The Benton weekly record., 1882-11-16
Of Two English Gentle.
mem I'm the British Northwest
Territory.

A gentleman left Benton on last Tues
day afternoon who deserves more than
q passing notice. We refer to the Hon.
Alexander Staveley Hill, NJ. 2. Of Oxley
Manor, near Woverhampton, West STAFF
fordshire, England. Mr.. Hill is also a
Queens Counsellor and counsel TO the
Court Of Admiralty, and in politics is a
Tory. He and his son, Mr.. Henry Stave-
ley Hill, and Messrs. j. r. Craig, w. Cor
rier, and F. Jordan, arrived in Benton last
Friday from the British Northwest Terri
tory, and in an interview, had with him
at the Grand Union Hotel, gave Us the fol-
lowing very interesting story:
His constituency is composed Of iron
manufacturers and agriculturalists, and
those Of them desirous of emigrating, ask
ed his advice to what county they should
60 to and he told them that he thought
Canada. but that he would 60 there and
see the county, and then he could tell
them better f. therefore came to Mani
toba ais year where he spent six weeks,
made up his mind to retur't this year and
take d look at the Northwest Territory.
The rest OF his story can be better told in
his own words.
II left the House of Commons 7on the
9Th of August last, and in company with
nv son sailed from Liverpool In the steam
er Partisan, Of the Allan Line, direct for
Quebec, where we arrived on the I7th ot
August last. and in Toronto three days
! route to Dn}nth. thence 10 Winnipeg by
the way OF G|ynton, Minnesota. At
Winnipeg got my train together and we
proceeded by the way Of the Canadian PA
cific to the end of the track, which was
then. Sept. 4th. at Moose jaw creek. AT
that time the railroad was advancing from
Moose Jaw creek forward, ut the rate Of
three and four miles a day, and at that
place we got into our two wagons which
we had purchased at Winnipeg, and also
taking with Us two saddle horses, proceed
I'd along he trail to Fort Walsh We left
the projected line Of the Canadian Pacific
railroad at Swift Current creek, then the
terminus Of the railroad grading, and
| which was fifty miles northeast Of FOrl
| Walsh. From there We proceeded to Fort
Walsh where VIC arrived on Monday, Sept.
/ l1th last, aud from there We drove by the
way Of Cypress wood and Chin Coulee to
St. MarY's river, thence to where the Lit
4 ~ D>,z Doli
where we spent three days in driving and
surveying the grass country on the Little
Bow river. From there, as our horses
were quite up to fortY-tW0 miles a day,
we crossed Al arid plain without water
and struck southwest to the elbow Of the
Old Man river, and thence in a north
westerly direction tor d point on the Will
low creek where we had arranged to meet
friend. From there we went to small
ranch which had purchased and stayed
there for few days, and then went with
a party Of eight persons, a heavy wagon
and two saddle horses, on al excursion to
the Porcupine Hills. The snow commenc-
ed falling heavily on our second day out
on Sunday morning, Sept. Both. there
was the heaviest snow storm ever known
in that country. After we had camped
near one Of the forks Of Willow creek, at
the foot Of the Rockies, we discovered that
we only had one days provisions, and
snow at the the time two feet deep. sent
. messenger we'll acquainted with the
country, back to the ranch for supplies,
and Oh account Of the snow falling with
increased depth, he was unable to return.
and in three or four days afterwards we
were reduced to great extremities for
want Of provisions, and just az we were
about to kill 4 horse for food a prairie
chicken flew into tree near our camp and
great interest was depicted In the coun-
tenances OF All Of our party as | raised my
gun to shoot it, as we Ill we'll knew that if
missed my mark we would be reduced to
Il horse diet, but fortunately such was not
the ease, and Brought it down, and soon
afterwards we discovered the whole cOyey
consisting Of six prairie chickens, from
which the one | shot came, and secured
them all. We lived upon these and the
trout which we caught in the creek near
by, until the following Friday, Oct 9Th,
when food fpr our horses also gave out
entirely, and III the meantime the snow
had become much deeper, but As it was
clear overhead, we determined to make
4 strike for home. With very
great labor we Waded through the snow
and got seven miles on the first day, ana
BY shooting a few prairie chickens on the
road, and catching trout III q stream that
we came TO, and there finding plenty oil
dry wood, we managed to have comfor-
table camp. The next day the snow be
gan to melt and we got Oh ten miles fur
ther. Our lartler becoming empty the
next day, We mad to start without our
breakfast, but ny working away very hard
we got to the ranch at ten o'clock al
night after being 26 hours without food
After spending 4 week it the ranch and III
! Fort Macleod, we travelled for two days
TO the Crows Net Pass and looked at tie
Butte and the land adjoining. was very
much struck with the country and after
spending a few days there, purchasing
horses and cattle, we left to see q little o1
Montana on our h9meward Journey. We
left Fort Macleod on October 22d, anC
:. 4,,ox,o ~ II, i. .,-nt- 80 Tx1,zx+,.,a,