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diff --git a/old/69836-0.txt b/old/69836-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index c035511..0000000 --- a/old/69836-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,5151 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Down the Mackenzie and up the Yukon in -1906, by Elihu Stewart - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world 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. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Down the Mackenzie and up the Yukon in 1906 - -Author: Elihu Stewart - -Photographer: Ernest Brown - -Release Date: January 19, 2023 [eBook #69836] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Sonya Schermann, Charlie Howard, and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was - produced from images generously made available by The - Internet Archive) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DOWN THE MACKENZIE AND UP THE -YUKON IN 1906 *** - - - - - - DOWN THE MACKENZIE - AND UP THE YUKON - IN 1906 - -[Illustration: - - _Copyright Ernest Brown_ - -S.S. WRIGLEY AT THE JUNCTION OF THE MACKENZIE AND LIARD RIVERS] - - - - - DOWN THE MACKENZIE - AND UP THE YUKON - IN 1906 - - BY ELIHU STEWART - - FORMERLY SUPERINTENDENT OF FORESTRY - FOR CANADA - - WITH A MAP AND THIRTY ILLUSTRATIONS - FROM PHOTOGRAPHS - - - LONDON : JOHN LANE : THE BODLEY HEAD - NEW YORK : JOHN LANE COMPANY - TORONTO : BELL AND COCKBURN : MCMXIII - - - - - _SECOND EDITION_ - - - THE BALLANTYNE PRESS TAVISTOCK STREET COVENT GARDEN LONDON - - - - -TO - -THE RIGHT HONORABLE EARL GREY - - FORMER GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF CANADA WHO DURING HIS TERM OF OFFICE - FOUND TIME TO ACQUAINT HIMSELF WITH MUCH OF OUR NORTHERN - WILDERNESS THESE PAGES ARE RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED - - -ERRATUM - - The Photograph entitled “A Moose and Indian Tepee,” reproduced to - face page 218 and on the wrapper, is the copyright of Ernest - Brown of Edmonton - - - - -PREFACE - - -The following narrative is based on a report which I made to the -Government of Canada, dated November 16, in the year 1906, shortly -after my return to Ottawa from the far North. - -In writing this report I had to resist the temptation to give many -details which were present in my mind at the time but which would be -scarcely warranted in an official document. In the following pages -I have allowed myself more latitude and have also included several -illustrations, the greater number of them being photographs taken by -myself. Many of these were snapshots taken from the deck of one or -other of the steamers on which I was a passenger, and for that reason -are not as good as when time exposures were obtained. - -I cannot allow this little narrative to pass out of my hands -without expressing heartfelt thanks for the unfailing kindness -and hospitality, as well as assistance, that I received from the -officials of the Hudson Bay Company, as well as from the agents of the -independent trading Companies, from the Missionaries, and also the -natives of the country. - - - - -PUBLISHER’S NOTE - - -Mr. Elihu Stewart’s opening words are strangely significant. “Perhaps -no portion of America has received greater attention from the explorer -during the last three centuries than the sub-arctic regions of Canada, -and yet they remain practically unknown to the present day.” The author -relates his experiences in traversing what was practically virgin soil. -That he should have carried out his immense programme without fear or -accident is no mean feat, and this narrative should be found intensely -interesting by all who recognise the great commercial and historical -future in store for the vast Dominion, as well as those to whom the -adventurous side of life especially appeals. - -Mr. Stewart is well competent to do more than furnish a superficial -travel book. As Managing Director of “Canada Timber and Lands, -Limited,” he is actively concerned in the possibilities of the timber -trade in Canada. There is no doubt that with the completion of the -Panama Canal in sight and with the rapid settlement of the prairies -and the increased railway facilities bound to eventuate, the superior -timber of British Columbia can be exploited as never before. No -other part of Canada produces timber in such abundance. Mr. Stewart -was formerly Superintendent of Forestry for Canada, and much of the -knowledge he thus acquired helps to form the present volume. Mr. -Stewart gives many charming pen-pictures to relieve the more material -side of “Down the Mackenzie and Up the Yukon,” and he shows a fine -feeling of atmosphere for lands “where it is always afternoon,” where -the late sun lingers in the quiet west; where the northern twilight -embraces reluctant day, amid the profound silence of the gradual -shadows. Only the cry of a loon or the hooting of an owl heard -somewhere in the forest pierces the mournful calm. - -Mr. Stewart wisely makes frequent reference to the soil conditions -he has observed on his line of travel, and his impressions will be -found most valuable. He insists, too, that before any accurate report -can be given on the subject it will be most desirable--and indeed -necessary--for the Government to have an exploration survey made by men -competent to give an authoritative opinion. Canada is losing year after -year from lack of information concerning its unoccupied areas. The -difficulties of handling immense tracts of land are obvious, but not -more so than the lack of enterprise which stays the country and delays -its cultivation. In the present state of things the stray settler has -little or no chance. “What would be thought,” asks Mr. Stewart, “of -the settler who built his house and commenced to clear and till his -land on the front of his lot without ever taking the trouble to examine -the rest of his possessions? The chances are he would afterwards find -that much of his labour had been misdirected. In many parts of the -country land has been surveyed, and opened up for settlement, that was -unfit for agriculture and which should have been left for the growth -of timber for which it was well suited. Frequently this land looked -attractive to the inexperienced, and in many cases the settler spent -years of hard labour only to find at last that beneath the few inches -of humus there was nothing but barren sand.” - -In a country like Canada with its vast areas of wonderfully fertile -land, it is unnecessary that any one should waste his labour on any -part that is unproductive. - -It is well that Mr. Stewart should express himself forcibly, without -circumlocution, and his grave warning may perhaps act as a deterrent -to the unwary and inexperienced, while bringing home to the Government -the necessity not only of bringing agricultural immigrants into the -country, but of directing them to fields where there is a known and -excellent chance of labour and concentrated industry meeting with -adequate reward. - -Mr. Stewart pleads very earnestly for the establishment of a hospital -somewhere in that vast region of the Mackenzie watershed. “Between -Edmonton,” says Mr. Stewart, “and the Arctic Sea we pass over sixteen -degrees of latitude, while the distance by the travelled route is over -two thousand miles. Again, from the Rocky Mountains on the West to -the Hudson Bay on the East the distance is almost equally as great. -At Athabaska Landing and at Peace River in the Southern fringe of -this great wilderness a few physicians have established themselves, -but beyond these places the only medical aid available is from an -occasional visit of the Government physician and what the missionaries -are able to furnish. At practically every fort and Indian village on -our way we were besieged for medicine by the afflicted.” - -Probably most of the illnesses would have been relieved, if not -actually cured, by proper surgical treatment. It is curious to note -that the Indians of these regions are as susceptible to appendicitis -as Europeans. Mr. Stewart goes on to suggest that if such a hospital -at Fort Simpson or at some point on Great Slave Lake were established -it could be reached by canoes in summer from points all along the -Mackenzie, and it would be possible to ameliorate the sufferings of -many whose only hope is death. If this little volume may serve even -as a faint plea for the assistance of those who dwell at present so -far beyond reach of some of civilisation’s essential requirements, Mr. -Stewart will have performed a profound service. - - - - -CONTENTS - - -PART I - - pp. - - CHAPTER I - - Historical: Early History of the Sub-Arctic Regions of - Canada : Formation of the Hudson Bay Company : Rise of the - North-West Company 23–27 - - - CHAPTER II - - Plan of the Journey : Early Stages : At Edmonton : A - Peculiarity of Northern Rivers 29–39 - - - CHAPTER III - - From Athabaska Landing to Great Rapids : The _Midnight Sun_ - and its Voyage 41–46 - - - CHAPTER IV - - A Burial in the Wilderness : From Grand Rapids to Fort - McMurray : Tar Sands 47–57 - - - CHAPTER V - - Fort McMurray to Smith’s Landing on the Slave River : The - _Grahame_ : Beauty of Northern Twilights : Fort - Chippewyan : The Slave River : The Peace River Basin 59–72 - - - CHAPTER VI - - More about the Slave River : On Steamer _Wrigley_ : Fine - Gardens at Resolution : A Nasty Experience : Bishop Reeves - Comes Aboard for a Round Trip : Miss Wilgriss Leaves : Hay - River : Fort Providence : The Little Lake : Fort Simpson : - A Pathetic Incident : An Imaginary Cabinet : We Reach Fort - Wrigley 73–97 - - - CHAPTER VII - - Leaving Fort Norman : A Sad Case : In Arctic Regions : - Arrival at Fort McPherson 99–110 - - - CHAPTER VIII - - Ice Conditions of the Summer of 1905 111–114 - - - CHAPTER IX - - From Fort McPherson to Rampart House : Crossing the Peel - River : An Attempt at Intimidation : The Summit of the - Rocky Mountains : In Pacific Waters : The Porcupine : John - Quatlot Departs 115–150 - - - CHAPTER X - - From Rampart House to Fort Yukon : In Alaska : With Dan - Cadzow’s Party 151–157 - - - CHAPTER XI - - The Ramparts of the Porcupine : An Unoccupied House : A - Girl’s Unhappiness : Awaiting an Up-going Steamer : From - Fort Yukon to Dawson City 159–168 - - - CHAPTER XII - - Dawson City : In Civilisation Once More : High Prices : To - Whitehorse on the _Dawson_: Gamblers’ Tricks 169–175 - - - CHAPTER XIII - - From Skagway to Vancouver : On the _Princess May_ : Fort - Simpson : Prince Rupert : End of the Journey 177–185 - - -PART II - - SECT. PAGE - FOREWORD 189 - - I. CLIMATE 191 - - II. SOIL 201 - - III. MINERALS 205 - - IV. PLACER GOLD 209 - - V. TIMBER 211 - - VI. ANIMALS 217 - - VII. FISH 221 - - VIII. WILD FOWL 223 - - IX. INHABITANTS 229 - - X. HALF BREEDS 247 - - XI. THE TRADERS 253 - - XII. MISSIONARIES 261 - - CONCLUSION: AN APPEAL 267 - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - - _To face page_ - - S.S. _Wrigley_ at the junction of the Mackenzie and Liard - Rivers _Frontispiece_ - - Tracking on Athabaska River 36 - - Grand Rapids on Athabaska River 44 - - Lunch time on the Athabaska River 46 - - Funeral of Herbert Bray on the Athabaska 48 - - Stones on the Athabaska 50 - - Fort Chippewyan on Athabaska Lake 62 - - Spruce Timber on the Slave River 64 - - Rapids on the Slave River at the Second Portage 68 - - Smith’s Landing on Slave River 70 - - Steamer _Grahame_ at Smith’s Landing 72 - - Leaving Fort Smith on the Slave River 74 - - Fort Resolution on Great Slave Lake 76 - - Dog-ribbed Indians on Great Slave Lake 78 - - Fort Providence on the Mackenzie River 82 - - Bishop Reeve, Stefansson, and Resident Clergyman at Simpson 90 - - The Ramparts, Mackenzie River 100 - - The Midnight Sun 106 - - At McPherson: Indians, Half-breeds, and Esquimaux in Foreground 108 - - Fort McPherson 114 - - Rampart, House on the Porcupine River 148 - - Yukon River at Fort Yukon 156 - - Fort Yukon in Alaska 160 - - Dawson City 170 - - Indian Children at Fort Simpson 178 - - Totum Poles at Alert Bay on Vancouver Island 184 - - Esquimaux on their Kyaks 192 - - A Moose and Indian Tepee 218 - - Coming in from the North 230 - - Trading with the Esquimaux 254 - - - - -PART I - - - - -CHAPTER I - -INTRODUCTION - - Historical : Early History of the Sub-Arctic Regions of - Canada : Formation of the Hudson Bay Company : Rise of the - North-West Company. - - “_The days were bright, and the morning light was sweet with jewelled song; - We poled and lined up nameless streams, portaged o’er hill and plain; - We guessed and groped, North ever North, with many a twist and turn - We saw ablaze in the deathless days, the splendid sunsets burn._” - - SERVICE - - -Perhaps no portion of America has received greater attention from the -explorer during the last three centuries than the Sub-Arctic regions of -Canada, and yet they remain practically unknown to the present day. - -As early as 1577, Martin Frobisher spent some time on the border of the -Arctic. The name Frobisher in English history carries us back to the -defeat of the Spanish Armada, in which he performed a distinguished -part and for which he was honoured by his Queen. - -Later, in 1611, Henry Hudson after sailing up the great river of the -State of New York found a tragic death in that Canadian inland sea, -which, along with the above river, bears his name. - -Samuel Herne went down the Coppermine to the Arctic Ocean and wintered -there in 1770 and 1771; and as a result of his travels wrote the first -account of the North American bison and Indian methods of hunting. - -Later, in 1789, Sir Alexander Mackenzie, one of the boldest and most -resourceful explorers of modern times, made a journey in one short -summer from Lake Athabaska, then called the Lake of the Hills, down the -whole course of the Slave River, across Great Slave Lake and then all -the way down the great, but then unknown river, the Mackenzie, 1000 -miles to the frozen Ocean, returning the same season to Fort Chippewyan. - -In the autumn of 1792 he commenced another voyage from Chippewyan; -this time with the Pacific Ocean as his objective point going westward -up the Peace River; and succeeded before winter overtook him, in -reaching a point 600 miles up that stream near Dunvegan, where he -wintered. - -The next season he continued the ascent of the Peace to its headwaters; -crossed the Rocky Mountains, and, after the greatest difficulties and -hardships, reached the Pacific, returning again by the same route to -his post at Chippewyan where he arrived on July 24, 1793. - -Another name which stands high in the annals of Arctic exploration is -that of Sir John Franklin, who accompanied by Dr. Richardson, made -the journey down the Mackenzie to the sea and traversed part of the -Coast in 1825. Many others, whose names I need not recall, also imbued -with a spirit of adventure, have from time to time journeyed along the -icebound coast and through that subarctic wilderness, which to-day -forms part of the Dominion of Canada. And yet, except along a few water -routes, the country is still an almost unknown land--unknown to all -except the agents and employees of those pioneer trading Companies, -that have for centuries blazed the path through unfrequented regions -of vast extent. Any narrative concerning that portion of North America -would be incomplete that did not make frequent reference to at least -two of these Companies. - -The first and oldest of them is the Hudson Bay Company, which under -Prince Rupert received a Royal Charter from Charles the Second in -1670. This Company of adventurers obtained great privileges over -the country surrounding Hudson Bay and the streams flowing into it. -In 1785 a great rival corporation was formed, viz., The North-West -Company. This organisation had its head-quarters in Montreal, and as -one stands to-day on Beaver Hall Hill in that City, where once stood -Beaver Hall--and the head-quarters of the Company--and looks down to -the river, it requires no great stretch of the imagination to behold a -vision of a century ago, with the hardy canoemen bearing on their backs -up to the warehouse the peltries brought from the remotest parts of -the far North-West and returning with merchandise to load again their -canoes for the dusky natives of the far away Saskatchewan, Peace and -Mackenzie. - -This latter Company, not only established posts at various points -on the great lakes of the St. Lawrence basin, but extended them -into territory which the Hudson Bay Company regarded as belonging -exclusively to themselves on the Red River and the Saskatchewan. Not -only this, but they penetrated regions far beyond those into which -the emissaries of the older Company had ventured, even to the Pacific -Ocean on the one hand, and the Arctic on the other. It may be stated -here that Sir Alexander Mackenzie immortal in the annals of exploration -was himself an officer of the North-West Company. The presence of -the New Company in waters tributary to the Hudson Bay soon resulted -in conflicts sometimes sanguinary, between the employees of the two -corporations, and this state of affairs continued till they were -amalgamated in the year 1821. - - - - -CHAPTER II - - Plan of the Journey : Early Stages : At Edmonton : A Peculiarity - of Northern Rivers. - - -The area drained by the Mackenzie River is of vast extent, covering -something over 450,000 square miles. Its principal tributaries flow -from the west; they consist of the Athabaska, the Peace, the Liard -and the Nahanni with many others of smaller size. To illustrate by -comparison the size of the Mackenzie basin with that of some other -streams, it is only necessary to say that the area of the St. Lawrence -basin above the City of Montreal is about 310,000 square miles, while -that of the Saskatchewan, including its two branches, is only 159,000 -square miles; so that the Mackenzie basin exceeds that of the St. -Lawrence above Montreal, including that of all the great lakes by -140,000 square miles, and is nearly three times as great in extent as -the basin of the Saskatchewan, including both the north and south -branches of that great river. - -A journey down that immense valley with my objective a point near the -Polar Sea was the last I had set myself to accomplish. I had also -hoped, but scarcely dared to expect to find my way back again to -civilisation by crossing the Rocky Mountains to streams, whose waters -find their way to the Yukon. Thence South up the latter stream to -Dawson and Whitehorse, thence over the White Pass Railway to Skagway -and from there to Vancouver. However, notwithstanding many misgivings, -this programme was literally carried out and that without encountering -a single accident worthy of mention. Knowing that my plans could be -best accomplished through the assistance of the Hudson Bay Company, I -applied to my friend Mr. Chipman, the late Commissioner from whom I had -previously received assistance on other trips in the North Country, and -was soon in possession of a letter to their agents, which had merely to -be presented to assure me all the hospitality that could be given, in a -country where hospitality means so much. - -On the last day of May, 1906, I found myself at Edmonton busily -preparing for the journey. Edmonton, which but a few years ago was only -known as the _entrepôt_ of the Hudson Bay Company in the far West, is -now, as the Capital of Alberta, putting on the appearance and assuming -the airs of a modern City. Not only is it advancing commercially, -but socially and intellectually it is not satisfied to remain in the -background. With its semi-viceregal social establishment and its -Provincial University, it already claims no inferior place to the -Capitals of Sister Provinces. Edmonton’s resources are more varied and -her population more cosmopolitan than most of them. By her doors flows -one of the great rivers of America, with timber and coal along its -banks all the way to its source, while stretching away on every side is -the rich soil of that wonderfully fertile belt that is bringing riches -to tens of thousands of pioneer settlers. To all this it may be added -that this new northern City has tributary to it, the vast northern -region even down to the Arctic Sea, with little fear of any future -rival. In a word, Edmonton is destined to be at once the Moscow and -St. Petersburg of Canada. - -Amid all the evidences of an active bustling life an incident occurred -during the few days I spent there, which cast a dark shadow across the -path of some of the older residents. During the early days, before the -present invasion of new-comers began, the scattered settlements of -half breeds and whites here and there over a large extent of country -formed a somewhat close community, among the members of which there -grew up a very warm attachment. This was further cemented by frequent -intermarriages, and it was truly pleasing to hear the eager inquiries, -from these people when we visited their homes beyond the Arctic Circle, -concerning their relatives at Edmonton and even Winnipeg. - -It so happened that the wife of a Hudson Bay Official, well-known -throughout the country, had come down to Edmonton from Fort Simpson -on the Mackenzie by the last (and I might say, the only) boat of the -previous year, intending to return by the first transport in the -following one, (1906)--that on which I was also to travel. She had all -preparations made for her return trip and was about ready to start, -when a sudden illness intervened and she was called to make a journey -to a land even less known than the one we were to penetrate. There -was an old time funeral at Edmonton, and many were the expressions of -sympathy heard on the street for the husband twelve hundred miles away, -who, all unconscious of what had occurred, would be looking for his -wife when our boat reached Fort Simpson. We realised throughout the -long days of our journey to that point that we were carrying to the -widowed husband the saddest of all messages. - -On a bright morning on June 2, in a comfortable conveyance and with a -good span of horses, we turned our faces to the North, bidding good-bye -to the Railway and various other adjuncts of modern civilised life, and -in less than three days arrived at Athabaska Landing, in round figures, -one hundred miles distant. - -Little need be said concerning this first stage in my journey, though -the country passed over for some twenty miles would certainly be a -surprise to any one familiar only with the new settlement in the -wooded districts in the older Provinces. Certainly less than twenty -years ago, this district was an unsettled part of a great wilderness. -To-day, with its cultivated fields and with just enough woodland left -to vary the monotony that characterises the treeless plains, as we -looked across the country, really park like in appearance, we could -almost fancy that we were passing through some of the rural districts -of Old England. Early on the second day, we passed the height of -land between the basin of the Saskatchewan and that of the Mackenzie -River, though the land is so little elevated that it is imperceptible. -Notwithstanding this, the waters of two neighbouring rivulets within -almost a stone’s-throw of each other, finally find their outlet into -two different oceans. The one by way of the Saskatchewan, Lake Winnipeg -and the Nelson River to the Hudson Bay of the Atlantic, and the other -via the Athabaska, Slave and Mackenzie Rivers to the Arctic. - -Athabaska Landing is on a southerly bend of the Athabaska River. This -stream was named the Elk River in Mackenzie’s time. At the “Landing” -it is about sixty rods wide and the water is of the consistency and -appearance of the Mississippi at St. Louis. Its general direction above -this point is easterly, but here it takes a sharp turn north, which -direction it maintains throughout its remaining course of 430 miles to -Lake Athabaska, the latter called “The Lake of the Hills” by Mackenzie. - -At Edmonton nearly every person met with had been talking land and town -lots. The hotels were filled with “land lookers,” coming from various -parts of Canada with a large percentage of visitors from the United -States, most of them speaking the English language, varied in tone -in accordance with the districts from which they came. There was the -“blue nose” from the Maritime Provinces with a dialect not unlike that -heard in parts of England: the French Canadian speaking French English: -the man from Ontario, also with his distinctive mark branded on him, -though not realising it himself: the Western American from Dakota, -Montana, Idaho and Kansas, each also with his peculiar idioms, but all -self-assertive and reliant. - -At Athabaska Landing all was changed. The conversation here was of none -of these things, but rather of last season’s hunt and the state of the -river; conveyed largely in the language of the Cree Indian. This is -certainly a border town consisting of two or three hundred inhabitants -largely half breeds. It is perhaps worthy of remark that no offence -is taken in applying the term “half breed” to one who by nationality -deserves the name, while he will bitterly resent the epithet “breed.” -A few years before I had made a journey from “The Landing” to Peace -River, going from the latter place up the Athabaska some eighty miles, -thence up a tributary, the Little Slave River into and across Lesser -Slave Lake, thence overland eighty miles to the Peace River. I crossed -near the entrance of Smokey River, where Sir Alexander Mackenzie had -spent the winter to which I have already made reference. - -[Illustration: - - _Copyright Ernest Brown_ - -TRACKING ON ATHABASKA RIVER] - -During this journey I came to admire those half breed river men. It -is a peculiarity of most of those northern rivers that although the -current is very strong there are few interruptions to their navigation -with canoes, York boats or small barges. It is impossible to make -much headway however in going up stream by means of paddles or oars, so -“tracking” is resorted to. This consists of towing the boat by means -of a line, one end of which is attached to the bow of the craft while -to the other are usually harnessed four men, who walk or run along the -shore, often making three or four miles an hour. On one of the usual -river craft, the crew consists, at least, of ten men, four pulling -for about half an hour, while the other four are resting in the boat -during that time, then changing places. In addition to these there is -a bow man and a steersman, the latter being the Captain. From twenty -to twenty-five miles a day are frequently made in this manner. The -discipline and order are as good as on any ship of His Majesty’s navy. -The steersman’s orders are never interfered with, even if an official -of the “The Company” is on board. These men will undergo the most -fatiguing labour “from early dawn to dewy eve,” tugging away during -those long northern summer days over slippery cut banks and fording or -swimming tributary streams without murmur or complaint, and moreover -without profanity. The half breed seems to take this as his work to -do, and well it is that he is so persuaded, for few others would so -cheerfully perform such labour. His reward comes on the return trip -when the boat is simply left to drift down stream both night and day, -and the time of making a journey down is often less than one quarter of -that occupied by the up trip. - -The land rises in terraces from the shore of the Athabaska to a height -of from one to four hundred feet. In some places where the river is -straight enough to give a vista of a mile or two, and where the fire -has been merciful enough to leave the hill sides clothed with spruce, -balsam, aspen and birch, with an occasional lobstick standing up as a -sentinel on the water’s edge, the scenery, if not strikingly beautiful, -is at least pleasing in effect. I might here mention that the lobstick -is always a curiosity to a new visitor. It will meet his view on his -arrival at Athabaska Landing, and along the banks of all the rivers of -the north, will be a familiar sight. It is a tree, usually a spruce, -from which the branches have been trimmed off from a point, commencing, -say ten feet from the top and extending down the trunk for eight -or ten feet. The tree chosen is generally a tall conspicuous one, -standing on a point on the shore, and on it near the ground certain -hieroglyphics are inscribed, which record the event for which the -lobstick was made. - -In passing it may be observed that in my trip from Athabaska Landing to -Fort McPherson, a distance of 1854 miles, no part of it was up stream, -and consequently, the line was not used. - - - - -CHAPTER III - - From Athabaska Landing to Great Rapids : The _Midnight Sun_ and - its Voyage. - - -At Athabaska Landing we found the H.B.C Steamer, _Midnight Sun_ loading -with supplies, all going to the Northern posts. She also towed six -small scows, each carrying from eight to ten tons. These scows are -built from spruce lumber cut at a small saw mill here. They each cost -about one hundred dollars and are seldom brought back up stream, but -are broken up when unloaded and the lumber used for building purposes. - -On the afternoon of June 8, we let loose from the shore, and assisted -by the swift current, were soon moving down stream at a speed of about -twelve miles an hour. The cargo of the _Midnight Sun_ as well as that -of the scows, contained almost every article found in a general country -store, flour, bacon, tea, sugar, canned goods, guns, powder, shot, -cartridges, blankets, kettles, axes, clothing, in fact everything that -goes to make life even endurable in those isolated regions. The whole -population of the village was on the bank and waved us _bon voyage_. -The steamer was a flat-bottomed craft, 120 ft. long by 20 ft. beam, and -propelled by a stern wheel, and drew when loaded about 2 ft. 6 ins. of -water. - -Once on our way we soon began to look around and make acquaintance -with our fellow passengers. Among others were Chief Trader Anderson, -the Superintendent of the Mackenzie River District for the H.B.C., Mr. -Stefansson, a scientist on his first voyage to the Arctic, and from -whom it is probable the public will have an interesting account when -he returns again from his study of Esquimaux life; four young men, on -their way to Fort McMurray to bore for oil; a Miss Wilgriss, returning -to resume her work at the Anglican Mission at Hay River on the West -shore of Great Slave Lake; Rev. Mr. Winch, a young missionary, _en -route_ to Fort Norman to take charge of the Anglican Mission there; a -tall gaunt white man, reminding one of Abe Lincoln in his early days, -and about half a dozen half breeds, some of them on their way to -different points along the river and others going to their homes in -regions beyond, while of the crew, the captain, engineer and cooks were -white men, the rest half breeds. - -We had left “The Landing” at 1.30 P.M. and at seven in the evening tied -up for the night at Calling River about fifty miles from our starting -point, having passed the mouth of Lac La Biche River an hour before. -A half breed, named Piche Prudens, had made a clearing here, where we -found wheat and vegetables growing. He claimed that he raised as good -wheat there as can be grown anywhere on the prairie. We found also in -abundance the pest of all this north land--the mosquito. - -The country all the way is forest, though its great enemy, fire has -done its work and left its scars to disfigure the landscape. The timber -consists of spruce, aspen and balsam--poplar, birch, tamarac and -willow. The best spruce lines the river and its tributary streams. Some -of it being large enough for lumber. The soil in many places is sandy -though probably a fair percentage will be found capable of producing -crops. There is very little showing of rock on the surface. The average -width of the river between “The Landing” and Pelican Rapids, which we -reached the second day at 4 P.M., is about sixty rods and of sufficient -depth so far as to afford fair navigation to such a craft as ours. - -We tied up for the second night at the upper end of Pelican Rapids, -120 miles below Athabaska