Forest, Lake, And Prairie - free ebook by John McDougall

Read as playlist

Forest, Lake, And Prairie

John McDougall

45 chapters

4 hour read

Read as playlist

Selected Chapters

45 chapters

FOREST, LAKE AND PRAIRIE

FOREST, LAKE AND PRAIRIE

TWENTY YEARS OF FRONTIER LIFE IN WESTERN CANADA—1842-62. BY JOHN McDOUGALL SECOND EDITION TORONTO: WILLIAM BRIGGS 1910 Entered, according to the Act of the Parliament of Canada, in the year one thousand eight hundred and ninety-five, by WILLIAM BRIGGS, Toronto, in the Office of the Minister of Agriculture, at Ottawa. TO My Dear Mother THIS BOOK is AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED BY THE AUTHOR. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Childhood—Indians—Canoes—"Old Isaiah"—Father goes to college CHAPTER II. Guardians—School

4 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER I.

Childhood—Indians—Canoes—"Old Isaiah"—Father goes to college. My parents were pioneers. I was born on the banks of the Sydenham River in a log-house, one of the first dwellings, a very few of which made up the frontier village of Owen Sound. This was in the year 1842. My earliest recollections are of stumps, log heaps, great forests, corduroy roads, Indians, log and birch-bark canoes, bateaux, Mackinaw boats, etc. I have also a very vivid recollection of deep snow in winter, and very hot weather

7 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER II.

CHAPTER II.

Guardians—School—Trip to Nottawasaga—Journey to Alderville—Elder Case—The wild colt, etc. My guardians were good and kind people, and I never can forget the interest they took in me; but they believed in industry and thrift, and indeed had sore need to, for the salary of a teacher on an Indian mission in those days was very small. My time was spent in going to school, in carrying wood and water, and running errands. During this time my guardians made a trip to the Nottawasaga country, and I went

4 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER III.

CHAPTER III.

Move into the far north—Trip from Alderville to Garden River—Father's work—Wide range of big steamboat—My trip to Owen Sound—Peril in storm—In store at Penetanguishene—Isolation—First boat—Brother David knocked down. Our stay at Alderville was not a long one. Within a year my father was commissioned by the Church to open a mission somewhere in the north country, among the needy tribes who frequented the shores of lakes Huron and Superior. After prospecting, he determined to locate near the confl

14 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER IV.

CHAPTER IV.

Move to Rama—I go to college—My chum—How I cure him—Work in store in Orillia—Again attend college—Father receives appointment to "Hudson's Bay"—Asks me to accompany him. After six years of great toil, and a good deal of privation, father was moved to Rama, and now a bright new field was opening before me, for father had determined to send me to Victoria College. I was now nearly fourteen years old, and would have been better suited at some good public school, but father had great faith in "old V

11 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER V.

CHAPTER V.

From Rama to St. Paul—Mississippi steamers—Slaves—Pilot—Race. Early in July, 1860, we started on our journey. I was then in my seventeenth year. We sailed from Collingwood on an American propeller, which brought us to Milwaukee, on Lake Michigan. Here we took a train through a part of Wisconsin to Lacrosse, on the Mississippi River, which place we reached about midnight, and immediately were transferred to a big Mississippi steamer. Here everything was new—the style and build of the boat, long a

3 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER VI.

CHAPTER VI.

Across the plains—Mississippi to the Red—Pemmican—Mosquitoes—Dogs—Hunting—Flat boat—Hostile Indians. We had reached the prairie country, woodland and plain intermixed. We were now at the end of our steam transport service for this trip. We did hope to catch the only steamer on the Red River of the North, but in this were disappointed. The next question was how to reach the Red River. Hundreds of miles intervened. We found on inquiry that there were two means of crossing the country in sight—one

7 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER VII.

CHAPTER VII.

From Georgetown on the Red to Norway House on the Nelson—Old Fort Garry—Governor MacTavish—York boats—Indian gamblers—Welcome by H. B. Co. people. I think it was the sixth day out from Georgetown that we again entered Canada. Late in the evening of the eighth day we rounded the point at the mouth of the Assiniboine, and landed at Fort Garry. It was raining hard, and mud was plentiful. I climbed the banks and saw the walls and bastions of the fort, and looked out northward on the plains and saw o

4 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER VIII.

CHAPTER VIII.

