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Siss Entered accor Prefatory, ^ of the Dominion wlio, with stalwart sons growing up around them, nro looking for an opportunity to do something for "the boys," to help them to a start in life ; and last, but not least, I am thinking of tlie clinrehes of the land, who are just beginning to wake up to the fact that they have now before them one of those grand opportnnities which may not occur again in the world's history — the opportunity of working out the problem of a Christian civilization on a purely virgin soil ; and I would fain present such information as may be, in some degree, helpful to each and all of these. }he Part of what is contained in the following pages appeared during the past summer in the correspondence columns of the Cliristian Guardian. The letters, as published, have been carefully revised, the remainder of the series completed, and the whole presented in the chapters which follow. Their publication in this form is in response to requests from many persons who desire to have the informa- tion in a shape more permanent than the columns of a newspaper would allow. vi Prefatory, It will readily be observed that in some partfl of the voluine considerable space is occupied with accounts of certain Missions of the Methodist Church, especially among the Indians of the Upper Saskatchewan region. As the main object of my tour was to inspect these missions, and to prospect with reference to the religious needs of the country, extended reference to Mission work was unavoidable ; but it is believed that this kind of information will not be unacceptable to those who liave the best interests of the country at heart. A. S. Toronto, Marcli 25th, 1881. i CONTENTS. CHAITEK I. i-A(»M. On thk Way. — Object of Tour — Routes — "Mean" Temperaturo — The " Railway Dog" — I'lairio Sunset — Repentance and Faith — The Party — Across Dakota— Bismarck 1 CHAPTER II. Up thk Missouri. — Waiting for the Agent — Sunday Services — Sharp Practice — Ohl Acquaintances — Otf at Last— Putting a " Check "' on Impudence — Interviewing a German — Getting over a Sandbar — An Indian Agency .... 10 (CHAPTER III. Amon(; thk Buffalo. — " Hoi)e deferred" — Shooting a Bull — Catching Buffalo Calves — More than he Bargained for — Indian Buffalo Hunt— Scenery 20 CHAPTER IV. Fort Bknton to Fort McLeod. — In Camp — Benton — The Start — Night Encampment — Indian Visitor— Northern Montana — Pend d'Oreille Springs — Marias River — A Long Drive — Cross- ing the Boundary — Milk River — A Deep Conundrum — Ferry- ing Belly River — Almost an Accident — Fort McLeod and its Future—" Good-bye " 31 t t • VUl Contents, CHAPTER V. PAGE. FoET McLeou to Morlet. — Stray Horses — High River — McDou- gall's Story — Fording High River — Sheep Creek — The Country — " Glenn's Ranch " -Government Supply Farm- -"One More River to Cross" — A Friend in Need — An Ancient Mule — Fort Calgary — A Dangerous Runaway — Trout Fishing — We See a Ghost -Morley 45 CHAPTER VI. At Morley. — Valley of Bow River — Morley Mission — History — Agricultural Implements — Over the Foothills 61 CHAPTER VII. Sabbath Services. — A High Day — Indian Babies — A Skin Boat — Stoney Camp — Marriages and Baptisms — Address to the Stoneys— Back to the Mission — Evening Service — A Poor Sermon — More Marriages and Baptisms 70 CHAPTER VIII. A Day in the Mountains.— First Glimpse of the Rockies — Packing a Horse — Among the Foothills — Ghost River Valley — A Rocky Mountain Cafion — A Difficult Trail — Kayoose Ponies — A Cold Bath — Mountain Camp — Homeward — A Fare- well Look : . . . 79 CHAPTER IX. An Indian Council. — Views of the Chiefs — Jacob Big-Stoney — Bear's Paw — James Dixon — Chinakee — George — Words of Counsel 89 1^ 1)1 CHAPTER X. iiOHLRY TO Edmonton. — '* Ambu Wastage " — Ghost River a<]fain - -Trout and Mosquitoes — Picking up the Fragments — McDou- gall's Death-chamber — McPherson's Valley — A Rough Road — Elk River — A Novel Post Office — Old Grasshopper — Our " Companions in Distress " — The North Saskatchewan 98 Contents. IX CHAPTER XL paok. EuMONTON TO VICTORIA. — Foit Edmontoii— Settlement — Mills — Coal — Metho wrote Tom Moore ; and any one who witnessed with us a prairie sunset, after leaving St. Paul on the 23rd, nuist have appreciated the sentiment. The storm of the afternoon had passed by, and the heavy clouds rolled eastward, spanned b^^ a rainbow of wondrous beauty. In the west a thinner stratum lifted from the horizon, exposing a broad band of clear sky, not brightly blue as in the daytime, but with a soft transparent haze, as if seen througli a mist of tears. Soon heavier masses of cloud rolled slowly upward, and ranged themselves against the softly-tinted background, their lower edges straight and symmetrical, their upper edges broken and ragged, and constantly changing into new and strange forms. Now they seemed like massive ramparts, crowned with frowning battlements and towers ; now like the domes and spires of a great city, with the grand proportions of a vast cathedral tower- ing higTi above the whole. Then, as the sun sank toward the horizon, from behind the sombre clouds there suddenly issued a mellow flood of golden splen- dor, and in a moment rampart and battlement, tower and spire, softened into masses of foliage, crowning isles of Eden-like beauty, anchored in a golden sea ; while, as if to complete the illusion, fragments of fleecy vapor went floating by, like stately ships sailing amid those happy islands, up to some quiet haven that as yet I could not see. Perhaps the reader will remem- ber how, when travelling by rail or steamer, and gaz- ing upon a swiftly-changing landscape, the half- remembered words of some poet's rhymes went echo- u^ [iiii I f-^ 6 ^ Summer in Prairie- Land, ing through the chambers of memory, keeping time to the beat of the paddles or the clank of the wheels. Even so, as I gazed, words read long years ago, touched by some subtle law of association, came back again : — " There was a ship one eve autumnal onward Steered o'er an ocean lake, ?'teered ])y some strong hand ever as if sunward, Behind an angry wake ; Before there stretched a sea that grew intenser, With silver fire far spread Up to a hill, mist-gloried like a censer, Y/ith smoke encompasstid. It seemed as if two seas met brink to brink, — A silver flood beyond a lake of ink. There was a soul that eve autumnal sailing Beyond the earth's dark bars, - ■ Toward the land of sunsets never paling, Toward heaven's sea of stars. Behind there was a wake of billows tossing ; Before a glory lay. happy soul, with all sail set, just crossing Into the far away ! The gleam and gloom, the calmness and the strife, Were death before thee, and behind thee life. And as that ship went up the waters stately, Upon her topmast tall 1 saw two sails, whereof the one was greatly Dark as a funeral pall ; But the next's pure whiteness who shall utter ? Like a shell-snowy strand, Or where a sunbeam falleth through the shutter On a dead baby's hand. On the Way. f Yet both ftlike, across the surging sea, Helped to the haven where the hark would be. And as that soul went onward sweetly speeding Unto its home and lij^ht, Repentance made it sorrowful exceeding, Faith made it wondrous bright ; Repentance dark with shadowy recollections. And longings unsutficed ; Faith white and pure with sunniest aflections. Full from the face of Christ. Yet both across the sun-besilvered tide Helped to the haven where the heart would ride." But as I sat and dreamed there was another change without ; for daylight sobered into twilight, and twi- light gloomed into darkness, and the splendors of that sunset were gone. Gone where ? Who can tell ? Perhaps into some eternal storehouse, to be reproduced again when the Transient becomes the Permanent, and " this mortal " has " put on immortality." There is an exquisite little bit of philosophy in the follow- ing lines — I cannot recall the author's name — which may be truer than we know : — " This world I deem But a boautiful dream Of shadows that are not what they seem ; Whence visions rise, Giving dim surmise Of things that shall greet our waking eyes." At midnight of the 23rd our car was switched on to the main line of the Northern Pacific, and attached to the train from Duluth. On the following morning I f'.'.i'-Jt**: 8 A Summer in Prairie-Land. I i ' ' [ I • 1 n li ■ r r ■ passed into another car and joined the rest of the party, which consists of the Rev. John McDougall, who with his family goes to resume his work at Morley ; his mother, wife of our brave Missionary who perished on the plains ; Mrs. Sibbald, wife of the teacher at Morley, who goes to rejoin her husband ; Rev. John McLean and wife, Missionary to Fort McLeod and the Blackfeet ; Mr. Youmans and wife, teacher for Whitefish Lake ; Mr. Nelson and wife, teacher for Woodville ; and Mr. Glass and wife, teacher for Saddle Lake, a new station where work is to be begun by organizing a school. Besides these, there are some relatives of Mrs. McDougall, who purpose seeking a home in the far west ; Miss A., of Cobourg, who seeks a year's rest and recuperation ; and my old friend, R. Warren, Esq., of Niagara, who hopes — I think on good grounds — to profit much in his physical man by taking the round, trip. Altogether, we form quite a company for mutual protection and help. During nearly the whole of the 24th our route lay through the Territory of Dakota, which may be described as one vast prairie. For hours together we sped onward without seeing tree, bush or shrub to break the monotony ; nothing to bound the view but the distant horizon. We passed very few streams, and these not large ; but small lakes were tolerably numerous, and where the land had been troken up and cultivated, it seemed to be fertile. We passed through several of the monster wheat farms, that have been so often described. One of these, the Cass- On the IVay. .9 Cheney farm, comprises some 50,000 acres, of which over 8,000 have already been brought under cultiva- tion, and more is being rapidly prepared. Another, the Steele farm, presented unbroken wheat fields on either side of the track, extending for several miles, and the crop looked remarkably healthy. But time is required to tell whether the other parts of the Ter- ritory will be equally productive, and whether there is moisture enough to ensure a regular crop. And time will tell another thing, namely, the disastrous effect upon a country's development and prosperity of these huge monopolies. At Bismarck our railway journey ended, and here we found there would be no boat up the Missouri River for several days. We have very comfortable quarters, however, at the Sheridan House, which is owned, I believe, by the Railway Company, and here I suppose we must remain till the boat is ready to go — a disappointment to the whole party, who are anxious to push on. '^1 ii->h IT. UP THE MISSOURI. " To the West, to tlie West, to the hind of the free, Where the muddy Missouri rolls down to the sea." HE poet wrote "mighty;" but " muddy" has more truth in it, if less poetry. Of all the muddy streams I ever saw, this is the mud- diest — worse than the Don or the Humber at Toronto. And w^ are likely to see a good deal of it, for there is a trip of 1,200 miles ahead of us before we reach Fort Benton, the head of river navigation. As before mentioned, we had an annoying delay at Bismarck. Mr. McDougall and party had taken through tickets to Fort Benton, being assured of close connections at the various points. From Duluth a despatch was sent to Bismarck, inquiring when a steamer would leave for Benton, and the agent of the Collingwood boats at Duluth reported, as answer, that a boat would leave Bismarck on the 25th of June. up the Missouri. It Accordingly the party pushed on, and reached Bis- marck on the evening of the 24th. Here we foun(l two boats of the line, but the agent was at (Cincinnati, attending the Democratic Convention, and neither of the boats couM be freighted till his r^^turn ; nor did any one know which of the two boats would go to Benton, consecjuently we could not go on board. There was nothing for it but to go to a hotel and wait. Had the success of the Democratic candidate depended on the Mission party, his chances would have been poor. We heartily wished him and his Convention "Anywhere, anywliere, out of the world." On Sunday morning we made our way to the little hall where the Methodist Society worships, and Bro. McLean discoursed earnestly from " We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you," after which most of the party turned in and assisted in the Sunday-school. In the evening I proclaimed Christ " mighty to save," and we closed the day with an old- fashioned class-meeting, many feeling and saying, " It is good to be here." On the following Tuesday even- ing I preached by invitation in the Presbyterian church to a small but attentive audience. There is need for all possible Christian effort in these frontier towns. Bismarck is a place of, I should suppose, some 2,000 people, and I am told there are — or were — in it sixty whiskey and gambling saloons. The Methodist pastor is doing a good work in the Temperance reform, some four or five hundred having joined the Red 1 ,1 I ! t m ' ih 1 12 y^ Summer in Prairie- Land. Ribbon movement through his efforts. His noble wife co-operates heartily in every good work. The steamboat agent returned from Cincinnati on Monday evening, decided which boat should go to Benton, and made arrangements for us to go on board the next morning. He kindly offered to send an omnibus to take the party to the steamboat landing, some two miles off, but, like the " Heathen Chinee," these western steamboat agents are "peculiar," for after sending those who wished to ride to the boat, he refused to foot the bill, and wanted to throw it back on the party. We emphatically declined, claim- ing that we had through tickets. He attempted to repudiate the through ticket arrangement, even going so far as to say that he had a telegram from Mr. Cumberland, of Toronto, stating that he had not promised the party close connections. Finally, I believe, the claim of the 'bus driver was settled by the captain or purser of the boat. It will be well for others who may contemplate taking this route to the North-West to be very definite in their arrange- ments with regard to through tickets. It is remarkable how one will, when travelling, stumble upon old acquaintances, or acquaintances of acquaintances, in the most unlikely places. I found that the agent of the Northern Pacific Railway at Bis- marck was a Scotchman named Davidson, who formerly lived at Berlin, and was at one time Deputy Sheriff of the county of Waterloo. He was acquainted (not offixiially, I beg it to be understood) with many of my up the Missouri, 13 old friends in and about Guelph ; and he gave our party a good deal of assistance in getting luggage, &c., to the boat. A Mr. McNider, also from Canada, intro- duced himself, and on Tuesday kindly took Bro. McD. and myself for a drive in and about Bismarck. His partner is a Mr. McLean, from Souris, P. E. I., and his book-keeper, a Mr. Snodgrass, is from the country back of Port Hope. Our drive took us down to the river bottoms, and around a four hundred acre field of wheat belonging to Mr. McNider. It is a sight worth seeing. Almost the entire field is as level as a floor > and the wheat appears to be in first-class con- dition. Last year Mr. McNider raised 22,000 bushels of oats, which sold readily at fifty cents a bushel. As we drove along, my kind acquaintance pointed out a number of houses occupied by Highlanders from the country back of Cornwall, and others occupied by Nova Scotians. I am surprised at the number of Canadians out here. At 2 a.m. on Dominion Day we got away from Bismarck, to our great relief. Up the Missouri the scenery is pleasant, though not very varied. The water is rather above the usual height, and the stream would average fully a mile in width during the distance travelled the first two days ; and this, be it remembered, is more than 1,500 miles from its mouth. The banks, for long distances, preserve the same general character — alluvial bottoms, covered with a growth of ash and cotton-wood, and beyond these naked bluffs, rising at intervals from 60 to 200 r i I if \ • m H A Summer in Prairie-Land, feet in height, their faces deeply channeled by rains and laid bare by enormous land slides. The water steadily undermines the soft friable banks, and vast masses of. earth are continually toppling in, mingling with the current, giving the water the consistency, and more than the colour, of pea soup ; and as this is the only water for drinking, a good set of teeth, for straining purposes, would seem to be indispen- sable. Still, when filtered, or the mud allowed to settle, the water is by no means unpalatable. Being loyally inclined, we thought it a pity to let Dominion Day pass without some recognition, so in the evening, a celebration was extemporised, consist- ing of singing, readings, and recitations, concluding with a stanza of " God save the Queen." Our experience of sharp practice was not yet ended. We had not proceeded very far up the river when a sable porter put in an appearance, and proceeded to put checks on a number of trunks that had been piled on the forward deck. He then approached one of our party and suavely observed, — " Fifty cents for each trunk, sah." " For what ? " was asked. " For porterage, sah." " For porterage ! Are you going to put them in the baggage room ? " " No, sah ; jes' leave 'em whar dey is, sah. " Now, will you just explain the precise advantage of putting checks on these trunks ? *' • " Well, de trunks might get lost, sah." ;/ up the Missouri. 