Volume 1

TRIP TO LANGLOIS' POST AT REED RIVER. 1 53
the Bois Perce on his way to Salt river. As I was certain
my hunter would leave me, I arranged with Taon to hunt,
paying him three skins per animal and furnishing ammunition.
I desired him to camp near Salt river and hunt red
deer, there being no animals near the fort excepting bulls;
which are lean and indifferent at this season.
Nov. i^th. My little hunter and his father-in-law set off
for Riviere aux Vautours [Vulture, i. e., Turkey-buzzard,
river], and old Taon decamped for Salt river to hunt. At
nine o'clock I mounted and set off for Langlois', leaving
Charlo preparing to depart for his tent at the foot of the
Hair hills. At the Bois Perce I remained about an hour
Avith the worthless vagabonds, who do nothing but play at
the game of platter. Nothing is heard but the noise of
the dish, and children bawling from hunger ; their scoundrelly
fathers are deaf to their cries, until necessity obliges
them to kill a bull for their sustenance. I overtook the
two men I sent off on foot this morning before daylight.
We came on slowly to Panbian river and encamped.
Sunday, Nov. i6th. A very cold morning, the ice drifting
in large bodies in Red river. On arriving opposite
Reed river, we had some difficulty to cross among the drifting
ice, and found most of the people sick.
Langlois had a
cold and cough, his wife a sore hand, and their daughter
was in convulsions. She lies senseless for half an hour or
more, and the fit occurs twice or thrice a day. When it
takes her she lies like a person in a trance, without any
struggle or contortions, and recovers as from a dream. She
is about 10 years of age, and appears otherwise in good
health. A child about four years of age had his left buttock
mostly torn off by an accidental shot in an Indian's
cabin a few days ago during a drinking match. He is now
in a fair way of recovery, though the gun was loaded with
large beaver shot. It is surprising he was not killed, but it
seems the shot passed obliquely, and he will escape with
the loss of a few pounds of flesh.
Nov. ijth. This morning the ice was suflficiently strong