FOURTH EXPLORATION, 1880 



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that year more to the south and Marcus Smith and a large party 

 examined the country around Fort Ellice and westward. The 

 survey was carried past Portage La Prairie and in the direction 

 of where Brandon now stands and before I left Ottawa, it was 

 decided that the city of Brandon should be laid out as a city and 

 that the road, in any case, was to pass that way. This cut out 

 Odanah and Minnedosa, where the people expected the line would 

 pass if it went north. It was much easier reaching Winnipeg in 

 the spring of 1880 than it had been the other seasons, when I 

 came out and, as I was going south from Brandon this year, I 

 went up to the Grand Rapids by boat as I did in the preceding 

 year. Marcus Smith, with his large party and myself and my 

 party, almost filled the boat, although there were many English- 

 men on board who were going to take up land in the vicinity of 

 the Grand Rapids. 



When we landed, my stuff was all to be put on the south 

 side of the river while Marcus Smith and his men camped on the 

 north side. The only incident I remember of importance as 

 taking place at that time was one that was characteristic of ex- 

 ploration parties. Marcus and myself had each taken a keg of 

 lime-juice, containing five gallons, but, when Marcus wished for 

 his lime-juice in the evening, behold, it was gone. He immediate- 

 ly sent his assistant to me, expecting that I had it amongst my 

 stuff and, behold, my keg was gone also. The only difference 

 between us was that mine was really lime-juice and Marcus' was 

 whiskey. 



This summer, Sir John went to England and he was able to 

 form a syndicate and men ready to furnish the means to build 

 the railroad. In the winter, the surveys had been extended to 

 this Grand Valley, where I was camped, and Mr. Smith was now 

 getting ready to extend them further. 



While in camp at the Grand Valley, I had ample opportunity 

 of studying the peculiarities of the people, Camped by them- 

 selves were a number of English families, the members of which 

 kept themselves apart from all others and seemed to court 

 seclusion. No attempt was made to gain information and, as a 

 usual result, no one was profited. One day, two young men with 



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