May 12th, 1875

My dear Lizzie

Glen got away early this morning taking the Mail with him. The morning passed very quickly and busily. Major Walsh starts today at one o’clock and of course there are many things to get ready.

Mr. McDougall came in today with his Red River carts loaded with robes and skins. There were 28 carts and 2 large wagons. He is on his way to Benton, taking his skins to Manitobah down the Missouri River as far as Bismarck, from there to Moorehead and Garry. Formerly the road was direct across the plains from Bow River to Garry but the dangers and constant watchfulness required rendered it unpleasant and unsafe. So they are now about to try this plan.

Mr. David [?] McD. the merchant and not the Missionary – took his wife along with him. She has not been well and he thinks the change will do her good. I did not see her face, it was hidden by a big sunbonnet.

B – Troop finally started about 2 P.M. They go so far as Fort Kipp this evening – and pass on tomorrow to Whoop Up – cross the St. Mary’s River and camp to await further orders and also to wait the arrival of provisions by Conrad’s train.

Feb. 2nd

Crozier got away this afternoon about 1.30 he expects to be away about two or three weeks. The square was a scene of busy confusion all morning, men choosing horses, + then endeavouring to catch them, saddling + getting their provisions etc on a small toboggan. The day is pretty cold but will probably not remain so for long as a South West Wind is blowing. The mail which was redistributed to the men has revived again + tomorrow another trial is to be made to get it off. Let us hope this time with more success. Allen is now singing as loud as he can bawl, not 3 feet from my left ear + making the nights hideous with harsh discords, without exception he has a harsh whistle + unmusical a voice as any one I have ever heard. The great beauty of it is that he imagines it is superb + that he has a fine tenor voice. However he has his good points and is going to take the mail tomorrow morning over to Stand Off where it is to be taken to Benton by some teams going in from thence. So we will say no more about his singing – perhaps he is only happy that his letters are going in, and I am sure we can overlook any little boisterous outburst. That blot is owing to my writing with a new pen. “J”, Is that not Sallie’s favourite pen? I + it at first did not hold the ink consequently it *ran* down on the paper + I put the blotting paper over it which I think did not mend matters much. Just think it is only a month since I heard from you last, and I have been groaning + whining because I have not heard sooner, and for nearly six months I heard not a word. I suppose the difference is to be accounted for in the fact that I have now more time to think over the matter, + perhaps like the tiger after once tasting blood is athirst for more. At all events I am anxious awaiting the arrival of another mail + letters from you.

I am sorry to say my tooth began aching again to day, but only for a short time. Poor Denny has been suffering from a bad toothache, which I have managed to relieve but he refuses to have his tooth extracted it is a front tooth + perhaps his looks would be considerably damaged. I am very much afraid that I will not be able to go to Canada on any leave of absence, as every day I find something more for me to do or something that will act to keep me here continually. But as none of us know what disposition will be made of the Force next Summer, so none of us know where we will be or what we will be doing. It may be that we may all go to Fort Garry or Pelly. But in any case I think I am booked for Fort Macleod until I leave the Police. Do you recollect what Jack + Mannie were going to do? Come out next summer + take dinner! What a blessing the sight of a well known face associated with Canada would be, not only to myself but to every member of the Force. What is Mannie doing now. Has he started a practice in town, or has he gotten a practiceship anywhere? You will perhaps be glad to know that Brooks my patient about whom I was so anxious is now much better. Next Sunday, if all goes as well as it has, I expect him to set off. I am going to cross this letter although I have not yet heard from you whether you like them crossed but I have not a great deal of time to write much more and expect to finish this very soon. I wonder what you have been doing with yourself this past month I wonder if you have gone home with Saida[?]. I suppose not. There is only one way ever to get you then and that is to take you there myself and so Mother will never know Lizzie Beaty but by hearsay. Do you think that it is possible for this to reach you on Valentine’s day. Possible but not probable. 4 days to Benton + 11 to Toronto. The 17th. However near enough to be a Valentine.

