A JOURNEY TO THE RED RIVER 73 



sleep at the spot where the canoe was drawn ashore for 

 the night. Our bed was the ground, where we lay- 

 wrapped in our blankets when the heat was not too 

 great to make that course unendurable. Often the 

 ground was quite warm from the heat gathered during 

 the day long after the sun had set. During my excursions 

 I did not meet with an}^ deer, to look for which was one 

 of my chief objects ; nor did I see many Indians, most of 

 them having started on their journeys to the Company's 

 posts and depots to barter the results of the winter's 

 hunt. I did, however, meet with a few parties of old 

 men, women, and children, from whom I obtained a 

 welcome supply of Indian meal. Five hungry men take 

 a considerable amount of food daily ; and we had not 

 met with as much game as had been hoped for. I was 

 therefore at length compelled to abandon my pleasant 

 wandering excursions, and hurry on my journey in 

 order to obtain a food supply at one of the Company's 

 forts. 



The nearest depot was Fort Frances, which we reached 

 in two days. It is a small building, in a state of decay, 

 built close to a waterfall of picturesque appearance. It 

 was occupied by only two men, a " trader," and a half- 

 breed " labourer " of the Company's service. I may 

 mention here that the Hudson's Bay men are classed as 

 labourers, who serve as handy-men, doing the work at 

 the forts, &c., interpreters, to communicate with the 

 Indians when necessary, postmasters, whose work is often 

 more onerous than their title indicates, and who have 

 great responsibility committed to them. These three 

 grades are subordinate, though the postmasters are 

 admitted to associate with the " gentlemen." These 

 latter are the apprentices, clerks, traders, and factors — 

 the two last being also shareholders in right of their 

 office. They are nearly all " canny Scots," and right good- 

 hearted fellows. The labourer classes are half-breeds and 

 Indians, rarely pure whites. All alike are generally 



