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diff --git a/40019.txt b/40019.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 324c263..0000000 --- a/40019.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9200 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Barren Ground of Northern Canada, by -Warburton Mayer Pike - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - - - - -Title: The Barren Ground of Northern Canada - - -Author: Warburton Mayer Pike - - - -Release Date: June 17, 2012 [eBook #40019] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BARREN GROUND OF NORTHERN -CANADA*** - - -E-text prepared by Moti Ben-Ari and the Online Distributed Proofreading -Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by -Internet Archive (http://archive.org) - - - -Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this - file which includes the original illustrations. - See 40019-h.htm or 40019-h.zip: - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/40019/40019-h/40019-h.htm) - or - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/40019/40019-h.zip) - - - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - http://archive.org/details/barrengroundnort00pikeiala - - -Transcriber's note: - - Text enclosed by equal signs is in bold face (=bold=). - - - - - -[Illustration: Cover] - - -THE BARREN GROUND OF NORTHERN CANADA - - -[Illustration: Ready for Tracking] - - -THE BARREN GROUND OF NORTHERN CANADA - -by - -WARBURTON PIKE - - - - - - - -[Illustration] - -New York -E. P. Dutton & Company -681 Fifth Avenue - -Published, 1917, -By E. P. Dutton & Co. - - - - -AUTHOR'S PREFACE TO THE ORIGINAL EDITION - - -In many of the outlying districts of Canada an idea is prevalent, -fostered by former travellers, that somewhere in London there exists a -benevolent society whose object is to send men incapable of making any -useful scientific observations to the uttermost parts of the earth, in -order to indulge their taste for sport or travel. Several times before I -had fairly started for the North, and again on my return, I was asked if -I had been sent out under the auspices of this society, and, I am -afraid, rather fell in the estimation of the interviewers when I was -obliged to confess that my journey was only an ordinary shooting -expedition, such as one might make to the Rocky Mountains or the -interior of Africa, and that no great political reformation depended -upon my report as to what I had seen. - -In talking with officers of the Hudson's Bay Company, many of whom had -been stationed for long periods in the Athabasca and Mackenzie River -districts, I had often heard of a strange animal, a relic of an earlier -age, that was still to be found roaming the Barren Ground, the vast -desert that lies between Hudson's Bay, the eastern ends of the three -great lakes of the North, and the Arctic Sea. This animal was the -Musk-ox, but my informants could tell me nothing from personal -experience, and all that was known on the subject had been gathered from -Indian report. Once or twice some enthusiastic sportsman had made the -attempt to reach the land of the Musk-ox, but had never succeeded in -carrying out his object; specimens had been secured by the officers of -the various Arctic expeditions, but no one had ever seen much of these -animals or of the methods of hunting them employed by the Northern -Indians. - -This, then, was the sole object of my journey; to try and penetrate this -unknown land, to see the Musk-ox, and find out as much as I could about -their habits, and the habits of the Indians who go in pursuit of them -every year. But the only white men who had succeeded in getting far out -into the Barren Ground were the early explorers,--Hearne, Sir John -Franklin, Sir George Back, and Dr. Richardson, while long afterwards Dr. -Rae and Stewart and Anderson went in search of the missing Franklin -expedition. With the exception of Hearne, who threw in his lot with the -Indians, these leaders were all accompanied by the most capable men that -could be procured, and no expense was spared in order to make success as -certain as possible; yet in spite of every precaution the story of Sir -John Franklin's first overland journey and the death of Hood are among -the saddest episodes in the history of the Arctic exploration. - -My best chance seemed to be to follow Hearne's example, and trust to -the local knowledge of Indians to help me; and I think, as the sequel -showed, that I was right in not taking a crew from Winnipeg. The Indians -and half-breeds of the Great Slave Lake, although very hard to manage, -are certainly well up in Barren Ground travel; they are possessed of a -thorough knowledge of the movements of the various animals at different -seasons, and thus run less danger of starvation than strangers, however -proficient the latter may be in driving dogs and handling canoes. - -In following out this plan I naturally passed through a great deal of -new country, and discovered, as we white men say when we are pointed out -some geographical feature by an Indian who has been familiar with it -since childhood, many lakes and small streams never before visited -except by the red man. I have attempted in a rough map to mark the -chains of lakes by which we reached the Barren Ground, but their -position is only approximate, and perhaps not even that, as I had no -instruments with which to make correct observations, and in any case -should have had little time to use them. Let no eminent geographer waste -his time in pointing out the inaccuracies in this map; I admit all the -errors before he discovers them. All that I wish to show is that these -chains of lakes do exist and can be used as convenient routes, doing -away with the often-tried method of forcing canoes up the swift and -dangerous streams that fall into the Great Slave Lake from the northern -tableland. - -The success of my expedition is to be attributed entirely to the -assistance which was given me by the Hudson's Bay Company, and I take -this opportunity of thanking them for all the hospitality that was shown -to me throughout my journey; I was never refused a single request that I -made, and, although a total stranger, was treated with the greatest -kindness by everybody, from the Commissioner at Winnipeg to the engaged -servant in the Far North. My thanks are especially due to Lord Anson, -one of the directors in London, to Messrs. Wrigley and William Clark at -Winnipeg, Mr. Roderick MacFarlane, lately of Stuart's Lake, British -Columbia, a well-known northern explorer who put me in the way of making -a fair start, Dr. Mackay of Athabasca, Mr. Camsell of Mackenzie River, -Mr. Ewen Macdonald of Peace River, and most of all to Mr. Mackinlay of -Fort Resolution on the Great Slave Lake, who was my companion during a -long summer journey in the Barren Ground. - -My only excuse for publishing this account of my travels is that the -subject is a reasonably new one, and deals with a branch of sport that -has never been described. I have spared the reader statistics, and I -have kept my story as short as possible. I hope that in return anyone -who may be interested in these pages will spare his comments on faulty -style, and the various errors into which a man who has spent much time -among the big game is sure to fall when he is rash enough to lay down -his rifle and take up the pen. - -I have also cut out the chapter with which these books usually begin,--a -description of the monotonous voyage by Atlantic steamer and Canadian -Pacific Railway, and start at once from Calgary, a thriving cattle-town -close under the eastern foot-hills of the Rocky Mountains. - -LONDON, 1891. - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - - Ready for Tracking _Frontispiece_ - PAGE - The Old Hudson Bay Post at Edmonton 2 - The Hudson Bay Fort at Edmonton 6 - The "Grahame" Towing Freight-scows on Lake - Athabasca 16 - Patching a Birch-bark on the Slave River 26 - King Beaulieu 32 - A Dead White Wolf 57 - The Indians Driving Caribou 89 - Making Camp 102 - Taking the Post Dogs for Exercise 142 - Skins in the Post Store-room 142 - Dog-rib Powwow at Fort Resolution 167 - A Group of Dog-ribs 167 - Starting up the Peace River 233 - Junction of the Peace and Smoky Rivers 248 - The Arrival of the Dog Train 295 - Edmonton 298 - - -MAP - - A SKETCH MAP to illustrate Mr. Warburton - Pike's journeys to the Barren Ground of - Northern Canada _To face p._ 302 - - - - -THE BARREN GROUND -OF -NORTHERN CANADA - - - - -THE -BARREN GROUND -OF -NORTHERN CANADA - - -CHAPTER I - - -In the middle of June, 1889, I left Calgary for a drive of two hundred -miles to Edmonton, the real starting-point for the great northern -country controlled by the Hudson's Bay Company, and, with the exception -of their scattered trading-posts, and an occasional Protestant or Roman -Catholic Mission, entirely given up to what it was evidently intended -for, a hunting-ground for the Indian. - -My conveyance was a light buckboard, containing my whole outfit, which -was as small as possible, consisting almost entirely of ammunition for a -12-bore Paradox and a 50-95 Winchester Express, besides a pair of large -blankets and a little necessary clothing. - -Forest fires were raging in the Rocky Mountains close at hand, and the -thick smoke obscuring the sun, the heat was not nearly so fierce as -usual at this time of the year; the road was good for a prairie road, -and comfortable stopping-places each night made the journey quite easy. -About sixty miles out the country loses the appearance of what is known -among cattlemen as the bald-headed prairie, and is dotted with clumps of -poplar, and occasionally pines; half way to Edmonton the road crosses -the broad stream of the Red Deer, and passes through the most attractive -country that I have seen in the north-west territories. It is being -rapidly settled, and, with the convenience of a railway now building -between Calgary and Edmonton, cannot fail to be an important farming and -stock-raising district within a few years. - -On the morning of the fifth day I reached Edmonton, a pleasant little -town scattered along the far bank of the North Saskatchewan, and -historical in the annals of the Hudson's Bay Company, by whom it was -established as a fur trading-post many years ago; it is fated shortly to -lose its individuality in the stream of advancing civilization, and will -probably develop into an ordinary prairie-town of some importance. - -[Illustration: Old Hudson Bay Post at Edmonton] - -Finding that I had no time to spare if I wished to catch the steamer -down the Athabasca river, I left again the same evening, after buying a -small supply of flour and bacon. I changed the buckboard for a wagon, -having for driver a French half-breed who had spent his early life on -the prairie in buffalo-hunting, but, on the extinction of the game, had -been earning a living by freighting for the Hudson's Bay Company, and -farming on a small scale. He was a much pleasanter companion than the -smartly dressed young man, "come of good folks in the East," who had -been my driver from Calgary, and many an interesting tale he told me on -our three-days' journey to the banks of the Athabasca; tales of the good -old times when the buffalo were thick, and the Crees waged perpetual war -against the Blackfeet, and whisky formed the staple article of trade for -the Indian's fur. At the present day the Prohibition Act orders that -even the white men of the north-west territories must be temperate, -thereby causing whisky to be dear and bad, but plentiful withal, and it -is surprising how such a law exists in a country where nine men out of -ten not only want to drink, but do drink in open defiance of the -commands of a motherly Government. - -A fair road some hundred miles in length has been made by the Hudson's -Bay Company through a rolling sandy country, crossing several large -streams and passing through a good deal of thick pine timber where some -heavy chopping must have been necessary. The flies bothered us greatly; -the large bulldogs, looking like a cross between a bee and a -blue-bottle, drove the horses almost to madness, and after our mid-day -halt it was no easy matter to put the harness on; fortunately we had -netting, or the poor beasts would have fared much worse: as it was the -blood was streaming from their flanks during the heat of the day. The -mosquitos appeared towards evening, but as the nights were usually -chilly they only annoyed us for a few hours. There were no houses along -the road, but plenty of firewood and feed for the horses; we had a good -camp every night, sleeping in the open air, starting very early and -resting long in the middle of the day. - -Two days took us over the divide between the Saskatchewan and Athabasca -rivers, and now the water in the little streams that we crossed -eventually reached the sea far away in the frozen Arctic Ocean at the -mouth of the great Mackenzie. Early on the fourth day we came in sight -of the Athabasca running between high pine-clad banks, and, dropping -down a steep hill, found the Company's steamer loading up with freight -for the far north. This spot is known as the Athabasca landing, and -consists of a large depot for goods, trading-store, and several -workmen's houses, while the house of the officer in charge stands on the -hillside a little way back from the river. From the landing there is -water communication down stream, broken of course by portages, to the -Arctic sea, while the Lesser Slave Lake lies within a few days' travel -up stream, from the north end of which a road seventy-five miles in -length has been cut to the bank of Peace River. I spent a pleasant -enough day loafing about, Mr. Wood, who was in charge, showing me great -kindness and giving me much useful information about my route, and at -twelve o'clock the following day we started down stream. The only other -passengers were a Mr. Flett and his wife and daughter, who were on their -way to take charge of Fort Smith during the coming winter. Mr. Flett was -just returning from a visit to his native country, the Orkney Islands, -after an absence of forty-four years in the service of the Company, all -of which time was spent in the wildest part of the North. He was full of -the wonderful changes that had taken place since he was a boy, but -finding himself completely lost in civilization, had hurried back to the -land of snow. Unfortunately Mrs. Flett had been unable to stand the -climate of the old country, and was quite broken down in her health. I -was sorry to hear during the winter that she died a few days after we -left her at Fort Chipeweyan. - -Owing to the very light snowfall in the mountains in the winter of -1888-89, the water in the river was unusually low, and, as we expected, -on the third day the steamer, a large light-draught stern-wheeler, after -striking several times on shallow bars, had to abandon the attempt to -reach the Grand Rapids. We accordingly tied up to the bank, and, sending -a skiff down to take the news, awaited the arrival of boats from below -to take our cargo. For ten days we lay at the junction of Pelican River, -a small stream coming in on the north side of the Athabasca. There was -absolutely nothing to do; the low gravelly banks on each side were -fringed with thick willows backed by a narrow belt of poplars, and -behind these the gloomy pine woods, with here and there a solitary -birch, stretched away in an unbroken mass as far as the eye could see. -The forest was alive with mosquitos, although owing to the low water in -the river they were said to be much less numerous than usual; they were -sufficiently thick however to make any exploration in the woods a -misery. Fishing we tried without much result, and everybody was pleased -when at last Mr. Scott Simpson, who was in charge of the river transport -that summer, arrived with two boats. The steamer's cargo was unloaded, -partly into the boats and partly on to the bank, and early in the -morning she started back for the landing while we proceeded on our -journey down stream. - -These inland boats, as they are termed, are extraordinary specimens of -marine architecture, long open craft, classified according to shape as -York boats, sturgeon-heads, and scows, capable of carrying a load of ten -tons, manned by a crew of eight oars and a steersman, rowed down stream -and tracked up, running rapids and bumping on rocks. Planks, nails, and -pitch are always kept ready to effect repairs, and are in frequent -demand. The crews are generally half-breeds from the Lesser Slave Lake -and Lake La Biche, both of which pour their waters into the Athabasca; -but there are also volunteers from all parts of the North, as the wages -are good and the work is suited to the half-breed's character, besides -the certainty of receiving rations every day, which is a great -attraction in a land of scarcity. Sometimes crews of Locheaux Indians -are sent up from the Mackenzie, and have the reputation of being the -best workers; they certainly seemed to me to be less given to rebellion -and more easily managed than the half-breeds. The boats are steered with -a huge sweep passed through a ring in the stern post, and great -responsibility rests on the steersman, who at times requires all his -skill and strength to throw the heavily-laden boat clear of a rock in a -boiling rapid. - -[Illustration: The Hudson Bay Fort at Edmonton] - -In three days, without accident, we reached the island at the head of -the Grand Rapids, just in time to rescue a Company's clerk named Mackay -from a very unenviable position. He had come up with the boat-brigade -from Fort MacMurray, and, provisions running short, had travelled -overland accompanied by a half-breed to meet the steamer from which they -expected to get supplies to take down to the crews. On reaching the -island they were unable to attract the attention of the man left in -charge of the freight lying there, so they walked a couple of miles up -the north bank and built a raft on which to cross the river. They -thought they would be able to pole the raft, but the water proved too -deep, and being unable to get steerage way on her, they soon broke -their unmanageable vessel to pieces against a rock. It was now a case of -swimming in a strong current that was forcing them over the big rapid -where certain death awaited them; the half-breed succeeded in fetching -the island, but Mackay, seeing he was being swept over the fall, swam to -a rock and managed to climb on to it. The half-breed found the sole -inhabitant of the island in his cabin, but there was no boat in which to -go to the rescue, and if there had been it was no easy matter for two -men to lower it down, without all going over the rapid. They were -engaged in building a raft to make the attempt when they saw our brigade -coming down the river. By the aid of a long line and plenty of hands the -smallest boat was lowered down to the rocks, and what might have been a -very serious accident was luckily averted. Mackay was much chilled by -sitting on the rocks for several hours in wet clothes after two days -without eating; but, when he had had a good meal he was none the worse -for his rough experience, and, as is always the case when the danger is -past, had plenty of chaff to put up with. - -The channel on the south side of the island can be used for dropping a -light boat down with a line, but all cargo has to be portaged; the north -channel is quite impracticable for navigation, having a heavy overfall -with an immense body of broken water. The whole river-bed above the -island is covered with round boulders of soft sandstone, many above -water, which make the approach to the landing difficult. The north bank -is a sand-bluff with many similar boulders protruding from the steep -cliff, the south bank lower and timbered close to the water's edge. Many -perfect specimens of petrifaction are to be seen on the island and along -the river-banks. - -The portage is the whole length of the island, about one thousand yards, -and a rough tramway has been built to save the labour of carrying -cargoes such a distance on men's backs; this tramway is a splendid -plaything for the crews, and they spend hours in running the trolley -down the hill and poling it up on the principle of a canoe ascending a -rapid. Here we passed two weeks in waiting for the boats from below to -take the whole of the steamer's load, which during this time was brought -down by the same boats that we had used. The time slipped away quickly, -though we did nothing but smoke and yarn, and towards the end of July -the brigade turned up, bringing the first consignment of furs and the -news from the North. We were soon off on our hundred-and-fifty-miles' -run to Fort MacMurray, and the travelling was now exciting enough, a -succession of rapids making hard work for the men, as several had to be -run with half loads and the boats tracked up for the other half, and at -a small cascade everything had to be portaged while the boats were -dropped over with a line. - -The worst rapid goes by the name of the Boiler Rapid, from the fact of -the boiler for the steamer _Wrigley_ which plies on Mackenzie River -having been lost here through the breaking of a boat. Here the channel -has a bad turn in the strong water, and neat steering is required to -clear two reefs of rocks which lie in an awkward position in the middle -of the stream. Sometimes there were long stretches of quiet water -between the rapids, and the boats drifted with the current while the men -smoked or slept; occasionally some one would strike up a snatch from one -of the old French-Canadian _chansons_, which seem to be dropping out of -fashion entirely since the steamers have to such a large extent done -away with the old style of boating. Four, five, and on long days -sometimes six times we put ashore to eat; a wonderful amount of flour, -bacon, and tea being consumed by the fifty men composing the brigade. -Considering the distance from which the provisions are brought, the -inability of this part of the country to supply any of the necessaries -of life, and the importance of forwarding trading-goods to the northern -districts before the short summer closes, it is not surprising that -there should be at times a scarcity. On the present occasion, however, -there was no stint, and fine weather made the trip delightful. At night -the boats were run ashore, and each crew lighting their own fire, the -encampment presented a most picturesque appearance, the gaudy belts and -head-gear of the swarthy crews as they moved in the firelight showing -in strong contrast to the dark background of tall pine trees. We -generally chose as exposed a place as possible for the camp, to get the -benefit of any wind there might be to blow away the mosquitos, which -were bad in this part of the river. I had the post of honour in the -leading boat steered by the guide of the brigade, a Swampy Indian from -the Red-River country who had spent many years in voyaging for the -Hudson's Bay Company. In former days the guide was absolute dictator and -had full control over all the boats, but nowadays discipline is slack -and he seems to have little authority. - -It was a pretty sight to see the long string of boats leaping the rapids -behind us, the bowsman standing up and pointing the course to the -steersman, while the rowers plied their utmost and broke out into the -wild shouts that can never be suppressed in moments of excitement. The -Cree language forms the medium of conversation, although many of the -half-breeds talk fluently in Red-River French; English is little spoken -in any part of the North that I visited. - -On the afternoon of the fourth day we arrived at Fort MacMurray, a small -post of little importance, standing at the junction of the Athabasca and -the Clearwater River, a large stream coming in from the southward, and -until the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway to Calgary the main -route to the North. The outfits sent from Winnipeg used to reach the -waters falling into the Arctic Sea far up the Clearwater at the -northern end of what was known as the Long Portage, but the present -route is much simpler, as there is no up-stream work with loaded boats. -After leaving Fort MacMurray the old course is maintained, following -down stream the main artery of the northern watershed. - -The stern-wheel steamer _Grahame_ was waiting for us in the mouth of the -Clearwater, with Dr. Mackay, the Hudson's Bay Company's officer in -charge of the Athabasca district of which MacMurray is the most -southerly post. It extends to the north as far as Fort Resolution on the -Great Slave Lake, and also takes in Fort Chipeweyan, the head-post of -the district, situated at the west end of the Athabasca Lake, Fond du -Lac at the east end of the same sheet of water, Vermillion and Little -Red River on the Lower Peace River, and Fort Smith at the foot of the -rapids on the Slave River. It is no sinecure for the man that has to -keep this vast extent of country supplied with everything necessary for -the existence of the Indians, making the best bargain he can for the -products of their hunts, and endeavouring to please the Chipeweyans in -the woods and the shareholders of the Company in England at the same -time. - -The cargo was put on board the steamer in the evening, and in the early -morning we started once more for the North. The water was still -exceedingly low, but not so much so as to be an impediment to -navigation, as the stream increases in size after the junction of the -Clearwater, and beyond scraping once or twice on sand-bars, our progress -was uninterrupted. About twenty miles below MacMurray we stopped to take -on wood and pitch from the natural tar deposits which are just beginning -to attract a little attention in Eastern Canada, and the geologists, -about to be sent from Ottawa to examine into the resources of this part -of the country, will doubtless make a thorough investigation of the -amount and quality of the deposit. - -The whole of that day we steamed through a wilderness of pine timber -presenting exactly the same appearance as in the upper reaches of the -river, but on the following morning the banks became low and swampy, the -stream sluggish and divided into various branches, and a few miles of -intricate navigation brought us out on to the Athabasca Lake. Across on -the north shore we could make out the white houses and church of Fort -Chipeweyan, and after a couple of hours' steaming, with smooth water, we -were alongside the rather rough apology for a landing-place. - -Fort Chipeweyan was established in the early days of fur-trading, and a -hundred years ago was the starting-point of Sir Alexander Mackenzie's -voyage of discovery that resulted in the exploration and naming of the -immense stream discharging from the Great Slave Lake. It was the scene -of many stirring events during the rivalry of the North-West and the -Hudson's Bay Companies, and since their amalgamation has always been an -important trading-post. At the present day it consists of a long row of -white painted log-houses occupied chiefly by the Company's servants; at -the southern end are the officers' quarters in close proximity to the -large trading and provision stores; at the north end stand the -Protestant church and Mission buildings, and farther along the lake is -the Roman Catholic establishment. The numerous houses form quite an -imposing sight in contrast to the surrounding desolation. The settlement -is almost at the west end of the Athabasca Lake which stretches away -some two hundred and fifty miles to the eastward, with Fond du Lac, a -small outpost, at the far end. - -Since the steamers have been running Chipeweyan has been partly supplied -with the provisions of civilization, but is still chiefly dependent on -its fisheries for food, and great pains are taken in the autumn to store -as many whitefish as possible. At the commencement of cold weather every -available net is working and the fish are hung on stages to freeze; a -large number are spoilt for eating if the weather turns warm during -hanging-time, but they are always available for the dogs. Trout-lines -are worked all the winter, and if the supply seems to be running short, -nets are also set under the ice, but usually without such good results -as at the Fall fishery. Caribou from the Barren Ground sometimes wander -near Fond du Lac, and whenever this occurs the fort is kept well -supplied by the Indians, but an occasional moose affords as a rule the -only chance of fresh meat. Many geese and ducks are killed and salted -during the spring and autumn migration of wild-fowl, which come to the -Athabasca Lake at these periods in vast numbers. Chipeweyan has a large -population for the part of the world in which it is situated, and as -there is a proportionate consumption of food no chance of laying in a -stock is missed. The lake still affords an excellent field for -exploration, as beyond the main route to the east end and some of the -nearer fisheries very little is known to the Whites, and the country in -every direction from Fond du Lac is mapped chiefly on information -derived from Indians. It is unlikely that there are any startling -discoveries to be made, as the general character of the country seems to -be the same as that of the district lying to the north and east of the -Great Slave Lake, developing gradually into the Barren Ground; but there -must be many geographical features in the form of streams and lakes to -be noticed, which might amply repay the trouble of a summer's -exploration. All supplies can easily be taken by water-carriage as far -as the east end of the lake, though of course the well-known difficulty -of transporting provisions into the Barren Ground would commence as soon -as the main lake was left. - - - - -CHAPTER II - - -After a stay of a few hours at the Fort, we started again in the -_Grahame_ on our voyage to the head of the rapids at Fort Smith, a -distance of perhaps a hundred miles, and almost immediately passed into -the main stream leaving the lake, and until the junction of the Peace -bearing the name of the Rocky River. During the high water in summer -part of the water of the Peace finds its way into the Athabasca Lake by -a passage known as the Quatres Fourches, but as the floods subside a -slight current sets in the opposite direction; the lake thus has another -outlet into the Peace, which eventually joins the Rocky River about -thirty miles below; the combined stream is then called the Slave River -till it debouches into the Great Slave Lake, on leaving which it becomes -the Mackenzie. - -A distinct alteration in the appearance of the country is visible on -leaving Fort Chipeweyan. The red granite rock shows up and the pine -timber is smaller and more scattered, burnt in many places, and mixed -with a thick growth of willows and berry-producing bushes; the scenery -from the river is monotonous and without landmarks, although a wider -view can be obtained than in running down the Athabasca, where the big -pine-trees prevent all chance of seeing far in any direction. The -current is of no great velocity with the exception of two small rapids -formed by the contraction of the channel; both are navigable, although -at certain stages of water it is necessary to put out a rope to assist -the steamer in mounting the more formidable of the two. We had a very -merry passage down, Dr. Mackay and several of the officers of his -district accompanying us, and in good time on the second day we tied up -to the bank on the west side of the river, just at the head of the -rapids. - -[Illustration: The Grahame Towing Freight-scows on Lake Athabasca] - -I must take this opportunity of congratulating the Hudson's Bay Company -on the efficient manner in which their steamers are managed. Considering -the utter incapacity of the Indian and half-breed crews when they first -come on board, great praise is due to the captains and engineers for -their success in overcoming obstacles in navigation and carrying on the -Company's business in a country so remote from civilization. Everything -is done in a quiet and orderly way, and a very noticeable feature is the -total absence of the swearing and profanity so essential to the -well-being of a river-steamer in other parts of the American continent. - -The next day the work of portaging began, as the whole cargo had to be -transported sixteen miles to the lower end of the rapids. In former days -the goods were taken down by water, necessitating many portages and -great delay; but within the last few years a road has been cut through -the woods on the west side of the river, and the portage is made with -Red-River carts drawn by oxen. Twenty carts are in use, starting loaded -and returning light, on alternate days. The road is fair in a dry -summer, but full of mud-holes in bad weather, and celebrated as the -worst place for mosquitos in all the North. - -While this was going on we amused ourselves with duck-shooting on some -lakes and muskegs a few miles back from the landing, and our bag was -always a welcome addition to the table, as no other kind of fresh meat -was to be had. Big game is very scarce along the main route, and though -there are still a few moose and bear it is rarely that an animal is seen -close to the banks of the river. As soon as the cargo was all over we -went across to Fort Smith, standing just below the rapids, to await the -arrival of the Mackenzie River steamboat which was expected at any time. -Dr. Mackay took me down the old boat-route in a canoe, and I had a good -opportunity of seeing what labour and risk there must have been with -heavily-laden boats; we made some fifteen portages in all, which -occupied a long afternoon, with only a light canoe. A large colony of -pelicans have taken possession of some islands among the rapids, and -rear their young without fear of molestation. - -Fort Smith, in spite of its fine situation on an open flat high above -the river, is the most disreputable establishment I came across in the -North, and the contrast was more striking as most of the forts are kept -rather smartly. Several half-breeds have settled close round, and a -large band of Indians, known as the Caribou-Eaters, whose hunting-ground -lies between the two big lakes, get their supplies from here. Within a -short distance is Salt River, which produces all the salt consumed in -the country, and saves the expense of importing this necessary article. - -On August 13th, after several days' waiting, the steamer _Wrigley_ -arrived, bringing up the Mackenzie River furs and several of the -officers from that district. Among her passengers was a French -half-breed, King Beaulieu, who afterwards became my guide to the Barren -Ground. He agreed to go in this capacity at a consultation held in Dr. -Mackay's presence, swearing eternal fidelity and promising to do -everything in his power to ensure the success of the expedition. Nobody -could give him a very good character, but as he was known as a pushing -fellow and first-rate traveller, besides having made a successful -musk-ox hunt in the previous year, I concluded that my best chance lay -in going with him. Certainly, with all his faults, I must say that he -was thoroughly expert in all the arts of travel with canoes or -dog-sleighs, quick in emergencies, and far more courageous than most of -the half-breeds of the Great Slave Lake. When I was alone with him I -found him easy enough to manage; but his three sons, who accompanied us, -are the biggest scoundrels I ever had to travel with, and as they seem -to demoralize the old man when they are together, the united family is a -bad combination. - -Two more days were passed in loading the _Wrigley_, and in discussion -among the officers from the two districts, who only meet on this -occasion, and have to make the most of the short stay to go over the -news of the last year and prospects for the next. Mr. Camsell, who is in -charge of Mackenzie River district, was on board, and, although I never -actually went within his dominions, was exceedingly kind in giving me -supplies from his own outfit, and in doing everything he could do to -help me during the year that I spent in the neighbourhood of the Great -Slave Lake. - -The _Wrigley_, having the rough crossing of the lake to make, is a very -different style of boat to the stern-wheelers above, which do all their -work in smooth water. She is a screw-boat, drawing seven feet when -loaded; and it gives an idea of the great size of the Mackenzie when I -mention that a vessel with this draught of water has a clear run of -thirteen hundred miles from Fort Smith to Peel's River, a tributary -joining the main stream from the west a short distance above its mouth. -She has never, I believe, steamed into the Arctic Sea, partly on account -of the channel being unknown, and partly owing to the shortness of the -season, which necessitates her being constantly at work to supply the -forts before the closing of navigation. - -After leaving Fort Smith and passing the mouth of Salt River the Slave -River widens considerably, and, with a slight current running between -low banks and numerous islands, follows a more circuitous course than in -its upper reaches. The steamer's course covers a distance of one hundred -and eighty miles to the Great Slave Lake, but, in travelling with canoes -or dogs, a number of portages are made to cut off bends of the river, -and about one-third of the distance is saved. - -The granite formation is quickly lost sight of from the water. The sandy -banks are covered with a dense growth of willows backed by the pine -forest; a gloomy uninviting stretch of country, to which the tall dead -trees charred by former fires give a peculiar air of desolation. The -soft nature of the sand, and the fact that much of the bank has fallen -in through the action of the ice breaking up in the spring, render -tracking difficult on this part of the river; the fallen timber leaning -over it at all angles, and making it impossible to pass the line. The -sluggish nature of the current, however, compensates for this, as its -strength can always be overcome by oars or paddles in the bad places. -Early on the second day we steamed through the low delta lands at the -mouth of the river, and, passing cautiously among the sandy battures -lying far off shore, arrived in heavy rain and strong westerly wind at -Fort Resolution, situated about ten miles to the westward of the river's -mouth. Mr. Mackinlay, who is in charge of the fort, was away; but, as -the steamer was delayed for a couple of days by the storm that was -blowing, Mr. Camsell gave me very valuable assistance in making -preparation for my voyage. - -The resources of the fort were at the lowest; no supplies had yet -arrived from outside, and the people were entirely dependent on their -nets for food: as is usually the case at this time of year, fish were -scarce and hard times prevalent. A boat had been fitted out to be sent -to the east end of the lake to trade for meat with the Indians hunting -there; but after waiting a long time for the steamer, to obtain the -ammunition necessary for trading, she was blown ashore and broken up on -the night of our arrival. I had intended to take a passage by this boat; -but as a party of men had to be sent to Fort Smith to bring down another -one, and I was anxious to get among the game with as little delay as -possible, I determined to make the journey as well as I could with -canoes. - -It was now that I made the acquaintance of King Beaulieu's sons, -Francois, Jose, and Paul, each of them married and father of such a big -family that it makes one tremble for the future of the Great Slave Lake -country when the next generation has grown up. The original Beaulieu -seems to have been a French half-breed brought in by the Hudson's Bay -Company among the early _voyageurs_ from Red River. He settled at Salt -River, where buffalo were numerous at the time, and by an indefinite -number of wives raised a large family which is threatening gradually to -inundate the North. King's father appears to have been a fighting man, -and great stories of his bravery and prowess are told by his sons and -grandsons; but his name only appears in the Company's records in -connection with various deeds of violence not much to his credit. - -All King's family were hanging about the fort in a state of -semi-starvation, and I was glad when we eventually started well on in -the afternoon of August 19th, with the hope of reaching first some good -fishing-ground to supply them with food for immediate want, and -afterwards the country of the caribou in the woods to the north of the -lake, while beyond that again was the prospect of finding the musk-ox -far out in the Barren Ground. - -In character a Beaulieu is a mixture of a very simple child and a German -Jew; all the lack of reason of the one combined with the greed of the -other, and a sort of low cunning more like that of an animal than a -human being. He is not a nice man to travel with, as he always keeps a -longing eye on his master's possessions, even though he is fully as -well-equipped himself, and is untrustworthy if you leave anything in his -charge. To your face he is fairspoken and humble enough, and to hear -him talk you would think he had a certain amount of regard for you; but -out of sight the promises are forgotten, and he is devising some scheme -to annoy you and get something out of you. The only way to treat him is -as you would treat a dog; if you are kind to him he takes it as a sign -that you are afraid of him, and acts accordingly. With the exception of -King there is no fear of violence; but his passion is at times so -uncontrollable that he is capable of anything. It is needless to relate -all the bother I had with these people, and I shall content myself with -saying that the whole time I was with them the camp was the scene of one -continuous wrangle; sometimes they would quarrel with me and sometimes -among themselves, but we never did anything without having a row. - -As far as Fort Resolution the travelling had been almost as easy, -although there were many delays, as in civilization; but directly you -branch from the Company's main route you are thrown entirely on your own -resources, and, owing to the impossibility of carrying enough provision -for a prolonged journey in the Barren Ground, the rifle and net are the -only means of obtaining food. This is a point to be well considered -before undertaking a trip to the country of the musk-ox, as, however -well you may be supplied at starting, you are sure to experience some -hard times before your object is accomplished. - -My only provisions consisted of a couple of sacks of flour and about -fifty pounds of bacon, and I might as well have started with none at -all. My companions had all the improvidence of the Indian nature, and -hated the idea of keeping anything for hard times. There was such a -constant begging, not without a certain excuse from hunger, to be -allowed to eat flour and bacon, that I was really rather glad when it -was all gone, which was actually the case before we left the Great Slave -Lake. We had a good supply of tea and tobacco, though it proved after -all insufficient, plenty of ammunition for the three Winchester rifles, -and powder, shot, and ball for the muzzle-loading weapons of the party; -we had also nets and a few hooks and lines, matches, needles, and awls -to be used in the manufacture of moccasins and the deer-skin clothes so -essential for winter travel; knives of various shapes and sizes, -scrapers for dressing skins, and a small stock of the duffel imported by -the Company for lining mittens and wrapping up the feet during the -intense cold that we were sure to experience during the trip. - -Our fleet numbered three large birch-bark canoes, crowded with men, -women, and children, amounting in all to over twenty souls, or, to be -more practical, mouths. Besides these there were fifteen gaunt and -hungry dogs, which had been spending their short summer's rest in -starving as a preparation for the hard work and harder blows which were -in store for them in the coming winter. - -I was of course the only white man in the party, and whatever -conversation I held with the three or four half-breeds that I could -understand was carried on in the French patois of the North. Among -themselves they used the Montaignais dialect of the Chipeweyan language, -which is spoken with variations to the northward of the Cree-speaking -belt, till its place is taken by the Slavi and Locheaux language of the -Mackenzie River; in a couple of months I had picked up enough -Montaignais to be able to mix it with French and make myself fairly well -understood. - -Four deerskin lodges made our encampment. I lived with King, as his camp -was always the quietest; in the other lodges there was a continual -screaming of children, or yelping of hungry dogs as they felt the cruel -blow of axe or paddle, which was the sure result of approaching the -savoury-smelling kettle too close. We camped the first night in the -delta of the Slave, or, as it is more usually called, the Big River. I -distributed a little ammunition, and we killed enough ducks to provide -the whole party with a night's provision. The next day a gale of wind -was blowing from the lake, and, after following winding muddy channels -all the morning, we were obliged to camp again on a point of willows -beyond which we should have been exposed to the full violence of the -storm, and our overloaded canoes would have had no chance of living in -the heavy sea. Here we remained two days, still within twenty miles of -the fort. Wild-fowl were numerous, but the great autumn migration had -not yet set in, and all the birds that we found had been bred in the -muskegs that surrounded us on all sides; they were mostly mallard, -widgeon, teal, shoveller, and pintail, the latter being particularly -plentiful. Musk-rats swam in all the little creeks and lakes, and, as -they are esteemed as an article of food, and their skins are of a -trifling value, we killed a great many. - -[Illustration: Patching a Birch-bark on the Slave River] - -On the third day we paddled along the shore of the lake against a strong -head-wind, passing the Isle de Pierre, one of the best fisheries in the -neighbourhood, and camped at the Point of Rocks, the first spot on the -south side of the lake where the red granite again shows up, and the end -of the muskeg country that extends far on each side of the Big River. -Here we caught enough whitefish with the nets to enable even the dogs to -have a small feed, and, as we killed forty ducks while waiting for the -wind to moderate, everybody was satisfied. In the afternoon we put out -in a calm to paddle across the open traverse to the first of a group of -islands about fifteen miles to the north. This traverse is the terror of -the lake for canoes, both in summer on account of the heavy sea which -gets up suddenly, and in winter when the drifting snow in stormy weather -obscures everything and makes it a difficult matter to keep the course -over the ice. On this occasion we got over just in time, and, camping on -the nearest island of the group, were delayed for two days by strong -north-west winds accompanied by showers of driving rain. - -These islands, marked on the map as Simpson's Group, extend for a -hundred miles in a north-easterly direction to Fond du Lac, and, if ever -explored, will be found to be in immense numbers, varying in size, but -all of the same red-granite formation, covered with a scanty growth of -pine, birch, and willows. Many of them rise to a considerable height, -with the ridges generally running south-west and north-east. A few moose -still inhabit the larger islands; but the big herds of caribou from the -Barren Ground that used formerly to come here in their wanderings seem -to have deserted them of late years. An occasional small pond gives -harbourage for a few wild-fowl, while wood-grouse, and in winter -ptarmigan, are plentiful. The bare outlying rocks between the islands -are the breeding-ground of gulls and terns: divers and a few cormorants -give additional life to the lake in summer; but at the first sign of -cold weather the water-birds all leave for a more temperate land, and a -deathlike silence settles over the frozen channels during the eight -months of winter. - -The island on which we were encamped, being the most westerly of the -group, was exposed to the full force of the gale. The heavy fresh-water -seas broke with great violence on the weather shore and on the numerous -rocks, some above water and others submerged, that make the navigation -of this part of the lake dangerous for anything larger than a canoe. It -was no easy matter to get out our nets, even to leeward of the island, -and the supply of fish was very scanty; dissatisfaction was prevalent in -the camp, and heavy inroads were made on the flour and bacon that would -have proved so useful later on. When the weather moderated we started -against a strong head-wind, and a hard day's paddling brought us to a -spot known as the Inconnu Fishery, situated on an island halfway to Fond -du Lac. The Inconnu, or Unknown Fish, is, I believe, entirely restricted -to the Mackenzie River country, and its southernmost limits seem to be -the rapids at Fort Smith; it was thus named by the early _voyageurs_ of -the Company, who were unable to classify it, and even to this day there -is a great variety of opinion as to what family it is a member of: a -long thin fish, not unlike a misshapen salmon, running up to fifteen -pounds in weight, with flabby and unpalatable flesh, it is held in very -low estimation in comparison with whitefish or trout, and is only -appreciated in hard times. At this particular island it will take a bait -readily, but I never heard of its doing so in any other part of the -lake, although large numbers are caught in the nets. There is some -peculiarity in the water which may account for this, as, even in the -dead of winter, there is generally an open hole in the ice; and, in -passing the Inconnu Fishery, one must keep right ashore to avoid the -treacherous spot. Here we were wind-bound again, and indeed for several -days made very little head-way against the northerly gales that seem -almost incessant at this time of year. We had a pleasant spot to camp in -every night, but not always enough to eat, and it was the first of -September before we sighted the high land on the north side of the lake. -This was the first really fine day we had had since leaving the fort, -and, taking advantage of it, we left the shelter of the islands, made a -bold crossing of the wide stretch of open water, and camped among the -scattering pines on the northern mainland. Exactly opposite to us was -the narrow entrance to Christie's Bay of the maps, extending some -hundred miles to the east and south-east, offering another tempting -field for exploration. On the west side of the entrance is a remarkable -many-coloured bluff, composed of the soft rock used by the Indians for -the manufacture of their stone pipes, which are still in common use. - -The range of hills along the north shore, which we now had to coast, -average perhaps five hundred feet in height, occasionally reaching a -much higher elevation, but without any conspicuous peaks; the land -begins to rise at once from the lake, in many places taking the form of -a steep cliff. The vegetation is the same as that on the south side of -the lake, but more stunted, the pine trees especially showing the -increased rigour of the climate; small birch trees are still numerous, -and the growth of the hardy willows is almost as strong as at Fort -Resolution. Fruit-bearing plants are common. The small muskegs between -the ridges of rock are full of a much-prized yellow berry, while -blueberry bushes flourish in the dry spots, and a few raspberries are -still to be seen; but strawberries, which used to be plentiful on the -south shore and among the islands, have disappeared. I noticed here the -low trailing plant bearing a woolly red berry, known as Cannicannick by -the Indians to the west of the Rocky Mountains, and used by them as -tobacco; the Slave Lake Indians sometimes smoke it, but prefer the inner -bark of the red willow; the Hudson's Bay negrohead tobacco is in my -opinion much improved, as well as economized, by a mixture with either -of these substances. Countless streams, the outlet of lakes on the -elevated tableland to the north, foam down the deep gulches in the -hillside, and confused masses of fallen timber and rocks give evidence -of the frequent land-slides that take place during the spring thaws. - -Again the north wind howled dismally down the lake, and several more -days were occupied in reaching Fond du Lac. The enforced delay had a -depressing effect upon the whole party, as fish were scarce, and -paddling against continual head-winds is always hard work. At last, on -September 5th, passing through a narrow arm of the lake with a -perceptible current formed by the prevailing winds, we came in sight of -Fond du Lac. A single house at the head of a snug little bay is all that -is left standing, but the ruins of others, and a number of rough graves, -show that at one time it was a more populous place. It was formerly an -outpost of Fort Resolution, used as a depot for collecting meat, and -presided over in a haphazard manner by King Beaulieu, who is still -rather sore about the abandonment of the post and his own discharge from -the Company's service. The weather now became worse than ever, snow and -hail taking the place of rain and throwing the first white mantle on the -hill-tops. It was evident that such a large party, crippled as we were -with women and children, would never be able to reach the caribou, in -the event of these animals being far back from the Great Slave Lake. We -had met no Indians, and so had no means of hearing the news of the -caribou, which forms the one topic of interest among the Dog-Rib and -Yellow Knife tribes who hunt in this part of the country. Luckily trout -and whitefish were fairly abundant, some of the former reaching such an -enormous size that I am afraid to hazard a guess at their weight, though -I afterwards saw one at the fort that turned the scale at fifty-eight -pounds. - -[Illustration: King Beaulieu] - - - - -CHAPTER III - - -We held a big council as to ways and means, and, after much discussion, -finally came to the decision that our best chance was to leave the main -body of women and children with sufficient men to attend to the nets for -them, while the rest of us pushed on to the north with our two biggest -canoes, in the hope of falling in with the caribou, and afterwards the -musk-ox. We were to leave all the dogs at Fond du Lac, as we expected to -send back before the setting in of winter; only two women, King's wife -and daughter, were to come with us to dry meat, dress deerskins, and -make moccasins. Besides them our crew consisted of King Beaulieu, his -sons Francois, Jose, Paul, and Baptiste (a boy of twelve), Michel -(King's son-in-law), and a small Indian boy who had thrown in his lot -with us as the best visible means of getting anything to keep him alive -during the autumn. All the provisions that I had brought with me were -exhausted, and we had nothing but a dozen small dried whitefish when we -left Fond du Lac on September 7th to paddle another thirty miles along -the north shore before leaving the lake. Our loads were cut down to the -smallest weight possible in order to save time on the portages. I left -my Paradox behind as the ammunition was heavy, and trusted entirely to a -Winchester rifle; a pair of glasses and a blanket about completed my -share of the cargo. I had no instruments for taking observations, no -compass, and no watch; and, take it all round, it was a very -poorly-equipped expedition. We made a bad start, as, after an hour's -travel across a deep bay, we found ourselves storm-bound on a small -island, the canoes hauled up on the beach, and such a heavy sea on all -sides that we could not get out a net. We spent an uncomfortable night -on the island, but the wind moderated a little in the morning and we put -out again. After being once driven back to our refuge we managed to -reach the mainland, with the canoes half full of water and our blankets -and clothes soaked. However, a good fire soon mended matters, and, as we -caught enough whitefish to stave off present hunger, contentment reigned -in the camp. - -The next evening, after another long struggle against the wind, we -camped in the small bay at which we intended to make our first portage, -and our long journey on the Great Slave Lake was finished. Three ducks, -our whole bag for the day, and a kettle of black tea gave us a scanty -supper, and, as there was still a little daylight, we each carried a -small load to the top of the hill, a distance of two miles, but were -disappointed in not seeing any caribou tracks. We thought we had a -chance of finding them close to the lake, but as a matter of fact we -had several days' journey yet before we fell in with them. It now seemed -pretty certain that we were in for a spell of what my companions alluded -to as _les miseres_ till we reached the meat-country, the joys of which -formed the chief subject of talk round the camp-fires. - -With the first streak of light we began the portage in a driving -snowstorm, and long before midday the rest of the cargo and the biggest -canoe were landed at the top of the steep climb; the other canoe we -abandoned, thinking one was ample for our work in the Barren Ground. We -sat down for a smoke at the top of the hill, and took our last view of -the Great Slave Lake. Looking southward we could see the far shore and -the unknown land beyond rising in terraces to a considerable height, and -very similar in appearance to the range we were on. Ahead of us, to the -north, lay a broken rocky country sparsely timbered and dotted with -lakes, the nearest of which, a couple of miles away, was the end of our -portage; a bleak and desolate country, already white with snow and with -a film of ice over the smaller ponds. Three hundred miles in the heart -of this wilderness, far beyond the line where timber ceases, lies the -land of the musk-ox, to which we were about to force our way, depending -entirely on our guns for food and for clothing to withstand the intense -cold that would soon be upon us. A pair of hawks hovering overhead -furnished the only signs of life, and the outlook was by no means -cheerful. As I was sitting on a rock meditating upon these things old -King came up and said: "Let us finish the portage quickly; it is -dinner-time." I quite agreed with him, but put his remark down as a -rather unseasonable joke, as I did not think there was a bite to eat -among us; but on reaching the lake I was pleasantly surprised to see -King fish out a lump of bacon, which he had stowed away some time ago -after one of my lectures on improvidence. It was really the last piece, -and, although there was no bread (and for the matter of that there was -none for the next three months) we all made a good enough meal. The lake -was of course named Lac du Lard to commemorate this event. - -I think no white man had ever passed through this chain of lakes before, -as Sir John Franklin went up by a more westerly route, following the -course of the Yellow Knife River, while Hearne and Back both left from -the east end of the Great Slave Lake; Stewart and Anderson, when they -were searching for survivors of Franklin's last ill-fated expedition, -reached the head waters of the Great Fish River by a chain of lakes -about eighty miles to the eastward of my present route. If the lakes -were known among the Indians by any particular names I enquired their -meaning and preserved them; the others I named from incidents in the -voyage or from the Company's officers of Athabasca and Mackenzie River -districts. - -During the afternoon we made four more short portages, passing through -the same number of lakes, some of them of a considerable size. We kept a -good look-out for the caribou but saw no signs of them, and at dark, -after a hard day's work, camped on the east shore of the Lac de Mort. It -acquired this name from a disaster that overwhelmed a large encampment -of Yellow Knives who were hunting here during one of those epidemics of -scarlet fever that have from time to time ravaged the North. Most of the -hunters were too ill to walk, and, as game was scarce, the horrors of -starvation, combined with disease, almost exterminated the band. - -The next two days were occupied in the same manner of travelling towards -the north with numerous portages. We could not catch any fish, though we -set a net every night, but killed enough ducks to keep us alive without -satisfying our ravenous hunger. The weather was still cold, with strong -head-winds and frequent snowstorms. - -On the third day we caught a big trout and killed a loon and a -wolverine, the latter after a most exciting chase on a long point. In -the next portage accordingly we made a big feast, although wolverines -are only eaten in starving times, as they are looked upon in the light -of scavengers and grave-robbers, and "_carcajou_-eater" is a favourite -term of contempt. On the present occasion nobody made any objection, and -in the circumstances the despised meat tasted remarkably well. Our joy -was soon cut short by finding the next lake, which was more sheltered -from the wind than the others we had passed through, covered with a -sheet of ice sufficiently thick to prevent the passage of a birch-bark -canoe, while a heavy snowstorm came on at the same time, making matters -look more gloomy than ever. King's sons at once expressed their -intention of returning to Fond du Lac while the lakes behind them were -still open. King, however, here showed great determination, and -declared, with an unnecessary amount of strong language, that he had the -heart of Beaulieu (the worst sort of heart, by the way), and, when once -he had started, would not turn back without seeing the musk-ox. -Eventually we persuaded them to come on, and, carrying the canoe, -reduced our load to the very smallest amount of necessaries. We then -started on foot for an expedition that would have most certainly ended -in disaster if we had gone on with it. I noticed that the two women had -the heaviest loads to carry, but having myself as much as I cared about -for a long distance I made no remarks on the subject. Luckily, after -spending a night without eating under the shelter of a bunch of dwarf -pines, we discovered the next lake to be almost clear of ice; and -carrying our canoe over the four-mile portage we continued our journey -as before, pushing on as quickly as possible to reach the Lac du Rocher, -where the half-breeds were confident of meeting the caribou, or, at the -worst, to camp at a spot well known to them where we might catch fish -enough for a temporary support. We had now been in a half-starving -condition for several days, and were beginning to lose the strength that -we required for portaging and paddling against the continual north wind. - -On September 13th we reached the Lac du Rocher, a large irregular sheet -of water, so broken up with bays and promontories that it is hard to -estimate its size. Camp was made on the south side of the lake, and we -set our nets and lines, baited with carefully preserved pieces of -whitefish, while others explored the surrounding hills for caribou -tracks, but without success. The half-breeds were all much put out by -this failure, as they have always found the Lac du Rocher a certainty -for caribou at this time of year, and were unable to account for it, -except by the theory that the animals had altered the usual course of -their autumn migration and were passing to the east of us. There was not -a fish in the net when we turned in; but a good trout was caught in the -middle of the night, and we all got up and finished the last mouthful. -Again we had no breakfast, and the early morning found us discussing -various plans in rather a serious manner. The final decision was that -Paul and Francois should push ahead to try and find the caribou, while -the rest of us moved the camp to the north end of the lake and worked -the fishing till their return; six days were allowed them for their -trip, after which each party was to act independently, and we were all -to get out of the awkward situation in the best way we could. - -Accordingly we took the canoes across the lake as soon as our hunters -had started, and put up our deerskin lodge in the shelter of a clump of -well-grown pine trees; we tried the hand-lines for hours without any -better result than completely numbing our fingers, and towards evening -set the net, also without any luck. I took my rifle and walked two or -three miles back from the lake, but beyond an Arctic fox, which I missed -at long range, saw nothing edible. - -There is no better camp than a well-set-up lodge with a good fire -crackling in the middle, and in this respect we were comfortable enough, -but the shortness of food was telling rapidly. We had made no pretence -at eating all day, and since leaving Fond du Lac had subsisted almost -entirely on tea and tobacco, while even on the Great Slave Lake -provisions had been none too plentiful. We passed the evening smoking, -and, as I have found usual in these cases, talking of all the good -things we had ever eaten, while eyes shone in the firelight with the -brilliancy peculiar to the early stages of starvation. Outside the lodge -the wind was moderated; the northern lights, though it was still early -in the year, were flashing brightly across the sky, and far away in the -distance we could hear the ominous howling of wolves. Late in the night -I awoke, and, on lighting my pipe, was greeted by King with the remark: -"Ah! Monsieur, une fois j'ai goute le pain avec le beurre; le bon Dieu a -fait ces deux choses la expres pour manger ensemble." - -Long before daylight we put off in the canoe to visit the net, and to -our great joy found five fair-sized trout, quite enough to relieve all -anxiety for the day; the weather also had improved, turning much warmer, -with the snow rapidly thawing. The half-breeds, who are all Catholics, -held a short service, as it was Sunday morning and they are very -particular in this respect. Afterwards we all went out hunting, but only -two or three ptarmigan, the first we had seen, were killed, and there -were still no signs of the caribou. The country here is much less rugged -than on first leaving the Great Slave Lake, and the rolling hills are -covered with a small plant, halfway between heather and moss, bearing a -small black berry, and growing in thick bunches wherever the soil is -capable of producing it. This plant, and a wiry black moss which grows -in patches on the flat rocks, are much used as fuel in dry weather, if -no wood is available; in wet weather they are of course useless. The -hollows between the ridges are generally muskegs, thawed out to the -depth of a foot, producing a long coarse grass, and in many places a -plentiful growth of a dwarf variety of the Labrador tea, an excellent -substitute for the product of China. Huge glacial boulders lie scattered -in every direction, many of them balanced in an extraordinary manner on -the points of smaller stones, which seem to have been of softer -substance and gradually worn away. In other spots are patches of broken -rocks, covering a large extent of ground and very difficult to travel -on, especially when a light coating of snow makes them slippery, and -conceals the deep holes in which a leg might easily be snapped; even the -caribou, sure-footed as they are, will often make a long detour in -preference to taking the risk of a fall among these rocks. Lakes of all -sizes and shapes abound on every side, connected by small streams that -find their way into the Slave Lake one hundred miles to the southward. -Pine timber is now very scarce and mostly small, growing in sheltered -spots with long stretches where not a tree is visible. A fairly thick -stem starts from the ground and immediately spreads out into a bush with -the branches growing downwards, and the top of the tree seldom reaching -a height of ten feet. Sometimes, however, even as far out as this, a -bunch of really well-grown trees is to be found, probably having the -advantages of better soil to spring from. A very few birch sticks, -invaluable to the Indian for making snow-shoes, still manage to exist, -and patches of scrub willow are frequent. The general appearance of the -country and the vegetation, with the exception of the timber, reminded -me strongly of the desert of Arnavatn in the interior of Iceland. - -A great variety of mosses and lichens flourish here and in the true -Barren Ground outside the tree limit, the _tripe des roches_ which has -played such a conspicuous part in the story of Arctic exploration being -particularly abundant at this spot. The formation of the rocks is still -red granite, with a good deal of mica showing in the boulders. - -Late in the evening we heard a gun, and, on our replying, four or five -shots were fired in rapid succession, the signal of good news; soon -afterwards Paul and Francois came in, each carrying a small load of -meat, which we finished promptly. They had fallen in with the caribou -about thirty miles on, and reported them to be moving south in great -numbers; we had now no hesitation in pushing on to meet them, and were -all jubilant at the thought of good times coming. The next day was warm -again with south-west wind, and, after passing through the Lac du -Corbeau (named from our little Indian, who had acquired the title of -_Chasseur du Corbeau_ from an unsuccessful hunt he had made after a -raven at one of our hungry camps), we portaged into Lake Camsell, a fine -sheet of water over twenty miles in length, running more to the east -than the other lakes we had passed, full of small islands, and with -rather more timber than usual on its shores. - -For the first time we could put down our paddles, and, hoisting a large -red blanket for a sail, ran in front of the steady fair wind; the water -was blue, the sun pleasantly warm, and the snow had almost disappeared. -In the afternoon there was a cry of _Et-then, Et-then!