ge of this book has been written amid the ever-present
pressure of those feelings which spring from a sense of unrequited
labour, of toil and service theoretically and officially recognized, but
practically and professionally denied. However, a personal preface is not
my object, nor should these things find allusion here, save to account in
some manner, if account be necessary, for peculiarities of language or
opinion which may hereafter make themselves apparent to the reader. Let
it be.

In the solitudes of the Great Lone Land, whither I am once more about to
turn my steps, the trifles that spring from such disappointments will
cease to trouble.

April 14th 1872.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER ONE. Peace--Rumours of War--Retrenchment--A Cloud in the far
West--A Distant Settlement-Personal--The Purchase System--A
Cable-gram--Away to the West

CHAPTER TWO. The "Samaria"--Across the Atlantic-Shipmates--The Despot of
the Deck--"Keep her Nor'-West"--Democrat versus Republican--A First
Glimpse--Boston

CHAPTER THREE. Bunker--New York--Niagara-Toronto-Spring--time in
Quebec--A Summons--A Start--In good Company--Stripping a Peg--An
Expedition--Poor Canada--An Old Glimpse at a New Land--Rival
Routes--Change of Masters--The Red River Revolt--The Halfbreeds--Early
Settlers-Bungling--"Eaters of Pemmican-"--M. Louis Riel--The Murder of
Scott

CHAPTER FOUR. Chicago--"Who is S. B. D.?"--Milwaukie--The Great
Fusion-Wisconsin--The Sleeping-car--The Train Boy-Minnesota--St. Paul--I
start for Lake Superior--The Future City--"Bust up" and "Gone on"--The
End of the Track

CHAPTER FIVE. Lake Superior--The Dalles of the St. Louis--The North
Pacific Railroad--Fond-du-Lac-Duluth--Superior City--The Great Lake--A
Plan to dry up Niagara--Stage Driving--Tom's Shanty again--St. Paul and
its Neighbourhood.

CHAPTER SIX. Our Cousins--Doing America--Two Lessons--St. Cloud-Sauk
Rapids--"Steam Pudding or Pumpkin Pie?"--Trotting him out--Away for the
Red River.

CHAPTER SEVEN. North Minnesota--A beautiful Land--Rival
Savages-Abercrombie--News from the North-Plans--A Lonely Shanty--The Red
River-Prairies-Sunset-Mosquitoes--Going North--A Mosquito Night--A
Thunder-storm--A Prussian-Dakota--I ride for it--The Steamer
"International "--Pembina.

CHAPTER EIGHT. Retrospective--The North-west Passage--The Bay of
Hudson--Rival Claims--The Old French Fur Trade--The North-west
Company--How the Half-breeds came--The Highlanders
defeated-Progress--Old Fe