Volume 1

firearms as I
DOWN RED RIVER TO THE FORKS. 1
83
pushed off from the shore, and told me to make
We
all expedition possible, as they would soon be thirsty.
camped at the salt pit, very much troubled with mosquitoes
and woodticks. Early on the 20th we embarked. At five
o'clock we perceived three black bears on the beach. I
debarked and approached them, when, upon firing at the
largest, which I killed dead on the spot, the other two
climbed up an oak, whence I knocked them both down.
The fur is still very fine and the skins valuable. At the
entrance of Rat river I perceived a large moose, and went
after him ; but he decamped. Killed an outarde, a duck, and
a pigeon. At Riviere la Sale I saw two moose crossing. I
debarked and went after them by making a circuit in the
woods ; but they had landed before I could reach the spot.
I made a turn in the woods, and finding myself at a proper
distance, I was approaching, when they started and rushed
back to the river. I chased and found them already more
than half over. I fired at the nearest one and lodged the
ball in his head between the ears, which killed him instantly,
but he sunk to the bottom. My canoe joined me ;
we drifted
slowly down with the current, and soon saw the
ears of the moose appear out of water. We hauled him
ashore, cut him up, and took the meat in my canoe.
At sunset we arrived at the Forks, where I found my
people waiting for me. No news from Assiniboine river,
except that they are starving at Portage la Prairie, and
exist only on esquebois \Psoralea esciilefita f], a root about
the thickness and length of a man's finger, which may be
termed the wild potato or pomme de terre of this country ;
it has a thin skin of a yellowish color, the inside perfectly
white, and when boiled is tolerably good eating. They are
also eaten raw, but are then of a windy nature, and sometimes
cause a severe colic. I have known people to suffer
much after eating a moderate quantity.
May 2ist. Men fishing with hook and line, and others
with the seine ; all were successful, taking plenty of catfish,
sturgeon, lacaishe, and other kinds.