New mission—The people—School—Invest in pups—Dog-driving—Foot-ball—Beautiful aurora. Rossville is beautifully situated on a rocky promontory which stretches out into the lake. All around are coves, and bays, and islands, and rivers. The water is living and good, the fish are of first quality, and in the season fowl of many kinds were plentiful. Canoe and boat in summer, dog-train in winter—these were the means of transport. The only horse in the country belonged to the Mission, had been brought

5 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER IX.

CHAPTER IX.

First real winter trip—Start—Extreme fatigue—Conceit all gone—Cramps—Change—Will-power—Find myself—Am as capable as others—Oxford House—Jackson's Bay. During our first winter I accompanied father on a trip to Jackson's Bay and Oxford House. This is about 180 miles almost due north of Norway House, making a trip of 360 miles. Our manner of starting out on the trip was as follows: William Bundle, father's hired man, went ahead on snow-shoes, for there was no track; then came John Sinclair, the int

12 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER X.

CHAPTER X.

Enlarging church—Winter camp—How evenings are spent—My boys—Spring—The first goose, etc. Some time after this father determined to enlarge the church, and the Hudson's Bay Company offered to send their carpenters to do the work, if the missionary and Indians got out the timber and lumber. The Indians went into this work heartily. The first thing was to chop and hew the timber and saw-logs, and haul all these to some lake or river, from which it might be rafted to the Mission. Some good timber wa

2 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XI.

CHAPTER XI.

Opening of Navigation—Sturgeon fishing—Rafting timber—Sawing lumber. About the last of May the ice went off the lake, and navigation was open. We made up another bee to go to raft our timber down. Father sent William and I one day ahead of the party, in order that we might set nets for sturgeon, which we did; and when father and men came up next day, we had fourteen large sturgeon to begin with. While white-fish is the staple food in that north country, these sturgeon come in at seasons as an ex

59 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XII.

CHAPTER XII.

Summer transport—Voyageurs—Norway House—The meeting place of many brigades—Missionary work intensified. As the summer months are few in that northern climate, the need to push transport matter is imperative. Norway House was the first depot post in the interior, coming from York Factory on the Hudson's Bay. Here were wintered the most of the "green hands," those men who had been brought out by the ship the previous summer, and from this point these men were distributed to the various districts i

2 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XIII.

CHAPTER XIII.

Canoe trip to Oxford—Serious accident. In the autumn of 1861, father and Mr. Sinclair and William made a canoe trip to Oxford House. On the return journey they had an accident in the upsetting of their canoe in a rapid. It was in the early morning, and father had his heavy coat on and was otherwise handicapped for such a time. But faithful William swam to the over-turned canoe, and then pushed it end on to father, at the same saying, "Keep up, master. I am coming!" and when near with the canoe,

1 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XIV.

CHAPTER XIV.

Establish a fishery—Breaking dogs—Dog-driving, etc. This was just at the beginning of the fall fishing, and as the Indians were scattered for miles in every direction, my school was broken up, and my father sent me to establish a fishery. So with a young Indian as my companion we went into camp across the lake, and went to work setting our nets and making our stagings on which to hang the fish, as all fish caught before the ice makes are hung up on stagings. You put up good stout posts, on which

3 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XV.

CHAPTER XV.

Winter trip to Oxford—Extreme cold—Quick travelling. During this second winter father sent me down to Oxford House. I had quite a load for the Rev. Mr. Stringfellow. One item was several cakes of frozen cream which mother sent to Mrs. Stringfellow. We had a cow; they had none. We happened to strike the very coldest part of the winter for our trip. There were four of us in the party—two Indians returning to Jackson's Bay, my man and myself. I was the only one of the party not badly frozen. When w

1 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XVI.

CHAPTER XVI.

Mother and baby's upset—My humiliation. In the meantime there came to our house a baby brother. We named him George. My sisters were delighted with this new playfellow. When he was about two or three months old, I undertook to take mother and baby over to the fort for a ride and short visit. Father helped us to start, holding my leader until all was ready. The trail went down a considerable hill, and then turned sharply for a straight line to the portage between us and the fort Away we went, but

1 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XVII.

CHAPTER XVII.

