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Title: Across the sub-Arctics of Canada
A journey of 3,200 miles by canoe and snowshoe through the Barren Lands
Author: James William Tyrrell
Illustrator: Arthur Heming
Release date: January 22, 2025 [eBook #75178]
Language: English
Original publication: New York: Dodd, Mead and Co, 1898
Credits: Peter Becker and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ACROSS THE SUB-ARCTICS OF CANADA ***
[Illustration: J. W. TYRRELL.
(_In Eskimo costume._)]
ACROSS THE SUB-ARCTICS
OF CANADA
A JOURNEY OF 3,200 MILES BY CANOE
AND SNOWSHOE THROUGH THE
BARREN LANDS
BY
J. W. TYRRELL, C.E., D.L.S.
_INCLUDING A LIST OF PLANTS COLLECTED ON THE EXPEDITION,
A VOCABULARY OF ESKIMO WORDS, A ROUTE MAP
AND FULL CLASSIFIED INDEX_
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS FROM PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN ON THE
JOURNEY, AND FROM DRAWINGS BY
ARTHUR HEMING
NEW YORK:
DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY.
1898
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER PAGE
I. TORONTO TO ATHABASCA LANDING 7
II. DOWN THE ATHABASCA 19
III. RUNNING THE RAPIDS 36
IV. CHIPPEWYAN TO BLACK LAKE 49
V. INTO THE UNKNOWN WILDERNESS 70
VI. THE HOME OF THE REINDEER 80
VII. A GREAT FROZEN LAKE 90
VIII. ON THE LOWER TELZOA 102
IX. MEETING WITH NATIVES 114
X. THE ESKIMOS 127
XI. CUSTOMS OF THE ESKIMOS 147
XII. DOWN TO THE SEA 172
XIII. ADVENTURES BY LAND AND SEA 181
XIV. POLAR BEARS 189
XV. LIFE OR DEATH? 199
XVI. FORT CHURCHILL 210
XVII. ON SNOWSHOES AND DOG-SLEDS 219
XVIII. CROSSING THE NELSON 229
XIX. THROUGH THE FOREST AND HOME AGAIN 240
APPENDIX
I. PLANTS COLLECTED ON THE EXPEDITION 251
II. ESKIMO VOCABULARY OF WORDS AND PHRASES 273
ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE
J. W. TYRRELL _Frontispiece_
J. BURR TYRRELL 8
OUR CANOEMEN 11
HUDSON’S BAY COMPANY’S TRADERS 13
A HUDSON’S BAY COMPANY’S INTERPRETER 15
A PIONEER OF THE NORTH 16
INDIANS OF THE CANADIAN NORTH-WEST 18
TROOPER, N.-W. MOUNTED POLICE, IN WINTER UNIFORM 26
LANDING OF SCOWS ABOVE GRAND RAPID 29
GRAND RAPID, ATHABASCA RIVER 31
ENGLISH-CHIPPEWYAN HALF-BREED 32
NECK DEVELOPED BY THE TUMP-LINE 35
SHOOTING THE MOUNTAIN RAPID, ATHABASCA RIVER 40
STORE, FORT MCMURRAY 41
CHIPPEWYAN CAMP 42
STARVING CREE CAMP, FORT MCMURRAY 44
A DANDY OF THE NORTH. A VOYAGEUR 46
AN ENGLISH-CREE TRAPPER 48
FORT CHIPPEWYAN 50
STEAMER “GRAHAME” 52
LANDING ON NORTH SHORE, LAKE ATHABASCA 56
A TYPICAL NORTHLAND FATHER 59
INDIAN LOG HOUSE 64
CATARACT, STONE RIVER 65
A DIFFICULT PORTAGE 67
INDIAN RAFTS LOADED WITH VENISON 69
A. R. C. SELWYN, C.M.G., F.R.S. 74
SCOTCH-CREE HALF-BREED 79
TELZOA RIVER 82
RAPIDS, TELZOA RIVER 83
HERD OF REINDEER 85
ICE ON THE SHORE OF MARKHAM LAKE 91
TOBAUNT LAKE 94
FRENCH-CREE HALF-BREED 101
RAPIDS ON THE LOWER TELZOA 103
MUSK OXEN 104
ESKIMO “TOPICK,” TELZOA RIVER 106
ESKIMO HUNTERS 121
GROUP OF ESKIMOS 122
ICELANDIC SETTLER 125
AN ESKIMO. ESKIMO WOMAN 126
HALF-BREED HUNTER WITH WOODEN SNOW-GOGGLES 134
SECTION THROUGH IGLOE 136
ESKIMO KYACK 141
ESKIMO OOMIACK 142
DOG-WHIP, WALRUS TUSKS AND BOWS AND ARROWS 146
HARPOONS, LANCES AND SPEARS 154
ESKIMO GAMES AND TOYS 163
HALF-BREED BOY 180
BLACKFOOT BOY 188
ENCOUNTER WITH POLAR BEARS 196
THE LAST OF OUR PROVISIONS 199
FRENCH SALTEAUX GIRL 209
REV. JOSEPH LOFTHOUSE AND FAMILY 212
RUINS OF FORT PRINCE OF WALES 216
ICE-BLOCK GROUNDED AT LOW TIDE 218
N.-W. M. P. “OFF DUTY” 228
HALF-BREED DOG-DRIVER 229
HUDSON’S BAY COMPANY’S STORE, YORK FACTORY 238
RED-DEER COW-BOY 239
DOG-TRAIN AND CARRYALL 240
CREE HUNTER’S PRIZE 250
[Illustration: _ROUTE OF THE TYRRELL EXPEDITION OF 1893 THROUGH NORTHERN
CANADA_]
ACROSS THE SUB-ARCTICS OF CANADA.
CHAPTER I.
_TORONTO TO ATHABASCA LANDING._
On the morning of the 10th of May, 1893, in response to a telegram from
Ottawa, I took train at Hamilton for Toronto, to meet my brother, J. Burr
Tyrrell, of the Canadian Geological Survey, and make final arrangements
for a trip to the North.
He had been authorized by the Director of that most important department
of the Canadian Government to conduct, in company with myself, an
exploration survey through the great mysterious region of _terra
incognita_ commonly known as the Barren Lands, more than two hundred
thousand square miles in extent, lying north of the 59th parallel of
latitude, between Great Slave Lake and Hudson Bay. Of almost this entire
territory less was known than of the remotest districts of “Darkest
Africa,” and, with but few exceptions, its vast and dreary plains had
never been trodden by the foot of man, save that of the dusky savage.
During the summer of 1892 my brother had obtained some information
concerning it from the Chippewyan Indians in the vicinity of Athabasca
and Black Lakes, but even these native tribes were found to have only
the vaguest ideas of the character of the country that lay beyond a few
days’ journey inland.
In addition to this meagre information, he had procured sketch maps of
several canoe routes leading northward toward the Barren Lands. The
most easterly of these routes commenced at a point on the north shore
of Black Lake, and the description obtained of it was as follows:
“Beginning at Black Lake, you make a long portage northward to a little
lake, then across five or six more small ones and a corresponding number
of portages, and a large body of water called Wolverine Lake will be
reached. Pass through this, and ascend a river flowing into it from the
northward, until Active Man Lake is reached. This lake will take two
days to cross, and at its northern extremity the Height of Land will be
reached. Over this make a portage until another large lake of about equal
size is entered. From the north end of this second large lake, a great
river flows to the northward through a treeless country unknown to the
Indians, but inhabited by savage Eskimos. Where the river empties into
the sea we cannot tell, but it flows a great way to the northward.”
From the description given, it appeared that this river must flow through
the centre of the unexplored territory, and thence find its way either
into the waters of Hudson Bay or into the Arctic Ocean. It was by this
route we resolved to carry on the exploration, and, if possible, make our
way through the Barren Lands.
[Illustration: J. BURR TYRRELL.
(_Leaving Fort Churchill._)]
One of the first and most important preparations for the journey was
the procuring of suitable boats, inasmuch as portability, strength and
carrying capacity were all essential qualities. These were obtained
from the Peterboro’ Canoe Company, who furnished us with two beautiful
varnished cedar canoes, eighteen feet in length, and capable of carrying
two thousand pounds each, while weighing only one hundred and twenty
pounds. Arrangements had also been made to have a nineteen foot basswood
canoe, used during the previous summer, and two men in readiness at Fort
McMurray on the Athabasca River.
Four other canoemen were chosen to complete the party, three of them
being Iroquois experts from Caughnawaga, Quebec. These three were
brothers, named Pierre, Louis and Michel French. Pierre was a veteran
canoeman, being as much at home in a boiling rapid as on the calmest
water. For some years he had acted as ferryman at Caughnawaga, and only
recently had made a reputation for himself by running the Lachine Rapids
on Christmas day, out of sheer bravado. His brother Louis had won some
distinction also through having accompanied Lord Wolseley as a voyageur
on his Egyptian campaigns; while Michel, the youngest and smallest of
the three, was known to be a good steady fellow, boasting of the same
distinction as his brother Louis.
The other man, a half-breed named John Flett, was engaged at Prince
Albert, in the North-West. He was highly recommended, not so much as a
canoeman, but as being an expert portager of great experience in northern
travel, and also an Eskimo linguist.
The two men, James Corrigal and François Maurice, who through the
kindness of Mr. Moberly, the officer of the Hudson’s Bay Company at
Isle-à-la-Crosse, were engaged to meet us with a third canoe at Fort
McMurray, were also western half-breeds, trained in the use of the
pack-straps as well as the paddle, and were a pair of fine strong
fellows. Thus it was arranged to combine in our party the best skill both
of canoemen and portagers.
Our reasons for not employing the Indians from Lake Athabasca were,
that these natives had on nearly all previous expeditions proved to be
unreliable. Such men as we had engaged, unlike these Indians, were free
from any dread of the Eskimos, and as we advanced soon became entirely
dependent on us as their guides. Besides, they were more accustomed
to vigorous exertion at the paddle and on the portage than the local
Indians, who are rather noted for their proficiency in taking life easy.
Next in importance to procuring good boats and canoemen was the
acquisition of a complete set of portable mathematical instruments, but
after some difficulty these, too, were obtained. The following is a list
of them: One sextant with folding mercurial horizon, one solar compass,
two pocket compasses, two prismatic compasses, one fluid compass, two
boat logs, two clinometers, one aneroid barometer, a pair of maximum
and minimum thermometers, one pocket chronometer, three good watches, a
pair of field-glasses, an aluminum binocular, and a small camera. These,
though numerous, were not bulky, but they comprised a part of our outfit
over which much care had to be exercised throughout the journey. A bill
of necessary supplies was also carefully made out, and the order for
them forwarded to the Hudson’s Bay Company’s store at Edmonton, with
instructions to have them freighted down the Athabasca River to Fort
Chippewyan, on Lake Athabasca, as early as possible.
[Illustration: OUR CANOEMEN.
François Maurice. Pierre French. John Flett. Jim Corrigal. Michel French.
Louis French.]
The above and a hundred and one other preparations having been completed,
my brother and I bade farewell to our homes, and on the 16th of May
boarded the North Bay evening express at Toronto. The journey was not
begun without the stirring of tender emotions, for to me it meant
separation, how long I knew not, from my young wife and baby boy five
months old, and to my brother it meant separation from one too sacred in
his eyes to mention here.
Once aboard the train we made ourselves as comfortable as possible for
a five days’ ride. I do not propose to weary my readers with a detailed
account of the long run across continent by rail, as it is not reckoned
a part of our real journey; in passing I will merely make the briefest
reference to a few of the incidents by the way.
It was not until after many delays between North Bay and Fort William on
the Canadian Pacific Railway, owing chiefly to the disastrous floods of
that year, which inundated the track for long distances, washed it out
at several points and broke one of the railway bridges, that we arrived
at Winnipeg, the capital of the Province of Manitoba. Upon reaching the
city it was found that our canoes, which had been shipped to Edmonton
some time previously, had not yet passed through. After considerable
telegraphing they were located, and it was found that they would arrive
on the following day. In consequence of this and other business to be
transacted with the Commissioner of the Hudson’s Bay Company, we were
obliged to remain here for a day. During our brief stay we were warmly
greeted by many friends, and were most kindly entertained at Government
House by the late Lieutenant-Governor, Sir John Schultz, and Lady
Schultz, to whom we were indebted for the contribution to our equipment
of several articles of comfort.
[Illustration: HUDSON’S BAY COMPANY’S TRADERS.]
The next day we bade our Winnipeg friends good-bye and took the C. P.
R. train for the West. The route lay through vast areas of the most
magnificent agricultural country, as a rule level and unbroken, save
by the innumerable and ancient but still deep trails of the buffalo.
Little timber was observed, excepting in isolated patches and along the
river valleys, and for the most part the land was ready for the plough.
Passing through many new but thriving towns and settlements by the way,
we arrived early on the morning of the 22nd at the busy town of Calgary,
pleasantly situated in the beautiful valley of the South Branch of the
Saskatchewan River, and just within view of the snow-clad peaks of the
Rocky Mountains. From Calgary our way lay toward the north, _via_ the
Edmonton Branch of the C. P. R., and after a stay of only a few hours we
were again hurrying onward. On the evening of the same day, in a teeming
rain, we reached Edmonton, the northern terminus of the railway.
Edmonton is a town situated on both banks of the North Branch of the
Saskatchewan, and at this time was in a “booming” condition, particularly
upon the southern bank. Many large business houses were being erected,
and property was selling at stiff prices. Edmonton is chiefly noted for
its lignite mines, which are worked to a considerable extent, and produce
coal of very fair quality. The seams are practically of unlimited extent,
and are easily accessible in many places along the river banks. Gold
is also washed from the sands in paying quantities, while the town is
surrounded by a fair agricultural and grazing country. Petroleum, too,
has been discovered in the vicinity, and indications are that in the near
future Edmonton will be a flourishing city.
The older part of the town is situated on the north side of the river,
and communication is maintained by means of an old-fashioned ferry,
operated by cables and windlass. As the Hudson’s Bay Company’s stores and
offices from which our supplies were to be forwarded are situated on the
north side, we crossed over on the ferry, and engaged rooms at the Jasper
House. Upon enquiry we were gratified to find that the supplies and men,
excepting the two who were to meet us later, had all arrived in safety.
Our provisions, which were to be freighted down as far as Lake Athabasca
by the Hudson’s Bay Company, had not yet gone, but were already being
baled up for shipment. The completion of this work, which was done under
the supervision of my brother and myself, together with the making up of
accounts and transaction of other business, occupied several days. But by
the morning of the 27th of May our entire outfit, loaded upon waggons,
set off on the northward trail leading to Athabasca Landing, a small
trading-post situated one hundred miles distant on the banks of the great
Athabasca River.
[Illustration: A H. B. C. INTERPRETER.]
Two days later, being Monday morning, my brother and I, accompanied by a
driver only, started out in a light vehicle in rear of the outfit. The
weather was showery, and the trail in many places very soft. Occasionally
deep mud-holes were encountered, bearing evidence of the recent struggles
of the teams of our advance party, but as we were travelling “light,”
we had little difficulty in making good progress. Later in the day the
weather cleared, permitting us to enjoy a view of the beautiful country
through which we were passing. As to the soil, it was chiefly a rich
black loam, well covered, even at this early season, between the clumps
of poplar scrub, by rich prairie grass. A few settlers were already in
the field, and had just built or were building log cabins for themselves
on one side or other of the trail. A little farther on our way the
country became more hilly, the soil more sandy, and covered by the most
beautiful park-like forests of jack-pine. Many of the trees were as much
as fifteen inches in diameter, but the average size was about eight.
[Illustration: A PIONEER OF THE NORTH.
(_Drawn from life by Arthur Heming._)]
After passing through some miles of these woods we again emerged into
more open country, wooded alternately in places by poplar, spruce and
jack-pine. About nine o’clock that evening, when half-way to the Landing,
we reached the Height of Land between the two great valleys of the
Saskatchewan and Athabasca rivers. Here, upon a grassy spot, we pitched
our first camp. As the night was clear no tents were put up, but, after
partaking of some refreshment, each man rolled up in his blanket and
lay down to sleep beneath the starry sky. We rested well, although our
slumbers were somewhat broken by the fiendish yells of prairie wolves
from the surrounding scrub, and the scarcely less diabolical screams
of loons sporting on a pond close by. An effort was made to have the
latter nuisance removed, but any one who has ever tried to shoot loons
at night will better understand than I can describe the immensity of the
undertaking.
About nine o’clock on the evening of the 30th of May we arrived at
Athabasca Landing, only a few hours after the loads of supplies, which
we were glad to find had all come through safely.
[Illustration: INDIANS OF THE CANADIAN NORTH-WEST.
BLACKFOOT IN WAR-PAINT.
CREE WOMAN.
BLOOD BRAVE IN WAR-BONNET.
CREE DIGNITARY.
SARCEE BRAVE.
(_Drawn from life by Arthur Heming._)]
CHAPTER II.
_DOWN THE ATHABASCA._
The town of Athabasca Landing consists in all of six log buildings,
picturesquely set in the deep and beautiful valley of one of the greatest
rivers of America. Though not of imposing size, it is nevertheless an
important station of the Hudson’s Bay Company, being the point from which
all supplies for the many northern trading-posts along the Athabasca and
Mackenzie rivers are shipped, and the point at which the furs from these
places are received. In order to provide for this shipping business, the
Company has a large warehouse and wharf.
It is a fact I think not very well known, that from this place up stream
for about one hundred miles and down for fifteen hundred miles to the
Arctic Ocean, this great waterway, excepting at two rapids, is regularly
navigated by large river steamers, owned by the Hudson’s Bay Company and
employed in carrying supplies for their posts and the furs which are
secured in trade. Because of these two impassable rapids the river is
divided into three sections, necessitating the use of three steamers,
one for each section. Goods are transported from one boat to the other
over the greater part of the rapids by means of scows, but for a short
distance, at the Grand Rapid, by means of a tramway built for the purpose.
As we had previously ascertained, the steamer _Athabasca_ was due to
leave the Landing on her down-stream trip on or about the 1st of June,
so, taking advantage of the opportunity, we shipped the bulk of our stuff
to Fort Chippewyan, situated about three hundred and fifty miles down the
river on Lake Athabasca. Everything excepting the canoes and provisions
sufficient to take us to Chippewyan was loaded upon the steamer. Letters
were written and sent back to Edmonton by the drivers, and on the evening
of the last day of May we launched our handsome “Peterboroughs” in the
great stream, and commenced our long canoe voyage.
The arrangement of the party was as follows: My brother occupied a
central position in one canoe, and I a corresponding place in the other.
As steersman he chose the eldest of the Iroquois, Pierre, with Michel
as bowman. The remaining Iroquois, Louis, took the steering paddle of
my canoe, and John, the western man, occupied the bow. Thus were our
little crafts manned, each person, including my brother and myself, being
provided with a broad maple paddle. Our loads being light, we were in
good speeding condition. Just after launching we met some native Indians
in their bark canoes, and by way of amusement and exhibition of speed
paddled completely around them in the current, much to their amazement.
Then with farewell salute, and the stroke of our paddles timed to the
song of the canoemen, we glided swiftly down the stream.
As the start had been made late in the afternoon, not many miles were
passed before it became necessary to look for a camping place. The banks
of the river, formed of boulder clay, were very high, and good landings
were scarce. In places the mud on the shore was soft and deep, but about
seven o’clock a landing was effected and camp pitched for the night. At
this time only two small tents were used, an “A” tent for the canoemen
and a wall tent, affording a little more head room, for ourselves.
The banks being well wooded with white and black poplar, spruce and
birch, plenty of fuel was available. A fire was soon kindled and our
evening meal prepared, in the cooking of which John was given the first
opportunity of distinguishing himself. He was assisted by little Michel,
who proved to be a very good hand. Having some bread and biscuits in
stock, baking was not yet a necessity.
The weather now being fair and cool, and the great pest of camp life, the
mosquito, not having yet arrived, our experience at this time was most
enjoyable. It was the season of spring, and the sweet perfume of the Balm
of Gilead, so abundant in the valley of the Athabasca, permeated the air.
The leaves on many of the trees were just opening, so that everywhere the
woods presented a remarkable freshness and brilliancy of foliage. These
were our environments at the commencement of the canoe voyage, and at our
first camp on the banks of the Athabasca. How different were they to be
at the other end of the journey!
On the morning of the 1st of June camp was called early, and we continued
on our way. As we glided down stream a succession of grand views passed,
panorama-like, before us. The banks were high, towering in some places
three, four or five hundred feet above the river; here abrupt and
precipitous, consisting of cut banks of stratified clay; in other places
more receding, but by a gradual slope rising, beneath dense foliage, to
an equal elevation.
At this season of the year the water being high and the current swift,
we made good time, covering a distance of sixty miles for the first full
day’s travel. About noon on the 2nd, having reached a narrow part of
the river, very remarkable massive walls of ice were found upon either
bank, some distance above the water’s edge. These walls were of irregular
thickness, and from eight to ten feet in height; but the most striking
feature about them was that they presented smooth vertical faces to the
river, although built of blocks of every shape and shade from clear
crystal to opaque mud. They extended thus more or less continuously for
miles down the river, and had the appearance of great masonry dykes.
The explanation of their existence is doubtless as follows: Earlier in
the season the narrowness of the channel had caused the river ice to
jam and greatly raised the water level. After a time, when the water
had reached a certain height and much ice had been crowded up on the
shores, the jam had given way and caused the water to rapidly lower to a
considerable extent, leaving the ice grounded above a certain line. Thus
the material for the wall was deposited, and the work of constructing
and finishing the smooth vertical face was doubtless performed by the
subsequent grinding of the passing jam, which continued to flow in the
deeper channel. After the passing of the first freshet, and the formation
of these great ice walls, the water had gradually lowered to the level at
which we found it.
Late in the afternoon the first rapid of the trip was sighted, but the
water being high we had no difficulty in running it. In the evening
camp was made on a beautiful sandy beach. During supper-time we had
a visit from an old Cree Indian, who came paddling up the river in
a little bark canoe. Of course he landed at our camp, for it is a
principle strictly observed by every Indian to lose no opportunity of
receiving hospitalities, and in accordance with his ideas of propriety,
refreshments were given him. He received them as those of his race
usually receive all favors, as no more than his right, and without a
smile or the least visible expression of pleasure, seated himself by the
fire to enjoy them.
On the following morning the great walls of ice, which we had been
passing for miles, began to disappear as the channel of the river became
wider. At about 9.30 we reached a place known as the Rapid of the Jolly
Fool. It is said to have received its name from the fact that at one time
an awkward canoeman lost his life by allowing his canoe to be smashed
upon the most conspicuous rock in the rapid. We wasted no time examining
it, as it was reported to be an easy one, but keeping near the left bank,
headed our little crafts into the rushing waters. We had descended only
a short distance, and were turning a bend in the stream, when, a little
ahead of us, my brother noticed moving objects on the shore. One of the
men said they were wolves, while others maintained they were bears, but
my brother getting his rifle in readiness, cut the discussion short by
demanding silence. As we swept swiftly down with the current, the objects
were seen to be a moose deer and her calf. Having no fresh meat on hand,
these new-found acquaintances were hailed as “well met.” Not until our
canoes had approached within about one hundred and fifty yards did the
old moose, standing in the shallow water near the river bank, appear
to notice us. Then, apparently apprehending danger, but without alarm,
she turned toward the shore, and, followed by her calf, walked up the
bank towards the woods. As she did so my brother fired from his canoe,
wounding her in the hind-quarters. I then fired, but struck the clay bank
above the animal’s head, and in attempting to fire again the shell stuck
in my rifle, making it impossible for me to reload. Just as the moose was
disappearing into the woods my brother fired again, and inflicted a body
wound; but in spite of all away went the deer.
As our canoes were thrust ashore I succeeded in extracting the shell from
my rifle, and leaving some of the men in charge of the canoes, my brother
and I gave chase. The trail of blood was discovered on the leaves, but
it led into such a jungle of fallen timber and thicket that it was no
easy matter to follow. Scouts were sent out on either side, while with
our rifles we followed the trail, running when we were permitted, jumping
logs that came in the way, and clambering over or through windfalls that
the moose had cleared at a bound. Presently through the leafy thicket we
had a glimpse of our prey. Bang went both rifles and away bounded the
moose with two more slugs in her body.
We were now pretty badly winded, but being anxious to complete the work
we had undertaken, the chase was kept up. We knew from the wounds already
inflicted that the capture was only a matter of physical endurance on our
part, and we were prepared to do our best. More than once the trail was
lost in the windfalls and jungle, but at length, getting another side
view, I shot her through the heart, bringing the noble beast with a thud
to the ground. Nothing had been seen of the calf since the beginning of
the hunt, but going back to the shore to get assistance, I found that
the men had captured and made it a prisoner beside the canoes. Taking
charge of the captive myself, I sent the men into the woods to skin the
deer and “pack” the meat out to shore. The little calf, which I held by
the ear, was very young, and not at all wild. Indeed, though I let go my
hold, the little creature did not care to go away, but kept on calling
for its mother in such a pitiful way that it made me heartily sorry for
having bereft it. After the space of an hour or so my brother and the men
returned, well loaded with fresh meat and a fine moose-hide. The meat was
placed in sacks and stowed away in the canoes, but the hide being heavy
and of little value to us, was placed on a big stone in the sun to dry
and await the ownership of the first Indian who should pass that way.
As it was now nearly noon, it was decided to take dinner before
re-embarking, and while the cooks were devoting their attention to
bannocks and moose-steaks my brother and I were debating as to what we
should do with the calf. We had not the heart to deliberately shoot it,
but were unable to take it with us alive, as we would like to have done.
Through a suggestion of one of the men a happy alternative was decided
on. Other moose were doubtless in the vicinity, so that the calling of
the calf would likely attract some of them, and in the event of this
taking place it was said that the little moose would attach itself to
another female. With the hope that such kind fortune would befall it, my
brother, after having taken its photograph, led it away by the ear into
the shelter of the woods, and there left the little creature to its fate.
During the afternoon of the same day, the head of the Grand Rapid of the
Athabasca, situated just 165 miles below the Landing, was reached. Here
we met a detachment of the Mounted Police, in charge of Inspector Howard;
and as it was late in the day, and Saturday evening, it was decided to
pitch camp. The police camp was the only other one in the neighborhood,
so the first question which suggested itself was: What possible duty
could policemen find to perform in such a wild, uninhabited place? The
answer, however, was simple. The place, though without any settled
habitation, is the scene of the transhipment of considerable freight on
its way to the various trading-posts and mission stations of the great
Mackenzie River District. The river steamer _Athabasca_, belonging to
the Hudson’s Bay Company, was now daily looked for with its load from
the Landing. Mission scows, loaded with freight for Fort Chippewyan and
other points, were expected, and free-traders’ outfits were liable to
arrive at any time. It was for the purpose of inspecting these cargoes
and preventing liquor from being carried down and sold for furs to the
Indians, that Inspector Howard and his detachment were stationed here.
[Illustration: TROOPER, N.-W. MOUNTED POLICE, IN WINTER UNIFORM.]
From the Grand Rapid, down stream for about eighty miles to Fort
McMurray, the river is not navigable for steamers, and so all goods have
to be transported over this distance by scows built for the purpose.
The head of the Grand Rapid is thus the northern steamboat terminus
for the southern section of the river. The whole distance of eighty
miles is not a continuous rapid, but eleven or twelve more or less
impracticable sections occur in it, so that no great length of navigable
water is found at any place. As its name suggests, the Grand Rapid is
the main rapid of the river, and has a fall of seventy or eighty feet.
This fall occurs mostly within a distance of half a mile, though the
total length of the rapid is about four times that. The upper part is
divided by a long narrow island into two channels, and it is through
these comparatively narrow spaces that the cataract rushes so wildly.
Above and below the island, the river may with great care be navigated
by the loaded scows, but the water upon either side is so rough that
goods cannot be passed down or up in safety. The method of transportation
adopted is as follows: About a mile above the island, at the head of the
rapid, the steamer _Athabasca_ ties up to the shore. There she is met by
a number of flat-bottomed boats or scows capable of carrying about ten
tons each, and to these the boat’s cargo is transferred. When loaded the
scows are piloted one by one to the head of the island in the middle of
the river, where a rough wharf is built, and to it all goods are again
transferred, whence they are carried to the lower end of the island by
means of a tramway. The unloaded scows, securely held with ropes by a
force of men on the shore, and guided with poles by a crew on board,
are then carefully lowered down stream to the foot of the island, where
they again receive their loads. Accidents frequently happen in passing
down the unloaded scows, for the channel (the eastern one always being
chosen) is very rough and rocky. From the foot of the island in the
Grand Rapid the scows are then floated down the river, with more or less
difficulty, according to the height of water, through the long succession
of rapids to Fort McMurray, where they are met by the second steamer, the
_Grahame_, which receives their freight and carries it down the river
to Fort Chippewyan on Lake Athabasca, and thence onward to Fort Smith,
on Great Slave River, where a second transhipment has to be made over
about sixteen miles of rapids. From the lower end of these rapids the
steamer _Wrigley_, under the command of Captain Mills, takes charge of
the cargo and delivers it at the various trading-posts along the banks of
the Mackenzie River, for a distance of about twelve hundred miles, to the
Arctic Ocean.
But to return to our camp at the head of the Grand Rapid. Inspector
Howard and his men proved to be interesting companions. I soon
discovered, to my surprise, that the Inspector was a cousin of my
wife’s, and that I had met him in former years in Toronto. Meeting with
even so slight an acquaintance in such a place was indeed a pleasure;
and in justice to the occasion a banquet, shall I call it, was given
us, at which moose-steak and bear-chops cut a conspicuous figure. In
conversation with the Inspector some information was obtained regarding
the character of the rapids now before us, and all such was carefully
noted, since none of our party had ever run the Athabasca. We had with
us the reports of William Ogilvie, D.L.S., and Mr. McConnell, who had
descended the river and published much valuable information regarding it,
but even they could not altogether supply the place of a guide. We were
putting great confidence in the skill of our Iroquois men at navigating
rapids, and now in the succeeding eighty miles of the trip there would be
ample opportunity of testing it.
[Illustration: LANDING OF SCOWS ABOVE GRAND RAPID.]
On the morning following our arrival at the Grand Rapid, being the 4th
of June, a number of mission scows, loaded with goods for Chippewyan and
other mission stations, arrived. As they appeared, following each other
in quick succession around a bend in the river, each boat manned by its
wild-looking crew of half-naked Indians, all under the command of Schott,
the big well-known river pilot, who is credited by Mr. Ogilvie with being
the fastest dancer he has ever seen, they drew in towards the east bank,
and one after the other made fast to the shore. The boats were at once
boarded by Inspector Howard and his men, and a careful search made for
any illegal consignments of “firewater.” Liquor in limited quantities
is allowed to be taken into the country when accompanied by an official
permit from the Lieut.-Governor of the Territories, but without this it
is at once confiscated when found. Out of deference to those for whom
these cargoes were consigned, I had better not say whether a discovery
was made on this occasion or not. When confiscations are made, however,
the find is, of course, always destroyed. The news of the arrival of
the scows was welcomed by us, not because of anything they brought with
them, but because we expected to obtain directions from Schott regarding
the running of the many rapids in the river ahead, and the transport of
the bulk of our canoe loads to Fort McMurray, below the rapids. After
some consideration, rather less than most Indians require to take, these
matters were arranged with Schott, and all but our instruments, tents,
blankets and three or four days’ provisions were handed over to him.
[Illustration: GRAND RAPID, ATHABASCA RIVER.]
On the evening of the 4th, the steamer _Athabasca_ also put in an
appearance, and made fast to the shore a little above the scows. Grand
Rapid was no longer an uninhabited wilderness, but had now become
transformed into a scene of strange wild life. Large dark, savage-looking
figures, many of them bare to the waist, and adorned with head-dresses of
fox-tails or feathers, were everywhere to be seen. Some of them, notably
those of the Chippewyan tribe, were the blackest and most savage-looking
Indians I had ever seen. As it was already nearly night when the last of
them arrived by the steamer, the work of transhipping was left for the
morning. In the dark woods the light of camp-fires began soon to appear,
and around them the whole night long the Indians danced and gambled, at
the same time keeping up their execrable drum music.
[Illustration: ENGLISH-CHIPPEWYAN HALF-BREED.]
At daylight the next morning the overhauling of cargoes was commenced.
One by one the scows were loosened and piloted down the middle of the
rapid to the wharf at the head of the island. Here they were unloaded,
and after being lightened, were lowered down through the boiling waters
by means of lines from the shore and the assistance of poles on board, to
again receive their loads at the foot of the island. Two or three scows
were also similarly engaged in transporting the cargo of the steamer, of
which our supplies formed part, and, much to our annoyance, there was
considerable delay on account of having to repair the tramway across
the island. We were informed that the _Grahame_ could not now reach
Chippewyan before the 20th of June, which would be ten days later than
we had expected to be able to leave that place. However, we could only
accept the inevitable, and try to make the best use of the time.
While Schott and his crews were thus engaged with their transport, our
own men were not idle. They had been told that the rapid would have to
be portaged, as no canoeman would venture to run it; but having walked
down the shore and themselves examined the river, the Iroquois asked and
obtained permission to run it by taking one canoe down at a time. Schott
and his Indians thought them mad to try such a venture, but seeming
to have every confidence in their own abilities, we determined to see
what they could do. John gladly chose the work of portaging along the
rough boulder shore and over precipitous rocks in preference to taking
a paddle, but the three Iroquois took their places, Louis in the bow,
Michel in the middle, and old Pierre in the stern. As the three daring
fellows pushed off from the shore into the surging stream, those of us
who gazed upon them did so with grave forebodings. They had started,
and now there was nothing to do but go through or be smashed upon the
rocks. Their speed soon attained that of an express train, while all
about them the boiling waters were dashed into foam by the great rocks in
the channel. Presently it appeared as if they were doomed to be dashed
upon a long ugly breaker nearly in mid-stream; but no! with two or three
lightning strokes of their paddles the collision was averted. But in a
moment they were in worse danger, for right ahead were two great rocks,
over and around which the tumbling waters wildly rushed. Would they try
the right side or the left? Only an instant was afforded for thought,
but in that instant Pierre saw his only chance and took it—heading his
canoe straight for the shoot between the rocks. Should they swerve a foot
to one side or the other the result would be fatal, but with unerring
judgment and unflinching nerve they shot straight through the notch,
and disappeared in the trough below. Rising buoyantly from the billows
of foam and flying spray, they swept on with the rushing waters until,
in a little eddy half-way down the rapid, they pulled in to the shore
in safety. They were all well soaked by the spray and foam, but without
concern or excitement returned for the second canoe. In taking this down
a valise of stationery and photographic supplies, inadvertently allowed
to remain in the canoe, got a rather serious wetting, but as soon as
possible its contents were spread out upon the smooth clean rocks to
dry. Past the remainder of the rapid a portage was made and camp pitched
at the foot. While our Iroquois were thus occupied, Schott and his men
had been hard at work running down their scows and had been unfortunate
enough to get one of them stranded on a big flat rock in the middle of
the rapid. Had it not been for the timely assistance of our party and the
generalship of old Pierre, he would probably never have gotten it off. As
it was, the accomplishment of the task occupied our united energies for
several hours.
[Illustration: NECK DEVELOPED BY THE TUMP-LINE.]
CHAPTER III.
_RUNNING THE RAPIDS._
Before leaving the Grand Rapid several good photographs of it were
obtained, and then on the morning of the 7th of June, bidding adieu to
Inspector Howard, and leaving our supplies in the freighters’ hands, we
started down the river for Fort McMurray. The first object of special
interest passed was a natural gas flow, occurring on the left bank about
fifteen miles below the Rapid. At this place a considerable volume of
gas is continually discharging, and may be seen bubbling up through the
water over a considerable area, as well as escaping from rifts in the
bank. The gas burns with a hot pale blue flame, and is said to be used
at times by boatmen for cooking purposes. Eight or ten miles farther
down stream came the Brûle Rapids, the first of the long series, and
though they might easily have been run, we did not try it, as my brother
wished to remain on shore for some time to collect fossils. Meanwhile
our stuff was portaged, and without difficulty the empty canoes run
down to the foot of the rapids, where camp was made. Just at this place
commence the wonderful tar sand-beds of the Athabasca, extending over
an enormous area. These certainly present a very striking appearance.
During warm weather, in many places, the faces of the river banks, from
three to five hundred feet in height, presents the appearance of running
tar, and here and there tar wells are found, having been formed by the
accumulation of the viscid tar in natural receptacles of the rock. Thus
collected it has been commonly made use of by workmen in the calking of
the scows on the river.[1]
Sixteen miles farther down, the Boiler Rapid, so called from the fact
that in 1882 a boiler intended for the steamer _Wrigley_ was lost in it,
was successfully run on the following day, and early in the afternoon
the third rapid was reached. In attempting to run it on the left side,
we found, after descending perhaps half-way, that there were too many
rocks in the channel ahead, and therefore an effort was made to cross to
the right side, which looked to be clearer. My brother’s canoe, steered
by old Pierre, avoided all rocks and was taken successfully across, but
mine was not so fortunate. In attempting to follow, we struck a large
rock in mid-channel, but happily the collision occurred in such a way
that my canoe was not seriously damaged. It was merely whirled end
for end in the current and almost filled with water, though not quite
sufficiently to sink us. Leaving the two Indians to pull for the shore,
I seized a tin kettle and lost no time in dashing out some of the water.
After a sharp struggle we managed to land. Of course all we had in the
canoe—instruments, blankets, provisions and clothing—was soaked, and it
was therefore necessary to unload and turn everything out. My brother,
seeing that something had happened, went ashore also, and with his men
returned to assist us. The weather was fine, and our goods soon became
sufficiently dry to allow us to re-embark.
An examination having been made of the rapid below, a short run was made
down and then across to the opposite side, where we landed, and, because
of the extreme shallowness of the channel and the many rocks that showed
ominously above the surface, the canoes were lowered for the remaining
half mile with the lines. The whole length of this rapid is perhaps a
mile and a half, and it is sometimes designated as two, the Drowned and
Middle Rapids. Following these in quick succession, at intervals of from
two to ten miles, we passed through the Long Rapids, which occasioned
no difficulty; then the Crooked Rapids, well named from the fact that
they occur at a very sharp U shaped bend in the river, around which the
current sweeps with great velocity. Just below this the Stony Rapid was
passed, and then in turn the Little and Big Cascades, both of which are
formed by ledges of limestone rock, about three feet high, extending in
more or less unbroken lines completely across the river.
At the Big Cascade a portage of a few yards had to be made, and below
this, smooth water was found for a distance of eight or nine miles, until
the head of the Mountain Rapid was reached. Judging from the name that
this would be a large one, we decided to go ashore to reconnoitre. For a
considerable distance the rapid was inspected, but no unusual difficulty
appearing, we resolved to go ahead. About a mile farther on, a bend
occurred in the rapid, and so high and steep were the banks that only
with great difficulty could we see the river beyond. As far as the bend,
though the current was swift, there appeared to be but few rocks near the
left bank, and plenty of water. We therefore decided to go ashore at that
point, if necessary, and examine the stream beyond.
As we proceeded the stream became fearfully swift and the waves
increasingly heavy. At the speed we were making the bend was soon
reached, but just beyond it another bluff point came in view. We would
have gone ashore to make a further inspection, but this was impossible,
as the banks were of perpendicular or even overhanging walls of
limestone. So alarmingly swift was the current now becoming that we
eagerly looked for some place on the bank where a landing might be made,
but none could be seen. Retreat was equally impossible against the
enormous strength of the river; all we could do was to keep straight in
the current. My brother’s canoe, steered by old Pierre, being a little
in advance of my own, gave me a good opportunity of seeing the fearful
race we were running. Suspicions of danger were already aroused, and
the outcome was not long deferred. As we were rounding the bluff, old
Pierre suddenly stood up from his seat in the stern, and in another
instant we likewise were gazing at what looked like the end of the river.
Right before us there extended a perpendicular fall. We had no time for
reflection, but keeping straight with the current, and throwing ourselves
back in the canoes in order to lighten the bows we braced ourselves for
the plunge, and in a moment were lost to sight in the foaming waters
below. But only for an instant. Our light cedars, though partly filled by
the foam and spray, rose buoyantly on the waves, and again we breathed
freely. It was a lucky thing for us that the canoes were not loaded, for
had they been they never would have floated after that plunge, but would
have disappeared like lead in the billows. We afterwards found we had
taken the rapid in the very worst spot, and that near the right side of
the river we might have made the descent free of danger. Without a guide,
however, such mistakes will sometimes occur in spite of every precaution.
Poor John, my bowman, was badly unstrung as a result of this adventure,
and declared that he did not want to shoot any more waterfalls; and for
that matter, others of us were of much the same mind. One more small
rapid, the Moberly, completed the series, and then for a few miles we
enjoyed calm water until, toward evening, we reached Fort McMurray.
[Illustration: SHOOTING THE MOUNTAIN RAPID, ATHABASCA RIVER.]
This settlement, containing in all five small log buildings—a warehouse,
a store, the traders’ dwelling and two Indian houses—is situated on a
cleared tongue of land formed by the junction of the Clear Water River
with the Athabasca, and is about two hundred and fifty miles below the
Landing. The site of the post is at an elevation of forty or fifty feet
above the water, but in the immediate background, and on both banks of
the river, the ground rises abruptly, and is covered by a thick growth of
poplar, spruce and birch trees. At the time of our arrival two parties of
Indians, one Cree and the other Chippewyan, occupying in all a dozen or
more lodges, were encamped at the place, and were to be seen in groups
here and there idly putting in the time, while everywhere their mangy
canines skulked and prowled about, seeking what they might devour—old
moccasins, pack straps, etc., apparently being their favorite dainties.
[Illustration: STORE, FORT McMURRAY.]
Naturally, our first inquiry upon arriving at the Fort was whether or
not our two men and canoe from Isle-à-la-Crosse had arrived; but the
appearance of an upturned “Peterborough” on the shore soon answered
the question, and a few minutes later two stout half-breeds made their
appearance, and informed us they were the men who had been sent by
Mr. Moberly to meet us. My brother had expected the two men who had
accompanied him on his trip of the previous year, but they having been
unable to come, these two, Jim Corrigal and François Maurice, had been
engaged in their stead. Jim was a man of middle age, tall and of muscular
frame; while his companion was probably not more than twenty years of
age, and in appearance rather short and of heavy build. Jim spoke English
fairly well, though Cree was his tongue; but François, while speaking
only very broken English, could converse in French, Cree and Chippewyan,
his knowledge of the last making him subsequently very useful as an
interpreter.
[Illustration: CHIPPEWYAN CAMP.]
