THE WOODS AND PRAIRIES IN WINTER. 87 



November 30th, at an early hour from Fort Garry, and 

 took the east bank of Eed Eiver through the French 

 settlements. Monkman's party expected to follow in the 

 afternoon or early on the following morning. On Wed- 

 nesday we reached Fort Pembina, and stayed the night 

 with Mr. Mackenzie, the officer in charge of the Post, 

 whose sad fate last December (described further on) is a 

 melancholy proof of the danger attending traveling alone 

 during the winters of this climate. The woods and 

 prairies are then perfect deserts, Indians being at their 

 winter quarters, birds far in the sunny south, and wild 

 animals hybernating, or seeking food and shelter in the 

 thickest parts of the swamps and forests. So complete is 

 this desolation in the interior of many parts of Eupert's 

 Land during the winter, that Mr. Christie, chief factor of 

 the Hudson's Bay Company, when traveling from Atha- 

 basca to Eed Eiver in December 1859, did not meet with 

 a single Indian throughout a long and dreary journey of 

 1400 miles.* 



The thermometer at Pembina Fort indicated 22° below 

 zero on the morning of December 2nd, when we left the 

 Post. Having procured another train of two dogs at the 

 small village of Pembina, two miles from the Hudson's Bay 

 Post of that name, we struck across the prairie to the "first 

 of the Two Creeks," where we camped. A camp is always 

 made in " woods," if possible, for the sake of fuel and 

 shelter. The first operation is to sweep the snow from 

 the ground, and prepare a place for the fire and blankets. 

 This is easily accomplished with snow shoes ; and as soon 

 as an area proportioned to the size of the party is exposed, 

 a fire is made sufficiently long to admit of each man 

 lying for the night with his feet towards it. ISTo tent or 



* Nor'- Wester, Fort Garry, Feb. 1860. 

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