Landing. With these rapids we met the first -obstruction to free navigation. It will be seen that this was the -beginning of many annoying delays caused by lack of sufficient water in -the numerous rapids met with all the way to Fort McMurray. - -[Illustration: - - _Copyright Ernest Brown_ - -GRAND RAPIDS ON ATHABASKA RIVER] - -Within a short distance from our mooring place was observed a gas well, -sunk by the Dominion Government, from which issued a flame of fire some -fifteen feet in height. A few years ago the Dominion Government sank -several wells in the hope of finding oil on reaching the tar sands, -which will be referred to later on. In this case, after reaching a -depth of 837 ft., 87 ft. being through these tar sands, gas was struck -of such strength as to prevent further drilling. The Government also -put down a hole at Victoria, Alberta, hoping also to strike oil on -reaching the tar sands at a calculated depth of 2100 ft. At 1840 ft. -the casing became wedged and the work was stopped. Another attempt was -made at Athabaska Landing with a similar result at 1770 ft. and within -30 ft. of the calculated depth of the tar sands. - -On Monday, June 11, we made a start down these rapids, but what with -the strong current running rapidly over a boulder bottom, the speed of -our boat being accelerated by a strong wind blowing down stream we soon -feared for her safety and were rather pleased than otherwise when our -pilot after an exciting experience of about an hour, ordered another -halt, and we found ourselves again tied up to a tree on the bank. - -Early the next morning, the wind having abated, we started again, but -in less than an hour were again tied up. A stone had been stove through -the planking of the bottom. After repairing the damage we made another -attempt and reached House River Rapid. We were now beginning to -realise the fact that the Athabaska in this part of its course scarcely -deserves to be called a navigable stream, except, perhaps when it is -swollen by the sudden melting of the snows in the mountains at its -source. - -For the next four days we waited longingly for the spring flood to -overtake us, and finally succeeded on June 16 in reaching a point about -four miles above Grand Rapids. Here again we spent four more weary -waiting days, while the men were busy transferring cargo from the -steamer to scows, taking it down to the head of Grand Rapids, where it -was conveyed across an island in the rapids on a tram car pushed by the -men. The descent in these rapids is about fifty feet, and the length of -them one mile. - -On the morning of the 20th the steamer, now considerably lightened, -made a last attempt and came down three miles further to the head of -the Rapids. This ended our voyage on the _Midnight Sun_. - -[Illustration: LUNCH TIME ON THE ATHABASKA RIVER] - - - - -CHAPTER IV - - A Burial in the Wilderness : From Grand Rapids to Fort - McMurray : Tar Sands. - - -On Wednesday, June 20, about 9.30 P.M., as we were sitting around -a smouldering fire on the bank close to where the steamer lay, and -watching the day darkening into night, a gun shot was heard at the -Rapids, which meant the return from Fort McMurray of some of the river -men, and we were soon possessed of the very welcome news that the -steamer _Grahame_, which plied between McMurray and Smith’s Landing -on the Slave River, was again in commission for the season, and would -be waiting for us at McMurray as soon as we could get there. This -news was very welcome, for it was the first tidings we had received -regarding this boat. What if she had been burnt or had met some serious -accident since she was last heard from the season before? I do not know -whether any of the other passengers had feared the possibility of -such a report, but now with only ninety miles in barges between us and -McMurray, when we would be below the rapids and have smooth sailing, -we all felt like rejoicing. In a few minutes, however, it was suddenly -noticed that every voice on the steamer was hushed, and a moment later -one of the crew came over the gang plank and whispered something to a -man on the shore. We soon learned that the angel of death had visited -the _Midnight Sun_ and claimed as his victim Herbert Bray, our cook. -We had just before listened to uncharitable words from one of the men -to the effect that his illness was only feigned; that the night before -he had seen him walking the deck when all were supposed to be asleep. -While the poor fellow’s condition was too serious to permit us to -believe that he was only acting a part, we rather hoped that this story -might be true, and it may have been that in his delirious state he had -wandered during the night from his room, for he had no nurse to watch -over him. He was a young Englishman of good appearance, who had been -a few years out, living in the neighbourhood of Edmonton. Like many -others in the country he had by camp experience learnt something of -the culinary art, and had engaged in this capacity with the Company. -Only a few days after leaving “The Landing” he was taken ill. Many were -the remedies proposed and a number tried, but all to no effect. It -was probably a case of appendicitis, which even in expert hands often -proves fatal, but it caused us to realise our situation here in the -wilderness where no medical attendance was obtainable. - -[Illustration: FUNERAL OF HERBERT BRAY ON THE ATHABASKA RIVER] - -The following day a rough coffin was made and we buried him on the bank -of the river. I carved his name and date of death on a small tree near -by and Mr. Stefansson made a lobstick from a spruce growing higher up -the bank. As the grave was being closed over him, one could not but -think of his relatives in the old country, who probably at that moment -were going through their ordinary round of daily duty, while this -wanderer, impelled by the spirit of adventure, was destined to make his -long sleep in this sylvan solitude. - -At eight o’clock in the evening of the 21st, we all very gladly took -leave of the _Midnight Sun_. We had been nearly two weeks on board and -had made but 160 miles. From this point to Fort McMurray the river is -very rough and it was necessary to make the passage in scows. Two days -were spent in getting the supplies over the Rapids, during which time a -few of the men were out hunting and succeeded in killing a very large -moose, the fresh meat of which was much relished, since it was the -first we had tasted since leaving “The Landing.” - -Specimens of petrified wood are found along the banks in the -neighbourhood of Grand Rapids. Here, too, are seen protruding from -the high sandstone banks and lying along the beach, stones which are -accretions of the same formation, but apparently of a harder texture -but quite separated from the stratified rock. They are of a perfectly -spherical shape and vary in size from two to ten feet in diameter, and -when viewed from the river, one might fancy they were huge bells that -had been shot into the banks by some gigantic mortar. - -[Illustration: STONES ON THE ATHABASKA RIVER] - -During the next eight days spent in reaching Fort McMurray, the weather -was almost tropical, registering over 90° Fahrenheit in the shade, and -the period of daylight was very long. The sun usually rose long -before any of us, and in the evening lingered around the north-western -horizon as if loath to sink below it. When finally the twilight set -in, the ubiquitous mosquito never failed to sound his musical lay and -to feast on his victims. It seems that as if to make up for the short -summer in those northern latitudes, these pests are more industrious -than farther south. They are certainly found in greater numbers as we -go north, and are not less vicious in character. To illustrate their -persistency it is only necessary to repeat the remark of a young -Englishman of our party as he vigorously attempted to drive them away. -He said they seemed “quoite determined to not go awoye.” - -While it would be wearisome to relate the frequent delays on this part -of the journey or to describe the numerous rapids that impeded our -progress, I cannot refrain from mentioning the two cascades. The first -appearance of limestone is met with near Boiler Rapid, about fifty-five -miles below “Grand Rapids,” and the scenery along the banks becomes -more picturesque. Both the Upper and Lower Cascade are formed by the -cleavage in the limestone. It is as if some engineer had laid out a -curved line entirely across the river, after which his workman had cut -with a saw down into the rock, in one case, two feet, and in the other -four, and then removed the rock below this point to that depth, causing -the Cascades. - -Owing to the dip of the rock formation, the limestone, which at “The -Landing” is some 1800 feet beneath the surface, makes its first -appearance at the surface of the river’s bed some 220 miles below, -where we first meet the tar sands. These sands bear a good percentage -of bitumen. They extend for about ninety miles along the Athabaska. -This bitumen is, the geologists tell us, an inspissated petroleum, -derived from the subjacent limestones, and reports state that -indications of its presence extend over an area of 1000 square miles of -country. It is more than probable that some day this may be one of the -greatest oil producing districts in the world, though up to this time -I am not aware that it has yet been found in paying quantities, and I -would be sorry that any words of mine should tempt the small capitalist -to invest in prospective oil shares in that wilderness region till -further developments have been made. An analysis of these sands made by -the Geological Department at Ottawa gives the following result: - - Bitumen 12·42% - Water 5·85% - Siliceous Sand 81·73% - -and a cubic foot of this bituminous sand rock would give 41·59 pounds -of bitumen. In the report accompanying the above analysis it is -estimated that the area covered by this tar sand is, as I have stated, -1000 square miles in extent, and of sufficient depth to give a bulk of -6·50 cubic miles of bitumen. A further deduction is that the amount of -petroleum, which must have issued from the underlying limestone, would -produce by weight 4,700,000 tons of bitumen. I should say that in many -places near McMurray the tar was oozing out along the banks of the -river and emitted a very distinct odour. - -It was the first of July, the natal day of the Dominion, that we -arrived at Fort McMurray. Upwards of twenty large boats and barges, -with boatmen and passengers numbering over 100 in all, made a rather -imposing appearance as we rowed and floated down the river on that -bright and exceedingly hot morning. Every craft had some kind of a flag -flying in honour of the day, which caused us to realise that though we -were in a wilderness beyond the borders of civilisation, we were still -in our own country and viewing our own possessions. - -About noon, on rounding a point where the Clearwater joins the -Athabaska, a welcome object came in view, the steamer _Grahame_, tied -to the bank at McMurray. - -We soon shook off the dust of travel and entered once more upon a -civilised state of existence. We had now been over three weeks in -making the journey from Athabaska Landing, a distance of only 252 -miles, while before us on the route to Fort McPherson lay 1600 miles. -Unless we should make better time henceforth, we would find ourselves -just about in time to be frozen in for the long arctic winter on our -arrival there. We were, however, assured that our difficulties were now -over and that with the exception of one portage, which will be referred -to later, we would have hereafter uninterrupted navigation all the way -down, and I may as well anticipate here by stating that on July 21, in -precisely three weeks’ time, we arrived at McPherson. - -Fort McMurray, situated at the junction of the Clearwater with the -Athabaska, is not at present a post of very much importance, but it -has a history of considerable interest. It was here that the weary -_voyageur_ in the early days from far away Montreal, figuratively -speaking threw down his pack and gave a sigh of relief as he reached -one of the great tributaries of the Mackenzie. Let us follow him on -his journey from his leaving his home under Mount Royal. We need not -fear that our imagination is misleading us as we see him push his bark -canoe out from the shore and ascend the St. Lawrence, to the junction -of the Ottawa, thence turning northwards he soon encounters the rapids -of St. Annes, whose beauties have been extolled in immortal verse by -the Irish poet, Tom Moore, in his “Canadian Boat Song.” Having made a -portage here and offered up prayers to his patron saint in the little -church hard by, he bids good-bye to his friends, who have accompanied -him thus far. With his crew of canoemen as adventurous as himself -(singing those songs that may still be heard by his compatriots from -the St. Lawrence to the Yukon) they urge their frail craft against the -stream. For over 300 miles they ascend the Ottawa with the familiar -Laurentides to the right. Then turning to the left, they enter the -Mattawa, which they ascend to its source near Lake Nipissing. A portage -is made here into the latter lake. Crossing this sheet of water, they -follow its outlet, the French River, down many rapids and cascades to -the Georgian Bay and Lake Huron; up Lake Huron to Sault Ste Marie; over -the rapids here to the largest body of fresh water in the world, Lake -Superior; up this lake, over 300 miles to Grand Portage; thence up the -Pigeon River, and numerous tributary streams and inland lakes, till the -height of land dividing the St. Lawrence basin from that of the Hudson -Bay is passed; thence down streams and lakes little known even at the -present day, till Rainy Lake is entered and passed; until he finds -himself at Fort Frances. Here he meets canoes laden with furs from far -away Chippewyan on the Lake of the Hills. They exchange cargoes and -each crew starts on his return journey, the one for Montreal with -bales of peltries from the shadows of the Rocky Mountains, the other -for the interior of the far North, his canoe laden with supplies, -passes down that beautiful stream, the Rainy River, to the Lake of the -Woods; across that lake, down Winnipeg River to Lake Winnipeg; up that -lake to the mouth of the great Saskatchewan, thence up the latter to -Cumberland House, and from there through lakes and rivers only known to -him and the native Indian, till finally after a journey of 2500 miles -he arrives at this far away post, McMurray. - -But the name, McMurray, is now beginning to be heard in our Legislative -Halls at Edmonton and at Ottawa. Politicians are commencing to search -for it on the maps of the new Province of Alberta, and probably -within two or three years, the whistle of the railway locomotive will -awaken echoes on the surrounding hills. With a railroad completed -from Edmonton to Fort McMurray, the easterner will be able to see -the midnight sun within one month from the day he leaves Montreal or -Toronto. - - - - -CHAPTER V - - Fort McMurray to Smith’s Landing on the Slave River : The - _Grahame_ : Beauty of Northern Twilights : Fort Chippewyan : The - Slave River : The Peace River Basin. - - -We found the _Grahame_ a much larger and more comfortable boat than -the _Midnight Sun_, though constructed on the same lines, both being -flat-bottomed craft and propelled by stern wheels. - -It was late in the afternoon of another very hot day, July 2, when we -resumed our journey, and sitting on the deck, I watched a panorama of -rare beauty unrolled to view as we descended the river. The Clearwater -mingled its contents slowly and reluctantly with those of the turbid -Athabaska. Islands clothed with green spruce receded from view as -others appeared in the distance. - -It was after seven o’clock in the evening, when we left McMurray and -yet we sat for hours taking no note of time, till some one remarked -it was getting late, though the sun, away around in the north-west, -was still a little above the horizon, and seemed very loathe to sink -below it. As in “The Lotos Eaters,” it seemed “a land where it was -always afternoon.” There are two features that cannot fail to impress -the stranger on his visit to these regions, especially in mid-summer; -first, those northern twilights, and second, the profound silence that -always seems to fall like a pall on the wilderness as the gathering -shadows increase more and more till all nature is embraced in silent -slumber. - -Frequently we tied up to the shore for the few dark hours we enjoyed at -this time and in this latitude, later we had none--and the deathlike -tranquillity of those approaching nights was almost bewildering in its -intensity. One actually seemed to have approached very near to the -heart of nature. - -This sensation brought back to mind the words of George Eliot in the -scene from _Adam Bede_, where she pictures the absolute calm which -prevailed on that night when Adam was engaged long after midnight -in making a coffin for his father, and when resting for a moment, -he looked across the starlit fields where “every blade of grass was -asleep.” - -Here, we beheld the wilderness in its lethean repose. Occasionally the -cry of a loon would float over the woods from some inland lake, or -the hooting of an owl would be heard somewhere in the forest. These, -however, seemed rather to add to, than detract from the loneliness that -surrounded us. Those who have seen nature in repose will sympathise -with me in my feeble attempt to convey an impression of that which is -really beyond description. - -After the junction of the Clearwater, the Athabaska becomes a stream -varying from a quarter to half a mile in width. Some good spruce timber -is seen on the way. Asphalt and coal are found along the banks below -McMurray. Seams of soft coal of considerable thickness are found in the -neighbourhood of Fort McKay, which is used by the blacksmiths at some -of the posts. - -During our stay at McMurray the first flood from the upper sources of -the river overtook us, and on leaving this post the water had risen -about two feet. This accelerated our speed, and from here on we were -running races with this mountain water. Sometimes we were with it, and -then after several hours’ run we would leave it behind till we made -another halt, when it would again overtake us. There was no mistaking -it, as the colour of the new water was much more muddy than that of the -original, which had in its slower course parted with a good portion of -its alluvial matter. - -In the course of some twenty-four hours’ run from McMurray the -traveller finds evidences that he is approaching the mouth of the -river. The stream increases to double or treble the width it is above -McMurray. The banks become lower. Willows take the place of the poplar -and spruce. Islands on every hand seem almost to block the passage. -Then drowned land and great marshes, the home of wild fowl innumerable, -stretch away to the horizon and at last the waters of the Lake of the -Hills, now Lake Athabaska, are seen glistening to the east, while hills -of red granite stretch far away to the north and below these along the -shore, the whitewashed buildings of Fort Chippewyan appear. - -[Illustration: - - _Copyright Ernest Brown_ - -FORT CHIPPEWYAN ON ATHABASKA LAKE] - -By reference to my diary, I find that it was July 4 that we reached -Chippewyan, and I remember rising before four o’clock, so eager -was I to catch the first glimpse of the lake. We had been for nearly -a month following down a river through a wilderness, where the range -of our vision was limited by the high banks on either side, and it was -like entering a larger world and was really restful when we beheld a -great expanse of blue water extending off to the east as far as the -eye could reach. But here, too, was “loneliness unbroken.” Another of -those excessively hot days, too, that had pursued us for some time, was -again with us. The lake was as smooth as glass, but the most powerful -telescope revealed nothing of life on its surface, save a few wild -fowl, perfectly secure, for no fowler was in sight. - -Lake Athabaska is about 200 miles in length from Chippewyan on the west -to Fond du Lac on the east, while its average width is probably about -twenty miles. - -The appearance of Chippewyan was quite picturesque as we approached it -from the south. - -The Hudson Bay Company’s buildings are in the form of a quadrangle and -appear very attractive from a distance. Those of the Roman Catholic -Mission are quite imposing but lose some of their effect through being -painted a very dull colour. - -We only remained at Chippewyan about twelve hours and then started for -the entrance of Slave River and Great Slave Lake. The distance from the -mouth of Athabaska River to the entrance of Slave River is only eight -or ten miles. - -For the first ten miles after entering the Slave, the channel, or -rather the one we took, winds in and out between islands and submerged -land, covered with grass. These drowned lands and marshes extend -apparently a long distance west, between the Athabaska and Peace River, -which latter stream joins the Slave about twenty miles down the latter -from the Lake. This is a hunter’s paradise, and when the railway -reaches McMurray the wild goose will soon find its present security -disturbed by the sportsman from the south. - -[Illustration: SPRUCE TIMBER ON THE SLAVE RIVER] - -At 10 P.M. the steamer tied up for the night. This had been the -hottest day yet experienced. The mercury stood at 100 in the shade at -Chippewyan, but the appearance of the sky portended rain, and as we -retired we heard rumblings of thunder and some lightning was to be -seen. A little later, the welcome drops were heard pattering on the -decks. All welcomed a relief from weather that would be more suitable -to the tropics than to this latitude of 59 degrees north. On waking -the following morning, July 5, we found the air refreshingly cool. It -had rained nearly all night, and from this on we had no more such heat -as we had heretofore experienced. At a distance of some fifteen miles -from Chippewyan, the land becomes higher and is covered with timber, -considerable quantities of which are seen from the river; the varieties -being spruce, poplar, birch, tamarac and willow; some of the first -named being of good quality, running in size up to twenty inches at the -stump. This timber continues somewhat irregularly throughout the whole -course of the Slave from here to Great Slave Lake. - -At about twenty miles below Lake Athabaska, the Slave receives the -Peace River, and the former at once becomes an immense stream, -averaging perhaps a mile in width. The Peace itself is really a great -river: rising on the eastern slope of that great Atlas chain of North -America, the Rocky Mountains, it flows easterly and northerly for some -800 miles till finally at this junction its waters mingle with those -coming from the same watershed via the Athabaska. - -Ever since the mountain water overtook us, we had witnessed -considerable drift timber, but immediately after passing the junction -of the Peace this greatly increased; and cast up by previous floods -on the shores, sand bars and islands were thousands upon thousands of -spruce trees, sufficiently large for lumbering purposes. - -The Peace River deserves more than a passing reference. It is much -the largest of the many tributary streams whose waters find an outlet -to the Arctic Sea through the Mackenzie. In fact, it and the Slave -might be regarded as the Upper Mackenzie with Great Slave Lake as an -immense expansion. It is something in the neighbourhood of 800 miles -from where the Finlay and the Parsnip, under the shadow of the Rockies, -join to form the Peace, and from here to its mouth it flows through a -valley containing a large percentage of exceedingly fertile land. There -have been different opinions as to the future of this valley as an -agricultural district, but it is probable that with the exception of -that portion near the source, where the elevation is considerable, the -basin of the Peace will not be behind that of the North Saskatchewan in -its yield of cereals and vegetables and quite equal to any portion of -the great west as a grazing country, though it must be remembered that -it is more or less wooded. - -In the year 1902, I visited the Upper Peace, as before stated, and on -September 16, at a point nearly 500 miles above the mouth, wheat was -already cut, oats mostly cut, and I was informed that this was about -the usual time of harvesting. I also saw at the Roman Catholic Mission, -a few miles above Peace River Crossing, and almost opposite the mouth -of Smokey River, potatoes, cabbage, beets, onions, pumpkins, tomatoes, -muskmelons, etc., and also tobacco. The latter may not be equal to the -famed Havanna leaf, but it possesses sufficient nicotine to gratify the -appetite of those dependent on it for their supply. - -The river at this point is considerably over a quarter of a mile wide, -and the water at this season was clear and blue. The valley, which is -here over two miles wide, about one mile on each side of the stream -itself, is six or seven hundred feet lower than the table land above. - -[Illustration: - - _Copyright Ernest Brown, Edmonton_ - -RAPIDS ON THE SLAVE RIVER AT THE SECOND PORTAGE] - -On the way in from Lesser Slave Lake, I had been told to have my camera -ready as we approached the descent at Peace River Crossing. Even the -stolid half breed who accompanied me was almost enthusiastic in his -description of the view that awaited us, so that I was quite prepared -for what I apprehended would be something like the view of Niagara -River from Queenston Heights. It resembled more the Grand Canyon of -Arizona. All at once there appeared before us something so gigantic in -its dimensions and so bewildering in the beauty of the vista which it -revealed, that I feel any words that I can pen would rather conceal -than reveal any true conception of this wonderful picture. Looking -from the upland in every direction and on both sides of the valley, -the table land seemed to the eye as level as the proverbial billiard -table, while beneath and extending east and west for distances which I -hesitate to estimate, lay this great excavation, for such it really -is, and far below, the blue water of the river was seen threading its -way along the base, at times dividing itself between islands and sand -bars and then reuniting in its hurried flow ever onward and downward in -its course. A few miles above “The Smoky” was seen threading its way -through a similar valley, while farther and farther away were other -tributary streams flowing through other valleys till the vision was -only lost by the interception of the horizon. One can form but a feeble -conception of the energy that nature has expended in excavating this -great canyon, through which now flows a navigable stream with but one -obstruction in its course for some 700 miles. Evidently this has been -accomplished simply by the water from the mountains seeking ever a -lower level. The swift current of the stream was not only sufficient to -delve out the enormous quantity of earth embraced in this valley over -two miles wide and to the depth I have stated, but also to transport it -for hundreds of miles down stream where it was deposited, forming sand -bars and islands all the way to Great Slave Lake. - -At the source of the Danube River at Donoueschingen stand two statuary -figures, the one representing the country and the other, the river. -The former is indicating to the latter the route to be taken, and the -injunction is “Go this way and open the wilderness.” - -Here we have a valley even greater than that through which the Danube -flows, and the injunction is being obeyed in the opening up of a region -of inestimable value for the benefit of those who will yet seek their -homes in this part of our possessions. - -We will now resume our narrative by returning to the Slave River, which -connects Lake Athabaska with Great Slave Lake. It is about 300 miles -in length, but navigation is obstructed by rapids that commence at -Smith’s Landing, 100 miles from Athabaska, and extend down stream to -Fort Smith, a distance of sixteen miles. For this reason, the steamer -_Grahame_, with the scows that she had in tow from McMurray, proceeded -no farther than the former place, and the cargo was freighted overland -to Fort Smith on wagons drawn by oxen, which delayed us about a week. -Most of the country passed over on this portage is very sandy, which -made very heavy drawing. This will be spanned one of these days by an -electric tramway, the motive power for which can easily be obtained -from the rapids near by. - -[Illustration: SMITH’S LANDING ON SLAVE RIVER] - -The prevailing rock formation between Chippewyan and Smith’s Landing is -granite; that about Chippewyan being of a red colour, while as Smith’s -Landing is approached it is grey, and the soil covering noted on this -section of our journey proved less inviting to the agriculturist -than that either above or below it, where there is a good deposit of -alluvial soil. - -At La Bute, forty miles above Smith’s Landing, we saw a good deposit of -tar in the limestone rock on the west side of the river. - -While we were staying at Smith’s Landing awaiting the transport of the -cargo across the portage to Fort Smith, a tug towing several scows -which we had passed farther up the river arrived. They were accompanied -by Bishop Grouard and were the property of the Roman Catholic Church -over which he presides in this district, and also in that of the Peace -River country. I was glad of having an opportunity of meeting him -again, especially as he had some years before made the trip which I -proposed to take from Fort McPherson to Fort Yukon. - -On July 9, we crossed the sixteen mile portage to Fort Smith just below -the rapids. We had a comfortable carriage drawn by horses and made -the trip in about three hours. Here we boarded the trim-built little -steamer, _Wrigley_, which we found much smaller than the _Grahame_, but -on the whole fairly comfortable. She differed from the _Grahame_ and -the _Midnight Sun_, being built on a different model, the former being -like the Mississippi steamers, with flat bottoms, and drawing only -about two feet of water, while the _Wrigley_ is similar in construction -to the steamers of the lower lakes of Canada, with a screw wheel, and -drawing nearly six feet when loaded. - -[Illustration: STEAMER “GRAHAME” AT SMITH’S LANDING] - - - - -CHAPTER VI - - More About the Slave River : On Steamer _Wrigley_ : Fine Gardens - at Resolution : A Nasty Experience : Bishop Reeves Comes Aboard - for a Round Trip : Miss Wilgriss Leaves : Hay River : Fort - Prudence : The Little Lake : Fort Simpson : A Pathetic Incident : - An Imaginary Cabinet : We Reach Fort Wrigley. - - -The cargo having all been carted over the portage and loaded on the -_Wrigley_ and her consorts, we left Fort Smith at 3.15 P.M., Mountain -or Pacific time, on this last stage of our journey to Fort McPherson, -in round numbers, 1300 miles distant. The day was cloudy and quite -cool. We were at last clear of all obstructions to navigation. -Throughout the whole remaining distance there would also be very little -darkness, and the steamer was to run both night and day. The country -becomes more level than above the rapids. The banks at first thirty or -forty feet high become gradually lower with the descent of the river, -and the soil reveals a rich alluvial deposit, similar in appearance -to that of the Western prairies. We passed Salt River at 5.30 P.M. and -Bell Rock a little after, and later Gravel Point, where we saw the last -gravel to be met with on these waters. - -_Thursday, July 12._ The boat ran all night and at 8.30 A.M. we were -well down the river, being opposite McConnell Island. After leaving -Fort Smith the river expands to probably an average width of a mile and -a half, in some places much more, with numerous islands on the way. -As it widens out the current decreases and the soil held in solution -yields to the