River outfit, with which it sets out
for that place as soon as possible.

With this brigade, then, we started from York Factory, with a cheering
song from the men in full chorus. They were in good spirits, being
about to finish the long voyage, and return to their families at Red
River, after an absence of nearly five months, during which time they
had encountered and overcome difficulties that would have cooled the
most sanguine temperament; but these hardy Canadians and half-breeds are
accustomed to such voyages from the age of fifteen or sixteen, and think
no more of them than other men do of ordinary work.

Mr Carles and I travelled together in the guide's boat; Mr and Mrs
Gowley in another; and Mr Rob in a third by himself. We took the lead,
and the others followed as they best could. Such was the order of march
in which we commenced the ascent of Hayes River.

It may not be uninteresting here to describe the _materiel_ of our
voyage.

Our boat, which was the counterpart of the rest, was long, broad, and
shallow, capable of carrying forty hundredweight, and nine men, besides
three or four passengers, with provisions for themselves and the crew.
It did not, I suppose, draw more than three feet of water when loaded,
perhaps less, and was, moreover, very light for its size. The cargo
consisted of bales, being the goods intended for the Red River sale-room
and trading-shop. A rude mast and tattered sail lay along the seats,
ready for use, should a favourable breeze spring up; but this seldom
occurred, the oars being our chief dependence during the greater part of
the voyage.

The provisions of the men consisted of pemmican and flour; while the
passengers revelled in the enjoyment of a ham, several cured
buffalo-tongues, tea, sugar, butter, and biscuit, and a little brandy
and wine, wherewith to warm us in cold weather, and to cheer the crew
with a dram after a day of unusual exertion. All our provisions were
snugly packed in a case and basket, made expressly for the purpose.

Pemmican being a kind of food with which people in the civilised world
are not generally acquainted, I may as well describe it here.

It is made by the buffalo-hunters of the Red River, Swan River, and
Saskatchewan prairies; more particularly by those of Red River, where
many of the colonists spend a great part of the year in pursuit of the
buffalo. They make it thus: Having shot a buffalo (or bison), they cut
off lumps of his flesh