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BLACKETT ROBINSON, s JORDAN STRKET 1885, TUT) Le r /<{ Entered according to Act of Parliament of Ganaila, in the Year one thousand eight hundred and eighty-five, by C. Blackktt KoniNSON, in the office of the Minister of Agriculture. PREFACE. ?HERE is no portion of the Dominion of which so little is generally known as " Our North Land," a term which I have applied to that vast expanse of territory stretching from the Atlantic to the a^J Pacific, and from the fiftieth parallel to the Arctic Circle ; and yet I venture to say that there is no other part of the continent which presents a greater variety of interesting features — features interesting to the student of imtural history ; to the lover of travel, romance, and adventure ; to the man of business, on the look out for opportunities of profitable trade and commerce ; to the miner and prospector ; to the promoters of railway and steamboat lines ; to the student of meteorology ; and especially to the young, who should improve every opportunity of extending their knowledge of the physical geography of their own country. The following pages are founded chiefiy upon the experiences of the Canadian Government Expedition to Hudson's Bay and Strait ; Mr. Klotz's overland Expedition to Hudson's Bay ; Dr. Bell's Hudson's Bay Explorations ; the Travels and Explorations in the North-West of Dr. Selwyn, Mr. Marcus Smith and many others, and the Travels and Experiences of the Author. I have endeavoured, from the information thus obtained, to give an account of the vast resources of the region in question, to describe the industri(!8 now in active operation, and to point o'lt tlio possibilities of their future development. Tlie export from the products of the oil-bearing animals of the waters of Hudson's Bay alone amounts, at the present time, to over $150,000 annually, and may bo increased to five times that amount ; in many districts the fur trade is yet in its infancy ; and tlio cod, salmon, and trout fislu^ries oiler large and sure returfts to almost any extent tliat capital and labour can bo found to develop them. vi. Preface. In a description of the habits and customs of the native inhabitants, and an account of the adventures of traders, whalers, navigators and missionarie'^, I have not avoided a certain degree of romance, with which these narratives are necessarily interwoven. But the reader must not mistake this for fiction, which has been rigidly excluded. In a discussion of the question of the practicability of the proposed Hudson's Bay route as a commercial highway, I have brought to bear upon the subject all the evidence obtainable, and left the reader to judge for himself, whether or not, in the near future, the necessities of trade will find a successful channel of transportation from China and Japan to Europe across the American Continent by way of the waters of Hudson's Bay and Strait ; and whether or not these waters will become a successful outlet for the products of the Canadian North- West. I have been actuated by the belief tliat the information convcsyed in these pages will be a contribution, more or less valuable ; that the work will aid in bringing the vast resourcos and future pos8il)ilitieH of the Dominion to the attention of the world ; and serve, also, to entertain and amuse, as well as to extend, in a limited degree, the knowledge of tlie reader. OUAS. R. TuTThB. WiNNiPKo, January, 1885. CONTENTS. Chapteb I. THE ATTKAOTI()>f OF THK NORTH. PAOB. Tho North- VVostorly Trond of Civilization — A Quostioii of TriuiBportation — Tho Canadian Pacific Railway and tiio North- West — i'roposod Now Transcontinental Lino 17 Ohai'tkr IJ. THK Hudson's hay kxpkdition. Tho Question of tho Hudson's Bay llouto in tho liouao of Coniuions — Tho Soloot Coniinittoo — Tho Evidonco— Doi)arturo of tho Expedition 26 Ohai'tkr III. THIC LAIIUADOR. Blano Sablon -Tho Iceborgs — Tho Poojtlo and PursuitB of tho Labrador — Tho Noptuno in a Wind Storm 37 Chaj'tkr IV. THK MORAVIAN MIHSIONS. 'Ford's Harbour — Tho Lono Vishorwoniaii Holi^ion and Husincss- Tho Christiaui/od Kskinio -A Curious Huriai (irounil — Tho Moravian Church —Tho VilhvKo of Nain 43 • OHAI'TKR V. THK WONHKRS OK NACHVAK. Tho Ktornal Hiiow-oniwui'd IIIIIh of Naohvak A Dosolato Hudson's Kay I'ost (Irand Natural Hconory Skynnor's Covo r.t. lluniford's Cavo.. . . 51 OUAITKH VI. TAI'M OHlM)t,HY. — rOHT IM'RWRI.Ii. In Hudson Strait -Pisoovtwy of a Maifuiltoont Haiixmr Tho flrandour of Mo Lolan Strait Thu Ruins of NownuuK*' Tho Kskinio - An HJskinio Ciilof and i'rinuoss nS OUAITKR VII. IN IIOlmON HTHAIT. ClooKraphv of tlio Strait Looking for ii Harbour in lloavy W(r A lllin(iiu^ AuKunt Snow Htoriu Itusoluliou island Tumporarily Aban- donod - Runnini; tho loo lloos noar Mi^ Island . . , <17 Vlll. Contents. ClIAPTKK VIII. NOKTH BLUFF — AHIIE's INLET. PAQB. Visit from. Huskies — Strange Account of a Shipwreck — Getting Information Through an Interpreter — Trading with the Natives — Ice Jams— Bad Weather — A Monster Iceberg 72 Chapter IX. PKINOE OF WALEH SOUND. ' Interesting Interview with an Eskimo— The Marriage of a Native heauty — Trading with f'^j Huskies — Tlie Romance of Love-Making — How a Bravo Wins a Bride in the Far Nortii 77 Ohaptkh X. htupakt's hay station. CharacteristicH of tlio Eskimo— Description of tlio Kayak— The Difliculties of Inhind Travi'l— The "American Man" — Eskiino Vilhiges- Articles of Tra(Ut 80 Chaptf.h XI. lm A Taht of Sullering and Death The Lohn (Vf Six U halers in till) Woloouio— ('uriouH liuiiiH Writing on the Itoekn 110 OlIAl'TKH XV. KHOM MAKIILK ISLAND TO CllliUCIMLL, Uain, Wind, Fog and Heavy Seas Untling ami I'itohing, aiul Waiting for Fine Weatlior-Hea-nioknosii Arrival ut Ohurohill Olioering I'ronpeot. 131 Contents. IX. Chapter XVI. SUNDAY AT PORT CHURCHILL. PAOK, Preparations fur Church— Tlio Rov. Mr. Lufthouso— A Curious Courtship by Piiotos^raph and Lottor -An IntundoJ Hrido Starts from tho Old Country to Hudson's Bay to Bocomo tlio Wife of a Missionary l"ho Church and the Sermon — The Dinner at Ciiurchill, etc 120 Chapter XVII. churchfll i'kople anu industries. The Half-breeds of Churchill — Their Condition, Habits, etc. — Uncle Sanniiy and (Jranny Gray — Description of Churchill Villai,'e-Tho Couunerce and industries of Churchill- Old Fort Prince of Wales \'>i^> Chaptkr Will. TIIK ATTRA(;TI()N.S ok VOHK I'A(!T()RY. An Anchora^o in the Open Water — A Voyaj^o in a York lioat — The Streets an I Buildings of tins .Ancient MetropoliH nf York — The ('roe Scttle- inent--(Jreat Kindness of the Hudson's Bay Couiiiany's People- Sick- ness— Death— A Murder Trial 145 Chaptkr XIX. AN EX(!ITINil POLAR IIIOAR HUNT. Fnun York to Cape Di^Kos — A Pleasant Voyai,'e .\crosB the Bay — Kstablish- miMit of an Observini,' Station at Dium-s -A (ilaneo at Ca|)e Wolsten- hoinie (Japtiire of Tliret" Polar Bears |)( partnre from Diyi{es .\riival at i'ort DoBouciiervillo — Weather Notes IM ClIAI'TKK XX. ON TIIK HOCKS oK KKSOLUTKtN. The Homeward .lourney Visit to Ashe's Inlet —Stupart's Bay and I'ort Burwell .Attempt to Make a Landinu' on Bt'sobiiion Island- I'ast on the Rocks -Arrival at St. John's, N. K., and llalifa.K, N.S 17.'$ CUAl'TKU XXI. 'P.USONAI, ANI» IMI'KUSONAI,. Brief I'oraonal Sketches of Lieutenant (Jordon, Captain Sopj) and Dr Bell — Their I'oouliarities ,uul CiuiracteristieH. I HO CnArri'.it XXII. OAMK. oil" TMi; Ml Dson's HAY RKtIlON. The IMarmii^an or Aretio TarlridKe Tlie NVild Dui'Ls and (leese -(Mlier Wild Kowl-The Charactermties of the Reindi'er or Caribou Singular Trails and tlharaeteristies of tl\e Polar Bear ISO ClIAPTKH XXIII. NOIITIIKRN WIIAI.KH AND WIIAI.INtl. An Kxeitiim Vocation —llarpooniiin a Wliale The Appearance iiiul llnliils of tint Whale The Swivel Harpoon «un The Man in the Crow's Nist --"A I'alll"- A " Flurry" — Ineidenls of Whaling -Value <.f Our North. Ill Wivtorn 104 X. Contents. Chapter XXIV. THE PORPOISE, THE WALRUS, THE NARWHAL AND THE SEAL. PAOH. Character and Value of these Animala — The Porpoise Fisheries — The Walrus- Hunt — Peculiarities of the Narwhal — Probabilities of a Seal-Breeding Ground in the Strait— Groat Opportunities of the Oil Industry 202 Chapter XXV. THE RCONOMIC! FISHES OF HUDSON'S BAY AND STRAIT. The Wonders of tlie Common Codfish— The Beauty, Tact and Skill of the Sal- mon — Delicious Trout— -How Fortunes May bo Made in the Hudson's Bay Fisheries 210 Chapter XXVI. FUR-IIKARINO ANIMALS. The Silver, Blue, Grey, Red, and White Foxes— Tiio Ermine— The Marten —The Otter— The Varying Hare -TJio Lynx— Tlio Wolf— The Wolverine —The Sable— The Musk ox Tiie Polecat— Tiie Badger— The Mu»k-rat —The Racoon— The Fur Trade 210 Chapter XXVII. THK ESKIMO INHAltlTANTS. Their Origin — Their Coinitry— Appearance and Dress — Dwellings — Occupa- tion — Imi)lonionts — Food- Moral Character — Beligion — Language — Population-Marriage, Courtship, etc 280 Chapter XXV III. NAVIGATION OF HUDSON'S HAY AND STRAIT. The Discovery and Exjjloratiitn of Hudson's Bay — Hudson Strait— The Tidal and Other (Jurreiits — Winds and Wind Storms — Meteorological Data — Fogs — Tem[)eraturo of the Air, etc 238 Chaptkr XXIX. NAvnuTioN OK Hudson's hay and HTiiKn.—Coutinncd, Climate— Tomporature nf the Water Vegetation— Comparative Tempera- t uroB 254 Omaptkh XXX. NAVKIATION OK HUDSON'S HAY AND STRAIT. (^tniiinied. loobergs and Tlioir Origin -Various Kinds of Too Found in Hudson Strait — lioiial loo -!tH'riuokiu»HH,MovninontHaml Interfcroneo witli Navigation — The Kox (!liannol Ice — lis ThioknosH and Frecpionoy of Appearance in the Strait - The Season of Navigation . 259 (■HAl'TEIl XX XT. NAVKIATION oii Hudson's hay and m'HAir.—Ctnttiiiuvd. Oharaotnr of the loo in llunl and l'rnduotivoii(>HHof tlio lludHon's May Hasin Kudu'o (h'eat ImportaiK'o of the IIuiIhouh Hay Kouto ax a Commoroial Highway. 2UH Contents. XI. Chaitek XXXII. THE Hudson's bay route. PAQH. Contemplations at Churchill — Tho Transcontinontal Short Lino — Port Simpson to Churchill— Tho Calgary, Prince Albert and Hudson's Hay Line — Tho Winnipeg and Hudscjn's Bay Road— Roads from Winnipeg to the Pacific Coast— Tho Future of Canada and tho North- West — Government Control of Railways 279 Chaptek XXXIIL FKOM THE PACIFIC TO HUDHON'h UAY. From Port Simpson to tho Pino River I'ass— Tho Harbour of Port Simp- son — The Va)ley of the Skeena -The Forks of tlie Skeeiia -Lakes Barbino, Stewart, McLnod, etc. -The Pino Rivor Pass Temperature — Railway Advantages — Resources, etc 286 Chai'teh XXXIV. FROM THFi PAtUFic TO hudson'.s BAY. — OontiuKed. From tho Pino River Pass to Churchill -A View of tho (Iroat Fertile Plains of tho North- West —The Peace Rivur Country Tho Alluvial Plains of tho Athal)aska— Tho Five Future Provinces of tho Nortli-West— Transportation — The Hudson'H Ray Route Distances !ilO Chapter XXXV. the klotz <)veri,ani) Hudson's iiav expedition. Tho (Jroat Saskatcliowan Country— The North and South Saskatcliowan — Tho I'roposed Calgary. Prince Albert and Hudsun's Ray Railway Dis- tances as (vompared with tiio Canadian Pacilio Railway - Advantages of tho Route 318 Chapter XXX VL THE KOI.TZ (»VKRI,AND HI'DHON'h IIAV EXPEomoN. — (\intinuc(l. From the Forks to Lake Winniiuig- Fort a la Corne — Cumberland Houau — 'I'lie Pass Ch(Mnaliawin Orand Rapids Tho Characteristies of tho Saskatchewan 324 Chaptiui XXXVIl. FIloM I-AKK VVINNIPKO TO IMIDSON's IIAV. Tho Ntdson River Routti The DaHliiug Rapids of tlm Nelson Norway llnUHo The Lakes and Islands nt tlie River The Timber The Month of tho Nulson as a liarbour — Charaeteristics of tho Country 341) nil. Chapter XXX VIII. MEM.'s IIUDHON'h IIAV KX PI.OUATIIINH. Tho I'^'ast Main Coast of llnilHon's May Vast Tract of Agrieultural Laiidn Tiying Mel ween I he (heat IjukeM and .lami'H'H Hay Tli(> ('liuiide