June 22nd

My thumb is pretty nearly all right again but still stiff – the swelling has gone down and I can bend it a little. My Eye didn’t it hurt for a day or two. I will wait until tomorrow to tell you all that has happened in the past two days.

June 21st

Thumb much better today but still sore – swollen very big – can’t press the weight of the pen against it – accounts for my bad writing.

June 20th

Congratulate Mr. R. for me if you can & wish Miss T. all the happiness she desires. My thumb is very sore - didn’t sleep a wink with it last night.

June 19th

This morning we are to have our cricket match, the conquering game with the subConstables. The day is very fine & I hope that we will be victorious. Well we did not get the win. But I must tell you that I hurt my thumb so that I can’t write very well. I managed to get it between the bat and the ball and mashed it a little.

June 18th

This is the anniversary of the battle of Waterloo 60 years ago. To day we were favoured by an Indian dance in the Barrack square. The North Peagans all bepainted and gaily caparisoned bore down upon the Fort and tying their horses outside – formed a ring in the middle of the square. They all had bows and arrows & there were 5 or 6 drums along. The drummers got in the middle of the ring & began to drum, the others keeping time & making a klick klick klick with their arrows against the bows. Two men lay down on the ground some distance from the circle & covered themselves with their buffalo robes. After playing a short prelude the ring began to throw stones etc. at the two recumbent figures, who after submitting to the treatment for a while, finally jumped up, threw off their robes and began dancing towards the ring, entered it and then giving a signal all suddenly rose up & throwing off their blankets began dancing – every one as naked as could be – their faces, arms, breasts and legs painted up – they divided into two bodies under the leadership of one of the two [?] ones. These two companies advanced and retreated alternately – finally with a yell they all rushed to their places and put on their blankets. This is the ‘Bear Dance’. And most certainly it was the most savage and wildest thing I have seen amongst the Indians. After their dance we gave them a smoke and a feed. They then repeated their dance and went away highly delighted.

June 17th

This morning was excessively sultry & warm. About two o’clock we i.e. Capt. Winder and I went down to Conrad’s to get him to go with us to this Peagan camp. We wanted to see the Big Medicine Pipe Dance so we went over provided with some flour and coffee & sugar, crossed the river in the boat & then walked along thro’ the bush towards the camp – but we had to cross a big slue or coulee with a swift deep current. A party of Indians came riding along on their little ponies – and we jumped up behind them & were ferried over. You would have been amazed to see us: all of us pretty long-legged fellows behind a painted savage & astride a diminutive little pony – under whose belly we could almost lock our feet - & gallantly they bore us thro’ the rushing flood. I had brought my colours with me and while Capt. Winder & Conrad went to pay their respects to the old chief I started off to take a sketch of the camp.

I sat myself down on a hill side looking West – and began to sketch – first one child came near me & then called another & another & then older men came & women until I had around me nearly the entire available strength of the camp. A stark naked little Indian boy was not two feet in front of me dancing with all his might & making medicine at me – set on by the older people around. It was most amusing to hear their exclamations and to see them recognizing the various points as they appeared on the paper. I finally had to come down in order to let the old chief get up his dance – no one would come to it while I was sketching.

Well the dance began – a big roll of skins tied up in a peculiar bundle was set in the middle of the wigwam & the old men & women sat around the wigwam - & the orchestra consisting of 9 drums. The old chief took a piece of lighted punk and put some aromatic substance afore it & set it down in front of this bundle – then in the most solemn manner and amidst a deep & impressive silence proceeded to divest himself of his shirt & to put on a new one. Then undoing the roll of skins- he after untying innumerable strings came upon 3 or 4 bundles made of red flannel – these he held over the smoke of the aromatic herb, then proceeded to untie them & after a long series of wrappings at last came to the stem of the Medicine Pipe. This is a long wooden stem polished & ornamented with a profusion of ermine skins being terminated by a tassel of brilliant red & yellow wool or dyed hair towards the lower end are suspended about a dozen eagle’s feathers dyed vermilion and blue – with a couple of small bells on each feather – there are also other feathers of bright colours in various parts of the stem. This was taken out to slow music by the band and the old chief danced around the lodge and then went outside and held it up towards the sun – then came back and a young man took it and did the same, then an old squaw, then a boy & finally a little child hardly able to walk danced with it. Then they took from the same receptacle another red bundle which proved to contain a whistle. This was danced around with & blown always upwards towards the sun – a huge rattle like a dried gourd was now produced and it was danced with. The drums all the while keeping up an incessant clatter & the shrill voices of the women now and again breaking in with their wild wailing chant. As a heavy storm was coming up we bade a hasty adieu and borrowed some horses to cross the coulee and went home – not without getting a thorough soaking however.

Fort McLeod, June 16th, '75

My darling Lizzie

Again I nearly had a fit of Les diables blues – but I fought them off. Was I not brave? Baker left this morning – the mail was sent down to him at three o’clock this morning. The day turned out pretty fine and we had some cricket. In consequence of the late heavy rains & warm rains – the river had risen pretty high. Our bridge is in danger of being carried away – the middle pier has been so washed out that it has sunk about a foot & a half. If the water rises no higher the bridge may remain steady.

A lot of Indians have been coming in, North Peagans - & the Kootanies are expected in. Father Scullen is waiting here until they come – after that he intends going up to the mountains. I intend trying to go with him – some half breeds are also going up with us – to fish. If I get away I expect to have a very pleasant time. I will also try and take some sketches of mountain scenery.