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This is a very funny book. The authors are very playful in the descriptions of the people they meet, starting with the drunk officer on the steamer over from the UK and the woman ready to meet her sweetheart at the docks. What really takes the biscuit though is the companion they pick up in Fort Edmonton, who has been abandoned by those he travelled with due to his personality flaws and probably lack of strength.

The section of journey with "Mr O.B." feels like a film in how he is a caricature of cowardice and physical ineptness. It feels difficult to believe, but what limited other evidence of the time concurs. The chap is twice the age of everyone else, and much as in a film, he learns some lessons. More believable though is that merely they are all starving to death and he actually goes into some kind of mental shock.

As the authors are the voyagers, it is no spoiler to say they all survive. They run out of food several times though, both on their journey and when they overwinter on the prairie.

For modern eyes though, the language is very racist, and the sentiment, not much less so. Métis are frequently described as savage and lazy, and most First Nations tribes they encounter are rated on how "civilised" they have become, despite being overwhelmed by their bushcraft and strength.

In 1872, as the Canadian Pacific Railway was starting to be built (on credit), the surveyors had a rough idea of the route between Winnipeg ("Fort Garry") and "British Columbia" but not exactly how to get there across the Rockies or where to end up in BC. So they crossed the continent, and journalled it, probably to make literally any money at all.

The Reverend on the trip has a lovely description of the scenery, possibly because some of this also includes some polemics on why Canada is much better than the USA in both land resources, and British temperament. He is clearly in favour of Confederation and against America's Manifest Destiny.

There's also some gorgeous prints of the landscapes which are most enjoyable.

However literally the point of all of this is colonialism and capitalism in the most glowing and literal terms. "How can we extract wealth from this land we now own" is all but a quote. There's a lot of coverage of the "Indians" or "the red man" and at best this is benevolent racism, talking about how they're friendly and just need civilising. Being Christian and living in a house is the ticket.