law of gravity and is deposited, forming numerous islands -all the way to the lake. The earth, that once rested securely along -the present course of “the Peace” before the waters from the mountains -found their way in that direction and commenced that great excavation, -is here found in these islands, and the newly formed land that is -pushing the southern shore line of Great Slave Lake near the mouth of -this river, farther and farther north. How applicable to this situation -are the words of Tennyson: - -[Illustration: LEAVING FORT SMITH ON THE SLAVE RIVER] - - “_The sound of streams that swift or slow - Draw down Æonian hills, and sow - The dust of continents to be._” - -The land falls gradually away till it is submerged. Islands innumerable -have been formed while others in embryo exist in the sand bars -extending for long distances in the neighbourhood of the channel. It -was difficult to follow the outlet and we grounded several times after -we were well into the lake. However, by appliances peculiar to such -navigation, we finally got into deep water, and an hour’s run brought -us to a fine bay on the shore of which we beheld another whitewashed -village with a hundred or more Indian lodges in the foreground. This -was Fort Resolution, and the lodges were the temporary habitations of -the Chippewyan and Slavey Indians, who were assembled here for the -payment of “treaty,” as they call it, that is to say, the Federal -Government’s grant to Indian tribes. It was late in the afternoon when -we entered the lake. We lost two or three hours on the sand bars and -another in putting on wood, so that when we went ashore at Resolution, -it was near eleven o’clock at night. I remember thinking that we would -have to make our journey short so as to get back before dark; but what -with a visit to the tent of Indian Commissioner Conroy and Dr. West, -and the exchange of information from outside which we possessed, for -that of the interior which they could furnish, and with a visit to the -Indian camps, I was astonished to find that we had passed from one -day into another without having experienced any intervening night. A -dull twilight was giving way to a bright dawn as we went aboard our -ship after midnight. This was the beginning of constant daylight, that -remained with us for several weeks. - -I noticed some very well cultivated gardens at Resolution, containing -most of the vegetables we would find in the gardens of Eastern -Canada--potatoes, turnips, peas, cabbage, beets, etc. The potatoes were -particularly good, and so far advanced that by August 1 they would -certainly be fit for use. There were no evidences either that the -“potato bug” had yet visited this district. - -[Illustration: - - _Copyright Ernest Brown_ - -FORT RESOLUTION ON GREAT SLAVE LAKE] - -We had before us, between here and Hay River, a large sheet of open -water of over seventy miles to traverse, and delays are frequently -experienced here, especially when a steamer has, as in our case, -several heavily-laden scows in tow. - -We left Resolution at 2 o’clock on the morning of July 13, but had soon -to seek shelter under an island and wait for the sea to subside, which -it did sufficiently to allow us to start again about 4 P.M., but for -several hours it seemed doubtful if one of the scows which was leaking -badly could be kept afloat till we should reach Hay River, and we were -glad to find when we arose in the morning that the crew of the leaky -craft had been rewarded for their toil. She was among the other boats -lying along the bank, and without showing much damage either to the -scow itself or to the cargo. The latter was much the more important, -as it contained food and other necessities brought such long distances -and at such great expense, and besides there were anxious men, women, -and children in far outlying posts in this great wilderness, whose very -existence depended on supplies reaching them in good condition. - -Awakening early in the morning and before the crew or inhabitants of -the village had risen, I walked up the bank of the river, and finding -a sandy beach was soon enjoying a bath. While engaged in this luxury, -I noticed that I had attracted the attention of half a dozen rather -large-sized and very hungry-looking husky dogs, that came rushing down -the bank barking furiously, evidently thinking me a legitimate object -of prey. In the whole course of my journey this is the only instance -where I was the subject of an attack of any kind, and I must confess -I felt greatly alarmed as I realised my situation, and cannot help -thinking that had it not been for some Indians, the owners of the dogs, -suddenly appearing in a canoe around a point in the river, paddling -quickly to my rescue, the consequences might have been serious. The -hungry creatures probably thought I was some animal from the forest who -was trying to escape them by swimming the river. - -Bishop Reeve, of the Anglican Diocese of the Mackenzie River, came -aboard at Hay River for a round trip to McPherson and return, and Miss -Wilgriss left us to resume her position at the Mission here. We were -all impressed with the zeal of this lady in her work, which is -certainly one of self-sacrificing devotion to a great cause. - -[Illustration: - - _Copyright Ernest Brown, Edmonton_ - -DOG-RIBBED INDIANS ON GREAT SLAVE LAKE] - -Hay River is a stream of considerable size which enters Great Slave -Lake from the west at a distance of some forty miles south of the -entrance to the Mackenzie. - -The morning was fine. The wind had subsided, and the great lake, which -serves as a filtering basin for the turbid waters entering it from the -Slave River, was here as clear as that of the great inland lakes of -Eastern Canada--Huron, Erie or Ontario. Wherever a river contains muddy -water, you may at once conclude that it has no large lake expansions -above it. In nearly every stream pouring its waters into the great -clear water lakes of the St. Lawrence basin the water is dark and more -or less impure; very different both in quality and appearance from that -which it assumes after having had a little time to settle. This is, of -course, due to the process of precipitation which the river currents -have previously prevented. The Saskatchewan, the Missouri and the -Mississippi are streams whose waters are similar in appearance to that -of the “Yellow Tiber” at Rome. So, also, are those of the Columbia and -the Fraser of the Pacific slope, and in each case you will search in -vain for any large lake expansions in their courses. - -A few hours’ run brought us to a bay with many islands, which gradually -contracted to a width of two or three miles and we now had entered the -great river, the Mackenzie, into which all the waters we had traversed -flow. No more delays were now anticipated, no lakes to cross, no rapids -to encounter, and no darkness to delay us on our course for the rest of -our journey, a thousand miles in all, to the delta of the Mackenzie. - -Great Slave Lake impresses the visitor by its size, which approximates -to that of the great lakes of Eastern Canada. For some time we were -entirely out of sight of land. There is a bar at the mouth of the river -which our steamer struck once or twice as she also did in two or three -other places farther down. - -After passing what might be called the entrance, the river widens out -into expansions which deserve and receive the distinction of lakes. -Islands covered with green timber are numerous, and the appearance -is suggestive of the lower St. Lawrence. We had some difficulty in -following the channel at the mouth of one of these expansions, named -Beaver Lake, where we grounded twice on a soft bottom. This did no -damage to the steamer but caused us several hours’ delay. - -The blowing of the whistle of the _Wrigley_ early on Sunday morning of -July 15 announced that we were approaching Fort Providence, and as the -boat rounded an island in the river, exclamations of astonishment at -the beauty of the picture that lay before us were heard on every hand. -There on the right bank of the river, its waters as clear as those of -the St. Lawrence, lay a village, so strikingly similar in appearance -to those along that familiar stream that we could almost forget the -long distances we had journeyed and fancy ourselves approaching one -of the parishes of old Quebec. The church bells were ringing out a -call to the Sunday morning service. The convent hard by was decorated -with flags betokening some joyful occasion, while the Indian pupils in -their pretty costumes accompanied by their teachers, the sisters of the -Mission, lined the bank to welcome the founder of the school, Sister -Ward, of Montreal, who had accompanied us this far. - -This devoted woman first went into the country upwards of forty years -ago, where she became instrumental in organising this and several other -schools during a residence there of more than thirty years. She was at -this time making a visit of inspection to them, intending to return -before the season closed, to the home of her novitiate, the Convent of -the Grey Nuns of Montreal. - -The banks of the river here are about thirty feet high. The land is -level and the soil a rich clay loam, and this is the general character -of the soil along the whole of this great river. In the Mission garden -here were found at this time peas fit for use, potatoes in blossom, -tomatoes, rhubarb, beets, cabbages, onions, in fact about the same type -of kitchen garden as would be seen a thousand miles farther south. -Besides the vegetables, were cultivated flowers and also fruit such as -red currants, gooseberries, strawberries, raspberries and saskatoons, -and more surprising still, near by, was a small field of wheat in the -milk, the grain being fully formed, the seed of which had been sown -on May 20. I was anxious to know whether this grain would ripen, and -was fortunate enough to learn later from one of the passengers, who, -returning by the _Wrigley_, visited this field again on July 28, that -it had been harvested before the latter date, probably about two months -after the sowing. This seems almost incredible to those who live in -lower latitudes, but when we remember that during this whole period the -earth had been subjected to almost constant sunlight and heat, coupled -with constant moisture from the frozen ground beneath, the reason for -its rapid, hot house growth is obvious. - -[Illustration: FORT PROVIDENCE ON THE MACKENZIE RIVER] - -Leaving Fort Providence at 10.40 A.M. we soon entered “The Little -Lake,” one of the numerous expansions of the Upper Mackenzie, and at -10 P.M. reached a point known as “The End of the Line,” so named from -being the place where the boatmen coming up the river could dispense -with the tracking line. As the river widens above this point, the -current decreases so that boats and canoes can be propelled without -outside assistance, while below here till the river widens again near -its mouth, a distance of over 800 miles, the current is too strong for -the general use of oar or paddle, and the line is necessary for the -greater part of the distance. With no interruption from rapids or delay -from darkness and assisted by the current, we reached Fort Simpson on -the following morning at seven o’clock, the run from Providence, 161 -miles distant, having been made in about twenty hours. - -Fort Simpson is 1078 miles distant by the route we had taken from -Athabaska Landing or 1175 miles from Edmonton. The latitude is 61° -52´ N.; in other words it is 900 miles due north of the international -boundary. It is prettily situated on the left bank of the Mackenzie -just below the mouth of the Liard. Evidently the waters of the latter -stream have no filtering basin such as the Mackenzie has in Great Slave -Lake, for instead of the clear waters through which we have passed -so far on the Mackenzie, we see this great tributary coming from the -west carrying down a segregated mixture of water and yellow soil which -perceptibly changes the colour of the Mackenzie from here all the way -to its mouth. We saw no more the clear sparkling waters of a greenish -blue, so similar to that of the ocean, that had been before our eyes -for the last 300 miles. The banks of the river at Fort Simpson are -about thirty feet high and the stream here must be at least two miles -wide. - -Though the hour of our arrival was early, the bank was lined with -the men, women and children of the village, all apparently delighted -to see again the return of the _Wrigley_. Among others I noticed a -well-dressed white man hurrying down from the Hudson Bay Company’s -store, evidently looking for some one among the passengers. Though I -had never seen him before, I at once surmised that this was Charlie -Christie, whose wife was buried at Edmonton a few days before our -departure. During the whole of our journey the thought of the message -we were carrying to the expectant husband was ever with us, and the -nearer we approached his home, the sadder seemed this message. How the -information was to be broken to him had been talked over many times, -but with his hurried steps up the gang plank and eager inquiry if his -wife were aboard, evidently disappointed at not seeing her among the -passengers, all plans were forgotten and the answer to his inquiry was -in a few words which, though uttered in a sympathetic tone, went like -a bullet to the heart of the poor man who had waited through the long -months of the former autumn, winter and spring for the return of the -mother of his children. Such is one of the tragic phases of life in -this wilderness. - -I have mentioned that Fort Simpson is about 900 miles in a due course -north of the international boundary, and I repeat it in connection -with the fact that the great staple of our north-west possessions is -grown here, to a sufficient extent to show that we may, in calculating -the width of the wheat zone, reckon it at least that width from north -to south. I do not of course mean that all the land lying between the -forty-ninth parallel and this latitude should be considered arable, -but it is something to know that the climatic conditions up to this -latitude are not too severe for the production of this cereal. - -The soil resembles that at Fort Providence and the vegetable gardens -are similar to those seen there. The increased sunlight of the summer -months as we proceed north counterbalances the disadvantages of the -higher latitude. This, however, does not continue indefinitely. Even -at points far south of Simpson the frost never leaves the ground at -certain depths and this depth decreases till it approaches so near the -surface in the far north as to prevent the ripening of either cereals -or vegetables. - -Fort Simpson has been regarded for many years as the most noted of the -H.B. Company’s posts in the north, and, though it has now, I believe, -lost some of its importance, it is still a centre of trade for a wide -district of country. - -It was here that the supplies were distributed, not only to the -outlying posts farther down the river, but also to those up the Liard -and to numerous inland stations. From here, too, the “Coureurs Du Bois” -or “Trippers” were sent out in winter to the Indian hunting grounds, -carrying with them by dog trains, ammunition and blankets and bringing -back the furs of the country. - -It is the last point visited on the journey northward, containing the -vestiges of modern civilised life. The village, which probably contains -300 or 400 inhabitants, can boast of a system of electric lighting, -a needless luxury for a considerable part of the year when there is -scarcely any darkness, but later when the sun declines so low in the -heavens as almost to refuse to dispel the darkness even at noonday, -it serves to somewhat lessen the gloom of the long winter night. It -is perhaps unnecessary to say that the plant was installed by “The -Company.” They have also established a museum here, containing stuffed -exhibits of the animals and birds of the country. That of the latter -is well arranged, and I presume gives a good representation of the -feathered tribe of this north region. Of the former, scarcely as much -can be said, though I remember among them a black bear that was very -creditably set up. In the “Big House,” in other words, the Agent’s -residence, we also found the unusual luxury of a small billiard table, -which it must have cost a goodly sum to transport so far. - -The principal buildings in this sub-Arctic “metropolis” are, of course, -those of “The Company,” and the second those connected with the -Anglican Mission. The latter consist of a good dwelling, occupied by -the Rector of the parish, and which also serves as a schoolroom, while -near by is the chapel, a very pretty edifice and creditable to the -enterprise of those who erected it in this far away place. - -The buildings of the village are of logs, the better ones being sided -up with lumber and whitewashed. Much of this lumber I was informed had -been cut with a whip saw, though a small mill was in operation for a -time. I saw at Simpson some of the finest porcupine quill work that is -made anywhere in the country, the women of one tribe of this region -being famed as experts in this work. - -We found the timber, since crossing Great Slave Lake, somewhat smaller -in size, though lumber cut here and used in the buildings at Simpson -is some twelve inches wide, but this is exceptional. One cannot but be -struck with the vast quantities of spruce along the route that is a -little under size for lumber, but which would make excellent pulp wood. -The drift wood coming down the Liard is similar to that from the Peace, -and indicates timber of a larger size farther up the stream than is -found growing at its mouth. - -Since leaving Fort Smith, we had been traversing territory beyond the -north limit of the Province of Alberta. The sixtieth degree of latitude -forms the north boundary of that Province and it is supposed to pass -very near Fort Smith. - -To wile away the weary hours, some one conceived the idea of forming -a provisional government for this unorganised territory. Mr. Thos. -Anderson, the Company’s Superintendent for this district who was with -us, was, by popular acclaim, made Lieutenant-Governor. He immediately -selected his cabinet from among those on board the _Wrigley_. The -pilot, a very worthy Cree Indian, was chosen as Minister of Marine, -while a countryman of his, who was of a somewhat martial appearance, -was made Minister of War: the tall lank white man, before referred to -as the counterpart of Abraham Lincoln in his rail-splitting days, was -called to the high office of Minister of Justice. The latter had his -blankets tied up with a long rope and His Honour gave as one reason -for his selecting Mr. Leigh (for such was his name) to be that he -carried with him the very article which has served to enforce British -justice the world over. - -[Illustration: BISHOP REEVE, STEFANSSON AND RESIDENT CLERGYMAN AT -SIMPSON] - -After subscribing to a declaration in which allegiance to “The Company” -(not the King) was the principal article, a cabinet council was held. -Numerous grievances under which this fair portion of Canada had long -suffered were discussed. All were of one mind regarding the existence -of these disabilities, but there was a wide divergence of opinion as to -how they were to be remedied. However, on one subject there was entire -unanimity. - -Those who travelled in what were known as the North-West Territories -before the Provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta were organised, will -remember that intoxicating beverages were prohibited by the laws of -the Dominion. This “tyrannical rule” obtains even at the present day -in this Mackenzie District, and we soon realised that even if the -cabinet had not been personally favourable to the free importation -of this essential article, it would have been impossible for them to -command the confidence of the people unless they passed an ordinance -abolishing this legislation. This was at once done, and received the -immediate assent of the Lieutenant-Governor. - -This bit of pleasantry was continued for some time, till it began to -seem almost real, and in some measure to resemble the initial stages of -the uprising many years before of Riel on the banks of the Red River. -The Indian is not incapable of a kind of dry humour, but, at the same -time, he does not always discern whether you are in earnest or merely -jesting, and the result was that the Lieutenant-Governor, in the name -of the Company, dismissed all his Ministers and resumed the intelligent -autocratic control, which he had long exercised over the country. - - -A CHANGE OF SCENERY - -After remaining about twenty-four hours at Simpson, we resumed our -journey at five o’clock in the morning, and at nine caught the first -sight of the Rocky Mountains (Nahanni Range) with their snow-capped -peaks, which attain a height of 5000 ft. above sea level. This change -of scenery was welcomed after six weeks of travel through a vast -wilderness of comparatively level land. - -The weather had continued quite hot, with only an exception of a day -or two, from our start, but whether from the effect of the mountains -or not, we experienced a very decided change in the temperature -immediately we reached their vicinity, and from this on we suffered no -more from the excessive heat, which had been as unpleasant as it was -unexpected. We had counted on escaping the usual July heat, but for -the greater part it had really been more oppressive and certainly more -constant, extending right through the long twenty-four-hour day, than I -had ever before experienced. - -It strikes the observer as extraordinary that the Mackenzie in its way -to the sea from Great Slave Lake should bear off to the west, so far -as to necessitate its cutting its way between two ranges of the Rocky -Mountains, where a much shorter course and apparently one through a -more level country lay open to the east into Coronation Gulf. - -I do not know the opinion of geologists, but it seems probable that the -original outlet of Great Slave Lake has been changed from this course -to the longer one now followed, in the same way as the Niagara has -become the outlet of the waters of Lake Huron instead of the Northern -River of past ages, which flowed directly across country from the -Georgian Bay to Lake Ontario. - -At the distance of 136 miles below Simpson, we reach Fort Wrigley. This -is a new post; the old one of the same name twenty-five miles above -having been abandoned owing to its unhealthy locality. The country -about Fort Wrigley is fairly well wooded. I noticed a spruce log, cut -in the vicinity which measured twenty inches in diameter. - -The Nahanni river, which is a considerable stream, flows from the west -and joins the Mackenzie about halfway between Simpson and Wrigley. Just -north of it rises Mount Camsell, a snow-clad peak 5000 ft. high. - -Below Wrigley the river narrows to from a half to three quarters of a -mile in width. This continues for some distance and then widens out as -we proceed down the stream. Two noted mountain peaks, Mount Bompas and -Mount Wrigley, are seen between Wrigley and Norman. About twenty miles -above Fort Norman and on the left side of the river the clay banks -assume a very red appearance, and the people use the earth as paint. -This condition of the earth has been produced by fire in the coal -seams. For several miles along the route the fire is now apparently -extinct, but as we reached a point eight miles above Fort Norman, -for upwards of two miles along the right bank of the river smoke was -distinctly observed from fires still burning far down in the seams of -coal. It is worthy of note that Sir Alexander Mackenzie makes mention -of these fires in his narrative, as existing in 1789 when he explored -and gave his name to the river. - -About sixty miles below Wrigley we passed the mouth of Salt river which -flows from the east. It is so named from deposits of salt that exist -some miles above the mouth. Rock salt is said to exist on the Great -Bear river above Norman, but the salt in use in the country is from -another Salt River sixteen miles below Fort Smith. - -At 7 P.M., July 18, we reached Fort Norman at the mouth of the Great -Bear River which is the outlet of Great Bear Lake. Fort Norman is -distant from Fort Wrigley 184 miles and 1398 miles from Athabaska -Landing. Its situation is very picturesque. The mountain peaks stand -up in bold relief out of a vast level plain. Bear Mountain on the -north side of Great Bear River and east of the Mackenzie is the most -conspicuous. - -While the steamer lay at Fort Norman, I started down the shore hoping -to reach Great Bear River, but I soon found it dangerous to attempt to -walk along the water’s edge owing to the banks being in some places -too precipitous. I then tried the land farther up from the shore but -was unable to find a trail and soon got into a wet swamp and had, very -much to my regret, to give up the attempt. The width of the river, I -understand to be some 150 or 200 yards and the water clear. This might -be expected as it is the outlet of a lake with an area nearly if not -quite that of Great Slave Lake. - -At Fort Norman a fellow passenger in the person of Rev. H. C. Winch, -left us to assume his duties here as a Missionary of the Anglican -Church. He had been my room mate on the _Wrigley_, all the way from -Fort Smith. - -In company with several of the passengers I went up to the little house -which was to be his home and remained till about eleven o’clock at -night, and as we bade him good-bye in the twilight the loneliness of -the life that was before him impressed itself on my mind. - -Fancy the weird situation here in this wilderness with none but the -native Indians and a few half breeds for companions. This during the -few summer months when the days were long and when the birds and -the wild geese had not left for the South might not be altogether -unpleasant, but when the days would grow short, when the canoeing -on the river was over and the long nights of winter approached, it -certainly would require a good deal of fortitude to bear the part that -he was to endure. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - - Leaving Fort Norman : A Sad Case : In Arctic Regions : Arrival at - Fort McPherson. - - -We left Fort Norman about midnight; had a good run, and on rising the -next morning the 19th, were more than half way to Fort Good Hope. At -2 P.M. and at a distance of about six miles above Fort Good Hope we -noticed that all our fellow-passengers who knew the river were on -deck. This meant something, and as we looked forward and on each side -it seemed as if we were in a cul-de-sac. We knew the river must find -a passage somewhere but so far as one could see it seemed impossible -that there could be an opening anywhere of sufficient size to permit -the escape of the waters of this mighty stream. As we were watching -and wondering where the outlet could be the steamer suddenly turned -sharply to starboard and before us lay a narrow strip of shining water -apparently only a few hundred feet in width. Down this we glided -at great speed between cliffs of limestone on either side of great -heights. We had reached the upper ramparts of the Mackenzie. These -walls of perpendicular sandstone resemble huge fortifications, like -another Gibraltar but one which no enemy is likely to approach. - -For about four miles we were hurried down this great gorge at almost -railway speed, so it was not long till the waters again expanded to -a width of a mile or more and revealed on the right bank another -picturesque whitewashed village, Fort Good Hope. Its situation on a -level plateau is charming. The banks are about thirty feet high and the -soil is similar to that all along the river, being a rich deposit very -much resembling that of our great prairies. I saw potatoes in blossom, -cabbage, onions and other vegetables in the gardens here, but this was -the last we saw going North. As we proceeded farther the frost in the -soil reached too near the surface to permit their maturing. Spruce -timber of sufficient size for sawing into lumber is obtained on an -island in the river. - -[Illustration: - - _Copyright Ernest Brown_ - -THE RAMPARTS, MACKENZIE RIVER] - - -A SAD CASE - -Some time in April before leaving home I received a letter from an old -friend named Slean. It had been written on Christmas Day from Arctic -Red River Post, some 300 miles beyond Fort Good Hope. The writer, who -had gone north the previous summer from Edmonton was engaged with -an independent fur trading company, and being a young man of good -education was desirous of having some diversion from the everlasting -talk of “Furs and Supplies,” to beguile his lonely life and requested -me to endeavour to get the Government to establish a Meteorological -Office there, and to say that if they would send him a few instruments -and the necessary forms he would be glad to report as frequently as -possible, adding a most unusual proposition for an applicant for a -government position that he would not expect any salary. This request I -forwarded on to my friend Mr. Stupart, Director of the Meteorological -Observatory, and on my way down I had the satisfaction of seeing these -requisites en route. - -I did not reply to the letter inasmuch as I was going by the first -transport and would reach his post in person at the same time as a -letter would, and I looked forward with a good deal of pleasure to -surprising him in his distant home. - -Just as we were entering Great Slave Lake, a week before reaching Good -Hope, we passed the scows owned by Slean’s Company, also going North as -far as Fort Good Hope, which point we would reach some time before they -would. I was informed by the man in charge that Slean would probably -come up to Good Hope to get the scow containing his supplies which they -pointed out to me as “No. 11,” and that he would likely be there on our -arrival. - -Our steamer had been expected at Fort Good Hope for several days and -her arrival was anxiously looked for, so that when she did appear at a -convenient hour all the village was on the bank to greet us. I looked -anxiously among the dusky faces to see the fair complexion of my friend -but he was not present, so I inquired for the buildings of his Company. -A few whitewashed houses were pointed out a little down the river to -which I at once repaired, and on inquiry from a white man whom I met -was informed that my friend was in one of the houses, but that he was -very ill. On entering I was told that he had reached Good Hope two -weeks previously from his own post after a ten days’ journey up stream, -but in such a weak condition that he had to be helped up the bank from -his canoe. Since that time he had continued to get worse and that there -was no hope of his recovery. I was informed that he was sleeping in an -adjoining room. A few moments later he awoke and I entered the room. It -had little the appearance of a sick room except that of the occupant. -We are so accustomed to associate with the sick chamber clean linen, -comfortable bedding, with all the little delicacies of nourishment and -soothing cordials, that the contrast in this case was disheartening. -Not that his two white friends were not less attentive than a trained -nurse would have been. On the contrary they were doing all that mortals -could under the circumstances. One of these men was a Mr. Darrell, who -had accompanied Hanbury, on his trip around the shore of the Arctic -Sea a year or two before, and whose excellent qualities are mentioned -in Hanbury’s narrative of that expedition, and I know he refused a -good offer for the season rather than leave the sick man. The other -young man, Slater, who was also with him I have no reason to think was -less attentive, but it was impossible to obtain, especially before the -arrival of the supplies which our boat brought, food that would tempt -the palate of a white man even in good health. He recognised me at once -and commenced his conversation by informing me in broken accents that -he had taken a little cold on his way up the