THE KED RIVER EXPEDITION. 253 



tion obtained by contract. The military force in 

 Canada was to be reduced in the summer of 1870 ; 

 and orders had been received by the general com- 

 manding, desiring him to dispose of, on the spot, or 

 to send home to England according as he might 

 think best for the public interest all the military 

 stores, giving the Dominion Government the option 

 of buying at a valuation all or any portion of them. 

 "NVe had in store plenty of harness and every descrip- 

 tion of article required for the equipment of the force, 

 the regulation prices of which were considerably below 

 what similar but vastly inferior articles could be ob- 

 tained for in the open market. 



It did not, however, suit the Ottawa Ministers, 

 whose province it was to obtain the required stores, 

 to get them from our magazines ; they preferred ptir- 

 chasing the inferior and dearer articles through their 

 own agents from their own political friends and sup- 

 porters. When money is to be spent in Canada, the 

 opportunity is seldom lost for furthering party ob- 

 jects. As a stronger illustration of this, we may 

 here mention that the boots supplied to the militia 

 regiments were so utterly worthless after a few 

 weeks' wear, that, upon arriving at Thunder Bay, 

 it was found necessary to send back to Canada for 

 new ones from our stores so that the country had to 

 pay for two pair per man instead of one. 



The men for the land-transport service were especi- 

 ally engaged for this duty by the militia department ; 



