IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 1.1 iJO "^ 2.5 2.2 lif U£ 12.0 '^ iir-^ 1'-^ ^ 6" ► V] (?> 7: y /^ Sciences Corporaim 23 WEST MAIN STRUT WiBSTIR.N.Y. USSO (716)872-4503 ^' •^ iv^ A ^ r7^ .. ^v I CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. n D D D D D D D D Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur I I Covers damaged/ Couverture endommag^e Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restaur6e et/ou pelliculde I I Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque Coloured maps/ Cartes gdographiques en couleur Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou notre) Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material/ Reli6 avec d'autres documents Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin/ Lareliure serr^e peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distortion le long de la marge intirieure Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajoutdes lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte, mais, lorsque cela 6tait possible, ces pages n'ont pas 6t6 filmies. Additional comments:/ Commentaires suppldmentaires: L'Institut a microfilm6 le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a 6t6 possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-dtre uniques du point de vue bibliographique. qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger uri<9 modification dans la mdthode normale de filrrisge sont indiqu6s ci-dessous. □ Coloured pages/ Pages de couleur D D D D Pages damaged/ Pages endommagdes Pages restored and/or laminated/ Pages restaurdes et/ou pellicul6es Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ Pages ddcolor^es, tachetdes ou piqudes Pages detached/ Pages ddtachdes Showthrough/ Transparence I I Quality of print varies/ Quality indgale de I'impression Includes supplementary material/ Comprend du materiel suppl^mentaire Only edition available/ Seule Edition disponible Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partiellement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure, etc., ont 6t6 filmdes d nouveau de fapon d obtenir la rfieilleure image possible. This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est film6 au taux de reduction indiquA ci-dessous 10X 14X 18X 22X 26X 30X i y 12X 16X 20X 24X 28X 32X Tha copy fllmad hmn hat baan raproducad thank* to tha gaivsroaity of: Library Division Provincial Archives of British Columbia Tha imagaa appaaring hara ara tha bast quality poatibia contldaring tha condition and iagiblllty of tha original copy and in kaaping with tha filming contract apacifications. Original copiat in printad jiapar covars ara filmad baginning with tha front covar and anding on tha last paga with a printad or illustratad impras- sion, or tha back covar whan appropriata. All othar original copias ara filmad baginning on tha first paga with a printad or illustratad impras- sion. and anding on tha last paga with a printad or illustratad imprassion. Tha last racordad frame on each microfiche shall contain tha symbol — ^ (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"). whichever applies. IMaps. plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: L'examplaira film* f ut reproduit grice A la gAnArosIt* da: Library Division Provincial Archives of British Columbia Lea images suivantes ont *tA raproduitas avac la plus grand soln. compta tenu de la condition at da la nattet* de i'exemplaire filmA. et en conformity avac las conditions du contrat de fiimaga. Les exemplairas originaux dont la couverture en papier est ImprimAe sont filmAs en commenpant par U premier plat et en terminant soit par la darnlAre paga qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration. soit par la second plat, salon la cas. Tous les autres exempiaires originaux sont fiimte en commenfant par la premiAre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la darnlAre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la darniAre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbols -^ signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbols V signifie "FIN". Les cartas, planches, tableaux, etc.. peuvent Atre film6s A des taux de reduction diff«rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul clich*. il est film* a partir de I'angle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droito, et de haut en bas, en prenant la nombre d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 ^^ 1/ » w ]P'^lfli']f3RA:rf ^rf A\KAJiTS5l@ AS5nD) Tffiji^, ^tS)M. •^> »*il5 *=4 \ NARRATIVE' OF A JOURNEY F-' • i,=s^ 'f TO IpE SHOIIKS OF THE POLAR SEA, i IN THE YEARS W mi^M m^ m.^ ^ BY JOHN FRANKLIN, Captain R.N., F.R.S., AHD COMMAirilER OF THE SXPEDITIOK. WITH AN APPENDIX CONTAINING GEOGNOSTICAL OBSERVA- TIONS, AND REMARKS ON THE AURORA BOREALIS. ILLUSTUATKD BY A FRONTISPIECE AN1> MAP. PUBLISHED Br AUTHOKlTr OF THE HT. HON.,THli EARL BATHURST. I'UILJtDELPnU H. O. CAREY & I. LEA, A. SMALL, EDWARD PARKER, m'CARTY Sc DAVIS, B. & T. KITE, THOMAS DESILVFR, AND E. UTTELL. 1824. % ff^y. wwr- ! I5c *^^ N V] 'w- $" *?^ B TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE E\RL BVTHUIIsr, K. G., OA'E OF HIS MAJESTY'S PRLXCIPJIL SECRETARIES OF STATE, SfC. SfC. SfC. THE FOLLOWING NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY TO THE NORTHERN COAST OF AMERICA, UNDERTAKEN BY ORDER AND UNDER THE AUSri^ES OF HIS LORDSHIP, IS, BY PERMF.SION, INSCRIBED, WITH GREAT RESPECT AND GRATITUDE, BY THE AUTHOR. 'v- 203042 \m i ,t'A'. .fe- # Mr. OFH CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Page Departure from England — Transactions at Stromness— Enter Davis' Straits — Perilous Situation on the Shore of Resolution Island — Land on the Coast of Labrador — Esquimaux of Savage Islands — York Fac- tory — Preparations for the Journey into the Interior - - 1 CHAPTER IL I'assage up Haves', Steel, and Hill Rivers — Cross Swampy Lake — Jack River — Knee Lake and Magnetic Islet — Trout River — Holey Lake — Weepinapannis River — Windy Lake — White-Fall Lake and River — Echemamis and Sea Rivers — Play-Green Lake — Lake Winipeg — River Saskatchawan — Cross Cedar and Fine-Island Lakes — Cum- berland-House ....... 24 CHAPTER m. Dr. Richardson's Residence at Cumberland-House — His Account of the Cree Indians - - - - - - - 53 CHAPTER IV. f.eave Cumberland-House — Mode of Travelling in Winter — Arrival al Carlton-House — Stone Indians — Visit to a Buffalo Pound — Goitres — Departure from Carlton-House — Isle a la Crosse — Arrival at Fort Chipewyan - - - - - • - - 84 CHAPTER V. 'transactions at Fort Chipewyan — Arrival of Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood — Preparations for our Journey to the Northward - 12r CHAPTER VI. Mr. Hood's Journey to the Basquian Hills — Sojourns with an Indian Party — His Journey to Chipewyan - - - - - 150 CHAPTER VII. Departure from Chipewyan— Difficulties of the various Navigations of the Rivers and Lakes, and of the Portages — Slave Lake and ForJ V VI CONTKNTS. iv* .' ( CHAPTER XI. Navigation of the Polar Sea, in two Canoes, as far as Cape Turnagain, to the Eastward, a distance exceeding Five Hundred and Fifty Miles — Observations on the probability of a North-West Passage CHAPTER Xn. Journey across the barren grounds — Difficulty and delay in crossing Cop- per-Mine River — Melancholy and fatal Results thereof— Extreme Misery of tl)e whole Party — Murder of Mr. Hood — Death of seve- ral of the Canadians — Desolate State of Fort Enterprize — Distress suffered at that Place — Dr. Richardson's NaiTative — Mr. Back's Nar- rative-:— Conclusion -.-..-- APPENDIX. Geognostical Observations, by Dr. Richardson - General Remarks on the Aurora Borealis PtKe Providence — Scarcity of Provisions, and discontent of the Canadian Voyagers — Difficulties with regard to the Indian (luidcs — »*Lf»isal to proceed — Visit of Observation to the Upper part of Copper-Mine River — Return to the Winter Quarters of Fort Enterprize - 174 CHAP'ER Vni. Transactions at Fort Enterprize— Mr Back's Narrative of his Journey to Chipewyan and Return ...... 214 CHAPTER IX. Continuation of Proceedings at Fort Enterprize — Some account of Cop- per Indians — Preparations for the Journey to the Northward - 257 CHAPI'ER X, Departure from Fori Knterpvi/c — Navigation of the Copper-Mine River .. — Visit to the Copp'.T Mountain — Interview with the Esquimaux — Departure of the Indian Hunters — Arrangements made with them for our return ...... 28: 324 350 445 981 INTRODUCTION. His Majesty's Government having determined upon send- ing an Expedition from the Shores of Hudson's Bay by land, to explore the Nothern Coast of America, from the Mouth of the Copper-Mine River to the eastward, I had the honour to be appointed to this service by Earl Ba- thurst,on the recommendation of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty ; who, at the same time, nominated Doc- tor John Richardson, a surgeon in the Royal Navy, Mr. George Back, and Mr. Robert Hood, two Admiralty Mid- shipmen, to be joined with me in the Expedition. My instructions in substance informed me, that the main ob- ject of the Expedition was that of determining the latitudes and longitudes of the Nothern Coast of North America, and the trending of that Coast from the Mouth of the Cop- per-Mine River to the eastern extremity of that continent; that it was left for me to determine, according to circum- stances, whether it might be most advisable to proceed, at once, directly to the northward till I arrived at the sea-coast, and proceed westerly towards the Copper-Mine River; or advance, in the first instance, by the usual route to the Mouth of the Copper-Mine River, and from thence eas- terly till 1 should arrive at the eastern extremity of that Continent; that, in the adoption of either of these plans, I was to be guided by the advice and information which I should receive from the wintering servants of the Hud- son's Bay Company, who would be instructed by their em- ( r, vui INTRODUCTION. ployers to co-operate cordially in the prosecution of the objects of the Expedition, and who would provide mc with the necossciry escort of Indians to act as guides, interpre- ters, game-killers, &c.; and also with such articles ofclolh- ing, ammunition, snow-shoes, presents, &,c., as should be deemed expedient for me to take. That as another prin- cipal object of the Expedition was to amend the very de- fective geography of the nothern part of Morth America, [ was to be very careful to ascertain correctly the latitude and longitude of every remarkable spot upon our route, and of all the bays, harbours, rivers, headlands, &,c., that might occur along the Northern Shore of North .*merica. That, in proceeding along the coast, I should erect con- spicuous marks at places where ships might enter, or to which a boat could be sent; and to deposit information as to the nature of the coast for the use of Lieutenant Parry. That, in the Journal of our route, I should regis- ter the temperature of the air, at least three times in every twenty-four hours; together with the state of the wind and weather, and any other meteorological phenomenon. That I should not neglect any opportunity of observing and noting down the dip and variation of the magnetic needle, and the intensity of the magnetic force; and should take particular notice whether any, and what kind or degree of, influence the Aurora Borealis might appear to exert on the magnetic needle; and to notice whether that phe- nomenon was attended with any noise; and to make any other observations that might be likely to tend to the fur- ther developement of its cause, and the laws by which it is governed. Mr. Back and Mr. Flood were to assist me in all the observations above-mentioned, and to make drawings of KNTRODl^CTION. IX crprc- cloth- luld be r prin- !ry de- nerica, atitude route, ;., that nerica. ct con- , or to matiun jtenant \ regis- every nd and That ig and eedle, d take Jegree exert t phe- le any e fur- ich it ill the igs of the land, of the natives, and of the various objrcts of ir.i- Inral hisloi} ; aiul particularly of such as Dr Kicliiin'-^on, who, to his prolossional duties was to add lliat ol naltnidist, ii)i.ij;ht consider to be most cnriuiis mu! iiiUM'cslinji;. I was instiiH'lcd, on my arrival at, or ncnr. Iho iMoutii of the C(ost cheer- fully avail myself of this opportunity of expressing my gratitude to these Gentlemen for their personal kindness to mvselfand the other ofliccrs, as well as for tho beneiits rendered by them to the Expedition; and the same senti- ment is due towards the Gentlemen of the North-West Company, both in England and An>erica, more particular- ly to Simon M'Gillivray, Esq., of London, from whom I received much useful information, and cordial lett(ns of recommendation to the partners and agents of that Com- pany, resident on our line of route. A short time before I left London I had the pleasure mmmm !sn HW X INTRODUCTION. -A'^' 7.*; y: and advantage of an interview with thie late Sir Alexander Mackenzie, who was one of the two persons who had visited the coast we were to explore. He afforded ine, in the most open and kind manner, much valuable infor- mation and advice. The provisions, instruments and other articles of which I had furnished a list, by direction of the Lords Commis- sioners of the Admiralty, were embarked on board the Hudson's Bay Company's ship Prince of Wales, appoint- ed by the Committee to convey the Expedition to York Factory, their principal establishment in Hudson's Bay. It will be seen, in the course x>{ the Narrative as well as in the Appendix, how much reason I had to be satis- fied with, and how great my obligations are to, all the Gentlemen who were associatftd with me in the Expedi- tion, whose kindness, good conduct, and cordial co-opera- tion, have made an impression which can never be effaced from my mind. The unfortunate death of Mr. Hood is the only drawback which I feel from the otherwise unal- loyed pleasiue I derived from reflecting on that cordial unanimity which at all times prevailed among us in the days of sunshine, and in those of "sickness and sorrow." To Doctor Richardson, in particular, the exclusive me- rit is due of whatever collections and observations have beer) made in the department of Natural History; and I am indebted to him in no small degree for his freindly advice and assistance in the preparation of the present Narrative. The Appendix is mostly his own. The charts and drawings were made by Lieutenant Back, and the late Lieutenant Hood. Both these gentle- men cheerfully and ably assisted me in making the obser- vations and in the daily conduct of the Expedition. Mr. mant jntle- ibser- Mi. INTRODUCTION. ,-^A XI Back was mostly prevented from turning his attention to objects of science by the many severe duties which were required of him, and which obliged him to travel almost constantly every winter that we passed in America; to his personal exertions indeed, is mainly to be attributed our final safety. And here I must be permitted to pay the tribute, which is due to the fidelity, exertion, and uniform good conduct in the most trying situations, of John Hep- burn, an English seamen, and our only attendant, to whom in the latter pari of our journey we owe, under Divine Providence, the preservation of the lives of some of the party. I ought, perhaps, to crave the reader's indulgence to- wards the defective style of this work, which I trust will not be refused when it is considered that mine has been a life of constant employment in my profession from a very early age. I have been prompted to venture upon the task solely by an imperious sense of duty, when called upon to undertake it. e me- have nd I indly esent ■»'f '^ i !KH A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES OF ft'^ THE POLAR SEA CHAPTER I. Departure I'roin England — Transactions at Stromness—Knler Uavis' Straits- Perilous Situation on tJie shore of Resolution Island — Land on the Coast of Labrador — Eskimau:ik of Savage Islands — York Factory — Preparations for the Journey into the Interior. 1819. f^ May. UN 'Sunday, the 23d of May, the whole of our party embarked at Gravesend on board the ship Prince of Wales, be- longing to the Hudson's Bay Company, just as she was in the act of getting under weigh, with her consorts the Eddystone and Wear. The wind being unfavourable, and on the ebb tide being finished, the vessels were again anchored ; but they weighed in the night, and beat down as far as the Warp, where they were de- tained two days by a strong easterly wind. Having learned from some of the passengers, who were the trading Officers of the Company, that the arrival of the ships at either of the establishments in Hudson's Bay, gives full occupa- tion to all the boatmen in their service, who are required to con vey the necessary stores to the different posts in the interior; that it was very probable a sufficient number of men might not be procured from this indispensable duty ; and, considering that any delay at York Factory would materially retard our future operations, I wrote to the Under Secretary of State, requesting his permission to provide a few well qualified steersmen and bowmen atStromness, to assist our proceedings in the former part »f our journey into the interior. Mat/ 30. — The easterly wind which h; \ retarded the ship's A u A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES = tv: i n ¥ pros^ress so much, that we had only reached HoUesly Bay aftei a week's beating about, changed to W.S.W. soon after that an- chorage had been gained. The vessels instantly weighed, and by carrying all sail, arrived in Yarmouth roads at seven P.M. : the pilots were landed, and our course was continued through lh«- anchorage. At midnight, the wind became light and variable, and gradually drew round to the N.W. ; and as the sky indica- ted unsettled weather, and the wind blew from an unfavourable quarter for ships upon that coast, the commander bore up again for Yarmouth, and anchored at eight A.M. This return afl'orded us, at least, the opportunity of comparing the longitude of Yarmouth church, as shewn by our chronome- ters, with its position as laid down by the Ordinance trigono- metrical survey ; and it was satisfactory to find, from the small difference in their results, that the chronometers had not experi- enced any alteration in their rates, in consequence of their being changed from an horizontal position in a room, to that of being carried in the pocket. An untoward circumstance, while at this anchorage, cast a damp on our party at this early period of the voyage. Em- boldened by the decided appearance of the N.W. sky, several of our officers and passeugers ventured on shore for a few hours ; but we had not been long in the town before the wind changed suddenly to S.E., which caused instant motion in the large fleet collected at this anchorage. The commander of our ship inti- mated his intention of proceeding to sea by firing guns ; and the passengers hastened to embark. Mr. Back, however, had unfortunately gone upon some business to a house two or three miles distant from Yarmouth, along the line of the coast ; from whence he expected to be able to observe the first symptom '^^ moving, which the vessels might make. By some accident, however, he did not make his appearance before the captain was obliged to make sail, that he might get the ships through the intricate passage of the Cockle Gat before it was dark. Fortunately, through the kindness of Lieut. Hewit of the Pro- tector, I was enabled to convey a note to our missing companion, desiring him to proceed immediately by the coach to the Pent- or THE POLAR SEA. 8 and }r, had three ; from Item -^^ [cident, :aptain irough dark. Pro- lan ion, Pent- land Firth, and from thence across the passage to Stromness, which appeared to be the only way of proceeding by which he could rejoin the party. June 3. — The wind continuing favourable after leaving Yar- mouth, about nine this morning vve passed the rugged and bold projecting rock termed Johnny Groat's house, and soon after- wards Duncansby Head, and then entered the Pentland Firth. A pilot came from the main shore of Scotland, and steered, the ship in safety between the different islands, to the outer anchorage at Stromness. though tiie atmosphere was too dense for distinguishing any objects on the land. Almost immediately after the ship had anchored, the wind changed to N.W., the rain ceased, and a sight was then first obtained of the neigh- bouring islands, and of the town of Stromness, the latter of which, from this point of view, and at this distance, presented a pleasing appearance. Mr. Geddes, the agent of the Hudson's Bay Company at this place, undertook to communicate my wish for volunteer boat- men to the different parishes, by a notice on the church-door, which he said was the surest and most direct channel for the conveyance of information to the lower classes in these islands, as they invariably attend divine service there every Sunday. He informed me that the kind of men we were in want of would be difficult to procure, on account of the very increased demand for boatmen for the herring fishery, which has recently been established on the shores of these islands : that last year, sixty boats and four hundred men only were employed in this service, whereas now there were three hundred boats and twelve hundred men engaged : and that owing to this unexpected addition to the fishery, he had been unable to provide the number of persons re- quired for the service of the Hudson's Bay Company. This was unpleasant information, as it increased the apprehension of our being detained at York Factory the whole winter, if boatmen were not taken from hence. I could not therefore hesitate in re- questing Mr. Geddes to engage eight or ten men well adapted for our service, on such terms as he could procure them, though the Secretary of State's permission had not yet reached me. '% A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES i'\ Next to a supply of boatmen, our attention was directed towards the ])rociiring of a house conveniently situated for tryina; the in- strinnents, and exaniinin,':; the rates of the chronometers. Mr. fteddes kindly offered ono of his, which, thou2;h in an unfinished state, was readily accepted, being well situated for our purpose, as it was placed on an eminence, had a southern aspect, and was at a sufficient distance from the town to secure us from frequent inter- ruption. Another arlvantagc was its proximity to the Manse, the re- sidence of the worthy and highly respected minister of Stromness : whose kind hospitality and polite attention of his family, the ])arty experienced almost daily during their stay. For threedays the weather was unsettled, and few observations could be made, except for the dip of the needle, which was as- ceitained to be 74'-' 37' 48", on which occasion a difference of eight degrees and a half was j)erccived between the observations, when the face of the instrument was changed from the east to the west, the amount being the greatest when it was placed with the face to the west. But on the 8th, a westerly wind caused a cloud- less sky, which enabled us to place the transit instrument in the meridian, and to ascertain the variation of the compass, to be 27'^ 50' west. The sky becoming cloudy in the afternoon, prevented our obtaining the corresponding observations to those gained in the morning ; and the next day an impervious fog obscured the sky until noon. On the evening of this day, we had the gratifi- cation of welcoming our absent companion, Mr. Back. His re- turn to our society was hailed with sincere pleasure by every one, and removed a weight of anxiety from my mind. It appears that he had come down to the beach at Caistor, just as the ships were passing by, and had applied to some boatmen to convey him on board, which might have been soon accomplished, but they, discovering the emergency of his case, demanded an exorbitant reward which he was not at the instant prepared to satisfy ; And in consequence they positively refused to assist him. Though he haij travelled nine successive days, almost without rest, he could not be prevailed upon to withdraw from the agreeable scene of ;< b;dl room, in ^vhich he joined us, until a late hour. OF THE POLAR SEA. iwards he in- Mr. nishcd ose, as as at « inlei- llic rc- inncss : ly, the vations vas as- jnce of k^ations, t to the ^'ith the a cloud - t in the be a?'' evented ined in red the gratifi- iis re- every appears e ships ey him t they., rbitanl ; »nd ugh he could e of ;» On the lOlh, the rain having ceased, the observations for ascer- taining the dip of the needle were repeated ; and the results, com- pared with the former ones, gave a mean of 74° 33' 20". Nearly the same (hftercnccs were remarked in reversing the face of the instrument as before. An attempt was also made to ascertaui the inognetic force, but the wind blew too strong for procuring the observation to any degree of accuracy. The lineness of the following day induced us to set up the dif- ferent instruments for examination, and to try how nearly the observations made by each of them would agree ; but a squall passed over just before noon, accompanied by heavy rain, and the hoped-for favourable opportunity was entirely lost. In the in- tervals between the observations, and at every opportunity, my companions were occupied in those pursuits to which their at- tention had been more particularly directed in my instructions. Whilst Dr. Uichardson was collecting and examining the various specimens of marine plants, of which these islands furnish an abundant and diversified supply, Mr. Back and Mr. Hood took views and sketches of the surrounding scenery, which is ex- tremely picturesque in many parts, and wants only the addition of trees to make it beautiful. The hills present the bold character of rugged sterility, whilst the valleys, at this season, arc clothed with luxuriant verdure. It was not till the 14th, that, by appointment, the boatmen were to assemble at the house of JNlr. Geddcs, to engage to ac- company the expedition. Several persons collected, but to my great mortification, I found they were all so strongly possessed with the fearful apprehension, either that great danger would at- tend the service, or that we should carry them further than they would agree to go, that not a single man would engage with us ; some of them, however, said liiey would consider the subjecl, and give me an answer on the following day. This indecisive con- duct was extremely annoying to me, especially as the next even- ing was fixed for the departure of the ships. At the a|)pointed time on the following morning four njen only presented themselves, and these, after much hesitation, engaged to iiccom|)any the expedition to Fort Chepewyan, if they should 1 ;s> « A JOURNEY TO THE SHOULu \% :l f: !nl.^ i be required so tar. The bowmen and steersmen were to receive forty pounds wages annually, and the middle men thirty-five pounds. They stipulated to be sent back to the Orkney Islands, free of expense, and to receive their pay until the time of arrival. Only these few men could be procured, although our requisition had been sent to almost every island, even as far as the northern- most point of Ronaldsha. I was much amused with the extreme caution these men used before they would sign the agreement ; they minutely scanned all our intentions, weighed every circum- stance, looked narrowly into the plan of our route, and still more circumspectly to the prospect of return. Such caution on the part of the northern mariners forms a singular contrast with the ready and thoughtless manner in which an English seaman enters upon any enterprise, however hazardous, without inquiring, or desiring to know, where he is going, or what he is going about. The brig Harmony, belonging to the Moravian Missionary Society, and bound to their settlement at Nain, on the coast of La- brador, was lying at anchor. With the view of collecting some Esquimaux words and sentences, or gaining any information res- pecting the manners and habits of that people. Doctor Richardson and myself paid her a visit. We found the passengers, who were going out as Missionaries, extremely disposed to communicate ; but as they only spoke the German and Esquimaux languages, of which we were ignorant, our conversation was necessarily much confined : by the aid, however, of an Esquimaux and German Dictionary, some few words were collected, which we considered might be useful. There were on board a very interesting girl, and a young man, who were natives of Disco, in Old Greenland ; both of them had fair complexions, rather handsome features and a lively manner; the former was going to be married to a resident Mis- sionary, and the latter to officiate in that character. The comman- der of the vessel gave me a translation of the Gospel of St. John in the Esquimaux language, printed by the Moravian Society in London. ,i, June 16. — The wind being unfavourable for sailing, I went on shore v.'ith Dr. Richardson, and took several lunar observations at the place of our former residence. The result obtained was, la- OF THK POLAR SEA. or jnt on Ions at las, la- litiule 58° 56' 56" N., longitude 3° 28' 28" W., variation 27° 50' VV. ; clip of the majinetic needle, 74° 33' 20". In the after- noon the wind changed in a squall some points towards the north, and the Prince of Wales made the preparatory signal for sea. At three P.M. the ships weighed, an hour too early for the tide; as soon as this served we entered into the passage between Hoy and Pomona, and h;id to beat through against a very heavy swell, which the meeting of a weather tide and a strong breeze had oc- casioned. Some dangerous rocks lie near the Pomona shore, and on this side also the tide appeared to run with the greatest strength. On clearing the outward projecting points of Hoy and Pomona, we entered at once into the Atlantic, and commenced our voyage to Hudson's Bay — having the Eddystone, Wear, and Harmony IMis- sionary brig in company. The comparisons of the chronometers this day indicated that Arnold's Nos. 2148 and 2147, had slightly changed their rates since they had been brought on board ; fortunately the rate of the former seems to have increased nearly in the same ratio as the other has lost, and the mean longitude will not be materially af- fected. Being now fairly launched into the Atlantic, I issued a general memorandum for the guidance of the officers, during the prosecu- tion of the service on which we were engaged, and communicated to them the several points of information that were expected from us by my instructions. I also furnished them with copies of the signals, which had been agreed upon between Lieutenant Parry and myself, to be used in the event of our reaching the northern coast of America, and falling in with each other. ' At the end of the month of June, our progress was found to have been extremely slow, owing to a determined N.W. wind and much sea. We had numerous birds hovering round the ship ; principally fulmars (pi'ocellaria glacialis^) mm\ shearwaters, (pt^cellaria pvffiiius,) and not unfrequently saw shoals of gram- pusses sporting about, which the Greenland seamen term finners from their large dorsal fin. Some porpoises occasionally appeared, and whenever they did, the crew were sanguine in their expec- 8 A JOUKNKY TO THE SHORES ^ n tation o( liavinji; a sjicedy change in the wind, which had hueii so vcxatiously contrary, but they were disappointed in every instance. 'Thursday f July 1. — The month of July set in more favour- ably; and, aided by fresh breezes, we advanced rapidly to the west- ward, attended daily by numerous fulmars and shearwaters. The Missionary briu; had parted company on the 22d of June. Wc passed directly over that part of the ocean where the " Sunken Land of Buss" is laid down in the old, and continued in the Admiralty charts. Mr. Bell, the commander of the E«ldystone, informed me that the pilot, who brought his ship down the Thames, told him that he had gained soundings in twelve feet somewhere hereabout ; and I am rather inclined to attribute the very unusual and cross sea we had in this neighbourhood, to the existence of a bank, than to the effect of a gale of wind which we had just before experienced ; and I cannot but regret that the commander of the ship did not try for soundings at frequent in- tervals. 1 • : By the 25th July we had opened the entrance of Davis' Straits, and in the afternoon we spoke the Andrew Marvel, bound to England with a cargo of fourteen fish. The master informed us that the ice had been heavier tliis season in Davis' Straits than he had ever recollected, and that it lay jtarticularly close to the west- ward, being connected with the shore to the northward of Reso- lution Island, and extending from thence within a short distance of the Greenland coast ; that whales had been abundant, but the ice so extremely cross, that few could be killed. His ship, as well as several others, had sutlcred material injury, and two vessels had been entirely crusiied between vast masses of ice in latitude 74° 40' N., but the crews were saved. We inquired anxiously, but in vain, for intelligence respecting Lieutenant Parry, and the ships under his command ; but as he mentioned that the wind had been blowing strong from the northward for some time, which would, jjrobably, have cleared Baffin's Bay of ice, we were dis- posed to hope favourably of his progress. The clouds assumed so much the appearance of icebergs this evening as to deceive most of the passengers and crew; but their imaginations had been excited by the intelligence we had rcceiv- m TO THE FOLAR SKA. b this their leceiv- ed from the Andrew Marvel, that she hatl only patted iVom a cluster of them two days previous to our meeting. On the 527th, being in latitude 57" 44' 21" N., longitude ,47" 31' 14" VV., and the weather calm, we tried for soundings, but diil not reach the bottom. The register thermometer was attached to the line Jitsl above the lead, and is supposed to have descended six hundred and fifty fathoms. A well-corked bottle was also fastened to the line, two hundred fathoms above the lead, and went down four hundred and fifty fathoms. The change in tem- perature, shown by the register thermometer during the descent, was from 53° to 40.5'; and it stood at the latter point, when taken out of the tin case. The temperature of the water brought up in the bottle was 41°, lieing half a degree higher at four hun- dred and fifty than at six hundred and fifty fathoms, and four de- grees colder than the water at the surface, which was then at 45", whilst that of the air was 46°. This experiment, in shewing tlu- water to be colder at a great depth than at the surface, and in proportion to the increase of the descent, coincides with the ob- servations of Captain Ross and Lieutenant Parry, on their late voynge to these seas, but is contrary to the results obtained by Captain Buchan and myself, on our recent voyage to the north, between Spitzbergen and Greenland, in which sea we invariably found the water brought from any great depth to be warmer than that at the surface. 1 On the 28th we tacked to avoid an extensive stream of sailing ice. The temperature of the water fell to 39.5°, when we were near it, but was at 41°, when at the distance of half a mile. The thermometer in the air remained steadily at 40°. Thus the proxi- mity of this ice was not so decidedly indicated by the decrease of the temperature of either the air or water, as I have before wit- nessed, which was probably owing to the recent arrival of the stream at this point, and its passing at .too quick a rate for the ef- fectual difiusion of its chilling Influence beyond a short distance. Still the decrease in both cases was sufficient to have given timely warning for a ship's performing any evolution that would have prevented the coming in contact with it, had the thickness of th«- weather precluded a distant view of the danger. B lu A JOURNEY TO THE bHORKS I I';;, f?! ^.: The approach to the ice would bo more evidently pointed out in the Atlantic, or wherever the surface is not so continually chilled by the passing; and the mcfting of ice as in this sea; and I should strongly recommend a strict hourly attention to the ther- monietrical state of the water at the surface, in all parts where ships are exposed to the danjj^erous concussion of sailing iceberg*, as a principal means of security. The following day our ship came near another stream of ice, and the approach to it was indicated by a decrease of the tempera- ture of the water at the surface from 44" to 42". A small pine- tree was picked up much shattered by the ice. In the afternoon of the 30th, a very dense fog came on; and, about s \ P.M., when sailing before a fresh breeze, we were suddenly involved in a heavy stream of ice. Considerable diflicully was experienced in steering through the narrow channels between the dilfercnt masses in this foggy weather, and the ship received several severe blows. The water, as usual in the centre of the stream, was quite smooth, but we heard the waves beating violently against the outer edge of the ice. There was some earthy matter Oh several of the pieces, and the whole body bore the appearance of recent separation from the land. In the s|)ace of two hours we again got into the open sea, but had left our two consorts far behind ; but they followed our track by the guns we discharged. The tem- perature of the surface water was 35° when amongst the ice, 38° when just clear of it, and 41.5° at two miies distant. On the 3d of August, when in latitude 59° 58' N., longitude 59* 53' W., we first fell in with large icebergs; and in the even- ing were encompassed by several of considerable magnitude, which obliged us to tack the ship in order to prevent our getting entangled amongst them. The estimated distance from the nearest part of the Labrador coast was then eighty-eight miles ; here we tried for soundings, without gaining the bottom. The ship passed through some strong riplings, which evidently indicated a current, but its direction was not ascertained. We found, however, by the recent observations, that the ship had been set daily to the si tl 11 or THE POLAR SEA. 11 l^itude even- litudc, jetting learest ire we >assed Irrent, r, by lo the boiithwartl, since wc had opened Davis' Straits. The variation of tlic compass was obsurvt.'d to be 52^ 41' W. At nine P.M., brilliant coruscaliotis of the Aurora liorealis ap- peared, of a pale ochre colour, with a slight tinge of red, in an arched form crossing the zenith from N.W. to S.JO., but afterwards they assunu'd various shapes, and hail a rapid motion. On the 5lh of August, a j)arly of the olliccrs endeavoured to get on one of the larger icebergs, but inelfectually, owing to the steepness and snioolhness of its sides, and the swell produced by its mululating motion. This was one of the largest we saw, and jNlr. llood ascertained its height to be one hundred and forty-nine feet ; but these masses of ice are frequently magnified to an im- mense size, through the illusive medium of a hazy atmosphere, and on this account their dimensions have often been exaggerated by voyagers. In the morning of the 7th, the Island of Resolution was indis- tinctly seen through the haze, but was soon afterwards entirely hidtien by a very dense fog. The favourable breeze subsided into a perfect calm, and left the ship surrounded by loose ice. At this time the Eddystone was perceived to be driving with rapidity to- wards some of the larger masses : the stern boats of this ship and of the Wear were despatched to assist in towing her clear of them. At ten, a momentary clearness presented the land distinct- ly at the distance of two miles ; the ship was quite unmanageable, and under the sole governance of the currents, which ran in strong eddies between the masses of ice. Our consorts were also seen, the Wear being within hail, and the Eddystone at a short distance from us. Two attempts were inefl'ectuaily made to gain sound- ings, and the extreme density of the fog precluded us from any other means of ascertaining the direction in which we vvere driv- ing until half past twelve, when we had the alarming view of a barren rugged shore \\ ithin a few yards, towering over the mast- heads. Almost instantly afterwards the ship struck violently on a point of rocks, projecting from the island ; and the ship's side was brought so near to the shore, that poles were prepared to push her off. This blow displaced the rudder, and raised it several inches but it fortunately had been previously confined by tackles. A gentle it I It A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES I iili" 'Ml $ u % swell freed the ship from this perilous situation, but the current hurried us along in contact with the rocky shore, and the prospect was most alarming. On the outward bow was perceived a nag- ged and precipitous cliff, whose summit was hid in the fog, i^iid the vessel's head was pointed towards the bottom of a small bay, into which we were rapidly driving. There now seemed to be no probability of escaping shipwreck, being without wind, and having the rudder in its present useless state ; the only assistance was that of a boat employed in towing, which had been placed in the water between the ship and the shore, at the imminent risk of its being crushed. The ship again struck in passing over a ledge of rocks, and happily the blow replaced the rudder, which enabled us to take advantage of a light breeze, and to direct the ship's head without the projecting cliff. But the breeze was only mo- mentary, and the ship was a third time driven on shore on the rocky termination of the cliff. Here we remained stationary for some seconds, and with little prospect of being removed from this perilous situation ; but we were once more extricated b}' the swell from this ledge also, and carried still farther along the shore. The coast became now more rugged, and our view of it was ter- ^ninated by another high projecting point on the starboard bow. Happily, before we had reached it, a light breeze enabled us to turn the ship's head to seaward, and we had the gratification to find, when the sails were trimmed, that she drew off the shore. We had made but little progress, however, when she was violently forced by the current against a large iceberg lying aground. Our prospect was now more alarming than at any preceding period : and it would be difficult for mc to portray the anxiety and dismay depicted on the countenances of the female passengers and children, who were rushing on deck in spite of the endea- vours of the officers to keep them below, out of the danger which was apprehended if the masts should be carried away. After the first concussion the ship was driven along the steep and rugged side of this iceberg, with such amazing rapidity, that the destruc- tion of the masts seemed ineviuble, and every one expected we should again be forced on the rocks in the most disabled state ; but we providentially escaped this perilous result, which must have been decisive. Of THE POLAR SEA. n current rospect a rrg- .g, a.id ill bay, \ to be nd, and sistance laced in ; risk of a ledg;e enabled B ship's ily mo- j on the ationary ed from I by the le shore- ivas ter- rd bow. us to ation to shore, iolently id. ' eceding anxiety isengers cndea- which fter the Ligged lestruc- ted we state ; 1 must -'» The dense fog now cleared away for a short time, and we dis- covered the Eddystone close to some rocks, having three boats employed in towing ; but the Wear was not visible. Our ship received water very fast ; the pumps were instantly manned and kept in continual use, and signals of distress were made to the Eddystone, whose commander promptly came on board, and then ordered to our assistance his carpenter and all thn men he could spare, together with the carpenter and boat's crew of the Wear, who had gone on board the Eddystone in the morn- ing, and were prevented from returning to their own vessel by the fog. As the wind was increasing, and the sky appeared very un- settled, it was determined the Eddystone should take the ship in tow, that the undivided attention of the passengers and crew might be directed to pumping, and clearing the holds to examine whether there was a possibility of stopping the leak. We soon had reason to suppose the principal injury had been received from a blow near the stern-post, and, after cutting away part of the ceiling, the carpenters endeavoured to stop the rushing in of the water, by forcing oakum between the timbers ; but this had not the desired effect, and the leak, in spite of all our efforts at tlio- pumps, increased so much, that parties of the officers and passen- gers were stationed to bail out the water in buckets at different parts of the hold. A heavy gale came on, blowing from the land ai. the night advanced ; the sails were split, the ship was encom- passed by heavy ice, and, in forcing through a closely-connected stream, the tow-rope broke, and obliged us to take a portion of tlie seamen from the pumps, and appoint them to the management of the ship. Fati':Tue, indeed, had caused us to relax in our exertions at the pumps during a j)art of the night of the 8th, and on the followinjr morning upwards of five feet water was found in the well. Re- newed exertions were now put forth by every person, and before eight A.M. the water was so much reduced as to enable the car- penters to get at other defective places ; but the remedies thev could apply were insufficient to repress the water from rushing in. and our labours could but just keep the ship in the same state throughout the day, until six P.M. ; wlien the strength of every H A JOURNEY TO THE {.IlOREfi H i; one began to fail, the expedient of thrusting in felt, as well as oakunij was resorted to, and a plank nailed over all. After this operation a perceptible diminution in the water was made, and being encouraged by the change, we put forth our utmost exertion in bailing and pumping, and before night, to our infinite joy, the leak was so overpowered that tlie pun)ps were only required to be used at intervals of ten minutes. A sail, covered with every substance that could be carried into the leaks by the pressure of the water, was drawn under the quarter of the ship, and secured by ropes on each side. As a matter of precaution in the event of having to abandon the ship, which was for some time doubtfu., the elderly women and children were removed to the Eddystone when the wind was moderate this afternoon, but the young women remained to assist at the pumps, and their services were highly valuable, both for their personal labour, and for the encouragement their example and perseverance gave to the men. ■ • . , , At day-light, on the 9th, every eye was anxiously cast around the horizon in search of the Wear, but in vain ; and the recollec- tion of our own recent peril caused us to entertain considerable apprehensions for her safety. This anxiety quickened our elforts to exchange our sliattcred sails for new ones, that the ship might be got, as speedily as possible, near to the land, wliich was but just in sight, and a careful search be made for her along the coast. We were rejoiced to find that our leak did not increase by carrying sail, and we ventured in the evening to remove the sail which had been placed under the part where the injury had been received, as it greatly impeded our advance. ■^', v We passed many icebergs on the 10th, and in the evening we tacked from a level field of ice, which extended northward as far as the eye could reach. Our leak remained in the same state ; ihe pumps discharged in three minutes the quantity of water which had been received in fifteen. The ship could not be got near to the land before the afternoon of the lull. At four P.M. we hove to, opposite to, and about five miles distant from, the spot on which we had first struck on Saturday. Every glass was directed along the shore (as they had coi mi th wh no wa ren Wi OF THE POLAR SKA. 15 hcreasc )vc tlie ly had -I 11 g we as far state ; I which hnoon about |ck oil ly had iicen throughout the day), to discover any trace ot our absent con- sort; but, as none was seen, our solicitude respcctii c; her was much increased, and we feared the crew nii2;ht be wrecked on this inhospitable siiorc. Guns were frequently fned to apprize any who niig;ht be near of our approach ; but, as no one appeared, and no signal was returned, and the loose ice was settina; down to- wards the ship, we bore up to proceed to the next apj)olnted rendezvous. At eigiit P.M. we were alireast of the S.W end of the island called Cape Resolution, which is a low point, but indi- cated at a distance by a lofty round backed hill that rises above it. We entered Hudson's Straits soon afterwards. The coast of Resolution Island should be approached with cau- t'ou, as the tides appear to be stronp; and uncertain in their course. Some dan2;erous rocks he above and below the water's edi!;e, at the distance of live or six miles iVom East BluH', bearingS. 32° K. t^tis^ii.'it 12. — Having had a fresh gale through the night, we reached Saddleback Island by noon — the place of rendezvous ; and looked anxiously but in vain for the Wear. Several guns were fu'ed, supposing she might be hid from our view by the land ; but, as she did not appear, Captain Davidson, having remained two hours, deemed further delay inexpedient, and bore up to keep the advantage of the fair wind. The outline of this island is ruf- ged ; the hummock on its northern extremity appeared to me to resemble a decayed martello tower more than a saddle. Azimuths were obtained this evening that gave the variation 58° 45' W., which is greater than is laid down in the charts, or than the officers of the Hudson's Bay ships have been accustomed to allow. We arrived abreast of the Upper Savage Island early in the morning, and as the breeze was moderate, the ship was steered as near to the shore as the wind would permit, to give the Esqui- maux inhabitants an opportunity of coming off to barter, which they soon embraced. Their shouts at n distance intimated their approach some time before we descried the canoes paddling towards us ; the headmost of them reached us at eleven ; these were quickly followed by others, and before noon about forty canoes, each holding one man, were assembled around the two ships. In the afternoon, when i^l m .it'' J '■ •:.:i' 1i i '!• ■) fft 16 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORlib we approached nearer to the shore, five or six larger ones, con- taining the women and children, came up. • The Esquimaux immediately evinced their desire to barter, and displayed no small cunning in making their bargains, taking care not to exhibit too many articles at first. Their principal com- modities were, oil, sea-horse teeth, whalebone, seal-skin dresses, caps and boots, deer-skins and horns and models of their cnoes ; and they received in exchange small saws, knives, nails, tin-kettles, and needles. It was pleasing to behold the exultation, and to hear the shouts of the whole party, when an acquisition was made by any one; and not a little ludicrous to behold the eagerness wilh which the fortunate person licked each article with his tongue, on receiving it, as a finish to the bargain, and an act of appropriation. They in no instance omitted this strange practice, however small the article ; the needles even passed individually through the cere- mony. The women brought imitations of men, women, animals, and birds, carved with labour and ingenuity out of sea-horse teeth. The dresses, and the figures cf the animals, were not badly exe- cuted, but there was no attempt at the delineation of the counte- nances; and most of the figures were without eyes, ears, and fin- gers, the execution of which would, perhaps, have required more delicate instruments than they possess. The men set most value on saws ; kuttee-»wa-bak, the name by which they distinguish them, was a constant cry. Knives were held next in estimation. An old sword was bartered from the Eddystone, and I shall long remember the universal burst of joy on the happy man's receiving it. It was delightful to witness the general interest excited by in- dividual acquisitions. There was no desire shown by any one to over-reach his neighbour, or to press towards any part of the ship where a bargain was making, until the person in possession of the place had completed his exchange and removed ; and, if any ar- ticle happened to be demanded from the outer canoes, the men nearest assisted willingly in passing the thing across. Supposing the party to belong to one tribe, the total number of the tribe must exceed two hundred persons, as there were, probably, one hun- dred and fifty around the ships, and few of these were elderly persons or male children. -, !S, COtt- 3 barter, 5, taking pal com- dresses, cnoes ; i-kettles, I to hear made by less wilh ngue, oil )priation. ver small the cere- , animals, rse teeth, idly exe- le counte- i, and fin- ed more ost value stinguish timation. ihall long receiving ed by in- ly one to the ship on of the f any ar- the men apposing ibe must )ne hun- ; elderly OF THE POLAR SEA. 14 Their faces were broad and flat, the eyes were small. The men were in general stout. Some of the yownger women and the chil- dren had rather pleasing countenances, but the difference between these and the more aged of that sex, bore strong testimony to the effects which a fow years produce in this ungenial climate. Most of the party had sore eyes, all of them appeared of a plethoric habit of body ; several were observed bleeding at the nose during their stay near the ship. The men's dresses consisted of a jacket, of seal-skin, the trowsers of bear-skin, and several had caps of the white fox-skin. The female dresses were made of the same ma- terials, but differently shaped, having a hood in which the infants were carried. We thought their manner very lively and agree- able. They were fond of mimicking our speech and gestures ; but nothing afforded them greater amusement than when we at- tempted to retaliate by pronouncing any of their words. The canoes were of seal-skin, and similar in every respect to those used by the Esquimaux in Greenland ; they were generally new and very complete in their appointments. Those appro- priated to the women are of ruder construction, and only calcu- lated for fine weather ; they are, however, useful vessels, being capable of containing twenty persons with their luggage. An elderly man officiates as steersman, and the women paddle, but they have also a mast which carries a sail, made of dressed whale- gut. # . When the women had disposed of all their articles of trade they resorted to entreaty ; and the putting in practice of many enticing gestures was managed with so much address, as to pro- cure them presents of a variety of beads, needles, and other articles in great demand among females. It is probable these Esquimaux go from this shore to some part of Labrador to pass the winter, as parties of them have been fre- quently seen by the homeward-bound Hudson's Bay ships in the act of crossing the Strait. They appear to speak the same language as the tribe of Esqui- maux, who reside near to the Moravian settlements in Labrador ; for we perceiv^ed they used several of the words which had be«n given to us by the Missionaries at Stromness. i:? 1! %- IS A JOURNhV 10 rilK SHORES .)! hi Towards evening, the Captain, being desirous to get rid of his visitors, took an effectual method by tacking from the shore ; our friends then departed apparently in high glee at the harvest they had reaped. They paddled away very swiftly, and would, doubt* less, soon reach the shore, though it was distant ten or twelve miles. Not having encountered any of the ice, which usually arrests the progress of ships in their outward passage through the Straits, and being consequently deprived of the usual means of replenish- ing our stock of water, which had become short, the Captain resolved on going to the coast of Labrador for a supply. Dr. Richardson and I gladly embraced this opportunity to land, and examine this part of the coast. I was also desirous to observe the variation on shore, as the azimuths which had been taken on board both siiips since our entrance into the Straits, had shewn a greater amount than we had been led to expect ; but, unluckily, the sun became obscured. The beach consisted of large rolled stones of gneiss and sienite, amongst which many pieces of ice had ground- ed, and it was with difficulty that we effected a landing in a small cove under a steej) cliff. These stones were worn perfectly smooth ; neither in the interstices, nor at the bottom of the water, which was very clear, were there any vestiges of sea- weed. The cliff was from forty to fifty feet high and quite perpendi- cular, 'lind had at its base a small slip of soil formed of the debris of a bed of clay-slate. From this narrow spot Dr.Richardson col- lected specimens of thirty different species of plants ; and we were about to scramble up a shelving part of the rock, and go into the interior, when we perceived the signal of recal, which the master had caused to be made, in consequence of a sudden change in the appearance of the weather. On the evening of the 19th, we passed Digges' Islands, the ter- mination of Hudson's Strait. Here the Eddystone parted company, being bound to Moose Factory, at the bottom of the Bay^ A strong north wind came on, which prevented our getting round the north end of Mansfield ; and, as it continued to blow with equal strength for the next five days we were most vexati- eusly detained in beating along the Labrador coast, and near the i ■w.i OF THE POLAR SLA. li- tet- any, A Dund with xati- thP ■ 3 I it dangerous chain of islands, the Sleepers, which are said to extend from the latitude of 60° 10' to 57" 00' N. The press of sail which of necessity we carried, caused the leak to increase, and the pumps were kept in constant use. A favouring wind at length ^nabled us, on the 25i.h, to shape our course across Hudson's Bay. Nothing worthy of remark oc- curred during this passage, except the rapid decrease in the varia- tion of the magnetic needle, which will be seen in a subsequent tftble, together with the positions of the different points in Hud- son's Straits ; near to which we had the opportunity of getting observations. The few remarks respecting the appearance of the land, which we were able to make in our quick passage through these Straits, were transmitted to the Admiralty ; but, as they will not be interesting to the general reader, and may not be sufficient- ly accurate for the guidance of the Navigator, they are omitted in this narrative. On the 28th we discovered the land to the southward of Cape Tatnam, which is so ex'tremely low, that the tops of the trees were first discerned ; the soundings at the time were seventeen fathoms, which gradually decreased to five as the shore was approached. Cape Tatnam is not otherwise remarkable than as being the point from which the coast inclines rather more to the westward to- wards York Factory. v ,v , The opening of the morning of the 30th presented to oar view the anchorage at York Flats, and the gratifying sight of a vessel at anchor, which we recognized, after an anxious examination, to be the Wear. A strong breeze blowing from the direction of the Flats, caused the water to be more shallow than usual on the sandy bar, which lies on th© seaward side of the anchorage, and we could not get over it befere two P. M., when the tide was nearly at its height. Immediately after our arrival Mr. Williams, the Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company's posts, came on board, accompanied by the Commander of the Wear. The pleasure we felt in wel- coming the latter gentleman can eastbr be imagined, when it is considered what reason we had for the^pprehension that he and his crew had been numbered with the dead. We learnt that one i §& A JOUllNEY TO THE SHORES V ''■ 't 'il ■: ;i rji :l'-f % of the larger masses of ice had providentially drifted between the vessel's side and the rocks just at the time he expected to strike, to which he secured her until a breeze sprang up and enabled him to pursue his voyage. • ' The Governor acquainted me that he had received information from the Committee of the tludson's Bay Company of the equip- ment of the Expedition, and that the officers would come out in the first ship. In the evening Dr. Richardson, Mr. Hood, and I, accompanied the Governor to York Factory, which we reached after dark ; it is distant from the Flats seven miles. Early next morning the Governor conferred the honour of a salute on the members of the Expedition. Having communicated to the Governor the objects of the Ex- pedition, and that I had been directed to consult with him and the senior servants of the Company as to the best mode of proceeding towards the execution of the service, I was gratified by his assur- ance that his instructions from the Committee directed that every possible assistance should be given to forward our progress, and that he should feel peculiar pleasure in performing this part of his duty. He introduced nie at once to Messrs. Charles, Swaine, and Snodic, masters of districts, who, from long residence in the country, were perfectly acquainted with the different modes of travelling and the obstructions which might be anticipated. At till desire of these gentlemen, I drew up a series of questions on the points on which we required information ; to which they had the kindness to return very explicit and satisfactory answers two days afterwards; and on receiving them I requested the Governor to favour me with his sentiments on the same subject in writing, which he delivered to me on the following day. Having leai^ned that Messrs. Shaw, M'Tavish, and several other partners of the N.W. Company, were under detention at this place, we took the earliest opportunity of visiting them; when, having presented the general circular, and other introduc- tory letters, with which I had been furnished by their agent Mr. Simon M'Gillivray, we received from them the most friendly and full assurance of the cordial endeavours of the wintering part- pers of their Company to promote the interests of the Expedition. ofl in Col par OV THE POLAR SEA. 81 [several Ition at them; troduc- ht Mr. [iendly part- Idition. The knowledge we had now gained of the state of the violent commercial opposition existing in the country, rendered this as- surance highly gratifying ; and these gentlemen added to the ob- ligation by freelj'^ communicating the information respecting the interior of the country, which their intelligence and long resi- dence so fully qualified them to give. I deemed it expedient to issue a memorandum to the officers of the Expedition, strictly prohibiting any interference whatever in the existing quarrels, or any that might arise, between the two Companies ; and on presenting it to the principals of both the parties, they expressed their satisfaction at the step I had taken. The opinions of all the gentlemen were so decidedly in favour of the route by Cumberland House, and through the chain of posts to the Great Slave Lake, that I determined on pursuing it, and immediately communicated my intention to the Governor, with a request that he would furnish me with the means of con- veyance for the party as speedily as possible. It was suggested in my instructions, that we might probably procure a schooner at this place, to proceed north as far as Wa- ger Bay ; but the vessel alluded to was lying at Moose Factory, completely out of repair ; independently of which, the route directly to the northward, was rendered impracticable by the im- possibility of procuring hunters and guides upon the coast. I found that as the Esquimaux inhabitants had left Churchill a month previous to our arrival, no interpreter from that quarter could be procured before their return in the following spring. The Governor, however, undertook to forward to us the next season the only one amongst them who understood English, if he could be induced to go. The Governor selected one of the largest of the Company's boats for our use on the journey, and directed the carpenters to commence refitting it immediately ; but he was only able to fur- nish us with a steersman ; and we were obliged to make up the rest of the crew with the boatmen brought from Stromness, and our two attendants. York Factory, the principal depot of the Hudson's Bay Com- pany, stands on the west bank of Hayes River, about five milee ■I il* 22 A JOURNtY TO THE SHORLS i ' ;!: above its mouth, on the murshy peninsula which separates the Hayes and Nelson rivers. The surrounding country is flat and swampy, and covered with willows, poplars, larch, spruce, and birch trees, but the requisition for fuel hrs expended all the wood in the vicinity of the fort, and the residents have now to send a considerable distance for this necessary material. The soil is alluvial clay and contains imbedded rolled stones. Though the bank of the river is elevated about twenty feet, it is frequent- ly overflown by the spring floods, and large portions of it are an- nually carried away by the disruption of the ice ; by these por- tions grounding in the stream, several muddy islands have been formed. These interruptions, together with the various collec- tions of stones that are hid at high water, render the navigation of the river diflicult ; but vessels of two hundred tons burthen iTiay be brought through the proper channels as high as the Fac- tory. The principal buildings are placed in the form of a square, haying an octagonal court in the centre ; they are two stories in height, and have flat roofs covered with lead. The officers dwell io one portion of this square, and in the other parts the articles of merchandize are kept : the workshops, storehouses for the furs, and the servants' houses, are ranged on the outside of the square, and the whole is surrounded by a stockade twenty feet high. A platform is laid from the house to the pier on the bank for the convenience of transporting the stones and furs, which is the only promenade the residents have on this marshy spot dur- ing the summer season. The few Indians, who now frequent this establishment, belong to the. Stvampij Crees. There were several of them encamped on the outside of the stockade. Their tents were rudely constructed by tying twenty or thirty poles to- gether at the top, and spreading them out at the base so as to form a cone ; these were covered with dressed moose-skins. The fire is placed in the- centre, and a hole is left for the escape of the smoke. The inmates had a squalid look, and were sufiering un- der the combined afflictions of hooping-cough and measles ; but even these miseries did not keep them from an excessive indul- gence in the use of spirits, which they unhappily can procure i H r ■ ;:! or THE l'OL\R SEA. rates the 5 flat and ucc, and I all the 5 now to The soil Though freqiient- it are an- hese por- ave been IS coUec- avigation i burthen the Fac- a square, stories in ers dwell i articles for the e of the nty feet Ithe bank which is [pot dur- frequent re were Their oles to- so as to ns. The le of the ■ing un- es; but indul- procure Irom the traders with two much facility ; and they ni<2,htly sere- naded us with their monotonous drunken songs. Their sickness, at this time, was particularly felt by the traders, this being the season of the year when the exertion of every hunter is required to procure their winter's stock of geese, which resort in im- mense flocks to the extensive flats in this neij:;hbourhood. These birds, during tiie summer, retire far to the north, and breed in security ; but, when the approach of winter compels them to seek a more southern climate, they generally alight on the marshes of this bay and fatten there for three weeks or a month, before they take their final departure from the country. They .(Iso make a short halt at the same spots in their progress north- \vards in the spring. Their arrival is welcomed with joy, and the period of the goose hunt is one of the most plentiful sea- sons of the year. Tiie ducUs frequent the swamps all the sum- mer. The weather was extremely unfavourable for celestial observa- tions during our stay, and it was only by watching the momen- tary appearances of the sun, that we were enabled to obtain fresh rates for the chronometers, and allow for their errors from Green- wich time. The dip of the needle was observed to be 79° 29' 07", and the difference produced by reversinpr the face of the in- strument was 11° 3' 40". A succession of fresh breezes prevented our ascertaining the intensity of the magnetic force. The posi' lion of York Factory, by our observations, is in latitude 57^ 00' 03" N., longitude 98' 26' W. The variation of the comp.i«t >°00' 21" E. • ■4 h.l ^: .?/ t 94 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 4' CHAPTER II. I'assagc ii|> Hayes*, StccI, and Hill Rivers— Cross Swampy Lake— Jack Iliyef — Kiii'o Lake ami Ma},nictic Islet— Trout River— Holey Lake — Weepina- paiinis River— Windy Lake— White-Fall Lake and River— Echcmamis and Lea Rivers— I'lay-Ureen Lakes— Lake Winipeg— River Saskatchawan- Cros.i, Ccdur, and ['ine-lsland Lakes — Cumberland House. i i8iy. g^ September. UN the 9\h oi September, our boat being completed, ;irrang;emnnts wore made for our {lej)arture as soon as the tide should serve. Hut, when the stores were brought down to the beach, it was found that ilin boat would not contain them all. The whole, therefore, of the bacon, and part of the flour, rice, tobacco, and ammunition, were rclurned into the store. The bacon was too bulky an article lo be forwarded under any circumstances; hut the Governor undertook to forward the rest next season. In making the selection of articles to carry with us, I was guided by the judgment of Governor Williams, who assured me that to- bacco, ammunition, and spirits, could be procured in the interior, otherwise I should have been very unwilling to have left these essential articles behind. We embarked at noon, and were ho- nouied with a salute of (ilght guns and three cheers from the Go- x'ernor and all Iho. inmates of the fort, assembled to witness our departure. We gratefully returned their cheers, and then made sail, much delighted at having now commenced our voyage into the interior of America. The wind and tide failing us at the dis- tance of six miles above the Factory, and the current being too rapid for using oars to advantage, the crew had to commence tracking, or dragging the boat by a line, to which they were har- nessed. This operation is extremely laborious in these rivers. Our men were obliged to walk along the steep declivity of a high bank, rendered at this season-soft and slippery by frequent rains, find their progress was often further impeded by fallen trees, \ • OF THI". POLAR SEA. Of; Jack nifCf -Weepina- ■mamis and acliawan— )mpleted, the tide Arn to the . all. The 1, tobacco, )acon was iistances ; tson. Ill ;uided by that to- interior, left these were ho- thc Go- ness our len made ai^e into the dis- cing too Immence ere har- rivers. f a high it rains. In trees, whiih, liavinu; hiippfd iVoni tho vcr^o of the thick wood above, hinii; on liin I'aco ol" the hatik in a f;reat variety of din^clions. Not- withstaiidiiis; these obstacles, however, wc advauv'ed at the rate of two miles an hour, one-half of Ihe c»'c\v rehovini; the oilier at intervals of an hour and a half. The biin!;^^ of the river, and its islands, composed of alluvial t-oii, are well covered with pines, larches, j)oplars, and willows. The breadlh of the sin am some distance above the Factory is about half a mile, and its depth durinj^ this day's voya:;e varied iVoni ibrec to nine fiet. At sunset we landed, and j)itchod the tent for the niu;iil, having made a progress of twelve miles. A large? fire was quickly kin- dled, sujiper speedily prepared, and as readily despatcheil, when we retired with our bullalo robes on, and enjoyoil a night of sound repose. • It may here be stated that the survi^y of the river was made by taking the bearings of every point with a pocket compass, esti- mating the distances, and making a connecttvl eye-sketch of the whole. This part of the survey was allotted to Messrs. 15ack and Hood conjointly: Mr. Hood also protracted the route erery even- ing on a ruled map, after the couiies and distances had been cor- rected by obsei'N'aliuns tor latitude and longitude, taken by my- self as often as the weather would allow. The extraordinary ta- lent of this young ofllcer in this line of service proved of the greatest advantage to the Expedition, and he continued to per- form that duty until his lamented death, with a degree of Zealand accuracy that characterized all his pursuits. The next morning our camp was in motion at five A.M., and we soon afterwards embarked with the flattering accompaniment of a fair wind : it proved, however, too light to enable us to stem the stream, and we were obliged to resume the fatiguing operation of tracking, sometimes under cliifs so steep that the men could scarcely find a footing, and not unfrequently over spots rendered so miry, by the small streams that trickled from above, as to be almost impassable. In the rourst; of the tlay we passed the scene of a very melancholy accident. Some years ago, two families of Indians, induced by the flatness oLa small beach, which lay be- twixt the cliif and the; river, chose it as the site of their encamp- l.