FOREST, LAKE AND PRAIRIE
Reading edition
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—Trip to Nottawasaga—Journey to Alderville—Elder Case—The wild colt, etc
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
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.
CHAPTER V.
From Rama to St. Paul—Mississippi steamers—Slaves—Pilot—Race
CHAPTER VI.
Across the plains—Mississippi to the Red—Pemmican—Mosquitoes—Dogs—Hunting—Flat boat—Hostile Indians
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
CHAPTER VIII.
New mission—The people—School—Invest in pups—Dog-driving—Foot-ball—Beautiful aurora
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
CHAPTER X.
Enlarging church—Winter camp—How evenings are spent—My boys—Spring—The first goose, etc
CHAPTER XI.
Opening of navigation—Sturgeon fishing—Rafting timber—Sawing lumber
CHAPTER XII.
Summer transport—Voyageurs—Norway House—The meeting place of many brigades—Missionary work intensified
CHAPTER XIII.
Canoe trip to Oxford—Serious accident
CHAPTER XIV.
Establish a fishery—Breaking dogs—Dog-driving, etc.
CHAPTER XV.
Winter trip to Oxford—Extreme cold—Quick travelling
CHAPTER XVI.
Mother and baby's upset—My humiliation
CHAPTER XVII.
From Norway House to the great plains—Portaging—Pulling and poling against the strong current—Tracking
CHAPTER XVIII.
Enter the plains—Meet a flood—Reach Fort Carlton
CHAPTER XIX.
The Fort—Buffalo steak—"Out of the latitude of bread"
CHAPTER XX.
New surroundings—Plain Indians—Strange costumes—Glorious gallops—Father and party arrive
CHAPTER XXI.
Continue journey—Old "La Gress"—Fifty miles per day
CHAPTER XXII.
Fort Pitt—Hunter's paradise—Sixteen buffalo with seventeen arrows—"Big Bear"
CHAPTER XXIII.
On to White-fish Lake—Beautiful country—Indian camp—Strike northward into forest land
CHAPTER XXIV.
The new Mission—Mr. Steinhauer—Benjamin Sinclair
CHAPTER XXV.
Measurement of time—Start for Smoking Lake—Ka-Kake—Wonderful hunting feat—Lose horse—Tough meat
CHAPTER XXVI.
Mr. Woolsey—Another new mission
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
CHAPTER XXVIII.
Bear hunt—Big grizzlies—Surfeit of fat meat
CHAPTER XXIX.
The first buffalo—Father excited—Mr. Woolsey lost—Strike trail of big camp—Indians dash at us—Meet Maskepetoon
CHAPTER XXX.
Large camp—Meet Mr. Steinhauer—Witness process of making provisions—Strange life
CHAPTER XXXI.
Great meeting—Conjurers and medicine-men look on under protest—Father prophesies—Peter waxes eloquent as interpreter—I find a friend
CHAPTER XXXII.
The big hunt—Buffalo by the thousand—I kill my first buffalo—Wonderful scene
CHAPTER XXXIII.
Another big meeting—Move camp—Sunday service all day
CHAPTER XXXIV.
Great horse-race—"Blackfoot," "Moose Hair," and others—No gambling—How "Blackfoot" was captured
CHAPTER XXXV.
Formed friendships—Make a start—Fat wolves—Run one—Reach the Saskatchewan at Edmonton
CHAPTER XXXVI.
Swim horses—Cross in small boat—Dine at officers' table on pounded meat without anything else—Sup on ducks—No carving
CHAPTER XXXVII.
Start for new home—Miss seeing father—Am very lonely—Join Mr. Woolsey
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
William goes to the plains—I begin work at Victoria—Make hay—Plough—Hunt—Storm
CHAPTER XXXIX.
Establish a fishery—Build a boat—Neils becomes morbid—I watch him
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
CHAPTER XLI.
Mr. O. B.—The murderer—The liquor keg
CHAPTER XLII.
William comes back—Another refuge seeker comes to us—Haul our fish home—Hard work
CHAPTER XLIII.
Flying trip to Edmonton—No snow—Bare ice—Hard travel—A Blackfoot's prayer
CHAPTER XLIV.
Midnight mass—Little Mary—Foot-races—Dog-races, etc.—Reach my twentieth birthday—End of this book
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
Ka-Kake and the buffalo ... Frontispiece
Isaiah and the bear
The Traveller in distress
How I cured my chum
My delight was to drive the four-in-hand
I had a big time keeping them out of our boat
My first winter trip
The upset
I lose my balance—and some conceit
Fort Carlton
An expert hunter
A new kind of boat
I kill my first bear
Buffalo and hunters disappeared in the hills from our view (missing from book)
We were surprised by a troop of Indian cavalry
Maskepetoon's camp
The buffalo hunt
When the camp moved, parallel columns were formed
The horse-race
"Gun-shock"—"Goose-comfort"
The start to the fishery
A big haul
A close call
Straight out from the danger the strong train drew us
FOREST, LAKE AND PRAIRIE.