yet heard it, I consented to go. With two dog-trains, and accompanied
by a couple of trusty Indians, we left the Eastern side of the great
Lake Winnipeg about sunrise. We dug a hole in the snow at Pigeon Point,
and there made a fire of some dry young willows, and enjoyed our
breakfast. From that point we struck out in a south-west direction
across the great lake. The day, although cold, was a very bright one.
The ice was good, and our dogs were magnificent fellows; and so we sped
along at a rapid rate. We reached a chain of little islands out in the
middle of the lake early in the afternoon. On the shore of one of them
we gathered some dry wood, cleared away the snow, made a fire, melted
some snow, and made ourselves a good kettle of tea. This, with some
pemmican and flat cakes, made us a capital dinner.

From this island the western shore of the lake was just visible, over
thirty miles away. Towards it we pushed as rapidly as possible,
considering that one of our Indians was quite an old man. When within
about three miles of the shore, the report of fire-arms reached our
ears, telling us that the Indians had observed our coming. Our noble
dogs seemed to rejoice at the sound as much as ourselves, and, well
knowing that their day's journey of over sixty miles was nearly ended,
changed their swinging trot into a gallop; and very soon we were at Jack
head, and among its plumed and painted inhabitants, by whom we were
received in a most extraordinary manner.

At some other places where I have gone as the first Missionary who ever
visited them, I have had two or three hundred men, women, and children
trying to see who could be the first to kiss me; but here the reception
was very different. Night was just falling upon us as we drew near the
shore, but there was light enough to observe that the narrow trail, up
from the lake into the dark recesses of the forest, along which we must
pass with our dog-trains, was lined with men armed with guns.

When we were about a hundred yards from them, the foremost ones began
firing. This _feu-de-joie_ continued until we had reached them and had
dashed through the lines of fire, for they continued loading and firing
as rapidly as possible. Our ears were almost deafened with the
continuous reports, and our nerves were somewhat tried, as the younger
braves especially consider it great fun to fire off their heavy charges
of powder as close to their visitors' heads as possible.