THE QUEEN'S HIGHWAY.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 298, 18 December 1886, Page 5

THE QUEEN'S HIGHWAY.

„„* PACIFIC TO ATLAKTI€

B j STUART CUMBERLAND.

roBBESPONDKNCE OJ? AUCKLAND P^ STAR ]

I;, . no. v. Winnipeg, August 14. "■ f the Indianß as well as tho major-half-breeds, who :iro of French ton tie father's sido, have embraced *"* Catholicism- Intenaoly euperstit- ' believers in dreams, omens, and W.. tha n om nn Catholic missionary "^ -them ready converts. Whilst, howobserving the forms of "S »ligi°n'thoy arQ aS a ru!° anythinS . «.m and are invariably untni3tL,t jiDcere> » jj.si.i----1 . a striking and terrible in- **^ of this was afforded in the *■ lake massacres, when the disciples of b ;( e man's religion rose up and killed ' erf priests who had been instrumental f'w'nvertiDg them. The converted then, whether he bo a woolly-headed Jribw/a-sleek and eniiling Hindoo, or a V^Lg^ned North American Indian, is as ""^il thine a pretty h:-.A lot. He is 'CSuith! money, blood and trouble forer his conversion. But we Obria? ffoalish peoPle having hit foul's wol«mnch at heart, determine upon conrftahim whether ho wMioa it or no. f-iUv be does not wish it. The negro 1 • ant with his ivory fetish, the Hindoo ' Swlation in throwing rice at Shiva's Tv» whilst tho red man ia happy in tho ttfaitbcf his fathers. They may bo Sw,»nd lt is p°s-ibl° th°y mayrisver She Great Spirit as we, being the tatrne Christians, fancy we shall, but !*j wheedle and coax, and when that fail-:, fStmtnp H»om into a form of roligion S they seldom really ob3crvo and cerSrnefer actually underhand ? Battolteturn to the red man at Stoney Mmntato. In addition to Big Bear, I made Aaacaoaißtance of two other. Indians confinadtothe Penitentiary on alike charge. Thwweraworking in the warden's house ; ndVfcriwl could judge they were reBubbly quick and uee'ul. Mr Bedson, Ts jus an excellent knowledge ofludim Smiscter, told ma that tho Indians made ncelleat'domestic eery; nte, the lightness nlthework suiting them thoroughly. This hof-coarse when you take them young. fllO bairns I saw in the houae wore young. They went about their work cheerfully and Ijlingly. As for their activity it wa3 a ding tobe admired. Th> y were up and im the Stairs carrying pails of water or mmeotherburdenwithextraordinary agility. leoaldDOt speak their language, and they nre not conversant with my own. But I •toned to them, and they interpreted tho Smswith commendable acutene??. Thore nano doubt as to their intelligence, nnrl imjdTwassorry to i=eo such men in durXM yfle for taking a part in what they at: (ietims but dimly comprehended. Neither dthfi'yoang bucks were handsome, but there was a certain determination, and reBktoneS impressed upon their faces, even rien in repose, that made them at loast dfetiiictive. There wera about the eyes and Booth those hard and sh-.rpiy defined lines which'no Indian, who haa lived tho wild Bed the prairie, seems to be without. In oritement or in pleasure the expression, loww/atoDCO changes. The face warms ipiith a sudden glow, and the set featarss assume a vol>itilones3 and oxpresifon of life altogether unexpected. At beet, however, they cut but a sorry figure in their convict garb. One always , wocules Red Indians with flowing buffalo rabai much, be- beaded and beco'oured, their feat in moccasins, and their legs in deersMri leggins. It is only on stato occaaonaor when they are on the war path thatttey wear the feathered vertebra and palnl(jar faces. The Indian loves finery oi'WS'iißtive and European manufacture, andhoiillimperil bi3 very soul in order to o»B(^&ordinat« passion in this directraa Mi famillc,: the braves, however, (fein?tneir finery, wearir»e, like the ecoloaisl white man, their oldest clothes. - Indian Love of European Dress. Altooa as the redman comes . contact with civilization he .conceives a truly Birrellous passion for European fashions Eijtarteisnot a nice one, and he will not infrequently give skina which have cost liiweeka of labour and craft in exchange for*wallow-tail coat and a chimney pot bat, neither of which articles is of the ilght«t earthly use to him. In the other mrM which he hopes in duo course to reach tiny cannot count for much. Besides what wold his forefathers think of his pursuing tha buffaloes' shade? in such a fantastic illWt It is just possible though, that the ipirit'.on awakening will think better of taMajr with him to the happy huntine grounds, the top hat and