Volume 1

48 DEPARTURE FROM THE FORKS.
etors of the N. W. Co., who has nine canoes and three boats,
and proposes to winter at Riviere Qu' Appelle.
Aii£^. 20th. Early this morning Mr. McDonell with his
brigade left us, and I soon sent off my canoes, whilst I
remained to get the Indians off; they were scarcely sober
yet, but by noon the ground was clear of them. The
Opposition or X. Y. Co. brigade of nine canoes and one
boat soon arrived, and passed directly up the Assiniboine,
not seeing any Indians to induce them to go up Red river.
At twelve o'clock I embarked and proceeded about six
miles," when I found my canoes camped with all the
Indians. The latter were anxiously awaiting my arrival,
with the expectation of getting more liquor ; but I would
not give out any, being anxious to get on my journey.
Some of their principal men assembled at my tent and
made long speeches for the purpose of getting liquor, but
as I persisted in refusing, they returned to their cabins.
My men caught upward of 300 lacaishe and some catfish.
We were much troubled with mosquitoes ; it was very
sultry and warm, with showers of rain.
The beach along this river being black mud, the last
rain
turned it into a kind of mortar that adheres to the foot like
tar, so that at every step we raise several pounds of it, and
everything that touches it receives a share. The interpreter
whom I had sent on by land was over two hours in coming,
having found much difficulty in getting his horse through
the woods. The S. side of the Assiniboine, particularly
near the Forks, is
a woody country, overgrown with poplars
so thickly as scarcely to allow a man to pass on foot ; this
extends some miles W., when the wood is intersected by
small meadows. This woody country continues S. up Red
river to Riviere la Sale. On the E. side the land is low,
overgrown with poplars and willows, frequently intersected
by marshes, stagnant ponds, and small rivulets. Moose, red
deer, and bears are numerous. The banks are covered on
" This would bring Henry to a position in the vicinity of present St. Vital, a
small place on the W. bank, in the parish of the same name.