of (but Country Minerals <>!' the Kust Main Coast (iunural Fuaturus of tho Country Timber, etc 308 Xll. Contents. Chapter XXXIX. li.E INDIANH OK THE NORTH. FAGB. The Croes and the Chippewayans— The Sioux and the Blackfeet— Thoir Homes, their Haunts and thoir Habits — Shvves of the Hudson's Bay Company 375 Chapter XL. THE OHBAT NOTRH-WEST. Extent of the i^reat Fortih) Areas— The Five Future Provinces of the North- VVest— Probal)lo Future of the Central Portions of Canada-- Railways - The Hudson's Bay Route— Cause of the Agitation and Discontent in Manitoba 382 Chapter XLT. the oueat nokti'-west - manitoba. The Central Province of Canada -Soil and Productions of the Province — Climate — The Hudson's Hay Route -The (Jrowth and Probable Future of Winnipet,' and Manitoba ^92 Chapter XLTT. the ureat noutii-west the terhprories. Boundaries and Areas of the North West Territoritis --'rcstimony of 'I'ravol- lers and Eminent Men on (he Extent and Croat Fertility of the Canadian North-West Tiio Oliiuafo of the Hiorgo Cartier aiul llonoural>lo William MeDougall The lied Kiver Rebellion Res- toration of Peace — Formation of the Provinoo of Manitoba 448 Chapter XLVl. FMDRUAI, llEliATIo.Ns OK THE NORTH-WEHT — (hnHllHcd. Manitoba lliglits under the Ibilisb North Ameriea .Act The Canadian Pacilic Kailway and IMsallotvanee Tiie Manitoba ,\gitation _ Tho Farmers' Convtintiou PropositioiiH from the Federal lloveriHnont - Their Uefumvl by tho Legislature— Tho Hudson's Hay (JIuoBtion 463 Contents. Xlll, Chapter XLVII. needed railway competition in the north-west. PAOK. The Railway System that ought to bo Encouraged — Lines Competing with the Canadian Pacitic Railway llociuired — The End of Monopoly 468 Chapter XLVIII. PROVING thk Hudson's ray route. Inefficiency of the Stationary Parties to Determine the Period of Navigation — The Period of Navigation to bo i)r<)vud only by Navigating the Straits— True Value of Observing Statitms 471 Chapter XLIX. a propohkd two years' tour. The Rest Method of Settling the Question of tlio Navigation of the Hud- Hon's May Route — Necessity of Krocting Heacona and nmkiiig a Survey of the Coasts —A Winter Expedition Neconsary 477 Chapter L. opening the Hudson's ray route. Cost of t;i'< Proposinl Enter])riae — The Lines from Winnipeg and Prince Albert to (/liurcliill — OnoTIiousand Miles — Twenty Wooden SteiuiishipB — Twenty ^Llli()ns of DoUiirs - Proijosed Land and Cash Sul)sidy -A Hudson's May Syndicate Wanted 481 Chapter LL commeruiai- importan(^e of hudson's hay. The MuilHon'a May Masiii The Principal Rivera Linnber, Minerala, Oil- bearing AiiinniN, and Other Productions— Practicability of tlio Hudson's May Route — CoMuuercial Advantages of the |{oute 4H(5 Chaptkr LTL TIIK ni'USON's HAY ROUTE SUPI'ORTKD. The Debate in thu IIouh(> of ('ommona Speech of Mr. Moyal, Mr. Watson, Mr. (^iHey, Dr. Oilou, Mr. Dawson, Sir.lohu A. MacDonald and Hon. Mr. Mlake Kailli KxprcHHi'd in the Route — Its Advantagca to the North-West Ita Importancu to (!anada - I'roposed Expedition 4SM> Chaptkr LI II. THM hudhon's may ROUTK. OPI'OSKD. The Enterprise and Oppoaition of the Toronto Af(ti7 Newapuper Miuatato- nu»ut of Facts Coiitradieted and Explained Why the Occim Nymph waa Detaiiu'd — Sirange Detention of tlui Prince of WaUm 'i'he Cam Owen lltuU the Htrait O[)on Late in Ootobor 617 XIV. Contents. I i I* il Chapter LIV. the question of immigration. PAGE. The Exodus from the Countries of Europe — Canada Getting Ready to Receive a Population — Political and Commercial Union — Millions in the Old World yet to Come to the Now — British Columbia as a Field for Immigration — The North- West 628 Chapter LV. A nobleman's view of the north-west. A Graphic Description of the Vast Prairie Region — Future Homes of Millions of People — The Canadian Zone and Transcontinental Trade — Opinions of the Marquis of Lome — The Future of Canada 53G Chapter LVI. immigration and the Hudson's bay route. Contrast between Travelling from Europe to the North-West by the St. Lawrence and the Hudson's Bay Route — The Advantages of the Latter — The Distance Saved and the Pleasures Enjoyed — Proposed Special Immigration Steamships 554 Chapter LVTL THE growth of C!ANADA AND IMPERIAL FEDERATION. Growth in Population, Trade and Commerce — Extention of Territory — Consolidation — Confederation C'cmonted by the Means of Interpro- vincial Commerce— The Era of Nation-building — The Great Railroads — The Hudson s Bay Route — its Advantages to Canada and Great Britain — Imperial Federation 668 (i I 528 INDEX TO ILLUSTllATIONS. PAon, Map of Hudson's Bay Rojrion frontispiece. Map of the Dominion facimj 279 " Apostles' Creed "— Chippewayan .** 131 " Barns," The, Lake Nipegon 303 Beaver 217 Bi' -5k Whale 194 -hippowayan Syllabarium 379 Cod, Labrador 39 Cree Indian Church, York Factory 149 Creo Indians forming for a Dance — York Factory 153 Cree Indian Sylhibarinm 37O Cumberland House 332 Dead Man's Island— Marble Island 115 Ducks, Wild (Eider, etc. ) 188 Ducks, Wild (" Howdens ") 188 East Main Coast of Hudson's Bay 3(59 Entrance to Richmond Gulf, East Main Coast of Hudson's Bay 371 Ermine 227 Eskimo (Jravo, An (Jl Eskimo Snow Huts 58 Eskimo Syllabarium 1]86 Fort i\ la Come 827 Foxes, Blue, (iroy, and White >219 Harpooning a Whale 195 Hudson's Hay Company's Post, Urand Rapids 341 Hymn, " Knocking, Knocking," etc. — Eskimo 236 Inside of Stockade, Norway House 340 Kayak, The 88 Ku-killia-ke-a-kuni 82 liabradi (^oat 38 Ijord's I'rayer- Kskimo 236 Martun 220 Mot (led Seal 208 Mouth of the SaskatchowftU 338 XVI. Index to Illustrations. \ » PAOE_ Narwhal and Porpoise 205 Nelson River — Missinaibi River 354 Neptune, The, Steaming through Field-ice 101 Norway House 344 Ocean Nymph, Arrival of — York Factory 147 Old Fort Prince of Wales 141 Old Fort Prince of Wales, Ground Plan of 143 Otter 221 Polar Bear 163 Polar Bears 192 Porpoise (White Whale) 202 Ptarmigan — Grouse 187 Red Fox 218 Reindeer 189 Robinson Portage 358 Salmon 213 Scene on the Nelson River 351 Seals, A Bevy of 206 Stupart's Bay 78 Walrus 203 White Mud Falls, Nelson River 348 Wolf 226 Wolverine 226 York Factory — Side View 151 York P^actory— Front View 156 1 PORTRAITS. Lieutenant Andrew R. Gordon, R.N 180 R. Bell, M.D., LL.D., F.G.S 183 Alfred R. C. Selwyn LL.D., F.R.S 287 Otto J. Klotz, D.T.S 319 A I'PENDIX. Lieutenant A. R. Gordon's Roi)ort of the Hudson's Bay Expedition, with Comments. k CHAPTER I. The Attraction of the North. THE north-westerly TREND OF CIVILIZATION — A QUESTION OF TRANSPORTATION — THE CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY AND THE NORTH-WEST — PROPOSED NEW TRANSCONTINENTAL LINE. The world's march of Commerce, and Science, and Skill, In errands of blessing, their work to fulfil. Move in the same course— north-westerly still. RHE directive magnetic force that controls the mariner's p needle is not a more attractive problem than is the not less unerring north-westerly trend of human progress. ^ Westward and northward have the marching orders been, until the people of the present generation must look southward and eastward for the homes of their ancestors. The greatest deeds have always been accomplished in high latitudes, because the highest latitudes produce the greatest men. And yet, strange as it may seem, the north is always underrated. Go to the Eastern Hemisphere for examples of this. Half a century before the birth of Christ, CiBsar concluded a mighty series of north-west conquests, by subjugating the hardy inhabitants of the then far north, the British Isles ; but the act was regarded by the Romans more in the light of erecting the Imperial standard on the utmost confines of the north, than as a conquest of valuable territory. A few short centuries and the island camping-ground of the Roman conqueror became the mistress of the world. Upon those far northern shores a mighty commerce began to develop, and vast industrial enterprises grew up, until, in every part of the earth, England was hailed as the greatest nation under the sun. But 18 Our North Land. there was no prophet to foretell England's glory, nor was there anything in the general appearance of the country upon which a high degree of future greatness could have been predicted. Lati- tude is one of the secrets of Britain's importance. History is ever repeating itself, and the political transforma- tions of the Old World may yet, to a great extent, be re-enacted in the New. Here on this continent the trend of all ma.terial progress is north-westerly. The flow of immigration is north-westerly, and the Great Creator, as if to make way for the advance, has pushed back, as it were, the cold of the Arctic nearer to the Pole, and spread out the vast fertile belt of the North Temperate Zone from the Great Lakes to the Mackenzie River ; so that may not this England of the New World yet become to the Western Hemisphere all that the England of the Old World is to the Eastern ? For many years Canada has held an obscure place among the countries of the globe. Our borders have been pictured as the abode of perpetual snows, and our people as indifferent, easy-going, indolent. But a change is taking place. The narrow, little, rugged country on the margins of the St. Lawrence has extended its borders from Atlantic to Pacific, and to the Arctic Circle of the north ; the harvest-patches of Western Ontario, once the pride of United Canada, have blossomed into boundless fertile prairies, stretching away toward the setting sun, and pushing their golden fields far above the fifty-fifth parallel. With these changes have arisen national questions of trans-Pacific and transcontinental trade, and Canada is putting on the garment of preparation to enter the race of nations. Canada's progress is but another evidence of the strength and productiveness of the north, but another development of power and commercial importance in higli latitudes, antl it will probably achieve the greatest advancement to which the race has yet attained. Canada has soil enough for the happy homos of a hundred millions of people. Bread and beef may bo produced within her boundaries to food a hundred millions more ; and, aside from all this development of husbandry, the resources of the Dominion will sustain the most gigantic industrial enterprises. I Tiie Attraction of the North. 19 as there which a I, Lati- Qsforma- lacted in progress erly, and s pushed id spread from the England e all that inong the d as the ,sy-going, ,6, rugged mded its le of the pride of prairies, ir golden ges have al trade, nter the igth and l^wer and irobably I has yet Los of a produced fid, aside of the •n I •jf. ',4! '§ Commerce, the sure passport to national greatness, is destined to set up a throne of universal e^npire in Canada, because the immense volume of transport traffic passing from the eastern shores of China and Japan to the western shores of Europe, which has hitherto cast its wealth into the coffers of the United States, will soon seek the shorter and less expensive routes about to be opened up across the continent through Dominion territory. It is probably by solving the one question of transportation that Canadians will overcome the last obstacle to their material progress, and a solution of this is already at hand. I will submit a few figures of distances in this connection, that will explain to some extent the northward inclination of latitudinal transportation, and give you the reason why, just now, so many eyes are turned toward the north; why the Canadian Government Expedition was sent out to Hudson's Bay and Strait, and why our north land is destined to attract so much attention in the future. These figures are given in respect of transcontinental lines and of lines proposed as direct outlets from the fertile prairies of the North-West. If we take Yokohama, a central point in Japan, and Liverpool, the great commercial centre of Europe, it will bo an easy matter to find the shortest lines between the two. LINE NUMBER ONE. Yokohama to San Francisco (nautical miles) 4,470 San Francisco to New York (statute miles) 3, .390 New York to Liverpool (nautical miles) 3,040 Total navigation and railway distance 10,900 LINE NUMBER TWO. Yokoliama to Port Moody (nautical miles) 4,374 Port Moody to Montreal, C.P.R. (statute miles) 2,885 Montreal to Liverpool (nautical miles) 3,000 Total navigation and railway distance 10,259 20 Our North Land. LINE NUMBER THIIKE. Yokohama to Port Simpson, B.C. (nautical miles). 