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THE next day Baptiste and I
went ahead. We were now three-quarters of the way down, our horses had
picked up well, and I wanted to hurry on so as to get through my business as
quickly as possible, and give more time to the homeward trip, when we would
have heavy loads. The first night we camped with a large party of plain
hunters, on their way out for a summer hunt. These men were from all over
the Red River settlement, from the White Horse plains, and Portage hi
Prairie. Their encampment was like a good-sized village. They must have had
five hundred or more carts, besides many waggons. Then this number would be
very much augmented from Fort Ellice and other points eastward.
Looking on one of these
parties, and remembering that two such parties went out on the plains after
buffalo every summer for the purpose of making dried provision; that some of
these would make fall and winter forays for fresh meat; that this same thing
was going on in the Saskatchewan country among the same class of people, and
that from Texas to the North Saskatchewan many Indian tribes were living on
the buffalo, winter and summer ;—I say, that if one thought of all this, he
would begin to have some small conception of the extent and numbers of the
buffalo. Moreover, if he continued to think, he would wake up to the
appreciation of a country that could in its crude and wilderness condition
maintain such countless and enormous supplies of food, and that of the
choicest kind.
These were the men who owned
the rich portions of Manitoba, the Portage plains, and the banks of the
Assiniboine and Red Rivers; but what cared they for rich homesteads so long
as buffalo could be found within five or six hundred miles? These owners of
the best wheat fields in the world very often started out to the plains and
were willing to take their chance of a very risky mode of life, forsooth,
because they came of a hunting breed, and "blood is thicker than water," and
environment stamps itself deep upon the race. In going through the camps,
eager as I was for eastern news, I could find none. What signified it to
these men that the greatest of civil wars was then raging on the continent
beside them? What thought they, or what did they know of the fact that they
were on the eve of a great national and political change, and that the old
life would soon have to give way to a new order of things? Their teachers
either had not sought to enlighten them, or had failed to make them
comprehend, if they did desire to do so. No wonder that in their ignorance
they were led astray in 1869-70, and again in 1885. They could talk about
horses and buffalo, and battle with the Sioux and B1ackfet, and count their
beads and mutter prayers, but apparently were sublimely ignorant of all
things else. Alas! that this should have been the case, for these men were
and are full of fine traits of character. Kind, hospitable, chivalrous,
brave, I have ever found them. Surely scores of years of preaching should
have done something better for them.
We jogged along, Baptiste and
I, across the Little Saskatchewan, and by the two crossings of the White
Mud, and coming to the third crossing in the evening, found a Church of
England mission with the Rev. Mr. George in charge. Mrs. George was very
kind, and for the first time in two years I had a square meal of bread and
butter. Oh! how good it was! I had to fairly curb my appetite. Next morning
Mrs. George gave us a fresh loaf of bread and some butter for our lunch that
day. But do you think we could wait until noon? We had not gone a mile from
her hospitable home when I said, "Baptiste, don't you think we could carry
that bread and butter somewhere else very much better than on that
pack-horse?" "Oh, yes, Mr. John," was his expressive answer. We thereupon
alighted, took the tempting loaf from the pack, ate it with eager relish,
and then went on quite satisfied.
We rode through the Portage,
finding at that time but two white men settled there. As I had a letter for
Archdeacon Cochrane, we called for a few minutes on that venerable prelate.
I found him quite an old man. That day he seemed somewhat discouraged, for
he asked me if I did not think these people (meaning the mixed bloods among
whom he was laboring) must first be civilized before they could be
Christianized. I ventured to say that I thought Christianity was the main
factor in real civilization. Then he asked me what my opinion was of the war
in the States, and I told him that I knew very little about it, and had seen
very few papers—none whatever for some months. Then lie said he was in
sympathy with the South. At this I was astonished, but did not venture to
say anything, for he was an old man, and I but a boy. I wondered as I rode
away how a gentleman of his age and experience and education and calling
could hold such views as to be in sympathy with rebellion and slavery. There
must be something in this I do not understand, thought I. But if there was
any good reason for such a position I have never yet come across it.
That night we camped with a
brother-in-law of Peter's, living at the High Bluff, who received us kindly.
The next day, continuing our journey, we jogged along the north bank of the
Assiniboine, around the Big Bend, and through the White Horse Plains. As we
were passing a house Baptiste said, "Mr. John, my friends used to live here;
stop a minute and let me see." So we approached the house and found that the
woman of this place was Baptiste's cousin, and though many years had elapsed
since they had met, the recognition was mutual and joyous. As the day was
extremely warm, this woman offered us some nice cold milk, of which I,
remembering I had not had any for some years, drank very sparingly, but my
man Baptiste indulged in it recklessly.
Mounting our horses, we
resumed the chronic jog, and had not gone many miles when I heard a groan,
and looking back, saw Baptiste with his hand pressing his stomach, and
looking woefully dismal.
"What is the matter?" I
enquired.
"Oh! Mr. John, I am sore,"
was the woeful answer.
"I thought so," said I. You
should not have drunk so much milk; you deserve to be sore."
