Volume 1

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THE VOYAGE RESUMED. 57
vinced there were no Saulteurs about us. I did not
know what to think of it ; however, the Indians went away
and began to drink, whilst my people amused themselves
fishing. About sunset three horsemen appeared on the W.
side of the river ; this gave an alarm, and everyone flew to
arms, when the horsemen, observing our bustle and consternation,
called out to us in Saulteur to ferry them over.
This we did with pleasure. They proved to be three
men of Red Sucker's band, who, having got wind of my
arrival to winter up this river, had come to join us with
their families from Grand Passage on the Assiniboine.
They brought me the flesh of a cow which they had killed
not far off, on the S. side of Riviere la Sale. They had seen
several herds. I went over the river for a walk on the
plains, but soon returned, as I found the walking too bad
in the long grass, stunted poplars, willows, and rosebushes.
No large wood was to be seen, excepting along the river.
My men caught upward of 200 lacaishe and about 30 catfish.
The Indians did not once trouble me during the
night.
Aug.22d. Indians still drinking. One of them brought
me a large beaver. Many sturgeons were jumping night
and day. The Indians plagued me much for goods on
credit, but I
did not think proper to give them any.
At ten o'clock we embarked, intending to go a few miles
only and then wait for the Indians. We found a few
stones ;
through carelessness a foreman ran his canoe upon
one and broke her very much, but the others being near at
hand we kept the property from getting wet. This affair
took some time, and the accident having happened at a very
ugly spot, where we had mud up to the middle, it was noon
before we embarked. We came to a place we found very
shallow for about a mile, the bottom a stiff
black clay, the
current almost a rapid. Having passed this, we entered
deep water again. The river continues very crooked, and I
am told the water is lower than has ever been known before
still there is enough for a Montreal canoe laden with 70