The United States also refused to allow soldiers or munitions of war to pass up their Sault Canal.

The rallying began in May, and though the troops were compelled to debark themselves and their stores at Sault Ste.

Marie, portage them around the Sault and replace them in the steamers again, yet all the troops were landed at Port Arthur on Lake Superior by the 21st of June, their officers declaring "our mission is one of peace, and the sole object of it is to secure Her Majesty's Sovereign authority." Some time was lost in endeavoring to use land carriage up from Port Arthur as far as Lake Shebandowan.

The difficulties were so great that the scouts were led to find another route for the boats up the Kaministiquia River.

In this they were successful; in all this worry from mosquitoes, black flies and deer flies in millions, the troops preserved their good temper, and Col.
Wolseley said, "I have never been with any body of men in the field so well fed as this has been." (July 10th.) The real start of the expedition was from Lake Shebandowan.