The days are now rapidly lengthening and the Sun is daily becoming more and more powerful, so that the middle of the day is now quite comfortable. It won’t be long before they are warm. How pleasant that will be. And when they do get warm, I shall often take our Sunday evening walk, which the excessive cold caused as to discontinue. I used to so enjoy them. I was then by myself and yet not alone, everything I saw spoke of you, and all sounds shaped themselves into words spoken from you, and I always came back with a sense of comfort and rest from those after tea walks.

Do you remember or rather will you ever forget the pleasant times we used to have on Sunday evenings. Oh, dear. And now the Mail is about closing and I must hurry to say God bless you. Remember me to all, + also to Auntie Taylor is you visit her or see her.

Times up. Believe me Lizzie as ever

Your own Barrie

December 30th

You will notice that my last letter or rather the first page of this letter was commenced upon the wrong side of the page, don’t let it bother you. This morning as usual I was up in time for sick parade, my servant calls me every morning at 8.30, gets my things together, brushes my boots and fetches water for me to wash in – the sick list this morning was nothing much. The morning was most bright and beautiful, the sun shining through the clear bright atmosphere, the mercury stood at 18º below zero, but we did not feel the cold. After breakfast I set about making the mattresses and at noon I rode down to Kanouse’s and fetched Brooks up to the Hospital, he stood the journey pretty well. I got him safely into bed – and I fancy he is pretty comfortable. I had lunch then and then read a little medicine – Mr. Weatherwax, a trader, was up here today to enter a lot of horses that he had just brought from Benton, and said that his train was a day behind + had an immense mail for us – probably it would be up tomorrow. He expects it about 3 o’clock at his place and thinks by 4 o’clock it should be here. I hope it is true – that there is a mail – there seems to be no doubt – but as to its size and whether it is all the mail matter that has accumulated in Garry for us during our absence is another question. Shall I go on telling you of my associates? I have told you of Winder and Jackson and Denny – Denny knows T.C. Patteson, met him way off in Illinois, they both come from the same county in England. Welch is another young Englishman. His father has command of the Queen’s Yacht. Welch was rather inclined to be wild and was sent out to America to travel – he has been in Buffalo working there + has gone through Charleston Savannah Florida + New Orleans. He put up finally at Ottawa I believe he had some Government situation there – he joined the force as a Private or Sub-Constable was are they called – and through Political influence was made an officer. He is a little stout chap with a curling lip, knows snatches of nearly every song that is going but although not a bad fellow to meet with, I do not exactly like him, perhaps I judge him too harshly. I do not think I could trust him, he would not have the slightest scruple in getting a person into trouble is he happened to take a dislike to him, + he is continually taking dislikes to people. Allen is a Canadian, son of Dr. Allen solong Mayor of Cornwall he is a broth of a boy – a man without principle + coarse – but he is good humoured and jolly + easy to get along with – does not drink although he swears worse than any trooper – I am living with him now – in preference to being with Winder and Jackson – Crozier is an Irishman by birth, but has lived for a very long while in Canada and claims the proud title of Canadian. He is a Belleville man – has been in the Registrar’s Office in Belleville – he is tall rather nice looking and excellent company, good natured, does his duty well, and might be called a good square-toed fellow – he is older than the other three sub Inspectors. He’s acting Adjutant to Col. MacLeod. But now I must say good night. Oh what joy awaits me tomorrow, for I am sure to get letters from you – even if they are old, they will be in your own dead handwriting. God bless you.

Fort MacLeod [ctd]

