Medicine Tent River and North River Camps.

September 1st - After breakfast Antoine and I rode forward together up the McLeod valley and crossed the river a dozen times at least. The mountains now appeared close in front of us. One of them particularly struck me from its resemblance to Arthur's Seat, near Edinburgh; it was similar in shape, and apparently in formation, though on a greatly magnified scale. There was no snow upon it, even in the higher regions, except a few streaks about the northern face.'

As we were riding past a deep pool as clear as crystal, at the foot of a low but rugged crag, old Antoine paused and eyed it attentively, - admiring its beauty I hoped, - and almost believed, on seeing him stop again and gaze even more attentively at another rock and pool a little farther on. He has some sense of the beautiful, after all, said I to myself. "Milord!" said he, "les petits poissons:" - and immediately began to make a rough fishing rod.'

We rejoined the rest of the party, then all halted for dinner, amid noble scenery, and while the horses grazed among the scattered rocks and fir trees, and the men smoked and chatted good-humouredly together, I spent an enjoyable hour reading "Macbeth."

Continuing our march up the McLeod, we presently entered a fine rocky gorge, between the "Arthur's Seat" mountain and another of less remarkable appearance, and after a few miles of easy travelling, reached a point where a smaller stream flowed into the river in a succession of picturesque cascades. Our track now diverged, and passed up the course of the stream and close beside the waterfalls; it was an unfrequented road, and we found it a good deal blocked with brush, and altogether out of order; but a little axe work soon cleared away the impediments, and we made the ascent without accident.

'At the top of the rapids, the valley showed a tamer character, its sides being comparatively low and covered with grass and young pines; nevertheless, there were fine distant views at intervals, and when we camped for the night in a deep glen that intersected our course, a grand rocky peak could be seen crowning the end of the ravine we had chosen for our halting place. We made an enormous fire of logs - the men had taken my hint, there was but one fire * and slept well despite the keenness of the frost. Nothing could exceed the beauty of the pines and firs as displayed by the light of our flaming pyramid, even the grass showed a strange ruddiness mingled with its quiet green, and the eyes of the horses wandering on the banks above us shone like little stars rising and setting incessantly amidst deepest shades.'

September 2nd. - A cold frosty night, as was now almost always the case. We continued our march up the stream of the cascades; its banks were no longer steep but had become very tame and featureless. In one pool we surprised a family of black diving ducks and managed to get three or four of them, which turned out particularly good eating, almost the best of their kind I ever tasted.

After this, we observed eighteen wild sheep on the shoulder of a mountain on our right, so - we directed the "brigade" to pursue its way over the low ridge before us, till they came to a valley which contained a certain small lake, - Antoine, McKay, and I rode off to the foot of the hill where the animals had just been seen. Leaving our horses, we proceeded to climb the rocks, but the sheep had disappeared, probably scared by our party, which was full in sight though a considerable distance away.

'When high among the precipices we heard some "siffleurs" whistling with their clear, bell-like, melancholy notes, and presently saw one, but out of shot. This beast, a kind of marmot, is considerably less than a badger, though not unlike one in form and colour; its tail, however, is larger and its fur finer, in these respects, it more resembles the opossum. Its teeth are very long, and shaped like those of the beaver or rabbit. The rocks are its abode: probably it nearly answers to the "coney" of the Book of Proverbs.*

'We also saw some very pretty ground squirrels, not so large as a common rat; they were striped with yellow on a greenish grey, and had bushy tails about half the length of their bodies. Their cry is like the chirping of a bird. I did not shoot one, as my rifle bullet would have cut so small a creature into atoms.'

Having got our horses again, we climbed along the mountain-side, on tracks where I should have thought nothing but a goat could pass, and then descended to the lake, where the brigade had now already arrived. On our way we observed a "white sheep" (mountain goat) high up on the opposite crags, and, after leaving our horses at the camp, went in search of him, but had a much longer walk and harder climb than I had expected. At length, we came to within a very long shot of where he was lying, close to a sharp turn among the rocks, and I crawled on alone, bringing myself a third of the way nearer, - after a most painful stalk, for the stones cut like knives. An exceedingly careful approach brought me to a stone about 120 yards from him, but I could get no nearer: then I fired at him as he lay - for if he had risen he would have been out of sight in a moment, - and had the satisfaction of making a clean miss.

No better sport remaining, we began to roll immense stones down the steep - a favourite amusement with my men, both young and old delighting in it, - sending them crashing into a grove of small-sized fir trees, which snapped like twigs at the stroke of the flying boulders. Then, getting caught in a shower, we made the best of our way back to camp and reached home about nightfall. 'There we found that Munroe had shot a siffleur; and, for the first time, I had the pleasure of eating that most delicious meat, which tastes like very delicate mutton, with the fat of a suckling pig.'

September 3rd. - 'The camp is surrounded with magnificent rocky heights; I leave it with sorrow. Would that it were the beginning of summer instead of the end! I had a hind leg of siffleur for breakfast and found it the best part. In shape and distribution of fat, it is a miniature haunch of venison; it is possible to eat the whole at a meal.'

When we set out, Whiskey took possession of the siffleur's head, carrying it face-foremost in the most ridiculous manner, with its rabbity teeth sticking out in front of his own, and trotted beside us, exhibiting his treasure with- a delightfully amusing air of self-complacent sagacity. After crossing a river which runs in a southerly direction, [we believed it to be a branch of the "North River," as my men called it, which is a head-water of the North Saskatchewan, - possibly that termed "Brazeau River" in some of the maps], we ascended a hill, and, on gaining the top of it, came to a small stream flowing with rapid current towards the west. I walked on alone in front of my party, following the course of this rivulet and suddenly found myself stopped by a rocky barrier, through which the water rushed, partly in cascades, partly through a very deep and narrow gorge. On the banks above this place I picked up some specimens of fossil shells; then climbing the hill to my left I rejoined the brigade, having first made a sketch of a magnificent snow-crowned mountain directly opposite, on the farther side of a rather considerable stream which receives the little brook I had just been following, a stream which, according to Antoine, is called the "Medicine Tent River," and forms one of the principal head-waters of the river Athabasca.

