All travellers who had preceded me into the Barren Grounds had relied on the abundant game, and in consequence suffered dreadful hardships; in some cases even starved to death.
At each of these northern posts there were interesting experiences in store for me, as one who had read all the books of northern travel and dreamed for half a lifetime of the north; and that was - almost daily meeting with famous men.
At night we reached the Indian village of Pelican Portage, and landed by climbing over huge blocks of ice that were piled along the shore.
At this camp I had the unique experience of showing all these seasoned Westerners that it was possible to make a fire by the friction of two sticks. This has long been a specialty of mine; I use a thong and a bow as the simplest way.
Every traveller in the country agrees that the mosquitoes are a frightful curse.
Fort Smith, being the place of my longest stay, was the scene of my largest medical practice.
I am, always suspicious of a horse (or man) without guile.
I believe that natural history has lost much by the vague general treatment that is so common.
I have only one prejudice in horseflesh - I do not like a white one.
In southern settlements, where the Lynx is little known, it is painted as a fearsome beast of limitless ferocity, strength, and activity.
On the 27th we came to the Cascade Rapids. The first or Little Cascade has about two feet fall, the second or Grand Cascade, a mile farther, is about a six foot sheer drop.
The ancient feud between cat and dog is not forgotten in the north, for the Lynx is the deadly foe of the Fox and habitually kills it when there is soft snow and scarcity of easier prey.
The Hudson's Bay Company has always been the guardian angel of the north.
The name Peace River itself is the monument of a successful effort on the part of the Company to bring about a better understanding between the Crees and the Beavers.
The white spruce forest along the banks is most inspiring, magnificent here. Down the terraced slopes and right to the water's edge on the alluvial soil it stands in ranks.
Then, since the Lynx is the logical apex of a pyramid of Rabbits, it naturally goes down when the Rabbits are removed.
There are no Rabbits in the north-west. This statement, far from final, is practically true to-day, but I saw plenty of Lynxes, and one cannot write of ducks without mentioning water.
Though so trifling, the success of our first Buffalo hunt gave us quite a social lift.
We were now back at Smith Landing, and fired with a desire to make another Buffalo expedition on which we should have ampler time and cover more than a mere corner of the range.
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