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■■ ■•■.■■' v.- + .'1!;. , ^y: •. . ) J.V .■■ •■■'■■. .^ "■** ^^ 'i r» *.*♦» ««■<.<*« A Jfl l.'jSt, P'tft-? I, i THE FUR COUNTRY; OR, Seventy Degrees North Latitude. TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH OF JULES VERNE. BY N. D'ANVERS, Sntt0trBteI»* -•♦*- NEW YORK: RICHARD WORTHINGTON, 750 Broadway, * '' TO MY NEPHEWS, HERBERT, EDGAR, AND ROBERT, AFFEOTIONATELT DEDICATED, N. D'ANVERS. CI.AFHAH, 183 CONTENTS. PART L L A BOIBia AT TOBT BELIANOB, n. THB Hudson's bat tub oomfant, m. A BATAST THAWKD, . IV. A7A0T0BT, . • T. FBOH rOBT BELIANOB TO TOBt BNTBBTBISl^ VL A WAPITI DUEL, • • • 2 Vn. THB ABOTIO OIBOLB, • VUL TEE GBBAT BBAB LAKB, • a. A 8T0BM ON THB LAKB, • Z. A BETBOSFBOT, . • ax ALONG THB COAST, . • • • Zn. THE KIDNIQHT BUV, • • • ZIII. 70BT HOFB, • • • • ZIV. BOliB BXOUBSIONS, . • • • XV. FIFTBBN MILES VBOU OAFB BATHXJBaf« • XVL TWO SHOTS, . • ZVn. THB APPBOAOH OT VflSSTJOtf ZVm. THB POLAB NIQHT, . ■ • • HZ. A NBIQHBOUBLT VISIT, • • • ZZ. HEUOUBT TBEEZES, • • • yXT. THB LABOB POLAB BBAB8| • • • ZXU. FIVE MONTHS MOBB, • • • yTiw. XHB BOLIFSB 09 THB I8IH JUHB 1860^ « f I I • 9 • 1 8 14 20 26 88 41 48 66 63 60 76 88 90 »7 103 110 117 126 186 141 160 168 CONTENTS. PAKT IL OBAF. I. A FLOATING FORT, . t • II. WHE.tE ABEWE? . • » ni. A TOUR OF THE ISLAND, . • IV. A NIGHT ENCAMPMENT, . . V. FROM JULY 25th TO AUGUST 20TH, . VI. TEN DAYS OF TEMPEST, . . VII. A FIRE AND A CRY, . . Vm. MRS PAULINA BARNETT's EXCURSION, . IX. KALUMAH'S ADVENTURES, . • » X. THE KAMTCHATKA CURRENT, . . XI. A COMMUNICATION FROM LIEUTENANT HOBSON, XII. A CHANCE TO BE TRIED, XIII. ACROSS THE ICE-FIELD, . XIV. THE WINTER MONTHS, . XV. A LAST EXPLORING EXPEDITION, XVI. THE BREAK-UP OF THE ICE, XVII. THE AVALANCHE, . • XVni. ALL AT WORK, . • XIX. DEHRING SEA, . • XX. IN THE OFFING, , . XXL THE ISLAND BECOMES AN ISLET, XXn, THE FOUR FOLLOWING DAYS, XXIII. ON A PIECE OF ICE, ■ XXIV. CONCLUSION, . • t ■ n t ■ TlGB 169 176 183 191 199 207 214 223 232 239 246 253 260 266 273 282 289 295 303 310 315 320 325 333 PART I. THE FUR COUNTRY. i«**- CHAPTER L A SOIR&E AT FORT RELIANCE, ^N the evening of the 17th March 1859, Captain Craventy gave a fSte at Fort Reliance. Our readers must not at once imagine a grand entertainment, such as a court ball, or a musical soiree with a fine orchestra. Captain Craventy's reception Vas a very simple affair, yet he had spared no pains to give it edaL In fact, under the auspices of Corporal Joli£fe, the large room on the ground-fluor was completely transformed. The rough walls, constructed of roughly-hewn trunks of trees piled up horizontally, were still visible, it is true, but their nakedness was disguised by arms and armour, borrowed from the arsenal of the fort, and by au English tent at each corner of the room. Two lamps suspended by chains, like chandeliers, and provided with tin reflectors, relieved the gloomy appearance of the blackened beams of the ceiling, and sufficiently illuminated the misty atmosphere of the room. The narrow windows, some of them mere loop-holes, were so encrusted with hoar-frost, that it was impossible to look through them. ; but two eve three pieces of red bunting, tastily arranged about them, challenged the admiration of all who entered. The floor, of rough joists of wood laid parallel with each other, had been carefully swept by Corporal Jolitfe. No sofas, chairs, or other modern furni- ture, impeded the free circulation of the guests. Wooden benches half fixed against the walls, huge blocks of wood cut with the axe, and two tables with clumsy legs, were all the appliances of luxury the saloon could boast of. But the partition wall, with a narrow door leading into the next room, was decorated in a style alike 2 THE FUR COUNTRY, \ WA costly and picturesque. From the beams hung magnificent fun admirably arranged, the equal of which could not be seen in the more favoured regions of Regent Street or the Perspective-NewskL It seemed as if the whole fauna of the ice-bound North were here represented by their finest skins. The eye wandered from the fura of wolves,. gr'iy bears, polar bears, otters, wolverenes, beavers, musk rats, water pole-cats, ermines, and silver foxes ; and above this display was an inscription in brilliantly-coloured and artistically- shaped cardboard — the motto of the world-famous Hudson's Bay Company-^ "PR0PELL15 CUTUM." "Really, Corporal Joliffe, you have surpassed yourself!" said Captain Craventy to his subordinate. " I think I have, I think I have 1 " replied the Corporal ; " but honour to whom honour is due, Mrs Joliffe deserves part of your commendation ; she assisted me in everything." " A wonderful woman, Corporal." " Her equal is not to be found, Captain." "^ An immense brick and earthenware stove occupied the centre of the room, with a huge iron pipe passing from it through the ceiling, and conducting the dense black smoke into the outer air. This stove contained a roaring fire constantly fed with fresh shovelfuls of coal by the stoker, an Oid soldier specially appointed to the ser- vice. Now and then a gust of wind drove back a volume of smoke into the room, dimming the brightness of the lamps, and adding fresh blackness to the beams of the ceiling, whilst tongues of flame shot forth from the stove. But the guests of Fort Eeliance thought little of this slight inconvenience ; the stove warmed them, and they could not pay too dearly for its cheering heat, so terribly cold was it outside in the cutting north wind. The storm could be heard raging without, the snow fell fast, be- coming rapidly solid and coating the already frosted window panes with fresh ice. The whistling wind made its way through the cranks and chinks of the doors and windows, and occasionally the rattling noise drowned every other sound. Presently an awful silence ensued. Nature seemed to be taking breath ; but suddenly '' aquall recommenced with terrific fury. The house was shaken to its foundations, the planks cracked, the beams groaned. A stranger less accustomed than the habiti^s of the fort to the war of the elemeutSj would have asked if the end of the world were come. A SOI R is AT FORT RELIANCE. But, with two exceptions, Captain Craventy's guests troubled themselves little about the weather, and if they had been outside they would hare felt no more fear than the stormy petrels disport- ing themselves in the midst of the tempest. Two only of the assembled company did not belong to the ordinary society of the neighbourhood, two women, whom we shall, introduce when we have enumerated Captain Craventy's other guests : these were, Lieutenant Jaspar Hobson, Sergeant Long, Corporal Joliffe, and hia bright active Canadian wife, a certain Mac-Nab and his wife, both Scotch, John Rae, married to an Indian woman of the country, and some sixty soldiers or employes of the Hudson's Bay Company. The neighbouring forts also furnished their contingent of guests, for in these remote lands people look upon eacli other as neighbours although their homes may be a hundred miles apart. A good many employes or traders came from Fort Providence or Fort Resolution, of the Great Slave Lake district, and even from Fort Chippeway and Fort Liard further south. A rare break like this in the monotony of tiieir secluded lives, in these hyberborean regions, was joyfully welcomed by all the exiles, and even a few Indian chiefs, about a dozen, had accepted Captain Craventy's invi- tation. They were not, however, accompanied by their wives, the luckless squaws being still looked upon as little better than slaves. The presence of these natives is accounted for by the fact that they are in constant intercourse with the tradera, and supply the gretiter number of furs which pass through the hands of the Hudson's Bay Company, in exchange for other commodities. They are mostly Chippeway Indians, well grown men with hardy con- stitutions. Their complexions are of the peculiar reddish black colour always ascribed in Europe to the evil spirits of fairyland. They wear very picturesque cloaks of skins and mantles of fur, with a htad-dress of aagle's feathers spread out like a lady's fan, and quivering with every motion of their thick black hair. Such was the company to whom the Captain was doing the honours of Fort Reliance. There was no dancing for want of music, but the "buffet'' admirably supplied the want of the hired musicians of the European balls. On the table rose a pyramidal pudding made by Mrs Joliffe's own hands; it was an immense truncated cone, composed of flour, fat, rein-deer venison, and musk •beef. The eggs, milk, and citron prescribed in recipe books were, it is true, wanting, but their absence was atoned for by its huge ThB FUR COUNTRY, pr' portions. Mrs Joliffe served out slice after slice with liberal hands, yet there remained enough and to spare. Piles of sandwiches also figured on the table, in which ship biscuits took the place of thin slices of English bread and butter, and dainty morsels of corned beef that of the ham and stuffed veal of the old world. The sharp teeth of the Cbippeway Indians made short work of the tough biscuits; and for drink there was plenty of whisky and gin handed round in little pewter pots, not to speak of a great bowl of punch which was to close the entertainment, and of which the Indians talked long afterwards in their wigwams. Endless were the compliments paid to the Joliffes that evening, but they deserved them ; how zealously they waited on the guests, with what easy grace they distributed the refreshments ! They did not need prompting, they anticipated the wishes of each one. The sandwiches were succeeded by slices of the inexhaustible pudding, the pudding by glasses of gin or whisky. " No, thank you, Mr Joliffe." " You are too good. Corporal ; but let me have time to breathe.* " Mrs Joliffe, I assure you, I can eat no more." ** Corporal Joliffe, I am at your mercy." " No more, Mrs Joliffe, no more, thank you 1 ^ Such were the replies met with on every side by the zealous pair, but their powers of persuasion were su. h that the most reluctant yielded in the end. The quantities of food and drink consumed were really enormous. The hubbub of conversation increased. The soldiers and employ^ became excited. Here the fcilk was of hunt- ing, there of trade. What plans were laid for next season 1 The entire fauna of the Arctic regions would scarcely supply game enough for these enterprising hunters. They already saw bears, foxes, and musk oxen, falling beneath their bullets, and pole-cats by hundreds caught in their traps. Their imagination pictured the costly furs piled up in the magazines of the Company, which was this year to realise hitherto unheard of profits. And whilst the spirits thus freely circulated inflamed the imagination of the Europeans, the large doses of Captain Craventy's "fire-water" imbibed by the Indians had an opposite effect. Toe proud to show admiration, too cautious to make promises, the taciturn chiefiet listened gravely and silently to the babel of voices around them. The captain enjoying the hurly burly, and pleased to see the poor people, brought back as it were to the civilised world, enjoying A SOIR&R AT PORT RRUAPTCB, 5 themselves so thoroughly, was here, there, and everywhere, answer ing all inquiries about the ffite with the words— "Ask Joliffe, ask JoliflFe 1" And they asked Joliffe, who had a gracious word for every* body. Some of those employed in the garriaon and civil service of Fort Reliance must here receive a few words of special notice, for they were presently to go through experiences of a most terrible nature, which no human perbpicacity could possibly have foreseen. Amongst others we must name Lieutenant Jaspar Hobson, Ser- geant Long, Corporal and Mrs Joliffe, and the two foreign women already alluded to, in whose honour Captain Graventy's fSte was given. Jaspar Hobson was a man of forty years of age. He was short and slight, with little muscular power ; but a force of will which carried him successfully through all trials, and enabled him to rise superior to adverse circumstances. He was '* a child of the Com- pany." His father, Major Hobson, an Irishman from Dublin, who had now been dead for some time, lived for many years at Fort Assiniboin with his wife. There Jaspar Hobson was born. Hia childhood and youth were spent at the foot of the Rocky Moun- tains. His father brought him up strictly, and he became a man in self control and courage whilst yet a boy in years. Jaspar Hobson was no. mere hunter, but a soldier, a brave and intelligent officer. During the struggles in Oregon of the Hudson's Bay Com- pany with the rival companies of the Union, he distinguished himself by his zeal and intrepidity, and rapidly rose to the rank of lieutenant. His well-known merit led to his appointment to the command of an expedition to the north, the aim of which was to explore the northern shores of the Great Bear Lake, and to found a fort on the confines of the American continent. Jaspar Hobson was to set out on hia journey early in April . , , If the lieutenant was the type of a good officer. Sergeant Long was that of a good soldier. He was a man of fifty years of age, with a rough beard that looked as if it were made of cocoa-nut fibra Constitutionally brave, and disposed to obey rather than to com- mand, he had no ambition but to obey the orders he received — never questioning them, however strange they might appear, never reasoning for himself when on duty for the Company — a true machine in uniform ; but a perfect machine, never wearing out ; ever ou thn r THE PVR COUNTRY, march, yet never showing signs of fatigue. Perhaps Sergeant Long was rather hard upon his men, as he was upon himself. He would nut tolerate the slightest infraction of discipline, and mercilessly ordered men into coniinenient for the slightest neglect, whilst he himself had never been reprimanded. In a word, he was a man burn to obey, and this self-annihilation suited his passive tempera- ment. Men such as he are the materials of which a formidable army is formed. They are the arms of the service, obeying a single head. Is not this the only really powerful organisation % The two types of fabulous mythology, Briareus with a hundred arms and Hydra with a hundred heads, well represent the two kinds ot armies; and in a conflict between them, which would be victoriousi Briareus without a doubt ! We have already made acquaintance with Corporal JulifTe. He was the busy bee of the party, but it was pleasant to hear him hum- ming. He would have made a better major-domo than a soldier; and he was himself aware of this. So he called himself the " Cor- poral in charge of details," but he would have lost himself a hundred times amongst these details, had not little Mrs Jolifie guided him with a firm hand. So it came to pass, that Corporal Joliffe obeyed his wife without owning it, doubtless thinking to himi^elf, like the philosophei Sanchu, " a woman's advice is no such great thing, but he must be a fool who does nut listen to it." It is now time to say a few words of the two foreign women already alluded to more than once. They were both about forty years old, and one of them well deserved to take first rank amongst cele- brated female travellers. The name of Paulina Barnett, the rival of the Pfeiflfers, Tinnis, and Haimaires of Hull, has been several times honourably mentioned at the meetings of the Eoyal Geographical Society. In her journeys up the Brahmaputra, as far as the mountains of Thibet, across an unknown corner of New Holland, from Swan Bay to the Gulf of Carpentaria, Paulina Barnett had given proof of the qualities of a great traveller. She had been a widow for fifteen years, and her passion for travelling led her con- stantly to explore new lands. She was tall, and her face, framed in long braids of hair, already touched with white, was full of energy. She was near-sighted, and a double eye-glass rested upon her long straight nose, with its mobile nostrils. We must confess that her walk was somewhat masculine, and her whole appearance was suggestive of moral power, rather than of female grace. She A SOIR&R AT FORT REUANCR, tLong would cilessly lilst he ^ a man ;mpera- midable sying a isation 1 lundred ihe two rould be re. He im hum- soldier ; le " Cor- imself a 3 Joliffe Corporal nking to s no such t.» sn already rty years iiffst cele- the rival eral times ographical ar as the Holland, irnett had ad been a d her con- ,ce, framed as full of ;sted upon list confess appearance race. She 1 was an Englishwoman from Yorkshire, possessed of some fortune, the greater part of which was expended in adventurous expeditions, and some new scheme of exploration had now brought her to Fort Reliance. Having crossed the equinoctial regions, she was doubt- less anxious to penetrate to the extreme limits of the hyperborean. Her presence at the fort was an event. Thp governor of the Company had given her a specijil letter of recommendation to Captain Craventy, according to whicli the latter was to do all in his power to forward the desiijn of the celebrated traveller to reach the borders of the Arctic Ocean. A grand enterprise ! To follow in the steps of Hearne, Mackenzie, Rae, Franklin, and others. What fatigues, what trials, what dangers would have to be gone through in the conflict with the terrible elements of the Polar climate I How could a woman dare to venture where so many explorers have drawn back or perished % But the stranger now shut up in Fort Reliance was no ordinary woman j she was Paulina Baruett, a laureate of the Royal Society. We must add that the celebrated traveller was accompanied by a servant named Madge This faithful creature was not merely a servant, but a devoted and courageous friend, who lived only for her mistress. A Scotchwoman of the old ty|ie, whom a Caleb might have married without loss of dighity. Madge was about five years older than Mrs Barnett, and was tall and strongly built. The two were on the most intimate terms; Paulina looked upon Madge as an elder sister, and Madge treated Paulina as her daughter. It was in honour of Paulina Barnett that Captain Craventy waa this evening treating his employes and the Chippeway Indians. In fact, the lady traveller was to join the expedition of Jaspar Hobson for the exploration of the north. It was for Paulina Barnett that the large saloon of the factory resounded with joyful hurrahs. And it was no wonder that the stove consumed a hundredweight of coal oil this memorable evening, for the cold outside was twenty- four degrees Fahrenheit below zero, and Fort Reliance is situated in 61° 47' N Lat., at least four degrees from the Polar circle. CHAPTER IL THE HUDSON] S BAY FUR COMPANY, ' fAPTAINCraventy?'* " Mrs Barnett 1" ** What do you think of your Lieutenant, Jaspai Hobson?" " I think he is an officer who will go far." " What do you mean by the words, Will go far 1 Do you mean that he will go beyond the Twenty -fourth parallel ] " Captain Craventy could not help smiling at Mrs Paulina Barnett*s question. They were talking together near the stove, whilst the guests were passing backwards and forwards between the eating and drinking tables. " Madam," replied the Captain, " all that a man can do, will be done by Jaspar Hobson. The Company has charged him to explore the north of their possessions, and to establish a factory as near as possible to the confines of the American continent, and he will establish it." " That is a great responsibility for Lieutenant Hobson !" said the traveller. " It is. Madam, but Jaspar Hobson has never yet drawn back from a task imposed upon him, however formidable it may have appeared." " 1 can quite believe it. Captain," replied Mrs Bamett, " and we shall now see the Lieutenant at work. But what induces the Com- pany to construct a fort on the shores of the Arctic Ocean ? " " They have a powerful, motive. Madam," replied the Captain. " I may add a double motive. At no very distant date, Russia will probably cede her American possessions to the Government of the United States.^ When this cession has taken place, the Company will find access to the Pacific Ocean extremely difficult, unless the North'West passage discovered by M'Clure be practicable. Fresh ^ Captain Craventy's prophecy has since been realised. THE Hudson's bay fur compan\. explorations will decide this, for the Admiralty is about to send a vessel which will coast along the North American continent, from Bebring Strait to Coronation Qulf, on the eastern side of which the new fort is to be established. If the enterprise succeed, this point will become an important factory, the centre of the northern fur trade. The transport of furs across the Indian territories involves a vast expenditure of time and money, whereas, if the new route be available, steamers will take them from the new fort to the Pacific Ocean in a few days.'^ " That would indeed be an important result of the enterprise, if this North-west passage can really be used," replied Mrs Paulina Bamett; '* but I think you spoke of a double motive." " I did, Madam," said the Captain, " and I alluded to a matter of vital interest to the Company. But I must beg of you to allow me to explain to you in a few words how the present state of things came about, how it is in fact that the very source of the trade oi this once flourishing Company is in danger of destruction." The Captain then proceeded to give a brief sketch of the history of the famous Hudson's Bay Company. In the earliest times men employed the skins and furs of animals as clothing. The fur trade is therefore of very great antiquity. Luxury in dress increased to such an extent, that sumptuary laws were enacted to control too great extravagance, especially in furs, for which there was a positive passion. Vair and the furs of Siberian squirrels were prohibited at the middle of the 12th century. In 1553 Knssia founded several establishments in the northern steppes, and England lost no time in following her example. The trade in sables, ermines, and beavers, was carried (m through the agency of the Samoiedes ; but during the reign of Elizabeth, a royal decree restricted the use of costly furs to such an extent, that for several years this branch of industry was completely paralysed. On the 2nd lay, 1670, a licence to trade in furs in the Hudson's Bay Territory was granted to the Company, which numbered several men of high rank amongst its shareholiers : the Duke of York, tbe Duko of Albemarle, the Earl of Shaftesbury, Ac. Its capital was then only £8420. Private companies were formidable rivals to its success ; and French agents, making Canada their headquarters, ventured on hazardous but most lucrative expedition?. The active competition of these bold hunters threatened the very existence of the infant Company. r 10 THE FUR COUNTRY, 1 2) The conquest of Canada, however, somewhat lessened the danger of its position. Three years after the taking of Quebec, 177G, the fur trade received a new impulse. English traders becaiuo fatniliat with the difficulties of trade of this kind ; they learned the customs of the country, the ways of the Indians .md their system of exchange of goods, but for all this the Company as yet inade no profits whatever. Moreover, towards 1784 some merchants of Montreal combined to explore the fur country, and founded that powerful North-west Company, which soon became the centre of the fur trade. In 1798 the new Company shipped furs to the value of no less than XI 20,000, and the existence of the Hudson's Bay Company was again threatened. We must add, that the North-west Company shrank from no act, however iniquitous, if its interests were at stake. Its agents imposed on their own employes, speculated on the misery of the Indians, robbed them when they had themselves made them drunk, setting at defiance the Act of Parliament fther simple le scorbutic ns. re too stout he severity the fatigues igh spirited Double pay inea of the ttlement bo- be treated better than her travelling companions, but yielded to the urgent reqiust of Captain Craventy, who was but carrying out the wishes of the Company. The vehicle which brought Thomas Black to Fort Reliance also conveyed him and his scientific apparatus from it. A few astrono- mical instruments, of which there were not many in those days — a telescope^ for iiis selenographic observations, a sextant for taking the latitude, a chronometer for determining the longitudes, a fcT •r?sps, a few books, were all stored away in this sledge, and Thomas Black relied upon his faithful dogs to lose nothing by the way. Of course the food for the various teams was not forgotten. There were altogether no less than seventy-two dogs, quite a herd to pro- vit'e for by the way, and it was the business of the hunters to cater for them. These strong intelligent animals were bought of the Chippeway Indians, who know well how to train them for their arduous calling. The little company was ro.ost skilfully organised. The zeal of Lieutenant Jaspar Hobsun was beyond all praise. Proud of his mission, and devoted to his task, he neglected nothing which could insure success. Corporal Joliffe, always a busybody, exerted himself without producing any very tangible results ; but his wife was most useful and devoted; and Mrs Paulina Barnett had already struck up a great friendship with the brisk little Canadian woman, whose fair hair and large soft eyes were so pleasant to look at. We need scarcely add that Captain Craventy did all in his power to further the enterprise. The instructions he had received from the Company showed what great importance they attached to the success of the expedition, and the establishment of a new factory beyond the seventieth parallel We may therefore safely affirm that every human effort likely to insure sifccess which Cduld be made was made , but who could tell what insurmountable difficulties nature might place in the path of the brave Lieutenant 1 who could tell what awdited him and his devoted little band? Hi hful Madge not wish to CHAPTER V. FROM FORT RELIANCE ;:'T .<. /• ENTERPRISB, EE first fino days '••'tne at last. The green carpet o{ the hills began to appear here and there where the snow had melted. A few migratory birds from the south — such as Bwans, bald-headed eagles, &c. — passed through the warmer air. The poplars, birches, and willows began to bud, and the red- headed ducks, of which there are so many species in North America, to skim the surface of the iminerous pools formed by the melted snow. Guillemots, puffins, and eider ducks sought colder latitudes ; and little shrews no bigger than a hazel-iut ventured from their holes, tracing strange figures on the ground with their tiny-pointed tails. It was intoxicating once more to breatl ? the fresh air of spring, and to bask in the sunbeams. N;<,t; ^\v»,,!ie once more from her heavy sleep in the long winter nij^ X. ; :; smiled as she opened her eyes. The renovation of creatt^u in spring is perhaps t,,l^ impressive in the Arctic regions than in any other portion of the globe, on account of the greater contrast with what has gone before. The thaw was not, however, complete. Tlie thermometer, it is true, marked 41* Fahrenheit above zero ; but the mean temperature of the nights k"pt the surface ■ ^he snowy plains solid — a good thing for the passage of sledges, .. »vbich J .i, ar Hobson meant to avail himself before the thaw became compi.