52 HIS FIRST JOURNEY ACROSS THE PRAIRIES 



we were unable to make the west end of Rainy Lake and so were 

 forced to camp on the shore of the Lake after we had made only 

 thirty miles." Our steamer was small, the flotilla stretched out 

 far and the wind was ahead. We therefore determined to camp; 

 and, by the advice of the engineer, started to the north shore to 

 what is called the 15 Mile House, from Fort Frances, said house 

 being two 'deserted' log huts. In a little bay here, on the sandy 

 beach, we pitched our tents and made rousing fires, though the 

 air was warm and balmy, as if we were getting into a more south- 

 ern region. The Botanist, learning that we would leave before 

 day-break, lighted an old pine branch and roamed about the 

 place with his torch to investigate the flora. The others visited 

 the immigrants to whom the log huts had been assigned, or sat 

 around the fires smoking, or gathered bracken and fragrant ar- 

 temisia for our beds." 



Next day, we reached Fort Frances and for the first time saw 

 the Colorado Potato Beetle and noted its power of destruction as 

 most of the potato plants were destroyed. We spent a few hours 

 at the Fort and then started down Rainy River which was very 

 beautiful and showed that in the future it would be a valuable 

 and attractive country. The following extracts will give a general 

 idea of its appearance. "Rainy River is broad and beautiful; 

 and flows with an easy current through a low lying and evidently 

 fertile country. For the first twenty-five miles, twenty or thirty 

 feet above the present beach or intervale, rises in terrace form, 

 another, evidently the old shore of the river, which extends far 

 back like a prairie. The richness of the soil is evident, from the 

 luxuriance and the variety of the wild flowers. Much of the land 

 could be cleared almost as easily as the prairie; other parts are 

 covered with trees, pines, elms, maples, but chiefly aspens." 



We had now reached the Lake of the Woods and it being 

 Sunday we intended to proceed no further, but, the steamer came 

 along and we had to hook on. In a short time we reached the 

 Lake and a thunder-storm coming up we were compelled to take 

 shelter behind a small island. The crew, the immigrants and 

 ourselves constituted a large number, so we moved to a smaller 

 island, and hauled the canoes out of the water, and later had 