-k !'"iil urn .r ■< hi ■111) It » i ■ If i '■■ii # 36 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES ment. Tliey retired quietly to vost, not aware that the precipice, detached from the bank, and urged by an accumulation of water in the crevice liehind, was tottering to its base. It fell during the night, and the whole party was buried under its ruins. The length of our voyage to-day was, in a direct line, sixteen miles and a quarter, on a S.S.W. course. We encamped soon af- ter sunset, and the tent was scarcely pitched when it began to rain heavily, and continued to do so all night. Sixteen miles on the 11th, and five on the following morning, brought us to the commencement of Hayes' River, wnichis form- ed by the confluence of the Shamattawa and Steel Rivers. Our observations place this spot in latitude 56° 22' 32" N., longitude jjgo J, 2^,, Y^ jj jg forty-eight miles and a half from York Fac- tory, including the windings of the river. Steel River, through which our course lay, is about three hundred yards wide at its mouth ; its banks have more elevation than those of Hayes' River, but they shelve more gradually down to tlie stream, and afford u tolerably good towing path, which compensates, in some degree, for the rapids and frequent shoals that impede its navigation. We succeeded in getting about ten miles above the mouth of the river, before the close of day compelled us to disembark. We made an effort, on the morning of the 13th, to stem tlie current undei sail, but as the course of the river was very serpen- tine, we found that greater progress could be made by tracking. Steel River presents much beautiful scenery ; it winds through a narrow, but well-wooded, valley, which at every turn disclosed to Uf an agreeable variety of prospect, rendered more picturesque by the effect of the season on the foliage, now ready to drop from the trees. The light yellow of the fading poplars formed a fine contrast to the dark evergreen of the spruce, whilst the willows, of an intermediate hue, served to shade the two principal masses of colour into each other. The scene was occasionally enlivened by the bright purple tints of the dogwood, blended with the browner shades of the dwarf birch, and frequently intermixed with the gay yellow flowers of liie shrubby cinqucfoil. With ail these charms, the scene appeared desolate from the want of the !)uman species. The stillness was so great, that even the twit- ■; t ''-•:;i! OF THE POLAR SEA. s: recipice, of water iring the , sixteen soon af- n to rain morning, I is form- rs. Our ongitude ork Fac- through , ide at its | !s' River, 1 afford a B degree, ivigation. th of the 1 '.1 stem tlie \ (T serpen- tracking. | through 1 [lisclosed | turesque % 'op from j ed a fine | willows, 1 1 masses J nlivened M vith the m ermixed I With all 1 t of the 1 he twit- ■ tering of the IVhiskey-johneesh, or cinereous crow, caused us ti> start. Our voyage to-day was sixteen mdes on a S.W. course. Sept. 14. — We had much rain during the night, and also in the morning, which detained us in o\ir encampment later than usual. We set out as soon as the weather cleared up, and in a short time arrived pt the head of Steel River, whore it is formed by the junction of Fox and Hill Rivers. These two rivers are nearly of equal width, but the latter is the most rapid. Mr. M'Donald, on his way to Red River, in a small canoe, manned by two In- dians, overtook us at this place. It may be mentioned as a prool of the dexterity of the Indians, and the skill with which they steal upon their game, that they had on the preceding day, with no other arms than a hatchet, killed two deer, a hawk, a curlew, faid a sturgeon. Three of the Company's boats joined us in the course of the morning, and we pursued our course up Hill River in company. The water in this river wet so low, and the rapids so bad, that we were obliged several times, in the course of the day, to jump into the water, and assist in lifting the boat over the large stones which impeded the navigation. The length of our voyage to-day was only six miles and three quarters. The four boats commenced operations together at five o'clock the following morning ; but our boat being overladen, we soon found that we were unable to keep pace with the others ; and therefore proposed to the gentlemci in charge of the Company's boats, that they should relieve us of part of our^cargo. This they declined doing, under the plea of not having rece; "ed orders to that effect, notwithstanding that the circular, with which I was furnished by Governor Williams, strictly enjoined all the Com" pany's servants to afford us every assistance, fn consequence of this refusal we dropt behind, and our steersman, who was inex- perienced, being thus deprived of the advantage of observing the route followed by the guide, who was in the foremost boat, fre- quently took a wroijg channel. The tow-line broke twice, and the boat was only prevented from going broadside down the stream, and breaking to pieces against the stones, by the officers and men leaping into the water, and holding hpr head to the cur- rent until the line could be carried again to the shore. It is but un > rii! 1 1 •1 if lis h :J' m :ih. 1.1 A JOUIINKY TO rilK SiIORif. that in th( leceived trying situations v assistance from Mr. Thomas Swayne, who with great kindness waited for us with the boat under his charj>-e, at such places as he apprehended would be most difficult to pass. We encamped at sunset, completely jaded with toil. Our distance made good this day was twelve miles and a quarter. IJhe labours of the 16th commenced at half past five, and for some time the difficulty of getting the boats over the rapids was equal to what we experienced yesterday. Having passed a small brook, however, termed Half-way Creek, the river became deeper, and although rapid, it was smooth enough to be named by our Orkney boatmen Siill-water. We were further relieved by the Company's clerks consenting to take a few boxes of our stores into their boats. Still we made only eleven miles in the course of the day. The banks of Hill River are higher, and 1 \ ^ :i.ore broken outline, than those of Steel or Hayes' Rivers. The cliffs of allu- vial clay rose in some places to the height of eighty or ninety feet above the stream, and were surmounted by hills about two hundred feet high, but the thickness of the wood prevented us from seeing far beyond the mere banks of the river. September 17. — About half past five in the morning we com- menced tracking, and soon came to a ridge of rock which ex- tended across the stream. From this place the boat was dragged up several narrow rocky channels, until wa came to the Rock- Portage, where the stream, pent in by a range of small isl.ui.l'., forms several cascades. In ascenolng the river, the bor' ^'"fl their cargoes are carried over one of the islands, but in the t n u, they arc shot down the most shelving of the cascades. Hav. i. performed the operations of carrying, launching and re-stowing the cargo, we plied the oars for a short distance and landed at a depot called Rock-House. Here we were informed that the ra- pids in the upper parts of Hill River were much worse and more numerous than those we had passed, particularly in the present season, owing to the unusual lowness of the water. Th-s intel- ligence was very mortifying, especially as the gentlemei' i : "harge of the Company's boats declared that they were unable to rar^y :l 1 OF THC POLAR SEA. 29 ed much kindness tces as he lamped at good til is !, and for apids was id a small r became be named • relieved :es of our les in the re broken Ts of allu- or ninety about two rented us we coni- vhich cx- > dragged le Rock- [1 island J., ''•'fl. «$ any part of our stores beyond this place ; and the traders, guides, and most experienced of the boatmen, w*)re of opinion, that un- less our boat was still further lightened, the winter would put a stop to our progress before we could reach Cumberland House, or any eligible post. Sixteen pieces were therefore necessarilj' left with Mr. liunn, the gentleman in charge of the post, to be for- warded by the Athabasca canoes next season, this being their place of rendezvous. After this we recommenced our voyage, and having pulled nearly a mile, arrived at Borrowick's Fall, where the boat was dragged up with a line, after part of tlie cargo had been carried over a small portage. From this place to the Mud Portage, a distance of a mile and three quarters, the boats were pushed on with poles against a very rapid stream. Here we encamped, hav- ing come seven miles during the day on a S.W. course. Wc had several snow showers in the course of the day, and the thermome- ter at bed-time stood at 30". On the morning of the 18th, the country was clothed in the livery of winter, a heavy fall of snow having taken place during the night. We embarked at the usual hour, and, in the course of the day, crossed the Point of Rocks and Brassa Portages, and dragged the boats through several minor rapids. In this tedious way we only made good about nine miles. . On Sunday the 19th we hauled the boats up several short rapids, or, as the boatmen term them, expressively enough, spouts, and carried them over the Portages of Lower Burntvvood and Mor- gan's Rocks ; on the latter of which we encamped, having pro- ceeded, during the whole day, only one mile and three quarters. The upper part of Hill River swells out considerably, and at Morgan's Rocks, where it is three quarters of a mile wide, we were gratified with a more extensive prospect of the country than any we had enjiyed since leaving York Factory. The banks of the river here, consisting of low flat rocks with intermediate swamps, permitted us to obtain views of the interior, the surface of which is broken into a multitude of cone-shaped hills. The highest of these hills, which gives a name to the river, has an eleva- tion not exceeding six hundred feet. From its summit, thirty-six 30 A .rOURNKY TO THF. SHORI.i -^a 1; ir. ■I n If; |1: lako« arc said to In; visible. The beauty of the scenery, drcsacd ill the lints of autumn, called lurth our admiration, and was the subject of Mr. Iluod's accurate pencil. On the 2()th wc passed Uj)pcr IJurntvvood and llocky J^ed^c Portapjcs, besides several stroni; spcmts ; and in the evening arrived at Smooth Rock Port- age, where we encamped, havinj;- come three miles an;l a half. It is not easy for any but an eye-witness to form an adcfjuate idea of the exertions of the Orkney boatmen in the navipjalion of this river. The necessity they are under of froquenlly jumpin-!; into the water to lift the boats over the rocks, (;(»iii[)els them to remain the whole day in wet clolhes, at a season vvjk n tlin tem|V'rature is far below the freezing point. The immenie loads too, which they carry over the porlaa;cs, is not more a matter of smpri-jc than tlie •rily with which they perform these laborious duties. \t six on the morning of the 21st, we left our encampment, ,ind soon after arrived at the Mossy I'ortaj^c, where the carjj;oes were carried through a deep bog for a quarter of a mile. The river swells out, above this portage, to tJic breadth of several miles, and as the islands are numerous there are a great variety of channels. Night overtook us before we arrived at tht; Second Portage^ so named from its being the second in the passage down the river. Our whole distance this day was one mile and a quarter. On the 22d our route led us amongst many wooded islands, which lying in long vistas, produced scenes of much beauty. In the course of the day wc crossed the Upper Postage, surmounted the Devil's Landing Place, and urged the boat with poles through Groundwater Creek. At the upper end of this creek, our bowman having given the boat too broad a sheer, to avoid the rock, it was caught on the broadside by the current, and, in defiance of our utmost exertions, hurried down the rapid. Fortunately, however, it grounded against a rock high enough to prevent the current from oversetting it, and the crews of the other boats having come to our assistance, we succeeded, after several trials, in throwing a rope to them, with which they dragged our almost sinking vessel stern foremost up the stream, and rescued us from our ]7erilous situation. We encamped in the dusk of the evening amidst a I l\ i'' or THE por.An ska ff dressed I was the /c passed )S several ock Port- bair. It. juate idea on of thifi ipin-i; into lo remain vTature is iluch they c tlian the .ampmcnt, lie carfe;oes lile. The of several !at variety h(; Second |ie passage mile and \i\ islands, iaiity. In irmounted \h through howman ;k, it was Ice of our however, |e current ing come irowing a Ing vessel }7tirilous amidst a 0i heavy thunder-storm, having advanced two miles and three quarters. Ahout ten in tlie mornini: of the 23d, we arrived at the Dram- stonc, which is hailed with pleasure hy the boats' crews, as mark- ing the iermination of the lahoriotis ascetit of Hill Iliver. Wc complied with the custom from whcmcc it derives its name, and soon after landing upon Sail Island prepared breakfast. In the mean time our hoatmeji cut down and rigged a new mast, the old one having been thrown overboard at the mouth of Steel River, where it ceased to be useful. We left Sail Island with a fair wind, and soon afterwards arrived at a depot situated on Swampy Lake, where we received a supply of moiddy pemviican* Mr. Calder and his attendant were the only tenants of this cheerless abode, and their only food was the wretched stuff with which they supplied us, the lake not yielding fish at this season. After a short delay at this post, we sailed through the remainder of Swampy Lake, and slept at the Lower Portage in .lack River ; the distance sailed to-day being sixteen miles and a half. .lack River is only eight miles long; but being full of had ra- pids, it detained us considerably. At seven in the morning of the y4th, we crossed the Long Portage, where the woods, having caught fire in the summer, were slill smoking. This is a common accident, owing to the neglect of the Indians and voyagers in not putting out their fires, and in a dry season the woods may be seen blazing to the extent of many miles. Wc afterwards crossed the Second, or Swampy Portage, and in the evening encamped on the Upper Portage, where we wefc overtaken by arj Indian bringing an answer from Governor Williams to a letter I had written to him on the 15th, in which he renewed his injunctions to the gen- tlemen of the boats accompanying us, to afford us every assistance in 4l;eir power. Tlu; Aurora Boreal is appeared this evening in form of a bright arch, extending across the zenith in a N.W. and S.E. direction. The extent of our voyage to-day was two miles. Ahout noon on the 25th we entered Knee Lake, which has a very irregular i'orm, and near its middle takes a sudden turo; * UuH'itlo meat^ dried an'! pounde-l, jind mixed wiUi melted fat. f» A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES i ■ 1. m 'J' liini from whence it derives its name. It is thickly studded with islands, and its shores are low and well-wooded. The surrounding country, as far as we could see, is flat, being destitute even of the moderate elevations which occur near the upper part of Hill River. The weather was remarkably fine, and the setting sun threw the richest tints over the scene that I remember to have witnessed. About half a mile from the bend oi' knee of the lake, there is a small rocky islet, composed of magnetic iron ore, which affects the magnetic needle at a considerable distance. Having received previous information respecting this circumstance, we watched our compasses carefully, and perceived that they were aft'ected at the distance of three hundred yards, both on the approach to and de- parture from the rock : on decreasing the distance, they became gradually more and more unsteady, and on landing they were ren- dered quite useless; and it was evident that the general magnetic influence wns totally overpowered by the local attraction of the ore. When Kater's compass was held near to the ground on the N.W. side of the island, the needle dipped so much that the card could not be made to traverse by an)' adjustment of the hand ; but on moving the same compass about thirty yard? to the west part of the islet, the needle became horizontal, trpversed freely, and pointed to the magnetic north. The dipping needle being landed on the vS.W. point of the islet, was adjusted as nearly as possible on the magnetic meridian by the sun's bearings, and found to vibrate freely, v^'hen the face of the instrument was directed to the east or west. The mean dip it gave was 80° 37' 50". When the instrument wa« removed from the N.W. to the S.JL point, about twenty yards distant, and placed on the meridian, the needle ceased to traverse, but remained steady at an angle of 60'^. On changing the face of the instrument, so as to give a S.E. and N.W. direction to the needle, it hung vertically. The position of the slaty strata of the magnetic ore is also vertical. Their direction is extremely irregular, being much contorted. Knee Lake towards its upper end becomes narrower, and its rocky shores are broken into conical and rounded eminences, des- titute of soil, and of course devoid of trees. W^e slept at tho (i ■ ■■ i OF THE POLAR SEA. 33 led with rounding en of the ; of Hill Lting sun to have there is a ch affects received tched our :ed at the a and de- \f became were ren- magnetic on of the nd on the it the card land ; but west part •eely, and Ins landed s possible found to rected to When ,E. point, ,he needle fiO'^. On .nd N.W. n of the direction western extremity of the lake, having come during the day nine- teen miles and a half on a S.W. course. We began the ascent of Trout River early in the morning of the 27th, and in the course of the day passed three portages and several rapids. At the ftret of these portages the liver falls be- tween two rocks about sixteen feet, and it is necessary to launch the boat over a precipitous rocky 6ank. This cascade is named the Trout-Fall^ and the beauty of the scenery afforded a subject for Mr. Hood's pencil. The rocks which form the bed of this river are slaty, and present sharp fragments, by which the feet of the boatmen are much lacerated. The Second Portage, in particu- lar, obtains the expressive name of Knife Portage. The length of our voyage to-day was three miles. On the 28ih, we passed through the remainder of Trout River; and, at noon, arrived at Oxford House, on Holey Lake. This was formerly a post of some consequence to the Hudson's Bay Com- pany, but at present it exhibits unequivocal signs of decay. The Indians have of late years been gradually deserting the low or swampy country, and ascending the Saskatchawan, where animals are more abundant. A few Crees were at this time encamped in front of the fort. They were suffering under the combined mala- dies of hooping-cough and measles, and looked miserably deject- ed. We endeavoured in vain to prevail on one of them to accom- pany us for the purpose of killing diicks, which were numerous, but too shy for our sportsmen. We had the satisfaction, however, of exchanging the mouldy pemmican, obtained at Swampy Lake, for a better kind, and received, moreover, a small, but very ac- ceptable, supply of fish. Holey Lake, viewed from an eminence behind Oxford House, exhibits a pleasing prospect; and its nu- merous islands, varying much in shape and elevation, contribute to break that uniformity of scenery which proves so jialling to a traveller in this country. Trout of a great size, frequently ex- ceeding forty pounds weight, abound in this lake. We left Ox- ford House in the afternoon, and encamped on an island about eight miles distant, having come, during the day, nine miles and u quarter. ' At noon, on the 29th, after passing through the remainder of K :h A JOURNLY TO Till: SllOUCS M ■ ■# l:> m i \\'' Holey Lake, we entered the Wecpinapannis, a narrow grassy liver, which runs parallel to the lake lor a considerable distance, and forms its south bank into a narrow peninsula. In the morning ^\c arrived at the Swaniny Portap;e, wiiere two of the boats were broken against the rocks. The length of the day's voyage was nineteen miles and a half. In consequence of the accident yesterday evening, we were de- tained a considerable time this morning, until the boats were re- paired, when we set out, and, after ascending a strong rapid, ar- rived at the Portage by John Moore's Island. Here the river rushes with irresistible force through the channels formed by two rocky islands ; and we learnt, that last year a poor man, in hauling a. boat up one of these channels, was, by the breaking of the line, precipitated into the stream and hurried down the cascade with such rapidity, that all efforts to save him were ineffectual. His body was afterwards found and interred near the sjjot. The Weepinapannis is composed of several branches which se- parate and unite, again and again, intersecting the country in a great variety of directions. We pursued the principal channel, and having passed the Crooked Spout, with several inferior rapids, and crossed a small piece of watei", named Windy Lake, we en- tered a smooth deep stream about three hundred yards wide, which has got the absurd appellation of the Rabbit Ground. The marshy banks of this river arc skirted by low barren rucks, behind which there are some groups of stunted trees. As we advanced, the country becoming flatter, gradually opened to our view, and vve at length arrived at a shallow, reedy l^ke, the direct course through which leads to the Hill Portage. This route has, however, of late years been disused, and we therefore turned towards the north, and crossing a small arm of the lake, arrived at Hill Gates by sunset; having come this day eleven miles. October 1. — Hill Gates is the name imposed on a romantic de- file, whose rocky walls rising penpendicularly to the height of sixty or eighty feet, hem in the stream for three quarters of a mile, in many places so narrowly, that there is a want of room to ply the oars. In passing througli this chasm we were naturally led to contemplate the mighty but, probably, slow and gradual OF THE POLAR SEA. 35 V grassy ilistancuy murtung ats were ;age was were ile- wcre re- jpid, ar- ;he river 1 by two 1 hauling tiie line, ade with lal. His vhich se- ntry in a channel, r rapids, we en- e, which marshy d which ced, the nd vve at through of late north, ates by ntic de- iight of !rs of a room to iturally gradual ^1 effects of the water in wearing down such vast masses of rock ; but in the midst of our speculations, the attention was excited anew to a grand and picturesque rapid, which, surrounded by iho most wild and majestic scenery, terminated the defde. The brown fishing-eagle had built its nest on one of the projecting cliffs. In the course of the day we surmounted this and another dangerous |)ortage, called the Upper and Lower Hill Gate Port- ages, crossed a small sheet of water, termed the White-Fall I^ke, and entering the river of the same name, arrived at the While Fall about an hour after si!n*",et, having come fourteen miles onaS.W. course. The whole of the 2d of October was spent in carrying the car- goes over a portage of thirteen hundretl yards in length, and in launching the empty boats over three several ridges of rock which obstruct the channel and produce as many cascades. I shall long remember the rude and characteristic wildness of the scenery which surrounded these falls; rocks piled on rocks hung in rude and shapeless masses over the agitated torrents which swept their bases, whilst the bright and vuriegatod tints of the mosses and lichens, that covered the face of the cliffs, contrasting with the dark green of the pines, which crowned their summits, added both beauty and grandeur to the general effect of the scene. Our two companions. Back and Hood, made accurate sketches of these falls. At this place we observed a conspicuous lop-sticky a kind of land-mark, which I have not hitherto noticed, notwithstanding its great use in pointing out the frequented routes. It is a pine- tree divested of its lower branches, and having only a small tuft at the top remaining. This operation is usually performed at the instance of some individual emulous of fame. He treats his com- panions with rum, and they in return, strip the ree of its branches, and ever after designate it by his name. In the afternoon, whilst on n.y way to superintend the opera- tions of the men, a stratum of loose moss gave way under my feet, and I had the misfortune to slip from the summit of a rock into the river, betwixt two of the falls. My attempts to regain the bank were, ior a time, ineffectual, owing to the rocks within my reach having been worn smooth by the action of the water, hut. ^ ill iS6 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES i; it j. !•■ after I had been carried a considerable distance down the stream, 1 caught hold of a willow, by which I held until two gentlemen ol the Hudson's Bay Company came in a boat to my assistance. The only bad consequence of this accident was an injury sustained by a very valuable chronometer, (No. 1733,) belonging to Daniel Moore, Esq. of Lincoln's Inn. One of the gentlemen, to whom I delivered it immediately on landing, in his agitation let it fall, whereby the minute-hand was broken, but the works were not in the smallest degree injured, and the loss of the hand was after- wards supplied. During the night the frost was severe, and at sunrise, on the 3d, the thermometer stood at 23°. After leaving our encampment at the White Fall, we passed through severa' small lakes connect- ed with each other by narrow, deep, grassy "'eams, and at noon arrived at the Painted Stone. Numbers of musk-rats frequent these streams, and we observed, in the course of the morning, many of their mud-houses rising in a conical form to the height of two or three feet above the grass of the smamps in which they are built. The Painted Stone is a low rock, ten or twelve yards across., remarkable for the marshy streams which arise on each side of it, taking different courses. On the one side, the water-course which we had navigated from York Factory commences. This spot may therefore be considered as one of the smaller sources of Hayes' River. On the other side of the stone the FIchemamis arises, and taking a vvestei^ly direction falls into Nelsor. River. It is said that there was formerly a stone placed near the centre of this portage on which figures were annually traced, and offerings deposited, by the Indians ; but the stone has been removed many years, and the spot has ceased to be held in veneration. Here we were overtaken by Governor Williams, who left York Factory on the 20th of last month in an Indian canoe. He expressed much re- gret at our having been obliged to leave part of our stores at the Rock depot, and would have brought them up with him had he heen able to procure and man a boat, or a canoe of sufficient size. . Having launched the boats over in? cock, we commenced the stream, cmen ol distance, ustaincd o Daniel o whom t it fall, ^e not iu as after- 3, on the impment connect- [ at noon frequent morning, he height [lich they s across,, ide of it, se which spot may Hayes' ises, and said that portage ited, by lars, and ive were on the uch re- les at the had he mfficient iced the 4 OF THE POLAR SEA. a? I 1 I 4 descent of the Echemamis. This small stream has its course through a morass, and in dry seasons its channel contains, instead of water, merely a foot or two of thin mud. On these occasions it is customary to build dams, that it may be rendered navigable by the accumulation of its waters. As the beavers perform this operation very effectually, endeavours have been made to encou- rage them to breed in this place, but it has not hitherto been pos- sible to restrain the Indians from killing that useful animal when- ever they discover its retreats. On the present occasion there was no want of water, the principal impediment we experienced being from the narrowness of the channel, which permitted the willows of each bank to meet over our heads, and obstruct the men at the oars. After proceeding down the stream for some time, we came to a recently constructed beaver-dam through which an opening was made sufficient to admit the boat to pass. Wc were assured that the breach would be closed by the industrious creature in a single night. We encamped about eight miles from the source of the river, having come during the day seventeen miles and a half. On the 4th we embarked amidst a heavy rain, and pursued our route down the Echemamis. In many parts the morass, by which the river is nourished, and through which i1 flows, is intersected by ridges of rock which cross the channel, and require the boat to be lifted over them. In the afternoon we passed through a shal- low piece of water overgi'own with bulrushes, and hence named Hairy Lake ; and in the evening, encamped on the banks of Blackwater-Creek, by which this lake empties itself into Sea Ri- ver ; having come during the day twenty miles and three quar- ters. On the morning of the 5th, we entered Sea River, one of the many branches of Nelson River. It is about four hundred yards wide, and its waters are of a muddy white colour. After ascend- ing the stream for an hour or two, and passing through Carpen- ter's Lake, which is merely an expansion of the river to about a mile in breadth, we came to the Sea River Portage, where the boat was launched across a smooth rock, to avoid a fall of four or five feet. Re-einbarking at the upper end of the portnge, we ran St A lOURNLY TO TIIF. SHORTI r ^sr' before a fresh gale through the remainder of Sea Kivor, the lower part of Play Green Lake, and entering liittle Jack Uiver, landed and pitched our tents. Here there is a small log-hut, the resi- dence of a fisherman, who supplies Norway House with trout and sturgeon. He gave us a few of these fish, which afforded an acceptable supper. The length of our voyage this day was thirty-four miles. October G. — Little Jack River is the name given to a channel that winds among several large islands which separate ITpper and Lower Play Green Lakes. At the lower end of this channel. Big Jack River, a stream of considerable magnitude, falls into the lake. Play Green is a translation of the appellation given to that lake by two bands of Indians, who met and held a festival on an island situated near its centre. After leaving our encampment we sail- ed through Upper Play Green Lake, and arrived at Norway Point in the forenoon. The waters of Lake Winipeg, and of the rivers t1 un into it, the Saskatchawan in particular, are rendered turbic .he sus- pension of a large quantity of white clay. Play Green Lake and Nelson River, being the discharges of the Winipeg, are equally opaque, a circumstance that renders the sunken rocks, so frequent in these waters, very dangerous to boats in a fresh breeze. Ow- ing to this, one of the boats that accompanied us, sailing at the rate of seven miles an hour, struck upon one of these rocks. Its masts were carried away by the shock, but fortunately no other damage sustained. The Indians ascribe the muddiness of these lakes to an adventure of one of their deities, a mischievous fellow, a sort of Robin Puck, whom they hold in very Utile esteem. This deity, who is named Weesakootchaht, possesses considerable power, but makes a capricious use of it, and delights in torment- ing the poor Indians. He is not, however, invincible, and was foiled in one of his attempts by the artifice of an old woman, who succeeded in taking him captive. She called in all the women of the tribe to aid in his punishment, and he escaped from their hands in a condition so filthy that it required all the waters of the Great Ijake to wash him clean ; and ever since that period it has been entitled to the appellation of Winipeg, or Muddy Water. OF THE I'OLAR SEA. SO Norway Point forms the extremity of a narrow peninsula whicli separates Play Green and Wiuipe^ Lakes. Buildings vverc first (irected licre by a parly of Norwegians, who were driven away from the colony at lied River by the commotions which took place some time ago. It is now a trading post belonging to tlie Hudson's Bay Company. On landing at Norway Mouse we met with Lord Selkirk's colonists, who had started from York Fac- tory the day before us. These poor people were exceedingly pleased at meeting with us again in this wild country; having accompanied them across the Atlantic, they viewed us in the light of old acquaintances. This post was under the charge of Mr. .lames Sutherland, to whom I am indebted for replacing a minute- hand on the chronometer, which was broken at the White Fall, and I had afterwards the satisfaction of finding that it went with extraordinary regularity. The morning of the 7th October was beautifully clear, and the observations we obtained place Norway House in latitude 5.3° 41' 38" N., and longitude i)S° 1' 24" W. ; the variation of the mag- netic needle 14° 12' 41" E., and its dip 63° 40' 10". The dip, it will be perceived, has gradually increased, though our route from York Factory has rather inclined to the S.W. The difference produced by reversing the face of the instrument was 7° 39'. There was too much wind to admit of our observing, with any de- gree of accuracy, the quantity of the magnetic force. We left Norway House soon after noon, and the wind being favourable, sailed along the northern shore of Lake Winipeg the whole of the ensuing night; and on the morning of the 8th land- ed on a narrow ridge of sand, which, running out twenty miles to the westward, separates Limestone Bay from the body of the Lake. When the wind blows hard from the southward, it is cus- tomary to carry boats across this isthmus, and to pull up under its lee. From Norwegian Point to Limestone Bay the shore con- sists of high clay cliffs, against which the waves beat with much violence during strong southerly winds. When the wind blows from the land, and the waters of the lake are low, a narrow san- dy beach is uncovered, and affords a landing-place for boats. The shores of Limestone Bay are covered with small fragments of t ■ ' fWl 40 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES It'l'l!- .1,1 'M ! ,1' ■( f ■ -i' m calcareous stones. During the night the Aurora Borealis was quick in its motions, and various and vivid in its colours. After breakfasting we re-embarked, and continued our voyage until three P.M., when a strong westerly wind arising, we were oblig- ed to shelter ourselves on a small island, which lies near the ex- tremity of the above-mentioned peninsula. This island is formed of a collection of small rolled pieces of limestone, and was remem- bered by some of our boatmen to have been formerly covered with water. For the last ten or twelve years the waters of the lake have been low, hut our information did not enable us to judge whether the decrease was merely casual, or going on conti- nually, or periodical. The distance of this island from Norway House is thirty-eiglit miles and a half. The westerly winds detained us all the morning of the 9th, but, at two P.M., the vind chopped round to the eastward ; we im- mediately embai ced, and the breeze afterwards fresheuing, we reached the moutn of the Saskatchawan at midnight, having run thirty-two miles. Sunday, October 10. — Tlie whole of this day was occupied in getting the boats from the mouth of the river to the foot of the grand rapid, a distance of two miles. Ther& are several rapids in this short distance, during which the river varies its breadth from five hundred yards to half a mile. Its channel is stony. At the grand rapid, the Saskatchawan forms a sudden bend, from south to east, and works its way through a narrow, channel, deeply worn into the lim^tone strata. The stream, rushing with impetuous force over a rocky and uneven bottom, presents a sheet of foam, and seems to bear with impatience the straitened confiiemtnt of its lofty banks. A flock of pelicans, and two or three brown fishing eagles, were fishing in its agita- ted waters, seemingly v;nth great success. There is a good stui- geon fishery at the foot of the rapid. Several goit ^n plovers, Canadian gros-beaks, cross-bills, wood peckers, and pin-tailed grouse, were shot to-day ; and Mr. Back killed a small sti'iped marmot. This b-autiful little animal was busily employed in carrying in its distended pouches the seeds of tlie American vetch to its vvinlei hoard^s. - i. - ^- OF THE POLAR SEA. 41 The portage is eighteen hundred yards long, and its western extremity was found to be in 53° 08' 25" North latitude, and 99° 28' 02" West longitude. The route from Canada to the Atha- basca joins that from York Factory at the mouth of the Saskat- chawan, and we saw traces of a recent encampment of the Cana- dian voyagers. Our companions in *he Hudson's Bay boats, dreading an attack from their rivals in trade, were on the alert at this place. They examined minutely the spot of encampment, to form a judgment of the number of canoes that had preceded them ; and they advanced, armed, and with great caution, through the woods. Their fears, however, were fortunatel)', on this oc- casion, groundless. By noon, on the 12th, the boats and their cargoes having been conveyed across the portage, we embarked, and pursued our course. The Saskatchawan becomes wider above the Grand Ra- pid, and the scenery improves. The banks are high, composed of white clay and limestone, and their summits are richly cloth- ed with a variety of firs, poplars, birches, and willows. The current runs with great rapidity and the channel is, in many places, intricate and dangerous, from broken ridges of rock jut- ting into the stream. We pitched our tents at the entrance of Cross Lake, having advanced only five miles and a half. Cross Lake is extensive, running towards the N.E., it is said, for forty miles. We crossed it at the narrow part, and pulling through several winding channels, formed by a group of islands, entered Cedar Lake, which, iiext to Lake Winipeg, is the largest sheet of fresh water we had hitherto seen. Ducks and geese re- sort hither in immense flocks in the spring and autumn. Thej,*^ birds are now beginning to go off, owing to its muddy shores having become quite hard through the nightly frosts. At this place the Aurora Borealis was extremely brilliant in the night, its coruscations darting, at times, over the whole sky, and assuming various prismatic tints, of which the violet and yellow were pre- dominant. After pulling, on the 14th, seven miles and a quarter on the lake, a violent wind drove us for shelter to a small island, or rather a ridge of rolled stones, thrown up by the frequent storm* n m }m '.",$•<: m A JOUKNKV TO THK SllOUrs H. W4- Hhr whicli ap;itate this lake. The weather did not rnodeiale the whole day, and we were obliged f(j j,ass the niajht oti this exposed spot- TJic delay, however, eiiabled vis to obtain some lunar observa- tions. The wind having subsided, we left our resting-place the following morning, crossed the remainder of the lake ; and, in the afternoon, arrived at Muddy Lak(?, which is very appropri- ately named, as it consists merely of a few cliannels, winding amongst extensive mud b.ndcs, which are overflowed during the spring floods. We landed at an Indian tent, which contained two numerous families, amounting to thirty souls. 'J'hese poor creatures were badly clothed, and reduced to a miserable condition by the ravages of the hooping-cough and measles. At the time of our arrival they were busy in preparing a sweating-house for the sick. This is a remedy, which they consider, with the addi- tion of singing and drumming, to be the grand specific for all diseases. Our companions having obtained some geese, in ex- change for rum and tobacco, we proceeded a few more miles, and encamped on Devil's Drum Island, having come, during the day. twenty miles and a half. A second party of Indians were en- camped on an adjoining island, a situation chosen for the purpose of killing geese and ducks. On the 16th we proceeded eighteen miles up the Saskatcha- wan. Its banks are low, covered with willows, and lined witL drift timber. The surrounding country is swampy, and inter- sected by the numerous arms of the river. After passing for twenty or thirty yards through the willow thicket on the banks of the stream, we entered upon an extensive marsh, varied only by a distant line of willows, which marks the course of a creek or branch of the river. Tiie branch we navigated to-day is almost five hundred yards wide. The exhalations from the marshy soil produced a low fog, although the sky above was perfectly clear. In the course of the day we passetl an Indian encampment of three tents, whose inmates appeared to be in a still more miser- able condition than those we saw yesterday. They had just finished the celemony of conjuration over some of their sick com- panions ; and a dog, which was recently killed as a sacrifice to some diety, was hanging to a tree, where it would be left (I was ^o\{.\) when they moved llieir enoampmcnt. Ol' TUF. I'OI.AU SI. A. 4;l "^ We continued our voyafrc up the river to the -iOih with httic Vfiriation of scenery or incident, travelling in that time about thirty miles. The near approach of winter was marked hj' se- vere frosts, whicli continued all day unless when the sun chanced to be unusually bright, and the geese and ducks were observed to take a southerly course in large flocks. On the morning of the 20th we came to a party of Indians, encamped behind the bank of the river on the borders of u small marshy lake, for the purpose of killing water-fowl. Here we were gratified with the view of a very large, tent. Its length was about forty feet, its breadth eighteen, and its covering was moose deer leather, wiih apertures for the escape of the smoke from the fires which were placed at each end ; a ledge of wood was placed on the ground on both sides the whole length of the tent, within which were the sleeping places, arrang- ed probably according to families ; and the drums and other instru- ments of enchantment were piled up in the centre. Amongst the Indians there were a great many half-breeds, who lead an In- dian life. Governor Williams gave a dram and a piece of tobacco to each of the males of the party. On the morning of the 21st a heavy fall of snow took place, which lasted until two in the afternoon. In the evening we left the Saskatchawan, and entered the Little River, one of the two streams by which Pine Island Ln' ilischarges its waters. We advanced to-day fourteen miles and a quarter. On the 2::^d the weather was extremely cold and stormy, and we had to contend against a strong head wind* The spray fro/c a it fell, aii 1 the oars were so loaded with ice as to be almost unmanageable. Th«- length of our voyage this day vval eleven miles. The following morning was very cold; we embark i at day- light, and pulled across a part of Pine Island Lake, about three miles and a half to Cumberland House. The margin of the lake was so encrusted with ice, that wc had to break tlv gh a considerable space of it to approach the landing place. When we considered that this was the effect of onl)' a few days' frost at the commencement of winter, we were convinced of the im- practicability of advancing further by water this season, and therefore resolved on accepting Governor Williams's kind in vita- f! n i * 4% A lOUUNKY r6 TllK SlIKUr.S ■#,:■! wk 1. ^ fi' in tion to reiiiain witli liim at tliis post. We immeilialely vit*ilc(1 Mr. ('Dnnolly, tlio resident partner of the Nortli-Wc8t Company. ;nul presented to him Mr. M'Gillivray's circular letter. He as- sureil us that he should be most desirous to forward our progress by every means in his power, and we subsecpiently had ample proof's of his sincerity and kindness. Tlic in expected addition of our party to the winter resitlents at this post, rendered an in- crease of apartments n(!cessary ; and our men were immediately appointed to complete and arrange an unfinished building as speedily as possible. Norcrnho' 8. — Some mild weather succeeded to the severe frosts we had at our arrival ; and the lake had not been entirely frozen before the Gth ; but this morning tlie ice was sufliciently firm to admit of sledges crossing it. The dogs were harnessed at a very early hour, and the winter operations commenced by send- ing for a supply offish from Swampy Kiver, where men had been stationed to collect it, Just before the frost set in. IJotlrhien ajid dogs appean il to enjoj^ the change ; they started in full glee, and drove ra])i(lly along. An Indian, who had come to the house on the preceding evening, to request some provision for his family, Avliom he represented to be in a state of starvation, accompanied them. His party had been suflTering greatly under the epidemic diseases of the hooping-cough and measles; and the hunters were still in too debilitated a state to go out and provide them with meat. A supply was given to liim, and the men were directed to bring his father, an olil and faithful hunter, Jo the bouse, thai he might have the comforts of nourishment and warmth, lie was brought accordingly, but tluise attention! were unavailing, as he died a ie.w days afterwards. Two d; lated close to each other, at the upper extremity of a narrow island, which separates Pine Island Lake from the Saskatchawan River, and are about two miles and three quarters distant from the latter, in a northern direction. They are log-houses, built without much attention to comfort, surrounded by lofty stockades, and flanked with wooden bastions. The difficulty of conveying glass into the interior has precluded the use of that material in the construction of the windows, and its place is poorly supplied by parchment, impc made by the native women from the skin of the rein- deer. .Should this post, however, continue to' be the residence of Governor Williams, it will be much improved in a few years, as he is devoting his attention to that point. The land around Cum- berland House is low, but the soil, from having a considerable intermixture of limestone, is good, and capable of producing abundance of corn, and vegetables of every description. Many kinds of pot-herbs have already been brought to some perfection, * As Samuel Wilks, who had accompanied the Expedition from England, "proved to be quite unequal to the fatigue of the journey, I directed him to be discharged in the spring, and sent to England by the next ship. ^ G hi If' i' ^r}». % V U: ■ . 1/1, 1 \> i '•■'<''■ 50 A TOURNKY TO THi; SHORES and the potatoes hid fair to equal those of Ens^land. The sponta- neous productions of nature would afford ample nourishment for all the European animals. Horses feed extremely well even during the winter, and so would oxen, if provided with hay, which may be easily done.* Piajs also improve, but require to be kept warm in the winter. Hence it appears, that the residents might, with common attention, render themselves far less dependant on the Indians for support, and be relieved from the great anxiety which they too often suffer when the hunters are unsuccessful. The neighbourhood of the houses has been much cleared of wood, from the great demand for fuel ; there is, therefore, little to admire in the surrounding scenery, especially in its winter garb ; few ani- mated objects occur to enliven the scene ; an occasional fox, mar- ten, rabbit, or wolf, and a few birds, contribute the only variety. The birds which remained, were ravens, magpies, partridges, cross-bills, and woodpeckers. In this universal stillness, the resi- dents at a post feel little disposed to wander abroad, except when called forth by their occupations ; and as ours were of a kind best perfornie«l in a warm room, we imperceptibly acquired a seden- tary habit. In going out, however, we never suffered the slightest inconvenience from the change of temperature, though the ther- mometer, in the open air, stood occasionally thirty degrees below zero. The tribe of Indians who reside in the vicinity, and frequent these establishments, is that of the Crees, or Knisteneaux. They were formerly a powerful and numerous nation, which ranged over a very extensive country, and were most successful in their predatory excursions against their neighbours, particularly the northern Indians, and some tribes on the Saskatchawan and Bea- ver Rivers; but they have long ceased to be held in any fear, and are now, perhaps, the most harmless and inoffensive of the whole • " Tlie wild Ijuffulo scrapes away tlie snow with its feet to get at the herh- age beneatii, and the horse, wliich was introduced by tlie Spanish invaders of Mexico, and may be said to have become naturuli/ed, does the same ; but it is worthy of remark, that the ox, more lately brought from Europe, has no? yet acquired an art so necessary for procuring its food." — (T.xtract from Dr J{icIi;irdsoii's Journal.) OF THE POT,AR SKA. an^ Indian race. This change is entirely to be altril)iite(l to Ihuir in- tercourse with Europeans; and the vast reduction in Ihcir num- bers occasioned, I fear, in a considerable degree, by the injudi- cious introduction amone;st them of ardent spirits. They are so passionately fond of this poison, that they will make any sacrifice to obtain it. They are esteemed good hunters, and are generally assiduous in the occupation. Having laid the bow and arrow alto- gether aside, and the use of snares, except for rabbits and par- tridges, they depend entirely on the Europeans for the means of gaining their subsistence, as they require guns, and a constant supply of powder and shot; so that these Indians are probably more completely under the power of the trader than any of the other tribes. As I only saw a few straggling parties of them during short intervals, and under unfavourable circumstances of sickness and famine, I am unable to give, from personal observa- tion, any account of their manners and customs; I must refer tho reader, therefore, to Dr. Richardson's account of them, which will be found in the following chapter. That gentleman, during his longer residence at the post, had many opportunities of seeing the natives, and made considerable progress in their language. January 17. — This morning the sporting part of our society had rather a novel diversion : intelligence having been brought that a wolf had borne away a stael trap, in which he had been caught, a party went in search of the marauder, and took two English bull-dogs and a terrier, which had been brought into the country this season. On the first sight of the animal the dogs became alarmed, and stood barking at a distance, and probably would not have ventured to advance, had they not seen the wolf fall by a shot from one of the gentlemen ; they then, however, went up, and behaved courageously, and were enraged b}' the bites they received. The wolf soon died of its wounds, and the body was brought to the house, where a drawing of it was taken by Mr. Hood, and the skin preserved by Dr. Richardson, Its general features bore a strong resemblance to many of the dogs about the fort, but it was larger, and had a more ferocious aspect. Mr. Black and I were too much occupied in preparing for our de- parture on the following day to join this excursion. m u\ M m A JOURNEY TO THL SHOHEb The position of Cumberland House, by our observations, la, latitude 53° 56' 40" N., longitude 102" 16' 41" W., by the chro- nometers; variation 17° 17' 29" E., dip of the needle, 83° 12' 50". The whole of the travelling distance between York Factory and Cumberland House is about six hundred and ninety miles. I f .\ '.v^ li'iir ^J-^u^^. OF THK POLAR SEA. 53 CHAPTER lU. Dr. Richardson's Residence at Cumberland House— His Account of tho Crce Indians, January 19. FrOM the departure of Messrs. Franklin and Back, on the I9th of January for Chepewyan, until the opening of the navigation in the spring, the occurrences connected with the Ex- pedition were so much in the ordinary routine of a winter's resi- dence at Fort Cumberland, that they may be, perhaps, appropri- ately blended with the following eenen' bul uiief account of that district and its inhabitants. Cumberland House was originally built by Hearne, a year or two after his return from the Coppermine River, and has ever since been considered by the Hudson's Bay Company as a post of considerable importance. Previous to that time, the natives car- ried their furs down to the shores of Hudson's Bay, or disposed of them nearer home to the French Canadian traders, who visited this part of the cii'ontry as early as the year 1697. The Cumberland House district, extending about one hundred and fifty miles from east to west along the banks of the Saskatch- awan, and about as far from north to south, comprehends, on a rough calculation, upwards of twenty thousand square miles, and is frequented at present by about one hundred and twenty Indian hunters. Of these a few have several wives, but the majority have only one, and as some are unmarried, we shall not err greatly in considering the number of married women as only slightly ex- ceeding that of the hunters. The women marry very young, have a custom of suckling their children for several years, and are be- sides exposed constantly to fatigue and often to famine ; hence they are not prolific, bearing upon an average not more than four children, of whom two may attain the age of puberty. Upon these /i\ iFfMi 't^'K. »4 :■■ l„ * ■ |:^'. h ', 54 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES data, the amount of each family may be stated at five, and the whole Indian population in the district at five hundred. This is but a small population for such an extent of country, yet their mode of life occasionally subjects them to great privations. The winter of our residence at Cumberland House proved ex- tremely severe to the Indians. The hooping-cough hiade its ap- pearnnce amongst them in the autumn, and was followed by the measles, which, in the course of the winter, spread through the tribe. Many died, and most of the survivors were so enfeebled as to be unable to pursue the necessary avocations of hunting and fishing. Even those who experienced only a slight attack, or es- caped the sickness altogetiicr, dispirited by the scenes of misery which environed them, were rendered incapable of affording relief to their distressed relations, and spent their time in conjuring and drumming to avert the pestilence. Those who were able came to the fort and received relief, but many who had retired with their families to distant corners, to pursue their winter hunts, experi- enced all the horrors of famine. One evening, early in the month of January, a poor Indian entered the North West Company's House, carrying his only child in his arms, and followed by his starving wife. They had been hunting apart from the other bands, had been unsuccessful, and whilst in want were seized with the epidemical disease. An Indian is accustomed to starve, and it is not easy to elicit from him an account of his sufferings. This poor man's story w''.s ery brief; as soon as the fever abated, he set out with his wife for Cumberland House, having been pre- viously reduced to feed on the bits of skin and offal, which re- mained about their encampment. Even this miserable fare was exhausted, and they walked several days without eating, yet ex- erting themselves far beyond their strength that they might save the life of the infant. It died almost within sight of the house. Mr. Connolly, who was then in charge of the post, received tiieni with the utmost humanity, and instantly placed food before them ; but no language can describe the manner in which the miserable father dashed the morsel from his lips and deplored the loss of his child. Misery may harden a dispos" .ion naturally bad, but it never fails to soften the heart of a good man. . ... »'h JidJtOF THE POLAR SEA. 55 The oris^in of the Crees, to which nation the Cuniherland Ifoiise Indians belong, is, like that of the other Aboria;incs of America, involved in obscnrity. Perhaps the researches, now makiiig into the nature and affinities of the languages spoken by the different Indian tribes, may eventually throw some light on the subject. Indeed the American philologists seem to have suc- ceeded alreadv in classing; the known dialects into three Ian- guages : — 1st. The Floridean, spoken by the Creeks, Chickesaws, Choctaws, Cherokees, Pascagoulas, and some other tribes, who inhabit the southern parts of the United States. 2d. The Iro- quois, spoken by the Mengwe, or Six Nations, the Wyandots, the Nadovvessies, and Asseeneepoytuck. 3d. The Lenni-lenape, spoken by a great family more widely spread than the other two, and from which, together with a vast number of other tribes, are sprung our Crees. jVIr. Heckcvvelder, a Missionary, who resided long amongst these people, and from whose paj)er, (published in the Transactions of the American Philosophical Society,) the above classification is taken, states that the Lcnape have a tradition amongst them of their ancestors having come from the west- ward, and taking possession of the whole country from the Mis- souri to the Atlantic, after driving away or destroying the origi- nal inhabitants of the land, whom they termed AUigewi. In this migration and contest, which endured for a series of years, the Mengwe, or Iroquois, kept pace with them, moving in a parallel but more northerly line, and finally settling on the banks of the St. Lawrence, and the great lakes from whence it flows. The Lenapei, beng more numerous, peopled not only the greater part of the country at present occupied by the United States, but also sent detachments to the northward as far as the banks of the River Mississippi and the shores of Hudson's Bay. The princij)al of their northern tribes are now known under the names of 8:iul- teurs or Chippeways, and Crees j the former inhabiting the coun- try betwixt Lakes VVinipeg and Superior, the latter frequenting the shores of Hudson's Bay, from Moose to ('hurchill, anil the country from tiience as far to the westward as the plains whicli lie betwixt the forks of the Saskatchawan. These Crees, formerlv known bv the French Canadian traders r^fi 'm I'k /'5 1 36 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 1^ under the appellation of Knisteneaux, generally designate them selves as Eithinyoowuc fmen,) or, when they wish to discrimi nate themselves from the other Indian nations, as Nathehvvy with inyoowuc f Southern-men. J* '■< The original character of the Crees must have been much mo- dified by their long intercourjse with Europeans ; hence it is to be understood, that we confine ourselves in the following sketch to their present condition, and more particularly to the Crees of Cumberland House. The moral character of a hunter is acted upon by the nature of the land he inhabits, the abundance or scarcity of food, and we may add, in the present case, his means of access to spirituous liquors. In a country so various in these re- spects as that inhabited by the Crees, the causes alluded to must operate strongly in producing a considerable diflierence of character amongst the various hordes. It may be proper to bear in mind also, that we are about to draw the character of a people whose only rule of conduct is public opinion, and to try them by a mo- rality founded on divine revelation; as we are not aware that it is in the power of any one, who has been educated in a land to , il ' :i il i „ I- * Much confusion has arisen from the great variety of names, applied with- out discrimination to the various tribes of SauUeurs and Crees. Hcckewelder considers the Crees of Moose Factory to be a branch of tiiat tribe of Lcnapc, which is named Minsi, or Wolf Tribe. He has been led to form this opinion. from the similarity of the name given to tiiese people by Monsieur Jeremie, namely, Monsonies ; but the truth is, that iheir real name is Monpsoa-eythin- yoowuc, or Moose -deer Indians; hence the name of tlu> factory and river on which it is built. The name Knisteneaux, Kristeiicaux, or Killistcncaux, was jincieiitly applied to a tribe of Crees, now termed Maskegons, who inhabit the river Winineg'. This small tribe still retains the peculiarities of customs and dress, for which it was remarkable many years ag-o, as mentioned by Mr. Henry, in the interesting account of his journeys in these countries. 'I hey are said to be great rascals. The great body of the Crees were at that time named Opimmitish Ininiwuc, or Men of the Woods. It would, however, be an end less task to attempt to determine the precise people designated by the early French writers. Every small band, naming itself from its hunting grounds, was described as a different nation. The Cliippewajs who frequented the. Lake of the Woods were named from a particular act of pillage — Piiliers, or Robbers : '.nd the name Saulleurs, ;\pplied to a principal band that frequent- ed the Saalt St, Marie, hasbcen by degrees extended to the whole tribe I* is frequently pronounced and written Vo/oo?. I OF THE POLAR SEA. 57 >: which the blessings of the Gospel have extended, to use any other standard. Bearing these considerations in mind then, we may state the Crees to be a vain, fickle, improvident, and indolent race, and not very strict in their adherence to truth, beine; great boasters ; but, on the other hand, they strictly regard the riglUs of property, are susceptible of the kinder alfeclions, capable of friendship, very hospitable, tolerably kind to their women, and withal inclin- ed to })i:ace. Much of the faulty part of tlieir character, no doubt, originates in their mode of life : accustomed as a hunter to depend greatly on chance for his subsistence, the Cree takes little thought of to- morrow ; and the most offensive part of his behaviour — the habit of boasting — has been probably assumed as a necessary part of his armour, which operates upon the fears of his enemies. They are countenanced, however, in this tailing by the practice of the an- cient Greeks, and perhaps by that of every other nation in its ruder state. Every Cree fears the medical or conjuring powers of his neighbour; but at the same time exalts his own attainments to the skies. *' I am God-like" is a common expression amongst them, and they prove their divinityship by eating live coals, and by various tricks of a similar nature. A medicine bag is an in- dispensable part of a hunter's equipment. It is generally fur- nished with a little bit of indigo, blue vitriol, vermilion, or some other showy article ; and is, when in the hands of a noted con- juror, such an object of terror to the rest of the tribe, that its pos- sessor is enabled to fatten at his ease upon the labours of his de- luded countrymen. , . . ,. . '- • - -- A fellow of this description came to Cumberland House in the winter of 1819. Notwithstanding the then miserable state of t!ie Indians, the rapacity of this wretch had been preying upon their necessities, and a poor hunter was actually at the moment pining away under the influence of his threats. The mighty conjuror, innncdiately on liis arrival at the house, began to trumpet forth his powers, boasting, among other things, that although his hands and feet were tied as securely as possible, yet, when placed in a conjuring-house, he would speedily disengage himself by the aid H !*1 ( 1: 1 B$ A .fOUllNLY TO THE SHORES :t I Uj 4' p- ''•{' : 'in ...«■■■ r [f- ' of two or three familiar spirits, who were attendant on his call. He was instantly taken at his word, and that his exertions might not be without an aim, a capot or great coat was promised as the reward of his success. A conjuring-house having been erect- ed in the usual form, that is, by sticking four willows in the ground and tying their tops to a hoop at the height of six or eight feet, he was fettered completely by winding several fathoms of rope ronnd his body and extremities, and placed in its narrow apartment, not exceeding two feet in diameter. A moose skin being then thrown over the frame, secluded him from our view. He forthwith began to chaunt a kind of hymn in a very mono- tonous tone. The rest of the Indians, who seemed in some doubt respecting the powers of a devil when put in competition with those of a while man, ranged themselves around, and watched the result with anxiety. Nothing remarkable occurred for a long time. The conjuror continued his song at intervals, and it was occasionally taken up by those without. In this manner an hour and a half elapsed ; but at length our attention, which had be- gun to flag, was roused by the violent shaking of the conjuring- house. It was instantly whispered round the cu'cle, that at least one devil had crept under the moose-skin. But it proved to be only the " God-like man" trembling with cold. He had enter- ed the lists, stript to the skin, and the thermometer stood very low that evening. His attempts were continued, however, with considerable resolution for half an hour longer, when he reluctant- ly gave in. He had found no difficulty in slipping through the noose when it was formed by his countiymen ; but, in the pre- sent instance the knot was tied by Governor Williams, who is an expert sailor. After this unsuccessful exhibition his credit sunk amazingly, and he took the earliest opportunity of sneaking away fi'om the fort. About two years ago a conjuror paid more dearly for his feme rity. In a quarrel with an Indian he threw out some oljscurc threats of vengeance, which passed unnoticed a!: the time, but were afterwards remembered. They met in the spring at Carlton House, after passing the winter in different p?rts of the country. durinir which the Indian's child died. The conjuror had the folly OF THE rOLAR SEA. M w l>oast that he had caused its death, and the cnrap;ed father shot him dead on the spot. It may be remarked, liowever, tliat both these Indians were inhabitant.s of the phiins, and had been taught, by their intercourse with the turbulent Stone Indians, to set bul comparatively little value on the life of a man. It might be thought that the Crces have benefited by their long intercourse with civili/ed nations. That this is not so inuch the case as it ought to be, is not entirely their own fault. They are capable of being, and I believe willing to be, taught; but no pains have hitherto been taken to inform their minds, and their white acfjuaintances seem in general to lind it easier to descend to the Indian customs, and modes of thinking, particularly with respect to women, than to attempt to raise the Indians to theirs. Indeed, such a lamentable want of morality has been displayed by the white traders in their contests for the interests of their re- spectiv^e companies, that it would require a long series of good conduct to efface from the minds of the native population the ideas they have formed of the white character. Notwithstanding tiie frequent violations of the rights of property they have wit- nessed, and but too often experienced, in their own persons, these savages, as they are termed, remain strictly honest. During theii visits to a post, they are suffered to enter every apartment in the house, without the least restraint, and although articles of value to them are scattered about, nothing is evt: missed. They even scrupulously avoid moving any thing from its place, although they are often prompted by curiosity to examine it. In some cases, indeed, they carry this principle to a degree of self-denial which would hardly be expected. It often happens that meat, which has been paid for, (if the poisonous draught it procures them can be considered as payment,) is left at their lodges until a convenient opportunity occurs of carrying it away. They will rather pass several days without eating than touch the meat thus intrusted to their charge, even when there exists a prospect ol replacing it. The hospitality of the Crecs is unbounded. They afford a cer- tain asylum to the half-breed children when deserted by their un natural white fathers; and the infirm, and indeed every individual 'H Kif ■■(■ W m A JOURNEY TO THE SHOKKS tk~ u i' ' . 1 It- ! ' ., :•; J. l:=l y \^' : f: in an encampment, share the provisions of a succiessful hunter as long as they last. Fond too as a Cree is of spirituous liquors, he is not happy unless all his neighbours partake with him. It is not easy, however, to say what share ostentation may have in the ap- parent munificence in the latter article; for when an Indian, by a good hunt, is enabled to treat the others with a keg of rum, he becomes the chief of a night, assumes no little stateliness of man- ner, and is treated with deference by those who regale at his ex- pense. Prompted also by the desire of gaining a name, they lavish away the articles they purchase at the trading posts, and are well satisfied if repaid in praise. Gaming is not uncommon amongst the Crees of all the different districts, but it is pursued to greater lengths by those bands who frequent the plains, and who, from the ease with which they ob- tain food, have abundant leisure. The game most in use amongst them, termed puckesanu, is played with the stones of a species of prunuft which, from this circumstance, they term puckesann- meena. The difficulty lies in guessing the number of stones which are tossed out of a small wooden dish, and the hunters will spend whole nights at the destructive sport, staking their most valuable articles, powder and shot. It has been remarked by some w^riters that the aboriginal inha- bitants of America are deficient in passion for the fair sex. This is by no means the case with the Crees ; on the contrary, their prac- tice of seducing each other's wives, proves the most fertile source of their quarrels. When the guilty pair are detected, the woman generally receives a severe beating, but the husband is, for the most part, afraid to reproach the male culprit until they get drunk together at the fort ; then the remembrance of the offence is re- vived, a struggle ensues, and the affair is terminated by the loss of a few handfuls of hair. Some husbands, however, feel more deeply the injury done to their honour, and seek revenge even in their sober moments. In such cases it is not uncommon for the offended party to walk with great gravity up to the other, and de- liberately seizing his gun, or some other article of value, to break it before his face. The adulterer looks on in silence, airaid to make any attempt to save his property. In this respect, indeed, i H OF THE POLAR SEA. $^ Uie Indian character seems to differ from the European, that an Indian, instead of letting his anger increase with that of his anta- gonist, assumes the utmost coolness, lest he should push him to extremities. Altiiough adultery is sometimes punished amongst the Crees in the manner above described, yet it is no crime, provided the hus- band receives a valuable consideratioi for his wife's prostitution. In this case she is only lent to a friend. Neither is chastity con- sidered as a virtue in a female before marriage, that is, before she becomes the exclusive property of one hunter. The Cree women are not in general treated harshly by their husbands, and possess considerable influence over them. They often eat, and even get drunk, in consort with the men ; a consi- derable portion of the labour, however, falls to the lot of the wife. She makes the hut, cooks, dresses the skins, and, for the most part, carries the heaviest load ; but, when she is unable to perform her task, the husband does not consider it beneath his dignity to assist her. In illustration of this remark, I may quote the case of an Indian who visited the fort in winter. This poor man's wife had lost her feet by the frost, and he was compelled, not only to hunt, and do all the menial offices himself, but in winter to drag his wife with their stock of furniture from one encampment to another. In iiie performance of this duty, as he could not keep pace with the rest of the tribe in their movements, he, more than once, nearly perished of hunger. These Indians, however, capable as they are of behaving thus kindly, affect in their discourse to despise the softer sex, and on solemn occasions will not suffer them to eat before them, or even come into their presence. In this they are countenanced by the white residents, most of whom have Indian or half-breed wives, but seem afraid of treatinj^; them with the tenderness or attention due to every female, lest they should themselves be despised by the Indians. At least, this is the only reason they assign for their neglect of those whom they make partners of their beds and mo- thers of their children. Both sexes are fond of, and excessively indulgent to, their children. The father never punishes them, and if the mother, I 9 1 'i * *.4 IS" 'J M y^i m % !:;v*' fx'- li ■ 1 I , If ' 64 A JOUUNKY ro lllli SUOKKS more hasty in her temper, sometimes bestows a blow or two un a troublesome obiM, her heart is instantly softened by the roar which follows, and she mingles her tears with those that streak the smoky face of her «larlinp;. It may be fairly said, thcrj, that restraint or punishment forms no part of the education of an In- dian child, nor arc they early trained to that command over their temper which they exhibit in after years. The discourse of the j)arents is never restrained by the presence of their children, every transaction between the sexes beinj^ openly talked of before them. This is done from principle, that a child may not grow up ignorant of what they consider as necessary 1o be known ; accordingly a boy is, from his infancy, acquainted with all the mysteries of the sex, and the mother takes care that the girls shall not fall short of their brothers in their education. The Crees having early obtained arms from the Knropean traders, were enabled to make harassing inroads on the lands of their neighbours, and are known to have made war excursions as far to the westward as the Rocky Mountains, and to the northward as far as M'Kcnzie's River; but their enemies being now as well armed as themselves, the case is much altered. ? * ^ . They shew great fortitude in the endurance of hunger, and the other evils incident to a hunter's life ; but any unusual accident dispirits them at once, and they seldom venture to meet their ene- mies in open warfare, or to attack them even by surprise, unless with the advantage of superiority of numbers. Perhaps they arc much deteriorated in this respect by their intercourse with Euro- peans. Their existence at present hangs upon the supplies of ammunition and clothing they receive from the traders, and they deeply feel their dependant situation. But their character has been still more debased by the passion for spirituous liquors, so as- siduously fostered among them. To obtain the noxious beverage, they descend to the most humiliating entreaties, and assume an abjectness of behaviour which does not seem natural to them, and of which not a vestige is to be seen in their intercourse with each other. Their character has sunk among the neighbouring nations. They are no longer the warriors who drove before them the in- habitants of the Saskatchawan and Mississippi. The Cumberland OF THE POLAR SKA. 63 House Crees in particular, have been disused to war. Betwixt Ihem and their ancient cnennies, the Slave nations, lie the exten- sive plains of the Saskatchawan, inhabited by the powerful As- seencepoytuck, or Stone Indians, who having, whilst yet a small tribe, entered the country under the patronaujc of the Crees, now render back the protection they received. The manners and cus- toms of ti)e Crees have, probably, since their acquaintance with Kuropoans, undergone a change, at least, equal to that which has taken place in their moral character; and, although we heard of many practices peculiar to them, yet they appeared to be nearly as much honoured in tlie breach as the observance. We shall, however, briefly notice a lew of the most remarkable customs. When a hunter marries his first wife, he usually takes up his abode in the tent of his father-in-law, and of course hunts for the familv ; but when he becomes a father, the Aimilies are at liberty to separate, or remain together, as their inclinations prompt them. His second wife is for the most part the sister of the first, but not necessarily so, for an Indian of another family often presses his (laughter upon a hunter whom he knows to be capable of main- taining her well. The first wife always remains the mistress of the tent, and assumes an authority over the others, which is not in every case quietly submitted to. It may be remarked, that whilst an Indian resides with his wife's family, it is extremely improper for his mother-in-law to speak, or even look at him ; and when she has a communication to make, it is the etiquette that she should turn her back upon him, and address him only through the medium of a third person. This singular custom is not very creditable to the Indians, if it really had its origin in the cause which tliey at present assign for it, namely, that a woman's speaking to her son-in-law is a sure indication of her having con- reived a criminal atiection for him. It appears also to have been an ancient practice for an Indian to avoid eating or sitting down in the presence of the father-in-law. We received no account of the origin of this cu'^^om, and it is now almost obsolete amongst the Cumberland House Crees, though still partially observed by those who frequent Carlton. Tattooing is almost universal with the Crees. The women are ' fi '5 *.»'l :^M (14 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORI S til*'. I •( • lii; \^':m ' i''!!';i ill general content with having one or two lines drawn I'rom llie corners of the mouth towards tlio anj^les of the lower Jaw ; hut some of the men have their bodies covered with a great variety of lines and figures. It seems to he considered by most rather as a proof of courage than an ornament, the operation being very pain- ful, and, if the figures are numerous and intricate, lasting several days. The lines on the face are formed by dexterously running an awl under the cuticle, and tiien drawing a cord, dipt in char- coal and water, through the canal thus formed. The punctures on the body are formed by needles of various sizes set in a liamc. A number of hawk bells attached to this frame serve by their noise to cover the suppressed groans of the suflTerer, and, pro- bably for the same reason, the process is accompanied with sing- ing. An indelible strain is produced by rubbing a little ftnely- powdered xvillow-charcoal into the punctures. A half-breed, whose arm I amputated, declared, that tattooing was not only the most painful operation <■'' the two, but rendered infinitely more difficult to bear by its to lousness, having lasted in his case three days. A Cree woman, when visited by the periodical disorder incident to the sex, is laid under considerable restraint. They are far, however, from carrying matters to the extremities mentioned by Flearne in his description of the Chepewyans, or Northern Indi- ans. She lives apart from her husband also for two months if she has borne a boy, and three if she has given birth to a girl. Some niolhers preserve a piece of the navel string, sew it up in a bag neatly ornamented, and suspend it as an amulet to the outer garment of the child. Many of tiie Creek hunters are careful to prevent a woman from partaking of the head of a moose-deer, lest it should spoil their future hunts ; and for the same reason they avoid bringing it to a fort, fearing lest llio white people should give the bones to the dogs. The games or sports of the Crees are various. One, termed the game of the Mitten, is played vvilh four balls, three of which are plain, and one marked. These being hid under as many jnittens, the opposite party is required to tix on that which is nr: ^ OF TIIR POLAR SF.A. It vnarkocl. He j^ivos or receives a icatlier acfonliiicj as he 2;ucsscs rii^ht or wron:;. WlicJi tlic feathers, wliich arc Ion in mimhcr, have all passed into one hand, a new division is made ; hut when one of the parties Ql)tains possession of thcin thrice, he scize-^ on tlic stakes. The game of Platter is more inti'irate, and is played with tho claws of a hear, or some other animal, marked with varions lines and characters. These dice, which arc eiij^ht in numi)er, and cut flat at their lari^e end, are shook together in a wooden dish, tos- sed into the air and caught again. The lines, traced on such claws :.s happen to alight on the platter in an erect position, in- dicate what numher of counters the caster is to receive from his opj)onent. They have, however, a much more maidy amusement termed the Cross, although they do not engage even in it without depo- siting considerahlc stakes. An extensive meadow is chosen for this sport, and the articles staked are tied to a post, or deposited in the custody of two old men. Tho comhalants being stript and painted, and each provided with a kind of hiUtledoro or racket, in shape resembling the letter P, with a handle ah lut two feet long, and a head loosely wrought with net-work, so as to form a shal- low bag, rai}gc themselves on diflerent sides. A hall being now tossed up in the middle, each party endeavours to drive to their respective goals, and much dexterity and agility is displayed in the contest. When a nienhle runner gets the ball in his cross, he sets of towards the goal with the utmost speed, and is followed by the rest, who endeavour to jostle him and shake it out ; but, if hard pressed, he discharges it with a jerk, to be forwarded by his own party, or bandied back by their opponents, until the victory is decided by its passing the goal. Of the religious opinions of the Crees, it is difficult to give a correct account, not only because they shew a disinclination to enter upon the subject, but because their ancient traditions are mingled with the information they have more recently obtained, by their intercourse with Europeans. None of them ventured to describe the original formation of the world, but they all spoke of an universal deluge, caused by an at- \i Hi m 60 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES ff \f ' < ''^■||: tempt of the fish to drown Wacsack-ootchacht, a kind of demi-}j;oil, with whom they had quarrelled. Having constriiclod a raft, he embarked with his family, and all kinds of birds and beasts. After the flood had continued for some time, he ordered several water- fowl to dive to the bottom ; they wore all drowned : but a musk-rat having been despatched on the same errand, was more successful, and returned with a mouthful of mud, out of which VVx'sack- ootchacht, imitating the mode in which the rats construct their houses, formed a new earth. First, a small conical hill of mud appeared above the water; by-and-by, its base gradually spreading out, it became an extensive bank, which the rays of the sun .it length hardened into firm land. Notwithstanding the power that Waesack-ootchacht here displayed, bis person is held in very little reverence by the Indians ; and, in return, he seizes every oppor- tunity of tormenting them. His conduct is far from being moral, and his amours, and the disguises he assumes in the prosecution of them, are more various and extraordinary than those of the Grecian Jupiter himself: but as his adventures are more remark- able for their eccentricity than their delicacy, it is better to pass them over in silence. Before we quit him, however, we may re- mark, that he converses with all kinds of birds and beasts in their own languages, constantly addressing them by the title of brother, but through an inherent suspicion of his intentions, they are seldom willing to admit of his claims to relationship. The Indians make no sacrifices to him, not even to avert'^his wrath. They pay a kind of worship, however, and make offerings to a being, whom they term Kepoochikawn. This deity is represented sometimes by rude images of the hu- man figure, but more commonly merely by tying the tops of a few willow bushes together; and the ofibrings to him consist of every thing that is valuable to an Indian ; yet they treat him with con- siderable familiarity, interlarding their most solemn speeches with expostulations and threats of neglect, if he fails in complying with their requests. As most of their petitions are for plenty of food, ' they do not trust entirely to the favour of Kepoochikawn, but en- deavour, at the same time, to propitiate the animal, an imaginary representative of the whole race of larger quadrupeds that are ob- jects of the chase. ' • OF THE POLAR SEA. ()7 In the month of May, whilst I was at Carlton House, the Crec hunter, engaged to attend that post, resolved upon dedicating several articles to Kepoochikawn, and as I had made some inqui- I ius of him respecting their modes of worship, he gave me an in- vitation to be present. The ceieniony took place in a sweating- house, or as it may he dusignated from its more important use, a temple, which was erected for tlie occasion by the worshipper's two wives. It was framed of arched willows, interlaced so as to form a vault cnjjable of containing ten or twelve men, raiiged closely side by side, and high enough to admit of their sitting erect. It was very similar in shape to an oven, or the kraal of a Hottentot, and was closely covered with moose skins, except at the east end, which was left open for a door. Near the centre of the building there was a hole in the ground, which contained ten or twelve red-hot stones, having a few leaves of the taccohayme- nan, a species of pyiinua, strewed around them. When the women had completed the preparations, the hunter made his ap- pearance, perfectly naked, carrying in his hand an image of Ke- poochikawn, rudely carved, and about two feet long. He placed his god at the upper end of the sweating-house, with his face to- wards the door, and proceeded to tie round its neck his offerings, consisting of a cotton handkerchief, a looking-glass, a tin pan, a piece of riband; and a bit of tobacco, which he had procured the same day, at the expcncc of fifteen or twenty skins. VVhils the was thus occupied, several other Crees, who were encamped in the neighbourhood, having been informed of what was going on, arrived, and stripping at the door of the temple, entered, and ranged themselves on each side ; the hunter himself squatted down at the right hand of Kepoochikawn. The atmosphere of the temple having become so hot that none but zealous worship- pers would venture in, the interpreter and myself sat down on the threshold, and the two women remained on the outside as attendants. The hunter, who throughout officiated as high priest, com- menced by making a speech to Kepoochikawn, in which he re-t quested him to be propitious, told him of the value of the things now presented, and cautioned him against ingratitude. This ora- iii i i SI » S'^'iS*'^!'!'