NARRATIVE OF 1853. 61 
Our whole march to-day was only ten miles, and we reached camp about 5 o’clock. Our 
camp was beautifully surrounded by hills, the grazing excellent, and the water passably good. 
А high hill overlooked our camp, to the top of which Tinkham, Lambert, Boutineau, and myself 
went to reconnoitre the country ahead to determine the line of our march to-morrow. 
July 12.— In company with Tinkham and some of the guides 1 started from camp this morn 
ing at 5 o’clock, designing to be in advance of the train some miles to reconnoitre and pick out 
a good road, our route lying over high hills. The main train did not get off until after 7 o’ clock, 
being delayed by the repairing of an axle of a wagon broken yesterday. 
From the reconnoissance of yesterday evening from the hill near the camp I observed two 
ranges of hills, with a plateau between, which I concluded to be the dividing ridge of the 
tributaries of the Jacques and Shyenne rivers, and I resolved to change our course so as to 
strike for the plateau. I therefore determined our course N. 85° W., with instructions tO 
Boutineau to keep in advance and point out the way, which was not to be abandoned except 
in erossing sloughs, and then to return immediately. This is the first day we have run 
according to the compass, and it succeeded admirably. 
At about 8 o'clock I sent off Mr. Tinkham, accompanied by the two Boulieaus, well mounted, 
with instructions to go southward, determining the position of the headwaters of Bald Hillock 
creek, and thus connecting his work with Mr. Lander's reconnoissance; thence westward in a 
line nearly parallel with our route of to-day, making a reconnoissance of the tributaries of the 
Jacques river, leaving it to his own discretion whether to jdin our camp to-night or the next 
day. | By this we would secure the reconnoissance of a belt of country forty miles wide, lying 
between the Shyenne and Jacques rivers. 
About eleven miles from camp we crossed a deep slough. The water ues being good the 
train stopped an hour and lunched. About a mile further on we crossed a fine little stream, 
which I took to be Beaver Lodge creek. Shortly afterwards Boutineau killed a fine buffalo 
cow, not twenty feet from the compass line. The despatch and dexterity with which these 
men cut up buffalo is truly astonishing. Before the train came up the animal was entirely 
butchered, and had only to be thrown in the cart. i 
We moved forward to-day some sixteen miles, and encamped on the side of a small lake. 
The water and grass were both very good, but there was a scarcity of wood. We had scarcely 
got into camp before we were visited by a very severe storm, accompanied by thunder and 
lightning. Our fires weře put out by the rain, and during a temporary cessation were built up 
again; but it soon came on with increased violence, and our fires were again washed out. 
About 6 o'clock two of Mr. Lander’s party who left us оп the 4th arrived in camp, announcing 
that Mr. Lander and the rest of his men were only some three or four miles behind, with con- 
siderable difficulty bringing in the horses, which were giving out. I despatched two men 
with led horses to meet them, and about sundown they came up. We found great difficulty in 
keeping up our fires so as to get our supper cooked. The rain fell in torrents; our supply of 
wood was limited, and the buffalo chips were so wet as to be entirely useless. Mr. Lander’s 
party had only fifteen pounds of flour when they started, and for some days had lived exclu- 
sively upon game. On the evening of the 8th they saw a large buffalo bull, the first one they 
had seen, and immediately Mr. Lander and three men started in pursuit. The bull distanced the 
tired horses, with the exception of the blood mare ridden by Mr. Lander, who overtook and 
