186 THEOUGH THE MACKEJSTZIE BASIN 



Bay sled of dogs conducted hj himself on a winter journey 

 of fully 2,000 miles, from Eort Simpson, on the Mackenzie, 

 to Oak Point, near the southern end of Lake Manitoba. We 

 left the former point on E'ovember 30, 1869, and reached 

 the latter place on February 22, 1870. We accompanied 

 the Old Hudson Bay winter packet, due to leave Fort Simp- 

 son annually on December 1, Fort Chipewyan January 2, 

 Isle a la Crosse January 20, and Carlton House, Saskat- 

 chewan, early in February ; but by rapid travelling the party 

 managed to arrive at Chipewyan nine or ten days ahead 

 of time. After a rest of several days we started with my 

 own and another team of fresh dogs carrying our baggage 

 and provisions. ISTo time was lost on the march ; in fact, we 

 got over the ground between the different Company's posts 

 at a very rapid gait, and always had fresh baggage, men, 

 and dogs, while the packet was dispatched independently on 

 the usual dates from Fort Chipewyan, post to post, to 

 Oarlton. By this means I was enabled to give frequent 

 rests, e3x;lusive of Sundays, to my own team and personal 

 servant, and also -spend about a month in the aggregate with 

 friends and acquaintances on the way. We never delayed 

 the packet; on the contrary, when we finally overtook its 

 bearers, our fourth and their seventh day out from Carlton, 

 the united party made better progress, and but for the first 

 Red River insurrection of Louis Riel it would have arrived 

 at Fort Garry, if not earlier, certainly not later, than the 

 usual date. When we reached the Company's post at Touch- 

 wood Hills, there were orders for the packet to report at 

 Fort Pelly instead of proceeding by the direct route by way 

 of Fort EUioe. This necessitated the adoption of a much 

 longer and more tedious course by way of Forts Qu'appelle 

 and Pelly, Shoal Lake, Waterhen River, Manitoba House, 

 Oak Point, and White Horse Plains to Fort Garry, which 

 was reached on February 25, 1870. Having long lost the 

 brief itinerary of this journey, I cannot at this late date 

 give details, but I firmly believe that the time actually con- 