15 t by rains jl he water |fi and vast '^m mingling ^^S isistency, JB d as this |H of teeth, ^1 indispen- ^ owed to B ity to let 1 on, so in 1 , consist- m mcluding S et ended. i ' when a 1 needed to 1 een piled 1 Qe of our m " Not very likely ; our trunks are not inclined to somnambulism ; they don't walk in their sleep ; and as they are on the upper deck, it isn't likely the stokers will mistake them for firewood." " But we alius puts on checks on dis boat, sah." " Do you really ? Now the only check that's wanted is a check on your impudence, and that had better be put on without unnecessary delay ! " This bit of advice being accompanied by a signifi- cant gesture towards the side of the boat, was very impressive, and the " man and brother " retired. This was the end of the check business. With the exception of this little attempt at extor- tion, we find things pleasant enough. The captain, purser, pilots, «fec., are courteous, the crew quiet, and there is an almost entire absence of that " roughness " which I had always associated with the belongings of a Missouri " flat." So far (I write this when the trip is nearly half over), I have heard few profane worse behind, le attempt, 'ushed past as the mo- i, the bow struggling jet quickly k wounded strength of secure him, death a 3 sent after and after e struggle, iwhile, the 11 returned ig by the He was ast buffalo ffalo must I 4 not be allowed to interfere with that. It was tacitly agreed that no more .,nooting should be done, unless to secure a vounj; animal for the table, as it was felt to be wanton cruelty to kill for the mere sake of killinf'. Breakfast over, all were soon on deck again, watching with unflagging interest the vast numbers of animals to be seen on every side. As we steamed along, a brown object was seen against the dark bank of the river. It proved to be a buffalo calf that had crossed over, and was resting awhile before seeking a convenient place to get up the bank. Again the boat swung in to shore, and several men sprang off in hope of making a capture. The calf remained perfectly still till they laid hold of it, when it sud- denly sprang down the bank and into the river, and started to swim vigorously past the boat. A cast wa^ made with a lasso, but missed. Friend Warren was again promptly on hand with a boat pole, which he pressed against the creature's neck and changed its course. A second cast of the rope was more success- ful, and in a few moments his calfship was hauled safely on board, and consigned to the care of some of the hands in the " regions below." In the course of an hour or so a second capture was made under similar circumstances. In this case it proved to be a female, and decidedly vixenish withal, strongly resenting her capture, and kicking like an army mule at any one who came near her. One might suppose that shooting two buffaloes and capturing two calves was enough for one day ; but * * I M 20 A Summer in Prairie-Land. before we go much farther a third calf is sighted, and as avarice grows by what it feeds on, it is re- solved to attempt the capture of this one also. The bank is steep and lofty, and the calf is en- sconced on a kind of shelf about twenty feet above the water. As soon as the boat gets near enough, half a dozen men spring ashore and scramble up the bank, — no easy task, for tht; soft friable clay gives way under their feet like sand or ashes. But what are difficulties with such a prize in view ? Up they go ! Near the spot where the calf is resting, a huge boulder of clay stands out from the bank, with a nar- row passage behind it. The foremost man, perceiving this, makes a flank movement, with the evident de- sign of " surrounding " the enemy from the rear. Pass- • ing the boulder with a spring, he makes a clutch at the creature's neck. The calf, who is not so stupid as it looks, springs to its feet and avoids arrest. The man, with a desperate effort, seizes it by the leg ; the calf (which I should judge is some four months old) responds with a roar and a bound, and in an instant down the bank they go, head over heels, making it difficult to determine whether the strange-looking object is a duplicate man, — a sort of Siamese twin> — or vrhether both sections are alike calf. Reaching the bottom of the bank, the " What-Is-It " resolves itself into its constituent elements, the calf going splash into the riv«r, the man saving himself by sticking knee deep in the tenacious mud. Of course everybody went into Convulsions of laughter. To •5 V. is sighted, )n, it is re- 3 one also, calf is en- feet above ear enough, ible up the 3 clay gives But what Up they ting, a huge with a nar- , perceiving evident de- jrear. Pass- s d clutch at so stupid as irrest. The }he leg ; the months old) 1 an instant Among the Buffalo. 27 1-;, 3, ma nge-looking imese twin, Reaching t " resolves calf going himself by Of course ghter. To the spectators the scene was intensely funny ; but it did not seem to afford nearly so much amusement to the poor fellow who had so suddenly proved that •* The best laid schemes o' mice and men Gang aft agley." Meanwhile the liberated calf went sailing composedly down the river, to seek a safer landing place at a more convenient season. Our day's experience had been, thus far, intensely interesting ; but richer fortune was yet in store. As we were approaching a grove of Cottonwood on a level bottom, four Indians were seen riding quickly down a neighbouring slope. They disappeared behind the timber, but soon re-appeared on the river bank. All seemed to have good horses, but only one carried a rifle. After gazing a few minutes at the boat, they rode back out of the timber, and took a course parallel with the river, which soon brought them to a point on the bank beyond the Cottonwood belt, and close to the steamboat channel. They called several times to those on board, but no one understood their tongue. After a few moments' consultation, they seemed to de- cide upon a new line of action. The two who seemed to be the best mounted, transferred their few articles of camping gear to the other two, and then rode ahead. At a distance of half a mile a herd of about fifty buffalo were quietly feeding, and towards these the two Indians made their way. One was mounted on a handsome white horse, the other on a bay, and both ^ : t ' • .*?>■■ 28 A Summer in Prairie- Land. animals evidently understood the business on which they were going. They proceeded at an easy canter through the sage brush till they reached clear ground about three hundred yards from the herd. Here they diverged, one approaching the animals in flank, the other from the rear. At this juncture the approach of the Indians was discovered, and instantly the herd was in motion. Crowding quickly into a compact mass, they set off at an astonishing pace. This was the signal for the hunters. A loose rein is all the im- patient horses need, and like an arrow from the bow, or eagle darting on its prey, they swoop down on the retreating herd. Gaining at every stride, they are soon upon the flanks of the struggling mass. A pufF of smoke is seen, followed by the sharp crack of a rifle, but no victim falls. A few rods farther on, the bay horse stumbles on uneven ground, and away go horse and rider, rolling on the plain. But the hunter is up and remounted almost in an instant, and there is no pause in the chase. Clouds of dust rise from the trampling hoofs, amid which the white horse, like the famous plume in the helmet of Navarre, can be seen glancing in the thickest of the fray. Now the herd plunges down into a deep coulee, and struggling up the farther bank continue their flight. Here the ch^tse ends. The hunters dismount and seat themselves on the river bank, awaiting the approach of the steamer. In the meantime the other tw^o Indians ride up, and as we approach one of them lifts up a small kettle, and puts his hand to his mouth, which we at once inter- .J^^u Among the Buffalo, 29 js on which easy canter ilear ground Here they flank, the le approach tly the herd impact mass> lis was the all the im- from the op down on ide, they are iss. A pufF ) crack of a ther on, the nd away go t the hunter t, and there ise from the rse, like the can be seen )w the herd niggling up 5re the ch^„se emselves on the steamer, ride up, and 1 kettle, and once inter- preted as a mute request for some tea ; while another poor fellow stands motionless with his hands clasped in a pathetic fashion over his stomach, as if indicating a sense of " goneness " in that region. This led some of us to the conclusion that the hunt was merely an ex- hibition got up for our benefit, with the hope that we would reward their dexterity with presents of food. But even as we were speculating on this point the boat swept on, leaving the noble hunters to the cheap, if not always comforting, reflection that " virtue is its own reward." But I must not weary my readers. SuflSce it to say, that the lowest estimate of the number of buffalo seer in a distance of some sixty miles, was ten thou- sand ; and as our view was confined to narrow limits by the bluffs on either side of the river, ten times tliat number may have been within a short distance of us. We are now (Saturday, July 10th) reported to be some fifty miles from Fort Benton, the end of our river journey, and expect to reach it in the evening. The scenery, during the past two days, has been more im- pressive. The bluffs are more lofty, and come closer to the river, rising, in many places, perpendicularly from the water's edge to a height of two or three hundred feet. The sand i\nd clay which farther down the river were soft and friable, have here in many places hardened into stone; but the softer portions having been washed away, the cliffs have assumed all kinds of shapes — sometimes majestic, sometimes 30 A Summer in Prairie' Land. grotesque, and always impressive. Here is an ancient castle with towers and battlements ; there, a fortress with frowning ramparts ; yonder, a massive cathedral with double tower and graceful pinnacles. Once these were shapeless masses of rock and clay, but nature has been busy with chisel and graving tool, hewing them into pillars, sharpening them into spires, rounding them into domes ; while here and there she has hewn out a group of colossal human figures, who sit in majes- tic silence on their lofty pedestal, while the symbol of advancing civilization stems the current of the river below. } t I f~*i-.i. s an ancient :e, a fortress /'e cathedral Once these t nature has ewing them 5, rounding le has hewn sit in majes- e symbol of of the river FORT BENTON TO FORT McLEOD. E reached Fort Benton, on the Upper Mis- souri, on Saturday afternoon, June 10th, in the midst of a pouring rain. We were anxious to camp the same evening, if possible, so as to avoid hotel bills ; and we were gratified to find that Mr. David McDougall was still in camp some two miles out of town, having sent on his train of goods, and remained to meet his brother and party. He kindly brought down two teams, and the most necessary articles be- . longing to the party were taken out. By hard work, tents were pitched and matters got into shape by 10 p.m., and although it rained at intervals during the night, the tents did good service, and we slept in com- parative comfort. Some supplies were hurriedly ob- tained on Saturday evening, and next morning a break- last of fresh beef, bread and butter and tea, was eaten with a relish. Worship followed, and the remainder of the forenoon was spent in rest. At 3 p.m. we as- 32 A Summer in Prairie- Land. 1 sembled again for worship, when Bro. McLean dis- coursed profitably from the story of Naaman the Syrian. So passed our first Sabbath under canvas — a day of rest and spiritual refreshment. We are encai iped on the north bank of the Mis- souri, on a level plateau, some 200 feet above the riv.^r. Beneath the lofty !^"nks are beautiful level bottoms, where herds of horses and cattle are grazing. On the south side of the river are the Highwood Hills, whicli in any other region would pfass for lofty mountains. The nearest point, we are informed, is twenty-four miles distant, but in this transparent atmosphere it is difficult to realize that these hills can be more than three or four miles away. On the northern slope of one of the highest peaks patches of snow are distinctly visible. Benton has about 700 permanent inhabitants ; but there is a considerable floating population of ranch- men, freighters, traders, gamblers, »S:c, Being at pre- sent the head of navigation on the Missouri, it is the centre of a vast trade, and is the great distributing point for goods through the western part of the terri- tory, and into our own North-west. There are houses here that handle as much goods, and probably a good deal more money, than the largest wholesale house in Toronto. There is an abundant supply of saloons, restaurants, gambling-houses, and places of still worse repute. Passing along the principal street, I saw im- mediately inside the open door of a saloon, a table on which lay packs of cards and piles of silver, while Fort Benton to Fort McLeod. 33 McLean dis- ^aaman the ler canvas — of the Mis- )ve the riv.^r. 3vel bottoms, ing. On the Hills, whicli s( mountains. twenty-four iiosphere it is be more than hern slope of are distinctly abitants; but ion of ranch- Being at pre- iouri, it is the t distributing t of the terri- lere are houses 'obably a good esale house in ,ly of saloons, 3 of still worse reet, I saw im- oon, a table on )f silver, while ** around it sat eight or ten men, busily pursuing their nefarious business. I did not visit the town on Sun- day ; but I am told that little difference is made be- tween that and any other day. Boats load and un- load, shops and gambling-houses are open, and every- thing goes on as on week days, only " a little more so." The principal business firm ncrc is that of I. G. Baker & Co., who, in addition to their ordinary trade, have at present a large and lucrative contract for furnishing supplies to our Mounted Police in the North-west. The head of the firm, having made his " pile," dc .-; not now reside here, and the business is manaf]jed by several brothers named Conrad, who have each, I be- lieve, a good paying interest in the concern. In con- versation, the elder brother — who has visited Ottawa and other cities in connection with police contracts — said he had been struck with the large proportion of elderly men conducting business in Canada. It seemed to him that the bank managers and heads of business houses w^ere almost invariably men of whitened hair and venerable aspect. " At first," he ;";said, " they seemed to consider me too young to do 'business. I think, however, that you Canadians retain our health and vigour longer than we Americans. [By the way," he cheerfully continued, " you look |remarkably heart}' — for an old man ! " From Monday to Wednesday w^as spent in getting eady for our onward journey, and this left us no spare oments. Waggons had to be unpacked and put to- gether, horses purchased, supplies provided, not only . 8 34 A Summer in Prairie-Land. for the journey, but, in the case of those who wore going to live in the country, to last for six montli t more. By 4 p.m. on Wednesday the work was com- pleted. Tents were struck, waggons packed, passen- gers on board, drivers in their places, and then, in re- membrance of the mercy that had guided us thus far, we sang — " Praise God from whom all blessings flow ; " and turning our faces northward, began the most serious part of our journey toward the Great Lone Land. David -McDougall led the way with a four- horse waggon, loaded with goods. Eleven other teams followed, while a number of spare horses were in charge of George McDougall, jun., to be ready in case of emergency. With so many animals, some unaccus- tomed to their work, and nearly all unaccustomed to their drivers, it is not surprising that a few little contretemps occurred. Occasionally a horse would balk, while in other cases a pair who pulled hard enough had a strange objection to pulling at the same time or in the same direction. Patience and perseverance, however, overcame these little difficulties, and eventu- ally all settled steadily down to their work. Some four or five miles from camp we forded the Teton River, and about eight miles farther descended a steep hill, and on the banks of the same stream formed our first night encampment. The waggons were arranged so as to form a circular enclosure, or " corrall," into v/hich the horses could '>e driven when f Fort Benton to Fort McLeod. 