44 
BRITISH NORTH AMERICAN EXPEDITION. [Nov. 23, 1857. 
ing at but a trifling expense, and if ever the country becomes 
inhabited it will hereafter enjoy much facility for steam-boat com- 
munication. 
On Wednesday, July 8th, we reached the Island Portage, the last 
on the route, whence there is uninterrupted communication by 
water all the way across Lake Winipeg to Lower and Upper Fort 
Garry, and as far as Fort Pembina on the other side of the frontier. 
We reached Lower Fort Garry on Saturday, 11th; rode to the 
English Protestant Church on Sunday, about 4 miles distant, and 
were much surprised to find a large attentive congregation of Scotch 
people and half-breeds of various shades of colour. 
The summer here is very warm, and crops seem quite, by the 
rapidity of their growth now, to make up for the long dreary winter 
of this country. .... 
Thunderstorms are of frequent occurrence here, and though ap- 
parently not severe, yet frequently fatal to human life. While I 
was writing the above a flash of lightning has fallen on an Indian 
tent and killed one man and three women ; I found two of them 
fearfully burnt, but the remaining two, though quite dead, are 
seemingly untouched. I have myself frequently, on Lac la Pluie 
and elsewhere on the route, observed the lightning to flash upwards 
from the earth to the impending cloud, when it often presents the 
appearance of a forked string of bright beads. 
I purpose leaving this on Monday morning, with Dr. Hector, Mr. 
Sullivan, and M. Bourgeau, and 13 men, all well armed. We 
shall go as far as the frontier ait Pembina, and thence along the 
boundary to Turtle Mountain, thence to Beaver Creek, and from 
thence right across to the elbow on the Lower Saskatchewan. My 
horses, about 30 in number, stand me an average of 20/. each, and 
the men’s wages at the rate of 40/. per year. Traversing the Lower 
Saskatchewan is, I regret to say, not unattended with danger. Sir 
George Gore was reported as having been decoyed into a conference 
with the Sioux, about a year ago, and he and his party were robbed 
of their baggage, horses, clothes, arms, and ammunition, and he 
himself without even a shirt was obliged to take refuge at Fort 
Union, fortunately not too far away to enable them to reach alive. 
I have the honour to inclose you my Secretary, Mr. Sullivan’s, 
astronomical observations, and I have desired Dr. Hector to com- 
municate his geological researches to Sir R. Murchison. 
M. Bourgeau has been most successful in his botanical collections, 
and is preparing a case of flora and seeds for Sir William Hooker, 
which I trust will arrive safely in England before the end of October 
next. 
