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Paddled to Pelly.  
 
A trip of the Pioneer Steamer Marquette (Printed in the Manitoba Free Press, Monday July 18, 1881.)  
 
This article gives an interesting insight of transportation on the Asiniboine River.  
 
The Steamer “Marquette”, of the Northwest Navigation Line, arrived in port on Saturday evening having succeeded in reaching Fort Pelly on the Assiniboine River on a recent trip. Two years ago, (1878) contrary to general anticipations, this pioneer boat was the first steamer to reach Fort Ellice, the furthest point to which the river had previously been ascended being Rapid City. Lading just below the Grand Rapids, Fort Ellice then became looked on as the head of navigation, principally, probably, from the fact that a bridge across the river at that point prevented boats from passing further up. Last winter, (1878) through the exertions of Mr. Drew M.P., the Dominion government passed an order in council for the bridge to come down, but the spring floods saved any work at the job by sweeping the structure away. Mr. McAuthur decided to attempt the passage of the river as far as Pelly on the recent trip of the Marquette, the venture being perfectly successful, as will be seen by the following Log and accompanying Notes furnished by the Purser, Mr. H. R. Jones:  
 
July 2 – Left Ellice at 3 p.m. with a small quantity of fright for Fort Pelly. Water was very strong the first hours of the run, afterwards decreased in strength. Stopped at 7 p.m. and took on about three cords of Poplar, (fire wood). River very crooked, but wide, with plenty of water. Left at 9 p.m. and tied up at 10 p.m. and took on two cords of Poplar and left.  
 
July 3 – Ran from 4 a.m. till 10 a.m., cut two cords of wood, and left at 11 a.m. and ran till 9 p.m. and then tied up.  
 
July 4 – Cut three cords of Poplar and left at 5:30 a.m., passed mouth of Shell River at 6:30 a.m., stopped from 7 to 7:30 a.m. and from 10 to 11 a.m. and took two cords of Poplar, and ran till 12 noon, when the boilers were cleaned, and five cords of dead wood taken on, on four feet of water.  
 
July 5 – Left at 4 a.m., stopped at 10 a.m. and cut six cords of Poplar, leaving again at 1 o’clock p.m. Passed Indian Wigwam at 7:30 p.m. and took Indian Chief Cote’s son, and at 8 p.m. tied up at Indian Reserve, 20 miles by land from Fort Pelly. Mr. Johnson, the Indian farm instructor, was met by Captain, and clerk, two miles from the landing, as the Indian had misinformed them that the Fort was only two miles from the landing.  
 
July 6 – Left at 3:30 a.m. stopped at six and took on 6 cords of Poplar, and left again at 9 a.m., the river being very crooked sand water high, in many places forming lakes, three or four miles square. Advantage was frequently taken of this by leaving the river bed and steering across these lakes to the river again, thus cutting off many of the bends, and shortening the distance sometimes as much as four or five miles. At 4 p.m., after crossing a lake we unfortunately stuck on the river bank trying to get into the river, and did not get off till 9 o’clock, and until we had put off our freight and the heavy movables on deck. We were some 800 yards from shore and there being no trees, a Dead Man had to be planted on the shore, and the boat backed with the Nigger Stern, (This is a Capstan or Gypsy, mounted on the deck at the stern of the boat) foremost into the lake, there being only a foot of water on the river bank. We lay all night and took on a little driftwood.  
 
July 7 – Took on more deadwood and proceeded at 5 a.m. to where the freight lay, took it on and steamed up stream, but made poor time owing to strong wind and the river being very crooked. From the Indian Reserve to Fort Pelly, it must be quite four times as far by river as by land. The bends being sharp it was necessary in nearly every case either to use the line or set the boats head off the bank with poles. From Ellice to the Indian Reserve, the timber, consisting principally of poplar, is very plentiful and sound. It lines the banks on either side with scarcely any interruption and runs back on an average about a mile. The country back from the river is good rolling prairie, with patches of timber, but from the Reserve to Fort Pelly the country in the vicinity of the river is lower, broken land, with a good deal of brush. The banks are low and marshy, with willow bush and very little timber. The land however, back from the river a short way is excellent, and it cannot be long before it is settled up now that it is ascertained that the river is navigable for a boat the size of the Marquette, and that settlers and their effects can be conveyed there without difficulty. The timber beyond Fort Pelly consists principally of Tamarack of considerable size, and a Steam Sawmill is about to be erected not far from the Fort, which will also be considerable help towards attracting settlers to that part. There is quite a large settlement near the mouth of Shell River and several wealthy settlers who speak very highly of the soil, and indeed the country there presents a most attractive appearance for agricultural purposes. Some of the settlers are Stock raising on a very considerable scale.  
The wind blew so hard at 11 o’clock that we made fast near a clump of dead Poplar and took them for firing. At 7 p.m. the engineer reported that the bolts of the clamps had sprung out. The boat was therefore made fast for the night.  
 
