252 TRAVEL, AD VENTURE, AND SPORT. 



shone no Sabbath-day for them." From the time 

 the troops began to advance, " Push on, push on," 

 was the hourly cry of the officers ; and every one, 

 down to the youngest bugler, being taken into the 

 leader's confidence regarding the necessity for haste, 

 recognised the urgency of the case, and put his 

 shoulder to the wheel with a will and a cheery 

 energy that bade defiance to all obstacles. AVe 

 treated our men not as machines, but as reasoning 

 beings, having all feelings in common with ourselves ; 

 and they responded to our appeals as British soldiers 

 ever will when under men in whom they have un- 

 bounded confidence. 



Before a start could be made it was essential that 

 at least two months' supplies for the whole force 

 should be collected at Shebandowan Lake. 



Our transport horses were very fat when they 

 landed, and had to begin work at once, so that, 

 although allowed to eat as much oats and hay as 

 they could, they quickly fell off dreadfully in con- 

 dition. The badness of the roads rendered the work 

 very severe upon them, and a large proportion were 

 soon unfit for draught, owing to sore shoulders. 

 Two causes contributed chiefly to this : first, the 

 badness of the collars ; and secondly, the carelessness 

 of the drivers. 



The harness had been provided by the Canadian 

 Government, and, like all the military stores supplied 

 by it for this Expedition, was of an inferior descrip- 



