g from the whip-stalk caused them
to fling their guns in the grass, and come crowding round us with
extended hands, saying, through those who understood their language,
that they were glad to see and shake hands with the subjects of the
"Great Mother" across the waters.

When we, in our journey north, reached their country, and saw them
coming down upon us, at Mr McDougall's orders we stowed away our rifles
and revolvers inside of our waggons, and met them as friends, unarmed
and fearless. They smoked the pipe of peace with those of our party who
could use the weed, and others drank tea with the rest of us. As we
were in profound ignorance of their language, and they of ours, some of
us had not much conversation with them beyond what could be carried on
by a few signs. But, through Mr McDougall and our own Indians, they
assured us of their friendship.

We pitched our tents, hobbled our horses and turned them loose, as
usual. We cooked our evening meals, said our prayers, unrolled our
camp-beds, and lay down to rest without earthly sentinels or guards
around us, although the camp-fires of these so-called "treacherous and
bloodthirsty" Sioux could be seen in the distance, and we knew their
sharp eyes were upon us. Yet we lay down and slept in peace, and arose
in safety. Nothing was disturbed or stolen.

So much for a clean record of honourable dealing with a people who,
while quick to resent when provoked, are mindful of kindnesses received,
and are as faithful to their promises and treaty obligations, as are any
other of the races of the world.

We were thirty days in making the trip from St. Paul's to the Red River
settlement. We had to ford a large number of bridgeless streams. Some
of them took us three or four days to get our whole party across. We
not unfrequently had some of our waggons stuck in the quicksands, or so
sunk in the quagmires that the combined strength of all the men of our
party was required to get them out. Often the ladies of our company,
with shoes and stockings off, would be seen bravely wading across wide
streams, where now in luxurious comfort, in parlour cars, travellers are
whirled along at the rate of forty miles an hour. They were a cheerful,
brave band of pioneers.

The weather, on the whole, was pleasant, but we had some drenching rain-
storms; and then the spirits of some of the party went down, and they
wondered whatever possessed them to leave their happy homes for such