_ (the caribou), -and we saw a solitary bull standing against the sky-line on the top of -an island close to the east shore of the lake. As soon as we were out of -sight we landed and quickly surrounded him; he made a break for the -water, but one of the half-breeds, in hiding behind a rock, dropped him -before he put to sea. It was a full-grown bull in prime condition, the -velvet not yet shed, but the horns quite hard underneath. - -A scene of great activity now commenced. There was no more thought of -travelling that night, and, while two men were skinning and cutting up -the caribou, the others unloaded and carried ashore the canoe, lit a -fire, and got ready the kettles for a feast that was to make up for all -the hard times just gone through. There was plenty of meat for everybody -to gorge themselves, and we certainly made a night of it, boiling and -roasting till we had very nearly finished the whole animal. I could not -quite keep up with the others at this first trial of eating powers, but -after a couple of weeks among the caribou I was fully able to hold my -own. We seemed at length to have found the land of plenty, as ptarmigan -were very numerous, just losing the last of their pretty brown plumage -and putting on their white dresses to match the snow, which would soon -drive them for food and shelter into the thick pine woods round the -shores of the Great Slave Lake. - -We had to sleep off the effects of over-eating, and it was late in the -day before we started down the lake. After two or three hours' sailing -at a slow pace we spied a band of caribou, again on an island. With -unnecessary haste we made for the land, and, through watching the deer -instead of the water, ran the canoe on a sharp submerged rock, tearing -an ugly hole in the birch-bark. We all stepped overboard up to the -waist, carried the cargo ashore, and, leaving the women to stitch up the -canoe with the bark and fibre that is always kept handy when away from -the birch woods, started in pursuit of the caribou. The result was that -after a great deal of bad shooting we killed sixteen on the island, -while the canoe, hastily patched up, with a kettle going steadily to -bale out and the women paddling and shouting lustily, succeeded in -picking up two more that tried to escape by swimming. - -The evening was passed in skinning and cutting up the meat, which was -stowed away in rough _caches_ of rocks to keep it safe from the wolves -and wolverines. These animals are always very plentiful in attendance on -the big herds of caribou, and are often the cause of much annoyance to -the hunter through stealing meat that he is relying upon for -subsistence; in many places where the rocks are small it is impossible -to build a _cache_ strong enough to keep out the wolverines, which are -possessed of wonderful strength for their size. - -The following day while Michel, Paul, and myself were walking overland -to join the canoe at the end of the lake, we fell in with another band -of caribou, and, as the rest of the party landed at an opportune moment, -we caught the animals on a long point and made another big slaughter of -seventeen, among them some old bulls with very fine heads. A young bull, -nearly pure-white in colour, came my way, and I secured him, but -unfortunately the skin was afterwards stolen by wolverines. We had now -plenty of meat to establish a permanent camp, and set up our lodge at -the end of Lake Camsell with the intention of leaving the women and boys -to collect and dry the meat and dress the skins, while the men were away -on a short hunt after musk-ox before the lakes set fast with ice. - -We were now within a short distance of the last woods, if a few bunches -of dwarf pines, at intervals of several miles, can be called woods, and -were about to push out into the Barren Ground, where, with the exception -of an occasional patch of small scrub willow, all timber ceases. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - - -In the various records of Arctic exploration, and especially in those -dealing with the Barren Ground, there is frequent mention of deer, -reindeer, and caribou, leaving the casual reader in doubt as to how many -species of deer inhabit the rocky wilderness between the woods and the -Arctic Sea. As a matter of fact, the Barren Ground caribou (which name I -prefer, as distinguishing it from the woodland caribou, the only other -member of the reindeer tribe existing on the American continent) is the -sole representative of the Cervidae found in this locality. - -The chief distinction between this animal and its cousin the woodland -caribou, or _caribou des bois fort_ in the half-breed parlance, lies in -the different size, the latter having by far the advantage in height and -weight. I have had no opportunity of weighing specimens of either kind, -but should imagine that the woodland must be fully a third the heavier -of the two. I cannot agree with some of the natural history books which -state that the smaller animals carry the larger horns, as of all the -Barren Ground caribou that we killed I never saw any with horns to -compare with the giant antlers of the woodland caribou of Newfoundland -or British Columbia; more irregular, if possible, they may be, and -perhaps have a greater number of points, but they are far behind in -weight, spread, and size of beam. The perfect double plough is more -often seen in the smaller specimen, the larger animal being usually -provided with only one, or with one plough and a spike. In colour they -closely resemble each other, but there is rather more white noticeable -in the representative of the Barren Ground, especially in the females, -while the texture of the coat, as is to be expected, is finer in the -smaller variety. The hoofs have the same curious "snow-shoe" formation -in both cases. - -The range of the Barren Ground caribou appears to be from the islands in -the Arctic Sea to the southern part of Hudson's Bay, while the Mackenzie -River is the limit of their western wandering, although not many years -ago they are known to have crossed the Slave River in the neighbourhood -of Fort Smith. In the summer time they keep to the true Barren Ground, -but in the autumn, when their feeding-grounds are covered with snow, -they seek the hanging moss in the woods. From what I could gather from -the Yellow Knife Indians at the east end of the Great Slave Lake, and -from my own personal experience, it was late in October, immediately -after the rutting season, that the great bands of caribou, commonly -known as _La Foule_, mass up on the edge of the woods, and start for -food and shelter afforded by the stronger growth of pines farther -southward. A month afterwards the males and females separate, the latter -beginning to work their way north again as early as the end of February; -they reach the edge of the woods in April, and drop their young far out -towards the sea-coast in June, by which time the snow is melting rapidly -and the ground showing in patches. The males stay in the woods till May -and never reach the coast, but meet the females on their way inland at -the end of July; from this time they stay together till the rutting -season is over and it is time to seek the woods once more. - -The horns are mostly clear of velvet towards the end of September, but -some of the females carry it later even than this; the old bulls shed -their antlers early in December, and the young ones do the same towards -the end of that month, the females being some weeks later. In June both -sexes present a very shabby appearance, as the old coats have grown long -and white and are falling off in patches; by the end of July the new -hair has grown, and the skins are then in their best condition. - -The caribou are extremely uncertain in their movements, seldom taking -the same course in two consecutive years, and thus affording ground for -the universal cry in the North that the caribou are being killed off. I -think there is really much truth in the statement that they keep a more -easterly route than formerly, as they seldom come in large quantities -to the Mackenzie River, where they used to be particularly numerous in -winter. This is in a great measure accounted for by the fact that great -stretches of the country have been burnt, and so rendered incapable of -growing the lichen so dearly beloved by these animals. The same thing -applies at Fort Resolution, where, within the last decade, the southern -shore of the Great Slave Lake has been burnt and one of the best ranges -totally destroyed. - -One point that seems to bear out the theory of a more easterly movement -is that within the last three years the caribou have appeared in their -thousands at York Factory on the west side of Hudson's Bay, where they -have not been seen for over thirty years; but I cannot believe, judging -from the vast herds that I myself saw, that there is any danger of the -caribou being exterminated. - -It is absurd to say that the white man is killing them off, as no white -man ever fires a shot at them unless they pass very close to a Company's -establishment, and the Indians are themselves surely dying out year by -year. Nor is it any argument to say that the Indians sometimes starve to -death from want of success in hunting, as a glance at Hearne's _Journey -to the Northern Ocean in 1771_ will show that the same state of affairs -prevailed before the Company had penetrated to the Great Slave Lake or -Mackenzie River. Starvation will always be one of the features of a -Northern Indian's life, owing to his own improvidence; his instinct is -to camp close on the tracks of the caribou and move as they move; a -permanent house and a winter's supply of meat are an abomination to him. - -Since the introduction of firearms the Indian has lost much of his old -hunting lore! a snare is almost a thing of the past, but is still -occasionally used when ammunition is scarce. It is no hard matter to -kill caribou in the open country, for the rolling hills usually give -ample cover for a stalk, and even on flat ground they are easily -approached at a run, as they will almost invariably circle head to wind -and give the hunter a chance to cut them off. But it is with the spear -that the vast slaughter in the summer is annually made. The best -swimming-places are known and carefully watched, and woe betide a herd -of caribou if once surrounded in a lake by the small hunting-canoes. One -thrust of the spear, high up in the loins and ranging forward, does the -work. There is no idea of sparing life, no matter what the age or sex of -the victim may be; the lake is red with blood and covered with sometimes -several hundred carcasses, of which fully one-half are thrown away as -not fat enough to be eaten by men who may be starving in a month. Surely -this should exterminate the game; but, if one remonstrates with the -Indians at the waste, the ready answer comes: "Our fathers did this and -have taught us to do the same; they did not kill off the caribou, and -after we are gone there will be plenty for our children." These animals -are easily induced to swim at any particular spot by putting up a line -of rocks at right angles to the water, and a line of pine bush planted -in the snow across a frozen lake has the same effect; the caribou will -not pass it, but following it along fall an easy prey to the hunter -lying in ambush at the end of the line. In the winter they are killed in -great numbers on the small lakes in the timber, as they seem disinclined -to leave the open lake and will often run close up to the gun rather -than take to the woods. I have heard this accounted for by the -suggestion that they take the report of the gun for a falling tree and -are afraid of being struck if they venture off the lake; but I fancy -their natural curiosity has a great deal to do with this extraordinary -behaviour. It frequently happens that they will run backwards and -forwards within range till the last of the band is killed. - -The caribou supplies the Indian with nearly all the necessaries of life; -it gives him food, clothing, house, and the equivalent of money to spend -at the fort. He leaves the trading-post, after one of his yearly visits, -with a supply of ammunition, tea, and tobacco, a blanket or two, and, if -he has made a good season's hunt, is perhaps lucky enough to have taken -one of the Company's duffel _capotes_ (about the best form of greatcoat -that I have ever seen). He has a wife and family waiting for him -somewhere on the shore of the big lake where fish are plentiful, -expecting a gaudy dress, a shawl, or a string of beads from the fort, -but relying entirely on the caribou for maintenance during the awful -cold of the coming winter. The journey up till they fall in with the -caribou is usually full of hardships, but once they have reached the -hunting-ground and found game a great improvement in affairs takes -place; the hunter is busy killing, while the women dry meat and make -grease, dress the skins for moccasins, mittens, and gun-covers, and cut -_babiche_, which takes the place of string for lacing snow-shoes and -many other purposes. For the hair-coats, which everybody, men, women, -and children, wear during the cold season, the best skins are those of -the young animals killed in July or August, as the hair is short and -does not fall off so readily as in coats made from the skin of a -full-grown caribou; while the strong sinews lying along the backbone of -an old bull make the very best thread for sewing. Anything that is left -over after supplying the whole family finds a ready sale at the fort, -where there is always a demand for dried meat, tongue-grease, dressed -skins, and _babiche_, so that the Dog-Ribs and Yellow Knives, whose -country produces little fur, with the exception of musk-ox robes, are -thus enabled to afford some few of the white man's luxuries, tea and -tobacco being especially dear to the Indian's heart. - -A good hunter kills the caribou with discretion according to their -condition at various seasons of the year. After the females leave the -woods in the early spring he has of course only the males to fall back -on, and these are usually poor till August, when the bones are full of -marrow and the back-fat commences to grow. By the middle of September -this back-fat, or _depouille_ as it is called in Northern patois, has -reached a length of a foot or more forward from the tail, and, as it is -sometimes a couple of inches thick and extends right across the back, it -is a great prize for the lucky hunter. It is a point of etiquette that -when two or more Indians are hunting in company, the _depouille_ and -tongue belong to the man who did the killing, while the rest of the meat -is shared in common. - -Towards the end of October, when the rutting season is over, the males -are in very poor condition. The females then come into demand, but it is -not till the end of the year that they show any back-fat at all, and -this is always small in comparison with that of a bull killed in the -Fall. The summer months are generally spent by the Indians far out in -the Barren Ground, and then, as I have said, they slaughter everything -that comes within reach of their spear in the most indiscriminate -manner. - -Excepting in times of plenty, when the utmost recklessness with -provisions is displayed, there are very few parts of the caribou thrown -away, and often the actual stomach is the only thing left; the blood is -carefully preserved, and some of the intestines are prized as great -luxuries. If one does not see the actual preparations for cooking they -are good enough, but the favourite dish of all, the young unborn caribou -cut from its dead mother, I could never take kindly to, although it is -considered a delicacy among the Indians throughout the northern part of -Canada. Another morsel held in high esteem is the udder of a milk-giving -doe, which is usually roasted on the spot where the animal is killed. Of -the external parts the ribs and brisket rank highest, the haunches being -generally reserved for dog's food; a roast head is not to be despised, -and a well-smoked tongue is beyond all praise. It was the caribou of the -Barren Ground that provided the reindeers' tongues formerly exported in -such quantities by the Hudson's Bay Company. The general method of -cooking everything in the lodge is by boiling, which takes most of the -flavour out of the meat, but has the advantage of being easy and -economical of firewood. - -The marrow is usually eaten raw, and, as there is no blood visible in -the bones of a fat animal, it is not such a disgusting habit as it seems -to be at first sight, and one readily accustoms oneself to the fashion. -Everybody who has travelled in the North has experienced the same -craving for grease as the cold becomes more intense. In the case of a -white man the enforced absence of flour and all vegetable food may be an -additional cause for this feeling; but it is a fact that you can -cheerfully gnaw a solid block of grease or raw fat that it would make -you almost sick to look at in a land of temperate climate and civilized -methods of living. - -The Indian is by no means the only enemy of the caribou. Along the shore -of the Arctic Sea live straggling bands of Esquimaux who kill great -quantities of these persecuted animals, although employing more -primitive methods than their southern neighbours; it is done, moreover, -at the most fatal season of the year, just as the females have arrived -at the coast and are dropping their young. Then there are the -ever-hungry wolves and wolverines that hang with such pertinacity on the -travelling herds and rely upon them entirely for subsistence. It is -rarely that a caribou once singled out can escape. The wolves hunt in -bands and seldom leave the track they have selected; the chase lasts for -many hours, till the victim, wearied by the incessant running, leaves -the band and his fate is sealed; he has a little the best of the pace at -first but not the staying power, and is soon pulled to the ground. Many -a time I witnessed these courses, and once disturbed half a dozen wolves -just as they commenced their feast on a caribou in which life was hardly -extinct, and I took the tongue and _depouille_ for my share of the hunt. - -[Illustration: A Dead White Wolf] - -I only saw wolves of two colours, white and black, during my stay in the -North, although I heard much talk of grey wolves. There was some sort -of disease, resembling mange, among them in the winter of 1889-90, which -had the effect of taking off all their hair, and, judging from the -number of dead that were lying about, must have considerably thinned -their numbers. They do not seem to be dangerous to human beings except -when starving; but the Indians have stories of crazy wolves that run -into the lodges, kill the children, and play general havoc. I know that -they do at times get bold under stress of hunger, as my own hauling dogs -were set upon and eaten by them while harnessed to the sleigh close to -the house at Fond du Lac; nothing remained but the sleigh, and a string -of bells that must have proved less tempting than the rest of the -harness. - -I scarcely credit the statement I have often heard made, that the -wolverines will kill a full-grown caribou, although it is possible that -they may attack the young ones. They follow the herds more for the -pickings they can get from the feasts of the wolves, and are content -with showing their fighting powers on hares and ptarmigan; if meat is -not to be had they will eat berries freely, and their flesh is then not -so bad as after they have had a long course of meat. The _carcajou_ -possesses great strength and cunning in removing rocks and breaking into -a _cache_; it climbs with great agility, and has a mean trick of -throwing down a marten-trap from behind and taking out the bait, and is -generally credited by the Indian with more wiles than the devil -himself. It is an animal common enough in many parts of Canada, but is -rarely seen in the woods on account of its retiring habits. In the -Barren Ground, however, I had many opportunities of watching them -through the glasses as they worked at the carcass of a caribou or -musk-ox, and was much struck by the enormous power exercised by so small -an animal; in travelling it seems to use only one pace, the _lope_ of -the Western prairies, which it is said to be able to keep up for an -indefinite time. - -Another great source of annoyance to the caribou are the two sorts of -gadfly which use these animals as a hatching-ground for their eggs. The -biggest kind, which seem the most numerous, deposit their eggs on the -back, and, as they hatch out, the grubs bore through the skin and prey -on the surrounding flesh. They begin to show in October, and grow bigger -through the winter till the following spring, the number of holes in -many cases rendering the skin absolutely useless for dressing. The other -kind of fly lays its eggs in the nostril, with the result that in the -months of May and June a nest of writhing grubs, slimmer and more lively -than the grubs under the skin, appears at the root of the tongue; at -this time of year the caribou may be often seen to stop and shake their -heads violently, with their horns close to the ground, evidently greatly -troubled by these grubs. Of the latter kind the Indians who travelled -with me in the summer have a great horror, warning me to be very careful -not to eat them, as they have an idea they would surely grow in a man's -throat; and whenever we killed an animal, the first operation was to cut -off its head and remove these unpleasant objects. By the beginning of -August all the grubs have dropped off and the holes healed up, while the -new coat has grown and the skins are then in their best condition. - -I could not hear of any attempt ever having been made to domesticate the -caribou, though there is no good reason why they should not be trained -to do the same work as the reindeer of Northern Europe. If this were -brought about it would do away with the greatest difficulty of winter -travel, the trouble about dog's food, which cripples any attempt to make -a long journey except where game is very plentiful; wherever there was -green timber and hanging moss the caribou might find its own supper, and -would always come in better for food than a thin dog in times of -starvation. - -The caribou afford a wide scope for the superstitions so ingrained in -the Indian nature, and the wildest tales without the least foundation -are firmly believed in. One widely-spread fancy is that they will -entirely forsake a country if anyone throws a stick or stone at them, -and their disappearance from the neighbourhood of Fort Resolution is -accounted for by the fact of a boy, who had no gun, joining in the -chase when the caribou were passing in big numbers, and clubbing one to -death with a stick; this belief holds good also down the Mackenzie -River, as does the idea that these animals on some occasions vanish -either into the air or under the ground. The Indians say that sometimes -when following close on a herd they arrive at a spot where the tracks -suddenly cease and the hunter is left to wonder and starve. It is very -unlucky to let the dogs eat any part of the head, and the remaining -bones are always burnt or put up in a tree out of reach, the dogs going -hungry, unless there happens to be some other kind of meat handy. -Another rather more sensible superstition, presumably invented by the -men, is that no woman must eat the gristle of the nose (a much-esteemed -delicacy), or she will infallibly grow a beard. - -Such are examples of the endless traditions told of the caribou, which -will always form the chief topic of conversation in the scattered lodges -of the Dog-Ribs and Yellow Knives. - - - - -CHAPTER V - - -On the 17th of September we left our camp at the north end of Lake -Camsell for a short expedition in search of musk-ox, which we expected -to find within fifty miles of the edge of the woods. By this time we had -all fattened up, and entirely recovered from the effects of the short -rations we had had to put up with before we fell in with the caribou. - -My crew consisted at starting of King, Paul, Francois, Michel, and Jose; -but as the two latter speedily showed signs of discontent I made no -objection to their turning back, and despatched them to Fond du Lac to -get ready the dog-sleighs, snow-shoes, and everything necessary for -winter travel. As a matter of fact they did absolutely nothing except -squander a relay of provisions and ammunition that had been sent on by -the trading-boat from the fort to meet me at Fond du Lac. I was not -sorry to see the last of them, as four of us were quite enough to work -the canoe, and a small party naturally stands in less danger of -starvation than a big one; moreover, they were certainly the most -quarrelsome men in the camp, which is saying a good deal, as we had all -done our fair share in that way since leaving the fort. - -We started without any meat, expecting to find caribou everywhere, and -in this respect we had great luck all the time we were out; but we were -not so well off for shelter. We had brought only one lodge from Fond du -Lac, which was of course left for the women, while we took the chance of -what weather might come, hunting the lee-side of a big rock towards -evening, and often finding ourselves covered with an extra blanket of -snow (_le couvert du bon Dieu_, as King called it) in the morning. - -The plan of campaign was to reach the musk-ox by canoe and bring back as -many robes as we could carry before the winter set in; or, failing this, -to kill and _cache_ caribou along our line of travel, so that we should -have meat to help us reach the musk-ox with dog-sleighs after the heavy -snow had fallen and all the caribou had passed into the woods. - -I named the first lake that we portaged into King Lake, a narrow sheet -of water some five miles in length, and here we were storm-bound all day -by a northerly gale, the force of the wind being so great that we could -not move the canoe to windward, although the water was smooth enough. -The weather improving in the morning, we paddled down the lake and -passed into a small stream running out of its north end. A couple of -miles down stream, with a portage over a small cascade (the -thirty-fourth and last portage that we made with the big canoe), brought -us to a huge lake running in a south-east and north-west direction, -said to be the longest of all the lakes in this part of the country, and -by the Indians' account four good days' travel, or over one hundred -miles in length; the part that I saw is certainly over fifty miles, and -is said to be not half the total distance. The lake is narrow in most -places, and cut up by long points into numerous bays; there are a great -many islands, particularly at the north-east end, similar in appearance -to the main shore, which is just like the country I have described at -the Lac du Rocher, except that at the end of the big lake the hills -reach a greater elevation, and present more the aspect of a regular -range, than in any other part of the Barren Ground that I saw. - -The position of Mackay Lake, as I named it after Dr. Mackay of the -Athabasca district, is worthy of remark, as it is the best -starting-point from which to work the most important streams of both -watersheds. It lies very nearly on the height of land between the Great -Slave Lake and the Arctic Ocean; its west end must be but a short -portage from the Yellow Knife River, while from its eastern extremity -runs out the large stream, named by Anderson the Outram, but more -generally known as Lockhart's River, from the fact of its falling into -the Great Slave Lake at Lockhart's house, which was established for the -relief of Stewart and Anderson when they went in search of the missing -Franklin Expedition. The Great Fish, or Back's River, which they -descended on that occasion, heads within half a mile of the north bay of -Aylmer Lake, lying next below Mackay Lake, on Lockhart's River. Fifteen -miles to the north is another large sheet of water known to my -companions as the Lac de Gras, through which the Coppermine River runs -on its course direct to the Arctic Sea. - -The point at which we fell on Lake Mackay is about the edge of the -woods, and here we camped for the last time with pine timber, finding a -small hunting-canoe which some of the Beaulieus had left during the -previous autumn. This we decided to take with us, and it proved -extremely useful later on in crossing the Coppermine. - -On Sunday, September 22nd, with a fresh fair wind and our blanket -pulling strong, we ran for several hours in a north-east direction; the -little canoe which we carried athwartship made the steering difficult, -as her bow and stern kept striking the tops of the big waves that were -running after us, but we met with no accident except the carrying away -of our mast. - -We were continually in sight of large bands of caribou, but they seemed -to take little notice of the extraordinary apparition. Towards evening -we saw a herd on a long point projecting far out from the south shore of -the lake, and, thinking it would be a good place to make a _cache_, -landed inside them and walked down the point in line. We had the animals -completely hemmed in, and, when they charged through us, nine dropped -to quick shooting at short range. There was little fuel of any kind on -the spot, and we had to eat our meat almost raw, as is the fashion of -the Barren Ground on these occasions. In the morning we ferried all the -carcasses to a convenient island close to the point, put them in _cache_ -among the rocks, and proceeded down the lake, camping at sundown at the -head of a small bay near its north-east end. - -The weather now changed, and once more the north wind came howling -across the open country straight from the Arctic Sea, and a steady -continuous frost set in. We hauled up the big canoe and set out on foot, -taking with us only our rifles and ammunition, a blanket apiece, and a -couple of small kettles, besides the little canoe, which proved an -awkward load to carry against the strong head-wind. We must have walked -about twenty miles, occasionally making use of a lake for the canoe, -when we reached the south shore of the Lac de Gras, much disappointed in -seeing no musk-ox or caribou all day. - -The Lac de Gras is much broader than Lake Mackay, and rounder in shape, -although at one spot it is nearly cut in half by points stretching out -from each side. The Coppermine River runs in at the east and out at the -west end, and the distance is not great to the site of Fort Enterprise, -Sir John Franklin's wintering place in 1820, and the scene of the awful -disasters which befell his first overland expedition. - -We were now hard up for provisions again, and the first daylight found -us hunting for something to eat. Two of us walked along the shore, while -the others paddled the canoe, but we could find neither musk-ox nor -caribou; at midday we met and changed places, King and myself making -rather a bold crossing in the shaky little canoe, while Paul and -Francois walked round. On approaching the north shore of the lake we -noticed a raven rise and throw himself on his back in the air, uttering -the curious gurgling note which always seems to imply satisfaction. King -exclaimed, "See the raven putting down his load! there is something to -eat there"; and true enough there was, for we found the carcasses of -eight musk-ox, killed, as we afterwards heard, a month before by a party -of Yellow Knives, who had driven the animals into the water and -massacred the whole band. Half a dozen gulls flapped away heavily, and -we caught sight of a wolverine sneaking off as we came near. Neither of -us much fancied the appearance of the feast that lay before us, but we -had eaten nothing for some time, and one is not particular in such -cases, especially as it is never certain when the next meal will turn -up. We robbed from the wolverines and ravens, and, signalling to Paul -and Francois, made a meal of the half-putrid flesh in a little patch of -willow scrub that happened to be close at hand. It is never pleasant to -find the game you are hunting killed by somebody else, but in this -instance it was a relief to know that we had a supply of meat, such as -it was, to fall back upon in case we came to grief later on. - -After supper we crossed the Coppermine, a big deep stream even here, -with a current of a mile and a half an hour, running out of another lake -which stretched northward and eastward as far as we could see. Here we -left the small canoe to cross with on our return, and walked on late -into the night, hoping to find some more willows, but eventually made a -wretchedly cold camp without fire on a long promontory, to which we -always after alluded as Le Point de Misere. A light snowstorm made us -still more uncomfortable, and it was well on in the next afternoon -before we found willows enough to make a fire, sighting almost -immediately afterwards a big band of caribou. We killed eight, and, as -all the small lakes were firmly frozen over by this time, were able to -make the safest form of _cache_ by breaking the ice and throwing the -meat into shoal water, which would at once begin to freeze and defy all -the efforts of the wolverines. Two months afterwards we chopped out this -meat, and found it fresh and palatable, although the outside was -discoloured by its long soaking. When we had finished our _cache_ we lit -a comparatively big fire in a bunch of well-grown willows and spent the -rest of the day in eating and mending our moccasins, which were all -badly worn out by the rough walking of the last few days. We had left -our main camp badly provided in this respect, as the women had not had -sufficient time to dress any skins before we started, and in consequence -we were all troubled with sore feet during our wanderings in search of -the musk-ox. - -Curiously enough, now we did not want them, the ptarmigan appeared again -in great quantities, although we had not seen any since leaving our big -canoe. The only other birds remaining were a few hawks, owls, gulls, and -ravens; the wild-fowl had all left, and as a matter of fact we had come -across very few since leaving the Great Slave Lake. About this time, -too, we killed the first Arctic hare, an animal by no means to be -despised, as it is fully as big as an English hare and will at a pinch -provide a meal for a small party; at this time of year they are -completely white, with the exception of the tips of the ears which are -black; they are usually tame, and, being very conspicuous before the -snow covers the ground, afford an excellent mark for the rifle. - -On this day we crossed a peculiar ridge composed of fine gravel and -sand, resembling at a distance a high railway embankment. It is a -well-known landmark for the Indians, and is said by them to stretch, -with few interruptions from the east end of the Athabasca Lake to the -east end of Great Bear Lake. - -September 27th was a red-letter day, marking the death of the first -musk-ox. Soon after leaving camp we came to a rough piece of country, -full of patches of the broken rocks that I have already described, and, -mounting a small hill, saw a single old bull walking directly towards us -at a distance of three hundred yards. We lay down in the snow, and I had -a capital chance of watching him through the glasses as he picked his -way quietly over the slippery rocks, a sight which went far to repay all -the trouble we had taken in penetrating this land of desolation. In -crossing an occasional piece of level ground he walked with a curious -rolling motion, probably accounted for by the waving of the long hair on -the flanks; this hair reaches almost to the ground, and gives the legs -such an exaggerated appearance of shortness that, at first sight, one -would declare the animal to be incapable of any rapid motion. The shaggy -head was carried high, and when he finally pulled up at sight of us, -within forty yards, with his neck slightly arched and a gleam of -sunshine lighting up the huge white boss formed by the junction of the -horns, he presented a most formidable appearance. His fate was not long -in doubt, as my first shot settled him, and the main object of my trip -was accomplished; whatever might happen after this, I could always -congratulate myself on having killed a musk-ox, and this made up for a -great deal of the misery that we afterwards had to undergo. - -Although not absolutely prime, this animal was a fine specimen of an -old bull, with the yellow marking on the back clearly defined, and as -good a head as any I saw during my stay in the musk-ox country. We took -the whole skin, with head, horns, and hoofs, and _cached_ it among the -rocks, where I am sorry to say it lies to this day; I intended to pick -it up in the course of our winter hunt, but unfortunately we were caught -in a snowstorm on the Lac de Gras, and were unable to find the _cache_. -In the evening we scattered over the country, hoping to find a band of -musk-ox, but another bull, killed by Paul, was the only one seen. - -On the following day the frost was much keener; the smaller lakes and -the sheltered bays in the big one were set fast, and we began to realise -that the sooner we started back the better chance we had of getting -across Mackay Lake with the canoe, and avoiding the long detour to cross -Lockhart's River, which was sure to remain open much longer than the -lakes. The winter was coming on quickly, and we were badly provided with -clothes to withstand its severity; our moccasins were in rags, and -everybody showed signs of being footsore. By rough reckoning we were -about on the 65th degree of latitude, and it seemed too reckless to push -on any further towards the North, as already we were separated from the -nearest timber by a hundred miles of treeless waste; even if we found a -band of musk-ox, we should be forced to come out again with dogs to -haul in the robes, as our big canoe was now too far back for us to think -of carrying any great weight with us. Although we had not made a -successful hunt, our trouble was not all thrown away, as enough meat -_caches_ had been made to insure us a fair chance of getting out into -the same country on the first deep snow. - -Nobody liked to be the first to talk about turning back, but on reaching -the top of a low range of hills and seeing a flat desolate stretch of -country lying to the north of us, with the lakes frozen up and no sign -of animals or firewood, King turned to me and said: "It is not far from -here that the white men died from cold and starvation at this time of -year; let us go back before the snow gets deep and we are not able to -travel." The old man looked particularly tough at this moment; none of -our faces were very clean, but his was the more remarkable, as the blood -of the last caribou that we killed had splashed in it, and, running down -his beard, had mixed with his frozen breath and appeared in the form of -long red icicles hanging from his chin. I think he knew what was in my -mind and had an idea that I was laughing at him, for suddenly his quick -temper got the better of him and he broke into one of those wild volleys -of blasphemy that I had heard him give way to so often, and, turning on -his heel, said that I could do as I liked, but he was going to make the -best of his way back to the lodge. The walk back in front of the wind -was not nearly so bad as it had been coming out head to it; and in many -places we could travel straight over the ice, and, by cutting across the -bays instead of walking round, save a considerable distance. Whenever we -got this chance we put our loads on a handful of willow-brush and -dragged them after us, finding it far easier than carrying them on our -shoulders. - -Another night we spent without fire on the Point de Misere, and on -October 3rd crossed the Coppermine amidst running ice, and there -abandoned the little canoe. On the south side of the river we fell in -with the biggest band of caribou we had yet seen, numbering fully three -hundred; but as we had no need of any more meat _caches_ on the Lac de -Gras, we only killed enough for present use. - -This crossing of the Coppermine, by the way, is an important spot in the -history of the Dog-Ribs and Yellow Knives. It has always been a -favourite swimming-place for the caribou, and many a struggle took place -for the possession of this hunting-ground in the old days when there was -continual warfare between the two tribes. At the present day it is a -breach of etiquette for any Indians to camp here, as it is supposed that -if the caribou are once headed back at this point they will not come -south of Mackay Lake. This rule had evidently been broken lately, as we -found signs of a recent encampment, and King considered that this amply -accounted for our not finding the caribou before we reached the Lac du -Rocher. - -After two more days' hard travelling we arrived at our big canoe, and -had the satisfaction of finding some meat, that we had left there, -untouched by the wolverines; but the bay was frozen solid, and there was -no open water within two miles. Beyond the points of the bay we could -see the white-capped waves running, but we knew that at the first spell -of calm weather the whole lake would set fast. - -I now saw an example of the readiness of idea which King possessed in -devising shifts and expedients to get out of difficulties. Of course he -had had fifty years' experience in northern travel, but he was -certainly, in my opinion, far above the average of the many other -half-breeds and Indians who had been my companions in more or less -difficult journeys in various parts of Canada. Before I thoroughly -understood his scheme we commenced operations, by lashing together all -the poles and paddles into a rough sort of ice-raft; on the top of this -we placed the loads that we had carried so many miles, forming a smooth -bed, two feet above the level of the ice, on which to rest the canoe. -The bay had evidently frozen and broken up once, and the second freezing -had left a rough surface; many of the floes were piled on top of each -other, while the rest had been turned on edge, and it was necessary to -keep the canoe clear of these sharp edges, which would have ripped the -tender birch-bark like a knife. One man ran ahead, trying the strength -of the ice with an axe, while the others hauled on the raft, and our -method of progression was so satisfactory that just before dark, after -much ominous cracking of the ice but no disaster, we camped on the east -point of the bay close to the edge of open water. The half-breeds showed -great knowledge of ice, and, with an occasional tap of the axe, picked -out the safest route without making a mistake. - -The canoe propped on her side gave us the best shelter we had had for -many a night, and, finding willows enough for a fire, we all felt -jubilant at the idea of reaching the first clump of pines on the -following day, besides getting an opportunity to rest our feet, which by -this time were in a very bad condition. In this, however, we were doomed -to disappointment. - -At the first sign of daylight we launched the canoe, and, breaking our -way out through the young ice, were soon paddling in a heavy beam sea, -with every splash of water freezing on us, and many stops to knock the -ice from our paddles. After two or three hours of this work the wind -died out, and, as we approached a group of small islands that cut the -lake up into numerous channels, we saw a thin sheet of ice across the -whole width. All hope of passing with the canoe was given up, and we -headed for the south shore while a heavy snowstorm made it difficult to -keep the course; the surface water was rapidly thickening into ice, and -the sharp needles began to scrape unpleasantly along the sides of our -frail vessel. We were none too soon in reaching the land, and had to -carry the canoe over the thick ice near the shore. Here we turned her -over carefully, and putting the poles, paddles, and all necessaries -underneath, abandoned her to be buried under the snow till I might want -her again the next summer. Late in the following June we found her, none -the worse for her long exposure to the rigour of a winter in the Barren -Ground, but even then there was no sign of open water in Mackay Lake. - -We had now to continue our journey on foot; but by keeping to the shore -of the lake, and sometimes making use of the ice in crossing a bay, we -only camped twice before reaching the pine timber. Late on the third day -we came to the bank of an ugly, quick-flowing stream, and saw a large -bunch of pines on the far side. Waist-deep we made a ford among the -running ice, and were soon drying ourselves by a blazing fire of -pine-wood. - -The whole of life is said to go by comparison, and although a few -pine-trees in a wilderness of snow might seem the height of desolation -to a man lately used to the luxuries of the civilized world, it appeared -to us like a glimpse of heaven after the exposure of the last few weeks. -It really was a pleasant spot, and one which has impressed itself on my -memory more than any other camp that we made during this trip. A band of -caribou, passing close by, provided us with supper, while a big pack of -ptarmigan held possession of the little pine-trees, and kept up a -constant expostulation at the intrusion of the scarcely known human -beings. Hunger and danger were behind us just at present, and we felt in -the best of tempers as we lay down for a long sleep on sweet-smelling -pine-brush. - -Shortly after leaving camp in the morning another band of caribou -appeared, and, as the lodge was now not far ahead, we killed about a -dozen, and put them in _cache_ for later use. We then walked steadily on -all day, and in the evening came in sight of Lake Camsell, over which -the sun was setting in full northern splendour, throwing a wonderful -purple light across the thin film of ice that coated the water. It was -late in the night, and it was not till we had fired several gun-shots at -intervals, that we heard an answering signal, and found that the women -had set up the lodge in the next bunch of pines, as they had exhausted -all the firewood close to the old camp. - -Meat was abundant, for the caribou had been passing, and many had been -killed by the women and boys. Bales of dried meat formed a solid wall -round the lodge, varied here and there by a bladder of grease or a -skin-bag full of pounded meat, while bunches of tongues and back-fats -were hanging from the cross-poles to smoke. The scene reminded me of the -old fairy stories in which the hero used to discover houses, with walls -of sugar and roofs of gingerbread, full of all the good things -imaginable, while any member of the Beaulieu family would make a -respectable ogre to guard such treasures. Of course the lodge was dirty -and infested with the vermin from which these people are never free; but -there was an air of warmth and plenty about it very agreeable after the -hand-to-mouth existence we had been leading. - -On looking back at this expedition I cannot help thinking that we were -lucky in getting through it without more trouble; it was just the wrong -time of year to be travelling, too late for open water and too early for -dogs to have been of any service, even if we had had them with us. One -of the heavy snowstorms that, judging from Sir John Franklin's -experience, are common in the end of September and beginning of October, -would have made the walking much more laborious, as even the little snow -that was on the ground delayed us considerably. Another source of danger -was the numerous falls among the broken rocks; but though we all came -down heavily at times, and, once or twice, with big loads of meat on our -backs, no damage was done. The caribou kept turning up most opportunely, -and we had no real hardships from want of food. Fuel was nearly always -insufficient, but we only had two fireless camps, both on the Point de -Misere. In many places we used black moss in addition to whatever willow -scrub we could collect, and so long as the weather was dry found it -quite good enough for boiling a kettle, but when the snow fell it was -perfectly useless. This absence of a fire to sit by at night is the most -unpleasant feature in travelling the Barren Ground. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - - -The day after our arrival was Sunday, a fine, calm day with bright -sunshine, of which we took advantage to wash our scanty stock of -clothing and generally pull ourselves together. Cleanliness of the body -is not looked upon with much favour by the half-breeds, but Sunday -morning was always celebrated in the lodge by the washing of faces and a -plentiful application of grease to the hair. After this operation was -over we held a consultation as to the best way of carrying on our hunt -of the musk-ox, which had so far not proved successful. The same old -wrangling and abuse of each other ensued, and finally the following -decision was arrived at. Paul and Francois were to go back to Fond du -Lac, so soon as their feet were in a fit condition to travel; they were -to occupy themselves in getting ready the dog-sleighs, and to return on -the first deep snow to the spot where we had killed the caribou on the -day that we reached the lodge. If any of the Indians, of whom I had seen -absolutely nothing so far, were going to the musk-ox, arrangements -should be made with them to come all together, so that we might have the -benefit of as many sleighs as possible to haul wood. All our dried meat -was to be put in _cache_ at Lake Camsell, and the camp moved to a clump -of pines that we had noticed the day before. King and myself were to -remain with the women, to kill meat enough to enable us to start well -supplied for the musk-ox country. - -We built a rough scaffold with the longest poles obtainable, and stowed -all the meat as high above the ground as possible. Then we pulled down -the lodge, and, after a couple of days' walk with heavy loads, camped on -the south side of a ridge, from the summit of which we had a commanding -view of Lake Mackay and the surrounding country. There was little chance -of many caribou passing without being observed, as there were usually -several pairs of sharp eyes on the look-out. - -As this was to be our home for a month or so, we took care to pick out a -good spot and set up the lodge in the most approved fashion, taking -advantage of the little shelter that the stunted pines could afford. - -A mile or two to the east lay the northern end of a large sheet of -water, running about forty miles in a southerly direction, known to the -Indians as "The Lake of the Enemy," and formerly the home of that -terrible Evil Spirit supposed to haunt the Barren Ground. It is hard to -get a full description of the Enemy, as, although many people have seen -it, they are at once afflicted with insanity, and are incapable of -giving an accurate account of their experience; but one must not dare to -express unbelief in the existence of the Enemy any more than in that of -the Giant Musk-Ox, fully ten times the size of the biggest bull ever -seen, whose track many Indians say they have come across far out in the -Barren Ground. - -King and myself spent most of our time prowling about in search of -caribou, but for the first fortnight few came and we were only just able -to keep ourselves in fresh meat, although there was soon plenty of dried -meat from the animals we had _cached_ at this spot a week before. I now -saw what an advantage it is to take women on a hunting-trip of this -kind, and certainly King's wife and daughter were both well up in the -household duties of the country. If we killed anything, we only had to -cut up and _cache_ the meat, and the women and small boys would carry it -in. On returning to camp we could throw ourselves down on a pile of -caribou skins and smoke our pipes in comfort, but the women's work was -never finished. The rib bones have all to be picked out, and the _plat -cote_ hung up in the smoke to dry; the meat of haunches and shoulders -must be cut up in thin strips for the same purpose, and the bones have -to be collected, pounded down, and boiled for the grease which is in -such demand during the cold weather about to commence. But the greatest -labour of all lies in dressing the skins, cutting off the hair, scraping -away every particle of flesh and fat, and afterwards tanning them into -soft leather for moccasins, which are themselves no easy task to make. -Many skins, too, have to be made into parchment or carefully cut into -_babiche_ for the lacing of snow-shoes, and again, there are hair-coats -to be made for each member of the party. In an ordinary Indian lodge the -women have to put up with ill-usage as well as hard work; but most of -the half-breeds know enough to treat them fairly; and King, except in -his moments of passion, when he did not stop at any cruelty, treated his -womenkind very well. - -One of our first expeditions was to hunt birch for making the frames of -snow-shoes, which might be needed at any time, and King soon had a pair -ready for lacing; he was very clever with the crooked knife, the -universal tool of the North, but the stunted birch is hard to bend to -the proper shape, and requires constant watching during the process of -warping. - -The evenings were generally spent in long discussions over our pipes, -for tobacco was still holding out, and the old man was keen to hear -about the doings of the white man in the Grand Pays, as the half-breeds -indefinitely term the whole of the outside world. The ignorance existing -among these people is extraordinary, considering how much time they -spend at the forts, and how many officers of the Hudson's Bay Company -they have a chance to talk to, besides the missionaries of both faiths. -It is a different matter with the Indians, as they seldom come to the -fort, and cannot hold much conversation with the Whites without an -interpreter. It was difficult, for instance, to persuade King that the -Hudson's Bay Company does not rule the whole world, or that there are -countries that have no fur-bearing animals, which in the North furnish -the only means of making a living for the poor man. He was much -interested in stories of the Queen, although he could never believe that -Her Majesty held such a high rank as the Governor of the Company, and -quite refused to acknowledge her as his sovereign. "No," he said; "she -may be your Queen, as she gives you everything you want, good rifles and -plenty of ammunition, and you say that you eat flour at every meal in -your own country. If she were my Queen, surely she would send me -sometimes half a sack of flour, a little tea, or perhaps a little sugar, -and then I should say she was indeed my Queen. As it is I would rather -believe Mr. Reid of Fort Province, who told me once that the earth went -round and the sun stood still; but I myself have seen the sun rise in -the morning and set at night for many years. It is wrong of you White -Men, who know how to read and write, to tell lies to poor men who live -by the muzzle of their guns." - -Another matter over which his mind was greatly exercised was the last -North-West Rebellion under Louis Riel. He was convinced that during -this rising the half-breeds and Indians had declared war upon the -Hudson's Bay Company, and gained a decisive victory besides much -glorious plunder; and he asked why such an outbreak should not succeed -on the Great Slave Lake, where there was only one man in charge of a -fort. He had many questions too to ask about the various good things -that we eat and drink in England, and criticised severely the habit of -eating three regular meals a day, which he described as eating by the -clock instead of by the stomach, a much more greedy habit than that of -gorging when meat is plentiful and starving at other times. On several -occasions during our travels together I had reason to expostulate with -him on the carelessness he displayed with provisions, but without making -the least impression. "What is this improvidence?" he would say. "I do -not like that word. When we have meat why should we not eat _plein -ventre_ to make up for the time when we are sure to starve again?" He -could never realise that starvation might be partially avoided by a -little care. - -Often King would spin me a long story as we lay round the fire in the -lodge; usually some tradition handed down from the time when all the -animals and birds could converse together; what the wolf said to the -wolverine when they went on a hunting-trip in company, and how the -ptarmigan invited the loon to dine with him in a clump of willows in the -Barren Ground, while there was a big stock of giant stories, with -heroes much resembling those of the favourite nursery tales of one's -childhood. Again he would come down to more recent times and describe -the battles of the Dog-Ribs and Yellow Knives, which seem to have been -carried on in the same sneaking fashion that has always distinguished -the warfare among the tribes of Canadian Indians; there was no open -fighting, and all the victories were won by a successful approach on an -unsuspecting and usually sleeping encampment of the enemy, the first -grey of dawn being the favourite time of attack. - -The following story of the Deluge, as believed by the Yellow Knives, I -copied down from King's recital; it appears to be a curious mixture of -old tradition with some details from the Biblical version as taught to -the Northern Indians on the arrival of the first priests in the country. - -Many years ago, so long ago in fact that as yet no man had appeared in -the country of the Slave Lake, the animals, birds, and fishes lived in -peace and friendship, supporting themselves by the abundant produce of -the soil. But one winter the snow fell far more heavily than usual; -perpetual darkness set in, and when the spring should have come the -snow, instead of melting away, grew deeper and deeper. This state of -affairs lasted many months, and it became hard for the animals to make a -living; many died of want, and at last it was decided in grand council -to send a deputation to Heaven to enquire into the cause of the strange -events, and in this deputation every kind of animal, bird, and fish was -represented. They seem to have had no difficulty in reaching the sky, -and passing through a trap-door into a land of sunshine and plenty. -Guarding the door stood a deerskin lodge resembling the lodges now in -use among the Yellow Knives; it was the home of the black bear, an -animal then unknown on the earth. The old bear had gone to a lake close -at hand to spear caribou from a canoe, but three cubs were left in the -lodge to take care of some mysterious bundles that were hung up on the -cross-poles; the cubs refused to say what these bundles contained and -appeared very anxious for the return of the old bear. - -Now the idea of spearing caribou did not find favour with the deputation -from below, and as the canoe was seen lying on the shore of the lake, -the mouse was despatched to gnaw through the paddle, and as he had -nearly accomplished this feat the bear came running down in pursuit of a -band of caribou that had put off from the far shore. When he was close -up to his intended victims and was working his best, the paddle suddenly -broke, the canoe capsized, and the bear disappeared beneath the water. -Then the animals, birds, and fishes grew bold, and pulling down the -bundles, found that they contained the sun, moon, and stars belonging to -the earth; these they threw down through the trap-door to lighten the -world and melt the snow, which by this time covered the tops of the -tallest pine-trees. - -The descent from Heaven was not made without some small accidents. The -beaver split his tail and the blood splashed over the lynx, so that ever -afterwards till the present day the beaver's tail is flat and the lynx -is spotted; the moose flattened his nose, and many other casualties -occurred which account for the peculiarities of various animals, and the -little bears came tumbling down with the rest. - -And now the snow began to melt so quickly that the earth was covered -with water, but the fish found for the first time that they could swim, -and carried their friends that could not on their backs, while the ducks -set to work to pull up the land from beneath the water. - -But it was still hard to make a living, so the raven, then the most -beautiful of birds, was sent to see if he could find any place where dry -land was showing; but coming across the carcass of a caribou he feasted -upon it, although the raven had never before eaten anything but berries -and the leaves of the willow. For this offence he was transformed into -the hideous bird that we know, and to this day is despised of every -living thing; even omnivorous man will not eat of the raven's flesh -unless under pressure of starvation. The ptarmigan was then sent out and -returned bearing in his beak a branch of willow as a message of hope; in -remembrance of this good action the ptarmigan turns white when the snow -begins to fall in the Barren Ground, and thus warns the animals that -winter is at hand. - -But the old life had passed away and the peace that had reigned among -all living things was disturbed. The fish, as the water subsided, found -that they could no longer live on the land, and the birds took to flying -long distances. Every animal chose the country that suited it best, and -gradually the art of conversation was lost. About this time too, in a -vague and indefinite manner about which tradition says little, the first -human being appeared on the shore of the Great Slave Lake. - - * * * * * - -The weather continued fine without severe frost till the middle of -October, the snow was still light on the ground, but the lakes all set -fast. On the night of the fourteenth a storm arose equal in violence to -a Dakota blizzard and continued till the following evening, by which -time there were a couple of feet of snow on the ground. It was -impossible to keep the drift from coming into the lodge, and as soon as -the storm was over we had to throw down our shelter and clear away the -banks that had accumulated inside. This was distinctly the coming of -winter and there was no more sign of a thaw; the cold kept growing -severer, especially on clear days, but I had no thermometer to mark its -intensity. The daylight was shortening rapidly and the sun shone with -little warmth. - -[Illustration: The Indians Driving Caribou] - -With the increasing depth of snow there was a noticeable migration of -life from the Barren Ground. Ptarmigan came literally in thousands, -while the tracks of wolves, wolverines, and Arctic foxes made a -continuous network in the snow. Scattered bands of caribou were almost -always in sight from the top of the ridge behind the camp, and increased -in numbers till the morning of October 20th, when little Baptiste, who -had gone for firewood, woke us up before daylight with the cry of _La -foule! La foule!_ and even in the lodge we could hear the curious -clatter made by a band of travelling caribou. _La foule_ had really -come, and during its passage of six days I was able to realise what an -extraordinary number of these animals still roam in the Barren Ground. -From the ridge we had a splendid view of the migration; all the south -side of Mackay Lake was alive with moving beasts, while the ice seemed -to be dotted all over with black islands, and still away on the north -shore, with the aid of the glasses, we could see them coming like -regiments on the march. In every direction we could hear the grunting -noise that the caribou always make when travelling; the snow was broken -into broad roads, and I found it useless to try to estimate the number -that passed within a few miles of our encampment. We were just on the -western edge of their passage, and afterwards heard that a band of -Dog-Ribs, hunting some forty miles to the west, were at this very time -in the last straits of starvation, only saving their lives by a hasty -retreat into the woods, where they were lucky enough to kill sufficient -meat to stave off disaster. This is a common danger in the autumn, as -the caribou coming in from the Barren Ground join together in one vast -herd and do not scatter much till they reach the thick timber. It turned -out very well for us, however, and there is really no limit to the -number we might have killed if we had been in need of them; but it was -too far out to make a permanent winter's camp, and hauling such a long -distance with dogs is unsatisfactory, as most of the meat would be -consumed on the way. We killed therefore only so many as we could use, -and had some luxurious living during the rest of our stay in this camp. -The caribou, as is usually the case when they are in large numbers, were -very tame, and on several occasions I found myself right in the middle -of a band with a splendid chance to pick out any that seemed in good -condition. The rutting season was just over, and as the bulls had lost -all their fat and their meat was too strong to eat, only does were -killed. A good deal of experience is necessary to tell the fat ones, but -the half-breeds can tell age and sex pretty well by the growth of the -horns; often King told me which to shoot at, and it was seldom that he -made a mistake in his choice. - -This passage of the caribou is the most remarkable thing that I have -ever seen in the course of many expeditions among the big game of -America. The buffalo were for the most part killed out before my time, -but, notwithstanding all the tall stories that are told of their -numbers, I cannot believe that the herds on the prairie ever surpassed -in size _La foule_ of the caribou. - -Soon after the migration had passed, Jose Beaulieu arrived from Fond du -Lac in company with an Indian, having made the journey on foot in eight -days. Things had apparently gone all wrong there; they had been -starving, and had of course taken everything of mine that they could lay -hands on, both provisions and ammunition. They had then quarrelled over -the division of the spoil, but as the caribou turned up within two days -of the house contentment was now reigning. Jose had brought a little tea -and tobacco, of which we were now badly in need, and a long string of -grievances against his brothers at Fond du Lac. He had done nothing to -help me in any way, although he had promised to have everything ready -for the first snow, and seemed rather surprised that I did not take much -interest in his wrongs. He got even with me, however, on his way back, -by breaking into a _cache_, that I had made before reaching the Lac du -Rocher, and stealing the tobacco that I was relying on for our next trip -in the Barren Ground. - -Jose reported the woods to the south of us to be full of caribou, and a -big band of Yellow Knives camped at the Lac de Mort, some of whom were -talking of coming for a musk-ox hunt, if I could give them ammunition. I -sent word to the chief that I could supply three or four of them, and -ordered Paul and Michel to come on with the dogs as soon as possible. -The snow was by this time quite deep enough for travelling, and any -delay meant an increased severity in the weather, while in any case it -would be late in the year before we got back to Fond du Lac. - -After Jose left we relapsed into our lazy existence of eating and -sleeping, having no more excuse for hunting; occasionally we made a -short trip on snow-shoes to examine some of our _caches_ and bring in a -little meat, and once went for a three days' expedition to our meat on -the island in Mackay Lake, and made a more secure _cache_ by putting the -carcasses of the caribou under the ice. At other times we amused -ourselves by setting snares for ptarmigan, which were in great numbers, -or by hauling a load of wood across a small lake in front of the lodge, -as we had used up all the fuel within easy reach. On the shore of this -lake was a fine specimen of the balanced rocks so common all over the -open country; an enormous boulder many tons in weight, so neatly set on -the three sharp points of an underlying rock that it could be easily -shaken but not dislodged; the lake is known among the Indians as the -"Lake of the Hanging Rock." We might have done some successful trapping -for wolves, wolverines, and foxes, but had unfortunately left all our -steel traps at Fond du Lac in order to travel as lightly as possible in -the portages. - -Quickly and without incident the short days slipped away until on the -tenth of November, as I was returning to camp, I heard a gunshot to the -southward of us. Instantly all was excitement, and we had barely time to -answer the signal before a large party of men and eight dog-sleighs came -in sight over the ridge. At first I could recognise no one, as the day -had been very cold and their faces were covered with hoar frost, which -makes it hard to distinguish one man from another; but they turned out -to be Paul, Francois, and Michel, besides several Indians, among whom -was Zinto, the chief of the Yellow Knives, who had come some hundred -miles from his hunting-camp on purpose to pay me a visit. - -A small supply of tea and tobacco had come up, but not nearly enough for -our wants, and I could see that we should have to do without these -luxuries just at the time when we most required them; there was also a -little flour, and we had a big feast of flour and grease the same -evening; all the new arrivals came into the lodge, and sixteen people -and fully as many dogs slept inside that night. After supper I handed -round a small plug of black tobacco to each man, as is the invariable -custom of the officer in charge of a fort on the arrival of a band of -Indians; and when the pipes were lit Zinto gave me to understand that he -had a few remarks to make to me. He would have been a fine-looking -specimen of a Yellow Knife but for a habit of blinking his eyes, which -gave him a rather owlish expression; he was possessed with a great idea -of a chief's importance, but I found him a pretty good fellow during the -many dealings that I afterwards had with him. King acted as interpreter, -and I fancy rather cut down the speech in length, but this was the gist -of it. "Zinto was very pleased to see a white man on his hunting-ground. -He had known several at the forts, but had never before seen one among -the caribou. Many years ago his father had told him stories of some -white men who had wandered across the Barren Ground and reached the -sea-coast; they had all endured much hardship, and many had died from -cold and starvation; he did not know why they came to such a country, -when by all accounts they were so much better off at home, but supposed -there was some good reason which an Indian could not understand. For his -own part he liked the Whites; all that he valued came from their -country, and he had always been well treated by the Company. He was -willing to help me as much as he could now that I had ventured so far -into his hunting-ground, but the musk-ox hunt in snow-time was hard; -only the bravest of his young men went, and last year was the first time -they had made the attempt. The Dog-Ribs who traded at Fort Rae often -went, but they had an easier country, as the musk-ox were nearer the -woods. There would be much walking to do, and the cold would be great; -however, if I meant to go he would order his young men to look after me, -and on no account to leave me if from starvation or any other cause I -could not keep up. I was to have the first choice of the meat in the -kettle and the best place in the lodge to lie down. He hoped we should -have a successful hunt, and, although he knew that we were short of such -things, he could not help asking for a little tea and tobacco to give -him courage for his journey back to the camp. If he received this he -should have a still higher opinion of the white man and his heart would -be glad." - -I replied that I was much gratified at seeing the chief of the Yellow -Knives in my camp, and was sorry that I could not give him a more -imposing reception on the present occasion; I had heard much to his -credit from King Beaulieu and from the Company's officer in charge of -Athabasca district; he was spoken of as a good chief and friendly -towards the Whites. I had come from far across the big water on purpose -to see the country of the Yellow Knives, and was anxious to know how -they lived, and how they hunted the various kinds of animals upon which -they depended for subsistence. For this purpose I now proposed going for -a musk-ox hunt, and was glad to see that some of his tribe were -prepared to accompany me. I could let them have enough ammunition for -the trip, and would share with them the meat _caches_ that we had made -along our line of travel, and also the tea and tobacco while it lasted. -Much interest was felt in my country with regard to the Yellow Knives, -and I hoped to be able to give a good account of their treatment to a -stranger when I returned home. If his young men behaved well while they -were out with me they should all receive presents when they reached the -fort. - -Here the effect of my oration was rather spoilt by the Beaulieus -breaking in to ask what presents they were to receive. Had they not been -faithful so long, and gone so much out of their way to help me? and then -the misery they had gone through in the Barren Ground on the last -musk-ox hunt! Now followed a tremendous quarrel among themselves, -mostly, I believe, about the stealing they had been doing at Fond du -Lac, and whether the value of the articles they had taken should be -deducted from the wages I had agreed to pay them before starting. After -the discordant clamour had subsided a little, Zinto replied that he was -satisfied, and thanked me for the small present of tea and tobacco which -I could not well refuse; we then discussed all the various plans for the -forthcoming hunt, and sat up feasting till late in the night. - -Something in the proceedings of the evening must have displeased King, -as he suddenly astonished us all by saying that he would not go with us. -What the grievance was I never found out, but he was obstinate on the -point. I had been relying on him for interpreter, and was rather annoyed -at his refusal to go, especially as Francois, the best French speaker in -the outfit, declared his intention of returning straight to Fond du Lac. -Michel too was wavering, but finally decided to go, as Paul, who behaved -very well on this occasion, steadily declared that he was quite willing -to accompany me, and would carry out the promise that he had made at -Fort Resolution to go the whole trip. These two then and myself, -together with the five Indians, Noel, William, Peter, Saltatha, and -Marlo (brother of Zinto), and twenty-four dogs hauling six sleighs made -up the party that eventually started for the Barren Ground about midday -on Sunday, November 11th. - -King maintained his ill-temper till the hour of departure, saying that -he did not want so many men and dogs in his lodge eating up the -provisions that he had worked so hard to earn, and that the sooner we -started the better he would be pleased. He used some particularly -offensive language to me, but relented at the last moment and gave me -his own hair-coat and a new pair of snow-shoes, of which I was badly in -want. He also promised to do his best in the way of leaving meat -_caches_ along the course that we should follow on our return from the -musk-ox country. I was rather sorry to leave the old fellow after all, -as on the whole we had been pretty good friends while we lived together, -and he certainly had great influence over the Indians which might have -been useful during our difficult journey. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - - -That night we made an open camp in a bunch of pines on the south side of -Lake Mackay, at which point we intended to load wood for use in the -Barren Ground. We were much better found in all respects than on the -last occasion, and having dogs with us should not be obliged to carry -anything ourselves. We used the ordinary travelling sleighs of the -North; two smooth pieces of birch, some seven feet in length, with the -front ends curled completely over and joined together with cross slats -secured with _babiche_ into a total width of sixteen inches. A -ground-lashing is passed along through holes in the outside edge of the -sleigh, and to this is fastened a rough deerskin wrapper in which the -load is stowed as neatly as possible and the wrapper laced on the top, -so that in case of a capsize, which frequently happens, nothing can fall -out. The traces are hitched on to loops in the front end of the sleigh, -and four dogs put in the caribou-skin harness one in front of the other. -The company officers have imported leather dog-harness with buckles for -their own use between the forts; but I think for handling in really cold -weather the caribou-skin, or better still moose-skin, with thongs -instead of buckles, is preferable. - -Our twenty-four dogs rejoiced in endless varieties of names, English, -French, and Indian, some popular names introduced by the Whites being -freely given without reference to sex or colour. For instance, in my own -sleigh the fore-goer, a big yellow bitch, answered to the name of -Napoleon, whilst just behind her came a black bushy-tailed dog La Reine; -we had three Drap Fins, from their resemblance to the fine black cloth -so dearly beloved by the half-breeds and Indians, two Chocolates of -different colours, besides Cavour, Chandelle, Diable, Lion, Blucher, -Royal, Bismarck, and a host of unpronounceable Indian names. - -We were all dressed alike in coats of caribou-skin with the hair outside -and hoods fastened up closely under the chin, and these we hardly took -off day or night for the five weeks that we were out. Our hands were -thrust into moose-skin mittens lined with duffel and hung round the neck -by highly ornamented plaited woollen strings, or in the case of a man of -little wealth with a more humble piece of _babiche_, but most of my -companions managed to show a little colour in this respect. We rolled -our feet in duffel and cased them in huge moccasins, of which we all had -two or three pair; and as we were very careful in drying them every -night before sleeping to get rid of all dampness caused by perspiration -there was not a single case of frozen feet during the whole journey, -although the big cold of an Arctic winter had now fairly set in. We -used small snow-shoes about three feet in length, as most of the -travelling would be on the frozen lakes where the snow is always -drifting, and, consequently, pretty hard. One man, or in case of softer -snow two, went ahead to break the road and the dogs followed in their -tracks, or, if they showed any disinclination to start, were most -unmercifully clubbed and cursed by name till they did so. - -A big deer-skin lodge and a sufficient number of carefully trimmed poles -had been brought up from Fond du Lac, as it would have been impossible -to endure the cold and almost perpetual wind without shelter of any -kind, but they had the disadvantage of greatly increasing the weight of -our load. King had given us a little dried meat, but only enough for a -couple of days for such a large outfit; the dogs alone required at least -fifty pounds a day to keep them in good condition. We had the meat -_caches_ ahead, and hoped to fall in with the musk-ox before we ran out -of provisions entirely. The danger of course lay in not finding these -animals when we got far out, as the caribou had almost all passed into -the woods and we could not hope to see any after the first few days. Our -ammunition was rather limited, but with care we had enough to keep the -muzzle-loading weapons supplied, and Paul and myself had a fair amount -of cartridges for our Winchester rifles. We were obliged to wrap -deer-skins round the levers and the parts of the barrel that our hands -touched to avoid contact with the iron, which sticks to the bare skin in -cold weather and causes a painful burn. - -The next day was spent in cutting wood into short lengths and loading it -on to the sleighs. In the morning Marlo was very ill from the surfeit of -flour he had had in King's camp, but was well enough to travel a short -distance in the afternoon, and we pitched our lodge in the snow, clear -of all timber. Here I had my first experience of a winter camp in the -Barren Ground. - -A spot being chosen where the snow is light and the ground clear of -rocks, a ring of the requisite size is marked out. Snow-shoes are taken -off and used as shovels for throwing away the snow from the inside of -this ring, making a wall varying in height according to the depth of -snowfall. Outside this circle the sleighs are turned on edge, the poles -planted behind them, and the deer-skin lodge spread round, forming as -comfortable a camp as can be expected in such a country. The wood -allowed for supper is carefully split and a fire lighted, the kettle -hanging over it from three small sticks carried for the purpose; the -lumps of meat for dog's food are spread round the fire till sufficiently -thawed, when a lively scene commences outside the lodge, every man -feeding his own dogs and watching them to see there is no foul play. By -the time this is over the melted snow in the kettle is boiling, and -every man gets his piece of meat in much the same manner as the dogs. -I always had the privilege of first choice, but in the dense clouds of -smoke that usually filled the lodge it was by no means easy to take the -full advantage of it. We drank tea while it held out, and then fell back -on the greasy snow-water that the meat was boiled in. There was always a -good proportion of caribou hair in everything we ate or drank, varying -afterwards to the coarse black hair of the musk-ox, which was far more -objectionable. - -[Illustration: Making Camp] - -As soon as supper was over and our moccasins dry the fire was allowed to -go out, to economize wood, and each man rolled himself up in his -blanket, lay down on the frozen ground, and slept as well as he might -till it was time to travel again. Directly all was quiet the dogs forced -their way in and commenced a free fight over us for any scraps or bones -they could find lying about; finally they curled themselves up for the -night without paying much attention to our comfort. A warm dog is not a -bad thing to lie against or to put at your feet, but these hauling dogs -seem to prefer to lie right on top of your body, and as most of them are -a considerable weight a good night's rest is an impossibility. Any -attempt to kick or shove them off produced a general row, and a moving -foot was often mistaken in the darkness for a hostile dog and treated as -such; Paul received one rather bad bite on his toes, but the rest of us -all got off with slight nips. We had to be careful to put everything -edible, in the way of moccasins, mittens, and even snow-shoes, under us, -as these are things that few dogs can resist, and there is nothing more -annoying than to find all the _babiche_ eaten out of your snow-shoes in -the morning. When the hungry time came later on the dogs began to eat -the lodge, and would soon have left us houseless but for one man always -keeping watch at night. - -One is accustomed to hear of men sleeping in fluffy woollen bags in the -Arctic regions, but I found that a deer-skin coat and one blanket were -sufficient to keep me warm except on the very coldest nights. I had told -Michel particularly to bring another blanket that I had left behind at -Fond du Lac, and abused him roundly when I found he had come without it. -It seems that an Indian had arrived at the house with a load of dried -meat and grease, and was in want of a blanket; Michel, to use his own -expression, took pity on him and gave him my blanket in exchange for the -grease. He doubtless considered this a pious act of charity, but had -rather spoilt it by consuming the grease himself; and on my asking him -why, if he felt so sorry for the Indian, he had not given him one of his -own blankets, or at least kept the grease for me, he replied: "I have -only two blankets and I have a wife; you have no wife, so one blanket is -enough for you; besides, I love grease, and it is hard for me to see it -and not eat it." - -In the middle of the night Saltatha, always the earliest, got up and -drove out the dogs, lit the fire, and prepared another meal, exactly -similar to our supper of the evening. Usually we harnessed up many hours -before daylight and travelled, with only an occasional ten-minutes' -rest, till the sun had been long down and there was just enough daylight -left to make camp; dinner was completely cut out of our day as being too -heavy a strain on our firewood. There was no attempt at washing made by -any of the party during the whole time that we were out, and indeed it -would have been an impossibility, as our small fires were only just -sufficient to melt the snow for cooking purposes. - -In clear weather the nights were of wonderful brilliancy, and after we -had been out a couple of weeks the moon was big enough to add a little -light, and of course kept steadily improving in this respect; but the -starlight alone illumined the waste of snow sufficiently to see -landmarks far ahead. Generally the Aurora was flashing in its full -glory, and if there was no wind the travelling was pleasant enough. At -the first sign of dawn, and thence till the sun rose, the cold always -became more severe, and if a light head-wind happened to get up at the -same time there were sure to be some frozen noses and chins in the -outfit. The hair on our faces, even to the eyebrows and eyelashes, was -always coated with rime, giving everybody a peculiarly stupid -expression; my beard was usually a mass of ice, and I had great -difficulty in thawing it out by our small fires, although it proved a -grand protection from frost-bite. I think I was the only one that -escaped being bitten in the chin, but my nose, cheeks, and forehead were -touched several times. - -The sunrise was often very beautiful, and the effects of long duration, -as the sun is close to the horizon a considerable time before he shows -above it, while the dense blue blackness in the north and west gives the -impression that the night is still lingering there. Often a sun-dog is -the first thing to appear, and more or less of these attendants -accompany the sun during his short stay above the horizon. The driving -snow, which obliterates everything in blowing weather, often spoils the -evening effects; but once or twice I saw the sun set over a frozen lake, -tinting the snow with various shades of red, and throwing a beauty over -the wilderness that it is useless for me to attempt to describe. - -A thick fog hung over everything during the whole of the second day out -from the woods, and of course made it extremely difficult to find the -meat _cache_ in Lake Mackay; at dark we camped on the first land that we -came to, but had no very accurate idea of our position. Luckily the -weather cleared towards morning, and we made out the island on which we -had stored the carcasses of the caribou killed on September 22nd. We -had some trouble in punching a hole with our only ice-chisel and hauling -out a solid lump of meat and ice some five feet thick and many feet in -circumference; but the Indians were much cheered at the sight of so much -provision, and declared themselves ready to go out to the sea-coast if -necessary. The short day was nearly over by the time we had got the -meat, so we camped for the night on the island; but before daylight we -were off again, and when the sun set had nearly reached the end of the -lake and made a wood _cache_ on a conspicuous point for our return -journey. The next day was thick again, and we were lucky in finding the -bay in which we had left the big canoe during our last expedition. A -very curious thing, illustrating the difficulty of recognising objects -in these fogs, happened just as we were leaving the ice. We saw an -animal, apparently at some distance, bounding along the horizon at a -most remarkable pace; all down the line there were cries of _Erjerer_ -(musk-ox), _Et-then, Le loup!_ guns were snatched from the sleighs, and -even the dogs charged at a gallop in pursuit of the strange animal. -After a rush of ten yards the quarry disappeared; the first man had put -his foot on it, and it turned out to be one of the small mice so common -in the Barren Ground. What it was doing out on the lake at this time of -year, instead of being comfortably curled up under ground, I cannot say; -but it certainly gave me the impression that if these fogs continued we -should run a good chance of coming to grief through losing our way. - -At sunrise the weather cleared, and we found a small band of caribou at -the beginning of the twenty-mile portage to the Lac de Gras. After we -had killed three and fed the dogs, we began our overland work. The snow -was much softer here, with many large rocks showing through, and some -steep hills made travelling hard for the dogs. Night caught us about -half-way between the two lakes, and the north wind freshened up into a -tempest such as I have never seen surpassed by the blizzards of the -western prairies. Fortunately we found a fairly sheltered place for the -lodge or it must have been swept away; as it was the deer-skin flapped -with a noise like that of a sail blown to pieces at sea; two of our -lodge-poles were carried away, and we were in momentary expectation of -being left without shelter to the mercy of the storm; the driving snow -forced itself in, and men and dogs were only recognisable by the white -mounds which marked their position. For thirty hours we lay like this -till the wind abated at midnight, when we started again towards the -north, and continued walking till we had crossed the big bay of the Lac -de Gras into which the Coppermine River runs. We camped a little short -of our second meat _cache_ on the Point de Misere, and on the following -day, although the fog had settled down again, Paul, by a very good -piece of piloting, discovered the small lake in which we had _cached_ -the meat. We were getting pretty hard up again by this time, and the -Indians, with the exception of Saltatha whose good spirits never failed, -were showing signs of sulkiness. This new supply, however, gave them -fresh courage, and we were all confident of finding the musk-ox before -we got to the end of the six caribou that we picked up here. We -experienced the same difficulty in breaking the ice, and as we spent -much valuable time in getting out the meat, made but a poor day's -journey. On the following day we passed the most northerly point that we -had reached in the autumn, and were now pushing on into a country that -none of us had ever seen before. - -At the spot where we had left the Lac de Gras we had noticed a few small -willow sticks showing above the snow, which afterwards proved very -useful. Following a small stream we reached another large lake, -stretching in a north-easterly direction, and camped at the far end of -it in a heavy snowstorm that had been going on all day. During this time -we were keeping a sharp look-out for musk-ox; but we could find no -tracks, and as the weather continued thick had no opportunity of seeing -animals at a distance. Two more days we travelled on in this manner, -making long journeys with our meat nearly finished and our wood-supply -growing rapidly less; for there had been more delay, from various -reasons, than we had anticipated, and we had been careful to avoid -_caching_ wood for our return journey as we might be unable to follow -the same course. The shape of the hills here changes in a most distinct -manner. The usual undulations give way to sharp scattered buttes, -composed of sand and taking very remarkable forms, a solitary conical -mound being a common feature in the scenery. Small lakes were still -numerous, and for a considerable distance we followed a large stream, -evidently one of the head waters of the Coppermine, here running in a -south-east direction. - -On November 20th we dropped on to a lake some twelve miles in breadth, -and crossed to the north shore in falling snow. We had been on short -rations, men and dogs, for some time, and our last mouthful was eaten -for supper this night. When we made camp a few miles beyond the lake the -outlook therefore was by no means cheerful. The continual thick weather -spoilt our chance of finding the musk-ox, and we were now too far away -from the woods to have much chance of reaching them without meat. Of -course we could always have eaten the dogs, but then we should have been -unable to haul our wood, which in the Barren Ground is almost as -necessary as food. As we felt certain that we were well in the musk-ox -country we decided to spend the next day in hunting at all risks, and by -good luck the morning broke clear and calm. Michel and myself remained -in camp to look after the dogs, which had now become so ravenous that -they required constant watching to keep them from eating the lodge, -harness, and everything else that they could get at. The others went in -couples in different directions with the agreement that if anyone -discovered a band of musk-ox they should return at once to wait for the -rest of the party to come in, when we were all to start with the dogs in -pursuit. There was no breakfast, and all the hunters were off before -daylight, evidently fully aware that the success of our expedition, if -not our chance of supporting life, was centred in the result of the -day's proceedings; and it was certainly a great relief when Paul and -Noel appeared towards mid-day and reported a large band of musk-ox -undisturbed a short distance to the north. Peter and Marlo returned soon -afterwards, having found another band in a more westerly direction. I -distributed a pipeful of the now very precious tobacco, while we waited -for William and Saltatha, and discussed the plan of attack. I was rather -surprised at Noel's asking Paul to tell me that I might have some of the -musk-ox, as he was pleased at receiving the tobacco. I was about to -reply that I had come far, and been to a great deal of trouble, on -purpose to kill some of these animals, and I should think it rather -extraordinary if I were not allowed to do so, when Paul explained that -it was a custom among the Yellow Knives to consider a band of musk-ox as -the property of the discoverer, and only his personal friends were -granted the privilege of killing them without payment of some kind. -Sometimes an Indian would go through all the hardships of a hunt, and -then have to give up nearly all his robes because he had not been lucky -enough to discover a band and was out of favour with his more fortunate -companions; so I told Noel I was very grateful for his kindness, and -made him believe himself a remarkably good Indian. By this time it was -getting late, and as the wind had risen the snow was beginning to drift. -There was much grumbling at the delay, and in spite of my remonstrances -at breaking up our agreement to wait for William and Saltatha, the dogs -were harnessed, the lodge pulled down, and the sleighs loaded. I pointed -out that the snow was drifting badly and that the other two would not be -able to follow our tracks; but was told that it was only white men who -were stupid in the snow, so I made no further objection. After -travelling about three miles through some rough hills, we caught an -indistinct view of the musk-ox, fully a hundred in number, standing on a -side-hill from which most of the snow had drifted away; and then -followed a wonderful scene such as I believe no white man has ever -looked on before. I noticed the Indians throwing off their -mitten-strings, and on enquiring the reason I was told that the musk-ox -would often charge at a bright colour, particularly red; this story -must, I think, have originated from the Whites in connection with the -old red-rag theory, and been applied by the Indians to the musk-ox. I -refused to part with my strings, as they are useful in keeping the -mittens from falling in the snow when the hand is taken out to shoot, -but I was given a wide berth while the hunt was going on. Everybody -started at a run, but the dogs, which had been let out of harness, were -ahead of us, and the first thing that I made out clearly through the -driving snow was a dense black mass galloping right at us; the band had -proved too big for the dogs to hold, and most of the musk-ox had broken -away. I do not think they knew anything about men or had the least -intention of charging us, but they passed within ten yards, and so -frightened my companions that I was the only man to fire at them, -rolling over a couple. The dogs, however, were still holding a small lot -at bay, and these we slaughtered without any more trouble than killing -cattle in a yard. There is an idea prevalent in the North that on these -occasions the old musk-ox form into a regular square, with the young in -the centre for better protection against the dogs, which they imagine to -be wolves; but on the two occasions when I saw a band held in this -manner, the animals were standing in a confused mass, shifting their -position to make a short run at a too impetuous dog, and with the young -ones as often as not in the front of the line. There was some rather -reckless shooting going on, and I was glad to leave the scene of -slaughter with Marlo in pursuit of stragglers. Marlo, in common with the -other Indians, had a great horror of musk-ox at close quarters, and I -was much amused at seeing him stand off at seventy yards and miss an -animal which a broken back had rendered incapable of rising. He said -afterwards that the musk-ox were not like other animals; they were very -cunning, could understand what a man was saying and play many tricks to -deceive him; it was not safe to go too near, and he would never allow me -to walk up within a few yards to put in a finishing shot. After killing -off the cripples, we started back to the place where we had left the -sleighs, and, night having added its darkness to the drifting snow, we -had the greatest difficulty in finding camp. Marlo confessed he was -lost, and we were thinking what it was best to do for the night when we -heard the ring of an axe with which somebody was splitting wood in the -lodge; the others, with the exception of William and Saltatha, were all -in, but there seemed little chance of these two reaching camp that -night. We had eaten nothing for a long time, so we celebrated our -success with a big feast of meat, while the dogs helped themselves from -the twenty carcasses that were lying about. They gave us very little -trouble in the lodge, as we saw nothing of them till we skinned the -musk-ox next day, when two or three round white heaps of snow would -uncurl themselves on the lee-side of a half-eaten body. I questioned the -Indians about the two missing men, and they were unanimous that unless -the night got colder they were in no danger of freezing to death; they -were sorry that they had not waited, and would go at the first sign of -daylight to see if they were in the old camp. Peter and Noel accordingly -started very early in the morning, and found the men lying close -together under the snow at the old camp; they had returned at dark, and -as our tracks had drifted up there was not the least chance of finding -us. They were slightly frost-bitten in the face and hands, but as soon -as they had got over their first numbness were able to walk to camp, -where they soon forgot their natural indignation at the mean trick we -had played them in the joys of warmth and food. We were obliged to be a -little extravagant in our wood to make up for the hard times of the -night before, and Saltatha soon recovered his liveliness; he was far -away the best Indian that I met in the North, always cheerful and ready -for work, and afterwards, in the summer, the only one of the Yellow -Knives brave enough to volunteer for an expedition down the Great Fish -River. A hard life he leads, always in poverty, a butt and a servant to -all the other Indians, who are immeasurably his inferiors for any useful -purpose. Although a capital hunter, they swindle him out of everything -he makes, and take the utmost advantage of the little fellow's -good-nature; he seems to have no sense in this respect, and will jump -readily at any bargain that is offered him. He is just the man for an -expedition in the Barren Ground, as when once he has given his word to -go he can be relied upon to carry out his promise, which is more than I -can say for the rest of his tribe, who only wait to rebel and desert -till a time when they think you can least do without them. - -We spent most of the day in skinning the musk-ox, which, by the way, is -not a pleasant undertaking in cold weather; the skin is naturally hard -to get off, and on this occasion the carcasses had grown cold during the -night, and the difficulty was greater than usual. The robes were in -splendid condition; the undergrowth, which resembles a sheep's fleece -and is shed in summer, was now thick and firm, while the long permanent -hair had obtained the black glossiness distinctive of a prime fur. We -cut up all the meat that the dogs had left us, and loading it on the -sleighs with the robes, moved camp about five miles to the west to be -ready to go in search of the other band which Peter and Marlo had -discovered. We calculated that we should be able to haul forty-five -robes, besides meat enough for our journey, back to the woods, and at -present we had only half a load. - -While the men were planting the lodge I climbed to the top of a high -butte to have a look at the surrounding country; the hill was so steep -that I had to take off my snow-shoes to struggle to the summit, and was -rewarded for my trouble by a good view of probably the most complete -desolation that exists upon the face of the earth. There is nothing -striking or grand in the scenery, no big mountains or waterfalls, but a -monotonous snow-covered waste, without tree or scrub, rarely trodden by -the foot of the wandering Indian. A deathly stillness hangs over all, -and the oppressive loneliness weighs upon the spectator till he is glad -to shout aloud to break the awful spell of solitude. Such is the land of -the musk-ox in snowtime; here this strange animal finds abundance of its -favourite lichens, and defies the cold that has driven every other -living thing to the woods for shelter. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - - -Early on the following morning we left camp with the light sleighs, and -at sunrise were close to the place where the second band had been -discovered. We were a long time in finding them, as the fog had settled -down again, but at last made out a band of sixty on a high ridge between -two small lakes in a very easy place to approach. Directly after we -sighted them Paul's sleigh, which was ahead, capsized over a rock, and -his rifle, which was lashed on the top of it, exploded with a loud -report. The bullet must have passed close to some of us, as on -examination the rifle appeared to be bearing right down the line, and it -was lucky that nobody was killed or crippled; a wounded man would have -had little chance of getting back to the woods alive. The musk-ox took -not the slightest notice of the report, although we were within a couple -of hundred yards of them, and we soon had eighteen rounded up, the main -body breaking away as they had done before. A sickening slaughter, -without the least pretence of sport to recommend it, now took place till -the last one was killed, and we were busy skinning till dark. - -I took some of the best heads, but most of them were afterwards thrown -away by the Indians to lighten the load on the sleighs. The animals that -we killed in this band were of various ages, and it was interesting to -note the growth of the horns in different specimens. They begin in both -sexes with a plain straight shoot, exactly like the horns of a domestic -calf, and it is then impossible to tell the male from the female by the -head alone. In the second year they begin to broaden out, and the bull's -horns become much whiter and project straighter from the head than the -cow's, which are beginning already to show the downward bend. At the end -of the third year the cow's horns are fully developed, and I do not -think they grow much after that age; with the bulls, however, the horns -are only just beginning to spread out at the base, and it is not till -the sixth year that the solid boss extends right across the forehead, -the point of junction being marked by a slight crack into which the skin -has been squeezed during the growth of the horns. A curious fact is -noticeable in the horns of the young bulls before the boss has begun to -form; they are quite soft and porous at the base, and can easily be cut -with a knife; when once the boss has grown, the horn is as hard as a -rock. I made careful inquiries of the Indians on these points, and they -told me that, except in the case of very young or very old animals, they -could always tell the age of the musk-ox by a glance at their horns. - -We had the greatest difficulty in finding our way back to the lodge, and -it was late before we turned in, everybody agreeing that we had done -enough, and ought to make our best way back to the timber before our -firewood was exhausted. The loads would be quite as heavy as they had -been coming out, for we now had the weight of robes and meat to make up -for the wood we had used. We had, roughly, three hundred and fifty miles -to travel to reach Fond du Lac, but intended to take the last part of -the journey easily after we fell in with the caribou. I should like to -have known our exact position on the map, and the distance from the -sea-coast at Bathurst Inlet, but of course had no chance of making even -an approximate calculation; the Indians had no local knowledge, as they -were entirely beyond any country they knew. Our only luxuries, tea and -tobacco, were now finished, and I found that the want of tobacco was the -most trying hardship on the whole trip: one pipeful as you roll up in -your blanket for the night imparts a certain amount of comfort, and -makes you take a more cheerful view of life; but when even this cannot -be obtained there is a perpetual craving for a smoke, and the best of -tempers is liable to suffer from the deprivation. After we had boiled -our last handful of tea-leaves three times over, Saltatha ate them with -great gusto, and in future we drank the water in which the meat was -boiled. I did not miss the tea nearly so much as the tobacco, and soon -began to like the hot greasy _bouillon_ well enough to struggle for my -full share. - -We were late off next morning, and could not make a good day's journey, -as the snow was soft till we got on the large lake, and we were further -delayed in the evening by finding another band of musk-ox. The Indians -said they could carry half a dozen robes more, and insisted, against my -wishes, on killing this number; the consequence was that we had to camp -for the night, and the dogs were more overloaded than ever; they were -able, however, to eat to their hearts' content, and there was very -little left of the six musk-ox in the morning. Two long days' travel -took us back to the point on the Lac de Gras where we had seen the -willows above the snow, and as the dogs were showing signs of fatigue -and their feet were much cut about by the sharp snow-needles sticking -between their toes, we decided on taking a day's rest. We managed to -pull up enough small willows to keep a bit of a fire going most of the -day, and if we had had tobacco should all have enjoyed ourselves -immensely. It was a bright clear day, without wind and terribly cold. I -climbed to the top of a hill in the afternoon to see if I could make out -the west end of the lake, but an intervening hill made it impossible to -get a clear view, and I could form no idea of its length. On this day I -felt the top of my tongue cold in breathing, and my companions, who -were well accustomed to low temperatures, all remarked the extreme -severity of the cold. - -It must have been about midnight when I heard Saltatha splitting wood, -and the well-known cry of _Ho leve, leve, il faut partir!