Our party, consisting of eight men, with three canoes, was now complete,
and thus assembled, the cleanest available ground remote from Indian
lodges was chosen, and camp pitched to await the arrival of the four
hundred pounds of supplies left with Schott at Grand Rapid. We soon found
we were not the only ones waiting, and that anxiously, for the arrival
of the scows from the south. The entire population then at Fort McMurray
was in a state of famine. Supplies at the post, having been insufficient
for the demand, had become exhausted, and the Indians who had come in
to barter their furs were thus far unable to obtain food in exchange,
and were obliged, with their families, to subsist upon the few rabbits
that might be caught in the woods. We were also out of supplies, but now
the scows were hourly expected. Expectations, however, afforded poor
satisfaction to hungry stomachs, and no less than five days passed before
these materialized. In the meantime, though we were not entirely without
food ourselves, some of the natives suffered much distress. At one Cree
camp visited I witnessed a most pitiable sight. There was the whole
family of seven or eight persons seated on the ground about their smoking
camp-fire, but without one morsel of food, while children, three or four
years old, were trying to satisfy their cravings at the mother’s breast.
We had no food to give them, but gladdened their hearts by handing around
some pieces of tobacco, of which all Indians, if not all savages, are
passionately fond.
In addition to the unpleasantness created by lack of provisions, our stay
at Fort McMurray was attended with extremely wet weather, which made it
necessary to remain in camp most of the time, and to wade through no end
of mud whenever we ventured out.
On the evening of the 14th the long-looked-for scows with the supplies
arrived. It will readily be imagined we were not long in getting out the
provisions and making ready a supper more in keeping with our appetites
than the meagre meals with which we had for several days been forced
to content ourselves. The cause of delay, as Schott informed us, was
the grounding of some of the boats in one of the rapids, in consequence
of which the cargoes had to be removed by his men, and carried on
their shoulders to the shore, the boats then freed, lowered past the
obstruction, and reloaded. Such work necessarily entails considerable
delay, and is of a slavish character, as all hands have to work in the
ice-cold water for hours together.
[Illustration: STARVING CREE CAMP, FORT McMURRAY.]
Receiving again our four hundred pounds of supplies from Schott, we
lost no more time at Fort McMurray, but at seven o’clock next morning
the little expedition, consisting now of eight men and three canoes,
pushed out into the river, and with a parting salute sped away with the
current, which being swift, and our canoemen fresh, enabled us in a short
time to place many miles between us and the Fort. At five o’clock in
the evening, having then descended the river a distance of about sixty
miles we were delighted to meet the steamer _Grahame_ on her up-stream
trip from Fort Chippewyan to McMurray to receive the goods brought down
the rapids by the scows. The steamer, being in charge of Dr. McKay, the
Hudson’s Bay Company’s officer from Chippewyan, who had been informed of
our expedition, was at once brought to a stand in the river, and we were
kindly invited on board. When I commenced to clamber up the steamer’s
deck, whose hand should be offered to assist me but that of an old friend
and fellow-shipmate for two years in Hudson Straits, Mr. J. W. Mills. The
acquaintance of Dr. McKay and of the Bishop of Athabasca, who happened
to be on board, was also made, and with right genial companions an hour
quickly and very pleasantly passed. Mr. Mills, who was attired in the
uniform of a steamboat captain, had lately been appointed to the command
of the steamer _Wrigley_, plying on the lower section of the river
below Fort Smith, to which place he was to be taken by the _Grahame_ on
her return trip from Fort McMurray. Before parting company, the Doctor
promised to meet us again at Chippewyan on the 19th inst., and after this
short meeting, and many parting good wishes, as well as blessings from
the Bishop, we resumed our separate ways.
[Illustration: A DANDY OF THE NORTH. A VOYAGEUR.]
Notwithstanding the hour’s delay, and the fact that rain fell all day,
we made the very good run of seventy-two miles. As we swept along with
the winding river, the most beautiful and varied scenes were continually
presented. The banks, though not so high as above Fort McMurray, were
bold and thickly draped with spruce and poplar woods. Taking advantage
of the discovery of some straight spruce saplings, we landed as night
approached, and a number of our men were sent to select a few for the
purpose of making good tent-poles, to take the place of the rough ones
we had been using. Besides spruce and other varieties of timber, balsam
trees, the last seen on the northward journey, were found at this camp.
On the morning of the 16th, though the weather continued showery and
a strong head wind had set in, we were early on our way, for we were
anxious to reach Chippewyan a day or two before the return of the
_Grahame_, that we might rate our chronometer and make all necessary
preparations for a good-bye to the outermost borders of civilization.
In descending the Athabasca we were making no survey of the course, nor
any continuous examination of the geological features of the district,
but were chiefly concerned in getting down to Chippewyan, where we were
to receive our full loads of supplies, and from which place our work was
really to begin. Despite the unpleasantness of the weather, therefore,
our canoes were kept in the stream and all hands at the paddles, and by
nightfall another stretch of about sixty miles was covered. We had now
reached the low flat country at the delta of the river, where its waters
break into many channels, but still a strong current was running, and
this we were glad to find continued until within a distance of six or
eight miles from the lake. Some parts of the river were much obstructed
by drift-wood grounded upon shoals; the banks, too, were low and marshy,
and landing-places difficult to find. Several flocks of wild geese were
seen, but none secured.
During the morning of the 17th some gun-shots were heard not far distant
across the grassy marsh, and turning our canoes in that direction we soon
met several bark canoes manned by Chippewyan Indian hunters. François,
being the only man in our party who could understand or talk with them,
was much in demand, and he was instructed to ask them the shortest way
through the delta towards Chippewyan. Indian like, he entered into
conversation with the strangers for ten minutes or so, doubtless chiefly
about their wives and daughters, and then with a wave of the hand said,
“We go dis way.” So that way we went, and by three o’clock in the
afternoon found ourselves in the open waters of Lake Athabasca. Two hours
later we had crossed the end of the Lake and drawn up our canoes on the
rocky shore in front of Fort Chippewyan. It was Saturday evening, and the
distance travelled thus far since launching the canoes, was, according
to Mr. Ogilvie, 430 miles. As we were already aware, Dr. McKay, the
Hudson’s Bay Company’s agent, was not at the Fort, but we were received
by the assistant trader, Pierre Mercredie, a half-breed, and shown to
a camping-ground in front of the Fort, or otherwise on Main Street of
the town. During the evening we had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. McKay
and her children, and also Mr. Russell, an American naturalist, who was
sojourning at this place on his way down the Mackenzie River.
[Illustration: AN ENGLISH-CREE TRAPPER.]
CHAPTER IV.
_CHIPPEWYAN TO BLACK LAKE._
Fort Chippewyan is an old and important trading-post of the Hudson’s
Bay Company. Before many of our Canadian and American cities came into
existence, Chippewyan was a noted fur-trading centre. From here—or rather
from a former site of the post, a few miles distant—Alexander Mackenzie
(afterwards Sir Alexander) started, in 1789, on his famous journey down
the great river which now bears his name. About the beginning of the
present century the post was moved to the position it now occupies on the
rocky northern shore of the west end of the Lake.
The Fort consists of a long row of eighteen or twenty detached log
buildings, chiefly servants’ houses, connected by a high strong wooden
fence or wall, so as to present an unbroken front to the water, behind
which, in a sort of court, are situated the Factor’s dwelling and two
or three other good-sized log buildings. At the west end of the row
stands an Episcopal Mission church and the Mission house, which at the
time of our visit was occupied by Bishop Young, the see of whose diocese
was formerly here, but since removed to Fort Vermilion, some 270 miles
distant on the Peace River. Within easy sight, a short distance farther
west, across a little bay, the Roman Catholic Mission church, and
various buildings connected therewith, are situated. This mission is a
large and flourishing one, and is the see of the Roman Catholic Diocese
of Athabasca. All the buildings of Chippewyan are neatly whitewashed,
so that, particularly from the front, it presents a most striking
appearance. At the back of the Fort, between the rocky hills, plenty of
small timber for house-building and firewood is found, and over at the
Catholic Mission a little farm is cultivated, and many luxuries in the
way of root vegetables obtained from it.
[Illustration: FORT CHIPPEWYAN.]
The staple food, however, for both man and dogs (which latter are
important members of the community) is fish, several varieties of which
are caught in abundance in the lake close at hand. One or two whitefish,
according to size, is the usual daily allowance for a dog.
In the north the dog takes the place which the horse occupies in the
south, and it is a very interesting sight to see the canine population
of the town, perhaps thirty or forty in all, receiving their daily meal.
They are called together by the ringing of a large bell, erected for the
purpose at all Hudson’s Bay Company posts. At the first stroke all dogs
within reach of the sound spring to their feet and scamper off to the
feeding place, where they find a man in charge of their rations. Forming
round in a circle, each dog waits for the portion thrown to him, which
he at once trots away with to enjoy in some quiet retreat. Occasional
snarls and fights take place, but it is astonishing to see how orderly
Chippewyan dogs are able to conduct themselves at a common mess.
The day after our arrival at the Fort being Sunday, we had our last
opportunity for several months of attending Divine service, and were
privileged to listen to an excellent sermon preached by His Lordship
Bishop Young. Some of our men, being Roman Catholics, were able to avail
themselves of the opportunity of attending mass as well, and of receiving
a parting blessing from the priest.
[Illustration: STEAMER “GRAHAME.”]
The next day being the 19th, the date on which Dr. McKay had promised to
rejoin us at the Fort, his return with the _Grahame_ was eagerly looked
for. We had made all the preparations for departure that could be made
until he and our supplies should arrive. During the afternoon a strong
breeze sprang up from the east, raising a heavy sea, and it was not until
sunset that the belated steamer tied up to the wharf. She had had a
rough passage, so rough that the Doctor declared it was the last time he
would ever be a passenger on her in such water, a not unwise resolution,
for the steamer, top-heavy and drawing only about three feet of water,
was not unlikely to roll over in rough weather.
With the return of the Doctor, Captain Mills and the Captain of the
_Grahame_, we now formed a merry party, and spent a pleasant evening
at the Doctor’s house. Captain Mills and I talked over old-time
adventures in Hudson Straits, and recalled many incidents from our mutual
experiences in the north in bygone days. But as the Doctor had determined
to leave again with the steamer on the following day for the Great Slave
Lake river posts, there was no time to be lost in social pleasures.
In compliance with my brother’s request, sent by letter some months
previously, Dr. McKay had engaged the best available Indian guide to
accompany us from this place through Lake Athabasca and as far beyond as
he knew the country. With the success of this arrangement we were greatly
pleased, as it was desirable that as little time as possible should be
lost in seeking trails and river routes. The guide’s name was Moberly—a
Christian name, though borne by a full-blooded Chippewyan Indian, who,
before we were through with him, proved himself to be anything but a
Christian. He was acquainted with our route for about one hundred miles
to the northward from Black Lake, and even in this distance his services,
we thought, would likely save us several days.
The next morning the Fort was a scene of hurry and bustle. Goods were
landed from the steamer, cordwood taken on board, and much other business
attended to. I took charge of our own supplies, and checked each piece
as it was brought ashore. Our chest of tea was the only article that had
suffered from the effects of frequent transhipment. It had been broken
open and a few pounds lost, but the balance—about sixty pounds—had
been gathered up and put in a flour bag. Before noon everything was
safely landed on the shore, and it formed a miscellaneous pile of no
small extent. Following is a list of the articles: “Bacon, axes, flour,
matches, oatmeal, alcohol, tin kettles, evaporated apples, apricots,
salt, sugar, frying-pans, dutch oven, rice, pepper, mustard, files,
jam, tobacco, hard tack, candles, geological hammers, baking powder,
pain killer, knives, forks, canned beef—fresh and corned—tin dishes,
tarpaulins and waterproof sacks.” Besides the above, there were our
tents, bags of dunnage, mathematical instruments, rifles and a box of
ammunition. The total weight of all this outfit amounted at the time to
about four thousand pounds.
A sail-boat which my brother had used in 1892, and which was in good
condition, rode at anchor before the Fort, and for a time it was thought
we would have to make use of this as far as the east end of the lake to
carry all our stuff. Moberly, the guide, particularly urged the necessity
of taking the big boat, for his home was at the east end of the lake, and
he had a lot of stuff for which he wished to arrange a transport, but as
we were not on a freighting tour for Moberly, and as we found by trial
that everything could be carried nicely in the canoes, we decided to take
them only. At this the guide became sulky, and thought he would not go.
His wife and two daughters, who were to accompany him as far as their
home, tried to persuade him, but Indian-like he would not promise to do
one thing or the other. At last we told him to go where he chose, as we
were in no way dependent on him, but knew our own way well enough.
As arranged, the _Grahame_ steamed away during the afternoon, for the
Great Slave River, with Dr. McKay, Captain Mills and Bishop Young on
board, but our own start was deferred until the next morning, and in the
meantime home letters were written, for a packet was to go south from
here about the 16th of July.
On the morning of the 21st of June, the whole outfit being snugly
stowed in the three canoes, our party set out on the eastward course.
Old Moberly, the guide, was also on hand with his family and big bark
canoe. The morning was beautifully fair and calm; all nature seemed to
be smiling. But soon the smile became a frown. The east wind, as if
aroused by our paddles, began to stir himself, and before long made
things unpleasant enough, coming not alone but with clouds of mist and
rain. Though we could make but slow progress, we persisted in travelling
until 9.30 p.m., when, having made about twenty-four knots, we pitched
camp in a little sandy bay, worthy to be remembered because of the swarms
of mosquitos which greeted us on landing. We had been reminded of the
existence of these creatures at Chippewyan and at former camps, but here
it was a question of the survival of the fittest. Mosquito nets, already
fixed to our hats, had to be drawn down and tightly closed, and mosquito
oil or grease smeared over the hands.
[Illustration: LANDING ON NORTH SHORE, LAKE ATHABASCA.]
The whole north shore of the lake, being bold and rocky, and consisting
chiefly of Laurentian gneiss, is of little geological interest except
at a few points, which will be spoken of as they are reached. The south
shore, which was examined by my brother in 1892, was found to be of
entirely different character, low and flat, and its rocks cretaceous
sandstones. The chief varieties of timber observed as we passed along
were spruce, white poplar and birch, and with these, though of small
size, the country was fairly well covered.
Our second day on the lake was even less successful than the first, for
though we made a start in the morning, we were soon obliged to put to
shore by reason of the roughness of the water and a strong head-wind. At
noon we succeeded in getting our latitude, which was 59° 6′ 32″ N.
About six o’clock that evening, shortly after our second launch, we met
a party of Indians in their bark canoes, sailing with hoisted blankets
before the wind. There were quite a number of them, and as they bore down
towards us they presented a picturesque and animated scene. Moberly was
some distance in the rear, but François was on hand to interpret, and as
we met a halt was made. The first and most natural question asked by the
Indians was, “Where are you going?” “To h—,” was François’ prompt but
rather startling reply. In order that we might have an opportunity of
securing information about the country (not that to which François had
alluded, however), it was decided that we should all go ashore and have
some tea; so our course was shaped for the nearest beach, a mile or so
away. Upon landing we found that some of these Indians were men of whom
Dr. McKay had spoken as being shrewd, intelligent fellows. From one old
hunter in particular, named Sharlo, we obtained interesting sketch-maps
of canoe routes leading northward from Lake Athabasca. Of course tea
and tobacco had been served out before such information was sought, for
no man of any experience would think of approaching an Indian for the
purpose of obtaining a favor without first having conferred one. Our
object accomplished, canoes were again launched, and the struggle with
the east wind was renewed. Though we travelled until 10.30 at night we
made only 16.4 knots during the day, as indicated by the boat’s log; and
then in the mouth of the Fishing River we found a sheltered nook in the
thick woods for a camping-ground.
The next day, the high wind continuing and rain falling freely, the
lake was too rough for us to venture out. A collection of all the many
varieties of plants occurring in the vicinity was carefully made. Nets
were set out, and some fine fish taken; trolls were also used with fair
success, and with my revolver, much to the amusement of the party, I shot
and killed some distance under water a fine large pike. A few geese were
seen also, but none could be secured.
[Illustration: A TYPICAL NORTHLAND FATHER.]
On the following morning, though it was still raining, the wind had
fallen, and we were able to go ahead. Because of the wet we had great
difficulty in using our surveying instruments and in making notes. During
the forenoon while ashore at Cypress Point, a long sand-beach timbered
with jack-pine woods, and extending a mile or more out into the lake, we
observed a sail not far ahead. A sail-boat in these waters was an unusual
sight, but on this occasion we were able to guess its meaning. It was
Mr. Reed with his party returning from Fort Fond du Lac (now a small
winter post only) to Chippewyan with the last winter’s trade. We had been
told we would likely meet him on the lake, and here he came before the
breeze in his big York boat. As he approached and sighted us he made in
to where we were, and ran his boat on the sand beach. Besides Mr. Reed,
the young trader, there were with him two French priests returning from
their season’s labor among the Indians. One of them, now an old man, had
spent the greater part of his life in mission work in this district, and
was about laying down his commission, to be succeeded by his younger
companion. As it was nearly noon, our men were instructed, though it
was raining heavily, to kindle a fire and prepare lunch for the party.
Beneath some thick fir-trees a shelter was found, and the tea being made
and lunch laid out on the ground, we all seated ourselves about, and
spent a delightful half-hour together. But to us every hour was precious,
and without further delay we wished each other God-speed, and continued
our courses. By nightfall the log-reading showed our day’s travel to be
thirty-two knots, equivalent to about thirty-seven miles. So far we had
been fortunate in finding comfortable camping grounds. With a guide who
knew the shore we should be expected to do so, but with a guide such as
ours, who was commonly several miles behind, his connection with the
party made little difference, excepting in the consumption of “grub.”
Three more days passed, and despite the unfavorable weather, seventy
miles of shore-line were surveyed. Then a discovery of some interest was
made. Just east of the Beaver Hills we found a veritable mountain of iron
ore, and that of the most valuable kind, hæmatite. Coal to smelt it is
not found in the vicinity, though there is plenty of wood in the forest.
The shore of this part of the lake was very much obscured by islands,
upon the slopes of which the remains of the last winter’s snow banks
could still be seen.
We made an early start on the morning of the 18th, breaking camp at five
o’clock, but before we had made any distance a fog settled over the
lake so dense that we could not see ten yards from the canoes. For some
time we groped along in the darkness, every little while finding our
way obstructed by the rocky wall of some island or point of land, and
finally, meeting with a seemingly endless shore, we were obliged to wait
for the weather to clear. All hands landed and climbed the precipitous
bank, with a view to discovering something about the locality, but all
was obscurity. Toward noon the fog lifted, and we were able to make out
our position, which was on the mainland and north of Old Man Island.
On this point we observed a solitary grave, and near by the remains
of an old log house. As to who had been the occupant of this solitary
hut, or whose remains rested in the lonely grave, we knew not, but
their appearance on this uninhabited shore made a realistic picture of
desolation and sadness.
On the morning of the 29th of June, high west winds and heavy rain were
again the order of the day, but venturing out, we made a fast run before
the wind and reached the Fort in a heavy sea. Fond-du-Lac is a fort
only in name, and consists in all of two or three small log shanties
and a little log mission church, situated on a bare, exposed sandy
shore, without any shelter from the fierce winter storms which hold high
carnival in this country six or seven months of the year. Having already
met the white residents of Fond-du-Lac on the lake, most of their houses,
few though they were, were locked up or deserted. Two or three Indians
and their families were living at the place, and with one of them letters
were left with a hope that they might be taken safely to Chippewyan, and
thence forwarded by the Hudson’s Bay Company’s autumn packet to Edmonton.
This was undoubtedly the last chance, though only a chance, of sending
any news to our friends until we should return to civilization.
From Fond-du-Lac eastward the lake is quite narrow, having much the
appearance of a broad river. It is only five miles in width, but extends
a distance of fifty miles. On the south shore could be seen a large
group of Indian lodges, and at this camp was the home of our guide. It
was here that his family were to be left, so we all went across to the
Indians’ encampment. Moberly now appeared to be very indifferent as to
whether or not he should go any farther with us. Indeed he seemed more
inclined to remain with his friends, for to accompany us meant more
exertion for him than he was fond of. Various reasons were given why
he must remain at this place; but after much parleying, and the offer
of liberal inducements, he promised to secure a companion canoeman, and
follow our track in the morning. With this understanding we parted, and
proceeded along the south shore until evening, when, finding an inviting
camping-ground in the open jack-pine wood, we went ashore, while the
cooks soon prepared supper, with us the principal meal of the day.
So far our fare had been exceedingly good, for it had been the policy to
dispose of luxuries as soon as possible, in order to reduce the weight
of the loads on the portages. Our limited stock of canned fruits was,
therefore, used with a free hand at first.
June closed with a bright, clear and unusually calm day, which was also
marked by the absence of mosquitos and black flies. Under these unusual
circumstances, at noon-hour, an event transpired which was seldom
repeated during the remaining part of our journey, viz., the taking of a
bath.
Just as lunch was ready we were again joined by Moberly and his
companion, an old Indian named Bovia. We were glad, if not a little
surprised, to see them, for we had a suspicion that the guide had no
serious intention of keeping his promise. During the afternoon, however,
as before, his canoe lagged far behind, not so much because of his
inability to keep up with us, as because of his serene indifference
and laziness. The paddles used by him and his comrade were like spoons
as compared with our broad blades, and the position of old Bovia, as
he pulled with one elbow resting on the gunwale of his canoe, was most
amusing. By this way of travelling it was very evident that the guides
were going to be a drag rather than a help to us, so it was resolved that
before proceeding farther a definite understanding must be arrived at.
Beside the evening camp-fire, accordingly, the matter was broached to
the Indians. They were told plainly that if they were to continue with
us they would be required to go in advance and show us the way as far
as they knew the route, and further, that they would be expected to
assist in portaging our stuff whenever that might become necessary. In
consideration of this, as already agreed upon, they were to receive
their board and eighty skins ($40.00) per month, upon their return to
Chippewyan. This arrangement was accepted as being satisfactory to them,
and it was hoped that it might result satisfactorily to ourselves.
During the morning of the 1st of July, with a little Union Jack flying
at the bow of my canoe, we arrived at the east end of the lake, and
concluded a traverse, since leaving Chippewyan, of 210 miles. Here at the
extremity of the lake we found several Indian families living, not as is
usual, in their “tepees” or skin-covered lodges, but in substantial log
huts. One of these, we learned, was the property of our brave Moberly,
and in front of it he and old Bovia deliberately went ashore, drew up
their canoe, and seated themselves upon the ground beside some friends.
Their action at once struck us as suspicious, but presently they made an
open demand for a division of our bacon, flour, tea and tobacco. Some
pieces of tobacco and a small quantity of tea had already been given,
but any further distribution of the supplies was declined. At this
Moberly became very angry, and said he would go with us no farther, and
not another foot would he go. From the first his quibbling, unreliable
manner, characteristic of the tribe to which he belonged, had been most
unsatisfactory, and now having received board for himself and his family
in journeying homeward, besides a month’s pay in advance, he had resolved
to desert us. There was no use in trying to force him to continue with
us against his inclinations, nor could we gain anything by punishing him
for his deception, though punishment he richly deserved. He was given one
last opportunity of deciding to go with us, but still refusing, we parted
company with him without wasting strong language, which he could not have
understood.
[Illustration: INDIAN LOG HOUSE.]
With our three canoes only we thereupon commenced the ascent of what had
been named the Stone River, the outlet of Black Lake. We had gone only a
short distance when we were met by a canoe and four Indians coming down
with the current. They appeared to be delighted to see us, and turning
back accompanied us to the first rapid, where a short portage had to
be made. The natives willingly assisted us, and for their labor were
liberally rewarded with tea, tobacco and a few lumps of sugar. With this
they volunteered to return on the following day and assist us in crossing
some longer portages, the first of which we would meet before nightfall.
Of this offer we were quite glad, and promised good pay for the work as
inducement for them to keep the engagement, but in the meantime they went
down to the log houses where we had left our guides, and we continued our
course up the river.
[Illustration: CATARACT, STONE RIVER.]
The next day, Sunday, we spent in camp at the foot of a wild and
beautiful cataract. The weather was warm, and the black flies and
mosquitos swarmed in the woods and about camp so thickly that we could
nowhere escape from their ceaseless hum and dreaded bite. In this
neighborhood they did not appear to have the customary respect for the
smudge. Dense smoke was made about camp, but the flies only appeared to
revel in it.
At camp the men were variously employed. A fishing net had been put out
in an eddy at the foot of the rapids the previous night, and when taken
up in the morning some of the finest fish I have ever seen were found
in it. Two salmon trout measured three feet one inch and three feet two
inches in length respectively, and the white fish, of which there were
a large number, ranged in weight from six to ten pounds. I may add,
in deference to a suspicion which statements of this nature sometimes
give rise to, that these facts can be amply verified. Towards evening
we looked for the return of the four natives who had promised us their
assistance, but they came not.
Following this day of rest came one of most laborious, exhausting work.
Our camp was not only at the foot of a beautiful fall, but in consequence
was at the lower end of a rough, rocky portage, found to be three miles
in length, and the canoes were all heavily loaded, containing some four
thousand pounds of cargo to be transported. One of our men, Corrigal, was
unfortunately laid up for the time with an ugly gash in the knee, so we
had only five packers; but being fresh and in high spirits they went at
their work with a rush, notwithstanding a rocky hill of two hundred feet
which had to be climbed, and a deep muskeg which obliged them to wade.
Long before night, however, their spirits had dropped many degrees, and
it became evident that the task was telling heavily on the men. Before
evening their feet were fearfully blistered, and all complained of pains
in one place or another. They had each carried six loads to the upper
end of the portage, which represented a walk of thirty-three miles,
eighteen of which were travelled with one-hundred pound loads upon their
backs, over rocky hills and through swamps knee-deep with mire. This was
disheartening work at the outset, but it was good training for what was
to follow.
[Illustration: A DIFFICULT PORTAGE.]
The next morning the weather was hot and the flies were out in swarms,
as on the day before. The men were all foot-sore and stiff, but without
a grumble resumed their work. They were obliged to make two more trips
before everything was across, and by that time it was nearly noon; still,
without a pause for rest, they loaded the canoes, pushed out into the
lake—a small expansion of the river—and headed for the opposite shore,
where we soon discovered the mouth. When yet far out on the lake we could
see the river’s foaming water, and as we drew nearer could plainly hear
the unmistakable roar of a cataract. Some distance to the right, on a
sand-beach, we went ashore, and found ourselves at the foot of a second
long portage.
Because of the condition of our men, camp was now ordered to be pitched,
so as to give them some chance to recruit. My brother and I walked across
the portage, and found it to be three and one-half miles in length. It
was, however, much less difficult than the former one, being more level
and less rocky. Its upper end terminated on the shore of Black Lake,
where we hoped to find Indians who would help us across. But in this
we were disappointed, and, instead of Indians, found only old forsaken
“tepee” poles and blackened fireplaces. We tried to rest for a while
upon the shore of Black Lake, but the flies swarmed about us with such
frightful fury that we were compelled to beat a retreat, and seek rest
where alone it could be found, beneath our mosquito awnings at camp.
By the way, there is an Indian tradition which says that it was on these
very portages that the Great Spirit first made these black flies, and our
experience, we thought, would tend to bear out that belief.
[Illustration: INDIAN RAFTS LOADED WITH VENISON.]
On the afternoon of the 7th we started out in a north-easterly direction,
following the shore of Black Lake (explored by my brother in 1892) for a
distance of about sixteen miles, until we reached the hunting trail, of
which he had been informed by the Indians, leading away to the northward.
This place until now had been our objective point, and the way to it
was known; but beyond this point we knew nothing of the road, or of the
country through which it would lead us, excepting for the first few days’
travel, to which the Indians’ description, quoted at the beginning of
this narrative, would apply. From this point northward, for a distance of
one hundred miles, or thereabouts, we had expected to be guided by that
old humbug Moberly, but he having deserted us we were now dependent on
our own resources.
CHAPTER V.
_INTO THE UNKNOWN WILDERNESS._
On Saturday morning, the 8th of July, without guide or map, we commenced
our journey into the great untravelled wilderness. The trail commenced
with a portage two miles in length, leading through thickets, swamps, and
over rocky hills, but by this time the men were accustomed to their work,
and went about it in a steadier and more methodical manner. My brother’s
time was chiefly devoted to the general direction of the party, and an
examination of the geology of the country.[2] My own time was largely
taken up in making the survey and topographical notes of the route, and
in collecting the flora of the country; but when our duties permitted and
occasion required we both took a turn at the pack-straps, as we did on
this portage.
In order to make an easier trail than the existing circuitous one, which
led over sharp angular stones and precipitous rocks, we were obliged to
cut our way through a thicket for a distance of half a mile. Having done
this, the work of portaging through the forest was begun. During the
remainder of the day, and indeed until ten o’clock at night, we continued
our labor. Corrigal, who had been crippled, was now at work again, and
proved to be a capital hand. All hands worked well, but it was amusing to
note the craftiness of the Iroquois, who invariably tried to secure such
articles to carry as biscuits, tents or dunnage bags. With immense loads
of comparatively little weight they would then stagger off like old Atlas
himself.
When the last loads for the week were laid down at camp, we were a
thoroughly tired party. For the past six days we had been laboring on
long portages, and during that time had carried the entire outfit for
a distance of about eight miles, over the roughest kind of country,
representing a total transport of fifty-six miles, or a walk of 104 miles
for each man. Sunday was spent, therefore, by all in enjoying complete
rest. The weather continued fine and warm, as it had been all week.
During the succeeding day and a half six little lakes and as many short
portages, leading in a northerly direction, were crossed, and then at
noon on the 11th inst. Wolverine Lake was discovered and its position
in latitude determined. This lake, only about three miles in width by
six in length, is by no means a large body of water, but because of its
many deep shore indentations and consequent coast-line of forty or fifty
miles, it was thought by us to be large enough before we discovered our
road out of it, which we knew to be by the ascent of a large river from
the north. The shores of the lake were heavily and beautifully wooded
with spruce and birch timber, and its surface was studded with islands.
At nightfall, after exploring the uttermost recesses of several deep
bays, without discovering any trace of the river, we pitched camp, and
obtained shelter from a cold drizzling rain.
The next morning being cool, and flies scarce, a plunge bath was the
first item on the programme. After disposing of our usual breakfast of
bacon and bannocks, the search for the route was resumed. After much
careful search, occupying nearly the whole day, the mouth of the river
was found, close to where we had first entered the lake. It was much
obscured by islands, and owing to the depth of the channel had an almost
imperceptible current; but beyond all doubt it was the road described
by the Indians, and though rain was again falling, no time was lost in
commencing the ascent.
About seven miles up stream we were obliged to seek camp, but a suitable
one was not to be found, as the shores were low and flooded with water. A
place none too dry was finally selected, and in a drenched condition we
scrambled or waded ashore.
As I was enjoying a mug of tea, my brother came into our tent and
reported having heard a cariboo calf in the swamp close by. Though it
was already nearly dark, I picked up my rifle and started out in the
direction from which he had heard the noise, in quest of venison. The
dense spruce swamp was literally alive with mosquitos, which at every
step rose up from the wet grass in swarms, and beat into my face. A
runway was soon found, and I hurried noiselessly along through the gloom
of the forest, hoping soon to hear something of the calf. Many other
runways were crossed, and after travelling some distance without any
signs of success, I was about to return, for fear of being overtaken by
darkness, when a little distance ahead I heard the cracking of a stick.
It was, no doubt, caused by the foot of the fawn. Quickly but silently
I proceeded. Again and again the noise was heard, and each time nearer
than the last. My advance was continued cautiously, until very soon, in
a thicket of scrub, only a few yards ahead, I noticed the moving of some
branches. Still no deer could I see, but in creeping up closer, at a
distance of not over twenty yards, I suddenly came within full view of an
immense black bear, seated on his haunches and occupied in rubbing the
mosquitos off his nose. Although taken by surprise at the proportions
of the supposed calf, I dropped on one knee, and, levelling my rifle,
fired at the back of bruin’s head, whereat he also exhibited considerable
surprise by leaping into the air, making several delirious revolutions,
and bolting away into the gloom of the swamp. Though in all probability
badly wounded, it was too dark to follow him. The gloom had already
spoiled my aim, so without further pursuit I groped my way back to camp.
During the following day the ascent of Wolverine River was continued,
and three short portages, the longest one being half a mile, were made.
As we proceeded northward the banks of the river became more rocky. In
many places bald hill-tops were visible, rising two or three hundred
feet above the level of the river. Such timber as there was consisted of
spruce, birch and jack-pine.
On the 14th, Birch Lake, a small body of water about nine miles long by
two wide, was discovered and surveyed, and near its northern extremity a
large rapid stream was found emptying into it its foaming waters. Judging
the course of this stream to be our route, a portage of half a mile was
made past it. This brought us to the southern extremity of another larger
lake, which we assumed to be the Indians’ so-called “Big Lake,” and which
in honor of the then Director of the Geological Survey we have named
Selwyn Lake. Being too wide to admit of both shores being sketched from
our line of survey, this lake was traversed on the east side only.
[Illustration: A. R. C. SELWYN, C. M. G., F. R. S., _Director Geological
Survey, 1869-1895._]
In the evening camp was pitched on an island a little distance off shore.
On this island a lonely grave was discovered, at the head of which stood
a plain wooden cross. It was, doubtless, the grave of some Christian
Indian who had been taught by the priests at Fond-du-Lac, and who, when
out on a hunting expedition, had been stricken down by the great reaper,
and by his companions had been laid here to rest.
This island camp recalls an incident connected with John, our baker. For
some time past, notwithstanding the appetites of the men, his bread had
not been giving satisfaction. Some of the party were afraid to eat it on
account of the possibilities of canoeing accidents, which would be almost
certain to result fatally, for with John’s bread in one’s stomach there
could be little hope of remaining afloat. At first John had confined his
baking to the making of grease bannocks, which, after being formed in a
pan, were removed and cooked before the fire on a stick; and so long as
he baked in his accustomed way he was fairly successful, but as soon as
he undertook the use of baking powder, and the production of bread from a
reflector (a camp oven) he grievously failed. Being anxious to uphold the
dignity of his profession at this camp, he sat up all night endeavoring
to improve on his methods, but with little success. Two days later he
again undertook the prosecution of his calling, and after cleaning his
hands, brought out his dutch-oven, bake-pans, sack of flour, baking
powder, etc. My brother, noticing these preparations, strolled over to a
convenient log and there seated himself to watch John’s _modus operandi_.
The sack was opened and the top of it rolled down until it formed a ring
over the flour, in which a hollow was then made with the hands. Into
this basin a quart or more of water was poured, and _into the water
the prescribed quantity of baking powder was stirred and allowed to
effervesce_. We now understood the secret of John’s failures, and gave
him instructions on the use of baking powder. After this we enjoyed
better bread.
A week had now passed since leaving the end of the long portage out of
Black Lake, and during that time we had made only about eighty miles.
This was a slow rate of travel, and if possible would have to be improved
on. One day had been lost in discovering the outlet from Wolverine Lake,
another spent in ascending the river, and considerable time had been
occupied on the several portages.
Sunday, the 16th of July, was spent quietly and profitably at camp after
the six days of hard travel, and, strange to say, the flies which had
filled the air and made our lives a burden the previous evening had now
almost entirely disappeared. The day was bright and warm, affording a
good opportunity for lake bathing. This pleasure was highly prized. After
one has been subjected to the continual lacerations and stings of flies
and mosquitos, and the liberal application of tar-oil for a week or two,
a bath is not only a luxury, but a necessity.
On Monday morning the exploration of Selwyn Lake was continued. The
shore-line was still found to be irregular and indented by deep bays.
Some of these were passed by, but those toward the north end of the lake
were carefully examined to their extremities, in our search for the
portage, of which we had been informed, leading over the Height of Land.
Towards evening our party was surprised by the appearance of a canoe
some distance away, and not far from it, on a little island, an Indian
camp. Shaping our course for the camp, a salute was fired, and was
promptly answered by the Indians. Reaching the camp we were not a little
astonished to find that some of the Indians were the very same men who
had agreed to assist us over the portages out of Athabasca and Black
Lakes. They had, no doubt, after meeting old Moberly, been prompted to
leave us to shift for ourselves, and had returned in such a way as to
avoid meeting us again. From them we now inquired for the Height of Land
portage, and were pleased to learn that it was near at hand. Having
obtained as much information from these fellows as we could, and arranged
once more for three or four of them to assist us over in the morning, we
pitched our own camp on a neighboring island.
During the evening most of the Indians paddled across to where we were,
and from some of them sketch-maps and useful information were obtained;
but their attention was chiefly devoted to filling the men with stories
of the fearful dangers and certain disasters which we would encounter
should we attempt to descend the Telzoa River. They said we would meet
with great impassable canyons, and that the country through which it
flowed was inhabited by savage tribes of Eskimos, who would undoubtedly
eat us. These and similar stories produced a deep impression on the minds
of some of our men, and might have given rise to serious trouble or even
the disorganizing of the whole party. Jim went to my brother, and with a
sad face unbosomed his trouble. He said that if he were a single man he
would not feel so badly, but having a family dependent on him he could
not run into such destruction as he now learned awaited us. Most of the
men, excepting, perhaps, François, who cared for nothing, were equally
affected, and it was with some difficulty we managed to reassure them.
We told them that these Indians were a set of miserable liars, and were
only trying to prevent us from going into their hunting grounds; that I
had lived with the Eskimos for nearly two years, and had found them to
be far better people than these Indians who were trying to deceive them.
We referred them to Moberly, the untrustworthy and false, as a sample of
their tribe, and at length persuaded them into disbelieving the stories.
On the morning of the 18th, accompanied by five native Indians, we
arrived at our portage near the northern extremity of the lake, and about
fifty miles from the rapids where we had entered it. The portage led,
as we had been informed by the Indians, over the Height of Land to the
northward. It was found to be a mile and a quarter long. Its northern end
terminated on the shore of another large lake, the level of which was
ascertained to be about fifty feet lower than Selwyn Lake. Separating
the two lakes, rocky hills rose to elevations of two or three hundred
feet (fourteen or fifteen hundred feet above sea level), and between them
wound the trail, which was comparatively level and easy. With the help of
the natives, our stuff, already considerably reduced, was soon portaged,
and the canoes again launched and loaded. Before these operations were
completed, realizing the fact that we had now reached a summit of the
continent, it seemed to me a most suitable place to leave the emblem
of our country. Selecting, therefore, a tall, straight tamarack, and
providing myself with bunting and hatchet, I climbed to the top of the
tree and there nailed securely the flag of Canada. As I descended, I
lopped off the branches and thus made of the tree an excellent flag-pole.
[Illustration: SCOTCH-CREE HALF-BREED.]
CHAPTER VI.
_THE HOME OF THE REINDEER._
From Lake Athabasca to the Height of Land our course had constantly been
up stream, but from this point to the sea the way must ever be with the
current. Having launched our little fleet in the lake on the north side
of the watershed, the new stage of the journey was begun with a strong,
fair breeze.
The lake is a large one, and has been named Daly Lake—after the Hon. T.
M. Daly, then Minister of the Interior for Canada. Towards the centre of
it was discovered a peninsula, which is connected with the west shore
only by a very narrow neck of land, across which a portage was made.
For a day and a half we were delayed here by a gale, the most severe
we had so far encountered. So wild was the lake during this storm that
water-spouts were whirled up from its billows and carried along in great
vertical columns for considerable distances.
Certain remarkable physical features in the shape of great sand “Kames,”
or high ridges, were also observed at this locality. They were composed
of clear sand and gravel, were sixty or seventy feet in height, trended
in a north-easterly and south-westerly direction, were quite narrow on
top, and so level and uniform that they might well be taken to be the
remains of the embankments of ancient railways. Geologists, however, have
another theory accounting for their origin, namely, that they were formed
by fissures or splits in the ancient glaciers.
On the sheltered southerly slopes of these ridges many new varieties of
plants were found, and some others which had been collected farther south
were here seen for the last time on the journey. Notable among the latter
was the aspen, of which several stunted, gnarled specimens were observed.
When the storm had abated sufficiently the traverse of the lake shore was
resumed, when other notable features appeared.
A large part of the country was now composed of frozen mossy bogs,
sloping gently down towards the lake. In the higher portions of the bogs
the moss was still growing, but elsewhere it was dead, and excepting
a few inches, was imbedded in solid glaciers. In many instances these
frozen bogs or glaciers were found to be breaking off into the lake, and
in such places they presented brown mossy vertical faces, from ten to
twenty feet above the water. In examining these vertical sections they
were observed, as on top, to consist of frozen moss to within about a
foot of the surface. The first of the moss glaciers, if I may call them
such, were observed near the Height of Land, but towards the north end of
Daly Lake they composed a large part of the country, and timber occurred
only in scattered, isolated patches.
[Illustration: TELZOA RIVER.]
According to our Indian information we should now be near the outlet of
the lake. During the morning of the 22nd, after a good deal of searching
in many deep bays, the entrance to the Telzoa (broad shallow river) was
discovered. It was indeed a great, broad and rapid river, broken up into
many shallow channels, whose waters seemed to have been, as it were,
spilled over the edge of the lake in the lowest places. This was the
river we had set out to explore, and with nothing more than conjectures
as to where it would lead us, we pushed our canoes into the stream, and
sped away to the northward. Landings were made when necessary to carry
on the survey and examination of the country, but at other times the
canoes were kept in the stream, and the men at the paddles. Many rapids
were run, but our veteran steersman Pierre, with his skill, judgment and
unflinching nerve, was usually able to map out his course and steer it
successfully, sometimes between rocks and through channels little wider
than his canoe.
Upon one occasion, which I well recollect, Pierre led the way for the
centre of a wild, rocky rapid. We soon saw that he was making for a
heavy shoot between two great boulders, where the channel was barely
wide enough to allow us to pass. I determined to follow, but our third
canoe sought a channel nearer shore. Pierre, by keeping straight in the
centre of the current, was shot through the notch like a rocket, but my
steersman, less skilful, allowed our canoe to be caught by an eddy. Like
a flash it was whirled end for end, and happily for us struck the shoot
stern first instead of sideways and was carried through safely—no thanks
to the steersman. The third canoe fared worst of the three, for it was
dashed upon a great flat rock and broken in the bottom. Its occupants, by
jumping out upon the rock, managed to hold it until assistance could be
given them. The load of the disabled canoe was safely landed by one of
the others, and the damage soon repaired.
[Illustration: RAPIDS, TELZOA RIVER.]
We were now fairly beyond the limit of woods, which for some time past
had been gradually becoming thinner more scattered, and of more stunted
growth. On this account it is impossible to lay down any definite line as
the limit of the forest. Outlying patches of spruce and tamarack might
still be found here and there in the most favored localities, but as a
whole the country was now a vast, rolling, treeless wilderness.
