monlj corrupted "row-sdio," from the Latin re and French 

 chand, to heat oiver. Penimican cooked in a frying-pan, a 

 little grease, pepper, salt, with a trace of onions and potatoes 

 added, constituted this, a dish to set before a king. If the 

 night was clear, and tJlie moon flooded the prairie with her 

 silver light, robes were spread. The sound of the fiddle in- 

 vited the dance. The Red River jig was struck up, and one 

 after another exercised himself to his heart's content, as the 

 shouts of the audience stimulated him. Amidst peals of 

 laughter and snatches of voyageurs' song dull care was for- 

 ever banished from the camping ground, and you were com- 

 pelled to acknowledge that the voyageur is " a fellow of infin- 

 ite humor." But the best of conipainy must part. Somnus 

 touched the eyelids, wrapped in robes and blankets each 

 sought to put himself at rest. The music of thei spheres was 

 rudely silenced by an aippalling outburst of nasal energy, a 

 pandemonium, of discordant notes fills the air, happily "sweet 

 oblivion " came to the most wakeful and he too maiy add his 

 note to the general discord. Thus the day ended. 



AlsT HISTORIC TRIP. 



My return trip from St. Paul in 1869 happened to be 

 one of considerable importance. Canada had acquired Ru- 

 pert's Land from the Hudson's Bay Company, but the for- 

 mal transfer had not been made. Hon. William Macdougall 

 had been named as governor of the ISTorthwest, and he had 

 come by way of St. Paul in the autumn of 1869 to enter on 

 his duties so soon as the formalities should be arranged. In 

 the meantime Louis Riel, Jr., and the French half-breeds 

 had risen in rebellion and seized the main highway along 

 the Red River leading to Fort Garry. The story of this re- 

 bellion is beyond our scope. For years agitation against the 

 Hudson's Bay Company had been going on in Red River. 

 The "Nor' -Wester," the only newspaper of Red River, had 

 been begun in 1860 by Messrs. Buckingham & Cold well, and 

 from this centre the spirit of dissatisfaction spread. The so- 

 called governor was on his way. Mr. McDougall came from 

 St. Paul tlirough Minnesota and Dakota, along the usual 

 trail. I had seen him and his party by the- way and now the 

 boundary line of 49° was being approached. 