From Norway House to the great plains—Portaging—Pulling and poling against the strong current—Tracking. As the missions on the Saskatchewan were under father's chairmanship, he concluded to visit them during the summer of 1862, and to take me along. He arranged for me to go as far as Fort Carlton on the Saskatchewan by boat, and he, at the invitation of the Hudson's Bay officers, went with them to Red River, and then rode on horseback across the plains to the same point. Bidding mother and siste

4 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XVIII.

CHAPTER XVIII.

Enter the plains—Meet a flood—Reach Fort Carlton. We now caught glimpses of prairie every little while. The country was changing, the banks were becoming higher, the soil richer. We were on the divide between the swampy and rocky regions of the east and north, and the rich pastures and agricultural lands of the Saskatchewan valley. Several times as the boats were being tracked up the river, I jumped ashore and ran across land, and was delighted to breathe the air of the plains, and scent the aro

1 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XIX.

CHAPTER XIX.

The Fort—Buffalo steak—"Out of the latitude of bread." Fort Carlton I found to consist of some dwellings and stores, crowded together and surrounded by a high palisade, with bastions at its four corners, and built on a low bench, on the south side of the river. The high banks of the river, alternating with prairie and woodland, formed a fine background to the scene. A few buffalo-skin lodges added a fresh item to my experience, and told me I was now in reality in the famous buffalo country. Very

1 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XX.

CHAPTER XX.

New surroundings—Plain Indians—Strange costumes—Glorious gallops—Father and party arrive. Here I was to remain till father came across the plains, which might be any day now, as we had taken a long time to come up the river. My surroundings were now entirely different from anything heretofore in my life. The country was different, the food was different, and the Indians were distinctly different from all I had previously met. Their costume, or rather lack of any often, their highly painted faces

3 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XXI.

CHAPTER XXI.

Continue journey—Old "La Gress"—Fifty miles per day. Mr. Hardisty, the Hudson's Bay officer who had brought father across the plains thus far, soon made arrangements for our continuing our journey westward. He furnished us with horses and saddles and a tent, and also a man as a guide. Swimming our horses across the North Saskatchewan opposite the fort, and crossing ourselves and saddles in a boat, we saddled up and packed our one pack-horse and set out up the big hill, ascending it with more eas

2 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XXII.

CHAPTER XXII.

Fort Pitt—Hunter's paradise—Sixteen buffalo with seventeen arrows—"Big Bear." Fort Pitt we found on the north bank of the Saskatchewan, standing on a commanding bench near the river, and having a magnificent outlook—a wide, long valley, enclosed by high hills, which rose terrace beyond terrace in the distance, and the swiftly flowing river coming and going with majestic bends at its feet. This was then the buffalo fort of the Saskatchewan District, the great herds coming closer and oftener to th

1 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XXIII.

CHAPTER XXIII.

On to White-fish Lake—Beautiful country—Indian camp—Strike northward into forest land. We remained over Sunday at the fort. Father held service, and Monday morning saw us away, mounted on fresh horses, which had been provided by the gentlemen in charge of the fort. Our course was now more northerly, and the country increased in interest as we travelled. Away in the distance to the south and west, we caught glimpses of the winding valley of the big river. Around us, on every hand, were beautiful

4 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XXIV.

CHAPTER XXIV.

The new Mission—Mr. Steinhauer—Benjamin Sinclair. In the meantime father was delighted with what he saw. Here in the wilderness was the beginning of Christian civilization. Mr. Steinhauer had built a mission house and school-house, and also assisted quite a number of Indians to build comfortable houses. Quite a settlement had sprung up, and this mission seemed to have a bright future. Of course, the bulk of all effort had rested on the missionary, but he proved equal to his work. Preacher, judge

1 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XXV.

CHAPTER XXV.

Measurement of time—Start for Smoking Lake—Ka-Kake—Wonderful hunting feat—Lose horse—Tough meat. Nights and days, and months and seasons, I found, were the measurements of time out here. Minutes and hours would come by and by with railroads and telegraphs. If you questioned anyone about time or distance, the answer would be, "In so many nights, or days, or moons." The Indian had no year; with him it was summer and winter. We left White-fish Lake Friday evening, having with us for the first few m

2 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XXVI.

CHAPTER XXVI.

Mr. Woolsey—Another now mission. Mr. Woolsey, his interpreter, and two hired men comprised this settlement at the time. One small house and a roofless stable were the only improvements. Mr. Woolsey had begun here within the year, and his difficulties had been neither few nor small. Any Indians who might look upon this place as a home in the future were now either moose-hunting in the north, or out on the plains after buffalo. The reason for establishing at this place was like that at White-fish

51 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XXVII.

