THE BAD WOODS. 



283 



hour where the trial was made, but in the middle of the 

 stream the velocity must be considerably greater. The 

 cliff swallow (Hirundo fulva) had built its nests in great 

 numbers on the banks of the river, which are about six- 

 teen feet above the level of the water. I counted no less 

 than thirteen groups of nests within a distance of five 

 miles, when drifting down in a canoe. The cliff swallow 

 was afterwards seen in great multitudes on the Little 

 Souris, the South Branch of the Saskatchewan, and the 

 Qu'appelle Eiver. 



The first of a series of thunder storms which lasted for 

 some weeks visited us on the 17th ; the warm rain fell 

 in torrents and thoroughly wetted all who were exposed. 

 Pigeons were flying in vast numbers across the Assinni- 

 boine, and the black tern (Sterna nigra) was numerous in 

 the prairies near the settlement. In descending the river 

 for a few miles to inspect its banks, we had occasion to 

 pass by a fish weir, where several Ojibways from the 

 camp near the Portage were watching for sturgeon with 

 spears in their hands. They took no notice of us as 

 we passed, being too busily engaged, but on our return 

 to the encampment we found them waiting with fish 

 to barter for tobacco and tea. We made them a few 

 trifling presents, and, by way of recompense, sustained 

 during the night the loss of a cheese, which after curi- 

 ously eyeing during supper, they modestly asked for 

 permission to taste. They pronounced it excellent, and 

 in the dead of night (when our half-breeds were sound 

 asleep) they opened the basket in which it had been 

 placed, and quietly abstracted it. In future, when In- 

 dians were around, all eatables and articles they might 

 covet were properly secured, and the cheese proved to 

 be our only loss during the exploration. 



Leaving Prairie Portage on the morning of the 19th, 

 we took the trail leading to the Bad Woods, a name 



