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 fn — . 
 
 ^^ i4m^ S^^t*f 
 
 / / / 
 
 NOTES 
 
 OF A 
 
 SPORTING EXPEDITION. 
 
L^ 
 
jiik 
 
NOTES 
 
 SPORTING EXPEDITION 
 
 FAR WEST OF CANADA 
 
 1847 
 
 BY 
 
 FREDERICK ULRIC GRAHAM 
 
 Explanatory Footnotes hy 
 JANE HERMIONE GRAHAM 
 
 LONDON 
 
 PRINTED FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION ONLY 
 
 189K 
 

 il 
 
cor TENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Voyage out, and Journey to Sault St. Marie. 
 
 April \()th to ^ay zoth ..... i 
 
 Leaving Civilised Regions, and Journey in Canoes 
 
 to Forts on Red River. 3iay zotfi to July i-^th 9 
 
 Stajit from Red River and further Progress to 
 
 Lac La Plume. July iT,tb to 26th . . .33 
 
 Sport with Buffalo, while Journeying to Fort 
 Edmondton and Arrival there. July Z'jth to 
 August nth . . . . .41 
 
 At Fort Edmondton, and Expeditions from thence. 
 
 August 12M to zbth ...... 70 
 
 Start Eastward. Journey to Fort Pitt and 
 Expedition thence to Lac du Diable. August 
 l6f/i to September ^th . . , . -7^ 
 
 From Fort Piit to Fort Carlton, and thence 
 
 to Fort Garr. Red River. September ^tbto 30/A 92 
 
 From Red River to Si '^eter's Fort, partly by 
 
 Canoe. October ist to 2^-:^ 
 
 By Steamer, Stage-coach, Ai'd Railway ro 
 Niagara. October zyd to T,ist . 
 
 More than Twenty Years after, 
 the Buffalo 
 
 The 
 
 t.^ST OF 
 
 107 
 
 •7 
 
 120 
 
■f '■ 
 
MAJPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 FRONTISPIECE, from a Portrait of Frederick Ulric Graham, 
 taken about the date of this Expedition. 
 
 Map : Atlantic to Rocky Mountains facing page 
 
 Map : Lake Superior .... 
 
 Map : Lake Superior to Red River . 
 Map : Red River to Rocky Mountains 
 Buffalo ...... 
 
 Wounded Buffalo .... 
 
 Indian Running Buffalo . . . 
 Stalking Buffalo ..... 
 
 White Man Running Buffalo 
 
 Map ; Rocky Mountain to Rid River 
 
 Map : Dahcota to Michigan 
 
 I M//,— illustratiuns uf Bul^alo Hunting arc copies of coloured 
 prints liMught home by Frkdekick Graham from 
 Canada in 1847. 
 
 3 
 II 
 
 '5 
 3> 
 
 43 
 45 
 5» 
 
 55 
 
 65 
 
 93 
 
 107 
 
 Last of the Buffalo . 
 
 120 
 
 1I 
 
5^.fi. — This Journal was written, day by day, on Steamers, 
 in Canoes, at the Forts, in Tents, or by the Camp-fires in the open, 
 — in small pockft-books easily carried; and then, on Fredericl^ 
 Qraham's return home was copied out, chiefiy by a young sister still 
 in the schoolroom, and by others of the family, and the manuscript 
 remained untouched for fifty years^ — when Hermione Qraham had 
 it typed and printed in its present form, without however adding 
 anything to the original, with the exception of the explanatory foot- 
 notes where these were required to make the sense clearer for sons, 
 
 daughters, and grandchildren, 
 
 November, 1897. 
 
:1 i 
 
 Notes of a Sporting Tour. 
 
 VOYAGE OUT, AND JOURNEY TO SAULT FORT. 
 April iqth to May 20th. 
 
 April i<)th. — Left town very unwell. Worse on arrival 
 at Liverpool. Found Corbet* waiting to assist debarkation 
 of traps, &c. 
 
 iyipril 2otb. — Worse next morning. Found the Caledonia 
 lying a mile from the quay. We were conveyed on board 
 by a ferry steamer, and bundled out in glorious confusion. 
 Turned in immediately, and lay perdu for the next ten days, 
 which causes an hiatus valde dejkndus in my interesting 
 narrative, the interim, as far as I was concerned, being filled 
 up with a mixture of disagreeable sights, sounds, and smells, 
 only to be appreciated by those who have crossed the Atlantic 
 in a crowded steamer, and in a heavy gale from the north- 
 west ; the monotony being varied once a day by a visit from 
 that indispensable character commonly called • sawbones.' 
 This one was a great-nephew of Dr. Paley, and uncommonly 
 like the family, therefore as ugly as sin. 
 
 • Vincent Corbet, eldest ion of Sir Andrew Corbet, had recently bten 
 an officer in the Horse Guards— « Blue*.' 
 
NOTES OF A S PORTING TOUR. 
 
 z-Ipril 30///. — Crawled on deck. A fine breeze, the 
 remains of a heavy sea, and raining a little. 
 
 ALiy 1st, — Weather ditto. Books were now made up 
 among the passengers as to our arrival at Boston. 
 
 May T,rd, — Arrived at Halifax on the fourteenth day from 
 England. The bay somewhat resembles a Highland loch, 
 being a long inlet with steep shores, the forest sweeping close 
 down to the water, with hei\ and there a small clfiring, 
 and the wooden cottage of a settler. 
 
 Landed and crawled about the town, while the steamer 
 was taking in coals, tec. 
 
 The town is composed of a wretched collection of wooden 
 houses built on the side of a hill. People say otherwise, and 
 that there are fine buildings ; if so, I could not find them. 
 Saw plenty of dried fish, plenty of ' Sodgers,' as the sailors 
 call them, plenty of mongrel dogs, ai d cne squaw. 
 
 <S\I(iy bth. — Arrived in Bt)Ston harbour, and ran aground 
 at the Custom House, within thirty yards of the shore. 
 
 Passed away the time in 'sawthering' the little 'Blue 
 Nose ' heiress, said to be worth 2000/. a year. A nice 
 girl, and rather a bonnie one. 
 
 Landed at last ; a great scrimmage at the gate. 
 
 After all was passed, then began the pleasures of a free 
 country! A hundred porters seized you, and each dinned 
 into your ears the incomparable superiority of his own 
 mode of conveyance. 1 escaped at last from the Philistines, 
 
 I 
 
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I'll 
 
 1 
 
 
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 a^al 
 
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 i 
 
 FOrJGE OUT. 8 
 
 without damage of self, or loss of traps, and sought refuge 
 at the United States Hotel, close to the railroad. 
 
 The ' Boots ' ' calculated he'd fix me right off,' and 
 showed me my room, a little pigeon hole, lo feet by 8, 
 with green blinds, white walls, a bed, two chairs, a soap- 
 dish, and a cream ewer, for furniture. Every single man's 
 room is apparently of this description throughout America. 
 
 I sat down to unpack my portmanteau, whereupon 
 Boots ' followed suit ' on the remaining chair, and, placing 
 his elbows on his icnees, demanded the news from England, 
 &c. He made sundry remarks on my clothes, baggage, &c., 
 and then betook himself to Corbet, who was standing before 
 his open dressing-case. Boots looked attentively first at 
 the things therein displayed, and then at ' Crapaud,' * and 
 thereupon observed, ' Well, stranger, I calculate you're one 
 of them tooth-pulling dentist chaps, aren't you ? * 
 
 fSMay "jth. — McKenzie "f* in a great fidget about being 
 late for the canoes at the 'Sault.' 
 
 Breakfasted at the table d'hote^ an eating match with the 
 Yankees ; fairly distanced. 
 
 All day on the railroad, long waggons with double seats 
 on each side, and a gangway down the middle. Corbet 
 
 * • Crapaud,' Corbet's nickname in the regiment. Possibly an allusion to 
 the family name (originally Norman) and crest, being derived from 'Corbeau.' 
 
 t McKenzie, in the employment of the Hudson's Bay Corrpany, and 
 had undertaken to make arrangements for the canoe journey, which was to 
 commence at Sault St. Marie, south-eastern extremity of Lake Superior. 
 
4 NOTES OF J SPORTING TOVR. 
 
 very busy with the heiress. Hot, dusty, and uncomfortable. 
 The country barren, and chiefly covered with a second 
 growth of wood. No fine timber. There is an air of 
 desolation and discomfort about the whole thing. 
 
 Slept at Albany. Waiters all niggers, in clean jean 
 suits, much the best I ever saw {i.e., the nigger waiters, 
 not the jackets). 
 
 May Sth. — Initiated into all the mysteries of corn-cobs, 
 horniny, and mush, &c., a capital breakfast — as, indeed, 
 all the Yankee meals are, if they would only give one 
 time to eat them. 
 
 Twenty-four hours' railway, very slow and very shaky. 
 Course up the valley of Mohawk. Little falls very pretty, 
 all rock and water, like a Highland strath, which my next 
 neighbour, a pig-driver from Oneida (who smelt of his 
 profession, particularly when damp), called ' an almighty 
 rough place ! ' 
 
 At Oneida, where the train stopped, saw my first squaws, 
 selling little tinder-holders worked with beads ; bought one 
 from the prettiest of them. 
 
 The country here is almost one interminable forest, with 
 here and there a small clearing or two. 
 
 May ()th. — Arrived in Buffalo this morning, tired, dusty, 
 and uncomfortable. 
 
 We went to the wharf to secure a passage to Detroit, 
 and were immediately seized upon by a Yankee, captain 
 
 I 
 
JOURNEr TO SJULT ST. MARIE. 6 
 
 of one of the floating houses they call steamers in these 
 parts, who 'guessed that he meant to go ahead, right slick 
 away, this evening, and would fix us, food and all, for three 
 dollars a head ! ' Cheap enough, to be sure, for a six-and 
 thirty hours' passage ! 
 
 Here we are within twenty miles of Niagara, and cannot 
 get to see it ! McKenzie will not hear of another day, so 
 we must postpone the 'almighty fine water power' until 
 our return. 
 
 Yankee captain has proved to be faithless. No steam up 
 when we came down at seven, after a bad dinner at the hotel. 
 
 Got our ' notions ' out of the boat, and embarked in 
 the Great Western, which did look like going. OiF at nine, 
 a capital state-room to ourselves, opening on to the deck. 
 
 The steamers on the Lakes are all built three storeys 
 high so they look more like floating houses, than vessels 
 fitted to make good weather of it, on these enormous inland 
 seas. 
 
 iSMay \oth. — On turning out for breakfast in the saloon 
 this morning, I found my vis-d-vis at table to be an 
 exceedingly dirty carpenter, and my neighbour on the right 
 an equally dirty operative, with his family of children. 
 However, they were very well behaved, and, beyond 
 mephitic odours wafted across occasionally, when the door 
 opened behind my opposite 'cighbour, they did not 
 materially spoil my appetite for corn-cakes, &c. 
 
m 
 
 W' 
 
 
 ^ii 
 
 6 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 Land not in sight on the starboard side. The coast we 
 do see is low, and fringed with wood. Several schooners 
 in sight. In the course of the day touched at Cleveland, 
 which appeared to be a large place. 
 
 ^ay i\tb. — The next morning we found ourselves at 
 Miami, a small town on a beautiful river, said to be very 
 unhealthy from the marshes. 
 
 At two o'clock we entered the river leading to Detroit, 
 and, passing the fort on the English side, reached Detroit, 
 where we instantly embarked on another steamer, the 
 Champion, then about to start for the Sault direct. She was 
 full of miners going to the newly discovered mines on Lake 
 Huron. We were over-loaded, and the boat rocked so 
 fearfully that I expected to be upset before leaving the 
 river. After a little she became steadier. We cleared Lake 
 St. Clair before dark, and went to bed. 
 
 6May i2th. — A thick fog, which lasted throughout the 
 day, and prevented our seeing either shore. 
 
 ^ay 13M. — Everything on board this abominable boat 
 is filthy and bad in the extreme. The southern shore one 
 continued forest. No house or settlement in sight through- 
 out the day. 
 
 Arrived at Mackinaw about 7 p.m. A pretty village 
 situated on an island, with a fort on a hill above the town. 
 We landed, and took a stroll to the top. 
 
 Yankee soldiers are a rough lot. We visited the old 
 
 i>-L .T^^ 
 
 I 
 
yOURNET TO SJULT ST. MARIE. 7 
 
 fort, which was taken by our troops in 1812. A fine view 
 of the lake, with innumerable wooded islands, to be seen 
 from this place. The town was full of Indians and half- 
 breeds of the Chippewa tribe. Started at twelve. 
 
 <SMay i^h. — Found myself this morning at the mines, 
 landing miners, provisions, &c. Nothing but interminable 
 forests all around, and a family of Indians on the shore, at 
 a little distance from the miners' ' shanties.' 
 
 On starting we ran into the St, Mary's River. It is 
 very beautiful. Innumerable islands, all, like the mainland, 
 covered with forest, and the water with wild fowl of all 
 kinds. Little bays and creeks in every direction. 
 
 Ran aground, alongside of another steamc r, on the bar 
 in Muddy Lake, and are there now, in spite of getting 
 out all the cargo. 
 
 Got off by dint of hard work for all hands, lightening 
 and kedging over the shoal ; ran up the river, covered with 
 the canoes— as the shore was with the lodges — of Saulteux 
 Indians, engaged in catching white fish. 
 
 Arrived at the Sault about ten. Went to the hotel, 
 McKenzie crossing with an Indian in a canoe to the fort. 
 
 <£May 15M.— We went over to the fort with Ballandane, 
 the factor, having made the necessary purchases for our 
 voyage. The fort is situated close to the falls, and is 
 surrounded by an ' embarras ' of burnt forest on three sides. 
 Shot snipe in the afternoon, and exhausted the supply. 
 
8 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 ^ay \btb. — Dawdled about with Ballandane and Wilson, 
 the Revenue officer. Went to visit the lodges of some 
 Saulteux. Made the acquaintance of a very pretty young 
 lady, the daughter of the lady of the lodge, in whose 
 agreeable society I spent a good deal of my time during 
 the following week, learning Chippewa, and other little 
 Indian accomplishments. 
 
 I ( 
 
 kS >*&., 
 
LEAVING CIVILISED REGIONS, AND JOURNEY IN 
 CANOES TO THE FORTS ON RED RIVER. 
 
 May 20TH TO July 13TH. 
 
 T'hursday, May 20th. — The light canoe, with the picked 
 men, arrived for Sir George Simpson, and went forward 
 immediately to the * Gros Cap,' for fear of desertion among 
 the men — chiefly Indians and half-breeds, sturdy, weather- 
 beaten old ' voyageurs,' without a 'mangeur de lard'* among 
 them. Mclntyre had at length scraped this wild lot 
 together, and off they went, singing, paddling, and whooping 
 like so many real savages, for their camp, eighteen miles up 
 the lake. 
 
 Saturday, £Moy 22nd. — I was awakened early by the 
 arrival of the three loaded canoes, which had been stopped 
 by the ice in Lake Nepessing, half-breeds, Indians, and raw 
 boys from the settlements, all crowding round a large camp 
 fire, at the head of the ' portage,' f eating their galettes and 
 rababou out of a kettle, each one dipping his spoon in turns. 
 Dorey, the old guide, who had engaged them, and who had 
 
 * 'Mangeur de lard,' evidently a term applied to one who was not 
 experienced in, nor in condition for, the hardships of canoe travelling. 
 
 t ' Portage,' interval, or stretch of ground, over which canoes and baggage 
 have to be carried by the men. 
 
 C 
 
^^•■ii 
 
 10 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 \ 
 
 his forty dollars a man at stake, for each man delivered at 
 the Pointe du Pain, in an agony to get off, lest any of them 
 should take fright at the hardships before them, and bolt 
 at this the last possible place. Ballandane started them, 
 fitted out at last, for the Wilderness. 
 
 Bell, Ermytinger, and ourselves, accompanied by McLcod, 
 who went up to the encampment to see us off, started for 
 camp in a ' North Canoe,' after dinner, with all our little 
 last treasures for the Wilderness, which we had either 
 bought or acquired through the kindness of our really most 
 kind friends, and arrived, on a cold, wintry night, at our 
 first camp ; pitched tents, lighted fires, oil-cloths spread, 
 and sef'^ed down to a last glass of brandy-and-water, after 
 which our friends took their departure, and we turned in, 
 to be ready for an early start. 
 
 Sunday t &Aay zyd. — Roused by the call of 'Live! live! * 
 at three in the morning, after a comfortless night enough. 
 Very calm morning. Arrived at Gros Cap to breakfast. 
 Found Sir George Simpson's canoe awaiting him there. 
 Dined on an island at 2 p.m. It came on to blow hard. 
 The canoes are wonderfully good sea boats. We sailed away 
 until late, with a heavy sea on, and ran into a little creek, 
 where the miners were nearly starved last winter. We had 
 terrible accounts of their distress ; many were not expected 
 to live from scurvy and effects of hardship. 
 
 These mines are likely to turn out profitably, one of 
 
 ^i 
 
 I, 
 
:red at 
 
 f them 
 
 d bolt 
 
 them, 
 
 cLeod, 
 :ed for 
 r little 
 either 
 y most 
 at our 
 spread, 
 , after 
 ted in, 
 
 l^vc ! • 
 nough. 
 :akfast. 
 
 there. 
 
 hard. 
 1 away 
 
 creek, 
 ^e had 
 :pected 
 
 me of 
 
I 
 
 I 
 
 ¥3 
 
 1 
 
 ! 
 
JOURNEr IN CANOES. 
 
 11 
 
 it 
 
 1^ 
 
 them yielding sixty-eight per cent — considered in proportion 
 with those in Cornwall, which yield only sixteen. The 
 camp is a fine wild sight — Iroquois and Canadians all 
 busy felling timber, unloading canoes, pitching tents, and 
 making up fires. 
 
 Monday f <SMay 24/A. — ' L^ve ! live ! ' again, before day 
 began, and before I was dressed, down came the tent about 
 my ears. Fine morning and fair wind. We sailed till 
 breakfast, and had a good bathe ; but very cold at my toilet, 
 with a rock for my dressing-table, ' the Father of Waters ' * 
 for my basin, and the forest for a window curtain. 
 
 We ran with a fair wind past several islands, making a 
 long ' traverse,' and passing large masses c*" solid ice, along 
 th' rocky shore. Camped at sundown in a lovely little 
 nook at the corner of a splendid bay. The camp wa« 
 enclosed on three sides by a complete wall of a precipice ot 
 immense height, with pines springing out along the rugged 
 face wherever a spot of soil was to be found. Climbed up, 
 while supper was cooking, to visit the graves of some of the 
 many poor voyageurs who lose their lives on this treacherous 
 lake. A splendid view, the lake like glass, excepting where 
 studded with wooded islands. A merry supper round our 
 camp fire, and lots of wild prairie stories from ' Old Rocky.' 
 A wet night. 
 
 Tuesday y 3\4ay %^th. — A damp raw morning. Stood 
 • • Father of Waters,' Lake Superior. 
 
IS 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 
 i) 
 
 shivering round the remains of the fire till 'A I'eau ! ' was 
 heard. Wind fair but very squally, and a heavyish sea. 
 Wonderful boatmen these voyagcurs ; a pretty sight to see 
 how they handle these frailest of crafts among the tremendous 
 rollers of "the Father of Waters,' in a gale of wind, especially 
 when you are aboard of one, and know that, should the 
 * Butte's ' paddle miss the water, and the canoe be consequently 
 struck by the full force of the wave, she would be stove in 
 to a certainty I Rain in torrents, and, in spite of oil-cloths, 
 I soon found myself sitting in a small lake, which had 
 formed on the oil-skin cover of my blankets. Crossed two 
 fine bays, and ran into Mishomecoton * River, in a thunder 
 plump; the banks very pretty — all forest, of course — but 
 less of the eternal pine, and more hard wood. Arrived at 
 the fort to breakfast with Mr. Swanston. Lots of trout, 
 lake herrings, eggs, and bread ; but no milk or fresh butter. 
 The poor devils of men very miserable, wet, cold, and hungry, 
 and without either fire or shelter. ' Old Rocky ' foraged 
 well — two geese, three ducks, and lots of fish. Off after 
 breakfast. Wind against us, and a head sea. Made very 
 little way, and halted at twelve, to feed the men and warm 
 them at the fires. ' Old Rocky ' soon manufactured a rare 
 blaze out of his fire-bag, and we soon had two whole trees 
 roaring away on it. 
 
 Off in an hour. Shore very rugged and precipitous, with 
 * Mishomecoton, probably lame ai in the mapi, Michipicoten River. 
 
 i 
 
 ill'-'i 
 
 I 
 I, 
 
yOURNSr IN CANOES. 
 
 18 
 
 a heavy surf on it. Paddled till dusk. Passed the mouth 
 of the Dog River, where a family of Chippewas were en- 
 camped. These followed us to our camp in a small canoe 
 through a heavy surf, and feasted like hungry wolves on the 
 scraps of our supper. I shot a duck before dark. 
 
 Wednesday, May 26M. — OfF before light, as 'le Gou- 
 verneur' was understood to be not very far behind. We 
 were overtaken by him before breakfast, and ate together. 
 He had fresh provisions— eggs and milk — which were a 
 great treat, after ' toujours ham and biscuit.' 
 
 • Gouverneur ' went ahead in the light canoe. 
 
 Blowing very hard from the N.E., and the sea rising 
 fast — the coast all rocks and precipices. It came on at last 
 to blow fearfully, with heavy squalls. The sail was made 
 fast, as usual. We took in four reefs, and reduced the sail 
 to one half, the sea increasing every minute, so that we 
 were in danger, whenever we had to cross from the lee of 
 one island to another. At last the storm rose to such a 
 height that we were glad to run into the first bay we could 
 find. Our canoe was nearly swamped in running the 
 narrows leading thereto by the heavy following seas, 
 wherein we might all have met a watery grave. We 
 camped in the rain, in a snug nook among the rocks. 
 The fires were soon lighted. A jolly supper in our tent ; 
 then a chat round the fire, and to bed. 
 