* The ice of the lake was still unbroken. D iiliif, the last month several successful hunting expeditions had been made across the vast tmooth plains, "which wei ; aU-eady frequented by game. Mrs Barnett was astonished at t': ' .\\\ with which the men used their snow-shoes, scudding along at the pace of a horse in full gallop. Following Captain Craventy's advice, the lady herself practised walking in these contrivances, and she soon became very expert in sliding over the snow. During the last few days several bauds of Indians had arrived at fi mOM FORT RELIANCE TO FORT ENTERPRISE, 27 pet 0^ the 3 Giiow had b — such aa rarmer air. d the red- ih America, the melted r latitudes ; from their iny-pointed 'resli air of once more liled as she impressive globe, on meter, it is emperature d — a good n meant to last month ass the vast ime. Mrs used their full gallop. ; practised ^ expert ia arrived at the fort to exchange the spoils of the winter chase for manufactured goods. The season had been bad. There were a good many polecats and sables ; but the furs of beavers, otttirs, lynxes, ermines, and foxes were scarce. It was therefore a wise step for the Company to endeavour to explore a new country, where the wild animals had hitherto escaped the rapacity of man. , On the morning of the 16th April Lieutenant Jaspar Hobson and his party were ready to start. The route across the known districts, between the Slave Lake and that of the Great Bear beyond the Arctic Circle, was already determined. Jaspar Hobson was to make for Fort Confidence, on the northern extremity of the latter lake ; and he was to revictual at Fort Enterprise, a station two hundred miles further to the north-west, on the shores of the Snare Lake. By travelling at the ;ate of fifteen miles a day the Lieutenant hoped to halt there about the beginning of May. From this point the expedition was to take the shortest route to Cape Bathurst, on the North American coast. It was agreed that in a year Captain Craventy should send a convoy with provi- sions to Cape Bathurst, and that a detachment of the Lieutenant's men was to go to meet this convoy, to guide it to the spot where the new fort was to be erected. This plan was a guarantee against any adverse circumstances, and left a means of communication with their fellow-creatures open to the Lieutenant and his voluntary com- panions in exile. On the 16'Ji April dogs and sledges were awaiting the travellers at the poste.-n gate. Captain Craventy called the men of the party togethei s,nd said a few kind words to them. Ho urged them above all things to stand by one another in the perils they might be called upon to meet ; reminded them that the enterprise lipon which they were about to enter required self-denial and devotion, and that submission to their officers was an indispensable condition )f success. Cheers greeted the Captain's speech, the *».dieux wore quickly made, and each one took his place in the sledge assigned fco him. Jaspar Hobson and Sergeant Long went first ; then Mrs 'aulina Barnett and Madge, the latter dexterously wielding the long ilsquiraaux whip, terminating in a stiff thong. Thomas Black and )ne of the soldiers, the Canadian, Petersen, occupied the third sledge J and the others followed, Corporal and Mrs Joliffe bringing ip the rear. According to the orders of Lieutenant Hobson, e.ich iriver kept as nearly as possible at the same distance from the 2* 28 THE FUR COUNTRY. preceding sledge, so as to avoid all conf u.sion — a necessary precau- tion, as a collision between two sledges g-ing at full speed, might have had disastrous results. On leaving Fort Reliance, Jaspar Hobson at once directed his course towards the north-west. The first thing to be done was to cross the large river connecting Lakes Slave and Wolmsley, which was, however, still frozen so hard as to be undistinguishable from the vast white plains around. A uniform carpet of snow covered the whole country, and the sledges, drawn by their swift teams, sped rapidly over the firm smooth surface. The weather was fine, but still very cold. The sun, scarce above the horizon, described a lengthened curve ; and its rays, reflected on the snow, gave more light tlian heat. Fortunately not a breath of air stirred, and this lessened the severity of the cold, although the rapid pace of the sledges through the keen atmosphere must have been trying to any one not inured to the rigour of a Polar climate. " A good beginning,'' said Jaspar Hobsoa to the Sergeant, who sat motionless beside him as if rooted to his seat ; " the journey has commenced favourably. The sky is cloudless, the temperature pro- pitious, our equipages shoot along like express trains, and as long as this fine weather lasts we shall get on capitally. What do you think. Sergeant Long ] " " I agree with you. Lieutenant," replied the Sergeant, who never differed from his chief. " Like myself, Sergeant, you are determined to push on as far north as possible — are you not?" resumed Lieu^enant Hobson. " You have but to command to be obeyed, Lieutenant." " I know it. Sergeant ; I know that with yt)u to hear is to obey. Would that all our men understood as you do the importance of our mission, and would devote themselves body and soul to the interests of the Company ! Ah, Sergeant Long, I know if I gave you an impossible order "—— " Lieutenant, there is no such thing as an impossible order." " What ? Suppose now I ordered you to go to the North Pole 1 " " Lieutenant, I should go ! " " And to come back ! " added Jaspar Hobson with a smile. " I should come back," replied Sergeant Long simply. During this colloquy between Lieutenant Hobson and his Sergeant a slight ascent compelled the sledges to slacken speed, and Mrs Barnett and Madge also exchanged a few sentences. These two wmn$»vmfm'-9m FROM FORT RELIANCE TO FORT ENTERPRISE, 29 J precau- }d, might 'ected his ne "was to ey, which e from the ivered the ams, sped area above eflected on I breath of hough the must have r climate, jeant, who journey has irature pro- nd as long |iat do you who never L on as far obson. is to obey, jortauce of oul to the w if I gave arder." rthPolel" mile. lis Sergeant and Mrs These two \ intrepid women, in their otter-skin caps and white bear-skin mantles, gazed in astonisbment'upon the rugged scenery around them, and at the white outUnes of the huge glaciers standing out against the hori> Bon. They had already left behind them the hills of the northern banks of the Slave Lake, with their summits crowned with the gaunt skeletons of trees. The vast plains stretched before them in ap- parently endless succession. The rapid flight and cries of a few birds of passage alone broke the monotony of the scene. Now and then a troop of swans, with plumage so white that the keenest sight could not distinguish them from the snow when they settled oa the ground, rose into view in the clear blue atmosphere and pur- sued their journey to the north. " What an extraordinary country 1 " exclaimed Mrs Paulina Bar* nett. " What a difierence between these Polar regions and the green prairies of Australia ! You remember, Madge, how we suffered from the heat on the shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria — ^you remember the cloudless sky anti the parching sunbeams 1 " " My dear," replied Madge, " I have not the gift of remembering like you. You retain your impressions, I forget mine." " What, Madge ! " cried Mrs Barnett, " you have forgotten the tropical heat of India and Australia % You have no recollection of our agonies when water failed us in the desert, when the pitiless sun scorchcu us to the bone, when even the night brought us no relief from our sufferings ! " " No, Paulina," replied Madge, wrapping her furs more closely round her, " no, I remember nothing. How could I now recollect the Rufferings to which you allude — the heat, the agonies of thirst — when we are surrounded on every side by ice, and I have but to stretch my arm out of this sledge to pick up a handful of snow % You talk to me of heat when we are freezing beneath our bear- skins ; you recall the broiling rays of the sun when its April beams jannot melt the icicles on our lips ! No, child, no, don't try to per- suade me it 's hot anywhere else ; don't tell me I ever complained rf being too warm, for I sha'n't believe you 1" Mrs Paulina Barnett oould not help smiling. " So, poor Madge," she said, " you are "sry cold I " " Yes, child, I am cold \ but I rather like this climate. I Ve no loubt it 's very healthy, and I think North America will agree with le. It *s really a very fine country I " *^ Yes, Madge, it m a fine country, and we have aa yet seen none mm 1 i fmmm 30 TUB PUR COUNTRY i I :'S1 of the wonders it contains. But wait until we reach the Arctic Ocean ; wait until the winter shuts us in with its gigantic icebergs and thick covering of snow ; wait till the northern storms break over us, and the glories of the Aurora Borealis and of the splendid con- stellations of the Polar skies are spread out above our heads ; wait till we have lived through the strange long six months' night, and then indeed you will understand the infinite variety, tb'^ infinite beauty, of our Creator's handiwork ! " Thus spoke Mrs Paulina Barnett, carried away by her vivid imagination. She could see nothing but beauty jn these deserted regions, with their rigorous climate. Her enthusiasm got the bettei for the time of her judgment. Her sympathy with nature enabled her to read the touching poetry of the ice-bound north — the poetry embodied in the Sagas, and sung by the bards of the time of Ossian. But Madge, more matter of fact than her mistress, disguised from herself neither the dangers of an expedition to the Arctic Ocean, nor the suflferings involved in wintering only thirty degrees at the most from the North Pole. And indeed the most robust had sometimes succumbed to the fatigues, privations, and mental and bodily agonies endured in this severe climate. Jaspar Hobson had not, it is true, to press on to the very highest latitudes of the globe ; he had not to reach the pole itself, or to follow in the steps of Parry, Boss, M'Clure, Kane, Morton, and others. But after once crossing the Arctic Circle, there is little variation in the temperature ; it does not increase in coldness in proportion to the elevation reached. Granted that Jaspar Hobson did not think of going beyond the seventieth parallel, we must still remember that Franklin and his unfortunate companions died of cold and hunger before they had penetrated beyond 68° N. lat. Very different was the talk in the sledge occupied by Mr and Mrs Joliffe. Perhaps the gallant Corporal had too often drunk to the success of the expedition on starting ; for, strange to say, he wa8 disputing with his little wife. Yes, he was actually contradicting her, which never happened except under extrL.ordinary circum- Btancesl " No, Mrs Joliffe," he was saying, " no, you have nothing to fear. A sledgo is not more difiicult to guide than a pony-carriage, and the devil take me if I can't manage a team of dogs ! " " I don't question your skill," replied Mrs Joliffe ; " I only adc 70U not to go so fiEust You are in front of the whole caravan now, FROM FORI RELIANCE TO FORT ENTERPRISE, 31 Arctio cebergs ak over iid con- ; wait ht, and infinite and I hear Lieutenant Hubson calling out to you to resume youi proper place behind." " Let him call, ]\Irs Joliffe, let him call." And the Corporal, ar^riiig on his dogs with a fresh cut of the whip, dashed along at sti!l greater speed. " Take care, Joliffe," repeated his little wife ; " not so fast, we are going down hill." " Down hill, Mrs Joliffe ; you call that down hill ? why, it 'a up Mill" " I tell you we are going down 1 " repeated poor Mrs Joliffe. " And I tell you we are going up ; look how the dogs pull I ** Whoever was right, the dogs became uneasy. The ascent was, in fact, pretty steep; the sledge dashed along at a reckless pace, and was already considerably in advance of the rest of the party. Mr and Mrs Joliffe bumped up and down every instant, the surface of the snow became more and more uneven, and the pair, flung first to one side and then to the other, knocked against each other and the iledge, and were horribly bruised and shaken. But the Corporal would listen neither to the advice of his wife nor to the shouts of Lieutenant Hobson. The latter, seeing the danger of this reckless course, urged on his own animals, and the rest of the caravan fol- lowed at a rapid pace. But the Corporal became more and more excited —the speed of his equipage delighted him. He shouted, he gesticulated, and flour- ished his long whip like an accomplished sportsman. "Wonderful things these whips!" he cried ; "the Esquimaux wield them with unrivalled skill ! " " But you are not an Esquimaux ! " cried Mrs Joliffe, trying in vain to arrest the arm of her imprudent husband. " I have heard tell," resumed the Corporal — " I *ve heard tell that the Esquimaux can touch any dog they like in any part, that they can even cut out a bit of one of their ears with the stiff thong at the end of the whip. I am going to try." " Don't try, don't try, Joliffe ! " screamed the poor little woman, frightened out of her wits. " Don't be afraid, Mrs Joliffe, don't be afraid ; I know what I can do. The fifth dog on the right is misbehaving himself ; I will cor- rect him a little ! " But Corporal Joliffe was evidently not yet enough of an Esqui- maux to be able to manage the whip with its thonj; four feet longel ' 5 i HI I ^11 3« HH TNE FUR COUNTRY, than the sledge ; for it unrolled with an ominous hiss, and rebound« ing, twisted itself round Corporal Joliffe's own neck, sending his fur cap into the air, perhaps with one of his ears in it. . At this moment the dogs flung themselves on one side, the sledge was overturned, and the pair were flung into the snow. Fortunately it was thick and soft, so that they escaped unhurt. But what a disgrace for th6 Corporal ! how reproachfully his little wife looked at him, and how stern was the reprimand of Lieutenant Hobson ! The sledge was picked up, but it was decided that henceforth the reins of the dogs, like those of the household, were to be in the hands of Mrs Joliife. The crest-fallen Corporal was obliged to sub- mit, and the interrupted journey was resumed. No incident worth mentioning occurred during the next fifteen days. The weather continued favourable, the cold was not too severe, and on the Ist May the expedition arrived at Fort Enter- prisA. iss, and rebound- :, sending his fur e side, the sledge ow. Fortunately rt. But what a ittle wife looked snant Hobson ! at henceforth the are to be in the s obliged to sub- the next fifteen did was not too [ at Fort Enter- I I li I ^ THE BEGINNING OF THE THAW. — PilgC 33. mmmmmh /'i K- m^m ^^ i^^S •rnr -' sV" ■*«» K ^ ^^ CHAPTER VL A WAPITI DUEL, WO hundred miles had been traversed since the expedition left Fort Reliance. The travellers, taking advantage of the long twilight, pressed on day and night, and were literally overcome with fatigue when they reached Fort Enterprise, near the shores of Lake Snare. This fort was no more than a depdt of provisions, of little import- ance, erected a few years before by the Hudson's Bay Company. It served as a resting-place for the men taking the convoys of furs from the Qreat Bear Lake, some three hundred miles further to the north-west. About a dozen soldiers formed the garrison. The fort consisted of a wooden house surrounded by palisades. But few as were the comforts it offered, Lieutenant Hobson's companions gladly took refuge in it and rested there for two days. The gentle infli^cnce of the Arctic spring was beginning to be felt. Here and ti.v:j the snow had melted, and the temperature of the nights was no longer billow freezing point. A few delicate mosses and slender grasses clothed the rugged ground with their soft verdure ; and from between the stones peeped the moist calices of tiny, almost colourless, flowers. These faint signs of reawakening vegetation, after the long night of winter, were refreshing to eyes weary of the monotonous whiteness of the snow \ and the scattered specimens of the Flora of the Arctic regions were welcomed with delight. Mrs Paulina Barnett and Jaspar Hobson availed themselves of this leisure time to visit the shores of the little lake. They wero both students and enthusiastic lovers of nature. Together they wandered amongst the ice masses, already beginning to break up, and the waterfalls created by the action of the rays of the sun. The surface itself of Lake Snare was still intact, not a crack denoted the approaching thaw ; but it was strewn with the ruins of mighty icebergs, which assumed all manner of picturesque forms, and r ■^ 34 T//E FUR COUNTRY. the beauty of wliich was heightened when the light, diffracted by the sharp edges of the ice, touched them with all injuiiier of colours. One might have fancied that a rainbow, crushed in a powerful hand, had been flung upon the ground, its fragments crossing each other as they fell. " What a benntiful scene ! " exclaimed Mrs Paulina Bamett. " Those prismatic elTects vary at every change of our position. Does it not seem as if we were bending over the opening of an immense kaleidoscope, or are you already weary of a sight so new and interesting to me ? " "No, madam," repliec Lieutenant; "although I was born and bred on this continei.., .o beauties never pall upon me. But if your enthusiasm is so great when you see this scenery with the sun shining upon it, what will it be when you are privileged to behold the terrible grandeur of the winter 1 To own the truth, I think the sun, so much thought of in temperate latitudes, spoils my Arctic home." " Indeed ! " exclaimed Mrs Bamett, smiling at the Lieutenant's last remark ; " for my part, I think the sun a capital travelling companion, and I shall not be disposed to grumble at the warmth it gives even in the Polar regions I " " Ah, madam," replied Jaspar Hobson, " I am one of those who think it best to visit Russia in the winter, and the Sahara Desert in the summer. You then see their peculiar characteristics to advantage. The sun is a star of the torrid and temperate zones, and is out of place thirty degrees from the North Pole. The true sky of this country is the pure frigid sky of win^^er, bright with constellations, and sometimes flushed with the glory of the Aurora Borealis. This land is the land of the night, not of the day; and you have yet to make acquaintance with the delights and marvels of the long Polar night." - " Have you ever visited the temperate zones of Europe and America ? " inquired Mrs Barnett. " Yes, madam ; and I admired them as they deserved. But I returned home with fresh lo\d and enthusiasm for my native land. Cold is my element, and no merit is due to me for braving it. It has no power over me ; and, like the Esquimaux, I can live for ' months together in a snow hut." " Really, Lieutenant Hobson, it is quTie cheering to hear our dreaded enemy spoken of in such terms. I hope to prove myself V^_ racted by the r of colours, vverfnl hand, g each other ina Barnett. Qur position. )ening of an sight so new I was born I me. But if with the sun ed to behold uth, I think ila my Arctic Lieutenant's al travelling the warmth f those who lara Desert teristics to erate zones, The true aright with the Aurora le day ; and marvels of Europe and ed. But I lative land, dng it. It an live for hear our ove myself A WAPITI DUEL, 35 worthy to be your companion, and wherever you venture, we will venture together." " I agree, madam, I agree ; and may all the women and soldiera accompanying me show themselves as resolute as you. If so, Qod helping us, we shall indeed advance far." " You have nothing to complain of yet," observed the lady, " Not a single accident has occurred, the weather has been propitious, the cold not too savere — everything has combined to ai(! as.' " Yes, madam ; but the sun which you admire so much will goon create difficulties for us, and strew obstacles in our path." " What do you«mean, Lieutenant Hobgon ? " " I mean that the heat will soon have changed the aspect of the country ; that the melted ice will impede the sliding of the sledges • that the ground will become rough and uneven; that our panting dogs will no longer carry us along with thf> rpeed of an arrow ; that the rivers and lakes will resume their liquid siate, and that we shall have to ford or go round them. All these changes, madam, due to the influence of the solar rays, will cause delays, fatigue, and dangers, the very least of which will be the breaking of the brittle snow beneath our feet, or the falling of the avalanches from the summits of the icebergs. For all this we have to thank the gradual rise of the sun higher and higher above the horizon. Bear this in mind, madam : of the four elements of the old creation, only one is necessary to us here, the air ; the other three, fire, earth, and water, are de trap in the Arctic regions." Of course the. Lieutenant was exaggerating, and Mrs Barnett could easily have retorted with counter-arguments ; but she liked to hear his raptures in praise of his beloved country, and she felt that his enthusiasm was a guarantee that he would shrink from no obstacle. Yet Jaspar Hobson was right when he said the sun would cause difficulties. This was seen when the party set out again on the 4th May, three days later. The thermometer, even in the coldest part of the night, marked more than 32" Fahrenheit. A complete thaw set in, the v.ist white sheet of snow resolved itself into water. The irregularities of the rocky soil caused constant jolting of the sledges, and the passengers were roughly shaken. The roads were 80 heavy that the dogs had to go at a slow trot, and the reins were therefore again entrusted to the hands of the imprudent Corporal T^ f i If m M 36 TffB FUR COUNTRY, Joliffe. Neither shouts nor flourishings of the whip had the slightest eflFect on the j^ded animals. From timoto time the travelltjra lightened the sledges by walking i» little way. This mode of locomotion suited the hunters, who were now gradually approaching the best districts for game in the whole of English America. Mrs Paulina Barnett and Madge took a great interest in the chase, whilst Thomtis Black professed absciute indiflFer- ence to all athletic exeicise. He had not come all thid distance to hunt the polecat or the ermine, but merely to look at the moon at the mo- ment v/hen her disc should cover that of the &un. Wben the queen of the night rose above the horizon, the impatient, astronomer would gaze at her with eager eyes/aud one day the Lieutenant said to him — "It would be a bad look-out for you, M Black, if by any un- lucky chance the moon should fail to keep her appointment on the 16th July I860." "Lieutenant Hob ion," gravely replied the astronomer, "if the moon were guilty of such a breach of good manners, I should indeed have cause to complain." The chief hunters of the expef'ition were the soldiers Marbre and Sabine, both very expert at the^i business. Their skill was won- derful ; and the cleverest Indis.ns would not have surpassed them in keenness of sight, precision of aim, or manual addres. , They were alike trappers and hunters, and were acquainted with all the nets and snares for taking sables, otters, wolves, foxes, bears, &c. No artifice was unknown to them, and Capta'a Craventy had shown his wisdom in choosing two such intelligent men to accompany the little troop. Whilst on the march, however, Llarbre and Sabine had no time for setting traps. They could not separate from the others lor more than Jin hour or two at a time, and were obliged to be content with the game which passed within range of their rifles. Still they were fortunate enough to kill two of the large American ruminants, seldom met with in such elevated latitudes. . On the mcrning of the 15th May the hunters asked permission to follow some fresh traces they had found, and the Lieutenant not only granted it, but himrelf accompanied them with Mrs Paulina Barnett, and they went seveial miles out oi their route towards the east. The impressions were evidently the result of rlie passage of about haU-b-dozen large deer. Ther« could be no mist, ko about it; Marbre % the slightest 3 by walking ers, who were in the whole i took a great ciute indiflfer- stance to hunt )n at the mo- tien the queen Dflomer would . said to him — if by any un- Ltment on the )mer, "if the should indeed rs Marbre and kill was won- irpassed them ddres.. They 1 with all the tes, bears, y should do so. " Beg pardon, sir," replied Marbre; " but let us spare our pow- der and shot. These beasts are engaged in a war to the death, and we shall arrive in plenty of time to pick up the vanquished," " Have these wapitis a commercial value 1 " asked Mrs Paulina Barnett. " Yes, madam," replied Hobson ; " and their skin, which is not quite so thick as that of the elk, properly so called, makes very valuable leather. By rubbing this skin with the fat and brains of the animal itself, it is rendered flexible, and neither damp nor dry- ness injures it. ^'he Indians are therefore always eager to procure the skins of the wapitis." " Does not the flesh make admirable venison t " " Pretty good, madam , only pretty good. It is tough, and does not taste very nice ; the fat becomes hard directly it is taken from the fire, and sticks to the teeth. It is certainly inferior as an article of food to whe flesh of other deer ; but when meat is scarce we are glad enough to eat it, and it supports life as well as anything else," A WAPITI DUEL, 39 jful creatures red hair, the . The fierce ir fine white ents. These rica, and the 3re begun on .6 pioneer of peajefnl dis- nd wandered irapiti thrives lying that it lecimens now IS, who hunt struggle that [•3 ; but they i aware of it jspect, might /e taken aim ire our pow- le death, and bed." Mrs Paulina which is not makes very nd brains of nip nor dry- ir to procure gh, and does ) taken from as an article icarce we are as anything 1 M'"'» Barnett and Lieutenant Hobson had been chatting together for some minutes, when, with the excepti'^n of two, the wapitis suddenly ceased fighting. Was their rage satiated? or had they perceived the hunters, and felt the approach of danger ? Whatever the cause, all but two fine creatures fled towards the east with incredible speed; in a few instants they were out of sight, and the swiftest horse could not have caught them up. Meanwhile, however, two magnificent specimens remained on the field of battle. Heads down, antlers to antlers, hind legs stretched and quivering, they butted at each other without a nionient's pause. Like two wrestlers struggling for a prii-v, which neiti <• will yield, they would not separate, but whirled round and round to- gether on their front legs as if riveted to one another, "What iuii»lac.'ible nige !" exclaimed Mrs Barnett. "Yes," replied the Lieutenant; "the wapitis really are most i>;tHefiil beasts. I have no doubt they are fighting ou*^ an old qu.irrel." "Would not this be the time to approach them, when they are blinded with ; age 1 " "There's plenty of time, ma'am," said Sabine; "th'»y won't escape us now. Tht v will nut ^^tir from where they are when we are three steps froi them, the rifles at our shoulders, and our fingers on the triggers 1 '' "Lideed?" "Yes, madam," adder? liobson, who had carefully examined the wapitis after the hun o remark ; " and whether at our hands or from the teeth of wolves, those wapitis will meet death where they now stand." " I don't understand what you mean, Lieutenant," sai Irs Barnett. " Well, go nearer, madam," he replied ; " don't be afraid of startling the animals; for, as our hunter says, they are no longer capable of flight." The four now descended the hill, and in a few minutes gained the theatre of the struggle. The wapitis had not moved. They were pushing at each other like a couple of rams, and seemed to be inseparably glued together. In fact, in the heat of the combat the antlers of the two creatures had become eutangled together to such 'an extent that they could no longer separate without breaking them. This often happens in nT" 4^^ THE FUR COUNTRY, the hunting districts. It is not at all uncommon to find antlera thus connected lying on the ground ; the poor encumbered animals soon die of hunger, or they become an easy prey to wild beasts. Two bullets put an end to the fight between the wapitis ; and Marbre and Sabine taking immediate possession, carried off their skins to be subsequently prepared, leaving their bleeding carcasses to be deyoiLred by wolves and bears. r t ^~» mmkS l mm . :' find antlers Bred animala 1 beasts, capitis ; and ied off their ing carcasses .