^'* (j3 A lOl'UNEY TO THE SHORES ii* I 7- ■■ '111 t: : r \ . . V • 1 dH' ■' \ r ^ ~% f. s .!.i' ^ ■ rT: n ' ' lion was ilelivcied in a monotonous tone, and willi great rapidity oi' utterance, and the sj)caker retained liis squattinaj posture, but turned his fare to his t^od. At its conchision tlie priest l)cc- stowed upon himself than upoi; Kepoochikawn, but the ;samc I'cilow afterwards stripped and joined in the ceremony. I did not learn that the Indians worship any other god by a specific name. They often refer, howe\'er, to the Keetchce-Ma- neeto, or Great Master of I^ife ; and to an evil spirit, or Maatchc- Manecto. Tl ey also speak of Weettako, a kind of vampyi'e or devil, into which those who have fed on human flesh are trans- formed. ■ ' Whilst at Carlton, I took an opportunity of asking a communi- cative old Indian, of the IJIackfoot nation, his opinion of a future state ; he replied, that they had heai d from their fathers, that tlio souls of the departed have to scramble with great labour up the sides of a steep mountain, upon attaining the summit of which they are rewarded with the f)ros|)ect of ;m extensive plain, inter- spersed here and there with new tents, pitched in agreeable silu- ationf5, and abounding in all sorts of game. Whilst they arc ab- sorbed in the contemplation of this delightful scene, they are des- cried by the inhabitants of the happy land, \vho, clothed in new skins, approach and welcome with every demonstration of kind- ness those Indians who have led good lives ; but the bad Indians, who have imbrued their hands in the blood of their countrymen, are told to return Irom whence they came, and without more ce- remony ])recipitated down the sleep sides of the mountain. Women, who have been guilty of infanticide, never reach the mountain at all, but are compelled to hover round the seats of their crimes, with branches of trees tied to t.'ieir legs. The me- y m iifi ■If M fO A JOURNEY TO THE SlIOREf", lancholx'^ sounds, which are heard in the still sunnmer evenings, and which the iji;norance of the white people considers as the screams of the goat-sucker, are really, according to my informant, the meanings of these unhappy beings. The Crees have somewhat similar notions, but as they inhabit a country widely ditl'erent from the mountainous lands of the Blackfoot Indians, the difficulty of their journey lies in walking along a slender and slippery tree, laid as a bridge across a rapid stream of stinking and muddy water. The night owl is regarded by the Crees with the same dread that it has been viewed by other nations. One small species, which is known to them by its me- lancholy nocturnal hootings, (for as it never appears in the day, few even of the hunters have ever seen it) is particularly ominous. They call it the cheepai-peethces, or death bird, and never fail to whistle when they hear its note. If it does not reply to the whis- tle by its hootings, the speedy death of the inquirer is augured. \ When a Cree dies, that part of his property, which he has not given away before his death, is burned with him, and his relations take care to place near the grave little heaps of lire-wood, food, pieces of tobacco, and such things as he is likely to need in his journey. Similar offerings are made when they revisit the grave, and as kettles, and other articles of value, are sometimes offered, they are frequently carried off by passengers, yet the relations are not disj)leased, provided sufficient respect has been shewn to the dead, by putting some other article, although of inferior value, in the place of that which has been taken away. Tiie Crees are wont to celebrate the returns of the seasons by religious festivals, but we are unable to describe the ceremonial m use on these joyous occasions from personal observation. The following brief notice of a feast, which was given by an old Cree chief, according to his annual custom, on the first croaking of the iVogs, is drawn up from the information of one of the guests. A large oblong tent- or lodge, was prepared for the important oc- tali en rasion, by the men of the party, none of the women bei cd to interlerc. It faced the setting sun, and great care was that every thing about it should be as neat and clean as possible. Three fire-places were raised within it, at equal distances, and OF THE POLAR SEA. 71 little lioles were dug in tho corners to contain the ashes of their nines. In a recess, at its upper end, one large inia;i;c of Kepoo- chikawn, and many smaller ones, were rangcil with their faces towards the door. The food was prei)arcd by the cliief's wife, and consisted of wir/;voi6'-j)cmican. berries boiled with fat, and va- rious other delicacies that had iicen preserved for the occasion. The preparations being completed, and a slave, whom tlie chief had taken in war, having warned the guests to the feast by the mysterious word peenaskcway, they came, dressed out in their best garments, and ranged themselves according to their senio- rity, the elders seating themselves next the chief at the upper end, and the young men near the door. The chief commenced by addressing his deities in an appro- priate speech, in which he told them, that he had hastened as soon as summer was indicated by the croaking of the frogs, to solicit their favour for himself and his young men, and hoped that they would send him a pleasant and plentiful season. His oration was concluded by an invocation to all the animals in the land, and a signal being given to the slave at the door, he invited them sever- ally by their names to come and partake of the feast. The Cree chief having by this very general invitation displayed his unbounded hospitality, next ordered one of the young men to distribute a mess to each of the guests. This was done in new dishes of birch bark, and the utmost diligence was displayed in emptying them, it being considered extremely improper in a man to leave any part of that vvuich is placed before him on such oc- casions. It is not inconsistent with good manners however, but rather considered as a piece of politeness, that a guest who has been too liberally supplied, should hand the surplus to his neighbour. When the viands had disappeared, each fdled his calumet and be- gan to smoke with great assiduity, and in the course of the even- ing several songs were sung to the responsive sounds of the drum and soeseequay, their usual accompaniments. The Cree drum is double-headed, but possessing very little depth, it strongly resembles a tambourine in shape. Its want of depth is compensated, however, by its diameter, which frequently exceeds three feet. It is covered with moose skin parchment, painted with rude figures of men and beasts, having various fan- V 'fl lip r ^1| 4k V R||Bi> 'a mw^ \ j()UiiNi:v TO Tin: shoklo i 't I tastic atklilioiis, and is beat with a stick, i'lic scescc(|uay is tryroly a rattle, I'onned by clo.siny; a few jjiraius of shot in a piece ol" dried Ijidc. Tiicsc two iiistrumenls aie used in all their relij;MOiis cere- inonies, except tiiosc which take place in a sweatin5;-honse. A Crce jjlaces great I'eliance on his drum, and I cannot ad- duce a stronger instance than that of the poor man who is men- tioned in a preceding page, as having lost his only child by fa- mine, almost within sight of the fort. Notwiihstanding his ex- hausted state, he travelled with an enormous drum tied to his back. . " ■ Many of the Crees make vows to abstain from particular kinds of iood, cither for a specific time, or for the remainder of their life, esieeming such abstinence to be a certain means of acquiring some supernatural powers, or at least of entailing upon themselves a succession of iiiood fortune. One of the wives of the Carlton hunter, of whoni we have al- ready spoken as the \vorshipper of Kepoociiikawn, made a de- termination not to eat of the flesh of the Wavvaskeesh, or Ame- rican stag ; but during our abode at that place, she was inducetl to feed heartily upon it, through the intentional deceit of her hus- band, who told her tliat It was bulTalo meat. When she had finished her meal, her husband told her of the trick, and seemed to enjoy the terror with which slic contemplated the consequen- ces of the involuntary breach of her vow. Vows of this nature are often made by a Cree before he joins a war party, and they sometimes, like the eastern bonzes, walk for a certain number of days on all fours, or impose upon themselves some other penance, equally ridiculous. By such means the Cree warrior becomes god-like; but unless he kills an enemy before his re- turn, his newly -acquired powers are esteemed to be productive in future of some direful consecpience to himself. As we did not witness any of the Cree dances ourselves, we shall merely mention, that like tlic other North American na- tions, they arc accustomed to practise that amusement on meeting with strange tribes, before going to \var, and on other solenui occasions. The habitual intoxication of the Cumberland House frees lias induced such a disregard of personal appearance that they are OF THE POLAR SEA. 1^ I'. -a * i squalid and dirty in tiic oxtrome; liencc a minute description of their clothine; would be by no means interesting. We shall, there- fore, only remark in a 2;eneral manner, that the dress of the males consists of a blanket thrown over the shoulders, a leathern shirt or jacket, and a piece of cloth tied round the middle. The women have in addition a lono: petticoat ; and both sexes wear a kind of wide hose, which reaching from the ankle to the middle of the thigh, are suspended by strings to the girdle. These hose, or as they are termed, Indian stockings, are commonly ornamented with beads or ribands, and from their convenience, have been universally adopted by the white residents, as an essential part of their winter clothing. Their shoes, or rather short boots, for thc}^ tie round tlic ankle, are made of soft dressed moose skins, and during tiic winter they wrap several pieces of blanket round their feet. They are fond of European articles of dress, considering it as mean to be dressed entirely in leather, and the hunters are gene- rally furnished annually with a capof or greatcoat, and the women with shawls, printed calicoes, and other things very unsuitable to their mode of life, but which they wear in imitation of the wives of the traders; all these articles, however showy they may be at first, arc soon reduced to a very filthy condition by the Indian custom of greasing the face and hair with soft fat or marrow, in- stead of washing them with water. This practice they say pre- serves the skin soft, and protects it from cold in the winter, and the moschetoes in siunmer, but it renders their presence disagree- able to the olfactory organs of an Kurojiean, particularly when they are seated in a close tent and near a hot fire. The only peculiarity which we observed in their mode of rear- ing children, consists in the use of a sort of cradle, extremely well adapted to their mode of life- The infant is placed in the bag, having its lower extremities wrapt up in soft sphagnum or bog- moss, and may be hung up in the tent, or to the branch of a tree, ivithout the least danger of tumbling out ; or in a journey sus- pended on the mother's back, by a band which crosses the fore- head, so as to leave her hands perfectly fre(!. It is one of the neat- est articl^is of furniture they possess, being tj;enerally ornamented \W^ 15' U; '?4 A JOURNKY TO THE SHORES with heads, and bits of scarlet cloth, but it bears a very strong r«- ^cmblanco in its form to a mummy case. The spha{!;nnm in which the child is laid, forms a .foft elastic bed, which absorbs moisture very readily, and affords such a pro- tection from the cold of a rigorous winter, that its place would be ill supplied by cloth. The mothers are careful to collect a sufficient quantity in autumn for winter use ; but when throue;h accident their stock fails, they have recourse to the soft down of the typha, or reed mace, the dust of rotten wood, or even feathers, although none of these arti- cles are so cleanly, or so easily changed, as the sphagnum. The above is a brief sketch of such parts of the manners, cha- racter, and customs of the Crees, as we could collect from personal observation, or from tiie information of the most intelligent half- hreeds we met with ; and we shall merely add a few remarks on the manner in which the trade is conducted at the different inland posts of the fur Companies. The standard of exchange in all mercantile transactions with the natives is a beaver skin, the relative value of which, as originally established by the traders, differs considerably from the present worth of the articles it represents ; but the Indians are averse to change. Three martin, eight musk-rat, or a single lynx, or wol- verene skin, are equivalent to one beaver; a silver fox, white fox, or otter, are reckoned two beavers, and a black fox, or large black bear, are equal to four; a mode of reckoning which has very little connexion willi the real value of these different furs in the Euro- pean market. Neither has any attention been paid to the original cost of European articles, in fixing the tarif by which they are sold to the Indians. A coarse butcher's knife is one skin, a woollen ])lanket or a fathom of coarse cloth eight, and a fowling-piece fifteen. The Indians receive their principal outfit of clothing and ammunition on credit in the autumn, to be repaid by their winter hunts; the amount intrusted to each of the hunters, varying with their reputations for industry and skill, from twenty to one hun- dred and fifty skins. The Indians are generally anxious to pay off the debt thus incurred, but their good intentions arc often frus- trated by the arts of tiic rival traders. Each of the Companies I m OF THE POLAR SLA. 75 keeps men constantly employed travellina; over the country during the winter, to collect the furs from the different bands of hunters as fast as they are procured. The poor Indian endeavours to be- have honestly, and when he has gathered a few skins sendj notice to the post from whence he procured his supplies, but if discover- ed in the mean time by the opposite party, he is seldom proof against the temptation to which he is exposed. However firm he may be in his denials at first, his resolutions are enfeebled by the sight of a little rum, and when he has tasted the intoxicating be- verage, they vanish like smoke, and he brings forth his store of furs, which he has carefully concealed from the scrutinizing eyes of his visitors. This mode of carrying on the trade not only causes the amount of furs, collected by either of the two Compa- nies, to depend more upon the activity of their agents, the know- ledge they possess of the motions of the Indians, and the quantity of rum they carry, than upon the liberality of the credits they give, but is also productive of an increasing deterioration of the cha- racter of the Indians, and will, probably, ultimately prove de- structive to the fur trade itself. Indeed the evil has already, in part, recoiled upon the traders; for the Indians, long deceived, have become deceivers in their turn, and not unfrequently after having incurred a heavy debt at one post, move off to another, to play the same game. In some cases the rival posts have entered into a mutual agreement, to trade only with the Indians they have respectively fitted out; but such treaties, being seldom rigidly adhered to, prove a fertile subject for disputes, and the differences have been more than once decided by force of arms. To carry on the contest, the two Companies are obliged to employ a great many servants, whom they maintain often with much difficulty, and always at a considerable expense. , . ' . There are thirty men belonging to the Hudson's Bay Fort at Cumberland, and nearly as many women and children. The inhabitants of the North West Company's house are still more numerous. These large families are fed during the greatest part of the year on fish, whicii are principally procured at fieaver Lake, about fifty miles distant. The fishery commencing with the rtrst frosts in autumn, continues abundant till Januarvj and the wm ^'^m ■jyii m 1 tA 1 II M * ■ ' ; . ■1 *; ' 1 f \ ; : ■ft \ 1*^ ^0 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES jjroducc is ilragged over the snow on sledges, each 'lr.i\vn by three dogs, and carrying about two hundred and fifty pounds. The Journey to and from the lake occupies five days, and every sledge requires a driver. About three thousand fish, averaging three pounds a piece, were caught by the Hudson's Bay fishermen last season ; in addition to which a few sturgeon were occasionally caught in Pine Island Lake ; and towards the spring ^ consider- able quantity of moose meat was procured from the Basquian Hill, sixty or seventy miles distant. The rest of winter's provision consisted of geese, salted in the autumn, and of dried meats and pemmican, obtained from the provision posts on the plains of the Saskatchawan. A good many potatoes are also raised at this post, and a small supply of tea and sugar is brought from the depot at York Factory. The provisions obtained from these various sources were amply sufficient in the winter of 1819-20; but through improvidence this post has in former seasons been re- duced to great straits. . ,,> ; Many of the labourers, and a great majority of the agents and clerks employed by the two Companies, have Indian or half- breed wives, and the mixed offspring thus produced has become extremely numerous. .. v These metifs, or as the Canadians term them, bois-hurUsy are upon the whole a good looking people, and where the experi- ment has been made, have shewn much aptness in learning, and willingness to be taught ; they have, however, been sadly neglect- ed. The example of their fathers has released them from the restraint iir.posed by the Indian opinions of good and bad be- haviour; imd, generally speaking, no pains have been taken to fill the void with better pinciples. Hence it is not surprising that the males, trained up in the high opinion of the authority and rights of the Company to which their fathers belonged, and un- acquainted with the laws of the civilized world, should be ready to engage in any measure whatever, that they are prompted to believe will forward the interests of the cause they espouse. Nor that the girls, taught a certain degree of refinement by the ac- quisition of an European language, should be inflamed by the unrestrained discourse of their Indian relations, and very carh :i i i4 OF THE POr.AR SEA. 77 1 t J' il :l ►;•;« IC * f-- ffive up all pretensions to chastity. It is, however, but justice to remark, tiiat there is a very (tecided dillbreice in the conrluct of the children of the Orkney men employed by the Hudson's Bay Company anil those of the Canailian voyaajcrs. Some trouble is occasionally bestowed in teacinng the former, and it is not thrown away ; but all the good that can be said of the latter is, that they are not quite so licentious as their fathers are. Many of the half-breeds, both mule and female, are brought up amongst, and intermarry with, the Indians; and there are few tents wherein the paler children of such marriages are not to be seen. It has been remarked, I do not know with what truth, that half-breeds shew more j)ersonal courage than the pure Crees. A singular change takes place in the physical constitution of the Indian females who become inmates of a fort ; namely, they bear children more frequently and longer, but, at the same time, are rendered liable to indurations of the mammae and prolapsus of the uterus ; evils from which they are in a great measure, exempt whilst they lead a wandering and labourious life. The girls at the fort particularly the daughters of Canadians, are given in marriage very young ; they are frequently wives at twelve years of age, and mothers at fourteen. Nay, more than one instance came under our observation, of the master of a post having permitted a voyager to take to wife a poor child that had scarcely attained the age of ten years. The masters and wintering partners of the Companies deemed this criminal indulgence to the vices of their servants, necessary to stimulate them to exertion for the interest of their respective concerns. Another practice may also be noticed, as shewing the state of moral feeling on these subjects amongst the resident of the fur countries. It was not very uncommon, amongst the Canadian voyagers, for one woman to be common to, and maintained at the joint expense of, two men ; nor for a voyager to sell his wife, either for a season, or altogether, for a sum of money, propor- tioned to her beauty and good qualities, but always inferior to the price of a team of dogs. The country around Cumberland House is flat and swampy, and is much intersected by small lakes. A very new magnesian i i^. ;"• I;' I ■i; -•■■■'. I'tK |f:,. ,■ If ' • 78 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES lime-stoiie is found every where under a thin stratum of soil, and it not unfrequently shows itself above the surface. It lies in strata generally horizontal, hut in one spot near the fort, dipping to the northward at an angle of 40°. Some portions of this rock contain very perfect shells. With respect to the vegetable pro- ductions of the district, the populus irepida, or aspen, which thrives in moist situations, is, perhaps, the most abundant tree on the banks of the Saskatchawan, and is much prized as fire- wood, burning well when cut green. The popxdus halsamifera, called by the Crees matheh melooft, or ugly popular, in allusion to its rough bark and naked stem, crowned, in an aged state, with a few distorted branches, is scarcely less plentiful. It is an inferior fire-wood, and does not burn well, unless when cut in the spring, and dried during the summer ; but it affords a great quantity of potash. A decoction of its resinous buds has been sometimes used by the Indians with success in cases of snow- blindness, but its application to the inflamed eye produces much pain. Of pines the white spruce is the most common here ; the red and black spruce, the balsam of Gilead fir, and Jersey pine, also occur frequently. The larch is found only in swampy spots, and is stunted and unhealthy. The canoe birch attains a consi- derable size in this latitude, but from the great demand for its wood to make sledges, it has become rare. The alder abounds on the margin of the little grassy lakes, so common in i ' neigh- bourhood. A decoction of its inner bark is used as an emetic by the Indians, who also extract from it a yellow dye. A great variety of willows occur on the banks of the streams ; and the hazel is met with sparingly in the woods. The sugar maple, elm, ash, and the arbor vitve, termed by the Canadian voyagers cedar, grow on various parts of the Saskatchawan ; but that river seems to form their northern boundary. Two kinds of prunus also grow here, one of which, a handsome small tree, produces a black fruit, having a very astringent taste, whence the term choke-cherry ap- plied to it. The Crees call it tawquoy-meena, and esteem it to be, when dried and bruised, a good addition to nemmican. The other species is a less elegant shrub, but is said to bear a bright red cherry, of a pleasant sweet taste. Its Cree name is passee.- Mwey-m Slave I The of the a. is a favt pemmici variety c tivcs, un species i berry, ca abundanc The fruit ing berri( considere Tiie red \ but is mo Crees wee {oxycoccoi growing c niL na, sv so strongl; two kinds the natives meena, mi colour, thi musgua-n ten on it. berries, wl country, b insipid far extract son bles. The roots of tw which the; being caref and a quan kerry, or a OF THE POLAR SKA. Mwer/'ineenan, and it is known to occur as far north as Great Slave Lake. The most esteemed fruit of the country, however, is the produce o( the aronia ovalis. Under the name o( tnecsasscootoomeenn it is a favourite dish at most of the Indian feasts, and mixed with pemmican, it renders that greasy food actually palatable. A great variety of currants and gooseberries are also mentioned by the na- tives, under the name of sappoom-mcena, but we only found three species in the neighbourhood of Cumberland House. The straw- berry, called by the Crecs otei-meena, or heart-berry , is found in abundance, and rasps are common on the sandy banks of the rivers. The fruits hitherto mentioned fall in the autumn, but the follow- ing berries remained hanging on the bushes in the spring, and are considered as much mellowed by exposure to the colds of winter. Tiie red whortleberry {arbutus vills idea) is found every where, but is most abundant in rocky places. It is aptly termed by the Crees weesawgum-ineena,, sour-berry. The common cranberry (oxycoccos pahistris,) is distinguished from the preceding by its growing on moist sphagnous spots, and is hence called maskaego- nit na, swamp-berry. The American guelder rose, whose fruits so strongly resembles the cranberry, is also common. There are two kinds of it, [vibur/iuni oxycoccos, and edule,) one termed by i\\em\!i\^s pi ppoon-mecna, winter-berry, and the other mow^,soa- meena, moose-berry. here is a.'>o a berry of a bluish white colour, the produce of iiie white cornel tree, which is named musquu-mcena, bear-berry, because these animals are said to fat- ten on it. The dwarf Canadian cornel, bears a corymb of red berries, which are high v ornamental to the woods throughout the country^ but are not otherwise worthy of noticf . for they have an insipid farinaceous taste, and are seldom gathered. The Crees extract some beautiful colours from several of their native vegeta- bles. They die their porcupine quills a beautiful scarlet; with the roots of two species of bed-straw, (galium tinctorium, and boreale) which the} inuiscjriminately term sawoyan. The roots, after being carefu:]y wnshed, are boiled gently in a clean copper kettle, and a quantity of the juice of the moose berry, strawberry, cian- lierry, or arctic rasjjbcrry, is added, together with a few red tufts "iH m% f ■,;•••: N^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) ^ *^>^ .<^%^ C V\^ 1.0 I^IZB |25 ■^ 1^ 12.2 I.I 1 "^ IIM 11^ PI 1.4 |||||,.6 % V] V >^ '/ /A Hiotographic Sciences Cbrporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14SS0 (716)S72-4503 N? iV \\ ^^ 4^' ^1^ ^^^ o^ --•b^ .^ u A JOURNRY TO THE SHORl'.S ll» w m m 14„ -111' it ' •J ■.■: 1 ■1*1' i ., '- ,' Pf w \:\ 1 " ili''" ^ ,' ; * 'il 1 ■(•■ • * ' ' ^ ■< ■ I'^i ';: m ' .n> of pistils of the larch. The porcupine quills are plunged into the liquor heforc it hecomes quite cold, and are soon tins;ed of a beau tiful scarlet. The process sometimes fails, and produces only a dirty brown, a circumstance which ought probably to be ascribed to the use of an undue quantity of acid. They dye black with an ink made of elder bark, and a little bog-iron-ore dried and pounded, and they have various modes of producing yellow. The deepest colour is obtained from the dried root of a plant, which from their description appears to be the cow-bane {cicuta virosa.) An inferior colour is obtained from the bruised buds of the Dutch myrtle, and they have discovered methods of dyeing with various lichens. The quadrupeds that are hunted for food in this part of the country, are the moose and the rein-deer, the former termed by the Crecs mongsoa or mousoa, the latter attekli. The bufialo or bison, {moostonsh,) the red-deer or American-stag, {toatvas- keeshoo,) and the apiatatchcckons, a species of antelope, animals that frequent the plains above the forks of the Saskatchawan, are not found in the nciuihhourhood of Cumberland House. Of fur-bearing animals, various kinds of foxes {makkeeshetvuc,) are found in the district, distinguished by the traders under the name of black, silver, cross, red, and blue foxes. The two former are considered by the Indians to be the same kind, varying acci- dentally in the colour of the pelt. The black foxes are very rare, and fetch a high price. The cross and red foxes differ from each other only in colour, being of the same shape and size. Their shades of colour are not disposed in any determinate manner, some individuals approaching in that respect very nearly to the silver fox, others exhibiting every link of the chain down to a nearly uniform deep or orange-yellow, the distinguishing colour of a pure red fox. It is reported both by Indians and traders, that all the varieties have been found in the same litter. The blue fox is sel- dom seen here, and is supposed to come from the southward. The gray wolf {mahaygan,) is common here. In the nionth of March the females frequently entice the domestic dog from the forts, altiiongh at other seasons a strong antipathy seemed to sub sist between them. Some black wolves are occasionally seen I- • ^' or THE POLAR SEA. SI The black and red varieties of the American bear (nuisqtuih) arc also found near Cumberland Mouse, thouj^h not frequently; a black bear often has rcil cibs, and vice versa. The sjrizzly bear, so much dreaded by the Indians for its strength and ferocity, in- habits a tract of country near the Rocky Mountains. It is extra- ordinary, that although 1 made in(|uirics extensively amongst the Indians, I met with but one who said that he had killed a she-bear with young in the womb. * The wolverene, in cree okeckooluiwi^ccs, or omtncet/uitsees, is an animal of great strength and cunning, and is much hated by the hunters, on account of the mischief it does to their martin- ttaps. Tiie Canadian lynx (jjceshew) is a timid but well-armed animal, which preys upon the American hare. Its fur is esteem- ed. T>he maiten {^vapeestan,) is one of the most common furred animals in the country. The fisher, notwithstanding its name, is an inhabitant of the land, living like the common martin princi- pally on mice. It is the otchiek of the Crees, and the pekan of the Canadians. The mink, {atjackash,) has been often confounded bv writers with the fisher. It is a much smaller animal, inhabits the banks of rivers, and swims well ; its prey is fish. The otter, ineekeek,) is larger than the English species, and produces a much more valuable fur. The musk rat {watstiss or musquash,) is very abundant in all the small grassy lakes. They build small conical houses with a mixture of hay and earth ; those which build early raising their houses on tlie mud of the marshes, and those which build later ill the season founding their habitations upon the surface of the ice itself. The house covers a hole in the ice, which permits them to go into the water in search of the roots on which they feed. In severe winters when the small lakes are frozen to the bottom, and these animals cannot procure their usual food, they prey upon each other. In this way great numbers are destroyed. The beaver {ammisk) furnishes the staple fur of the country. Many surprising stories have been told of the sagacity with which, this animal suits the form of its habitation, retreats, and dam, to local circumstances; and I compared the account of its man- ners given by (>uvicr, in his Htsj^ne minimal, with the reports of L 82 A JUUKM,'^ lO Till:: SIlOULii Ill -M .11 ■■ I!) ,■; v(3' i;> ♦he Iiiilians, onil foiiiitl thcni to aj!;ree exactly. They have been oltcMi seen ill the yd of coiistructinu; their houses in the moon- li<>;ht niti;hts, ami the ohscrvers agree, that the stones, wood, or other malerials, are carried in their teeth, and generally leaning airainst the shoulder. When they have placed it to their mind, they turn round and give it a smart blow with their flat tail. In the act of diving they give a similai' stroke to the surface of the water. They keep their provision of wood under water in front of the house. Their favourite food is the bark of the aspen, birch, and willow : lliey also oat the alder, hut seldom touch any of the pine tribe nides.s from necessity ; they are fond of the large roots of the nii])h(n' hitntm, and grow fat upon it, but it gives; iheir flesh a strong rancid taste. In the season of love their call resembles a groan, that of t!ie male being the hoarsest, but the voice of the young is exactly like the cry of a child. They are very playful, as the following anecdote will shew : — One day a gentlenian, long resident in this country, espied five young beavers sporting in the water, lea|>ing upon the trunk of a tree pushing one anolher ofl", and playing a thousand interesting tricks. He approached softly under cover of the bushes, and prepared to fire on the unsuspecting creatures, but a nearer approach discovered to him such a similitude betv,'ixt their gestures and the infantile caresses of his own children, that he threw aside his gun. This gentleman's feelings are to be envied, but few traders in fur wouKl have acted so feelingly. The musk rat frequently inha- bits the same lodge with the beaver, and the otter also thrusts himself in occasionally : the latter, however, is not always a civil guest, as he sonielimes devoui'S his host. These are the animals most interesting in an economical point of view. The Ameiican hare, and several kinds of grouse and ptarmigan, also contribute towards the support of the natives; and tlic geese, in their periodical flights in the spr.ng and autumn, likewise prove a valuable icsource both to the Indians and white residents; but the princip.il article ot' food, after the moose-deer, is iish : iiulecd it ft)rms almost the sole support of the traders at some of the posts. The most esteemed fish is a species of salmo, the attilihawuivg of ti)u Cree:j, and the wliUc-Jl'ih of the Ame OF Tin: I'OI.AR SKA, ; leans. Its usual weight is between three and four pounds, hut it has been known to reach sixteen or eighteen pounds. Thiec lish of the ordinary size is the daily allowance to each man at th(! fort, and is considered as equivalent to two geoso, or eight pounds of solid moose-meat. The fishery for the attihliawmcg lasts the wholf year, but is most productive in the spawning season, from the middle of September to the middle of October. The ollonucehccs, another species of salmo, closely resembles the last. Three spe cles of carp are also found abundantly in all the lakes, their Crer; names are namay-peetk, "inecthquawniuypeeth, and uapawhaw- keeshew. The occow, or river perch, termed also horn-fish, pic- carel, or dore, is common, but is not so much esteemed as the attih- bavvmeg. It attains the length of twenty inches in these lakes. The methy is another common fish ; it is the gadus Iota, or burbot of Europe. Its length is about two feet, its gullet is capacious, and it preys upon fish large enough to distend its body to nearly twice its proper size. It is never eaten, not even by the dogs unless through necessity, but its liver and roe are considered as delica- cies. The pike is also plentiful, and being readily caught in the win- ter time with the hook, is so much prized on that account b}^ the natives, as to receive from them the name of eithinyoo-cannoo- shsooo, or Indian fish. The common trout, oi- nftmmincou.s, grows here to an enormous size, being caught in particular lakes, weigh- ing upwards of sixty pounds ; thirty pounds is no uncommon size at Beaver Lake, from whence Cumberland House is supplied. The oweepeetchcesecSf or gold-eye, is a beautiful small fish, of the genus esox, and resembling the gar-fish. One of the largest fish is the mathemegh, cift-fish, or harhue. It belongs to the genus silurus. It is rare, but is iiighly prized as food. The sturgeon is also taken in the Saskatchawan, and lakes com- municating with it^ and furnishes an excellent, but rather rich, article of food. S-1 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORE*^ CHAPTER IV. Leave Cumberland House — Mode of TravcHing' in Winter— Airival atCarltOi. Ilonst — Visit to a lUdfalo Pound— lioitres — Deparliirc fnun Carlton llous- — Isle a lu Crosse — Arrival at Port Cliipcywan. ■ »■;* ■ ;*■ I8'iu. 1 HIS (liiy wc set out from CumbcilaiKl House I'or Carlton House ; but previously to detailinor the events of the jour- ney, it may be projier to describe the necessary equipments of a winter traveller in this rej^ion, which I cannot do better than by extracting the following brief, but accurate, account of it from JVIr. Hood's journal : — "A snow-shoe' is made of two light bars of wood, fastened to- gether at their exlremities, and projected into curves by trans- verse bars. The side bars have been so shaped by a frame, and dried before a fire, that the front part of the shoe turns up, like the prow of a boat, and the part behind terminates in an acute angle; the spaces between the bars are filled up with a fine net- ting of leathern thongs, except that part behind the main bar, which is occupjjieil by the feet; the netting is there close and strong, and the loot is atti^ched to the main bar by straps passing round the heel, hut only fixing the toes, so that the heel rises after each step, and the tail of the shoe is dragged on the snow. Be- tween the main bar and another in front of it, a small space is left, permitting the toes to descend a little in the act of raising the heel to make the step forward, which prevents their extremities from chafing. The length of a snow-shoe is from four to six feet, and the breadth one foot and a half, or one foot and three quarters, being adapted to the size of the wearer. The motion of walk- ing in them is perfectly natural, for one shoe is level with the snow, when the edge of the other is passing over it. It is not easy to use tlicm among bushes, without frequent overthrows, nor OF THE POLAR SEA. 85 tc ^HUi' it- >r, nd ig i er e- rt, ' el ; m f id s, IC 3t to ribC afterwards without lid p. Kacli shoe weij^hs ahout two poiiiifls when nnclonjijcd with snow. The northern Inlian snow shoes ihHi'r a Mtlle from Ihosi; of the southern In(Hans, havini; a greater ourvaUiro on tlie oulsitle of each shoe; one advantae;e of uhich is. that when the foot rises the over-bahinood side descends and throws off tiie snow. All the superiority of European art has heen unuhlc to improve the native contrivance of this useful machine. '* Sledffcs are made of two or three flat hoards, curvinsi upwards in front, and fastened toj^cther hy transverse pieces of wood ahove. They are so thin that, if heavily laden, they hend with the ine- qualities of the surface over which they pass. The ordinary dog- sletlgos are eight or ten feet long, and very narrow, hut the lading is secured to a lacing round the edges. The cariole used hy the traders is merely a covering of leather for the lower part of the body, aflixed to the common sledge, which is painted and orna- mented according to the taste of the proprietor. Besides snow shoes, each individual carries his blanket, hatchet, steel, flint, and tinder, and generally fire-arms." The general dress of the winter traveller is a capot, having a hood to put up under the fur cap in windy weather, or in the woods, to keep the snow from his neck ; leathern trowseis and Indian stockings, which are closed at the ankles, round the upper part of his mocassins, or Indian shoes, to prevent the snow from getting into them. Over these he wears a blanket, or leathern coat, which is secured by a belt round his waist, to which his fire- bag, knife, and hatchet are suspended. Mr. Beck and I were accompanied hy the seaman, John Hep- burn : we were provided with two carioles and two sledges; and their drivers and dogs were furnished in equal proportions by the two Companies. Fifteen clays' provision so completely filled the sledges, that it was with difficulty we found room for a small sex- tant, one suit of clothes, and three changes of linen, together with our bedding. Notwithstanding wo thus restricted ourselves, and even loaded the carioles with part of the lu^^age, instead of em- barking in them ourselves, we did not set out without consider- able grumbling fioin the voyagers of both Companies, respecting il K * ' t6 A JOURNF.y To Vlin SIIOKI,.^ 1 *' « V It ' ' the ovorlailinjcj of their «lo2;s. llowovcr, wv Icfl ilic iniiitcr (u Ix* settled by our friCnds at the fort, wlu) were more coiiversaiil with winter travelling than ourselves. IikJcciI, the loads appeaud lo us so a;reat that we should have heen inclined to lislcMi to (lie complaints of the drivers. The weight usually plaecil upon a sleili^c, drawn by throe dojcs, cannot, at the conimen(«;nient of a journey, be estimattid at less than three hundred jioimds, whieh, however, sutlers a daily diminution from the consumption of pro- visions. The sledcic itself weia;hs about thirty pounds. When the snow is hard iVozen, or the track well trodden, the rale of travelling; is about two miles and a half an hour ineludinjo; rests, or about tifteen miles a id the fatii^ue jijreater. At eij^^ht in the morninj; of the ISth, we quitted the fort, and took leave of our hospitable friend, (iovernor Williams, whose l;indncss and attention I shall ever remember with gratitude. T)r. Richardson, Mr Hood, and Mr. Connolly, accompanied us along the Saskatchawan, until the snow became too deep for their walking without snow-slmcs. We then parted from our associ- ates, with sincere regret ;i) ihe inospeci. oC :i long separation. Being accompanied by Mr. Miiciwuzie, of the Hudson's IJay Company, who was going to Isle a la Crosse, with foin* sledges under his charge, we formed cpiile a procession, deeping in an Indian file, in the track of the man who preceded the foremost dogs; but, as the snow was deep, we proceeded slowly on the surface of the river, which is about three hundred and fifty yards wi'le, for the distance of six miles, which we went to-day. Its alluvial banks and islands are clothed with willows. At the place of our encampment we could scarcely find suthcicnt pine branches ,to door '' tiie hut," as the Orkney men term the place where travellers rest. Its preparation, however, consists only in clear- ing away the snow to the ground, and covering that sjiaee with pine brances, over which the party spread their blankets and coats, and sleep in warmth and comtort, by keeping a good fire at their feet, without any other canopy than the heaven, even though the thermometer should be far below zero. The arrival at the place of encampment gives immediate occu i^r ■' wi- riir: I'oi.An sla. 8t >^, uat 11)11 to rvc'i) uiio of the party ; and it is nul iiiilil llie sleeping^ j)lacc Ikis ln'cn aininj^cd, an da sulTiciency of wood collected as fuel for tlie ni^l»t, that the fiie is allowed to he kindled. The dogs alone remain inactive ihiring this busy scene, beinj; kept harness- ed to their burdens until the men have leisure to unstow the sledy;es, and ban;; upon tlu; tiei's every species of provision out of the reach of iIicm; rapacious animals. We had ample experi- ence, before morning, of the necessity of this precaution, as they contrived to steal a considerable part of our stores, almost from underneath Hepburn's head, notwithstanding their having been well fed at supper. This evcnina; we found the mercury of our thermometer had sunk into the bull), and was frozen. It arose again into the tube on being held to the fire, but quickly re-descended into the bulb on being removed into the air ; we coidd not, therefore, ascertain by it the temperature of the atmosphere, either then or during our journey. The weather was i>crfectly clear. January 19. — We arose this morning after the enjoyment of a sound and comfortable repose, and recommenced our journey at sun -rise, but made slow progress through the deep snow. The task of beating the track for the dogs was so very fatiguing, that each of the men took the lead in turn, for an hour and a half. The scenery of the banks of the river improved as we advanced to-day ; some firs and popla.s were intermixed with the willows. We passed through two creeks, formed by islands, and encamped on a pleasant spot on the north shore, having only made six miles and three quarters actual distance. The next day we pursued our course along the river; the dogs had the greatest diflicnlty in dragging their heavy burdens through the snow. We halted to refresh them at the foot of Sturgeon River, and obtained the latitude 53° 51' 41" N. This is a small stream, which issues from a neighbouring lake. We encamped near to Mosquito Point, having walked about nine miles. The termination of the day's journey was a great relief to me, who had been sufiering during the greater part of it, in consequence of my feet having been galled by the snow-shoes; this, however, is an evil which few escape on their initiation to wintei' travelling. 4^ o •» A JOURNLy TO THE SHORES i" ^ . >!> h ' if lu It excites no pity from the more experienced companions of tht journey, who travel on as fa&t as they can, regardless of the pain of the sufferer. Mr. Isbesler. and an Orkney man, joined us from Cumberland House, and brou2;hl some pemmican which we had left behind ; a supply which w as seasonable after our recent loss. The j^cncral occupation of Mr. Isl)ester during the winter, is to follow or find out the Indians, and colled their furs, and his present journey will appear adventurous to j)ersons acrustometl to the certainty of travelling on a well known ro;id. He is going in search of a band of Indians, of whom no information had been received since last October, and his only guide for finding them was their promise to hunt in a certain quarter ; but he looked at the jaunt with indif- ference, and calculated on meeting them in six or seven days, for which time only he hail provision. Few persons in this country suffer more from want of food than those occasionally do who are employed on this service. They are furnished with a sufficiency of provision to serve until ihoy reach the pait where the Indians are expected to be ; but it frc(|uently occurs that, on their arrival at the spot, they have gone elsewhere, j«n(l that a recent fall of snow has hidden their track, in which case the voyagers have to wander about in search of them ; and it often happens, when they succeed in fiiuling the Indians, that they are unprovided with meat. Mr. Isbester had been placed in this distressing situation only a few weeks ago, and passetl four days without either himself or his dogs tnsting food. At length, when he had determined on killing one of the dogs to satisfy his hunger, he happily met with a beaten track, which led him to some Indian lodges, where he obtained a supply of food. The morning of the 31st was cold, but pleasant for travelling We left Mr. Isbester and his companion, and crossed the peninsula of Musquito Point, to avoid a detour of several miles which the river makes. Though we put up at an early hour, we gained eleven miles this day. Our encampment was at the lower extre- mity of Tohin's Falls. The snow being less deep on the rough ice which enclosed this rapid, we proceeded, on the 22d, at a (juicker pace than usual, though at the expense of ""reat suffering OF TIIK POLAR SEA. 89 ig ■■■f to Mr. Back, myself, and Hepburn, all our feet being; much «t»iled. .\fter passini; Tobln's Falls, the river expands to the breadth of five hundred yards, and its banks are well wooiknl with pines, poplars, birch, and willows. Many tracks of moose-deer and wolves were observed near the encampment. On the 23d the sky was generally overcast, and there were several snow showers. We saw two wolves and some foxes cross the river in the course of the day, and passed many tracks of the moose and red deer. Soon after we had encamped the snow fell heavily, which was an advantage to us after we had retired to rest, by its affording an additional covering to our blankets. The next morning, whilst at breakfast, two men arrived from Carlton on their way to Cumberland. Having the benefit of their track, we were, to our great joy, able to get on at a quick pace without snow-shoes. My only regret was, that the party proceeded too fast to allow Mr. Black's halting occasionally, to note the bearings of the points, and delineate the course of the river,* without being left behind. As the provisions were getting short, I could not, therefore, with propriety, check the progress by interrupting the party; and, indeed, it appeared to me less necessary, as I under- stood the river had been carefully surveyed. In the afternoon, we had to resume the incumbrance of the snow-shoes, and to pass over a rugged part where the ice had been piled over a collection of stones. The tracks of animals were very abundant on the river, particularly near the remains of an old establishment, called the Lower Nippeween. So much snow had fallen on the night of the 34th, that the track we intended to follow was completely covered, and our march to- day was very fatiguing. We passed the remains of two red-deer, lying at the basis of perpendicular cliffs, from the summits of which they had, probably, been forced by the wolves. These voracious animals, who are inferior in speed to the moose and red-deer, are said frequently to have recourse to this expedient in places where extensive plains are bounded by precipitous cliffs. ■"A * This was afterwards-done by Dr. Richardson during a voyage to Carlton in the spring. M 90 A rOURNFY TO THE nHORtS '/* *: -M 111' Whilst the deer are quietly grazing, the wolves assemble in great numbers, and, forming .1 crescent, creep slowly towards the herd so as not to alarm them much at first, but when they perceive that they have fairly hemmed in the unsuspecting creatures, and cut off their retreat across the plain, they move more quickly, and with hideous yells terrify their prey and urge them to flight by the only open way, which is that towards the precipice ; appearing to know, that when the herd is once at full speed, it is easily driven over the cliff, the rearmost urging on those that are be- fore. The wolves then descend at their leisure, ami feast on the mangled carcasses. One of these ferocious animals passed close to the person who was beating the track, but did not olTer any violence. Wo encamped at sunset, after walking thirteen miles. On the 26lh, we were rejoiced at passing the half-way point, "between Cimiberland and Carlton. The scenery of the river was less agreeable beyond this point, as thoro was a scarcity of wood. One of our men was tiespatched after a red-deer that appeared on the bank. He contrived to approach near enough to fire twice, though without success, before the animal moved away. After a fatiguing march of seventeen miles, we put up at the upper Nip- p6ween, a deserted establishment ; and performed the comfort- able operations of shaving and washing for the first time since our departure iVom Cumberland, the weather having been hitherto too severe. We passed an uncomfortable and sleepless night, and agreed next morning to encamp in future, in the open air, as preferable to the imperfect shelter of a deserted house without doors or windows. The morning was extremely cold, but fortunately the wind was light, which prevented our feeling it severely ; experience indeed had taught us that the sensation of cold depends less upon the state of temperature, than the force of the wind. An attempt was made to obtain the latitude, which failed in consequence of the screw, which adjusts the telescope of the sextant, being immoveably fix- ed, from the moisture upon it having frozen. The instrument could not be replaced in its case before the ice was thawed by the fire in the evening. In the course of the day we passed the confluence of the south ■ V I '• >^ V OF THE POLAR SEA. yi branch of the Saskatchavvan, which rises from the rocky moun- tains near the sources of the northern hranch of the Missouri. At Coles Falls which commence a short distance from the branch we found the surface of the ice very uneven, and many spots of open water. We passed the ruins of an establishment, which the traders had been compelled to abandon, in consequence of the intractable conduct and ])ilfering habits of the Assineboine Indians; and wc learnt that all the residents at a post on the south branch, had been cut off by the same tribe some years aj^o. We travelled twelve miles to-day. The wolves serenaded us tin ou&;h the night with a chorus of their agreeable howling, brt none of them ven- tured near the encampment. Mr. Back's repose was disturbed by a more serious evil ; his butfalo robe caught tire, and the shoes on his feet, being contracted by the heut, gave him such pain, that he jumped up in the cold, and ran into the snow as the only means of obtaining relief. . On the 28th we had a strong and piercing wind from N.W. in our faces, and much snow-drift, we were compelled to walk as quick as we could, and to keep constantly rubbing the exposed parts of the skin, to prevent their being frozen, but some of the party suffered in spite of every precaution. We descried three red-deer on the banks of the river, and were about to send the best marksmen after them, when they espied the party and ran away. A supply of meat would have been very seasonable, as the men's provision became scanty, and the dogs were without food, except a little burnt leather. Owing to the scarcity of wood, we had to walk until a late hour, before a good spot for an encamp- ment could be found, and had then come only eleven miles. The night was miserably cold ; our tea froze in the tin pots before we could drink it, and even a mixture of spirits and water became quite thick by congelation ; yet, after we lay down to rest, we felt no inconvenience, and heeded not the wolves, though they were howling within view. The 29th was also very cold, until the sun burst forth, when the travelling became pleasant. The banks of the river arc very scan- tily supplied with wood through the part we passed to-day. A \'M i)2 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES U'''- 11: long track on the south shore, called Holms Plains, is destitute of any thing like a tree, and the opposite bank has only stunted willows; but after walking sixteen miles, we came to a spot bet- ter wooded, and encamped opposite to a remarkable place, called by the voyagers " The Neck of Land." On the thirtieth we directed our course round The Neck of Land, which is well clothed with pines and firs; though the oppo- site or western bank is nearly destitute of wood. This contrast between the two banks continued until we reached the commence- ment of what our companions called the barren grounds, when both the banks were alike bare. Vast plains extend behind the southern bank, which afford excellent pasturage for the buffalo, or other grazing animals. In the evening we saw a herd of the former, but could not get near to them. After walking fifteen miles we encamped. The men's provision having been entirely expended last night, wc shared our small stock with them. The poor dogs had been toiling some days on the most scanty fare ; their rapacity, in consequence, was unbounded ; they forced open a deal box, containing tea, &c., to get at a small piece of meat which had been incautiously placed in it. As soon as daylight permitted, the party commenced their march, in the expectation of reaching Carlton House to breakfast, but we did not arrive until noon, although the track was good. We were received by Mr. Prudens, the gentleman in charge of the post, with that friendly attention which 'Governor William's circular was calculated to ensure at every station ; and were soon afterwards regaled with a substantial dish of buffalo steaks, which would have been thought excellent under any circumstances, but were particularly relished by us, though eaten without either In'ead or vegetables, after our travelling fare of dried meat and pemmican. After this repast, we had the comfort of changing our travelling dresses, which had been worn for fourteen days. This was a gratification which can only be truly estimated by those who may have been placed under similar circumstances. 1 was still in too great pain from swellings in the ankles to proceed to La Montee, the North-West Company's establishment, distant about three miles; but Mr. Hallet^ the gentleman in charge, came '!$ ShI 'I n or THE POLAR SEA. 9fJ to it tiie foUowing morning, and I presented to him the circular from Mr. S. Mac Gillivray. He had already been furnished, however, with a copy of it from Mr. Connolly and was quite prepared to contribute any assistance that we might require to forward our advance to the Athabasca. Mr. Back and I having been very desirous to see some of the Stone Indians, who reside on the plains in this vicinity, learned with regret that a large band of them had left the house on the preceding day ; but our curiosity was amply gratified by the ap- pearance of some individuals, on the following and every subse- quent day during our stay. ■ I i ■ , * • J The looks of these people would have prepossessed me in their favour, but from the assurances I had received from the gentlemen of the posts, of their gioss and habitual treachery. Their coun- tenances are affable and pleasing, their eyes large and expressive, nose aquiline, teeth white and regular, the forehead bold, the cheek-bones rather high. Their figure is usually good, above the middle size, with slender, but well proportioned, limbs. Their colour is a light copper, and they have a profusion of very black hair, which hangs over the ears, and shades the face. Their dress, which I think extremely neat and convenient, consists of a vest and trowsers of leather fitted to the body ; over these a buffalo robe is tastefully thrown. These dresses are in general cleaned with whiie-miid, a sort of marl, though some use red-earth, a kind of bog-iron-ore ; but this colour neither looks so light, nor forms such an agreeable contrast as the white with the black hair of the robe. Their quiver hangs behind them, and in the hand is carried the bow, with an arrow always ready for attack or defence, and sometimes they have a gun ; they also carry a bag containing ma- terials for making a fire, some tobacco, the calumet or pipe, and wiiatever valuables they may possess. This bag is neatly orna- mented with porcupine quills. Thus equipped, the Stone Indian bears himself with an air of perfect independence. The only articles of European commerce they require in ex- change for the meat they furnish to the trading post, are tobacco, knives, ammunition, and spirits, and occasionally some beads, Nut more frequently buttons, which they string to their hair as M I "i ^('1 VM >i' \k h f * ■:'f '■l. 4 ■:■ jf 1 94 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES ii&?: ornaments. A successful hunter will probably have two or three dozen of them hanging at equal distances on locks of hair, from each side of the forehead. At the end of these small coral bells are sometimes attached, which tingle at every motion of the head ; a noise which seems greatly to delight the wearer ; some- times a string of them is bound round the head like a tiara ; and a bunch of feathers gracefully crowns the head. The Stone Indians steal whatever they can, particularly horses; these animals they maintain are common property, sent by the Almighty for the general use of man, and therefore may be taken wherever met with ; still they admit of the right of the owners to watch them, and to prevent theft if possible. This avowed dis- position on their part calls forth the strictest vigilance at the dif- ferent posts ; notwithstanding which the most daring attacks are often successfully made, sometimes on parties of three or four, but oftener on individuals. About ♦wo years ago a band of them had the audacfty to attempt to take away some horses which were grazing before the gate of the N.W. Company's fort ; and, after braving the fire from the few people then at the establish- ment through the whole day, and returning their shots occasion- ally, they actually succeeded in 'their enterprize. One man was killed on each side. They usually strip defenceless persons whom they meet of all their garments, but particularly of those which have buttons, and leave them to travel home in that state, how- ever severe the weather. If resistance is expected, they not un- frequently murder before they attempt to rob. The traders, when they travel, invariably keep some men on guard to prevent sur- prise, whilst the others sleep ; and often practise the stratagem of lighting a fire at sunset^ which they leave burning, and move on after dark to a more distant encampment — yet these precautions do not always bafile the depredators. Such is the description of men whom the traders of this river have constantly to guard against. It must require a long residence among them, and much experience of their manners, to overcome the painful apprehen- sions their hostility and threats are calculated to excite. Through fear of having their provision and supplies entirely cut off, the traders are often obliged to overlook the grossest offences, even J OF THE POLAR SEA. 95 igh ■■;*( .0 murder, though the delinquents present themselves with unblush- ing effrontery almost immediately after the fact, and perhaps boast of having committed it. They do not on detection consi- der themselves under any obligation to deliver up what they have stolen without receiving an equivalent. The Stone Indians keep in amity with their neighbours the Crees from motives of interest ; and the two tribes unite in de- termined hostility against the nations dwelling to the westward, which are generally called Slave Indians — ^a term of reproach applied by the Crees to those tribes against whom they have waged successful wars. The Slave Indians are said greatly to resemble the Stone Indians, being equally desperate and daring in their acts of aggression and dishonesty towards the traders. These parties go to war almost every summer, and sometimes muster three or four hundred horsemen on each side. Their leaders in approaching the foe, exercise all the caution of the most skilful generals ; and whenever either party considers that it ha^ gained the best ground, or finds it can surprise the other, the attack is made. They advance at once to close quarters, and the slaughter is consequently great, though the battle may be short. The prisoners of either sex are seldom spared, but slain on the spot with wanton cruelty. The dead are scalped, and he is considered the bravest person who bears the greatest number of scalps from the field. These are afterwards attached to his war dress, and worn as proofs of his prowess. The victorious party, during a certain time, blacken their faces and every part of their dress in token of joy, and in that state they often come to the establishments, if near to testify their delight by dancing and singing, bearing all the horrid insignia of war, to display their individual feats. When in mourning they completely cover their dress and hair with white mud. The Crees in the vicinity of Carlton House have the same cast of countenance as those about Cumberland, but are much superior to them in appearance, which is to be attributed to their living in. a more abundant country. These men are more docile, tractable, and industrious, than the Stone Indians, and bring greater sup- plies of provision and furs to the posts. Their general mode of h-': 96 A JOURNEY TO Tilt SHORES % ■ f'f, ,«>|» 'ft;;, ,1. ^■ dress resembles that of the Stone Indians ; but sometimes they wear cloth legp;ins, blankets, and other useful articles, when they can afford to purchase them. They decorate their hair with but- tons, like the others. <■. .... , *• The Crees procure guns from the traders, and use them in pre- ference to the bow and arrow ; and from them the Stone Indians often get supplied, either by stealth, gaming, or traffic. Like the rest of their nation, these Crees are remarkably fond of spirits, and would make any sacrifice to obtain them. I regretted to And the demand for this pernicious article had greatly increased in this de- partment within the few last years. The following notice of these Indians is extracted from Dr. Richardson's Journal : — , *' The Asseenaboine, termed by the Crees Asseeneepoytuck, or Stone Indians, are a tribe of Sioux, who speak a dialect, of the Iroquois, one of the great divisions under which the American philologists have classed the known dialects of the Aborigines of North America. The Stone Indians, or as they name themselves, Eascab, originally entered this part of the country under the pro- tection of the Crees, and in concert with them attacked and drove to the westward the former inhabitants of the banks of the Sas- katchawan. They are still the allies of the Crees, but have now become more numerous than their former protectors. They ex- hibit all the bad qualities ascribed to the Mengwe or Iroquois, the stock from whence they are sprung. Of their actual number 1 could obtain no precise information, but it is very great. The Crees, who inhabit the plains, being fur hunters are better known to the traders. . ' . : " They are divided into two distinct bands, the Ammisk- watchee-thinyoowuc or Beaver Hill Crees, who have about forty tents, and the Sackawee-thinyoowuc, or Thick Wood Crees, who have thirty-five. The tents average nearly ten inmates each, which gives a population of seven hundred and fifty to the whole. " The nations who were driven to the westward by the Eascab and Crees are termed, in general, by the latter, Yatchee-thin- yoowuc, which has been translated Slave Indians, but more pro- perly signifies Strangers. " They now inhabit the country around Fort Augustus, ano OF TIIK POLAR SEA. 97 isk- riy ,vho ch. olc. scab lowards the foot of the rocky mountair.s, and have increased in strcnfj;th until they have hecome an object of terror to the Eascab themselves. They rear a j^rcat number of horses, make use of fire-arms, and are fond of European articles ; in order to purchase which they hunt beaver and other furred animals, but they de- pend principally on the buffalo for subsistence. " They are divided into five nations : — First, the PawUuslic- eythin-yoowuc, or fall Indians, so named from their former resi- dence on the falls of the Saskatchawan. They are the MinetarreSj with whom Captain Lewis's party had a conflict on their return iVom the Missouri. They have about four hundred and fifty or five hundred tents; their lan^juage is very guttural and difficult " Second, the Peganoo-eythinyoowuc Pegans, or Muddy River hidians, named in their own language, PegancieMiOon, have four hundred tents. " Third, the Meethco-thinyoowuc, or Blood Indians, named by themselves Kainoe-koon, have three hundred tents. " Fourth, the Cuskoeteh-waw-lhesseetuck, or Black-foot In- dians, in their own language Saxoekre-koon, have three hundred and fifty tents. " The last three nations, or tribes, the Pegans, Blood Indians, and Black-feet, speak the same language. It is pronounced in a slow and distinct tone, has much softness, and is easily acquired by their neighbours. I am assured by the best interpreters in the country, that it bears no affinity to the Cree, Sioux, or Chipewyan languages. '' Lastly, the Sassees, or Circecs, have one hundred and fifty tents ; they speak the same language with their neighbours, the Snare Indians, who are a tribe of the extensive family of the Chipewyans."* -^ -it. . . * " As the subject may be interesting to philologists, I subjoin a few words yf the Blackfoot language : — Peestah kan, tobacco. Moohksee, an awl. Nappoe-oobkee, rum. Cook keet, give me. Eeninec, bufialo. Pooxapoot, Kat act sits, Keet sta kee, Naum, Stoo-an, come here, none, 1 have none, a beaver, a bow. a knife. *■ w M N fM- ,(! h ' • :- . I 1'-^' 98 A .TouRNF.Y TO xrir siioai;.". On the 6th of Fehniary wo aocnmpiinied Mr. Pnulen** on a visit to a Creo encampment, and to sco a Ijniliilo pound, botli of them situated about six miles from the house; we found seven tents pitched within a small clustei' of j)ines, which adjoined the pound. The larnjest, wliich we enteicd, heloniijed to the chief, who was absent, but came in directly afterwards, on beins; in- formed of our arrival. The old man (about sixty) welcomed us with a hearty shake of tiic hand, ami the customary salutation of "What cheer?" an expression which they have }i;ained from the traders. As we had been exp(!cted, they had caused the tent to be neatly arranp;ed, fresh i];rass was s|)read on the !i;round, buflalo robes were placed on the side opposite the door for us to sit on, and a kettle was on the fire to boil meat lor us. After a few minutes' conversation, an invitation was given to the Chief and his himtcrs to smoke the calumet with us, as a token of our friendship: this was loudly announced throuo;h the camp, and ten men from the other tents immediately joined our party. On their entrance the women and children, whose presence on such occasions is contrary to etiquette, withdrew. The calumet, havinc; been prepared and lighted by Mr. Prudens's clerk, was presented to the Chief, who, on receiving it, performed the (bl- lowing ceremony before he commenced smoking : — He Urst point- ed the stem to the south, then to the west, north, and east, and afterwards to the heavens, the eaith, and the fire, as an ofi'ering to the presiding spirits; — he took three whill'sonly, and then passed the pipe to his next companion, who took the same number of whiiVs, and so did each person as it went round. After the calu- met had been replenished, the person who then commenced re- peated only the latter part of the ceremony, pointing the stem to the heaven, the earth, and the fire. Some spirits, mixed with witer, were presented to the old man, who, before he drank, de- manded a feather, which he dipped into the cup several times, V'l] i; fi ' 'i^ Sassoopats, ammiinitioii. Saw, no. Meenee, beads. Stwoc, cold ; It is cold Poomniees, fat. I'ennakoiTiit, a horse. Miss ta poot. keep ofi". Ahsoeii, jjood." OF THE POLAR SEA. M and sprinkled tho moisture on the ground, pronouncing each time a prayer. His first address to the Keetcliee JVIanitou, or Great Spirit, was, that bufl'alo might he abundant every where, and that plenty might come into their pound. He next prayed, that the other animals might he numerous, and particularly those which were valuable for their furs, and tlicn desired that the party jire- sent might escape the sickness which was then prevalent, and be blessed witli constant heallh. Some other supplications followed, which we could not get intcrpreteil without interrupting the whole proceeding. To each of these suppliiuitions the whole Indian party assented by exclaiming Aha; when he had finished them the old man drank a little and passed the cup round. After these cere- monies each person smoked at his leisure, and they engaged in a general conversation, which 1 regretted not understanding, as it seemed to he very humorous, exciting frequent bursts of laugh- ter. The younger men, in particular, appeared to ridicule the iibstinence of one of the party, who neither drank nor smoked. He bore their jeering with perfect composure, and assured them, as I was told, they would be better if they would follow his ex- amj)le. I was happy to learn from Mr. Prudens, that this man was not only one of the best hunters, but the most cheerful and contented man of the tribe. Four Stone Indians arrived at this time, and were invited into the tent, but one only accepted the invitation and partook of the fare. When Mr. Prudens heard the others refuse, he gave im- mediate directions that our horses should be narrowly watched, as he suspected these fellows wished to carry them oil". Having learned that they considered 'Mr. Back and myself to be war chiefs, possessing great power, and that they expected we should make some address to them, I desired them to be kind to the traders, and to be industrious in procuring them provision, and furs, and to refrain from stealing their stores and horses ; and I assured them, if I heard of their continuing to behave kindly, that I would mention their good conduct in the strongest terms to their Great Father across the sea, (by which appellation they designate the King,) whose favourable consideration they had been taught bv the traders to value mo'^t highlv. ','!»! ■ 100 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES ^.)(^^\.':< 'lA ,»'(> ;v:jr" They all promised to follow my advice, and assured me it was not they, but the Stone Indians, who robhed and annoyed the traders. The Stone Indian who was present, heard this accusa- tion against his tribe quite unmoved, but he probably did not un* derstand the whole of the communication. We left them to finish their rum, and went to look round the lodges, and examine the pound. The greatest propi)rtion of labour, in savage life, falls to the women ; we now saw them employed in dressing skins, and con- veying wood, water, and provision. As they have often to fetch the meat from some distance, they are assisted in this duty by their dogs, which arc not harnessed in sledges, but carry their burthens in a manner peculiarly adapted to this level country. Two long poles are fastened by a collar to the dog's neck, their ends trail on the ground, and are kept at a proper distance by a hoop, which is lashed between them, immediately behind the dog's tail; the hoop is covered with network, upon which the load is placed. The boys were amusing themselves by shooting arrows at u mark, and thus training to become hunters. The Stone Indians are so expert with the bow and arrow, that they can strike a ver) small object at a considerable distance, and will shoot with sufti- cient force to pierce through the body of a buffalo when near. The buffalo pound was a fenced circular space of about a hun- dred yards in diameter; the entrance was banked up with snow, to a sufficient height to prevent the retreat of the animals that may once have entered. For about a mile on each side of the road leading to the pound, stakes were driven into the ground at nearly equal distances of about twenty yards; tliesc were intend- ed to look like men, and to deter tlie animals from attempting to break out on either side. Within lifly or sixty yards from the pound, branches of trees were placed bciween these stakes to screen the Indians, who lie down behind them to await the ap- proach of the bufl'alo. The principal dexterity in this species of cliase is shewn by the horsemen, who have to manoeuvre round the herd in the plains so as to urge them ro enter the roadway, wlucli is a!)0ut a i^t -i-;i IK'.vM OF Tllli POLAR SEA. 101 quarter of a mile broad. When tills has been accomplished, they raise loud shouts, and pressing close upon the animals, so terrify them that they rush heedlessly forward towards the snare. When they have advanced as far as the men who are lying in ambush, they also rise, and increase the consternation by violent shouting and firing guns. The affrighted beasts, having no alternative, run directly into the pound, where they are quickly despatched, either with an arrow or gun. There was a tree in the centre of the pound, on which the In- dians had hung strips of buffalo flesh and pieces of cloth as tribu- tary or grateful oflerings to the Great Master of Life ; and we were told that they occasionally place a man in the tree to sing to the presiding spirit as the buffaloes are advancing, who must keep his station until the whole that have entered are killed. This spe- cies of hunting, is very similar to that of taking elephants on the Island of Ceylon, but upon a smaller scale. The Crees complained to us of the audacity of a party of Stone Indians, who two nights before, had stripped their revered tree of many of its offerings,, md had injured their pound by setting their slakes out of the proper places. Other modes of killing the buffalo are practised by the Indians with success : — of these the hunting them on horseback requires most dexterity. An expert hunter, when well mounted, dashes at the herd, and chooses an individual which he endeavours to se- perate from the rest. If he succeeds, he contrives to keep him apart by the proper management of his horse, though going at full speed. Whenever he can get sufficiently near for a ball to pene- trate the beast's hide, he fires, and seldom fails of bringing the ani- mal down ; though of course he cannot rest the piece against the shouMer, nor take a deliberate aim. On this service the hunter is ofiuti exposed to considerable danger from the fall of his horse in the numerous holes which the badgers make in these plains, and also from the rage of the buffalo, which, when closely pressed, often tur.is suddenly, and, rushing furiously on the horse, fre- quently succeeds in wounding it, or dismounting the rider. When- ever the atiimal sb.ews this disposition, \\hich the experienfed 203042 103 A JOUKNLY TO Tlin SHOHF.S HM' I!'. u ■ : , II.. ; .. ? I I hunter will readily perceive, he immediately pulls up his horse, and goes off in another direction. When the hudidoes arc on their guard, horses cannot he used in approaclung them ; but the hunter dismounts at some distance, and crawls in the snow towards the herti, pushing liis gun beforo him. If the bufl'aloes happen to look towards him, he stops, iuid keeps quite motionless, until their eyes are turned in another direction ; by this cautious jiroceediiig a skilful person will get so near as to he able to kill two or three out of the herd. It vvill easily be imagined this service cannot be very agreeable when the thermometer stands 30° or 10° below zero, as sometimes happens in this country. As we were returning from the tents, the dogs that were har- nessed to three sledges, in one of which JNlr. Back was seated, set off in pursuit of a buffalo-calf. Mr. Back was speedily thrown from his vehicle, and had to join me in my horse-cariole. Mr. Ilerriot having gone to recover the dogs, found them lying exhausted be- side the calf, which they had baited until it was as exhausted as themselves. Mr. Herriot, to shew us the mode of hunting on horseback, or, as the traders term it, running the buffalo, went in chase of a cow, and killed it after firing three shots. The buffalo is a huge and shapeless animal, quite devoid of grace or beauty; particularly awkward in running, but by no means slow ; when put to his speed, be plunges through the deep snow very expeditiously ; the hair is dark brown, very shaggy, curling about the head, neck and hump, and almost covering the eye, particularly in the bull, which is larger and more unsigiitly than the cow. The most esteemed part of the animal is the hump, called by the Canadians bos, by the Hudson's Bay people the wig; it is merely a strong muscle, on which nature at certain seasons forms a considerable quantity of fat. It is attached to the long spinous processes of the first dorsal vertebrse, and seems to be des- tined to support the enormous head of the animal. The meat which covers the spinal processes themselves, after the wig is re- moved, is next in esteem for its flavour and juiciness, and is more exclusively terme * I :^' . 4- ruptccl tlnoiigli the whole of lliis grcut space, by few hills, or even risiiia; urouiHls. The excellcnl pasturau;e furnishes food in abun- tlance, to a variety of grazinpj animals, of which the butfalo, red- deer, and a species of antelope, are the most oonsi'derahlc. 'I'hcir presoncc naturally attracts c;rcat hordes of wolves, which arc ot two kinds, the larj;e, anil the small. iNlany hears prowl about the banks of this river in summer; of these the fi;riz/ly bear is the most ferocious, and is held in dread both by Indians and Europeans. The traveller, in crossing these plains, not only suf- fers from the want of food and water, but is also exposed to hazard from his horse slundjling in the numerous bad;;er-hoIcs. In many large districts, the only fuel is the dried dung of the buffalo; and when a thirsty traveller reaches a spring, he ha.« not unfrequently the mortification to find that it consists of salt water. Carlton House, and La Monlee, are provision-posts, an incon- siderable quantity of furs being obtained at either of them. The provisions are procured in the winter season from the Indians, in the form of dried meat and fat, and when converted by mixture into pemmican, furnish the principal support of the voyagers, in their passage to and from the depots in the summer. A consi- derable quantity of it is also kept for winter use, at most of the fur-posts, as the least bulky article that can be taken on a winter journey. The mode of making pemmican is very simple ; the meat is dried by the Indians in the sun, or over a fire, and pound- ed by beating it with stones when spread on a skin. In this state it is brought to the forts, where the admixture of hair is partially sifted out, and a third part of melted fat incorporated with it, partly by turning them over with a wooden shovel, partly by kneading them together with the hands. The pemmican is now firmly pressed into leathern bags, each capable of containing eighty- five pounds, and being placed in an airy place to cool, is fit for use. It keeps in this state, if not allowed to get wet, very well for one year, and with great care it may be preserved good for two. Be- tween three and four hundred bags were made here by each of the companies this year. There were eight men, besides Mr. Prudens and his clerk, ■! OF THE POLAR SEA. 106 of 1 i belongins; to Carlton House. At La Montec there were seventy Canadians and half-breeds, and sixty women and chihhen, wlio consumed upwards of seven hundred jioimds of huHldo meet daily, the allowance per diem for each man beinj; eight pounds. There are other provision posts, Fort Augustus and Edmon- ton, farther up the river, from whence some furs are also pro- cured. The Stone Indians have threatened to cut oil" the supplies in going up to these establishments, to prevent their enemies from obtaining ammunition, and other European articles ; but as these menaces have been so frequently made without being ])ut in execution, the traders now hear them without any great alarm, though they take every precaution to prevent being surprised. Mr. Back and I were present when an old Crce communicated to Mr. Prudens, that the Indians spoke of killing all the white people in that vicinity this year, which information he received with perfect composure, and was amused, as well as ourselves, with the man's judicious remark v.hich immediately followed, " A pretty state we shall then be in, without the goods you bring us. » The following remarks on a well-known disease arc extracted from Dr. Richardson's journal ; — " Bronchocele, or Goitre, is a common disorder at Edmonton. I examined several of the individuals afflicted with it, and endea- voured to obtain every information on the subject from the most liuthentic sources. The following facts may be depended upon. This disorder attacks those only who drink the water of the river. It is indeed in its worst state conrtned almost entirely to the half- breed women and children, who reside constantly at the fort, and make use of river water, drawn in the winter through a hole made in the ice. The men, from being often from home on journies through the plain, where their drink is melted snow, are less affected ; and, if any of them exhibit, during the winter, some incipient symptoms of the complaint, the annual simimer voyage to the sea coast generally effects a cure. The natives who confine themselves to snow water in the winter, and drink of the small rivulets which flow through the plains in the summer, are exempt from the attacks of this disease. O j'^^' J ^ \m^rim^ i /•J i'<4< '9 "4 'V '.'I, , • '. .Iti ♦ 1' i.iiv .; 'r'^H». 