Nov. 12th

I do not know when a mail will go out or when ours will come in. I had a letter written waiting for you also one for Frank Darling and one for Harry Stotesburg a large wagon train is now expected in every day – it was heard of the day before yesterday at the St. Mary’s River. Is only 3 days from here – whether this has letters for us no one can tell. Every night in the candles a large bunch of letters points to me I look at them & wonder if they will be soon here. We have made a checker board & checkers of gun wads & now pass the evenings in friendly contests. Euchre – poker – whiskey poker too – Fare – Vingteten playing for gun wads – whiskey poker was played for tobacco. I never played for anything but gun wads & they are always given back at the end of the game. We are now likely to get into our quarters before the six weeks I spoke of are out – we have changed the mode of building – from cross logs to pickets. The first of these little drawings is meant to represent the cross log mode the latter the picket – with pickets a trench is dug & the logs set up on end and the logs are much shorter & more easily handled than in the other cross log mode. I will try when the place is built to draw you a small sketch of the place and send it to you. In that you may have some faint idea of the appearance of things around me. you would laugh to see me handling the pick & shovel. I bet you I can beat the Corporatino workers in Toronto. I have become quite an expert in their use – the axe too I can handle quite deftly – at heaving logs I am a lumberman – sawing with the cross cut saw is child’s play. I feel my arms and legs & back very very sore and stiff but there is nothing like more work to take that out of a man. The hardest work of all is mudding the chinks – we bring a stiff blue clay that is found in profession here & mix it with water & slap it as hard as we can into the chinks between the logs – it is so cold that the mud & water freeze into great huge lumps or freeze on our hands – which have to be held in the fire until the outside coating of ice melts. The pain is sometimes almost unendurable till we get used to it – and every day now gets colder & makes it worse yet it has to be done – the outside work is the hardest – when we get to doing the inside we can have warm water to mix the mud & will be protected from the wind. I had to stop & sign the sick Reports & then went over to see some sick Indians. They gave me a pair of Buffalo moccasins with the hair inside very warm. This may be said to be my first fee in the great North West from the noble redman. I got one pair from a half breed for attending to her child. By the time I was through with the Indians it was dinner time & after dinner I walked up the river 4 miles to a traders - & heard that he expected a train in from Benton every day – he had heard they were only 25 miles from here yesterday. He thinks too they have letters for us they left Benton 20 days ago. I hope sincerely they have letters. Oh what a disappointment if they have not and what pleasure if they have. Conrad is going to send his ox teams back to Fort Benton and the remained of our horses go back with him. Most probably he will take our letters too. One of our mens quarters 100 feet long is all ready for the roofing – which will in all probability be done tomorrow – then the others will follow in quick succession but numerous things yet remain to be done. It has begun to snow again to night and how long it will keep up no one knows. The weather is pretty cold all the time never even at noon being above freezing point. I wonder what you are doing. This evening after tea at 6.30 I had a smoke. I know you did not do that. Then the Col. & Winder & the Adpt. Crozier – began talking of the Fort Garry times. The Winder and I had a game of checkers in which after a protracted game he beat me. now I am writing to you. Did I ever tell you of my tent mates since we came up here. We have a Bill Tent – round – and there are three of us in it. Capt. Winder commanding “C” Troop – a tall man with whiskers & beard of a reddish brown nearly bald – very quick in his way but full of jokes & a certain dry humor – he is from Compton near Lennoxville – and knows a good many of the people around there whom I used to know and heard about. He has been in California too & is quite a traveled man. Capt. Jackson is the very quintessence of fire the chance bristro Irishman he has red hair & a pair of fierce moustaches which he persists in curling he has strange coloured eyes – not green not grey but a mixture of grey & red. He is always playing a practical Joke on some one. He has command of the artillery we have. He is from Seaforth near Coderich. Very hot tempered but obliging. We get along together quite nicely. Our mess has an addition to it of Col. MacLeod – the Assist. Commissioner of the force – after every meal of course we have a smoke and discuss the affairs of the force & the probabilities of the weather but always fall back into talking of Homes & homie belongings. I believe I told you that he is connected with the Baldwins in Yorkville and also knows the Amour’s of Bowmanville in fact at one time he used to live in Bowmanville and was in partnership with Mr. Armour. He is a very nice fellow to have anything to do with. He is from Kingston and knows the Andersen’s & Fred Nelson quite well. So putting all together we have plenty to talk about. It is now nearly bed time so I will say goodnight for the present.

Fort MacLeod [ctd.]