In the evening we came to the
farm of Mr. Gowler, to whom I had letters from both father and Mr. Woolsey,
and whose home I hoped to make my headquarters while doing my business and
gathering my stock and loads for the West. Riding into the yard, we found
the old farmer had just finished churning, and was enjoying a bowl of fresh
buttermilk. He kindly offered me some. I declined with thanks, but said my
man was very fond of milk. Mr. Gowler at once gave him a big bowl of it, and
Baptiste dare not refuse. His code of etiquette would not allow him to
decline, and, though in misery, he nevertheless drank it. Like many another
simple person, he was the slave of social rule.
Mr. Gowler had come out in
the Hudson's Bay Company's service, by way of Hudson's Bay. In due time he
had gone free, and settled on the Assiniboine, a few miles west of Fore
Garry, and at this time had the largest farm in the Red River settlement. He
was an English Wesleyan Methodist in the Old Country, and though he had
allied himself to the Anglican Church when he came out here, yet he retained
a warm feeling toward those of his early persuasion. Thus Mr. Woolsey and
father had met him, and thus I had come to him to arrange for a camp, a
pasture and a home while in the settlement, all of which Mr. Gowler heartily
welcomed me to, and in such a way that I was at home at once. The next day I
rode in to the Fort, and presented my letters of introduction and credit to
Governor McTavish, who said he would help me in any way he could, inviting
me at the same time to take my meals, when in the vicinity, with him and his
officers. I also became acquainted with his nephew, John McTavish, who was
at that time Chief Accountant, and who rendered me many kindnesses during my
stay in the settlement.
I had no trouble about the
year's supplies for the missions, as these had all been requisitioned for,
as usual, early in the year. My business was the arranging of transport. I
must secure carts and harness and oxen, and, as the several plain-hunting
parties had recently started out, I had some difficulty in finding enough
for my needs. But after some days' hunting around, I secured all I wanted;
had bought my oxen, fine big fellows, paying on an average £7 (about $35)
apiece; also four quiet much cows, for which I paid from $15 to $18 each,
thinking as I bought them how much they would be welcomed by our people at
yonder mission. I also bought ten sacks of flour, paying £1 12s. per sack of
ninety-six pounds, and 2s. for the sack. Add to this the freight to
Victoria, and the first cost there of each sack would be $18.50. I gave five
sacks to each mission, which, allowing a sack for the men of each party en
route, would give the missions four sacks of flour for the year. This would
be a wonderful advance on any previous experience in the bread line at
either of those places. I bought, too, a promising colt, descendant of "Fire
Away," a very famous horse the Hudson's Bay Company had imported from the
Old Country. For this three-year-old colt I paid £14, or $70 of our money. I
handled, in making my purchases, the first "Hudson's Bay blankets" I had
ever seen. These were large 5s. and £5 notes, issued by the Company, and
which I drew from them on father's order.
In the course of my business
I was in Old Fort Garry a number of times. I saw St. Boniface, then a very
small place, just across the river, and the home of Bishop Tache. I was in
and out of the five or six houses which then formed the nucleus of the
little village called Winnipeg. I rode frequently through the parish of St.
John's, passing the house of Bishop Anderson, the Anglican head of Rupert's
Land. I went down into Kildonan and spent a night in the home of the Rev.
Dr. Black, who was one of father's dear friends. I also met there the Rev.
Mr. Nisbet, who later on founded the mission work at Prince Albert. I
visited some of the original Scotch settlers, and was looked upon by the
elders as a degenerate, because, as they expressed it, "She couldna spoket
the Gaelic." I spent two Sundays in this settlement, hearing Dr. Black the
first Sunday, and remember thinking that his fine Gospel sermon was "broad"
in more senses than one. The next Sabbath I worshipped with the Anglicans,
and heard the Rev. Henry Cochrane preach an eloquent and inspiring sermon,
and was glad that a genuine native had reached such a position. I have often
felt sorry that the men who were instrumental in raising him to this height
of development did not themselves keep ahead sufficiently in example, as
well as in precept, but by their failure caused their weaker brother to
offend, and later on to fall terribly from his high estate.
It has taken many centuries
of progressive development to give a very small percentage of the stronger
races of men the will power and ability to understand and observe the
meaning of the word temperance. it is a very small sacrifice (if it may be
called such), yet an essential factor with missionaries in their work with
the pagan races, that they themselves be through and through transparent and
consistent, or else to these will come the greater condemnation. But, not to
further moralize, I will go back to the loading of my carts and the
gathering of my stock, preparatory to my journey westward.
My man Baptiste had found his
old associates and whiskey too much for him, and forgetting wife and
children on the Saskatchewan, had disappeared. I could not give the time to
looking for him, but hired instead one of Mr. Gowler's sons, Oliver by name,
and as I was still short of help, was very glad that I came across a
gentleman by the name of Connor, and his son, a young man about my age, who
were desirous of making the trip to the Saskatchewan. As they had but one
cart between them, I secured the son to drive carts for me. My party was
also joined by a Scotchman who was desirous of crossing the mountains to
British Columbia, and who, finding that we were starting westward, asked
permission to travel with us. He also had but one cart. When we started, as
the Whitefish Lake party had horses pulling their carts and would travel
faster (especially in hot weather) than we could, I let them go on ahead of
us. Our party was composed of Mr. Connor and the Scotchman, my two men and
myself—five in all. |