3,865 Port Simpson to Churchill, Hudson's Bay (statute miles) ' 1,450 Churchill to Liverpool (nautical miles) 2,9^0 Total navigation and railway distance 8,275 Route No. 1. — Total nautical and statute miles. .. . 10,900 Route No. 2. — Total nautical and statute miles. .. . 10,259 Route No. 3. — Total nautical and statute miles. . .. 8,276 Difference in favour of No. 2 over No. 1 641 DifTerenco in favour of No. 3 over No. 1 2,625 Difference in favour of No. 3 over No. 2 1,984 These fi])ing intor- iiM" l.h(> ^Vith a \\, and from the International Boundary on the south to the Arctic Circle, Canada contains very divergent interests — interests predicated upon the physical geography and natural resources of the country, which, even under the best conducted parliamentary rule, must frequently clash, setting Province against Province, and section against section; or, perliaps, more properly speaking, the Provincial against the Federal authority. Nova Scotia was the first to apprehend this dangoi* and to raise this cry. Before Confederation was an accomplished fact, in 18G7, and while the scheme was being agitated, some of the people of that Province looked upon the promised Intercolonial Railway as an effort to change the natural channels of commerce. If built as a Government measure, tliey reasoned, the Government would bo in duty bound to sustain it by encouraging in every possible way sifch inter- Provmcial conunerco as would enable Montreal and Toronto in a great degree to supplant New York and Boston in their trade relations with Halifax and St. John. The one was a natural chatmel of commerce, th(^ other artificial. Both were advi.sahle, but the latter could become .sell -sustaining only undcir a tariff sulHciently protective to cut off a grrat portion of the shipping trade between the United States and the Maritime Provinces — a policy which the people down by the sea have not yet been able to fully reconcile with their geograpMcal position. But Confederation was accom])lished, the Intercolonial was con- structed, and the days of the high tariff were inauginated, not to protect the railway, but resulting in such protection all the same. Immediately Nova Seotians began to trade with Montreal and the oiticis of Ontario, and in such proportion as this was of Nova Scotia, hut many (if (Im* peoph* did n(,t, for a longtinui.reatlily accept the new situation ; in fact th»>y do not accept it yet. History again repeats itself, The ease of Manitoba in 1880 And 1881, in respect of the Pacific llailwny, was very much the ^1 22 Our North Land. same in many ways as that of Nova Scotia touching the Inter- colonial at, and subsequent to, Confederation. For that matter the respective positions of the two Provinces remain unchanged, and are likely to continue in the sarpe way for years to come, unless Nova Scotia finds more than her due in receiving the Atlantic terminus of the Canadian Pacific, which is improbable. The parallel, how- ever, is not without its disagreements. Manitoba, in 187H, had but a small population, and the Province was only beginning to be thought of as a Held for immigration. The Canadian Pacific Rail- way, undertaken to connect British (^olumbia, commercially, with the Dominion, to which it had been united by political ties, seemed to open up the vast fertile prairies of Manitoba and the North- West to settlement and cultivation. The expenditure of large sums of public money, and the richness of the soil in that region, together with the prospect of early railway communication between Manitoba and the Eastern Provinces over Canadian territory, (paused a rush of immigration. In a short time Manitol>a contained a numerous and enterprising jjopulation, and Winnipeg was on the road to great coninuTcial importance. Ti»i» developntent brouglit new conditicms, and cimsetpientiy now ideas, to the settlers. h\ IH(S() the Syndicate, or C-anadian Pacific Railway (vonjpany, was brought into legal existence by Pai'lianuMjt, and the railway transf(>rred to that (-ompany on terms which gave consider- able alarm in Manitoba, principally on account t)f the so-called twenty years' monopoly claiisi>, The p(M)pl(> saw themselves shut out from the markets of St. J*aul an(l Chicago by the t/anadian proti'ctivc tarilf, as also by the twt>n(y years' protection to the (^inatlian I'acilic linilway ('onipany, and lookt^l to a long future subjiu-t to a "grinding monopoly," jis the mon? violctit w«m(> inclined t(» characterize it. Impati(«nt at this prospect, nn effort w the eonstruction of railway oonunimication with the United Statrs, by Provincial LegiHlativo enactment, but the veto powei* of the K(Ml(Mal aiithority was oxer* oisi'd and the charter disallowed, Following this, tlu' hegislaturo placed other enactmi'nts un the statute book authorizing the eon- (Htruotion of linen, contrary to the provisions of the Syndicate i The Attraction of the North. 23 bargain, and tliese, too, were promptly Jisallowed by the Central Government. Meanwhile, discontent in Manitoba was beginning to take root, Liberal politicians seized upon these acts to prejudice the people against the Dominion Government, and every effort was made to fan the discontent into a flame of open defiance of the Federal authority. In the midst of this agitation Providence visited the farmers with heavy frosts, and consequent bad harvests. This visitation, together with scanty railway communication, greatly augmented the feeling of discontent, which, manipulated by designing politicians, cul- minated in sevei'al j)olitical n.eetings at which unwise and mislead- ing resolutions were passed, calculated to discourage immigration and otherwise greatly injure the Province. Somehow this agitation ^^ave rise to a movement in favour of the construction of a railway from Manitoba to Hudson's Bay, or to the establishment of t\u) Hudson's Bay route from Manitoba to the markets of the Old World. As far back as bS?!), charters had been obtanied from Parliament authorizing two such roads ; but nothing had been done under them, and, until tlw^ beginning of lHiS4, few people in the North-Wost Ix^came at all interested in the project. But now the "Hudson's Bay Kouto" became the only streak of sunshine in the " Manitoba agitation." Resolutions were passed declaring faith in the practicability of the route, urging tlu) Dominion Government to grant substantial assistance in opening it, and re('oiinu(Uidin^^ the Provincial Ijcgislaturo to authorize the Local Oovernment to undtMtako tho construction of the railway on the credit of the Province. Pursuant to the will of tlu^ people, tho Manitoba Goveriunoiit applied to the Central A it. 24 Our North Land. • Indeed the Federal Administration was forced into action by the threatening attitude of Manitoba. True, their hands were already more than full with a practically bankrupt railway company ; and not only so, but, as it would seem, any action leading to the immediate discovery of the practicability of the proposed Hudson's Bay route might have a tendency to impair the already doubtful credit of the Canadian Pacific, and in that way embarrass the country generally, which stood committed and re-committed to the construction of the Pacific railway. Nevertheless, the people of Manitoba would not be appeased short of prompt and decisive action, and made a strong eflfort through their Provincial Govern- ment to secure such Federal legislation as would bring the matter within their own control. Hence Parliament voted the funds, and an Expedition was fitted out to enquire into the navigability of the waters of Hudson's Bay and Strait. I do not know how nuich, if any, faith the Federal Administra- tion had in the possibility of establishini; a commercial highway over the waters of Hudson's Bay and Strait as a transportation line for the carrying trade of the (Canadian North-Wcst; b»it, supposing they had none, they were all the same justified in yielding to the im|)ortunities of Manitoba, to the extent of investigating the (pies- tion. In the North-West it was (juite dillerent; there the people, without a full knowledge of the character of the ice, which might or might not wholly destroy the navigation of the Strait nine months in the year, dote»'minod in their own minds that the Maker of Hudson's Hay had created that vast inter-ocean and |)laced it in the centre of the ncyrthern portion of the continent for purposes ol" commercial intercourse lK>tw«H)n thorn and the countries of northern Europe, and all ice arguments melted before their sanguine faith. The trend of the mighty streams, including the K(>d and Saskat- chewan systems, was toward Hudstju's Bay, and tht^ bent of the pooplo 1'o11ow(m1 the rivers. They romombored that when the Nortiiern Pacific promoters launched that enterprise they wore ridiculed and laughe»l at by the Union and Central Pacific people and the dnion and (Ventral Pacific^ p» ople's friiMids ; they remem- bered also that when this ridicule and this laughter died away The Attraction of the North, 26 under a realized certainty of Northern Pacific success, and when the promoters of the Canadian Pacific launched that enterprise, they were in turn ridiculed and laughed at by the Northern Pacific people and the Northern Pacific people's friends ; and now, as that ridicule and that laughter are dying away under a realizing cer- tainty of the Canadian Pacific succet.. nd as the people of Mani- toba and British Columbia are trying to launch the still more northern Canadian Pacific as the best route of them all, it has come to be the .turn of the Canadian Pacific people and the Canadian Pacific people's friends to ridicule and laugh ; and so the world moves on, and moves northward. The people of Manitoba had figured out the distances, and saw plainly thiit, should the waters of Hudson's Bay and Strait prove to be navigable for a sufiicient length of time, the farmers would bo able to reach Liverpool wi< their products hy that route with a saving of about one thousand miles of railway traffic, or sotno thirty cents a buHhel on their wheat. The cstablishmvi of such a route would therefore be an incalculable boon to the iNortli West, would mark the beginning of an era in Canada, and would guarantee the development of a vast British Empire north-west of the great lakes that might one day become the Greater Britain. i 'I . ! CHAPTER II. The Hudson's Bay Expedition. the question of the hudson's bay route in the house of commons — the select commitiee — the evidence — depar- ture of the expedition. Our work is a step in prof^ress Of the onward inarch of man ; Wo open the gates of another road To the wheels of a mighty van. 