dress coat wlfiuh wfflhare been buried with the body after ienth. ; It is-curious how much the Indian idmires the chimneypot hat., and how he fe impressed with tho idea that in searing it he has reached the height of *MeH'arSMing. The other rlay I came acroaa an old bravo who was simply attired inu old-fashioned chimney-pot. Of other •rtidwof. wearing apparel ho had absolutely none. I suppose ho was afraid of "Uning'thaeffect of his head-gear by donling eyw a pair of leggins. The solemn owner in which he strutted in front of hi* tentwjw a thing to be remembered. Luck--3y fir him the weather was warm, and there Were nomoequitos abon'. Savage BM« are apparently unaware of or unatus&ed at their nakedness. In going '. MM»g«ttheiD one so often see? young folk —Md even people old enough to know Mttar-^attired in the costume of the Greek sire (save rome of them, it is true, do make 'fwtenpsof biding their body; with a piece ™Uiin string tied round their loins) that one Wrt only gets need to i*-, bat is not. unfre quetitly found asking one's self if after all we wrselvM are not somewhat ovar-dre'ssed .*"W is Bu'ch a freedom, cheapness, and Mturilneßa abent nakedness that I fear is Mrribly contagious— at least in countries Miera it is sufficiently warm to be indulged «>j .'3ttt an Indian in a convict dre?p, with 8 large black number stamped on his pants jsnnot be expected to cut a very irapoeing Wa*' And it destroys one's romance to Jju "RnnniDg VVater " -described as No. • w> or to see " Setting Sun " stop short *»» Mo. 30 is called out. Indians, to my ™d, seem bo many odd stones in a prisoc . although it is situated "toe open plain?, is not walled in, yet Winers find it nigh unto impossible to ¥rJ*l Some have tried to, 6ut only to "•MioWby the warders, whilst others have i 1? before reaching the copse some SlJiJ 8" distant, which might have °jj OI«ea them temporary shelter. Occasion- • does escape and finds safety ™ we other Bide of the line; but the tS*!.*' 6 all BgaJnst hiln) a thorough rtril t* kePt' nothir)g escaping the S, 6ve of the warders, who, from g^tata of vantage, can see everything jjl™J?oTea-over the open cround in any consequently the epcapea arefewer : prißon than from other prisons in t,'r* m'nion. Messrs Bedson and Secre•"nWohagre of the transport during the {«» V na I am much indebted y*ROod deal of information in connection jj^wni and for many interesting particufcdito CtiDg tbe habit 3 and customs of the 'Ob A era of Tame Buffaloes. U 0 .n6 f ? { f '°l i y chief objects in visiting Stoey OWM ,? waß *° Bee » herd of tame buffaloes f^y? "J Bedson. They are not only the OtovSr" 111 Ma«itoba but actually the only . »L!- t er wild or t!l"i9 throughout the J™J, ?f the North West. A few years t£ \o? t"*"'6B swarmed with b.iflraloPf, °(iw^hi Bd -in tao* was blank with them ; t»««»-iire '* not a single animal heIWi.- Bed River and tha Kockies Io&nd V® Wl'teen slaughtered by the tm^"" 8 «r the hnlf-breed hunters on the oatlio it and Englishmen sportsmenf?) Imffiiin ■• r a°me ypara Ben- when the *on«T Were Ple"Hfnl Mrßcdso.i acquired lwl!«,ijß' 8 ha'f-breed eo-ut, a few young Inan™?,? 0*19 which had benn captured by twJ , the Prairip. In tho ro'irso of Hrne letaiii kCrßa, Bßd' and. what i» more. whiUt ■HielrT , r natural points they lo^t *ild!,ff,their natural wildn«s -A« Hir 'o«nd ;f ° beean to di^ppear Mr Bedenn •"Wd; ? 8X" to impossible to add to his "' o'kS-* lßhinsto avoid ih* d6t- pr!oa+ion !!«)•»!„ rw^- hn tried the experiment, of co» Th • bliff*'o bull with the ijorawtic tor, H2, rFsnlt, hn« been omincntl v«a'ij=f*c-jj-r. ""htha first cro'sinf a half-breed c to^.. ou.teotoe. Thi?, if a heifer,- ia' rejS* a Pure bufFalo, if a bull, with bresaI'-°1??- W' tl>e result i- a three-quwter "lethofl -?^aninf? w»fh them the Fame fata h »yWo9 *'n£> 'heir progeny boromo •B a i s) . i^W alo 8--aspure in fact as the ovigi , tKf«» Mr Bedson's herd now consists