river but that he was all -right and would get up the next morning, take a good cold bath and be -around again; but I saw at once that he was in a delirious condition -and that in all human probability his wanderings would soon be over. -I spent an hour with him which I repeated before our steamer left at -midnight. His death came even sooner than I expected, for I afterwards -learned that he passed away the next day, and when our steamer called -on her return trip shortly after, the passengers visited a lonely grave -in the Catholic Cemetery in which lay the remains of William John -Slean. This was another reminder that the bright Arctic summer days -sometimes have their dark shadows. - -It was a little after midnight of July 20, when we left Good Hope and -on rising next morning I found we had passed the Arctic Circle. The -river is now widening, the banks are getting lower and the timber is -growing smaller, all these indicate that we are fast drifting down -towards the Arctic Sea. Some time in the evening we stopped at Arctic -Red River at the entrance of a stream of the same name. It certainly -was the least desirable place for any civilised man to choose for -a home, that I had yet seen in all this Northland. A few houses, -the church and the graveyard were all crowded on the side of a hill -rising abruptly from the river. Perpetual frost was found only a foot -beneath the surface of the soil, and we no longer beheld the emblems -of civilised life, the vegetable and flower gardens, that go so far to -make many of those lonely posts seem somewhat cheerful. - -I wandered up to the log shack which poor Slean had occupied during the -previous winter and which he had left only a few weeks before. A more -dreary habitation it would be difficult to imagine. I looked around the -room to see if there was any memento that I might carry home to his -friends, but the only thing I could see was a little green flag pinned -to the wall, a touching tribute of patriotic devotion to the far away -island which had given him birth. It seemed like desecration to remove -it, so I allowed it to remain where he had placed it. - -We only stopped an hour or two at this dreary place and then started -for our last and the most northerly post in the country, Fort -McPherson. At 1.30 the next morning, July 21, I rose as we were -rounding Point Separation, so named from the parting here of Sir John -Franklin and Dr. Richardson in 1825, when they separated for their -perilous trips around the shores of the frozen ocean, Franklin going -west from the mouth of the Mackenzie, and Richardson, coasting easterly -towards Coronation Gulf. The sun was just skirting the northern horizon -and I endeavoured to get a photo of it which I am sorry proved rather a -failure. - -[Illustration: - - _Copyright Ernest Brown_ - -THE MIDNIGHT SUN] - -Point Separation lies at the junction of the Peel River with the -Mackenzie, and is in latitude about 67° 50´ N. Below this point lies -the delta of the Mackenzie which is many miles in width, with numerous -islands between here and the sea about 100 miles distant. At the point -where Franklin and Richardson camped two spruce trees were pointed -out marked as lobsticks which are said to have been so marked by them -in commemoration of the event. Both are still standing, though one is -now dead. The Indians have a tradition that a quantity of spirits were -cached somewhere in this vicinity, which they say they have never been -able to discover. Personally, I have very grave doubts of the accuracy -of this report. The Indian is a good hunter, and I know of nothing that -would excite him to greater activity than the prospect of such a reward. - -After rounding Point Separation we enter the Peel River which at this -point is over a mile wide. We soon noticed that our speed was much -slower than heretofore and the reason was obvious. For the first time -in our long journey of over 1800 miles we were going against the -current. Heretofore we have been constantly sailing down the Arctic -slope. Shortly after entering the Peel our steamer stopped to take -on wood, this reminded me of the frequent habit of railway trains -which, after running for hundreds of miles on time stop all at once -just outside the station of their destination. We were all anxious to -see this far northern village at the end of our long river journey and -anxiously waited for a final start. After about two hours’ delay a -start was made, and soon after we beheld in the distance on the high -bank of the east side of the Peel, the houses of Fort McPherson with -the white tents of the Esquimaux on the beach below. These Esquimaux -had come over in their whale boats from Herschel Island in the Arctic -Sea to meet the _Wrigley_. Their complexion is almost white with a dash -of ruddy colour that indicates health. They are very cheerful and good -natured, are not at all diffident like so many of our Indian tribes. On -the contrary, they are very inquisitive and disposed to make themselves -almost too familiar. They are of fair stature and do not show any of -the marks of the struggle for existence that is so observable in their -neighbours, the Indians, in this part of the country. - -[Illustration: AT MCPHERSON: INDIANS, HALF-BREEDS AND ESQUIMAUX IN -FOREGROUND] - -At Fort McPherson, as at all points visited in the last 1300 miles of -our journey, no news from the outside world had been received since the -last winter mail in March. For over four months the news passed on from -post to post was purely local, hunting parties returning from their -winter quarters, whose accounts frequently were of hardships endured, -among which the phrase, “short of meat,” were familiar words even in -the mouths of natives who knew very little English. Another item would -come from the ice bound whalers out on the Arctic Sea. - -We were the first to inform them of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius -and of the San Francisco earthquake both of which had happened months -before. Another message was one of sadness to all throughout the -Mackenzie and Yukon Valleys, namely, the death of Bishop Bompas, truly -named the Apostle of the North, who was familiarly known to every -inhabitant and as universally esteemed. - -Fort McPherson is as stated the most northerly of the Hudson Bay -Company’s Posts. Its latitude is 67° 25´ and it is truly an Arctic -Village. For six weeks in summer the sun never sets and is constantly -below the horizon for the same time in winter. The thermometer went as -low as 68° below zero (Fahrenheit) the winter before. The inhabitants -are in close touch with the Esquimaux of the Arctic Sea and with the -whaling ships that annually visit these waters. These whalers are -mostly from San Francisco, coming up through Behring Strait in the -early summer and returning in the autumn. In the season of 1905 most -of them were trapped in the ice that blocked the Straits and were -compelled to remain there till the next season. They went into winter -quarters at Herschel Island where there is a detachment of the Royal -North-West Mounted Police. They were not sufficiently supplied with -provisions for this emergency, and they, too, soon became familiar -with the common phrase, “short of meat,” and had to rely largely on -what could be obtained in the country. They engaged the Indians of -the Mainland to supply them with meat from the chase with the result -that the shipment of fur from McPherson for that season was very much -smaller than usual. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - - Ice Conditions of the Summer of 1905. - - -The report by the whalers of the ice conditions of the summer of 1905 -is of interest to Arctic navigators. They say that the ice that drove -into Behring’s sea from the north-east and prevented their exit left -that part of the ocean almost free of ice, a very unusual thing; and -one of the captains is reported to have said that he was strongly -tempted to set sail for the pole, as in his experience of twenty or -twenty-five years he had never seen what seemed so good an opportunity -of winning fame by such a venture. But on consideration he decided to -stick to his commission which was to capture whales and not the Pole. -That these reports are correct is borne out by the fact that Captain -Amundsen, who has since discovered the South Pole, was exploring along -the north-east coast, in 1905, finding open water to the west set -sail in that direction, and to his surprise soon found himself in -the company of these whalers near the mouth of the Mackenzie. He was -compelled to go into winter quarters, and laid up with them at Herschel -Island till the summer of my visit when he succeeded in getting out -through Behring’s Strait, being the first to make the entire north-west -passage. During the previous winter he made an overland journey out to -the Yukon and returned again to his ship, the _Gjoa_. - -The following season he succeeded along with the whalers in navigating -Behring’s Strait into the Pacific and thence proceeded around Cape Horn -and back to Denmark. - -Strange to say that after so many attempts to make the north-west -passage it was accomplished at last quite unexpectedly. Captain -Amundsen’s Mission into these Arctic waters was made for the purpose of -locating the position of the magnetic pole. He succeeded in this and -found it where Ross had located it many years before. - -The arrival of the _Wrigley_ was hailed with great rejoicing by the -people of the village, but the arrival of the “Permits,” accompanied -also by the article permitted rather demoralised the community during -my few days’ sojourn there, but I was informed that the limited supply -brought in had been exhausted before I left, and that for the next -twelve months McPherson would be a model prohibition town. - -The Indian thinks not of the morrow and certainly obeys the injunction -not to lay up treasures on earth whatever provisions he may make for -his future home. - -The _Wrigley_ was to remain only a couple of days at this post and -then start back on her return trip, and the time had not arrived when -I had to decide whether I would return with her or find my way back to -civilisation by a different route. I chose the latter, fully realising -that in one sense my journey was only now commencing, and as I watched -her disappear from sight and walked alone up the bank at midnight the -weirdness of the situation seemed all at once to dawn vividly upon me. -The sun just a few degrees below the horizon cast its after-glow all -over the northern sky. The old familiar polestar barely discernible -hung high in the Arctic heavens, while other stars unfamiliar to me -lay low along the northern horizon. I was now here alone, and certainly -in a strange land. Turning to the south I could not help reflecting -on the vastness of the wilderness, made up of mountains and plain, of -forest, lake and river that lay between this lonely village and the -settlements of this Dominion 2000 miles away, occupying a mere fringe -along the southern border of our possessions. - -[Illustration: - - _Copyright Ernest Brown_ - -FORT MCPHERSON] - - - - -CHAPTER IX - - From Fort McPherson to Rampart House : Crossing the Peel - River : An Attempt at Intimidation : The Summit of the Rocky - Mountains : In Pacific Waters : The Porcupine : John Quatlot - Departs. - - -The following day I commenced to make preparations for the next stage -in my trip. - -I had hoped to be able to proceed first up Rat Creek to near the summit -of the Rocky Mountains where I would make a portage of some ten miles -over the summit into the waters of the Bell River, a tributary of the -Porcupine, the latter a tributary of the Yukon, all flowing to the -Pacific, and I had brought along a good Peterborough canoe for the -purpose. - -There were a few Indians at McPherson who had recently come over from -near Rampart House on the Alaskan boundary and who were willing to -engage in assisting me on my way, but they said that owing to the low -state of the water it would take us three weeks to get to Bell River -via Rat Creek with my canoe. They had come over the long portage of -eighty miles leaving their birch bark canoes at Bell River, and they -advised me to allow them to carry my outfit and supplies over this -trail to their landing place, and that as one of their canoes was a -large one I could have room in it while making the journey down to -Rampart House. This seemed a wise course and I arranged with them for -the trip. - -On Tuesday, July 24, at 3.30 P.M., we crossed the Peel River to where -the trail starts. Here we made up our packs. Altogether our party -consisted of four Indians and one squaw. The latter carried only a -small pack but took charge of our three dogs, the latter also each -carrying a pack of about thirty pounds. - -It was 5.30 P.M. when all was arranged and we climbed up the steep -bank of the Peel and commenced our overland journey. The weather was -sultry and threatened rain which finally overtook us. Our path was for -a few miles through a rather stunted forest which to a certain extent -protected us, but as we got away from the river the trees became -smaller and more scattered till finally at about ten o’clock we found -ahead of us a dreary Arctic swamp covered only with a short growth of -grass mixed with low shrubbery. This was the tundra so often mentioned -by Arctic travellers. The grass grows in hummocks known as _tête de -femme_ (woman’s head). The trail is generally covered with some water, -and one is often tempted to try to step from one to another of these -tufts of grass, but as the somewhat larger head rests on a slender -neck you will soon prefer to wade along the narrow path, after perhaps -having a few tumbles, which, to any one loaded with a pack, is not a -pleasant experience. - -Before entering the open at about 10 P.M. and seven miles from our -starting-point, as the rain was increasing, we determined to camp for -the night. This was accomplished with some difficulty as the wind -had great strength as it blew uninterruptedly in from the dreary -waste stretching away to the north and west of us. However, with the -assistance of Mr. Stefansson, who accompanied me this far we finally -succeeded in getting my tent up and made fast in the swampy soil. - -I have already referred to Mr. Stefansson, as one who no doubt will be -heard more of in the future. It is now over five years since we bade -each other good-bye on that dreary night, and ever since he has lived -almost constantly along the Arctic coast, collecting information which -it is hoped he may return to publish. He is at present somewhere in -that barren region busily studying the ethnological characteristics -of that strange race which probably at some time in its past history -was driven by its enemies beyond the habitable land to seek shelter on -these islands and capes which they have now grown to love so dearly -that they would not exchange them for any other. - -There seems no reason for this except the sentiment that is enshrined -in the word “Home.” A sentiment that is world wide and which every race -on earth holds dear. - - “_The shuddering tenant of the frigid zone - Proclaims the happiest land his own, - The naked negro panting on the line - Boasts of his golden sands and palmy wine._” - -It rained all night and during the early morning, but cleared up about -ten o’clock when we prepared to resume our journey. - -I had engaged the Indians to carry my outfit across the portage, thence -in their canoes to Rampart House, for a certain sum, and had paid them -in advance at Fort McPherson. In addition to the four Indians and squaw -whom I have mentioned, a young man had joined the party on starting, -and assisted thus far on the journey. - -While we were packing up in the morning this individual in a rather -defiant manner approached me and in fair English informed me that it -would be impossible, without his assistance, for the others to carry -all that I was bringing; at the same time asking me what I proposed to -pay him for helping them across. I realised that I had to act firmly. I -would gladly have engaged him, but I felt that it was, to use a common -phrase, “a hold up,” and that if I allowed him to intimidate me at this -early stage in the journey there was no telling what he might attempt -next. My authority with the others would be weakened and they would -look on him rather than myself as leader of the party. I told him that -all the loads had been weighed before starting from the post, that his -people had been given all they asked for the work, and that if they -wanted his assistance it rested with them to pay him. In a somewhat -angry tone he said “that was not the way for a white man to talk, and -that if I did not pay him he would go ahead light and make the journey -in half the time we would.” I then told him that he must provide for -himself, as I did not want him in our party. With this he hurriedly -gathered up his blankets and a little dried meat he had, and with his -gun started ahead, and we saw no more of him. I felt greatly relieved -when he left, and after this I heard not the slightest complaint from -any one of the party, though they were heavily loaded; so much so that -I could not refrain from assisting them myself, and the fact was that -from this point across I believe I bore my fair share with the rest, -according to my strength, though in real weight I only took a small -fraction of what one of the men carried. This particular Indian and his -wife, who was with us, were really fine specimens of their race. Both -were young, of splendid stature, and really good looking, and though he -must have carried over 100 pounds across that eighty miles, it was all -done without any show of irritability but with the utmost good nature, -while the wife also bore her share without complaint. - -We did not get started on this, our second day on the trail, till 11 -o’clock, but travelled till 8.30 P.M. and camped on the bank of a -small stream flowing southerly and emptying into a larger one flowing -easterly into the Peel. The latter is known as La Pierre or “Stony -Creek,” and our trail lay in the valley of this stream all the way to -the “great divide.” The small stream where we camped was at this time -only two rods wide and fifteen inches deep, but evidently is one of -considerable size at other seasons of the year. - -The weather was hot till late in the afternoon, when it turned cooler. -My Indians informed me that on their trip across this portage a few -weeks before they had suffered with the intense heat and lost some of -their dogs in consequence of it. - -This was about the same time that we had experienced the excessive -heat on the Athabaska. Perhaps the reader will recall the extreme -hot weather that I am informed was general throughout what I may call -Southern Canada as well as the United States in the early part of July -1906. It would seem that this hot wave had extended from the Gulf of -Mexico to the Arctic Ocean. - -During this second day’s journey the trail was generally through what -might be called an Arctic swamp, but occasionally we would ascend an -eminence, and on each occasion I cast a glance back where I could see -Fort McPherson, but each successive time it grew more indistinct, -till finally it was lost to view and the last link with civilisation -in that direction was broken. It had seemed to me up to this time -that something might happen which would prevent my getting across the -portage and cause me to return to McPherson by the same route which I -had previously taken. But the return would not have been by steamers, -but in my canoe, which was still at McPherson. From now on, however, -there was fortunately no looking backward. - -On July 26 we started at 9 A.M. and travelled till 7 P.M., making about -eighteen miles, and crossing another small stream in the afternoon. -Our course still lay westerly up the same valley, with Stony Creek far -below us to the left. The day was quite cool and the night decidedly -so. We were now well up the mountains and some snow was seen in the -ravines. This was the most fatiguing day of the trip. Though there -was really no mountain climbing in the usual sense of the term, the -continual gradual ascent was most wearisome, and right glad was I when -the Indians threw off their packs on the bank of another small creek. - -We left camp at 8.30 A.M. on Friday the 27th, and at 1 P.M. reached -“the summit” of the Rocky Mountains at a height of 2600 feet above -sea level in the pass, though the mountains on each side are from two -to three thousand feet higher. Shortly after this we crossed a stream -which flowed into one further south, similar in size to Stony Creek, -but, of course, flowing westerly with its waters coursing on their way -into the Pacific Ocean. - -Immediately after crossing the height of land we found the travelling -much easier, for we were now on the descent and though to the eye this -was scarcely discernible, and the swamp was just as wet as before, -yet, when we rested for the night I was by no means so tired as on the -previous night, though we had travelled several miles farther. The -weather was cool and (blessed boon) there were no mosquitoes. We passed -over some snow on the hill sides, but without the least difficulty, as -it was almost as hard as ice. - -On Saturday the 28th we started at 8 A.M. and immediately forded the -stream by which we had camped and in the valley of which we had been -travelling since crossing the summit; it was of considerable size, but -at this season was easily forded. Four miles further on we crossed -the same stream again. The mountain scenery here was very beautiful, -though the peaks are not so high as further south, though they probably -attain an elevation of 5000 feet above sea level. No large glaciers -are to be seen in this region, but considerable snow remains the year -round on some of the peaks. At noon a high mountain lay directly in -front of us to the west with great valleys both north and south of it. -Following our trail as it bore off to the north to avoid this mountain, -we finally came to the same stream again which we now crossed for -the last time, now flowing to the north. It had evidently received a -tributary since our last crossing, for its contents were much greater, -and though its depth was not over eighteen inches the current was -very rapid, and without the assistance of one of the Indians I fear I -would have had trouble in making the ford. We camped immediately after -crossing. - -So far we had experienced no rain after the first night out, but this -afternoon showed symptoms of an approaching storm, which I greatly -feared, the swamps being bad enough even in dry weather. As we were -wading through one of these the squaw asked me if I would travel the -next day (Sunday). I did not wish to show them a bad example, while -at the same time I disliked halting a whole day when the weather was -threatening and our supplies of food were growing short, so I told her -they could do as they chose in the matter. She immediately replied -that Archdeacon Macdonald always told them it was not wrong to walk on -Sunday when they were short of “grub.” I told her Archdeacon Macdonald -was a good man. She said “yes,” and I knew then what they would do. - -On the following morning old John Quatlot, as faithful a man as I ever -met, was up at an unusually early hour and had breakfast ready by -about six o’clock. After this was over and before starting, I walked -down along the stream a short distance, and, on my way back heard an -old familiar hymn, and on approaching found all had joined in the -religious service for this particular day. Each of them had his prayer -and hymn book, while one who was a lay reader had with him Archdeacon -Macdonald’s translation of a portion of the scriptures. After the -service was concluded they shouldered their packs and started again on -the trail, and soon entered one of the worst swamps we had encountered. -After this we made a slight ascent and then commenced the descent of -a steep hill partially wooded, at the foot of which flowed the Bell -River. We had at last, in less than five days, reached the end of the -portage, the length of which was, as has been previously said, about -eighty miles. I have only one further word to say about this trail, -and it is to warn any one not to attempt the journey without a guide, -even in summer, for there is very little travel over it, and the marks -made in the swamps one year will be almost obliterated the next. In -many places the path is covered with water, but there is no fear of -miring anywhere, as perpetual frost is found less than a foot below the -surface. - -On the bank of the Bell we left the Indian, Charlie Fox, and his wife -with their dogs, he having given us his canoe. After resting a day or -two he intended to build a raft on which they would float down stream -over a hundred and fifty miles to his home, at the junction of the Old -Crow River with the Porcupine. - -It was a pleasant sight to behold the calm waters of the Bell in front -of us and to realise that by our journey of less than five days we had -reached the waters flowing into the Pacific Ocean, but this pleasure -was soon marred when I saw the canoes in which we were about to embark. - -I had been assured that one of the three was a large craft capable of -carrying two men with a lot of “dunnage,” I had also expected that this -one would be constructed on lines similar to those used in the east, -where my man would sit in the stern and steer while I would have the -pleasure of a comfortable seat in the bow and be able to assist with -my paddle. But I soon realised that this would be impossible, as this -canoe was built on the same lines as those I had seen at McPherson and -at other points along the Mackenzie. They are very long and narrow -with the bow and stern decked over similar to the Esquimaux kayak. In -other respects they resemble a single scull without the sliding seat. -The Captain, and the propeller of the craft, took his seat near the -centre, and I was assigned one immediately behind him, so near him as -to make it impossible for me to use a paddle. All I had to do was to -sit perfectly still while my man did all the paddling and steering. -The latter was done by his making about four strokes on one side and -then changing his paddle to the other side. However, before starting, -at my instance, they lashed the three canoes together by cross pieces, -making a sort of catamaran, and we were soon gliding down stream at -the rate of about four miles an hour, without any danger of capsizing, -but with some feelings for poor Charlie Fox and his wife, who waved -us good-bye until a turn in the river hid them from view. But this -feeling of security did not last long. After a couple of hours we went -ashore for lunch, and, to my dismay, on starting they insisted on -disengaging the canoes and by no manner nor means could I induce them -to desist from this determination. Finally we compromised on their -agreeing to try how they would go separately, and if not satisfactory -to again lash them together. With great reluctance I took my place in -the largest canoe, weighed down in the centre to about three inches of -the water. In a steady craft this would have been ample, but ours was -about the most cranky of its species. On starting I thought it would be -utterly impossible for us to continue this, but, once under way, the -impetus made it a little steadier, and, as the water this afternoon was -perfectly calm, we succeeded in making a landing in the evening without -any accident, but with the firm determination on my part that we would -revert to our former plan the next morning. In the evening we discussed -the matter as best we could, considering their limited knowledge of -English and my ignorance of their language. They tried to persuade me -that there was less danger separately than when hitched together if -the water became rough, as in that case it would splash up between -the canoes and swamp them, but I soon learned that the real reason -for their refusal was that they could go much faster separately, and -they were in a great hurry to get to their homes before the run of the -salmon was over. - - -GAME AND FISH - -Heretofore the principal talk all down the Mackenzie Valley has been -of the bear, the moose and the caribou but once the Pacific waters are -reached the salmon occupies the same place with the natives that the -wheat crop does with the prairie settler. It forms the great staple -of the country and stands between the inhabitants and starvation. Sir -Alexander Mackenzie tells us of how he intimidated an Indian chief near -the Pacific by informing him that Great Britain owned the ocean and -that unless he treated him properly he would inform his king, who would -stop the salmon from coming up the rivers. His threat had the desired -effect. - -The day was cloudy with some rain, but the men paddled hard and on -till ten o’clock at night, and when we went ashore we were probably -between twenty-five and thirty miles from where we started with the -canoes. - -The next morning, finding it useless to try to persuade them to connect -their canoes, and seeing that they were making such fast time with them -separated, I docilely took my place again, but I can never forget the -few days during which I occupied this position. I was aware that there -was perhaps little danger if I sat perfectly still, providing we did -not strike a rock or snag in the river, but to sit perfectly still for -about sixteen hours out of the twenty-four was most trying. If I made -the slightest move my man would look round and though he said nothing -there was an expression on his face which conveyed at once a reproof -and a warning. If I could have had anything to do it would have been -a great relief, but to sit upright without moving was exceedingly -wearisome and moreover, after the fatiguing trip across the portage, -once I was relieved of exercise, the monotony of the river journey made -it almost impossible for me to resist falling asleep. This I dared -not do, for the chances would be that once consciousness was gone I -would make a move that would upset our frail craft. I have since read -an account of a canoe trip made across Great Slave Lake over a hundred -years ago, by one of the early traders, in a craft of the same kind, -which graphically describes a similar experience, and in which the -difficulty of keeping awake is emphasised. - -Shortly after starting on the first day the Indians killed three wild -geese, which made us an excellent meal, and, strange to say, during the -excitement of the shooting, notwithstanding the greater risk, I forgot -all sense of danger that was otherwise constantly with me. - -We reached the mouth of the Bell and entered the Porcupine about 10 -o’clock of the second day. The Bell at our start was perhaps a hundred -yards or less in width, which increased as we approached its mouth, -while the Porcupine where we entered it must have been three or four -times as large. The colour of the water in the Bell, too, is darker -than in the larger stream. Both streams, following the character of -many of these northern rivers, have strong currents, but very few -rapids. So much is this the case that even with our small canoes we had -not a single portage to make all the way from our starting point down -to Rampart House on the Alaska boundary, a distance of not less than -225 miles. Not only this, but from Rampart House down to the Yukon, a -distance equally great, was made in a small row boat without a single -interruption. - -A fringe of small timber, principally spruce, lines the banks of both -streams but does not extend far back. - -The day was cool and cloudy with occasional light showers. The Indians, -however, cared not for these, but paddled very hard all day, and till -9.30 at night, when we went ashore and camped at the mouth of Driftwood -River, having made probably sixty miles. The land along the route so -far was clay and gravel, but no matter what its quality the climate -forbids successful agriculture. At less than a foot below the surface -the ground is constantly