On the evening of the 28th of July we reached the north end of an
expansion of the river, named Barlow Lake. Our supply of meat was already
running low. Being quite unable to carry provisions with us for the whole
trip, we had, in starting, taken only a limited quantity of this kind of
food, trusting to our ability to replenish the supply from time to time
by the way. Up to this time, however, we had seen nothing in the shape of
game since leaving Lake Athabasca, excepting the one black bear, and he
made good his escape. Plenty of old deer-tracks were to be seen, but not
a single deer, and in consequence we were beginning to feel some anxiety.
If game should not be found within a week or ten days, we would have to
return, or proceed with the probability before us of starvation.
We had only begun to think seriously on this question when on the evening
above-mentioned, just as we had gone ashore to camp, a moving object was
noticed on a little island out in the lake. By means of our field-glasses
we could tell it was a deer, and I need hardly say that no time was lost
in manning a canoe and pulling for the island. As we approached the deer
watched us closely, and soon satisfied of danger, bounded into the air,
galloped to the farther side of the island, plunged into the water, and
struck out for the nearest shore. The rate at which the frightened animal
tore its way through the water was really marvellous, and for a time it
looked as if we would not be able to overtake it with our light canoe and
four paddles. Every muscle was strained, both of deer and men, so that
the hunt resolved itself into a veritable race for life. Unfortunately
for the poor animal, though, the course was too long, and before it could
reach the shore we had overhauled and shot it. That night we enjoyed our
first meal of venison.
[Illustration: HERD OF REINDEER.]
The next day, after descending the river a distance of five or six miles,
and getting into a body of water named Carey Lake, through which we were
steering a central course, one of the party called attention to something
moving on the distant shore to our right. It turned out to be not one
but a band of deer. Our canoes were headed to leeward of the band, that
they might not scent us as we approached the shore. Drawing nearer we
found there was not only one band, but that there were many great bands,
literally covering the country over wide areas. The valleys and hillsides
for miles appeared to be moving masses of reindeer. To estimate their
numbers would be impossible. They could only be reckoned in acres or
square miles.
After a short consultation a place for landing, near a small grove of
tamarack—one of the last we saw—was chosen. Rifles were examined, and
an ample supply of cartridges provided. Shot-guns and revolvers were
furnished to four of the men, and thus prepared we landed and drew up
the canoes. So far the deer had apparently not seen us, but to prevent
a general stampede, it was arranged that I should go around to the rear
of a large detachment of the herd, near by, while my brother should
approach them from the shore. Accordingly I was given fifteen minutes to
run around, a mile or so, behind some rising ground. Meanwhile the rest
of the party scattered themselves about in different places, and at the
given time my brother, having approached within easy range, opened the
fray by bringing down a noble buck. At this first shot the whole band—a
solid mass of several thousands of deer—was thrown into confusion, and
they rushed to and fro, not knowing which way to flee. Simultaneously
with my brother’s shot, I opened fire on them from the rear, and our
armed men charged from the sides, while the other two were obliged to
take refuge upon a great boulder to avoid being trampled to death. The
band was speedily scattered, but not before a woful slaughter had been
made, and an abundant supply of fine fresh meat secured, for which we
were sincerely thankful. It was fortunate that there was wood at hand to
make a fire with and dry the meat. Having slain as many animals as we
required, the men were set to work to prepare dried meat for the rest of
the trip.
This stroke of good fortune gave us much encouragement, as we thought
we had now nothing to fear from lack of provisions. Several days were
spent in drying the eighteen or twenty carcases, which were preserved,
and while this work was progressing my brother and I had ample time to
roam over the hills and view and photograph the bands of deer which
were still everywhere about us. After the slaughter of the first day we
carried no rifles with us, but armed only with a camera walked to and fro
through the herd, causing little more alarm than one would by walking
through a herd of cattle in a field. The experience was delightful, one
never to be forgotten. The reindeer, which is the same as the Barren
Ground caribou, is an animal of exceptional interest. To those whose
imaginations dwell on visions of St. Nicholas and his coursers it is
the ideal steed; while to the hardy native of the frigid zone it is a
faithful and efficient servant, and is undoubtedly the most useful and
valuable of the fifty or more known varieties of deer.
In different localities, and at different seasons of the year, reindeer
vary in appearance; they range in weight from one hundred to four hundred
pounds. During the months of June and July they present their poorest
appearance, being then lean and scrawny, and their half-shed coats ragged
and frowsy. By the month of August they have discarded their tattered
last-winter garments, and have assumed sleek glossy brown summer coats,
which give them a smaller but much more comely appearance. From this
time, both because of increasing flesh and length of hair, they become
gradually larger and more handsome, until, by the month of November, when
they don their winter suits of white and grey, they are transformed in
appearance into the noblest animals of the chase.
Then it is that the enormous antlers of the male deer have attained their
full, hard growth, and he is thus armed for the many battles habitually
fought during the months of November and December for the possession
of favored members of the fair sex. During the month of January these
antlers of the male deer, having served their purpose as weapons of
warfare, are annually cast. Within a few weeks of the falling of the old
horns, soft new ones begin to form beneath the skin, and gradually they
increase in size until they reach maturity the following autumn. During
growth the antlers remain comparatively soft, and are covered with skin
and fine short hair, known as the “velvet.” At maturity a circular burr
is formed at the base of the horn. This has the effect of cutting off the
blood-vessels, and causing the velvet to dry and shrivel and ultimately
peel off. The peeling of the velvet is also hastened by the deer rubbing
its antlers upon rocks and trees. With each successive year the antlers
are supplemented by one additional prong, so that the number of prongs
or tines is a positive indication of the age of the deer. I have counted
as many as twenty-two prongs on one horn, or twice that number on the
pair. Unlike every other variety of deer, the caribou is antlered in
both sexes, the only difference being that in the case of the females
the horns are rather smaller, and are more slender and delicate in their
formation than those of the males.
The hoofs of the reindeer are very large in proportion to other parts
of the body, and, being cloven, they spread greatly in walking. This
characteristic peculiarly fits them for travelling upon the crusted snow,
through which other deer would break and flounder in a hopeless manner.
Concerning the habits of the reindeer, they are both gregarious and
migratory. During the summer season their resort is the open plain or
the sea-coast, where, to some extent, they escape from their tormentors,
the mosquitos and black flies, and find abundance of food in the tender
grasses, the ground birch, or the willow buds. In the autumn they turn
their steps toward the woodlands or more sheltered districts, where they
spend the long, severe winter, subsisting on tree-buds, moss or lichens.
The breeding season occurs in the early spring, before winter quarters
are vacated; and the number of fawns borne by a doe at one time ranges
from one to three.
From an economic or commercial point of view, the reindeer is highly
prized. By the Laplanders and other people it is domesticated, and takes
the place of the horse, the dog, the cow or the goat of other countries.
As a traveller it is swift and enduring, being capable of hauling from
two to three hundred pounds upon a sled, as much as one hundred miles per
day; and as compared with the dog, it possesses the great advantage of
being able to obtain its food by the way.
As a source of venison it cannot be excelled, especially in the autumn
season, when it is in prime condition. During September and October the
males are rolling fat; and as food their flesh is then equal to the
finest beef. Of all meats I have ever tasted, certainly reindeer tongues
take the first place for daintiness and delicacy of flavor.
From the skins of the reindeer the natives of the Arctic regions make
almost every article of winter clothing. For this purpose it is most
admirably suited, both because of its great warmth and its remarkable
lightness. Through different methods of tanning and dressing it is made
adaptable to a great variety of other uses. Sewing thread, lashing twine
and other strong lines are also made from sinew obtained from along the
spine of this animal.
What the buffalo was to the North American Indian in days gone by, the
reindeer is now to the Eskimos and other natives of the north country.
CHAPTER VII.
_A GREAT FROZEN LAKE._
Before leaving “Reindeer Camp” a cairn of rocks was built on the top
of an immense boulder, conspicuously situated on the summit of a point
reaching out into the waters of Carey Lake. A record of our journey to
date was placed in it, and the “flag that for a thousand years has braved
the battle and the breeze,” left floating overhead.
On the 2nd of August the journey was resumed, and during the day a
remarkable grove was found on the north shore of the lake, in latitude
62° 15′ north. As a whole the country was now a treeless, rocky
wilderness, but here by a little brook grew a clump of white spruce
trees, perhaps thirty in all, of which the largest measured eight feet in
circumference at two feet above ground. Such a trunk would be considered
unusually large in a forest a thousand miles to the south, but here it
and its fellows stood far out in the Barren Grounds with their gnarly,
storm-beaten tops, like veritable Druids of old.
In this grove many varieties of plants were found—among others wood
violets, which were here seen for the last time on the trip. Not the
least enjoyable feature of this little oasis was that it afforded us an
opportunity of having a good noon-day fire, which of late had been a
rare luxury.
Pushing out our canoes, we continued the traverse of the coast to the
westward in search of the Telzoa, but it could not be found that day.
[Illustration: ICE ON THE SHORE OF MARKHAM LAKE.]
On the morning of the following day, at the north-western extremity of
the lake, our course was again discovered. It commenced with a wild
rapid of about thirty feet fall, and this we found to be followed within
a distance of twenty miles by seven others, all of which together
aggregated a fall of about 120 feet, which took us to the level of
Markham Lake, named in honor of Admiral A. H. Markham, R.N.
While traversing this lake a decided change in the climate was observed.
For the first time since the early part of the season snow-banks were
seen on the hillsides, and the weather, which had been as a rule wet
and cold since leaving the woods, became decidedly colder. Toward the
north end of the lake we passed great piles of rafted ice on the shore.
Such conditions during the month of August were highly suggestive of the
character of climate which must exist here in the winter season.
Near the outlet of Markham Lake was found an exceptionally interesting
little island. For weeks we had seen nothing but Laurentian or Huronian
hills, but here was a solitary out-lier of white Cambrio-Silurian
limestone. The size of the island was perhaps not more than ten acres,
but its whole composition was quite different from anything in the
district, and growing on it were found many entirely new varieties of
plants. Several hours were spent here with fruitful results, and then as
the shadows of evening were stealing from the rocky hills far across the
lonely plains, we discovered, at the north end of the lake, our river,
upon the bare high rocky bank of which we pitched camp.
It is worthy of note that at this point some very old moss-grown “tepee”
poles and fragments of birch bark were found, indicating clearly that
in days gone by the spot had been visited by Indians, though it was now
known to them only in legends. We had seen no recent traces of Indians
since entering the Telzoa, but at some time they had descended thus far,
and had camped on the same bald hill which we now occupied. There was
more than sentiment to us in the fact, for from the old rotten poles, few
and small though they were, we built a fire that gave us not a little
comfort and cheer.
On the 5th of August, after partaking of a hurried breakfast of
venison—of which, by the way, our supplies now almost entirely
consisted—the canoes were again launched in the swift stream, in which
during the day rapid after rapid was run, until six were successfully
passed and a descent of over a hundred feet had been made.
At about six o’clock in the evening, having made twenty miles, a
fortunate incident occurred. As we were approaching a seventh rapid we
suddenly found ourselves enveloped in a dense chilling mist, which so
obstructed the view that we were unable to proceed. As we went ashore
at the head of the rapid we discovered, much to our delight, a little
patch of stunted black spruce trees. They were twisted and gnarled,
and not more than four or five feet in height, but as fuel they were
the source of much comfort, and beside them we decided to camp. It was
Saturday night. During the day’s run we had been soaked by the spray of
the rapids, and were therefore in good condition to again enjoy the warm,
cheerful blaze of a fire, around which we all huddled and sat far into
the night, drying our clothing, rehearsing adventures of the day and
discussing the prospects of the future.
The morrow being Sunday we had a further opportunity of enjoying the
camp-fire, cooked provisions, and dry clothing, all which are rare
luxuries in the Barren Lands. Our fishing nets, which had been set in the
river the night before, were taken up loaded with magnificent whitefish
and trout, the former ranging from six to ten pounds in weight, and the
latter up to twenty-five pounds.
During the afternoon, as my brother was tramping in the interior he
reached the summit of an adjacent hill, where a most dreary and chilling
scene opened to his vision. To the east and northward not many miles
away, and extending as far as the eye could reach, there appeared a vast
white plain shrouded in drifting clouds of mist. It was evidently a great
lake, still covered in the month of August with a field of ice, and was
probably the Doobaunt or Tobaunt Lake, known in a legendary way to the
Athabasca Indians, and sighted over one hundred years ago by Samuel
Hearne when on his journey to the Copper Mine River. Its re-discovery
was now a matter of the deepest interest to us. Was it to form an
insurmountable obstacle in our path was the question at once suggested,
and judging from appearances, most of the men were of opinion that it
would.
[Illustration: TOBAUNT LAKE.]
On Monday morning, the 7th of August, all undismayed, we broke camp
early, and bidding good-bye to the last vestige of growing timber to be
seen, continued down the river toward the frozen lake. Four more rapids
were passed, and about 10 a.m., retarded by a strong east wind, we went
ashore on a little island in the broad mouth of the river. Here we built
another cairn of rocks, upon which was painted, with red enamel, the
latitude of the spot and the date and name of the expedition.
In the afternoon, the wind having moderated, we started out for the
mainland to the north. We followed it for some miles to the eastward, and
then struck across to a long point, which appeared to be the outermost
point of the river shore. Up to this time we had seen nothing of the
ice-field, but here it was, tight in against the shore and defying
farther advance by canoe. Towards the edge of the pack the ice was
much broken and honey-combed, but it was far too heavy to be tackled
by canoes or even stout boats. It was decided, therefore, to turn into
what we supposed was a bay just passed, and from the shore get a view of
the pack. We had no sooner altered our course than a deer was sighted
close by, shot, and taken on board for fresh meat. It was found that the
point was that of a long island, and that the supposed bay was a channel
through which we might pass unobstructed by ice.
By this time, however, the wind was again blowing strongly, and a cold
heavy rain setting in drove us to camp. During the night the wind
increased to a gale, accompanied by torrents of rain, which flooded the
tents and saturated our clothing and blankets. Not a vestige of fuel was
to be found in the country, but with a spirit lamp we made hot tea and
appeased our sharp appetites with some remnants of boiled venison. For
three days the storm continued. On the fourth it turned to snow and the
temperature went down to freezing—rather inhospitable weather for the
10th of August.
Next morning, the gale having sufficiently subsided, camp was called
about four o’clock, and we continued on our way through the channel we
had entered, and along the west shore of the lake in open water until
8 a.m., when we again found ourselves hemmed in by heavy floating ice,
which in several places was measured and found to be seven feet in
thickness. To advance here in the canoes was impossible, so a favorable
spot for landing was selected, at the base of the point where the ice was
hard ashore.
Just as we were landing, a small band of deer was seen feeding on a
grassy plain not far away, and as our supply of fresh venison was nearly
gone, we made plans for a hunt. It was arranged that my brother and I
should take up our positions in concealment on a low neck of land between
the shore and a small lake, and that the men should so place themselves
as to drive the band within range of us. We managed to reach our vantage
ground unobserved, but one of the canoemen in attempting to carry out his
instructions awkwardly exposed himself and alarmed the deer, causing them
to speedily scatter. Some of them, however, bounded past within range
of our rifles, and three were brought down, which were sufficient to
replenish the larder.
Not far from the landing place was a high hill, so providing ourselves
with field-glasses we set out for its summit. As we proceeded across
the country we found the ground frozen and all the little ponds covered
by new ice. Such a condition of things was not the most enlivening, and
it was a point of discussion with us whether the season of this land was
spring or autumn. Upon reaching the hill-top we were well repaid for
our labor. Away to the south and the east, as far as we could see, the
ice-field extended, but to the north there lay much open water, and near
the base of the hill there was a comparatively narrow neck of land across
which we might portage our outfit and get to the open water. This we
decided to do.
Having accomplished this task we were once more free, but before
nightfall were again blocked by the pack. In a deep bay by the mouth of a
small river we went into camp, feeling somewhat disheartened by our ill
fortunes. Neither wood nor moss could here be found with which to make a
fire, but with alcohol some hot tea was made, and from it as much comfort
was extracted as possible, for there was little elsewhere to be found.
Meeting with so much ice at this season of the year made the prospects of
farther advance northward anything but encouraging, but we were resolved,
if it were possible, to push on and see the end of the great river we had
thus far descended.
The morning of the 12th broke cold and dreary. New ice everywhere covered
the ponds, but camp was astir early, and it was with much pleasure we
discovered that the ice-pack, which had forbidden our advance the night
before, had now moved off the shore and left in its stead a channel of
open water. Into this we gladly made our way, and once more the paddles
were plied lustily. During the day we encountered much ice, solid fields
of which extended out from the land, but we were able to get along
without much obstruction. Several white wolves were seen on the shore as
we passed, and at some places, where landings were made, numerous little
ermines were observed darting about among the rocks. The formation of the
coast was found to consist largely of a remarkable looking ferruginous
conglomerate, and despite the extremely barren and dreary aspect of the
country, a large variety of beautiful little flowers were collected.
At nightfall, after a long day’s struggle with the opposing elements,
as we were hauling the canoes ashore towards the shelter of some rocky
cliffs, we were suddenly set upon by a pack of huge grey wolves. A great
gaunt, hungry-looking brute with dilated eyeballs led the attack. He was
the largest wolf in the pack and a daring brute, but for once, at least,
he met with a surprise, as he was promptly bored from end to end with a
slug from my brother’s rifle. The leader of the pack having been thus
treated, the others fled, but revenged themselves by howling at us all
night long from the surrounding hills.
With the pack several little wolves had been noticed, and when the old
ones beat their retreat an effort was made to capture some of them, but
unsuccessfully, for just as young partridges suddenly and mysteriously
disappear in the leafy woods when danger threatens, so did these young
wolves disappear among the rocks, and though we searched carefully and
must have been within a few yards of them, we could not get sight of one.
I have said the wolves here encountered were grey. This seemed a little
peculiar, since any that we had seen for some time had been of the white
Arctic variety, which do not travel together in packs, like those of the
timber country.
At this locality, which was close to the north-west extremity of Tobaunt
Lake, the country was more than ordinarily broken, and was distinctively
marked by the existence of several great hills of sand. The highest of
these sand mountains I became ambitious to climb, in order to obtain a
view of the surrounding country and have a look for the outlet of the
lake. In the open country one can often, in an hour or two, obtain more
information in this way from a prominent elevation than would otherwise
be possible in two or three days’ travel. So it was on this occasion,
when in company with two canoemen I obtained a variety of information.
From the summit one could get a grand view of the whole surrounding
country, and thus an opportunity was afforded of gaining much interesting
topographical information. In the performance of this work my binoculars
were of invaluable assistance, enabling me to trace the natural features
of the country for a considerable distance.
While thus scanning the broad dreary plains from my vantage point,
scattered bands of deer could be seen here and there, also two or three
wolves and a wolverine. This latter animal, also known as the glutton,
being not very far distant, afforded us some amusement. We had no rifles
with us, but I had my revolver, and seeing that François was keen for a
chase, I offered him the use of it.
Opportunities for excitement were seldom neglected by our dare-devil
young Westerner, and on this occasion, quickly availing himself of my
offer, he started down the steep hill at a break-neck pace, followed by
John, in a bee-line for the wolverine.
No sagacious Indian cunning, of which we so often read, was brought to
play in the hunt. It was merely a question of which could run the faster
and keep it up the longer. The wolverine is not a swift animal, nature
having provided him with only short limbs, but on this occasion he used
such as he had to the very best possible advantage, and with a rolling
gait made his way off across the rough stony plains at a record-breaking
pace. His pursuers were, however, soon observed to be gaining on him, and
as the distance between the runners gradually lessened, the race became
exciting, even to me, looking on from the hill-top.
Once or twice in their wild chase the men had bad tumbles, but recovering
themselves, continued to gain on the wolverine until they had almost
overhauled him. Then “bang” went the revolver, and the glutton, unhurt,
dodging around some rocks, was almost run upon by François, who in his
excitement fired again, and at the same time took a header. It appeared
as if he had shot himself instead of the wolverine, but he had done
neither; he had only experienced another bad tumble on the rough, rocky
ground. Gathering himself up again, François followed in hot pursuit,
making a most determined chase, but just as he was about to do the tragic
act, Mr. Wolverine disappeared among the broken rocks, and could not any
more be found.
Thus ended the hunt, and the men, greatly disgusted, wearily recrossed
the plain and climbed the hill.
Finding great quantities of moss in the neighborhood, several large piles
of it were collected, tied up into bundles and taken back with us to camp
for fuel. Two varieties of this moss fuel were commonly found growing
upon the stony hill-tops, the one, reindeer moss (_lichen rangiferinus_),
being almost white, and the other, black and wiry looking, and the better
fuel of the two. Either variety, of course, had to be dry in order to
burn, and that was a condition in which we seldom found it, as incessant
wet weather had been experienced since entering the Barren Grounds.
When dry moss was found, therefore, it was our custom to keep the kettles
boiling all or most of the night, in order to cook enough meat to supply
camp for several days.
[Illustration: FRENCH-CREE HALF-BREED.]
CHAPTER VIII.
_ON THE LOWER TELZOA._
Until the evening of the 15th of August, we paddled on through varied
scenes of ice and open water, following the barren shore-line in search
of the outlet of Tobaunt Lake.
In addition to game already mentioned, two young broods of wild geese,
not yet able to fly, were seen. It is commonly said that the breeding
place of the wild goose has never been discovered, but here, at any rate,
was the breeding place of these.
On the morning of the 16th we were early aroused by the voice of a
howling gale and the pelting rain, which was freely beating through our
flapping tents. Of these, our meagre shelters, some of the guys were
broken, and the tent occupied by my brother and myself was only prevented
from being blown away by the unpleasant performance of scrambling out in
the darkness, exposing ourselves to the piercing wind and driving rain,
and securing it with new ropes and piles of stones. Upon this occasion,
also, blankets and clothing not yet dry since the last wetting were again
saturated. Everything in the way of instruments, photographic supplies,
note books, etc., were piled together at one side of the tent and well
covered by a rubber sheet, and at the other side we made ourselves as
comfortable as possible, which was in truth pretty miserable.
[Illustration: RAPIDS ON THE LOWER TELZOA.]
This storm continued with fury for two days, and during this time, wet
and shivering in the tents, we found our only spark of comfort in the
brewing and imbibing of hot chocolate prepared over the spirit lamp.
On the afternoon of the second day, the rain ceased and the wind fell
sufficiently to enable us to faintly hear to the north the roar of heavy
rapids. Stimulated by the sound, we struck camp at seven o’clock in the
evening and started out for what we hoped might prove to be the Telzoa
flowing out of the lake, and after a long and late pull we were gratified
to find our hopes realized. On account of the lateness of the hour we had
no opportunity that night of examining the river, further than to observe
that it was unobstructed by ice, which observation afforded us great
satisfaction.
On the morning of the 18th we launched in the clear, strong stream of the
Lower Telzoa, and very soon found ourselves at the head of the rapids we
had heard. At the second rapid the first unmistakable signs of the recent
habitations of Eskimos were discovered. They consisted of rings of camp
stones, an old bow, several broken arrows, a whip-stock and numerous
broken or partly formed willow ribs of a “kyack” or canoe.
About six miles or so down from Tobaunt Lake we arrived at the head of
a wild rapid, where the broad river rushes down through a narrow, rocky
gorge, not more than fifty yards in width, and about two and a half miles
in length. Over this entire distance the river forms one continuous
boiling, tumbling stream of foaming water, which at every rock in its
course is dashed high in air into myriad particles of spray. At the foot
of the rapid the river again widens out beyond its usual width into a
little lake, which was still more than half covered by the last winter’s
ice.
Past the entire length of this rapid a portage of everything had, of
course, to be made. Camp was pitched at the foot, and near it were found
bones of musk oxen. Later, on the opposite side of the rapid, two of
these animals were seen.
[Illustration: MUSK OXEN.]
On the morning of the 19th we started across the little ice-bound lake
in a northerly direction, and within a distance of about four miles
discovered to the left the mouth of another small river flowing in from
the westward, and, much to our delight, upon its sandy beaches found dead
willow drift-wood in such quantities that we were able to load the canoes
with it. Signs of Eskimos were also observed here. Three miles farther
north, just west of a remarkable white sand-hill or moraine, three
hundred feet in height, the Telzoa, now a broad swift stream, was again
entered.
Towards evening we sighted upon the right bank, some distance ahead of
us, the solitary lodge of an Eskimo. In front of the doorway stood a man
gazing toward us, and behind and around him excited women and children
were gathered. These were all quickly placed inside the “topick” or
lodge, and the doorway laced up securely. But he, remaining outside,
continued to watch us intently. Our canoes were no doubt taken to be
those of the “Ik-kil-lin” (the Indians) from the south—their hereditary
enemies—so they expected no good thing from us.
Our own men, recalling to mind the stories of the “savage Eskimos who
would undoubtedly eat them,” were scarcely less fearful than the solitary
native, who, as we drew nearer, was observed through our glasses to be
nervous and trembling. As soon as we had approached to within calling
distance, I stood up in my canoe and shouted, “_Chimo! chimo! cudloona
uvagut peeaweunga tacko Enuit_” (Halloo! halloo! we are white men, glad
to see the Eskimos). Before my words were finished the doorway of the
topick was torn open, and with great rejoicing and excited gestures all
the inmates scrambled out to meet us at the shore as we landed.
The Eskimo himself was a tall, well-built, stalwart man, with a shrewd,
intelligent face, and wore the pleasant characteristic grin of his race.
With him were his two wives and six children, and all joined in extending
to us a hearty welcome.
[Illustration: ESKIMO “TOPICK,” TELZOA RIVER.]
Their lodge was a large well-formed, clean-looking one, made of deer-skin
parchment, and supported by stout spruce poles, which must have been
brought from some distant place. Into this dwelling we were cordially
invited and most hospitably received. Seats of deer-skin were offered by
the hostesses and venison was placed before us, while we in return handed
around presents of beads, tobacco, matches, and such things. About us
were to be seen evidences of communication with traders, such as a large
tin kettle, two old guns, and a pair of moleskin trousers. Upon inquiry
I was told they had received them in trade from other “Enuits” (Eskimos).
We satisfied ourselves that this family were accustomed to meet with the
Eskimos from Hudson Bay who trade at Fort Churchill or Marble Island, and
for that reason the Telzoa must in all probability flow into the bay. We
were, moreover, soon convinced of this by getting the Eskimo to draw us a
sketch of the river’s course.
From the natives we also secured several articles, such as horn spoons,
personal ornaments, and two or three deer-skin coats, to do us service,
if necessary, later in the season. In exchange for these we were asked
for powder, bullets and gun-caps, all of which they were badly in need
of. About camp there appeared to be an abundance of venison for the
present support of the family, but the hunt for musk oxen was what had
brought this venturesome hunter far up the river in advance of his tribe.
As Eskimo interpreter I had little difficulty in conversing with the
natives, though I found that many of my words as used by the Eskimos on
the east coast of Hudson Bay and the north shore of the Straits were not
understood. It was not so surprising that many of their words were not
understood by me. In the main, however, I found the language to be the
same as that spoken by the Eskimos of various other districts formerly
visited.
Among those of us who for the time shared the hospitality of this native
family was our worthy cook, John, who also laid claim to the distinction
of being an Eskimo linguist. It was noticeable, however, at this time
that John was unusually silent and backward, more so indeed than anyone
in the party. After leaving the lodge I asked him if he had understood
what the natives were saying, and was not a little amused when he
replied, “Y-e-s, but,—b-u-t, t-h-e,—the trouble was I couldn’t get them
to talk.” After a pleasant but brief visit of less than one hour, during
which time we received some valuable information about our route, as
well as much assurance and encouragement, with many hearty “tabowetings”
(good-byes), we parted. As we did so Louis, my steersman, with an
expression of pleasant disappointment on his face, exclaimed, “They are
not savage, but real decent people.”
The current being strong, our friends at the topick were soon far behind.
They had told us that from there to the sea (Hudson Bay) was about a
twenty days’ journey, and though we thought we could likely make it in
half that time, we were impressed and spurred on by the knowledge of
the fact that we were now far into the interior of the country, and at
the least eight hundred miles by our road from the nearest Hudson’s Bay
Company’s post, Fort Churchill. This day and the next after visiting the
Eskimos we had beautifully bright weather, but the enjoyment of it was
marred by our encountering swarms of black flies.
As we glided down the river several white wolves were seen upon the
shore, gnawing at the carcass of a deer, and at a distance of about ten
miles below the topick we entered another lake.
While traversing the shores of this body of water, which is about twenty
miles in length, and which has been christened Wharton Lake, a number
of magnificent specimens of reindeer in prime condition were seen, and
several of them shot at ranges of from two to four hundred yards. By
this time—the 22nd of August—the skins as well as the carcases of the
deer were at their best, and the centres of several of the hides were
saved and dried for use as sleeping mats, while all of the fine fat meat
secured was applied to the replenishing of our severely taxed larder.
After describing nearly the entire circumference of this lake, the
outlet, much obscured by a labyrinth of islands, was discovered on the
east side, close to a conspicuous hill of white quartzite, 230 feet in
height.
At the foot of this hill an Eskimo cache, consisting of a “kometic”
(sled), snow-shovels, musk-ox horns, etc., was discovered, and here on
the night of the 22nd camp was pitched. As no moss or other description
of fuel could be found in the vicinity, some of the men considered they
had “struck a bonanza” in finding the “kometic,” and carried it to camp,
intending to utilize it for boiling the kettle. A slat or two had already
been knocked off when, happily, I arrived on the scene just in time to
prevent its destruction and preserve our good name with the natives.
To the Eskimo who owned the sled it was an invaluable possession, and
for us to have destroyed it for one “mess of pottage” would have been a
flagrant shame. It was therefore repaired, and carried back to where it
had been found; and for a peace-offering a plug of tobacco was left upon
it.[3]
From our camp at White Mountain, on the morning of the 23rd, we again
entered the river, which for ten or twelve miles carried us off to the
eastward; then turning sharply to the northward and flowing swiftly
between high, steep banks of sand, it widened out into what has been
named Lady Marjorine Lake, a body of water about ten miles long by three
or four wide. Through this we passed and at its north-western extremity
regained the river.
It began with a rough, rocky rapid, in running which my canoe struck a
smooth rock, was smashed in the bottom, and nearly filled with water; but
though in a sinking condition we managed to get it ashore. Though the
contents were soaked, everything was landed without serious damage. After
a delay of two hours we were again in the stream, and being borne away to
the westward—the direction opposite to that we were now anxious to follow.
The river was here a noble stream, deep and swift, with a well-defined
channel and high banks of rock or sand. Near the north bank there
extended for some miles a high range of dark but snow-capped trappean
hills, of about five hundred feet in height.
On the night of the 24th we camped at the base of two conspicuous conical
peaks of trap, named by us the Twin Mountains.
During the whole of the 25th our course continued to be westerly and
north-westerly, and because of this we began to feel anxious. We had
now passed the latitude of Baker Lake, where, according to information
obtained from the Eskimos, we were expecting the river to take us.
Instead of drawing nearer to it, we were heading away toward the Back or
Great Fish River, which discharges its waters into the Arctic Ocean, and
was, on our present course, distant only two days’ journey.
Towards evening, however, a marked change was observed in the character
of the river. The banks grew lower and consisted of soft, coarse-grained
sandstone. The water became shallow and the channel broadened out into
a little lake, containing numerous shoals and low islands of sand. Just
beyond this, much to our surprise and pleasure, we suddenly came upon
abundance of drift-wood—not little sticks of willow or ground birch, but
the trunks of trees six or eight inches in diameter, as heavy as two men
could carry. No growing trees were to be seen in the district, nor had we
seen any during the previous three or four hundred miles of our journey.
At first, therefore, the occurrence of the wood seemed unaccountable, but
the theory soon suggested itself that we must be close to the confluence
of some other stream flowing through a wooded country. No other could
account for its existence in this remote region, and accordingly this
theory was borne out by the discovery, within a short distance, of a
river as large as the Telzoa, flowing in from the westward and with it
mingling its dark-colored waters.
The abundance and condition of the drift-wood, which was not badly
battered, would indicate that upon the west branch few rapids and no
lakes exist between the confluence and the woodland district, which is
perhaps in the vicinity of Great Slave or Clinton Golden Lake. Lakes
occurring on the course of a river act as catch-basins to prevent the
further passage of drift-wood. According to information obtained from
the Eskimo, some distance up this river there were great numbers of his
people engaged in the building of kyacks. We would have been pleased
to visit them, but deeming it unwise at this late season to go out of
our way, we pulled on with the stream, which was now double its former
strength and flowing again to the northward.
Many geese were seen about the low grassy shores and islands, upon one
of which latter camp was pitched on the evening of the 25th, and a great
blazing, roaring fire of drift-wood kindled.
It was hoped that henceforward for some time this supply of fuel might
continue, for of late we had been entirely without fire for warming
purposes. The miserable smudges made of moss or ground birch mixed with
deer tallow or sprinkled with alcohol were useful for the purpose of
cooking our venison, but for nothing else.
From camp on the morning of the 26th, for a distance of four or five
miles, the river still flowed toward the Arctic, but in latitude 64° 41′
north it swerved around to the east, and then the south-east, and bore us
down to the western extremity of a magnificent body of water, which has
been named Aberdeen Lake, in honor of their Excellencies Lord and Lady
Aberdeen. It was a lovely calm evening when the track of our canoes first
rippled the waters of this lake, and as we landed at a bluff point on
the north shore and from it gazed to the eastward over the solitary but
beautiful scene, a feeling of awe crept over us. We were undoubtedly the
first white men who had ever viewed it, and in the knowledge of the fact
there was inspiration.
For two days following we enjoyed fine weather—something unusual in the
Barren Land districts—and this enabled us to carry on the exploration of
the large lake with very little delay. We found the total length to be
about fifty miles. Portions of the shore toward the west end were low and
sandy, and at one point of landing the remains of an old Eskimo camp, and
beside it parts of a human skeleton, were found.
Towards the east end other remarkable traces of Eskimos were seen in the
shape of stone pillars, well and uniformly built, but for what purpose I
confess I cannot tell. If they had been located at conspicuous points,
or upon hill-tops, I would say they were intended for landmarks. Several
were found on the shore of the bay forming the eastern extremity of the
lake, and others in more or less obscure places. I am inclined to think
the object in building these stone pillars has been in some way connected
with the hunting of musk oxen or deer, but they were evidently not
intended merely for shelters or hiding places.
CHAPTER IX.
_MEETING WITH NATIVES._
Borne down by the river we had launched on the bosom of Aberdeen Lake
without effort, but not so easy a matter was it to find our way out.
With the hope of saving unnecessary search, it was resolved to climb to
the top of a hill not far back from shore, and view the country with our
field-glasses.
From the summit, which was found by the aneroid to be four hundred
feet above the lake, we obtained a magnificent view of the surrounding
country, and from the base of the hill could clearly trace the course of
the river, winding away to the northward. While my brother and I were
thus engaged in viewing and sketching the country, hammering the rocks,
tracing the lines of ancient sea-beaches, etc., which were here clearly
defined at no less than seven different elevations, varying from 60 to
290 feet above the surface of the lake, the men were usefully employed in
collecting black moss, which in this neighborhood was found in abundance.
Since entering the lake nothing more had been seen of the drift-wood, but
on our return from the hill in the evening we found camp already pitched,
and near it a big kettle of venison simmering over a fire of moss. More
than this, some flour, a little of which still remained, had been baked
into grease cakes by John, and with these, the venison and hot tea, we
enjoyed one of the heartiest meals of our lives.
On the morning of the 29th, enshrouded by a dense fog, we entered the
river, and though for a time we could see neither bank, we knew our
course from my sketch made on the hill-top. Later in the day the weather,
clearing, enabled us at noon, as we entered the west end of Schultz Lake
(so called in honor of the late Lieutenant-Governor of Manitoba), to
ascertain our latitude, which was 64° 43′ north. Along the north shore of
this lake extended a high range of rocky, snow-clad hills, from four to
five hundred feet in height. The south shore was also bold and rocky, but
of considerably less elevation.
The next day the old story of looking for the “hole” out of the lake was
repeated. At noon, while lunch was being prepared, my brother climbed a
hill on the south shore, and from its summit discovered the outlet, four
or five miles distant on the opposite side.
As soon as possible after my brother’s descent we started straight across
on our course for the river. Light wolfy clouds were already scudding
across the sky, and after them dark masses began to roll up from the
horizon and soon overshadowed us. We were evidently in for a blow, and
in order to avoid being overtaken on the open lake, every man exerted
himself to the utmost. No sooner had we reached shore than the storm
burst upon us, but once in the river channel we were able to obtain
shelter from the force of the gale if not from the pelting rain.
We had now reached the second of two points of highest latitude attained
on our journey, namely 64° 48′ north. This as a high latitude does not,
of course, amount to anything, but the attainment of a high latitude was
not an object of our expedition, though scores of times the question has
been asked of me, “How far north did you get?”
At this entrance to the river a large area of highly glaciated granitic
rocks was observed, and the channel was well formed and deep. Both banks
were high and rocky, and the current swift. Notwithstanding the weather
our canoes were kept in the stream, though it was with difficulty I was
able to carry on the survey and keep my notes.
About seven miles down stream a very rocky rapid was discovered. On
examination we found it could be run for a considerable distance, and
that for the remaining distance only a short portage would have to be
made.
The contents of the canoes being all safely landed below the rapids, they
themselves were run down by the Iroquois through the foaming waters. Had
it not been for our good steersman Pierre many and many a rapid through
which our little crafts were guided in safety would have caused us much
laborious portaging. If a rapid could be run at all in safety, Pierre had
the skill and nerve to do it. During the scores of times that he piloted
our little fleet through foaming waters, I believe I am correct in saying
that his canoe never once touched a rock; but that is more than can be
said of those who followed him.
After reloading the canoes we sped down with the current at a rate of
about eight miles an hour, with the wind beating the cold rain and the
spray from the crest of the waves in our faces, our only consolation
was that we were making miles on the journey. The shores continued to
be bare steep walls of rock; not a shrub was anywhere to be seen. About
twelve miles below Schultz Lake we decided to camp. Tents were pitched,
and within them our soaked and shivering party sought comfort. Little,
however, was to be found, for the wind, which continued to increase in
violence, drove the rain through our shelters, saturating the blankets
and making us generally miserable. The morning brought no improvement,
for the storm still continued.
It was impossible to make a fire, supposing moss or other fuel could
have been found, for they would have been saturated with water. A little
alcohol still remaining, tea was boiled with it, and dried venison
completed our menu. As those who have used it well know, this description
of meat is not the most palatable. It is good strong, portable food, but
may be better compared to sole leather than any article of diet.
By the morning of the first of September the rain had ceased and the
clouds partially cleared away. The gale, however, still continued to blow
so fiercely as to frequently whip clouds of spray off the surface of the
river, so that we were quite unable to travel in canoes.
On the following morning, the wind having fallen sufficiently, the
canoes were again pushed into the current, and we glided down stream,
in a south-easterly direction, at the rate of seven miles an hour. The
channel was deep and about three hundred yards in width, while the banks,
continuing to be bold and high, were formed of dark Huronian schists and
clay. The schists were chiefly micaceous and hornblendic, such as those
occurring about the Lake of the Woods, and were found dipping at high
angles.
Four or five miles to the east was a conspicuous range of snow-covered
hills, probably six hundred feet in height, while between them and the
river appeared a broad plateau, or a high level lake—which of the two we
could not determine from the river bank. Time would not permit of our
making side investigations when it was possible to be travelling, so on
we sped, pulling at the paddles as well as being hurried along by the
current. Thus for a time we made good progress, and as the long miles
were quickly passed the spirits of our little party were cheered.
Late in the forenoon, as we were rounding a bend in the river, an Eskimo
in his kyack was sighted ahead, and much to our amusement he was soon
much farther ahead. The poor fellow, seeing our fleet of canoes, and
being himself alone, evidently thought his safest move was to get out
of the way, and this he did, leaving us farther behind at every stroke,
though we were doing our best to catch him.
I shouted to him in his native tongue, but it was of no use; he did
not slacken his pace until, some distance down the river, he reached
an Eskimo encampment of several topicks. Here he landed, hauled up his
kyack, and informed the other natives of our approach. All eyes keenly
watched us. As we drew nearer they soon observed by our canoes and
personal appearance that we were not Indians, as they had supposed, but
were “Kudloonahs” (white men), the friends of the Eskimos. I shouted to
them, “_Chimo! Kudloonah uvagut peeaweeunga tacko Enuit._” To this they
responded with cheers and wild gesticulations, and as we landed we were
received with hand-shaking and great rejoicing. None showed the least
sign of hostility. Indeed the ladies exhibited an embarrassing amount
of cordiality, so much so that it was thought wise to make our visit as
brief as possible. Having “greeted all the brethren,” I proceeded to
obtain what information I could from them regarding our road to the sea,
and was much pleased to learn that we were close to the mouth of the
river. I also obtained a sketch map of our course thence to the “sea” or
Hudson Bay. There was now no doubt as to the route. We were to reach the
Bay through Chesterfield Inlet, which was now not far distant, and at
this certain knowledge we felt much encouraged. Besides this information,
several skins were obtained from the natives, some skin clothing and a
few trinkets. One very old man of the camp asked to be given a passage
down the river a few miles to another native village. Placing him in our
third or freighting canoe, and accompanied by an escort of three kyacks,
we departed, amid a generous exchange of salutes.
We were pleased to learn from the natives that there were no more rapids
or obstructions to be encountered. As we proceeded, however, we found
the current both strong and swift, and quite rough in some places, but
the Eskimos in their kyacks shot ahead from time to time and showed us
the best channels. Sometimes they fell behind, evidently for the sake of
having the opportunity of showing how quickly they could repass. Just as
we had been able to paddle around the Indians in their bark canoes, so
were these little fellows able to paddle around us. Soon after leaving
the Eskimo camp we went ashore. The river bank here was abrupt and high,
in the neighborhood of one hundred feet, and on the side of this steep
bank several new species of plants were collected. Marine shells and marl
were also found thirty feet above the river, while on the top of the
bank some Eskimo graves were discovered. Out of consideration for our
native escorts, the graves, already broken by bears or wolves, were not
molested. When lunch was announced, and we, seating ourselves, proceeded
to work with the customary plates, knives and forks, the Eskimos were
very much amused, and stood watching our operations with great interest.
Some refreshments were offered them, but to our surprise they declined,
informing us that they had plenty of meat. For their own lunch they each
took a lump of raw venison and a drink of water from the river, a very
simple but no doubt wholesome meal.
Before re-embarking I secured several good photographs of the Eskimos.
At first they were not prepared to be “shot” by the camera, but after
explaining what I wished to do, they were pleased and amused to have
their pictures taken, and changed their positions when I asked them to
do so. By the time we had descended eight or ten miles farther down the
river, our native escorts commenced cheering, hallooing and acting in
a most hilarious manner. At first we wondered what had possessed them,
but the cause of their strange actions was soon disclosed as we switched
around a bend in the river and found ourselves close upon a large Eskimo
village. As we pulled ashore this time there was no need of introducing
ourselves. Our coming and our character had already been lustily
proclaimed from half a mile or so up the river until the time of landing,
so that we were received with great demonstrations.
