334 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 



He and Stimpson were among those whose high spirits 

 made the little Megatherium Club a joyous assemblage. 

 In 1859 he resolved to make an exploration of western 

 British America and, by the cooperation of the Audubon 

 Club of Chicago, the Smithsonian, and the kind offices 

 of Sir George Simpson, Governor of the Hudson Bay 

 Territory, this was brought about. In April, 1859, he 

 left Washington fitted out with the necessary articles for 

 his journey and in May reached Fort William at the head 

 of Lake Superior, and on June loth arrived at Norway 

 House. Thence he proceeded on his journeys, which 

 reached as far as Fort Yukon on the Yukon River, spend- 

 ing more or less time at many of the H. B. Company's 

 trading posts, and it was not until the iyth of October, 

 1862, that he reached Chicago on his return. 



The life of the Scots and Orkney men who composed 

 the force of the Company in these remote and desolate 

 trading posts, except in the period of trading and fetching 

 in supplies, was most dull and tedious. In the more 

 distant posts mails arrived once a year. They lived on the 

 game of the country for the most part; flour, sugar and 

 tea were luxuries enjoyed only for a short period when 

 the bateaux with supplies arrived, and in many cases the 

 trading for the whole year was done in a few days immedi- 

 ately after the receipt of the trading goods. 



They were mostly literate, but very ignorant of the 

 world outside of the wilderness and with little or nothing 

 to occupy their minds except their duty to the Company. 

 The advent of Kennicott, young, joyous, full of news of 

 the outside world, ready to engage in any of their expedi- 

 tions or activities, and to take hardships without grum- 

 bling, was an event in their lives. When he taught them 

 how to make birdskins and collect Natural History objects 