CHAPTER XXVII.

Strike south for buffalo and Indians—Strange mode of crossing "Big River"—Old Besho and his eccentricities—Five men dine on two small ducks. Thursday evening found us striking southward, Mr. Woolsey and his interpreter, William Monckman, making our party up to five. Peter was guide and father's interpreter. Both positions he was well able to fill. Because of Mr. Woolsey's physical infirmity, we were obliged to travel more slowly than we had thus far. Our road ran along the east side of Smoking L

6 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XXVIII.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

Bear hunt—Big grizzlies—Surfeit of fat meat. In accord with the plan mentioned in last chapter, Peter and I saddled up sooner than the rest, and rode on. I will never forget that afternoon. I was in perfect health. My diet for the last few weeks forbade anything like dyspepsia—the horseback travel, the constant change, the newness of my surroundings, this beautiful and wonderful country. Oh, how sweet life was to me! Then the day was superb—bright sunshine, fleecy clouds, and intensely exhilarat

7 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XXIX.

CHAPTER XXIX.

The first buffalo—Father excited—Mr. Woolsey lost—Strike trail of big camp—Indians dash at us—Meet Maskepetoon. I have noticed that while man's stomach seems to need a lot of stimulating, yet there are circumstances when this organ, in turn, becomes a great stimulator; and the slowest in our party seemed to me to feel this that day, so we rode steadily and fast. South-east was our course into the big bend of the Battle River. In the afternoon we did sight a buffalo. There he stood in his hugenes

5 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XXX.

CHAPTER XXX.

Large camp—Meet Mr. Steinhauer—Witness process of making provisions—Strange life. Ascending a ridge, the large camp was before us—rings within rings of white tents, varying in size but all of one shape, and all made from the buffalo's hide; many of them covered with hieroglyphics and paintings indicative either of supernatural power or of martial achievement; their projecting ventilators tasselled with buffalo hair and gently flapping in the breeze. In and out among their tents, and beyond them

2 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XXXI.

CHAPTER XXXI.

Great meeting—Conjurers and medicine-men look on under protest—Father prophesies—Peter waxes eloquent as interpreter—I find a friend. In due time, after our meal was over, the chief asked father when he would be ready to address his people; and father said as soon as the camp could be gathered he was ready. Then the chief summoned two men, and said to them, "Ride forth on either side and shout to my people, and say, Our friends, the praying men, have arrived. One of them is from afar. He is now

6 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XXXII.

CHAPTER XXXII.

The big hunt—Buffalo by the thousand—I kill my first buffalo—Wonderful scene. My friend led up the little black, who in the morning light looked more beautiful than ever. I speedily saddled him, and awaited in nervous expectancy the start. At last the chief mounted, and in company with father and Messrs. Woolsey and Steinhauer, led the way; and from all parts of the camp riders came forth, many of them leading their runners, so as to have them as fresh as possible for the coming race. I found my

7 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XXXIII.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

Another big meeting—Move camp—Sunday service all day. Another even larger gathering took place in the evening, when father again addressed the motley crowd through Peter, and the interest deepened. The days were spent by the missionaries in a succession of services and councils. On Saturday the whole camp moved some twelve or fifteen miles farther east into a still more picturesque and beautiful country, rich in its changing variety of landscape and scenery. No wonder these aboriginal men are pr

1 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XXXIV.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

Great horse-race—"Blackfoot," "Moose Hair," and others—No gambling—How "Blackfoot" was captured. While we were in the camp a great race was run between some famous horses. This was a trial of endurance and wind as well as speed. The race was from camp straight out and around an island of timber, and back home. The whole distance must have been between five and six miles, and although many of these Indians were inveterate gamblers, yet because of the presence of the missionaries this was omitted

2 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XXXV.

CHAPTER XXXV.

