44 THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE BY LAND. 



fifty or sixty miles a day for a week together without 

 showing any sign of fatigue. 



The other division of the inhabitants of the Eed 

 Eiver settlement, the English and Scotch, with the 

 better portion of their half-breed relations, form a 

 pleasing contrast to their French neighbours, being 

 thrifty, industrious, and many of them wealthy, in 

 their way. Some of the more Indian of the English 

 half-breeds are, indeed, little better than the Canadians, 

 but these seem to be the exception, for we met but 

 few who equalled the French half-breeds in idleness 

 and frivolity. 



These different classes have each their own quarter 

 in the settlement. The Enghsh and Scotch inhabit 

 the west bank of Eed Eiver, north of the Assiniboine, 

 w^hile the French Canadians dwell on the east bank 

 of Eed Eiver, and along the south bank of the Assini- 

 boine. The Indian tribes who frequent Fort Garr}^ 

 are the Sauteux and other branches of the great 

 Chippeway nation, and occasionally a few Crees, or 

 Assiniboines ; the Sioux, the natural enemies of all the 

 former tribes, sometimes visit the colony in time of 

 peace. 



The two great events of the year at Eed Eiver are 

 the Spring and Fall Hunt. The buffalo still forms one 

 of the principal sources from which provisions are 

 obtained. Pemmican and dried meat, like bacon with 

 us, are staple articles of food in every estabhshment. 

 At these seasons the whole able-bodied half-breed 

 population set out for the plains in a body, with their 

 horses and carts. Many of the farmers w^ho do not 