frozen, even during the hottest summer months. -The Indians killed several wild geese with very little effort. Most of -them, notwithstanding the fact that they were full size, were unable to -fly, owing to their wings not having yet attained sufficient strength. -They merely chased the fowls to the shore and killed them when they -attempted to climb the steep banks of the river. - -On Tuesday, July 31, we left camp at 7 A.M. and made another long -journey about the same distance as the day before, arriving at Old -Crow River at 7 P.M., and killing eight or ten geese on the way; -another twelve wearisome and uneasy hours. A raw wind with showers made -travelling very uncomfortable during the whole day, but the Indians had -set their hearts on reaching their home that night and nothing would -stop them. - -Both the Bell and Porcupine are very crooked, so much so that the -distance is probably three times as great by following the windings -of the stream as it would be in a straight line, and while the wind -assisted us on certain stretches, this was more than counter-balanced -by the delay it caused us on others, and I was in almost constant fear -that our canoes would be swamped. - -The high cut banks of the Porcupine when seen at a distance through -a haze or light fog take on the most fantastic shapes, frequently -resembling great buildings of all styles of architecture, and it is -impossible for me to adequately describe an illusion of this kind that -met our view as we approached the Indian encampment at the mouth of the -Old Crow River. - -It was a cloudy hazy evening with a stiff wind from the north and, -as we rounded a point leading up to the encampment, a great city -apparently lay a few miles away, with piers and vessels in front and -buildings of various kinds extending far back from the shore. There -was a church with its spire so real in its appearance as almost to -persuade me that my Indians had been over modest in not informing me of -their skill in architecture. It was a most bewildering sensation and -gave me some anxious thoughts. Could it be that the strain that I had -undergone, especially during those last few days, produced by fear and -anxiety, was causing such visions to appear, or was it the prelude of a -catastrophe that seemed any moment likely to happen as our little canoe -was at this very time attempting to ride waves on this stretch of the -river which it seemed foolhardy to attempt? - -Altogether the situation was to me most perplexing. - -This illusion was kept up for fully half an hour, though varying -somewhat in appearance. I watched the panorama till finally through -the haze one portion of the high bank after another gave up its -fancied appearance and resumed its true character, when, instead of -the castellated city, which in this vision I had pictured as the -home of the Indians, I saw only about forty half-starved creatures -out on the bank to welcome us, while behind among the trees were a -dozen dilapidated tents; the entire surroundings indicating want and -starvation, sickness and a struggle for existence known only to those -who are condemned to live in this Arctic land. - - -AN INDIAN CAMP - -Before reaching the village one of my men fired off his gun as a signal -of our approach. This was quickly answered, and shortly after our three -canoes landed and John Tizzard, his son Jacob, and old John Quatlot, my -three companions, were welcomed by their friends. - -One old squaw, the wife of John Quatlot, instead of exhibiting joy at -their return seemed overcome with grief and commenced a fearful tale -of woe, which led me to think that some, if not all their family had -died during her husband’s absence. I soon perceived that old John paid -little attention to what she said. I had not yet become acquainted with -the practice of these people on meeting each other, which is first to -tell all the troubles they have had since parting. - -The first thing done was to make tea. Then all partook of a meal, which -under the circumstances was a very scanty one indeed. Then a hymn was -sung and a thanksgiving service offered up, which certainly seemed very -appropriate. After this there was so much to relate that the short -twilight had given place to the dawning of another day before they -retired to rest. - -So anxious were they all to hear the news on our arrival that I had -difficulty in getting any assistance in putting up my tent. Finally a -young man came over and helped me for a few moments and then hurried -back, evidently anxious not to miss any of the news. Of course I -understood but little of what was said, but I heard over and over again -the names of Bishop Bompas and Mary Christie, for they all knew the -late beloved Bishop and some of them were related to the young wife -whose death at Edmonton I have already mentioned. My supplies were -nearly exhausted and dry bread and tea had to suffice for my supper. - -The Indian always expects a feast when a white man visits him, -and great was their disappointment when I failed to gratify their -anticipations. - -The weather cleared up during the night, and when I awoke in the -morning and walked out from my tent with the sun shining in all its -Arctic splendour the view was more than charming. Our camp was on a -point some forty feet above the river, and, below, the calm waters -glistened in the sunlight like a sea of glass. What a change from -the night before; when the same waters, angered by the north wind, -threatened our little canoes and caused me an hour of downright fear -such as I had never before experienced. For miles and miles the river -could be traced, winding through the valley land, while far beyond -were the mountains with their snow capped peaks, one beyond the other -as far as the eye could reach. - -What a smiling morning! All nature was so tranquil, that any -forebodings for the future were too pessimistic, and one could scarcely -even feel lonely or isolated. To add to the picture the Indians were -seen out on the river in their little canoes, at home in their favoured -vocation--fishing for the salmon. Altogether it was such a scene that -the contemplation of it even yet brings the keenest enjoyment. - -When the canoes came ashore they were fairly well laden with the -choicest of fish. Owing to the state of my larder I was particularly -glad of their success. I bought a few, giving them money and a little -tea in exchange and promised them that when I got to Rampart House, -where I expected to get fresh supplies, I would send them a present, -especially of tea and tobacco. An Indian camp is always in a starving -condition if it is out of these two articles. The order of supplies -are, first tea, next tobacco, then meat and lastly flour. - -In every Indian village along the whole route it was disheartening -to see so many of the people sick and without any means of getting -medical treatment, but this encampment was perhaps the worst of any -in this respect, and the appeals for medicine were most urgent. They -know nothing as to what remedies should be taken for any specific -ailment, but think that any kind of medicine should cure any disease -in the calendar. I remember an incident at Fort Frances many years -ago. A young Indian who had a sprained wrist, insisted that by taking -painkiller inwardly he was greatly relieved, saying that it went down -his throat and then right down to his wrist. Probably the spirits in -this remedy was what he liked most, but I have known them to take other -remedies that certainly were not palatable, where the effect was as -remote from the ailment as in the former case. - -During our trip I heard much from John Quatlot regarding his son Elias. -The poor old Indian seemed very proud of his boy, as well as of his -given name, which he took pains to tell me was in the Bible. John -Tizzard seemed to regard this as a boast, and on one occasion made the -remark that the name Jacob, by which his own son was known, was also -in the Bible. - -Quatlot informed me, too, that his son had other accomplishments. -He was a good hunter, a good Christian, and he could talk to me in -English. I was further informed that he was an expert canoe man, and of -this I would have proof as he intended having him take me in his big -canoe from Old Crow to Rampart House, the old man explaining that he -was tired and needed a rest after his long journey. - -My expectations, however, were doomed to disappointment on several -points. Elias spoke sufficient English to ask me how much I intended -to give him for his proposed services. I had already paid considerably -more than I had promised, and the agreement was that they should take -me to Rampart House, so I told him that in this case he was taking the -place of his father, who needed a rest; that I was not anxious that -he should come except to relieve his father; and that it rested with -himself to say whether he wished to come or not. At this he seemed very -much displeased, and the old man himself made ready to start. It was -really painful to see how chagrined he felt at his son’s conduct; not -so much for the work he was compelled to do, as for the unfavourable -impression which he knew I had formed regarding his boy. He said very -little for some time, but his affection for Elias was stronger than -his resentment, and in his very broken English he at length tried to -make excuses for him, saying he was a good boy but that he was not well -enough to come. - - -A VISIT TO RAMPART HOUSE - -About ten o’clock in the morning we started. Our party now consisting -of Jacob in a single canoe and old John and I in another, John Tizzard -remaining with his people at the Old Crow encampment. There was no big -canoe, however, and I took my place behind the old man in the same one -that had carried me before, but as it was not quite so heavily loaded I -felt more comfortable. The day continued fine throughout, the water was -without a ripple, the current strong, and we glided down the tortuous -course of the stream at almost steamboat speed. At night we reached a -point near the entrance of Blue Fish River, a long distance from our -start in the morning, and camped on the beach. The Porcupine is here -about sixty rods wide, and the water becomes clearer as the stream -descends. The night was clear and calm. This was the first of August, -over a month beyond the summer solstice. Consequently the period of -perpetual daylight was passed and the stars were faintly visible for an -hour or more before and after midnight. - -I had a restful and refreshing sleep with less forebodings of accident -than I had enjoyed since starting with the canoes. To-morrow we should -reach Rampart House if all should go well. There is one point, however, -on this stretch of the river which we were told at McPherson might -prove dangerous because of a partially submerged rock in a short rapid. -I talked this over as best I could with my two men, but they told me -there would be no danger at the existing depth of the water. This we -afterwards found to be the case. - -On Thursday, August 2, another lovely summer day, we left camp at 8.45 -A.M. In a few hours the river narrowed to less than half its usual -width, and the current correspondingly increased, carrying us along -at great speed. We were now in the upper ramparts of the Porcupine. -Though not to be compared in grandeur with those of the Mackenzie, -they nevertheless possess characteristics that are entirely unique. -The stream winds around between sandstone banks, and at every turn in -the descent, new scenes open up to view that are very tempting to the -photographer. At noon we saw a tent on the beach, and as we approached -found it occupied by a white man, the first we had seen since leaving -McPherson. He was engaged in fishing, laying up his winter supply for -himself and his dogs. - -I soon learned that he was a member of a distinguished family of -Eastern Canada, the son of a man to the foresight and energy of whom -the city and Port of Montreal are greatly indebted. He had wandered -far from his old home and associates through this northern wilderness, -strangely infatuated with the wild life and the charm which it -possesses. He informed me that he was expecting an appointment as -Customs officer from the Dominion Government for Rampart House on the -Alaska boundary, and I told him that I had seen what was undoubtedly -his commission with the forms appertaining to his office many times -on our way down to Fort McPherson, as the mail bag was opened at the -different posts, and that it was then awaiting him at the Fort on -Peel River. Whether he received these precious documents or not I am -unable to say. About an hour after we beheld a few log buildings on -the right bank of the river, and were greeted by the barking of dogs -and a cordial welcome from the inhabitants of this isolated village, -Rampart House. We had looked anxiously forward to our arrival here for -two reasons: first because our supplies of food were all but entirely -exhausted, and secondly it was here where I hoped to be able to discard -those cockle shells of canoes for more comfortable craft. - -The white man whom we met an hour before, however, while holding out -some hopes of my getting a row boat from a half breed, conveyed to me -the unwelcome information that the season’s provisions had not yet -reached the post, and that I would probably have to be satisfied with -obtaining only a little dried meat; that they might have a little tea -and tobacco left also, but that they were absolutely out of flour, the -very article I was needing most. - -Just as we reached the landing I saw a large row boat tied up at the -shore, on which were a few white men. They were bound for the Upper -Porcupine, where they intended to spend the autumn and winter in -trapping, and also in exploring for mineral in that region. I saw one -of the men sitting in his boat with an Indian at his side, busily -obtaining such information as he could get of the geography of the -upper river country, with which he was a stranger. From the instruction -given him he was endeavouring to construct a map, which I soon saw -would be of little service to him. It so happened I had with me a -lithographed map conveying just the information he needed. Here was -my opportunity, and it was not long till we had made a bargain. For a -few pounds of flour I handed over the map, which was of no further use -to me, but which I had little doubt would be of great service to him; -a good illustration of the fact that barter between individuals is -frequently profitable to both parties. - -Rampart House is in Canadian territory, but the 141st meridian which -divides our territory from that of Alaska is only a few hundred yards -west of the post. In fact the surveyed line between the two is within -sight of the village. It was formerly a post of the Hudson Bay Company, -but is now occupied by Mr. Dan Cadzow, an independent trader. He was at -this time absent from his post, having gone to Dawson City some time -before for his winter’s stock of supplies. He was expected back any -day, and his return was eagerly looked for by the few people of the -post as well as by the Indian hunters of the district, all of whom were -dependent on him for many of the necessaries of life. - -A French Canadian, bearing the Hibernian name of Healy, was the only -white man at the post during Cadzow’s absence and was in charge of -the store--if such it could be called. Shortly after my arrival, on -learning that I was from Ottawa, he confidentially informed me that he -was expecting the appointment of Customs officer and beseeched me to -urge his claims for the position. The fact of there being two aspirants -for an office that certainly could not be a remunerative one was a -reminder that I was approaching civilisation. Beyond the prestige that -the office might give to the holder among the Indians and half breeds -of the district, I could not see why any one should wish to hold it. -Healy could not speak the Loucheaux tongue, the language of the country -himself, but his better half, an Indian woman, known by the “classic -name” of Big Mary, possessed as he said “Les Deux Langues,” and was the -interpreter for the post. - -It was difficult for me to realise that within the comparatively short -period of nine days I had travelled fully 300 miles through a most -inhospitable wilderness, and it was a relief to know that from here on -I would probably have no longer to endure the anxiety that had attended -me from day to day ever since leaving the Peel river at McPherson. - -[Illustration: RAMPART HOUSE ON THE PORCUPINE RIVER] - -Great news greeted us on our arrival here. Some hunters had come in -from the mountains to the North bearing a report that the caribou had -arrived. They had already shot eleven and could have had many more but -that they were short of ammunition. It was pleasant to see how this -information cheered up the poor natives. Instead of the sad and -hopeless expression which had characterised nearly every one we had -heretofore met, all now looked happy in anticipation of what was to -come. The words which we had so often heard and which meant “short of -meat,” were now changed to “_plenty caribou_,” the latter spoken in -English. - -Old John Quatlot spoke more English than I ever thought him capable of, -as he made me understand that he was going to leave his canoe here and -that he and Jacob would go back to their home over the mountains, where -they would be sure to meet the caribou and lay in a winter’s supply of -meat. - -Right glad was I to leave him in such a cheerful mood. Surely, if there -is anything in the law of compensation, such a noble disposition as his -deserved some recompense. I have long contended that there is just as -great a diversity of character in individuals in savage as in civilised -life, and this ignorant Loucheaux Indian possessed qualities that would -adorn the life of the best in any society. As I bade him good-bye he -took my hand in his and said that I would go away off to my home in -the south while he would return to his at “Old Crow”; that by-and-by he -would die and I would die, and that then we would make a long journey -through the air; that finally we would meet, and the Great Spirit would -join our hands again. Such simple childlike faith, coupled with such a -warmth of feeling, was almost sublime. - - - - -CHAPTER X - - From Rampart House to Fort Yukon : In Alaska : With Dan Cadzow’s - Party. - - -Having rested two days at Rampart House I hired a half breed with a -row boat and started down stream at noon on August 4 and immediately -crossed the 141st meridian and entered Alaska. We will now be under -the flag of the United States for several hundred miles. It was a -great relief to have a boat in which I could move about freely without -any danger of upsetting it. Taking a seat in the stern I steered, and -paddled also when I wished, while my man and a boy, whom he engaged, -did the rowing. - -About 5 P.M., at a distance of some twenty-seven miles, we passed the -site of Old Rampart House, now abandoned, and at ten miles farther down -we saw a tent on the beach, which proved to belong to a party of United -States Geological Surveyors in charge of a Mr. Kindle of Washington, -D.C. We camped here for the night and greatly enjoyed the company of -our American cousins. We at once felt that, though still in this Arctic -wilderness we had left behind us the misery and want as well as the -dull monotony of semi-civilised life. - -Starting the next morning at nine o’clock we soon left the Upper -Ramparts of the Porcupine, those walls of rock which had enclosed the -river for the last forty or fifty miles. The current was strong, and, -though we camped earlier than usual on account of rain, we must have -gone at least forty miles in eight hours’ time. - -The next morning, August 6, we left camp at seven o’clock and soon -entered the Lower Ramparts, which extended for only five miles but -were very beautiful. After this the country becomes level, the banks -get lower, and the river widens considerably. The timber, principally -of spruce, improves, resembling in size that growing along the Peel at -McPherson. - -This was a fine day and we made about sixty miles, camping at eleven -o’clock, after sixteen hours of almost constant rowing and paddling. -Notwithstanding this I felt much less fatigued than on any one -of those anxious days of the week before, when my part was to do -absolutely nothing. - -On Tuesday, August 7, we started at 6 A.M. It proved a windy day, -which somewhat retarded our speed. All appearances seemed to indicate -that we were approaching a lake. The banks became low and the country -flat. Instead of the fringe of spruce there was grass growing, often -down to the water’s edge, and, looking on either side, the appearance -was different from anything we had seen for over 2000 miles. It -resembled very much the flat prairie of the Red River below Selkirk but -without the fertile soil. Instead of a lake, however, we were really -approaching the Yukon Flats, but at the same time I venture the opinion -that appearances were not very misleading, for in no very remote period -a lake evidently had covered a large area in the neighbourhood of the -junction of the Porcupine and Yukon. - -There was during the forenoon a difference of opinion between my two -men regarding our distance from Fort Yukon. One said that we could not -reach there for two days, while the other, who had been twice over -the route, contended that we should be at the mouth of the river that -same night. My experience had taught me not to underrate distances, and -I had about made up my mind that we should do well if we saw the Fort -at any time the following day, but, to my surprise and satisfaction, -on rounding an elbow in the stream, some well-known landmark appeared, -and both men agreed that we were only a half day’s journey from our -objective point, so the oars were plied more vigorously than ever. - -At about six o’clock in the evening, as we looked down the river and -across the level land bounding it, we observed a sail in the distance, -and an hour later we were taking a meal with Dan Cadzow’s party. - -They had camped for the night on a point in the river only a mile from -its mouth, and had a very large boat laden with the supplies that had -been so long looked for at Rampart House. They had come from Dawson -City, nearly four hundred miles up the Yukon, but thus far they had -been going with the current, whereas from now on for most of the -remaining distance of over two hundred miles the towline would have to -be used. This necessitated Cadzow’s having with him a party of about -a dozen men. My men were greatly pleased. Each day since we started -they had expected to meet this party, and they certainly had luck with -them, for they at once engaged with Cadzow, who would make a start up -the river on the following morning. Instead of having to “track” their -own boat back they would hitch it behind the larger craft, and not -only earn wages on their home trip, but what they valued even more, -participate in the food with which this outfit was well supplied. It -is difficult for the inexperienced dweller in old settled parts to -understand the sense of satisfaction that these men felt when they -realised that instead of working their own boat back with a little -dried meat as the principal food, and with only a blanket apiece to -cover them during the nights that were now becoming cold, they would -not only be paid for their work, but also have an abundance of food -prepared by one whom they said was the best cook in the country. -Besides, they were supplied with large tents and an abundance of -blankets, and added to all was the company of their fellow men, which -these people enjoy equally with those in other conditions of life. -Their four days’ hard rowing had gained for them a good reward. - -After a good dinner we started again, Cadzow having to return to -Fort Yukon for something he had forgotten there, accompanied us. It -only took a few minutes to reach the mouth of the river, but as Fort -Yukon lies on the Yukon River about two miles above the mouth of the -Porcupine we soon realised the difference in going up instead of down -stream. - -It will have been noticed that in our whole course hitherto from -Athabaska Landing to this point we had never once, with the exception -of about thirty miles on the Peel river, had to contend with adverse -river currents, but immediately we entered the Yukon conditions were -entirely changed, and it took us fully an hour and a half of hard -pulling and some tracking to make these two miles. - -[Illustration: YUKON RIVER AT FORT YUKON] - -We reached Fort Yukon near midnight, just two weeks after leaving Fort -McPherson, and the reader can well imagine how pleased I was that I -had again arrived at a point where steam navigation, with a short rail -trip, would make the remaining journey less arduous. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - - The Ramparts of the Porcupine : An Unoccupied House : A Girl’s - Unhappiness : Awaiting an Up-going Steamer : From Fort Yukon to - Dawson City. - - -A further reference to the ramparts of the Porcupine may be permissible -here. They are very picturesque, often rising to heights varying from -fifty to two hundred feet. Frequently the river narrows to from five -to eight hundred feet, in some cases much less; and with frequent -abrupt changes in the direction of the stream, they often appear when -looking ahead, completely to block the river, and with the sunlight -glistening on the rocks, and a haze rising from the water they exhibit -the peculiar appearances already noticed. - -The upper ramparts begin about ten or twelve miles above the Alaska -boundary and extend down stream some forty or fifty miles. The rock -formation as we descend is for the first twenty-five miles a hard -sandstone and quartzite, then changes to basalt for some distance, and -below this, limestone and shale penetrate upwards through the basalt. - -The lower ramparts begin some twenty or twenty-five miles below the -end of the upper ramparts. The formation of the former is principally -magnesian limestone and shales, the limestone being the predominant -rock. The banks of the river between the upper and lower ramparts are -composed of clay, sand, and gravel. - -When at Rampart House I had learned something of what to expect in -the way of accommodation at Fort Yukon. Under ordinary circumstances -it would not have been anything to look forward to with very much -pleasure, but compared with what I had recently experienced it was -quite reassuring. Jim Healy was kind enough to give me a key to an -unoccupied road house which he said he owned and where I could sleep. -He also informed me that I could probably get my meals at the home of a -half breed who was a relative of his wife. - -[Illustration: FORT YUKON IN ALASKA] - -On ascending the bank we were greeted by the usual barking of dogs, -and shortly after a few Indians and one white man, the latter a -storekeeper, came down to the landing, but it was growing dark, and I -felt like getting to rest for the night. I repaired to the road house, -unlocked the door, and fortunately found an old coal oil lamp by the -light of which I explored the premises, then unpacking my blankets and -spreading them on a cot in one of the rooms, I was soon prepared for a -much-needed sleep. It was some time, however, before unconsciousness -came to me, but it was delightful and refreshing to reflect that I had -at last, after just a fortnight’s hard work, succeeded in reaching a -point where all I had to do was simply to wait for a steamer in order -to continue my journey. Finally I fell asleep and did not waken till -about eight o’clock the next morning. The sun was shining in all its -Arctic brilliancy; the sky was without a cloud and the great river in -front flowed swiftly on without a breeze to disturb its glassy surface. -I found my temporary home was one of perhaps thirty log houses which, -with a few frame buildings, mostly all unoccupied, comprised the -village. - -My first task was to look around for a meal, and, naturally, I went for -information to the white storekeeper, thinking he might be able to -favour me, but it was the old story. His supplies had not yet arrived, -and he was on short rations himself. I then informed him that I had -been recommended to apply to a half breed family, but he advised me -to try at the other store farther down the river, as the lady of this -house was a white woman whose cooking would probably be more to my -taste than what I could get at the other place. I took his advice, and -soon after presented myself at the door of the house, which, to my -surprise, was opened by a good looking and well dressed young lady, and -on telling her the object of my visit she said they were also short -of supplies, but that she would be glad to accommodate me as best she -could during my short stay in the village. - -I was asked in and introduced to the Post Office Inspector for -Alaska--the ubiquitous government official again. He was also waiting -for the first boat to Dawson City, and in the meantime was occupying -another road house, but receiving his meals here also. Though we had -to do without meat, we had canned salmon and fresh fish in abundance -with some vegetables such as peas, potatoes, lettuce, beans, beets, &c. -These were grown in a little garden on the south side of the building. -This is worthy of mention, as Fort Yukon is a few miles north of the -Arctic Circle and farther north than I had seen any such growth east of -the mountains. - -We meet young men, enticed by the love of adventure or of gold in -nearly every border settlement and in regions even more remote than -these, who, in their early years, knew only the luxuries of city life, -but who now are enduring hardships undreamed of by their parents at -home. But to find a young woman scarcely passed the period of girlhood -condemned to a life of exile such as my hostess was enduring is rare -indeed. - -How came she here? - -I can only give the story as told to me. - -In one of the wholesale stores in New York City on a certain day in -midsummer, when the heat was almost intolerable, a customer presented -himself; his object being to make purchases for his establishment in -far away Alaska. - -Instead of being in the garb of a frontiersman he was faultlessly -attired in the latest fashions of the great metropolis. Instead of the -blanket coat and toque, he wore a frock coat and silk hat and carried -a cane, the shaggy hair and long beard which had helped to protect him -from the Arctic winds of the far north were carefully trimmed, and by -artificial means changed from their natural colour becoming a man of -over seventy years to one of less than half that age. In short, to use -an expression common in the north-west, he was “properly togged out for -business.” - -After making some selection in other departments he was introduced by -the proprietor to the young lady in charge of the millinery branch. -The first topic of conversation was, of course, the weather and the -depressing heat of the city. This opened to him a chance to boast of -the “cool breezes” for which his country is justly famed. He then drew -a romantic picture of his beautiful home on the bank of the Yukon. -All of which had its desired effect, with the result that within a -fortnight a newly-married but mismated couple were on their way to the -land of the midnight sun, but rumour had it that the romance was ended -long before they reached the palatial residence of which she had heard -so much. It proved to be a long shanty fairly well furnished for such a -locality, but without a single attractive feature in the surroundings -save the great river, which flowed by the door, and reminded her -somewhat of her old home. His sons and daughters by a former wife, who -were older than herself, failed to recognise her, and through their -influence even the half breeds mistrusted her. - -Such I understood was the state of affairs at the time of my visit. -Evidently this could not last and I subsequently learned that taking -advantage of the absence of the Lord of the Manor on a certain day, she -boarded a passing steamer for the outside world, and she has probably -ere this resumed her former vocation either in her native city or -somewhere else, but far from the land, the lure of which had captivated -her youthful fancy. - -I have already stated that Fort Yukon is a few miles north of the -Arctic Circle. Its longitude is also a little over 145 degrees west -of Greenwich, and the local time is about four and a half hours -slower than at Ottawa. Perhaps many who are tolerably familiar with -the geography of Canada would be surprised to learn that even Fort -McPherson, which lies east of the main chain of the Rocky Mountains -is much farther west than any part of Vancouver Island, while Fort -Yukon is ten degrees farther west still. Even in our journey to Fort -McPherson we changed time twice, about half an hour each time, and -notwithstanding this on our arrival there we found the local time an -hour slower than that used in the most westerly part of Canada. The -reason is apparent. Our general course down the Mackenzie had been -considerably west of north, and as we ascend towards the pole the -convergence of the meridians so increases that a degree is soon passed -over. - -I watched eagerly for the arrival of an upgoing steamer, but three days -passed without anything appearing larger than a canoe; then finally, a -large steam craft appeared, and I made preparations for leaving, but it -was soon revealed that she was only going a part of the way to Dawson -and it was useless to take passage on her. After five days of patient -waiting, on a Saturday afternoon, a whistle was heard, and at once the -_Lavelle Young_, from Tanana, a mining town down the river, appeared in -view. I was not long in securing a passage and soon took leave of this -sleepy village. - -The Yukon River for seventy-five miles below Fort Yukon, and probably -as far above, is many miles in width, forming what is known as the -Yukon Flats. This portion of the river is almost filled with islands -and partly submerged land, and it would be unwise for any one -unacquainted with the proper courses to attempt its ascent without a -guide, as he would be almost certain to get into wrong channels. As -before stated, these flats have evidently once formed the basin of a -large inland lake. - -The Yukon is a swift flowing stream, especially after leaving the -flats, and as the machinery of our steamer was partially disabled -we were five days in making the trip to Dawson. The passengers were -largely made up of miners from down the river. I secured a state room -along with two other men, who, however, left me as sole occupant during -each night, they being busily employed at playing cards in the cabin, -and I understood one of them succeeded in ridding himself of the -greater part of the results of his two years’ hard labour in the mines -before we arrived at our destination. - -We crossed the international boundary on the forenoon of August 17 and -again entered Canadian territory which I had left at Rampart House -twelve days before, and at five o’clock of the same day arrived at the -most important place on the river, the far-famed Dawson City. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - - Dawson City: In Civilisation Once More: High Prices: To - Whitehorse on the _Dawson_: Gamblers’ Tricks. - - -Some one has defined enjoyment as the reflex of successful effort, -and another has said that pleasure is largely a matter of comparison. -That there is much truth in both remarks is unquestionable and the -five days I remained at Dawson were the most serene and restful I had -ever experienced. To be sure there were many stages where conditions -had constantly improved since that anxious and wearisome time in the -canoes; first the visit at Rampart House, next the trip in the row boat -to Fort Yukon, then the rest in the road house there, followed by the -trip on the _Lavelle Young_. The few days’ passage on the latter should -have been pleasant but unfortunately this ship had seen her best days, -and very soon after starting it was noticed that through the opening -of some old break the lower deck was half filled with steam, and the -farther we went the worse it got. This not only lessened her speed by -one half but caused us considerable uneasiness during nearly the whole -passage. It was not pleasant to contemplate that after all, my trip -might end up by a boiler explosion. - -But here at Dawson I had again reached civilisation, where I received -letters from home, the first since leaving Edmonton nearly three months -previously. I also availed myself of the telegraph and set at rest any -anxiety that my friends at home may have felt for my safety. - -[Illustration: DAWSON CITY] - -There were minor things that were necessary to transform me from the -bushman of the north to a passable member of Dawson society. First -the barber devoted his attention to me to the extent of a dollar and -a half. I suppose it was worth it. On returning from the enjoyment of -this civilising process I noticed in a shop window some newspapers -presumably for sale, and it dawned on me that something might have -occurred in the outside world during my absence, so I bought a copy -of a _Toronto Journal_ about two weeks old and one of Vancouver of the -week before, for which I paid the moderate sum of fifty cents. This -reminded me that I was in a golden city. It also reminded me of the -early days in Winnipeg before the copper coins were introduced. It was -during the boom of 1882, when every one in Ontario thought himself -unfortunate if he were not the possessor of some soil in the west. On -a certain morning a gentleman who had only arrived in Winnipeg the -night before stepped out from his hotel and met a newsboy from whom he -took a copy of the _Manitoba Free Press_ handing the vendor a cent in -payment. The youngster looked at the coin and then handed it back with -the remark for him to keep it as he might need it when he went back to -Ontario. In Dawson they look with disdain on any currency of a smaller -denomination than “two bits”--twenty-five cents. - -I remained five days at Dawson waiting for a boat to Whitehorse, and, -during that time had an opportunity of visiting the mines in its -vicinity and of hearing the wonderful stories of the fortunes made -by the pioneers from the sands of the Klondike and its tributaries. -But the day for the hand miner with his rocker has passed and instead -hydraulic mining and dredging has taken its place. The Guggenheims and -others have purchased most of the old claims and it is interesting -to witness the great streams of water tearing down the earth of the -hillsides and revealing the old cribbing which the former proprietor -had erected when the Dawson camp was the wonder of the continent. - -The pioneers, as they deserved, got wonderful returns of coarse gold -and exhausted the richest earth, but the men of capital still find -sufficient left to reward them liberally for operations on a larger -scale. The bed rock along the streams and the bottom land along each -side is a soft mica schist easily scooped out with dredges; this almost -invariably carries a fair percentage of gold, quite sufficient to -bring a good margin of profit when so worked whereas it would not pay -expenses if worked under the old system. What struck me very forcibly -was the way in which the timber had been completely stripped from the -hills, the larger for building purposes, for mining props and for -fuel, and the brush for building embankments to hold the tailings. -Look in whatever direction you would and scarcely a green twig could -be seen, and spruce wood for fuel was selling when I was there for -thirteen dollars a cord. - -The journey from Dawson City to Whitehorse, some 460 miles, was -comfortably made on a well equipped steamer, the _Dawson_. She left on -Wednesday evening, August 22, and we arrived at Whitehorse on Sunday -afternoon, August 26, and on the following morning at 9.30 we took the -train for Skagway, arriving there at 4.30 P.M. - -This road, which is 111 miles in length, is a narrow gauge, but the -road bed is good and the cars comfortable. Along the route as far as -the south end of Lake Bennet there is nothing specially worthy of note. -The soil is generally sandy. Jackpine and spruce, of little value for -lumber, are seen along the track. After leaving Bennet, the road winds -up the mountain to the summit of the pass, which is 2897 feet above the -sea. Here we pass again into United States territory. The road descends -twenty-one miles with a very steep grade to Skagway, at tidewater on -an arm of the Lynn canal. The trip between Bennet and Skagway affords -some exceedingly fine mountain scenery. In many places we pass near the -snow line, and from Skagway a large glacier is visible. The country is -almost devoid of timber. The rocks are granite, and in no part have I -seen a more desolate landscape. Looking out of the car window as we -glided swiftly down grade following a little mountain stream, we could -see across the ravine the old trail of 1897, clinging close to the -mountainside, while at short intervals were the abandoned bunk houses -where the weary gold seeker sought shelter at night and freely parted -with his coin for the privilege of spreading his blankets on a rough -wooden floor. - -Along this trail passed men from every country in Europe and America -as well as a number from Eastern Asia each speaking a different tongue -but all pressing forward to the Mecca of their hope and all with the -one idea that of gaining riches from this great Northern Eldorado. If -those old buildings could speak what tragedies they would reveal. Many -a young man, so the story goes, seeing his purse so depleted when he -had reached Skagway that it would be impossible for him to reach his -destination, soon beheld by the wayside a gambler’s chance of escape -from his difficulties. There was always on hand an engaging young man -to sympathise with him and to relate an experience similar to his own. - -Then would come the interesting story of his success at cards through -having learned the gamblers’ tricks. These he would impart to his new -found friend who would introduce him to his comrades. There is no -use pursuing the story further. The poor victim with an empty pocket -book, and finding his hopes and dreams of great wealth all shattered, -frequently the battle ended in a tragedy. The stories of those days, as -sometimes related by the pioneers, are sad indeed. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - - From Skagway to Vancouver : On the _Princess May_ : Fort - Simpson : Prince Rupert : End of the Journey. - - -The ocean voyage between Skagway and Vancouver is so well known that I -need only refer to it briefly. Nearly the whole course is so sheltered -on the one side by the main land, and on the other by islands, almost -innumerable, that it was easier to fancy that we were back on the -_Wrigley_ threading the islands of the Mackenzie rather than that we -were on the waters of the great Pacific. - -The fine C.P.R. steamer _Princess May_ was waiting at the dock at -Skagway when we arrived, and at 8 P.M. on Monday, August 27, we -started for Vancouver. I was sorry that the trip down the Lynn canal -was made at night, and a very dark one at that, which prevented our -having a view of the glaciers that otherwise would have been visible. -Tuesday was a dull, rainy day without anything of interest to record. -The steamer called at Fort Simpson early on Wednesday morning, and -passed Kaein Island, the site of the future city Prince Rupert, in the -forenoon, but did not stop. A little later we called at Port Essington -but the tide was out and our steamer was unable to reach the dock. -Further on we called at Caxton where there is a very large cannery and -where we took on a quantity of canned salmon. On Thursday, at 6 A.M., -we called at Bella Bella, and at 3 P.M. at Alert Bay on Vancouver -Island, to see the totem poles of the Indian village there. - -Fort Simpson deserves more than a passing reference. It was for many -years the chief place on the west coast north of Victoria, and it -had for some time great hopes of being the western terminus of the -G.T.P. Railway. This last aspiration has, however, been blasted by the -selection of Prince Rupert, twenty-five miles farther south, but, as -in many other small places, the few residents have an abiding faith -that their town will yet be a great city outrivalling any other from -San Francisco north, and they now pin their faith on the Canadian -Northern Railway making this their northern ocean port. - -[Illustration: INDIAN CHILDREN AT FORT SIMPSON] - -Fort Simpson enjoys the distinction of being the home of a band of -Indians who surpass any I have ever seen in the east in general -intelligence as well as in their advancement in civilisation. Fully -three fourths of the inhabitants of the village are native Indians -of the Tsimpsian tribe. They are not only industrious but also -frugal; live in good frame houses painted white and all numbered. In -front of the dwelling usually stands a totem pole with its strange -hieroglyphics. These dwellings are for the most part comfortably -furnished. I had not the privilege of seeing the interior of a very -fine looking house owned by the chief of the band, but was informed -that the furniture cost several thousand dollars. - -In addition to the village house most of the families have a small plot -of land outside the town with a small house erected on it where they -spend part of the summer cultivating vegetables for their use. The -community owns a saw mill that supplies them with lumber. The affairs -of the village are managed by a council presided over by their chief. -I am unable to say whether they manage their public affairs as well as -some of our municipalities do. They could scarcely be managed worse -than some are. They can all speak English, but conversation among -themselves is usually in their own tongue. They build and equip their -own fishing and sail boats, of sufficient size to weather the heavy -seas and tidal currents of the coast. - -In the early spring they move out to their garden plot generally in a -small valley sloping down to the sea. Here they plant their potatoes -and other vegetables. Next comes the fishing season and the canneries -rely largely on the catch made by these people. When the run of the -salmon is plentiful, the money earned by a family with a good boat and -plenty of nets is quite equal to the proceeds from an ordinary farm. -The fishing season over, they next go south to the valleys of southern -British Columbia and Washington State where they further increase their -earnings by assisting in the hop fields there. - -Then they return home in time to store their vegetables before the wet -weather sets in. Finally, the year is rounded off by the winter hunt. -The result is that scarcely a family is without some ready money, while -many have considerable, either kept safely at home or deposited in -banks at Victoria or Vancouver. - -Thanks to the enterprise of the early missionaries in establishing -schools among these people they are now fairly well educated. The -Anglican and Methodist churches were early in the field and the fruit -of their labour is apparent. - -Prince Rupert from its geographical position might be called the -Canadian Vladivostock. Each city is the ocean terminus of a great -transcontinental railway. Each can boast of a high northern latitude, -and consequently lessened distances between meridians. Prince Rupert -however, has a great advantage over its _vis-à-vis_ in one particular. -The Siberian Port is practically closed during the whole of the winter -season, while the magnificent harbour at Prince Rupert, though many -degrees farther north, is open the year round. - -The Grand Trunk Pacific engineers searched diligently along this -northern coast to find a harbour worthy of such a railway. There were -many places offering special advantages of situation but which perhaps -lacked some essential qualification. Those of first importance were a -depth of water covering a large area; shelter from the ocean; ease of -access both by rail and water, and (on this coast, the most difficult -of all) a good shore line for wharves with at least some adjacent land -where a city could be built. It was finally decided that the north and -east coast of Kaien Island fulfilled the requirements more nearly than -any other point and the present site of Prince Rupert was selected. -There is no question that few ports in the world offer greater -attraction to the mariner; the area is large enough to accommodate the -navies of the world, the approach is easy, and with few currents to -trouble the navigator. The shelter is secure; the water deep and the -wharves convenient. The approach by the railway too in the vicinity of -the port is for miles along the sea almost on a level. - -It has been said that the greater portion of British Columbia “stands -on end,” and certainly to no portion of the Province does this more -aptly apply than to this northern coast, and there, perhaps, was never -a case in the history of the world, a case where the initial cost in -the building of a city was as great as it is there to-day. The land for -about a mile and a quarter back from the shore is a succession of rock -ridges with swampy land intervening. At the present time in order to -make streets these rocks are being levelled down to afford a passable -grade. In most cases this necessitates the cutting down of the adjacent -lots to get a frontage on the street level. The amount of explosives -being used for this purpose must be very great. Blasting is constantly -going on and the visitor can easily fancy himself in a beseiged town. - -On waking on Friday morning, August 31, I found we were approaching -Vancouver. It was a delightful morning, and as we entered the narrows -and then passed around Brockton Point and entered Burrard inlet, we -beheld that great modern city which, in a few years has risen from a -small village to one of the foremost places in the Dominion. I felt -that at last I was practically home again. The distance I had travelled -from Edmonton to this point was about 4250 miles, and had occupied a -few days less than three months. - -I had now time to look over my diary and to recall to memory many -incidents which had received little attention at the time. In fact -nothing counted for much then that did not aid me in what I had -undertaken. My one idea was by some means to make the trip to the -Arctic and return exactly as I had planned it, and in doing so every -day had brought its duties, and there was little time to recall what -was past. The present and the future took all our immediate attention. -But now there was time and with it the inclination, to retrace every -foot of the journey from start to finish. - -What a panorama opened to view. There was the wearisome journey on the -Athabaska ending at the “Lake of the Hills.” Then opened to the mental -vision the Slave River, Slave Lake and the Mackenzie ending at that -strange but interesting Arctic village, McPherson. Then those anxious -days on the trail over the mountains. Then the canoe trip on the Bell -and Porcupine with three Indians. The encampment at Old Crow and -next the arrival at Rampart House. - -[Illustration: TOTUM POLES AT ALERT BAY ON VANCOUVER ISLAND] - -Then the somewhat pleasant trip still down the Porcupine till Fort -Yukon is reached. The road house there. The slow trip up the Yukon to -Dawson and finally the journey from Dawson to Vancouver. All these with -the numerous incidents on the way passed before the vision. It was like -the developing of a picture without the aid of any camera except that -furnished by the human eye and recorded in the mind of the observer. -And even yet, though several years have elapsed, those impressions -of places, of people and of events frequently pass vividly in review -before my mental vision. These impressions I have, with a feeble pen, -attempted to develop for any who have had the patience to follow this -review, but I am painfully conscious of my failure to pass on to my -indulgent readers anything more than the bare outlines of a picture -which to my own mind is not only vivid but intensely fascinating. - - - - -PART II - - - - -FOREWORD - - -It may be well for me to add to the foregoing narrative a few brief -general observations on certain characteristics and productions of -the country, such as the climate, the soil, the minerals, the timber; -of the animals, the fish, the wild fowl, that migrate there and breed -during the summer months; and, lastly, of the native inhabitants, as -well as the traders and missionaries who have for the last century or -more made their home in the country. - - - - -SECTION I - -CLIMATE - - -I have already referred to the extreme heat which we experienced along -the Athabaska River and at Fort Chippewyan, and that this hot wave -extended beyond the Arctic Circle was testified to by Indians who -suffered the loss of some of their dogs from this cause, on crossing -the portage between the Bell River and Fort McPherson. Of course this -was exceptional and lasted only a few days, but nevertheless, there -is no question that for a couple of months in midsummer the aggregate -amount of heat which is imparted by the sun’s rays interrupted only for -a few hours out of the twenty-four, and shining through a wonderfully -clear atmosphere goes far to counter-balance what is lost by their -refraction owing to the obliquity of their course in reaching the -earth. The law of compensation here makes heroic efforts to assert its -claim, and though it fails in giving to those regions an equality -of heat, it does succeed to the last fraction in bestowing on every -portion of the globe an equality of light, the great luminary gives to -the Esquimaux exactly as much sunlight during the entire year as the -dweller on the far off Amazon or the Nile. There is as much truth as -poetry in the lines of the old song: “For taking the year all round my -dear, There isn’t more night than day.” - -We found it difficult when we got below the last obstruction to -navigation, and began to make rapid progress to the north, to accustom -ourselves to the changed conditions and to seek rest at the old -accustomed hours, and frequently while waiting for the darkness, the -midnight hour was passed and the northern dawn was upon us before we -realised that the evening and morning twilight were not separated by -any perceptible intervening darkness. The wonderful beauty of the -tropical dawn has been told by every traveller in the equatorial -regions, but in these regions only a few minutes elapses from the time -it begins till the sun asserts its supremacy and dispels the brilliant -colouring. In the sub-Arctic regions there is no such haste. When -the glittering rays no longer reach us we can watch their reflection in -the clear ethereal spaces above during the whole of that period we call -night. But I have dwelt, perhaps, too long and too frequently on this -subject, and my only apology is that this portion of time was to me -always a recompense for any of the labours or hardships of the previous -day, and one is apt to be garrulous over what has afforded him pleasure. - -[Illustration: - - _Copyright Ernest Brown_ - -ESQUIMAUX IN THEIR KAYAKS] - -It was difficult on those exceedingly hot days of midsummer to realise -that in a few months’ time the ice king would reign supreme over all -the land. But this is a country of extremes, and even in some of the -hottest days when the wind would turn suddenly to the north and angry -clouds would arise from the horizon and spread across the heavens -obscuring the sun from view, one could form a faint idea of what would -happen a few months later. - -After entering the Mackenzie we noticed the constant dropping of earth -from the banks causing a dull splash in the water. This was caused by -the melting of the frozen earth along the shore of the stream. In -some cases the action of the water had worn deep caverns into the -perpendicular clay banks. When these caverns had become so large as -to remove the support of the superincumbent mass, an earth slide of -considerable magnitude would occur. In the greater part of this whole -country frost is found at varying depths during the whole year, and of -course the distance below the surface decreases as we go north. On our -journey across from McPherson to Bell River we found it a little less -than a foot to perpetual frost. - -Some one has suggested the building of a line of railway between the -Peel and Bell Rivers. All I would say of this visionary enterprise is -that a solid ice foundation for the roadbed will certainly be found -without much excavation. Bearing on this subject a well authenticated -story is told. Some years ago an agent of the Hudson Bay Company died -at Fort McPherson, and, being a man of some importance a deep grave -was excavated for his remains out of the frozen earth. Some time -after stories were told of strange appearances around this grave. As -the years went by one after another of the inhabitants of the place -imagined that he saw something uncanny around the resting place of the -former master of the post. Finally, it became the settled belief of the -community, that the lonely grave had frequent visits from unearthly -beings. This went so far as to menace the existence of the post, and -the company at length concluded either to move it to another locality -or to remove the cause of the trouble to another resting place. It was -finally decided that it would be better to take the remains up to Fort -Simpson and inter them in the churchyard there where no uncanny visitor -would dare to approach. - -The winter season was chosen for the removal. An escort of natives -with a team of dogs hitched to a toboggan was engaged for the work. -After considerable difficulty the frozen earth was removed and the -rude coffin taken up when the occupant was found just as he had been -when placed there some twenty years before, in a perfect state of -preservation. The grave had been made below the perpetual frost line -and an eternity of years would under such conditions have failed to -render literally applicable the words “Dust thou art and to dust thou -shalt return.” - -The winter previous to my visit, viz., that of 1905–6 was a -particularly cold one. The thermometer went as low as sixty-eight -degrees below zero, Fahrenheit, and added to this there was a great -deal of wind, but, not having had an opportunity of experiencing -a winter in those latitudes, I shall leave to others the task of -describing it. - -In Captain McClintock’s narrative “The Voyage of the _Fox_ in Arctic -Seas” there is found incidentally a most graphic word picture of an -Arctic winter night. It will be remembered that Captain McClintock -commanded the expedition sent out by Lady Franklin in 1857, in search -of her husband, Sir John Franklin. The author makes no attempt at -anything more than giving the occurrences as they took place from day -to day, as recorded in his diary, but one paragraph headed “Burial in -the Pack” is given in words that paint the scene in colours that remain -in the mind of the reader, and I shall quote a couple of extracts which -read as follows: - -_December 4, 1857._--“I have just returned on board from the -performance of the most solemn duty a commander can be called upon to -fulfil. A funeral at sea is always peculiarly impressive; but this -evening as we gathered around the sad remains of poor Scott, reposing -under a Union Jack, and read the burial service by the light of -lanterns, the effect could not fail to awaken serious emotions. - -The greater part of the church service was read on board, under shelter -of the housing; the body was then placed upon a sledge, and drawn by -the messmates of the deceased to a distance from the ship, where a hole -through the ice had been cut; it was then ‘committed to the deep,’ -and the service completed. What a scene it was; I shall never forget -it. The _Lonely Fox_, almost buried in snow, completely isolated from -the habitable world, her colours half-mast with the bell mournfully -tolling; our little procession slowly marching over the rough surface -of the frozen deep, guided by lanterns and direction posts amid the -dreary darkness of an Arctic winter; the deathlike stillness around, -the intense cold, and the threatening aspect of a murky overcast sky; -and all this heightened by one of those strange lunar phenomena which -are but seldom seen even here, a complete halo encircling the moon, -through which passed a horizontal band of pale light that encompassed -the heavens; above the moon appeared the segments of two other halos, -and there were also mock moons or para-selenæ to the number of six. -The misty atmosphere lent a very ghastly hue to this singular display, -which lasted for rather more than an hour. - -Scarcely had the burial service been completed, when our poor dogs, -discovering that the ship was deserted, set up a most dismal unearthly -moaning, continuing it until we returned on board. Coming to us from a -distance across the ice, at such a solemn moment, this most strange and -mournful sound was both startling and impressive.” - -Again on the eleventh he says: “Position 74 degrees, 31 N 68·21 -W. Calm, clear weather, pleasant for exercise, but steadily cold; -thermometer varies between twenty and thirty degrees below zero. At -noon the blush of dawn tints the southern horizon, to the north -the sky remains inky blue, whilst overhead it is bright and clear, -the stars shining, and the pole star near the zenith very distinct. -Although there is a light north wind, thin mackerel clouds are passing -from south to north and the temperature has risen ten degrees.” - -What a contrast to this a few months’ time will bring when the king -of the universe has again appeared in constant view, dispelling all -the darkness and bringing warmth in his rays. Then the wild fowl will -come up in myriads from the south to build their nests and rear their -young in rivers, creeks and pools in this boreal land. Then too, the -Esquimaux will lay aside the snow sled for the kaiak. The tent will -take the place of the iglo and his period of real enjoyment will have -begun. - -These are, no doubt, the conditions that appeal to him as ideal and -which no other latitude could afford, and so it is that he prefers his -home to that of any other. - - - - -SECTION II - -SOIL - - -I have already made frequent reference to the soil conditions as -observed on my line of travel. Of course I had little opportunity of -forming more than a general idea. Before any accurate report can be -given on this subject it will be necessary for the Government to have -an exploration survey made by men competent to give an authoritative -opinion. For many years I have been impressed with the idea that Canada -has failed to realise what it is losing year after year from its lack -of information of its unoccupied areas. - -What would be thought of the settler who built his house and commenced -to clear and till his land on the front of his lot without ever taking -the trouble to examine the rest of his possessions? The chances -are that he would afterwards find that much of his labour had been -misdirected. In many parts of the country land has been surveyed and -opened up for settlement that was unfit for Agriculture, and which -should have been left for the growth of timber for which it was well -suited. Frequently this land looked attractive to the inexperienced, -and in many cases the settler spent years of hard labour only to find -at last that beneath the few inches of humus there was nothing but -barren sand. - -Our governments are wisely spending much public money in bringing -agricultural immigrants into the country, and their next step should -be to direct them to fields where their labour will receive its just -reward. - -On the great plains of our north-west this was perhaps not so -necessary, but in the country under consideration, which is mostly -wooded like our eastern Provinces, such supervision should not be -neglected. - -Extending