Oct. 27th. Last night was bitterly cold altho’ a beautiful still moonlight night – at 9 o’clock the mercury was 3 degrees below zero & at 3 a.m. 10º below – at 7 o’clock this morning with the bright sun it had only risen to 32º. My eyes but it made a fellow’s fingers tough. For all the cold the building operations were proceeded with & will now go on only to be interrupted by a fierce storm later in the Fall. The great trouble out here now is to obtain hay for the horses. No one here expected to have much to do with such a mixture of horses – consequently cut us hay except for their own use – what hay could be cut after our arrival was cut but that has amounted to almost nothing. I expect that a portion of our stock will have to go to Sioux River in Montana for the ensuing winter. A patient has just interrupted me – a half breed woman and child – her baby is only a few weeks old possibly six and as it is her first she thinks every time he cries he is extremely ill. Our consultation was lengthy and most ludicrous. I would gravely state the various symptoms in the child that I saw & calmly ask for more – she would then chatter away in Indian poly-syllables. I would then politely request her to repeat what she said – Chatter Chatter Chatter. I would at that give a sage hum of assent and tell the woman with a most sagacious face that I thought she was making a great ass of herself that the child was perfectly well but as I could not satisfy her in any other was I would give her something. I made up four little powders of sugar and went through all the motions of mixing in a spoon and taking it & then shut my eyes pretending to sleep to show that each powder was to be given at bedtime – she chattered volubly her thanks or whatever it was and departed all smiles. Once before I gave her some alum – a large handful for curing some skins at the same time. I looked at the baby & she imagined this alum was for the baby & was going to chuck this huge lump into the little things throat. If she tried that game this time she can’t hurt the child anyhow.

I had another case [of] a woman whos arm had been shot at the elbow but her husband was along & explained matters altho’ her case was plain about him. Did I tell you of the capture of a gang of whiskey traders with a portion of their alcohol? Shortly after we arrived here a couple of Indians reported that an outfit had gone up Old Man’s River to trade whiskey – so a body of 10 men & an officer were mounted & went after them – they were found with all their available goods & chattels packed up & moving off – they were all brought back & their alcohol poured out their Buffalo Robes confiscated & themselves fined. One of their number is a negro named Bond – accused of murdering a number of Indians and who is also suspected of murdering a family in Chatham Ontario some time ago. The others have paid their fines or had them paid & have gone – no one could be found to pay the poor devil’s fine and he has had to remain in the guard tent ever since and probably will for some time. This spell of cold weather can scarcely have been agreeable to him.

What is the news with you? How is everyone in Toronto? Does Sallie still keep up her drawing? Tell me everything you know hear or see. Tell me of yourself your outgoings & your evenings at home. I am starving to hear from you. A wagon is going into Ft. Benton tomorrow or the day after & will take in this letter & I hope it will bring some out. I should not be at all surprised if the wagon should carry this negro Bond to Ft. Benton & take him on thence to Ft. Garry for his trial – or it may only be for letters or only to carry the men’s baggage who go to Sun River to herd the horses. Six months more and communication will be free with Benton – and everything will be bright and green but until then – we can expect nothing but the bleak winter with storm and slush – a south wind always brings the latter – more snow fell during the storm than we had supposed on the level prairie it was more than six inches deep & drifted in places so deep that it was with difficulty a horse could wade through it. However we have a stove now & can put up with the lesser inconveniences of crowding things into an extremely limited space. There will soon be a second opportunity of sending a mail of which I will avail myself at present I will say goodbye as I wish to write home and let them know how I am getting along. I will not close this until the last moment in order to have the last word with you and give you that latest reliable information from the Great NorthWest Territories.

Cypress Mountains, August 27, 1874 [ctd.]

