THE RED RIVER EXPEDITION. 265 



During the progress of this Expedition, we had 

 many opportunities of observing from behind the 

 scenes how Government affairs are managed in 

 Canada. The gentleman who represented the Public 

 Works Department with us was a most hard-work- 

 ing man, who never spared himself in any way. If 

 he was always over -sanguine, it was at least an 

 agreeable failing, and perhaps arose from calculations 

 based upon the belief that other men would work as 

 hard as he did himself. He had his hands always 

 full, and had as much to do as any man, aided by 

 the most efficient of staffs, could possibly do well. 

 Alas for his sake, for the good of the service, and for 

 the progress of the Expedition, those under him, 

 with one or two exceptions, were the most help- 

 lessly useless men that it is possible to imagine ! 

 Instead of being permitted to choose his own assis- 

 tants, he had all sorts of hangers-on about the 

 Ministers forced upon him. Some were broken- 

 down drunkards who it was thought by their friends 

 might be reclaimed, if they could only be sent on an 

 errand into a country where no whisky was to be 

 had. All more or less belonged to the class known 

 in America as "loafers" men who lived no one 

 knew how, spending nearly all their time in bars 

 " liquoring-up " and smoking. "NVe were much 

 amused one day upon entering into conversation 

 with a young gentleman who called himself the 

 " book-keeper " at one of the roadside stations. Upon 



