| Summary: | THE LONG AGO. 10 instantly the flash of a gun was seen, but it appeared to have missed fire. I had no doubt the woman was the cause, and I insisted upon her return to her husband, but she would not go. I observed that the men had now made up a fire, when I called my servant man. I desired him to conduct her to the fire This he did much against his inclination. He had then the good luck to get her on board a canoe that was crossing. * * * 'On his wife's return her husband asked her where she had been. She made no secret of the matter, but said she was determined to go long with me. 'Well, then', said he, 'if you are determined upon leaving me I will at least have the satisfaction of spoiling your pretty face.' He instantly caught up a large firebrand, threw her upon her back, and held it to her face, rubbing it with all his might until the fire was extinguished, then letting her go. 'Now,' said he. 'go and see yojr beloved, and ask him if he likes you as well as he did before.' I am told that her face was in a horrid condition. I am sorry for it. She was really the handsomest woman of the river, and not more than 18 years of age." September 6 the captain writes: ■ "Bois Perie, near where we are camped has been a crossing for many years. The ground on both sides is beaten as hard as a pavement, and the numerous roads leading to the river a foot deep are surprising, and when I consider the hard sod through which these tracks are beaten. I am entirely at a loss and bewildered in attempting to form any idea of the numerous herds of buffalo which must have passed here." Two days later he writes: "We saw here the buffalo, all in motion, crossing from the east to the west side, directing their course to the Hair Hills. We chased several herds and had fine sport, but killed only two fat cows." Anything to gain trade seemed to be the motto and practice of these companies. Alcohol diluted to about three parts water was the article that was used as the favorite bribe, but occasionally oddities were introduced to vary the monotony of the "drinking matches" which generally prevailed. In one place in his journal Henry remarks that he was very much "plagued" by the Hudson Bay Co's., "fife and drum Drigade." In 1806 Captain Henry visited the country about the Mouse and the upper Missouri rivers. He speaks of Pembina affairs again in 1808, when, besides the annual shipment of peltries, there was exported from the country 3,159 pounds of maple sugar. The route of traffic with the outside world was then, and long remained, for the most part, by way of York Factory on the Hudson Bay. In 1808 the Rocky Mountain locust again appeared and swarmed over the country. Captain Henry came to an untimely end. Having gone west of the Rocky mountains, where the Northwest Fur company was now carrying on their oper ations, he was accident'.y drowned in the Columbia river, May 28, 1814. msMMZs® (fS-s^k r$:?m§> Scanned with a Zeutschel Zeta book scanner at 300 dpi. Edited with Multi-Page TIFF Editor.
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