'HE question of the Hudson's Buy route was removed from the \i>'-* recklessness of a misguided agitation in Manitoba to the House of Commons of Canada where, on the eleventh of '^^^■^ February, 1884, Mr. Joseph Royal, M.P., of St. Boniface, moved : " That a select eonnnittee, composed of Messieurs Abbott, Brecken, Casey, Dawson, Des jardins, Foster, Macmaster, Paint. Rispel, Ross, Royal, Scott, Watson, White (Cardwell), and Wdodworth, be appointed to take into consideration the question of the navigation of Hudson s Bay, with power to send for persons, papers and records." Mr. Royal supported Ins motion by an able address, in whicli he th'ew considerable light upon tlie subject of the navigation of our northern waters, and pointed out the great achnntages the route, if found navigabl(>, wouhl be to the people of Manitoba. Ho was followed by the Hon. EdWard Blake nnd the Right Hon. Sir Jolin A. Macdonald, both of whom siipported the motion, and evinced a desire that steps should be taken as soon as possible to increase our knowl(Mlg(M)f the navigation of Hudson Strait. The motion was adojited, a»ul the committee at once comnumced its labours, holding its first session on the 22nd of F«>bruary, at which Dr. Rob(?rt Hell, Senior Assistant Director of the ()(M)logical Survey of Canada, waH examined at length. Mn had, in the course of his pro- fessional duties, visited ilie inunediute shores of Hudson's Bay, or the The Hudson's Bay Expedition. 27 country surrounding it, each of the six years from 1875 to 1881, both inclusive, and was therefore in a position to give much valuable information to the committee. Besides, he had passed through Hudson Strait, and had been to considerable trouble in collecting information from others concerning the navigability of those waters. Having travelled much over the country, he gave it as his opinion, based on an extensive knowledge of engineering, that there were, no great obstacles in the way of the construction of a railway from Winnipeg to Hudson's Bay. He further stated that the Bay and Strait were open long enough each year to be utilized for ordinary commerce, or to the extent of four and a-half months, and possibly longer. His own language was : " We know them both to be open for four and a-half months at least ; say, from the middle, and certainly from the end, of June until the middle of November." The Doctor gave a full account of the resources of the Bay and Strait and surrounding country, all of which was exceedingly favourable to their value. Statf-Commandor J. O. Boulton, Il.N., was examined on the 9''th of February. Ho had been to Ungava Bay, but his personal knowledge of the Bay and Strait was very limited. " What 1 would wish to do," he said, " would be to offer a few stiggestions as to what I consider the best way to acquire further information, and to establish the duration of the navigable season, which seems to mo to be the great object. I should first pro| »so that the Dominion Oovernment woald hire a steamer — one of the St. John's, New- foundland, steamers, for instance, which arc always at hand ; and her captain should lu^ one of the St. ilohn's sealing captains, well expi^rienced in ice navigation — if possible, the captain of the same vcHHol — and he should have the selection of his crew ; and if you want a pilot, the l)omini(m (Jovornment could apply to the Hud- son's Bay Company for a miin vvlio ha" been in their service. P(>rhap8 one of the mates of the two vessels, Ocean Nymph and I'rince of Wales, which go to York Factory now. might bo lent, if there is no retired man who would i)o suitable and avnilable for tho work. Tim Hritish Atlmiralty should also bo applied to for a sur- 28 Our North Land. veyor. In addition to the gentlemen I have enumerated at present, namely, the surveyor, the captain, the pilot, and ^ne crew, I think there should be six or seven small parties taken out in the vessel, to be landed at points in the Strait hereinafter mentioned, to be left all winter and picked up in the following spring. These parties should consist of a Canadian gentleman in charge, with some slight know- ledge of how to make a local survey and the use of instruments, with a couple of men, one of whom should be an English-speaking Eskimo, who, I think, could be picked up at York Factory. That would make about twenty altogether in all the parties. The Admiralty surveyor would have charge of the Expedition, and would select the localities for the landing parties, and direct the course of the vessel through the Strait, subjoct to the information of the sailing-master in all matters relating to ice, because the gentleman from the Admiralty might not be acquainted with the ice, and, if a surveyor, the chances are he is not. Then there comes the question of coal for the steamer. The distance from St. John's, Newfound- land, to York Factory and back, is about 4,000 miles, and the vessel would probably burn about 450 tons of coal ; therefore it would be necessary to have a vessel large enough to carry that (quantity of coal, to take her there and back. 1 think the vessel should leave St. John's on the 5th of July, arriving at the Strait about the 12th of July. She should then proceed, under the guidance of the pilot, to York Factory; the surveyor making a running survey and taking a line of soundings across Hudson's Bay. The ves.sol might visit Churchill, which probably would be a most suitable place for a terminus — the west harbour of Cniurchill — as well as York Factory. " Then, 1 think, the olHcer in charge should endeavour to pro- cure half-a-dozen English-speaking Mskimos frotu the Hudson's Bay post at York Factory, one of whom should be landed with each party to act as interpreter, in the event of visits from northern K.skimoH during tiieir stay on shore. The vessel should then return toward the Strait. Tarty No. 1 should bo landed on Manstield Inland, with material for building a hut, a year's ])ro- visions, a small boat, and a few instruments, as may be determined upon hureaftur. The vessel should then proceed, and similar parties ^■1 s m The Hudson 8 Bay Expedition. 29 present, , I think isel, to be e left all IS should it know- ruments, speaking Factory. 2s. The id would course of 1 of the ntleman and, if a :iuestion vvfound- le vessel 'ould be uantity sliould tout the of the ^oy and might e for a aetory. ;o pro- It Ison'.s I each rtheni then ed on H pro- iiiiiiod )artioH be landed — one at Cape Wolstenholme, and another at Nottingham Island. The fourth party should be left either on the highest of the Upper Savage Island group or on North Bluff; that is, in the vicinity of North Bay. Another party should be landed in the vicinity of Cape Hope on the mainland side, just opposite to the position mentioned on North Bay. A couple of parties should also be left, one on Resolution Island, and the other on the northernmost of the Button Islands, so as, between them, to command one of the most important positions in the Strait. With reference to the return of the vessel to St. John's, running surveys should be made according as the amount of open water and the quantity of coal remaining would permit, and this should be continued until the vessel finally returns to St. John's, leaving the parties in the Strait. The follow- ing summer a similar vessel should bo hired again and engaged to pick \ip the parties landed. " I will now sper.k as to the duties of the parties landed. The principal object of these stationery jmrties is that, from their com- manding elevation, assisted by a good telescope, the daily condition of the ice, as far as they could see, particularly at the close and opening of navigation, the character of the ice, and the drift or set of the ice, and so on, could be ascertained; also the nature of the currents, their velocity, etc. In addition to this a record of meteoro- logical phenomena should be kept, the instructions in regard to which might bo obtained from one of the Dominion observatories before starting." On the saipe day the examination of Dr. Bell was concluded, when, in answer to the question : — " Supposing that the Canadian Government resolved to send a steamer to Hudson's Bay for the purpose of increasing our know- ledge of that region, what matters would you consider should bo attended to by thy party in charge ? " ho said : — " Well, there are so many things that could be done which would be of great value that it is hard to say what would be the most important. I will begin by speaking of the appro.ximate surveys which might be made, and which would certainly greatly improve the charts now in existence and solve some of the problems already 30 Our North Land. i i " |li! •^ I 1 1 \ n ' \ li 1 1 ' li referred to by members ot' the committee, such as the supposed channel between Bay of Hope's Advance and Mosquito Bay. A track-survey might be made of both sides of Hudson Strait ; the astronomical positions of the more prominent headlands, which might have reference to the navigation of the Bay, might be obtained; the positions of the more important groups of islands should be determined ; soundings might be taken everywhere ; the rise and fall of the tide, and the time of high water at full and change, should be ascertained, all of which would benefit navigation very much. The positions and nature of harbours of refuge should also be determined, and the most desirable points at which to place beacons or lighthouses. So much for geographical data. Then, as to the question of th« fisheries : it is extremely important to ascertain whether or not cod and other valuable food fishes exist. Meteoro- logical observations of all sorts and magnetic observations might be taken, which would be of very great interest indeed. The magnetic pole lies at no very great distance northward of Hudson's Bay, and observations in regard to the dip and variation of the compass and other magnetic phenomena would be both valuable and useful. Observations in regard to the aurora borealia, which is a conspicu- ous phenomenon in this region, might also prove highly interesting. But, to my way of thinking, the geological part would be one of the most important. A vessel cruising around Hudson's Bay would afford such splendid opportunities of visiting widely-separated localities, as well as the islands otherwise inaccessible, that we might accomplish as much in one year as would be possible, in many years in our usual way. Many of the problems in regard to the rock formations and the economic minerals of this extensive region could thus bo easily solved. It would also give us an opportunity of bringing homo largo geological and minoralogical collections, which would bo impossible where specimens Iiave to bo carried on men's backs or in canoes ; but if W(? had a ship alongside we could transfer them to it at once. I do not think that an hour would pass that something could not bo recorded which would afterwards turn out to bo valuable. It appears to bo a perfect mine of information, waitinjj to bo explored." M The Hudson's Bay Expedition. 31 I have quoted Captain Boulton's and Dr. Bell's suggestions in full, as they were pretty generally adopted ; or, perhaps, I should say, as the plan adopted and their suggestions generally agree. A number of other witnesses were examined, including Malcolm McLeod, Esq., Barrister, of Aylmer, P.Q. ; George S. Pierce, Esq., of Ottawa ; Honourable W. J. Christie, of Brockville ; C. J. Pusey, Esq., of New York City ; Richard Harper, Esq., of Toronto ; Walter Haydon, M.D., of Weston, Ont. ; William Smith, Esq., Deputy Minister of Marine ; Robert Crawford, Esq., of Indian Head, N.W.T., and Walter Dickson, Esq.. of Lake Francis, Man. The evidence given by the Deputy Minister of Marine was that obtained from the log-books of the Hudson's Bay Company's ships from 1870 to 1883, inclusive. It was quite voluminous, but the following is ?. very condensed Summary : — o 6 Name of Ship. Yeak. Entbreu. Passed Through. Prince Rupert Ocean Nymph 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 r> 10 17 18 Lady Head Ocean Nymph . Prince of Wales . Ocean Nymph . Prince of VValoH . Ocean Nymph . Prince of Wales . Ocean Nymph . Prince of Wales . 