1 "HU, .*)* .1 . .' 100 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES a These facts are curious, inasmuch as they mihtate against the generally-received opinion that the disease is caused by drinking snow water : an opinion which seems to have originated from bronchocele being endemial to sub-alpine districts. *♦ The Saskatchawan, at Edmonton, is clear in the winter, and ai:o in the summer, except during the May and July floods. The distance from the Rocky mountains, (which I suppose to be of primitive formation,) is upwards of one hundred and thirty miles. The neighbouring plains are alluvial, the soil is calcareous, and contains numerous travelled fragments of a very new magne- sian limestone. At a considerable distance below Edmonton, the river, continuing its course through the plains, becomes turbid, and acquires a white colour. In this state it is drunk by the in- mates of Carlton House, where the disease is known only by name. Il is said that the inhabitants of Rocky Mountain House, sixty miles nearer the source of the river, are more severely affected than those at Edmonton. The same disease occurs near the sources of Elk and Peace Rivers; but, in those parts of the country which are distant from the Rocky Mountain Chain, it is unknown, although melted snow forms the only drink of the na- tives for nine months in the year. " A residence of a single year at Edmonton is sufficient to ren- der a family bronchocelous. Many of the goitres acquire great size. Burnt sponge has been tried, and found to remove the disease, but an exposure to the same cause immediately repro- duces it. " A great proportion of the children of women who have goitres, are born idiots, with large heads, and the other distin- guishing marks of cretins. I could not learn whether it was ne- cessary that both parents should have goitres, to produce cretin children ; indeed the want of chastity in the half-breed women would be a bar to the deduction of any inference on this head." Febmary 8. — Having recovered from the swellings and pains which our lata march from Cumberland had occasioned, we pre- pared for the commencement of our journey to Isle a la Crosse, and requisitions were made on both the establishments for the means of conveyance, and the necessary supply of provisions for tion, ■H OF THE POLAR SEA. 107 foT the party, which were readily furnished. On the 9th the carioles and sledges were loaded, and sent off after breakfast ; but Mr. Back and I remained till the afternoon, as Mr. Pi udens had offer- ed that his horses should convey us to the encampment. At 3 P.M. we parted from our kind host, and in passing through the o-ate were honoured with a salute of musketry. After riding six miles, we joined the men at their encampment, which was made under the shelter of a few poplars. The dogs had been so much fatigued in wading through the very deep snow with their heavy burdens, having to drag upwards of i.inety pounds weight each, that they could get no farther. Soon after our arrival the snow began to fall heavily, and it cotitinued through the greater part of the night. Our next day's march was therefore particularly tedious, the snow being deep, and the route lying across an unvarying level, destitute of wood, except one small cluster of willows. In the afternoon wc reached the end of the plain, and came to an eleva- tion, on which poplars, willows, and some pines grew, where we encamped, having travelled ten miles. We crossed three small lakes, two of fresh water, and one of salt, near the latter of which we encamped, and were, in consequence, obliged to use for our tea water made from snow, which has always a disagreeable taste. We had scarcely ascended the hill on the following morning, when a large herd of red deer was perceived grazing at a little distance; and, though we were amply supplied with provision, our Canadian companions could not resist the temptation of en- deavouring to add to our stock. A half-breed hunter was there- foie sent after them. He succeeded in wounding one, but not so as to prevent its running off with the herd, in a direction wide of our course. A couple of rabbits and a brace of wood partridges were shot in the afternoon. There was an agreeable variety of hill and dale in the scenery we passed through to-day ; and suffi- cient wood for ornament, but not enough to crowd the picture. The valleys were intersected by several small lakes and pools, whose snowy covering was happily contrasted with the dark green of the pine trees which surrounded them. After ascending a mo- lo« A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES pf!;'i: ^' .. .. Mm:. , . t /V-, llll, K ¥ V 4 ii' K ' I I' A t ■Hi IM ^^ i- ■ m- w fff m 1 1<: 1 i ■ I ■ ' 1 .',' w derately high hili by a winding path througli a close wood, we opened suddenly upon Lake Iroquois, and had a full view of its picturesque shores. We crossed it and encamped. Though the sky was cloudless, yet the weather was warm. We had the gratification of finding a beaten track soon after we start- ed on the morning of the 12th, and were thus enabled to walk briskl}'. We crossed at least twenty hills, and found a small lake or pool at the foot of each. The destructive ravages of fire were visible during the greater pait of the day. The only wood we saw for miles together consisted of pine-trees, stript of their branches and bark by this element : in other parts poplars alone were growing, which we have remarked invariably to succeed the pine after a conflagration. We walked twenty miles to-day, but the direct distance was only sixteen miles. The remains of an Indian hut were found in a deep glen, and close to it was placed a pile of wood, which our companions sup- posed to cover a deposit of provision. Our Canadian voyagers, induced by an insatiable desire of procuring food, proceeded to lemovc the upper pieces, and examine its contents ; when, to their surprise, they found the body of a female, clothed in leather, which appeared to have been recently placed there. Her former garments, the materials for making a fire, a fishing line, a hatchet, and a bark dish, were laid beside the corpse. The wood was carefully replaced. A small owl perched on a tree near the spot, called forth many singular remarks from our companions, as to its being a good or bad omen. We walked tiie whole of the 13th over flat meadow-land, which is much resorted to by the buffalo at all seasons. We saw some herds, but our hunters were too unskilful to get within shot. In the afternoon we reached the Stinking Lake, which is nearly of an oval form. Its shores are very low and swampy, to which circumstances, and not to the bad quality of the waters, it ower; its Indian name. Our observations place its western part in lati- tude 53° 25' 24" N., longitude 107° 18' 58" W., variation 20® 32' 10" E. ^ .. After a march of fifteen miles and a half, we encamped among a few pines, at the only spot at which we saw sufficient wood for OF THE POLAR SEA. 109 inakins^ our fire during the clay. The next morning, about an liDin -after we had commenced our march, we came upon a beaten track, and perceived recent marks of snow-shoes. In a short time an Iroquois joined us, who was residing with a party of Cree In- dians, to secure the meat and furs they should collect, for the North-West Company. He accompanied us as far as the stage on which his meat was placed, and then gave us a very pressing in- vitation to halt for the day and partake of his fare ; which, as the hour was too early, we declined, much to the annoyance of our Canadian companions, who had been cherishing the prospect of indulging their amazing appetites at this well-furnished store, ever since the man had been with us. He gave them, however, a small supply previous to our parting. The route now crossed some ranges of hills, on which, fir, birch, and poplar, grew so thickly, that we had much difficulty in getting the sledges through the narrow patlnvay between them. In the evening we descend- ed from the elevated ground, crossed three swampy meadows, and encamped at their northern extremity, within a cluster of large pine-trees, the branches of which were elegantly decorated with abundance of a greenish yellow lichen. Our march was ten miles. The weather was very rniUl, almost too warm for the exercise we were taking. We had a strong gale from the N.W. during the night, which subsided as the morning opened. One of the sledges had been so much broken yesterday amongst the trees, that we had to divide Its cargo among the others. We started after this had been ar- arranged, and finding almost immediately a firm track, we soon arrived at some Indian lodges to which it led. The inhabitants were Crees, belonging to the posts on the Saskatchawan, from whence they had come to hunt beaver. We made but a short stay, and proceeded through a Swamp to Pelican Lake. Our view to the right was bounded by a range of lofty hills, which extend- ed for several miles in a north and south direction, which, it may be remarked, has been that of all the hilly land we have passed since quitting the plain. Pelican Lake is of an irregular form, about six miles from east lo west, and eight from north to south ; it decreases to the breadth i)»* (■ m V ,. .' ; -» f '4 f\-^ ■ ty-^ ^%> i ■ u ' » ■. s .*IJ • 14 I' ^5 ilO A .lOURNJKY TO THE SHARKS of a mile towards the northern extremity, and is tliere terminated by a creek. We went up this creek for a short distance, and then struck into the woods, and encamped among a cluster of the firs, which the Canadians term cypres {pinus inops) ', having come fourteen miles and a half. February 16. — Shortly after commencing the journey to-day. we met an Indian and his family who had come from the houses at Green Lake ; they informed us the track was well beaten the whole way. We, therefore, put forth our utmost speed in the hope of reaching them by night; but were disappointed, and had to halt at dark, about twelve miles from them, in a fisherman's hut, which was unoccupied. Frequent showers of snow fell dur- ing the day, and the atmosphere was thick and gloomy. VV^e started at an early hour the following morning, and reached the Hudson's Bay Company's post to breakfast, and were receiv- ed very kindly by Mr. JMac Farlane, the gentleman in charge. The other establishment, situated on the opposite side of the river, was under the direction of Mr. Dugald Cameron, one of the part- ners of the North-Wcst Company, on whom Mr. Back and 1 called soon after our arrival, and were honoured with a salute ol musketry. These establishments are small, but said to be well situated foi the procuring of furs; as the numerous creeks in their vicinity are much resorted to by the beaver, otter, and musquash. The residents usually obtain a superabundant supply of provision This season, however, they have barely had sufficient for their own support, owing to the epidemic which has incapacitated the Indians for hunting. The Green Lake lies nearly north and south, is eighteen miles in length, and does not exceed one mile and a half of breadth in any part. The water is deep, and it is in con- sequence one of the last lakes in the country that is frozen. Ex- cellent tittameg and trout are caught in it from March to Decem- ber, but after that time most of the fish remove to some larger lake. We remained two days, awaiting the return of some men who iiad been sent to the Indian lodges for meat, and who were to go on with us, Mr. Back and I did not need this rest, having com- i 'i OF THE POLAR SEA. Ill •ger go )m- I ■: 1 ■3 i '■■J ■ft pletely surmounted the pain which the walking in snow-shoes had occasioned. We dined twice with Mr. Canrieron, and re- ceived from him many useful sugjijcstions respectin; informed us that provisions would, probably, be very scarce next sprini^ in the Athabasca de- partment, in consequence of the sickness of the Indians durinj; the hunting season, undertook at my request to cause a supply of pemmican to be conveyed from the Saskatehawan to Isle a la Crosse for our use during the winter, and I wrote to apprize Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood, tiial they would find it at the latter post when they passed ; and also to desire them to bring as much as the canoes would stow from Cumberland. The atmosphere was clear and cold during our stay ; observa- tions were obtained at the Hudson Bay fort, lat. 54° 16' 10" N., long. 107° 29' 52" W., var. 22° 6' 36" E. February 20. — Having been equipped with carioles, sledges, and provisions, from the two posts, we this day recommenced our journey, and were much amused by the novelty of the salute giv- en at our departure, the guns being principally fired by the half- breed women in the absence of the men. Our course was directed (0 the end of the lake, and for a short distance along a small river; we then crossed the woods to the Beaver river, whi^h we found to be narrow and very serpentine, having moderately high banks. We encamped about one mile and a half further up among pop- lars. The next day we proceeded along the river ; it was wind- ing, and about two hundred yards broad. We passed the mouths of two rivers whose waters it receives ; the latter one, we were informed, is a channel by which the Indians go to the Lesser Slave Lake. The banks of the river became higher as we ad^ vanced, and were furnished with pines, poplars, and willows. Though the weather was ^^ery cold, we travelled more com- fortably than at any preceding time since our departure from Cum- berland, as we were enabled, by having light carioles, to ride nearly the whole day, and to be warmly covered up with a buf- falo robe. Mr. M'Leod, of the North-West Company, joined us. He had kindly brou^i;ht some things from Green Lake, which our sledges could not carry. Pursuing our route along the river, i;jiiti^o<1p w % n iw;* li % J [■W ^ K_ '■^t 1 ?'* » • .«■■''!'♦! ;#■■'" i h t I li« A .lOURNTY TO T!IF, STIORV.S we reached at an early hour tlie upper extremity of the *' (irand Hapid," where the ice was so roua;h that the carioh^s and sledjjos had to be conveyed across a point of land. Soon after noon wo left the river, incliniiii!; N.H., and directed our couise N.VV., un- til we reached Lon*; Lake, and encamped at its northern extre- mity, havinj;- come twenty-three miles. This lake is about four- tcicn miles lonjs;, ani< 116 A .TOURNEY TO THE SHORrS and soon afterwards arrived at the tradinc; posts situated on llir western side of it. Tiiesc were perfect huts, which had hcou hastily built after the commencement of the last winter. Wc^ here saw two hunters who wore Chipewyan half-breeds, and made many inquiries of them respecting the countries we tixpcct- ed to visit, but wc found them quite ignorant of every part be- yond the Athabasca Lake. They spoke of Mr. Ilearne and oi his conqianion Malonnabec, but did not add to our sU)ck of in- lormation respecting that journey. It )iad happened before their birth, but they remembered the expedition of Sir Alexander Mackenzie towards the sea. This is a picturesque lake, about ten iniles long and six broad, and receives its name from a species of fish caught in it. This (ish, the metliye, is not much esteemed ; the residents never eat any part but the liver except through necessity, the dogs dislike even that. The tittameg and trout are also caught in the fall ot the year. The position of the houses by our observations is lati- litude 56^^ 24' 20" N., longitude 109° 23' OG" W., variation 22' 50' 28" E. On the 13th we renewed our journey, and parted from Mr Clark, to whom we were much obliged for his hospitality and kindness. We soon reached the Methyc Portage, and had a very pleasant ride across it in our carioles. The track was good, and led through groups of pines, so happily placed that it would not have re- quired a great stretch of imagination to fancy ourselves driving through a well arranged park. We had now to cross a small lake, and then gradually ascended hills beyond it, until we arriv- ed at the summit of a lofty chain of mountains, commanding the most picturesque and romantic prospect we had yet seen in this country. Two ranges of high hills run parallel to each other for several miles, until the faint blue haze hides their ])articular cliaracters, when they slightly cliangc their coiu'sc, and are lost to the view. The space between them is occupied by nearly a level plain, through which a river pursues a meandering course, and receives supplies from tlie creeks and rills issuing from the mountains on each side. The prospect was delightful even amid the snow, and though marked with all the cheerless cha- OF Tin: poj.AR sr:A. 117 lacters of winter; how much more cliarmiii;^ must it be when the trees are in leaf, and the ground is arrayed in summer ver- dure ! Some faint iilea of.the difl'ercnce was conveyetl to my mind by witnesuinc; the eflect of the departing rays of a brilHant sun. Tlie versed this conti- nent, and reached the Pacific by the Columbia River ; he was, therefore, fully conversant with the different modes of travelling, and with the obstai-les that may be expected in passing through unfrequented countries. His suggestions and advice were conse- quently very valuable to us. Not having been to the northward of the Great Slave Lake, he had no knowledge of that line of country, except what he had gained from the reports of Indians. He was of opinion, however, that positive information, on which our course of proceedings may safely be determined, may be pro- cured from the Indians that frequent the north side of the lake, but not before the spring when they come to the forts. He re- commended my writing to the partner in charge of that depart- ment, requesting him to collect all the intelligence he could, and to provide guides and hunters from the tribe which is heax. ac- quainted with the country we proposed to travel through. To our great regret, Mr. Stuart expressed much doubt as to our prevailing upon any experienced Canadian voyagers to accompany us to the sea, in consequence of their dread oJ the Esquimaux ; who, he informed us, had already destroyed the crew of one ca- noe, which had been sent under Mr. Livingstone, to open a trad- ing communication with those who reside near the mouth of the iViackenzie River; and he mentioned, that the same tribe had driven away the canoes under Mr. Clark's direction, going to > ^i 'i f* <«« J' loo A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES ■'.■ i ' ... them on a similar /bject, to which circumstance I have alKidcd in my remarks at Isle a la Crosse. This was unpleasant information ; but we were comforted by Mr. Stuart's assurance that himself and his partners would use every endeavour to remove their fears, as well as to pro note our views in ever}- other way ; and he undertook, as a necessary [ art of our equiqment in the spring, to preparfe the bark and other materials for constructinc; at this post two canoes. Mr. Stuart informed us that the residents at Fort Chipewyan, from the recent sickness of their Indian hunters, have been reduced to subsist entirely on the produce of their fishing-nets, which did not then yield more than a bare sufficiency for their support ; and he kindly proposed to us to remain with him until spring ; but, as we were most desirous to gain all the information we could as early as possible, and Mr. Stuart assured us that the additic i of three persons would not be materially felt in their large ' " Chipewyan, we determined on proceeding thither, and fixed on the 22d for the day of our departure. This house receives its name from the place where the stone is procured, of which many of the pipes used by the Canadians and Indians are made. It is a clayey limestone, impregnated with various shells. The house is built on the summit of a steep bank, rising almost perpendicular to the height of one hundred and eighty feet, and from it an extensive prospect is commanded along this fine river, and over the extensive plains which stretch out several miles at the back of it — and are bounded by hills of con- siderable height, which seem to be better furnished with wood than the neighbourhood of the fort, where the trees grow very scantily. There had been an establishment belonging to the Hud- son's Bay Company on the opposite bank of the river, but it was abandoned in December last, on account of the residents not being abic to procure provision from their hunters, having been disabled by the epidemic sickness, which has carried oflf one-third of the Indians in these parts. They belong to the Northern Crees, a name given them from their residing in the Athabasca depart- ment. There are now but few families of these men, who, for OF THE POLAR SI,A. I2i in •■-*<■ > inerly, by their numbers and predatory habits, spread terror among the natives of this part of the country. There are springs of bituminous matter on several of the islands near to these houses; and the stones on the river-bank are much impregnated with this useful substance. There is also another re- m rkable place at which salt may be procured, which is deposited on the surface of a round backed hill about half a mile from the beach, and on the marshy ground underneath it, which is carried down from the reservoir by several small streams. We visited these places at a subsequent period of the journey, and descrip- tions of them will appear in Dr. Richardson's Mineralogical No- tices. • : The latitude of the North-West Company's House is 57° 24' 06" N., but this was the only observation we could obtain, owing to the atmosphere being cloudy during our stay. Mr. Stuart had an excellent thermometer, which indicated the lowest state of tem- perature to be 43° below zero. He told me 45° is the lowest tem- perature he had ever witnessed at the Athabasca or Great Slave Lake, after many years' residence. On the 21st it rose above zero, and at noon attained the height of 43° ; the atmosphere was sultry, snow fell constantly, and there was quite an appearance of a change in the season. On the 22d we parted from our hospita- ble friend, and re-commenced our journey, but under the expec- tation of seeing him again in May ; at which time the partners of the Company usually assemble at Fort Chipewyan, when we hope the necessary arrangements for our future proceedings will be completed. We encamped at sunset, at the end of fourteen miles, having walked the whole way along the river, which preserves nearly a true north course, and is from four hundred to six bun- tired j'ards broad. The banks are high, and well furnished with the liard, spruce, fir, alder, birch-tree, and willows. Having come nineteen miles and a half, on tiie 23d, we encamped among pines of a great height and girth. Showers of snow fell until noon on the following day, but we continued our journey along the river, whose banks ai^d islands became gradually lower as we advanced, and less it)utulatitly sup- jilied with wood, except willows. We came up with an old Ca- r- 'my MAI ii.'4i >>-«*■ % ^i' J ^4 A JOURNEY TO TliF, SHORES mri Ufiy ' ;, yf ■nlifMi t >^>L ' t: 126 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES til^;^'^;^ The next evil is the being constantly exposed to witness the wanton and unnecessary cruelty of the men to their dogs, espe- cially those of the Canadians, who beat them unmercifully, and habitually vent on them the most dreadful and disgusting impie- cations. There are other inconveniences which though keenly felt during the day's journey are speedily forgotten, when stretch- ed out in the encampment before a large fire, you enjoy the social mirth of your companions, who usually pass the evening in re- counting their former feats in travelling. At this time the Cana- dians are always cheerful and merry, and the only bar to their comfort arises from the frequent interruption occasioned by the dogs, who are constantly prowling about the circle, and snatching at every kind of food that happens to be within their reach. These nscful animals are a comfort to them afterwards, by the warmth ihey impart when lying down by their side or feet, as they usually do. But the greatest gratifications a traveller in these regions enjoys, are derived from the hospitable welcome he re- ceives at every trading post, however poor the means of the host may be ; and from being disrobed even for a short time of the trappings of a voyager, and experiencing the pleasures of cleanli- ness. The following are the estimated distances, in statute miles, which Mr. Back and I have travelled since our depart?^re from Cumberland: . jii. From Cumberland House to Carlton House . . , . . 263 from Carlton to Isle a la Crosse 230 From Isle a la Crosse to North side of the Melhye Portage 124 From the Methye Portage to Fort Chipewyan ... - 240 857 Miles. '^^ OF THE POLAR SEA. 127 CHAPTER V. Transactions at Fort Chipewyan — Arrival of Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood — Preparations for our Journey to the Northward. 1820. ^ Marcli 26. IJN the day after our arrival at Fort Chipewyan we called upon Mr. Mac Donald, the gentleman in charge of the Hudson^s Bay Establishment called Fort Wedderburne, and de- livered to him Governor Williams's circular letter, which desired that every assistance should be given to further our progress, and a states ent of the requisitions which we should have to make on his post. Our first object was to obtain some certain information respect- ing our future route ; and accordingly we received from one of the North-West Company's interpreters, named Beaulieu, a half- breed, who had been brought up amongst the Dog-ribbed and Copper Indians, som^^ satisfactory information, which we after- wards found tolerably correct, resjwcting the mode of reaching the Copper-mine River, which he had descended a considerable \vay, as well as of the course of that river to its mouth. The Copper Indians, however, he said, would be able to give us more accurate information as to the latter part of its course, as they oc- casionally pursue it to the sea. He sketched on the floor a repre- sentation of the river, and a line of coast according to his idea of it. Just as he had finished, an old Chipewyan Indian, named Black Meat, unexpectedly came in, and instantly recognized the plan. He then took the charcoal from Beaulieu, and inserted a track along the sea-coast, which he had followed in returning from a war excursion, made by his tribe against the Esquimaux. He detailed several particulars of the coast and the sea, which he re* presented as studded with well-wooded islands, and free from ice, close to the shore, but not to a great distance, in the month of \26 A JOURNEY TO THE SHOUES 1:1' l|f^il•l-^ Ail ii July. He described two other rivers to the eastward of Copper- mine River, which also fall into the Northern Ocean. The Ana- tessy, which issues from the Contway-to or Rum Lake, and the Thloueea-tessy or Fish River, which rises near the eastern bound- ary of the Great Slave Lake ; but he represented them both as .being shallow, and too much interrupted by barriers for being navigated in any other than small Indian canoes. Having received this satisfactory intelligence, I wrote imme- diately to Mr. Smith, of the North-West Company, and Mr. M'Vicar, of the Hudson's Bay Company, the gentlemen in charge of the posts at the Great Silver Lake, to communicate the object of the Expedition, and our proposed route ; and to solicit any in- formation they possessed, or could collect, from the Indians, re- lative to the countries we had to pass through, and the best man- ner of proceeding. As the Copper Indians frequent the estab- lishment on the north side of the lake, I particularly requested them to explain to that tribe the object of our visit, and to endea- vour to procure from them some guides and hunters to accom- pany our party. Two Canadians were sent by Mr. Keith with these letters. The month of April commenced with fine and clear but ex- tremely cold weather ; unfortunately we were still without a ther- mometer, and could not ascertain the degrees of temperature. The coruscations of the Aurora were very brilliant almost every evening of the first week, and were generally of the ?aost varia- ble kind. On the 3d, they were particularly changeable. The first appearance exhibited three illuminated beams issuing from the horizon in the north, east, and west points, and directed to- wards the zenith ; in a few seconds these disappeared, and a com- plete circle was displayed, bounding the horizon at an elevation of fifteen degrees. There was a quick lateral motion in the attenu- ated beams of which this zone was composed. Its colour was a pale yellow, with an occasional tinge of red. On the 8th of April the Indians saw some geese in the vicinity of this lake, but none of the migratory birds appeared near to the houses before the 15th, when some swans flew over. These arc generally the first that arrive ; the weather had been very stormy OF THE POLAR SEA. 139 for the four preceding days, and this in all probability kept the birds from venturing farther north than where the Indians had first seen them. In the middle of the month the snow began to waste daily, and by degrees it disappeared from the hills and the surface of the lake. On the 17th and 19th the Aurora appeared very brilliant in patches of light, bearing N.W. An old Cree Indian having found a beaver lodge near to the fort, Mr. Keith, Back, and I, ac- companied him to see the method of breaking into it, and their mode of taking those interesting animals. The lodge was con- structed on the side of a rock in a small lake, having the entrance into it beneath the ice. The frames were formed of layers of sticks, the interstics being filled with mud, and the outside was plastered with earth and stones, which the frost had so completely consolidated, that to break through required great labour, with the aid of the ice chisel, and the other iron instruments which the beaver hunters use. The chase, however, was unsuccessful, as the beaver had previously evacuated the lodge. The first geese we observed flying near to the fort were seen on the 21st, and some were brought to the house on the 30th, but they were very lean ; on the 25th flies were seen sporting in the sun, and on the 26th the ice on the lake, near the channel of the river, was overflowed, in consequence of the Athabasca river hav- ing broken up ; but except where this water spread, there was no appearance of decay in the ice. May — During the first part of this month, the wind blew from the N.W., and the sky was cloudy. It generally thawed during the day, but froze through the night. On the 2d the Aurora faintly gleamed through very dense clouds. We had a long conversation with Mr. Dease of the North- West Company, who had recently arrived from his station at ih( bottom of the Athabasca Lake. This gentleman, having passed several winters on the Mackenzie's River, and at the posts to the north- ward of Slave Lake, possessed considerable information respecting the Indians, and those parts of the country to which our in- quiries were directed, which he very promptly and kindly com- municated. During our conversation, an old Chipewyan Indian, R % 130 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES § ' V . f:,-: "" named the Rabbit's Head, entered the room, to whom Mr. Dease referred for information on some point. We found from his an- swer that he was a step son of the late Chief Matonnabee, who bad accompanied Mr. Henrnc on his journey to the sea, and t'^at he had himself been of tiie party, but being then a mere boy, he had forgotten many of the circumstances. He confirms, however, the leading incidents related by Hearnc, and was positive he reached the sea, though he admitted that none of the party had tasted the water. He represented himself to be the only survivor of that party. As he was esteemed a good Indian, I presented him with a medal, which he received gratefully, and concluded a long speech upon the occasion, by assuring me he should pre- serve it carefully all his life. The old man afterwards became more communicative, and unsolicited began to relate the tradition of his tribe, respecting the discovery of the Copper Mi.' -, which we thought amusing ; and as the subject is somewhat connc 3ted with our future researches, I will insert the translation of it which was given at the time by Mr. Dease, though a slight mention of it has been made by Hearne. " The Chipewyans suppose the Esquimaux originally inhabited some land to the northward which is separated by the sea from this country ; and that in the earliest ages of the world a party of these men came over, and stole a woman from their tribe, whom they carried to this distant country and kept in a state of slavery. She was very unhappy in her situation, and effected her escape after many years' residence among them. The forlorn creature wandered about, for some days, in a state of uncertiuity what di- rection to take, when she chanced to fall upon a beaten path, which she followed, and was led to the sea. At the sight of the ocean her hope of being able to return to her native country van- ished, and she sat herself down in despair, and wept. A wolf now advanced to caress her, and having licked the tears from her eyes, walked into the water, and she perceived with joy that it did not reach up to the body of the animal ; emboldened by this appearance she instantly arose, having determined on venturing after the wolf, and she immediately provided two sticKs to s'lp- port herself. The first and second nights she proceeded on, with- OF THE POLAR SEA. 131 out finding any increase in the depth of the water, and when fa- tigued, rested herself on the sticks, whose upper ends she fasten- ed together for the purpose. She was alarmed on the third morn- ing, by arriving at a deeper part, but she resolved on going for- ward at any risk, rather than return ; and her daring perseverance was crowned with success, by her attaining her native shore on tlie fifth day. She fortunately came to a part where there was a beaten path, which she knew to be the track made by the rein- deer in their migrations. V.^re she halted, and prepared some sort of weapon for killing them ; as soon as this was completed, she had the gratification to behold several herds of them advanc- ing along the road, and had the happiness of killing a sufficient number for her winter's subsistence, which she determined to pass at that place, and therefore formed a house for herself, after the manner she had learned from the Esquimaux. When spring came, and she emerged from her subterraneous dwelling, (for such the Chipewyans suppose it to have been,) she was astonished by observing a luminous glittering appearance on a distant hill, which she knew was not produced by the reflection of the sun, and being at a loss to assign any other cause for it, she resolved on going up to the shining object, and then found the hill was en- tirely composed of metal. She broke ofl" several pieces, and per- ceiving that it yielded so readily to her beating, it occurred to her this copper (for that was the metal,) would be very servicea- ble to her countrymen, if she could find them again. While she was meditating on what was to be done, the thought struck her that it would be advisable to attach as many pieces of copper to her dress as she could, and then proceed into the interior, in search of some inhabitants, who, she supposed, would give her a favourable reception, on account of the valuable treasure she had brought. " It happened that she met her own relations, and the young men, elated with the account she had given of the hill, made her instantly return with them ; which she was enabled to do, having taken the precaution of putting up marks to indicate the path. The pax'ty reached the spot in safety, but the story had a melan- choly catastrophe. These youths, overcome by excess of joy. If m t« if'.' m m 132 A JOURNET TO THE SHORES I 1 Si ^ ' . M ■ ■' s> ... gave loose to their unrestrained passions, and offered the grossest insults to their kind benefactress. She powerfully resisted them for some time, and when her strength was failing, she fled to the point of the mountain, as the only place of security. Immediately she had gained the summit, the earth opened, and ingulphed both herself and the mouijjjiin, to the utter dismay of the men, who were not more astonished at its sudden disappearance, than sorrow- ful for this just punishment of their wickedness. Ever since this event, the copper has only been found in small detached pieces on the surface of the earth." On the 10th of May we were gratified by the appearance of spring, though the ice remained firm on the lake. The anemone ^- (Pulsatilla, pasque flower,) appeared this day in flower, the trees began to put forth their leaves, and the musquitoes visited the warm rooms. On the 1 7th and ISth there were frequent showers of rain, and much thunder and lightning. This moist weather caused the ice to waste so rapidly, that by the 24th it had entirely disappeared from the lake. The gentlemen belonging to be ^'i the Companies quickly arrived from the different posts in de- partment, bringing their winter's collection of furs, which oic lor- Tvarded from these establishments to the depots. I immediately waited on Mr. Colin Robertson, the agent of the Hudson's Bay Company, and communicated to him, as I had done before to the several partners of the North- West Company, our plan, and the requisitions we should have to make on each Com.- pany, and I requested of all the gentlemen the favour of their ad- vice and suggestions. As I perceived that the arrangement of their winter accounts, and other business, fully occupied them, I forbore further pressing the subject of our concerns for some days and until there was an appearance of despatching the first brigade of canoes. It then became necessary to urge their attention to them ; but it was evident, from the determined commercial oppo- sition, and the total want of intercourse between the two Compa- nies, that we could not expect to receive any cordial advice, or the assurance of the a^d of both, without devising some expedient to bring the parties together. I therefore caused a tent to be pitched at a distance from both establishments, and solicited the OF THE POLAR SEA. Uii «yent1emen of both Companies to meet Mr. Back and nie there, for the purpose ot' anurdtng us their combined assistance. This request was immediately complied with ; and on M-iy 25th we were joined at the tent by Mr. Stuart and Mr. Grant, of the North- West Company, and Mr. Colin Robertson, of the Hudson's Bay Company, all of whom kindly pave very satisfactory answers to a series of questions which we had drawn up for the occasion, and promised all the aid in their power. Furnished with the information thus obtained, we proceeded to make some arrangements respecting the obtaining of men, and the stores we should require for their equipment, as well as for presents for the Indians ; and on the following day a requisi- tion was made on the Companies for eight men each, and what- ever useful stores they could supply. We learnt with regret, that, in consequence of the recent lavish expenditure of their goods in support of the opposition, their supply to us would, of neces- sity, be very limited. The men, too, ^v^;re backward in offer- ing their services, especially those of the Hudson's Bay Com- pany, who demanded a much higher rate of wages than I consi- dered it would be proper to grant. June 3. — Mr. Smith, a partner of the North-West Company, arrived from the Great Slave Lake, and was the bearer of the very gratifying intelligence that the principal Chief of the Cop- per Indians had received the communication of our arrival with joy, and given all the intelligence he possessed respecting the route to the sea-coast by the Copper-Mine Uiver: and that he and a party of his men, at the instance of Mr. Wentzel, a clerk of the North-West Company, whom they wished might go along with them, had engaged to accompany the Expedition as guides and hunters. They were to await our arrival at Fort Providence, on the north side of Slave Lake. Their information coincided with that given by Beaulieu. They had no doubt of our being able to obtain the means of subsistence in travelling to the coast. This agreeable intelligence had a happy effect upon the minds of the Canadian voyagers, many of their fears being removed ; se- veral of them seemed now disposed to volunteer ; indeed^ on th^ 134 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES '% ^';;*ira k'i < :'/i '.t'l' lj;d. ';'!!- > 1 '■■ ■ 4' 1, i ; J; i!. Mi m !• '■' same evening, two men from the North-West Company offered themselves and were accepted. June 5. — This day Mr. Back and I went over to Fort Wed- derburne, to see Mr. Robertson respecting his quota of men. We learnt from him that notwithstanding his endeavours to persuade them, his most experienced voyagers still declined engaging with> out very exorbitant wages. After some hesitation, however, six men engaged with us, who were represented to be active and steady ; and I got Mr. Robertson's permission for St. Germain, an interpreter belonging to this Company, to accompany us from Slave Lake, if he should choose. The bow-men and steers-men were to receive one thousand six hundred livref? Halifax per an- num, and the middle men one thousand two hundred, exclusive of their necessary equipments ; and they stipulated that their wages should be con .inued until their arrival in Montreal, or their rejoining the serviv e of their present employers. I delivered to Mr. Robertson an official request, that the stores we had left at York Factory and the Rock Depot, with some other supplies, might be forwarded to Slave Lake by the first brigade of canoes which siiould come in. He also took charge of my letters addressed to the Admiralty. Five men were after- wards engaged from the North- West Company for the same wages, and under the same stipulations, as the others, besides an interpreter for the Copper Lidians ; but this man required three thousand livres Halifax currency, which we were obliged to give him, as his services were indispensable. The extreme scarcity of provision at the posts rendered it ne- cessary to despatch all our men to the Mammawee Lake, where they might procurj their own subsistence by fishing. The wo- men and children were also sent away for the same purpose ; and no other families were permitted to remain at the houses after the departure of the canoes, than those belonging ' i the men who were required to carry on the daily duty. The large party of officers and men, 'ivhich had assembled here from the different rosts in the, department, was again quicklj' dis- perser^ The first biigade of canoes, laden with furs, was des- patched to the depot on May 30th, and the others followed in illii * OF THE POLAR SEA. 135 two or three days afterwards. Mr. Stuart, the senior partner of the North-West Company, quitted us for the same destination, on June 4th ; Mr. Robertson, for his depot, on the next day ; and on the 9th we parted with our friend Mr. Keith, to whose unre- mitting kindness we felt much indebted. I intrusted to his care a box containing some drawings by Mr. Back, the map of our route from Cumberland House, and the skin of a black beaver (present- ed to the Expedition by Mr. Smith,) with my official letters, ad- dressed to the under Secretary of State. I wrote by each of these tfentlemen to inform Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood of the scar- city of stores at these posts, and to request them to procure all they possibly could on their route. Mr. Smith was left in charge of this post during the summer : this gentleman soon evinced his desire to further our progress, by directing a new canoe to be built for our use, which was commenced upon immediately. June 21. — This day an opportunity offered of sending letters to the Great Slave Lake ; and I availed myself of it, to request Mr. Wentzel would accompany the Expedition agreeably to the request of the Copper Indians, communicating to him that I had received permission for him to do so from the partners of the North-West Company. Should he be disposed to comply with my invitation, I desired that he would go over to Fort Provi- dence, and remain near the Indians whom he had engaged for our service. I feared lest they should become impatient at our unexpected delay, and, with the usual fickleness of the Indian character, remove from the establishment before we could ar- rive. It had been my intention to go to them myself, could the articles which they expected to be presented on my arrival, have been provided at these establishments ; but as they could not be procured, I was compelled to defer my 'isit until our canoes should arrive. Mr. Smith supposed that my appearance amongst them, without the means of satisfying any of their desires, would give them an unfavourable impression respecting the expedition, which would make them indifferent to exertion, if it did not even cause them to withdraw from their engagements. The establishments at this place, Fort Chipewyan and Wed- derburne, the chief posts of the companies in this department j m £. A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES ^■V f '» 5 ■ i'» ' arc conveniently situated for communicating with the Slave and Peace Rivers, from whence the canoes as:«emhle in the sprinc and autumn ; on the lirst occasion they hring the collection of furs which has been made at the different uuiposts during the winter ; and at the latter season they receive a supply of stoics for the equipment of the Indians in their vicinity. Fort Wcd- derburne is a small house, which was constructed on Coal Island about five years ago, when the Hudson's Bay Company recommenced trading in this part of the country. Fort Chi- pewyan has been built many years, and is an establishment of very considerable extent, conspicuously situated on a rocky point of the northern shore ; it has a tower which can be seen at a con- siderable distance. This addition was made about eight years ago, for the purpose of watching the motions of the Inilians, who in- tended, as it was then reported, to destroy the house and all its inhabitants. They had been instigated to this rash design by the delusive stories of one among them, who had acquired great influence over his companions by his supposed skill in necro- mancy. This fellow had prophesied that there would soon be a complete change in the face of their country ; that fertility and plenty would succeed to the present sterility ; and that the present race of white inhabitants, unless they became subser- vient to the Indians, would be removed, and their place be filled by other traders, who would supply their wants in eveiy possiblc manner. The poor deluded wretches, imagining they would hasten this happy change by destroying their prcscint traders, of whose submission tlicre v\as no prospect, threaliMi- od to extirpate them. None of these menaces, however, were put in execution. They were probably deterred from the at- tempt by perceiving Uiat a most vigilant guard was kej)t over them. The portion of this extensive lake which is near to the esta- blishments, is called " The Lake of the Hills" not improperly, as the northern shore and the islands are high and rocky. The south side, however, is quite level, consisting of alluvial land, sub- ject to he flooded, lying betwixt the difl'erent mouths of the Elk River, and much intersected by water. The rocks on the northern OF THE POLAR SEA. 137 ;ihore are composed of syenite, over which the soil is thinly spread ; it is, however, sufficient to support a variety cf iirs and poplars, and many shrubs, lichens, and mosses. The trees arc now in full foliage, and the plants gienerally in flower, and the whole scene is quite enlivening. There can scarcely he a higher gratification than that which is enjoyed in this country in witnessing the rapid change which takes place in the course of a few days in the spring ; scarcely does the snow disappear from the ground, before the trees are clothed with thick foliage, the shrubs open their leaves and put forth their variegated flowers, and the whole prospect becomes animating. The spaces between the rocky hills, being for the most part swampy, support willows and a few poplars. These spots are the favourite resorts of the musquitoes, which in- cessantly torment the unfortunate persons who have to pass through Ihcm. Some of the hills attain an elevation of five or six hundred feet, at the distance of a mile from the house ; and from their summits a very picturesque view is commanded of the lake, and of the surrounding country. The land above the Great Point at the confluence of the main stream of the Elk River is six or seven hundred feet high, and stretches in a southern direction Ikehiad Pierre au Calumet. Opposite to that establishment, on the Viliil' side of the river, at some distance in thr "itcrior, the liark Moun- tain rises and ranges to the N.W., untii ii rrtiches Clear Lake, about thirty miles to tlie southward of the fort, anM then goes to the south-westward. The Cree Indians generally [)rocure from this range their provision, as well as the bark for the making oi the canoes. There is another range of hills on the south shore, which runs towards the Peace River. The residents of these establishments dopend for subsistence almost entirely on the fish which this lake aflbrds ; they are usu- ally caught in suflicient abundance throughout the winter, though at the distance of eighteen miles from the houses; on the thaw ,.g of the ice, the fish remove into some smaller lakes, and the rivers un the south shore. Though they are nearer to the forts than in winter, it frequently happens that high winds prevent the canoes from transporting them thither, and the residents are kept in eon- S m,^ iri w ■ Mi T38 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES \{ y hr,. ,ii,^ n '■ I If ji H f, sequence without a supply of food for two or three days together. The lish caught in the net are the tittameg, trout, carp, methye, and pike. The traders here also get supplied hy the hunters with hufTalo and moose deer meat (which animals are found at some distance from the ibrls), hut the greater part of it is either in a dried state, or pounded ready for making pemmican ; and is required for the men whom they keep travelling during the winter to collect the furs from the Indians, and for the crews of the canoes on their outward passage to the depots in spring. There was a great want of provision this season, and hoth the companies had much dilliculty to piovide a hare sufficiency, for the use of their dilTerent brigades of canoes. Mr. Smith assured me he had only (ive hundred pounds of meat remaining after the canoes had been despatched for the use of the men who might travel from the post during the summer, and that five years preceding, there had been thirty thousand pounds in store under similar circumstances, lie ascribed this amazing difierence more to the indolent habits which the Indians had acquired since the commercial struggle commenced, than to their recent sickness, mentioning in con- firmation of his opinion that they could novv, by the produce of little exertion, obtain whatever they demanded from either esta- blishment. At the opening of the water in spring, the Indians resort to the establishments to settle their accounts with the traders, and to procure the necessaries they require for the summer. This meet- ing is generally a scene of much riot and confusion, for the hun- ters receive such quantities of spirits as to keep them in a state of intoxication fi)r several days This spring, however, owing to the great deficiency of spirits, we had the gratification of seeing them generally sober. They belong to the great family of the Chipewyan, or Northern Indians, dialects of their language being spoken in the Peace, and M'Kenzie's Rivers, and by the popu- lous tribes in >>ew Caledonia, as ascertained by Sir Alexander M'Kenzie in his journey to the Pacific. They style themselves generally Dinneh men, or Indians, but < ich tribe, or horde, adds some distinctive epithet taken from the name of the river, or lake, OF THE POLAR SEA. 130 on which they hunt, or the district from which they last migrat- ed. Those who come to Fort Chipewyan term themselves Saw- cessaw-dinneh, (Indians from the risinj^ sun, or Eastern Indians,) their original hunting grounds being between the Athabasca, and Great Slave Lakes, and Churchill River. This district, more particularly termed 'he Chipewyan lands, or barren country, is frequented by numerous herds of rein-deer, which furnish easy subsistence and clothing to the Indians; but the traders endeavour to keep them in the parts to the westward where the beavers re- sort. There are about one hundred and sixty hunters who carry their furs to the Great Slave Lake, forty to Hay River, and two hundred and forty to Fort Chipewyan. A few Northern Indians also resort to the posts at the bottom of the Lake of the Hills, on Red Deer Lake, and to Churchill. The distance, however, of the latter post from their hunting grounds, and the sufferings to which they are exposed in going thither from want of food, have induced those who were formerly accustomed to visit it, to convey their furs to some nearer station. These people are so minutely described by Hearne ami M'Ken- zie, that little can be added by a passing stranger, whose observa- tions were made during short interviews, and when they were at the forts, where they lay aside many of their distinguishing cha- racteristics, and strive at an imitation of the manners of the voy- agers and traders. The Chipewyans are by no means prepossessing in their appear- ance ; they have broad faces, projecting cheek-bones, and wide nostrils; but they have generally good teeth, and fine eyes. When at the fort they imitate the dress of the Canadians, except that, instead of trovvsers, they prefer the Indian stockings, which only reach from the thigh to the ankle, and in place of the waist- band, they have a piece of cloth round the middle, which hangs down loosely before and behind. Their hunting dress consists of a leathern shirt and stockings, over which a blanket is thrown, the head being covered with a fur cap or band. Their manner is reserved, and their habits are selfish ; they beg with unceasing importunity for every thing they see. I never saw men who •rither received or bestowed a gift with such had grace ; tliey 140 A JOURNEY TO THE HIIOULS iv'"' I' ; i t ^' 'Of Wli Mitnosi siialcli the thing from you in the one instance, and throw it at you in the other. It could not be expected that such men should display in their tents, the amiable hospitality whicli pre- vails generally amongst the Indians of this country. A stranger may go away hungry from their lodges, unless he possesses suffi- cient impudence to thrust, uninvited, his knife into the kettle, and help himself. The owner, indeed, never deigns to take any notice of such an act of rudeness, except by a frown, it being be- neath the dignity of a hunter to make disturbance about a piece of meat. As some relief to the darker shades of their character, it should be stated, that instances of theft are extremely rare amongst them. They profess strong alfection for their children, and vsome regard for their relations, who are often numerous, as they «".ce very far the ties of consanguinity. A curious instance of the former was mentioned to us, and so well authenticated, that I shall venturc to give it in the wortis of Dr. Richardson's Journal. " A young Chipewyan had separated from the rest of his band for the purpose of trenching beaver, when his wife who was his sole companion, and in her first pregnancy, was seized with the ])ains of labour. She died on the third day after she had given birth to a boy. The husband was inconsolable, and vowed in his anguish iKJver to take another woman to wife, but his grief was soon in some degree absorbed in anxiety for the fate of his infant son. To preserve its life he descended to the office of nurse, so degrading in the eyes of a Chipewyan, as partaking of the duties of a woman. He swaddled it in soft moss, fed it with broth made from the flesh of the deer, and to still its cries appli- ed it to his breast, praying earnestly to the great Master of Life, to assist his endeavours. The force of the powerful passion by \vhich he was actuated produced the same effect in his case, as it has done in some others which are recorded ; a flow of milk ac- tually took place from his breast. He succeeded in rearing his child, taught him to be a hunter, and when he attained the age of manhood, chose him a wife from the tribe. The old man kept his vow in never taking a second wife himself, but he delighted in tending his son's children, and when his daughter-in-law used OF THE POLAR SEA. 141 to interfere, saying, that it was not the occupation of a man, he was wont to reply, that he had promised to the great Master of Life, if his child was spared, never to be proud, like the other Indians. He used to mention, too, as a certain proof of the appro- bation of Providence, that although he was always obliged to carry his child on his back while hunting, yet that it never roused a moose by its cries, being always particularly still at those times. Our informant* added that he had often seen this Indian in his old as;e, and that his left breast, even then, retained the unusual sizC) it had acquired in his occupation of nurse." We had proof of their sensibility towards their relations, in iheir declining to pitch their tents where they had been accus- tomed to do for many years, alleging a fear of being reminded of the happy hours they had formerly spent there, in the society of tlie affectionate relatives whom the sickness had recently car- ried off. The change of situation, however, had not the effect of relieving them from sorrowful impressions, and they occasionally indulged in very loud lamentations, as they sat in groups, within and without their tents. Unfortunately, the spreading of a severe dysentery amongst them, at this time, gave occasion for the re- newal of their grief. The medicinal charms of drumming and singing were plentifully applied, and once they had recourse to conjuring over a sick person. I was informed, however, that the Northern Indians do not try this expedient for the cure of a pa- tient so often as the Crees ; but when they do, the conjuror is most assiduous, and suffers great personal fatigue. Particular persons only, are trained in the mysteries of the art of conjuring, to procure the recovery of the sick, or to disclose future events. On extraordinary occasions the man remains in his narrow con- juring tent, for days without eating, before he can determine the matter to his satisfaction. When he is consulted about the sick, the patient is shut up with him ; but on other occasions he is alone, and the poor creature often works his mind up to a pitch of itfU.- sion that can scai'cely be imagined by one who has not witnessed^ it. His deluded companions seat themselves round his tent, and nwait his communication with earnest anxiety, yet during; tho *Mi\ Wcnt/eT. iii^r 11 %>Jk;.&> I' ^1 142 A JOURNKY TO THE SHORES >mw^ m I llJiCri ,« ■ :';^' y:- 1 •■J progress of his inancciivrcs, they often venture to question him, as to the disposition of the Great Spirit. These artful fellows usually gain complete ascendency over the minds of their companions. They are supported by voluntary contributions of provision, that their minds may not be diverted by the labour of hunting, from the peculiar duties of their pro- fession. The chiefs among the Chipewyans are now totally without power. The presents of a flag, and a gaudy dress, still bestowed upon them by the traders, do not procure for them any respect or obedience, except from the youths of their own families. This is to be attributed mainly to their living at peace with their neigh- bours, and to the facility which the young men find in getting their wants supplied independent of the recommendation of the chiefs, which was formerly required. In war excursions, bold- ness and intrepidity would still command respect and procure authority ; but the influence thus acquired would, probably, cease with the occasion that called it forth. The traders, however, en- deavour to support their authority by continuing towards them the accustomed marks of respect, hoisting the flag, and firing a salute of musketry on their entering the fort. The chief halts at a distance from the house, and despatches one of his young men to announce his approach, and to bring his flag, which is carried before him when he arrives. The messen- ger also carries to him some vermilion to ornament the faces of Ids party, together with a looking-glass and comb, some tobacco, and a few rounds of ammunition, that they may return the salute. These men paint round the eyes, the forehead, and the cheek bones. The Northern Indians evince no little vanity, by assuming to themselves the comprehensive title of " The People," whilst they designate all other nations by the name of their particular coun- try. If men were seen at a distance, and a Chipewyan was ask- ed who those persons were, he would answer. The People, if he recognized them to belong to his tribe, and never Chipewyans; but he would give them their respective names, if they were Eu- ropeans, Canadians, or Cree Indians. OF THE POLAR SEA. 14S As they suppose their ancestors to come originally from the yast, those who happen to be born in the eastern part ol" their ter- ritory, arc considered to be of the best origin. I have been in> formed, that all the Indians who trade at the difl'crcnt posts in the north-west parts of America, imagine that their forefathers came froni the east, except the Dog-ribs, who reside between the Cop- per Indian Lands and the Mackenzie's River, and who deduce their origin from the west, which is the more remarkable, as they speak a dialect of the Chipewyan language. I could gather no in- formation respecting their religious opinions, except that they have a tradition of a deluge.^ The Chipewyans are considered to be less expert hunters than the Crces, which probably arises from their residing much on the barren lands, where the rein-deer arc so numerous that little skill is requisite. A good hunter, however, is highly esteemed among them. The facility of procuring goods, since the commercial op- position commenced, has given great encouragement to their na- tive indolence of disposition, as is manifested by the differonce in the amount of their collections of furs and provision betwei Uie late and former years. From six to eight hundred packs of irs used formerly to be sent from this department, now the return sel- dom exceeds half that amount. The decrease in the provision has been already mentioned. The Northern Indians suppose that they originally sprang from a dog ; and, about five years ago, a superstitious fanatic so strongly pressed upon their minds the impropriety of employing these ani- mals, to wb"'"!^ ''ley were related, for purposes of labour, that they universally jived against using them any more, and, strange as it may seem, destroyed them. They now have to drag every thing themselves on sledges. This laborious task falls most hea- vily on the women ; nothing can more shock the feelings of a per- son, accustomed to civilized life, than to witness the state of their degradation. When a party is on a march the women have to drag the tent, the meat, and whatever the hunter possesses, whilst lie only carries his gun and medicine case. In the evening they form the encampment, cut wood, fetch water, and prepare the supper ; and then, perhaps, are not permitted to partake of the 144 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES titu»"iti fare until the men have finished. A successful hunter'sonietinics has two or three wives ; whoever happens to be the favourite^ assumes authority over the others, and has the management of the tent. These men usually treat their wives unkindly, and even with harshness ; except, indeed, at the time when they are about to increase the family, and then they shew them much induU gence. Hearne charges the Chipewyans with the dreadful practice of abandoning, when in extremity, their aged and sick people. The only instance that came under our personal notice was attended with some palliating circumstances i^An old woman arrived at Fort Chipewyan, during our resident, with her son, a little boy about ten years old, both of whom had been deserted by their relations, and left in an encampment, when much reduced by sick- ness : two or three days after their departure the woman gained a little strength, and, with the assistance of the boy, was enabled to paddle a canoe to the fishing station of this post, where they were supported for some days, until they were enabled to pro- ceed in search of some other relations, who, they expected, would treat them with more kindness. I learned, indeed, that the wo- man bore an extremely bad character, and had even been guilty of infanticide, and that her companions considered her offences merited the desertion. This tribe, since its present intimate connexion with the traders, has discontinued its war excursions against the Esquimaux, but they still speak of that nation in terms of the most inveterate hatred. We have only conversed with four men who have been engaged in any of those expeditions ; all these confirm the state- ments of Black-meat respecting the sea-coast. Our observations concerning the half-breed population in this vicinity, coincided so exactly with those which have been given of similar persons in Dr. Richardson's account of the Crees, that any statement respect- ing them at this place is rendered unnecessary. Both the Com- panies have wisely prohibited their servants from intermarrying with pure Indian women, which was formerly the cause of many quarrels with the tribes. The weather was extemely variable, during the month of June : J^'^- OF THE POLAR SEA. 145 nti scarcely had two clear clays in succession, and the showers of rain were frequent ; the winds were often strong, and generally blowing from the north-eist quarter. On the evening of the 16th tlie Aurora Borealis was visible, but after that date the nights were too light for our discerning it. The musquitoes swarmed in great numbers about the house, and tormented us so incessantly by their irritating stings, that we were compelled to keep our rooms constantly filled with smoke, which is the only means of driving them away : the weather indeed was now warm. Having received one of Dollond's eighteen-inch spirit thermometers from MtL Stuart, which he had the kindness to send us from his post asrierre au Calumet, after he had learn- ed that ours had been rendered useless, I observed the tempera- ture, at noon, on the 25th of June, to be 63°. On the following morning we made an excursion, accompanied by Mr. Smith, round the fishing stations on the south side of the lake, for the purpose of visiting our men : we passed several groups of women and children belonging to both the forts, posted wherever they could find a sufficiently dry spot for an encamp- ment. At length we came to our men, pitched upon a narrow strip of land, situated between two rivers. Though the portion of dry ground did not exceed fifty yards, yet they appeared to be living very comfortably, having formed huts with the ca- noes' sail and covering, and were amply supported by the fish their nets daily furnished. They sometimes had a change in their fare, by procuring a few ducks and other water fowl, which resort in great abundance to the marshes, by which they were < surrounded. July 2. — The canoe, which was ordered to be built for our use, was finished. As it was constructed after the manner, which has been accurately described by Hearne, and several of the Ame- rican travellers, a detail of the process will be unnecessary. lis extreme length was thirty-two feet six inches, including the bow and stern pieces, its greatest breadth was four feet ten inches, but it was only two feet nine inches forward where the bowman sat, and two feet four inches behind where the steersman was placed ; and its depth was one foot eleven and a quarter inches. There T m U6 A JOURNtY lO rUJi 6H0Rr.& mk^ « . ■ I ; • 1 N ' I' ii '!' ''' f ''-,'•!.' i>.>. were seventy-three hoops of thin cedar, and a layer of slender laths of the same wood within the frame. These fechle vessels of bark will carry twenty-five pieces of goods, each weighing ninety pounds, exclusive of the necessary provision and baggage for the crew of five or six men, amounting in the whole to about three thousand three hundred pounds' weight. This great lading Ihcy annually carry between the dej ots and the posts, in the intcnor; and it rarely happens that any ipcidcnts occur, if they arc ma- naged by experienced bowmen Uiid steersmen, on whose skill the safety of the canoe entirely depends in the rapids and diflicult places. When a total portage is m^, these two men carry the canoe, and they often run with it, tlPigh its weight is estimated at about three hundred pounds, exclusive of the poles and oars, which are occasionally left in where the distance is short. On the 5th, we made an excursion for the purpose of trying our canoe. A heavy gale came on in the evening, which caused a great swell in the lake, and in crossing these waves we had the satisfaction to find that our birchen vessel proved an excellent sea boat. Juli/ 7. — This morning some men, and their families, who iiad been sent ofl' to search for Indians, with whom they intended to pass the summer, returned to the fort in consequence of a serious accident having befallen their canoe in the Red Deer River : when they were in the act of hauling up a strong rapid, the line broke, the canoe was overturned, and two of the party narrowly escaped drowning; fortunately the women and children happened taibe on shore, or, in all probability, they would have perishe(^||h the confusion of the scene. Nearly all their stores, their guns, and fishing nets, were lost, and they could not procure any other food for the last four days than some unripe berries. Some gentlemen arrived in the evening with a party of Chi- pewyan Indians, from Hay River, a post between the Peace Ri*'cr, and the Great Slave Lake. These men gave distressing accounts of sickness among their relatives, and the Indians in general alcuji the Peace River, and they say many of them have died, 'i'he disease is said to be dysentery. On the 10th and Uth Ave had i; ;- <% % OF THE I'OI.AR SF.A. M7 very sullry weather, ami were dreail fully tormented by musqui- toes. The highest temperatuic was l-i"". July 13. — This mornina; Mr. Back and I had the sincere gra- tification of welconiing our \o\\% separated friends, Ur. Richard- son and Mr. Hood, who arrived n perfect health with two canoes, having made a very expeditious journey from Cumberland, not- withstanding they were detained near three days in consequence of the melancholy loss of one of theii bowmen, by the upsetting of a canoe in a strong rapid ; but, as the occurrences of this journey, together with the mention of some other circumstances that hap- pencil previous to their deD|rture from Cumberland, which have been extracted from Mr. IlWd's narrative, will appear in the fol- lowing chapter, it will be unnecessary to enter farther into these points now. The zeal and talent displayed by Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood, in the discharge of their several duties, since my separation from them; drew forth my highest approbation. Tl.cic gentlemen had brought all the stores they could procure from the establishments at Cumberland and at Isle a la Crosse ; and at the latter place they had received ten bags of pemmican from the North-West Compa- ny, which proved to be mouldy, and so totally unfit for use that it was left at the Methye portage. They got none from the Hud- son's Bay post. The voyagers belonging to that Company, being destitute of provisions, had eaten what was intended for us. In consequence of these untoward circumstances, the canoes arrived with only one's days supply of this most essential article. The prosjiict of having to commence our journey from hence, almost destitute of provision, and scantily supplied with stores, was dis- tressing to us, and very discouraging to the men. It was evident, however, that any unnecessary delay here would have been very imprudent, as Fort Chipewyan did not, at the present time, furnish the means of subsistence for so large a party, much less was there a prospect of our receiving any supply to carry with us. We, therefore, hastened to make the necessary arrangements for our speedy departure. All the stores were demanded that could pos- sibly be spared from both the establishments ; and we rejoiced to find, that when this collection was added to the articles that had 'i- fc 14a A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES !^ *!' 11 Hi I M ' $4' i ," r U 1, ■■:'i been brought up by the canoes, that we had a sufficient quantity of clothing for the equipment of the men who had been engaged herCj as well as to furnish a present to the Indians, besides some few goods for the winter's consumption ; but we could not pro- cure any ammunition, which was the most essential article, or spirits, and but little tobacco. We then made a final arrangement respecting the voyagers, who were to accompany the party ; and, fortunately, there was no difficulty in doing this, as Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood hail taken the very judicious precaution of bringing up ten men from Cumberland, who were engaged to jwoceed forward if their ser- vices were required. The Canadiawf whom they brought, were most desirous of being continued, and we felt sincere pleasure in being able to keep men who were so zealous in the cause, and who had given proofs of their activity on their re^cent passage to this place, by discharging those men who were less willing to under- take the journey ; of these three were Englishman, one Ameri- can, and three Canadians. When the numbers were completed, which we had been recommended by the traders to take as a protection against the Esquimaux, we had sixteen Canadian-voy- agers, and our worthy and only English attendant John Hepburn, besides the two interpreters whom we were to receive at the Great Slave Lake ; we were also accompanied by a Chipewyan woman. An equipment of goods was given to each of the men who had been engaged at thio p;ace, similar to what had been fur- nished to the others at Cumberland ; and when this distribution had been made, the remainder were made up into bales, prepara- tory to our departure on the following day. We were cheerfully assisted in these and all our occupations by Mr. Smith, who evinced an anxious desire to supply our wants as far as his means permitted. Mr. Hood having brought up the dipping needle from Cumber- land House, we ascertained the dip to be 85" 23' 42", and the difference produced by reversing the face of the instrument was go 2' 10". The intensity of thfe magnetic force was also observ- ed. Several observations had been procured on both sides of the moon during our residence at Fort Chipewyan, the result of ''■■■i ■.'■'1 OF THE POLAR SEA. 149 which gave for its longitude 111° 18' 20" W., its latitude was ob- served to be 18" 42' 38" N., and the variation of the compass 22° 49' 33" E. Fresh rates were procured for the chronometers and their errors determined for Greenwich time, by which the sur- vey to the northward was carried on. ♦ 150 *. JOURNEY TO THE SHORKS :-i'"'b,V'!; If ^ . y^ ■^ i*! ft: I'l: ■ '* |||;; CHAPTER VI. Mr. Hood's Journey to tlie Basquiau Ilill — Sojourns with an Indian Party—- His Journey to Chipewyan. March. -DEING desirous of obtaimng a drawing of a moose deer, and also of making some observations on the height of the Aurora, I set out on the 23d, to pass a few days at the Basquiau Hill. Two men accompanied me, with dogs and sledges, who were going to the hill for meat. We found the Saskatchawan open, and were obliged to follow it several miles to the eastward. We did not, then, cross it without wading in water, which had overflowed the ice ; and our snow shoes were encumbered with a heavy weight for the remainder of the cay. On the south bank of the Saskatchawan were some poplars ten or tvvelve feet in circumference at the root. Beyond the river, we travers- ed an extensive swamp, bounded by woods. In the evening we crossed the Swan Lake, about six miles in breadth, and eight in length, and halted on its south side for the night, twenty-four miles S.S.W. of Cumberland House. At four in the morning of the 24th we continued the journey, and crossed some creeks in the woods, and another large swamp. These swamps are covered with water in summer, to the depth of several feet, which arises from the melted snow from the higher grounds. The tracks of foxes, wolves, wolverenes, and martens, were very numerous. The people, employed in carry- ing meat, set traps on their way out, and take possession of their captures at their return, for which they receive a sum from the Company, pioportioned to the value of the fur. In the evening we crossed the Goose I die, which is a little longer than Swan Lake, and afterwards the River Sepanach, a branch of the Saskatchawan, forming an island extending thirty OF THE POLAR SEA. lol miles above, and forty below Cumberland House. We turned tc ii.^ -"jstward on the Root River, which enters the Sepanacb, and halted on its banks, having made in direct distance not more than twenty miles since the 23d. We passed the Shoal Lake on the 25th, and then marched twelve miles through woods and swamps to a hunting tent of the Indians. It was situated in a grove of large poplars, and would have been no very unpleasant residence if we could have avoid- ed the smoke. A heavy gale from the westward, with snow, confined us for several days to this tent. On the 30th two In- dians arrived, one of whom named the Warrior, was well known at the house. We endeavoured to prevail upon them to set out in quest of moose, which they agreed to do, on receiving some rum. Promises were of no avail ; the smallest gratification is preferred to the certainty of ample reward at another period ; an unfailing indication of strong animal passions, and a weak understanding. On complying with their demand they departed. Tiie next day I'went to the Warrior's tent, distant about eleven miles. The country was materially changed : the pine had dis- appeared, and gentle slopes, with clumps of large poplars, form- ed some pleasing groups ; willows were scattered over the swamps. When I entered the tent, the Indians spread a buffalo robe before the fire, and desired me to sit down. Some were eating, others sleeping, many of them without any covering except the breach cloth and a blanket over the shoulders ; a state in which they love to indulge themselves till hunger drives them forth to the chase. Besides the Warrior's family, there was that of another hunter named Long-legs, whose bad success in hunting, had re- duced him to the necessity of feeding on moose leather for three weeks, when he was compassionately relieved by the Warrior. 