35 5 who were X montii r k was com- ked, passen- , then, in re- L us thus far, . »' an the most e Great Lone with afour- m other teams )rses were in ready in case some unaccus- accustomed to t a few little :se would balk, hard enough B same time or perseverance, 3s, and eventu- ork. we forded the ther descended 3 same stream The waggons ir enclosure, or )e driven when wanted. A number of these were '* hobbled ; " a stout rope, some thirty feet long, was attached to the neck of each, and allowed to trail on the ground, and then they were turned loose to graze on the prairie till the following morning. Grass is the only food of the na- tive horses during these long and fatiguing journeys, and it seems to meet all their needs. On Thursday we broke camp at 3 a.m., and after breakfast made a detour to avoid a bad slough, which increased the distance to be travelled by some five or six miles. Our road still led parallel with the Teton River, and on a bend of that stream we rested for din- ner. While attending to the horses, &c., a young In- dian suddenly made his appearance on horseback among us. He might have dropped from the moon, so pilently and unobserved did he appear. A plentiful liinner was given him, which he ate silently, but with ivident relish. When he had finished, he disappeared fs silently and suddenly as he came. He did not I fold his tent like the Arabs," for he had none ; but e "as silently stole away," perhaps to cherish a dly remembrance of the white strangers who i&ared their meal with him on the banks of the iTeton. The soil through this part of Montana seems ex- edingly poor ; still the pasturage must be good, as Jast herds of buffalo once roamed these plains. There an entire absence of timber, and the appearance of e country would indicate that the rainfall is but b. The soil is hard and dry, and impregnated # 36 A Summer in Prairie- Land, Nf I i : 'i m with alkali, and this affects the water in the rivers, as we soon found to our cost. For several days the heat has been most intense. The sun glares down upon us from a cloudless sky. Far as eye can reach th'^re is no shade of bush or tree, and it seems at times as if we would absolutely faint away. The heat in- creases our thirst, which the alkali water does not allay. The fine dust penetrates everywhere ; the lips parch and crack, and mouth and throat become as dry and sapless ds a superannuated sermon. Heat and water together destroy appetite and impair digestion, and it becomes difficult to eat what is necessary to keep up a moderate degree of strength. During two days my rations consisted of three Boston crackers, and for several days more but a small amount was eaten. On Thursday evening we came to a cabin, beside which we found a well, with an old-fashioned wind- lass and bucket. The water was cool and refreshing, though still tainted with alkali. A mile or two far- * ther on we camped for the night. On Friday morning an early start was made, and in the afternoon we rested at Pend d'Oreille Springs; but the water was poor and the heat intense, and it was decided to journey on through the cool of the evening. We started about 5 p.m., and continued on through the night. Hour after hour passed, but no halt. At length we began to descend by a way so long and steep that it seemed to be leading to bottom- less regions ; and eventually, when the morning star I i- Fort Benton to Fort McLcod. 37 he rivers, as ays the heat down upon I reach th'*.re s at times as rhe heat in- ,ter does not lere ; the lips become as dry 1. Heat and pair digestion, J necessary to During two 3ston crackers, amount was a cabin, beside tshioned wind- and refreshing, ile or two far- is made, and in )reille Springs: intense, and it the cool of the d continued on passed, but no id by a way so iding to bottom- le morning star was above the horizon, the party, thoroughly wearied, reached tlie banks of the Marias River. ^ext morning preparations were made for crossing. On this river there is a scow and rope ferry, by means of which a passage was effected with considerable ease. In the cabin of the man who manages the ferry there is a store, containing supplies of various kinds ; and here we found an unlooked-t'or luxury — a pail of iced water. Dined on the north side of the river, and drove on, amid unabated heat, to 18-mile Coulee. It was thought we might spend the Sabbath at this point ; but on reaching it we found insufficient water even for the horses ; and therefore it was im- peratively necessary to drive on, though the way to the next stopping point was long. About midnight we crossed an alkali plain, where one or two of the more heavily loaded waggons stuck fast, and caused considerable delay before they were extricated. Again Wie monotonous journey was resumed ; fatigue in- ireased to utter weariness ; drivers nodded and fell iflleep on their waggons, in one case nearly causing a terious runaway ; but at last, as dawn was brightening ^to day, we camped at Rocky Springs for our Sabbath t. Horses were turned loose, tents were piL^^hed, d the tired travellers got to sleep as quickly as pos- ible. Afterwards, when surveying the ground, we re not sorry we had come so far. Three separate irings issued from openings in the hillside, and join- their waters a rod or two below, went leaping >wn the slope, clear, bright and sparkling ; while in 38 A Summer in Prairie- Land. it I the adjacent valleys ^ood pasturage was found for the horses. In the afterpart of the day a season of united worship refreshed the spiritual man, and a night's sleep prepared for the toils of the morrow. X On Monday morning a good start was made, and at noon we halted for dinner on the banks of a small stream called Red River, which does not appear on the maps. We were informed that we were now very near the boundary line between the United States and Canada, and early in the afternoon we saw on a hill top one of the comical heaps of stones raised by the Boundary Commission to mark the line. From this point onward there was a marked improvement in the soil, pasturage and water. The change could not be attributed to imagination, as it was noticed by all the party. About 4 p.m. we crossed Milk River, a beautiful stream, with rich pasturage on either bank, and rested for tea ; after which we drove several miles far- ther, and camped for the night near a small grassy lake. At several points we had evidence that there were mosquitos and other insect plagues in the land, but here the affliction became serious. " Bull-dog " flies had greatly annoyed the horses during the day, and, as the shadows of evening fell, their place was sup- plied by clouds of mosquitos, so that it was next to impossible for our tormented animals to eat a mouth- ful. To obtain rest for ourselves, a " smudge " fire was kindled in the tent, and the curtains closed. When it was supposed the intruders were sufficiently " sick- ened," the curtains were opened, and smoke and mos- Fort Benton to Fort McLeod, 39 und for the 3n of united d a night's A nade, and at J of a small ppear on the e now very Fnited States we saw on a les raised by line. From provement in ige could not loticed by all Milk River, a therbank,and eral miles far- small grassy ice that there 3S in the land, « Bull-dog " uring the day, place was sup- it was next to eat a mouth- ludge " fire was osed. When it ficiently " sick- noke and mos- I quitos allowed to escape together. Again the curtains 1^ were closed, and with a lighted candle we proceeded I to " singe " any straggler left behind. But it seems I we did not close our tent with sufficient care, for in \ the morning we found hundreds of the plagues stick- ' ing to the canvas walls. I have speculated much on the possible use of mosquitos in the economy of nature, but give up the conundrum as too deep for me. I can- not tell what mosquitos were made for, nor have I found any one who can. Of one thing I am satisfied : Darwin's theory of the " survival of the fittest " is, as applied to mosquitos, a transparent fraud ! On Tuesday our first halt was at Kipp's Coulde, and our second at 15-mile Butte. After tea we made a de- tour eastward, to avoid crossing several streams in succession, and about 11 p.m. reached Belly River, be- Jow its confluence with the St Mary's and Old Man's Rivers, and camped for the night. We found the river high, and that it would be impossible to ford it ; but a man named Sherin, who has opened a coal mine a short distance down the river, had a couple of flat- s,J)ottomed boats, and arrangements were made with him po ferry the party and their goods to the other side, his was no small task. All the waggons had to be tmloaded, and their contents transferred piecemeal to |the boats. Trunks and boxes were piled in the bot- tom, to serve as ballast, and then a wapfgon, with two rwheels taken oflf, was nicely balanced on the top. With this ticklish load, in some cases weighing twelve T fifteen hundred pounds, the boat was rowed across fl i nl 40 A Summer in Prairie-Land. a swift and powerful current to the other side. Near- ly the whole day was consumed in crossing and re- loading the waggons ; but time was precious, and we drove some ten miles before we camped for the night on the north bank of the stream. Near the point where we crossjd, a seam of soft coal, some five feet thick, and of fair quality, crops out on^ the bank of the river. Considerable quantities are now sent to Benton and McLeod, and find ready sale. From this point northward there is scarcely a stream where coal may not be found cropping out on the banks. On Thursday we took dinner on the banks of Old Man's River, and on resuming our journey the Mc- Dougalls, Mr. Warren and myself turned westward '0 accompany the Rev. John McLean and wife to Fort McLeod, while the rest of the party kept on north- ward. A pair of fresh horses were put to my waggon, that we might make better time — an arrangement that nearly caused a serious accident. As we neared Mc- Leod, we found many Indians encamped, as this was the time for receiving the treaty payments. On one side of the road was a thick copse of brushwood, and on the other the perpendicular bank of Old Man's River, with a deep and powerful current beneath. Several children running out from an Indian lodge close by, frightened the horses, and with a mighty bound they sprang toward the river. A second bound would have taken them over, but David McDougall's strong arm, by the blessing of God, checked their course, when they instantly wheeled the other way, rv. Fori Benton to Fort McLeod. 41 de. Near- Qg and re- lus, and we f the night the point le five feet he bank of ow sent to From this where coal cs. inks of Old 3y the Me- rest ward '0 srif e to Fort b on north- my waggon, gement that neared Mc- as this was its. On one shwood, and I Old Man's 3nt beneath. Indian lodge bh a mighty econd bound McDougall's lecked their e other way, sprang down a bank three feet high, and darted at full speed into the brush. For a few moments things were pretty lively ; but providentially no trees were in the way, and the brushwood, though tall, bent be- fore us without breaking anything, and presently our frightened steeds came to a standstill with nobody hurt. McLeod is situated at the confluence of Willow Creek and Old Man's River, the latter a powerful stream with a rapid current. There is an unlimited amount of excellent water and good pasturage ; but in other respects the site did not strike me as being well chosen for a military post. It lies low by the river's bank, and commands no view whatever of the sur- rounding country. In this respect it is in marked contrast with most of the American posts that we saw, which were generally placed so as to command an ex- tensive outlook. As we were now on the north side of Old Man's River, and McLeod is on the south, we had to be ferried over in a boat, a task that occupied less than three minutes, and for which we paid the modest sum of fifty cents apiece each way. One won- ders why, with a large police force doing little or ; nothing, a bridge has not been built, or a rope ferry [constructed ; but echo only answers. Why ?* Bro. and Sister McLean, and the rest of us, were [kindly welcomed and hospitably entertained by Mr. J. I Smith and his estimable wife. They are from Lower * I have since been informed that a rope ferry was constructed, [but washed away by a freshet, and has not been replaced. 42 A Summer in Prairie-Land, Canada, and Mr. S. is at present employed in the store of I. G. Baker & Co. Their kind welcome made the missionary and his wife feel at home at once. We visited the parsonage, a hewed log building, but snug and comfortable for a new place. Near by it is a building erected for a school-house, in which worship is conducted. These buildings, I may remark, were secured entirely by local effort, without any grant from the Society, and reflect great credit on the zeal and en- terprise of those who had charge of the work. In 1874 McLeod was established as a post of the Mount- ed Police. It was afterwards visited at intervals, and service held, by the Rev. John McDougall, Early in 1878 a school was established, and was conducted with great eflBciency by Miss Barrett, who had formerly been our teacher at White Fish Lake. The teacher's salary was met from local sources, and formed no charge upon the Society. In the summer of 1878, Bro. Manning went to McLeod, which thenceforth ap- peared upon our list of regular missions. What the future of McLeod may be it is impossible to predict. When the country is opened for settlement, I have no doubt a considerable population will find their way to the fertile bottoms and rich grazing lands of Old Man's River, in which case McLeod may be- come an important circuit ; but I am convinced it can- not be the permanent headquarters of an Indian Mission. Indian Missions, to be successful, must be on Indian Reserves, and as far as possible from contact with a white population. There are two points here l|! I Fort Benton to Fort McLeod. 43 which we must occupy at no distant date — the Piegan Reservation, some 15 miles up the river from McLeod ; and the Blackfoot Reservation, on Bow River, some sixty miles below Calgary. In the course of time other reservations will be set apart for the Bloods and Sarcees, but the two above mentioned are already lo- cated. In the meantime, McLeod is a good point from wh^'ch to do preliminary work, as many Indians are almost constantly to be found around the post ; but as soon as they begin to settle on their Reserves, the mis- cionary must locate himself among them. The Black- foot Nation comprises the Blackfeet proper, the Bloods, Piegans and Sarcees, all speaking dialects of the same tongue, and readily understanding one another. In the evening we prepared to bid good-bye to Fort McLeod. Bro. and Sister McLean accompanied us to the landing place, and watched us as we crossed the stream. Those who travel together over these uninhabited plains, sharing mutual toils and dangers, form strong friendships, and there was a feeling of deep sadness in my heart at this first break in our party. I could not but think of the isolation, the discouragements, the trials in store for those we were leaving to grapple single-handed with the darkness and ignorance and immorality of surrounding heathenism ; and as I saw Bro. McLean cheerily and manfully bracing himself for his arduous work, and when my eye rested upon the slight, girlish figure by his side, BO lately severed from friends and home, and I saw the quivering of her lip, although the brave heart was I i 44 A Summer in Prairie- Land. choking back the tears, I confess my own eyes grew dim, and I said within myself, Thank God, the stuff of which Missionary heroes are made is still to be found in the Church ; the heroic age of Methodism is not entirely a thing of the past. A few strokes cf the oars carried us to the north bank of Old Man's River, where, waving a last adieu to the friends on the other side, we resumed our journey, and after a drive of some twelve miles, almost feeling our way through the darkness, we rejoined the rest of the party in their camp on Willow Cre^k. ■*i: V. FORT McLEOD TO MORLEY. N Friday our first stage took us to the " leav- ings " of Willow Creek, and our second to Pine Coulee. After tea, J. McDougall and I took saddle-horses and rode down the coulee and over the hills, while the rest of the party went on by the regular trail. This gave me a better idea of the country off from the immediate line of travel than I could otherwise obtain, though at this particular time the extent of divergence from the road was but small. As we reached the crest of a hill we came upon three splendid horses, evidently iof Canadian or American breed, who had strayed from [Some police camp or Government post. We drove them on before us to where the rest of the party had camped on Mosquito Creek, intending to take them on next day to Calgary ; but the ungrateful brutes left us during the night, and by morning were off, no one jknew where. Mosquito Creek was hardly true to its iname, as we had less trouble there from the insect plagues than at some other points in our journey. 46 A Summer in Prairie- Land. \\ i r. On Saturday our first stage took us to High River, where we halted for dinner. While the meal was preparing, two Sarcee Indians rode up and dismounted. When they found that McDougall was in the camp they expressed lively satisfaction. On inquiry, I found that McD. had met one of them before under peculiar circumstances, which he related substantially as follows : — " A year or so after going to Morley, a small band of cattle, belonging to a man named Spencer, stam- peded in a storm, taking our cows with them. Next day several parties \\rent out in search of them, but could find no trace. Finally I started with two Cree boys to try and find the lost animals. We had ridden hard a good part of the day, and had ascended a small hill for a better outlook, when suddenly we saw two Indians on an opposite hill. They saw us at the same moment, and began riding rapidly back and forth, which we knew was a signal to their friends. Then they galloped some distance towards us, but halted on the opposite side of a narrow valley. I made signs to them to come on, and after some hesitation they did so, singing a war song to stimulate their courage. As they came nearer a swell of the prairie hid them from view, but I could hear the clatter of their horses' hoofs in rapid gallop. A few moments more and they dashed up the hill where we stood, painted and feathered, and each with a revolver at full cock in his hand. I knew but a few words of Black- foot at the time, and so had to help it out with signs. > Fort McLcod to Morky. 