quite 200 dollars (£40) 
 per acre to clear pine-land ; but, of course, the value 
 of the timber would make some return for this outlay. 
 This includes both cutting down and grubbing up. 
 Land can be bought partially cleared at from £1 to £30 
 or £40 per acre. Uncleared land (assuming it to be 
 
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 110 i//'A' .lAy> LAUUVll JX THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 covered with willow or maplo) would cost fifty dollars 
 (tlO) per acre in brin^ into cultivation. This would 
 include cuttin^^ and hurning, levellini;', and open drainin*;- 
 with cedar- wood. 
 
 ^Ir. Sniithe's mode of open dralninj^' was to take ii 
 tree and sj)lit it ed«;'ewjiys ; then, having* dug Ji three- 
 foot drain, to let in one section edgeways with the 
 narrower part downwjirds. This method, whei adopted, 
 allows the water to run underneath without hindrance ; 
 and if good hearty tind)er be selected, it will hist for 
 years. ^Mr. Smithe also gave me the following iiverage 
 of cro])s : — 
 
 Hay, 2 tons per aero. Value, 25 dols. {£o) \wv ton. 
 Oats, 50 bush. „ Weight, 40 ll». por bushel. 
 
 Barley, 45 „ „ „ GO lb. „ 
 
 Wheat, 40 „ „ „ 62 lb. to 65 lb. 
 
 Hops, exceptional. 
 Swedes and turnips grow well, sometimes reaching 
 
 30 lb. to 40 lb. weight. 
 Peas and beans do not do well 
 
 Labour is very dear — the price for white labour 
 being 2^ dols. or 10s. per day; and for Indian 2 dols. 
 or 8s. per day; the latter is dearer than it used to 
 be. Very few men are kept on any farm througliout 
 the year ; ^Ir. Smithe told me that on his 300-acre farm 
 he only employed one man regularly. There is much 
 drunkenness in the towns, but very little in the country. 
 By a recent Act of Parliament the number of saloons is 
 
 
 by 
 
thp: ritosPECTS of buittsh columuia. 
 
 in 
 
 to be rt'strictt'd in proportion to i\\v population ; tliere- 
 foru Victoria, vvhicli has now sixty saloons, will have 
 to reduce them to only sixteen. I do not think that 
 British Columbia is makinn" nearly such rapid pro«;-ress 
 us Washington Territory, which has a very similar 
 climate ; at any rate many emigrants, having come out 
 to the former, soon pass over the Sound into the States, 
 
 AVe attended church in the moniing in the 
 cathedral, a wooden structure on a rocky eminence over- 
 looking the town. The bishop preached ; we thought 
 him rather severe-looking, but I should fancy that a 
 man of determined will was recjuired in a new country 
 like this. Afterwards 1 took the oj)portunity of writing 
 several letters ; and then we spent the time seeing and 
 calling on various friends, amcmg others on the Lieuten- 
 ant-Governor, with whom we stayed to dinner. Subse- 
 quently we went up on the Flag Tower, where the view 
 was most beautiful all round us : Mount Baker, Isle St. 
 Juan (now American territory), and the beautiful Ol^'ni- 
 pian llan<2e of mountains in Washington Territory; the 
 straits of JuandeFuca; below us Victoria partly surrounded 
 by its sjDlendid forests ; and the Cascade mountains in 
 the distance. It is indeed a most lovely view, and we 
 saw it to perfection this evening, enhanced by a fine 
 sunset. 
 
 We were up early on the Monday morning, and 
 started off land prospectuig at 7 a.m. Our last ex- 
 
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Ill LIFE AXD LAUOVn IN TIIH IWU, FAR W'lJST. 
 
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 pcdition of tliis kind was uLout n wock i\<i;o, wlicTi we 
 went to Tliouuis's Fann, on tlic West Saani'-li road ; 
 tjovv \v(» sot olT al(>n<^ tlu' East Saaiiicli road, turninjj; 
 to till' ri<;ht at tlu* Koyal Oak. The first place we 
 stoj)])('d at was lot 47, and was called Fern Dale, Lake 
 District; it beloiij^'ed to a man named Anderson, whom 
 we called upon, as we wanted to ascertain the where- 
 abouts of lot 1:21, which wc were anxious to see. lie 
 volunteered to come and show us, and wo had a rou<^h 
 walk until we reached the lot ; it is situat<'d on the 
 "Salt Water" (i.f., sea-shore) on Cordova I3av, 
 opposite the Isle of San Juan, which lay about 
 ten miles off, otiier islands bein<^ nearer. Mount 
 IJaker (at a distance of sixty miles) and the Cascade 
 Kanj^e on the mainland were clearly visible. The beach 
 was a ^ood one, sandy, with ])ebbles in places. The lot 
 itself was very rocky, but there were splendid trees all 
 round. On in({uirin<^ as to the ownership of the ad- 
 joining lots, we found that Nos. 24 and 25 belonged to 
 a man of the name of Eoss, and we walked on some 
 distance till we reached his log-hut, built in the middle 
 of a clearing ; but we were unlucky in not finding liim 
 at home. In coming here we traversed the newl}- 
 surveyed road, running into Cedar Hill road, and 
 passed some magnificent timber, mostly Douglas fir. 
 Judging by the presence of wdllow and alder, we 
 concluded there was some good land on these lots, and 
 
TJih' riiosi'i:vTs of iiurnsn coli'miua. 
 
 lilt 
 
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 we (li'c'idcd on l)iiyiii^ lot 1:21, and also lots *2[ and 
 25 if Uoss would sell ; siipposini^ we secured all 
 three, tlie Sidt-watcr frontaL^n* would be more than a 
 mile. 
 
 While wandcriui,'' on In tlie forest wo noticed, at the 
 base of a hu<(e iJouj^'las fir, a little wooden cabin made 
 of a cross-stick on two poles, with stronii; strips of bark 
 leanin<^ ajjfainst them to form two sides. There was 
 only just room for a man to crawl undenK^ath ; never- 
 theless, in this tlie owner had lived, summer and winter, 
 for twelve years, on his own holdini^ of about a hundred 
 acres, which he had not attempted to cultivate further 
 tlum by cuttin<4' down a few of the ma^-nificent forest 
 trees here and tliero. Not lon<jj a<^'o this man un- 
 expectedl}' came into a lar«^e property elsewhere. 
 Search was made for him, and, on beini^ discovered, 
 he was taken ofl\ new clothes ])rovided for him, was 
 shaved and had his hair cut, and then was s]ii])ped oil" 
 by the next mail to his new home and his riches. W'e 
 saw the ashes of his camp fire, the kettle, and some 
 old clothes, all still remainin<( just as he had left them. 
 This story is a fact, and was told us by Anderson. 
 
 We spent five or six hours prospectin<^, and were 
 much pleased with what we saw ; but remembering^ 
 that sve were all this time keepinj^ Anderson from the 
 Dominion Picnic, we hurried back to our carriage, which 
 we had left opposite his house. Mrs. Anderson, liow- 
 
 1-1 1 
 
 ' i 
 
 :\ 
 
 1 1 
 
 ! i£;i i. 
 
144 LIFE AM) LABOUR IN THE FAB, FAR WEST. 
 
 ^ * 
 
 ' -i. 
 
 ir*-; 
 
 ever, insisted upon our having some luneheon before we 
 left ; after whicli v.e drove on to the end of the East 
 road, as \v^e wanted to see Coal Island. In going" along 
 we made in(|uiries for a boat, but found that every- 
 body had gone to the 2)icnic. 
 
 On reaching the mill we saw an old settler there 
 with a canoe ; but he declined to take us, saying that it 
 leaked. Happily, just then another man appeared, and 
 olfered to lend us his boat for the expedition if we 
 would afterwards give him a lift in our carriage back 
 to Victoria, and this we at once agreed to do. Our new 
 ac(iu:iintance accompanied us to Coal Island; he proved 
 to be a Mr. Ward, a Methodist missionary, and had 
 just rowed over twenU' miles from ^laple ]5ay. We 
 had a charming trip to Coal Island, and found tliat its 
 present occupants are Honolulu Indians, who have been 
 im])()rted with six wivv'^s a-j)iece. Returning to land, we 
 had a bathe, iind tlu-n set of^' for Victoria, taking the 
 missionary with us, passing on the way many fnvmers 
 going home after the Dominion Day Picnic, each buggy 
 or waggon being crowded with children. The great 
 delight of the liritish Cohnnbians is to have what they 
 call a picnic — which they make into a regular holiday, 
 combined with dancing, &:q,. Our hithei'to quiet driver 
 did not turn out quite so well on the return journey ; 
 he tried speaking sharply, and would go to sleep while 
 driving ; and, finally, on reaching our destination, he 
 
 
THE PROSPECTS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. 
 
 Uo 
 
 asked five dollars more than his due, which of course 
 he did not get. 
 
 We did not arrive at Driard Hotel till 10.45 p.m., 
 and immediately ordered supper — whicli is quite contrary 
 to all rules and regulations in hotels conducted on the 
 American plan, unless a regular supper is held. All 
 the same, we succeeded in getting something to eat, and 
 so ended a long and very pleasant day. The views had 
 been charming, and the weather, as usual, deliglitful — 
 not too hot, and with a nice cool breeze blowing. 
 Anderson said he had travelled a great deal before 
 finally settling down, but that he had never found an} 
 climate to equal that of British Columbia; and this 
 appears to be the general opinion. I have never seen 
 any country to compare with it in the way of scenery 
 either, and it is most pleasant to travel in. 
 
 Our stay in Victoria had been more prolonged than 
 we had at first anticipated ; and, hearing that the 
 Ofier had returned from the north, and was now pre- 
 paring for another trip, we went to the Hudson's I3ay 
 Company's offices to make inquiries about her, and to 
 ascertain her dates of sailing, in case we could arrange 
 to go north in her ; but we decided in the end that this 
 would be impossible. We found the vessel in a very 
 dirty state, but there was a fair three-berth cabin on 
 deck : the passengers are usually Indians. We were 
 told that next year another steamer, the Princess Louise , 
 
 K 
 
 
 I' i'* 
 
146 LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 '■■hV< 
 
 11 ' 
 
 m." 
 
 was to be j^ut on in her stead. The route of the Offer 
 for the next trip was to be from Victoria to Nanaimo, 
 Albei-t Bay, Fitzliugh Sound, Smith Inlet, Port 
 Essington, Methihcatla, Fort Simpson, Sidegate, and 
 Queen Charlotte's Island, thus not going so far as 
 Wrangle. The vessel now belongs to the Canadian 
 Steam Navigation Company. The American mail also 
 runs once a month up to Alaska, starting from Port- 
 land, and calling (I believe) at Victoria. It leaves the 
 first week in each month, but has no settled day, as the 
 date is fixed according to the moon, light nights being 
 necessary for threading these intricate waters. The 
 best plan would be to go by the one line and to return 
 by the other, for the Canadian Steam Navigation 
 Company sends its boats to all the Hudson's Bay 
 stations, and up the inlets ; whereas the American boat 
 passes by the British Columbian ports. The route of 
 the Alaska- American mail-boat (the Ida/io or other- 
 wise) is from Portland to Sitka ; which latter place is 
 ISO miles north of Wrangle. In order to see the 
 glaciers on Stikeen River one ought to get out at 
 Wrangle and go by steamer (the G erf rude) up the river. 
 As far as I can make out, the Cassar gold mines are 
 beyond this again; but the glacier expedition would 
 only take a day each way from Wrangle. The follow- 
 ing information, which was given me, is rather vague : — 
 " The Cassar gold mines are hundreds of miles north- 
 
 L 
 
 
irJVT 
 
 THE niOSPECTS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. 
 
 Ii7 
 
 east of Wrangle; steamer to Glenora, canoe to Tele- 
 graph Creek, by Park Hall to Dew Lake by boat, down 
 to Macdanes, Creek gold mines." The scenery north 
 is very fine, and had we had the time to spare we 
 should have enjoyed going immensely ; but, although 
 of course it might be done m less time, it would require 
 three weeks to a month to see it all properly ; in any 
 case, I should not have been able to keej) to my engage- 
 ment for 18th July; so, iu the end, we abandoned the 
 idea. When we returned to the Driard, Tatlow came 
 to give us more information about land, investments, 
 &c. ; and Mitchell bought a mud flat at the mouth of 
 the Fraser River. Later on, Clive also went in for a 
 similar purchase ; but I was not tempted to do so, and 
 preferred sticking to the land seven miles from Victoria, 
 at Cordova Bay. 
 
 In the course of the afternoon we drove out to- 
 gether, accompanied by Tatlow and a friend (Mr. Jones), 
 to see a farm for sale at sixty dollars per acre, called 
 Twin Oak, three miles from Victoria, about which 
 Mr. Jones had some information. On the road we 
 passed Dean's Farm, owned by a Scotchman, for sale 
 at one hundred dollars per acre. This farm appeared 
 to be above the average, and in good order; from it 
 there was a beautiful view of the Sound and of the 
 Olympian Range of mountains. I did not care very 
 much for Twin Oak farm. 
 
 K 3 
 
 I:' 
 
 1) 
 
 '>IH 
 
148 LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAB, FAli WEST. 
 
 Hi K'i 
 
 
 After seeing it we continued our drive to Cordova 
 Bay, to try and find Ross, the owner of lots Nos. '1,4 
 and 25. These lots adjoined the Government Reser- 
 vation (Cedar or Douglas Mountain), and so were in 
 our eyes all the more valuable, as the timber there 
 would remain standing. We thougiit the spot more 
 l)eautiful tlian ever, and determined to buy lots 24 and 
 25 as well as 121, if we could get them. But we were 
 unfortunately again unlucky in not being able to find 
 Ross. The Bishop's property very nearly adjoins 
 Cordova Bay, and we ascertained that a school and 
 church were within three miles of the ranche (farm). 
 We were obliged to return without seeing Ross, and got 
 back to Victoria very late, having therefore to trouble 
 the hotel people to serve us with another supper after 
 hours. In the course of our afternoon walk we had 
 come across a man named Tway, from Jersey, the owner 
 of lot No. 28, who had given us a good deal of in- 
 formation on various points, telling us, among other 
 things, that Ross's land was better than his, and that 
 if he (Ross) coulJ get his price, he wanted to sell and 
 return home. 
 
 Victoria seems to be a rising place, and the town 
 lots are exorbitantly high. We saw one in Government 
 Street which had just been sold ; it was only half a 
 lot — 30 feet by 60 feet — the usual size being 60 feet 
 ]jy 120 ; but it was a comer frontage, and it fetched no 
 
 I 
 
 
THE PltOSrECTS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. 
 
 U9 
 
 I 
 
 less than 15,000 dollars. A groat many of these corner 
 frontages are not yet built upon, as they are being held 
 by speculators ; but were I one of that liappy fraternity, 
 I think I should avail myself of the present high prices, 
 and not wait for the inevitable drop which is sure to 
 follow a " boom." A small unfurnished house can be 
 rented in Victoria at thirty dollars per month. 
 
 We set off the next morning on a drive to Langford 
 Lake anu Gold Stream ; the forme.' was about ten 
 miles distant, and both were reported to be very pretty 
 places. The drive to Langford Lake, and the lake 
 itself, were certainly pretty ; but unfortunately we forgot 
 all about Gold Stream, and, not having mentioned it 
 to our driver, we returned to Victoria without having 
 seen it. Or our way back we stopped to call upon the 
 officers of the Swiftsure in Esquimalt harbour, and on 
 our return to town called on Judge Walkem. Mitchell 
 also went to Judge Crease's — our Fraser River ac- 
 quaintance — Clive and I meantime going on to Govern- 
 ment House to say good-bye to Cornwall, stopping on 
 the way to have a last look at the very beautiful view 
 from the point outside. 
 
 We formed the acquaintance of Mr. Ward, the 
 manager of the British Columbian Bank, and finally 
 settled to buy lot 121, Cordova Bay. He asked us to 
 dine with him the following day, which we agieed to 
 do ; people are really so kind and hospitable in Victoria, 
 
 % 
 
Iir 
 
 ll|;i, 
 
 ii if „ 
 
 l.-iO LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 one soon gets one's day filled up. To-day (July 4tli) 
 is Independence Day in the States, and is celebrated 
 almost as much here as over the boundary. As far 
 iis I can ascertain, the British Columbian regrets 
 that his country should have been included in the 
 I )ominion of Canada, and would have preferred its being 
 constituted a separate Crown colony. There is certainly 
 a want of sympathy with the Canadians on the part 
 of the British Columbians, and the latter pretend to 
 consider themselves a separate colony. We spent the 
 evening at Judge Walkem's, and his wife sang us some 
 very pretty songs, the Judge talking all the time, and 
 telling us the prices of labour at the time of the gold- 
 fever in 18G2-3, which were as follows : — 
 
 Pick and shovel men ... ... 12 dollars per clay. 
 
 Bliicksniitlis ... ... ... 11 „ „ 
 
 Carpenters ... ... ... 12 „ „ 
 
 And others in proportion. 
 
 To-day had been again a beautiful day, and would 
 have been charming on the Idaho. She went noiih this 
 morning at 5 a.m. We decided to postpone leaving 
 Victoria until Friday next (July 0th), which is the 
 latest date we can possibly manage, so as at the same 
 time to keep the 18th July engagement at Glyndon 
 with Messrs. Cox and Jaffray, the Midland of Canada 
 Directors. 
 
 Clive, Mitchell, Tatlow, and I, went once more, the 
 
 
 Fti 
 
THE rnnsrECTs of British colvmiha. 
 
 i.-i 
 
 le 
 
 next day, to Cordova Bay in search of Ross, ^oin<:^ this 
 time direct rid Cedar Hill and the Government Reserve. 
 However, we were ji^ain disappointed ; hut in lookinij 
 for him we struck the sections next ahove his, and 
 found there some cleared land gTowin<»' excellent hay — 
 some of the hest, indeed, I have seen in British 
 Columhia. This speaks well for the lots we want to 
 huy. I fancy, hy the appearance of the timher and the 
 presence of willow and alder, that there must he some 
 ffood land on Ross's sections. There is also a fair dis- 
 trihution of rock for ornamental purposes. The growth 
 of the arhutus trees here is wonderful and very pic- 
 turesque ; and altogether we were more pleased than 
 ever with " Cordova Ranche," and returned to Victoria, 
 agreeing to depute Tatlow to discover Ross, and, if pos- 
 sible, to make a deal with him. A Government road is 
 being made through the property, which will add to its 
 vahie. 
 
 Although Victoria is a very nice place, it is rather a 
 sleepy one, and I could not get a telegram oft' this 
 morning at 8 a.m. There are no postmen in the place, 
 and no delivery, so every one has to call for letters at 
 the office. We saw Judge Begby, the Chief Justice 
 of British Columbia, this afternoon. At the time of 
 the gold-fever he was stationed at Cariboo, where a 
 strict rule was necessary to preserve order. His sen- 
 tences while there were so severe, that it was said of 
 
 4; S'il! 
 
 1; 
 
 1 i '< 
 
 4. 
 
 I ; 
 
 5 ■ ■ 
 
 
 1 
 
 h 
 
 
 1 
 
152 LIFE AXn LABOUR IN THE FAIi, FAR WEST. 
 
 i> n 
 
 m 
 
 him that " after sitting in judt^mcnt all the week, when 
 he took his well-earned rest on a Sunday he spent his 
 leisure hours lookin*^ out for trees on which to hang 
 criminals on the Monday." 
 
 We dined with Mr. and Mrs. Ward, and during 
 dinner were startled at hearinj: ti." lire-alarm sounded. 
 "Oh yes," Mr. Ward sj* ^i, w) thing is so beauti- 
 fully arranged here with i :.r.n\i >o the fire-alarm, &c. ; 
 one stroke of the alarm indicates tliv ward in which the 
 fire has broken out, another the street, so that its exact 
 j)osition is immediately known." We were much im- 
 pressed with this account of the well-organised system 
 of the Victoria Fire J5rigade , and, later on, looking out 
 of the win(h)w, saw an immense blaze, apparently at 
 some considerable distance. The next morning we were 
 much amused at finding that the well-organised fire 
 brigade had made a mistake, for not only was the fire 
 not in Victoria, or indeed in Ikitish Columbia at all, 
 but it was actually more than thirty miles away, across 
 the Sound, in Washington Territory ! A watchman had 
 seen a bright light over the top of an adjoining rock, 
 and had immediately jumped to the conclusion that 
 there was an outbreak of fire in Victoria, instead of 
 which it was really the glare of an immense forest fire 
 in Washington Territory. 
 
 After leaving the Wards we called by appointment on 
 the Tatlows, and later on went to wish Baillie-Grrohman 
 
 l\' 
 
THE rROSrECTS OF BRITISH COLUMDIA. 
 
 153 
 
 good-bye ; then we adjourned to our berths on board the 
 Norf/t Pacijic s.s., which was to sail in the mornin*^ at 
 i) a.m. for New Tacoma vn route for Porthmd (Oregon 
 Territory), Tatlow coming with us to see us ou board. 
 We parted with him about midnight, and very sorry we 
 were to do so, and to say farewell to Jiritish Columbia ; 
 but we had put off leaving until the last possible 
 moment, if we were to be "on time" in reaching Win- 
 Had it not been for this enmifjement I believ' 
 
 o'-o^ 
 
 nipeg. 
 
 we should have all stayed in British Columbia until H 
 was time to return to England, so delighted were '^e 
 with the country, its climate, scenery, and inhabitants. 
 
 The best time for visiting Vancouver and H(; 
 west coast of British Columbia is in June and July. 
 The month of March is rather early ; April and May are 
 pleasant ; but June is very good, though likely to be 
 rainy. July, on the whole, is the best month. In 
 August there are sea mists and forest fires; and the 
 smoke from the burning trees spoils all the scenery. 
 September and October are said to be beautiful months, 
 with fine weather ; and this continues sometimes even 
 till the middle of November. The winter months in 
 Vancouver Island are never very cold, and hardly 
 enough snow falls to allow the inhabitants to indulge in 
 the pleasure of sleighing. There is, however, an undue 
 proportion of rainfall, especially on the west coast of the 
 mainland. 
 
 \ 
 
 : % 
 

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 '1 1 
 
 { l^' 
 
 fi 
 
 ■(■;■ 
 
 : %.. 
 
 i ^i . 
 
 ',, < 
 
 154 LIFE AND LAUOVIt IN THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 Tlio foll()\vin<^ are a few notos as rof]fartls tho various 
 places suj^j^csted as tho tenuiims <»f the Canadian Pacific 
 liiiilrond. At present Port Moody (on Burrard's Inlet) 
 is the recoLjnised depot; but, o\vin<^ to the presence of ice 
 in the harbour tliere last winter for a short time, it is 
 just possible that it may be thouuflit wiser to remove 
 the terminus elsewhere. There are thus — (1st) Port 
 Moody, which possesses excellent anchorage and an 
 
 lUUUAHU 8 INLET. 
 
 ■i 
 
 
 B 
 
 almost land-locked harbour, seventeen miles from the 
 First Narrows of Jiurrard's Inlet ; the First and 
 Second Narrows must be passed to reach it, but large 
 ships of any draught can come up. At the head of the 
 inlet tliere is a space left dry at low water, which is 
 secured to the Syndicate l)y Act of Parliament. This 
 land, which is about 1, ()()() acres in extent, could easily 
 be reclaimed if a sea-wall were built, and would then 
 become very valuable property, and be probably the site 
 of a future city. Hills covered with trees from top to 
 bottom rise steeply all round the inlet, and the situation 
 is altogether exceedingly pretty. Tliere is also an 
 
 ¥■ i 
 
THE ritOSrECTS OF UJUTISH COLUMUIA. 
 
 155 
 
 ute 
 to 
 
 ion 
 an 
 
 excellent su])j)ly of frcsli water. The iee in winter time 
 is rather an ohjeetion; l)ut there are various conllietinij 
 statements as to its thiekness. 
 
 (Mildly) Moodyville, opposite irastin<^s, and ahont 
 five or six miles from the outlet to the sea. It is objected 
 to on account of the north arm of liurrard's Inlet sto})i)in*^ 
 railway communication, unless great expense is incurred. 
 
 (3rdly) Granville, on Coal HarlxMir, three to four 
 miles from the outlet, j)ossesses good anchorage, and only 
 the First Narrows would have to be passed to reach it ; 
 besides, a natural harbour is here formed by a pro- 
 jecting ])iece of land. The tide runs five to .seven 
 miles through tlu^ Narrows. The drawbacks are, that 
 there is occasionally a strong wind (I think from the 
 west), and that there is no good drinking-water. 
 
 (4thly) English Bay, which is exposed to the scmtli- 
 west wind ; and in order to make it of any use as a 
 harbour, a breakwater — say 41 5 yards long, at a cost of 
 perhaps one million dollars — would have to be formed 
 on Spanish Jiank. There is no fresh-water supply at 
 English Bay ; it might, however, be brought from some 
 lakes about .seven miles distant, and the same plan could 
 be adopted at Granville and Coal Harbour. AVhether 
 British Columbia is ever really destined to possess the 
 final embarkation point of the Canadian Pacific llail- 
 road is, however, by no means a positive certainty, for 
 there is still one more idea, an Act having been passed 
 
 J I 
 
 .1 ^. W 
 
 ill £> 
 
 ISil ■' 
 ■H-1 
 
{ ! 
 
 IM LIFE AND LAliOUIi m THE FAIi, FAR WFST. 
 
 in Hritish Columhiji incorponitin^ a railwiiy company to 
 build a line IVoni a point (I*oi*t Ilaniond) on tlio Frascr 
 River between New Westminster and Maple liidi^e, 
 aerosM to the 1!)" parallel. Simultaneously wi'Ji this a 
 charter has been obtained in the United States for a line 
 from lk'llin«;ham May t(j the H>' parallel. 
 
 
 J m: , 
 
 % 
 
•r 
 :i 
 
 ClIAPTEU viir. 
 
 EASTWAUi) no! 
 
 A Last Look iit Victoriii— I'ort Townsnnd— Hituttlo— UiviilTouturs— Washinjctoti 
 Torritory — Tjuoiiui — .Iiid;;!' Lynch — I'ortluml, Oregon Tonitory — Tho 
 Tarty Divides— On tin- Iron U()a<l a>,'ain -Tho Dalhrn— WaUula — 
 Tho Spokano Kails Sand I'oint, Idaho Ttrritory— IIoiou— IIoiho I'lainn 
 — Tho *' ('ow-ratthtT " — Tho Flathcads— A Narrow Krtwipe-MissouLi — 
 A ('onifortiil)lo Ilott'l— I'rofuHi! Trofanity. 
 
 We turned out lit .") u.m. on Friday, July (itli, to have 
 a last look at Victoria as our vessel steamed out of 
 the harhour, for we were very sorry indeed to leave the 
 j)lace. As we passed alon«^ the Sound we had a last 
 look at Government Mouse, and then turned our faces 
 in the direction of American territory once more. We 
 could not, however, see much, for forest-fires had 
 recently been so numerous, that uj)on a|)])roachin^' tlu' 
 American shore we found the wlu)le district one mass of 
 smoke. The fire which had attracted the notice of tlu; 
 Victoria lire bri«^ade on the prtvious evening had been 
 one of immense ma<ijnitude, and we saw the smoke from 
 it still ascending. Uesides this, numerous tires were 
 apparently smouldering in other directions in different 
 parts of the forests ; and throughout the day the atmo- 
 sphere was suffocating, and the views totally obscured 
 by the smoke. Had it not been for this I believe we 
 
 i 
 
 1 
 
fi> 
 
 f\ ;! 
 
 'I* 
 
 \P> 
 
 tr 
 
 158 
 
 LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAB, FAR WEST. 
 
 should luive seen some grand scenery in Pu^^et Sound ; 
 and, even as it was, we were struck with the great size 
 of this estuary. 
 
 The first stoppage was made at Port Townsend, and 
 here we had to pass the American custom house, 
 where the officials were pretty strict. AVe next touched 
 successively at Port Ludlow, Port Gammon, and Port 
 Madison ; and then came to Seattle, where quite a 
 "boom" is at present going on, for it is thought that 
 the Northern Pacific llailway may possibly make this 
 its terminus. Town lots command a tremendcuisly high 
 figure, and houses are being run up very fast ; as they 
 are mostly constructed of wood, the place looks very 
 temj)ting for a good large fire — after which catastroj)he 
 a stone or brick city would quickly rise iqjon the 
 ashes of the present wooden one. The hotel touters on 
 the 2:)ier-liead amused us, as they shouted out to the pas- 
 sengers on board, seeking for customers: man No. 1, 
 rmmer to the Hotel St. Charles, calling out " The Hotel 
 St. Charles is the only first-class hotel in Seattle ;" 
 which was capped by man No. 2, runner to the Occi- 
 dental Hotel, thus, " There is j?o first-class hotel in 
 Seattle, but the Occidental is the only near approach 
 to one." 
 
 We continued our journey surrounded by smoke 
 from the burning forests, till we came first to Tacoma, 
 and then to New Tacoma, where we had to put up for 
 
■! r 
 
 EASTWARD HOI 
 
 169 
 
 the ni^lit, all throe in one room, at a very ])ad hotel. 
 Bein^^ too late for supper there, we were obli<^('cl to go 
 to a restaurant to get some food. A portion of the 
 Northern Pacific Railway runs from here to Kalama. We 
 found New Tacoma a very hot, sultry place, with a large 
 proportion of Chinese inhabitants, the following being 
 the name of one party, " Quong, Mow, Chung, and 
 Sam Kee," Chinese merchants. 
 
 There was a horrid smell in our room all night, so 
 bad, that I lit a cigar in bed ; and, after trying vainly to 
 get rid of it thus, finally turned into an adjoining 
 sitting-room, and went to sleep on the sofa there. We 
 were up at 5 a.m., and left two hours later by the 
 Northern Pacific Eailway for Kalama, going on from 
 there by the steamer, Robert It. Thompsun, up the 
 Columbian River, and then by the Willamette River, to 
 Portland, at which place we arrived about 5 p.m., not 
 having been able to see anything during the whole of the 
 journey on account of the forest fires. There was a large 
 fire at Astoria a few days ago ; and some of the citizens 
 practised lynch law on thieves who had availed them- 
 selves of the confusion thus caused. Indeed, lynch law 
 is by no means out of date in Washington Territory, and 
 was enforced not many months ago, when the operation 
 of hanging the men occupied over five minutes, during 
 Which time a photographer "took views," and, as I was 
 told, made "quite a pile" by the sale of the copies. 
 
 II 
 
 ! 
 
 M„ 
 
 H- 
 
 
160 LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAIi, FAR WEST. 
 
 i ^m 
 
 III m 
 
 On reaching Portland we went to the post-office to 
 get our letters and papers. I had not heard from hoiae 
 since May 24th, so was delighted to find six letters, 
 written at different times and forwarded on from 
 various places , for we had given Portland as our 
 address for the back post-offices, in preference to 
 Victoria, as the postal communication is not so good 
 to the latter place. Clive did a little shopping, by 
 way of getting together his " outfit " for the Kootenay 
 expedition. 
 
 Portland is said to be well situated, but we could 
 hardly see across the river (the Willamette) on account 
 of the smoke, and found the atmosphere very hot and 
 suffocating. It is probable that the 4th July celebra- 
 tion may have induced many people in the woods to 
 start extra fires on their own account ; but, however 
 this may be, I hope the inhabitants of Portland do not 
 always have to live in such a stifiing air. 
 
 On July 8th, Sunday, we went to church in the 
 morning, after which we occupied ourselves in making 
 inquiries relative to our journey of 1,(3 5 1^ miles east 
 to Glyndon, en route for Winnipeg ; this was to be 
 partly accomplished by means of the uncompleted 
 Northern Pacific Kailroad, and partly by driving over 
 the Pocky Mountains ; but, as usual, we had great 
 difficulty in obtaining any reliable information. It 
 was very hot and sultry all day, and our hotel was 
 
the 
 
 ing 
 
 east 
 
 be 
 ted 
 over 
 reat 
 
 It 
 
 EASTWARD 110/ 
 
 161 
 
 ' 1 
 
 ill 
 
 a bad one. "We wrote letters, and made preparations 
 for an early start the next morning, and felt very sorry 
 to have to part with Clive for a short time, according 
 to agreement, so that I might fulfil my long-standing 
 engagement with Jaffray and Cox for July ISth at 
 (jrlyndon, while he kept to his Kootenay engagement 
 with Baillie-Urohman. 
 
 We were up at 5 a.m. the next day, and all went 
 as far as the steam-boat landing together. Mitchell 
 and I had intended going by steamer up the Columbia 
 River, as far as The Dalles, and thence on by rail to 
 Missoula; but, thanks to the forest tires, all the views 
 were totally obscured ; and as we were told it would 
 not be clear again till there had been some rain, we 
 very reluctantly gave up the Columbia by water, and 
 arranged to go direct by rail to Missoula (700 miles). 
 Clive, however, having too much time on hand, went 
 by boat ; Mitchell and I crossed tlie river at 7 a.m., 
 and then took our tickets to Missoula by the Oregon 
 Railroad and Navigation Company. We skirted the 
 Columbia River, but everything was so thick that we 
 could not even see across it ; however, the little we 
 could make out of the bank on which the railway ran 
 showed us that the scenery was very good. Our route 
 lay along tl»e Oregon Territory shore ; the opposite l)ank 
 of the river is in Washington Territory', and is .said to 
 be the better scenery of the two. Above the Lower 
 h 
 
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 ¥ 
 
 ^ 
 
 ■ I, 
 
 I 
 
V 
 
 !. « 
 
 it ' 
 
 IS- i^ 
 
 LTFE AKD LABOUR IN THE FAIi, FAR WEST. 
 
 Cascades wo passed a salmon -wheel, which somewhat 
 reseml)les a water-wheel, but has nets instead of 
 paddles. The Indians had just had a catch, and we 
 saw a whole barrow-full of salmon being wheeled away. 
 We also noticed several salmon-stages, where the 
 fishermen ladle these fish out of the water with a 
 hand-net. 
 
 The steamer runs from Portland to the Lower 
 Cascades, where it transfers its passengers into a train 
 to go on five to seven miles to the Upper Cascades, 
 whence they proceed again by steamer to The Dalles. 
 As far as I could make out, I think t/he scenery about 
 here must be very pretty ; on the river-bank the trees 
 are small, but I noticed many specimens of our old 
 friend the Poiidcrom appearing again. Between the 
 Upper and Lower Cascades the Government is con- 
 structing a series of locks, to allow of water communi- 
 cation. As the line approaches The Dalles station, a 
 passage is cut for it out of the towering rocks, and it 
 has only just room to pass between the river and 
 mountain. I very much regretted that we could not see 
 more of Washington Territory (which was still only 
 divided from us by the river), but the smoke effectually 
 veiled it from sight, both during our steam down the 
 So^und, and also throughout our present jom*ney, so 
 that we iiurdly saw anything of it worth mentioning. 
 This wr.f, \\\? more disappointing, as it is cme of the 
 
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 EAST]VARD HO! 
 
 163 
 
 States which is at the present time fast filling up, and 
 new settlers are ilockintj into it from all sides. 
 
 Soon after passing Dalles station, we came to " The 
 Dalles" themselves. The region is a large tract of 
 flat barren rock, rising just above the level of the river, 
 the latter having worn itself a course through tlu^ 
 midst ; the appearance is one of complete desolation. 
 Further back on each side the rocks rise, thus leaving 
 a kind of barren valley between, devoid of all vegetation, 
 for the course of the river. We saw numbers of lied 
 Indians about here, many of them bathing, others fish- 
 ing. Soon after leaving The Dalles we passed into 
 a .sandy, desert district, which extended for many miles ; 
 there being nr trees, we fortunately at last left tliL' 
 smoke behind us ; but an intense heat, visible in the 
 form of mist, took its place ; and later on in the after- 
 noon a sand blizzard set in, blinding everything ; all 
 this was very different to the beautiful climate of 
 British Columbia. I believe the Columbia liiver is 
 navigable by steamer above The Dalles, but this part 
 of the country is quite as well seen from the railway. 
 The line is well engineered and solidly laid; the sleepers 
 being excellent and the rails of good quality. 
 
 At a place called Wallula, the Oregon liailroad and 
 Navigation Company's track terminates, and is succeeded 
 by the Northern Pacific Kailroad ; but the same pre- 
 sident (President Villard) acts for both lines. The 
 
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 164 LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 scenery above Av'iilliilii differs in some respects from 
 that l)el()\v it ; it is all mon^ or less desert, but very 
 remarkable, on account of the jj^reat ridges of black 
 rock which crop up here and there, and in some places 
 run along for mile.? like a perpendicular wall from 
 oO to 1 50 feet high ; one rock resembled a martello 
 tower, complete in every respect except the guns. 
 
 After leaving this rocky district we came to a deep 
 valley, through wliich the Columbia runs, with higli 
 grass mountains, ill of about the same elevation, on 
 eitlior side — a very diuracteristic, Ijut not especially 
 pretty, l)it of scenery, J^ater in the evening our train, 
 engine and all, was taken over the Snake Uivcr on a 
 steam ferry-boat. AVe saw a great many Indians 
 throughout this dry's journey, some on Horseback and 
 SOUK' on foot, and also passed a large number <tf 
 settlers' "outfits." After l^'aving Wallula, all the 
 habitations we noticed (such as they were) were of a 
 temporary sort, being either of wood or simply tents. 
 
 At l.'M) a.m., on July 10th, we passed Spokane 
 Falls, which seemed rather a thrivmg little ])lace, with a 
 waterfall of some attractiveness. Soon after leaving here, 
 we noticed a tine cattle ranclie. When one considers the 
 look of the grasses, it is wonderful how fat the cattle 
 are, and in what good c<mditioH both they and the 
 horses appear to be ; but we were told tliat they thrive 
 capitally on this food, and require no corn. 
 
 fi 
 

 EASTWAVD 110. 
 
 165 
 
 Our train had stopped from time to time to take up 
 fuel whenever it ^'ot the chanee ; hut we now a*;ain 
 came into a wooded country, and, passin<^ over an arm 
 of Pend'oreilk' Lake on a wooden ])ridi^e one and 
 three-(iuarters mih' lonj.^, we reached Sand Point, in 
 Idaho Territory, where a halt was made for hreak- 
 fast. It is from here, a few days hence, thiit Clive 
 will commence his expedition to Kootenay Lake, after 
 being joined hy HaiIlie-(}rohman. Startin<^ on a«>'ain. 
 we enjoyed a fine view at a place where we crossed 
 Clarke's Fork Iviver hv means of a wooden brid<re. 
 At Heron, further on, we had to s^ive up the com- 
 forts of our Pullman car, for an accident h < 1 hap- 
 pened to tiie train which left Missoula in the morn- 
 ing, coming west, and its Pullman had been thrown oft' 
 the track ; so the result was that ours was taken for 
 the convenience of the westward-bound passengers 
 during the night joui-ney. Of course tlwre was no help 
 for it, and we had to submit with as good a grace as we 
 could ; but it is wonderful how uncomfortable the ordi- 
 nary cars are after travelling in a Pullman. The track 
 a])out liere was only opened a week ago, and everything 
 looked new and \uifinished. We saw large gangs of 
 Chinese labourers at M'ork on the railway, and there 
 vv'ere the remains of their camps along the whole of the 
 new section of the route ; in many cases with mounds 
 near them, showing where men had been buried, often 
 
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iii }H 
 
 im LIFE AM) LAliOVU IN THE FAll, FAR WEST. 
 
 vvitliin a few yards of tlie cainp. llurclly a house was 
 passed for scores of miles; every one a])parent]y lived in 
 a tent (»r In a \vai^<^^on. JJein*^ relieved of tlie cliar<^e of 
 the Pullman car, our conductor made rather too free 
 with a whisky-hottle which a friendly passenger had 
 brou<(ht with him. 
 
 W'^ had dinner in a very hot tem])orary hut, not far 
 from the river, in a dense forest ; and scxm afterwards 
 came to a place where two men were lynched last year, 
 before the railway was o])ened, for robbing" the coach. 
 One of the men was hurt in the scuffle, and was caught 
 later using crutches. Both were lynched on the spot 
 where the robbery took place, and we saw the crutches 
 still stuck up over their grave. I believe all this 
 district was very wild indeed until quite recently. The 
 language at the stations and in the train was frightful, 
 and seemed to ^'ct worse and worse the more nearly we 
 approached the Eockies. 
 
 At a place called Horse Plains there is an adminible 
 district for a cattle ranche ; and further on, at " Para- 
 dise," there are better lands still. The " cow-catcher" 
 whistle is not at all an unusual sound ; in one place 
 we found a herd of horses on the line, and were obliged 
 to drive them along in front of us for some time, until 
 at last, on approaching a narrow place, a portion of the 
 drove went right into the river. The scenery during 
 the whole of the day was very good indeed. For 000 
 
EASTWARD 110. 
 
 bu 
 
 miles — over since we L'ft Porthuul — wo have been fol- 
 lf)win<^ up tlie course of the Cohimbia Uiver, thou<,'li it 
 is culled by diU'erent names in dilt'erent localities. 
 
 During the afternoon the country we passed through 
 resembled a large park. This was particularly the case 
 when we came to the "Flathead" Indian Keserve, 
 which is exceedingly pretty, and contains excellent land. 
 We saw several Indian wigwams — tents with branches 
 of trees stuck about ; in a few cases a wooden house 
 stood by the wig\Aanis, and we were told that the 
 Indians possessing these lived in the house during the 
 winter, and in the wigwam in the summer. As a 
 rule, liowever, they wander about the Reserve hunting 
 and fishing. No white man can encroach on these 
 lleserves; the only way to locate oneself there is to 
 marry an Indian woman. This, it is said, many Cana- 
 dian half-bri ^^ave done ; but I am told that in every 
 case the man is always certain to be brought down to 
 the lower level, and the woman never rises to his. Tlie 
 lloman Catholics have established a mission amongst 
 the " Flatheads," and have done a great deal of good. 
 We fomid moscpiitoes very troublesome indeed about 
 here. Fourteen miles from ]\Iissovda we became a little 
 alarmed, as our train attained a great velocity, and was only 
 pulled up on a fragile wooden bridge 3IJ0 feet high by 
 the carriage-breaks being put on — the air-breaks refusing 
 to act ; we really narrowly escaped a very serious accidt'iit. 
 
 .*'i . 
 
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 I 
 
168 LIFE AM) LMiOUR IX THE FAR, FAR TTJT.ST. 
 
 :t!i I' 
 
 On arriving' at Missoula we went to the Occitlcntal 
 Hotel (a had one), wlicro wo S('ciir('<l one room Ijctwecii 
 us. It (lid not possoss a lookiii<^-<^lass, and our predi'- 
 ct'ssor had loft some of liis lui,''<;a<^(' hcliiud liiiu in the 
 sliapc of a whisky-bottle and a walkin«^-stick. They 
 would not j^ivo us any supper at the hotel, so we had to 
 {^o out to ixi't it. ^lis.soula had lu-en blessed with a rail- 
 way for only about a week, and it was all in a state of 
 "boom," which took one by surprise. Every house 
 seenu'd to be a " saloon," and the ])lace «^ave me the idea 
 of a very rowdy American town. 
 
 From Portland to Missoula is about 070 to 70(1 
 miles, and we passed successively through the " Terri- 
 tories" of Ore<^on, Idaho, Washington, and ISIontana. 
 I was not very well all day, possibly from the effects 
 of the bad smell at Taconui, or from the chanj^e of 
 weather, or else from drinkin*^ the water, which in 
 this country contains alkali — a fact I did not know 
 luitil later. 
 
 AVe were up at o a.m. the following morning as 
 usual, and found that Missoula was, after all, quite a 
 small place, being in fact only a collection of wooden 
 houses, the majority of which are saloons. Mitchell 
 went out early to secure a conveyance to take us across 
 the Kocky Mountains to Heleiui, a distance of 135 
 miles, for the Northern l*acific Railroad has only just 
 been finished to Missoula, and the gap of 135 miles 
 
 ^^ 
 
EASTU'AltJ) IKt.' 
 
 160 
 
 from there to Hch'iui is still uncoinplctcd. T mean- 
 while watched the (l('j)artiire of the two coaches which 
 run to Helena (one of whicli was called the " Ma^j^ic"). 
 They aj)))eared to he admirahly constructed for the 
 torture of the ])assen<;ers, hut of this more hereafter 
 Mitchell procured a two-horse huj^'^y, the owner of 
 which undcrt(»ok for the sum of seventy-live dollars 
 (£15) to take us tlirou^^h in three days to Helena, or 
 else to take us two days' journey to J)eer Lodi^e, and 
 j)rovide us there with fresh means (»f locomotion for 
 completin<^ the journey. Mitchell said the carriage was 
 u very nice one, and that the driver had promised to 
 send it on with us, as perhaps we should not he able to 
 procure so j^ood a one at Deer Jjodj^e. Of this charmiui;' 
 carriage, &c., J shall have more to say presently ; hut 
 we started oil' delighted with the whole turn-out (car- 
 riage, horses, driver, and all), and very glad to get away 
 from Missoula, which we suhsecpu'ntly heard described 
 by a man we met as a " one-horse place, and likely to 
 remain so," a description which I think a very apt one. 
 It is a terrible place for bad language — every other word 
 was an oath ; I never heard such foul expressions in 
 all my life. Trade in the saloons seemed to be kept up 
 by the barman playing the customer as to who should 
 pay for the drink ordered {i.e., the saloon-keeper or the 
 customer). I assume it was done on the principle of 
 double or quits. 
 
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 IMAGE EVALUATION 
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 CHAPTEE IX. 
 
 THROUGH THE ROCKIES IN A BUGGY. 
 
 A Plenitude of Money — A Refractory Stood — A Night in a Log-houso — The 
 Result of Evil Coininuiiieations — " George " becomes More Capricioua 
 — A Struggle — " George " Wins — Now Chicago — Plain Speaking — A 
 Delay — A Shaky Wheel — A Crash — Five Tliousand Fecit ahove tlio 
 Sea Level — Sweetlands — Stage Coaching in the Rockies — Curious Phe- 
 nomenon — Helena, jMontana Territory. 
 
 At starting our road was pretty easy, but it soon got 
 rough, and one of our two horses — " George " by name 
 — showed signs of bad temper ; however, we arrived 
 at Pine Grove House (twenty-one miles) in safety, and, 
 while the horses were resting, went down to the river 
 for a wash. We had passed a large drove of horses on 
 the road ; they caught us up during our halt at Pine 
 Grove House, where the drover stopped for a glass of 
 beer and a cigar, in payment for which he threw down 
 a dollar, and on change being given, tossed back the 
 small change to the saloon-keeper, which looked as if 
 money was plentiful hereabouts. From this halting- 
 place it was a fine drive, on past a good many ranches 
 (both for cattle and horses), where there seemed to be 
 plenty of bunch-grass. " George " showed on further 
 acquaintance that he was both a jibber and a kicker, 
 and occasionally objected to going either up or down 
 
 •fii •; 
 
THROUGH THE ROCKIES IX A BUGGY. 
 
 171 
 
 hill. Our coachman, however, drove well, very patiently 
 and quietly ; but the road was di'eadfully rough and 
 the jolting terrible ; indeed, we had to hang on so as 
 t() keep our places. The dust was also very unpleasant ; 
 the wheels licked it up by the bushel, and we soon 
 l^ecame as black, and (if possible) dirtier, than niggers. 
 We met a crowded return-coach, nine passengers inside 
 (three in a row), one on the box seat and four more 
 hanging on to the roof ; the jolting they experienced 
 must have been dreadful ; we watched the vehicle give 
 a last lurch (a fearful one) as it disappeared in the 
 distance. We had been previously warned to avoid 
 these coaches; they may carry as many passengers as 
 they please, and there are no seats of any kind on the 
 roof. A friend of mine once travelled by one, and said 
 he had to hang on to the roof as best he could, 
 supportmg himself by a plough, which shared the space 
 with him. 
 
 At last we arrived at our sleeping quarters for the 
 night — a kind of log-house on the open prairie, forty- 
 iive miles from Missoula, where the nearest neighbours 
 were half a mile in one direction, and twelve miles in 
 the other. It was called " Bear's Mouth Station," and 
 the full address was "Hell Gate Valley, Deer Lodge 
 County, Montana Territory." Bemg completely covered 
 with dust, we asked if we could have a wash, and were 
 shown to the common wash-place for all comers, where, 
 
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172 LIFE AND LABOUR IX THE FAR, FAB WEST. 
 
 
 ?! I" 
 
 under the inspection of four natives, who never smik^d, 
 we had a really good and very necessary scrub. The 
 situation of ]3ear's Mouth Station is fine, and the 
 air is very good ; hut the place may be described 
 as rather lonely, and we were told that in winter 
 the thermometer falls as low as 50*^ below zero. We 
 had our supper with the natives, whose language was 
 as bad, if not worse, than that of their neighbours at 
 Missoula. The road we had traversed to-day was a 
 mere track, and, besides, much damaged by the making 
 of the railroad ; stumps of trees were a common obstacle, 
 and apparently nobody ever thought of clearing away 
 boulders or any small impediments of that sort. 
 
 Mitchell and I shared the same room in the log- 
 house; but there being two mattresses, we separated 
 them, and one had the bed, while the other lay on 
 the floor. We were up by 5 a.m., had breakfast in 
 common with our driver, and started at 7 a.m. ; 
 " George," unfortunately, was out of temper to commence 
 with, and took to kicking and jibbing before we had 
 moved a yard. However, after a time we set off in 
 earnest, taking a Mexican traveller with us who wanted 
 a lift to '' New Chicago," twelve miles distant. We 
 passed a man sitting on a mound, searching the country 
 with glasses ; his waggons, &c., and tents, were below 
 him, but he had lost his horses ; probably they were 
 stolen, in which case his chance of recovering them was 
 
mmmmm 
 
 i«« 
 
 TIIROUan THE ROCKIES IX A BUGGY. 
 
 173 
 
 ow 
 
 ere 
 
 ■vas 
 
 extremely remote. " George " objected strongly to the 
 hills, and a fight commenced between him and his 
 master, the latter being a little out of temper with 
 the horse this morning. At one moment we went at 
 a gallop, and the next we were at a standstill ; we were 
 simply thrown about the buggy, for it was too rough 
 to be able to sit it out even when holding on with both 
 hands. Sometimes, after taking every precaution, we 
 were jerked right out of our seats, and once I lost my 
 hat, for it was jolted clean off my head. At last, on 
 coming to a very steep hill up the side of a mountain, 
 " George " positively refused to move either one way 
 or the other, so we all got out to walk on ahead, and 
 thus lighten the buggy. We watched our driver from 
 a distance, sometimes going at a gallop (when he got 
 his horses to move), and sometimes standing stock-still, 
 thanks to " George's " caprices. Once we left him well 
 behind, and after a long time, when we had begun to 
 think that something must have gone wrong, we saw a 
 buggy appear in the distance — but with two inside 
 passengers instead of one. We therefore thought it 
 could not be ours, but upon a closer inspection we saw 
 two horses in the traces, besides one following behind. 
 The latter proved to be the faithful "George;" for he 
 had resolutely refused to stir, so our driver had been 
 at last obliged to secure the services of a passer-by (a 
 cow-boy) on horseback, and " George " had triumphantly 
 
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 174 LIFE AXD LABOUR IN THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 performed this portion of the journey following behind. 
 His triumph, however, was of short duration, for when 
 they caught us up he had to go into harness again ; 
 but we now got on better, though the travelling was by 
 no means easier, but rough in the extreme. We passed 
 several large cattle ranches, and finally arrived at New 
 Chicago, where we parted with our Mexican, who turned 
 out to be a labourer ; he made us go to a saloon and 
 take a drink of whisky all round before we separated. 
 We had four quite small glasses — perhaps as much 
 altogether as one and a half of our wine-glasses — but 
 the price was one dollar. 
 
 New Chicago was a desolate-looking place, and nearly 
 every house was a saloon. There were no women to be 
 seen, but plenty of men. The language here again was 
 fearful. The people seem really as if they tried to 
 string together as much bjid language as possible into 
 one sentence ; they use two or three oaths at once, 
 instead of being satisfied with one. I noted down the 
 following cliaracteristic expressions : — " I '11 bet you one 
 hundred dollars to a liquor." " It's no use looking for 
 a liar when one comes across you." There is a good 
 deal of horse and cattle stealing in this part, so, accord- 
 higly, outside the stable was written, " Stay out, or the 
 dog will bite you;" and at another place "No lo/a," 
 {'i.e. "loafer"). While the horses were resting, I spent 
 the time in writing, till I was turned out of the room 
 
TIIUiiUGH THE ROCKIES IX A IIUGGY. 
 
 17; 
 
 Iff for 
 
 good 
 
 Iccord- 
 
 lor the 
 
 hfa," 
 
 spent 
 
 room 
 
 by the maid, with the remark, " I guess you gentlemen 
 will have to clear out of here now." Judging from the 
 Lumber of sleighs that we noticed, I expect this must 
 be a cold spot in winter. 
 
 At twelve noon we started off again, en route for Deer 
 Lodge, forty-five miles off. It was soon evident that 
 something was the matter with the off hind-wheel of 
 (Hir conveyance. It had been repaired by the black- 
 smith during our hale at New Chicago, and the tire had 
 been taken off and replaced too tightly. The spokes 
 were now apparently convex instead of concave, bending 
 inwards instead of outwards ; in fact, the wheel seemed 
 put on inside out. Our driver had picked up a sailor 
 friend, and after a considerable amount of language 
 appropriate to the occasion had passed between them, we 
 had to return to the smithy for the necessary alteration 
 to be made. This delayed us for more than an hour : 
 but at last we got off, the sailor friend having mean- 
 time procured a bottle of whisky for refreshment during 
 the journey, the sight of which did not much please 
 us, as we feared the result. We were not sorry to get 
 away from New Chicago, for the place was not an 
 inviting one, and the population looked anything but 
 pleasant. No one, however, troubled themselves about 
 us strangers, and, indeed, they hardly seemed to notice 
 our temporary presence. The place was busy enough 
 with people constantly passing and cow-boys going 
 
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 176 XIF^ AND LABOUR IN THE FAli, FAR WEST. 
 
 tliroiii^h jit a gallop. Notirly everybody called at the 
 blacksmith's, and all invariably arrived and departed 
 witli an oath. As usual, there was no church of any 
 sort in the place. 
 
 Our drive on from New^ Chicago was even more un- 
 pleasant than our experiences of the morning. Then 
 we had only a dangerous horse, but now in addition we 
 had a dangerous wheel, which was keenly watched by 
 both sailor and driver as well as by ourselves, each stop- 
 page to examine it entailing a pull at the whisky- 
 bottle, in which we were asked but declined to join. 
 It :Joon became evident that the wheel would not 
 stand the thiiiy miles' drive necessary to complete the 
 journey. After a while the spokes, from bending out- 
 wards, reverted to their old position, and again bent 
 inwards. Possibly things might have gone on thus for 
 some time, but we had now to cross some deep river 
 fords with steep banks on either side, and large stones 
 in the bottom ; and in order to keep " George" going at 
 all, he had to be given his head, and to take these places 
 at a rush. In the consequent excitement, we began to 
 think nothing of the wheel and its weakness, when, all 
 at once, on a road sloping outwards, there was a sudden 
 lurch and a cracking of sticks. The spokes had given 
 way at last, and the buggy was what the driver called a 
 " car turned inside -out." 
 
 No one was hm't. Mitchell and I crawled out at 
 
 I fii 
 
 :^ 
 
'^. 
 
 THROUGH THE ROCKIES IX A BUGGY. 
 
 177 
 
 it at 
 
 the top, and tlio driver had jumped ofT when he saw 
 
 tlio crash coming. Even " (jreor<^e" behaved well, and 
 
 did not try to ])()lt, l)ut stood stock still with his hind- 
 
 le*ji;s as far apart as possible, perhaps anxious to know 
 
 what was goin<j^ to happen next. We were still fifteen 
 
 miles from Deer Lodge, so the first thing to do was to 
 
 arrange how we were to get on there. It was lucky for 
 
 us tliat the accident had not happened in one of the 
 
 rivers we had to fijrd. It was also fortunate that we 
 
 were so far on our journey, for there were more settlers 
 
 in this part than further back. We had, besides, passed 
 
 many freight teams in the course of the day, and some 
 
 of these passers-by now helped us. We all gave a hand 
 
 to try and make ourselves useful ; and I learnt a dodge 
 
 for putting a car on its legs again wliicii I never knew, 
 
 nor should have thought of, before. The sailor and I 
 
 procured a piece of timber about twelve to fourteen feet 
 
 long, out of the nearest snake fence ; and then those 
 
 who knew how to do it, proceeded to put the car into 
 
 movable trim again. The stake was fixed above the 
 
 spring between the front wheels, and underneath the 
 
 back one, so that it might trail along the ground, and 
 
 thus form something for the back part of the buggy 
 
 (where the wheel was gone) to rest upon. 
 
 In this way we continued our journey until we 
 
 reached a settler's house, where we borrowed a country 
 
 waggon, into which we transferred ourselves, luggage 
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ITS rjFE AND LA noun IN THE FAn, FAR WEST. 
 
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 iind Jill, leavin<>* tlio broken-down biit;*<^y by tlio side of 
 the road. We could not have bad a softer tumble 
 under tlie circumstanees, and no one was burt in tbe 
 least. 
 
 Our journey In' waLCi^on was not by any means a 
 smootb one; and " (Jeori^^e," altbou<;-b be bad bebaved 
 so well durini,'' tbe accident, soon be^'-an to take liberties 
 a<^ain ; and at last, wben about iive miles from Deer 
 Lodi;"e, a^-ain came to a complete standstill. Tt was on 
 the side of a low mountain, and the horse would neither 
 i^o up nor down, so a reg-ular ti«^ht ensued between him 
 and the driver. " Geori^e" kicked hii^ber and harder than 
 T have ever seen a horse kick before — at one time over 
 tlie pole, at another over the traces — but he could 
 neither hurt the wag*^on nor get at the driver, who 
 (!ontinued to whip him the whole time. Once the man 
 said he would try a new dodge, and proceeded to tie 
 "George's" tail to the splinter-bar (!) — the horse doing 
 his best to kick all the time. This plan did not succeed, 
 however, for master "George" stood stock still again in 
 the end, and would not move. After a very long struggle 
 the driver was victorious, and we set off once more, 
 presently passing the Gibbet Tree at Gold Creek, where 
 a man was lynched not long ago. The water here was 
 dii'ty, and we found that when this was the case it was 
 owing to gold washings up stream. About ten miles 
 from Deer Lodge we noticed a fine range of mountains 
 
 gap 
 Were 
 
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 rrrjiOrnir the jiocktks tx a nn;r,Y. 
 
 171) 
 
 IS n. 
 lived 
 >rtU'S 
 Deer 
 vs OT\ 
 
 [\ him 
 r tlvai^ 
 Hi over 
 
 who 
 
 lie man 
 
 to tie 
 
 doiBg 
 
 succeed, 
 
 xgain in 
 
 struggle 
 
 to tlie south, wliich n'scinljlcd the Malvern Hills in 
 colour iuid sliajx', hut on a very much lar^'cr scale. 
 Later on, wo had to descend an ((xtreniely steep plaee 
 called Hlackfoot Pass, which was very awkward to get 
 ilown. At the hottoni we came on the narrow gauge 
 railway (Utah and Ogden Co.), which is here to form a 
 junction with the; Northern l*acilic Line. It runs from 
 this point to Ogden in ahout thirty hours. At last, at 
 ahout 9 p.m., we reached Deer Lodge, and went to 
 MclJurney's house, the time occup.' d in the forty-live 
 miles' drive having been fourteen hours, including 
 sto])pages. The scenery as a whole was not so good as 
 yesterday, but still very characteristic. Deer Lodge is 
 situated almost hi the heai*t of the llocky ^Fountains ; 
 but I hope that other travellers desirous of reaching 
 it may experience less trouble and knocking about than 
 we did. We wilHngly accepted our driver's oifer of pro- 
 curing us other horses and another driver to take us on 
 the remaining forty-live miles to Helena, for we did not 
 fancy another day with " George," or with his master 
 either. 
 
 Our stages had been as follows : — ^Missoula to 
 Bear's Mouth, 45 miles; Bear's jMoutli to Deer Lodge, 
 45 miles ; and we had the remaining 45 miles to Helena 
 to do, to make up the total of 135, the extent of the 
 gap in the unfinished Northern Pacific Bailroad. We 
 
 were up at 5.15 a.m. the next morning, and started at 
 M 2 
 
 
 1 
 
ISO 
 
 Ai/'V; ASD lAUnUll IS TllF. FAli. FAR WFST, 
 
 ( ■! 
 
 7 ii.m., witli an oMisli man (tlic owner) as (Irivor, and 
 two (juiot liorsi's. We botli felt very stilV all over — 
 hands, arms, le<i^s, and body — after our last two days' 
 experienees. Deer Lodj^e stands al)out r),()0() I'cet above 
 the sea, and is prettily situated; immediately behind it 
 rises a liiLfh roeky mountain calle(l Mount Powell On 
 all the mountains of this part — but especially near 
 Missoula — elk, deer, bears, &c., are to be found. To- 
 dav's drive was throui^h what looked like one 
 immense well-ke[)t park; the forests not being con- 
 tinuous, but in broken and uneven patches here and 
 there, sometimes extensive, but often snuiU ; frequently 
 there were only single specimens of trees standing 
 separately. They were mostly of the pine tribe — 
 generally Po/n/cru-sa — and well preserved, not injured 
 by tire, tem))est, or age. The grass was all led short, 
 and was ut>t broken uj) by any ploughing or attempt 
 at arable cultivation, the whole ])lace being used as a 
 cattle-run by people who send here for grazing purposes 
 during the summer months, and the bunch-grass seemed 
 ])retty well eaten down. 
 
 In the distance the Kocky Mountains towered up 
 here and there, but I am by no means as much im- 
 pressed with their grandeur as a range as I am with 
 that of other mountain-chains I have .seen. There is too 
 much uniformity in their outline, and the approach to the 
 base of the higher ridges is so gradual that their true 
 
 no| 
 
 nui 
 
 Joil 
 
 coal 
 
 

 riiuorcn riii: nocKms ;.v .1 in-ntiy 
 
 1^1 
 
 n 
 
 (I 
 
 A it 
 On 
 
 lll'lU' 
 
 To- 
 
 OlU' 
 
 ct)n- 
 ' luul . 
 u'litly 
 
 vibe — 
 iijuved 
 
 sUovt, 
 
 tempt 
 [1 as a 
 (irposes 
 
 ioemed 
 
 Ired u]) 
 Icli in^- 
 |m witli 
 le is too 
 li to the 
 Ur true 
 
 ljei<^lit can lianlly I)e properly appreeiated. 'I'lie loftier 
 mountains are ju'rpendicular rock, and earry some snow, 
 hut I liave not seen a real " snow-caj)ped monarch '" 
 amoiiir them. We drove twenty nnles in a very steady 
 fashion, and haited at a place called Svveetlands, our 
 driver ;.?ivin^ us some information hy the way. It 
 aj)pears that they have seven to ei*,dit months' winter 
 in this part, and severe frost, forty-five de^Tees below 
 zero; but still he told us it was healthier than furtlier 
 south. He said there was room for more stock on the 
 ranjj^es ; however this may be, we saw a (piantity of 
 dead cattle (or rather their skeletons) lyini^ about, 
 as indeed w^o had done throui''hout our whole drive. I 
 ^ot a specimen of bunch-<];'rass to take home with me ; 
 it is h)nf^ grass growing in "tumps," and averages from 
 eight to twenty-four inches in heiglit. During «>ur 
 halt at Sweethmd the coach passed, and "stopped to 
 dine." It was a sorry sight to see the squeeze ; and a 
 passenger by one of these conveyances must indeed have 
 a miserable time of it, whether his place be an inside or 
 an outside one, unless at least he can secure the box 
 seat, but even then there is the chance of an upset. 
 
 Whilst waiting at Sweetland I made the following 
 note on the two stage-coaches from Missoula to Helena, 
 named respectively the "Viola" and the "Fanny 
 Jones." There were nine inside passengers to each 
 coach ; outside, besides the driver and the occupant of 
 
 M 
 
 .1 •■, 
 
 t: 
 
 
 i 
 
 I Wi 
 
 •11? 
 
 ji! 
 

 lv':^l 
 
 182 LIFE AND LA HOUR IX THE FAll, FAR WEST. 
 
 the box soat, passonp^ers wore luing'iricf on to the roof, 
 where there were no seats. Piles of hip^^aj^^e were in 
 the boot, on the top and at the back of each vehicle. 
 Tliere was no door to the body of the coach, only three 
 openini^s as windows ; passengers alight by the centre 
 one of these. Of conrse there was no glass to the 
 windows, for it would be very speedily broken with the 
 rough motion ; there were instead canvas blinds or 
 curtains. The interior was lined with dirty brown 
 leather, and the coach-body was hung on leather straps 
 instead of springs, which is, I believe, the only method 
 by which sufficient strength can be obtained for 
 mountain travelling. The body was painted red, and 
 was vevy dirty, but all traces of colour had been knocked 
 off the wheels ; the roof had, I think, once been white. 
 As to tbe inside accommodation, there were a front and a 
 back seat to hold three passengers each, and between these 
 two a board was fixed for a seat, where the legs of 
 these six passengers ought to go. This board — which 
 had a common rope stretched across it to form a back — 
 ^cld three passengers more, thus making up the ac- 
 commodation for nine. These convevances were each 
 drawn by six good horses, and the harness was excellent. 
 Of the drivers, two were reported to be sober men 
 (from Helena to Deer Lodge), and two drunken ones. 
 When ready to start, the two wheelers were hitched on, 
 and the other four liorses put in their places, but left 
 

 fflH 
 
 '"^'•l^t 
 
 T. 
 
 lie roof, 
 were in 
 vehicle, 
 ily three 
 ic centre 
 s to the 
 with the 
 )linds or 
 ;y brown 
 ler straps 
 y method 
 lined for 
 red, and 
 1 knocked 
 on w^hite. 
 •ont and a 
 een these 
 e legs of 
 ^d — which 
 a back — 
 the ac- 
 ^vere each 
 excellent, 
 (ober men 
 liken ones, 
 itched on, 
 Is, but left 
 
 TniiOUGJI THE ItOCKIES IN A BUGGY. 
 