'To descend into its valley we had to go down a hill of extraordinary steepness. It was barely practicable for the pack-horses, but we reached the bottom without accident and then pursued our way up the river with the mysterious name. At dinner time, I made a very hurried sketch of a noble mountain of black slaty rock, the last on the right as we descended the hill of difficulty, but unfortunately, clouds came down and covered the curiously cloven mitre-like summit, which formed its most characteristic feature before I had time to seize the exact outline.*

'We continued our march up the river amidst scenery of surpassing magnificence. On the left, as one proceeds, the heights are less grand, running more in a plain continuous ridge, but on the right, there is a far higher wall of rock, which is broken by a succession of glorious peaks, while lower precipitous spurs, divided by deep rocky glens, run outwards toward the river.

'Among river the loftier mountains the most are pyramidal; a few are more rounded; some are decorated with great masses of snow glittering on their northern sides; others are utterly unclothed except upon their grassy pine-clad feet; but all agree on one thing - they are rock, absolute rock, without admixture of other substance. Sometimes the rocks are placed in steep piles one above the other, like heaps of gigantic slates, far oftener they are disposed in a succession of rugged precipitous ridges. Sometimes wide tracts are covered with shingly fragments, sometimes the strata whirl in such curious fashion, that far-spreading spaces look like vast stores of petrified trees upheaved in the ruin of a dismantled world.

'The rivers are shallow and rapid, rushing over pebbly beds; they are generally clear, but of an opaque green or muddy brown when the snow is melting fast. Their banks are bordered by wide belts of pine trees, - chiefly Scotch and silver firs, but not without a sprinkling of spruces. These trees are small, being kept down by the cold and by frequent avalanches of snow or stones; except a few gnarled old patriarchs, none are larger than an ordinary fir of thirty years' growth.

'In the afternoon we passed through the ruins of a subordinate mountain, which had fallen as if shivered by lightning, and covered hundreds of acres with shattered rocks broken into the most fantastic forms. 'The temperature changes are very sudden in these elevated valleys. At noon we were hiding from the burning sun in any shade that could be found, in the evening we were trembling in the icy wind of a premature winter - but there are no mosquitoes, so welcome cold, heat, wind, rain, fog, anything, if only these tormentors are cut off!

'Our camp was placed on a hillside, looking down on a small lake, and within sight and sound of a waterfall. We were well supplied with food. My own supper was one chiefly composed of a porcupine, - Kline having killed one of these animals with a stick, - it was like siffleur, but too rich and fat. Old Lagrace had brought in a large "partridge," a bird of the size and appearance of a grey-hen, * which he knocked off a branch with a stone, and Antoine had been out on the mountains and shot a female wild sheep.'

Sunday, September 4th. - Mist came rolling up the valley, and the night grew bitterly cold: I pulled a blanket over my head, but could still feel the icy air striking sharply on my face; then I burrowed among three blankets and heaped all my clothes upon them, and managed to get a little sleep, but it was not till the sun rose that I found myself at all comfortable. For breakfast, this morning, had roast ribs of sheep - a better-flavoured meat than common mutton. After dinner, I set out with McKay, McBeath, Duncan, and Antoine, and climbed to the top of the mountain that stands across the end of the valley. It was hard work, the excessively steep slopes being covered with loose shingle which yielded to our feet, but perseverance at length succeeded, and we reached the summit. There was little view, the mist hung thick over all but a few of the mountains. In the valley beneath us, we saw a number of wild sheep, no rams, however, only young males, or females with their lambs.

Before quitting our elevation we set to work piling up big stones, and built a sort of rough tower, or cairn, some six feet high, on the highest and most commanding point, as a memorial of our visit; then we descended more quickly than was altogether agreeable. Whisky, full of misplaced zeal, followed me to the very top, advancing with steady steps, though much more slowly than we did; but in return he got daunted by the perils of the way, and began to show signs of alarm, stopping with bewildered looks when he came to the dangerous descents, then creeping a step or two forward, but so lingeringly, that, by the time we were halfway down, he looked a mere black speck in the upper region, where our new monument was standing in all its pride.

Lagrace came into camp soon after, bringing a large porcupine that he and Pointer had secured between them. That unlucky dog, having followed it by scent, had seized it so Richardson writes - "Its quills ... rashly as to get his mouth struck through with quills, some of which took such firm hold that we were unable to draw them out. [Of this animal {Hystrix pilosus - The Canada porcupine, termed Cawquaw by the Cree Indians), Sir John Richardson, - writes with minute teeth directed backwards. . . . These spines, which are detached from the porcupine by the slightest touch, and probably by the will of the animal, soon fill the mouths of the dogs which worry it, and unless the Indian women carefully pick them out, seldom fail to kill them. Wolves occasionally die from the same cause." - Faun.' Bor.-Am., vol. 1. p. 214-15. I suppose that Lagrace, who had taken Pointer under his special charge, afterwards succeeded in extracting the quills; at all events, the dog was none the worse of the adventure.]

September 5th. - Early in the morning, while half asleep after a very wakeful and uncomfortable night, McKay roused me up, reporting a grizzly bear to be in view. Dashing on my clothes I started in pursuit, carrying a gun on each shoulder, Robinson Crusoe fashion - my rifle for a long shot, and the smoothbore with the big bullet for close quarters, - Lagrace and Antoine following with other weapons. The bear, however, having seen our camp, or perhaps winded it, made off at a rapid pace, and, after two hours of fatiguing climbing in the chaos of the landslip, I had to return without the sport I had so fully expected. When on my way home, a siffleur suddenly appeared on a rock beside me; I shot him dead; immediately afterwards, a very pretty silvery-grey one came running past, and met with the same fate as its companion. The former was a male, the latter a female; and both being good specimens, I had their skins preserved. * Siffleurs are hard to get hold of, for, unless shot quite dead, they scramble into their holes like wounded rabbits.