of 59 of these animals, and by the end of tha year their numbers will have considerably increased, It is, I believe, Mr Bodson's intention to turn tho breeding concorn into a companj, aa it ia anticipated that the venture would yield a handsome pro St. The head of a buffalo, for ornamental purposes, fetches £10, whilst tha roba fetches another £10. The meat would command a very fair price, whilst the tongue a perfect delicacy — would, either fresh or potted, bo in great demand. I think this crossing with the domestic ccv, if anything improves the character of the ekin in the matter of colour Tho buffalo robe pur et simple, i? ,i somewhat dirty brown, and thoroau, brindlo, black and red, inherited from the dams iond a brightness to it hitherto unknown. There are still, I believe, a fen.- email herds of buffaloes in Montana, and some of a smaller epecies in Texas ; but tho monarch oi' tho pruirio in his wild state, ia without doubt, a thing of tho past. Mr Bedson's herd will therefore ere long be worth a fabulous sum. Every distinguished visitor to tho North West makes a point of stopping off at Stony Mountain, in order to»catch a glimpse Gf those buffaloes ; bur, if he be pressed for time, it, is ten chances to one against his seeing them. They have a habit of roaming niiies away from the penitentiary, and were it not for tho vigilance o a half-witted herdsman -who has eoncaivot a wondrous affection for the animals, as well as for tho backshcesh they briny; him— they would, I expoct, wander away altogether. But I was determined uuon (serins; them, and as time wa^i no object, "Sec" and 1 wont in search of them, whilst Mr Bedson übtendol to tha duties of hid oflice. What a hunt wo had. We drove to the right and to the loft, eastward und westward, northward and southward, but Doer a trace of a buffalo did wo esa At lost I began to think that tha buffaloes existed but in " See's" imagination, and I told him so. Tha way in winch he glowered at mo at this remark mado mo shrink back in my ?c.it; for "Sec" stands about six feet ono —that ia when ho stands up straight .-and ho has a nasty habit of foieibly resenting any aspersion.-* on hi< veracily. Every man, no matter how great has this weak point, Richelieu was prouder of his doggerel verse than of his statesmanship, and " SecY particular weakness was to cmeider himself in the matter of truth telling far in advance of Gaorgo Washington. Ho couldn't toll aHo for tho life of him ; and yet eomo of hia yarns woro enough Jo nrou.-e~ doubts in tho mind of tho most confiding of new chums. When I shrank back in my seat fully expecting a torrent of uneoiijidered adjectives I was doi'iru'd to disappointment. "Sec" simply cocked his hat on one side, which wa? equivalent to another man clinching his teoth and after letting a fiery glance run down his no.=e, which, by tho bys, spelt supreme scorn, he lached vigorously at the old crock in the eh »fts. At first X was eorry for myself for tho crock set off svith a gallop, and after jolting us over the uneven ground he finally put. his foot in a badger hylo, stumbled, rolled, and pitched us out. on tha ground. When I gat up I saw " Sac " nursing his kneo. I was too far off to comprehend all "the good things that, ho was letting drop, but what I did hew was quite enough to mako me put my fingers in my o-jrs Presently hearose, with his hat stuck fiercely on the side of his head no matter what befell " Sec," that hat ever appeared to bo immovable—and on going to the trap he discovered that one of tho springs was broken. I cannot express his ejaculation ; for a moment I mistook it for an Indian war-whoop; but «hen I fully comprehended ifs meaninir, a deep blush tinged my cheek. I shall never forgot the way in which " i-'ec " went on Up to this I had no irlea of hia eloquence,' but I now cou'.d fully endorse all .iho good things thnn even bis most extravagant admirers siid of him. Somehow or other, it, teemed to do " See " gaod, and tho spring was quickly mended. " I feel hungry," he paid, as we mounted the trap and his faco lit up with that sweet smile which be considers-and ju->tlv toi-eo very killing. "But the Buffaloes ?• "Oh we'll find them after lunch." So wa returned to Storcey Moun tain to luncheon, leaving as yet tho whereabouts of tho buffalo undiscovered. After lunch I ?ot out ngain with a frn?h horse and trap. This <ime ono of the officials accompanied mo, "Sec" appearing to bo much too exhausted after hU recent exertions to do so. Besides, " S>»c " dearly loved a nap after me.'ils, which fact was taken advantage of by the mosquitien, who found in tho warmth of hU face a happy hunting ground of exceptional richness. The Dull Monotony of the Prairie. No ono who has not visited the great plains of tho Noith-v.est can in any way understand tho enormous difficulty tho novice rxperienc:s in tracing objects on the prairie. No mountains break tho monotony of the i-ky line ; the middle distance is devoid of winding river, and tho prospective is unfringed