 183 
 
 loose. On k?aving Sweetland tlie " Viohi " bad fifteen 
 passengers — viz., nine inside, one on tlio box, and five 
 hanging on to the top ; the " Fanny Jones " had 
 fiMirfceen — viz., nine inside, one on the box, and four 
 on the roof — and these numbers were increased l)efore 
 reaching Helena. Ea.eh passenger is allowed 100 lbs. 
 of luggage at starting, but it is said that when about 
 half way they are told tliat all above 40 lb. weight 
 is tt) be paid for extra. 
 
 We saw a very curious effect of light to-day on 
 the Rocky Mountains, giving the appearance of a mass 
 of snow over a whole range, making it look like the 
 depth of winter. The drive throughout the afternoon 
 was well worth the trouble we had taken to see it, 
 especially at " Priest's Pass," the point on the " Main 
 Divide " where the summit is attained, and one ascends 
 the Pacific slope to descend that of the Atlantic; we 
 could see streams running each way. Just before 
 reaching this point I picked some good bunch-grass, 
 and found a capital specimen of bull's horns. Previous 
 to making the final ascent, we saw the works in 
 progress for the Northern Pacific Railway ; about eighty 
 or one hundred horses were at work making ^h -la- 
 bankment, hitched on to large scoops ; apparently the soil 
 is not dug as with us, but scooped up and then hauled. 
 
 On reaching the summit, S,000 or 9,000 feet above 
 the sea, the park-like scenery of the Pacific slope gave 
 
 I 
 
 \\ 
 
 m 
 
 I 
 
 U/ 
 
 \ ;: 
 
184 LIFE AXD LABOUR IS THE FAlt, FAR WEST. 
 
 way immediately in tlie most strikingly sudden manner 
 t() the more riijjired and severe look of the Atlantic 
 slope ; the grass was browner, the rocks peaked and 
 rough, the trees shrivelled, small and broken. The 
 transformation was wonderful in its suddenness, and 
 Mitchell and I simultaneously called each other's 
 attention to it, neitlier of us being prepared for the 
 change. Some 2,000 or 3,000 feet below us we could 
 just see where the Northern Pacific Eailroad Company 
 are boring the Munnel tunnel, 5,000 feet long. 
 
 We reached Helena, 4,400 feet above the sea, just 
 before the coach, and put up at the International Hotel, 
 having given our driver's friend, the landlord of the 
 Occidental Hotel (where we went first), a lesson not to 
 keep strangers waiting too long for accommodation, 
 by leaving him and going to his opponent. Helena 
 used to be a thriving gold-field in former days; we 
 were told that fifty men had once been lynched here 
 in one day owing to the Vigilance Committee's strong 
 measures to enforce order. It struck us as a busy but 
 nasty-looking place, and its inhabitants seemed to be 
 all adventurers, as indeed I suppose they mostly really 
 were. My clothes suffered more in this journey over 
 tlie mountains than in all the other part of our 
 tour put together. I am very glad to have ac- 
 complished this route, and to have seen this part of 
 America, but (supposing pleasure to be the only object) 
 
 — 1 > 
 
THROUGH THE ROCKIES IX A BUGGY. 
 
 185 
 
 iner 
 ntic 
 and 
 The 
 and 
 her's 
 • the 
 could 
 ipany 
 
 I, just 
 Hotel, 
 3f the 
 not to 
 ation, 
 elena 
 s; we 
 d here 
 strong 
 |isy hut 
 to he 
 really 
 ly over 
 lof our 
 Ive ac- 
 3art of 
 I ohject) 
 
 I do not think that I sliould fancy traversing it a 
 second time. All American stage-roads are abominable, 
 but this is the worst by far that I liave as yet seen, 
 and we were both very tired in the evening in con- 
 sequence of the three days' jolting, &c. 
 
 
 : i|! i # 
 
liiP 
 
 I .1 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 AGRICULTURE IN MONTANA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 En route for Glyndon, ^Minnesota — IMontan.a Territory — Chiiractor of tho Land 
 — -l$ozeman — Yellowstone River — Yellowtitono Park — Crow Indian Reser- 
 vation Ground — Glendive — Dickinson and its iStrects— Dakota Territory 
 — Its Agriculture— Across tho Missouri — Bismarck — Ghiidon — Winnipeg 
 — Farming Notes — Trip to Otterburno, Manitoba— Inspection of Farms — 
 A Drive in a Buck hoard. 
 
 The Northern Pacific Railroad is just completed to 
 Helena, and an attempt is being made to open it right 
 through to Portland (Oregon) by September 1st of this 
 year. Our train for Glyndon — which is on the St. 
 Paul's, Minneapolis, and Manitoba Railway — was to 
 leave about 7 o'clock a.m. On our way to the station 
 in the morning we passed some of the old gold- 
 workings ; with a good pick and plenty of water to 
 wash w4th gold getting must, I think, be easy work. 
 
 When we arrived at the station I found that the 
 porter had not sent one of my bags. As I have always 
 before carried them myself, it was hard that in this case 
 I should lose one, but the porter had come and 
 bothered me, so I had given up one into his charge with 
 the above-named result. However, on sending back 
 to the hotel, I got it all right. Unfortunately, this was 
 
 J' 
 
AGBICULTUIiE IN MONTANA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 187 
 
 10 T.aticl 
 1 Rc8cr- 
 'crritory 
 ''inmpcg 
 b'arms — 
 
 ,ed to 
 ] right 
 )f this 
 he St. 
 as to 
 itation 
 Pfold- 
 iter to 
 Irk. 
 
 |at the 
 Aways 
 is case 
 te and 
 ■e with 
 back 
 lis was 
 
 not all; for, after the train had started, I discovered that 
 mv beautiful bull's horns had not been sent either; 
 these I hope much to recover, and have written for 
 tliem to be forwarded to Winnipeg, saying that they 
 are "specimen horns." My arms were so stiff to-day 
 from the shaking that we have had that I could hardly 
 u.se pen or pencil. 
 
 Montana is a hilly country, all grass, with trees 
 dotted about ; there is plenty of land for stock-raising 
 purposes, but irrigation is badly required. The best 
 plan in settling here would be for a grazier to get 
 a section facinsr a river, and two or three other 
 sections in line; he would thus secure a good water 
 supply, and have plenty of grazing land (twenty-five 
 miles or more) in rear ; and stock-men know how to 
 manage their own affairs so as to be neighbourly to one 
 another. 
 
 We passed over a high ridge of ground, through 
 which the " Bozeman " tunnel, 3,700 feet long, is being 
 bored — it is a pretty high elevation, and the summit 
 is completely carpeted with beautiful wild flowers. 
 Bozeman station would be a good starting-point with 
 pack animals for the Yellowstone Park ; but after the 
 1st of August Livingstone will be better, for a line will 
 then be opened from thence to the Mammoth Springs 
 (or very nearly as far), a distance of sixty or seventy 
 miles. During the whole day we travelled through a 
 
 m 
 
 'U,' 
 
Ill 
 
 1H8 LIFE AXD LABOUR IN THE FAIi, FAB WEST. 
 
 grass country ; at a j^lace called Billings (near which 
 is North field Ranche, belonging to a Captain Hill, 
 whose acquaintance we had made on board the 
 Germanic), we crossed the Yellowstone River, and then 
 came into the Crow Indian Reservation Ground. From 
 Helena to Billings is 239 miles, a distance which our 
 train took thirteen hours to perform ; but about this 
 I do not complain, for it is a newly-constructed line, 
 and under such circumstances I prefer going slowly. 
 We had a comfortable " sleeper " and a good dining- 
 car attached. 
 
 We were near Glendive, Montana Territory, when 
 we awoke the next morning. It had become cool again 
 after leaving Missoula, and now we had had some rain 
 during the night, which was quite a wonderful event. 
 I had slept badly ; and scolded the darkie for having 
 made up the bed uncomfortably, all on a slope, but 
 he did not at all approve of my remonstrances. Each 
 " sleeper " contains twenty-four berths arranged in two 
 tiers, twelve on each side (six upper and six lower ones). 
 In the dining-room car there were ten tables, to ac- 
 commodate forty guests at a time. 
 
 We passed on to-day through continuous grass 
 lands ; most of the stations showed signs of towns 
 springing up, but I think Dickinson was the first to 
 attract much attention, and here a large new engine- 
 house was being built. The houses appeared scattered 
 
 i 1 
 
 '1 
 
crrass 
 towns 
 :st to 
 igine- 
 ttered 
 
 AGRICULTURE IX MONTAXA AXD DAKOTA. 
 
 189 
 
 about anyhow ; there was no church ; the place was 
 entirely devoid of trees, and there seemed no road or 
 approach to it, except over the open prairie. After 
 leaving Dickinson we saw a good deal of land broken 
 in patches here and there ; aud the prairie became 
 gradually flatter and flatter as we travelled further east. 
 At Eichardson a heavy thunderstorm overtook us, and 
 we had besides the benefit of a hail-storm. 
 
 The inhabitants of these new settlements have great 
 ideas of their " streets." An instance of this occurred 
 at Dickinson, where I went into a hardware shop to 
 buy a biscuit, the proprietor of which replied that he 
 had not got any, but that I could get one at the store 
 down the street. To my innocent inquiry as to where 
 the street was, the man indignantly replied, *' Cannot 
 you see it?" It consisted of a wide, open space, be- 
 tween his shop and a store about fifteen feet square 
 popped down by itself on the opposite side ; certainly 
 "the street" was broad enough — about half a prairie. 
 Hereabouts lignite coal crops up from the ground. It 
 is very soft, but nevertheless is used, as there is no 
 wood or good coal to be had in the neighbourhood. 
 Shafts are run into the sides of the low, round-topped 
 prairie hills, and the coal brought out direct alongside 
 of the line for the use of the engines, &c. In many 
 places along this route, grass knolls crop up in peaks 
 about thirty to forty feet high. In some instances the 
 
 r"^ 
 
 I A 
 
 1- .1 
 
 
 I i> 
 
 mi\ 
 
 "i 
 
 ;!' 
 
 m 
 
 1,1 : 
 
 i 
 
 I: 
 
 !i 
 
 :! i| ■ 
 
190 LIFE AXD LABOUR IN THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 I'l 
 
 (:»'1 
 
 rock shows through the face, but generally they are 
 grass-covered. Dakota Territory, in which we now 
 found ourselves, appears to be a fine rich State, and rain 
 is said to fall here much more plentifully now than 
 formerly. The land in the western part is ploughed up 
 in pa' jhes here and there, but no systematic attempt 
 seemed made at farming. However, after crossing the 
 Missouri at Bismarck, we found the country better 
 cultivated, and the lands as a whole seemed to improve 
 in quality the further east one came. At IMyth's Mine 
 (late Sim's), we passed a new collier}', and at Mandane 
 came to the first real town we had seen, quite a 
 rising place. Here we crossed the Missouri, and came 
 to Bismarck on the opposite bank, round which there is 
 a fine open country. 
 
 Distance from Bismarck, Dakota T., to Poi't- 
 laml, Oregon T. ... 
 
 Distance from Bismarck, Dakota T., to St. 
 
 Paul's, Minnesota 
 Which, when the line is completed, will make 
 
 a total of . . . 
 As to the distance we have travelled from — — 
 
 British Columbia — 
 From Victoria B. C. to New Tacoma, Wash- 
 ington T., say ... ... ... ... 150 
 
 „ New Tacoma to Portland, say ... ... 167 
 
 ,, Portland, Oregon, to Glyndon, Minnesota l,Go2 
 
 Miloa. 
 1,447 
 
 409 
 
 1,910 
 
 Making a total of ... 1,909 
 The next day we were up at 5 a.m., to find ourselves 
 
AGRICULTURE J.Y 2I0NTANA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 191 
 
 rselves 
 
 still passing through a fine open country, with good 
 land, an^ everything very green. The farming here 
 was r v^idently very well done ; but the crops looked 
 backward. I did not notice any fencing or divisions of 
 any sort in the fields. Fargo was a rising-looking place. 
 AVe reached Glyndon at 7.40 a.m., and the train nearly 
 took us on, for the} did not pull up at the platform. 
 We, however, made them stop and put back into the 
 station. We decided on waiting at Glyndon for the 
 day, in order to see whether Messrs. Cox and Jaffray 
 would answer my telegram sent to Chicago ; and we 
 occupied the time in WTiting. In the course of the 
 afternoon a telegram arrived from Jaffray saying he 
 would be with us the next morning by 7.45 train, but 
 that Cox was unavoidably detained, for which I was 
 very sorry indeed. Glyndon is quite a small place, 
 situated at a point where the Northern Pacific and the 
 St. Paul's, Minneapolis, and Manitoba lines cross each 
 other. The officials (especially at the telegraph depart- 
 ment) were by no means a civil lot. There are a few 
 houses, and we went to look for a room, but found the 
 accommodation so very bad — worse indeed than any- 
 thing we have had to put up with as yet — that we 
 settled to go on by the 8 p.m. train, sixty miles further, 
 to Crookston, where we arrived about eleven o'clock, 
 and going to the Linton House Hotel, secured comfort- 
 able quarters for the night. 
 
 ,! i :' 
 
 ;; i 
 
 ;h' i 
 
 i- ' 
 
192 LIFE ASD LABOUR IN THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 The next day we spent the morning in writing until 
 eleven o'ck)ck, when the train from St. Paul's arrived, 
 and we met Mr. Jallray. He was travelling in the 
 official car of the Midland of Canada Eailway, and had 
 half-a-dozen companions with him, viz., Colonel Wil- 
 liams, M. P. for Port Hope and CVmservative Whij) to 
 the Canadian House of Commons, and his son Victor ; 
 Mr. Mackenzie ; Mr. Davies (son-in-law to Mr. Cox) ; 
 and a stranger whose name I did not know. Mr. 
 Stephens (brother to Mr. George Stephens, President of 
 the Canadian Pacific Railway), came part of the way 
 with us, leaving us at a station close to which he had a 
 farm, which he had brought into a high state of culti- 
 N'ation and sold very recently. The lands were very 
 Hat all the way to Winnipeg. Presently we passed 
 Otterburne Station, three mile.' from which is " Little 
 Jiredenbury," which we propose going to see another 
 day. Judging from later experiences, I do not think 
 the approach from this side gives one a correct idea of 
 the country round Winnipeg. We were passing along 
 the Ked liiver Valley, and the soil in the immediate 
 neighbourhood of the railway seemed for a time rather 
 wet ; but, as I found afterwards, a little way back from 
 the line on either side the lands lie high and dry, and 
 are of a very good quality. 
 
 On reaching Winnipeg at 7 p.m., we went to the 
 Potter House Hotel. I subjoin a few notes as to 
 
 .-gf 
 
 : n 
 
AGlllCULTL'Ri: IX .UOXTAX.l AS'D DAh'UTA. 
 
 lOJ 
 
 idiate 
 
 •atlier 
 
 from 
 
 and 
 
 fai.niii^ laiuls in Montiiiia and ! )aknta, liC'c., Terriiorics. 
 The wliolo of Montana is very liilly, all the hills bi'iui;- 
 ^rass-c'ov('i\'d. The western portion of t!jis State is 
 well-wooded; but still, i,''enerally an open country. On 
 tlie western slope of the Uocky Mountains it resembles 
 one immense })ark — all yrass, well led down, with 
 j^roups (mostly small) of trees here and there, and no 
 very hir<^e continuous forest; in faet, the inijiression 
 «:fiven is that the trees almost must have been purposely 
 thinned out for effect. On the eastern portion there an* 
 very few trees, and the sudden change on the " Main 
 Divide " is especially remarkable, the alteration in 
 vejjetation from the western to the eastern slone beinij 
 instantaneous. The western side is greener, and the 
 trees better grown, although small when compared with 
 those we had seen near the Pacific sea-board. The 
 eastern side gives one the impression of a drier countr}' ; 
 the grass is browner, and the trees smaller, and more 
 damaged by storm and tempest ; the rocks on the 
 eastern side are sharper and more clearly-defined than 
 those on the western. 
 
 There are any amount of cattle ranches in Mon- 
 tana; but perhaps what strikes one most is the im- 
 mense quantity of horses * and ponies that one sees in 
 large droves. Sheep are also bred in great numbers, 
 and I am told that it takes less money to run a sheep 
 
 * These are justly ct'lebiatod. 
 
 N 
 
 :i i 
 
I'M iJi'ic A\i» n.inouii IX THE r.iii, r.iii west. 
 
 'V ; 
 
 I 
 
 tliiiii a cuttle ranclw. The country is virtually ontircly 
 a stock-raisint^ 'I'crritory, and scarcely any j)art of it is 
 broken by the plou^^'h. A. ^'reat de.il of <be land in 
 Montana n<»ar the Xorthern Pacific Kailroad, looks 
 ])0or. 'I'his is mainly owing' to the drouj^^lit. There 
 are, however, many rivers, such as th<> Missouri, the 
 Yellowstone, iVc, and their tributaries. In their 
 neighbourhood immense cattle ranches may be seen. 
 In ]\Iontana there is less loss in cattle throuj^h cold 
 than in \Vyomin<^, and the animals raised here are con- 
 sidered better nieat ; but Wyoming- and Montana reckon 
 together as the two best cattle States ; for though Texas 
 Clin raise a greater head, the keej) is not so good there. 
 1 am interv ,sted in the " Indian Territory;" but people 
 do not seem to know much about it in these parts. All 
 the same, judging I'rom Mr. Hewitt's view of the 
 matter, 1 believe it will turn out to be as good land 
 as any. Montana is one of the largest of the United 
 States ; and now that the Northern Pacific Railway will 
 shortly be completed,* is likely soon to be filled up. 
 The chief drawback to the country seems to be that the 
 water, although very clear, is full of alkali ; and, very 
 often, unwholesome to drink. 
 
 Pennsylvania, New York, and Ohio, are the best 
 and finest districts for mixed farming in America, 
 Illinois and Iowa being the best wheat-growing States. 
 
 * Since this was writtcu the liue has been openeil throughout. 
 
t is 
 I iu 
 »()ks 
 here 
 
 tbo 
 tlu'ir 
 seen. 
 
 cold 
 » con- 
 eckon 
 Texas 
 t\iere. 
 peoi^lc 
 
 All 
 
 )i tlio 
 
 lI land 
 
 Inited 
 
 ly will 
 
 d up. 
 
 lat the 
 
 \, very 
 
 l\e "best 
 Imerica, 
 
 States. 
 
 mi. 
 
 .[GRWUI/rURE /.V .VO.VT.tV.l AXD DAKOTA. 
 
 la-. 
 
 In Dakota Territory no land was broken alouLj the rail- 
 n)ad ronte nntil we readied Dickinson; and tlier«' 
 was no re^'ular attempt at fanninL,^ nntil we arrived 
 at Misniarek. The country is llat, thou^'li in plaees 
 undulating ; in som * parts (as I have said bel'ore) ^rass 
 knolls crop up in peaks to a considerable heii;"ht. New 
 houses are sprin^'ini^ up at every station. There are no 
 trees, but very tine-looklni,'' <;-rass lands; and althoui;-h 
 tliere are far fewer cattle than in Montana, the L,n'ass 
 looks much s^'H'ener and well adai)ted for lari^n' ranches. 
 1 assume that the laws of settlement compel the settler 
 to break up a certain amount of land annually ; and I 
 should think this country was better adapted for small 
 settlers than Montana. From what I could notice 
 alonu^ the railway route, I believe that Dakota will 
 eventually become an important agricultural district ; 
 especially as I am told that much more rain falls there 
 now than formerly, and that, therefore, the country is 
 better suited for farming purposes now than it used 
 to be. 
 
 Wednesday, July ISth, we spent in making calls and 
 looking round Winnipeg. AVe called upon Mr. McTavish 
 (of the Canadian Pacific Land Commission), Mr. lirydges 
 (the representative of the Hudson's Bay Company), and 
 on Mr. Wainwriglit and Mr. Sweeny, to whom I ha.d 
 introductions. Considering that Winnipeg as a town 
 had no existence a few years ago, it really is a wonder- 
 N 2 
 
 1W 
 
;' i 
 
 If**; 
 
 !"^ 
 
 lOG LIFE AXD LABOUR IX THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 fill \)]iicQ. There was a great " boom " here about two 
 years back, but that is all over now, and I expect a 
 i^'ood many people burnt their fingers with town lots ; 
 the place is quiet enough at present in every respect, 
 in fact I was quite surprised to find how very little 
 business appears to be now carried on. The streets are 
 wide, but not half made, and the mud in wet weather 
 is dreadfully sticky. The town i^ built at the junction 
 of the Assiniboine and lied Rivers ; the site was 
 originally only a fort of the Hudson's Bay Company,* 
 and the old fort building is still standing, but some new 
 stores on a large scale have recently been erected by 
 the Company to replace it. The surrounding country 
 is of course quite Hat, but we were surprised to find so 
 many groves of trees — mostly small poplars — in the 
 immediate neiijrhbourhood. 
 
 In the afternoon I went to the telegraph-office, 
 and found there a telegram from Clive to the effect 
 that Baillie Grohman had disappointed him in the 
 Kootenay engagement, and that he was following us 
 as fast as he could, and expected to reach Winnipeg 
 by Saturday. The Winnipeg Club — to which we were 
 admitted on the nomination of young Gait f — is as good 
 a one of its kind as I have seen in this part of the 
 world. We were much amused at a puff in the news- 
 
 * Fort Garry. 
 
 f A sou of Sir Alexander Gait, late High Cbmmissiouer for Canada. 
 
- :i^ jU'.^ I -ji-i-KSCiJi ." : 
 
 I'll 
 
 AGIUCULTURE IN MnXTANA AXJ) nAKnTA. 
 
 l'.>7 
 
 was 
 
 * 
 
 the 
 
 ing us 
 mipeg 
 |e were 
 Is good 
 lof the 
 news- 
 
 mada. 
 
 papers about us and our part}' wliicli we saw here. 
 The summer climate here is apparently pleasant 
 enough, and the evenings are delightfully long ; but 
 by all accounts the winter., are very severe. AVe had 
 a long discussion to-day with ^Ir. JatlVay as to our 
 plans ; it appeared that he was expecting to be joined 
 by some Toronto friends, who wished to come ^vith 
 us to the North- West, and who had only a limited 
 time at their disposal ; so it was eventually decided, 
 to suit them, that we should start next Friday morning, 
 and we thereupon settled that we would go the follow- 
 ing morning to see our Otterburne property. 
 
 Accordingly, Mr. Jaffray and I left Winnipeg the 
 next day at 7.55 a.m. for Otterburne station (thirty-one 
 miles distant), in the neighbourhood of which " l^ittle 
 Bredenbury " is situated. By mistake, we passed the 
 station, as the name was not called, and we had not 
 expected to reach it so soon ; however, the conductor 
 came to tell us what we had done, and stopped the 
 train for us to get off'. After some time we succeeded 
 in hiring a buggy, in which we drove out to Mc Vicar's 
 location, which is the next section but one to ours. 
 This we found to be occupied by three brothers, nice 
 civil fellows, all three bachelors; and each I fancy 
 on the look-out for a wife; they said that girls 
 were 6'o scarce about there, and wives not easy to find. 
 One of the brothers (John Mc Vicar) accompanied us 
 
 ii 
 
 iii 
 
 ^^i 
 
 1.1 • 
 
 ,-, . - 
 
 IH 
 
198 LIFt: AND LAIIOUR IX THE FAB, FAR WEST. 
 
 u 
 
 ¥' 
 
 M 
 
 i - 
 
 ^f^ 
 
 £ 1 
 
 to show us onr lots, tlio location of wliicli lie knew, and 
 we drove over tliem from end to end. Mc Vicar told us 
 that it was some of the best land in that neighbour- 
 hood, and could not well be better ; and we ourselves 
 came to tlie same conclusion, being very much pleased 
 with what we saw. The soil is a black loam of great 
 depth ; there is some small scrub-wood about, but this 
 would all plough out if the land were cultivated. AVild 
 ATtches grow here to any extent, as well as good grass 
 for cattle ; I picked about a dozen different kinds of 
 wild flowers, tiger-lilies, &c. ; and in places we came 
 across patches of beautiful wild strawberries, which it 
 would do the children at home good to see. 
 
 John McA'^icar drove us back to his house — which 
 is a new one just completed — and asked us in to dinner, 
 which invitation wo were glad to accept ; the meal 
 consisted of fish caught in the Eat Eiver close by, 
 bread, potatoes, milk, and tea. He and his brothers 
 (Neven and Angus) manage the household work en- 
 tirely themselves, and have about 900 acres altogether 
 to farm. The prices of land and of labour have both 
 gone down of late in this district ; men can now only 
 earn about one and a half dollars {i.e., Gs.) per day, out 
 of which they have to pay six dollars a week for board 
 and lodging, and one dollar for washing. 
 
 The winter here lasts about six months, and 
 usually commences with November; January and 
 
AGUICULTUIiE IX MOXTANA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 lf»9 
 
 i^e both 
 
 |w only 
 
 ly, out 
 
 board 
 
 |s, and 
 and 
 
 February being the hardest months ; nevertheU'ss, 
 John McYicar spent the Avliole of last Avinter in a 
 tent. The time during this season is einpl()3'ed in 
 feeding the cattle and in cutting wood. June is con- 
 sidered to be the rainy month, but this year there has 
 been no rain for two months — /.<?., not until the second 
 week in July. Thunderstorms are not frequent, and 
 mosquitoes are not particularly troublesome. 
 
 ^Ic Vicar's house, which was all of wood, cost £150 
 for materials only, without labour. But it is a good- 
 sized house, with one large room upstairs, and the same 
 down-stairs. There are many French emigrants from 
 Lower Canada in these parts, also a good many Rus- 
 sian emigrants, of whom more hereafter. A Ttoman 
 Catholic chapel and a school have been built for the 
 French ; but an English church and school are badly 
 wanted for our colony. After wishing our neighbours 
 the McVicars good-bye, we walked to see a farm of 
 1,400 acres, belonging to a Major Greig, of Toronto, 
 which has been in cultivation for nearly three years, 
 and is occupied by his two sons. We found young 
 Greig and his wife at home. They have just built a 
 new house, a double one — something like a large-sized 
 double cottage — so as to accommodate the second Mrs. 
 Greig, as the younger brother is about to be married. 
 It cost 2,500 dollars (£500). Besides this, they have 
 lately put up a new barn, for which the contract price 
 
 i'i^M f! 
 

 i 
 
 200 lAFE AXD LABOUR IX THE FATt, FAR WEST. 
 
 was £:280 ; and have also sunk a well to a depth of 
 eighty feet, at a cost of five dollars (or £1) per foot. 
 There is no alkali in this district. The value of land is 
 from five to fifteen dollars per acre. 
 
 We went over young Greig's farm. The cattle, 
 which numhered about forty head, looked in excellent 
 order, quite fat enough and with first-rate coats. The 
 wheat was put in in May, and they said it ought to be 
 fit for cutting the end of August. I picked seven 
 different kinds of wild flowers, including roses, from 
 amongst the wheat. Tiger-lily plants in flower abound 
 everywhere. 
 
 We drove back to Otterburne Station with young 
 Greig in his " Buck-board," the first experience I have 
 had of this kind of locomotion. It is a funny-looking 
 turn-out, rather like a buggy ; four very high thin 
 wheels, and one centre seat, with foot-board and splash- 
 board, compose the vehicle. It is built purposely for 
 prairie work, and is extremely light, but very strong ; 
 intended really to carry only two persons, but usually 
 made to take three, in which case the driver sits bodkin 
 between the two passengers. There is a little place 
 behind for luggage, fixed in line with the back wheels. 
 
 We caUj^iit the train, and arrived at Winnipeg about 
 7.30 p.m., where we came across Mr. McTavish, who 
 was most obliging, and gave me passes on the Canadian 
 Pacific Kailway for Clive, Mitchell, and myself. These 
 
 ri! 
 
AGRICULrURE IN MONTANA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 201 
 
 \vill be very useful if we do not want to be always with 
 the Midland car, and. will make iis more independent. 
 I was told by a high authority on such matters, that 
 Southern Manitoba contained the best land in Canada ; 
 and that any investment in land which could be made 
 at a fair price within ten or twenty miles of Winnipeg, 
 would be of great ultimate value ; for this place must, 
 my informant said, be the great city of the future for 
 all the North-West. Quite late there was an alarm of 
 fire, so out we went to see the blaze, which appeared to 
 be confined to a couple of houses ; and, as there was no 
 wind, did not spread. We, however, saw enough to 
 form the opinion that the Winnipeg fire-brigade is a 
 very efficient one and. well managed. 
 
 .'' 
 
 r' 
 
 I 
 
 i! 
 
 ■l.i I 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 THE NORTH-WKST TERRITORY. 
 
 Aj>nculture between Winiiipcf^ nnd IMarqucttc — Scotch S(!ttlcrs — rovtap;e la 
 I'laiiic — Ihaiuloii — Virdon — A Visit liuiii the Police — The One-mile 
 ]5(,'lt — Tieii I'lantini^' — A I'lairie iSunsut — Moon-rise on the I'rairie — 
 Indian Head— A Drive to Fort Qu'Appcllo— A Fiold of Twelve Hundrid 
 Acres— Fariiiiiii,' in Minnesota and in the North-West compared — A 
 yettlor's Story. 
 
 We left Winnipeg by the 7.30 a.m. train on the 
 following morning, July 20th, in the Midland of 
 Canada railway official car, via Canadian Pacific Hail- 
 way, on our expedition to the North-West Territory ; 
 our party consisting of Mr. Jaffray, and Mr. McKenzie, 
 of Toronto ; Mr. Davies ; Colonel Williams, M.P., 
 and his son Victor ; Mr. Bath ; Mitchell, and self. 
 Three other gentlemen had arrived from Toronto to 
 join the party, but one was taken ill and could not 
 move, so the ccher two stayed with him ; and I believe 
 intend, if possible, to join us later, uf) the track. We 
 were told that two of them were influential bankers. 
 Of course there was a notice in the newspapers of their 
 arrival at AVinuipeg. On leaving the town the railway 
 track struck out at once over the open prairie, and we 
 were surprised to find that for twenty-five miles there 
 were no signs of corn cultivation, which seems a sad 
 
THE XORTII-WEST TEniilTORY. 
 
 pity ; but it is owing to the liind being held by specu- 
 lators. The grass appeared to be of an excellent 
 quality, much better, in fact, than I had expected to 
 see ; not long and rank, but pasture fit for stock, and 
 likely to make good hay. Apparently the hay crop is 
 not cut early, but quite late, at the same time as the 
 corn , indeed, no great attention seemed to be paid to 
 it, but it is cut when convenient. The season this year 
 is a backward one, and the harvest will be late. From 
 what 1 could see of the corn crop, I should say that it 
 is not any more forward than that of Jiritish Columbia. 
 The usual time for commencinjj t(^ cut is said to be tv)- 
 wards the ^*itter part of August — but I saw a great deal 
 of corn not evt-'" in ear. There are no large fields " of 
 thousands of acres " of grain in this district. They are 
 all comparatively small, and not fenced in. Between 
 Winnipeg and Marquette (which was the first station I 
 noticed), all was grass ; but at Poplar Point we saw 
 some very fair corn crops, and the soil looked good. 
 Here there were trees in the distance — a sure sign in 
 this country of the vicinity of a river ; in this case they 
 marked the course of the Assiniboine. These lines of 
 trees take off* from the monotony of the great prairie. 
 
 There are a good many old Scotch settlers in this 
 part. A Mr. Gibson, a large Canadian miller, who got 
 into the train at Poplar Point, gave us a good deal of 
 valuable information, and explained the meaning of 
 
 
 
 : 
 
r > 
 
 If 
 
 2H LIFE AND LABOUR IX THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 some of the Indian njimes, telliui'- us tliiit ^lai itoba 
 meant '* Wliisperinf.'* Spirit " ; Assini))oine, *' tlie river 
 that runs from the stron<^ Indians " ; and Saskatchewan, 
 " the river that runs rapidly." He told us also that 
 when there is no rainfall in the sprint', the moisture 
 left in the ground after the frost is sufficient in itself 
 to moisten the land ; and that this, combined with the 
 summer heat, has the effect of turning the soil as it 
 were into a hot-hed, and of course greatly increases 
 its fertility. This information was confirmed by what 
 I heard subsequently. 
 
 We soon reached Portage la Prairie, which is a 
 very rising settlement, with some excellent land in the 
 neighbourhood ; and water at a depth of only fifteen 
 feet. The next place which attracted our attention 
 was Brandon, 132 miles west of Winnipeg, where we 
 halted for dinner ; two years ago there was only a 
 single house here, but now it is quite a town. We now 
 passed into a district of poor and undulating land, 
 covered with brushwood, it being the first of the three 
 ridges into which the North- West Territory is divided. 
 At Virden I left a message for young Power (who is 
 managing Rankin's estate twenty miles from here), 
 to tell him that I was in the countrv, and would try to 
 look in on our return journey. At a place called 
 Moosomin we had a visit from the mounted police, 
 who wanted to examine the car, as no spirits are 
 
TITE XOirriT-WEST TERRITORY. 
 
 205 
 
 admitted into tlio North- West Territory ; fortimately 
 for us, however, Coh)nel AVilliams liad telej^raphed to 
 Governor Dewdney at Uei^'ina, so we liad a permit, and 
 were allowed to ])ass our stores. These men are well- 
 dressed in red uniforms, and have a smart soldierly 
 appearance ; they bear a very his^h reputation, and are 
 said to get on capitally with the Indians, and to have 
 a great influence over them. The country here is very 
 undulating, with a good deal of scrub-wood about, and 
 grass ridges and mounds ; in fact, it is what is called 
 " rolling prairie." The line is at present only fenced 
 in for a certain distance from Winnipeg, but doubtless, 
 in time, this will be carried on throughout ; the sleepers, 
 instead of being (as I had expected) laid flat on the 
 prairie without any further construction, are raised 
 the whole way on a slight embankment ; the road also 
 appears to be very solidly made, and the ballasting is 
 excellent, as gravel is found in places alongside the 
 track. The country on each side close to the railway 
 looks almost uninhabited, for the Government (or the 
 Eailway Company) have decided to keep what is called 
 the " one-mile belt " for the present, and not to sell the 
 lands contiguous to the line, for fear of their being- 
 bought by speculators instead of by actual settlers. 
 Of course these lands will come into the market by- 
 and-bye ; but for the present, in order to see how 
 the country is filling up, one must go inland off the 
 
 :!' ':• 
 
 : % 
 
 1 
 
 I '^1' 
 
 
 ■I 
 
 ill 
 
200 iirr: axd iMiorn in tuk fau, faii west. 
 
 
 ! 
 
 Jh"! 
 
 ;1 
 
 line* As wo travelled on wo could, however, see settlors' 
 houses dotted about in the distanco beyond the ono-milo 
 bolt; there seemed a i^reat many small farms, but they 
 were mostly rather I'ar apart. 
 
 In my opinion some steps should be taken to insist 
 iij)()n troo-plantiuL!^, for this, if jiulieiously done, would 
 have a jj^reat elVect in aiterin;j^ the appearance ol" the 
 country (es])ecially the bare bleak look ol" the open 
 ])rairie), besides providinij;' materials for shelter and iiriuL;". 
 There are certainly a few trees about, but they may 
 be called exceptional, and we passed throuj^h many 
 parts wlu're not even a shrub w^as to be seen for miles. 
 
 Our car had a «»'ood many visitors in the course of 
 the day, to all of whom (accordini^ to Canadian fashion) 
 I was introduced ; but 1 cannot pretend to remendjor 
 their names. \Ve passed ininierous small tarns in 
 diU'erent places, and saw wild duck on nearly every one 
 of them ; but at present they are too small to shoot at, 
 and I should not think they w\\\ be sufficiently grown 
 for at least another month ; so I fear, after all, the guns 
 which we procured in Winnipeg will be of but little 
 use to us for either duck or prairie fowl. Throughout 
 the day the weather was pleasantly cool. There was 
 a glorious sunset in the evening ; it was my first 
 experience of a real prairie sunset, and I can only 
 compare it to a Norwegian one — or better still, to an 
 
 * These restrictions have been remoAed since the 1st Jauuaiy, 1884. 
 
11 
 
 o;uns 
 llittle 
 rliout 
 was 
 first 
 only 
 bo an 
 
 Tin: X()i!Tfr-\vi:sT TKunirnuy. 
 
 'Ji'7 
 
 ocoan sunset — \vliii;li, to tlioso wlio Iwivc seen one, will 
 1)0 onou^li to convfy wliat a bcautirul sii;-l»t it is ; but, 
 jiflorious as it was, our adininitiou was subs('(|UL'nlIy 
 cjuito as luucli cxcitod by tlic nu)()n-ris('. 
 
 Wo arrived at Indian Head al)(»ut IL.'iO p.m., and 
 sliortly afterwards all retired for t!io uig'ht, making- use 
 of tlio Midland of Canada railway ear as our sleepinijf 
 (juarters. Mr. JalVray insisted on j^'iving up the " states 
 bed-room " to Mitchell and mysi'lf. It was a little room 
 used as a sleepin<^-room on the car, and was really very 
 comfortable indeed. The other members of our l)arty 
 slept in the car itself, beds beini;' made up there by 
 ^larsli (the attendant), on sofas and chairs. It was a 
 great luxury havin<^ the car ; for, as far as we could 
 learn, there was no suitable sleepin«^- accommodation to 
 be had at Indian Head, tliou^^h an hotel is now being 
 built there by the Jkdl Farm Company. 
 
 We were not very warm when we woke the next 
 morning, for we had had one large window open all 
 night, and discovered that the veutilators had been 
 open as well ; and the weather really was quite cold. 
 However, thanks to my coat and rug, 1 had numaged 
 to keep pretty snug. We were soon on the move, 
 for Major ]5ell, of Bell Farm (about one and a half 
 miles off), had come to invite us all to breakfast; and it 
 was settled that we should afterwards drive straight on 
 to Fort Qu'Appelle, twenty miles farther, and reuuiin 
 
 
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 ' I I! Ji 
 
 1^ 1 i jl 
 
 I'- 
 
 
1 ^ 
 
 u 
 
 I 
 
 , I 
 
 1^' 
 
 'JUS JJl'I'J AM) LMiOVll IX THE FAli, FAR WEST. 
 
 tlicro a nij^lit. AV'e set off lu^cordinj^ly in two vcliicli's, 
 aiul iK'Torc Iji-cakfast went round the fann-buildini^s, 
 cVc. Tliis land holonj^^s to a Company, and ^Fajor 
 Hell is tlio nianaL^'cr. Tlicy took up 5(5, (MM) acn-s ol' 
 (;pc'n prairie, and conmicnccd ojx'rations only a ycaraii^i). 
 Major Hell lias already a j^ood dwellini^-liouse and out- 
 buildin«^s erected, an avenue of trees planted, and a 
 lar^o stock of implements ready to hand. It is his 
 intention to break up 7, (MM) acres durin*^ the present 
 year. We saw a held ol" \,'2()() acres, two miles lon<^, 
 beinjj^ plouj^hed, the team havinjjf to traverse that 
 distance before turnin<^. Two trips are made in the 
 mornin<r and two in the oveninti^ (feedinjjj-tiine comin<r 
 between), so that the horses have to make <,pood time in 
 order to reach the i'eedin<jf-trough at the proper hour. 
 They plough seventy acres a day, using no steam 
 power, only horses, of which Major Jkdl must keep a 
 great many, for we saw a stabie for waggon-horses built 
 to hold no less than 105; and the loft was large 
 enough to contain 100 tons of hay. The stable was 
 round, and substantially built of stone. We noticed 
 one 1,200-acre field of wheat. We were told ajrain 
 here that harvest would commence towards the end of 
 August. 
 
 Major Bell had farmed at one time in Minnesota, 
 but said he preferred the North-West. In drawing a 
 comparison between the land here and that in the lied 
 
n 
 
 les, 
 s *.l' 
 
 a<r(). 
 Ollt- 
 
 iid St 
 s bis 
 esent 
 
 that 
 n the 
 oming 
 ime in 
 lOur. 
 steam 
 :eep a 
 built 
 lar<jje 
 e was 
 loticed 
 again 
 end of 
 
 lesota, 
 king a 
 he lied 
 
 TlfH X( ) n Til. 1 VEH T TE fl U I TO It Y. 
 
 2on 
 
 IJivor Vjillcy, In* said that tlu' latter was i\\o Ix'st in 
 Cimada, and tlu' soil there much (h'eper and newer than 
 hero, and eapabic til' Ixmul;' worked tor a long tiin<' 
 without inanui'i; ; i)ut the croj)s there were about three 
 weeks Ix'hind those in tills part ol' the North- West 
 {•U'2 miles west ol" VVinnipci^), tiiough here the soil was 
 much older and harder, and eould only be worked lor 
 a limited time without artilieial assistance. As far as 
 I could judL>-e, i ])reierred the Ived iiiver soil to this ; and 
 besides, later in the day, I was j^iven to understand 
 that there is a gredt dilliculty in obtaining a good 
 supply of water at Hell Farm, and tliat in point of faet 
 a well has been sunk to a *jrej;t depth there withont 
 any successful result. 
 
 At the time of our visit Mrs. liell did the honours 
 of a very good breakfast of eggs and bread-and-butter, 
 after which we set off in two waggons (one drawn by 
 mules, the other by horses), for Fort Qu'A))pelle; our 
 route being over the open prairie, and for the first live 
 or six miles perfectly flat, then gradually more undu- 
 lating, until eventually we came to a much more thickly- 
 wooded country, pai'tly covered with brushwood about 
 twelve feet hiyh. I should think it ouijht to be a 
 capital district for duck and prairie fowl, for there 
 seemed to be a great many small ponds about, and 
 ducks were to be seen on almost all of them. 
 
 We stopped to speak to a settler who had come into 
 o 
 
 •I 
 
 i:ii 
 
 11 
 
lMO /,//■';•; .I.V/> LAJiOVR IN Tin: FAR, h'AU WEST. 
 
 null) 
 
 *i 
 
 ■■[■ 
 i 
 
 \l 
 
 i 
 
 ]1 !; 
 
 tlu'sc pjirls :i year or two a^o I'roin Ontario. II(^ told 
 us tliat \\v was very lia|)])y, and prd'crrcd the Nortli- 
 AVt'st tt) his old quarters; and tliat th(>u^-h tlie six 
 montlis' winter was hmi;', and th(>re was uot niucli to 
 do tlu'U besides cuttin<j^ wood and leediui;- the cattle, 
 he did not nuieh mind that, for it was better for "the 
 boys " here than in Ontario, and they themselves 
 prei'erred it. 
 
 Four miles farther on wo came in sii^ht of Fort 
 l()u'A]i]ielle, with its valley and lakes. Wo had a con- 
 siderable descent to make, for there was quite a fall in 
 the yround, and the valley was really very pretty. 
 Jielbre reach ini»' it wo saw a larij^e encampment of 
 Indians in the distance, who, we were told, were lied 
 Indians of the Creo tribe, and wo made up our minds 
 to endeavour to visit them in the course of the 
 afternoon. 
 
 I 
 
 We 
 
 tW( 
 
 side 
 
 ii 
 
 be 
 the 
 broo 
 plac( 
 
 c'umi 
 
 . 
 
 ^\ero 
 V 
 
 H. 
 
CHAPTER xrr. 
 
 A M () N (i T II K K K I) S K 1 N S. 
 
 Iiiiliaii Si'ttliTH -A ijimiim ( '.illiolic Mission - 'J in- ( 'n;(' liiilian Cimip -Siii'\iv,il 
 ot' CiucH 'iistoiiis A (/'iTciiumiuiis llr I pliim iinliiiii Music- -l)c)H' Sli'W 
 - Musical Aiu'oiMiiiiiiiiiriit to ;i S|)cccli -Iinliau liravcs ou llic i'xiasl — 
 Till! I'lik'-fiiccs idspond An i'lniharrassinj^ OllVr. 
 
 On our arrival at Fort (^u'ApjH'llc we went to a rraiiicil 
 house to see about rooms, tliou^'Ii wo liad cxptMjtcd 
 to have to put up witli a tent hotel. llowcvor, we 
 louiid a ])laco called Echo House, built ol" wood, and 
 about forty feet by twenty-one feet ; in which tlicrc 
 were upstairs four beds in one room, two rooms with 
 two beds each, and two sino-je-bedded rooms, while out- 
 side there was a tent with twelve cribs more. W^e had 
 a fair luncheon with the natives, all of whom seem to 
 be a very tidy lot — what are called "good settlers" of 
 the right stamp. There are a great many French haU- 
 breeds here, as indeed can be seen l)v the name of the 
 place. A considerable number of Indians were en- 
 camped in the valley, as well as ^n the hill, tlu*y 
 were all gorgeously painted. 
 
 We made a very interesting expedition in the after- 
 noon to a Roman Catholic IMission, which was estab- 
 o 2 
 
 m 
 
 ^ihl 
 
 
 W 
 
 i \ 
 
 1.1 ; (! 
 
 I 
 
 ; ; i 
 
 m 
 
 '11 
 
 lirtl 
 
 ' 1 ' 
 
 i'l 
 
 <li.i 
 

 •-M2 LIFE AM) LABOUR IX THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 lislu'd luM'o iibout oi<,''1itoon years ago ; having arranc^ed 
 our plans so as to visit the Indian camj) afterwards; 
 a Mr. ^Maedougali, whose acquaintance we had formed, 
 and vvlio was well known to tlie Indians, pronnsing to 
 precede us there, and to ask their ])erniission for us to 
 call. The Jionian Catholic Mission is situated six 
 miles to the east, on the border of the lake. Our party, 
 which, on our plans becoming known, had been joined 
 l)v other travellers, was well received by the priest, who 
 is a Frenchman (born between Marseilles and Lyons). 
 He has been here about ten years, and is assisted in 
 his duties b}' two othe priests, tlie one a German, the 
 other English ; but they were out when we called. The 
 Mission was originally started for the French Iloman 
 Catholic half-bi-eeds, a good many of whom are settled 
 in this neiirhbourhood. 
 
 The room into wliich we were shown in the Mission 
 house was rather stuffy and diiij ; it contained eleven 
 t'hairs with hide-string bottoms, a table, form, stove, 
 and clock, maps of the North- West Territory and of 
 the Canadian Pacific Hailway, and three or four 
 pictures — one of which represented the present Pope. 
 The porch to the house was covered with hops ; and the 
 garden, which reached down to the border of the lake, 
 was ffav with flowers, and well stocked with tomatoes, 
 French beans, Indian corn, ])otatoes, parsnips, and 
 vegetable marrow, all looking in very good condition. 
 
n 
 
 vds ; 
 
 110(1, 
 
 ir to 
 IS to 
 
 six 
 iirty. 
 oinetl 
 , who 
 ^ons). 
 :ed in 
 ,11, the 
 
 The 
 
 Ionian 
 
 ttled 
 
 se 
 
 jssion 
 
 eleven 
 stove, 
 
 and of 
 four 
 Pope, 
 ind tlie 
 
 lie lake, 
 matoes, 
 |s, and 
 idition. 
 
 AMONG THE REDSKINS. 
 
 !l:i 
 
 Tlie clmrcli is built of wood and stucco, the same as 
 the Mission house, and, like it, is tliatched with 
 straw; it stands a little to the east of the house, 
 and is now being enlarged. The belfry is de- 
 tached, and is a kind of frame-work erection at the 
 west end of the chapel, containing two bells whi(;h 
 swing in the open. The grave-yard is on the eastern 
 side, and, as regards grass, is badly kept ; but each grave 
 was marked by one or more crosses, and over many 
 of them was placed an ornamental box, making a kind 
 of little house. Sometimes a little air-s})aee is left 
 between tlie to]) and bottom of the grave to allow 
 " the spirit " room to pass through. In these* cemeteries 
 the Indians frequently place over the head of the grave 
 a couple of sticks and a receptacle of some kind, in 
 which the friends of the departed wlien they come to 
 the grave, put a little tobacco, bit of tobacco pipe or 
 some similar object, in order to propitiate the "spirit" 
 when it visits the grave. There were several out- 
 buildings behind the Mission house, and also one or two 
 cottages ; the chimneys in every case were of metal ; the 
 whole had a very attractive, though rather primitive 
 appearance, and reflects credit on the Iloman Catholics. 
 I think the Church of England ought to have an eve 
 to this district as well, for there are Presbyterians, 
 cVc, also in this neighbourhood. The priest seemed 
 delighted to see so ne strangers, for he said the Indians 
 
 n 
 
 Si': 
 
 '-\ ^! 
 
 ri 
 
 S ! 
 
 i'l 
 
 .\\\ 
 
214 LIFE AXD LABOUR IN THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 M:' i? 
 
 '.M 
 
 spoke of notliiny- but their horses and cattle when they 
 came to see him. Our party consisted of about twenty 
 altogether, each of whom was introduced to him 
 individually. 
 
 On taking our leave we drove on to the Cree 
 Indian camp, regaining the open prairie by a track up 
 the side of the valley, so steep that in England one 
 would have thought it quite impassable ; from the 
 summit we had a beautiful view of the valley and its 
 three lakes. At some distance from the camp we were 
 introduced to a half-breed Indian, who undertook to 
 l)e our interpreter. The camp, containing about a 
 hundred vngwams or more, was on a fiat elevation; and, 
 as we drove past, every tent produced a number of 
 j)eering faces, painted red, or yellow and red, the hair- 
 partings being generally of the latter colour. About 
 400 Crees were assembled here, for there had been a 
 great function the previous week, which the different 
 neighbouring chiefs and their tribes had come to attend ; 
 one ceremony had been to admit five warriors as 
 " braves." These unfortunates have to go through vari- 
 ous ordeals, one of which is to have a stick run through 
 the flesh of the chest, and another to be strung up by 
 the skin of the shoulders for an hour and a half, during 
 which latter operation we heard one of the Indians had 
 fainted twice. 
 
 When we approached the large wigwam we saw 
 
 
AmxG rup ij^asTO-,, 
 
 vvLie in tor a re«n] -ir <' .^^ 
 «^amn,ecl wit). UuXHn. n , 'T"""'^^ " "'« tent was 
 
 r -•"> «.e . J:: : J ■^^;;"'". - t,.e .^^^^^^^ 
 
 «''«" probably nover seP "'''* ^^"'^ ""« >vo 
 
 Wget. Tbe tent i^^, f '"T" ■^"^" --'-'y "ev.. 
 -i"- broad, .ade '1 : T'""* ^"'•*^ ^-' 'o". b, 
 
 " g.-eat dainty. We T ''"''"' "'"■^■'' ''^ «'«"Sl.t 
 "« to tbe assembled chiof 7 "*™^' ^^''" "'foJuccd 
 
 "" '-0""^. Their names we^ :- "^'^ °' '"""'•^ 
 
 CliiefCotd, 
 
 Keechehona, '•'\J^''' ^«^«t' from Pell^. 
 
 ir " -^'le Jr^lajn 
 
 p "7"P<"""S. .. Little B1.4 B,,,. " '^"'-^l-l*"" I--.t«. • 
 
 
 KawaJfatoos, 
 
 
 ;> 
 >) 
 >> 
 
 ToiicJiwood HiJl„. 
 
 Poor ALui, 
 
 o-ons, and sin,^;. "^^1"::^^ f'^ *-'"^'> 
 
 "*«'-on,,andtbemusiese^ ""'"""'"" 
 superior to that of the n,' "' '■"■>" '■^"■ 
 
 '■■«"tre of the tent and w ^""^' "^"'^ ■'" «"-• 
 
 "t. «d was jomed in by some si.v or 
 
 
 
 I i 
 
 ,>:M 
 
 Ml 
 
 f 
 
 .in 
 
•l\r, LIFE AXD LABOUR IN THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 ton at a time, to the music of tlie band, tlie head-man 
 selecting tlie dancers. He was not a chief, but what 
 we should call master of the ceremonies ; he was an 
 old man, and wore nothing but a dirty-white blanket, 
 blanket-trousers and mocassins, nothing on above his 
 waist except a dirty white handkerchief tied in a band 
 round his head. He had several patches of paint in 
 streaks about his body and arms ; but lie was not 
 nearly so well dressed as some of the other Indians, for 
 some of the dresses were really handsome and of wonder- 
 fid colouring. 
 
 Finding that we were in for a regular " pow-wow," 
 we took our seats on the ground and philosophically 
 resigned ourselves to do anything that might be re- 
 quired of us, in order that we might show our love for 
 our Indian fellow-subjects ; but all the same we 
 devoutly hoped that we might not be called upon 
 to taste the great Indian delicacy of dog-stew which 
 was simmering in the cauldron (and was the nastiest- 
 looking thing in the camp, which is saying a good 
 deal), or even to join in the pipe of peace, which we 
 imagined to be looming in the distance. 
 
 The following slight description of some of the 
 dresses will show how curious the scene was : — Chief 
 l*asquali wore a Jim Crow hat and feather, a leather 
 jacket trimmed with beads, red trousers made out of a 
 blanket, with black braid round the ankles (there bein 
 
 ft 
 
AMONG THE REDSKIXS. 
 
 217 
 
 n" 
 
 good 
 
 being 
 
 a tear on one side, through wliich a large piece of thigh 
 was visible) ; a long piece of drapery hung from the 
 shoulders, with small ilat brass bells attached ; he wore 
 mocassins ; round his waist was a belt with lire bag 
 (to contain matches and tobacco) , his face was painted a 
 bright vermilion, his hair was long and black, he carried 
 a pipe in his hand, and on his breast hung a pair of 
 scissors and a looking-glass in a case ; — evidently a 
 present. 
 
 A few days later T was given a paper drawn by this 
 chief, showing everything he has received from the 
 Government ; it is really a great curiosity. Another 
 chief had a birds' fejither head-dress, fans of feathers, 
 silver rings on forefingers, and his face painted yellow 
 with dashes of vermilion. One old Indian chief was 
 not painted like the others, but was dressed in darkish 
 clothes, and wore a round black hat trimmed with wide 
 gold braid. He was a stranger, and came as a guest, 
 the representative of a tribe 300 miles away, and sat 
 out the whole performance with great stolidity. With 
 this exception, all had more or less coloured faces ; some 
 being painted bright vermilion down to the nose and 
 yellow ochre below it, which is quite sufficient to give 
 a hideous expression. Ear-rings were the general 
 ornaments ; the hair was mostly worn very long, and 
 in many cases plaited, but one or two had it cut so as 
 to make it stand up on end. Chief Pasfjuah made us 
 
 ii> 
 
 '■ i, 
 
 ! 
 
 ! 
 
 ■!l;: 
 
218 LIFE AND LABOUR IX THE FAIi, FAR WEST. 
 
 f i 
 
 ■\- i 
 
 I !• 
 
 !i spoccli, rcTTiarlvaLle for its apparent fliu'iicy ; in tliis 
 lie was followed hy a yo"ng warrior, during whose 
 oration the band struck in between each sentence, ^ivin^^ 
 a single note on the " tom-tom " — a circular instrument 
 struck with a stick. I'he speech of this young warrior 
 was translated to us by our interpreter, and was an 
 account of the number of men he had killed. Mr. 
 McDougnll, who had arranged our interview, advised 
 that we should, before leaving, see how the Indians keep 
 a record of their fights, and of the number of their 
 victims. One tall Indian, whom we had noticed before, 
 was therefore selected ; he wore a large linen mantle, 
 and he showed us examples painted on it in yellow, 
 illustrating how he had killed eighteen Indians, each 
 drawing showing how the deed had been done. 
 
 After witnessing a great deal of dancing, singing, 
 and speech-uiaking, we thought it time to move ; so 
 Colonel Williams was advanced as our representative 
 to make a speech, which was duly translated to the 
 Indians b}'- our interpreter, and was as follows : — 
 
 " We 25ide-faces from the East are making a journey 
 to the Rocky Mountains, and we have come here to 
 inquire into your welfare. But although pale-faces, 
 we are the children of one mother, the Queen of Great 
 Britain, and we have come to see you, such valiant men, 
 who have fought such great battles. We are sorry 
 to hear that you are sometimes hungry, so we have 
 
i 
 
 AMONG THE nEDSKTXS. 
 
 211) 
 
 bronglit you some tea and tuljacco, and some vermilion 
 with which to decorate your squaws ; and we will send 
 you some Hour and bacon on our return. We must 
 now wish you good-bye, and may the great Spirit 
 direct you and keep you in the right path." 
 
 After this followed a great deal of hand-shaking, 
 and then we took our departure from the Indian camp, 
 and returned to Fort QirA])pelle. Our first ])resent 
 to the Indians had C(msisted only of tea and tobacco, 
 and vermilion for painting themselves ; the bacon and 
 Hour were an after-thought. They, however, evidently 
 expected a handsome present, for they sent to ask if 
 they should bring a cart to fetch it ; so we made the 
 best of it, and answered in the aflirmative. These 
 gatherings only take phice occasionally, so it was most 
 fortunate for us that we shoukl have come across such 
 a sight during our trip to the North- West. 
 
 •in 
 
 i 
 
 H 
 
 '"1 
 
 I'iil 
 
 I I 
 
 ■ 
 
 : 
 
 ir 
 
1 1'^ 
 
 
 f;i I' 
 
 si) 
 
 
 t i! 
 
 CHAPTER XII r. 
 
 PHAIUIK LAM) IN TIIK NORTH-WKST. 
 
 The T()U(h\vo(Ml (in'Apprlld (lolonisation C()ini);iiiy— liollinu; I'niirio— Flat 
 Prairie— A Ki.sky Drive— A Sioux Settleiiiunt — A Keil-si<in on tlie Hunt 
 "Milliiuis of M()S(|iiit<)eH" — Atiiong the Settlers — Their llofiuests — 
 Winter in the Norlli-West — A Nitsty Accident. 
 
 I WAS up the next day at 5.30 a.m., and went 
 down to the river for a bathe ; for our hotel accom- 
 modation did not include wash-hand basins, or indeed 
 lookin<j^-g]asses either, except on a limited scale outside 
 the dining'-room. We were read}'' for a start about 
 7.15 a.m., while the cribs in the tent adjoining the 
 "framed house" still contained the majority of their 
 occupants fast asleep ; this, however, may be because 
 it was Sunda}-- mornin^^, and need not necessarily be the 
 every-day habits of the people at Qu'Appelle. Colonel 
 AVilliams and I were allotted a "Buck-board" drawn 
 by a pair of fast mules ; the vehicle seemed all wheels, 
 and no more body than just sufficient to hold a seat 
 for two and a buffalo-robe, and we must have been a 
 ^picturesque turn-out, all wheels and bufi'alo-robe. We 
 had to sit upon the latter, so as to avoid the sharp 
 angles of the seat ; although buck-boards are excellent 
 conveyances for the open prairie, they must be difficult 
 
We 
 
 iliarp 
 jlleut 
 Hcult 
 
 rit.UUlE LAXD 7.V THE XORTILWEST. 
 
 221 
 
 to turn, except in a space at least a mile or two srpiare, 
 as there is no turn at all in tlu^ front wheels. Mr. 
 IJath was in front of us on another buck-hoard, accom- 
 panied by the emi^^n'ation aL,^;nt, who was also our i^uide ; 
 and Victor Williams followed us on a Montana pony. 
 Our object in niakin<r this outini^ to-day, was to see a 
 tract of land beh)n<^in<^ to a company called the Touch- 
 wood (^u'Appellc Colonisation Company, in which 
 Colonel Williams was interested as a Director; it em- 
 braces six townships. Under such good ausj)ices 1 
 expected to learn a <^ood deal from my drive, not only 
 from what I could notice myself as rei,''ards the land, 
 but also by ascertaininjj^ the intentions of the Company 
 m respect to filling up the country. 
 
 AVe reached the nearest point of the Company's 
 land, after a six miles' drive through a charmingly 
 wooded country; brushwood, low poplars, and birch- 
 trees giving the effect of continuous plantations. There 
 were large open glades here and there of sulHcient size 
 to locate a man and give him his holding, without the 
 necessity of clearing the ground first ; and he would 
 be secure of shelter ai d firing, both matters of im- 
 portance in a climate like this. The open space was 
 all grass, so that in cultivating the soil one would only 
 have to select what should be converted into arable, and 
 leave the rest as permanent pasture ; thus in coming 
 here an almost ready-made farm would be found at 
 
 n 
 
 I 
 
 
 { < i 
 
'-'2-j I.IFI-: AMI i.MiDri! IX Tin: I'.in. far wkst. 
 
 , I. 
 
 h 
 
 onco, without tln' l)iUviioss (»f tlic open prairie. Of 
 course tlu'sc lauds would he luost suital)k» lor a mixed 
 I'arui, vvliilt! the prairie is hest tor L,n'aiu ouly. The 
 trees are j^-eneraliy small — ])robably owiu;jj to prairie 
 liros of lornier tlays — but they are very pleasant to 
 the eye, as are also the numerous ponds and tarns 
 scattered about, which would be very usei'ul lor farminLf 
 and houseliold ])urposes ; but we were told that wells 
 are easily sunk here, and that water is plentiful. The 
 description I have given holds i,^ood lor what I saw 
 of the first part ol' the Company's lands ; and, as llir 
 as I could judge, .1 should say that the soil was 
 
 good. 
 
 AVe next came to open rolling prairie, well suited to 
 sniall settlers; for, on land like this, small farming can 
 bo more easily managed than on the absolutely flat 
 plains, and the drainage is naturally better. After this 
 we passed over a part which will, 1 should think, 
 remain in its present state for many years to come ; 
 poor hungry soil, which will be best left alone us a 
 playground for the gophers ; but still, even here there 
 were one or two tarns. Then we reached the great 
 prairie itself. There can be no doubt, from what 
 Colonel Williams and the agent (Clarke) said, that this 
 is the best land of all. It may be described as " bound- 
 but grass, grass, grass, stretchiuir 
 excel 
 
 1 
 
 ess " prairie ; nothing 
 
 away to the horizon, and quite Hat, except that in the 
 
 n i« 
 
^ 
 
 rRAlUIi: LAS I) IS THE NOllTll-WEST. 
 
 i:j3 
 
 Of 
 
 fur, far distauco wo cuuM just sco the Toucliwood 
 Hills. 
 
 The pniirit' llowers wuiv hcaiitirul here, ('spcciiilly 
 tho rosos, which <^row to u hci^'ht of t>iily ahoiit six 
 inches from '^ho ground, and are much like our doj^*- 
 roses in appoaitMice, l)ut with more variety of colour; 
 indeed, it seemed as if no two l)lossoms were alike. 
 Here we came acros^; a patch of acres and acres of wild 
 strawl)erries; and, sittinj.^ down on the prairie, we could 
 gather as many as we could eat within arm's ri'ach. 
 We might easily have been lost on resuming our drive, 
 had it not been for the exceUent knowledi^t^ our <!'uide 
 possessed of tlir locality; for all was prairie in every 
 direction, and I should i^ot have had an idea which 
 way to go. Jiut he soon discovered our whereabouts by 
 looking at the sun, and finding a section mark, i.e., an 
 iron rod driven into a heap of soil, and marked with 
 the points of the compass and the number of the sec- 
 tion. The company's propert}' ended with the termina- 
 tion of the good land ; and, after driving through one or 
 two open swamps, we came upon rather a rolling and 
 stony district, the boulders of wliicli are .i peculiarity, 
 being generally only on the surface, and seldom inter- 
 ferinijr with the subsoil. 
 
 We soon reached the wooded country again, and 
 found ourselves on a high blutf, live miles from 
 Qu'Appelle, and overlooking its three lakes, which are 
 
ifff 
 
 •J_M LIFE AM) LMIOVU IX TUK FAU, FAR WFST. 
 
 Jl 
 
 comuM'tcd by tlie river of tlio same nanio. I)('sc'(Mulin<j^ 
 into the vall(>y, we returned to (^u'Apjx'lle, \vlii(!lj we 
 reached al)out four o'ehx'k ; iuivin^* liad a. nine liours* 
 outin;^, and traversed from forty-live to lil'ty niih's of 
 eountrv. ^o jJrive conUl hav«' L;-iven one a l)etter idea 
 of tlie ])rairi(>s of tlio North West, for it liad enil)raced 
 tlie three dillerent kinds of prairie, and showed us botli 
 ilfood and indilVerent lands. We liad folh)wed first the 
 i^uAppeih' and Prince l\oad, which is a very fair trail, 
 and then had turned ol!' across the open prairie, witli 
 no road or ])ath to direct us. 
 
