BOTANICAL. SOCIETY OF CANADA. 
27 
through which the Hudson Bay Company bring their furs. It was opened up for 
travel last year by parties in St. Paul, who took a small steamer over to the head 
waters of the Red River, in pieces, on sleighs, the winter before, and put her together 
there, then cutting a road through from St. Paul to the head of navigation on Red 
River, they connected the boat with St. Paul by stages. By this route you leave 
the settlement in the little steamer referred to, ascend the river about three hundred 
miles to Georgetown, the head of navigation, and take the stages there for St. Paul. 
By this route it is possible to travel from the Red River settlement to Canada in 
twelve days, which is a great improvement on the ordinary time of twenty -five to- 
thirty days by the other routes. 
Now it was getting rather late in the season for the Lake Superior route, and 
the water of the Red River being too low to admit of the little steamer making the- 
trips, I was compelled either to come down by the old Trail or postpone my journey 
till next spring. However, as my companion, Mr. Buckingham, was determined tO" 
come, we began preparing for the trip, first with two hardy Indian ponies, which 
are the only horses fit for travel of this kind, a common Red River cart to carry our 
clothes, blankets, and provisions, a few cooking arrangements, four blankets, two- 
buffalo robes, a gun, cart-cover, and provisions, which last consisted of twenty 
pounds of pemmican, thirty pounds biscuit, butter, sugar, and tea. These were: 
packed in small parcels, for convenience in crossing rivers, as in some cases the- 
rivers were too deep to ford, and we had to raft the baggage in a kind of rude boat,, 
made by stretching the canvass cart-cover around the body of the cart,, and draw- 
ing this over with lines. 
Before going on I may here describe the usual routine of travel on sack trips- 
It is always a rule to start early in the morning, and we generally aroae: at aboat 
five, and while one caught the horses and saddled them, the other would iLave- made- 
a fire and cooked the breakfast, which consisted generally of a nondescript dish of 
Mr. Buckingham's (who was appointed cook to the expedition), made- with pemmi- 
can, biscuit, and butter. This, with a kettleful of tea, as hot and strong as tea and 
water would make it, was eaten with a relish known only to those living in the 
open air and taking active exercise. Breakfast over, things were packed, and we 
started generally at sunrise, and travelled till about noon, when we would stop at 
some good pasturage and allow the horses to eat for a couple of hours, and cook 
dinner ; then, starting again, travel till near night, or till we could find at one place 
the three essentials — water, wood, and grass. These we would find sometimes at 
five or six o'clock, or sometimes have to push on till eight or nine o'clock When 
a suitable place was found the horses were let go, a fire made, and supper cooked. 
After supper, wood was cut and a fire built to last all night. If possible the horses 
were then brought in close to the camp and hopped — that is, had their fore legs 
tied together to prevent them wandering far ; the cart was then wheeled close to 