[Illustration: ESKIMO HUNTERS.]
[Illustration: GROUP OF ESKIMOS.]
Upon going ashore one of the first objects which attracted my attention
was a small topick, or lodge, constructed of beautiful musk-ox robes.
I felt inclined to doubt my own eyes, for it seemed such a strange
waste of luxury. I proceeded to this princely dwelling, and finding the
owners—three young brothers—entered into negotiations with them for its
purchase. The value asked in exchange for the robes being very moderate,
they were secured and made into a snug little bale. Next my attention
was drawn to a pile of skins lying on the rocks. As I approached these
skins, several Eskimos sat upon them, telling me as they did so that the
owner of them was away hunting, and therefore I could not buy them. I
assented, but asked to be allowed to look at them. Even this, however,
was stoutly refused, as the owner was not present. I could not help
admiring these fellows for their fidelity to one of their number. Some
time was then spent in collecting information about the country, and in
purchasing nicknacks of one kind and another, and while doing so the
owner of the skins returned. He at once proceeded to open up his furs,
which, with the exception of one wolf skin, were all musk-ox robes, but
of inferior quality. The four best skins were picked out and reserved,
and the frowsy remnant then offered to us. The poor skins, I told him,
were not the ones we wanted, but for a time he positively refused to sell
the good ones. After a little discussion, however, the crafty hunter came
to the conclusion that he wanted a small kettle and some gun-caps (for he
had an old gun), and so offered me one of the skins for these articles.
We happened to have a kettle in which we had carried our butter, but
which had now become only an article of extra baggage, so after some
“serious consideration,” I concluded to let him have the kettle and some
caps for the skin.
It was then my turn to make him an offer. I produced a telescope, a
jack-knife, and an old shirt, and offered them for the three remaining
robes. The temptation proved too great; the skins were handed over,
and the telescope, knife and shirt accepted with great delight and
many thanks. Although it was now time to camp, and many pressing
invitations were extended to us to spend the night at the village, it
was thought wisest for the moral well-being of our party not to do so.
Besides this, the surface of the country in the neighborhood of the
village was exceedingly rough, being formed entirely of boulders. The
Eskimo topicks were pitched upon the rocky shore, and it was thought we
might find smoother ground. Before leaving the village one old Eskimo
surprised us very much by making a remark in English. I said to him, “Oh!
you understand English,” whereat he made the amusing reply, “No, me no
understand English.” I tried then to find out from the old man where he
had learned to speak our language, but the only reply I could get from
him was that he had always been able to speak it. It may be that he had
accompanied Sir George Back, Sir John Richardson, or Dr. Ray, on one of
their Franklin search expeditions, or perhaps he had come from Hudson
Bay, where he had been associated with some of the American whalers who
frequent its waters.
Followed by many hearty cheers and “tabowetees” (farewells), we parted
from our new but warm-hearted friends. As before, we were accompanied by
an escort of kyacks, but after a time they fell behind and returned to
the village.
As we had been informed by the natives, so we soon found, we were at last
at the mouth of the great Telzoa, and gradually as we passed out into the
broad shallow delta and gazed over the deep blue limitless waters beyond,
the gratifying fact forced itself upon us that we had accomplished what
we had started out to do, viz., to explore a route through the heart of
the Barren Lands, where certainly no other white men, if indeed Indians
or Eskimos, had ever passed. We were still, of course, a long way from
being out of the Barren Land country, but once on the waters of Baker
Lake, as we now were, the remainder of the road was to some extent known
to us.
Before proceeding further with my narrative, I shall digress a little,
believing that the reader will be interested by some particulars
concerning the Eskimos. Having in former expeditions spent nearly two
years among these people, I had abundant opportunity for studying their
habits and customs of life. Some of the observations thus made I shall
record in the next two chapters.
[Illustration: ICELANDIC SETTLER.]
[Illustration: AN ESKIMO. ESKIMO WOMAN.]
CHAPTER X.
_THE ESKIMOS._
The Eskimos, the most northerly inhabitants of the globe, are in many
respects a strange and interesting people. In appearance they are short
and well-built, with fat, round faces, usually almost entirely devoid
of hair; the eyebrows and eyelashes are so scanty as to be scarcely
discernible, giving to their brown, oily faces a singularly bare and
homely appearance. Their hair, like that of the Indians, is black and
straight. By the women it is worn plaited, and twisted up into three
knots, one at either side of the head and one at the back. The men wear
theirs short, and well down over their forehead, for protection from the
cold in winter and from the sun in summer.
While the Eskimos as a rule are short and homely in appearance, still I
have met with some very handsome, stalwart men, quite up to the standard
height of Canadians, and a few pretty, charming women. Most of them have
bright soft brown eyes, which of themselves are features of beauty; but
they serve these savages a better and more useful purpose, furnishing
marvellous powers of vision and enabling their owners to see objects
clearly at great distances. The eyes of the Anglo-Saxon, even when aided
by the telescope, are not a match for the bright brown orbs of these
“children of the cold.”
The clothing of the Eskimo is made entirely of the skins of animals,
chiefly of the seal and reindeer, the former being used for summer and
the latter for the winter. They are nicely softened and dressed, and are
neatly made up by the women, whose chief duty it is to provide clothing
for their husbands and children.
The cut of the native garb, both for the men and the women, is somewhat
peculiar. A man’s suit may briefly be described as follows: Commencing
at the foundation, it consists of a pair of fur stockings or duffles,
covered by long waterproof moccasins which reach to the knees and are
just met by short seal or deer-skin trousers. The suit is completed by
a jacket or jumper, made of the same material as the trousers, which is
pulled on over the head, there being no opening in front to admit of its
being put on like a coat. This jacket is provided with a hood, which
takes the place of a cap, and may either be worn over the head or pushed
back when not required.
In the summer season, a single suit of seal-skin, made as above,
constitutes a man’s entire clothing, but in the winter time he wears two
such suits, the inner one having the hair on the inside, and the outer
one reversed.
The female costume is rather more complex in make-up than the above.
The foot-wear is the same with both sexes, but in place of the trousers
worn by the men, the women wear leggings and trunks, and in place of the
jacket a peculiarly constructed over-skirt, having a short flap in front,
and a long train, in shape something like a beaver’s tail, just reaching
to the ground behind. The back of the over-skirt is made very full, so as
to form a sort of bag, in which the mothers carry their children. Like
a man’s jacket, it is provided with a hood, but of much larger size, so
as to afford shelter for both mother and child. The women are very fond
of decorating their dresses with beads or other ornaments, and all their
garments are made with great neatness.
Like many other savage people, the Eskimos, and especially the women,
tattoo extensively. They do not all thus adorn themselves, but many of
them have their faces, necks, arms or hands all figured over in such a
way as to give them a wild and savage appearance.
Many of the ladies, when in full dress, wear head-bands, usually made of
polished brass or iron, over their foreheads. These are held in position
by being tied with a cord behind the head.
A stranger custom still is that of wearing stones in the cheeks, upon
each side of the mouth. This practice is not universal with the Eskimos,
but, as far as my knowledge extends, it is limited to those inhabiting
the Mackenzie River district. The natives of this region have the
reputation of being a bad lot, and it is said that when they are heard
to rattle their cheek-stones against their teeth it is time to be on the
look-out. The stones are cut in the shape of large shirt-studs, and are
let through the cheeks by cutting holes for them.
As to the origin of the Eskimo people, very little is known, but the most
probable theory accounting for their existence on this continent is that
they were originally Mongolians, and at some very early date crossed
over the Behring Straits and landed in Alaska. This theory is based
upon the fact that a similarity is traced between the Eskimo language
and the dialects of some of the Mongolian tribes of northern Asia. A
certain Eskimo tradition would rather tend to bear out this theory. It is
something like this: A very long time ago there were two brothers made by
the beaver and placed on an island in the Western Sea. There they lived
and fed upon birds which they caught with their hands, but at length food
grew scarce, and the brothers, being hungry, fought for the birds they
had taken. This quarrel led to a separation, and one brother went to live
in the western portion of our “Great North Land,” and became the father
of the Eskimos in that region; while the other went still farther east,
and became the father of the natives of Hudson Bay and Straits.
The range of the Eskimos is very large, extending completely across the
northern part of North America—toward the south, to about the sixtieth
parallel of latitude, west of Hudson Bay, but east of the bay, to about
the fifty-fifth parallel; while toward the north their range is almost
unlimited. They are a very thinly scattered race, roving in small bands
over great treeless wildernesses.
My first meeting with the Eskimos led me to think them a wild people.
There were thirty-six of them, all women and children, piled into one of
their “oomiacks,” or skin boats, and all were whooping and yelling at the
top of their voices, while those not paddling were swinging their arms
(and legs, too) in the wildest manner. They were natives of Prince of
Wales Sound, Hudson Straits, coming out from shore to meet the steamship
_Alert_, which to them was a fiery monster of mystery.
Accompanying them was a party of men in kyacks, and all were preparing to
board the ship without invitation; but the first officer, by brandishing
a cordwood stick, and threatening to hurl it at them if they came too
near—backing up the menace with the liberal use of some strong English
which they did not understand—induced them to await his convenience to
receive them.
When the ship was past the shoals near which she was steaming, and safely
into harbor, the natives were allowed to come on board. They were an
odd-looking crowd, some of them curiously dressed. One old grey-haired
chief had apparently reached a stage of civilization in his attire not
common among the Eskimos, for outside of his seal-skin clothing he wore a
long white cotton nightshirt, of which he was evidently very proud. The
Eskimos are always pleased with the acquisition of white men’s garments,
but their ideas as to how and when they should be worn do not always
agree with ours.
Early navigators have described the Eskimos as being savage tribes,
greatly to be feared, and it is true that unfortunate crews have fallen
into their hands and been murdered by them; but often in such cases the
fault has been as much with the whites as with the poor savages. They
really possess very simple, childish natures, but at the same time are
characterized by a quiet determination and deep jealousy, which, when
aroused, is likely to lead to acts of violence. From my own observation,
I do not think that the Eskimos would, without considerable provocation
or great temptation, harm any one falling into their hands.
Though not usually quarrelsome or vicious, they do fight with each other,
but only at appointed times, when all old grudges and differences of
opinion are cleared up at once. On the appointed day, all the disagreeing
parties of the camp pair off, and standing at arm’s length from each
other, strike turn about, and in this deliberate, systematic way take
satisfaction out of each other, until one of the combatants cries,
“Ta-bah” (enough).
The food of the Eskimo, as his name implies, is chiefly raw flesh; so the
preparation of his meals is an extremely simple operation. The culinary
department of civilization has no place in his life. Reindeer, seals,
white whales and walruses are to the Eskimo the staple articles of food;
but polar bears, Arctic hares and other animals, besides most of the
Arctic birds, are considered equally good.
It is rather a novel, if not a repulsive sight, to witness an Eskimo
feast. The occasion of the feast is the capture of a seal, or perhaps a
reindeer, which, according to custom during the winter season, becomes
common property, so that all are invited to the lodge of the fortunate
hunter to share in the festivities.
The animal’s carcase is trailed into the middle of the lodge, and when
all the guests are assembled, they seat themselves on the floor about it.
The carcase is then skinned by the host, and the pelt laid down to form a
dish or receptacle for the blood.
All things being ready, the party, armed with knives, are invited to help
themselves, and this they do with great dexterity, and continue to do—not
until they have had sufficient, but until the supply is exhausted and
absolutely nothing remains but the skin and skeleton. The blood, being
considered very fine, is dipped up with skin cups or horn spoons, and
consumed with the flesh.
The blubber, or outer layer of fat, which is found on most Arctic
animals, is separated from the skin and cut into long strips about an
inch square. Thus prepared it is swallowed, though not eaten. It is
simply lowered down the throat as one might lower a rope into a well.
During the summer season the blubber is not used as food, but is saved
for oil, to be used for lighting purposes during the long dark nights of
the succeeding winter.
An Eskimo appears to have no idea of a limited capacity for food, but
usually eats until the supply fails. I knew of one exception, however,
where an old woman, after doing heroically, was forced to yield.
A party of Eskimos were having a big feast on the carcase of a whale,
which they consider very good food, when this woman, in her ambition,
overestimated her capabilities and ate until she became quite torpid. Her
friends, supposing her to be dead, trailed her out and buried her in the
snow, but a day or two afterwards she kicked off the snow that covered
her and rejoined her astonished companions.
Next to stowing capacity, an Eskimo’s stomach is noted for its powers
of digestion. For instance, both the flesh and hide of the walrus are
common articles of food with them, and yet these are so hard and gritty
that when skinning or cutting up the animal one has to be continually
sharpening his knife.
The skin of a walrus is a good deal like that of an elephant, and is from
half an inch to an inch and a half in thickness; but, notwithstanding
this, and the hardness of its structure, the little Eskimo children may
often be seen running about gnawing pieces of walrus hide as if they were
apples. Sometimes, however, they have no walrus hide or meat of any kind
to gnaw, for occasionally in the spring season the condition of the snow
and ice is such as to render hunting impossible, and though they store up
meat in the fall for winter use, it is often exhausted before spring.
When this state of things occurs the condition of the Eskimos is
deplorable in the extreme. They are forced to kill and eat their wretched
dogs, which are even more nearly starved than themselves, and next they
resort to their skin clothing and moccasins, which they soak in water
until they become soft, though perhaps not altogether palatable.
[Illustration: HALF-BREED HUNTER WITH WOODEN SNOW-GOGGLES.]
Next to starvation, perhaps the most severe affliction the Eskimo has to
endure is that of snow blindness. This trouble is very prevalent in the
spring season, and is caused by the exposure to the strong glare of the
sun upon the glistening fields of snow and ice. Snow blindness is thus
in reality acute inflammation of the eyes, and the pain caused by it is
excruciating, being like what one would expect to suffer if his eyes
were filled with hot salt. I speak from experience.
In order to guard against the occurrence of snow-blindness, the Eskimos
wear a very ingenious contrivance, in the form of wooden goggles. These
are neatly carved so as to fit over the nose, and close in to the sockets
of the eyes. Instead of colored glasses, which the Eskimos have no means
of getting, these goggles are made with narrow horizontal slits, just
wide enough to allow the wearer to see through. Thus the excess of light
is excluded, while the sight is not entirely obstructed.
Like many people in southern Canada, the native of the frozen zone
possesses a summer and winter residence, and occupies each in turn as
regularly as the seasons change. His winter dwelling is built of snow;
his summer lodge is made of oil-tanned seal or deer-skins, neatly sewn
together, and supported by poles, if such can be procured, or pieces of
drift-wood spliced together. A flap is left for the door, but there is
no opening at the top, as in the Indian wigwam or tepee, for, having no
fire, they have no need of a chimney.
The atmosphere of these tents or “topicks,” as they are called, is
usually very sickening to one not accustomed to them, for the skins of
which they are made are dressed in their natural oil in order to make
them waterproof, which has the effect of making them rank and odorous to
a degree.
Topicks vary in size, according to the wealth or requirements of the
occupants. Sometimes they are scarcely large enough to allow two or three
little people to huddle into them, while others are quite commodious,
capable of seating twenty persons. The commonest form of topick is
that of a cone, very similar to an Indian tepee, but it is sometimes
rectangular and built with vertical walls about four feet high.
The furniture of these summer dwellings is simple, consisting usually of
a few skins lying about the rocky floor, to serve as seats in the daytime
and bedding at night; two or three seal-skin sacks of oil, two shallow
stone vessels used as lamps, a few hunting implements, some little
deer-skin bags, used as ladies’ work-baskets; several coils of seal-skin
line, a few pairs of moccasins scattered about, and at one side of the
door the somewhat repulsive remains of a carcass consumed at the last
meal. Such is the Eskimo summer house.
His winter dwelling in the snow is more interesting and curious. It is
called an “igloe,” and is built in the form of a dome with large blocks
of snow. The common size of the dwelling apartment of an igloe is twelve
feet in diameter, and eight feet in height. This is approached by a
succession of three or four smaller domes, connected by low archways,
through which one has to crouch in order to pass.
[Illustration: SECTION THROUGH IGLOE.]
The innermost archway opening into the dwelling apartment is about three
feet high, and as one enters he steps down a foot or more to the level
of the floor of the front portion of the dwelling. The back part, about
two-thirds of the apartment, is three feet higher than the entrance.
The front or lower section of the igloe corresponds to a front hall, and
it is in it that the occupants, as they enter, beat the snow off their
clothing, or remove their outer garments, when they wish to step up into
the higher living apartment.
The floor of the entire igloe consists simply of snow, but in this upper
apartment it is well covered with deer-skin robes, so that it is not
melted by the warmth of those who sit or lie upon it.
Above the doorway of the igloe is placed a window to admit light into the
dwelling. This is formed of a large square slab of ice, neatly inserted
into the wall of the dome, and it serves well the purpose for which it is
intended, admitting a pleasant soft light. Above the window a much-needed
ventilating hole is usually made. This, because of the passing current
of warm air, becomes rapidly enlarged, and requires to be frequently
plastered up with snow.
Sometimes one of the long approaches or corridors is made to serve for
two or three dwellings, each of which is connected by low archways with
the innermost of the smaller domes. Usually, opening out of the inner
dome, each family has one or two small pantries, where they keep a supply
of meat sufficient for a week or two.
The furniture of the snow-house is much the same as that of the skin
topick already described, but the stone lamps come more into prominence,
contributing light to the dwelling during the long dark winter nights.
These lamps are simply stone vessels, usually half moon shaped, and
formed neatly of some description of soft rock. The rounding side of the
vessel is made much deeper than the other, which shoals up gradually to
the edge. The wick of the lamp consists of dried decomposed moss, pressed
and formed by the fingers into a narrow ridge across the shallow or
straight edge of the dish. In this position it absorbs the seal oil which
is placed in the vessel, and when lit, burns with a clear bright flame,
free from smoke. The lamp is then made self-feeding by suspending a lump
of seal blubber above it, at a height varying according to the amount of
light and consequent supply of oil required. This melts with the heat
of the flame and drips into the vessel of the lamp. One lump keeps up
the supply for a considerable length of time, the intensity of light
being increased or diminished at will by lowering or raising the lump of
blubber suspended above the flame.
A lamp is usually placed at either side of the entrance in the upper
apartment. Both are kept burning brightly the greater part of the long
cold, dark days of winter, but during the hours of sleep they are
“turned down,” that is, the lumps of blubber are raised; or sometimes
one lamp is extinguished and the other made to burn dimly. These lamps,
though chiefly designed to furnish light, also contribute a considerable
amount of heat to the igloes. It is often necessary to turn them down,
to prevent the snow walls from being melted by the heat, though the
temperature outside may be 40 or 50 degrees below zero.
Towards spring the snow-houses become very damp, and to prevent the roofs
from being melted away fresh snow has to be added to the outside. Before
they are abandoned for the skin tents they sometimes become so soft that
they cave in upon the occupants, causing much sickness in the form of
colds and pneumonia.
In their workmanship the Eskimos are always neat. Wood is used for
manufacturing purposes when it is available, but all they are able
to procure is of a fragmentary nature, such as has drifted from some
distant shore, or from the wreck of an unfortunate vessel. It is from
this rough and scanty material they frame their kyacks, make their
sleds, tent-poles, and the handles of their spears and harpoons; from it
they fashion their bows and many other useful or ornamental things, and
by exercise of untiring perseverance and skill they manage to produce
marvellous results. For example, a paddle is often made of two or three
pieces of wood, but these are joined together so neatly that if it were
not for the seal thong lashings the joints would not be noticeable.
The lashings are put on green, or after having been softened in water,
and are drawn tightly, so that when they become dry and shrink they
produce strong and rigid joints.
The process by which these lashing-thongs and heavy lines for hunting
purposes, as well as the small thread for sewing, are manufactured is
very interesting. A heavy harpoon line, used in the hunt for securing
walruses, is made from the skin of the “square flipper” seal, a large
species about eight feet long. For such use the skin is not removed from
the carcase in the usual way, but is pulled off without cutting it, as
one might pull off a wet stocking. The whole hide is thus preserved
in the form of a sack. It is then placed in water, and allowed to
remain there for several days, until the thin outer black skin becomes
decomposed. This, together with the hair, is readily peeled off, and a
clean white pelt remains.
Two men then take the pelt in hand, and with a sharp knife cut it into
one long even white line, by commencing at one end and cutting around and
around until at length the other end is reached. One skin in this way
will make three hundred feet of line. In this condition it is allowed to
partially dry, after which it is tightly stretched and dried thoroughly
in the sun. The result obtained is a hard even white line three-eighths
of an inch in diameter, but equal in strength to a three-inch manilla
rope.
I have seen such a line, when imbedded in the flesh of a walrus at one
end, and spiked to the hard ice at the other by a stout iron pin, as well
as being held by six men, plough a furrow six inches deep through the
ice, bend the spike and drag the six men to the edge of the ice, where
the tug of war ended, the walrus, victorious, taking the unbreakable line
with him into the deep.
Smaller seal thongs, such as are extensively used as lashings for
komiticks, kyacks, handles, etc., are made in much the same way as I
have described, except that the hide of smaller seals is used, and often
the process of removing the outer black skin is omitted, the hair being
simply scraped off with a sharp knife or scraper.
Finer lines, such as those used for fishing or for winding whip-stocks,
and thread for sewing purposes, are manufactured from reindeer sinew. The
best is that obtained from along the spine, which is always saved from
the carcase. It is prepared for use by first drying and then rubbing till
it becomes quite soft, when it is readily frayed out into fine fibres,
in which condition it is used for fine needle-work; but when coarser
thread or stout cord is required, these individual fibres are plaited
together, with wonderful neatness and rapidity. One woman can make fifty
or sixty yards of this cord or thread in a day.
With the Eskimos all joints, of whatever kind, are secured by these
thongs, they having no nails or screws to supply their place. In making a
komitick, the cross slats are all secured to the runners by seal thongs.
In framing a kyack the numerous pieces are lashed together, usually with
seal or deer-skin, though sometimes, and preferably, with whalebone.
[Illustration: ESKIMO KYACK.]
The Eskimo kyack or canoe consists of a light frame neatly made from
all sorts of scrap-wood, and strongly jointed together in the way just
described. The frame having been completed, it is then covered with green
skins, either of seal or deer, dressed, with the hair removed. The skins
are joined to each other as they are put on by double water-tight seams,
and are drawn tightly over the frame, so that when they dry they become
very hard and as tight as a drum-head.
A full-sized kyack thus made is about twenty-two feet long, a foot and
a half wide, and a foot deep. It is completely covered over on the top,
excepting the small hole where the paddler sits, so that though an
extremely cranky craft in the hands of a novice, it is used in perfect
safety, even in very rough water, by an expert. Indeed the Eskimos have
an arrangement by which they can travel while almost submerged in the
water. They have a thin waterproof parchment coat which they pull on over
their heads in rough weather. This they place on the outside of the rim
at the opening of the kyack, and tie securely, so that if the boat were
to turn upside down the water could not rush in.
An Eskimo in his kyack can travel much faster than two men can paddle
an ordinary canoe. I have known them to make six miles an hour in dead
water, whereas four miles would be good going for a canoe.
[Illustration: ESKIMO OOMIACK.]
The “oomiack,” or woman’s boat, is a flat-bottomed affair of large
carrying capacity. Like the kyack it is a skin-covered frame, the many
pieces of which are lashed together with thongs of skin or whalebone;
but instead of being covered on top it is open, and is of a much broader
model, and not so sharp at the ends. It is chiefly used by the women
for moving camp from place to place, but is never used in the hunt. It
is essentially a freighting craft, whereas the kyack is used only for
hunting or speedy travel. Oomiacks are often made large enough to carry
thirty or forty people. They are propelled by ordinary paddles, not by
the long double-bladed ones used with the kyacks.
The komitick is a sled of rather peculiar design, consisting simply of
two parallel runners, twelve or fourteen feet long, built of wood and
placed about eighteen inches apart, upon the top of which are lashed a
number of cross bars or slats. The runners are shod either with ivory
or with mud, the latter answering the purpose exceedingly well. The mud
covering is, of course, put on in a soft state, when it can be easily
worked and formed into proper shape. When the mud is on, and the surface
nicely smoothed off, it is allowed to freeze, and speedily becomes as
hard as stone. In order to complete the vehicle, and put it in good
running order, there is one thing to be done. The shoeing, whether of
mud or ivory, must be covered with a thin coating of ice, in order to do
which the Eskimo overturns the komitick, fills his spacious mouth with
water from some convenient source, and then from his lips deposits a
fine stream along the runner, where, quietly freezing, it forms a smooth
glassy surface.
During the winter season the komitick forms an important factor in the
Eskimo’s life. It is drawn by a team, not of horses, nor even reindeer,
but of dogs. The number of animals forming a team varies greatly,
sometimes consisting of not more than three good dogs, but at other times
fifteen or more are attached to a single sled. Each dog is attached by
a single line, the length of which varies according to the merits of
its owner. Thus the best dog in the team acts as leader, and has a line
twenty or twenty-five feet in length.
In order to control the team the driver carries a whip of somewhat
startling dimensions. This instrument of torture has a short wooden
handle only about eighteen inches long, but what is lacking in stock is
more than made up in lash, for this latter, made of the hide of the
square flipper seal, is nearly thirty feet in length. An Eskimo can
handle his whip with great dexterity, being able not only to reach any
particular dog in the pack, but to strike any part of its body, and with
as much force as the occasion may require.
Another curious Eskimo practice, observed by the women, is that of daily
chewing the boots of the household. As already intimated, these boots or
moccasins are made of oil-tanned seal or deer-skins. The hair is always
removed from the skin of which the foot of the moccasin is made, but not
always from that part forming the leg. However, the point is this, that
these moccasins, after having been wet and dried again, become very hard,
and the most convenient or effective—or possibly the most agreeable—way
of softening them seems to be by mastication. Whatever may be the reason
for adopting this method, the fact is that nearly every morning the
native women soften the shoes of the family most beautifully by chewing
them. What to us would seem the disagreeable part of this operation
cannot be thoroughly understood by one who has not some idea of the
flavor of a genuine old Eskimo shoe.
In one of my trips in the land of the Eskimo I had an escort composed
not only of men and women, old and young, but also of little children,
several of whom could not have been more than five or six years old,
and it was marvellous to see the powers of endurance of these little
creatures, for they travelled along with the rest of the party, a
distance of twenty-five miles, having no other object in view than that
of seeing the white stranger.
The “shin-ig-bee,” or Eskimo sleeping bag, is an article essential to the
comfort of the traveller when making long overland journeys during the
cold winter season. It consists of a long oval waterproof skin bag, lined
with another of similar shape, made of soft but heavy winter deer-skins.
The opening is not at the top, but near it, across one side, and is made
with flap and buttons, so that it can be closed up as closely as desired.
When the traveller is provided with this kind of a bed he does not
trouble himself to make a snow lodge for the night, as without it he
would have to do, but he simply crawls into his “shin-ig-bee,” buttons up
the opening on the windward side, and goes to sleep, no matter what the
weather or temperature may be. With the mercury at 40 below zero a man
may in this way sleep warm and comfortable, without any fire, out upon
the bleak frozen plains.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: DOG-WHIP, WALRUS TUSKS AND BOWS AND ARROWS.]
CHAPTER XI.
_CUSTOMS OF THE ESKIMOS._
Deer-hunting is perhaps the most favored and remunerative occupation of
the Eskimos. In some districts seal and other animals are extensively
sought, but the reindeer is the universal stand-by. It is hunted with the
bow and arrow or spear, and with guns as well, when these can be obtained.
Having already stated that the only wood obtainable by the Eskimos is
broken fragments of drift-wood, the inquiry may arise, Where do they get
material from which to make bows? The answer is, that lacking material
for making such bows as are ordinarily used, their ingenuity comes to the
rescue and designs a composite bow, which answers the purpose equally
well. This implement of the chase is, in the first place, made either of
pieces of wood or of horn, neatly joined together. In order to give it
strength and elasticity, a stout plaited sinew cord is stretched from end
to end, around the convexity of the bow, and then twisted until it is
brought to the required tension. By this mode of construction, when the
bow is drawn the wood or horn is only subjected to a compressive strain,
while the sinew thong takes up the tension.
Thus very powerful bows are made, though of rough materials; but in
order to use them with effect in killing deer, the sagacity of the hunter
is often severely tested, for with the Eskimo there is no cover behind
which to hide or creep upon his prey. The hunter’s first precaution is,
of course, to keep the deer to windward, for the moment they catch the
scent of an enemy they are off, and to get within range of the wary
animals upon the open plains or rocky barrens is often a difficult
matter. A common way of working, when several hunters are together, is
for some to take up positions in concealment, while the others drive the
deer their way, causing them to pass within range of the deadly shafts.
At a moderate distance an Eskimo with his ingeniously constructed bow can
drive an arrow its full length into a deer.
Occasionally vast herds of deer, numbering many thousands, are met with,
and at such times their numbers appear to give them confidence. The
hunter then has no trouble in approaching them, but may go up and kill as
many as he desires, either with bow and arrow or with spear.
The spear, however, is chiefly used for killing deer in the water. At
certain seasons of the year, when travelling north or south, the deer
cross streams, rivers, or lakes in great numbers, and these crossings are
commonly effected year after year in the same place. The hunter, knowing
their habits, lies in wait at the crossings, and often from his kyack
spears large numbers as they are swimming past.
When more deer are killed than are required for immediate use, the
carcases are “cached,” that is, they are covered over by piles of stones
to preserve them from the wolves and foxes, and the place of their
burial is marked, so that during the next winter and spring, if food
becomes scarce, these meat stores may be resorted to. When required, the
meat thus stored is often quite blue or decomposed, but it has to be
pretty bad when a hungry Eskimo will not eat it.
Seal hunting is a most curious and interesting form of sport. The seals
are hunted in entirely different ways at different times of the year.
During the entire winter season they keep holes open through the shore
ice, but because of the depth of snow are not seen until the warm spring
sun exposes their hiding places. The Eskimo hunter has, however, a way of
finding them out before this. He harnesses a dog that has been trained
for the work, and, armed with his seal harpoon, leads him out to the
snow-covered field, where the two walk in a zig-zag course, until the
sagacious animal catches the scent of the seal and takes his master
straight to its secret abode.
Here, under the hard crusted snow, it has formed for itself quite a
commodious dwelling, but, unlike the Eskimo snow-house, its doorway opens
into the water instead of into the air. This doorway, which is in the
form of a round hole, just large enough to admit the seal, is kept from
freezing up by the wary animal, which ever keeps itself in readiness,
upon the slightest suspicion of danger, to plunge into it.
Usually upon the arrival of the hunter, the seal, if at home, hearing the
footsteps above, quickly vacates the premises. The Eskimo then, taking
advantage of its absence, ascertains the exact locality of the hole in
the ice, by thrusting his long slender spear down through the snow.
When the exact position of the hole is found, its centre is marked by
erecting a little pinnacle of snow directly above it.
This done, a long and tedious wait follows, during which time the patient
hunter often suffers much from the cold, for he is obliged to remain
quite still, not uncommonly from early morning until evening. In order
to keep the feet from freezing, while thus remaining for hours upon the
snow, a deer-skin bag is commonly used to stand in.
During the interval of the seal’s absence from home the doorway becomes
frozen over, and it is on account of this fact that the hunter is made
aware of its return, for when the seal comes back to its hole and finds
it crusted over, it at once commences to blow upon the ice to melt it.
This is the hunter’s long-desired signal, and the moment he hears it he
places the point of his harpoon at the mark on the snow, and thrusts
the weapon vertically down into the hole, almost invariably with deadly
effect. The seal, thus harpooned in the head, is instantly killed, and is
then hauled out by the line attached to the spear.
Some seasons, when the ice is covered by a great depth of snow, the dogs
are not able to scent the seals’ houses, and then the Eskimo has to
depend upon other sources for food, or else go on short rations.
In the spring, as the snow disappears, the seals’ winter quarters are
demolished, and they themselves are exposed to view. Then the Eskimo
is obliged to resort to other methods of getting at them. When one is
observed, the direction of the wind is first noted, then the hunter,
keeping himself to leeward of the seal, walks to within about a quarter
of a mile of it; but beyond this he begins to crouch, and advances only
when the seal’s head is down. The seal is one of the most wide-awake of
all animals, and has the habit of throwing up its head quickly every few
seconds to guard against danger. When its head is down upon the ice, its
eyes are shut, and it is said that in these brief intervals it takes its
sleep. However this may be, the hunter, by carefully watching the seal’s
movements, is able, without much difficulty, to get within about two
hundred yards of it, but at closer quarters he is obliged to pursue other
tactics. He now lies down at full length upon the ice, and here the real
sport begins.
The seal takes the Eskimo, who is able to _talk seal_ perfectly, to be
one of its kinsmen; and indeed there is a great deal of resemblance
between the genera, for both are similarly clothed, and the Eskimo,
living largely upon the flesh and oil of the seal, is similarly odorous.
As the two lie there upon the ice, a most amusing sort of conversation
is kept up between them. Seal makes a remark and flips his tail. Eskimo
replies in a similar manner, making the gesture with his foot, and at
the same time throws himself a little forward. Seal soon has something
further to say, and again flips his tail. Eskimo replies as before, and
closes up slightly farther the distance between them.
When the seal’s head is down, the hunter, who ever keeps his eye on his
prey, is able to approach still nearer by dragging himself forward upon
his elbows. This manœuvring goes on for some time, until the distance
between the performers has been reduced to a few yards, or sometimes to a
very few feet.
When near enough to make a sure shot, the Eskimo takes his bow and arrow
from his side and sends a swift shaft through the head of his outwitted
companion. Sometimes, instead of the bow and arrow, a harpoon is used
with equal effect.
I knew an Eskimo who was so expert at this kind of sport that he was able
to catch seals with his teeth.
In order to secure one by shooting it, as just described, it is necessary
to kill it instantly, for if only shot through the body, or even through
the heart, it will throw itself into its hole and thus be lost.
During the season of open water still another method of seal-hunting has
to be adopted. There is now no ice to perform upon, so the kyack has to
take its place, and in this light craft the Eskimo pursues his prey in
the open sea, or in the channels of water among the ice.
The weapon now used is not the bow, but a specially designed style of
harpoon, which may be thrown long distances from the hand. The bow
and arrow are useless, because of the difficulty of instantly killing
the seal by a shaft aimed from a kyack. This harpoon is a light form
of spear, having an adjustable ivory head to which is attached a long
plaited sinew line. This line is wound on the handle of the harpoon, and
attached to the end of it is a small float.
When a seal makes its appearance within twenty or thirty yards of the
hunter the harpoon, thus arranged, is thrown, and if the seal is struck,
the ivory head, which becomes buried in the flesh, is detached from the
shank, and as the seal plunges about, or dives, the line is quickly
unwound from the floating handle.
Unless killed outright, the seal quickly disappears with line and float;
but as it can remain under water only a few minutes at a time, it must
soon reappear, and as it again nears the surface, the little float comes
to the top and shows the hunter where to prepare for the next charge.
Thus the poor wounded animal’s chances of escape are small.
Perhaps the most exciting and dangerous sport of the Eskimo is that of
hunting the walrus.
This animal, sometimes called the sea-horse, is large, powerful, and
often vicious. It is considered valuable both as food and for the supply
of ivory which its immense tusks yield. The walrus is hunted chiefly from
the kyack, either in open water, in the neighborhood of sandy shores, or
about the edge of floating ice, upon which it delights to lie and bask in
the sunshine.
A special equipment is required for this kind of hunting. It comprises,
besides the kyack and paddle, a large harpoon, a heavy line and box in
which to coil it, a large inflated seal-skin float, and a long lance.
This walrus harpoon is an ingeniously devised weapon, consisting of an
ivory shank fitted to a block of the same material by a ball-and-socket
joint. These are stiffly hinged together by stout seal-skin thongs, and
the block is then permanently attached to a wooden handle about four
feet in length. The ivory shank, which is about fifteen inches long, is
slightly curved, and tapers to a rounded point at the end remote from the
handle. To this point is again fitted an ivory head, about four inches
long, let into which is an iron or steel blade. Through the centre of the
ivory head a heavy line is passed and strongly looped. Then, the shank
and head being in position, the line is drawn tightly, and fastened to
the wooden handle by an ivory pin and socket catch. The remaining portion
of the line is neatly coiled, and is provided at the end with a small
loop.
[Illustration: 1. Walrus Harpoon; 2. Walrus Lance; 3. Seal Harpoon; 4.
Seal Spear; 5. Bird Spear; 6. Small Seal Harpoon.]
The line used is that made from the skin of the square-flipper seal,
as already described, and may be two or three hundred feet in length,
though sometimes not so long. The line box is simply a small round
parchment-covered frame, about the size of the lid of a cheese-box, and
is fastened to the top of the kyack, behind the paddler.
The seal-skin float is a peculiar-looking object, consisting of the
entire skin of a seal, removed from the carcase, as before described,
without cutting it. The hair is removed from the pelt, which is then
dressed as black parchment. The natural opening at the mouth of the
skin sack is provided with an ivory nozzle and plug. By blowing into
the nozzle the skin is inflated, and may be kept in that condition by
inserting the plug. At the tail-end of the float is an ivory cross-head,
to which the loop at the end of the harpoon line may be readily attached.
The lance completes the walrus hunter’s equipment. This instrument is
formed of a long iron or ivory bar having a steel blade point. The bar
is fitted to a wooden handle by a ball-and-socket joint, and stiffly
hinged with thongs as in the case of the harpoon. The object of the joint
is to prevent the lance from being broken when thrust into a walrus, as
otherwise it would be, by the animal plunging about.
Equipped as above, the Eskimo hunters go out during the season of open
water in pursuit of walruses, which, feeding upon clams, are usually
found about sandy shores or islands. Single animals are sometimes found,
but more commonly they are in small herds. When feeding they remain in
about the same place, but can stay under water for only about three
minutes at a time. They come to the surface to breathe, sport about for
a short time, then go down to the bottom and dig clams from the sand
for some three minutes, and then rise again to the surface. The Eskimo,
taking advantage of their necessity, advances on them only when they
are busily occupied at the bottom of the sea. When a walrus reappears
at the surface, the hunter, who, with harpoon in hand and line attached
to float, awaits its return, hurls his harpoon with great force and
precision, burying it deeply in the walrus’s flesh.
The wounded monster, maddened by pain, plunges into the water, dives to
the bottom, and endeavors to escape. The plunging readily causes the
ball-and-socket joint of the harpoon to give, and this allows the head of
the harpoon, which is buried in the animal, to become detached and form a
button on the end of the harpoon line.
The detached handle floats upon the water, but the line is securely
fastened to the body of the walrus, which, in trying to escape, takes
with him the line and attached inflated seal-skin; but though he may take
this buoy under, and keep it down for a short time, he cannot do so long.
Soon it reappears at the surface, and the hunter seeing it, makes for
the spot, and awaits the returning walrus. The moment his head appears,
harpoon or lance are hurled at it as before, and unless with fatal
results, the same manœuvres are repeated. In this way often two or
three harpoon lines and floats are attached to one walrus, but when so
hampered it is considered well secured, and is finally despatched by the
long keen lance.
When, however, the attack is made in the neighborhood of heavy ice, as
it frequently is, the hunt is much less likely to result successfully.
Because of the floating crystal, the hunter often finds it difficult to
follow the movements of his game, and even if successful in this and in
placing a harpoon or two, he is often defeated in the end by the line
being torn from the float, which has become fast in the broken ice. Thus
once freed, the wounded animal usually makes good his escape.
Occasionally these walrus contests result disastrously to the hunter, for
the sea-horse is by no means a passive, harmless creature, submitting
without resistance to the attacks of its enemies. Frequently one—or a
number of them together—will make a charge upon the assailants, attacking
them viciously with their huge tusks, which, if brought in contact with
an Eskimo, are likely to make a sorry-looking object of him. Of course,
through long experience and practice in the chase, the Eskimo hunters
become very expert in dodging and foiling a charge, but sometimes they
are caught and roughly handled by these uncouth monsters of the sea.
Upon one occasion an old hunter whom I knew, named Coto, met with a bad
accident while hunting walruses in his kyack. A number of them charged
upon him suddenly, and being unable to get out of their way quickly
enough, his frail craft was broken and torn to shreds, and his body was
frightfully bruised and lacerated. The poor fellow recovered, however,
but only after months of sore suffering.
For a short time during the autumn season the sea-horse is hunted
without the assistance of the kyack. The new ice being thin, the walruses
break up through it at any place, and sport about in the water-holes
which they make. Then the hunters—for several of them usually go
together—march out upon the ice and attack them from the edge of the
water-holes. This method of hunting is, however, rather dangerous, as the
animals have an ugly habit of noting the position of their assailants,
then disappearing below the water, and in a moment presenting themselves
below the ice at the spot where the men stand.
The Eskimos, who are familiar with this manœuvre, always change their
position the moment one of the crafty brutes goes down, and stand,
harpoons in hand, ready to receive him when he returns crashing through
the ice with deadly designs upon his craftier adversaries.
It is an easier matter to harpoon a walrus thus in the ice than it is to
secure him, for here the “oweta” or float cannot be used to advantage,
and it is no easy matter to hold a three thousand pounder of the sea.
However, this is attempted, and when one or more harpoons are made fast
to the walrus the ends of the lines are spiked down to the ice by stout
spikes, and in this way the brute is very powerfully anchored; but, as
I have before stated, in spite of all that can be done, he often breaks
away and takes the lines with him into the deep.
Polar bear hunting is an extremely dangerous and exciting sport. An
Eskimo rarely ever cares to tackle a bear single-handed, but two men,
armed with lances, do not hesitate to attack this monarch of the north.
The method adopted in hunting a polar is as follows: Two men, armed only
with lances, approach it from opposite sides at the same time. Then, as
they close upon it, and the bear charges either man, the other rushes
forward with his lance. Thus they let out its life-blood. It requires
cool heads and steady nerves to be able to cope successfully with a polar
in this way, but both of these characteristics the Eskimos possess in a
marked degree, and it is comparatively seldom that accidents happen while
thus engaged.
These bears, which live almost entirely upon seals, are usually found
near the sea-shore, and often out some distance, swimming in the water,
where they can live for a considerable length of time. The Eskimos attack
them here as well as upon the land, but in the water they are treacherous
enemies to deal with, as they are expert swimmers and divers. They are
very liable to surprise one by suddenly disappearing and reappearing at
embarrassingly close quarters.
The Eskimo custom in bear-hunting is, that whoever first sees a bear is
the owner of the carcase, no matter who kills it, but the skin is divided
up among the several hunters.
A bear-skin is so heavy that the Eskimo has no special object in
preserving it whole, but he finds the greatest use for it when it is cut
up into small pieces. In this condition it is commonly used by hunters as
mats, which they tie under them when crawling over the ice after seals,
or across the wet plains after deer. The pieces of bear-skin act as
skates, upon which they can easily drag themselves along.