Aug. 29 Again I borrow the ink. Chapman the man who was supposed to guide me from Dufferin to Roche Percée is detailed to go back from here to Fort Garry. He will take a lot of mail matter with him this letter amongst it. I have no idea how long it will take him to Garry possibly not under a month or three weeks at least and then a week from there to Toronto, so that it will be at least 5 weeks & perhaps six before this meets your eye. Probably by that time I shall be far on my way to Edmonton. The large band of Indians that we heard were encamped here have all departed on their way to the Capell trading post to make a treaty which Gov. Thorns is getting up with the Crees etc. We were not altogether displeased at not having met them. Their stealing propensities would be a cause of grave inconvenience and anxiety. The noble savage as I have seen him is a most pitiable object – first on accounts of his dirty filthy habits & appearance then his moral status is so low. He will lie steal or murder for the slightest thing he covets & is the greatest and most unblushing begger under the sun. No matter how grievous you may have been towards him he will still ask for something else. To day in camp we had the lances out for the first time – a squad of men drilling with them. They are long bamboo poles with a steel head to point and also a steel but to rest in a socket when carried at rest. The drill was very pretty & the lances looked well with small pennions flashing from their peaks. They look very well but I fail to see their exact use. No Indian or bushwhacker will ever venture within lancing distance. They are of no use in this country. We have been faring most sumptuously since we have camped here. Just fancy out in the prairie we have a dinner of three distinct courses. First soup – made of pemmican, duck curry & onionc – then salmon – then ducks & plover with tomatoes – cold Venison – finishing up with our usual desert of Bread & molasses. Was that not a sumptuous repast? Last night and the night before we had a rainfall – the most continuous we have had since we left Dufferin. It rained pretty heavy all night. In the morning the dry dusty arid ground had become a mass of the most sticky adhesive mud I ever saw – huge masses would cling to our boots making them as heavy as lead. It seemed as tho’ we were about receiving our grant of 160 acres real estate and carrying it about with us. How ever by this afternoon the ground was again perfectly dry. I am beginning to feel lonely there is no officer in the force about whom I care a rush – and the most companionable are to return to Garry this winter. So my medical works will have a good deal to do in keeping one amused and busy. You know the old rhyme about The Devil always finds some work for idle hands to do. I must try not to let my hands be idle – nor my brain either – good bye – my love to your Father & Mother & Sallie & all.

Your own Barrie

Camp Old Woman’s Creek, August 15th 1874

My darling Lizzie

I wrote to Jack yesterday in a great hurry having suddenly heard of an opportunity of sending a letter by Col. MacLeod via Wood Mountain where some person is on the 17th going to leave for Fort Garry. Today I have heard of another chance a large portion of Half Breed with horses have just met us on their way to Fort Garry. The head man is a friend and old schoolfellow of Dr. Kittson. I told you that opportunities would occur somewhat like this did I no?. They are all one sided however and only go one way. I wish I could hear from you, were it ever so short. I am starved for want of hearing from you. But never mind [?] [?] must come to all things and when I do get news from you they will be all the dearer & all the more greedily devoured. Just fancy the hubbub confusion, excitement, anxiety & crowded rush for letters when mail does come. And then the happy moments afterwards reading, rereading & again reading until every word is engraved clearly & distinctly on our memories. Ah but it’s something to look forward to. Almost (not quite) a full recompense for the long period of anxious expectation - & vexing uncertainty. I am glad that I am able to state with a clear conscience, that as yet I have killed no one – either medicinally or otherwise. As for my own health it is perfect without a flaw. I am strong as the ox (fabled) & am getting of an exquisite mahogany colour, which colour when I get warm takes on the beautiful polish the aforesaid wood is so famous for. Indeed at times I have a spinning countenance. I am happy comparatively speaking as happy as I can be without my tormentor [?] I have not audibly been called any hard names such as goose [?] head, donkey & other ladylike & civilized appellations. To tell truth I often wish I could hear such terms upon which I had learned to look as terms of welcome kindness[,] pity or love. I would willingly forego many pleasures to hear them again. I wrote to you from our camping place about 5 miles from this & sent it to Wood Mountain by an Indian guide. Before that my letter was by Capt. Walters who with Col. McLeod had left us to go to Wood Mountain for Pemmican – he delivered the letter in safe hands to go to Garry. I have no stamps. That is the thing I could not remember in Jack’s letter yesterday. Ask him to send me as many stamps as he chooses. After numerous trials & many disappointments I have at last succeeded in getting a tunic without any gold trim however and some grey cloth for riding breeches but I have to get these made up without trimming of any sort, buttons or anything else. I expect I will have to tie them together with Sagannappi [sic], it’s trimmings will in that case far outlast the cloth. You remember I told you I sent everything I did not consider absolutely necessary to Fort Edmonton from Roche Percée. The country through which we have been laterally passing bears the same leading characteristics as that before. Old Woman’s lake is quite a body of water – salt – tho’ scarcely perceptible in the taste, yet in its effects upon the men as was easily seen it was not like ordinary water. We camped just on the Lake shores and indulged freely in the luxury of a daily bath, the watering of the horses was a scene of life vivacity & confusion seldom witnessed along the quiet shores of the lake, one might easily made out for a mile and then be not over his depth, the bottom was a fine hard firm sand. Plenty of gulls curlews & ducks flew about and at a distance some pelicans were seen fishing. Col. French shot a pelican which I believe will be stuffed it measures more than eight feet from tip to tip of its wings which were tipped with black the beak long & the pendulous baglike lower lip of a bright yellow as also are the legs – the rest of the plumage is a glistening white. The artist has made a sketch of the watering of the horses, which is very like. The artist has lately been very busy, making sketches of the Indians and their encampment. As a rule they are very good. These will, I believe not be published until sometime in the winter when he returns to Montreal. I have not been making any sketches at all lately. I have not felt at all in the humor.

