290 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



preparations along it for our reception. This ruse 

 was successful ; for we learned at Fort Francis that 

 he had armed men on the look-out in the neighbour- 

 hood of where he thought we should disembark on 

 the shores of the Lake of the Woods. A loyal half- 

 breed of undoubted character had been despatched 

 early in June from Prince Arthur's Landing for the 

 purpose of going into the Red River Settlement by 

 the Lake of the Woods road, and of obtaining re- 

 liable information as to the state of affairs there up 

 to the latest possible date that he could remain, 

 compatible with his meeting Colonel Wolseley at 

 Fort Francis on the 31st July. This service was 

 faithfully performed. He had left his home in the 

 Indian settlement on the lower Red River on the 

 20th July, bringing letters for that officer from the 

 Protestant bishop and others, containing information 

 as to the supplies of fresh beef and flour we could 

 calculate upon obtaining at Fort Garry, and interest- 

 ing but melancholy accounts of how things stood 

 there. It was essential that the commander of the 

 Expedition should have the latest and most reliable 

 information as to the rebel movements and Riel's 

 intentions before leaving Fort Francis ; for it was 

 necessary to decide upon the final plan of operations 

 there, as beyond that place we should be, one might 

 say, in rebel territory, or at least where it would 

 always be possible to attack us. The scanty intel- 

 ligence supplied by the Canadian Ministry was not 



