Volume 1

FROM HAIR HILLS TO PEMBINA RIVER.
II9
and the beds are of sand and blue gravel, with a few large
stones lying nearly on a level with the meadows. After
five or six miles nothing but sand is to be seen, and then, in
a few miles more, come mud and mire, through which even
buffalo have great difificulty in crossing. Our horses frequently
stick fast, and it is only with great trouble we can
get them out.
I
hired Nanaundeyea to go toward the Ribbone lakes in
search of the Crees and Assiniboines, and try to prevail
upon some of them to come to our establishment. As an
inducement I desired him to inform them that I intended
to establish a summer post on this river, where they could
always find their necessary supplies ; that this year I sent to
the hills merely as a trial ; but if I could be sure of seeing
Indians here annually, I would form a permanent post. I
desired him also to go to Pinancewaywining, which is the
common route by which the Assiniboine River Indians
pass over the mountain to hunt bear and buffalo on the
E. side. He promised he would do his best to find the
Indians.
At ten o'clock we remounted and came away.
Thick fog
continued, but the sun appearing, we directed our course as
near as possible for Passage island, where we arrived about
one o'clock ; here we unsaddled to give our horses a rest. I
shot two cows and a heifer two years old ; the latter was
extraordinarily fat, with over an inch of depouille. Those
young animals are seldom fat in depouille. Buffalo have
ravaged this small island ; nothing remains but the large
elms and oaks, whose bark has been polished to the height
of the buffalo by their perpetual rubbing.
Brush and grass
are not to be seen in this little wood, which on the whole is
a dehghtful spot. We took some choice pieces of meat upon
our horses and set out. I shot a red fox at the distance of
100 paces, with my double-barreled gun, loaded with a single
ball. At seven o'clock we crossed Panbian river ; our
horses were much fatigued, as we rode hard. I suppose
the distance to be 15 leagues. We observed a thick smoke