ASSINIBOINE BLUFF. 315 



Shusliwap friends that there had been a fearful 

 mortality amongst the Indians, owing, as we subse- 

 quently learnt, to the ravages of small-pox. At 

 mid- day we found Caliban and his ladies waiting 

 to transfer us to the eastern bank of the Thompson, 

 whither the trail now led. We dined with them 

 before crossing, our fare being the fruit of a kind of 

 lily, which tasted much like the berry of the yew 

 tree, and was exceedingly luscious. We ate freely of 

 it, both cooked and raw, and suffered horribly in 

 consequence. 



When we had crossed the river, Milton and 

 Mrs. Assiniboine accepted the Indians' invitation 

 to go with them in the canoes, whilst the rest 

 brought the horses along the bank. Cheadle was 

 shortly after seized with severe pains in the stomach, 

 accompanied by violent nausea and vomiting. He 

 was compelled to pull up and remain behind; and 

 after remaining some two hours, seated on a log 

 in most woful plight, crawled after the rest with 

 some difficulty. He came up with them at the 

 foot of a steep, rocky bluff — to which we afterwards 

 gave the name of Assiniboine Bluff, from an in- 

 cident which occurred there — up which the trail 

 passed by a tortuous zig-zag. 



Up this the others led the horses one by one, 

 the track, a mere ledge of rock, ascending the per- 

 pendicular face of the bluff nearly to the summit, 

 and descending as rapidly by the other side. Last 

 of all Cheadle led his horse up the perilous path, 

 and when he gained the top, heard a great shouting 

 and commotion going on amongst the party who 