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1875 1870 1870 1877 1877 1878 1878 1879 1871) 1881 1882 1883 July 30 . .1 19 . M 29 . M 29 . Aug. 2 . 6 . n 7 . M 19*. . „ 10 . M 4 . July 31 . n 27 . M 25 . „ 22 . M 28 . M 20 . M 22 . Aug. 10 . July 29 . Aug. 8 . .. 7 . 10 . Condition of THE Ice. M 28 .. II 20 .. " 23 .. „ 17 .. M 15 .. M 13 . M 14 .. II 5 .. n 5 .. July 28 .. Aug. 3 .. II .. M 23 .. Some heavy ice. No detention. Heavy ice two days. Heavy ice. ti No ice. No detention. No ice. Not detained. Heavy ioo. Full of huavy ice. 32 Our North Land. *iu ill ll Ijh ijl Mr. M. P. McElhinney, of the Department of Marine and Fisheries, furnished the committee, through Mr. Smith, the f':!- lowing remarks, based upon his observations of the log-books furnished the Government by the Hudson's Bay Company : — " The ice during the years 1870, 1875 and 1883 appears to have been exceptionally heavy, the ships having taken seventeen, twenty- two and thirty-two days, respectively, to get through the Strait. The passages made during the seasons of 1871, 1872, 1873, 1874^ 1876, 1877, 1878, 1879 and 1881, the Strait was passed without any detention from ice, excepting from cautionary measures during foggy weather. Ice was seen at times, and intervals of fog, requiring great care in sailing. A steamer could have been kept moving to better advantage than a sailing vessel. " The earliest date of entering the Strait, given in these logs, was July 19bh, 1871, the ship taking ten days to get through. The earliest date of passing through was July 28th, 1879, taking six days to get through. " The shortest time through was made in 1876, the ship entering on August 19th, and getting through August 23rd, being in the Strait only four days. The longest time given was in 1883, the ship entering on the 22nd of .July and not getting through until August 23rd. The detention here may have been caused by the ship getting jammed in the pack-ice and being obliged to drift with it. " There is no record in any of these logs as to the date of the closing of the Strait. The latest given of passing out was October 27th, 1883, having sailed from Moose Factory October 7th. No loose ice was . ^-^n in the Bay or Strait ; only a few icebergs in the Strait. " I am of the opinion that steamers fitted for the work could make the passage with very little detention from ice as early as August 10th, entering after the 1st, and keeping along the north shore, avoiding the pack-ice, " Three months' navigation is all that could be depended on, extending from t)ie 1st of August to the 1st of November." It will be seen from the evidence submitted to the committee^ III I 1 The Hudson's Bay Expedition. 33 that there was a difference of opinion as to the duration of naviga- tion in Hudson Strait. Mr. McEHhinney, with the log-books of the Hudson's Bay Company's ships, covering thirteen years from 1870, to guide him, said that " three months' navigation is all " that can be counted upon; while Dr. Bell, from personal experience, to a certain extent, felt sure that four and a-half months, at least, could be relied on. Such was the tenor of the evidence submitted to the committee, viz.: that by Dr. Bell, decidedly favourable ; that from Hudson's Bay Company, decidedly unfavourable. The other witnesses examined threw but little additional light upon the subject. The committee made a lengthy report to the House, in which they endorsed the project of sending an Expedition to Hudson's Bay, and concluded in the following language : — " To declare that it will be time enough to pay attention to the question of navigating Hudson's Bay when the railways become insufficient to move the traffic of the North-West, appears to us to be an erroneous view to take of the matter. What we have to do is to promote production by offering to it new and more favourable conditions. " There also results, from the evidence gathered by your com- mittee, a necessity for the Government to examine a great number of questions intimately connected with the navigation of Hudson's Bay and Strait. "Without the intervention of the State, this navigation will remain what it is at the present moment : uncertain, of short dura- tion, without any attraction for capitalists. In this direction, several have set forth their opinions as to the nature of the exami- nations which the Government might have made, and as to the organization and character of a proposed surveying and exploring Expedition. " They almost all agree in stating that these observations should cover a period of at least three years, and should be conducted by means of observatories, erected on the shores of the Strait, as well as on certain places on the coasts of Hudson's Bay. " While this enquiry was in progress at the capital, a select com- 34 Our North Land. i> ' mittee of the Manitoba Legislature was taking evidence at Winnipeg on the same question, and by that means much valuable information was also obtained, extending our knowledge of the subject. Parliament voted $100,000 with which to fit out an Expedition, and arrangements wevo made for chartering one of the steam vessels of the Newfoundland sealing fleet. It was decided that the Expe- dition should be partly exploratory, partly observatory, and that a number of observing stations should bo established on the shores of the Bay and Strait, so that magnetic and meteorological observa- tions could be taken throughout the year, and especially in the winter season. Lieut. A. R. Gordon, R.N., Assistant Superintendent of the Meteorological Service of Canada, was appointed to the command. The selection in many respects was a good one. He had had ten years' experience of the British Navy, and five in the work of " weather guaging ;" so that by his t-'ainiiig he was necessarily well qualified to command so important an undertaking. There were many applications for positions in connection with the Expedition, and from these the following staff was selected : — Commander, LiBUT. Andukw H. (Joudon, K.N., ok Touonto. Oeologist and Afedical Officer, RoMKRT Bkll, M.D., LL.D., F.U.S., of Ottawa. Observers, ChaH. \l Tuttlo, II. W. Hurwoll, C. V. Do Houohorvillo, ir. T. Honnott. W. W. Fox, Photogniphor. Station Mm, Join W. (^hiipHn, H. M. HiviiiHford, VV. li. Jordan, V. Drymliilo, Adam Mnhor, W. K. Kiidailo. K. ¥. Htupart, W. A. Aflho, A. La|n«rrioro, Wni. Skynnor, H. Currio, J. K. OftiMplddl, M. W. KcHtin^, A. I). IiikHh, W. S. guigly, 1 II The Hudson's Bay Expedition. Carpenters, William Yeodon, AnguB McNeill, Robert Youill. The H.8. Neptune, one of the Newfoundland sealing fleet, owned by Messrs. Job Bros., was chartered for the Expedition. She is a very strongly-built vessel, barque-rigged, of Dundee build, 100 A feet long, 29.8 feet beam, 18.4 feet in depth of hold, and engines of 110 nominal horse-power. She is G84 tons gross, 40(5 nett, and regis- tered in St. John's, N.F., at 430 tons, but has often carried over 800 tons, and liad on board 833 tons of freight when leaving Halifax on the voyage to Hudson's Bay. She was built in 1873. Besides her many sealing voyages, the Neptune had seen something of arctic navigation, having been employed, commanded by Captain William Sopp, in 1882, in the (Iroely Ri-lief Expedition, on which occasion she reached to within thirty miles of. the 80th degree of north latitude. She arrived in Halifax on Tuesday, July 14th, in command of Oapt. Sopp, and reported ready for duty to Lieut. Oonlon, who was then in that city. Tlui Neptune had been chartered by the Canadian Government for three months from July l.')th, for the sum of $10,500, with the provi.so that if the work of the ExpcMlition eoidd not bo c()m|)li^tod, oi* the vessel returned to St. John's, N.F., fronj any cause, until November 1st, the amount was to be $l7,r)00. In the event of her being detained out after that, the Government was to I)urcha(,e her outright for the sum of £15,000 sterling, which suia was to bo inclusive of her charter. Asides from her charter price of $10,500, the N(«pt.uno received S5 a week for each of the ofHcers, and $4 a week for each of the carpenters and station-num of the Kxpedi- tion.as board money during the voyagtv The Neptune was oflieered ami nuinned as follows: — OAfT. Wii.LiAM Hoi'p, OK St, .Iptuno, with all on board, left the marine wharf, when the Minister, Depiity Minister, and a mnnber of the citizens of Halifax, gatluu'ed to bid us adieu, and wish Uod-speed to the Expedition. As we backed away from the nuirino wharf, those on the dock gavti hearty ehcois in honour of the event. These were r(>spondod to heartily by those (m board, after which the latter joined in singing " Auld Lang Syne." On leaving her mooringn, the ship was taken up to H(Mlford Hasin, and swung, in ord(»r to asc(>rtain the error of the compass. We then steamed out of the harbour, dipping Mags with the tmsign on the buildings of the nuirine dock, and with that of u (h^rnuln man-of-war at anchor lutar the Dartmouth shore. It WOH six o'clock in the eviining before wo were fully outside, into the swoIIh of the Atlantic. A stiff breeze, with showiu'sof rain, weleonu'd UN to the ocean. I CHAPTER III. The Lahuadoh. blanc sahlon— the iceheros— the people and pursuits of THE LAHUADOH — THE NEn'UNE IN A WIND-STOllM. On a bold, and bleak, and storilu shoro, Where the pcilar wnids througli tlio icebergs roar, And the wretched poor of the Labrador, Hungry and cold, and in want everniure. Drudge out a tiHhi'rinan'B life. ^N the 22n(l of July, the Hiulson'a Bay Kxpodition sailed from Halifax, and was amid the icebergs of the Straits of Belle Isle on the 2(Jth, having spent an hour of that morn- ing in the wild-looking little harbour of Blanc Sablon. . Hlane Sablon was interesting to us, as marking the boundary line between the Dominion proper and the Ijabrador. The latter, of counio, is a dependency of Newfoundland. It was blowing a gale when we visited it; but subsrquently 1 learned that a gah is the normal state of the Labrador weather. The bay, or harbour, is apparently well proto(!ted by (Jooige and (Ireeidy islands, and by the coast of the muinhind, which is high n.nd yo shaped as to form, with th(« islands, a ])artial land-lock. Hut you must not bo guided by app(>arances on the Tiabiador. Shelter or mo shelter, tln^ wind was howling in the Neptune's rigging, and the waves wore breaking into whiUweaps all ov(>r the basin. 