The Eskimo method of hunting birds is chiefly with a spear of somewhat
peculiar design. It is in all about five feet long, and consists of a
wooden handle terminated at one end by a slender barbed ivory or iron
rod, sharply pointed. About half way up the handle, three pointed barbed
ivory fingers are securely fastened. The handle is then fitted into a
wooden socket, which is held in the hand, and from which the spear is
thrown. It is claimed that by means of the wooden socket the spear can
be thrown with greater precision than by the bare hand, to which it
would adhere more or less. However that may be, an Eskimo can hurl his
bird-spear a marvellously long distance, and with deadly effect.
If the point of the spear misses the bird, one of the side fingers is
almost sure to pierce it, or catch it between the fingers and the spear
handle.
In this way, ptarmigan, ducks, and other land and sea fowls are obtained
in considerable numbers. They are usually speared while sitting in flocks
upon the snow or in the water, but they are also frequently killed in
this way when on the wing. Sometimes the bow and arrow is used for
bringing down the feathered game, but the spear is the instrument chiefly
employed.
Fish are caught both by spearing and with the hook. The latter is of the
crudest design, and is used in trolling. A troll consists of a heavy iron
hook, fastened to the face of a small ivory disk, to which is attached a
fine, strong line, made from plaited deer-skin sinews.
Fish are not, however, caught so much with the hook as they are by the
spear. Indeed, it is chiefly by means of the harpoon and spear that the
Eskimo larder is supplied. The fish-spear is a kind of three-pronged
barbed fork, fastened to a handle. It is used chiefly for spearing fish
through the ice, and with good results if in the hands of an expert.
I tried fish spearing in the north, but lacked the patience necessary
for success. Many times, however, I purchased from the Eskimos the
magnificent trout and whitefish by which their efforts were rewarded.
The way in which they spear is this: First, the most favorable spot of
the lake or river is selected, and then a hole cut through the ice.
With some kind of a bait, which they lower into the water by means of a
string, they endeavor to attract the fish to the hole; when they appear
they are thrust through by the spear and hauled out upon the ice. Great
numbers of beautiful fish are caught by the Eskimos in this way during
the fall and winter seasons.
Trapping is not extensively followed, unless it is by the Eskimos living
within reach of the Hudson’s Bay Company’s posts, perhaps because of the
inefficiency of the native traps, but also owing to the comparatively
slight value to the Eskimos of the animals which may be caught. For
instance, the wolf is an animal little sought for, because his flesh is
not considered good food, and his skin is no better for clothing than the
skin of the deer, which is much more easily procured. So also with the
fox. Both wolves and foxes are, however, caught to some extent by “dead
fall” traps, built of stones, or of snow, and so arranged that when the
animal enters the trap and touches the bait, a heavy stone is caused to
fall and kill or imprison him.
The Eskimo, or “Enuit,” as he calls himself, being of a jovial, merry
disposition, has various forms of amusement. A common one among the men
is that of competing with each other in throwing the harpoon at a mark on
the snow. With such practice they become powerful and expert throwers.
A rather amusing incident happened in this connection at one time during
my Eskimo experiences. I, too, had been diligently exercising myself in
the art of harpoon throwing, and one day, having become somewhat expert,
was thus amusing myself when a party of natives came along. One of their
number, doubtless supposing me to be a novice, stood up at what he
thought a safe distance, and cried, “_Attay me-loo-e-ak took_” (Go ahead,
throw). Promptly accepting the challenge, I hurled my harpoon, which made
so straight for the astonished man’s breast that he did not know which
way to jump, and barely got out of the way in time to save himself. As
the shaft passed him and went crashing through a flour barrel behind
where he had stood, his companions had a great laugh at his expense.
Another source of much amusement is the game of foot-ball, which they
play with the bladder of a walrus. Their game is played neither according
to Rugby nor Association rules, but wholly without rule or system. Men
and women, old and young, join in the chase after the ball, with equal
delight. “Here a woman, carrying her child on her back, may be seen
running at full speed after the ball, and the next moment lying at full
length with her naked child floundering in the snow, a few feet beyond
her. A minute later, the child is in its place, and the mother, nearly
choking with laughter, is seen elbowing her way after the ball again.”
A popular kind of indoor sport, played much during the long days of
winter, is a game something like our old game of cup and ball. It is
played with a block of ivory, cut so as to somewhat resemble the form of
a bear, which it is supposed to be. The ivory is drilled full of holes in
a regular and systematic way, and to the neck of the block an ivory pin
four or five inches in length is attached by means of a sinew cord about
a foot long. To prevent twisting of this cord, a little ivory swivel is
inserted in the middle of it, and the game is played by swinging up the
ivory block and catching it upon the pin. The various holes in the block
count differently, so that there is really a good deal of skill in the
game.
[Illustration: ESKIMO GAMES AND TOYS.]
Running and wrestling are sometimes indulged in, though not often
continued with interest.
The children play among themselves much as they do in the civilized
south. Their favorite amusement is that of playing house, at which they
may be seen busily engaged almost any pleasant summer day about an Eskimo
village. The play-houses consist simply of rings of stones, and for dolls
the Eskimo children are content with pretty pebbles or chips of wood or
ivory. The actors, with their families, go visiting from one house to
another, and have their imaginary feasts and all the rest just as our
children have.
At Cape Prince of Wales, Hudson Straits, the Eskimos have been observed
to play at a game of tilting. For this sport a very large igloe is built,
having a great pillar in the centre of it. Ivory rings are hung from the
roof, and the players, armed with spears, walk rapidly round the pillar,
and vie with each other in catching the rings on their spears.
The people are not noted for being musical, though they have some songs.
The home or family circle is, as a rule, a happy one. It is not broken up
by the brawling sot, nor is it often the scene of poverty and want—never
is this the case while the rest of the community have plenty. All
families share alike in times of famine, and in seasons of plenty all
rejoice together. Thus there is no such thing as class distinction among
them, but all are upon an equal footing; every man provides for the wants
of his own family by hunting. They have therefore no need for workmen’s
unions, nor for protective associations, but all live together in peace
and unity. Of course, I am here speaking in a general way, for I have
already spoken of the occasional fights which take place.
The Eskimo marriage is an exceedingly simple institution, and is not
performed in any ceremonious way. It is purely a love union, requiring
only the sanction of the parents of the bride. When a young man and
young woman come to the conclusion that they were made for each other,
and desire to become one, having the consent of the girl’s parents they
simply take each other and start up an igloe of their own. Eskimo brides
are usually very young, and often very bonnie creatures. They lose much
of their beauty, however, in early life, and at about forty mature into
ugly old dames.
An Eskimo family rarely consists of more than three children, and these,
in turn, for about two years are carried in the hood upon their mother’s
back. During this time they have no clothing apart from their mother’s.
New-born infants are licked by their mother’s tongue, and are sometimes
kept in a rabbit-skin or bag of feathers for a time before being carried
upon the mother’s back.
It is usual for a man to have only one wife, though it is not uncommon
for him to have two, or even three, if he can provide for them. The first
Eskimo encountered on our recent visit to the north, as I have related,
had two wives, each having three children. As a rule the men are faithful
to their wives, although sometimes they trade with each other for a few
weeks or months, and afterwards receive again their first loves.
If any member of the family is seriously ill, a peculiar kind of prayer
is repeated over the afflicted one by the father or mother of the
family. The prayer—for it can hardly be called anything else—is loaded
with superstition. The parent prepares for the ceremony by placing a
“poalo,” or mit, upon the left hand. Then, bending over the afflicted
one, he or she mutters, wails and gesticulates in the strangest manner,
also blowing with the mouth and motioning the departure of the evil
spirit. This kind of audible supplication is often carried on for a
considerable length of time.
The Eskimo, like almost every other people under the sun, possesses some
form of worship, and believes in a spirit world. He believes in the
existence somewhere of good and evil spirits, which govern and control
this world. The Great Good Spirit (_Cood-la-pom-e-o_), they believe,
dwells in an upper world, of which the sky is the floor; but the evil
spirits, governed by their chief, “Tornarsuk,” dwell in a world beneath
ours, which forms a kind of great roof over the world below. The earth
and this under-world are connected with each other by certain mountain
clefts, and by various entrances from the sea. The spirits of those who
meet with violent deaths go to dwell with _Cood-la-pom-e-o_, in the upper
world; but for those who die from other causes there is a place prepared
below in the land of plenty, with the evil spirits.
These latter deities are supposed to have the greater power of the
two upon earth, and consequently their favor is sought, and to them
supplication is usually made, though over certain forces, events and
circumstances the Great Good Spirit is supposed to have control. For
example, he is believed to be the deity governing the frosts, so that in
the fall of the year, when the ice is insufficiently strong for hunting
purposes, his favor is invoked.
Communication with the spirits is usually held through wizards or
“angokokes,” who are looked upon as wise men by the people, and are
appointed to fulfil this function. They are ordained for their sacred
calling when youths, and as a distinguishing mark of their profession
wear upon their backs a string of ornaments, mostly made of seal or
deer-skin. These are given them at the various places visited by them in
recognition of their office. The angokokes are appointed because of their
qualifications. There may be a number of them in the same community, but
some rise to much greater distinction than others.
These wizards are said to be taught from youth by one of the deputy chief
friends, named “Tornat,” and some of them are supposed to have great
power with the spirits.
At times, when the people are threatened with famine, or are in distress
of any kind, the angokoke is requested to intercede for them. Supposing
it is food that is wanted, he arranges for an interview with Tornarsuk,
the chief of the devils. In order to do this, the angokoke, accompanied
by one other man, goes down to the water’s edge in the early morning
at the hour of low tide. Here his companion binds him in a doubled-up
position, so that his knees meet his face, and lashes him up with stout
thongs so tightly that he is unable to move hand or foot. In this
helpless condition his companion leaves him, with his walrus harpoon
lying by his side and the rising waters lapping at his feet. What
immediately follows only the angokoke knows, but I have been informed
by the wizards themselves—and it is fully believed by the Eskimo
people—that the devil comes to his rescue and releases him from his
bonds, but at the same time seizes the harpoon found on the ground and
thrusts it through the angokoke’s breast. The point projecting through
his coat behind, and blood trickling down in front, the excited wizard
rushes up from the shore to the village, trailing behind him the harpoon
line. He bursts into the first igloe in a frenzied condition, snorting
and blowing like a walrus. As he enters all sharp tools are quickly put
out of sight, so that the angokoke may not harm himself with them, and
at the same time water is sprinkled on his feet. This done he bounds out
of the igloe, and as he does so the occupants seize the harpoon line
trailing behind, but are not able to hold him, for he is as strong as a
walrus.
The magician then enters the next igloe, where a like performance is
repeated, and in the same manner the round of the village is made, but
none is able to hold the excited man. Having completed the round of the
dwellings in the village, he returns to the sea-shore, where it is said
he is again met by Tornarsuk, who extracts the harpoon from his breast
and assures him that the prayers of the people shall be heard, and that
plenty of walruses shall be sent to satisfy their hunger.
Whether or not Tornarsuk is as good as his word I can only conjecture,
but the poor Eskimo pagans have great faith in the intercessory powers of
their angokoke.
Intercession is sometimes made to the Good Spirit, and as before, the
angokoke acts as intercessor; but instead of going to the shore, he is
bound in an igloe and left there by his people. While still in this
bound condition he is said to ascend through the roof of the igloe,
and to meet and hold communication with _Cood-la-pom-e-o_, and having
arranged matters with him he returns to earth, re-enters the igloe
through the door, and reports the result of this interview.
The following are some of the laws of the Eskimos:
“1. No man shall after sunset do any work requiring the use of tools. The
women may sew, make garments, or chew boots.” (Thus the hours of each day
after sunset form the Eskimo’s Sabbath.)
“2. No person shall eat walrus and deer meat on the same day.
“3. The carcases of all large animals slain during the winter season
shall be equally divided among all members of the community.
“4. All kinds of rare game are common property during all seasons.
“5. Any person finding drift-wood secures ownership by placing stones
upon it.
“6. Any other kind of goods found remains the property of the original
owner.
“7. When a seal is harpooned and gets off with the harpoon, the first
harpooner loses all claim to it when the float becomes detached.
“8. If two hunters strike a bird at the same time, it shall be equally
divided between them.
“9. Whoever is first to see a bear has first ownership, no matter who
slays it.
“10. After slaying a bear, the man who kills it shall hang up his
hunting implements, together with the bladder of the beast, in some high
conspicuous place, for at least three days, and for four days shall be
separated from his wife.
“11. When a walrus is slain, the successful hunter shall be separated
from his wife for at least one day.
“12. The borrower of tools shall not be bound to give compensation for
damages.
“13. No person shall ‘_muckchucto_’ (sew) while any member of the family
is ill.
“14. If any man from any cause whatsoever slays his neighbor, the wife
and family of the deceased shall become the family of the slayer, and
shall be taken care of by him as if they were his own.”
One Eskimo legend regarding the origin of the people has already been
related. Another of special interest, regarding the occurrence of a
flood, runs something like this: A very long time ago there was a great
rain, which was so terrible that it flooded the earth and destroyed all
people, with the exception of a few Eskimos who constructed a raft by
lashing together a number of kyacks and took refuge upon it. Upon this
raft they drifted for a long time, until they were much reduced by cold
and starvation. Then at length in their distress their angokoke stood up
and cast his harpoon and all their ornaments into the flood of waters.
This act sufficed to appease the angry spirits, and the flood subsided.
This legend is particularly interesting since it adds one to the large
number of similar legends belonging to other savage tribes and nations.
Another romantic Eskimo legend explains the origin of the sun and moon.
As a rule the aged and feeble members of the Eskimo community are treated
with respect and kindness, but during times of distress and famine they
are often forgotten in the general struggle for existence. For instance,
when the supply of food at any particular place becomes exhausted, and
through starvation the people are forced to go elsewhere in search of
the necessaries of life, the aged or feeble, or those who have become
too weak to travel, are left behind to perish. If, however, food is soon
found, a portion is at once taken back, and after all, what more could be
done, even by white people?
When an Eskimo dies at home in the igloe, his body is never taken away
for burial by carrying it out through the doorway, but an opening must
be made in the rear for its removal. The place chosen for the burial of
the dead is some almost isolated point of land, a hill-top difficult of
access, or some remote island where there is the least danger of the
bodies being disturbed by wild beasts.
The deceased are first wrapped in their skin robes, then laid to rest and
covered over with piles of stones.
At times these graves are made very large, while in other cases the
bodies are barely covered over. Usually some kind of a memorial is raised
over the grave: frequently a long stone, but more often a topick pole or
paddle, to the top of which a flag or streamer is fixed to mark the last
lonely resting-place of the departed.
Beside the lonely grave are placed the hunting implements of its
occupant, and there, upon the dreary waste, imprisoned in his rocky tomb
beneath the snows of many a winter storm, the poor Eskimo lies awaiting
the sound of the last trumpet.
CHAPTER XII.
_DOWN TO THE SEA._
Baker Lake, about seventy miles in length and perhaps half that in
breadth, was originally discovered and rudely mapped by one Captain
Christopher, about the year 1770. In searching for the North-West Passage
he sailed into it with two small vessels from Hudson Bay, passing _en
route_ through Chesterfield Inlet and the two rivers flowing into it from
Baker Lake. Having with us a copy of Captain Christopher’s map, though
of a very sketchy character, it afforded us some information as to our
future course.
Since leaving the shores of Black Lake we had traversed to this point a
distance of just eight hundred and ten miles, through an entirely unknown
country. We had occupied more time in doing so than we had expected, on
account of the extraordinary character of the weather, but, however, on
this evening of the 2nd of September we found ourselves at the mouth of
“the great river flowing to the northward,” as described by the Black
Lake Indians.
From our astronomical observations and survey it was found that the
extremity of the lake as determined by Christopher, and as located on the
existing maps of Canada, was nine miles too far south and about fifty
miles too far west. At the mouth of the river the water was found to be
shallow—in some places not more than three or four feet in depth—and
for some distance out into the lake shoals were observed. Small sailing
vessels or York boats would, however, have no difficulty in getting in,
but it would be difficult to take the former any great distance up the
river on account of the rapids. Large properly constructed river boats
might be taken up stream without difficulty for a distance of 150 miles
to the confluence of the west branch, and how far they might be able
to ascend that large stream it is impossible for me to say. With the
exception of perhaps one spot—the canyon rapid north of Tobaunt Lake—I
believe the whole river from the Height of Land to Baker Lake might be
navigated by river or York boats with comparative ease. At the rapid a
portage could be made or possibly a navigable channel might be discovered.
I think it important to mention the above possibilities of access to
this country, on account of the fact that from Tobaunt Lake to Baker
Lake there stretches an extended area of promising mineral-bearing
Huronian schists and trappean rocks, a series precisely similar to the
silver, copper and gold bearing rocks of the north shore of Lake Superior
and Lake of the Woods districts. The time must come—it may not be far
distant—when the prospector and the miner will occupy all this vast field
of mineral wealth.[4]
From the head of Baker Lake we were now to commence a new stage of the
journey. The rough maps we had enabled us to form a fair idea of what
lay ahead. From our camp to the mouth of Chesterfield Inlet on the coast
of Hudson Bay measured about 250 miles, and thence down the coast of the
Bay to Fort Churchill, a Hudson’s Bay Company’s post and the nearest
habitation of white men, measured 500 more; so that 750 miles was the
least distance we had to figure on travelling in canoes before the close
of navigation.
It was now the month of September, and as winter is known to set in in
the vicinity of Hudson Bay during October, my brother and I felt that our
time must be employed to the very best advantage. The weather had been
extremely adverse all summer, but it was now liable to be more so. Within
the course of two or three weeks the equinoctial gales might be expected.
The tides also would be a new feature of difficulty.
In consideration of these prospects, and in order to stimulate the men
to greater exertions, it was thought best to explain our position to
them, for up to this time they had little idea as to where they were,
whether in the vicinity of the North Pole or within a few days’ travel
of civilization. The effect produced by thus informing the canoemen was
as desired. They resolved as one man to make longer days and put forth
greater exertion.
Before daylight on the morning of the 3rd, camp was aroused by the sound
of many voices, and a few minutes later, before we had turned out from
our blankets, the door of the tent was pulled half open and two or three
black burly heads with grinning faces were poked in. They were those of
some of our friends from the Eskimo village who had come over to pay us
an early morning call, before we should finally leave their shores. They
all held in their hands nicknacks of one kind or another which they were
anxious to trade, chiefly for needles, and some would have come in and
made themselves at home had I not dismissed them until we were dressed
and ready to do business at a little greater distance from our blankets,
which we were desirous should be inhabited only by ourselves. Later, a
few fishing-lines, spoons and such trifles were purchased.
As soon as possible, the wind happily being fair, our canoes were loaded,
and with many “tabowetings” to the natives and a hurrah for Baker Lake,
we started out to the eastward along the north shore. But soon the wind
grew strong and caused such a high sea to run that we were forced to seek
shelter, which we found in the mouth of a small river. We had then made
fourteen miles. Here we waited, hoping that toward evening the wind might
moderate, but on the contrary it grew worse, so on the lee-side of a
bluff point camp was pitched to afford us shelter from the cold piercing
blast. A high wind continued all night and during the following day, when
it was accompanied by snow and sleet. The temperature was so low that the
fresh-water ponds were frozen over. Such a condition of climate, together
with a small and rapidly diminishing stock of provisions, made us chafe
at the delay; but on the morning of the 5th we were enabled to launch,
and during the day made a good run of about forty miles. The shore of
the lake consisted chiefly of Laurentian rock, from 150 to 300 feet in
height, but at some places broad low flats and long points of sand and
boulders separated the hills from the water.
During the afternoon of the 6th, the northerly of the two rivers
discharging the waters of Baker Lake was discovered. The approach to it
is well marked on the north bank by a round bluff some two hundred feet
in height. At first no current could be observed in the river, which, in
reality, was a deep narrow fiord, but when we had advanced a distance
of about two miles a stiff current, almost approaching a rapid, was
met; but instead of moving with us, as would naturally be expected, it
was flowing to the westward. At first sight it caused some doubts as to
whether we were on the right road. The canoemen were all persuaded that
we were ascending some big river and would have at once turned back, but
concluding that we had already reached tide water, though sooner than
we had expected, we pulled on, and before long witnessed the seemingly
strange phenomenon of a river changing its direction of flow.
So smooth and bare were its glaciated shores that we had some difficulty
in effecting a landing. One night was spent on this rocky bank, and
the day following being fair and bright, saw us on the waters of
Chesterfield Inlet. The magnetic compasses were now found to work very
unsatisfactorily, but for one day the sunlight enabled me to make liberal
use of my solar instrument. During the next and several succeeding days
the weather was dark and gloomy, and we encountered such tide rips in the
Inlet that my survey was much interfered with.
On the 10th of September, as we were pulling down the Inlet under a
strong side wind, through extremely rough water, we were glad to find
about noon a sheltered cove on the north side of a large island near the
south shore. Here we landed to await an improvement in the weather. While
the cooks were preparing our mid-day meal, my brother and I set out for
the summit of the island, a mile or more to the south, for the purpose of
taking observations. In due time the breezy elevation was reached. While
sighting to a prominent point to the southward, there suddenly appeared
from behind it what seemed a phantom ship. For a moment I gazed upon it
in amazement, but then realizing that the appearance was a real, not an
imaginary one, I called my brother’s attention to it.
The object, which was several miles distant, was clearly made out to
be a two-masted sail-boat, and it was heading to the westward. By whom
could it be manned? We could not imagine, but there it was, with two
square sails set to the wind and tearing up the inlet. By the aid of our
field-glasses we could make out many moving figures on the boat, but
as to whether they were whalers, Hudson’s Bay Company’s traders from
Churchill, or who else, we could not conceive. If, however, they were
to be more to us than a vision it was necessary to bestir ourselves,
for they were rapidly passing. From my pocket I drew an immense red
handkerchief and waved it most energetically, while my brother discharged
several shots from his revolver. We soon saw from the boat’s movements
that we were observed, but instead of coming in towards us they only
bore away more to the southward. Still I vigorously waved the red
handkerchief, and finally, much to our delight, the sails flapped
loosely in the wind, then in a moment were refilled by the strong breeze
and the boat swept in toward us.
The appearance of a sail-boat in Chesterfield Inlet, and especially at
this late season of the year, puzzled us much, and as it drew nearer we
watched it intently. It had the appearance of being a large whale-boat,
and was evidently well manned, but by whom we could not tell. Whoever
they might be, perhaps they could be hired to take us down the coast of
the Bay to Churchill, and if so we might be saved weeks of hard travel on
a very exposed and dangerous coast. We sincerely hoped that the strange
mariners, or at least their boat, might be available for the voyage.
When they had approached sufficiently near we could see that there were
Eskimos on board, and a moment later their anchor was cast out, and
several of them, making a sort of raft out of three kyacks they had in
tow, paddled in to the rocky shore where we stood. In vain did we look
for the face of a white man. They were all natives, and as we gazed at
each other in mutual amazement, I broke the silence with the question,
“_Kudloonah petehungetoo?_” (Is there no white man?) “_Petehungetoo_”
(There is none), was the reply, so the whole party, which consisted of
several families, men, women and children, were Eskimos, and with them in
their boat they had their dogs and other necessary hunting and camping
equipments. They informed us they were moving up into the interior from
the coast to spend the winter, and so it was not surprising that nothing
we could offer would induce them to consider the question of taking us
down to Churchill or of selling their boat to us. We offered what to
them would have been fabulous wealth, but to no purpose. There they were
with all their belongings on their way to the westward, and westward they
were determined to go.
The Eskimos in turn expressed surprise at finding two solitary white men
upon such a lonely, barren island, and not unnaturally asked, “_Nowtimee
ibbee kyette?_” (Where do you come from?) I replied, “_Uvagut kyette
tellipea washigtooeloo towmonee koog-du-ak_” (We come from the west
very far, down a great river). We were then asked if we had seen any
more of their people, and replied, “_Uvagut tacko-namee hipunga Enuit
coonetookeloo manee tacko Enuit amasuit washigtoo tellipea iglooanne
attowsha sissell ungayo._” (We have seen no other Eskimos near here, but
saw plenty far to the westward beyond the first big lake). They informed
us that another large boat-load of their people had gone up from the
coast on the previous day, and were surprised that we had not seen them.
Though we were not able to purchase or charter the boat from the natives,
we obtained much valuable information and a sketch-map of the coast of
the Bay from the mouth of the Inlet down to Fort Churchill. After a
brief stay they returned to their boat and we to the rocky hills, upon
the other side of which our party awaited our return. The wind still
continued to blow too strongly to admit of travelling by canoe, so we
went back again and spent the rest of the day on the hills.
Next morning we were up early. The wind had fallen somewhat and the
canoes were soon launched. We managed to travel until after eleven
o’clock, when, because of the high wind and rough water, we were again
obliged to make for the shore, and in order to do so had to pull through
a heavy surf breaking over the low sandy beach. During the afternoon at
this point observations for longitude were obtained, and close by upon a
prominent hill a large cairn of rocks was erected to mark the spot for
the benefit of future explorers.
The two following days were marked by rough weather and little progress,
but finally we reached the mouth of the great Inlet through which for
several days we had been paddling.
For having completed another stage of the journey we were exceedingly
glad, but coupled with this fact there was another, viz., that before us
was a five-hundred-mile voyage to be made in open canoes down an exposed
sea-coast. Here we would be surrounded by entirely new conditions and
confronted with new difficulties.
[Illustration: HALF-BREED BOY.]
CHAPTER XIII.
_ADVENTURES BY LAND AND SEA._
Starting southward down the coast of Hudson Bay on the 13th of September,
with the weather beautifully calm, we made a capital run past a rocky
coast, skirted by a succession of shoals and reefs, and at night
camped upon the shore about twelve miles north of Marble Island, whose
snow-white hills of quartzite could be distinctly seen on the horizon.
Marble Island—so called because of the resemblance its rounded glaciated
rocky hills bear to white marble—is well-known as a wintering station
for New England whalers. Its geographical position was determined in
1885 and 1886 by Commander Gordon, of the Dominion Government Hudson Bay
Expedition, of which the writer was a member, so we were glad to avail
ourselves of the opportunity of connecting our survey with so well-fixed
a landmark.
We had been informed by the Eskimos that there were no whalers now at the
island, and we satisfied ourselves of the truth of their report by the
use of our long-range binoculars. Had there been we would have endeavored
to arrange with one of them to take us down to Churchill, but in their
absence we could only stick to the canoes. Near camp, on the shore, we
found part of the skeleton of an immense whale, but unfortunately not
the part that is of commercial value. This doubtless had been carried
away by the Eskimos or by some whaling crew.
During the following day the weather continued fair, and feeling that
nature was favoring us we made good use of our time. As we followed the
coast in a south-westerly direction the outline of Marble Island could be
seen against the southern sky; while to the north extended the bold, dark
coast-line of rock, unbroken in appearance excepting where here and there
lay great banks of snow.
About noon we discovered, on landing, what must very recently have been
a large Eskimo encampment. Several kometics (sleds) and other articles
were found. The wreck of a large whale-boat lay on the shore, and several
dogs were seen lurking about. This camping-place was the summer home
of the Eskimos we had met sailing up Chesterfield Inlet, and from a
sanitary point of view was no credit to them, for filth and putrefaction
everywhere abounded.
The rocks of this locality were of an interesting character, being dark
green hornblendic schists of the Huronian formation.
Following these two days of exceptionally fair weather we enjoyed still
another, and were permitted to traverse the mouth of Rankin Inlet, which
would have required two or three days to coast had the weather been
anything but calm. During these three days we had made a distance of just
one hundred miles, which, upon such an exposed coast, we considered good
progress.
Though we saw little game we still had some dried meat left, and at
this rate of travel two weeks would take us to Churchill. By carefully
rationing ourselves we had meat enough to last for five or six days, and
the balance of the time could, if necessary, be spent without provisions.
On the night of the 15th, however, being camped upon a little sand island
in the mouth of Corbet’s Inlet, our hopes were blighted by the approach
of a gale, and all the next day we lay imprisoned upon the sand-bar
without any fresh water to drink. Toward evening the wind was accompanied
by a chilling rain, which continued all night and the greater part of
the next morning. On the following afternoon the wind suddenly fell, and
though a heavy sea continued to roll in from the east, the waves ceased
to break.
Fearing to lose one hour when it was possible to travel, we launched our
canoes upon the heaving bosom of the deep and started across the mouth of
the inlet on an eight-mile traverse. As we passed out beyond the shelter
of the island we found the seas running fearfully high, but so long as
they did not break upon us we had little to fear, and this would not
likely occur unless the wind should spring up again; but when we were
well out in the middle of the inlet that is just what did occur. The wind
began to rise from exactly the opposite quarter, and speedily increased
in force, whipping the crests off the waves in such a way as to make
things appear anything but reassuring. Our situation was indeed perilous.
Every effort was made to guide the canoes so as to brook least danger,
but in spite of all we could do the seas dashed in upon us, and it looked
as if we would never reach the shore.
My brother and I laid down our paddles, and with tin kettles applied
ourselves vigorously to bailing out the water. Many times the great
tumbling billows seemed as if they would surely roll over us, but our
light cedars, though sometimes half-filled with water, were borne up on
the crest of the waves. At length we neared the rocky shore toward which
for several hours we had been struggling, but, to our dismay, only to
find it skirted by a long line of rocks and shoals, upon which the full
fury of the wild sea was breaking. What were we to do? Without a harbor
we would be dashed to pieces upon the rocks—and it was impossible to
retreat against the storm. On we were borne by the force of the gale,
but, thanks to a kind Providence, just as the crisis appeared to have
come, a way of escape was discerned. One rock could be seen standing
out in advance of the others, and behind this we managed with a supreme
effort to guide the canoes. Then in shallow water, with the force of the
seas broken, we all sprang out, and with great exertion succeeded in
landing the boats in safety.
The country here was entirely barren and rocky, comparatively level,
and of a most dreary aspect, without a sign of vegetation. The storm
continued for two days longer, during which time we were obliged to
remain on shore. As our provisions were now about exhausted, attention
was chiefly devoted to hunting, but all that could be found was a small
duck and two gulls. The broken remains of an Eskimo kyack were found upon
the shore, and these were carefully gathered up so that a kettle of water
might be boiled and our gulls cooked for supper.
On the morning of the 20th, the wind having fallen, camp was called at
four o’clock and without breakfast our journey resumed. Later in the day
each man had a small piece of dried meat, quite insufficient to satisfy
his appetite; but, hungry though we were, the motto plainly written on
every man’s face was, “Speed the paddle.” Thus we pressed on for two
days, making good progress, but having scarcely anything to eat the work
began to tell on us.
On the 22nd we were again storm-bound by a heavy gale with snow, which
lasted four days. During this time we suffered considerably from the
violence of the storm as well as from want of food. As soon as it had
abated sufficiently, which was not until the morning of the 25th, two of
the men, Pierre and Louis, were sent out with the shot-guns to hunt for
food, and with our rifles my brother and I set out for an all-day tramp
into the interior. We found our camp was situated near the end of a long
narrow point at the back of which was Neville Bay. The point consisted in
places of extended fields of water-washed boulders, and in order to reach
the mainland we had to cross these. The necessity of doing this, together
with the fact that we were walking with weakened limbs into the teeth of
a gale, made travelling extremely difficult.
Shortly after leaving camp a hare jumped out from among the rocks, and
coming to a fatal stand, was perforated by a slug from my “Marlin.” Not
wishing to carry it all day, it was left with Pierre and Louis to be
taken to camp. By three o’clock, after a long and laborious march and
securing nothing but a solitary ptarmigan, my brother and I reached the
bottom of the bay and there discovered the mouth of a large river which
flowed into it. We would gladly have stayed some time in this vicinity,
but as the day was already far spent, and we were pretty well used up,
we dare not. Finding a little dry moss we made a fire, roasted and ate
the ptarmigan, and then started back to camp. In some localities the
fresh snow was deep and soft, and this added greatly to the fatigue of
the trip. But before we had proceeded far we met with encouragement in
the discovery of deer-tracks. They were a day or so old, for they were
frozen, but they led away nearly in the direction of camp, so we eagerly
followed them, and from every hill-top keenly scanned the country.
The shades of evening were gathering and we were tired and hungry.
Nothing could we see of the deer, and fearing to lie out all night
without blankets in the rough, cold weather, we pushed on towards camp
as fast as our weary limbs would carry us. We were frequently obliged to
sit down to rest, and consequently when still several miles from camp we
found ourselves enveloped in darkness and groping our way laboriously
through a field of boulders. For a considerable distance we had to feel
the way with hands and feet, between and over the rocks. After about
two hours of this sort of experience we gained the more level country,
and shortly afterwards, guided by the light of a candle in one of the
tents, we reached camp thoroughly used up. We were not, however, obliged
to go to bed hungry, for Pierre and Louis, having been more successful
than ourselves, had secured several ptarmigan and rabbits. From these a
_bouillon_ had been prepared, and part of it saved for our supper. It
was a most thoroughly appreciated meal, and after partaking of it we
were soon rolled up in our blankets, all unconscious of the storm that
howled without or of the fact that we had not another meal in camp. On
the morning of the 26th we were glad to find that the wind had fallen
sufficiently to allow us to launch. Without delay the canoes were loaded
and a fair run made. Several sea-ducks were shot during the day, and thus
supper was secured.
The next day, again storm-bound by a gale from the south-west, the whole
party started out to hunt for food. We were not altogether unsuccessful,
assembling in the evening with five marmots (little animals about the
size of squirrels).
The following morning, though a strong breeze was blowing, we determined
to make a start, for to remain where we were meant that we must soon
starve to death. We were already much reduced and weakened from the
effects of cold and hunger, and the condition of the weather had of late
been most disheartening. Churchill, the nearest habitation of man, was
still fully three hundred miles distant. We had not one bite of food. The
country was covered with snow, the climate piercingly cold. No fuel was
to be had, and worst of all, the weather was such, the greater part of
the time, that we were unable to travel. It was difficult to be cheerful
under such circumstances, but we kept up courage and pushed on.
While we were bending to our paddles, after making perhaps seven or eight
miles south-westerly along the coast, a band of deer was seen upon the
shore. Our course was quickly altered and a landing effected, though with
some difficulty, as the tide was falling and the water rapidly receding.
The men were left to keep the canoes afloat while my brother and I, with
our rifles, went in pursuit of the deer, which were at this time much
more difficult to hunt than earlier in the season, when they run in great
herds. The country here was a vast and dreary plain, affording no cover
for the hunter save that of a few scattered boulders. Concealed by some
of these we crept for long distances, but finding it impossible to get
within any kind of medium range, we opened fire at a distance of four or
five hundred yards. At first the deer trotted about in confusion, but
soon locating their enemies they fled straight away across the plains.
For several hours we followed, vainly seeking for opportunity of nearer
approach, but being unsuccessful, retraced our weary steps to the shore,
where we arrived faint and exhausted. We found the men had been unable to
keep the canoes afloat because of the ebbing tide. They were now high and
dry, and the water of the Bay barely visible in the distance—such was the
extremely low and flat character of the coast.
[Illustration: BLACKFOOT BOY.]
CHAPTER XIV.
_POLAR BEARS._
As it was impossible to launch until the return of the tide, Pierre and
Louis were given our rifles and sent off to try their fortunes. As they
departed and left us lying in the shelter of a rock we sincerely wished
them success. We had done our utmost and had failed; if they also should
fail it was too apparent what must soon be the result. Two of the other
men were sent off with shot-guns; then anxious hours of waiting followed.
No shots were heard, but towards evening Pierre and Louis, and afterwards
the other men, could be seen returning in the distance. None of them
appeared to be bringing any game, as we had hoped they might, and at the
sight I confess my heart grew sick. As they came nearer, however, Louis,
holding up something in his hand, exclaimed, “I got him.” It was the claw
of a polar bear, and we soon learned with joy that, sure enough, he had
killed a bear, which he had unexpectedly come upon at the edge of a lake
while following the deer.
The encounter had taken place about six miles inland, and Louis was
alone at the time, his brother having gone off on a diverging track. The
meeting was a mutual surprise, for the bear, which was lying on the snow
near the ice, being very white himself, was unobserved until the hunter’s
approaching footsteps aroused him. There was then a distance of not more
than fifty yards between them, and no time for consideration.
The bear, springing to his feet, made straight for Louis, who met his
charge with a slug and brought him to his knees. He was up in an instant,
though, and followed the Indian, who had taken to the ice, thinking that
in a conflict he would there have the advantage. But in this he found he
was mistaken. The bear was quickly overtaking him, being at home on the
ice, so he turned and with a second shot again knocked the animal down.
As Louis made for the shore the bear regained his feet, and with blood
streaming from his wounds, and a roar of fury, made one more desperate
charge. He was now within a few feet of Louis. The intrepid hunter,
realizing his situation as critical, turned quickly and by a well-aimed
shot laid his savage pursuer dead at his feet.
It was a most fortunate shot for our whole party, as well as for the
Indian, who, being unable to handle the carcase himself, had returned for
assistance, meeting his brother by the way. We all gladly followed him to
the scene of the combat, where, judging from the tracks and blood, there
was abundant proof of the veracity of his story.
On a hill near the carcase some dry moss was discovered, and with this,
even before the skinning had been completed, some of the flesh was
toasted and greedily devoured. The reviving effect produced upon the
spirits of our party was marked. Though the flesh of the polar bear is
famed for its rankness, we would not have exchanged it at that time for
its weight in silver.
The carcase was found to be extremely poor, the only food found in the
stomach being the droppings of reindeer. At the first meeting, therefore,
Louis must have been considered a very desirable prize. It was merely a
question of which should eat up the other in order to prolong existence.
Fortunately for our party the Indian proved to be the fittest survivor.
No part of the carcase was wasted, but every scrap, amounting to between
three and four hundred pounds, including the hide, was placed in bags and
carried to the canoes, which we reached with much difficulty long after
dark.
Next morning a strong east wind, driving a wild surf in upon the shore,
made it impossible to launch, but we were thankful during the delay
to have a supply of meat on hand with which to satisfy the cravings
of hunger. Advantage was also taken of the opportunity afforded for
obtaining moss. Though five or six miles distant, a quantity of this fuel
was gathered, and several large kettles of meat boiled—almost sufficient,
it was hoped, to take us to Churchill. But alas for our hopes! The gale
which had arisen increased in fury until it became a terrific storm,
accompanied by sleet and snow. This continued for five long days.
One night the tent occupied by my brother and I was ripped up the back
by the force of the gale, and with difficulty kept from being carried
away. So piercingly cold was the wind that without shelter we must soon
have perished. We were already numb with cold, but in the midst of snow
and darkness I managed to find in my bag a sail needle and some twine,
and then having lowered the tent to the ground while my brother held it,
I stitched up the rent. When the tent was again raised our bedding was
buried in snow, but the blankets being our only comfort, the drifts were
shaken off, and in a half-perished condition we again crept beneath them.
Besides the discomforts occasioned by the storm at this camp, I suffered
a serious experience of poisoning. Our cook, thinking to give my brother
and me a treat, provided for our dinner a dish of fried liver. Perhaps
because of its rank flavor, my brother partook sparingly and so partially
escaped, but I ate of it freely and at once became fearfully ill. For
a whole day I lay in the tent, retching and straining, though throwing
off nothing but froth, until I thought I should have died. My brother
urged me to take some brandy, a little of which still remained in a flask
we had brought with us, but for some time I declined. Towards evening,
however, finding that I would have to take something or give up the
ghost, I yielded to his advice, and soon began to recover. I have since
learned that polar bear’s liver is considered to be poisonous, both by
the Eskimos and by the north-sea whalers.
While on the subject of bears, it may be of interest to relate here a
rather exciting personal experience I once had, which took place several
years before on the barren ice-bound shores of Hudson Straits.
We were a small detachment of explorers, travelling at the time in the
little steam launch of a scientific expedition, and occupied in the
geographical determination of a group of hitherto unknown islands. The
_personnel_ of our party, without giving full names, was as follows: The
Doctor, who occupied a position in the stern of the boat and acted as
steersman; Mac., who, contrary to orders, had smuggled a small rifle on
board and come with us for sport; Con., an able seaman from Newfoundland,
and myself.
The reason for orders having been given by our commander to take no
rifles with us was doubtless that we might not allow sport to interfere
with the object of our commission. Besides Mac.’s single-shot rifle, I
had in my belt a 38-calibre S. & W. revolver, and these two arms, a knife
and an axe constituted our defences; but no special thought was given to
these things as at six o’clock on that summer morning, in the shadow of
the Arctics, our little expedition steamed away on its mission, following
and mapping the various points and bays of the rocky shore, and giving
all attention to our work as we ploughed through the cold blue waters.
Before we had proceeded many miles it became necessary to go ashore in
order to obtain fresh water for the boiler of the launch. Accordingly,
observing what appeared to be a little cascade falling over broken cliffs
into the sea, our course was shaped towards it; but before we could gain
the shore our purpose was for the time forgotten, because of the sudden
appearance, only a few yards ahead, of two polar bears—a large one and
her cub—swimming in the water.
Mac. and I quickly took our position in the bow and opened hostilities,
but on account of the roughness of the sea and the tossing of the boat
the shots were ineffective, and so far as the old bear was concerned an
opportunity was not afforded for repeating them. Quick as a flash she
disappeared, leaving her fleecy cub paddling about on the surface.
Though the engine of our boat had been stopped, the momentum carried
us on rapidly past the little swimmer, which was about the size of a
half-grown sheep. As we passed, Con. seized master bruin and endeavored
to land him on board, but in this he, perhaps fortunately, failed, and
was prevented from pursuing his ambition by the sudden appearance from
the deep of the enraged mother, who, with a roar, made a plunge for the
stern of the boat, where the doctor was seated, and seized the gunwale in
what were afterwards described as her “devilish-looking jaws.”
To say that this sudden turn of events was a surprise to us all but
feebly describes the expressions depicted upon the faces of our party.
With the other occupants and the engines between us and the bear, Mac.
and I were unable to fire a shot. Con. came to the rescue, and with
several desperate thrusts of the iron-pointed gaff he persuaded the bear
to release her hold, when with the engine again running, a separation was
effected, but not before we had learned an interesting lesson regarding
the habits of the polar bear.
As a matter of discretion, the lesson of experience, the boat was now
kept at a safe distance from the bears. Several shots were fired, one
or two slight wounds being inflicted on the mother, but as fast as the
little one could travel, though no faster, they maintained a steady
course for the nearest point of land. Apparently nothing would induce the
mother bear to forsake her little one, and though wounded herself, her
whole anxiety seemed to be for her offspring. Sometimes she would swim a
short distance in advance, but only to return in a moment, as if to urge
on the little creature to greater exertion.