On arriving at camp, I found the men impatient to set out on a sheep hunt they had been promised for today. I breakfasted very hurriedly, intending to go with them; but changed my mind, and took a short rest instead, - feeling the morning's work, as I was rather unwell, and in bad walking condition. In half an hour, however, I made a start of it, accompanied by Antoine and Duncan, - the latter carrying my smoothbore, as I thought it likely to be serviceable, - and we went together up a broad valley that branched to the left, from that in which our camp was situated. The men had gone in different parties up the surrounding heights; except Munroe, who had taken his own line, preferring a separate and more distant beat. It was not long before we observed some sheep, - discovering three of them among the rocks on the opposite side of a deep ravine, - only an old ewe, unluckily, with two yearlings at her side. The ewe and a young ram fell at once to my rifle shots, and I broke the jaw of the other with the smoothbore; Antoine then knocked it over dead, making a very fine shot with his old flint rifle, - a most extraordinary little implement, so short and small, so bound up and mended with leather and brass-headed tacks, and altogether so worn and weather-beaten, as to look like some curious antique toy.

After this, I went to stalk a herd we had perceived some little way off, while Antoine remained to watch the ravine. It took me a long round to get to the place I was trying for - an isolated hillock about sixty yards from the sheep, - and when I arrived there I shot badly, being dreadfully out of breath. However, after missing both barrels, I had still time to load and fire again, the animals were confused, and looking about them instead of attempting to escape, with these shots, I wounded one ewe severely, and mortally wounded the only ram in the herd - a good- sized two-year-old, which, running down the ravine, was met by Antoine, who finished it, and shot another ewe besides.

I ran after the wounded ewe. A lamb was with her; and, wishing to kill it - as an act of mercy, to save it from starvation - I waited till it was in line with its mother, and struck them both with the same ball. The ewe struggled at some distance, but I overtook and finished her. Antoine now joined me, and we set to skin and cut up our sheep, much pleased to have obtained so good a supply of fresh meat for the camp. He told me, much to my surprise, that my first sheep of all, after lying a long time apparently dead, had jumped up actively on hearing a shot close by her, and "saved herself" up the steep side of the mountain.

On returning to camp I found that all my people, except Munroe, had come in unsuccessful from the chase: but he presently appeared, bringing with him the head of an old ram with very good horns. He had also killed another with a still larger head. This was encouraging news, as it showed that herds of fine sheep were in the neighbourhood. The old rams at this season keep in parties by themselves, and one may hunt whole days without finding anything better than bands of ewes and lambs and young males. The head brought in by Munroe was so heavy as to be a fair load for a man.

'Dined off what Toma and Lagrace call "porty-pig" {porcepic, porcupine). It was boiled tonight - much better thus than roasted,- tasting like rather fat, delicate mutton.

'Toma is sometimes very facetious in his quiet way. There was an old Indian with the Carlton hunters at Cherry Bush, whom he nicknamed "The Saw-mill," from the incessant jarring drone of his voice as he told endless stories in Cree, and this name had come to be typically applied to any offender of the sort. One of our old hands, lately, was droning away at a long story about some Indian fight, which he suddenly broke off with a sharp sound, in imitation of the "ping" of a closely-passing bullet. Toma softly got up, stepped across the fire to where Matheson was sitting, and, stooping over him, very gravely said - "Saw-mill broke!" Matheson went into fits of laughter, and ran all around the place, telling everybody of Toma's sententious remark.'

September 6th. - Having determined to move the camp to another valley, I made a rough sketch of the opposite mountains as a remembrance of the scene. This finished, I marked my name on a fir tree, a matter easily accomplished by blazing off part of the bark and drawing the letters on the exposed surface with the black end of a half-burnt stick. The resin dries soon afterwards and forms a sort of varnish which preserves the inscription for years.

'The place we are leaving is known as the "Height of Land" and is just where the waters divide, - the Athabasca head-stream rising in the snows of a great mountain (which stands towards the left in my sketch), and flowing northwards, while the North River (I have heard no other name for it) flows southwards, to the north branch of the Saskatchewan, from a point not far distant. This country is very little known. The Iroquois, the Assiniboine, and others hunt as far as the small lake near which we camped on the 2nd, but, strangely enough, they do not traverse the few miles farther, which would bring them from where game is scarce and wild, to where it abounds and is easy of approach. Perhaps superstitious reasons may keep them away, as the name "Medicine Tent River" indicates magic and mystery.

'I am the first European who has visited this valley, and if I might have the geographical honour of giving my name to some spot of earth, I should choose the mountain near which the two rivers rise. *

* 'There seem to be no Indian names in this country for even the most remarkable of its features. This is less surprising, as the whole district is only inhabited by a few families of wandering hunters, and they are rapidly decreasing in number.'

'The two mountains seem to be mostly similar in composition to the rock formations near Edinburgh; precipitous walls and rocky summits, resembling those of the Salisbury Crags and Arthur's Seat, being common, while occasionally there are lighter-coloured and lower masses, independent of the others though connected with them, which much remind one of the Bass Rock. The general colouring of the subordinate hills and valleys is nearly the same as in the Highlands of Scotland, for, although the beautiful heather is not found here, there are grasses and small-leaved plants, which impart a subdued richness like that which the heather preserves after its purple bloom is past. The streams, however, are more lovely than many of the Scottish rivulets, for they are clear, instead of running dark with the black stain of peat moss.