1 was an unwilling witness of the preparation of my dinner by the; Indian women. Tliey cut into pieces a portion of fat meat, using for that purpose a knife and their teeth. It was boiled in a ket- tle, and served in a platter made of birch bark, from whuli, being dirty, they had peeled the surfiice. liuwevcr, the flavour of good moose meat will survive any process thai it undergoes in tjuir hands, except smokiiii^. ■ I'n^ % 'Mm^i 3f ''JL ■^»^ *• f''.a '; ■« ■• ! 152 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES Having provided myself with some drawing materials, 1 amus- ed the Indians with a sketch of the interior of the tent and its inhabitants. An old woman, who was relating with great volu- bility an account of some quarrel with the traders at Cumberland House, broke off from her narration when she perceived my design ; supposing, perhaps, that I was employing some charm against her ; for the Indians have been taught a supernatural dread ol particular pictures. One of the young men drew, with a piece of charcoal, a figure resembling a frog, on the side of the tent, and by significantly pointing at me, excited peals of merriment from his companions. The caricature was comic ; but I soon fixed their attention, by producing my pocket compass, and affecting it with a knife. They have great curiosity, which might easily be directed to the attainment of useful knowledge. As the dirt ac- cumulated about these people was visibly of a communicative nature, I removed at night into the open air, where the thermo- meter fell to 15° below zero, although it was Jie next day 60° above it. In the morning the Warrior and his companion arrived; I found that, instead of hunting, they had passed the whole time io a drunken fit, at a short distance from the tent. In reply to our angry questions, the Warrior held out an empty vessel, as if to demand the payment of a debt, before he entered into any new ncgociation. Not being inclined to starve his family, we set out for another Indian tent, ten miles to the southward, but we found only the frame, or tent poles standing, when we reached the spot. The men, by digging where the fire-place had been, ascertained that the Indians had quitted it the day before ; and as their marches arc short, when encumbered with the women and baggage, we sought out their track, and followed it. At an abrupt angle of it, which was obscured by trees, the men suddenly disappeared ; and, hastening forward to discover the cause, I perceived them both still rolling at the foot of a steep cliff, over v,i)ich they had been dragged, while endeavouring to stop tiie descent of their sledges. The dogs were gazing silently, with the wreck of their harness about then), :ind the sfledges deeply buried in the snow. The OF THE POLAR SEA. I5i effects of this accident did not detain us long, and we proceeded afterwards with greater caution. The air was warm at noon, and the solitary but sweet notes of the jay, the earliest spring bird, were in every wood. Late in the evening we descried the ravens wheeling in circles round a small grove of poplars, and, according to our expectations, found the Indians encamped there. The men were absent hu Uing, and returned unsuccessful. They had been several days without pro- visions, and thinking that I could depend upon the continuance of their exertions, I gave them a little rum ; the next day they set out, and at midnight they swept by us with their dogs in close pursuit. In the morning we found that a moose had eaten the bark of a tree near our fire. The hunters, however, again failed ; and they attributed the extreme difficulty of approaching the chase, to the calmness of the weather, which enabled it to hear them at a great distance. •? ' " They concluded, as usual, when labouring under any affliction, that they were tormented by the evil spirit ; and assembled to beat a large tambourine, and sing an address to the rnanito, or deity, praying for relief, according to the explanation which I re- ceived : but their prayer consisted of only three words, constantly repeated. One of the hunters yet remained abroad ; and as the wind rose at noon, we had hopes that he was successful. In the evening he made his appearance, and announcing that he had killed a large moose, immediately secured the reward which had been promised. The tidings were received with apparent indifference, by people whose lives are alternate changes from the extremity of want to abundance. But as their countenances seldom betray their emotions, it cannot be determined whether their apathy is real or affected. However, the women prepared their sledges and dogs, with the ilesign of dismembering, and bringing home, the carcass ; a proceeding to which, in their necessitous conditions I could have had neither reasonable nor available objections, with- out giving them a substitute. By much solicitation I obtained an iiidience, and offered them our own provisions, on condition of V 154 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 1' • J:-'? ^1 -l> Iheir suspending the work of destruction till the next day. They agreed to the proposition, and we set out with some Indians for the place where the animal was lying. The night advancing, we were separated by a snow-storm, and not being skilful enough to follow tracks which were so speedily filled up, I was bewildered for several hours in the woods, when I met with an Indian, who led me back at such a pace that I was always in the rear, to his infinite diversion. The Indians are vain of their local knowledge, which is certainly very wonderful. Our companions had taken out the entrails and young of the moose, which they buried in the snow. The Indians then returned to the tents, and one of my men ac- companied them ; he was the person charged with the manage- ment of the trade at the hunting tent ; and he observed, that the opportunity of making a bargain with the Indians, while they were drinking, was too advantageous to be los.. It remained for us to prevent the wolves from mangling the moose; for which purpose we wrapped ourselves in blankets be- tween its feet, and placed the hatchets within our reach. The night was stormy, and apprehension kept me long awake ; but finding my companion in so deep a sleep, that nothing could have roused him, except the actual gripe of a wolf, I thought it ad- visable to imitate his example, as much as was in my power, rather than bear the burthen of anxiety alone. At daylight we shook off the snow, which was heaped upon us, and endeavoured to kindle a fire ; but the violence of the storm defeated all our at- tempts. At length two Indians arrived, with whose assistance \vc succeeded, and they took possession of it, to show their sense of our obligations to them. We were ashamed of the scene before us ; the entrails of the moose and its young, which had been buried at our feet, bore testimony to the nocturnal revel of the wolves, during the time we had slept. This was a fresh subject of deri- jsion for the Indians, whose appetites, however, would not suffer ihem to waste long upon us a time so precious. They soon finish- ed what the wolves had begun, and with as little aid from the art of cookery, eating both the young moose, and the contents of thi> paunoh, raw. 4v|pi(ii ■■» OF THE POLAR SEA. 15i I had scarcely secured myself by a lodge of branches from the snow, and placed the moose in a position for my sketch, when we were stormed by a troop of women and children, with their sledges and dogs. We obtained another short respite from the Indians, but our blows could not drive, nor their caresses entice, the hungry dogs from the tempting feast before them. I had not finished my sketch, before the ii patient crowd tore the moose to pieces, and loaded their sledges with meat. On our way to the tent, a black wolf rushed out upon an Indian, who hap- pened to pass near its den. li was shot ; and the Indians carried away three black whelps, to improve the breed of their dogs. 1 purchased one of them, intending to send it to England, but it perished for want of proper nourishment. The latitude of these tents was 53° 12' 46" N., and longitude. by chronometers 103° 13' 10" W. On the 5th of April we set out for the hunting tent by our former track, and arrived there in the evening. As the increasing warmth of the weather had threatened to in- terrupt coinmunication by removing the ice, orders had been sent from Cumberland House to the people at the tent, to quit it with- out delay ; which we did on the 7th. Some altitudes of the Aurora were obtained, the results of which will be noticed else- where. We had a fine view, at sunrise, of the Basquiau Hill, skirting half the horizon with its white sides, chequered by forests of pine. It is seen from Pine Island Lake, at the distance of fifty miles ; and cannot, therefore, be less than three-fourths of a mile in per- pendicular height ; probably the greatest elevation between the Atlantic Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. A small stream runs near the hunting tent, strongly impregnat- ed with salt. There are several salt springs about it, which are not frozen during the winter. The surface of the snow, thawing in the sun, and freeiilng at night, had become a strong crust, which sometimes gave way in a circle round our feet, immerging us in the soft snow beneath. The people were afflicted with snow blindness ; a kind of oplv . 1 .1 i« i li *-'*l ■M^/ 156 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES Sal •■ ' '•! ' * ;ii. '■i''-'^'. thalmia, occasioned by the reflection of the sun's rays in the spring. The miseries endured during the first journey of this nature, are so peat, that nothing;; could induce the sufferer to undertake a second, while under the influence of present pain. He feels his fraiTie crushed by unaccountable pressure, he drags a galling; and stubborn weight at his leet, and his track is marked with blood. The dazzling scene around him affords no rest to his eye, no ob- ject to divert his attention from his own agonizing sensations. When he rises from sleep, half his body seems dead, till quick- ened into feeling by the irritation of his sores. But, fortunately for him, no evil makes an impression so evanescent as pain. It cannot be wholly banished, nor recalled with the force of reality, by any act. of the mind, either to affect our determinations, or to sympathize with another. The traveller soon forgets his suffer- ings, and at every future journey, their recurrence is attended with diminished acuteness. It was not before the 10th or 12th of April, that the return of the swans, geese, and ducks, gave certain indications of the ad- vance of spring. The juice of the maple tree began to flow, and the women repaired to the woods for the purpose of collecting it. This tree, which abounds to the southward, is not, I believe, found to the northward of the Saskatchawan. The Indians obtain the sap by making incisions into the tree. They boil it down, and evaporate the water, skimming off* the impurities. They are so fond of sweets, that after this simple process, they set an extrava- gant price upon it. On the 15th fell the first shower of rain we had seen for six months, and on the 17th the thermometer ro.se to 77° in the shade. The whole face of the country was deluged by the melted snow. All the nameless heaps of dirt, accumulated in the winter, now floated over the very thresholds, and the long-imprisoned scents dilated into vapours so penetrating, that no retreat was any security from. them. The flood descended into the cellar below our house, and destroyed a quantity of powder and tea ; a loss irreparable in our situation. OF THE POLAR SEA. 157 The noise made by the frogs which tliis inundation produced, is almost incredible. There is strong reason to believe that they outlive the severity of winter. They have often been found frozen and revived by warmth, nor is it possible that the multitude which incessantly filled our ears with its discordant notes could have been matured in two or three days. The fishermen at Beaver Lake, and the other detached parties were ordered to return to the post. The expedients to which the poor people were reduced, to cross a country so beset with waters, presented many uncouth spectacles. The inexperienced were glad to compromise, with the loss of property, for the safety of their persons, and astride upon ill-balanced rafts with which they strug- gled to be uppermost, exhibited a ludicrous picture of distress. Happy were those who could patch up an old canoe, though obliged to bear it half the way on their shoulders, through miry bogs and interwoven willows. But the veteran trader, wedged in a box of skin, with his wife, children, dogs, and furs, wheeled triumphantly through the current, and deposited his heterogeneous cargo safely on the shore. The woods re-echoed with the return , . of their exiled tenants. An hundred tribes as gaily dressed as any burnished natives of the south, greeted our eyes in our ac- customed walks, and their voices, though unmusical, were the sweetest that ever saluted our ears. From the 19th to the 26th the snow once more blighted the resuscitating verdure, but a single day was sufficient to remove it. On the 2Sth the Saskatchawan swept away the ice which had ad- hered to its banks, and the next day a boat came down from Carl- ton House with provisions. We received such accounts of the state of vegetation at that place, that Dr. Richardson determined to visit it, in order to collect botanical specimens, as the period at which the ice was expected to admit of the continuation of our jouiiey was still distant. Accordingly he embarked on the 1st of May. In the course of the month the ice gradually wore away from the south side of the lake, but the great mass of it still hung to the north side with some snow visible on its surface. By the 31st the elevated grounds were perfectly dry, and teeming with the ;.'j;':! iiu- ] , • i ^'\: lU m n m 11 lpl, ■;l«* If'', i,-^'' • :yr; .'^^ ■'*■. :'iil'^ 15S \ JOURNEY TO THE SHORES iVagrant oflspring of the season. Wlien the snow melted, the earth was covered with the fallen loaves of the last year, and al- ready it was green with the strawberry plant, and the burstiri"' buds of the gooseberry, raspberry, and rose bushes, soon variegat- ed by the rose and the blossoms cf the choke cherry. The gifts of nature are disregarded and undervalued till they are withdrawn and in the hideous regions of the Arctic Zone, she would make a convert of him for whom the gardens of Europe had no charms, or the mild beauties of a southern clime had bloomed in vain. Mr. Williams found a delightful occupation in his agricultural j)ursuits. The horses were brought to the plough, and fields of wheat, barley, and Indian corn, promised to reward his labours. His dairy furnished us with all the luxuries of an English farm. On the 25th the ice departed from Pine Island Lake. We were, however, informed that Beaver Lake, which was likewise in our route, would not afford a passage before the 4th of June. According to directions left by M Franklin, applications were made to the Chiefs of the Hudson's ^ay and the North- West Com- panies' posts, for two canoes, with their crews, and a supply of stores, for the use of the Expedition. They were not in a condi- tion to comply with this request till the arrival of their respective returns from Isle a la Crosse and the Saskatchawan departments. Of the six men whom we brought from England, the most ser- viceable, John Hepburn, had accompanied Mr. Franklin, and only one other desired to prosecute the journey with us. Mr. Franklin had made arrangements with Mr. Williams for the employment of the remaining five men in bringing to Cumberland House the ammunition, tobacco, &c. left at York Fort, which stores were, if possible, to be sent after us in the summer. On the 30th Dr. Richardson returned from Carlton House, and on the 31st the boats arrived belonging to the Hudson's Bay Company's Saskat- chawan department. We obtained a canoe and two more volun- teers. On the 1st of June the Saskatchawan, swelled by the melting of the snow near the rocky mountains, rose twelve feet, and the current of the little rivers bounding Pine Island ran back into the lake, which it filled with mud. On the 5th the North- West Company's people arrived, and Mr. OF THE POLAR SEA. 159 (Jonolly furnished us with a canoe and five Canadians. They were enj^agcd to attend us till Mr. Franklin should think fit to discharge them, and bound under the usual penalties in case of disobedience, or other improper conduct. These poor people en- tertained such dread of a ship of war, that they stipulated not to be embarked in Lieutenant Parry's vessels, if we should find them on the coast ; a condition with which they would gladly have dispensed, had that desirable event taken place. As we re- quired a Canadian foreman and steersman for the other canoe, we were compelled to wait for the appearance of the Isle a la Crosse canoes under Mr. Clark. On the 8th Mr. Williams embarked for York Fort, He gave us a circular letter addressed to the Chiefs of the Hudson's Bay Company's posts, directing them to aflbrd us all possible assist- ance on our route, and he promised to exert every endeavour to forward the Esquimaux interpreter, upon whom the success of our journey so much depended. He was accompanied by eight boats. With him we sent our colleciions of plants, minerals, charts, and drawings, to be transmitted to England by the Hud- son's Bay shijjs. After this period, our detention, though short, cost us more vexation than the whole time we had passed at Cum- berland House, because every hour of the short summer was in- valuable to us. On the 11th Mr. Clark arrived, and completed our crews. He brought letteis from Mr. Franklin, dated March o'Slh, at Fort Chipcwyan, where he was engaged procuring hun- ters and interpreters. A heavy storm of wind and rain from the north-east again delayed us till the morning of the 1 3ih. The account we had received at York Factory of the numerous stoies at Cum- !)erland House proved to be very erroneous. The most material stores we received did not amount, in addition to our own, to more than two barrels of powder, a keg of spirits, and two pieces of tobacco, with pemmican for sixteen days. The crew of Dr. Richardson's canoe consisted of three English- iucn and three Canadians, and the other carried live Canadians; both were deeply laden, and the waves ran high on the lake. No person in our party being well acquainted with the rivers to the northward, Mr. ConoUy gave us a pilot, on condition that wp :||f I ij .m -.At-''. ■." "'^ 160 A JOURNEY TO TH K SHORES I' ■ t' m !?*.t should exchange him when we met with the Athabasca brigade of canoes. At four A.M. we embarked. We soon found that birchen-bark canoes were not calculated to brave rough weather on a large lake, for we were compelled to land on the opposite border, to free them from the water which had already saturated their cargoes. The wind became more mo- derate, and we were enabled, after traversing a chain of smaller lakes, to enter the mouth of the Sturgeon River, at sunset, where we encamped. The lading of the canoes is always, if possible, carried on shore at night, and the canoes taken out of the water. The following evening we reached Beaver Lake, and landed to repair some da- mages sustained by the canoes. A round stone will displace the lading of a canoe, without doing any injury, but a slight blow agaiiist a sharp corner penetrates the bark. For the purpose of repairing it, a small quantity of gum or pilch, bark and pine roots are embarked, and the business is so expeditiously performed, that the speed of the canoe amply compensates for every delay. The Sturgeon River is justly called by the Canadians La Riviere Ma- ligne, from its numerous and dangerous rapids. Against the strength of a rapid it is impossible to effect any progress by pad- dling, and the canoes are tracked, or if the bank will not admit of it, propelled with poles, in the management of which the Ca- nadians shew great dexterity. Their simultaneous motions were strongly contrasted with the awkward confusion of the inexpe- rienced Englishmen, deafened by the torrent, who sustained the blame of every accident which occurred. At sunset we encamped on an island in Beaver Lake, and at four A.M., the next morning, passed the first portage in the Ridge River. Beaver Lake is twelve miles in length, and six in breadth. The flat limestone country rises into bold rocks on its banks, and at the mouth of the Ridge River, the limestone discontinues. The lake is very deep, and has already been noticed for the number and excellence of its fish. The Ridge River is rapid and shallow. We had emeiged from the muddy channels through an alluvial soil, and the primitive rocks interrupted our way with frequent ])ortages, through the whole route to Isle a la Crosse Lake. At OF THE POLAR iil!:A. 161 I'ial ent At two P.M. we psased tlic mouth of the Hay River, running from the westward ; and the ridge above its confluence takes the name of the Great River, which rises at the height of land called the Frog Portage. The thermometer was this day 100° in the sun, and the heat was extremely oppressive, from our constant exposure to it. We crossed three portages in the Great River, and encamped at the last ; here we met the director of the North- West Company's af. fairs in the north, Mr. Stuart, on his way to Fort William, in a light canoe. He had left the Athabasca Lake only thirteen days, and brought letters from Mr. Franklin, who desired that we would endeavour to collect stores of every kind at Isle ^ la Crosse, and added a favourable account of the country, to the northward of the Slave Lake. On the 16th, at three A.M., we continued our course, the river increasing to the breadth of half a mile, with many rapids between the rocky islands. The banks were luxuriantly clothed with pines, poplars, and birch trees, of the largest size ; but the dif- ferent shades of green were undistinguishable at a distance, and the glow of autumnal colours was wanting to render the variety beautiful. Having crossed two portages ai the different extremities of the Island Lake, we ran through two exicns've sheets of water under sail, called the Heron and Pelican Lakes ; the former of which is fifteen miles in length, and the latter five ; but its extent to the southward has not been explored. An intricate channel, with four small portages, conducted us to the Woody Lake. Its bor- ders were, indeed, walls of pines, hiding the face of steep and high rocks; and w^e wandered in search of a landing-place till ten P.M. when we were forced to take shelter from an impending storm, on a small island, where we wedged ourselves between the trees. But though we secured the canoes, we incurred a per- sonal evil of much greater magnitude, in the torments inflicted by the mtisquitoes, a plague which had grown upon us since our depar- ture from Cumberland House, and which infested us during the whole summer ; we found no relief from their attacks by exposing ourselves to the utmost violence of the wind and rain. Our last '■'*m p. ''-■'-'!' hL •> •; Y * t>% . 1 162 A .rOL'RNLY TO THE SHORtb 1 ( resource was to plunge ourselves in the water, and from this uti comfortable situation we gladly escaped at daylight, and hoistcil our sails. The Woody Lake is thirteen miles in length, and a small grassy channel at its north-western extremity, leads to the Frog Portaijc'. the source of the waters descending by Beaver Lake to the Sas- liatchawan. The distance to the Missinnippi, or Churchill Rivei'. is only three hundred and eighty yards ; and as its course crosses the height nearly at right angles to the direction of the Great River, it would be superfluous to compute the elevation at thia place. The portage is in latitude 55° 26' 0" N., and longitude 103° 34' 50" W. Its name, according to Sir Alexander JNIackoii- zie, is derived from the Crces having left suspended a stretched frog's skin, in derision of the Noithern Indian mode of dressin}^ the heaver. The part of the Missinnippi, in which we embarked, we should. have mistaken for a lake, had it not been for the rapidity of the current against which we made our way. At four P.M. we passed a Icrjg portage, occasioned by a ledge of rocks, three hundred yards in length, over which the river falls seven or eight feet. Aflei crossing another portage we encamped. On the ISlh \^'e had rain, wind, and thunder, the whole day ; but this weather was much prcferabh to the heat we had borne hitherto. We passed tUrce portages, and, at six P.M., encamped on the north bank. Below the third portage is the mouth oi Rapid River, flowing from a large lake to the southward, on which a post was formerlv maintained by the North- West Company, Next morning we found ourselves involved in a confused mass of islands, through the openings of which we could not discern the shore. The guide's knowledge of the river did not extend be- yond the last portage, and our perplexity continued, till we ob- served some foam floating on the water, and took the direction from which it came. The noise of a heavy fall, at the Mountain Portage, reached our ears, at the distance of four miles, aid we arrived there at eight A.M. The portage was a difficult ascent over a rocky island, between which and the main shore were two cataracts^ and a third in sight above them, making another port- i< < OF THE POLAR SEA. 163 age. We surprised a large brown bear, which iiiimediately re- rrealed into the woods. To the noi"-i ■i ■ '''^ m , l-jjl ^, a. ! 1 t J * i 1 t ■ ' 1 * li_^ '^f '^ ' canoe arrived, with two of the partners. They gave us an account of Mr. Franklin's proceedings, and referred us to the brigade fol- lowing them for a guide. During the 20th it rained heavily, and we passed the day in anxious suspense confined to our tents. A black bear came to the bank on the opposite side of the river, and on seeing us, glided behind the trees. Late on the 21st Mr. Robertson, of the Hudson Bay Company arrived, and furnished us with a guide, but desired that he might be exchanged when we met the northern canoes. We took ad- vantage of the remainder of the day, to cross the next portage, which was three-fourths of a mile in length. On the 22nd we crossed three small portages, and encamped at Ihe fourth. At one of them we passed some of the Hudson's Ba}^ Company's canoes, and our application to them was unsuc- cessful. We began to suspect that Isle a la Crosse was the near- est place at which we might hope for assistance. However, on the morning of the 23rd as we were about to embark, we encoun- tered the last brigades of canoes belonging to both the Companies, and obtained a guide and foreman from them. Thus completely equipped, we entered the Jilack Bear Island Lake, the naviga- tion of which requires a very experienced pilot. Its length is twenty-two miles, and its breadth varies from three to five, yet it is so choaked with islands, that no channel is to be found through it, exceeding a mile in breadth. At sunset we landed ; and encamped on an island, and at six A.M. on the 24th, left the lake, and crossed three jiortages into another, which has, proba- bly, several communications with the last, as that by which we passed is too narrow to convey the whole body of the Missin nippi. At one of these portages called the Pin Portage is a ra pid, about ten yards in length, with a descent of ten or twelvo feet, and beset with rocks. Light canoes sometimes venture down this fatal gulf, to avoid the portage, unappalled by the warn ing crosses which overhang the brink, the mournful records 01 former failures. The Hudson's Bay Company's people whom we passed on the 23d, going to the rock house with their furs, were badly provid river s moi If;*'- OF THE POLAR SEA. 165 pd with food, of which we saw distressing proofs at every por- tage behind them. They had stripped the birch trees of their rind to procure the soft pulpy vessels in contact with the wood, wiiich are sweet, but very insufficient to satisfy a craving appe- tite. The lake to the westward of the Pin Portage, is called Sandfly Lake ; it is seven miles long, and a wide channel connects it with the Serpent Lake, the extent of which to the southward we could not discern. There is nothing remarkable in this chain of lakes, except their shapes being rocky basins filled by the waters of the Missinnippi, insulating tiie massy eminences, and meandering with almost imperceptible current between them. From the Ser- pent to the Sandy Lake, it is again confined in a narrow space by the approach of its winding banks, and on the 36th we were some hours employed in traversing a series of shallow rapids, where it was necessary lo lighten the canoes. Having missed the path through the woods, we walked two miles in the water upon sharp stones, from which some person was incessantly slipping into deep holes, and floundering in vain for footing at the bottom ; a scene highly diverting, notwithstaning our fatigue. We were, detained in Sandy Lake, till one P.M., by a strong gale, when the wind becoming moderate we crossed five miles to the mouth of the river, and at four P.M. left the main branch of it, and en- tered a little rivulet called the Grassy River, running through an extensive reedy swamp. It is thp. next of innumerable ducks, which rear their young, among the long rushes, in security from beasts of prey. At sunset we encamped on the banks of the main branch. • At three A.M. June 28th, we embarked in a thick fog occasion- ed by a ffli of the temperature of the air ten degrees below that of the water. Having crossed Knee Lake, which is nine miles ill length, and a portage at its western extremity, we entered Pri- meau Lake, with a strong and favourable wind, by the aid of which we ran nineteen miles through it, and encamped at tiie river's mouth. It is shaped like the barb of an arrow, with the point towards the north, and its greatest breadth is about four miles. ' n»j ■■'iki'% ■t ' ■0: IGo A JOURNEY TO TH£ SHORES ly^^- ■» >. I W¥. During the night, a torrent of rain washed us from our beds accompanied with the loudest thunder I ever heard. This weather continued during the 29th, and often compelled us to land, and turn the canoes up, to prevent them from filling. We passed one portage, and the confluence of a river, said to aflbrd, by other rivers beyond a height of land, a shorter but more difli- cult route to the Athabasca Lake than that which is generally pursued. On the 2Sth we crossed the last portage, and at ten A.M. en- tered the Isle a la Crosse Lake, Its long succession of woody points, both banks stretching towards the south, till their forms were losl in the haze of the horizon, was a grateful prospect to us, after our bewildered and interruj)ted voyage in the Missinnip- pi. The gale wafted us with unusual speed, and as the lake in- creased in breadth, the waves swelled to a dangerous height. A canoe running before the wind is very liable to burst asunder, when on the top of a wave, so that part of the bottom is out of the water ; for there is nothing to support the weight of its heavy cargo but the bark, and the slight gunwales attached to it. On making known our exigencis to the gentlemen in charge of the Hudson's Bay and North-West Companies' forts, they made up an assortment of stores, amounting to five bales; for lour of which we were indebted to JNIr. Mac Leod of the North- West Company, who shared with us the ammunition absolutely required for the supjwrt of his post ; receiving in exchange an order for the same quantity upon the cargo which we expected to follow us from York Factory. W'e had heard from Mr. Stuart that Fort Chipewyan was too much impoverishe.' to supply the wants of the expedition, and we found Isle a la Crosse in the same condition ; which indeed we might have foreseen, from the ex- hausted state of Cumberland House, but could not have provided against. We never had heard before our departure from York, that the posts in the interior only received annually the stores ne- cessary for the consumption of a single year. It was fortunate for us that Mr. Fianklin had desiied ten bagsof pemmican to be sent from the Saskatchawan across the plains to Isle a la Crosse for Qur use. This resource was untouched, but we could not embark ffv^. „ OF THE POLAR SEA. 167 mi - rriore than five pieces in our own canoes. However, Mr. Mac Leod agreed to send a canoe after nsto the Methve Portage, with the pemmican, and we calculated that the diminution of our pro- vision would there enahle us to receive it. The Beaver River enters it on the S.E. side, and another river v/hich has not been named, on the S.W. Botli these rivers are branches of the Missinnippi, as it is the only outlet from the lake. The banks appeared to be rocky, and the beach in many places sandy, but its waters are yellow and muddy. It produces a variety of fish, among which its white fish arc esteemed the best in the country. The only birds visible at this season, are common to every part of the Missinnippi; gulls, ducks, pigeons, goatsuckers, and the raven ; the geese and swans pay a momentary visit in passing to the north and returning. There was little in the forts differing from the establishments that we had before seen. The ground on which they are erected is sandy, and favourable to cultivation. Curiosity, however, was satisfied by the first experiment, and utility alone has been unable to extend 't. Isle a la Crosse is frequented by the Crees and the Chipewyans. It is not the dread of the Indians, but of one an- other, that has brought the rival Companies so close together al every trading post; each party seeking to prevent the other from engaging the affections of the natives, and monopolizing the trade. Whenever a settlement is made by the one, the other immediately follows, without considering the eligibility of the place; for it may injure its opponent, thoiii;h it cannot benefit itself, which is the first object of all other commercial bodies, but the second ol the fur traders. On the evening of the 30th we embarked, and entered a wide channel to the northward of the forts, and extending towards the north-, -tst. It gradually decreased in breadtli till it became u river, which is the third fork of the Missinnippi, and its current being alnust insensible, we entered the clear lake at ten A.M. on the 1st of July. Of this lake, which is very large, no part is known except the south border, but its extent wouhl lead us to conclu 'p, that its evaporation must be supplied by another river to the northward, especially as the small channel that communicates ■^-iLW if* ■ ta'."i 168 A JOUKNr.Y TO THK SMOUKS f ■.! .»'■! with Bufi'iilo Lake is motionless. Tlic existence of such a rivei is asserted liy the Indians, and a shorten- passage might be I'ournl by it across Ihe heiglit of land to the Clear Water River, than the portage from the Metliye Lake. In IJufl'alo Lake the wind was too strong for us to proceed, and we therefore encamped upon a gravel beach thrown up by the waves. We embarked at thicc A.M. July 2d, and at four P.M. entered the mouth of the Mothyc River. The lake is thirty-four miles in length, and fourteen in breadth. It is probable very deep. for we saw no islands in this wide expanse, except at the borders. On the south-west side were two forts, belonging to the Companies, and near them a solitary hill seven or eight hundred feet hi^h. At eight P.M. we encamped in the Methye River, at the conflu- ence of the river Pembina. A route has been explored by it to the Red Willow River, across the height of land, but the dilli culties of it were so great, that the ordinary route is preferred. On the 3d we passed through the Methye River, and encamped on the borders of the Methye Lake. The soil from Isle a h Crosse to this place is sandy, with some portion of clay, and the trees numerous -, but the Methye River is stony, and so shallow, that, to lighten the canoes, we made two portages of five and two miles. The paths were overflowed with cold spring water, and barricadoed by fallen trees; we should have been contented to immerse ourselves wholly had the puddle been sufficiently deep. for the musquitoes devoured every part that was exposed to them. On the 4th we crossed the Methye Lake, and landed at the portage on the north-west side, in one of the sources of the Mis- sinnippi. The lake is seventeen miles in length, with a large island in the middle. We proceeded to the north side of the portage with two men, carrying a tent and some instruments, leaving the canoes and cargoes to be transported by daily journeys of two or three miles. The distance is fourteen statute miles, and there are two small lakes about five miles from the north side. Several species of fish were found in them, though they have no known communication with any other body of water, being situated on the elevation of the height. T'e road was a gentle ascent, miiy %mi OF THE POLAR SEA. I(i9 iiom tlie late rainy wcathei,and shaded by pines, poplars, hitches, aiul cypresses, which terminated our view. On the north side wc discovered through an opening in the trees, that we were on a hill eight or nine hundred feet high, and at th(! edge of a steep descent. We .vcrc prepared to expect an extensive prospect, but tlie magnilicent scene belore us was so superior to >vhat the nature of the country had promiseil, that it banished even our sense of suffering from the musquitoes, which hovered in clouds about our heads. Two parallel chains of hills extended towards the setting sun, their various projecting outlines exhibiting the several gra- dations of distance, and the opposite bases closing at the horizon. On the nearest eminence, the objects were clearly defined by their dark shadows ; the yellow rays blended their softening hues with brilliant green on the next, and beyond it all distinction melted into gray and purple. In the long valley between, the smooth and colourless Clear Water River wound its spiral course, broken and shattered by encroaching woods. An exuberance of rich herb- age covered the soil, and lofty trees climbed the precipice at our feet, hiding its brink with their summits. Impatient as we were, and blinded with pain, we paid a tribute of admiration, which this beautiful landscape is capable of exciting, unaided by the bor- rowed charms of a calm atmosphere, glowing with the vivid tints of evening. We descended to the banks of the Clear Water River, and hav- ing encamped, the two men returned to assist their companions. We had sometimes before procured a little rest, by closing the tent, and burning wood, or flashing gunpowder within, the smoke driving the musquitoes into the crannies of the ground. But this remedy was now ineffectual, though we employed it so persever- ingly as to hazard suffocation : they swarmed under our blankets, coring us with their envenomed trunks, and steeping our clothes in blood. We rose at daylight in a fevei', and our misery was un- mitigated during our whole stay. The musquitoes of America resemble, in shape, those of Africa Mid Europe, but ditler essentially in size and other particulars. There are two distinct species, the largest ot which is brown, and the smallest black. Wlierc they are bred cannot easily be deter- V I ill •" w m mn P-^n 17U A JOURNEY TO THE SlIORf.'- I V J)- : » |V.f I! ^rir ,'1 « '■]i ^.' « wk' ^i IP' i- ',i ifl'^' m iSr'. mined, for they are numerous in every soil. They make thci. first appearance in May, and the cold destroys them in Septem- ber; in July they are most voracious; and fortunately for the traders, the journeys from the tradins; posts to the factories air generally concluded at that period. The food of the musquito is blood, which it can extract by penetrating the hide of a butfalo; and if it is not disturbed, it gorges itself so as to swell its borlv into a transparent globe. The wound does not swell, like that of the African musquito, but it is infmitely more painful; and when multiplied an hundred fold, and continued for so many suc- cessive days, it becomes an evil of such magnitude, that cold, famine, and every other concomitant of an inhospitable climate, must yield the pre-eminence to it. It chases the buffalo to tho plains, irritating him to madness ; and the rein-tleer to the sea- shore, from which they do not return till the scourge has ceased. On the fith the thermometer was 106° in the sun, and on the 7th 110°. The musquitoes sought the shade in the heat of the day, which we felt no inclination to contend with them. It was some satisfaction to us to see the havoc made among them by a largt and beautiful species of dragon fly, called the musquito hawk, which wheeled through their retreats, swallowing its prey without a momentary diminution of its speed. But the temporary reliel that we had hoped for, was only an exchange of tormentors : our new assailant, the ho-.e-fly, or bull dog, ranged in the hottest glare of the sun, and carried oflf a portion of flesh at each attack. Another noxious insect, the smallest, but not the least formida- ble, was the sand-fly, known in Canada by the name of the bni- lot. To such annoyance all travellers must submit, and it would be unworthy to complain of that grievance in the pursuit oi knowledge, which is endured for the sake of profit. This detail of it has only been made as an excuse for the scantiness of our ob- servations on the most interesting part of the country througli which we passed. The north side of the Methye portage is in latitude 56° 41' 40 N., and longitude 109° 52' 0" \V. It is, by our course, one hun- dred and twenty-fo 11' miles from Isle a la Crosse, and considered as a branch of the Missinnippi, five hundred and ninety-two mil("- OF TIIF, POr.AU SKA. 171 ; com the Frog Portacje. The Clear Water River passi 112; i-hrough the valley, descrihcd above, evidently rises not far to ti>c cast- ward. The height, computed by the same mode as that of the ilcliiamamis, by allowing a foot for each mile of distance, and six feet on an average, for each fall and rapid, is two thousand four hundred and sixty-seven feet above the level of the sea, admitting it to be nine hundred feet above the Clear Water River. The country, in a line between it and the mouth of Mackenzie's river, is a continual descent, although to the eastward of that line, there may be several heights between it and the Arctic sea. To the eastward the lands descend to Hudson's Bay ; and to the westward also, till the Athabasca river cuts through it, from whence it as- cends to the Rocky Mountains. Daring was the spirit of enter- prize that first led Commerce, with her cumbrous train, from the waters of Hudson's Bay to those of the Arctic sea, across an ob- stacle to navigatioii so stupendous as this ; and persevering has been the industry which drew riches from a source so remote. On the 8th two men arrived, and informed us, thr\t they bad brought us our ten bags of pemmican, from Isle a la Crosse, but that they were found to be rotten. Thus were we unexpectedly deprived of the most essential of our stores, for we knew Fort Chipewyan to be destitute of provisions, and that Mr. Franklin depended upon us for a supply, whereas, enough did not remain for our own use. On the 9th, the canoes and cargoes reached the north side of the portage. Our people had selected two bags of pemmican less mouldy than the rest, which they left on the beach. Its decay was caused by some defect in the mode of mixing it. On the lOlh, we embarked in the Clear Water River ; and pro- ceeded down the current. The hills, the banks, and bed of the river, were composed of fine yellow sand, with some limestone rocks. The surface soil was alluvial. At eight A.M. we passed a portage on which the limestone rocks were singularly scattered through the woods, bearing the appearance of houses and turrets overgrown with moss. The earth emitted a hollow sound, and the river was divided by rocks, into narrow crooked channels, every object indicating that some convulsion had disturbed the 4^ •^^tff'" >•« ■,'i* »i 1 u m 17a A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES !?r^j' t »• 1. 1.'/'* i m 'm :H-f v\ ^[■l 'f: general order of nature at this place. We had passed a portage above it, and after two long pojtages below it we encamped Near the last was a small stream so strongly impregnated with sulphur, as to taint the air to a great distance around it. We s;nv two brown bears on the hills in the course of the day. At day-light, on the 1 lib, we embarked. The hills continued on both sides to the mouth of the river, varying from eight hun- dred to one thousand feet in height. They declined to the banks in long green slopes, diversified by woody mounds and copses. The pines were not here in thick impenetrable masses, but perch- ed aloft in single groups on the heights, or shrouded by the live lier hues of the poplar and willow. , ^ We passed the mouth of the Red Willow River on the south bank, flowing through a deep ravine. It is the continuation ot the route b}'^ the Pembina, before mentioned. At noon v\e enter- ed the majestic Athabasca or Elk River. Its junction wth tlie Clear Water River is called the Forks. Its banks were inac -^ • sible clifls. apparently of clay and stones, about two hundrf. ' i, high, and its windings in the south were encircled by high moun- tains. Its breadth exceeded half a mile, and was swelled to a mile in many places by long muddy islands in the middle covered with trees. No more portages interrupted our course, but a swift cur- rent hurried us towards the quarter in which our anticipated dis- coveries were to commence. The passing cliffs returned a id confusion of echoes to the sprighly canoe song, and the dashuig paddles; and the eagles, watching with half-closed eyes on the pine tops, started from their airy rest, and prepared their drowsy pinions for the flight. About twenty miles from the Forks are some salt-pits and plains, said to be very extensive. The height of the banks was reduced to twenty or thirty feet, and the hills ranged themselves at an increased distance from the banks in the same variety as those of the Clear Water River. At sunset we encamped on a small sandy island, but the next morning made a speedy retreat to the canoes, the water having nearly overflown our encampment. We passed two deserted settlements of the fur traders on oppo- site banksj at a place called Pierre a\' Calumet. Beyond it ti>e Of THE I'OLAR SEA. 173 iiills (lisappcai'cd, and the banks were no longer visible above the trees. The river carries away yearly large portions of soil, which jacrcases its breadth, and diminishes its depth, rendering; the wa- ter so muddy that it was scarcely drinkable. Whole forests of timber are drifted down the stream, and choke np the channels between the islands at its mouth. We observed the traces of herds of buffaloes, where they had crossed the river, the trees being trodden down and strewed, as if by a whirlwind. At four P.M. we left the main branch of the Athabasca, enter- ing a small river, called the Embarras. It is narrow and muddy, with pines of an enormous size on its banks. Some of them are two hundred feet high, and three or four feet in diameter. At nine P.M. we landed and encamped j but finding ourselves in a nest of musquitoes, we continued our journey before day-break : and at eight A.M., emerged into the Athabasca Lake. A strong wind agitated this sea of fresh water, which, however, we crossed without any accident, and landed on the north side of it, at Fort Chipewyan ; where we had the satisfaction of finding our com- panions in good health, and of experiencing that sympathy in our anxiety oi the state of our affairs, the reality of whicb was onlv to be expactel from those who were to share oiu' fulurc for- Hines. ■fM I civ t ■P ip^^i ^nm IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 12.8 no |Z5 ui m I 2.2 140 2.0 i i 1.25 III ,.4 , ,.6 '" ■■.... ■' ^ 6" ► <5^ .^>.^V ^■* Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14SS0 (716) 872-4503 \ ^ 4 :\ \ <> ^. ^. '^^ \ '<<^ > «^ %^ ^ o^ I 174 A .TOURNKY TO THE SHORLS CHAPTEll VII. Departure from rhippwyan— DiflTiciiltics of tlie various Navigations of the Rivers and Lakes, and of the Portages — Slave Lake and Fort Providence- Scarcity of Provisions, and discontent of the Canadian Voyagers — Difficul- ties with regard to the Indian (iuides — Refusal to proceed — Visit of Obser- vation to the Upper part of Copper-mine Uiver — Return to the Winter Quarters of Fort Enterpri/.e. >i t y'] It ■ ^* ■ - .' • K .TV ■ '1 : 1 A ! July 18. -fciARLY this morning Ihe stores were distributed to the three canoes. Our stock of provision unfortunately did not amount to more than sufficient for one day's consumption, exclusive of two barrels of flour, three cases of preserved meats, some chocolate, arrow-root, and portable soup, which we had brought from Eng- land, and intended to reserve for our journey to the coast next season. Seventy pounds of moose meat and a little barley were all that Mr. Smith vva» enabled to give us. It was gratifying, however, to perceive that this scarcity of food did not depress the spirits of our Canadian companions, who cheerfully loaded their canoes, and embarked in high glee after they had received the customary dram. At noon we bade farewell to our kind friend Mr. Smitli. The crews commenced a lively paddling song on quitting the shore, which was continued until we had lost sight of the houses. We soon reached the western boundary of the lake, and at two entered the Stoney River, one of the discharges of the Athabasca Lake into the Slave River, and having a favour- ing current passed swiftly along. This narrow stream is confined between low swampy banks, which support willows, dwarf birch, and alder. At live we passed its conflux with Peace River. The Slave River, formed by the union of these streams, is about three quarters of a mile wide. We descended this magnificent river with much rapidity, and after passing through several narrow channels, formed by an assemblage of islands, crossed a spot "\ or THE POLAR SEA. 17a where the waters had a violent whirline; motion, which, when the river is low, is said to subside into a dangerous rapid ; on the pre- sent occasion, no other inconvenience was felt than the inability of steering the canoes, which were whirled about in every direc- tion by the eddies, until the current carried them beyond their influence. We encamped at seven, on the swampy bank of the river, but had scarcely pitched the tents before we were visited by a terrible thunder-storm ; the rain fell in torrents, and the violence of the wind caused the river to overflovv its banks, so that we were completely flooded. Swarms of musquitoes succeeded the storm, and their tormenting stings, superadded to other incon- veniences, induced us to embark, and, after taking a hasty supper, to pursue our voyage down the stream during the night. At six on the following morning we passed the Reindeer Islands, and at ten reached the entrance of the Dog River, where we halted to set the fishing nets. These were examined in the evening, but to our mortification we obtained only four small trout, and were compelled to issue part of our preserved meats for supper. The latitude of the mouth of Dog River, was observed 59° 52' 16" N. The nets were taken up at daylight, but they furnished only a solitary pike. We lost no time in embarking, and crossed the crooked channel of the Dog Rapid, when two of the canoes came in such violent contact with each other, that the sternmost had its bow broken oft". We were fortunately near to the shore, or the dis- abled canoe would have sunk. The injury being repaired in two hours, we again embarked, and having descended another rapid, arrived at the Cassette Portage of four hundred and sixty paces, over which the cargoes and canoes were carried in about twenty- six minutes. We next passed through a narrow channel full of rapids, crossed the Portage d'Embarras of seventy yards ; and the portage of the Little Rock, of three hundred yards, at which another accident happened to one of the canoes, by the bowman slipping and letting it fall upon a rock, and breaking it in two. Two hours were occupied in sewing the detached pieces together, and covering the seam with pitch ; but lliis being dune, it was •IS effective as before. After Icavini;' this pbco wo sooti came to W^^ f 176 A JOURNLY TO TUK SHORLS r iN-iS !^i -' i' .!:'' the next jwrtagt!, of two hundred and sevcnty-thice paces ; anf". shortly afterwards to the Mountain Portage, of one hundred and twenty : which is appropriately named, as the path leads over the summit of a high hill. This elevated situation commands a very grand and picturesque view, for some miles along the river, which at this part is about a mile wide. We next crossed a portage of one hundred and twenty yards ; and then the Pelican Portage, of eight hundred paces. Mr. Back took an accurate sketch of the interesting scenery which the river presents at this place. After descending six miles further we came to the last portage on the route to Slave Lake which we crossed, and encamped at its lower end. It is called " The Port- age of the Drowned,''^ and it received that na'ne from a melan choly accident which took 4)lace many years ago. Two canoes arrived at the upper end of the portage, in one of which there was an experienced guide. This man, judging from the height of the river, deemed it practicable to shoot the rapid, and determined upon trying it. He accordingly placed himself in the bow of his canoe, having previously agreed, that if the passage was found easy, he should, on reaching the bottom of the rapid, fire a mus- ket, as a signal for the other canoe to follow. The rapid proved dangerous, and called forth all the skill of the guide, and the utmost exertion of his crew, and they narrowly escaped destruc- tion. Just as they were landing, an unfortunate fellow seizing the loaded fowling-piece, fired at a duck which rose at the instant. The guide anticipating the consequences, ran with the utmost haste to the other end of the portage, but he was too late : the other canoe had pushed off, and he a? rived only to witness the fate of his com- rads. They got alarmed in the middle of the rapid, the canoe was upset, and every man perished. The various rapids we have passed to-day, are produced by an assemblage of islands and rocky ledges, which obstruct the river, and divide it into many narrow channels. Two of these channels are rendered still more diflTicult by accumulations of drift timber; a circumstance which has given a name to one of the portages. The rocks which form the bed of the river, and the numerous OF THE POLAR SEA. 17: slands, belong to the granite formation. The distance made to- tlav was thirteen miles. July 21. — We embarked at four A.M. and pursued our course ilown the river. The rocks cease at the last |)orlage ; and below it the banks are composed of alluvial soil, which is held together by the roots of the trees and shrubs that crown their summits. The river is about a mile wide, and the current is greatly dimin- iilied. At eight wc lanilcd at thi- mouth of the Salt River, and pitched our tents, intending to remain hern this and the next day lor the purpose of llshing. After breakfast, which made another inroad on our preserved meats, we proceeded up the river in a lisht canoe, to visit the salt springs, leaving a party behind to at- tend the nets. This river is about one hundred yards wide at Its mouth. Its waters did not become brackish until we had iscended it seven or eight miles ; but when we had passed several rivulets of fresh water which flowed in, the main stream became veiy salt, at the same time contracting to the width of lifieen or twenty yards. At a distance of twenty-two miles, in- .liuling the windings of the river, the plains commence. Having pitched the tent at this spot, we set out to visit the principal springs, and walked about three miles when the musquitoes com- pelled us to give up our project. VVe did not see the termination otthe plains towards the east, but on the north an !■' 4Mm Canadian voyagers. They were highly entertained by the viva- city ;»nd agility displayed by our companions in their singino- and dancing : and especially by their imitating the gestures of a Canadian, who placed himself in the most ludicrous postures ; and whenever this was done, the gravity of the chief gave way to vio- lent bursts of laughter. In return for the gi'atification Akaitclio had enjoyed, he desired his young men to exhibit the Dog-Rih Indian dance ; and immediately they ranged themselves in a circle, and keeping their legs widely separated, began to jump simulta- neously sideways ; their bodies were bent, their hands placed on their hips, and they uttered forcibly the interjection isa at each jump. Devoid as were their attitudes of grace, and their music of harmony, we were much amused by the novelty of the exhi bition. In the midst of this scene an untoward accident occurred, which for a time interrupted our amusements. The tent in which Dr. Richardson and I lodged having caught fire from some embers that had been placed in it to expel the musquitoes, was entirely burnt. Hepburn, who was sleeping within it, close to some powder, most providentially was awoke in time to throw it clear of the flame, and rescue the baggage, before any material injury had been received. We dreaded the consequences of this disaster upon the fickle minds of the Indians, and wished it not to be com- municated to them. The chief, however, was soon informed of t by one of his people, and expressed his desire that no future misfortune should be concealed from him. We found he was most concerned to hear that the flag had been burnt, but we re- moved his anxiety on that point, by the assurance that it could easily be repaired. We were advised by Mr. Wentzel to recom- mence the dancing after this event, lest the Indians should ima- gine, by our putting a stop to it, that we considered the circum- stance as an unfavourable commencement of our undertaking. We were, however, deeply impressed with a gratefid sense of the Divine Providence, in averting the threatened destruction of our stores, which would have been fatal to every prospect of proceed- ing forward this season. %liigust 1. — ^This morning the Indians set out, intending to OF THE POLAR SEA. 187 iva- walt for us at the mouth of the Yellow-Knife River. We re- mained behind to'pack our stores, in bales of eighty pounds each, an operation which could not be done in the presence of these Indians, as they are in the habit of begging for every thing they see. Our stores consisted of two barrels of gunpowder, one hun- dred and forty pounds of ball and small shot, four fowling-pieces, a few old trading guns, eight pistols, twenty -four Indian daggers, some packages of knives, chisels, axes, nails, and fastenings for a boat ; a few yards of cloth, some blankets, needles, luoking-glasses, and beads ; together with nine fishing-nets, having meshes of dif- ferent sizes. Our provision was two casks of flour, two hundred dried rein-deer tongues, some dried moose meat, portable soup, and arrow-root, sufficient in the whole for ten days' consumption, besides two cases of chocolate, and two canisters of tea. We en- gaged another Canadian voyager at this place, and the expedition then consisted of twenty-eight persons, including the officers, and the wives of three of the voyagers, who were brought for the pur- pose of making shoes and clothes for the men at the winter esta- blishment ; there were also three children, belonging to two of these women.* • The following is the list of the officers and men who composed the ex- pedition on its departure from Fort Providence : John Franklin, Lieutenant of the Royal Navy and Commander. John Richardson, M.D., Surgeon of the Royal Navy. Mr. George Back, of the Royal Navy, Admiralty Midshipman. Mr. Robert Hood, of the Royal Navy, Admiralty Midshipman. Mr. Frederic Wentzel, Clerk to the North-West Company. John Hepburn, English seaman. , Canadian Votageiis. d ima- John Peltier, Gabriel Beauparlant, ircum- Mathew Pelonquin, dit Credit, Vincenza Fontano, aking. Solomon Belanger, Registe Vaillant, of the Joseph Betmoit, Jean Baptiste Parent, of oil I Joseph Gapne, Jean Baptiste Belanger, npppd- Pierre Dumas, Jean Baptiste Belleau, w^ Wi'l Joseph Forcier, Emanuel Cournoyee, Ignace Perrault, Michel Teroahaute an Troquols. ing to Francais Samandrp, *^ / m§ A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES S.',,fi» (t ^ - 'f . 'V ■' mi n - 1 . .»: f : . 'I 'Ml IfttH ' m :.^. Our observations place Fort Providence in latitude 62* 17' 1 9' N., longitude 114° 9' 28" VV. ; the variation of the compass is 33° 35' 55" E., and dip of the needle 86° 3S' 02". It is distant from Moose-Deer Island sixty-six geographic miles. This is Iho last establishment of the traders in this direction, but the North- West Company have two to the northward of it, on the Macken- zie Kiver. It has been erected for the convenience of the Copper and Dog-rib Indians, who generally bring such a quantity of rein- deer meat that the residents are enabled, out of their superabun- dance, to send annually some provision to the fort at Moose-Deer Island. They also occasionally procure moose and buffalo meat, but these animals are not numerous on this side of the lake. Few- furs are collected. Les poissons mcomius, trout, pike, carp, and white fish, are very plentiful, and on these the residents princi- pally subsist. Their great supply of fish is procured in the latter part of September and the beginning of October, but there are a few taken daily in the nets during t! j winter. The surrounding country consists almost entirely of coarse grained granite, fre- quently enclosing large masses of reddish felspar. These rocks form hills which attain an elevation of three hundred or four hun- dred feet, about a mile behind the house ; their surface is generally naked, but in the valleys between them a few spruces, aspens, and birches grow, together with a variety of shrubs and berry-bearing plants. On the afternoon of the 2d of August we commenced our jour- ney, having, in addition to our three canoes, a smaller one to convey the women ; we were all in high spirits, being heartiij' glad that the time had at length arrived when our course was to be directed towards the Copper-Mine River, and through a line of country which had not been previously visited by any Euro- pean. We proceeded to the northward, along the eastern side of a deep bay of the lake, passing through various channels, formed' by an assemblage of rocky islands ; and, at sunset, encamped on Pierre St. Germain, Jean Baptiste Adam, ISTEBFRETER!!. Chipewyan Bois Bruits. OF THE POLAR SEA. m» a projecting point of the north main shore, eight miles from Fort providence. To the westward of this arm, or bay, of the lake, there is another deep bay, that receives the waters of a river, which communicates with Great Marten Lake, where the North- West Company had once a post established. The eastern shores of the Great Slave Lake are very imperfectly known : none of the traders have visited them, and the Indians give such loose and unsatisfactory accounts, that no estimation can be formed of its extent in that direction. These men say there is a communica- tion from its eastern extremity by a chain of lake, with a shallow river, which discharges its waters into the sea. This stream they call the Thlouee-tessy, and report it to be navigable for Indian canoes only. The forms of the south and western shores are bet- ter known from the survey of Sir Alexander Mackenzie, and in consequence of the canoes having to pass and rej)ass along these borders annually, between Moose-Deer Island and Mackenzie's River. Our observations made the breadth of the lake, between Stoney Island and the north main shore, sixty miles less than it is laid down in Arrowsmith's map ; and there is also a consider- able difference in the longitude of the eastern side of the bay, which we entered. This lake, owing to its great depth, is seldom completely frozen over before the last week in November, and the ice, which is generally seven feet thick, breaks up about the middle of June, three weeks later than that of the Slave River. The only known outlet to this vast body of water, which receives so many streams on its north and south shores, is the Mackenzie's River. Jiugust 3. — We embarked at three A M. and proceeded to the entrance of the Yellow-Knife River of the traders, which is called by the natives Beg-ho-lo-dessy ; or. River of the Toothless Fish. We found Akaitcho, and the hunters with their families, encamp- ed here. There were also several other Indians of his tribe, who intended to accompany us some distance into the interior. This party was quickly in motion after our arrival, and we were soon surrounded by a fleet of seventeen Indian canoes. In company with them we paddled up the river, which is one hundred and fifty yards wide, and, in an hour, came to a cascade of five feet. "W.^ m 190 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES m ^ m ,>:: •■ r * ■"- ■■ ■--■ " £. » , ' J-, •I,-! 1 i' where we were compelled to make a portage of one hundred and lifty-eight yards. We next crossed a dilatation of the river, about six miles in length, upon wliich the name of Lake Prosperous was bestowed. Its shores, though scantily supplied with wood, are very picturesque. Akaitcho caused himself to be paddled by his slave, a yom ■ ■■■""■• »f .V' ft''. '■■ m%^ Vfi, V ■ I.', ' l> ■*'■ ,1 /.j. • I All the Indians had left us in the course of yesterday and to-day to seek these animals, except the guide Keskarrah. t/lugust 10. — ^The nets furnishing only four carp, we embarked for the purpose of searching for a better spot, and encamped again on the shores of the same lake. The spirits of the men were much revived by seeing some recent traces of rein-deer at this place which circumstance caused them to cherish the hope of soon get- ting a supply of meat from the hunters. They were also gratifi- ed by finding abundance of blue berries near to the encampment which made an agreeable and subtantial addition to their otherwise scanty fare. We were teased by the sand-flics this evening, al- though the thermometer did not rise above 45''. The country through which we have tavelled for some days consists principally of granite, intermixed in some spots with mica slate, often passino- into clay-slate. But the borders of Lower Carp Lake, where the gneiss formation prevails, are composed of hills, having less alti- tude, fewer precipices, and more rounded summits. The valleys are less fertile, containing a gravelly soil and fewer trees ; so that the country has throughout a more barren aspect. August 11. — Having caught suificient trout, white fish, and carp, yesterday and this morning, to afford the party two hearty meals, and the men being recovered of their fatigue, we proceed- ed on our journey, crossed the Upper Carp Portage, and embark- ed on the lake of that name, where we had the gratification of paddling for ten miles. We put up at its termination to fish, by the advice of our guide, and the following observations were then taken : longitude 113° 46' 35" W., variation of the compass 36° 45' 30" E., dip 87° 11' 48". At this place we first perceived the north end of our dipping-needle to pass the perpendicular line when the instrument was faced to the west. We had scarcely quitted the encampment next day before an Indian met us, with the agreeable communication, that the hun- ters had made several fires, which were certain indications of their having killed rein-deer. This intelligence inspired our com- panions with fresh energy, and they quickly traversed the next portage, and paddled through the Rein-deer Lake ; at the north bide of it we found the canoes of our hunters, and learned from r OF THE POLAR SEA. i 195 \4 our guide that the Indians usually leave their canoes here, as the water communication on their hunting grounds is had. The Yel- jow-Knife River has now dwindled into an insignificant rivulet, and we could not trace it beyond the next lake, except as a mere brook. The latitude of its source 64" 1' 30" N., longitude 113° ^S' W., and its length is one hundred and fifty-six statute miles. Tiiough this river is of sufficient breadth and depth for navigating in canoes, yet I conceive its course is too much interrupted by cascades and rapids for its ever being used as a channel for the conveyance of merchandize. Whilst the crews were employed in making a portage over the foot of Prospect Hill, we ascended to the top of it, and as it is the highest ground in the neiglibourhood, its summit, which is about five hundred feet above the water, commands an extensive view. Akaitcho, who was here with his family, pointed out to us the smoke of the distant fires which the hunters had made. The prospect from the hill is agreeably diversified by an intermixture of hill and valley, and the appearance of twelve lakes in different directions. On the borders of these lakes a few thin pine groves occur, but the country in general is destitute of almost every vegetable, except a few berry-bearing shrubs and lichens, and has a very barren aspect. The hills are composed of gneiss, but their acclivities are covered with a coarse gravelly soil. There are many large loose stones both on their summits and acclivities, composed of the same materials as the solid rock. We crossed another lake in the evening, encamped, and set the nets. The chief made a large fire to announce our situation to the hunters. August 13. — We caught twenty fish this morning, but they were small, and furnished but a scanty breakfast for the party. Whilst this meal was preparing, our Canadian voyagers, who had been for some days past murmuring at their meagre diet, and striving to get the whole of our little provision to consume at once, broke out into open discontent, and several of them threat- ened they would not proceed forward unless more food was given to them. This conduct was the more unpardonable, as they saw we were rapidly approaching the fires of the hunters, and that -■ 14 A li)6 A JOURNEY TO THE SHOKIS »M|iia t ti ■'itii mm'^ ill Hk;.| ' S5' * ^BwB4'T*i »# 1 p: 1 ffii^: ^'■:\-'.' 1' 1 ' 1 ■1' Iff/'- ■. ■ ■ , • ^ r- ^^^V. \ ^^B F/T"^' * ) 1 f j * V [;Ml. ;Bi f-r-'gliT'f'' •!«■ provision might soon be expected. I therefore fell Uic duty in. cinnbent on nie, to ^drcss them in the strongest manner on tho danger of insubordination, and to assure them of my deterniiiu). tion to inflict the lieavicst punishment on any that sliould pctvsi:,! in their refusal to go on, or in any other way attempt to rctnnl the Kxpedition. I considered this decisive stej) necessary, haviii"^ learned from the gentlemen most intimately acquainted with llic character of the Canadian voyagers, that they invariably try Jiow far they can impose upon every new master with whom they may serve, and that they will continue to be disobedient and intract- able if they once gain any ascendency over him. I must admit, liowever, that the present hardships of our companions were of a kind which few cowld support without murmuring, and no one could witness without feeling a sincere pity for their suflTerinj^s. After this discussion \vc went forward until sunset. In Hie course of the day we crossed seven lakes and as many porta!i;ns. Just as we had encamped, we were delighted to sec four of the hunters arrive^ with the flesh of two rein-deer. This seasonable supply, though only suflficient for this evening's and the next day's consumption, instantly revived the spirits of our compa- nions, and they immediately forgot all their cares. As we did not, after this period, experience any deficietu y of food during this journey, they worked extremely well, and never again re- flected upon us as they had done before, for rashly bringing them into an inhospitable country, where the means of subsistence could not be procured. Several blue fish, resembling the grayling, were caught in a stream which flows out of Hunter's Lake. It is remarkable for the largeness of its dorsal fine, and the beauty of its colours. tdugiist 14. — Having crossed the Hunter's Portage, we entered the lake of the same name in latitude 64° 6' 4V" N., longitude 113* 25' 00" W., but soon quitted it by desire of the Indian guide, and diverged more to the eastward, that we might get into the line upon which our hunters had gone. This was the only consideration that could have induced us to remove to a chain of small lakes, connected by long portages. We crossed three of tliese, and then were obliged to encamp to rest the men. The € OF THE POLAR SEA. 107 counlry is bare of wood except u few dwarf birch bushes, which ,rio\v near tlie borders of tl)e lakes, and here and there a few stunted pines; and our fuel principally consisted of the roots of decayed pines, which we had some diiliculty to collect in suHicient (pian- (ity for cookinj;. When this material is wanting, the rein-deer lichen and other mosses that grow in profusion on the {gravelly acclivities of the hills, arc used as substitutes. Three more of the hunters arrived with meat this evening, which supply came very opportunely, as our nets were unproductive. At eight P.M. a faint Aurora Borealis appeared to the southward, the night was cold, the wind strong from N.W. We were detained some time in the following morning before the fishing-nets, which had sunk in the night, could be recovered. After starting we first crossed the Orkney Lake, then a portage which brought us to Sandy Lake, and here we missed one of our barrels of powder, which the steersman of the canoe then recol- lected had been left yesterday. He and two other men were sent back to search for it, in the small canoe. The rest of the party proceeded to the portage on the north side of the Grizzle-Bear Lake, where the hunters had made a deposit of meat, and there encamped to await tneir return, which happened at nine P.M. with the powder. We perceived, from the direction of this lake, that considerable labour would have been spared if we had con- tinued our course yesterday instead of striking off at the guide's suggestion, as the bottom of this lake cannot be far separated from cither Hunter's Lake or the one to the westward of it. The chief and all the Indians went off to hunt, accompanied by Pierre St. Germain, the interpreter. They returned at night bringing some meat, and reported that they had pat the carcasses of several rein- deer en cache. These were sent for early next morning, and as the weather was unusually warm, the thermometer at noon being 77°, we remained stationary all day, that the women might pre- pare the meet for keeping, by stripping the flesh from the bones, and drying it in the sun over a slow fire. The hunters were again successful, and by the evening we had collected the carcasses of seventeen deer. As this was a sufficient store to serve us until we arrived at Winter Lake, the chief proposed that he and his i ■? Vr :&l \Y\. SI - y 198 A JOURNKY TO THE SirORtS ^ , ' luinlcrs should proceed to thiit place, and collect some provision against our arrival. IIo also recpiesled that we would allow luni lo be absent ten days to provide his family with clolhing, as ihc skin of the rein-deer is unlit for tliat purpose after the nionth ot September. We could not refuse to grant such a reasonal)!,. ^j,. (juest, hut caused St. Gerniairt to accompany him, that his absence might notcxceetl the appointed time. Previous to his depaituro, the chief warncil us to be constantly on our guanl against the grizzly bears, which he descrii)ed as being numerous in \\]\^ vicinity, anil very ferocious ; one had b('en seen to-day by an In. dian, to which circumstance the lake owes its appellation. \V(. afterwards learned, that the only bear in this part of the country is the brown bear, and that they by no means possess the ferocity which the Indians ascribe to them with their usual love of oxa;^;^e- ration. The fierce grizzly bear, which frequents the sources ol the Missouri, is not found on the barren grounds. The shores of this lake and the neighbouring hills are princi- pally composed of sand and gravel ; they are much varied in their outline, and present some picturescpie scenery. The following observations were taken here : latitude ()4° IT)' 17 N., longitude 113" 2' 30" VV., variation of the compass 3(r 50' 17 ' E., and dip of the needle vST" iiO' 35". On August the 17th, having finished drying the meat, which had been retarded by the heavy showers of rain that fell in the morning, we embarked at one P.M. and crossed two lakes and two portages. The last of these was two thousand and sixty-six paces long, and very rugged, so that the men were much fatigued. On the next day we received the flesh of four rein-deer by the small canoe which had been sent for it yesterday, and heard that the hunters had killed several more deer on our route. We siiw many of those animals as we passed along to-day ; and our cditi- panions, delighted with the prospect of having food in abundance, now began to accompany their paddling with singing, which they had discontinued ever since our provisions became scarce. Wc passed from one small lake to another over four portages, then crossed a lake about six miles in diameter, and encamped on its border, where, finding pines, we enjoyed the luxury of a good i 'Ir^P OF THE POLAR SEA. 15)f> tire, which we had not ilonc for some tlays. At ten P.M. the aurora horcalis ap[Hured very hrilliant in an arch across the /eiiith, Iroin north-west to south-east, whicii afterwards gave place to a boaulifid corona horealis. ,>lui(U,sl 1!>. — After crossing a portai^e of five hundred and iiincty-live paces, a small lake and another portage of two thou- siinil paces, which occu|)ied the crews seven hours, we embarked on a small stream, runnini^ towards the north-west, which carried lis to the lake, where Akaitcho proposed that we should pass the winter. The oflicers ascended several of the loftiest hills in the cciirsc of the day, prompted by a natural anxiety to cxuminc the spot which was to be their residence for many months. The |)ros|)ccl, however, was not then the most agreeable, as the bor- ders of the lake seemed to be scantily furnished with wood, and that of a kind too small for the purposes of building. Wc perceived the smoke of a distant fire which the Indians suppose had been made by some of the Dog-ribbed tribe, who oc- rasionally visit this part of the country. Embarking at seven next morning, we paddled to the western (Xtrcmity of the lake, and there found a small river, which flows uiit of it to the S.VV. To avoid a strong rapid at its commence- ment, we made a portage, and then crossed to the north bank of the river, where the Indians recommended that the winter cstab- lislimcnt should be erected, and we soon found that the situation lliey had chosen possessed all the advantages we could have de- sired. The trees were numerous, and of a far greater size than ue had sujjposed them to be yesterday. Some of the pines being thirty or forty feet high, and two feet in diameter at the root. Wc determined on placing the house on the summit of the bank, which commands a beautiful prospect of the surrounding country. Tlie view in the front is bounded at the distance of three miles, by round-backed hills; to the eastward and westward lie the Winter and Round-rock Lakes, which are connected by the Win- ter River, whose banks are well clothed with pines, and orna- mented with a profusion of mosses, lichens, and shrubs. In the afternoon we read divine service, and offered our thanks- giving to the Almighty for his goodness in having brought us Ml L>00 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES US'. J "^ ^''k life/', ri'l f if fir*, |i:-vt1*t thus far on our journey ; a duty which we never neglected, when stationary on the. sabbath. The united length of the portages we have crossed, since leav- ing Fort Providence, is twenty-one statute miles and a half; and as our men had to traverse each portage four times, with a load of one hundred and eighty pounds, and return three times light, they waiJied in the whole upwards of one hundred and fifty miies. The total length of our voyage^from Chipewyan is five hundred and fifty-three miles.