July 8 – Left at 3 a.m. and made very little progress, owing to high winds and the very sharp bends in the river. At 10 o’clock we made fast near a clump of trees and took on 210 cords of Poplar. A mile from the river several Wigwams could be seen and the Captain and the Clerk walked back to one of them, and ascertained that the land there was about to be set-aside for an Indian Reserve. Several Indians were working the ground and they stated that Fort Pelly was ten miles distant by land, and thirty-five miles by water. Three Indians were then engaged to work on the boat to Pelly and back to their camp, as the Roosters, (Labourers who loaded and unloaded freight and timber) we had were nearly played out, having had to work a good deal in the water when making the bends. With Sounding Poles of fifteen feet it was seldom that the bottom could be felt in the middle of the river, and within three feet of the bank, the depth averaged five feet. The river from the Cote’ Indian Reserve to Pelly is seventy-five feet and quite navigable for a Boat 100 feet long. Major Griesbeck, of the Mounted Police, with Mr. Johnston the Indian Farm Instructor, came on board at 5 p.m. and remained with us to Pelly. At 6 p.m. the wind having abated somewhat, we started again and ran until 10 p.m. when we tied up for the night.  
 
July 9 – Left at 3 a.m. and at 9:30 stopped for new bolts to the clamps, the old ones of which had broken. The opportunity was taken of getting on two cords of dead wood, which lay upon the bank. We left again at 10:30 a.m., and sighted Pelly at 4 a.m. and though apparently only four miles distant in a straight line, it must have been fifteen miles by water, the river being more crooked than was experienced during any other part of the trip. Arrived at Fort Pelly at 3 p.m., discharged our freight, which Mr. McBeth had conveyed in carts to the Fort a distance of three-quarters of a mile from the Steamboat landing. Mr. McBeth stated that at one time the river was nearly dry at Fort Pelly, but during the last three years the quantity of water and size of the river had so greatly increased as to render, according to his opinion, navigation to Pelly for a small Steamboat an easy matter for at least three months of the year.  
 
July 10 – Left Fort Pelly at 6 a.m. stopped one hour and a half for four cords of dead wood at 10 a.m. and at 2 p.m. stopped again and cut eight cords of Poplar. Left at 5:30 p.m. and ran all night.  
 
July 11 – Stopped at 8:30 a.m. at the Cote’ Reserve and took on 4 ½ cords of Poplar which the Indians had cut for the boat. Left at 9 a.m. stopped again from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. and cut five cords of Poplar at the Marquette’s wood yard: tied up for three hours.  
 
July 12 – Stopped between 6 and 8 a.m. to repair the wheel. Passed mouth of Shell River at 10:30 and 2:30 p.m. took on Messer’s. Crombie and Fisher and reached Ellice at about 4 a.m.  
 
July 13 – Took on a small quantity of freight and several passengers, leaving Fort Ellice at 1 p.m., arriving at Oak Mission, which is still considerably under water, at 7 p.m. the next evening. Arrived at Brandon at daybreak on the 15th. Left there at 9 a.m. and arrived at Portage at 2:30 a.m. on the 16th. At Poplar point delayed to take on 45 cords of wood, starting from there at 1 p.m. and arriving at Winnipeg at 7.30 p.m. on the 16th.  
 
Note #1: one Cord of wood measures 8 feet X 4 feet X four feet.  
 
Note #2: On display at the riverbank discovery Center is a Paddle Wheel from the S.S. Empress of Ireland, which was built in 1909, and destroyed by fire in 1911. Captain Rolston Large rebuilt it the following year. It w3as used to run excursion trips on the Assiniboine.  
 
 
For more stories of the River Boats, Daly House Museum has reprinted the book by Mr. Roy Brown called Steamboats of the Assiniboine, its available at Daly House Museum, or from me.