50 ASS1NNIBOINE AND SASKATCHEWAN EXPEDITION. 



for each man, with a good supply of guns and ammu- 

 nition. Three of the men were left in charge of the boat, 

 with instructions to cure all the fish they could take, as 

 the danger of being arrested by ice in Lake Manitobah 

 was not improbable. That large body of water has been 

 known to freeze as early as the 25th of October. 



At sunrise on the morning of the 9th of October we 

 set out for the ascent of the Biding Mountain. Each 

 man had a pack weighing about thirty pounds. My 

 share consisted of a sledge-hammer for geological pur- 

 poses, which proved to be an extremely inconvenient 

 article to carry across swamps or through bushes. Once, 

 indeed, when crossing a quaking bog with the hammer 

 on my shoulder, I received a severe blow on the back of 

 the head as I broke through the covering of moss over 

 which we were pushing our steps, when endeavouring to 

 fall flat on the springy surface. 



For the first mile and a half the country is quite level 

 and dry, with the exception of three narrow and shallow 

 marshes. The soil is excellent and hay abundant, but no 

 doubt in spring this extensive flat must be very w T et, and, 

 probably, to a considerable extent under water. In its 

 present condition the pasturage it affords is very abundant 

 and luxuriant. We soon arrived at a low ridge which 

 marks the limit of the good land, not averaging more 

 than two miles from Dauphin Lake. To the riclge suc- 

 ceeded marshes and willow brakes. These were bounded 

 by low gravelly ridges clothed with aspen, which were 

 again succeeded by marshes. 



Finding it quite impossible to outflank the marshes, 

 which appeared to stretch from river to river descending 

 from the mountains, and to be co-extensive with the 

 shores of the lake, we determined to push through to the 

 highest peak, which was in reality the nearest point of 