■V ■.-.■»■ ■;*■ CHAPTER VIL TNB ARCTIC CIRCLE, ■I She expedition continued to advance towards the north- -^{^ west; but the great inequalities of the ground made it hard work for the dogs to get along, and the poor creatures, who could hardly be held in when they started, were now quiet enough. Eight or ten miles a day were as much as they could accom- plish, although Lieutenant Hobson urged them on to the utmost. He was anxious to get to Fort Confidence, on the further side of the Great Bear Lake, where he hoped to obtain some useful information. Had the Indians frequenting the northern banks of the lake been able to cross the districts on the shores of the sea 1 was the Arctic Ocean open at this time of year ) These were grave questions, the reply to which would decide the fate of the new factory. The country through which the little troop was now passing was intersected by numerous streams, mostly tributaries of the two large rivers, the Mackenzie and Coppermine, which flow from the south to the north, and empty themselves into the Arctic Ocean. Lakes, lagoons, and numerous pools are formed between these two principal arteries ; and as they were no longer frozen over, the sledges could not venture upon them, and were compelled to go round them, which caused considerable delay. Lieutenant Hobson was certainly right in saying that winter is the time to visit the hyperborean regions, for they are then far easier to traverse. Mrs Paulina Barnett had reason to own the justice of this assertion more than once. This region, included in the "Cursed Land," was, besides, completely deserted, as are the greater portion of the dibtricts of the extreme north of America. It has been estimated that there is but one inhabitant to every ten square miles. Besides the scattered natives, there are some few thousand agents or soldiers of the dififerent fur-trading companies ; but they mostly congregate in the southern districts and about the various factcies. No human 'rTf-T" 42 THE PUR COUNTRY, \ % \ footprints gladdened the eyes of the travellers, the only traces on the sandy soil were those of ruminants and rodents. Now and then a fierce polar bear was seen, and Mrs Paulina Barnett expressed her surprise at not meeting more of these terrible carnivorous beasts, of whose daily attacks on whalers and persons shipwrecked in Baffin's Bay and on the coasts of Greenland and Spitzbergon she had read in the accounts of those who had wintered in the Arctic regions. " Wait for the winter, madam," replied the Lieutenant ; " wait till the cold makes them hungry, and then you will perhaps see as many as you care about I " On the 23d May, after a long and fatiguing journey, the expe- dition at last reached the Arctic Circle. We knov/ that this lati- tude 23°27'57" from the North Pole, forms the mathematical limit beyond which the rays of the sun do not penetrate in the winter, when the northern districts of the globe are turned away fron- orb of day. Here, then, the travellers entered the true Ai lO region, the northern Frigid Zone. The latitude had been very carefully obtained by means of most accurate instruments, which were handled with equal skill by the astronomer and by Lieutenant Hobson. Mrs Barnett was present at the operation, and had the satisfaction of hearing that she was at last about to cross the Arctic Circle. It was with a feeling of just •pride that she received the intelligence. " You have already passed through the two Torrid Zones in your previous journeys," said the Lieutenant, " and now you are on the verge of the Arctic Circle. Few explorers have ventured into such totally different regions. Some, so to speak, have a specialty for hot countries, and choose Africa or Australia as the field for their investigations. Such were Barth, Burton, Livingstone, Speke, Douglas, Stuart, &c. Others, on the contrary, have a passion for the Arctic regions, still so little known. Mackenzie, Franklin, Penny, Kane, Parry, Rae, &c., preceded us on our present journey; but we must congratulate you^ Mrs Barnett, on being a more cosmopolitan traveller than all of them." "I must see everything, or at least try to see everything, Lieutenant," replied Mrs Paulina; "and I think the dangers and difficulties are about equal everywhere. Although we have not to dread the fevers of the unhealthy torrid regions, or the attacks of the fierce black races, in this Frigid Zone, the cold is a no less formid- able enemy ; and I suspect that the white bears we are liable to meet only traces on Now and then expressed her roua beasts, of ked in Baffin's she had read ;tic regions, tenant ; " wait perhaps see as ney, the expe- that this lati- lematical limit in the winter, away f rou" tie true Ai lO means of most al skill by the ;tt was present that she was at feeling of just Zones in your you are on the tared into such a specialty for e field for their gstone, Speke, a passion for tizie, Franklin, resent journey; being a more lee everything, le dangers and we have not to r the attacks of no less fonnid- I liable to meet ra THE ARCTIC CIRCLE, 43 with here will give us quite as^warm a reception as would the tigers of Thibet or the lions of Africa. In Torrid and Frigid Zones alike there are vast unexplored tracts which will long defy the eflforts of the boldest adventurers." " Yes, madam," replied Jaspar Hobson ; " but I think the hyperborean regions will longer resist thorough exploration. The natives are the chief obstacle in tropical regions, and I am well aware how many travellers have fallen victims to savages. But civilisation will necessarily subdue the wild races sooner or later ; whereas in the Arctic and Antarctic Zones it is not the inhabitants who arrest the progress of the explorer, but Nature herself who repels those who approach her, and paralyses their energies with the bitter cold ! " . " " You think, then, that the secrets of the most remote districts of Africa and Australia will have been fathomed before the Frigid Zone has been entirely examined % " •' Yes, madam," replied the Lieutenant; " and I think my opinion is founded on facts. Tlje most intrepid discoverers of the Arctic regions — Parry, Penny, Franklin, M'Clure, Kane, and Morton— did not g' ■ beyond 83° north latitude, seven degrees from the pole — whereas Australia has several times been crossed from south to north by the bold Stuart ; and even Africa, with all its terrors, was traversed by Livingstone from the Bay of Loanga to the mouth of the Zambesi. We are, therefore, nearer to geographical knowledge of the equattirial countries than of the Polar districts." " Do you think that the Pole itself will ever be reached by maul" inquired Mrs Paulina Barnett. " Certiiinly," replied Hobson, adding with a smile, "by man or woman. But I think other means must be tried of reaching this point, where all the meridians of the globe cross each other, than those hitherto adopted by travellers. We hear of the open sea, of which certain explorers are said t<> have caught a glimpse. But if such a sea, free from ice, really exist, it is very difficult to get at, and no one can say positively whether it extends to the North Pole. For my part, I think an open sea would increase rather than lessen the difficulties of explorers. As for me, I would rather count upon firm footing, whether on ice or rock, all the way. Then I would organise successive expeditions, establishing depdts of provisions and fuel nearer and nearer to the Pole; and so, with plenty of time, plenty of money, and perhaps the sacrifice of a good many lives, I should in T^rr, 44 TIfS FUR COUNTRY, 1r the end solve the great scientific problem. I should, I think, at last reach the hitherto inaccessible goal ! " " I think you are right, Lieutenant," said Mrs Barnett j " and if ever you try the experiment, I should not be afraid to join you, and would gladly go to set up the Uniou Jack at the North Pole. But that is not our present object." "Not our immediate object, madam," replied Hobsonj "but when once the projects of the Company are realised, when the new fort has been erected on the confines of the American continent, it may become the natural starting-point of all expeditions to the north. Besides, should the fur-yielding animals, too zealously hunted, take refuge at the Pole, we should have to follow them." "Unless costly furs should go out of fashion," replied Mrs Barnett. " O madam," cried the Lieutenant, " there will always be some pretty woman whose wish for a sable muff or an ermine tippet must be gratified ! " " I am afraid so," said Mrs Barnett, laughing ; " and probably the first discoverer of the Pole will have been led thither in pursuit of a sable or a silver fox." " That is my firm conviction," replied Hobson. " Such is human nature, and greed of gain will always carry a man further than zeal for science." " What ! do you utter such sentiments ? " exclaimed Mrs Barnett " Well, madam, what am I but an employe of the Hudson's Bay Company 1 and does the Company risk its capital and agents with any other hope th'^-n an increase of profits ] " " Lieutenant Hobson," said Mrs Barnett, " I think I know you well enough to assert that on occasion you would be ready to devote body and soul to science. If a purely geographical question called you to the Pole, I feel sure you would not hesitate to go. But," she added, with a smile, "the solution of this great problem is still far distant. We have but just reached the verge of the Arctic Circle, but I hope we may cross it without any very great difficulty." " That I fear is doubtful/' said the Lieutenant, who had been attentively examining the sky during their conversation. "The weather has looked threatening for the last few days. Look at the uniformly grey hue of the heavens. That mist will presently resolve itself into snow ; and if the wind should rise ever so little, wo shall* THE ARCTIC CIRCLE, 4S think, at last nett ; " and if join you, and h Pole. But obson; "but when the new 1 continent, it Utions to the too zealously How them." ' replied Mn [ways be some ermine tippet d probably the in pursuit of a 3uch is human :ther than zeal d Mrs Bamett Hudson's Bay nd agents with nk I know you eady to devote question called 5 to go. But," iat problem is I verge of the any very great who had been •sation. "The , Look at the rasently resolve little, wo shair I bave to battle with a fearful storm. I wish we were at the Qreat Bear Lake ! " " Do not let us lose any time, then," said Mrs Bamett, rising j " give the signal to start at once." The Lieutenant needed no urging. Had he been alone, or accom- panied by a few men as energetic as himself, he would have pressed on day and night \ but he was obliged to make allowance for the fatigue of others, although he never spared himself. He therefore granted a few hours of rest to his little party, and it was not until three in the afternoon that they again set out. Jaspar Hobson was not mistaken in prophesying a change in the weather. It came very soon. During the afternoon of the same day the mist became thicker, and assumed a yellowish and threatening hue. The Lieutenant, although very uneasy, allowed none of his anxiety to ap[)ear, but had a long consultation with Sergeant Long whilst the dogs of his sledge were laboriously preparing to start. Unfortunately, the district now to be traversed was very un- suitable for sledges. The ground was very uneven ; ravines were of frequent occurrence ; and masses of granite or half-thawed icebergs blocked up the road, causing constant delay. The poor dogs did their best, but the drivers' whips no longer produced any eflfect upon them. And so the Lieutenant and his men were often obliged to walk to rest the exhausted animals, to push the sledges, or even sometimes to lift them when the roughness of the ground threatened to upset them. The incessant fatigue was, however, borne by all without a murmur. Thomas Black alone, absorbed in his one idea, never got out of his sledge, and indeed he was so corpulent that all exertion was disagreeable to him. The nature of the soil changed from the moment cf entering the Arctic Circle. Some geological convulsion had evidently upheaved the enormous blocks strewn upon the surface. The vegetation, too, was of a more distinctive character. Wherever they were sheltered from the keen north winds, the flanks of the hills were clothed not only with shrubs, but wilh large trees, all of the same species — pines, willows, and firs — proving by their presence that a certain amount of vegetative force is retained even in the Frigid Zone. Jaspar Hobson hoped to find such specimens of the Arctic Flora even on the verge of the Polar Sea ; for these trees would supply him with wood to build his fort, and fuel to warm its inhabitants. The I ^Trr rf -ill S.'? 46 r//^ F^'^ COUNTRY. same thought passed through the minds of bis companions, and they could not help wondering at the contrast between this compara- tively fertile region, and the long white plains stretching between the Great Slave Lake and Fort Enterprise. At night the yellow mist became more opaque ; the wind rose, the snow began to fall in large flakes, and the ground was soon covered with a thick white carpet. In less than an hour the snow was a foot deep, and as it did not freeze but remained in a liquid state, the sledges could only advance with extreme difficulty ; the curved fronts stuck in the soft substance, and the dogs were obliged to stop again and again. Towards eight o'clock in the evening the wind became very boisterous. The snow, driven before it, was flung upon the ground or whirled in the air, forming one huge whirlpool. The dogs, beaten back by the squall and blinded with snow, could advance no further. The party was then in a narrow gorge between huge icebergs, over which the storm raged with fearful fury. Pieces of ice, broken off by the hurricane, were hurled into the pass ; partial avalanches, any one of which could have crushed the sledges and their inmates, added to its dangers, and to press on became impossible. The Lieutenant no longer insisted, and after consulting with Sergeant Long, gave the order to halt. It was now necessary to find a shelter from the snow-drift ; but this was no difficult matter to men accustomed to Polar expeditions. Jas[)ar Hobson and his men knew well what they had to do under the circumstances. It was not the first time they had been surprised by a tempest some hundred miles from the forts of the Company, without so much as an Esquimaux hut or Indian hovel in which to lay their heads. " To the icebergs ! to the icebergs ! " cried Jaspar Hobson. Every one understood what he meant, Snow houses were to be •hollowed out of the frozen masses, or rather holes were to be dug, in which each person could cower until the storm was over. Knives and hatchets were soon at work on the brittle masses of ice, and in three-quarters of an hour some ten dens had been sccoped out large enough to contain two or three persons eacfc. The dogs were left to themselves, their own instinct leading them to find sufficient shelter under the snow. Before ten o'clock all the travellers were crouching in the snow houses, in groups of two or three, each choosing congenial com- panions. Mrs Barnett, Madge, and Lieutenant Hobaon occupied THE ARCTIC CtRCLB. 47 panions, and his com paro- ling between le wind rose, ind was soon our the snow id in a liquid lifficulty ; the J were obliged became very an the ground 1. The dogs, snow, could gorge between fearful fury, into the pass ; led the sledges 3ss on became fter consulting now necessary IS no difficult asi)ar Hobson circumstances. I tempest some ut so much as leir heads, lobson. ises were to be irere to be dug, J over. Knives \ of ice, and in roped out large dogs were left find sufficient one hut, Thomas Black and Sergeant Long another, and so on These retreats were warm, if not comfortable ; and the Esquimaux and Indians have no other refuge even in the bitterest cold. The adventurers could Uierefore fearlessly await the end of the storm as long as they took care not to let the openings of their holes become blocked up with the snow, which they had to shovel away every half hour. So violent was the storm that even the Lieutenant and his so'diers could scarcely set foot outside. Fortunately, all were provided with sufficient food, and were able to endure their beaver-like existence without sutleriiig from cold or hunger. For forty-eight hours the fury of the tem[)est continued to increase. The wind roared in the narrow pass, and tore off the tops of the icebergs. Loud reports, repeated twenty times by the echoes, gave notice of the fall of avalanches, and Jaspar Hobson began to fear that his further progress would be barred by the masses of debris accumulated between the mountains. Other sounds mingled with these reports, which Lieutenant Hobson knew too well, and he did not disguise from Mrs Barnett that bears were prowling about the pass. But fortunately the.se terrible animals were too much occupied with their own concerns to discover the retreat of the travellers ; neither the dogs nor the sledges, buried in the snow, attracted their attention, and they passed on without doing any harm. The last night, that of the 25th or 2Gth ilay, was even more terrible. So great was the fury of the hurricane that a general overthrow of icebergs appeared imminent. A ti^arful death would then have awaited the unfortunate travellers bene-^h the ruins of the broken masses. The blocks of ice cracked wit.^ " Along the shores of the lake 1 " *No, across it ; it ia now free from ice, and the wind is faronr 1^ THE FUR COUNTRY. V able. We will place a cntter and a boatman at your service, and in a few hours you will be in the Indian settlement." " Thank you, Sergeant ; to-morrow, then.*' " Whenever you like, Lieutenant." The start was fixed for the next morning ; a-nd when Mrs Paulina Bar:iett heard of the plan, she begged the Lieutenant to allow her to accompany Mm, which of course he readily did. But now to tell how the rest of this first day was passed. Mrs Barnett, Hcbson, two or three soldiers, Madge, Mrs Mac-Nab, and JoUffe explored the shores of the lake under the guidance of Felton. The neighbourhood was by no means barren of vegetation ; the hilly, now free from snow, we,-, crowned by resinous trees of the Scotch pine species. These trees, which attain a height of some forty feet, supply the inhabitants of the forts with plenty of fuel through the long winter. Their thick trunks and dark gloomy branches form a striking feature of the Iftnds'^ape ; but the regular clumps of equal height, sloping down to the very edge of the water, are somewhat monotonous. Between the groups of trees the soil was clothed with a sort of whitish w eed, which perfumed the air with a sweet thymy odour. Sergeant Felton informed his guests that this plant was called the " herb of iuceme " on account of the fragrance it emits when burnc. Suxne hundred steps from the fort the party came to a little natural harbour shut in by high granite rocks, which formed an admirable protection from the heavy surf. Here was anchored the fleet o^ Fort Confidence, consisting of a single fishing-boat — the very one which was to take Mrs Barnett and Hubson to the Indian encampment the next day. From this harbour an extensive view vio:< obtained of the lake ; its waters slightly agitated by the wind, ? ith its irregular shores broken by jagged capes and intersected by creeks. The wooded heights beyond, with here a: id there the rugged outline of a floating iceberg standing out against the clear blue air formed the background on the north ; whilst on the south a regular sea horizon, a circular line clearly cutting sky and water, and at this momeni. glittering in the sunbe' i, bounded the sight. The whole scene was rich in animal and vegetable life. The surface of the water, the shores strewn with flints and blocks of granite, the slopes with their tapestry of herbs, the tree-crowned hill-tops, were all alike frequented by various specimens of the feathered tribe. Several varieties of ducks, uttering their difi'erent THE GREAT BEAR LAKE, 51 tCe, and , Paulina owberto ed. Mrs Nab, and of Felton. [ tbehillB, he Bcotcb forty feet, irougb tbe 163 form a )3 of equal ) somewbat lotbed witb weet tbymy J plant waa xce it emita to a little formed an mcbored tbe ig-boat — tbe tbe Indian tensive view by tbe wind, uteraected by re tbe rugged ■lear blue air utb a regular jr, and at tbia ile life. The ^nd blocks of tree-crowned simens of tbe tbeir different cries and calls, eider ducks, whistlers, spotted redshanks, ''old women," those loquacious birds whose beak is never closed, skimmed the surface of thn laka. Hundreds of puffins and guillemots with outspread wings fiarted about in every direction, and beneath the trees strutted ospreys two feet high — a kind of hawk with a grey body, blue beak and claws, and orange-coloured eyes, which build their huge nests of marine plants in the forked branches of trees. The hunter Sabine managed to bring down a couple of these gigantic cspreys, which measured nearly six feet from tip to tip of their wings, and were therefore magnificent specimens of these migratory birds, who feed entirely on fish, and take refuge on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico when winter sets in, only visiting the higher latitudes of North America during the short summer. But the most interesting event of the day was the capture of an otter, the skin of which was worth several hundred roubles. The furs of these valuable amphibious creatures were once much sought after in China ; and although the demand for them has con- siderably decreased in the Celestial Empire, they still command very high prices in the Russian market. Russian traders, ready to buy up sea-otter skins, travel all along the coasts of New Cornwall as fur as the Arctic Ocean ; and of course, thus hunted, the animal is becoming very rare. It has taken refuge further and further north, and the trackers have now to pursue it on the shores of the Kamtcbatka Sea, and in the islands of the Behring Archipelago. " But," added Sergeant Felton, after the preceding explanation, " American inland otters are not to be despised, and those which frequent the Great Bear Lake are worth from £50 to £60 each." The Sergeant was right ; magnificent otters are found in these waters, and he himself skilfully tracked and killed one in the pre- sence of his visitors which was scarcely inferior in value to those from Kamtchatka itself. The creature measured three feet from the muzzle to the end of its tail ; it had webbed feet, short legs, and its fur, darker on the upper than on the under part of its body, was long and silky. *' A good shot, Sergeant," said Lieutenant Hobson, who with Mrs Barnett had been attentively examining the magnificent fur of the dead animaL " Yes, Lieutenant," replied Felton ; " and if each day brought ua such a skin as that, we should have nothing to complain of. But aiuch time is wasted in watching these animals, who swuri and dive 7 52 THE FUR COUNTRY, i Ifll'lil il':|i!t I m with marvellous rapidity. We generally hunt them at night, as they very seldom venture from their homes in the trunks of trees or the holes of rocks in the daytime, and even expert hunters find it very diflBcult to discover their retreats." " And are these otters also becoming scarcer and scarcer?" inquired Mrs Barnett. " Yes, madam," replied the Sergeant ; " and when this species becomes extinct, the profits of the Company will sensibly decline. All the hunters try to obtain its fur, nnd the Americans in particular are formidable rivals to us. Did you not meet any American agents on your journey up, Lieutenant? " " Not one," replied Hobson. " Do they ever penetrate as far aa this % " " Oh yes 1 " said the Sergeant ; " and when you hear of their approach, I advise you to be on your guard." " Are these agents, then, highway robbers 1 " asked Mrs Paulina Barnett. *' No, madam," replied the Sergeant ; " but they are formidable rivals, and when game is scarce, hunters often come to blows about it. I daresay that if the Company's attempt to establish a fort on the verge of the Arctic Ocean be successful, its example will at once be followed by these Americans, whom Heaven confound ! " "Bah!" exclaimed the Lieutenant; " the hunting districts are vast, and there 's room beneath the sun for everybody. As for us, let 's make a start