* , A fire was made on the south side of the river to inform the chief of our arrival, which spreading before a strong wind, caught the whole wood, and we were completely enveloped in a cloud ol smoke for the three following days. On the next morning our voyagers were divided into two par. lies, the one to cut the wood for the building of a store-house, and the other to fetch the meat as fast as the hunters procured it. An interpreter was sent with Keskarrah, the guide, to search for the Indians who had made the fire seen on Saturday, from whom we might obtain some supplies of provision. An Indian was also des- patched to Akaitcho, with directions for him to come hither di- rectly, and bring whatever provision he had, as we were desirous of proceeding, without delay, to the Copper-Mine River. In the evening our men brought in the carcasses of seven rein-deer. Avhich two hunters had shot yesterday, and the women commenc- ed drying the meat for our journey. We also obtained a good supply of fish from our nets to-day. A heavy rain, on the 23d, prevented the men from working, either at the building, or going for meat; but on the next day the weather was fine, and they renewed their labours. The thermo- Stony and Slave Rivers .... Slave Lake ...... Yellow-Knife River ..... Barren country between the source of the Yellow-Knife River and Fort Enterprizc Statute Miles. 260 - 107 156.5 29.5 5.53 OF THE POLAR SEA. aoi meter, that day, did not rise higher than 42°, and it fell to 31° before midnight. On the morning of the 25th, we were surprized by some early symptoms of the approach of winter ; the small nob! were frozen over, and a flock of geese passed to the south- (varcl. In the afternoon, however, a fog came on, which after- wards changed into rain, and the ice quickly disappeared. We siifibrcd great anxiety all the next day respecting John Hepburn, who had gone to hunt before sunrise on the 25th, and been ab- sent ever since. About four hours after his departure the wind changed, and a dense fog obscured every mark by which his course to the tents could be directed, and we thought it probable be had been wandering in an opposite direction to our situation, as tiie two hunters, who had been sent out to look for him, re- turned at sunset without having seen him. Akaitcho arrived with his party, and we were greatly disappointed at finding they had stored up only fifteen rein-deer for us. St. Germain informed us, that having heard of the death of the chief's brother-in-law, they had spent several days in bewailing his loss, instead of hunting. We learned also, that tiie decease of this man had caused another party of the tribe, who had been sent by Mr. Wentzel to prepare provision for us on the bc.uks of the Copper-Mine River, to re- move to the shores ot the Great Bear Lake, distant from our pro- posed route. JVIortifying as these circumstances were, they pro- duced less painful sensations than we experienced in the evening, by the refusal of Akaitcho to accompany us in the proposed de- scent of the Copper-Mine River. When Mr. Wentzel, by my direction, communicated to him my intention of proceeding at once on that service, he desired a conference with me upon the subject, which being immediately granted, he began by stating, I hat the very attempt would be rash and dangerous, as the weather was cold, the leaves were falling, some geese had passed to the southward, and the winter would shortly set in ; and that, as he considered the lives of all who went on such a journey would be forfeited, he neither would go himself, nor permat his hunters to accompany us. He said there was no wood within eleven days' march, during which time we could not have any fire, as the moss, nhich the Indians use in their summer excursions, would be ton r (! i;^: m 30ii A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES dv'f': >'.t *,'1' i .' '; '^ ','■: wet for burning, is: consequence of the recent rains ; that we shouioi be forty days in descending the Copper-Mine River, six of which would be expended in getting to its banks, and that we might be blocked up by the ice in the next moon ; and during the whole journey the party must experience great suffering for want ot food, as the rein-deer had already left the river. He was now reminded that these statements were very differ. ent from the account he had given, both at Port Providence and on the route hither ; and that, up to this moment, we had been encouraged by his conversation to expect that the party might de- scend the Copper-Mine River, accompanied by the Indians. He replied, that at the former place he had been unacquainted with our slow mode of travelling, and that the alteration, in his opi- nion, arose from the advance of winter. We now informed him, that we were provided with instruments by which we could ascertain the state of the air and water, and that we did not imagine the winter to be so near as he supposed: however, we promised to return on discovering the first change in the season. He was also told that all the baggage being left be- hind, our canoes would now, of course, travel infinitely more expeditiously than any thing he had hitherto witnessed. Akait- cho appeared to feci hurt, that we should continue to press the matter further, and answered witli^some warmth : " Well, I have said every thing I can urge, to dissuade you from going on this service, on which, it seems, you wish to sacrifice your own lives, as well as the Indians who might attend you : however, if after all I have said, you are determined to go, some of my young men shall join the party, because it shall not be said, that we permit ted you to die alone after having brought you hither; but from the moment they embark in the canoes, I and my relatives shall lament them as dead." We could only reply to this forcible appeal, by assuring him and the Indians who were seated around him, that we felt the most anxious solicitude for the safety ot every individual, and that it was far from our intention to proceed v.ithout considering every argument for and against the proposed journey. We next informed him, that it would be very desirable to ^ce OF THE POLAR SEA. 203 •he nvcr at any rate, that we might give some positive informa- tion about its situation and size, in our next letters to the great chief; and that we were very anxious to get on its banks for the purpose of observing an eclipse of the sun, which we described to him, and said would happen in a few days. He received this communication with more temper than the preceding, though he immediately assigned as a reason for his declining to go, that " the Indians must now procure a sufficient quantity of deer-skins for winter clothing for themselves, and di-esses for the Canadians, who would need them if they had to travel in the winter." Finding him so averse to proceed, and feeling, at the same time, jiovv essential his continuance with us was, not only to our future success, but even to our existence during the winter ; I closed the conversation here, intending to propose to him next morning some modification of the plan, which might meet his approbation. Soon after we were gone, however, he informed Mr. Wentzel, with whom he was in the habit of speaking confidentially, that as his advice was neglected, his presence was useless, and he should, therefore, return to Fort Providence with his hunters, after he had collected some winter provision for us. Mr. Wentzel having re- ported this to me, the night was passed in great anxiety, and after weighing all the arguments that presented themselves to my mind, I came reluctantly to the determination of relinquishing the inten- tion of going any distance down the river this season. I had con- sidered, that could we ascertain what were the impediments to the navigation of the Copper-Mine River, what wood grew on its banks, if fit for boat-building, and whether drift timber existed where the country was naked, our operations next season would be much facilitated ; but we had also cherished the hope of reach- ing the sea this year, for the Indians in their conversations with lis, had only spoken of two great rapids as likely to obstruct us. This was a hope extremely painful to give up, for in the event of success we should have ascertained whether the sea was clear of ice, and navigable for canoes ; have learned the disposition of the Esquimaux ; and might have obtained other information that would have had great influence on our future proceedings. I must confess, however, that my opinion of the probability of I. " \^ rt S.-M J * ;^04 A .rOUKNi:V TO THE SHORES »; 4: It ■"- IfJ'Ct - ' pii n,!' 1,,. ■ i'('»i- li!!;?!' our being able to obtain so great a desideratum this season, hmj been somewhat altered by the recent changes in the weather although, had the chief been willing to accompany ns with lii^ party, I should have made the attempt; with the intention, how. ever, of returning immediately upon the first decided appearance of winter. On the morning of August 27th, having communicated my sen- timents to the officers, on the subject of the conference last even- ing, they all agreed that the descent to the sea this season could not be attempted, without hazarding a complete rupture will) the Indians; but they thought that a party should be sent to ascertain the distance and size of the Copper-Mine River. These o))inion', being in conformity with my own, I determindcd on despatclijn" Messrs. Back and Hood on that service, in a light canoe, as soon as possible. We witnessed this morning an instance of the versatility of oiu Indian companions, which gave us much uneasiness, as it regarded the safety of our faithful attendant Hepburn. When they heard, on their arrival last night, of his having been so long absent, tliey expressed the greatest solicitude about him, and the whole party immediately volunteered to go in search of him as soon as day- light permitted. Their resolutions, however, seemed to have been changed, in consequence of the subsequent conversation we had with the chief, and we found all of them indisposed to proceed on that errand this morning, and it was only by much entreaty, that three of the hunters and a boy were prevailed upon to go. They fortunately succeeded in their search, and we were infinitely re- joiced to see Hei)burn return with them in the afternoon, though much jaded by the fatigue he had undergone. He had got bewil- dered, as we had conjectured, in the foggy weather on the 25th, and had been wandering about ever since, except during half an hour that he slept yesterday. He had eaten only a partridge and some berries, for his anxiety of mind had deprived him of appe- tite ; and of a deer which he had shot, he took only the tongue, and the skin to protect himself from the wind and rain. This anxiety, we learned from him, was occasioned by the fear that the party which was about to descend the Copper-Mine River, OF THE POLAR SEA. 'JO,') inij^ht be detained until he was found, or that it might have de- parted without him. He did not entertain any dread of the white bears, of whose numbers and ferocious attacks the Indians had been constantly speaking, since we had entered the barren grounds. Our fears for his safety, however, were in a considerable degree excited by the accounts we had received of these animals. Ilav- ;:icr made a hearty supper he retired to rest, slept soundly, and arose next morning in perfect health. On the 2Sth of August, Akaitcho was informed of our intention to send the party to the river, and of the reasons for doing so, of which he approved, when he found that I had relinquished the idea of going myself, in compliance with the desire which he and the Indians had expressed ; and he immediately said two of the hunters should go to provide them with food on the journey, and 10 serve as guides. During this conversation we gathered from him, for the first time, that there might still be some of his tribe near to the river, from whom the party could get provision. Our next object was to despatch the Indians to their hunting ground to collect provision for us, and to procure the fat of the deer for our use during the winter, and for making the pcmmican we should require in the spring. They were therefore furnished with some ammunition, clothing, and other necessary articles, and directed to take their departure as soon as possible. Akaitcho came into our tent this evening at supper, and made several pertinent inquiries respecting the eclipse, of which we had spoken last night. He desired to know the effect that would be produced, and the cause of it, which we endeavoured to explain ; and, having gained this information, he sent for several of his com- panions, that they might also have it repeated to them. They were most astonished at our knowing the time at which this event should happen, and remarked, that this knowledge was a striking proof of the superiority of the whites over the Indians. We took advantage of this occasion to speak to them respecting the Supreme Being, who ordered all the operations of nature, and to impress on their minds the necessity of paying strict attention to their moral duties, in obedience to his will. They readily assented to all these points, and Akaitc'.io assured us that both himself and #1 H »)f »<; / 206 A JOURNET TO THE SHORES im '■m I'liiiff' '■iS his young men would exert themselves in obtaining provision for us, in return for the interesting communications we had just made to them. Having received a supply of dried meat from the Indian lodges we were enabled to equip the party for the Copper-Mine River and at nine A.M., on the 29th, Mr. Back and Mr. Hood embark- ed on that service in a light canoe, with St. Germain, eight Cana- dians, and one Indian. We could not furnish them with more than eight days' provision, which, with their blankets, two tents and a few instruments, composed their lading. Mr. Back, who had charge of the party, was directed to proceed to the river, and if, when he arrived at its banks, the weather should continue to be mild, and the temperature of the water was not lower than 40°, he might embark, and descend the stream for a few days, to gain some knowledge of its course, but he was not to go so far as to risk his returning to this place in a fortnight with the canoe. But, if the weather should be severe, and the temperature of the water below 40", he was not to embark, but return immediately, and endeavour to ascertain the best track for our goods to be con- veyed thither next spring. . We had seen that the water decreases rapidly in temperature at this season, and I feared that, if he embarked to descend the river when it was below 40°, the canoe might be frozen in, and the crew have to walk back in very severe weather. As soon as the canoes had started, Akaitcho and the Indians took their departure also, except two of the hunters, who staid behind to kill deer in our neighbourhood, and old Keskarrah and his family, who remained as our guests. The fishing-nets were this day transferred from the river in which they had been set since our arrival, to Winter Lake, whither the fish had removed, and the fishermen built a log-hut on its bor- ders to reside in, that they might attend more closely to their oc- cupation. The month of September commenced with very disagreeable weather. The temperature of the atmosphere ranged between 39° and 31° during the first three days, and that of the water in the river decreased from 49" to 44*. Several rein-deer and a * OF THE POLAR SEA. 207 large flight of white geese passed to the southward. These cir- cumstances led us to fear for the comfort, if not for the safety, of our absent friends. On the 4th of September we commenced building our dwelling-house, having cut sufficient wood for the frame of it. In the afternoon of September the 6th, we removed our tent to the summit of a hill, about three miles distant, for the better ob- serving the eclipse, which was calculated to occur on the next morning. We were prevented, however, from witnessing it by a heavy snow-storm, and the only observation we could then make was to examine whether the temperature of the atmosphere altered during the eclipse, but we found that both the mercurial and spirit thermometers remained steadily at 30° for a quarter of an hour previous to its commencement, during its continuance, and for half an hour subsequent to its termination ; we remarked the wind increased very much, and the snow fell in heavier flakes just after the estimated time of its commencement. This boiste- rous weather continued until three P.M., when the wind abated, and the snow changed to rain. As there was now no immediate occasion for my remaining on the spot, the eclipse being over, and the Indians having removed to their hunting grounds, Dr. Richardson and I determined on taking a pedestrian excursion to the Copper-Mine River, leaving Mr. Wentzel in charge of the men, and to superintend the build- ings. On the morning of September the 9th we commenced our journey under the guidance of old Keskarrah, and accompanied by John Hepburn and Samandrie, who carried our blankets, cook- ing utensils, hatchets, and a small supply of dried meat. Our guide led us from the top of one hill to the top of another, mak- ing as straight a course to the northward as the numerous lakes, with which the country is intersected, would permit. At noon we reached a remarkable hill, with precipitous sides, named by the Copper Indians the Dog-rib Rock, and its latitude, 64° 34' 52'' S., was obtained. The canoe-track passes to the eastward of this rock, but we kept to the westward, as being the more direct course. From the time we quitted the banks of Winter River »ve saw only a few detached clumps of trees ; but after we passed ^m '•* li-i ^'(Jij A JOURNEY TO I'llE SUORLS ^M P.i ^:|i;:a jj ,, , , # * : . •'■'■ '^";. ^i^' if':,!-- |.IH^ti!'!i' 11! mi ■.ws Dog-rib llock even these disappeared, and we travelled IIuouit}, a naked country. In the course of ihe afternoon Keskarrah killed a rein-deer, and loaded himself with its head and skin, and our men also carried oil a few pounds of its flesii for supper ; but iheii loads were altogcter too great to permit them to take much acUli- tional weight. Keskarrah offered to us as a great treat, the raw marrow from the hind legs of the animal, of which all the party ate except myself, and thought it very good. I was also of the same opinion, when I subsequently conquered my then loo fasti- dious taste. We halted for the night on the borders of a small lake, •which washed tlie base of a ridge of sand-hills, about three hundred feet high, having walked in direct distance six- teen miles. There were four ancient pine-trees here which did not exceed six or seven feet in height, but whose branches spread themselves 01.*, for several yards, and we gladly cropped a few twigs to make a bed and to protect us from the frozen ground, still white from a fall of snow which took place in the afternoon. We were about to cut down one of these trees for firewood, but our guide solicit- ed us to spare them, and made us understand by signs that they had been long serviceable to his nation, and that we ought to content ourselves with a few of the smaller branches. As soon as we comprehended his request we complied with it, and our at- tendants having, with sonie trouble, grubbed up a sufficient quan- tity of the roots of the dwarf birch to make a fire, we were en- abled to prepare a comfortable supper of rein-deer's meat, which we despatched with the appetites travelling in this country never fails to ensure. We thvn stretched ourselves out on the pine brush, and covered by a single blanket, enjoyed a night of sound repose. The small quantity of bed-clothes we carried induced us to sleep without undressing Old Keskarrah followed a different plan . he stripped himself to the skin, and having toasted his body for a short time over the embers of the fire, he crept under his deer- skin and rags, previously spread out as smoothly as possible, and coiling himself up in a circular form, fell asl cp instantly. This custom of undressing to the skin even when lying in the open air V?i*^ V, OF THE POLAR SKA. 20i» is common to all the Indian tribes. The thermometer at sun-set stood at 29°. Resumint; our journey next morning we pursued a northerly course, but had to make a considerable circuit round the western ends of two lakes whose eastern extremities were hidden from our view. The march was very uncomfortable as the wind was cold, and there was a constant fall of snow until noon ; and our guide 100 presisted in taking us over the summit of every hill that lay in the route, so that we had the full benefit of the bieeze. Wc forded two streams in the afternoon flowing between small lakes, and being wet, did not much relish having to halt, whilst Keskarrah pursued a herd of rein-deer ; but there was no alter- native, as he set off and followed them witlwut consulting our wishes. The old man loaded himself with the skin, and some meat of the animal he killed in addition to his former burden ; but after walking two miles, finding his charge too heavy for his strena;th, he spread the skin on the rock, and deposited the meat under some stones, intending to pick them up on our return. We put up at sunset on the borders of a large lake, having come twelve miles. A few dwarf birches afforded us but a scanty fire, yet being sheltered from the wind by a sandy bank, we passed the night comfortably, though the temperature was 30°. A num- ber of geese passed over us to the southward. We set off early next morning, and marched at a tolerably quick pace. The at- mosphere was quite foggy, and our view was limited to a short distance. At noon, the sun shone forth for a few minutes, and the latitude 64" 57' 7" was observed. The small streams that we have hitherto crossed run uniformly to the southward. At the end of sixteen miles and a half we encamped amongst a few dwarf pines, and were much rejoiced at having a good fire, as the night was very stormy and cold. The thermometer fluctuat- ed this day between 31° and 35°. Though the following morn- ing was foggy and rainy, we were not sorry to quit the cold and uncomfortable bed of rock upon which Ave had slep^t, and com- mence our journey at an early hour. After walking about three miles, we passed over a steep sandy ridge, and found the course of the rivulets running towards the north and north-east. Our D d I' iio \ .lOUUNKY TH ITII. SIIOKKS pn>jj;n!ss was slow in the early part of the inoininc;, and we were (letaini'«l for two hours on the summit of a hill exposed to a vor\ cold wiml, whilst our }!;tiide went in an unsuccessful ptnsuit o| some rein-deer. After walkinji; a few miles farther, the foaj clear- ed away, and Keskarrah pointed out tlu; ('o|)|)er-Mine Ki\erata distance, and we pushed towards it with all the s|)eed v/o could put forth. At noon we airived at an arm of Point Lake, an ex- tensive expansion of the river, and ohserved the latitude fjf)^ f)' 06" N. We co^finued our walk aloni;; the south end of this arm for ahout a mile further, and then halted to hreakfast amidst a cluster of pines. Here the longitude, ll'^" 51' 25", was obscrv- ed. After hreakfast we set out and walk«d aloiii;; the east-side of the arm towards the main body of the lake, leavinj; Samandrielo prepare an encampment among the pines a<:;ainst our return. Wc found the main chaimel deep, its hanks hij;h and rocky, and the valleys on its borders interspersed with clusters of spruce trees. The latter circumstance was a source of much i;ralilication to us. The temperature of its surface was 11", that of the air bein;:; 4:{''. Havinu; gained all the information we coidd collect from our guide and iVom personal observation, we retraced our stci)s to the en- campment ; and on the way back Hepburn and Keskarrah shot several waveys {u/utx /ii/jwr/jorca,) which allorded us a seasonable suj)ply, our stock of j)rovlsions being nearly exhausted. Tlusc birds were feeding in large llocks on the crowljcrries, which grew plentifully on the sides of the hills. We reached the encamp- ment after dark, found a comfortable hut j)reparcd for our recep- tion, made an excellent supper, and retired to bed, and slept soundly though it snowed hard the whole night. The hills in this ncidibourhood are hii>;her than those about Fort Enterprize : they stand, however, in the same detatchcd manner, without forming connected ranges ; and the bottom of every val- ley is occupied, either by a small lake or a stony marsh. On the borders of such of these lakes as communicate with the Cojjper- Mine Rivcr„ there are a lew groves of spruce trees, generally growing on accumulations of sand, on the acclivities of the lulls. We did not quit the encampment on the morning of Septem- ber 13lh until nine o'clock, in consc((ucnce of a constant fall of M OF THE POLAR SEA. iiU •now ', but at that hour we set otit on our return to Fort Kntor- i)ir/o, and tiikinu; a nwiln soinewhal y vvlii<'l» *vo oamn, k(!|)l lo the (Mslwanl of a chain of liilu.-s. Soou ■liter noon tho weather h(H!aniu extremely clisa.';ree:ihle ; a coUl noi'tlu^rly p;ale canic on, alleiuUHl hy snow anil sleet; and the i(.in|)('raturc lell very soon from 4[r to '.il°. 'riie waveys, alarm- ed at the sudden ehani!;e, (lew over our heads in ^reat nunihers to J milder climate. We walked as rjuickly as possible to jj;et to a place that would furnish some fuel anil shelter; but the (oy; oc- casioned us to make frequent halls, from the inability of our guide to trace his way. At, length wc came to a spot which alforded us plenty of dwarf birches, but they were so much frozen, and the snow fell so thick, that upwards of two hours were wasted in en- deavouring to make a lire ; during which time our clothes were freezing upon us. At length our cfl'orts were crowned with suc- cess, and after a good supper, wc laid, or rather sal down to sleep ; for the nature of the ground obliged us to pass the night in a demi- crect i)Osition, with our backs against a bank of earth. The ther- mometer was 16° at six P.M. After enjoying a more comfortable night's rest than we had expected, we set oil' at day-break : the thermometer then standing at 18°. The ground was covered with snow, the small lakes were frozen, and the whole scene had a wintry appearance. We got oil but slowly at first, owing to an old sprained ancle, which had been very troublesome lo me for the last three days, and was this raornmg excessively painful. In fording a rivulet, however, the application of cold water gave me immediate relief, and I walked with ease the remainder of the day. In the afternoon we rejoined our track outwards, and came to the place where Keskarrah had made his deposit of provision, which proved a very acceptable supply, as our stock was exhausted. We then crossed to some sand hills, and encamped amidst a few small pines, having walked thirteen miles. . The comfort of a good fire made us soon insensible to the fa- ligue we had experienced through the day, in marching over the iiifiged stones, whose surface was rendered slippery by the frost. The thermometer at seven P.M. stood at 27 \ 1' ' ', I #1 m i ^ . fi. HK|3 ] i ,|/ ^ Ir ■-i l||mH ^HB WR " ''l JMl'J'lw^ml |HW \ i mm m ■' ^w 1 |)iti(<)!; of mectiiii!; our friends Mr. Hack and Mr. Mood, who had rc^turn- ed from their exciirsiou on the day succeedint; that on whi^h wo set out ; and 1 receive tl from them the followiii}; account of Iheji journey. They proceeded up the \Vinter Wiver to the north end of the Martin Lake, and then the ^iiide, Iumo"; unac(piaint(;(l willi tlir, route hy water to the Copper-Mine Uiver, pi-oposed that the ca- noe should he left. I'pon this they a.seen»led the loftiest hill in tlie neighbourhood, to examine whether they could discover any larije lakes, or water communication in the direcition which tho guide |)oinled the river to be. Thoy only saw a small rivulet, which was too shallow for the canoe, and also wide of the course; and as they perceived the crew would have to carry it over a ru^- geil hilly track, they Judii-iowsly decided on leaving it, and pro- cecdina; forwards on foot. Ilavinii; deposited the canoe anions; a few dwarf birch bushes, they commenced their march, carrying the tents, blankets, cooking utensils, and a part of the dried nicat. St. Germain, however, had previously delineated vvith charcoal, a man aud a house on a |)icco of bark, which he placed over the canoe and the few things that were left, to point out to the Dog- .Ribs that they belonged to white people. The party reached the shores of Point Ijako, through which the Copper-Mine Hivei- runs, on the 1st of Scj)tcmher. The next day was too stormy for them to march, hut on the 'M\, they proceeded along its shore to the westward, round a mountainous j)romon- tory, and perceiving the course of the lake extending to the W. N.W., they encamped near some pines, and then Hrst enjoyed the luxury of a good fuc, since their departure from us. The t<'m- peratnre of the water in the lake was .3/)°, and of the air .'}2'\ but the latter fell to iO" in the course of that night. As their prin- cipal object was to ascertain whether any arm of the lake branch- ed nearer to Fort Enterprizc than the part they had fallen upon, OF Tnr. I'OT.AR sr.A, iil;< 10 wliioli Iho tranN|)()i'l ol' our "^oods could \u'. moni i-asily iiiiulo iicxl spiiiiij;, tln'V ii'linnud on its boidms to i\\v «!isl\\;ird, hciiij; satislu'd, by Ihv apiK-araiKrc ol' llii; tiioiiiilaitis hclwccn south and ivrst, thai no rurdifr oxaiuiualiou was iiciM'ssaij in that direct ion; ;iti(l they continued tlieii- march until the tith at nuun, without liiidin:;; any part of the lake inclining; nearer to the Cort. 'I'lioy tlKMcfore encani|)ed to ohservc the <'clipse, vvhi<;h was to take nlaco on th(! roiiowint;' nuu'iiin;:; ; l)ut a violent snow storm ren- (Iciiiiij; IIjl* ohsorvalion inipossihie, they r,onnnence«l their retin-n, ,inil alter a ('omrortless and lahorions march re«i!;ained their canoe uii the loth, and emharkinm in it, arrived the same evening at the; house. Point Lake varied, as far as they traced, from one to throe miles in wiilth. Its main coui'.s(! was nearly east and west, hut several arnis hranclHMJ oil' in diUcrenl directions. A sketch, hy Mr. Hood, of the party when they lirst ^ot si!i;ht of I'oinl l^akc, conveys an ac(Mn'ate representation of their nmde of travelling, iind of the ehar;icter of the country. 1 was nmch pleased with the ahle nianner in which tluisi* oniciirs executed the survict; they had Ix^en ^(1 urn '^' The rein-deer retire from the sea coast in July and August, but in October on the verge of the barren grounds, and shelter them- selves in the woods during the winter. They are often induced by a few fine days in winter, to pay a transitory visit to their fa- vourite pastures in the barren country, but their principal move- ment to the northward commences generally in the end of April, when the snow first begins to melt on the sides of the hills, and early in May, when large patches of the ground are visible, they are on the banks of the Copper-Mine River. The females take the lead in this spring migration, and bring forth their young on the sea coast about the end of May or beginning of June. There are certain spots or passes well known to the Indians, through which the deer invariably pass in their migrations to and from the coast, and it has been observed that they always travel against the wind. The principal food of the rein-deer in the barren grounds, consists of the cetraria nivalis and cucullata, cenomyce rangife- rim, cornicularia ochrileuca, and other lichens, and they also eat the hay or dry grass which is found in the swamps in autumn. In the woods they feed on the different lichens which hang from i'Birers. They are accustomed to gnaw their fallen antlers, and :t.u< also to devour mice. i ' e weight of a full grown barren-ground deer, exclusive of the oifalv, varies from ninety to one hundred and thirty pounds. *"It is worthy of remark, that in the month of May a veiy great number of large larvae ?xist under the mucoui membrane at the root of the tongue, and posterior part of the nares and pharynx. The Indians consider them to belong to the same species with the oestrus, that deposits its ova under the skin j to us the larvae of the former appeared more flattened than those of the latter. Specimens of both kinds, preserved in spirits, were destroyed by the equ^^nt falls they received on the portages." — Dii. Kichauuson's Journal. Ec "i li 318 A .lOURNLY TO THE SdORLS >Wr'r;'-,"'!:U':,v'fn t fi'• There is, however, a much larger kind found in the woody mn, of Ihe country, whoso carcass weighs from two hundred to fwc hundred and forty pounds. This kind never leaves the woods. but its skin is as much perforated by the gad-fly as that of the others ; a presumptive proof that the smaller species are not driven to the sea coast by the attacks of that insect. There are a few rein-deer occasionally killed in the spring, whose skins are entire. and these are always fat, whereas the others arc lean at that season. The gad-fly does not confine its attacks to the skin ol the back, but deposits its oifa in the mucous membrane also, which lines the nostrils and fauces. This insect likewise infests the red-('eer {ivawaskecsh,) but its ova are not found in the skin of the lose, or buffalo, nor, as we have been informed, of tiie sheep anil that inhabit the Rocky Mountains, although the rein-deer foui in those parts, (which hy the way, are of an un- usually large kind,) are as much tormented by them as the barren- ground variety. The herds of rein-deer are attended in their migrations by bands of wolves, which destroy a great many of them. The Copper Indians kill the rein-deer in the summer with the gun, or takins; advantage of a favourable disposition of the ground, they enclose a herd upon a neck of land, and drive them into a lake, where they fall an easy prey ; but in the rutting season and in the spring, when they are numerous on the skirts of the woods, they catch them in snares. The snares are simple nooses, formed in a rope made of tvvi.sted sinew, which arc placed in the aperture of a slight hedge, constructed of the branches of trees. This hedge is dis- posed so as to form several winding compartments, and although it is by no means strong, yet the deer seldom attempt to break through It. Tiie herd is led into the labyrinth by two converging lows of poles, and one is generally caught at each of the openings by the noose placed there. The hunter, too, lying in ambush, stabs some of thcrn with his bayonet as they pass by, and the whole herd frequently becomes his prey. Where wood is scarce. a piece of turf turned up answers the purpose of a pole to conduct them towards the snares. The rein-deer has a quick eye, but the hunter by keeping to fllil %w^- OF THE POLAR SEA. 219 leeward and using a little caution, may approach very near ; their apprehensions being much more easily roused by the smell than the sight of any unusual object. Indeed their curiosity often causes them to come close up to and wiieel round 1 he hunter; thus affordi j; him a good opportunity of singling out the fattest of the herd ; and upon these occasions they often become so con- fused by the shouts and gestures of their enemy, that they run backwards and forwards with great rapidity, but without the power of making their escape. The Copper Indians (ind by experience that a white dress at- tracts them most readily, and they often succeed in bringing them within shot, by kneeling and vibrating the gun from side to side, in imitation of the motion of a deer's horns when he is in the act of rubbing his head against a stone. The Dog-rib Indians have a mode of killing these animals, which, though simple, is very successful. It was thus described by Mr. Wentzel, who resided long amongst that people. The hunters go in pairs, the foremost man carrying in one hand the horns and part of the skin of the head of a deer, and in the other a small bundle of twigs, against which he, from time to time, rubs the horns, imitating the gestures peculiar to the animal. His com- rade follows, treading exactly in his footsteps, and holding the guns of both in a horizontal position, so that the muzzles project under the arms of him who carries the head. Both hunters have a fillet of white skin round their foreheads, and the foremost has a strip of the same kind round his wrists. They approach the herd by degrees, raising their legs very slowly, but setting them down somewhat suddenly, after the manner of a deer, and always taking care to lift their right or left feet simultaneously. If any of the herd leave off feeding to gaze upon this extraordinary phe- nomenon, it instantly stops, and the head begins to play its part by licking its shoulders, and performing other necessary move- ments. In this way the hunters attain the very centre of the herd without exciting suspicion, and have leisure to single out the fat- test. The hindmost man then pushes forward his comrade's gun, the head is dropt, and they both fire nearly at the same instant. The herd scampers off, the hunters trot after them : in a short I Ml 'i20 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES III s ■ il.)i 'W 1.1 « time the poor animals halt to ascertain the cause of tiieir terror, their I'oes stop at the same instant, and having loaded as they ran, greet the srnzers with a second fatal discharge. The consternation of the deer increases, they run to and fro in the utmost confusion, and sometimes a great part of the herd is destroyed within llip space of a few hundred yards. A party who had heen sent to Akaitcho returned, bringing; three hundred and seventy pounds of dried meat, and two hun- dred and twenty pounds of suet, together with the unpleasant in- formation, that a still larger quantity of the latter article had been found and carricnl off, as he supposed, by some Dog-ribs, who had passed that way. 'J'he weather becoming daily colder, all the lakes in the neigh- bourhood of the house were completely, and the river pariially. frozen over by the middle of the month. The rein-deer now be- gan to quit us for more southerly and better sheltered pastures. Indeed, their longer residence in our neighbourhood would have been of little service to us, for our ammunition was almost com- pletely ex])ended, although we had dealt it of late with a ver}- sparing hand to the Indians. We had, however, already secured in the store-house the carcasses of one hundred deer, together with one thousand pounds of suet, and some dried meat; and had more over eighty deer stowed up at various distances fror.i the house. The necessity of employing the men to build a n juse for themselves before the weather became too severe, obliged us to put the latter en cache, as the voyagers term it, instead of adopt- ing the more safe plan of bringing them to the house. Putting a deer en cache, means merely protecting it against the wolves, and still more destructive wolverenes, by heavy loads of wood or stones ; the latter animal, however, sometimes digs underneath the pile, and renders the precaution abortive. On the 18th, Mr. Back and Mr. Wentzel set out for Fort Pro- vidence, accompanied by Beauparlant, Belanger, and two Indians, Akaiyazza and Thoolezzth, with their wives, the Little Forehead, and the Smiling Marten. JNIr. Back had volunteered to go and make the necessary anangemcnts for transporting the stores we expected from Cumberland House, and to endeavour to obtaii> # K^K' OF THE POLAR SEA. 221 •ome additional supplies from the establishments at Slave Lake. If any accident should have prevented the arrival of our stores, and the establishments at Moose-deer Island should be unable to supply the deficiency, he was, if he found himself equal to the task, to proceed to Chipewyan. Ammunition was essential to our existence, and a considerable supply of tobacco was also re- quisite, not only for the comfort of the Canadians, who use it laigely, and had stipulated for it in their engagements, but also as a means of preserving the friendship of the Indians. Blankets, cloth, and iron-work, were scarcely less indespensable to equip our men for the advance next season. Mr. Wentzel accompanied Mr. Back, to assist him in obtain- ing from the traders, on the score of old friendship, that which they might be inclined to deny to our necessities. I forwarded by them letters to the Colonial Office and Admiralty, detailing the proceedings of the Expedition up to this period. On the 22d we were surprised by a visit from a dog ; the poor animal was in a low condition, and much fatigued. Our Indians discovered by marks on his ears, that he belonged to the Dog-ribs. This tribe, unlike the Chipewyans and Copper Indians, had pre- served that useful associate of man, although from their frequent intercourse with the latter people, they were not ignorant of the prediction alluded to in a former page. One of our interpreters was immediately despatched, with an Indian, to endeavour to trace out the Dog-ribs, whom he supposed might be concealed in the neighbourhood from their dread of the Copper Indians ; although we had no doubt of their coming to us, were they aware of our being here. The interpreter, however, returned without having discovered any traces of strange Indians ; a circumstance which led us to conclude, that the dog had strayed from his masters a considerable time since. Towards the end of the month the men completed their house, and to6k up their abode in it. It was thirty-four feet long and eighteen feet wide ; was divided into two apartments, and was placed at right angles lo the oflicers' dwelling, and facing the store-house : the three buildings forming three sides of a quad- I raugle. i^ si32 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES litifrp /' M-^L On the 26th Akaitcho and his party arrived, the huntiujr ^^ this neighbourhoood being terminated for the season, by the deei having retired to the southward to shelter themselves in the woods. The arrival of this large party was a serious inconvenience to us, from our being compelled to issue them daily rations of pro- vision from the store. The want of ammunition prevented us from equipping and sending them to the woods to hunt ; and al- though they are accustomed to subsist themselves for a consi. derable part of the year by fishing, or snaring the deer, without having recourse to fire-arms, yet on the present occasion, they felt little inclined to do so, and gave scope to their natural love ot ease, as long as our store-house seemed to be well stocked. Never- theless, as they were conscious of impairing our future resources they did not fail, occasionally, to remind us that it was not their fault, to express an ardent desire lo go a hunting, and to request a supply of ammunition, although they knew that it was not in our power to give it. The summer birds by this time had entirely deserted us, leav- ing, for our winter companions, the raven, cinereous crow, ptar- migan, and snow-bird. The last of the water-fowl that quitted us was a species of diver, of the same size with the colymbui arcticusy but differing from it in the arrangement of the white spots on its plumage, and in having a yellowish white bill. This bird was occasionally caught in our fishing nets. The thermometer during the month of October, at Fort. Enter- prize, never rose above 37*, nor fell below 5° ; the mean tempera- ture for the month was 23°. In the beginning of October a party had been sent to the west- ward to search for birch to make snow-shoe frames, and the In- dian women were afterwards employed in netting the shoes and preparing leather for winter clothing to the men. Roi)es of rein- deer skins were also obtained from the Indians, and issued to (he men who were to travel, as they are not only a great deal lighter than blankets, but also much warmer, and altogether better adapt- ed for a winter in this climate. They are, however, unfit for summer use, as the least moisture causes the skin to spoil, and OF THE POLAR SEA. 223 lose ils hair. It requires the skins of seven deer to make one robe. The finest are made of the skins of young fawns. The fishing, having failed as the weather became more severe, was given up on the 5th. It had procured us about one thousand two hundred ivhitejish, from two to three pounds each. There lire two other species of salmo in Winter I^ake ; liack^a grayling and the round fish, and a few trout, pike, rnethye, and red cmp, were also occasionally obtained from the nets. It may be worthy of notice here, that the fish froze as they were taken out of the nets, in a short time became a solid mass of ice, and by a blow or two of the hatchet were easily split nnp«>, when the intestines might be removed in one lump. If in this completely frozen state they were thawed before the fire, they recovered their animation. This was particularly the case with the carp, and we had occasion to observe it repeatedly, as Dr. Richardson occupied himself in examining the structure of the difierent species of fish, and was always, in winter, under the necessity of thawing them before he could cut them. We have seen a carp recover so far as to leap about with much vigour, after it had been frozen for thirty- six hours. From the 12th to the 16th we had fine, and for the season warm, weather, and the deer, which had not been seen since the 26th of October, re-appeared in the neighbourhood of the house, 10 the surprise of the Indians, who attributed their return to the barren grounds, to the unusual mildness of the season. On this occasion, by melting some of our pewter cups, we managed to furnish five balls to each of the hunters, but they were all ex- pended unsuccessfully, except by Akaitcho, who killed two deer. By the middle of the month Winter River was firmly frozen over, except the small rapid at its commencement, which i-emain- ed open all the winter. The ice on the lake was now nearly tv 'o feet thick. After the 16th we had a succession of cold, snowy, and windy weather. We had become anxious i > hear of the ar- rival of Mr. Back and his party at Fort Providence. The Indians, who had calculated the period at which a messenger ought to have returned from thence to be already passed, became impatient when it had elapsed, and with their usual love of evil augury torment- ,-#f ■1, l4- it; 224 A JOURNEY TO THi; SHORES i • < '.if ! I It' ed us by their melancholy forebodings. At one time ilicy con- jectured that the whole party had fallen through the ice- at another, that they been waylaid and cut off by the Do'Mi'n. In vain did we urge the improbability of the former accident or the peaceable character of the Dog-ribs, so little in conlbi- mity with the latter. " The ice at this season was deceitful " they saiome bad medicine had been intentionally given to them. The distress produced by this idea, was in pro- portion to their former faith in the potency of the re::*'edy, and the night was spent in singing and groaning. Next morning the whole family were crying in concert, and it was not until the evening of the second day that we succeeded in pacifying them, The old woman began to feel better, and her faith in the medi- cine war renewed. .■r._>;; i].W -: OF THE POLAR SEA. 229 While speaking of this family, I may remark that the daughter, whom we designated Green-stockings from her dress, is consider- ed by her tribe to be a great beauty. Mr. Hood drew an accu- rate portrait of her, although her mother was averse to her sitting for it. She was afraid, she said, that her daughter's likeness would induce the great Chief who resided in England to send for the original. The young lady, however, was undeterred by any such fear. She has already been an object of contest between her countrymen, and although under sixteen years of age, has be- longed successively to two husbands, and would probably have been the wife of many more, if her mother had not requiirmed me that they had broached the cask on their way up and spent two days in drinking. This OF THE POLAR SEA. 235 instance of breach of trust was excessively distressing to me ; I felt for their privations and fatigues, and was dis]]Oscd to seize upon every opportunity of alleviating them, but this, combined with many instances of petty dishonesty with regard to meat, shewed how little confidence could be put in a Canadian voyager when food or spirits were in question. We had been indeed made acquainted with their character on these points by the traders, but we thought that when they saw their officers living under equal if not greater privations than themselves, they would have been prompted by some degree of generous feeling to abstain from those depredations which, under ordinary circumstances, they would scarcely have blushed to be detected in. As they were pretty well aware that such a circumstance could not long be concealed from us, one of them came the next morn- ing with an artful apology for their conduct. He stated, that as they knew it was my intention to treat them with a- dram on the com- mencement of the new year, they had helped themselves to a small quantity on that day, trusting to my goodness for forgive- ness ; and being unwilling to act harshly at this period, I did for- give them, after admonishing them to be very circumspect in their future conduct. The ammunition anil a small present of rum, were sent to Akaitclio. On the 18th Vaillant, the woodman, had the misfortune to break his axe. This would have been a serious evil had it occur- red a few weeks sooner, but we had just received some others from Slave Lake. On the 27th Mr. Wentzel and St. Germain arrived with the two Esquimaux, Tattannoeuck and HoeootcErock, (the belly and the ear.) The English names, which were bestowed upon them at Fort Churchill, are Augustus and Junius. The former speaks En2;lish. We now learnt that Mr. Back proceeded with Beauparlant to Fort Chipewyan, on the 24th of December, to procure stores, having previously discharged J. Belleau from our service at hu^ own request, and with my consent. I was the more induced to comply with this man's desire of leaving us, as he proved to 230 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES v.mm be too weak to perform the duty of a bowman which he had iin- dertakcn. Four dogs were brought up by this party, and proved a great reUef to our wood-haulers during the remainder of the season. By the arrival of Mr. Wentzel, who is an excellent musician and assisted us {con amove) in our attempts to amuse the men we were enabled to gratify the whole establishment with an oc- casional dance. This is an amusement of which the voyagers are very fond, and not the less so, as it was now and then accompa- nied by a dram as long as our rum lasted. On the 5th of February, two Canadians came from Akaitcho for further supplies of ammunition. We were mortified to learn that he had received some further unpleasant reports concerning us from Fort Providence, and that his faith in our good inten- tions was somewhat shaken. He expressed himself dissatisfied with the quantity of ammunition we had sent him, accused us of an intention of endeavouring to degrade him in the eyes of his tribe, and informed us that Mr. Weeks had refused to pay some notes for trifling quantities of goods and ammunition that had been given to the hunters who accompanied our men to Slave Lake. Some powder and shot, and a keg of diluted spirits were sent to him with the strongest assurances of our regard. On the 12th, another party of six men was sent to Fort Provi- dence, to bring up the remaining stores. St. Germain went to Akaitcho for the purpose of sending two of his hunters to join this party on its route. On comparing the language of our two Esquimaux with a copy of St. John's Gospel, printed for the use of the Moravian Mis- sionary Settlements on the Labrador coast, it appeared that the Esquimaux who resort to Churchill speak a language essentially the same with those who frequent the Labrador coast. The Red Knives, too, recognize the expression Teyma, used by the Esqui- maux when they accost strangers in a friendly manner, as simi- larly prounounced by Augustus, and those of his race who fre quent the mouth of the Copper-Mine River. OF THE POLAR SEA. 237 The tribe to which Augustus belongs resides generally a little to the northward of Churchill. In the spring, before the ice quits lie shores, they kill seal, but during winter they frequent the borders of the large lakes near the coast, where they obtain fish, rcin-cieer, and musk-oxen. There are eighty-four grown men in the tribe, only seven of whom are aged. Six Chiefs have in general two wives ; the rest df the men have only one, so that the number of married people ;nay amount to one hundred and seventy. He could give me no certain data whereby I might estimate the number of children. Two great Chiefs, or t^ckhaiyooty have complete authority in directing the movements of the party, and in distributing pro- visions. The Mtooganceuck, or lesser Chiefs, are respected principally as senior men. They seldom suffer from want of lood, if the Chief moves to the different stations at the proper season. The Esquimaux seem to follow the eastern custom re- specting marriage. As soon as a girl is born, the young lad who ivishes to have her for a wife, goes to her father's tent, and prof- fers himself. If accepted, a promise is given which is considered binding, and the girl is delivered to her betrothed husband at the proper age. They consider their progenitors to have come from the moon. Augustus has no other idea of a Deity than some confused notions which he has obtained at Churchill. When any of the tribe is dangerously ill, a conjure** is sent for, and the bearer of the message carries a suitable present to induce his attendance. TTpr n his arrival he encloses himself in the tent with the sick ma .a sings over him for days together without tasting food ; but Augustus, as well as the rest of the uninitiated, are ignorant of the purport of his songs, and of the nature of the Being to whom they are addressed. The conjurers practise a Kood deal of jugglery in swallowing knives, firing bullets through,^^ their bodies, &c., but they are generally secluded from view, ' and the bystanders believe their assertions, without requiring to be eye-witnesses of the fact. Sixteen men and three women amongst Augustus' tribe are acquainted with the mysteries of the :irt. The skill of the latter is exerted only on their own sex. 238 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES Kiin 4 J f t / \k I ft. Upon the map being spread before Augustus, he soon comprt- licnded it, and recognized Chesterfield Inlet to be " the opening into which salt water enters at spring tides, and which receives a river at its upper end." He termed it Kannteuck Kleeumick. He has never been farther north himself than Marble Island which he distinguishes as being the spot where the large ships were wrecked, alluding to the disastrous termination of Barlow and Knight's Voyage of Discovery.* He says, however, that Esquimaux of three different tribes have traded with his country. men, and that they described themselves as having come across land from a northern sea. One tribe, who named themselves ,flhwhacknanhdett ^ he supposes may come from Repulse Bay; another, designated (Jotkooseek-kalingm(eoot , or Stone-Kettle Esquimaux, reside more to the westward ; and the third, the Kang-orr-micoot, or White Goose Escjuimaux, describe themselves as coming from a great distance, and mentioned that a party of Indians had killed several of their tribe on the summer precedins; their visit. Upon comparing the dates of this murder with that of the late massacre which the Copper Indians have perpetrated on these harmless and defenceless people, they appear to differ two years; but the lapse of time is so inaccurately recorded, that this difference in their accounts is not sufficient to destroy their identity ; besides, the Chipevvyans, the only other Indians who could possibly have committed the deed, have long since ceased to go to war. If this massacre should be the one mentioned by the Copper Indians, the Kang-orr-moeoot must reside near the mouth of the Anatessy, or river of Strangers. ^ The winter habitations of the Esquimaux, who visit Churchill. are built of snow, and judging from one constructed by Augustus to-day, they are very comfortable dwellings. Having selected a spot on the river, where the snow was about two feet deep, and sufficiently compact, he commenced by tracing out a circle twelve feet in diameter. The snow in the interior of the circle was next divided with a broad knife, having a long handle, into slabs three feet long, six inches thick, and two feet deep, being the thickness of the layer of snow. These slabs were tenacious enough to ad- * See Introduction to IIeahwe'b Journey, page xxiv. OF THE POLAR SEA. 230 nut of being moved about without breaking, or even losing the sharpness of their angles, and that they had a slight degree of jurvature, corresponding with thit of the circle from which they were cut. They were piled upon each other exactly like courses jf hewn stone around the circle which was traced out, and care ^as taken to smooth the beds of the different courses with the knife? and to cut them so as to give the wall a slight inclination inwards, by which contrivance the building acquired the proper- ties of a dome. The dome was closed somewhat suddenly and flatly by cutting the upper slabs in a wedge-form, instead of the more rectangular shape of those below. The roof was about ei<;ht feet high, and the last aperture was shut up by a small conical piece. The whole was built from within, and each slab was cut so that it retained its position without requiring support until an- other was placed beside it, the lightness of the slabs greatly fa- cilitating the operation. When the building was covered in, a little loose snow was thrown over it, to close up every chink, and alow door was cut through the walls with a knife. A bed-place was next formed, and neatly faced up with slabs of snow, which was then covered with a thin layer of pme branches, to prevent them from melting by the heat of the body. At each end of the bed a pillar of snow was erected to place a lamp upon ; and lastly, a porch was built before the door, and a piece of clear ice was placed in an aperture cut in the wall for a window. The purity of the material of which the house was framed, the elegance of its construction, and the translucency of its walls, which transmitted a very pleasant light, gave it an appearance far saperior to a marble building, and one might survey it with feel- ings somewhat akin to those produced by the contemplation of a Grecian temple, reared by Phidias ; both are triumphs of art, in- imitable in their kinds. Several deer were killed near the house, and we received some supplies from Akaitcho. Parties were also employed in bringing in the meat that was placed en cache in the early part of the winter. More than one half of these caches, however, had been destroyed by the wolves and wolverines ; a circumstance which, in conjuction with the empty state of our store-house, led us to mtA 210 A .TOURNEY TO THE SHORES -'f# It ' ..fed fear that we should be much straitened for provisions before tlic arrival of any considerable number of rein-deer in this neighbour- hood. A good many ptarmigans were seen at this time, and the wo- men caught some in snares, but not in sufficient quantity to make any further alteration in the raionsofdeers' meat that were daily issued. They had already bceii reduced from eight to the short allowance of five pounds. Many wolves prowled nightly about the house, and even ven- tured upon the roof of the kitchen, which is a low buildino;, in search of food. Keskarrah shot a very large white one, of which a beautiful and correct drawing was made by Mr. Hood. The temperature in Feburary was considerably lower than in the preceding month, although not so low as in December, the mean being — 25.3°. The greatest temperature was 1° above zero, and the lowest 51° below. On the 5th of March the people returned from Slave Lake, bringing the remainder of our stores, consisting of a cask of flour, thirty-six pounds of sugar, a roll of tobacco, and forty pounds ol tobacco. I received a letter from Mr. Weeks, wherein he denied that he had ever circulated any reports to our disadvantage ; and stated that he had done every thing in his power to assist us, and even discouraged Akaitcho from leaving us, when he had sent him a message, saying, that he wished to do so, if he was sure of be- ing well received at Fort Providence. We mentioned the contents of the letter to the Indians, who were at the house at the time, when one of the hunters, who had attended the men on their journey, stated that he had heard many of the reports against us from Mr. Weeks himself, and ex- pressing his surprise that he should venture to deny them. St. Germain soon afterwards arrived from Akaitcho, and informed us, that he left him in good humour, and, apparently, not harbour- ing the slightest idea of quitting us. On the 12th, we sent four men to Fort Providence ; and, on the I7th, Mr. Back arrived from Fort Chipewyan, having performed, since he left us, a journey of more than one thousand miles on foot. I had every reason to be much pleased with his conduct on OF THE POLAR SEA. 241 t|ii:i urduous undertaking ; but his exertions may be estimated by the perusal of the following narrative of hla proceedings :— On quitting Fort Enterprizc, with Mr. Wcntzcl and two Cana- dians, accompanied by two hunters and llicir wives, our route lay across the barren hills. We saw durinp; Iho day, a number of deer, and, occasionally a solitary white wolf; and in the even- ing halted near a small knot of pines. Owing to the slow progress made by the wives of the hunters, we only travelled the first day a distance of seven miles and a half. During the night we had a glimpse of the fantastic beauties of the Aurora Borealis, and were somewhat annoyed by the wolves, whose nightly howling inter- rupted our repose. Early the next morning we continued our march, sometimes crossing small lakes (which were just frozen enough to bear us,) and at other times going large circuits, in or- der to avoid those which were open. The walking was extremely bad throughout the day ; for, independent of the general uneven- :iess of the «|;»'ound, and the numberless large stones which lay scattered in every direction, the unusual warmth of the weather had dissolved the snow, which not only kept us constantly wet, but deprived us of a firm footing, so that the men, with their heavy burdens, were in momentary apprehension of falling. In the after- noon a fine herd of deer was descried, and the Indians, who are always anxious for the chase, and can hardly be restrained from pursuing every animal which they see, set out immediately. It was late when they returned, having had good success, and bring- ing with them five tongues, and the shoulder of a deer. We made about twelve miles this day. The night was fine, and the Aurora Borealis so vivid, that we imagined, more than once, that we heard a rustling noise like that of autumnal leaves stirred by the wind ; but after two hours of attentive listening, we were not entirely convinced of the fact. The coruscations were not so bright, nor the transition from one shape and colour to another "*o rapid, as they sometimes are ; otherwise, I have no doubt, from Hh ;i|{lfl J- 24z A JC)UUNi,V lO THE SHORES [i'i:> '■ V' '.I ■ ;':i the midnight silence which prevailed, that we should have ascer- tained this yet undecided point. The morning of the 20th was so extremely hazy that we could not see ten yards before us ; it was, therefore, late when we start ed, and during, the journey the hunters complained of the wea- ther, and feared they should lose the track of our route. Towards the evening it became so thick that we could not proceed, con- sequently we halted in a small wood, situated in a valley, after having only completed a distance of six miles. The scenery consisted of high hills, which w6re dmost desti- tute of trees, and lakes appeared iti the valleys. The cracking of the ice was so loud during the night as to resemble thunder, and the wolv^es howled around us. We were now at the com- mencement of the woods, and at an early hour, on the 21st, con- tinued our journey over high hills for three miles, when the ap- pearance of some deer caused us to halt, and nearly the remain- der of the day was passed in hunting them. In the evening we stopped within sight of Prospect Hill, after having killed and con cealed six deer. A considerable quantity of snow fell during the night. The surrounding country \vas extremely rugged ; the hills di- vided by deep ravines, and the valleys covered with broken masses of rocks and stones ; yet the deer fly (as it were,) over these impediments with apparent ease, seldom making a false step, and springing from crag to crpg A'ith all the safety of the mountaii) goat. After passing Rein-deer Lake, (where the ice was so thin as to bend at every step for nine miles,) we halted, perfectly satisfied with our escape from sinking into the water. While some of the party were forming the encampment one of the hun- ters killed a deer, a part of which was concealed to be ready for use on our return. This evening we halted in a wood near the canoe track, after having travelled a distance of nine miles. The wind was S.E. and the night cloudy, with wind and rain. On the 24th and 25th we underwent some fatigue from heinj; obliged to go round the lakes, which lay across our route, and were not sufficiently frozen to bear us. '^ieveral rivulets appeared OF THE POLAR SEA. 243 10 empty themselves into the lakes, no animals were killed, and lew tracks seen. The scenery consisted of barren rocks and high hills, covered with lofty pine, birch, and larch trees. October 26. — We continued our journey, sometimes on frozen lakes, and at other times on high craggy rocks. When we were on the lakes we were much impeded in our journey by different parts which were unfrozen. There was a visible increase of wood, consisting of birch and larch, as we inclined to the southward. About ten A.M. we passed Icy Portage, where we saw various tracks of the moose, bear, and otter ; and after a most harassing march through thick woods and over fallen trees, we halted a mile to the westward of Fishing Lake ; our provisions were now almost expended ; the weather was cloudy with snow. On the 27th we crossed two lakes, and performed a circuitous route, frequently crossing high hills to avoid those lakes which were not frozen ; during the day one of the women made a hole through the ice, and caught a fine pike, which she gave to us ; the Indians would not partake of it, from the idea (as we after- wards learnt,) that we should not have sufficient for ourselves : ■'We are accustomed to starvation," said they, " but you are not." In the evening we halted near Rocky Lake. I accom- panied one of the Indians to the summit of a hill, where he shew- ed me a dark horizontal cloud, extending to a considerable dis- tance along the mountains in the perspective, which ho said was occasioned by the Great Slave Lake, and was considered as a good guide to all the hunters in the vicinity. On our return we saw two untenanted bears' dens. The night was cloudy with heavy snow ; yet the following morning we continued our tedious march, many of the lakes re- mained still open, the rocks high and covered with snow, which continued to fall all day, consequently we effected but a trifling distance, and that too with much difficulty. In the evening we halted ; having only performed about seven miles. One of the Indians gave us a fish which he had caught, though he had no- thing for himself; and it was with much trouble that he could be prevailed upon to partake of it. The night was cloudy with snow. On the 29th we set out through deep snow and thick wood' ; and I ,„,';-■■: 111 'f \h y 'VI ri 244 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES ml' WWmi m ' ; s ::^ * 'i 'ij ■■■■ t . m' lil I.., ^':iil mm after crossing two small lakes slopped to breakfast, sending tiic women on before, as they had already complained of lameness, and could not keep pace with the party. It was not long before we overtook them on the banks of a small lake, which though in- finitely less in magnitude than many we had passed, yet had not a particle of ice on its surface. It was shoal, had no visible cur- rentj and was surrounded by hills. We had nothing to eat, and were not very near an establishment where food could be pro- cured ; however, as we proceeded, the lakes were frozen, and we quickened our pace, stopping but twice for the hunters to smoke. Nevertheless the distance we completed was but trifling, and at night we halted near a lake, the men being tired, and much bruis- ed from constantly falling amongst thick broken woods and loose stones concealed under the snow. The night was blowing and hazy with snow. On the 30th we set out with the expectation of gaining the Slave Lake in the evening ; but our progress was again impeded by the same causes as before, so that the whole day was spent in forcing our way through thick woods and o \er swamps covered with snow. We had to walk over pointed and loose rocks, which sliding from under our feet, made our path dangerous, and often threw us down several feet on sharp-edged stones lying beneath the snow. Once we had to climb a towering, and almost per- pendicular, rock, which not only detained us, but was the cause of great anxiety for the safety of the women, v»uo being heavily laden with furs, and one of them with a child on her back, could not exert themselves with the activity which such a task required. Fortunately nothing serious occurred, though one of them once fell with considerable violence. During the day one of the hun- ters broke through the ice, but was soon extricated ; when it be- came dark we halted near the Bow String Portage, greatly disap- pointed at not having reached the lake. The weather was cloudy, accompanied with thick mist and snow. The Indians expected to have found here a bear in its den, and to have made a hearty meal of its flesh ; inr.eed it had been the subject of conversation all day, and they had even gone so far as to divide it, frequently asking me what part I preferred ; but when we came to the spot — oh ! I'M OF THK POLAR SEA. 245 lamentable ! it had already fallen a prey to the devouring appe- titcsof some .^ore fortunate hunters, who had only left sufficient ovidence that such a thing; had once existed. One of our men, iiowever, caught a fish, which with the assistance of some weed scraped from the rocks, {tripe, de. roche,) which forms a glutinous substance, made us a tolerable supper ; it was not of the most choice kind, but yet good enough for hungry men. While we were eating it I perceived one of the women busily employed scraping an old skin, the contents of which her husband presented us with. They consisted of pounded meat, fat, and a greater pro- portion of Indians' and deers' hair than either ; and though such a mixture may not appear very alluring to an English stomach, it was thought a great luxury after three days' privation in these cheerless regions of America. Indeed had it not been for the pre- caution and generosity of the Indians, we must have gone without sustenance until we had reached the fort. On the first of November our men began to make a raft to en- able us to cross a river which was not even frozen at the edges. It was soon finished, and three of us embarked, being seated up to the ancles in water. We each took a pine branch for a paddle, and made an effort to gain the opposite shore, in which, after some time, (and not without strong apprehensions of drifting into the Slave Lake,) we succeeded. In two hours' time the whole party was over, with a comfortable addition to it in the shape of some tine fish, which the Indians had caught ; of course we did not for- ;[et to take these friends with us, and after passing several lakes, to one of which we saw no termination, we halted within eight miles of the fort. The Great Slave Lake was not frozen. In crossing a narrow branch of the lake I fell through the ice, but received no injury ; and at noon we arrived at Fort Providence, and nere received by Mr. Weeks, a clerk of the North- West Com- pany, and in charge of the establishment. I found several packets of letters for the officers, which I was desirous of sending to them immediately ; but as the Indians and their wives complained of illness and inability to return before they had rested, a flagon of mixed spirits was given them, and their sorrows were soon for- gotten, and in a quarter of an hour they pronounced themselves 24G A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES • 3 1.1 i *'' % '%, >i\ excellent hunters, and capable of going any where ; however, ihcu boasting ceased with the last drop of the bottle, when a crvinir scene took place, which would have continued half the night, had not the magic of an additional quantity of spirits dried their tears and once more turned their mourning into joy. It was a satisfac- tion to me to behold these poor creatures enjoying themselves for they had behaved in the most exemplary and active manner towards the party, and with a generosity and sympathy seldom found even in the more civilized parts of the world ; and the at- tention and affection which they manifested towards their wives evinced a benevolence of disposition and goodness of nature which could not fail to secure the approbation of the most indifferent, ob- server. The accounts I here received of our goods were of so unsatis- factory a nature, that I determined to proceed, as soon as the lake was frozen, to Moose-Deer Island, or if necessary to the Atha- basca Lake ; both to inform myself of the grouac^s of the uncere- monious and negligent manner in which the Expedition had been treated, and to obtain a suhicient supply of ammunition and other stores, to enable it to leave its present situation, and proceed for the attainment of its ultimate object. Nove?nbcr 9. — I despatched to Fort Enterprize one of the men, with the letters and a hundred musket balls, which Mr. Weeks lent me on the condition that they should be returned the first opportunity. An Indian and his wife accompanied the messenger. Lieutenant Franklin was made acquainted with the exact state of things; and I awaited with much impatience the freezing of the lake. November 16. — A band of Slave Indians came to the fort with a few furs and some bears' grease. Though we had not seen any of them, it appeared that they had received information of our being in the country ; and knew the precise situation of our house, which they would have visited long ago, but from the fear they had of being pillaged by the Copper Indians. I questioned the chief about the Great Bear and Martin Lakes, their distance from Fort Enterprize, &c. ; but his answers were so vague and unsatis- factory that they were not worth attention ; his description of d- OF THE POLAR SEA. 247 Bouleau's Route, (which he said was the shortest and best, and abundant in animals,) was very defective, though the relative points were sufficiently characteristic, had we not possessed a better route. He had never been at the sea ; and knew nothing about the mouth of the Copper-Mine River. In the evening he made his young men dance, and sometimes accompanied them himself. They had four feathers in each hand. When one com- menced moving in a circular form, lifting both feet at the same time, similar to jumping sideways. After a short time a second and a third joined, and afterwards the whole band was dancing, some in a state of nudity, others half dressed, singing an unmusi- cal wild air with (I suppose) appropriate words ; the particular sounds of which were, ha ! ha ! ha ! uttered vociferously, and ivith great distortion of countenance, and peculiar attitude of body, the feathers being always kept in a tremulous motion. The en- suing day I made the chief acquainted with the object of our mis- sion, and recommended him to keep at peace with his neighbour- ing tribes, and to conduct himself with attention and friendship towards the whites. I then gave him a medal, telling him it was the picture of the King, whom they emphatically term " their Great Father." November 18. — We observed two mock moons at equal dis- tances from the central one ; and the whole were encircled by a halo : the colour of the inner edge of the large circle was a light red, inclining to a faint purple. November 20. — ^Two parhelia were observable with a halo ; the; colours of the inner edge of the circle were a bright carmine and red lake, intermingled with a rich yellow, forming a purplish orange ; the outer edge was pale gamboge. December 5. — A man was sent some distance on the lake, to see if it was sufficiently frozen for us to cross. I need scarcely mention my satisfaction, when he returned with the pleasing in- formation that it was. December 7. — I quitted Fort Providence, being accompanied by Mr. Wentzel, Beauparlant, and two other Canadians, provided with dogs and sledges. We proceeded along the borders of the !aki;. occasionally crossing deep bays : and ut dusk encamped 'f i m I if! iV'i, 'IT- WW' m\ /i t^ -^V 248 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES at the Gros Cap, having proceeded a distance of twenty-jiy, miles. December 8. — We set out on the lake with an excessively cold north-west wind, and were frequently interrupted by laroe piccgj, of ice which had been thrown up by the violence of the Wiivcs during the progress of congelation, and at dusk we encamped on the Rein-deer Islands. The night was fine, with a feint Aurora Borealis. Next day the wind was so keen, that the men proposed conveying me in a sledge that I might be the less exposed, to which, after sonio hesitation, I consented. Accordingly a rein-deer skin and a blanket were laid along the sledge, and in these 1 was wrapped tight up to the chin, and lashed to the vehicle, with just leaving sufficient play for my head to perceive when I was about to bo upset on some rougli projecting piece of ice. Thus equipped, we set off before the wind (a favourable circumstance on a lake), and went on very well until noon ; when the ice being driven up in ridges, in such a manner as to obstruct us very much, I was re- leased ; and I confess not unwillingly, though I had to walk the remainder of the day. There are large openings in many parts whej'e the ice had separated ; and in attempting to cross one of them, the dogs fell into the water, and were saved with difficulty. The poor animals suffered dreadfully from the cold, and narrowly escaped being frozen to death. We had quickened our pace towards the close of the day, but could not get sight of the land ; and it was not till the sun liad set that we perceived it about four mi^es to our left, which obliged us to turn back, and head the wind. It was then so cold, that two of the party were frozen almost immedi- ately about the face and ears. I escaped, from having the good fortune to possess a pair of gloves made of rabbits-skin, vvi'li which I kept constantly chafing the places which began to be affected. At six P.M. we arrived at the fishing-huts near Stony Island, and remained there the night. The Canadians were not a little surprised at seeing us, whom they had already given up for lost — nor less so at the manner by which we had come— -for OF THE POLAR SEA. 249 ihey all affirmed, that the lake near them was quite free from ice the day before. December 10. — At an early hour we quitted the huts, lashed on sledges as before, with some little addition to our party ; and at three hours thirty minutes P.M. arrived at the North-West Fort on Moose-Deer Island, where I was received by Mr. Smith, with whom I had been acquainted at the Athabasca. He said he partly expected me. The same evening I visited Messrs. M'Vicar and M'Aulay at Hudson's Bay Fort, when I found the reports concerning our goods were but too true, there being in reality but five packages for us. I also was informed that two Esqui- maux, Augustus the chief, and Junius his servant, who had been sent from Fort Churchill by Governor Williams, to serve in the capacity of interpreters to the Expedition, were at the Fort. The men were short of stature but muscular, apparently good-natured, and peifectly acquainted with the purpose for which they were intended. They had built themselves a snow-house on an adja- cent island, where they used frequently to sleep. The following (lay I examined the pieces, and to my great disappointment found them to consist of three kegs of spirits, already adulterated by the voyagers who had brought them ; a keg of flour, and thirty-five pounds of sugar, instead of sixty. The ammunition and tobacco, the two most essential requisites, were left behind. I lost no time in making a demand from both parties ; and though their united list did not furnish the half of what was re- quired, yet it is possible that every thing was given by them which could be spared consistent with their separate interests, particularly by Mr. M'Vicar, who, in many articles, gave me the whole he had in his possession. These things were sent away immediately for Fort Enterprize, when an interpreter arrived with letters from Lieutenant Franklin, which referred to a series of injurious reports said to have been propagated against us by some one at Fort Providence. Finding a sufficiency of goods could not be provided at Moose- Deer Island, I determined to proceed to the Athabaca Lake, and ascertain the inclinations of the gentlemen there. With this view I communicated my intentions to both parties ; but could only get I i 'VI 250 A JOURNEY TO THF. SHORES dogs enough I'rom the North-West Company to carry the necco- sary provisions for the journey. Indeed Mr. Smith informed me plainly he was of opinion that nothing could be spared at Fort Chipevvyan ; that goods had never been transported so lontr a journey in the winter season, and that the same dogs <;oulcl not possibly go and return; besides, it was very doubtful ii' I could be provided with dogs there ; and finally, that the distance was great, and would take sixteen days to perform it. He add- ed, that the provisions would be mouldy and bad, and that, from having to walk constantly in snow-shoes, I should suffer a 'Teat deal of misery and fatigue. Notwithstanding these .issertions. on the 23d of December I left the Fort, with Beauparlant and a Bois-brule, each having a sledge drawn by dogs, laden with pemmican. We crossed an arm of the lake, and entered the Little Buffalo River, which is connected with the Salt River, and is about fifty yards wide at its junction with the lake — the water is brackish. This route is usually taken in the winter, as it cuts off a large angle in going to the Great Slave River. In the afternoon we passed two empty fishing-huts, and in the even- ing encamped amongst some high pines on the banks of the river, having had several snow showers during the day, which considerably impeded the dogs, so that we had not proceeded more than fifteen miles. December 24 and 25. — We continued along the river, frequently making small portages to avoid going round the points, and pass- ed some small canoes, which the Indians had left for the winter. The snow was so deep that the dogs were obliged to stop every ten minutes to rest themselves ; and the cold so excessive, that both the men were badly frozen on both sides of the face and chin. At length, having come to a long meadow, which the dogs could not cross that night, we halted in an adjoining wood, and were presently joined by a Canadian, who was on his return to the Fort, and who treated us with some fresh meat in exchange for some pemmicau. During the latter part of the day we had seen numerous tracks of the moose, buffalo, and marten. December 2Q. — ^l^he weather was so cold that we were compel- led to run to prevent ourselves from freezing ; our route lay across OF THL POLAR ST.A. iiSl some large meadows which appeared to abound with animals, thoii2;h the Indians around Slave Lake aro in a state of great want. About noon we passed a sulphur-sticam, which ran into the river ; it appeared to come from a plain about fifty yards dis- tant. There were no rocks near it, and the soil through which it took its course was composed of a reddish clay. I was much trailed by the strings of the snow-shoes during the day, and once crot a severe fall, occasioned by the dogs running over one of my feet, and dragging me some distance, my snow-shoe having be- come entangled with the sledge. In the evening we lost our way, from the great similarity of appearance in the country, and it was dark before we found it again, when we halted in a thick wood, after having come about sixteen miles from the last en- campment. Much snow fell during the night. At an early hour on the 87th of December, we continued our journey along the surface of a long but narrow lake, and then through a wood, which brought us to the grand detour on the Slave River. The weather was extremely cloudy, with occasional falls of snow, which tended greatly to impede our progress, from its gathering in lumps between the dogs' toes; and though they did not go very fast, yet my left knee pained me so much, that I found it difficult to keep up with them. At three P.M. we halted within nine miles of the Salt River, and made a hearty meal of mouldy pemmican. December 28 and 29. — We had much difficulty in proceeding owing to the poor dogs being quite worn out, and their feet per- fectly raw. We endeavoured to tie shoes on them, to afford them some little relief, but they continually came off when amongst deep snow, so that it occupied one person entirely to look after them. In this state they were hardly of any use amongst the steep ascents of the portages, when we were obliged to drag the sledges ourselves. We found a few of the rapids entirely frozen. Those that were not fead holes and large spaces about them, from whence issued a thick vapour, and in passing this we found it par- ticularly cold ; but what appeared most curious was the number of small fountains which rose through the ice, and often rendered it doubtful which way we should take. I was much disappoint- HIm Hi ii|V|tM|.jn Kf J Bjj ' ifw^Kg^BO^ ifa^^'y ijSy^nnB 1^1 i ^k V ii I'i I 252 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES '- if ■^■' ■• i §-1- E I i-'i^j-'i pfciiifi^te.