New-York tribune., 1879-06-03

| snip. A few cigars, perhaps, are piouuceu ae Z"
rare treat from some unknown chest in which they
have lain buried for years. Everything is done to
make the visit of the traveller agreeable and to
prolong it to the utmost. When he finally takes
| his departure he is followed with the good wishes
of the residents to receive the same cordial treat
ment at his next stopping-pace. The mess table
moreover is not without attractions of more sub
| stantal kind. The officers of the post are all
good livers. The larder is stocked. with all
the productions of the surrounding coun-
| try. Wild game and fish, which abound IN
the praires and rivers, of course, afford
the principal supplies But they are of the choicest
kind, and are selected from a great abundance.
There is the tender and juicy buffalo hump, the
moose nose, tremulous and Opaque as fruit jelly,
the finest and most savory water fowl, and the
freshest of fish, preserved by frost instead of salt.
Tie supply of vegetables is indeed, sadly deficient.
But the climate favOrs the consumption OF solid
food and the appetite soon becomes accustomed TO
| he quality of the fare. Bread is regarded as at
luxury The few sacks of flour which constitute
the annual allowance of each officer are carefully
boarded away by the prudent housewife, and
brought upon the table in the form of small cakes,
one of which is placed beside each plate at meal
times, the size being so regulated as TO afford a
single cake for each meal Of the year. The more
common vegetables, such as tuInipS and potatoes,
are successfully cultivated in places, and then
enter largely into the daily bill of fare Little at
tention is paid to the comforts of upholstery ana
furniture in the room, which is usually OF the
planest kind throughout the whole establishment,
| except when some amateur of decorative art takes
ii into his head TO deck his bedroom with more or
less ambitious aesthetic ornaments. AT SIX o'clock
in the evening the abors of the day terminate ana
the members of the community are at liberty TO
pass the remaining hours Of the twenty-tour at
their " own sweet will D.
with the younger porlion-the clerks, apprentices,
ana pOstmasters-oOnyersaton and the peaceful pipe
oce py prominent position in me passage Ol tlhe
Games too, arc in great demand, and every apartment
posses es its wa-tiumDed pack cards, its rude crib
blackboard, and sets OF wooden d0nlhees' h'au,ls
patton during the long Win. T evening" Books as tho
property OF private lnd'vduas nom ho u..no-i'i m ~
transporting them, are, however more se"tSo "1 Ia,
might be expected. To atone somewhat Tor tnls, the
company have established extensive hprares Tor -Ihc
use OF the officers and servants in many OF the larger
stations IN tue North, from which supplies Tor t1e adld
| reader may commend new books from ume To- lne,
Then. there comes once or twice during the winter
bringing long list Of letters be answered and PERI
odcsls from the outer world As III the remote North
ern posts the mail has year upon thc way tAe
file OF newspapers laid carefully each number
being produced and read It's date, year after pub
ucato is reached In Tie answering Of letters cousld-
erable difficulty experienced from the absence OF any
thing new 10 write about 10 oDVate Ins ana lloEut%e &C.
the requisite novelty, tine writer generally succeeds IL
composing single Ietcr having tHe dehieu ueELseS ~
spicEess InlS lie copies ana senu9 20 an tuG9o Unu G
whom lie is desirOus Of placing under the ODtat on or
/
mail occupation Tor the long evenings Is easily found,
until the returning dogrdn bears his correspondence
away, and with II thai method OF passing uhe. ..o
Parties studOuslY inclined often pass their spare
hours exercising heir skill upon one OF tue musical
its portable nature is most ordinarily selected and
the yOtary after Of years passed IN sedulous
practice usually attaius certain ghasy iae!1ty OF
in The service maj yiolm-strings are an
nudy forwarded part OF the regular outht Tor SAFE
in Northern districts. Under the inspiration OF THIS
instrument it is scarcely to be wondered that the
few HOLIDAYS Of the ard frequently Tie long even
ngs also, should be enyened win dances In which al
the dusky madons within halhng-dlstance OF tbe Iort
participate. II Is IN the enjoyment OF this pastne hai
le weaTled clerk finds his chef deght ana ne gs ana
reels the away the of mOnOtOBous and
Oft-repeaCd tunes On such occasions the company Is
cosmopolitan to a striking degree and all grades Of en-
plOyes mnsIe on terms OF inc most ueOcrauc eQuHy.
This SIMPLE uneventful life, as it glides peace
fully away, so grows upon the taste, that when an
officer has gained the means to enjoy more genial
conditions, he almost invariably prefers the attrac
tions of the old routine TO the charms of igher
civilization.
The author gives o singulary picturesque descrip-
tion of voyage TO a distant post, in which he
formed one of the company, consisting mainly of
halfbreed and Indian voyaseurs, to the number of
seventy OF more. The expedition comprised eight
boats which at the time of starting were decorated
with all the cOoTs of the rainbow. The wives and
swecthearts of the men in their bravest apparel
had assembled upon the beach for n parting word.
The crowd exhibited every variety of hue, from
the deep copper of the aboriginal to the pure white
Of the Caucasian Many of the women were of un-
mingled Indian blood. Long of straight
black hair fell over their shoulders Some of the
half-castes were truly handsome. They were re-
markable for grace, for supple shapeneSs, rather
than for comeliness of feature. They had the rich
darl, beauty of the Creole type. The voyageurs
themselves if Indian, were generally young men,
heavv-moulded, copper-colored and highly orna-
Tbn;r lair was Dlaite1
into small brads. from which hung bright-colOred
ribbons and feathers. About their thick necks were
broad bands of wampum, from which huge silver
medals, purchased at the company's store, We're
suspended over the throat. They wore broad
leather belts in which slung their fire-bags
beaded and quilted, containing pipe and tobacco,
flint and steel, and serving also upon occasion as
pocket-books.
The half-brced voyagour presented difierenttype'
He was a little above the medium height. with 1.-the,
active frame, and features regular to fault. His
complexion was nut-brown; his eyes black; and
long black hair in straight mass hanging down his
back He wore tasseed cap and capOte Of fine
blue cloth ornamented with two rows Of silver
plated buttons. He sportcd a varegated sash. cor
duroy trousers and the inevitable mOccasns In DIS
position, the halfbreeds are merry, llght-hearted
race generous, extravagant, and usually reckless
When IDLE they spend much of their time III sing
ing. dancing and gossipping from house to house
they are fond of drink, ndulging to excess on the
slightest occasion. and never stop till their senses
are lost in complete oblivion. They are intensely
superstitiOus, firm believers in dreams. omens and
warnings, and apt disciples of the Roman Catholic
faith.
Mr. Robinson has admirably succeeded in hitting
off the peculiar features of forest life and in follow
ing his graphic sketches the reader is almost made
10 feel the scent of the odorOus woods, and the
breath of refreshing air from the breezy mountain
tops. He is sometimes, to be sure, tempted to in
dulge in too vivid intensity of cOloring for the