to begin with. Let us press on as long aa we have firm ground beneath our feet, and God be with us ! " After a wnik of three hours the visitors returned to Fort Confi- dence, where a good meal of fish and fresh venison awaited them. Sergeant Long did the honours of the table, and after a little pleasant conversation, all retired to rest to forget their fatigues in a healthy and refreshing sleep. The next day. May 31st, Mrs Barnett and Jaspar Hobson were on foot at five a.m. The Lieutenant intended to devote this day to visiting the Indian encampment, and obtaining as much useful information as possible. He asked Tiiomas Black to go with him, but the jwrtronoiiier preferred to remain on terra firma. He wished to make a few astronomical observations, and to determine exactly the latitude and longitude of Fort Confidence ; so that Mrs Barnett and Jaspar Hobson had to cross the lake alone, uuuer the guidance of an THE GREAT BEAR LAKE. SI 19 they or the it very nquired species decUne. articular m agents as fat as of their rs Paulina formidable (lows about h a fort on kvill at once LI" iistricts are As for u'i, t as we have ■port Confi- waited them, ifter a little fatigues in a Hobson vrero te this day to much useful go with him, ^e wished to aic exactly the ra Barnett and guidance of an old boatman named Norman, who had long been in the Company'i service. The two travellers were accompanied by Sergeant Long as far as the little harbour, where they found old Norman ready to embark. Their little vessal was but an open fishing-boat, 16 feet long, rigged like a cutter, which one man could easily manage. The weather was beautiful, and the slight breeze blowing from the north-east was favourable to the crossing. Sergeant Felton took leave of hia guests with many apologies for being unable to accompany them in the absence of his chief. The boat was let loose from its moorings, and tacking to starboard, shot across the clear waters of the lake. The little trip passed pleasantly enough. The taciturn old sailor sat silent in the stern of the boat with the tiller tucked under his arm. Mrs Barnett and Lieutenant Hobson, seated opposite to each other, examined with interest the scenery spread out before them. The boat skirted the northern shores of the lake at about three miles' distance, following a rectilinear direction, so that the wooded heights sloping gradually to the west were distinctly visible. Fron. this side the district north of the lake appeared perfectly flat, and the horizon receded to a considerable distance. The whole of this coast contrasted strongly with the sharp angle, at the extremity of which rose Fort Confidence, framed in green pines. The flag of the Company was still visible floating from the tower of the fort. The oblique rays of the sun lit up the surface of the water, and striking on the floating iceberirs, seemed to convert them into molten silver of dazzling brightness. No trace remained of the solid ice-mountains of the winter but these moving relics, which the solar rays could scarcely (iissolve, and which seemed, as it were, to j)rotest against the brilliant but not very powerful Polar sun, now desoiibiiig a diurnal arc of considerable length. ^Irs Barnett and the Lieutenant, as was their custom, communi- cated to each other the thoughts suggested by the strange scenes through which they were passing. They laid up a store of pleasant recollections for the future whilst the boat floated rapidly along upon the peaceful waves. The party started at six in the morning, and at nine they neared the point on the northern bank at which they were to land. The Indian encampment was situated at the north-west angle of the Great Bear Lake. Before ten o'clock old Norman ran the boat aground on a low bank nt the foot of a cliff of moderate height ■HBM-^i^ 54 r^^ FI//1 COUNTRY, t ■ ! .1 Mrs Baraett and the Lieutenant landed at once. Two or three Indiana, with their chief, wearing gorgeous plumes, hastened to meet them, and addressed them in fairly intelligible English. These Hare Indians, like the Copper and Beaver Indians, all belong to the Chippeway race, and differ but little in customs and tostumes from their fellow-tribes. They are in constant communica- aon with the factories, and have become, so to speak, "Britainised" — at least as much so as is possible for savages. They bring the spoils of the chase to the forts, and there exchange them' for the necessaries of life, which they no longer provide for them- selves. They are in the pay of the Company, they live upon it, and it is not surprising that they have lost all originality. To find a native race as yet uninfluenced by contact with Europeans we must go to still higher latitudes, to the ice-bound regions frequented by the Esquimaux, who, like the Greenlanders, are the true children of Arctic lands. Mrs Baniett and Jaspar Hobson accompanied the Indians to their camp, about half a mile from the shore, and found some thirty natives there, men, women, and children, who supported themselves by hunting and fishing on the borders of the lake. These Indiana had just come from the northernmost districts of the American continent, and were able to give \he Lieutenant some valuable, although necessarily incomplete, information on the actual state of the sea-coast nekr the seventieth parallel. The Lieutenant heard with considerable satisfaction that a party of Americans or Europeans had been seen on the confines of the Polar Sea, and that it was open at this time of year. About Cape Bathurst, properly so called, the point fi)r which he intended to make, the Hare Indians could tell him nothing. Their chief said, however, that the district between the Great Bear Lake and Cape Bathurst was very difficult to cross, being hilly and intersected by streams, at this season of the year free from ice. He advised the Lieutenant to go down the Coppermine river, from the north-east of the lake, which would take him to the coast by the shortest route. Once at the Arctic Ocean, it would be easy to skirt along its shores and to choose the best spot at which to halt. Lieutenant Hobson thanked the Indian chief, and took leave after giving him a few presents. Then accompanied by Mrs Barnett, he explored the neighbourhood of the camp, not returning to the boat until nearly three o'clock in the afternoon. three led to ins, all ms and nunica- linised" y bring ierri for r them- ve upon ity. To uropeans I regions 5, are the adians to ►me thirty ihemselves »e Indians American valuable, al state of heard with uropeans Kit it was )roi>erly so the Hare er, that the st was very ms, at this enant to go lake, which Once at the ores and to leave after Barnett, he to the boat CHAPTER IX. A STORM ON THE LAKE. 'he old sailor was impatiently awaiting the return of the travellers ; for during the last hour the weather had changed, and the appearance of the sky was calculated to render any one accustomed to read the signs of the clouds uneasy. The sun was obscured by a thick mist, the wind had fallen, but an ominous moaning was heard from the south of the lake. These symptoms of an approaching change of temperature were developed with all the rapidity peculiar to these elevated latitudes. " Let us be oflF, sir ! let us be oflf ! " cried old Norman, looking anxiously at the fog above his head. *' Let us start without losing an instant. There are terrible signs in the air ! " " Indeed," exclaimed the Lieutenant, " the appearance of the sky is quite changed, and we never noticed it, Mrs Barnett ! " " Are you afraid of a storm ? " inquired the lady of old Norman. "Yes, madam," replied the old sailor; "and the storms on the Great Bear Lake are often terrible. The hurricane rages as if upon the open Atlantic Ocean. This sudden fog bodes us no good ; but the tempest may hold back for three or four hours, and by that time we shall be at Fort Confidence. Let us then start without a momeut's delay, for the boat would not be safe near these rocks." The Lieutenant, feeling that the old man, accustomed as he was to navigate these wate'^s, was better able to judge than himself, decided to follow his advice, and embarked at once with Mrs Barnett. But just as they were pushing off, old Norman, as if possessed by some sudden presentiment, murmured — " Perhaps it would be better to wait." Lieutenant Hobson overheard these words, and looked inquiringly at the old boatman, already seated at the helm. Had he been alone he would not have hesitated to start, but as Mrs Barnett was with him caution was necessary. The lady at once saw and understc d his hesitation. fr c6 THE FUR COUNTRY. I ** Never mind about me, Lieutenant," she said ; "act as if I were not present. Let us start immediately, as our brave guide suggests." " We are oft', tlien," cried Norman, letting go the moorings, " to tlie fort by the shortest route." For about an hour the br.rk made little head. The sail, scarcely filled by the fitful breeze, flapped against the m.-ist. The fog becaiua thicker. The waves began to rise and the boat to rock consider- ably; for the approaching hurricane affected the water sooner than the atmosphere itself. The two travellers s:u dill and silent, whilst the old sailor peered into the darkness with bloodshot ej^es. Prepared for all contingencies, he awaited the shock of the wind, ready to pay out rapidly should the attack be very violent. The conflict of the elements had not, however, as yet commenced ; and all would have been well if they had been able to advance, but after an hour's sail they were still only about two h urs' distance from the Indian encampment. A few gusts of wind from the shore drove them out of their course, and the dense fog rendered it impossible for them to make out the coast-line. Should the wind settle in the north it would probably go hard witli the light boat, which, unable to hold its own course, would bo drifted out into the lake no one knew where. "We are scarcely advancing at all," said the Lieutenant to old Norman. " No, sir," replied Norman ; "the wind is not strong enough to fill the sail, and if it were, I fear it comes from the wrong quarter. If so," he added, pointing to the south, " we may see Fort Franklin before Fort Confidence." "Well," said Mrs Burnett cheerfully, "our trip will have been all the more complete. This is a magnificent lake, well worth ex- ploring from north to south. I suppose, Norman, one might get back even frt)m Fort Franklin ? " " Yes, madam, if we ever reach it," replied ihe old man. " But tempests lasting fifteen days are by no means rare on thli-", lake \ and if our bad luck should drive us to the south, it may be a mouth before Lieutenant Uobsou again sees Fort Confidence." " Let us be careful, then," said the Lieutenant \ " for such a delay would hinder our projects very much. Do the best you can undiT the circumstances, and if you think it would be i)ruiient, go back to the north, I don't sup[)ose Mrs Burnett would v»»iud a walk of twenty or twenty-five miles." A STORM ON THE LAKE. 57 I were ggests.' ,g9, "to scarcely r became jonslder- uer than it, whilst lOt 65^63. the wind, snt. The * 1 ; and all it after an from the lore drove impossible i settle in )at, which, .to the lake nant to old nough to fill quarter. It jrt Franklin \ have been ell worth ex- e might get man. " But hi?, lake :- and J be a n\outh I) ,r such a delay jrou can under .dent, go back ,»iud a walk of *^ I should be glad enough to go back to the north. Lieutenant," replied Norman, " if it were still possible. But look, the wind seems likely to settle against us. All I can attempt is to get to +he cape on the north-east, and if it doesn't blow too hard, I hjpe to succeed." But at about half-past four the storm broke. The shrill whistling of the wind was heard far above their heads, but the state of the atmosphere prevented it from as vet descending upon the lake ; this was, however, only delayed for a brief space of time. The cries of frightened birds flying through the fog mingled with the noise of the wind. Suddenly the mist was torn open, and revealed low jagged masses of rain-cloud chased towards the south. The fears of the old sailor were realised. The wind blew from the north, and it was not long before the travellers learned the meaning of a squall upon the lake. " Look out ! " cried old Norman, tightening sail so as to get hia boat ahead of the wind, whilst keeping her under control of the helm. The squall came. It caught the boat upon the flank, and it was turried over on its side ] but recovering itself, \^- was flung upon tlie crest of a wave. The billows surged as if upon an open sea. The waters of the lake not being very deep, struck against the bottom and rebounded to an immense height. " Help ! help ! " cried old Norman, hurriedly struggling to haul down his sail. Mrs B;iniett and Hobson endeavoured to come to hia assistance, but without success, for they knew nothing of the management of a boat. Norman, unable to leave the helm, and the halliards being entangled at the top of the mast, could not take in the sail. Every moment the boat threatened to capsize, and heavy seas broke over its sides. The sky became blacker and blacker, cold rain mingled with snow fell in torrents, whilst the squall redoubled its fury, lash- ing the crests of the waves into foam. " Cut it 1 cut it 1 " screamed Norman above the roaring of the Btorra. The Lieutenant, his cap blown away and his eyes blinded by the spray, seized Norman's knife and cut the halliard like a harp-string ; but the wet cordage no longer acted in the grooves of the pulleys, and the yard remained attached to the top of the mast. Normau, totally unable to make head .^uiuat the wind, now nx si TffB FUR COUNTRY, resolved to tack about for the south, dangerous as it would be to have the boat before the wind, pursued by waves advancing at double its speed. Yes, to tack, although this course would probably bring them all to the southern shores of the lake, far away from their destination. The Lieutenant and " his brave companion were well aware of the danger which threatened them. The frail boat could not long resist the blows of the waves, it would either be crushed or capsized; the lives of those within it were in the hands of God. But neither yielded to despair; clinging to the sides of the boat, wet to the skin, chilled to the bone by the cutting blast, they strove to gaze through the thick mist and fog. All trace of the land had dis- appeared, and so great was the obscurity that at a cable's length from the boat clouds and waves could not be distins;uished from each other. Now and then the two travellers looked inquiringly into old Norman's face, who, with teeth set and hands clutcliing the tiller, tried to keep his boat as much as possible under wind. But the violence of the squall became such that the boat could not long maintain this course. The waves which struck its bow would soon have inevitably crushed it ; the front planks were already beginning to separate, and when its whole weight was flung into the hollows of the waves it seemed as if it could rise no more. ** We must tack, we must tack, whatever happens ! " murmured the old sailor. And pushing the tiller and paying out sail, he turned the head of the boat to the south. The sail, stretched to the utmost, brought the boat round with giddy rapidity, and the immense waves, chased by the wind, threatened to engulf the little bark. This was the great danger of shifting with the wind right aft. The billows hurled themselves in rapid succession upon the boat, wliich could not evade them. It filled rapidly, and the water had to be baled out without a moment's pause, or it must have foundered. As they got nearer and nearer to the middle of the lake the waves became rougher. Nothing there broke the fury of the -wind ; no clumps of trees, no hills, checked for a moment the headlong course of the hur- ricane. Now and then momentary glimpses were obtained through the fog of icebergs dancing like buoys upon the waves, and driven towards the south ^f the lake. It was half past five. Neither Norman nor the Lieutenant had A STOKM ON THE LAKE, 59 any idea of where they were, or whither they were going. They had lost all control over the boat, and were at the mercy of the winds and waves. And now at about a hundred feet behind the boat a huge wave npreared its foam-crowned crest, whilst in front a black whirlpool was formed by the sudden sinking of the water. All surface agita- tion, crushed by the wind, had disap{)eared around this awful gulf, which, growing deeper and blacker every moment, drew the devoted little vessel towards its fatal embrace. Ever nearer came tiie mighty wave, all lesser billows sinking into insignificance before it. It gained upon the boat, another moment and it would crush it to atoms. Norman, looking round, saw its approach ; and Mrs Barnett and the Lieutenant, with eyes fixed and staring, awaited in fearful suspense the blow from which there was no escape. The wave broke over them with the noise of thunder ; it enveloped the stern of the boat in foam, a fearful crash was heard, and a cry burst from the lips of the Lieutenant and his companion, smothered beneath the liquid mass. They thought that all was over, and that the boat had sunk; but no, it rose once more, although more than half filled with water. The Lieutenant uttered a cry of despair. Where was Norman 1 The poor old sailor had disappeared ! iirs Paulina Barnett looked inquiringly at Hobson. " Norman I " he repeated, pointing to his empty place. " Unhappy man !" murmured Mrs Barnett ; and at the risk of being flung from the boat rocking on the waves, the two started to their feet and looked around them. But they could see and hear nothing. No cry for help broke upon their ears. No dead body floated in the white foatu. The old sailor had met his death in the element he loved so well. Mrs Barnett and Hobson sank back upon their seats. They were now alone, and must see to their own safety ; but neither of them knew anything of the management of a boat, and even an experi- enced hand could scarcely have controlled it now. They were at the mercy of the waves, and tiie bark, with distended sail, swept along in mad career. What could the Lieutenant do to check or direct its course ? What a terrible situation for our travellers, to be thus overtaken by a tempest in a frail bark which they could not manage I " We are lost ! " said the Lieutenant. riF :■. ;? ; ill!" I 1 1 '1 60 THE FUR COUNTRY, "No, Lieutenant," replied Mrs Barnett ; "let us make another effort. Heaven helps those "wlin help themselves I" Lieutenant Hobson now for the first time realised with how in- trepid ii woman fate had thrown him. The first thing to be done was to get rid of the wa*^^er which weighed down the bc»at. Another wave shipped would have filled it ill moment, and it must have sunk at once. The vessel light- ened, it would have a better ohance of rising on the waves ; and the two set to work to bale out the water. This was no easy task ; for fresh waves constantly broke over them, and the scoop could not be laid a^ide for an instant. Mrs Barnett was indefatigable, and the Lieutenant, leaving the baling to her, took the helm himself, and did the best he could to guide the boat with the wind right aft. To add to the danger, night, or rather dark 1 ess, for in these lati- tudes night only lasts a few hours at this time of year, fell upon them. Scarce a ray of light penetrated through the heavy clouds and fog. They could not see two yards before them, and the boat must have been dashed to pieces had it struck a floating iceberg. This danger was indeed imminent, for the loose ice-masses advance with such rapidity that it is impossible to get out of their way. " You have no control over the helm ? " said Mrs Barnett in a slight lull of the storm. " No, madam," he replied ; " and you must prepare for the worst.** " I am ready ! " replied the courageous woman simply. As she spoke a loud ripping sound was heard. The sail, torn away by --he wind, disappeared like a white cloud. The boat sped rjvpidly Uiong for a few instants, and then stopped suddenly, the waves buffeting it about like an abandoned wreck. ^Mrs Barnett and Hobson, flung to the bottom of the boat, bruised, shaken, and torn, felt that all was lost. Not a shred of canvas was left to aid in navigating the craft ; and what with the spray, the snow, and the rain, they could scarcely see each other, whilst the uproar drowned their voices. Expecting every moment to perish, they remained for an hour in painful suspense, commending themselves to God, who alone could save them. Neither of them could have said how long they waited when they were aroused by a violent shock. The boat had just struck an enormous iceberg, a flouting block with rugged, slippery sides, to which it would be impossible to cling. A SrORM ON THE LAA'B, 6l another how in- r xvhich ve ftUed el light- and the ask; for Id not be , and the iself, and it aft. these lati- fell upon ivy clouda \ the boat ig iceberg, es advance r way. vnett in a the worst" e sail, torn J boat sped ddenly, the \\x& Barnett shaken, and eft to aid in i)W, and the lar drowned ey remained ves to God, >d 'svhen they VI ting block sible to cling. Kx this sudden blow, which could not have been parried, the bow of the boat was split open, and the water poured into it in torrents. " We are sinking ! we are sinking ! " cried Jaapar Hobson. He was right. The boat was settling down ; the water had already reached the seats. " Madam, madam, I am here I I will not leave you ! " added the Lieutenant, " No, no," cried Mrs Barnett: "alone, you may save yourself ; together, we should perish. Leave nie ! leave me 1 " ** Never ! " cried ITobson. Bnt he had scarcely pronounced this word when the boat, struck by another .>ave, filled and sank. Both were drawn under water by the eddy caused by the sudden settling down of the boat, but in a few instants they rose to the surface. Hobson was a strong swimmer, and struck out with one arm, supporting his companiim witli the other. Bnt it was evident that he could not long sustain a conflict with the furious waves, and that he must perish with her he wished to save. At this moment a strange sound attracted his attention. It was not the cry of a frightened bird, but the shout ot a human voice 1 By one supreme effort Hobson raised himself above the waves and looked around him. But he could distinguish nothing in the thick fog. And yet he again heard cries, this time nearer to him. Some bold men were coming to his succour ! Alas ! if it were so, they would arrive too late. Encumbered by his clothes, the Lieutenant felt Llraself sink- ing with the unfortunate lady, whose head he could scarcely keep above the water. With a last despairing eflFort he uttered a heart- rending cry and disappeared beneath the waves. It was, however, no mistake — he had heard voices. Three men, wandering about by the lake, had seen the boat in danger, and put off to its rescue They were Esqiumanx, the only men who could have hoped to weather such a storm, for theirs are the only boats constructed to escape destruction in these fearful tempests. The Esquimaux boat or kayak is a long pirogue raised at each end, made of a light framework of wood, covered with stretched seal-skins strongly stitched with the sinews of the Walrus. In the upper part of the boat, also covered with skins, is an opening in which the Esquimaux takes his placo, fastening his waterproof jacket to the back of his seat ; so that he is actually joined to his bark. 69 THE PUR COUNTRY, which not a drop of water can penetrate. This light, easily-managed kayak, floating, as it does, on the crests of the waves, can never be submerged ; and if it be sometimes capsized, a blow of the paddle rights it again directly ; so that it is able to live and make way in seaB in which any other boat would certainly be dashed to pieces. The \;hree Esquimaux, guided by the Lieutenant's last despairing cry, arrived at the scene of the wreck just in time. Hobson and Mrs Barnett, already half drowned, felt themselves drawn up by power- ful hands ; but in the darkness they were unable to discover who were their deliverers. One of the men took the Lieutenant and laid him across his own boat, another did the same for Mrs Barnett, and the three kayaks, skilfully managed with the paddles, six feet long, sped rapidly over the white foam. Half an hour afterwards, the shipwrecked travellers were lying on the sandy beach three miles above Fort Providence^ Tlie old sailor alone was missing 1 • ll uanaged lever be 9 paddle Q way in pieces. Bspairing t and Mrfl >y power- lover who inant and 3 Barnett, is, six feet Bvere lying ' CHAPTER X. A RETROSPECT, [T was about ten o'clock the same ni^ht when Mrs Barnett and Lieutenant Hobson knocked at the postern gate of the fort. Great was the joy on seeing them, for they had been given up for lost ; but this joy was turned to mourning at the news of the death of Norman The brave fellow had been beloved by all, and his loss was sincerely mourned. The intrepid and devoted Esquimaux received phlegmatically the earnest expressions of gratitude of those they had saved, and could not be persuaded to come to the fort. What they had done seemed to them only natural, and these were not the first persons they had rescued ; so tbey quietly returned to their wild life of adventure on the lake, where they hunted the otters and water-birds day and night. For the next three nights the party rested. Hobson always intended to set out on June 2d ; and on that day, all having recovered from their fatigues and the storm havii g abated, the order was given to start. Sergeant Felton had done all in his power to make his guests comfortable and to aid their enterprise ; some of the jaded dogs were replaced by fresh animals, and now the Lieutenant found all his sledges drawn up in good order at the door of the enc.lnte, and awaiting the travellers. Thi adieux were soon over. Each one thanked Sergeant Felton for his hospitality, and Mrs Paulina Barnett was most profuse in her expressions of gratitude. A hearty shake of the hand between the Sergeant and his brother-in-law, Long, completed the leave- taking. Each pair got into the sledge assigned to them ; but this time Mrs Barnett and the Lieutenant shared one vehicle, Madge and Sergeant Long following them. According to the advice of the Indian chief, Hobson determined to get to the coast by the shortest route, and to take a north-easterly tmum II ? rut FUR COUSTRY. 64 .. ,- n After consulting bis map, ^^f .