Jarvis Pass - Part 16 - Feeling Like A Bird

Fort Garry, Manitoba,

22nd May, 1875.

My Dear Edward, —

We were two days from St. Ann’s to Edmonton; spent five days there; had a good deal of vomiting and diarrhoea, which lasted nearly to Fort Pitt. We were four days to Victoria, and rested there two days. Nine days more to Pitt where we stayed one day. Nine days from Pitt to Carlton where we rested five days. We left Carlton on the 8th May, and were at Ellice on the 15th; stayed there only half a day and reached Portage la Prairie on the morning of the 20th. Then Jarvis and I took the stage and got here yesterday. We left the Stewart Lake Indians at Edmonton to return in the spring, Johnny, Alec, and a guide (Norris) a trader, came through with us. I cannot here give you a description of our day’s journey, of securing rides on horseback, riding on carts, camp, and all the rest, but it was jolly, fine Weather and plenty of grub. I now weigh 163 pounds, more than I ever weighed, and I feel like a bird, but hungry yet. We left Edmonton with horse sleds (toboggan), at Victoria we packed our horses and left sleds. At Pitt we left pack saddles, got some fresh horses and carts and came to Carlton. At Carlton more fresh horses, at Ellice more fresh horses and a waggon which we engaged to the Portage. From St. Ann’s to Fort Garry we were just fifty-one days, thirty-seven of which were spent in travelling, and the others in loafing.

Some time I may give you an account of the trip from Edmonton (nearly 900 miles) of the game on the prairie and the prairies themselves. But now I’ll conclude by thanking the officers of the Hudson Bay Company for their generosity and good nature. Every one of them did his best to make us comfortable, took us to his own house, though we were perfect strangers to all of them west of Ellice. There I found two old friends of mine, who had partaken of our hospitality when we kept house it Fort Garry, two years ago.

This has been a hard trip from first to last. One that I will never forget, and never repeat, I hope. I am now in the office here, waiting for orders to go somewhere to work, and making  the plan, a tracing of which I send you.

My eye has just caught this sentence in Jarvis’ report, which I have been reading (his report to the Chief Engineer, Mr. Fleming ): " I cannot refrain from mentioning In terms of the highest praise, my assistant, Mr. Hanington, to whose pluck and endurance the success of the exploration is so largely due. ”

I put this in because I am proud of it, and I will add that that one sentence from Jarvis is pay enough for all I did through the winter. Jarvis has gone to St. Paul to see a friend, so I am alone here, except that I have any amount of friends who are kind as ever.

And now good bye.

Your loving brother,

CHAS.