west Mounted Police, who some years later became 

 known as "The Royal North West Mounted Police" as 

 they are still styled. The force was to consist of six 

 (6) troops of 50 men each, and was placed under the 

 immediate charge of the then premier and minister of 

 justice for the Dominion, Sir John A. McDonald. He 

 remained the head up to his death, but responsibility 

 was transferred from the department of justice to 

 the secretary of state and later to the Interior Depart- 

 ment. It still remains under the minister of the in- 

 terior and has never been connected with the Depart- 

 ment of Militia. 



Steps were at once taken to collect a nucleus, and 

 three troops of 50 men each were commissioned. Re- 

 cruits were called for in the Province of Ontario, were 

 gathered together rapidly in Toronto and sent, via the 

 Great Lakes to Fort William on Lake Superior, From 

 here they traveled by boat over the lakes and rivers 

 to the west side of the Lake of the Woods, and thence 

 marched the 147 miles to Fort Garry, now Winnipeg. 

 They arrived in October and wintered at the Lower 

 Fort some 20 miles North of Fort Garry. The route 

 taken having been recently opened to accommodate the 

 settlers who were beginning to pour into the newly ac- 

 quired country from Eastern Canada, considerable 

 hardship was experienced by the men on their journey. 



In February 1874 steps were taken to bring the force 

 to full strength, of 300. ' Recruits were again called for 

 in the East and in April gathered in Toronto. Ar- 

 rangements had been made with the United States 

 Government whereby this body of men was permitted 

 to travel through via Chicago and St. Paul and thus 



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