 The L!^«)pher holes were at times a i>Teat nuisance, as 
 they are lar^'e and deep (>noun'h to break a horse's leg 
 were he to step into one ; and it seemed wonderful to 
 me tlu^t no accident occurred, as we went full tilt across 
 the ])rairie, shaving these holes (a})])arently) b}-^ the 
 merest chance. One of our mules nearly went head- 
 over-heels once, but that was all ; and the horse in the 
 other buck-board was a wonderful aninud for steei'ing 
 clear of mishaps. Sometimes we had to rush at declivi- 
 ties in the open prairie, and I was surpris(>d that the 
 pace did not entail an upset, ibr the ground was in 
 places very rough (partly on account of the gopher 
 holes) ; but the large Avheels of the buck-board 
 smoothed over many dil^culties. Driving through the 
 swamps was the smoothest and easiest part of our 
 journey ; and, after half-an-hour's bumping, was a real 
 
 L. . -»- ■ • ■ 
 
fill to 
 icross 
 ' llio 
 load- 
 11 the 
 
 clivi- 
 it the 
 vas in 
 opher 
 •board 
 ill the 
 f our 
 a real 
 
 VnMUlE LAM) IN Till: NORTILWESr. 
 
 2Jr, 
 
 comfort and relief. The motion was alto<;etlier much 
 rouL,dier and more tiring- than T liud anticipated, and I 
 think that both Colonel Williams and I had had (juite 
 enoui^h of it on returning to Qu'Appclle after our fifty 
 miles' drive. 
 
 The horse belonging to the buck-board was unshod; 
 the man told us tluit he had had no time to see to it, 
 and that tlu- horse did just as well without shoes ; 
 which for this sort of drive ai)i)eared to be really the 
 case. The hills we went up and down were quite a 
 new experience to me, as was also the sha])e of the 
 roads (when we came across any) ; for they are generally 
 on a slant, and oiil- has to sit sideways to keep one's 
 seat at all. The Indian tracks never attempt a zig-zag, 
 but go straight up and down any hill they come across. 
 We passed a Sioux Indian settlement on our way back ; 
 they having sought refuge in Canada, from the United 
 States, some years ago (about ISO.^]. They are a finer 
 body of men than the Crees, and do not use so much 
 ])aint. The latter were entertaining them at their 
 camp, and we heard the sounds of the music from a 
 distance. The Sioux are disposed to take to agricul- 
 ture, and the Canadian Government gives them imple- 
 ments, &:c., and supplies a man to teach them 
 farming. 
 
 We saw a great number of ducks to-day. The best 
 
 plan of getting at tliein would be to take a buck-board, 
 p 
 
 I ) 
 
 ■ i 
 
 i 
 
 
 ! 
 

 it 
 
 ■1-26 LIFE AXJJ LABOUR IN THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 and drive about from one tarn to anotlier. We sur- 
 prised an Tndia.i out liuntin^^. He was just on the run 
 to fetch his i^nin, and we supposed by his manner after- 
 wards tliat he was keepings his eye on a badger. Tliere 
 are a (juantity of prairie fowl and plovers in tliis 
 country, but the hitter are too tame to i^ive any sport. 
 On our way home we were much troubled, in tlie sliady 
 ])laces beside the lake, by the attacks of millions of 
 niosijuitoes. I am i^-lad to say they are not fond of eat- 
 ing- me, but they appeared to enjoy Colonel Williams 
 immensely. 
 
 The formation of the sides of Qu'Appelle valley was 
 very striking on our return journey; whether smoothed 
 oil', rounded, or pointed, the traces of the action of 
 water are very noticeable ; and they have the exact 
 appearance of having been left high and dry by the 
 water, whicli had washed them into shape before taking 
 its final departure. 
 
 I am informed that about one hundred settlers are 
 already located on the lands we visited to-day, and that 
 it is expected that the whole district will soon be filled 
 up. Any one coming to settle here would only have to 
 consult his own wishes, for if one description of land did 
 not suit him, there are others to choose from. North of 
 the (Qu'Appelle valley is a district well known in the 
 North-West, and to which attention is now being 
 especially directed, as it is included in the area of 200 
 
-T-^.- - r- ~ 
 
 n^l 
 
 riiAIRIE LAND IN THE NORTH-WEST. 
 
 o.»- 
 
 'I tl 
 
 by 100 miles known as containing the best wheat lands 
 in the country. 
 
 We stopped to speak to some of the settlers we 
 passed, who all seemed contented and happy, and liad 
 no complaint to make. One of them was anxious that 
 we should send him a spaniel dog, another wanted a 
 post-office, and a third a church and school — all reason- 
 able requests ; and not one of them eomphiined of tlie 
 land, or of his prospects. Indeed, up to the present, 1 
 have never heard any com})laint from a settler, the 
 nearest approach to it being that they all say the 
 winters are very long; but apparently they think feed- 
 ing cattle and cutting wood sufficient occupation for 
 that time, and none wish to return to cheir previous 
 Canadian homes. From the time the winter sets in in 
 the North-West you never get your feet wet ; the 
 snow is so crisp and hard, and no damp ever penetrates, 
 so that the people wear only mocassins. No rain falls 
 in winter, only snow occasionally ; but a snow-blizzard 
 must be an uncomfortable thing. The thermometer is 
 sometimes forty degrees below zero ; but on account of 
 the dryness of the atmosphere, the cold is not felt so 
 much as might be imagined, and settlers say they 
 prefer this climate to that of Ontario or Quebec. 
 Nevertheless, I must say that I consider the long six or 
 seven months' winter must be a great drawback. 
 
 On our return to Fort Qu'Appelle, we found that 
 p 2 
 
 I 
 
 \ 
 
 ! 'M 
 
 :li: 
 
 ' 
 
 H 
 
 ' 4 
 
 1 r 
 
 ! 
 
 h^ 
 
*■ 
 
 i 
 
 If 
 
 228 LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAB, FAB WEST. 
 
 Mr. Marsh, M.P. for Portage la Prairie (who had 
 accompanied our party during a good part of our 
 journey), had met witli a nasty accident ; but, happily, 
 attended with no serious results. The wheels of his 
 buggy having got locked in coming down a hill, the 
 vehicle was overturned, occupant and all. Mr. Marsh 
 fortunately escaped unhurt, but the buggy was smashed 
 to pieces. 
 
ttS 
 
 ^ 
 
 CHAPTEll XIV. 
 
 REGINA AND MOOSEJAW. 
 
 The JIiisk-Rat — Aftor-Glow — Wholesale Interviewing — Railway Travelling in 
 the North-West — Hcgina — The Canadian Mounted Polico — A House on 
 Wheels— The "Noble Savage" Found at Last— A Taste of Sulphur— 
 Moosejaw — Its Future — The Crecs— A jNIassacre of Mosquitoes — Con- 
 
 flicting Rumours. 
 
 We left Fort Qu'Appelle at C.30 p.m. for Qii'Appelle 
 Station (alias Troy), eighteen miles distant, intending 
 to join a freight train there at 9.35 p.m. On the road 
 we saw a fox, a badger, and a musk-rat, and of course 
 plenty of ducks, &c. The musk-rat is a sulky sort of 
 an animal. He lives in solitude in the middle of a 
 tarn, and builds his house there of rushes, &c., which 
 he collects from its edges. We accomplished our 
 journey satisfactorily, and enjoyed the sight of a most 
 ])eautiful sunset on the way. When the sun had sunk 
 behind the distant prairie, the after-glow was wonder- 
 fully fine. We arrived at the railway-station just after 
 the freight train had come in, and immediately had all 
 the officials, newspaper reporters, &c., on board the car 
 to interview us, to each of whom we were of course 
 introduced. After all the bumping we had gone 
 through to-day on our sixty-eight mile drive (includ- 
 ing the drive to the railway station), it was such a 
 
 i\ 
 
 IM 
 
 if 3 
 
 lii 
 
 < 1 
 
 I; i 
 
 ■'ijj, 
 
2:50 UFE AM) LABOUR IN THE FAIi, FAR WEST. 
 
 ( ' ' 
 
 '. h 
 
 relief to get into the comfortablo Midland of Ciinuda 
 car, and a .^till <^n.ater one to have "^ good supper on 
 hoard before going to bed. I should say that travelling 
 in an official car is at present the only way to see the 
 North- West thoroughly and comfortably; for one is 
 thus quite iude])endent of hotel accommodation, and 
 also of the regular passenger trains, — of which there is 
 only one each way in the twenty-four hours, so that if 
 one depended on them, much time would be lost in 
 getting from place to place, or else one would have to 
 miss a great deal that was worth seeing. As it is, we 
 can get our car attached to any of the freight trains, 
 and thus suit our own convenience, and see all there is 
 to be seen. This evening wo were to be taken on as far 
 as Kegina, and were due there about midnight. 
 
 Accordingly, we reached our destination some time 
 in the course of the night, and on waking in the morn- 
 ing found that our car had been located on a siding. 
 This place is the new capital of the North-West 
 Territory ; the Government Offices, Government House, 
 and the new barracks for the mounted police are all 
 here. A yenv ago there was not a house, or even the 
 sign of one, in the place, but now Regina already 
 possesses one broad street, and there is a plentiful 
 supply of hotels; saloons, however, are conspicuous by 
 their absence, no intoxicating liquors being allowed in 
 the North-West. The town is situated on an absolutely 
 
!"","r.' 
 
 nEGiXA AXD ymosijjAn'. 
 
 ■2)] 
 
 flat plain, and the siirronn(Hn<^ lands are not i^ood ; 
 tlicre is a i^rcat depth of clay, but very little loamy soil 
 on the surface. It is said that the Lieutenant-Ciovernor 
 (Dewdney) was instrumental in <^ettin^ Ue_<^ina settled 
 here. Although some houses are built, the city did 
 not impress me as bein<^ a happy and prosperous place ; 
 nor indeed did it seem to me to hold out much promise 
 of attaining to any great size or prosperity in the 
 future. Grass does not <:ri*ovv well in the neiiifhbour- 
 hood, and farmers say that it is doubtful how Far other 
 crops will succeed. But the great drawback is the 
 scarcity of water; at first there was none, but one 
 well 100 feet deep has lately been dug, and water 
 successfully found ; at the station, however, they hav(^ 
 already (July 23rd, 1S83) sunk to a depth of 200 feet 
 without any good result. While so many other more 
 desirable sites can be obtained, I cannot see the object 
 of planting the capital here to contend with such a 
 serious drawback as this. 
 
 We had breakfast at the Commercial Hotel ; it 
 proved to be a very poor repast, and made us value the 
 proximity of our car and its resources all the more. 
 Before breakfast I had, as usual, telegraphed to Clive ; 
 for ever since we started from Winnipeg I had done my 
 best to keep him aware of our movements, in order that 
 he might catch us up if possible. Our North- West trip 
 had been, and promised still to continue to be, so much 
 
 If 
 
 ■I ,9; 1, 
 
 1 ^S 
 
 i ; HI 
 
 
 , I 
 
 f^ 
 
 I' 
 
 i. < 
 
232 LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAIt, FAR WEST. 
 
 more intcrostinj^ tlian T had expected, that T was really 
 extremely sorry tliat he should liave missed seeini; it, 
 all on account of this Kootenay expedition, which, as wo 
 learned afterwards, never came off. I therefore sent two 
 or three teh'<rrams every day, hopin<^ that they miij^ht 
 lind him on his arrival at Winnipeg, where he tele- 
 i^j-raphed that he would follow me. 
 
 After hreakfast we went " in a body " to call upon 
 Mr. Nicholas Flood-Davin, now the editor of the 
 llcfjinn Leader, but formerly an Irish barrister. We 
 were duly interviewed, and had to give an account of 
 our travels ; and I, personally, had also to supply some 
 information for the benefit of the public. Next we 
 ])rocured two buggies, and went (again in a body) to 
 pay a formal call upon Lieutenant-Governor Dewdney, 
 and found him and Mrs. Dewdney both at home. They 
 had come here from British Columbia, and were 
 well acquainted with the Cornwalls. Mrs. Dewdney 
 lamented the absence of the beautiful timber of British 
 Columbia, and said she much preferred her former home 
 there, at which I am not at all surprised. 
 
 We subsequently drove on to the barracks of the 
 Canadian mounted police, two miles to the west of 
 liegiua, where we formed the acquaintance of Colonel 
 Herchmer, who was in command. He is an English- 
 man by birth, but has been out here for the last twenty 
 years, and has married a Canadian. This police force 
 
"n 
 
 BEGIN A AND MOOSE JAW. 
 
 233 
 
 consists altogetlier of 500 men, soparatotl into five 
 divisions, to eacli of which three officers are attached. 
 They occupy tlie follovvin<^ stations: Ke^ina, McLcod, 
 Dattleford, Calgary, and Moosomiu ; from each of these 
 stations small detachments are sent out, in parties of 
 al)out four together, to such places as Fort Qu'Appellc, 
 &c. Among the force I met a connection of an English 
 friend of mine. At the time of our visit there were 
 five prisoners in the lock-up, all Indians, three of whom 
 were in custody for murder, and one for theft, the other 
 being a lunatic. We were accosted on our return to 
 Regina by the livery stable keeper, who did not approve 
 of the way in which we had loaded his "rigs." 
 
 We noticed a house being moved, whicii operation 
 is accomplished thus : a pole is placed in a windlass, 
 a rope attached and united to a kind of staging under 
 the house, and then the whole thing slides along 
 together. The last house I saw being moved was in 
 Victoria (British Columbia), but that was a much 
 larger one, and was, besides, two storeys high. AVe 
 left Eegina (whicli is 35G miles from Winnipeg) about 
 4 p.m. for Moosejaw, attached to a freight train ; and, 
 after passing through a clayey-looking country without 
 a single tree or shrub visible the whole way, we reached 
 our destination about 7 p.m. 
 
 Just before arriving, we noticed an Indian encamp- 
 ment close outside the town ; and as we stopped at the 
 
 m 
 
 iv ' 
 

 II, 
 
 •j;m fji'i'i AM) r.Annrn ix the fau, far west. 
 
 station an Indian, wlio ])rov('(l to bo Pie-pot, the cliicr 
 of this division of the Cree tribe, stepped across tlie 
 line. \Ve were niueh struck witli bis a])pearance, for 
 lie was very tall, and a fine, bold-lookinL; fellow, lie 
 wore a fur cap and mantle, and carried a feather fan 
 in his hand. Wo all shook hands with him, and then 
 invited him into our car, where one of our party ^ave 
 him a ciij^ar. I shall never for^r(.t his eyo of incpiiry 
 while the ciij^ar was bcniL,' lit for him l)y means of a 
 lucifer match ; tho sul])hur was not quite burnt out, 
 so old Pie-pot at first tasted it instead of tho tobacco, 
 a;id he evidently wondered for a moment whether a 
 joke was not bein*^ ])layed on him, but of course he 
 soon got to the tobacco, and then he was all ri«^ht 
 a^-ain directly. Pie-pot «^Mined his name thron<]fh 
 sending the Governor a jn'osent of a pie in a pot. He 
 was evidently a })opular Indian, though it was saiil 
 that ho knew how to make a bargain as well as any one. 
 We heard that he was going to have a " pow-wow " 
 that evening, and made up our minds to attend it ; but 
 unfortunately it did not come off, owing to a slight 
 contrctvwpH. It appeared that a horse was missing in 
 the neighbourhood, and tho mounted police had seized 
 an animal from Pie-pot's camp on suspicion. When 
 the chief came to our car, he was on his way to give 
 evidence in the matter, to prove that the horse in 
 question was his own. We went to hear the trial; 
 
 i. >■. '■> ' 
 
IPI 
 
 ni:r.r.\A and .wtosKJAW. 
 
 ::j5 
 
 the interpreter triinsliited wlwit I'ie-pot had to say ; 
 it was (|uit(! an impressive sii^Mit, for the Indian was 
 difrtiilied enonj^Hi for anytliinj^-, wliile, with o/n- ciiiar 
 in his mouth and witii uphfted hand, lie (h-cdarcd tin' 
 innocence of Ins tribe. I look upon liim as bein^- 
 certainly tlu' most su])erior chief I liavc as yet seen. 
 
 It is easy enou<^li to Coreteil that Moosejaw will 
 eventually become a very thriving |)lace. Ijust October 
 there was scarcely a house here, now there is a well- 
 laid-out street, with ^ood shops, and a nice hotel or 
 two; the city is about double the si/e ol" Ite^ina, with 
 from about vSOO to 1,000 inhabitants. I cannot help 
 thinkin«( that either this place or Fort (2u'Aj)j)i'lle 
 should have been made the capital of the North -West ; 
 here there would have been the advanta«^e of the 
 proximity of the railroad (and of the presence of 
 mosquitoes), but Fort Qu'Appelle always has been, and 
 still is, the treaty ground of the Indians. 
 
 After tea we went to the station, where we met 
 Mr. Scarth, the Mana«^ing Director of the Canada 
 North-West Laud Comj)any, who was just going east; 
 and then we walked on to the Cree Indians' camp. 
 This division of the tribe seemed to be far superior to 
 those we had seen at Fort Qu'A])])elle, they had better 
 tents, and were better dressed — es])ecially the children, 
 some of whom had beads worked into their clothes in 
 quite an ornamental fashion ; and we noticed some tiny 
 
 \ 
 
 I 
 
 
 ' i 
 
 Br; 
 ' 11 
 
 
 <i 
 
 I 'I 
 
 
2;?»; /,//••/■; axd lAiutvii in tiii: fau. far west. 
 
 little cliildrcu wearing' y;ol(l and silver r in i^s and bracelets. 
 The women were l>iis} niakin;jf round Hat cakes, while 
 the men were mostly lyiiii; about outsi«h' the tents 
 doini,'' nothinL,^ Naturally, Pie-pot's tent was the 
 Iari,^est ; it was indeed (|uite a lar<jfe-si/ed one, and made 
 of skins instead of canvas; on the outside were drawin^^s 
 (»!' wild animals, the entrance was simply a round hole 
 with just room enouj;'h to <^'o throu^^'h. J*ie-pot's wife 
 was sittinuf outside with one of her children. 
 
 We had a loni,'' walk round the camp, and all the 
 Indiijns seemed j^'lad to see us, tlu' women heini^ 
 particularly pleased when we noticed the children. One 
 woman we saw tenderly fondlin<^ a sick child, and j^'ivinj.^ 
 it medicine, half of which, however, she drank herself, 
 skiving the child (a bi<»' girl) the remainder. We were 
 very reluctant to leave the camp, but were oblij^'ed to 
 do so, in order to be in time to proceed on our journey, 
 for our car was to be attached to the 9.30 p.m. freight 
 train. On our way back we met Chief Pie-pot, return- 
 ing to the camp with three or four of his head-men, 
 and saw from his manner that the horse business had 
 been settled to his satisfaction. 
 
 The mosquitoes of Moosejaw are worthy of a 
 special note, for we have never been so much troubled 
 by them before ; and although I am comparatively 
 proof against them, I was bitten enough this evenin 
 
 it 
 
 to make me remember them for a long time. The last 
 
IlEaiXA AND .VOOSE.TAW. 
 
 I saw of tlu» occupants of t\u} car l)cft)rc i^oiiiL; to hcd, 
 was a ^'cncral attack on these tornicntinL,' insects with 
 all the availal)le slippers, iVc, so as to clear the ground 
 for the ni<^ht. 
 
 We left Moosejaw in due course, attached to the 
 rrei«^ht-train, intending to travel all nii;-hi. Hefore 
 startini;, however, E sent more telegrams, in the hope of 
 lieariu",^ soniethint^ ahout (Mivc, or at least of lettinj^ 
 him know where we could he found. I am very sorry 
 indeed that he has missed all that we have seen, espe- 
 cially as rejjfards the Indians, for in a few more years 
 such sights wdl bo of the past. 
 
 One word more about the Crocs and Pie-pot before 
 bidding him adieu. His stay at Moosojaw was only a 
 passing one, for he was on the track to Fort Qu'A})pelle, 
 but with what exact object no one seemed quite to kn'»\v. 
 At any rate there was a groat diversity of opinion, 
 some saying that he was going to seek terms with the 
 Governor, and make a treaty ; others that he was only 
 going there to receive the treaty stipulations or bounty, 
 for each Indian in treaty with the Canadian Govern- 
 ment receives a grant of six dollars a year, blankets, cV'c. 
 Another account said that the Creos were journo3'ing 
 east to be placed on a Government Kosorvation ; and, 
 lastly, I was told that they had been going to Fort 
 Qu'Appelle to meet the other divisions of their tribe 
 now encamped there, but that they had been stopped 
 
 n 
 
 ( 
 
 i 
 
 i I 
 
 i 
 
 i 
 
7:-W- y^'^fX'^^- 
 
 Ht 
 
 I 
 
 •j:is /,//••/•; .IA7) LMmri! /.v tun I'au, far wh'sr 
 
 licrc l)v tl»»' news tluit sinaIl-]K)x luul ln'okcn out in the 
 Cvoo (';mi|) at (^u'ApjH'lIc. This was a clu'crful idea I'or 
 us. wlio had s«) ivccutly attended ji pow-wow there; 
 l>ut we were at all events in a position to eontrailict 
 this rumour as heinjjc untrue. 
 
 
ClIAI'TKlt XV. 
 
 MI.DICIM", II \T AND I'll I UTKIINTII SIDINC. 
 
 " ' Mil \Vi vis' l.iikiH'' The S|pi;ii' ( ir.i.ss SiiiniH" hm tln' I'r.iin'c-Swirt ruriciit 
 
 i'"rii/.i'n Siili-siiil Miiplf ('rt'i'k i''ivi' Milrs Witliont :in Mii^^ini' - 
 
 Mrilicinr lliil AiioMii'i' lliiiKl-sliakiiii; Ant i-l>i<|iiiii' I .m w in llie Nortli- 
 
 W't'sl Across S;iskiitrlic\viin itiver A V'i^-iiinii> li';iilwity ( 'onf nutor - 
 
 'I'liirti'i'iitli Siiliiii/ 'I'lic ( >|iiii j'r.iirir At^iii ulliiir in tin- Nurtli-Wi'st. 
 
 TiiK follovvinc^ ni()rnin<( (.Inly '21) \ jivvokc; very 
 curly (iit 1. ji.in.), iind found that we had hoth the car 
 windows open; all the same it was not cold, nothin<^ to 
 ])e compared to what it was three days a<(o at Winni- 
 jx'L,^. We W(>re just ])assin<^ the"()ld Wives' Lakes," 
 a chain of ilat lakes with little or no rising <;ronnd 
 
 1 t^ 
 
 rouri 
 
 \t\ 
 
 leni. 
 
 In several of them the wat^r 
 
 '.tM'liu;* 
 
 () 
 
 be recedinj^, leavin<^ a d)y beach tor the formation of 
 new land. On all sides there was a ])lentiful suppl^^ of 
 young wild duck. One lake looked a jjarticularly at- 
 tractive resort for them, havinj^ a (piantity of low 
 rushes near it, not too close to^^ether. The grass about 
 " ( )ld Wives* Lakes'' was much browner and shorter 
 than any I had noticed before. Here also I saw a 
 great crop of spear-grass (a formidable enemy to 
 sheep) ; the first I had seen, but 1 frequently observed it 
 
 1 I 
 
 ii 
 
 \'4\ 
 
 'I 
 
 I 
 
m 
 
 t# LIFE AXD LABOUR IN THE FATt, FAR WEST. 
 
 afterwards in different places, though it is by no means 
 permanently established throughout the country. There 
 are very few sheep in the whole of the North-West 
 Territory, and I am told this is in a great measure 
 owing to the presence of this spear-grass, which un- 
 doubtedly works havoc among them, penetrating 
 through the wool into the flesh. Whether it actually 
 kills sheep I cannot say, but it is obvious that 
 it must prevent their thriving. However, the fact 
 remains that I saw no sheep in this part of 
 Canada, and though of course there would be the 
 expense of housing and feeding them through the long 
 winters, I cannot help thinking that they have hardly 
 been sufficiently tried. I can quite understand their 
 not answering in the West, where bunch-grass would be 
 their staple food, because they eat down the keep so 
 closely that they destroy this grass altogether ; but 
 here, even supposing the spear-grass does kill them, 
 there must be districts which are free from it; and, 
 besides, there is no reason why it should not be cut 
 when young, and the feeding ground thus cut enclosed 
 for the sheep, to whom the grass would then be ren- 
 dered harmless. 
 
 The sunrise this morning was a charming sight. I 
 quite think that the sunrises and sunsets on the prairie 
 are well worthy of all the admiration they have excited, 
 and of all the eloquent descriptions and word-paintings 
 
MEDICINE HAT AND THIRTEENTH SIDING. 
 
 2 a 
 
 by which people have endeavoured to convey some idea 
 of their beauty. The scenery this mornin<^ was so 
 varied that it was difficult to believe that we were cross- 
 ing the great North-Western Territory. There were 
 lakes, plateaux, and rolling mountains. The latter 
 certainly were small, but they somehow gave one the 
 impression of being the tops of high hills cut off short, 
 and put down Hat on the plain. We saw some very 
 distinct buffalo trails. These are like narrow footpaths 
 sunk deep into the ground, for as buffaloes always 
 travel in single file, they leave a very clearly-defined 
 track. There were many skulls and bones of these 
 animals lying about; but, alas ! there are scarcely any 
 living ones now to be seen, for the race is nearly 
 extinct. The soil was now decidedly poorer than 
 farther east. It was about 7 a.m. when we reached 
 Swift Current, where we halted for breakfast. Here 
 we saw an Indian of the Assiniboine tribe, from an 
 encampment about a mile away. They, too, were 
 journeying east. We entered into "conversation" with 
 this fellow, but of course neither side understood the 
 other's meaning ; all the same wo got on very well, 
 with the help of a cigar. Some railway works were 
 in course of construction, and we noticed a larw 
 pit being dug, about twenty feet by ten feet in size, and 
 about eight feet deep. It appears that within the last 
 week (about 20th July), while excavating this hole, the 
 
 
 , 
 
 IM 
 
 I 
 
 ■' H 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 i i 
 
 
^MMi 
 
 242 LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 - » 
 
 ::! ■ .1 
 
 men found soil frozen quite hard several feet below the 
 surface, so much so that tho;-^ had to remove it with 
 pick-nxes ; and this continued for some depth. Thus it 
 seems that at this period of the year the soil below the 
 surface still holds the winter's frost ; and as I saw the 
 marks of the pickaxes, I can vouch for the truth of this 
 story. It is possible that where the soil is looser the 
 frost disappears sooner. This underground surface of 
 frozen ground is believed to explain the wonderful 
 fertility of the soil ; as the frost, in gradually coming to 
 tlie surface during the summer months, creates a 
 moisture which, meeting the warmth from above, forms 
 a kind of natural liot-bed. This moisture counteracts 
 the scarcity of rain during the spring and summer, and 
 accounts for the grain being forced with such amazing 
 rapidity after the late sowing ; for, in point of fact, corn 
 crops are not usually sown until early in May, and yet 
 are harvested at the end of August. Whilst touching 
 on this subject, T may mention that a friend of mine 
 told me that 850 miles north of Winnipeg (in the 
 neighbourhood of Lake Winnipeg), the swamps, at a 
 depth of three feet below the surface, remain frozen all 
 the year round, so that the promoters of a railway now 
 in contemplation in that part, think that they will 
 have but little difficulty in running their line across 
 these swamps, on account of being able to reckon upon 
 this permanently hard foundation. 
 
hmg 
 mine 
 the 
 at a 
 m all 
 now 
 will 
 Lcross 
 upon 
 
 MEDICINE UAT AND THIRTEENTH SIDING. 24l{ 
 
 We next passed into a district with very bad lauds, 
 full of alkali. This was clearly visible on all sides, and 
 at one place what had been a shallow lake was now 
 dry, and the whole surface was perfectly white — this 
 being the remains of alkali. Farther on we came to a 
 part which almost resembled the American JJesert. 
 Our old acquaintance, the sago-bush, made its appear- 
 ance, and signs of a general drought were everywhere 
 noticeable. I inust add, however, that this is said to 
 have been one of tlie driest summers ever experienced in 
 the North- West. We stopped at a place called Maple 
 Creek, in order to see a man of the name of Marsh, and 
 gain some information from him as to the feasibility of 
 cutting across south from here to Livingstone, in order 
 to reach the Yellowstone Park. We found the distance 
 to be as follows : — 
 
 Maple Creek to Fort Benton 180 miles. 
 
 Beaton to Livingstone 258 „ 
 
 438 miles. 
 Or, 
 
 Maple Cre-^k to Fort Benton 180 miles. 
 
 Benton to Helena 110 ,, 
 
 320 miles. 
 
 I do not think either of these ways will do for us, 
 
 there being hardly enough attraction en route by either 
 
 to repay one for the long wearisome drive. The Indian 
 
 whom we saw about it required one hundred and 
 Q 2 
 
 it' ' 
 
 I 
 
 ;■■■ 
 
 I 
 
 , • 
 
 ^i1 
 
244 LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAB, FAB WEST. 
 
 twenty dollars to go as far as Fort Benton only. If 
 we ufo to the Yellowstone Park at all, I fancy tlie best 
 |)lan will be to retuni to Winnipeg, and from there 
 Ijuck again, ria Glyndon and the Northern Pacific, as 
 far as Livingstone ; but all will depend on what we 
 decide upon when we meet Clive again. We received 
 a telegram at Maple Creek saying that he had reached 
 Winnipeg. He was not very well, but would follow us 
 to-morrow or the next day. We wired back our plans, 
 asking him to let us know what we should do to meet 
 him. 
 
 Continuing our journey, we passed through a great 
 deal of barren-looking land before reaching Medicine 
 Hat. Tt all seemed baked and burnt-up, with a large 
 amount of alkali in the soil, and looked altogether 
 almost like a desert. 
 
 At 1).30 p.m. we arrived at Medicine Hat, at the 
 tail end of a very long freight- train, laden almost 
 entirely with stores for the construction of the Canadian 
 I*aci(ic Railroad. We were three hours late ; but then 
 as the freight-trains are not supposed to keep any par- 
 ticular time, there was no cause for complaint. Be- 
 sides, these trains have been so very useful in helping 
 us on our trip, that it was just as well to be grateful 
 for what we could get. We ran the last five miles of 
 the grade without any engine. 
 
 Medicine Hat "City" is GGO miles west of Winni- 
 
MEDICINE HAT AND TIIIUTEENTII SIDISG. 2k> 
 
 peg. It seemed to us somethiiif^ like an Eny;lish fair; 
 for though some of the stores were of wood, most »>(" 
 the houses were simply tents. There were certainly 
 from 100 to 150 houses or tents already located; and it 
 is astonishing to think that as short a time ago as tlic 
 2Gth April, 1SS2, there was not a shop or a house to 
 be seen here. What the population really is I cannot 
 say, but Medicine Hat is now a " city," in the eyes 
 of its inhabitants at least, as the following notice will 
 show : — 
 
 " Notice. 
 
 Public Meeting 
 
 will l»e hold at 
 
 New Canadian PaciHc Railway Station, 
 
 Tuesday Evening, 2-Uli instant, 
 
 At 8 o'clock p.m. 
 
 To Discuss the High 
 
 Prices Placed ou 
 
 Town Lot.s 
 
 By the North-West Land Co. 
 
 Speeches by the Citizens. 
 
 llallv'l Uallv! 
 
 God Save th(! C^ueen." 
 
 I 
 
 " 
 
 . '■ ■ 
 
 Medicine Hat already contains several hotels, e.y., 
 The Saskatchewan, The Brunswick, The Lansdowne 
 (in honour of the new Governor-General), The Ameri- 
 can, the Canadian Pacific Eailroad, and The Commercial. 
 Some of these, indeed, are only tents ; but they bear the 
 name of hotel over their doors, though they make up 
 perhaps at the outside only half-a-dozen cribs. There 
 
 1l:' 
 
 ' |W • 
 
 i lj, 
 
 
 ^ yi 
 
246 IJFI'J AM) LAllOUR IN TIIK FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 uro also a numl/or of stores, six billiard-rooms or lialls, 
 a post-oflice, and one or two restaurants ; also 
 
 "A Parlour." 
 •« For Ico CroaniH." " For Col.l Drinks." 
 
 On til ' I venini!^ of our arrival we went throu<j^h 
 manv nnrouuotions at the ])ost-ofHce ; and I find that 
 ininii "v 1 4 \) after this ceremony there is a p^reat difference 
 made at once iii the manner in which one is treated. 
 There is always a orivut shakiiiijf of hands, invariably 
 aecoin])anied by the words, " (Had to see you, Mr. 
 liarneby ; olad to make your acquaintance, sir." 
 
 As 1 have already stated, the sale of stron<^ drin! s 
 is strictly jn'ohibited throuo-hout the N»)rth-We.st 
 Territory ; but laws of this kind are generally eluded 
 as much as possible, and all sorts of dod<^es are resorted 
 to for this end. It is also a fact that in consequence 
 of this anti-liquor law, many drinks are concocted 
 having the semblance of strength, but which I can 
 vouch for as being very nasty to the palate. An 
 incident resulting from this law amused me much. 
 1 never before heard of a man getting drunk from 
 imbibing Worcestershire sauce ; but I was told this 
 as a fact by the postmaster here this evening; and 
 the individual, when on his trial, had actually pleaded 
 this in his own defence. 
 
 We met a Major Hutton here, whom Colonel 
 
MEDICI SK HAT AM) Til IHTICENTIl SIDINC. 
 
 It: 
 
 VVilliunis know; jind vvc wore imxious to ))orsuii(l(' li n 
 to como on vvitli ns, Jis In; was jiC(|UJiint('<l witl. t c 
 country. IJut, unfortunately, two days iv^n live out 
 of Ins six liorscs liad been stolon, leaving Inni willi 
 his wa«^'<,'ons l)y the side of tho road, in rather a 
 helpless condition. On askin*.' him vvhat cliances he 
 had of rec()V<'rin<,' them, he said, " None at all, for they 
 are over the border lon^ a<;o ; " and Iwi had made uj» 
 liis mind to ship his wa<,^^ons v, i the construction 
 train goin^ east, aiul so to r j'rn iiome. We heard 
 subsequently that two of thu ,"<^ises were afterwards 
 recovered for him l)v the Moused Police. 
 
 We were up at 5 a.m. tiiis mornin*^, thinkiuf^ we 
 should have a good many arrangements to make ])re- 
 vious to leaving Medicine Hat for t!ie west ; as the 
 regular trains do not go farther tlian this point at 
 present, and our only means of getting on west would 
 be to luive our car attached to a construction train, and 
 to be taken by it to the end of the track, — a distance of 
 about 140 miles. However, we luckily met Mr. Lang- 
 don (the American railway contractor who has under- 
 taken this portion of the line), and be said that his car 
 was also going to be attached to the construction train, 
 and that he would "see us through." 
 
 We made a start, in the end, about nine o'clock ; 
 crossing the Saskatchewan River (on which Medicine 
 Hat is situated) by means of a very fragile bridge — a 
 
 ! 
 
 1 
 
 'I 
 
 M 
 
 ■i\ 
 
 .11 
 
:iH 
 
 uric AM) LAllOUlt IN Till': FMi, bWll WEST. 
 
 ;:> 
 
 U^ivat (It'jil too fra^Mlo, F slioiild tliink, to stand lonj^. 
 
 i'licn wo (Mitcrod on a lar^«' Hat prairie witli vory ])oor 
 soil ; bnt we had not «(ono far hd'ore our constrncti(Hi- 
 train came to a standstill, it hein^ too hoavy ; so tlic 
 eni^Mne with hall' tlio train wont on, and h'ft iis waitin<^ 
 there (|uietly for a lull hali-hour. The sun was 
 not visible to-day, and the temperature was quite 
 cold. 
 
 Mr. Lan<,'don, the contractor, came to pay us a visit 
 in our ear. lie is a fine-look in<j^ fellow, and has the 
 reputaticm of bein*^ a very vi«»;orous railway contractor. 
 
 lie told us that the greatest distance of line he had 
 made in one day, was six and a half miles. This in- 
 cluded earth-work, jj^radinu^, track-layinj^ {>■<'•, placin*; 
 the sleepers and metals), and also ballastin<j. At the 
 present date he said he was layinj^ about three and a 
 half miles a day, and we hope to see the operation to- 
 morrow. Since ^lay last he has laid 200 miles of the 
 Canadian racilie Line ; and 1 can answer for it that the 
 work is by no means " layins^ sleepers on the prairie" 
 without any earthwork; for, on the contrary, the absence 
 of embankment is the exception and not the rule. 
 Throughout the whole distance from Winnipeg the 
 line is generally raised on a slight embankment ; and 
 near Medicine Hat there is a considerable cutting. 
 Mr. Langdon has at present 1,800 horse teams, and 
 4,000 men, at work. No Chinese or Indian labourers 
 
MEDICINE HAT AM) TIllUTKF.STll SlinSC 2if> 
 
 iirc ('mploycd, as is thc! ciiso at the otlicr cmkI of tlu' lin«' 
 in Hritisli (Joltmihia. 
 
 VVnicii (nio sjmaks of so many miles of track bcinj^ 
 laid in a day (as mentioned above), it must not ])e sup- 
 j)ose(l tliat the wliole }^an^ of men are at work vvitliin 
 si^^'ht of one another. Th(» operation may extend over a 
 <listanc'e of perliaps twenty miles or more ; but the actual 
 rail and sleeper layin^j; is of course continuous; and, in 
 j)oint of fact, the completed line, earthworks and all, 
 comes up in the course; of tlu; day to the distances named. 
 
 We arrived in th(» evenin«^ at " Thirteenth Sidin*^," 
 i.Ct the thirteenth sidin«^ from Medicine Hat ; each 
 siding being about ten miles apart. Last Sunday the 
 railway was completed up to this point oidy ; but now 
 (three days later), on Wednesday evening, it is linished 
 to a point thirteen miles farther west. This in itself is 
 sufficient to show thc wonderful rapidity with which 
 the line is being constructed. Were we to wait a few 
 days more, we should be able to go the whole distance 
 to Calgary by rail ; as it is, we must make arrange- 
 ments to drive the uncompleted portion of forty miles 
 between the present end of the track and Fort Calgary, 
 which is the terminating point of Mr. Langdon's con- 
 tract. The distance from Winnipeg to Medicine Hat 
 is OGO miles ; from Medicine Plat to the present end of 
 track, 140 miles; and from thence to Fort Calgary, 
 40 miles ; total, 840 miles. 
 
 
 i 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ' 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 li 
 
 
 H;i ! 
 
 1 
 
 Ki ■- .' 
 
 ! 
 
 m '-' 
 
 I' 
 
 
 ; 
 
 1 r '' 
 
 1 
 
 
 i 
 
I 
 
 I 
 
 ! 
 
 I 
 
 1^4 
 
 260 /.//■;'; AM) LAinn-n ix riii: far, far west. 
 
 'I'lic journey to-day was somewhat dull and dreary ; 
 the country beiiii^' very uninteresting and treeless, and 
 the soil had, and in sonio places dusty. We passed 
 several camps of traders with their wa^^j^ons (sometimes 
 as many as sixteen) laaj^ered in camp, and the oxen 
 standin«^ in the eentn'. dust before reachini; Tinrteenth 
 Siding we crossed tlie IJow River. At this ])oint 
 we were unhooked from the construction-train, and 
 shunted on to the siding for the night. 
 
 Here we were lei't quite out on the open prairie, 
 with no habitation within miles of us, except the Con- 
 struction Telegraph OlHce. There was, besides, an 
 encampment of the lilackfoot Indians not far off; but 
 they were not within sight. Our object in waiting here 
 was to pay their camp a visit to-morrow. They belong 
 to the most powerful tribe in Canada ; the name of their 
 chief is Crow Foot. We had heard that some of their 
 ceremonies were now being performed in the camp, and 
 in particular the " Sun Dance," which we much wanted 
 to witness ; and as we were told that they were very 
 friendly to " White Faces," we thought the visit would 
 be well worth carrying out. In the evening wo saw 
 one or two of the tribe, and sent a letter by a couple of 
 them to the interpreter, asking hira to meet us in the 
 morning. It was a very picturesque sight to watch 
 these two fellows riding their ponies full gallop across 
 the prairie, as they started off with our letter. 
 
MEUlClSi: HAT ASD TllIUTEENTIl SIVISG. 
 
 2rA 
 
 One of tlif surveyors, who came into our car this 
 oveniu^', j^avc us to unih'rstand tliat then' is a p^ocl 
 (h'al of coal to he I'ound in tliis nciu^hhourhood. Wc 
 went for a walk over tho prairie, '* up a Inll," heiorc 
 turnin<^ in for tiie ni<(ht ; ajid thou<^ht tlie ^rass liere a 
 j^ood (h'al superior to wl»at we luid seen in the course of 
 tlie (hiv- I should not fancy that much rain falls here; 
 but tlu' IJow River flows within a few miles. The 
 railway people we met, said the air always hecame very 
 chilly directly the sun went down, and certainly it was 
 very cold this evening. It was (piitc light up to 8.15 
 ]).ni. ; and tlie evenings are very long, for there is a 
 great deal of twilight. We found to-day that our sup- 
 plies "on hoard" the car were running very short. 
 There luid been so many visitors, and this had natu- 
 rally occasioned a run u})on the stock. 
 
 VV^e were given the following information, which 
 may prove interesting, and which I subjoin here. We 
 were tokl that the best wlieat-field of tlie North-West 
 is about 200 miles long by 100 broad ; and extends 
 from liattleford and Prince Albert in the north, to 
 Qu'Appelle and Brandon in the south. Prince Albert 
 Hi a very flourishing colony, and all the lands about 
 thrre are already taken up; but there are districts still 
 open for settlers near Beaver's Hills and Touchwood 
 Hills. The best cattle ranches are in the South-West 
 Territory. I understand that they aie let by ihe 
 
'J.V2 1.1 I'M AM) /..i/.'or/; /.v '/'///•; iwn. am/.' ii7;n7'. 
 
 V; 
 
 > »^ 
 
 '« H)v<»nmu>nl on twouly-onc yonr l(«jis(^s, ;il ilic rate of 
 ton dollars per annnni jxm* 1,000 acres. 'IMicrc arc 
 stipulations made Ix'sidcs as to llic nuinlxM' of cattK* to 
 ho IuimumI on, Xt*. A pxxl cat He ranciic shonM extend 
 over twenty to thirty thousand acres. I am also in- 
 dtd)ted io Canadian residents for the lollowini:^ inrornia- 
 tion. In their o|)inii>n, a. settler, to do well, and 
 supposing; him to take up KIO acres ol' homestead 
 and the same <piantity of pre-emption land, 
 should hayc t;U)0 or I lOO to dniw upon when lie 
 leaves home; and this would he cxjjendcd much as 
 l\>lK>ws : — 
 
 r f I: 
 
 . .CM 
 
 . Ifi 
 
 .» 
 
 .'0 
 
 Yoko of o\c\\, say at C^nWi^pcllc 
 \Vaixs;»MJ ... 
 
 Plough 
 
 Kann tciel.s, say ... 
 
 Ono yoai's sun|>ly dI' food i'or st>!t" and w it'o (and <1ms is 
 
 !i low »'s(iinato) ... ... ... ... ... ()0 
 
 Lmnlu'r t\>rhoiist> and slablo, for ltuildin<:;a four- roomed 
 
 house ... ... ... ... ... ... GO 
 
 Two eows. say ... ... ... ... ... ... 30 
 
 Journey out for two, say ... ... ... ... 40 
 
 Ext m ea.sh for seed, ite., and oontinjjfoiicies ... 
 
 Homestead fee, UiO ueves ... ... ... ... 2 
 
 ICO :u.*res priMnnptiou land, at L\] dols, per acre ... 80 
 
 £363 
 
 
 Of course, a smaller sum would be suf!icieut for a 
 single man, or one not taking up the IGO acres of 
 
■.iasijm'.^a»iiism 
 
 MinucisH II. \T Asn riiiUTi<:i:NTii siiuxn. 2:.;) 
 
 |)n'-(MUj)ii(Hi Iiiiid, UH well jis KIO acres lioiucsirjul ; l)ut 
 
 |MM,| 
 
 >!(' I 
 
 >av(' 
 
 told nn' iliai llicv (Consider a Hcitlcr 
 
 should liavc al least eiiouL,'li money lo keej) iiiiii in 
 I'ood I'or two years. dp to tlie present, I am some- 
 wliat dis:i)>|)ointe(l wiili a, j)art of tin; North-West. It 
 is not (juilc what I liad expected to see; and tlioii«.^h 
 some thiiiLTs are more ra,voural)le than I had aiitici- 
 
 )a 
 
 ted. oth 
 
 ers are 
 
 tl 
 
 K^ reve 
 
 rs(^ It seems to me. heside 
 
 that a part of J\Ianitol)a is Ix-iiiL,' rather unfairly neg- 
 lected ; for every one now rushes oil' to the \\'(!st with- 
 out stayin<i^ to make in(piiries about tin; lands in this 
 province, especially as to those in the Red Uiver Valley. 
 Manitoba claims to j^rovv .'iO bushels of wheat to the 
 acre ((12 lbs. to th(^ bushel), 40 bushels of barley 
 (.')() lbs. to the busjiel), and ~t7 busiiels of oats to the 
 acre ( M) lbs. to the ])ushcl). Most of th(; settlers — 
 whether in tin; Nortli-VVest or in iManitoba — arc poor, 
 haviui^ <>"'y j'*'^^ enou^di money to obtain the lirst 
 necessaries for their farms; usually be^'innin^ without 
 horses, and usin<^ oxen instead. Tn places where th(;i<' 
 is (jiovernment land to be luid not already taken uj), a 
 man can settle ui)()n 1(50 acn^s for nothing'- fe.\cept the 
 homestead fee of £'2) ; and can take uj) 100 acres pre- 
 t'mption land besides, for which latter he pa3's two and 
 a luilf dollars per acre. This can be paid by instal- 
 
 ments of half a dollar 
 
 pe 
 
 of which time he thus be 
 
 acre 
 comes 
 
 for ih 
 
 ve years. 
 
 }' 
 
 at th 
 
 e en< 
 
 I 
 
 a freeholder of 320 a^res, 
 
 pi 
 
 m 
 
 m 
 
 I ' 
 
 i i 
 
 I:!' 
 
 If: 
 
 it 
 
254 LIFE AND LAJJOUR IN THE FAR, FAIt WEST. 
 
 at a cost of £82 ; having liad, nicanwhilo, to comply witli 
 the stipuhitions of puttin<^ up a house during tlie first 
 three years (in vvhicli lie must reside for at k'ast six- 
 months ol' each year), and also of ploughing iive acres 
 of land annually. 
 
 i i 
 
 |; M 
 
CHAPTER XVT. 
 
 i; 
 
 TliK lUiACK-FOOT INDIANS. 
 
 " (/Hiw Foot" ;iiul thn 16iilw,iy A Cliiiin tor l)iuniit,'«'rt -TInsopliisticatdil 
 Nfitivcs Sixty Milt;s t'ur tin; Nl!a^l^'^t DocIdp - l^!V()UiIl^^ Spi^ctadoH — 
 Nativo Agriculture. 
 
 A LF/iTKR camo the next mornin<^ from tlio Indian 
 intcM'preter, sa\ in<^ tliat his cook had typlioid fever, and 
 that several of the Hlack-foot Indians wen; ill ; so we 
 had very reluctantly to «^iv(? up our j)rojected expedition 
 to their camp. While 1 am writing* this in the car, two 
 Indians have walked in, and come straight up to shake 
 hands. If there is any sort of fever aljout, I rather 
 wish they would go ; hut as they seem, on the contrary, 
 inclined to stop and admire everything, I have taken 
 the opportunity of lighting a cigar. It must be re- 
 membered that everything is new to them, for until 
 last Sunday they had never seen a car ; now, tlu^y come 
 from all round the country to see the construction 
 trains. I hardly think, however, that Chief " Crow- 
 foot " will ever venture into a train a^jrain ; for not lon<: 
 ago, farther east, the oflicials gave him and some of his 
 tribe a lift in two of their waggons. Unluckily, both 
 these waggons got upset, so Crowfoot and his men, 
 
 i. 1 
 
 ii 
 
256 /.//.'/•' AND LABOUR IN THE FAU, FAR WEST. 
 
 h) I 
 
 with tlieir ponies, were all nicely mixed up together, 
 and he says now that he does not mean to he " ditched 
 a second time." Since this, another Indian met with 
 an accident also; for putting his foot in between -''e 
 carriages, ho got it crushed by the buffers. Crowfoot 
 thereupon sent in to ask for all sorts of presents to 
 make amends ; and, as the contractor's man said, " We 
 had to give it them, for there was a great deal of 
 soreness among the Indians about this, and we had 
 to keep friends with them." 
 
 Those of the tribe that we had seen upon our 
 arrival seemed delighted with everything; and, when 
 they saw the steam issuing from the engine, kept 
 raisini' their hands, either in imitation or in astonish- 
 nient. We noticed one very picturesque fellow going 
 lull gallop, dressed in flowing clothes or a blanket of 
 several colours, his long black hair blowing behind him 
 in the wind, and his lasso trailing through the prairie 
 grass ; he was working away vigorously at his pony 
 with arms, body and legs. All these Indians appear to 
 use very short stirrups indeed. 
 
 Colonel Williams and I drove down to the Black ■ 
 foot Crossing, on the Jiow Kiver ; and here we saw 
 numbers of Indians riding about, the women riding 
 astride with a child behind. What amused us most 
 was to see the way in which they carried tlieir light 
 luggage : two long poles are attached to the front of 
 
TJtH n LACK- FOOT IXDIAXS. 
 
 tlio saddle, and tlicsc, sprcadiiii;' out beliind, iunn a 
 su|)j)()rt on wliit'li are placccl two cross-pieces ; to tliese 
 hitter they tie tlieir liglit bai(i;"ai,^e, and can carry it 
 so whih' the pony is at a trot, the farther ends of the 
 poh'S draL^<;'int^ nieanwlnle on the ^-round beliind. We 
 hear that there are as many as 1,700 Indians in tlie 
 IJhick-tbot camp; it is six mih's distant Troiii our 
 Sidini^. Tlie (}overnment at^ent lives close to IJIack- 
 foot CrossiuLC, imd here we saw the slaui;-hterini;'-place 
 for cattle — a round reserve about thirty ^ards in 
 diameter. The enclosure is formed with hi<;'h pali- 
 sading, and every pole is iastened with cow-hide, n 
 
 (I 
 
 nails being used ; even the tires of the cart-wheels are 
 tied on with cow-hide, and a hay-cart we saw li.id a 
 kind of framing on the top, all tied together with cow- 
 hide also. Every two days the (iovernment serv s out 
 beef to the Indians from here. It seems (juite certain, 
 from wdiat we heard, that the Indians have a lever or 
 
 lib 
 
 .f 
 
 lUness or souk 
 ;nown 
 
 kind 
 
 ni 
 
 th 
 
 cam]) 
 
 but 
 
 it (hx 
 
 not 
 
 upi 
 
 )ear 
 
 as yet whet • it is typhoid fever or 
 
 small-po.\. One of the (iovi rnment men is no^v down 
 
 with it, and they had just cut to Calgary, sixty miles 
 
 away, for the nearest docti j. From all this I fear thai 
 
 we shall certainly be obliged to miss the hidian Sun 
 
 Dance, which we are told w ill be at its best four days 
 
 hence, and this is a great disappointment to us. 
 
 I subjoin the following .lecount by an eye-witness, 
 II 
 
 111: 
 
 1 
 
 i; :' 
 
 
 fir: 
 
lV.S /.//•;•; AND LABOVli JX 'HIE I'Mi, FAU WEST. 
 
 whic'li appearofl sub.si'quL'ntly in one of the North-West 
 ne\vsj)a})ors : — 
 
 A SUN DANCK. RKVOLTIXC; SCKXES. 
 
 Acting' on your injiuictioiis on no account to miss tlio Sun Dance, 
 I Iiirt'd a buck-board on Tuesday, and starting' at \'o\\v o'clock on 
 Wednesday morning, n)i\de for the Reservation, and some, live 
 minutes afterwai'ds was at tlie location where they had the Sun 
 hfuice. Seventy-four lodges were encamjjed. Indians, bucks and 
 .s<[uaws, in the most picturesfjue garb, painted up iti the most gorgeous 
 colours you could possibly imagine. A very large circular building 
 was erected in the e(!ntre of the lodges, measuring forty-tive feet in 
 diameter. In the centre was a large pole. This pole was decorated 
 with banners and paintings of the most grotescjue and inharmonious 
 studi(\s in colours. Tiicre were green faces with red eyes. The 
 Indians themselves were painted in equHlly violent contrasts. Every 
 Indi.ni seemed to be of a different colour. There waf> an inner railing 
 of young poplars, high, iind so interlaced that it was impossible to see 
 through it. Ileie were thirty-six Indians with their eyes fixed upon 
 the centre above, bl.?.v'ing each a snuill whistle, and rising up and 
 down with tliat peculiar motion of the Indians like that of a man who 
 does not know how to ride on horseback when the horse trots. Each 
 of these men had, at the time I saw them, been in that position for 
 thirty-two hours without either food or di-ink, whistling incessantly ; 
 while the older braves kept up a {jerpetual pom-pom on the drums, as 
 a guttural song, something like the following : — 
 
 Eh-oo-hotakaha 
 
 ee-kee-ka-ko-hoo 
 
 jo-mello plecked-po-ka-kah 
 
 eh-oo-hotaka. 
 
 Then, occasionally, the medichie man would come in with a y.ipi' 
 decorated wiVii green leaves. Taking this pipe from his moutli, Ik 
 would point to the points of the compass. He Avould then go round 
 to the unfortunate wi-etches who were whistling, say something to 
 them in a low voice, and give them three or four draws of the p!]>e, 
 
,,,, 
 
 THi: DI.AOK-FOOT IS'DIAX^. 2.*)^ 
 
 iuid si> li(! ])asse(I (lisoriiiiinatiii<,'ly to tliosc wliom he tliouglit clfstrv- 
 iiig of this fiai^TJiiit soUitiuiii. JiOokiny rouiul to my U'ft, I suw om* 
 iiuui with a Itravc, line looking fac<> ; a (h'\ il j)aint<'(l in I'lue on his 
 naked hroast, a wliisth- in his niontli ; susp-nded from each sliouhh'i 
 hy a stick run throu^dl the top point of his shoulder and ln-ld liy a 
 eoi'd. It was 
 
 A HOKKIIir.K SUillT. 
 
 The skin was drairu't'd two and a half inches from the point of the 
 shoulders. J learned throutrh the interpreter that lie had heeii in 
 that suspendeil state for three hours previously (o my seeing him. 
 His whole weight rested on this string, and he danced in the air while 
 he whistled. Soiiictime.s his head would sink on the right, and a 
 swooning expression would come over his face. Then he wouM nuike 
 a >-purt, whistle and dance, only again to relapse into a semi-swooning 
 condition, his head swinging on one side. I left disgusted. iJut 
 hearing there was another «ncritice to make, my curiosity brought me 
 again into the Sun Da.,-'' On entering inside the wall of poplar 
 trr'cs and twigs, 1 saw a squaw kneeling in front of the j)ole. I told 
 the iiiterprt?ter to find out what she had done, but he eithei- could 
 not learn, or, a.s 1 suspect, would not tell me. It was, however, [ilain 
 she had committed some dreadful misdeed, and was now getting 
 
 CLEAK FROM IIKIi SIN. 
 
 8he had on her face a mingled expression of devotion and remorse. 
 IJarely have I seen a human figure with such an air of fi'i'veucy 
 around and living through every line and any the (slightest) movemiMit. 
 The priest, or medicine man, was jiouring forth a l(<ng oration, and 
 every time that he .stopped the jiom pon> went, all please(l with what 
 lie said. After a time a tall Indian, with a hooki'd nose ami an i-x- 
 j)ression which, reminded me of the tliii-d Xajtoleon, entered. He was 
 entirely naked but for a hij^cloth he wore. He was a magnificently 
 built man, and his eye liurned like a live coal. Me took his place in 
 the centre, right in front of the s(piaw, in (piite a theatrical manner, 
 commenced to i ' 
 
 r. : 
 
 -■ly 
 
 -pen 
 
 Muor, witli- 
 
 whicli he held in his left hand. The S(juaw, without a trt 
 out a motion or hint of fear, looked on. After a few moments the 
 R 2 
 
 t) 
 
 >.;> 
 
 I- a 
 
 .11 
 
 Mi ' 
 
L'()<» 
 
 LIFE AXn LAllDlli IN THE I'M!, FAIi WEST. 
 
 f(n 
 
 cliiff medicine man took a pieco of coloured cotton, jtut into it some 
 iishcH from the medicine tiiv, and then tlie executioner, in the most 
 solenni manner, tooI< a needle and raised the skin on the woman's 
 arm uj) from the point whenf vaccination is usually impaired, lie 
 jiassed the needh; tliroui,di the skin of her shoulder and Ity ,1,'reat force 
 raised it uj). Then with his knife, which was certaiidy very blunt, 
 ho hacked olf the j)iece of skin, 'i'his piei;e of skin he put in the piece; 
 of cotton in wdiich the mi'dicine man had placed ashes from tlu? medi- 
 cine fire. }[e then went round to the other arm and performed a like 
 operation. Tim piece of flesh taken from the left arm was also placed 
 in the piece of cotton which was sanctified by ashes from the medicine 
 fire. While this was beini,' done a silenc<; in which the fall of a 
 featlan' could havf Iteen heard was observed. 1 noticed that the; 
 medicine man and tluf (^xecutiont^r were very careful not to touch 
 with their lintjin's either piece of fiesh. Takinu; the two pieces of 
 llesh and the sacnnl ashes from the medicine fire, the medicine man 
 held it ovei' the fire with a lonif oration. Meanwhile the woman 
 stood up and threw her liead ai^ainst tlu; pole and wept piteou.^ly. 
 The mystery which, for me, resttul over her crime, added to the pathos 
 of the situation ; while tlu; really dignified bearing of the medicine 
 man, the dusky crowd around, and the city of teepees near, imposed 
 on the imagination. Tlu; man T have called the e.vecutioner looked, 
 as I thought, sternly on the woman as slu; wept. I have setm Miss 
 Hat»Mnan in " L(!ah," Let)nide L(;bhinc in "Frou-Frou," iNli.ss Helen 
 Kaucit in the '' Stranger,'' and have wept at her " Antigone," but on 
 no stage have 1 scm'u a more patla^tic, a more heart-rending })icture 
 than that desolate savage woman, her head agauist that [tole, weeping. 
 When the piece of cotton containing the ilesh was burnt, and the 
 medicine man's oration was o\er, the .S(puiw hurried out of the build- 
 ing. On going outside some five minutes afterwards, 1 .saw her 
 dresscMl up in all the colours of the rainbow, painted profusely, and 
 with a face full of joy, as if she had bcnni cleared from some dreadful 
 crime, and felt that exhilaration Roman Catholics tell tlmy feel when 
 leaving the Confessional after the priest has said Absolvo te. What 
 was her crinie 1 Was the executioner her husband t 
 
77//; II LACK- FOOT IMHAS'S. 
 
 AXoTHKii srKNi: 
 
 •Jtll 
 
 I then went tutu a lari^'c tct^pco adjoiiiiiijL,', wlicii' tlicro wcrt- a 
 j^reat nuiiibeiof vouiil; liiiliaiis — wairiuis |k)1ii poiniiii,' on tlicso (Iniiiis. 
 
 () 
 
 lily; 
 
 )1(1 
 
 ihl 
 
 thv. 
 
 list, 
 
 (1 
 
 •it.'il 
 
 asionaiiyan oui warrior woum 
 statt! rclatn liow lio lia<l killed a Sioux, and tlicn tell a long story of 
 all the lirave diijuls he had perfornKMl t'nini his yt)nth iip— sonufwhat 
 after the manner of our iioliticians. Immediately on his retiring to 
 his seat the young Indians wouhl commence a peculiar dance, their 
 Itodies douliled like that of a man with tin; colic, and jumi)ii'g in u 
 monotonously rhythmic fashion. Amongst those; dancing was a young 
 hrave who had gone through the fearful torturo of having two pieces 
 of wooil 
 
 HUN TirUOUiill Ills CIIKST, 
 
 from winch ho was suspended to the centre pole. Surely scenes of 
 torture, part only of which I have described, should lie stopju-d. I 
 liope you will call the attention of Lieut.-Covernor Dewdney to the 
 matter. 
 
 After readin*^ this account, our disappoiutnuMit, to 
 say the least ot" it, was cousi<lerably lessened, lor it must 
 have been a horrible siu'lit. 
 
 rv 
 
 Vh 
 
 lb 
 
 lere are a nmnoer ot wooden and niut 
 
 t' 
 
 d( 
 
 d 
 
 d hilt 
 
 S III 
 
 the valley, down by the river; these have been built 
 by the Uovernnient for the use of the Indians, who live 
 in them during tlu; winter. This land is all within 
 the Indian lieserve for the lilaeklbot Tribe ; the 
 
 (iovernment is endeavourinu;- to promote iarnuno- amoiiL;- 
 them, lending them implements and sending men to 
 teach them. We saw some pretty lair crops of wheat, 
 barley, and potatoes; but, although the valley lands 
 seem good, irrigatiii/^ '^^ ii\j.il^iitly required. Curiously 
 
 :;i. 
 
 i ' ; 
 
 ■ 1 
 
 •I ,| 
 
 ! 
 
 * 
 
 ■ ' 
 
 
 ! 
 
 ' 
 
 i ; - 
 
 ■1 
 
 M 
 
•j'lj /.//••/■.' Axn I.. morn ix tuk fah, fm: wfst. 
 
 cnou^i^li, wliilst down l)y the rivor we camo across 
 Sir Ak'Xiiiulrr (fait Jiiid his two sons. Colonel Williams 
 knew him, and introdueed me. It was certainly odd 
 that r shoidd meet him here alter all, for when [ was 
 last in London a friend had taken some trouhle in 
 order that 1 might form his ac(|uaintance before we 
 started for Canada (he being then High Commissioner), 
 but when we called upon him he was unwell and could 
 
 not see us 
 
 an( 
 
 now 
 
 at last, 1 was nuikinu' hi^ 
 
 ac(iuaintance .some six thousand miles away from home, 
 in the midst of the Xorth-West Prairie, and within 
 sight of the l?ocky Mountains. Sir Alexander and his 
 
 m our car 
 
 sons afterwards came to pay us a visit 
 
 his outfit consisted of a buck-board with two hor 
 
 and a baggage-waggon with four. 
 
 ses 
 
('irAi*TEI{ XVII. 
 
 AT TIIK KM) ol" THK TRACK. 
 
 Mimgi'H «f the Pntirii- Itow Itiwr — nurial iiiiinrij» tli(> Tiuliiiin — Tli' Knl 
 i)f till' Tiiiik — I! lilw.iy (.'Dnstriiftitiii -A Hi:^ht IJoyiil llutcl - Farmiiiij 
 iiiiil I'rirt's at Ciilg.irv — A lifiiiiioii -C'livc's Kxpriiiiiccs. 
 
 The siding" wIutp wc slept last nii^^lit is just within 
 sight of the Kocky Mountains; and it is ourious to 
 think that licre, wht'iv a railway is now locatccl, only 
 ten (hiys aiifo there was not one within miles. Tliis is 
 my third view ol' the Rockies this year, heini^ the third 
 of the approaches we have made to them fnun dillerent 
 
 (). 
 
 n 
 
 j)oints. The lirst was wIkmi i^'oini;' west rid Colorad 
 to Salt Lake Citv and San Francisco ; the second i 
 returniuiT east from British Columbia and Oretfon 
 Territory ; and now the third time in ^'oins^ west a,L»'ain 
 r'ut the Canadian Pacific llailroad, in the North-West 
 Territory. 
 
 Mr. Ijanijfdon, the railway contractor, now returned 
 from the end ol" the track; our car was attached to his 
 euij^ine, and we thus continued our journey westwards. 
 On the road between the Thirteenth and Fourteenth 
 Siding's, Mitchell and I picked up two buffalo-heads 
 with good horns, lying within twenty yards of each 
 
 I 
 
 € 
 
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 i 
 
 i;l 
 
# 
 
 A/. 
 
 
 IMAGE EVALUATION 
 TEST TARGET (MT-S) 
 
 % 
 
 /. 
 
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 1.0 
 
 I.I 
 
 2.5 
 
 " lis ilM 
 
 1.8 
 
 
 1.25 1.4 
 
 1.6 
 
 
 ■^ 
 
 6" — 
 
 
 ► 
 
 Photographic 
 
 Sciences 
 Corporation 
 
 23 WEST MAIN STREET 
 
 WEBSTER. NY. 14580 
 
 (716) 872-4503 
 
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2Gt LIFE AND LABOUR JN THE FAU, FAR WEST. 
 
 other, which we, of course, took with us in tlie car. A 
 loni^ line of traders passed us to-day, consisting of 
 twelve wafii'gons tied together in twos, sixteen or 
 eighteen bullocks being attached to each. This mode 
 of locomotion must be very slow, and will soon now be 
 supplanted by the railway; it therefore is one of the 
 sights of the North-AVest which will shortly be amongst 
 the things of the past. 
 
 One of the most remarkable phenomena on these 
 Canadian prairies are the frequent "mirages"; of these 
 we have seen many during our run from Winnipeg here, 
 some of course being much more marked than others. 
 In the far, far distance one sees a line of trees, rising 
 apparently out of a sheet of water; and very often after 
 passing a line or group of trees (the latter are a very 
 rare occurrence on the prairie), as one leaves them 
 farther and farther behind, the illusion of the presence 
 of intervening water, and finally of seeing only the 
 tops of the trees with a sheet of water belo n, becomes 
 almost perfect. 
 