Formed friendships—Make a start—Fat wolves—Run one—Reach the Saskatchewan at Edmonton. We had now spent several days with this people, and had become acquainted with many of them. I had formed friendships with a number, which, grown stronger with the years, have helped me in my life-work ever so much. Now we must continue our journey. Father told them they might look for him next year about the same time, and as a pledge of this he was going to leave me with Mr. Woolsey in the meantime. Quite a

1 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XXXVI.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

Swim horses—Cross in small boat—Dine at officers' table on pounded meat without anything else—Sup on ducks—No carving. Swimming our horses, and crossing in a small boat, we resaddled and repacked and rode into the fort, where we were received kindly by the Hudson's Bay Company's officers and invited to partake of their fare, which was just then pounded meat straight—no bread, no vegetables, nothing else. Pounded meat with marrow-fat is very good fare, but alone it becomes monotonous, even before

1 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XXXVII.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

Start for new home—Miss seeing father—Am very lonely—Join Mr. Woolsey. Father was now at his objective point in the west, and as the season was advanced he must make haste to return to Norway House. His plan was to go down the river in a skiff. I was to remain with Mr. Woolsey as a sort of assistant and interpreter. Our present plan was for Mr. Woolsey to accompany father in the skiff to where we had crossed the river on our southward journey some weeks since, and Peter and I were to take the ho

2 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

William goes to the plains—I begin work at Victoria—Make hay—Plough—Hunt—Storm. Father had suggested two plans for immediate action: One was to send William out to the plains to trade some provisions; the other was to send me to the site of the new mission, and have me make some hay and plough some land ready for next spring, and thus take up the ground. Mr. Woolsey decided to act on both. The former was very necessary, for we were living on duck, rabbits, etc., and the supply was precarious. Wi

7 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XXXIX.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

Establish a fishery—Build a boat—Neils becomes morbid—I watch him. The next thing was to establish a fishery. The buffalo might fail us, and so might the fish, but we must try both; and as I happened to be the only one in our party who knew anything about nets and fishing, this work came to me. So I began to overhaul what nets Mr. Woolsey had, and went to work mending and fixing them up. About twenty-five miles north of us was a lake, in which a species of white-fish were said to abound, and our

6 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XL.

CHAPTER XL.

Lake freezes—I go for rope—Have a narrow escape from wolf and drowning—We finish our fishing—Make sleds—Go home—Camp of starving Indians en route. All of a sudden the lake froze over, and our nets were under, and we had no rope to pass under the ice. So, leaving my gun with Neils, for he had none, and whistling the dogs to me, I set out on a run for home; and as it was only twenty-five miles, my purpose was to be back in camp the same night, for I could conveniently make a fifty-mile run in thos

4 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XLI.

CHAPTER XLI.

Mr. O. B.—The murderer—The liquor keg. In the meantime an old wandering-Jew kind of man, one of those human beings who seem to be trying to hide away from themselves, had turned up, and was domiciled with Mr. Woolsey. He had come across the plains from Fort Garry with a party of white men, who grew tired of him and dumped him at Fort Carlton, where I saw him when I landed from the boats in the summer. He had come on to Edmonton with the Hudson's Bay Company's carts, and there was thrown out by a

1 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XLII.

CHAPTER XLII.

William comes back—Another refuge seeker comes to us—Haul our fish home—Hard work. William had come back from the plains, bringing some provisions—not very much, but sufficient to make us all feel thankful. Mr. Woolsey had sent him to Edmonton to bring some horses he had left there, and when he returned he had another "refuge seeker," this time a young man, the son of one of our ministers in Ontario, Williston by name. He had started to cross the mountains with some others, but reaching the Koot

1 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XLIII.

CHAPTER XLIII.

Flying trip to Edmonton—No snow—Bare ice—Hard travel—A Blackfoot's prayer. It was now near Christmas, and Mr. Woolsey planned to spend the holidays at Edmonton. This was really his station. For years the minutes of yonder eastern Conference read: "Thomas Woolsey, Edmonton House, Rocky Mountains." Though these places were over two hundred miles apart then, the Hudson's Bay Company's officers and men came to Edmonton generally for the New Year, and this was the missionary's opportunity of reaching

7 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XLIV.

CHAPTER XLIV.

Midnight mass—Little Mary—Foot-races—Dog-races, etc.—Reach my twentieth birthday—End of this book. I found that the Roman Catholics had a church built in the fort, and Mr. MacDonald and I went to the celebration of midnight mass on Christmas eve. Our conduct was respectful and reverent. Indeed, graceless as I may have been, I always from early boyhood have respected the religious services of others. Often in the conjurer's camp, and at thirst and sun dances, I have preserved most perfect decorum

4 minute read

Read Chapter