What have you been doing with yourself? Have you been taking some exercise? You must write and tell me all about yourself – what you do & is done to you – who visits you & what is the latest bit of news about your neighbors & friends & everybody and everything. Do you mind? See that you do – the smallest atom of news will be acceptable to me. If you should hear anything from home be sure and let me know of it. I wrote home before I left telling them to send their letters to the Hospital as before & they would be forwarded to me. You might ask Jack to call on Dr. McCollum and ask him to direct all letters for me to Fort Garry. If Jack sees the Dr, tell him to remember me most kindly both to him and to Mrs. McCollum. If Green is there to Gunn also to McAlpine in fact that I begged to be remembered to them all. He might tell Poulter that I saw some of the Boundary Commission. As I write there are two Indians on horseback in front of my tent. They have had an accession to their numbers today they appear to be finer looking fellows than the others. I stopped there and appeared at a general parade, to have some orders read out. Then the next excitement was three figures on horse back in the distance, they were approaching the camp at a rapid pace. Who were they? One turned out to be our guide an Indian the one whom I gave the letter from Old Woman’s Lake & with him came a stranger of whom the guide knew nothing he wished to join the force or at least to be hired as a guide, he speaks English well and Siox but no French – no one knows if he has any acquaintance with the Blackfoot language[;] an investigation is now going on of who & what he is & what he knows. I hope they will have nothing to do with him as he has a most cut throat appearance.