 Thursday, 6May zjth. — Wind-bound. Started about li. 
 
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 T', 
 
 ili 
 
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 (1 
 
 14 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 it " 
 
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 ' 
 
 ii 
 
 wind still contrary. Governor ran into the Pic Fort 
 about four ; and after crossing the bay we dined on a 
 rock. 
 
 Oflf again, made a long ' traverse,' and camped about 
 twelve on a rocky point. McLeod came to our camp from 
 the Governor's, and got so * boozy' that he would not 
 start in the morning. 
 
 Friday, May zStA. — Off at 3 a.m. Lovely day. A 
 swim in the lake before breakfast. Sir George in a great 
 state of mind at McLeod's defalcation, as he was to have 
 accompanied Sir George to the mines, of which McLeod 
 is a shareholder. 
 
 We had some fresh meat, having picked up half a calf 
 and some eggs at the Pic. A long day's work, coasting 
 an island, about the size of the Isle of Wight, and about 
 the same distance from the mainland. A late camp on the 
 island, nearly setting the trees on fire, which, as we were 
 camped among the trees at the water's edge, might have 
 been awkward. 
 
 Saturday, May 29M. — Off at 4 a.m., hoping to reach 
 Fort William late in the evening. A lovely day, and a 
 very bonnie journey among thousands of wooded islands, 
 through the channels of which we twisted about throughout 
 the day. Screwed the men up with the 'filet,'* and 
 reached the long traverse off Cap de Tonnerre about 
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 JOURNEY IN CANOES. 
 
 15 
 
 sunset. Served out the grog again, and started across the 
 bay in the dark. 
 
 This is the place where many have suffered great 
 privations, as the traverse is a long one, and very 
 dangerous from the heavy sea that runs there ; consequently 
 canoes are apt to be wind-bound here when most short of 
 provisions. 
 
 However, we passed over very merrily, the crews of the 
 three canoes (thanks to the filet) being very musically 
 inclined, and singing 'Belle Rose' and 'La Noisette' in 
 chorus, the whole way — 
 
 'Eh, qui est la belle Rose, 
 C'est le fils de I'heritant 
 
 Belle Rose — Rose et Blanc,' — 
 
 to Fort William, where we camped outside the stockade 
 at one in the morning. 
 
 Lot of fresh fish, eggs, butter and milk. I nearly made 
 myself sick with luxuries, and turned in about 4 a.m. 
 
 Sunday, iSMay 30M. — Breakfasted in the fort. Numbers 
 of Chippewas encamped on the opposite side of the river, 
 having brought in the results of their winter's hunting. 
 A chief came over, an ill-looking rascal, with a long coat 
 and leggings of bright scarlet, attended by a suite of tag-rag 
 and bobtail, in all the colours of the rainbow. After 
 breakfast, embarked in three north canoes, and left the 
 loaded brigade to follow, with McKenzie and 'Old Rocky,' 
 

 ;'l ii 
 
 1^. 
 
 I' 
 
 u ' 
 
 
 16 
 
 NOTES OF J SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 the latter on his way back to Oregon. A very tough 
 afternoon's work up a pretty little river — all poleing work 
 and towing, after the first few hours. Heat very oppressive. 
 Camped at sundown. 
 
 Siionday, 3iay 3IJ/. — 'Leve! level' very early, and I 
 slept in the canoe as far as the Mountain Portage. Four or 
 five miles carrying of heavy bales and luggage for the poor 
 devils, during which we scrambled to the water's edge, 
 to see the Falls of the Kamanistoquea — the fii.est in America 
 after Niagara, 1 20 feet high, and the body of water as large 
 as Esk in Hood. 
 
 Passed a camp of Indians, staying there for the fishing. 
 • Bonjour ' and a shake of hands with the whole of them in 
 succession. Then to breakfast at the end of the portage. 
 
 A very heavy day's work for the men. Twelve or 
 thirteen portages, some short, some long. Rapids to 
 ascend, in some of which, the water being heavy, we were in 
 considerable difficulty — in one especially where old Bernard's 
 pole broke, followed by two or three of the men's in 
 succession. The canoe broached to, and was within an ace 
 of going over ; luckily, the plucky old dog stopped her 
 with the steering-paddle, and at it again, as if nothing had 
 happened. We towed up and got well over ; but stuck in 
 the next, and were nearly squashed among the rocks in the 
 narrow channel. The river very beautiful, and the evening 
 lovely ! a succession of wee lakes, formed by small streams, 
 
JOURNET IN CANOES. 
 
 17 
 
 ' tough 
 g work 
 )ressive. 
 
 , and I 
 Four or 
 :he poor 
 's edge, 
 ALtnerica 
 as large 
 
 fishing, 
 them in 
 
 ,relve or 
 pids to 
 were in 
 Bernard's 
 len's in 
 t an ace 
 ped her 
 ling had 
 stuck in 
 s in the 
 evening 
 streams, 
 
 led us to the foot of the ' Portage du Chien,' and a chien 
 Je portage it was for the poor worn-out devils, who had 
 been labouring up all day, A high hill divided the river 
 from the Lac du Chien. The canoes were all damaged 
 with sharp rocks, and had to be fresh gummed that night ; 
 and the path over the hill, about two and half miles, was 
 much encumbered with embarras. We camped very late, 
 on a little green at the edge of the lake, a most lovely spot. 
 I had a swim and went to bed. 
 
 Tuesday, June ist. — A late start. A three hours' paddle 
 to the end of the lake, and into an infernal, sluggish, 
 muddy river ; flat, swampy jungle on each side, and the 
 heat scorching. 
 
 Towards evening, the route lay through a most unwhole- 
 some looking swamp, twisting through innumerable islands, 
 up little channels not wide enough for two canoes abreast, men 
 dead beat, and no singing. Camped at sundown at the 
 foot of a portage, cold and heavy mist from the swamp, 
 the Major's canoe missing, Sir George evidently uneasy, and 
 no wonder ! as below, there was no landing in the swamp, 
 and they had nothing to eat. They arrived about an hour 
 after dark, and were dead beat, bleeding at the nose, and the 
 Major in a devil of a rage. 
 
 Supper rather unpleasant, the two higher powers being, 
 the one sulky, the other uncomfortable. 
 
 Wednesday, June znd. — Off before daybreak. Three 
 

 .^VJ 
 
 f! 
 
 18 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 long portages over the ' Prairie,' four miles, and break- 
 fasted at the other end close to a little lake in a swamp. 
 Corbet had good shooting — several swamp partridges and 
 hens. 
 
 The ' Milieu ' on the other side of the little lake, a 
 short one, through a swamp, two miles more of a little lake, 
 and then the ' Savanne,' very long and very swampy. Day 
 hot, but overcast, and the shores of the lake flat and ugly. 
 Dined at the other end of last portage. Men terribly 
 exhausted. The Iroquois who carried the canoes looking 
 like fiends, their shirts off, their skins like heated copper, 
 and their long black hair all loose, with their wild black 
 eyes glowing like hot coals. Each man jumped into the 
 river as soon as the canoes were by, and after a flounder or 
 two, to cool themselves, took the t ' track for another 
 load, just as fresh as at starting. 
 
 The poor ' mangeurs de lard ' terribly cooked ! Loads 
 were left, and thrashings administered by the old hands, in 
 some cases, to make them carry through. Cruel work ! 
 Ten or twelve miles in a day with i8o pounds to carry. 
 
 X "ter dinner, and an unsuccessful fish, started down the 
 ' Riviere d'Embarras,' and plenty of embarras we found. 
 Every two o: three hundred yards we had to axe our way 
 through the tiinber that choked up the little stream. We 
 camped in a swamp covered with brushwood, and nearly 
 burnt ourselves out by setting the brush on fire. The 
 
JOVRNEr IN CANOES. 
 
 19 
 
 Gouverneur getting anxious as to our provisions holding 
 out, as we have only twelve days' rations, and at the rate 
 we go, weak-handed as we are, we have quite as many 
 days to travel ; and should we be wind-bound, or any 
 accident happen in shooting the rapids or otherwise, all 
 hands must starve ! 
 
 Thursday, June yrd. — Terribly cold, nearly frozen out 
 of the tent. Off early down the river and into the Lake 
 of the Thousand Islands. We were to breakfast on one of 
 them, and on creeping out from under the oil-cloth, found 
 it snowing heavily in showers, and bitter cold. Had a 
 wash in the lake, in spite of the weather, and found break- 
 fast ready in a cosy little nook of pine trees, with a blazing 
 fire in front. 
 
 The lake very bonnie. The islands are all hilly, and 
 the variety of timber with which they are covered, and 
 which is just bursting into leaf, has a good effect from the 
 contrast of colours. 
 
 There are lots of remains of Indian lodges in most of 
 the little creeks ; but we have not seen a human being since 
 we left the camp at the mountain portage. Indeed no 
 white men but those who accompany the Hudson's Bay 
 Company canoes on the out-trip, and return in the fall, 
 have ever trodden these forests. 
 
 Three portages during the day. Our journey lay 
 through some of the most beautiful forest scenery that 
 
<«( 
 
 • ;- 
 
 1 
 
 I) 
 
 20 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 can be conceived. A succession of lakes, with the eternal 
 forest down to the water's edge on all sides, some of the 
 shores hilly, some flat, and a thousand creeks, bays, nooks, 
 and isknds on every side. 
 
 Marked the track of a large cariboo, fresh up the 
 portage, and longed for a shy at him with old ' Kill-deer ' ;* 
 also passed an Indian winter camp with five bears' skulls 
 attached to the lodge poles. Shot the rapids at nightfall 
 and nearly swamped the canoe. Encamped at a long 
 portage after dark. I was much edified by old Batiste 
 the ' Butte's ' skill at the rapid. We came down it at 
 railway speed, through lots of rocks and snags, among 
 which he twisted the canoe with wonderful skill, never 
 turning his head, and seeming to steer by instinct. Had 
 we touched one we should have gone to smithereens iii a 
 second. 
 
 Friday, June 4//;. — Off at daybreak. Performed our 
 ablutions in the little tarn at the end of the portage, 
 while breakfast was being cooked. Corbet shot one brace 
 of swamp partridges, one brace of common partridges, and 
 a hare on the road. 
 
 Passed several pretty lakes during the day, winding 
 our way through small lakes and streams, with a great 
 many short portages. Wc shot some rapids towards 
 
 1 
 
 u- 
 
 * ' Kill-deer,' his double-barrelled rifle, of courie in ihoie days muzzle- 
 loading. 
 
 !i I 
 
 *'4 
 
 M 
 
 ^ 
 
 i^E 
 
JOURNEY IN CJNOES. 
 
 21 
 
 e eternal 
 
 1 
 
 le of the 
 
 1 
 
 rs, nooks, 
 
 
 up the 
 
 1 
 
 l-deer';» 
 
 
 its' skulls 
 
 
 nightfall 
 
 
 a long 
 
 
 d Batiste 
 
 s 
 
 wn it at 
 
 
 5, among 
 
 ' 
 
 ill, never 
 
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 ct. Had 
 
 
 -eens iii a 
 
 
 •med our 
 
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 portage, 
 
 1 
 
 one brace 
 
 M 
 
 idges, and 
 
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 j 
 . 1 
 
 , winding 
 
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 h a great 
 
 
 s towards 
 
 
 evening, and emerged into a fine broad stream*, as wide 
 as the Thames at Richmond, fringed with the eternal 
 forest, just now breaking into leaf. The reaches of the 
 river very fine — a lovely calm evening — nothing to be 
 heard but the song of our men, with a running accompani- 
 ment of frogs and crickets from the shore. 
 
 Made a portage at dusk, and found Sir George and 
 the Major wet to the skin, having shipped much water 
 at the last 'chute,' a very great fall, down which we 
 came without taking in a drop ; old Batiste jumping up 
 in the canoe, selecting his place and darting in without 
 hesitation among the rocks and breakers, through which 
 we shot with the speed of lightning for a couple of hundred 
 yards, the old fellow as cool all the time as if eating his 
 dinner. 
 
 Sir George assured us it was only a short ten minutes 
 to the camping-ground ; it proved to be an hour and a half. 
 Landed in the dark, found a couple of trees on the fire 
 and were soon warm and comfortable. 
 
 Saturday, June stb.—- Live ! live ! * at daylight. Slept to 
 the first portage. Still in the River Mican, Breakfasted 
 on Corbet's and my partridges. Some Indians came to the 
 scene of embarkation, to have a look at us — two men, a 
 boy, and a woman. The men were fine active-looking 
 fellows, each with no clothing, excepting a waist-cloth 
 
 • River Mccan. 
 
S8 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 1*1 
 
 I 
 
 n '■ 
 
 y ; 
 
 and blanket. The woman, a rather red lady, was naked 
 to the waist, and whether shy or otherwise, did not show 
 much, but sat in the canoe. The boy was naked, excepting 
 a shirt of rabbit-skins, and looked starved and wretched, his 
 legs being no thicker than a man's arm. We are now 
 coming to the Indians' sturgeon-fishing water, and may 
 expect to see numbers of this wild tribe. 
 
 At the next portage we passed a few lodges, on the 
 other side of the deep bay in the river. On seeing us there 
 was a yell immediately, and several savages, rushing to the 
 water, paddled across full tilt towards us. ' Bonjour,' gabbled 
 as fast as possible for five minutes, was the extent of their 
 powers of conversation ; but they made us understand that 
 they had sturgeon to sell. One swell took a great fancy to 
 me because I got into his canoe and paddled a little way. 
 He offered to take me down the rapid, but I declined. 
 
 Towards evening we passed a large Saulteux village 
 encamped there for sturgeon, and it was a curious sight, 
 situated on a cleared spot at a beautiful bend of the river. I 
 took their bark lodges at first for a fort, but was soon 
 undeceived, as, the moment the canoe song was heard, a 
 hundred whooping savages rushed to their canoes, and were 
 dashing round us in all directions, like so many dolphins. 
 Very fine, clean-made fellows, naked as Adam, and their 
 faces painted all the colours of the rainbow. As I sat up in 
 the canoe, to look at the sight, I liad to do all the hand- 
 
 »l 
 
JOVRNET IN CANOES. S8 
 
 shaking of the party, which was not a remarkably agreeable 
 
 litSK, 
 
 Another portage, a dinner of sturgeon (right nasty), 
 poled through several little stagnant swampy creeks, full 
 of wild rice and frogs, and emerged into Lac la Pluie, about 
 forty miles long, and ten or twelve broad. The poor men 
 dead beat, several vomiting, many bleeding at the nose. 
 Camped on the mainland at sundown. A lovely calm 
 night. 
 
 Sunday, June bth. — ' Levc ! ' before daybreak. Slept the 
 whole way to the fort at the foot of the lake, or rather in 
 the river, and was awakened by whoops and a tremendous 
 fusillade. A large camp of Saulteux at the fort, fishing in 
 the falls. Went to the rocks to bathe, and a select party of 
 Indians watched my toilet with great interest. The washing 
 my teeth puzzed them amazingly, and they were much 
 delighted with my ilttle looking-glass. 'The ladies looked 
 on at a distance. One fellow appeared anxious to try my 
 hairbrush, and was raiher vexed at my being so unreasonable 
 as to objcc to the offer. A capital breakfast, lots of milk and 
 white fish. 
 
 There was a dog feast going on in the village, v/Hich I 
 loolicd in upon. They had three dead dogs lying at the foot 
 of three posts. The whole village, men and women, sat round 
 in a circle, the spact being fenced in with withies, while the 
 Medicine-men went through their ceremonies, dancing round 
 
f 
 
 
 ) 
 
 1 
 
 ^1 '■! 
 
 ( 
 
 , 
 
 \ 
 
 , » 
 
 24 
 
 ATOrfiS OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 the dogs, and beating drums and rattles. Two braves were 
 painted to the eyes, and sat smoking with all gravity. I was 
 asked by an old boy with a necklace of bears' claws to join 
 the circle t d" 'lined, as cotelettes de cbien au nature/ were 
 not to my te, and if I had sat down, eat I must. 
 
 I took .1 look at the lodges, which were very dirty, full of 
 puppies, and some dried sturgeon. Saw one or two nice 
 plump little lassies, as smart as beads and paint could make 
 them, but much in want of soap and water. The woman 
 living with the master of the fort must have been very 
 beautiful — a half-bred Saulteux and Canadian. 
 
 We left the fort at about 1 1 a.m., and ran down the Lac 
 de Pluie river, a fine broad stream, with rich land on either 
 shore. It is the 'march' between British and American 
 lands, and the forest on both banks consists of birch and hard 
 wood instead of the eternal pine forests, which we have 
 hitherto passed through. 
 
 We passed several camps of Indians through the day. 
 One especially, very prettily situated at a place where the 
 woods recede from the river, leaving the high green banks 
 bare of timber for some distance, and as green as the fresh grass 
 and herbage could make them. The Indians were fishing 
 sturgeon in the rapid, through which we shot, and passed 
 too quickly for any of them to come off to us. The site of 
 the Indian camp last passed was famous among the tribe as 
 being sacred to the ' Manitcii,' or god, covered with tombs, or 
 
JOURNEY IN CJNOES. 
 
 it 
 
 cairns, apparently raised in the same manner as those in the 
 Highlands, and, like them, said to be the graves of the great 
 warriors of former days. 
 
 Camped at sundown on the sandy shore. A track of a 
 large moose on the water side, quite fresh. Mosquitoes and 
 frogs in abundance. Night very mild. 
 
 Monday, jfune yt/i. — ' Leve ! ' as usual, at two in the 
 morning. The moon rose, looking watery. Morning warm 
 and close. Was awakened in the canoe by the rain ; sky as 
 black as ink, raining heavily. Canoe travelling not by any 
 means pleasant in wet weather. Landed for breakfast at 
 nine. Made a shelter out of the poles of an old Indian lodge 
 and a piece of oil-cloth. 
 
 On nearing the mouth of the river the channel widened 
 to the width of the Thames at Greenwich. Banks marshy 
 and covered with reeds, ducks in swarms, longed for a day 
 among them ; blowing a whole gale with heavy rain. Could 
 not make the traverse at the mouth of the river to the 
 shores of the Lake of the Woods. 
 
 Encamped at 2 p.m. on the wooded end of a sand bar in 
 the bay. Ev rything soaked through. I went to shoot 
 among the sand hills, lost two ducks, and came into the 
 camp wet to the skin. It rained and blew all the evening. 
 A feast in Sir George's tent — rice-pudding and cream, and 
 two glasses of wine. Hoped for wind next morning to get 
 a little sleep, and things dried. 
 
. 
 
 1; 
 
 r 
 
 I' 
 
 26 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 Tuesday, 'June %th. — Hazy weather. OfF at six. Very 
 cold, things being all wet. Met a Saulteux on the traverse 
 with his wife and children in a small canoe. He had horns 
 on his head, and looked like a devil on the stage. Breakfast 
 at nine. A good wash in the lake. Rathe- cold from wet 
 clothes. Lighted a large fire, and had half-an-hour to roast 
 myself while the fish was cooking. OfF at half-past ten for the 
 Dalles — Lake of the Woods — a large piece of water, muddy, 
 and with fewer large islands than most of the others. The day 
 gloomy, but no rain. Lake about sixty miles long. Made 
 a good day's journey, and camped at sundown in a snug little 
 bay. Took the gun ind scrambled along the rocks, missed a 
 mallard most scandalously. Had a bathe before supper. 
 Night warm and camp very cosy. 
 
 Wednesday, June gtJb. — Started about the usual time — an 
 hour or two before daybreak. The lake much of the same 
 character as the previous ones, but much longer than it 
 appears on the map. Arrived at the portage at the entrance 
 of the river Winnipeg (200 miles long) at about eight, and 
 breakfasted at the fort, situated on a bay of the river, — a 
 house and two stores, a miserable looking place. The man 
 in charge — a McKenzie of course— called by courtesy the 
 Major, he having held a lieutenant's commission in the army, 
 during the Peninsula War, and having afterwards joined the 
 Hudson's Bay Company, had married a half-breed, and had 
 been thirty years in the service. He appeared verj proud of 
 
 VI 
 
 •7 
 
 1 
 
JOURNEr IN CANOES. 
 
 87 
 
 his dogs and cattle, talked a great deal about Corunna, and 
 gave us a capital breakfast, in which cream and white '' 
 predominated, or rather formed the whole. His daughters 
 were very pretty. I had a long chat with one of them in 
 the dairy ; a most unsophisticated little lady, who told mc 
 she never saw a white person excepting twice a year when 
 the brigades pass and return. She united the best qualities of 
 the two races — a bright English colour mantling through the 
 olive skin, and the white regular teeth, coal-black hair, and 
 eyes of an Indian, and her figure a* straight and lithe as a 
 willow wand. 
 
 The river — if river it can be called, for it has scarcely any 
 current, and forms a succession of large pools dotted with 
 islands (at least, as far as we have been down it, while I am 
 writing, 2 p.m.) — resembles a long narrow lake, the scenery 
 very similar to the lakes wc have previously passed through. 
 Trees, trees, trees for everlasting I I shall hate the sight of 
 a wood for the future. 
 
 Day hot. Men tired. Self sleepy. Camped at night 
 on a bare rock. A lovely evening, and a very pretty camp, 
 above the — now splendid — river, overlooking a magnificent 
 stretch of water, as wide as the Thames at Gravesend, clothed 
 on each bank with hard wood forest, now in full leaf, and the 
 wild forest trees all in bloom. 
 