1 could not tell how it got over the hills and luuidlands to us, btit it got ti>ere all the same. I do not believe that there is a H(puire foot of tho whole tioast above groutid where «)ne ean c.scapt^ a furious wind. And 80 it blow on that Saturdiiy niorning. There are thn^e lishing Htations at Itlane Sablon. The Jenty Hltttion on (Ireenly Island, and the rooms bidonging to Job, Brothots ! .If S8 Our North Land. l! and Company, one on the mainland and one on George's Island, and the lighthouse on Greenly, constitute all there is to be seen, except the stunted vegetation which spreads over the somewhat level sand- stone formation of the coast. These were not more attractive than the immense icebergs which studded the Straits like small white islands. Capt. Blandford, the agent of the Job Brothers' station, at once recognized the Neptune, which he commanded in his last sealing voynge, taking the almost unprecedented catch of 42,000 seals, and pushed out from the shore in a fishing-boat, and, assisted by three fishermen, pulled toward the vessel. They had a struggle. At one miniito the little craft stood perpendi- cular, bow upwards ; at the next her posi- tion was reversed ; twery now and then the waves broke com- pletely over the men, but they struggled on ; there wore moments when wo ontettninod serious fears for their safety, but they came through, and were soon oti board, gi'ooting their old friends of the Neptune's cicw warmly. T catmot pass this strange-looking coiintry called the [iabra(,lor, which is geographically, and ought to be politically, a part of the Dominion, but which, through some mismanagement or niislake of inter-colonial affairs, has wrongfully drifted tuider the wing of Newfoundland, without making a few observations on some of its more striking featur(\s. It extends from HIano Sablon to Capo Chiilley, and embraces the coiintry (eastward to the height of land. Aloi\g Ihe Straits of Hello Isle th(> country is (juito level, owing to its sandstone formation; but, in the interior, and to the north of tlio THR I.AIIItAIIOR (lOAT. The Labrador, 30 Straits, the ancient Laurentian gneiss hills rise in rugged declivities two, three, and even four thousand feet above the level of the sea. The chief products are the cod, halibut, herring, salmon, trout, seal, and fur-bearing animals. The coast is severely inhospitable. Agriculture is not attempted, and only a limited extent of garden- ing in turnips, lettuce, beets, potatoes, etc., is found possible. •I Domestic animals, except dogs and wretched-looking goats, are not kept. The dogs — miserable, snarling, yelping, haggard, wolf-like brutes — are exceedingly valuable. They are to the settlers in winter time all that horses are to the people of Canada, hauling their sledges for hundreds of miles over rocks, ice, and mountains from station to station, and the logs, from which boards are whipped, from the interior down to the Hottlemonts on the coast. The population of the Labrador consists of fisherni ii.principnlly Ncwfoimdianders, a few French Canadians, Moravian Missionaries, Montaijrnais Indians and Eskimos, and, of course, Indian and Eskimo half-breeils. The number of in- habitants varies aecordint:; to the season. During the iishing months there are gener- ally scattered along the coast, in schoonerM, on the islands, and at the stations, about twenty thousand souls, while in winter this nnmbiM- dwindles down to less than live thousand. All yield a willing obedience to the laws of Newfoundland, but, fortunately, they are not over-governed. Onco or sometimes twice during the year, a judge, or marine justice, i.s sent out on ship-board. Ho makes a judicial tour, so to speak, of the princij)al settlements, administering such law ami jyntice as the necessities of the p(M)pIo rociuiro. Thoro are no custom-houses on the coast, but the revenue-cutter appears piM'iodically. At some of the Htafcions along the coast where a wretched white population, employed only during the iHliing season, nuuains during tho winter, there is nuicli suH'ering \x\\*\ want. Sometimes the peoplt^ actually, or nearly, starve, (vspiHiially when the llshery has proved a failure. They insist upon estalilishing themselves on tho TIIK COD I.AIIHAIIOU. i ^ ill 40 Our North Land. bleakest portions of the coust, merely because, by so doing, they will be close to the fishing grounds. The climate is severe, but healthy ; and doctors, where such exist, have little to do except to look after the poor half-starved fisher- men and their families, many of whom suffer from exposure, poor food, and a disregard of the simplest rules of health. The poor creatures have no ideas beyond the cod-fish. They live and die, ground under the releutlcos heel of debt, always from hand to mouth, and without a shilling to call their own. The fishing stations are almost too numerous to mention. There are Hudson's Bay posts at Cartwright Harbour, at Rigoulette, at Hamilton's Inlet, at Davis Inlet, and at Nachvak ; and Moravian Mission stations at Hopedale, Zoar, Nain, Okkak, Hebron and Ramah. There are not more than a hundred Indian families altogether, but as you go northward the Eskimos arc mot with in consider- able numbers. All the natives seem to lead a happy life, and in many respects are better oil' than the white people. Thoj are expert in hunting and trapping, and thoroughly acquainted with the coimtry. As a rule they are sober, honest, and industrious ; but the Newfoundlanders give them a pretty bad character. The Indians, and further to the north the lOskimos, frecpicnt the interior, hunt- ing and trapping furs. They bring the catch to the coast and exchange iu at the stations for pork, Hour, Uni, molasses, powder, shot, tobacco, etc. They are plentifully supplied with food from the flesh of the deer, seal and small game which abounds on the coast and in the interior. There is nothing connected with the natural appearance of the country or condition of the people to impress one favourably. The few houses scattoriMl here and there, occujiicd by the whites, are mostly neat and clean, and wear the aj)pearaiice of extreme isolation. There is but little fortune-making, now a-days, on the hahrador. The fishing vocation is one attend with great hardships, and nnich exposure to the cold, and not infrecjuently to considerable danger ; and, withal, the roturns reaped Mcarcoly roi>ay the pains and labour cxpen» led. The Lahvador. 41 Icebergs may be met with on the Labrador coast, in great numbers, ahnost any day, except in the winter season. At times we counted as many as twenty or thirty from the Neptune's quarter- deck. They were of various sizes, and of many shapes, and, reflect- ing the strong light of the sun, presented a most picturesque scene. An iceberg looks like a small mountain of gypsum, or, if you please, a well formed elevation of white marble ; or, better still, it looks like just what it is, a huge })ile of solid ice. But one steaming along the Labrador will not only be enter- tained by icebergs, and the strange wild character of the bold, rocky coast, but by the wind-storms as well. If you have never been in a Labrador wind-storm, then you have never been there at all. It is always blowing furio' ly. Clearing Belle Isle, we steamed out into the North Atlantic. The wind — we knew it would — freshened into a strong gale, and the western sky became a picture of wild- ness. Clouds were being driven rapidly with the upper currents, and, as they parted or passed over the face of the .setting sun, and mingled their dark shadows with his dazzling rays, the deep shades and bright colours with which the horizon was j)ainted rendered the scene intensely thrilling. The Neptune was rapidly carrying us from the sight of laud, upon which wo feasted our vision all day, and steaming out upon the increasing swells of the angry sea. It was plain to the captain, and indeed to all on board, that the niglit wo)iid bo exceedingly rough ; but that was not all, the furious gale was directly ahead, so that but little progress could be made. Lieutenant (Gordon and Captain Sopp held a hurried conversa- tion in the (duirt house on the advisability of putting into a harbour until the wind should subside. I think the captain was in favour of adopting such a precaution, not so much to avoid danger, as none was apprehended, but to save coals, as steaming against the strong wind eould avail but little. However, Lieutenant ilordon, using his usual phrase, thought sho \ ould " »lip along," and urged that course, which was adopt(^d. The wind increasiMJ in strength. The seas rolled higher and higher, and th(* N^^p^unn began to roll and i)itch. Most of our mm wcMX) driven below, and, turning in, sea-sick and disheartened, did 1 1 ' 42 Our North Land. k not much concern themselves with the prospect of the night. They were too much occupied ^ h their own wretched condition. Mean- while the conduct of the )1 became worse, and, now and then, great seas were breaking with a smashing sound over the starboard bow. The waves ran very high, very uneven, and furious withal ; but our ship fought them bravely, not, however, without much groaning, and creaking and trembling. At one moment she was thrown violently on her side with a heavy sea pouring and dashing across her decks. She received the blow (j^uietly, then shook, as with anger, and, mounting the swell, lode in majesty out of the trough upon the long waves. But these triumphs were ever des tined to be of momentary duration ; again and again was she pelted, and dashed and thrown by the sea, and again and again she came forth, trembling and shaking and groaning, but in the power of a conqueror. But, while the Neptune was fighting and conquering the waves, she was utterly regardless of her passengers and the movable objects on board. Everything not stationery was sliding and slamming and knocking about the cabin, jiantry and state-room floors in a terrific pandonioniuni. Sea-sick expeditionists were forced to brace them- selves in their berths in order not to bo thrown out upon the floor. Sick cans were tossed from their places and upset, and thrown into and out of the beds. The dishes in tiio pantry seemed to bo in a promiscuous heap, dashing about the floor and against the walls. In short, every movable thing was in aggravated motion, boating against the floors, walls, and striking against each other. The wind was terrific, the waves relentless, the night wretched, the men dis- heartened, and the seamen angry ; but on, or rather up and down, and sideways, we rode, pitching and rolling, and rising and falling, shaking and trembling and groaning, while without, t^e noise of the elements added a doleful, surging, moaning, wailing sound. Wo wore simply rolled and pitched about all night, intensely sick, itjtonsely blue, and intensely out of patience. :. II! CHAPTER lY. The Moravian Missions. ford's harbour — THE LONE FISHERWOMAN — RELIGION AND BUSI- NESS — THE CHRISTIANIZED ESKIMO — A CURIOUS BURIAL-GROUND — THE MORAVIAN CHURCH — THE VILLAGE OF NAIN. Where the sermi)n in Eskimo langurgo is made For tlie good of his soul and the sake of his trade. 'HE Expedition made its way from the outer Labrador coast, in, through more than a hundred isUinds of solid, barren rocks, to the Moravian capital of Nain. On the voyage in ''^ we cast anchor, and g, ont the night of July 29th, in Ford's Harbour, at the east end of Paul's Island; but if you were there you could not see any difference between Paul's Island and any of the other many mounds of naked rocks which crop out of the water here and there in any direction. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon when the anchor was let go. It was, in some respects, a delightful place. The boats wore lowered and a largo party went on shore. Passing round the bluffs — I mean one sot of bluffs or cliffs — there are bluffs ami cliffs very nearly everywhere on the Labrador — we visited the house and home of the Fords, after whom the harbour is called. Old Father Ford is dead and gone, but his good widow, at a ripo old ago, is still living. We called her the '* lOno tishorwoMum," notwithstanding she has living with her a married son, two marriageabK» daughters, and ono or two hired fishermen. The Fords are Eskimo (piarter-brocds, very industrioua and very hospitable. fjieutenRnt Gordon's business with Mr. Ford was to secure hin Morviccs to pilot us next morning into Nain, which he did, agreeing It, 44 Our North Land. II r 1 to pay him twelve *Iollars therefor. He was to be on board the Neptune the next morning at three o'clock, and he kept his appointment to the minute. We had scarcely reached the harbour, before the Nain Mission buildings and Eskimo huts, on Wednesday, when we saw approach- ing boats and kayaks containing the missionaries and natives of the Moravian capital. They were all welcomed on board. The Eskimos were much delighted with the ship, but the Moravians met with a sore disappointment. The Chief Superintendent came with his mail-bag, fully believing the Neptune was one of their own vessels, and highly confident of receiving letters and papers from the fatherland. It was really distressing to see his coun- tenance drop on being informed who and what we were. This intelligence did not, however, disturb the delighted curiosity of the Eskimos. They were much amused with all they saw, and examined the steamer from one end to the other, making curious ejaculations at the wonderful engines, tire-arms, etc. I undertook to interview them, but their stock of English was too small, and the attempt was an utter failure. I learned, however, that they had all been Christianized, at least so far as to receive Christian names. Instead of the Eskimo Pudolik, Komakin or Kikastouk, they boasted such biblical cognomens as David, Jonathan, Caleb, Nicodemus and Benjamin. These civilized and Christianized natives were not unlike the pure savage specimens that wo met with in the Straits afterwards, except in this small matter of names. Superintendent Bourguin extended a polite invitation to our party to visit his village. This was heartily accepted. The boats were lowered, and, in half an hour, more than a dozen expeditionists were investigating the curious town. We were first conducted to the great reception-room of the mission-house, and treated to lager beer. The German will have his lager wherever he goes, and wo all voted the Moravian (»ornian much the bettor for it. Owing to a regulation of the Government, liquor of all kinds — lime-juice only excepted — was e.xcluded, except in one or two very isolatetl cases of a clandestine eharacter. These had not gone far enough, for those who strictly obeyed the oHicial order bogged from those who The Moravian Missions. 45 n board the e kept his ain Mission V approach - knd natives Doard. The Moravians ndent came ne of their and papers e his coun- were. This osity of the id examined ejaculations to interview the attempt ad all been es. Instead Ley boasted ademus and 3 were not the Straits iion to our The boats peditionists anducted to ed to lager es, and wo O'ving to -juice only lated cases nough, for those who 'M partly disobeyed it ; and, long before the day of which I am writing, the last of the smuggled spirits had been improvidently imbibed. We drank the lager with the relish of people who had taken a drink before, and knew how to appreciate a good thing. It tasted very much like Canadian lager. 1 noticed that the offer of a second glass round was objected to, by those most entitled to speak on our behalf, only to the extent of ordinary politeness. The brethren — that is what they call themselves — found it an eas'' matter to force it upon us. This lager they manufacture themselves from imported malt. When we had been formally introduced all round, our party dispersed, each man looking up something of interest after his own tastes. Wc all had more or less important duties. Lieut. Gordon, with his magnetometer, set about the difficult task of ascertaining the variation of the compass ; Mr. Stupart, with his dip-circle, deter- mined the dip of the magnetic needle ; Mr. Burwell ascertained the height of the great rock hills forming the background to Nain ; Dr. Bell went forth in quest of geological and botanical specimens ; Messrs. Fox and Ashe busied themselves taking photographs of the Eskimos and the towering gneiss cliffs that overhung the valley on all sides ; the ship's crew entered upon tie less attractive work of storing the vessel with fresh water, while Capt. Sopp enjoyed himself in a leisurely way becoming the dignity of his position. I attached myself to the Rev. Hermann Jannasch, one of the missionaries, because " Brother " Jannasch could speak the best English. The staff at the Mission consists of Rev. T. Bourffuin. Superintendent, and Brothers Jannasch, Woiz and Wirth. These all do missionary duty in their turn, one acting as store-keeper each year. These reverend gentlemen are comfortably housed, with their families, in a, largo two-storey and a-half building, sub- stantially built, and they seem to enjoy all the luxuries possible to the sterile climate in which they live. They have plenty of woll- traimid, obedient Eskimo servants. Their store-houses, of which they have several largo ones, are well filled with supplies suitable to their own wants ,and to the profitable trade which thoy carry on with tho natives in connection with their Christian duties, Thoy have also quite extensive gardens, a neat, well-kept grave-yard, a Iff 1 IP' m ill'' " ilr 46 Our North Land. commodious church, and all other characteristics necessary to com- parative happiness. There is a wide difference between the condition of these trader- evangelists and their slave subjects, the Christianized Eskimos. The latter live in rude huts made of flattened poles, with sort of turf or thatched roofs, without floors, except of the earth, without furniture, and in the midst of filth and dirt. Npthwithstanding, I would be doing an injustice not to say that their condition is much better than that of their brother natives who have not been subjected to the influences of Christianity. The very best of feeling exists between them and their masters, the missionaries. This is due to the honourable dealings of the latter, and equally to the good nature of the Eskimos. There are about two hundred natives residing at Nain ; and, to the great credit of the missionaries be it said, every one of them, of sufficient age, can read and write in their own language. There are two reasons why they do not learn to speak English : one is, that the Germans speak but little or no English themselves, the other, that they are of opinion that to learn any language but their own is degrading; and, despite all the Moravians have done, they have not been able to drive this out of their stubborn heads. There are about forty-five Eskimo huts, besides the frame buildings belonging to the missionaries. These are clustered together a short distance from the mission, or indeed close to it, on a little plateau about thirty-five feet above the level of the harbour and at the foot of a range of hills over one thousand feet high. I have said that I attached myself to Brother Jannasch. This I did wholly from a selfish motive — that of pumping him, so to speak, concerning Nain, and the Moravian stations generally. With this affable gentleman as my guide and informant I first visited the burial-ground. It is an enclosure of about an acre, well protected by a neat picket fence, about three hundred yards from the cluster of dwellings, accessible through gates, from which, leading at right angles all over the yard, are pretty gravelled walks. Upon entering one is struck with the cleanliness of the place. Each grave is marked by a small wooden tablet, about 8 X 14 inches in size, two I The Moravian Missions. 47 ary to com- hese trader- d Eskimos, rith sort of •fch, without tistanding, I ion is much 3n subjected eir masters, ings of the nos. There to the great of sufficient 3re are two is, that the ) other, that heir own is they have There are s belonging >rt distance ,teau about le foot of a ch. This I 30 to speak, With this visited the I protected the cluster ng at right )u entering h grave is I size, two inches thick, and fastened to the ground, one over each grave. These are numbered from one upwards, and contain also the Chris- tian name of the deceased in blackened letters engraved or sunken in the tablet, together with the dates of the birth and death of the person commemorated. This burial-ground has been in use one hundred and twelve years, and contains over nine hundred graves. It is very level, well kept, and, I should say, a credit to Nain. I read on one tablet, the oldest of them all : — No. 1. Beata Brazen. 1772. It was that of a child of one of the earlier missionaries, so that you will see the Germans and Eskimos use the same ground for their dead. There were nearly a thousand inscriptions, of which the following are samples : — No. 321. No. 555. No. 548. Lea, NOA, Jonathan, 1849-1850. 1818-18G4. 1822-1864. Y^om. this attractive burying-ground we entered the not less attractive chapel, a long, narrow, low building, but neatly built. One end of it is used for a school-house, the other, and the larger, for a church. The school-room contains blackboards, with various Eskimo text-books and other apparatus suitable for imparting the rudiments of an Eskimo education. They make use of the German alphabet in all of these books, and have by great industry reduced the Eskimo language to writing, and brought it within grammatical rules practical to the natives. The Superintendent is now engaged on a now Eskuiio grammar, which he intends to have printed in Germany tlii.s year. You will be surprisec^ when I £ell you that the church contains an organ. It was brouglit out from Germany nearly half a century ago, and had been in use for a long time previous to that. Did J say an organ ? Well, it is a melodeon, or rather a cros.^ l>etween a harpsichord and a melodeon. It is a peculiarly-shaped 'ai.stvument. . if* !, I .■ii !f'< li'," L 'l !;'' 48 Our North Land. something after the fashion of an old st\ le, high cupboard. The pipes are of tin, in its natural colour ; the bellows are operated by- pulling out at one side a leather string and allowing it to recede ; the keys are of bone ; it contains six stops, and is cased in some sort of wood of dark colour, probably mahogany. Its tone is a combina- tion of the organ, the harmonium, and nearly all othv'^r musical instruments you can think of, I at is really very sweet. At least it sounded so to me in that far-off out-of-the-way and desolate village church. Evidently the natives are very fond of music, and I v/as not long in discovering that the missionaries show a commendable enter- prise in meeting their inclinations in this respect. Hence, the choir of the Moravian chapel at Nain will compare favourably with that of a modern church in Canada. I refer more particularly to its numerical and vocal vtrength. Besides the organi.st, who is always a pleasant-looking missionary's wife, and the twelve loading Eskimo singers, there are eight Eskimo violinists. With this combina- tion the whole congregation Joins in right good eanu^st ; and my informant said: "The house is filled with music to its fullest capacity." I do not know what ho meant by this expression, unless it was that an auijnientation of the choir would raise tho roof. Tho church will seat abo\it two hundred, but as many as three hundred hav(^ crowded into it. Th(> Moravian festival season begins about the first of November and continues until Easter. During this period they have throe RorvicoH each Sunday, and nine during tho six working days. So that if th(> I'iskiujos get small pay for their services in procuring furs and fish for thti Moravians, they make up for it in tho number of religious services to which the missioiuiries treat them. Thoy have largo hymn-books, containing both hymns and tuniw, printed in Kskimo. One of tlu^si includes most of tho popular Sankoy colle(rtion. So that the husky of Nain can sing, " Gates Ajar," "Tlu^ llonjo Over There." " Hyoand-By," in his or hor own tongtie, with considi^rable easr\ and souiotimes with good oirect. The gjinlons are an attractiv«> ftMituro of Nain, Thoy aro all neatly onolpsed by board or picket fonoos, t^pprotvchud througii i^H miss ^^ «oco 1 >* Tim pers ..'- main Ifll t • • "he Moravia'^r Missions. 