 The reason we waited so long at Thirteenth Sidinij 
 to-day was because Colonel Williams and ]VIr. Jaffray 
 went out somewhere to meet a person they wanted to 
 .see, and we had intended meantime paying a visit 
 to the Indian Camp. As this latter plan did not come 
 oif the day was somewhat thrown away, but in a new 
 country like this there is always something to. see, and 
 
 , 
 
AT TITJJ EXD OF THE TBACK. 
 
 265 
 
 indeed watcliing- tlie Indians wiis in itself u sufficiently 
 new sensation. 
 
 The Bow River scenery has a character of its own, 
 but notliing can be seen of it until one comes close to 
 the banks. It is very bare of vegetation, but rather 
 remarkable in colourin<^, especiall}' in the li<»hts and 
 shades. We saw an Indian sjrave witli a red fla<'' stuck 
 on it to mark it. Those of the Indians on the plains 
 who are not Christians difftM* in their mode of burial 
 from the Indians of British Columbia, as before described 
 (see paii^e 109). Here, instead of placing' their dead in 
 trees (of which there is a scarcity), they lay them on 
 platforms supported on four poles eight or ten feet 
 above ground. A chief occasionally has the privilege 
 of having his tent placed over him. Here, as in British 
 Columbia, the custom is to hang up the weapons of 
 war. 
 
 I do not know at what time we left Siding Xo. 13 ; 
 but when we started we went west as far as Siding 
 No. 15. The last run of seven or ten miles from 
 No. 14 to No. 15 was a little rough, and the engine 
 and contractor's car, as well as the construction-train, 
 were all behind us, so we were pushed along. This 
 mode of locomotion is not pleasant on an old-established 
 line — far less so on one that has not been constructed 
 forty-eight hours. However, we reached No. 15 Siding 
 ill due course, and were rather glad to have done so in 
 
 iin>' 
 
 ii 
 
 ■If" 
 
 11 
 
 
 I J 
 
L'fjf) 
 
 T.irr: axd lATioi'n ix the fae, fah west. 
 
 i 
 
 siifety ; but directly afterwards one of the construction 
 (;ars, loaded with iron rails, broke down, and had to be 
 unloaded before the train could proceed. Our quarters 
 for the night were at Siding No. 15, 140 miles west 
 of Medicine Hat. It was curious to think that the 
 rails on which our car now rested were not even laid at 
 six o'clock jTsterday evening, and that at the present 
 moment (7 p.m. on tlie following day) the line was 
 finished four miles on ahead farther west. The con- 
 tractor's car ran on to the end for the night, while we 
 were left at Siding No. 15, where we formed part of a 
 settlement which was only started yesterday, and would 
 move on to-morrow to the next Siding. This settle- 
 ment consisted of a line of cars (including a store), 
 several tents, and a butcher's shop, the latter being 
 simply two bullocks killed and hung on poles in the 
 open. There were also several waggons with stores, 
 &c., a good many dogs, and two foxes. Some of our 
 party meditated a visit to General Strange, who lives 
 somewhere in these parts, and to whom we had an in- 
 troduction, but we finally agreed to give up the idea, 
 and to renew our journey all together in the morning. 
 
 I sent a telegram the last thing this evening to 
 Clive at Medicine Hat, on the chance of his coming 
 there by the night train. I really do not know how 
 many telegrams I have now sent, hoping they may find 
 him somewhere. Not only have I continually tele- 
 
 I 
 
u!, 
 
 .IT TirE EXD or THE TliACK. 
 
 2Cu 
 
 
 to 
 
 how 
 find 
 tele- 
 
 i,n*aplied to liiin persoiiully, but I have also kept up a 
 constant lino of communication with various station- 
 masters along the whole line, especially at Brandon, 
 telling them to be on the look-out for him. 
 
 The next morning (July .27th) we were up pretty 
 early ; but as so many dillerent times seem kept here, 
 it is rather difficult to know what clock to go by — 
 whether AVinnipeg time or something more local. We 
 were to start in two conveyances, viz., a waggon on 
 springs, which would hold eight, and a double buggy 
 to take four, leaving room besides for the driver, &'c. 
 The two hind-wheels of this latter vehicle showed signs 
 of hard work. The spokes were strengthened by extra 
 ])ieces of wood, tied round with cow-hide, both hind- 
 wheels being the same. Thus patched they were con- 
 sidered to be in readiness for a forty miles' drive across 
 a rough prairie. The waggon had a canvas covering. 
 Starting on our drive, we followed alongside the railway 
 grade for the first five miles, when we came to the end 
 of the track, where the construction was going on. 
 
 The first object which attracted our attention was 
 the construction train. It was composed of thirteen 
 carriages, viz. : 1, a truck ; 2, a boarding car; 3, a cook- 
 ing car; 4, 5, 0, 7, 8 and 9, all boarding cars; 10, 
 blacksmith's shop; 11 and 12, store cars; 18, con- 
 tractor's car. The carriages were queer ones to look at ; 
 very useful, no doubt, but not ornamental. Behind 
 
 #1 
 
 ■' ^ 
 
 \i 
 
 1 
 
 m 
 
 I ! 
 
2(i8 LIFE AND LABOVIi IX THE FAIi, FAl^ WEST. 
 
 '■i 
 
 came a train loaded with a suitable number of sleepers, 
 steel rails, nuts, pins, and fish-plates — everything, in 
 fact, for the construction of the line. 
 
 The process of layinu^ a line is accomplished with 
 remarkable rapidity. A sufficient number of rails are 
 laid on a hand-truck, together with pins, fish-plates, 
 cVc, but the sleepers are sent on in advance by horse- 
 teams, and are thrown down by the side of the grade, 
 and then placed in position. Each team takes thirty 
 sleepers, fifteen of which go to each rail. Each one is 
 put in place previous to the arrival of the hand-car 
 which brings the rails along the completed portion of 
 the line. These hand-trucks are each drawn by two 
 horses, one on either side of the rails, at the top of the 
 embankment. On reaching the farther end of the last 
 two newly-laid rails, six men on either side of the truck 
 each seize a rail between them and throw it down in 
 exact position ; a couple of others gauge these two 
 rails, in order to see that they are correct; four men 
 following with spikes place one at each of the four 
 ends of the rails ; four others screw in the two fish- 
 plates ; and another four follow with crow-bars, to raise 
 the sleepers whilst the spikes are being hammered in. 
 All work in order, and opposite to each other on each 
 separate rail. After these come more men with hammers 
 and spikes to make the rail secure ; but the truck con- 
 taining the rails, &c., passes on over these two newly- 
 
^r 
 
 AT THE MJXD OF THE TRACK. 
 
 2ii!t 
 
 uck 
 n in 
 two 
 men 
 our 
 isli- 
 aise 
 d in. 
 each 
 mers 
 con- 
 wly- 
 
 laid ones before tlii.s is done. All the men must keep 
 in their places and move on ahead, otherwise they will 
 be cauj^^ht up by those behind them. 
 
 About 300 men were workin*.^ in this way when we 
 passed ; in advance of them were others fixinsj^ the tele- 
 graph; and others aj^ain getting' the grade and the 
 next siding ready. It was altogether very interest- 
 ing to watch. After completing our inspection we 
 turned off on to the open prairie in the direction of Fort 
 Calgary, and on the way picked up another large pan- 
 of bufi'alo-horns — an immense head. It was a remark- 
 able sight, looking back over the prairie to where the 
 construction train and its surroundiuii^s stood. We 
 soon reached the main trail, and had luncheon on the 
 prairie near Weed Lake. It was not safe to cross this 
 part of the North- West three years ago, on account of 
 the Indians belonging to the Sucee Tribe. After a 
 very long and uninteresting drive, we arrived at the 
 ferry on the Bow Kiver, the charges for crossing which 
 are somewhat high. They run thus : — 
 
 Single vehicle, 1 horse 
 Double „ 2 horses 
 Horse and rider 
 Horse, mule, or cow 
 Shee[), hog, calf, or colt 
 
 For all articles over one cwt., not conveyed in a vehicle, 15 cents 
 for every cwt. For every person, except team-drivers, 25 cents. 
 These charges are doubled after sunset. 
 
 100 cents 
 
 = 4s. 
 
 English money 
 
 150 „ 
 
 = Gs. 
 
 
 >> 
 
 50 „ 
 
 -- 2s. 
 
 
 >» 
 
 25 „ 
 
 = Is. 
 
 
 ti 
 
 25 „ 
 
 = Is. 
 
 
 It 
 
 m 
 
 Ml 
 
 I': 
 
 18 
 
 
 ill 
 
270 TJI'P: and LATiOUli IN THE FAH, VAU WEST. 
 
 ' t 
 
 Ciil<,''iiry is quite in its infancy. There lias Ijeen a 
 Hudson's Hay Company's Fort here for some years, and 
 also police barracks, l)ut no other inhabited place. On 
 the apjjroach of the railway, liowever, a sud(h>n spurt 
 has taken place, as is shown by a L,n'eat inlhix of visitors 
 within the last ten or fourteen da3's. Fifty to sixty 
 tents and framed houses have already sprunf]^ up. 
 There are hotels, stores, &c., and more peo])le are on 
 the road, so the cry is certainly "Still they come." 
 
 We went to the " Eoyal Hotel," a tent about thirty 
 feet long by eighteen feet broad, and decided to take up 
 our quarters there for the night. Having heard a 
 rumour that there had been a sharp frost over-night, 
 we went to inspect some potatoes near, and. found that 
 three-parts of the crop (about one-quarter of an acre in 
 extent) had been completely destroyed by frost yester- 
 day, some time in the course of the night. I am afraid 
 that these summer frosts (which I am told occur very 
 often) would be against the Calgary district as a farm- 
 ing country ; but for grazing purposes it is promising, 
 though farther south is better. I hear that there are 
 some good farming lands at Edmonton, 150 to 200 
 miles north of Calgary, and that the climate there is 
 much the same as in this part ; but it is rather milder 
 south, about Fort McLeod, which is reported to be a 
 good stock-raising district. The Bow and Elbow rivers 
 unite at Calgary, which is in consequence very prettily 
 
AT THE i:XD i)F TUE TRACK. 
 
 ;! 1 
 
 situated. The waters of the Jiow river are partieularly 
 clear and blue. Caly'arv was Lord Lome's farthest 
 point in his tour throui;'h the North-West Territory 
 in 1881: I'rom here he turned south to Fort McLeod, 
 and then, I think, went on to Helena, Montana 
 Territory. 
 
 A settler who had been four years at Cal<^'ary, and 
 who came here from ^hmitoba, told n\e that he saw 
 little or no difference between this place and Winnipeg 
 OS regards climate, except that there was perhaps less 
 snow here. Snow frequently falls in October, and 
 sometimes even in September, but winter does not set 
 in in earnest till November 1st ; after that date tlie 
 snow is continuous on the ground until the spring, say 
 till April. As to the summer frosts, I am told that 
 they are liable to occur every third night. This same 
 settler said that the West was filling up fast, but that 
 he thought it would be the same thing as in Manitoba : 
 " A lot would come, and then half of them would go 
 away again," as had been the case there. There is (I 
 am informed) a country on the lied River, eighty miles 
 north of Siding No. 13 on the Canadian Pacific Ilail- 
 road, which is about 120 miles west of Medicine Hat, 
 with good land, excellent water, and enough timber for 
 fuel, and where the winter is said to be only three 
 months long. If there really is a district with all these 
 advantages, settlers ought certainly to inquire about it, 
 
 ' " I 
 \ 1 1 
 
 ■■)' 
 
 
 illn 
 
»>?■> 
 
 /,//••/■; .i.\7) LMinuit IX Till: r.iii, fau west. 
 
 ; i 1 
 
 •:'.i 
 
 lor tilt' ^iviit drawback to the wliolo of this country 
 (and this remark a])})lies not only to the Nt)rth-\Vest 
 Territory but to Manitoba, cVc, and indeed to all the 
 more northern ])art of the United States) is undouljtudly 
 the len»j;'th and severity of the winters. 
 
 The peculiar carts which I have noticed about here 
 come I'rom the Ked River district ; they are made 
 entirely of wood, no iron whatever being used in their 
 construction. 
 
 Mr. Jaft'ray and the rest of our party gave up the 
 idea of going on to-morrow to Morleyville and the 
 " Gap " — i.e., the gap in the Rocky Mountains through 
 which tlie railway is to pass. 1 fancy that they had 
 had enough of the rougb driving over the prairie to- 
 day to last them for some time ; as for myself, I had 
 said all along that I should not go any farther with- 
 out Clive, but should wait about at Fort Calgary until 
 he joined me. Something is evidently wrong with 
 the telegraph department somewhere, for I have had 
 no news of him in reply to my wires. Here at 
 Calgary we were beyond the reach of the telegraph, 
 so there was nothing for it but to wait. 
 
 We were about a dozen persons altogether in the 
 tent, and it was very cold during the night, although 
 with the aid of my great-coat and buffalo-robe I did 
 my best to keep myself warm. In the course of the 
 following morning I paid a visit to Mr. Fraser, the 
 
 r 
 r 
 
 8 
 
 mi 
 
 tu] 
 
AT THE i:S'D OF TUi: TRACK. 
 
 27:5 
 
 Hudson's Bay Conipiiiiy's oflicer. His opinion was not 
 very ravounil)lo to Calijary as roi^ards its pros])('cts as 
 a farniinuf district (by which lio meant ph)U<^hed lands), 
 on account of the frosts, wliich he said occur t're(|uently 
 throui^^liout the summer ; he thinks also that this 
 country is mare adapted lor horses than cattle. Tlie 
 river-water at Calijfary is f^ood, hut in our forty miles 
 drive here, across the prairie from the railway, we saw 
 no other to speak of. It should he menHoned that the 
 Bow Kiver becomes the Saskatchewan oefore it reaches 
 Medicine Hat. AVe went down to the river for a hathe, 
 but found the water very cold, and the stones shiny 
 with a kind of clay. At breakfast we asked our host 
 of the tent-hotel some questions respecting prices at 
 Calgary, with the following result ; but it nmst be 
 remembered that when the railway is opened prices will 
 necessarily drop, and that at present it is, as concerns 
 goods traffic, ISO miles away : — 
 
 Flour, per cwt. 
 
 Beef, per lb. 
 
 Bread, per loaf of 3 lbs. ... -.^ „ 
 
 Milk, per gallon ... ... ^^y ,, 
 
 Salt butter, per lb. (very bael) 50 „ 
 
 Sugar, per lb. ... ... 20 „ 
 
 8 clols. = £\ 12s. Gel. 
 20 cents. = lOd. 
 
 = Is. 
 50 
 
 = 2s. 
 = 2s. 
 
 = loa. 
 
 Mr. Jaffray and the rest of our party made up their 
 minds to remain at Calgary for the day instead of re- 
 turning to the car. Mitchell and I had previously 
 
 S 
 
 
 ..I 
 
 nniii iiii 
 
 !, ; 
 
 l!«'l 
 
274 II I'!-: AM) lM:in'i; ly -i III: I'M,', I'Aft W'HST. 
 
 \ i 
 
 Ml' 
 
 .st'ttk'd thai, under any circuinstauees, wo \v<juld stay 
 tlicrc and wait fur Clivo, so wo docidod <>n the fullowini;' 
 driving" cxpodiiion lortlicday: — to Ijivin<;st()no l'\ir!n, 
 lour niilos; ami on to (lien's, throe niilos ; thenco to 
 (lovornnient Jlouso, tliroo niilos; and to Colonel do 
 W'inton's,* two miles nioro ; in order to roach tlio latter 
 we should havo to cross the IJow liivor. 
 
 Whilst jotting down a I'ow things in n»y noto-houk 
 I hoard a voioo of groeting, and looking u[), saw Clive 
 standing boforo mo. We wore delighted at meeting 
 again ; at any rate wo wore so to see him, and T think 
 the feeling was mutual. It appeared that ho had only 
 received one of my numerous telegrams and messages, 
 and ho had wired to me three times, none of his 
 teU'grams, however, being delivered. Wo compared 
 notes on these points, knowing that there must have 
 i)een a mistake or some negligence somewhere ; but it 
 was certainly not our fault. It seems that Clive had 
 followed us up as fast as he could, but previous to 
 arriving at Winnipeg, and while there, he had been un- 
 well. However, having sulHciently recovered on Wed- 
 nesday morning last (the :2oth), and having been passed 
 by the doctor, he had started oft' again after us, travelling 
 by the 7.30 a.m. regular train as far as Moosejavv, where 
 the " Sleeper " had been taken off', and onlj- an inferior 
 mixed train sent on. From Medicine Hat he had come 
 
 * Now Sir Franci.s de Wiuton. 
 
AT Till': i:SD nF TUi: TliACK. 
 
 275 
 
 I stay 
 j\vin;4' 
 Fiinn, 
 iico to 
 K'l do 
 latter 
 
 ,e-))o<jlv 
 
 r Clive 
 
 u'ctiiiLC 
 think 
 
 A only 
 
 :'ssages, 
 of liis 
 
 mparod 
 
 st liave 
 but it 
 ve had 
 ,'ious to 
 eon un- 
 n Wed- 
 i passed 
 j.vellin<3^ 
 , where 
 inferior 
 d come 
 
 H 
 
 on l)y a coiistniction train, sonictinics in the " eahousi' " 
 (or hreak-van), ;ind sometimes on the top of a truck 
 laden witli steel mils, a journey which must,! tliink, 
 have l)een most uncomfortahie. \\ lim lie reaciud tin- 
 end ol' tlie track (thirty-live miles I'rom Cali;'ary) he 
 had set oil' at 7 [).m. to walk the rest of tlu' distance 
 across the prairie, t'ollowiuL^ the trail we had previously 
 tak(>n in driviuLj. He walked altogether twenty-tive 
 miles, resting for a |)art ol' tlu^ night in a railway cauij) ; 
 for the last ten miles he got a lift on a Hour 
 waggon, going to sleep on the tops of the sacks, to ho 
 awoke by a passer-by calling out to him in uncompli- 
 nientary language, and telling him he was a lazy beggar 
 to be lying asleep at that time in the morning, which 
 amused him immensely when he told me the storv. 
 On the whole his journey must have been most un- 
 ])Ieasaut and fatiguing, more especially as he was far 
 from well at the time. When I first saw him he was 
 all covered with dust from his long night journey, which 
 latter had been, to say the least of it, a very plucky 
 undertakiui 
 
 '5^'- 
 
 n 
 
 I' 
 
 s •' 
 
CHAPTEE XVIIl. 
 
 A DRIVING TOUR. 
 
 Livingstone— Glon's Fanti and Government Farms — Colonel do Winton's Ranche 
 — A "Round Up" — Cochrane Ranche — A Day's Track-laying — Pro- 
 fessional Jealousy — Sixteenth Siding — An Inquiry as to " Them Fellows " 
 — Indisposition of Clive. 
 
 After a little delay we started off together on our 
 pn^posed trip, driving first to Livingstone, a farm on 
 the bend of the Elbow River. The owner, unfortu- 
 nately, was not at home ; but his crops, as far as we 
 could see, looked well. Next we drove on to Glen's, 
 another farm, where we had luncheon, and then to 
 Government Farm — our main object to-day being to 
 see the best farms in the neighbourhood. Although 
 they all looked comparatively tidy, I did not notice 
 anything which impressed me with the idea of great 
 fertility of soil, and I certainly look upon these summer 
 frost;-^ as a serious drawback to this district. If snow 
 falls as late as April, or even (as stated) sometimes in 
 May, and begins again the end of September, the summer 
 or working months are reduced to very few indeed, 
 and of these June is generally recognised as the wet 
 month of the year. 
 
 ■ 
 
 »•}. 
 
A DPilVTXG TOUR. 
 
 277 
 
 a's Rancho 
 •iii<? — Pi'O- 
 L Follows " 
 
 on our 
 'arm on 
 mfortu- 
 ' as we 
 Glen's, 
 then to 
 eing to 
 Ithougli 
 notice 
 ii great 
 Bummer 
 [f snow 
 imes in 
 iiimmer 
 lindeed, 
 the wet 
 
 After leaving Government Farm — where there was 
 a capital spring of water (one of tlie very few that I 
 have seen in the North -West) — we continued our drive 
 to Bow River, on the opposite side of which is the De 
 Wintons' ranche, their log-hut being a mile farther 
 on inland, away from the river. Colonel de Winton, 
 military secretary to Lord Lome, was staying tliere on 
 a visit to his two sons. We took up our quarters 
 on the bank, waitins^ on the chance of seein<]f some 
 one with a boat to take us across ; and in about 
 half an hour's time one of the young De Wintons 
 came down to find out what we wanted. Clive, Colonel 
 Williams, and I crossed the river with him, one at :i 
 time, in a boat almost too small to be comfortable, 
 for the river was rapid ; and then we walked on up to 
 the hut, where I presented Colonel de Winton with 
 my letter of introduction from a relative in England. 
 Everything was in true ranche style ; the hut was 
 simply a log one, about twenty-four feet by eighteen 
 feet; the floor was of earth, and there were one or 
 two camp-beds in the corners. A rough table and 
 forms in the middle of the room, a cooking-stove, 
 some carpenter's tools hung up round the . >oden 
 walls, and some framed photographs in one corner, 
 composed the chief part of the furniture — though there 
 were a few other things about. 
 
 In this hut Colonel de Winton, with his two sons. 
 
 
 
 ij 
 
 
 11 
 i'i 
 
 I I 
 
 M^l 
 
 .t h 
 
:278 LIFE AND LABOUR IN TJU-J t'AH, hAl! ll'A'.bT. 
 
 1 K 
 
 IS ' 
 
 .M 
 
 another young i'ellow, and their head man, were all livhiL*- 
 together. He was very glad to see us, and invited us 
 to stay to dine and sleep (though I think there were 
 nearly enough of them in the hut, witliout us) ; but we 
 were not able to do so, and were glad of a cup of tea 
 instead, to which was added some bread and a pot of 
 marmalade. He said he had no whiskey ; for though 
 he had ordered a case, some people, whose track I 
 had better not mention, had stolen it, and there was 
 no redress ; and he complained that they had not 
 only stolen that, but his letters too. The size of this 
 ranche is almost G miles by 5 ; it is situated ten miles 
 south of Calgary, and stands about 3,000 feet above the 
 sea-level. 
 
 The stock of cattle on a ranche is " rounded up " 
 annually, and in order to see a ranche properly one 
 should be present at one of these " round-ups," for then 
 the calves are marked, the numbers are counted, and 
 beasts for sale are drawn out, &c. In an ordinary way, 
 all one sees is the open prairie, with cattle feeding about 
 here and there. The De Wintons told us a good deal 
 about the country, and we found that here also there had 
 been a sharp frost on the :20th July, which had cut off 
 all the potatoes. When Lord Lome left Calgary, travel- 
 ling south, he was accompanied by Colonel de Winton, 
 and the latter told us that the distances are three days 
 to Fort McLeod (reckoning forty miles for each day), 
 
 i 
 
i M' 
 
 A nniviXG Toun. 
 
 •27it 
 
 lys 
 
 y)> 
 
 and seven clays on to Helena, there bein<:^ a jj^ood 
 smootli track all the way. 
 
 We were much tempted to take this route, and 
 Colonel de Winton offered to sell us horses, as we 
 should have to find a rcij^ular " outfit " for the journey ; 
 but, on consideration, we were obliged to L;"ive u]) the 
 idea, as in order to make a trip of this kind one should 
 lay in a stock of provisions, ^c, which we could not well 
 do in these out-ot'-the-way parts. Colonel de Wintuii 
 said that the land farther south, at Fori: McLeod, is 
 about the same as that in this district as regards grass, 
 but that the climate there is milder, and there is less 
 snow. In the west the snowfall is considerable, but 
 it very often blows whilst falling, and therefoi'e in 
 places it has no time to deepen. I have made a good 
 many inquiries about the climate and land in this 
 district (which is called the South- West part of the 
 Great North- Western Territory), because it bears the 
 reputation of being the best feeding-land in Canada. 
 This is perhaps the case, but as far as I have seen I am 
 not so favourably impressed as I had expected to be, 
 and from what I can gather it appears that the country 
 south of Fort Calgary is best for feeding, and that ti» 
 the north of it for agriculturul purposes ; but that 
 Calgary itself is not exceptionally good for either — 
 indeed, rather the reverse, iiefore the railway reached 
 this point, or was within 400 miles of it, every one was 
 
 H: 
 
 I '« 
 
 \ \M 
 

 ! ? 
 
 ?Mi 
 
 I I 
 
 ,;.f:i 
 I 
 
 
 280 TJFE AXD LABOUR ly THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 recommended to go west in advance of the line ; but, 
 as far as I could judge from the railway, there is very 
 little good land the whole way between ISToosejaw and 
 Calgary, a distance of 440 miles. 
 
 The Cochrane Eanclie is near Fort Calgary, but it has 
 been badly managed, and many cattle have strayed and 
 been lost. I should think that Colonel de Winton's 
 hut was built rather low, and may therefore be subject 
 to mosquitoes, for it is almost on a line with the river, 
 which here makes a pretty bend. Behind the hut the 
 ground rises rapidly, and the best part of the ranche is 
 on a plateau above. Wishing Colonel de Winton good- 
 l)ye, we returned to the river-bank, where we found the 
 two young de Wintons trying to get a couple of 
 horses across. The water was so deep that the animals 
 would have to swim, and hitherto they had failed in 
 inducing them to start ; but the head man, who was 
 returning with us, soon put matters in better trim, and 
 sent the horses in, and over they went, one young 
 de Winton getting out of his depth whilst leading a 
 horse in, before letting him go. This method of ford- 
 ing the river was well worth seeing. On our return to 
 our camp at Calgary we got the same accommodation in 
 our tent-hotel as we had had the previous day, and I was 
 lucky in securing a camp bedstead. Clive, being tired, 
 went to bed very early, while Mitchell set off to pay a 
 visit to the Mounted Police Barracks. It was settled that 
 
ill 
 
 A niUVIXG TOUR. 
 
 2S1 
 
 was 
 and 
 
 ired, 
 ay a 
 til at 
 
 
 we were to return to the end of the track the next day 
 in our waufi^on and double bu<4"<i^y. I did not find the 
 tent quite so cold on this occasion, but the nights are 
 certainly anything but warm in the North-AVest. AYe 
 left Calgary at 0.15 a.m., crossing the Bow River again 
 by the ferry, which is very cleverly managed, being so 
 arranged that, on the bows of the ferry-boat being 
 turned up-stream by a wheel whenever a trip across is 
 necessary, the force of the water is sufficient by itself to 
 carry the boat over to the other side. For the first 
 twenty miles we went over the same prairie we had 
 crossed on the previous Friday, and then turned off' to 
 follow the unfinished railway track, in order that we 
 might hit off the first siding; as, of course, several miles 
 of line had been constructed since we went on our 
 expedition west to Calgary on Friday last. 
 
 Yesterday had been a great day for track-laying. 
 The contractor had made arrangements for endeavour- 
 ing to lay more rails in one day than had ever been 
 done before on any American line ; and they had looked 
 forward to laying ten miles in one working day. The 
 result, however, disappointed their expectations, for 
 only six miles and a quarter were completed between 
 4 a.m. and 8 p.m. The ground had not been favour- 
 able for the work, there being several curves, and one or 
 two embankments. But the real reason of the want of 
 success lay in the fact that the contractor, in order to 
 
 M 
 
 It 
 
 m 
 
 ji ; 
 
 
 /, 
 
2S2 LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAH, FAR WEST. 
 
 W f 
 
 t ' 1 
 
 make a bi*^ day, had broui^'ht up a second gans^ of men 
 to help tlie first. These latter resented this, because 
 they had on one occasion hiid as much as six and a half 
 miles in one day without extra help, and they did not 
 want to beat that achievement. The second gang, on 
 their part, objected to the arrangement, because they 
 were jealous of the others, who would (they thought) 
 get all the credit of the big day if good work were 
 accomplished. So that in the end only six and a 
 quarter miles were laid, i.e., one quarter of a mile less 
 than the first gang had previously done by themselves 
 in one day. The contractors were much disappointed 
 that so short a length only had been accomplished, and 
 said they were determined to repeat the trial another 
 day. I looked over the whole of the line laid yester- 
 day, and I cannot help thinking that had a little more 
 time been bestowed on it, the result would have been a 
 better job. However, it is wonderful to think that 
 such an extent of line can, within one day's work, be 
 laid in any form at all. - 
 
 We stopped to have our luncheon by a spring, the 
 only one in these parts. Near to it was a large railway 
 encampment, and also two jDarties of traders, one with 
 horses, the others railway employes with mules. All 
 the wau^gons were of course laaijered as usual. The 
 place was called Marston Camp, and here Clive had 
 slept whilst on his walk across the prairie. AVe 
 
 
 \ 
 
:liat 
 be 
 
 .1 nriivixG Toun. 
 
 283 
 
 i^titliered from some of these people tliat we luid to 
 drive six miles on to the present terminiition of the 
 truck, and twelve miles altogether to the first Sidini^ 
 (No. 10), where we hoped to find our car. We walked 
 on ahead for a considerable distance from here ; but 
 walking on a prairie is not interesting work, for every- 
 thing is exactly the same ; no variation whatever relieves 
 the monotony. At last, in the distance, we saw the 
 construction train. It was curious to observe how 
 large single objects like this look on a prairie 
 when seen from some distance. Everything seems 
 magnified, and appears about three times its natural 
 size. 
 
 On reaching Sixteenth Siding we found that our car 
 had not been brought on, but was still ten miles 
 farther down, at Siding No. 15, where we had left it on 
 the preceding Friday ; for it must be remembered that 
 Siding No. 10 was not then in existence. We therefore 
 telegraphed to have it sent on ; and wliil(3 Clive and 
 the others spent the time in going to sleep (lying- 
 down on the prairie), Mitchell and I took the oppor- 
 tunity of having a good wash in the open, drawing the 
 water for this purpose from one of the three huge 
 tanks which we found on trucks at tiie end of the 
 construction train. This being Sunday, only some of 
 the people were at work on the line ; others were busy 
 clothes-washing, &c., and hanging up blankets and 
 
 I ;l 
 
 '!! 
 
 :t 
 
 ■■ i: 
 
 
284 LTI'K AND LABOUR IN Tllh: FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 various g-armcnts to dry, in all sorts of positions, round 
 the construction cars. 
 
 I must describe tlie interior of one of these car- 
 riages. On tlie ground ih)or (as it were) is the mess- 
 room, with a long table on either side ; the two storeys 
 above are both dormitories, with beds in two tiers on 
 each sid \ every bed being shared by two men. The 
 entrance is from the end. 
 
 AVe had to spend some time waiting at the Siding, 
 so, having had our wash, and the day being hot, we 
 followed the example of the rest of our party, and went 
 to sleep under our umbrellas, awaking to hear that we 
 had attracted attention, by the following remark which 
 we overheard made from one of the boarding cars : 
 " AVhat are them fellows — engineers, or what?" The 
 railway doctor, with whom we had some conversation, 
 was of opinion " that yesterday's track-laying (six and a 
 quarter miles) was a poor day's work." At last our car 
 arrived ; but before getting into it we had some little 
 disagreement with our late driver, who wanted us to 
 pay him one day more than was really his due ; and, on 
 our refusal, threatened to seize our luggage. This 
 question we speedily settled by walking it off and de- 
 positing it in the car. The railway people invited us into 
 the head ganger's car to tea. These people apparently 
 live remarkably well, for we had beef, ham, hot bread, 
 coffee, tea, tinned peaches, &c. &c. No beer or other 
 
 r 
 
I 
 
 A Dnivixa Torn. 
 
 285 
 
 ittle 
 
 as to 
 
 d, on 
 
 This 
 
 de- 
 
 into 
 
 ntly 
 read, 
 
 tlier 
 
 
 spirits are allowed in the North-AVest, hut doul)tless 
 there are some concealed ahout, for one of our party 
 was ofFcvd a hottle of whiskey for live dollars (£1). 
 The.e were at this sidinjj four miles of construction 
 materials ready to he sent to the front. Each train 
 carries a sufficient quantity for completin*^ one mile. 
 Mr. Egan (the j^eneral superintendent) arrived late in 
 the evening; and we were told that our car should he 
 hooked on to his train, and sent east in ahout an hour's 
 time, at 10 p.m., hut this arrangement did not come 
 off, and we instead spent the night at No. 1(5 siding; 
 and I slept on the tloor of the car, wrapped in my 
 buffalo robe. CUve, not being quite the thing, got the 
 railway doctor to come and see him in the morning. 
 jVIr. Egan had a special engine to take him back to 
 ^Medicine Hat, and we were hooked on to his car, and 
 so performed this part of our return journey (about 
 160 miles) much more quickly, going at a pretty good 
 pace for a new line. The country was most un- 
 interesting and very dusty, and there was nothing the 
 whole w^ay worth recording, except that we met Mr. 
 McTavish and a few other railway officials on the road, 
 going west to Calgary. AVe reached Medicine Hat 
 about 3 p.m., having left the Sixteenth Siding about 
 8.30 that morning. We received some letters from the 
 post-office, forwarded here from AVinnipeg. 
 
 Mr. McTavish strongly recommended us to make 
 
 
 m 
 
!► 
 
 i 
 
 1 ' 
 S 
 
 : 
 
 8 
 
 i 
 
 •JSG 7,//'A' .LYP f.Anon: ix tin: iwi;. r.ii; west. 
 
 ii trip to Soutlicrn Miiiiitolui, and su^<j^('stc'(l tluit by 
 leaving the train iit Hnuulon wc; could drive sixty-five 
 miles to Deloraine, and from tliero make an expedition 
 to Souris, thirty miles distant; then, returning to 
 Deloraine, wo could continue our drive to Manitoba 
 City (105 miles farther), and thence rail back to 
 Winnipe<^ by the South- Western line. This trip could 
 also be made from the opposite direction, vi/., starting 
 from Winnipeg and returning by Brandon, and in either 
 case the best part of Southern Manitoba would be seen. 
 The distance from Brandon direct to Manitoba City is 
 about i)() miles, and must all be })ert'ormed by road, Lr., 
 following a trail across the prairie. From Medicine Hat I 
 sent a telegram to Herbert Power at Assiniboine Farm, 
 twenty miles north of Virden, saying we should reach the 
 latter station on the following Wednesday morning at 
 I). 47 a.m., and asking him to meet us there. Mitchell 
 went with Mr. Jatlray and Colonel Williams to see a 
 newly opened coal-mine, about six or seven miles away. 
 They crossed the Saskatchewan Iliver by ferry, and then, 
 after driving for some distance alongside the railway 
 track, struck southwards across the prairie. On reach- 
 ing their destination they were received by the manager, 
 Mr. nice. The mine is in one of the lateral gullies 
 running down to the valley of the South Saskatchewan 
 River ; the top soil is simply loose sand, and the stones 
 are water-worn boulders. The shafts (of which there 
 
;lieii, 
 
 vvav 
 
 jacli- 
 
 A DIUVIXC ToUli. 
 
 2hi 
 
 are now two ojkmi) run into the Inll-sidc ; tlie coal lies 
 in clay, and the upper scam liaviii^^ been on lire, the 
 clay above it is burnt into rcLfuIar brick. There arc 
 throe scams of coal ; the top one is thin, the middle one 
 is that which is bein^- worked at ])res(>nt, and is live 
 feet thick; the lower one is, I think, rather less. Fron- 
 stonc of rich (juality (they say 7') jx'r cent.) is I'ound in 
 these gullies, and Mitchell broui^ht back some very 
 yood specimens of petrified wood. 
 
 I stayed behind with Clive, who was very unwell 
 all day, and spent the evening also with him in the 
 car. Throughout the day the weather was very hot, 
 much warmer than it has been for some time, and 
 this probably had had an ellect upon him, but in 
 the evening, as usual, it became cool again. We were 
 to start eastwards half an hour after midnight, so our 
 car was placed on a siding to await the departure of the 
 train. I hope we may be more fortunate than Sir 
 Alexander (lalt, who I hear was left behind (since 
 we met him the other day) on a siding for thirty hours, 
 with nothinsr to eat or drink. 
 
 I 
 
 
 I 
 
 i I 
 
 I wan 
 ones 
 here 
 
 
 • ) I 
 
i 
 
 !■ 
 
 iS: 
 
 
 CIIAITKK XIX. 
 
 MI'.DICINK MAT TO MKANDON, 
 
 .M (Hist 'jaw All Mtitcrinisin^!; Kditiir KlklmiM ('nniiiKitinii iiml Siiiiinition 'I'lm 
 AH>iiiiliiiini' Kiinii " Miiik-scltiiiK " A Wrcily Cuuiitry A CoM t'liiuiito 
 — A CoMsidnalili' "'iVillc" Miainlnii. 
 
 Wv. left Mcdiciiio Iliit on .Inly :Jlst at ['2.'M) ii.in., 
 our car bcin*,^ attacliccl to the ordinary " passcnj^'cr " 
 train — which consisted of but one passcni^cM' car — the 
 rest of tlie train beini^ composed of several trucks and 
 vans ; we were to run tlius as I'ar as Moosejaw, a 
 distance of ^(U niiU>s, where a better train would be; 
 made uj). On awaking* we found that we were ])assini^ 
 throuo-h a very uninterestiui^ country, all broad, level 
 prairie, with short, poor-lookin<^ grass, of but very little 
 value lor agricultural purposes. As we approached 
 Moosejaw the land gradually improved a little, and this 
 it continued to do all the way eastwards from Moose- 
 jaw to Winnipeg, although there are occasional patches 
 of bad land. On the Old Wives' Lakes we saw a large 
 quantity of wild geese and ducks ; game is, as a rule, 
 scarce in the North -West, but this part looks as if it 
 might be a good sporting country for wild-fowl. We 
 arrived at Moosejaw about 7.30 p.m., and the train 
 
tinn Tin' 
 M Cliiiiati' 
 
 ji.m., 
 ;i'ii^('r " 
 111- — tho 
 ;ks unci 
 I'jiiw, a 
 Diikl bo 
 
 1, level 
 little 
 oiiclied 
 u\ this 
 yioose- 
 atclies 
 
 y 
 
 a largo 
 
 a rule, 
 
 ■as if it 
 
 We 
 
 e train 
 
 MEDIC J Si: I fir TO iiu.isnny. 
 
 V9 
 
 sto|)j)c(l there an Imiir lor the ))asseu«^ers to have supper ; 
 tlio refreshment jiruvided in the Ifailwiiy Tent was, 
 however, so infamously l)a(l that l\riteliell and I 
 adjonriK'd to one oC the hotels, where we were better 
 served. 
 
 ('Ontinuin;^ our journey, we stopped a lew minutes 
 at Itej^ina to pick up the newspa|)ers relative? to our 
 tour, iVc, which had been promised us by the editor 
 of the licii'nm Lcndt'r. During' tin? Uww \w was with 
 us in the car, we were all talking' and lauj^hin;^' to^^i'ther ; 
 and I, for (tne, had no idea that my words would be 
 published in this fashion. I spent the nij^ht a;^^ain on 
 a bulTalo-robe on the; lloor of th(» car, Mitchell sleej)- 
 ing on another; and W(» had a very unconilbrtablo tinn? 
 of it, for th(» train shook terribly, and jumped about 
 on the sleepers in a most aL,',i(ravating ^vay. Our 
 plans lor the comin<4" day were as follows: — Clive, 
 Mitchell, and T were to leavx' the train at Virden 
 station at \) 47 a.m., in order to visit our friend Mr. II. 
 Power; and the ofHcial car was to remain there to await 
 our return in the eveninj.^, when ^Fr. Jaffray (who had 
 already got out of t'»e train at 5 a.m. at Broadview) 
 was to rejoin us. Meanwhile, the rest of the party were 
 to travel on by the ordinary passenger train to which 
 we were attached as far as Brandon, and await our 
 arrival there the following morning. However, at a 
 station named Elkhorn — seventeen miles short of 
 
 ..il 
 
 i Ik 
 
 Ml 
 
 I , 
 
 / 
 
 'Ml \ 
 
It 
 
 i 
 
 
 290 LIFE AXD LABOUR IX THE FAIi, FAR WEST. 
 
 Virclon, and two stations west of that place, — we were 
 very niucli surprised by the appearance of Herbert 
 l\)wer, who came on board our car, and told us that 
 we ought to get out there instead of at Virdon ; for that 
 Elkhorn was only half the distance from Mr. Rankin's 
 land (called the Assiniboine Farm). He said he had 
 telegraphed to us to this effect, but of course we 
 had missed it. 
 
 Everything was at once in commotion ; for, not 
 expecting to get out for another three-quarters of an 
 hour, we were not ready ; and I did not like to authorise 
 taking the car off without permission, and this no one 
 could give, for Mr. Jaffray had left us at Broadview. 
 The alternatives were, either to get off the car at once, 
 or to go on in it to Virden ; and there was no time 
 to spare in making up one's mind. Power jumped 
 off just in time, while the train was already in motion, 
 followed by Mitchell; but Clive was not ready, not 
 having had any notice of the contemplated sudden 
 change of plans. I could have followed Power's and 
 Mitchell's example, and jumped off as they did; but 
 I did not want to leave Clive behind, and thus, 
 meantime, the train got up speed. I could not help 
 laughing when Mitchell ran after it, shouting out, 
 " I shall be left behind ; I shall be left behind ;" know- 
 ing, as I did, that we could put matters right on our 
 arrival at Virden. 
 
ST. 
 
 -we were 
 Herbert 
 
 us that 
 
 for that 
 
 Rankin's 
 
 he had 
 urse we 
 
 for, not 
 s of an 
 uthorise 
 no one 
 )adview. 
 at once, 
 no time 
 jumped 
 motion, 
 dy, not 
 sudden 
 r's and 
 id; but 
 I tJius, 
 ot help 
 ig out, 
 ' know- 
 on our 
 
 MEDIC L\E HAT TO BILIXDOX. 
 
 291 
 
 Accordin<^ly, when we got there, we took the car 
 off the train (Olive and I remaining with it), whilst 
 the rest of the party continued their journey to 
 Brandon. Then ensued a lively conversation by wire 
 with Herbert Power, at Elkhorn ; and, finding that 
 Virden was nineteen or twenty miles from the Assini- 
 ])oine Farm, and that I could only get a buck-l)oard 
 to take us there, we decided on running the car back 
 to Elkhorn by means of the next freight-train, which 
 would be leaving in a couple of hours' time. In tlu' 
 meanwhile I went sho|)piug, to try and gee something 
 suitable for Clive to eat, and succeeded in securing 
 some eggs, bread, and milk. One way and another 
 we had plenty of occupation until the time came 
 for returning to Elkhorn. We reached it at 1.10, 
 having left Virden about 11.40, and found that Power 
 and Mitchell had already started off for the Assiniboiue 
 farm ; but they had first procured us a two-horse 
 waggon, which was in readiness to take us over. 
 
 The prairie road was very rough indeed — too rough, 
 
 I fear, lor poor Clive, who was rather weak after his 
 
 late attack ; however, he thought jDcrhaps it was, on 
 
 the whole, a good thing to experimentalise, so that he 
 
 might see whether he was likely to be fit for the longer 
 
 journey (viz., the drive through Southern Manitoba) 
 
 which we propose attempting to-morrow, starting from 
 
 Brandon. 
 T 2 
 
 !l 
 
 f 3 
 
 rl 
 
 ; 
 
 
292 LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 i( 
 
 r 
 
 i:. 
 
 Duriug our drive we saw a very large badger, 
 and got quite close to him; and also noticed a good 
 many musk-rats' nests, and saw some prairie-fowl, and 
 a few gophers. On arriving at the farm, after an 
 eleven miles' drive, we were met by Mr. Power and 
 bis brother; they had just completed their new frame 
 house, which was quite a smart place, with a verandah 
 running round it, made out of rough wood with the 
 bark left on. We were regaled with some buns and 
 capital butter, and a little drop of Scotch whiskey. 
 The latter was a great treat after our experiences in 
 the North-West Territory, where nothing of the sort 
 can be obtained. Next we went to have a look round 
 the farm, which belongs to Mr. I^inkin, M.P. for 
 Leominster, and a neighbour of ours in Herefordshire ; 
 it is under the management of Herbert l^ower. Uankin 
 has now about 11,000 acres here, but it is a good 
 deal cut up by other settlers' holdings and claims ; 
 1,700 acres of it are now broken, of which 140 
 acres are wheat and oats. Upon taking to a prairie 
 farm of virgin land, the first operation is to do what 
 is called " breaking," which is to turn over the top 
 soil about two inches deep, and twelve inches broad; 
 this is done about the months of June or July. Next 
 comes the " back-setting," which is ploughing between 
 the above-named slices, and thus turning the under- 
 soil to the top ; or rather, in some cases, wedging it up. 
 

 MEDICI^E HAT TO BliAXlJUX. 
 
 2U3 
 
 good 
 
 Back-setting- commences iil)out August, and the land 
 is lit for cultivating and seeding about the following 
 April or May. We saw some excellent crops of wheat 
 and oats on this farm — the best, indeed, that we have 
 hitherto seen in the North- West. I took some samples 
 away with me, and also a sample of the hard soil. Ived 
 Fyfe wheat is the seed used about here, and all 
 the railways in Manitoba and the North-West trans- 
 port this wheat for seed free of charge; Mr. John 
 Ogilvy, a miller, whom we met at Portage la Prairie, 
 said he could give fifteen cents per bushel more for 
 this than for Ontario wheat. A good deal is being 
 done altogether on this farm ; ten small houses for 
 settlers are being erected at Mr. llankin's expense, with 
 a view to working the land on the half-profit system ; 
 a plan which is much in vogue, and is gradually be- 
 coming popular amongst American farmers farther 
 south. The sites for these houses are well chosen. 
 We had noticed them as we drove up to the farm, and 
 they looked larger then than they in reality were ; for 
 it is a remarkable fact that, on a prairie, things seen 
 from a distance always appear to be to a certain degree 
 magnified in size. Power's own house is situated on a 
 blufi' overlooking the Assiniboine river, which here 
 makes some very sharp bends. The valley is rather 
 like Qu'Appelle, only not quite so deep, and without 
 the lakes ; on the southern bank of the river there are 
 
 i 
 
 iM 
 
 \< 
 
 li 
 
 ill 
 
 f 
 
2!I4 LIFE JXn LABOUR IX THE FAh', FAU WEST. 
 
 a <,^oo(l many trees, but the nortliern side is bare. The 
 larm is considered in Manitoba to be well managed, and 
 the hmd judiciously selected. I liked the position and 
 looks of the estate fairly well ; but should not myself 
 consider it tlie best, either in position or quality of 
 soil, to be had in Manitoba. There were comparatively 
 few settlers round, and those there were lived some 
 distance apart. 
 
 We were much troubled by mosquitoes in the after- 
 noon, more so than usual, and yet it was not very hot. 
 l*eturning to the house, we had some more refreshment 
 before starting off at 6.30 p.m. for Elkhorn. On the 
 way back we had some conversation with our driver, 
 who himself farmed 900 aci'es ; he implied that the 
 land here would not bear constant cropping, but that 
 after three crops it " lost heart ; " and he added that 
 it was the worst country for weeds that he had ever 
 been in. Altogether, he did not seem much pleased 
 with his location, and complained that last winter the 
 thermometer went down to very far below zero, and 
 that the bits froze in the horses' mouths. It appeared 
 that besides being a farmer, he was a livery-stable 
 keeper ; and he said that in winter-time they had 
 always to put the horses' bits into hot water before 
 using them, in Cxder to try and prevent their freezing. 
 Olive was apparently none the worse for the drive, 
 though a little tired by the bumping, of which we 
 
:f\ 
 
 ^rEDICIXE HAT TO BRAXDOX. 
 
 205 
 
 img. 
 
 five, 
 we 
 
 had had a good deal ; while we wont round Mr. 
 llankin's farm, he had accompanied us on a pony, and 
 had enjoyed himself very mu'^h. 
 
 Mr. Jaffray reached Elkliorn in due course from 
 Broadview on a freight train, and joined us in the car, 
 and we then proceeded eastwards towards Hnindon, 
 hooked on to the same train, leaving Elkhorn about 
 10 p.m. Upon awaking the next morning we found 
 that we had arrived at Jirandon some time in the course 
 of the night. I had again slept on my buffalo robe on 
 the floor of the car, having given up my bed to Clive 
 since he rejoined us. The latter had insisted on going 
 to Power's on the previous day, but he did not 
 seem this morning any the better for it, and the 
 question now arose whether he should attempt the 
 contemplated drive south from Brandon to ^lanitoba 
 City, via Deloraine, or go on direct to Winnipeg by 
 rail. We did not know the exact distance of this 
 proposed trip, but assumed that it must be at least 150 
 miles; and in reality it proved to be about 170. Clive 
 eventually decided not to risk the long drive, but to go 
 back direct to Winnipeg in the car, and I cordially 
 agreed with him that this was the best course to take, 
 and offered to go back with him , but this he would not 
 hear of, saying that there was really no occasion for it. 
 We settled therefore that he should go quietly back to 
 Winnipeg, get his prescription renewed, and most likely 
 
 ! i 
 
 } ■■ ^ 
 
 J 
 
 7.!fc 
 
 I m 
 
 I 
 
 mi 
 
 
LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAIi, FAR WEST. 
 
 come on in the car the following day but one, to meet 
 us at Manitoba City. If he did not feel up to this, he 
 would wait at Winnipeg until our return there. He 
 did not anticipate being seriously ill, but we thought a 
 day's rest would do him good; and as others of our 
 party were also going on direct to Winnipeg in the car, 
 lie would have companions on the journey, and he tele- 
 graphed on from here to Mr. Brydges at Winnipeg, 
 asking him to put down his name at the club. 
 
 Soon after we had settled all this, I met Colonel 
 Williams (who was one of those of our party who had 
 preceded us to Brandon). He had engaged a con- 
 veyance for our contemplated trip at ten dollars per 
 day, and a "trifle" for the return journey. Upon in- 
 quiry, however, we found that the so-called " tritle" 
 really represented another ten dollars a day, which 
 made the sum asked equivalent to twenty dollars (i.e., 
 £4) per day ; and the carriage and pair of horses were 
 but poor ones. We made the man what we considered 
 a fair offer of forty-five dollars, equal to fifteen dollars 
 a day. This he accepted ; but he never turned up at 
 the time arranged, so evidently, on considering the 
 matter, had thought differently of it. Eventually I 
 went with Mackenzie round the livery stables, and 
 finally agreed with a man to take us through from 
 Brandon to Manitoba City, via Deloraine, for fifty 
 dollars. 
 
i=>> 
 
 ered 
 )llars 
 p at 
 the 
 
 y I 
 
 and 
 rom 
 fifty 
 
 MEDICINE HAT TO lilUXDON. 
 
 297 
 
 Brandon itself seemed to be a very risin^^ place, in 
 fact, quite a " city," as it boasts two or three well-laid- 
 out streets. Two years ago, at the time of my previous 
 visit to America, there was only one house here, and I 
 remember being told of thirteen travellers having to 
 share one room. It is now a kind of centre for this 
 part of Manitoba, and contains no less than thirteen 
 livery stables, which here are horse-dealing repositories, 
 as well as places for hiring vehicles. At 11.30 we were 
 all ready for a start, with a capital waggon (on 
 springs) and a good pair of horses , so, wishing the other 
 occupants of the car good-bye, Mitchell, Mr. Jaffray, 
 and I set off' for Manitoba City, Olive meanwhile stand- 
 ing at the car window, waving us an adieu. 
 
 ill 
 
 'ft 
 
 '•t 
 
 f 
 
 1 ii 
 
 1 1- ; 
 
 1 -1 
 
 MS' 
 
 1 
 
 
 fl 
 
 !?» 
 
 :1 
 
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 It 
 
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 t: •'! 
 
 01 
 
 n 
 
CHAPTER XX. 
 
 ip' 'i 
 
 \ i' 
 
 HV KOAI) TO CAUTWHKillT. 
 
 ritnn Crt'ck — Across tlic Soiiiis— A I'ruiric Fire- Soil r. Wood Iliits— Kx- 
 pt riciiccs of Sittlris--A Novel Mcthdd of Ilcnliiif^ Cows— Wcliiniiii 
 
 llosjMtality — " ISiicliclois Home - 1 iiitlc .Moiintimis-Dcloiainc- Ann- 
 cultural Notes— I )csfonl — Wakopa — Cartwri^lht — A Tij;' in tlu^ Wroiii!; 
 I'lace-No .Medical Aid. 
 
 On leaviii<2^ Hrancloii — close to which flows the Assiiii- 
 boine lliver — we siiw the IJrandon Hills in the distance, 
 whence the wood supply lor the town is brought. 
 The soil in this part seemed lij^ht and sandy, and the 
 difl'erent crops we passed outside the town were not 
 very good. We saw hemp, potatoes, wheat, and oats ; 
 but the latter were bad, dirty and weedy, and the grass 
 land also appeared poor. There were quantities of 
 prairie roses about ; and these flowers are, I think, the 
 prettiest things I have seen either in the North-West 
 Territory or in Manitoba. Apparently there were but 
 very few cattle, but those we saw looked fat and well. 
 Considering the proximity of a place like Brandon, I 
 thought very little land was broken in proportion to the 
 extent of the prairie ; and of what was taken up, hardly 
 any was fenced in. Hay-cutting was in progress ; but 
 the grass was very short, and it was only in patches 
 
IJY ROAD TO CAUTWHianT. 
 
 •2!)S) 
 
 iriits-Ex- 
 
 — Wck'diuc 
 lillr Ai;li- 
 lld Wldliy 
 
 Assini- 
 
 istance, 
 
 I'ouj^ht. 
 
 and tho 
 
 ?re not 
 
 1 oats ; 
 
 e grass 
 
 ties of 
 
 ik, the 
 
 i-West 
 
 re but 
 
 well. 
 
 on, I 
 
 to the 
 
 lardly 
 
 ; but 
 
 tches 
 
 liere and there, on plots of <,n*oun(l that lay a little below 
 the general level of the prairie, that it was being mown 
 at all. Altogether, the soil round Hrandon did not 
 strike me as being very good, and several crops of oats 
 which we passed were both dirty and weedy. 
 
 We arrived at Plum Cnu'k, twenty-live miles south 
 from Brandon, at about .'i..'5() p.m., not having pas.sed 
 anything of especial interest on the way, for the prairie 
 was open. Hat, and treeless, and the nature of the soil 
 did not vary much in that distance. At l*luui Creek, 
 however, there were a few trees (as usual indicating a 
 river) down by the water's edge. The place itself was 
 quite a nice little settlement, with a very fair hotel. 
 The Souris river flows past here, and Plum Creek runs 
 into it. 
 
 We made a halt at this place for luncheon, and to 
 rest the horses a little ; and started on again at 
 4.15 p.m., having first to cross the Souris in a ferry- 
 boat. The river winds here very much, and is really 
 quite pretty. The lands adjoining it looked good and 
 lie well, but are uncultivated, therefore probably they 
 are being held by some speculator, otherwise a fine 
 settlement might be formed here. There were a great 
 many trees on the river banks ; and these were to us 
 quite a refreshing sight, after having seen nothing but 
 bare prairie in all directions for so long. Presently we 
 passed by the commencement of a prairie fire. The 
 
 n 
 
 m 
 
 f 
 
 ; \ 
 i 
 
 if.) 1 
 till 
 
 ii 
 4 
 
 I .» 
 
 
 i ■• 
 
 i 
 
 I 
 
 iVi 
 
\k 
 
 .1 
 
 
 I 
 
 % 
 
 5.-'.' 
 
 aoo 
 
 iJi'ii' .IA;^ LABOVlt JX 'lllE FAIi, FAli WEST. 
 
 surface of the grass looked green and bright enough, 
 Ijut underneatli was the hist season's dead grass, which 
 was all ablaze. This, when thoroughly ignited, sets lire 
 to the green grass also ; and the ashes of the two com- 
 bined will tend to form another thin layer on the pre- 
 sent peaty surface of the prairie, which is thus the 
 result of successive ages of prairie fires. How long the 
 fire of which we saw the commencement would burn, or 
 how far it would spread, it is impossible to say ; but we 
 were told that, in all probability, it would extend for 
 miles, and last until rain fell. 
 
 We drove south over the open prairie for eight 
 miles before coming to any house, or attempt at cultiva- 
 tion ; then we reached some land occupied by a small 
 settler, who had good crops of wheat and oats. The 
 man came in June, 1882, and the crops we saw were his 
 first. His house, instead of being built of wood, was 
 formed of sods like an Irish cabin, and the stable was of 
 the same material. Each man, of course, lias his indi- 
 vidual taste ; but I am not at all sure but that these 
 sod huts are warmer than the wooden ones. A stone 
 house is almost unknown on the prairie. Many of 
 the frame (or wooden) houses have one or two furrows 
 ploughed round them and their buildings, in order to 
 prevent encroachment by prairie fires. 
 
 The settler in the turf hut had a wife and a large 
 family of children. They seemed well satisfied with 
 
rr. 
 
 enough, 
 ;, which 
 sets lire 
 .^o com- 
 iho pre- 
 ;ius the 
 ong the 
 Jiirn, or 
 but we 
 end for 
 
 r eight 
 
 cultiva- 
 
 a small 
 
 The 
 
 ^ere his 
 
 )(1, was 
 
 was of 
 
 indi- 
 
 these 
 
 stone 
 
 my of 
 
 irrows 
 
 der to 
 
 large 
 with 
 
 BY ROAD TO CAUTWlUdUT. 
 
 301 
 
 everything; and, certainly, if the possession of a good 
 number of children couhl conduce to tliis, they had 
 reason to bo content. Their only complaint was tliat 
 the water in their well was bad. They came from 
 Ontario, — as was the case with the next settler w(^ 
 reached — a young fellow of the name of Rose, whose 
 place was twenty-eight miles fn^m Brandon. He was 
 living by himself, which must be rather solitary work 
 (especially when one considers the long winters) ; but 
 when we asked him how he liked the country, his answer 
 was " First-rate." His crops of the first year's breaking 
 were as follows : peas indifferent ; but oats, wheat, and 
 barley, all good. Soon after leaving him we came on a 
 buffalo trail — an old one, of course, for there are no 
 buffaloes about here now, and indeed there are very few 
 left anywhere, and they will, I suppose, not very long 
 hence, be an extinct race. 
 
 At the next place we stopped at we found another 
 Ontario man, named Gibbs, who also said (as Hose had) 
 that he liked the country first-rate ; his crops appeared 
 flourishing, and he was fortunate in another respect, for 
 he said the water in his well was good. After leaving 
 Gibbs we saw no more settlers for eight miles, until, at 
 8.30 p.m., we reached a Mrs. Weightman's house, 
 where we asked, and received, permission to put up for 
 the nijjht. We had driven in all fortv-seven miles from 
 Brandon; viz., Brandon to Plum Creek, tvventv-five 
 
 
 
 !:i| 
 
 1., 
 
;{(>j 
 
 /-///; .i.\7) L.nioL'u i.\ Tin: /.I/;, iwi: wi:st. 
 
 miles; on to Miites's, c'lL^'lit miles; to (lihhs's, six miles 
 
 111 
 
 1(1 to Mrs. Weii'litiiiiln' 
 
 ei! 
 
 rht 
 
 miles 
 
 Forty 
 
 •seven 
 
 miles jiltoj4'etlier. Tiie lionse wus merely a wooden 
 i rained one, ol' tin' usual size, twenty- I'oiir I'eet liy 
 ei^'liteen I'eet ; and consisted of a livin^'-rooni and a 
 
 small room 
 
 hel. 
 
 d 
 
 t»w, ami one sleepini^-rotun aoo 
 
 >ve 
 
 Tl 
 
 le 
 
 aal)l 
 
 iiii,'' was L,''i)od, l)eiii<j; nnide ol" tnrl' and covered with 
 
 loose straw. 'IMie arrani;'ements lor the cows rather 
 amused ns. They were put in an enclosed j)lace with a 
 lire in the centre, whicli smoked pretty I'reely ; round 
 this the animals stood all ni^'Iit, whiskiii^^ their tails, 
 and thus, aided hy the smoke, mana<.;v(l to keep ott' the 
 moscpiitoes, of which there appeared to he a i^'reat many 
 in this part. Smoke is a j)reventivc ai;'ainst these lor- 
 mentin<j^ insects. Cattle un})rotected in this way would 
 be much annoyed; and, indeed, it' left out in the open 
 without any lire, they would stray away I'or miles before 
 morning;. On examiniiii^ the well I found the water was 
 bad, as in fact it very often ib throughout all this 
 district. 
 
 Mrs. Wei^htman was very hospitable, and she and 
 her three daughters were soon busily preparing our 
 supper. We had a small stock of provisions with us, 
 and these were also brought into requisition; but even 
 without them we should have got on very well. Our 
 driver joined us at supper, Mrs. Weiglitman doing the 
 honours and pouring out the tea. They had only been 
 
 
•T. 
 
 : mill's ; 
 y-scvcn 
 wooden 
 feci 1)V 
 
 • 
 
 iiiid a 
 
 '. Tlie 
 
 ed with 
 
 i liithrr 
 
 I with a 
 
 ; round 
 
 ir tails, 
 
 oil" the 
 
 it nuiiiv 
 
 esc lor- 
 
 wouUl 
 
 le open 
 
 hefore 
 
 ter was 
 
 11 this 
 
 le and 
 
 s 
 
 our 
 
 th 
 
 us, 
 
 ; even 
 
 
 Our 
 
 g 
 
 the 
 
 been 
 
 JIY lH).iU Tt) CAirrWUKlllT. 
 
 3ua 
 
 here ahout a year, and I think slie hcrscM* ditl not (tare 
 inueli ahout the eouniry, l)ut slie said iicr sons liked it. 
 Tliey liad .'iJO acres ainon;^' them. 'Vho, IivinL,'-rooni 
 was furnished witii a <al»h', two forms, four chairs, and 
 a eookin;4-stove. There was jih'nfy of cliina, and cvery- 
 tliin^ was very clean. We niad<' onrselves as eond'ort- 
 a))le as we eoidd for the ni|^ht, thonL,'h the accommoda- 
 tion was of course very limited, there hein<^' <*"ly <»'><- 
 room u|)-stairs, Mrs. Wei^'htman and her (d(h'st 
 daughter slept (h)wn ludow, in the little room adjoinin<^ 
 tin; iiviuf^-rooni ; and the on(; up-stairs room was divi(h'd 
 amonj^st the rest ol' us in tin; i'ollowinj^^ rather primitive, 
 fashion. One part was separated olf hy a blanket hun<^ 
 across a bi'am, and on the fartlier si(h.' of this slept the 
 two younj^'er daui^hters of the house ; the other part of 
 the room was shared by their brother (who liad his (h)L,' 
 as a bed-follow), our three selves, and the driver of our 
 wag'gon. We, however, each got a separat(; bed so, 
 on the whole, considered that we were rather lucky 
 than otherwise; for it must be remembered that we were 
 out on tlve open prairie, with no other house within 
 miles of us. 
 
 The next morning we were up at 4.30 a.m., and soon 
 completed our toilettes. The arrangements for wash- 
 ing were not extensive, and consisted of one iron bowl 
 placed at the foot of the stairs (with the holes in the 
 bottom mended with string), and a wooden tub standiuL' 
 
 ! 
 
 Pf 
 
 I ■ 
 
 it 
 
 'I 
 
 li tin 
 
 n 
 
30-t LIFE AND LAliOUU IN THE FAR. FAR WEST. 
 
 by from wliicli to procure water. Tliese served for the 
 ablutions of the whole party. Our breakfast was the 
 usual one of the country — eg<jjs, bacon, and potatoes. 
 There had been a heavy dew durin<^ the ni<^ht, and it 
 was a cold morning, but I noticed that the mosquito 
 lire in the cattle enclosure was still alight. There were 
 only eleven head of stock altogether. One of tliese 
 belonged to a neighbour, who, wanting to leave home 
 for a short time, had sent his cow and pig here to l)e 
 taken care of 
 
 We left Mrs. Weightman's at 0.45 a.m., and started 
 off on a long drive, not quite knowing where our 
 destination for the following night would be. The first 
 sottlers' })lace we came to was three or four miles away ; 
 it was called " Bachelors' Home," and was held by three 
 brothers, who had also come from Ontario ; tliese people 
 were anxious to sell, and to move off elsewhere ; they 
 asked ten dollars an acre for their land. Their well 
 was eight feet deep; on examining the water T found 
 it was but indifferent, and they said there was alkali 
 in it — which is, I flmcy, a very common complaint in 
 this district. They had only come last year (1SS2), and 
 had broken but very little land; but the}^ said they 
 were getting on "first-rate," which seems the common 
 Ontario expression hereabouts. In reply to our in- 
 quiries respecting the method of cultivation, they gave 
 us the following information ; — June and July are the 
 
! " 
 
 >il 
 
 1 for the 
 
 was tlie 
 potatoes, 
 it, and it 
 mosquito 
 hero were 
 
 of these 
 }ave home 
 lere to he 
 
 lul started 
 where our 
 The first 
 lies away ; 
 d hy three 
 ese people 
 \ere ; they 
 Their well 
 er T found 
 was alkali 
 [Tiplaint in 
 ISS:2), and 
 said they 
 e common 
 ;o our in- 
 they gave 
 \y are the 
 
 BY ROAD TO CAivnvnmuT. 
 
 3()-) 
 
 hest moiitlis for hreakini*', August and Septemher for 
 hack-setting. After harrowing in the spring, harley, 
 wheat, and oats should he sown ahout the lOth of 
 Miiy. ]*()tatoes should be planted ahout 24th ]\Iay, 
 and got up ahout 1 5th September. Not long ago a 
 largo dairy company — called the Morton Dairy Com- 
 pany — was started n(nir here ; hut I fancy it is not doing 
 very well. It occupies six to^.'nships (a considerable 
 speculation) ; wo noticed the tents of the company 
 in the distance as we drove along. Very little land 
 appears to be as yet broken in this district, taking it 
 as a whole ; and the settlers at present on the ground 
 only came in 1882. 
 
