what is up there is for a good man like yourself to make 

 the trip. 



It is clear from this letter that Dorsey gave consider- 

 able thought and study to areas where he wished to have 

 materials collected in advance of sending collectors into 

 the field. It could not have been easy, at the beginning of 

 this century, to find detailed and accurate information 

 on the Indians of the Canadian prairies. 



Simms had hoped to leave for Saskatchewan 

 around June 1, 1903, but he was delayed and finally de- 

 parted on or about August 3, an unfortunate delay as it 

 turned out. Dorsey had confirmed that Simms would not 

 be able to leave as soon as he had hoped. 



I realize that should you not get started until some time 

 in July, it would hurry you to make the grand trip I have 

 just been talking about, but in this case you would 

 necessarily be governed by circumstances, penetrating 

 as far north as time and money would permit. Should we 

 find after a trail [sic] of some of the Cree reservations 

 that they were extremely profitable, I think it would be 

 an easy matter to secure an appropriation for a return 

 next year. 



On August 20, Simms wrote to Dorsey from the Qu' 

 Appelle Indian Agency in southern Saskatchewan. 



This country must have been visited by a cyclone or a 

 disastrous fire or by both — and confined their efforts to 

 Indian material. Have visited reserve after reserve, tipi 

 after tipi but can't boast of anything to be chesty about. 

 The Indians thru this section are devoting their 

 time to farming and they expect to unload about 

 100,000 bushels of wheat. After I leave here I take the 

 train at a station not far from a small settlement of 

 Assiniboines, and tho they were not considered to be on 

 my itinerary I had thought it advisable to go there — 

 there is a much larger band further east, hard to get at, 

 but can't spend the time or money unless authorized to 

 do so. 



Unfortunately, Simms' troubles were just begin- 

 ning. On September 12 he informed Dorsey that he had 



Just returned from Crooked Lake Res. thru a howling 

 blizzard, foot of snow, telegraph wires down, trains 

 [delayed?] and I'm in the dumps. 



My trip here was put off too late. They are farming 

 and have [taken?] their tipis with them. Houses boarded 

 up. I have done the country but my results are not as I 

 desired. There was one place I was unable to reach — 

 Nut Lake. Roads were impassable and no camping place 

 or outfit. 



I fervently believe that I have not had a week of 

 good weather all told. 



I have done more sleeping on floors, in lofts, in 

 [lousy?] blankets, than on any previous trip — tho I am 

 feeling well and would feel a — — sight better if I could 

 pick up a few . . . specimens. 



The same problems continued to plague Simms, as 



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he noted in his next letter to Dorsey written on Septem- 

 ber 21. 



This, as I have said before, is a bad time to come here. 

 Most of the Indians are farmers and they have been 

 working in the fields and living in tents. There are hard- 

 ly any accomodations for one to stay a week, on any of 

 the reserves here. 



I feel confident that with the knowledge I possess, I 

 do better the next time by omitting places, and getting 



