THE RED RIVER EXPEDITION. 259 



suited for the life they had to lead a frock-coat 

 of the finest cloth being the garment most dear to 

 them. 



Early in July our headquarters were transferred 

 to the bridge over the Matawan River, a most pic- 

 turesque spot. Immediately below the bridge there 

 was a fall, and below that again a series of rapids 

 for many miles. The banks being wooded down to 

 the water's edge, there was some difficulty in clearing 

 sufficient space for the camp of two battalions, and 

 the large mass of provisions which it was found 

 necessary to collect there. Here we erected stables 

 and rough store -houses, so that the place quickly 

 assumed the appearance of a little village busy with 

 life, where the noise of the blacksmith's hammer re- 

 sounded from early dawn until dark. The departure 

 of empty waggons, and the arrival of loaded ones, 

 went on at all hours ; and the noisy scene at the 

 falls, where the boats arriving by river from Thunder 

 Bay had to be portaged over about fifty yards, im- 

 pressed upon the stranger visiting our camps the 

 earnestness of the work before us. 



The black flies and sand-flies were very trouble- 

 some at times, but a merciful Providence has only 

 given them power to annoy man by day, so that, ex- 

 cept occasionally, when the never-flagging mosquito 

 buzzed round our heads at night, our sleep was un- 

 disturbed. Before leaving Canada we had heard such 

 " travellers' yarns " about the positive torture we 