^^^ ,\^edbest to lum ^^T nf the configuration of the <^°^"^^y';^\:fwer which fto..s outhue of tl^; ;«" - ^f ti,e Coppermine, u large rive X (iescend the vauey ui. * tto Coronation Gulf. ^^^, ,„a t^e mouth of to 'ihe distance between Fort wn ^^^^^ eiglity-Sve 01 • ■ llv a de-Toe and a half-tha' .a to s j,, ^^u„ded on "'ttvmuL The dee, 1"°""" f°™f ,1*^ th coaat P* out „,«ard» tl>e north-mt, ending the seventieth Pf^^^^f^,,, „„, changed the route he had "nU^rt^ J!:errr r^;:-.etot,.ee.t,.,oastoreachther. ^ 'x: rtf— of the ne. da. .une. 3d. -^^^^d thiougii a advanced pretty " -\,,;' . of the coantry 1»»"«^"' the -.ents of the Hudson's Bay Company Tf. X. CufNoXwest Pa^sage r ^_ ^^ •^t',;; ;„ .Z ,■• relied the young — -t,_^ ^^^ ^„„,„ „,i„, the Company had no in'--'.'" ^^^^ ,„,! than to it. It is even St^m from the Company to say ^^ tO'W irui" v.^t«.ppn the oceans. . te. a Bea passage between tne t to liini I iclv flov^ra thof tbia i)ty-f^ve ot ouuded on t juts out [^ is above uidbitberto t\ie river in was gained, aters flowed ^Uy fordable as they ^^ent E tbe country p founded on Mrs Paulina discovery, and and explorers. ,eart, was able througb wbicb udebted for its ,rn>any. ^ut as le thing, another and discovered Bt\y Company u A century ago L,ew route, which to it. it'^^^:;'^ I sent to explore Ling a ^"^; i ot, and could not THE Moirrn op the copprrmine eiver. — PR-ro 64. y M A RETROSPECT 65 ** That was not much to the credit of the celebrated Cotupauy," said Mrs Barnett. "I do not defend it in the mattor," replied Tlobsoii ; ** and its interference wu» severely censured by Piuliaiueut in 174G, when a reward of ^£20,000 was offered hy the Government for the discovery of the pass.ij^e in qiicjstion. In that year two intrepid cxph)rer3, William Moor and Francis Smith, penetrated as lar as llepuLse Day in the hope of discovering the nmoh- longed-for passage. But they were unsuccessful, and returned to England after an absence of a year and a half." " But did not other caj»tains follnw iti their 8te[)S, resolved to conquer where they had foiled '?" inquired Mrs Barnett. '* No, madam ; and in spite of the large reward oflerod by Par- liament, no attempt was made to resume explorations in English America until thirty years afterwards, when some agents of the Company took up the unfinished task of Captains 2kloor and Smith."' " The Company had then relinquished the narrow-minded egotis- tical position it had taken u[)?" " No, mailam, not yet. Samuel Heaine, the agent, only went to reconnoitre the position of a copper-mine which native miners had reported. On November 6, 17G9, this agent left Fort Prince of Wales, on the river Churchill, near the western shores of Hudson's Ba}-, He pressed boldly on to the north-west; but the excessive cold and the exhaustion of his provisions compelled Lim to return without accomplishing anything. Fortunately he was not easily discouraged, and on February 23d of the next year he set out iigain, this time taking some Indians 'vith him. Great hardships were endured in this second journey. Thi; fish and game on which Hearne had relied often failed him ; and he had once nothing to eat for seven days but wild fruit, bits of old leather, and burnt bones. fie was agai.i compelled to return to the fort a disapiioijited man, lUit he did not even yet despair, and started a third timo, December 7tli, 1770 ) and after a struggle of nineteen months, he discovered the Coppomiine river, July 13th, 1772, the course of \shich he fol- lowed to »♦-;< mouth. According to his own account, he saw the open sea, and m any < *-^ ije was tht first to penetrate to the north rrn coarit (jf Amoiicit.-' "But the North- West Possage—that is !u say, the direct coir r HR i '' , ! r "i r i Mi 65 THE FUR COUNTRY, munication by sea between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceana — was not then discovered 1 " "Oh no, madam," replied the Lieutenant ; "and what countlesi adventurous sailors have since g( me to seek it 1 Phippa in 1773, James Couk and Gierke in 1776 to 1779, Kotzebue in 1815 to 1818, Ross, Parry, Franklin, and otliers have attempted this diflG- cult task; but it was reserved to M'Clure in our own day to pass from one ocean to the other across the Polar Sea." " Well, Lieutenant, that waa a geographical discovery of which we English may well be proud. But do tell me if the Hudson's Bay Company did not adopt more generous views, and send out some other explorer after the return of Hearne." " It did, madam ; and it was thanks to it that Captain Franklin waa able to accomplish his voyage of 1819 to 1822 between the river discovered by Plearne and Cape Turnagain. This expedition endured great fatigue and hardships ; provisions often completely failed, and two Canadians were assassinated and eaten by their comrades. But in spite of all his sufferings. Captain Franklin explored no less than five thousand five hundred and fifty miles of the hitherto unL'uown coast of North America !" " He was indeed a man of energy,*' added Mrs Barnett ; " and he gave proof of his great qualities in starting on a fresh Polar expedi- tion after all he had gone through." " Yes," replied the Lieutenant ; " and he met a terrible death in the land his own intrepidity had discovered. It has now been proved, however, that all his companions did not perish with him. Many are doubtless still wandering about on the vast ice-fields. I cannot think of their awfnl condition without a shudder. One day," he added earnestly, and with strange emotion — "one day I ■will search tlie unknown lands where the dreadful catastrophe took place, and " "And," exchiimed Mra Barnett,/ pressing his haiid, "I will ao company you. Yes, this idea has occurred to me more than once, as it has to you ; and my he.irt beats high when I think that fellow- countrymen of my own — English rnon— are awaiting succonr *'"— - " Which will come too lute for most of them, madam," said the Lieutenant; "but rest assured some will even yet be saved." " God grant it, Lieutenant ! " replied M.s Barnett ; " and it appears to me that the agents of tlie Company, living ajs they do close (i> A KETI^OSPECT. 67 J — waa untlesi t 1773, l815 to As diffi- tO P'>'S8 ){ >whlch tludson'a send out i Franklin itweeu tbe expedition completely I by their II Franklin fifty miles t: " and lie olar expedi- ble death in la now been jb with him. ist ice-fields, ^uddcr. One «'one day 1 astrophe took i, « I -will ao ore than once, ik t\»at felh'W- succonr ' - lam," said the s.-xved." "and it appears bey do close t*' the coast, are better fitted than any one else to fulfil this duty of humanity." " I agree with yon, madam ; they are, as they have often proved, iimred to the rigours of the Arctic climate. Was it not they who aided Ca[>taia Back in his voyage in 1834, when he discovered King William's Land, where Franklin met his fate? Was it not two of us, Dease and Simpson, who were sent by the Governor of Hudson's Bay to explore the shores of the Polar Sea in 1838, and whose courageous etlbrts first discovered Victoria Land 1 It is my opinion that the future reserves for the Hudson's Bay Company the final conquest of tho Arctic regions. Gradually its factories are advancing further aiid further north, following tho retreat of the fur-yielding animals ; and one day a fort will be erected on the Pole itself, that mathematical point where meet aU the meridians of the globe." During this and the succeeding journeys Jaspar Hobson related his own adventures since he entered the service of the Company — his struggles with the agents of rival associations, and his efforts to explore the unknown districts of the north or west ; and Mrs Barnett, on her side, told of her travels in the tropics. She spoke of all she had done, and of all she hoped still to accomplish; so that the long hours, lightened by pleasant conversation, passed rapidly away. Meanwhile the dogs advanced at full gallop towards the north. The Coppermine valley widened sensibly as they neared the Arctic Ocean. The hills on either si'\> sank lower and lower, and only scattered clumps of resinous trees broke the monotony of the landscape. A few blocks of ice, drifted down by the river, still resisted the action of the sun; but each day their number decreased, and a canoe, or even a good-sized boat, might easily have descended the stream,, the course of which was uniuipeded by any natural barrier or aggregation of rocks. The bed of the Coppermine was both deep and wide ; its waters were very clear, and being fed by the melted snow, flowed on at a considerable pace, never, however, forming dangerous raiiids. Its course, at first very sinuous, became gradually less and less winding, and at lutit Bti' tched along in a straight line for several miles. Its banks, composed of tini tlrm sand, and clothed in part with short dry In rbage, were wide and level, bo that the long train of sledges sped rapidly over them. The expedition wravellcd day and night— if we can speak of the Iff I Hi ; i 68 THE FUR COUNTRY. night, when the sun, describing an almost horizontal circle, scarcely disappeared at all. The true night only lasted two hours, and the dawn succeeded the twilight almost immediatoly. The weather was fine ; the sky clear, although somewhat misty on the horizon ; and everything combined to favour the travellers. For two days they kept ah)ng the river-banks without meeting ■with any difficulties. They saw but few far-bearii.g animals ; but there were plenty of birds, vvhich might have been counted by thou- sands. The absence of otters, sables, beavers, ermines, foxes, &c., did not trouble the Lieutenant much, for he supposed that they liad been d iven further north by over-zealous tracking ; and indeed the marks of encampments, extinguished fires, (fee, told of the more or less recent passage of native hunters. Hobson knew that he would have to penetrate a go(jd deal further north, and that part only of his journey would be accomplisljed when he got to the mouth of the Coppermine river. He was therefore most eager to reach the limit of Hearne's exploration, and pressed on as rapidly as possible. Every one shared the Lieutenant's impatience, and resolutely resisted fatigue in order to reach the Arctic Ocean with the least •^ossible delay. They were drawn onwards by an indefinable attrac- tion ; the glory of the unknown dazzled their sight. Probably real hardships would commence when they did arrive at the much-desired coast. But no matter, they longed to battle with difficulties, and to press straight onwards to their aim. The district they were now traversing could have no direct interest for thein ; the real explora- tion would only commence on the shores of the Arctic Ocean. Each uie, then, would gladly hail the arrival in the elevated western dis- tricts for which they were bound, cut across tliough they were by the seventieth paiallel of north latitude. On the 5th June, four days after leaving Fort Confidence, the river widened considerably. The western banks, curvim: sligiitly, ran almost due north; whilst the eastern rounded off into the coast- line, stretching away us far as the eye could reach. Lieutenant Hobson paused, and waving his hand to his com- panions, pointed to the boundless ocean. » ^ scarcely and tlio weather lorizon ; meeting als ; but by thou- )Xes, &c., they hivd ideed the e more or he would rt only of )uth of the 1 the limit sible. resoUitely h the least lable attrac- r()\)ably real luch-desired Ities, and to y were now real explora- )cean. Each western dia- ,liey were by nfidcnce, the villi: slightly, uto the coast- to his com- I CHAPTER XL ALONG THE COAST. tOTlONATION" GULF, the large estuary dotted with the islands forming the Duke of York Archipelago, which the party had now reached, was a sheet of water with irregular baal.j. lot in, as it were, into the North American continent. At its western angle opened the mouth of the Coppermi» v^ ; and on the east a long narrow creek called Bathurst Inlet ran into ;he mainland, from which stretched the jagged broken coast with its pointed capes and riigued promontories, ending in that confusion of straits, sounds, and channels which gives such a strange appearance to the maps of North America. On the other side the coast turned abru[)tly to the north lioyond the mouth of the Coppermine river, and ended in Cape Krusenstern. After consulting with Sergeant Long, Lieutenant Hobson decided to give his party a daj's rest here. The exploration, properly so called, which was to enable the Lieutenant to fix upon a suitable site for the establishment of a fort, was now really about to begin. The Company had advised him to keep as much as possible above the seventieth parallel, and on the shores of the Arctic Ocean. To obey his orders Hobson was obliged to keep to the west; for on the east — with the exce})tion, perhaps, of the land of Boothia, crossed by the seventieth parallel — the whole country belongs rather to the Arctic Circle, and the geographical conformation of Boothia is as y«t but imperfectly known. After carefully ascertaining tlie latitude and longitude, and veri- fying his position by the map, the Lieutenant found that he was a hundred miles below the seventieth degree. But beyond Cape Kiiisenstem, the coastline, running i/i a north-easterly direction, abruptly crosses the seventieth parallel at a sharp angie near the one hundred and thirtieth meridian, and at about the same elevation as Cape Bathurst, the spot named as a rendezvous by Captain w If-:,- 70 T//E FUR COUNTRY. Craventy. He must therefore make for th;it point, and should the site ajipoar suitable the new fort would be erected there. " There," said the Lieutenant to his subordinate, Long, " we shall be in the position ordered by the (lunipany. There the sea, open for a great part of the year, will allow the vessels from Bchring Strait to come right up to the fort, brint^iug us fresh provisions and taking away our commodities." " Not to mention," added Sergeant Long., " that our men will be entitled to double pay all the time they are beyoud the seventieth parallel." " Of course that is understood." replied Hobson ; "and I daresay they will acc('[)t it without a murmur." " Well then, Lieutenant," said Long simply, " we have now only to start for Cape Bathurst." But as a day of rest had been pir.uused, the start did not actually take place until the next day, June 6th. The second part of the journey would naturally be very diflferent from the first. The rules with regard to the sledges keeping their rank need no longer be enforced, and each couple drove as it pleased them. Only short distances were traversed at a time ] halts were made at every angle of the coast, and tiie party often walked. Lieutenant Hobson only urged two things upon his companions : not to go further than three miles from the coa.st, and to rally their forces twice a day, at twelve o'clock and in the evenuig. At night they all Liicaniped in tents. The weiitliel' continued very fine and the temperature moderate, maintaining a mean height of 59° Fahrenheit above zero. Two or three times suddeli RiidWHtnrms came on ; but they did not last h>ng, and exercised no sensilile inllncnce upon the temperature. The whole of the xVmerican const lietwuni) DapeB Krnsenstern and I'ariy, comprising an extent of nioru iJiiili two hnndicd and fifty miles, was examined with the greatobf care l/cfwf.'on the Gth and 20th of June. Oeogra[ihical observations were acctirately taken, and Hobson, most eildctively aided by Thomas Black, was able to rectify certain errors in previous marine surveys; whilst the primary ol)ject of the expedition — the examination into the quality an(i quantity of the game in the surrounding districts — was not neglected. Were tlieiw lands well stocked, with garael Could they count with certainty not only on a good supply of furs, but also of meat ? Would the resources of ihe country provide a fort with provisions in ii ill ill ALONG THE COASl^. n ild the g, "we the sea, Behring ovisioiia \ will be sventioth [ daresay now only t actually y different ping their it pleased halts vera n walked, mpanions : d to rally iiiing. At moderate, Two or )t last long, d. enstern and 1 and fifty tho Gth and iitely taken, was able to the primary quality and ot neglected, they count Iso of meat 1 provi>ions in the summer months at least? Such were the grave questions whirh Lieutenant Hobson had to solve, and whicli calletl for immediate atten- tion. We give a summary of the conclusions at which he arrived. Giame, properly so caUed, of the kind for whicli (^)rporal JolifTe amongst others had a special predih'ction, was not abundant. There were plenty of birds of the duck tribe ; hut only a few Polar iiarea, difficult of approach, poorly represented the rodents of the north. There seemed, however, to be a good many bears about. Marhre and Sabine had come upon the fresh traces of several. Some were even seen and tracked ; but, as a rule, they ke[)t at a respectful distance. In the winter, however, driven by famine from higher latitudes, there would probably be more than enough of these raveimus beasts prowling about the shores of the Arctic Ocean. "There is certaiidy no denying," said Corporal JolifTe, "that bear's flesh is very good eating when once it 's in the larder ; but there is something very problematical about it beforehand, and it's always just possible that the hunters themselves may meet the fate they intended for the bears ! " This was true enough. It was no use counting upon the bears to provision their fort. Fortunately traces were jiresently found of herds of a far more useful animal, the flesh of which is the principal food of the Indians and Esquimaux. We alliule to the reindeer] and Corporal Joliffe announced with the greatest satisfaction that there were plenty of these ruminants on this coast. The ground was covered with the lichen to which they are so partial, and which they cleverly dig out from under the snow. There could be no mistake as to the footprints left by the rein- deer, as, like the can;el, they have a small nail-like hoof with a con- vex surface. Large herds, sometimes numbering several thousand animals, are seen running wild in certain parts of America. Being easily domesticated, they are em{)loyed to draw sledges ; and they also supply the factories with excellent milk, more nourishing than that of cows. Their dead bodies are not loss useful. Thei • thick skiu provides clothes, their hair makes very good thread, and their flesh is palatable ; so that they are really the most valuable animals to be found in these latitudes, and Hobson, being assured of their presence, was relieved from half his anxiety. As he advanced he had also reason to be satisfied with regard to the fur-bearing animals. By the little streams rose many beaver lodges and musk-rat tunnels. Badgers, lynxes, ermines, wolverenes. ifl ^2 TIIR FUR COUNTRY. sables, polecats, itc, frequcntorl these districts, liitlierto undisturbed by hunters. Tliey had thus far couie to no trace of the presence of man, and the animals had clu)sen their refuge well. Footprints were also found A the line blue and silver foxes, wjiich are bcconiincf more and more rare, and the fur of which is worth its weight in irol.l. Sabiuf^ and Mac-Nab might many a time have shot a very valuable animal on this excursion, but the Lieutenant had wisely forbidden all hunting of the kind. He did not wish to aUrm the animals before the a^jproaching season — that is to say, bL'for(^ the winter months, whp)» their furs become thicker and more beautiful. It was also desirable not to overload the .sledires. Tiie liuiitcrs saw the force of his reasoning; but for all th.at, their fingers itched when they came within shot-range of a sable or some valuable fox. Their Lieutenant's orders were, however, m)t to be disobeyed. Polar bears and birds were, therefore, all that the hunters had to practise upon in this second stage of their journey. The former, however, not yet rendered bold by hunger, soon scampered off, and no serious struggle with them ensued. The poor birds sulTered for the enforced immunity of the qtuid- rupeds. White-headed eagles, huge birds with a harsh screeching cry ; fishing hawks, which build their nests in dead trees and migrate to the Arctic regions in the summer; snow buntings with pure white plumage; wild geese, which afford the best food of all the Ansfres tribe;. ducks with red heads and black breasts; ash- coloured crows, a kind of mocking jay of extreme uglinesy ; ehler ducks; scoters or black divers, &c. &c., whose mingled cTits awake the echoes of the Arctic regions, fell victims by hundn ds t;> the unerring aim of Marbre and Sabine. These birds haunt ^i(e 'ligh latitudes by millions, and it would be impossible to form an accaiate estimate of their number on the shores of the Arctic Ocean. Tlieir flesh formed a very pleasant addition to the daily rations of biscuit and corned beef, and we can understand that the hunters laid up a good stock of thein in the fifteen days during which they were debarred from attacking more valuable game. There would then be no lack of animal food; the magazines of the Company would be well stocked with game, and its offices filled with furs and traders ; but something more was wanted to insure success to tlie undertaking. Would it be possible to obtain a Biifficient supply of fuel to contend with the rigour of au Arctic winter at so elevated a latitude ? ALONG THE COAST, 73 Most fortunately the coast was well \voo«led ; tlie liills which sloped down towards the sea were crowned with green trees, amongst wliich the pine predominated. Some of the woods might even be called forests, and would constitute an admirable reserve of timber for the fort. Here and there Hobson noticed isolated groups of willows, poplars, dwarf birch-trees, iind numerous thickets of arbutus. At this time of the warm season all these trees wore covered with verdure, and were an unexpected and refreshing sight to eyes so long accustomed to the rugged, barren polar landscape. The ground at the foot of the hills was car[)cted with a short herbage devoured witli avidity by t reindeer, and forming their only sus- tenance in winter. On tho v. hole, then, the Lieutenant hail reason to congratulate himself on having chosen the north-west of the American continent for the foundation of a new settlement. We have said that these territories, so rich in animals, were apparently deserted by men. The travellers saw neither Esquimatix, who prefer the districts round Hudson's Bay, nor Indians, who seldom venture so far beyond the Arctic Circle. And indeed in these remote latitudes hunters may be overtaken by storms, or be suddenly surprised by winter, and cut off from all comnmnication with theii' fellow creatures. We can easily imagine that Lieutenant Hobson was by no means sorry not to meet any rival explorers. What he wanted wns an unoccupied country, a deserted land, suitable as a refuge for the fur-bearing animals ; and in this matter he had the full sympathy of Mrs Barnett, who, as the guest of the Company, naturally took a great interest in the success of its schemes. Fancy, then, the disappointment of the Lieutenant, when on the morning of the 20th June he came to an encampment but recently abandoned. It was situated at the end of a narrow creek called Darnley Bay, of which Cape Parry is the westernmost point. There at the foot of a little hill were the stakes which had served to mark the limits of the camp, and heaps of cinders, the extinct embers of the fires. The whole party met at this encami)ment, and all understood how great a disappointment it involved for Lieutenant Hobson. " What a pity I " he exclaimed. " I would rather have met a whole family of polar bears ! " " But I daresay the men who encamped here are already far off," said Mrs Barnett ; *' very likely they have returned to their usual hunting grounds." IMAGE EVALUATION TESi TARGET (MT-3) :/. 1.0 I.I li^m i|25 •^ 1^ 12.2 ;: \^ IIIIIM 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 .« 6" ► V] <^ /a /a 0>T W Photographic Sciences Corporation 73 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY MS80 (716) 873-4503 t 74 THE FUR COUNTRY. V\ \\ " That is as it may be," replied the Lieutenant. *' If these be the traces of Esquimaux, they are more likely to have gone on than to have turned back; and if they be tliose of Iiuijiins, they are pro- bably, like ourselves, seeking a new hiiiitiiig di;itrict; and in either case it will be very unfortunate for us." " But," said Mrs Barnett, " cannot we find out to what race the avtillers do belong ? -Can't we ascertain if they be Esquimaux or dians from the south t I should think tribes of such a difTerent igin, and of such dissimilar customs, would nut encamp in the ame manner." Mrs Barnett was right ; they might possibly solve the mystery after a thorough examination of the ground. Jaspar Hobson and others set to work, carefully examining every trace, every object left behind, every mark on the ground ; but in vain, there was nothing to guide them to a decided opinion. The bones of some animals scattered about told them nothing, ami tiie Lieutenant, much annoyed, was about to abandon tlie useless search, ivhen he heard an exclamatiou from Mrs Jolific, who had wandered a little way to the left. All hurried towards the young Canadian, who remained fixed to the spot, looking attentively .at the ground befure her. As her companions came up she said — " You are looking for traces, Lieutenant ; well, here are some." And Mrs Joliffe pointed to a good many footprints clearly visible in the firm clay. These might reveal something ; for the feet of the Indians and Esquimaux, as well as their boots, are totally diiTcrent from each other. But what chiefly stiack Lieutenant Hobson was the strange arrangement of these impressions. They were evidently made by a human foot, a shod foot ; but, strange to say, the ball alone appeared to have touched the ground 1 The marks were very numerous, close together, often crossing one another, but confined to a very small circle. Jaspar Hobson called the attention of the rest of the party to this singular circumstance. "These were not made by a pers(m walking," he said. " Nor by a person jumping," added Mrs Barnett ; " for there is no mark of a heel." " No," said Mrs JoliiTn ; " these footprints were left by a dancer.* V' ALONG THE COAST. 