47 [igh River, meal was [ismounted. L the cainp inquiry, 1 ifore under ibstantially small band sneer, stam- lem. Next i them, but bh two Cree i had ridden ided a small we saw two at the same and forth, ends. Then but halted 3y. I made le hesitation tnulate their f the prairie he clatter of ew moments re we stood, vrolver at full •ds of Black- it with signs. When they got close, however, one of the young men recognized me : ' Ah-he-yah ! John ! ' he cried ; ' Ne che-kuh-wow ' — ' Ah, John ! my friend ' — and immedi- ately they jumped from their horses and shook hands cordially. By this time the whole camp were gallop- ing towards us, fully armed. My new friend was very anxious that no harm should befall us, so he rode out and called to the approaching warriors : * Ke che-kuh- waw na-wuk ; o-o me John,' — * These are our friends ; that is John.' At once the warriors leaped from their horses, and most of them shook hands heartily. A few, however, refused to do so, and sat down with their guns at full cock, I told them what we were doing, and asked if they had seen our cattle. They said No; they had not tracked any. We continued to talk for some time. I had a breech-loading rifle, which my Indian friend was anxious to get, offering e his horse in exchange. I slipped out the cartridge, d handed him the gun to look at, whereupon an old ndian gave me a quick, warning look, as if to caution ;ine against letting the weapon out of my hands. I told the young Indian I was too far from home to let ^im have my gun, but if he would come to the Mission % would let him have it. At the same time I had va large-sized Smith & Wesson revolver on a belt neath my coat. I then said I must be going, as my lamp was far. They asked it there was any one in my camp who would trade for robes. I said my brother l^as there, and if they would send over some of their j^oung men they could probably get what they wanted. 48 A Summer in Prairie- Land. i n I then mounted with my two Cree boys, and started, being anxious to get out of their way. We rode off at a moderate pace, not knowing what moment a shower of bullets might be sent after us ; hut as soon as a swell of the prairie hid us from their view, we went off at the gallop. After riding a number of miles, we stopped to make some tea. We had just finished our hasty meal, when three of the young Indians rode up with robes and horses for trade. On we went again at a pace that led one of the Indians to say: 'My brother, you must have very strong m-^dicine; I wish I had some like it.' By -and-by we reached the camp, vvhere my brother traded with them. I saw my Sarcee friend again near the Black^oot Crossing in 1874, and at the making of the treaty in 1877, and this is why he recognized me so quickly to-day." After dinner the McDougalls mounted and rode down the stream to look for a crossing. They soon returned, reporting a practicable ford, but hastened our movements by the remark, " You must be quick ; the river is rising." Of course, after that, not a moment was lost, and we were soon in motion toward the ford. High River is a large stream, with a strong current, while the "riley " state of the water prevented us from forming any idea of its probable depth. We drive down a steep bank, through some brushwood, and find ourselves at the water's edge. There is no time to hesitate. In we go, McDougall on horseback showing the way. The water proved to be not more than three feet deep, but the strong current dashed it Fort McLeod to M or ley. 49 but as soon r view, we ler of miles, ist finished idians rode 1 we went ms to say: • n.^dicine; reached the I saw my Crossing in I 1877, and -day." and rode They soon ut hastened 3t be quick ; that, not a )tion toward rith a strong er prevented depth. We brushwood, There is no )n horseback be not more jnt dashed it against waggons and horses with a force that seemed sufficient to sweep them all away. However, no accident happened, and soon all were saf(ily over. But now we found we had crossed only one branch of the river, and that another and a di'eper one was yet to be got over. David McDougall's carts had crossed the first branch just before us, and we passed them in the brush as we drove towards the second crossing. Reaching the bank, we found the stream narrower than the former, but the bank was exceedingly steep, and the deepest water was immediately beneath it. It seemed as though the waggon must inevitably pitch over on the horses' backs ; but we must venture. Down the bank we go, and plunge into the river. The angry current retorts by a dash that sends the water over the waggon box ; but almost before one has time to regain his breath, our sturdy little ponies have struggled through, and are safe on the other , .de. The other waggons followed, and all eventually got across. I may mention that one team was driven I throughout the journey by Mrs. Sibbald, wife of our teacher at Morley, and another by her son, a lad about [fourteen. Their pluck and self-reliance were worthy )f all admiration. As soon as our party were safely )ver, the carts began crossing, and accomplished the sk safely ; but while some other carts were following, few minutes later, one of them upset, sending eight jks of flour into the river. These were subsequently jcovered, not much damaged. We rested on the bank of the river for tea, and 4 J *'; li \'f a ■A i 50 A Summer in Prairie- Land. at 7 p.m. were again on the way. J. McDougall led and I followed, outstripping the rest of the teams. Before dark we reached Sheep Creek, whicli we found to be a rushing river. Without waiting to take sound- ings, we plunged in, and by a very circuitous ford got safely to the other side, and driving on a little farther camped on a beautiful bottom for our Sabbath rest. The remainder of the pai-ty soon joined us, glad of a chance to rest awhile. The only drawback to our comfort was the cloud of mosijuitoes that came down upon us like ohe locusts of Egypt. We "smudged' them to the best of our ability, but they nearly drove the horses wild. At this point a few words about the country through which we have passed may not be out of place. 1 have previously said that we noticed an improvement in the soil and vegetation after cross- ing the boundary line, and this became more marked as we proceeded. Milk River, but a few miles north of the boundary, offers excellent facilities for stock raising, and, I should judge, for agriculture also. The grass is rich, vetches are abundant, and the soil thrown up by the badgers seemed of excellent quality Through all this region there is an entire absence of timber; but coal crops out on most of the rivers, which settles the question of fuel, and timber in considerable quantities can be found among the foot- hills and in the mountains. Whether the ridges and uplands will be found suitable for farming purposes can be settled only by experiment, but we had ocular .'B S!i Fort McLeod to Mo r ley. 51 demonstration that they furnish pasturage of the best quality, while on the line of the rivers, at least, there is abundance of excellent water. We wore told we should find the land getting still bettoi*, and the w«iter better and moi'e abundant, as we got further north — a statement which we fully verilied. Sheep Creek, where we were now camped, .struck me as a choice location. The water is good and plentiful, the soil on the bottoms a rich black loam of great depth, and there is a limited supply of timber — sj)iuee and poplar — along the stream, enough for building and fencing. I am convinced that, in this locality, both farming and stock raising might be profitably i)ursued. On Monday morning we left Sheep Creek. For some time our way was " onward and upward '* over the richest soil and vegetation we had yet seen. Grass and vetches were fresh and rank, the soil rich and black, and where thrown up by the moles and badgers was as line and mellow as the soil of a thoroughly worked garden. It must not be understood that the soil throughout the whole country is of this character. Many of the hills and uplands are gravelly or stony, !but even there the pasturage is excellent, and there is Ion the whole very much less waste land than in almost [any part of the older provinces tliat 1 have yet visited. Proceeding on our way, a little before noon we mddenly came in sight of evideiiCes of civilization. lome distance before us we saw a very neat house hewed logs, with outbuildings and well fenced lelds. Near the house ran the w^aters of Fish Creek, 52 A Summer iff Prairie- Laftd. M with a growth of poplar on either bank. We were told that this was " Glenn's Ranch," and as we reached it the proprietor himself came out and gave us friendly greeting. Mr. Glenn is an Irishman, who came from British Columbia and settled on Fish Creek in 1875, and is the person of that nanie to whom Principal Grant refers in his book, " From Ocean to Ocean." He has about eighteen acres under cultivation, with every prospect of an abundant harvest. He told me that last year from one acre and three-quarters of barley he threshed 6,000 pounds, or over 71 bushels (American standard) to the acre. From four and a half acres of oats he took 9.000 pounds, or over 57 bushels to the acre, and half of this was from the "sod," i. e., the first year of ploughing, when only about one-third of an average crop is expected. On Mr. Glenn's table we found the Weekly Globe, showing that he has by no means lost his interest in the outside world. He seemed to have but one objection to the country. Said he, " We have no protection from the police. The Indians may steal our cattle, as they often do, but we can get no redress. In that respect we would be better off* if there were no police in the country at all." After dinner, to which a generous bunch of onions from Mr. Glenn's garden gave additional zest, we were favoured by a call from Mr. Wright — brother of Dr. George Wright, of Toronto — the gentlemanly superintendent of the Government Supply Farm, situated about two miles further down Fish Creek. I : hort McLcod to Morley, 53 may explain that while instructors are sent to teach the Indians how to cultivate the soil, there are " Supply Farms," apart from the Reserves, used for the purpose of raisin*^ food and seed grain for the Indians. This strikes iiu; as a wise arrangement. The butl'alo liaving disappeared fn m the country, the Indians will probably have to be fed at intervals for years to come, and supplies can be raised more cheaply in the country than they can be imported. A few of us accompanied Mr. Wright on a visit to the farm. It lies at the confluence of Fish Creek and Bow River, and com- piises some 5,000 acres of splendid bottoms and rolling prairie. Nearly 200 acres are now under cultivation, embracing seven acres of potatoes, *^ight of turnips, 100 of wheat, the rest oats and barley. Mr. Wright expects to have 500 acres broken up and under cultivation next year ; but he labours under the disadvantage of unsuitable and insufficient farm machinery. If the Government intends to make these farms a success, it will pay well to supply the superintendents with the best appliances for carrying on their work. Mr. Wright's house is of hewed logs, well built, containing but moderate comforts and no luxuries. Bidding the courteous superintendent good- jbye, we drove rapidly toward Calgary, in the teeth of a very cold wind, and at dusk rejoined our party Ion the banks of Bow River. Next morning we awoke to the fact that there was '^ one more river to cross," for immediately at our feet )lled the waters of the Bow, a stream some 250 or 300 54 A Summer in Prairie'Land. yards wide, and with a volume and current strong enough, apparently, to run all the machinery in On- taiio. Of course there was no bridge, and fording was out of the question. Only a few days later, a police- man, attempting to ford higher up, was drowned, together with five horses. But D. McDougall had secured a boat at Fort Calgary, and had it in readiness to ferry over goods, waggons and passengers. Again we had to pass through an experience similar to that at Bell}^ River. Goods had to be unpacked and trans- ferred to the boat , waggon wheels taken off, so as to get the vehicles on board ; but by dint of hard labour, goods, waggons and passengers were safely over by about 8 p.m. Not feeling equal to a full share of the labour which others had to perform, I mounted a horse and rode to Calgary, a Hudson's Bay post a mile up the river, to see if I could obtain some assistance. Seeing a man in front of a house, I asked him if he knew where I could get a man to help in ferrying some goods and waggons across the river. "Well," he said, " there are no men here just no./ ; they are all away at the treaty payments ; but I don't mind if I go down and give a lift myself." On inquiry, I found the name of this "friend in need" was Joe Butler, that he hailed from Kingston, Ont., had been connected in some way with the mounted police, and was now managing a ranch foi an officer of the force, He worked with a will until all our party were safely over, but refused to receive any compensation. " No," said he; "we calculate to help one another in this Fort McLeod to M or ley. 55 3ed" was Joe country, and perhaps I may want some help myself some day." The Lord bless kind-hearted Joe Butler! After getting goods, vehicles and passengers safely over, the horses were still to be got across. They were driven into the stream, and though some appeared J oath to try the current, they all eventually struck out. Most of them landed on the point of an island about three-fourths of the way over, where they rested awhile, and then of their own accord entered the narrower channel and quickly swam across. A few of the weaker ones were carried further down stre'am, and it seemed as though one or two would be lost; but strong hands were on the shore, and by means of a stout rope the struggling animals were helped up the steep bank to a place of safety. While watching the horses as they swam over, my attention was especially drawn to one of the mules. Now, a horse, when swimming, gets more or less excited. He puts his muscle into the work, and keeps up a vigorous snort- ing during the whole passage. But a mule — or at least this particular mule — did none of these things. She entered the stream deliberately, neither slackening ; nor quickening her usual gait. The deepening of the [Current did not change her aspect of profound melan- choly. When she could no longer touch bottom, she [floated away with the stoical indifference of an [orthodox Mussulman. Not a snort, nqt a plunge, lot a struggle; but with an expression of hopeless idifference, as of one who has so long borne • ** The stinjja and arrows of outrageous fortune" 56 A Summer in Prairie-Land. that he has no longer anything to hope or fear, the solemn beast went calmly floating down. It seemed as if an earthquake, or the discharge of a whole park of artillery, would not have caused the slightest start, or a single wag of those majestic ears. Of all sights combining the indescribably solemn with the inde- scribably ludicrous, I have seen nothing to equal the spectacle of that ancient mule floating down the current of Bow River. It may satisfy the reader to know that she got safely over, and completed the rest of the journey without accident. About a mile above where we crossed, and on the south side of the river, is Fort Calgary, a post of the Hudson's Bay Company. A little above this. Elbow River forms a junction with the Bow ; and in the angle between the two is situated a post of the Mounted Police, sometimes called Calgary, but more frequently " the Elbow." At this point there is a small church, erected by John McDougall, who, with the assistance of the teacher at Morley, got out the timber near the mountains and rafted it down Bow River, a distance of over sixty miles. The building was erected with- out cost to the Society. After crossing Bow River we rested a little, and refreshed ourselves with a cup of tea, after which wo resumed our journey. A few miles out the party separated, Messrs. Glass and Youmans taking the direct road north to Edmonton, while the rest of the party turned west toward Morley. That night we camped at Roiling Hills, some ten miles from Calgary. Fort McLeod to M or ley. 57 During the forenoon of the following day, we came near having a serious accident. J. McDougall was leading the way with a waggon containing his mother, wife and two children ; next came his daughter Flora and Miss Adams in a buckboard, and my own con- veyance followed. Bro. McD. had halted to arrange some luggage that was not securely tied, and I had driven a few steps off the road, when we heard a great commotion behind us. Looking round, we saw a pair of harnessed hoi-ses dashing toward us at full speed, and all the spare horses stampeding in the same direction. At first they were taking a coui-se parallel to the road, a short distance from it ; but when within a few paces of the standing waggons they suddenly wheeled into the road and dashed straight at the buckboard. On reaching it they partially divided, one of the animals striking the vehicle a tremendous blow on one of the wheels, bending the axle, and throwing the whole forward, on the other horses. These, terrified in their turn, wheeled and darted off, jerking the lines out of Miss McDougall's hands, and throwing her to the ground, one of the wheels going over her body, but without doing her any serious injury, while Miss Adams still retained her seat. Meanwhile the horses who first ran away, still more terrified by the collision, bounded forward and the next moment struck the waggon containing Mr. McDougall's family, over- turning it in an instant. The horses attached to this vehicle being now, in turn, thoroughly terrified, gave a tremendous bound, snapped one whippletree in two, 58 A Summer in Prairie-Land, % 1 1 1t : Li and broke the irons of the other, and joined the general stampede. All this passed in perhaps twenty seconds. A glanco showed Bro. McDougall that his family, by almost a miracle, had escaped unhurt, and instantly he sprang round a clump of bushes to try to intercept the horses who were running away with the buckboard; but finding this impossible, he caljed to Miss Adams to throw herself out. She had still presence of mind enough to understand and obey his instructions, and alighting on the soft, thick grass, escaped entirely unhurt. All this, as I have said, passed in a few seconds, and when it was over we could only stand for a time in speechless thankfulness to God that no lives had been lost. Mr. McDougall's buckboard was badly injured, and had to be left by the wayside, and his other waggon was slightly damaged, and that was all. In the meantime the runaway animals were overtaken and brought back by the horsemen, after a run of several miles. On inquiry we learned that the cause of the accident was the breaking of a chain, by which the leaders of D. McDougall's four horse team had got away. Passing ovc* some very rich uplands and rolling prairie, we de ided a succession of hills, and about noon reached e banks of Big Hill Creek, where we rested for dnmer. This creek we found contained abundance of fine trout, a number of which were caught in a few minutes and prepared for use. Shortly after, the first rain-storm we had encountered since leaving Benton broke suddenly upon us, and for Fori McLeod to Morley. 