 Thursday, June \otb. — ^This day has been a very tedious 
 one to the men, and would have been very alarming to an 
 
ill 
 
 28 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 f t 
 
 w 
 
 t- \ 
 
 elderly gentleman troubled with nerves. /, fortunately, have 
 none ; but I could feel even Corbet wince as we shot some of 
 the rapids, or whirled up to the edge of a steep slippery rock 
 on the very verge of a magnificent fall, when it appeared, and 
 I once thought was, rather doubtful whether we were forced 
 over or not ! It proved that I was not wrong, as one or two 
 canoes had been lost on the Chute de Jocko.* 
 
 The character of the river is still sluggish, excepting where, 
 here and there, it takes it into its head to plunge down all in 
 a mass, some forty or fifty feet more or less abruptly. Some- 
 times five or six of these rapids, or chutes, occur in succession, 
 with intervals of 600 or 700 yards, after which all is calm 
 again for miles. This day I had, more than ever, reason to 
 admire old Batiste's and Jock's extraordinaiy skill among the 
 falls. Sometimes we would dash up to the very edge of tlie 
 chute, and when you thought that over you must go, you were 
 whirled into a little eddy just at the corner, the men in the 
 water, luggage landed, canoe out, and in ten minutes you were 
 off again at the other end. At other times the chute was to 
 be run. Batiste jumped up on the gunwale, chose his place, 
 and at it we went like a horse at a fence. The roar became 
 louder jvery moment, you see waves, rocks, and foam all 
 round you for a few seconds, while you whirl through it, it 
 af pears a toss up if you are to be swamped or dashed to pieces, 
 and then you find yourself floating quietly at tl : bottom, and 
 * Chute de Jocko, in the modern maps Falls of jacquet. 
 
JOUR'JEr IN CANOES. 
 
 29 
 
 wonder how in the world you got there ! Seventy miles done 
 to-day, thirty-six before breakfast in the smooth water. 
 
 Friday, June i ith. — Camped last night below the last chute. 
 Had a visit at supper from seven Indians, whom I found sitting 
 in a row outside the Gouverneur's tent, smoking with all 
 gravity. They were much amused at my walking barefoot 
 over the sharp rocks to the camp. Fine-looking fellows. 
 Lots of sturgeon for supf er, bought for two or three plugs of 
 tobacco. 
 
 Arrived this day at Fort Alexander at the mouth of the 
 river, after two or three short portages. The place, like the 
 other forts, consists of one cottage and three or four stores 
 enclosed by a square of stockades. Lots of Indians and 
 ' Motifs '• hanging about. Bought a pair of mocassins of a 
 very pretty young lady. 
 
 We parted from one of the canoes here, her destination 
 being Norway House direct, with the Gouverneur's secretary 
 in command. ' Abraham ' went with them, much to his 
 disgust and horror, which I increased considerably by telling 
 him that the Indians there were all cannibals, and that it was 
 a curious fact, recently ascertained, that they much preferred 
 niggers to white men, the flesh of which former they wou^d 
 do anything to obtain. I added that, owing to the two last 
 negroes having been abstracted and eaten, he was sent there to 
 replace them ; but every one was warned not to tell him, lest 
 * ' Metifs,' half-bred Indian and white race. 
 
i'l 
 
 H 
 
 i 1 
 
 I' i 
 
 30 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 it should in any way affect his spirits, and I only ventured to 
 do so as a friendly caution. The poor devil was in a great 
 quandary! 
 
 Found a sand bar running half-way across Lake Winnipeg, 
 had to make a portage across, and remained on the other side. 
 
 Saturday, "June izth. — Made the long traverse in the 
 dark across this most dangerous of the inland lakes, and landed 
 for breakfast close to the mouth of the Red River. A wet 
 day. The shores flat and swampy, with scrubby timber on 
 each side. Arrived at the Lower Fort* just before the officers' 
 mess, and was introduced to as good a set of fellows as ever I 
 came among. The hunters '^ad already started for the plains, 
 and all the officers th'' could get away were to follow them 
 on Monday. 
 
 Sunday, June lyh. — Went on to ihc Upper Fort with 
 Griffiths, nineteen and a half miles further up, with a 
 'buffalo runner' between the shafts, our vehicle a coalscuttle 
 on wheels, and our road an open prairie — the first I had seen 
 — bounded on the one side by the Red River about a mile 
 distant, on the other by the Rocky Mountains about 
 700 miles off. The settlers' houses are few and far 
 between. Six or seven miles of timber and open prairie 
 intervene now and then before you see the log and mud 
 hut of a half-breed. At least, at the upper end, i,e., that 
 
 • Lower Fort — Fort Garry. The Red River Forts were situated where 
 the town of Winnipeg now stands. Fort Garry still marked on some maps. 
 
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 JOURNEY IN CANOES. «1 
 
 on the Assiniboine before it ' forks ' with the Red River, 
 which part is almost entirely colonised by Motifs, under 
 the control of old Grant, the half-breed, ' the Warden of 
 the plains.* 
 
 Monday, June 14/A. — Corbet off to the buffalo with 
 five of the officers. Too ill to go myself, so determined to 
 await Harriott's return from Norway House, and accompany 
 him to Fort Edmondtoi, on the Saskatchewan, Sir George 
 Simpson having kindly arranges that he should come back 
 to accompany me, I to be in readiness by July 20th at 
 latest. Spent the interval between June 14th and July 13th 
 in getting well under old Robertson, in the society of 
 Fran^oise Laronde — a bonnie, bonnie lassie, though a Cree 
 half-breed — and, for a variety, in making a trip over to 
 Manitoba Lake, called sixty miles from Red River, but I 
 found it two days' good journey through the plains, with 
 no good water, the shoal lake, where wt camped the first 
 night, being saltish. The gun kept us in fresh previsions, 
 and we lived well, having eggs, salt butter, biscuit, and 
 shrub (I discretion. My ' tail ' consisted of George,* 
 
 McKay, the half-breed — a very smart young fellow, and the 
 handsomest withal that I ever saw — three horses, a cart, 
 and a dog. 
 
 * George Reid, English servant, who at this time had been with Fredericic 
 Graham about eight years, and remained in his service altogether eleven or twelve 
 years. A particularly intelligent, clever, and active man. 
 
32 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 1 
 
 l( 
 
 I' I 
 
 If 
 
 We remained out a week. Lots of ducks on the swamps 
 at Manitoba, ditto of mosquitoes and ' bull-dogs.' Weathci 
 very wet, yet contrived between the storms to shoot enough 
 ducks, teal, and bitterns to feed my camp and a family of 
 Saulteux encamped beside us ; but it was dirty work, up to 
 one's middle in a swamp the whole time, at best two miles 
 in width, the stench of which was abominable and the 
 insects intolerable, with the chance of going over head evei^ 
 moment. We returned by the Assiniboine track for the 
 sake of water. Terrible thunder-storms every night, aiiJ a 
 leaky tent. 
 
 Found Harriott at Red River on my return, anxious to 
 be off. The buffalo-hunters returned two days after .ny 
 arrival, not at all pleased with their ' out.' No provisio.ns, 
 the old bulls very tough, and the restraint too great, not 
 being allov.ed to run buffalo while the meat previously 
 killed was being dried, for fear of driving away the bands, 
 besides being in constant fear of the Sioux, who were 
 lurking on the outskirts of the party watching for a stray 
 scalp. 
 
 1^ 
 
 i 
 
 
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 f ' 
 
33 
 
 START FROM RED RIVER FORT AND FURTHER 
 PROGRESS TO LAC LA FLUME. 
 
 JuLV I3TH TO 26th. 
 
 Tuesday, July I ph. — Started with Harriott, his dauglitcr,^ 
 six carts, seven men, two boys, George, and thirty-six 
 burses, for Beaver Creek at one p.m., escorted by old Prudent, 
 his wife and family, and also by several of the officers, as 
 far as that detestable Sturgeon Creek where I passed such 
 a wretched night on my way back from Manitoba. ' Loosed 
 up ' there, and Harriott gave a p.irting picnic to the party. 
 Started in an hour, amidst manv kind wishes, crossed that 
 never-ending White Horse ,.lain, and camped at old Grant's. 
 Had tea at the house, tried to make small talk to Madame — 
 no go-^she only speaking Crec. Grant came to our camp 
 afterwards and got drunk, of course. Got rid of him, made 
 old McUougall smoke out the mosquitoes, and went to bed. 
 
 fVeJnesday, 'July \i^th. — ' Lcve ! leve !' at daybreak. Four- 
 teen miles to Monsieur Belcour's at the Indian settlement. 
 Heard that his htmsekccpcr was remarkablv pretty. Called 
 to sec. F<iund her something like old Jimmy Wilson* in 
 
 • Jimmv Wilion, an olJ gamekeeper at Netherby, by no mean» hatidiome. 
 
M 
 
 34 
 
 NOTES OF J SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 I 11 
 
 'J l^ 
 
 I! 
 
 petticoats, only a trifle younger. Cantered after the party, 
 and found them at breakfast at the ' Marais de Cayeux,' 
 where the hay is mostly made for the settlement. A very 
 sultry day. 
 
 Country flat, plains interspersed with scrubby woods and 
 swamps, excepting immediately along the river banks where 
 the timber that has not been destroyed by Are, is moderately 
 large. Amused myself by trying all the hacks in the band, 
 with the exception of my own horse and Lambert, our 
 two ' bufl'alo runners.' Little Basil caught evrry one for 
 me that I pointed out, with the 'cabreche' (a long noose 
 of smoked buffalo line), which he threw with great skill. 
 The little imp would dash ofl^ at speed, his long hair floating 
 over his back, and his noose swinging round his head, catch 
 a wild horse, sometimes after a good chase, and lug the 
 poor devil up to me, half throttled, saying with an air 
 of triumph, ' Ah ! crapaud — tu es farouche ! mais je suis ton 
 mattre.' The boy (he is but fourteen) is as fine a horseman 
 as I ever saw, as indeed all the half-breeds are, and looks 
 quite a little warrior, with his embroidered shot-bag and 
 horn sling, and l.io iong ' fusil ' across his saddle-bow. I 
 delight in that boy ! 
 
 We bade farewell to the Assiniboine river for some 
 luMulrcd miles, had a parting swim, nnd started over a wide 
 phiin, fifteen miles at least to the nearest water. 
 
 On, on, on, hour after hour, the sun frying out our 
 
 1 
 
FROM RED RIFER IVESTIVARD. 
 
 3ft 
 
 brains, and the horses getting more and more distressed, and 
 still not even a swamp where we could manage to squeeze 
 out a drop of water! This was a bore ! In went the 
 spurs and down the track at a hand gallop, a toss up whether 
 I or my horse failed first. At last I saw some willows over 
 the plain. Now for a drink ! No, it wai a dry swamp. 
 On again, more willows, the creek at last ! My horse's 
 nose and mine were in it at the same time, and a devil 
 of a suck we took I Off saddle, on with the hopples, 
 and into the nice cool creek. By the time my dip was 
 over the carts arrived, and mine upset at the ford, every- 
 thing wet. Pleasant I Camped, and to bed. Mosquitoes 
 detestable. Spent the night squibbing charges of powder, 
 till I nearly choked poor old McDougall and made the 
 tent as black as my hat. 
 
 Thursday, July i^th. — A long march yesterday. Horses 
 pretty well cooked. Took a ride in the cart. The green 
 buffalo hide over it smelt abominably. The jolting among 
 the badger holes not bearable. Won't try that again ! 
 The saddle for me ! Woods, woods, nothing but nasty 
 scrubby poplar, brush, and June bushes, without any berries 
 on them. Breakfasted at a swamp, water very bad, smelling 
 bad, and full of insects ; strained it through my handkerchief 
 befOij we made the tea. Country the same till dinner-time ; 
 all short brushwood about the height of a man on horseback, 
 and full of sw.imps. Shot two prairie hens. Dinner, and a 
 
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 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
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 good wash at a nice cool little creek. Country more 
 undulating and pretty, but htill covered with brushwood. 
 Lot- of wolves' tracks in the soft earth. An hour further 
 on we came to a bad creek. The temporary bridge broke 
 with the carts, and several horses stuck among the wreck. 
 We got them out with some difficulty. Then, up the hill 
 on the other side, where 1 clapped my horse on as ' leader ' 
 to my own cart with a cabreche for traces, and walked up it 
 with my load easily, while the rest of the party were 
 ' sacre '-ing at the bottom. Over another creek of a similar 
 description and camped. 
 
 Harriott saw two wild horses. They went off" into 
 the woods. Some men were sent after them, but soon lost 
 all traces. The flies were very bad, therefore, if we could 
 have discovered the whereabouts of the horses by lighting a 
 fire to windward, they would have instinctively come to it, 
 and could then have been caught 'vith ease. 
 
 Friday, July xtt/i. — Mosquitoes very bad last night. 
 Smoking them out with green bushes and grass was the 
 only way to get a moment's rest, the alternative being — to 
 suffocate or be devoured. 
 
 The country undulating, though still covered with scrub, 
 and a sandy soil instead of swamps opened out at last into a 
 rolling prairie. I skirted away after a chance at a cabri, 
 and several times lo-t myself for tlu- moment among the 
 innumerable little miniature mountains, until, on topping 
 
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 «<*»^j 
 
FROM RED RIVER fVESTfVJRD. 
 
 8f 
 
 one higher than the rest, I could see the string of carts 
 and band of horses winding along through the hillocks, 
 perhaps ?n quite an opposite direction to what I had 
 supposed. We passed the trail of the half-breedi on their 
 way to the plains, and nearly mistook it for our own r«)ad. 
 I had been off to get a rifle shot at two long-legged cranes, 
 and on coming out of the bush 1 found Harriott 'making 
 casts,' like a hound, to find the track. At length a half-breed 
 discovered it, and off we went to breakfast on the other side 
 of 1 prcttv creek, with high sloping green banks. 
 
 Looked all day for cabris and bears, but found nothing. 
 Camped on the plain close to a small lake of bad water, 
 with a large swamp round it. 
 
 Took Basil with me to initiate him into the mysteries 
 of stalking ducks while the camp was pitching. Caught two 
 young eagles, which the men at«:, and said were very good. 
 
 Saturday, Ju/y \jth. — Passed many salt lakes, but found 
 very little drinkable water. These lakes have the taste of a 
 dose of Epsom salts, and the r^ame effect ; but the horses can 
 drink them, though none of the men could. 
 
 We camped at Eagle Tail Creek, a very pretty river, 
 with beautiful green banks, sloping down to a lovely vale 
 on each side, studded with clusters of poplar bushes doing 
 duty for timber ; but the effect very good from the western 
 summit. 1 thought many * nobleman at home would be 
 glad of such a park tor hi» house. 
 
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i- I 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
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 Monday, July igth. — Night cool and no mosquitoes. 
 Arrived in the vale oi the Assiniboine once more about 
 twelve o'clock. A very bad ford to cross, and the wolves 
 had eaten all the caulking out of the bateau. I rattled 
 up one of the said gentlemen, but was not mounted to 
 catch him. Had I been on ' Charley,' the result might 
 have been very different. As it was he scorned me, and 
 retired among the hills. Shot several ducks before arriving 
 at the ford, and two or three prairie hens. Made a portage 
 of my own goods an horseback. Water very deep, and 
 horse all but swimming. Arrived at Beaver Creftk Fort 
 about 4 p.m. 
 
 Tuesday, 'July zotA. — We remained at Beaver Creek all 
 day. The fort is of the same description as all the Hudson's 
 Bay Company's forts, a house for the fort-keeper, with stores 
 and servants' houses on each side, the whole enclosed by 
 a high palisade, and double gates with the Indian house 
 brtween the latter, so that only a certain number may be 
 admitted at a time. No beds, no windows (a scraped piece 
 of buffalo hide supplying the place of the former), and no 
 crockery whatever, with very little to eat, and that of the 
 worst and dirtiest description, and you have a good notion of 
 d prairie fort in time of scarcity. Here they had nothing but 
 a few pieces of an old scabbed bull, that a hunter had killed 
 two days before, very tough, and rank as a rutting stag. The 
 whole place wiis full of starving sleigh-dogs, great wolf-like 
 
FROM RED RIFER If'ESTff^j/RD. 
 
 looking brutes, and full also of Indian squaws and chfldren, 
 the men having gone to war on the Blackfeet, towards the 
 mountains. 
 
 Here, also, I saw the t\/o first specimens of the real wild 
 plain Indians, a boy and a man of the Assiniboinet, a branch of 
 the great Sioux nation, very different looking animals from the 
 filthy Crees and Saulteux I had hitherto seen. Fine, clean, 
 active-looking fellows, with perfect Roman-looking counten- 
 ances ; every article of their clothing-leather beautifully 
 dressed, and their robes gracefully put on, altogether very 
 dignified, but wild as wild deer. The boy was the best arrow 
 shot I had yet seen. I put up a glove at fifty yards, and he 
 hit it twice with six arrows. 
 
 ffeJnesday, "July 2ist.-~OfF after breakfast, crossed the 
 River Qu'Appelle, and camped on the other side. The ford 
 was bad, and Harriott's cart got a complete soaking. I went 
 out while the camp was pitching, and shot several ducks. The 
 country is becoming very beautiful, woods and undulating 
 plains on every side. 
 
 From this to Lac la Plume,'* with the exception of a 
 scarcity of fresh, and an abundance of salt water, our route 
 was the same as the first day from Beaver Cieek, and without 
 any adventure whatever. 
 
 Monday, July 26M. — Started from a camp in the middle 
 of an enormous plain, and arrived at the shore of Lac la Plume 
 * Probably Lac la Plume, same aa in the niapo, (ireat Quill Lake. 
 
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 f I 
 
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 40 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 to breakfast. Tlic said lake is so called trom the quantity 
 of quills collected there by the Indians in the moulting 
 season, and traded for the English market at the Hudson's 
 Bay Company's forts. Lots of cabris seen, but much too 
 bashful to approach in tlie bare plain. 1 shot a large crane 
 with the ride, which showed right when ' The Spirit of the 
 Day'* and I approached to seize it ; but 1 put in 'cut No. z' 
 with the butt of mv whip, as he ' gave point ' at my eye, 
 and 'settled his hash.' The Spirit of the Day ate the bird for 
 breakfast, and swore it was ' as good is butlalo.' 
 
 • Thf Spirit of U\f Day,' name of an Indian. 
 
41 
 
 SPORT WITH BUFFALO WHILE JOURNEYING TO 
 
 FORT EDMONDTON AND ARRIVAL THERE. 
 
 July 26th to August iith. 
 
 Monday, July zbth (continued). — Looked for game all 
 day, but found nothing but wolves and shy cabris, until at 
 evening, as I was skirting away, I saw a commotion among 
 the line of carts, and riding up to ascertain the cause of excite- 
 ment, -found that a band of buffalo were in sight, and sure 
 enough, straight ahead, in the centre of a level plain, bounded 
 by high woods, there was a mass of black moving lumps, 
 dotting the surface of the green for miles on each side. 
 
 Harriott gave orders to move on to the brook (for we were 
 hard up for water), and camp, while we prepared to 'run' while 
 the light lasted. I got on Charley's back with a brace of 
 pistols, Harriott on Lambert, George, Powyac, and the Spirit 
 of the Day bringing up the rear. Off we set at a slow trot, 
 the ground full of badger holes. I began to feel that I was 
 upon a horse, active as a cat, and strong as a house ! Charley 
 raked away, snatching at his bit like a little tiger, as the 
 pace became better. First we started two or three old 
 lolloping bulls from a swamp, who rattled away towards the 
 herd at their best pace. I took my place a little behind Harriott, 
 
42 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 it 
 
 if 
 
 
 lli \ 
 
 I) IH i 
 
 '? Il 
 
 to sec how he would commence operations, and take a 
 lesson. As we approached nearer the herd the pace became 
 better, and when within a hundred yarda v e rattled into 
 the herd, c rather into a cloud of dust from which issued 
 hotiL- roarings on every side, for nothing could be seen till, 
 dashing through, 1 found Harriott pitching both barrels 
 into a fat cow, and saw no more, as I was instantly in the 
 middle of rK ; band, looking out ont for myself, found her, 
 and at it we went, she bustling along bes^ pace, and I after 
 her. At bst I pitchec' a ball into h^ r quarter, and missed the 
 second shot, Charley pulling like the devil. At her again, up 
 went the tail and she charged in her turn, a pull at Charley, 
 till she was within three yards, when I pitched a ball into her 
 head. She stopped. 'Now, my lady, I shall finish you at 
 my leisure ' ! Loaded, and rode up as she walked slowly 
 away. Up went the tail and at me again, twenty miles an 
 hour, another ball in her nose, and off she went as well 
 apparently as ever. At la after innumerable running fights and 
 several more balls planted, I had to pull up, with Charley dead 
 beat, and could have cried with vexation, as I saw my first cow 
 growing beautifully less as she increased the distance between 
 us. Mem. — Discard pistols for the future! The half-breeds 
 were right when they told me pistols would not do. 
 
 Began to think where I was ! All the woods on the verge 
 lookel the same. I had no compass, ami no idea which way 
 I bar' run ; but must have gone some six or seven miles. At 
 
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SPORT lyiTH BUFFALO. 
 
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 last I saw a band of buffalo moving off, and took their back 
 track, knowing they must have come from the party. Was 
 right. Found George and Powyac in mortal combat with a 
 fine old bull which they had managed to hustle. Fancy a 
 beast twice the size of a Smithfield ox, all shaggy as a lion 
 over the forequarters, his eyes shining like coals of fire, and the 
 blood spouting from his nose and flanks, charging furiously 
 at everything within his reach, tail up and head down, and 
 you see a wounded bull at bay ! 
 
 Charley was fresh again, so I dashed at him, and like 
 lightning he turned on me, tail on end. A gentle pull at my 
 bonnie bay to let him near enough, and ' thud ' went a ball 
 against his head — but no effect ! The good-for-nothing pistol- 
 shot was as weak as a pea-shooter, and a good rifle could 
 hardly have penetrated through that mass of hair ! At last 
 Powyac placed a ball behind his shoulders, and over he rolled. 
 Procumbit humi bos. I dashed up to him, and drove my knife 
 to his heart. 
 
