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 [ctd.]

As you see I have succeeded. Dr. Kittson was kind enough to lend me some. He has one of those magic inkstands pour in some water at one end & it comes out at the other a beautiful black ink. They are very convenient. Our guide who came in last evening brought a rumor from Wood Mountain that the Boundary Commission store at White Creek has been robbed by a band of Sioux Indians. Also that Capt. Cameron on his way to Wood Mountain had found five or six bodies laying exposed along the roadside scalped one was the body of a white man & he was tied to a tree and his body fearfully gashed. I do not know whether to believe him or not. Chapman says not. These Half Breeds & Indians love to bring news and cause a sensation. It makes no difference to them & should they be proved liars the next moment. I hope it is not true. In a day or two we will get authentic news from Wood Mountain. To day at dinner we had quite a feast, a splendid soup, made of pemmican, and with barley, corn and Beans, onions, etc., then a second course of boiled fresh Beef, our facilities for roasting are not the best – as a dessert we had some cornstarch & syrup. We always finish every meal with bread and syrup, when there is bread. We had a great row about the bread some days ago. It was cut into slices and put upon the table in plates and each one helped himself, well the natural consequence was that some got more than others, a pound of bread a day divided into three meals is not a great deal to men with prairie appetites. The early birds in this got all the worms, and those who were detained for any reason usually got none. A great outcry was raised, and then at breakfast each mans pound of flour made up into bread was placed at his place at the table. We divided these into 3 parts each one according to his taste, put our mark upon the remainder which was for our dinner & supper. This plan we found to work very well. Before that the meals were anything but pleasant and anything but satisfactory, particularly at times, ravenously hungry I would get up from the table with an appetite as unappeased as when I sat down. This latter arrangement appears to do away with anything of the sort. The men complain a good eal of the short allowances they have – but nevertheless they seem to thrive upon it. The great hardship with them is when on the march, some of the teams play out and are unable to catch up to the camp for some hours in camp has to do with out anything to eat until it comes up.

The wind is blowing today in fitful gusts now & then a sputter of rain and then clears off. Towards the north a large prairie fire is still burning, huge volumes of smoke brood along the ground, it has been burning for five or six days. There has not been rain sufficient to extinguish it. The wind only fans the flame and gives it new force & vigour. Our sick list is gradually diminishing. We are to leave a camp with all unnecessary stores here under the charge of a constable & a few sub constables forming a depot for the provisions of the troops on their backward march. I will of course not be here again. From Bow River Troops B & C go on through the Blackfoot country to Fort Edmonton. A Troop has already gone there. Troops D E & F will return. We expect to reach Bow River by the end of this month, or the beginning of next. No one knows how long we will have to stay there but all hope to get away soon. Prairie life is pleasant enough and I cannot complain of being necessitated to endure many very great hardships but I too will be glad when I am lodged with shingles above & boards below with a good blazing fire. I shall not be at all sorry, more especially when I think I may find letters there from you. I look forward with trembling too – for perhaps I may be disappointed. I hope not, and I will not. Round camp here it is a lazy life. Sick parade at 9 a.m. then visit the sick who are not able to leave their quarters & then the rest of the day is to myself, interrupted however by stray calls from those who do not feel well during the day. Now & then a slight hurt or accident comes under our notice and demands some slight attention but never yet have we had any serious accident. To day[sic] while at church we almost had one. One of the cooks was trying to clean one of the shot guns and in the most foolish manner stuck the breech in the fire & left it, another cook who was working round the same fire managed to be in front of it as it exploded the discharge blew the breeches of the man to atoms, and inflicted a bad bruise upon his leg. It fortunately happened that there was no charge in the gun only a piece of rag which was saturated with gun powder, had it been loaded the man’s leg would have been shattered beyond redemption. I left church to see him, and placed the careless fellow who had stuck the gun in the fire under arrest. He will tomorrow have to answer for his extreme carelessness. There is a carelessness manifested in every thing connected with the force even the placing & posting of the guard around the camp & of the picquet around the horses. A band of Indians could as easily rule the camp and scalp us all before we knew it. More stringency in this respect will now be enforced as we are about entering a territory swarming with Indians who will never refuse a scalp when offered to them. But good bye. My letter must close the man is now going. Good Bye. My love to all at home & my dearest dearest love keep with you.

Barrie