Walter Cheadle - Cheadles Journal Of Trip Across Canada: 1862-1863

A VIEW ON THE NORTH
THOMPSON, LOOKING EASTWARD.

Friday, July 17th. Milton & I have pretty nearly ascertained our respective losses. He is reduced to 6 plugs tobacco, one pair of very dirty & holey canvas trousers, 1 pair moccasins worn out, no boots, no coat, only leather shirt. Loss including horse estimated at 45. Mine estimated at 30. Watch, ring, sextant &c. mounting up. Yet Milton & I had a good laugh over it, & I think it has at least restored good feeling amongst us all. During morning we moved on to real Cache de Tte Jaune, a half days journey. Assiniboine & son looking along river for the horse in vain. I had a great row with OByrne: he was behind with the woman who was driving the little black horse. We had just crossed a bad swamp when he came running up to me & said, Doctor, Doctor, you had better go back. I hear the woman calling out. I said: Whats the matter? Oh, he said, I expect the horse has stuck in the bog. I said, Why on earth did you not stop & help her? Oh, said he, I ran away as fast as I could, afraid of losing you. I said, You miserable old woman, to leave another in such a fix, & running back I found the black down & fast enough in the quagmire, the woman having taken off the packs & trying to whack him into sufficient exertion to get out again. I set to work & helped her but, had not Assiniboine fortunately just come up in the nick of time, & it was all the 3 could do to haul him out. I walked back & found others already camped at the present Tte Jaune Cache. I blew up OByrne handsomely for leaving the woman in the lurch, & told him he would have to cry out a long time before any one came to help him now. He denied that the horse was fast when he passed, but the woman assured me it was so, & I believe her. He is the fellow who always cries out for help & needs it most from others, yet he is never ready to offer assistance & escapes giving it if possible. We have hardly spoken since. I think he richly deserved the lecture I gave him. The Fraser here is very rapid & rocky for the whole days journey; now very swollen; the Cache is just above the Grand fork of the Fraser & a small open space of a few acres of burnt ground on each side the river. We saw the smoke of the Shushwaps back slant on the other side & hope to cross there to-morrow. Dried things during the evening. We are supposed now to be on the other side the mountains, but we see nothing but their snowy tops on every side still.

Saturday, July 18th. The two Shushwaps transported all our baggage to the other side & ourselves also in a small dugout which would barely carry 3 people, and it was rather exciting work rushing down the rapid & over the waves; I was afraid OByrne would upset, but he came across very well, loosening his cravat in case he upset!We bought a great lot of wild pears, about the size of bilberrys, but rather lighter colour, growing on a small bush 1, 2 or 3 feet high; very good, & growing in enormous quantities here. They would have brought any amount for needles & thread, but we were obliged to stop the sale. An old woman made us a map of our road to Kamloops. No guide to be got, the two old men having gone with Yankees. Young ones know nothing. Total here 2 old men & wives, & 2 young men & do., several children. Women clothed in marmot-robes. Men in capotes & moose-skin breeches. Kids nearly naked. Live on the wild goats & marmots. Milton bought two marmot-robes, and I gave Harrys old brown blanket and an old flannel shirt for another. Milton also purchased some roots of a kind of lily which they eat; quite spoilt our rubaboo; very bitter; Milton of course swore it was delicious.

To remember to write to Dr. Hector for Louis Caropontier, Iroquois half-breed at Fort Jasper House, that he has given in charge to Mr. Christie, Edmonton, but received no acknowledgment, viz. 2 marmots (pair), 1 pair large mountain squirrel, 1 pair of gros suisse, 1 pair small mountain rabbit, 1 pair white mountain partridge, 1 pair of pied mountain ducks, ready stuffed.

Sunday, July 19th. Prepared for an early start, but heavy rain set in, & we went to bed again. The rain continued with slight intermissions all day & we were unable to move away, much to my disappointment. We went in the evening & ate wild pears. One of Shushwaps will come with us for a day if we give him a shirt. I promise him one of my 3 remaining white shirts. The Shushwap language very odd. Like speaking of idiot who cannot get his words out. Some words same as Cree. All anxious to start again. I sent letter by guide to Macaulay of Jaspers House, detailing our loss in case anything should turn up there by the Indians.

Monday, July 20th. Up & writing this before the sun; very suspicious looking clouds about; hope rain will keep off. Our road follows pretty wide valley running nearly N. & S. & nearly at right angles to the gorge thro which we have come. This valley runs on to Kamloops they tell us. The Iroquois prepares to return to Jasper House & crones over the little grey which he is to have in payment. When we are packing up, OByrnes horse is not there with the rest. Iroquois states he brought him up most of the way with one of his horses & could not bring him quite here. And Assiniboine states that he saw him then, & that he is probably close to somewhere, but he will not look for the property of such an idle old fellow as OByrne. We thought it was merely a little ill-will on his part towards OByrne, & that the horse was really close at hand & did not therefore interfere as it would do OByrne good to be frightened, & perhaps make him look after his things a little. Just before we started, the guide went off & shouted adieu from the other side of the river. The boy was then sent off by his father to look again for the horse. And the rest started leaving OByrne & his things to await the arrival of the boy with the horse. About mile on we met the young one; no horse. I now began to get very uneasy about the matter, & went back with the youth to assist in the search. And we searched well, asked the Shushwaps; they knew nothing, & what was conclusive of foul play somewhere, had found their band of horses with which the chocolate had associated since we arrived here. I therefore gave up the search, & taking OByrnes saddle & blanket he walked on & I followed. Presently descried Milton in the distance, returning from an unsuccessful tour, & further on our Shushwap guide & the young one do. do. We were evidently done somewhere, & Milton & I of course suspected that Mister Assiniboine had cached him intending to pick him up if he returned this way, and were considerably puzzled how to act, for we could not afford to have a complete rupture with Assiniboine & be left to our own resources. But when we catch up to our party the matter begins to leak out. Assiniboine says he has little doubt that the old Iroquois has bagged him, for he had told the boy that as OByrne was not content with his bargain, he would take the horse. And if we did not pay him satisfactorily he would bag all ours! And had tried to induce him to persuade his father to leave us here, as we had lost all our property & would not be able to pay him, &c. &c. We therefore concluded that the old fellow had got him, but no doubt with Assiniboines privity. OByrne, as he says, almost heartbroken as he has now lost everything of any value, viz. papers & horse. We make a very good journey; fallen timber small, fine road; level barren sand, with small cypress; dine near a lake; & camp for a night near where the road divides for last time. Americans with A. Cardinal very little further in two days; no rain but dull.