 ' We took his d^ouilles and tongue, and left some thousand 
 pounds of good meat to the wolves. Back to the camp. 
 Buffalo moving about all the evening. Camp pitched. We 
 ate a side of Harriott's cow ; such stuffing and feasting ! The 
 men eating the paunch raw, and sticking it down with raw 
 marrow or a bit of nose gristle, while the dipouilles and hump 
 were roasting on green branches. 
 
 Just before tea saw an old bull coming over the plain. 
 
 lii 
 
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 fl I- 
 
 [■' 
 
 44 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOLP. 
 
 and stalked him under cover of some bushes. Came within 
 one hundred and forty yards, and ' K.ill-deer ' administered a 
 convincing argument in full sight of the camp, broke his 
 shoulder, and did the same by the other (which he turned 
 towards me before he knew what was the matter) with the 
 other barrel. Down he went, and my knife was at his heart 
 in half a minuf 
 
 Back to a tine supper of cow meat, hot and hot, Siil the 
 best pieces. No sleep at night from the terrible row the 
 wolves made over the carcase of my old bull. 
 
 Tuesday, July ijth. — Made a scandalous bad shot at a cow. 
 I intended to hit her in the eye. Marks and traces of buffalo 
 fresh everywhere. Found a bull among the wood. The 
 Spirit held our horses while George and I hu.ded him. He 
 was very spiteful and meant mischief, but could not find us 
 among the bushes, and Uran* bothered him uncommonly, 
 giving us time to load. He did not fall until seven shots 
 were planted in his ribs and one in his head — a splendid 
 fellow ! sixteen and a half hands at the shoulder. After breakfast 
 took to the woods with the Spirit and George. Found a bull, 
 but the dog put him away. Another coming best pace 
 towards us passed wider than I hud expected from the bushes 
 in which I had hid myself. George missed him. * Kill-deer' 
 into his ribs. Heard the hall thud. The shot measured 
 one hundred and forty yards. The hull stood with the blood 
 
 * Bran, « dog. 
 
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SPORT IVllH BUFFALO. 
 
 pumping out as if driven by a forcing pump, from mouth 
 and nose. By the time we reached him he was rolling down 
 the hill, dead as Julius Cxsar. 
 
 Found a band in a small plain by a swamp. Broke a 
 bull's shoulder, and pitched a second ball* into his rump as 
 he made off. First shot too high. He ran like the devil. 
 Got my horse and gave chase. Loosed Bran at him, but had 
 too slow a nag to catch him. After many twists I found him 
 at bay behind some bushes. Dashed nearly up to him before 
 I was aware of it, .md my horse fell just as the bull turned 
 from the dog to charge. Luckily, he was weak and fell too, 
 and before he recovered I had dropped him with the second 
 barrel, and pitched a ball into his heart, followed by my 
 knife. 
 
 Looked round, and found the Day Spirit had not appeared 
 at the death, tried to tind my way through the woods to the 
 swamp where I had started. No go ! Fairly lost, hiUloocd 
 like blazes, no answer ; thought of filling my Hask, cutting 
 Hakes from the bull, and striking north by the compass to hit 
 the track of the carts. The lake was salt as my dear old 
 mother's nasty mixtures used to be !f It put me very much 
 in mind of them, and I thought of her and wondered whether 
 she would know me now if she saw me, wild and sun-scorched, 
 
 * All rifle biilleti circular in theae day*, 
 
 t ' NaMv mixtures ' — laiit, senna tea, and black doiei, the faihioiiable 
 medicinei of that date. 
 
I !^ 
 
 46 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 A 
 
 ragged and bloody, as I looked ! Just then I heard a faint 
 halloo, answered, and the Spirit of the Day emerged from a 
 thicket, fairer to my eyes than Aurora herself would have 
 been at that moment, for Ae knew where fresh water was to 
 be found, and she probably would not. Had a shot at a cow 
 on my way to the carts, wounded but lost her. Killed two 
 more bulls and a fat cow before night, brought away the 
 meat of the latter. The first bull was very much attached to his 
 fair ladye, and like ipreux chevalier resolved to do batile for her. 
 When I stalked the band they were standing together (and 
 a terr'Sle roaring and dust the old bulls of the band kicked 
 up, by-the-byc !). My first ball was too well planted for her 
 to go far, and she fell in a hundred yards. Her sweetheart, a 
 noble bull, tried first to raise her with his horns, but failing in 
 that he marched round her, roaring and ready to charge 
 everything. A gentle hint from ' Kill-deer ' at two hundred 
 yards made him 'lave that '; but he returned and stood over 
 her Again, until I crept closer and dropped him from some 
 bush' 
 
 ) < not overtake the carts till they were camped at a 
 salt : : on the other side of a vast plain. S.iw signs of 
 Indians, buffalo carcases lately killed, ficc. Found them to 
 be a camp of Crecs, most of the men gone to war, and only a 
 few left with the women and children. 
 
 Two of them came and sat all night at the camp fire 
 chatting with Harriott. They had killed several buffalo with 
 
SPORT IVITH BUFFALO. 
 
 47 
 
 their arrows — all those I took out of their quivers were bloody 
 up to the feathers. They were much astonished at my 
 rifle and compass, which they pronounced to be ' great 
 medicine.' 
 
 Wednesday., "July 2'ith. — A long m \c\i through a very 
 pretty country. Day cold and wet in the morning. No 
 game. Camped on a hill with a beaur<ful plain below us, 
 studded with clumps of trees like a park, and a range ot 
 wooded hills on the other side. 
 
 Thursday, July z()th. — Rode down and caught a young 
 crane, which the Day Spirit ate, as usual. Arrived at the 
 south branch of the Saskatchewan about mid-day, and luckily 
 found a bateau, notwithstanding which wc were the whole 
 day crossing our bag^'age, and floating over the carts. 
 
 Finding the bateau was very lucky, otherwise wc should 
 have had to cross our luggage in ' Pittawanagans ' or Indian 
 floats made of blankets, which will carry .^ wonderful load, 
 and are towed across by a man swimming with the line in his 
 teeth, which would have been hard work for me, as, being 
 one of the best swimmers, I should have had many a traverse 
 to make over a stream as broad as Esk in the highest flood, 
 and very rapid. Camped at Duck Lake. Had a shut nt a 
 grey goose, o\ which there were many in the lake, but did not 
 get him. 
 
 In danger of HIackfoot war parties, Precautions taken to 
 watch the horses. * Bird,' the brother of the Blackfoot chief. 
 
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 ■Jii 
 
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 4B NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 who was with us, swore he heard an Indian dog bark, and went 
 out to scout, but saw nothing. We spent an anxious night. 
 The wolves were all round, and howled in various directions at 
 once (which is the usual Indian signal when mischief is meant) 
 especially towards day-break, the time usually chosen for 
 attacks. I spent the night with • Kill-deer ' for a bed-fellow, 
 and comforted myself with thinking that if they did rush the 
 horses two of them would pay rather dear for their whistle. 
 However, we saw nothing, and got to Carlton for breakfast. 
 
 Friday, "July loth. — This is a wild post among a wild race 
 of beings. Harriott lived here for many years in charge, and 
 says he had many an anxious hour when the war parties of the 
 various tribes were prowling around. 
 
 On one occasion tv ;nty Crees were in the fort at a time 
 when the palisades were being repaired. The men (he had 
 only ten) had very nearly tinished their work when eighty 
 Blackfeet made their appearance, iti.J Harriott amused them 
 through the remainder of that day and part ot the following one, 
 buying horses and trading. By that time they had increased 
 to Koo, and insisted on killing the Cree« in the fort. The 
 palisades were Hnished, so Harriott manned the gallery and 
 ordered them off. They raised a pile of firewood at each of 
 the opposite bastions and prepared to set Hre, when Harriott 
 ordered the two swivels to be loaded, and to be fired on the 
 crowd. Just then the great ' Brave' of the band, who was a 
 friend of Harriott's, rushed from his lodge where he had been 
 
 1 \ 
 
SPORT miH BUFFALO. 
 
 49 
 
 sleeping, aiid gave chase to the whole crowd, armed only 
 with his dag, they flying before him like sheep. 
 
 The same Chief saved Harriott's life on another occasion 
 and from the same cause, when a few Crees were surprised 
 in the fort by a war-party of Blackfeet, and Harriott, sooner 
 than give them up, ordered his gun, loaded it, and said, 
 ' Now kill them and me too, for I die with them ! ' The 
 Chief stepped forward, kissed each of the principal men and 
 said, ' Go, my young braves, the white man's child shall not 
 die ! ' They knew well what this meant, and that the next 
 hint would be a ball or a stab, so each sneaked oft", and Harriott 
 was left in peace and the Crees in safety. 
 
 On another occasion they had some pigs at the fort, and 
 one very fine boar was in a pen close by the palisade. 
 The Indians coming there to trade looked on it as a great 
 curiosity, and once a party of 'Stoneys' (Assiniboines) were 
 looking at it when one exclaimed, ' If that were a bear how 
 easily I could shoot him ! ' and presenting his gun the ball 
 went through the boar's head. The man fled to the camp on 
 the hills above, but was nought out and reproached by 
 Harriott, and told that som-thing dreadful woidd happen to 
 him for shootin^r 'the great vvliive Medicine.' This had such 
 an effect that the poor fellow went raving mad, and died in 
 the spring, entreating them to 'take away the boar.' 
 
 An Assiniboine was taken very ill at the furt, and laid up 
 there through the winter, unable to move, being fed from 
 
 !r W 
 
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 t 
 
 ii 
 
.< « 
 
 )'\ 
 
 40 
 
 NOTES OF f SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 Harriott's tAb't. >'. th^ spring his wife and family were 
 employed in w «rtinj» .^ild fowls' eggs, &c., while he lived 
 at his tent on the aill ab. . By these means he heard that 
 owing to some Blackfeet being expected, Harriott's favourite 
 horses were to be sent off under the charge of a half-breed to a 
 * cache ' in the woods. He waylaid the half-breed, shot him, 
 ftole the horses, and was never heard of more at the fort. 
 
 Saturday, July 31//. — Left the fort this afternoon with 
 eleven carts and about sixteen men in all. Great accounts of 
 buffalo on the road and ' beaucoup de nations.' ' Out pistols,' 
 in consequence. A broad river to cross at starting, about the 
 width of the Thames at Westminster — »>., the north branch 
 of the Saskatchewan. Forty-one horses to swim across, our 
 party being augmented by some hunters in search of meat for 
 the fort, and some young clerks going to distant posts in the 
 frozen north. The crossing was a curious sight. Some 
 young braves of the Crccs aided at the operation, one 
 dragging the leading horse in with a cabrechc in his teeth, 
 while the others drove them from behind. Once fairly off 
 the fun began, some two would get screeching and whooping 
 on one horse's back, all swimming as they were, and down the 
 whole three would go. Two or three mure would hang on 
 to another horse's tail, while one splendid fellow, naked as 
 Apollo, was having a contest with an equally wild nag that 
 would swim the wrong way. Camped six miles west of the 
 river, having got safe over, carts, baggage, and all ! 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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SPORT lyiTH BUFFALO. 
 
 iSI 
 
 Sunday, tAugust ut. — Prudent and his young Cree hunter 
 ♦ iXhvt ' with us. Wc were in hopes of seeing some of the 
 remains of those vast herds which old Martin talked of having 
 fallen in with, a few days before, on his v^ay back from the 
 Saskatchewan, although some large camps of Crees had been 
 hunting the country since, and of course might have driven 
 the greater portion away. The line lay through vast plains, 
 with here and there a salt lake, but no good water, and the 
 day scorching. 
 
 We found c band of buffalo (about forty) after breakfast. 
 Prudent armed with his arrows (a rare instance of a white 
 man being expert with the Indian weapons). Immediately 
 carts were stopped, runners caught, balls stuffed into the 
 mouths of the white men, and arrows into the belts of the 
 Indians, handkerchiefs tied round our flowing locks, and off 
 we went. The ground was good, we trotted up leisurely, and 
 found our frier ds at a salt lake. As soon as we were perceived, 
 we turned our horses and trotted away, each man lying flat 
 along his horse, and the Crees bellowing furiously. The 
 brutes came right towards us, full gallop, till they crossed our 
 wind, when off they went, and we dashed at 'em. I intended 
 to watch Prudent at work with his arrows, and followed him 
 accordingly, till a good cow happening to cross my path, I laid 
 into her, and after a short brush slapped a ball into her ribs. 
 That little devil Charley pulled so infernally that I was some 
 time loading, but caught her up again. She charged twice. 
 
 I 
 
 }\ 
 
52 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING 70UR. 
 
 » '1; 
 
 ' i 
 
 and fell at last with her front to the foe. Prudent killed one 
 with the bow, George one, and the Indians two, also with 
 the bow. I went to look at these cows, and found each arrow 
 driven up to the feather in their flanks ; one had two, the 
 other three in her. 
 
 Suffered much from want of water. Tried the lake, but 
 might as well have tried a dose of salts. Met lots of Crees on 
 their way to the eastward. While cutting up my cow, two ot 
 these fellows came to me and talked incessantly, though 
 aware that I did not understand one syllable of their 
 language. At last one tried to take up my gun, and was 
 much affronted at my opposing him, the copper cap having 
 apparently caught his atlention. He then offered me his, but 
 I still refused. I then gave him some tobacco, we had a 
 smoke, and it was all right. 
 
 Found water towards evening, very strong of buffalo, and 
 thickly populated with worms. 1 drank it through a 
 handkerchief and thought it capital. Stalked a herd, picked 
 out a cow, and placed two halls behind the shoulder with 
 ' Kill-deer ' — a very sporting shot. Found them camped near 
 a nice cool spring. Lots of Crees in the camp. 
 
 Monday, Augmt znd. — Set out with Harriott to breakfast 
 
 with his friends the Crees at their camp. Found it to be too 
 
 far off, therefore returned. They were pitching towards 
 
 Carlton, and were then camped on the ' Bloodbury* Lake,' a 
 
 * In the maps Redberry Lake. 
 
SPOR7 If^lTH BUFFALO. 
 
 M 
 
 large and pretty sheet of water, which with its swelling 
 and broken * cotds ' reminded me of bonnie Glen AfFaric. 
 
 The country full of smoke from the fires which are begin- 
 ning to spring up all around on the prairie caused by the 
 Indians' carelessness in raising camp, or lit by them intention- 
 ally, when desirous of hiding the traces of their ' travais ' from 
 their enemies. Were overtaken by the whole male force of 
 the Cree camp just after breakfast, they streaming across the 
 prairie by twos and threes, full gallop, to the amount of fifty 
 or sixty warriors, and a wilder set of devils I never saw ! — 
 all clothed in skin robes, some of the dresses very handsomely 
 ornamented with porcupine quills, beads, ermine tails, and 
 human hair (the scalp-locks being stained blue, red, and 
 yellow). The horses also were painted, and each had s^omc 
 eagles' feathers in his mane. 
 
 We all dismounted, and sat down on the top of a bluff, 
 amid a dense smoke, to make a small addition thereto. 
 Among the party were many of Harriott's old friends with 
 whom he had spent many a jolly day in former times, and very 
 glad they all appeared to be to see him. Towards evening 
 while rid»i t; along a wide glen between two high prairie 
 ' buttes,' I spied an old bull. Instantly off saddle, and on to 
 Lambert. B\ this time he had topped the hill. The ground 
 was all covered with rocks and holes, and I could not catch 
 the great lumbering beggar. We had several scrambles but 
 no fall, and at last the bull beat me down the steep sides of 
 
 t 
 
54 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOVR. 
 
 ! \ 
 
 1^ 
 
 i 
 
 the ' butte.' Several times the old fellow seemed to repent his 
 cowardice, and appeared inclined to wheel and do battle, but 
 he always changed his mind and rattled away faster than ever, 
 while I sat on the top of the butte anathematising Lambert, 
 the steep buties, the badger holes, both separately and 
 collectively, and watching the old bull bowling away on the 
 plain below. I saw him, much to my delight, run right into 
 the Cree camp, and instantly, every dog therein (at least 
 sixty) set at him, and there was a magnificent shindy. The 
 camp was in a narrow ravine just opposite my position, which 
 was the only outlet in the neighbourhood to the glen, and 
 the old gentleman popped into the hornets' nest before he 
 was aware. Luckily, for him, there were only squaws and 
 dogs at home, so he had it all his own way, and rattled 
 through driving everything before him. 
 
 I took the track and found ' nos gens ' camped by a lake, 
 which proved tc have a fine ' Glauber Havour,' rather against 
 good tea-making, but otherwise wholesome in this grilling 
 weather. Stalked a herd with Harriott and George. 
 Harriott made a hash of it. No shot, 
 
 Tuesday, eAugutt yj. — Made a good stalk in open ground, 
 and killed a bull, a very long shot. The people ran a band 
 before I overtook them, but got nothing. The ground here 
 very pretty, and broken with wood on most of the large 
 l)luffs. Stalked a bull with George, a moving shot, got within 
 a hundred and ten yards, and hit him in the ribs. The old 
 
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SP0R7 IVITH BUFFALO. 
 
 55 
 
 bull cut some curious capers, thought he was going to charge, 
 and George made a bolt for the horses. Laughed at him. 
 The bull too much bothered, and rattled away down the hill, 
 sent the right barrel after him, but without any effect. Cimp 
 too far off to follow him. 
 
 V/ished Harriott to stop at the creek, but he did not like 
 the neighbourhood, forty tents of Crees being not far off. 
 After breakfast the men came to us, pouring over the hills on 
 their little wild horses, very smart indeed. Another long 
 smoke. Powyac, pipe-filler general. The chief bringing the 
 large 'medicine' pipe, which was passed round until empty, 
 when it was instantly replenished with tobacco and ' achegase- 
 p.ihquah,' no Indian ever smoking the former pure. The 
 great Brave accompanied us ; said Brave a very jolly fellow, 
 and we are great friends. He has lost one eye by a Blackfoot 
 arrow, and has taken many scalps. The Brave went with me 
 to see mc shoot an old bull, having heard of ' Kill-deer's ' 
 performances. Made a bad shot and missed, much to the 
 Brave's disgust, who nevertheless made a much worse shot. 
 Bad luck to-day. Stalked more buffalos towards evening. 
 Ground bad. A fine cow and a bull on the skirt of the herd. 
 Could not come in. The Brave began to roar so like a bull, 
 that I several times looked round, thinking it mint be one 
 Cow tried to come, hut the bull would not let her, and ke|it 
 between mc and her. Shot, and missed her head, all that 
 was exposed. Tried then to run, but not mounted to catch. 
 
66 
 
 NOTES OF yf SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 Returned to camp, and found them ' fixed ' with a broken cart 
 axle, by the side of a salt lake. Very thirsty, but no water. 
 Smoke fearfully thick and nearly smothered with ashes. 
 Made a good stalk at some geese on the mud in a lake, and 
 shot one with the ritle. Took the track and ran it long 
 before I caught the camp; nearly lost it once or twice on 
 some hard bad ground, but recovered it by some very sporting 
 'casts forward,' worthy of an M.F.H. 
 
 Found another break-down, and no wood to repair 
 damages. Horses to watch now every night, which adds 
 much to the fatigue, as we start at four, and do not generally 
 camp till seven o'clock. The horses fail too, as they cannot 
 feed when they are all huddled round the fire. The party 
 divided into six watches, three taking it alternate nights. 
 
 IVet/nfji/ay, August \th. — Saw a bull, two cows, and a calf 
 this morning, going best pace, and looming very large through 
 the smoke. Lent Prudent my horse to run them, as we 
 were short of meat. He could not catch them, as the j^round 
 was bad. Wish I had had Charley ready. Poor fellow ! He 
 looks very thin and poor, but as game as ever, and his large 
 bright stag-like eye as clear. I never throw a leg over him 
 evrept '.o run, so he has an easy time of it. 
 
 Breakfast at the Lac du Brochct, where Martin saw such 
 countless herds — not t»ne now to be seen, Hre and Indians 
 having driven them all away. Traces of Hre, as far as the eye 
 can reach, either burnt or burning. Harriott and I hustled a 
 
 t. 
 
 \\\ 
 
SPORT irriH BUFFALO. 
 
 r>7 
 
 sick wolf, a most barbarous murder. Day grilling hot, and 
 air full of smoke and ashes. A long and most wearisome 
 march. Camped late and very tired. Meat done, and rum- 
 keg dry. Saw several cabris, but got none. 
 
 Thursday, tAugust ^th. — Sat at the fire long after the camp 
 had started. George had a fine shot at two cabris that 
 came to look at ui, but missed. My rifle had gone on with 
 the carts. While running up the track I stopped behind 
 to mend my bridle, and while doing so Bran came scuttling 
 over a hill to me, with his tail betv/een his legs, and a large 
 wolf after him. I hid behind my horse, and the beggar 
 came within five yards before he saw mc, when he wheeled 
 round and went and sat on a knoll about fifty yards off, 
 looking exceedingly impertinent. How I wished for ' Kill- 
 deer ' to take the sauce out of him ! 
 
 Overtook the camp at breakfast at Mar /icrc des Anglais,' 
 the said riviere being totally dried up, the channel covered 
 with nothing but bare stones and a small stagnant poi'l 
 remaining in one place, out of which we filled the kettU 
 The scarcity of water in the plains, Harriott tells me, 
 becoming alarming. Springs that he remembers have total 
 dried up, rivers that used to be belly-deep, now hanlly 
 have water enough to fill a kettle; and the Indians ta\ i-a 
 they shall soon be obliged to stick to the main rivers, or 
 carry water skins. 
 
 Went with the Brave to look for cabris, I hope he is .1 
 
 1 
 
 li^ 
 
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 I! 
 

