76 PALLISER ON THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. [Feb. 27, 1860. 



the Saskatchewan country with eight or ten men, being satisfied that he was 

 perfectly safe so long as he knew he was accompanied by that number of 

 people. He had the same class of men that Captain Palliser had with him, 

 and only about half the number. Up to the latest information he had per- 

 formed liis expedition with perfect safety and without any unusual danger or 

 diflBculty. He knew that the Hudson Bay officers gave Captain Palliser the 

 most efficient men and assistance, and once they had, at a great sacrifice, lent 

 the use of their ablest guide and clerk James M'Kay when his own men 

 mutinied. He alluded to this because there was no allusion made in the 

 paper to any assistance afforded to Captain Palliser. He knew that the very 

 best men in Ked Kiver were selected for him. He must also allude to the 

 difficulties which the party met with at Edmonton in getting provisions. It 

 was well known by those who had travelled in America that the buffalo was a 

 migratory animal, and that you could not depend upon always obtaining it. 

 The custom was to collect double the quantity of provisions that was required 

 for their own posts, so that they might have a supply in hand to keep the 

 Indians from starving and to provide for the migrations of buffalo. Now, the 

 difficulty at Edmonton arose from the large party that accompanied Captain 

 Palliser and others who wintered at Edmonton. Sixteen or eighteen persons 

 sat down to mess-table every day ; the provisions that had been collected 

 were eaten up, and, as the buffalo had gone away to a great distance, they 

 could not get further supplies for the use of the people at the fort. Dr. Eae 

 proceeded to vindicate the Hudson Bay Company from other imputations 

 which have been publicly made against them, and to explain and defend their 

 policy in dealing with the Indians, showing that self-interest alone, setting 

 aside every other better motive, would induce the Hudson Bay Company to 

 clothe, feed, and supply with every requisite the Indians to enable them to 

 hunt well. 



The President could not help congratulating the Society upon the result 

 of this expedition of Captain Palliser. He had already established several 

 points of great geographical and public interest, not the least of them that 

 which was confirmed by the letter from Dr. Hector, showing that in the part 

 of the country near the Columbia river there was a fertile as well as a gold- 

 producing district. This was exceedingly important ; for if the utmost advan- 

 tage was to be derived from the gold-fields, it could only be by the proximity 

 of these fertile plains on the borders of such streams as had been described in 

 the communications read that evening. He trusted it would not be long 

 before we saw Captain Palliser among us, and heard from himself in detail 

 the result of his interesting expedition. He was quite certain, whenever he 

 did come, ttat he would receive a warm welcome. 



