avoid the hardships experienced by the pioneer force. 

 Fargo was reached on June llth from where the march 

 was taken up for Dufferin, now Emerson, where head- 

 quarters were established. July 8th, 1875 the whole 

 force took up its march for the extreme A\ 7 est. 



The promise of an adventurous, and somewhat free 

 life attracted a very fine class of men, and I do not 

 think it is too much to say that no finer military, or 

 semi-military, body ever existed in the British service. 

 A large proportion of the rank and file were men from 

 all parts of the world where hard service had -been en- 

 countered, and a very large proportion of these rapidly 

 rose from the ranks and eventually filled posts of great 

 importance. A number were engaged in the recent 

 war, where some have risen to the rank of general. 



Recruits were required to be between 18 and 40 years 

 of age, able to read and write in either English or 

 French, active, sound, of good character and able to 

 ride. 



The officer in command was styled commissioner, his 

 subordinates inspectors, later changed to superinten- 

 dents, sub-inspectors, constables and sub-constables. 



The arms were Winchester 45-75 repeating rifles, 

 with revolver of similar calibre, British Army pattern, 

 the latter being supplanted later on by a Colt's pattern, 

 and the rifle by the Ross rifle. 



On marching West the force comprised the follow- 

 ing: The commissioner with his staff of three; four 

 inspectors; eleven sub-inspectors; one surgeon; one 

 veterinary surgeon ; thirty constables ; twenty-four sub- 

 constables; two hundred acting constables, a total of 

 two hundred seventy-five with three hundred ten hor- 



22 