'After my name had been marked on the fir tree, we moved the camp a few miles, passing down into the neighbouring valley of the North River. Antoine and I rode forward together, but stopping for a while at the turn of the hill, we heard the rest of the party approaching and waited for their arrival. As my men came into view, dashing up at a brisk pace, or galloping here and there to drive in the straggling horses, I was greatly struck with their picturesque appearance; having, indeed, hardly seen them on the march together since we left Edmonton, for the thick woods and narrow winding tracks keep a large party always in detachments.

'All of them carried guns, all, except three, were dressed in fringed leather hunting shirts,- of every colour, from the yellow of newness, and the white of new-washedness, to the blood-stained brown of extreme antiquity, as displayed in Antoine's venerable garment. McKay, powerful in form and strong of muscle, broad-chested, dark, and heavily bearded, with a wide-brimmed black hat and un-fringed buff coat, and bestriding a large brown horse, resembled some Spanish cavalier of old; while Matheson, mounted on an active little dun pony, - with a blue Saskatchewan cap, gay with bright ribbons, over his long fair hair, and broad belts of scarlet cloth across his chest, - tall, straight, and merry, - was the image of a gallant young troubadour, riding in smart undress to the tournament.

'McBeath, lengthy of stature, dark, mustached and bearded, grave and calm, with a military belt and a rifleman's sword, looked like an ex-Life Guardsman, half in uniform; and this martial resemblance was heightened by the red blanket that served as his saddle-cloth, and contrasted richly with the coal - black horse that carried him. Kline, wiry and active, riding Lane - that fine old white mountain horse, which few but he could capture when loose on the plains, - made a gay and cheerful show; his broad-brimmed white hat, with its wavy blue-ribbon streamers, perched upon long curly black hair, and shading a clever, well-bearded face; his chest surmounted by belts of silver and red brocade.

'Next came Munroe, - tall, strongly yet lightly framed, wearing a short canvas hunting shirt belted round the waist with leather, and cross-belted with much-embroidered cloth of black; then Short, formed like a Greek statue, strong and very active, but of no great height, wearing a handsome pouch of leather ornamented with blue and white beads; - hardy fellows both, of showy dashing air, ready to do aught that might become a man.

'Duncan, dressed in a strong sand-grey shooting suit and flannel shirt, wearing a stout wide-awake hat, and carrying a double gun in its plain waterproof cover, looked every inch the worthy Scotsman that he is. Near him rode Toma, the brave Iroquois canoe man, leather-shirted, darkly and simply dressed, slow in the movement of his massive limbs, with a swarthy face, and small black eyes, grave in their expression though often twinkling with humour, a most faithful and excellent fellow.

'Then Lagrace, that original and amusing, old man, in a purple cotton shirt, tight but very long and wrinkled trousers, a white blanket skull-cap enriched with peak and ears, and decorated with streamers of scarlet cloth, beneath a battered eagle-feather which probably once adorned some Indian horse's tail, - that keen-witted ancient traveller who did everything differently from other men, - led when they drove, woke when they slept, drank cans of strong tea at dead of night, walked out alone and slew queer animals with sticks and stones while all the rest were at their meals, - that quaint old jester who enlivened our halts, after the weariest marches on the dullest days, by all manner of strange devices, - scalp-dances round the kettle lid, Cree war-songs, sudden wrestling matches with Antoine (in which this old aggressor always got the worst), jokes in the most astonishingly broken English, - to whom or what shall he be likened, with his brown parchment skin,, his keen aquiline nose, his piercing black eyes, long wild locks, and half-mockingly smiling, small and thin-lipped mouth ? I know not - unless Mephistopheles have an American twin brother!

('To include the spectators - Antoine, stout and round of make, of olive-brown skin and long black hair, was clad in the dusky leather shirt already spoken of, and bore on his arm his curious little rifle, and in his belt an immense hatchet-knife; on his head was a dark-tinted Saskatchewan cap. Though long past his youth, he still had the air of a hardy, active hunter, while his whole aspect truly bespoke him a most kind-hearted, honest, and agreeable man.'

For myself, - I wore a - now only tolerably clean - cream-coloured hunting shirt of buffalo skin, fringed on the arms and shoulders; grey trousers fastened under the knee with pieces of green braid; and a thin, white, wide-brimmed Yankee hat, with the high bell-shaped crown pressed in, and broad band of green ribbon tied round it; from my shoulder was slung a telescope; hanging to my leather belt was a short hunting knife, in a moose-skin sheath plainly embroidered with black and white beads, and beside it a small tobacco- pouch of the same pattern. My charger was the little black Hercules - Jasper, with immense crest and streaming mane and tail. Across the saddle I carried my favourite rifle, in the fringed buff moose-skin cover which I got from the McLeod River Iroquois.)

'As this gallant party topped the crest of a low hill fair in my view, ribbons streaming, guns swaying, whips flashing, gay colours sparkling in the sun, some approaching at a quick trot, others dashing after vagrant steeds, or urging the heavy-laden pack-horses, who jogged along like elephants with castles on their backs - all life, dash, rattle, and glitter, - they formed so bright a picture, so grandly back-grounded by the stately rocks, so gaily fore-grounded by the crisp green sward, that I could not refrain from attempting to describe it, though the ablest pen or pencil would fail to do justice to the scene.'

We all halted together, and camped, and in the afternoon Antoine and I went out to the hills. Coming to a rocky ravine, we observed a herd of female sheep on the opposite side and opened fire on them. The old hunter killed one ewe and two lambs, I killed two of the ewes and wounded another, and afterwards getting a long-running chance at the wounded one, I knocked it over also.