 We were now approaching a district well known to 
 me by reputation, namely. Turtle Mountains, the 
 southern side of which belongs to the United States. 
 These mountains are a long range of low hilly ground, 
 covered towards their summit with scrub-wood. The 
 point we were making for in our drive was IJeloraine ; 
 and, in order to reach it, we had to pass through a great 
 deal of low marshy ground, much resembling an Irish 
 bog, and almost worthless for cultivation. Hay is 
 mostly grown on this kind of Jmd, a^ul we saw many 
 hay-ricks scattered about, but I shr dd fancy the crop 
 would be of but indilferent quality. Except for this 
 marshy part, the Turtle Mountain district bears the 
 reputation of possessing some of the best land in 
 
 I ■. 
 
 m 
 
 m 
 
 u 
 
 ^^''« 
 
80e LIFE AND LABOUR IN TUB FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 it's 
 
 Southern Manitoba; and, judging by the number of 
 houses we saw, the base of the mountains appeared 
 to be well settled all along their northern side. We 
 saw a feu crops of oats, but they were all weedy. 
 
 The next house we called at was again inhabited 
 by a settler from Ontario ; here the wife was busy 
 irrigating the garden, the crops in which were in conse- 
 quence really first-rate, the potatoes being especially 
 good. Soon afterwards we reached Deloraine, sixty 
 miles from J^randon ; it is situated within a few miles 
 of Turtle ^Fountains, which lie to its south ; on its 
 northern side is White Lake. We were here only eleven 
 miles distant from the UiKted States boundary. 
 
 The soil in this neighbourhood is too shallow to 
 bear continued cropping without the aid of manure, 
 being only a few inches deep; it is light on the surface, 
 with gravel showing in places. The water-supply is 
 bad. Thirty miles to the west of this, in the valley 
 of the Souris river, I am informed that there is some 
 good land. Settler? have only so recently come into all 
 the country I have just described, that they could give 
 no opinion on the question how long it would stand 
 cropping without manuring ; as far as we saw, the 
 crops in the first year's cultivation were decidedly good. 
 Until we reached Deloraine I scarcely noticed any 
 cattle about. The farming implements were every- 
 where of a superior description and quality ; the waggons 
 
BY ROAD TO CARTWRIGHT. 
 
 307 
 
 ber of 
 )peared 
 ^ We 
 
 habited 
 ls busy 
 1 conse- 
 ipccially 
 e, sixty 
 \v miles 
 ; on its 
 ly eleven 
 
 allow to 
 manure, 
 
 surface, 
 upply is 
 lie valley 
 
 is some 
 
 into all 
 luld give 
 lid stand 
 Isaw, the 
 
 by good. 
 
 Iced any 
 every - 
 
 [waggons 
 
 being particularly useful little vehicles, set on springs, 
 so that they can be used either for locomotion or for 
 hauling crops (they are called "democrat" waggons). 
 The diminutive dimensions of the settlers' houses are 
 very noticeable ; the usual size is twenty-four feet by 
 eighteen feet, and many are much smaller. There is 
 no variety whatever in style ; every house being of 
 exactly the same pattern, and all built of wood, with the 
 exception of a few which are made of turf. I had 
 expected, to find some farms of a better description in 
 a country like this, but in this respect I was disap- 
 pointed ; and I may apply this observation not to 
 Manitoba only, but to the North- West Territory as well. 
 There are several large stores at various points, 
 where everything — from kettles and pans and draper}-, 
 to bread, biscuits, and oatmeal — is to be bought. There 
 was one of these stores at IJeloraine ; but otherwise it 
 was a poor place, consisting of onl}- about half a dozen 
 houses altogether. We had reached it at 9.30 a.m. ; 
 and, after waiting a little to rest the horses, set off again 
 at 10.15, turning directly eastward along the Commis- 
 sion trail {i.e., the road used by the Commissioners 
 when settling the Canadian and United States boun- 
 dary), in the direction of Manitoba City. No one 
 could tell us the distance this latter place was from 
 Deloraine, but it proved in reality to be about 100 
 
 miles. I was anxious to see this next portion of 
 u 2 
 
 M \ 
 
 
 i!r? 
 
 1,! 
 
308 LIFE AND LABOUE IN THE FAR, FAB WEST. 
 
 U 
 
 i!i ii 
 
 Southern Manitoba, as I was told it bad been settled 
 
 alwut five or six years, and I wisbed particularly to 
 
 ascertain bow crops would look, on land cultivated for 
 
 a succession of years witbout belp from fallowing or 
 
 manuring; I tberefore took at tbe time some careful notes. 
 
 Witbin a few miles of Deloraine tbere appeared, 
 
 in passing along, to be many signs of alkali; almost 
 
 everywbere tbere seemed to be a deficiency of water, 
 
 and for tbe next tbirty miles of our drive wbat tbere 
 
 was was bad, and tbe creeks were dried up. Tbe 
 
 (juality of tbe land between Deloraine and Wakopa (a 
 
 distance of tbirty miles) varies very mucb ; but none 
 
 of it is really deep soil — it is from six to twelve incbes 
 
 in deptb. Tbe style of farming was very bad indeed. 
 
 Tbe following is a description of some of tbe crops, 
 
 taken as tliey came : — 
 
 12.10 p.m. Oats bad and weedy. 
 
 12.30 „ Potatoes very good ; peas poor. 
 
 12.35 ,, Land very dirty ; many holdings abandoned. 
 
 12.50 „ Oats and wheat poor and foul ; oats very poor ; 
 swedes foul ; potatoes bad. 
 
 1.0 „ Poor wheat and peas. 
 
 1.30 „ Kougli land round new house ; oats good, but 
 foul. 
 
 2.0 „ Oats poor. 
 
 2.10 „ Good potatoes ; oats poor ; hay in cocks. 
 
 2.20 „ Wheat moderate ; potatoes bad. 
 
 2.30 „ Good hay on bottom land. 
 
 2.35 „ Wheat poor ; barley and potatoes good 
 
 2.40 „ W'heat, barley, and swedes, jjoor ; wheat fair. 
 
settled 
 irly to 
 ted for 
 dng or 
 I notes, 
 peared, 
 almost 
 
 water, 
 it there 
 , The 
 \opa (a 
 it none 
 ? inches 
 
 indeed. 
 ' crops, 
 
 oor 
 
 but 
 
 :air. 
 
 BY ROAD TO CAUTWIUGUT. 
 
 zm 
 
 During the whole of this thirty miles' drive, hay- 
 making seemed pretty general ; hut the corn crops were 
 certainly hotli bad and backward, and this in a district 
 which had been settled for five years. When compared 
 with w^hat we had seen on the previous day on lands 
 with the first or second crop, the result tends to show 
 that the fertility of the soil is reduced by constant 
 cropping without the aid of manure, rest, deeper plough- 
 ing, or fallow. 
 
 Stock was apparently very scarce. In the whole 
 course of our drive from Brandon to Manitoba City we 
 did not see 100 sheep, and not more than perhaps 200 
 head of cattle ; and from Mrs. Weightman's to Manitoba 
 City we only counted 153 head. A great quantity of 
 straw is wasted, it being often either left in heaps or 
 burnt. I have seen heaps of manure lugged out, near 
 settlements, and left without any use being made of it ; 
 the only thought, apparently, being to get rid of it. 
 This is, however, only near so-called "towns," for the 
 manure otherwise procurable is comparatively nothing, 
 owing to the scarcity of stock throughout the country. 
 
 On our route we passed a store named Desford, 
 where we watered our horses ; but the water was bad. 
 A road comes in here from Brandon. The Turtle 
 Mountains are still to the soutli. We arrived at Wakopa 
 at 4.30 p.m. ; the inn there was a miserable one, kept 
 by a half-breed, and the occupants were remarkable for 
 
 •4 
 
 I 
 
 'IP 
 
 4 ^M 
 
 i ■ 
 
 1 i^U'l 
 
 
 H 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 W 
 
 .11 
 
 
 T 
 
 1, 
 
 i 
 
 i 
 
 
 1 
 1 
 
 ■ t 
 
 1 
 
310 LIFE ANV LABOUR IN THE FAlt, FAR WEST. 
 
 ')! 
 
 their dirt. Eound Wakopa there is a g-ood deal of 
 scrub-oak ; but the whole of the hind between this place 
 and Deh)raine was decidedly of an indilferent quality, 
 and, where farmed, had apparently deteriorated in value. 
 The scarcity of cows, and also of poultry, was explained 
 to me as being occasioned by the very small propor- 
 tion of women among the settlers ; however this may 
 be, the fact is clear that there certainly is a great 
 scarcity of both, or rather of all three. We left 
 Wakopa at 4.30 p.m. for Cartwright, twenty-eight 
 miles farther on, which would make the total distance 
 traversed to-day seventy-six miles — a long run for one 
 pair of horses ; but the roads, though only beaten 
 tracks across the prairie, were so good, that they did 
 not sutler ; and we ourselves were not bumped about, 
 as has been our fate on previous occasions. When it is 
 dry, and there are no ruts, the beaten prairie makes as 
 good a road to travel on as I know anywhere. 
 
 Near AVakopa we noticed some lovely prairie flowers 
 and roses ; the latter, especially, were very beautiful. 
 Continuing our drive, we struck some excellent grass 
 land, which we traversed for about eight miles ; it 
 would make a fine cattle ranche. For a time we passed 
 hardly anything but grass ; except for two patches of 
 wdieat (both of wdiich were bad), there was very little 
 broken gr(jund. Then the country became more hilly, 
 and tile soil again shallow ; it deteriorated thus for 
 
leal of 
 s place 
 uality, 
 
 value, 
 olainctl 
 propor- 
 is may 
 , great 
 Ve left 
 y.eiglit 
 listance 
 for one 
 
 beaten 
 ley did 
 
 about, 
 en it is 
 
 ikes as 
 
 lowers 
 
 autiful. 
 
 grass 
 
 les ; it 
 
 passed 
 
 dies of 
 
 y little 
 
 I hilly. 
 
 lus for 
 
 
 BY ROAD TO CARTWUliillT. 
 
 311 
 
 about throe miles, and then improved again as we 
 descended from the higlier ground, continuhig to im- 
 prove until we reached Cartwright. During the last 
 few miles we traversed very undulating hilly ground, 
 intermixed with small tarns. 13ut little land was 
 broken, and tliere seemed to be hardly any settlers ; 
 some we met at a place called Smitli's, fourteen miles 
 from Cartwright, told us that there had been no new- 
 comers into the district of late, for the land was all 
 taken up, and was, for the most part, held by specu- 
 lators. This seems to be a great l)ity, and I do not 
 think it ought to be allowed. 
 
 Between AVakopa and Cartwright the grass was 
 remarkably green, and, ibr feeding purposes, this would 
 be a good country to settle in ; indeed, a large cattle 
 ranclie would be just the thing for this district, for the 
 prairie is good and well watered, especially for the last 
 five or six miles on nearing Cartwright, where there are, 
 as I said, quantities of small ponds about. 
 
 A little incident happened during our drive which 
 rather amused us. Some water was wanted, and Mr. 
 Jallray and jNIitchell went to a well to procure it, 
 when, to their surprise, they found a live pig at the 
 bottom, which had fallen in. Of course, after this un- 
 expected occupant had been got out, there was no telling 
 whether the watc tasted of alkali or not. 
 
 Another circumstance also occurred here. We called 
 
 
 
 1 ■ 
 
 i 
 
 i ^ 
 
 1 
 
 'i 
 
 "i 
 
 it 
 
 f 
 
I 
 
 'M2 LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAR, FAR WFST. 
 
 at a settler's house, tlie inmates of which were in <;roat 
 <Hstress. A poor child was dyin.L^, and tlie niotlier 
 appealed piteously to us to know if any one of our 
 party hap})ened to bo a doctor. It appeared there was 
 no medical assistance within miles of the place. Unfor- 
 tunately, neither of us luid any medical knowledge, and 
 we coidd be of no use to them, though we deeply sym- 
 pathised with them in their trouble. 
 
 — ! 
 
motluT 
 of our 
 .»re wiis 
 Unfor- 
 ^e, and 
 y sym- 
 
 CIIAPTKR XX r. 
 
 CARTWRKillT TO MANITOBA CITY. 
 
 Famicr.s Wanted T^ilioiir anil Tiivinj^'iit Ciirtwrij^ht — (Jcncml As]n<t of Soulhom 
 Miiiiitolm ( (Ip.sciviitions (in tho Cn)])H' I'l'iiilmm Ciossing— A DiMcontontud 
 SuttltT Slimitoliii City. 
 
 As we drove on, we passed two cr()j)s of oats ; botli 
 sections liad been broken the ])revious year, and in each 
 case the crop was very <^ood. We arrived at Cartwright 
 at 8.55 p.m., havin<^ driven seventy-six miles in all 
 since leaving Mrs. Weightnian's. The day's journey had 
 been most interesting and instructive ; giving us, as it 
 did, a good opportunity of noticing the difference 
 between crops grown on newly-turned ground, and those 
 grown on ground worked for successive 3^ears, The 
 settlers who had come in 1882 certainly had the best 
 crops ; those raised by people who had been there four 
 years or more were always inferior, and in some cases 
 bad; therefore I concluded that after taking oiT two 
 crops, the soil in all this district begins to fail and get 
 weak, for lack of manure, deeper ploughing, or fallow- 
 ing. Our fellow-traveller Mr. Jaff ray's reriirk was, 
 " A good many of the settlers are not farmers "; in my 
 
 "H 
 
 
 ■I 
 
 M t 
 
 "I 
 
 I ■ 
 
 ( - 
 
 hi 
 
i; 
 
 :ui /,//■'/•; AXi> i.Mun i: is tiik r.\i:, iwu wrsr. 
 
 !i 
 
 IN 
 
 \ i 
 
 opinion, as far as tlio soction of ilio countiy (tliiriy 
 miles) Ix'tuocn Dclorainc and Wakojia is concerned, tlic 
 land is Ijcin^- ruined by small men with small means, 
 and tliere is too little ol' the real larmin^" element about. 
 Another ^n-eat evil tliroUL>;h«)ut the country, is the way 
 in which lar<4'e tracts of land arc boui^'ht and iield idle 
 by sjx'culators ; proofs of which wu saw during the 
 latter part of tliis day's drive. 
 
 On reach ini; Cartwrij^ht, we ])ut u]) at tlie lieacon 
 House, kept by pcoi)h' of the name of Robinson; it 
 was about lialf as lar^-e attain as Mrs. Wei^-htman's, 
 and Mr. JalVray got a room to himself. Mitcliell and 
 I, liowever, again sliared our rt)om with the driver; but 
 we soon ])ut the himp out, and there was plenty of 
 ventilation, so we were very comfortable. The weather 
 these two da} s has been perfectly charming, neither too 
 hot nor too cold, but just pleasant for driving. Wc 
 only wanted Clive with us, for it was all just what 
 he would luivo liked to have seen, and it would have 
 interested him extremely. Our coachman, who was 
 an intelliivent fellow, had never been over the road 
 before, and was highly delighted with the outing, 
 enjoying it and entering into everything with as much 
 zest and interest as we ourselves did. lie told us that 
 his wages were thirty-five dollars (£7) a month, and his 
 board ; good wages we should say in England, but 
 not much when compared with what our British 
 
 m 
 
 J 
 
CMiTWUKlUT Tn ^fiXirnni (ITY. 
 
 31.' 
 
 (tl.irty 
 ('(1, tlio 
 means, 
 about. 
 10 way 
 ■Id idle 
 IILT tlio 
 
 Hcacoii 
 son ; it 
 tman's, 
 lell and 
 or; but 
 cnty of 
 vcathor 
 hor too 
 ■. We 
 
 I 
 
 t wbiit 
 d bave 
 K) was 
 e road 
 outing, 
 s niucb 
 us tbat 
 uid bis 
 Lid, but 
 Britisli 
 
 
 CoIund)ian (b'iver bad, viz., £1(1 a niontli and bis 
 l)()ard. 
 
 Tb(» ])ro|)ri('i()r of tlie inn gave me tbe roHouiiig 
 inlbnuatiou, wbicii is interesting, and it en(b>rses tlie 
 opinion I liad |)revio\isIy formed: — "Tbe best crops 
 ol' wbeat are o])tained from well-ljroken and back-set 
 lands, and, after a second or tbird crop, tbe soil recpiires 
 eitber deeper plougbing or manuring. Tbirty-five 
 busliels of wbeat to tbe acre is considered a big yield ; 
 of oats, ().') to 7 !■ busbels ; and of potatoes, .S.')() busbels 
 to tbe acre — (iO lbs. to tbe buslwl. llay-barvest in 
 tbis part is in 'July and August, and wbeat-cutting 
 at tbe end of August, and in September. ^Pbe follow- 
 ing is tbe system adopted for planting potatoes: — break 
 and back-set in tbe ordinary manner, tben barrow in 
 s])ring, plougb in furrows, aiul place tbe seed in tbe 
 furrows niaking anotber furrow to cover it. ^i^his is done 
 in ^lay. Afterwards barrow over tbe ground witb a 
 ligbt stick-brusb barrow. 'IJreaking' is usually two 
 incbes deep, and 'back-setting' tbe sanu?. Last year 
 tbere was a good rainfall west of Deloraine, but tbis 
 was not tbe case to tbe cast of tbat })lace ; tberefore tbe 
 crops to tbe east {i.e., in tbe country we luive just 
 passed tbrougb) were })robaljly not so good as usual. I 
 was glad to lind an excellent spring of water at Cart- 
 wrigbt, tbe best I bave tasted in jNIanitoba. Tbis town 
 is forty-seven miles from a railway station, and tbe 
 
 
 • 
 
Milk, 
 
 2f< conts. 
 
 Sii<,'(ir, 
 
 12.\ ci'uts. 
 
 Un-iid, 
 
 5 cents. 
 
 Jiucuu, 
 
 25 ci'iits. 
 
 316 UFE ASD LMlOl'lt IN Till: FAL', FAR WEST. 
 
 prices of provisions tlu-rc at tlic time of our visit were 
 as follows : — 
 
 IJuttcr, pt'rll)., 2.') rents. 
 Kj,'j,'s, jicrdoz., 2.') cents. 
 IJeef, per II)., IS eents. 
 Flour, por c\v t. , 2 dols. 2j auits. 
 
 The next day (Au<,nist 4) we were up at live a.m., 
 and set olY two hours later. The creek whicli runs by 
 Cartwri<^lit is called the I3ad<:jer Creek, or Long liiver. 
 Our intention to day was to drive forty-seven miles, 
 from Cartwrjolit to Manitoba City; where we were to 
 meet our oflicial railway car, and we hoped also to 
 fiad Meysey Clive awaiting us there, with Mr. Jalihiy's 
 party. We were told that we should pass through 
 a finer country than any we had hitherto seen, and 
 this we found to be the case. Some of it had been 
 settled for five or six years ; so I shall again have 
 recom'se to my note-book for observations on the 
 state of the crops, in order that an opinion may be 
 arrived at by the reader. On first leaving Cartwright, 
 we drove across a considerable stretch of uncultivated 
 prairie — all grass, with low hills, broken ground, and 
 ponds of water — a district admirably suited for cattle- 
 ranching purposes. There were plenty of wild duck, 
 &c., on the ponds, and they are now protected by the 
 game laws up to September 1st. Southern Manitoba 
 is quite a different country to the North- West Territory; 
 
T. 
 
 lit wcro 
 
 cents, 
 cents, 
 ccnta. 
 
 Cl'lltS. 
 
 ve a.m., 
 runs by 
 ^ River. 
 I miles, 
 were to 
 also to 
 Jallray's 
 tlirou<(li 
 11, and 
 id been 
 have 
 on the 
 ay be 
 vvriglit, 
 tivated 
 lid, and 
 cattle- 
 1 duck, 
 by the 
 mitoba 
 
 ill 
 
 CMrrwuiciiT to maxftoiia city. 
 
 :U7 
 
 •ri 
 
 tory; 
 
 it is all much greener, and the prairie grass is longer 
 and better. It appears a sad pity that the district is 
 not more extensively scttlecl, and that there is so little 
 money in 't ; the settlers whom we saw seemed but 
 little above lIic labouring classes, and had ajiparently 
 no capital to spend on their farms, either in improving 
 the land or in buying stock. 
 
 The first cro])s w • passcnl were oats, and were of 
 good (piality. Next we came to a settler from Ontario, 
 who broke up his ground last year, and had some sjilendid 
 crops. His lands were fenced in, which was (juite the 
 exception ; for, both yesterday and to-day, almost all the 
 land we saw was unenclosed. At 9 a.m. we came upon 
 some bad oats, a second crop ; 9.5 a.m. oats good, but 
 wheat poor. About 9.25 we passed a little ])lace called 
 Clear-water, with some good unl)roken prairie land in 
 its neighbourhood. Ten minutes later we reache<l 
 Crystal City, a town consisting of about fifty houses 
 and a mill ; and here we came into a good country, 
 though I do not think that the prairie was superior to 
 that I had noticed between Wakopa and Cartwriglit. 
 In Crystal City itself I found nothing attractive ; 
 indeed, I was rather disappointed with the place. Some 
 of the inliabitants were amusing themselves by playing 
 quoits with old horse-shoes ; so, as I had anticipated, 
 in reply to our questions we were told that " business 
 was slack." We bought some oats for our horses at 
 
 
 \ 
 
 * 
 
 
 I -il 
 
11 
 
 f«; 
 
 i 
 
 1 if 
 
 11 
 
 1 
 f 
 
 11 
 
 t i' 
 
 H i 
 
 318 LIFE AND LABOm IK TUB FAJl, FAll WEST. 
 
 thirty-five cents (Is. 5|d.) per busliel of thirty-six 
 pounds to the bushel. It had been told us that the 
 land round Crystal City was some of the best in 
 Soutliern Manitoba ; nevertheless^ n ^ood deal of it was 
 abandoned, and out of cultivation. There was a small 
 creek below ti^e town, but the water in it was low and 
 discoloured. 
 
 llesumin*^ our drive at 10.45, we still travelled 
 along the Commission trail ; which was i^ood, except 
 when we had to cross the " sloughs," i.e., water-ditches 
 and swamps. They were luckily almost dr}^, but still 
 sometimes we sank in pretty deep ; — m the spring, 
 getting over tlie^^e slcmghs must be terrible work, and, 
 I should think, sometimes quite dangerous. The fol- 
 lowing is an account of some of the crops we passed, 
 taking them as tlie}^ came : — 
 
 11.0 a.m. Open prairie, with good grass. 
 
 11.10 „ Wheat, barley, and oat.s, all good. 
 
 11.4;") ,, Wheat, barley, and jHitatoes, good; oats, 
 generally good, but bad in places ; tikiished 
 seeding May i!Gth. This farm had been 
 worki.'d two yt^ars 
 
 11.50 ,, Bai'ley and oats, good; wheat, fair. 
 1.30 p.m. Oats and wlieat, good. 
 
 This last was at a settler's called Kelanville, where we 
 halted for an hour and a half to rest the horses. The 
 water here was bad. We ascertained that the depth of 
 
'ST. 
 
 lUirty-six 
 that the 
 best in 
 of it was 
 s a small 
 ; low and 
 
 travelled 
 )d, except 
 ter-ditches 
 , but still 
 le spring, 
 work, and, 
 The fol- 
 sve passed, 
 
 I , oats, 
 kinished 
 Id been 
 
 I where we 
 ^es. The 
 depth of 
 
 CART WHIG FIT TO MANITOBA CITY. 
 
 31U 
 
 the soil varies from eighteen to twenty-four inches. 
 The owner told us that lie had cultivated 110 acres for 
 four consecutive years with a straw crop, and found that 
 the best yield had been the first year after breaking ; 
 after four years his crops began to fail, and the land 
 now required rest, deeper ploughing, or manuring; 
 wild buckwheat and lambsquarter-weed had made their 
 appearance, both bc-ing very injurious weeds — especially 
 the latter, when allowed to go to seed. His farm 
 certainly looked in a terribly wild condition, and the 
 crops were very bad indeed. 
 
 On leaving him we came, at 3.15 p.m., on some 
 barley, oats, and wheat, all of which were good; and, a 
 (juarter of an hour later, we crossed some good prairie 
 grass, where there were very few settlers. Then we 
 reached Pembina Crossing, and had to descend into a 
 wide valley with high banks on each side between 
 which the river llowed, thus reminding me rather of the 
 Qu'Appelle and Assiniboine Valleys. Here we again 
 saw some beautiful wild llowers. Crossing the river by 
 means of a very rickety old bridge, we ascended the 
 opposite bank, and then came upon some particularly 
 good land ; though it appeared to be in want of rest, 
 having been cultivated lor five years. It belonged to 
 one of the few discontented settlers we saw during our 
 whole tour; he had just sold his property, and was 
 going oft' to Dakota. The following are my notes of 
 
 i'p 
 
 "SI 
 
 ■'[! 
 
 I 
 1 . 1 
 
 ' : I 
 
 ■V, 
 
I 
 
 320 LIFE AXD LABOUR IN THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 the crops of another farm, which had been settled five 
 years, taken as we drove along : — 
 
 5.0 p.m. Wheat and potatoes, good; orts and wheat, 
 poor ; oats, fair ; wheat, bad ; potatoes, very 
 good indeed. 
 
 5.5 „ Wlieat, barley, and potatoes, good ; oats, fair. 
 
 5.10 „ Wheat, bad ; grass, good. 
 
 5.30 „ Wheat, oats, and grass land, all good. 
 
 5.50 ,, Barley and wheat, good; oats, bad; bearded 
 wheat, fair. 
 
 Most of this land had been settled for five years. 
 A great many weeds, and especially wild buckwheat, 
 v/ere visible in the crops. We spoke to a settler of 
 five years' standing, who told us the same thing as all 
 the others had done ; viz., that after a certain time his 
 crops fell off, and weeds were now getting ahead of him. 
 It will be noticed that potatoes were invariably good ; 
 and this I attribute to the extra depth of soil turned in 
 planting them, in comparison to what is required for 
 wheat, barley, or oats. We reached Manitoba City,* or 
 rather the station on the South-Western branch of the 
 Canadian Pacific Railway, at G p.m. It is three miles 
 from the actual "city" itself, which latter consisted 
 of but two houses and a tent. The distance here 
 from Brandon, via Deloraine, is altogether 170 miles ; by 
 the direct route it is only ninety-six miles, but, had we 
 
 * The name, Manitoba City, has now been changed to Mauiton. This 
 must not bo confused with Mauiton, Colorado, U.S.A. 
 
T. 
 
 led five 
 
 heat, 
 very 
 
 Fair. 
 
 larded 
 
 ve years, 
 ckwlieat, 
 settler of 
 ng as all 
 time his 
 d of liim. 
 ►ly good ; 
 turned in 
 uired for 
 City,* or 
 111 of the 
 •ee miles 
 lonsisted 
 ce heve 
 lies ; hy 
 had we 
 
 liton. This 
 
 CARTWlilGHT TO MAXITOUA CITY. 
 
 ;]2l 
 
 gone by this shorter way (which I think is v/'tf Milton) 
 I believe we should not have seen so good a country. 
 The followinsr is a list of the distances driven : — 
 
 iiugust L'lui, iimrsuay. i;,,;^' 
 
 lisli Mih"< 
 
 Brandon to Plum Greek 
 
 •2'> 
 
 Plum Creek to Bates' 
 
 iS 
 
 Bates' to Gibbs' 
 
 (5 
 
 Gibbs' to jMrs. Weightman's ... 
 
 S 
 
 
 
 
 August 3rd, Friday. 
 
 
 Mrs. Weightman's to Deloraino 
 
 18 
 
 Deloraine to Wakopa ... 
 
 30 
 
 Wakojja to Cartwright ... 
 
 •js 
 
 
 T6 
 
 August 4t]i, Saturday. 
 
 
 Cartwright to Clearwater 
 
 k; 
 
 Clearwater to Crystal City 
 
 4 
 
 Crystal City to Pielanville 
 
 1') 
 
 Relanville to Pembina Crossing 
 
 f) 
 
 Pembina Crossing to Manitoba Citv * ... 
 
 
 
 47 
 
 Total 
 
 170 
 
 The cost of this expedition was fifty dolhirs, and we 
 gave our driver (whose name was George Wood) three 
 doUars e.vtra. Business w^as slack at Jh'andon at the 
 time, and so a reduction was made, otherwist^ the price 
 asked at first was sixty dollars (€1:2). The horses we 
 hsid were excellent, and did the journey capitally. 
 
 * Now culled Mauitou. 
 
 
 . 1 1 
 
 *il 
 
 , i n 
 
 .:•:-[; 
 
322 LIFE ANB LABOUR IN THE FAR, FAB WEST. 
 
 Ji: 
 
 On reaching the railway station, we found the official 
 car had already arrived. I was, however, very sorry not 
 to find Clive in it ; hut assumed that he had judged it 
 hetter to remain at Winnipeg for a longer rest, than to 
 come here with the car as previously arranged. The 
 party who met us consisted of Messrs. Mackenzie, 
 Davis, Bath, Stewart, and young AVilliams. We dis- 
 covered that we could not, as we had intended, return 
 at once to Winnipeg. We had been told that there 
 was a train ; hut now learnt that it had been taken otl' 
 at the end of the previous month, so we were obliged to 
 remain here until Monday. I was the more sorry for 
 this, because, as Clive had not come, I was most anxious 
 to get back to him ; but th^re was no help for it, and 
 ^Ir. Jaffray did not seem inclined to telegraph to Win- 
 nipeg, to ask if our car might be taken on at once by a 
 special engine. 
 
r. 
 
 official 
 irry not 
 dged it 
 than to 
 1. The 
 .ckenzie, 
 We dis- 
 1, return 
 at there 
 ;aken off' 
 bliged to 
 sorry for 
 t anxious 
 r it, and 
 to Win- 
 nce hy a 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 SOUTH KllN MANITOBA — IMIKSENT AND FL'TUIIK. 
 
 !M.iit> Ctpital Wiinteil— How Lands arc " S.'ttli'd " in Southern Manitolia A 
 .Sli()rt->i);hti'il I'olicy -Chavactcr of the Soil — Siii;-i;-('stioMs -A Ui'Mctioii 
 from tho " Luul-grab '' l-Vvcr— Lockinjj up Land — Lahour in JIanitoba. 
 
 In the evening', ^Ir. Jaffray rehited our travels to 
 
 the rest of our party ; and then caUed on me Tor my 
 
 opinion. A long discussion ensued, for I could not 
 
 quite agree with him as to the wisdom of the course 
 
 which was being adopted by the settlers ; and we se])a- 
 
 raied for the night, both equally unconvinced, and 
 
 adhering to our own opinions. The conclusion at 
 
 which I had arrived duriuLj; our 170 miles' drive throuii'li 
 
 Southern Manitoba, which I had been told bv Mr. 
 
 McTavish (the Land Commissioner to the Canadian 
 
 Pacific Pailway) was the best soil in the country, was as 
 
 follows : It was evident that there was a great want of 
 
 capital amongst the settlers, and that the land, to a 
 
 very large extent, was not being fairly or properly 
 
 treated. From what T noticed, it was apparent that 
 
 large tracts of country were remaining undeveloj)e(l, 
 
 being in the hands of speculators, who were waiting to 
 
 sell again at a profit. Many of these lands were what 
 v 2 
 
 m 
 
 ' \\ 
 
 .iji 
 
rr 
 
 d ! 
 
 321 LTFE AXD LAB OUR IX THE FAL', FATi WE^T. 
 
 ' ! 
 
 [! U, 
 
 are called "scrip" lands, and wore held without any 
 oblii^ation either to reside or to cultivate. Scrip bear- 
 ing so much value, and entitlinj^ to so many acres oi' 
 land not already taken uj), was issued by the (lovern- 
 ment a few years ago to certain hall-breeds and retired 
 members of the mounted police, and soldiers who served 
 in the lied lliver expedition under Lord Wolseley in 
 1809 ; possibly also to others. This scrip was saleable ; 
 and the granter or the purchaser could make the selec- 
 tion of the land and take it up, free of any conditions 
 attached of settlement or cultivation. 
 
 The bond-fiilr settlers were all, or almost all, of the 
 same class, holding- from 100 to 320 acres, — an amount 
 which proved, in the majority of cases, too much to be 
 held l)y a man with no capital whatever. Nearly all 
 the houses were built on exactly the same model. They 
 were of a very humble order, simply framed wooden 
 buildings ; the usual size was about twenty-four feet by 
 eighteen feet, but many were much smaller. During 
 our whole drive I only saw one instance (near Crystal 
 City), of an attempt at what we should call a farm- 
 house. 
 
 The great majority of the settlers in this part of 
 Manitoba come from Ontario ; and each man is, in 
 reality, a speculator in a small way, and is ready to sell, 
 
 should a favourable opportunity arise. Having taken 
 up IGO acres of homestead, and the same quantity of 
 
t any 
 boar- 
 :ros of 
 ovoni- 
 rotired 
 soi'vcmI 
 slcy in 
 leable ; 
 ■ selec- 
 ditions 
 
 , of the 
 xmount 
 li to be 
 irly all 
 They 
 ooden 
 'et by 
 Jiirhig 
 Crystal 
 farm- 
 
 Dart of 
 
 1 is, in 
 
 to sell, 
 
 taken 
 
 itity of 
 
 SOUTH i:h'x }rAXi'rnnA rnnsExr axd vrrim:. :vj.") 
 
 pre-emption land (inakiiii^' ."VCO acres in all), and having- 
 settled for three years [i\i a total cost to hiinsolf of 
 abont tS:2 in liard eash), he receives a title, and then 
 looks round for a ])urclias('r, intending" to sell at a 
 profit, — usually ten dollars (t.O) an acre, or more if he 
 can fji-et it. During" th(* three y(\irs he has held the 
 land, he has taken as mucli out of it as possible; never 
 thinkinf]^ of fallowim;', manuriui,'-, or cleanslnn' it in any 
 way. For the first three years after breaking", the crops 
 are usually ^ood ; but then (or, as I saw in sonu? cases, 
 even in the second year), weeds bej^-in to i^-row, the most 
 noticeable and destructive beiuLj;- wild buckwheat and 
 lamb's-(piarter. The latter is much like an English 
 dock, and, when it seeds, does endless mischief. Of 
 course, the only way to i^'et rid of such weeds is to 
 fallow, and so to kill them before they go to seed, as 
 they do not spread from the root; and even if the crop 
 be already sown, should this weed appear, it is worth 
 while sacrificini^ the seed to accomplish this object. 
 
 A casual glance at the wheat, barley, and oats was 
 enough to enable one to form a pretty good opinion 
 how often the land had been cropped ; and if on the 
 same farm, the dilference could be traced at once. Occa- 
 sional fallowing is absolutely necessary in this country; 
 deeper ploughing also, or manuring, should be resorted to. 
 The latter, however, is almost out of the question on any 
 adequate scale, on account of the small amount of stock 
 
 '■ •(■ 
 
 ■f ■ 
 
 
n'2fi IJVE AXT) lABOrn TN THE FATJ, FAT! WEST. 
 
 kopt. Tho cliief reasons ai^ainst larij^o herds are — 
 firstly, want of casli for tl»e primary outlay of Imyinij^ 
 tliem ; secondly, the loni^ winters, which would entail 
 the further expense of a quantity of huildin;^s in wliich 
 to house the stock, and the cost of six months' fodder- 
 in!4'. Owing to their small means, the present race of 
 settlers find it more feasible, as well as more immediatelv 
 ])r()fitable, to crop as much as they can; and, accordingly, 
 each year they break and back-set a portion of their 1(50 
 or .S:20 acres, thus gradually diniinishiug their grass 
 laiul. This, however, at present makes no difference to 
 them, for they can as yet cut hay iu the adjoining 
 neighbourhood at pleasure ; but, in proportion as the 
 country gets more filled up, this source of supply will 
 gradually be stopped. 
 
 It appeared to me but a short-sighted policy to be 
 tlnis continnall}' breaking up good grass land, and 
 turning it into tillage, on apparently no system what- 
 ever, but just wdierever a crop w^as likely to grow best. 
 The result of this must be, that a man with a small 
 holding and a little stock will shortly find that he has 
 more tillage-land than he can cultivate properly, for want 
 of manure, and thus, instead of improving, the land 
 will deteriorate. Every man was open to making a 
 bargain to sell; instead of looking upon his holding as 
 a ])ermanent tenure, and a home for the remainder of 
 his life, and therefore farming the land with the iuten- 
 
arc — ■ 
 
 ontiiil 
 whicli 
 odder- 
 ace of 
 liately 
 lingly, 
 'ir 1()() 
 grass 
 Mice to 
 oinini^ 
 as the 
 »ly will 
 
 )' io be 
 , and 
 ^vhat- 
 ^v best, 
 small 
 \e has 
 r want 
 land 
 :in<*' a 
 ing as 
 ider of 
 inten- 
 
 SOUTHL'nX ^rAXITOllA-rnESES'T AM> FUTVUE. 327 
 
 tion of makiui^ tlie Ix'st of it permanently, the idea 
 always seemed to be to sell at a profit after tlie first few 
 years, and to move on elsewhere in order to repeat tlie 
 process. This sort of thini^ cannot lead to the Ix'st 
 methods of cultivation ; but so many of the orij^inal 
 settlers did so well, and sold their lands at such a hin'h 
 profit, ])revious to and duriii^^ the boom of ISSI-.:], tliat 
 others hoj)e r.o do the same; hence, much of the land has 
 been unfairly robbed for immediate return, without any 
 rei^ard to its future. 
 
 A ijreat deal of the soil in Southern ^lanitoba is 
 undoubtedly of lirst-class quality, and very far superior 
 to anvthiuL'' I saw in the North- West Territorv ; but 
 it is mostly a grazini,^ country, and this would, in my 
 opinion, be more profitable than wheat-growini^', which 
 (accordini^ to the present system of farmiuL;-, at least) 
 must collapse in a few years. The land is not so deep, 
 nor so suitable for wheat, as that in the lied River Valley ; 
 but for stock-raisiui^ it has, in many parts, o-reat advan- 
 ta<jfes, both from its undulating' character, and the number 
 of its ponds and creeks ; and now that there is a larjj^er 
 population in the Dominion, there should be a i^reater 
 demand for meat. The present settlers, as I have said, 
 have not enoni^h capital to invest larj^-ely in stock ; but, 
 should they eventually be able to do so, they will find 
 that their land is so cut up with ploug-hing that it will 
 be impossible to keep the cattle ofi' the crops, without 
 
 -ill: 
 
 
 
 nl 
 
wiiMi im 
 
 I ^ 
 
 :?2s /.//7v' .i.v/) i.Aimri: in riii: iwi:, iwu \\i:st. 
 
 doinii" a irrcat (IcmI more rciiciiiLr iliiin would \\ii\c Ix'cii 
 lurcssjiry had the lanii Ix'cii judiciously laid out at first, 
 — with one ))()rtioii ivscrvid for j^rass, and the arahlc (of 
 which (here ouiji-hl iiol to he more than is really re- 
 juircd) all put to^-ether in another. At present, very 
 littl(« lencinLT is done throuii'liout the whole ol' this 
 district. 
 
 For my ])art, T should like to see one or two superior 
 Tarnis, of (say) r2,0()() to .'^,000 acres a-j»iece, in every 
 township. If this class of fanni'ii;' were encouraj^'ed, men 
 witli more capital, and therefore ahle to ado})t a better 
 system, would be attracted to the country ; and, follow- 
 ini;' a hii^'her jj^rade of farmini;- themselves, they mi^'ht 
 also dilVuse a<»*ricultural knowled^'c anu)ngst the smaller 
 settlers, the majority of whom are not really farmers 
 l)y profession, but novices from other trades. This 
 miii^ht do a vast amount of i^ood, and lead to a dilVusion 
 not only of knowk di'-e, but of dollars ; for these lari^er 
 farmers mij^ht be employers ;;f labour the whole year 
 round, which would be an immense advantai^e to some 
 of tluMr poorer nei<;'libours, who, without stock and with 
 their limited means, have hardly enouj^li occupation for 
 themselves at certain ])eriods, and would be glad of em- 
 ])loyment for their sons for (at any rate) a portion of the 
 year. The result of this would be that more money would 
 be brought into the country ; and the extra dolhirs thus 
 distributed would do endless good in raising tlie tone 
 
This 
 
 of the 
 would 
 s thus 
 3 tone 
 
 souTiinnN .VAMToitA-nnisuxT and I'lruiii:. :^2y 
 
 of the wliolc of this piirt of tlic Dominion, and incrcasinj^ 
 its prosperity. 
 
 I also iliink tliatsoin" method mi^ht with advantai^e 
 l)i> adopted, (or tlie estal>IislimcMit and enconrai^ement; of 
 small villam'es ; this could he done somewhat on the 
 Menuonite jjrinciplc, ahout which I shall have more to 
 say hereai'ter. The houses now are so iar apart that 
 they look more like liay-stacks, or turi'-heaj)s, spreatl 
 over the open prairie, than the ahodes ol' more or less 
 civilised beiui^'s ; and, unless a district hecomes thi(;kly 
 populated, the childi'en are thrown hack Tor want of 
 education, and there is a ^reat dilliculty in estahlishiui;' 
 churches. In the States they say that it" "a church and 
 a saloon " are started, a po})Ulati(^n will soon ;4'row uj) 
 round them ; and I lully believe that in Manit()l)a, if a 
 district were thrown open for the fornuiticui of a villaj^e, 
 and a church and school erected, settlers would soon be 
 quite alive to the advauta<^es to be j^ained, and would 
 strive to locate theuiselves within a reasonable distance. 
 
 As rejj^ards the cro})s ; wheat, oats, barley, and 
 potatoes grow most luxuriantly upon the land when 
 lirst broken, and for from one to four years afterwards, 
 according to the depth of soil, i^otatoes, especially, do 
 exceedmgly well ; I hardly saw a bad crop in all 
 Southern Manitoba. Those named are the staple crops 
 of the country, and I particularly noticed that we no- 
 where came on any clover. Cattle thrive well on the 
 
 'i 
 
II 
 
 :t:!() 
 
 iii'i: A.\}> i.Muni! IX rill': iwi:, iwu \vi:sr. 
 
 j,n'ass(>s; l)ut as to shcrj), I saw so few of tliciu, aiul hoard 
 so many conflicting,'' oj)inions on the suhjcct, tliat I was 
 h'(l to assume that they cannot do well. S|)ear-L;rass 
 ^rows in most j)arts; and unless this is cut when 
 youiii;', ami the i'ei'dini^-ucround thus cut enclosed, it 
 undouhtediv works havoc amoni; the sheej). If 
 this y-rass does do the mischief attrihuted to it, it 
 would he (juiie out of the (juestion to allow sheep to 
 roam over the prairie, even if attenth'd to by a shepherd. 
 1 was told also that there was no sale for the wool. It 
 was easy enoui^h to see, jud^-ini;' by their scarcity, that 
 there must be some reason aj^'ainst rearing sheep ; but 
 1 doubt if they have ever n-ally been faii'ly tried, for it 
 is ])robable that the same reasons of want of capital, 
 and the expense of foddering' throUL^li the lom;' winters, 
 api)ly to them as to cattle. 
 
 So far as I could jnd^'e, tlie style of farmiuL'- was 
 generally bad. T ho})e the remarks 1 have passed will 
 not be thought too severe ; at the best they are only 
 my own ])rivate opinion — formed- certainly after careful 
 observation, and a good many miles of travel, — but I 
 may very likely be wrong on some points. I cannot, 
 however, say that I think tlie immediate future of 
 Southern ^Manitoba is as encouraging a prospect as it 
 ought to be ; for, with such fine lands — easily accessible 
 to Winnipeg by the railway now open to ^lanitoba 
 City, and shortly to be extended west to the Souris — 
 
 t '\ 
 
ST. 
 
 lul lioiird 
 111 r was 
 car-^Tiiss 
 lit wluMi 
 .'lt>si'il, it 
 cp. If 
 to it, it 
 slice]) to 
 lu'j)li('nl. 
 
 V(H)\. It 
 
 i'liy, tliat 
 L'C'p ; but 
 I'd, lor it 
 1" capital, 
 winters, 
 
 iiiiin" was 
 
 ssed will 
 
 arc only 
 
 r careful 
 
 -but I 
 
 cannot, 
 
 uturo of 
 
 ct as it 
 
 ccessible 
 
 lanitoba 
 
 rjouris — 
 
 sornih'ux MASiroii.i-vnicsi^sr asd Frrvui:. 'm\ 
 
 settlers <»ML;lit to be fltx'kinL,' in. hul the " lan<l-^n*ab " 
 fever is now over, and lias been followed by a decided 
 reaction. So niuch land is bcinn* licld unoccupied and 
 uncultivated, that settlers do not I'eel inclined to come 
 and buy at \\ price to pay another man's prolit; when, 
 within a few miles (namely, over the L'nited States 
 border in Dakota), they can procure e(pially ;;ood land 
 on reasonable, and indeed liberal, terms. Xot only does 
 this evil system of lockini,^ up the lands prevent 
 imiuin'ration, but it also di.sheartens the settlers ab'cady 
 established. I.i proportion as ]»opiilation ebbs away 
 from them, so also the civilisation they had expi'cted, 
 in the shape of education for their (diildren, and cinirch 
 services for themsi'lves, ceases to be possilde. Jjookin^ 
 at it from a ])ractical ])oint of view, it does not answer 
 to erect II school or church in a thinly-populated district ; 
 they nniy indeed be built, but even supposinj^- funds to 
 be ibrthcomiiii^' to keep them L;"oin^", the lon^ distances 
 would preclude u ri'i^ular and constant attendance ; 
 and thus the success would be, at the best, but 
 partial. 13y ii recent Act of i'arliament, however, lands 
 have "'■' been thrown open; how lar this will allect 
 Southern Manitoba I am unable to sa}', but so far as 
 I could judi^-e, I should think that this would bo 
 an excellent district for emigration and setthnnent, 
 provided lands were made obtainable on reasonable 
 * Since the above was written. 
 
 ' i w 
 
 l« 
 
 • 
 
 : 
 
 t 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
 
 ., t 
 
 •-■'■''■ 
 
 
' - '. WTWTiw^'Tpr -S" V ■ 
 
 II 
 
 i*! 
 
 888 urr: .ixn LAiiorn ly riii: F.\h\ iwu ir/wv. 
 
 t(MMns. All the IVco (u)V('rnm(Mit sections an* already 
 taken up in this country ; therelore a settler in search 
 of them must yo farther afield. Many of the larnis 
 are not as well cultivated now as they were formerly, 
 for, durinu^ the "boom" of ISSl-.C, numbers of tln^ 
 oriij^inal settlers sold their land to s})eculators ; and 
 these latter, unable to re-sell them on account of the 
 reaction in prices, have also failed (whether i'rom want 
 of knowledi^e, cash, or will, I cannot say) to cultivate 
 their purchases ; tlie result being that many farms are 
 at i)resent out of cultivation. A<;ain, some of the men 
 who sold went west, cxpectini^ to find better hind and 
 brii^hter ])rospects ; but, comin<>* to the same conclusions 
 as I did, they returned disai)i)ointed, only to lind no 
 more land obtainable in the old locality; and thei'e- 
 I'ore started off for Dakota. This has been told me as 
 an absolute fact; and it may perhaps, in some nu?asure, 
 tend to explain why so many Canadians have of late 
 been reported as leaving Manitoba for the States. 
 
 The price of labour in Manitoba, from the artisan 
 to the labourer, is now everywhere much lower than it 
 was a couple of years ago ; and at present there is even 
 a dilHculty in finding employment. ^len employed in 
 farmhouses obtain wages averaging seventy-five cents 
 (8s.) to one hundred cents (Is.) per day, with food and 
 lodging. Servant girls are very scarce, and can earn 
 from ten dollars (£.0) to fifteen dollars (£3) per month, 
 
'EST. 
 
 re a 1 ready 
 
 • in search 
 
 the larnis 
 
 formerly, 
 
 ■rs of tlie 
 
 ors ; and 
 
 nt of the 
 
 roni want 
 
 cultivate 
 
 farms are 
 
 f the Mien 
 
 land and 
 
 )nclusions 
 
 hnd no 
 
 id thei'e- 
 
 d me as 
 
 measure, 
 
 c of late 
 
 PS. 
 
 le artisan 
 than it 
 e is even 
 )loyed in 
 ve cents 
 iood and 
 |cau earn 
 r month, 
 
 SOUTIIEliN MANITOIJA-rniCSENT AND FUTUh'E. 33;J 
 
 with food and lodij'inur. The averaijc rate of vvaj^es 
 for outdoor lal)our in Manitol)a is now uhout (is. 
 per day (.'ifis. ])er week), out of which the out<:^oin^s 
 usually come to :2 Is. per week for hoard and lo(l^-in«^, 
 and 4s. ])er week for wjishin^"; so that then; is not 
 much mar<iin left, especially as it must he rememhered 
 that, durinu^ the winter months, employment at any 
 price is very hard to ^et. '^IMie loni^ six or seven 
 months' winter must, indeed, never he left out of the 
 calculations of an emi<^^nint to these parts ; he^inniiii,^ in 
 Octoher, it sets in finally h}' the 1st Novemher, January 
 and Fehruary heiii*,*- the hardest mo)'ths. June is the 
 wet month of the year. 
 
 We slept very comfortably in our car on a siding. 
 
 i 
 
 m 
 
 :i 
 
 !!' ii 
 

 ii 
 
 
 CHAPTER XXITT. 
 
 r.XPKlUKNCKS OF TWO SETTI.KllS. 
 
 Adviro to Tntcinlini:: Emit^'iint^ — A Piivo rnimd an Kstatc - Pricos of Iinpli'- 
 iiu'iits and Live Stock - A Fair Profit from a lloldinfj^ of IGO Aries — Find 
 —\Vci'<ls— Visit to ii Stock Farm— Thu I'rairic Itosu. 
 
 I AVAS up the next morning' earlier than the rest of 
 our party ; and, takin^i^ a stroll before breakfast, noticed 
 a house rather above the usual size, with a large barn 
 attached. I walked up to it, and, knocking at the door, 
 asked to speak to the proprietor. The family were 
 seated at breakfast, and I was invited to join them, 
 which I willingly agreed to do. My host was a little 
 deaf; but after a short time he warmed up, and ordered 
 his buckboard, offering to drive me round his lOO-acre 
 farm, an invitation which I readily accepted. I could 
 see that he was a superior sort of man ; and I thought 
 (and with reason) that he would be able to give me as 
 useful and as reliable information about the country in 
 general, as any one I had yet come across. I ascer- 
 tained that his name \vas Mr, K. Harnier ; and that 
 there was a Mrs. Harmer and six little ilarmers ; all of 
 v/honi I saw. 
 
 The children apparently preferred running about 
 
PS of rnijili'- 
 
 Ai'lVS — Furl 
 
 ; rest of 
 
 , noticed 
 
 ru;e barn 
 
 the door, 
 
 ily were 
 
 n tlieni, 
 
 a little 
 
 ordered 
 
 lOO-acre 
 
 I could 
 
 thought 
 
 me as 
 
 lutry in 
 
 ascer- 
 
 id that 
 
 ; all of 
 
 ■ about 
 
 EXTElilENCES OF T'VO SETTLEnS. 
 
 335 
 
 for a portion of the day without shoes or stockings — a 
 very sensible arrangouKnit, both as regards their health, 
 and economy in tlie shoemaker's bill. A brotlier-in- 
 law was staying in the house, and there were besides 
 two other men, occasional labourers. The house was, as 
 I have said, lar<;er than the averaj^e size. In addition 
 to the sitting-room there was a parlour, and, besides, 
 several bedrooms. The place tdso boasted a beautiful 
 well of clear, good water, under the sitting-room floor. 
 With the exception of that at Cartwright, it was the 
 best well-water I had seen, either in ^Eanitoba or in 
 the North- West Territory. The adjoining barn, which 
 cont^'.ined room for a dozen horses, was used besides as 
 store-room, coach-house, granary, and barn, all com- 
 bined. 
 
 ]\[r. Harmer had come about four years ago from 
 Ontario, and had taken up IGO acres of homestead, and 
 1()0 acres pre-emption land, near Manitoba City ; nuiking 
 in all 320 acres. This he liad ke})t and worked for 
 three years ; when, having got his title and papers, lie 
 had sold the holding whilst the boom of 18SI-2 was in 
 full swing, for 12,000 dollars (say £2,400). A settler is 
 allowed to realise by selling, at the end of three years ; 
 i.e., on the completion of the settlement clauses, which 
 entail breaking fifteen acres in three years, a personal 
 residence of six months each year, and the erection of a 
 dwelling-house, all within this period of time. The 
 
 ^1 
 
 iTT! 
 
 1" H 
 
 (, i 
 
II 
 
 i<il 
 
 M 
 
 336 LIFE AXD LABOUU IX Till: FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 dimonsioiis of the house must he at least ei<»:liteen feet 
 hy sixteeu feet. [ am iuformed that fraiued houses 
 ei<j;-liteen feet hy twenty feet, or twenty-seven feet by 
 twenty-four feet, cost il^)0 and -*iOO dollars respectively. 
 
 ^Ir. Harmer proceeded to tell me how, upon selliuuf 
 his ori<»-inal pro|)erty for 12,000 dollars, he had houi^ht 
 his present holdinn', an improved farm of 100 acres, for 
 4,000 dollars. In the autumn of the same year, this 
 South-Western branch of the Canadian Pacific llailway 
 had been made. The line passed throug-li his property, 
 and on it the temporary Manitoba City station was 
 now situated. He told me he was quite willin*^ to sell 
 his section to me for 10,000 dollars, if I wished to buy 
 it. Of the sum ho had received for his orisj^inal pro- 
 perty, he had invested 9,000 dollars in land — viz., 4,000 
 in the 100-acre farm, and the remainin<j^ 5,000 in a 
 stock or graziuL,^ farm (900 acres in all) — reserving the 
 balance of 3,000 dollars for stocking his land. He 
 mentioned as a positive fact that when he started in 
 this part five years ago, he had only ninety dollars in 
 his pocket. 
 
 From all this it will be seen that Mr. Harmer 
 evidently had an eye for legitimate business ; and I con- 
 "•ratulated him on his success. He also told me about 
 his brother-in-law, who had started as a landowner and 
 settler, with absolutely nothing ; so that when he took 
 up his homestead, Mr. Harmer had even lent him ten 
 
EXl'EUUJXCES OF TWO SETTFjEHS. 
 
 s.\ 
 
 H 
 
 T. 
 
 3cn feet 
 houses 
 feet by 
 jtively. 
 : selliiii? 
 boii<^ht 
 cres, for 
 ear, this 
 Railway 
 )roperty, 
 ion was 
 o; to sell 
 d to buy 
 nal pro- 
 z, M)00 
 
 00 in a 
 Iviuijr the 
 id. He 
 larted in 
 (liars in 
 
 1 Harm or 
 Id I con- 
 ic about 
 rner and 
 Ihe took 
 liim ten 
 
 dollars with which to pay the re<j;istration fees. As 
 regards the payment of the second sum of ten dollars 
 on the pre-emption land, Mr. Harmer had not at first 
 been able to advance the cash ; but this loan also was 
 eventually m.ide. I>y way of re})ayment, the brother- 
 in-law had worked at the rate of ordinary labourer's 
 wagvs. When the loan was iv])aid, the land had to be 
 broken, to meet the settlement regulations; and a house 
 had also to be built wi<"hiii the prescribed limit of time. 
 In accomplishing the first, the brothers-in-law helped 
 each other; the one giving his labour, the other lending 
 his team for breaking the live acres yearly for three 
 years. The residence clause was complied with by the 
 owner digging a hole in the ground, over which he 
 raised a stick roof, which he thatched with straw; and 
 here he lived during the si.\ mouths' winter, giving his 
 labour, meantime, in exchange for his brother's team 
 work in the previous summer. JJefore the completion 
 of the specified three years, he was in a position t(» 
 erect the regulation framed house, eighteen feet l)v six- 
 teen ; and his property is now worth 3,000 dollars 
 (£000). 
 
 Accounts like these show what can be done ; but I 
 must own that 1 look upon these men as exceptionally 
 lucky, and should be very sorry to recommend any one 
 to attempt settling without sufhcient capital. The re- 
 marks which I have made on this subject in the part of 
 w 
 
 
 A 
 
 ■'''■ ■US 
 
 m 
 
f 
 
 'MIS 
 
 T.TFE AND LAJiOril IN THE FMl, FA It WK^T. 
 
 ^ ^ 
 
 I 
 
 i! ii^ 
 
 I 
 
 h li 
 
 my tour (U'sci'ibin«^ tlic Nortli-Wcst ToiTitoiy, will 
 ;il)j)ly (Mjiuilly to this country. Failinj^ a certain 
 amount of capital, an cniij^'rant had, to my mind, i'ar 
 hotter start as a labourer, and work liis way up ; and 
 not take up land until he has laid by something, and is 
 thorouo'hly acquainted with the country and its re- 
 sources. Of course 1 do not nu^in to say but that 
 there are many men, who (like Mr. Ilarmer and his 
 brother-in-law) have commenced farminj^ with next to 
 nothing-, and have been successl'ul ; but it must have 
 been an arduous and upliill task, and would now bo 
 more formidal)le than formerly, as all the best lands 
 within reasonable distance of a railway are already 
 taken up. It maybe unnecessary to add, that none but 
 those possessed of good health, energy, steadiness, and 
 perseverance, and who can make light of discomforts, 
 would have a chance of success ; for this applies to all 
 emigration in whatever direction ; and, indeed, I may 
 say it also applies (in varying degrees) to the first start 
 — the first rung of the ladder — in any trade or profes- 
 sion whatsoever. 
 
 The (government allows settlers a period of three 
 years in which to pay the pre-emption fees, without 
 interest. In this part of the country all the free-grant 
 land is now taken up; and, as far as I could ascertain, 
 if Cfovernniciit {i.e., free) lands are the object, the neigh- 
 bourhoods of Qu'Appelle and Moosejaw are now the 
 
7'. 
 
 y, will 
 
 certiiiu 
 intl, i'lii* 
 ip ; and 
 >•, iin<l is 
 
 its vc- 
 )ut that 
 
 and liis 
 
 next to 
 list have 
 
 now bo 
 L»st lands 
 ; already 
 none but 
 ncss, and 
 loom forts, 
 
 es to all 
 (1, I may 
 
 irst start 
 
 r profes- 
 
 of three 
 without 
 
 Iree-grant 
 scertain, 
 
 lie neigli- 
 
 uow 
 
 the 
 
 iJxi'h'L'ii-jxci'is or TWO >'/■; 7' 77. /•;/;>'. 
 
 339 
 
 most likelv and desirable districts in which to seek lor 
 them. Mr. liarmer <(ave me the I'ollowinj^ information 
 as to the averai^'c? and prices oi crops in this part of 
 Southern Manitoba : — 
 
 Wheat, :.'."> to 30 l)lis. per urn 
 
 Oiits, fju ,, 70 ,, ,, 
 
 J'.arlcy, ;'.r) „ -H) ., 
 
 Potatoes, ;J0() „ 400 „ „ 
 
 7"» crllts (.')S. ) per ]}\\-< 
 .")(• to .'ill cniits 
 
 ;u) „ (;o „ 
 
 (00 llis. to till' 1. 11-,.) 
 
 Tiie quantity of seed used should be one-and-a-half 
 to two bushels per acre. Corn harvest commences here 
 the last week in August, and ends the last week in 
 September. Wheat has been known to have been 
 planted as early as April 10th (this is the earliest ever 
 known), but the usual time for wheat-sowing- is the 
 lirst week in May. Hay-harvest is from the middle of 
 July to the middle of August. Snow falls sometimes 
 as early as the middle of October, but as a rule n(jt 
 Ijefore November 1st; and ploughing can occasionally 
 be carried on as late as the second week in November. 
 Snow begins to disappear about the middle of April, 
 and is all gone by the 1st May, the frost being well 
 out of the ground about here by the middle of the 
 month, though of course on covered ground — such as 
 where loose straw has been ])laced irom ricks, after 
 threshing — it will remain longer. 
 
 The buckboard being ready, we drove round the farm. 
 w 2 
 
 
 iV 
 
 W 
 
:{iO IJl'H AXI) LAIJOUll IX THE FAR, FAR ]VES'J\ 
 
 J^ 
 
 lu . i 
 
 lit 
 
 i I 
 
 II 
 
 Harnior ^liid planted his crop of wheat on fh'st breaking 
 and b.icksetting ; tlie llrst part was excellent, perfectly 
 clean, and as good a crop as I have seen ; the second 
 half, however, was only fair, and with many more 
 weeds. The cause of this difference was explained to 
 me by the ov uer who said he had planted the good 
 crop th< iir i ve^k in May, and the other not until the 
 last week ra iliat month, which was too late; "the 
 ground, besides, ,'. d not been dragged enough, and 
 the seed had been slightly damaged." I was also taken 
 to see the oat-crop, planted on land the second year 
 after breaking and backsetting. It, too, was excellent, 
 but a few v'eeds were beginning to make their appear- 
 ance. The seed is sometimes hand-sown, and occasionally 
 drills are used. Prairie-roses and all sorts of wild flowers 
 were here again most beautiful ; it would be impossible 
 for me to describe the mixture of colours, and the 
 numerous different varieties. I never saw so beautiful 
 and varied an assortment in my life. 
 
 AVe drove back by the railway station, where there 
 was a very large collection of farm-implements awaiting 
 ])urchasers. JMr. Harmer explained their different uses 
 to me, their prices, and the mode of payment. 
 
 Cutter and binder. 350 dols. at three yeans' purchase, 7 per ceut. 
 interest ; worked with either a pair of good horses, or three small 
 ones ; binds with cord, and will cut and bind 15 to 20 acres a 
 day. 
 
r. 
 
 •eaking 
 ^rfectly 
 second 
 Y inor(5 
 ined to 
 le good 
 itil the 
 ;; "the 
 »'li, and 
 ;o taken 
 lid year 
 xcellent, 
 iippear- 
 isionally 
 I flowers 
 ipossible 
 and the 
 )eautiful 
 
 ire there 
 waiting 
 ■nt uses 
 
 per cent, 
 hree small 
 10 acres a 
 
 EXVHIill-JNCES OF TWO SFJTTLFJIS, 
 
 341 
 
 AVaggon. 90 dols., one year's credit at 7 pt-r cent, interest ; or ^.'> 
 
 dols. for cash. 
 Pl()u<,'li, l!ieiikei', and Haeksetter, '2\ dols., one year 8 credit 7 percent. 
 Stubldi! IMouxli. IS dols., one year's crtHlit 7 per cent. 
 Sulky PIou.i,'li. !IU to 100 dols. for cash. 
 Horse Raki'. :{.") to 40 dols. 
 Mowers. 80, 'JO, to 100 dols. 
 Tlireshing Machine, 12 horse-power. 1,200 to 1,400 dols. 
 
 I also saw a potato plough, which to me was a 
 uovelty, and seemed a very useliil inve " n. 
 
 Horses cost about £AU apiece, c mvs '20 and up- 
 wards. As to pigs, Mr. Harmer h;"' ;• »me good large 
 hogs eleven months old, the price of wi ch was £8 each. 
 My companion came with me into " oar, witli whicli 
 he seemed much pleased; and presently olVered to take me 
 out for a longer drive to see a stock or grazing farm some 
 six miles away, which he said was (piite a different 
 country to the corn-growing land we had lately been 
 visiting. I gladly accepted his invitation; so we set olY 
 again on his buckboard — a vehicle which gave one the 
 impression of riding simply on four large wheels, so 
 small iu proportion was the seat which constituted a 
 substitute for the body of an ordinary carriage. W«' 
 started in a northerly direction, following no particular 
 route, but strikina- across the open undulat 
 
 :inii- Drau'ie 
 
 where the wild llowers and prairie roses were again 
 beautiful beyond description ; the roses especially wen* 
 of every variety of shade and colouring, from pure white 
 
 r 
 
 '■ * ' 
 
! 
 
 r 
 
 -n-2 I. in: axi» laiidI'I! i.\ riii: r.ii:, I'.ii: ir/.'sv. 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 f(i a (Icop roil. 'I'iicrc was an al)iiiHlan('(' of s])('ar-;^n'ass 
 - t»r, as it is also callcil, porciipiiu' n'rass — on the prairie 
 land, l)\it, none in the scrnl), i.e., lands partly composed 
 of scrnh-wood, and partly ^Tass. 
 
 W'c had a lon«;' talk abont sheep and the elVeet this 
 urass has on them ; iMr. Ilarmer seemed nncertain 
 whether it really injnred them or not, and said he meant 
 to bay some and try the experiment. As rej^'ards eattle, 
 he was decidedly of o])inion that a ixvcai many more 
 were re<piired ; bnt he referred to the poverty of the 
 settlers as the obstacle. Time, he said, wonld work an 
 improvement in this respect ; for when they became 
 rich enouii'h to allbrd it thev wonld at once invest 
 in cattle, as all were of opinion that more stock 
 shoidd be kept, and a smaller proportion of the land 
 cn)pped. 
 