from Lesser Slave Lake through to the valley of the Peace -River, and throughout the whole course of that stream, as well as down -the Slave River and the Mackenzie even to the delta of the latter, -the soil appears to be a rich alluvial deposit, broken in some cases -by rocky land and in others by sandy ridges. East of this we may -expect to find more exposed rock, and probably less land which would -be attractive to the agriculturist. I am well aware, however, that -north of the North Saskatchewan, to east of the district I have named, -and in perhaps some instances extending well up to the barren lands, -may be many valleys that will yet be inhabited, but it remains for the -Government to ascertain where these lie in order to direct the incoming -settler aright. The life of the tiller of the soil is arduous enough -in any case, and in a country such as ours there is no reason why his -labour need be in vain. - -Beyond the watershed of the North Saskatchewan there are millions upon -millions of acres in the aggregate fully as suitable for settlement as -many parts of Northern Europe which now afford homes for a prosperous -people. Of course this being a wooded country and the climate more -severe, it does not offer the same attractions as the rich prairies -farther south, but after these have been settled the emigrant from -Scandinavia and Russia will find here a new home similar to the one he -has left. - - - - -SECTION III - -MINERALS - - -Reference has already been made to the tar sands along the Athabaska -River which evidence the presence of bitumen in great abundance, to -coal along the same river and also on the banks of the Mackenzie near -Fort Norman; to salt at different points on the Slave and Mackenzie -Rivers, and to copper on the Coppermine River near the Arctic Sea. But -these are probably only a few out of many varieties that exist in that -vast unknown region. - -The gold of the Yukon and of Alaska in America and the various mineral -products of Siberia in Northern Europe and Asia prove that neither the -precious or baser metals are confined to the lower latitudes, and it is -more than probable that sub-Arctic Canada may yet be heard from as the -depository of what are now hidden treasures. - -I have perhaps already wearied the reader with reiterating the need of -more exploration work in Northern Canada. The work of the geological -survey is worthy of all praise, but the annual appropriations for this -department are entirely inadequate to compass so vast a field. - -The output of gold in the neighbourhood of Dawson City on the Yukon -with the more recent discoveries of silver at Cobalt, and of gold at -the Porcupine will lure the adventurous explorer into far northern -fields, where much of his time will be spent in not only acquiring a -knowledge of the geology of the country but also in tracing the courses -of unknown rivers and locating great mountain ranges, which information -will be for the benefit of Canada as a whole, and which she herself -should supply in advance. - -The press of the country is just now publishing accounts of the -preparation of a vessel to be named the _Princess Patricia_, which will -sail shortly from Newfoundland in quest of gold and coal in Northern -Baffin Land. This expedition is being undertaken by a Canadian named -A. W. Scott, usually known as “Lucky Scott,” and is the result of a -report of Captain Robert S. Janes who was second officer in command of -the Canadian Government steamer _Arctic_ which returned from northern -waters in the summer of 1911. - -Captain Janes will be the guide of the expedition and it is his -discoveries which will be examined. The following extracts are from -Captain Janes’ report: - -“The _Arctic_ wintered in the north and in December 1910, Captain Janes -was sent by Captain Bernier the commander to North-East Baffin Land -with three Esquimaux, three comatocks, and thirty Esquimaux dogs for -the purpose of exploring that section. During the months of January -and February little work could be done owing to the Arctic night being -on, and the sun only came back in February little by little, but the -intense frost and short days prevented anything being done before -April of 1911. From that time till August, however, Captain Janes was -employed in exploring that section of Northern Baffin Land.” - -His report says, “We found in May a coal field extending about thirty -miles from the coast and eight miles from navigable waters. Along the -strike of this outcrop coal could be easily picked up anywhere and I -discovered and staked one coal seam fifteen feet thick without a break. -I burned this coal in a cook stove and it gave forth a tremendous heat -with very little smoke and very little ash. In June I found another -coal field 100 miles north-west. This coal bed extends right to the -water’s edge. I pitched coal from it right into my boat which was tied -at the beach. I think it would be perfectly feasible to transport the -coal by water to a point on the south-east coast of Baffin Land at the -entrance to the Hudson Straits, where it could be used to coal the -grain-carrying fleet which will pass there when the Hudson Bay Railway -is built.” - - - - -SECTION IV - -PLACER GOLD - - -Captain Janes also reports the discovery of placer gold. He says -that he found gold quartz with gold in it on the bank of a river and -regarding this he writes as follows: - -“I washed out the nuggets and small particles of gold which I brought -back with me, from a dark sand mixed with fine pebbles, found on the -edge of this river. Close to this I found specimens of block tin, -copper and iron. In other districts I also discovered graphite in -abundance. I also discovered a very peculiar and heavy stone or metal -which resembled lead, in the same district in which the coal was -located. This material when put on the coal fire threw off an excessive -amount of sulphur. This includes only a small section of Baffin Land -that I had a chance to prospect. There is a large area that I had not -time to examine.” - -Captain Janes further states: “Game of all descriptions is in -abundance and many fur-bearing foxes, white and blue which the natives -trap in great numbers. There is also plenty of bear, musk ox, walrus, -seal and narwhale, which latter is valuable for its ivories. - -“On June 1 the whole country becomes alive. Birds of all descriptions -including ducks and geese immigrate from the south. I killed several -white bear myself and saw many interesting bear fights.” He concludes -as follows: - -“I have sailed for twenty years on my own vessel as master on the coast -of Newfoundland, Labrador, and in northern waters in the seal and -fishing industry, and I am expecting that this expedition will be a -great success.” - -If Captain Janes’ report is verified it is very probable that Canada’s -hinterland will soon furnish the unique spectacle of great mining -enterprises in operation, in regions beyond the Arctic Circle. - - - - -SECTION V - -TIMBER - - -As we go north the varieties of trees greatly decrease in number, -and in the sub-Arctic forest belt they are reduced to eight species, -namely, white spruce (_picea Canadensis_), black spruce (_picea -Mariana_), larch or tamarac (_larix Americana_), jack or Banksian -pine (_pinus banksiana_), Canada Balsam (_abies balsamea_), aspen or -white poplar (_populus tremuloides_), balsam poplar or balm of Gilead -(_populus balsamea_), and canoe birch (_betula Papyrifers_). - -The first five of these belong to the coniferous family, while the last -three, namely the aspen, the balsam poplar, and the canoe birch, are of -the broad leaf variety. - -In addition to these are various species of willow, extending -throughout the whole region, but they are too small in size to be -classed as trees. - -The larch or tamarac continues pretty well north to prefer the swampy -land, but as we approach the Arctic regions it attains its best growth -on higher ground. - -The black spruce also follows the example of the tamarac in this -respect, while the white spruce thrives best on the higher and drier -land and throughout the whole of the sub-Arctic watershed. The tamarac -vies with the white spruce in enduring the Arctic climate, and is found -almost to the limit of tree growth. - -The wood of the tamarac is harder and better than the spruce for -purposes where strength and durability are required. It is also the -best, perhaps excepting the birch of these northern species, for -fuel. Though widely distributed it is only found in little quantities -here and there in scattered patches, whereas the spruces of different -varieties are found in almost every part of Canada from the Atlantic -to the Pacific, and from the southern boundary of the Dominion to the -tundra and frozen land beyond the Arctic Circle. - -It would undoubtedly be misleading with our limited knowledge of the -greater part of the country, to attempt to define the areas that may, -with the settlement of the country, offer profitable fields to the -lumberman. It is true that there has been for many years a good deal of -travel through the country, but the routes taken are mostly confined to -the great water courses. While in the country I made diligent inquiries -from those I met who are engaged by the companies, and who take the -place of the old _coureurs du bois_, of the early days in “tripping” -in winter, visiting the hunting lodges of the Indians to get furs. -Occasionally some of the information obtained seemed valuable, but -even these routes or dog trails are always chosen where there is the -least timber to obstruct the course, generally along the lakes and -rivers, or through level and sparsely timbered muskegs. The Indians -being interested in the fish and game of the country, can give reliable -information concerning them, but it would be unwise to make any -calculations from what information can be gained from them regarding -either the quantity or quality of timber in the country. - -So far as our present knowledge affords us a means of judging, the -whole of the Arctic basin, except the barren lands of the far north -and certain limited areas in the watersheds of the Athabaska and Peace -Rivers, which latter are prairie, may be correctly described as forest -land. - -It must not be inferred that the whole of the vast area is timbered in -the same sense that Ontario and Quebec were in their primeval state. -The timber is not as large, and by no means as evenly distributed. Very -frequently after proceeding a mile or less from one of the large rivers -we will enter a muskeg with only a few small scattered spruce and -tamarac here and there dotting the landscape. - -This will probably continue till we approach a small stream draining -the muskeg, and as we pass down such a stream we will frequently find -very good spruce, poplar and birch along the banks and extending for -varying distances to the right and left. - -From the information at hand I think it is quite safe to assert that -the largest extent of timber in the Mackenzie basin as well as the -largest in size, is to be found along the tributaries of the Mackenzie -which flow from the west, such as the Athabaska, Peace, Laird, Nahanni -and others. It must be remembered that these are themselves great -rivers with many tributary streams and the aggregate quantity of spruce -suitable for lumber which is the principal timber tree in that region, -must be very large; while trees of the same variety large enough for -pulpwood are found in great quantities throughout the whole of the -Mackenzie waters extending all the way down to the delta of that river. - -This spruce is of two varieties, namely, the white and black spruce; -the former is the larger and more valuable. Both varieties when -accessible are now becoming very valuable, as they furnish the best -material for the manufacture of pulp, and this district contains a -world’s supply of such timber of sufficient size for that purpose. At -present there is no outlet for this supply, but if a railway were built -between Athabaska Lake and Fort Churchill it would open a pulp district -extending from tide water to the Rocky Mountains. - - - - -SECTION VI - -ANIMALS - - -One of the resources to which I have not yet referred is the native -wild animals that find a home in the wilderness. Among them are, the -moose, the caribou, the bear, the wood buffalo, and the musk ox, and -the experiments recently made in Alaska and on the Labrador Coast by -the introduction of the Lapland reindeer indicate that the semi-barren -lands may yet furnish meat for export. - -To these must be added the fur-bearing animals for which the country -is already famous. The beaker, martin, fox and mink are only a few -of the varieties with which the country abounds. It is unnecessary -to say that but for the fur that these produce it is probable that -the country would never have been visited except by a few adventurous -explorers and missionaries. Attracted, however, by the value of these -furs, the North-West Company and “The Honourable The Hudson’s Bay -Company,” were early in the field, and to-day in addition to the -latter there are a large number of independent traders whose agents -traverse practically the whole of the country, and if records of their -journeyings were collected, very interesting information of great value -would be obtained. I might remark that at certain of the Hudson’s -Bay posts diaries written by the agents may be seen which record the -most interesting events that have come under their notice almost from -the establishment of these stations. Some of them convey graphic -descriptions of every day life in those regions. Here is a virgin field -for any adventurous author who wishes to gather details at first hand. - -[Illustration: A MOOSE AND INDIAN TEPEE] - -As one observes on a winter’s day in our cities and towns the great -quantity of furs that are worn practically by all classes of our -population, most of which come from this north country, he cannot -but be impressed by the fact that we owe a debt of gratitude to that -country and to those who endure its rigours for our comfort. Whether -this supply will diminish in the future is a question of very great -importance to us. Though I have already stated that certain parts -of this region will probably in time be settled, there is yet a vast -proportion of it that will remain probably for all time uninhabited, -and there seems no reason why in those parts the productiveness of -the valuable furs may not only be maintained but greatly increased if -judicious supervision is established and proper methods adopted. The -forest reserves should be utilised as game preserves and it can be -scarcely doubted, considering the rapidly increasing value of the fur -product, that they could be made to yield a splendid profit. - - - - -SECTION VII - -FISH - - -The fish found in those cool northern waters are, as might be expected, -for the most part of excellent quality. They are found in abundance in -all the northern lakes and rivers; the whitefish (_coregonus_) being -the most widely distributed. The pike (_lucius_) is also common in most -of the waters. The fresh-water linge (_lota_) and the Arctic trout, -sometimes called Back’s trout, are found in many of the lakes and -streams. The inconnu (_stenodus_) is peculiar to the Mackenzie River. -It was named _Inconnu_ (unknown) by Sir Alexander Mackenzie’s exploring -party, as it was to them an unfamiliar fish. It is of excellent quality -and is also the largest of any of the species found in the Arctic -watershed. - -The salmon is the great fish of the Pacific waters, and of it there are -a great many species. Among them are the King salmon, in Alaska and -the Yukon; the spring salmon and the sock eye or blue back, called also -the red fish of British Columbia. The last named is the most valuable -for canning purposes, on account of its flavour and for the deep red -colour of its flesh. Another species called the coho, or silver sides, -is of less importance than the sock eye on account of the colour. It is -generally frozen for use. The dog salmon reaches a considerable size. -It is chiefly salted for the Japanese market. The hump back is seldom -over five or six pounds in weight. It is chiefly used by the Indians. -One of the very best fish found on the coast is the steel head. It is -large, weighing from twenty to forty pounds. It is unlike in appearance -any of the other salmon of the west, and exactly resembles the salmon -of Eastern Canada and Europe. It is very good for cooking and is -pronounced one of the most delicious of fish. - - - - -SECTION VIII - -WILD FOWL - - -The forest of America in the far north is essentially a solitude. In -winter the stillness is deathlike and profound. In summer a few birds -may be seen in the woods bordering on the great wilderness, but like -man, they do not penetrate beyond its outskirts. It is true that the -loon seeks out unfrequented lakes and his doleful cry may be heard -where it is the only thing to indicate the existence of animal life. -The visitor from more southern latitudes will certainly miss the -melodious bird songs with which he is familiar. - -However, in certain localities where marshes are found and where -feeding grounds exist, these are visited by ducks and wild geese in -vast numbers during the summer months. Here they build their nests and -rear their young. I have already referred to the great area of drowned -land and marsh lying along the west shore of Athabaska Lake and -extending from the Athabaska River on the south to the Peace River on -the north. This is one of the favourite resorts for both ducks and wild -geese and will yet be known as the fowlers’ paradise. - -This great lagoon resembles those on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico -south of Vera Cruz, and it may be that these two localities are the -homes, in alternate seasons, of members of this favoured division of -the animal creation. - -It is a fortunate thing for the native to have his home in a country -where fish and wild fowl abound, and without these it is doubtful if -the native Indian could have preserved his existence. True it is that -the caribou comes somewhat irregularly up from the barren lands and -then there is abundance of meat. The moose and the bear also at times -serve to keep starvation from the wigwam, but frequently they all fail -to appear, but the wild fowl come as regularly as the seasons, and the -fish is a constant occupant of the lakes and streams. - -On our trip down the Porcupine we saw very few duck but the wild goose -was there in great quantities. The young brood almost full grown, but -with wings not yet strong enough to fly, were, as has been previously -described, chased to the shore and killed in their attempt to climb -the steep banks of the stream, without the waste of the precious -ammunition. They were young and tender and had no fishy taste, as one -would expect, at least I did not detect any. I have often wondered -since whether under different conditions my taste would have been more -delicate. However, I will always remember gratefully the manner in -which they came to our aid when our food supplies were rapidly growing -near to the vanishing point; and ever since, when in the spring I see -these wonderful creatures wending their unerring way in the upper air -to their summer home in the far north, I am not only impressed with the -thought of that marvellous instinct that guides them in their flight, -but also with the knowledge that they are going to supply food to -some of those poor natives who depend on them to supply them on their -journeys through the country. - -Though, as I have stated, it was an easy matter to capture all we -required, here in their summer home, it is a very different matter -to attempt to intercept them on their journey either to or from the -country. To be sure they have certain resting places where they can get -a food supply. This is obtained from the wild rice growing in shallow -water in the marshes, in the uncultivated districts, and from the grain -fields farther south; here they are often shot in great numbers, but to -bring down a flock from a high altitude when engaged in making their -long journey, one would perhaps think impossible. However, I have seen -this done. The desire for companionship is a very wide law in creation, -and the Indian is an adept in imitating the sounds made by the wild -animals with which he is familiar, as well as those of the bird tribe; -and these he often employs to attract those he wishes to capture. On -one occasion I saw this gift exercised with great success where I -thought at first the attempt was useless. It was on the Little Slave -River near the lake of the same name. - -We saw a flock of wild geese in the distance at a very high altitude -going south. At once the Indians ran the boat into some rushes along -the shore, and we all lay flat and motionless in the bottom, while -one commenced in a loud voice to imitate the cry of the goose. The -flock were ranged up in their usual triangular manner with the leader -in front. Presently we saw that the sound had reached them, their -direction was immediately changed and we could also see that they were -coming nearer the earth. Our Indian kept on in the vernacular of the -goose, which was answered back by the latter. It was most interesting -to see that the leader of the flock was unable to detect exactly from -what particular direction the sound came. Two or three circles were -made around us, each one smaller than the other. Evidently they were -surprised at not finding the others where the sound came from. Finally -the circle narrowed, and the altitude decreased till it was brought -within gunshot range, when two of their number were shot and went to -furnish our evening meal. - -After this their broken ranks were reformed, and under the same leader -they resumed their flight. - - - - -SECTION IX - -INHABITANTS - - -Interesting as are the natural characteristics of the country and its -undeveloped resources, the inhabitants who make their home there should -demand from us first consideration. - -The Indian, the Esquimaux, the half breed, the white trader and the -missionary constitute the different classes of the very scattered -population of that vast region between the borders of civilisation on -the south and the Arctic sea on the north. - -In the region traversed between Edmonton and Fort Yukon we meet with -several tribes of Indians speaking as many different tongues. The -first of these as we go north are the Wood Crees, the Knisteneaux, of -Mackenzie. Then as we reach Athabaska Lake we have the Chippewyan; next -the Slaves, and lastly the Loucheaux or Squint Eyes. - -The Cree, the Chippewyan and the Slave though differing somewhat in -speech resemble each other in character and in appearance, but when -we come to the Loucheaux we seem to have reached a different type and -one more closely allied to the eastern Asiatic than to the American -Indian. They inhabit the country of the lower Mackenzie, the Porcupine -and the lower Yukon. They are of rather small stature and dark -colour; are very inquisitive and much disposed to imitate the white -man in several particulars. In one characteristic, however, that of -cleanliness, perhaps from lack of example on the part of our race, they -have made very little progress. They are very devout in their religious -observances, most of them being members of the Anglican Church, and, -so far as I could judge, they lived a life quite as consistent with -its teachings as their white brethren. In the following reference to -Indian character and characteristics I wish it understood that I refer -to the other tribes not including the Loucheaux. On account of my short -acquaintance with the latter it would be presumptuous for me to say -anything further. - -[Illustration: - - _Copyright Ernest Brown_ - -COMING IN FROM THE NORTH] - -The ordinary Indian is usually considered stoical and unsympathetic. -In the first of these qualities he certainly in some respects deserves -a place not second to his Greek prototype. He will endure torture as a -matter of pride that would shock the sensitive. His self-denial in some -cases also is almost heroic. To rob a cache, even when he is enduring -extreme hunger would be to him an unworthy act if he knew that the -owner were depending on it for his own use. - -I wish also to qualify this by the statement that I am speaking of the -race as a whole and not of every individual constituting it. There is -diversity of individual character among the uncivilised equal to that -found in civilised society. It is incorrect also to deny to the native -Indian the possession of any measure of human sympathy. It is quite -true that he may sometimes seem to us cold and indifferent, but this is -more in appearance than in reality. - -When fortune favours the hunter and he brings home a moose to his -wigwam, the first thing he does is to send a piece of the meat to his -neighbours. These may be many miles away. I remember on one occasion -in winter I engaged an Indian with two teams of dogs and toboggans to -bring me from the northern boundary of Ontario out to the main line -of the Canadian Pacific Railway. It had happened that just before -starting he had shot two moose. On the route were a few wigwams at long -distances apart, and at every one of these a present of fresh venison -was made. In some cases no one was in the wigwams at the hour of our -visit, but nevertheless, a portion of the meat was always left; a -pleasant surprise for the occupant on his return. - -Their affection for their kindred and for their children is quite equal -to that of the ordinary white man. There is something very morose in -this affection. It was my fortune to spend a winter on Rainy River many -years ago before the railway had entered any part of Canada beyond Lake -Superior. There were several Indian settlements along the stream. Wild -game, especially the caribou and moose, were plentiful in the woods and -fish abundant in the river, so they were seldom in actual want of food -such as they were accustomed to. Very little sickness among them was -then heard of, but years after I went up the same river in a steamer -and sad were the stories told of the misfortunes that had come upon -these people. With the white settlers came the contagious diseases -such as smallpox, measles, scarlet fever, and others of even a worse -nature with the result that their settlements were practically wiped -out, and the graveyards, with their numerous little wooden houses built -over each grave, showed where the stalwart braves with their wives and -children had gone. - -We noticed one old man who had lost all his family in one of those -epidemics, walking aimlessly among the graves, and we were told that he -spent most of his time there, no doubt in fancied communication with -the spirits of the departed. - -The grief of the Indian woman at the loss of her child is very -touching. On one occasion I remember seeing at a distance two Indians -and a squaw pulling a little sleigh up the bank of a river, and -curiosity prompted me to join them when I saw them stop at a little -open space where there was a new made open grave. Then I noticed on -the sleigh the dead child which they proceeded to bury. The mother -was perfectly quiet until the men commenced to cover up the grave when -she uttered a wild shriek which revealed the depth of her maternal -feelings. She seemed to protest at what the men were doing, and on -inquiring from them I learned that she belonged to a tribe who buried -their young children in trees. This was done by cutting out a section -of the tree of sufficient size to receive the body and then closing it -up again, their belief being that the child would in some way enjoy -the life of the tree. Their ideas of these matters are vague and -undefined, but the grief of this poor mother at the thought that her -child was smothered in the earth instead of in some way living another -form of life in conjunction with the tree, showed that ages of struggle -for existence in the wilderness had failed to obliterate those finer -feelings of the soul. - -On another occasion an Indian, residing on one of the reserves on the -Spanish River in Northern Ontario was engaged on a tug that towed scows -on that stream during the construction of the Algoma branch of the -C.P.R. His wife, living at their home on the bank of the river, seeing -the boat with her barges coming down stream hurriedly, gathered up her -husband’s laundry garments which she had ready, and picking up her baby -rushed down to her birch bark canoe, placed the little infant in its -wooden cradle in the bottom of the canoe and soon reached the barge, -but as she came in contract with it her canoe was upset. The tug was -stopped and a boat quickly launched and the mother rescued and taken -ashore while the upset canoe went floating down stream. Immediately she -recovered consciousness her first words were “Where is my baby?” This -was the first the men knew that the baby had been with her and they at -once paddled out to the canoe, and on turning it over found the little -one was there uninjured, between two cross pieces in the canoe the -baby in the wooden cradle was supported. They, of course, lost no time -in bringing it to its mother who received it with all the affection -possible, and during the whole of the afternoon she would laugh and -then burst out crying, uttering words in her own tongue which meant “I -thought I lost my baby.” - -Turning from the serious and sentimental to the humorous or droll we -will find that the Indian is by no means lacking in his sense of the -ludicrous, neither is he slow in imitating by word and action any -individual who excites his mirth. He is really a born mimic and the -rehearsals around the camp fire are often as humorous as one would find -in any comic play. There comes now to my mind a dirty little Indian boy -who could easily make his mark in any of our theatres. He had the gift -of portraying the appearance, the actions and the walk of others and -of imitating the voice in a manner which I have never seen surpassed. -He had attended a mission school for some time, and one evening I -overheard him at their camp fire, intoning the English Church service -in a manner so like the Oxford graduate that it was difficult to -believe that the beautifully modulated sentences were uttered by this -little ragamuffin. - -Let no white man who has any peculiarities of action or speech (and who -has not), visit an Indian settlement without expecting to have these -dramatised by the wit of the band. - -They have also the gift of inventing names for individuals which aptly -hit off their character. For instance, during the long period in -office of the late Sir John A. Macdonald he was frequently visited by -deputations of Indians, which, like most deputations, asked for more -than could be conveniently given. Sir John was too astute to make any -definite promise that he knew could not be fulfilled, and too wise to -refuse them point blank, so he usually told them that he would consult -the great Queen Mother who was a good friend of the red man and that -they could go home trusting that they would be well treated. - -These visits were repeated frequently without the desired result. As -one of the members expressed it, it was always to be done to-morrow, -till finally, Sir John was given the name “Old To-morrow.” - -Another individual who occupied a prominent government position in the -early days, in the country west of Lake Superior was the late Simon -J. Dawson, the originator of the Dawson route between Thunder Bay and -the Red River of the North. He was known by every Indian between Fort -William and Fort Garry and from his official position they regarded -him practically as the government, and in fact it was not uncommon for -them to call him “Government,” but he, too, earned from them a derisive -name. Mr. Dawson was also a man of tact who lived up to the maxim -that a “soft answer turneth away wrath.” The Indians were not slow in -detecting this characteristic, and they humorously applied to him the -name of “Old Smoothbore,” and it would have been impossible to