Last evening I enjoyed most thoroughly. I went down to speak to Capt. Miles in his tent and found quite a congregation there – singing – one or two really excellent voices – the choruses showed that a good quartette could easily be obtained in the camp, there was one fellow called Beattie who has a good Bass. They continued to sing – songs sentimental, songs comic – songs semi comic & the internals interspersed with remarks sarcastic – personal and general. They are at it again[,] Beautiful Star is now going in full fling – the tenor is good. Yesterday evening some of the Indians came over and invited us with a dance – it was done on a small scale – a Brave a fine broad shouldered fellow was the leader – he had on a blanket and a feather in his hair – he was accompanied by six or seven squaws who with the [?] vanity of their sex had various ornaments round their necks[,] in their ears – bracelets rings & some attempts at embroidery in their dress & moccasins. They formed themselves in a circle the leader with a mammoth child’s rattle began beating time – then all hooted – then they all began to chant in an uncouth rough monotonous unmusical and in unison a jargon – the leader keeping time & the circle moved round keeping both feet together and on the ground – they appeared to get more excited or at all events they moved faster & faster & they ceased and laughed. Our interpreter said it was a song about their memories the Blackfeet being snared & scalped – it might have been that or anything else. Their dance was interrupted by the discordant tones of a concertina playing a jig tune – some of the men then began to dance a jig & then a Scotch reel & finally ended in a waltz. The Indians apparently did not like this and went away looking decidedly huffed. The thunderstorm of which I made mention to Jack passed off with only one or two good gusts of wind which raised the dust in enormous clouds during the night – however a second storm was brewing and came up with a good deal of thunder and lightning & some wind but no rain more than a few drops. I had undressed and gone to bed but as the wind began to rise, I gradually put on one thing after another until I was entirely dressed boots & all. I expected the tent to come down every moment the wind was blowing straight against my side of the tent when suddenly I was awakened by a deafening bang & something struck me forcibly in the head. I could hear a confused stamping & struggling outside. I looked through the tent which now has a big hole in the side and saw an enormous horse struggling wildly and almost beyond the controls of the men around him. However they got him away and I afterwards found out it was the stallion which had broken loose and had bolted & was making straight for my tent on the full gallop when they just stopped him in time. Had he come on well you would not have heard from me again. That is the great danger in all these thunderstorms mainly a stampede of the horses. They become so terribly frightened. All day today I have been without a house my tent being in the hands of the tent maker mending the rent made last night as also sundry other rents made during the night when it was blown down of which I wrote you before. However it is now all fixed up and better than ever. The tobacco we draw from the stores is the most miserable beastly stuff, full of stems hairs of hemp and were small nails. You might ask Jack to call at Jaguiers on King Street and get five pounds of the kind I generally get – the long flat thick plugs and if it will not make the parcel too large send it up with the boots. It will reach me I expect some time in January and will last a long time. I will have lots & lots of time in the long winter evenings to smoke and read. My reading will I expect however be confined to medical literature as I have none but medical works – and probably there will be none other in Edmonton. Thank Jack ever so much for “93” & “Nancy”. I have read them and they are now going through the camp. “93” I intend reading again and trying to find out something about the numerous names mentioned therein. I have been reading a French novel called “Bibi-Tapin”. It is well written, and I find that with the exception of a phrase or a work now and then that I can understand it very well. The story consists of about 300 large double column pages about the size of an ordinary school atlas, it has a good many wood plates in it but never the less it is quite a mighty work. I have just opened my ink bottle and spilled my ink. I managed to get this one penful and suppose I must say goodnight tomorrow I will go (Sunday Aug 16) and borrow some.

Grants Farm, On the Boundry Line. July 18th 1874.

Lizzie My darling

I arrived in Dufferin about 10 o’clock landed just on the bank of the River in the mud & weeds – presently some of the aborigines came down and soon one or two of the M.P. on the sick lists & now convalescent – Capt. Clark & the Paymaster & one other officer were going down to Winnipeg on the boat. I saw & was introduced to Capt. Clark. He does not follow the force but remains at Fort Garry. It was not long before I met Mr. Chapineau the guide, he is a tall lissome fellow, quite handsome & deaf. Mrs. Ford Cissy’s friend had told me of him. A wagon & two teams had been left behind for me. I took on all my baggage tho’ warned that 10 lbs was the limit allowed. I have no horse as yet. I am going to ride some to day however – to get used to it. We have to wear a badge consisting of a lue & red ribbon tied on our hats or around our arms as a protection against the Sioux. Commissioner Cameron of the Boundary Survey has concluded a treaty with them. And this badge is a sign – the force has gone on and is now about 50 miles ahead of us, we expect to catch up to them in two or three days. On our way up we drove one pair of horses in our wagon & led the others, one pair had the misfortune to break loose two or three times and we had to send back for them – which delayed us considerably. I do not know yet what our direction, our address will be, but think that if anything will reach us a letter to Nevitt Assistant Surgeon N.W. Mounted Police Dufferin. We are taking on a lot of letters to them now, also a large mail for the Boundary Survey & such opportunities will arise during the course of the summer. The Police expect to get back to Garry for the winter – a portion being left at Fort Ellier Pely & Edmonton – during the winter a monthly mail will be established between Garry & the outposts. We have along with us ten days rations hard tack pork tea & sugar, with a few boxes of sardines, and a gallon of whiskey. Chapman takes this along & he ought to know what to take – it is vile stuff. The mosquitoes have not yet been excessively troublesome but enough to keep me awake in the wagon yesterday evening. Goodbye for the present. We are just about starting 10 miles beyond the Pembina Mountains about 40 miles from here is our destination for tonight. Goodbye – goodbye.