DEPARTURE FOR THE NORTH 7 



his early days on Red River, where he was born in 1841. 

 I did not fail to make what notes I could of those now 

 historic times. His accounts of the Antelope on White 

 Horse Plain, in 1855, and Buffalo about the site of 

 Carberry, Manitoba, in 1852, were new and valuable 

 light on the ancient ranges of these passing creatures. 



All travellers who had preceded me into the Barren 

 Grounds had reUed on the abundant game, and in 

 consequence suffered dreadful hardships; in some cases 

 even starved to death. I proposed to rely on no game, 

 but to take plenty of groceries, the best I could buy in 

 Winnipeg, which means the best in the world; and, as 

 will be seen later, the game, because I was not relying 

 on it, walked into camp every day. 



But one canoe could not carry all these provisions, 

 so most of it I shipped on the Hudson's Bay Company 

 scows, taking with us, in the canoe, food for not more 

 than a week, which with, camp outfit was just enough 

 for ballast. 



Of course I was in close touch with the Hudson's 

 Bay people. Although nominally that great trading 

 company parted with its autocratic power and exclu- 

 sive franchise in 1870, it is still the sovereign of the 

 north. And here let me correct an error that is some- 

 times found even in respectable print — the Company 

 has at all times been ready to assist scientists to the 

 utmost of its very ample power. Although jealous of 

 its trading rights, every one is free to enter the terri- 

 tory without taking count of the Company, but there 

 has not yet been a successful scientific expedition into 

 the region without its active co-operation. 