After "arranging" the slain (to use Antoine's expression) we proceeded to the highest part of a steep narrow ridge, a spur of the principal range, and looking over the rocky wall that formed its upper, edge, saw close by, just upon the other side, a small herd of rams, two of which had remarkably fine horns. The nearest of these I shot quite dead, the other struggled on severely wounded. Antoine ran after it to finish it off, but his flintlock missed fire, and, before he was ready again, the fine old ram dropped lifelessly, and rolled down the slope of the hill. The horns of this pair were very good indeed, larger even than those brought in by Munroe the day before, but, as usual, somewhat worn and broken at the points.

Returning to our horses, which we had left below, we got home in excellent time. On our arrival. Short reported that he had come close upon a large grizzly bear, in the valley below the ridge where I had been shooting the rams. It looked at him, and he at it, but neither cared to begin the fight, so each me went his own way. [At the time. Short's behaviour seemed to be rather over-cautious; with a good double-barreled gun in his hand, I thought he ought not to have declined the combat. But, on reflection, I believe he acted rightly, having no sufficient inducement for such a hazardous venture. So fierce, strong, active, and tenacious of life is the grizzly bear, that even for the best marksman, supported by trustworthy companions, it is the height of imprudence to risk a long shot at him, and a failure at close quarters leaves a solitary hunter small chance indeed of escape.

Talking about grizzlies, one day, with good authority on the subject (I forget whom - it might have been James McKay), he informed me that if that animal perceives a man in an open plain or glade he will generally advance towards him, and when about a hundred yards distant will rear himself up on his haunches to reconnoitre, after which he will either move away, or continue his advance. In the latter case, he stops again when about thirty yards from the hunter, and again rears himself on end. The hunter, meanwhile, steadily waits, reserving his fire, and the grizzly, having finished his inspection, again advances, until he is ten yards from his opponent, when for the third time he rises in all his gigantic height, prepared to hurl himself forth in the last terrible spring. Now is the hunter's moment: quick as thought his bullet passes into the chest of the bear, sped at that short range with such precision that it carries with it instantaneous death - woe to the hunter if it does not!

In the Rocky Mountains, though probably not north of the Bow River and its head-waters, there exists a savage and treacherous wild beast, more dangerous in some respects than even the grizzly himself. This is the puma - or some feline animal closely resembling it in colour and general appearance - which, while nearly as fierce and tenacious of life as the grizzly bear, greatly excels him in activity, besides possessing an advantage denied to him - the cat-like power of climbing the highest trees.

But it is not owing to these formidable qualities that the puma is an object of some dread, it is on account of its stealthy habits of nocturnal aggression. Marking out a small party of hunters or travellers, it will follow them secretly for days, and watch by their camp at night, till at last it discovers one of their number resting a little separate from his companions. Then, when all is dark and silent, the insidious puma glides in, and the sleeper knows but a short awakening when its fangs are buried in his throat.

One consolation is left to the survivors - if they kill the eater they may eat him in return; for the puma is considered the most delicately-flavoured animal in the Territories.

These details I gathered from my men, and I see no reason to doubt their truth, for, though such ferocious practices are not, to my knowledge, attributed to the puma of the Atlantic States, the jaguar of South America - a beast of kindred species - is mitten of as attacking sleepers in the very manner described. One of my party amused us exceedingly by a story concerning a certain expedition to which he had been lately attached - how some of the people belonging to it had noticed a puma in a tree, and immediately saluted it with a volley; but how, instead of securing the victim, they had simultaneously taken to their heels at the moment of drawing trigger, and run so fast and far that they never felt inclined to go back to claim their trophy, - which they most shrewdly suspected might have claimed them, for, while the death of the enemy was doubtful, its indignation, if alive, was not.

Neither in the mountains nor elsewhere did I even catch a glimpse of a puma, or observe its tracks or any other sign of its existence. At one of the forts, however, I was shown some Blackfoot article - a quiver, or a saddlecloth, I think - which was chiefly composed of the fawn-coloured skin of that animal.]

'Fine weather still, - but misty over the distant mountains.'

September 7th. - 'Slept a little better. It is all very well to talk of custom reconciling to anything, of "hardy hunters," and the " enervating influences of civilization," but, for my part, I find that no custom enables me to sleep as well on the ground as on a good mattress. The more tired I am the worse it is; I lie awake for hours, every joint aching, half my body too hot, the other half too cold. Then as to food; alcohol may be "poison," but I am 'certain that tea has not equal virtue for restoring a thoroughly tired man, - to draw no parallel between the respective pleasantness in the taste of a black, bitter fluid, on the one hand, and such delicious drinks as pale ale, sherry, claret, or champagne, on the other. As part proof, I find myself not only very thin, but in bad condition, weak, hardly able to climb the mountains; yet for some time there have been no great fatigues to try my constitution, while the open air, and absence of care and business, ought in themselves to have doubled my strength. But, after all, what is strength or weakness if one succeeds in doing what one wishes to do? A great deal as to the pleasure at the time; nothing as to the result.' [These remarks seem inconsistent with others in the journal, where tea is glorified, and the healthiness of tent life extolled, - nevertheless, I leave them. Under varying circumstances the thoughts and feelings vary, and there is no true record of travel that displays nothing of the chameleon element in the traveller. Looking back after these many years, I should say, that tea was one of the best drinks under conditions of ordinary health and labour, but that stimulants are useful in cases of illness or over-fatigue. Also, I think that the system sooner recovers from fatigue or small illnesses amidst civilized comforts than in the rough life of the woods and plains, though the latter is in itself far pleasanter and healthier.

My mind had forgotten the toils of the journey through the thick woods, but my body had not, and the mountain hunting was telling on me more severely than I imagined.]

'Set off in good time this morning to look for Short's bear, to get more rams with fine heads, and to carry in yesterday's game. Half the people remained in camp, cutting up and drying meat for our consumption on the homeward journey.

