302 ASSINNTBOINE AND SASKATCHEWAN EXPEDITION. 



CHAP. XIV. 



FROM THE BOUNDARY LINE TO THE QU'APPELLE LAKES VIOL 



FORT ELLICE. 



Indian Signs — Smell of Fire. — The Sioux. — Precautions. — u Something." — 

 Red Deer's Head River. — The Great Prairie, Character of. — Mirage. — Birds. 

 — Grasshoppers.— Limit of Burnt Land. — Pipestone Creek. — Standing 

 Stone. — Country changed. —Forest disappeared. — Approach to the Assin- 

 niboine. — Cretaceous Rocks. — Buffalo Bull. — Fort Ellice. — McKay. — 

 Crees. — Hunters. — Provision Trading Posts. — Pemmican. — Dried Meat. — 

 Thunder Storms. — Mammoth Bones. — Ojibway Hunter. — Half-breeds. — 

 En Route for the Qu'appelle Mission. — Grasshoppers. — Thunder Storm. 

 — Trail. — Weed Ridge. — Kinui-Kinnik. — Mode of Manufacturing. — 

 Boulders. — White Crane. — Magpies. — Birds. — Dew. — Aridity of Great 

 Prairie. — Charles Pratt. — Chalk Hills. — Indian Turnip. — Qu'appelle 

 Lakes. — Fresh Arrangements. — Descent and Ascent of the Qu'appelle. — 

 Qu'app elle Mission. — Dimensions of Valley. — Character of Lakes.-— 

 White Fish. — Rev. James Settee. — Garden of Mission. — Grasshoppers. 

 — Christian Worship. — Baptism. — " Praying Father" and " Praying 

 Man." — Rum. — Indian Wishes. — Objection to Native Missionaries. — 

 Difficulties arising from the Prejudice of Tribes. — Plain Crees passing 

 away. — En Route. 



While engaged in taking observations for latitude at 

 the mouth of Eed Deer's Head River, on the night of the 

 2nd July, John McKay, a Scotch half-breed, observed 

 what he thought to be a wolf, approach the brow of a hill 

 about two hundred yards from us, and after apparently gaz- 

 ing at the encampment for a few minutes it retired beyond 

 view. The night was clear, and our tents being placed in 

 the valley of the river close to its junction with that of the 

 Souris, surrounded by steep hills about one hundred and 

 fifty feet high, an object appearing on the brow of those 

 in our rear could be seen projected against the sky. 