 58 
 
 ArO'r£5 OF // SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 better hand at stalking his enemies ; at de^r, I am sorry to 
 say, he is a mufF ! Three times George and I had to show 
 him the animals, and once when I caught sight of an old doe, 
 with the shade on her, I had to point for three or four 
 minutes before he could make her out.* Passed through an 
 immense district of undulating country, all burnt or burning, 
 and dined at Red-deer River. This part (i.e., of the river) 
 runs through a chain of wooded hills of the same name, said 
 to be much resorted to by anima'.a in the winter, who come 
 there for food and shelter. The river is only a small burn of 
 lovciy water, but with very steep banks My cart ups^t in 
 going dow. but was luckily righted by our united -exertions 
 before reaching the water, so my little treasures again 
 miraculously escaped a ducking. Dined amid a smoke that 
 was sufFocrUiiig, and reach the Saskatchewan once more in the 
 afternoon, and ^ ^n Pitt before dusk. 
 
 The fort "" situated in what we call on the Border a 
 ' Holme,' by me side of the river, with the high ' cote ' 
 towering ubce it behind, and a still higher one in front, 
 on the opposite side. The country is exceedingly pretty 
 hcrcaoouts, and indeed everywhere along the banks of tht 
 river — woods, undulating ground, and vast prairies. A large 
 camp of Crees (about twenty lodges) arrived this evening, 
 alarmed by the Blackfeet war- parties that are scouring the 
 country, one of which war-parties killed eight squaws and 
 
 * The losi of the poor Brave'* eye may partly account tor this. 
 
 < . i 
 
SPORT lyiTH BUFFALO 
 
 5:» 
 
 children and two men the other day, somewhere between 
 this and Edmondton, and wounded several others. I went 
 to see the Crees pitchiiig their camp, and was much amused. 
 The squaws (some of them very smart with their red- 
 headed metassins, and leather shifts ornamented with quill 
 work) arrived first, each followed by her train of dogs, 
 eithe' loaded with saddle bags, or else harnessed to travais 
 bearing their lodges, meat, and baggage. On arriving, the 
 poles of the travais weie converted into lodge posts; 
 and while two or three of the old squaws set tc ^ .■ 'ling 
 the lodge, the younger ones of each lodge startcii with 
 the dogs to the tjearest wood, for loads of green branches 
 and firewood, and each dog when loaded returned alone 
 from the v/ood with his burthen, to the quarters of his 
 owner. The men, in the meantime, sat in knots about the 
 knolls, chatting, smoking, and shooting their arrows at prairie 
 dogs, &c. I paid % visit to a lodge where I had seen a 
 very pretty young lady cooking her supper. Harriott and 
 I went in. Our host, an old blind man, was sitting on a 
 sort of sofa of buffalo skins, with a back to it, like a chair, 
 as naked as he was born, excepting his waist-cloth, with 
 two of his children sitting on his knee, and two more 
 babies, belonging to another family, liuoked up in their 
 little boxes to the poles, looking like small mummies. The 
 old fellow called immediately to his family, saying, ' Here 
 are strangers come to my lodge, and I have nothing good 
 
 \\i 
 
 i 
 
60 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 1 . Ui 
 
 
 to give them. Bring food, my children ! * Whereupon my 
 pretty friend and another appeared, bearing • naveaux dc 
 prairie,' and buffalo ribs roasted ' appalas ' fashion, and 
 the former having given us our share (a very large one, 
 by-the-by) began eating her own suppjr with a most 
 unladylike appetite, seizing large pieces with as pretty a 
 set of little white regular teeth as any English lady, and 
 'flinching' them ufF the rib with a scalping knif:, after 
 which they disappeared in a miraculous manner, till I 
 wondered how so pretty a little mouth could find room 
 for such masses of solid beef ! 
 
 Friday, tAugutt bth. — Spent the day at Fort Pitt. 
 
 Saturday, eAugust yth. — Some fresh horses here. Started 
 after breakfast, crossing the carts in a bateau, and swim- 
 ming the horses. Accounts of want oi water on the road 
 are very alarming. Took the Cree warrior on with us, 
 as he knows the only holes and springs where any can be 
 got. Country all burning, and we were actually travelling 
 over smoking ashes for some time. At dinner saw a cabri. 
 The Indian and Powyac fired, but missed. No water where 
 we expected to find some. Horses much distressed, the 
 ones from the fort being very fat, and not seasoned like 
 our old stage . A long ride to 'Vcrmcille' creek, where 
 we camped. A little stagnant, saltish, and bad water in the 
 creek. The ' cot^s ' very pretty, green, steep and wooded, 
 and spangieii with pretty rtowcrs, of all "-urts and all colours. 
 
SPORT WITH BUFFALO. 
 
 61 
 
 Powyac saw something move in the bushes on the 
 opposite side, just as we were unloading, but lost sight 
 again. I pushed through and searched about, hoping it 
 might be a bear, but could find nothing, and returned ; when, 
 just as I was undressing for a wash, a huge stag dashed up the 
 steep brae opposite, and out of sight over the hill. Francois, 
 the half-breed, after it on a horse bare-backed, and killed it 
 about two miles off after a short run. Went with them to 
 bring home the meat, an enormous animal, as big as a 
 buffalo cow, only twelve points, but a spread of six feet 
 between the antlers, and three inches of fat on the haunches, 
 yet they said it was a small and lean one. 
 
 Sunday, August Ht/i. — Expected to fall in with buffalo 
 every minute. Prudent killed a buck cabri before breakfast. 
 Overtook the camp after, at a saltish lake, which the horses 
 managed to drink, but we could not. A bull came to the 
 water just as we were starting, and McKenzie borrowed my 
 rifle to kill him, which he did after a long approach. 
 
 An alarm of Indians, a Cree, who was with us, having 
 seen heads above a neighbouring bluff. It turned out to be 
 two poor Crecs returning from the camp where so many had 
 been murdered, having no guns, no ammunition, not even 
 a knife, and no food, nothing but a spear made out of an 
 old bayonet, between them. They saw our horses, took us 
 for Blackfect, and were most deucedly frightened. 
 
 I killed an old b'.:!! shortly after breakfast, and presently 
 
 «!■ 
 
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 / 
 
62 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 i'l 
 
 we came on an immense herd, scattered all over a vast 
 undulating plain on our left. Harriott would not stop, so 
 Prudent and I went at them alone on toot, hit several, but 
 killed none, unluckily, as we wanted some cow meat. 
 Found Harriott at dinner at a good spring, rather alarmed 
 at our long stay, as the war-parties were plentiful in the 
 neighbourhood. What a luxu.-y a good drink is ! after a long 
 march in grilling weather, and after having had nothing 
 but brackish water, or none at all for the last two or three 
 days. Camped at a creek after another long march. Great 
 tires in the belt of woods that divided us from the large 
 pluins. These tires looked very grand after dark, as the flames 
 ran up some huge pine or poplar, with the whole sky red, 
 and bright as day for miles around. 
 
 3tonday^ August gt/i. — Remained at the fire long after 
 the camp started. While cantering on to overtake them I 
 spied some lodges, and a large band of horses, on the opposite 
 side of the vale through which we were travelling. Rode 
 on to .1 knoll to reconnoitre, and could see no men about, 
 which looked odd. Five of us remained with our own band 
 of horses, and the two halt-breeds, for fear of accidents, 
 pushing them along smartly. Presently we saw a large party 
 of Indians, all arrtied, riding towards us. Took ' Kill-bull ' out 
 of the cover, and put caps on, and as all the party seemed 
 shy, McKenzie and 1 dashed ofl^ towards them, thinking to 
 ' make a spoon or spoil a horn ' of it, at once ; but keeping 
 
SPORT IVITtl WFF/tLO. 
 
 9$ 
 
 a 'jharp eye for hostile demonstrations. As I approached, I 
 repf.nted my hurry, for a more truculent - looking set of 
 scoundrels I never saw, and I observed that each man had 
 his bow strung, and his war-arrows in his bridle hand and 
 those who had guns had the covers off. However, it would 
 not do to turn., so I pushed up the hill at . gallop ; followed 
 Hy McKtnzie, and shook hands with the chief, and with 
 tl em all in succession. They proved to be Crees and half- 
 breeds, who had pushed out to see whit was stirring so near 
 their camp. They told us that it ' rained buffalo ' on our 
 road, and that they were going to hunt the nearest herd 
 to-day. Overtook the camp travelling along a chain of lovely 
 little lakes, with wooded broken ground on each side, and the 
 lakes as full as they could hold of wild-fnwl, and of many 
 geese. Saw a good many old bulls on the opposite side, gave 
 chase to three that were lolloping along ahead of the carts, 
 and a clincher from ' Kill-bull ' stopped an old fellow, as he was 
 toddling up a hill about a mile to the left of the party. 
 While flinching him, and taking his tongue for want of better, I 
 heard a devil of a row below me, and saw Powyac and anuthcr 
 half-breed rattling away at the .ail of a huge herd, coming 
 right for me, and making the earth tremble again, with their 
 galloping and roaring. Le ' Brun Farouche ' was no runner, 
 so I had no other chance than a quiet shot, and, hiding in a 
 bush, I waited to pick out a good cow. ' Kill-bull ' missed 
 fire, and the second barrel, though well administered at thirty 
 
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 IMAGE EVALUATION 
 TEST TARGET (MT-3) 
 
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64 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 yards, took no more effect than if I had shied a pat of butter 
 at her. Crammed spurs into Le Brun to follow my cow, 
 overtaken by some of the part)-, Powyac and the herd out of 
 sight, over the hill among the bushes. Met a large herd in 
 the teeth, hid in the bushes and as they passed I floored one 
 fat cow, and George another. While cutting up our meat, 
 taw four bulls, stalked them, and I killed one with the first 
 barrel, and wounded the second, which died hard, taking four 
 more shots. George killed another. The open plain to the 
 left, black with auimals. 
 
 Pushed for the camp, with our meat for breakfast, and 
 to ask for a holiday to run the herds on the plain. Got a 
 half holiday. Lots of tit-bits at breakfast ; but too fidgetty 
 to eat, the plain being covered with bufl^alo in sight. Out 
 with ' the smooth gun ' and saddled Charley. George on 
 Lambert. The Crees were at them before we could cross the 
 swamp, where we had terrible floundering. Met a herd with 
 four Crctj after them. The ground very bad and full of large 
 badger holes. The Crees screeching, yelling, and pushing 
 their little hones, as if riaing on a bowling green. Was not 
 going to be beat by Indians, so pushed also, had two or three 
 terrible flounders, but no fall, and made my rush, giving 
 Charley his head, as the animals were passing up a steep 
 bank. I knocked one down like a rabbit. While looking 
 at him, saw a fine bull going best pace to George. Called 
 out, but he was not loaded, so ran myself That little devl 
 
 
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 UPORT IVITH BUFFALO. 
 
 6& 
 
 Charley as game as ever, and though the bull had a long 
 start, Charley placed me at his side at the foot of a 
 hill, with a wood at the top. A great struggle for the 
 shot, before he gained the shelter, and I planted one well 
 into his ribs, as he dashed into covert. Pulled up to load, 
 and then after George, who had followed him. Saw George 
 dodging round the covert and hanging back, reproached 
 him for not pushing in, fearing I should lose the bull. 
 George said something as I passed, I did not hear what, 
 and then I found myself in two minutes fast among fallen 
 trees, and Charley unable to move. Heard a slight cracking 
 among the bushes, and tried to struggle on. Suddenly there 
 was a tremendous crash, and the bull was upon me, a fallen 
 tree was between us, and he could not charge up. Pitched 
 another ball into him, and prepared for a bolt, but he tell 
 
 dead. 
 
 A grand day's sport ! Killed several more. Saw herds 
 after herds all day, in the most beautiful country that can 
 be imagined. Lakes, woods, and creeks in all directions, 
 and mesasquetoii berrieo thick as blackberries in England. 
 Camped at night at the end of the lakes. Buffalo herds 
 all round us, and their roaring at a distance sounded like 
 the thunder of a huge waterfall. Several alarms at night 
 from bulls frightening the horses, which came galloping into 
 camp, ■^nd nearly knocked over the tents. Had to fire at two 
 bufFalos before morning. K 
 
 4 
 
 \ 
 
€6 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 i 
 
 Tuetday, August loth. — A damp, raw, nasty morning, the 
 first we have had. Saw mtny buffalo. Stalked a herd, 
 wounded a cow and two bulls, made some fine shots, but 
 got none. The old bulls very tough. The cow had five 
 balls in her, and yet she beat us. Travelled all the morning 
 through countless herds, but the track of the camp was so bad 
 to follow, from the ground being so hard beaten by buffalo, 
 that we were t^o much occupied for sport. 
 
 Came up with them at last, at dinner, and were much 
 quizzed about bringing no meat, they having killed two fat 
 cows. Harriott shot a fox, and after dinner I went down 
 with him to approach a herd. I kille'l two bulls and hit 
 a cow, none under 1 50 yards, much to his astonishment at 
 the long range. 
 
 Went off the track with him to hunt. We killed two 
 cows and a bull, and then turned to join the party with the 
 meat ; but could not find the track. We had plenty of 
 meat, and the river was not more than thirty miles off, lying 
 due north, so I did not care ; but he was anxious about his 
 people, and his daughter, among the war-parties. So we 
 hunted about very carefully and at last found the traces of 
 wheels. I killed another hull and cow before night, and 
 we camped late after much sport. 
 
 A prairie camp is always mcrrv, when meat is plentiful, 
 and jokes, marrow-bones, ' appalas,' and ' grillades du nord, ' 
 always accompany each other ; besides the rum keg had to 
 
SPORT IFITH BUFFALO. 
 
 67 
 
 be finished to-night, and the water was drinlcable, so we 
 were happy enough ! 
 
 Wednesday, August i \th. — A raw, dreary morning, bushes 
 all wet, very cold to ride through. Lost two horses and 
 a mare of Monsieur Thibault's. Half-breeds tracked them 
 up, and brought them to the camp at breakfast. The greater 
 number of the party (myself among them) ill, from the 
 enormous quantities of mesasqueton berries devoured yester- 
 day. Though said berries were in greater quantifies, and 
 still finer to-day, nobody, or very few, appeared inclined to 
 try them. They certainly are very nice, the good ones 
 having very much the taste of a juicy black Hamburgh 
 grape. 
 
 Crossed two bad creeks after breakfast, one of them very 
 steep, and the banks a great height. Much difficulty and 
 labour in getting the carts through, and one broke down 
 with a man, a woman, and some children in it. 
 
 Harriott in great spirits at being so near to what he called 
 home, having been absent for eighteen months from his wife 
 and children. He was also rather anxious about the Crees 
 who were with us, whom, he said, any Blackfeet about the 
 fort would immediately try to kill. I watched the old Brave 
 Comenacous. He did not know how many of his most 
 deadly enemies might at that very moment be within a mile 
 of him, and that it was very doubtful whether Harriott could 
 protect him, yet he rode on at the head of the band. 
 
 ; 
 
 'I 
 
 i , 
 
 ! 
 
 .^•*i 
 
fi8 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 ij ' ■ «V! as 
 
 humming his wild Indian song, and looking as unconcerned 
 as if he were going on a hunting party. 
 
 We soon arrived on the steep high bluff abovt the 
 
 Saskatchewan, and saw Fort Edmondton on the opposite 
 
 height, with the Union Jack flying at the flag-staff. As 
 
 soon as we were seen, there was a great scuffle in the fort, 
 
 and by the time we had wound down the steep defile, leading 
 
 to the water side, the bateau was off with young Rowan 
 
 — the ' Charge d'Affaires ' and a great hunter — in it, on its 
 
 way to greet us. A his moment a gaunt and hungry looking 
 
 savage came crawling along under the river bank, and seeing 
 
 Rowan on the bow of the bateau, exclaimed, in Cree, ' He 
 
 must be a great medicine ! He is alive still !' On Rowan's 
 
 landing he seemed equally surprised to see the Indian. He 
 
 told us that four days before our arrival he had crossed the 
 
 river with this savage to see if he could meet us, and — 
 
 for almost the first time in his life on that side of the river 
 
 — without a gun ! On ascending the bank the savage, 
 
 who was behind, called out to him to ' take care ! ' And 
 
 on looking back, he saw a naked Blackfoot (who was called 
 
 Harriott's son, by the way) in his war paint, creeping up 
 
 close to shoot him, The Indian fired at six paces and missed. 
 
 Rowan's horse went off at speed amidst a volley from thirteen 
 
 more Blackfeet who had hid in the bushes. They all 
 
 missed ; but the ground was torn up all round him, and many 
 
 halls passed close to him. They chased, but, finding they 
 
SPORT iriTH BUFFALO. 
 
 69 
 
 could not catch him, turned on the Indian, and wounded 
 his horse, followed up the trace, as, from the blood, they 
 thought the man was hit ; but he escaped, and hid in the 
 bushes for four days, with nothing to eat but two young 
 ducks that he caught, and he had just returned when we 
 arrived. Rowan in the meantime made a circle, and returned 
 to the ferry, knowing his family would be anxious about him, 
 and that there was no one left at the fort but two old men, 
 — the rest having gone ofF to the haymaking and berry- 
 picking. He met three more Blackfeet, who chased him 
 into the creek we had crossed in the morning, after which 
 he returned again, and crossed over. 
 
 On hearing that many war-parties were in the neighbour- 
 hood we bethought us of the man, woman, and children 
 that wc had left with the broken-down cart; and Powyac, 
 Prudent, and myself started on the back track to see after 
 them. ' Kill-bull ' on the saddle bow, out of cover, and caps 
 
 on, ditto the belt pistols. Felt not to care a d n for a 
 
 score of the sneaking rascals with old ' Kill-bull ' and a good 
 horse. Met the cart all safe, so we were ' quittes pour la 
 peur ! * 
 
 II 
 
 * " 
 
70 
 
 ! • 
 
 AT FORT EDMONDTON AND EXPEDITIONS FROM 
 
 THENCE. 
 
 August i2th to 26th, 
 
 Sunday, August 15M. — Have been here now three or 
 four days, and long for the prairie again. OfF to-morrow 
 with some half-breeds, to kill meat for the fort, into the 
 Blackfoot country. Perhaps they will have my scalp before 
 this day week, and, at all events, they shall earn it ! 
 
 I wonder what they are doing at old Netherby to-day. 
 I think I see my dear old father, my mother, and the bairns* 
 sitting in the old pew at Kirkandrews, listening to the 
 Rector. Perhaps they are thinking of their wild boy Fred ! 
 Sometimes I think of the bonnie heather braes of old Bew- 
 castle,f and fancy I can hear the moor-cocks crowing ' out 
 bye ' at White Lyne, the Hart Head, and the Middles, as I 
 sit on a prairie bluff, with my rifle over my knee, and my 
 horse grazing at the length of his cabreche. 
 
 The people and the deeds are wild here indeed. This 
 
 • • The lairns ' — Frederick Graham's younger brothers and sisten, the 
 eldest of whoin was eleven years younger than he was, he being at this time 
 twenty-seven years old. The eldest of the younger five a girl of sixteen, the 
 youngest a boy of eleven. 
 
 t Grouse moors near Netherby, 
 
FORT EDMONDTON. 
 
 71 
 
 fort and the neighbourhood have been, and still are, the 
 scenes of many a fierce fight, and many a cruel butchery. 
 There are now at the fort a poor woman and a man of the 
 Crees, who were badly wounded by the Peigans a few days 
 ago. The woman has the side of her face blown off, and 
 the man has been shot through the thigh, and Harriott 
 has toid me many anecdotes of fights and skirmishes all round 
 the fort, with both Blackfeet and Stone Indians, in their 
 attempts to steal the horses, &c. 
 
 Sunday, ^August 22nd. — Returned safe yesterday, and met 
 with no Indians. Camped the first night at the Lac du Foin, 
 a good day's march to southward, across the Beaver hills, and 
 through thick woods most of the way. Saw some bull? 
 about the lake, and many traces of bears on the road. Our 
 party consisted of nine in all — two Crees, four Englishmen, 
 and three half-breeds. At least little Franyois Lucie, that 
 prince of backwoodsmen, is quarter-bred. Fran9ois is a fine 
 little veteran ' Coureur des Prairies,' as tough as steel, and 
 'game' to the backbone; the hero of several fights with the 
 Assiniboines, several of whom he has killed, and he tells 
 his story with a grin of how he ripped up the last fellow 
 with his ' dag,' as if it were the best joke possible. 
 
 The march next day still to the southward, within sight 
 of the woods that fringe Battle River, far into the Blackfoot 
 hunting-grounds, where we proposed to camp, if we did not 
 find animals. I killed one or two bulls, a sign that cows 
 
 y\ 
 
 \ 
 
72 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 P 5 
 
 were not far off. Vast plains, all eaten bare from the quantity 
 of animals that had passed lately. No wood, no grass, no 
 water, and a scorching day. Arrived at last on the shores of a 
 huge salt lake, and Fran9ois spied a large band of animals 
 on the opposite shore. Made the detour successfully, and 
 found them on a fine level plain by the lake shore. A very 
 large band. Ran them, killed twelve fat cows. Charley 
 went crazy, and ran away with me. I only killed one and 
 had a hand in killing two others, one of whom charged 
 gallantly, till she fell. Returned late to our cache of horses 
 and baggage, and camped at a salt lake, after cutting up the 
 meat. The water abominable. Kept close in our little 
 hollow by the lake all night. Horses all picketed, and the 
 men round the fire, with their arms ready. 
 
 Plenty to eat that night, to make up for the previous 
 night's ' short commons ' of dry biscuit and bad tea. Belle 
 Fesse* very much frightened, not having recovered his being 
 made a target of, last week, and we could not persuade him to 
 leave the camp, loo yards after dark, to look after his horses. 
 
 Off early to complete our load. Approached two herds. 
 I killed one cow and lost another. George killed another 
 cow, after Fran9ois had missed. The half-breeds and Crees 
 ran the last band, and killed three more. I saw the brutes 
 cut up one cow alive, a most cruel operation. Came back 
 
 * ' Belle Fesse,' the Cree Indian, who had escaped from the Blackfeet so 
 recently. 
 
T^ 
 
 FORT EDMONDTON. 
 