59 a time torrents of rain, mingled with hail, descended ; but in the course of an hour the sky cleared, and we were again in motion. About 6 p.m. we reached the high bank of Ghost River, a few yards above its junction with the Bow. We had heard a good deal about this stream, and Mrs. McDougall had tersely described it by saying : " Ghost River is not very large, but it's wicked. When the water is high, I consider it one of the most dangerous streams in the country." In fact this "ghost" had haunted us for severe) days, and now we actually had a sight of it. Nor was the sight very reassuring. The stream was swift, the depth unknown, and just below where we must attempt to ford there was a strong rapid, and just below this again the rolling waters of Bow River. Bro. McDougall mounted a horse and proceeded to try the ford. He soon came back and said he thought we could cross all right. But firpt the waggons must be got down the worst hill we had yet encountered. By careful work this was safely accomplished. Then, one by one, the waggons ventured in, and eventually all got over, although in one or two cases a stout rope, manned by willing hands, was a great assistance. As for myself, I preferred a saddle-horse to the chances of an upset from a waggon, and the sagacious animal that I mounted went through the stream as though he was quite used to that kind of business, as indeed I suppose hu was. At all events the " ghost " was laid for that time, and we were told that we were within [Six miles of Morley. Some time had been consumed F w 60 A Summer i7i Prairie- Land, in crossing the river, and it was dark when we resumed our way ; but stimulated by the prospect of approach- ing rest in a Christian home, we travelled cheerily on, and ere long found ourselves welcomed into the un- pretentious but comfortable Mission-house at Morley. To be once more in a veritable house, to sit down at a well-spread table, and then, after gratefully acknow- ledging the goodness that had followed us through all our journeyings, to lie down on a comfortable bed, was all inexpressibly delightful , but we were too tired for speech, or even for thought, and soon sank into dreamless repose. ■^^ '^i VI. AT MGRLEY— SABBATH SERVICES. HE valley of Bow River comprises one of the most beautiful sections of country in the North-West, and offers facilities for stock raising and agriculture that it would be difficult to surpass. The level bottoms are large, and the soil of the best ; the slopes and hills are covered with abundant pasture, the deep valleys afford excellent shelter, the water is good and plentiful, while the winters, as a rule, are so mild that stock can stay out with perfect safety and come in fat in* the spring. To those who contemplate stock I raising there is no part of the country I have yet [seen which offers so many attractions as the valley lof the Bow. Morley Mission is situated on the river at a point kbout fifteen miles below whtire it issues from the lountains. The site and its surroundings are very jautiful. The general course of the river is first ist and then south-east; but a little above Morley takes a turn northward, sweeping around the ~J li i i. 62 A Summer in Prairtt-Land. mission premises in a graceful curve. Standing on the first " bench " above the level bottom, and facing westward, the first object that strikes the attention is the mission-house, a modest structure, built of hewed logs and weather-boarded ; about 48 feet wide by 22 feet deep, and perhaps 11 or 12 feet high to the eaves. The interior is divided by partitions of boards, tongued and grooved, plaster — except clay — being yet unt 10 wn in the cou h-y Benind the mission-house are the outbuildings, o>i5;r;';*uctod of logs. A little to the right, and in liie sn ie inclosure with the mission-house, is the cottage of the teacher, built of hewed logs, " chinked " and plastered with clay. To the left are the walls of an unfinished building, intended as the future mission-house, when the present one may be used for another pui*pose. A few rods farther from the rivor are the church and school-house, two neat and commodious buildings, well adapted for their respective purposes. Away to the right, across a small creek, is the house, store, &c., of Mr. David McDougall ; while on a level plain, back of the church, stand some 30 Stoney tents, and back of these two very neat cabins belonging to Indians who have settled down to farming. Still farther away are the rolling foothills of the Rocky Mountains, their sides and summits, in many cases, adorned with groves of poplar, spruce and mountain pine, while forming a grand background to the picture, the mountains themselves tower upward, their scarred and weather-beaten sides softened by a haze of blue, their summits often At M or ley — Sabbath Services. 63 wreathed in cloud and vapour, through the rifts of which masses of yet unmelted snow shine with Jazzling whiteness, contrasting beautifully with the neutral tints of the rocks around. Although Morley is one of the youngest missions in the Saskatchewan District, it is one of the most promising. When Dr. Taylor visited the spot in 1873, the mission was not yet begun : not even a log had been cut for the projected buildings ; but the McDougalls had explored the ground, and saw that here was the place to reach on the one hand the Stoneys who had heard the gospel from Rundle anc' Woolsey in former years, and on the other the Creefi and Blackfeet of the plains. Although stronc^j^v dissuaded, on account of the perilous nature of th" enterprise, in thus placing themselves in the ' '^ry focus between hostile tribes, t?iey persevered in tueir design; and in the fall gf 1873, John McDougall and his family, and his brother David, made their way out from Edmonton, and by the shores of a small lake, in a sheltered spot among the hills about three miles above the present mission, they proceeded to erect a shelter for the winter, and a little church and school- house besides. In the cabins thus erected they lived two years, preparing material meanwhile for per- manent buildings on a better site near the river. No one unacquainted with the nature of the work and the surroundings can form the least idea of the labour involved in this latter undertaking. The logs being [cut and squared, had to be drawn about three miles, 64 A Summer in Prairie- Land. while every foot of lumber used in the construction of the i>uildings had to be sawn by hand, there being no such thing iis a saw-mill in any part of the country. The nearest place to obtain hardware was Fort Benton, more than 400 miles away, where common nails cost 12 cents a pound, and other things in proportion. Besides this, frequent journeys had to be made to the plains and elsewhere for supplies of food, involving altogether thousands of miles of tra^vel, and leaving the mission family unprotected for weeks together. But through all these difficulties the Missionary and his family persevered, and mission-house, teacher's house, church and school-house were successively erected, towards which the Society made but one grant of $900 — a mere fraction of what the whole thing must have cost — while no claim for travelling expenses was ever made ; and this at a time when flour — if it could be got at all — was never less than from twelve to fifteen dollars per sack of 100 lbs., and other things, except buffalo meat, in the same pro- portion. Around the mission-house several fields have been fenced and brought under cultivation; and looking for the moment only at material results, I confess I am astonished at the progress made at Morley in so short a time. The effect of all this upon the Indians has been most salutary. It has led them to see how much better it is to till the soil than to depend for a liveli- hood upon the uncertainties of the chase. And now that a considerable tract of land on both sides of the Ai Morlev. 6-^ rivor has been set apart as the Stoney Reserve ; many aic settling clown, building cabins, and beginning to cultivate their little fields. Last year one of the (Jovemment Farm Instnictors, a Mr. Ocnvan, was sent to Morley, and entered heartily n])on his work. He showed the Indians how to fence their fields and cultivate the soil, and induced them to work to a •legree beyond what had been accomplishi'd in any other place. The Indians, convinced that Mr. Oowan had their interests at heart, were greatly pleased ; but, unfortunately for himself, he uttered his mind too fn.H'ly in regard to some doings of the police authori- ties, and they never rested till he was dismissed. At all events, this is the explanation of Mr. G.'s removal current among the people, and fully believed. The Indians are greatly disappointed and discouraged. Mr. Go wan had gained their confidence in a remark- able degree, and they were prepared to co-operate with him in his further eftbrts for their advancement. His successor, so far as I can learn, has accomplished nothing, because he has attempted nothing. Hitherto, at least, he has only served out rations (assisted therein by a policeman), and the Indians say he has not yet so much as seen most of their fields. He assigns as the reason for this do-nothing policy, that he is waiting for the arrival of one of the Farm Inspectors to tell im what to do.* During my stay at Morley I had good opportunity f seeing the agricultural implements furnished by the * This was written in August, 1880. 5 66 . / Sitfitntcr IN Prairie- Land. Government to the hulians. By treaty stipulation there was to be a plow for (»very three families. It was, of cours(^ \in(h;rstooeen recently paid, the parents were busy making purchases at the store, and the temptation to see what was bought was too strong for most of the children. Some of the scholars present could read in the first book with tolerable i'> J'- tipulation nilios. It that tlu'st' — no otln 1 ino- II]) til"' JO actually altli 1 alar Chris- hands ami st I'asc. I ht accident halt*-n)tt«M\ ash. Tlw (lit suitaitlf nonts W(Mv and t\'lt in itnin. an/m//i Services. 7i O lialtirs so that tlicy niij^lit not Ih» ov«'rlook<'])irit, for without this all other wi.sdom will be as lolhing. ' 1 have spoken to you about the things of this life ; )ut there is something far more important. Very soon will return to my people, and you will st'e my face ^o more ; but before I go I want to speak again the rords you have often heard from your Missionary — »ai Jesus Christ came into the world to sav«' sinm-rs, 76 A Summer in Prairie- Land. and that vrliosoever trusts in liini and obeys liis voire shall not perish, but shall have everlasting life. And when in days to come your Missionary may send letters to tell me about you, I hope to hear that you did not forget the words of the white stranger who came into your camp to-day ; but that you arc all listen in<^^ to the teachings of the Master of Life, and trusting in his Son, Jesus Christ." Service over, there was another general hand- shaking, and we turned our faces homeward. Several Indians accompanied us ; but when we came to tlu' river side we found our boat n)ore than half fuli of water. An examination of our craft showed two small holes in the bottom through which the water had entered. The Indians were equal to the emergency One of the men produced a needle ; a woman drew out of some hidden receptacle some fibres of deer^ sinew, and in a short space of time the boat \va> mended, and the passengers ferried safely over tht river. In the evening another service was held in the school-house. I undertook to preach, Bro. McDougal! interpreting ; but I must confess 1 have lieard many a better sermon. This preaching through an interpreter makes sad work. After service six couples werr married and sixteen children presented for baptisn One young fellow hesitated a good deal in regard i^ the marriage business, but we subsequently learned iij was entirely on conscientious grounds ; he didn't likr to make the promises involved in the marriage vowg Sabbath Sen' ices. 77 without feeling sure that he would be able to keep tlioni. However, he finally made the venture. In tlio ha})tismal service Bro. McDougall got things mixed a little, owing probably to the large number af can- «li(latos. Hu was about to christen one y)aby Enoch, l.ut discovered just in time that it wasn't that kind of a l»aby, and that its parents desired to call it Flora ; so I'lura it was baptized. These varied services had well filled up a busy day, and we returned to the mission house somewhat wearied in lx)dy, but thankful for the experience of a Sunday at Morley. ^i^^l^l '^ A Rocky Mountain Stueam. ^.•;H-> --Pi ^'W. ^«#v'^ VITT. A DAY IN THK MOUNTAINS. MKN aljout tlinM' (hiys out IVoin limtoii. we cau«^lit our Hrst ;;linn)S(' of tlic Ilocky Mouuta'ns, tlioii more tlian a Inunlred miles away, and from that timr \\v w«mo rarely out of .si;;ht of some of tlic loftier peaks. Kach day's journey l»rou<,d>t us a little nearer, an ]>r('viously statiMl, our course was westward till we reaclM-d Morley, when we were within fifteen miles of tlie stony n^iants. This nearer \ iew oidy intensified tlie desire to penetrate one of the passes, and elimh, if Ipossihle, some of those ru^^iMl steeps. Arran;^ements [v^cre nei'ordinj^ly made for a hrief excursion, and l»efore »n on Monday, the .Srd, we were ready for the trail. K l< irst a horse was packed with such camping apparatus ■N was considered indispensable — to wit, some hedding, tMr])jiulin or waggon-sheet, an axe, frying-pan, and unit kettle, and last, though not least, a hag of pro- 11 II m % tffS IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) // /£ 1.0 I.I l;&|2j8 |2.5 ■Uuu 1.25 II u IIh < 6" - ► Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 145S0 (716) 872-4503 8o A Siunmer in Prairie- Land. () it ' visions. To " pack " a horse properly requires ex- perience. You first lay on the horse's back a well- folded blanket ; over this is placed the pack saddle, which exactly resembles a diminutive saw-horse, anroN down Olivet flowed / That the Father and the Son each hallowed a height Where the lightnings were red and the roses were white V Here the mountains are all about us, their perpen- dicular cliffs rising to a height of three or four thou- sand feet, and thought becomes busy with those mighty movements of nature's forces which in ages long distant crumpled up the earth's crust, and heaved these ponderous masses so high in air. And then taking a loftier range meditation V)ecomes sweetly solemn of Him " who by His strength setteth fast the mountains, being girded with power," and who, like " the mountains round about Jerusalem," surrounds His people, a "wall of defence for evermore. We gaze upward through the rift of tlie canon and catch a glimpse of the fathomless blue that bends over us, strewn thickly with its golden stars — " Like some dark beauteous bird, wdiose plume Is sparkling with a thousand, eyes ; " and still our thought is of Him " who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number ; y I Day in the Motintains. 85 he calleth them all by names, by the greatness of his miiii^ht, for that he is string in power, not one faileth." And with the heart sweetly resting on the assurance that " the mountains shall clef art and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither the covenant of my peace be removed," we " Sink ill blissliil divains away, And visions of t'tcrnul dav." Next morning finds us somewhat rested from the fatiiTue of our hard ride, and as we have a short dis- tance farther to go, we are up and away betimes. Half-an-hour's ride brings us in sight of our destina- tion — Long Lake — a beautiful sheet of water some twenty eight miles long, and of varying width, where we prepare to spend a few short hours. The lake is said to be well supplied with excellent fish, but as we have no boat or raft we are placed at a great disad- vantage, and accomplish but little making casts from the shore. However, Chinakee, with a line of deer- skin, and a large common hook, manages to secure a good-sized salmon-trout, which agreeably diversifies our dinner bill of fare. Another hour is spent in gazing at the grand, impressive scenery, and then we turn our faces homeward. The ride out is very much like the ride in, only a little more so. To avoid the water, we go through worse thickets than ever. How we got through, retaining a stitch of clothing, will perhaps never be explained. One has to be on the fi 1I ■■ * i I m . f if I 1 V! ! 