 We saw straw i!i heaps, lyini^ idle, left from last 
 season's threshing-; and only in want of stock to turn it 
 into maniire. JIarmer lamented the present state of 
 thing's, and the shortness of stock; fully a«;reoini>^ that 
 the land would not stand continual cropping without 
 I'ither manuring- or fallowing, lie also conlirmed my 
 view, that the majority of the settlers were ignorant of 
 the business of farming; and said they were all short 
 of cash ; he concurred with nie that it would be a good 
 thing if more capital could be introduced into the 
 country, by oil'ering facilities to farmers of a higher 
 
<7'. 
 
 ■iir-_L,n'iiss 
 I' prniric 
 
 )lUpOS(.Hl 
 
 Vcct this 
 lu'crtiiiii 
 ic meant 
 Is catth', 
 ny more 
 f ol' tlio 
 work ill I 
 became 
 L' invest 
 re stock 
 tlie kind 
 
 om last 
 turn it 
 tate ()£ 
 w^ that 
 without 
 ned my 
 Ijrant of 
 11 short 
 a j^ood 
 tito the 
 higher 
 
 llXl'KUIENCK^ nF TW'n sr:'iTni:ii>^. 
 
 standiuM^ Ibr takini,^ np lands of from .0,00(1 (o .1,000 
 acres. 
 
 We soon rea(jlied tlu; hordc.'s of the grazing I'ountry, 
 where I found tlie i^rass was two feet hi^Ii, and hip^ely 
 mixed wiih wild vetches ; hut my companion told uk^ 
 that hiter on I should see something l)etter tlian this. 
 I'he hay in the " slou^-hs " {i.e., rather lower and danij) 
 ij^round) will cut from two to three tons jx-r acre, which, 
 when new, would he worth from three to live dollars 
 ])er ton ; if kept till the sprini,'', however, and if hay 
 were scarce, it would l)e wtnth from five to ten dulljirs 
 j)er ton. In j)laces where the red grass grows, Mr. 
 Ilarmer said nearly four tons to the acre could he cut. 
 In choosing a stock-farm, it is a good plan to select ii 
 slough with more hilly lands adjoining; so that the 
 cattle can change about from the lower to the higher 
 grounds, and from the long to the short grass, and r/'ci; 
 rnrsff. I saw ii good example of this during our drive, 
 but there were unfortunately no cattle to make us(i 
 of it. 
 
 A little alkali was noticeable in the lower sections ; 
 and, talking of this, Ilarmer said: "Farmers do not 
 know what it is. It may perha})s be useful eventually 
 as manure. Grass does not grow well where alkali is to 
 be found ; but where it does, cattle, horses, and sheep are 
 all very fond of it, and lick it, and eat even the roots 
 out of the ground." Indeed, even if there is no grass, 
 
 ii 
 
 ■I 
 
 f 
 
;;m I. in: .wn j.muivu is tiii: r.i/;. r.in \n:sT. 
 
 
 i^\uv\i will lick tlio <;nmiul contniiiiiiL,'' alknli. Ifjjrcscnt, 
 it is ahvnvs on low ^'round ; thcrdorc in select inLj; laiul 
 take prairie with both lii,i,'li and low i^round, so that 
 l,as I said helorc) the stock niiiy have a chani,'e. Ilarnier 
 went on to say that alkali water woidd do cattle no 
 harm ; which was contrary to an opinion I had heard 
 expressed in Montana territory, in talkinj^- ol' alkali, 
 he spoke ol' " the wh:tt> snhstance like salt " which one 
 sees left like an encrustation on the dried-np i,n"onnd 
 where wati-r had ])revionsly l)een standin;jf in pools. 
 Cattle, he said, licked it up, just as if it were salt 
 thrown down lor them. An<»ther person told me that 
 he thou<;ht alkali would disappear, and grass j^row well, 
 il' the <^round were proju'rly manured; but, as things 
 are at present, even in a fertile belt of j)asture, the 
 i»-rass is always short and stunted where alkali shows 
 itself. 
 
 Jn selecting corn-growing lands, it is advisable to 
 take high, open, rolling prairie, with some scrub upon 
 it ; and, if possible, in u locality where jirairie-roses and 
 llowi'i's do well, and are to be found in numbers : some 
 such land as this we passed to-day. On asking llarmer 
 what he considered a fair annual profit to derive from a 
 lOO-acre holding like his, he told me that, after paying 
 all expenses, labour, ike, he thought 1, ()()() dollars [i.e., 
 £.:200) ought to be made. He reckoned the improved 
 value of his stock as interest on his cajjital. Perhaps 
 
 ■ I 
 
rr. 
 
 |»n'S('nt, 
 iiil;- laiwl 
 
 so lliat 
 llariMcr 
 utile no 
 (I licanl 
 r alkali, 
 licli one 
 
 •ground 
 1 pools. 
 eiv salt 
 me that 
 ovv well, 
 < things 
 lu'c, tlie 
 i shows 
 
 ahlo to 
 
 b upon 
 
 |)sos and 
 
 some 
 
 larnicr 
 
 from a 
 
 paying 
 
 rs [i.e., 
 
 I proved 
 
 V'rhaps 
 
 i:.\ri:i:ii:\ci:s of twh sirrri.Hns. 
 
 (US 
 
 I need liardly say tiiat a lar;jfe yearly return like this 
 would he very successful farniiiiL,'. and everyhody is not 
 so fortunate as to he able to accon»j)lish it. 
 
 I was interested in what he told me of his arran;j:e- 
 ments for fuel. None is to he had near at hand, and lie 
 has to go twelve miles to fetch it; if dry, he eouM 
 haul as much as two cords a-day, hut if wet only one. 
 A "cord" of wood, as jjrohahly most peoj)le know, is 
 ibnr feet high, four feet wide, and eight feet long. 'I'his 
 (juantity woidd last him for two lires for a Ibrtnight. 
 Wood is worth live dollars (II) per cord delivered; un- 
 delivered it is half that pricte. 'IMie (iovernment reserves 
 woodlands, which it sells to the farmers in lots of twenty 
 acres, at 100 dollars the lot. Tt will also give them 
 permission to cut for lire-wood at twenty-tive cents (Is.) 
 ])er cord, or rails for fencing at five dollars per 1,000. 
 There are thus two plans oi)en, viz , to buy from an 
 owner of woodland, or to employ a num to cut wood ; 
 which latter costs seventy-five cciits per cord for cutting, 
 in addition to the Government charge of twenty-five 
 cents, or one cent ])er rail {i.e., ten dollars per 1,000) 
 in addition to the Government charge of five dollars. 
 
 The sight of a well-cultiviited garden induced us to 
 call at the house of a settler named Davidson ; he was 
 very hospitable, and invited us to stay to dinner, wldcli 
 we did. jMrs. JJavidson was quite a pretty litde woman, 
 and was the mother of seven children, which is one 
 
 ;-f 
 
 ' } 
 
 i 
 
 I Bni'' 
 
 : '' ' tl 
 
! I' ^ 
 
 I 
 
 ill 
 
 I 
 
 1 
 
 
 :5i.;; /,//■•/•; ,f\7> h.morn i.\ riii: fmi, fm; whst. 
 
 more tliMii i\w rci^MiIaiion lunnlxM* in these ])iirts. I 
 noticed I'lK* lollowini;' crops in the n'lii'deii : — • 
 
 <1aiii>i;n No. I. 
 
 lli)\v I, Vdhilocs, very L,'i)(i(I. 
 
 'J, (',il)lt;i,i;('s, 
 
 ."), Swfdcs, ,, 
 
 •I, C'lnots, ,, 
 
 ,, r», I'iirsiiips, ., 
 
 ,, (5, I >('('t root, ,, 
 
 ,, 7, I'dt.'ltoCH, ,, 
 
 „ S, Onions, „ 
 
 „ i), Swedes, ,, 
 
 KIiulMirli, imtso LT'Kul. 
 
 (Iahih'.n N(». 2. 
 
 I'iirslcy. 
 
 Wild l.I.u-k .MiiiMiit. 
 
 (Joost'luMTy. 
 
 (i.'irdcii cuiTjint. 
 
 lladisiics. 
 
 'I'oiiijitocs. 
 
 All very liiirly <(ood, but not 
 so tfood iis (lardcn No. I. 
 
 Apple li-ecs liiid liccn (lied 
 twice, liutdid not do well. 
 
 Tliero was a iiatunil, and very pretty, border of 
 ])rairie llowers at tlie liead oL" the o-;irden. Davidson 
 I'anned .")()() aeres ; of wliieli li.OO were lioniestead and 
 ])re-eniption land, and KiO acres he had bono-ht, in iSSl, 
 I'roni the Hudson's Hay Company. IIv liad besides a 
 twenty-acre (Jovernnient wood lot, which liad cost him 
 only one dollar ])er acre, but the market ])rice For which, 
 buyino- I'roin tlie (Jovcrnment at the ])resent date, would 
 liave been about live dollars an acre. This wood lot 
 was seven miles away; on it grew balm of Gilead, po])lar, 
 and a little oak, the two former being very quick-growing 
 trees. His timber house was a largo and roomy one, 
 with barn, dairy, enclosed 3'ard, stable, &c., and he had 
 built it entirely himself. As he had been located here 
 for six years, I was anxiom^ to see how his land stood 
 
A 
 
 EXl'KlllKXdE^ OF TWO SETTLKU^. IHT 
 
 );ii'ts. I 
 
 ilic coiistiint ('''oppiiiir, jiiid my ohscrvations wen! us 
 
 
 follows : — 
 
 o 
 
 1. ()a(s, very luul, iif((!r six years' (iroppiii;,', uiid iio iiiiiinirini,' or 
 
 
 fa!l()\viii<^ ; liiit tliry w»'i(! lii;;li in .soiik? plan-s, wImtu huiik; iiiaiiunj 
 
 t.. 
 
 had lii'cii dropped. 
 
 
 2. Harley, very liad, aft(!r liv(! years' (iroppiii-^'. 
 
 
 .'{. < )ats, lair, al'l.-r four years' eroppiiii,'. 
 
 
 •1. Wheat, pretly ijood, at'tei- tliree ycMrs' •.•n)ppiii;f. 
 
 
 Prairi(( ll(»wers weir, most, lovely, and imlieealile evecywliere. 
 
 io(l, l)»it not 
 
 
 rdcn No. 1. 
 1 1 11 tiicil 
 
 'JMiis Kc^ttlcr's ol)S('rvation to Harnicr was — " I think 
 
 not do well. 
 
 border of 
 Davidson 
 toad and 
 in ISSl, 
 ){'sides a 
 cost him 
 r wliich, 
 e, would 
 wood h)t 
 I, popUir, 
 
 -i^rowmi^ 
 
 )my one, 
 d he had 
 ited hero 
 nd stood 
 
 o 
 
 W(^ sliall liavc to hirm hen; as tl»cv do in the older 
 countries." 'I'o \\w, he said, " A man, let him work- 
 ever so hard, cannot produce i\ui same crops tlie third 
 and ["ouvth years as he can the first and second, unless 
 lie plants swdes or potatoes between-times." In re])ly 
 to my question, whether of the two would be best for the 
 land, fallowini^ or manuring, he was of o])inion that 
 summer fallowi!ii^ would answer better than manuring; 
 *' but j)otatoes would take the place of a summer fallow, 
 for workino- for potatoes acts in the same way (jn the 
 land as a i'allow." Swedes and turnips are also cleansers 
 of the land. Answering- my question, whether stock- 
 raising or the present style of farming would pay best, 
 he replied — "Stock is the thing, for the land will grow 
 poor in time with cropping;" and when I asked him 
 how long he would give it, he said, "Six years." It 
 must be remembered that the depth of soil here averaged 
 
 l!'. 
 
 k 
 
 If ^1 
 
 I t- 
 
 ,ili 
 
 ! i| 
 
'11 : 
 
 :i;: 
 
 348 TJFE AND LABOUIl TX THE FAJi, FAR WEST. 
 
 from ei<4litoen to twonty-four inches, winch was much 
 tlie sumo as at Mr. liarmer's farm, ai.d in tlie Manitoba 
 City district ; about JJek>raine and Wakopa it is nmcli 
 shallower, and continuous croppinjj^ cannot, in my 
 o})inion, be carried on so long- there with advantage. 
 Davidson told me that during the six years he had been 
 located here he had experimented with a couple of acres, 
 cropping them continuously in the following manner: — • 
 the first year being " on the sod," that is without 
 ploughiug, sim])ly sowing on the actual prairie, and 
 then breaking and turning over a sod two inches 
 
 thick :— 
 
 
 
 
 1st 
 
 year. 
 
 On tlie sod 
 
 ... Wheat. 
 
 2iul 
 
 
 Pl()Ujj;lu'd or l)acks('t 
 
 ... Parley. 
 
 3 id 
 
 
 Ploughed or worked ... 
 
 Potatoes 
 
 4tli 
 
 
 Ploughed 
 
 . . . Oats. 
 
 r)tli 
 
 
 Worked 
 
 Potatoes 
 
 Gth 
 
 
 Not ploughed or worked 
 
 Barley. 
 
 This hitter crop we saw ; so heavy was it, that the 
 heads and straw were both bending ; and this successful 
 result he attributed to having worked the land the pre- 
 vious year for potatoes. The railway accommodation 
 had hitherto been so distant, that taking the produce to 
 market had eaten up all the profits. On one occasion 
 he had even hauled his goods to Emerson, eighty miles 
 away ; but he told me it did not pay if one had to haul 
 wheat more than twenty-five miles. He is happy now 
 

 ST. 
 
 as much 
 Jtinitoba 
 is mucli 
 
 in my 
 viiutage. 
 Iiad been 
 of acres, 
 inner : — 
 
 without 
 irie, and 
 ) inches 
 
 it. 
 y. 
 oos. 
 
 DCS. 
 
 '• 
 
 ;hat the 
 iiccessful 
 the pre- 
 lodation 
 oduce to 
 occasion 
 ty miles 
 to haul 
 )py now 
 
 EXrEIilEXCES OF TWO SETTLERS. 
 
 in having the railway only seven miles away. His 
 ideas of a fair average crop were as follows : — 
 
 Oats. 70 bushels to tlie aero. 
 
 JJiirloy. 2-~) to 40 bushels to the acre. 
 
 Wlieat. 30 busliels to the acre. 
 
 Potatoes. 2.50 busliels to the acre. 
 
 His opinion coincided with that giveii me by others, 
 as regards the weeds which were the most ditHcult to 
 contend with; he, too, considering that lambs-cjuarter 
 (similar to our dock), and wild buckwiieat (which is 
 something like a wild convolvulus), were the most 
 obnoxious. According to his experience, onions grew 
 better if always planted on the same ground ; and cer- 
 tainly, a patch where they had Ix'en sown for six years 
 consecutively, looked more llourishing than those sown 
 on ground which had been thus used for only two 
 years. Potatoes thrive better if the soil is changed 
 every year. ^langolds do exceedingly well, and David- 
 son said he could grow them from two to three feet 
 long. 
 
 This visit to Davidson's was most interesting. He 
 freely gave us all the infornuition he could, and it was 
 a fair example of a farm after six years' settlement. 1 
 think it was the fault of the mode of cultivation, rather 
 than of the quality of the land, that the crops were not 
 better. The garden was a good proof of this, for the 
 crops there were very good ; but even this, I believe. 
 
 
 [ '1 
 
 I 
 f 
 
 I 
 
1 
 
 1: 
 
 1 i 
 
 P 
 
 S ' 1 
 
 ' 
 
 
 
 i 
 
 r 
 
 If -^i- 
 
 3S0 Z/"F/'; .ly/) LABOUR /.V 77f/? ^.l/^ F/l/i» irFST. 
 
 had onl}'^ been cleaned, and not manured ; at any rate, 
 outside tlie cattle shed was a very lar^^e heap of manure, 
 wliich did not aj)[)ear to have been touclied for years. 
 Davidson had no sheep, but some ciittle, which he said 
 he had to feed from 1st October to 1st June. Fowls, 
 unless kept under very warm shelter, all die from cold 
 in the winter. This, of course, accounts for their note- 
 worthy absence, which had struck us before. We tried 
 the well-water, and found it indilferent. The David- 
 sons came IVoiii the province of (Quebec, and I do not 
 think that Mrs. Davidson would be very sorry to return 
 there ai^'ain, for she com[)lained of the winters being- so 
 long and cold. She said the school was only ke})t ()])en 
 for si.\; months of the year, being closed throughout the 
 wintvM*. The people in the neighbourhood belonged 
 mostly to the Presbyterian Church; service was held on 
 Sundays about a mile off, and there was also a school 
 attached. 
 
 After our dinner and talk at Davidson's, we went 
 on to visit the stock farm, which consisted of a ver}' 
 hirge area of scrub-wood, intermixed with long grasses ; 
 these in places were from three to lour feet high. 
 They were all good and nutritious, and our horse 
 thoroughly appreciated them, for he took a good mouth- 
 ful whenever he coidd. Some of these y-rasses looked 
 coarse ; but the horse dived at all alike, and aj)parently 
 iound them all equally to his liking. I tasted several 
 
s'T. 
 
 tiny rate, 
 maiiun', 
 or years. 
 I he said 
 Fowls, 
 rom cold 
 leir note- 
 AVe tried 
 e David- 
 I do not 
 to return 
 ; beini^ so 
 <e})t ()])en 
 »;hout tlie 
 belonged 
 s held on 
 D a scho(d 
 
 we went 
 |)f a very 
 grasses ; 
 let high, 
 ir horse 
 [1 mouth- 
 's looked 
 Dparently 
 [1 several 
 
 EXrEJUEXCES OF TUT) SETTLERS. 
 
 SSI 
 
 of them, and found them sweet and nice. What sur- 
 prised me most, wus to see the large amount of wild 
 vetch and prairie ])eas, whicih grow here quite two feet 
 high, constituting, it is said, the best feeding-stulT in 
 the Dominion. Immense <[uantities here were utterly 
 wasted and unused for want of stock ; the grasses were 
 so thick that we could hardly drive through them, and 
 the vetches (without exaggeration), almost ])revented 
 the wheels from turning. Besides this, our horse was 
 so anxious to carry away a recollection of the good fare 
 surrounding him, that we had some ditliculty in keej)ing 
 him on the move. I*]ven Mr. llarmer, my companion, 
 expressed his astonishment at the luxuriant growth. 
 
 Any one who has ridden on a buck-board knows 
 that it will generally pass through, or over anything ; 
 all the same, we came to a sudden stop once. The 
 district throu<jh which we were driviny* was admirablv 
 adapted for cattle. Scrub-wood, growing in places (piite 
 high, was intermixed with the grass; and tlirough ;<U 
 this we drove at a trot; but on one casion we came 
 to such an abrupt halt, that it ahii i threw us both 
 out of the vehicle; and, in point (»' fact, it did pitch 
 
 H 
 
 h 
 
 irmer — wno was s 
 
 >;tand 
 
 inijf ui 
 
 the moment — on 
 
 to the back of the horse. Slight as a buckboard is, 
 it is very strong, and there must necessarily be some 
 sort of connection between the wheels ; and we found, 
 on examination, that this connecting-rod had suddenly 
 
 il 
 
 ii 
 
 if 
 
 V 
 
 ll' 
 
 1 
 
'•wmHiii 
 
 
 31^ ITFE AM) LAJinrn TX THE FATf, F.I 7.' WEST. 
 
 come in contact witli a ])ost — probably tbe old stump of 
 a trco — wbicb ]>n»trnd('(l about two feet above tbt^ 
 L^round. iraviaLC backed off tliis obstruction, we ])ro- 
 ceeded to cross a very niarsby place, lull of rushes, and 
 lookinu^ like a ]:)ond. Mr. Ilanner, liowever, went 
 straii;'lit at it with a rush ; and our steed, who was 
 evidently accustomed to prairie drivinu^, put his back 
 into it, and drag'^vd us out safely on the other side ; 
 though I, in my inexperience, when I first saw what we 
 luuv to go over, had had a very strong feeling that we 
 shouhl get stuck. 
 
 This iijreat stock farm (although held by some one) 
 seemed to be unoccupied, or at any rate very insutfi- 
 ciently and partially stocked ; owing, I suppose, to the 
 usual reas(m, i.r., want if capital. VV^e saw tracks 
 which had been nuule by a few catth', roaming about 
 ap})an>ntly at ])lejisure ; and we also passed places where 
 some of the neighbours were cutting Imy. They 
 seemed to take a patch here Jind there, wherever it suited 
 them; and, of cou.rse, chose the best. The average crop 
 appear-^d to be about two tons to the acre. The length 
 and quality of the grasses, and the abundance of wild 
 vetches and prairie peas, struck me with amazement. 
 Here was the best of feed neglected, or but partially 
 used : any one with the means and opportunity would 
 do well to come here and look up these lands, pro- 
 vided they are to be had. Harmer's observation, as he 
 
 
stump of 
 1)0 ve tlui 
 
 we ])ro- 
 slu's, and 
 ror, wont 
 who was 
 
 liis l)ack 
 lier side ; 
 
 wliat wi» 
 
 that wo 
 
 iome one) 
 
 V insutH- 
 
 U', to tlie 
 
 vv tracks 
 
 pf about 
 
 OS vvliero 
 
 Tiioy 
 
 it suited 
 
 age crop 
 
 le lengtl) 
 
 of wild 
 
 izemont. 
 
 artially 
 
 jy would 
 
 ids, pro- 
 
 )n, as he 
 
 EXPERIENCES OF TWO SETTIJUIS. 
 
 353 
 
 expressed his astonislimont, is worth recording : — " It is 
 wonderrul what is on this great globe, and under the 
 sky." The soil was loamy and quite black ; it would 
 be a great pity to plough it, but it would yield good 
 crops if this were done. 
 
 In the centre of this district we came on one 
 neglected farm. The owner was dead, and the culti- 
 vated land had gone back to waste, and had become one 
 dense mass of prairie ilowers of every shade and colour. 
 When the })rairie is ploughed, and afterwards allowed 
 to remain uncultivated, it throws up numberless wild 
 {lowers, growing very strongly, with long stalks. In 
 its natural state the prairie is covered with low growing 
 flowers; the pretty little prairie ''o^ - — the sweetest little 
 ilowor in the world — grows only from four to eight 
 inches high. A bou((uet of these rose-buds is a sight 
 not easily forgotten. During this tour I have become 
 more and more attached to flowers growing in their 
 wild state, those 1 have seen in the various parts 
 of America which we have visited have been so 
 lovely. 
 
 The stock-farm was well watered, for at one point 
 it adjoins a lake, and in the interior there are also some 
 watering-places. It has besides another advantage, in 
 being well supplied with shelter by the scrub-wood. 
 On our way home we drove straight from point to 
 point; starting from the stock farm, we made right 
 
 X 
 
 ■! ( 
 
 
 ! 
 
 ■'■ ' i 
 
 ii' 
 
 'J I 'i 
 
1 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 854 
 
 /,/"/'7'7 .LV/) LAlUWli IN TIIK FAI{, FAR U'KST. 
 
 across the prairio to the furthest liouse we could see. 
 Several places were shown me which had heen hought 
 during the ** boom " by speculators who now were not 
 able to sell their purchases at a profit. The vendors 
 had heard glowing accounts of the Far West, and had 
 sold their holdings and departed with the intention of 
 visiting it, but found by experience what I can guarantee 
 to be a fact, namely, that the lands of the West — by 
 which I mean on from Regina to the base of the llocky 
 ]\Iountains (east side) — were not so good as those they 
 had left behind them in their old locality. To use 
 Ilarmer's own words, "There are a lot of men who have 
 sold their land and gone west, and could not get any 
 better; then being disappointed would have liked to 
 return, but as they would have had to pay more now 
 for their own land, they have gone to Dakota." 
 
 Harmer's own stock-farm was situated about four- 
 t'^en miles away, so I did not see it. The land he 
 showed me to-day was, he said, worth about eight 
 dollars per acre ; but I have since been informed that 
 this is too high a price to give for this class of grazing- 
 land, for, although it would be difficult to find anything 
 better, there is a good deal of waste in marshy ground 
 and woodland. I should, however, fancy that 10,000 
 acres, all grass and scrub, might be easily got together 
 in this district. Although called a stock-farm, this 
 appears to be only in order to identify the lands, for 
 
lould see. 
 n bought 
 were not 
 i vendors 
 
 and had 
 ention of 
 guarantee 
 Vest— by 
 he lloeky 
 lose they 
 lo use 
 who have 
 ; get any 
 
 liked to 
 lore now 
 
 Dut four- 
 hind he 
 it eight 
 ned that 
 ^razing- 
 mything 
 ground 
 10,000 
 lOgether 
 rm, this 
 nds, for 
 
 EXPEltlEXCES OF TWO SETTLERS. 
 
 :r».) 
 
 at proi-ont notliing is Ijcing done here, either in the way 
 of rearing or grazing. 
 
 Our excursion was altogether a most interesting one; 
 we did not get back till seven o'clock, and, as the buck- 
 board held together, we returned in safety. AFy thanks 
 are due to the driver, l)ut also to the horse, for none but 
 one accustomed to })rairie-driving could have managed 
 so well, or come back uninjured, taking us as he did 
 through bushes and over stumps, across marshes and 
 pcmds. The animal was unshod ; but, really, in prairie- 
 driving no shoes are required, indeed, they are probably 
 better dispensed with. Horses and children seem to be 
 treated in the same way in this respect. Adjoining 
 Harmer's farm is a school section, capital land, but 
 not at present in the market. It amounts to OK) 
 acres, i.e., one square mile, and Ilarmer thought it 
 •ould be cheap at ten dollars an acre. Curiously 
 enough, in a conversation I had later on with a friend 
 in Winnipeg, he himself mentioned this section as being 
 an excellent one, the best, he said, in the whole district ; 
 and I then told him that it was the very one I had 
 picked out, and on conqjaring notes and plans we found 
 that this was actually the case. I told this friend, in the 
 course of our conversation, of the stock lands Harmer 
 had shown me, and he thought that a district growing 
 such grasses could feed cattle during the winter, for, 
 
 owing to their height, they would be above the snow. 
 X 2 '^' '" ^ 
 
ii 
 
 :Kfi 
 
 UFE AND LABOUR TN THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 It was half-past nino o'clock before I said good-bye to 
 Mr. and Mrs. Harnier, thanking them at the same time 
 for all their kindness, and for the information they had 
 given me ; then, roUrning to the car for the night, I 
 rejoined the rest of our party. 
 
 i 
 
 
1ST. 
 
 )d-bye to 
 
 ime time 
 
 thoy had 
 
 night, I 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 AMONC. TlIK MKNNOMTKS. 
 
 Piiinbina Rosciifilil 'Hv Mi'iiiionitcs N'iclinis of Slander How they Tiivc— 
 Their (iiinlens 'llieir Modu of Fiinuiiif? uiul of Seftlement. 
 
 Wk left Manitoba City at 8.15 a.m. on Monday, 
 Au<^ust Gth. At lirst the land was all ^rass, lyin^ 
 rather low, but flat ;ind open, and with a jjfood deal of 
 scrub-wood ; I should think the best use to make of it 
 would be as a cattle range. We again saw most 
 beautiful prairie flowers, growing in masses on each side 
 of the line. After the first ten miles the land did not 
 look so good as that we had seen round Manitoba City. 
 The railway track was terribly out of order, and our 
 car swung and rolled about, almost as much as if we 
 had been crossing the Atlantic. About ten o'clock the 
 appearance of the country changed, for we came to 
 the first Mennonite village settlement. 
 
 These people are emigrants from Russia, though I 
 believe they were originally of German extraction. In 
 accordance with their religious tenets they refused to 
 serve in the army, or to fight, being *'men of peace " ; 
 the Russian Government therefore gave them ten years 
 in which to seek a new home. This clemency is now 
 
 I 
 
 i 1 
 ■ I 
 
,%. 
 
 
 IMAGE EVALUATION 
 TEST TARGET (MT-3) 
 
 
 <i'\% 
 
 1.0 
 
 I.I 
 
 
 iiiii 
 
 III 2.0 
 
 1.8 
 
 
 1.25 
 
 1.4 
 
 1.6 
 
 
 M 6" — 
 
 
 ► 
 
 % 
 
 <^ 
 
 /a 
 
 ^>. 
 
 °a 
 
 
 '/ 
 
 /S^ 
 
 Photographic 
 
 Sciences 
 
 Corporation 
 
 23 WEST MAIN STREET 
 
 WEBSTER, NY. 14580 
 
 (716) 873-4503 
 
 4^ 
 
 iV 
 
 ^ 
 
 :\ 
 
 \ 
 
 % 
 
 V 
 
 
 
 6^ 
 
 V 
 
 ^ 
 
 I. 
 

 
3J8 LIFE Ayn LABOUR IN THE FAB, FAR WEST. 
 
 cancelled, but thousands had previoussly availed them- 
 selves of the chance, and, under good guidance, many 
 settled here, others going to the States. Their settle- 
 ments are always in the form of small villages or com- 
 munities ; and they have apparently been well-advised 
 both in their selection of a locality and in their choice 
 of particular lands, for they occupy some of the finest 
 land in the Red lliver Valley, where the depth of the 
 soil is fully three feet or more, and too good and rich 
 to require manuring for many years to come. Six 
 townships — i.e., thirty-six square miles — were accorded 
 tliem in this part, about ihe year 1871-2. Within this 
 area they have built themselves seventy-five villages, 
 each of which contains from ten or twelve to twenty- 
 five farms. How many Mennonites there may be 
 altogether in Manitoba I cannot tell; it is said that 
 there are in all one hundred villages ; 14,000 fresh 
 emigrants came over only five years ago, but at the 
 present time the permission for others to leave Eussia 
 has been withdrawn. 
 
 We had two or three hours to wait at Pembina 
 junction, and, noticing one of these Mennonite villages 
 (that of Rosenfeld) only about a couple of miles away, 
 we determined to walk over there and pay a visit to 
 its inhabitants. We had been told that they were bad 
 settlers, unpleasant neighbours, and dirty in their 
 persons and dwellings ; but we were much pleased to 
 
EST. 
 
 AMONG THE MENNONITES. 
 
 350 
 
 ed them- 
 Lce, many 
 jir settle- 
 s or com- 
 11-advised 
 eir choice 
 the finest 
 )th of the 
 and rich 
 »me. Six 
 3 accorded 
 rithin this 
 e villages, 
 [;o twenty- 
 may be 
 said that 
 000 fresh 
 ut at the 
 ,ve Kussia 
 
 Pembina 
 ie villages 
 |les away, 
 
 I visit to 
 
 Iwere bad 
 
 in their 
 
 Pleased to 
 
 find that tlie exact reverse was the truth ; and my notes 
 will tend to show tliat otlier settlers have much to 
 learn from them, botli in their method of working the 
 land, and in the general form of settlement which they 
 adopt. I certainly considered their system of farm- 
 ing better than any I had previously noticed, and 
 their crops the best I had seen ; but, whether from 
 belonging to a different nationality^ or from the ex- 
 clusive nature of their communities, the fact remains 
 that they are not popular with the ordinary settlers. 
 In coming up the line we had seen some five-and- 
 twenty of their villages, situated at almost equal dis- 
 tances apart, on the perfectly flat level plain ; but perhaps 
 a description of the one we visited will sufficiently show 
 what the others are like, for I assume that there would 
 be a certain amount of uniformity in them all. The 
 form of the village is generally a broad prairie street 
 dividing two lines of houses, each with a very large 
 and beautifully-cultivated garden attached, stocked with 
 every description of what we should call old-fashioned 
 flowers, and an abundance of vegetables. 
 
 The homesteads are very picturesque, being, as 
 nearly as possible, exact copies of the inhabitants' old 
 Russian homes ; a very few are built entirely of wood, 
 but most of them had wood-framing, plastered and 
 whitewashed at the base, the two gable ends being of 
 wood, and surmounted by a thatched roof. 
 
 W 
 
I 
 
 
 r 
 
 ! *B 
 
 M 
 
 ii 
 
 360 
 
 LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAR, FAB WEST. 
 
 The living-room, stable, cow-house, and waggon- 
 house all join, communicating throughout with doors ; 
 but the pigs have, as a rule, a separate establishment to 
 themselves outside. Over the whole building (living- 
 house, stable, &c.) there is one large open loft which 
 forms a kind of granary, and serves every sort of purpose, 
 being not only a store-room, but a general receptacle 
 for everything, whether because not wanted downstairs, 
 or as requiring shelter. The first house we visited 
 stood back out of the line, and a little apart from the 
 others ; on entering it we found the owner, with his 
 mother-in-law, wife, and child, all seated at a table with 
 a tin dish of milk and sour-krout before them ; this 
 constituted their dinner; they were all eating out of 
 the common dish, though, happily, with separate spoons. 
 
 The floor of the room was partly of earth, and 
 partly neatly boarded, and a ladder communicated with 
 the loft above. The earthen floor formed, as it were, 
 the parlour of the establishment, the boarded portion 
 being used as the dairy, and for the various utensils not 
 in immediate use, which were ranged here on little 
 wooden forms, or small square tables. The buckets 
 were generally placed in threes, and many of the other 
 utensils appeared to have special forms allotted to them, 
 and were placed three or four in a row. All was clean 
 and perfectly neat ; indeed, it was more like a show- 
 house at an exhibition than an ordinary dwelling-room. 
 
» '■ 1 
 
 II 
 
 'EST. 
 
 itli doors ; 
 Lsliment to 
 iijr (living- 
 ioft wliicli 
 )f purpose, 
 receptacle 
 iownstairs, 
 we visited 
 b from the 
 r, with his 
 table with 
 them ; this 
 |ing out of 
 ate spoons, 
 earth, and 
 Lcated with 
 xs it were, 
 [led portion 
 itensils not 
 on little 
 le buckets 
 the other 
 td to them, 
 was clean 
 te a show- 
 lling-room. 
 
 AMOXG THE MENNONITES. 
 
 361 
 
 Tliero were but few copper utensils, but those I saw 
 were quite bright inside, with their outsides as black as 
 ink. In the windows stood neat little pots of flowers 
 and prairie roses. 
 
 Opening out of this combined room (in which the 
 difference in the flooring was the only distinction) 
 were two bedrooms, separated by a boarded partition 
 with a curtain drawn across. The family treasures, con- 
 sisting of china, glass, spoons, &c., were kept in one of 
 the bedrooms, on shelves in a window opening into the 
 sitting-room. Thus the contents of the room could be 
 seen on both sides ; and we noticed an old Dutch clock 
 against the wall, also a silver watch and chain hung up 
 as a grand ornament. 
 
 There were in the rooms two wooden beds, a crib, 
 and a very large oak case ; a table with a pile of winter 
 blankets, and what we should call eider-down quilts, and 
 a couple of stools, completed the furniture. The cur- 
 tains to the bedroom-windows were closed. The oven 
 opened out of the bedroom ; from the sitting-room passed 
 an open chimney, which acted partly as an escape for the 
 smoke from the stove below, and partly as a ventilator. 
 
 Under the same roof, and communicating by a 
 door, were the stable, cowhouse, &c. ; and I think it 
 is very possibly owing to this arrangement that the 
 report has been spread that these Mennonites are such 
 a dirty people, living under the same roof as their 
 
'T 
 
 i 
 
 I S 
 
 II 
 
 ) 
 
 .'1 
 
 :{*32 LIFE A}7D LABOUR 7.V THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 animals. For my part, I must say I do not think 
 it is at all a bad arrangement, but, on the contrary, 
 very suitable to the climate, for it enables the owners to 
 get to the stock without having to go out-of-doors; 
 and, as far as I could ascertain, the plan w^as not open 
 to objection on the score of want of cleanliness. 
 
 After seeing the house, we next went to visit the 
 garden. This we found was beautifully kept, and \ve\\ 
 filled with vegetables and flowers of every variety. 
 The following is a list which I give in the order that I 
 took the names down in my note-book : — 
 
 1. 
 
 Potatoes, 
 
 20. 
 
 Sage. 
 
 2. 
 
 Sunflowers. 
 
 21. 
 
 Sour Krout. 
 
 3. 
 
 Poppies. 
 
 22. 
 
 Rhubarb. 
 
 4. 
 
 Nasturtiums. 
 
 23. 
 
 China Aster. 
 
 5. 
 
 Pinks. 
 
 24. 
 
 Mignonette. 
 
 6. 
 
 Beans. 
 
 2.x 
 
 Caraway seed. 
 
 7. 
 
 Currants. 
 
 26. 
 
 Sweet Briar. 
 
 8. 
 
 Sweetwilliam. 
 
 27. 
 
 Manitoba Clierry. 
 
 9. 
 
 Pansy. 
 
 28. 
 
 Swedes. 
 
 10. 
 
 Beetroot. 
 
 29. 
 
 Hollyhock. 
 
 11. 
 
 Onions. 
 
 30. 
 
 Peas. 
 
 12. 
 
 Indian Pink. 
 
 31. 
 
 Horse Radish. 
 
 13. 
 
 Scarlet Star. 
 
 32. 
 
 Vegetable Marrow. 
 
 U. 
 
 Marigold. 
 
 33. 
 
 Cucumber. 
 
 15. 
 
 Gooseberry. 
 
 34. 
 
 Camomile. 
 
 16. 
 
 Lettuce. 
 
 35. 
 
 Water melon (which 
 
 17. 
 
 Carrots. 
 
 
 does not grow well). 
 
 18. 
 
 Frencli Beans. 
 
 36. 
 
 Balsam. 
 
 19. 
 
 Wild Gooseberry. 
 
 37. 
 
 Roses. 
 
 
 38. Pc 
 
 )rtulaca. 
 
 
'.ST. 
 
 ot think 
 contrary, 
 owners to 
 of- doors ; 
 
 not open 
 s. 
 
 visit the 
 , and well 
 f variety, 
 der that I 
 
 ,t. 
 
 Bed. 
 ir. 
 
 Cherry. 
 
 lish. 
 Marrow. 
 
 )n (which 
 how well). 
 
 AMOliG THE MENNONITES. 
 
 The sunflower seed came direct Tom Russia. The 
 vegetable garden was in the centre, and the flower 
 gardens formed the borders, in the same manner as one 
 may see any day in old-fashioned English gardens. 
 The second house that we visited was much the same 
 as the one I have just described, and everything was 
 equally in order. The only difference in the garden 
 was the addition of plum and dwarf mulberry-trees, 
 also of cotton-wood and poplar. The two latter were 
 eventually to be planted out, and, in the end, to be 
 used for firing. The potato crop here was exceedingly 
 good. 
 
 The third house we went to belonged to the "boss" 
 of the village ; and was an exact imitation, in wood, of 
 a Russian house. In this garden we found, besides the 
 vegetables and flowers enumerated above, some wild 
 hops, Scotch kale, very fine cabbages, and a few apple- 
 trees ; but these latter do not grow well in Manitoba. 
 The flowers were, in every case, beautiful and well- 
 grown; the vegetables, on the whole, were also very 
 good and creditable, the potatoes, in particular, being 
 excellent. The name of our guide was Peter Zorokar- 
 riors, that of the proprietor of the second house was 
 Abram Zacharis, and that of the "boss" of the village 
 was David Klason. They were all most friendly, and 
 followed us about, every one being anxious to show us 
 their homes and gardens ; so we soon had the majority 
 
 f, 
 
fin" 
 
 i ' it 
 
 '1^ 
 
 I 
 
 I, 
 
 1 I 
 
 fiil 
 
 m\ LIFE AND LAIiOUU IN THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 of tlie villa«^c \vjilkin<r about with us. Their kno\vled*(o 
 of the Englisli lanj^'Uiige was not very «^reat ; but their 
 anxiety to be friendly and to sliow us ever3'thin<^ fully 
 made up for this, and we managed to understand each 
 other pretty well. 
 
 The oldest settler in this village has been here eight 
 years. With regard to the farming of the Mennonite 
 community, they have some excellent land, a part of the 
 Red lliver Valley ; in fact, it is some of the best in 
 Manitoba, excepting, perhaps, that immediately adjoin- 
 ing the river. Upon examining the crops, I found 
 some very good, though weedy, wheat (the best that I 
 have seen in Manitoba) ; the oats were also good, and 
 cleaner. The soil seemed almost too strong and rich, 
 and inclined to make too much straw. These crops 
 were the result after six years' continuous wheat-grow- 
 ing, with the exception of one year's fallowing. I 
 noticed here a small field of mown barley, which is the 
 first crop I have seen ripe and cut in Manitoba. The 
 settlers told us that, after four years' cropping, they had 
 found the land had become too weedy aad dirty; so they 
 now adopt the following rotation, the first year, of 
 course, having been devoted to breaking and back- 
 setting. After that, 
 
 Second year. Wheat. 
 Third 
 
 Fourth year, Oats. 
 Fifth „ Wheat. 
 
 Sixth year, Fallow. 
 
<:sT. 
 
 but their 
 ling fully 
 tand each 
 
 here eight 
 Mennouite 
 part of the 
 he best in 
 ely adjoin- 
 s, I found 
 best that I 
 ) good, and 
 ig and rich, 
 hese crops 
 |vheat-grow- 
 ilowing. I 
 hich is the 
 Ltoba. The 
 g, they had 
 ^•ty; so they 
 •st year, of 
 and back- 
 
 Oats. 
 Wheat. 
 
 AMONG THE MENNONITES. 
 
 This last they call the " black year." Thus it will 
 be seen that they adopt the principle of fallowing every 
 fifth year. It must be remembered that (in this part 
 of the Red Kiver Valley) the soil is three feet deep, and 
 manuring would as yet probably make :he land too rich, 
 therefore I think the fallowing system is the best to 
 adopt here for the present ; all the same, I think it will 
 eventually be found that it must be resorted to oftener, 
 and that only to fallow every fifth year leaves too long 
 an interval between. At any rate, however, these 
 Mennonite settlers have commenced a regular system of 
 fallowing, which other settlers in Manitoba have as yet 
 failed to do; for the only idea of the latter (as I have 
 said before) as far as 1 could see, was to crop as often 
 and as hard as they could : they will learn by experience 
 that this plan will not answer. In the Mennonite 
 settlement I saw one field of wheat which had been 
 cropped for seven years in succession ; it looked bad, 
 thin, and foul, and this could not be the fault of the 
 soil, for nothing could exceed its richness. Wheat was 
 apparently cultivated more than anything else; after 
 this came oats ; but there was very little barley, and 
 what there was was indifferent, while the wheat and 
 oats, when properly cultivated, were excellent. 
 
 I also noticed a small patch of swedes, which were 
 fairly good, but small, considering the time of year. 
 The prairie grasses were good, and their greenness quite 
 
 ii 
 
 f ; III 
 
Yc"> 
 
 366 
 
 LIFE /IM) LABOUR IN THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 ■ 
 
 !i 
 
 remarkable when compared with the North- West Terri- 
 tory. At Rosenfeld there did not seem to be much 
 stock, but on Hearing some of the other villages we saw 
 many herds of cattle. The stock belonging to each 
 separate village community graze in common, ever}* 
 member contributing half a dollar a head for the herds- 
 man. On the same principle, a general subscription is 
 raised for a schoolmaster — who, it appears, instead of 
 keeping a school for the children to come to, visits 
 instead, and teaches at each house in turn ; but how 
 this plan could work was not quite clear to me. 
 
 It was apparent that there was a controlling hand 
 directing the arrangements of these Mennonites ; their 
 villages were all regularly laid out on a uniform plan, 
 and situated at equal distances apart. C>n their northern 
 side the prairie was left unenclosed, in a stretch thirty- 
 six miles long, for grazing purposes. On the southern 
 side of each village was the mowing- ground for hay, 
 and behind this again lay the tillage lands, all adjoining 
 each other, instead of being scattered about here, there, 
 and everywhere. I assume that each village has its 
 recognised boundary. The houses were much more 
 roomy and more comfortable than any I had previously 
 seen, and, on the whole, I think the Mennonites should 
 be congratulated on the success they have thus far 
 achieved. I certainly observed no signs of the unclean- 
 liness which is attributed to them. 
 
 'i i 
 
EST. 
 
 est Tcrri- 
 
 be much 
 es we saw 
 g lo eacb 
 ion, every 
 the herds- 
 icriptiou is 
 
 instead of 
 
 3 to, visits 
 
 ; but how 
 
 ae. 
 
 oiling hand 
 nites ; their 
 liform plan, 
 teir northern 
 "etch thirty - 
 ;he southern 
 |nd for hay, 
 ,11 adjoining 
 here, there, 
 lage has its 
 [much more 
 previously 
 jtes should 
 e thus far 
 ;be unclean- 
 
 AMOXH Till'] .UENXOSri'ES. 
 
 m 
 
 They wen* ijrowing tlic best crops I have seen, either 
 in Manitoba or the Nortli-West Territory ; and they 
 struck me as being a luippy, contented, and prosperous 
 people, with more of tlie real settler about them than I 
 had noticed elsewhere. When once settled, they remain, 
 and look upon the place as their home, working the 
 land with the intention of making the best of it, with- 
 out any idea of selling and moving t)n should an oppor- 
 tunity occur of turning their holdings into cash, and 
 thus restlessly seeking a new home almost before they 
 had become established in their old one. Indeed, [ am 
 not at all sure that they are allowed to sell ; if they 
 were, I think there would soon be plenty of customers 
 seeking to buy their property. 
 
 The latest comer in the settlement said that of his 
 160 acres he cultivated fifteen as hay, nineteen as 
 wheat, eleven as oats, and four acres only as barley, 
 the rest of his holding being grass. He possessed one 
 cow, two calves, and three horses. If settlers else- 
 where would but break up their 160 acres in the same 
 proportion, there would be less rush and fluctuation of 
 population, and a better chance for the future steady 
 development of the country. This man's old home had 
 lain between Moscow and Odessa, rather to the north- 
 east of Kiev, and he said it was very much colder here 
 than there. Nothing, however, would have persuaded 
 him to go back to Eussia, and he seemed even to dread 
 
t'AU WKST. 
 
 the very idea of sucli a thin<^ ever hv'iu^f pctssiblc; wlwch 
 
 tends to sli 
 
 the h 
 
 hicli til 
 
 IS to snow tno horror anu aversion m wiiicn tne 
 oppressions of the Russian Government are lield by tliese 
 people. Another of the s(!ttlers stated that of his 100 
 acres, thirty were under wheat, fourteen were oats, five 
 barley, and one potatoes. We bought some egj^^s here at 
 eighteen cents per dozen ; the Mennonites like a bargain, 
 but are very careful to be exact about it. I believe they 
 are fair in their dealings, and that their charges are 
 moderate. It is possible that the undoubted prejudice 
 which exists against them may partly owe its origin to 
 the fact of their selling the produce of their farms at a 
 more reasonable and moderate rate than the other 
 settlers do. As regards the " mode of settlement " 
 practised by the Mennonites, I think other settlers have 
 a great deal to learn by their example ; for, in the first 
 place (as I said before), they farm their land, not as a 
 s23eculation, but with the intention of remaining on it, 
 and making it their home; and, secondly, they work it 
 on a system, and break up less land, thus reserving a 
 . larger proportion of pasture, which I feel sure is right. 
 As the country opens up more grain will be grown, 
 and therefore the price of wheat will fall, while stock, 
 on the contrary, is continually increasing in value, and 
 ought eventually to be produced in far larger quan- 
 tities throughout all these provinces. 
 
 I also like the adoption of the village plan : consider- 
 
KST. s 
 
 )le ; wUich 
 which the 
 il by thi'so 
 ji his IGO 
 ! oats, five 
 rtrs here at 
 ! a bar^'ain, 
 (olicve thoy 
 jliar^es an' 
 d prejudice 
 its origin to 
 farms at a 
 L the other 
 settlement " 
 jcttlers have 
 , in the first 
 id, not as a 
 Aning on it, 
 ;hey work it 
 reserving a 
 ure is right, 
 be grown, 
 vvhile stock, 
 |n value, and 
 larger quan- 
 
 m : consider- 
 
 AMOXa THE MENXONTTES. 
 
 :<()'.• 
 
 ing Manitoba and tlio Nortli-West Territory inchide 
 Huch a large area, I cannot help thinking that it would 
 be very simple to try the experiment of laying out some 
 townships on an approved model village plan, in order 
 to see how the project would be received by the public. 
 The female part of the population would, I am sure, look 
 on it with approval, for the present monotony of a long 
 winter in an isolated district must be terribly dull for 
 them. With the Mennonites the numure from the cow- 
 houses is cut into oblong pieces, just in the same manner 
 as peat is cut in Ireland ; it is then dried in the sun, 
 and afterwards stacked like a peat-rick; it is used in 
 winter, when mixed with wood, to kindle a fire. 
 
 ■|: I* 
 
 ■ ,l 
 
 m 
 
[flff' 
 
 ' I 
 
 t ■ 
 
 
 ' i ii: 
 
 :i! 
 
 ii 
 
 CHAPTEE XXV. 
 
 ALONG THE RED RIVER VALLEY. 
 
 A Rush for the Train — Morris — Comparativo Richness of lianda — Winnipeg — 
 Clive's Indisposition more Serious — "Winnipeg 3Iud — A Drive to Kil- 
 donan — General Remarks on ManitoLa and the North-West. 
 
 In the end we took a hurried farewell of the village 
 of Eosenfeld and its inhabitants, for we had to make 
 a rush for our train, which we saw returning along the 
 track ; but the engine-driver very obligingly pulled up 
 to let us get on board, the station being some distance 
 ahead. As we continued our journey, the line was still 
 very much out of order; the sleepers were actually 
 sunk into the ground, and the rails also were very often 
 much depressed, and lower on the one side than on the 
 other. When we were within twelve miles of Winni- 
 peg, however, we went more steadily, thanks to the 
 acquisition of some ballast, of which there was none 
 to be had lower down. Luckily, we were not allowed 
 at any time to go faster than fourteen miles an hour, 
 which, under the circumstances, was a comfort. 
 
 We followed the valley of the Eed Eiver the whole 
 way to Winnipeg. With the exception of a few oat- 
 fields the country was all excellent grass land ; I believe 
 
(—Winnipeg- 
 Drive to Kil- 
 
 it. 
 
 Dhe village 
 id to make 
 y along the 
 r pulled up 
 ae distance 
 ne was still 
 re actually 
 very often 
 ;han on the 
 of Winni- 
 [nks to the 
 was none 
 lot allowed 
 [es an hour, 
 I't. 
 the whole 
 a few oat- 
 ; I believe 
 
 ALOXG THE RED lilVER VALLEY. 
 
 371 
 
 that at certain seasons of the year it is in places liable 
 to become swampy; it is therefore more adapted for 
 pasture than for corn-growing. To the east the valley 
 is perfectly flat, but on the western side the ground 
 rises a little. In the distance we could see the course 
 of the river marked by a line of trees (usually elms). 
 The town of Morris — between Pembina junction and 
 Winnipeg, and about forty-three miles from the latter 
 town — attr'icted my attention as being a very rising 
 place. It is surrounded by some fine agricultural lands, 
 which are at present undeveloped. 
 
 The following is a summary of the various lands, 
 classed, as well as I was able to judge, according to 
 their richness : — 
 
 1. Red River Valley; the land in the neighbourhood of Winnipeg 
 
 is the deepest and richest. 
 
 2. Mennonite Red River Valley land ; 3 ft. deep about Rosenfeld. 
 
 3. Land near Otterburne, 31 miles south of Winnipeg. 
 +. Lands in the vicinity of Manitoba City. 
 
 5. Land east of Wakopa ; from Wakopa to Cartwright and ^lanitoba 
 
 City, passing Pembina Crossing. 
 
 6. Souris Valley land, near Plum Creek. 
 
 7. Mr. Rankin's land on the Assiniboine. 1 
 
 8. Qu'Appelle Valley and neighbourly >*" ,. co the north, j 
 
 equal. 
 
 The best wheat I saw was grown at Rosenfeld ; the second best 
 in the neighbourhood of Manitoba City ; tlie third best in the 
 neighbourhood of Turtle Mountain ; the fourth best at Mr. 
 Rankin's Assiniboine farm. The oats at Mr. Rankin's were 
 as good as any I saw elsewhere 
 
 Y -^ 
 
 P 
 
372 LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAB, FAB WEST. 
 
 We reached Winnipeg about 7.30 p.m. on the 
 evening of August Gth, and immediately went to the 
 hotel to find Clive, as we were anxious to see him and 
 tell him all about our drive. We were told, however, 
 tliat he had moved that day to Herbert Power's house 
 in Edmonton Terrace. Following him there at once, 
 we found him in bed, but pretty comfortable. He said 
 he had disliked his previous quarters very much, and was 
 only too thankful to be moved to this place. He told 
 me how Herbert Power being at Winnipeg, and dining 
 at Mr. F. Brydges', had accidentally heard from his 
 hostess that there was an Englishman ill in the city, to 
 whom she wanted to send some newspapers, &c. ; and on 
 asking the name and finding it was Clive, he had at 
 once volunteered to lend him his house. Clive told me 
 all he had been doing, and how unexpected this fresh 
 return of illness was. As he said, "When we parted at 
 Branv^on four days ago, neither you nor I could tell I 
 was going to be so seedy ;" and I can safely say, had I 
 thought it for one moment, I should never have left 
 him. We both agreed that, under the circumstances, it 
 was very fortunate he had come straight to Winnipeg, 
 and had not attempted the long drive from Brandon to 
 Manitoba Citv ; for it would have been far worse to 
 have been laid up on the road, in one of the settler's 
 huts, beyond the reach of any doctor. Altogether, 
 judging from his manner and appearance, there was 
 
 Ml 
 
on the 
 at to the 
 him and 
 however, 
 er's house 
 I at once, 
 He said 
 ii, and was 
 He told 
 nd dining 
 I from his 
 he city, to 
 c. ; and on 
 he had at 
 Ive told me 
 this fresh 
 parted at 
 luld tell I 
 say, had I 
 have left 
 stances, it 
 |Winnipeg, 
 randon to 
 worse to 
 e settler's 
 Itogether, 
 here was 
 
 ALONG THE RED lUVER VALLEY. 
 
 373 
 
 nothing to cause alarm or uneasiness ; and he seemed 
 to think he should soon be better. He was immensely 
 interested in hearing all about our trip to Southern 
 Manitoba, and regretted very much that he had been 
 unable to go there, asking, "Well, have you had a good 
 time of it ? fine country ? fine farms ? " &c. We told 
 him in reply all we had seen and done, and he entered 
 fully into it all. I subsequently wrote a short note for 
 him, at his dictation, to his sister, telling her exactly 
 how he was, and the doctor's opinion of his illness, 
 but saying that he was now recovering, and that 
 we should probably be able to move in a week. 
 
 I had wanted to add what was really the fact, that he 
 had had besides a slight touch of dysentery, but he would 
 not allow it, saying, " No, not dysentery, it is not that ; 
 but even if so, very slightly, and that would make it 
 look worse than it is, so leave that out." Dr. Kerr, the 
 physician whom Clive had consulted during his first 
 visit to Winnipeg, had been away in the country, 
 but he returned this evening, and resumed his attend- 
 ance on his formxcr patient instead of his partner, J^r. 
 Lynch, who had seen him in the interval. 
 
 We returned late to the car, sleeping in it on a 
 siding at the railway station ; and the first thing the 
 next morning went back to Clive, and found Power 
 there, who promised to give up his room to me the next 
 day, as he was leaving Winnipeg then to return to the 
 
 
 1 ^u 
 
 ^ \\ 
 
374 
 
 LIFE AXD LAliOUli IX THE FAIL FAR WEST. 
 
 Assiniboine farm. Either Mitchell or I was con- 
 stantly with Clive throughout the day. Dr. Kerr told 
 me that in his opinion he would bo able to be moved 
 in a week. It had been a bad attack, and he had pre- 
 viously been much weakened by the former one ; but if 
 he could only be got to the sea-side he would be well at 
 once ; and the best thing of all would be to get him on 
 board ship as soon as possible. Clive himself had a 
 great longing to get to the sea; and, acting on all this, I 
 went to see Mr. Jaffray, and arranged with him not to 
 leave Winnipeg for a week, so as to keep the official car 
 for Clive's use. Mr. Jaffray was most kind and con- 
 siderate, but hinted that next Monday would really suit 
 him best, as he wanted to get home to Toronto. Dr. 
 Kerr agreed to this, saying that if his patient continued 
 to improve as he was then doing, he saw no reason why 
 he should not move then. Clive seemed himself to think 
 he was much better, and was quite cheerful ; so I told 
 him all about the arrangements made for keeping the 
 car. The weather was exceedingly hot all day, and we 
 had to try to keep Clive cool by fanning. 
 
 There was a fall of rain, so we had another benefit 
 of Winnipeg mud, which is the most sticky stuff I have 
 ever come across in my life. Herefordshire clay is 
 nothing to it ! Winnipeg strikes me as a more won- 
 derful place in its quick growth on this second visit, 
 than it did in the previous one. Considering that 
 
MMiiiWlIB 
 
 ST. 
 
 ALONG THE RED ItlVEB VALLEY. 
 
 vas con- 
 CeiT told 
 le moved 
 had pre- 
 e ; but if 
 »e well at 
 it him on 
 ilf had a 
 all this, I 
 m not to 
 ifficial car 
 and con- 
 eally suit 
 ito. Dr. 
 ontinued 
 ,son why 
 to think 
 so I told 
 ping the 
 , and we 
 
 " Fort Garry," as it was called, consisted a few years 
 ago of but one fort, in an enclosure with a few Indian 
 wigwams, it is astonishing to think that its population 
 now amounts to about 25,000. It will be remembered 
 that when we parted with Clive at Brandon he had 
 gone straight on to Winnipeg with the rest of the party 
 in the car. Up to that morning he had intended ac- 
 companying us on the Southern Manitoba drive ; but, 
 just at the last, he had said he was rather tired after 
 the previous day's bumping over the prairie (in going 
 to the Assiniboine farm and back), and so he thought it 
 would be wisest to go to Winnipeg, get his prescrip- 
 tion * made up there again, and, after a day's rest, 
 to come on to Manitoba City in the car to meet us 
 there. I had volunteered to accompany him, but this 
 he would not hear of. When he did not appear at 
 Manitoba City, I was most anxious to get back to him 
 at Winnipeg ; but, unfortunately, as I have previously 
 stated, the train we had reckoned on going by had been 
 taken off, and there being no other, and no Sunday 
 
 ;■ 
 
 i':' 
 
 I;: 
 
 ^r benefit 
 Iff I have 
 clay is 
 
 )re won- 
 Ind visit, 
 
 [ng that 
 
 • Lot me here recommend future travellers in North America never 
 to be without medicine of some description, in case of a sudden attack of 
 diarrhoea, which is very prevalent, partly on accoimt of the climate, and 
 more often by reason of drinking bad water or too much iced water. 
 From personal experience I can stroncfly rocommeud the diarrhoea and 
 cholera tablets of Messrs. Savory and Moore, of New Bond Street, which 
 may be carried without inconvenience. Another remedy is a few drops of 
 chlorodyne in water ; this I have found the stronger and perhaps the more 
 efficacious of the two. 
 
OB 
 
 ^76 LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 li i ' 
 
 trains, we were obliged to remain at Manitoba City * 
 until the Monday. 
 
 We had again to pass the night in our car, but the 
 station was rather a noisy place for sleeping at, and the 
 trains awoke one early. We had breakfast at the 
 station, and saw Herbert Power off by the 7.30 a.m. 
 train, and then I made my move to his room at 91, 
 Edmonton Terrace, so as to be nearer to Clive, for at 
 the station we were about three miles off. Dr. Kerr 
 again reported him to be better to-day ; but he had not 
 had a good night — possibly on account of the heat — 
 for though the nights here are generally cool, we seem 
 to have come in for a spell of really hot weather, and 
 both yesterday and to-day were excessively hot. I 
 called upon Mrs. F. Brydges, to thank her for her kind- 
 ness and thoughtfulness in sending Clive jellies and 
 puddings, &c. They were most useful, and indeed, I 
 do not see how we could have procured them for him 
 ourselves. He seemed so very much better in the 
 afternoon that we felt quite happy about him, and the 
 idea of having an extra nurse to assist the housekeeper 
 (who was most attentive to him) was given up. Dr. 
 Kerr agreeing that it was not necessary. The latter 
 had once or twice made a remark as to the possibility of 
 the presence of typhoid, and had been watching for it ; 
 
 * The name of Manitoba City is now changed to Manitou. 
 name must not be confused with Manitou, Colorado, U. S. A. 
 
 This 
 
asT. 
 
 ba City * 
 
 -, but the 
 D, aud the 
 it at the 
 7.30 a.m. 
 )m at 91, 
 ye, for at 
 Dr. Kerr 
 le had not 
 he heat — 
 , we seem 
 ather, and 
 Y hot. I 
 her kind- 
 ellies and 
 indeed, I 
 a for him 
 ;er in the 
 , and the 
 •usekeeper 
 up, Dr. 
 'he latter 
 isibility of 
 tng for it ; 
 
 litou. This 
 
 ALONO THE RED RIVER VALLEY. 
 
 377 
 
 but to-day he said that he saw no symptoms of it, and 
 altogether I felt so satisfied with his report, that in the 
 afternoon I left Mitchell in charge, and went with Mr. 
 Jaffray (according to a previous arrangement) to visit 
 his property at Kildonan. 
 
 This is managed for him by his brother. It is 
 situated some six miles north of Winnipeg, on the Red 
 River. The country immediately surrounding Winni- 
 peg is well wooded ; and this tends in a great measure 
 to take off from the sense of flatness which one ex- 
 pects to feel round this prairie city ; for it is really 
 situated on an absolutely flat plain. We drove through 
 these woods along a fairly good road, until we came to 
 a ferry, by means of which we crossed the Red River ; 
 half a mile farther on we reached Kildonan. On our 
 way we had passed several farms in the immediate 
 vicinity of the river, all with excellent soil — a deep 
 black loam, I do not exactly know how many feet deep, 
 but I believe it to be the best and deepest in Manitoba. 
 On this first-rate land, however, I think I saw without 
 exception the worst farming, the poorest crops, and the 
 greatest amount of thistles, wild oats, and other weeds, 
 that I have ever seen in my life. This result is, I 
 think, not from any want of manure — for I doubt if 
 this rich land would bear manuring for a long time 
 after breaking — but from want of ordinary care in fal- 
 lowing and cleaning. I can safely assert that in quality 
 
V '1 
 
 ■:m 
 
 M n 
 
 
 378 LIFE AXn LABOUR IN THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 some of this land can hardly he surpassed. On the 
 banks of the river the soil is of ^^reat depth ; and I do 
 not doubt the fact (which I believe some of the old in- 
 hahitants can vouch for), that in parts it has been con- 
 tinuously cropped for from fifty to seventy years. 
 Indeed, it is the boast of people who extol the advan- 
 tages of Manitoha, that the soil is so good, so deep, 
 and so rich, that it is impossible to impoverish it by 
 constant cultivation. I cordially agree as to the good- 
 ness, richness, and depth of the soil in the Eed Eiver 
 Valley ; but as to the possibility of continual cropping, 
 I can only repeat my former assertion, that some of the 
 crDps which I saw in this district (which is acknow- 
 ledged on all hands to possess the finest land imagin- 
 able) are among the most miserable I have ever seen. 
 Some people owning land here are now beginning to 
 reclaim, and to farm at a dead loss to themselves what 
 has been so ruined by others. This course is being 
 pursued by Mr. Jaffray, on whose farm I noticed a fair 
 show of oats. His object is to reclaim his land here 
 (which he bought in 1881), and to get it into a better 
 state of cultivation than it was then. Instead, there- 
 fore, of farming for profit, he has put his brother in 
 with directions to work it round, receiving no rent, and 
 expecting no return at present. If others would only 
 follow this example, there would be a chance of 
 rescuing these fine lands from their present ruined 
 
'EST. 
 
 ALONG THE RED IllVER VALLEY. 
 
 379 
 
 . On the 
 ; and I do 
 the old in- 
 5 been con- 
 ;nty years, 
 the advan- 
 id, so deep, 
 ^erish it by 
 the good- 
 ; lied Kiver 
 al cropping, 
 some of the 
 is acknow- 
 and imagin- 
 ever seen, 
 leginning to 
 selves what 
 se is being 
 tticed a fair 
 land here 
 to a better 
 ;tead, there- 
 brother in 
 rent, and 
 would only 
 chance of 
 ent ruined 
 
 condition, and restoring them to their former ilourish- 
 ing state. 
 
 One word more here as to the depth of the soil in 
 Manitoba and tlie North-West Territory. It is repre- 
 sented as deep and good throughout, being the bed of 
 i'n old lake, &c., and no doubt the latter was its con- 
 dition in ages long gone by ; but the very large extent 
 of territory included in these two provinces must be 
 taken into consideration, and then it may be more 
 clearly understood that the soil varies very much in 
 depth and quality in the various different districts, just 
 as it does in any other country. It must not, therefore, 
 be taken for granted that because the Ked Kiver Valley 
 possesses such deep loamy soil, the land throughout the 
 whole country is of tlie same quality, for such an idea 
 would be very far from the actual fact, and must result 
 in disappointment. The climate of Manitoba is much 
 the same as that of the North-West Territory ; the same 
 long winters, with nothing to do except cutting wood, 
 and tending the very few cattle : but of course it must 
 always be remembered that it is a dry cold, with no 
 wind, and therefore (considering the lowness of the 
 temperature) not nearly so much felt as it would be 
 with us. 
 
«! ■ ! 
 
 CIIAPTKU XXVI. 
 
 TIIK KM). 
 
 CHvc hocomos Worst> — Mcshim. Htowint iind CuiiiplK'H's Ciittlo Rancho — Clivo's 
 Dentil— Till! Hctiiin .loiuiicy. 
 