 73 
 
 to camp early, heavily loaded with meat, and found all right. 
 All the white men very ill from the water. Dreadfully 
 thirsty, but dared not drink. Chewed a bullet. Sent Fran9ois 
 off with Belle Fesse and the barrels to search for some. Not 
 home at nightfall. Became very anxious in such a dangerous 
 country. Kept the people together and employed myself 
 herding the horses. Saw Frangois at last against the sky, 
 and very glad to see him. Barrels full of good water. They 
 had seen lots of buffalo and no enemies, and judged by the 
 number of animals that none were near. They cautioned me 
 about sleeping far from the fire, as, if an p' . should arise, 
 I might be cut off before I could be aroused. 
 
 Very ill next day from the water. Sent the loaded horses 
 off with the meat early, and made a detour ourselves. Killed 
 several bulls. One charged George, and nearly caught him. 
 Found the marks of many bears, but saw none. No water, 
 and very hot. Fran9ois tried a salt lake, but could not drink 
 it. I chewed a bullet and some tobacco alternately. Found 
 lots of bird cherries, and mesasqueton berries, and very glad 
 of them. A great deal of strong wood to get through, very 
 thick with fallen timber. A very long march, and did not 
 overtake the camp till the moon was high. Came along 
 the Indian trail through the woods. George killed a skunk 
 in the wood, and smelt abominably in consequence. Luckily 
 it was a young one, or we should have been all poisoned. 
 
 Arrived all safe at the Saskatchewan yest -day. Saw the 
 
74 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 'I 
 
 traces of the war-party that so nearly shot Rowan and Belle 
 Fesse when they left the trail. Belle Fesse in a great funk 
 all last night, and would not stir a yard from the fire. 
 Comenacous came over to us in the boat with none of his 
 finery on, only his breech clout; and driving our horses in, 
 swam across holding to the last one's tail, and screeching like 
 a demon. Off to-morrow up the river with Fran9ois for a 
 last hunt, and then for Old England. The Columbia* would 
 be a bore. No sport on the road, and great uncertainty 
 about the means of getting on. 
 
 I hate the sight of these forts. Strange, large tumbledown 
 places, like lumber-rooms on a vast scale. All the white men 
 living in them, look as if they had been buried ibr a century or 
 two, and dug up again, and had scarcely yet got their eyes 
 open, for they look frightened when they see a stranger! 
 The women are masses of fat, and speak nothing but Cree; 
 and dogs and Indians wander about the large, dark, and filthy 
 courtyards at pleasure — the latter so noiselessly with their 
 moccasined feet, that, when you sometimes sit down to write 
 alone, on looking up, you find a circle of wild faces, with 
 their large black eyes, shaded by their long elf locks, fixed 
 upon jou, watching everything you do with great attention. 
 Then no one can conceive the nuisance of the dogs. Each 
 fort has a hundred or two of these devils, which, Harriott 
 
 * The alternative contcmpl.ited would have been to go on through British 
 Columbia, and round the World home, 
 
 I n 
 
F0R7 EDMONDION. 
 
 75 
 
 tells me, are necessary for the winter sleighing, and these 
 roam about searching for food (they are never fed), the court- 
 yard being a perpetual scene of growling, snarling, and yelping 
 all day, and of lamentable howling choruses all night. The 
 plains, the plains for me ! 
 
 Wednesday, ^August 2Sth. — Went to hunt ducks in the 
 little lakes near here with Louis and McKenzie. Came back 
 with our horses loaded before evening. Louis killed no 
 himself the other day. 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 ^ I 
 
 V 
 
 
 '. ' 
 
 \. 
 
 1 i 
 
 1 
 
76 
 
 ! I 
 
 \" I 
 
 > : I 
 
 START EASTWARD. 
 
 JOURNEY TO FORT PITT, AND EXPEDITION THENCE 
 
 TO THE LAC DU DIABLE. 
 
 August 26th to September 4Th. 
 
 Thursday, August zbth, — Off at sunrise, with four loaded 
 horses, Rowan, Rankin for cook, Belle Fesse, Comcnacous, and 
 Abraham. 
 
 Good-bye to Harriott ! Poor fellow ! He has been kind- 
 ness itself to me ! Everything he had was at my service, men 
 and horses were always ready for me, and all the little deli- 
 cacies of the ' Nor'-wester ' (few and scarce enough, God 
 knows ! and therefore the more precious) were prepared for 
 my use ! i.e., 4 lbs. of tea (he only had 6 lbs. altogether for 
 himself and family !) a little keg of rum, some sugar, and a few 
 biscuits, besides some capital Blackfoot ' boucane." Travelled 
 all day through strong woods, and broke my tent-poles, 
 which I left there and then. Great trouble with the packs, 
 which were constantly being torn off by the fallen timber. 
 No want of water on this bank of the river. We con- 
 stantly were crossing lovely springs and little rivers of clear, 
 
^ 
 
 EASTIVARD TO FORT PITT. 
 
 77 
 
 cool water, both this day and the following one, generally 
 flowing at the bottom of deep wooded glens, very pretty 
 and wild, but the devil and all to get through, with loaded 
 horses. Camped late. Sky threatening a stormy night. 
 Missed my tent poles. Tried to make an ' abris ' with the 
 oil-cloth, but failed in the dark. Heavy rain. 
 
 Friday^ isAugust zjth. — Reached the creek we meant to 
 stop at last night at about seven o'clock. Rowan's calcu- 
 lations of distance rather wild. Poor Rankin's horse gave out 
 here. I examined it, and found inflammation running high. 
 Set George to bleed the horse. He took two quarts, and 
 the animal started afresh au i'eger. 
 
 Saw the tracks of a large bear and two young ones, quite 
 fresh. Rowan and I tried hard to rout her out, but she had 
 got our wind and was not forthcoming. Saw some more 
 fresh signs of bears among the choke cherry bushes, with 
 which the banks of the river (the Saskatchewan), along which 
 we were travelling, were covered, loaded with their black 
 fruit. The bears had been feeding here in all directions, 
 on the berries, devouring them by armfuls. 
 
 Some of the views of the noble river, with its steep wooded 
 blutfs, and long reaches through the forest vistas, very, very 
 bonnie ! While every now and then we look down from a 
 high blufl^ upon a large 'holme'* by the water side, studded 
 with clumps of flne timber and single trees, like an English 
 • ' Holme,' border name for a grass meadow by the lide of a river. 
 
 t 
 
 
 ''*»1 
 
:i ti'i * 
 
 78 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 park. In one of these, at ' la riviere de la terre blanche,' the 
 remains of two old forts of the rival companies* were situated, 
 in a lovely spot, which would have made a Belvoir or a Chats- 
 worth had it been in England; but here it was only known as 
 a good camping spot to the rough Nor'-wester, or scarce more 
 wild and savage Indian. The two forts had quarrelled as 
 usual, and fought, till (like the Kilkenny cats) there was very 
 little le^' of them — i.e., of the men belonging to them — when 
 the Blackfeet stepped in, and settled the matter by knocking 
 the remainder on the head, and burning the forts. 
 
 Saw what we took to be red deer, across the creek. 
 Jumped from my horse, and through the river, and up the 
 'c6te* with ' Kill-bull' to stalk them. They turned out to be 
 Indian dogs, and I saw the smoke of the lodge-fires above 
 the trees. We got our goods and chattels through the creek ; 
 and then Rowan and I set off, at full gallop, to see who and 
 what they were. They proved to be Strongwood Crees 
 drying buffalo meat. Powyacs brother Sagemac was with 
 them, and brought us some capital ' depouilles ,' ' appalas,' and 
 marrow grease, besides dried berries and pounded meat. I 
 never saw such a contrast between two of the same family 
 as between Powyac and his i)rother. The former, excepting 
 for his long hair, and something wildish in the 'cut of his jib,' 
 
 • Rival companies, — 'Hudson's Bay' and 'North West' were tli-' rival 
 Trading Companies, who frequently quarrelled until in 1822 they were amalga- 
 mated under the name of Hudson's Bay Company. 
 
EASTlVjtRD TO FORT PITT. 
 
 79 
 
 in the make of his clothes and accoutrements, might have 
 passed well enough for a German 'jager.' His brother (the 
 Mosquito) was a complete savage, leather shirt, metassins, 
 and robe, and spoke not one syllable of French. 
 
 Saturday, tAugust i^th. — Mosquito with us. Got among 
 buffalo. I opened the ball by flooring an old bull with 
 ' Kill-bull,' and took his head for Netherby. Found a band 
 before breakfast, and prepared to ' run.' I picked out a cow, 
 and killed her with difficulty, iiaking some very bad shots. 
 Tackled a bull on my way back. The old gentleman pug- 
 naciously disposed, and showed fight directly. Pitched a 
 ball into his shoulder as he came on, charging gallantly, 
 and he fell — a brave old fellow ! I was almost sorry for him. 
 Took meat from my cow for breakfast, ;'nd hacked out 
 my favourite marrow-bones. Saw buffalo in herds upon 
 herds all day. Shot many. Found one band in a fine plain, 
 and, though loaded with meat, I could not resist running. 
 I rode Rowan's best horse, a perfect runner. Approached 
 very close, lying on my horse's^ neck. Made my rush, as soon 
 as they began to move, and killed my first cow, in good style, 
 knocking her over like a rabbit. Picked another that led 
 me a long dance, through bad ground, fallen timber, and 
 long grass, and up and down steep hills ; many flounders, 
 but no fall. A run over the stiffest part of I^eicestershire 
 is a joke to running buffiilo with half-breeds through a bad 
 rolling prairie ! Collared the cnw at last, and knocked her 
 
 I; 
 
 i 
 
 II 
 
 ^1 
 
80 
 
 NO'''"-'! OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 over a steep pitch on to the top of an old bull. Bull, cow, 
 horse, and I all down in the hole together. Bull deuccdly 
 astonished ! No harm done. Cow up again, and showed 
 fight, but I was out of her way, and loaded before she charged 
 Another ball dropped her. Flinched a little meat, and off to 
 join the party. 
 
 Travelled through large herds during the remainder of 
 the day. Towards night arrived at a large plain, at the foot 
 of the hills, with a lake on one side, the plain covered with 
 countless herds. I struck off after some that were moving 
 towards the southward, and was soon surrounded by vast 
 bands, disturbed by the party moving down into the plain. 
 Their roaring and galloping shook the prairie. I fired away 
 all my balls and struck for the trail. Could not find it, but 
 caught a glimpse of a white horse far away over the plain 
 below. Gave chase, and overtook Rowan in a pine hammock 
 by the lake, talking to a fine, clean-made half-breed, whom, it 
 appeared, the party had seen skulking among the bushes, and, 
 taking him for a Blackfoot, had charged upon him. The 
 half-breed told us that the Cree camp was not far off, and 
 that there was to be a great dance that night, previous to their 
 going to war ; on hearing which we pushed on to see the 
 fun. We camped close to the lodges at the end of the lake, 
 and soon had the whole of the young men round our fire, 
 to smoke and chat with Rowan. 
 
 After supper we went to the dancing lodge, or rather 
 
EASTiyjRD TO FORT PITT. 
 
 81 
 
 enclosure, for it was only a large space fenced round vith 
 skins, and open at the top, and we found the men sitting all 
 round the lodge, and the women at one end. A fresh-dressed 
 robe was spread for us next to the chief, and the pipe offered 
 to us. We gave a fathom of tobacco, and smoked away 
 while the dance went on. The dancers plunged and capered 
 round after each other to the sound of parchment drums, and 
 a low monotonous chant, ending, every now and then, in a 
 yell. After which the women took it up, all apparently very 
 filthy and ugly, as all the Strongwood Crees are. There was 
 a fire at each end of the lodge, and in the centre were the 
 materials for the feast, consisting of dried berries, pounded 
 meat, &c., and also the 'medicine' of the tribe, and the hair, 
 &c., of their dead relations, to which some of the feast was to 
 be offered, before they ate themselves. About this period I 
 began to feel some unpleasant tickling sensations about my 
 legs, which warned me to be off, so I saw no more. 
 
 Sunday, August 29M. — A large wooded plain perfectly 
 covered with buffalo for miles and miles. ' Ran ' with 
 the half-breed and we killed a cow between us. Both 
 badly mounted, the ground frightfully dangerous from 
 badger holes, and the dust so thick that we were blinded 
 before we had run half a mile. Many buffalos fell, and 
 some broke their necks, and we were constantly in danger 
 of falling- over them in the dark,* as they were tumbling 
 * In the dark caused by the thick dust. 
 
 k 
 
 •A 
 
 I, i 
 
 n 
 
82 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTJNG TOUR. 
 
 about. While cutting up our cow, we were often obliged 
 to stand up and shout to keep the immense herds from 
 running over us. For an hour and a half we remained, 
 and still they kept pouring on, from the westward, disturbed 
 by the rest of the party, who yet must have been miles 
 away. 
 
 At length we started, with buffalo scouring past us on 
 all sides, and the black dust so thick, that we could not see 
 twenty yards. Lost, for some time ; no track to be found, 
 of course, and nothing but buffalo to be seen. At last we 
 pushed on to a high bluff, and fixed on the direction, which 
 we followed, till I found a horse's track in a swamp, and 
 we then picked it along, like hounds hunting a cold scent, 
 until I spied my old friend the white baggage horse again 
 going over a bluff. When I started, I passed at all events 
 for a white man, when I returned, no chimney-sweep 
 could he blacker. Breakfast, and a wash about two p.m. 
 
 Marched till dark, and still no water. Sent Abraham 
 off to search, and lost him. Tried to reach the Saskat- 
 chewan, but could not for the thick woods. Lost ourselves 
 in the dark, and got entangled among steep braes, and 
 fallen timber. Had to camp without water. Abraham 
 found us, having seen the firelight from a bluff. 
 
 3Ionday, August 30M. — Reached Moosse River early, 
 where we should have camped last night. A large beaver 
 dam here, but no beaver to be seen. George's horse took 
 
EASTWARD TO FORT PITT. 
 
 88 
 
 fright going up the steep brae from the river, and upset 
 him — kicked the saddle round with ' Kill-bull ' on it, 
 smashed the saddle all to pieces, and rolled down about 
 thirty yards, very much excited. ' Kill-bull ' luckily not 
 damaged. 
 
 Arrived at Fort Pitt at sundown, on a stormy evening. 
 Came very fast the last part of the way, for fear of the 
 war-parties, which are frequently lurking in the neigh- 
 bourhood of the fort, and by whom many lives have been 
 taken and many horses stolen. 
 
 Tuesday, 3U/ August. — Making preparations to start on 
 a last hunt to Me petit lac du Diable,' half a day beyond 
 Battle River, where the Indians say that there is a great 
 hole in the earth, out of which all the animals come ! 
 This lake is rarely visited, on account of the danger, and 
 from what I hear, no white man has ever been there. 
 I expect great sport, and hope to dodge the war-parties ; 
 for we cannot fight, as I shall only have with me 
 Acaapoh (the Blackfoot half-breed, a splendid fellow by 
 the way, and a first-rate hunter), George, and .young 
 Simpson. 
 
 Wednesday, September \st. — Killed a cabri with the 
 rifle, at ' la Grande Coulee.' Roasted the ribs for dinner, 
 having no provisions with us. The lake is very pretty. 
 The fringe of woods that overhang it beginning already 
 to assume their autumn tints. The water perfectly covered 
 
 ■^l 
 
 i 
 
 ^BiMBte*? '■■11 ■- 
 
84 
 
 NOTES OF A SP0R7WG TOVR. 
 
 m 
 
 \i 
 
 with wildfowl and geese. Evening found us in the wide 
 wastes between this and Battle River. 
 
 Found a small band of cows. Acaapoh ran them, and 
 killed a good one. We threw away the remains of our 
 cabri, and supplied its place with beef. Camped after 
 dark at the bottom of a deep, dank ' cleugh ' beside a 
 spring. The fire lighted in silence, no one spoke above 
 his breath. Several bulls about the spring, but no shots to be 
 fired about camp at night. Killed one or two geese this day. 
 
 Thursday, September 2nd. — Killed a bull close by, at 
 starting. Breakfasted at Battle River. Horses kept close. 
 This river is full of beaver, but they are rarely trapped, 
 on account of the danger. There are also quantities of 
 deer, and grizzly bears in the woods. The ' c6tes ' are 
 very high, and bold, and wild ; the scenery altogether 
 very fine, but no grass, from its being all devoured by 
 the number of animals. Crossed the river, and up the 
 ' Cote,' saw tracks of large deer, and bears. Bands of 
 buffalo all round. Met a band coming straggling through 
 a little valley among the hills. Pitched a ball into a fat 
 cow's ribs, and another into her brain before she knew 
 what had happened. She fell to the shot, dead. George 
 killed another. 
 
 All this day we were stalking and killing buffalo and 
 cabris among the hills, ti'' we arrived at the ' Devil's Lake,' 
 one of the loveliest spots I ever saw ! Far, far away to 
 
EASTWARD TO FORT PITT. 
 
 85 
 
 the south the lake extended, with several islands on it, 
 and the shores high, and covered with timber and clumps 
 of wood, and lovely little prairies between each thicket* 
 Whole herds of buffalo and cabris, and here and there 
 a huge deer, were roaming along the wood edges, or 
 licking the lake salt, while in one or two places, a large 
 band of bulls and cows were swimming the lake to join 
 those that were flying from us. 
 
 We pounded away at these poor devils, as they landed, 
 and cut them up sadly. At this moment our baggage 
 horse (an old buffalo runner) took it into its head to 
 have a run after the flying bands, and made a sad havoc 
 among my plate-chest, &c., i.e., the camp-kettle, a two- 
 pronged fork, an old pewter spoon, and a teapot, which 
 were scattered over the prairie, — not to mention a small 
 bag of biscuits, some fat buffalo steaks, and some sugar, 
 which latter I looked upon as the acme of luxury ! I 
 gave chase and recovered the fugitive, after a hard run, 
 and after administering sundry thumps on the nose with 
 the butt of the rifle, before I could turn the horse, so 
 bent was he on having his fun out ! Camped at a lovely 
 little plain surrounded by wood, which reminded me of 
 ' Jack's Pasture '* at dear old Netherby ; the spring beside 
 
 * ' Jack's Pasture ' — an open green space on a slope surrounded by high 
 trees, with a burr at the lower end. Since then planted with pines, and now 
 called the ' Pin«tum.' 
 
 11 
 
86 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 it, which we were lucky enough to stumble on, was 
 situated in a deep ' cleugh,* and was completely poached 
 up by animals ; broad roads, like a country cart track, 
 being worn down to it on both sides. Many large bear 
 tracks on the paths. 
 
 Left George and Simpson in camp, and off with Acaapoh 
 ' pour faire un petit tour.* Followed a buffalo track through 
 the woods by the lake-side. Found the track of a large 
 bear quite fresh before us, when, on turning a corner, we 
 spied a huge grizzly bear, feeding on the carcase of a 
 buffalo at the lake-side, rmd a band of wolves waiting at 
 a respectful distance till he should have finished his supper. 
 Acaapoh, in a great state of excitement, asked if I was 
 frightened ? 1 told him, ' not particularly.' Would I 
 shoot the bear ? he asked. Will he finish his supper ? 
 quoth I. Acaapoh cautioned me, that if I missed him, 
 he would ' foncer dessus,' and one of us must go down ! 
 
 ' D ned the expense,' and to it we went, to stalk him. 
 
 The wind was bad, and the beggar was upon his hind 
 legs, looking out for squalls, before we were through the 
 little copse, behind which we had left the horses. 
 Acaapoh was in a fluster, and what was worse, he flurried 
 me. ' Shoot, shoot,' he said, and shoot I did, and oh ! 
 shame and disgrace ! I missed him at ninety yards. ' Bang ' 
 went Acaapoh, and off he cut like lightning, his ball 
 skipping away across the lake, two yards over the old 
 
 !^l ♦ 
 
EASTIVARD TO FORT PITT. 
 
 87 
 
 bear, who was getting rather displeased at being so dis- 
 turbed at his supper, and began to shuffle along the lake 
 shore at a very respectable pace, growling uncommonly. 
 At this interesting moment, ' Kill-bull ' once more opened 
 her oracular jaws, from the thicket, with a missive, which, 
 like the laws of the Medes, was not to be gainsayed. 
 ' Flop ' went the bullet against the old gentleman's fat 
 side, and over he rolled, ' tail over top ' in a most undig- 
 nified manner, got up again, gave two or three uncommonly 
 ugly roars and growls, tore his side with his claws and 
 teeth, staggered a few steps, and fell down again, a lifeless 
 lump of fur and bear's grease. 
 
 ' Woo-whoop ! tear him and eat him ! ' His skin was 
 soon at the camp, and his fat at the fire. 
 
 Found George herding the buffalo, i.e., trying to keep 
 them out of the spring by slipping a ball into one, now 
 and then. The brutes dirtied all our water as fast as 
 we scratched holes to get it clean. 
 
 Friday, September yd. — Some bulls came through the 
 camp last night, and nearly ran over us in the dark. 
 The wolves were round in hundreds, drawn by the smell 
 of the meat, and kicked up an infernal row with their 
 howling. Altogether 'Jack's Pasture' was not a peaceful 
 bedroom by any means, neither are ' Kill-bull ' and a 
 ' dag ' and pistol pleasant bedfellows, but I am used to 
 them now, as well as to sleeping always in my clothes. 
 
 ^'! 
 
t I 
 
 88 
 
 AZOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 I don't know how it is, but one does not want sleep 
 in this country. After the hardest day, I hardly shut an 
 eye during the few hours I lie down. Tliough, at a 
 fort, one makes up for it by sleeping two days and nights 
 at a stretch ! 
 
 The horses all missing, and Acaapoh off to hunt them 
 up; away so long, that I went out to look for a deer by myself. 
 I found the whole band of horses behind the nearest clump 
 of bushes, not two rifle-shots from the camp. Saw two deer 
 swimming the lake, but could not get to them, and a large 
 hind leaping away through the woods, while I was busy with 
 the horses. 
 