49 ird. The erated by to recede ; some sort combina- r musical f\.i least it ite village NovimuIhm- hiivo throe (hiys. So [urin^f furs lumber of laud t\moH, 10 popuhir Ijr, "dates lis or her food ell't'ct. trade which they maintain with the natives does not more thati pay one-half tho expt'nscs ofnuiintaining the missions. Now I would not disbeliovo • good, pious Moravian ; they an* nbout the most iipright pt^iph^ in the world, and eortainly on the Labrador; but 1 was fonuMl to tho oonelusion that they were making a slight misealeulation. Tho Chief H»\p(d an»l gigantic form of Mount Ua/or Hack broke Upon our view gradually through tho mist and fog, lifting its sharp ra/.or-like back two hundred ftM>t abovti all its surroundings. T1h> sceiu< is beyond the possibility of my pen. and I shall not attempt it. The rocks were entirely barren, except hen* an' 62 Our North Land. heather, or bog, or stunted vegetation of some kind, relieved the dullness of their uniform colour. Higher up near the clouds on the great precipices, we could see, hero and there, a rough, broken garment of moss, the growth, probably, of a thousand years. The summits were capped with perpetual snow in many places, that sparkled and glowed in the morning sun, as its rays broke through the parting clouds, like crowns of glory. The prospect was strange and wild — strange in the angularity of the steep declivities, bold, rugged, barren and desolate, yet, altogether, as one passes within the entrance, combining to inspire a sense of security. From this entrance to the Hudson's Bay Company's Post at Nachvak, the distance is about twenty miles, and the wonderful channel leading thereto, from a half to two miles wide, winding and very picturesciue in its course. Wo were in this curious inlet most of the day, or from eleven o'clock until early evening, before we cast anchor before the lonely buildings of the post. The whole distance is a succession of most impressive natural scenery. On either side the rocks lift their snow-covered heads almost perpen- dicularly for more than a thousand feet above the water, and in many places nearly two thousand foot, and are moulded in such a variety of shapes, langes, peaks, precipices, terraces, shelves, ravines. ledges, etc., as to da/o the wondering admirer. On the (mo hand we were alike delighted and awed by a dashing, foaming, roaring torrent, tuml^'ing down at an angle of 4')", storrn- ing against the rocks, turning in sharp curves, throwing its foam high in the air, and falling from IcMlge to lodge, or dashing in mad- dened fuiy from some lofty clilf to a lower range, hiding the spot from view l>y lllling the space with whiii> mist or spray ; while on the other our deejJOHt adnuration was called into expressions of wonder and praise by smaller rivulets hanging down, as it were, from thu higher roeUs, like beautiful white silken cords, [louring their waters into the blue abyss at the feet of these eternal hills, one or two thousand fetit below their soiirce. A day in this spot was but an hour; nor could we have grown weary ol the scenery in a whole week. Our stay al Nachvak was during the night <»nly. W«^ U\\'t with the tirat light of the following day. At the post then^ are but three III , Tfie Wonders of Nachvak. 53 elieved the ouds on the igh, broken years. The places, that jke through was strange ivities, bold, asses within ly's Post at e wonderful winding and IS inlet most g, before wo The whole scenery. On inost porpon- ^ator, and in id in Huch a Ives, ravines, by a dashing, f 45°, storin- \\\]t its foam liniX in mad- ling the spot wliiloontht^ Ins of wonder \i\\'ii, from thd their waters , one or two lud. an \\o\\v \ lv()l(< wcu'k. We left with lave Init three buildings — a very small residence and two small storehouses. These are located on a little piece of land at the water's edge covered with bog and grass, nestled at the base of a range of hills of solid, barren gneiss. The harbour is at an abrupt bend of the inlet, where the about live milcM froni tlu^ enlranei*. at a place called Jlumford'H ('ove. This station was placed in charge of Mr. Williani Skynnor, of Toronto, with Messrs. Kainsford and Jordan, as station-men. It was deeidoti to call Mr. Skynner'M locnti(m " Skynnir's (/ovo." 5i ,|. in I do not know whether or not Mr. Rumford will consider him- self aggrieved by the fact that a few enterprising Canadians have seen fit to affix the name of Mr. Skynner to a part of his cove ; but, in all conscience, I should think him greedy and void of national or international sentiment, should he object. Captain Rumford, of the schooner Lassie, of Green Bay, N. F., however, comes to this cove annually to fish cod ; and, should he be a member of the anti- confederation party in that ungrateful island, he may, when he arrives next season, call upon Mr. Skynner to evacuate, or surrender in the name of Newfoundland. Those circumstances suggest to my mind the importance of Mr. Skynner's station, but the realization of this brings with it an enlargement of the mission of the Expedition. Added to the ques- tion of the Hudson's Bay route, that of territorial acquisition is not to be underrated. Newfoundland has exorcised civil and political Jurisdiction over the Labrador lonp riough, I admit ; and surely the timo has come when Canada mu, , extend her natural rights over all the territory north of the St. Lawrence to the Arctic Circle, and beyond. That sho will be compelled to do so, now, Lieutenant Gordon .shouKl receive tho thanks of the whole country ; because, in placing a station at Naehvak, with tho Dominion flag flying over it, tho integrity of i\u) Government of (>anada is i)ledgeil to tho extent of tho army, navy, and treasury to > ^^T ft ■'^1 isider him- bdians have cove; but, national or ford, of the io this cove if the anti- j, when he »r surrender ince of Mr. with it an to the ques- aition is not nd political d surely the rights over 5 Circle, and lant Gordon u', in placing over it, the le extent of , the station suppose, the CHAPTER VI. Cape Chidley -Port Burwell. in hudson strait — discovery of a magnificent harbour — the grandeur of m'lelan strait — the ruins of newnango — the eskimo— an eskimo chief and princess. Whoro the desolate waters from Ungava Sea Meet the swift flowing current at the Cape Ohidley ; Whore the sun circles low in the southern sky And the sea-gulls drearily scream as they Hy. f'ROM Nachvak wo took our course toward Capo Chidley, arriving otF Hudson Strait at daylight on Sunday morning, vXS" August .Srd. Thoro was a dense fog prevailing, and we wore 0.^ conipelletl to lay to until Tuesday, tlodging about in the waters at tho mouth of Davis's Strait. We wore so anxious to got into tho Strait toward Hudson's Bay, that tho time appeared long; but I managod to engage myself among tho ship's crow, nmch of the time hearing from them many curious reminiscences of soa-faring life. Among thoir number was nearly every kind of sailor-character. Tho old and the young, tho retired and the talkative, tho wicked and tho good, the prudent and the rockloss, tho mean and tho generous-hearted ; but altogether 1 think they were a good lot of fellovvs. Tiio least but not the most unintoresting of the crow, was Johmiy, tho Neptune's scullion. I suppose all well-rogulatotl vessels have a souUion. I do not ktiow fully what the word means in its nautical application, except in so far as Johntiy's posi- tion, and conduct, and iroatmont itidicatod ; and, judging from all these, 1 should say, although I was informcvl to the contrary, that ft ship's scuUiim was a boy ongagod to do a little of everything, with 1 '"% ■'.'■i\ 56 Our North Land. 1111111) mi ! (1: 11 '. I'll',. ;' ''' II, ill III " I' i ' !, I ,, l|l| . the understanding that he was to do that little only when driven to it, contrary to instructions, to receive orders from every one, and to obey no one, to enjoy knocks and kicks and slaps, and to amuse himself with abuse ; to hide away with the slightest prospect of his being wanted ; to steal everything he can lay his hands on ; to keep himself as ragged and dirty as possible, and to sit cross-legged on the top-gallant yard in a gale to amuse the sailors. Su[)posing him to have been engaged for these purposes, Johnny filled the position, varied as it was, to perfection. During the whole of our voyage I did not observe him to laugh, or even smile, except at receiving a kick or a cufF. That li<' had come to a state of training in which abuse was a matter of solid comfort to him, while on the other hand words of prais" and commendation were an abomination, there can be no question. We whiled away the time of Sunday and Monday, until Tuesday morning, the best we could. Being continually in the fog the con- versation naturally turned in that direction. We discovered the causes, or thought we did, in the comparative temperatures of the air and water, and finally came to the conclusion, which wo considered generous, that owing to the confluence at the entrance to Hudson Strait of the cold water from Baffin's Bay and the warmer water from Hudson's Bay, fogs wore produced ; and that in the Strait where these conditions do not exist, fogs do not occur. The fog wont with the darkness of Tuesday morning, and we renewed our course toward Cape Chidley, sighting land at eight o'clock. At twelv(^ o'clock, noon, w wore steaming through Grey's Strait, between the Button LsiajidH and Cape Chidley, looking for a harbour. It had V)con decided, for some reason, to place station No. I on the mainland, therefore no ettbrt was made to secure an anchorage on either of the islands. At one o'clock wo had turned the Capo, and were moving toward IJngava Bay. Wo liad on every hand many t'vidonces of the high latitude of our i)osition. Mesides the low temperature were the barren rocks, and the numerous large pHtches of snow, whicl), whenever wo approached the land, were visible on the higli rooky coast. As wo ncarod tho rocks of the main shore, just round the capo, „V; Gape Chidley — Port Burwell. 57 it became evident from appearances that we had hit upon an excel- lent harbour. The Neptune was taken into he bay with great care, and anchored in ten fathoms of water at five o'clock of a beautiful evening. As soon as the clanking of the anchor's chains had ceased, Lieutenant Gordon said: " This place shall be called Port Burwell, in honour of Mr. Burwell, the observer, who is to take charge here ; " and Port Burwell it was called accordingly. We made a landing immediately. Port Burwell is a pretty cove or bay, well sheltered by F^at Point on the north and a lonely high circular projection of the land on the south, which we called Cape William Smith, in honour of the Deputy- Minister of Marine. The eiu.rance is well guarded from the north-west winds, and is one of the finest harbours of Hudson Strait, probably the best. The holding ground is good, and there is room in the basin to accommodate from fifty to a hundred ships. The liarbour is, in one sense, almost a landlock. I" it a vessel could outride the worst possible storm in perfect security. The water is from ten to twenty fathoms. The place was fairly alive with cod, and the men belonging to the ship took some ten or twelve quintals in a few days. The shores were for the most part high and rocky, but there are one or two gently sloping ra.inos, covered with a sort of bog-turf. Even the summits have in some places a rough, thin garment of uioss. On the evening of our arrival, in company with the Expedition geologist, I made a voyage along tlio coast, to discover what we might anil enjoy ourselves hunting. Wo were accommodated with one of the Neptune's boats and two men, or rather a man and boy Johnny. Our little excursion also included Mr. Fox and Mr. Skynner, of Toronto. I mention this side expedition particularly, because wo made an important discovery, and mot with very much of interest. This Ui.scovory was an addition to goograj)hy in the way of a channel running through from Ungava Bay to the ocean on the Labrador <'<)a.st. I do not refer to the channel some twenty miles south of il»