194 AUDUBON 



here. Fifth, is the wholesale warehouse, in which are 

 boxes, bales, and all goods kept in quantity till required. 

 Within a few feet of this, and northeast, is the meat house, 

 twenty-four feet square, in which all meat traded from the 

 Indians is kept till needed for use. Near the meat house 

 south is a powder magazine, a hole dug in the ground ten 

 feet square, walled with timber to the surface, covered 

 with a timber roof four feet above the surface in the centre, 

 and this is covered to the depth of three feet with earth ; 

 in the roof is an outer door three feet square, opening 

 upon another of the same size ; this is so arranged that in 

 case of fire the whole can be covered in a few minutes, and 

 rendered fire-proof. In the southeast corner is a large 

 barn, 60 by 50 ft, capable of containing sufficient hay for all 

 the cattle and horses during the long, cold, tedious winters 

 of this country. Adjoining is a range of large and warm 

 stables for the horses of the fort, and some extra ones if 

 required, providing them with a good shelter from the 

 piercing cold and severe storms. Extending from the 

 .stables is a range of small buildings used for keeping sad- 

 dlery, harness, boat-rigging, tools, etc., thereby providing 

 ' a place for everything,' and it is required that every- 

 thing shall be in its place. Over this is a gallery extend- 

 ing along this line of pickets, answering the purposes of a 

 promenade, observatory, guard station, and place of de- 

 fence. In the southeast corner in front of the barn is a 

 yard 30 by 60 ft., used for receiving carts, wagons, wood, 

 and so forth. At the end of the yard in the rear of the 

 dry-goods warehouse is an ice house, that will contain 

 nearly forty loads of ice ; meat placed here will keep sev- 

 eral days in the heat of summer, and thus save the hunter 

 from a daily ride over the burning prairies. The stock 

 belonging to the fort consists of thirty to forty horses, ten 

 or twelve cattle, and a number of hogs. Fort McKenzie 

 boasts of one of the most splendid Durham bulls that can 

 be found in the United States or Territories. The area in 