The bear was not to be found, though we saw where he had been digging for roots, so I quit the valley and ascended the mountains with McKay and Antoine. Passing over the ridge we had climbed the day before, we went as far as the top of the next, and there came suddenly upon a small herd of old rams, having got very close without exciting their suspicions. One of them fell to my first shot, but I missed with the second barrel. As they ran down the declivity of the hill Antoine made a long and fine shot and killed a ram with very handsome large horns, more twisted than usual, and entirely perfect in their points. My sheep was an older one, with horns a good deal worn; he was exceedingly fat, looking when skinned like a well-fed English leather of the highest quality.

'These beautiful mountain sheep are about the size of a large fallow buck, but lighter in the haunch, deeper in the chest, longer in the leg, and altogether larger in the bone. Except in the shape of the horns, their head is like that of the common goat; the eye is large, round and full, with a very large pupil, leaving only a narrow rim of pale yellow iris. The hair is coarse and of a brown grey, except on the haunch and the inside of the legs and stomach, which are white. Some are much darker than others, apparently irrespective of age, though those under two or three years old are invariably light-coloured.

'The females are smaller than the males, and have little goat-like horns, instead of the great curled horns of the rams, which on the American side - of the border have given to the whole race the name of "the Big-horn." At this season the rams are in their best condition, very fat and but slightly rank; in October they begin to become uneatable, as is the case with the red-deer stag in Scotland.'

* An admiring contemplation of the beautiful horns carried by Antoine's sheep made me anxious to get some other specimens to match them; so, while the "arranging" proceeded, I set off by myself and took a pretty long climb after a small band that had just then appeared at no great distance from us. Whisky, who insisted on following me, came very much in the way, either running forward or lagging behind and squeaking loudly if I made any threatening movement; notwithstanding this difficulty, I got tolerably near them but missed the two running chances they offered. By making a stalk, however, I got right above the sheep, who had betaken themselves to a very deep grassy hollow among the cliffs, and knocked one over at upwards of 180 yards, firing at four that stood close together. His head, though respectable, was not particularly large or good.

'Opening my telescope rather quickly to look at the slain, before descending to where he lay. Whisky uttered a squeak that might have been heard a mile off, and took to his heels, evidently thinking I had got some whip of a new and dangerous pattern. I never struck the poor creature nor spoke harshly to him in my life, but these Indian dogs are so fearfully beaten and ill-treated at home that they almost breathe in yells and squeaks. I have often seen children, four or five years old, take up the largest stick or stone they could lift, and dash it down on the wretched body of some unoffending dog - though it must be confessed, that at the forts or large camps, the dogs are such a nuisance, so troublesome, dirty, and noisy, that no one can resist hurling an occasional stone at them.

'Having rejoined my companions, we set out together to stalk a great herd of rams which had just come into view: they were scattered about, feeding, or lying in groups, on the steep declivity of a hill at the end of the ridge we saw them from. We quickly gained the top of the hill, scrambled through some difficult rocks without alarming or disturbing the sheep, and got within range.

Seeing a good chance, I fired a couple of shots at a pair of splendid rams that were feeding about not far beneath us. One fell dying, and the other walked away, blood dripping from his nose. McKay fired immediately afterwards, and killed a very fine ram; then we rushed different ways among the rocks, in chase of the rest of the herd.

I began by firing two ineffectual shots at some rams moving along the face of the precipice far below; then observing the sheep I had wounded at my second shot, I fired at him again, but without perceptible result. As he was much too far off, I attempted to go down to him and suddenly found myself in a very dangerous place, where a wide and steeply-descending trench-like hollow, between two firm hard ridges, was filled up and hidden by an accumulation of pebbles and small fragments of rock. Wherever I stepped, the stones and shingle gave way in masses, carrying me along with them as they went sliding on their downward course, hurrying towards depths I tried not to think about; and, to add to my trouble, "Whisky appeared just above me - whining with fright, and struggling desperately to keep his footing on the treacherous surface, - and sent the stones in showers past my head. I hardly expected ever to get to the top, - to descend or stand still would have been death, - but with great care and exertion, using my rifle as support by laying it flat on any firmer ledges, and leaning on it as I dragged myself upwards, I at length reached solid ground, - feeling very grateful to a kind Providence for bringing me safely through.

Neither McKay nor Antoine were in sight, though I heard some shots quite distinctly, so I returned to where the rams we had first killed were lying. No one appearing, I determined to walk homewards, and make another effort, by the way, to get the wounded ram I had already so nearly broken my neck in following. I took care, however, to choose a different road, and, after some climbing, at length found myself close to the object of my search. He was standing by the edge of a cliff about thirty feet high. I was exactly beneath him, on a narrow and sloping grass-covered shelf of rock, which overhung a tremendous precipice that dropped sheer to the very base of the mountain itself.

I stepped back as far as I could, and fired at his heart; it was a miss apparently, for he only moved higher up; then he turned and came to his former position, and looked at me over the verge of the height. I instantly gave him the second barrel: the hall struck home: he made one spring off the cliff into empty air and came crashing down on the turf at my feet, - nearly falling on poor Whisky, who must have entered this day in his journal as one of horrors. The ram lay kicking in the agonies of death and was on the very point of rolling off the platform, but I got hold of his hind leg, and held on till he expired, and then propped his body firmly up with stones.

At that moment I heard Antoine calling close by; he presently descended and joined me on the narrow platform. His news was soon told - McKay had shot several more of the rams; he himself had been unsuccessfully following a wounded one ever since we separated.

It was beginning to get dark, so we hastened to re-ascend the precipices, then we went back to the safer ground, where some of the first killed sheep were lying just as they had fallen. As it was so late, Antoine only gutted and partly skinned them, - placing something near each of them to drive away the crows, - instead of "arranging" them in the usual maimer.

