86 ASSINNIBOINE AND SASKATCHEWAN EXPEDITION. 



of both parties, and indeed stimulated more or less all who 

 were to make the journey. Cline and his men appeared 

 extremely anxious that they should not be far behind 

 their competitors, and even indulged the hope that if we 

 got a fair start we might not be overtaken. When the 

 subject of a race was first mooted to me by Cline, I re- 

 garded our chances as almost hopeless, considering the 

 baggage with which we were encumbered. Afterwards it 



Dog Carioles. 



occurred to me that one chance lay in the greater ease with 

 which my party, long inured to exposure and fatigue, 

 would be able to sustain prolonged physical exertion ; 

 an hallucination, however, which subsequent experience 

 of the physical capabilities of Lord Cavendish, Mr. Sey- 

 mour, and Mr. Ashley, during their stay at Eed Eiver, 

 served to dispel. 



All my trains being ready, we started on Tuesday, 



