KA-KAKE AND THE BUFFALO—([See page 155]).
FOREST, LAKE
AND PRAIRIE
TWENTY YEARS OF FRONTIER LIFE
IN WESTERN CANADA—1842-62.
BY
JOHN McDOUGALL
SECOND EDITION
TORONTO:
WILLIAM BRIGGS
1910
Entered, according to the Act of the Parliament of Canada, in the year
one thousand eight hundred and ninety-five, by WILLIAM BRIGGS, Toronto,
in the Office of the Minister of Agriculture, at Ottawa.
TO
My Dear Mother
THIS BOOK
is
AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED
BY
THE AUTHOR.
CONTENTS.
Childhood—Indians—Canoes—"Old Isaiah"—Father goes to college
Guardians—School—Trip to Nottawasaga—Journey to Alderville—Elder Case—The wild colt, etc
Move into the far north—Trip from Alderville to Garden River—Father's work—Wide range of big steamboat—My trip to Owen Sound—Peril in storm—In store at Penetanguishene—Isolation—First boat—Brother David knocked down
Move to Rama—I go to college—My chum—How I cure him—Work in store in Orillia—Again attend college—Father receives appointment to "Hudson's Bay "—Asks me to accompany him.
From Rama to St. Paul—Mississippi steamers—Slaves—Pilot—Race
Across the plains—Mississippi to the Red—Pemmican—Mosquitoes—Dogs—Hunting—Flat boat—Hostile Indians
From Georgetown on the Red to Norway House on the Nelson—Old Fort Garry—Governor MacTavish—York boats—Indian gamblers—Welcome by H. B. Co. people
New mission—The people—School—Invest in pups—Dog-driving—Foot-ball—Beautiful aurora
First real winter trip—Start—Extreme fatigue—Conceit all gone—Cramps—Change—Will-power—Find myself—Am as capable as others—Oxford House—Jackson's Bay
Enlarging church—Winter camp—How evenings are spent—My boys—Spring—The first goose, etc
Opening of navigation—Sturgeon fishing—Rafting timber—Sawing lumber
Summer transport—Voyageurs—Norway House—The meeting place of many brigades—Missionary work intensified
Canoe trip to Oxford—Serious accident
Establish a fishery—Breaking dogs—Dog-driving, etc.
Winter trip to Oxford—Extreme cold—Quick travelling
Mother and baby's upset—My humiliation
From Norway House to the great plains—Portaging—Pulling and poling against the strong current—Tracking
Enter the plains—Meet a flood—Reach Fort Carlton
The Fort—Buffalo steak—"Out of the latitude of bread"
New surroundings—Plain Indians—Strange costumes—Glorious gallops—Father and party arrive
Continue journey—Old "La Gress"—Fifty miles per day
Fort Pitt—Hunter's paradise—Sixteen buffalo with seventeen arrows—"Big Bear"
On to White-fish Lake—Beautiful country—Indian camp—Strike northward into forest land
The new Mission—Mr. Steinhauer—Benjamin Sinclair
Measurement of time—Start for Smoking Lake—Ka-Kake—Wonderful hunting feat—Lose horse—Tough meat
Mr. Woolsey—Another new mission
Strike south for buffalo and Indians—Strange mode of crossing "Big River"—Old Besho and his eccentricities—Five men dine on two small ducks
Bear hunt—Big grizzlies—Surfeit of fat meat
The first buffalo—Father excited—Mr. Woolsey lost—Strike trail of big camp—Indians dash at us—Meet Maskepetoon
Large camp—Meet Mr. Steinhauer—Witness process of making provisions—Strange life
Great meeting—Conjurers and medicine-men look on under protest—Father prophesies—Peter waxes eloquent as interpreter—I find a friend
The big hunt—Buffalo by the thousand—I kill my first buffalo—Wonderful scene
Another big meeting—Move camp—Sunday service all day
Great horse-race—"Blackfoot," "Moose Hair," and others—No gambling—How "Blackfoot" was captured
Formed friendships—Make a start—Fat wolves—Run one—Reach the Saskatchewan at Edmonton
Swim horses—Cross in small boat—Dine at officers' table on pounded meat without anything else—Sup on ducks—No carving
Start for new home—Miss seeing father—Am very lonely—Join Mr. Woolsey
William goes to the plains—I begin work at Victoria—Make hay—Plough—Hunt—Storm
Establish a fishery—Build a boat—Neils becomes morbid—I watch him
Lake freezes—I go for rope—Have a narrow escape from wolf and drowning—We finish our fishing—Make sleds—Go home—Camp of starving Indians en route
Mr. O. B.—The murderer—The liquor keg
William comes back—Another refuge seeker comes to us—Haul our fish home—Hard work
Flying trip to Edmonton—No snow—Bare ice—Hard travel—A Blackfoot's prayer
Midnight mass—Little Mary—Foot-races—Dog-races, etc.—Reach my twentieth birthday—End of this book
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
[ Ka-Kake and the buffalo] ... Frontispiece
[ My delight was to drive the four-in-hand ]
[ I had a big time keeping them out of our boat ]
[ I lose my balance—and some conceit ]
Buffalo and hunters disappeared in the hills from our view (missing from book)
[ We were surprised by a troop of Indian cavalry ]
[ When the camp moved, parallel columns were formed ]
[ "Gun-shock"—"Goose-comfort" ]
[ Straight out from the danger the strong train drew us ]
FOREST, LAKE AND PRAIRIE.