_ Looking out -of my blanket I felt the snow falling in my face through a big hole that -the dogs had eaten in the lodge, and said that it was no use moving, as -we should never be able to find our way across the broad traverse that -lay ahead. I was laughed at as usual, and after a breakfast of boiled -meat we started out into the darkness. I soon saw there was little -chance of picking up the skin of the musk-ox that we had _cached_ in -September, as, although the intention was to follow the shore of the -lake till we came to the _cache_, we lost sight of land immediately with -absolutely nothing to guide us on our course. There was no wind, and -such a thick downfall of snow that matters did not improve much when the -blackness turned into grey with daylight. - -I have often heard it stated that the gift of finding their way is given -to Indians under all conditions by a sort of instinct that the white man -does not possess, but I never saw children more hopelessly lost than -these men accustomed all their lives to Barren Ground travel. I have -seen it happen to half-breeds and Indians many times, and have come to -the conclusion that no man without a compass can keep his course in -falling snow, unless there is wind to guide him. It is always advisable -to put ashore at once, or, better still, not to leave your camp in the -morning, as then you know your point of departure on the first signs of -a break in the weather. On this occasion the usual thing happened; we -walked all day, changing our roadbreaker every hour or so, while the men -behind shouted contrary directions when they thought he was off his -course. Luckily we found land just at dark, and camped immediately. A -great discussion ensued as to our position, and opinions varied greatly -about the direction of the north star; but we could do nothing till the -weather improved, and even then, unless it grew very clear, or the sun -came out, we might not know which course to take, as landmarks are few -and far between. Fuel could not last more than three nights with the -strictest economy. - -The wind rose in the evening, and the snow ceased falling, but began to -drift heavily. In the night there was a tremendous uproar. I was -awakened by hearing the universal Indian chant (_Hi hi he, Ho hi he_), -and much clapping of hands, while the dogs were howling dismally far out -on the ice, evidently thinking they were meant to hunt something, but -disappointed at not being able to find anything to tear to pieces. I -looked out to see what was going on, and found everybody sitting in the -snow shouting; Saltatha had discovered a single star, and the noise I -had heard was the applause supposed to bring out one of the principal -constellations, so that we might get an idea of our direction. The -heavens certainly did clear, and when daylight broke and the wind -moderated we made out our position easily enough. In fourteen hours' -walk we had come perhaps five miles straight, having made a huge circle -to the right and fallen on an island close to the shore that we had left -in the morning. There was still the whole width of the lake to cross, -but when we camped late in the portage between the two big lakes I -thought we had got out of the scrape very well. There was no apparent -reason why the snowstorm should have stopped, and a continuation of it -must have brought us serious trouble. - -The next day was worse than ever. A gale from the south in our teeth and -drifting snow made it cruel work to face the storm; but we had to go, as -fuel was rapidly vanishing, and we had already burnt some of our -lodge-poles, and we hoped to reach a small wood-_cache_ that night. We -could find the way, as we had the wind to guide us; but the snow was -soft, and the dogs were hardly able now to drag the sleighs over the -rough hills; one of the poorest froze in harness and had to be -abandoned. Our blankets, which we usually wrapped round our head and -shoulders when facing the wind, now came in for dog-cloths, and -certainly saved some more of the dogs from being disabled by frost-bite; -but as the snow melted between their backs and the blankets, the latter -got wet and afterwards froze till they would stand like a board, and -were then a most uncomfortable form of bedding. The slow pace at which -we were forced to travel made it much worse, and we all found our faces -slightly frozen. At dark we camped nearly at the end of the portage, -although we did not know it till morning, and reluctantly cut up another -couple of lodge-poles for firewood, besides a small box in which I had -been carrying my journal and ammunition. - -The wind lightened during the night, and backing into the east came fair -on Lake Mackay. We found our wood-_cache_ all right, and set out on the -sixty-mile walk that still lay between us and the first pine-timber. The -travelling on the lake was better than in the portage, and well on in -the night we put ashore on the island where we had stored our first meat -during the autumn musk-ox hunt. The dogs were too tired to go any -further without rest, or we should have pushed on all night. Our last -lodge-pole was burnt to cook a kettleful of meat for breakfast on -December 1st, and before daylight we were off, with no thought of -camping till we could make fire. The sun at this time only stayed above -the horizon for a couple of hours, and had sunk beneath the snow before -we made out far ahead the high ridge under which the first clump of -pines lay. We were badly scattered along the track, and some of the -dogs, and the men too for that matter, had great difficulty in keeping -up pace enough to make the blood circulate; it was six hours later, and -we were all pretty well used up, when we saw the little pines standing -out against the sky line. - -What a glorious camp we had that night! The bright glare of two big -fires lit up the snow-laden branches of the dwarf pines till they -glittered like so many Christmas-trees; overhead the full moon shone -down on us, and every star glowed like a lamp hung in the sky; at times -the Northern Lights would flash out, but the brilliancy of the moon -seemed too strong for even this wondrous fire to rival. It was pleasant -to lie once again on the yielding pine-brush instead of the hard snow, -and to stretch our legs at full length as we could never stretch them in -the lodge; pleasant, too, to look back at the long struggle we had gone -through, and to contrast our present condition with that of the last -month. Our experiences had been hard and not without their share of -danger, and we could now congratulate ourselves on having brought our -hunt to a most satisfactory conclusion. I had fully succeeded in -carrying out the object of my expedition, and could look forward to a -period of ever-increasing comfort, culminating in the luxury of life at -a Hudson's Bay Fort within a few weeks. I had intended to winter at the -edge of the Barren Ground, but was forced to give up the idea, as I had -seen too much of the Beaulieus to care about living any longer with -them. The fact that meat was scarce again did not trouble me, as I was -by this time accustomed to empty larders and had fallen into the happy -Indian method of trusting that something would turn up; besides, we were -pretty sure to run across the caribou within the next few days. The want -of tobacco was the worst grievance that I had, but the prospect of -obtaining this was getting brighter after each day's travel. - -Very late at night Saltatha turned up with a badly frozen nose and chin. -One of his dogs had given out and been abandoned, and he had been -pushing the sleigh for many hours; he had almost given up trying to -bring in his load when he saw the blaze of the fires far off and his -courage came back. The sun was up before anyone turned out, but the dogs -were better for the rest, and a short day took us into a big bunch of -pines on King Lake, within an easy day of a small meat _cache_ that I -had made while we were camped at the Lake of the Enemy. I had my doubts -about finding the place, as none of the others knew where it was, but -was lucky enough to hit it off; and we took out the meat of two caribou, -after breaking an axe to pieces in our endeavours to chop away the ice -which had formed between the rocks from the melting of the snow during a -warm spell in the beginning of October. - -The same night we camped at the scaffold on which we had stored all the -dried meat that the women had made while we were away on the first -musk-ox hunt. King was to have taken most of it, leaving us sufficient -for a couple of days' supply, and a note in the syllabic characters -introduced into the North by the priests informed us that he had kept -his promise. There were plenty of signs that he had done so; but the -wolverines had been before us, and a few shreds of meat lying at the -foot of the stage told the story plainly enough. This was rather a -disappointment, and matters looked worse when we had travelled the whole -length of Lake Camsell at our best speed. Here again we expected to find -a _cache_, as some meat had been left when we killed the first caribou -in the autumn, but the wolverines had taken it. This is a common -incident in Northern travel, but never fails to draw forth hearty -execrations on the head of the hated _carcajou_. - -There was much talk of abandoning loads and making a rush to reach the -caribou or a Yellow Knife encampment which was supposed to lie some -distance ahead of us; but I opposed this scheme strongly, and for once -managed to get my own way. The weather was fine, and we cared little for -the cold, as we could always make a fire in case of freezing. Without -eating much we pushed on rapidly for two days, crossing the Lac du -Rocher, the scene of our starvation in September, and finally on the -third morning found a band of caribou, of which we killed enough to -relieve all immediate anxiety. By this time we were among thick timber -and following closely our canoe-route of three months ago. - -In the early hours of December 7th we came to a line of pine-brush -planted across a small lake, and soon afterwards fell on the tracks of -fresh snow-shoes; before daylight, at the end of a long portage over a -thickly wooded hill, we dropped into an encampment of a dozen lodges. It -turned to be Zinto's camp, and all my Indians found their wives and -families awaiting them here. There were great rejoicings over our -arrival, as we had been so long on the hunt that a good deal of anxiety -was felt for the safety of husbands and brothers. Zinto invited me into -his lodge, gave me a feast of pounded meat and grease, a cup of tea, -and, better still, a small plug of black tobacco; this seemed too good -to leave, and as we had travelled many hours in the night I decided to -spend the rest of the day here. - -The camp was very prettily situated on a small flat a few feet above the -edge of a frozen lake; and when the sun rose over the hill, lighting up -the brown deer-skin lodges with their columns of blue smoke rising -straight up in the frosty air, the snow-laden pine-trees, and the -silver-barked birches, the whole scene seemed a realization of one of -Fenimore Cooper's descriptions of an Indian camp in winter. - -Much talking had to be got through, and the story of our musk-ox hunt -was told many times over. I was the object of great interest, and was -closely questioned as to my experiences in the Barren Ground and the -contrast between life there and in my own country. After Zinto had -satisfied himself on these points he broached more abstruse subjects, -insisting on knowing my opinion with regard to the differences of the -Protestant and Roman Catholic faiths, and seeming pleased to hear that -he was by no means the first man who had found this point hard to fully -understand. Many other things there were about which he desired -information; but I am afraid some of my answers conveyed little meaning -to him, as I was myself rather hazy about many of the topics of -conversation, and had only Michel, who was the worst Frenchman of all, -for interpreter, Paul having gone off to see his wife who was camped a -few miles to the east. But when Zinto got on to trading he was quite at -home, and before leaving I had to give him an order for many -beaver-skins (the medium of trade in the North), to be paid at Fort -Resolution. He was very good in providing me with everything I wanted -for my journey, and gave me a new pair of snow-shoes and a sleigh, -besides lending a dog to replace one that had fallen lame; meat he was -short of, but he had heard that the Beaulieus had been killing caribou, -so that I was likely to find _caches_ by the way; a track was broken to -Fond du Lac, and we ought to get there easily in three days. Zinto -thought the Great Slave Lake would be entirely frozen over and fit to -travel on by this time, as lately the sky had been clear in the south; -when there is any open water a perpetual mist rises from it and lies -like a huge fog-bank over the lake. - -A happy indolent life the Yellow Knives lead when the caribou are thick -on their pleasant hunting-ground round the shores of the Great Slave -Lake, and most of the hard times that they have to put up with are due -to their own improvidence. This is their great failing; they will not -look ahead or make preparation for the time when the caribou are scarce, -preferring to live from hand to mouth, and too lazy to bother their -heads about the future. They are rather a fine race of men, above the -average of the Canadian Indian, and, as they have had little chance of -mixing with the Whites, have maintained their characteristic manners -till this day; they are probably little changed since the time when the -Hudson's Bay Company first established a trading-post on the Big Lake a -hundred years ago. When the priests came into the country the Yellow -Knives readily embraced the Roman Catholic religion, and are very -particular in observing all the outward signs of that faith, but I doubt -if their profession of Christianity has done much to improve their -character. They are a curious mixture of good and bad, simplicity and -cunning; with no very great knowledge of common honesty, thoroughly -untrustworthy, and possessed with an insatiable greed for anything that -takes their fancy, but with no word in their language to express thanks -or gratitude. To a white man they are humility itself, looking upon him, -by their own account, as their father, and so considering him bound to -provide them with everything they want, even to his last pair of -trowsers or pipeful of tobacco; refuse them anything when you are -dependent upon their services on a journey, and they will leave you in -the woods; for their own part, if they have ammunition they are always -at home. In another way they are generous enough, and take great pride -in showing hospitality. Go into one of their lodges, and a blanket is -spread for you in the seat of honour farthest away from the flap that -does duty for a door; a meal is instantly provided, no matter if it -takes the last piece of meat in the camp, and the precious tea and -tobacco are offered you in lavish quantities. The Yellow Knives are a -timid, peaceable race, shrinking from bloodshed and deeds of violence, -and it is seldom that quarrels between the men got beyond wrestling and -hair-pulling. The women are, as a rule, not quite so hideous as the -squaws of the Blackfeet and Crees; they are lax in morals, and -accustomed to being treated more as slaves than wives in the civilized -interpretation of the word. They do all the hard work of the camp, -besides carrying the heaviest loads on the march; and in too many cases -are rewarded with the worst of the meat and the blows of an -over-exacting husband. Early marriages are fashionable, as a man is -useless without a wife to dry his meat and make moccasins for him. The -great object of a Yellow Knife beauty is to secure a good hunter for a -husband; the man who can shoot straight, and is known to be skilful in -approaching the caribou, is always a prize in the matrimonial market and -need have little fear of a refusal, especially as the husband is -supposed to hunt for his father-in-law after marriage, and the old man -will use all his influence to arrange the match. Superstition still -reigns supreme among these people; any mischance is put down to "bad -medicine," and reasons are always forthcoming to account for its -presence. There are several miracle-workers and foreseers of the future -in the tribe, who are said to perform very wonderful things, but I found -them extremely shy of showing off their accomplishments when I asked for -an exhibition. Like all other Indians who live the wild life that they -were intended to live, the Yellow Knives are dirty to the last degree. -They are careful about combing and greasing their hair, and are lavish -in the use of soap, if they can get it, for face and hands, but their -bodies are a sanctuary for the disgusting vermin that always infest -them; they seem to have no idea of getting rid of these objectionable -insects, but talk about its being a good or bad season for them in the -same way that they speak of mosquitos. - -From every point of view, then, the Indian of the Great Slave Lake is -not a pleasant companion, nor a man to be relied upon in case of -emergency. Nobody has yet discovered the right way to manage him. His -mind runs on different principles from that of a white man, and till the -science of thought-reading is much more fully developed, the working of -his brain will always be a mystery to the fur-trader and traveller. - -At sunrise the following morning I left Zinto's camp, with Michel and -Marlo, bound for Fond du Lac, all the other musk-ox hunters going back -to domestic happiness. The weather was still bright and cold, and the -days perceptibly longer as we travelled south. We were again short of -meat, as all the Indians were in the same plight, and although we saw a -band of caribou shortly after starting, we were unable to get a shot at -them. Towards evening we found a small _cache_ of meat hung in a tree, -and knowing that it must belong to some of the Beaulieus I had no -compunction in taking it. Here we left our canoe-route, and passing to -the westward of the Lac de Mort headed straight for the house at Fond du -Lac. The woods were well grown and signs of life abundant; the tracks of -wolves, wolverines, foxes, and an occasional marten, frequently crossed -the road, and ptarmigan were continually flying up under the leader's -feet. Here, too, I saw again my old friend the Whisky Jack, as he is -called throughout the North, a grey and white bird the size of a -thrush, with a most confiding disposition and an inordinate love of fat -meat; he sits on the nearest tree while the camp is being made, comes in -boldly, inspects the larder, and helps himself with very little fear of -man. If it is a starving camp he chortles in contempt and flies away, -having a very low opinion of people who travel without provisions; but -if meat be plentiful he spends the night there, and comes in for rich -pickings in the morning when the camp is struck. This bird is common -throughout the wilder parts of Canada, and has acquired many names in -different places; in the mountains of British Columbia he is the -Hudson's Bay bird or grease bird, and far away to the East the moose -bird, caribou bird, Rupert's bird, and camp-robber. - -On the afternoon of the second day we met the Indian Etitchula, who had -left the fort with us in August and had been hanging on more or less to -our party ever since. He was on his way back to King Beaulieu's Camp, -two days' travel to the north-east, having made a trip to Fond du Lac to -make a raid on my tea and tobacco, and see if there was any news of us, -as King was greatly alarmed at our prolonged absence. We relieved him of -a little tea, but he had not been able to get any tobacco out of -Francois, who had roundly asserted that it all belonged to him; he also -gave us a couple of whitefish, which proved a very acceptable change -from our long course of straight meat. Late the same evening we made -our last camp on the high land close to the edge of the mountains within -five miles of the house; we could easily have got in that night, but I -much preferred a quiet camp under the stars to the company of the gang -of Beaulieus who were sure to be at Fond du Lac. - -One word of caution against using the compressed tea imported by the -Hudson's Bay Company into the North as a substitute for tobacco; it is -very good to drink, but if you smoke it you pay the penalty by a most -painful irritation in the throat, which is made worse by breathing the -intensely cold air. We all tried it that night, and all swore never to -do so again, although I have often smoked the ordinary uncompressed tea -without disastrous results and with a certain amount of satisfaction. - -We were off in good time on the morning of December 10th, and were soon -sitting on the sleighs, rushing down the steep incline, with frequent -spills from bumping against trees; this was the only piece of riding I -had during the whole five weeks' travel. The first signs of the _petit -jour_ were just showing as we pulled up at the house, and Francois -quickly produced the tobacco he had refused Etitchula. I think for a few -minutes they were really glad to see us back safe, but soon the old -complaints began. Times had been hard, although the women and children -all looked fat enough to belie this statement; Jose had been catching -whitefish, but had refused to give any to Francois; while the latter, -according to Jose, had been very mean in distribution of my effects, -eating flour every day himself but giving none away. They had gone -through nearly everything between them, and moreover did not seem the -least bit ashamed of their conduct. As my dogs were all used up, I -decided to leave them here, and made arrangements with Francois to bring -his own train on to the fort with me. It seemed that notwithstanding the -hard times he had sufficient meat and fish stored away for our trip, and -there were still a few pounds of flour left, so that we should live in -luxury all the way in. - -I spent the day shooting a few ptarmigan, indulging in much tobacco, and -listening to the petitions of the various ill-used members of the -family. Jose was particularly amusing; he had been the most useless man -of the lot, never even venturing into the Barren Ground, but spending -most of his time at Fond du Lac, shooting away my ammunition and playing -havoc with tea and tobacco, besides robbing the _cache_ at the Lac du -Rocher. Now he was full of love for me, and gave me a list of things -that he wanted in addition to his wages, as a reward for all that he had -done and was ready to do for me. Among other items, he wanted my rifle -and hunting-glasses, and remarked that my Paradox gun, which had been -lying here all the time, would be very useful for him at the goose-hunt -in the following spring. Fortunately none of the Beaulieus know how to -put together a breech-loading gun, so the Paradox and its ammunition had -been left in peace to do me good service in the summer. I think the -Paradox is the most useful gun yet invented for purposes of exploration, -as it does away with the necessity of carrying a separate weapon for -shot and ball, and shoots very true with either; but there seems no -reason why the patent should not be applied to a 20-bore. For procuring -food in a really rough country, where a man has to carry his own -ammunition, the ball-cartridges for a 12-bore are needlessly heavy, and -the charge of shot is too great for the close range shooting which is -usually done on these occasions. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - - -At Fond du Lac I slept for the first time since we left the fort under a -roof, but on account of the awful squalor of the house I should have -much preferred the usual open camp in the snow. Daylight found us under -way again, Francois and myself, with a small boy to run ahead of the -dogs; as we were travelling light I expected to be able to ride the last -half of the journey, but for the first two days the fish for dogs' food -made our load too heavy to travel at a fast pace. I left all the musk-ox -and caribou heads and skins that I had managed to save, to come in with -Michel and Marlo when they made the usual journey to the fort for New -Year's day, on which occasion the Indians from all quarters bring in -their furs to trade, and receive a small feast of flour and sugar, an -event not to be missed on any account, even though wives and families -may be left to starve in the woods and the famished dogs drop with -fatigue along the track. - -There was no news as to the state of the ice, as we were the first -people to attempt the crossing of the lake this winter. It is usually -not safe for travel till the middle of December, so we coasted along the -north shore, increasing the distance, but getting greater safety by -doing so. We took things easily, making early starts and putting ashore -frequently for a cup of tea; it was a great improvement on the -canoe-travelling which had delayed us so much in the autumn. At sundown -every night we picked out a sheltered spot among the tall pine-trees -where firewood was plentiful, threw away the snow with our snow-shoes, -and put down a thick mat of pine-brush; then a huge fire was lit and -enough wood cut for the night, the fish thawed for the dogs, and supper -cooked for the men. We had bread at every meal, which is in itself a -luxury after four months of straight meat; the day ended with tobacco, -and we rolled ourselves in our blankets to sleep, till the position of -the Great Bear told us it was time to be on the march once more. People -who live in civilization find it hard to believe that men in these -northern latitudes habitually sleep out under the stars, with the -thermometer standing at 30 deg., 40 deg., and even 60 deg. below zero; -yet it is those same people of civilization who suffer from colds in -the head, lung-diseases, and a variety of ailments unknown to the -_voyageur_, whose only dangers are starvation and the risk of accidents -incidental to travelling in rough countries. - -On the second day we passed a couple of houses occupied by an Indian, -Capot Blanc, with whom I afterwards became great friends; he had left -for the fort a couple of days before, but the ice was reported to be -dangerous in the Grand Traverse. Another Indian, Thomas, a brother of -Marlo and Zinto, was ready to start, and joined in with us for the rest -of the journey; he had only two dogs, but with a light load managed to -keep up easily enough. The ice among the islands was pretty good, but -the snow was soft and deep, and it was not till our fourth night out -from Fond du Lac that we camped on the last outlying island, ready to -take the Traverse. About eighteen miles away to the south, without any -chance to put ashore till we reached it, lay the Ile de Pierre, and we -were to make for a half-breed's house that lay within a mile of it on -the main shore of the lake. It had been arranged that I was to ride in -pomp across this piece, so, after a good breakfast about three o'clock, -I turned into the sleigh and soon dropped off to sleep to the music of -sleigh-bells and a volley of French oaths with which Francois encouraged -his dogs every few minutes. At this time the stars were shining -brightly, and there was not a breath of wind. I must have slept for a -couple of hours when Francois awoke me with the information that we were -lost. Turning out of my warm berth I found a gale of wind blowing, with -snow falling and drifting heavily; I could hardly make out the men in -the darkness, though they were all standing within a few yards of me. Of -course I had not the slightest idea where we were, or the direction in -which we had been travelling. Francois seemed undecided, but Thomas was -quite sure that by keeping the wind abeam we should hit off the Ile de -Pierre. We put him ahead, and he proved perfectly right in his -direction; for after four hours' steady walk we made out the land, the -weather clearing a little at day-break. We had headed a little too far -to the west, but were soon inside the half-breed's cabin, where we found -plenty of fish for the dogs, and so decided to spend the day there, as -the wind had freshened up again and the drifting snow made travelling -unpleasant. We did not know what a narrow escape we had had till the -owner of the house came in, after making an attempt to visit his nets. -He reported the ice broken up to the west by the violence of the gale, -and had we kept a little more in that direction we might easily have -walked into open water in the darkness and made a disastrous ending to -our expedition. - -[Illustration: Skins in the Post Storeroom] - -[Illustration: Taking the Post Dogs for Exercise] - -Our course the next day lay over shoal water, mostly inside sandbanks -and through narrow channels of the delta of the Slave River. We crossed -the main stream on good ice, and following the shore of the lake for ten -miles, rattled into the fort about two o'clock, within ten minutes of -the arrival of the outward-bound packet from Mackenzie River. Luckily -enough it had been delayed one day by the storm that had overtaken us in -the Grand Traverse, and I had an opportunity of sending out letters by -the dog-sleigh that was to leave the same night. For true hospitality -there is nothing in the world to beat the welcome back to a Hudson's Bay -post in the North after one has made a long journey in the wilds; no -need to trouble your head with the idea that you may not be wanted, or -that you will eat too much of the ever insufficient supplies sent in -from the outside world to the officer in charge. Why is it that the less -a man has, and the harder things are to obtain, the more ready he is to -divide? It does not seem to work in civilization, but it is certainly so -in rough countries, and especially with the Hudson's Bay Company's -officers in the Far North. Perhaps it is because they have all seen -hardships and privations in the Company's service and know the value of -a helping hand given in the time of need; men who have suffered -themselves have always more feeling for the sufferings of others than -people who have lived only on the soft side of life. - -I don't think I ever enjoyed a meal so much as that first dinner at Fort -Resolution, after a most necessary wash. A year later I dragged myself -into a small trading-post at the foot of the Rocky Mountains after many -days' total starvation, but had then got beyond the capacity of enjoying -anything. On the present occasion I was able to thoroughly appreciate -the change from my four months' experience in the Barren Ground. How -strange it seemed once more to sit at a table, on a chair, like a white -man, and eat white man's food with a knife and fork, after the long -course of squatting in the filth of a smoky lodge, rending a piece of -half-raw meat snatched from the dirty kettle. Then, too, I could speak -again in my own language, and there was a warm room to sit in, books to -read, and all the ordinary comforts of life, with the knowledge that so -long as I stayed in the house I had my own place, while the wind and the -snow had theirs outside. - -There was no scarcity at the fort this year, although the autumn fishing -had not been successful. The Fond du Lac boat had brought in a good -supply of dried meat, and there was a better stock of flour than is -usually to be found at a northern fort. Mr. Mackinlay, too, had got in a -fair supply of luxuries from Winnipeg, and, as Mrs. Mackinlay was an -excellent manager, we always lived as well as one should wish to live -anywhere. - -Fort Resolution is a fair sample of a trading-post in the North. It is -situated on the south side of a bay, the entrance to which is sheltered -by a group of islands, the largest known as Mission Island, from the -Roman Catholic mission established there in charge of Father Dupire. The -original site was on an outlying island known as Moose Island, but the -present position on the mainland has been found more practicable. The -buildings consist of the master's house, a comfortable log-building -flanked on each side by a large store, one used for provisions and the -other as a fur and trading store; these were originally within a -stockade and formed the fort proper, but the peaceful nature of the -Indians has removed all need for defensive works. Outside is a small row -of log-houses, occupied by the engaged servants, freemen, and a couple -of pensioners too old to make their living in the woods. Close at hand -are the buildings belonging to the Protestant Mission, while the willows -and bush-growth of a densely-wooded level country hem in the small patch -of cleared ground on which the settlement stands; here potatoes and a -few other vegetables are raised, and in a favourable season produce very -fair crops. There are a yoke of work-cattle for hauling wood and a -couple of milch cows are kept, as hay is easily procured in the numerous -swamps which are scattered through the woods in every direction. The -only high land to be seen is a conspicuous bluff marking the entrance to -the Little Buffalo River some ten miles along the lake shore, this -stream heads in to the south, and as it breaks up earlier in the spring -than the Little Slave River it is used at that time of year as a route -to Fort Smith, one overland portage being made, to drop on to the main -stream a short distance below the fort. - -Looking out over the vast expanse of frozen lake on still, bright days -some very beautiful and curious mirage effects can often be seen. -Everything takes an unnatural and frequently inverted form; islands so -far away as to be below the horizon are seen suspended in the air, and -it is impossible to recognise a point or bunch of trees with which you -are perfectly familiar in ordinary circumstances. - -There are four engaged servants at the fort; a white man, Murdo Mackay, -native of the Hebrides, who was serving a five years' contract with the -Company, and three half-breeds, by far the best of whom was Michel -Mandeville, who has held the position of interpreter at Fort Resolution -for several years. Except at the time of the Fall fishery, an engaged -servant's work is light--cutting and hauling enough firewood to keep the -fort supplied, visiting the nets and lines, and an occasional trip with -the packet, or to get trading-goods from another fort. - -Christmas passed away quietly, but there was stir enough when the -Indians came in for New Year and the trading began. The old system of -barter is still carried on, with the beaver-skin for a standard. An -Indian's pile of fur is counted, and he is told how many skins' worth of -goods he has to receive; then he is taken into the store and the door -solemnly locked, as it is found impossible to trade at all with more -than one at a time. It seems very simple; the Indian knows exactly how -many skins he has to take, and the value in skins of every common -article. But, to begin with, he wants everything he sees, and the whole -stock would hardly satisfy him, and it is a long time, with many changes -of opinion, before he has spent the proceeds of his hunt. Then arises -the question of his debt, and he tries to take the largest amount -possible on credit for his spring hunt; the trader cannot refuse -absolutely to make any advances, as there are some things essentially -necessary to the Indian's life in the woods, but the debts are kept in -proportion to the man's character. After he has finished his trade, he -shows his purchases to his friends, and, acting on their advice, usually -comes back to effect some change, and the game begins all over again; -sometimes a whole day is passed in laying out a hundred skins, roughly -fifty dollars according to our method of calculation. Before the Indian -leaves the fort he always comes in and does a little begging while -saying good-bye to his master. - -I had a very bad time of it settling up with the Beaulieus. Promises -that I had made under stress of circumstances had to be redeemed, but it -was hopeless to try and satisfy them; although they had each received -far more than had been originally agreed upon, they continued grumbling -till they left the fort. On New Year's day a big ball was given to the -half-breeds, while the Indians were provided with the materials for a -feast, and held a dance of their own in one of the empty houses. It was -the poorest display imaginable; many of the Canadian tribes have really -effective dancing, but the Yellow Knives appear to have a very -elementary idea of graceful movement. Their only figure is to waddle -round in a circle, holding each other's hands, keeping up a monotonous -chant, and spitting freely into the middle of the ring. In the big house -Red River jigs and reels were kept up with unflagging energy till -daylight. - -As soon as everything had quieted down and the Indians had gone back to -their hunting-ground, Mackinlay and myself started on an expedition -after the caribou to try and kill some fresh meat for the fort. We took -Michel, the interpreter, with us, and Pierre Beaulieu, a brother of -King's; and a resident of Mission Island joined us with his two sons, as -there was news of the caribou being at no great distance on the far side -of the lake. It was now the dead of winter, the season of the _gra' -frete_, and we had two remarkably cold days' travel to reach the north -shore of the Great Slave Lake. We struck into the woods, not far to the -eastward of the Gros Cap, the point forming the eastern extremity of the -long narrow arm leading to Fort Rae. We each had a sleigh of dogs, and -were able to ride most of the time on a good road broken by a band of -Indians hunting in the neighbourhood. Two long days over small lakes and -through the thick pine woods, in a country much resembling that of Fond -du Lac but of lower elevation, brought us among the caribou, but they -were not in very large numbers. - -We had everything we could want to make life pleasant in the woods, -abundance of tea and tobacco, meat if we killed it, and no hardships; -the cold was severe of course, but there was plenty of firewood, and it -was our own fault if we could not keep ourselves warm. Three days we -spent in hunting, and, although we did not kill very much, there was a -little meat to take back; we never really found the caribou in any -quantity, or we should have made a big killing and _cached_ the meat, to -be hauled later on when the days grew longer. A rattling three days' -journey took us back to the fort, as old Pierre, who is one of the most -rushing travellers I ever met, hustled us along to save using his meat -on the way home; he had no intention of feeding his dogs from his load -for more than two nights when he had fish to give them at home. This -trouble about dogs' food is the great drawback to winter travelling in -the North; a dog, to keep him in good order, requires two whitefish, -weighing each perhaps three pounds, every night. This adds so much to -the load that a ten days' journey is about the longest one can undertake -with full rations all round, unless it be in a part of the country where -game is plentiful or fish can be caught _en route_. - -After the caribou hunt, we amused ourselves about the fort; sometimes -going in search of ptarmigan, which are usually to be found among the -willows close to the edge of the lake; and sometimes paying Father -Dupire a visit on his island, a couple of miles away, to hear some of -his interesting experiences during a residence of many years among the -Indians. Close at hand lay the Protestant Mission, where there was -always a welcome, and, with these attractions and a fair supply of -books, time did not hang at all heavily till early in February the -winter packet from the outside world arrived. I received a big bundle of -letters, the first that reached me since June, but it happened that none -of the newspapers for the fort turned up, and we were left in ignorance -of what had happened in the Grand Pays. - -So many travellers have written about this great Northern Packet and the -wonderful journey that it makes that it is unnecessary for me to say -much about it. On its arrival at Fort Resolution it presents the -appearance of an ordinary dog-sleigh, with a man ahead of the dogs, -which are driven by a half-breed, with plenty of ribbons and beads on -leggings and moccasins, capable of running his forty miles a day with -ease, and possessed of a full command of the more expressive part of the -French language. - -Dr. Mackay, who was on his yearly round of visits to inspect the -outlying posts in his district, came down from Fort Chipeweyan with the -packet, and we had a long talk respecting a summer trip to the Barren -Ground which I proposed making. - -My intention was to leave the fort on the last ice in the spring and -travel with the dogs to the spot where we had left our big canoe in the -autumn, there to await the breaking up of the lakes and to descend the -Great Fish River with the first open water. I had no special object in -reaching the sea-coast, as a birch-bark canoe is not the right sort of -craft for work among salt-water ice; and it was more to see what the -Barren Ground was like in summer, and to notice the habits of the birds -and animals, than for the sake of geographical discovery, that I wished -to make the expedition. - -The Great Fish River has been twice descended before, but of course both -Back's and Anderson's parties were compelled by the shortness of the -summers to confine their exploration to the immediate neighbourhood of -the river; and I thought that, by spending more time at the head-waters -than they had been able to do, I should get a good idea of the nature of -the country and an insight into the Indian summer life among the -caribou. The difficulty was to obtain a crew; but Dr. Mackay very kindly -consented to Mackinlay's accompanying me, and also lent me the two -engaged servants, Murdo Mackay and Moise Mandeville, brother of Michel -Mandeville the interpreter, but not half such a good fellow. We hoped to -be able to engage the services of some of the Indians to guide us to the -head of the river, but they have such a dread of the Esquimaux, who hunt -farther down the stream, that we hardly expected any of the Yellow -Knives to accompany us beyond that point. Long ago there was always war -between the Indians and the Esquimaux, and Hearne's description of the -massacre at the Bloody Falls on the Coppermine gives a good idea of the -hatred that existed between these tribes. For many years they have not -met, and although the Esquimaux seen by Anderson on the Great Fish River -appear peaceful enough, the Yellow Knives hunting at the head of the -river are in constant fear of meeting them. - -Zinto, the chief, and another Indian, Syene, arrived at the fort soon -after Dr. Mackay left, and we consulted them as to the best route to -follow, and whether we could depend upon their tribe for any help. They -told us that there was no difficulty in reaching the head-waters of the -river, as the Indians were in the habit of coming there every summer, -but beyond was an unknown country; they both remembered Anderson's -expedition, and were full of stories about the difficulties of -navigation, the numerous portages and the likelihood of starvation, but -knew nothing from personal experience. We failed lamentably in the -attempt to discover when the ice in the river usually broke up. Syene -told us that it was in the moon when the dogs lie on their backs in the -sun, and Zinto volunteered the information that it was soon after the -leaves begin to shoot on the little willows in the Barren Ground; but we -could not work it out into any particular month. Both promised to make -dried meat and pemmican for us if they fell in with the caribou, and to -leave _caches_ in the last bunch of pine-trees. Next day they left for -their camp, two hundred miles away in the woods, to await the first -signs of warmer weather to start for the spring musk-ox hunt. Zinto was -to come to the fort about the 1st of May, and personally conduct us to -the places where he had piled up the meat of many caribou for our use. - - - - -CHAPTER X - - -About the middle of February, 1890, little Francois, an Indian living at -the mouth of Buffalo River, arrived with the news that during a -hunting-trip he had made to the southward he had seen the tracks of a -band of wood buffalo and intended to go in pursuit of them after this -visit to the fort. - -Mackinlay and myself both wanted an excuse to be in the woods again, and -the next day saw us plodding across the bay on snow-shoes to the -comfortable little shanty, under the high bluff, which forms the most -conspicuous landmark within sight of Fort Resolution. The establishment -was presided over by an old lady, formerly cook at one of the forts, and -kept with a cleanliness not always to be found in a white man's -dwelling. The following morning we started with two sleigh-loads of fish -for the dogs and provisions and blankets for ourselves. Francois brought -his wife and little girl, besides a rather crazy boy, given to epileptic -fits, but a good worker in the intervals between his attacks. We -followed the river for a mile or two, then turned into the woods on the -west bank, and, crossing a lake of some size, headed in a south-west -direction through the thick pine-forest, occasionally picking up a -marten from a line of traps set by little Francois, for we were -following the track that he had made on his last trip, or finding a -rabbit hung by the neck in one of his wife's snares; very cunning these -old women are in all things concerning the stomach, and if there are -many rabbit-tracks to be seen in the snow there is little danger of -going without supper. - -On the second day we crossed a large prairie dotted with lakes, formerly -the home of many beavers, and still bearing evidence of their labours in -the long banks which served as dams and the huge mounds which were once -their houses. The beavers have all gone long ago, and the ladies who -wore the pretty fur-trimmed jackets in far-away England, and the -husbands who grumbled at their price, are gone too; but the beavers have -left the most impression on the face of the earth. Wonderful moulders of -geography they are; a stream dammed up in a level country forms a huge -lake where the forest stood, the trees fall as their roots rot in -standing water, and, if the dam be not attended to by the workers, a -fertile grass-covered prairie takes the place of the lake. From the -Liard River and Great Slave Lake, to the Peace River on the east side of -the Rocky Mountains, extends the greatest beaver country in the world. -It is known by Indian report alone, as no white man ever penetrates far -into the wilderness of pine-forest and morass; many streams head away -into the interior of this unknown land, but the white man has only seen -their mouths, as he passes up or down the main waterways of the North. -It is true that the Company's men have ascended Hay River, a large -stream falling into the Great Slave Lake, and by making an overland -portage, have dropped on the Peace River at Fort Vermillion; but they -have always made hurried voyages and have had no opportunity of -exploring much new ground. - -Scattered over this huge extent of country are still a few bands of -buffalo. Sometimes they are heard of at Forts Smith and Vermillion, -sometimes at Fort St. John close up to the big mountains on Peace River, -and occasionally at Fort Nelson on the south branch of the Liard. It is -impossible to say anything about their numbers, as the country they -inhabit is so large, and the Indians, who are few in number, usually -keep to the same hunting-ground. These animals go by the name of wood -buffalo, and most people are of opinion that they are a distinct race -from the old prairie buffalo so numerous in bygone days; but I am -inclined to think that the very slight difference in appearance is -easily accounted for by climatic influences, variety of food, and the -better shelter of the woods. Here too the giant moose and the woodland -caribou have their home, and even in the short journey that I made into -this district the tracks in the snow told a tale of plenty. Many black -bears' skins are brought out every year, and towards the mountains the -formidable grizzly is often encountered by the fearful hunter. Nor are -the small fur-bearing animals wanting; foxes--red, cross, and a few -silver--seek their living on the prairie, while wolverines, fisher, -mink, marten, and lynx may be trapped in the woods, and a few otters -frequent the streams and lakes. In the summer ducks, geese, and many -other water-birds have their nests in the muskegs, and two or three -varieties of the tree grouse are always to be found. "The hunter's -Paradise!" says the sporting reader; "let us go and have a hunt there." -But now for the other side of the picture. In the summer it is -practically impossible to travel, as it is a swampy country not to be -crossed with horses, and the lakes are too far apart to be available as -a canoe-route, while the mosquitos are intolerable. Only when the snow -has fallen, and all water is held fast in the grip of winter, has one a -chance of exploring this Land of Promise with dogs, sleighs, and -snow-shoes; but, by this time, the summer life has all flown far away -southward, and, though I think one would be fairly safe in pushing on, -there is always a chance of coming across a large tract of gameless -country, and finding a difficulty in obtaining provisions. - -After three days' good travel we reached the end of Francois' road, and -long before daylight on the following morning were away to try and find -the buffalo tracks. We had a long day's walk over a perfect -hunting-ground, crossing several open ridges with sufficient elevation -to give us a view of the surrounding country. Prairie and timber were -about in equal proportion, and the eye could follow the windings of a -large stream that falls into the Little Buffalo River close to the Fort -Smith portage; its water are strongly impregnated with sulphur, and do -not readily freeze; in fact this stream, although it has little current, -remains open during a considerable part of its course even in the -coldest weather. About noon we found the track that we had been looking -for, easily distinguishable from the many tracks of moose and woodland -caribou that we had crossed; little Francois made a capital approach, -and after a couple of hours' walk we sighted a band of eight buffalo -feeding in a small wood-surrounded swamp. There are few spots on the -American continent to-day where one can see buffalo in their wild state, -but the Indian gave us no time to watch them, and completely spoilt the -chance of clean shooting by letting off his gun too soon; we only wanted -to kill one, as we could not haul any more meat, and it is really a pity -to kill animals so nearly extinct as these. As it turned out there were -several snap-shots fired as they ran into the woods, and two tracks of -blood in the snow showed that we had done too much shooting, although it -was not till late in the second day that we secured a cow that had -travelled many miles before lying down. - -By the way, it is as well when going for a hunting expedition in the -North to leave at home all the old-fashioned notions of -shooting-etiquette. If you see a man in a good position for a shot, run -up, jostle his elbow, and let your gun off; if an animal falls, swear -you killed it, and claim the back-fat and tongue no matter whether you -fired or not; never admit that you are not quite sure which animal you -shot at. It is only by strict attention to these rules that a white man -can get a fair division of plunder when shooting with half-breed -Indians. - -The other buffalo, on whose track there was little blood, had not -separated from the band, although we followed it for a whole day, and, -as this was a sure sign of its having been only slightly wounded, -perhaps not much damage was done; a badly struck animal will always -leave its companions and lie down. - -There was much rejoicing when late on the third night the result of our -hunt was hauled into our pleasant camp in a clump of thick pine-timber. -The little girl patted and played with the meat as an English child -would with a doll, and eventually dropped off to sleep with the raw -brisket for a pillow; while Pierre, the boy, after a huge feast was -seized with such a violent fit that for a long time I was afraid it -would prove his last. The others took no notice of him beyond putting -down a log to keep him from rolling in the fire, and in the morning he -seemed perfectly well and hungry as ever for buffalo-meat. With -heavily-laden sleighs we started back for the fort, but a wind-storm had -drifted up our track over the prairie, and the dogs had hard work to -drag their loads. In one of our steel traps were the remains of a cross -fox that a wolverine had eaten, and beyond a few more martens our -fur-hunting was unsuccessful. It took us four days to reach little -Francois' house at the mouth of the river, and another half-day to get -to the fort, where we found everything quiet, as usual in the monotony -of the long winter. February was nearly over, and the "moon of the big -wind" was doing its best to keep up its reputation. Day after day the -north wind howled over the lake, drifting the snow into a vast ridge on -the lee shore and making it no easy matter to find the trout-lines, -which had now to be set four or five miles out at sea, the fish moving -into deep water as the cold gets more intense and the ice thicker. The -thermometer hanging against the wall of the house ranged between _minus_ -30 and _minus_ 45 degrees Fahrenheit, and this state of affairs -continued until I left the fort for another hunt with little Francois. -We spent three weeks happily enough in the woods, doing a little -trapping, and getting enough moose and caribou-meat to keep the dogs and -ourselves in good condition. Our course lay the same way as on the last -hunt, to take advantage of the road and visit the line of traps; but we -pushed further on till we came across the tracks of a party of Indians -hunting from Fort Smith. We saw no sign of buffalo, and as Francois' -wife damaged her leg rather badly we were obliged to haul her back on -the sleigh, and this accident put an end to our trip. Away far in the -forest beyond the influence of the great frozen lake we found the first -indications of the coming spring. By the end of the first week in April -the snow was falling under our snow-shoes in the middle of the day, and -the sun, which now had a long course to run, shone with considerable -power; the pine-trees threw out the delicious scent so suggestive of -Nature's awakening after her long snow-wrapped sleep, and a puff of warm -south wind, sighing through the poplars, whispered a message of hope -from a more favoured land. But winter made a final struggle, and it was -not till the 25th of April that the collapse came. Then the snow in the -woods around the fort melted away rapidly, and the bare ground showed in -patches. On May 1st water was standing in pools over the ice in the bay, -the snow had disappeared except in the drifts, a light rain was falling, -and the first goose was killed from the door of the master's house; -small bands of wildfowl were passing frequently, and cranes were calling -in the swamps to the southward; daylight lingered in the sky all night, -but there was always a sharp frost while the sun was down. - -It was time to shake off our luxurious habits and push out again for the -North to take full advantage of the short summer of the Barren Ground. -The fort seemed to wake up with the spring, and there was bustle and -activity everywhere. The furs had to be spread out to dry before they -could be baled up; fish had to be thrown out of the provision-store as -they thawed, and the dogs were happy for once. There was talk of -ploughing and planting the potato-crop; Indians kept dropping in with -small bundles of fur, to trade for ammunition for the goose-hunt, which -would soon be in full swing; canoes were patched up and made tight in -readiness for the first open water. But there was a rumour that the -expedition to the Great Fish River would fall through, as no crew could -be found, and some discontented spirits had been trying to persuade the -Indians against going with us; the half-breeds were all full of excuses, -and for a time it looked bad for us. Mackinlay was of course keen enough -for the trip, and so was Murdo Mackay, the Scotch engaged servant; and -luckily David, an Esquimau boy from Peel's River, who had been left at -Fort Resolution for the winter to learn English from the Protestant -missionary there, was willing to come with us, and, although not a -first-rate traveller, might be very useful as interpreter if we fell in -with any of his countrymen. Moise Mandeville was more obstinate and had -the greatest horror of the expedition, but he finally agreed to come in -the capacity of steersman and as Montaignais' interpreter. We were still -without a guide. Zinto, despite his promises, had not put in an -appearance, and there was as yet no news of him. Meanwhile preparations -went on; dogs were got together, new snow-shoes provided for each member -of the party, and all available pounded meat and grease converted into -pemmican as the most portable form of provisions; four sacks of flour -were forwarded to Fond du Lac to await our arrival, and the women round -the fort were busy making moccasins for men and dogs, as the latter have -to be shod in spring-travelling, to prevent their feet being cut to -pieces on the rough needle-ice that appears after the snow has melted -off the lakes. We also took a light canvas lodge in place of the heavier -deer-skins, and found it a great saving in weight, especially after -rain; dressed deer-skins hold water like a sponge, and where firewood is -scarce are extremely hard to dry. - -On May 4th Mr. Clark arrived from Fort Smith to take charge of -Resolution during Mackinlay's absence. The slushy state of the snow made -travelling hard, but the Fort Smith people had managed to bring us a -welcome supply of tea, tobacco, ammunition, and a few matches; none of -these necessary articles were to be had at Resolution, as the unusually -heavy fur-trade had left the store empty. We collected all the -touch-wood we could get hold of, and each took a flint and steel, while -Dr. Mackay sent us a burning-glass, a compass, and a watch from -Chipeweyan, besides half a dozen pair of spectacles to keep off -snow-blindness, from which an unprotected eye is sure to suffer. There -was also a small stock of axes, knives, and beads, presents for the -Esquimaux in case we fell in with them. Arrangements were made for the -fort boat to meet us at the old site of Lockhart's house, at the -north-east end of the Great Slave Lake, on August 1st, to bring us -across the lake, as I wished to start for the South in time to get back -to civilization before the rivers and lakes were set fast by the coming -winter. - -The day after Mr. Clark's arrival a couple of Indians came in from Fond -du Lac. Zinto had not yet arrived there, but was expected any day; he -had no meat for us, and caribou were reported scarce on the road we -proposed taking; most of the Yellow Knives would be at Fond du Lac to -meet us if they found food enough for present use. Pierre Lockhart, an -Indian who had come to the fort, immediately engaged with us as guide to -the Great Fish River, saying that whatever the other men might do he -would be faithful to the end of the journey, even if we wanted him to go -to the sea-coast: needless to say he was the very first to desert on the -appearance of hard times. - -It was a goodly procession that left Fort Resolution on the afternoon of -May 7th, for every sleigh was pressed into service to help us over the -bad ice that lay between the fort and the big river, and all the -goose-hunters had been waiting till we started to move their families to -the favourite feeding-grounds. Across the first bay there was fully a -foot of water, with a crust of ice caused by the last night's frost; -this top crust had to be broken, and the dogs waded up to their bellies, -with the sleighs floating behind them: bitterly cold for the feet and -hard to avoid a fall, which meant a thorough drenching in the icy water. -On reaching the delta and passing into the narrow channels at the mouth -of the big river the ice was much better, as the water had run off -through the cracks; the crossing of the main stream looked dangerous, -but, by carefully picking our way and sounding the ice with an axe, we -got across without accident and camped in a bunch of willows on the far -side. The fires were kept up late that night and much talking was done, -as to-morrow we had to say good-bye to our companions, and many -instructions were given to wives, mothers, and children with reference -to their good behaviour during our absence. The red glow of sunset -stayed in the sky till it mingled with the brightness of the coming day; -often a whirr of wings told of a flock of wildfowl passing overhead, and -a few geese that had arrived from the south kept up a continual -_honking_ as they searched for a patch of open water to alight on. But -the frost was sharp in the night, and on breaking camp at four o'clock -we found the crust of surface-ice in the next bay strong enough in most -places to bear our sleighs, which were now reduced to two in number and -much more heavily loaded than on the previous day. Sometimes a man would -break through, and, floundering on the bottom ice, would bruise his -shins and feet in a desperate manner, and we were all badly knocked -about when we put ashore at Tete Noire's House, five miles beyond the -Ile de Pierre, ready to take the big traverse on the following day. A -couple of hours out from the land brought us again to dry snow, as the -change of climate is very sudden after leaving the south shore of the -lake. Crossing the big traverse was ordinary winter travelling, although -the snow was soft in the strong sunshine; we made use of the frost at -night and generally rested during the heat of the day. Between the -islands snow-shoes were necessary, and, although spectacles were -constantly worn, some of the men began to show signs of snow-blindness; -occasionally we found a bare rock to camp on, but more generally made -the old winter form of encampment on the snow. It was not till the sixth -day after leaving the fort that we pulled into Fond du Lac, and found -nearly the whole tribe of Yellow Knives awaiting us with King Beaulieu -and his family at their head; there were five and twenty lodges, and in -every one we heard the old story of _Berula_ (no meat); they had tried -fishing without success, and hoped the white masters would give them a -little flour and pemmican. Why had they not pushed on to some of the -sure fisheries in the big lake when they found the caribou fail? They -wished to talk with us, they said, and so had stayed and starved at Fond -du Lac till we came. What did they want to speak to us about? Only this, -that an Indian's life is hard, and he has at all times need of a little -tea and tobacco to give him courage; they had heard we were taking much -tea and tobacco, besides other presents, to the Esquimaux. In vain did -we tell them that we had not enough for own use; there was no peace till -pipes were going in every lodge. - -[Illustration: Dog-rib Powwow at Fort Resolution] - -[Illustration: Group of Dog-rib Indians] - -Zinto had not put up any meat for us. At one time he had killed a good -many caribou, but he had met with a band of Dog-Ribs from Fort Rae and -the two tribes had camped together; the chief of the Yellow Knives was -bound in honour to give a feast to his guests, and after the meat that -was meant for us had been used for this purpose they fell to gambling. -The unfortunate Zinto lost all his ammunition, so that he had no chance -to kill any more caribou, much as he would have liked to help the white -men in their undertaking. - -The snow was lying deep in the woods and as yet no breath of spring had -visited Fond du Lac, although at Fort Resolution, not more than one -hundred miles to the south, the buds were by this time shooting on the -birch and willow trees, and the ground had been bare for two weeks; no -wildfowl had arrived, and the Indians were of opinion that such a late -spring had never been known, advising us strongly not to attempt to -force our way into the Barren Ground till there was some indication of -better weather. It seemed to us, though, that we should never be in a -better position to start than now, as any delay meant waste of -provisions, and we hoped to find caribou before we began to starve. -Several days we spent in talking to the Indians before we came to any -satisfactory conclusion, and we had the greatest trouble in persuading -any of them to come with us. Finally it was settled that Capot Blanc, -Saltatha, Syene, and Marlo, with their wives and families, should start -with us, and on reaching the head of the Great Fish River should wait -there and hunt while we made the descent of the stream. Capot Blanc -behaved very well at all the consultations, speaking up for the white -men whenever an opportunity offered, but the interpretation was -unsatisfactory; Moise refused this duty in the presence of the -Beaulieus, and the latter, so far as we could make out, used all their -influence with the Indians to damage our chances of making a successful -expedition. David, the Esquimau, rather complicated matters by falling -in love with King's daughter, but he made no objection to starting, and -soon forgot all about her in the excitement of the journey. On the last -evening that we spent at Fond du Lac a Dog-Rib arrived with his family -from the Barren Ground in a wretched state of starvation. He had come in -by the route that we proposed to take, and gave a very unsatisfactory -report of the country: the cold was still severe, and he had met with no -game since leaving the musk-ox a couple of weeks before; one of his -children had died of starvation and he was forced to bury her under the -snow at the Lac de Mort; the rest had barely escaped with life. Of -course we gave them enough flour and pemmican to take them to a -well-known fishery twenty miles on, but our provisions were going very -fast. Most of the Yellow Knives had already moved away to the fishery, -and the encampment was entirely deserted when we pulled down our lodges -on the morning of May 21st. Paul Beaulieu was to have caught us up to -show us some meat-_caches_ that he had made in the winter, and we had -engaged an Indian, Carquoss, to fish for his wife while he was away; but -we saw neither Paul nor his _caches_. Carquoss, however, joined us later -on, and explained that he had given up fishing because we had not left -him any tea and the other Indians had laughed at him. - -A miserable-looking outfit we were as we plodded for two days along the -north shore of the lake, against a strong head-wind and driving -snowstorms. Seven trains of starving dogs hauled their loads in a -melancholy procession, and over twenty people walked in the narrow road -made by the passage of the sleighs; by far too large a party for any -rapid travelling, and badly handicapped by women and children. On the -third day we turned up the mountain, and followed the course of a stream -coming in on the north shore; we mounted by a series of frozen cascades, -many of them so steep that we were obliged to use ropes to help the -dogs, and towards evening camped at the far end of the first lake on the -plateau. This day's work was not got through without a good deal of -growling, as everybody was kept on short rations to make the most of our -provisions; three days' full allowance for human beings alone, to say -nothing of the thirty dogs, would have put an end to our supplies. - -From this lake the country was level, and the women were quite able to -manage the dog-sleighs, while the men scoured the country on either side -of the track in search of caribou or ptarmigan. The birds were fairly -plentiful, but of course at this season were all paired, and there was -no chance of making a slaughter at a single shot, as one can do in the -fall of the year when the birds are in big packs; this shooting at -separate birds was a serious strain on our ammunition, but the ptarmigan -helped us out till we fell in with the caribou. It was almost a -certainty to find these birds in every bunch of pines, and they kept up -such a constant crowing round the camp at night that they had a poor -chance of escaping the hungry man's gun. After the snow has melted the -male bird gets pugnacious and runs up to meet the hunter, with his -feathers puffed out, offering a fair mark for a stone; but before this -happened we disdained ptarmigan, and would only kill the -fattest-looking caribou. We eked out a precarious existence in this -manner for a week, making short days' journeys, as the dogs could not -travel fast or far. Pierre Lockhart deserted one morning when breakfast -was particularly scanty, and taking his gun and blanket started back for -Fond du Lac; we were depending on him for guide, but it was rather a -relief when he went, as he was inclined to steal food, and had several -disgusting habits that made his absence from the lodge rather acceptable -than otherwise. Marlo's brother-in-law disappeared about the same time, -but we thought they had gone off together and did not trouble ourselves -further about them. - -On the last day of May, acting on Capot Blanc's advice, we forked from -our canoe-route, and took a more easterly course, to fall on the chain -of lakes by which Anderson and Stewart had reached the Great Fish River. -We hoped to find caribou in this direction, and on the same day that we -made this change in our course the indefatigable Saltatha, having made a -much longer round than the rest of us, came into camp late at night with -a load of caribou-meat on his back; he had seen snow-shoe tracks to the -east, but falling in with the caribou had turned back to the camp -without following the tracks. - -Sunday, June 1st, brought a distinct change in the weather; a mild -south-west wind was melting the snow rapidly, and several flocks of -geese and ducks passed to the north. A few geese were called up to the -camp and killed from the doors of the lodges; the Indians imitate to -perfection the cry of any bird, and at this time of year the geese are -easy to call, as they are always in search of open water, and seem not a -bit surprised to hear their friends calling to them from a group of -deer-skin lodges. In the morning we sent two men to bring in the rest of -Saltatha's meat, with orders to investigate the tracks, and see if there -was another encampment of Indians to the east, as none of the caribou -hunters had intended to leave the Great Slave Lake till the thaw came. -Our peaceful Sunday was greatly disturbed by a royal row in one of the -lodges, and we sent for Capot Blanc to ask him what the trouble was. The -old fellow was glad enough to get into our lodge away from the clamour, -and explained the cause of the disturbance in his even low-pitched -voice, so pleasantly contrasted with the Yellow Knife Billingsgate that -was being freely used outside. "It is the women," he said; "the wife of -Syene has called the wife of Saltatha by a bad name, because she would -not give her some meat; the wife of Saltatha has taken the wife of Syene -by the hair and beaten her in the face with a snow-shoe till her nose -bleeds very much; the men have tried to separate them, but that only -makes things worse. It is always like this in our camps when we starve. -If the men are alone they are quiet; but when there are women there is -no peace. Is it so also in your country?" - -Late in the night the men who had gone to fetch the meat came back, -hauling on the sleigh Marlo's brother-in-law Jose, whom they had found -lying in the snow, without fire, in a bunch of dwarf pines; the -snow-shoe tracks were his, and but for the lucky chance of Saltatha's -killing the caribou in that direction he must have perished in a day or -two, as he was too weak to travel. He had left us to hunt ptarmigan, and -lost himself eight days ago, and, as we supposed he had deserted with -Pierre, we had taken no trouble to look for him. He was one of the -unlucky ones, believed to have seen "the Enemy" in his youth, and it -certainly says little for his wits that he was unable to follow the -tracks of such a large party. Jose had used up what little ammunition he -started with on the first day, and since then had eaten nothing; he was -without matches or touchwood to make fire, and as the weather had been -cold he must have suffered greatly. We fed him up to the best of our -ability, and he recovered rapidly when meat was abundant in the camp. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - - -On the following day we made an easy day's travel to the east, and most -of us succeeded in killing caribou while the women drove the dogs. From -this time, all through the summer till we again reached the Great Slave -Lake late in August, we had no difficulty about provisions; although -there was many a time when we could not say where we might find our next -meal, something always turned up, and we were never a single day without -eating during the whole journey. I really believe it is a mistake to try -to carry enough food for a summer's work in the Barren Ground, as the -difficulty of transport is so great, and after the caribou are once -found there is no danger of starvation. - -We were now travelling with the bull caribou, which had just left the -thick woods, and made easy marches from lake to lake in an north-east -direction; the weather became cold again for the last time, and June 7th -was like a bad winter's day with a strong north wind and snowstorms. -Then the summer came suddenly, and on the 11th we were obliged to camp -on a high gravel ridge to await _le grand degel_, which rendered -travelling impossible, till the deep water had run off the ice. -Although we had been so far taking it very easily, a rest was of great -service, as many of the party were suffering from acute snow-blindness -caused by the everlasting glare of the sun on the treeless waste; there -was no dark object to rest the eyes upon for a moment, and besides the -actual pain the constant inflammation injured the sight and made -rifle-shooting very uncertain. The Indians smeared their faces with -blood and wood-ashes, and the white men were further protected with -spectacles; but these efforts were only partially successful in keeping -off the glare. I was lucky in getting off quite free myself, but should -imagine that it must be a most painful affliction. - -Along the foot of the sandy ridge, which closely resembled the one I had -seen the autumn before at Lac de Gras, were many small lakes partially -thawed, and here the snow geese, or white "wavies," were resting in -thousands, waiting till the warm weather should have melted the snow -from their feeding-ground along the sea-coast. We could have made -enormous bags of them, as they were tame and disinclined to leave the -open water; but we were sparing with our ammunition, as we might want it -badly later on. Great numbers were killed, however, and their prime -condition told of the good feeding-ground they had left far southward. -There were also plenty of large Canada geese, but the grey wavy, or -laughing goose, the best of all for eating, is much scarcer. Of the more -edible ducks the pintail seems to be the only one that comes so far -beyond the Great Slave Lake, but long-tailed ducks and golden eyes were -in great numbers along this sandy ridge. Of the loons, the red-throated -variety was by far the most numerous, and the Pacific or Adam's diver -was fairly common, but the great northern diver, although plentiful on -the Great Slave Lake, does not appear to visit the Barren Ground. - -While we were waiting here, another band of Indians from Fond du Lac -caught us up, and our camp assumed still larger proportions; but as we -were fairly among the game it did not much matter. With the new arrivals -were two blind men, Pierre and Antoine Fat, who preferred a wandering -life to the support they would doubtless have been given at the fort. -Both were good fishermen, and would spend hours sitting on the ice at -the edge of an open hole with the greatest patience, and later on made -heavy catches of trout. Pierre would often walk with the hunters to get -his share of the meat; Capot Blanc was usually his guide, but seldom did -more than trail a stick after him and the blind man followed the sound; -when a caribou was killed, Pierre was led up to it, and in spite of his -blindness would do the butcher's work cleanly and well. - -The snow melted away rapidly; the hillsides were running with small -streams, the ground showed up in ever increasing patches, and a thick -mist, which the Indians say always appears at the time of the big thaw, -hung over everything. On June 16th we found that most of the water had -run off through the cracks in the ice, and resumed our journey, after -solemnly burning some thirty pairs of used-up snow-shoes. At first -walking without them seemed hard to me, as I had used them continually -since the previous October, and we all found that our feet were made -sore by walking on the rough ice; unfortunately the skins of the caribou -that we killed were so riddled by grubs that they were unfit to dress -for leather, and we were always short of moccasins. We still travelled -along easily, as the river would not break up for a fortnight at the -earliest, and our best plan was to move with the caribou, which seemed -to be keeping up with the edge of the snow much in the same manner as -ourselves. The portages between the lakes were often three or four miles -in length, and, as the snow had gone, we were obliged to carry the heavy -loads on our backs; firewood was getting scarce, and I came to the -conclusion that our old canoe-route was by far the best way to reach the -Barren Ground in summer or in winter. A few warm days made a great -difference in the appearance of the country. Leaves began to sprout on -the little willows, and the grass showed green on the hillsides; -sober-hued flowers, growing close to the ground, came out in bloom, and -a few butterflies flapped in the hot sunshine, while we were still -walking on eight feet of solid ice. Mosquitos appeared in myriads: in -the daytime there was usually a breeze to blow them away, and the nights -were too cold for them; but in the calm mornings and evenings they made -the most of their chance to annoy us. - -On June 25th we planted our lodges on a high ridge overlooking Lake -Mackay. It has always been the fashion of the Yellow Knives to camp in -an elevated position, in order to have command of the surrounding -country in looking out for the caribou, or, in the olden times, for a -band of hostile Indians. Right across the lake we could see the bay in -which we had left our big canoe during our first attempt to find the -musk-ox, and the hills forming the height of land between the Great -Slave Lake and the Arctic Sea; on our right lay Lockhart's River and the -huge Aylmer Lake, which we were about to cross. Blind Pierre knew the -whole picture as well as any of us; on my way back to camp at sundown I -found him sitting on a boulder smoking, for we always rather favoured -him in the matter of tobacco; his face was turned to the north-east, and -he was evidently taking in all the details of the landscape, without the -sense of sight. "_Tetchenula_, _Tetchen Yarsula_, _Tetchen Taote_ (no -wood, not a little wood, no wood at all)," he said, as he waved his -hands towards Aylmer Lake; then, with a sweep of his arm, he traced -correctly the course of Lockhart's River, with a rapid downward motion, -to denote its abrupt termination in a series of rapids and waterfalls as -it joins the Great Slave Lake. Poor old fellow, it must be hard for him -not to see the country he loves so well; but he is happy, after his -fashion, in the summer-time when the caribou are thick. - -From this point we sent Moise with three Indians and our own dogs to -bring up the big canoe from the south shore of Lake Mackay, where I had -left her in the beginning of last October. Many little hunting-canoes -had been picked up along the track from Fond du Lac, and now every -sleigh carried a canoe athwartships; these proved useful enough in -crossing the small lake in the course of Lockhart's River, as on -arriving at the far side we found open water between us and the land, -and had to use the canoes to ferry our cargo to the shore, the dogs -swimming with the empty sleighs in tow, while some enterprising spirits, -who conceived the idea of floating ashore on blocks of ice, came in for -a ducking. The ice on Aylmer Lake was still solid, but extremely rough, -causing great damage to our moccasins. We kept near the north shore, -with sometimes a long traverse across a deep bay; at the head of every -bay a stream ran into the lake, and the open water at its mouth was -always a sure find for trout; forty or fifty large fish were often -caught in a day with hook and line at these places, and, as we could -always kill caribou, even the dogs were getting fat in this land of -plenty. Soon we began to see scraps of musk-ox hair on the large -boulders where these animals had been rubbing, and on the second day's -travel along Aylmer Lake David had an adventure with an old bull. David -was by far the keenest hunter in the outfit, but up till now had not -succeeded in killing anything bigger than a goose, and it was an -exciting moment for him when he got within range of a musk-ox. He had -heard strange stories about these animals when a small boy among his own -countrymen at the mouth of the Mackenzie River, and it was not without a -little trembling that he fired one of his scanty stock of bullets. The -beast was wounded but would not die, and David, standing off at a safe -distance, soon exhausted all his bullets; he then proceeded to load his -gun with round stones, and finally with handfuls of gravel; his last -charge of powder was used to fire the ramrod, but another half hour -elapsed before the musk-ox expired. As this was the first one that had -been killed on this trip, the proud hunter was made a good deal of when -he came into camp with the best of the highly-flavoured meat. - -On the evening of July 1st we made the encampment at the head of the -most northerly bay of Aylmer Lake, named Sandy Bay by Back, from the -conspicuous sand-ridges that here form the divide between the lake and -the Great Fish River, a distance of three quarters of a mile. The ice -was still firm in Aylmer Lake, but there was a little difficulty in -getting ashore through a narrow belt of open water, and the head-reaches -of the river were clear. We were inspecting the stream, to see what -chance there was of being able to run the canoe through the numerous -rapids, when Noel, one of the Indians who had been with me on the winter -hunt, came up with the news that he had spied a large band of musk-ox -feeding a couple of miles down the river. The women were badly in need -of their hides for making moccasins, as the caribou-skins were still in -poor condition, so a hunt was arranged in a fashion that I had not seen -before. Most of the guns crossed the river, and a spot was selected for -the slaughter just where the stream broadened out into a small lake; at -right angles to the river mounds of stone and moss were put up at a few -yards' distance from each other, ornamented with coats, belts, and -gun-covers, and behind the outside mound Capot Blanc took up his -position. A steep hill ran parallel with the stream about two hundred -yards away, and along this guns were posted at intervals, with the -intention of heading the musk-ox towards the water. Noel and Marlo, -supposed to be the two best runners, were to make a long round and start -the band in our direction; I was stationed with three other guns among -some broken rocks on the south side of the river, just opposite the -barrier; and orders were given that no shot should be fired till the -musk-ox took to the water. - -It was a most interesting scene, and I would not willingly have changed -places with any of the loyal Canadians who were at this time -celebrating the anniversary of Dominion Day, with much rye whisky, a -thousand miles to the southward. I had plenty of time to admire the -surrounding landscape, and the sunset that lit up the snow-drifts on -each side of the river; when suddenly over the opposite ridge appeared -the horns of a band of caribou, and for a moment the leader was outlined -against the sky as he paused to look at the strange preparations going -on in the valley below. Behind me a ptarmigan, perched on a rock, crowed -defiance; but there was no other sound, except the rush of water and the -occasional grinding of an ice-pan dislodged from some small lake in the -course of the stream. Fully an hour we sat among the rocks, and were -beginning to think that the hunt had miscarried, when we heard a distant -shouting far down the valley, and the next moment caught sight of a -scurrying black mass crossing a spur of the hill close to the river's -bank. The men posted along the ridge took up the cry as the musk-ox -passed them, and joined in the chase; soon the animals came to the -barrier, and pulled up short at the apparition, while, to increase their -alarm, the hoary head of Capot Blanc arose from behind a mound of rocks -right in front of them. This was the critical moment, and they would -certainly have taken to the water and been at the mercy of their -pursuers but for an untimely shot that caused them to break, and I was -not sorry to see that several of the band escaped. I had had a splendid -view till now, as the musk-ox halted within twenty yards of me, but we -were forced to lie low when the shooting began, as bullets were rattling -freely among the rocks in which we were hiding. We did no shooting on -our side of the river, except to finish off a couple that took to the -water; seven were killed in all, six cows, and a calf about a month old; -there were no bulls in the band, and from what I afterwards saw they -seemed to keep separate from the cows during the summer. A solitary old -bull is often met with at this time of year. - -When the hunt was over, I inquired the meaning of the shouting that had -been kept up so continually throughout the drive, and was informed that -this was necessary to let the musk-ox know which way to run. At starting -they had shouted, "Oh, musk-ox, there is a barrier planted for you down -there, where the river joins the little lake; when you reach it take to -the water, there are men with guns on both sides, and so we shall kill -you all"; when the men are out of breath, they shout to the musk-ox to -stop, and, after they have rested, to go on again. These animals are -said to understand every word of the Yellow Knife language, though it -seems strange that they do not make use of the information they receive -to avoid danger instead of obeying orders. The partial failure of the -hunt was attributed to the fact that Moise had called across the river -to me in French, and the musk-ox had not been able to understand this -strange language. - -The sun had risen again when we got back to camp, and there we found the -big canoe, not a bit damaged by her long rest under the snow or her -adventurous journey on the dog-sleigh. The day was spent in getting in -the meat and skins, and early the next morning we carried the canoe -across the portage and launched her on the waters of the Great Fish -River. The cargo was all sent overland to a lake some six miles down the -stream; sleighs were abandoned, as there was now no snow to haul on, but -the dogs' work was by no means over, the only difference being that they -had to carry loads on their backs instead of dragging a sleigh; rough -deer-skin pack-harness was made, and the loads secured in a manner -worthy of a Mexican mule-packer. We came to grief with the canoe at the -third rapid, and should have done much better to have made the portage -to the lake, instead of trying to navigate the difficult stream. A long -delay was necessary to effect repairs, and there were so many portages -over ice-blocks along the edge of the lake, when we reached it, that the -sun was high on the following morning before we camped. The same work -continued for several days, the Indians toiling overland heavily loaded, -and our own party struggling with the ice in a chain of lakes through -which the river runs. On the edge of one of these lakes we stopped for -dinner on the spot where Stewart and Anderson separated from their -Indian guides before descending the river in 1856. The rough stone -fireplaces, by which they had economised fuel, were still standing, and -Capot Blanc, seated on one of them, gave us a long lecture on the events -that had taken place during their expedition, as he had heard the story -from his father. More than thirty years had elapsed since the last party -of Whites camped by the side of the Great Fish River, and thirty years -again before them Back the discoverer had pushed out into the unknown -land. Why has all exploration in the Barren Ground ceased? No more is -known of the country than was discovered by Franklin and Back sixty -years ago in their short summer journeys, and the expeditions sent out -in search of the former in the 'Fifties. There are many thousands of -square miles on which the foot of white man has never stepped. The -Canadian Government has an efficient body of surveyors and geologists at -its command, and it is curious that no attention is paid to one of the -most interesting fields for exploration. - -On July 6th, after slow and tiresome travelling, we reached the north -end of a large sheet of water named by Back Musk-ox Lake, and finding -enough willow-scrub for firewood, determined here to await the breaking -up of the ice in the lake. Judging by the Indian's account the season -was fully three weeks later than usual, and, as I wished to be back at -Fort Resolution in time to save the open water up Peace River before -winter set in, there was a poor chance of our being able to penetrate -far into the country of the Esquimaux. Musk-ox Lake runs pretty nearly -due north and south, and is fifteen miles in length, averaging about two -miles in width. Our camp was just at the point where the river runs out, -and a short distance above is the best swimming-place for the caribou -known to the Indians. In some years immense slaughters are made here, -but on the present occasion the caribou did not cross in their usual -numbers, so that our companions had no chance to put up the dried meat -that we expected to get for our cruise down stream, and we could only -kill enough for the present support of such a large encampment. Across -the lake is a hill of insignificant height, known as the Musk-ox -Mountain, a good landmark, and a favourite haunt for the animals from -which it takes its name. - -This is the northerly limit of the Yellow Knives' hunting-ground. -Northwards is the land of the dreaded Esquimaux, and many rumours were -brought into the camp of a strange track seen on soft ground, of men -standing far off on the sky-line, and a blue cloud of smoke arising far -down the valley of the river. The Indians were convinced that their old -enemies were continually close to them, despite the fact that it would -be an impossibility for canoes to have yet ascended the stream on -account of the ice. We afterwards discovered that there was a debatable -ground, fully sixty miles in width, between Musk-ox Lake and the highest -point that the Esquimaux reach. - -There is here a very striking change in the appearance of the country. -The old red granite formation gives way almost entirely to ironstone, -split up into slabs and piled into such peculiar shapes that one might -imagine giants had been building castles over the rolling hills. Some of -the slabs were turned on edge and formed perfect turrets towering many -feet into the air, and in many places were heaps of shiny black sand, -resembling coal-dust, piled up into conical mounds almost too steep to -climb. Wherever vegetation had a chance to grow it was much more -luxuriant than one could suppose possible in such a climate. The stunted -willows, not two feet in height, were thickly clothed with bright green -leaves; there was abundance of grass, and in many spots the pretty -little Arctic flowers formed a bright carpet along the foot of a slowly -melting snowdrift. - -Capot Blanc and myself made an expedition into the roughest part of this -country, to the north-east of Musk-ox Lake, but we found travelling very -hard, as we had to climb continually over broken masses of ironstone. -This is another well-known haunt of "the Enemy," and Capot Blanc -attributed to his malign influence the disaster that prevented our -further exploration in this direction. We reached a stream of no great -size, one of the tributaries of the Great Fish River, and attempted to -wade across to the opposite bank, selecting the head of a small rapid -for the purpose, as the water appeared to be shallower there. On -reaching the centre of the current our legs were swept from under us, -and we were immediately running the rapid at the imminent risk of -breaking our heads against a rock. We both reached the still water at -the foot of the rapid with nothing worse than a few bruises, and -moreover held on to our guns, but of course our ammunition was spoilt, -and we were obliged to make the best of our way back to camp. Capot -Blanc afterwards told me that he thought the Enemy had made the water -strong, to keep us from coming into his country, and it would be flying -in the face of Providence to make another attempt. It would be -interesting to know how far this ironstone formation extends; and, as -the journey to Musk-ox Lake and back to the fort might easily be made by -canoe during the summer, the trip would amply repay the geologist and -botanist for their trouble. - -Many other little expeditions we made in various directions, sometimes -watching the birds, and sometimes in pursuit of caribou or musk-ox. One -hunt in particular I remember, which took place appropriately enough on -the top of Musk-ox Mountain. We had made out the moving black spots -through the glasses from the lodge, and, as there was still a demand for -hides from the women and meat was being used in great quantities, we -paddled across the lake through a narrow channel in the ice. The sun -went down while we were climbing the ascent, and a long wait was -necessary, as the animals were feeding towards us on the flat top of the -mountain and there was no cover to enable us to make a nearer approach. -The mosquitos buzzed merrily round us while we lay behind the rock and -watched the grotesque motions of the calves as they played with each -other, little suspecting that danger was so close. Presently the band -moved within easy range and we opened fire with four guns. Seven were -killed, and Mackinlay caught a calf that stayed by the body of its dead -mother, a fluffy, long-haired little beast; I was sorry that we could -not keep it alive, but it would have been impossible to carry it in a -birch-bark canoe. Cruel work, this shooting in the summer-time, but it -was necessary to keep the camp in meat even though mother and young had -to be sacrificed. I had a long run after a cripple, and eventually -killed it on the shore of a large lake in a valley eastward of the -mountain. The sun was high when I found the rest of the hunters eating -marrow-bones in front of a big fire, in a clump of well-grown willows -close to the canoe, and we took a load of wood back to the camp, sending -over the women for the meat and skins later in the day. - -The weather during this time was variable in the extreme; two or three -hot days would be followed by a snowstorm, and once we were visited by a -hurricane that did much damage to lodge-poles, and caused us to shift -camp hurriedly to the lee-side of a steep cliff hanging over the river. -July 10th was exceptionally hot in the morning, with the mosquitos at -their worst; in the middle of the day there was a thunderstorm, and at -five o'clock the ground was covered with snow. The ice now began to show -signs of rotting, and the channel of open water round the weather edge -of the lake grew rapidly broader. - -We had many talks with the Indians about the chances of our being able -to get together a crew; but they had no enthusiasm about the voyage, and -wanted nothing better than to keep us hanging about the head of the -river, providing them with ammunition. Saltatha was the only one of the -band who volunteered to go, and he insisted on having another Indian -with him, as he was not used to the ways of white men, and would feel -safer if he had one of his own tribe with him in case of accidents; but -he hoped we should not go farther than the big lake (Beechey Lake) which -he had heard us talking about, for it was getting late in the year, and -when the ice is long in melting winter comes again soon. At last it was -arranged that Saltatha and Noel were to come in our canoe, while Marlo -and Carquoss accompanied us with a small hunting-canoe, to carry a -little ammunition in case we lost our cargo by capsizing in a rapid; we -should then have a chance of making a living, and be able to cross the -tributary stream if we had to return on foot. On our part we agreed to -turn back from Beechey Lake, reserving the privilege of taking the -little canoe overland from there to Bathurst Inlet. As caribou were -scarce, the rest of the Indians were to work their way back towards the -Great Slave Lake, except Capot Blanc, who was to stay on the divide at -Aylmer Lake, if he could kill enough meat to keep his family, and there -await our return. - -The evening before we started, Syene, who was a Medicine Man, sent a -message to our lodge that he was going to foretell the result of our -expedition down the river, so we went over to hear what was in store for -us. His lodge was full of Indians, but they made room for us, and we sat -down on a blanket on the side of the fire farthest from the door. Syene -held a drum made of tightly-stretched deer-skin parchment, which he -punched continually with a caribou's thigh-bone, keeping up a melancholy -chant, and singing a sentence or two every few minutes. "It is not that -I can see anything myself," he said, "but it is an unborn child that is -speaking to me." Mrs. Syene, who was sitting close to the Medicine Man, -clasped her hands and groaned, as if in great pain, by way of giving -assent to this statement. "The child sees the canoe of the big masters -running down the strong water of a rapid; below the rapid is a long -point, and seven lodges of the Esquimaux are planted on the point. There -is blood on the snow-drift; it is the blood of a white man. One man is -walking on the bank of a river; he walks like a starving man, and the -child knows not if he is white or Indian. Now all is dark, and the child -has ceased speaking." - -Not a very cheerful prophecy, and it was hard to make out how far the -Indians believed in the Medicine Man; but our crew were rather -downhearted about it, although, as is usual all the world over, the -people who were not going the journey themselves took a philosophical -view of the whole affair. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - - -On Thursday, July 17th, at two o'clock in the afternoon, we struck camp -and started on a four-mile portage to the next lake down stream, as the -river-bed was too full of large boulders to navigate the strong current -with safety. It was hard work carrying the cargo and canoe through the -mosquito-stricken ironstone country, and we did not camp till midnight. -Here another bad omen was observed. Mackinlay and I had gone ahead, -after carrying over a load, to try and kill something for supper; we -found a musk-ox, but made rather a clumsy mess of killing it, and the -animal was badly heated before we finished it off. The meat was -consequently discoloured, and Saltatha declared this to be an unfailing -sign of some great misfortune at hand. The women had made us a few pair -of moccasins each, but not nearly enough for the tracking-work that we -should have to do when we turned up stream; and our stock of provisions, -instead of the bales of dried meat that we had expected to enable us to -travel without waste of time in hunting, consisted of ten dried -deers'-ribs, so full of maggots, from having been imperfectly cured, -that we threw them away on the second day out. Our flour and pemmican -had of course been finished long ago, and we drank the last kettleful of -tea before leaving Musk-ox Lake, but as the Labrador tea grows all over -this country in profusion, this did not much matter; tobacco too was -nearly at an end. - -The lake was still full of floating ice, but we had no trouble in -passing the canoe into the river at the north end, and found the stream -considerably increased in volume by a couple of large tributaries that -come in from the opposite sides of the lake. After dropping down two or -three miles with a sluggish current, we heard the roar of a rapid, and -put ashore on an island in mid-stream as soon as we sighted broken -water. It was lucky we did so, as there was a heavy overfall impossible -to run, and we were obliged to portage the whole length of the island -and then shoot the tail of the rapid. Here we put ashore to patch the -canoe, which was leaking badly, and pulled out big trout as quickly as -we could throw in the spoon-bait; we found this could be done at the -foot of all the rapids, so one need not take much thought about -provisions in this part of the stream. After another small rapid, which -was run with a full load, the river, heading straight to the north, -passes through a small lake and emerges as a broad canal-like waterway -with very slight current, flowing through the roughest part of the -ironstone country that we had yet seen; the banks were steep too, and we -could put the canoe alongside a natural wharf in any spot for a -distance of five or six miles. In passing down these reaches we saw and -killed musk-ox, but the caribou seemed to shirk the labour of crossing -the confused masses of rocks, and none of these animals were seen till -we reached a less rugged district. Again the channel widened out into a -lake, two miles in length, with an ugly rapid at the north end; this we -negotiated with the precaution of leaving guns and ammunition ashore, -and directly afterwards Saltatha caused some excitement by saying he had -caught a glimpse of a man walking on a neighbouring ridge; we put -ashore, but could find no tracks, and came to the conclusion that it was -Saltatha's imagination. A long day's travel was made successfully, and -by ten o'clock we were clear of the ironstone and slipping quietly along -through a pleasant sandy country. We camped at the foot of a high -sand-butte covered with flowers and moss, and found a bunch of willows -on the bank of the river. There were indications that some one had -camped on the same spot many years ago; small sticks had been chopped -with an axe, and bones of caribou were lying in heaps on the ground. The -Yellow Knives at once said it was an old Esquimaux camp, and it was -evident that they had little inclination to go any farther down stream; -more probably the chopping was done by a band of Dog-Ribs, whose -hunting-grounds lie to the west, or possibly by the members of -Stewart's and Anderson's expeditions. On mounting the butte we saw that -the country northward presented a much more fertile appearance than -anything we had seen on the south side of the watershed. There was a -luxurious growth of grass over the sandy ridges, and during the two -months of summer one could imagine oneself back on the prairies of -Alberta; the willows here too grew to a better size, and, as far as we -descended the river, we had little trouble about fuel; in the winter, of -course, the willows would be all drifted over with snow, and it would -then be no easy matter to make a fire. This stream heads in the woodless -country; consequently there is no drift-timber, and not a single -pine-tree is to be seen along its course. - -We had a pleasant camp enough that night, but rebellion was rife and -burst into flame on the following morning when we ordered the men to -take their places in the canoes. This is the hopeless part of having to -rely on natives for travelling in the Barren Ground; they have no -courage outside their own country. If we had had a good crew of -half-breeds from Red River or the upper country of British Columbia we -might even now, notwithstanding the lateness of the season, have pushed -far out towards the northern sea-coast, and possibly have made the -acquaintance of some of the scattered bands of Esquimaux who live there -in happy ignorance of any more comfortable form of life. But we were -practically in the hands of the Yellow Knives, for although I would -myself have taken the risk of steering, none of the men who were willing -to go knew how to stitch up a broken canoe, and it would have been -madness to push on without this knowledge. Moise, our half-breed -interpreter and steersman, who was an engaged servant of the Hudson's -Bay Company and bound by his contract to obey Mackinlay's orders in -everything, showed the Indian side of his nature by joining the -mutineers and refusing to take his position in the stern of the canoe. -For two hours we argued the matter on the bank of the river, and at one -time I thought we should certainly have come to blows. Marlo and -Carquoss were the ringleaders, but Saltatha was inclined to stand by us, -although afraid of giving offence to the other Indians. The result of -the dispute was that the worst two deserted, taking with them the little -canoe, while Noel and Saltatha, tempted by many promises of great reward -when we reached the fort, agreed to come with us, and Moise sulkily went -back to his duty. After we had thus got rid of the element of discord -things went on better; but the loss of the little canoe, besides doing -away with our chance of crossing overland to Bathurst Inlet, increased -the risk of losing all our possessions by one disaster. A pretty -poetical thing is a birch-bark canoe, as it leaps down a sparkling river -among its native birch woods, but too frail a craft for a long journey -in the rockbound country beyond the line where timber grows. No chance -here to strip the bark from a birch-tree and put a new side in a canoe -that has struck a rock in the foaming rapid, or if needs be to build a -new canoe altogether; three square feet of birch-bark, a little gum, and -a bundle of fibre were our only resources for effecting repairs. - -The day's journey began with a rapid, below which was a reach of quiet -water gradually broadening out into a lake some eight miles in length; -its surface was covered with ice at the north end, but we found an open -channel close ashore on the west side and effected a passage through by -skirting the bays. Several bands of musk-ox were seen, and there was -always too much anxiety among the men to put ashore and shoot, or to do -anything except push steadily on; just as we were leaving the lake a -magnificent bull appeared on the top of a high ridge, and, standing on a -flat rock within one hundred yards of us, leisurely surveyed the first -human beings who had encroached upon his sanctuary for so many years. - -Below the lake the river makes a sharp bend eastward, and for three -miles is nothing but a succession of rapids. Moise when once at work was -a splendid steersman, and he certainly handled the canoe with great -skill through this difficult piece of navigation; we passed the mouths -of two big streams coming in from the west, and at camping-time shot -into a quiet sandy lake and put ashore for the night. A musk-ox that I -killed from the door of the lodge, and the unlimited number of trout -that we could catch in the river, enabled us to spend a peaceful Sunday -without hunting. We explored towards the east, and came once more upon -the iron country, which seems to run with a sharply defined edge in a -north-easterly direction. There were few lakes out of the course of the -river, but long stretches of flat grassy muskegs extended as far as the -eye could see to the west. Four-footed game was plentiful, especially -musk-ox; the caribou that we saw were generally solitary bucks, but it -was now nearly time for the does to be coming back from the sea-coast; -of the smaller animals we often came across a skulking wolf, a -wolverine, an Arctic fox, or a hare, while the holes in the sand-hills -were the abode of numerous _siffleurs_ and ermines. A ferocious little -mouse, brown in summer, but turning white as the winter comes on, is -very common all over the Barren Ground; if disturbed from a tuft of -grass it will turn on a man and dance with impotent rage at his feet; -these mice naturally fall an easy prey to the hawks and owls, which make -a good living here during the summer months. Beyond these predatory -birds little feathered life was visible in this part of the country; a -few gulls, terns, and skuas flitted along the reaches of the river, and -occasionally a loon or a long-tailed duck could be seen in the lakes. -The Canada goose and grey wavy were breeding in the marshes, but not in -great quantities; the main body of geese go right out to the coast to -lay their eggs, and do not start for the South till the end of August. - -In the early morning we made a short portage over a small cascade -immediately below the camp, and found that the river still held its -northerly course through a chain of small lakes connected by short -stretches of bad water. We made one more portage at mid-day and ran -several rather nasty rapids. After dinner we were obliged to portage -fully a mile to avoid an impassable reach, and then took more risk than -we were justified in doing with our only canoe by running a couple of -miles of broken water, full of boulders and with such a heavy sea that -we shipped a good deal of water; luckily we did not touch anything, and -dropped safely into a long narrow lake, on the east side of which camp -was made for the night. This was the most dangerous day that we made; as -although we always put ashore to inspect the rapids in case we might -discover a waterfall below, we became emboldened by success and ran in -safety through some places that we should not have attempted. Back's map -of the river would have been a great help to us, but neither this nor an -account of the previous journeys that had been made down the stream was -procurable at the fort. - -The next day a curious blue haze hung over everything, closely -resembling the smoke of a forest fire at a distance from the scene of -conflagration. The lake that we had camped on proved to be about six -miles in length, with the usual rapid at its north end connecting it -with another lake, the size of which we could not at first determine -owing to the murky state of the air; nor could we at once find its -outlet, but by keeping in a north-easterly direction soon felt the -influence of a current, and found the volume of water much increased by -the junction of a tributary, which we afterwards discovered came in from -the north-west. On the east side of the stream, just as it left the -lake, we noticed a circle of flat stones standing on end, evidently put -up by human hands, and on landing discovered unmistakable signs of a -band of Esquimaux having been encamped there not very long before. Seven -small oval-shaped enclosures, surrounded by rough turf-heaps six inches -in height, had been the dwelling-places, but we could not determine -whether these low walls were the foundations of snow-houses or deer-skin -lodges; there were several blackened fireplaces outside, but the fires -must have been very small judging from the charred stumps of tiny green -willow twigs, and we saw no wood within several miles of the encampment. -The stones propped on end had been used probably for drying meat, and -for tying up the dogs to keep them from stealing. Bones and horns of -musk-ox and caribou were lying about in every direction, and their -numbers showed that this must be a favourite camping-place of the -Esquimaux; some of the musk-ox horns had been cut into rough spoons, and -several were found in a half-finished condition. A flat stone kettle was -picked up with the grease still sticking to it, and a small piece of -copper let into the back, possibly an arrangement for a handle, showed -that these people are able to work this metal; there were also a few -bone arrow-heads scattered about in the camp. If any further proof were -necessary to determine what tribe of people had camped here, it was -forthcoming in the form of several pieces of undressed sealskin with the -hair on, and these seemed to be of greater interest to our crew than any -of the other discoveries; arrow-heads, spoons, and kettle were dropped -in the contemplation of the skin of an animal they had never seen, and -they instantly demanded a description of the seal. After we had told -them all we knew upon the subject, we asked their opinion as to the -length of time that the Esquimaux had remained here, and when they had -left. Saltatha, reading the signs that a white man might miss, came to -the conclusion that they had come here in the autumn, as was proved by -the hard horns of male caribou lying about, that they had stayed here -through the winter, and left late in the spring with dogs on the last -snow, about six weeks before our arrival. He thought too that they made -a practice of coming here regularly, in the same manner that the Yellow -Knives come to the head-waters of the river, as the bones appeared to -him to have belonged to animals killed at widely differing dates. We -found hiding-places among the rocks close to the edge of the river, -which had evidently been used for concealing men engaged in spearing the -swimming caribou. The only weak point in Saltatha's theory seemed to be -the absence of any carcasses of freshly killed caribou; but it is -possible that the Esquimaux may have left before the females came out so -far, and the animals would have been later than usual in arriving here -owing to the backward nature of the spring. - -When we had thoroughly inspected everything we left again down stream, -with a swift current and good water without rapids for eight miles, -where we found another lake running more to the eastward than the -general course of the river; on the west side of this lake we were -obliged to camp, as a strong head-wind raised too much sea to travel -against, and rain was falling in torrents. We explored the shore of the -lake in hopes of finding further traces of the Esquimaux, but made no -discoveries of any kind. No musk-ox were seen this day, but there were -enough caribou to provide food for the party. - -With better weather we made an early start in the morning, the river on -leaving the lake bending a little more to the eastward, with a swift -current for several miles, and two rapids which we ran in safety. A -short distance below the second rapid the current slackens and the -stream gets rapidly broader, till, with a sudden sweep to the -south-east, the whole length of Beechey Lake comes open; a long narrow -sheet of water, twenty-five miles in length, and nowhere more than two -in breadth, lying east and west, and forming a well-defined elbow in the -course of the Great Fish River. With a light fair wind, and a blanket -set for a sail, we ran down the lake and pitched our lodge on the north -shore. Two days were spent in exploration, but again we failed entirely -to find any signs of the Esquimaux. Towards the east end of the lake the -iron formation shows up once more, and the country is rough to travel -through. There was a slight difficulty about provisions at this time as -game was scarce, and, though we fully expected to catch fish in the lake -and put out our net both nights, not a single fish was taken; just at -the critical time, however, a few female caribou with their young turned -up on their way back to the South, and we were relieved of all anxiety. - -As we had promised our crew that we would not descend the river beyond -Beechey Lake, and it was already the end of July, orders were -reluctantly given on the third day to start up stream with the intention -of doing a little exploration to the northward of the old Esquimaux -camp, to see if there was any feasible route from there to Bathurst -Inlet, as there were no signs of these people having camped in any other -place along the river. It seemed a pity to abandon the voyage just at -the interesting time, after we had got over all the difficulties of the -upper part of the river and had now only a broad stream to follow, with -a great deal of easy lake-travel, to reach the Arctic Ocean, and the -scene of the final sufferings of the members of Sir John Franklin's last -expedition. On the other hand, we had no object in going down to the -sea, and there is little pleasure to be got out of a journey of this -kind with an unwilling and untrustworthy crew; our canoe, too, which was -already leaking badly, would have been of very little service for sea -work. - -As far as Beechey Lake the south side of the Great Fish River is free -from any large tributary streams, so that, if our canoe had been smashed -up in a rapid, and we had been able to save guns and ammunition, it -would have been easy enough to follow the river on foot; but on the -north side there are several large streams to be forded, and a long -detour might be necessary to find a spot shallow enough for this -purpose. - -There was much more enthusiasm displayed by the Indian portion of the -crew on the up-stream journey, and no encouragement was needful to get a -good day's work done. In the river stretches the tracking line was used, -and three men at the shore end of it kept the canoe travelling at a -lively pace except in the very strong water; in mounting the second -rapid a mistake on the part of Noel, our bowsman, caused a heavy -collision with a rock, and several hours were spent in putting in a -patch of birch-bark. On the second night we pitched our lodge on the -sandy lake within sight of the Esquimaux camp, and found a considerable -stream coming in from a north-westerly direction. I cannot find any -mention of this stream in the accounts of the two former journeys down -the river, nor is it marked on the maps; it was probably unnoticed on -both occasions, as it comes in at the west end of the lake, out of the -course of a canoe passing up or down the main river. - -Mackinlay, Murdo, and myself started on foot the following morning, to -explore this stream for a couple of days, taking David with us in case -we came across any of his countrymen. The malcontents were left in -charge of the camp, with orders to kill caribou if any passed, and -partially dry the meat to save the waste of time caused by having to -hunt for our living as we travelled; they were also to thoroughly gum -the canoe, to stop as much as possible the leaking which was getting -serious. - -We struck out along the bank of the stream, carrying nothing but a gun -and a blanket apiece, and at dinner-time were lucky enough to find a -flock of moulting Canada geese, unable to fly; four were shot, and two -eaten at once, while the other two were stowed away among the rocks for -use later on. We had a long day's walk through a pleasant grassy -country, and towards evening crossed an unusually high range of hills -through which the river canyons. Finding a few willows here, we left our -blankets, and walked on along the bank for an hour or two, finally -climbing a solitary sand-butte at sundown for a last survey of the -country before turning our faces to the south. - -Far away towards the north-west we could trace the windings of the -stream to a ridge of blue hills, which formed the horizon under the -setting sun. How these blue ridges in the distance tempt one to push on -and see what lies on the far side! And the experience that nine times -out of ten you would have done better to stay where you were is never -sufficient to overcome this feeling; to this day I can seldom resist it, -although game may be plentiful at the door of my lodge and everything -that one desires in a wild country is close at hand. Below us lay a -broad valley, so green and fertile in appearance that we could hardly -realise that for nine months in the year it lay frost-bound and -snow-covered under the rigour of an Arctic climate. In the middle of -this valley, close to the bank of the stream, was a black object that we -had long ago learnt to recognise at a glance, an old bull musk-ox -feeding in a patch of willow-scrub; he was sacrificed for our night's -rations, and, loaded with meat and marrow-bones, we returned to the -canyon where we had left our blankets. There was a distinct twilight, and -late in the night David awoke me to draw my attention to the first star -that we had seen for many weeks. "See," he said, "a star already; it is -past middle summer, and we have not yet seen the sun all night." It was -the first summer he had ever spent without seeing the midnight sun, as, -since he had been left at the Peel River Fort by a band of Esquimaux who -come there annually to trade, he had passed his life within the Arctic -circle. - -The only signs that we saw of people having travelled along this valley -were occasional cache-marks made by piling up a heap of small stones in -a conspicuous position, to denote the carcass of an animal hidden in the -rocks close by; but it seems such an easy route and leads so nearly in -the direction of Bathurst Inlet, the nearest point on the sea-coast, -that it is probably used regularly by wandering bands of Esquimaux on -their way to and from their inland hunting-ground. - -This was the end of our voyage of discovery, though I should have liked -to have pushed on another day or two; but we wanted a small canoe to be -certain of reaching the coast, which must have been within sixty miles -of us, as there are sure to be many lakes to cross _en route_, and -making long detours on foot would be an endless task. The fine weather -also had broken, and heavy showers of rain came driving in front of the -north wind, while the rest of our crew that had remained with the canoe -were not too trustworthy, and, with the exception of Saltatha, in whom -both Mackinlay and myself had great confidence, were quite capable of -leaving us to find our way out of the country on foot. We had to content -ourselves with the hope that in a future summer, with an earlier season -and a better crew, we might find an opportunity of exploring thoroughly -this promising valley in the Barren Ground. But now I must turn my -attention to my long journey of seventeen hundred miles, mostly -up-stream, to cross the Rocky Mountains by the head-waters of the Peace -River before the winter set in; and even if I could manage this there -were still many hundred miles of mountain and forest to be crossed -before I saw the shores of the Pacific and the abodes of civilization. - -When we reached the lodge we found that the Indians had made a stupid -slaughter of caribou, and, not contented with taking as much meat as we -could carry, had been recklessly killing the females and young that were -now passing in great numbers. The love of killing seems deeply rooted in -the nature of most men, but the Yellow Knives have it more fully -developed than other people. This indiscriminate slaughter is especially -culpable in a land where ammunition is scarce, and not to be replaced -when wasted by needless firing. - -The next morning we picked out of our trading-stock a few presents to be -left in the Esquimaux camp, as a sign that there were people in the -interior willing to be on friendly terms with the people of the coast. -Knives, axes, beads, and files, a couple of hand-mirrors, a few strips -of red cloth, and a flannel shirt or two were stuffed into a copper -kettle, which would be itself the biggest prize of all. On lifting the -lid, the first object to meet the eye of the wondering Esquimaux would -be the photograph of the Protestant missionary at Fort Resolution, which -David had been keeping among his small stock of treasures; it was a -photograph of a Church of England clergyman, in clerical costume, and -should certainly give the Esquimaux a favourable idea of the style of -man who had visited their camping-place. We also put in a note asking -anyone who might read it to let us know in what manner it had come to -hand, as it is uncertain whether these scattered bands of Esquimaux ever -visit the Hudson's Bay Company's summer trading-post on Marble Island, -which lies a great distance away at the mouth of Chesterfield Inlet, or -whether they only know of the white men by hearsay from other tribes -that trade annually with the Company. The kettle was carefully stowed in -one of the pits made for watching the swimming caribou, and a -canoe-pole, bearing a gaudy cotton handkerchief for a flag, planted -alongside to attract attention. Everybody tried their handiwork at -sketching our story with burnt sticks on the conspicuous flat rocks -close to the river: there was a picture of a canoe, with seven upright -black lines supposed to represent seven men; another of a Yellow Knife -and an Esquimau (though the artist could not say which was which) -shaking hands with the greatest affection; while David was certainly -entitled to the first prize for a bloodthirsty sketch of a misshapen -musk-ox, with a thin black line, again supposed to be a man, transfixed -on the point of his horn. When we thought we had represented everything -to perfection, we turned our backs on the land of the Esquimaux and -plodded away up stream, tracking and portaging in the river-stretches, -and paddling through the lakes which are always a great help in mounting -a stream. - -We now came in for a spell of really bad weather, which made the uphill -work very laborious. A heavy unceasing downpour of rain, and sometimes -sleet, continued day after day, accompanied by strong winds. The men all -worked well and without much grumbling, although we were never dry and -in many places the tracking had to be done waist-deep in water; at night -we slept in our wet clothes, on the wet ground, rolled up in our sopping -blankets. This is the killing weather, and one needs perfect health to -resist its effects; the dry cold of a northern winter is child's play in -comparison. Saltatha, who had hurt himself by a nasty fall while -carrying a heavy load over a portage, broke down completely at this -time, and was unable to work during the rest of the trip. We could do -nothing for him, as there was no medicine of any kind in the outfit, -and he had to take his chance with the rest. I think he came very near -dying while we were running down Lockhart's River; he lost all strength -and was spitting blood freely for a fortnight, but ultimately recovered -in a miraculous manner. We worked long days tracking up-stream, but were -continually delayed by having to patch up the canoe every time she -touched a rock; it was just as well we did not go down to the mouth of -the river, for she would certainly not have stood another three weeks' -work of this kind. Another trouble was the scarcity of moccasins, which -were completely worn out by a single day's walk on the sharp rocks along -the river's bank. - -In eight days we reached Musk-ox Lake, and, finding the wind too strong -to paddle against, we put ashore on the east side and took advantage of -a little sunshine to thoroughly dry all our belongings. From this camp -we saw the last musk-ox, and, crossing the bay with a canoe, went in -pursuit as our meat supply was short. Some of the guns were posted, and -others tried to drive the animals, but we made a mess of the hunt and -the whole band escaped; my last remembrance of the animals that I had -started out a year before on purpose to kill, being a stern view of a -grand old bull disappearing at a gallop over a ridge, and a puff of dust -just behind him, marking the spot where a badly aimed rifle-bullet had -struck the ground. A caribou, however, supplied us with meat, but we -had some trouble in picking him up, as he was killed in the water and it -was no easy matter to tow his carcass ashore against the gale of wind -that was raging. Mackinlay and myself for once got ahead of the -wolverines on this occasion. We saw three coming our way before they saw -us, and, lying behind a rock, bowled them all over; a right and left at -wolverines is seldom brought about in a lifetime, but it is very -satisfactory when one thinks of the stolen _caches_ and consequent hard -times that these wily brutes are responsible for. - -From the south end of the lake I walked ahead with Mackinlay, starting -early in the morning, and at mid-day sighted three lodges on the Aylmer -Lake divide. We fired a signal-shot which brought everybody out, and we -were soon surrounded by Capot Blanc's brigade, and deluged with -questions as to what had happened and why we had come back alone; for -surely something evil had taken place in the country that always slopes -downhill. With our small command of the Yellow Knife language, and -plenty of signs, we made them understand that the canoe was by this time -at the first lake, and the water was so low in the river that it would -be necessary to portage the whole distance. All the available men and -women went to help our crew to carry the loads, and by sundown our lodge -was once more planted by the water that finds its way to the Great -Slave Lake and runs a course of a thousand miles before falling into -the Arctic Sea. - -It took half a day to settle accounts with the Indians who had been -working for us on our way up to Musk-ox Lake, while the women were busy -gumming the canoe and getting her in order for the run down Lockhart's -River. A good proportion of the wages due were paid out of the remainder -of our trading-stock that had been intended for the Esquimaux if we had -met them. The box that contained this small supply of goods had been an -object of strife the whole time. The Indians had the strongest objection -to any of the products of the Grand Pays passing through their country -being given to strangers, and we had been careful not to let them see -the gaudy contents of the box, or we should have been troubled with the -constant begging that the Yellow Knives think will eventually gain them -the object they desire. Imagination had run high as to the contents of -the fairy casket, and there was a great rush when it was announced that -any of the men to whom wages were due might take what they fancied. They -had seen pressed bales of blankets landed at the fort on the arrival of -the yearly outfit from Winnipeg, and had been surprised at the number of -blankets that could be squeezed into a small space; there was an idea -prevalent that our box had been packed on the same principle, and might -contain an abundant supply of all the good things that only the white -men know how to make. Some disappointment was shown when it turned out -that we had only been speaking the truth in answering their petitions by -telling them we had such a small stock that nothing could be spared. The -trade went off to the satisfaction of both sides; the Indians obtained -the trinkets so dear to their vanity, and we lightened our load for the -numerous portages that lay between us and the Great Slave Lake. There -was some question as to what it was best to do with Saltatha; whether to -leave him here with his friends, or to let him take his chance of the -canoe journey to the fort, where medicine could possibly be obtained; at -his own request we decided on the latter course, and during the first -few days his health seemed to improve. - -The route that we were now to take was the same that Back and Anderson -had both chosen, following the Lockhart's River down-stream through the -immense lakes that lie in its course, gradually bending to the -south-west, and avoiding the impassable obstructions in the lower part -of the river by portaging through a chain of lakes, the last of which is -only three miles distant from the north-east end of the Great Slave -Lake. The boat was to meet us on August 1st, and as it was already -several days past that date we determined to travel our best, although -there was a chance of getting windbound in any of the big lakes. