78 THE GREAT NORTH-WEST 



Yankee agitators, were particularly inveterate against 

 " English rule," as they termed it. This expression was, 

 I think, put in their mouths by Irish Fenians, who came 

 here from the States for the express purpose of having 



" a slap at the d d Saxon," as I heard one of them 



phrase it. But, beyond incidental mention, this book 

 has nothing to do with politics ; and I do not think 

 I need say more on this subject. 



The entrance to the Red River from Lake Winnipeg 

 is between very flat, marshy banks, which are covered 

 with sedge and giant bulrushes, three or four times the 

 size of those growing in England, but otherwise like them. 

 The country in all directions that could be seen from the 

 canoe was very flat, and Winnipeg so shallow that the 

 rushes grew in the water at a greater distance than a mile 

 from the actual shore. These rushes gave harbourage to 

 swarms of ducks, geese, and other wild-fowl ; and for the 

 first time on our journey I had a day's good sport among 

 the ducks. I was greatly disappointed, however, to find 

 at supper that night, that these wild ducks are very poor 

 eating. There is nothing remarkable in the flavour of 

 an English wild duck, but it is far better than the best 

 of these. In fact, with the exception of the canvas-back 

 of the States (which is more thought of than it deserves) 

 and one or two others, all the North American ducks are 

 of poor quality for the table. Not so the geese ; but 

 more of that hereafter. 



I shot thirty-two ducks in the space of a couple 

 of hours, and lest it should be thought that I indulged 

 in a wanton slaughter, I may mention that they were all 

 eaten before we reached Fort Garry, two days later ; any 

 one of my Indian friends thinking nothing of consuming 

 a brace of ducks at breakfast or supper, and Torn picked 

 the bones of two brace at one meal. With the exception 

 of two species (possibly young birds, for many young were 

 flying, and the plumage varies much at different stages 

 of growth), all these ducks greatly resembled those found 



