EXPEDITION TO THE LAURENTIAN HILLS. 201 



of the party towards the settlements on the Hastings Road, 

 and the next day left myself for the 4 States.' ' 



THE RETREAT. 



Two days were spent in repacking our baggage, transporting 

 it across Salmon Lake, and down through Gull Lake to the foot 

 of the latter, and then we were ready to return to McKillican's. 

 We had discovered a new route to Salmon Lake, one by 

 which a greater part of the labor and trouble of the Bass Lake 

 passage might have been avoided. Four miles from our shanty, 

 at the foot of Gull Lake, were Canniff 's Mills ; and from thence 

 a tolerable road connected with the Hastings Road five miles 

 below McKillican's. We had been unable to learn any thing 

 satisfactory about this route till after we had got to the lake. 

 Our provisions and baggage had been brought round to Can- 

 niff 's by wagon. They were to go back by the same con- 

 veyance. Our baggage being all safely stored in Canniff 's 

 mill, we packed our shoulder baskets, shouldered our rifles, 

 and started on a seven-mile tramp through the woods to Mc- 

 Killican's. On arriving at the Hastings Road, we at once be- 

 gan to organize for the fur-buying campaign. Mr. Noyes had 

 gone home. Mr. Hutchins and John P. left soon after for the 

 same destination. Messrs. Campbell and Pitt remained to buy 

 furs. They were soon after joined by Mr. Newhouse, and 

 two months were spent very pleasantly tramping over the 

 rough roads and through the snows. Of this kind of travel 

 the writer performed about four hundred miles. We formed 

 an extensive and pleasant acquaintance with all the leading 

 trappers of the region, who are a class of interesting men. 

 We bought nearly a thousand dollars' worth of furs, the pro- 

 fits on which were not quite sufficient to cover the expenses 

 of the whole campaign. We returned to our Oneida home 

 the last week in December, hearty and strong. In its health- 

 producing results the expedition had paid many fold for all it 

 had otherwise cost. In looking back upon it, in view of all 

 its benefits in this respect, the physical and spiritual heroism 

 which it developed, three of our number at least the in- 

 ventor, the ex-financier and the ex-editor will always re- 



