28 ARRIVAL AT MONTREAL. 



interest was manifested. The proprietors of the 

 Ohio, steam-boat, offered that fine vessel for our 

 conveyance to Albany; and, as we started from 

 the wharf, upwards of a thousand well-dressed 

 persons, with our friend Mr. Buchanan, the. 

 British consul, at their head, gave us three 

 hearty cheers. 



From Albany we travelled in coaches or 

 waggons, according to the quality of the roads ; 

 and reached Montreal on the 9th of April, a 

 day earlier than I had promised six months 

 before. Mr. Keith, the principal officer of the 

 Hudson's Bay Company at La Chine, lost no 

 time in acquainting me that preparations for the 

 expedition were in a forward state, and would 

 be ready by the appointed time. He entertained, 

 however, some doubt whether he could himself 

 obtain the required number of able voyageurs; 

 and thought that they might be selected, with 

 greater advantage to the service, from among 

 the old "winterers" resorting to a depot of the 

 Company in the interior, which I should neces- 

 sarily have to pass. He also informed me that 

 despatches, sent from England, had been for- 

 warded to the resident governor, Mr. Simpson ; 

 who, being thus apprised of our movements, 

 would be enabled to co-operate accordingly. 



No sooner was it known in Montreal that 

 our little party was in one of the hotels, 



