40 LAC DE LA PLUIE. 



drowned ; but he bore the accident with so much 

 indifference and good humour as to call forth 

 the admiration of Paul, who at once predicted 

 that he would make a good voyageur. 



On the 31st, we crossed Lac de la Pluie, 

 which well sustained its name and character, by 

 receiving us with a pelting rain which drenched 

 us to the skin. There was neither meat nor 

 fish at the Company's establishment, and, owing 

 to the failure of the crops, scarcely any rice, 

 (wild rice, Folk amine, Zizania aquatica,) which 

 is generally abundant at this solitary station, 

 growing in the swampy ground round the lake. 

 We encamped on a small island in the Lake 

 of the Woods, which was literally covered with 

 a dwarf species of prickly pear ( Cactus opuntia), 

 much to the annoyance of the men, whose feet 

 were soon stuck full of its irritating prickles. 



On the 6th of June we arrived at Fort Alex- 

 ander, situated at the southern extremity of 

 Lake Winnepeg. Here I had hoped to find the 

 governor, and was not a little disappointed when 

 informed by Mr. Clouston, the gentleman in 

 charge, that it might be several days before he 

 arrived ; though, as the despatch canoe had left 

 the day before, there was every reason to suppose 

 that he was by that time in possession of my 

 letter, and, therefore, would naturally infer that I 

 could not be far off. Important as every hour 