'When time permits, the hunter's full "arrangement" is as follows - He begins by skinning the sheep, then takes off the head, and removes the paunch and offal as far as the heart; next he cuts off the legs and shoulders and back. The chest, with the neck attached, now remains (a strange-looking object, which would scare a respectable larder into fits), and this be proceeds to lay beside the other joints, placing there also such internal parts as are considered good. Over the whole he then draws the skin and having planted a stick in the ground close by, with a handkerchief or some such thing fastened to it, the operation of arranging is complete, and the animal is ready for conveyance home when the horses arrive.

'Antoine goes through the whole process with a large and very heavy knife, like a narrow and pointed cleaver, which is also used for cutting wood and performing all the offices of a hatchet, but unwieldy as it is, a practiced hand can skin the smallest and most delicate creatures with it, as easily as with a pocket-knife.' [I have seen Antoine skin a ground-squirrel with this ponderous weapon, - yet it got no sharpening, except an occasional rub on some smooth stone picked up almost at random from the bed of the nearest river.]

On reaching the top of the ridge we met McKay, then all scrambled down in the dark, and, what we hardly expected, found the horses just where we had left them in the morning. McGillis had been tied, as we had less confidence in his steadiness, but though Jasper and the old mare were free and un-hobbled, they had not wandered a hundred yards from the place.

'We had a tedious and rather difficult ride home, illuminated by flashes of lightning in every direction, though but feebly enlightened by the moon, newly risen above the mountain ridges. At length, the campfire shone cheerily before us, and we got in just in time to finish supper before a tremendous storm of wind and rain came sweeping down the valley from the north.'

September 8th. -'A slight sprinkling of snow on the ground. Some of the men went with horses and brought in the sheep killed yesterday, while others continued drying our store of meat over a slow fire.

'There were now eight very fine heads in camp, from which I selected the following to take home 1. That of the ram that leaped off the rock. This was by far the finest. I marked it 7, on the left horn, - for the day of the month on which I got it. 2. One shot by McKay from the top of the hill, when we came on the great herd, marked M'K. vii. 3. One shot by myself at the same place, marked vii. 4. The fine one Antoine killed at a long-running shot, marked A. VII. 5. One of those I shot on the 6th, marked vi. 6. The one brought into camp by Munroe on the 5th, marked M. v. These are all remarkably good heads.

The length of No. 1, it will be observed, is not less than 38 1/2 inches, and the circumference at the base is 15 inches. This is an immensely large head. Captain Palliser speaks as follows of the horns of the Mountain Ram - "I have measured some that curved more than usual, as much as 32 inches in length, the hollow part is capable of containing two quarts of water, and is 23 [? 13] inches in circumference at the orifice." (Solitary Rambles of a Hunter in the Prairies, 1853, p. 219.) Sir John Richardson, in his description of the animal, states the length of the horn of a specimen in the British Museum to inches, circumference at base 13 inches, distance from tip of one horn to tip of other, 27 [? l7] inches. {Faun. Bor.-Am. vol. i. p. 274.)
Mr. Kane, however, mentions a head seen by him when at Jasper's house in 1847, exceeding that 2 of my ram - "I made a sketch of a ram's head of an enormous size; his horns . . . measured 42 inches in length." {Wanderings of an Artist among the Indians, 1859, p. 345.) This must have been a very exceptional animal, mine being so greatly the best head out of six chosen from those of more than a dozen old rams, shot in a district long free from disturbance, where the finest sheep were likely to be congregated.]

All these heads reached Scotland safely, except No. 6, of which I have only a single horn, the rest of it having been torn from the pack saddle during our marches through the rough fir-woods. I also brought home a number of the best skins, which had been carefully marked at the same time with the heads.

[I did not look back on the previous day's shooting with unmingled pleasure. There was too much slaughter, and conscience rather reproached me, prompting various reflections, which found a place at some length in my journal; the page, however, is altogether obliterated, except these few expressions at the end: - 'Yesterday's shooting was successful enough, especially as regards my chief object - fine heads; and a man who travels thousands of miles for such trophies may be excused for taking part in one day's rather reckless slaughter. After all, there were not more than twelve killed, and a few wounded, out of a very large herd, which perhaps may never again be alarmed by the sight of man.' I might have added, that all the meat was required for use so that nothing was wasted but two or three of the more distant carcasses.

Still, there is something repugnant to the feelings of carrying death and anguish on so large a scale amongst beautiful inoffensive animals. One thinks little - too little - of the killing of small game, but in shooting large game the butchery of the act comes more home, one sees with such vividness the wounds, the fear, and the suffering. But it does not do to look at things too narrowly, - one grows morbid, - and no thinking will ever bring one to the root of the matter.

Nevertheless, I would that those foolish boys who pride themselves on making long shots and pour their pellets so freely, in these days of rapid loading, into the bodies of birds and beasts out of all reasonable range - I would that they might be persuaded to serious reflection, in regard to the pain and lingering misery they so needlessly inflict on God's harmless creatures.]

The mist, which had been gathering all day, broke into a regular snowstorm as the evening came on, but not before the men had packed a great deal of dried meat, besides shoeing several of the horses. In the ground of this rocky nature, the fore-feet of the horses require to be shod, to preserve them from breaking; in the plains, it is their hind- feet that need shoes, because the hoofs, worn and polished by the crisp grasses, slip about as if on ice, unless furnished with some iron hold-fast.

September 9th. - 'The snow-storm has lasted all night, and all day, though now towards evening it is lessening. The mountains are blotted out in the mist, the hills are white, except where dark rocks project through the surface, and the ground is covered many inches deep with snow.

'The men seem happy in their large tent, singing jolly songs; and I am not uncomfortable in mine, warmly clothed, a great fire of pine logs blazing before me, and Shakespeare dividing the time with great meals of mountain mutton, followed by pipes of that excellent tobacco which the Company so benignantly supplies.

'And yet - "surgit amari aliquid" - though the body may be at ease, the mind will feel restless and bereave its quieter companion of comfort.