86 A Summer in Prairie- Land. alert every instanfc. Take care of that hanging bush, or you may be "single-eyed" for the rest of your life ! Mind that boulder, or your foot may get a twist that the doctors will not be able to heal in a month ! Look out for that tree, or you may find a case in whicli the " bark *' is worse than the bite ! But where's our pack-horse ? R-r-r-rip ! Yes, there he is, just caught by a snag, and a long rent m de through two stout rubber blankets. Well, we may consider ourselves fortunate in getting through such a road with no greater mishaps. And here we are at Ghost River again, sixteen miles from Morley, and a mountain thunder-storm coming quickly after us. We push on at greater speed, most of the time at a sharp canter, and after repeated fordings halt at a small clump of spruce trees just as the first rain drops begin to fall. Almost before I have time to dismount, McDougall and the chief have their horses unsaddled ; in an incredi- bly short space of time the evergreen shelter on the storm side is thickened by additional boughs, the waggon-sheet thrown over a pole, a fire kindled, and by the time the rain is fairly upon us, we are sitting, figuratively speaking, under our own vine and fig tree, with supper almost ready. By the time we have re- freshed the inner and rested the outer man, the storm has passed by. Soon, we gladly take our leave of Ghost River — the most disagreeable ghost I ever met — and begin to ascend the steep hill, of which mention has already been made, " Why, McDougall," I said, " it's impossible for any horse to carry a man up that A Day in the Mouti fains. hill." " No danger," said he ; "you hang on, and he'll bring you up all right." I " hang on " accordingly ; but when half-way up, compassion for my little kayoose prevailed, so I slipped off and led him the rest of the way. That short walk gave me some idea of the method by which house-flies climb up walls and along ceilings. By 6 p.m. we are on the summit of the hills west of Morley, and turn to take a farewell look at the "mountains divine." We expect to have them in sight for a day or two yet, but shall not again have so near a view as this. Yonder they stand in their rugged grandeur, the storm-cloud wreathed around their shoulders, their summits touched by the rays of the setting sun. " The mountain rainbow that gk^auiH before ye, But leaves your solitude doubly bleak ; The shadows of sunset falls ghastly o'er ye Cliff frowns upon cliff and peak on peak. Rock of the Desolate, lean and hoary, What lip of man can your grandeu : speak ! " A moment longer let us stand and gaze. Since creation's morning these mountains have towered heavenward like fragments of a petrified eternity, and seem as though they would stand through an eternity to come. Through years that no man can number, yon glorious sun has been dispensing light and heat, but * his eye is not dim, nor his natural force abated ;" through periods counted by decades of centuries, this arrowy river beneath our feet has been cleaving its i > ^: ;v',| r j.-'ti n fj \ .I 8cS A Siuimicr in Prairic-Lauit way from its rocky canon, Init its volume is as mighty and its current as swift as when tiist it bej^an to flow. Yet a time will come when all this will he changed, for '* we, according to His promise, looked for new- heavens and anew earth ;" hut " when the mountains have crumbled into ashes, and the judgment flames have licked up the river, and the sun itself is veiled behind the smoke of a burning world," of Him who made them all it shall be said — " Thy throne, O (jlod, is for ever and ever ;" " from everlasting to everlast- ing thou art God." We turn our horses' heads, and in half-an-hour are safe at Morley, very tired (for we have ridden between twenty-five and thirty miles over the worst trail I ever saw), but with pictures hung up in memory's chambers hat money could not buy. IX. m m % AN INDIAN COUNCIL N Wednesday forenoon the cluirch bell was rung, and many of the Indians assembled in the school-house for a Council. After some preliminary matters and a few remarks from Bro. McDougall, Mr. Morris, the Gov- ernment Agent, addressed the Council. He said that, by instructions from the Government, he had been furnishing the Indians with food, but now the supply was very nearly exhausted, and he could not at present obtain any more. He therefore advised them to go to the mountains for the present, and hunt till such time as the produce of their fields would be ready for use. An invitation was then given to the Indians to speak if they desired to do so. Chief Jacob Big-Stoney said : " I am glad to see one from a far land, especially one who is engaged in a good work. When many of those now present were children, our fathers received the good word. Since then, in poverty and weakness, we have tried to keep ! * 90 A Summer in Prairie-LanH. it. We entered into it as into a strong place — a place of refnge. Once we trusted in something else, but, that something we have put away, and now our trust is in the Great Spirit. When the white man came into our country to treao for our lands, wo alone, of all the Indians, wore not suspicious ; wo woro ready for the treaty, and wc^ were ready hocauso we had received the good word, and because our missionary had ex- plained to us what the (jlovenumiiit wanted. We be- lieve til e white man has great power. We aro glad to regard him as our chief ; and while we ask his aid for the things of this life, we ask his ai■^m\ 94 A Summer in Prairie- Lana, li - your part of the treaty by learning how to cultivate the soil. I have seen your fields with growing food, and have been glad ; for the Stoney cannot live as he has done in the past. The buffalo are gone, and yon must live more as the white man does. I am sure the promises made by the Government will be kept ; but the Government has a great many children, and all things cannot be done in )ne day. Sometimes mis- takes are made, and it takes time to put matters right. Sometimes the Government may give you food in a time of distress ; but it is far better you should learn how to get food for yourselves. When your sons grow up, you do not always feed them in you lodges ; you teach them how to hunt and get food for themselves* If the Government were to feed you it would be only a little every day; but if they give you cat- tle and seed and implements, you may soon have fruitful fields and herds of cattle of your own. My people have been glad to send a missionary and a teacher among you; but it will be useless to keep a missionary here unless you listen to his words, and useless to keep a teacher unless you send your children to be taught. We hope to hear from the missionary that all the people listen to the words of the Great Spirit, and that all your children go to the school. I have put your words in my heart, and so has my brother who travels with me. We both know some of the chiefs of the great Council at Ottawa, and when we return we will speak your words in their ears. In days to come, if you wish to speak to me, tell your An Indian Cotmcil. 95 words to your missionary, who will send them to me ; and we will know what you think and what you wish." Bro. McDougall then briefly addressed then in Cree, after which the Council broke up. Another general hand-shaking and '* ambu wastage "-ing followed, after which we returned to the mission-house to pre- pare for our departure on the morrow. ♦1 ' * ,iAJ WA ■vlfe ; 4. \*i ; X. MORLEY TO EDMONTON. UR week of rest and recreation at Morley passed away all too soon ; but as only a small part of the journey was yet completed longer delay was out of the question ; so on Thursday morning, August 5th, preparations were made for a fresh start. Waggons were loaded, horses brought in and harnessed, and in good season we were ready for the trail. The morning was bright and beautiful, and the weather all that could be desired. With a hearty good-bye to those from whom we were now compelled to separate, and many an " ambu wastage " from the red men who lingered near, we turned our faces eastward, and set out. The hills were clothed in brightest verdure, and the plains adorned with countless flowers of brilliant hues. Brooks of sparkling water, whose source was in the mountains, came leaping down the valleys, hastening to join their tributary streams with the larger current of the Bow, whose waters flashed in the sunlight away ns were M or ley to Edmonton. 97 on our right. Behind us rose the purple mountains, glorious in the cloudless morning light, while before us the foothills sloped onward and downward to the distant plain. It was a lovely sight to which we could not bid farewell without a sigh of rejjret. The party now consisted of John and David McDougall, Mr. Nelson and wife, Mr. Warren and the writer, together with an Indian lad, Myschees by name, who attended us as out-rider. Mrs. John McDougall accompanied her husband a few miles on the way. In the course of an hour we reached the banks of our old acquaintance. Ghost River ; but in the bright sunlight of the morning the ghost did not seem nearly so terrible as when we faced it amid the gathering shadows of night. Besides, the water had continued falling during the week, so the crossing was made with comparative ease. In a short time we scaled the steep hill on the eastern side, where pausing a moment we w^aved a parting adieu to Mrs. McDougall, and then resolutely pushed on. A little after noon we reached our former resting-place on Big Hill Creek, where I proceeded to coax some trout from their shady retreats under the willows. The speckled denizens of the brook were quite willing to bite, but so were the mosquitoes, who rose in clouds from the long grass beside the stream. However, in spite of the mosqui- toes, D. McDougall and the writer secured, in less than half an hour, a string of trout that served the entire party for two meals, with some to spare. In the course of the afternoon we reached the scene ifM ', f ,. - i'U tgli i,w-^' Pllt fj ^'"5?b| !•!■ i.l^"'W^ V' '!»'■«■ M^tv i}S £f MmImSw Kj^jra|w(i HFiH i™uP|fj , k.^'^M^®'*'" 1 ■Olllf '1 ■HbR^^V ] 'i-t 1 ■ ' V'i* , %: It m $ Mui» ^ 98 A Summer in Prairie- Land, of the runaway accident, and found Bro. McDougall's buck-board just where we left it. It was speedily taken apart, and packed on one of the waggons to be transported to Edmonton, 200 miles away, the nearest point at which repairs could be effected. By 7 p.m. we reached our old camping-ground at the Rolling Hills, and pitched our tent for the night. On resuming our journey, the following morning, we drove to within some two miles of Fort Calgary, then turned to the left, and in a short time struck the main trail leading to Edmonton and the North. About 11 a.m. we turned off in a westerly direction, and in half an hour reached the bank of a branch of Nose Creek, where we halted for lunch. After a short rest, D. McDougall and the writer took a buck-board, while J. McDougall and Mr. Warren mounted saddle-horses, and we s.tarted on the errand that had brought us out of the way. After driving a couple of miles we came in sight of a large " hay swamp," lying among the hills. In the rainy season it forms a lake, but now it was dry, and the whole covered with rich grass, about 18 inches high. The country around is of the kind known as rolling prairie. It is entirely destitute of trees, not even a bush or shrub being in sight any- where. Neither of the McDougalls had visited this particular spot before, but they knew the general features of the country, and made their way with a readiness that seemed like instinct. We first skirted the hay swamp on the north-easterly side, and then round to the south-westerly side. As we rode along M or ley to Edmonton. 99 a white object on a gentle slope, some 50 yards from the grassy bed of the lake, met our eye. We rode up and dismounted, and silently, with uncovered heads, stood by a little cairn of stones which alone marks the 'pot whore a half-breed hunter found the lifeless body of the heroic George McDougall. But few words were spoken — only enough to impress the main features of the sad occurrence on th'^ mind — and tlien with mingled emotions we rode slowly away, pondering on the mysterious Providence that brought our beloved brother to what seemed so untimely an end. Our visit to the place did not lessen the mystery. Standing on the very spot where the body was found, we had the Rocky Mountains full in view. Now, Bro. McDougall (assuming that the power of vision re- mained) knew W'ith absolute certainty that these mountains were to the West ; facing them, he knew, with equal certainty, that Bow River was on bis loft, and not very far away ; keeping tlie mountains on the right hand, a straight course would soon bring him to the river, and pursuing a course up the current and toward the mountains for an hour would have brought him opposite Fort Calgary. But it is idle to speculate. We cannot lift the veil of mystery that enshrouds George McDougall's tragic end. We can only rest upon the assurance that what we know not now we shall know hereafter.* * Would it not be a graceful and seemly thing for those who rev- erence the work and memory of George McDougall to unite in providing a plain but enduring monument to be set up on the spot where his body was found ? — A. S. .!.'i^ • '''if 'I I " . TWS «' i I . p* i« ■f",i N The late Rev, George McDougall, M or ley to Edmo7iton. lOI Rejoining the rest of the party we proceeded some distance along the valley of Nose Creek, and ulti- mately struck the main trail again. During the afternoon we passed over some beautiful fertile plains, and halted for tea at McPherson's Valley, where we found excellent spring water. Barring the lack of timber this is a region well worth the attention of those who may be looking to this part of the North- West as a future home. After tea we drove till well on in the night, and camped amidst clouds of mosqui- toes. A vigorous "smudging" afforded relief, however, and we slept in comparative peace. Our first stage on the following morning took us over the roughest piece of road we had yet travelled. The soil was evidently of first-class quality, but we were beginning to find out that the better the soil the woi"se the road. The jolting was simply awful, and as my waggon had exceptionally long and good springs, it seemed every few moments as if I would be shot " onward and upward " like a stone from a catapult. That my vertabrae was doomed to be shortened by a couple of inches seemed a foregone conclusion ; and matters reached a climax when one of our springs, which had stood the roughest jolting, snapped when we were driving over a comparatively smooth piece of road. Fortunately we were near the halting-place at the "Lone Pine," and after dinner the McDougalls, with a stick of dry poplar and a piece of shaganappi, put all to rights. We had new passed the treeless region, and hence- ■ A I i<\ %■■■ rf'« I02 A Summer in Prairie- Land. forth clumps of willow and proves of spruce and poplar were not uncommon. About the middle of the afternoon we rested for a while near a small lake, where we bag^^ed a couple of ducks and half-a-dozen prairie chickens — a welcome addition to the larder. The ducks were shot by Myschees, who borrowed a double-barreled breech-loader from one of the party in order to try his luck. Now, Myschees is not reckoned much of a hunter among his own people ; but when bringing in his game he said : " Anybody could be a hunter with a gun like that. You have only to point it toward the ducks, and you are sure to hit some." After tea another statje brou'o at Grape Island, young Steinhauer was sent to Cazenovia Seminary, where he remained three years, making commendable progress in his studies. He then returned to Canada and taught school for two years at the Credit Mission. Subsequently, he spent some time with his mother at Lake Simcoe, and in 1835 went to Upper Canada Academy, which he left the following year to teach school at the Alderville Mission. In the spring of 1840 he left Alderville to accompany the Rev. James Evans to the North-West, but was left by that devoted Missionary at Lac la Pluie, as Interpreter to the Rev. W. Mason, who had been sent to that point by the English Society. Bro. Steinhauer continued in this capacity fo" several years and then, by Mr. Evans' instructions, he went on to Norway House, where he served as Teacher and Interpreter till the year 1850. He was next sent to Oxford House to begin a Mission, where he spent four years, and then came back to Norway House to take temporary charge of the V'l: ,W^fl m A ■■ ' k k i 1 :m 122 // Sicnmer iii Prairie- Land. m Mission, where he s])ent four years, the Rev. Mr. Mason having gone over to the Church of England. lie remained at his post till the arrival of the Rev. Thos. Hurlburt in the autumn of the same year, the Rev. Mr. Brooking being appointed at the same time to Oxford House. During the sunuiier of 1854 the Rev. John Ryerson visited the Missions in the Hudson's Bay Territory. He took Bro. Steinhauer with him to York Factory, from whir'^h point they sailed in a Company's ship to England, reaching that country in October, Leaving again in December, they reached Canada before Christmas. At the London Conference of 1855 Bro. Steinhauer was ordained, and sent, with the Rev. Thomas Woolsey, to the far North-West, to carry on the work that Bundle had begun. Woolsey made Edmonton his head-quarters, while Steinhauer went to Lac la Biche. He remained there till June, 1857, when he went to Whitefish Lake, and pitched his tent where the school -house of the Mission now stands. Here he has since rema'ned, working with a cheering measure of success. He has gathered around him a community of Christian Indians, of the Cree nation, whose conversion and subsequent lives have been a signal proof of the power of the Gospel. During the twenty-three years that have elapsed since the founding of the Mission, many have died in the faith of Christ, and many now living are witnesses of His saving power. Bro. Stein- hauer also led the wav in civilization, showinfj the K < ,:::^ Mason I. He . Thos. e Rev. ime to