124 SANDFOED FLEMING ON 



despatched to rescue the iiuhappy meu k^t behind. They returned iu a lew days, 

 explaiuiug that, owing to the depth of the suow, they were unable to proceed. The 

 writer will leave Dr. Cheadle to relate the conclusion of this painful narrative. 



"Other Indians, however, discovered the party some time afterwards. ..Helstone and 

 "Wright were still alive, but, maddened by hunger, had killed Renuie. "When they were 

 found they had eaten all but his legs, which they held in their hands at the time. They 

 were covered with blood, being engaged in tearing the raw flesh from the bones with 

 their teeth. The Indians attempted to light a lire for them, when the two cannibals 

 drew their revolvers, and looked so Avild and savage that the Indiaus lied and left them 

 to their fate, not daring to return. The following spring a party of miners, on their 

 way to Peace River, were guided by Indians to the place where these men were seen 

 by them. The bones of two were found piled in a heap, one scull had been split open 

 by an axe, and many of the other bones showed the marks of teeth. The third was 

 missing, but was afterwards discovered a few hundred yards from the camp. The skull 

 had been cloven by an axe, and the clothes stripped from the body, which was little 

 decomposed. The interpretation of these signs could hardly be mistaken. The last 

 survivor had killed his fellow-murderer and eaten him, as shown by the gnawed bones, 

 so carefully piled in a heap. lie had iu turn ]jrobably been murdered by Indiaus, for the 

 I)rincipal part of the dead man's property was found in their possession " (p. 322). 



(•7) Travels of Lord Milton and Dr. Cheadle, 1862—1863. 



No Pacific expedition has attracted greater attention than that of Lord Milton and 

 Dr. Cheadle ; that such was the case may be attributed to the literary ability with which 

 the narrative was written. The travellers arrived at Quebec in the spring of 1862, and 

 made their way, without loss of time, to Red River, but not without some of the unpleas- 

 ant incidents of such a journey, common enough a quarter of a century back. They 

 narrowly escaped being involved in the massacre, by the Sioux, of the settlers in Minne- 

 sota, through which State they passed ; and in their canoe voyage down Red River they 

 had to undergo serious privation and incur danger. 



They left Red River to proceed to Edmonton, but the season being late, they decided 

 to winter at "White Fish Lake, eighty miles beyond Carleton. They reached Edmonton in 

 May, 1863. Here they were advised against following the route by the Yellow Head pass, 

 but the Canadian party, the preceding year, having travelled by it, they determined to 

 follow the trail which so large a party must have left the traces. 



They started from Edmonton on June 8th, 1863. They had with them an Indian, 

 known in the narrative as "the Assiuiboine " ; he was accompanied by his wife and 

 their son, a boy of thirteen. The Assiniboine had but one hand ; nevertheless he was an 

 excellent hunter, of undaunted courage and unfailing resource. The guide, Baptiste, 

 whom they had engaged, with a " Mr. O'B.," completed the party, which thus consisted of 

 seven persons. The latter individual had drifted westward to Edmonton, possibly with 

 the Canadian party. He was a Cambridge man, with a good knowledge of classics, but 

 the most shiftless and useless of human beings. No one could have been more out of his 

 element, on such a journey. Mention of him threw doubt upon the narrative, but the 