 Retuhninu to Edmonton Terrace, we noticed towards 
 evening a decided clian^^^e in Clive ; without any ap- 
 parent reason he hecamo very wanderin*^ and delirious, 
 and the next morning (August 9th) he was undoubtedly 
 not so well ; he had had a bad night, and continued 
 wandering or delirious throughout the day. I was very 
 uneasy about him, not knowing what could be the 
 reason of the change, for everything seemed to have 
 been going on so nicely, and we had all hoped for his 
 speedy recovery. We had both been asked to-day 
 to go and see Messrs. Stewart and Campbell's Cattle 
 Ranche, about twenty miles west of Winnipeg ; but we 
 had agreed that one of us should always be with Clive, 
 so to-day I remained with him while Mitchell made 
 the expedition alone, and was away the greater part 
 of the day. Of this expedition I subjoin the following 
 account taken from his note-book : — 
 
 " He breakfasted at the railway station, where 
 Messrs. Jaffray, Stewart, and Bath met him ; and to- 
 gether they proceeded by a short branch railway (over 
 
3 Rjincho -ClivnV 
 
 icL'd towards 
 out any ap- 
 ,nd delirious, 
 undoubtedly 
 ad continued 
 . I was very 
 pould be the 
 med to have 
 oped for liis 
 |asked to-day 
 .bell's Cattle 
 peg"; but we 
 e with Clive, 
 itchell made 
 greater part 
 he following 
 
 lation, where 
 
 lim ; and to- 
 
 L-ailway (over 
 
 TlfR END, 
 
 381 
 
 which a train only runs once a week), following the 
 valley of the Assiniboine River to Headingley. The land 
 on each side of the line was very good — much the same 
 as in the lied Kiver Valley — but the funning decidedly 
 bad, and the crops dirty «ind weedy. On leaving the 
 train at Headingley, the party found Mr. Campbell 
 waiting for them with two carriages to take them to 
 the Kanche. He had only come two years previously 
 from Scotland, where he had been farming largely in 
 Dumfries. At first they drove through good — but in- 
 famously farmed — lands, with bad and very dirty crops ; 
 a good deal of the country was out of cultivation, 
 the original holders having sold their properties to 
 speculators (who neither resided nor farmed them) 
 at the time of the extreme high prices. After driving 
 for some distance along the left bank of the Assini- 
 boine River through a pretty, well-wooded, park-like 
 country, which has been settled for many years, they 
 reached the ferry — which was of the same sort as 
 those usually adopted in all this country, and which 
 I have previously endeavoured to describe in my ac- 
 count of the North- West Territory — viz., a rope-ferry 
 very simply worked, the boat being carried across 
 merely by the current. The carriages crossed the river 
 (which was very mudd^) separately ; and then they 
 continued their drive along the right bank, finding 
 the prairie-land they came upon both good and rich, 
 
 , i: 
 
382 
 
 LIFE AM) JsAnoVU IS THE /'.I/.'. FMl WEST. 
 
 and noticing,' ji t'ovv cattle and horses grazing' about, 
 lM'Ion«^inf]f to half-breeds. All this district has been 
 mostly in the occupation of French settlers and half- 
 breeds, an( 
 
 1 was laid out numy years ago in 1 
 
 on< 
 
 narrow strips running back from the river. Camp- 
 bell's farm is about four miles from the ferry, and is 
 perhaps half a mile wide ; but, owing to a sudden bend 
 )f the 
 
 it 
 
 luch 1 
 
 water front 
 
 age 
 
 oi tne river, ir possesses a mucii larger water 
 than is usually the case. Tie entered the farm in the 
 spring of 18S2 ; the whole extent is !,()()() acres, 
 and of this he fenced in 800 acres with wire last year. 
 The party first went to inspect the cattle, which were 
 feeding, not on Campbell's own land, but on the open 
 prairie, which here extends uncultivated for miles in a 
 north-westerly direction. There were about loO head 
 of good-looking stock, mostly bought in Ontario, and 
 all in first-class condition. The bulls are not allowed 
 to run with the cattle ; Campbell is wishing to get 
 up a good herd of shorthorns, and has already many 
 of this sort, but he ultimately hopes to have about 400 
 head. The cattle are, of course, kept in and fed all the 
 winter; but there is a good water supply in a lake about 
 150 yards from their buildings, to which they may 
 go at will. As much hay as is required for their winter 
 keep can be cut on the prairie, the half-breeds contract- 
 ing to cut and stack any quantity at two dollars per 
 ton , Campbell said he was storing 500 tons in this 
 
WEST. 
 
 izini^ about, 
 ct has 1)0011 
 rs aiul half- 
 igo in lon^ 
 vor. Camp- 
 ferry, and is 
 suddou bond 
 ater frontage 
 ; fiirin in the 
 1, (*)()() acres, 
 'ire last year. 
 3, which were 
 b on the open 
 \)Y miles in a 
 ut l.")!) head 
 Ontario, and 
 not allowed 
 hiug to get 
 ready many 
 ve about 400 
 d fed all the 
 a lake about 
 I they may 
 their winter 
 ids contract- 
 dollars per 
 tons in this 
 
 THE EXD. 
 
 ;183 
 
 way. He lias very little land in tillage, and is only 
 working it in order to cleanse it by degrees I'roni the 
 effects of former bad cultivation ; in the end he intends 
 to lay it down again to grass, being fully persuaded that 
 stock-farming is the thing to pay. Certainly his farm 
 was admirably jidapted for cattle, with nic(« bluIVs of 
 scrub here and there, and abundance of water, owing to 
 the long river frontage. The plan of the buildings is 
 a S(piare, with open yards at each corner, communicating 
 with each other through a central yard. The cow- 
 houses are to be, as it were, in tlie form of a cross, 
 meeting in the central yard; and the whole will be 
 palisaded round. As yet, only one of the wings is 
 built ; the few cattle that were on the farm last year 
 were housed in an old building. Each of the stables 
 is to be 150 feet long, and to hold 100 cattle (two in 
 a stall) in twenty-five stalls on each side ; so that when 
 all four stables are built they will accommodate tOO 
 head. The cattle stand in the stalls with their heads 
 outwards as in an ordinary horse-stable, leaving a path 
 through the middle up to the open centre yard. Tlie 
 one wing just completed cost about £'2 5(3; the floor 
 is of wood, raised about eighteen inches above the 
 ground; the centre gangway is wide enough for the 
 passage of a sledge bringing in hay for feeding pur- 
 posse. Campbell designed the building himself, and 
 all the materials are being brought from Winnipeg. 
 
 I » 
 
li !1 
 
 J 
 
 1 m 
 
 384 LIFE AND LABOUR TN THE FAB, FAR WEST. 
 
 After luncheon — which was brought out to the new 
 cow-house, for Campbell's own house is not yet finished 
 — Mitchell and the others went to see the new house, 
 which has been placed amongst the trees, and which 
 ought to be warm and comfortable, for it is double- 
 framed in wood, with a space between each board- 
 ing; both the latter are covered on the inside with 
 lath and plaster. The vegetable garden looked par- 
 ticularly flourishing and well stocked. Campbell proved 
 a very pleasant companion, and a practical, well-educated 
 farmer ; he drove the party all the way (twenty miles) 
 back to Winnipeg, crossing the ferry, and then follow- 
 ing the track along the left bank of the Assiniboine, 
 though at some little distance from it. There were 
 houses scattered at intervals among the trees bordering 
 the river, the farm lands running back away from it : 
 they again saw a great deal of land that had formerly 
 been under cultivation, and was now neglected and full 
 of weeds, owing to the causes before mentioned. Some 
 of the land was excellent, but the farming was mostly 
 very bad. On the way back they stopped first at a 
 road-side farm, belonging to an Englishman who had 
 not long come into the country, and who could boast 
 both good buildings and good implements ; and another 
 time at a place called Silverheights, six miles from 
 Winnipeg — a pretty spot, with nice houses and gardens, 
 and plenty of trees. 
 
WEST. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 38") 
 
 to the new 
 yet finished 
 new house, 
 and which 
 •j is double- 
 each board- 
 inside with 
 looked par- 
 pbell proved 
 veil-educated 
 wenty miles) 
 then foUow- 
 Assiniboine, 
 There were 
 ses bordering 
 ay from it : 
 lad formerly 
 Ited and full 
 loned. Some 
 was mostly 
 d first at a 
 an who had 
 could boast 
 and another 
 miles from 
 and gardens, 
 
 It was after 8 o'clock wlien they returned, and 
 Mitchell came almost immediately to hear how poor 
 Clive was; but I could not give a good report, for 
 he had been very ill, and wandering more or less 
 the whole day. Later in the evening Dr. Kerr came 
 in, and pronounced that the illness had decidedly turned 
 to typhoid fever, giving mo his written opinion, that 
 although at this stage it was impossible to predict the 
 termination, the present evidences indicated a severe 
 attack of the disease, which the patient was in a very 
 unfavourable condition to withstand. This opinion was 
 so alarming that it made me most uneasy, and I 
 immediately wrote home to Olive's relations, reluctantly 
 agreeing to defer telegraphing till the following day, 
 according to Dr. Kerr's wish. Alas ! the report the 
 next day was not better ; and I then, after a medical 
 consultation on the case, telegraphed home at once to 
 his cousin. Colonel Edward Clive, to break the news 
 to Clive's only sister, Mrs. Greathed. 
 
 In the afternoon there was a temporary improve- 
 ment, but the doctors said at the best it must be a long 
 illness. In accordance with my request, Dr. Kerr .sent 
 in a duly-qualified trained nurse in the course of the 
 day, and either Mitchell or I remained in constant 
 attendance. 
 
 tp , • % Id ^ 
 
 And here I must draw a veil over these last sad 
 
 m 
 
;J8(j 
 
 LIFE ASD LABOUR IX THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 i 
 
 ii'i 
 
 ! 
 
 i 
 
 liuiirs of watchini^ and waiting lit Winnipei^ ; sufficient 
 to say that the termination of the ilhiess was fatal, 
 and terribly and unexpectedly rapid ; my first telegram 
 to Olive's relations at home being, alas ! quickly fol- 
 lowed by the one which announced that he had already 
 piissed peacefully and happily to his rest. 
 
 It is impossible to say when or where Olive 
 caught the fatal typhoid infection ; it may have been 
 lurking unsuspected in his system for some time ; and 
 it should also be remembered that his previously 
 weakened state of health in itself rendered him more 
 susceptible to the attack of disease. It was only during 
 the last few days of his illness that much alarm was 
 felt, and but a few hours before his death I could not 
 resist a feeling that he must be better ; but it was the 
 last time he ever spoke or recognised me. 
 
 It was at once arranged that I should bring the 
 remains home to England for interment at Wormbridge, 
 the parish church of Whitfield, Herefordshire ; and, 
 accompanied by my friend Arthur Mitchell, who had 
 throughout been of the greatest assistance, I left 
 Winnipeg on the evening of Monday, August 13tli, 
 direct for England. Through the kindness of Mr. 
 Oox, President of the Midland of Oanada Eailway, 
 and of Mr. R. Jaffray, one of the Directors, the 
 official car of that Oompany was placed at my dis- 
 posal for the conveyance of the remains from Winnipeg 
 
VEST. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 387 
 
 P" 
 
 ; sufficient 
 was fatal, 
 t telegram 
 uickly fol- 
 lad already 
 
 here Clive 
 
 r have been 
 
 time; and 
 
 previously 
 
 1 him more 
 
 only during 
 
 1 alarm was 
 
 I could not 
 
 t it was the 
 
 bring the 
 ormbridge, 
 [shire ; and, 
 [1, who had 
 ice, I left 
 igust 13tli, 
 less of Mr. 
 |a Railway, 
 •ectors, the 
 it my dis- 
 Winnipeg 
 
 to Quebec, a distance of 1,870 miles ; and from 
 
 thence, through the courtesy of Mr. Andrew Allan, 
 
 of Montreal (to whom I had an introduction from 
 
 liis daughter, Mrs. F. Brydges, of AVinnipeg), and 
 
 his partners in the Allan Line, every facility was 
 
 given for our sad journey to Liverpool. The homeward 
 
 route we followed was rid St. Paul's, Chicago, Toronto, 
 
 and Montreal, to Quel)ec, passing over sections of the 
 
 Canadian Pacific, the St. Paul's, Minneapolis, and Mani- 
 
 toba^ the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St Paul's, tlie 
 
 Chicago and Grand Trunk, and the Grand Trunk 
 
 railroads. From Quebec to Jjiverpool we came by the 
 
 s.s. Polpiesiaii, of the Allan Line. This journey al- 
 
 toijether was about 4,500 miles, and took exactlv 
 
 thirteen days and nine hours to perform, coming 
 
 through direct, without any break. I cannot refrain 
 
 i'rom expressing my sincere thanks to the various 
 
 Canadian and United States railway officials, over 
 
 whose lines we passed ; to the Customs officials in the 
 
 States, Canada, and England, and to the representatives 
 
 of the Allan Line, for the invariable sympathy and 
 
 assistance given in my sad errand, and for the help 
 
 rendered to expedite the journey, without which we 
 
 should have been delayed by missing the s.s. Polijuesian, 
 
 and the anxiety felt at home would have been increased. 
 
 At Liverpool I was met by the liev. T. PI. Eyton, the 
 
 rector of Wormbridge, and Mr. WooUey (who came 
 ', ^ 
 
s 
 
 3S8 LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAB, FAB WEST. 
 
 I 
 
 at the request of Mrs. Greathed), and together we 
 conveyed the remains to Wormbrid<je church on the 
 CSth Auiijust, where the coffin was deposited in the 
 chancel, to await tlie funeral ceremony, three days later. 
 A tour so happily commenced, and so successful in 
 itself, was thus unexpectedly brought to a sudden and 
 melancholy termination, one which throws a shadow 
 over the retrospect of the whole of our wanderings 
 (otherwise so bright and happy) ; and which, from the 
 days of anxiety and watching, and from the extreme 
 suddenness of the final blow, leaves an indelible mark 
 on the two survivors of the party, which can never be 
 forgotten or lost sight of during their lives. To me 
 the blow was naturally especially severe, for I had 
 known poor Clive for many years ; and it needed but 
 the constant daily companionship involved in travels 
 such as ours to ripen the regard and attachment which 
 already existed between us into something far more 
 and far deeper tlian ordinary friendship. 
 
 * * * * 
 
 Had his recovery been permitted, it was our in- 
 tention to have returned westwards from Glyndon 
 via the Northern Pacific llailroad as far as Living- 
 stone, and from there to have visited the Yellowstone 
 Park, tiaversing the park itself; and then, taking the 
 nearest rail on the Utah Northern Eailway, to have 
 struck the main line at Ogden, and thus to have 
 
[VEST. 
 
 jjether we 
 ■cU on tlie 
 ted in the 
 days later, 
 iccessful in 
 sudden and 
 ; a shadow 
 wanderings 
 h, from the 
 :he extreme 
 LeUble mark 
 an never be 
 res. To me 
 for I had 
 , needed hut 
 in travels 
 ment which 
 far more 
 
 ras our m- 
 Glyndon 
 as Living- 
 
 S'ellowstone 
 
 taking the 
 
 ly, to have 
 
 IS to have 
 
 THE END. 
 
 389 
 
 retraced our steps eastwards. AVe had several intro- 
 ductions to persons interested in agriculture in Iowa, 
 I\Iassachusetts, and elsewhere in the States ; and we had 
 fully lioped to avail ourselves of these, and proposed 
 afterwards to visit Niagara and Ontario, &c., and finally 
 to have started for England rid Quebec. But it was 
 ordered otherwise ; and, in place of a happy return home 
 with a vivid recollection of the pleasant days we had 
 passed in each other's society, and with the means ot 
 constantly meeting and recurring to t- -m, it was the 
 melancholy fate of Mitchell and myself to bring poor 
 Olive's remains back to England, to be received at home 
 by his sorrowing relatives, and to see them deposited 
 by the side of those of his late wife. Lady Ivatherine 
 Olive, whom he had survived but one year, one month, 
 and one day. 
 
 To his memor}^ I have dedicated this short and im- 
 perfect account of our tour, knowing that he would 
 have wished it printed in some form or other, and 
 would have aided me in its preparation ; and feeling 
 convinced that by no possibility could one find a 
 pleasanter fellow-traveller, a firmer friend, or a better, 
 truer man, than the one from whom it was our misfor- 
 tune to be so suddenly parted. 
 
 Thus I bring my narrative to an end. As may be 
 noticed during its perusal, I have in it attempted to 
 confine myself to a simple account of our travels, and 
 
 fi"i 
 I 
 
3! 10 
 
 LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAIi, FAR WEST. 
 
 of the various facts which came under our notice. A 
 journey such as this needs no print to fix it in my 
 memory, for its sad termination is in itself sufficient 
 to keep tliose montlis of travel with two sincere friends 
 constantly before my mind, whenever my thoughts 
 recur to the Far, Far West. 
 
'ST. 
 
 (tice. A 
 t in my 
 sufficient 
 re friends 
 thoughts 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
 APPENDIX A. 
 
 The Maniloljd Free Prrsn of August l-'Uli, 1SS3, contaiuctl 
 the following : — 
 
 "obituary. — DEATH 01' A WELL-KXOWX ENGLISH TRAVELLEK. 
 
 " We regret to aniiouneo the death, at ]'](Jnionton Terraee, 
 this eity, on Saturday evening last, of Mr. Meysey Bolton 
 Clivo, of Whitlielu, Herefordshire, England. 
 
 *' Mr. Clive, aecornpauied by his friends, ]Mr. W. Henry 
 Barneby, of Br('<lenbury Court, Herefordshire, and .Mr. Arthur 
 C. Mitchell, of the Ridge, Corshani, Wiltshire, left Liverpool in 
 the S.S. Germanie, White Star Line, on the lOth May of the 
 present year, with the intention of visiting the West of the 
 United States and Canada. They had taken their return ])as- 
 sage in the S.S, Parisian, Allan Line, September 8th, from 
 Quebec. 
 
 "They visited California and British Columbia previous to 
 visiting Manitoba and the North- West. On the 9th July Mr. 
 Clive separated from his friends at Portland, Oregon, to keep an 
 engagement with Mr. Baillie-Grohman to visit the Kootenay 
 District, in British Columbia, in which he felt a keen interest. 
 
 " Although invited, Messrs. Barneby and Mitchell were 
 unable to join the expedition, owing to an engagement of some 
 months' standing to meet Messrs. Cox and Jnll'ray, of the Mid- 
 land Railway, on the 18th of July, and to proceed with them on 
 a tour in the Midland of Canada official car through Manitoba 
 and the North- West. Mr. Clive was also to form one of this 
 party, but he had previously stated he could only join it for a 
 
302 
 
 Llb'E AND LABOUR IX THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 .:! 
 
 ( 
 
 limited period, owinjj^ to his desire to see more of the district 
 north of the Northern Pacnlie Rail way. 
 
 "It was arranj^ed between the friends, before parting, tliat 
 they should meet a<^ain at Winnipe<^ or in its vicinity in a fort- 
 night, or, at the outside, within tliree weeks after the time of 
 parting-. Accordingly Messrs. Barnel)y and Mitchell started for 
 Winnipeg, and Mr. Clive awaited Mr. Haillie-Grohman's arrival 
 at Sand Point, Idaho Territory, for a few days, and in its 
 vicinity. Eventually, ]Mr. Baillie-Grohman was unable to keep 
 to his engagement with Mr. Clivc, and the latter, anxious to 
 rejoin his friends, started off on a journey across the Rocky 
 JNEountains and over the Northern Pacific Railway, in order to 
 reach Winnipeg. 
 
 *' Unfortunately, in doing so, at some point between the 
 Dalles and farther east, he was visited with a severe atta'ck of 
 diarrhoea, which he attributed to bad water. Reing a strong 
 and active man, and of an energetic disposition, he pushed along 
 till he reached Winnipeg. Here he sought the advice of Dr. 
 Kerr, who rendered him such prom])t assistance that in a few 
 days he decided to follow the INIidland car to the end of 
 the track, in order to rejoin his friends, which he was most 
 anxious to do. Owing to the courtesy of the C.P.R.,^ and in 
 j)articular to Mr. Van Home, Mr. Egan, and Mr. McTavish, 
 Mr. Clive was enabled to trace the exact position of the 
 Midland car, then e// route to the end of the track. On 
 r. ^aching the end of the track he found that his friends had 
 gone on to Calgary, and proceeded, at 7 p.m. in the evening, 
 to overtake them on foot, the distance being between thirty- 
 live and forty miles — all conveyances being engaged. Upon 
 reaching Calgary he met his friends. All telegrams in- 
 terchanged between Mr., Barneby and INIr. Clive, of which there 
 
 • Canadian Pacific Railway. 
 
'EST. 
 the district 
 
 larting, that 
 ,y in a fort- 
 the time of 
 I started for 
 lan^s arrival 
 
 and in its 
 ible to keep 
 , anxious to 
 1 the Rocky 
 
 in order to 
 
 between the 
 re attack of 
 ng" a strong 
 mshed alonjif 
 Ivice of Dr. 
 at in a few 
 the end of 
 was most 
 R.,"'^ and in 
 McTavish, 
 ion of the 
 track. On 
 friends had 
 he eveniuj]^, 
 veen thirty- 
 iged. Upon 
 egrams in- 
 which there 
 
 ArrENDIX A. 
 
 nun 
 
 were several (to show tlwir whereabouts), were undelivered 
 except one. The return journey was conmienced the following; 
 day, July riUth. The day was excessively hot and oppressive; 
 and this unl'ortunatelv brouu'ht on a sli<jht return of the former 
 complaint. But it was considered so slig-ht that Mr. Ciive 
 decided upon visitiii^' Mr. li. Power's farm, in which he was 
 much interested, calle I the Assiniboine Farm, near l']lkli()rn, iii- 
 tendin<^ the followiu'j;' day to take a lon<^ drive from Brandon to 
 Manitoba City via Deloraine, a distance of over ]?•) miles. 
 From this he was dissuaded, and instead returned on the ~nd 
 inst. to Winnipci^, to seek a couple of days' rest, there being", in 
 his opinion, nothing much the matter with him. A few days 
 ago, however, symptoms of typhoid fever showed themselves, 
 and, owing to the patient's weak state, developed so rapidly that 
 no medical skill could combat the disease with success, and he 
 finally succumbed to it at 10.15 p.m., Saturday, the 11th inst. 
 
 " \J]) to the very last his friends liad seen reason to hope for 
 an improvement in his condition. 
 
 " Mr. Jail'ray, of the Midland Railway, had kindly volun- 
 teered, and made arrangements with the C.P.R. Co. to leave the 
 Midland official car for Mr. Clive's eastward journey upon his 
 recovery. To this the C.P.R. had cordially given their assent, 
 and Mr. Clive expressed his gratitude, a few days before his 
 death, in the warmest possible manner. Nothing could exceed 
 the kindness of all the railway officials, C.P.R. and Midland, to 
 assist the unfortunate sufferer and his friends in their unex- 
 pected trouble. 
 
 " Mr. Clive's principal medical adviser was Dr. Kerr, of this 
 city, from whom he received every attention and kindness. Dr. 
 Lynch and Dr. Acton were also in attendance for consultation. 
 With this medical aid, and attended by three nurses, the patient 
 received every care that could possibly be rendered. 
 
 •' Mrs. F. Brydges was most kind and considerate in sending 
 
801 
 
 ITFR AM) I.Mtnru IX THK FAT}, FAU U'FST. 
 
 many little delicacios for Mr. Clive'H use, and lie i're(|ii('ntly ex- 
 pressi'd his {▼ratitude to her for her generous thou<j;ht fulness. 
 
 *' iMr. Power, of Assinihoine Karm, was also of the utmost 
 service in ])laein^' comfortable apartments at his disposal." 
 
 The late Mr. Meysey Bfdton Clive was the only son of the 
 Rev. Archer Cii/e, of Whitfield, Herefordshire, and was born in 
 IS 12. He was educated at Harrow and at IJalliol Collej^e, 
 Oxford, and was J. P. and Deputy Lieutenant for the County of 
 Hereford, and Major in the Hereford Volunteers. He was 
 married in the year iSti? to Lady Katherine reildin<;', sister to 
 the j)resent Lord l)enbi<^h. Lady Katherine died at Mr. Clive's 
 residence in South Eaton Phu'C, London, on the lUth of July, 
 18S;J, leaving three sons and two daughters. 
 
'EST. 
 
 '(lucntly OK- 
 rulncss. 
 tho utmost 
 osul." 
 
 y son of tlio 
 was born in 
 liol ColU'gv, 
 County of 
 ;. lie was 
 ing', sister to 
 ; Mr. Clivers 
 itli of July, 
 
 APPENDIX 15. 
 
 TAHLK OF DISTANCES. 
 
 Liverpool to New York l>y h.h. (iP.rmduic, Wliito Star Line, 
 
 rin Quceiistown (iictual riui) 
 New York to St. Louis, Pciinsylvaniu II. II. ... 
 
 St. Louis to Kansas City, Missouri Pacific R. R. 
 Kansas City to JJcnvci-, Union Pacitu; R. R. ... 
 
 Denver to Colorado Spring-s, and on to jNIanitou 
 
 Manitou to PueMo 
 
 Pueblo to Salt Lake City, Denver and Rio Crandc; R.R. 
 
 Salt Lake City to ()gd(!n, ,, „ 
 
 Ogden to San Francisco, Cential Pacific 11. R. 
 
 San Francisco to Madera 
 
 Madera to Yusemite Valley, via Clarke's (stage) 
 
 Yoseniite to Clai-ke's Hotel (return) ... 
 
 From Clarke's to Mariim.sa Grove of Big Tree's 7 miles \ 
 Drive among them ... ... ... "*^ jj 
 
 Back to Clarke's ... ... ... <" ,, ) 
 
 Clarke's to IMadera 
 
 Madera to Los Angele.s. Central Pacitic R.R. and Southern 
 
 PaciHcRR 
 
 Drives round San Gabriel, and to Sierra Madre Villa, from 
 
 Los Angeles 
 San Gabriel to San Francisco, I'ia JjOs Angeles, Southern 
 
 Pacific R.R. and Central Pacific R.R. ... 
 San Francisco to Bay Point and back .. . 
 San F'^rancisco to Victoria, British Columbia, by the Pacific 
 
 Coast Steam Packet Co. ... 
 Victoria (B. C.) to New Westminster (per steamer) ... 
 New Westminster to Y^ale, Fraser River 
 \'"ale to end of track, 6 miles beyond Boston Bars, per Mr. 
 
 Onderdonk's engine 
 Same route back to New Westminster from end of track . . 
 Drive from New Westminster - 
 
 To Burrard's Inlet and Port Moody and back 
 To Hastings, Granville, English Bay, and return 
 New Westminster back to Victoria (by steamer) 
 
 Mii.i-s. 
 
 .1,111 
 
 1,004 
 
 L'91 
 
 0:59 
 
 80 
 
 50 
 
 (] 1 r, 
 36 
 
 8;JA 
 
 18.5 
 95 
 29 
 
 oo 
 
 GO 
 
 297 
 
 40 
 
 490 
 90 
 
 750 
 
 luo 
 
 31 
 i:31 
 
 20 
 40 
 75 
 

 /,//•/; .i.\7) iMiovu f\ Tin: iwn, fm: west. 
 
 \ 
 
 Mit.nt. 
 
 M 
 
 Mi 
 
 i 
 
 \ 
 
 m 
 
 I 
 
 II 
 
 !ti 
 
 Vlctoriii to Niumiiiio (l»y stnuiicr) 
 
 Niiimiino to Di-puiturf Ituy timl buck (l»y stciiiutir) .. 
 
 Niiiiaiino to V'iftoria „ 
 
 Drivti.s fidiii Victoi'iii to Ks(|iiuimlt, Saiiiiicli, and about Van 
 
 COllVtT 
 
 Isl 
 
 IllKl 
 
 7 miles 
 
 l;}.-) 
 
 Victoria to Taotin.i. I'liijct's Soiiiid (strainer), about 
 TucoMiu to I'ortlaiid, ( >f("^'on (liy rail and river) 
 
 Portland to Missoula by Oregon li.Il. and 
 Steam Navi<,'atioii Company and Noitliein 
 
 Paeilic \i.n 
 
 Missoula to Helena, across the Rocky Moun- 
 tains in a l>u,i,';,'y ... 
 Il< leiia to (Ilyndon, by Northern TWiticR. It. H'JO „ 
 Total distance — J'ortland, Orej^on, to (Jlyn- 
 don, Minn(>s()ta 
 (llyndon to\Vinni))e<^, by St. Paul's, Miiineaiiolis,and Manitoba 
 
 JMl. to St. \'ini;ent, thence by Canadian Paeilic R.M 
 
 Winnipeij; to Otterburne and Itaek ,, „ 
 
 NVinni|ie,i,' to Fifteenth Sidinj^ * » » 
 
 Fifteenth Sidinj; to Port Calgary, in a wa^j^on 
 Fort Calvary to Col. d(! Winton's nuiche, und round... 
 Fudian Head to (^irAppelle visiting tin; district around, and 
 
 it'turn to (.^u'Ap|tell(! 
 Fort Calgary to Prandon, by stage and Canadian racilie U.K. 
 Flkhorn to Assiniboine farm and back (drive) 
 P>randon to JNIanitoba City „ ... ... ... 
 
 Manitoba City to VV^innipeg, South Wosttirn Il.R. ... 
 
 Winnipeg to St i aul's, by Canadian Pacific R. R. to St. Vin- 
 cent, thenc" by St. Paul's, Minneapolis, and Manitoba P.R. 
 St. Paul'stoChieago, by Chicago, INlilwaukee, and St. Paul's K.R. 
 Chicago to Toronto, via Port Huron, by Chicago and Grand 
 Trunk R.ll. to Port Huron, tlu'iice per CIrand Trunk Pt.R. 
 Toronto to Montreal, by Crand Trunk R.R. ... 
 
 ^Montreal to t^uebec ,, „ 
 
 C^uebec to Liverj)ool, by s.s. Pol ijnesian, Allan Line, via 
 Moville (actual run) 
 
 6 
 
 110 
 
 1 .^o 
 
 107 
 
 1,052 
 
 L'(iS 
 (i-J 
 
 40 
 30 
 
 100 
 
 700 
 oo 
 
 *J mi 
 
 170 
 104 
 
 458 
 409 
 
 501 
 303 
 175 
 
 2,637 
 
 Total distance ... 18,279 
 
 * Hniiuhiiig off from Indian Head to vi.sil Qu'Appelle en route West. 
 
WEFiT. 
 
 
 Mum. 
 
 • •t 
 
 70 
 
 t>> 
 
 6 
 
 t »• 
 
 ra 
 
 AH- 
 
 • * • 
 
 110 
 
 
 ir)0 
 
 1 • • 
 
 107 
 
 miles 
 
 „ 
 
 1,0. V2 
 
 iinitolta 
 
 
 H.H.... 
 
 208 
 
 ) 
 
 (12 
 
 } 
 
 71) 'J 
 
 • • • 
 
 40 
 
 • • • 
 
 30 
 
 1(1, iirnl 
 
 
 * • • 
 
 100 
 
 ic^ il.il. 
 
 700 
 
 ( • > 
 
 
 ... 
 
 170 
 
 * • • 
 
 104 
 
 t. Viii- 
 
 
 a 11.11. 
 
 458 
 
 sli.R. 
 
 409 
 
 Grand 
 
 
 V U.K. 
 
 501 
 
 ... 
 
 303 
 
 
 175 
 
 le, VKi 
 
 2,637 
 18,279 
 
 ^utc West. 
 
 APPENDIX C. 
 
 THE KOOTENAY LAKE DISTRICT. 
 
 Ilv Mil. W. A. H.Mi.i.iK-UiimiM.vs. 
 
 The author of this volunio has su^'^^x'stcd to rnc the la.'ik of 
 writiiifj;' a description of the Kootenay district in British 
 Columbia, a task at once j)U'a.sant and sad, lor ])oor Clive's 
 mcinory will always remain associated in my mind with my 
 exploration of that interestin«jf section of the l*\ir West. 
 
 Crossii!<r the ocean with Clive, Harnchy, and Mitchell, wo had 
 parted in New York, and small as the world is always said to 
 he, wo again met a month later three or four thousand miles 
 away on the beautiful Vancouver Island lapped by the waters of 
 the Pacific Ocean. 
 
 My friends seemed as much pleased with the natural beauties 
 of tho place as 1 was, and were full of ])raises of Victoria and 
 of the hospitable people of tho little town. Clive ])articularly 
 looked halo and well, and his four or five weeks' ramble in the 
 West seemed to have left on his mind only the very })leasantest 
 impressions, as such travels naturally would u}K)n a man of 
 exceedingly active temperament with a keen appreciation of the 
 beautiful and tho useful, nowhere more closely blended than 
 on the Pacific slope. 
 
 As I look back to the pleasant meeting, to the afternoon's 
 planning and poring over maps, as I recall the kindly con- 
 gratulation to my successful return from the Kootenay country, 
 
^ i i 
 
 ii^; 
 
 
 r i 
 
 1 
 
 t 
 
 ;5:>s /./A'/.; ja7^ labouii ly tii]<: far, far west. 
 
 iitul \]\o sytn]):itheti(i ears liHttnun<]^ to my appiirently oxtnivajLi^ant 
 account, ol" all the charms, porFcctions, and dclijj^hts of that 
 district — as I rctnomhcr the :i,i't(>r-dinner strolls in tlu^ balmy 
 July ovenin<;-s, surrounded by scenery such as perhaps, in its 
 harmonious i'eatun's of sea, <j;'laeior-mantled mountains, ruivj;('d 
 peaks, and forests that have no match in any other portion 
 of the n'lobe, can nowhere else be enjoyed, it seems hardly 
 possible that the very one of our party, who, by his sincere 
 and over keen admiration of Nature paid her the warmest 
 tribute, should a week or two later have been cut oil" in the 
 llower of his useful and active manhood. 
 
 My description of the Ivootenay land aroused in my three 
 friends the wish to see somethin*;- of that coiuitry — aiul they 
 would all three, I believe, have placed themselves luulcr my 
 protective win«2^ and visited the district in (juestioii had it not 
 been for the fact that IJarneby had an en<;'ai>'cment, settled 
 before he left ihi«>'land, to be in the North-Westeru Provinces 
 the iSth July, Mitchell deeidin*;' to accompany him, while Clive, 
 much to my pleasure, accepted my invitation to aeeom])any 
 me on my second tour of exploration to the Kootenay valley 
 and lake country, he havinjj been on the look-out for some 
 place of interest where to gpend ten days or a fortnij^ht, 
 whilst IJarneby was lookinij;- after a matter of business, it 
 beinjif Clivers intention of ioinini;^ him a<»ain at the ex- 
 piration of that time. We arranged a rendezvous for the 
 I'ith or 11th July at Saudpoint, a station on the Northern 
 Pacitlc Kailway in Idaho Territory. Owinj^ to the shame- 
 ful carelessness that marks Western oflicialdom, there was a 
 miscarriaji^e of two telei>'rams, one from Clive to myself, and one 
 from myself to Clive, the former tellin<^ me that he had arrived 
 at Sandpoint a day before his time and was anxiously awaiting* 
 my coming ou the L'3th July, the latter informing him that 
 owing- to a friend^s danjjerous illness in consequence of an 
 
WEST. 
 
 extniva<j;'!U»l 
 ^lits ot that 
 n \\w balmy 
 •rliiips, in its 
 tains, ru,i'-<;T(l 
 )tluM' i)()rti»»n 
 lootns lianlly 
 y his sint'oiv 
 
 the wannest 
 ut oil' in the 
 
 in my three 
 ry — and they 
 es iinch'v my 
 m had it not 
 ment, settU'd 
 era Provinees 
 1, while Clive, 
 o aeeomi)any 
 tenay valley 
 lont i'or some 
 a fortnif^ht, 
 business, it 
 at the ex- 
 ons i'or the 
 he Northern 
 the shame- 
 there was a 
 elf, and one 
 had arrived 
 sly awaitin<Tj 
 ir him that 
 enee ol' an 
 
 V '" 
 
 ArPENDTX a 
 
 :5!t!> 
 
 aceident in an ont-of-th(!-way little Western town I would 
 be delayed twenty-Four hours, reaehino- Sandpoint on the 
 ir)th July. (Mive, not heai-iiiin' from me, and . thinkinfjf, as he 
 explained to me in a subsecjuent letter, that my business with the 
 (lovernment at \'ietoria had oblij^^ed me to delay my dej)arture, 
 deeided that it was h(»])eless waiting for me, left Sandpoint on tin; 
 J 5th July, a f(!W hours before 1 njyself, iualvini»' use of an 
 opportune' frei^^-ht-train, reached that plaee. The two tele;i;'rams, 
 as well as a third undelivered dispateh I had stmt that very 
 morninji;' to ('live, tellin*^ him 1 would be there in the afternoon, 
 and askin<^ him to tell my men to be ready for an immediate 
 start, turned up when it was too late. I was of course much 
 vexed about the whole oeeurrenee, but as I knew Clive was ij^oinn- 
 to Cal<^ary from iVIariitoba, I entertained the hope of his 
 eomiu'i;' across the Kicking- Horse or Crow's Nest Pass, and 
 lookintj me up from that side. 
 
 At ])resent the Kootenay district can best be visited from the 
 south, Lc, from the United States, the completion in lS<S.'i of 
 the Northern Pacific Uailway facilitating- the approach very con- 
 siderably. Where formerly there was no railway within five oi 
 six hundred miles, there is now a <>'reat main line actually 
 touching the southernmost extremity of the Kootenay country. 
 
 Sandpoint is the station nearest to the Kootenay river, a 
 very winding" trail about forty miles in length, connecting' 
 Sandpoint with IJonner's Ferry on Kootenay River, the actual 
 distance between these tvvo places being very considerably less. 
 
 A day or two later I started from Sandpoint for Jionner^s 
 Ferry, in company of two gontlemen, Commissioners sent by the 
 Government of British Columbia to examine the Kootenay dis- 
 trict for official purpoF ;. I had three men and one boy, and 
 eleven or twelve horses and mules, those that were not ridden 
 being used as sumpter or pack horses to carry our provisions, 
 tents, &c. Travelling with a pack-train is but slow work, an 
 
400 
 
 LIFE AND LABOUR IX THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 hit ! 
 
 •! 
 
 il 1 
 
 averag-o of twenty-five miles a day being quite fair progress, for 
 the horses, if at all heavily packed, can of course only proceed 
 at a walk. But, on the other hand, it is the most independent 
 mode of journeying through a wild country. You carry your 
 hotel with you, and as long as the grub holds out and there is 
 anything like a trail through the dense forests, you can go 
 whither you will in a delightfully free and easy manner. For 
 visitors to Kootenay there is, indeed, at present no choice, for 
 the narrow Indian trail from Sandpoint to Bonner's Ferry, 
 through dense forests, is the only approach. Starting at 
 noon we made a long ride, or to speak more technically, 
 " (h'ive,'' camping on a little glade when the growing even- 
 ing dusk made farther progress unwise. Rising with the 
 sun we got off early (the great secret of pack-train travel), 
 and reached Bonner's Ferry soon after noon. This place is 
 called a^*3r the original owner of the ferry across the Koote- 
 nay, his present successor being the only white settler on the 
 river for a length of three hundred miles. At one time, some 
 eighteen or twenty years ago, this ferry mad(; in one short 
 season a big fortune for the lucky Bonner. It was in the days 
 of the gold rush to the Upper Kootenay country, when the toll 
 was paid in pinches of gold-dust, and the big, barge-like ferry- 
 boat was often crowded by excited gold-seekers, who as long as 
 they got across did not care what they had to pay. Those days 
 have long gone by, and during the past years the ferry-barge 
 has had an easy time, often weeks and mouths without being 
 used. We were intending to go down the Kootenay River to 
 the lake, and for this purpose had engaged one of the two old 
 Hudson Bay batteau, lumbering boats made of inch planks, sawn 
 by hand from pine logs, and so heavy that four men were 
 required at the oars to move her. 
 
 Let me here interrupt my narrative by a brief description of 
 the most noticeable geographical and hydrographical features of 
 
 
VEST. 
 
 progress, for 
 only proceed . 
 independent 
 I carry your 
 and there is 
 you can go 
 manner. For 
 no choice, for 
 mner's Ferry, 
 Starting ^^t 
 e technically, 
 growing even- 
 in o" with the 
 :-train travel). 
 This place is 
 3SS the Koote- 
 settler on the 
 :)ne time, some 
 in one short 
 as in the days 
 when the toll 
 ,rge-like ferry- 
 /ho as long as 
 Those days 
 he fen-y-barge 
 without being 
 ;enay River to 
 ,f the two old 
 b planks, sawn 
 ,ur men were 
 
 description of 
 leal features of 
 
 i 
 
 ArrEXDix c. 
 
 the Kootenay district, features that make this locality one of 
 the most remarkable on the North American Continent. 
 
 There are two districts known by the name of Kootenay — 
 the one is Kootenay County, occupying the northernmost ex- 
 tremity of Idaho Territory (United States of America), the other 
 adjoining it immediately to the north, known as the District of 
 Kootenay, occnpying the south-easternmost ])ortion of British 
 Columbia. They are separated from each other by the Inter- 
 national boundary line, which is formed by the 49th Parallel, 
 an invisible line, the position of which, where it crosses 
 rivers or trails, is marked by so-callod monuments, pyramids of 
 stones, erected some twenty-throe years ago by the International 
 Boundary Commission. This line is crossed no fewer than three 
 times by the waters of the Kootenay river. This remarkable 
 stream forms, as cai! be seen on the map, an immense loop, and, 
 together with a similar configuration noticeable in the course of 
 the Columbia river, encloses the whole district of Kootenay with 
 an ellipse of water 900 miles in circumference, with only a single 
 minute break of about one mile and a half in it — i.e., between 
 the Up})er Columbia Lake and the Kootenay river, which break 
 will disappear, and an absolute water cordon formed, when a 
 pro])osed canal connecting these two points shall have been dug. 
 
 The Kootenay river is about 400 miles long, and hns its 
 source in the very heart of the main chain of the llocky Moun- 
 tains, close to some of the highest and least-known mountains 
 of the whole range. The upper portion of this river is very 
 different from the lower course ; fen* 800 miles it flows with few 
 intervals through narrow and deep gorges, which, notwithstand- 
 ing many attempts by venturesome gold-seekers, that have cost 
 several human lives, have, so I am told, never been navigated in 
 their entiretv. 
 
 At Bonner^s Ferry, a point about 100 miles l)y river from 
 the lake, the whole character of the country undergoes a striking 
 
 A A 
 
402 LIFE AND LABOVR IN THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 I * I 
 
 1 ! 
 
 W I 
 
 'ii 
 
 I !' f ; 1 
 
 cliange. At this point the river dohouehes from tl\e narrow and 
 j^loomy mountain defiles into a h)ve]y sunny valley, from four to 
 five miles in width, formed by two parallel mountain ranges, 
 while the character of the stream itself undergoes as great a 
 change as its surroundings. The turbulent mountain torrent 
 that in its upper course seethes and foutns over innumerable 
 rapids and falls is suddenly metamorpho.sed into a stately slov/- 
 llowiug river of a very considerable depth, averaging fifty-five 
 feet, and about 000 to 700 feet in width, winding in immense 
 loops through the perfectly level Lower Kooteuay valley. The 
 banks are throughout lined with a fringe of stately cottonwood 
 trees and elder thickets from 100 to 200 yards in width, leaving 
 the rest of the valley perfectly treeless, huge expanses of waving 
 grass that attains in Se])tember a height of from four to eight feet. 
 These meadows merge on both sides of the valley into pine-clad 
 hills and mountains that rise from the level pastures in pic- 
 turesque slopes to a height of from 1,500 to 5,800 feet. While 
 the Lower Kootenay river, following its sinuosities, is quite 100 
 miles long, the valley it forms from Bonner's Ferry is but sixty 
 miles in length, the stream being a remarkably tortuous one. 
 
 There is no doubt, in view of the surroundings, that this 
 whole valley land is, geologically speaking, of recent formation, 
 or, in other words, made land. Kootenay Lake once extended 
 up to Bonner's Ferry, but has become gradually filled up by 
 alluvial deposits and vegetable mould, the one swe})t down from 
 the mountains by the denudating river, the other being the 
 annual self-manuring deposits of the perennial vegetation that 
 grows on these "' bottom-lands,^' the result being a silicated 
 loam mixed with lime, a soil of incomparable fertility, and, being 
 of great depth, as inexhaustible as it is rich. 
 
 This land-forming process is still going on, aided by the 
 effect of the annual spring inundation of the whole valley 
 from Bonner's Ferry to the lake, and can best be seen when 
 
EST. 
 
 APPENDIX C. 
 
 403 
 
 narrow and 
 i-om four to 
 ,ain ranges, 
 I as great a 
 tain torrent 
 innumerable 
 itately slov/- 
 ng fifty- five 
 in immense 
 ^^alley. The 
 r Cottonwood 
 idth, leaving 
 es of waving 
 to eight feet, 
 nto pine-clad 
 tures in pic- 
 foet. While 
 , is qtiite 100 
 is but sixty 
 •us one. 
 gs, that this 
 jnt formation, 
 ,ce extended 
 filled up by 
 )t down from 
 x)Y being the 
 gctation that 
 Of a silicated 
 y, and, being 
 
 lided by the 
 
 ^hole valley 
 
 |e seen when 
 
 examining the lowest land, narrow strips of mud-flats, at the 
 mouth of the river. During low water the aninuil layers can 
 be easily observed on the exposeil and very steep river banks. 
 The depth to which this composition extends must be very great, 
 for our careful soundings of the river, displaying, as it does, a 
 remarkable uniformity of depth — forty-eight to sixty-two feet — 
 proved to us that the bottom of the river consists of precisely 
 the same material. So richly charged with this silt is the water 
 of the river during high water, where it emerges from the rocky 
 gorges above Bonner's Ferry, that a cui)ful will deposit in a 
 short time a thick film of silt on the bottom of the vessel. 
 
 There is no sign of gravel or sand on the banks, and only in 
 four or five places in the 100 miles of its lower course do rocks 
 appear, either in the stream or on its sides, and this occurs only 
 where exceptionally long reaches of the river approach the side 
 hills or rocky pine and cedar clad promontories (usually covered 
 with bunch grass) that project out into the valley in two or three 
 places. 
 
 Ascending any one of these points of view, we see before us 
 the majestic river gliding ])lacidly along in picturesque curves 
 without riffle or fall, fringed by groves of fine old trees, that 
 remind one of the choicest reaches of the Upper Thames, while 
 wide park-like stretches of grass-land intervene between the river 
 bank and the immediate background of towering mountains, 
 which again are intersected by dark glens and gorges, one mass 
 of sombre pine-forests, sprinkled here and there with the lighter- 
 hued larch or the graceful ])lumcs of the giant cedar, snow- 
 flecked peaks closing in the distance the indentures made by the 
 ravines— a truly charming landscnpe. Nowhere have I seen 
 such a happy blending of verdure, niauy-hued fn^m the various 
 species of trees and grasses that compose it, and in no i)art of 
 the world have I seen such a rare combination of sunny pastoral 
 landscape interwoven with the attractive features of true Al])ine 
 
 A A 2 
 
401 
 
 LfFI'l .iy/> LABOUR, LV THfJ FAIi, FAR WEST. 
 
 scenery, with its iinposhij^' outlines, and with its charmin;^ 
 atmospheric distances. 
 
 When for the first I time saw this scene it was not (juite so 
 aUuriny;, tliere was a sli<;-ht drawback to the picture I have out- 
 lined from my .more vivid impression of its subsequent condition 
 in Aujji-ust, September, and October, for the whole valley was 
 then, as it is every June, very nearly completely overllowed by 
 the water of the Kootenay river and lake, makinty of the 
 beautiful level stretches of meadow inland lakes, over which 
 we sailed and rowed our craft so as to avoid tbe current in 
 the stream. 
 
 On my second visit in July the water had already disap- 
 [jcared from most of the valley land, disclosino^ a wonderfully 
 luxuriant vegetation on the land which had been temporarily 
 submerg-ed, the surest indication of rich soil being the lar<2^e 
 growth of " tullies,^' a marsh ])lant which, as extensive draining 
 experiments in California have pi'oved, grows, so it is reported, 
 only where very rich soil prevails. There are four principal 
 species of grass to be found on the land, the swamp grass, the 
 blue-joint, the red-toj), and a species of cane-like plant, which 
 grows to a height of fourteen feet. Of the better classes of wild 
 grass at least three tons of hay can be cut per acre. With a small 
 mowing macliine and ])air of horses, a man and a boy in my 
 employ cut in the month of August about twenty-four tons in 
 two and a half days, off a patch of ground certainly not exceed- 
 ing seven or eight acres. 
 
 That the ground is suitable for cereals was proved to us by 
 finding so early as July ;i5th a patch of Australian Club vdieat 
 of good ([uality, four feet high, the ears being well developed 
 and nearly ripe. It was growing on the river-bank, and pro- 
 bably had sjirung from some stray seeds dropped by Indians. 
 Potatoes and tobacco, planted by half-breeds on some of the rocky 
 promontories, seem to thrive to an unusual extent. Besides the 
 
■EST. 
 
 i chai'min«^ 
 
 not quite so 
 I have out- 
 at eouditiou 
 
 valley was 
 'ovilowed by 
 intr of the 
 over which 
 
 current in 
 
 ready disap- 
 wonderi'ully 
 temporarily 
 g the large 
 jive draining 
 i is reported, 
 ur principal 
 ) grass, the 
 ant, which 
 isses of wild 
 ith a small 
 boy in my 
 our tons in 
 not exceed- 
 ed to us by 
 Club wheat 
 1 developed 
 k, and pro- 
 by Indians. 
 A' the rocky 
 Jesides the 
 
 .irrEXDIX C. 
 
 105 
 
 above grasses I found an abundance of wild flowers, wild an<l 
 tame thyme growing most profusely, pea-vine, and in the thicket 
 fringing the streaui several species of wild berry bushes. None 
 of these plants seemed to have suffered by the temporary inunda- 
 tion to which they had been exposed. On precisely similar 
 alluvial land, reclaimed by dykes, on the Lower Fraser River 
 (British Columbia), and on some other in Washington Territory, 
 astonishiug crops are raised, of which we have authentic! infor- 
 mation : — Sugar beet, 2 10 bushels to the. acre ; hops, 2,oOU lbs. 
 per acre ; potatoes, 20 tons per acre ; wheat, from 50 to SO 
 bushels ; oats, (50 to (5.5 ; turnij)s, 50 tons, per acre, single buH^s 
 frei^uently weighing up to '3(5 ll)s., and occasionally as much as 
 .52 lbs., each. With this great abundance, prices are high; not 
 a potato that I ate this year in Kootenay district cost less than 
 2d. a pound, which would make the produce of a single acn; 
 yielding even six tons fetch £112. Even in the most civilised 
 portions of the West potatoes rarely cost less than Ul. per lb. 
 
 Having on my first visit in June made the ae.piaintance of 
 the heavy batteau and the toilsome rowing for long days in 
 this anticpiated craft, I preferred on my subsequent visit to go 
 down the river in an Indian canoe, the Commissioners and my 
 men, who made the crew, together with the bulky stores, tents, 
 &c., making an ample load for the batteau. So, if the reader 
 will now accompany me down the stately slow-flowing river as 
 it meanders in great loops through the valley, I shall ask him to 
 step with me, at Bonner^s Ferry, into the shapely Indian canoe 
 made of pine or birch bark, so frail a craft that a booted foot 
 would go through the bottom as if it were of pasteboard, so light 
 that you can lift it easily with one finger. If we let the two 
 shaggy-headed '• bucks," a breech-clout their only garb, paddle 
 us swiftly down the smoothly flowing river, we shall reach one of 
 the most beautiful mountain lakes that exists in America, or 
 in the Alps. Comfortably stretched out on a couch of buffalo 
 
 ev 
 
 i I 
 
4of) 
 
 UrE AXD LABOUR /.V THE EAR, EAR WEST. 
 
 robes — our 1)0(1 at niii'lit — notliing can l)t ploasanter tlian tlio 
 motion of our frail craft as we skim over the plaeiil river, round- 
 in>j^ the curves, now under overhani^in^ cottonvvood trees of g-reat 
 size, then shooting strain^ht across an abrupt bend, or driftinj^ 
 with the eddyin<^ current in the centre of the stream; astray leaf 
 or cireliiij'' ripple from a rising fish the only breaks in the 
 mirror-like surface, while at the next bend round which we 
 noiselessly dart we surprise some browsin^if deer or a family 
 of water-fowl, and we are almost in their midst before they rise 
 to skim out of the way of the unwonted intruders. We have 
 to sit very steady, for the canoe is crankiness itself, and a very 
 sli<;-ht movement will destroy the nicely-poised equilibrium of 
 tlio bark craft and turn us and our mute sha«^<^y-headed boatmen 
 into the river, no doubt more to our own discomfiture than 
 theirs. Very beautiful scenery we see, charming beyond de- 
 scription, by the (piick transition, as we slip along swiftly. In- 
 voluntarily we crane our necks, as rounding a sharp curve we 
 eagerly spy for what the next bend will disclose ; but the deep 
 "iigh^^ of our rear boatman tells us, if the sway of the boat 
 fails to do so, that we have got to sit steady. There are no 
 ra])ids or sand bars, but few " snags," and no treacherous 
 sunken rocks, to endanger navigation. There is not a single 
 place in the whole lower river — i.e., for a length of some lOH 
 miles — in which our canoe would not leave ample space for the 
 Greiil TJanfont, to get out of its way ; no spot in this distance 
 where II. M.S. Hercnles could not float as safely as the cedar- 
 bark canoe, which does not draw more than three or four inches 
 of water. 
 
 As previous practice has made us acquainted with the art 
 of using the Indian paddle, we manage to send the light craft 
 along at a rattling pace, and the one hundred miles journey is 
 completed in less than two days, just half the tine it takes the 
 '* batteau." As we suddenly emerge from the tree-bowered river 
 
EST. 
 
 'V than the 
 ver, roiind- 
 !es of grout 
 or drit'tinfjf 
 astray leaf 
 aks in the 
 whicli we 
 )r a family 
 re they rise 
 We have 
 and a very 
 ilibrium of 
 ed boatmen 
 iHture than 
 beyond de- 
 I'iftly. In- 
 rp curve we 
 it the deep 
 )f the boat 
 here are no 
 treacherous 
 )t a singfle 
 some KM) 
 Ixee for the 
 is distance 
 the cedar- 
 our inches 
 
 Ith the art 
 |li(i;'ht craft 
 journey is 
 takes the 
 Ivered river 
 
 APPENDIX C. 
 
 407 
 
 
 into the Kootenay Lake a surprisinfjrly picturesque si«;lit meets 
 our ^aze. Before us lies a <^rand sheet of \vat(M', some ei}?hty 
 miles lon<j;', and from two and a half to five miles wide, framed 
 in on all sides by towering- mountains and snow-capped ])eaks, 
 all rising very precij)it()usly from the smooth surface of this 
 charming mountain lake. Smiling yet rugged, attractive yet 
 solemn, beautiful yet wild, it lies there lonely and unnoticed by 
 the white invader, who is busily building iron roads to its north 
 and to its south, to its west and to its east. 
 
 Kootenay Lake never freezes over, whether owing to the 
 presence of liot springs, some of which have already been 
 discovered on the u])per end of the lake, or whether in con- 
 sequence of its very great depth, I do not know. ^Ve had only 
 a two-hundred feet sounding-line with us, and by adding some 
 odd and end pieces of cord we contrived a threc-luunlrcd feet 
 line, but in no place five hundred yards from shore, and in many 
 spots only twenty feet from the rock-bound coast could we 
 find bottom with it. It is full of fish, the oftcn-doiibted land- 
 locked salmon* being the largest. Indiaiis report five different 
 species of trout and salmon. We got rcpri.sentatives of four 
 quite distinct kinds. The large (land-locked) salmon do not seem 
 to take the fly, but whether this was in consequence of our being 
 poor fishermen, or from natural "cussedness" and savage 
 ignorance, I could not say. AVith one trowl out I have often 
 caught while rowing on the lake 40 lb. in one hour. They are 
 excellent eating, and, when boiled, as rich and Haky as the best 
 
 * Salmon asoeud tlie Colombia in millions, but none can cfet over flic 
 falls in the Kootonay Lake outlet, the only connection between the 
 Columbia and Kootenay Lake, and their presence in the lake would be 
 exceedingly puzzling but for the close approach of the Kootenay River 
 to the Upper Columbia Lake, where during very high freshets a con- 
 nection used to be established. Frim an ichthyological standjjoint 
 Kootenay Lake is therefore a very intoresting and perfectly unexplored 
 region. 
 
 ill 
 
I I 
 
 11 
 
 I 
 
 Hi! \ 
 
 408 
 
 LIFE AND LABOrn IS TIIK I'M!, FAU WEST. 
 
 Scotcli salmon 1 liuve ever tasted. For foiir or five months 
 salmon, carihoo, doer, and water- fowl, t'spccially wild <^ot'se — ol' 
 which in October literally millions can ho seen feeding on the 
 marshy spots on the Lower Kootenay valley — were almost onr 
 sole "^-ruh," and well it hecanie the travcdlers. 
 
 The lake, with its nnmerous inflowin*^ creeks and streams 
 that l)rin<»' down ^reat freshets in spring, has, strange to say, 
 only otie sini^lo outlet ; it is in conse(|uence of the narrowness of 
 this mouth that the <^reat annual overflow of the Lower Koote- 
 nay valley occurs. Li early sj)rinf]f the mountains round the 
 lake shed their snow-water first, then comes the water from 
 the mountains of the valley, and by the time the vast quantities 
 of snow in the main chain of the Rockies bej^i'lns to melt, 
 the lake has risen some six or ei<j;'ht feet, the outlet bein<j 
 too narrow to master the vastly-increased inllow, so that, by 
 the time the late snow-water comes pouring- down the river, 
 the lake is full, and the inoominj^ volume is backed u]); a 
 circumstance distinctly proved by the fact that the land nearest 
 the lake is first overflowed, and remains so a dav or two lon<>'er : 
 also by the fact that the water-level of the lake commences to 
 fall three or four days after the river has reached the same 
 stag-e at Bonner's Ferry at the head of the valley — the two 
 respective dates this year (1888) being' the 1st July and the 
 27th June. 
 
 The rise of the lake, and therefore the overflow, is not the 
 same every year. This year (1883) it was below the average, 
 comparatively little snow having fallen last winter in the main 
 chain. At Bonner's Ferry the banks of the river are very stcej), 
 and the owner of the ferry has for years made fairly accurati' 
 measurements. The highest he has ever known the river to rise, 
 i.e., the difference between the very lowest water (in March) 
 and the very highest (June) has been twenty-nine feet (sprinj^ 
 of 1882), the lowest seventeen feet (1869). It must be re- 
 
 1} 
 
KST. 
 
 AITEXDIX a 
 
 •Km 
 
 vo months 
 . ^ceso — ol 
 in;^ on the 
 almost our 
 
 nd streams 
 n^t' to say, 
 rrowni'ss of 
 •wer Koolo- 
 roimd thi' 
 water from 
 t quantities 
 us lo melt, 
 utlet ljein«;' 
 so that, by 
 I the river, 
 Ljkcil uj); a 
 and nearest 
 wo lon,<j;'er ; 
 Inmences to 
 I the same 
 — the two 
 ly and the 
 
 ,is not the 
 (le average, 
 the main 
 .^ery steep, 
 ly aeeurate 
 ,^er to rise, 
 [n March) 
 it (sprinjif 
 last be re- 
 
 nieml)ered, however, that these jneasurements are laken where 
 tlie river leaves tlie <;'orn;-es, and lias nut yet spread out over the 
 adjoiniii','' meadow lands. On these latter, the depth of water, 
 when at the liighest, varies between six or ci^'iit. feet and oiu; 
 foot. On most of these nieadow-llats the water drains olT as 
 quickly as it rises; on one or two of the lower ones it remains 
 loni,^er. 
 
 The prevention of the overflow could, T should say, be 
 brouji^ht about by works at three points. Firstly by cutting; 
 a canal between the Ujiper (^)lumbia Lake and the l\.(U)tenay 
 River, a distance of oiu' and a half niih's, whereby the waters 
 of the Kooteuay River above the canal coidd be drained into 
 the Columbia Lake, whieh is some twenty fei't lower in elevation. 
 At some not very remote ])eri»)d the Kooteuay evidently took 
 this course, for the nature of the intervenini>' ground abimdantly 
 proves this singular fact. The canal would take off the late 
 and particularly dangerous snow-water. 
 
 The Kooteuay River, where it would be tiu'ned o(T, is already 
 an important stream, during high water four hundred or live 
 hundred feet wide, in the centre from six to seven feet in deptli, 
 and flowing at a rate of quite five or six miles an hour. During 
 the gold excitement in that re«4i(m, some nineteen years ago, 
 a party of five-and-twenty men had already commen('(vl work 
 at this very jjoint with j)recisely the same end in view — i.r., 
 turning the Kooteuay River into the Columbia Lake for the 
 ])urpose of washing for gold in the bed of the river, and expected 
 to complete the work in one season. Lack of provisions anil 
 funds obliged them to give up the undertaking. 
 
 The other two ])oints are on the outlet of the lake, where 
 by widening it at the "Narrows " or at the " Ra])ids^^ the rise 
 of the lake would be prevented. The " Narrows " is a most 
 singular place, the outlet river being at this point narrowed to 
 a channel of 311 feet by two Ijanks of large cobblcstone-sha})ed 
 

 U 
 
 1 . 
 
 410 
 
 LTFI': AM) LAUOVR JN TUK FAU, FAR WEST. 
 
 l)()til(lt'rs, (l('p(»si<»'(l at this rritical point in tin* conrHe of no-os 
 by two sidj! streams nishin<^ down From the impending; moun- 
 tains on citlu'r side. 
 
 Tlu! climate, tocomo to n most important point, is apparently 
 all that can ho dcKircd. OF warm summers, and fine, raiidess 
 autumns, \ ean speak From experience, for 1 was in the Kootenay 
 country off and on up to the middle of Deeemher, 18^<.■}. The 
 winters do not aj)pear to be severe, for on arrivinj^* there in 
 spring I Found the cattle and horses of the natives, who are in 
 the habit of winterinj^ them in the lower valley, lookinj^ Fat and 
 sleek, and from Indians, as well as the few white Indian 
 traders who have been in the country For years, it appears that 
 the depth oF snow has, so far as is known, never exceeded (in 
 the Lower Kootenay valley) two feet in dej)th, while in most 
 years it lies only twelve to fiFteen inches for about two months. 
 The only thermomctri(;al winter observation ever made in the 
 valley is that of a reliable trader who passed the exceedingly 
 severe winter of 1880-1 at Honner's Ferry. It was a winter 
 which will be remembered for many years throunjhout the West, 
 and T myself experienced six hun<lred miles south of Kootenay 
 a cold of tifty-two degrees below zero, while the thermometer in 
 Kootenay, according to my inFormant, whom I have no reason 
 to disbelieve, never went that winter lower than fourteen 
 degrees below zero. Of the snowfall he said as foUcws : — "Snow 
 fell in November, but disappeared in a few days. The regular 
 winter Fall commenced about Christmas, rea(;hed a depth of two 
 feet in February, and disap])eared about the 1st of April. '^ In 
 the same winter over two hundred thousand head of cattle died 
 on the far more southerly but also much more elevated ranges 
 in Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado, while east of the Rocky 
 Mountains the cold was equally intense, and the snow of great 
 and lasting depth. 
 
 Father Fouquet, of the Catholic Mission, in the Upper 
 
AI'l'lJNDIX C. 
 
 Ill 
 
 Kootciiay, siiyti, in his report on liis IiidiaiiH to tlir (iovcru- 
 nu'iit : — "Not one lu'iid ol stot'U has died in constHHU'ncc of 
 Hi'VtMV wcatlicr in ninr years." A letter written .lannary ;i!Mli, 
 18^4, Troni the Kootenay district, says ; — "'I'liere is very little 
 Know at Bonner's I'Vrry ; six inelies in the valley. Your stock 
 is doincr woll without any Iced; the coldest ni;;ht here this 
 winter was six helow zero;" while a later one, dated :'!ltli 
 March, informs nut that the snow has di-sappeared in many 
 places, and that no losses in stock have to he noted — very en- 
 court ..•ing' news, Tor the past season lias heen an e\cecdin^Iy 
 severe one in most parts of the West and North- West. 
 
 As yet no extensive? exju'riments respectin«jj cattle-raisin«j;' in 
 the Jjower vallev have heen niaile hv white men, the onlv 
 attempt to follow the example of ahorij^-inal cattle-owners hein^- 
 that of a l)nt(thman — about the last person one would suppose 
 inclined to exi)erimentalise with his hard- won savings — who had 
 a little farm some eiifhty or ninety miles south of Honner^s 
 Ferry. This homestead he sold in the autumn of 1SS2, and for 
 the money boujj^ht some seventy liead of two and three-year-old 
 cattle at the then low price of between twenty and thirty dollars a 
 heail. He drove his band to the Kootenay bottoms, ami wintered 
 them close to the boundary-line, leavin^' an Indian in char^'e of 
 the herd while he himself returned to more civilised parts to 
 jyain his livin<if by carpenter! nc^. The Indian i)roved a faithless 
 <4'uardian, and went off, leavin<^ the cattle to njani whither th(>y 
 liked, so that when in si)rin<i^ the ownei returned he could only 
 find some fifty odd head. Notwithstanding this loss, the plucky 
 Dutchman's venture — a typical example, by the way, of frontiers- 
 man's nerve, in riskinf^ his all in apparently wild scliemes, a 
 spirit that largely helps to settle up uncivilised districts — proved 
 a financial success, for he sold his cattle a few months later to 
 a butcher at Sandpoint for sixty dollars a head, i)rices having 
 gone up in the meanwhile. Of course this example led to 
 
 !• m 
 
412 
 
 LIFE AND L.innUR [X THE FAll FAR WEST. 
 
 ii Jiii! 
 