choose a -name that fitted his character so well. - -At one time I had in my employ on the Saskatchewan River a number -of men, some of whom were Indians. One day on the trail the Indians -were conversing among themselves in the Cree language, and the word -“Mooneas,” which really means greenhorn, was frequently repeated. One -of the white men, a Canadian, could not restrain his curiosity, and -inquired from one of the Indians who spoke English as to the meaning of -the word. The reply came quickly with a chuckle “Canadian,” which was -followed by a shout of laughter. - -They are also quick to detect anything in an argument or discourse -that to them does not seem logical. On one occasion a young clergyman -arrived at Norway House, north-east of Lake Winnipeg where he became -the guest of the agent of the post. The Indians were asked on Sunday -morning to come into the big room for Divine service. Obedient to the -invitation the Chief appeared with his people and listened attentively -to the sermon which was made intelligible to them through an -interpreter. The minister took for his text “Lay not up for yourselves -treasures on earth.” After the return to the post the agent made bold -to tell the young man that he thought his text rather inapplicable -to his audience; that the hoarding up of treasures could scarcely be -called the besetting sin of the native Indian, that in fact, his own -efforts and also those of the company, were constantly exercised in -urging them to provide for the morrow. The young man replied that -this phase of the situation had not presented itself to him but -that he would the following Sunday morning endeavour to correct the -evident mistake. So on the next occasion before the same audience he -prefaced his remarks by a few observations on his previous sermon by -stating--that what he had previously said was not to be taken literally -but figuratively; but when this reached the ears of the Chief through -the interpreter it meant that what he had said the former Sunday was -not true. Immediately this sermon was concluded the chief gathered his -men around him and told them that this man told lies; that he had just -told them that what he had said before was not true and that he did not -want to hear him any more. - -On a Sunday morning in summer at Fort Simpson, the Roman Catholic -population of the little village were assembled at early mass in -obedience to the call of the visiting priest he would be with them the -following Sunday, and that he wished all his children to come prepared -to contribute liberally to a special collection that would then be -taken. On the following Saturday an Indian, or perhaps more properly -a half breed, for though practically an Indian he had inherited -sufficient French blood to entitle him to the name of Antoine, visited -the priest and asked him to lend him two dollars in hard money -(silver), stating that he would soon return it. The priest knowing that -Antoine always had a good account at the Company’s store readily gave -him the money. Antoine accompanied by his sweetheart was in attendance -the next day at the service and astonished the congregation by -ostentatiously drooping two dollars on the collection plate. Some time -passed without Antoine offering to return the money. Finally, one day -as the priest was preparing to leave on one of his periodical visits to -other members of his flock he accidentally met Antoine and reminded him -of the fact, to which the latter replied that he had already paid him -in church. The priest informed that this money was not for him but for -God. To this Antoine replied that God did not need the money, that he -was rich, at the same time reminding the priest of a recent sermon of -his, in which he had stated that where God lived all the streets were -made of gold, and ended by advising the priest to keep the money and -not be foolish. - -It is a very noted characteristic of the Indian not to exhibit surprise -under any circumstance. Whether this is owing to his indifference or -whether it is an instance of his restraint born of his stoical nature I -am unable to say. - -I had a young man of the Ojibway tribe in my employ for a whole winter -on one occasion. Fully fifteen years afterwards I requested the agent -at a post of a Hudson’s Bay Company to engage an Indian with his canoe -for me for a few days. On the following morning a middle-aged man -appeared. He spoke fair English and conversed freely as we paddled -around among the islands in the Lake of the Woods till noon when we -went ashore and had lunch; after which we resumed work and continued -till evening. On leaving for his camp he inquired if I wished him -for the following day, to which I replied in the affirmative. On the -following day at the noon hour I asked him his name. His reply was -simply “John.” I told him I knew that, but asked for his full name to -which his reply was “John Begg.” I told him that I had had a young man -of that name many years before who worked several months for me on the -Rainy River, and asked him if he knew him. His reply was simply “Was -me.” - -After this he talked very freely and recalled to my memory many -incidents of the former period that I had almost forgotten, but I have -little doubt that though he knew me from the start if I had not made -the advance he would have left me without revealing his identity. - -One other very similar case comes to my mind. When I was a boy, my -father used to employ, at certain times of the year, Indians living on -a reserve near by. Among these was a boy who spoke good English and who -was known by and answered to the euphonious name of “Hickory Jackson.” -For several successive summers he was almost a companion to my brother -and myself. As time went on my place of residence was changed and -probably twenty years after on visiting my old home I was taking a -stroll along the banks of a very familiar stream in the dusk of a -summer evening. The time and place served to call up many incidents of -my early days. When absorbed in such reminiscences I barely noticed in -the twilight the figure of an Indian with a boy walking behind him -on the opposite side of the road, who, in a dull monotone uttered the -words intended for me, “where you going,” and without halting passed -on out of sight. This was “Hickory Jackson” whom I had not seen since -I was a boy and never since. Though he manifested this indifference I -have little doubt knowing his character that when he reached his wigwam -this incident would be related to his family coupled with that of many -others of past years. - -There is to my mind something very fascinating in the contemplation -of the characteristics, of the impulses and modes of thought, so to -speak, of those members of the human family who have not come under the -influence of civilised life where the Divine spark has had only nature -for its tutor. - -Sitting by the camp fire I have often watched the immobile countenance -of the savage, (if such a name is applicable), and refrained from -making any suggestion as I wondered what was passing through his mind; -whether his thoughts were simply of the earth earthy, or whether there -was enjoyment in the contemplation of higher things. Does nature, of -which he is a child, furnish him with her richer gifts? If so, then he -should seldom be without enjoyment, for certainly his life is spent -close to her very heart. - -Without pretending to answer these questions I am not unwilling to -reaffirm what I have said before, that in the uncivilised man we have -just as great a divergence of character as we have in civilised society. - -That some among them take pleasure in and are appreciative of the -beautiful in nature is certain, and few there are who do not enjoy -melody, whether expressed in the semi-religious chants or the more -melodious songs of the feathered creation. - -I must refer to one other characteristic which seems common to the -North American Indian irrespective of the tribe to which he may belong, -and that is his superiority over most civilised nations in his good -humour. It is very rare indeed to find any quarrelling among them, and -rarer still is such a thing as fighting among individuals unless they -are under the influence of spirits. - - - - -SECTION X - -HALF BREEDS - - -The term “Half breed” is applied throughout Western Canada in a general -and indifferent way to the individual in whose veins there is an -admixture of Indian and European blood. In some cases the proportion -may be very largely that of the native race and in others quite the -reverse; but in each case the individual is quite content to be classed -under the general name. - -In the early days the country along the Red River and the Assiniboine -in the Province of Manitoba was divided into parishes, in some of which -the inhabitants were almost all Scotch in others English and in others -still French, and from each of these races in alliance with the native -red men sprang the Scotch, English or French half breeds all having -certain similar characteristics combined in their several cases with -others as different as the several nationalities referred to. - -The Frenchman coming principally from the Province of Quebec, where -his ancestors had already during two centuries become inured to -forest life, more readily adopted the life of the wigwam, and his -children became frequently Indians in many respects, while the English -and Scotch settler coming direct from the old land made a somewhat -unsuccessful attempt to bring up the children of his native wife as -Scotchmen or Englishmen. In nothing is this difference more noticeable -than in the speech of these different inheritors of Indian blood. Even -to-day in the parish of Kildonan, below Winnipeg, where there are many -descendants of the union of the Scotchman with native Indian women you -will hear a strange dialect, but still with sufficient similarity to -that spoken in certain shires in old Scotia to indicate its origin. The -terms “boy” and “whatever,” the latter peculiarly characteristic of the -Highlands of Scotland, are here used with great freedom, no matter what -the age or station of the party so addressed may be. - -On one occasion the Bishop of Saskatchewan who was somewhat -irreverently-called “Saskatchewan Jack” had in his employ a half breed -boy as his valet. I am not aware that this individual ever dared, at -least in his Lordship’s presence, to use the latter term, but in the -most reverential tone he invariably addressed him as “boy My Lord.” - -On one occasion I had in my employ one of these Scottish half breeds -whose constant reiteration of the word “whatever” became wearisome, -and I asked him why he employed it so frequently. To which he replied -“We use the word because we could not express ourselves without it -whatever.” Then rather piqued at my criticism he asked “Is it not a -correct word, whatever?” I said that it was correct in certain cases -but unnecessary in nine out of ten where he used it. To this he replied -that if it was a correct word he could see no objection to using it -“whatever!” This ended the conversation for the time. - -The half breed whether of English, Scotch or French descent has -inherited from the Indian side certain qualities peculiar to that -race. While he has in many cases lost to a degree some of the higher -qualities of his untutored ancestor of the wilderness such as absolute -honesty, for which the latter was once famous, he has retained the -quality of enduring the greatest privations without complaint. He has -also usually a better physique than his native Indian cousin, and in -many instances is possessed of great strength. The loads that men of -his type frequently carry for great distances on rough trails, over -hills and even mountains is truly remarkable. On the other hand they -have little idea of the value of time--and are never in a hurry. This -they inherit from the Indian whose boast is that he has no need to be -in a hurry; that he owns all the time there is, and will tell you that -the white man acts as if there were no to-morrow. This characteristic -has also impressed itself on the few white men whose lot has been to -pass their existence in the lonely outposts. The dull monotony of -life at a trading post in unsettled Canada could hardly fail to have -this effect. Procrastination is common enough everywhere, but the -complacent way in which these people, whether Indian, half breed or -white, will allow the opportune moments to escape, frequently results -in far greater work for them in the future, and is very trying if not -exasperating to the ambitious traveller, delayed by their deliberate -methods. As an example of this I once had a journey to make in a very -rough country but where there was a chain of lakes leading out to my -destination. With the lakes open, a pleasure trip was possible, but -winter was fast setting in, and from the time the ice began to take -on the lakes, till it would be safe to travel over it, weeks might -elapse, and as there were no trails overland this would be our only -alternative. I had arranged with some Indians and half breeds who -possessed bark canoes to commence the trip on a certain morning. We -were up early and waiting for them to arrive. The morning was passing -without their appearance and precious time was being lost. We all -longed to be on our journey back to civilisation after months in the -woods. But there was no sign of their arrival. Finally I took a small -canoe, only capable of carrying two persons, and went in search of our -Indians. On arriving at a small lake we found them having rare sport -with some loons. The latter would dive and after several minutes come -to the surface when the men would try their luck with their rifles. In -this way they had spent a full half day at our expense. What mattered -to them if the lakes froze over that night? They were at their home and -had indulged in a forenoon’s sport which apparently had afforded them -great enjoyment. For days after they talked and laughed like children -over this adventure. - - - - -SECTION XI - -THE TRADERS - - -I have already referred to the two great trading companies which a -century ago held undisputed sway over the whole north country of what -is now known as Canada. - -After the union of these corporations under the name of the Hudson’s -Bay Company many years elapsed before the merged enterprises had much -opposition. During these years they established many posts some of -which were enclosed by a wall or stockade and dignified by the name -of fort. The officers at the more important posts were generally men -brought out from the Old Country largely from the North of Scotland and -the Orkney Islands. Most of them reached the country by way of Hudson’s -Bay and had had no opportunity of seeing the older Canadian Provinces. - -Some of these men were of good families at home and had received a fair -education before leaving. All were honest and their loyalty to the -Company even surpassed that which they owed to their sovereign. It was -looked upon by them as treason almost worthy of death for any employee -of the Company to traffic in furs except for the Company, and the -independent trader was an Ishmael in the land. - -These days have now changed. In addition to the great French House of -“Revillon et Frères” which has recently established posts at most of -the important points in the wild lands of Canada, there are a number of -other companies who have their tugs and barges on the rivers and lakes -which transport their supplies to their stores scattered here and there -along the route. Still the old Company with its organised staff and -well equipped service does by far the largest business in the peltries -of the country. Whatever may be said to the contrary the Hudson’s Bay -Company has much to its credit for its honourable dealings with the -Indians. As a result of its policy the Indian grew to respect the white -man and in a measure to acknowledge his authority so that when the -Canadian Government took over the north-west in the early seventies the -transition of authority from the Company to the latter was made without -difficulty, and the pioneer settler suffered little at the hands of -the red man. How different the history of pioneer life in the Western -States where massacres of the white settlers constantly occurred! This -I think should be largely attributed to the policy and conduct of this -pioneer Company. - -[Illustration: - - _Copyright Ernest Brown, Edmonton_ - -TRADING WITH THE ESQUIMAUX] - -A post of this historic corporation is a veritable house of refuge -to the weary traveller through the great wilderness. The agent is -proverbial for his hospitality and the traveller from the outside world -is royally welcomed, especially if he comes accredited by some one -of authority belonging to the “Company.” None but the traveller who -has been so favoured can appreciate the comfort that he experiences -on being welcomed by a fellow white man at one of these posts after -perhaps weeks of travel; over a rough trail in winter, or through -dangerous rapids in summer. This enjoyment too, is not lessened by the -consciousness which he feels that his visit is welcome. He can on his -part afford some enjoyment to his entertainers in the way of furnishing -news of what has recently occurred in the outside world, for the agent -and his family have little to break the dull monotony of their lives. - -If you want to enjoy absolute quiet for a season you can have it with -a few days’ travel by visiting one of those posts just outside the -borders of Canadian civilisation. - -No rumblings of carriages, no screeching of whistles, no ringing of -bells greet you in the morning. You may perchance hear a cow bell -somewhere, but it is in perfect keeping with the tranquil surroundings. -In summer if the post is on a lake or river as it usually is you may -amuse yourself by paddling or fishing and shooting. But whatever you -do it will be in no haste. Even the sun seems to move so slowly, -and the days--especially the afternoon--seem loathe to give way to -the evenings; and the evenings never end till you have succumbed to -somnolent influences and have entered the land of dreams. If I were a -physician I would send my over wrought and brain racked patients to -one of these posts, and would guarantee a cure of all ordinary mental -troubles. - -On the Lower Mackenzie the great event of the year is the arrival of -the Hudson’s Bay Company’s steamer which makes but one trip a year to -Fort McPherson. This steamer takes in the year’s supplies and brings -out the furs that have been gathered during the past season from all -the surrounding country. In addition to this she brings the “permits.” -This term includes not only _permission_ for the individual named to -receive ardent spirits but also the article itself which accompanies -the permit. - -The quantity allowed any one person is supposed to be sufficient -to last him till the boat returns again a year hence, but with the -improvidence so characteristic of the native, and which the half breed -and white trader seem to have copied, this supply is usually consumed -in a few days. In some cases the agent at the post may retain a little -of the much prized article to treat his brother officers on state -occasions, but even this is exceptional. - -The story is told of a meeting of officials at one of these posts -on a certain occasion after the annual supply had long since been -exhausted. During the preceding summer the post had been visited by -a party of entomologists who, on leaving for home had left a small -jar containing a liquid necessary for their work. After the ordinary -business had been attended to, the resident agent expressed his regret -at not having the wherewithal properly to entertain his guests. -This important and rather unexpected announcement caused a feeling -of sadness and disappointment to pass over the visitors which was -plainly visible as well as painful to the host, when all at once he -remembered that the summer visitors had left something that might in -combination with a liberal amount of water act as a substitute for the -“real stuff.” The jar was at once sent for and minutely inspected, but -whether it would be even safe to taste it, was a question. One of the -party expressed himself very strongly that it was nothing “whatever” -but deadly poison. - -The host however, was very resourceful and just at the psychological -moment he saw one of his men, a faithful Scotch half breed, passing -with a team of dogs. He at once hailed him and asked him into the -august presence of the great men of the company. Archie, with cap in -hand, greatly surprised at such conduct on the part of his master, -wondered at first what fearful act of insubordination he had committed. -To his surprise, however, he was asked to help himself to a decoction -which the agent prepared. Archie was then asked to sit down and smoke -his pipe before starting out on his long journey with his dog team. The -assembly watched eagerly to see the effects on him but none appeared, -when the agent filled his glass again making the mixture stronger than -before. Sufficient time was then given to show that no evil effects -were to follow, when Archie was told that his dogs would be getting -cold and that he could go. What happened after this need not be -stated! - - - - -SECTION XII - -MISSIONARIES - - -The different religious denominations have left to the Roman Catholic -and the Anglican the vast field included in the Arctic slope drained -by the Mackenzie and its tributaries, as well as that of the Porcupine -country to the west and the shores of the Arctic Sea to the north. - -At several points here and there over this vast area these two -bodies have established missions and schools. Both bodies have been -represented by Bishops whose names will not be forgotten by this or the -succeeding generation. Bompas of the Anglicans and Grouard of the Roman -Catholics well deserve to rank among the greatest of modern missioners. -The former came out from England many years ago, and at once entered -this far away field. He soon became proficient in the different -languages of the country and lived a life of toil and privation of -which but little is known, for it is said he seldom spoke of such -things. He died at Carcross on the Upper Yukon in 1906 a few months -before I was there. His life work has been well portrayed in a recent -publication by one of his clergy to which I would refer any one who -wishes to be informed on the life and work of this “Great Apostle of -the North.” - -On our journey from Hay River to Fort McPherson we had as a fellow -passenger Bishop Reeves who, for many years had been a co-worker with -Bishop Bompas, and his many accounts of the self-sacrificing devotion -of the latter prevented our learning much of his own experiences of -which he seemed too modest to speak, though it is well known that -his best days were spent in the country from which he has recently -returned, and is now Coadjutor Bishop of Toronto. - -Bishop Grouard, though now well advanced in years, continues a work -very similar to that of his great contemporary. Both were familiar with -all the great streams of the north. Each had trodden over the same -trails, each knew as few others did the natives for whose welfare they -had both in their early life relinquished pleasant surroundings in the -Old World, for both belonged to influential if not noble families, -Bompas in England and Grouard in France. - -I met Bishop Grouard only twice. First _en route_ on the Upper -Athabaska on my way back from Peace River, and a few years later at -Smith’s Landing on the Slave River. At first he was far from his home, -visiting his scattered flock and superintending the work of his clergy -over a diocese much larger than the whole of his native country. - -On the last occasion he was hurrying back to his head-quarters before -starting for a journey to Rome where he expected to be in about six -weeks, but only for a short time, for circumstances compelled him to be -back with his charge before the long winter set in. - -It is said that politics make strange bedfellows. The same may be -said of travelling in the sparsely settled districts of the north. -More particularly in what might be called the border land between -the pioneer settlements and the wilderness. When a journey is to -be made in the latter, one goes prepared with his own tent and camp -equipment and in most cases he is much more comfortable than when -he is approaching civilisation where there are certain houses of -accommodation called “sleeping places,” but usually pronounced without -the sound of the final “g” in the first word. - -Once I had the honour of occupying a place on a wide bed made on the -floor of one of these road houses. Among the company thus accommodated -were Bishop Young of Athabaska Landing, the late Bishop Holmes, then -Archdeacon of Lesser Slave Lake, a Roman Catholic priest from Peace -River and several half breeds. Bishop Young and I agreed to “double up” -under the same blankets while the Archdeacon and Père Lazaret made the -same arrangement. - -After each of the men of Holy Orders had offered up his evening -devotions in his own forms, the priest and the Archdeacon, who were -neighbours in the mission field, commenced a conversation, not in the -native language of either the one or the other but in the Cree tongue. -There was no affectation in this on the part of either. Father Lazaret -was of course familiar with French his mother tongue but knew very -little English, while the Archdeacon, an Englishman by birth, was not -particularly fluent in _la langue Française_; but a common ground of -communication was found in the tongue of the Cree Indian in which both -were equally at home. - -Father Lazaret was at this time fifty-four years of age. Twenty-seven -years before he had come out from France as a young missionary at once -entering the field in the neighbourhood of Peace River, and this was -the first time that he had ventured out even as far as Edmonton. As we -approached this modern city in the evening with its lighted streets -and throngs of busy people and he mentally compared it with the little -port of the lonely post twenty-seven years before, his surprise at the -change can well be imagined. He was then on his way back to visit his -aged mother and to bid her a last farewell; then to return again to end -his days on the banks of the Peace; for him at least, so happily named. - -Speaking of the use of different languages reminds me of the case of -a lay brother of the Oblate Brotherhood whom we met at the Roman -Catholic mission at Fort Good Hope near the Arctic Circle on the -Mackenzie. Forty years before he had left Ireland and joined the -members of his order in that distant field. Most of the clergy were -French and it was seldom indeed that he heard his mother tongue. The -consequence was that while he spoke French fluently, with a Hibernian -accent, and also the language of the Indian tribes of the country he -informed me that it was with great difficulty that he could remember -how to express himself in the tongue of his fathers. Thus do men of the -older civilisations sacrifice themselves for the sake of the most lofty -ideal the world has ever known. - - - - -CONCLUSION - -AN APPEAL - - -I cannot close without calling public attention to a matter that -impressed me very forcibly on my journey and which has ever since been -before my mind, and that is the great need for the establishment of -a hospital somewhere in that vast region of the Mackenzie watershed -and its vicinity. Here is a country sparsely populated to be sure, -but of vast extent compared with which most European countries are -insignificant. Between Edmonton and the Arctic Sea we pass over sixteen -degrees of latitude, while the distance by the travelled route is over -2000 miles. Again from the Rocky Mountains on the west to the Hudson -Bay on the east the distance is almost equally as great. - -At Athabaska Landing and at Peace River on the southern fringe of this -great wilderness a few physicians have now established themselves -but beyond these places the only medical aid available is from an -occasional visit of the Government physician and what the missionaries -are able to furnish. At practically every post and Indian village on -our way we were besieged for medicine by the afflicted. In many cases -they were the victims of chronic diseases which would undoubtedly -yield to surgical treatment provided proper means were afforded for -attendance and nursing. - -A few of the missionaries have some knowledge. One of them, perhaps -the most proficient in this respect, informed me that appendicitis was -quite as prevalent among the Indians of those regions as it is in the -outside world, but that he felt incompetent to attempt an operation, -and, moreover, even if such operations were properly performed, the -conditions of life in the wigwam would afford poor chances for an -ultimate recovery. - -If a small hospital properly equipped were established say at Fort -Simpson, at the junction of the Laird and Mackenzie Rivers, or at some -point on Great Slave Lake, it could be reached by canoes in summer -from points all along the Mackenzie even down to the sea on the north -as well as the country to the south along the Athabaska and Great Slave -Lakes and their tributary streams. By this means the poor people who -are at present compelled to live out a life of suffering till death -comes to their relief, would have the benefits that modern science -affords to the afflicted in civilised life. - -All know the splendid results that have attended similar efforts on the -Atlantic Coast between Newfoundland and Hudson’s Straits through the -agency of Dr. Grenfell. Here is a field even greater than that of the -Labrador but where no such a benefactor has yet appeared, and my last -words in this connection must be an appeal to our people on both sides -of the Atlantic to unite in what would really be a most beneficent work -for suffering humanity. I cannot but believe that if this want were -generally known it would not be long till the charitably disposed would -come to the relief of those lonely and helpless people. - -I have now concluded an imperfect narrative of a hasty trip through -the country, and I may as well confess that it is doubtful if I would -have sought the public ear through this publication had I not thought -it my duty to call attention to this matter, and if words of mine -should aid in bringing about an amelioration of the sufferings of those -dwelling in that lone wilderness, I shall feel well rewarded for having -attempted an unfamiliar task in the preparation of this narrative. - - -[Illustration: - - Department of the Interior - HONOURABLE ROBERT ROGERS. MINISTER - W. W. CORY. DEPUTY MINISTER - - WESTERN CANADA - - _Route followed in 1905 by Elihu Stewart, D.S.L._ - - _Accompanying Report of Elihu Stewart, D.S.L._ - ] - - - - -Transcriber’s Notes - - -Punctuation, hyphenation, and spelling were made consistent when a -predominant preference was found in the original book; otherwise they -were not changed. - -Simple typographical errors were corrected; unbalanced quotation -marks were remedied when the change was obvious, and otherwise left -unbalanced. - -Illustrations in this eBook have been positioned between paragraphs -and outside quotations. In versions of this eBook that support -hyperlinks, the page references in the List of Illustrations lead to -the corresponding illustrations. - -Text uses “totem” but one illustration uses “totum” in its caption and -in the List of Illustrations. Both spellings have been retained here. - -Two duplicate pages between the Title page and the Preface have been -deleted by the Transcriber. - -Page 70: “Donoueschingen” should be “Donaueschingen.” - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DOWN THE MACKENZIE AND UP THE -YUKON IN 1906 *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law 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. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ -concept and trademark. 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