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - - -Late in the afternoon, with a great improvement in the weather, our -canoe was afloat on Aylmer Lake (known to the Indians as the Lake of the -Big Cliffs), over which she had been dragged on a dog-sleigh five weeks -before. The following evening we passed into the short stretch of river -that leaves its east end, and camped late on the south shore of Clinton -Golden Lake, or, as the Yellow Knives call it, the Lake where the -Caribou swim among the Ice. The vast body of water opened out before us -into apparently a perfect circle, and now for the first time we were in -doubt as to our course, for there was nothing to indicate the point at -which the river leaves the far end of the lake; the east shore was -invisible from the slight hill behind our camp, although it was a clear -bright morning. We had two maps with us, one, the latest issued under -the Dominion Government's directions, and the other, an old 1834 map of -Arrowsmith's which we had discovered at the fort; they offered very -divergent opinions as to the general lay of Lockhart's River, and it -says little for later geographical research that the older map should -have been by far the more accurate of the two. - -We put out at three o'clock in the morning to take advantage of calm -weather to make the crossing of the lake, and after paddling about eight -miles went ashore on an island to cook breakfast and reconnoitre. From -here we could see the faint outline of land to the east, and made out -that what had appeared a circle consisted in reality of three enormous -bays, one heading east, one south-east, and the third south-west. Which -was the right one to take? An appeal to Saltatha and Noel, who were -supposed to have local knowledge, produced no results; Noel said he -thought the east bay was the right one, while Saltatha, pointing -south-west, said perhaps that was the correct course to follow. It ended -in our taking the middle bay, and, for the benefit of the next party -that crosses this lake, I may state that there is a peculiar conical -butte lying roughly twenty miles south-east from this island; it is just -visible above the horizon, and is a capital leading mark to bring a -canoe into a long narrow arm of the lake, which afterwards broadens -again into a huge round sheet of water, and here, by keeping close to -the east shore for five miles, the entrance to the river will be found. -It was in great uncertainty that we headed our frail vessel across the -broad traverse with a blanket set in front of a light fair wind; at noon -we again put ashore on an island, and, killing a caribou, made a long -halt for dinner. We climbed to the highest point of land but could make -nothing out of our survey, and continued coasting along the island till -we reached its south end, and then found ourselves in the channel I have -mentioned. No current was noticeable, and we pushed on through the -winding waterway, in fear that it might be a _cul de sac_ and we should -have to turn back and try our luck in some other direction. On landing, -however, we saw a sheet of water ahead of us, so broad that the far -shore was below the horizon, and, on passing out of the channel we had -been following, pitched camp on the east side of the lake, still -uncertain as to where the river lay. Very early in the morning we were -under way again, and followed the land to make sure that we did not pass -the opening of the river, if indeed we were anywhere near it. About six -o'clock there came a shout from the bowsman, that he saw a pole planted -among the rocks ashore, and the canoe at once began to feel the -influence of a slight current. Rounding a low point, a reach of strong -running water lay before us, and we landed to see what was the meaning -of the pole. A broken piece of _babiche_ hanging from it told the old -story of a rifled _cache_, another evidence of the wolverine's -handiwork. - -Among the Indians who had come to the fort during the winter to trade -fur was a hunter generally known by the name of Pierre the Fool, though -it seems hard to understand how one of the most intelligent Indians in -the country of the Great Slave Lake had earned this _soubriquet_. -Pierre had been much interested in our expedition. Every summer he -pitched his lodge where the river leaves the lake in which the caribou -swim among the ice, to make dried meat to sell at the fort; his hunt -this year had been successful, and, when he broke up his camp, he had -faithfully kept his promise to leave us a _cache_ of pounded meat and -grease, but the wolverines had reaped the benefit. Just below the camp -we saw plain evidence of the slaughter he had made among the swimming -caribou; what we took at first for a bunch of remarkably big willow -sticks proved to be the horns of fifty or sixty bucks, lying in shallow -water at the edge of the stream; and enough meat to keep an Indian -family for a year, if properly cured, was rotting in the sun. - -After a mile of strong running stream the river falls into another lake, -and immediately makes a sharp bend to the south-west, and, during the -rest of the descent, we travelled in that direction with little -variation till we reached the Great Slave Lake. Saltatha now began to -recognise the country, and there was no more doubt about the way; but -had we been left to our own judgment, we should have certainly gone -wrong in this first lake, as there is a promising bay heading in to the -south. None of the maps show this bend in the stream at all correctly, -nor do they take any notice of the next lake, the Indians' Ptarmigan -Lake, a large sheet of water fully twenty miles in length, which Pierre -the Fool afterwards told us lies within a short portage of the west bay -of Clinton Golden Lake. - -We now fell in again with the big herds of caribou. For the last few -weeks we had only seen enough to provide us with meat, but here they -were in their thousands, and I am sorry to say that our crew did far too -much killing, during the short spell of bad weather which forced us to -camp on Ptarmigan Lake. The excuse was that the hides were now at their -best for coats and robes; but even so, far more were killed than could -be used for this purpose. - -We made rather a risky passage down the lake in front of a strong wind -and heavy sea, and at the west end found an ugly rapid six hundred yards -in length: the cargo was portaged and the canoe run light in safety; -and, after crossing a short lake, another rapid was negotiated in the -same manner. In this second portage stood a solitary pine-tree, round -which we all crowded as in welcome of an old friend after our long -journey in a woodless country. Just below there was an impassable rapid, -the only real impediment to navigation from the head of Mackay Lake to -the foot of Artillery Lake, a distance of four hundred miles. Below the -portage we ran five or six miles down a steady swift current, -occasionally widening out into a small lake, with caribou continually -swimming across the river ahead of the canoe, and late at night camped -on the edge of a huge lake with a clear horizon to the west. This -proved to be Artillery Lake, and at four o'clock next morning we were -running down the south shore, in front of a gale of wind with our -smallest blanket set for a sail. The day was much colder, with a few -flakes of snow flying, and everybody was pleased to put ashore in a -clump of pine-trees at dinner-time; the wind moderated towards evening, -and, crossing to the north shore, we camped once again in the strong -woods. The timber line is much more clearly defined here than on the -other routes by which I approached the Barren Ground; the outlying -clumps of pines extend to a very short distance, and their growth ceases -entirely within seventy miles of the Great Slave Lake. If it should ever -again prove necessary to reach the Arctic Sea by way of the Great Fish -River, Artillery Lake would, in my opinion, be by far the best place at -which to build light boats for the voyage; the timber is quite large -enough, and only one portage has to be made to reach the Aylmer Lake -divide. - -The next morning we reached the end of Artillery Lake, which we reckoned -roughly at forty-five miles in length, and passed into a narrow channel -with hardly any current. Towards midday a couple of small canoes -appeared ahead of us, and the usual formalities of saluting ensued. When -they came alongside the occupants were asked for the news, and they -informed us that the burnt Indian was drowned, that the caribou had -been passing more thickly than ever known before, and that the fort boat -had not yet arrived at the appointed meeting-place. The burnt Indian -seems to have been badly out of luck. He had rolled into his camp-fire -during a fit, and was found with his feet burnt off; after being -doctored by the missionary for many months, and cured as far as it was -possible to cure such a case, the cripple had left the fort with some of -his relations to get back among the caribou, but on the second day out -was drowned by capsizing his canoe. We could not account for the -non-arrival of the boat, as we ourselves were already a fortnight later -than the day agreed upon for meeting. - -Round the next bend of the stream were six lodges, and the first -greeting we received was from old Syene, the Medicine Man. There was no -doubt that the caribou had been passing, as the children and dogs were -rolling fat, and an unmistakable air of plethora from much feasting hung -over the camp. Only four days before there had been one of those big -slaughters, which one would think could not fail in a short time to -exterminate the caribou. A large band had been seen to start from the -opposite bank, and was soon surrounded by seven hunting-canoes; the -spears were kept going as long as there was life to take, with the -result that three hundred and twenty-six carcasses were hauled ashore, -and fully two hundred of these left to rot in the shallow water. Every -lodge was full of meat and grease in various forms, and there would be a -cargo for the boat to take back to the fort. Pierre the Fool, who was -camped here, was in great form, and at once presented us with a bunch of -smoked tongues and a bladder of marrow grease. He gave us a great deal -of information about the country eastward of Clinton Golden Lake, and in -a much more intelligent manner than the usual Indian method of constant -repetition; he told us there were fewer lakes in that direction than in -any other part of the Barren Ground that he had visited, but he was -always obliged to take a small canoe with him, to cross a big stream -running in a southerly direction, three days' easy travel from Clinton -Golden Lake. Once, when he had pushed out farther than usual, he had -seen smoke in the distance, and came upon a camp that the Esquimaux from -Hudson's Bay had just left; they had been cutting wood for their sleighs -in a clump of well-grown pines, and Pierre, who shares the dread which -every Yellow Knife has of the Coast tribes, had been afraid to follow -them. From the fact of his having seen the pine-trees, which are said -not to extend far from the salt water of Hudson's Bay, he must have been -within a short distance of the coast. - -On the day after our arrival in the encampment a general movement was -made; the lodges were thrown down, and the women and dogs received heavy -loads to carry to the Great Slave Lake. Lockhart's River on leaving -Artillery Lake becomes a wild torrent, falling several hundred feet in -twenty miles, and is quite useless for navigation, so we had to make use -of a chain of lakes, eight in number, lying to the south of the stream. -This is by far the prettiest part of the country that I saw in the -North, and it was looking its best under the bright sunshine that -continued till we reached the fort. Scattering timber, spruce and birch, -clothed the sloping banks down to the sandy shores of the lakes; berries -of many kinds grew in profusion; the portages were short and down hill; -and caribou were walking the ridges and swimming the lakes in every -direction. A perfect northern fairyland it was, and it seemed hard to -believe that winter and want could ever penetrate here; but on the shore -of a lovely blue lake Pierre the Fool pointed out a spot where the last -horrors of death and cannibalism had been enacted within his memory. -Sometimes a column of smoke would be seen ahead, and we paddled by a -lodge where the fat sleepy children were revelling in the abundance of -grease. Late on the second day a white object on the shore attracted -general attention: "It is a wolf, a white caribou; no, a man, a man in a -white shirt,--it must be one of the boat's crew"; and so it proved to -be. The white shirt was a libel, but the clean canvas jumper quite -deserved the admiration it had received, especially in contrast with our -own rags. The boat had arrived from Fort Resolution in charge of -Francois Mandeville, another brother of Michel the fort interpreter. -Francois had been alarmed at not finding us at the meeting-place, and -had immediately dispatched four of the crew in a large canoe, with a -supply of tea, tobacco, and flour, to ascend the river in hopes of -finding us. But the relief party had come across the fresh tracks of -caribou in the first portage; it was long since they had tasted meat, so -the canoe was put down in the woods, and the "big masters," who were -supposed to be lost in the Barren Ground, were forgotten. The man we met -had come on to see some relations who were camped among the lakes, and, -as he was discovered to be possessed of tobacco, we made him share up, -and sat on the beach enjoying the first smoke for many days, and hearing -the accounts of what little events had happened during a short summer on -the Great Slave Lake. But it was getting late, and we still had the -longest portage to make. At the end of the last lake we abandoned the -canoe that had done me such good service on two long journeys, and with -loads on our backs followed the well-worn trail that the Indians have -used from time immemorial as a route to their hunting-grounds. A natural -pass with a steep descent led between the rough broken hills on each -side, and a three-mile walk brought us within sight of the waters of the -big lake. Below us, close by the edge of the bay, there were already -several lodges planted, and over a white tent floated the old red -ensign bearing in the corner the letters H. B. C. so well known -throughout the whole dominion of Canada. A shot from the last ridge -aroused the encampment, and soon a general fusillade took place; a fleet -of canoes, running with blankets set to a fair wind far across the bay, -took up the firing and headed for the shore, while every Indian within -sound of gun-shot hurried to hear the news and join in the trading which -was sure to take place on our arrival. - -Here we found everything that a man in the wilds longs for, flour, -bacon, tea, tobacco, sugar, a packet of letters from England written -many months before, and a bottle of brandy, the first "fire-water" that -had come our way for a year. Women and dogs heavily loaded with bales of -meat and bladders of grease kept dropping in from across the portage; a -dance was set on foot and kept up all night round the huge camp fires, -while the tall pine-trees looked down on a scene of feasting and revelry -such as had probably never been known on the shores of this pleasant -bay. - -Poor Saltatha, who had been very bad for the last week, crawled into our -lodge late at night, and threw himself down on a blanket in a state of -utter exhaustion. In spite of the best law in Canada, which forbids a -white man to give an Indian any intoxicating drink, under penalty of a -$200 fine, I determined to try if brandy could do him any good. -Saltatha had never tasted the strong water, but had heard much of its -wonderful qualities, and made no objection to trying the cure. I gave -him a small dose, but it had a wonderful effect; his eyes became round -and big, and once again he started the dismal chant that he had been so -fond of during our musk-ox hunt last winter. He was hopelessly drunk, -and, when he was seized with a violent fit of coughing and his head fell -on the blanket like a dead man's, I thought I had made a sad mess of my -doctoring. Early in the morning I got up to see if he was dead, and was -relieved to find him much better and keen for some more brandy, which I -refused; he had had very pleasant dreams he said, and the pain had gone -from his chest to his head. From that time he improved in health, his -strength came back rapidly, and when I left the fort a week later, he -looked as well as ever. - -Two days were spent in trading for the meat which kept coming in, and -during this time we sent out a hunting-party to kill fresh meat, which -we hoped would keep till we reached the fort if we made a good passage. -At Resolution times were very hard; few fish were being caught, and the -return of the boat was anxiously expected. Many caribou were killed, and -our ship was well loaded with fresh meat, besides over three thousand -pounds of dried meat, two hundred pounds of grease, bunches of tongues, -coils of _babiche_ and sinew, and a little fur that had been killed -during the spring. - -The Indians all left on the evening of the second day, and early the -following morning we put to sea in a flat calm. Before leaving we went -through the ceremony of cutting a lop-stick, as is the fashion of the -North, to commemorate our expedition. A conspicuous pine was chosen, a -man sent aloft to lop off the lower branches, while Mackinlay and myself -cut our names on the trunk; then everybody discharged their guns at the -tree, and the performance was ended. Often in the lonely waterways of -the Northern country one sees a lop-stick showing far ahead on the bank, -and reads a name celebrated in the annals of the Hudson's Bay Company or -in the history of Arctic exploration. These lop-sticks are easily -distinguished landmarks, well known to the _voyageurs_, and many an -appointment has been kept at Campbell's, Macdougal's, or Macfarlane's -tree. In giving directions to a stranger it is hopeless to describe the -points and bends of a monotonous river highway, but a lop-stick does the -duty of a signpost and at once settles the question of locality. - -Two hundred miles of the Great Slave Lake lay between us and the fort, -but a steady wind came from the north, and the shallow-draught York boat -ran in front of it so well that on the fourth night we camped on the -Mission Island within a couple of miles of Fort Resolution. A worse -boat for the navigation of the lake could hardly be imagined. A huge -square sail, set on a mast shipped right amidships, does good work so -long as the wind is abaft the beam; but when a head-wind springs up, too -strong to row against, it is a case of hauling ashore on the beach, as -no anchor is carried. Steep cliffs on a lee shore have to be carefully -avoided, for it is impossible to propel such a vessel to windward in a -heavy sea. On the present occasion, however, we were in great luck, and -I never remember a more pleasant voyage in a sailing-boat. A run up the -English Channel in a well-found yacht, with fair wind and sunshine, is -enjoyable enough; but there are seldom any blankets to lie about in on -deck, and there is always some stray peak or jib-halliard that wants -pulling on, besides continual threats of setting or stowing a topsail, -which prevents your settling down into a comfortable position. Here we -had nothing to worry us; the wind blew fair, and we lay in our blankets, -smoking and looking at the land, as the boat glided along the narrow -blue lanes, among islands that the foot of white man had never pressed. -Four times a day we put ashore to boil the kettle, and at night slept by -the side of a huge fire in the thick pine-woods; darkness lasted many -hours now, and prevented navigation among the countless islands and -outlying rocks. On the fourth day we crossed the Grand Traverse, and, -leaving the Ile de Pierre after nightfall, ran for Mission Island with -a strong wind blowing in from the open lake. Crossing the mouth of the -big river was rather risky work in the dark, as the sandy battures ran -far off to sea and the waves were breaking heavily in the shallow water; -the sounding-pole gave only four feet in one place, but we ran across -without touching, and at midnight camped at the back of Mission Island. - -The sun was just rising on Sunday, August the 24th, when we ran the boat -on the beach in front of Fort Resolution, and a glance at the faces that -gathered round told us that living had been none too good, and that a -man is sometimes better off among the caribou than depending upon an -uncertain fishery for a livelihood. With all thanks to priest and -parson, Indian and half-breed, for the kind welcome they gave us, I -noticed many an eye glancing furtively at our rich cargo from the land -of plenty; and the rejoicings that day may be attributed equally to joy -at our safe arrival and to the influence of a feast of fresh meat after -many weeks of short allowance. - -I could afford to make only a short stay at Resolution, as the season -was far advanced, and I had to start at once to avoid the chance of -being caught by the winter during my long journey. Of the three routes -that might enable me to do this I should have preferred the ascent of -the Liard River, which falls into the Mackenzie at Fort Simpson. From -its head-waters at Dease Lake, in the once celebrated mining district -of Cassiar, the Pacific Coast is reached at Fort Wrangel in Southern -Alaska without difficulty; but the Liard itself is full of terrors, even -for the hardy _voyageurs_ of the North, and although Mr. Camsell offered -every inducement to men to accompany me he was unable to get together a -crew. Formerly the Company had an establishment at Fort Halket on the -west branch of the Liard, but the difficulties of conveying supplies, -and the frequent occurrence of starvation, made it a hard post to -maintain; finally a boat's crew were drowned by a capsize in one of the -worst rapids, and the fort was abandoned. The Athabasca I had seen, and -not caring to go over old ground I decided on ascending the Peace River -to its head-waters in the neighbourhood of Macleod's Lake on the west -side of the Rocky Mountains, and, crossing the small divide, to run down -the Fraser River to Quesnelle a small town on the southern edge of the -Caribou Gold Fields of Northern British Columbia. - -The _Wrigley_ had made her last up-stream voyage for the year, and was -daily expected from Fort Smith. I was thus obliged to depend on canoe -travelling to reach Chipeweyan on the Athabasca Lake, some three hundred -miles distant; if we had arrived at the fort ten days earlier I could -have saved much valuable time by making this part of my journey by -steamer. - -Taking advantage of frequent experience that it is better to leave a -fort overnight, even if camp be made within a couple of miles, than to -trust to an early start in the morning, it was after sundown on the 26th -when I said good-bye to Resolution, not without a feeling of regret, and -the hope of seeing at some future time the place where I had been so -well treated. There are few spots in the world in which one can live for -a year without making some friends, and when I left this lonely -trading-post there were many faces on the beach that I should like to -see again. Saltatha was the last man to shake hands with me as I stepped -into the canoe; he tried to extract a promise from me to come back the -next summer for another expedition in the Barren Ground, and was much -disappointed when I told him that I certainly could not return for two -years, and perhaps not even then. No need to feel pity for the people -left behind, although I was going to civilization and all the good -things that this word comprises. A man who has spent much time under the -influence of the charm which the North exercises over everybody wants -nothing better than to be allowed to finish his life in the peace and -quietness which reign by the shores of the Great Slave Lake. Ask the -priest, when you meet him struggling against a head-wind and driving -snow on his way to some Indian encampment, whether he ever sighs for his -sunny France. "No," he will tell you; "here I have everything I want and -nothing to distract my thoughts; I enjoy perfect health, and I feel no -desire to go back to the worries of the great world." So it is with the -fur-trader; the mysterious charm has a firm hold on him, and if he is in -charge of a post where provisions are fairly plentiful and the Indians -not troublesome he has a happy life indeed. I was sorry to have missed -seeing the Mackenzie River, La Grande Riviere en Bas, as they call it at -Fort Resolution, but to do this meant spending another winter and -another summer in the country, and I could not afford the time. - -[Illustration: Starting Up the Peace River] - -The first evening out from the fort we camped near the mouth of the -Slave River, on the same spot where I had spent a night with King -Beaulieu and his family more than a year before. My crew now consisted -of Murdo Mackay and three half-breeds, while Mackinlay, who had proved -such a trusty companion during our summer journey, was to accompany me -till we met the steamer. This happened the next morning, and after an -hour of hurried questions and answers, and farewells to men who seemed -more like old friends than comparative strangers whom I had met once the -year before, the _Wrigley_ put her head down-stream, and we continued -our voyage through the wilderness of pines, cotton-wood, and willow. - -Pierre Beaulieu was captain and guide of the canoe, and a right good -traveller he proved to be; no lying snug in your blankets in the early -morning, but breakfast in black darkness, and the paddles or -tracking-line in full swing at the first sign of the coming day. -Sometimes he would put ashore and start us off through the woods, with -canoe and cargo on our backs, to drop on the river again at the end of -the portage, and find that we had saved many miles of laborious -up-stream work by cutting across a bend of the river. The tracking till -we reached Fort Smith was bad, as the banks were usually soft muddy -sand, while the land-slips had sent so many trees into the river that it -was often easier to paddle against the stream than to pass the line -round the obstruction. Ducks and geese were plentiful enough, but -Mackinlay had been liberal in the matter of provisions for our voyage, -so we only took the most tempting shots, but if it had been necessary we -could have made our own living without difficulty. Early on the sixth -day we came in sight of Fort Smith, and found Mr. Flett in charge, with -the house much improved and made fairly comfortable in readiness for the -winter; but there was no time to be spared, and the next day saw us -driving across the portage in a waggon to take a fresh crew to -Chipeweyan. No canoe was available, but Jose Beaulieu, another of King's -numerous brothers, lent us a skiff, which answered the purpose well -enough. Mr. Flett took the opportunity of going up to headquarters, and -enlivened the journey with many stories of over forty years' experience -in the North. Among the new crew was a deaf and dumb half-breed, a -capital worker and always good-tempered, in spite of the cold drenching -rain that continued till we reached Chipeweyan; some of his -conversations by signs were very amusing, and one could almost wish that -all these boatmen were deaf and dumb to avoid the constant chatter which -they keep up round the camp-fire when they know that you understand -them. One day we made a splendid run in front of a gale of north wind, -but nearly came to grief through our steersman's recklessness in trying -to force the boat over a rapid under canvas; she took a sheer in the -swirl of an eddy, and the sail jibbed with such violence that we were -within an inch of a capsize. Provisions ran short on the last day, but -just as we were talking of camping early and going after duck for supper -a little black bear turned up on the bank; I was lucky enough to kill -it, and we enjoyed a royal feast of fat bear's meat instead of a night's -starvation. On the fourth day we entered the Athabasca Lake, and forced -our way to the fort against a strong head-wind; it was another Sunday -arrival, and we did not show to advantage in comparison with the bright -dresses and gaudy belts and moccasins of the dwellers at the chief post -of the Athabasca district. A little snow was whitening the ground, the -goose-hunt was at its height, and the array of nets showed plainly -enough that it was time to make preparation for the Fall fishing. Dr. -Mackay was away inspecting Fort Vermillion on the Lower Peace River, -and would not be back for several days. An unexpected difficulty now -turned up; there was no crew forthcoming for the next part of my -journey, and everybody advised me to take the ordinary route by the -Athabasca River. However, two of my Fort Smith crew, Jose and Dummy, -finally agreed to go to Vermillion, although neither of them had been -there before, and Murdo, who was very anxious to accompany me across the -mountains, obtained leave to come with me till we should meet Dr. Mackay -on Peace River; if he could get extended leave from the head officer of -the District he was to come right through. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - - -By this time it was well on in September, and eight hundred miles had to -be travelled to reach the Rocky Mountains and when these were sighted -there were still two hundred miles to MacLeod's Lake, the farthest point -I could reasonably hope to reach by open water. The first night we -camped in the Quatre Fourches, the channel connecting the lake with the -main stream of Peace River. The banks were thickly peopled with Indians -and half-breeds, drying whitefish which were being taken in marvellous -numbers; white and grey wavies and ducks of many kinds were flying -overhead in large flocks, and rising in front of the canoe at every bend -of the stream; plovers and other wading birds were screaming over the -marshes, and I noticed a good many snipe; but who would fire a charge of -ammunition at such a wretched little mouthful when geese were plentiful? -Without going out of our way to hunt, we could have loaded the canoe -with wild-fowl, but of course only killed as many as we required for -food. - -At the end of the Quatre Fourches we passed into the main stream of -Peace River, and, with a sharp westward turn, commenced our ascent of -the easiest of all the Northern waterways. From its junction with the -Slave River to the first range of the Rocky Mountains, with only the -obstruction of the shute some forty miles below Fort Vermillion, its -course is navigable throughout for a light-draught steamer, and, but for -this shute, would be an invaluable route for supplying the Hudson's Bay -Company's upper river-posts. - -The lower reaches of the river present exactly the same appearance as -the country we had passed through in ascending the Slave River; a broad -stream with low sandy banks, densely timbered, with often a huge -sand-bar, the resting-place of many geese, stretching far out into the -stream. We were rather handicapped by not knowing the river and missing -the best tracking; an old hand would have known all the correct -crossings to take advantage of an easy bank to track from, or an eddy to -paddle in. Nor could we well risk the short cuts, as a promising channel -would often end in dry sand instead of running through into the -river, or turn out to be the mouth of a tributary stream. After our -usual halt for dinner on the third day we saw a canoe coming down -stream, and, crossing over, found that it was Dr. Mackay on his way from -Vermillion; both canoes put ashore and we had the usual cup of tea and -an hour's yarn together. The Doctor was anxious to get back to -Chipeweyan, to begin his Fall fishing and make every possible -preparation for keeping up the food-supply for the winter; I had no time -to spare either, and darkness must have found us camping many miles -apart. These stray meetings in the wilderness are always a pleasant -recollection, and on first returning to civilization one is surprised at -the manner in which people pass each other with a nod, till one realises -the fact that there are too many people about for a more lengthy salute. -Murdo obtained leave to come with me across the mountains, subject to -the condition that he was to return in the spring if he received orders -to that effect from headquarters at Winnipeg. - -The same evening we hauled up an insignificant rapid, caused by a -contraction in the channel; a limestone formation, with many fossils, -shows up here for a few miles of the river's course, and is noticeable -again at the shutes and in several spots along the river. We broke the -canoe rather badly in mounting this rapid, and during the rest of our -journey to Vermillion had to bale out frequently. Day after day we -followed the winding course of the river, which bends and doubles on -itself through the flat country, and at last made out a landmark in the -Caribou Mountains, lying to the north and stretching in that direction -as far as we could see: an inviting range of hills, clear of timber on -the slope, and their round summits sparsely dotted with pines; a -favourite hunting-ground for the Indians of Vermillion, but none of the -white men of whom I made inquiry seemed to have any knowledge of the -extent or nature of this solitary range, rising so conspicuously from -the dead level of muskeg and pine forest. - -Just as we were starting on the tenth morning a light puff of west wind -brought us the first sound of a distant roar that we knew must be caused -by the shute, and a couple of hours' tracking brought us to a small -Company's trading-post, known as Little Red River, from a stream bearing -that name which here joins the Peace River from the south. The -establishment was deserted, although it was to be kept open during the -winter; so we passed on and soon came in sight of a low white wall of -water extending across the whole width of the river. Dr. Mackay had told -me to make the portage close under the fall on the south side, or we -should have been at a loss to find the only place where it is possible -to take the canoe out of the water. In a strong running current, with -the spray falling over her bow, we put alongside a ledge of rock six -feet above us, and two men, standing on a submerged ledge, not without -difficulty passed everything up to the others above; the distance to -carry was very short, and we were soon afloat again above the fall. The -shute is not more than eight feet in height, but is of course a complete -barrier to navigation. I think the scene from the south bank is one of -the most beautiful in the whole course of the loveliest of rivers. It -was a bright afternoon when we made the portage, and the white broken -water of the cascade showed in strong contrast to the broad blue -stretches above and below; several rocky, pine-covered islands stand on -the brink of the overfall, as if to give a chance to any unlucky -traveller who may approach too near the danger; fully three-quarters of -a mile away on the far side stands the gloomy forest of black pines, -relieved by a glimpse of the open side-hills of the Caribou Mountains. -Another small portage was necessary a mile or two above; but from the -spot where we camped that night we never had to lift canoe or skiff out -of the water till we reached the foot-hills of the Rocky Mountains. - -The next day we passed a couple of Cree lodges, and finding moose-meat -plentiful made the most of our opportunity, as a gale of wind sprang up -right ahead and prevented travel. - -It was not till sundown on the eleventh day from Chipeweyan that we -completed our journey of two hundred and eighty miles, and put ashore at -the Company's trading-post at Fort Vermillion. Here the appearance of -the country suddenly changes; stretches of open prairie dotted with -small poplars take the place of the pine-woods, and the sand-bars in the -river begin to give way to gravel, and the banks rise higher and higher -as one journeys up-stream. We reached Vermillion late in September, in -the full glory of the autumn; the sharp morning frosts had coloured the -poplar leaves with the brightest golden tints, and the blue haze of an -Indian summer hung over prairie and wood. Away on the Great Slave Lake a -half-breed had told me of the beauties of Vermillion as a farming -country, and had explained that all the good things of the world grew -there freely, so that I was prepared for the sight of wheat and barley -fields, which had this year produced a more abundant harvest than usual; -potatoes and other vegetables were growing luxuriously, cattle and -horses were fattening on the rich prairie grass, and it seemed that -there was little to be gained by leaving such a fertile spot in the face -of the winter that would soon be upon us. - -Vermillion is also an important fur-post, and probably to-day the best -in the North for beaver and marten; but there are several free-traders -on the Peace River, and the Company have to carry on their business with -the extra difficulty of competition, which always raises the price of -fur. It is all very well to say that no Company should have the monopoly -of trading over so vast a territory, but after all the Indians are -little benefited by the appearance of the free-traders. The Hudson's Bay -Company have always treated the Indians fairly and leniently, taking the -greatest care only to import articles absolutely necessary to the -welfare of the natives. Guns, ammunition, blankets, capotes, -dress-stuff for the women, and tea and tobacco, have always been the -principal contents of the store; and these are sold at absurdly low -prices, when the cost of the long and risky transport is considered. The -Indians' love of gaudy colours was always indulged, but the goods were -of the best material. Then came the free-trader with a stock of bright -cheap clothing, a variety of dazzling tinsel, or perhaps a keg of -molasses, which attracted the eye and palate of the wily hunter, so that -he would give up his rich furs for the worthless trash, only to find -himself short of all the necessaries for maintaining life in the woods -when the snow began to fall again. No amount of experience enables him -to resist the temptation; but the long enduring Hudson's Bay Company -always listens to his tale of woe and helps him out of his difficulties, -accepting his promise, ever readily given and as readily broken, to hand -in his fur in the following spring to the officer in charge of the post. -Whenever the often-told story of a band of Indians caught by the horrors -of starvation reaches the fort, the Company sends to the rescue, and -every winter saves many a man from death, while the free-trader, having -taken as much fur as he can out of the country during a short summer's -trip, is living at ease on the confines of civilization. The days are -long gone by when a prime silver fox could be bought for a cotton -pocket-handkerchief, but still the rumours brought from this little -known Northern country attract the venturesome trader, usually to his -own loss, and always to the upsetting of the Company's wise system of -dealing with the Indians. - -Vermillion has a comparatively large population, outside the numerous -_employes_ of the country. Both the Protestant and Roman Catholic -churches have missions here, and several half-breeds have taken up an -irregular method of stock-raising and small farming to help out the -uncertain living afforded by fur-trapping. Mr. Lawrence, a practical -hard-working farmer from Eastern Canada, has been successful with a farm -three miles above the fort; but for many years to come there is not the -slightest reason for that emigration of farmers to Peace River which -wild enthusiasts clamour for. So much talk about this scheme has lately -appeared in the Canadian newspapers, mostly, no doubt, as one of the -political cries which find such favour with the statesmen of Ottawa, -that I cannot allow this opportunity to pass without a word of warning -to any intending settler. I made careful inquiries and observations -along the whole length of Peace River, and I do not for a moment deny -that in some parts of its course crops of wheat and barley may be raised -in favourable seasons, as the well-managed farms of Mr. Lawrence, at -Vermillion, and Mr. Brick, higher up at Smoky River, fully attest; but -these farms, and all the spots in which grain ripens, are in close -proximity to the bed of the river, and here the amount of arable land -is limited. Climb the steep banks and take a glance over the millions of -fertile acres which the philanthropic politician wishes to see -cultivated; notice the frost on a summer's morning, and make the -attempt, as has often been made already, to raise a crop on this -elevated plateau. In ten years' time this may be a cattle-country, -although the hay-swamps are insufficient to ensure enough feed for the -long winter; but let us have an end of this talk of sending poor -settlers to starve in a land unable to supply food to the Indian, who is -accustomed to a life of continual struggle with a relentless nature. - -Mr. Wilson entertained me royally at the fort, but here again was the -same trouble that I had found at Chipeweyan; no crew was procurable, and -there was a journey of three hundred and fifty miles to Dunvegan before -I had any chance of getting men. Jose and Dummy, who had both worked -right well up to now, considered they were far enough away from their -beloved Fort Smith; and Jose had an extra attraction in Dummy's sister, -who was waiting his return to make him happy for ever, but was not very -reliable in case of a more prepossessing admirer coming to the fore. -Jose made a touching speech at parting: "God made the mountains, the -lakes, and the big rivers," he said. "What is better than drifting down -Peace River singing hymns? You are going up-stream to cross the big -mountains back to your own country; I am going down-stream to marry -Dummy's sister; I shall think of you many times." Dummy smiled and -nodded affectionately, and the pair shot out into the river with my -canoe, leaving me on the bank with only Murdo for my crew and no means -of conveyance. - -Now if I could have got a small dug-out wooden canoe, and pottered away -up-stream with Murdo, tracking in turns, we should have got on very -well; but unfortunately there was nothing but a large and somewhat -clumsy skiff available, and this we finally had to take. The evening -before we were to start I received a visit from a man whom I shall -allude to as John. Long before in merry England he had seen better -times, and was evidently intended by nature for a sedentary life, or any -other kind of life than the physical activity necessary to accomplish -quickly and successfully a boating-trip up a swift-running river; in -reality he was powerful enough, and but for his extraordinary laziness -might have earned a good living anywhere. John told me he wished to -leave Peace River and cross the mountains to Quesnelle, and would be -glad to render me every assistance in his power if I would let him take -advantage of this chance to get out of the country. In spite of the -warnings of Mr. Wilson and everybody else who knew John's character, I -went on the theory that when one is shorthanded any kind of a man is -better than no man, but was speedily disabused of this idea after -leaving the fort. He turned sulky when he found that I would stand no -shirking, and was painfully slow on the tracking-line, awkward in -letting go or tying a knot, and, although he had been five years at -boating, absolutely without knowledge of the duties of bowsman or -steersman. In addition to this he was just as useless in camp, and -conceived a violent hatred to Murdo, who fully reciprocated the feeling. -Once, on being heartily cursed while he was tracking, John threatened to -desert and go back to Vermillion, but when we ran the skiff ashore and -offered to help him build a raft and to give him a week's rations, he -hastily withdrew his proposition. I hoped to be able to leave him at -some fort _en route_, but I found John was too well known, and no one -would accept the horrible responsibility of keeping him for a winter on -any terms. A man like this takes all the pleasure out of a journey when -good temper is the almost invariable rule, and everybody takes his share -of the tracking and wading, the paddling and poling, as part of the -ordinary day's work. - -At this time of year, when the water is at its lowest, tracking is a -comparatively easy matter, and taking half-hour spells at a sharp walk -we made good day's journeys, although we should have done much better -with a canoe. It was a hard time for moccasins, but we could get them at -every fort we passed; sometimes we found an Indian encampment on the -bank, and a small present of tea and tobacco to the women ensured neat -patches over the gaping holes in the moose-skin soles. - -The fourth day out from Vermillion we reached the mouth of Battle River -coming in from the north, and found a small trading-post with a French -half-breed in charge. He told us that the Indians had been killing a -great many moose, and that he had already bought the dried meat of -sixteen as a start towards his winter stock of provisions; black bear -too were numerous on Battle River, and there were reports of grizzly -having been seen. This would probably be one of the best points from -which to enter the unknown country between Peace River and the Great -Slave Lake. - -I never remember to have seen in any part of Canada such a fine autumn -as we enjoyed between Vermillion and the Rockies; there was hardly a -day's rain the whole time, and, although a sharp white frost usually -made a cold camp, the days were bright and at times almost too hot for -tracking. Often we saw the fresh tracks of moose and bear, but never -happened to see an animal of any kind, and as we could afford no time -for hunting did not fire a single shot at big game; geese and ducks we -could have killed every day if there had been any necessity for doing -so. - -[Illustration: Junction of the Peace and Smoky Rivers] - -Fifteen days of continuous travel from Vermillion took us to the -junction of Smoky River, the principal tributary of the Peace, flowing -towards the south-west not far from some of the head-waters of the -Athabasca. This junction is rather an important point, as it is close to -the end of the waggon-road to the Lesser Slave Lake, lying seventy-five -miles to the south. Here the trading-goods brought overland are loaded -on to scows and boats, to be sent down-stream to Vermillion and -up-stream to Dunvegan, St. John's, and Hudson's Hope. A little above are -Mr. Brick's mission and the farm that I have already spoken of, besides -a settlement of half-breeds, more hunters than farmers, well known as -the laziest and most worthless gang on the whole length of Peace River. -Many efforts have been made to get these people to pay more attention to -their potato-patches as the game is getting killed out, but all in vain; -sometimes they will fence in a piece of ground and plant seed, but will -take no further trouble with the crop, and generally use their -fence-rails for firewood during the next winter. Luckily whitefish are -very plentiful in the Lesser Slave Lake within two days' journey, or -starvation would certainly play havoc at Smoky River. - -I enjoyed a long talk with Mr. Brick in his pleasant home in the wilds, -where we spent a night; he kindly furnished me with supplies that I was -short of, and three days afterwards we arrived at Dunvegan, another -celebrated fur-post, situated on the north bank of the river at the -foot of a high bluff known as the Cap. Here again was abundant evidence -of the fertility of the soil in the crops harvested by the Company and -the missionaries. Across the river, twenty miles away, is the Company's -cattle-_ranche_, where the oxen used on the waggon-road are raised and a -fair amount of beef is annually killed. Some thoroughbred stock has been -imported and should prove successful, but of course there is no paying -market for a large amount of cattle, although there are plenty of hungry -people who would be glad of a chance to eat beef. - -At Dunvegan, besides Mr. Round who was in charge of the fort, I met Mr. -Ewen Macdonald, the chief of Peace River District, with headquarters at -Lesser Slave Lake. He had just finished his inspection of the upper -river-posts, and had left Hudson's Hope, the last establishment east of -the mountains, a few days previously; he reported that the snow was -already low down on the foot-hills, and advised me strongly to give up -my attempt to cross the Rockies so late in the autumn. He told me, -however, that a free-trader was expected in from the west side of the -mountains, and if I was lucky enough to meet him I should probably be -able to secure the service of some of his crew who would be returning to -Quesnelle. - -Above Dunvegan the valley of the river contracts, the banks rise for -several hundred feet in height, and the strength of the current -increases. The hundred and twenty miles to St. John's took us seven days -and a half to travel, and in many places we had to keep two men on the -line to stem the strong water; the tracking too was bad, as the banks -had fallen in several spots, and John, who had been up and down the -river three times before, proved a very poor pilot. The weather was -colder, and a sheet of ice formed over the back waters and close to the -bank out of the current. - -At St. John's we found Mr. Gunn busy with a band of Indians who were -taking their winter supplies, and I had a chance of hearing their -accounts of the wilderness to the north in the direction of the Liard -River; they described it as a muskeg country abounding in game and fur, -but a hard district to reach, as the streams are too rapid for canoes -and the swamps too soft for horses to cross. They occasionally fall in -with a small band of buffalo, but have never seen them in large numbers. -Sometimes by ascending Half-way River, a stream adjoining Peace River -twenty-five miles above St. John's, they meet the Indians from Fort -Nelson on the south branch of the Liard. - -We had now passed out of the Cree-speaking belt and the language became -that of the Beaver Indians, a far inferior language to Cree, resembling -in sound and in many of the words some of the dialects of the Chipeweyan -tongue. Mr. Gunn had learned to speak Beaver fluently, and was now -going up to Hudson's Hope to interpret; he was a great help to us both -as pilot and on the line, and with two men always tracking we took -little notice of the strong stream which we found throughout the fifty -miles to the next fort. - -Snow was falling heavily when we left St. John's, and it looked as if -the winter had set in, but next day the ground was bare again, and a -west wind from across the mountains blew warm as a summer's breeze. We -camped for a night at the mouth of Half-way River, heading towards the -north through a wide open bay which seems to invite exploration. A -considerable quantity of gold dust has been taken out of some of the -gravel-bars along this part of Peace River, and Half-way River is -supposed to be a paradise for the miner and hunter, but I could not hear -of any white man having ever penetrated far up this valley. On the -afternoon of Sunday, October 26th, on rounding a bend in the river, we -caught our first glimpse of the snowy peaks of the Rocky Mountains that -I had travelled so far to reach; but the sublime is often mixed with the -ludicrous, and when John in his admiration of the scenery slipped off a -narrow ledge of shale along which he was tracking and fell with an oath -into the river, the snowy peaks were forgotten in the joy that always -greets other people's misfortunes in this sort of travelling. - -A short distance below Hudson's Hope we passed a remarkable group of -high basaltic islands, differing entirely from anything in the -neighbourhood, and affording a strong contrast to the low gravelly -islands so numerous in the course of this river. In the afternoon of the -27th we unloaded the skiff and hauled her up on the beach in front of -the fort, to lie there till anybody might want to run her down-stream -the following spring. - -Hudson's Hope is a small unpretentious establishment, standing on the -south side of Peace River, a mile below the wild canyon by which this -great stream forces its way through the most easterly range of the Rocky -Mountains. The Indians were all encamped in their moose-skin lodges on -the flat close to the fort waiting for the trade to begin, and I was -surprised to hear how few representatives of the once numerous tribe of -Beavers are left. It is the same at St. John's and Dunvegan, and the -total Indian population of the upper Peace River cannot exceed three -hundred, an immense falling off since Sir Alexander Mackenzie first -crossed the mountains by this route. The biggest lodge was occupied by -Baptiste Testerwich, a half-breed Iroquois, descended from the Iroquois -crew left here many years ago by Sir George Simpson, formerly Governor -of the Hudson's Bay Company. Baptiste had a house at Moberley's Lake -twelve miles to the south, and is well known as the most successful and -most enduring of moose-hunters. A remarkable point about the man is his -hardiness and indifference to cold; in the dead of winter he wears no -socks in his moccasins, which to any other man would mean a certainty of -frozen feet, and the Indians say that his feet are so hot that the snow -melts in his tracks in the coldest weather. - -Once again arose the trouble about guides to take us to Macleod's Lake. -John had been there before, but I had already seen too much of his -piloting to trust myself in his hands, and was quite sure that he would -lose his way if there was the least possibility of doing so. The -free-trader from across the mountains had not yet arrived, and as it was -getting late in the year there was a chance of his being frozen in -before he reached Hudson's Hope. Besides the Peace River route there is -the Pine River Pass, farther to the southward, heading almost directly -to Macleod's Lake. A party of surveyors once came through this pass -several years ago, and the Indians use it habitually in the summer; but -none of the Beavers would volunteer to guide us through at this time of -the year, as a heavy snowfall might be expected immediately. - -I decided to wait a few days for the trader, and we had a very festive -time at Hudson's Hope; a ball was given every night, and the -moose-dance, rabbit-dance, and duck-dance were kept up till the small -hours. A ball is not an expensive entertainment at an out-of-the-way -trading-post; no invitations are necessary, but a scrape of the fiddle -at the door of the master's house fills the ball-room in a few minutes. -If the master is in a liberal state of mind, a cup of tea is provided -for his guests, but in any case the river is close, and if anyone is -thirsty there is plenty of water. On the third night the ceremonies were -interrupted by the sound of a gunshot on the opposite bank, and an -Indian came across with the news that the trader had arrived at the west -end of the canyon with two small scows, and that some of his crew were -going back to Quesnelle. - -Baptiste lent me a horse on the following day, and I rode over to -interview the new arrivals. A fair trail, twelve miles in length on the -north side of the river, leads to the navigable water above the canyon, -while the stream runs a circuitous course of probably thirty miles. I -could get little information as to the nature of this canyon; even the -Indians seem to avoid it, and, though accounts of it have been written, -nobody appears to have thoroughly explored this exceptionally rough -piece of country. I went down a few miles from the west end, but found -the bluffs so steep that I could seldom get a view of the water, and -could form no idea of the character of the rapids and waterfalls. There -is some quiet place in the middle of the canyon where the Indians cross -on the ice, but beyond this they could tell me little about it. - -Right in the centre of the gap by which the trail crosses stands the -Bull's Head, a solitary mountain well known to travellers coming from -the west, as it can be seen many miles away, and in full view to the -south is a huge flat-topped mountain, covered with perpetual snow and -fit to rank with any of the giants of the main range. The trail reaches -a considerable elevation above the river level, and from the summit the -upper waters of the Peace are seen winding away to the west, through a -broad valley flanked by hills of ever increasing height, as far as the -eye can reach. Close to the river the slopes are open or thinly timbered -with pine and poplar, but the big mountains are clothed nearly to their -summits with the dense, almost impassable, forest growth which is such a -common feature in the scenery as the Pacific Coast is approached. - -At the far end of the portage, on the bank of the river, stand a rough -shanty and trading-store. Here I made the acquaintance of Twelvefoot -Davis, who acquired this name, not from any peculiarity of stature, but -from a small though valuable mining claim of which he had been the lucky -possessor in the early days of British Columbia. A typical man of his -class is Davis, and his story is that of many a man who has spent his -life just in advance of civilization. Born in the Eastern States of -America, a 'Forty-niner in California, and a pioneer of the Caribou -Diggings discovered far up the Fraser River in 'Sixty-one, he had -eventually taken to fur-trading, which has ever such an attraction for -the wandering spirit of the miner. Here among the mountains and rivers -where formerly he sought the yellow dust he carries on his roaming life. -There is a strong kinship between the two enterprises; the same -uncertainty exists, and in each case the mythical stake is always just -ahead. No failure ever damps the ardour of miner or fur-trader, or puts -a stop to his pleasant dreams of monster nuggets and silver foxes. - -Davis was making all possible haste in packing his cargo across the -portage with horses; an Indian and a half-breed were going back to -Quesnelle, and would gladly enter my service as guides. A small stock of -goods was to be left at the west end of the portage, and Thomas Barrow, -the only white man who had come down with Davis, was to remain in charge -of the trading-post during the winter. - - - - -CHAPTER XV - - -On November 5th I camped at the head of the canyon with my crew, Murdo, -John, Charlie, a half-breed from Quesnelle, and Pat, a full-blooded -Siccanee from Fraser Lake ready to make a start up-stream the following -morning with a long narrow canoe dug out of a cotton-wood log. But in -the night the weather changed; snow fell heavily, a severe frost set in, -and ice was forming rapidly along the banks. Baptiste, the Iroquois, who -had come across the portage to see us off, had brought me a dozen pair -of the best moose-skin moccasins from his daughters, who were beyond -compare the _belles_ of Hudson's Hope. Baptiste had spent many years of -his life in this part of the country, and I was quite ready to listen to -his opinion on the chances of getting through to Macleod's Lake. He -would not hear of our starting with a canoe under the changed conditions -of weather: it was the winter; the ice would catch us in less than three -days, and we should be lucky if we could get back on foot through the -deep snow. His advice was to wait a fortnight till the river set fast, -and occupy ourselves in making hand-sleighs, while he would make us five -pairs of snow-shoes, and then we might walk the two hundred miles to -Macleod's Lake in comfort. Accordingly I gave orders for the lodge, -which we still had with us, to be pitched in a clump of poplars a short -distance above Barrow's house, and we busied ourselves with cutting -birch and bending sleighs in readiness for our trip. - -The cold snap continued for several days, but very little ice was -running, although the eddies and backwaters were frozen up; then the -weather grew milder again, and I could see that we had missed our -chance. It was past the middle of November, and the river, by all -accounts, is usually frozen solid at this time of year; it