OUR HETEROGENEOUS PARTY. 201 



a man ?" We said we really did intend it. '' Then," 

 said he, '' in the name of your families, I beg to enter 

 my most solemn protest against the folly of such a 

 proceeding ;" and declared that, although he still in- 

 tended to go with us, it was with the firm conviction 

 that we should all fall victims to the bloodthirsty 

 Assiniboine. 



The Assiniboine, on his side, had an equally strong 

 prejudice against Mr. O'B., for he had learnt from the 

 men who had travelled A\dth him from Fort Pitt how 

 very helpless and troublesome he was, and protested 

 long and loudly against his being allowed to go with 

 us. We overruled all objections, however, and by the 

 beginning of June wTre prepared to set out. Our 

 party, a motley company, consisted of seven persons 

 — viz., ourselves, Mr. O'B., Baptiste Supernat, the 

 Assiniboine, his wife (commonly called Mrs. Assini- 

 boine), and the boy. We had twelve horses, six of 

 which carried packs. Our suj^plies comprised two 

 sacks of flour, of a hundred pounds each ; four bags 

 of pemmican, of ninety pounds each ; tea, salt, and 

 tobacco. These last were the only luxuries we al- 

 lowed ourselves, for as we could obtain no provisions 

 or assistance until w^e reached some post in British 

 Columbia, 700 or 800 miles distant, we sacrificed 

 everything to pemmican and flour. But httle food 

 of any kind could be obtained from the country 

 through which we had to pass, and we were ignorant 

 how long the journey might take. We had calcu- 

 lated on fifty days as the extreme limit, with what 

 accuracv will be seen hereafter. 