To be storm-staid for an indefinitely long time in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, with winter stealing on apace, and a long and difficult journey before one, is not an encouraging prospect. Instead, disguise it as one may, is it very enlivening to sit, with wet feet, under a thin canvas covering that does not quite exclude the keen north wind. Then the day is endurable, but those weary nights - now, alas, those long nights - that is the time of woe.

'Nevertheless, it is better to be cold and aching under a tent in the wilderness, than to be feverish and nervous in a warm house at home. All is for the best. Nothing is ruinously bad for so a man but that enervate wallowing in luxury and feeble indolence, which in this world does more evil to his own being than high-handed resolute sin; and may likewise do in the next world, for aught we know, - for where there is strength there is always hope of its being turned to good account, while from nothingness nothing can be made. . . .

'Finished "Titus Andronicus," a most disagreeable play, only redeemed by a few fine passages, such as, - "Sweet mercy is nobility's true badge;" Titus's short speech, - "The hunt is up," and Tamora's melodious invitation to Aaron. The play bears traces of much mind-cudgeling: the poet must have been very young when he wrote it. * How inferior the commonplace fiend Aaron, to that splendid villain Iago! One a mere vulgar monster, the other just such a plausible demon as any very subtle-minded man might tremble to think he himself might become, if bereft of God's aid and exposed to strong temptation.

'Remarkably, Shakespeare often puts very noble sentiments into the mouths of the most evil characters, - as Tamora in the lines - "Sweet mercy;" and Iago, constantly, perhaps to bring them closer to the standard of ordinary humanity, and to show that they had once known the right though now they did the wrong, that they had passed into guilt through paths of self-deception and conscience-hardening, not rushed inevitably into it through the resistless force of destiny or the sudden coercion of some higher power.'

September 10th. - The morning broke clear and fine, and the powerful sun soon melted the snow in the lower regions. Taking McKay and Antoine, I rode down the valley in search of the grizzly bear; but could see nothing of him, though we went a long way exploring the woods and back-lying glens. As the case was hopeless, I left my men, who seemed anxious to explore the track we were likely to follow on moving camp the next day and set out alone for the top of one of the ridges that led up to the highest part of the grand range itself, thinking I might thus gain the summit of some peak, and discover what lay beyond the valley that had hitherto bounded our view.

I had a long and hard climb to begin with, and then a succession of difficult climbs over the numerous rocky walls that obstructed me as I slowly made my way along the ridge. There was still a good deal of snow on the high ground, although gradually melting, and this proved helpful in many places, as it was firm enough to give a foothold where the stones were loose and unsteady. At length I got close to the foot of the great principal cliff at the top of the mountain; but there found myself stopped by a small but excessively steep and difficult rock, which stood right in the path, where the sharply cut ridge was at its narrowest, flanked also on either side by a tremendous precipice coated with layers of sheet ice. Twice I tried this rocky barricade, but it was quite impassable, unless by scrambling round it, where, though less steep, it partly overhung the precipice, but even there it was very difficult, and fall involved certain death. Besides, a still worse place awaited me farther on; so I reluctantly yielded to necessity, and turned away - owning myself vanquished, for, except a single peak, I had seen nothing on the farther side of the valley's barrier.

'When a long way on the downward course, which, contrary to one's usual experience among rocks, was easier than the ascent, - I discovered that I had left my rifle behind, having laid it at the foot of a steep little crag, where both hands were required, and this having happened near the top, it cost me half my work again to repair the unlucky forgetfulness.

'Owing to this delay, night overtook me before I had even reached the pine woods in the valley that lay between me and the camp, and in consequence, I had one of the most disagreeable walks imaginable. The distance must have been four or five miles, and mostly uphill; there were rocks to descend and streams to cross the woods were much obstructed with fallen timber and deep rough water-courses, and the opener spaces were filled with thick brush. There was no path, and though the moon had risen, the spruces cast such a shade as to cause almost total darkness; added to this I was very tired, for the day had been hot and my toils severe; besides, at every moment I expected to stumble upon the grizzly bear, whose very domain I was traversing, and against whom I should have had no chance, as the light was not sufficient for shooting.

'Several times I fired off my rifle, in reply to shots from the camp intended for my guidance, but the echoes made these exchanges of signals useless, and it was not till within a mile of home that McKay and Munroe met me with horses, having at last discovered my direction. Most heartily glad was I to find myself on the back of a horse - no easy chair is so good a rest for a man tired out with walking, - and this completely refreshed me a short ride, and an excellent supper, with plenty of tea, and put all to rights.

'I have gained little by my hard climb, except making out perfectly the run of the valleys in - which we are. There are two main valleys, - that which we left on the 6th, and that in which is our present camp; the former running N.W., the other S.E.; the Medicine Tent River, an Athabasca head-water, running down the first, the North River, a Saskatchewan head-water, going down the second; the hill on which we placed the monument standing exactly at the central point where the two descents divide.

'All the mountains appear to be most precipitous on their eastern and northern sides, the greater number looking as if strong west winds had bent their peaks, giving them a set like trees exposed to the force of a prevalent gale.

'The rocks over which I climbed today, when going along the ridge, were nearly all different in material, some being broken in sharp edges, others ragged like coarse white coral, others formed of thin layers of a black, slaty-looking stone, which crumbled in the hand. I came upon a large tract of this last kind in descending one of the slopes, and found, mixed up with the broken shingle, heavy round stones varying in size from a 28 lb. shot to a billiard ball; some of them whole and lying half buried, but most of them broken, and showing themselves to be composed of thin layers of black stone, enclosing a yellowish substance - orange towards the centre - like some sort of ore. I also found many broken Encrinites.

'The country through which the North River passes after leaving this height-of-land valley appears to be another valley, so large and wide that it would be called a plain were it not entirely covered with dense pine wood.'