 MM 
 
 further attempts, aiul wlien I left the L)\ver Kootenay valley 
 last autumn there were already three equally poor hut ad- 
 venturous cattle-men with three hundred head of cattle on the 
 bottoms. It is too early to say how their ventures have turned 
 out, thoun-h I myself entertain no doubt on that head ; all the 
 features of the c()unt)y, its low elevation, only 1,750 feet over 
 the Pacilie, its sinij^ularly sheltered position, the prevalence of 
 the warm Chinook winds in winter, the presence of immense 
 (jufintities of the finest eattle-fodder that can be had simply for 
 the (Hittinf? and staekinj^, combine in makin<4- it one of the most 
 favoured spots for cattle-raisin<»' I have ever seen, thouo^h of 
 course, if the drainaji^e scheme of these bottoms succeed, it will 
 become too valuabh; land .) raise only hay on it. 
 
 In rei^ard to means of communication, Xootenay will be 
 soon well provided for; from the north and east by the Canada 
 Pacific Railway (to be quite completed in ].S8(»), from the west 
 by the Kootenay and Columbia Railway, and from the south by 
 a branch line from the Northern Paeifle to Conner's Ferry on 
 Kootenay River. It was, I believe, last autumn the intention of 
 the Northern Pacific Railway Company to construct, in ISS]., 
 this branch line (less than thirty mill's in len<>'th), but recent 
 events, and a chan<i^e in the manas^ement, will now, I am afraid, 
 retard the carrying out of this idea. 
 
 On the Kootenay River and lake there will be steamers, and 
 the " <;lobe trotter^^ of the future on his American tour, will, no 
 doubt, be an appreciative customer of a conneetin<>- link between 
 the Northern Pacific and the Canada Pacific lines that will take 
 him throu<i^h a district which I can safely pronounce nm-ivalled 
 for scenery. The enter})risin<i;" San Francisco capitalists who are 
 about to construct a railway above the Kootenay Lake outlet, 
 will thereby iireatly benefit the district, for the twenty miles 
 covered by their line is the only missino- link in the otherwise 
 unrivalled water connection between Bonner's Ferry and Eag-le 
 
iVEST. 
 
 ArrExnix c. 
 
 413 
 
 )letiay valloy 
 oor but ad- 
 Mittle on the 
 ! have tuvnod 
 loaii ; all the 
 50 feet over 
 prevalence of 
 of immense 
 ad simply for 
 ! of the most 
 n, thou<jjh of 
 leeeed, it will 
 
 enay will be 
 )y the Canada 
 ■rom the west 
 
 the south by 
 or's Ferry on 
 e intention of 
 met, in ISSI, 
 i), but recent 
 
 , I am afraid, 
 
 [steamers, and 
 tour, will, no 
 link between 
 
 Ihat will take 
 ice unrivalled 
 ilists who are 
 Lake outlet, 
 [twenty miles 
 the otherwise 
 Iry and Eag-le 
 
 Pass, on the Columbia River, where the Canada Paeilic Railway 
 will cross it, thus cnal)lin<^ the future tourist to step from his 
 palace car at Bonner's Ferry on to a river steamer, which will 
 take him one hundred miles on the Kootenay River, forty 
 miles over the lake, and twenty miles down the outlet to the 
 " Rapids/' where this water road becomes unnavi^able, and 
 thence the railway to take him to the Columbia River, where he 
 ag'aMi steps on board a steamer to be taken one hundred and 
 bixty miles to Kaji'le Pass and the Canada Paeilic Raihvav. 
 
 lliT 
 
 As so many contradictory statements have been lloati 
 throug-h the American and Eng'lish press concernin<^ the insur- 
 mountable difliculties that obstruct the Canada Pacific route 
 across the Selkirks, between Kickin<r Horse and Kagle Pass, in 
 
 Kootei 
 
 show that th 
 
 ..ootenay district, it may not be out of place to sUow tnat tins 
 is not the case. On January 1st, 18S.t, the railway line was 
 j^nvded up to the summit of the Rocky Mountains, some sixty 
 miles west of Calfjary, to which latter place regular trains were 
 running in September. An extract from ihe chief of the 
 en<^ineerin«^ staff. Major Rog-cr's ollicial rei)ort to the authorities 
 will explain in lucid terms that no insurmountable obstacles 
 obstruct the construction of the route across the Selkirks. 
 Major Rog^er says: — ''The route adopted proceeds from the 
 summit of the Rockies westerly down the Kickin<j^ Horse River, 
 44-. 70 miles to the valley of the Columlna, which it follows in a 
 north-westerly direction nearly thirty miles, until it enters the 
 valley of the Beaver, thence about twenty miles to the summit 
 of the Selkirks. From this latter point it descends westerly 
 down the east fork of the Hlecilliwaut, about twenty-three miles, 
 to a junction with the main stream, which it follows north- 
 westerly about twenty-three miles to the west crossing- of the 
 Columbia. A maximum gradient of 110 feet per mile is found 
 necessary in the descent westerly from the summit of the Rockies 
 down the Kickinir Horse Pass for a distance of about seventeen 
 
4U LIFE AXD LABOUR IN THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 miles, and a<>'ain for a distance ot' two miles in the Lower Kiekin<^ 
 Horse. The same j^radients are used in the ascent of the Sel- 
 Icirlvs for about sixteen miles, and for nearly twenty miles down 
 their west slope. In no instance is this rate of <^'rade exceeded, 
 and a |)ro})er compensation for curvature is made in every case 
 by a reduction of the rate of ,i]i;rade. We have used a minimum 
 rate of curvature of ten dej^rees, mainly in Kickini^ Horse 
 Valley, but only an occasional use of that rate cd' curvature in 
 the canyon of the Columbia and in the Selkirks. I am confi- 
 dent, however, that in the linal adjustment of the line, after the 
 ri<^ht of way shall have been cleared, a material improvement 
 will be made in this respect. There will be three crossinc^s of 
 the Kickin*^ Horse in the ujiper valley and eii>-ht in the lower, 
 all of one span, and no span exceedini;- :iUU feet. The lirst, or 
 easterly crossing" of the Columbia, will require a bridif-e of 350 
 feet in length, and the west crossinj^ about SOO feet. Tunnellint>^ 
 will be required as follows : — In Upper Kickinj^ Horse, 1,800 
 lineal feet ; in Lower Kicking; Horse, 2,4'00 ; in Columbia Canyon, 
 !i,300 ; in east slope of Selkirks, none; in west slop ; of Selkirks, 
 not to exceed l,iJOO ; making" a total of 7,600 lineal U'et. The 
 track having reached the summit of the Rockies, tlure remains a 
 gap of not over :J70 miles to be completed between that point 
 and Kamloops. The highest elevation attained is that in the 
 Rockies, 5,800 feet. The highest elevation to be overcome in 
 the Gold range is the Eagle pass, which is not more than -iOO 
 feet higher than the west crossing of the Columbia.^' 
 
 1 have hitherto contined myself almost exclusively to the 
 Lower Kootenay Valley, which forms only a porti(m of the large 
 Kooteiuiy district, that extends beyond the so-called '' Big 
 Bend," i.e., the northernmost bend of the Columbia River.* 
 For practical pur{)oses one might divide the district into the 
 
 * It irt just as wi'll to moiitioii tlint in Wusliiiigtoii Torritory there is 
 also a " Big Bond (.'ountry," and the two nuist not be coni'ouuded. 
 
WEST. 
 
 iower Kiekiny: 
 lit o£ the Sel- 
 [y miles down 
 ■lido exceeded, 
 ' in every ease 
 'd a niininium 
 ickin<^ Horse 
 f curvature in 
 I am eonli- 
 liue, alter the 
 improvement 
 e crossint^s of 
 in the lower, 
 The lirst, or 
 bridi^e of •55(1 
 t. Tuunellinj^ 
 Horse, 1,8(K) 
 imbia Canyon, 
 ) ! of Selkirks, 
 id U'et. The 
 I're remains a 
 ■n that point 
 is that in the 
 overcome in 
 )re than i-(M) 
 
 ArrENDix a 
 
 415 
 
 lively to the 
 n of the hirge 
 -called "Bi--- 
 imbia River.* 
 
 rict into the 
 
 rritory there is 
 Diniik'il. 
 
 Upper Kootenay country, the Upper Columbia or Big" Bend 
 Valley, and the Lower Kootenay Valley, of which latter we 
 have already heard ])erhaps too much. The Upper Columbia 
 Valley commences, as it is perhaps needless to point out, at 
 the two Upper Columbia lakes, small, but very })icturesquely 
 situated sheets, that will receive material increase of water bv 
 the proposed canal connectinji^ it with the Kootenay River. 
 Following the Columbia round its bend till it strikes the 
 International boundary at the Old Hudson Bay Post, Fort 
 Shepherd, we have to travcd Ml miles, about half of which 
 passes throuf^h a well-timbered country, havin<;' in places rich 
 agricultural soil. The country round the Upper Columbia lakes, 
 and for a short distance down either water-way, is an inviting 
 " bunch ij^rass " locality, which, to stock-raisers, ou<>ht to be 
 hijifhly attractive, for not only w ill " ranches " there be exceed- 
 ingly favourably situated as to railway communication by way 
 of the Canada Pacific, but the country, so far as the painstaking 
 examination of the Government Commissioners coidd demon- 
 strate, is favoured, taking its position into consideration, by a 
 mild winter climate, only inferior to that of the Lower Kootenay 
 Valley, which is more sheltered against the cold north and 
 easterly winds. . 
 
 To a man desirous of starting into stock-raising with no more 
 expansive aims, there are perhaps few more inviting localities 
 than this Upper Kootenay district, though more money can, 
 Ithink, be made in the Lower Kootenay Valley, there being in 
 the latter locality every opportunity of also root and maize 
 fattening his cattle, a combination which nowadays returns the 
 largest prolits. 
 
 The whole Kootenay district will probably soon be a great 
 mining country, for there is no doubt of the })resence of large 
 deposits of auriferous and argentiferous ores. The last \'ictoria 
 paper I received confirms news about which I heard rumours 
 
416 
 
 LIFE AXD LABOrU IX TJIi: FA I', FA I! ]\i:sT. 
 
 before lcavin<j: tlio KoottMiay district, a month or two a<?o, 
 relatitij'' to a very rich strike ri<;-ht on the aj)ox of the Kicking' 
 lltirse I'ass, close to the Canada Paeifio Railway, and rcsultin<jf 
 in a town, called " Silver City/' suddenly si)rini;in^ up amidst 
 the deep winter's snow, which on those elevations falls to a dej)th 
 of four or live feet. Similar, and even more extensive mineral 
 discoveries, have heen made on the southern extension of the 
 Selkirk l{aii«::e, in Idaho Territory (where they chano-e their name 
 to Coeur d'Alene Mountains), discoveries that have caused a 
 <;vneral gold fever on the entire Pacilic slope, and this sprin!L!; 
 ])rol)ahly 15,1)00 or :iO,000 people will he " prospectins^'^ the 
 inhospitahle Coeur d'Alene Mountains, attracted by these dis- 
 coveries. I take a low iiii|;nre, the popular estimate of the pro- 
 bable intlux beinjif all the way from 50,000 to 100,000 miners. 
 
 Some twenty years a»;'o there was, as I have already men- 
 tioned, for a season or two, a Hourishing* minin«j^ camj) on the 
 I'pper Kootenay River, on Wildhtu'se Creek, where in two 
 summers over £l;iO,00(i in y^old was " placer mined," i.e., 
 washed from the soil by rude mechanical contrivances. 
 
 There is still a little settlement there with some ilozen or so 
 of white men, and fifty or sixty Chinamen, whose jtostal com- 
 municiition brino-s them outside news but eii^'ht times u year, 
 but who nevertheless enjoy the privilej^e of returning' one of 
 their number as member to the Provincial Parliament at Vic- 
 toria. It is sinj^'ular to find amonii;' the hoary ])eaks of the 
 Rocky Mountains, ri^-ht in the heart of this 5>'reat inland chain, 
 little settlements of fru^-al Chinamen dig-^ing" and delvinji", 
 washin*]^ and " panniniic" with restless activity, jifencrally }^*oin<]^ 
 »)ver the same soil or grounil which white men have pretty nearly 
 exhausted, or which is of such evident poor (piality as to be 
 thrown aside by them. It is a mystery how they get there; 
 nobody wants them, nobody took them there, nobody showed 
 them the way, and yet there they are, often hardly able to 
 
 ^^ 
 
APPEXDIX C. 
 
 417 
 
 speak more than a word or two of " pi«^eon English." I have on 
 several occasions found such little communities, consistin;;' only 
 of Chinamen, in the most desolately out-of-the-way places hii^-h 
 up, 10,001) feet over the sea, on or above timber-line, where 
 perhaps not more than two or three stran<^ers will jxinetrate in 
 the course of years. Once a year they will proceed to the 
 nearest settlement, often a week's travel off, })urchase a few 
 pony-loads of rice and tea, their sole food, and return to their 
 isolated little log cabins. 
 
 Riding along the narrow Indian trails, where such penetrate 
 the dense forests of British Columbia, you frequently come upon 
 some mysterious Chinese sign-inscription burnt or cut into a 
 "blaze" on a tree, showing that some frugal "China camp" is 
 somewhere or other ahead of you, perhaps a mile, perhaps a 
 hundred miles. 
 
 On Kooteuay Lake itself unusually large deposits of low- 
 grade Galena ore have been discovered, ore which, while it is 
 two-thirds pure lead, contains also some silver, the assays show- 
 ing about .€5 to £0 of silver to the ton, the percentage of lead 
 averaging over sixty per cent. 
 
 Singular to say, these mines were no sooner discovered, than 
 the usual lawsuiting peculiar to mining camps was commenced, 
 and where the year before only three white men were the sole 
 inhabitants of a district as large as Switzerland, there twelve 
 months later four important mining lawsuits were pending, and 
 judge, lawyers, constables, and a host of witnesses assembled in 
 a diminutive hastily- created log-cabin court-house, the only 
 dwelling with a window in it in all Lower Kootenay. For 
 many days the court sat in the lowly log' cabin, standing on the 
 brink of the primeval forest skirting a sandy beached bay of the 
 beautiful Kootenay Lake. What comment upon man's aggres- 
 siveness did tliis law-court in the utter wilderness not suggest 
 to the breechclout-clad listeners, who, in travelling up to the 
 
 B B 
 
i 
 
 i| 
 
 418 LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAR, FAR WEST. 
 
 favourite hunting-grounds at the northern extremity of the hike, 
 would pass the mines a..d would occasionally run their lig-ht 
 little canoes ashore to take a peep at the proccedin»^s in the 
 white man's church — as they called our court — stalkin<]^ into our 
 midst in all the natural, thoupfh naked difji-nity of their race. 
 
 This Lower Kootenay country has, with three exceptions, 
 been visited up to the ])ast year by none but stray " pros- 
 pectors'' feold minei-s), and these exceptions, stran<^e to say, 
 were all men of mark. The first was the well-known naturalist, 
 David Douf^has, sent out to the Columbia River Country in J S2 !• 
 and 1827 by the Royal Horticultural Society of Euf^land, and 
 who visited the district on two occasions. On the first occasion 
 he crossed the Rocky Mountains with the Jnu/utl Krpress of 
 Hudson Bay Company, an "express" that took more than five 
 months from ocean to ocean. In his most interesting^ journal 
 (that of the second voyage got lost in a canoe disaster), of which 
 it is hard to find a copy, he speaks of the difference in the 
 climate between the eastern and western slopes of the Rocky 
 Mountains, using the words : " The difference of climate and 
 soil, with the amazing disparity in the variety and stature 
 of the vegetation, is truly astonishing. One would suppose 
 it was another hemisphere — the change is so sudden and so 
 great." 
 
 The next visitor came in 1814, and was one who became a 
 resident, and some few years ago died in the country. No less 
 than the pioneer of that most useful and benign class of men, 
 the French missionaries, who forty years ago left their sunny 
 France to bury themselves in the Oregon wilds, when they were 
 yet a perfectly unexplored wilderness. Father de Smet has made 
 himself a high name, not only as the founder of these Oregon 
 Missions, but as a traveller of acute observation and undaunted 
 courage. The three little books he has left us, now also quite 
 rare, are to me most attractive chronicles of a modest and 
 
EST. 
 
 ArPEXDIX c. 
 
 419 
 
 )f the lake, 
 their H^ht 
 nirs in the 
 i\iv into our 
 
 eir race, 
 exceptions, 
 ray '' pros- 
 njre to say, 
 Li naturalist, 
 itry in 1 S:l 1 
 Inf^land, and 
 lirst occasion 
 / Kvpress of 
 )re than five 
 itin^ journal 
 ter),of which 
 }renee in the 
 I the llocky 
 climate and 
 and stature 
 •uld suppose 
 .dden and so 
 
 10 became a 
 ry. No less 
 ilass of men, 
 
 their sunny 
 en they were 
 let has made 
 [these Oregon 
 Ld undaunted 
 L)W also quite 
 
 modest and 
 
 unassuminfy man's life sacrificed to a f]food cause. In simple 
 unpretentious words he narrates all the luitold vicissitudes of 
 his thirty years' teaclnnp;' among the wild aborigines of the 
 North-AVest. I'^utirely cut off from intercourse with white 
 fellow-beings, this remarkable man lived only for his Church 
 and for his "naked children." De Smet gives us a ])leasing 
 picture of the Indians that inhabit tliis district, i.e., the 
 Kootenay tribe, divided into the Upper and the Lower sub-tribes. 
 I have hitherto said almost nothing about the natives as I found 
 them in 188'i. I was most pleasantly surprised, after what I 
 had seen for the past six or seven years of the United States 
 Indians, to find the Kootenays a very different race, and I can 
 in every respect re-echo the old missionary's warm praise of 
 this remarkable tribe, which, as he very truly says, " present a 
 delightful, unexpected spectacle to find in the bosom of these 
 isolated mountains on the Columbia, a tribe of poor Indians 
 living in the greatest purity of manners, and among whom we 
 can discover the beau ideal of the Indian character uncon- 
 taminated by contact with whites. The gross vices which dis- 
 honour the red man on the frontiers are utterly unknr)wn among 
 them. They are honest to scrupulosity. The Hudson Bay 
 Company, during the forty years that it has been trading in 
 furs with them, has never had the smallest object stolen from 
 them. The agent of the Company takes his furs down to 
 Colville (two hundred miles away) every spring, and does not 
 return before autumn. During his absence (he being the only 
 white man in the country) the store is confided to the care of 
 an Indian who trades in the name of the Company, and on the 
 return of the agent renders him a most exact account of his 
 trust. I repeat now what I stated in a preceding letter, that 
 the store often remains without any one to watch it, the door 
 unlocked and unbolted, and yet the goods are never stolen. The 
 Indians go in and out, help themselves to what they want, anil 
 
 B B 2 
 
 M 
 
LIFE AND LABOUR IN THE FAB, FAB WEST. 
 
 always scrupnlcmsly leiivc in place of whatever artielc tliey take 
 its exact value." 
 
 It will 1)0 iH'rlmps hardly credited hy those who are ac- 
 quainted with the Indians, south in the United States, east in 
 the North-Western Provinces of Canada, and west and north 
 in British Cdlunihia, when I say that to a ^reat extent I found 
 the Kootenays to be in 1SS,'3 just what De Smet described them 
 to be in 1815, the only exception ])erhaps beinj';' that gambling 
 amon*;' themselves has increased to a danji^erous dejj^ree. They 
 are, without exception, of all Indian tribes on the North 
 American continent outside of Alaska Indians, the only tribe that 
 are still perfectly untrammelled by white man's i)resence in 
 close proximity. They have no reserves and no ajj^ents, the 
 Government has no relation whatever with them, the forest and 
 stream supplyinji;' them with all they need. No census has ever 
 been taken of their number; they are perfectly unacquainted 
 with any lanf^uaj^-e but their own, not even Chinook, the 
 universal langua«^e of the Pacific slopes, being understood by 
 them. They keep entirely to themselves, and never leave their 
 o\vn district. Intermarriages with other tribes are exceedin<^ly 
 rare, and their tribal number has api)arently neither decreased 
 or increased. They are all devout Catholics, and Father 
 Fouquet, the present missionary, has them seeming-ly well in 
 hand. I employed quite a number of the Lower Kootenays in 
 188JJ about me, and found them quite exceptional Indians : 
 willino- to work, honest, and unspoilt by any white man's vices, 
 for gamblintr is not of that class, it is inherent to the Indian 
 character. They are also, for Indians, a remarkably cheerful and 
 laughter-loving people. 
 
 But the simple Kootenays' days are numbered, for the whites 
 are beginning to invade their isolated realm, and this year they 
 are going to have a reserve assigned to them by the Government. 
 It will be an interesting though suggestively sad study to watch 
 
APPENDIX €. 
 
 421 
 
 the rapid doterioration wliich will inevitably tiiko place. The 
 evening prayer bell that now sounds in every little Kootenay 
 <'amp, strani»'ely out of place as it seems, will no longer be heard, 
 while the breech-clout will be replaced by white men's cast-off 
 dress. 
 
 De Smet j^ives some interestin<^ details of the conversion 
 of the Kootenay Indians. One little incident will sudice to 
 show the exceptional character of this tribe. " On the day 
 appointed/' Father de Smet says, "for the administration of all 
 these sacraments, the youn<«' Kootenay ])resented bimself with 
 a humble and modest air at the ('onfession.'. lie held in his 
 hands some bundles of cedar chips, about the si/e of ordinary 
 matches, and divided into small bunches of different sizes. 
 After kneelini>' in the Confessional and saying' the Confession, he 
 Ijandcdtlie little bundles to the priest. 'These, my father/ said 
 he, 'are the result of my. examination of conscience. This 
 bundle is such a sin ; count the chips and you will know how 
 many times I have committed it. The second bundle is such a 
 sin,' and so he continued his confession.'' Father de Smet 
 would have been a «^ood land-company promoter, for he writes 
 about the Kootenay district in a pleasantly attractive style. 
 Like myself, he first c(»ntem plated the Lower Kootenay Valley 
 from an eminence — very prol)ably the very same rocky foi'cland 
 from which I looked down — " where the graceful river of the 
 Arcs-a-plat — as the Kootenay was formerly called — winds in 
 such fantastic beauty, that it serves to make the weary traveller 
 not only for<^et his past dangers, but amply compensates him 
 for the fatigue of a long and tiresome journey." And in those 
 days it was Mideed a long and tiresome journey that took the 
 traveller to the isolated Kootenay Valley, De Sraet's letters 
 to his Father Superior, taking from fifteen to eighteen months 
 to reach him, while tf)-day you can reach the Kootenay river 
 in fifteen days from London. De Smet also gives some 
 
422 
 
 LIFJJ AXD LAUOUli IX THE I'M!. FAR WEST. 
 
 intcrcslin''' details altniit tlic cliiiiMtc worfliy oT notice, for lie 
 lived in tlio land oF the Kootenavs and Flat-heads for thirty 
 years. In winter, he says, "the teinperatnre is remarkably 
 
 ini 
 
 Id. 
 
 dl 
 
 severe cold hein^ a rare ocenrrenee, anc 
 
 1 tl 
 
 10 snow IS seldom 
 
 ld( 
 
 deep. It falls freijuentiy during- the si'ason, hiil disappears 
 almost as it falls, or is driven oil' hy the sonthern hreezt'. 
 Horses and horned cattle lind abundant pasture (luriii<»" the 
 whol(? yea''/' In another place he says: — ** We were enchanted 
 by the beautiful and diversified scenery, now presenting- park- 
 like })astur'^es frin<^'ed in by stately old trees, then of Ali)ine 
 character; «;'loomy <.;-or<i:es and snowy ])eaks, framed in by 
 (grooves of •Ji'iant cedar-trees/' 
 
 " What would,'' he exclaims, " this now so solitary and 
 isolated land become under the fostering hand of civilisation ? 
 The hand of man would transform it into a terrestial jjaradise." 
 And, indeed, there is some truth in these words. Throu^-hout 
 my six years' rambles in the West and Ncjrth-West — in the 
 course of which I have left imvisited but few districts between 
 New Mexico and British Columbia — I have never seen anythin<^ 
 at all like the Kootenay country, and specially the lower valley, 
 representing" a combination of features that, perhaps with one 
 isolated exception — i.e., that of the Willamette Valley, in Ore.yon 
 — is as non-American as possible. A more self-contaiiied little 
 realm it would be diflicult to lind even in Europe, for it has almost 
 everything" that the genus settler can desire : an excejjtionally 
 rich soil of great depth, where, when once drained, anything 
 from mai/x' to melons, and from hops to tt)baeco, can be grown ; 
 fine and almost limitless pine, larch, and cedar forests, which, 
 alth(jugh they cannot compare with the uiirivalled Douglas fir 
 forests to be found along the Pacific coast of British Columbia, 
 are yet finer than anything in Eurojie, or in the eastern ])ortions 
 of the Continent; a river Mud lake affording navigation such as 
 1 do not know of in o'.y other locality, while round the lake are 
 
 i 
 
ArVENDIX C. 
 
 423 
 
 Vory considerable deposits of itiiirhle, fire-cliiy, iron, lead, and 
 silver ores, the presence of water-power to drive mills l)ein<; a 
 further important eeonomie feature. Evi'ry country has, of 
 course, its drawhaeks; those of Kootenay, with tiie excejition of 
 the unnu;d sprinj^ overllow, and a, six weeks' seourj^e of mos- 
 tpiitoes (from which, however, until the land is drained, it is 
 easy to jscape, there bcin<i^ none on the shores ol" the lake), I 
 have yet to discover.* 
 
 The third visitors to the Kootenay district were important 
 persona«''cs, namely, the Internatiomd lioundary CommissKtn, 
 the J'jnylish ))ortion of which was under command of Licutenant- 
 (xeneral Sir J. S. llavvkms, U.K. Unfortunately the re])ort <tf 
 the Commissioners, with numerous i^eoj^ra pineal, astronomical, 
 and ethnoy^raphical notes, wa.s never published by the (iovern- 
 ment, but lies buried in the stronj^-rooms of the Forcij^n Ollice. 
 One of tlie few published })apers that I could discover was written 
 by Sir Charles Wilson, who accom|)anied the (commission, 1 
 liclieve, in the character of chief topojjcraphcr. Jt <leals with an 
 intercstint^ subject, the Indian tribes inhabitin<jf the Pacific 
 slope between the Rocky jNIountains and the Pacilic Ocean, 
 alon<^ the lV)rty-ninth Parallel, which forms, as we know, 
 the boundary-line between the I'nitcd States and British 
 Columbia. Sir Charles AVilson has only <to(xI to say of the 
 Kootenays, describin<^ them as "a very interestinfjj tribe, which, 
 speaking a widely different lan^-naii^e, and walled in by high 
 ranges of mountains, is entirely isolated.^' " The Kootenays,'' 
 he continues, " were decidedly the finest race of Indians met 
 with during tlie progress of the Commission ; tho men were tall, 
 averaging five feet nine inches, with sharp features, at|uiliue 
 
 * A report upon the Kootenay country by Mr. G. M. Sproat, formerly 
 Asj;ent- General of British Columbia in London, has boon issued by the 
 Provincial Goverunu'nt. and can be obtaiTied, I believe, by applyiuff to the 
 Louduu Agout-Geueral of British Columbia, oG, Fiusbury Circus, E.C. 
 
i2i l.lFi: A\I) LAW Hit IN TIN'] I'M!, I'All WEST. 
 
 » Vi 
 
 nosoB, l)la<'k hair and *'y»'s, and very lonj^ black fyeliHlu'S. 
 They bear tho rcpututiou ol' boin^ brave, hon»'f<t, and trulliful, 
 and pride themselves on the fact that no while man ban ever 
 been killed l)y ono of their tribe. Several of the Lower Koote- 
 naya have small herds of cattle and patchesof r\iltivated {ground, 
 and one of the chiefs, called Jose|)h, had a small farm on the 
 waters of the Koolenay, with a band of seventy horses and 
 thirty head of cattle. The horses of the Upper Kootenays are 
 wintered on the Tobacco IMains (on the upjier course of the 
 river), those of the Lower Kootenays near the Kootenay Lake, 
 at neither of which places is there any j^reat depth of snow 
 ilurinjjf the winter." 
 
 No doubt a very few years .vill see great chanji^es in the 
 Kootenay district, dottin<^ the park-like lower valley with farm- 
 houses, while on the breezy uplands on the Upper Kootenay river 
 will roam herds of cattle and horses, fattened on the nutritious 
 bunch-g'rass that covers the valley and foot-hills. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 AociiiKVT— i» aHOPtit to MiirHliiiU'M 
 I'asN, '2') ; near N(<w Cliicii^fo, 170. 
 
 narrow <'M('iij)('m t'rniii, 17<i. 
 
 AKfii-ulturf ill Coloradu, l!), 24 ; in 
 <'iilif.)niia, 'n, MIt, H'l, «<> ; in 
 l5ritiHli Culiiml.la, 117, 11 «. i:i7 - 
 1 Kt, !.-)! ; in Dakota, l',H». l!ll, 
 \'.y.i; in the (Jn'A])i«'ll(' (li^trici, 
 •j()7_'21(),22() -'i'i^; in tln-Nortli- 
 WcMt,, 'J.Vi— 2r)» ; in tin- South- 
 Wi'st. 'J7!»; at Brandon, '.'!»H; at 
 J)cloiain(', ;j(t.")— "lUO; lictwoen 
 Cai-t\vri),>'ht an<l Manitoba City, 
 ;U.')— ;i'.!(t; in Soutlnni ]\Ianitol)a, 
 :}'J;i— :}:(;{ ; near JIanitol.a City, 
 'i'M, ;5.')(1; anions tiio Mt'nnonitt'H, 
 ;{.'i7 — :Hii) ; in tho Ketl liivor 
 Valley, ;i70 — ;J79 ; in tlii' Asnini- 
 lioint' V'allt'v, liHl ; in the Ivoot- 
 enav Lake f)iHtrii't, lOl, lOo. 
 
 Allan, Mr. A., :{H7. 
 
 Alli'ffliany Mountains, D. 
 
 Americans, hospitality of, ; activity 
 of, -it). 
 
 Ameiican Raihvay.s, pcncral infornia- 
 tion oonctTninfj:, 4—7. 
 
 Anderson, Mr., 142, 14;{, 14.). 
 
 Artirii, spot^iiiiens of, '2(). 
 
 Asheroft, British Columlna, 112, 117. 
 
 Assinihoinc Fanu, 292 — 2'J4. 
 
 Kiver, .'581. 
 
 Atchfson, Captain, 99. 
 
 B 
 
 " Ba(!hclorfi' Homo," 304. 
 Baillic-Grohnian, Mr., i;U, l')2, IGJ ; 
 
 appendix of, o97 — 424. 
 Baker, Mr. Ed<;ar Crow, 104. 
 Balsam, the. Specimens of, 48, ol, CI. 
 Bath, Mr., «0. 
 
 Bay Point, California, 84, 85. 
 Bear, A young, glunp.sc of, GO. 
 
 Bear's Mouth Station, 171. 
 
 I^'^'hv, Cliief Justice, lol, 1V2. 
 
 Bill, 'Dr., i;}. 
 
 Tarm, 207, 208. 
 
 Bell, Jfajor, 207. 
 
 Beiiifia, ';{9, 87. 
 
 Bennett, Mr. C. K., 99. 
 
 Big Bend Valley, 409 
 
 Billings, 1H7. 
 
 Bismarek, 190. 
 
 " Black Canon," The, 28. 
 
 Black-foot Indians, 'I'lie, 2.')0, l.i't — 
 2(12. 
 
 Black-foot Bass, 179. 
 
 Blizzard, A, 70. 
 
 Blyth's IMine, 190. 
 
 Bonner's Ferry, ;{.)4. 
 
 Boston Bars, Briti.nh Cnlumhia, 114. 
 
 "Bozemar" Tunnel, '1 hi', 187. 
 
 Bow Biver, 90'i. 
 
 Boundary line i.etween British Colum- 
 bia and the United Sijtes, 9"), 1(14. 
 
 Brandon, 204, 29.'). 
 
 Breakdown, A, 17(i. 
 
 " Bridal Veil," The, Yoscmite Valley. 
 
 British Columbia — ilimato of, 1 ,']:{, 
 1154; i)rospect8 of, 130; drunken- 
 ness in, 140, 141 ; l)eauty of, 14."). 
 
 British Columbians and Canadians, 
 feeling between, loO. 
 
 Biydges, Mr., 19.'). 
 
 Brydges, Mrs. F., 37G. 
 
 Buffaloes, 241. 
 
 Buffet, California, 73. 
 
 Burial, Indian, 109, 213, 20.'). 
 
 Burrard's Inlet, 100, l')4. 
 
 C 
 
 Calgary Fort, 270—27'). 
 Campbell's Farm, 380—384. 
 CauadiauMountedPolice,The, 232,233. 
 
426 
 
 JMjEX. 
 
 ( * 
 
 Cunudian racific Kaihvay, now tir- 
 iiiiims of, 1()(), I'l'.i, l.)t — l')G. 
 
 Steam Navi'^-'atiou Co., Tlie, 
 
 IK). 
 
 Cuiiadiiiii.s and T?riti.--li Columbians, 
 I'cclin;;- l)it\v<'('n, loO. 
 
 (Janocs, Indian, lli'i. 
 
 ('ai)itan, Kl, Ynscmito Valliy, •<(), .")(i. 
 
 Cai)ot' LilxTty, The, Yosoniite Valley, 
 
 Ol, 0(), iKS. 
 
 Cape riattery, !) 4, '.):,. 
 
 {■arihoo, l'.iiti.sli Columbia, Hi. 
 
 Cartv'i'i^lit, :ii;i. 
 
 Ca.scade Mountains. Tlie, i:)S, 1 tl. 112. 
 
 Cathedral liocks, Vosemite Valley, nl. 
 
 Cedar Mountiiin, lis. 
 
 Central I'aciiic Kaihvay, 3.'), 44, 87. 
 
 Chira^'o, .'{<S7. 
 
 Cliilliwaik, I'Vaser River, 11 G. 
 
 Chine.se, The- lit San l''ranci,seo,40,41, 
 .S4 ; at Victoria, 101 ; at Somervillc 
 l^ay, IIT), rjs ; in the Kootenay 
 Lake District, 417. 
 
 Cholera and Diarrha'a Tablets, 375. 
 
 Chlorodyne, U7o. 
 
 Cimarron, Stop])a^''e at, 29. 
 
 (;U;/ „f I'tLhi, The, 84. 
 
 (Darke's Fork River, IGo. 
 
 Clarke's Hotel, near the Yosemite 
 Valley, 4i). (U), 7(1, 71. 
 
 Climate— of "I>ike's Peak," Colorado, 
 22; of Madera, 4"); of Y'o.semitc 
 Valley, Wl, (i2 ; of San Gabriel, 
 7!), 80 ; on the Paeific! Coast, ill ; 
 of Victoria, 97 ; at New West- 
 minster, 108; at Ashcroft, 117; 
 west of tl.'' Cascade Mountahis, 
 117; of Vancouver's THland, 117, 
 l')!}; of Briti-h Columbia gener- 
 ally, l.'j:}, 134 ; of Tacoma, l')9, 
 at Ottorburno, 198; in Southern 
 Manitoba, 200; of Qu'Appclle 
 Valley, 227 ; at Swift Cun-ent, 
 242; at Cal^^ary, 271; in the 
 South-West, 279 ; of Manitoba 
 and the North-West, 379 ; in the 
 Kootenay Lake District, 410. 
 
 Olive, IMeysey — starts with party, 1 ; 
 leaves the party, 1(31; rejoins at 
 Calgary, 274, 27') ; anotluT sepa- 
 ration, 297 ; reunion at Winni- 
 peg, 372 ; illness of, 372, 374 ; 
 becomes worse, 380 ; death of, 
 38"), 380; obituary notice of, 391 
 —304. 
 
 "Cloud's Rest," Tlio, Y'oscmite Valley, 
 51, 54, 58. 
 
 Coal Harbour, British Columbia, 119, 
 123, 1.^)5. 
 
 I.sland, 120, 133, 144. 
 
 Cochrane Ranche, 2,S0. 
 
 Cooke's Hotel, Yosemito Vallev, 51. 
 
 Coleman, Mr., 41, 12. 
 
 Colonial Hotel, New Westminster, 10."). 
 
 Columbia iiiver. The, 101, 103, 104, 1G7. 
 
 C'omax, 13S. 
 
 ('oiil'i)'ffi fiini'inr, Specinu'us of, Gl. 
 
 Cordova Bay, 142, 148, 149. 
 
 Cork, Irtliiid, 2. 
 
 Corn, gaml)ling in, in St. Louis and 
 Chicago. 10. 
 
 I'roduction of — in Kansas, 11 ; in 
 
 California, 7'), 85 ; in British 
 Columbia, 134 ; in the North- 
 West, 251 ; among the Mennonites, 
 304 — 309 ; comparison between 
 different corn lands, 371. 
 
 Cornwall, Mr., Lieutenant-Governor 
 at Victoria, 97, 9,,, 101, 114, 141. 
 
 Cornwall, Mr. W., Ashcroft, 102, 112, 
 149. 
 
 Cotton Tree, a magnificent, 20. 
 
 Cowichan, 127, 131, 133. 
 
 Cox, Mr., 8, 38G. 
 
 Crease, I\Ir. Justice, 115, 149. 
 
 Cree Indians, The, 213—219. 
 
 Crocker, Mr., of San Francisco, 88. 
 
 (Jrookstun, 191. 
 
 Crowfoot. Indiiiii Chief, 250, 255, 25G. 
 
 Crystal City, 317. 
 
 i'ark, Colorado, 10 ; description 
 
 of, 17, 18. 
 
 Ihhnfa, Tlir, 84, 89— 9G. 
 " Dalks, The," 103. 
 Davidson, Mr., 345—350. 
 Davies, Mr., 192, 202. 
 Dian's Farm, Victoria, 147. 
 Deer Lodge, 179, 180. 
 Deloraine, 300. 
 Denver, 12. 
 
 and New Orleans Railroad, 13. 
 
 and Rio Grande Railroad, 13, 23, 
 
 35. 
 Departure Bay, 132. 
 Desford, 309. 
 
 DeSmet, Father, 412—110. 
 Dewdney, Lieut. -Governor, 205, 232. 
 Do Wintons, their ranche, 277 — 280. 
 Diarrluea and Cholera Tablets, 375. 
 Dickinson, 188. 
 
IXDIJX. 
 
 427 
 
 Columbia, 11!), 
 
 44. 
 
 Valley, 51. 
 
 'stininstcr, 10'). 
 1, Kio, 104,107. 
 
 U'llS of, (il. 
 149. 
 
 St. Louis and 
 
 Kiinsa.s, 11 ; in 
 ) ; in Uiitish 
 n the North- 
 hcMennonitfs, 
 nson li'tween 
 
 niiiit-Govcmor 
 
 101, 114. 141. 
 
 croft, 102, 1 1'-', 
 
 )ent, 20. 
 
 ;j. 
 
 '), 149. 
 -219. 
 •ancisco, 88. 
 
 2.)0, 25.5, 250. 
 
 clc8crii)tion 
 
 147. 
 
 lilroad, IIJ. 
 ilroad, 13, 2:5, 
 
 If.. 
 
 or, 205, 232. 
 , 277—280. 
 blcts, 375. 
 
 I')israiic('(S. Tablo of. 395, 39G. 
 iJoiiif. Tlif, Vosi'Uiitc N'alli'v, 51, 50. 
 ■' Dominion Day," 135, 13(i. 
 iJoiiglas, D.tvid". 412. 
 Fiis, spcrimons of, 50, 01, 105, 
 
 107, 119, 127, 129, 142. 
 
 , ('iivcrnor Sir Jamr.s, 114. 
 
 — — IMoiintaiii, MS. 
 
 Driard llon.so Hotel, Victoria, 90, 110, 
 
 135, 145, 147. 
 
 E 
 
 Edmonton, 270. 
 
 Edwards, Mr., Xcw Wt'stmin.stor, lOS. 
 
 El (,'apitan, YoMemite Valley, 50, 50. 
 
 Eikhorn, 2S9. 
 
 Emij^'rants, liints to intcndinir, US, 
 
 119, 137, 220, 252—254, 409. 
 Emorv, Hritish Cidunibia, 111. 
 En-li'sli Bay. 108, 119 121, 122, 155. 
 J-^tittf/iri.-'r, 'T/if, 103, 101. 
 Esquimau, 119. 
 Eucalyi>tus Groves, planting of, atLcs 
 
 .iXnureles, 83. 
 Eyton, the liev. T. II., 387. 
 
 False alann. A, 152. 
 
 Far^'o, 191. 
 
 Farminfr — in Colorado, 19, 21 ; in Cali- 
 fornia, 75, S3, 85, 80 ; in liritisli 
 Columbia. 117, 118, 137 — 140. 
 151 ; in Dakota, 190, 191, li.3; 
 in thi> (iu'Appelle district. 207— 
 210, 220—228; in the Nortli- 
 West, 252—254 ; in the Soutli- 
 AVest, 279 ; at Brandon, 298 ; at 
 I)i loraine, 305 — 310; between 
 Cartwright and ^Manitoba City, 
 315 — 320 ; in Soutlitrn ^Manitoba, 
 323—333 ; near Manitolia City, 
 334 — 350 ; am(jn>i the Mcnnonites, 
 3.-,7_3G9: in the Ked Kiver 
 Valley, 370—379 ; in the Assini- 
 boine Valley, 381 ; in the Koote- 
 nav Lake liistrict, 404, 405. 
 
 Fcni Dale, 142. 
 
 Fire on the Prairie, 299, 300. 
 
 FirM, Doiifflas, Specimens of, 50, 01, 
 105, 107, 119, 127, 129, 142. 
 
 Flag Tower, The, Victoria, 141. 
 
 "Fbit-h.r.d" Indian Reservc,The, 107. 
 
 Flood-Daviu, Mr. N., 232. 
 
 Forestry— in Arkansas, 21 ; Ixtween 
 Salida and Leadvilie, 2() ; on the 
 Sierra Nevada^, 3S ; on Fresno 
 Fiats, 48, 41* ; in and around tlie 
 Yosemite VaUey, 50, 51, 55, 5ti, 
 5S, 59, 01 ; in Mariposa droves, 
 (i7_7(); at Burrard's Iidet, 107; 
 at En-lish Hay, 1 JO -122; at 
 Saanicb, 142; in the liocky Moun- 
 tains, ISO. 
 
 Fort Calgarv, 270—275 
 
 Fort (^I'.Vppell.', 210. 
 
 Fra.ser, Mr., 272, 273. 
 
 Eraser Kiver, 104, 1(19—111,113,110. 
 
 Fresno Flats. Descent to, 48. 
 
 (Jrove, The, < 'alit'oniia, 70. 
 
 Frozen Sub-soil, 242. 
 
 a 
 
 Oaliano Island, 120- 
 
 (ialt. Sir Ale.vander. 2(i2. 
 
 Gambling in corn, in St. Loui,s and 
 ( 'hicago, 10. 
 
 " Garden of The Gods," the, Manitou, 
 14, 15. 
 
 Georgia, Straits of, 103, 104. 
 
 (ieraniiim busli. A large, 81. 
 
 Girtii'iitic, The, 1. 
 
 (I'lrtnuff, Tilt', 140 
 
 Glacier Point, view of, 54 ; ascent of, 
 51—58. 
 
 Glendivi>. 188. 
 
 (Hen's Farm, 270. 
 
 'I'.-v'" ■;tcrsiiire. Fanner from, 132. 
 
 (ilyndon, 191. 
 
 "Golden Gate," The, at San Fran- 
 cisco, 42, 90. 
 
 Gold Stream, Victoria, 149. 
 
 Govenmient Farm, 270. 
 
 Grain, iirodiii'tinii of — in Kansas, 11; 
 in California, 75, H5 : in Hriti.sh 
 'ilumbia, 131; in the North- 
 AVest, 251 ; among the Mennon- 
 ites, 301 — 31)9; comparison bi- 
 tween dirt'erent corn lands, 371. 
 
 Grnudin, Sj)eciniens of, 01. 
 
 Granville, British Colmubia, 119, 155. 
 
 (hvathed. Mrs., 3HS. 
 
 (ireen iiivcr, Passage of, 27. 
 
 Greig, ^Major, 199. 
 
 Gnv, Juilye, 99. 
 
 "(}iiz/ly (iiant," The, 08, 70. 
 
 Grohmaii, Baillie, Mr., 134, 152, 105; 
 Appendix of, 397 — 124. 
 
 Gunniston, 27' 
 
428 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 GwjTi, Hon, Dr., 40, 11, 70, 83, So, 
 
 87, 88, 89. 
 Gwyii, Hon. Mr., jun., 81— 8G. 
 
 H 
 
 Half Dome, Tlic, Yosemite Valley, 
 
 51, oG, ')8. 
 Hai-mer, Ur. E., 334— 3.")f). 
 Harvey, Mr., Yale. lOJ. ll'J. 
 Hasting.s, Ihntish Columlna, 119. 
 Hawkins, Lieut. -General Sir J. S., 417. 
 Headingley, 381. 
 Helena, 184. 
 
 " HeU's Gate," Fraser River, 113. 
 Hemlock Spruce, Specimens of, 10.'), 
 
 107, 119. 
 Herchmer, Colonel, 232. 
 Heron, Ki.'). 
 
 Hewitt, The Hon. Abram. 3, 9. 
 Hill. C.ipt., 188. 
 
 Hope, British Columlna, 111, 115. 
 Horloek, Rev. Jfr., Yale, 112. 
 Horrible Spectacles, 259- 2()1. 
 Horse Plains, Idaho Territor}% IGG. 
 Hotels in British Columbia, IIG. 
 Honolidu Indians, 144. 
 Hughes, Mr., New AVestminster, 102, 
 
 105. 
 Humbold, 37. 
 Hutdiinson, General, 42. 
 Hutton, Major, 24 G. 
 
 Idaho, The, 14G, 150. 
 Illinois, State of, 10. 
 Independence Da\-, 13G, 150. 
 Indiana, State of, 10. 
 Indian Burial, 109, 213, 2Co. 
 
 Head, 207. 
 
 Indians, 109, 213—219, 225, 250, 256 
 
 — 2G2, 413, 414, 417. 418. 
 Inspiration Point, Yosemite Valley, 
 
 50, 65. 
 
 .laffrav, Mr., 8, 192, 197, 202, 295, 
 
 374, 377, 380, 380. 
 Jones, Mr., of Victoria, 99, 100, 147. 
 Juan de Fuca, Straits of, 141. 
 
 K 
 
 Kahima, 159. 
 
 Tvamloops, liritish Columbia, 113, 117. 
 
 Kansas, City of, 11. 
 
 Kenncdv, Capt., 1. 
 
 Kerr, iir., 373, 374, 37G, 385. 
 
 Kihlonan, 377, 378. 
 
 lOason, David, 3G3. 
 
 Kooteiiay Lake, 407—409. 
 
 District, account of, 396 — 424. 
 
 River, 401 — 107. 
 
 Kuper Pass, 103, 104. 
 
 Labour — infomiation conccming— in 
 California, 75, SI, 83 : at Victoria, 
 101; in British Columbia. 109,118, 
 129, 137, 138, 140, 150; at Ottcr- 
 burnc, 198; in Southern Manitoba, 
 314, 332, 333. 
 
 Laiiihtrt'uihd, Specimens of, 48, 19, 51, 
 5G, Gl. 
 
 Land — in Kansas. 1 1 ; between Denver 
 and Colorado Spiintrs, 13; between 
 Manitou and I'ueblo, 19; in Colo- 
 rado generally, 24 ; in Utah, 31 ; 
 in California, 75, 77, 83 ; at Eur- 
 rard's Inlet, 107, 138—140; in 
 and near Victoria, 142, 147 — 149, 
 151; at Seattle, 158; in Dakota, 
 190, 191, 193, 195; in Red River 
 Vallev, 192 ; in Montana, 193; at 
 Fort Qu'Appelle, 221, 223 ; uithe 
 North- West generally, 252 — 254, 
 379 ; at Calgary, 271, 273 ; in the 
 South-West, 2*79 ; at Deloraine, 
 30G ; between Cartwriglit and 
 Manitoba City, 315 — 335; near 
 Manitoba Citv, 334 — 35G ; in the 
 Red River Valley, 370, 371, 378, 
 379 ; comparison as to riclmess 
 between ditlerent lands, 371 ; near 
 "Winnipeg, 377, 378. 
 
 Langdon. Mr., 247, 248, 2G3. 
 
 Langford Lake, Victoria, 149. 
 
 La.tciocarpii, Specimens of, 5G. 
 
 Lathrop, 45. 
 
 Lemon Groves, The, at San Gabriel, 70. 
 
 Liquor laws in tlie North-AVest, 246. 
 
 Little Bredcnbury, 192, 197. 
 
 Little Yosemite Fall, 57. 
 
 Little Yosenilte Valley, 56. 
 
 Liverpool, 1. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 4J9 
 
 jia, 113, 117. 
 385. 
 
 39C— 424. 
 
 icenung'— 111 
 ; iit Victoria, 
 )ia. 10".».118, 
 ill ; at Ottcr- 
 11 Manitoba, 
 
 \ 48, 49, 51, 
 
 rt'con Denver 
 
 13; between 
 
 19 ; in Colo- 
 
 n Utali, 31 ; 
 
 S3 ; at Eur- 
 
 S— 140: in 
 
 147-140, 
 
 ill Dakota, 
 
 Ked Kiver 
 
 ma. l'J3 ; at 
 
 '223 ; in the 
 
 252—254, 
 
 173 : in the 
 
 Deloraine, 
 
 riv'ht and 
 
 -335 ; near 
 
 5C) ; in the 
 
 371, 378, 
 
 to ricliness 
 
 , 371 ; near 
 
 !3. 
 
 4'J. 
 
 )(i. 
 
 tT.'ibricl, 79. 
 ^Vest, 24G. 
 
 Live Stock— in British Columbia, 139 ; 
 in Montana, Dakota, and Wyo- 
 ming', 193, 194 ; in the North- 
 West, 240, 252 ; inManicoba, 309 ; 
 in Southern Manitoba, 311, 329, 
 330, 341. 342; amoii>,' the Men- 
 noiiites, 31)0—3(19 ; near \V'iiinipe>r, 
 380—384 ; in the Koottnay Lake 
 District, 411, 412. 
 
 LivinjTHtone, 270. 
 
 Los Aii<reles, 77, 78, 80, 82. 
 
 Lower Kootenay Valley, 415. 
 
 Lvnch, Dr., 373, 
 
 LVnch law, 159. 16G, 184. 
 
 Lyons, Admiral, 100. 
 
 M 
 
 MahUis, Specimens of, 61. 
 
 Macdou^all. Mr., 212. 
 
 Mackenzie, Mr., 192, 202. 
 
 Madera, 45. 
 
 Main Island, 126. 
 
 Mundane, 190. 
 
 Manitoba City (Manitou), 320. 
 
 Manitolm Free Frvsn, Extract from, 391 
 
 —394. 
 Manitou, Southern Colorado, 13, 14. 
 Manitou (Manitoba), 320. 
 Manzanita Plant, The, 48. 
 Maple Creek, 243. 
 Maple Ridge, Fraser River, 116. 
 Mariposa Grove, California, 67. 
 Mariposa lily. The, 48. 
 Marsh, Mr., 228. 
 
 Marshall's Pass, Ascent to, by rail, 25. 
 Marston Camp, 282. 
 Martinjf, Calit'omia, 86. 
 McTavish, Mr., 195, 200. 
 Mc Vicars, The, 197. 
 Medicine Hat, 244—246, 285. 
 Mennonites, A visit to the, 357 — 369. 
 Merced, California, 84. 
 Merced River, 50, 52, 59 
 Mersey, The, 1. 
 Mirage, the Prairie, 264. 
 MiiTor Lake, The, Yosemite ^'aUey, 
 
 52, 53, 57. 
 Missoula, 168. 
 Missouri River, 190. 
 Mitchell, Arthur, 1, 18, 21, 380—384; 
 
 retuiTiinif to England, 386. 
 Montreal, 387. 
 Moody, Col., 106. 
 Moody, Port, 106, 123, 154. 
 
 Moodyville, 123, 155. 
 
 Moosejaw, 233. 
 
 Moosomin, 204. 
 
 Mos(iuitues, 236, 237. 
 
 Mount Baker, British Columbia, 100, 
 
 141, 142. 
 Mount Powell, 180. 
 Montana, 1S7. 
 Motiticoi/i, Specimens of, 61. 
 Morton Dairy Company, The, 305. 
 Mormoiiism, 31 — 35. 
 Morris, 371. 
 Jlittim; H.M.S., 100, 106, 126. 
 
 N 
 
 Nanaimo, 132. 
 
 New Cliicago, 174, 175. 
 
 New Tacoma, 15S. 
 
 New Westminster, 103, 105, 108, 116, 
 
 125. 
 Nevada Fall, Tlie, Yosemite Valley, 
 
 53, 54, 56. 
 New York, 2. 
 New Tacoma. 159. 
 Northern Pacific Railway, 158. 
 Northfield Ranche, 188. 
 Xort/i I'dcifii', The, 153. 
 Aoii7«.«, Siiecimons of, 61. 
 
 Oakland, 39, 87. 
 
 Ohio, State of, 10. 
 
 ♦•Old Wives' Lakes," 239. 
 
 Olympian Range, 94, 141. 
 
 Oiiderdonk, Mr., 102, 111. 
 
 Orange Groves, The, at San Gabriel, 
 
 79 ; at Sierra Madre, 81. 
 Otter, The, 145, 146. 
 Otterbume, 192, 197. 
 
 t 
 
 Palace Hotel, San Francisco, 39, 84. 
 Palmer, General, 15. 
 Passengers (Railway), Notice to, 36. 
 Pasadena, Los Angeles, 81. 
 Pasijuah, Indian Chief, 215 — 217. 
 Pembina, 358. 
 
 Crossing, 319. 
 
 Pend'oreille Lake, 165. 
 Pennsylvauia, State of, 9, 10. 
 
430 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Picnic in British Columbia, 141. 
 Pio-Pot, a Croc (thief, 2o'— 2;}7. 
 Piors Island, !.!(>, i;j;5. 
 "Pike's Peak," Ascont of, IG ; de- 
 
 Hcription of, 21, 22. 
 Pine Grove House, 170. 
 J'iniin ArixtiUii, .Specimens of, 20. 
 
 Coiitorfo, Spi'cimens of, 20. 
 
 lunichiKunii, Speitimens of, 20. 
 
 Etliilis, SpaiimeuM of, 20. 
 
 Plum Creek, 2!)'). 
 
 Plumper Pass, 120. 
 
 J'oij/itf.sidH, The, ;{87, 
 
 rondcromi, SpecimenB of, 20, 48, 49, 
 
 51, ,')0, 01, 102, ISO. 
 J'opitliix I'vi imiiiti, Si)eeimcn8 of, 20. 
 Portajfe la Prairie, 204. 
 Port (jJanunon, loS. 
 Port Hanioud, Fraser Uiver, 110. 
 Port Moody, 100, 12:i. LVl. 
 Portland Island, 120, 160, IGO. 
 PortLiuUow, l')8. 
 Port Madison, 1").S. 
 Port Townsend, 1 58. 
 Powell, Mr., 42. 
 
 Power, Herbert, 290, 372, 374, 370. 
 Prairie ride, A, 299, 300. 
 Pi'airie sunset. A, 200. 
 Price's River, Passage of, 27. 
 Price River Canon, 30. 
 Prices of I'rovisions — at Calgary, 273 ; 
 
 Cartwright, 310 ; in the Kootenay 
 
 Lake Distriitt, 405. 
 Priest's Pass, 1S3. 
 Prince Albert, Colony of, 251. 
 Priiicrss Loii'iKC, The, 145. 
 Provisions, Prices of — at Calgary, 273 ; 
 
 Cartwright, 310 ; in the Kootenay 
 
 I)istri(tt, 405 
 Provo, Mormon Settlement, 30. 
 Pueblo. 19, 20. 
 Puget Sound, 158. 
 
 Quebec, 387. 
 Quoenstowu, 1. 
 
 Q 
 
 R 
 
 Railway construction in the North- 
 West, 208, 209, 281, 282, 284. 
 Rankin, Mr., M.P., 292. 
 Red River Valley, The, 370. 
 
 Regina, 230—233, 289. 
 
 Rhodes, Mr., Yale, 102. 
 
 Richardson, 180. 
 
 River Fiaser, 104. 109—111, 113, IIG. 
 
 River Steamboats in America, 4. 
 
 Jtiihirt Jt. riuiiiipsoii, The, 159. 
 
 R<j(!kv MounUuus, 12, 17, 180, 181, 
 
 203. 
 Roman Catholic Mission at Fort 
 
 Qu'Appolle, 213. 
 Rose, Mr., 79. 
 Rosenfeld, 358. 
 Ross, Mr., 112, 143, 148. 
 Route, I'lan of, 7, 8. 
 Royal Corge of Arkau.sas, Passage of, 
 
 23. 
 
 S 
 
 Saanich, British Columbia, 101, 103, 
 
 127. 
 Salida, 25. 
 
 Sftlir, specimens of, 20. 
 Salmon Canneries in British Columbia, 
 
 105. 
 Salmon, Price of, at New Westminster, 
 
 100. 
 Salt Lake City, 31—35. 
 Santa Catalina, Isliind of, 82. 
 Sand Blizzard, A, 103. 
 Sand Point, 393. 
 
 Sand Point, Idaho Territory, 10.5, 
 San Franeiscro, 39 — 13 ; 84, 87 ; ap- 
 
 proacli to from the sea, 90. 
 San Francisco Agency, 45. 
 San (iabriel, Los Angeles, 78, 82. 
 San Juan do Fuca, Island of, 103. 
 Saskatcliewan River, 247. 
 Scarth, Mr., 235. 
 Seattle, 158. 
 Sentinel Dome, The, Yosemito Valley, 
 
 61 ; ascent of, 58, 59. 
 SeiTOon, A jxculiar, 93. 
 Settlers, Two, experiences of, 334—350. 
 Shorb, Hon. J. du Bathe, 77 — 79, 81, 82. 
 Shuswap Lake, 113, 117, 138. 
 Sierra Madre Villa, San Gabriel, 79, 80. 
 Sierra Nevadas, Ascent of, 38. 
 Silverheights, 384. 
 Siou.x Indians, The, 225. 
 Smet, Father de, 412—416. 
 Smith, Mr. Marcus, 115, 126, 138. 
 Smitho, Mr,, Prime Minister of British 
 
 Columbia, 133, 134, 136, 139, 140. 
 Somerville Bay, llo. 
 
11,113, 116. 
 
 nan, 4. 
 
 If)!). 
 
 (, 180, 181, 
 
 in at Fort 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 431 
 
 Passage of, 
 
 a, 101, 103, 
 
 ih Columbia, 
 Vestrainster, 
 
 82. 
 
 r, 1G.5. 
 t, 87 ; ap- 
 90. 
 
 8, 82. 
 )f, 103. 
 
 lito Valley, 
 
 334—3.56. 
 -71), 81, 82. 
 {8. 
 
 riol, 79, 80. 
 38. 
 
 6, 138. 
 of British 
 1, 139, 140. 
 
 Souris Kivcr, 209. 
 
 Si)C"ar.i,T!is8. tlus 239, 240. 
 
 Spokiuu.' Falls, 1(J4. 
 
 Stagi' liouds, American, 185. 
 
 Stophfus, Mr., 192. 
 
 Stewart uiid (.'anipboli's Cattle Ranchc, 
 380, 381. 
 
 Stewart Islauil, 12(5. 
 
 Stewart, -Mr., 3S(). 
 
 Stikeon llivir, Tlio, 14(5. 
 
 St. Juan, Isle oi, 111. 
 
 St. Louis. Arrival at, 10. 
 
 St. Paul's, 3S7. 
 
 Stock, Live — in British Columhiii, 139 ; 
 in Jlontana, Dakota, and Wyo- 
 Tuin^f, 193, 191; in the North- 
 tV^ist, 2 10, 2.')2 ; in Manitoba, 309, 
 in Southern Manitoba, 311, 329, 
 330, oil, 312'; amon<,'the^Iennon- 
 ites, 3()(i— 3(i',) ; near Winnipeg', 
 380 — ;5Sl ; in the Kootenay Lake 
 Distri.t, 111, 112. 
 
 Straits of Uior^da, lii:!, 101. 
 
 Susjieusion Bridire, Llrooklyu, 3. 
 
 Snake Itiver, 1(51. 
 
 Sun-dauee, A, 2.')8, 259. 
 
 Sutton, ;\Ir. , of Cowichan, 13(3. 
 
 Sweeney, Mr., 19o. 
 
 Sweetlands, 181. 
 
 Swift Current, 21 1 . 
 
 HwijUuro, II.M.S., 99, 119. 
 
 T 
 
 Tacoma, 158. 
 
 New, l.")9. 
 
 Tatlow, Capt., 97, 147, 152, 153. 
 Taylor, President John, Interview 
 
 with, 33. 
 Texada, Island of , 104. 
 "The Point," Yt)somite, 59, GO. 
 Thirteenth Sidin.i,'. 219. 
 Thitja f/it/iiHleii, Specimens of, 48, 
 
 51, 'g1, 105, 110, 119, 121, 127, 
 
 135. 
 Timber in British Columbia, 129, 13G 
 
 — 140, 142. 
 Tolls between Fresno Flats and the 
 
 Yo.semite Valley, 73. 
 Toronto, 387. 
 Touchwood Qu'Appello Colonisation 
 
 Company, 221—223. 
 Tree-phmtiag' in the North-West 
 
 Territory, 20G. 
 
 Turtle Mountains, The, 305. 
 
 Tway, Mr.. 14H. 
 
 Twui Oak Farm, Victoria, 147. 
 
 Union Pacific, Railway, 35. 
 Unshod horses, 3')5. 
 Upper Columbia Valley, 409. 
 Ute Pass, Ascent to, 14. 
 
 Vallio, Arkansas, 24. 
 
 Vancouver's Island, 103, 138, 153. 
 
 Veitch, Mr., 44, 4(5. 
 
 Vernal Fall, The, Vosemito Valley, 53, 
 
 5(5, 
 Victoria, British Columbia, 97 — 102, 
 
 12(), 134, 141. 148, 151, 157. 
 Victoria I''ire Bri;,'ade, Etliciency of, 
 
 152. 
 Vinevards, Tlic, at San Gabriel, 79. 
 Virden, 204, 290, 292. 
 
 W 
 
 Wadsworth, 38. 
 
 Wages —at Victoria, 101 ; in British 
 ColumbiaandEastern Canada, 118. 
 
 Wakopa, 309. 
 
 Wainwrijiht, Mr., of St. Louis, 10. 
 
 Wainwright, Mr., of Winnipeg, 195. 
 
 Walkem, .Mr. Justice, 97, 98, 102, 149. 
 
 Wailula, 103. 
 
 Ward, Rev. Mr., 1 14, 149, 151. 
 
 Washington Territory, 141, 152, 159. 
 
 Wheat, Production of — in Kansas, 11 ; 
 in California, 75, 85, 134; in the 
 North -West, 251 ; amimg the 
 Meiuionites, 3G4 — 3(59 ; com- 
 parison lietween different wheat- 
 lands, 371. 
 
 Wciglitnian, Mrs., 301. 
 
 U'liruKltoHuis, Specimens of, G7. 
 
 White' Lake, 30i). 
 
 IV. G. Hnitt, The, 131. 
 
 Whitfield, Herefordshire, 38G. 
 
 Williams, Victor. 192. 
 
 Williams, Col., 192, 202, 218, 29G 
 
 Wilson, Sir Charles, 417. 
 
432 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Winnipeg, 192, 195, 196, 372, 375. 
 jr. Irviwi, The, 115. 
 WuoUey," Mr., .'188. 
 Wonnbridge, Horefordshirt-, 380. 
 Wrangle, 146. 
 
 Yale, British Columbia, 111. 
 Yellowstone Park, 244. 
 Yellowstone River, 188. 
 
 Yosemito Fall, 61, 57. 
 
 Yosemito Turnpike Road Co., 47. 
 
 Yosemite, ^'allcy of— the route to, 43, 
 62 ; rou'o from, 63 ; dcHcription 
 of, 50— (i4 ; Cost of living in, 63 ; 
 hotels, (4. 
 
 Zorokarriors, Peter, 363. 
 Zucharis, Abram, 363. 
 
 I liii 
 
 |;: I 
 
 Cabsei.l i COMPA.SY, Limited, Belle aAUVAOB Wobks, Lonuos, E.C. 
 
 1^- \ 
 
51, 57. 
 
 Piko Rond Co., 47, 
 
 vy of— tho route to, 43 
 
 from (j;j; deHcripUon 
 . Co8t of living- in, 63 ; 
 
 ter, 363. 
 I, 363. 
 
 Xt E.G. 
 

 
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