Great Lone Land

90 MAP OF K it () M LAKE SUPERIOR t^ I o t h o ROCKY MOUNTAINS. II... Stxtrt^brd^ Oeog^ EstaJ^- LcmdcT \ The Great Lone Land A Talc of Travel and Adventure in the North-West of America BY LIEUT.-GENERAL ^SIRlVVILLIAM FRANCIS BUTLER, G.C.H. ' ••• " AUTHOR OF "TIIK WILD NORTH LAM)" AMD RRD CLOfl) ; A TALK OP THB GKEAT PRAIRIE," RTC. " A full fed river winding &low, By herds upon an endless plain. .And some one pacing there alone Who paced for ever in a glimmering land, Lit with a low, large moon." Tennyson. WIIM ILl.LSl KATIUNb AND ROLTK MAP SF.VRS'TFF.STH EDIT10 ^"XX \ 1^ TORONTO THK MACMILI.AN COMPANY OF CANADA, LTD. 1910 PREFACE. At York Factory on Hudson Bay tlicre Hvctlj not very long ago, a man who liad stored away in liis mind one fixed resolution—it was to write a book. " When I put down," he used to say, " all that I have seen, and all that I havu't seen, I will be able to write a good book." It is probable that had this man carried his intcntlDii into efl'eet the negative portion of his vision W( uld have been more successful than the positive. People are gene- rally more ready to believe wiiat a man hasn't seen than what he has seen. So, at least, thought Karkakonias the Chippeway Chief at Pembina. Karkakonias was taken to Washington during the great Southern War, in order that his native mind might be astonished by the grandeur of the United States, and by the strength and power of the army of the Potomac ! IV PUEFAUE. Upon his return to his tribe he remained silent and impassive ; his days were spent in smoking, his evening's in quiet contemi^lation ; he spoke not of his adventures in the land of the great white medicine-man. But at length the tribe grew discontented ; they had expected to hear the recital of the wonders seen by their chief, and lo he had come back to them as silent as though his wander- ings had ended on the Cotcau of the Missouri, or by the borders of the Kitchi-Gami. Their discontent found vent in words. " Our father, Karkakonias, has come back to us," the) " said , why docs he not tell his children of the medicine of the white man ? Is our father dumb that he does not speak to us of these things ?" Then the old chief took his calumet from nis lips, and roi)licil, " If Karkakonias told his children of the medi- cines of the white man— of his war-canoes moving by fire and making thunder as they move, of his warriors more numerous than the buffalo in the days of our fathers, of all the wonderful things he has looked upon—his ' Dhildrcn would point and say, Behold ! Karkakonias has become in his old age a maker of lies !' No, my children, Karkakonias has seen many wonderful things, and his tongue is still able to speak ; but^ until }our eyes have PREFACB. travelled as far as has his tongue, he will sit silent and smoke the calumet, thinking only of what he has looked upon." Perhaps I too should have followed the example of the old Chippeway chief, not because of any wonders I have looked upon ; but rather because of that well-known prejudice against travellers' talcs, and of that terribly terse adjuration—" O tliat mine cneni}- niii,''ht write a book!" Be that as it may, the book has been written; and it only remains to say a few words about its title and its theories. The " Great Lone Land" is no sensational name. The North-west fuUlls, at the present time, every essential of that title. There is no other portion of the globe in which travel is possible where loneliness can be said to dwell 60 thoroughly. One may wander 500 miles in a direct line without seeing a human being, or an aninv.il larger than a wolf. And if vjvstncss of plain, and mag- nitude of lake, mountain and river ean ni;iik a land a:? great, then no region possesses higher claims to that dis- tinction. A word upon more personal matters. Some two months since I sent to the firm from whose hands this work has emanated a portion of the unfinished manuscript. I re- VI PREFACE. ceived in reply a communication to the effect that their Reader thought highly of my descriptions of real occurrences, but less of my theories. As it is possible that the generaJ reader may fully endorse at least the latter portion of this opinion, I have only one observation to make. Almost every page of this book has been written amid the ever-present pressure of those feelings which spring from a sense of unrequited labour, of toil and service theoretically and officially recognized, but practically and professionally denied. However, a personal preface is not my object, nor should these things find allusion here, save to account in some manner, if account be necessary, for peculiarities