Nov. 23, 1857.] 
BRITISH NORTH AMERICAN EXPEDITION. 
45 
I have endeavoured to embody as many of tbe principal incidents 
recorded in my journal as tbe short space in an official letter will 
permit, and I hope to have tbe honour of continuing this Report as 
soon as I have reached my winter quarters at Fort Carlton. 
I have, &c. 
Fort Pembina, Hudson-Bay Co.’s Territories, 
27th July, 1857. 
Sir, — In continuation of my Report of the 16 th July, I have the 
honour to inform you of the departure of the Expedition from Fort 
Garry to Fort Pembina on the 21st instant. 
I have now engaged 12 men, 30 horses, 2 small waggons, and 5 
carts. In consequence of the absence of buffalo in this portion of 
the country, I am obliged to carry along with me a considerable 
quantity of provisions to last until we arrive sufficiently far to the 
westward to fall in with these animals. For this purpose I found 
the small, heavy carts of the country not sufficient, and, contrary to 
the advice and prejudices of the people, bought two small American 
waggons, and have found them most efficient. 
I was not disappointed with the class and condition of the horses 
obtained for me by the Hudson Bay Company, as I have all along 
been aware that the half-breeds of Red River have taken their best 
horses to the summer buffalo-hunt. 
I have, in order to save as much extra travelling as possible to 
the horses, sent on four men with four carts and ten horses straight 
to Beaver Creek, with orders to await our arrival in that quarter ; 
while Dr. Hector, Mr. Sullivan, and myself take the route thither 
via Pembina and Turtle Mountain. This arrangement will serve to 
recruit my horses, whose pasture hitherto has not been good. 
On leaving Fort Garry we crossed the river Assineboine, and 
proceeded up the Red River for nine or ten miles in a course a little 
east of south, through copse and light timber. We crossed the river 
Sail ( sic ) 9 miles from Fort Garry, a river about 25 yards wide, but 
not put down on the maps. Shortly after this we emerged on the 
open prairie over a well-defined road indicating a far greater amount 
of traffic than I had expected to find. 
Owing to the peculiar distribution of the wood, which consists 
chiefly of fine oak-trees, confined principally to the right bank 
of the river, the tortuous course is very distinctly marked by 
jutting promontories, called by the people “ points.” I observed 
that the agricultural resources of the country were not merely 
confined to Red River settlement ; for the country through which 
