4 



voyage offered. In spite of the difficulties of such a journey 

 the entrance to Lake Superior at the head of Sault Ste. Marie 

 was reached without accident. This lake, as every one knows, 

 is a large inland sea which to-day is navigated like the ocean 

 by vessels of great tonnage ; it is subject to frequent tempests 

 and when this great sheet of water is stirred by violent winds 

 navigation becomes dangerous even for a large ship. 



This year the canoes encountered two terrible storms, dur- 

 ing one of which a part of the expedition perished in the 

 waves. Madame Lajimoniere many years afterwards told her 

 children of the mortal fear which she had felt on this occasion, 

 and with what fervour she had prayed not to go in the frail 

 vessel. 



After a month of travelling the voyageurs arrived at 

 Fort William, which is a little more than half way to Red 

 River, but it is the easier half of the route. The passage 

 from Thunder Bay to Lake Winnipeg was made sometimes 

 in canoes, sometimes on land. The portages were more fre- 

 quent than between Lake Huron and Montreal. The canoes 

 used by the voyageurs for this part of the route were much 

 smaller than the first because the country across which they 

 had to travel presented more obstacles. 



From Fort William the route was followed without ac- 

 cident and the canoes arrived at Lake Winnipeg towards the 

 first week in July, and soon ascended the Red River. 



M. and Madame Lajimoniere embarked in canoes for 

 Pembina as they intended to pass the winter at that post. 



Before his trip to Maskinonge M. Lajimoniere had lived 

 there for four years and had left behind him an Indian woman 

 who had lived with him during his stay at the post. We can 

 well believe what a grief this would be to his wife. 



The canoes, going up the river, stopped at Fort Gibraltar, 

 which was built at the mouth of the Assiniboine, where they 

 left their supplies. This post with that of the Hudson's Bay 

 Company,* built a mile lower down, were <"he only buildings 

 on the Red River between Lake Winnipeg and Pembina. 



After four or five days' paddling up the river against the 

 winding current they arrived at Pembina. M. Lajimoniere 

 pitched his tent in the neighborhood of the Fort to be in read- 

 iness for the hunting season in the autumn. 



There were five or six Canadians hunters living near the 

 Fort who had married Indian women. The lives of these men 

 did not differ from that of the Indians ; they lived in wig- 



* It is doubtful whether there was a H. B. C fort here at this time— Ed. 