7S She was nght, as further examination proved. They were the marks left by a dancer, and a dancer engaged in some light and graceful exercise, for thsy were neither clumsy nor deep. But who could the light-hearted individual be who had been impelled to dunce in this sprightly fashion some degrees above the Arctic Circle ? ♦• It was certainly not an Esquimaux," said the Lieutenant Nor an Indian," cried Corporal Joliffe. A ^a' '' """^ "^ Frenchman/' said Sergeant Long quietly And all agreed that none but a Frenchman could have been capable of dancing on such a spot I ! I !f: I ! I CHAPTER XIL THE XflDN/GHT SUfT^ ERQEANT LONG'S assertion must appear to hare been founded on insufficient eviden ce. That there had been dancing no one could deny, but that the dancer was a Frenchman, however probable, could not be considered proved. However, the Lieutenant shared the opinion of his subordinate, which did not appear too positive to any of the party, who all agreed in feeling sure that some travellers, with at least one compatriot of Yestris amongst them, had recently encamped on this spot Of course Lieutenant Hobson was by no means pleased at this : he was afraid of having been preceded by rivals in the north-w"5tern districts of English America ; and secret as the Company had kept its scheme, it had doubtless been divulged in the commercial centres of Canada and the United States. The Lieutenant resumed his interrupted march ; but he was full of care and anxiety, although he would not now have dreamed of retracing his steps. , " Frenchmen are then sometimes met with in these high lati- tudes 1" was Mrs Barnett's natural riuestion after this incident. " Yes, madam," replied the Lieutenant ; " or if not exactly Frenchmen, the descend.tnts of the masters of Canada when it belonged to France, which comes to much the same thing. These men are in fact our most formidable rivals." " But I thought," resumed Mrs Barnett, " that after the absorp- tion by the Hudson's Bay Company of the old North-West Company, that it had no longer any rivals 9tf the American continent." " Although there is no longer any important assocLition for trading in furs except our own, there are a good many perfectly independent private companies, nrustly American, which have retained French agents or their disceiulants in their employ." \ THE MIDNIGHT SUN. 77 " Are these agents then held in such high esteem 1 " asked Mrs Barnett. " Yes, madam, and with good reason. During the ninety-four years of French supremacy in Canada, French agents always proved themselves superior to ours. We must be just even to our rivals." " Especially to our rivals," added Mrs Barnett. " Yea, especially. . . At that time French hunters, starting from Montreal, their headquarters, preHsed on to the north with greater hardihood than any others. They lived for years with the Indian tribes, sometimes intermarrying with them. The natives called them the 'Canadian travellers,' and were on the most intimate terms with them. They were bold, cluver fellows, expert at navigating streams, light-hearted and merry, adapting themselves to circum- stances with the easy flexihility of their race, and always ready to sing or dance." " And do you suppose that hunting is the only object of the party whose traces we have just discovered ] " " I don't think any other hypotheses at all likely," replied Eobson. " They are sure to be seeking new hunting grounds. But as we cannot possibly stop them, we must make haute to begin our own operations, and compete boldly with all rivals." Lieutenant Hubson was now prepared for the competition he could not prevent, and he urged on the march of his party as much as possible, hoping that his rivals might not follow him beyond the seventieth parallel. The expedition nov descended towanls the sou^h for some twenty milcH, in order the more easily to pass round Franklin Bay. The country was still covered with verdure, and the quadrupeds and birds alreadv enumerated were as plentiful as ever ; so that tliey could reas()T>ab:y hope that the whole of the north-western coasts of the American continent were populated in the same manner. The ocean which bathed these shores stretched away as far as the eye could reach. Eecent atlases give no land beyond the north American coast-lii:e, and it is only the icebergs which impede the free navigation of the open sea from Behring Strait to the Pole itself. On the 4th July the travellers skirted round another deep bay called Washburn Bay, and reached the furthest point of a little lake, until then imperfectly known, covering but a small extent of 1 / r 78 THE FUR COUNTRY, territory, scarcely two Hquare miles — in fact it was rather a lagoon, or large pond of sweet water, than a lake. The sledges went on easily and rapidly, and the appearance of the country was most encouraging to the - explorers. It seemed that the extremity of Cape Bathurst would be a most favou table site for the new fort, as with this lagoon behind them, and the sea open for four or five months in the warm season, and giving access to the great highv/ay of Behring Strait, before them, it would be easy for the exiles to lay in fresh provisions and to export their commodities. On the 5th June, about three o'clock in the afternoon, the party at last halted at the extremity of Cape Bathurst. It remained to ascertain the exact position of this cape, which the maps place above the seventieth parallel. It was, however, impossible to rely upon the marine surveys of the coast, as they had never yet been made with exactitude. Jaspar Hobson decided to wait and ascertain the latitude and longitude. " What prevents us from settling here ? " asked Corporal Joliffe. " You will own. Lieutenant, that it is a very inviting spot." " It will seem more invitins^ still if you get double pay here, my worthy Corporal," replied Hobson. " No doubt," said Jolilfe ; " and the orders of the Company must be obeyed." " Then wait patiently till to-morrow," added Hobson ; " and if we find that Cape Bathurst is really beyond 70° north latitude, we will pitch our tent here." The site was indeed admirably suited for the foundation of a new settlement. The wooded heights surrounding the lagoon would Bupi)ly plenty of pine, birch, and dther woods for the ctmstruction of the fort, and for stocking it with fuel. The Lieutenant and some of l)i8 companions wont to the very edge of the cape, and found that towards the west the coast-line formed a lengthened curve, beyond which icebergs of a considerable height shut out the view. The water of the lagoon, instead of being brackish, as they expected from its close vicinity to the sea, was perfectly sweet; but had it not been so, drinkable water would not have failed the little colony, as a fresh and limpid stream run a few yards to the south-east of Cape Bathurst, and emptied itself into the Arctic Ocean through a narrow inlet, which, protected by a siufrnlar accumula- tion of sand and earth instead of by rocks, would have atrnrded a THE MIDNIGHT SUN. 79 refuge to several vessels from the winds of the offing, tmd might be turned to account for the anchorage of the ships which it was hoped wouhl come to the new settlement from Behring Strait Out of compliment to the lady of the party, and much to her delight, Lieutenant Hobson named the straim Paulina river, and the little harbour Port Barnett. By building tlie fort a little behind the actual cape, the principal house and the magazines would be quite sheltered from the coldest winds. The elevation of the cape would help to protect them from the snow-drifts, which sometimes completely bury large build- ings beneath their heavy avulanches in a few hours. There was j)lenty of room between the foot of the promontory and the bank of the lagoon for all the constructions necessary to a fort. It could even be surrounded by pjilisailes, which would break the shock of the icebergs; and the cape itself might be surrounded with a fortified redoubt, if the vicinity of rivals should render such a purely defen- sive erection necessary ; and the Lieutenant, although with no idea of commencing anything of the kind as yet, naturally rejoiced at having met with an easily defensible jjosition. The weather remained fine, and it was quite warm enough. There was not a cloud upon the sky ; but, of coursCj the clear blue air of temperate and torrid zones could not be expected here, and the atmospliere was generally charged with a light mist. What would Cape Bathurst be like in the long winter night of four months, when the ice-mountains became fixed and rigid, and the hoarse north wind swept down upon the icebergs in all its fury 1 None of the party gave a thought to that time now ; for the weatht-r was beautiful, the verdant landscape smiled, and the waves 8[)arkled in the sunbeams, whilst the temperature remained warm and pleasant. A provisional cam]), the sledges forming its only material, was arranged f«)r the night on the banks of the lagoon ; and towards evening Mrs Barnett, the Litutenant, Sergeant Long, and even Thomas Black, explored the surrounding district in order to as- certain its resources. It appeared to be in every respect suitable ; and Hobson was eaj^er for the next dav, that he miylit determine the exact situations, and find out if it fulfilled the conditions im- posed by the Company. " Well, liieutenant," said the astronomer when the examination was over, " this is really a charming spot, such as I should not have imagined could have existed beyond the Arctic Circle." 8o TilE FUR COUNTRY. " Ah, Mr Black ! " cvied Hobson, " the finest countries in the world are to be found here, and I am impatient to ascertain our latitude and longitudo." " Especially the latitude," said the astronomer, whose eclipse was never out of his thoughts ; " and I expect your brave ct)nipaiiion8 are , as eager sis yourself. Dt)uble puy beyond the seventieth parallel ! " ** But, Mr Bhick," said Mrs Ikrnett, " do you not yourself take an interest, a purely soioutifio interest, in getting beyond that parallel 1" " Of course, mad;un, of c<»ur8e I am anxious to got beyond it, but not so terribly eager. According to our calculations; however, made with absolute accuracy, the solar eclipse which I am ordered to watch will only be total to an obse/ver placed beyond the seventieth degree, and on this account I share the Lieutenant's impatience to determine the position of Ca{)e Bathunst " " But I understand, Mr Black," said Mrs Barnett, " that this solar eclipse will noi; take ]>luce until the 18th July 18G01" "Yes, madam, on the 18th July 18G0." "And it is now only the 15th June 1859 ! So that the pheno- menon will not be visible for more than a year ! " " I am quite aware of it, Mrs Barnett," replied the astronomer ; " but if I had not started till next year I should have run a risk of being too late." " You would, Mr Black," said Hobson, "and you did well to start a year beforehand. You are now quite sure not to miss your eclii)se, I own that our journey from Fort Reliance has been accom- plished under exceiitioiially favourable circumstances. We have had little fatigue and fow delays. To tell you the truth, I did not expect to get to this i)art of the coast until the middle of August ; and if the eclipse had been expected this year, instead of next, you really might have bein too late. Moreover, we do not yet know if we are beyond the seventieth parallel." "I do not in the least regret the^journey I have taken in your company, Lieutenant, and I shall patiently wait until nexv year fur my eclipse The fair Phoebe, I fancy, is a sufficiently grand lady to be waited for." The next day, July 6th, a little after noon, Hobson and the astro- nomer made their preparations for taking the exact bearings of Cape Bathurst. The sun shone clearly enough for them to takf tlie out- lines exactly. At this season of the year, too, it had leached its maximum height above the horizon; and consequently its culmina- THE MIDNICUT SVS. 8l in the lin our )Be was on ft are DiUel!" take an TaUeH" yon(\ it, iiowever, rdere*^ to eventieth .tieuce to that this he pheno- jtronomer ; 1 run a risk veil to start ovir ecUi>s«J« 5L'n accom- We have I did not of August ; ,f next, you lot yet know ^cu in your ax\ year for kraud lady to livd the astro- rings of Cai)e fake tlie out- |\ joached ita iia cuhuiua- tinn, on its transit iicross the meridian, would fatilitato tlie work of tl»e two oUsci Vers. Already the night before, and the sanio nioruini,', l»y taking differ- ent altitudes, and by means of a calculation of right juscensions, the Lieutenant nnd the atstrononier had iisocrtained the longitude with great accuracy, l^ut it wjia about tlie latitude that Uobson was most anxioUH ; for what would the nieridian of Cape Bathurat matter to him should it not be situated beyond the seventieth parallel] Noon aiipioached. The men of the expedition gathered round the observers with their sextants ready iu their hands. The brave fellows awaited the result of the ub-scrvation with an impatience which will be readdy understood. It was now to be decided whether they iiad come to the end of their journey, or whether they must search still further for a spot fulfilling the conditions impoticd by the Com]pany. Probably no good result would have followed upon further explora- tions According to the maps of North America — imperfect, it is true — the western coast beyond Cape Bathurst sloped down below the seventieth parallel, not again rising above it until it entered lluasian America, where the English had as yet no right to settle ; so that Hobson had shown conaidural)le judgment in directing his course to Cape Bathurst after n thorough exumination of the maps of theae northern regions. This promontory is, in fact, the only one which juts out beyond the seventieth parallel along the whole of the North American continent, pn»perly so called — that is to say, in English America. It remained to be proved that it really occupied the position assigned to it in maps. At this moment the sun was approaching the culminating-point of ita course, and the two observers pointed the telescopes of their sextants upon it. By means of inclined mirrors attached to the instrnmeuts, the sun ought aj>parently to go back to the horizon itself; and the moment when it seemed to touch it with the lower side of its disc would be precisely that at which it would occupy the highest point of the diurnal arc, and consequently the exact moment when it would j)a8s the meridian — in other words, it would be noon at the place where the observation was taken. All watched in anxious silence. *' Noon ! " cried Jaspar Hobson and the astronomer at onca The telescopes were immediately lowered. The Lieutenant and 10 •a THE FUR COUNTRY, \\ ! \\ I Thomas Black read on the graduated limbs the value of the anglei they had just obtained, and at once proceeded to note down tbeir obaerviitions. A few minutes afterwards, Lieutenant Hobson rose and said, addressing hb companions — " My friends, from this date, July Oth, I promise you double pay in the name of the Hudson's Bay Couipe Bathurst. From this point the view embraced the lagoon and the western districts to a distance of ten or twelve miles. On the right, about four milos off, towered icebergs of a considerable height, [lartly draped in mist; whilst on the left stretched api)arentl}' boumlless plains, vast step[»es which it would be impossible t>) distinguish from the frozen surface of the lagoon or from the sea itself in the winter. The spot chosen, Hobson and Mac- Nab set out the outer walls of the house with the line. This outline formed a rectangle measur- ing sixty feet on the larger side, and thirty on the smaller. The fa9ade of the house would therefore have a length of sixty feet : it was to have a door and three windows on the side of the promontory, where the inner court was to be situated, and four windows on the side of the lagoon. The door was to open at the left corner, instead of in the middle, of the back of the house, for the sake of warmth. This arnuigement would impede the entrance of the outer air to the further rooms, and add considerably to the comfort of the inmates of the fort. According to the simple plan agreed upon by the Lieutenant and his master-carpenter, there were to be four compartments in the house : the first to be an antechamber with a double door to keep out the wind ; the second to serve as a kitchen, that the cooking, which would generate damp, mighc le 'U done quite away from the living-rooms ; the third, a laiL-^e hall, v Iifro the daily meals were to be served in common ; and the f(>nrU), o be divided into several cabins, like the state-rooms on board siiip. The soldiers were to occupy the dinj,; g-iiall jjrovisionally, and a kind of camp-bed was arranged for them at the end of the room. The Lieutenant, Mrs Barnett, Thomas Black, Madge, Mrs Joliffe, Mrs FORT ffOPR. Mac-Nab, and Mrs Rao wore to lodj^o in the caljinn of the fourth cuinpartineDt. They would certainly be packed pretty closely ; but it waa only u temporary state of tliinijcs, iind when tlio barraiks were constructed, the priii^'' ^ house would be reserved to tlio oilicer in cominaud, his sergeant, i onios Black, Mrs Uarnett, and her fulii- ful Madge, who never i ift her. Then the fourth conipnrtnicnt might perhaps be (^ ided 'nto throe cabins, instead of four ; for to avoid corners as much as posiible is a rule which sliotdd never be forgotten by those who 'vinterin high latitudes. Nooks and corners are, in fact, so many ri'ceptaclcs of ice. The partitions impede the ventilation; and the moisture, ginomted in the air, freezes readily, and makes the atmosphere of the rooms unhealthy, causing gnivu maladies to those wlio sleep in them. On this account many imvigatDrs who have to winter in the midst of ico have one largo room in tlie centre of their vested, which is sliarcd by oOlcers and sailors in common. For obviouo reasons, however, Ilobson could not adopt this plan. From the preceding description we shall have seen that the future house was to consist merely of a ground floor. The roof was to be high, and its sides to slope considerably, so that water could easily run oflF them. The snow would, however, settle upon them ; and when once they were covered with it, the house would be, so to speak, hermetically closed, and the inside temperature would be kept at the same mean height. Snow is, in fact, a very bad con- ductor of heat : it prevents it from entering, it is true ; but, what is more important in an Arctic winter, it also keeps it from getting out. The carpenter was to build two chimneys — one above the kitchen, the other in connection with the stove of the large dining-ro«m, which was to heat it and the compartment containing the cabins. The architectural effect of the whole would certainly be poor; but the house would be as comfortable as possible, and what more could any one desire ] Certainly an artist who had once seen it would not soon forget this winter residence, set down in the gloomy Arctic twilight in the midst of snow-drifts, half hidden by icicles, draped in white from roof to foundation, its walls encrusted with snow, and the smoke from its fires assuming strangely-contorted forms in the wind. But now to tell of the actual construction of this house, as yet existing only in imagination. This, of course, was the business of 86 THE FUR COUNTRY, i \ W ! Mac-Nab and his men ; and while the carpenters were at work, the foniging party to whom the commissariat was entrusted would not be idle. There was plenty for every one to do. The first step was to choose suitable timber, and a species of Scotch fir was decided on, which grew conveniently upon the neigh- bouring hills, and seemed altogether well adapted to the multifarious uses to which it would be put For in the rough and ready style of habitation which they were jilanning, there could be no variety of material; and every part of the house — outside and inside walls, flooring, ceiling, partitions, rafters, ridges, framework, and tiling — would have to be contrived of planks, beams, and timbers. As may readily be supposed, finished workmanship was not necessary for such a description of building, and Mac-Nab was able to proceed very rapidly without endangering the safety of the building. About a huudied of these firs were chosen and felled — they were neither barked nor squared — and formed so many timbers, averag- ing some tWonty feet in length. The axe and the chisel did not touch them except at the ends, in order to form the tenons and mortises by which they were to be secured to one another. Very few days sufRced to complete this part of the work, and the timbers were brought down by the dogs to the site fixed on for the principal building. To start with, the site had bten carefully levelled. The soil, a mixture of fine earth and sand, had been beaten and consolidated with heavy blows. The brushwood with which it was originally covered was burnt, and the thick layer of ashes thus produced would prevent the damp from penetrating the floors. A clean and dry foundation having been thus secured on which to lay the first joists, upright [tosts were fixed at each corner of the site, and at the extremities of the inside walls, to form the skeleton of the building. The posts were sunk to a depth of some feet in the ground, after their ends had been hardened in the fire ; and were slightly hollowed at each side to receive the cross- beams of the outer wall, between which the openings for the doors and windows had been arranged for. These posts were held together at the top by horizontal beams well let into the mortises, and consolidating the whole building. On these horizontal beams, which represented the architraves of the two fronts, rested the high trusses of the roof, which overhung the walls like the eaves of a chalet. Above this squared architrave were laid the joists of the ceiling, and those of the floor upon the layer of ashes. FORT HOPS. 87 The timbers, ^oth in the inside and outside walls, were only laid side by side. To insure their being properly joined, Bae the blacksmith drove strong iron bolts through them at inter« vals; and when even this contrivance proved insutEcieut to close the interstices as hermetically as was necessary, Mac-Nab had recourse to calking, a process which seamen find invaluable in rendering vessels water-tight ; only as a substitute for tow he used a sort of dry moss, with which the eastern side of the cape was covered, driving it into the crevices with calking-irona and a hammer, filling up each hollow with layers of hot tar, obtained without difficulty from the pine-trees, and thus making the walls and boarding impervious to the rain and damp of the winter season. The door and windows in the two fronts were roughly but strongly built, and the small panes of tlie latter glazed with isinglass, which, though rougli, yellow, and almost opaque, was yet the best substitute for glass wliicli the resources of the country afforded ; and its imperfections re.-illy mattered little, as the windows were sure to be always open in fine weather ; while during the long night of the Arctic winter they would be useless, and have to be kept closed and defended by heavy shutters with strong bolts against the violence of the gales. Meanwhile the house was being quickly fitted up inside. By means of a double door between the outer and inner halls, a too sudden change of temperature was avoided, and the wind was prevented from blowing with unbroken force into the rooms. The air-pumps, brought from Fort Reliance, were so fixed as to let in fresh air whenever excessive cold prevented the opening of ddors or windows • — one being made to eject the impure air from within, the other to renew the 8U[>ply ; for the Lieutenant had given his whole mind to this important matter. The principal cooking utensil was a large iron furnace, which had been brought piecemeal fronj Fort Reliance, and which the carpenter [lut up without any difficulty. The chimneys for the kitchen and hall, however, seemed likely t<.) tax the ingenuity of the workmen to the utmost, as no material within their reach was strong enough for the purpose, and stone, as we have said before, was nowhere to be found in the country around Cape Bathurst. The difficulty appeared insurmountable, when the invincible Lieutenant suggested that tliey should utilise thu shells with which the shore was strewed. " Make chimneys of shells ! " cried the carpeut«f. -^ I. i 88 niE FUR COUNTRY, ** Yea, Mac-Nab," replied Hobson ; " we must collect the shells, grii.d them, burn them, and make them into lime, then mould the liniti into bricks, and use them in the same way." " Let us try t}»e shells, by all means," replied the carpenter j and iBo the idea was put in practice at once, and nv.Tiy tons collectcil i>f calcarofius shells identical with those fouiid in the lowest stratum of the Tertiary fomiatinns. A furnace was constructed far the decomposition of the carbonate which is so large an ingredient of these shells, and thus the lime required was obtained in the space of a few hours. It would perhaps be too much to say that the substance thus made was aa entirely satisfactory as if it had gone through all the usual processes ; but it answered its purpose, and strong conical chimneys soon adorned the roof, to the great satisfaction of Mrs Paulina Barnett, who congra'tulatcd the originator of the srheme warmly on ita success, only adding laughingly, that she hoped the chimneys would not smoke. " Of course they will smoke, madam," replied ITobson coolly ; *' all chinmcys do ! " All this was finished within a month, and on the 6th of August they were to take possession of the new house. While Mac-Nab and his men were working so hard, the foraginc; ]iarty, with the Lieutenant at its head, liad been exploring the environs of Cape Bathurst, and satisfied themselves that there would be no diflSculty in supplying the Company's demands for fur and feathers, so soon as they could set about hunting in earnest In the meantime t^ey prepared the way for future sport, content- ing themselves for the present with the capture of a few ccmples of reindeer, which they intended to domesticate for the sake of their milk and their young. They were kept in a paddock about fifty yards from the house, and entrusted to the care of Mac-Nab's wife, an Indian woman, well qualified to take chnrge of them. The care of the household fell to ^U's I'anlina Barnett, and this good woman, with Al.idge's help, was invaluable in providing for all the small wants, which would inevitably have escaped the notice of the men. After scouring the country within a radius of several miles, the Lieutenant notified, as the result of his observations, that the terri- tory on which they had established themselves, and to which ho gave the name of V^ictoria Land, was a large jieiiiusula about one FORT HOPS, 89 hundred and fifty square miles in extent, with very clearly-deHned boandaries, connected v\'itli the American continent by an isthmus, extend hig from tlie lower end of Washburn Bay on the east, as far as the corresponding slope on the opposite coast. The Lieutenant next proceeded to ascertain what were the resources r,l the lake and river, and found great reason to be satisfied with the result of his examination. The shallow waters of the lake teemed with trout, pike, and other available fresh-water fish ; and the little river was a favourite resort of salmon and shoals of whitebait and smelts. The supply of sea-fish was not so good; and though many a grampus and whale passed by in the oflSng, the litter