EXPLORATION OF THE PRAIRIES, 1879 153 



Winnipeg with his party and, before many hours, his whole party, 

 besides Ogilvie, were as drunk as men could possibly be and Bar- 

 clay and myself were the only sober men. It was ten days after 

 this before my party arrived and, in that time, Ogilvie had been 

 no use to me as he was drunk the most of the time and, worse for 

 himself had used up all his wages. 



I found that, since spring, there had been great changes in 

 Winnipeg and a large number of influential men were then in the 

 city and I told numerous people about what I had seen on my 

 travels and it was not long before I was asked to lecture and I 

 had to refuse because it was understood that no explorer could 

 make statements for publication until he had reported to the 

 Government. My friends told me that Sir Charles Tupper was 

 then on the way to Winnipeg and, if I had permission from him 

 to lecture, would I do so. I told them that I would like to very 

 much, and they wired to Sir Charles and, I suppose, told him that 

 my report of the country would be in accord with his views, so 

 he gave permission. It was soon arranged that I would give a 

 lecture in the Court House and Chief Justice Wood of Manitoba 

 was in the chair. The audience was the finest one I have ever 

 had to listen to me. Apparently, there were over one thousand 

 men, all full of enthusiasm. I was just in the condition to fill 

 them full, because I was in a state of more than common excite- 

 ment. In announcing the discoveries I had made, I fearlessly 

 announced that the so-called arid country was one of unsurpassed 

 fertility and that it was literally the "Garden" of the whole coun- 

 try. I also called attention to the Qu'Appelle country and 

 showed that at least 12,000,000 acres were in one solid block on 

 both sides of the river. I told them so many things that they 

 were filled with amazement and, to wind up, I declared that these 

 lands lay at their very doors and were without inhabitant. My 

 lecture was published verbatim and the "Winnipeg Free Press" 

 devoted more than a page to it. 



In passing through, on the railroad, from Winnipeg to Fargo, 

 North Dakota, I was reminded of the time when I went in the 

 stage coach with a number of shivering passengers, as we passed 

 over the bleak prairies of Dakota. The winter stage coach ride 



