- -\ """ ' Southern Alberta Bicentennial Journal of a Journey over Land from Buckingham House to the Rocky Mountains in 1792 &3 Fourth Edition (Only change is the 10 Year Addendum - Page 103) Editor Bruce Haig Lethbridge Canadian Cataloguing in ruoiicanon uata Fidler, Peter, 1769-1822. A southern Alberta bicentennial ISBN 0-921624-04-2 1. Fidler, Peter, 1769-1822—Diaries. 2. Alberta—Description and travel—To 1905.* 3. Northwest, Canadian—Discovery and exploration. 4. Northwest, Canadian—History—To 1870.* 5. Hudson's Bay Company—Biography. 6. Explorers—Alberta—Diaries. I. Haig, Bruce, 1936- n. Title. FC3667.1.F531990 971.23*01 C90-091501-3 F1076.F53 1990 Although some background information is provided in the index much more will be found in the Peter Fidler Trail Guide to be published during the Peter Fidler - Southern Alberta Bicentennial 1992-93. Your are invited to contact the address below for details 3)t#tc>?tcai lUgzzvtf) €zntvz 1115-8th Ave. S. Lethbridge, AB T1J 1P7 328-9011 Fax 329-1517 Preserving the Past & the Present for the Future PREFACE Author J.G. MacGregor called him Canada's Forgotten Surveyor. When I went to school I never heard a word about Peter Fidler. I doubt that much is said even now. My hope is, this is all going to change. One thing I did learn in school was that Jim Cousins knew how to make history come alive. Well into my teaching career, I discovered a series of audio tapes from a lecture series Jim gave in the early 1970's and I was again captivated by his enthusiasm. Over the years I have listened to the tapes many times and it was only a matter of time before I was drawn to search out the journal that Jim quoted with such delight. And what a gem it is. Fidler was the first person to explore and write about Southern Alberta. In this journal you will see the first reference ever to our cactus, our coal and our Chinook winds, Trained as a surveyor by the Hudson's Bay Company, he charted the rivers, lakes and mountains and sent the information to the great mapmakers of Europe where it was used in atlases around the world. 1992-93 will be the 200th anniversary of Fidler's historic journey into Southern Alberta. He was the only Alberta explorer to traverse much of the province and by the end of the bicentennial I hope there will be a marked Peter Fidler Trail similar to the Red Coat Trail that commemorates the route taken by the Mounted Police in 1874. Such projects do much to encourage interest in our heritage. The Fidler Trail would pass close to many of Alberta's major cultural attractions — Fort George-Buckingham House where Fidler started his historic journey, the Reynold's Museum, the proposed Turner Valley Complex, the Tyrrell Museum and down into Oldman River Dam - Frank Slide - Remington Museum country. Head- Smashed-In would be a natural tie-in as Fidler's is the only eye-witness account of a working buffalo jump. As for the journal itself, it is largely untouched so as to give the flavour of the language of the period. I have though, introduced my own titles as found in the Table of Contents to help the reader find items of interest. It is very possible errors have crept in and I welcome any new insight the reader can offer for the next printing. And yes, if you are wondering if it would be possible to get copies of the Cousins's tapes that inspired this whole project, I can provide those as well. Enjoy Bruce Haig, Editor April 30, 1991 £6 - Z6Z.I »8ppqm»T« 0 ; w\ ^ > JiAjy qB|H#. ^ x i > /I /'/ ptr»ui»|oa»/.' ,'' I ' » ! PJDIJ03S*/ • » .7 • H33a cfcy / </ \ ! / t|||Ati5tA B uoxuomi j van tsnoH i uiDnCujipng0 • •UJOd HI3 An Introduction We, who study history feel like sweepstake winners when we find unpublished manuscripts. When I discovered Peter Fidler's Journal in the Ottawa Archives, I was delighted. Another Alberta historian, Hugh Dempsey had not only found it, but copied it. Courtesy of Hugh, I was able to read the journal with care and attention. Then I realized that this was our country and our people as they lived two centuries ago. Fidler did not write as a superior observer but as a friend among people he respected. Thus we get touches, such as boys and old men hiding behind piles of brush or buffalo chips to jump up and keep the buffalo running. It's all there - and I'm delighted that my history pal Bruce Haig has decided to publish the journal. If you are like me - you will love it too, because even our wind is there to blow over a tent or two. Wm. James Cousins formerly: Teacher, Dean - Lethbridge