Paul Kane's Journal of his Western Travels, 1846-1848 - History and ...

miskitas and black flies verrey bad
did not steep all night for them
had to get on a rook they caterpill
er's was so numeras
10 we made 10 poL roun they
conews over 3 or 4 beautiful
cas caides
II th Fare wind hoisted sale and cum
down curent at the rate of
7 or 8 miles an ower arived
at Fort AJaxander. I here herd
of a campt ofIndianes who
had a grate Medeson feist
a few miles from the foact
Mr. Setter the Jentalman of the fort
proqured me an Indan guide who
conducted me throe they woods sw
=anning with moskitas sow that I
had to ware a vale made on pur
=pus for sutch acassions. when I ar
=ived grat swarems ofIndanes came
out to see me. One of they cheefes felt
of my pantloones and said that I
must be a grate cheefe the
ware so fine (Mole sking) I en
tered thare medison Iodg wh
are they ware beating the
drum and singing they had
somthing covered up in the
middle of the lodg whitch
I could not make out I
sune found that I was an
intruder so I left I saw here
an Indan grave with a calp
on a long pole at the bed of
it. Got 61ndnes to take me to
the Red River sette1ment left
with a fare wind
12th I rite this part of my jum
= al over a biasing fire on the
shore of Lake Winapeg whare
I have campt for the night
and my 6 painted warers
sleeping in front of my with
their hidieous Cases shineing in
the fire lite
IJ!h.Stone Fort Red River I here
met Sur George Simson again
I found minney of they H.B.C.
gentalmen here to atend a coun
=sal wbitch is held once a year
Mounday 15 th I left in comp
= aney with Mr. a mishanery
for Fort Garey 20. mi.
up the river we had a plesant
ride thru a deliteful cuntrey
thickley inhabetad Red River has
about 1000 white inbabitence and about
2000 half brees as how are called
here it has ajudg and a court House
last yeare thare was an Indan tried and
hung for Shewting a soto and a Sew
(ndan at one shot the ball pased
throe the Sew Who it was intended for
and enterad a Soto it is a delitefull
situation the prareys surounding
24
it i beautifull
18~ to day I left for the planes
to witness they Buffalo hunt by
they half breedes of Red River
they had started 3 days before
me. I prequered a Hors and cart to
carey my paints and provitions
and a good saddle Have for my
self to ride it was with. sum
bubble that I could get a
man to acompaney me
for they Sews and they half
breades (12 in numbr
for to make pese. while !hare
one of the haJf breed was brout
in ded, cilled by they Sewes
this exasperated they yong men
and they called for the deth
of they cheefs then in the
camp, they ware over ruled by the
better part of they men
and escorted sum distance from
the camp and tould to take
care fr the future 2 days after
they perseved thare lookout men
running back and forward
passing thare Horses they knew
by this sine that tbare
was an enamey in advance. A 100 of
they best mounted riders started
and got in to a hollo here ari
=riev they then sent one man
alone to the top of the bank
as a decoy they Indanes saw
him and thought him alone
they rushed apon him when
they halfbreedes showed they
selfs and fired they Sewes ware
taken by surprise and run. thare
was 8 cilled, nun of they half
breeds hurt. when thare is Buffalo
they look out men take up hands
full of durt and throw it up
in the are. My first nite in a pr
=arey made a scetch the prarey
all covered with a small rose
19 drank nothing but watter
from mud holes full of anamaJ cuJa
of varus sises
20th Arived at Pambena Mounten
had a beautifull vue of the pr
=arie P. River I bere found
they camp of they hunters
whom gave me a verey cardul
reseption they ware cutting
!hare poles for to dry thare
mete on when I came up They are
devided in to too parteyes consisting
of 250 eatch with thare wives
and children in all thare is
about 1500 carts drawn by
oxan or Horses to carey the
mete home when dried eatc
cart will carry 1000 pound
it tak.es 10 Buffalo to lode a
cart they make thare one law
and regulations abide by them
thare is an emance concorse of dogs
a cumpaney them and at nite they
make moast headus noys I be
came aquainted with a Mr. Hallet
who was one of thare hed men
Thare is about 2 half breeds
in all thare are a distinct
class of themselfs they
live at Red River, spke
the Indan language
and Jive by hunting
gowing out into the
planes twise a year
to hunt they Buffalo
they H .B. Co tak.e part
of thare dride meete and
all they fat after it
is rendered they use
scin lodges to live in
made from they buffalo hide
the 21th.
we Iayd by all
this day as it was Sunday
22
1bey camp broke up
this morning made a
cetch of it, with they
manner of cetching
a refracktey horse
23d
Viseted the dry da=
=nce Mounten the In
=dans before they gou
out on a ware excu
=rtion they dance here
for 3 days and nights
with out eating or
drinking aU that can
stand it go out with
they partey all that
can not remane
with they campt
Saw a beautifull
Antelope here
24th
Made a cetch of they
carts in motion got
a bed of the partey
when an Indan called
out that thare was
buffalo to the rite
of me I asended a sm
=all hill when I saw
a band of about 40
cows and they hunters
in full chase they
ware they first Bu
=ffalow I had ever
seene I was not long
in turning my horses
hed in the derection
of thy chase
after running about
3 miles I came nere up
to a cow my hors
became afrade after
Kane! Journal