THE RED RIVER EXPEDITION. 317 



boats grounded ; but as the day was calm and the 

 bottom was muddy, they did not suffer any damage. 



The scenery is extremely dreary as one nears the 

 river not a tree to be seen, and only a few bushes 

 at places where the land seemed to be somewhat 

 higher than elsewhere. Great flats of alluvial deposit 

 stretched out into the lake, all densely covered with 

 reeds and rushes, a fitting home for the flocks of wild- 

 duck that quacked out a greeting to us as we ap- 

 proached them. 



^Yhere the left bank terminates there is a little 

 firm ground, upon which a few Indians were en- 

 camped, who fired their guns off as a salute as we 

 landed to cook dinners at about one o'clock. A few 

 presents soon made us friends ; and they consented 

 to man a canoe to take up a loyal half-breed whom 

 we had with us to the Lower or Stone Fort, as it 

 was considered desirable that we should communicate 

 secretly with the Hudson Eay officer in charge of 

 that post. Dinner over, we lost no time in pushing 

 on ; but the wind, unfortunately, was blowing down 

 stream, so that pulling against the current was labori- 

 ous work. "We advanced in three lines of boats, the 

 guns in the leading boats of one line, and kept ready 

 for action at a moment's warning. "We had hoped to 

 have reached the Lower Fort by evening ; but night 

 coming on when we were still about twelve miles 

 from it, we were forced to halt opposite the Indian 

 settlement. 



