1827, JUNE JULY. FORT GARRY 75 



animal was within a few paces and we were fearful to fire lest a shot should 

 take him. By the activity of Mr. Harriott and my assistance he was saved . 

 I bound up his wounds and afforded all the assistance a small medicine 

 chest and my slender knowledge could suggest. We passed hastily on in 

 hope of finding Doctor Richardson, but on our arrival found the doctor had 

 gone to Cumberland House. At Carlton House I had the pleasure to 

 meet Mr. Drummond, of Captain Franklin's party, who spent the greater 

 part of his time in the Rocky Mountains contiguous to the sources of the 

 Rivers Athabasca and Columbia. 



Mr. Drummond had a princely collection. I had intended to cross 

 the plain from this place to Swan and Red Rivers, but from the hostile dis- 

 position of the Stone Indians deemed it unsafe. I descended to Cumber- 

 land House, and found there Dr. Richardson, who kindly showed me 

 parts of the princely collection of natural history made during the expedi- 

 tion. This part of the country has been so well described in the former 

 narrative of Captain (now Sir John) Franklin that it leaves me no room ; 

 I shall therefore only notice my stages. After leaving Cumberland, two 

 days took us to the Grand Rapids, the entrance of Lake Winnipeg, where 

 we were detained by the ice; a few hours more it became rotten, sank, 

 and disappeared ; and we proceeded under sail to Norway House with an 

 open sheet of water. The shores of the lake are clothed with diminutive 

 trees, Pinus alba, 1 nigra, z microcarpa, 3 Betula papyracea, nigra, Populus 

 trepida,* with sphagnous swamps of Ledum, Kalmia, and Andromeda, and 

 near springs or pools strong herbage of Carex. On the 16th we arrived 

 at Norway House, where I had letters from England. The following day 

 George Simpson, Esq., the resident Governor of the Hudson's Bay 

 Company, arrived, from whom I had great kindness. A few days were 

 spent here, when Captain Sir John Franklin arrived, who politely offered 

 me a passage in his canoe through the lake as far as the mouth of 

 Winnipeg River on my way to Red River, which was gladly embraced. 

 This was at this season of the greatest moment, for I gained twelve days 

 on the ordinary time usually taken to perform the trip. 



Captain Sir John Franklin left me for England on July 9th, and the 

 following day I proceeded to the settlement on the Red River, where 

 I arrived on the 12th. I took up my abode with Donald McKenzie, Esq., 

 Governor of the Colony, an excellent and good man, who during the whole 

 of my stay showed me great kindness and afforded me much assistance. 

 With Mr. McKenzie I passed an agreeable time, for his knowledge of that 

 country, particularly of that west of the Rocky Mountains, was great, 

 where he had spent many years. 



I had the pleasure to be made known to the Rev. David Jones and 

 R. W. Cockran at the English Mission House, an excellent establishment 

 which owes its merit to the unremitting care and zeal of these gentlemen, 

 whose useful lives are devoted to the little flock over which they preside. 



1 Picea alba, Mast, in Journ. R. Hort. Soc. xiv. p. 221. 



2 Picea nigra, Mast. loc. cit., p. 222. 



3 Larix pendula, Mast. loc. cit., p. 218. 



4 P. tremuloides, Sargent, Silva N. Am. ix. p. 158. 