^.. ed at finding several falls (which Iliad intended to sketch) frozen almost even with the upper and lower parts of the stream ; ihf. ice was connected by a thin arch, and the rushing of the water underneath might he heard at a considerable distance from tlio place. On the banks of these rapids there was a constant over- flowing of the water, but in such small quantities as to freeze ho- fore it had reached the surface of the central ice, so that we pass- ed between two ridges of icicles, the transparency of which was beautifully contrasted by the Hakes of snow and the dark green branches of the over-hanging pine. Beauparlant complained bitterly of the cold whilst among the rapids, but no sooner had he reached the upper part of the river than he found the change of the temperature so great, that he vented his indignation against the heat. — " Mais c'est terrible," said he, to be frozen and sun-burnt in the same day. The poor fellow, who had been a long time in the country, regarded it as the most severe punishment that co 'l have been inflicted on him, and would willingly have given a jjart of his wages rather than this disgrace had happened ; for there is a pride amongst " Old Voyagers," which makes thorn consider the state of being frost- bitten as effeminate, and only excusable in a " Pork-eater," or one newly come into the country. I was greatly fatigued, and suffered acute pains in the knees and legs, botii of which were much swollen when we halted a little above the Dog River. December 30 and 31. — Our journey these days was by far the most annoying we had yet experienced ; but independent of the vast masses of ice that were piled on one another, as well as the numerous open places about the rapids (and they did not a little impede us,) there was a strong gale from the north-west, and so dreadfully keen, that our time was occupied in rubbing the fro- zen parts of the face, and in attempting to warm the hands, in order to be prepared for the next operation. Scarcely was one place cured by constant friction than another was frozen; and though there was nothing pleasant about it, yet it was laughable enough to observe the dexterity which v^'as used in changing the position of the hand from the face to the mitten, and vice versa. One of the men was severely affected, the whole side of his face OF THE POLAR SEA. 253 heing almost raw. Towards sunset I suffered so much in my knee and ankle, from a recent sprain, that it was with difficulty I could proceed with snow-shoes to the encampment on Stony Islands. But in this point I was not singular ; for Beauparlaiit was almost as bad, and without the same cause. 1821. ^G set out with a quick step, the wind still blowing January 1. fresh from the north-west, which seemed in some mea- sure to invia;oiate the dogs ; for towards sunset they left me a eonsidcrable distance behind. Indeed my legs and ankles were now so swelled, thai it was excessive pain to drag the snow-shoes after me. At night we halted on the hanks of Stony River, when Io;ave the men a glass of grog, to commemorate the new year; ind the next day, January 2, we arrived at Fort Chipewyan, after a journey of ten days and four hours — the shortest time in which the distance had been done at the same season of the year. I found Messrs. G. Keith and S. M'Gilliway in charge of the fort, who were not a little surprised to see me. At the commence- ment of the new year is the rejoicing season of the Canadians, when they are generally intoxicated a few days. 1 postponed making any demands till this time of festivity should cease ; but on the same day I went over to the Hudson's Bay Fort, and de- livered Lieutenant Franklin's letters to Mr. Simpson. If they were astonished at one side to see me, the amazement was still greater on the other; for reports were so far in advance, that we were said to have already fallen by the spears of the Esqui- maux. January 3. — I made a demand from both parties for supplies ; such as ammunition, gun-flints, axes, files, clothing, tobacco, and spirits. I stated to them our extreme necessity, and that without their assistance the Expedition must be arrested in its progress. The answer from the Noth-West gentlemen was satisfactory enougN ; but on the Hudson Bay side I was told, "that any far- ther assistance this season entirely depends on the arrival of sup- phes, expected in a few weeks hence from a distant establish- ment." I remained at Fort Chipewyan five weeks, during which time some laden sledges did arrive, but I could not obtain any ,3r::;i: m 25i A JOURNEY lO HIE SlIORKS 1^^' UmmA f'j/i- ii/j aildition to iht) lew arliclns I had prorAired nl first, A packet oi letters for us from EnjE;land, havin«; arrived, I made preparations for my return, but not before I had requested both Companies to send, next year, from the depot a quantity of goods for our use specified in hsts furnished to them. The wcatlier, during my abode at Chipcwyan, was generally mild, with occasional heavy storms, the greater pait of which was generally anticipated by the activity of the Aurora liorealis , and this I observed had been the case between Fort Providence and the Athabasca in December and January, though not invariabUsd in other parts of the country. One of the partners of iheNorih. West Company related to me the following singular story : — <' H). was travclliiiv: in a canoe in the English River, and had landud near the Kettle Fall, when the coruscations of the Aurora Borta. lis were so vivid and low, that the Canadians fell on their facci, and began praying and crying, fearing ihey should be killed; ho himself threw away his-- gun and knife, that they might not iiitmct the flashes, for they were within two feet from the earth, lliitinf along with incredible swifi'ness, and moving parallel to its sur- face. They continued for upwards of live minutes, as near as he could judge, and made aloud rustling noise, like the waving of a flag in a strong breeze. After they had ceased, the sky becanii clear with 'Ittle wind." February 9. — Having got every thing arranged, and havingliad a hearty breakfast (with a coup de I'eau de vie, a custom amongst the traders), I took my departure, or rather attempted to do so. for on going to the gate there was a long range of women, who came to bid me farewell. They were all dressed (after the man- ner of the country) in blue or green cloth, with their hair fresh greased, separated before, and falling down behind, not in care- less tresses, but in a good sound tail, fastened with black tape or riband. This was considered a great compliment, and the cere- mony consisted in embracing the whole party. I had with me four sledges, laden with goods for the Expedi- tion, a fifth one belonging to the Hudson's Bay Company. We returned exactly by the same route, suffering no other inconve- nience but that arising from the chafing of the snow-shoe, and bad OF THE POLAR SEA. 255 laving; had H Rci (veathcr. Some Indians, whom we met on the banks of the Little Buffalo River, were rather surprised at seeing us, for they had heard that we were on an ishind, which was surrounded by- Esquimaux. The dogs were almost worn out, and their feet raw, ivhcn, on February the 20th, we arrived at IVIoose-deer Island with our snoods ail in good order. Towards the end of the month two of our men arrived with letters from Lieutenant Franklin, con- ainin? some fresh demands, the major part of which I was fortu- nate enough to procure without the least trouble. Having arranged the accounts and receipts between the Companies and the Expe- dition, and sent every thing before me to Fort Providence, I pre- pared for my departure ; and it is but justice to the gentlemen of both parties at Moose-deer Island to remark, that they afforded Ihc means of forwarding our stores in the most cheerful and plca- .aiit manner. March 5. — I took leave of the gentlemen at the forts, and, in ;lie afternoon, got to the fisheries near Stony Island, where I found Mr. M'Vicar, who was kind enough to have a house ready for my reception ; and I was not a little gratified at perceiving a pleasant looking girl employed in roasting a fine joint, and afterwards ar- ranging the table with all the dexterity of an accomplished ser- vant. March G. — We set out at day-light, ai d breakfasted at the ■icin-flecr Islands. As the day advanced the iicai, became so op- pressive, that each pulled off his coat and ran till sunset, when we halted with two men, who were on their return to Moose-deer Island. There was a beautiful Aurora Borealis in the night; it rose about N.b.W,, and divided into three bars, diverging at equal distances as far as the zenith, and then converging until they met in the opposite horizon ; there were some flashes at ndit an. They speak a language distinct from the Chipewyan. They war often with the Esquimaux at the mouth of Mackenzie's River, but have occasionally some peaceable intercourse with them, and i would appear that they find no difficulty in understanding each other, there being con- siderable similarity in their languages. Their dress also resem- !iles the PiSquimaux, and differs from that of the other inhabitants of iMackcnzic's River. The Tykothee-dinneh trade with Fort (lood-iiope. situated a considerable distance below the confluence of iiear Lake River, with Mackenzie's River, and as the traders Mippose, within three days' march of the Arctic Sea. It is the most nc; tiiern establishment of the North-West Comj)any, and "ioine small pieces of Russian copper coin once made their way 'mlher acioss the continent from the westward. Blue or while Innds are almost the only articles of European maniifiicture co- 'U.'(l by the Loucheux, They perforate the septum of the nose. i ''1 i ,>i fff 'lA U VV» ;, '^Mh-, YS- 4 262 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES and insert in the openinj^ three small shells which they procure at a hisjh price from the Esquimaux. On the west hank of Mackenzie's River there are several tribes who speak dialects of the Chipewyan lanojnage, that have not hj. therto heen mentioned. The fust we came to, on tracing; the river to the southward from Fort Good-Hope, are the J3mbawfawhool. dinne/i, or Sheep Indians. They i^nbabit the rocky mountains near the sources of the Dawhoot-dinneh River which flows into Mackenzie's, and are but little known to the traders. Some of them have visited Fort Good-Hope. A report of their heinsj; can- nibals may have ori4;;inated in an imperfect knowledjije of them. Some distance to the southward of this people are the Rocky Mountain Indians, a small tribe which musters about forty men and boys capable of pursuing the chase. They diifer hut litlk^ i'rom the next wc are about to mention, the Edchawtawhoot-dinneh Strong-bow, Beaver, or Thick-wood Indians, who frequent the Riviere mix Liards, or south branch of Mackenzie's River. The Strons;-bows resemble the Dog-ribs somewhat in their disposition; but when they meet they assume a considerable degree of supe- riority over the latter, who meekly submit to the haughtiness of their neighbours. Until the year IS13, when a small party of them from some unfortunate provocation, destroyed Fort Nelson on the Riviere mix Liards, and murdered its inmates, the Sirong- bovvs were considered to be a friendly and quiet tribe, and es- teemed as excellent hunters. These people take their names, iu the first instance, from their dogs. A young man is the father of a certain dog, but when he is married, and has a son, he styles himself the father of the boy. The women have a habit of re- proving the dogs very tenderly when they observe them fi<:ht- ing, — " Are you not ashamed," say they, •' are you not asliamed to quarrel with your little brother ?" The dogs appear to under- stand the reproof and sneak ofl'. The Strong-bows, and Rocky-Mountain Indians, have a tradition in common with the Dog-ribs, that they cnnic originally from the westward, from a level country, where there was no winter, which produced trees, and large fruits, now unlinown to thoni. It tvas inhabited also by njany strange animals, amongst which there wa^ OF THE POLAR SEA. 2GA i small one whose visage bore a striking resemblanco to the human countenance. During their residence in this land, their ancestors were visited by a man who healed the sick, raised the dead, and |)erformed many other miracles, enjoining them at the same time to lead good lives, and not to eat of the entrails ol' animals, nor to use the brains for dressing skins until alter the third day ; and never to leave the skull of deer upon the ground within the reach of dogs and wolves, but to hang them carefully upon trees. Xoone knew from whence this good man came, or whither he went. They were driven from that land by the rising of the waters, and following the tracks of animals on the sea-shore, they directed their course to the northward. At length they came to a strait, which they crossed upon a raft, but the soa has since frozen, and they have never been able to return. These traditions are unknown to the Chipewyans. The number of men and boys of the StronL;-bovv nation, who are capable of hunting, may amount to seventy. There are some other tribes who also s])cak dialects of the Chipewyan, upon the upper branches of the Riviere aux Liards, such as the Nohhannie.sand the TsiUawhmvdnot-dinnch, or Brush- wood Indians. They are but little known, but the latter are sup- posed occasionally to visit some of the establishments on Peace River. , ' Having now communicated as briefly as I could the principal facts that come to our knowledge regarding the Indians in this quarter, I shall resume tl»e narrative of events at Fort Enterprize. —The month of March proved fine. The thermometer rose once to 24° above zero, and fell upon another day 49° below zero, but the mean was 11' 57". On the 23d the last of our winters' stock of deers' meat was expended, and we were compelled to issue a little pounded meat which we had reserved for making pemmican for summer use. Our nets, which were set under the ice on the 15lh, produced only two or three small fish daily. Amongst these was the round lish, a species of salmo, which we had not seen previously. On the following day two Indians came with a message from the Hook, the chief next to Akaitcho in authority amongst the • iff ll mm 'l' .'' :f*. r H 1 ' r-- .■.'.» i VJ li> i.-*- 4| 264 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORE: Copper Indians. His band was between West Marion and Giva Bear Lakes, and be otrered to provide a quantity of dried meat for us on the banks of the Copper-Mine River in the bei^innin.r of summer, provided we sent him some 2;oods and ammunition It was in bis jiower to do this without inconvenience, as he 2;pnc- rally spends the summer months on the banks of the river near the Copper Mountain ; but we had no ^oods to spare, and I coulj not venture to send any part of our small stock of amnimiitjon until I saw what the necessities of our own party refjuircd. I told them, however, that I would fj;ladly receive cilher provisions or leather when we met, and would pay fur them by noU's on the i.orth-West Company's post; but, to prevent any niisunder- standinci: with Mr, Weeks, 1 requested them to take their winter's colltrction of furs to Fort Providence before they went to the Co|j|»er-Mine River. They assured me that the Hook would watch anxiously for our passing, as he was unwell, and wished to coi-.suli the doctor. Several circumstances having come lately to my knowled^rc thai led me to suspect the fidelity of our interpreters, they were ex amined^pon this subject. It appeared that in their intercourse with the Indians they have contracted very fearful ideas of the pi :iined my knee severely. On the 18th at eiy:ht in the evening a beautiful ha!o appeared round the sun wheij it ^-'as about S° high. The colours were prismatic, and very brij^lU, the red next the sun. On the 21st the ice in the river was measured, and found to be IH ■ i^H BB. '4 J t > IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I a 12.8 ■so |25 U, 1^ 12.2 I< I u° 112.0 11.25 11.4 I 1& 1.6 liC Hiotograph Sciences Corporation 33 MIST MAIN STREET WMSTER.N.Y. 14580 (716) •72-4503 \ •^ \\ ^^:^ >. ^ %' 268 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES ■ Pi :,. if %[ h five feet thick, and on the same day in setting the nets in Round Rock Lake, the ice there was ascertained to be six feet and a hall thick, the water beinj; six fathoms deep. The stomachs of some fish were at this time opened by Dr. Richardson, and found filled tvitii insects which appear to exist in abundance under the ice durinu; the winter. On the 22(1 a moosc-dccr was killed at the distance of forty- five miles, and St. Germain went for it with a doa; sledge, and re- turned with unusual exj)edition on the morning of the third day. This supply was soon exhausted, and wo passed the 27th without eating, and had a prospect of fasting a day or two longer, when old Keskarrah entered with the unexpected intelligence of his liaving killed a deer. It was divided betwixt our own family and the Indians, and dui'ing the night a seasonable supply arrived from Akaitcho Augustus returned with the men who brought it, much pleased with the attention he had received from the Indians dur- ing his visit to Akailcho. Next day iVlr. VVentzel set out with every man that we could spare from the fort, for the purpose of bringing meat from the In- dians as fast as it could be procured Dr. Richardson followed them tuo days afterwards to collect specimens of the rocks in that part of the cotmtry. On the same day the two Belangers arrived from Fort Providence, having been only five days on the march from thence. The highest temperature in April was + 40°, the lowest — 32\ the mean + 4.6°. The temperature of the rapid, examined on the 30' h by Messrs. Back and Hood, was 32° at the surface, 33° al the bottom. On the 7th of May Dr. Richardson returned from his excur- sion. He informed me that the rein-deer were again advancing to the northward, but that the leader had been joined by several families of old peojde, and that the daily consumption of provision at the Indian tents was consequently great This information ex- cited some painful apprehensions of being very scantily provided when the period for our departure should arrive. The weather in the beginning of May was line and warm. On the 2d some patches of sandy ground near the house were clcir- « w OF THE POLAR SEA. 269 ed of snow. On the 7th the sides of the hills bcs;an to appear bare, and on the 8th a larsjo house-fly was seen. This interesting event spread cheerfulness ihroii provided we added to the present offered hiiia. Beina; told, how- ever, that this was impossible, since we had already offered him all the mm we had, and every article of j^oods we could spare from our own equipment, his obstinacy was a little shaken, and he made some concessions, but fleferred f^iving a final answer, until the arrival of Humpy, his elder brother. The younii; men, however, did not choose to wait so lonjr, and at nicjht came for the rum, which we judged to be a considerable step towards a reconciliation. St. Gertnain, the most intelligent of our two interpreters, and ihe one who had most influence with the Indians, being informed that their defection was, in a great measure, attributed to the un- ffuarded conversations he had held with them, and which he had in part acknowledged, exerted himself much, on the following day, in bringing about a change in their sentiments, and with some suc- cess. The young men, though they declined hunting, conducted themselves with the same good humour and freedom as formerly. Akaitcho being, as he said, ashamed to shew himself, kept close in his tent all day. On the 24th, one of the women, who accompanied us from Athabasca, was sent down to Fort Providence, under charge of the old chief, who came some days ago for medicine for his eyes. An^elique and Roulante, the other two wonien, having families, preferred accompanying the Indians, during their summer hunt. On the 25th, clothing, and other necessary articles, were issued to the Canadians, as their equipment for the ensuing voy.ige. Two or three blankets, some cloih, iron work, and trinkets, were reserved for distribution amongst the Esquimaux on the sea- coast. Laced dresses were given to Augustus and Junius. It is impossible to describe the joy that took possession of the latter on the receipt of this present. The happy little fellow burst into ecstatic laughter, as he surveyed the different articles of his gay ^^ habiliments. In the afternoon Humpy, the leader's elder brother ; Annoethai- yazzeh, another of his brothers ; and one of our guides, arrived with the remainder of Akaitcho's band ; as also Long-legs, brother to the Hook, with three of his band. There were now in the en- M m 4# K'"t ih 'M s «74 A .lOUIlNFY TO THE SHORKS V'Ji 't rill-4 »f S| oampmcnt, thirty hunters, thirty-one women, and sixty childroiu in all one hundred and twenty-one Indians of the Copper-Indian or Red-Knife tribe. The rest of the nation were with the Hook on the lower part of the Copper-Mine Hiver. Anno^thai-yazzeh is rcmarkahle ainono;st the Indians for the number of his descendants ; he has eio;hteen children living, by two wives, of whom sixteen were at the fort at this time. In the evening we had another formidable conference. The former complaints Avere reiterated, and we parted about midnifjlit, without any satisfactory answer being given to my questions, as to when Akaitcho would proceed towards the river, and where he meant to make provision for our march. I was somewhat pleased, however, to find that Humpy and Annoeiiiai-yazzeh cen- sured their brother's conduct, and accused him of avarice. On the 26th the canoes were removed from the places where they had been deposited, as we judged that the heat of the atnio spheie was now so great, as to admit of their being repaired with- out risk of cracking the bark. We were rejoiced to find that two of them had sutl'ered little injury from the frost during the winter. The bark of the third one was considerably rent, but it was slili capable of being repaired. The Indians sat in conference in their tents all the morning; and, in the afternoon, came into the house, charged with fresh matter for discussion. Soon after they had seated themselves, and the room was filled with the customary volume of smoke from their calumets, ihc goods which had been laid aside were again presented to the leader; but he at once refiised to distribute so small a quantity amongst his men, and complained that there were neither blaidvcts. kettles, nor daggers, amongst them ; and, in the warmth of his anger, he charged Mr. Wentzel with having advised the distrihu- tion of all our goods to the Canadians, and thus defrauding the Indians of what was intended for them. Mr. VVentzel, of course, immediately rcjjcllcd this injurious accusation, and reminiled Akaitcho again, that he had been told, on engaging to accompany us, that he was not to exj)ect any goods until his return. 'J'hi;; he denied with an cUVontery that siirprised us all, when Huinpy #i- OF THE I'OLAR SEA. iJTi who was present at our lirsl interview at For*. Providence, Uc- claa'd that ho heard us say, that no goods coidd he taken for the supply of the Indians on the voyat^e ; and tlie lirsl ^uidt; added, " 1 do not expect any thini; here, I have proruiseil to accon^pany the white people to the sea, and 1 will, theiel'ore, go, conlidently relying upon receiving the stipulated reward on my return." Akaitcho did not seem prepared to hear such declarations iVom his brothers, and instantly changed the subject, and began to descant upon the treatment he had received from the Uaders in his concerns with the'm, with an asperity of language that bore more the appearance of menace than complaint. I inmiediately refused to discuss this topic, as foreign to our present business, and desired Akaitcho to recall to his memory, that he had told me on our first meeting, that he considered me the father of every person attached to the Expedition, in which character it was surely my duty to provide for the comfort and safety of the Canadians, as well as of the Indians. The voyagers, he knew, had a long journey to perform, and would, m all proba- bility, be exposed to much suBbring from cold, on a coast des- titute of wood; and, therefore, required a greater provision of clothing than was necessary for the Indians, who, by returning immediately from the mouth of the river, would reach Fort Pro- vidence in August, and obtain their promised rewards. Most of the Indians appeared to assent to this argument, but Akaitcho said, " I perceive the traders have deceived you, you should have brought more goods, but I do not blame you." I then told him, that [ had brought from England only ammunition, tobacco, and spirits; and that, being ignorant what other articles the Indians required, we were dependent on the traders for supplies; but he must be aware, that every endeavour had been used on our parts to procure them, as was evinced by Mr. Back's journey to Fort ( liipevvyan. With respect to the ammunition and tobacco, we had been as much disappointed as themselves in not receiving them, but this was to be attributed to the neglect of those to whom they had been intrusted. This explanation soemeil to satisfy him. After some minutes of reflection, his coimtenance became more cheerful, and he made inquiry, whether his party might go to »i m 276 A JOURNF.V TO THE SHORES hH''\ i.*.'i either of fhe traHine; posts they chose on their retuni, and whether the lliirlson's Bay Company were rich, for they haii been repre- sented to him as a poor people? 1 answered him, that we really knevv nothin*; about the wealth of eitlser Company, havinjj; never concerned ourselves with trade, but that all the traders appeared to us to be respectable. Our thous;bts, I added, are fixed solely on the accomplishment of the objects for which we came to the country. Our success depends much on your furnishing us with provision speedily, that we may have all the summer to work in- and if we succeed, a ship will soon brinjj; fjoods in abundance to the mouth of the Copper-Mine River. The Indians talked toge- ther for a short time alter this conversation, and then the leader made an application for two or three kettles and soirie blankets to be adiled to the present to his young; men ; we were unable to spare him any kettles, but the officers promised to give a blanket each from their own beds. Dinner was now brought in, and relieved us for a time from their importimity. The leading men, as usual, received each a ^ portion from the table. When the conversation was resumed, the leader renewed his solicitations for goods, but it was now too pal- pable to be mistaken, that he aimed at getting every thing he pos- sibly could, and leaving us without the means of making any pre- sents to the Esquimaux, or other Indians we might meet. 1 re- solved, therefore, on steadily refusing every request that he should make at this time, and when he perceived that he could extort nothing more, he rose in an angry manner, and addressing his young men, said : " There are too few goods for me to dis- tribute ; those that mean to follow the white people tb the sea may take them." This was an incautious speech, as it rendered it necessary for his party to display their sentiments. The guides, and most ot" the hunters, declared their readiness to go, and came forward to receive a portion of the present, which was no inconsiderable assortment. This relieved a weight of anxiety from my mind, and I did not much regard the leader, retiring in a very dissatis- fied mood. The himters then applied to Mr. Wentzel for ammunition, that OF THE POLAR SEA. 211 they miffbt go a hunting in the mornin«;, and it was cheerfully giv eii to them. The olhrxTs and men amused themselves at piison-hais, anvl other Canadian t^anies till two o'rlock in the nioiMiina;, an;e it mif^ht appear to us, aiul that he, as the leader of his party, liad to bei; for them all ; but as he saiv that we had not deceived him by concealinj; any of om goods, and that we really had nothing left, he should ask for no more. He then told me that he would set out for the river m soon as the state of the country admitted of their travellinjir. The snow, he remarked, was still too deep for sledges to the iiorlh ward, and the moss too wet to make lires. He was seconded in this opinion hy Long-legs, who n 1 was the more inclined tu be- lieve, from knowing that he was anxious to rejoin his family a^ soon as possible. Akaitcho now accepted the dress he had formerly refused, and next day clothed himself in another new suit, which he had re- ceived from us in the autimin. Kver since his arrival at tht fort, he had dressed meanly, and pleaded poverty ; but, perceiv- ing that nothing more could be gained by such conduct, he thoua;lii proper to shew' some of his riches to the strangers who were daily arriving at the fort. In the afternoon, however, he mack another, though a covert attack upon us. He informed me thai two old men had just arrivecj at the encampment with a little pounded meat, which they wished to barter. It was evident his intention was merely to discover whether we had any goods remaininj; or not. I told him that we had nothing at present to give for meal, however much we stood in need of it, but that we would pay for it by notes on the North-West Company, in any kind of goods tliey pleased. After much artful circumlocution, and repeated as- surances of the necessities of the men who owned the meat, he introduced them, and they readily agreed to give us the provision on our own terms. I have deemed it my duty to give the preceding details of the tedious conversations we had with Akaitcho, to point out to future travellers, the art with which these Indians pursue their objects, their avaricious nature, and the little reliance that can be placed upon them when their interests jar with their promises. In tliese respects they agree vvitii other tribes of northern Indians : but, a<^ OF THE POLAR SF.A. •,»7ft ;ias been alrcaily mentioned, tlieir dispositions arc not nucl, and their hearts are readily moved by the cry of distress. The averaf?e temperature for May was nearly ii'i", the greatest heat was <)8% the lowest S". We had constant daylij^ht at tlie end of the month, and «;eese ,ind tUicks were abundant, indeed rather too niueh so, for our hun- ters were apt to waste upon them the ammunition that was 2;iven to them for killint; deer. Uncertain as to the lenc;tb of time that our ammunition might be required to last, wc did not deem a ffoosc of equal value with the charge it cost to procure it. Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hack having visited the country to the • northward of the Slave Rock, and reported that they liiOMgiit wc iiiiilht travel over it, I signified my intention of send-ng the first party olFon Monday the 1th of June. I was anxious to get the Indians to move on before, but they lingered al)out the house, evidently witli the intention of picking up such articles as we nii*ht deem unnecessary to take. When Akuitcho was made ac- quainted with my purpose of sending away a party of men, he came to inform mo that he would ap|)oint two hunters to accom- pny them, and at the same time requested that Dr. Richardson. or as he called him, the Medicine Chief, might be sent with his own band. These Indians set a great value upon medicine, and made many demands upon Dr. Richardson on the prospect of his departuje. He had to make up little packets, of the difl'orcnt arti- cles in his chest, not only for the leader, but for eacii of the minor chiefs, who carefully placed them in their medicine bags, noting in their memories the directions he gave for their use. The readi- ness with which their requests for medical assistance were com- plied with, was considered by them as a strong mark of our good intentions towards them ; and the leader often remarked, that they owed much to our kindness in that respect ; that formerly num bcrs had died every year, but that not a life had been lost since our arrival amongst them. In the present instance, however, the leader's request could not be complied with. Dr. Richardson had volunteered to conduct the first party to the Copper-Mine River, whilst the rest of the officers remained with me to the last mo- ment to complete our astronomical observations at the house. Ho. lU f 'Iff IhI I f ''fvjltjl piB|| •-• i^m llfrf ■; WB^^M Ki w^ i' ' wM H^ f«T 'j^ '^^^n^l ^^v^^mS^k ^. Iwl fm^ ! ij^nP r^K^ < 9| |a| / V 280 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES ^^i.^-,:-^. III' M;it 3i M- '» therefore, informed the leader that he would remain stationary at Point Irke until the arrival of the whole party, where he might be easily consulted if any of his people fell sick, as it was in the neip;hbourhood of their himting grounds. On the 2d the stores were packed up in proper sized bales for the journey. 1 had intended to send the canoes by the first party* but they were not yet repaired, the weather not being sulficientiy warm to permit the men to work constantly at them, without the hazard of breaking the bark. This day one of the new tradino- guns which we had recently received from Fort Chipewyan, burst in the hands of a young Indian ; fortunately, however, without doing him any material injury. This is the sixth accident of the kind which has occurred to us since our departtire from Slave Lake. Surely this deficiency in the quality of the guns, which hazards the lives of so many poor Indians, requires the serious consideration of the principals of the trading Compaiiies. On the 4th, at three in the morning, the party under the charge of Dr. Richardson started. It consisted of fifteen voyagers, three of them conducting dog sledges, Baldhead and Basil, two Indian hunters with their wives, Akaiyazzeh a sick Indian and his wife, together with Angelique and Roulante ; so that the party consist- ed of twenty-three exclusive of children. The burdens of the men were about eighty pounds each, ex- clusive of their personal baggage which amounted to nearly as much more. Most of them dragge.u)n they could on their way to Point Lake. I then (1c:>ire(i Mr. Wcni/.el to inform Akaitcho in the presence of the other Iiulians, that I wished a deposit of provision to he m:v\>^ at this pl.ico previo'is to next September, as a resource sliould we return lliis way. He and OF THE POLAR SEA. £81 e women, the guides not only promised to see this done, but sHgs;ested that it would be more secuie if placed in the cellar, or in iMr. Went- zel's room. The Do^-ribs, they said, would respect any thing that was in the house as knowinsi; it to bclonj; to ihe white people. At the close of this conversation Akaitcho exclaimed with a smile, <' I see now that you have really no g;oods left, (the rooms and stores being completely stripped,) and therefore I shall not trouble you any more, but use my best endeavours to prepaie provision for you, and I think if the animals are tolerably numerous, we may get plenty before you can embark on the river." Whilst the Indians were packing up this morning, one of the women absconded. She belongs to the Dog-rib tribe, and had been taken by force from her relations by her present husb.md, v\ho has treated her very harshly. The fellow was in niy room when his moiher announced the departure of his wife, and received the in- telligence with great composure as well as the seasonable reproof of Akaitcho. " You are rightly served," said the chief to him, '•and will now have to carry all your things yourself, instead of having a wife to drag them." One hunter remained after the de- parture of the other Indians. On the 5th the Dog-rib woman presented herself on a hill at Home distance from the house, but was afraid to approach us until the interpreter went and told her that neither we nor the Indian who remained with us, would prevent her from going where she pleased. Upon this she came to solicit a lire-steel and kettle. She was at first low-spirited, iVom the non-ai rival ol a country woaian, who had promised to elope with her. but hail probably been too narrowly watched. The Indian hunter, ho-vever, having given her some directions as to the most pioper mode of jouuug her own tribe, she became more composed, and ultimately agree! to adopt his advice of proceeding at once to Foil Frovitieuce, instead ol wandering about the country all summer in search of them, at the immiueut hazard of being starved. On the 7th the wind changing to the southward, dispersed the clouds which had obscured the sky for severautays, and produced a change of temperature under which the suuw rapidly disappear- ed. The thermometer rose to 73", many Hies came forth, mus- N n un H V/ .'; M i^P'i i ,'■ t8t A .TOURNEY TO THE SHORES it ' 1 ' ' t A fit, •m .( .■» k "'. I Iff kt llff It lit qnitoes shewed themselvt^s for fhe first time, and one swallow made its appearance. We were the more piratified with these in- dications of summer, that St. Germain was ennhled to commence upon the repair of the canoes, and hefore night had completed the two which had received the least injury. Augustus killed two deer to-day. On the 10th the dip of the magnetic needle heing ohscrved, shewed a decrease of 22' 44 ", since last autumn. The repairs of the third canoe were finished this evening. The snow was now confined to the hascs of the hills, and our Inquimaux ; with this party and two In- dian hunters, we quitted F'ort Enterprize, most sincerely rejoic- ina; that the long- wished for day hail arrived, when we were to proceed towards the final object of the Expedition. We left in one of the rooms a box, containing a journal of the occurrences up to this date, the charts, and some drawings which was to be conveyed to Fort Chipewyan by Mr. Wentzel, on his return from the sea, and from tlience to be sent to England. The room was blocked up, and, by the advice of Mr. Wentzel, a draw- 'm% representing a man holding a dagger in a tbrcatening attitude, was affixed to the door, to deter any Indians from breaking it open. We directed our course towards the Dog-rib Rock, but as * It will ho seen hereafter tliat [ Iiad the misfortune to lose my portfoho comaiiiiiig my jinn-nals fioiii Fort Enterprize to the 14lli of Septt niber. But tlif loss has bien amply redeemtd by my brotlier officers' journals, front which the narrative up to tliat period has been chiefly compiled. 5S4 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES fll'ff'il, , m> our companions were loaded with the weij^ht of near one hundred and eighty pounds weight each, wc of necessity proceeded at a slow pace. The day was extremely warm, and the musquitoes, whose attacks had hitherto heen feeble, issued forth in swarms from the marshes, and were very tormenting. Having walked five miles we encamped near a small cluster of pines about two miles from the Dog-rib Rock. The canoe party had not been seen since they set out. Our hunters went forward to Marten Lake, intending to wait for us at a place where two deer were deposited. At nine P.M. the temperature of the air was 6;^". We resumed our march at an early hour, and crossed several lakes which lay in our course, as the ice enabled the men to diaf their burdens on trains formed of sticks and decrs' horns, with more ease than they could carry them on their backs. We were kej)t constantly wet by this operation, as the ice had broken near the shores of the lakes, but ihis inconvenience was not re^^arded. as the day was unusually warm : the temperature at two P,M, being 82 1°. At Marten Lake we joined the canoe party, and encamped with them. We had the mortification of learning from our hunters that the meat they had put en cache here, had been destroyed by the wolverenes, and we had in consequence, to fur- nish the supper from our scanty stock of dried meat. The wind changed from S.E to N.E. in the evening, and the weather be- came very cold, the thermometer being 43* at nine P.M. The few dwarf birches we could collect afforded fire insufficient to keep us warm, and we retired under the covering of our blankets as soon as the supper was despatched. The ^p.E. breeze rendered the night so extremely cold, that we procured but little sleep, having neither fire nor shelter, for though we carried our tents, we had been forced to leave the tent poles which we could not now replace; we therefore gladly recommenced the journey at five in the morning, and travelled through the remaining pari of the lake on the ice. Its surface being quite smooth, the canoes were dragged along expeditiously by the dogs, and the rest of the party had to walk very quick to keep pace with them, which oc- casioned them to get many heavy falls. By the time we had reached the end of the lake, the wind had increased to a perfect OF THE POLAR SEA. 285 iple, an :! the atmosphere was so cold that we could not proceed with the canoes further without the risk of hreakina; the hark and seriously injuring them, we therefore crossed Winter River in them, and put up on a ridjjje of sand hills in a well sheltered place, put as the stock of provision was scanty, we determined on pro- ceeding as quick as possible, and leaving; the canoe party under the charge of Mr. Wentzel. We parted from them in the afternoon and first directed our course towards a range of hills, where we ex- pected to find Antonio Fontano, who had separated from us in the mornin^!^. In crossing towards these hills I fell through the ice into the lake, with my bundle on my shoulders, but was soon extricated without receivitjg any injury ; and Mr Hack, who left ijs to go in search of the straggler, met with a similar accident in the evening. W^e put up on a ridge of sand hills, where we found some pines, and made a large fire to apprise Mr. Back and Fon- tano of our situation. St. Germain having killed a deer in tbe afternoon, we rciceived an acceptable supply of meat. The night was stormy and very cold. At five next morning our men were sent in difierent directions after our absent companions, but as the weather was foggy we despaired of finding them unless they should chance to hear the muskets our people were desired to fire. They returned, how- ever, at ten, brinj^^lng intelligence of them. I went immediately with Heburn to join Mr. Back, and directed Mv. Hood to pro- ceed with the Canadians, and halt with them at a spot where the hunters had kilh.'d a deer. Thotigh Mr. Back was much fatigued, he set ofi* with ime immediately, and in the evening we rejoined our friends on the borders of the Big Lake. The Indians inform- ed us that Fontano only remained a few hours with them, and then cc"^*inued his journey. We had to oppose a violent gale and frequent snow storms through the day, which unseasonable weather caused the ten)perature to descend below the freezing point this evening. The situation of our encampment being bleak, and our fuel stunted green willows, we passed a very cold and un- comfortable night. June 18. — Though the breeze was moderate this morning, the itmosphere was piercingly k-jen. When on the point of starting, ■M #, i^ &> ^'■ i /r J 386 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES riuim * 4 we peireived Mr. Wentzel's party comino;, and awaited his arrj. val to learn whether the canoes had received any injury durinfr the severe weather of yesterday. Findiua; that they had not we proceeded to a;et upon the ice on the lake, which could not be effected without walking up to the waist in water, for some dis- tance from its borders. We had not the command of our feet in this situation, and the men fell often ; poor Junius broke tlirotia;h the ice with his heavy burden on his back, but fortunately was not hurt. This lake is extensive, and larfije arms branch from its main course in different directions. At these parts we crossed the pro- jecting points of land, and on each occasion had to wade as be- fore, which so wearied every one, that we rejoiced when we reached its north side and encamped, thousj;h our rest ins; -place was a bare rock. We had the happiness of finding Fontano ai this place. The poor fellow had passed the three precedini>;days without tasting food, and was exhausted by anxiety and huno-er. His sufferings were considered to have been a sulfioient punish- ment for his imprudent conduct in separating from us, and wo only admonished him to be more cautious in future. Having received information that die hunters had killed a deer, we sent three men to fetch the nieat. which was distributed be- tween our party, and the canoe men who had been encamped near to us. The thermometer at three P.M. was 46*, and at nine 34°. We commenced the following day by crossing a lake about four miles in length, and then passed over a succession of ruc;ged hills for nearly the same distance. The men being anxious to reach some pine-trees, which they had seen on their former journey, walked • quick pace, though they were suffering from swelled legs and rheumatic pains; we coukl not, however, attain the desired point, and therefore encamped on the declivity of a hill, which sheltered us from the wind ; and used the rein-deer moss for fuel, whic' afforded us more warnjlh than we expected. We perceived several patches of snow yet remaining on the sur- rounding hills. The thermometer varied to day between 55" and 45". OP THE POLAR SEA. 287 On the 20th of June we bpojan our march bV crossinjj a small lake, not without much risk, as the surface of the ice was covered with water to the depth of two feet, and there were many holes into which we clipped, in spite of our efforts to avoid them. A few of the men beinuj fearful of attemptinij; the traverse with their heavy loads, walked round the oasttMn end of the lake. The par- ties met on the sandy rid^re, which se|)arales the streams that fall into Winter Lake fiom ihose that flow to the northward ; and here we kil'ed three deer. Nciu- tiic base of this rido;e we cross- ed a small but rapid stream, in wlucb there is a remarkable cas- cade of about fifty feet descent. Some Indians joined us here, and save us information respectini; the situation of Dr. Richard- son's tent, vvhich our hunters considered was sufficient for our guidance, and therefore proceeiled as quickly as they could. Wo marched a few miles farther in the eveuina;, and encamped among some pines; but the comfort of a i!;o()d rtre did not comj)ensate for the torment we suffered from the host of musquitoes we found at this spot. The temperatm-e was 5^". We set off* next morninij; at a very early hour. The men took the course of Point Lake, that they mi:i;ht use their sled2;ps, but the officers pursued the nearest route by land to Dr. Richardson's tent, vvhich we reached at eleven A.M. It was situated on the western side of an arm of the lake, and near to the part through which the Copper-Mine River runs. Our men arrived soon after us, and in the evenins; Mr. Wentzel and his party, with the ca- noes in excellent condition. They were much jaded by their fa- tiguina; journey, aner, but in the course of the evening the Indians killed two deer, which were immediately sent for. The channel of the lake through which we had passed to-day was bounded on both sides by islands of considerable height, pre- senting bold and rugged scenery. We were informed by our guide, that a large hotly of the lake lies to the northward of a long island which we passed. Another deer w ts killed next morning, but as the men break- fasted off it before they started, the additional weight was not ma- terially felt. The burthens of the men being, considerably light- ened by the arrangements of last evening, the party walked at the rate of one mile and three quarters an hour until the afternoon, when our pace was slackened, as the surface of the ice was more rough, and our lame companions felt their sores very galling. At noon we passed a deep bay on the south side, which is said to receive a river. Throughout the day's march the hills on each side of the lake bore a strong resemblance, in height and form, to * ■^^ OF THE POLAR SEA, W\ . those about Fort Entcrprize. Wc encamped on the north main shore, among some spruce trees, havinsj walketl cii^ht miles and a half. Three or four lisli were caught with lines through holes, which the water had worn in the ice. Wc perceiveil a slight westerly current at these places. It rained heavily during the night, and this was succeeded hy a dense fog on the morning of the 28th. Being short of |)rovi- sioiis we commenced our journey, though the points of land were not discernible beyond a short distance. The surface of the ice, being honeycombed by the recent rains, presented innumerable bharp points, which tore our shoes, and lacerated the feet at every step. The poor dogs, too, marked their path with their blood. In the evening the atmosphere became clear, and, at five P.M., we reached the rapid by which Point Lake communicates with Red-Rock Lake. This rapid is only one hundred yards wide, and we were much disappointed at finding the Copper-iVIine River such an inconsiderable stn^am. The canoes descended the rapid, but the cargoes were carried across the peninsula, and placed again on the sledges, as the next lake was still frozen. VVc passed an extensive arm, branching to the eastward, and encamp- ed just below it, on the »vestern bank, among spruce pines, hav- ing walked six miles of direct distance. The rolled stones on the beach are principally red clay slate, hence its Indian appellation, which we have retained. We continued our journey at the usual hour next morning. At noon the variation was observed to be 47^ east. Our attention was afterwards directed to some pine branches, scattered on the ice, which proved to be marks placed by our hunters, to guide us to the spot where they had deposited the carcasses of two small deer. This supply was very seasonable, and the men cheerfully dragged the additional weight. Akaitcho, judging from the ap- pearance of the meat, thought it had been placed here three days ago, and that the hunters were considerably in advance. We put up, at six P.M., near the end of the lake, having come twelve miles and three quarters, and found the channel open by which it is connected with the Rock-nest Lake. A river was pointed out, bearing south from our encampment, which is said to rise # »f 2fiii A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES m near Oreat Marten Lake. Red-rock Lake is in e;encral narrow its shelvint; banks are well clothed with wood, and even the hills which attain an elevation of four hundred or five hundred feet are ornamented, half-way up, with stunted pines. On June 30, the men having; gummed the canoes, embarked with their burdens to descend the river ; but we accompanied the Indians about five miles across a neck of land, when we also cm- barked. The river was about two hundred yards wide, and its course bcinj; uninterrupted, we cherished a sanf!;uine hope of now getting on more speedily, until we perceived that the waters of Rock-nest Lake were still bound by ice, and that recourse must aj^ain be had to the sledsjes. The ice was much decayed, and we were exposed to great risk of breaking through in making the traverse. In one part we had to cross an o\)e\\ channel in the canoes, and in another were compelled to quit the lake, and make a portage along the land. When the party had got upon the ice again, our guide evinced much uncertainty as to the route. He first directed us towards the west end of the lake ; but when we hod nearly gained that point, he discovered a remarkable rock to the north-east, named by the Indians the Rocknest, and then re- collected that the river ran at its base. Our course was immedi- ately changed to that direction, but the traverse we had then to make was more dangerous than the former one. The ice cracked under us at every step, and the party were obliged to separate themselves widely to prevent accidents. We landed at the first point we could approach, but having found an open channel close to the shore, we were obliged to ferry the goods across on pieces of ice. The fresh meat being expended, we had to make another inioad on our pounded meat. The evening was very warm, and the nuisquitoes numerous. A large lire was made to apprise the hunters of our advance. The scenery of Rock-nest Lake is pic- turesque, its shores are rather low, except at the Rock's-nest, and two or three eminences on the eastern side. The only wood is the pine, which is twenty or thirty feet high, and about one foot in diameter. Our distance to-day was six miles. Jult/ 1. — Our guide directed us to proceed towards a deep bay on the north side of the lake, where he supposed we should find TMh »• jT'ii *: or THE POLAR SEA. 29^ the rivor. Tn consequence of the had state of the ice, we employ* ed all the clitTercnt modes of travellin<; wv. had previously follow ed in attaining this place; and, in crossinii: a point of land, had the misfijitiMie to lose one of the dogs, which s«t otf in pursuit of some rein-deer. Arrivins: at the bay, we only found a stream that fell into it front the northeast, and looked in vain for the Copper- Mine River. This circumstance conftised the j;i;uide, and he con- fessed that he was now doubtful of the proper route; we. there- fore, halted, and despatched him, with two men, to look for the river from the top of the hi};h hills near the Nest-rock. During !Jiis delay a sliji;ht injury was repaireri, whicii one of th.' catioes 'lid received. We were here amused by the mterestinsj spectacle J. i wolf chasinj; two rcin-ileer on the ice. 'I'he pursuer being ilurnied at the sii;ht of our men, p;ave up the chase when near to •lie hindmost, much lo our rej!;ret, for we were calculating upon ihe chance of sharing in his capture. At four P.M. our men returned, with the a2;reeal)le information ihnt they had seen the river flowin*;; at the base of the Rock-nest. The canoes and stores were immediately placed on the ice, and Jrag^ed thither ; we then embarked, but soon had to cut throu;];h a barrier of drift ice that blocked up the way. We afterwards descended two strong rapids, and encamped near to the discharge of a small stream which flows from an adjoining lake. The Cop- per-Mine River, at this point, is about two hundred yards wide, and ten feet deep, and flows very rapidly over a rocky bottom. The scenery of its banks is picturesque, the hills shelve to the water-side, and are well covered with wood, and the surface of die rocks is richly ornamented with lichens. The Indians say that the same kind of country prevails as far as Mackenzie's River in this parallel ; but that the land to the eastward is per- fectly barren. Akaitcho and one of the Indians killed two deer, ivhich were immediately sent for. Two of the hunters arrived 111 the night, and we learned that their companions, instead of being in advance, as we supposed, were staying at the place where we first found the river open. They had only seen our fires last evening, and had sent to examine who we were. The circum stance of having passed them was very vexatious, as they had 'v 294 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES Li 1 ^t 'tf "If* -J? three deer <•;» cache, at their encampment. However, an Indian was sent to desire those who remained to join us, and bring tiie meat. * We embarked at nine A.M. on July 2nd, and descended a suc- cession of strong rapids for three miles. We were carried alonw ^ witi) extraordinary rapidity, shooting over large stones, upon which a single stroke would have been destructive to the canoes- and we were also in danger of breaking them, from the want of the long poles which lie along their bottoms and equalize their cargoes, as they plunged very much, and on one occasion the iirst canoe was almost fdled with the waves. But there was no re- ceding after we had once launched into the stream, and our safety depended on the skill and dexterity of the bowmen and steers- men. The banks of the river here are rocky, and the scenery beautiful ; consisting of gentle elevations and dales wooded to liic edge of the stream, and flanked on both sides at the distance of three or four miles by a range of round-backed barren hills, up- wards of six hundred feet high. At the foot of the rapids the high lands receded to a greater distance, and the liver flowed with a more gentle current, in a wider channel, through a level and open country consisting of alluvial sand. In one place the pas- sage was blocked up by drift ice, still covered to some depth with snow A channel for the canoes was made for some way with the hatchets and poles ; but on reaching the more compact part we were under the necessity of transporting the canoes and cargoes across it ; an operation of much hazard, as the snow con- cealed the numerous holes which the water had made in the ice. This expansion of the river being mistaken by the guide for a lake, which he spoke of as the last on our route to the sea, we supposed that we should have no more ice to cross, and therefore encamped after passing through it, for the purpose of fitting the canoes properly for the voyage, and to provide poles, which are not only necessary to strengthen them when placed in the bot- tom, but essentially requisite for the safe management of them in dangerous rapids. The guide began afterwards to doubt whether the lake he meant was not further on, and he was sent with two men to examine into tlie fact, who returned in the evening with OF THE POLAR SEA. 295 the infoi''"3tion of its being below us, but that there was an open cnannel through it. This day was very sultry, several plants ap- peared i' flower. The men were employed in repairing their canoes to a late hour, and commenced very early next morning, as we were desirous of availing ourselves of every part of this favourable weather for their operations. The hunters arrived in the course of the rijrht. It appeared that the dog which escaped from us two days 350 came into the vicinity of their encampment, howling piteous- ly; seeing him witi^'^ut his harness, they came to the hasty conclu- sion that our whole party had perished in a rapid ; and throwing 3\vay part of their baggage, and leaving the meat behind them, they setoff with the utmost haste to join Long-legs. Our messen- ger met theai in their flight, but too far advanced to admit of their returning for the meat. Akaitcho scolded them heartily for their thoughtlessness in leaving the meat, which we so much want- ed. They expressed their regret, and being ashamed of their panic, proposed to remedy the evil as much as possible by going for- ward, without stopping until they came to a favourable spot for hunting, which they expected to do about thirty or forty miles below our present encampment. Akaitcho accompanied them, but previous to setting off' he renewed his charge that we should be on our guard against the bears, which was occasioned by the hunters having fired at one this morning as they were descend- ing; a rapid in their canoe. As their small canoes would only carry five persons, two of the hunters had to walk in turns along the banks. In our rambles round the encampment, we witnessed with plea- sure the progress which the vegetation had made within the few last warm days; most of the trees had put forth their leaves, and several flowers ornamented the moss-covered ground ; many of the smaller summer birds were observed in the woods, and a va- riety of ducks, gulls, and plovers, were seen on the banks of the river. The river is about three hundred yards wide at this jiart, is deep and flows over a bed of alluvial sand. We caught some trout of considerable size with our lines, and a few white fish in the nets, which maintained us, with a little assistance from the Hi. # 296 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 'H' ,fJ^ I'M 1*1 I 1 >r pemmiran. The rep; ir of our canoes was completed this even- ins. Previous to emharkins; I issued an order that no rapid should in futinc be desLended until the bowmen had examined it and decided upon its being; safe to run. Wherever the least dan- ger was to be apprehended, or the crew had to disembark for the purpose of lifi;hteninf>; the canoe, the ammunition, j^uns and instru- ments, were always to be put out and carried alonj;; the bank ; that we mi2;ht be provided with the means of subsisting ourselves in case of any accident befallinc; the canoes. -The situation of our encampment was ascertained to he 65' 43' 28" N., longitude 114° 26' 45" W., and the variation 42' 17 22" E, At four in the morninaiof July 4th we embarked and descend- ed a succession of very agitated rapids, but took the precaution of landing the articles mentioned yesterday, wherever there ap- peared any hazard ; notwithstanding all our precautions the lead- ing canoe struck with great force against a stone, and the bark was split, but this Injury was easily repaired, and we regretted only the loss of time. At eleven we came to an expansion of the river where the current ran with less force, and an accumu- lation of drift ice had, in consequence, barred the channel ; wliicli the canoes and cargoes were carried over. The ice in many places adhered to the banks, and projected in wide ledges several feet thick over the stream, which had hollowed them out be- neath. On one occasion as the people were embarking from one of these ledges, it suddenly gave way, and three men were pre- cipitated into the water, but were rescued without further dam- age than a sound ducking, and the canoe fortunately, (and nar- rowly) escaped being crushed. Perceiving one of the Indians sit- ting on the east bank of the river, we landed, and having learn- ed from him that Akaitcho and the hunters had gone in pursuit ot a herd of musk oxen, we encamped, having come twenty-four miles and a half. In the afternoon they brought us the agreeable intelligence of their having killed eight cows, of which four were full grown. All the party were immediately despatched to bring in this seasonable supply. A young cow irritated by the firing of the hunters ran V OF THE POLAR SEA. t91 down to the river, and passed close to me when walking at a short distance from the tents. I fired and wounded it, when the animal instantly turned, and ran at me, but I avoided its fury by jumping aside and getting upon an elevated piece of ground. In the mean time some people came from the tents, and it took to flight. The musk oxen, like the buffalo, herd together in bands, and generally frequent the barren grounds during the summer months, keeping near to the banks of the river, but retire to the woods in winter. They seem to be less watchful than most other wild ani- mals, and when grazing are not difficult to approach, provided the hunters go against the wind ; when two or three men get so near a herd as to fire at them from different points, these animals, instead of separating or running away, huddle closer together, and seve- ral are generally killed ; but if the wound is not mortal they be- come enraged and dart in the most furious manner at the hunters, who must be very dexterous to evade them. They can defend themselves by their powerful horns against the wolves and bears, which, as the Indians say, they not unfrequently kill. The musk oxen feed on the same substances with the rein-deer, and the prints of the feet of these two animals are so much alike that it requires the eye of an experienced hunter to distinguish them. The largest of these animals hilled by us did not exceed in weight three hundred pounds. The flesh has a musky dis- agreeable flavour, particularly when the animal is lean, which un- fortunately for us was the case with all that were now killed by us. During this day's march the river varied in breadth from one hundred to two hundred feet, and except in two open spaces, a very strong current marked a deep descent the whole way. It flows over a bed of gravel, of which also its immediatis banks are composed. Near to our encampment it is hounded by cliffs of fine sand from one hundred to two hundred feet high. Sandy plnins ex- tend on a level with the summit of these cliffs, and at the distance of six or seven miles are terminated by ranges of hills eight hundred or one thousand feet high. The grass on these plains affords ex- cellent pasturage for the musk oen, and they generally abound hero. The hunters added two more to our stock in the course of T'p ''•i'; m ml «'.S ',*» I I li I ft' / h'':i 4 \i !59ft A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES I * 'is ' 1^ aj y, the ni«cht. As we had now more meat than the party could con- sume fresh, we delayed our voyage next day for the purpose of drying it. The hunters were supplied with more ammunition and sent forward ; hut Akaitcho, his brother, and another Indian re- mained with us. It may here be proper to mention, that the officers had treated Akaitcho more distantly since our departure from Point Lake, for the purpose of shevvinj^ him their opitiionof his misconduct. The dilifjjence in hunting, however, which he had evinced at this place induced us to receive him more familiarly when he came to the tent this evening. During our conversation he endeavoured to excite suspicions in our minds against the Hook, by saying, "I am aware that you consider me the worst man of my nation ; but 1 know the Hook to be a great rogue, and, I think, he will dis- appoint you." On the morning of the 6th we embarked, and descended a series of rapids, having twice unloaded the canoes where the water was shallow. After passing the mouth of the Fiiry* Lake River the rapids ceased. The main stream was then about three hundred yards wide, and generally deep, though, in one part, the channel was interrupted by several sandy banks, and low alluvial islands covered with willows. It flows between banks of sand thinly wooded, and as we advanced the barren hills approached the vva- teiV edge. At ten we rejoined our hunters, who had killed a deer, and halted to breakfast. We sent them forward ; one of them, who was walking along the shore afterwards, fired upon two brown bears, and wounded one of them, which instantly turned and pursued him. His companions in the canoes put ashore to his assistance, but did not succeed in killing the bears, which fled upon • This is an Indian name. The Northern Indian faries are six inches high, lead a life similar to the Indians, and are excellent huntei's. Those who liave had tlie good fortune to fall in with their tiny encampments have been kindly treated, and regaled on venison. We did not learn with certainty whether the existence of these delightful creatures is known from Indian tradition, or whether the Indians owe their knowledge of them to their intercourse with the traders, but tliinkthe former probable. •" OF THE POLAR SEA. 299 the reinforcement connlna; up. During; the delay thus occasioned we overtook them, and they continued with us during the rest of the (lay. We encamped at the foot of a lofty ranpje of mountains, which appear to be from one thousand two hundred to one thousand live hundred feet high ; they are in general round backed, but the out- line is not even, being interrupted by craggy conical eminences. This is the first ridge of hills we have seen in this country, that deserves the appellation of a mountain range ; it is probably a con» tinuation of the stony mountains crossed by llearne. Many plants appeared in full flower near the tents, and Dr. Kichardson gather- ed some high up on the hills. The distance we made to-day was fifty miles. There was a hoar frost in the night, and the temperature, at four next morning, was 40° : embarking at that hour we glided quickly down the stream, and by seven arrived at the Hook's encamp- ment, which was placed on the summit of a lofty sand clitt'. whose base was washed up the river. This chief had with him only three hunters, and a few old men and their families, the rest of his band having remained at their snares in Bear Lake. His brother, Long-legs, and our guide Keskarrah, who had joined him three days before, had ^^mm inicated to him our want of provision, and we were happy to ..nd that, departing from the general practice of Indian chiel's, he entered at once upon the business, without making along speech. As an introductory mark of our regard, I decorat- ed him with a medal, similar to those which had been given to the other leaders. The Hook began by stating, " that he was aware of our being destitute of provision, and of the great need we had of an ample stock, to enable us to execute our undertaking ; and his regret, that the unusual scarcity of animals this season, together with the circumstance of his having only just received a supply of am- munition from Fort Providence, had preventeti him from collecli g the quantity of meat he had wished to do for our use. The amount, indeed," he said, " is very small, but I will chccjftdly give you what 1 have : we are too much iniiebted to the svhite people, to allow them to want food on our lands, whilst we have any to give them. Our families can live on fish until we can procure more lyj'^ r mi 300 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES Wi 1. !!^ I 4 •, It ji' 1 1 'II ,1 -t^i * 1 meat, but the season is too short to allow of jour delaying;, to sain subsistence in that manner." He immediately desired, aloud, that the women should bring all the meat they had to us ; and we soon collected sufficient to make three bags and a half of pemmican besides some dried meat and tongues. We were truly delighted by this prompt and cheerful behaviour, and would gladly have reward- ed the kindness of himself and his companions by some substantial present, but we were limited by the scantiness of our store to a small donation of fifteen charges of ammunition to each of the chiefs. In return for the provision they accepted notes on the North-Wesi Company, to be paid at Fort Providence ; and to these ■was subjoined an order for a few articles of clothing, as an additional present. I then endeavoured to prevail upon the Hook to remain in this vicinity with his hunters until the autumn, and to make de- posits of provisions in different parts of the course to the sea, as a resource for our party, in the event of our being compelled to re turn by this route. He required time, however, to consider this mailer, and promised to give me an answer next day. 1 was re- joiced to find him then prei)ared to meet my wish, and the follow- ing pl;m was agreed u})on : — As the animals abound, at all times on the borders of IJear Lake, they promised to remain on the east side of it until the month of November at that spot which is nearest to the Copper-Mine Kiver, from whence there is a communica- tion by a chain of lakes and portages. There the principal de- posit of provision was to be made ; but during the summer the hiMitcrs were to be employed in putting up supplies of dried meat at convenient distances, not only along the communication from this river, but also upon its banks, as far down as the ( opper JMoun- tain. They were also to place particular marks to guifle our course to their lodper-Mine River, ami at the point where it resumes a northern course, and forties a pas- saaie throufj;h the lofty ridj^e of mountains, to which it had mii parallel for the last thirty miles. As the Indians travel from hence with their fanulies, in three days, to the point where they propose stayinjj; for us, the distance, 1 think, cainiot exceeil forty miles* and, admitting the course to he due west, which is the dircciion the guide pointed, that distance would jjlace the eastern part of Bear Lake in 118^ VV. longitude. Beyond this s|)ot the river is diminished in hreadlh, and a suc- cession of rapids are formed ; hut as the water was deep, ue passed ih»ough them without dischanring any part of the car^;oos. It still runs hetween high ranges of mountams, though its acliiul boundaries .ue hanks of mud mixed with clay, which are clothed with stunted pines. We picked u|) a deer which the hunters had shot, and killed another from the canoe; and also received ;mi ad- dition to our stock of provision of seven young geese, ivhich the hunters had beaten down with their sticks. Ahout six P M., we perceived a mark on the shore, which, on examination,' was found to have been recently put up by some Indians; and, on proceed- ing further, we discerned stronger proofs of their being near to that spot ; we therefore encamped, and made a large live as a signal, which they answered in a similar way. Mr. Wentzel was immediately sent, in expectation of getting provision from them. On bis return, we learned that the party consisted of three old Copper Indians, with their faioilies, who had sup|ioried them- selves with the bow and arrow since last autumn, not h;iving visited Fort Providence for more tiian a year; and so successlul had they been, that they were enabletl to su|)ply us with upwards of seventy pounds of dried meat, and six moose skins lit for making shoes, which were the more valuahle, as we were apprehensive ol being barefooted before the journey could be completed. The evenin;n n as sidtry, and the mosquitoes appeare^lf in great numbers The distance made to-day twenty-five miles. or THE POLAR SKA. 303 On the followinf( morninji; \vc went down to (licsc Inflians, and rjclivered to them notes on the North-West ('ompany, for the nient and skins they had furnished ; and we had then the mortifi- cation of learninjj;, that not havin f Hearne visited. The plains are crowned by several clumps of mo- derately large spruces, about thirty feet hij^h. This evening the Indians made a large tire, as a signal to the Hook's party that we had passed the terrijic rapid in safety. The position of our encampment was ascertained to be, latiti(]o 67° 1' 10" N., longitude 116° 'il' 28" W., variation of the com- pass 44'^ 11" 43" K., dip of the needle 87° 31' 18". Some thunder showers retarded the drying of the meat, and our embarkation was delayed next day. The hunters were sent forward to hunt at the Copper ISlountains, under the superinlcn- dence of Adam, the interpreter, who received strict injunctions not to permit them to make any large lires, lest they should alarm straggling parties of the Esquimaux. The musquitoes were now very numerous and annoying, but we consoled ourselves with the hope that their season would be short. On the 11th we started at three A.M., and as the guide had re- presented the river below our encampment to be full of shoals, some of the men were directed to walk along the shore, but they were assailed so violently by the musquitoes, as to be com|)elle(l to embark very soon; and we afterwards passed over the shallow parts by the aid of the poles, without experiencing much interrup- tion. The current ran very rapidly, having been augmented by the waters of the Mouse River and several small stieams. We rejoined our hunters at the loot of the Coj)per Mountains, and found they had killed three musk oxen. This circumstance de- termined us on encampmg to dry the meat, as there was wood at the spot. We availed ourselves of this delay to visit the Copper Mountains in search of specimens of the ore, agreeably to my in- structions ; and a party of twenty-one persons, consisting of the officers, some of the voyagers, and all the Indians, set oti' on that excursion We travelled for nine hours over a considerable space of ground, but found only a few small pieces of native copper. The range we ascended was on the west side of the rive)-, extend- ins; W.N.W. and E.S.E. The mountains varied in hei:i;ht from one thousand two hundred to one thousand live hundred feet. For a description of tlie character of the rocks I must refer the reader OF THF. POLAR SLA. •SM to Dr. Richardson's Mineralosical Observations. 