by wood or forest. Everything is a wilderness, and (he eye travefs over it to to tho farthe-t distance without ona effort of vision. Standing in the middle-of tho prairia, it presents the appearance of an imineiisesheefc slightly raised at bcth ends ; for, 33 a well known writer has pointed out. the levol plain has tho peculiarity of ssemingly being elevated in whatever point of tha coaspa-s one may turn, leaving the observer always? in depression, i'et co clear U tho atmosphere that tho natural range of vision is greatly extended, and distant objects may be clearly and easily seen, yet ono finds it difficult to ascertain tho relative distance of objects, and in oonso quonca to estimate their s;z", In fact, a< ia well-known, ono may mistake a bird for a bnffalo or a buffilo for a bird. This ia' readily accounted for, when it ia considered that the eye in ranging over a sea of short waving grass encounters no intervening objects which would afford it the means of •istimating relative size and distance. In proof of this I cannot count the number of times we mistook email chumps of bushes for the buffaloes, or hurried up to a few little mounds in the far distance thinking to find in them the objects of our search. It was a very hot day—somewhere about 90 degrees and I felt literally baked The mosquitoes, too, were not a little troublesome ;' but thoy were perfect angels as compared with the stinging ants in whoso territory wo frequently found ourselves. Directly the horaes' hoofs strike their hilly homes they arise in ewarms. It is impossible to defend oneself against them. Whiht you aro brushing away those who aro clambering around your neck thero will sure to be somo attempting to find a route from left to right by entering your ear. The rapidity with which they move and the energy'they display in attempting the passage impress the unfortunate victim with the idea that they are contesting for a wager. They crawl up your legs, run races down.your back or gallop through your hair in their inquisitive desire to know the name of your hatter ; and whilst you are blessing them or mildly desiring them to desist, they march in legions into your open mouth. Thon you experience the agreeable sensation of swallowing some of them, and your throat ii just as if you had had a mustard piaster put on it. How hard they are to swallow aod how they seem to cling loDg after you have given the final gulp. I can understand now why there are no teetotallers in these parts, and "Sec" bade me fortify myself with whisky. It waa quite useless to attempt ta drive out of reach of these pests ; for so long as the wind was with them they could keep up with you without any difficulty. But, against the wiud they could not make any sort of headway. Unfortunately our way lay with tho wind, and the nature ot the ground prevented our going fast, so that we had these black brutes with us for upwards of half an hour. And very lively company they proved too. So lively, in fact were they that I tingled and smarted all over-inside and out. My companion did not fare any better ; but I noticed that the ants had a certain respect for him ancT that whilst they swarmed all over his body they gave his mouth and face a wide berth. But then he had a rough Western tongue and he did not minea his words. I tiled to emulate him : but besides seriously imperiliug my soul I do not think I did m-ich ..ood ; the ants, in fact, took advantage of my anger to slip all the faster into my mouth. I am afraid these ants must have stored up an extensive knowledge 3 f "cross words" from their frequent association with traveller*. What a *l°"0'' 3 thing it would be if a mission could be sent co these out and out heathens ; they really do need converting from the errors of their way. At last we found the buff.v Ine* They were grazing peacefully, and apparently did not. resent our P»««»noe. They were certainly deserving of ad the ,?nod things t had heard of them. On re turning to Stoney Mountain I found Sec battling «-i:h a swarm of flyina ant* which had como in at the opjn windowface «ra? redder-than ever, and he had eyidently boon -much stung. Outward y, be waa a model of propriety, but inwardly, ne was, I fear, a raging volcano, aa the presence of tha prifbn chaplain prevented Dim giving vent to his feelings. In my nott lstte- I shall give some instances o? prairie life, and devots a little space to the' curious habits and superstitions of the Indians. - ■ - '