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Show 206 PREPARATION FOR LEAVING FORT MC KENZIE. wards when, the water being low, they had to propel the boat by means of poles. In the fore part of the vessel was the apartment for the engages, and, on the deck, an iron grate for cooking : here, too, the game which we had taken was hung up. About half of our men were destined to tow the vessel when there was no wind. Formerly this was the only method of navigating the Missouri, till, about two years ago, the first essay was made with the steam-boat which now goes regularly to Fort Union. A voyage from Fort Louis to Fort Me Kenzie used to take eight months, and is now performed by the steam-boat in a little more than a third of that time. The number of men, destined by Mr. Me Kenzie for the voyage to the Blackfeet, consisted of double the usual crew of a keel-boat, and, including us travellers, amounted to fifty-two persons. I had taken many things, necessary for a long journey, from the Company's stores, but part of what I had brought from Fort St. Louis had been left at Fort Pierre, on the Teton River, the want of which I already felt, but had still more reason to lament in the sequel. All necessary arrangements for our voyage being made, Mr. Me Kenzie caused some fireworks to be let off before the fort on the bank of the Missouri, for the amusement of the people, which gave occasion to many jokes. The serpents dispersed the crowds of young Canadians, who had never seen anything of the kind before, and were called by their older, more experienced comrades, mangeurs de lard. |