In North-WpM Canada. 25 



CHAPTER VI. 

 EXT morninj 



jM-^l EXT morning- I was wakened by the guard pulling 

 I ^v } nie, and calling out, " It's five o'clock, sir, Regina 

 ^I^^IJ next station. " I was soon up and washed and 

 I dressed. At Regina, my Scotch companions, just 

 out from Scotland, got off" the train ; they were going 

 to take up farms a few miles south of Regina. Regina 

 is the capital of Assiniboia and the distributing point 

 for the country far north and south. A railway extends 

 northward to Long Lake, beyond the Qu'Appelle river, and 

 now almost reaches Battleford, on the North Saskatchewan. 

 Regina is the headquarters of the North- West Mounted 

 Police. The Mounted Police is a military organization num- 

 bering 1,000 men, who are stationed at intervals over the 

 North- West to look after the Indians and preserve order gen- 

 erally. Along the sides of the railway track about Regina 

 are numerous Indian tepees, and Indians are seen driving 

 their herds of ponies. They look very picturesque in their 

 coloured garments, and we begin to realize that we are in a 

 wild country and in the midst of the home of the red man ; 

 however, they live very peaceful lives, but are very indolent 

 and don't like much work ; the squaws do all the work, while 

 the bucks lie around and smoke and talk. 



The Mounted Police board the train at Regina and examine 

 all the baggage to see if any of the passengers have whiskey. 

 They are very strict, for the Indians are fond of fire-water and 

 are dangerous when they get it. A few miles north of Regina 

 is Long Lake, a rendevouz for a great variety of water fowl, 

 and a place I intended visiting, but did not manage it as my 

 time was devoted to exploring the region about Moosejaw and 

 Rush Lake. However, I hope to explore Long Lake on some 

 future trip. 



Forty miles beyond Regina we reach Moosejaw, which is 400 