of language or opinion which may hereafter make themselves apparent to the reader. Let it be. In the solitudes of the Great Lone Land, whither I am once more about to turn my steps, the trifles that spring from such disappointments will cease to trouble. W. F. B. April Uth, 1872. —A CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PAOB Peace—RumonrBofWar—Retrenchment—A Cloud in the far West —A Distant Scttloniont— roreonal—The rurcliaso Sjetom -A Cable-gram—Away to the West 1 CHAPTER 11. The "Samaria"—Across the Atlantic— Shipmates—The Despot of the Dock—" Keep her Nor'-West "—Democrat versus RopuMicnn —A First Glimpse— Boston 10 CHAPTER 111. Bunker— Now York — Niajâra —Tomnto— Spriiiff-time in Quoboc— Ruinmons—A Start — In good Company— Stripi)inp a Po}»-An Expedition—PoorCnrm<la—An Old (;iim[)so nt a Now Land — Rival Routes — Change of Mawtors —The Rod Jtivor Revolt — Tlio Half- bn'ods — Early ScttloiH- Bungling—"Eaters of Pommican " M. Louis Riel —The Murder of Scott 1^4 CHAPTER IV. Chicago—"Who ia S. B. D.P"—Milwaukio—The Great Fusion— WlHi'onBin—Tho Sli-opiiig-car- The Train Boy— Minnrsoto— — St. Paul— I start fur Lake Suiu-rior — Tim Future City "Bust up" and "Gone on"—Tiio End of tho Track 48 CHAPTER V. Lake Ruporior— The Dallos of tho St. liouis-Tho Nortli Pacific Rail- road —Eonddu-Lao - Dululh — Superior City—Tho (Jront Lako — A Plan to dry up Niagara— StJigo Driving— Tom's Shanty again — St. Paul and its Neigh l>onrhoo«J ....... 08 ——A Vlll CONTENTS. CHAPTER VI. PAGh Our Cousins— Doiiij? America—Two Lessens— St. Cloud — Sauk Kapids — " Stnatn I'lulilinf,' or Puuipkiu Tie ?"—Trotting him out —Away for tho lied Eivcr 79 CUAPTER VII. North Minnesota—A beautiful Land—Rival Savages—Abercrombie —News from the North—Plans—A Lonely Shanty—Tho Red River—Prairies — Sunset— Mosquitoes—Going North—A Mosquito Night—A Thunder-storm—A Prussian—Dakota— I ride for it The Steamer " International " —Pembina 69 CHAPTER VIII. Retrospective—Tlio North-west Passage—The Bay of Hudson —Rival Claims—Tho Old French Fur Trade— The North-west Company How the Ualf-brecda camo—The Uighlaaders defeated—Progiess — OldFeuda 105 CHAPTER IX. Running the Gauntlet—Across the Line—Mischief ahead —Prepara- tions—A Niglit March—Tho Steamer captured —The Pursuit Daylight—Tho Lower Fort—The Red Man at last—The Chief's Speech—A Big Feed—Making ready for tho Winnipeg —A Delay — I visit Fort Garry — Mr. President Riel—Tho Final Start—Lake Winnipeg—The First Night out—My Crew 113 CHAPTER X. The Winnipeg River —Tho Ojibbcway'a House —Rushing a Rapid A Camp— No Tidings of the Coming Man—Hope in Danger—Rat — " Portage —A far-fclched Islington " Like Pemmican . 143 CHAPTER XI. The Expedition—The Lake of the Woods—A Night Alarm—A close Shave- Rainy River—A Night Paddle—Fort Francis —A Meeting —The Officer commanding the Expedition —The Rank and File — The 60th Riflos—A Windigo—Ojibbevray Bravery—Canadian Volanteera 15f CHAPTER XIL To Fort Garry—Down the Winnipeg— Her Majesty's Royal Mail- Grilling a Mail-bag—Running a Rapid— Up the Red River— dreary Bivouac— The President bolts—Tho Rebel Chiefs Departure of the Regular Troops 180 —AA CONTENTS. IX CHAPTER XIII. Westward—News from the Outsido World — I rrtrace my Stepd- Aii OlFir —^Tlio West — Tbo KisBaskatchcwan —Tho Iiilaud Ocean I'ri'pjiratioiiH —Departure — A Terrible IMajô —A lonely Grave Dijjrossivo—Tho Aasiiicboino Ilivor—BossoUo .... 105 CHAPTER XIV. Tho TTudson V>nj Company— Furs and Froo Trade —Fort Fllice— Qiiiik Travelliiif^— Iforrtoa — liittlo lilackio— Touilnvood Ililla — Snow-storm —The South Saskatcliewun—Attempt to cross tho River— Death of poor Blackic—Cailton 210 CHAPTER XV. SaBkatchewan— Start from Carlton — Wild Mares— Lose oar Way A long Rido— liutllo River— Mistawusaia tho Croo —A Dance . 230 CHAPTER XVL Tho Red Man— Tâvo Battle River-Tho Red Door Hilla— A long Rido— Fort Pitt—Tho Plague— llaulin*? by tho Tail — A pleasant Companion—An easy Method of Divorce — Reach Edmonton . 210 CHAI'TER XVII. Edmonton —Tho RufTian Tahakooeh — French Missionaries—West- ward Btill— A bcniitiful Land— Tho Hlaekfeot— lloraes — A " Hell- ox" Soldii>r A IJIackfoot—Speech—The Indian Land— First Si^ht of tho Rocky Mountaina 'I'lio Motititain House —The Mountain Asflinoboines -An Indian Tniilc — 51. la Combo— Firc-wuter— Night Aasuult 258 CHAI'TER XVIII. Earitward— A beautiful Lij^'ht 291 CHAPTER XIX. I start from Edmonton with Dogs— DogtrnTolling—The Cahri Snck — A cold Day — Victoria— " Sent to Homo" — Ke.-ich Fort I'itt— Tho blind Croe—A Feaat or a Famine— Death of Po-nakoam tho Rlaekfoot 2W CHAPTER XX.

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