Pioneer Journals 1820-4 87 



&quot;The River,&quot; he says, &quot;appears to me a most suitable 

 desirable spot for a missionary establishment, Ki^ions r 

 and the formation of schools, from whence 

 Christianity may arise and be propagated among 

 the numerous tribes of the North.&quot; 



During the winter months, Mr. West under- Fir8t p rair { c 

 took his first prairie journey to Brandon House Journey 

 and Fort Qu Appelle. Of his arrival and ex 

 periences at the latter place he writes: &quot;January 

 27th, soon after midnight we were disturbed by 

 the buffaloes passing close to our encampment: 

 we rose early, and arrived at Qu Appelle about 

 three o clock. Nearly about the same time a 

 large band of Indians came to the fort from the 

 plains with provisions. Many of them rode 

 good horses, caparisoned with a saddle or pad of 

 dressed skin, stuffed with buffalo wool, from which 

 were suspended wooden stirrups; and a leathern 

 thong, tied at both ends to the under jaw of the 

 animal, formed the bridle. When they had 

 delivered their loads, they paraded the fort with 

 an air of independence. It was not long, however, 

 before they became clamorous for spirituous 

 liquors; and the evening presented such a bac- 

 chanalia, including the women and the children, 

 as I never before witnessed. 



&quot;The weather is extremely hot, the thermometer pi ague O f 

 more than 90 above zero. Vegetation is making 

 an astonishingly rapid progress, and the grain in 

 its luxuriant growth upon a rich soil, presents to 

 the eye the fairest prospects of a good harvest. 

 But the locust, an insect very like the large grass- 