 Went to hunt by myself, and had not gone far before 
 Acaapoh overtook me, and we struck for the woods. I 
 shot a large stag, as big as a prize ox ; put two balls in 
 his neck, one after the other, as he rose from his lair ; 
 he fell dead to the second. I brought his head on a 
 horse to camp. He had six inches of fat on his haunch 
 and prime meat, yet we left it all to the wolves. 
 
 Had a good sleep after breakfast, and then went out to 
 kill a bull, in order to have his bladder to carry my 
 bear's grease. Found one coming to the spring, and placed 
 one of ' Kill-bull's ' convincers in his heart at one hundred 
 yards. Slashed out what I wanted with my dag, and 
 returning to camp found all hands asleep, as sound as tops. 
 Gave the Indian yell, which made them jump ' uncommon.' 
 
EASTlf^ARD TO FORT PITT. 
 
 88 
 
 The sun being low, off to hunt again. Killed a large hind, 
 and returned at dark. 
 
 A very wet evening. Nothing is more unpleasant than 
 returning late to a hunting camp on a rainy night. Any 
 little means you may have of making a shelter are unavail- 
 able. Wood cannot be found for the fire in the dark, or 
 if found, the fire can scarce be lighted. The cooking is 
 unsuccessful for want of light, and the rain drenches every- 
 thing, so that it will not cook. 
 
 ' Smoked the pipe of patience under the arbour of 
 resignation,' and diverted myself with listening to Acaapoh 
 * sacre '-ing at the rain, for spoiling his • appalas ' and roasting 
 ribs. Never f^id more ingenious oaths issue from man's 
 mouth than from that of this highly gifted savage ! First 
 
 he would d n the rain, then curse the Blackfret for 
 
 making us hide in the thick bushes, and lastly abuse 
 himself for not foreseeing the storm, and returning in 
 time, to clear a space and make an ' abris.' I pulled 
 my ' capuchon ' over my head, and rolled myself up in 
 my blanket, slept sound and supperless ; my last thoughts 
 being of my dear old mother, and the many cautions 1 
 had received from her at various periods, to avoid draughts 
 and damp beds. N.B. — It was raining buckets-full, and 
 blowing a hurricane. 
 
 Awakened by the wolves close to my head, tearing 
 and howling and snarling over my two deer-skins. I am 
 
 \ 1 
 
 n, 
 
I I 
 
 90 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 ■■ 
 
 sure there must have been fifty of them. I shied every- 
 thing I could lay my hands on at them, but to no purpose. 
 Dozed again till daybreak, then got up and made a ' Nor'- 
 wester' toilet, i.e., one stretch, two stamps and a scratch, 
 and was then ready for the day's work. 
 
 Stitun/ay, ^t/i September. — Very anxious to go further up 
 :he lake, but Acaapoh and Simpson both would have it 
 that it would be ' a tempting of Providence ' to remain 
 longer, with so small a party. So we ' vizd'd ' for ' the 
 grande riviere ' once more. My bear-skin all safe yet, but 
 the wolves had ' totaciously chawed up' the deer's hides in 
 their little amusement of last night. It is wonderful what 
 quantities of solid flesh these scavengers of the prairie will 
 consume. My bull, killed yesterday about two 
 
 o'clock, was utterly devoured this morning at 4 a.m., 
 when I went to look for the horses, nothing being left 
 but some shreds of hide, the head, and horns and large 
 bones. 
 
 To breakfast at Battle River, a good twenty miles 
 oflF. 
 
 Fired a volley into several bands of buffalo, and slew 
 five or six cows, a bull or two, and a cabri knocked over 
 by • Kill-bull.' At the place where we stopped for breakfast, 
 at the riverside, wc found the camp which a large war- 
 party had but just left ! the fires still smouldering, traces 
 (if the horses quite fresh at the p'.':ets, and the grease still 
 
EASTIVARD TO FORT PITT. 
 
 91 
 
 on the cooking sticks. Had we come three hours sooner, 
 we might all have hern knocked on the head ! / 
 
 Bustled along at the wolfs trot all day, and reached 
 Fort Pitt at sundown. A very long forced march, I am 
 sure more than sixty miles. 
 
 ■n 
 
 M*ik. 
 
92 
 
 r 
 
 FROM FOKT PITT TO FORT CARLTON AND THENCE 
 TO FORT GARRY, RED RIVER. 
 
 September 5th to 29TH. 
 
 Sunday, ^th, Monday, btfi, Tuesday jth of September. — At 
 Fort Pitt. 
 
 Making preparations for a start eastward. A number 
 of the ' Braves ' came in from the camps we had passed, 
 between Fort Carltnn and here, on our journey out west- 
 ward, as all their young men have returned from war, 
 to the number of 800 warriors. They had a great fight 
 with the Blackfcet, somewhere near the American fort on 
 the Missouri, and had taken many scalps. One fellow, 
 'The Great Squirrel,' had a piece of a Blackfoot brave's 
 scalp tied in his hair, with said brave's ornaments attached 
 thereto. He had shot two Blackfeet himself, through the 
 pickets of the American fort in which they had taken 
 refuge. He was very smart, his robe, metassins, and mocassins 
 being heavily ornamented with bead-work. I tried to buy 
 them, hut he was going to the Strongwood Crees, either to 
 visit them, or to steal their horses, whichever he might find 
 most convenient, and would not sell his clothes, in case he 
 might adopt the former alternative. I intend to visit their 
 camp, and trade some curiosities on my way down. 
 
 M' 
 
ii 
 
•• 4 
 

 FROM FORT PITT TO RED RIFER. 
 
 93 
 
 I . 
 
 X. 
 
 4 
 
 PVednesday. September %th. — Off at sunrise, George, myself, 
 Acaapoh, and a Canadian boy with a cart, and seven horses, 
 inclusive of the two Harriott was kind enough to lend me. 
 Could get no further than the ' Riviere des Anglais,' in spite 
 of all our efforts. Horses would not 'sauter,' and cart ran 
 heavy. Day very hot. 
 
 Thursday, September gt/i. — Very ill from surfeit. Arm 
 all swelled, and hand full of sores, suffering even more than 
 I did with the ophthalmia. eakfasted late at Turtle 
 
 River. 
 
 Passed a large war-party of Crees, upwards of a hundred 
 men, on their way to the Blackfeet. Twelve of them ran 
 a band of buffalo, close past us, and I joined them with 
 ' Kill-bull,' caught a cow, but could not shoot her with 
 the heavy rifle. Jumped off my horse, and picked a good 
 cow out of a band that were crossing a ravine about lOo 
 yards off. Indians much surprised, and said I must be 
 ' Great Medicine ! ' Took what meat I wanted for 
 ourselves, and gave them the rest, they having killed none. 
 Smoked with the hunters and went on. Fine, smart, active 
 young fellows, robes, skin, hair and all, as red as vermilion 
 and red earth could make them. 
 
 Saw great numbers of buffalo to-day ; but too anxious 
 to get on, now that the bad weather is beginning, to hunt 
 unnecessarily. Large tracks of burnt prairie, with nut a 
 blade of grass upon them. Camped at the * Lac des Urochcts,' 
 
 i\ 
 
94 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOVR. 
 
 I 
 
 and had great difficulty in finding a green spot for the 
 horses, so completely had the whole country been wasted 
 by fire. A heavy storm of wind, thunder and rain at 
 night. 
 
 Friday, September lot/i. — Fine fellows to voyage with these 
 half-breed hunters! So good-humoured, patient, and per- 
 severing, while their sagacity and resources in meeting all 
 the difficulties and dangers of the wilderness are extraordinary. 
 Acaapoh will run the trail of a lost horse, at full gallop, 
 through the prairie, where I (who can track with any 
 white man that ever followed game) can see no trace 
 whatever ! and in travelling along not even a bent twig, or 
 blade of grass displaced escapes his notice. 
 
 A very wet day, blowing hard from the north-west. 
 Breakfasted at the 'Riviere des B rochets' at the ''ery same 
 spot where wc had camped ith Harriott on the third 
 day before reaching Fort Pitt, saw the remains ot our 
 fires, and the feathers of the goose I had killed, also the 
 remains of some tow, with which George had cleaned the 
 guno. An Indian came to us and told us that one of the 
 large Cree camps was only a quarter of a day's march to the 
 southward. I should have liked to have gone to trade, but 
 had no time to spare. A long march through the rain to-day 
 to the southward of our old track, out into the open prairie 
 where there is no water. The wind ' right aft ' acted like 
 a sail on the cover of my cart, and helped it on much. The 
 
m 
 
 FROM FORT PITT TO RED RIVER. 
 
 95 
 
 prairie very hilly with high ' buttes.' Camped late at a lake, 
 which proved not drinkable. 
 
 Saturday, September nth. — A sharp frost. Killed a bull 
 at the lake. Struck out over wide, open, rolling prairies. 
 Acaapoh hoped we might find water to-day ; but not sure, 
 never having been here before. Very ill and very thirsty, 
 having drunk nothing since yesterday, at breakfast. Found 
 a small herd of buffalo and prepared to run them for meat. 
 Bran pinned a calf by the nose, and held it, till I stabbed it 
 with my dag. I would fain have had a drink at the blood, but 
 did not like to do so. Slashed the belly open, but no water 
 worth drinking. Took the head and hindquarter. Acaapoh 
 killed a young bull, the cows being very poor in this barren 
 district, where there is neither grass nor water. Later in the 
 day I saw a lake, which luckily proved to be fresh. That 
 drink worth any money ! 
 
 My veal was good, but the young bull proved rather rank. 
 Soon after ' the spell ' we passed many good lakes, and a little 
 river of beautiful cold water, which flows into Blood-berry 
 lake.* Killed a bull this evening. No more water. Travelled 
 late through wide open plains among large salt lakes, but had 
 to camp at dark, without fresh water. Acaapoh could not eat 
 from thirst, and the others all unwell from trying to drink at 
 salt lakes. 
 
 Sunday, September izth. — A hard frost. The winter coming 
 * Blood-berry Lake, or, as in the maps, Red-berry Lake. 
 
 li 
 
Il 
 
 in 
 
 96 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 i : 
 
 on rapidly, and I have many miles before me. I shall leave 
 the cart at Carlton Fort, and take to loaded horses, in order to 
 make long journeys. 
 
 Off at daybreak. Pushed along very fast to get a drink 
 at the river, and by changing our cart horses once or twice, 
 reached the bank of the river opposite Fort Carlton at about 
 eleven a.m. 
 
 Monday, September 13M. — To-morrow we are to be off 
 with Powyac. Acaapoh started this morning on the back 
 track. Poor fellow ! I made him a little present of one 
 and a half yard of tobacco, two tinsel rings, and twenty balls 
 and powder, and nothing would content him but coming a 
 league and a half out of his way, from the ' horse guard ' this 
 morning, to thank me and to wish me ' bon voyage ! ' Would 
 an English keeper have gone even half a mile out of his way, 
 on a similar errand, had I given him a sovereign, after one 
 day's covert shooting ? 
 
 Prudent tells me that the Crees made a very pretty 
 little * shindy ' down at the Missouri Fort. It appears that 
 the Blackfeet had taken refuge in the fort, and intimidated the 
 Americans. The Blackfeet fired from the bastions, and the 
 Crees then attacked the fort, and tried to burn it, frightening 
 the Americans out of their wits, and swearing they would 
 kill and scalp them all, for harbouring ' the dogs ' who shot 
 at ' Fat John ' (/. e. Rowan). The Blackfeet, on the other 
 hand, swore they would kill the Americans, if they did not help 
 
FROM FORT PITT TO RED R/f'ER. \)7 
 
 them to drive off their enemies. At last, after many had 
 gone down on both sides, the Crees were attacked in the 
 rear by some Piegans, whom they set upon ; and though 
 they lost many men, owing to the Piegans throwing them- 
 selves into the thickets, the Crees finally rushed into the fort 
 and cut all the Blackfeet to pieces, with their dags and knives, 
 taking thirty-eight scalps, only two escaping. 
 
 Tuesday, September 14M. — Powyac ill, and unable to stir. 
 Dosed him with calomel and James's powders. A large 
 party of Crees came in to-day to drink and trade. One or 
 two very pretty girls among them, especially one, said to be 
 a daughter of old Harriott's. A war-dance in the courtyard 
 in honour of the scalps they had taken from the Blackfeet ; 
 after which thev began drinking and trading, each bringing a 
 bladder of grease, some pounded meat, or some dressed skins, 
 and receiving in return the value in rum, which they poured 
 down each other's throats — or had the rum poured down their 
 own throats, by the man who served out the liquor ! 
 
 Went to bed late, very much amused, and rather disgusted 
 with the operation. 
 
 Wednesday, September 15M. — Started late, and crossed the 
 
 south branch of the river, bag and baggage, before dark — all 
 
 but the horses, the opposite side being burnt. Met some 
 
 Crees on the way, who were going to the fort, and learned 
 
 that they had killed a cow near our track. Rode on before, 
 
 followed their back trail, and found their 'cache' of meat. 
 
 o 
 
i.i 
 
 f. 
 
 II I 
 
 1 1 
 
 
 (i 
 
 ij 
 
 98 
 
 JV07-£5 OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 Helped myself to marrow-bones, ribs, ' filets ' and the ' di- 
 pouille,' and rejoined my people before they reached the river. 
 
 Thursday, September 1 6th. — Swam the horses over, at diy- 
 dawn, but lost much time arranging the loads. Travelled 
 till two o'clock, through burnt ground, and ' mis a terre ' at 
 a little lake. Horses much distressed, being a very weak 
 lot, and day very warm. Powyac very unwell. Travelled a 
 short distance further, and camped early beyond the burnt 
 ground. Powryac very ill. Had serious thoughts of turning 
 back with him, swimming the river, and bringing another 
 guide to the camp, if I could find an Indian at the fort. But 
 few know the road ; and, only having passed it once, I cannot 
 undertake to guide my people myself, lest we perish for 
 want of water among the salt lakes. 
 
 I ^'^ly, September ijth. — Powyac better ! Determined to 
 push on at all risks. Gave him some laudanum and a * filet,' 
 the' Nor'-west' panacea. Salt water at breakfast, only a weak 
 Glauber-salt decoction, however. Shot a goose, after a good 
 stalk v/ith ' Kill-bull.' Saw many large bands of buffalo, on 
 the large plain at the edge of the woods, where I had had 
 such sport on my way up. Beautiful ' running ' ground ! I 
 longed for a shy at them, but had no ' runner,' excepting 
 Harriott's young one, and could not spare him from the pack. 
 Stalked a small herd, and killed a cow for meat. Not a 
 very good one, but she looked well as she stood. I took the 
 ' depouilles,' ribs and marrow-bones. Saw many bands in the 
 
FROM FORT PITT TO RED RIFER. 
 
 99 
 
 woods, but could not spare time to look up a good cow, as 
 the sun was low. 
 
 Reached the little river at sundown. The narrow plain 
 on both sides covered with buffalo. While my people were 
 pitching, I tried to stalk a herd, but they got my wind, and I 
 floundered into a swamp up to the neck. 
 
 Saturday, September lith. — The wide desert now to cross, 
 which borders on the north shores of the Great Salt Lake, 
 where there is no water. A dreary, barren district I I had 
 a small keg of shrub, with which I made a little feast for the 
 people, and then emptied out the rest, and filled it with water 
 from the clear cool spring. Only one gallon for four of us, 
 for two and perhaps three days. Got a little water at a not 
 very salt lake for breakfast, without touching our keg. 
 Killed two fat cows before leaving the woods this morning 
 with ' Kill-bull,' and took the prime meat. 
 
 Towards evening passed the spot where I had ' run ' my 
 first buffalo. Saw a large herd in the same place, and hoped 
 to find water, in some of the deep holes in the water-course 
 near them, where we had camped with Harriott. The 
 animals had drunk all dry. Pushed on very fast till dark, 
 and chewed bullets. 
 
 Sunday, September igt6, — Foui horses missing ! Searched 
 all round in the vast plain in which we had camped, but 
 could find no trace. Returned to camp about mid-day, 
 burnt up with thirst, the day being very hot. Tried to eat 
 
 wMuiiaw ,auM 
 
100 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 I 
 
 I 'i 
 
 some ribs, but could not. Horses suffering much also, and 
 would not feed. Started with just the number requisite to 
 carry ourselves and the packs, it being impossible to remain 
 and search longer. Our best horses gone, and those that 
 remain very weak, and some lame. Powyac thinks our 
 horses were stolen. 
 
 Travelled till night along the shores of Lac la Plume, 
 which shone clear and glassy in the sun, tempting us to try 
 a pull at it. Powyac swore it was rank poison, and that a 
 horse had died once from drinking of it. We had smashed 
 our water-keg against a stone before leaving the woods, and 
 were thirty-six hours without one drop of water ! Found a little 
 dirty water in a owamp near the lake at sundown, with four 
 worn-out old bulls standing in it. Horses and all dashed in, 
 and soon finished what was left. Pushed on till late at night, 
 and camped in the plain. Watched the horses, lest the 
 Indians might take a fancy to the remainder. 
 
 ^Mom/ay, September zoth, — Off before sunrise. Bid good- 
 bye to Lac la Plume and reached the woods that border upon 
 Lac la Peche about ten o'clock. Beautiful, clear, fresh water. 
 A good drink and a swim. 
 
 This lake very bonnie, surrounded with high woods, the 
 leaves red, or with various tinges of orange and yellow from 
 the late frosts. Horses much refreshed by the good grass 
 and water. Pushed on to a lake where we had camped with 
 Harriott. 
 
 
 |i« 
 
I I 
 
 FROM FORT PITT TO RED RIFER. 
 
 101 
 
 Tuesday, September 2 1 xA— Passed several small bands of 
 buffalo during the day. I stalked and killed a good aw 
 before breakfast, and George wounded another. Took aim 
 at my cow between the eyes, and dropped her dead. Killed a 
 bull at breakfast ; shot him between the eyes also, at one hun- 
 dred yards distance, the second shot. The beggar, being pugna- 
 ciously inclined, as I approached to finish him and I being on 
 foot, should have been in an unhandsome Hx if ' Kill-bull ' 
 had failed me. I suppose this is my last buffalo ! ! Saw 
 some Indians cutting up a cow they had killed. One came 
 to us, calling out ' Sis quah ' (/>., stop). I waited, and 
 shook hands, and gave him what he wanted, />., a piece of 
 tobacco. 
 
 In great force, having pushed past our old camp before 
 sundown. Powyac wished to stop, saying there was no wood 
 further on, but I pushed on into the plain, and found some 
 bushes near a good little lake. Lighted our fire with an old 
 eagle's nest ; a cosy camp, the bushes making a good shelter 
 to windward. Powyac very sulky ; his dignity being hurt 
 at not having been allowed to stop and have a chat with the 
 Indians we had seen to-day; or, as he pretended, to ask if 
 there was danger on the road. Soothti tiim with a 'filet' 
 and some tobecco. 
 
 Wednesday, September iind. — Pushed along over the plain 
 ,t a merry pace. Changed horses with Fdwyac, and lent 
 him my only spur to get on better. Powyac nearly made a 
 
 n 
 
 ' I 
 
 J / 
 
108 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 wrong turn down into some swampy marshes, extending miles 
 to the north, and falling into a large lake where we shnn.ld 
 have been regularly pounded. Luckily I remembered being 
 fixed at the same spot with Harriott, while scouring tht 
 country after ducks aud cabris, and stopped Powyac in time, 
 making him keep to the southward, as we had no iiorse 
 power to spare, and still less time. 
 
 Had a fine hunt after a ' cayotc-wolf ' at one of our old 
 breakfast places, by the side of a lake. George broke its leg 
 with a ball, and Bran ran up too, and tackled it. The ^"olf 
 nearly worried poor Bran, and grinned uncommonly at me, 
 as I rode up and shot it. Camped at night beyond the 
 marsh, where we iiad dined on our second day, going west- 
 ward from Beaver Creek, 
 
 Thursday, Septtmher 2^rd. — A very sharp frost last night. 
 When I awoke, found poor little Powyac's last buffalo-tunguc 
 roasting at the fire, and ate it all up while he was after the 
 horses. Gave him a ' filet ' instead, when he came back. 
 Much better for him this cold morning! No water nearer 
 than the Qii'Appei'c River. Pushed hard from daybreak until 
 twelve o'clock, and reached it to break ^-'st. A good trot the 
 whole way. Horscg terribly beat, having come what 
 Powyac called a ' sacrc bout.' Met a large camp of Crecs 
 returning from their trade at the fort, and going on their 
 winter's himt, all as smart as new blankets and capotes could 
 make them. 
 
 M»' 
 
FROM FORT PITl TO RED RIFER. 
 
 lot 
 
 This river, the Qu'Appelle, is certainly very lovely, 
 running through a wide green vale, well wooded, and 
 bounded on each side by very high *c6tes,' covered with 
 fine timber. Three hours at the nv-r, and reached Beaver 
 Creek Fort before dark. Twenty-two good miles between 
 2.30 and 6 p.m. Had a bad fall, 'Wabatin'* being dead 
 beat. 
 
 Friday, September 24///. — At Beaver Creek Fort. Old 
 Monsieur Fisheer very civil. He evidently hates J. Rowan 
 like the devil, and made out a very bad story about Rowan, 
 in the affair of the Crees and the Blackfeet at the fort two 
 years ago. But it is very natural that the Saskatchewan 
 people should favour the Crees most. All their women are 
 either Crees or half-breeds of the tribe, and each of them 
 have children in the Cree camps. Still, I do not believe 
 Fisheer's story, as it was 'un peu trop fort,' even for ' Fat 
 John.' 
 
 Saturda' , Septemhtr i^th. — After a tender parting with 
 little Powyac, started this mornii.g with an English half- 
 breed, George, and the Canadian boy. I don't like this 
 half-breed at all, a very different kind of animal from old 
 * Manitou Kishick,' whom I had hoped to find in readiness to 
 go with me. My present hero is a great swell, all belts and 
 dags, and silk hi;ndkcrchicfs from top to toe, having been 
 steersman to one of »he Hudson's Bay Company's boats to 
 ♦ ' WHbatin,' the hone he wm riiling, 
 
 ■ t 
 I 
 
 
 ii 
 
 "«l** 
 
i 
 
 1U4 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 York and back, not at all like the half-breeds of the Saskat- 
 chewan. A bad horseman, and a stupid, sulky brute. How- 
 ever, I can take care of myself now, as the track is plain, and 
 there is plenty of water. 
 
