334 THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE BY LAND. 



and lie set out, pack on back, without much, fear 

 of dano:er before him. Yet, had he knov,Ti that 

 two men who had murdered another coming down 

 from the mines, were lurking in the neighbourhood, 

 he would have been very unhappy. One of these 

 men was taken, a few days afterwards, in the Bona- 

 parte Valley; the other was supposed to have crossed 

 the Thompson, and to be lying concealed near 

 Kamloops. 



Our horses were so weak that we left them at 

 Old St. Paul's to recruit for a few days, and then 

 brought them across the river. This was nearly 

 fatal to poor Bucephalus, who was too exhausted to 

 swim, and narrowly escaped drowning in the 

 passage. They soon improved on the rich bunch- 

 grass, and we made a present of them to The 

 Assiniboine, for his use in re-crossing by the 

 Kootanie Pass next spring. 



Numbers of Shushwaps frequented Kamloops, 

 and their love of finery made them very conspicuous 

 amongst the roughly-dressed miners. The men 

 delighted in scarlet leggings, red sashes, and bright- 

 coloured ribbons in their caps ; the women affected 

 the gaudiest skirts, and the most vivid-coloured 

 handkerchiefs on their heads. They are beginning 

 to appreciate the advantages of agriculture, and 

 grow potatoes with great success ; are keen traders, 

 thoroughly acquainted with the value of money, and 

 by their labour alone as packmen, the miners were 

 supplied with necessaries for a long time, until a 

 mule trail was cut open. But although of superior 