Lyerson rritory. factory, ship to Leaving before jinhauer Voolsey, rk that iton his a Biche. went to ere the e he has ,sure of |unity of version of the ■ee years Mission, ,ny now I. Stein- ring the ^ r. K H K J/3 a > iif ^^ ',1 ■"I i ■: «( ill « ^^w ■ r. '■( m y. S 124 A Summer in Prairie- Land. Indians how to build houses, and enclose and cultivate ■ fields. In another matter Bro. Steinhauer has rendered signal service to the cause of God among the Crees. When the Rev. James Evans went to the North- West, in ISlO, he was already meditating the possibility of reducing the Cree tongue to writing. In this he suc- ceeded, by inventing what is known as the Syllabic Characters: a system so wonderfully simple and adapted to the tongue, that an Indian of fair intelligence can, by two or three days' application, read in his own tongue the word of God. Mr. Evans not only invented ihe character buo cut the first type in which an attempt was nade to print them. Soon after, the work of translating the Scriptures began, and it was in this work that Bro. Steinhauer rendered efiicient service, in conjunction with John Sinclair, a half-breed, afterwards employed as a Native Assistant at Oxford House. Mr. Sinclair translated the Old Testament as far as the end of Job, also the Gospels and Acts ; while Mr. Steinhauer translated from the beorirxninor of the Psalms to the end of the Old Testament, and from the beo'inninof of Romans to the end of the New. The MS. of these translations was entrusted to the Rev. Mr. Mason, who was now a Missionary of the Church of England at York Factory. He took it to England, where the work of printing was undertaken by the British and Foreign Bible Society. When the work was passing through the press, Mr. Mason, with characteristic modesty but very questionable morality. Victoria to WJiitefish Lake and Back, 125 had his own name printed on the title-page as the translator of the work. Subsequently, after the death of James Evans, Mason claimed to be the inventor of the Syllabic Characters, and within a couple of years the writer lias seen the claim asserted in his behalf in an English paper. The Mission premises at Whitefish Lake consist of the house in which the Missionary resides, and a build- ing used for a school-house and church. The latter building had become rather dilapidated, and two or three years ago the Indians made preparations to build a new church. The walls of a building were erected, but they have been unable to finish it, and help from some quarter will be indispensable. The buildings occupy a site on a rise of ground near the south end of the lake, some three or four hundred yards from the shore. The lake itself is about twelve miles long by four miles wide, and contains an abundant supply of whitefish of superior quality. Several small fields adjoining the Mission are well cultivated, and the garden gave very satisfactory evidence of the fertility of the soil. About half of the latter enclosure was sown with grain, which at the time of my visit was heading out. The Missionary asked me if I knew what it was. " Well," I said, " it is either wheat, or oats, or barley ; I can't tell which, as there seems to be about an equal quantity of each, not counting the weeds, which are very abundant." " Just so," said he ; " and yet that field was sown with some of the Gov- s' % :ii!MJ fl m 126 A Summer in Prairie- Land. emment seed that was supplied to the Indians last year." Who wouldn't be a contractor for Indian supplies ? On Fri day morning we held a meeting in the little Mission (church, which was well filled, although the day was wet. Bro. McDougall opened the service, and afterwards I gave an address, McD. interpreting. As this was the only opportunity I was likely to have, I gave a general address, mingling counsel and exhorta- tion. The meeting was then thrown open, and an opportunity given to those present to say what they wished. After a brief pause, 0-MUSH-KA-GO (B. Sinclair) said : " Sometimes I for- get what I want to say; but one thing I can't forget — what the Gospel has done for me. And since I received it I have been willing to help in any way, even sweep- ing the house of the Lord. Missionaries sent me into this country, and I helpe^d them as I could ; and when this Mission was «5stablished I resolved to settle here. I was very glad when Bro. Steinhauer came, and I have remained here ever since. In the absence of the Missionary, I have tried to tell the people what I know of the Gospel. Many of the fathers heard the Word, and some did not ; but many of those who heard have since died happy in the Lord. Now that our Missionary is going away for a time, I will gladly do what I can. I am thankful for the interest which the people in Canada feel in us." Moi-GAH-DISH (Nathaniel Leg) : " I am thankful to- day for what you have told us about the feelings of <*o we could get the ferryman and his men to wor^v. A ^ arty of Canadians had just crossed on their way toward Prince Albert, and I shrewdly suspect they had supplied the ferryman with whisky, for he was just drunk enough to take things easy, and to put off* crossing as long as he could. I judged him to be a French half-breed, as he spoke with a French accent. When I saw the huge scow that was to transport us over, I said, " How do you manage this big affair ? " " Oh," said he, with all the importance of a half drunk man, " dere are two of me .' " Then it seemed to dawn upon him that he had'nt got the thing just right, and with a further accession of maudlin dignity he added, " Dere are two of us I " The two proved to be four, but it needed them all, and help from the passengers beside, to get the big clumsy scow with its load over the rapid current. These ferries, I may remark, are licensed by the Dominion a'lf Prince Albert to Touchwood Hills. 157 authorities, and a tariff of charges is posted in a con- spicuous place for the information of travellers. By dint of persevering effort we got over by nine o'clock, and driving a few miles farther stopped for breakfast. I tried here to bargain with a French half- breed for a horse, but found it hard to keep him to the point. First he brought a horse I would'nt have taken as a gift, then he brought another, but higgled, like an Arab, about the price. Finally, I agreed to give him " seventy piastres " for the animal. Subse- quently, when I was about to pay him, he insisted the price was to be seventeen pounds sterling ,.>out $86). Of course I did not submit to this, and s nt • : n to the right-about, ,-orry that I had wasted so ^^ u^ h time with the rascal. Resuming our journey, the • ail took us up the river on the south side till w er'ihed Gabri- elle's ferry, when v/e turned south-easterly and struck out over the plain. The weather was good and the road dry, and we made as good progress as the some- what tired condition of our horses would admit t In the evening, as the sky was threatening, we c .iped behind a clump of poplar and willow. During the night a heavy thunder-storm passed by, of which we got a liberal share. Wednesday, Sept. 8th. — The storm of last night has made the trail " greasy," and bad for the horses, who begin to show unmistakeable signs of fatigue. I must exchange one or two, or procure fresh ones, at tho earliest opportunity. About 3 p.m. to-day we struck the line of the Pacific telegraph, and felt a thrill of \ •' ^1^.1- '5S ^ Slimmer in Prairie- Land. delight at l»eholding this sign of advancing civilization. A drive of 10 miles farther brought us to Humboldt, the only telegraph station between Battleford and Fort Pell V. Humboldt consists of a small loj^-house in- habited by the telegraph operator (a lady) and her husband, who has the task assigned him of keej)ing a certain portion of the line in repair. From the time we left battleford 1 had been looking forward witli interest to the time when we would reach Huml)oldt. 1 had no .V been from home over eleven weeks, and in that time but two letters had reached me, the second written oidy some ten days after I left Toronto. But I lioped 10 end uncertainty when 1 reached Humboldt by sending a telegram and waiting for a reply. " Hope told a flattering tale," however; for when the telegraph station was reached behold the line was broken some- where between that point and Fort Pelly ! The storm of the previous night had blown down some of the poles — so they said, and I thought the statement very probable, for most of the poles we saw were poplar saplings, that looked as though one could easily blow them down with an average pair of bellows. The dis- appointment was intense, but there was no remedy ; so we chatted awhile with the inmates of the cabin, with what grace we could muster, and then returned to our camp. At this point we overtook the Rev. A. Whiteside, who was on his way to Winnipeg to meet his wife. We took him with us, as he had no other means of travelling. During Thursday we struck what is known as Big w m 1 t Prince Albert to 'foitchiL'ooit Hiils. 159 Big Salt Plain, a vaat, tieuless space, with nioiv or less alkali at intervals. Before leaving' the poplar hliitls entirely beliinut up till evening no tidings were received. On Monday morning several Indians joined in the search, and about 8 a. m. the mi.ssing hoi-se was brought back, having been found some two miles from Si*. 'Ml ■ * '.w 104 A Sumfner in Prairie- Land. the camp. So far g<)0se- (luontlv <]isc(nL'iv«l that \V(^ ha«l Liot xcrv infcrioi- potatoes, iucludiriLj sevenil poumls of prdiiKj-^. I am sorry I didn't get the name of the rascal, tluit other travellers miii'lit be warned; l>ut tliosi' who ai"e uoin^r West, and are in need of ])otatoes, liad lietterdeal witli the owner of the //r.s/ house they come to when a})- proachint»; Touchwood Hills, oi* else wait till they get to the }f. B. C/ompany's post, alM)ut two miles ahead. On the 14th, we mad(« pretty good progress througli a piece of excellent country, hlulls of timher alternating with stretches of o[)eii ])iaijie. ( )n the followiug morning the ground was covered with hoai- frost; nnd ice ab(nit one-eiglith of an inch in thickness had formed on some water left in .a pail. When heaving camp we took a su})ply of wood, as we ha u M vi ^* >-^ V /^l (. w ^ C /. ^* H- .-:; u: •m t: ^ c '/. h^ 4-> -< c r ' rt ^ il u. c: = H 7 / - W ", c \ < c U. -" {5 i Touc/nuood Hills to Birtle. 167 Macoun observes : — " Pheasant Plain, which extends from the crossing of the Pelly Road eastward for 25 miles, is altogether without wood ; but the soil is exceedingly rich, and at no point is the wood to the south-west 10 miles distant. Proceeding northward of the travelled road, the country becomes more broken, ponds and marshes are numerous, and wood increases both in size and cjuantity until it merges into continuous forest south of the location of the Canadian Pacific Railway. A rich black loam, about 15 inches in depth, containing small grains of tjuartz or other rock, is the prevailing surl'ace soil ; but this imper- ceptibility passes into lighter colored, sandy loam, as the timber becomes more continuous and of a larger growth. The subsoil is generally a light-colored, marly clay ; but this again, in the ridges, passes into gravel, which is generally gneiss covered with a coating of carbonate of lime At many points we dug into th^ subsoil, and found it as above. Tested with acid, it always gave indications of a very large per- centage of carbonate of lime." Friday, Sept. 17th, I hailed as my natal day. Gladly would I have spent it at home, had that been possible ; but even "the wings of a een (erected, and some -SO lots luive been sold, ail but three u[)on condition of being built on n\ itliin a year. i\ I 1 i / .•* I4 \i Hi '^1 170 A Sftvifiicr in Prairie- Laifd. As the (Jay was coM and stormy \vu wont into camp resolved to remain till Monday mornini;'. This t^^ave ^reat satisfaction to some Methodist I'amilies in the place, as they had been without a Missiunaiy since last spring. All up and down tlic Cr(;ek for *i.") miles, and eastward toward Shoal fiake, there are settlements, and the people are anxious for Gospei ordinances. There is a PresVivtcrian Missionary in the neiixhboui"- hood, hut among these widely-scattered seltleJiients no one man can jxjsslbly sup[)ly the wants of the people. Since the Metliodist Missionary left, an excellent Local Fi acher, named Burritt, has be(ni preaching witli much acceptance'; l>ut it is very desirable that a man fully separated to the work of the ministry should be sent without delay.* On Sunday morning a go«.Kl congregation gathered in the house of a Mr. Lane, to which I preached with miich comfoi't. In the afternoon, altliough the day was cold and disagree able, the equinoctial storm havirig fairly set in, the large dining-room of Mr. McDougall's boarding house was iilled with a congregation mostly from Outirio, many of them Methodists, who listened attentively to the word spoken. Tn conversation afterwards, some of them expressed their earnest desire for a Missionary, and intimated their intention of uniting in the erection of a place of wor.ship at an early date. Durinof our brief stav in Birtle we received much kindness from a Mr. Wood and his estimable family * A Mit«sioiuiiv has since been sent. ^ Toiulnuood t I ills to Birtlc. 171 Mr. Wood is from Woodstock, and is a proniinont iiR'Hiltcr of tlie f[aiiiiltoii and Xorbh-wost Colonization (Company. DurinLf Saturday afternoon, in company with Mr. Wood, I made a careful examination of the town [iKit, and .ieh^cted a couple of lots as a sit<.' for a churcli and parsonage in the future. These lots are on a ])i*t)minent corner, and together make a plot of lo2 fcL't s(|uare. Tn this place I met several other ac(juaintances of former days — Mr. Halcli, former editor of the St. Mary's Av\jv.)i, now Land Agent at Hirtle; Mr. d. ]}. Carpenter, and others. Altogether the settlement is a most promising one, and those who have located farms here have made, 1 think, a good investment. i V ->0t^i4r: AT'-ii"*- III!! Ill XVII. BIKTLK TO PORTAOK LA PRAIRIE. ^?& KV'V HirtU; on Monday morniii;^', Sf^pt. lOtli, ^ at .S a. 111. T]i(3 storm has aljatiul, hut tin; wratlier is coM. The heavy lainsliavu iiiath.' tlic roads very "greasy," an- Yj 1.0 I.I Hi 02.5 110 |: m 12.2 11-25 11.4 I I.B 1.6 Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14S80 (716) 872-4503 ^ <^ C^^ ^ ir ' 174 A Slimmer in Prairie- Land. lost several times, it is somewhat doubtful if I shall finally get [he worth of him. In the evening a somewhat early halt was called, as our stock of bread was exhausted, and it was neces- sary to make some more. As I have not yet described the process, it may be worth while to do so now. When making bread on the prairie, you may be said to work at a disadvantage, your apparatus being of the most limited kind. Of course we have a bag of flour and some baking powder ; but now we must have a dish of some kind in which to mix them. A wash- bowl of granite ironware forms part of our outfit, but as that has been used for weeks alternately in washing our faces and our potatoes, it does not seem just the thing to mix bread in. Fortunately, we have a spare tin dish, which, though small, will answer oui* purpose. Some flour, salt, and baking powder are thrown in, and sufficient water to reduce all to the proper consistency ; and then we discover that we have no kneading-board. " Necessity," however, " is the mother of invention." The cart, standing near by, has a tail-board, which, though still in the rough, and not much improved by its passage through sundry sloughs and creeks, presents, nevertheless, a solid foun- dation. This board Sam appropriates, and in a very few minutes has his " bannocks " ready for the oven. Alas ! we have no oven ; but no matter. Sam seizes the frying-pan, throws in a bannock, tilts the pan at an angle of seventy degrees, facing the fire, rakes some glowing embers behind it, and in a wonderfully short Birtle to Portage La Prairie. ns space of time we have something which, if it would hardly pass inspection in a city bakery, is not to be despised by those who sit down to supper with a prairie appetite. About 10 a. m. on Wednesday morning we reached Rapid City, on the Little Saskatchewan. For the last J2 or 15 miles, homesteads were visible on either side of ^the plain over which we had been travelling. At Rapid City we received a kindly welcome from the Rev. Tlios. Lawson and his estimable wife. This is a fine section of country, and is being settled rapidly. The " city " contains some fifty houses, among which is the frame of a small church in course of erection. There are numerous stores and other places of busi- ness, and I should judge that considerable money changes hands in the course of the year. Mr. Law- son's Mission is large, and the settlements are widely scattered ; but wdth the assistance of a colleague^he is trying hard to meet the needs of the people. He occu- pies a small log house, adjoining which is a large garden, by the cultivation of which he tries to eke out a slender stipend. In the afternoon we resumed our journey, intending to take the north trail some distance east of Rapid City. Bro. Lawson and his wife accompanied us, the latter going to her father's, on the Palestine Mission, the former proposing to accompany us as far as Portage la Prairie. But before evening, a horse which Mr. Lawson had hired to drive with his own "played out," so they camped with us for the night, and re- turned home the next morning rt Vh I I flf^. n:> If!- '' M I '14 'H ill ii' r :•! 