probably flying from the harpoons of the Behring Strait fishe.'Pien, there were no means of capturing them, unless one by chance happened to get stranded on the coast ; nor would Hobson allow any of the seals which abounded on the western shore to be taken until a satisfactory conclusion should be arrived at as to how to use them to the best advantage. The colonists now considered themselves fairly installed in their new abode, and after due deliberation unanimously agreed to bestow upon the settlement the name of Fort Good Hope. Alas 1 the auspicious title was never to be inscribed upon a map. The undertaking, begun so bravely and with such prospects of success, was destined never to be carried out, and another disaster would have to be added to the long list of failures in Arctic enterprise. CHAPTER XIV. 11 N If ^ I SOME EXCURSIONS, T did not take long to furnish the new abode. A canip-l)ed was set up in the hall, and the carpenter ^ac-Nab con- structed a most substantial table, around which were ranged fixed benches. A few movable seats and two enormous presses completed the furniture of this apartment. The inner room, which was also ready, was divided by solid partitions into six dormitories, the two end ones alone being lighted by windows looking to the front and back. The only furniture was a bed and a table. Mrs Paulina Bamett and Madge were installed in one which looked immediately out upon the lake. Hobson oflfered the other with the window in it to Thomas Black, and the astro- nomer took immediate possession of it. The Lieutenant's own room was a dark cell adjoining the hall, with no window but a bull's eye pierced through the partition. Mrs Joliffe, Mrs Mac-Nab, and Mrs Rae, with their husbands, occupied the other dormitories. ^ .dse good people agreed so well together that it would have been a pity to separate them. Moreover, an addition was expected shortly to the little colony ; and. Mac-Nab had already gl-mother, an honour wiiich gave the good woman much satisfaction. The sledges had been entirely unloaded, and the bedding carried into the different rooms. All utensils, stores, and provisions which were not required for immediate use were stowed away in a garret, to which a ladder gave access. The winter clothing — such as boot.s, overcoats, furs, and skins— were also t.aken there, and protected from the damp in large chests. As soon as these arrangements were completed, the Lieutenant began to provide for the heating of the house. Knowing that the most energetic measures were necessary to combat the severity of the Arctic winter, and that during the weeks of intensest cold there would be no possibility of leaving the house totrforage for supplies, he ordered a quantity of fuel to be bn>ught SOMB EXCURSIONS, 9t from the wooded hills in the neighbourhood, and took care to obtain a plentiful store of oil from the seals which abounded on the shore. In obedience to his orders, and under his directions, the house was provided with a condensing apparatus which would receive the internal moisture, and was so constructed that the ice which would form in it could easily be removed. This question of heating was a very serious one to the Lieutenant. " I am a native of the Polar regions, madam," he often said to Mrs Barnett ; " I have some experience in these matters, and I have read over and over again books written by those who have wintered in these latitudes. It is impossible to take too many precautions in preparing to pass a winter in the Arctic regions, and nothing must be left to chance where a single neglect may prove fatal to the enterprise." " Very true, Mr Hobson," replied Mrs Barnett ; *' and you have evidently made up your mind to conquer the cold \ but there b the food to be thought of too." " Yes, indeed ; I have been thinking of that, and mean to make all possible use of the ])roduce of the country so as to economise our stores. As sas3 the skill and patience with which he whipped the water and cast his line. The faithful Madge, another wort^iy disciple of Isaak Walton, was perhaps his only equal. Day after day the two sallied forth together rod in hand, to spend the day in mute companionship by the river-side, whence they were sure to return in triumph laden with some splendid specimens of the salmon tiibe. But to return to our sportsmen; they soon found that their hunting excursions were not to be free from peril. Hobson per- ceived with some alarm that bears were very numerous in the neigh- bourhood, and that scarcely a day pas.>^ed without one or more of 94 THE FUR COUNTRY, i I 'i 1 i : them being si^'hted. Sometimes these unwelcome visitors belonged to the family of brown bears, so common throughout the whole ** Cursed Land ; " but now and then a solitary specimen of the formidable Polar bear warned the hunters what dangers they might have to encounter so soon as the first frost should drive great num- bers of these fearful animals to the neighbourhood of Cape Bathurst. Every book of Arctic explorations is full of accounts of the frequent perils to which travellers and whalers are exposed from the ferocity of these animals. Now and then, too, a distant pack of wolves was seen, which receded like a wave at the approach of the hunters, or the sound of their b.irk was heard as they follt)wed the trail of a reindeer or wapiti. These creatures were large grey wolves, about three feet high, with long tails, whose fur becomes white in the winter. They abounded in this part of the country, where food wjia plentiful; and frequented wooded spots, where they lived in holes like foxes. During the temperate season, when they could get as much as they wanted to eat, they were scivrcely dangerous, and fled with the characteristic cowardice of their race at the first sign of pursuit ; but when im- pelled by hunger, their numbers rendered them very formidable ; and from the fact of their lairs being close at hand, they ne^er left the country even in the depth of winter. One day the sportsmen returned to Fort Hope, bringing with them an unpleasant-looking animal, which neither Mrs Paulina Bariiett nor the astronomer, Thomas Black, had ever before seen. It was a carnivorous creature of the plantigrada family, and greatly resembled '^tie American glutton, being strongly built, with short lcgi», and, like all animals of the feline tribe, a very supple back ; its eyes were small and horny, and it was armed with curved claws and formid- able jaws. ■"What is this horrid creature 1 " inquired Mrs Paulina Bamett of Sabine, who replied in his usual sententious manner — " A Scotchman would call it a ' quick-hatch,' an Indian an * okelcoo-haw-gew,' and a Canadian a * carcaj(m.* " " And what do you call it I" " A wolverene, ma'am," returned Sabine, much delighted with the elegant way in which he had rounded his sentence. The wolverene, as this strange quadruped is called by zoologists, lives in hollow trees or rocky caves, whence it issues at night and creates great havoc amongst beavers, musk-rats, and other rodents. SOME EXCURSIONS, 9S Bometiines fighting with a fux or a wulf for its spuils. Its cbiel charac- teristics are great cunning, immense muscular power, and an acute sense of smell. It is foumi in very high latitudes ; and the short fur with which it is clothed becomes almost black in the wiuter months, and forms a large item in the Company's exi)orts. During their excursions the Settlers paid as much attention to the Flora of the country as to its Fauna ; but in those regions vege- tation has necessarily a hard struggle for existence, as it must brave every season of the year, whereas the animals are able to migrate to a warmer climate during the winter. The hills on the eastern side of the lake were well covered with pine and fir trees; and Jaspar also noticed the " tacaniahac," a species of poplar which grows to a gi at height, and shouts forth yellovvi»h leaves which turn green in the autumn. These trees and larches were, however, few and sickly looking, as if they found the oblique rays of the sun insufficient to make them thrive. The black fir, or Norway spruce fir, throve better, especially when situated in ravines well sheltered from the north wind. The young shoots of this tree are very valuable, yielding a favourite beverage known in North America as "spruce-beer." A good crop of ihese branchlets was gathered in and stored in the cellar of Fort Hope. There were also the dwarf birch, a shrub about two feet high, native to very cold climates, and whole thickets of cedars, which are so valuable for fuel. Of vegetables which could be easily grown and used fi ir food, this barren land yielded but few; and Mrs JolitTe, who took a great interest in " economic " botany, only met with two plants which were available in cooking. One of these, a bulb, very diflicult to classify, because its leaves fall off just at the flowering season, turned out to be a wild leek, and yielded a good crop of onions, each about the size of an egg. The other plant was that known throughout North America as "Labrador tea;" it grew abundantly on the shores of the lagoon between the clumps of willow and arbutus, and formed the principal food of the Polar hares. Steeped in boiling water, and flavoured with a few drops of brandy or gin, it formed an excellent beverage, and served to economise the supply of China tea which the party had brought from Fort Reliance. Knowing the scarcity of vegetables, Jaspar Hobson had plenty of seeds with him, chiefly sorrel and scurvy-grass (Cochlearia)^ the antiscorbutic properties of which are invaluable in these latitudes. lu 96 THE I-LK COUMRY. cboosing the site of the Bettlement, such care li%d been taken to find a Mpot sheltered from the keen bhists, Avhich shrivel vegutatiun like a (Ire, that there was every chance of these seeds yielding a goud crup in the ensuing season. The dispensary of the new fort contained other antiscorhutics, in the shape of casks of lemon and lime juice, bdih of wliicli are absolutely indispensable to an Arctic expedition. Still the greatest economy was necessary with regard to the stores, as a long period of bad weather might cut off the communication between Fort Hope and the southern stationa. % l> 1 ■; 1 ''■ 1 r \ ^i j 1 ^'^ !i lii taken to egetatiun ielding a ■ t CHAPTER XV. FIFTEEN MILES FROM CAPS BATHVRST, EPTEMBER had now commenced, and as upon the most favourable calculation only three more weeks would in- tervene before the bad season set in and interrupted the labours of the explorers, the greatest haste was necessary in com- pleting the new buildings, and Mac-Nab and his workmen surpassed themselves in industry. The dog-house was on the eve of being finished, and very little remained to be done to the palisading which was to encircle the fort. An inner court had been con- structed, in the shape of a half-rooon, fenced with tall pointed stakes, fifteen feet higb, to which tracted the Lieutenant's attention, fur reasons Avbich wo will explaia That part of the shore to the west of Cape Bathurst rises but a ' few inches above the level of the sea, and the tides are — or are aaid to be — verj high in the Arctic Ocean — many navigators, such as Parry, Franklin, the two Russes, M'CIure, and M'Clintock, having observed that when the sun and moon were in conjunction the waters were sometimes twenty-five feet above the ordinary level. How then was it to be explained that the sea did nut at high tide inundate Cape Bathurst, which possessed nu natural defences such as cliffs or downs 1 What was it, in fuct, which prevented the entire submersion of the whole district, and the meeting of the waters of the lake with those of the Arctic Ocean 1 Jaspar Hobson could not refrain from remarking on this peculiarity to Mrs Barnett, who replied somewhat hastily that she supposed that there were — in spite of nil that had been said to the contrary — no tides in the Arctic Ocean. " On the contrary, modam," said Hobson, " all navigators agree that the ebb and fluw of Polar seas are very distinctly marked, and it is impossible to believe that they can have been mistaken on such a subject." " How is it, then," inquired Mrs Barnett, " that this land is not flooded when it is scarcely ten feet above the sea level at low tide?" " That is just what puzzles me," said Hobson ; " for I have been attentively watching the tides all through this month, and during that time they have not varied more than a foot, and I feel certain, that even during the September equinox, they will not rise more than a foot and a half all along the uhores of Cape Bathurst." " Can you not explain this phenomenon ? " inquired Mrs Barnett *' Well, madam," replied the Lieutenant, " two conclusions are open to as, either of which I find it difficult to believe ; such men as Franklin, Parry, Boss, and others, are mistaken, and there are no tides on this part of the American coast ; or, as in the Mediterranean, to which the waters of the Atlantic have not free ingress, the straits are too narrow to bo afTected by the ocean currents." " The latter would appear to be the more reasonable hypothesis, Mr Hobson." " It is not, however, thoroughly satisfactory," said the Lieutenant, ^E ■ vhlch at- ill explain, rises but a jQ — or are rators, Buch Sl'Clintock, conjunction linary level, at higb tide efences such jd the entire ,he waters of is peculiarity upposed that contrary — no rigators agree r marked, and mistaken on lis land is not k level at lovr or I have been ,th,and during i I feel certain, not rise more ,athurst." inquired Mrs conclusions are ^e } such men as nd there are no B :Meaiterranean, igress, the straits •I aable hypothesis, id the Lieutenant, r, I If- i'' il "From this posif ion they were able," Sfc. — Page 99. r/F-"EEN MILES FROM CAPE BATHURST, W 1 99. " and I feel sure that if we could but find it, there is some simple and natural explanation of the phenomenon." After a monotonous journey along a flat and sandy shore, the party reached their destination, and, having unharnessed the teams, they were left behind lest they should startle the seals. At the first glance around them, all were equally struck with the contrast between the appearance of this district and that of Cupe Bathurst. Here the coast line was broken and fretted, showing manifest traces of its igneous origin ; whereas the site of the fort was of sedimentary formation and aqueous origin. Stone, so conspicuously absent at the cape, was here plentiful ; the black sand and porous lava were strewn with huge boulders deeply imbedded in the soil, and there were large quantities of the aluminium, silica, and felspar pebbles peculiar to the crystalline strata of one class of igneous rocks. Glitteririg Labrador stones, and many other kinds of felspar, red, green, and blue, were sprinkled on the unfrequented beach, with grey and yellow pumice stone, and lustrous variegated obsidian. Tall cliflFs, rising some two hundred feet above the sea, frowned down upon the bay ; and the Lieutenant resolved to climb them, and obtain a good view of the eastern side of the country. For this there was plenty of time, as but few of the creatures they had come to seek were as yet to be seen, and the proper time for the attack would be when they assembled for the afternoon siesta in which the amphibious mammalia always indulge. The Lieutenant, however, quickly discovered that the animals frequenting thia coast were nc^t, as he had been led to suppose, true seals, although they belonged to the Phocidse fjimily, but morses or walruses, sometimes called sea-cows. They resemble the seals in general form, but the canine teeth of the upper jaw curved down- wards are much more largely developed. Following the cuast line, whicn curved considerably, and to which they gave the name of " Walruses' Bay," the party soon reached the foot of the clifT, and Petersen, Hope, and Kellet, took up their position ti8 sentinels on the little promontory, whilst Mrs Barnett, Hobson, and Long, after promising not to lose sigiit of their comrades, and to be on the look-out for their signal, proceeiled to climb the cliff, the summit of which they reached in about a quarter of an hour. From this position they were able to survey the whole surrounding country; at their feet lay the vast sea, stretching : ft -' h. I' M 'i^ 100 THE FUR COUNTRY, nortnwards as far as the eye could reach, its expanse so entirely unbroken by islands or icebergs that the travellers came to the conclusion, that this portion of the Arctic waters was navigable as fivr as Behring Straits, and that during the summer season tlie North- West Passage to Cape Bathurst would be 0[)en to the Company's ships. On the west, the aspect of the country explained the presence of the volcanic debris on the shore; for at a distance of about ten miles was a chain of granitic hills, of conical form, with blunted crests, looking as if their summits had been cut off, and with jagged tremulous outlines standing out against the sky. x'hey had hitherto escaped the notice of our party, as they were concealed by the cliffs on the Cape Bathurst side, and Jaspar Hobson examined them in silence, but with great attention, before he proceeded to study the eastern side, wh'"h consisted of a long strip of perfectly level coast-line stretching away to Cape Bathurst. Any one pro- vided with a good field-glass would have been able to distinguish the fort of Good Hope, and perhaps even the cloud of blue smoke, which was no doubt at that very moment issuing from Mrs Jolitfe's kitchen chimney. The country behind them seemed to possess two entirely distinct characters ; to the east and south the cape was bounded by a vast plain, many hundreds of square miles in extent, while behind the cliff, from " Walruses' Bay " to the mountains mentioned above, the country had undergone terrible convulsions, showing clearly that it owed its origin to volcanic eruptions. The Lieutenant was much struck with this marked contrast, and Sergeant Long asked him whether he thought the mountains on the western horizon were volcanoes. "Undoubtedly," said Hobson; "all these ])umice-stones and pebbles have been discharged by them to this distance, and if we were to go two or three miles farther, we should find ourselves treading upon nothing but lava and ashes." '' Do you suppose," inquired the Sergeant, " that all these vol- canoes are still active ? " " That I cannot tell jou yet." "But there is no smoke issuing from any of them," added the Sergeant. " That proves nothing ; your pipe is not always in your m luth, and it is just the same with volcanoes, they are not always smoking." FIFTEEN MILES FROM CAPE BA THURST, lot entirely le to the rigable aa he North- jompany'a e presence about ten tb blunted nth jagged x'hey had jncealed by Q examined roceeded to of perfectly ny one pro- distinguisb blue smoke, ;Mis Joliffe's irely distinct led by a vast e behind the 3d above, the learly that it t was much g asked him horizon were je-stones and ice, and if we and ourselvea [all these tol- » added the your m »uth, not always " I see/' said the Sergeant ; " but it is a great puzzle to me how volcanoes can exist at all on Fulur continents." •» Well, there are not many of thetn I " said Mrs Bamctt. "No, madam," replied Jaspar, "but they are not so vary rare either; they are to be found in Jan Mayeu's • Laud, the Aleutiun Isles, Kamchatka, Russian America, aiid Iceland, as well as in the Antarctic circle, in Tierra del Fuego, and Australasia. They are the chimneys of the great furnace in th& centre of the earth, where Nature makes her chemical experiments, and it appears to me that the Creator of all things has taken care to place these safety-valves wherever they were most needed." " I suppose so," replied the Sergeant ; " ond yet it does seem very strange to find them in this icy climate." "Why should they not be here as well as anywhere else. Sergeant) I should say that ventilation holes are likely to be more numerous at the Poles than at the Equator !" ** Why so 1 " asked the Sergeant in much surprise. " Because, if these safety-valves are forced open by the pressure of subterranean gases, it will most likely be at the spots where the surface of the earth is thinest, and as the globe is flattened at the poles, it would appear natural that but Kellet is making signs to us," added the Lieutenant, breaking off abruptly ; " will you join us, MrsBarntttr' " No, thank you. I will stay hero until we return to the fort. I don't care to watch the walrus slaughtered ! " " Very well," replied Hobson, " only don't forget to join us in an hour's time, meanwhile you can enjoy the view." The beach was soon reached, and some hundred walrus had collected, either waddling about on their clumsy webbed feet, or sleeping in family groups. Some few of the larger males — creatures Dearly four feet long, clothed with very short reddish fur — kept g\iard over the herd. Great caution was required in approaching these formidable- looking animals, and the hunters took advantcagc of every bit of cover afforded by rocks and inequalities of the ground, so as to get within easy range of them and cut off their retreat to the sea. V On land these creatures are clumsy and awkward, moving in jerks or with creeping motions like huge caterpillars, but in water — their native element — they are nimble and even graceful ; indeed 102 THE FUR COUNTRY, their strength is so great, that they have been known to overtorn the whalers in pursuit of them. As the hunters drew near the sentinels took alarm, and raising their heads looked searchingly around them ; but before they could warn their companions of danger, Hobson and Kellet rushed upon them from one side, the Sergeant, Petersen, and Hope from the other, and after lodging a ball in each of their bodies, despatched them with their spears, whilst the rest of the herd plunged into the sea. The victory was an easy one ; the five victims were very large and their tusks, though slightly rough, of the best quality. They were chiefly valuable, however, on account of the oil ; of which — being in excellent condition — they would yield a large quantity. The bodies were packed in the sledges, and proved no light weight for the dogs. It was now one o'clock, and Mrs Barnett having joined them, the party set out on foot — the sledges being full — to return to the fort There were but ten miles to be traversed, but ten miles in a straight line is a weary journey, proving the truth of the adage '* It *s a lung lane that has no turning." They beguiled the tediousness of the way by chatting pleasantly, and Mis Barnett was ready to join in the conversation, or to listen with interest to the accounts the worthy soldiers gave of former adventures j but in spite of the brave struggle against ennui they advanced but slowly, and the poor dogs found it hard work to di:ig the heavily-laden sledges over the rough ground. Had it been covered with frozen snow the distance would have been accomplished in a couple of hours. The merciful Lieutenant often ordered a halt to give the teams breathing-time, and the Sergeant remarked that it would be much more convenient for the inhabitants of the fort, if the morses would settle a little nearer Cape Bathurst. " They could not find a suitable spot," replied the Lieutenant, with a melancholy shake of the head. "Why noti" inquired Mrs Barnett with some surprise. " Because they only congregate where tho slope of the beach is gradual enough to allow of their creeping up easily from the sea. Now Cape Bathurst rises abruptly, like a perpendicular wall, from water three hundred fathoms deep. It is probable that ages ago a portion of the continent was rent away in some violent volcanic convulsion, and flung into the Arctic Ocean. Hence the absence of morses on the beach of our cape." verturn raising ;y could ed upon he other, led them ae sea. ery large y. They which — quantity, bt \?eight them, the to the fort I a straight It 's a lung iiess of the T to join in jcounts the ^f the brave d the poor cres over the the diaUnce the teams uld be much lorses would . Lieutenant, Lse. the beach is from the sea. L wall, from [at ages ago a ])lent volcanic the absence CHAPTER XVL TIVO SHOTS. iKE first half of September passed rapidly away. Had (^ Fort Hope been situated at the Pole itself, that is to say, twenty degrees farther north, the Polar night would have set in on the 21st of that month. But under the seventieth parallel the sun would be visible abo^3 the horizon for another month. Nevertheless, the temperature was already decidedly colder, the thernion:eter fell during the night to 31° Fahrenheit; and tbiu coatings of ice appeared here and there, to be dissolved again in the day-time. But the settlers were able to await the coming of winter without alarm ; they had a more than sufficient store of provisions, their supply of dried venison had largely increased, another score of morses had been killed, the tame rein-deer were warmly and com- fortably housed, and a huge wooden shed behind the house was filled with fuel. In short, everything was prepared for the Polar night. And now all the wants of the inhabitants of the fort being pro- vided for, it was time to think of the interests of the Company. The Arctic creatures had now assumed their winter furs, and were therefore of the greatest value, and IJobson organised shooting parties for the remainder of the fine weather, intending to set traps when the snow should prevent further excursions. They would have plenty to do to satisfy the requiremonts of the Company, for so far north it was of no use to depend on the Indians, who are generally the purveyors of the factories. The first expedition was to the haunt of a family of beavers, long since noted by the watchful Lieutenant, on a tributary of the Btrejvm already referred to. It is true, the fur of the'beaver is not now as valuable as when it was used for hats, and fetched £16 per kilogramme (rather more than 21b.) ; but it still commands a high price as the animal is becoming very scarce, in consequence of the reckless way in which it has been hunted. 