Community College, Professor of History - University of Lethbridge April 30, 1991 Source: E3/2 folios 2-39 Hudson's Bay Company Archives Provincial Archives of Manitoba 200 Vaughn Street Winnipeg, Manitoba R3CIT5 O^ptes Contents No One Else Would Go 10 Articles to Trade 10 Crossed the North Saskatchewan 11 Scientific Equipment 11 Across Lake Country 11 Crossed the Vermilion River 12 Met up with Chief White Owl 13 Met Sarcee Going to the House to Trade 13 Reached Battle River 15 News that Snake and Kootenay Coming to Make Peace 16 Faster Pace as Indians Wish to See Families 16 Describes the Tents 17 Ward as Middleman 17 Describes the Travois 17 Notes the Climate Getting Warmer 18 Crossed the Red Deer River 18 First Sighting of the Rockies 19 Describes Distant Landscape - East and West 19 Great Numbers of Red Deer 19 Pressure to Trade Tobacco 20 Gives Up Gun 20 Three Peigans Arrive from Highwood River 20 Critical of Peigans for not Hunting Beaver 21 Uses Devils Head as a Landmark 22 Describes the Lone Pine 23 First Description of the Chinook Wind 23 Horses and Dogs Loaded Up with Dry Wood 24 Took Bearings on Mountains 24 Arrived at Springs - Common near Rosebud Creek 25 First Description of a Buffalo Jump 25 Making Fire with Buffalo Dung 26 Describes Mountain Resembling Pyramid 27 Prayer for a Safe Hunt 27 Importance of Springs 28 Reaches the Bow River 28 Describes Location of Bow Hills 28 Discovers the only Douglas Fir 28 Journal of a journey over Land from 'Buckingham fHouse.... Forced Horse Trade 29 ^^ A River Dunking 30 Dress up for Company 30 Meeting a Snake Indian 30 A Magic Show 31 The Prize Trade-Good 31 New Uses for a Sextant 31 Why the Snake Indian Came 32 How the Snakes Differed 32 Caught Stealing Horses 32 Camped at Sheep Creek 33 Large Peigan Encampment at Highwood River 33 Snake Indians Return Home with Several Peigans 34 Flathead Boy Sentenced 34 Fidler Acquires a Travois 34 Leaving the Highwood 35 Have Men Really Changed? 35 Watching a Buffalo Jump in Operation 35 Fire - like Waves in the Ocean in a Storm 36 Breaking-out Among the Deadmen 36 Arrival at Pekisko Creek 38 Running Buffalo on Horseback 38 Impressed with Mt. Head 38 Buffalo Pound Described 39 How the Dead Men Work 39 Another Ceremony Before the Hunt 40 Killing the Buffalo in the Pound 40 Cutting up the Meat in the Pound 40 Bringing in the Herd 40 Beaver Attack 41 Precaution in Case of a Night Attack 42 But Then, We Steal Too 42 Set off to meet the Kootenay in the Gap 42 The Chief Tries to Persuade Fidler to not go on 43 Describes Chief Mountain 43 Arrival at the Old Man River 44 Old Man's Playing Ground 44 Fidler Goes Exploring 45 Describes Mountain Formations 46 Tells what he knows West of Rockies 47 . to the %pcfy Mountains in 1792 &2> by Veter Jidfer *&tes A Kootenay Indian Kitchen 47 Piegans Not Happy with Fidler's Exploration 48 Fidler Trades with Kootenays 48 Pipe Etiquette 49 Separate Quarters 49 Middlemen 49 Exploration Information gained Later 49 Kootenay Trips to the Plains 51 Causes of Quick Run Off 52 The Journey Continues 53 Handling Murder 54 Arrived Again at Pekisko 55 Crees, the Doctors 55 A Comparison with European Tobacco 56 Horse Play 56 Deer Skin and Buffalo - a Comparison 57 More Fire Stories 58 How to get dry wood 58 The Stench 58 Advantage of Prairie Fire 59 Making Yourself Fit to Face Hardships 59 Magic in the Sextant 59 Good Observations of Weather Patterns 61 Another Reason to Watch Your Horses 62 Describes the Cougar 63 How to Hunt Wolves 64 A Blood Medicine Man Performs. 64 A Special Pipe Ceremony 66 Followed the Pekisko Creek to the Highwood 67 The Kootenay Chief Suffers for Breaking a Promise 68 Camped Along the Highwood 68 Results of the Medicine Man's Predictions 69 Cold Weather Finally Comes 70 Describes the Potential of the Land for Agriculture 70 Fear of the Grizzly 70 Back at the Bow River 71 Again, Firewood Must be Carried 72 Buffalo Now Killed for Calves in the Womb 73 Albino Buffalo Cherished 73 Surviving a Buffalo Attack 74 Journal of a Journey over Land from 'Buckingham ftfouse.... Discovery of Coal 74 'Hptes Scolded for Burning Coal in Tent 75 Scolded for Making Powder Horn in Tent 75 Last View of the Rockies 75 Land Black with Buffalo 76 Arrived at Red Deer River 76 Confluence of Kneehills and Red Deer 76 War Party Returns 77 Following the Red Deer River Upstream 78 A Great Flush of Water 78 Problems as a Result of the Flush 79 Buffalo Finally Crossing River 79 Buffalo Numbers Continue to Grow 80 Badlands provide Ochre for Paint..