The shore was soon gained by the swimmers, who then beat a rapid retreat
up the rocky cliffs and disappeared among the distant hills. As they
fled, the exhibition of motherly affection shown by the old bear was very
remarkable and pleasing. She would never allow the cub to be separated
more than a few feet from her, and would govern her own pace to suit that
of her “bairn.”
As the bears made good their escape, self-reproach and disappointment
filled our souls, and more than one emphasized denunciation was heaped
upon our commander’s head because we had been prevented from having our
rifles with us.
After a few moments of bitter reflection as to what “might have been,”
our thoughts reverted to surveying and the obtaining of fresh water, but
before thought could be followed by action, strange to say, two other
large bears were sighted ahead. They were near the shore, and not very
far from the foot of the falls for which we had been steering.
A brief consultation was held, and it was decided to advance cautiously
upon the game. Mac. with his rifle and but a half-dozen remaining
cartridges, again took his position in the bow of the boat, but prompted
by recent experience I remained at the stern with my revolver, while Con.
stood amidships armed with the gaff. The bears, observing us, landed upon
a high point of broken cliffs close by, and as they did so, Mac. gave
them a couple of slugs, which evidently took effect, but caused them no
particular inconvenience. A moment later they were lost to sight among
the rocks. Resolved upon preventing their escape if we possibly could,
Mac. and Con.—the latter armed with the axe—were allowed to go ashore and
head off the retreat, while we in the boat skirted along the shore where
the bears might be most likely to take to the water. Our land party had
no sooner reached the summit of the first ridge of rock than “bang” went
Mac.’s rifle, and a moment later, as he crammed in another cartridge,
there appeared over the ridge, not more than five yards from his feet,
the blood-bespattered heads of the two furies.
It was a critical moment for our two sportsmen, and one of breathless
suspense for those of us who looked on. Con. stood with uplifted axe
ready to strike as Mac., again levelling, fired into the face of the
foremost bear, now almost at his feet, and sent a slug boring through
his head. To ordinary bears this would have been received as sufficient
intimation to drop dead, but it seemed only to “rattle” this polar, so
that instead of proceeding to demolish Mac. and Con., he plunged over the
steep cliff into the sea and there terminated his career.
The other bear, seeing the fate of his comrade, retreated and took to the
water, and as he did so, leaving a trail of blood upon the rocks, Mac.
sent his last slug after him. He and Con. then, descending to the shore,
came on board, and with us gave chase to the wounded animal, who was
swimming off at a rapid pace. Our launch, however, soon overtook him, and
as we passed I gave him a volley from my revolver, which appeared to have
little more effect than to increase his rage.
[Illustration: “Con. stood with uplifted axe ... as Mac. ... fired into
the face of the foremost bear.”—p. 196.]
As I was about to fire again he disappeared, and a moment later
reappeared at the side of the boat, threw one paw over the gunwale, and
with open blood-thirsty jaws, made a lunge for my leg. Fortunately for me
his reach was a little too short, and the result was he got the worst of
the scuffle. Putting my revolver up to the side of his head, I gave him
the contents of the five chambers before he could retire. These shots,
however, did not penetrate the skull, and beyond causing a withdrawal,
only had the effect of further enraging him.
Hostilities having been commenced at close quarters, we continued
the fight until I had fired my last cartridge and bruin’s scalp was
riddled with lead. But the wounded fury still swam powerfully, and with
ammunition now exhausted it appeared as if we would not be able to
complete the task we had undertaken. For a short time we watched his
movements, and observing that he seemed inclined to go ashore, we decided
upon a new plan of action. Steaming away around the point we beached the
boat, and armed with axe, ice-gaff and knife, we climbed the farther side
of the cliff, and there concealed ourselves in such a position that we
were able to watch the enemy’s movements.
We had not long to wait, for, thinking himself unobserved, he swam ashore
at the foot of the bluff and hid among the broken rocks. Feeling that
our opportunity had now arrived, we descended stealthily from ledge to
ledge and from rock to rock, taking care that we should not be scented
or observed. Step by step we drew nearer, until close to the foot of the
cliff, and almost at our feet, we came upon the wounded bear. He was much
out of humor, and feeling sore enough from his many wounds, but before
he had time to demonstrate his displeasure, Mac. had thrust the gaff
through his skull, Con. had cleft his head with the axe, and my knife had
spilled his heart’s blood upon the rocks.
In the animal world the polar bear is admittedly the monarch of the
north. He is the bear of bears, being described by all Arctic travellers
as possessing enormous strength and great voracity. Of the score of
polars whose more or less intimate acquaintance I have had occasion to
make, I have seen at least two whose tracks in the snow measured fifteen
by eighteen inches, whose length measured over nine feet, and whose slain
carcases tipped the steelyard at from fifteen to sixteen hundred pounds.
Consequently I have always had great respect for the sentiments expressed
in the following lines by an author whose name I regret being unable to
recall:—
“Of the black bear you need not be afraid,
But killing white ones is a dangerous trade.
In this be cool, and well direct your lead,
And take your aim at either heart or head;
For struck elsewhere, your piece not level’d true,
Not long you’ll live your erring hand to rue.”
[Illustration: THE LAST OF OUR PROVISIONS—A GLOOMY OUTLOOK.]
CHAPTER XV.
_LIFE OR DEATH?_
After the great five days’ storm, which lasted until the 4th of October,
the whole country was buried in snow, and every possibility of finding
even a little moss for fuel was excluded. Winter indeed had overtaken us.
Ice was forming all along the shore of the Bay, and it was evident that
within a very few days travel by canoe must be at an end.
On the above date, though light snow continued to fall, the wind had gone
down sufficiently to admit of launching the canoes after a long portage
out to meet the tide. In spite of the most vigorous exertion, all we were
able to make during the day was ten miles, and that through a chilling
spray which froze upon us and encased canoes and men in an armor of ice.
We had great difficulty in getting ashore at night, having again to
portage a long distance over the low-tide boulder flats.
On the following morning the water of the Bay was out of sight, and it
was not until about noon, when the tide flowed in, that we were able
to float the canoes. We were so obstructed by the new ice and a strong
head-wind, that we were not able to make more than a mile or two before
being again forced to struggle to the shore. At this rate we would be a
long time in reaching Churchill. We had now been more than three weeks on
the coast, and were still at least two hundred and fifty miles from our
haven.
Some different mode of travel must be adopted or we should never get in.
The shore ice was forming rapidly and might now block us at any time. We
had not more than enough meat for another day or two, and the game had
all left the country. What was to be done? My brother and I talked the
matter over during the night. The plan suggested itself of abandoning
everything but rifles and blankets, and starting down the shore on foot.
But then, how could the numerous large rivers, which were still open, be
crossed? Again, to this plan there was the objection that having been in
canoes all summer, our party, though still strong enough to paddle, was
in very poor condition to walk. The only other feasible plan was then
suggested. It was to abandon dunnage, instruments, rock collection, etc.,
everything except note-books, photographs, plant collection, rifles,
blankets, and two small tents, and with these to start out in only two
light canoes, and with the increased force in them to travel for our
lives.
This plan was decided on, and in the morning the men were set to work to
cache all our stuff excepting the articles above mentioned. This occupied
the whole morning, and to us it was a sad and lonely task, but as it
seemed to be the only way by which we might hope to escape from this
dreary ice-bound coast, it was felt to be a necessary one. As secure a
cache as we could build was made, and then with heavy hearts we turned
our steps toward the shore.
After launching the two canoes it was with great danger and difficulty we
were able to force a way through the broken but heavy shore-ice to the
open water beyond. Having once gotten clear, we were able to make good
progress, and even at great risk of being smashed upon some of the many
rocks, we paddled far into the night; but at a late hour, being sheathed
in ice from the freezing spray we landed, and, without supper, lay down
to sleep upon the snow.
Eight more dreary days passed, six of which were spent in battling with
the elements and two in lying storm-stayed in our tents. During this
interval our party suffered much from cold and lack of food, and to make
matters worse, dysentery attacked us, and it appeared as if one of our
men would die.
The ice had been all the while forming, rendering it more and more
difficult to launch or get ashore. Our frail crafts were being badly
battered, and often were broken through by the ice, and the low character
of the coast had not improved. Still with hollow cheeks and enfeebled
strength we struggled on, sometimes making fair progress and at others
very little, until on October the 14th, as we advanced, the ice became so
heavy, and extended so far out to sea, that in order to clear it we had
to go quite out of sight of land.
Towards evening we began to look about for some opportunity of going
ashore, but nothing could be seen before us but a vast field of ice with
occasional protruding boulders. We pushed on, hoping to find some bluff
point or channel of water by which we might reach the shore, but the
appearance of things did not change in the slightest. We stood up in the
canoes or climbed upon boulders, vainly hoping to at least get a glimpse
of the land. Of course, we knew the direction in which the shore lay, but
it was so low, and we were so far out, that it was beyond our view.
Soon the shades of night began to fall about us, our canoes were leaking
badly and the weather was bitterly cold. Failing to reach the shore, we
resolved to wait for high tide, about ten o’clock, hoping we might with
it do better. The tide came, but left us still in the same condition,
no more able to penetrate the ice or gain the shore than before. It had
become intensely dark, and we were in great danger of being smashed on
the ice or rocks. We were utterly helpless and could do nothing but
remain where we were, or go where the tide chose to carry us, until the
return of daylight.
The hours of that night were the longest I have ever experienced, and the
odds seemed to be against us surviving until morning; but at last the day
returned and found us still alive. My brother was nearly frozen, having
been obliged to sit or lie in icy water all night. Poor little Michel had
both of his feet frozen, and the rest of us were badly used up. Still
we were in the same position as on the night before. We could not hold
out much longer; we must gain the shore or perish. At the time of high
tide, the ice being somewhat loosened, our canoes were thrust into the
pack, and by great exertion as well as much care we succeeded about one
o’clock in reaching solid ice, upon which we were able to land and, for
the last time, haul out our noble little crafts. We had been in them
just thirty hours, battling with the ice, exposed to a chilling winter
blast, our clothing saturated and frozen, and our bodies faint and numb
with starvation and cold. But we were now within reach of the land, and
all of us who were able gladly scrambled out upon the ice to stretch our
cramped and stiffened limbs. My brother was in a perishing condition from
the exposure of the night. He had been barely able to keep his canoe
afloat by bailing, and had sat in the icy water for seventeen hours. I
wrapped him up as warmly as I could and administered half a bottle of
Jamaica ginger, the last of our stock. We then set about hauling the
canoes over the ice to the shore, which we soon reached, and where we
were so fortunate as to find drift-wood. A fire was quickly made, camp
pitched, and better still, a meal prepared. On the previous day a seal,
the only one secured on the trip, had been shot, and we were now in
a position to appreciate it. The three western men were still fairly
strong, but the remaining five of us were very weak and badly used up.
We knew now, however, that we could be no great distance from Churchill,
for we had again reached the wooded country, and two or three miles back
from the shore could be seen dark clumps of spruce trees. This was a most
consoling fact, for besides having meat for several days, we felt that we
would have shelter and fire.
As to launching our canoes again, that was entirely out of the question.
If we would reach Churchill at all it must be by land.
As most of us were unable to walk, the only course open appeared to be
to send on some of the stronger men to, if possible, reach the fort
and bring back a relief party. This plan was proposed, and two of the
western men, “Jim” and John, volunteered to undertake the walk. We
thought the distance could not be more than fifty miles, and it might
be considerably less. On the morning of the 16th the two men set out on
their journey, while those of us remaining proceeded to move our tents
back from the shore about two miles to the nearest woods, where we might
make ourselves more comfortable, to await the success or failure of the
relief party.
A sheltered spot was selected for camp, in a thick grove of spruce
trees, and after clearing away about two feet of snow which covered the
ground, tents were pitched, then well carpeted with spruce boughs, and a
big camp-fire made. This was indeed a happy change from lying in canoes
in the ice-pack. Clothing and blankets were now dried, and with the
seal meat, and some ptarmigan which we shot in the grove, we were soon
comparatively comfortable, with the exception perhaps of poor Michel, who
suffered much from his frozen feet.
The reviving effect of the camp-fire upon our numb and half-frozen
bodies was soon felt, though with the exception of François, the western
half-breed, all of us at the camp were still very weak. Our veteran
Pierre, who had done such good service with the paddle, now staggered
in his walk, and as we were moving the tents from the shore back to the
woods, he fell from sheer exhaustion and had difficulty in regaining his
feet. Now in camp, however, and with meat enough to last us for a day or
two, we were in a position to take a rest from our labors. Poor Michel’s
feet were in a bad state, and having no proper means of treating them,
they caused us much anxiety. His brother Louis was also in a wretched
condition from the effects of severe dysentery caused by exposure and
starvation, and was unable to walk.
On the morning of the 17th, feeling somewhat revived after a long night’s
rest, I undertook to go hunting ptarmigan, which we were glad to find
were plentiful in the woods about us. Had it not been for the fact that
our ammunition was almost exhausted, the occurrence of these birds in
abundance would have afforded us greater consolation, but being, as we
were, reduced to a dozen or two charges, the opportunity for living on
feathered game seemed limited to a short period. We were hoping that Jim
and John might be successful in reaching Churchill. Before I had walked a
hundred yards from camp, I was forced to realize how weak I had become,
and after making a circuit of about half a mile and shooting only two or
three birds, I was scarcely able to crawl back to the tent. On my return,
François, taking the shot-gun, went out and returned in the evening with
a fine bag of game.
On waking the next morning, my brother amused us by relating an
extraordinary dream, in which he imagined he was luxuriating in good
things, and particularly sweet currant cakes, for which he was exhibiting
a wonderful capacity. But alas! with the visions of the night the
cakes had vanished, and for breakfast he was forced to be content with
unseasoned boiled ptarmigan.
At about one o’clock in the day, as we were seated within the tent
partaking of our second meal, we were suddenly startled by hearing the
exclamation, “Hullo, Jim!” The eagerness with which we scrambled over
dinner and dishes to the tent-door can better be imagined than described,
and on looking out, sure enough there was Jim returning. Was he alone?
No, thank the Lord! Behind him, a moment later, emerged from the woods a
number of men, followed by teams of dogs and sleds. One after the other
there came scampering along no less than four teams, hauling long empty
sleds capable of furnishing accommodation for our whole outfit.
After a hard two days’ tramp, Jim and John had reached the Fort, where
they had found kind friends ready to send us prompt assistance. Dog teams
had been placed at their disposal, provisions supplied, and early on the
morning of the same day on which they had found us, the train had set
out for our relief. With light sleds they had travelled at a rapid pace
over the thirty miles of snowy plains which separated us from Churchill.
Another day of good travel in the canoes would have taken us in, had this
been afforded us.
As the relief party drew up at our camp, Jim advanced and handed letters
to my brother and myself expressing kind wishes and sympathy from Mr.
and Mrs. Lofthouse, the Church of England missionary and his wife at the
Fort, whose friendship I had the privilege of making on two former visits
to Churchill. Along with the letters was handed a box, which when opened
was found to contain the very good things of my brother’s dream, even to
the sweet currant cakes. Staple provisions were also produced, and it is
scarcely necessary to say that they were joyfully welcomed. It would be
impossible to describe our feelings upon this occasion, the termination
of so many hardships and sufferings. During the afternoon preparations
were made for the journey to the Fort on the following day. The canoes
were hauled up from the shore, where we had been obliged to leave them,
and loaded upon two of the dog-sleds. Camp outfit and provisions were
loaded upon the others, and as far as possible everything was put in
readiness for an early start in the morning.
A change in the weather was already forecast, the wind shifting around
to the south, and towards evening it became decidedly milder. During the
night a rain set in, and between it and the warm wind a wonderful change
was wrought before dawn. It began to look very much as if the fates were
against us, and that now with the sleds and dog-teams we should have
no snow to travel on. But before daylight camp was astir, and finding
that enough yet remained, breakfast was partaken of by the light of
the camp-fire and at the first streaks of dawn the journey on sleds to
Churchill was begun.
Out of the woods there was comparatively little of the snow left. Under
cover of the trees it was still deep, but too soft and heavy for the
teams, so we kept along on the open plains between the woods and the
shore, and made fair progress.
The arrangement of our party was as follows: As guide an Indian named
James Westasecot led the way some distance ahead of the train. Next after
him came a team of six big Eskimo dogs hitched two and two abreast to a
long sled carrying the big canoe, in which Michel was given a passage.
Following this team was another hauling the smaller canoe, in which I was
rolled up in my blankets. The third team consisted of only four dogs
and, in a carryall, hauled my brother and some of the baggage; and at the
rear of the train trotted another full team of six dogs with Louis, the
sick Iroquois, and the camp outfit. The rest of our men walked behind
or beside the various sleds, resting themselves by jumping on when the
travelling was easy, as it often was when crossing level plains or frozen
ponds—of which latter there were very many.
The day was beautifully bright and pleasant for one travelling as I was,
but for the drivers and dogs it was much too warm for comfort. In many
places the higher ground was bare, and progress consequently slow.
About noon a halt was made for lunch, and during this time the opinion
was expressed by the drivers that we would not be able to reach the Fort
until the next day; but upon being promised that if they would take
us in without having to spend another night in camp they should have
whatever remained of the supplies they had brought us, they were induced
to change their minds, and acting upon the new inspiration we were soon
again on our way. In many places the low flat plains we traversed were
overgrown by clumps of swamp willow, and around these many large flocks
of ptarmigan were seen. About three o’clock in the afternoon we reached
Grassy Island, at the bottom of Button’s Bay, and two hours later gained
the base of a long range of rocky hills. We skirted the foot of these for
some time, until we reached a low place in the ridge, where, dismounting
to lighten the loads, we turned up the steep pass, and after a short
climb to the crest found ourselves within full view of Fort Churchill. It
was not an imposing place, but even though consisting of only four or
five old frame buildings, the sight to us was one of deep satisfaction.
For a moment we paused on the summit of the ridge, then at the crack of
the driver’s whip the teams bounded forward, galloped down the steep
slope, sped across the plains below, and in a few minutes landed us at
the house of the Hudson’s Bay Company’s traders. Here, after extricating
ourselves from the various conveyances, we were presently received by a
tall young Scotchman, who announced himself as Mr. Matheson, Master of
the Fort.
[Illustration: FRENCH-SALTEAUX GIRL.]
CHAPTER XVI.
_FORT CHURCHILL._
With our arrival at Fort Churchill, with its well-filled storehouses,
the successful termination of the long journey seemed pretty well
assured. Here was abundance of provisions to feed our small party for
an indefinite length of time, so that we could either spend the winter
at the post, and go south by canoes in the spring, or else remain long
enough to recruit, and then continue the journey on foot.
Adjoining the Master’s house, and ranged in two irregular, detached rows
on the rocky bank of the Churchill River, were four or five old frame
buildings, used as storehouses and servants’ lodges. Two or three hundred
yards down the shore was a neat little church and mission-house.
Drawn up on the beach near the church were several large open
coast-boats, used during the summer by the Hudson’s Bay Company in
carrying on trade with the Eskimos, and beside these was a small landing
and warehouse, while down at the mouth of the river, five miles distant,
could be seen the ruins of old Fort Prince of Wales, once a massive
cut-stone fortification.
The buildings of the traders were very old, some of them being in a
half-wrecked condition, but those of the mission were new and trim,
having been only recently erected by the Rev. Jos. Lofthouse, who, with
his family, occupied the dwelling. In this ideal little home, from
the hour of our arrival at the Fort, we were given a most hearty and
hospitable welcome.
One of the first duties requiring attention, after arranging for rations
and shelter, was the treatment of poor Michel’s frozen feet, which upon
examination were found to be in a shocking condition. Fortunately in a
pocket medicine-case the proper remedies for treating him were found, and
with attention and care his condition from the first began to improve,
though it was evident that at best it would be many weeks, if not months,
before he would again be able to walk.
Having arranged almost immediately upon our arrival at Churchill that we
should proceed southward on foot as soon as the condition of the party
(and that of the Churchill River, now running full of ice) would admit,
we lost no time in getting into training for the tramp, which would
amount to nearly one thousand miles. Daily walks were prescribed for all
but Michel, and the stronger of the men were sent out to shoot ptarmigan,
so that they might not only exercise their limbs, but, at the same time,
supplement their daily rations, in which endeavors they were quite
successful.
As regards my brother and myself, our short constitutionals almost
invariably ended at the Mission House, where many pleasant hours were
spent with Mr. and Mrs. Lofthouse and their little daughter Marjorie.
From the time of the establishment of the Churchill Mission—the history
of which would of itself form an interesting chapter—to the time of our
visit, Mr. and Mrs. Lofthouse had been devoting their lives to the noble
work of teaching and helping the natives, both Indians and Eskimos,
wherever they found them, and already the fruits of their labors were
apparent.
[Illustration: REV. JOSEPH LOFTHOUSE AND FAMILY.
_Fort Churchill, Hudson Bay._]
Close to their home stood a neat substantial church, capable of seating
three hundred people, and every nail in the structure—which would be a
credit to many a village in Ontario—was driven by the missionary’s own
hand. Part of the year, during the absence of the moving population of
the district, such a seating capacity is unnecessarily great, but at
other seasons, when the natives come in with the produce of the hunt,
the little building is usually crowded.
Mr. Lofthouse preaches in the Cree, Chippewyan and Eskimo languages, and
having won the esteem and affection of his people, he has a powerful
influence over them, and is teaching them with much success. He and Mrs.
Lofthouse together conduct a day-school for the benefit of the children
of the permanent residents. These number twenty-one, and the total
population of Churchill is only fifty-one. On visiting the school I was
much pleased with the advancement of the children, even the smallest
of whom could read from the Bible. The girls were being taught by Mrs.
Lofthouse to do various kinds of needle-work, and by way of encouragement
were being supplied with materials.
At the trading station, besides Mr. Matheson, Capt. Hawes and his family
were staying at the time, he in an unofficial capacity. He was shortly to
succeed Mr. Matheson, who was to be removed to some other post. Although
not so well acquainted with the Captain as with Mr. and Mrs. Lofthouse,
his face was also a familiar one to me, as we had met at Churchill in
former years, when he was master of the Hudson’s Bay Company’s ship, _Cam
Owen_, since wrecked on the coast.
For nearly two hundred years it had been the practice of the Hudson’s
Bay Company to send out from England every year one or two small sailing
vessels with supplies to their trading stations on Hudson Bay. Almost
without exception these little crafts were able to make their passages
successfully, deliver their cargo, and return to England with a wealth of
furs, oil, and other goods obtained in trade from the natives.
Now this practice is all changed. Instead of the small sailing vessels,
one large steamship is employed for the trade, and Churchill, possessing
the only safe harbor on the west coast, is made the shipping port for the
Bay, all goods being distributed from this centre by schooners to the
other posts, and the furs here collected for shipment. Over this work of
distributing and collecting goods the Captain was to have charge.
During the stay at Churchill every day brought noticeable improvement
in the condition of our party. On several occasions, the weather being
favorable, snowshoeing expeditions were formed and much enjoyed, though
usually accompanied by great fatigue. Knowing, however, that by means
of such travel we must return home in a short time, we realized the
necessity of gaining strength for the long journey.
In the course of one of our outings we reached a place called Sloops
Cove, about half way to Prince of Wales Fort, and there made some
interesting observations. This cove owes its name to the fact that in
the year 1741 the two sloops, _Furnace_ and _Discovery_, sent out from
England in command of Captain Middleton to search for the long-looked-for
North-West Passage, spent the winter there. How two vessels could have
been forced into this cove is a question which has given rise to much
speculation on the part of Canadian scientists, for the cove does not now
contain more than sufficient depth of water, at high tide, to float a
small boat, and it is doubtful if even such a boat could get in through
the rocky entrance. The historical fact remains, however, that this cove
was the winter quarters of these two sloops, and as proof of the fact a
number of ring-bolts to which the vessels were secured may still be seen
leaded into the smooth glaciated granite shores. Besides the ring-bolts,
many interesting carvings are to be seen cut on the surface of the smooth
rocks. Amongst them are the following:—“_Furnace_ and _Discovery_ 1741,”
“J. Horner 1746,” “J. Morley 1748,” “James Walker May yᵉ 25 1753,”
“Guillford Long May yᵉ 27 1753,” “J. Wood 1757,” “Sl. Hearne July yᵉ 1
1767.” In addition to many other names are several picture carvings,
and notably one of a man suspended from a gallows, over which is the
inscription, “John Kelley from the Isle of Wight.” According to local
tradition Mr. Kelley is said to have been hanged for the theft of a salt
goose.
As yet during our stay at Churchill we had not been successful in
reaching the ruins of old Fort Prince of Wales, but on the 3rd of
November, the weather being cold and good for snowshoeing, we started
off, and after an enjoyable five-mile tramp reached the memorable spot,
now a scene of utter desolation. Not a tree or other sign of life could
be seen on the long, low snow-driven point of rock, but there in all its
solitary, massive grandeur stood the remains of what had more than one
hundred years ago been a noble fortress.
The construction of this fortification—which appears to have been planned
by the English engineer, Joseph Robson—was commenced in the year 1743 by
the Hudson’s Bay Company, which was then, as now, carrying on fur-trading
business in northern Canada. So large and expensive a fortification was
built probably not so much for the protection of the Company’s interests
as for the purpose of complying with a provision of its Royal Charter,
which required that the country should be fortified.
The building of the fort appears to have been carried on for many years
under the direction of the famous Samuel Hearne, already referred to as
having traversed the Barren Lands to the mouth of the Copper Mine River.
In a stone barrack within the Fort, Hearne lived and carried on business
for the Company for many years.
[Illustration: RUINS OF FORT PRINCE OF WALES.]
The fortress was in the form of a square, with sides three hundred feet
long; at the corners were bastions, and on top of the massive stone
walls, twenty feet in height by thirty feet in thickness at the base,
were mounted forty-two guns. With such a defence one would suppose
that Churchill should have been safe from attacking foes, but this does
not seem to have been the case, for history informs us that on the 8th
of August, 1782, the gallant La Perouse and his three vessels of war,
with, it is said, naught but scurvy-smitten crews, made their appearance
before the much-amazed garrison of thirty-nine men, and demanded an
unconditional surrender, which was granted without resistance, and
the gates of the great stone fort thrown open to the invaders. Taking
possession, they spiked and dismounted the guns, in places broke down the
walls, burned the barracks, and sailed away to France with Hearne, his
men, and all their valuable furs.
As La Perouse left the Fort so did we find it. For the most part the
walls were still solid, though from between their great blocks of granite
the mortar was crumbling. The guns, spiked and dismounted, were still to
be seen lying about on the ramparts and among the fallen masonry. In the
bastions, all of which were still standing, were to be seen the remains
of wells and magazines, and in the centre of the Fort stood the walls of
the old building in which Hearne and his men had lived. The charred ends
of roof-beams were still attached to its walls, where, undecayed, they
had rested for the past one hundred and eleven years.
With a continuous low temperature, such as now existed at Churchill, the
ice in the river, much to our satisfaction, began to set fast. This was
necessary to enable us to continue the journey. On Saturday, November
4th, the thermometer registered 14½° below zero (Fahr.), and with that
temperature the movement of floating ice ceased and the river was bridged
from shore to shore. Being anxious to get away as early as possible,
arrangements were made with the Company’s agent for a start for York
Factory on Monday morning. The assistance of one dog-team, with driver
and guide, was with some difficulty secured, but three other teams were
to accompany us a great part of the way, viz., to Stony River, where in
the month of September the Company’s servants had been obliged to abandon
a boat-load of supplies because of severe weather, the month in which we
had been canoeing on the coast five hundred miles farther north.
[Illustration: ICE-BLOCK GROUNDED AT LOW TIDE.]
A bill of necessary supplies was prepared, and these were weighed out
and put into sacks. Men and teams were sent off to obtain a supply of
dog-meat—an indispensable commodity—from a shanty on the south side of
the river. When they reached the place they found it in possession of
five polar bears—three large ones and two cubs. Along with the dog-meat
were brought back the skins of one old bear and the two cubs. During
Sunday the thermometer fell to 21° below zero, making the river-ice
strong and perfectly safe.
CHAPTER XVII.
_ON SNOWSHOES AND DOG-SLEDS._
On the morning of the 6th of November, after a stay of seventeen days at
Fort Churchill, we were again ready to set out for the south. Our team
consisted of six Eskimo dogs, attached tandem fashion to a sled twelve
feet long and a foot and a half wide. This sled was of the regular Eskimo
type, the runners being formed of sticks hewn down to the dimensions of
about two inches by six inches, and slightly curved up in front.
Upon the sled was loaded about six hundred pounds of provisions,
dog-meat, blankets and other dunnage, all securely lashed on within a
canvas wrapper. The driver who had charge of the team was a tall young
half-breed, named Arthur Omen. Our guide, whose name was “Jimmie”
Westasecot, was a large fine-looking Cree Indian, of about middle age,
who bore the distinction of being the most famous hunter and traveller in
all that country.
The party consisted of ten. My brother and I were warmly dressed in
deer-skin garbs of the Eskimo, while the rest of the party wore the white
blanket suits of the traders, and with the exception of poor Michel,
whose feet were still too sore to allow him to walk, each man was
provided with a pair of snowshoes. As one dog-team was unable to draw all
the freight, the men were obliged to haul their own dunnage, and for this
purpose three flat sleds or toboggans were procured and loaded with sixty
or seventy pounds each.
Thus provision was made for the transport of all necessary supplies, but
what was to be done with Michel? Mr. Matheson kindly assisted us out of
the difficulty by offering to take the crippled Indian on one of his
sleds. Thus arrangements were completed, and, with nine days’ provisions,
we bade our kind friends farewell, and early on the morning of the date
mentioned marched from the Fort in single file, forming into a long
serpentine train, winding our way to the southward across the broad
frozen river. As we departed farewell salutes were waved from the doorway
of the little mission-house, and we felt that with them were wafted the
most sincere and hearty good wishes.
At the outset, though we had greatly improved physically during the stay
at Churchill, we were still far from being strong, and it was thought
best not to attempt forced marches at the outset. The wisdom of this
resolve was clearly proven before the first day’s tramp was ended. That
afternoon one of my knees gave out, and soon became so badly crippled
that within an hour or so every step caused me excruciating pain, and it
was with the greatest effort I managed to hobble along after the train
until evening. We travelled about twenty-one miles during the day, on an
easterly course, across open plains and snow-covered lakes. There was
little timber on the route until we reached the Eastern Woods, where it
was decided to camp. Upon the open plains we found the snow hard and in
good condition for travelling, so that the teams trotted along easily
with their heavy loads.
Snowshoe travel was also comparatively easy for those whose legs were
sound, but the moment we entered the woods down sank shoes and dogs into
the soft, light snow. In soft snow it is necessary for the guide or
track-breaker to wear very large shoes, that he may not sink too deeply,
but those who follow in his trail get along with the more ordinary size.
The snowshoes used by Jimmie, the guide, were about five feet long and
eighteen inches wide, whereas those used by the rest of us varied from
three to three and a half feet in length and from ten to twelve inches in
breadth. The guide’s large shoes were made somewhat after the Montreal
model, symmetrical on either side, framed of one stick and slightly bent
up at the toe, but those used by the rest were of very different make,
and more peculiar design. Though we purchased them from the Hudson’s Bay
Company at Churchill, they were made by the Chippewyan Indians. Their
shoes are not made symmetrically, but are constructed with great bulges
upon their outer sides, and are formed of two pieces of wood, tied
together at both ends and held apart in the middle by cross-bars, while
the toes are turned up with a sharp curve.
Having reached the shelter of the Eastern Woods, and concluded the first
day’s march, a camping-place was chosen. The drivers of the teams at once
proceeded to unharness the dogs, make beds for them of spruce boughs,
and give them their daily meal of seal-blubber or fish. The other members
of the party busied themselves in clearing away the snow, cutting down
brush and firewood, and building the camp. This latter did not consist of
a tent, shanty, or indeed covering of any kind, but simply of a wall of
brush built crescent shaped, to a height of three or four feet, and in
such a position as to best afford shelter from the cutting wind. The two
main elements of a good winter camp-ground are shelter and dry wood, both
of which are indispensable.
The snow was cleared away from the inside of the wind-break, and in its
stead spruce boughs were strewn to a depth of several inches, and in
front of this a big fire kindled—and camp was complete.
These tasks ended, the preparation of supper was commenced. Bacon and
biscuits were hauled out, while frying-pans and tea-kettles were brought
and placed with their contents upon the fire. Fresh water had been found
by cutting through the ice of a creek close by, so nothing was lacking.
Tin plates and cups, knives and forks were provided, but as we took hold
of them they froze to our fingers, and before we could use them they had
to be heated. After supper preparations were made for the night and for
the morrow’s tramp. Socks, duffles and moccasins, wet with perspiration
from the day’s march, were hung up before the fire to dry; robes and
blankets were spread about the camp, and upon them our tired party
assembled to enjoy a rest and smoke beside the fire before turning in for
the night. Though cold, the night was beautifully calm and clear, and
when from time to time the big dry sticks of wood were thrown upon the
fire, showers of sparks ascended until they found hiding-places among the
dark branches of the overhanging spruce trees.
Camp-fire stories and gossip were indulged in for an hour, then several
logs were thrown upon the fire, and each man, rolled up in his blanket
and with feet toward the fire, lay down to sleep. There was little sleep
for me, however, because of my knee, which gave me great pain during the
night.
The next morning camp was called at five o’clock, and under the still
star-lit sky all hands rolled out into the keen frosty morning air. At
the first streak of dawn, after breakfast and other preliminaries, our
march was resumed.
It was yet dark in the woods, and to most of us there was no more
indication of a trail in one place than in another, but our veteran
guide, who possessed all the sagacity of the ideal red-man, led the way,
and all the rest of us had to do was merely to follow his tracks. Soon we
merged from the Eastern Woods, and getting into more open country, turned
our course toward the south, crossing broad plains, diversified here and
there by stunted, scattered trees, ice-covered ponds, and occasionally
the thickly wooded valley of a winding stream. As we travelled on my leg
caused me intense pain, so that it became impossible to keep up with the
train. I hobbled along as well as I could for a time, but finding that
I was seriously retarding the progress of the march, arrangements were
made to give me a lift on one of the sleds. Pierre and Louis were also
becoming lame from the use of their snowshoes, to which they were not
yet hardened, but were not seriously crippled.[5]
During the second day from Churchill a band of twenty or thirty deer was
seen. Some of us were in no mood or condition to hunt, but Jimmie, the
guide, our own man, Jim, and Mr. Matheson, went off in pursuit of the
band. Several times during the afternoon we crossed the tracks of both
deer and hunters, but when we came upon the big tracks of our guide we
saw the first signs of success. He had evidently wounded a deer and was
giving him a hot chase, for the Indian’s strides were right upon those
of a caribou, and to one side of the trail spatters of blood could be
seen on the snow. Toward evening our train came up with Mr. Matheson and
Jim, who had a long but fruitless run after the deer, but nothing could
be seen of the guide. Some time after camp had been made for the night
Jimmie walked in with a haunch of venison on his shoulder. He had wounded
his deer early in the afternoon, but had been obliged to run him many
miles before he could again come up with him. Lest the carcase, which was
lying some distance from camp, should be devoured by wolves in the night,
a team was harnessed and Jimmie himself, with another man, started off
for the meat, which, a few hours later, they brought into camp. As we had
had very little fresh meat for some time past, supper of venison steak
was gratefully appreciated.
During the day’s march numerous wolf and polar bear tracks had been
crossed, but the caribou were the only animals seen.
The next day’s tramp was a short one, not in actual miles travelled by
some of us, but in distance made upon the course. We had, however, a good
day’s sport, for at different times during the day no less than eight
deer were shot. My brother and I were not able to take part in the chase,
for by this time, though I was beginning to recover, my brother was as
badly crippled as I had been, and for a time had to be drawn on a sled.
I should not, perhaps, say we took no part in the chase, for my brother
made one remarkable shot.
At about the close of day, a small deer which Mr. Matheson had been
following, and at which he had been practising for some time with my
brother’s rifle, stood still and looked at him with innocent amazement,
at a distance of about three hundred yards from our train. Probably the
cause of Mr. Matheson’s bad shooting was the cross wind which was blowing
strongly at the time, but, however, he gave up in disgust and returned
the rifle to my brother, asking him to try a shot. My brother said it was
useless for him to try, as the deer had now run still farther away, and
he himself had only one leg to stand on. But, dropping on his knee, he
fired a shot, and down dropped the deer.
Several of the best haunches of venison secured were loaded upon the
sleds, but it was not thought wise to overload the teams by trying to
carry too much. The bulk of the meat was “cached” where it was killed,
to be picked up by the Company’s teams on their return trip and taken
to Churchill to replenish the larder. Our third camp was made in a strip
of wood upon the bank of Salmon Creek, and to our Indians it will be
memorable as being the place at which they had the “big feed,” for it
took three suppers to satisfy them that night. With my brother and myself
the hours of darkness had ceased to bring repose. Our knees were so
painful we did not sleep, but only turned restlessly from side to side
until the return of dawn. Happily for us all the weather had continued
to be fair, with no extreme cold since the commencement of the journey,
which was particularly fortunate on account of poor Michel, who would
doubtless have suffered had he been obliged to ride upon a sled all
day during severe weather. As it was, we were able to keep him fairly
comfortable, bundled up in deer-skin robes and blankets.
On the fourth day, meeting with no deer, we made about twenty-seven
miles, a good march under the circumstances. This brought us to the banks
of Owl River, a stream two or three hundred yards in width, situated in a
straight line about midway between York and Churchill.
At dawn the next morning we were again marching southward, with the
expectation of that day reaching Stony River, where William Westasecot,
a brother of the guide, was encamped, and where our parties were to
separate.
Three more deer were shot during the day, making a total of twelve for
the trip, most of them victims of the Indian guide. About four o’clock in
the afternoon we arrived at Stony River, but there was no Indian camp to
be seen, and for a time we saw no signs of any human presence. We turned
down the river, and ere long came upon the tracks of a solitary hunter.
These Jimmie knew to be the tracks of his brother, and by following them
a mile or two into a dense evergreen wood, we came upon the camp. It was
a solitary tepee, situated in the heart of a snow-clad thicket of spruce
trees and scrub, so dense that a bird could scarcely fly through it.
The Indian lodge or tepee was built of poles placed closely together,
and arranged in the shape of a cone. The cracks between the poles were
chinked tightly with moss, with which the tepee was then covered,
excepting a foot or so at the top, where a hole was left for the chimney.
An opening made in the wall to serve as a doorway was closed by a heavy
curtain of deer-skin, and as we lifted it we saw in the centre of the
lodge, upon a square mud-covered hearth, a smouldering wood fire burning,
from which the circling smoke ascended to find its way through the
chimney, while huddled around it by the wall were the old Indian, his
squaw and their children. Deerskin cushions were offered us, and as we
seated ourselves more wood was piled on the fire.
William, the Indian, was a much older man than his brother, for his long
flowing locks were already whitened with age, though he still appeared
strong and athletic. Presents of tobacco were passed around; pipes were
then lighted, and information sought and obtained, both by ourselves and
the Indian. We found that William had seen and killed only one deer for
some weeks past, and was now almost out of food, and entirely out of
ammunition. We supplied him with the latter, and told him where, within
a day’s travel, he might supply himself with the former.
From him we learned that the great Nelson River, which we expected to
reach within two or three days, was still quite open, and that we should
find a large boat, in which we might cross, some miles up the river. It
was arranged, also, that William’s elder son should accompany us to York,
and assist by hauling a flat sled.
[Illustration: N.-W. M. P. “OFF DUTY.”]
[Illustration: HALF-BREED DOG-DRIVER.
(_Drawn from life by Arthur Heming._)]
CHAPTER XVIII.
_CROSSING THE NELSON._
On the morning of the 11th of November our parties arranged to separate.
The route of Mr. Matheson’s party henceforth lay away to the eastward,
while our path still led to the south, toward the banks of the Nelson
River. A place was prepared on our own dog-sled for crippled Michel; the
team of six dogs was harnessed, and the flat sleds, including one for
Eli, the son of old William the Indian, were loaded with all that the
dogs were unable to haul. Our supplies by this time were diminished to
the extent of about two hundred and fifty pounds, so that, even with the
additional weight of a man, the loads were lighter than at the outset of
the journey.
Loads being thus readjusted, and our feet harnessed to snowshoes, we bade
farewell to our friends from the Fort, as well as to those of the forest,
and made a new start.
The weather was now unusually mild for the month of November, making the
snow soft, and even wet in some places. This made travelling hard for the
team, as it caused the ice glazing to melt from the sled, and the mud
shoeing to wear and drag heavily upon the track. My brother and I still
suffered much from our crippled limbs, but with considerable difficulty
managed to keep up with the rest. After making a small day’s march we
camped for the night on the bank of a stream called by the Indians White
Bear Creek. The weather having turned colder during the night, making
the prospects for travel more favorable, we started down stream the next
morning upon the ice of the creek, and then across country to Duck Creek,
where we found a second Indian camp, occupied by two Crees and their
families.
From one of these Indians, named Morrison, we purchased an additional
dog with which to supplement our team. The price asked was a new dress
for one of the squaws, but as we had no dress-goods with us, the best
we could offer was that the dress should be ordered at the Hudson’s
Bay Company’s store at York, and delivered when the first opportunity
afforded. After some consideration, and several pipes of tobacco, the
offer was accepted and with seven dogs in our team the journey resumed.
We followed the creek till it led us out to the low, dreary coast at the
mouth of the Nelson, where, having left the woods several miles inland,
we were exposed to the full sweep of a piercingly cold, raw, south-west
wind.
We are accustomed to thinking of a coast as a definite, narrow
shore-line; but to the inhabitants of the Hudson Bay region the word
conveys a very different meaning. There the coast is a broad mud and
boulder flat, several miles in width, always wet, and twice during the
day flooded by the tide. At this time of the year the mud flats were
covered by rough broken ice and drifted snow, but above high-tide mark
the surface of the country was level and the walking good. For several
hours we tramped southward down the coast, with the cutting wind in our
faces. During the afternoon we sought shelter, but finding none our
course was altered and shaped for the nearest wood, several miles inland.
The great advantage of travelling on the open plain is that there the
snow is driven hard, and hence the walking is much better than in the
woods, where the snow is soft and deep. Nevertheless, when the weather
is rough, as it was on this occasion, the heavy walking is preferable to
travelling in the open country in the teeth of the storm.
For the remainder of the day we bore southward, and about sunset made
camp on the south bank of a stream known as Sam’s Creek, in a lovely
snow-laden, evergreen forest—an ideal Canadian winter woodland picture.
From this beautiful but chilling scene our tramp was continued next
morning at daylight. The low shore of the Nelson was again reached and
followed, until about noon a decided change in the character of the land
was observed. A boulder clay bank commenced to make its appearance, and
this as we advanced rapidly reached an elevation of twenty-five or thirty
feet, and as we proceeded up the river became higher and more thickly
wooded. The change was a great relief from the level, treeless coast.