seemed too -risky to start out so late to try and make a passage with open water. -Meantime we were taking things easily when, as it turned out, we should -have been travelling; there was not much to shoot beyond wood-grouse and -rabbits, but with these we could keep the pot going, and time went -pleasantly enough in short expeditions into the surrounding hills. - -And now a warm Chinook wind came sweeping across from the Pacific, and -licked up the snow from the ground, while the ice broke away from the -banks and drifted down in little floes to be ground to pieces in the -canyon. I could bear the inactivity no longer, and, with a recklessness -that I had plenty of opportunity to repent later on, gave orders on -November 25th for the canoe to be got ready on the morrow to start -up-stream and take the chances of being caught by the ice in the main -range of the Rocky Mountains. I consulted Charlie and Pat about the -route, and they both said they could make no mistake in finding the way -to the Hudson's Bay Fort on Macleod's Lake, as they had just come down -the river, and Charlie had made the journey the year before; if we could -succeed in getting to the junction of the Findlay and Parsnip, just -beyond the big mountains, before the ice caught us, there could be no -difficulty in reaching the fort on foot in about four days' travel. - -At the risk of being verbose and boring any reader who has struggled -thus far through the record of my wanderings in the North, I must now -enter somewhat fully into the details of travel, and describe minutely -the events that happened during the next month, in order to answer once -for all the numerous questions that I have been asked as to what took -place on that terrible winter journey in the Rocky Mountains. When I -reached civilization again, and found that part of the story had leaked -out, I received plenty of gratuitous advice as to what I should have -done and where I should have gone, from people who had never themselves -been in a like predicament, and had no further knowledge of hardship -than perhaps having had to pay a long price for a second-rate dinner. I -discovered that the easiest method of satisfying them was to let them -tell the tale of my adventures in their own way, and assent readily to -their convincing proofs that if they had been there all would have gone -well. I admit freely that it was a stupid act to leave a supply-post so -late in the year, unprovided as we were with the necessary outfit for -winter travelling; but think I was justified in trusting to the local -knowledge of my native guides to bring our party in safety to Macleod's -Lake after we were forced to abandon the canoe. - -Walter Macdonald, a son of Mr. Ewen Macdonald of Lesser Slave Lake, and -Tom Barrow both gave me every assistance in their power to provision my -crew for what is usually an eight or nine days' journey. Meat was not to -be had, and there was little chance of finding big game along the course -of the river, but a hundred pounds of flour, a few pounds of beans and -rice, and a small sack of potatoes, besides plenty of tea and tobacco, -would surely last us this short journey, and, even if we found it -impossible to travel quickly, a few days of short rations could easily -be endured. - -It was late in the afternoon of Wednesday, November 26th, when I started -the canoe off, and the sun was down before I had settled up accounts and -said good-bye to the friends whom I did not expect to meet again for -many a long day. The moon was full, and I had no difficulty in finding -my way six miles through the woods to an old miner's cabin at which we -had arranged to camp for the night. At the first streak of dawn we were -off again, travelling our best with two and sometimes three men on the -line; the current was strong, but the tracking on the gravel-bars -perfect. That night there was a heavy snowstorm, while the ground froze -hard and caused many a nasty fall on the slippery stones during the next -two days. On Saturday morning cakes of soft ice began to run, but we -found that most of them were brought down by a large tributary coming -from the north, and above its mouth the river was comparatively clear of -ice. The same afternoon we reached the entrance to the main range of -mountains, and under the first peak of the chain tracked up a strong -rush of water with a heavy sea at its foot, commonly known as the Polpar -Rapid, a curious corruption of _la Rapide qui ne parle pas_, so named by -the old _voyageurs_ from the absence of the roar of waters which usually -gives ample warning of the proximity of a rapid. Part of the cargo we -portaged to keep it dry, and above the strong water lay a quiet stretch -of river, winding away in the gloomy black chasm between the huge -mountains, which in many places takes the form of a sheer bluff hanging -over the stream. - -We camped just above the Polpar, and another night's snow made the -tracking worse than ever; often it was necessary to put the line aboard -and take to the paddles, to struggle round some steep point upon which a -coating of frozen snow made it impossible to stand. Ice was running in -large pans and steering was difficult, but we got on fairly well, and -were far in the heart of the mountains when we camped on Sunday night -under one of the steepest and most forbidding peaks that I ever remember -to have seen in any part of the Rockies. - -Monday was really cold, and our difficulties increased; the tow-line was -sheeted with ice and three times its ordinary weight, while the channel -was in many places almost blocked; poles and paddles had to be handled -with numbed fingers, and our moccasins from constant wading turned into -heavy lumps of ice; but we pushed on, and at nightfall had passed the -mountains and emerged into a more inviting country. It was evident, -however, that canoe-work was nearly over for the year, but we determined -to make one more attempt, as the junction of the Findlay and Parsnip was -not far ahead, and there was just a chance that the ice was coming from -the Findlay and we might find the Parsnip, up which our course lay, -clear enough for navigation. On Tuesday we made the most dangerous day's -travel that I ever experienced in a canoe; the river was far too full of -ice to handle even a "dug-out" with safety, and we had to make many -crossings in the swift current among the running floes. I made it a -point that everybody should keep on the same side of the river to assure -our all being together in case of accident, and we had several narrow -escapes from being nipped. At dinner-time we came in sight of the -broken water of the Findlay Rapid, and found the big eddy on the south -side of the river completely blocked with ice. We went through the risky -manoeuvre of skirting the edge of the eddy with the floes whirling round -us in the strong running water, and, finding a solid spot, hauled the -canoe over the ice to the shore, making a half-mile portage to the foot -of the rapid. A very close shave of capsizing filled the canoe with -water; but the second attempt at tracking through the swift current and -blocks of ice was more successful, and, as the short day was drawing to -its close, we were paddling under a high bluff which prevented our using -the tracking-line. Here darkness caught us, and our position was -perilous in the extreme; the current was so strong that our best pace -was required to stem it at all, and many times we had to drift back to -avoid collision with the ice that was grinding past us. A couple of -hours' hard work brought us to the first spot at which we could effect a -landing, but it was no easy matter to carry the cargo up the frozen -bank; we secured the canoe as well as we could, and found ourselves on a -small flat covered with willows and abundance of firewood. Towards -midnight the grinding of the ice became less noticeable and before -daylight ceased entirely; the river above us had set fast and further -water-travel was impossible. When morning broke we saw the Findlay -branch completely jambed with ice stretching away to the north-west, -and the Parsnip bending sharply to the south presented a similar -appearance. - -A glance at our position is not out of place, and a good map might have -saved us from the serious trouble we afterwards experienced. - -Far away in the mountains of British Columbia, in a country little known -to the white man and at no great distance from the Pacific Ocean, the -Findlay River has its source, while the Parsnip rises close under the -Rocky Mountains on their west side, and, skirting the foot-hills, joins -the Findlay at the spot where we now encamped. Below the junction the -stream, already of considerable size and known as the Peace River, pours -through the black rent in the backbone of the North American continent -many thousands of feet below the summits of the mountains, and takes its -course towards the Arctic Ocean at the mouth of the great Mackenzie. The -most extraordinary feature in this reversion of the laws of Nature is -the extreme tranquillity of the stream in passing through the main -range, for with the exception of the Findlay and Polpar Rapid, one at -either end of the pass, there is no difficulty in navigating a canoe. In -passing the eastern range above Hudson's Hope the canyon is rough to the -last degree, and one would expect to find the same thing among the -higher mountains. A third branch, the Omineca, once a celebrated -mining-camp, joins the Findlay, but is a much smaller stream. To reach -Fort Macleod we had to follow the Parsnip and turn up a tributary branch -known as Macleod's River, draining Macleod's Lake into the Parsnip. - -I had another long conversation with Charlie and Pat as to the best plan -of action, and pointed out to them that if there was the least doubt -about finding the lake we might still get back to Hudson's Hope, as by -the aid of a few portages over ice-jambs one can travel down-stream in -company with the floes long after it has become impossible to force a -passage against them, and when we reached the east end of the pass it -would be easy to walk through the level country. But both the guides -laughed at the idea of their getting lost, and again reminded me of the -fact that only a few weeks before they had come from Macleod. If we -could cross the Parsnip, they said, we had only to follow the west bank -till we came to the Little River, and then half a day would take us to -the fort; in four days from now, or five at the latest, we should reach -the end of our journey. The morning of December 4th was spent in making -a scaffold on which to store my rather bulky cargo, which of course had -to be left with the intention of returning from Fort Macleod with a -dog-sleigh. After dinner we started on foot, every man carrying his -blanket and a small load of provisions, kettles, and necessaries of -various kinds. I decided to take no gun, as I only had a dozen -shot-cartridges left, and a gun is always an impediment in walking -through the woods, although there is a good old saying in the North that -men should not part with their guns till the women throw away their -babies. - -One thing that I thought might cause some trouble was the fact of our -having no snow-shoes, and the snow would soon be deep enough to require -them. We took all our beans and rice, but left about thirty pounds of -flour in a sack on the scaffold, thinking it needlessly heavy to carry, -and that it was better to run short for a day or two than overload -ourselves and prevent rapid travelling. - -The ice was piled up high on the banks, and we began badly by climbing -over a steep hill covered with such heavy timber that the pace was slow, -and it was night when we came out on the bank of the Parsnip not more -than four miles from our last camp. The next day we did rather better, -but, getting among burnt timber and deep snow, had many heavy falls. In -the evening we found a jamb in the river, and, making rather a risky -crossing with the chance of our ice-bridge breaking up at any moment, -camped on the Macleod side, thinking that we were now surely safe -enough, and the worst thing that could happen might be a little -starvation before we reached the fort. Then came two days of fair -travelling, sometimes on the ice and sometimes in the woods, but the -latter were so thick that it was hard to get through them at all. - -I have never seen a river freeze in the remarkable manner that the -Parsnip set fast this summer. The first jamb had probably taken place at -the junction of the Findlay; the water had backed up till it stood at a -higher level than the summer floods, and the gravel beach was deeply -submerged. There was no appearance of shore-ice, as the constant rise -and fall in the water prevented a gradual freezing; jambs would form and -break up again, and huge blocks of ice were forced on each other in -every conceivable position. Often too the ice was flooded, and it was -already cold enough to freeze wet feet; the backwaters were full, and -the ice on them usually under water or hanging from the banks without -support; the shores were fringed with a tangled mass of willows, heavily -laden with snow and their roots often standing in water, while behind, -rising to the summit of rough broken hills, was the dense pine-growth of -the great sub-Arctic forest. - -John caused a good deal of delay by not keeping up, and I did not like -to leave him far behind, as he was clumsy on the ice, and there were -many treacherous spots where black running water showed in strong -contrast to the snow, and the gurgle of a swift current suggested an -unpleasant ending to the unlucky man who should break through. Everybody -carried an axe or a stick to sound the ice, and, excepting near the -banks where the water had fallen away from the ice, there were no -mishaps. Further delay was caused by our frequently having to light a -fire to dry moccasins and keep our feet from freezing. - -On the fourth night after abandoning the canoe we camped close to a -coffin hung between two trees, as is the fashion of the Siccanees in -dealing with their dead; the guide recognised this coffin, and told me -we should certainly be at the fort in two days. Beans and rice were -finished, but we had flour enough left for another day, and this we -baked into bread to save trouble in cooking later on, and on the -following day made a fair journey considering the bad state of the ice. - -The next morning, after eating our last bite of bread, we were going to -try for the fort, and to lighten our load left behind the kettles, for -which we had no more use, while some of us were rash enough to leave our -blankets; we expected to be back with the dog-sleigh in a few days, and -could then pick up everything. - -The water had risen again in the night and the ice was useless for -travelling on, so on the guide's advice we left the river on the west -bank, and climbing the rough hills walked along the ridge in a -south-westerly direction, expecting every hour to fall upon the little -river running out of Macleod's Lake. When night caught us we were still -in the woods, and, although there was no supper and snow was falling -softly, a bright fire and the prospect of reaching the fort in the -morning kept us in good spirits enough. I was one of the unfortunates -without a blanket, and was glad to see daylight come again and with it a -cessation of the snowstorm. During the last few days rabbit-tracks had -been frequently seen in the snow and grouse were plentiful, but we had -no means of securing game of any kind. - -To make as sure as possible of getting food the next day, I sent Murdo -and Charlie ahead without loads to make the best of their way to the -fort, while Pat and myself would stay by John, who was already in -difficulties, and carry the packs. - -Starting without breakfast is the worst part of these starving times. -The walking for the first two hours was very hard, through a thick -growth of young pines rising among the blackened stumps and fallen logs -of a burnt forest, up and down steep gullies, with the snow from the -branches pouring down our necks, and our loads often bringing us up with -a sudden jerk as they stuck between two little trees. John soon gave up -his pack, and left it hanging on a bough, where it remains probably till -the present day. About mid-day we came to the end of the ridge and -looked up the wide valley of the Parsnip. Far below us we could trace -its windings, and branching away to the mountains in the west was a -stream that Pat instantly declared to be Macleod's River. Towards -sundown we lit a fire on a high bank above the stream, and John in a -fatuous manner remarked that he recognised the place where he had camped -with a boat's crew some years before. We followed the fresh tracks of -our advanced party, and turning our backs on the Parsnip walked on good -shore-ice till darkness compelled us to camp. I was rather surprised to -find that the river was not frozen up and had much more current than I -had expected, but, as both John and Pat were quite certain that all was -right, I had not the least doubt that we had at last reached Macleod's -River and should arrive at the fort in good time the next day. - -Another sleepless night gave me plenty of time for reflection while John -was comfortably rolled up in a blanket that I had been carrying all day. -Four months had passed, and many a hundred miles of lake and river -travelled, since David had seen the first star on that summer's night -far away in the Barren Ground; now I thought my journey was nearly over, -for two hundred miles on snow-shoes from Fort Macleod to Quesnelle, and -three hundred miles of waggon-road from Quesnelle to the Canadian -Pacific Railway, counted as nothing. It was true that we had not tasted -food for two days, and rations had been short for some time past; but it -was by no means my first experience of starvation, and to-morrow -evening at the latest we should be in the midst of luxury once more. It -was satisfactory to think that we had succeeded in forcing our way -through the Rocky Mountains in the face of the winter, and were every -day approaching a country made temperate by the breezes of the Pacific; -already the cedars, to be found only on the west side of the main range, -were showing among the pines. - -With the first grey light in the east I roused my companions, and we -started on shore-ice at a good pace with the prospect of breakfast -ahead. Pat broke through shortly after leaving camp, and, as he was -afraid of freezing his feet, we lit a fire to dry his moccasins, and the -sun was up when we set out again. A couple of hours later we saw a thin -blue column of smoke rising straight up into the sky, and a nearer -approach showed that it came from the chimney of a cabin hidden in the -woods; a cheering sight at first, but directly we reached the trail -leading up from the river I knew that something was wrong, and something -wrong at such a time meant something very wrong indeed. - -I had spent too much of my life among the woods and mountains to be -unable to read the easy writing in the snow; two tracks leading up the -river late overnight, and the same two tracks quite fresh coming -down-stream and turning up the trail. Murdo and Charlie must be in the -cabin, and could not have reached the fort; if they had been coming -back with supplies they would never have put ashore with starving men so -close up. Pushing open the rough door we found them sitting one on each -side of a small fire of cedar-chips that were just crackling into a -blaze. "Have you been to the fort, Murdo?" I asked, needlessly enough. -"No." "Why not? What is the matter?" "Charlie says it is the wrong -river; we are lost, like d----d fools." - -Murdo had described the situation concisely enough, and I fully realised -the awful position we were in; lost and starving in the mountains with -no guns to procure food, no snow-shoes with which to travel over the -increasing depth of snow, and no clothes to withstand the cold of -mid-winter which was already upon us. - -There was still a hope, for Charlie was not quite ready to admit that he -was mistaken. Our advance party had turned back on seeing a rapid, and -even now could not give me any accurate description of this obstacle to -navigation; if it was so bad that a scow could not run down, it was -obvious that this could not be Macleod's River, for I knew that no -portage was necessary to reach the lake. Pat was still sure that he had -recognised many places this morning, but could not say anything about -the log-cabin; it stood back from the river, and there was a chance that -people, passing quickly down-stream, might have missed seeing it when -the foliage was thick on the willows. The best plan seemed to first -make sure about the rapid, so we started up-stream to inspect it. I was -very doubtful of any good result coming from this move, when I saw that -the strength of the current increased, and the mountains on each side of -the stream grew higher and steeper. Soon we passed a newly-built -beaver-house, which certainly was a strange object on the side of a -travelled river, and in a couple of hours reached the rapid. Surely this -was enough to make anyone turn back; a heavy shute of broken water down -which no scow could ever run without being smashed to pieces; even Pat -now acknowledged that he was hopelessly lost. A valuable day had been -wasted, and the sun was down before we came again to the cabin, where we -decided on spending the night. Three days we had been starving, and it -was fully time to take the first steps by which men in our desperate -position seek to maintain life as long as possible. A thorough search in -the shanty produced nothing of value but an old lard-tin which would -serve as a kettle; there were many empty boxes, labelled with enticing -names and pictures of canned fruit and of fat cattle that had been -converted into "Armour's Preserved Beef" at Kansas City, Missouri; a -large number of rotten sacks, marked "Oregon Flour Patent Roller -Process," showed that someone had spent a winter here, and an iron -bottle containing a little quicksilver proved that he had been a miner -by occupation. A board, with a notice in pencil that two men, whose -names I forget, had arrived here from Sandy Bar in a day and a half, -conveyed no meaning to us. - -Among the necessary articles that we had been carrying was a large piece -of dressed moose-skin for mending moccasins, and this seemed the most -edible thing we could find; five small strips, three inches in length -and an inch broad, were cut off and put into the lard-tin to boil for -supper. We discovered Labrador tea growing in the woods, and made a brew -with the leaves as soon as we thought the moose-skin was soft enough to -eat. Rabbit-snares were made by unravelling a piece of string and set in -the runs, but after trying this plan on several nights not a rabbit was -caught, though we sometimes had the mortification of finding a broken -snare. After supper of moose-skin and Labrador tea we felt in better -spirits, and with a good fire and a pipe of tobacco discussed our -position seriously enough. - -Euclid, when he found himself incapable of proving that any particular -angle or line was the exact size that he desired, had a habit of -supposing it to be of some other magnitude, and by enlarging upon the -absurdity of this supposition so completely puzzled the aspiring student -that he was glad to admit any statement that the inventor of the -proposition suggested. This does well enough on paper, but starving men -have no time to put this plan to the test of practice, and when they -find that a river is not the one they supposed it to be are at a loss -to tell what stream it really is. - -Charlie, Pat, and John, who had all been to Macleod's Lake before, told -me frequently that they had never heard of any river coming into the -Parsnip on the west side between the Findlay and Macleod's River. Now, -in a boating journey the talk is always of points and rivers, and the -mouth of any tributary is always commented upon, so it seemed unlikely -that they should have passed by this large stream without noticing it; -nor had they heard of any miner's cabin, which must certainly have been -spoken of in a country where houses are scarce. There was a possibility -that we had come too far and missed the mouth of Macleod's River, for we -had sometimes travelled on the east side of the Parsnip to take -advantage of better ice or a thinner growth of timber, and I had heard -David say that the Little River was not easy for a stranger to find. In -any case it was better to retrace our steps to the mouth of the stream -that we had been following, to see if our guides could recognise any -landmark, for the hills were conspicuous and sometimes of remarkable -shape. - -At daylight on December 10th we left the cabin and made tracks -down-stream, taking with us the lard-tin in which we had boiled more -moose-skin for breakfast. So far we had lost no strength and, with the -exception of John, who was always behind, were going strong and well. -It was late in the afternoon when we reached the river and once again -stood on the bank of the Parsnip. Across on the east side rose a -high-cut bank of yellow clay, a mark that any one should recognise who -had ever seen it before; but Charlie and Pat both put on a hopeless -blank expression when I asked them if they knew the place. No, they -said, they had never seen it before in their lives. Six weeks before -they had passed right under that cut bank in a scow, and less than forty -miles up-stream would have taken us to the fort if we had only known it. -These men were a half-breed and an Indian, supposed to be gifted with -that extraordinary instinct of finding their way in all circumstances -which is denied to the white man. John was just as much to blame, -although it was some years ago that he travelled down the Parsnip; long -afterwards, when all the trouble was over, he confided to me, as an -excuse for his ignorance, that he had been very drunk when he left -Macleod and was unable to make any accurate observations as to courses -and distances. - -There was nothing to be done but turn down the Parsnip again and keep a -bright look-out for the mouth of the little river, in case we had passed -it. The ice was too much flooded to walk on, and we camped high up on -the mountain-side in heavy falling snow. Another misfortune befell us -here; the bottom of the lard-tin was burnt out during the process of -melting snow, and we had to give up the small comfort of moose-skin and -wild tea. Murdo and myself spent a wretched night cowering over the fire -with the snow falling down our backs, for we were still without -blankets; daylight saw us struggling through the thick growth of young -pines and an increased depth of snow, till at noon, when everybody was -thoroughly exhausted and John had nearly given up all hope, we found -ourselves stopped on the side-hill by a series of bluffs which no one -felt equal to scaling. Fifteen hundred feet below us lay the river, and -as a desperate alternative we descended the mountain, with many bruises -from stumbling over logs hidden by the snow, to find that the water had -fallen in the night, and the ice, though rough in the extreme, was dry -enough to travel on. After the night had closed down over the forest we -reached the place where the kettles and blankets had been left, and -things looked a little brighter with the prospect of tea and a night's -sleep; but we knew now that Fort Macleod must lie behind us, although -there was little inducement to make another attempt to reach it with -such untrustworthy guides. Our only chance of life was to reach the -entrance of the Peace River Pass, where thirty pounds of flour lay on a -rough scaffold exposed to the mercy of the wolverines! - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - - -Snow fell again in the night and increased our difficulties. For a day -and a half we forced our way, sometimes on rough ice and sometimes -through the thick willow bushes, with frequent rests as exhaustion -overtook us, till we again saw the Siccanee coffin hung in the trees. -Here we found the flour-sack that had been thrown away on our up-stream -journey, and scraped off perhaps half a pound of flour which had stuck -to the sack when wet. At the same time a mouse was caught in the snow, -and, with no further preparation than singeing off the hair, was cut -into strips and boiled with the flour into a thin soup. Every man -carried a tin cup in his belt, so a careful distribution of the precious -soup was made, and the last pipe of tobacco smoked; we certainly derived -a little strength from this unexpected supply, and our spirits improved -greatly for a short time. - -The weather now turned colder and its increased severity told on us -heavily, for our clothes were torn to rags by pushing through the woods, -and a starving man through loss of flesh always feels the cold more -severely than a man in good condition. We often had to light a fire to -prevent our feet from freezing when wet from walking on flooded ice or -breaking through near the shore. The river was still open in places and -continually altering its level. John was always far behind, and I -expected to see him drop at any time; but he had the advantage of -starting fatter than the rest of us, and took good care of himself, -always hanging in the rear and coming into camp when the labour of -throwing out the snow and getting wood was accomplished. Never once -during the whole of this march did he go ahead to break a trail through -the snow, which is of course the most fatiguing work of all. - -A little before sundown on December 17th, the tenth day without eating -anything but small scraps of moose-skin and the soup at the coffin-camp, -we staggered among huge blocks of ice, passed the junction of the -Findlay, and soon afterwards arrived at the _cache_. It was an anxious -moment as I crawled up the frozen bank and waded through the snow to the -scaffold; no wolverine tracks were to be seen, and the flour was lying -untouched. Camp was made, a kettle of thick paste boiled, and a cupful -eaten every half-hour to prevent any ill effects from straining the -weakened organs of the digestion. - -But we were by no means out of our difficulties yet. Thirty pounds of -flour, without meat, is the ordinary amount that would be given to five -men for two days, without taking into account the fact that we had been -starving for a long time and were now reduced to skeletons. Before us -was the main range of the Rocky Mountains; the snow would be drifted -deep in the narrow pass, and travel would be slow, if indeed we got -through at all. Another serious trouble was the state of our moccasins; -as they wore out we had eaten them, and were now wearing rough apologies -for shoes which we had made out of the moose-skin that was quickly -getting very small under the constant demands made upon it for various -purposes. - -In the morning I measured the flour very carefully with a cup into -different loads, so that I might be able to keep account of the quantity -that was used, and, taking a gun and what few cartridges were left, we -started for Tom Barrow's cabin, which we hoped to be able to reach in -three or four days if the ice should prove good. In this we were -terribly disappointed, for at the end of the second day, after wading -through deep snow, and frequently putting ashore to light a fire on -account of the intense cold, we camped but a short distance below the -Findlay Rapid. John's feet were frozen already, and all of us were -touched in the face; there was always great difficulty in lighting a -match with numbed fingers, but birch-bark was plentiful, and being -readily inflammable was nearly sure to blaze up at once. Our only -remaining axe was almost useless from having been carelessly left for a -night in the fire. Much of the snow had drifted off the ice and was -lying three and four feet deep on the banks, increasing the labour of -making camp and picking up firewood, for we were too weak to do any -effectual chopping even if our axe had been in good condition. Without -snow-shoes it was impossible to walk through the forest in the hope of -finding grouse; and, after one or two efforts, the exertion of wading -waist-deep through snow that reached to the belt was found too great, -and the attempt was abandoned. - -On the third day a blizzard swept through the pass, completely obscuring -the opposite bank of the river, which was here quite narrow. We -attempted to travel against it, but found our faces were frozen before -going a quarter of a mile. Murdo and myself had always to light the -matches, as the other men suffered more from the cold than we did; I -knew that my hands were already useless, and that if we continued to -force our way against the storm there would be little chance of starting -a fire further on. I gave orders to turn back for the camp, and we spent -the short day in keeping up the fire that was still burning. Besides the -drift, a gust of wind would often send down the masses of snow that had -gathered on the branches, putting out our little blaze and filling up -the hole that we had dug in the snow, while the boughs themselves often -fell dangerously close to the camp. The allowance of flour was cut down -to two cupfuls among five men, and this was eaten in the form of paste, -which we found more satisfying than bread. The Labrador tea was buried -deep under the snow, and from this time no more was obtained. - -The shortening of rations produced grumbling in the camp, especially -from John, who declared that it was better to eat well while the little -flour lasted, to gain strength to take us to the trading-post. Murdo was -more sensible in this respect, but was beginning to lose the full use of -his head, and, besides the strong aversion he had always shown to John, -now developed a passionate hatred to Charlie and Pat, whom rightly -enough he held responsible for our position. This ill-feeling among the -various members of our party was increased tenfold by an episode which -took place on the following day. The morning was very cold but with less -wind, and, although our faces froze again, we pushed on for an hour or -two and then made a fire on the bank. Here we left the Indian and -half-breed drying their moccasins, and continued travelling down stream -to make a camp for the mid-day halt, knowing that the others could catch -us up easily with the advantage of our road through the snow; this they -did just as our fire was blazing up. I asked Charlie for his flour, as -so far we had not used any from his load, but when he produced it there -was not more than a cupful left in the bag. I had given him five pounds -of flour to carry, and at once knew that our guides, who had caused all -the trouble, had now been guilty of stealing food, when our lives -depended on the scanty store that we had picked up at the _cache_. For -this offence, at such a time, there is but one punishment: a man on the -point of starving to death cares little whether you cut off the dollar a -day that he is earning or not; a blow struck would have fired the train -of discontent that was ready to explode;--the only course open to me, if -the offenders were to be punished at all, was to put an end to them both -with the shot-gun that I carried. For a long time I debated this -question while a few spoonfuls of flour were boiled for dinner, and -finally decided to let matters take their course; there were still seven -or eight pounds of flour left, and by further reduction of rations we -might keep ourselves alive for a few more days; the weather might be -warmer, the ice less rough, and the snowfall lighter if we could reach -the far end of the pass, but at present things looked very black indeed. -Flesh and strength were failing rapidly; this loss of provisions would -tell heavily, and travelling through the gloomy pass under the high -mountains was more laborious than words can describe. It was no good -refusing to give the thieves their share of rations, as this might -induce them to strike a blow in the night, and deal us the death that -they themselves deserved; but the question might still have to be -decided, in case of a man dropping, whether his life should be -sacrificed and the offenders allowed to go free. If affairs came to the -point which everything seemed to indicate, there could now be no fair -drawing of lots to see who should die that the survivors might support -themselves by the last resource of all. - -The weather continued cold, and frozen feet caused many delays; there -was no chance here to treat a frost-bite by the tender methods of -thawing with snow and rubbing with oil that are practised in -civilization, but feet were thrust into a blazing fire and allowed to -blister as they would. John and Charlie suffered greatly from this -cause, and their pain in walking was much increased. These delays were -serious, for although the Peace River Pass lies as far to the south as -the 56th parallel of latitude the days were at their shortest. - -For three more days we continued wading through the snowdrifts, and -crawling over rough ice, continually changing our leader, till on -December 24th we were stopped by another blizzard, and forced to lie in -camp all day. Rations were by this time cut down to a spoonful of flour -in the morning and a strip of moose-skin at night for each man. Not more -than a pound of flour was left, and the storm, far too fierce for such -wretched skeletons to face, might continue for several days. Our -situation seemed utterly hopeless as we crouched over the fire that was -with difficulty maintained, and apparently the end had come. There was -none of the kindly sympathy for companions in misfortune which men who -share a common danger should have: a mutual distrust was prevalent; -hatred and the wolfish madness of hunger ruled the camp; and to this day -I cannot understand how it was that the fatal spark was never struck, -and no tragedy of murder and cannibalism enacted on the banks of that -ice-bound river without witnesses save the great silent mountains and -the God who made them. - -Christmas Day brought rather better weather, although snow was still -falling quietly, and, finding open water in the river with shore-ice on -which the snow was not so deep as usual, there was a great improvement -in our case. An accident, however, occurred which nearly put an end to -two of the party. Charlie and Pat, who were leading at the time, -ventured too near the edge of the open water and broke through, not only -to the knees or waist, as had so often happened, but over their heads in -deep water with a strong current, and we had some trouble in pulling -them out. It was very important that we should make a fire at once, as -the temperature was many degrees below zero, and the men drenched to the -skin began to freeze directly. The accident had taken place under a long -steep bluff, and from where we stood no firewood was to be seen on our -side of the river within a couple of miles. By the greatest good -fortune, on turning a point we found a huge tree that had fallen over -the cliff and lay on the beach smashed up into firewood, as if it had -been prepared specially for our use. A blaze was soon started, and the -two half-drowned men left to dry themselves. The most unfortunate part -of the affair was the wetting of the matches which they carried. I had -divided these precious articles among the men in case of accidents of -this kind, for without fire we should have had no chance of saving our -lives; as it turned out we never ran short of matches and never once -missed making fire, although there was often trouble in procuring wood; -we were far too weak to handle a big log, but usually found a dead -cotton-wood tree, from which the bark is easily pulled and makes the -best of fires. - -In the afternoon we passed the Polpar Rapid, which was completely frozen -up, and emerging from the pass caught the first sight of the sun, that -had been hidden from us for many days by the high mountains. The ice -below the rapid continued fairly good till nightfall, when we were -forced to camp, although the moon was full and we tried to travel by her -light. But although it was easy enough to see close ahead, it was -impossible to pick out the line of the best ice, and the labour of -travelling was increased by having to force our way through drifts and -piled-up ice that we might have avoided in daylight. - -Soon after leaving camp on the following morning a grouse was killed, -and I think even this little nourishment helped us a great deal to -accomplish our task of reaching the trading-post; this was the only -grouse we had seen since we left the _cache_, although on the up-stream -journey birds had been plentiful enough. The ice was still rough at -times, but in some places the river was open and good shore-ice made the -walking easy; the weather was much warmer, with bright sunshine, and -there was no danger of freezing our feet. At dark camp was made within a -day's travel of Barrow's house, if only we had strength enough to reach -it. - -The long night passed away, and just before daylight we were staggering -among the blocks of ice in a scattered line. There was always difficulty -in starting from the camp, for there was a certain amount of comfort in -lying in our blankets, and nobody was anxious to try whether he could -still stand upright or not. Our inclination during the worst time was to -lie down and make no further effort, but after walking half an hour we -usually found ourselves in better spirits. Soon after coming out on the -ice, I looked back to see how John was travelling, and noticed that he -was down. Charlie, who had been behind with him, came up and said that -John could travel no longer and intended to stay where he was. I stopped -all the men, but Charlie tried to push by me and said that he would not -wait for anyone. For the first time I had to use threats to ensure my -orders being carried out, and taking the gun from my shoulder let -Charlie plainly see that I meant to shoot him if he did not obey. This -quickly brought him to his senses, and John came up very slowly. He -wanted someone to stay with him and trust to the others sending back -provisions, but I would not listen to this proposal. I told him that it -was only want of courage that prevented him making any further effort; -he was as strong as the rest of us, and, if he would try, could keep up -quite easily; if he would come on till we reached the place where we had -had dinner on the second day out with the canoe, we would make him a -camp and leave all our blankets, so that he might have a chance of -keeping himself alive till relief came. On rounding a point we saw open -water ahead, and John, although far behind, went far better on the -smooth ice, and eventually came in not more than an hour after us. At -noon the Bull's Head was in sight, and we could see the line of hills at -the foot of which Barrow's house lay. The pace was fast for men in our -condition, but we kept up a steady walk, leaving our blankets when there -seemed a certainty of reaching the house that night. The sun was down -when we passed the old shanty in which we had camped for a night on the -way up, and by moonlight we travelled on, following close to the edge of -the open water and taking little precaution to test the strength of the -ice. Soon the roar of the canyon was heard, and at seven o'clock we -crawled up the steep bank and stood in front of the cabin. I pushed open -the door, and shall never forget the expression of horror that came over -the faces of the occupants when they recognised us. We had become used -to the hungry eyes and wasted forms, as our misery had come on us -gradually, but to a man who had seen us starting out thirty-two days -before in full health the change in our appearance must have been -terrible. There was no doubt that we were very near the point of death. -For my own part I felt a dull aching in the left side of my head; I was -blind in the left eye and deaf in the left ear; there was a sharp pain -on each side just below the ribs; but my legs, though not well under -control, were still strong. We had all completely lost the use of our -voices, and suffered greatly from the cracking of the skin on hands and -feet, which always results from starving in cold weather; to say that we -were thin conveys no idea of our miserable condition. It is needless to -go into the details of our recovery; but under Barrow's careful nursing, -and restrictions as to the quantity of food allowed, we all came back to -health, although for some days our lives were hanging in the balance. - -I can never sufficiently thank Tom Barrow for his kind behaviour on this -occasion. Of course, everybody is sorry for starving people; but it is -rather a strain on this sympathy to have to look after five men so near -to death in a small cabin among the Rocky Mountains, with such slender -supplies as had been left for a winter's rations for two people. Without -a murmur he shared his blankets and his provisions, although he knew -that there was a good chance of starving himself in the spring. - -Barrow told us directly where we had made our mistake. The river we had -turned up was Nation River, and the log-cabin had been occupied some -years before by a party of miners, but very little gold had been taken -out. Some distance up Nation River was the old trail to the Omineca -mining-camp; but of course we should not have known what trail it was if -we had found it. The mouth of the Nation River and the yellow cut bank -Barrow remembered perfectly, and said there had been much talk about -these landmarks on the way down; it seems inexplicable that three men, -who had been over the route before, should have made the mistake that so -nearly cost us our lives. If we had followed up the Parsnip beyond the -mouth of Nation River we should have reached Macleod's Lake on December -12th at latest with only a few days' starvation, and avoided all the -misery that continued till the 27th of that month. - -In a week communication was opened with Hudson's Hope, and Walter -Macdonald did everything he could to help us; but the same thing had -happened to him. A band of Beaver Indians had been caught by starvation -at the mouth of the Pine River Pass, and had suffered the same -experiences as ourselves. Many had been left by the way, but I think -there were no deaths, as provisions were sent out so soon as the news -reached Baptiste at Moberley's Lake. - -At the end of a fortnight everybody was well enough to travel; and to -ease the strain on provisions I sent Murdo, John, and Charlie to Lesser -Slave Lake, where they could get fish to support them, and spare the -resources of the upper river posts. But even now these men could not -travel together, although they had full rations and nothing to quarrel -about. Murdo reached the Lesser Slave Lake alone, John arriving several -days later, and I found Charlie at Dunvegan, where he had already -distinguished himself by robbing from the priest's trading-store. A -thorough blackguard was Charlie, and it would have been little loss to -the world in general if he had left his bones under the snow in the -Peace River Pass; he had begun his voyage badly by stealing fifty -dollars from his mother at Quesnelle, and there were several other -offences for which the police had hunted him away from the borders of -civilization. Pat was to stay for the winter with Barrow, and as soon as -Baptiste had made us snow-shoes we pottered about in the woods together, -hunting grouse and rabbits, and had soon entirely recovered our -strength. - -I have never heard any satisfactory explanation of the gradual increase -and sudden dying out of the rabbits and lynx, which takes place every -seven years throughout the North. Starting from the few survivors of the -last epidemic, the numbers increase slowly every season, till in the -sixth year the whole country is so over-run with them that a man can -travel anywhere with no further provision than shot-gun and snares. Then -the disease breaks out, dead bodies are found all through the woods, and -scarcely a living rabbit or lynx is to be seen. The autumn of 1885 I -spent on the head-waters of the Athabasca, at the east end of the Tete -Jaune Pass; the rabbits were then at their height and as plentiful as I -ever saw them in England. 1892 will be the next big rabbit-year; but -after that famine is sure to be rife on Peace River, as it is harder -every year to kill moose, and for the last two or three years the -rabbit-snares have kept many an Indian from starvation. This -rabbit-question is an important one to consider before starting on an -exploration trip in the Peace River country, as in the good seasons -there is no danger of running short of provisions. - -One day, as we were setting snares together, Pat told me the story of -the stolen flour. They had stayed behind to dry their moccasins, and -Charlie had explained to Pat that I was keeping the flour for the use of -the white men, and that their only chance of getting any was to help -themselves; Pat had objected at first, but afterwards gave way when he -saw Charlie cooking the flour, and they had eaten about four pounds -between them. Judging from Charlie's character I am inclined to believe -the story, as Pat in all other respects had behaved well under the -pressure of hardship, and had always done more than his share of work in -making camp and breaking the trail. - -While staying at Hudson's Hope, Macdonald and I walked over to -Moberley's Lake, twelve miles to the south, to pay old Baptiste a visit. -The house stands within view of the big peaks of the Rockies close to -the edge of the lake, but the appearance of the country is rather spoilt -by the abundant traces of forest fires that have taken place of late -years. The lake is a beautiful sheet of water, ten miles in length, -drained by the Pine River, which falls into the Peace a short distance -above Fort St. John. Baptiste has a fruitful potato-patch, and his women -were catching plenty of rabbits; there was moose-pemmican, too, and -dried meat, for the Fall hunt had been successful. The Iroquois gave me -a pair of snow-shoes ornamented with tassels of coloured wool, as well -as a pair of beaded moccasins which he made me promise not to eat, and -came with us to the fort to see us off. - -[Illustration: Arrival of the Dog Train] - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - - -It was towards the end of January, 1891, that I left Hudson's Hope for -Edmonton, a distance of six hundred miles, giving up all further attempt -to reach Macleod's Lake. A son of Mr. Brick, of Smoky River, turned up -just before I started, and promised to go with Pat to my _cache_ at the -junction of the Findlay and Parsnip when the days grew long in spring. -The rough ice would then be covered with deep snow, and with snow-shoes -and hand-sleighs it would be easy to bring away the guns, journals, and -many other articles that I had been obliged to abandon. - -Two days and a half took me to St. John's, and after a week's stay there -a dog-train, carrying the winter packet, arrived, and I took this chance -of getting to Dunvegan. Alick Kennedy, one of the very best half-breed -_voyageurs_ in Canada, was in charge of the packet. The distances this -man has been known to run in a day would hardly be credited in a land -where people travel by railways and steamboats: moreover, he is a -pleasant companion to travel with; his conversation is interesting, and -entirely free from the boasting which most of the half-breeds indulge -in. Alick was captain of a boat-brigade on the Nile; and if all the -Canadian contingent had been of his stamp instead of the Winnipeg -loafers, who were too worthless to get employment in their own country, -a different story might have been told of the behaviour of the -_voyageurs_ on the march to Khartoum. - -Five days took us to Dunvegan, where I again met Mr. Macdonald, and -travelled with him to the Lesser Slave Lake. From Dunvegan we made the -portage straight to Smoky River, crossing a pretty prairie country and -camping a night at Old Wives' Lake, where Mr. Brick winters some of his -cattle. With a splendid track along the waggon-road, we made the ninety -miles to the Lesser Slave Lake in two days, and, judging from the number -of people and houses, we seemed to have reached civilization already. -Besides the Hudson's Bay establishment, the missions and the buildings -of the free-traders, many half-breeds have houses scattered along the -lake, and devote part of their attention to raising horses and cattle, -though of course whitefish are the main support of life. A favourite -haunt for wildfowl is this lake in spring and autumn, but big game and -fur have been nearly killed out by the large population, and most of the -Indian trade is done at the out-posts nearer to the hunting-grounds. - -I spent several days at the fort, being well treated as usual, and -February was nearly finished when I started with Mr. Frank Hardistay on -my last journey with dogs. The Lesser Slave Lake is about seventy miles -in length, and covering this distance easily in two days we travelled -down the Little Slave River which leaves the east end of the lake. A -good deal of labour has been expended in blasting rocks out of the -channel of this river, to enable the steamer from the Athabasca landing -to reach the lake, and so avoid the expense of building boats and -engaging crews to transport the Peace River cargo, but so far these -efforts have proved unsuccessful. - -I think we followed the course of this stream about twenty miles, then -dived into the thick pine-forest on the east bank, and making a -twelve-mile portage came out on the Athabasca River, seventy miles above -the landing at the end of the waggon-road from Edmonton. The Athabasca -has here the same monotonous look that one becomes so tired of in its -lower reaches. When a point was rounded another point exactly similar -showed three or four miles ahead, and this continued till we reached the -landing, in clear cold weather, on March 3rd; three days later our dogs, -bearing the smartest of dog-cloths and with sleigh-bells ringing -merrily, rattled into Edmonton, and the wild free life of the last -twenty months was over. - -The excitement that the arrival of a stranger never fails to create at a -lonely Northern fort is rather apt to give that stranger an exaggerated -idea of his own importance; but when I reached Edmonton I at once -realised that there are many people in the world who have ideas beyond -musk-ox and caribou, dog-sleighs and snow-shoes. An election was at its -height to decide who should have the honour of representing the -territory of Alberta at Ottawa. Edmonton had been drinking, although it -is supposed to keep strictly to the rules of the Prohibition Act, and -before I had been an hour in the town I found myself in the midst of a -free fight. I was unfortunate in not knowing the names of the -candidates, or what policy they represented, and as I could give no -clear account as to what I had done with my vote, I was roughly used by -both sides and was glad to escape to the less boisterous hospitality of -the Hudson's Bay Fort. - -There were still two hundred miles of snow-covered prairie to be crossed -to reach Calgary, but with horses to drag our sleigh, and a house to -sleep in every night, there could be little hardship in the journey. At -the crossing of the Red Deer we saw the iron rails that had already -pushed far out towards Edmonton, but work had ceased for the winter and -no trains were running. As we travelled south the snow became less every -day, till we were forced to change our runners for wheels when still -sixty miles from Calgary. Late in the evening of March 15th the whistle -of a locomotive told me, more plainly than anything I had yet heard, -that it was time to pull myself together and take up the common-place -life of civilization; a few more miles of level country, down a steep -pitch or two, across the frozen stream of the Elbow, and close ahead the -lights of Calgary were blinking over the prairie. - -[Illustration: Edmonton] - - * * * * * - -I am writing these concluding lines in a fashionable garret off St. -James's Street. Close at hand are all the luxuries that only -ultra-civilization can give, and these luxuries are to be obtained by -the simple method of handing over an adequate number of coins of the -realm; there is no necessity to shoulder your gun and tramp many weary -miles on snow-shoes before you get even a sight of your dinner in its -raw state. But surely we carry this civilization too far, and are in -danger of warping our natural instincts by too close observance of the -rules that some mysterious force obliges us to follow when we herd -together in big cities. Very emblematical of this warping process are -the shiny black boots into which we squeeze our feet when we throw away -the moccasin of freedom; as they gall and pinch the unaccustomed foot, -so does the dread of our friends' opinion gall and pinch our minds till -they become narrow, out of shape, and unable to discriminate between -reality and semblance. A dweller in cities is too wrapped up in the -works of man to have much respect left for the works of God, and to him -the loneliness of forest and mountain, lake and river, must ever appear -but a weary desolation. But there are many sportsmen who love to be -alone with Nature and the animals far from their fellow-men, and as this -book is intended solely for the sportsman, a few words of advice to -anyone who is anxious to hunt the musk-ox may not be out of place. - -I am not quite sure that Fort Resolution is the best point to start -from. Fort Rae, on the north arm of the Great Slave Lake, lies nearer -the Barren Ground, and the Dog-Ribs are said to be more amenable to -reason than the Yellow Knives, while the distance to travel through a -woodless country is shorter. Fort Good Hope, on the Lower Mackenzie, -would be another good spot to make headquarters; but there is less -certainty of finding the caribou in that neighbourhood, and without the -caribou there is little chance of reaching the musk-ox. It is not the -slightest use starting from a post with the theory that musk-ox can be -killed in so many days, and that, by taking a load of provisions -sufficient to last for the same length of time, a successful hunt will -be made. The only plan is to work your way up slowly, to stay among the -caribou in the autumn, and kill and _cache_ meat whenever an opportunity -offers, ready for a rush on the first snow. Remember, too, when -provisions get scarce, as they certainly will at some time or other, the -country ahead is as big as the country behind, and the best chance lies -in pushing on. To turn back may prove fatal, when another day's travel -may put you in a land of plenty. It is possible to reach the -hunting-ground and return to Fort Resolution with a canoe in the summer, -but the robes are then worthless, and the whole sport savours too much -of covert-shooting in July. Make quite sure before you start that you -are determined to push on through everything, as even the Great Slave -Lake is far to go on an unsuccessful errand. Here, in London, in front -of a good fire at the club and under the influence of a good dinner, it -is easy enough to kill musk-ox and make long night-marches on snow-shoes -by the flashes of the Northern Lights; but the test of practice takes -off some of the enjoyment. - -A year has slipped away since our winter journey through the Peace River -Pass. Young Brick kept his promise of getting the _cache_ right well, -and a couple of months ago my journals arrived in England, so that I -have been able to put together this rough record of my Northern travels. -On looking back one remembers only the good times, when meat was -plentiful and a huge fire lit up the snow on the spruce trees; misery -and starvation are forgotten as soon as they are over, and even now, in -the midst of the luxury of civilization, at times I have a longing to -pitch my lodge once more at the edge of the Barren Ground, to see the -musk-ox standing on the snowdrift and the fat caribou falling to the -crack of the rifle, to hear the ptarmigan crowing among the little pines -as the sun goes down over a frozen lake and the glory of an Arctic night -commences. - -To the man who is not a lover of Nature in all her moods the Barren -Ground must always be a howling, desolate wilderness; but for my part, I -can understand the feeling that prompted Saltatha's answer to the worthy -priest, who was explaining to him the beauties of Heaven. "My father, -you have spoken well; you have told me that Heaven is very beautiful; -tell me now one thing more. Is it more beautiful than the country of the -musk-ox in summer, when sometimes the mist blows over the lakes, and -sometimes the water is blue, and the loons cry very often? That is -beautiful; and if Heaven is still more beautiful, my heart will be glad, -and I shall be content to rest there till I am very old." - -[Illustration: A SKETCH MAP OF Mr. WARBURTON PIKE'S JOURNEYS TO THE -BARREN GROUND OF NORTHERN CANADA] - - - - -APPENDIX I - - -I am much indebted to Professor Dawson, of the Dominion Geological -Survey Department, for his kind permission to publish the following -paper on the Unexplored Regions of Canada. It shows more plainly than -any words of mine could tell how much yet remains to be done before this -great portion of the British Empire is known as it ought to be. - - -ON SOME OF THE LARGER UNEXPLORED REGIONS OF CANADA. - -(By G. M. DAWSON, D.S., Assoc. R.S.M., F.G.S., F.R.S.C.) - -If on reading the title of the paper which I had promised to contribute -to the Ottawa Field Naturalists' Club, any one should have supposed it -to be my intention to endeavour to describe or forecast the character of -the unexplored areas mentioned, I must, in the first place, disclaim any -such intention. The very existence of large regions