 Brought my old horses through to Lac Platte, where the 
 horse guard is kept, breakfasting at Eagle-tail Creek. 
 
 Obliged to camp at the lake early, as my fresh horses could 
 not be caught. Monsieur Fisheer has 'done' me (as Fat John 
 said he would). Out of at least four hundred horses and 
 mares, I could get nothing but twelve old screws, six of 
 which had already been to Carlton with us on our way up 
 country, and were consequently sadly deficient in that great 
 siftf qua non to good horse-flesh in the plains, /.?., fat. 
 
 Sunday, September 2bth. — Got off at last after a whole 
 morning spent in catching horses with the ' cabrcche.' 
 Reached Rapid River after a very fast long march, and 
 camped at some small lakes beyond. Had a considerable 
 row with my half-breed, the beggar insisting upon shooting 
 prairie hens for his supper, and giving them to the boy to 
 carry, and making the boy and George drive the pack-horses. 
 I shied all the produce of his 'chasse' into the river, and 
 informed him that unless he dropped that amusement I 
 should take his horse, give him some ammunition, and let 
 him find his way back to Beaver Creek Fort, saddle, bridle, 
 ' apichumoe,' blanket and all, on foot ! as I knew my way 
 now, just as well as he did. He growled uncommonly ; but 
 
 1": 
 
FROM FORT PITT TO RED RIFER. 
 
 105 
 
 we had two rifles to his old trading gun ; so he saw it would 
 not do, and mended his manners from that day forth. 
 
 Monday, September zjth. — Another very long march and 
 reached Pine Creek, Killed ducks enough for u^ all for 
 supper, besides prairie hens. All the little lakes full of the 
 former of every kind, from the large velvet duck as black ;is a 
 coal to the little blue-winged teal. We miss the good fat 
 cows' ' appalas,' ribs, and marrow-bones that we used to feast 
 upon, in the Saskatchewan, sadly. 
 
 Tuesday , September 2%tb. — Passed the ' Riviere de Cham- 
 pignons,' and camped in the middle of the long traverse 
 to the Assinibotne, where the prairie stretches awav on three 
 sides like a vast calm ocean, the fourth being bounded by the 
 fringe of woods that skirt the river, appearing blue and faint 
 in the distance. A horse shut up to-day, and we could 
 hardly get him to the camp. 
 
 fVednesday, Septemhir zqth. — At it again by daybreak, and 
 reached the upper end of the Half-breed settlement to break- 
 fast. Had a good wash in the river and a shave, while 
 George was cooking. Reached White Horse plains about 
 2 p.m. Changed horses, and pushed on ahead to reach Fort 
 Garry before dark (twenty-five miles). 
 
 Met several loads of hay on the traverse, uid khiKI 
 hardly get my little wild Indian nag past them. He bolted 
 and shied, and trembled all over as if he bad the ague. 
 Reached Sturgeon Creek at last, after the uearv traverse of 
 
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 106 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 eighteen miles. Slackened girths, had a smoke, a pull at the 
 Creek, and let * White-face '* feed round at the length of the 
 ' cabrSche ' for half an hour, and then pu-hed on into the 
 settlement. "White-face ' in an awful quandary among 
 the houses and windmills. They looked almost as strange to 
 me as to him. 
 
 Overtook Wilderf out riding. He hardly knew me, and 
 swore I had become a half-breed ; and I suppose I did look 
 rather black and wild, what with sun and weather and 
 half-breed's clothing and accoutrements. Reached the fort 
 at sundown, and was instantly dragged into barracks, and 
 dressed by the whole regiment. One brought a shirt, another 
 a pair of trousers, another a coat, somebody else gave me a 
 room and a pair of boots, and I was installed once more at 
 mess, as if I had been one of them ! I felt as if I had got 
 home again, among our fellows in the old First.:|: 
 
 The whole regiment turned out to see my ' tail ' arrive, 
 and were much surprised at the wild appearance of both 
 men and horses, accustomed as they were to the Red River 
 half-breeds. 
 
 A wet night, and all my adventures had to be related in 
 ' the Den ' over the rum and water. 
 
 * 'White-face,' the horse he was riding. 
 
 t Wilder, one of the officers of the garrison at the Red River Fort. 
 t 'Old First,' the First Life Guards, in which regiment Frederick Graham 
 had served several year*, 
 
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 107 
 
 FROM FORT GARRY, RED RIVER, TO ST. PETER'S 
 FORT, PARTLY BY CANOE, 
 
 September 30TH to October 23RD. 
 
 Thursday^ September T,otb, ,?nd 1st, T.nJ, yd, and i,th of Oct. 
 
 At Red River. Poor Fran9oise Laronde very ill, wasted 
 and pale, yet beautiful as ever. Her brother, and a German 
 half-breed go with me to St. Peter's. 
 
 Drafted two of my nags, and took two fresh ones of 
 McDermott's. I have great doubts whether iny nags will 
 pull through ; a fifteen days' march, and lots of provisions to 
 carry, as there is no game ; ' mais il faut essay er.' 
 
 If 1 could only take the route through the plains, I should 
 do well, as there are plenty of buffalo ; l)ut no inducement 
 would tempt these fellows to try it with so small a party, as 
 the Dahcotas have declared they will kill any one (half-breeds 
 especially) whom they may Hnd on their hunting-grounds. 
 If I had little Franfois Lucie, or Acaapoh, or any of the real 
 thoroughbred ' Coureurs des Prairies ' of tiie Saskatchewan 
 hore, we would hn.ve a shy at the Sioux country ' coClte que 
 coflte,' l>ut these fellows are no more equal to the above- 
 named, than a cockney is to a Highland deer-stalker ! 
 
 Tuesday., October ^th. — Took leave of all my friends, male 
 and female. 
 
 
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108 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 Swam the horses over the river, and camped five miles 
 beyond the settlement. Wilder came to spend the night 
 with me at my first camp. A great consumption of drinkables. 
 
 JVednesday, October 6th. — Wilder very much ' bothered * 
 this morning, when I roused him out from under his blanket 
 at sunrise ! Caught his horse, and started him off. I hope 
 he got safe back. 
 
 For two or three days, our road lay along the edge of the 
 ' Grande Prairie,' a country full of small rivers and creeks, 
 with a fringe of woods on the left hand, and the boundless 
 prairie stretching away as far as the eye could reach to ttic 
 westward, sometimes level, and sometimes rolling like the 
 huge wave of the ocean, the 'bufFons' being very swampy and 
 bad to cross. Quantities of grouse all through the plains. 
 Sometimes \ could have fancied myself on the moors, the 
 broods of prairie fowl were springing from all sides, 
 chuckling as they went off, with a sort of bad imitation of the 
 ' nickering ' of a moor-cock. Some of the river banks were 
 very pretty, and the timber much finer than any I had seen in 
 the north, especially about Red Lake River. 
 
 Passed some missionaries on their way to the Indian 
 settlement at Red Lake, with my old friend Jimmie 
 Mackay* driving their ox teams. 
 
 • Old friend Jimmie Mackay — probably McKay, the half-breed, who had 
 been the companion on the trip from the Red River to Manitoba in the first 
 half of July. 
 
SOUTHlf'ARD TO ST. PETER'S FORT. 
 
 109 
 
 On the sixth day we entered the Strong Wood' »hrough 
 which a ride had been cut, like those in an English covert 
 — the way being sometimes intersected by bad swamps, 
 marshes, and large lakes, through one or two of which we 
 had to wade for miles up to our horses' bellies. The weather 
 had now become very cold, with heavy snow-storms, and 
 keen frosts at night, our blankets and buffalo-robes being stiff 
 frozen every morning. 
 
 Arrived at Crow River on the ninth day. Horses very 
 weak indeed, and many with frightfully sore backs. Skirted 
 the river all the following day, among the most magnificent 
 pine timber I ever saw. 
 
 My two lads in a great funk about the Sioux war-parties, 
 it being here that Corbet ran against one three months ago. 
 Kleine showed me the place where they were hid, within six 
 yards of the track, to the number of twenty. None of 
 Corbet's party had their guns with them. Corbet himself 
 was eating berries on foot, and passed by without seeing the 
 Indians, and the rest would have passed likewise, had not a 
 boy stumbled on a Sioux, while reaching over to get a larger 
 bunch than common of the fruit. Had they passed by 
 without seeing, or taking any notice, the whole party would 
 probably have lost their scalps ! As it was, Corbet returned, 
 smoked with the Sioux, gave them food, and traded some 
 pipes with them, and then pushed on, by a forced march, 
 across the Mississippi before he camped, at ;i place where 
 
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 110 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 they dared not follow, on account of their enemies the 
 Chippewas being encamped at Crow Island in large 
 numbers. 
 
 We camped at the junction of Crow River and the 
 Mississippi after dark. While sitting round our fire, a 
 canoe came over to us with what we supposed to be two 
 squaws in it, from the other side. The half-breeds and I 
 were laughing and joking about them in French, and I 
 made Kleine talk to them in Chippewa, and try to coax 
 them ashore, with the promise of some tea and sugar 
 (always considered a great luxury by the Indian women). At 
 the same time I made some further observations in French, 
 at which the half-breeds laughed, and, to my surprise, 
 the women laughed too, and bolting back into their canoe, 
 pushed off like lightning, and vanished in the darkness. 
 
 Next morning, Mr. Macdonald, the Indian trader, came 
 over to see me — and after I had bought a canoe of him, 
 and had agreed with him that he should take charge of part 
 of the horses until Kleine's return from St. Peter's Fort — I 
 determined to descend the Mississippi with my baggage, and 
 send Laronde by land, with three of the freshest horses, to 
 bring back Kleine, himself, and their provisions. 
 
 My canoe was sent across from the traders' bark lodge 
 with an old Indian, and one of the very loveliest half-breed 
 girls I ever saw, who laughed and blushed, and told me it 
 was she and her sister who had come to our camp the 
 
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 SOUTHIVARD TO ST. PETER'S FORT. 
 
 Ill 
 
 previous night, sent by her father to ascertain who we 
 were. 
 
 We ran down th»; river some distance, George and Kleine, 
 myself and the Chippewa ; the river full of duclcs and geese, 
 so I dawdled along with the stream — now shooting down a 
 succession of rapids, then paddling lazily through the long 
 flats of water that intervened, and landing every now and 
 then to have a stalk at the innumerable floclis of wildfowl 
 congregated along the shore. 
 
 Our Indian, like all his race, proved a lazy old beggar, 
 though a capital canoe man. He was also troubled with a 
 most voracious appetite, and a capacity for smoking that 
 astonished even me. Every half-hour he would lay on his 
 paddle, and grinning horribly, would sing out ' Saga9oa, 
 sagajoa skotek ' (a smoke, a smoke, give me a light) ! In 
 camp he was worse than useless, as he would do nothing 
 vhatever but plague one for tobacco, food, or rum. Four 
 ducks a day did he. eat to his own cheek, and then grumbled 
 because he had neither pemmican nor flour. As for loading 
 and unloading, bringing wood and water, or lighting the fire, 
 he would have nothing to do with it ; added to which he had 
 a particular objection to wetting his feet, and would never 
 help to get the canoe into the water on a frosty morning, or 
 jump overboard when the river shoaled on us. 
 
 Kleine and Laronde, on the other hand, v/tre both 
 capital lads, like all Canadisin half-breeds. They were always 
 
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112 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 cheerful, and merry as crickets, wet, or cold, or hungry, it 
 was all the same to ^Nem, always laughing, and full of fun, 
 and ready for anything. 
 
 On the third day we reached ' Little Rock,' an American 
 trading post, after a very prosperous voyage, having, however, 
 used up all our gum, in repairing damages, after sundry 
 scrapes or. shoals and stones, and with very little prospect of 
 getting a fresh supp' •. That old devil of an Indian bothered 
 me dreadfully, when steering the canoe down the rapids, 
 as he would always shout and chatter in Chippewa in the 
 most dangerous places, when the wrong stroke of a paddle, 
 or the slightest inattention among the rocks and breakers, 
 would have sent our frail birch-bark bottom to smithereens 
 in a second ! However, I " got along somehow ' (as the 
 Yankees have it) by paying no attention to what he said, but 
 watching his paddle very closely, taking great care never to 
 get flurried, ami keeping a sharp eve to the main channel 
 before we entered the rapid (the great secret iri good canoe 
 steering) ! By doing this, and a great share of good luck in 
 addition, we shaved through some very nasty places without 
 accident. 
 
 At Little Rock my old savage took bis departure, a,^ no 
 inducement would tempt him to venture nearer to the Sioux, 
 some of whom we might fall in with on the right bank ot the 
 nver below Sank Rapids. I had great diriiculty in supplying 
 his place, for though there were plenty of half-breeds about 
 
SOUTHIVARD TO ST. PETER'S FORT. 
 
 IIH 
 
 the establishment, the old Yankee trader knew he had me at 
 his mercy, and could command his own prire. 
 
 At last, the offer of two dollars a day tor rive days tempted 
 him to give me a ' soi-disant ' capital ' butte,' a Yankee half- 
 breed who knew the river, and who ' guessed he could take 
 me right away slick to the falls without touching a stone in 
 the rapids,' so our want of gum would be of no consequence. 
 I gave him the steering paddle, put Kleine as the other 
 ' butte ' and retired from the post of honour. We started 
 very prosperously, and my Yankee hero was full of the 
 wonders he meant to perform in i unning Sank Rapids, which he 
 • guessed was a tarnation ugly, crooked, and almighty swift bit 
 of water,' yet in spite of which he 'had too much hickory in 
 6im to knock an inch of gum off her' on any ' tarnel stone' 
 in the river. The words were hardly out of his mouth, when 
 bump ! scrunch we came atop of a big rock, over which I had 
 seen the boil of water for the last five minutes ! Two or tliree 
 repetitions of the same process in the course of the next ten 
 minutes — and luckily all in still water — convinced me of my 
 pilot's incompetency, and obliged us to land, camp, and gum — 
 our canoe being half full of water and the sun vet three hours 
 high. I went duck-shooting, and also killed a ' coon,' a very 
 fat one, which we ate for supper, though it looked 
 uncommonly like a boiled cat when it came out of the 
 kettle. 
 
 Next morning we tackled Sank Rapids, and by great good 
 
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114 
 
 NOTES OF j1 sporting TOUR. 
 
 \ 
 
 1 
 
 luck, got safe down. Frost very sharp at night. Landed in a 
 swamp to patch the canoe with grease. Found an old canoe 
 in the course of the day and took all the gum we could scrape 
 off her, and, with great economy, we managed to make this 
 gum suffice us as far as the Falls of St. Anthony, which we 
 reached on the morning of the fourth day. Wc made the 
 portage and arrived at St. Peter's Fort, six miles lower 
 down, before dark on the evening of Thursday, October 21st, 
 our seventeenth day from Red River. 
 
 The Riv.T thus far, i.e., from Crow Island to the Falls, 
 flows through strong, hard-wood timber, and the channel is 
 much divided by islands ; the shores are marshy, and the wild 
 fowl, at tliis season of the year, innumerable. Below, and in 
 the neighbourhood of, the fort, at the junction of the 
 St. Peter's River with the Mississipi, the open prairie 
 recommences, and the 'cCt^s' are very high and bold. The 
 country is ricii and fertile, and the colonis;ition consequently 
 increasing rapidly ; but sickness is very prevalent during 
 harvest time, as it is indeed generally along the banks of 
 the Mississipi. 
 
 I was much amused at the Falls of St. Anthony by the 
 curiosity of a large colony of ' Dovvn-Eastcrs,' who had just 
 arrived, regarding my travelling arrangements. I' hey could 
 not understand the canoe at all (having only seen ' dug-outs' 
 thereabouts) or how twc men rould carry 'such a large boat' ! 
 and, upon seeing a tire lighted, a goose and two ducks 
 
SOUTHiyARD TO ST. PETER'S FORT. 
 
 115 
 
 converted into ' appalas,' tea made, and breakfast ready in the 
 twinitling of an eye after landing, one of tliem seemed 
 suddenly fired with a desire for a wild life also, and 
 exclaimed, ' Well, I guess you are mighty independent 
 chaps ! I should somehow like to join your company, 
 if it warn't for them darned Injuns and bufKilos and sich 
 like.' 
 
 I found Captain Eastman, the commanding officer at the 
 fort, very kind and civil. He invited me to stay with him, 
 and during my visit, took me through all the Sioux camps in 
 the neighbourhood and explained to me all that was curious 
 and interesting in the ways and habits of the Sioux. He had 
 lived among them ail his life, spoke their language well, and 
 was, what no other Yunkee that I ever saw had appeared 
 to be,* a good sportsman, a frank, straightforward soldier, 
 and a gentleman ! 
 
 The young Sioux braves were great fun ! Upon East- 
 man's telling them tliat I iiad killed ' Wahkunka tiepc,' if., 
 ■A grizzly bear, single handed, I was treated with great respect, 
 invited into every lodge and the * calamet ' lighted for mc. 
 One old fellow ulTered nic a very pretty little lassie (his 
 daughter), for the claws of the ' warrior bear,' and said he 
 would prize them more than all the Chippewa scalps his 
 young men had brought in this summer. 
 
 • Thi» criticiim on the character of the Y inkees wat much more common 
 in 1847 than in more recent ye«rs. 
 
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116 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 Captain Eastman's wife was a would-be fine lady, very 
 aifected, and apparently very silly, speaking with a most 
 villanous Yankee twang, and minus an eye. Apparently she 
 was determined that her servants, or 'helps ' (Yankyce),- should 
 not be able to crow over her, so the/ were ;;il one-eyed ones 
 likewise. 
 
llf 
 
 )l 
 
 BY STEAMER, STAGE COACH, AW^ RAILWAY 
 TO NIAGARA. 
 
 OCTOBEI. 23RU TO 3 1 ST. 
 
 Left St. Peter's Fort by t ne steamer Senator on the night 
 of Saturday, October 23rd. 
 
 Two nights and twc days running down to Golcna. 
 Dollars, and fevers, and ague, formed the principal subjects of 
 conversation among the half-horse, half-alligator race of 
 passengers on board. Indeed, the first named is generally the 
 chief topic of conversation throughout this country ; nothing 
 but dollars, dollars, dollars, with now and then a little 
 gasconading about 'whipping the darned Mexicans' by 
 way of variation, from morning till night. 
 
 I saw some of the fruits of the go-ahead system of 
 speculation, on entering the confines of the lead district 
 around Golena, where a large town had been commenced on 
 the left bank of the river, several enormous houses built, and 
 hotels to match. It was then discovered, when too late, 
 that the whole would be a failure, upon which all was 
 abandoned, and the buildings are now falling rapidly to 
 decay. 
 
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118 
 
 NOTES OF A SPORTING TOUR. 
 
 V 
 
 I 
 
 We steamed up ' Fever River ' on the morning of the 
 second day, and started by the ' stage ' for Chicago on the 
 morning of Tuesday, October 26th. Forty n^'acrable 
 hours cramped up in a wretched, crowded op' waggon 
 on roads, compared with which a drive over a frozen 
 ploughed field, would have been a luxury. How I longed 
 for the free prairie for ' Kill-bull,' and to be on little 
 Charley's back once again ! Wretclied work this charming (?) 
 civilisation ! 
 
 Crossed the foot of Lake Michigan in my old friend 
 the steamer Chawpion which, if possible, was more filthy 
 and uncomfortable than ever, and left St. Joseph's by stage 
 for Kallimazoo at six in the morning of Thursday, 28th. 
 Nineteen hours going forty-five miles, and only once upset, 
 which the passengers and coachman agreed was a rare instance 
 of good fortune ! 
 
 The travelling can be compared to nothing that I know 
 of, excepting one fancies oneself leaded up in a barrel, and 
 rolled over Esk stone-bed* for some fifty miles, the road (?) 
 being cut through heavy timber, and the coach driven 
 through deep swamps and mud-holes, and over logs and 
 stumps the whole way. The woods here, however, are 
 certainly very fine. The timber, whether pine or hard wood, 
 grows always perfectly straight and healthy, and the bolls of 
 great size. The leaves also were all of the most beautiful 
 
 • The River Esk in Cumberland, 
 
RETURN JOURNEY. 
 
 119 
 
 coir urs, being tinged by the frost, which, however, had been 
 
 apparently very slight as yet hereabouts. 
 
 Arrived at Kallimazoo at one in the morning of 
 
 Friday, 29th, amidst a perfect cascade of tobacco juice, and 
 
 the most horrible oaths to match, the usual symptoms of 
 
 excitement in that beast, the Yankee proper. 
 
 By rail to Detroit, and aboard the Canada the same 
 evening, a very fine and very fast new steamer. Only twenty- 
 four hours to Buffalo, and off the next morning by rail to the 
 Falls of Niagara. Spent Sunday, October 31st, at the Falls. 
 
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 THE END. 
 
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( 120 ) 
 
 MOKE THAN TWENTY YEARS AFTER. 
 THE LAST OF THE BUFFALO. 
 
 This Illustration is a photograph taken troin the engraving of 
 Albert Bierstadt's admirable picture, entitled 'The Last of the 
 Butfalu,' which must have been painted after 1870. This 
 picture, like other masterpieces by the same painter, of scenes 
 in the Ri)cky Mountains, gives a good idea of the scenery 
 frequently described in the foregjir^ pages, as well as of the 
 'countless herds of buffalo' no often mentioned, which have 
 since been driven off to make way for the cattle ranches of 
 white settlers, and have gradually diminished or died out, on 
 many of the plains, where now graze the cattle, called hv the 
 Indians, ' the white man's buffalo.' 
 
 4. 
 

 
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