We were now well within the mouth of the great Nelson River, and could
already, through the rising vapor, dimly see the outline of the opposite
shore.
Considerable ice was coming down the river, and on this account we felt
some anxiety as to crossing, but we were now within a few miles of the
boat of which we had been informed, and it seemed possible that we might
yet cross the stream before nightfall. In the middle of the afternoon we
found the boat drawn up at the mouth of Heart Creek, where the old Indian
hunter had left it. It was a large heavily built sail-boat, capable of
carrying our whole outfit in one load, but unfortunately the keel was
deeply imbedded in the sand and there securely frozen. The only way to
free it was to chop it out, and at this task as many hands were set as
could find room to work. Long pries were cut and vigorously applied, but
even with our united efforts we only managed to get the boat loosened by
nightfall. We were obliged, therefore, to leave it until morning, and
seek a place to camp.
During the night the wind, which had been blowing pretty strongly for
two days past, increased to a gale from the north-west. This unwelcome
guest did not come by himself, but brought with him his friend the
snow-storm, and they two held high carnival all night, vying with each
other as to which should cause the strange intruders in the grove the
more discomfort. The gale shrieked through the trees and threatened to
level our shelter, nor was he contented with this, but also entered the
camp and played pranks with our fire and blankets. The more stealthy
snow-storm, making less noise than his blustering friend, before daylight
had filled the ravine with white drifts and almost buried us.
Such was our condition on the morning of the 14th. As this was the ninth
day from Churchill, our supply of provisions was about exhausted, but we
were now only one day’s march from York. After breakfast, despite the
condition of the weather, all hands proceeded to the boat, and by a
united effort managed to drag it out to the edge of the shore-ice, but
the tide being low there was no water to float it. We therefore had to
await the flood-tide, which would not be up till about noon. Meanwhile
the boat was loaded where it rested upon the sand, and at twelve o’clock,
being lifted by the water, a canvas was hoisted, and through a dense fog
which rose from the river we sailed up the shore to find a narrow part
of the stream and avoid the broad shoals which extended out from the
opposite shore.
Having proceeded some three miles up, to the vicinity of Flamboro’ Head,
a bold headland, our course was altered and we steered into the fog for
the south shore—about two miles distant. The wind was piercingly cold,
instantly freezing every splash as it fell, and still blowing fresh, so
that our ice-laden craft sped swiftly away on her course. Some floating
ice was met, but successfully passed, and for a time it seemed as if the
crossing would soon be effected; but suddenly there loomed out of the
mist right ahead a dense field of ice, broken and rafted and hurrying
down with the current. By putting the helm hard to starboard, and quickly
dropping our canvas, we managed to keep clear of the mass; but what was
now to be done?
The south shore was still hidden by dense volumes of vapor, and nothing
could be seen in that direction but the adjacent fields of ice. On the
north shore the dark outline of Flamboro’ Head could still be discerned,
and it was resolved thence to beat our retreat. We were, however, unable
to sail against the wind, but taking to the oars we managed, after a
prolonged and difficult struggle, to regain the place whence we had
started.
Once more on land, a camp was made, and a fire kindled to thaw out
our stiffened limbs, while we awaited an opportunity to cross. The
mist continued the rest of the day, preventing us from making a second
attempt, and so we lay up for the night.
Next morning the fog had cleared away, revealing a dismal sight. On the
south side the river was frozen over, and the ice firmly set for a mile
or more from shore, while the channel of open water to the north was
running full of heavy ice, making it quite impossible to use the boat,
and equally impossible to effect a crossing on foot.
We had no alternative but to remain where we were, and hope for a change
in the condition of the river. Not the least unpleasant feature of this
waiting was that our provisions were now gone.
The men were at once sent out to hunt, and returned in the evening with
nine ptarmigan, with which a good _bouillon_ was made for supper. Besides
this, Eli, the Indian boy, gave us some comforting information as to the
existence of a fish cache of his father’s, not far distant. With this
consoling knowledge we rolled up in our blankets and were soon dreaming
of better times.
The next morning, there being no change in the river, two men and the
dogs were sent after William’s fish cache, and four others went off
hunting, while the rest remained at camp, collected wood, and kept the
fire burning.
We had nothing to eat this day until evening, when the sledding party
returned with a little bag and can of pounded dried fish, two or three
gallons of seal oil, and some seal blubber for the dogs, all of which,
though not exactly luxurious, we were heartily glad to receive. Later
two of the hunters returned with several ptarmigan and one or two
rabbits, and last of all, some time after dark, the remaining two—Jim and
our noble guide—walked into camp carrying the carcase of a deer.
With careful use we had meat enough now to keep us from suffering for
several days, and in order to guard against greed or waste my brother and
I took possession of the stock and divided it up equally among the party,
each man receiving in all about ten pounds.
Without narrating in detail the incidents following it will be sufficient
to state that for ten long days our weary wait on the bleak banks of the
Nelson was continued. From time to time the men were sent out to hunt,
but except in the above instance were obliged to return empty-handed.
On the morning of the 19th, the guide and Jim, provided with rifles,
blankets, axes and snowshoes, started up the river, determined to find
deer if there were any in the neighborhood, and also to investigate the
possibilities of crossing the river higher up.
Four days of bitterly cold weather passed, the thermometer varying from
12 to 15 degrees below zero, and back came our discouraged hunters
without having fired a shot. Food was becoming alarmingly scarce. A fox
which happened in our way was trapped and eagerly devoured.
On the evening of the 22nd, though the mercury indicated 22° below zero,
the channel of the river above us was noticed to be less thickly blocked
with ice than where we were encamped. It was resolved, if possible, to
haul the boat a mile or two farther up stream, and there to launch and
measure our strength with the floe.
All hands excepting Michel, who was still unable to walk, engaged in the
work. The boat was launched, and by means of a long line we managed to
tow it about half a mile up shore, but there the ice became so thick that
we had to haul it out to prevent its being crushed. Our objective point
was about a mile farther up, so an effort was made to haul the boat along
the shore. It was all the ten of us could manage, but by about nightfall
we had succeeded. The night being clear and light, we moved camp to
the boat, that we might be prepared to cross in the morning if it were
possible.
The next morning was bitterly cold and a fog was rising from the river.
We towed the boat half a mile still farther up, until the Seal Islands
were reached. Here we pushed out into the stream and commenced the
struggle.
Every man was armed with an oar, a pole or an axe, and all of these were
vigorously applied in forcing our way through the ice and the current.
For a time we made fair progress, but before long were caught in the grip
of the ice-pack and hurried down with the stream toward the sea.
We pushed and we pulled, we pounded and hacked, and at length got into a
channel of open water. Again we were beset, but again got free, and so
after much exertion we crossed the channel and landed upon the stationary
ice. We had taken this for shore-ice, but were sorely disappointed to
find it was only a jam in the middle of the channel.
What was now to be done? It was impossible to tow the boat around the
upper end of the jam; and to allow it to drift down past the lower end
would mean that we would be carried with the current out to sea and be
irrevocably lost.
After carefully considering the situation, we concluded to portage across
the island of ice and launch on the other side. Accordingly the boat
was unloaded and piece by piece everything was carried safely across,
but when we attempted to portage the boat it and we continually broke
through the surface. We were therefore obliged to cut a channel right
through the island, the full width of the boat. After much labor this was
accomplished, the boat hauled through, reloaded, and again pushed out
into the flowing pack, which carried us, in spite of all our endeavors,
far down toward the mouth of the river.
At length we had succeeded in getting within thirty feet of the solid
south-shore ice, but even then, when the shore seemed almost within
reach, we were nipped in the floe and again carried helplessly downward,
until it seemed as if, after all, we were going to be carried out to sea.
We used every effort to free the boat, but all of no avail. At
last, however, civil war among the floes caused a split and brought
deliverance. A few rapid strokes and our old craft bumped against the
solid ice.
The bowman, François, quick as a flash, sprang out with the end of
the tow-line, while the rushing ice again caught the boat and bore it
downward. François held on to the tow-line with all his might, but the
tug-of-war was going against him; he yielded, fell, and for a short
distance was dragged over the broken hummocks of ice, but bracing
his feet against one of these, he formed himself into a veritable
ice-anchor, and with Herculean strength held us fast until others sprang
out to his assistance.
All hands quickly disembarked, but as there was still between us and the
shore a full mile of rough ice, liable to break adrift at any moment, no
time was lost in exultation. The boat was unloaded, hauled up and the
tramp commenced for the shore. After much exertion we reached land, and
every man felt a thrill of exultation that the Nelson was at last to the
north of us.
[Illustration: HUDSON’S BAY COMPANY’S STORE, YORK FACTORY.]
We were all much chilled from exposure, so a fire was made in the edge of
the woods. Spruce boughs were strewn about it to keep our feet from the
snow, and the cheerful warmth was most gratefully enjoyed.
A little of the pounded dried-fish still remaining was fried on a pan
with seal oil, the combination forming a dish that might be described as
fish-flavored chips steeped in oil, but with appetites such as ours it
could be eaten—though I will not say relished.
After this “refreshment” had been partaken of, and the stiffness thawed
from our limbs, snowshoes were adjusted, and with a “Hurrah for York” the
march was resumed.
One more camp was made, and on the following day, the 24th of November,
and the nineteenth day since leaving Churchill, we reached York Factory.
[Illustration: RED DEER COWBOY.]
CHAPTER XIX.
_THROUGH THE FOREST AND HOME AGAIN._
Upon arriving at York we were kindly received by the officer of the
Hudson’s Bay Company, Dr. Milne. Our men were given lodgings and rations
in one of the many vacant houses in the Fort, while my brother and I were
shown into the Doctor’s bachelor quarters and allowed to occupy the room
of Mr. Mowat, the assistant trader, who was absent at the time.
The first articles essential to comfort were tubs and warm water. With
travellers in the north, particularly during the winter season, the
practice of performing daily ablutions is quite unheard of. This is not
due to neglect, but is rather an enforced custom due to the painful
effects produced by the application of ice-cold water to the skin. During
the previous summer and autumn my brother and I adhered to the habit of
daily washing our hands and face, until our skin became so cracked and
sore that we were forced to discontinue.
Besides Dr. Milne and an old-time servant, Macpherson, Mr. Mowat, now
temporarily absent, was the only other white resident in York. He had,
only a few days before our arrival, been sent off with two Indians as a
relief party to look for the Company’s autumn mail, which was now more
than six weeks overdue. The mail should have come down the Hays River
from Oxford House, 250 miles distant, before the close of navigation, but
as nothing had yet been heard of it or the party, fears were entertained
as to their safety. It was thought they must have been lost in the river.
[Illustration: DOG-TRAIN AND CARRYALL.]
As to York Factory, it is one of those places of which it may be said
“the light of other days has faded.” In the earlier days of the Hudson’s
Bay Company it was an important centre of trade, the port at which all
goods for the interior posts were received, and from which the enormous
harvests of valuable furs were annually shipped. Such business naturally
necessitated the building of large storehouses and many dwellings to
shelter the goods and provide accommodation for the large staff of
necessary servants. As late as the summer of 1886, when I visited York,
there was a white population of about thirty, besides a number of
Indians and half-breeds in the employ of the Company; but things had now
changed. Less expensive ways of transporting goods into the interior
than freighting them hundreds of miles up the rivers in York boats now
existed, and as the local supply of furs had become scarce serious
results necessarily followed. Gradually the staff of servants had been
dismissed or removed, and one by one the dwellings vacated, until York
was now almost a deserted village. The Indians also had nearly all gone
to other parts of the country.
One of the first duties receiving our attention upon reaching York was
the placing of poor crippled Michel in the doctor’s hands. His frozen
feet, still dreadfully sore, were carefully attended to, and it was
thought that in the course of a few weeks they might be sufficiently
recovered to allow him to walk. As to taking him any farther with us,
that was unadvisable, for he was now in the care of a physician, and in a
place where he would receive all necessary attention. Besides, we would
have no means of carrying him, unless upon a sled drawn by our own men,
and such an additional burden would seriously retard progress. It was
therefore admitted by all that the best plan was to leave Michel in Dr.
Milne’s care, to be forwarded as soon as he was well enough to walk. This
was promptly arranged, and with as little delay as possible preparations
were made for departure.
Two dogs from our Churchill team were purchased outright from Jimmie, who
happened to be the owner of them, and a third having been secured from
Morrison, the Indian, we only required one more to make up a fair team,
and this was procured from the Doctor. Another team was hired from the
Company, and it was at first thought, with the aid of these two, we might
comfortably make the twelve days’ trip to Oxford House. But when supply
bills were made out it was found that with the assistance of only two
teams for so long a trip, each man would have to haul a heavily-loaded
toboggan. The Doctor therefore, with some difficulty, raised a third team
to accompany us for two days on the journey.
The next necessary preparation was the procuring of a guide and drivers
for the teams. As the mail-carriers and two other Indians, Mr. Mowat’s
companions, had already gone to Oxford House, few men were left at the
Fort who knew the route; but happily a man was found who turned out to be
another brother of our guide from Churchill. He was a very dark Indian,
younger than Jimmie, and of much less noble appearance, and was known
by the name of Charlie. He was said to be well fitted for the purpose,
and we felt that a brother of our guide could not be a very poor man.
Our party, including Arthur Omen, the driver from Churchill, who had
determined to accompany us out of the country, was now complete. Twelve
days’ rations, consisting of bacon, flour, sugar and tea, were served out
to each man, with a warning to make them last through the trip or suffer
the consequences. The flour was then baked up into the more convenient
form of cakes. Dog-fish was also provided, and all being loaded upon the
three sleds and two toboggans, the second stage of our sledding journey
was begun on Tuesday morning, the 28th of November. The dog-sleds were
not the same as those we had used in traversing the hard driven snow of
the plains, but were what are known as “flat sleds” or large toboggans,
they being better suited to woodland travel.
The condition of our party on leaving York was vastly different from what
it had been on leaving Churchill. The two hundred mile tramp, although
crippling some of us and causing all plenty of exertion, had hardened
our muscles so much that, with the ten days’ “lie up” on the bank of the
Nelson River, and a four days’ rest at York, we were now in first-class
walking trim, and started up the Hays River at a brisk pace.
The first day’s march was upon the river ice, and our first camp was made
on the bank, in two feet of snow, beneath the shelter of the evergreens.
Beyond this our course led through the woods to the north of the river,
and by many winding ways we journeyed on.
On the morning of the third day the assisting team from York, leaving
its load with us, returned to the Factory. A readjustment of loads was
then made, and with the two remaining teams we pushed on, though now more
slowly, for Oxford House.
At about noon on the 1st of December we were pleased to meet Mr. Mowat,
returning with the long-looked for mail and party, all safe. The delay in
the arrival of the mail had been caused by one of the Indians becoming
ill soon after leaving Norway House, and having to return to that post.
After a brief halt, each party now having the advantage of the other’s
track, we started on, pursuing opposite ways, they to their solitary home
on the ice-bound coast of Hudson Bay, and we towards ours in the more
genial south.
At this time the temperature remained pretty steady at about 25 degrees
below zero, but with the exertion of the march during the day, and the
shelter of blankets and the warmth of the camp-fire at night, we managed
to keep fairly comfortable.
About sixteen miles beyond a large stream known as Fox River we came upon
an ancient track. This in earlier days had been travelled by oxen and Red
River carts, and over it hundreds of tons of freight had annually been
hauled; but now it was so grown up with trees that it often required the
skill of the guide to keep it. The track led directly to Oxford, so that
from this forward it was to be our road.
Since leaving the banks of the Hays River no timber of any value had been
seen. The wood had all been black spruce of a very scrubby character, but
now poplar, birch and jack-pine were occasionally met with.
On December the 4th the temperature ran down to 34 degrees below zero,
but on the following day this record was beaten, and 40 degrees below was
registered. In this low temperature we naturally found some difficulty in
keeping warm. When the day’s tramp was over, and our position taken for
the night beside the camp-fire, it was found necessary either to slowly
revolve or frequently reverse our position. It was a question of roasting
or freezing, or rather doing both at the same time. While one’s face was
turned to the fire and enduring a roasting heat, his back was freezing,
and as the position was reversed the roasting and freezing process was
also reversed. Our meals, after being prepared, were served up on the
hot pan to keep them warm while eating, but even so they were sometimes
frozen to the frying pan before they could be disposed of.
During the afternoon of the 4th and the morning of the 5th of December
we crossed Deer Lake, twenty-seven miles in length, and at either end of
the lake found camps of Indians. From one of them we purchased some fine
whitefish, which they were catching through the ice.
By this time our guide Charlie had become pretty badly used up by the
march. He was no longer able to hold the lead, but our own men managed to
keep the track and Charlie hobbled along behind.
During the evening of the 6th and the morning of the 7th of December we
crossed a succession of thirteen small lakes and some flat open plains,
but the afternoon of the latter day saw a marked change in the character
of the country. With the exception of two or three isolated patches,
we had seen nothing in the shape of timber of any value since leaving
York—indeed, I might say since leaving Churchill, or even a thousand
miles or so farther back on the road. But now we had reached a heavy
forest of white spruce, jack-pine, poplar and birch trees, and the change
was a pleasing one.
For a distance of six or eight miles we trudged through this heavy
forest, and then, just at nightfall, reached the shore of Back Lake,
really an extension of Oxford Lake. One of my brother’s feet had become
so sore during the day that he had been obliged to walk with only
one snowshoe. On this account we had fallen several miles behind the
leaders of the party, and when we arrived at the shore of the lake above
described, nothing could we see of the outfit, and both because of
darkness and the hard surface of the snow, it was with great difficulty
we were able to follow the track. It led away across the lake, and for
a time we managed to follow it. While doing so we carefully noted its
bearing, but soon the faint tracks could no longer be followed, for the
night was becoming dark. We feared to lose them, as there might be a
change in their course and then our bearing would not lead us aright. For
a time, upon hands and knees, we tried to follow the trail, but could not
keep upon it continuously.
Keeping as straight a course as we could, we pressed on through the
darkness toward the distant shore, the dark outline of which could just
be discerned against the lighter sky. At length we reached the shore,
when, after passing through a narrow strip of woods, to our joy there
suddenly flashed out before us, a few yards ahead, the lights of Oxford
House. A few minutes later we were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. Isbister,
one of the most hospitable old couples it has ever been my good fortune
to meet. Mr. Isbister was the local agent of the Hudson’s Bay Company,
and was a thorough old-time Canadian, one of those men filled with
reminiscences of early Canadian life in the north and whose many stories
were a delight to hear.
Having reached Oxford in safety, preparations were at once commenced
for our journey to the next post—Norway House—150 miles farther west.
Some delay was occasioned in getting dogs, but at length three miserable
half-starved teams were secured, and with a new guide and drivers we
set out on the third stage of our winter journey. Without narrating the
many incidents by the way, I need only say that after a six days’ tramp,
with the thermometer in the neighborhood of 40 degrees below zero, we
arrived safely at Norway House, an important Hudson’s Bay Company’s post,
situated at the northern extremity of Lake Winnipeg. Two of the dog-teams
procured at Oxford had been intended to haul my brother and myself, and
for a time they did so, but the poor animals were in such a wretched
condition from the effects of former hard work that we preferred to walk
most of the time, and before we reached our destination considered
ourselves fortunate that we escaped without having to haul the dogs.
At Norway House the difficulties of the journey, so far as my brother
and I were concerned, were practically ended. Enough strong, capable
dogs were here secured to admit of our travelling in carry-alls for the
remaining four hundred miles still separating us from West Selkirk, the
northern terminus of the railway; but of course the Indians had to stick
to their snowshoes. It was here decided to divide our party, and send the
three western men home, assisted by the team of Eskimo dogs which had
accompanied us the whole six hundred miles from Churchill. The valley
of the Saskatchewan River would be their most direct course, in taking
which route they would reach their several homes by travelling about
the same distance as ourselves. Arthur Omen, the driver from Churchill,
chose to go up the Saskatchewan with the western men, so that of the
original party there only remained the two Iroquois, Pierre and Louis,
to accompany my brother and myself. With the least possible delay four
good dog-teams, as many drivers, and a guide were procured from Mr. J.
K. Macdonald, the Hudson’s Bay Company’s Factor, who showed us much
kindness, and two days before Christmas the last and longest division of
our journey was begun.
My brother and I were now warmly rolled up in robes and blankets and
lying in our carry-alls. Supplies and baggage were all loaded upon the
two remaining sleds, and with a driver trotting along beside or behind
each team, the guide running before, and the two Iroquois sometimes
before and sometimes behind, we travelled on an almost due south course
over the ice along the shore of Lake Winnipeg. About the same time that
we started for the south, the other section set out across the lake to
the westward for the mouth of the Saskatchewan River.
Our teams, of four dogs each, were for the most part fine powerful
animals, and we soon found there was no necessity for my brother or
myself exerting ourselves more than we desired. The teams travelled all
day, and, indeed, day after day, at a rapid trot, sometimes breaking into
a run, so that it gave the Indians all they could do to keep up with them.
Taking smooth and rough together we made an average of about forty miles
per day, and some days as much as forty-six or forty-seven miles. When we
had made about half the distance to Selkirk, and were in the neighborhood
of a fishing station at the mouth of Berens River, poor Pierre played
out; but, most opportunely, we met a man teaming fish to Selkirk and
secured a passage for him, while we ourselves pushed on. When we had
made another hundred miles Louis, the remaining Iroquois, also became
crippled. Arrangements were made to have him, too, driven in with a horse
and sleigh, and without delay we pursued our journey.
At length, after along and rapid trip, which occupied ten days, on the
evening of the 1st of January, 1894, under the light of the street lamps
of the little town, our teams trotted up the streets of West Selkirk,
and thus was completed a canoe and snowshoe journey of three thousand
two hundred miles.
I need hardly say that the telegraph office was soon found, and messages
despatched to anxious friends, who, having heard nothing from us for
some months, had begun to entertain grave fears for our safety. Thirteen
hundred miles more of travel by rail and we were home again, after an
absence of just eight months.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: CREE HUNTER’S PRIZE.]
FOOTNOTES
[1] For further particulars regarding this most interesting locality, see
the report of Mr. McConnell, published in 1893 by the Geological Survey
of Canada.
[2] For a full description of geological features, etc., see J. B.
Tyrrell’s Report for 1893-94, Geological Survey.
[3] My brother in revisiting the Barren Lands during the summer of 1894
was hailed by the natives many miles south of the scene of this incident
as the “Kudloonah Peayouk” (good white man) who had regard for the goods
of an Eskimo, and left on his “kometic” a piece of tobacco.
[4] For full geological and mineralogical details regarding this
district, see J. B. Tyrrell’s report for 1893, published by the
Geological Survey Department of Canada.
[5] For the benefit of anyone who may be not aware of the fact, I will
explain that there are various kinds of lameness commonly produced by the
prolonged use of snowshoes. In thus travelling, certain leg muscles which
are only accustomed to perform light service are brought into vigorous
use, and are very liable to become strained and cause much discomfort and
suffering.
APPENDIX I.
_CLASSIFIED LIST OF PLANTS._
Collected by J. W. TYRRELL, C.E., D.L.S., in 1893, along the line of
route between Lake Athabasca and the west coast of Hudson Bay; with which
is incorporated a small collection made in 1885 at Ashe Inlet, on the
north shore of Hudson Strait, and a collection made by Miss Marjorie
Lofthouse at Fort Churchill.
The species collected from the Barren Lands are marked _B_; those from
the forest country south of the Barren Lands, or in isolated groves of
timber on the banks of the river, north of the general limit of the
forest, are marked _W_. Any species collected both from the woods and
from the Barren Lands are marked _W.B._, or _B.W._, according to whether
they are woodland species extending into the Barren Lands, or Arctic
species extending south into the forest.
Determined by Professor John Macoun, M.A.
I. RANUNCULACEÆ.
1. _Anemone patens_, L., var. _Nuttalliana, Gray._—_W._
Fort Chippewyan, Lake Athabasca, June 19.
2. _Anemone parviflora_, Michx.—_W.B._
North shore of Lake Athabasca. Limestone Island in Nicholson
Lake, and the west shore of Hudson Bay at Fort Churchill.
3. _Anemone Richardsonii_, Hook.—_W._
Telzoa River, just below Daly Lake.
4. _Anemone multifida_, Poir.—_W._
Woodcock Portage, on Stone River.
5. _Ranunculus affinis_, R. Br.—_B._
Barlow Lake, Telzoa River. Telzoa River, between Schultz and
Baker Lakes. South shore of Chesterfield Inlet, near its mouth.
Fort Churchill.
6. _Ranunculus Lapponicus_, L.—_B._
West shore of Tobaunt Lake, near the mouth of Telzoa River.
7. _Ranunculus hyperboreus_, Rottb.—_W._
Telzoa River, just below Daly Lake.
II. PAPAVERACEÆ.
8. _Papaver nudicaule_, L.—_B._
Telzoa River, between Schultz and Baker Lakes. This species
was also collected at Ashe Inlet, on the north shore of Hudson
Straits, in 1885.
III. FUMARIACEÆ.
9. _Corydalis glauca_, Pursh.—_W._
North-west and north shores of Lake Athabasca. Esker, near the
Narrows of Daly Lake.
10. _Corydalis aurea_, Willd.—_W._
Rocky Island, on the north side of Lake Athabasca, west of Fond
du Lac.
IV. CRUCIFERÆ.
11. _Cardamine pratensis_, L., var. _angustifolia_.—_B._
Island near the centre of Boyd Lake. Limestone Island, in
Nicholson Lake. Fort Churchill.
12. _Arabis lyrata_, L.—_W._
North shore of Lake Athabasca.
13. _Arabis humifusa_, var. _pubescens_, Wat.—_W._
North-west angle of Lake Athabasca. Esker, near the Narrows of
Daly Lake. This species had not previously been found west of
Hudson Bay.
14. _Barbarea vulgaris_, R. Br.—_W._
Cracking Stone Point, north shore of Lake Athabasca. Red Hill,
on the west shore of Hinde Lake.
15. _Sisymbrium humile_, C. A. Meyer.—_W._
Fort Chippewyan, Lake Athabasca.
16. _Cardamine digitata_, Rich.—_B._
Loudon Rapid, above Forks of Telzoa River. Mouth of
Chesterfield Inlet. Not found elsewhere since it was collected
by Sir John Richardson near the mouth of the Coppermine River.
17. _Draba hirta_, L.—_B._
Limestone Island, Nicholson Lake. Loudon Rapids, above the
Forks of Telzoa River. Also at Ashe Inlet, on the north shore
of Hudson Strait.
18. _Draba incana_, L.—_B._
Loudon Rapids, above the Forks of Telzoa River. Fort Churchill,
on the west coast of Hudson Bay.
19. _Draba nemorosa_, L., var. _leiocarpa_, Lindb.—_W._
Fond du Lac, Lake Athabasca.
20. _Draba stellata_, Jacq.—_B._
North-west shore of Tobaunt Lake.
21. _Cochlearia officinalis_, L.—_B._
Mouth of Chesterfield Inlet.
22. _Eutrema Edwardsii_, R. Br.—_B._
North-west shore of Tobaunt Lake.
23. _Nasturtium palustre_, D. C.—_W._
Fond du Lac, Lake Athabasca.
V. VIOLACEÆ.
24. _Viola palustris_, L.—_W._
East and north shores of Carey Lake. These are the most
northern localities in Canada where this species has been found.
25. _Viola canina_, L., var. _Sylvestris_, Regel.—_W._
Fond du Lac, Lake Athabasca. South end of Daly Lake.
VI. CARYOPHYLLACEÆ.
26. _Silene acaulis_, L.—_B._
Tobaunt Lake, west shore. North end of Wharton Lake. Also at
Ashe Inlet, on Hudson Strait.
27. _Lychnis apetala_, L.—_B._
Mouth of Chesterfield Inlet.
28. _Lychnis affinis_, Vahl.—_B._
Tobaunt Lake, north-west shore.
29. _Arenaria lateriflora_, L.—_W._
Near the south end of Daly Lake.
30. _Arenaria peploides_, L.—_B._
Ashe Inlet, on the north side of Hudson Strait.
31. _Stellaria longipes_, Goldie.—_B.W._
Barlow Lake. Carey Lake. Wharton Lake. Tobaunt Lake, west
shore. Loudon Rapids, above the Forks of Telzoa River. Fort
Churchill.
32. _Stellaria longipes_, Goldie, var _læta_, Wats.—_B._
Barlow Lake and Limestone Island, in Nicholson Lake.
33. _Stellaria borealis_, Bigel,—_W._
Red Hill, on the west shore of Hinde Lake.
34. _Cerastium alpinum_, L.—_B._
Limestone Island, in Nicholson Lake. Wharton Lake. Loudon
Rapids, above the Forks of Telzoa River. Telzoa River, between
Schultz and Baker lakes. Mouth of Chesterfield Inlet. Fort
Churchill. Ashe Inlet, on the north side of Hudson Strait.
VII. GERANIACEÆ.
35. _Geranium Carolineanum_, L.—_W._
North shore of Lake Athabasca, a short distance west of Fond du
Lac.
VIII. SAPINDACEÆ.
36. _Acer spicatum_, Lam.—_W._
Fort Chippewyan, Lake Athabasca. This is the most northerly
locality in Canada from which this species has been recorded.
IX. LEGUMINOSÆ.
37. _Astragalus alpinus_, L.—_W._
North shore of Lake Athabasca at Fond du Lac, and near Big Fowl
Island. Esker, near the Narrows of Daly Lake.
38. _Spiesia (Oxytropis) Belli_, Britt.—_B._
Loudon Rapids, above the Forks of Telzoa River. Mouth of
Chesterfield Inlet.
The only other locality from which this species has been
collected is Digges Island, Hudson Bay, where it was found by
Dr. Bell in 1884. It was described by Mr. Britton in 1894 from
the specimens collected at the second and third of the above
localities.
39. _Oxytropis campestris_, L., var. _cærulea_, Koch.—_B._
Ashe Inlet, on the north shore of Hudson Strait.
40. _Oxytropis leucantha_, Pers.—_B._
Telzoa River, between Schultz and Baker lakes. Mouth of
Chesterfield Inlet. Fort Churchill.
41. _Hedysarum boreale_, Nutt.—_B._
Loudon Rapids, above the Forks of Telzoa River.
42. _Hedysarum Mackenzii_, Richard, L.—_B.W._
Fort Churchill. Ashe Inlet, on the north side of Hudson Strait.
X. ROSACEÆ.
43. _Prunus Pennsylvanica_, L.—_W._
North-west angle of Lake Athabasca. Esker, near Narrows of Daly
Lake.
44. _Rubus chamæmorus_, L.—_W.B._
Fort Churchill. Common in swampy places from Lake Athabasca
northward to the edge of the woods. Grove on the north shore
of Carey Lake, and at Loudon Rapids, near the Forks of Telzoa
River. It was also found at Ashe Inlet, on the north side of
Hudson Strait.
45. _Rubus articus_, L., var. _grandiflorus_, Lebeb.—_W._
North shore of Lake Athabasca. Barlow Lake. North shore of
Carey Lake. Fort Churchill.
46. _Rubus strigosus_, Michx.—_W._
Banks of Stone River. In an isolated grove of white spruce on
the north shore of Carey Lake. This would seem to have been an
isolated locality, at some considerable distance north of its
general northern limit.
47. _Dryas integrifolia_, Vahl.—_B._
Carey Lake. Limestone Island, in Nicholson Lake. West shore of
Tobaunt Lake. Loudon Rapids, above the Forks of Telzoa River.
Fort Churchill. Ashe Inlet, on the north shore of Hudson Strait.
48. _Fragaria Canadensis_, Michx.—_W._
North shore of Lake Athabasca and Woodcock Portage, on Stone
River.
This species, which has usually been confounded with _F.
Virginiana_, was also collected in the same year by Miss Taylor
at Fort Smith, on Slave River.
49. _Potentilla Norvegica_, L.—_W._
Woodcock Portage, on Stone River. Red Hill, on the west shore
of Hinde Lake.
50. _Potentilla nivea_, L.—_B._
Telzoa River, between Schultz and Baker lakes. Mouth of
Chesterfield Inlet. Fort Churchill.
51. _Potentilla palustris_, Scop.—_W._
Stony flats on the banks of Telzoa River, just below Daly Lake.
52. _Potentilla fruticosa_, L.—_W._
North shore of Lake Athabasca, a little distance west of Fond
du Lac.
53. _Potentilla nana_, Willd.—_B._
Shore of Hudson Bay, north of Marble Island. Ashe Inlet, on the
north shore of Hudson Strait.
54. _Potentilla tridentata_, Solander.—_W._
Woodcock Portage, Stone River.
55. _Amelanchier alnifolia_, Nutt.—_W._
North-west angle, Lake Athabasca.
XI. SAXIFRAGACEÆ.
56. _Saxifraga oppositifolia_, L.—_B._
Telzoa River, between Schultz and Baker lakes. Mouth of
Chesterfield Inlet. Ashe Inlet, on the north shore of Hudson
Strait.
57. _Saxifraga cæspitosa_, L.—_B._
Telzoa River, between Schultz and Baker lakes. Mouth of
Chesterfield Inlet. Ashe Inlet.
58. _Saxifraga rivularis_, L.—_B._
Loudon Rapids, above the Forks of Telzoa River. Ashe Inlet.
59. _Saxifraga cernua_, L.—_B._
North-west shore of Tobaunt Lake. Loudon Rapids, above the
Forks of Telzoa River. Telzoa River, between Schultz and Baker
lakes. Mouth of Chesterfield Inlet. Fort Churchill.
60. _Saxifraga nivalis_, L.—_B._
Mouth of Chesterfield Inlet.
61. _Saxifraga hieracifolia_, Waldst and Kit.—_B._
North shore of Tobaunt Lake.
62. _Saxifraga punctata_, L.—_B._
North-west shore of Tobaunt Lake.
This species had not previously been recorded east of the Rocky
Mountains.
63. _Saxifraga Hirculus_, L.—_B._
North-west shore of Tobaunt Lake.
64. _Saxifraga tricuspidata_, Retz.—_B.W._
Fort Chippewyan, Lake Athabasca. North shore of Carey Lake.
Wharton Lake. Loudon Rapids, above the Forks of Telzoa River.
Mouth of Chesterfield Inlet. Ashe Inlet.
65. _Chrysosplenium alternifolium_, L.—_B._
Limestone Island, Nicholson Lake.
66. _Parnassia Kotzebuei_, Cham. and Schl.—_W._
South end of Daly Lake.
67. _Parnassia palustris_, L.—_W._
Fort Churchill.
68. _Ribes oxydcanthoides_, L.—_W._
North shore of Lake Athabasca, near Fond du Lac.
69. _Ribes rubrum_, L.—_W._
Fort Chippewyan, Lake Athabasca.
70. _Ribes Hudsonianum_, Richards.—_W._
Fort Chippewyan, Lake Athabasca.
71. _Ribes prostratum_, L’Her.—_W._
North shore of Lake Athabasca. Esker, near the Narrows of Daly
Lake. East and north shores of Carey Lake.
XII. HALORAGEÆ.
72. _Hippuris vulgaris_, L.—_B._
Mouth of Chesterfield Inlet.
73. _Hippuris maritima_, L.—_B.W._
Red Hill, on the shore of Hinde Lake. Mouth of Chesterfield
Inlet.
XIII. ONAGRACEÆ.
74. _Epilobium angustifolium_, L.—_W.B._
Esker, near the Narrows of Daly Lake. Ashe Inlet, Hudson Strait.
These localities probably mark the northern range of this
species.
75. _Epilobium latifolium_, L.—_B._
West shore of Tobaunt Lake. Loudon Rapids, above the Forks of
Telzoa River, where the flowers were just appearing on August
25. Fort Churchill. Ashe Inlet.
76. _Epilobium lineare_, Gray.—_B._
Red Hill, on the shore of Hinde Lake. Mouth of Chesterfield
Inlet.
XIV. CORNACEÆ.
77. _Cornus Canadensis_, L.—_W._
North shore of Lake Athabasca. South end of Daly Lake.
XV. CAPRIFOLIACEÆ.
78. _Viburnum pauciflorum_, Pylaie.—_W._
North shore of Lake Athabasca. Esker, near the Narrows of Daly
Lake.
79. _Linnæa borealis_, Gronov.—_W._
Elizabeth Rapids, Stone River. Esker, near the Narrows of Daly
Lake. North shore of Carey Lake. Fort Churchill.
XVI. RUBIACEÆ.
80. _Galium trifidum_, L.—_W._
Red Hill, on the shore of Hinde Lake.
XVII. COMPOSITÆ.
81. _Erigeron uniflorus_, L.—_B._
Loudon Rapids, above the Forks of Telzoa River.
82. _Erigeron eriocephalus_, J. Vahl.—_B._
North end of Wharton Lake.
83. _Antennaria alpina_, Gærtn.—_B._
West shore of Tobaunt Lake.
84. _Achillæa millefolium_, L., var. _nigrescens_, L.—_W.B._
Woodcock portage, Stone River, Fort Churchill. Ashe Inlet.
85. _Matricaria inodora_, L., var. _nana_, Hook.—_W._
Fort Churchill.
86. _Artemisia borealis_, Pall., var. _Wormskioldii_, Bess.—_B.W._
Telzoa River, just below Daly Lake, and east end of Aberdeen
Lake.
87. _Petasites palmata_, Gray.—_W._
Fond du Lac, Lake Athabasca.
88. _Petasites sagittata_, Gray.—_B._
Limestone Island, Nicholson Lake. Ashe Inlet, Hudson Strait.
89. _Arnica alpina_, Olin.—_B.W._
North shore of Lake Athabasca. Esker, near Narrows of Daly
Lake. West shore of Tobaunt Lake. Loudon Rapids, above the
Forks of Telzoa River. Fort Churchill. Ashe Inlet.
90. _Senecio palustris_, Hook., var. _congesta_, Hook.—_B._
West shore of Tobaunt Lake. Fort Churchill. Ashe Inlet.
91. _Senecio aureus_, L., var. _borealis_, Tor. and Gr.—_B._
Limestone Island in Nicholson Lake.
92. _Senecio aureus_, L., var. _balsamitæ_, Tor. and Gr.—_W._
Fort Churchill.
93. _Saussurea alpina_, Hook.—_B._
North end of Wharton Lake.
94. _Taraxacum officinale_, Weber, var. _alpinum_, Koch.—_B._
Loudon Rapids, above the Forks of Telzoa River. Mouth of
Chesterfield Inlet. Fort Churchill.
XVIII. CAMPANULACEÆ.
95. _Campanula uniflora_, L.—_B._
Loudon Rapids, above the Forks of Telzoa River.
XIX. VACCINIACEÆ.
96. _Vaccinium Canadense_, Kalm.—_W._
South end of Daly Lake.
97. _Vaccinium uliginosum_, L.—_W.B._
North shore of Lake Athabasca. Telzoa River, just below Daly
Lake. Carey Lake. Tobaunt Lake. Loudon Rapids, above Forks of
Telzoa River. Fort Churchill.
98. _Vaccinium Vitis-Idæa_, L.—_W.B._
North shore of Lake Athabasca. Daly Lake. Tobaunt Lake. Loudon
Rapids, above the Forks of Telzoa River. Fort Churchill.
While both this and the preceding species extend for a
considerable distance into the Barren Lands, the bushes are
small and bear very little fruit.
99. _Oxycoccus vulgaris_, Pursh.—_W._
Esker, near the middle of Daly Lake, and stony banks of Telzoa
River, just below the lake.
XX. ERICACEÆ.
100. _Arctostaphylos alpina_, Spreng.—_B.W._
Island near the middle of Boyd Lake. Telzoa River, between
Schultz and Baker Lakes. Mouth of Chesterfield Inlet. Fort
Churchill Ashe Inlet, Hudson Strait.
(In 1894 the most southern locality at which this species was
observed was on the hill south of Kasba Lake. In 1896 it was
seen in the swamp at Cross Portage, north of Seepiwisk Lake. In
1896, Nelson River.—J. B. T.)
101. _Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi_, Spreng.—_W._
North to the edge of Barren Lands.
102. _Cassandra calyculata_, Don.—_W._
North-west shore, Lake Athabasca. South end of Selwyn Lake.
103. _Cassiope tetragona_, Don.—_B._
Shores of Tobaunt Lake. Telzoa River, between Schultz and Baker
Lakes. Mouth of Chesterfield Inlet. This is one of the plants
most commonly used for fuel by those travelling in the Barren
Lands.
104. _Andromeda polifolia_, L.—_W.B._
North shore of Athabasca Lake. South end of Selwyn Lake. Esker,
near the middle of Daly Lake. West shore of Tobaunt Lake. Fort
Churchill.
105. _Loiseleuria proccumbens_, Desv.—_B._
Boyd Lake.
106. _Bryanthus taxifolius_, Gray.—_B._
Loudon Rapids, above forks of Telzoa River.
107. _Kalmia glauca_, Ait.—_W._
Fond du Lac, Lake Athabasca. Esker, near middle of Daly Lake.
108. _Ledum latifolium_, Ait.—_W._
North shore of Lake Athabasca. Daly Lake. Farther north it is
replaced by the next following species.
109. _Ledum palustre_, L.—_B.W._
South end of Daly Lake. Carey Lake. Shores of Tobaunt Lake.
Wharton Lake. Loudon Rapids, above Forks of Telzoa River. Mouth
of Chesterfield Inlet. Fort Churchill.
110. _Rhododendron Lapponicum_, Wahl.—_B._
Limestone Island, Nicholson Lake. Shores of Tobaunt Lake. Fort
Churchill.
111. _Pyrola minor_, L.—_W._
Red Hill, on the shore of Hinde Lake.
112. _Pyrola secunda_, L., var. _pumila_, Gray.—_W.B._
North shore of Carey Lake. Loudon Rapids, above the Forks of
Telzoa River. This is the most northerly point at which this
species was observed.
113. _Pyrola rotundifolia_, L., var. _pumila_, Hook.—_B.W._
North shore of Lake Athabasca. Carey Lake. Wharton Lake. Loudon
Rapids, on Telzoa River. Fort Churchill. Ashe Inlet.
XXI. PLUMBAGINACEÆ.
114. _Armeria vulgaris_, Willd.—_B._
West shore of Tobaunt Lake. Loudon Rapids, above the Forks of
Telzoa River. Mouth of Chesterfield Inlet.
XXII. PRIMULACEÆ.
115. _Primula Mistassinica_, Michx.—_W._
North shore of Lake Athabasca. Fort Churchill.
116. _Trientalis Americana_, Pursh.—_W._
Elizabeth Falls, Stone River.
117. _Androsace sepentrionalis_, L.—_W._
Fort Churchill.
XXIII. GENTIANACEÆ.
118. _Menyanthes trifoliata_, L.—_W._
Woodcock Portage, Stone River.