104 THE FUR CC UN TRY, ill =: When the party reached their destination, the Lieutenant called Mrs Barnett's attention to the great ingenuity displayed by beavera in the construction of their submarine city. There wero some hundred animals in the little colony now to be invaded, and they lived together in pairs in the *' holes " or " vaults " they had hollowed out near the stream. They had already commenced their preparations for the winter, and were hard at work constructing their dams and laying up their piles of wood. A dam of admirable structure had already been built across the s'jream, which was deep and rapid enough not to freeze far below the surface, even in the severest weather. This dam, which was convex towards the current, consisted of a collection of upright stakes interlaced with branches and roots, the whole being cemented togt i-iier and rendered water- tight with the clayey mud of the river, previously pounded by the animals' feet. The beavers use their tails — which are large and flat, with scales instead of hair at the root — for plastering over their buildings and beating the clay into shape. " The object of this dam," said the Lieutenant to Mrs Barnett, "is to secure to the beavers a sufficient depth of water at all seasons of the year, and to enable the engineers of the tribe to build the round huts called houses or lodges, the tops of which you can just see. They are extremely solid structures, and the walls made of stick, clay, roots, on," or, in other words, — to wait for the cold to bleach them. Their cousins, the polecats, however, which emit so disagreeable ?.n odour, fell victims in great numbers to the hunters, who either tracked them to their homes in hollow trees, or shot them as they glided through the branches. Martens, properly so-called, were hunted with great zeal. Their fur is in considerable demand, altliough not so valuable as that of the sal lie, which becomes a dark lustrous brown in the winter. The latter did not, however, come in the way of our hunters, as it only frequents the north of Europe and Asia as far as Kamchatka, and io6 THE PUR COUNTRY. v\ is chiefly hunted by the inhabitants of Siberia. They had to be con- tent with the polecats and pine-martens, called " Canada-martens," which frequent the shores of the Arctic Ocean. All the weasels and martens are very difficult to catch j they wriggle their long supple bodies through the smallest apertures with great ease, and thus elude their pursuers. In the winter, however, they are easily taken in traps, and ^larbre and Sabine looked forward to make up for lost time then, when, said they, " there shall be plenty of their furs in the Company's stores." We have now only to mention the Arctic or blue and silver foxes, to complete the list of animals which swelled the profits of the Hudson's Bay Company. The furs of these foxes are esteemed in the Russian and English maikets above all others, and that of the blue fox is the most valuable of all. This pretty creature has a black muzzle, and the fur is not as one would supjiose blue, but whitish-brown ; its great price — six times that of any other kind — arises from its superior softness, thickness, and length. A cloak belonging to the Emperor of Russia, composed entirely of fur from the neck of the blue fox (the fur from the neck is considered better than that from any other pai t), was shown at the London Exhibition of 1851, and valued at £3400 sterling. Several of these foxes were sighted at Cape Bathurst, but all escaped the hunters ; whilst only about a dozen silver foxes fell into their hands. The fur of the latter — of a lustrous black dotted with white — is much sought after in England and Russia, although it does not command so high a price as that of the foxes mentioned above. One of the silver foxes captured was a splendid creature, with a coal-black fur tipped with white at the extreme end of the tail, and with a dash of the same on the forehead. The circumstances attending its death deserve relation in detail, as they proved that Ilobson WPS right in the precautions he had taken. On the morning of the 24th September, two sledges conveyed Mrs Barnett, the Lieutenant, Sergeant Long, Marbre, and Sabine, to Walruses' Bay. Some traces of foxes had been noticed the evening before, amongst some rocks clothed with scanty herbage, and the direction taken by the animals was very clearly indicated. The hunters followed up the trail of a large animal, and were rewarded by bringing down a very fine silver fox. , .._.- TWO SffOT& 107 be con- irteua," 1 ; they res with lowever, J looked lere shall rer foxes, ta of the ssian and Eox is the luzzle, and )rown ; its 8 from its ring to the neck of the |n that from 1851, and irst, but all [xes fell into dotted with although it |a mentioned iture, ^ith a [the tail, and lircumstancea proved that 768 conveyed 'and Sabine, Id the evening lage, and the licated. The rere rewarded Several other animals of the same species were sighted, and the hunters divided into two parties — Marbre and Sabine going after one foe, and Mrs Barnett, Hobaon, and the Sergeant, trying to cut off the retreat of another fine animal biding behind some rocks. Great caution and some artifice was necessary to deal with this crafty animal, which took care not to expose itself to a shot. The pursuit lasted for half-an-hour without success; but at last the poor creature, with the sea on one side and its three enemies on the other, had recourse in its desperation to a flying leap, thj^iking thus to escape with its life. But Hobson was too quick for it ; and as it bounded by like a flash of liglitning, it was struck by a shot, and to every one's surprise, the report of the Lieutenant's gun was succeeded by that of another, and a second ball entered the body of the fox, which fell to the ground mortally wounded. " Hurrah ! hurrah ! " cried Hobson, " it is mine 1 " "And mine!" said another voice, and a stranger stept forward and placed his foot upon the fox just as the Lieutenant was about to raise it. Hobson drew back in astonishment He thought the second ball had been fired by the Sergeant, and found himself face to face with a stranger whose gun was still smoking. The rivals gazed at each other in silence. The rest of the party now approached, and the stranger was quickly joined by twelve comrades, four of whom were like himself " Canadian travellers," and eight Chippeway Indians. The leader wasa tall man — a fine specimen of his class — those Cana- dian trappers described in the romances of Washington Irving, whose competition Hobson had dreaded with such good reason. He wore the traditional costume ascribed to his fellow-hunters by the great American writer; a blanket loosely arranged about his person, a striped cotton shirt, wide cloth trousers, leather gaiters, deerskin mocassins, and a sash of checked woollen stufl^ round the waist, from which were suspended his knife, tobacco-pouch, pipe, and a few useful tools. Hobson was right. The man before him was a Frenchman, or at least a descendant of the French Canadians, perhaps an agent of the American Company come to act as a spy on the settlers in the fort. The other four' Canadians wore a costume resembling that of their leader, but of coarser materials. The Freuchmau bowed politely to Mrs Barnett, and the Lieutenant fT ill Wi i 1 08 THE FUR COUNTRY, was the fir&t to break the silence, during which he had not removed Lis eyes from his rivaPs face. " This fox is mine, sir," he said quietly. " It is if you killed it ! " replied the other in good English, but with a slightly foreign accent. " Excuse me, sir," replied Hobson rather sharply, " it is mine in any case." The stranger smiled scornfully at this lofty reply, so exactly what he expected from an agent of the Hudson's Bay Company, which cluims supremacy over all the northern districts, from the Atlantic to the Pacific. " Do you mean to say," he said at last, gracefully toying with his gun, " that you consider the Hudson's Bay Company mistress of the whole of North America 1 " ."Of course I do," said Hobson; "and if, as I imagine, you belong to an American company " " To the St Louis Fur Company," replied the stranger with a bow. " I think," added the Lieutenant, " that you will find it difficult to show the grants entitling you to any privileges here." '* Grants ! privileges ! " cried the Canadian scornfully, "old world terms which are out of place in America 1" " Yuu are not now on American but on English ground," replied the Lieuttinant proudly. " This is no time for such a discussion," said the hunter rather warmly. " We all know the old claims made by the English in general, ana the Hudson's Bay Company in particular, to these hunting grounds; but I expect coming events will soon alter this state of tilings, and America will be America from the Straits of Magellan to the North Pole ! " *' I do not agree with you," replied Hobson dryly. "Well, sir, however that may be," said the Canadian, "let us suffer this international question to remain in abeyance for the present. Whatever rights the Company may arrogate to itself, it is very clear that in the extreme north of the continent, and especially on the coast, the territory belongs to whoever occupies it. You have founded a factory on Cape Bathurst, therefore we will respect your domain, and you on your side will avoid ours, when the St Louis fur-traders have established their projected fort at another point on the northern shore of America." TWO SHOTS. 109 removed lisb, but 8 mine la ictly wbat my, wbicli ^e Atlantic ig with l»i8 tress of tbo you belong ,nger witb a id it difficult " old world |und," replied lunter ratber le English in Liar, to these loon alter this Ibe Straits of Idian, "letuB lance for the 1 to itself, it is and especially Uies it. You [e will respect \ when the St Lit at another Tho Lieutenant frowned at this speecli, for he well knew what complications would arise in the future when the Hudson's Bay Company would be compelled to struggle for supremacy with power- ful rivals, and that quarrelling and even bloodshed would ensue ; he could not, however, but acknowledge that this was not the time to begin the discussion, and he was not sorry when the hunter, whose manners, to tell the truth, were very polite, placed the dispute on another footing. "As for this present matter," said the Canadian, "it is of minor importance, and we must settle it according to the rules of the chase. Our guns are of different calibre, and our balls can be easily dis- tinguished j let the fox belong to whichever of ue really killed it." The proposition was a fair one, and the body of the victim was examined accordingly. One ball ^ad entered at the side, the other at the heart ; and the latter was from the gun of the Canadian. " The fox is your property, sir," said Jaspar Hobson, vainly endeavouring to conceal his chagrin at seeing this valuable spoil fall into the enemy's hands. The Canadhan took it, but instead of throwing it over his shoulder and carrying it off, he turned to Mrs Barnett, and said — " Ladies are fond of bejiutiful furs, and although, perhaps, if they knew better what dangers and difficulties have to be surmounted in order to obtain them, they might not care so much about them, they are not likely to refuse to wear them on that account, and I hojie, madam, you will favour me by accepting this one in remembrance of our meeting." Mrs Barnett hesitated for a moment, but the gift was offered with so much courtesy and kindliness of manner, that it would have seemed churlish to refuse, and she therefore accepted it with many thanks. This little ceremony over, the stranger again bowed politely, and, followed by his comrades, quickly disappeared behind the rocks, whilst the Lieutenant and his party returned to Fort Good Hope. Hobson was very silent and thoughtful all the way ; for he could not but feel that the existence of a rival company would greatly compromise the success of his undertaking, and lead to many future difficulties. ^i » I ii n ' !■ CHAPTER XVn. T//B APPROACH OF WINTER, /?tT was the 21st of September. The sun was then pftssing through the autumnal equinox-, that is to say, the day and night were of equal length all over the world. These successive alternations of light and darkness were hailed with delight by the inhabitants of the fort. It is easier to sleep in tlie absence of the sun, and darkness refreshes and strengthens the eyes, weary with the unchanging brightness of several months of daylight We know that during the equinox the tides are generally at their greatest height ; we have high water or flood, for the sun and moor being in conjunction, their double hifiuence is brought to bear upon i\in waters. It was, therefore, necessary to note carefully the approfiohtag tide at Cape Bathurst. Jaspar Hobson had made bench marks aoroe days before, so as to estimate exactly the amount of vertical aisplacement of the waters between high and low tide ; he found, however, that in spite of all the reports of previous observers, the combined solar and lunar influence was hardly felt in this part of the Arctic Ocean. There was scarcely any tide at all, and the statements of navigators on the subject were contradicted. " There is certainly something unnatural here 1 " said Lieutenant Hobson to himself. He did not in fact know what to think, but other cares soon occupied his mind, and he did not long endeavour to get to the rights of this singular peculiarity. On the 29th September the state of the atmosphere changed considerably. The therinonieter fell to 41° Fahrenheit, and the sky became covered with clouds which were soon converted into heavy rain. The bad season was approaching. Before the ground should be covered with snow, Mrs Jolifie was busy sowing the seeds of Gochlearia (scurvy grass) and sorrel, in the hope that as they were very hardy, and would be well protected THR APPROACH OF WINTER. Ill nt ^y Id fr(»m the rigour of the winter by tliesiiow itself, they would come up in the spring. Her garden, consisting of several acres hidden behind the cliff of the cape, had been [frfpared beforehand, aud it waa 80\mi during the last days of Septimber. Hobson made his companions assume their winter garmenta before the great cold set in, aud all were soon suitably clothed in the linen under vests, deerskin cloaks, sealskin paiUaloons, fur bonnets, and waterproof boots with which they were provided. We may also say that the rooms were suit;ibly dressed ; the wooden walls were hung with skin.s, in order to prevent the formation upon them of coats of ice in sudden falls of temperature. About this time, Rae set up his condensers for collecting tlio vapour suspended in the air, which were to be emptied twice a week. The heat of the stove was regulated according to the variations of the external temperature, so as to keep the thermometer of the rooms at 50" Fahrenheit. The house would soon be covered with thick snow, which would prevent any waste of the internal warmth, and by lids combination of natural and artificial protections they hoped to be able successfully to contend with their two most formidable enemies, cold and damp. On the 2nd October the thermometer fell still lower, and the first snow storm came on j there was but little wind, .ind there were therefore none of those violent whirlpools of snow called drifts, but a vast white carpet of uniform thickness soon clothed the cape, the enceinte of fort, and the coast. The waters of the lake and sea, not yet petrified by the icy hand of winter, were of a dull, gloomy, greyish hue, and on the northern horizon the first icebergs stood out against the misty sky. The blockade had not yet commenced, but nature was collecting her materials, soon to be cem )ited by the cold into an impenetrable barrier. The " young ice " wtis rapidly forming oh the liquid surfaces of sea and lake. The lagoon was the first to freeze over ; large whitish-grey patches appeared here and there, signs of a hard frost setting in, favoured by the calnuiess of the atmosphere, and after a night during which the thermometer had remained at 15° Fahren- heit, the surface of the hike was smooth and firm enough to satisfy the most fastidious skaters of the Serpentine. On the verge of the horizon, the sky assumed that peculiar appearance which whalers call ice-blink, and which is the result of the glare of light reflected obliquely from the surface of the ice again.\t the opposite atmos- f^m^ 112 THE PUR COUNTRY, M Ml m \i , .J* 13? m i \ pbere. Vast tracts of the ocean became gradually solidified, tbe \{^ fields, formed by the accumulation of icicles, became wtlJe 1 to the coast, presenting a surface broken and distorted by the action oi tka waves, and contrasting strongly with the smooth mirror of the lake. Here and there floated these long pieces, scarcely cemented together at the edges, known as " drift ice," and the " hummocks," or pro- tuberance.- caused by the squeezing of one piece against another, were also of frequent occurrence. In a few days the aspect of Cape Bathurst and the surrounding districts was completely changed. Mrs Barnett'r- delight and enthusiasm knew no bounds ; everything was new to her, and sl:e would have thought no fatigue or suffering too great to be endured for the sake of witnessing such a spectacle. She could imagine nothing more sublime than this invasion of winter with all its mighty forces, this conquest of the aorthern regions by the cold. All trace of the distinctive features of th^ rruntry had disappeared ; the land was metamorphosed, a new country was springing into being before her admiring eyes, a country gifted with a grand and touch- ing beauty. Details were lost, only the large outlines were given, scarcely marKed out against the misty sky. One transformation scene followed another with magic rapidity. The ocean, which but lately lifted up its mighty waves, was hushed and still ; the verdanfc soil of various hues was replaced by a carpet of dazzling whiteness \ the woods of trees of diffeient kinds were converted into groups of gaunt skeletons draped in hoar-frost ; the radiant orb of day had become a pale disc, languidly running its allotted course in the thick fog, and visible but for a few hours a day, whilst the sea- horizon, no longer clearly cut against the sky, was hidden by an end- less chain of ice-bergs, broken into countless rugged forms, and building up that impentlrable ice-wall, which Nature has set up between the Pole and the bold explorers who endeavour to reach it. We can well understand to how many discussions and conversa- tions the altered appearance of the country gave rise. Thomas Black was the only one who remained indifferent to the sublime beauty of the scene. But what could one expect of an astronomer so wrapped up in his one idea, that he might be said to be present in the little colony in the body, but absent in spirit ] He lived in the contemplation of the heavenly bodies, passing from the examina- tion of one constellation to that of another, roving in imagination THE APPROACH OF WINTER. 113 i, tbe ice- id to the (m 01 tjia the lake. tonetlier " or pro- auothor, rrounding liglit and :, and she 3 endured d imagine Lth all its the cold, sappeared ; into being and touch,- krere given, isformation which but ;he verdanfc whiteness ; ) groups of ,£ day had rse in the list the sea- by an end- Iforras, and as set up Lr to reach conversa- Thoniaa the sublinio astrononief be present [e lived in Ihe exarainar imagination through the vast realms of space, peopled by countless radiant orbs, and fuming with rage when fogs or clouds hid the objects of his devotion from his sight. Hobson consoled him by promising him fine cold nights admirably suited to astronomical observations, when he could watch the beautiful Aurora Borealis, the lunar halos, and other phenomena of Polar countries worthy even of Aw admira- tion. The cold was not at this time too intense ; there was no wind, and it is the wind which makes the cold so sharp .and biting. Hunting was vigorously carried on for some days. The magazines became stocked with new furs, and fresh stores of provisions were laid up. Partridge and ptarmigans on their way to the south passed over the foit in great numbers, and supplied fresh and wholesome meat. Polar or Arctic hares were plentiful, and had already assumed their white winter robes. About a hundred of these rodents formed a valuable addition to the reserves of tht» colony. There were also large flocks of the whistling swan or hooper, one of the finest species of North America. The hunters killed several couples of them, handsome birds, four or five feet in entire length, with white plumage, touched with copper colour on the head and upper part of neck. They were on their way to a more hospitable zone, where they could find the aquatic plants and insects they reqiiired for food, and they sped through the air at a rapid pace, for it is as much their native element as water. Trumpeter swans, with a cry like the shrill tone of a clarion, which are about the same size as the hoopers, but have black feet and beaks, also passed in great numbers, but neither Marbre nor Sabine were fortunate enough to bring down any of them. However, they shouted out " au revoir " in significant tones, for they knew that they would return with the first breezes of spring, and that they could then be easily caught. Their skin, plumage, and down, arg all of great value, and they are therefore eagerly hunted. In some favourable years tens of thousands of them have been exported, fetching half a guinea a piece. During these excursions, which only lasted for a few hours, and were often interrupted by bad weather, packs of woives wore often met with. There was no need, to go far to find them, for, rendered bold by hunger, they already ventured close to the factory. Their scent is very keen, and they were attracted by the smell from the kitchen. During the night they could be heard howling in a threat- ening manner. Although not dangerous individually, these carniva 114 THE FUR COUNTRY. roQS beasts are formidable in packs, and the hunters therefore took tare to be well armed when they went beyond the enceinte of the fort. The bears were still more aggressive. Not a day passed without Beveral of these animals being seen. At night they would come close ap to the enclosure, and some were even wounded with shot, but got off, staining the snow with their blood, so that up to October 10th hot one had left its warm and valuable fur in the hands of the hunters. Hobson would not have them i^'^le; ,, rightly judging that with sucli formidable creatures it wa,i - remain on the defensive, and it was not improbabJp that, urged on by hunger, they might attack Fort Hope before very long. Then the little colony could defend itself, and provision its stores at the sama time. For a few days the weather continued dry and cold, the surface of the snow was firm and suitable for walking, so that a few excursions were made without difficulty along the coast on the aouth of the fort. The Lieutenant was anxious to ascertain if the agents of the St Louis Fur Company had left the country. No traces were, however, found of their return march, and it was therefore concluded that they had gone down to some southern fort to Tjass the winter by another route. The few fine days were soon over, and in the ^ t w^^pk of November the wind veered round to the south, m:./ rr; K. «,em- perature warmer, it is true, but also bringing heavy aL^i' -? A,:raa. The ground was soon covered with soft cushion several fet" ■" ok, which had to be cleared away round the house every day, whilst a lane was made through it to the postern, the shed, and the stable of the dogs and rein-deer. Excursions became more and more rai-e, and it was impossible to walk without snow-shoes. When the snow has become hardene^ by frost, it easily sustains the weight of a man; but when it \. . ' . and yi'lHling, and the unfortunate pedestrian sinks into it up to his knee , i j'- snow-shoes used by Indians are invaluable. Lieutenant Hobson and his companions were quite accustomed to walk in them, and could glide ab'i'at over the snow as rapidly as skaters on ice; Mrs Barnei j had es.r v )>ractised wearing them, and was quite as expert in tl^eir use iu the rest of the party. The frozen lake as well as the coast was scoured by these indefatigable explorers, who were even able to advance several miles from the shore on the solid surface of the ocean now covered with ice several feet thick. It was, however, very tiring work, for the ice THE APPROACH OF WINTER. IIP took fort. hout close tgot lOth f the dging m the ,they iolony lurfaca a few on the if the ^ No it was '.m fort r p.k of fcem- !•>■' ,o:'ai3. •^•ck, hilst a table of re ruie, justainB uid the ^w-shoes omed to -)idly as 3in, and The [atigable ps from (with ice the ice fields were rugged and uneven, strewn with piled-up ridges of ice and hummocks which had to be turned. Further out a chain of icebergs, some five hundred feet high, barred their progress. These mighty icebergs, broken into fantastic and picturesque forms, were a truly magnificent spectacle. Here they looked like the whitened ruins of a town with curtains battered in, and monuments and columns overthrown ; there like some volcanic land iorn and convulsed by earthquakes and eruptions ; a confusion of glaciers and glittering ice-peaks with snowy ramparts and buttresses, valleys, and crevasses, mountains and hillocks, tossed and distorted like the famous Alps of Switzerland. A few scattered birds, petrels, guillemots, and puffins, lingering behind their fellows, still enlivened the vast solitude with their piercing cries ; uuge white bears roamed about airongst the hummocks, their dazzling coats scarcely dibtinguishablo from the ebiniiig ice — truly there was enough to interest and excite our adventurous lady traveller, and even Madge, the faithful Madge, shared the enthusiasm of her mistress. How far, how very far, were both from the tropic zones of India or Australia ! Thei frozen ocean was firm enough to have allowed of the passage of a park of artillery, or the erection of a monument, and many were the excursions on its surface until the sudden lowering of the temperature rendered all exertion so exhausting that they had to be discontinued. The pedestrians were out of breath after taking a few ►"^teps, and *>he dazzling whiteness of the glittering snow could not b-^ endurad by the naked eye \ indeed, the reverberation or flickering ghre of the undulatory reflection of *the light from thi e-icface of the snow, has been known to cause several cases of blind- ness amongst the Esquimaux. A singular phenomenon due to the refraction of rays of light was now observed : Distances, depths, and heights lost their true pro- portions, five or six yards of ice looked like two, and many were the falls and ludicrous result;) of this optical illusion. On October 1 4th the thermometer marked 3° Fahrenheit below zero, a severe temperature to endure, especially when the north wind blows strongly. The air seemed to be made of needles, and those who ventured out of the house were in great danger of being frost-bitten, when death or mortification would ensue if the suspended circulation of the blood were not restored by immediate friction with snow. Qarry, Belcher, Hope, and other \V ii6 THE FUR COUNTRY, members of the little community were attacked by frost-bite, but the parts affected being rubbed in time they escaped without serious injury. It will readily be understood that all manual labour had now become impossible. The days were extremely short, the sun was