THE RED RIVER EXPEDITION. 275 



Jesuit establishment there. They cultivate small 

 patches of ground ; but their chief means of obtain- 

 ing a livelihood is by hunting and fishing, and by 

 working for the Hudson Bay Company as voyageurs 

 on the inland rivers, transporting goods from one 

 post to the others. This Expedition to Red Eiver 

 would have been a godsend to them if they had 

 not been tampered with, as it would have afforded 

 them lucrative employment. They know every 

 river, lake, and portage in the country as far as 

 Fort Francis ; and in previous years, when exploring 

 and surveying parties had been at work in their 

 country, they had done good service in a most willing 

 and cheerful manner. 



They are a simple-minded but very superstitious 

 race, easily ruled by the Jesuit Father who has spent 

 his life amongst them doing good. Rumour was busy 

 at this village frightening them with stories of Riel's 

 determination to fight, and of the great numbers of 

 armed men at his back. These Christian Chippewahs 

 have an extraordinary dread of war so much so, that 

 when we had reached Fort Francis, the few who did 

 accompany us so far became terror-stricken by the 

 warlike reports that Riel's emissaries had spread 

 amongst the Indians in that district, and positively 

 refused to go any farther. When a little coercion 

 was tried by telling them that we could not afford to 

 give them any provisions to take them back to their 

 homes unless they kept with us, they bewailed their 