of which little or -nothing is known, is of course stimulating to a fertile imagination, -ready to picture to itself undiscovered "golden cities a thousand -leagues deep in Cathay," but such unscientific use of the imagination is -far removed from the position of sober seriousness, in which I ask your -attention to the facts which I have to present. - -Fortunately, or unfortunately, as we may happen to regard it, the -tendency of our time is all in the direction of laying bare to -inspection and open to exploitation all parts, however remote, of this -comparatively small world in which we live, and though the explorer -himself may be impelled by a certain romanticism in overcoming -difficulties or even dangers met with in the execution of his task, his -steps are surely and closely followed by the trader, the lumberer, or -the agriculturalist, and not long after these comes the builder of -railways with his iron road. It is, therefore, rather from the point of -view of practical utility than from any other, that an appeal must be -made to the public or to the Government for the further extension of -explorations, and my main purpose in addressing you to-night is to make -such an appeal, and to show cause, if possible, for the exploration of -such considerable portions of Canada as still remain almost or -altogether unmapped. - -What I have to say, in fact, on this subject resolves itself chiefly -into remarks on the map exhibited here, upon which the unexplored areas -to which I am about to refer are clearly depicted in such a manner, I -believe, as almost to speak for themselves. - -It is very commonly supposed, even in Canada, but to a greater extent -elsewhere, that all parts of the Dominion are now so well known that -exploration, in the true sense of the term, may be considered as a thing -of the past. This depends largely upon the fact that the maps of the -country generally examined are upon a very small scale, and that upon -such maps no vast areas yet remain upon which rivers, lakes, mountains, -or other features are not depicted. If, however, we take the trouble to -enquire more closely into this, and consult perhaps one of the -geographers whose maps we have examined, asking such awkward questions -as may occur to us on the sources of information for this region or -that, we may probably by him be referred to another and older map, and -so on till we find in the end that the whole topographical fabric of -large parts of all these maps rests upon information of the vaguest -kind. - -Of most of the large areas marked upon the map here shown, this is -absolutely true, and the interests of knowledge with respect to these -would be better subserved if such areas were left entirely blank, or, at -least, if all the geographical features drawn upon them appeared in -broken lines, in such a way as to show that none of them are certain. In -other regions, the main geographical outlines, such as the courses of -the larger rivers, are indicated approximately, with such accuracy as -may be possible from accounts or itineraries derived from travellers or -from officers of the Hudson's Bay Company; or from the descriptions or -rough sketches of Indians or other persons by whom the region has been -traversed, but who have been unprovided with instruments of any kind and -whose knowledge of the country has been incidentally obtained. - -There is, in the case of such partially explored regions, more excuse -for the delineation of the main features on our maps, as these may be -useful in imparting general information of a more or less inexact kind. -We can scarcely, however, admit that such regions have been explored in -any true sense of that term, while they are certainly unsurveyed, and -very little confidence can be placed in maps of this kind as guides in -travel. When, ten years ago, I struck across from Fort Macleod, on the -west side of the Rocky Mountains, with the purpose of reaching Fort -Dunvegan on the Peace, through a country densely forested and without -trails or tracks of any kind, I had so much confidence in the existing -maps of that region as to assume that Dunvegan was at least -approximately correct in position on them. As often as possible I took -observations for latitude, and each night worked out our position by -latitude and departure, till at a certain point I was about to turn off -to the north of the line previously followed with the confident -anticipation of finding Dunvegan. Just here, very fortunately, we fell -in with some Indians, and though our means of communicating with them -were very imperfect, we gathered enough to lead us to accept the -guidance of one of them, who promised to lead us to the fort, but took -an entirely different direction from that I had proposed taking. He was -right, but Dunvegan proved to be, as shown on the maps, nearly forty -miles west of its real position. Fortunately no very great importance -attached to our reaching Dunvegan on a given day, but none the less, -this practical experience proved to me very conclusively the -desirability of showing features in broken lines, or otherwise -indicating their uncertainty when they have not been properly fixed. - -It must be confessed, however, that most of the travellers ordinarily to -be found in these unexplored regions, being Indians or hunters, traders -and others travelling under the guidance of Indians, do not depend on -the latitudes and longitudes of places, or on the respective bearings of -one place from another. The Indians follow routes with which they have -been familiar since childhood, or, when beyond the boundaries of their -own particular region of country, go by landmarks, such as mountains, -lakes, and rivers, which have been described to them by their -neighbours. Their memory in this respect is remarkable; but it must be -remembered that among their principal subjects of conversation when -sitting about the camp-fire are the distances in day's journeys from -place to place, the routes which they have followed or have known others -to follow, the difficulties to be encountered on these, the points at -which food of different kinds may be obtained, and the features which -strike them as being remarkable in the country traversed. Returning, -however, from this digression, which began with the statement that -accurate maps of such regions as are at present merely traversed by -traders and Indians, are not imperative from the point of view of such -travellers, it may with confidence be affirmed that such maps and -explorations upon which they are based are absolutely essential to -civilized society, to show in the first place what the natural resources -of these regions are and how they may be utilized, in the second by what -highways such regions may be most easily reached. - -A glance at the map will show, that while many of the larger unexplored -areas may be affirmed to lie to the north of the limit of profitable -agriculture, considerable regions situated to the south of this limit -still await examination. Large districts, again, in which no farmer will -ever voluntarily settle, may afford timber which the world will be glad -to get when the white pine of our nearer forests shall become more -nearly exhausted, while, with respect to mineral resources, it is -probable that in the grand aggregate the value of those which exist in -the unexplored regions will be found, area for area, to be equal to -those of the known regions, comparing each particular geological -formation with its nearest representative. On the grounds alone, -therefore, of geographical knowledge, and of the discovery and -definition of the reserves of the country in timber and minerals, the -exploration of all these unknown or little-known regions may be amply -justified. - -Taking a line drawn north and south in the longitude of the Red River -Valley, which is, as nearly as may be, the centre of Canada from east to -west, it may confidently be stated that by far the larger part of the -country in which agricultural settlement is possible lies to the west, -while the great bulk of the actual population lies to the east of this -line. Looking to this grand fundamental fact, I believe it may safely be -affirmed that some members of this audience will live to see the day -when these conditions with respect to population will be boldly -reversed, and in which the greater number of our representatives in -Parliament gathering here will come from this great western region. - -This disposition of the cultivable land depends partly upon the physical -characteristics of the country, and in part on its climatic conditions. -Beyond Winnipeg, and stretching therefrom to the west and north-west, is -the great area of prairie, plain, and plateau, which, wider near the -forty-ninth parallel than elsewhere on the continent, runs on in one -form or other, though with diminishing width, to the Arctic Ocean. This -is, generally speaking, an alluvial region, and one of fertile soils. -Very fortunately, and as though by a beneficent provision of nature, the -climatic features favour the utilization of this belt. The summer -isothermals, which carry with them the possibility of ripening crops, -trend far to the north. - -Let us trace, for example, and as a rough and ready index of the -northern limit of practicable agriculture of any kind, that isothermal -line which represents a mean temperature of 60 deg. Fahrenheit in the -month of July. Passing through the southern part of Newfoundland and -touching the island of Anticosti, this line runs to the north end of -Mistassini Lake, and thence crosses Hudson's Bay, striking the west -shore a short distance north of York Factory. Thence it runs westward, -skirting the north end of Reindeer Lake, and then bending to the -north-west, crosses Great Slave Lake, and touches the southern -extremity of Great Bear Lake. From this point it resumes a westward -course and crosses the Yukon River a considerable distance to the -north of the confluence of the Pelly and the Lewes, turning south -again almost on the east line of Alaska. We need not, however, -further follow its course, as owing to peculiar climatic conditions -on the West Coast, it ceases there to be any criterion as to the -conditions of agriculture. - -The character of much of the western interior country is such that its -exploration and survey is comparatively easy, and it will be observed -that here the larger unknown regions are to be found only far to the -northward, leaving in the more rugged and inhospitable eastern region -vast islands of unexplored country in much more southern latitudes. - -It may be said, in fact, that comparatively little of the region -capable, so far as climate goes, of producing wheat is now altogether -unknown; but it may be added, that increasing as the world now is in -population, its people cannot much longer expect to find wheat-growing -lands unoccupied in large blocks. The time is within measurable distance -when lands with a fertile soil though more or less rigorous climate, in -which only barley, oats, hemp, flax, and other hardy crops can be -matured, will be in demand, and we are far from having acquired even a -good general knowledge of these lands in Canada. - -For many of the unexplored regions marked upon this map, however, we can -in reason appeal only to their possible or presumable mineral wealth as -an incentive to their exploration, and if some of them should prove -wholly or in great part barren when such exploration shall have been -carried out, it will not be without utility to acquire even this -negative information, and write upon them in characters as large as need -be, "No thoroughfare." - -I will now ask your further attention for a few moments while I run over -and make some remarks in detail on the various unexplored areas as -indicated on the map. It must first, however, be explained in what -manner the unexplored areas referred to have been outlined. All lines, -such as those of rivers, chains of lakes, or other travelled routes, -along which reasonably satisfactory explorations have been made and of -which fairly accurate route-maps are in existence, are given an -approximate average width of about fifty miles, or twenty-five miles on -each side of the explorer's or surveyor's track. The known lines are -thus arbitrarily assumed to be wide belts of explored country, and that -which is referred to as unexplored comprises merely the intervening -tracts. By this mode of definition the unexplored regions are reduced to -minimum dimensions. Neither are any comparatively small tracts of -country lying between explored routes included in my enumeration, in -which the least area mentioned is one of 7500 square miles; nor are the -Arctic islands, lying to the north of the continent, referred to. -Because of the empirical mode in which the unexplored areas have thus -been delineated, it has not been attempted to estimate with more than -approximate accuracy the number of square miles contained in each, my -purpose being merely to render apparent the great dimensions of these -areas. - -In enumerating these areas, I shall not refer to the various -explorations and lines of survey by which they are defined and separated -one from another, as this would involve mention of nearly all the -explorers who have traversed the northern part of the continent. I -shall, however, note such excursions as have been made into or across -the regions which are characterized as unexplored. - -Beginning, then, in the extreme north-west of the Dominion, we find -these areas to be as follows:-- - - 1. Area between the eastern boundary of Alaska, the Porcupine - River and the Arctic Coast, 9500 square miles, or somewhat - smaller than Belgium. This area lies entirely within the Arctic - Circle. - - 2. Area west of the Lewes and Yukon Rivers and extending to the - boundary of Alaska, 32,000 square miles, or somewhat larger than - Ireland. This country includes the head-waters of the White and - probably of the Tanana Rivers, and, being comparatively low and - sheltered from the sea by one of the highest mountain-ranges on - the continent, the St. Elias Alps, doubtless possesses some - remarkable peculiarities of climate. - - 3. Area between the Lewes, Pelly, and Stikine Rivers and to the - east of the Coast Ranges, 27,000 square miles, or nearly as - large as Scotland. This has been penetrated only by a few - "prospectors," from whom, and from Indians, the courses of - rivers shown on my maps published in connection with the Yukon - Expedition Report are derived. It lies on the direct line of the - metalliferous belt of the Cordillera, and its low lands are - capable of producing hardy crops. - - 4. Area between the Pelly and Mackenzie Rivers, 100,000 square - miles, or about twice the size of England. This belongs partly - to the Yukon Basin and partly to that of the Mackenzie, and - includes nearly 600 miles in length of the main Rocky Mountain - Range. Many years ago, Mr. A. K. Isbister penetrated the - northern part of this area for some distance on the line of the - Peel River,[1] but owing to the manner in which he had to - travel, but little accuracy can be attributed to his sketch of - that river. Abbe Petitot also made a short journey into its - northern part from the Mackenzie River side, but, with these - exceptions, no published information exists respecting it. - - 5. Area between Great Bear Lake and the Arctic Coast, 50,000 - square miles, or about equal to England in size. Nearly all to - the north of the Arctic Circle. - - 6. Area between Great Bear Lake, the Mackenzie, and the western - part of Great Slave Lake, 35,000 square miles, or larger than - Portugal. With respect to this region and that last mentioned, - it must be explained that I have felt some doubt whether they - should be characterised as unexplored on the basis previously - explained as that which is generally applied. Between 1857 and - 1865, Mr. R. Macfarlane, of the Hudson's Bay Company, carried - out an intelligent and valuable examination of part of the - region north of Great Bear Lake, some results of which have - lately been published,[2] and in both of these areas, between - 1864 and 1871, the indefatigable missionary, Abbe Petitot, made - numerous journeys, of which he subsequently published an - account.[3] As Petitot's instruments consisted merely of a - compass, and a watch which he rated by the meridian passage of - the sun, it must be assumed that his mapping of the country does - not possess any great accuracy. His work, however, considering - the difficulties under which it was performed, is deserving of - all praise, and his several descriptions of the character of - the country traversed are most valuable. It does not appear from - his account of these regions that they are likely to prove of - great utility to civilized man, except as fur-preserves, or - possibly from the minerals which they may contain. He writes: - "Ce pays est compose de contrees silencieuses comme le tombeau, - des plaines vastes comme des departements, des steppes glaces - plus affreux que ceux de la Siberie, de forets chetives, - rabougries comme on n'en voit que dans le voisinage des glaciers - du Nord." - - 7. Area between Stikine and Liard Rivers to the north and Skeena - and Peace Rivers to the south, 81,000 square miles, or more than - twice as large as Newfoundland. This includes a portion of the - western Cordillera, and, between the Liard and Peace Rivers, a - large tract of the interior plateau region of the continent, - parts of which, there is reason to believe, consist of good - agricultural land. Its western extremity was crossed in 1866 and - 1867 by the exploratory survey of the Western Union or Collins' - Telegraph Company, then engaged in an attempt to connect the - North American and European telegraph systems through Asia. No - details of this part of their exploration have, however, been - published, and if we may judge from other parts of their line, - since checked, the survey made was of too rough a character to - possess much geographical value. - - 8. Area between Peace, Athabasca, and Loon Rivers, 7500 square - miles, or about half as large as Switzerland. - - 9. Area south-east of Athabasca Lake, 35,000 square miles. This - may be compared in extent to Portugal. - - 10. Area east of the Coppermine River and west of Bathurst - Inlet, 7,500 square miles. This again may be compared to half - the area of Switzerland. - - 11. Area between the Arctic Coast and Back's River, 31,000 - square miles, or about equal to Ireland. - - 12. Area surrounded by Back's River, Great Slave Lake, Athabasca - Lake, Hatchet and Reindeer Lakes, Churchill River, and the west - coast of Hudson's Bay, 178,000 square miles. Much larger than - Great Britain and Ireland, and somewhat larger than Sweden. The - lakes and rivers shown in this great region depend entirely on - the result of the three journeys made by Hearne in 1769-1772.[4] - Hearne really wandered through parts of this region in company - with Indians whom he was unable to control, his ultimate object - (which he at length accomplished) being to reach the Coppermine - River, in order to ascertain for the Hudson's Bay Company - whether it was possible to utilize the native copper found - there. Not even roughly approximate accuracy can be assigned to - his geographical work. Referring to the position of the mouth of - the Coppermine, he writes:--"The latitude may be depended upon - to within 20 miles at the utmost." In reality it afterwards - proved to be 200 miles too far north. This country includes the - great "barren grounds" of the continent, and is the principal - winter resort of the musk-ox as well as of great herds of - caribou. Hearne's general characterization of it is not very - encouraging, but certainly we shall know more about it. He - writes:--"The land throughout the whole tract of country is - scarcely anything but one solid mass of rocks and stones, and in - most parts very hilly, particularly to the westward, among the - woods." The north-eastern extremity of this region was also - crossed by Lieut. Schwatka in the course of his remarkable - journey to King-William Land, but his geographical results - possess little value.[5] - - 13. Area between Severn and Attawapishkat Rivers and the coast - of Hudson's Bay, 22,000 square miles, or larger than Nova - Scotia. Several lakes and rivers are shown upon the maps in this - region in practically identical form since Arrowsmith's map of - 1850, but I have been unable to ascertain the origin of the - information. - - 14. Area between Trout Lake, Lac Seul, and the Albany River, - 15,000 square miles, or about half the size of Scotland. - - 15. Area to the south and east of James Bay, 35,000 square - miles, which also may be compared to the area of Portugal. This - region is the nearest of those which still remain unexplored to - large centres of population. It is probable that much of it - consists of low land which may afford merchantable timber. - - 16. Area comprising almost the entire interior of the Labrador - peninsula or North-east Territory, 289,000 square miles. This is - more than equal to twice the area of Great Britain and Ireland, - with an added area equal to that of Newfoundland. Several lines - of exploration and survey have been carried for a certain - distance into the interior of this great peninsula, among which - may be mentioned those of Professor Hind, Mr. A. P. Low, and Mr. - R. F. Holme.[6] The limits of the unexplored area have been - drawn so as to exclude all these. The area regarded as still - unexplored has, however, it is true, been traversed in several - directions at different times by officers of the Hudson's Bay - Company, particularly on routes leading from the vicinity of - Mingan on the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the head of Hamilton - Inlet, and thence to Ungava Bay. These routes have also, - according to Mr. Holme, been travelled by a missionary, Pere - Lacasse; but the only published information which I have been - able to find is contained in a book written by J. McLean,[7] and - in a brief account of a journey by Rev. E. J. Peck.[8] Mr. - McLean made several journeys and established trading-posts - between Ungava and Hamilton Inlet in the years 1838-1841, while - Mr. Peck crossed from Little Whale River, on Hudson Bay, to - Ungava in 1884. Something may be gathered as to the general - nature of the country along certain lines from the accounts - given by these gentlemen, but there is little of a really - satisfactory character, while neither has made any attempt to - fix positions or delineate the features of the region on the - map. In all probability this entire region consists of a rocky - plateau or hilly tract of rounded archaean rocks, highest on the - north-east side and to the south, and sloping gradually down to - low land towards Ungava Bay. It is known to be more or less - wooded, and in some places with timber of fair growth; but if it - should be possessed of any real value, this may probably lie in - its metalliferous deposits. In this tract of country - particularly there is reason to hope that ores like those of - Tilt Cove, in Newfoundland, or those of Sudbury, in Ontario, may - occur. - - To sum up briefly, in conclusion, what has been said as to the - larger unexplored areas of Canada, it may be stated that, while - the entire area of the Dominion as computed at 3,470,257 square - miles, about 954,000 square miles of the continent alone, - exclusive of the inhospitable detached Arctic portions, is for - all practical purposes entirely unknown. In this estimate the - area of the unexplored country is reduced to a minimum by the - mode of definition employed. Probably we should be much nearer - the mark in assuming it as about one million square miles, or - between one-third and one-fourth of the whole. Till this great - aggregate of unknown territory shall have been subjected to - examination, or at least till it has been broken up and - traversed in many directions by exploratory and survey lines, we - must all feel that it stands as a certain reproach to our want - of enterprise and of a justifiable curiosity. In order, however, - to properly ascertain and make known the natural resources of - the great tracts lying beyond the borders of civilization, such - explorations and surveys as are undertaken must be of a truly - scientific character. The explorer or surveyor must possess some - knowledge of geology and botany, as well as such scientific - training as may enable him to make intelligent and accurate - observations of any natural features or phenomena with which he - may come in contact. He must not consider that his duty consists - merely in the perfunctory measuring of lines and the delineation - of rivers, lakes, and mountains. An explorer or surveyor - properly equipped for his work need never return empty-handed. - Should he be obliged to report that some particular district - possesses no economic value whatever, besides that of serving as - a receiver of rain and a reservoir to feed certain - river-systems, his notes should contain scientific observations - on geology, botany, climatology, and similar subjects, which may - alone be sufficient to justify the expenditure incurred. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[1] _Some account of Peel River, North America_, by A. K. Isbister, -Journ. Roy. Geog. Soc., vol. xv, 1845, p. 332. - -[2] _Canadian Record of Science_, Jan., 1890. - -[3] _Bulletin de la Societe de Geographie_, Tom. x, 1875. - -[4] _A Journey from Prince of Wales Fort, in Hudson's Bay, to the -Northern Ocean_, 1796. - -[5] _Schwatka's Search_, by H. W. Gilder. - -[6] _Explorations in Labrador_, 1863; Annual Report Geol. Surv. Can., -1887-88, Part. J; Proc. Royal Geog. Soc., 1888; Ott. Nat., Vol. iv. - -[7] _Notes of a Twenty-five Years' Service in the Hudson's Bay -Territory_. London, 1849. - -[8] _Church Missionary Intelligencer_, June, 1886; Proc. Roy. Geog. -Soc., 1887, p. 192. - - - - -APPENDIX II - - -I have to thank the authorities at Kew for the following list of a small -collection of flowering plants that I found growing in the Barren -Ground, chiefly in the neighbourhood of the head-waters of the Great -Fish River. - - _Draba nivalis_, Liljebl.? - _Oxytropis campestris_, L. (yellow and purple varieties). - _Potentilla nivea_, L. - _Dryas integrifolia_, L. - _Saxifraga tricuspidata_, Retz. - _Epilobium latifolium_, L. - _Arnica angustifolia_, Vahl. - _Taraxacum palustre_, DC. - _Vaccinium uliginosum_, L. - _Cassiope tetragona_, L. - _Andromeda polifolia_, L. - _Phyllodoce taxifolia_, Salisb. (_Menziesia caerulea_, Wahl.). - _Ledum palustre_, L. - _Loiseleuria procumbens_, Desv. - _Rhododendron lapponicum_, L. - _Kalmia glauca_, L. - _Diapensia lapponica_, L. - _Pedicularis hirsuta_, L. - _Pedicularis lapponica_, L. - - - - -INDEX - - - Alaska, Southern, 231. - - Alberta, its prairies remembered, 196; - an election of its representative, 298. - - America, the Eastern States of, 256. - - Anderson, Mr., his route referred to, vi, 36, 63, 151, 152, 171, - 185, 196, 215. - - Arnavatn, in Iceland, 42. - - Arctic exploration, its records, 47. - - Arctic flowers, 187. - - Arctic fox, shot at, 40. - - Arctic hare, described, 68. - - Arctic Ocean or Sea, v, 4, 12, 20, 63, 64, 65, 178, 205, 214, 265; - the best route to, 221. - - Arctic regions, no extraordinary thickness of clothes required in - them, 104. - - Arrowsmith's map, compared with that issued by the Dominion - Government, 216. - - Artillery Lake, 220, 221, 224. - - Athabasca district, 63, 235; - its limits, 12. - - Athabasca Lake, 15, 16, 68, 231, 235; - reached by Mr. Pike, 13; - its produce, 13, 14. - - Athabasca River, v, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 11, 17, 36, 231, 293; - the landing, 4, 297. - - Aylmer Lake, or the Lake of the Big Cliffs, 64, 178, 179, 180, 191, - 213, 216, 221. - - - Back, Sir George, vi, 36, 151, 180, 185, 215; - his map, 200. - - Back's, or the Great Fish, River, _see_ Great Fish River. - - Baptiste, little, _see_ Beaulieu, Baptiste. - - Baptiste Testerwich, a half-breed Iroquois, 253, 255, 258, 292, 294; - his daughters, the "belles" of Hudson's Hope, 258. - - Barren Ground, The, v, vi, 14, 15, 19, 23, 35, 48, 54, 55, 58, 63, - 65, 75, 80, 84, 88, 89, 90, 91, 94, 96, 97, 99, 102, 110, 116, - 122, 126, 130, 137, 143, 168, 174, 176, 177, 196, 209, 221, 225, - 232, 271, 300, 302; - Mr. Pike's various expeditions to it, 19-77, 99-128, 164-228; - Mr. Pike's advice to future travellers there, 24; - its mosses and lichens, 42; - it produces one species of _Cervidae_, 47; - its birds, 175; - exploration in it is ceasing, 185; - its animals, 198, 199; - Mr. Pike longs to return to it, 301; - a list of its flowers, 320. - - Barrow, Thomas, 257, 261, 290, 291, 292; - his house or cabin, 259, 281, 288, 289. - - Bathurst Inlet, 120, 191, 197, 204, 208. - - Battle River reached, 248. - - Beaulieu, Baptiste, a son of King Beaulieu, 33, 89. - - Beaulieu, Francois, a son of King Beaulieu, 22, 39, 43, 61, 79, 93, - 97, 135, 136, 137, 139, 141. - - Beaulieu, Jose, brother of King Beaulieu, 234. - - Beaulieu, Jose, a son of King Beaulieu, 22, 61, 91, 92, 136, 137, - 236; - his love-affairs, 245. - - Beaulieu, King, a French half-breed and guide, 19, 32, 38, 41, 61, - 66, 71, 72, 81, 82, 83, 90, 94, 95, 97, 101, 102, 128, 135, - 166, 233; - his character, 19, 23, 24; - his father and sons, 22, 23; - he calls the snow _le couvert du bon Dieu_, 62; - a lake is called after him, 62; - his cleverness, 73; - his opinions and anecdotes, 83-88; - he refuses to join the second musk-ox hunt, 97. - - Beaulieu, Paul, a son of King Beaulieu, 22, 39, 43, 61, 70, 79, 92, - 93, 97, 101, 103, 108, 111, 118, 130. - - Beaulieu, Pierre, a brother of King Beaulieu, 148, 149, 233. - - Beaulieus, the, 33, 64, 77, 134, 136, 138; - their character, 23; - they are not agreeable to live with, 126; - the final settlement with them, 147; - they apparently try to damage Mr. Pike's chances of success, 168. - - Beaulieus, the young, the sons of King Beaulieu, 22, 38. - - Beaver tribe dying out, 253. - - Beavers, their actions mould geography, 155; - an account of the other animals found in their country, 156, 157. - - Beaver Indians, their language, 251. - - Beechey Lake, 190, 204, 205. - - Biche, Lake La, 6. - - Big Lake, 131. - - Big River, the usual native name for the Slave River, 26. - - Blackfeet, the, 3, 132. - - Blue hills in the distance tempt one to push on, 207. - - Bloody Falls, the, 152. - - Boiler Rapid, the, 9. - - Boiling, the favourite method of cooking, 55. - - British Columbia, _see_ Columbia. - - Brick, Mr., a farmer of Smoky River, 244, 296; - his mission, 249; - his son, 295, 301. - - Buffalo bands, 156; - a hunt for, 154-159. - - Bull-dogs, "a cross between a bee and a blue-bottle," an annoyance - to the horses, 3. - - Bull's Head, the, 256, 289. - - - Calgary, ix, 2, 3, 11, 298, 299; - left in June, 1889, 1. - - California, 256. - - Camp, a good, 40, 126. - - Campbell, Mr., 228. - - Camsell Lake, 43, 46, 61, 76, 80, 128. - - Camsell, Mr., in charge of the Mackenzie River district, 20, 22, 231. - - Canada, Eastern, 13. - - Cannicannick Berry used for tobacco, 31. - - Canoe, a birch-bark, is a "pretty poetical thing," 197. - - Cap, the, 250. - - Capot Blanc, an Indian, 140, 168, 171, 172, 176, 181, 182, 185, 187, - 188, 191, 213. - - Carcajou, the, is a cunning beast, 57. - - Caribou, the, sometimes found near the Fond du Lac, 14; - Mr. Pike's prospect of finding it, 32; - he finds some bands, 43, 64, 72, 76, 89, 108; - _Et-then, Et-then!_ the cry on the sight of it, 44; - the methods of cooking it, 44-46; - it is the one specimen of _Cervidae_ found in the Barren Ground, - 47; - its different species described, 47, 48; - killed by Esquimaux, 56; - some details of its appearance and habits, 48-60; - the methods of freezing it, 67; - it is killed by women and boys, 76; - the cry, _La Foule, La Foule!_ when a band is in sight, 89; - the most remarkable passage of caribou seen by Mr. Pike, 91. - - Caribou diggings, 256. - - Caribou-eaters, 19. - - Caribou gold-fields, 231. - - Caribou mountains, 239, 241. - - Carquoss, an Indian, 190, 197. - - Cassiar mining district, 231. - - Catholics, all half-breeds are, 41. - - Charlie, a half-breed from Quesnelle, 258, 260, 266, 270, 272, 273, - 276, 277, 283, 285, 286, 288, 289, 293, 294; - his character, 292. - - Chesterfield Inlet, 210. - - Chinook wind, the, 259. - - Chipeweyan Fort, the head-post of the Athabasca district, 5, 12, - 150, 163, 231, 234, 235, 238, 241, 245; - its history and present life, 13-15; - trout-lines may be worked there, 14; - the appearance of the country changes on leaving it, 16. - - Chipeweyan language, 26, 251. - - Christie's Bay, 30. - - Civilisation is degenerating, 299. - - Clark, Mr., arrives as Mr. Mackinlay's substitute, 163, 164. - - Clearwater River, the main route to the North, 11, 12. - - Clinton Golden Lake, or the Lake where the caribou swim among - the ice, 216, 220, 223; - described, 217, 218. - - Columbia, British, 231, 265. - - Company, the, _see_ Hudson's Bay Company. - - Cooking, the favourite method is boiling, 55. - - Cooper, Fenimore, 129. - - Coppermine River, 64, 65, 67, 72, 108, 110, 152; - the Bloody Falls of, 152. - - Corbeau, Lac du, 43. - - Country, the, its nature between Calgary and Edmonton, 1, 2; - and after leaving Chipeweyan, 16, 17. - - Crees, the, 3, 132; - their language the medium of conversation on the Athabasca, 11; - their lodges passed, 241. - - Cree-speaking belt, 26; - left by Mr. Pike, 251. - - Cries: that on the sight of caribou, _Et-then, Et-then!_, 44; - on the sight of a band of caribou, _La Foule, La Foule!_, 89; - to awake a camp, _He leve, leve, il faut partir!_, 122; - that of _Hi hi he, Ho hi he_, to bring out the stars, 123. - - - Dakota blizzard, brought to Mr. Pike's mind by his experience of - wind, 88. - - David, the Esquimaux, 162, 206, 210, 211, 271, 276; - falls in love with the daughter of King Beaulieu, 168; - a keen hunter, 180; - his first summer outside the Arctic circle, 207. - - Davis, Twelvefoot, 256, 257. - - Dease Lake, 230. - - Deluge, King Beaulieu's story of the, 85-88. - - Dog-rib tribes, the, 32, 53, 60, 85, 90, 95, 195; - a spot on their history, 72; - they gamble with the Yellow-knives, 167; - they are more amenable than the Yellow-knives, 300. - - Dogs are a trouble in winter travelling from their need of much - food, 149. - - Dominion Day, a Canadian anniversary, 182. - - Dominion government's map, 216. - - Dunvegan, 245, 249, 250, 253, 292, 295, 296. - - Dupire, Father, in charge of the Catholic mission at Fort - Resolution, 144, 149. - - - Edmonton, 2, 295, 297, 298; - the starting point for the territory of Hudson's Bay Company, 1; - an election at, 298. - - Enemy, the, 81, 187. - - Enemy, the Lake of the, 80, 127. - - English is little spoken in the north, 11. - - English Channel, the, 229. - - Enterprise Fort, 65. - - Esquimaux, the, 186, 192, 195, 196, 204, 208, 211; - they also kill the caribou, 56; - they are dreaded by the Indians, 151, 152; - presents for them, 164, 167, 209; - signs of their camp, 201-205. - - Etitchula, the Indian, 135, 136. - - _Et-then, Et-then!_ the cry on the sight of the caribou, 44. - - Euclid's methods, 275. - - Expedition, the object of Mr. Pike's, v, vi, 70; - the ceremony of commemorating one, 228. - - - Fat, Antoine, a blind Indian, 176. - - Fat, Pierre, a blind Indian, 176; - he appreciates scenery, 178. - - Findlay River, 260, 263, 265, 268, 276, 280, 295; - its rapids, 264, 265, 281; - its source, 265. - - Flett, Mr., and his family, passengers down the Athabasca, 5; - in charge of Fort Smith, 234. - - Fond du Lac, 12, 14, 15, 28, 31, 32, 38, 40, 57, 61, 62, 79, 91, - 92, 93, 96, 97, 101, 104, 120, 130, 134, 135, 136, 137, 139, - 141, 144, 148, 163, 164, 166, 167, 168, 171, 176; - described, 32; - women and children left there, 33. - - Fogs, effect of, 108. - - Forest fires, 1. - - France is not sighed for by the priest of an Indian encampment, 232. - - Francois, _see_ Beaulieu, Francois. - - Francois the little, conducts a buffalo hunt, 154-160; - his wife, 161. - - Franklin, Sir John, vi, 36, 77, 185, 205; his expedition, 63; - his wintering-place, 65. - - Fraser Lake, 258. - - Fraser River, 231, 256. - - French-Canadians, their _chansons_ dying out, 10. - - French patois of the Red River and the North, 11, 26. - - - Gold-dust is to be found by the Peace River, 252. - - Good Hope, Fort, 300. - - Government, motherly, defied, 3. - - _Grahame_, the steamer, 12, 16. - - _Grand Pays_, the half-breeds' name for the outside world, 82, 150. - - Grand Traverse, the, 141, 142. - - Grand Rapids, not reached by the steamer, 5; - reached by Mr. Pike, 7; - a description of the channel and its passage, 8-11. - - Gras, Lac de, 64, 70, 108, 109, 121, 175. - - Grease longed for in the cold, 55. - - Great Bear Lake, 68. - - Great Fish or Back's River, 36, 64, 115, 151, 152, 162, 164, 168, - 171, 180, 184, 185, 188, 204, 205, 221. - - Great Slave Lake, _see_ Slave Lake. - - Great Slave River, _see_ Slave River. - - Gros Cap, 148. - - Gunn, Mr., of St. John's, 251; - he knew Beaver Indian tongue, 252. - - - Half-breeds are all Catholics, 41. - - Half-way River, 251. - - Halket Fort, 231. - - Hanging Rock, the Lake of, 93. - - Hardistay, Mr. Frank, 296. - - Hay River, 156. - - Hearne, Mr., vi, 36, 152; - his _Journey to the Northern Ocean_, 50. - - _Hi hi he, Ho hi he!_ the cry for the stars, 123. - - _Ho leve, leve, il faut partir!_ the cry for arousing a camp, 122. - - Hood, vi. - - Hospitality is in inverse proportion to a man's means, 143. - - Hudson's Bay, 48, 50, 223. - - Hudson's Bay Company, or The Company, v, 1, 3, 14, 50, 52, 82, 83, - 84, 99, 131, 156, 197, 210, 226, 228, 231, 238, 240, 250, - 253, 296; - Mr. Pike's gratitude to the officers of, for their hospitality, - viii, 142, 143; - one of their early trading posts, 2; - their steamers are well-managed, 17; - they bring a certain amount of civilisation, 25; - their duffel _capotes_, 52; - their compressed tea not good to smoke, 136; - they are fair to the Indians, 242, 243. - - Hudson's Bay Fort on Macleod's Lake, 260. - - Hudson's Hope, 249, 250, 252, 265, 291, 294, 295; - visited, 253-257. - - - Iceland, 42. - - Inconnu, a fish found only in the Mackenzie River, 29. - - "Indian, the burnt," his bad luck, 221, 222. - - Indians, the great northern territory is their hunting-ground, 1; - they are more easily managed than the half-breeds, 7; - they are sent from Locheaux to man the "inland boats," 7; - they cannot find their way in snow, 122; - they are very improvident, 131, seq.; - they are peaceable by nature, 145; - they dread the Esquimaux, 152; - their women quarrel, 172; - they imitate birds very well, 172; - some of them show themselves much interested in the skin of a - seal, an animal they had never seen, 202; - they have a stupid love of killing, 209; - intoxicating drink may not be given to them, 226. - - Inland boats described, 6. - - - John, 258, 268, 270, 271, 276, 277, 278, 280, 281, 283, 285, 288, - 292; - he visits Mr. Pike, 246-254; - his character, 246, 247. - - John, Saint, _see_ Saint John. - - Jose, _see_ Beaulieu, Jose. - - Jose, the brother-in-law of Zinto, 171, 173. - - - Kennedy, Alick, a good _voyageur_, 295. - - Khartoum, 296. - - King, _see_ Beaulieu, King. - - King Lake, 62, 127. - - - Labrador tea, 41, 194, 275, 283. - - _La Foule, la Foule!_ the cry on the sight of a caribou band, 89. - - Languages, those of the North, 11; - those beyond the Cree-speaking belt on the Mackenzie, 26. - - Lard, Lac du, 36. - - Lawrence, Mr., a farmer of Vermillion, 244. - - Lesser Slave Lake, 4, 6, 249, 250, 261, 292, 296, 297. - - Liard River, 155, 156, 230, 231, 251. - - Little Buffalo River, 145, 158; - it is impregnated with sulphur, 158. - - Little Red River, in Athabasca district, 12; - its beautiful scenery, 240. - - Little River, 266, 276. - - Little Slave River, 145, 297. - - Locheaux language, 26. - - Lockhart's house, 164. - - Lockhart's or Outram River, 63, 64, 70, 178, 179, 212, 214, 215, - 224; - different opinions of its route, 216. - - Lockhart, Pierre, a guide, 164, 171. - - Lower Peace River, 235. - - Lynx and rabbits, their periodic dying out, 293. - - - Macdonald, Ewen, the chief of the Peace River district, 250. - - Macdonald, Walter, son of Ewen MacDonald, 261, 291, 294, 296. - - Macdougall, 228. - - Macfarlane, 228. - - Mackay, Dr., in charge of the Athabasca district, 12, 17, 18, 63, - 240; - a visit from him, 150, 151; - he sends presents, 163; - he is absent, 235; - he is met by Mr. Pike, 238. - - Mackay, Lake, or the Lake of the Hanging Rock, 63, 64, 70, 72, 75, - 80, 89, 92, 99, 106, 125, 178, 179, 220; - described, 63. - - Mackay, Mr., a Company's clerk, 7, 8. - - Mackay, Murdo, a servant at Fort Resolution who accompanies - Mr. Pike, 146, 151, 162, 206, 233, 236, 239, 246, 247, 258, 270, - 273, 278, 282, 283, 292. - - Mackenzie, Sir Alex., 13, 253. - - Mackenzie River, or _La Grande Riviere en Bas_, v, 4, 10, 18, 19, - 20, 36, 48, 50, 60, 142, 180, 230, 233, 265, 300; - its origin, 16; - the languages spoken along its banks, 26. - - Mackinlay, Mr., in charge of Fort Resolution, 22, 144, 148, 162, - 189, 193, 197, 206, 209, 213, 228, 233, 234; - joins Mr. Pike in expedition to the Barren Ground, 151. - - Mackinlay, Mrs., 144. - - Macleod, Fort, 266, 271, 277, 278. - - Macleod's Lake, 231, 237, 254, 258, 259, 261, 266, 276, 291, 295; - Hudson's Bay Fort on it, 260. - - Macleod's River, 266, 271, 273, 276. - - MacMurray, Fort, 7; - Mr. Pike starts for it, 9; - reaches it, 11; - it is the most southerly post of the Athabasca district, 12; - it is near some natural tar deposits, 13. - - Mandeville, Francois, the brother of Michel Mandeville, 225. - - Mandeville, Michel, the interpreter at Fort Resolution, 146, 148, - 151. - - Mandeville, Moise, the brother of Michel Mandeville, who joins - Mr. Pike, 151, 162, 168, 179, 183, 197; - is a good steersman, 198. - - Maps, those of Mr. Pike are not very accurate, vii. - - Marble Island, 210. - - Marlo, the brother of Zinto, 97, 102, 111, 114, 116, 134, 139, 168, - 181, 190, 197. - - Michel, a son-in-law of King Beaulieu, 33, 46, 61, 92, 93, 97, 104, - 110, 130, 134, 139. - - Misere, Point de, 67, 72, 78, 108. - - Mission Island, 144, 228, 229, 230. - - Moberley's Lake, 292, 294. - - Moise, _see_ Mandeville, Moise. - - Montaignais dialect of Chipeweyan language, 26. - - Moose Island, 144. - - Mort, Lac de, 37, 92, 134. - - Mouse chased for a caribou, 107. - - Murdo, _see_ Mackay, Murdo. - - Muskeg country ends at the Point of Rocks, 27. - - Musk-ox, 69, 70; - the object of Mr. Pike's journey, v, vi; - to be sought on the Barren Ground, 23; - the first killed, 69; - birds seen during the hunt for them, 68; - an expedition in search of them, 61 seq.; - a band of them, 113; - the method of slaughtering them is unpleasant, 116; - their horns described, 119; - a description of a hunt for them, 181-183; - they are said to understand the Yellow-knife language, 183; - advice to hunters of them, 300, 301. - - Musk-ox, the giant, 81. - - Musk-ox Lake, 185, 186, 187, 188, 194, 212, 214. - - Musk-ox Mountain, 188; - it is the limit of the Yellow-knives' hunting-ground, 186. - - - Nation River, 291. - - Nelson Fort, 156, 251. - - New Year's Day, an occasion of trade, 139, 146. - - Nile, the, 296. - - Noel, an Indian, who joins Mr. Pike's expedition, 97, 111, 112, 115, - 181, 190, 197, 205, 217. - - Northern Packet, the, 150. - - North-West Company, the, 14. - - - Old Wives' Lake, 296. - - Omineca, 265, 291. - - Orkney Island, 5. - - Ottawa, 13, 244, 298. - - Outram River, _see_ Lockhart's River. - - - Pacific, Canadian Railway, 11, 271. - - Pacific Coast, 209; - routes to, 231. - - Pacific Ocean, 265. - - Paradox gun, its uses, 137, 138. - - Parsnip River, 260, 263, 266, 267, 270, 271, 276, 277, 291, 295; - its source, 265; - its method of freezing, 268. - - Pat, a Sicannee, 258, 260, 266, 271, 272, 273, 274, 276, 277, 283, - 286, 292, 293, 294, 295. - - Paul, _see_ Beaulieu, Paul. - - Peace River, 4, 16, 155, 156, 209, 231, 237, 240, 242, 244, 245, - 246, 248, 249, 251, 252, 253, 256, 265, 293, 294, 297; - one of the easiest northern waterways, 238; - farmers should not be tempted to it, 244-246; - gold-dust is found on its banks, 252. - - Peace River, the Lower, 236. - - Peace River Pass, 278, 285, 301. - - Peel's River, a tributary of the Mackenzie, 20, 162. - - Peel's River Fort, 208. - - Peter, an Indian, who joined Mr. Pike's expedition, 97, 111, 115, - 116. - - Pike, Mr. Warburton: the object of his journey is to see the - musk-ox, v, vi; - his conveyance and outfit, 1; - he starts from Calgary for Edmonton, the entrance of the Hudson's - Bay Company's territory, 1; - his French half-breed driver, 2, 3; - he reaches Athabasca Landing and starts down the river, 4; - he reaches the island at the head of the Grand Rapids, 7; - he starts for MacMurray Fort, 9, and reaches it, 11; - he reaches Athabasca Lake, 13; - he starts for Fort Smith, on the Great Slave Lake, 16, and - reaches it, 18; - he makes preparations for the actual journey to the Barren Ground, - and engages the Beaulieu family as guides and servants, 19; - he leaves the Company's main route at Fort Resolution, 24; - he takes too few provisions, 25; - the details of his outfit, his fleet, and his companions, 25, 26; - he picks up a little of the Montaignais dialect, 26; - he encamps in the delta of the Slave River, 26, 27; - he reaches Fond du Lac, 31, where the women, children, and as much - baggage as possible are left behind, 33; - he leaves the Great Slave Lake, and contemplates the country - he has just left and that towards which he is journeying, 35; - he takes a new route and names new lakes, 36; - a good caribou hunt, 43 seq.; - he approaches the genuine Barren Ground, 46; - a chapter on the caribou, 47-60; - he makes an expedition from Lake Camsell in search of the musk-ox, - 61; - he shoots his first musk-ox, 69, 70; - he concludes that it would be reckless to push further North, - and turns back, 71; - he reaches Lake Camsell again, 76; - plans for the next musk-ox hunt, 79; - King Beaulieu's theories and anecdotes, 81-88; - a remarkable passage of the caribou, 89-91; - a visit of the chief Zinto and his followers, 93; - arrangements for the second musk-ox hunt, 96, 97; - he starts, 99; - his first winter camp in the Barren Ground, 101-104; - a description of the country, 105-110; - he is in difficulties for food, 110; - the musk-ox come in sight and are killed, 112-116; - the land of the musk-ox, 117; - another band of musk-ox killed, 118; - their horns described, 119; - the return road is lost in the snow, 122, but found the next - morning, 123; - he reaches Lake Camsell again and goes on towards Fond du Lac, - 128; - he visits Zinto's camp, 129 seq.; - he sleeps at Fond du Lac on his road to the Great Slave Lake, 139; - he is joined by more Indians, 140, 141; - he reaches Fort Resolution and comparative civilisation, 143; - some account of the Fort, 143-147; - he makes a small expedition for caribou with Mackinlay, 148; - he makes plans for a summer trip to the Barren Ground, 150 seq.; - he goes on a short buffalo hunt with Mackinlay, 154-162; - the difficulties in starting for the Barren Ground, 162, 163; - he leaves Fort Resolution,164; - he leaves the great Slave Lake with Mackinlay and some of the - Indians, 174; - a new method of hunting the musk-ox, 181; - he makes little expeditions, one with Capot Blanc, 187 seq.; - a division of the party before going further down the Great - Fish River, 190; - Syene, the medicine man, prophesies, 191 seq.; - two of the Indians desert, 197; - he turns up-stream, 204; - he explores a new tributary, 205-208; - he leaves presents in a deserted Esquimaux camp, 209; - the return journey, 216-230; - he cannot stay long at Fort Resolution, and makes plans for - his journey up-stream, to cross the Rocky Mountains, - and if possible reach the Pacific, 231; - he decides between the routes and starts, 232; - he enters Athabasca Lake, 235; - he camps at Quatre Fourches, 237; - he turns westward up the Peace River, 238; - he reaches Vermillion Fort, 241; - his difficulties in getting a crew, 245 seq.; - he reaches Dunvegan, 249, and St. John's, 251; - he leaves the Cree-speaking belt and enters that of the - Beaver Indians, 251; - his first glimpse of the Rockies, 252; - he reaches Hudson's Hope, 253; - he camps at the head of the Canyon, 258; - a change in the wind prevents his making use of sleighs, 259; - he begins a more detailed account of his winter in the Rockies, - 260; - a dangerous journey to the Findlay Rapids, 263, 264; - a glance at his geographical position, 265; - he discovers that the road is lost, 272 seq.; - a search for food, 274; - he begins to retrace his way, 276; - his decision concerning the Indians who steal the rations, 284, - 285; - he reaches Tom Barrow's house, 290; - he leaves Hudson's Hope for Edmonton, 295, - which he reaches during an election, 298; - he writes the last words in St. James's Street, giving advice - to musk-ox hunters and longing for the Barren Ground, 299 seq. - - Pierre, _see_ Beaulieu, Pierre. - - Pierre, Blind, _see_ Fat, Pierre. - - Pierre the Fool, 218, 219, 223, 224; - his description of the country east of Clinton Golden Lake, 223. - - Pierre, an Indian boy, the son of little Francois, 159. - - Pierre, Ile de, 141, 142, 166, 229; - a good spot for fishing, 27. - - Pine River, 294. - - Pine River Pass, 292. - - Poplar Rapid, 262, 265, 287. - - Portage, the Long, 12; - the work of portaging described, 17, 18. - - "Prairie, the bald-headed," a term of the cattlemen, 2. - - Proverb of the North, a, 267. - - Ptarmigan plentiful, 44. - - Ptarmigan Lake, 219. - - - Quatre Fourches, 16, 237. - - Quesnelle, 231, 246, 250, 258, 271, 292. - - - Rabbit and lynx, their periodic decease, 293. - - Rae, Dr., vi. - - Rae, Fort, 95, 148, 167, - a good starting-point for the Barren Ground, 299. - - Raven, a superstition concerning the, 66. - - Red-deer, the stream of, 2. - - Reid, Mr., of Fort Province, told King Beaulieu that the earth went - round the sun, 83. - - Resolution, Fort, on the Great Slave Lake, the northern limit of - the Athabasca district, 12, 22, 24, 50, 59, 97, 130, 150, 154, - 163, 167, 185, 210, 225, 227, 228, 230, 232, 233; - Mr. Pike returns to it, 143; - its history and present life, 144, 145; - it is not perhaps the best starting-point for the Barren Ground, - 300. - - Richardson, vi. - - Riel, Louis, his rebellion, 83. - - Rocher, Lac du, 38, 39, 63, 73, 91, 128; - it is a haunt of the caribou, 39; - trout are caught in it, 39; - its products and geological structure, 41, 42; - it is like the desert of Arnavatn in Iceland, 42. - - Rocks, Point of, the end of the Muskeg country, 27. - - Rocky Mountains, the, v, ix, 1, 143, 155, 209, 231, 237, 238, 241, - 248, 250, 260, 265, 272, 281, 291, 294; - the first glimpse of, 252, 253; - Mr. Pike's attempt to cross them, 232-272. - - Round, Mr., in charge of Dunvegan, 250. - - - Saint James's Street, 299. - - Saint John, Fort, often called St. John's, 156, 249, 251, 252, 253, - 294, 295. - - Salt River, 19, 21. - - Saltatha, an Indian who joins Mr. Pike's expedition, 97, 109, 111, - 112, 114, 115, 120, 122, 123, 168, 171, 172, 193, 195, 197, 202, - 203, 208, 217, 219, 226; - his energy, 105, 190; - his character, 115; - his illness and its cure by brandy, 211, 227; - his friendly parting with Mr. Pike, 232; - his answer to the priest concerning the beauties of heaven, 302. - - Sandy Bay, 180, 275. - - Saskatchewan River, 2, 4. - - Shooting etiquette must be abandoned among the Indians, 159. - - Sicannee fashion of burying, 269, 279. - - Simpson, Fort, 230. - - Simpson, Mr. Scott, in charge of river transport, 6. - - Simpson, Sir G., 253. - - Simpson's group of islands, 28. - - Slave or Great Slave Lake, vii, 13, 15, 16, 20, 21, 25, 36, 40, 41, - 42, 44, 48, 50, 63, 68, 84, 85, 88, 131, 148, 155, 156, 172, - 176, 178, 191, 213, 215, 218, 219, 221, 223, 225, 228, 242, 248, - 300, 301; - Mr. Pike's journey on, finished, 34; - his last view of, 35; - the vegetation on its banks, 30, 31; - it is a charming place to live on, 232. - [There is a Lesser Slave Lake, _see_ "Lesser."] - - Slave or Big River, 16, 26, 48, 142, 233, 238; - its rapids, 12; - described, 21; - its wild-fowl, 27. - [There is also a Little Slave River, _see_ "Little."] - - Slavi language, 26. - - Sleighs of the North described, 99-101. - - Smith, Fort, in Athabasca district, 12, 21, 29, 48, 145, 156, 158, - 161, 163, 231, 234, 236, 245; - Mr. Pike starts for it, 16; - the game near it, 18; - described, 18. - - Smoking, the Company's compressed tea not recommended, 136. - - Smoky River, a tributary of the Peace, 249, 295, 296. - - Snow, called _le couvert du bon Dieu_ by Beaulieu, 62; - prevents the Indians from finding their way, 122. - - Snow-blindness, its cause and cures, 175. - - Stars, supposed to be brought out by the cry _Hi hi he, Ho hi he_, - 123. - - Stewart, Mr., vi, 36, 63, 171, 184, 195. - - Sunday wash, the, 79. - - Superstitions, concerning the caribou, 59; - and miracles, 133. - - Syene, an Indian medicine man, 152, 168, 222; - he prophesies, 191, 192. - - Syene, Mrs., assists at the prophesying, 191. - - - Tete Jaune Pass, 293. - - Tete Noire's House, 166. - - Thomas, an Indian, the brother of Zinto, 141; - he is a good guide, 142. - - Tobacco, is missed more than tea, 120, 121; - the various kinds in use among the Indians, 31; - it may be made from Cannicannick berry, 31. - - - Vermillion, Fort, in Athabasca district, 12, 156, 236, 238, 240, - 241, 242, 247, 248, 249; - described, 241-244. - - - Walls of meat, as in a fairy tale, 76, 77. - - Whisky Jack, the ways of the, 134, 135. - - William, an Indian who joined Mr. Pike's expedition, 97, 111, - 112, 114. - - Willows pulled up for firewood, 121. - - Wilson, Mr., of Vermillion Fort, 245, 246. - - Winnipeg, vii, 11, 144, 214, 296. - - Wolves and wolverines, 57, 89; - their ways of stealing, 45, 128; - they hunt the caribou, 56, 57. - - Women, given the heaviest loads, 38; - their hard work and usefulness, 81; - they are treated better by half-breeds than by Indians, 82. - - Wood, Mr., in charge of the Athabasca landing, 5. - - Wrangel Fort, 231. - - _Wrigley_, the, a steamer on the Mackenzie, 10, 19, 231, 233; - her make and work, 20. - - - Yellow-knife river, 36, 63. - - Yellow-knife tribe, 32, 37, 48, 53, 60, 66, 72, 85, 86, 92, 95, 96, - 115, 152, 195, 202, 211, 214; - their etiquette in hunts, 111; - their encampment, 131 seq.; - the kind of husband most desired among them, 133; - their dancing, 147, 148; - their gambling with the Dog-Ribs, 167; - their stupidity and cowardice outside their own country, 197; - their language, 213; - they are less amenable than the Dog-Ribs, 300. - - York Boat, its peculiarities, 228, 229. - - York factory, 50. - - - Zinto, a chief of the Yellow-knives, 96, 97, 129, 130; - his visit to Mr. Pike and his speech, 93-95; - his camp and people, 129-134; - he makes promises of help, 152, 153; - but does not fulfil them, 163, 164, 167. - - - - -INDEX TO APPENDIX I - - - Alaska, 309. - - Anticosti, 309. - - Areas in the Dominion of Canada unexplored, 311-319. - - - Canada, 310. - - - Dunvegan, 306. - - - Exploration still possible and useful, 304. - - - Great Bear Lake, 309. - - Great Slave Lake, 309. - - - Hudson's Bay, 309. - - Hudson's Bay Company, 305. - - - Lewes, 309. - - - Macleod Fort, 306. - - Maps proved wrong, 306. - - Mistassini, 309. - - - Newfoundland, 309. - - - Pelly, 309. - - - Red River Valley, 308. - - Reindeer Lake, 309. - - Rocky Mountains, the, 306. - - - Winnipeg, 308. - - - York Factory, 309. - - Yukon River, 309. - - - * * * * * - - - THE WORKS OF - SAMUEL BUTLER - - =The Note-Books of Samuel Butler, Author of "Erewhon."= - Selections arranged and edited by HENRY FESTING JONES. 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Cast for the most part in the form of fiction, and - written for the most part within sound of the German guns, they - have an atmosphere of reality that no mere work of the - imagination can possess. - - - BETWEEN THE LINES _Net $1.50_ - - An attempt to convey the living humor or the glory that lies - _between the lines_ of the cold and formal official despatch. - - - ACTION FRONT _Net $1.35_ - - These are the words that swing the muzzles of the advancing guns - towards the enemy. More stories that give you a respect for - Thomas Atkins that borders on affection. - - - DOING THEIR BIT _Net $1.00_ - - A vivid description of the way the munition workers in Britain - are backing the boys in the trenches. - - - GRAPES OF WRATH _Net $1.50_ - - Twenty-four hours of a "big push." What it feels like to be a - private soldier for just one day of a modern battle. As heart - lifting as the _Battle Hymn of the Republic_ from which the - title is taken. - - - E. P. DUTTON AND COMPANY - 681 FIFTH AVENUE NEW YORK CITY - - - - -_A_ -Student in Arms - -BY -DONALD HANKEY - - -Published originally in the columns of the London _Spectator_, these -short articles, sketches, and essays, written by a man in the trenches, -form a "war-book" of quite unusual kind, dealing with the deeper things -of human life. - -The high spiritual idealism which actuates so many thousands in the -ranks of the Allies finds a voice in it, and the mental attitude of the -fighting-men towards religion, the Church, their officers and their -comrades, is exhibited not only with sanity and sympathy, but with a -fine simplicity of language and an inspiring nobility of outlook. - -_Twenty-four thousand copies of this book were sold in the first month -of its publication in England_ - - Net $1.50 - - - E. P. DUTTON AND COMPANY - 681 FIFTH AVENUE NEW YORK CITY - - - - -_The Inspiration of the German People when they awake from their present -Nightmare._ - - The Coming - Democracy - - By HERMANN FERNAU - - An examination, searching and merciless, of Germany's mediaeval - dynastic and political system, by the author of "Because I Am a - German," and a demand for reforms which all civilized countries - of the world have enjoyed for decades. - -"The book is one of the most important which the war has -produced."--_The Spectator._ - -"We recommend the book to every serious reader as one of the foremost -books of universal and permanent value thus far inspired by the great -war."--_New York Tribune._ - -"A most remarkable book, an incisive summary of the entire Teutonic -situation, a book whose conclusions are identical with President -Wilson's reply to the Pope."--_Newark Evening Call._ - - Net $2.00 - - E. P. DUTTON AND COMPANY - 681 FIFTH AVENUE NEW YORK CITY - - - - -The -Hill-Towns of France - -BY -EUGENIE M. FRYER - - _Illustrated with 50 pen-and-ink drawings by Roy L. Hilton and - over 25 fine photo-engravings._ - -Not a guide-book in the technical sense, and not a history; but a -charming series of descriptive and historical sketches of some of the -most storied, romantic and beautiful places in Europe. - -This superbly illustrated volume deals with the following: - - POITOU: _Poitiers_, _Chauvigny_ & _Uzerche_. - NORMANDY: _Falaise_, _Gaillard_, _Arcques-la-Bataille_ - & _Mont-Saint-Michel_. - BRITTANY: _Saint-Jean-du-Doigt_, _La Faouet_, - _Dinan_ & _Josselin_. - QUERCY: _Cahors_ & _Rocamadour_. - LANGUEDOC: _Najac_, _Carcassonne_ & _Lastours_. - PROVENCE: _Arles_, _Montmajour_ & _Les Baux_. - SAVOIE: _Miolans_. - AUVERGNE: _Le Puy_. - PICARDIE: _Laon_. - LA BEAUCE: _Chartres_. - TOURAINE: _Chinon_, _Amboise_, _Blois_ & _Loches_. - - Net $2.00 - - - E. P. DUTTON AND COMPANY - 681 FIFTH AVENUE NEW YORK CITY - - - - - * * * * * - - - - -Transcriber's note: - -Obvious punctuation errors were corrected. - -Hyphen added: birch[-]bark (p. 38), foot[-]hills (p. ix), mid[-]day (p. -3), north[-]east (p. 65), sand[-]bars (p. 13), snow[-]shoes (pp. 82, -92), south[-]east (p. 30), up[-]stream (p. 209). - -Hyphen removed: back[-]bone (p. 53), cattle[-]men (p. 331), land[-]marks -(p. 307), medicine[-]man (pp. 330, 332), over[-]land (p. 7), pin[-]tail -(p. 175). - -The following words appear both with and without hyphens and have not -been changed: deer[-]skin(s), gun[-]shot, half[-]way, snow[-]drift(s), -snow[-]time, Store[-]room, touch[-]wood, wild[-]fowl, wind[-]bound. - -P. 23: "prosspect" changed to "prospect" (the prospect of finding the -musk-ox). - -P. 41: "buerre" changed to "beurre" (le pain avec le beurre). - -P. 67: "afternon" changed to "afternoon" (well on in the next -afternoon). - -P. 94: "suppose" changed to "supposed" (but supposed there was -some good reason). - -P. 104: "let" changed to "left" (have left us houseless). - -P. 124: "feul" changed to "fuel" (fuel was rapidly vanishing). - -P. 130: "abtruse" changed to "abstruse" (more abstruse subjects). - -P. 131: "scare" changed to "scarce" (when the caribou are scarce). - -P. 142: "sankbanks" changed to "sandbanks" (mostly inside sandbanks). - -P. 143: "semed" changed to "seemed" (How strange it seemed). - -P. 151: "winter" changed to "water" (to descend the Great Fish River -with the first open water). - -P. 187: "debateable" changed to "debatable" (there was a debatable -ground). - -P. 191: "tighty" changed to "tightly" (tightly-stretched deer-skin). - -P. 216: "was" changed to "we" (we passed into the short stretch of -river). - -P. 221: "roughtly" changed to "roughly" (we reckoned roughly). - -P. 226: "given" changed to "give" (forbids a white man to give an -Indian). - -P. 238: "and" deleted (end in dry sand [and] instead of running). - -P. 244: "hgher" changed to "higher" (higher up at Smoky River). - -P. 249: "Lukily" changed to "Luckily" (Luckily whitefish are very -plentiful). - -P. 321: "Baptiste Testerwick" changed to "Baptiste Testerwich". - - - -***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BARREN GROUND OF NORTHERN -CANADA*** - - -******* This file should be named 40019.txt or 40019.zip ******* - - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/4/0/0/1/40019 - - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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