62 NARRATIVE OF 1853. 
killed the animal with his revolver, after considerable struggle, the bull running on him twice. 
On the party reaching him, one of the horses took fright at the sight of the dead buffalo. He 
was followed all night by Augustus Lebat, the balance of the party going into camp, and by ` 
Mr. Lander and Lebat all the next day and night, the other animals and men embracing the 
opportunity to recruit, which they so much needed. After every effort to recover the animal 
without success, they abandoned the pursuit, rejoined the little party, and pressed forward to 
overtake the train. The killing of the first buffalo by the expedition belongs to Mr. Lander, 
it being one day previous to the killing by Menoc of one on our train. They packed as much 
of the meat as possible, and when it became exhausted they collected the refuse meat abandoned 
at our various camping places. One of the horses brought in was entirely worn out, and the 
men were very much fatigued. After supper I engaged some time in conversation with Lander 
and Adams, and then had Boutineau and Lambert visit our tent, and by a consultation with 
our maps determined on taking, as the course to-morrow, N. 80° W., in order to strike a 
point thought by Boutineau to be some eight miles north of a large hill some eighty miles 
beyond here—an excellent landmark, of which Boutineau asserted his knowledge. This hill 
must be the Maison du Chien, and is visible some thirty miles. 
Towards the close of the day’s march I became disabled from my exertions in endeavoring to 
keep off a herd of buffalo from the train, causing an old wound to break out, which compelled 
me to ride many hundred miles in the ambulance. 
July 13.—A very heavy fog this morning delayed our getting off as early as expected, and 
the hope of Tinkham and his small party joining us made me less hurried about starting. 
We were encamped on the banks of а lake, being almost entirely surrounded by sloughs; to 
avoid which we had to make a considerable detour. About 11 miles from camp we made a 
halt on the banks of a slough, where we lunched. Our road to-day is over a level plateau, one 
or two sloughs interrupting our progress, but causing no serious delay. Just before coming to 
our noon halt we found a large patch of strawberries, from which the men were enabled to 
gather a considerable mess. Sixteen miles from camp we struck James river, and crossed over 
a good ford, from which point I sent Mr. Lander down the river to examine it. Noticing that 
the river ran very nearly in the course of our compass, we followed it, and again crossing it 
some five miles above we encamped. The engineer party with the odometer did not бн the 
river, but pursued the compass course. Boutineau accompanied them, to get them through a 
bad ee in the line. We arrived in camp about 54 o'clock, and Le Frambois was sent to 
the — = to direct them to join us in camp, which was about three-fourths of a mile 
above their line. Both the fords of this river which we crossed were excellent; but between 
the two the water was in some places very deep, while at others it widened out until it almost 
resembled a lake, the current running about a mile an hour. 
indifferent, and in many places there is 
the bottom is gravel and pebbles, while i 
Along the banks the grass is very 
an abundance of large pebble stones. At the fords 
zi? i | п the deep places a clay mud seems to prevail. 
ee eem the grass is good, the water passably во, and wood scarce. Early after 
TR ga s had a large amount of rushes collected, with a view of building as large a camp 
fire as practicable, in order to give notice to Tinkham of our position, he not having returned. 
diei 14.—The missing party not having arrived, three rounds of the howitzer were fired at 
sunrise, and we started later than usual. It was evident that the whole camp was in a great 
