ritious quality. The
general appearance of these Indians is that of wretchedness and want,
and excited in my mind much sympathy towards them. I shook hands with
them, in the hope that ere the rising generation at least had passed
away, the light of Christianity, like the _aurora borealis_ relieving
the gloom of their winter night, would shed around them its heavenly
lustre, and cheer their suffering existence with a scriptural hope of
immortality.

In crossing the Winipeg, we saw almost daily large flocks of wild fowl,
geese, ducks, and swans, flying to the south; which was a sure
indication to us that winter was setting in with severity to the north.
In fact it had already visited us, and inflicted much suffering from
cold; and it was with no small delight that we entered the mouth of Red
River, soon after the sun rose in majestic splendour over the lake, on
the morning of the 13th of October. We proceeded to Netley Creek to
breakfast, where we met Pigewis the chief of a tribe of Saulteaux
Indians, who live principally along the banks of the river. This chief
breakfasted with the party, and shaking hands with me most cordially,
expressed a wish that "more of the stumps and brushwood were cleared
away for my feet, in coming to see his country." On our apprising him
of the Earl of Selkirk's death, he expressed much sorrow, and appeared
to feel deeply the loss which he and the colony had sustained in his
Lordship's decease. He shewed me the following high testimony of his
character, given him by the late Earl when at Red River.

"The bearer, Pigewis, one of the principal chiefs of the Chipewyans,
or Saulteaux of Red River, has been a steady friend of the
settlement ever since its first establishment, and has never
deserted its cause in its greatest reverses. He has often exerted
his influence to restore peace; and having rendered most essential
services to the settlers in their distress, deserves to be treated
with favour and distinction by the officers of the Hudson's Bay
Company, and by all the friends of peace and good order."

(Signed.) SELKIRK.

Fort Douglas, July 17, 1820.

As we proceeded, the banks were covered with oak, elm, ash, poplar, and
maple, and rose gradually higher as we approached the Colony, when the
praries, or open grassy plains, presented to the eye an agreeable
contrast with the almost continued forest of pine we were accustomed to