EARLY HISTORY OF WHEAT-GROWING 19 



in. Thirty-three lives were lost, and only with infinite 

 difficulty were the survivors conveyed to the settlement. 



The winter of 1825-26 followed a rainy season and was 

 exceptionally severe. It began earlier and ended later than 

 usual. The snows averaged three feet deep on the prairie 

 and in the woods from three to four feet deep. The cold 

 was intense, the temperature descending to 45 degrees 

 below zero. The ice in the Eed Kiver became five feet 

 seven inches in thickness. The spring of 1826 was late 

 in coming. The wind blew from the south for several 

 days together, and the sudden burst of warm weather which 

 ensued rapidly melted the accumulated snows. Eed Lake, 

 Otter-tail Lake, and Lake Travers overflowed their banks. 

 On the 2nd of May, the day before the ice started to move 

 in the Eed Eiver, the water rose nine feet in twenty-four 

 hours. On May 4, the water overflowed its banks and 

 spread so fast that, before the settlers could fully realize 

 what was happening, it had reached their dwellings. On 

 May 5, the settlers abandoned their houses and sought 

 refuge with their horses and cattle upon higher ground. 

 A mighty lake was formed in which houses, barns, furni- 

 ture, and moving blocks of ice were carried along to Lake 

 Winnipeg. The height to which the water rose above the 

 level of previous years was fifteen feet, and the water con- 

 tinued rising until May 21. Wheat which at the com- 

 mencement of the flood had fallen to 2s. per bushel soon 

 rose to 15s., or nearly double its normal price, and beef 

 rose from %J. per pound to 3d. On May 22, the waters 

 came to a stand and after a day or two began to fall. On 

 the 15th of June, the settlers again drew near to their 

 former habitations. They then broke up into two parties. 

 One of them, comprising the Swiss emigrants, the de Meu- 

 ron soldiers, and other reckless spirits, determined to try 

 their fortunes elsewhere, and on June 24 took their de- 