XXIV. HYDROPHYLLACEÆ.
119. _Phacelia Franklinii_, Gray.—_W._
North shore of Lake Athabasca. Woodcock Portage on Stone River.
XXV. SCROPHULARIACEÆ.
120. _Castillea pallida_, Kunth.—_B._
Limestone Island, in Nicholson Lake. Shore of Tobaunt Lake.
Loudon Rapids, above the Forks of Telzoa River.
121. _Pedicularis Lapponica_, L.—_B._
Mouth of Chesterfield Inlet. Ashe Inlet, on Hudson Strait.
122. _Pedicularis euphrasioides_, Stephan,—_B.W._
Esker, near the middle of Daly Lake. North shore of Carey Lake.
Loudon Rapids, above the Forks of Telzoa River. Fort Churchill.
123. _Pedicularis hirsuta_, L.—_B._
Limestone Island, in Nicholson Lake. West shore of Tobaunt
Lake. Loudon Rapids.
124. _Pedicularis flammea._—_B._
Limestone Island, in Nicholson Lake.
125. _Pedicularis capitata_, Adams.—_B._
East shore of Carey Lake.
126. _Bartsia alpina_, L.—_W._
Fort Churchill.
XXVI. LENTIBULARIACEÆ.
127. _Pinguicula villosa_, L.—_W._
Daly Lake. Boyd Lake.
128. _Pinguicula vulgaris_, L.—_W._
Carey Lake. Fort Churchill.
XXVII. POLYGONACEÆ.
129. _Polygonum viviparum_, L.—_B._
Limestone Island, in Nicholson Lake. West shore of Tobaunt
Lake. Loudon Rapids, above the Forks of Telzoa River.
These are among the most northerly localities at which these
species have been found in Canada.
130. _Oxyria digyna_, Campdera.—_B._
Mouth of Chesterfield Inlet.
Ashe Inlet, on the north shore of Hudson Strait.
XXVIII. MYRICACEÆ.
131. _Myrica Gale_, L.—_W._
North-west angle of Lake Athabasca.
XXIX. CUPULIFERÆ.
132. _Betula papyrifera_, Michx.—_W._
North shore of Lake Athabasca.
Daly Lake.
The Indians make their canoes from the bark of this tree. Trees
sufficiently large for canoes were seen as far north as the
north end of Selwyn Lake and the northern bend of Cochrane
River. From these places northward it gradually decreases in
size, until it disappears at about the northern limit of the
forest.
133. _Betula pumila_, L.
Red Hill, on the west shore of Hinde Lake.
Boyd Lake.
134. _Betula glandulosa_, Michx.
Daly Lake.
Loudon Rapids, above the Forks of Telzoa River.
Tobaunt River, between Schultz and Baker Lakes.
Fairly common, is a small shrub on the Barren Lands as far
north as Ferguson River.—J. B. T.
135. _Alnus viridis_, D.C.—_W._
Carey Lake. Quartzite Lake, on Ferguson River.
XXX. SALICACEÆ.
136. _Salix petiolaris_, Smith.—_W._
North-west shore, Lake Athabasca.
137. _Salix desertorum._—_W._
North shore of Lake Athabasca.
138. _Salix Brownii_, Bebb.—_W.B._
North Shore of Lake Athabasca.
North-West shore of Tobaunt Lake.
Ashe Inlet, Hudson Straits.
139. _Salix Richardsonii_, Hook.—_B._
Mouth of Chesterfield Inlet.
Not previously recorded from the vicinity of Hudson Bay.
140. _Salix reticulata_, L.—_B._
Limestone Island, in Nicholson Lake.
Loudon Rapids, above the Forks of Telzoa River.
141. _Salix herbacea_, L.—_W.B._
Esker, near the middle of Daly Lake.
Mouth of Chesterfield Inlet.
Ashe Inlet, on the north side of Hudson Strait.
142. _Salix rostrata_, Rich.—_W._
North shore of Lake Athabasca.
Elizabeth Rapids, Stone River.
143. _Salix speciosa_, Hook and Arn.—_B._
Mouth of Chesterfield Inlet.
144. _Salix glauca_, L., var. _villosa_, And.—_B._
Tobaunt River, between Schultz and Baker lakes.
145. _Salix phyllicifolia_, L.—_B._
Shore of Tobaunt Lake.
Tobaunt River, between Schultz and Baker lakes.
Mouth of Chesterfield Inlet.
146. _Salix balsamifera_, Barratt.—_W._
West shore of Daly Lake.
This species was not before known to occur north of the
Saskatchewan River.
147. _Populus balsamifera_, L.—_W._
North shore of Lake Athabasca.
Limbs, believed to be of this species, were found lying on the
sand at the Forks of the Telzoa River, having drifted down the
West Branch to that place.
148. _Populus tremuloides_, Michx.—_W._
North shore of Lake Athabasca.
Esker, near the narrows of Daly Lake.
The latter locality is the northern limit of the tree in
this longitude. On the head-waters of the Thlewiaza River it
was found to range as far north as latitude 60°. A few small
trees were also observed on the raised beaches near Fort
Churchill.—J. B. T.
XXXI. EMPETRACEÆ.
149. _Empetrum nigrum_, L.—_W.B._
Daly Lake.
Hinde Lake.
Carey Lake.
Loudon Rapids, on Tobaunt River.
Mouth of Chesterfield Inlet.
Ashe Inlet, on Hudson Strait.
Very little fruit was found on the bushes north of the edge of
the Barren Lands.
XXXII. CONIFERÆ.
150. _Juniperus communis_, L.—_W._
Fort Chippewyan, Lake Athabasca.
Esker, near the middle of Daly Lake.
North shore of Carey Lake.
151. _Juniperus Sabina_, L., var. _procumbens_, Pursh.—_W._
Fort Chippewyan, Lake Athabasca.
152. _Pinus Banksiana_, Lambert.—_W._
On dry sandy or rocky slopes as far north as the north end of
Selwyn Lake.
153. _Picea nigra_, Link.—_W.B._
North shore of Lake Athabasca.
Telzoa River, just below Daly Lake.
This species occurs in scattered groves down the Telzoa River
to Tobaunt Lake. On the shore of Hudson Bay it reaches its
northern limit at the mouth of Nelson River. The most northern
examples are spreading shrubs, in the middle of which may be
found a small upright stem four or five feet high.—J. B. T.
154. _Picea alba_, Link.—_W.B._
North shore of Lake Athabasca.
The sandy eskers near Hinde and Boyd lakes were thinly covered
with fine large trees of this species. Groves of large trees
were also growing on the wet but well drained flats or slopes
beside the Telzoa River down to within a short distance of
Tobaunt Lake. Many large drifted trunks were also found at the
Forks below this lake. Its northern limit on the shore of
Hudson Bay is at Little Seal River, north of Fort Churchill,
where it replaces the preceding species in the wet swamps near
the shore.—J. B. T.
155. _Larix Americana_, Michx.—_W.B._
Telzoa River, as far north as Tobaunt Lake.
On the shore of Hudson Bay as far north as the mouth of Little
Seal River, associated with white spruce.—J. B. T.
XXXIII. LILIACEÆ.
156. _Smilacina trifolia_, Desf.—_W._
Esker, near middle of Daly Lake.
157. _Maianthemum Canadense_, Desf.—_W._
North shore of Lake Athabasca.
158. _Allium Schœnoprasum_, L.—_W._
North shore of Lake Athabasca.
159. _Tofieldia borealis_, Wahl.—_W.B._
Barlow Lake.
Loudon Rapids, above the Forks of Telzoa River.
Fort Churchill.
XXXIV. ORCHIDACEÆ.
160. _Orchis rotundifolia_, Pursh.—_W._
Fort Churchill.
XXXV. JUNCACEÆ.
161. _Luzula spadicea_, D.C., var. _melanocarpa_, Meyer.—_B._
Island near the middle of Boyd Lake.
162. _Luzula campestris_, Desv.—_B._
Island near the middle of Boyd Lake.
163. _Luzula campestris_, Desv., var. _vulgaris_. Hook.—_B._
West shore of Tobaunt Lake.
XXXVI. CYPERACEÆ.
164. _Scirpus cæspitosus_, L.—_B._
Island near the middle of Boyd Lake.
165. _Eriophorum polystachyon_, L.—_W.B._
West shore of Hinde Lake.
Island near the middle of Boyd Lake.
Limestone Island, in Nicholson Lake.
West shore of Tobaunt Lake.
Ashe Inlet, on Hudson Strait.
166. _Eriophorum vaginatum._—_W.B._
Esker near the middle of Daly Lake.
167. _Eriophorum capitatum_, Host.—_B._
Ashe Inlet, on Hudson Strait.
168. _Carex rariflora_, Smith.—_B._
Loudon Rapids, above the Forks of Telzoa River.
169. _Carex canescens_, L., var. _alpicola_, Wahl.—_W._
Telzoa River, just below Daly Lake.
Boyd Lake.
170. _Carex misandra_, R. Br.—_W.B._
West shore of Hinde Lake.
Mouth of Chesterfield Inlet.
171. _Carex aquatilis_, Wahl.—_W._
West shore of Hinde Lake.
172. _Carex vulgaris_, Fries., var. _hyperborea_, Boott.—_W._
Daly Lake. Hinde Lake.
Boyd Lake.
173. _Carex Magellanica_, Lam.—_W._
Esker, near the middle of Daly Lake.
174. _Carex saxatalis_, L.—_W._
Hinde Lake. Barlow Lake.
175. _Carex rotundata_, Wahl.—_B._
Mouth of Chesterfield Inlet.
XXXVII. GRAMINEÆ.
176. _Hierochloa alpina_, R. & S.—_B._
West shore of Tobaunt Lake.
Loudon Rapids, above the Forks of Telzoa River.
Mouth of Chesterfield Inlet.
177. _Arctagrostis latifolia_, Griseb.—_W.B._
West shore of Hinde Lake.
Loudon Rapids, above the Forks of Telzoa River.
178. _Arctophila Laestadii_, Rupt.—_W._
West shore of Hinde Lake.
179. _Elymus arenarius_, L.—_W._
Black Lake, on Stone River.
180. _Elymus mollis_, Trin.—_B._
Tobaunt River, between Schultz and Baker lakes.
Mouth of Chesterfield Inlet.
181. _Calamagrostis Langsdorffii_, Kunth.—_W._
Black Lake on Stone River.
Esker, near the middle of Daly Lake.
Telzoa River, just below Daly Lake.
182. _Calamagrostis Canadensis_, Hook.—_B._
Limestone Island in Nicholson Lake.
183. _Poa alpina_, L.—_B._
Loudon Rapids, above the Forks of Telzoa River.
184. _Poa angustata_, R. Br.—_B._
Boyd Lake.
185. _Poa cenisia_, All.—_B._
Limestone Island, in Nicholson Lake.
Loudon Rapids, above the forks of Telzoa River.
186. _Trisetum subspicatum_, Beauv.—_W._
Esker, near the middle of Daly Lake.
XXXVIII. EQUISETACEÆ.
187. _Equisetum Sylvaticum_, L.—_W._
Esker, near the middle of Daly Lake.
[Transcriber’s Note: The heading XXXIX appears to have been skipped by
printer error.]
XL. FILICES.
188. _Polypodium vulgare_, L.—_W._
North shore of Lake Athabasca.
189. _Phegopteris Dryopteris_, Fee.—_B._
Island near the middle of Boyd Lake.
190. _Aspidium fragrans_, Swartz.—_W.B._
Daly Lake. Carey Lake.
Tobaunt River, between Schultz and Baker lakes.
Mouth of Chesterfield Inlet.
191. _Cystopteris fragilis_, Bernh.—_B._
Limestone Island, in Nicholson Lake.
Mouth of Chesterfield Inlet.
192. _Woodsia Ilvensis_, R. B.—_W._
North shore of Lake Athabasca.
Grove of white spruce on the north shore of Carey Lake
XLI. LYCOPODIACEÆ.
193. _Lycopodium annotinum_, L.—_W._
Cracking-stone Point, Lake Athabasca.
North shore of Carey Lake.
194. _Lycopodium annotinum_, L. var. _alpestre_, Hartm.—_W._
Telzoa River, below Daly Lake.
195. _Lycopodium complanatum_, L.—_W._
West shore of Hinde Lake.
196. _Lycopodium Selago_, L.—_B._
West shore of Tobaunt Lake.
Ashe Inlet, on Hudson Strait.
XLII. MUSCI.
197. _Sphagnum fuscum_, var. _pallescens_, Warnst.—_W._
In swamp on the banks of Telzoa River, just below Daly Lake.
198. _Sphagnum tenellum_, var. _rubellum_, Warnst.—_W._
Telzoa River, just below Daly Lake.
199. _Sphagnum acutifolium_, Russ & Warnst.—_W._
Telzoa River, just below Daly Lake.
200. _Dicranum elongatum_, Schwaegr.—_W._
North end of Barlow Lake.
201. _Dicranum congestum_, Bird—_B._
West shore of Tobaunt Lake, at the mouth of Telzoa River.
202. _Dicranum fuscescens_, Turn.—_B._
West shore of Tobaunt Lake, at the mouth of Telzoa River.
203. _Dicranum Bergeri_, Bland.—_W._
West shore of Hinde Lake.
204. _Aulacomnium palustre_, Schwaegr.—_B._
West shore of Tobaunt Lake, at the mouth of Telzoa River. Ashe
Inlet, on Hudson Strait.
205. _Polytrichum strictum_, Banks.—_B._
West shore of Tobaunt Lake, at the mouth of Telzoa River.
206. _Webera nutans_, Hedw.—_B._
West shore of Tobaunt Lake, at the mouth of Telzoa River. Asher
Inlet, on Hudson Strait.
207. _Hypnum exannulatum_, Guemb.—_B._
West shore of Tobaunt Lake, at the mouth of Telzoa River.
208. _Hylocomium Schreberi_, Willd.—_W._
Telzoa River, just below Daly Lake.
209. _Hylocomium splendens_, Schimp River.—_B._
West shore of Tobaunt Lake, at the mouth of Telzoa River.
XLIII. HEPATICÆ.
210. _Ptilidum ciliare_, Dum.—_B._
West shore of Tobaunt Lake.
XLIV. LICHENES.
211. _Cetraria aculeata_, Fr.—_B._
West shore of Tobaunt Lake.
212. _Cetraria arctica_, Hook.—_B._
River bank between Nicholson and Tobaunt Lakes.
213. _Cetraria Islandica_, Arch.—_W.B._
Daly Lake. Hill at the north end of Barlow Lake.
214. _Cetraria Islandica_, Ach., var. _Delisæi_, Bor.—_W._
Telzoa River, just below Daly Lake.
215. _Cetraria Richardsonii_, Hook.—_B._
West shore of Tobaunt Lake.
216. _Cetraria cucullata_, Ach.—_B._
North-west angle of Tobaunt Lake.
217. _Cetraria juniperina_, Ach., var. _Pinastii_, Ach.—_W._
Telzoa River, just below Daly Lake.
218. _Cetraria nivalis_, Ach.—_W.B._
Telzoa River, just below Daly Lake.
North end of Barlow Lake.
Ashe Inlet, on Hudson Strait.
219. _Alectoria jubata_, L., var. _implexa_, Fr.—_W._
West shore of Hinde Lake.
220. _Alectoria divergens_, Nyl.—_W._
Telzoa River, just below Daly Lake.
221. _Alectoria ochrolenca_, Nyl., var. (a) _rigida_, Fr.—_B._
North end of Barlow Lake.
West shore of Tobaunt Lake.
222. _Parmelia physodes_, Ach.—_W._
Telzoa River, just below Daly Lake.
223. _Parmelia conspersa_, Ach.—_W._
Telzoa River, just below Daly Lake.
224. _Umbilicaria Muhlenbergii_, Tucherm.—_W._
Telzoa River, just below Daly Lake.
225. _Nephroma arcticum_, Fr.—_W._
West shore of Hinde Lake.
226. _Lecanora tartarea_, Ach.—_W._
Telzoa River, just below Daly Lake.
227. _Stereocaulon Despreauxii_, Nyl.—_W._
Telzoa River, just below Daly Lake.
228. _Cladonia decorticata_, Floerk.—_W._
North end of Barlow Lake.
229. _Cladonia gracilis_, Fr., var. _elongata_, Fr.—_W.B._
Telzoa River, just below Daly Lake.
West shore of Tobaunt Lake.
230. _Cladonia rangiferina_, Hoffm.—_W._
Telzoa River, just below Daly Lake.
North shore of Barlow Lake.
231. _Cladonia rangiferina_, Hoffm., var. _sylvatica_, L.—_W._
Telzoa River, just below Daly Lake.
232. _Cladonia cornucopioides_, Fr.—_W._
Telzoa River, just below Daly Lake.
233. _Bomyces aeruginosus_, D.C.—_W._
Telzoa River, just below Daly Lake.
APPENDIX II.
_ESKIMO VOCABULARY OF WORDS AND PHRASES._
(ORIGINAL).
All Ter-mok-er-mingk.
All night Knee-en-nah.
Always E-luk-o-she-a.
Alone In-nu-tu-ak.
A game Nu-glee-ta.
A herd Ah-mik-took-too.
Another Hi-punga.
All gone Pet-a-hung-e-too.
Angry Mar-ne-an-nah.
Afraid Kay-pe-en-nah.
A while ago Tatch-e-munny.
Ark O-kow-te-vah-vor.
Antlers Nug-le-yow.
Arm Tel-oo.
Arrow Kok-yoke.
All right Co-id-na.
Are you sleepy Chin-e-gin.
Autumn Mow-yah.
Axe Ooley-moon.
Bad Pee-ung-e-to.
Bald Ked-juk-yow.
Barren Lands Nappartu-itok.
Bear Nah-nook.
Big Ung-a-yow-aloo.
Brother (big) Ung-a-yowk-a-loong-a.
Brother (small) Nung-a-yowk-a-loong-a.
Black lead Ming-oon-nah.
Boot Kamming.
Black Kunnictah.
Bring I-chuc-to.
Bullet Uchie.
Bow Pet-e-chee.
Blood Owk.
Bones Sow-ner.
Blubber Owk-zook.
Beard Oo-mik.
Beads Shoong-ow-yoh.
Blankets Kep-ig.
Bite Kee-wah.
Big River Koog-oark.
Black Moss Kee-now-yak.
Cap Nich-shaw.
Cap (for gun) Shee-uck-tow.
Child Noo-ta-an.
Cod-fish Oo-wat.
Come here Ki-yeet.
Cold Ick-kee.
Coal Kee-youk-cha.
Clouds Ne-boo-yah.
Clothing An-no-wak.
Canoe Kyack.
Coat Koo-lee-ta.
Day Ood-loo-me.
Day before yesterday Ick-puck sha-nee.
Dark Ta-koo-nee.
Deer Took-too.
Deer sinew Took-too-Ib-a-loo.
Dead Tuck-o-boo.
Down Town-na-ney.
Dog King-me.
Don’t want to Uggone.
Don’t lie Shag-lo-naw-me.
Don’t understand Cow-you-mung-a-to.
Don’t know Ah-chew.
Do you wish to go out? Annie-low?
Die Tuck-o-boo.
Drink (give me) Emmie-ray.
Duck Me-ah-tuck.
Ear See-yow-tee.
East Ka-ning-nah.
Early Oo-blah.
Eat Tun-wah-wa.
Egg Mun-nee.
Empty E-mah-ik-took.
End for end Ig-loo-ahnee.
Eye Egee.
Ermine Ter-re-ak.
Enough Ta-bah.
Far away Wash-ig-too-aloo.
Fat Owk-shaw.
Farewell Ta-bow-e-tee.
Faster Ook-shoot.
Father At-at-a.
Father (my) At-at-a-ga.
Female Ungna.
Fire Ick-o-ma.
Fish Ick-kal-luck.
Fox Tar hed ne-ah.
Fur Mit kote.
Game (deer, etc.) O-ko-ko.
Go Owd-luck-too.
Give me Kidj-you.
Gone Pete-hung-e-too.
Good Pee-a-uke.
Glad (I am) Pee-a-wee-unga.
Glove Po-a-low.
Glad (it will make me) Pee-a-yow-appy.
Good morning Ah-shu-id-lee.
Good-bye Ta-bow-a-ting.
Gun Kook-e-you.
Goose Ne-uck-a-luck.
Grave E-le-wah.
Hair of the head Noo-yah.
Hair of the face Oo-ming.
Here (take it) Awk.
Here (this place) Man-nee.
Hat Uck-che-wa-loo.
Hills Kak-ka.
How many Katch-ening.
House Igloe.
How do you do (salute)? Ashow-you-didlee?
Well thank you (reply) Ta-bow-you-adlo.
Halloo Chimo.
Hot Oo-co.
Hungry Ka-pa.
Hungry (they are) Kak-too.
Hard-tack Shee-va.
Ice (salt water) Se-co.
Ice (fresh water) Nee-lug.
Ice (to cut with chisel) Too-y-lako.
Iceberg Pick-a-lulial.
Ice chisel Too-woke.
I, me, mine Oo-wunga.
I did not see it Tacko-naumee.
I want it Oo-wung-aloo.
It is good Pee-a-uke.
Island Kig-yuck-ta.
Island (large) Kack-ec-tuck-dua.
Iron Sev-wick.
Ivory Too-wak.
Indian Ik-kil-lin.
Jack-knife Pook-ta-you.
Jump Ob-look-too.
Just right Nah-muck-too.
Kick Ish-ec-ma-ac-too.
King’s Cape Telle-pin.
Knife Chub-beck.
Kill To-ko-pah-hah.
Kiss Coon-e-glee.
Laugh Ig-luck-too.
Land Noo-na.
Land (main) Eel-a-wee-yun.
Lake Siscell.
Large Unga-you.
Last year Uck-kaw-nee.
Lead Uck-e-chu.
Live (reside) Noona-gin.
Look at it Tack-o-wack.
Line Ud-le-ung.
Little Mick-a-you.
Little River Koog-ah-la.
Long ago Tap-shoo-mann-nee.
Loon Kok-saw.
Man Ung-oon.
Make Sen-a-you.
Me Oo-wunga.
Meat Pak-too.
Matches Icko-ma.
Medicine man Ang-e-koke.
Mine Pie-ga.
Mica Ked-luck-e-yack.
Moon Tuck-ee.
Morning Ood-la.
Mouse Ah-ving-ea.
Musk-ox Oo-ming-munk.
Much Am-e-suit.
Mountain King-yi.
Narwhal Ud-lee-ung.
Near (very) Koon-e-took-aloo.
Near (rather) Koon-e-took-e-makea
Next year Uck-kak-go.
Needle Mit cone.
No Au-guy, Nowk.
North Wungna.
North Star Nicky-chew-e-too.
Now Man-nah.
Night Oo-din-nook.
Oar E-poot.
Old man Ick-too-aloo.
Old woman Ning-e-wah-loo.
One Attowsha.
One more At-ta-loo.
On the other side Igloe-annie.
Out of doors Seel-a-me.
Open the door Mat-a-wa-goo.
Only one Ta-but-tua.
Over there Ti-ma.
Paper Al-le-lay-yook.
Perhaps Shug-a me.
Pork Ook-e-mara.
Powder Uck-dua.
Presently Wet-chow.
Pretty Mah-muk-poo.
Quick Tu-quilee.
Rain See-la-loo.
Rabbit Ook-quil-la.
Rat Tithea.
Rapids E-tem-na-zuck.
Raven Too-loo-ah.
Reindeer Took-too.
Reindeer horns Nug-dew.
Reindeer (fawn) No-kak.
Reindeer (young buck) Nu-ka-tu-a.
Red Owg.
River Koog.
Rock We-a-gook.
Run Ood-luk-too.
Remember Kow-ye-mee-yow-a.
Rope Ook-so-noya.
Red-head Ky-yow-aloo.
Resolution Island Too-jung.
Reside Noo-naggin.
River (big) Koog-o-ak.
Resemble Ti-ma-too.
Same Ti-ma-too.
Seal (small) Poe-see.
Seal Net-chuck.
Seal (fresh water) Kaus-e-gea.
Seal (square flipper) Ug-jook.
Seal (jumping) Ky-aug-lee.
Ship Oo-may-ac-due.
Steamship Ick-o-ma-ling.
South Neeg-yill.
Stars Ud-loo-a-ah.
Sun Suc-e-nok.
Summer Oak-e-youk.
Spear (seal) Oo-nah.
Shut the door Oo-may-glee.
Something to eat I-pa-pa.
Sick Ah-ah.
See Tacko.
Small Micky-you.
Small (very) Micky-uck-aloo.
Spots Mee-luck.
Scars Kidley.
Steal Tidley-poo.
Speak Wah-poo.
Shot Uck-e-la.
Spear (to kill with) Now-lick-ta.
Sew Muck-chuck-too.
Shoot Kook-o-ak-too.
Short time ago Tick-e-cove.
Six Uck-bin-e-gin.
Seven Uck-bin-e-mok-o-nik.
Sleep Shin-ig-poo.
Smell Tee-pe.
Sister Ne-yowk-a-loong-a.
Sleeping bag Shin-ig-bee.
Spy glass King-noot.
Swap (trade) Ok-ke-lay-yook.
Strong Shung-e-yook.
Spring Oo-ping-yak.
Snow Con-nee.
Snow-house Igloe.
Sinew Ib-a-loo.
Smoke E-shik.
Smoke (verb) Pay-u-let-ee.
Smoke (give me) Pay-u-let-ee-de-lung-a.
Snow stick An-owt er.
Take Pe-e ock-i-re.
Tent To-pick.
Teeth Kee you.
Thimble Teck-kin.
Thunder Kud-loo.
Tide rising Ill-e-pook.
Tide falling Tine-e-pook.
To-day Ood-loome.
To-night Ood-la.
To-morrow Kow pung.
The other day Tatch-e-munny.
Tongue Ook-ah.
Trade Ok-ke-lay-loo.
Tracks Too-me.
Trousers Kod-ling.
Thank you Koo-id-na-mik.
Thread Ib-e-loo.
Tell Kow-yow-ya.
That will do Ta-ba.
Throw Me-loo-e-ak-took.
Ugly Pe-ne-took.
Understand Kow-e-me-yow.
Up Ta-pau-ney.
Warm Oo-ko.
Water Emmick.
Warmth (personal) Oo-ko-ning ah.
Walrus I-byl.
Walrus hide Kow.
Wait Watch-ow.
Walk Pe-shook-too.
Wake up Too-pook-poo.
What is that? Kiss-yowa?
What do you want for it? Kiss-yow-ok-a-la-loo?
What are you making? Kiss-yow-livie?
What? Shua?
Where Now-te-mee.
When Kunga.
When do you go? Kunga aud-luck-too.
We U-va-gnt.
Who Kee-a.
Who owns it? Kee-a-pinga?
Winter Ook-e-yook.
Wind An-a-way.
White man Kud-loo-nah.
White Kak-owk-tah.
Why Kun-we-mun?
Whale Ook-bik.
Whip Ip-e-row-ter.
Will you? E-ben-loo?
Wife Nell-e-aug-na.
Wood Kee-yow.
Woman Koo-nee.
Wolverine Cow-bik.
Woman’s boat Oo-me-ack.
Wolf Am-miow.
Work Sen-a-yow.
White gull Now-yah.
Yes Ah-me-lah.
Year Ok-ah-ney.
Yesterday Ick-puck-shall.
Yesterday evening Ick-puck-shall-ood la.
You Ib-bee (or Ich-bin).
You and I Oo-bah-gook.
Young boy Un-nick-e-loo-ga.
Young girl Pen-nick-e-loo-ga.
Youngster Neu-ta-a.
NUMERALS.
One At-tow-sha.
Two Mok-oo.
Three Ping-ah-suet.
Four Seet-a-mut.
Five Ted-le-mut.
Six Uck-bin-e-gin.
Seven Uck-bin-e Mok-o-nik.
Eight Uck bin-e-Mok-o-suet.
Nine Uck-bin-e-seet-a-mut.
Ten Ko-ling.
Twenty Mok-ko ling.
PHRASES.
Come in Ki-low-it.
Go ahead At-tay.
Give me a light Ik-ke de-lung-a.
Give me a drink Im-mil-bah.
Give me a smoke Pay-u-let-e-delung-a.
It is good Pee-a-uke.
I don’t know Shu-ga-mee.
I don’t understand Cow-you-mung-e-too.
What is the name of? I-ting-er?
What are you making? Shu-la-vik?
Which way? Nel-le ung-nook?
Where from? Nuck-ke-nu-nah?
Where do you come from? Nuck-ke-pe-wict?
Who is it? Kee-now-yah?
CLASSIFIED INDEX.
NAMES OF PERSONS.
Aberdeen, Earl and Countess of, 112.
Athabasca, Bishop of, 45, 46.
Back, Sir George, 124.
Christopher, Capt., 172.
Corrigal, James, portrait, 11;
engaged, 41.
Daly, Hon. T. M., 80.
Flett, John, engaged, 9;
portrait, 11.
Franklin, Sir John, 124.
French, Pierre, Louis and Michel, engaged, 9:
portrait of, 11.
Gordon, Commander, 181.
Hawes, Capt., 213.
Hearne, Samuel, 215-217.
Howard, Inspector, 26, 28, 30.
Isbister, Mr. and Mrs., 247.
La Perouse, 217.
Lofthouse, Jos. (Rev.) and wife, 206, 211-213;
portraits, 212.
Lofthouse, Miss Marjorie, 212, 251.
Macdonald, J. K., 248.
Mackenzie, Sir Alexander, 49.
Macoun, Prof. John, 251.
Matheson, Mr., 209.
Markham, Admiral R. N., 91.
Maurice, François, portrait, 11;
engaged, 41.
Middleton, Capt., 214.
Mills, Capt. J. W., 28, 45, 53, 55.
Milne, Dr., 240, 242.
Moberly, Mr., H. B. C. officer, 9, 41.
Moberly, the guide, engaged, 53.
Mowat, Mr., 240, 242, 244.
McConnell, Mr., 28, 37.
McKay, Dr., 45, 46, 48, 52, 53, 55, 57.
Ogilvie, Wm., D.L.S., 28, 30, 48.
Omen, Arthur, 219.
Ray, Dr., 124.
Reed, Mr., 59.
Richardson, Sir John, 124.
Robson, Joseph, 215.
Russell, Mr., 48.
Schott, river pilot, 30, 32-34, 42.
Schultz, Sir John and Lady, 13, 115.
Selwyn, A. R. C., portrait, 74.
Tyrrell, J. Burr, 7, 70, 173;
portrait, 219.
Westasecot, Charlie, 243.
Westasecot, James, 207.
Westasecot, William, 226.
Wolseley, Lord, 9.
Young, Bishop, 49, 52, 55.
WILD GAME, FISH, ETC.
Arctic birds, 132.
Arctic hare, 132, 185.
Bear, black, 73.
Bear, polar, 132, 158, 159, 189-198, 218, 225.
Buffalo, 89;
trails of, 13.
Caribou. (See Reindeer.)
Duck, wild, 160, 184, 187.
Ermine, 98.
Fox, 161, 235.
Goose, wild, 47, 58, 102, 112.
Gull, 184.
Loon, 17.
Marmot, 187.
Moose, 23-25.
Musk ox, 107, 113.
Pike, 58.
Ptarmigan, 160, 185, 186, 204, 205, 208, 234, 235.
Rabbit, 43, 186, 235.
Reindeer (or caribou), 84-87, 95, 96, 99, 109, 132, 147-149, 186-188,
224-226.
Salmon trout, 66, 93, 161.
Seal, 127-171, 203.
Walrus, 132, 133, 140, 153-158.
Whale, 132, 133, 182.
Whitefish, 51, 66, 93, 161, 245.
Wolf, 17, 23, 98, 99, 108, 120, 120, 161, 224, 225.
Wolverine, 99, 100.
TIMBER, MINERALS, ETC.
Aspen, 81.
Balsam, 47.
Birch, 21, 40, 57, 71, 111, 245, 246.
Coal, 14, 60.
Copper, 173.
Fir, 59.
Glaciers, 81.
Gneiss, Laurentian, 57, 175.
Gold, 14, 173.
Huronian schists, 118, 173, 182.
Iron ore, 60.
Jack-pine, 16, 17, 58, 245, 246.
Lignite, 14.
Limestone, 38, 39;
Cambrio-Silurian, 92.
Marl, 120.
Natural gas, 36.
Poplar, 15, 21, 40, 46, 57, 245, 246.
Quartzite, 109, 181.
Sand, curious hills of, 99, 105.
Sand, “Kames,” 80.
Sandstone, cretaceous, 57;
soft, 111.
Silver, 173.
Spruce, 17, 21, 40, 46, 47, 57, 71, 84, 90, 93, 203, 204, 227, 245,
246.
Tamarack, 79, 84, 85.
Tar sand beds, 36, 37.
Trappean rock, 110, 173.
Willow, 111, 208.
RIVERS, LAKES AND LOCALITIES.
Aberdeen Lake, 112, 114.
Active Man Lake, 8.
Alaska, 130.
Arctic Ocean, 8, 19, 28, 111.
Asia, 130.
Athabasca Delta, 47.
Athabasca Lake, 7, 10, 12, 15, 20, 28, 48, 56, 57, 58, 77, 80, 84.
Athabasca Landing, 15, 17, 19, 20, 26, 40.
Athabasca River, 9, 12, 15, 17, 19, 21, 26, 36, 40.
Back Lake, 246.
Baker Lake, 111, 125, 172.
Barlow Lake, 84.
Barren Lands, 7, 8, 90, 93, 101, 110, 113, 124-5, 216.
Beaver Hills, 60.
Behring Straits, 130.
Berens River, 249.
Big Cascade, 38.
Birch Lake, 73.
Black Lake, 7, 8, 49, 53, 64, 68, 69, 76, 77, 172-3, 175-6.
Boiler Rapid, 37.
Brûle Rapid, 36.
Button’s Bay, 208.
Calgary, 13, 14.
Cary Lake, 85, 90.
Caughnawaga, 9.
Chesterfield Inlet, 119, 172, 174, 176, 178, 179, 182.
Churchill River, 210-11.
Clear Water River, 40.
Clinton Golden Lake, 112.
Copper Mine River, 94, 216.
Corbet’s Inlet, 183.
Crooked Rapid, 38.
Daly Lake, 80, 81.
Deer Lake, 245.
Duck Creek, 230.
Edmonton, 10, 12, 14, 20, 61.
Fishing River, 58.
Flamboro’ Head, 233.
Fort Chippewyan, 12, 45-55, 61, 63.
Fort Churchill, 107-8, 174-177, 181, 187, 191, 200, 203-221, 224,
226, 232, 239, 242-3.
Fort Fond du Lac, 59, 61, 75.
Fort McMurray, 9, 10, 26, 28, 30, 36, 40, 42-6.
Fort Prince of Wales, 210-217.
Fort Smith, 28, 46.
Fort Vermilion, 49.
Fox River, 244.
Grand Rapids, 20, 26-28, 32-36, 42.
Grassy Island, 208.
Great Fish River, 111.
Great Slave Lake, 7, 53, 112.
Great Slave River, 28, 55.
Hamilton, 7.
Hays River, 241, 243, 245.
Heart Creek, 232.
Height of Land, 8, 17, 76-81, 173.
Hudson Bay, 7, 8, 107-8, 119, 124, 130, 172, 174, 181.
Hudson Straits, 45, 53, 107, 130, 164, 192.
Isle-à-la-Crosse, 9, 41.
Lachine Rapids, 9.
Lady Marjorine Lake, 110.
Lake of the Woods, 118, 173.
Lake Superior, 173.
Lake Winnipeg, 247, 249.
Little Cascade, 38.
Long Rapids, 38.
Lower Telzoa River, 102-113.
Mackenzie River, 19, 26, 28, 48, 129.
Manitoba, 12.
Marble Island, 107, 181-2.
Markham Lake, 91, 92.
Montreal, 221.
Mountain Rapid, 37, 38.
Nelson River, 238-9, 243.
Neville Bay, 185.
North Bay, 12.
North Pole, 174.
North-West Passage, 172, 214.
Norway House, 244, 247-8.
Old Man Island, 60.
Oxford House, 241-2, 244, 247.
Peace River, 49.
Prince Albert, 9.
Prince of Wales Sound, 130;
Cape, 164.
Rankin Inlet, 183.
Rapid of the Jolly Fool, 23.
Rocky Mountains, 14.
Salmon Creek, 226.
Sam’s Creek, 231.
Saskatchewan River, 14, 17, 248-9.
Schultz Lake, 115, 117.
Seal Islands, 236.
Selkirk, 249.
Selwyn Lake, 74, 78.
Sloop’s Cove, 214.
Stone River, 64-5.
Stony River, 218, 226.
Telzoa River Delta, 124.
Telzoa River Rapids, 83.
Telzoa River, 77, 82, 91, 92.
Tobaunt Lake, 94, 99, 173.
Toronto, 7, 12.
Twin Mountains, 110.
West Selkirk, 248.
Wharton Lake, 109.
White Bear Creek, 230.
White Mountain, 110.
Winnipeg, 12.
Wolverine Lake, 8, 71, 76.
Wolverine River, 73.
York Factory, 218, 228, 230, 232, 239-246.
MISCELLANEOUS.
Adventures:
in Boiler Rapid, 37;
in Mountain Rapid, 39-40;
with a black bear, 73;
on Telzoa River, 83;
on Corbet’s Inlet, 183-4;
at sea, 201-2;
on Nelson River, 236;
on Back Lake, 246.
American naturalist, meeting an, 48.
Ancient sea-beaches, 114.
Arrival at Fort Churchill, 209.
Arrival at Nelson River, 231.
Arrival at Norway House, 247.
Arrival at West Selkirk, 249.
_Athabasca_, steamer, 20, 26, 27.
Black flies, 66.
Bread-making, novel method of, 75.
Breeding-place of wild geese, 102.
Buffalo trails, ancient, 13.
Cacheing our supplies, 200.
Cairn of rocks built, 90, 95, 180.
Camp in the woods, 222-3.
Canadian, an old-time, 247.
Canadian Geological Survey, 7, 37, 70, 74, 173.
Canadian Pacific Railway, 12, 13.
Canoe race with Indians, 20.
Canoes secured, 9.
Corrigal meets with accident, 66.
Crossing Nelson River, 236-8.
Crippled, 220.
Deer _vs._ canoe, a race, 85.
Desperate situation, 203.
Dog-sleds, 219.
Dried fish and seal-oil, 238.
Dysentery, 201.
Encounter with polar bears, 189-90, 192-5, 218.
Encounter with wolves, 98.
Eskimos, bartering with, 107, 123, 175.
Eskimos first met with, 105.
Eskimos, photographing, 120.
Eskimo, appearance of, 127-8;
clothing, 128-9;
tattooing, 129;
cheek-stones, 129;
origin of, 130;
range of, 130;
temperament, 132, 161, 164;
feast, 132-3;
dwellings, 135-9;
ingenuity, 139;
implements, 139;
kyack, 141;
oomiack, 142;
komitick, 143;
dog-whip, 144;
sleeping-bag, 145;
customs, 147-171;
weapons, 147, 153-5, 160;
seal-hunting, 149-153;
walrus-hunting, 155-8;
polar bear-hunting, 158-9;
hunting birds, 159-60;
fishing, 160-1;
trapping, 161;
amusements, 162-4;
marriages, 165;
religious beliefs and ceremonies, 165-9;
laws, 169-70;
legends, 170;
burials, 171;
vocabulary, 273.
Famine at Fort McMurray, 42-3.
Feeding dogs at H. B. Co.’s posts, 51.
Finding Eskimo cache, 109.
First camp, 21.
First rapid, 23.
Flora, collecting, 70.
Forest, limit of, 83.
François’ chase of wolverine, 99, 100-1.
François’ tug-of-war, 237-8
French missionaries returning, 59.
Fur trade, new conditions in, 241.
Gale on Lake Tobaunt, 102.
Glaciers, 81.
_Grahame_, steamer, 28, 45, 46, 52, 55.
Grove of spruce, isolated, 90.
Guide procured, 53.
Guide deserts us, 62-4.
Historic ruins, 210, 215-17.
Hudson’s Bay Company, 9, 12, _et seq._
Ice-fields on Lake Tobaunt, 96-8.
Ice, massive walls of, 22.
Ice-pack, all night in an, 202.
Indians:
Chippewyan, 7, 32, 40, 48, 221;
Cree, 23, 40, 43, 219, 230;
Iroquois, 9.
Inventory of our supplies, 54.
Indian camps, 77, 227, 230;
dance, 32;
log-houses, 64;
maps, 8;
tepee, 227;
tradition, 69;
types of, 18.
Iroquois, craftiness of our, 71.
Kyack _vs._ canoe, a race, 120.
Last trees seen, 93.
Louis crippled, 249.
Louis shoots polar bear, 189-90.
Low temperature, 245, 247.
Mathematical instruments provided, 10.
Meeting an old shipmate, 45.
Michel’s feet frozen, 202.
Michel left at York Factory, 242.
Missionaries, hospitable, 211.
Moose hunt, 24.
Mosquito torments, 55, 66.
Moss-bogs, 81.
Moss fuel, 101.
Mountain of iron ore, 60.
Musk-ox robes, 122, 123.
Nailing up the flag of Canada, 79.
Names carved on rocks, 215.
Navigation of Athabasca River, 26-28.
Navigation of Telzoa River, 173.
North-West Mounted Police, 26;
banqueted by, 28.
Our only seal shot, 203.
Our party separates, 248.
Parting with civilization, 70.
Perilous situation, 236.
Picturesque scenery, 14, 19, 21-2, 46, 112-13.
Plants collected, list of, 251-72.
Pierre exhausted, 204.
Poisoned by polar bear liver, 192.
Portaging, an achievement in, 71.
Prairie travel, 15-17.
Provisions exhausted, 234.
Reaching tide water, 176.
Red River cart trail, ancient, 244.
Relief party from Churchill, 206.
Remarkable island, 92.
Rich mineral district, 173.
Running the Grand Rapids, 33-35.
Sand formations, curious, 80-1, 99.
Seventeen hours in ice-water, 203.
Shooting pike with revolver, 58.
Snow-blindness, 134.
Snow-goggles, 135.
Snowshoes, 221;
practice with, 215.
Snow in August, 96.
Solitary grave, 60, 75.
Starving Cree camp, 44.
Stone pillars, 113.
Storm on Baker Lake, 175.
Storm on the Telzoa, 116.
Struggle with shore-ice, 199-203.
Tar wells, curious, 37.
Tepee remains, ancient, 92.
Travelling by carryall, 248-9.
Visit to Eskimo camp, 118.
Visit to Eskimo village, 122.
Water-spouts on Daly Lake, 80.
Welcome ablutions, 240.
Whale-boat on Chesterfield Inlet, 177.
Winter sets in, 199.
Without food or fuel, 187.
Wood violets, 90.
_Wrigley_, steamer, 28, 46.
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