104 TRANSACTIONS. 1906-7. 



They were in the heart of the buffalo country and therefore 

 had no anxiety as to provisions. Henry's journal brings home 

 to one the almost incredible numbers of the buffalo at the beginning 

 of the last century. "The beach/' he says, "once a soft black 

 mud into which a man could sink knee-deep, is now made hard 

 as pavement by the numerous herds coming to drink. The willows 

 are entirely trampled and torn to pieces; even the bark of the 

 smaller trees is rubbed off in places. The grass on the bank of 

 the river is entirely worn away." Later he sees the buffalo moving 

 slowly in one immense body, "commencing about half a mile 

 from camp, whence the plain was covered on the west side of 

 the river as far as the eye could reach. They were moving 

 southward slowly, and the meadoio seemed as if in motion." 



Horses had only recently been introduced in connection 

 with the fur-trade, all the overland trade having hitherto been 

 done on foot. They were now regarded as an indispensable part 

 of the trader's equipment, somewhat to Henry's disgust, who 

 believed that their introduction had made both his men and the 

 Indians indolent, insolent and extravagant. To illustrate his 

 argument he gives an amusing picture of the "bustle and noise 

 which attended the transportation of five pieces of goods" to one 

 of his branch establishments. 



"Antoine Payet, guide and second in command, leads the 

 van, with a cart drawn by two horses and loaded with his private 

 baggage, cassetetes, bags, kettles, etc. Madame Payet follows 

 the cart with a child a year old on her back, very merry. Charles 

 Bottineau, with two horses and a cart loaded with 1^ packs, his 

 own baggage, and two young children, with kettles and other 

 trash hanging on to it. Madame Bottineau with a squalling 

 infant on her back, scolding and tossing it about. Joseph Dubord 

 goes on foot, with his long pipestem and calumet in his hand; 

 Madame Dubord follows on foot, carrying his tobacco pouch with 

 a broad bead tail. Antoine -Thellier, with a cart and two horses, 

 loaded with H packs of goods and Dubois' baggage. Antoine 

 La Pointe with another cart and horses, loaded with two pieces 

 of goods and with baggage belonging to Brisebois, Jasmin and 

 Pouliot, and a kettle hung on each side. Auguste Brisebois 

 follows with only his gun on his shoulder and a fresh-lighted pipe 

 in his mouth. Michel Jasmin goes next, like Brisebois, with gun 

 and pipe, puffing out clouds of smoke. Nicolas Pouliot, the 

 greatest smoker in the North-West, has nothing but pipe and 