176 A SiLmmer in Prairie-La7id. Not having Mr. Lawson to guide us by the north trail, we resolved now to go l)y the south, with which Sam was quite familiar. Soon after breaking camp we entered Big Plain, a level stretch of prairie about 25 miles across. Much of this plain has been taken up, and homesteads could be seen in every direction as we passed along. The road was first-class, and had our horses been fresh we could have made splendid time. As it was, we reached the eastern side of the plain before evening, but finding no water we drove some distance farther, and found a good camping ground by the side of a fresh water lake. Our route on Friday morning was over rolling sand- hills, with level prairie interspersed. After crossing Pine Creek we struck a beautiful piece of country, some of which is already brought under cultivation. In the afternoon we reached McKinnon's Woods, a place we had been hearing about for days, and which, when reached, realized our worst expectations. I have travelled bush roads in all parts of Ontario, but never struck a worse piece than this. We met numerous teams with emigrants on their way farther west, some of them lookino- discoura<>'ed enou<>di " because of the way." I was glad to be able to cheer them with the assurance that it was "better farther on." Later in the day the clouds again began to " drop down fat- ness ; " but we had had so much of this kind of thing that we could have wished the clouds as lean as Pha- raoh's kine, if that would have put an end to the drop- ping. Sometimes the sun would struggle through a Birtlc to Portaoc La Prairie. ^11 rift, and the rain would ccaso, but before we had time to congratulate ourselves on thechang-e, dosvn it would come again. We were foreiV)ly reminded of a worthy Scottish home Missionary who was about to commence an out-door service, when a few drops of rain began to fall. Fearing that a shower would scattei- his concfre- gation, he devoutly lifted up his voice in prayer, ask- ing that the Lord would be pleased to withliold the rain till the service was over. Even while he was speaking the rain ceased, and the worthy man's prayer was turned to praise ; but e'er he had uttered a dozen words of thanksixiv inof, down came the rain ajjain as though the bottom had fullen out. Opening his eyes with a look of mingled astonishment and protest, the good man cried — " Eh, guid Lord, ilils is perfetly rideeJdous I " Plodding on through mud and mire, with what pa- tience we might, we at last sighted a house near the wayside. This proved to be " Prangman's Hotel," and* thankful for shelter for ourselves and our wearied horses, here we resolved to stay till the following morning. On Saturday the roads for a number of miles were still very bad. It was no longer continuous bush, but stretches of low level prairie almost entirely covered with water. Sometimes to escape the " grease " and mud-holes on the trail, I would turn into the long gra3=!, where the horses had to wade through water almost up to their bellies for half a mile together. At one point the trail crossed a large pond — almost a lake 12 I! ■;•« i.k 'If I w in I' 'III! m M ill! :| 1, ii^ 178 A Summer in P r air ie-L arid. — that spread out for hundreds of yards in every di- rection. Just bt Fore we readied it part of a company of Ontario emigrants had passed over, and entering the water from the farther side was a horse and cart, loaded with goods, on the top of which was perched a young- couple who looked as though they belonged to one an- other or expected to do so shortly. But the course of their love did not run smoothly at tliis particular time, for when the horse reached the middle of the pond, he stopped, as if he had made up his mind to rest awhile; when the driver urged him with the whip, he made preparations to lie down. By this time we had reached the same part of the pond, and shouting at the unmannerly brute he became ashamed of his perform- ance, and starting on took the young couple safely to the other side. Closing up the procession was a lad of 12 or 14 years of age, who crossed the water in triumph astride the back of a cow ! While "spelling out" at noon, Mr. McKenzie, of Rat Creek, passed by. He has an extensive farm on Big Plain, on which he had been workinof durino- the sum- mer, and was now returning to his home at Rat Creek. He kindly invited us to call at his house on the way down. In the afternoon the roads improved some- what, and it became evident we were approaching a better piece of country. Soon we reached the farms in the vicinity of Rat Creek, and saw fields of grain that would have delighted the heart of an Ontario farmer. A two hours' rest, and a cup of tea in Mr. McKenzie's hospitable home were much enjoyed. I Birtle to Portage La Prairie. 179 Again we pushed on over a l)eantit'ul piece of country, cheered by the knowledge that we wen^ within some nine or ten miles of the Portage. Oui' tired horses could go but slowly, however, and darkness came down before we reached our destination. At length the lights of the village began to gleam in the distance, and, almost feeling our way through the darkness, about half-past 9 p.m., on the evening of Saturday, Septeinl)er 2r)th, we turned into the yard of the par- sonage at Portage la Pi-airie, where we received a cheery welcome from the Rev. W. J. Hewitt, Chairman of the District, and his excellent wife. The sense of rest and relief were inexpressibly delightful. Our toilsome journey across the plains was ended, and henceforth our way would be among the surroundings of civilization. No more boating down lonely rivers, under silent stars or dripping clouds ; no more camping amid storms and cold, sleeping on grass saturated with rain, rising at dawn to search for wandering horses, or cook a cheerless breakfast ; but pleasant home- steads, friendly faces, and comfortable resting-places everywhere, and the iron horse but a few miles away, ready to speed us swiftly toward friends and home. Best of all a packet of letters from home, some of recent date, were awaiting me, and sitting up just long enough to gather from these that all was well, I gladly lay down to sleep. I i w m ,1 ■ ^ ; • • II II III. lil i!». XVIII. PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE TO WINNIPEG, >^ AND HOME. " }*T EXT to Winnipeg, Portage La Prairie shows signs of more rapid and substantial growth than any other place in Manitoba. When I visited this point in the summer of 1877, there was but the beginning of a small village ; now there is a goodly-sized town, con^'-' 'ng the County buildings of Marquette, numer- ous Scores, good hotels, several depots for agricultural implements and all kinds of carriages, a bank, mills, etc., etc. — in short, everything that goes to make up a flourishing town. I found the business men a good deal exercised over the fact that the Pacific Railway was likely to pass some six miles to the north ; but since then the route has been changed so as to touch the village, and the property-holders are happy. Whether the happiness will last is another question. Towns are not always made permanently prosperous by having a railway pass through them. On reaching the Portage, I was pleased to meet th« Portage La Prairie and Home. i8i Hon. J. W. Sifton, of Winnipeg, accompanied by the Rev. James Scott, of Owen Sound. Tlioy had Xn-^^^w engaged for some time in a campaign throngli ^lar- quette County in behalf of the Scott Act, and oxpocted to address a meeting at the Portage on Mon hiy even- ing. On Sunday morning Bro. Scott preached a good practical sermon, and a good class-meeting followed. In the evening 1 preached to a full congregation. The people are beginning to feel that the place is too strait for them, and I have learnei since my visit that a more eligible site has been secured, and a tem- porary tabernacle built, preliminary to the erection of a substantial church. One of the first duties on Monday morning was to despatch a message to Toronto, and in due time an answer was returned, which removed all anxiety about friends at home. The rest of the day was spent in disposing of my horses and travelling outfit, which I fortunately succeeded in doing at a less sacrifice than I had anticipated. I was glad enough to dispose of my waggon, tent, etc., but my noble little ponies, that had accompanied me all the way from Fort Benton, and throughout the whole journey had displayed so much gentleness, pluck, and endurance, had come to be regarded almost as personal friends ; and I confess to feelings of genuine sorrow when called to part from them. At noon I had the pleasure of dining with Mr. Snyder, formerly of Eglington. He has a beau- tiful farm within two miles of the village, from which he has reaped this year a magnificent wheat harvest. 'n i i.,,. ';^-v mi % iteii i!'r l82 A Stimnicr in Prairie-Land, On Monday evenint:^ a meeting on behalf of the Scott Act was lield in a publi.^ liall of good size, wliich was crowdiid to its utmost capacity. The Rev. W. J. Hewitt presided, and capital spceclies were deli\'ered by Mr. Sifton and Mr. Scott. Later in the evening I lia. Iv Blakelev, who is stationed at thi.s point, and who is hil)onrini,'dilio;ently in his appointed field. 'V\n^ people are [)repaiin«^ to huiid a ehurch. which is much needtMl. At iMiierson we chan'^ed cars, and had some considerable delay passing h.MgL;ae;e, i^'c. The town is some distance IVom the station, and wo could not spare time to visit it ; but Dr. Young reports it as a busy, prosperoiis place, and likely to be a point of considerable importance in the future. • On board the train I met Mr. Cubbit, of Bacton Abbey, Norfolk, England, one of the English Farm Delegates who, at the request of the Donunion Uovern- ment, had visited this country with a view to ascer- taininor its advanta«res as a field for immioration. Mr. Cubbit proved a most intelligent and agri-eable fellow- traveller, and his views in recfard to immi(^ration were worthy of attention. Unfortunately the summer had been exceedingly wet, and Mr. Cubbit's visit to Mani- toba had taken him through the muddiest roads in that muddy Province ; hence he was not disposed to regard it in the most favourable light , but one could feel there was sound sense in the view that neither Manitoba nor the Western States was the place to which farmers of the class he represented would be likely to go, — men who were overseers and directors of ! !! I i ^ r'} •■I ; i|: i86 ^ 4 Summer m Prairic'Land. labour, but who had never been trained to labour theraselves. Neither did it seem to be the place to which to send the poorer class of English immigrants, people who had always been to a large extent depend- ent on others, and had but little self-reliance, or power to meet emergencie •}. At the same time Mr. Cubbit ad- mitted that facts were rather against this latter view, as he had m^ot in the older Provinces, especially Onta- rio, not a few who had been house or farm servants in England, and who, aided to Canada, in some instances by private or public charity, had worked their way to a manly independence. Men of large capital might do well ; but why should men of large capital come at all? Men who had been accustomed to work, would doubt- less succeed ; but to send out families from the towns or manufacturing districts, people without means, and utterly ignorant of farm work, seemed like an act of positive cruelty ; wdiile the class of agricultural labour- ers, so long as they liad the prospect of steady work, even at small wages, would be likely to cling to the old land. Some will think Mr. Cubbit 's views rather one-sided ; but it must be confessed they have considerable support from the history of immigration thus far. I need not weary the reader by reference to any I'lrther incidents of the homeward journey. Suffice it to say that the rest of the trip was made without ac- cident and without delay, and that at daylight, on the 3rd of October, I reached home, after some fifteen weeks of almost continuous travel, covering a distance," Portage La Prairie and Home. 187 speaking roughly, of about 6,000 miles, 1,300 of which had been made by horses and waggon, and 700 by open boat, the rest by rail and steamer. The journey had been one of much fatigue and exposure, and at times of no small peril ; but through Divine goqdness I returned in vigorous health, thankful that the object with which I set out had been fully accomplished. i-« III ¥\ \ XIX. QUESTIONS ANSWERED. -,N the preceding chapters I have adhered pretty closely to the narrative I'orin, record- ing each day's doings and impressions as they arose, and hence I trust it will not be deemed out of place if I devote a concluding chapter to my impressions of the country as a whole, and to some matters which I could not well introduce at an earlier stage, without breaking the thread of the narrative. Perhaps I cannot fulfil my present purpose better than by throwing what I have to say into the form of answers to questions that have often been put to me since I returned from the North-west. " What is your opinion of the country'? " The question is very comprehensive, and would re- quire, for a full answer, more space than I can give here. There are a few points, however, that may be briefly presented : — 1. It is a country of enormous extent. This can be realized fully only by one who has travelled through it. Figures may be piled up, and you may state the mmmm Questions Answered. 189 area in acres or .s<|uare miles ; but siicli figures convey no very definite idea to tlie mind. The country, as you traverse the vast plains, becomes monotonous from its sheer immensity. If we take the distance west from Winnipeg at 800 miles, and the depth of the fertile belt between the boundary line and the North Saskatcliewan at 200 miles (a moderate estimate), we have in tliat space alone an area of one hundred and sixty thousand square miles. And this does not take into account the enormous region known as the Peace River district, which will yet support a vast population. 2. It is a country of great fertility. One only needs to travel through it, noting the quality of the soil, the luxuriant i^i'owth of o^rass and vetches, and the fields of ffrain and veijetables where cultivation has been tried, to be convinced of that fact. The great draw- back in many parts will be the scarcity of timber, but barbed wire will come into almost universal use for fencing ; stone for building purposes will be found in some regions, and brick will be manufactured in others; the railways will bring in such supplies of lumber as may be required, while the vast deposits of coal in tlie Souris River country and farther west, will solve the question of fuel supply. On the whole I consider that we have in the Nortli-west as fair a heritage as ever fell to the lot of any people. " What about the dlr)iate ? " It is much better than has often been reported. As a rule, the rainy seasons are well defined, and the !i jHi lii <*• IQO A Summer in Prairie- Land. amount of rainfall is not greater than the country needs. The winters are cold, judging from ther- mometer records, but the atmosphere is dry, the tem- perature steady, (none of those sudden and extreme changes so common in Ontario), and the people — even invalids — seem to suffer less from the climate than they do in the older Provinces. The snowfall is less, as a rule, than in Minnesota, Dakota and Montana, and, from all the information I can gather, I am in- clined to believe the climate is better, on the whole, than in the states and territories just mentioned. " Wh]j, then, do ive receive so many unfavorable reports about the country ? " Chiefly because of the sources from which these re- ports come. Often they originate with Americans, who are interested in the sale of lands in Dakota and elsewhere. These men are to be found on almost every train carrying emigrants to the North-west, and they are by no means particular as to the statements they make if they can only induce Canadians to settle under the Stars and Stripes. They represent the North-west as a region so cold that nothing will ripen, and so unhealthy that nothing can live ; and not un- frequently Canadians are deterred by these disinter- ested (?) representations from entering the country at all, and report back to their friends that the North- west is not fit to live in. Then, again, reports of this kind are sometimes set in motion by political partizans for political purposes — men who care little what injury they inflict upon the f Questions Auszuc7'cd. 191 country ii' tliey can only score a point against the op- posite party. Those familiar witli tlie Pacitic Railway debates of the last few years will need no other evidence upon this point. But, it will be said, not a few people who have gone to the North-west with the intention of settling there, have come away discouraged, and have brought up " an evil renort " upon the land. True, and for a very simple reason : Most people enter the North-west by way of Emerson and Winnipeg, and from these points go westward for a short distance ; they usually go in early sunnner, the season of heavy rains, when the roads are at the worst. Then Manitoba is the lowest and Hattest part of the whole North-west, and consequently the part wdiere travelling in the rainy season is the most un})leasant. Going west from Winnipeg toward Portage la Praii'ie, the traveller has to pass over an exceedingly bad piece of road, of con- siderable extent ; then beyond the Portage, if his courage has not given out, he finds on the north trail at Palestine, or on the south trail at McKinnon's Woods, as horrible a piece of country as he would be likely to discover in a year of travel. Floundering m mud and water below, and drenched by rain from above, the man who had been accustomed in Ontario to gravelled roads and comfortable stopping-places, becomes utterly disgusted ; he thinks this is a fair specimen of the ivliole count ri/, and so he goes back and reports that the whole thing is a fraud, and that he wouldn't take a farm there as a gift. These are the jl ( ! fist T .■i. y 192 A Summer hi Prairie-Lana, people, as a- rule, wlio have brought back