CHAPTEE Y. 



The Ball — Half-Breed Finery — Youdrie and Zear return to Fort 

 Garry — Treemiss starts for the Montagne du Bois — Leave Carlton 

 for Winter Quarters — Shell Eiver — La Belle Prairie — Riviere 

 Crochet — The Indians of White Fish Lake — Kekekooarsis, or 

 " Child of the Hawk," and Keenamontiayoo, or " The Long JSTeck" 

 — Their Jollification — Passionate Fondness for Bum — Excitement 

 in the Camp — Indians flock in to Taste the Fire-water — Sitting out 

 our Visitors — A Weary Day — Cache the Rum Keg by Night — 

 Retreat to La Belle Prairie — Site of our House— La Ronde as 

 Architect — How to Build a Log Hut — The Chimney — A Grand 

 Crash — Our Dismay — Milton supersedes La Ronde — The Chim- 

 ney Rises again — Our Indian Friends — The Frost sets in. 



The night after our return to Carlton, a ball was got 

 up by the half-breeds in honour of our visit. Mr. 

 Lillie gave up his best room . for the purpose, and we 

 provided the refreshment, in the shape of rum ; the 

 expectation that we should do so being no doubt one 

 of the greatest attractions the entertainment offered. 

 The men appeared in gaudy array, with beaded firebag, 

 gay sash, blue or scarlet leggings, girt below the knee 

 with beaded garters, and moccasins elaborately em- 

 broidered ; the women in short, bright-coloured skirts, 

 showing the richly- embroidered leggings, and white 

 moccasins of cariboo-skin, beautifully worked with 

 flowery patterns in beads, silk, and moose hair. Some 

 of the young girls were good-looking, but many of 

 them were disfigured by goitre, which is very prevalent 



