THE OVERLANDERS 61

long trees were felled parallel and light poles
were laid across the floating trees. Where the
trees swerved to the current, some one would
swim out and anchor them with ropes till the
hundred carts had passed safely to the other
side.

It was the 21st of July when the travellers
came out on the high banks of the North
Saskatchewan, flowing broad and swift, oppo-
site Fort Edmonton. There had been floods
and all the company’s rafts had been carried
away. But the ox-carts were poled across by
means of a big York boat ; and the travellers
were welcomed inside the fort.

The arrival of the Overlanders is remem-
bered at Edmonton by some old-timers even
to this day. Salvoes of welcome were fired
from the fort cannon by a half-breed shooting
his musket into the touch-hole of the big gun.
Concerts were given, with bagpipes, concer-
tinas, flutes, drums, and fiddles, in honour of
the far-travellers. Pemmican-bags were fe-
plenished from the company’s stores.

Miners often uttered loud complaints against
the charges made by the fur-traders for provi-
sions, forgetting what it cost to pack these
provisions in by dog-train and canoe. If the

Hudson’s Bay officials at Fort Garry and