'The unifoi* injty of the mountains is interruptetl by narrow valleys traverseil bv small streams. The best specimens of metal \vc prooiiied were found among; the stones in these valleys, and it was in snoh situations that our guides directed us to search most carefully. It would appear, that when the Indians see any sparry substance projectinfj; above the surface, they dig there ; but they have no other rule to direct them, and have never found the metal in its orij^inal repository. Our guides reported that they had found coj)- per in large pieces in every part of this range, for two days' walk to the north-west, and that the Esquimaux come hither to search for it. The annual visits which the Copper Indians were accus- tomed to make to these mountains, when most of their weapons anil utensils were made of copper, have been discontinued since tliey have been enabled to obtain a supply of ice chisels and other instruments of iron by the establishment of trading posts near to their hunting grounds. That none of those who accompanied us had visited them for many years was evident, from their igno- rance of the spots most abundant in metal. The impracticability of navigating the river upwards from the sea, and the v^ant of wood for forming an establishment, would prove insuperable objections to rendering the collection of copper at this part worthy of mercantile speculation. We had the opportunity of surveying the country from several elevated positions. Two or three small lakes only were visible still partly frozen ; and much snow remained on the mountains. The trees were reduced to a scanty fringe on the borders of the river, and every side was beset by naked irountains. The day was unusually warm, and, therefore, favourable for drying the meat. Our whole stock of provision, calculated for preservation, was sufficient for fourteen days, without any dimi- nution of the ordinary allowance of three pounds to each man per day. The situation of our tents was G7" 10' 30" N., longitude 116° 25' 45" W. June 12. — The Indians, knowing the course of the river be- low this point to e only a succession of rapids, dec incd taking their canoes any airther ; bijt as I conceived one of them would .'I ■ i ti.fcil j()(i A rOlTRNC.Y 10 THF. SHOIIF.S hv roquired. should \vc \ni conipcllfd to walk alonj; Ihc coast, two ot" our men were apiiointcd to conduct it. As uc wcro now fnfcrinc^ on the confine's of the Es(|tiim;inx country our 2;uides rocoinmendfMl us to bo cniitious in liirlitiiio fires, lest \\c should discover ourselves, adding; that the same itq- son would lead them to travel ;is much as possible in the valiovs and to void crossin^j the tops of the hills. We endjarked at six A.M., taking; with us only old KeskiU-rah. The otht;r Indians walked alonu the hanks of the river. 'l'hroua;hout this day's voy- aji;c the curicnt was very slronp;, r!U'iuins2; four or five miles an hour; but the navis!;ation was tolerable, and we had to lii'litcn the canoes only onre! in a contra''led part of the river where the waves were wry hi<;h. The river is in many |)laces confmed be- tween perpendicular walls of rock to one hundred and I'lfty yards in width, and thei'c the rapids were most a of ice twelve or foiuteen feet thicdi, were slill a;-j;'lasses and other ai'ticles, that tliey mi^ht conciliate their countrymen by presents. We could not fiivest our minds of the apprehension, that it mi>;hi be a service of much hazard, if the Esquimaux were as hostile to stranujers as the Copper Indians have invariably rej)resentcd ihem to be ; and \\c felt j^rcat reluc- tance in exjjosinsi; our two little interpreters, who had rendered ihemselves dear to the whole party, to the most distant chance of receiving injury; but this course of proceeding appeared in their opinion and our own to oiler the only chance of gaining an inter- view. Though not insensible to the danger, they cheerfully pre- pared for their mission, and clothed themselves in f^squimaux dresses, which had been made for the purpose at Fort Kn'erprizc. Augustus was tlesired to make his presents, and to tell the Ks(iui- maux that the white men had come to make j)cace between them and all their enemies, and also to discover a passage by which every article of which they stood in need might be brought in large ships. He was not to mention that we were accompa- nied by the Indians, but to endeavour to prevail on some of the Esquimaux to return with him. He was iliiecteil to come back nunediately if there were no lodges at the rapid. The Indians! were not suffered to move out of our sight, but. m r:* ::kp^ 11 '',ilf i*) ' P'X. M •m 30fi A JOURNEY TO THL SHORES -jn| ,v^HHjHH ^fl %^^JWTt ^^^9 .:'i.|^| '"Si in the evening we permitted two of them to cross the river irj pursuit of a mask ox, vvhirh they killed on the beach, and re- turm.'d immediately. The officers, prompted by an anxious solici- tude for Augustus and Junius, crawled up frequently to the sum- mit of the mountain, to watch their return. The view, however, was not extensive, being bounded at the distance of eight miles by a range of hills similar to the Copper Mountains, but not so lofty. The night came without bringing any intelligence of our messen- gers, and our fears for their safety increased with the length of their absence. As every one had been interested in the welfare of these men, through their vivacity and good nature, and for the assistance they had cheerfully rendered in bearing their proportion of whatever labour might be going on, their detention formed the subject of all our CO iversation, and numerous conjectures were hazarded as to the cause. ^ Dr. Richardson having the first watch, had gone to the summit of the hill, and remained seated contemplating the river that washed the precipice under his feet, long after dusk had hid dis- tant objects from his view. H is thoughts were, perhaps, far distant fi'om the surrounding objects, when he was roused by an indis- tinct noise l)ehind him, and on locking round, perceived that nine V bite wolves had ranged themselves in form of a crescent, and were advancing, apparently with the intention of driving him into the river. On his rising up they halted, and when he advanced they made way for his passage down to the tents. He had his gun in his hand, but forbore to fire, lest there should be Esquimaux in the neighbourhood. During Mr. VVentzel's middle watch the wolves appeared repeatedly on the summit of the hill, and atone time they succeeded in driving a deer over the precipice. The animal was stunned by the fall, but recovering itself, swam across the stream, and escaped up the river. I may remark here that at midnight it was tolerably dark in the valley of the river at this time, but that an object on the eminence al)ove could be distinctly seen against the sky. The following observations were taken at this encampment, i»titude 67° 2'3' M" N., longitude 116° 6' 51" VV., variation OF THE POLAR SEA. 309 49* 46' 24" E. Thermometer 75° at three P.M. Sultry wea- ther. Aus'istus and Junius not having; returned next morning;, we were more alarmed respectins; them, and determined on proceed- ing to find out the cause of their detention, hut it was eleven A.M. hefore wc* could prevail upon the Indians to remain behind, which we wished them to do, fearing that the Esquimaux mig;ht suspect our intentions, if they were seen in our suite. We pro- mised to send for them when we had paved the way for their reception ; but Akaitcho, ever ready to augur misfortune, ex- pressed his belief that our messengers had been killed, arid that the Esquimaux, warned of our approach, were lying in wait for us, and " although," said he, " your party may be suiTiciently •tnng to repulse any hostile attack, my band is too weak, when separated from you, to offer an effectual resistance ; and there- fore we are determined to go on with you, or to return to our lands." After much argument, however, he yielded to our re- quest, and agreed to stay behind, provided Mr. Wentzel would remain with him. This gentleman was accordingly left, with a Canadian attendant, and they promised not to pass a range of hills then in view to the northward, unless we sent notice to them. The river during the whole of this day's voyage flowed between alternate cliffs of loose sand intermixe^*1 mH^ I'ivfifv:!.' 1' •■ •»' '/iff T¥ n i *■ t if a noes. Tho land in the neif^hbourhooJ of the rapid, is of the mos'i sinjj;ular form : lare;e irre}j;uhir sand hills bounding both banks apparently so unconnected that they resemble iceberf^s ; the coun- try around them consisting of high round green hills. The rivei became wide in this part, anv had requested me to prevail upon the Ksnui- mauv to receive them in a IViendly manner; to which he replied. lie should n-joice to see an end put to the hostility that existed between the nations, and, th(!refore, would most gl'it^'y wclconic our companions. llavina; despatched Adam to inform Akaitchu of this circumstance, we lel't Terragannamck, in the hope that his party would rejoin him ; hut as we had doubts whether llio young men would venture upon coming; to our tents, on the old man's bare rejiresentation, we sent Au^nslus and Junius back in the evening;, to remain with him until they came, that they niiglu fully detail to them our intentions. The countenance of Terreganncruck was oval, with asufilcicnt- ly prominent nose, and had nothing very iliftcrent from an Kmo- pean face, except in the smallness of his eyes, and, perhaps, in the narrowness of his forehead. His complexion was very fresh and red, and he had a longer beard than I have hitherto seen on any of the aboriginal inhabitants of America. It was between two and three inches long, and perfectly white. His face was not tattoed. His dress consisted of a shirt, or jacket with a hood, wide breeches, reaching only to the knee, and tight loggins ;.o\v- ed to the shoes, all of deers' skins. The soles of the shoes were made of seal-skin, and stufl'ed with feathers instead of socks. He was bent with age, but appeared about five feet ten inches high. His hands and feet were small in proportion to his height. When- ever Terregannoeuck received a present, he placed each article first on his right shoulder, then on his left ; and when he wished to express still higher satisfaction, he rubbed it over his head. He held hatchets, and other iron instruments, in the highest esteem. On seeing his countenance in a glass for the first time, he exclaim- ed, '• 1 shall never kill deer more," and immediately put the mir- ror down. The tribe to which he belongs repair to the sea in spring, and kill seals; as the season advances they hunt deer and musk oxen at some distance from the coast. Their weapon is the OF THE POLAR SKA. ni' how and arrow, and they get suflicicntly near to tlie deer, cither by crawlinjj;, or leading these animals hy ranges of turf towards a spot where the archer can conceal himself. Tlieir bows are form- ed of three pieces of fn-, the centre piece alone hent, the other two lying in the same straight line with llic bowstring; the pieces arc neatly tied together with sinew. Their canoes are similar to those we saw in Hudson's Straits, hnt smaller. Thoy get fish constantly in the rivers, and in the sea as soon as the ice bre:iks lip. This tribe does not make use of nets, but the)' are tolerably successful with the hook and line. Their cooking utensils arc made of pot-stone, and they form very nei.t dishes of (ir, the sides being made of thin deal bent into an oval form, securer! at the cutis by sewing, and fitted so nicely to the bottom as to be per- I* fectly water tight. They have also large spoons made of the horns of the musk oxen. Akaitcho and the Indians arrived at our tents in the evening, and we learned that they had seen the Esquimaux the day before, and endeavoured, without success, to open a communication with them. They exhibited no hostile intention, but were afraid to come near. Akaitcho, keeping out of their sight, followed thcui at a distance, expecting that ultimately fmding themselves enclos- ed between our party and his, they would be compelled to come to a parley with one of us. Akaitcho had seen Terregannocuck soon after our departure ; he was much terrified at their approach, and thrust his spear at Akaitcho as he had done at Augustus ; but he was soon reconciled after the demonstrations of kindness the Indians made, in cutting off the butt.ons from their dress to pre- sent to him. July 17. — ^We waited all this forenoon in momentary expecta- tion of the return of Augustus and Junius, but as they did not ap- pear at two P.M., I sent Mr. Hood, with a party of men, to in quire into the cause of their detention, and to bring the meat which Terregannocuck had promised us. He returned a^ midnight with tlie information, that none of the Esquimaux had yet ventured to come near Terregannoeuck except his aged wife, who had con- cealed herself amongst the rocks at our first interview ; and she told him the rest of the party had gone to a river, a short distance 41 llvS A .lOUUNF.Y ro IMR SHORl.f, t ,' --v.; to the westward, where there was another party ot Ksqmmaux lishinff. Augustus and Junius had erected the tent, and done every thing in their power to make llie ohl man oonifortahle in their absence. Terrcganncruck being unable to walk to the pjacc where the meat was concealed, readily pointed the spot uut to Mr. Hood, who went thither; but after experiencing much diU'i. culty in getting at the column of rock on which it was deposited he found the meat too putrid lor our use. The features of Terrc- gannanick's wife were remarkable for roundness and flatness; bur face was much tattoed, her dress dilfered little from the old man's. In the afternoon a party of nine Esquimaux appeared on tlu; cast bank of the river, about a mile below our encampment, car- rying their canoes and baggage on their backs ; but they lurncil and fled as soon as they perceived our tents. The appear- ,icc of so many diflcrent bands of P^squimaux territicd the Indu, to such a degree, that they determined on leaving us the next day, lest they should be surrounded, and their retreat cut olT. I en- deavoured, by the ofler of any renuineration they would choose, to prevail upon one or two of the hunters to proceed, but in vain; and 1 had much difliculty even in obtaining their promise to wait at the Copper Mountains for Mr. Wentzel and the four njen, whom I intended to discharge at the sea. The fears which our interpreters, St. flermain and Adam, en- tertained respecting the voyage, were now greatly increased, and both of them came this evening to request their discharges, urging that their services could be no longer requisite, as the Indians were going from us. St. Germain even said that he ha.i under- stood he was only engaged to accompany us as long as the Indians did, and persisted in this falsehood until his agreement to go with lis throughout the voyage had been twice read to him. As these were the only two of the party on whose skill in hunting we could rely, I was unable to listen for a moment to their desire of quit- ting us, and lest they should leave us by stealth, their motions were strictly watched. This was not an unnecessary precaution, as I was informed that they had actually laid a plan for eloping; but the resL of the men knowing that their own safety would of THE POLAR SF.A. nif) have been compromised had they succeeded, kept a watchfid eye over them. We knew that the dread of the Esquimaux would prevent these men from leavinc; us as soon as the Indians were at a disUmce, and we trusted to their becoming reconciled to the journey when once the novelty of a sea voyage had worn off. July IS. — As the Indians persevered in their determination of selling out this morning, I reminded them, through Mr. Wentzcl iiitl St. Germain, of the necessity of our having the deposit of provision made at Fort Knterprize, and received a renewed assurance of their attending to tiiat point. They were also de- sired to put as much meat as they could en cache on the banks of the Copper-Mine River on their return. We then furnished them with as much ammunition as we could spare, and they took their departure, promising to wait three days for Mr. Wentzel at the Copper Mountains. We afterwards learned that their fears (lid not permit them to do so, and that Mr. Wentzel did not re- join them until they were a day's march to the southward of the mountains. We embarked at five A.M. and proceeded towards the sea, which is about nine miles distant from the Bloody Full. After passing a few rapids, the river became wider, and more naviga ble for canoes, flowing between banks of alluvial sand. We en- camped at ten on the western bank at its junction with the sea. The river is here about a mile wide, but very shallow, being barred nearly across by sand-banks, which run out from the main land on each side to a low alluvial island that lies in the centre, and forms two channels ; of these the vvestermost only is naviga ble even for canoes, the other being obstructed by a stony bar. The islands to seaward are high and numerous, and fill the horizon in many points of the compass ; the only open space, seen from an eminence near the encampment, being from N.bE, to N.E.bN. Towards the east the land was like a chain of islands, the ice sur- rounded the islands apparently in a compact body, leaving a chan- nel between its edge and the main of about throe miles. The water in this channel was of a clear green colour, and decidedly n\{. Mr. Hearnc could have onlv tasted it at i!ip uunith of \\\k w :y-'' 8tO A JOURNKV 'lO 'IHi: flHO.erveln \vt i| wilh a ('.oiibicierable (|uantily of tirifl timber, which is princiiiallv of the wood oi \hv. jm /rit/us Imlsmnifcniy hut none ol it ol . rmi si/e. We also picUeil up some decayed wood faroul ol ilio icacli of the water. A tew stunted willows were jfrowinj; near ilic t'li- campmenl. Some ducks, j;uils, and parlridji;es were seen lo-iiuy. As 1 had to make up despatches lor tiiif^land to be sent !>> Mp. VV'entzel, the nets were set in the interim, and we were njoHxil to fmd that they j)roduced a sulliciency ot tish to suj)j)ly die |).irly. The tish caupjht were, the Coj)per-Mine liiver salmon, wiiHf IinIi. and two species of ijleuronecle;?. Wu felt a consideral)le cliiiiinc of teniperature on reachinj^ the sea-coast, produced by the winds changinu; iVom the southward to the N.VV. Our Canatliiui voyajrers complained much of the cold, but they were amusetl with their liist view of the sea, and particularly with the sight of the seals that were swimming about near the entrance of the river, buttlleM;^en• sations gave j)lace to desponden(;y betbre the evening hadelajw They were terrified at the idea of a voyage through an icy so; bark canoes. They sjjeculaleil on the length of the jouriicy, llu' roughness of the sea, the uncertainty of j)rovisions, the exposure to cold where we could expect no fuel, and the prospect ol" iiaving to traverse the barren grounds to get to some establishment. I'ho two interpreters cxpiessed their ap|)rehensions with the least dis- guise, and again urgently applied to be discharged ; but only one of the Canadians made a similar request. Judging that the con- slant occupation of their time as soon as we were enabled tocoin- nicnce the voyage, would prevent them from conjuring up so many causes of fear, and that familiarity with the scenes on the coast, would in a short time enable them to give scope to their natural cheerfulness, the officers endeavoured lo ridicule tlieir fears, and happily succeeded for the present. The manner in wllich our faithful Hepburn viewed the element that he had been solonij accustomed to, contributed not a little to make them ashamed ot their fears. On the morning of the 19th Dr. Richardson, accompanied by Augustus, paid another visit to Terreganuoeuck, to see if lie could UV TIIK VOLAR sf.A :)Sl ,,i)tain any additional information rpsjKM'tiufr thn country to the oasUvard ; hut In; was disappointed at lindins; that his allVij^hted I'liTiily had not yet rejoin<;d him, and the old man cm\U\ add no- tliiii;; to his former ronimnnicalion. The Doctor rcmnrlv(;sary to put a stop to 0(U' ad- vance, we should, in all probability, be unable to return to it, and should have to tr 'V^el across the barren grounds to\vir;ht had driven the ico from llie land, anvhich arc separated by peninsulas formed like wedges, slobinrr many miles into the sea, and joined by low land to the main : so that often mistaking them for islands, we were led by a circuitous route round the bays. Clilfs were numerous on the islands, which were all of the trap formation. At seven, a thunder-storm coming on, we encamped at the mouth of a river about eighty yanls wide, and set four nets. This stream, which has received the name of VVcrJzel, after oui late companion, discharges a coiisiderable body of water. Its banks are sandy and clothed with herbage. The Esq. .inaux had recently piled up some drift timber here. A few duci s, ravens. and snow birds, were seen to-day. The distance we made was thirty-one miles. Juli/ 25. — We had constant rain with thunder durint^ the night. The 'nets furnished only three salmon-trout. We attri- buted the want of greater success to the entrance of some seals into the mouth of the river. Embarking at six A.M. we paddled against a cold breeze, until the spreading of a thick fog caused us to land. The rocks here consisted of a beautiful mixture of red and gray granite, traver&ed from north to south by veins of red felspar, \^'hicb were crossed in various directions by smaller veins filled nit!) tjio Slime substance. At iioon the uind coming from a favourable quarter tempted us to proceed, although the fog was unabated. We kept as close as we could to the main shore, but having to cross some bays, it became a matter of doubt whether we had not left the main, and were running along an island. Just as we were endeavouring to double a bold cape, the fog partially cleared away, and allowed us an imperfect view of a chain of islands on the outside, and ot • Named after Mr. Gray, principal of tlie Belfast Academy. An islaiiil which lies across the mouth of this bay bears liie name of our Englisli sailoi Hepburn. ' '. "M OF THE POLAR SEA. 329 much heavy ice which was pressing down upon us. The shore near us was so steep and rugged that no landing of the cargoes could be effected, and we were preserved only by some men jumping on the rocks, and thrusting the ice off with poles. There was no alternative but to continue along this dreary shore, seek- ing a channel between the different masses of ice which had accu- mulated at the various points. In this operation both the canoes were in imminent danger of being crushed by the ice, which was now tossed about b; the waves that the gale had excited. We effected a passage, however, and keeping close to the shore, landed at the entrance of Detention Harbour at nine P.M., having come twenty-eight miles. An old Esquimaux encampment was traced on this spot ; and an ice chisel, a copper knife, and a small iron knife were found under the turf. I have named this cape after Mr. Barrow of the Admiralty, to whose exertions are mainly owing the discoveries that have recently been made in Arctic geography. An openiii'j; on its eastern side has received the appellation of Inman Harbour, after my friend the Professor at the Royal Naval College, Portsmouth ; and to a group of islands to seaward of it, we gave the name of Jameson, in honour of the distinguished Professor of Mineralogy at Edinburgh. We had much wind and rain during the night; and by the morning of ihe 26th a great deal of ice had drifted into the inlet. We embarked at four and attempted to force a passage, when the first canoe got enclosed, and remained for some time in a very perilous situation : the pieces of ice, crowded together by the action of the current and wind, pressing strongly against its feeble sides. A partial opening, however, occurring, we landed without having sustained any serious injury. Two men were then sent round the bay, and it was ascertained that instead of having entered a narrow passage between an island and the main, we were at the mouth of a harbour, having an island at its en- trance ; and that it was necessary to return by the way we came, and get round a point to the northward. This was, however, impracticable, the channel being blocked up by drift ice ; and we had no prospect of release except by a change of wind. This de- tention was extremely vexatious, as vve were losing the benefit of T t ill' V f'. 330 A JOURNF.Y TO THE SHORES «■!* a fair wind, and exppiiding our stock of provision. In the after- noon the weather cleared up, and several men went hunting, but they were unsuccessful. During the day Ihr; ice floated hack- wards and forwards in the harbour, moved by currents, not rcu- lar enoii,a;h to deserve the name of tide, and which appeared to be governed by the wind. We perceived great tyminution by melting in the pieces near us. That none of this ice survives the summer is evident, from the rapidity of its decay ; and because no ice of last year's formation was hanging on the rocks. Whether any body of it exists at a distance from the shore, we cannot de- termine. The land around Cape Barrow, and to Detention Harbour, con- sists of steep craggy mountains of granite, rising so abruptly froni the water's edge, as to admit of few landing places even for a canoe. The higher parts attain an elevation of one thousand four hundred or one thousand five hundred feet ; and the whole is entirely des- titute of vegetation. On the morning of the 27th the Ice remained stationary at the entrance, we went to the bottom of the harbour, and carried the canoes and cargoes about a mile and a half across the point of land that forms the east side of it ; but the ice was not more favour- able there for our advancement than at the place we had left. It consisted of small pieces closely packed together by the wind ex- tending along the shore, but leaving a clear passage beyond the chain of islands with which the whole of this coast is girt. In- deed, when we started we had little hope of finding a passage ; and the principal object in moving was, to employ the men, in order to prevent their reflecting upon and discussing the dangers of our situation, which we knew they were too apt to do when leisure permitted. Our observations place the entrance of Deten- tion Harbour in latitude 67° 53' 45", longitude 110° 41' 20" W.. variation 40° 49' 34" E. It is a secure anchorage, being shelter- ed from the wind in every direction ; the bottom is sandy. July 28. — As the ice continued in the same state, several of the men were sent out to hunt ; and one of them fired no less than four times times at deer, but unfortunately without success. It was satisfactory, however, to ascertain that the country was noi OF THE POLAR SKA. 331 jeslilulo of animals. We had the mortifipation to chscovcr that uvo of the hags of pcmmican, which was our principal reliance, hail become mouldy by wet. Our beef too had been so badly cured, as to be scarcely eatable, this was occasioned by our hav- ing been compelled, through haste, to dry it by fire instead of the sun. It was not, however, the quality of our provision that gave us uneitsiness, but its diminution, and the utter incapacity to ob- tain any addition. Seals were the only animals that met our view at this place, and these we could never approach. Dr. Richardson discovered near the beach a small vein of ga- lena, traversing gneiss rocks, and the people collected a quantity of it in the hope of adding to our stock of balls ; but their en- (leavourS to smelt it, were, as may l)e supposed, ineffectual. The drift timber on this part of the coast consists of pine and facca mahac, {populus balsamifera) most probably from Mackenzie's, or some other river to the eastward of the Copper-Mine. It all appears to have lain long in the water, the bark being com- pletely worn off, and the ends of the pieces rubbed perfectly smooth. There was a sharp frost last night, which formed a pretty thick crust of ice in a kettle of water that stood in the tents; and for several nights past thin films of ice have been form- ed on the salt water amongst the cakes of stream ice.* Notwith- standing this state of temperature, we were tormented by swarms of musquitoes ; we had persuaded ourselves that these pests could not sustain the cold in the vicinity of the sea, but it appears ihcy haunt every part of this country in defiance of climate. Mr. Back made an exc -•' ^ to a hill at seven or eight miles distance, and from its sumni le perceived the ice close to the shore as far as his view extended. . On the morning of the 29th the party attendee! divine service. About noon the ice appearing less compact, we embarked to change our situation, having consumed all the fuel within our reach. The wind came off the land just as the canoes had start- ed, and we determined on attempting to force a passage along the shore ; in which we fortunately succeeded, after seven hours' la- w% m J H ft.* I IL 0^ Lira i ■m "ill |7.Ji| 1 Tt * This is termed bay ice by tlie Greenland-men. 332 A .lOURNKY TO '1 H K SHOKF.S ft! hour and muoh lia/:ml to our iVnil vossols. Tlio ice lay so dosr that the crews disem harked on it, and eflnolcd a passaije hy hcav- insj; a2;anist tlie ])ieres with their poles; hut in condnctinp; iln. canoes thr()u_£i;h the narrow channels ihus formed, the j^rcatosi care was requisite, to prevent the sharp projectina; points IVoiu hreakinc; the hark. They I'ortunalely receivcil no niaterial iiiiiu y. thoui!;h they were split in two ))laccs. At the listanre of three miles, we came to thp entrance oi' a deep hay, whose hottoin v.as fdled hy a hody of ice so compact as to preclude the idea of a passajije through it ; whilst at the samo time, the traverse across its mouth was attended with much dan- ger, from the approach of a large field of ice, which was drivinir down hefore the wind. The dread of further detention, however, prevented us from hesitatinj.'; ; and we had the satisfaction of land- ing in an hour and a hall" on the opposite shore, where we halted to repair the canoes and to dine. I have named this hay after my frientl JVIr. Daniel Moore of Lincoln's Inn ; to whose zeal for science, the Expedition was in 1 hmMv. ■ /I k:i 336 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES mmm' Li; il'l-^^^ijli mt,r >4. appearance of the land, and tlie extensive view we had up Brovvn\s Channel, (named after my friend Mr. Robert Brown,) the mouth oi which we passed, and uere in some apprehension of beina; led away from the main shore ; and, perhaps, after passing throuj2;h a group of islands, of coming to a traverse greater iLan we durst venture upon in canoes. On the other hand, the continuous ap- pearance of the land on the north side of the channel, and its tending to the southward, produced a fear that we were entering a deep inlet. 3n this state of doubt we landed often, and endeavoured, fioni the summits of the highsst hills adjoining the shore, to ascertain the true nature of the coast, but in vain, and we continued pad- dling through the channel all night against a fresh breeze, which, at half past four, increased to a violent gale, and compelled us to land. The gale diminished a short time after noon on the 3d, and permitted us to re-embark and continue our voyage until four P.M., when it returned with its former violence, and finally obliged us to encamp, having come twenty-four miles on a south- east three-quarter south course. From the want of drift wood to make a lire we had fasted all day, and were under the necessity, in the evening, of serving out pemmican, which was done with much reluctance, especially as we had some fresh deers' meat remaining. The inlet, when view- ed from a high hill adjoining to our encampment, exhibited so many arms, that the course we ought to pursue was more uncer- tain than ever. It was absolutely necessary, however, to see the end of it before we could determine that it was not a strait. Starting at three A.M., on the 4th, we paddled the whole day through channels, from two to five or six miles wide, all tending to the southward. In the course of the day's voyage wc ascertained, that the land which we had seen on our right hand since yesterday morning, consisted of several large islands, which have been dis- tinguished by the names of Goulburn, Elliot, and Young; but the land on our left preserved its unbroken appearance, and whcii we encamped, we were still uncertain whether it was the eastern side of a deep sound or merely a large island. It differed re- markably from the main shore, being very rugged, rocky, and OF THE POLAR SEA, 337 :,Lcrilc, wliereas the outline of the main on tlic opposite side was even, and its hills covered with a comparatively good sward of grass, and exhihited little naked rock. There was no drift tim- ber, but the shores near the encampment were strewed with small pieces of vviliow, which indicated our vicinity to the mouth of a river. This fuel enabled us to make a hearty supper off a small ileer killed this evening. The shallows we passed to-day were covered with shoals of ca- pelin, the angmaggcElik of the Esquimaux. It was known to Au- gustus, who informed us that it frequents the coast of Hudson's Bay, and is delicate eating. The course and distance made was, south by east half east, thirty-three miles. After paddling twelve miles in the morning of the 5th, we had the mortification to find the intlet terminated by a river ; the size of which we could not ascertain, as the entrance was blocked by shoals. Its mouth lies in lat. 66° 30' N., long. 107* 53' W. I have named this stream Back, as a mark of my friendship for my associate.* We were somewhat consoled for the loss of time in exploring this inlet, by the success of Junius in killing a musk-ox, the first we had seen on the coast ; and afterwards by the acquisi- tion of the flesh of a bear, that was shot as we were returning up the eastern side in the evening. The latter proved to be a female, in very excellent condition ; and our Canadian voyagers, whose appetite for fat meat is insatiable, were delighted. We encamped on the shores of a sandy bay, and set the nets ; and finding a quantity of dried willows on the beach, we were enabled to cook the bear's flesh, which was superior tj any meat we had tasted on the coast. The water fell two feet at this place during the night. Our nets produced u great variety of fish, namely, a salmon-trout, some round fish, tittameg, bleak, star-fish, several herrings, and a flat fish resembling plaice, but covered on the back with horny excrescences. On the 6th we were detained in the encampment by stormy • From subsequent couversalioii with the Copper Indians, we were inclin- ed to suppose this maybe the 'rhUieetessy, described by Hlack-meat, mention- «ci in i) former part of the narrative. Uu 'iJbi '.. 3 ^ iM ||, '^^iH m' ' t'ftiM m\ 338 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES vmiml mmMmM T ']!;; fi%m u III weather until five P.M., when we embarked and paddled alon"^ the northern shore of the inlet; the weather still continuina: fcn-v but the wind moderate. Obscrvina; on the beach a she bear wiili three younj>; ones, we landed a party to attack them ; but, bein"- approached without due caution, they took the alarm and scaled a precipitous rocky hill, with a rapidity that baffled all pursuit. At eij^ht o'clock, the fog changinji, into rain, we encamped. Main- seals wore seen to-day, but as they kept in deep water we did not fire at them. On August 7th the atmc3phere was charged with fog and rain all the day, but as the wind was moderate we pursued our jour- ney ; our situation, however, was very unpleasant, being qujto wet and without room to stretch a limb, much less to obtain warmth by exercise. We passed a cove, which I have named after my friend Mr. W. H. Tinney; and proceeded along the coast until five P.M., when we put up on a rocky point nearly op- posite to our encampment on the 3d, having come twenty-three miles on a north-noith-west course. We were detained on the 8th by a northerly gale, which blew violently throughout the day, attended by fog and rain. Some of the men went out to hunt, but they saw no other animal than a white wolf, which could not be approached. The fresh meat being expended, a little pemmican was served out this evenuig. The gale abated on the morning cf the 9th ; and the soa, which it hod raised, having greatly subsided, we embarked at seven A.M., and after paddling three or four miles, opened Sir J. A. Gordon's Hay, into which we penetrated thirteen miles, and then discovoic'd from the summit of a hill that it would be vain to proceed in this direction, in search of a passage out of the inlet. Our breakfast diminished our provision to two bags of pemmi- can, and a single meal of dried meat. The men began to appre- hend absolute want of food, and we had to listen to their gloomy forebodings of the deer entirely quitting the coast in a few days. As we were embarking, however, a large bear was discovered or, the opposite shore, which we had the good fortune to kill ; and the :,•: ti- 34() A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES the bays'- Our tents were scarcely pitclied Ijiilore we wore as- sailetl by a heavy squall and rain, which was succeeded by a vio lei)i gale trom west-northwest; which thrice overset the lent- in the course ot" the night. The wind blew with equal vioUjiico ' on the following day, and the sea rolled fmiously upon the beach. Tile Canadians had now an opportunity of witnessing the cfleri of a storm upon the sea; and the sight increased their desire o! quitting it. Our hunters were sent out, and saw many deer, but the flat ness of the country defeated their attempts to approach theni ; they brought, however, a lew unfledged geese. As there was no appearance of increasing our stock of provision, the allowance Wiis limited to a handful of pemmican, and a small portion of portable soup to each man per day. The thermometer this afternoon stood at 41". The following observations were obtained : latitude 68- IS' 50" N., longitude 110" 5' 15" W. ; but 109° 25' 00" VV, was used in the construction of thr '"hart, as the chronometers were found, on our return to Hor I's River, to have altered their rates; variation 44** 15' 46" E., and dip of the needlr 89° .31' 12". On August ISth the stormy weather and sea continuing, there, was no prospect of our being able to embark. Dr. Richardson, Mr. Back, and I, therefore, set out on foot to discover whether the land within a day's march, inclined more to the east. We went from ten to twelve miles along the coast, which continued flat, and kept the same direction as the encampment. The most distant land we saw had the same bearing north-north-east, and appeared like two islands, which we estimated to be six or seven miles off; the shore on liieir inside seemingly trended inure to the east, so that it is probable Point Turnagain, for so this spot was named, forms the pitch of a low flat cape. Augustus killed a deer in the afiernoon, but the men were not able to find it. The hunters found the burrows of a number oi white foxes, and liej)buni killed one of these animals, which proved excellent eating, esteemed by us as ecpial to the young geese, with which il was boiled, and far superior to the lean deei OF THE POLAR SEA. 347 ,ve had upon the coast. Large flocks of <];eese passed over the tents, flying to the southward. The lowest temperature to-day was S8^ Though it will appear iVom the chart, that the position of I*oiiit Tiirnagain is only six degrees and a hall' to the cast of the mouth of the Copper-Mine River; we sailed, in tracing the deeply- indented coast, five luindred and fifty-five geographic uiiles, which is little less than the direct distance hetween the Copper-Mine River and Repulse Bay ; supposing the latter to be in the longi- tude assigned to it by Middleton. When the many perplexing incidents which occurred durini; the survey of the coast are considered in connexion with the short- ness of the period, during which operations of the kind can l)e car- ried on, and the distance we had to travel before we could gain 1 place of shelter for the winter, 1 trust it will be judged tiiat we prosecuted the enterprise as far as was prudent, and abandoned it only under a well-founded conviction that a further advance would endanger the lives of the whole party, and prevent the knowledge of what had been done from reaching England. The active assistance I received from the officers, in contending with the fears of the men, demands my warmest gratitude. Our researches as far as they have gone, seem to favour the opinion of those who contend for the practicability of a North- West Passage. The general line of coast probably runs east and west, nearly in the latitude assigned to Mackenzie's River, the Sound into which Kotzebue entered, and Repulse Bay ; and very little doubt can, in my opinion, be entertained of the existence of a continued sea, in or about that line of direction. The exist- ence of whales too, on this part of the coast, evidenced by the whalebone we found in Esquimaux Cove, may be considered as an argument for an open sea ; and a connexion with Hudson's Bay is rendered more probable from the same kind of fish abounding on the coasts we visited, and on those to the north of Churchill River. I allude more particularly to the Capelin or Salmo Arc- ticus, which we found in large shoals in Bathurst's Inlet, and which not only abounds, as Augustus told us, in the bays in his \ mm ' ^ Wim 4'€^^,. li<|i||Hcj;; ' , 'i — ^' ,, & > i?*f I It 1 J .148 A JOURNEY TO TIIF. SHOKl.S irrfl Pi ■•4^1 1. .,, country, Hut swarms in the Greenland firths.* The portion of the sea over which wc ])asse(l is navigable for vessels of any size ; the ice we met, particularly after quitting Detention Har- bour, would not have arrested a stroni; boat. The chain ot islantis aflords shelter from all heavy seas, and there are gooil harbours at convenient distances. 1 entertain indeed, san8;uinc hopes thai the skill and exertions of my friend Captain Parry will soon render this question no longer problematical. His task is doubtless an arduous one, and, if ultimately successful, may occupy two and perhaps three season's; but confiding; as I do, from personal knowledge, in his perseverance and talent for surmounting difFiculties, the strength of his ships, and the abun- dance of provisions with which they are stored, I have very little apprehension of his safety. As I underst.-'nd his object was to keep the coast of America close on board, he will find in the spring of the year, before the breaking up of the ice can permit him to pursue his voyage, herds of deer flocking in abundance to all parts of the coast, which may be procured without diffi. culty ; and, even later in the season, additions to his stock ot provision may be obtained on many parts of the coast, should circumstances give him leisure to send out hunting parties, With the trawl or seine nets also, he may almost every where get abundance of fish even without retarding his progress. Un- der these circumstances I do not conceive that he runs any ha- zard of wanting provisions, should his voyage be prolonged even beyond the latest period of time which is calculated upon. Drift timber may be gathered at many places in considerable quanti- ties, and there is a fair prospect of his opening a communica- tion with the Esquimaux, who come down to the coast to kill seals in the spring, previous to the ice breaking up ; and from whom, if he succeeds in conciliating their good will, he may ob- tain provision, and much useful assistance. If he makes for Copper-Mine River, as he probably will do, he will not find it in the longitude as laid down on the charts ; but he will probably find what would be more interesting to him, a post * Arctic Zoology, toI. ii. p. .394. OF THF. POI.AH Sr.A. 34?^ which we erected on the 26th August at the mouth of Hood's Uivui", which is nearly, as will appear hereafter, in that loni^itude, witli a flag upon it, and a letter at the foot of it, which may con- vey to him some useful information. It is possihlc, however, that he mij^ht keep outside of the ran^e of islands which skirt this oart of the coast. IfeJl should parties, where Un- any ha- 2;ed even m. Drift quanti- [imunica- st to kill md from may ob- M' *. i '( *. ■(I ,i,J <-f, 350 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES CHAPTER Xir. Journey across the barren grounds — Difficulty and delay in crossing Coppei'. Mine River — Melancholy and fatal Results thereof— Extreme Misery of the whole Party — ^Murder of Mr. Hood — Ueatli of several of the Canadians- Desolate State of Fort Enterprize — Distress suffered at that I'lace— Dr Richardson's Narrative — Mr. Back's Narrative — Conclusion. [ "•iv?^.; i. . ." <1 P ' 1821. ■»*■ August 17. IVIY original intention, whenever the season should compel us to relinquish the survey, iiad been to return by the way of the Copper-Mine River, and in pursuance of my arrani>;e- ment with the Hook to travel to Slave Lake through the line ol woods extending thither by the Great Bear and Marten Lakes but our scanty stock of provision and the length of the voya'^e rendered it necessary to make for a nearer place. We had already iounu that the country, between Cape Barrow and the Copper- Mine River, would not supply our wants, and this it seemed pro bable would now be still more the case ; besides, at this advanced season, we expected the frequent recurrence of gales, which would cause great detention, if not danger in proceeding alona; that very rocky part of the coast. I determined, therefore, to make ai once for Arctic Sound where we had found tiie animals more numerous than at any other place ; and entering Hood's River, to advance up that stream as far as it was navigable, and then to construct small canoes out of the materials of the larger ones, which could be carried in crossing the barren grounds to Fort Enterprize. t^ugust 19. — We were almost beaten out of our comfortless abodes by rain during the night, and this morning the gale con- tinued without diminution. The thermometer fell to 33°. Two men were sent with Junius to search for the deer which Augustus had killed. Junius returned in the evening bringing port of the meat, but owing to the thickness of the weather, his companions parted from him and did not make their appearance. Divine scr- OF THE POLAR SEA. 351 vice was read. On the 20th we were prescrited '.vith the most chilling prospect, the snnall pools of water being frozen over, the o-round being covere*^' with snow, and the thermoineter at the freezing point at mid-day. Flights of geese were passing to the sc'.ilhward. The wind however was more moderate, having changed to the eastward. Considerable anxiety prevailing re- specting Belanger and Michel, the two men who strayed from Junius yesterday, the rest wer^ sent out to look for them. The search was successful, and they all returned in the evening. The stragglers were much fatigued, and had suffered severely from the cold, one of them having his thighs frozen, and what under our circumstances was most grievous, they had thrown away all the meat, The wind rluring the night returned to the north-west quari.er. Hew more violently than ever, and raised a very turbu- lent sea. The next day did not improve our condition, the snow remained on the ground, and the small pools were frozen. Our iiuntevs were sent out, but they returned after a fatiguing day's march without having seen any animals. We made a scanty meal off a handful of pemmican, after which only half a bag re- mained. The wind abated after midnight, and the surf diminished rapidly, which caused us to be on the alert at a very early hour on the 22d, but we had to wait until six A.M. for the return of Augustus who had continued out all night on an unsuccessful pursuit of deer It appears that he warlked a few miles farther along the coast, than the party had done on the ISth, and from a sketch he drew on the sand, we were confirmed in our former opinion that the shore inclined more to the eastward beyond Point Turnagain. He also drew a river of considerable size, that discharges its waters into Walker's Bay ; on the banks of which stream he saw a piece of wood, such as the Esquimaux use in producing fire, and other marks so fresh that he supposed they hail recently visited the spot. We therefore left several iron materials for them. Our men, cheered by the prospect of returning, embarked with the utmost alacrity ; and, paddling with unusual vi2,our,ciU ricd us across Riley's and Walker's Bays, a distance of twenty miles before noon, wlu'!i wo laiulod on Slatp-riav Point, as the wind hail freshened .^*%Mi< 'Ife, 352 Pi" A .(OURNEY TO ritf. SIIORi.S . ^J'rlJi ,' n^^ Iti! i)- ^^i ' ■: './^* ' 2 I .5 ."« #. -* i-ii ,1 loo much to permit us to continue the voyaa;e. Tho whole paiLv went to hunt, hut returned without success in the evenin;j;, .1 veiiih- ed with the heavy rain which commenced soon after t' ov had set out. Several deer were seen, hut could not he approncho;! m tiiis naked country ; and as our stock ol' pcnmhcan did not admit of serving; out two meals, we went dinnerless lo hed. Soon after our departure to-day, a sealed tin case, suHi 'i.^itly huoyant to float, was thrown overhoanl, conlainina; a shurl accuunl of our proceedings, and the position of thp most conspicuous points. The wind hlewotrthe land, the water was smooth, and as the sea is in this part more free from islands than in any other, there was every prohahility of its heing driven oti' the shore into the current: which, as 1 have hefore mentioned, we suppose, from the circum- stance of JNIackenzie's Kiver hcing the only known stream that hrings down the wood we have found along the shores, to set to the eastward. • t^higust 23. — A severe frost caused us to pass a comfortless night. At. 2 P.M. we set sail, and the men voluntarily launoiied out to make a traverse of lifteen miles across Melville Sound, be- fore a strong wind and heavy sea. The privation of food, under which our voyagers were then labouring, absorbed every other terror ; otherwise the most powerful persuasion could not have induced them to attempt such a traverse. It was with the utmost diiriculty that the canoes were kept from turning their broadsides to the waves, though we sometimes steered with all the paddles. One of them narrowly escaped being overset by this accident, hap- pening, in mid-channel, where the waves were so high that the mast-head of our canoe was often hid from the other, though it v,as sailing within hail. The traverse, however, was made ; we were then near a high rocky lee shore, on which a heavy surf was beating. The wind being on the beam, the canoes drifted fast to leeward ; and, on rounding a point, the recoil of the sea from the rocks was so great that they were with ditliculty kept from foundering. Wp looked in vain for a sheltei'ed bay to land in ; but, at length, beiiiij; unable to weather another point, we were obliged to put ashore on the open beach, which, fortunately, was sandy at this spot * )! ^•^mmm^m^^yi OF THE POLAR SEA. .j5J Tlie debarkation was effected without rurthcr injury than the splitting of the head of the second canoe, wiiicii was easily re- paired. Our encampment being near to the place where we killed the deer on the 11th, almost the whole party went out to hunt, but they returned in the evening without having seen any game. The berries, however, were ripe and plentiful, and, with the addition of some country tea, furnisiied a supper. There were some show- ers in the afternoon, and the weather was cold, the thermometer being 42°, but the evening and night were calm and fine. It may be remarked that the musquitoes disappeared when the late gales commenced. August 25. — Embarking at three A.M., we stretched across the eastern entrance of Bathursl's Inlet, and arrived at an island, which I have named after Colonel Barry, of Newton Barry. Some deer being seen on the beech, the hunters went in pursuit of them, and succeeded in killing three females, which enabled us to save our last remaining meal of pemmican. They saw also some fresh tracks of musk oxen on the banks of a small stream, which flowed into a lake in the centre of the island. These animals must have crossed a channel, at least three miles v/ide, to reach the nearest of these islands. Some specimens of varie- gated pebbles and jasper were found here imbedded in the amyg- (ialoidal rock. Re-embarking at two P.M., and continuing through what was supposed to be a channel between two islands, we found our pas- sage barred by a gravelly isthmus of only ten yards in width ; the canoes and cargoes were carried across it, and we passed into Bathurst's Inlet through another similar channel, bounded on both sides by steep rocky hills. The wind then changing from S.I]. to N.W. brought heavy rain, and we encamped at seven P.M., having advanced eighteen miles. dugtist 25. — Starting this morning with a fresh breeze in our favour, we soon reached that part of Barry's Island where the ca- noes, were detained on the 2d and 3d of this month, and contrary to what we then experienced, the deer were now plentiful. The hunters killed two, and we were relieved from all apprehension Y V IH: ■;■% J54 A JOURNEY TO THi: SHORES -mm iff i ij^ii} r ■; >)■ of an immediate; want of food One would suppose tlie dror wore about io retire to the nuiin shore, from tlieir assend)lini; at iiiis time in such nund)ers on the islantls nearest tlie coast. Those we saw were generally females with their youn;;i;, and all of iIilmii very lean. The wind continued in the same tlirection until we had rouml- ed Point Wolhston, and tlien chan2;ed to a quarter which oiiahlud us to steer for [lood's River, which we ascended as hii;h as tla: fu'st rapid, and encamped. Here terminated our voyage on tlie. Arctic sea, durinsi- which we had ■:;one over six hundred and lifiy t»;eo2;rapl leal miles. Our Canadian \()yau;eis could not I'csU'ain their expressions of joy at havino; turned their hacks on the sea and they passed the evcnins; talking over their ])ast adventures with much humour and no little e\a A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 1* , ♦>A(i '< ''i 4 It ff *;i' All' ',;• could meiely Hisr-orn the top of the spray Tar beneath our feet. The lower fnll is divided into two, by an insulated column of rock which rises al)out forty feet above it. The whole descent of the river at this place probably exceeds two hundreed and fifly feet. The rock is very ihie felspathose sandstone. It has a smooth sur- face and a li hunger. The morning of the 7th cleared up a little, but the wind was still strong, and the weather extremely cold. From the imusual continuance of the storm, we feared the winter had set in with all its rigour, and that by longer delay we should only be exposed to an acciunulation of difriculties ; we therefore prepared for our journey, although we were in a very unfit condition for starting, being weak from fasting, and our garments stitfened by the frost. We had no means of making a fire to thaw them, the moss, at all times dillicult to kindle, being now covered with ice and snow. A considerable time was consumed in j)acking up the frozen tents and bed clothes, tin; wind blowing so strong that no one could keep his hands long out of his mittens. .lust as we were about to commence our march, I was seized with a fainting fit, in conscfjuence of exhaustion and sudden ex- posure to the wind ; but after eating a morsel of portable soup, J recovered, so far as to be able to move on. I was unwilling at first to take this morsel of soup, which was diminishing the small and only remaining meal of the party ; but several of the men ui^ed me to it, with much kindness. The ground was covercil a fool deep with snow, the margin of the lakes was incrusted with ice, and the swamps over which we had to pt^ss were entirely I'rozen ; but the ice not being sulliciently strong to bear us, we frequently plunged knee-deep in water. Those who carried the ciinoes were repeatedly blown down by the violence of the wind, and they often fell, from making an insecure step on a slippery stone ; on one of these occasions, the largest canoe was so much broken as to be rendered utterly unserviceable. This was fell as a serious disaster, as the remaininjr canoe havini;- throuo;ii mis- take been made too small, it was doubtful whether it would be sutVicient to carry us across a river. Indeed we liad found it ne- essary in crossing Hood's Uiver, to lash Iho two canoes together r« » : ?tM,''rwM'.' Ml X • 360 A JOURNEY TO THE SHOULS .J I'M 1 1 ♦ , t IT' As there was some suspicion that Benoil, who carried thn canoe-, '^ had broken it intentionally, he having on a former occasion beer, overheard by some of the men to say, that he would do so vvlien he got it in charge, we closely examined him on the point ; lie roundly denied having used the expressions attributed to him and insisted that it was broken by his falling accidentally ; ami as he brought men to attest the latter fact, who saw him tumble, wc did not press the matter further. I may here remark, that uui people had murmured a good deal at having to carry two canoes, though they were informed of the necessity of taking bolli, in case it should be deemed advisable to divide the party ; which it, had been thought probable we should be obliged to do, if animals proved scarce, in order to give the whole the better chance of procuring subsistence, and also for the purpose of sending forward some of the best walkers to search for Indians, and to get them to meet us with supplies of provision. The power ol doing this was now at an end. As the accident could not be remedial, wc turned it to the best account, by making a fire of the bark ami timbers of the broken vessel, and cooked the remainder of our portable soup and arrow-root. This was a scanty meal after three, days' fasting, but it served to allay the pangs of hunger, and en- abled us to proceed at a quicker pace than before. The depth of the snow caused us to march in Indian file, that is, in each other's steps ; the voyagers taking it in turn to lead the party. A dis- tant object was pointed out to this man in the direction we wis, <.(l lo take, and Mr. Hood followed immediately behind him, to re- new the bearings, and kept him from deviating more than could be helped from the mark. It may be here observed, that wc proceeded in this manner throughout our route across the barrea grounds. In the afternoon we got into a more hilly country, where the ground was strewed with large s':ones. The surface of these was covered with lichens of the genus gyrophora, which the Canadi ans term tripe de roche. A considerable quantity was gathered, and with half a partridge each, (which were shot in the course of the day,) furnished us with a slend*^r supper, whlcli we cooked with a few willows, dug up from beneath the snow. We passe''. 4t.t'.>itd».^i«l^ OF THE POLAR SEA. 361 y comiortlcss nif^ht in our clamp clothes, but took the precaution of sleeping; upon our socks and shoes to prevent tliem IVoni freez- ing. This plan was afterwards adopted throi'«;hout the journey. At half past five in the morninf:; we proceeded ; and after walk- ing about two miles, came to Cracroft's River, flowing to the westward, with a very rapid current over a rocky channel. We had much difficulty in crossing this, the canoe being useless, not only from the bottom of the channel being obstructed by large stones, but also from its requirins; gumming, an operation which, owing to the want of wood and the frost, we were unable to perform. However, after following the course of the river some way, we eflfected a passage by means of a range of large rocks that crossed a rapid. As the current was strong, and many of the rocks were covered with water to the depth of two or three feet, the men were exposed to much danger in carrying their heavy burdens across, and several of them actually slipped into the stream, but were immediately rescued by the others. Junius went farther up the liver in search of a better crossing place, and did not rejoin us to-day. As several of the party were drenched from head to foot, and we were all wet to the middle, our clothes bcome stiff with the frost, and we walked with much pain for the remainder of the day. The march was continued to a late hour, being anxious to rejoin the hunters who had gone be- fore, but we were obliged to en* imp at the end of ten miles and a quarter, without seeing them, ^ur only meal to-day consisted of a partridge each, (which the hunters shot,) mixed with tripe de roche. This repast, althougli scanty for men w ith appetites such as our daily fatigue created, pro\ <^d a cheerful one, and was re- ceived with thankfulness. Most of the men had to sleep in the open air, in consequence of the absence of Credit, who carried their tent ; but we fortunately found an unusual quantity of roots to make a fire, which prevented their suffering much from tlu- cold, though the thermometer was at 17°. We started at six on \he 9th, and at the end of two miles re- gained our hunters, vho w ere halting on the borders of a lake amidst a clump of stiintec! willows. This lake stretched to the westward as far as we could see, and its waters were discharged Z z «'<■) ^Mm IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) % 1.0 I.I I 1.25 1^128 |2.5 S2.2 2.0 I la ^ ■UUl. iiy& U 11.6 Photographic Sdaices Corporation 33 VIST MAIN STRKT WKkSTER.N.Y. MSSO (716) 872-4503 m \ ;V \\ ^ ^.>. >. ^ >- ^^^" \ '^^ 63 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES by a rapid stream one hundred and fifty yards wide. Beinu; en lire!; iajnorant where we might be led by pursuing the course ol the lake, and dreading the idea of going a mile unnecessarily out of the way, we determined on crossing the river if possible; and the canoe was gummed for the purpose, the willows, furnishing us with fire. But we had to await the return of Junius before we could make the traverse. In the mean time we gathered a little iripe de roche, and breakfasted upon it and a few partridges that were killed in the morning. St. Germain and Adam were sei.t upon some recent tracks of deer. Junius arrived in the afternoon, and informed us that he had seen a large herd of musk-oxen on the banks of Cracroft's River, and had wounded one of them, but it had escaped. He brought about four pounds of meat, the re- mains of a deer that had been devoured by the wolves. The poor fellow was much fatigued, having walked throughout the night, but as the weather was particularly favourable for our crossing the river, we could not allow him to rest. After he had taken some refreshment we proceeded to the river. The canoe being put into the water was lound extremely ticklish, but it was ma- naged with much dexterity by St. Germain, Adam, and Peltier, who ferried over one passenger at a time, causing him to lie flat in its bottom, by no means a pleasant position, owing to its leaki- ness, but there was no alternative. The transport of the whole party was effected by five o'clock, and we walked about two miles furthei, and encamped, having come five miles and three quarters on a south-west course. Two young alpine hares were shot by St. Germain, which, with the small piece of meat brought in by Junius, furnished the supper of the whole party. There was no itnpe de roche here. The country had now become decidedly hilly, and was covered with snow. The lake preserved its west- ern direction, as far as I could see from the summit of the highest mountain near the encampment. We subsequently learned from the Copper Indians, that the part at which we had crossed the river was the Cungecatha wha chaga of Hearne, of which I had little idea at the time, not only from the difference of latitude, but also from its being so much farther east of the mouth of the Cop- per-Mine River, than his track is laid down. He only makinj; '^;. OF THE POLAR SEA. 36o one degree and three quarters difference of longitude, and we upwards of four. Had I been aware of the fact, several days' harassing march, and a disastrous accident would have been pre- vented by keeping on the western side of the lake, instead of crossing the river. We were informed also, that this river is the Anatessy, or River of Strangers, and is supposed to fall into Ba- thurst's Inlet ; but although the Indians have visited its mouth, their description was not sufficient to identify it with any of the rivers whose mouths we had seen. It probably falls in that part of the coast which was hid from our view by Goulburn's or Elliot's Islands. September 10.— We had a cold north wind, anil the atmos- phere was foggy. The thermometer 18° at five A.M. In the course of our march this morning, we passed many small lakes; and the ground, becoming higher and more hilly as we receded from the river, was covered to a much greater ilepth with snow. This rendered walking not only extremely laborious, but also hazard- ous in the highest degree; for the sides of the hills, as is usual throughout the barren grounds, abounding in accumulations of large angular stones, it often happened that the men fell into the interstices with their loads on their backs, being deceived by the smooth appearance of the drifted snow. If any one had broken a limb here, his fate would have been melancholy indeed; we could neither have remairied with him, nor carried him on. We halted at ten to gather tripe de roche, but it was so frozen, that we were quite benumbed with cold before a sufficiency could be collected even for a scanty meal. On proceeding our men were somewhat cheered, by observing on the sandy summit of a hill, from whence the snow had been blown, the summer track of a man ; and afterwards by seeing several deer tracks on the snow. About noon the weather cleared up a little, and, to our great joy, we saw a herd of musk-oxen grazing in a valley below us. The party instantly halted, and the best hunters were sent out ; they approached the animals with the utmost caution, no less than two hours being consumed before they got within gun-shot. In the mean time we beheld their proceedings with extreme anxiety, and many secret prayers were;, doubtless, offered up for their suc- Hi, m Y 'M % 364 A JOURNEk' TO THK SHORES ty Pt^ n ^-) cess. At length they opened their fire, and we had the satisfa<;- tion of seeing one of the largest cows fall ; another was wounded but escaped. This success infused spirit into our starving party. To skin and cut up the animal was the work of a few minutes. The contents of its stomach were devoured upon the spot, and the raw intestines, which were next attacked, were pronounced by the most delicate amongst us to be excellent. A few willows, whose tops were seen peeping through the snow in the bottom of the valley, were quickly grubbed, the tents pitched, and supper cooked, and devoured with avidity. This was the sixth day since we had had a good meal : The tripe de roche, even where we got enough, only serving to allay the pangs of hunger for a short time. After supper, two of the hungers went in pursuit of the herd, but could not get near them. We were detained all the next day by a strong southerly wind, and were much incommoded in the tents by the drift snow. The temperature was 20°. The average for the last ten days about 24 5°. We restricted ourselves to one meal to-day as we were at rest, and there was only meat remaining sufficient for the next day. The gale had not diminished on the 12th, and, as we were fearful of its continuance for some time, we determined on going forward ; our only doubt regarded the preservation of the canoe, but the men promised to pay particular attention to it, and the most careful persons were appointed to take it in charge. The snow was two feet deep, and the ground much broken, which rendered the march extremely painful. The whole party com- plained more of faintness and weakness than they had ever done before ; their strength seemed to have been impaired by the recent supply of animal food. In the afternoon the wind abated, and the snow ceased ; cheered with the change, we prciceeded forward at a quicker pace, and encamped at six P.M., having come eleven miles. Our supper consumed the last of our meat. We set out on the 13th, in thick hazy weather, and, after an hour's march, had the extreme mortification to find ourselves on the borders of a large lake, which we subsequently learned from the Indians was named Contwoy-to, or Rum Lake; neither of its m '^■■VT^'^'-^SPBi^. OF THE POLAR SEA. .165 extremities could be seen, and as the portion which lay to the east seemed the widest, we coasted along to the westward portion in search of a crossing-place. This lake being bounded by steep and lofty hills, our march was very fatiguing. Those sides whicl» were exposed to the sun, were free from snow, and we found upon them some excellent berries. We encamped at six P.M., having come only six miles and a half. Credit was then missing, anil he did not return during the nig;ht. We supped off a single partridge and some tripe de roche ; this unpalatable weed was now quite nauseous to the whole party, and in several it produce (HJ bowel complaints. Mr. Hood was the greatest sufferer from this cause. This evening we were extremely distressed, at dis- covering that our improvident companions, since we left Hood's River, had thrown away three of the fishing-nets, and burnt the floats; they knew we had brought them to procure subsistence tor the party, when the animals should fail, and we could scarcely believe the fact of their having wilftilly deprived themselves of this resource, especially when we considered that most of them had passed the greater part of their servitude in situations where the nets alone had supplied them with food. Being thus deprived of our principal resource, that of fishing, and the men evidently jetting weaker every day, it became necessary to lighten their burdens of every thing except ammunition, clothing, and the instruments that were required to find our way. I, therefore, issued directions to deposit at this encampment the dipping needle, azimnth compass, magnet, a large thermometer, and a few books we had carried, having torn out of these such parts as we should require to work the observations for latitude and longitude. 1 also promised, as an excitement to the efforts in hunting, my nun to St. Germain, and an ample compensation to Adam, or any of the other men who should kill any animals. Mr. Hood, on this occasion, lent his gun to Michel, the Iroquois, who was very eager in the chase, and often successful. September 14. — This morning the officers being assembled round a small fire, Porrault presented each of us with a small piece of meat which he had saved from his allowance. It was re- ■eived with great thankfulness, and such an act of self-denial and iP.7| h .? t 30'(i A JOORNEY lO THE SHORLS 't impossible, however, to embark Belanger, as the canoe would have been hurried down the rapid, the moment he should have raised his foot from the rock on which he stood. We were, there- fore, compelled to leave him in his perilous situation. We had not gone twenty yards before the canoe, striking on a sudden rock, went down. The place being shallow, we were again en- abled to empty it, and the third attempt brought us to the shore. In the mean time Belanger was suffering extremely, immersed to his middle in the centre of a rapid, the temperature of which was very little above the freezing point, and the upper part of his body covered with wet clothes, exposed in a temperature not much above zero, to a strong breeze. He called piteously for re- lief, and St. Germain on his return endeavoured to embark him, but hi vnin. The canoe was hurried down the rapid, and when msm Mm -'•^m^^ OF THE POLAR SEA. 36: lie landed he was rendered by the cold incapable of further ex- ertion, and Adam attempted to embark Belanser, but found it impossible. An attempt was next made to carry out to him a line, made of the slings of the men's loads. This also fiiiled, the current actinj* so strongly upon it, as to prevent the canoe from steering, and it was finally broken and carried down the stream. At length, when Belanger's strength seemed almost exhausted, the canoe reached him with a small cord belonging to one of the nets, and he was dragged perfectly senseless through the rapid, fiy the direction of Dr. Richardson, he was instantly stripped, and being rolled up in blankets, two men undressed themselves and went to bed with him ; but it was some hours before he re- covered his warmth and sensations. As soon as Belanger was placed in his bed, the officers immediately sent over my blankets and a person to make a fire. Augustus brought the canoe over, and in returning he was obliged to descend both the rapids, before lie could get across the stream ; which hazardous service he per- formed with the greatest coolness and judgment. It is impossi- ble to describe my sensations as I witnessed the various unsuc- cessful attempts to relieve Belanger. The distance prevented my seeing distinctly what was going on, and I continued pacing up and down upon the rock on which I landed, regardless of the cold- ness of my drenched and stiffening garments. The canoe, in every attempt to reach him, was hurried down the rapid, and was lost to the view amongst the rocky islets, with a rapidity that seemed to threaten certain destruction; once, indeed, 1 fancied that I saw it overwhelmed in the waves. Such an event would have been fatal to the whole party. Separated as I was from my companions, without gun, ammunition, hatchet, or the means of making a fire, and in wet clothes, my doom would have been speedily sealed. My companions too, driven to the necessity of coasting the lake, must have sunk under the fatigue of rounding its innumerable arms and bays, which, as we have learned from the Indians, are very extensive. By the goodness of Providence, however, we were spared at that time, and some of us have been permitted to offer up our thanksgivings, in a civilized land, for the signal de* livprances we then and afterwards expcrionred. '4 m' V ) IT f'f-^, i •>'-\ It ll t a. 36& A JOURNEY TO THt SHORES m?\ ?'i: • V' By tliis accident I had the misfortune to lose my port-tbliu containing my journal from Fort Enterprize, together with all the astronomical and meteorological observations made during the descent of the Copper-Mine River, and along the sea coast, (ex- cept those for the dip and variation.) I was in the habit of car- rying it strapped across my shoulders, but had talien it off on entering the canoe, to reduce the upper weight. The results ot most of the observations for latitude and longitude had been regis- tered in the sketch books, so that we preserved the requisites for the construction of the chart. The meteorological observations, not having been copied, were lost. My companions. Dr. Richard- son, Mr. Back, and Mr. Hood, had been so careful in noting every occurrence in their journals, that the loss of mine could fortunately be well supplied. These friends immediately offered me their documents, and every assistance in drawing up another narrative, of which kindness 1 availed myself at the earliest oppor- tunity afterwards. September 15. — The rest of the party were brought across this morning, and we were delighted to tind Belanger so much reco- vered as to be able to proceed, but we could not set out until noon, as the men had to prepare substitutes for the slings which were lost yesterday. Soon after leaving the encampment we discerned a herd of deer, and after a long chase a fine male was killed by Perrault; several others were wounded, but they escaped. After this we passed round the north end of a branch of the lake, and ascended the Willingham Mountains, keeping near the border ot the lake. These hills were steep, craggy, and covered with snow. We encamped at seven, and enjoyed a substantial meal. The party were in good spirits this evening at the recollection of having crossed the rapid, and being in possession of provision for the next day. Besides we had taken the precaution of bringing away the skin of the deer to eat when the meat should fail. The tempera- ture at six P.M. was 30*. We started at seven next morning and marched until ten, when the appearance of a few willows, peeping through the snow, in- duced us to halt and breakfast. Re-commencing the journey at noon, we passed over a more rugged country, where the hills were • )t HIK I'OI.AK SKA. 3I>M «o|)!irale(l by tlti'jj laviiics, wliosc steep sides wire erjiially (lillicult to iIcsccikI i)i)(l to ascend. The party was quite latij^ued, and we encainpeil, liavinj; (M)me ten miles and three (jiiaiters. We ohscrvt'd many summer dcei- roads, and some rec^ent tracks. Some maiks that had heen |)iit up by the Indians were also notice*!. We ha\«; since leai'tu.'d that this is a »es:uhir tieer |)ass,and on that aecoimt, annually frequent- ed l)y llu; ('o[»pei" Indians. The lake is called by them Contwoy- to.or Ktim Lake, in consecpiencc of Mr. l^learne havin;i!; I.ere ;s of hun2;er, by eatin<>; pieces of sinfj;ed hide. A little tripe de ruche was also obtained. These would have satisfietl us in ordinary times, but we were now almost exhausted by slender tare and travel, and our appetites had become ravenous. We jotiked, however, with humble confidence to the pjreat Author and Giver of all good, for a continuance of the support which had hitherto been always supplied to us at our irreatest need. The thermometer varied to-day between 25" and 2&°. The wind blew fresh from the south. On the ISth the atmosphere was hazy, but the day was more pleasant for walkinjj; than usual. The country was level and gra- velly, and the snow very deep. We went for a short time along ;i deeply beaten road, made by the rein-deer, which turned sud- denly ofl'to the south-west, which was a direction so wide of our course that vvc could not venture upon following it. All the small M A 'H H,:i5:,,» -> fe, iff ■ 'mm : ■J''''^»'!'K i J70 \ .MtlMlM.N lo nil. .Sllolll''. ?^^^i/t;i lakos ui;rc lid/.ni, aiul wc marched across those winch hiy m om track. ^^ «• supped oil the tri/ir i/r ror/ic which had hecii ji^alhcr eil (hnins; our halls in the course of the march. Thermometer ,it. six P.M. :l^'". ShowMMs of snow fell without intermission through the iii;;ii( hut they ceased in the mornini;, and we set out at the usual hour The men were very faint from hunj^er, and marched with dilli culty, havini; lo oppose a fresh hrceze, and lo wade lhrouf;h th( snow two li'et deej). We u;ained, however, ten miles hy foui o'clock, and then encamped. The canoe was unfortunately Ijrokeu hy the fall of the person who liad it in char!i;c. No /ripe de rorhf was seen to-day, hut in clearinj;; the snow to pitch the tents we found a quantity of Iceland moss, which was hoilcd for supper. This weed, not having; heeii soaked, ])rovcd so hitter, that few of the party could (lat more than a few spoonfids of it. Our hiankets did not sufilcc this cveninj:; to keep us in tolcral)i( warmth ; the sli<;htest breeze seeminjj; to pierce throufjh our debili- tated frames. The reader w'ill, probably, he desirous lo know- how wc passed our time in such a comfortless situation : the fust Ojieration atlei" encamping was to thaw our frozen shoes, if a sullicient lire could he made, and dry ones were put on ; each person then wrote his notes of the daily occurrences, and eveniu}; praters were red ; as soon as suj;per was j)repared it was eaten, geueialiy in the dark, and wc went to bed, and kept up a cheer- ful conversation until our hiankets were thawed by the heat of our l»o(!ies, and we had gathered sufficient warmth lo enal)lc tis to fall asleep. On many nights we had not even the luxury ol going to bed in dry clothes, for when the Ore was insufficient to dry our slices, we durst not venture to pull them oil", lest tlicy should freeze so hard as lo be unfit to put on in the morning, and. ihereforc, inconvenient to carry. On i\vt iiOth we got into a hilly country, and the marching be- came much more laborious, even the stoutest experienced great difficulty in climbing the craggy eminences. Mr. Hood was par- ticularly weak, and was obliged to relinquish his station of second in the line, \vl)ich Dr. Richardson now took, to direct the lead- ing man in keeping the aj)pointed course. I was also unable to OF THE I'Ol.AH SKA. 371 licop pace with (Iuj men, who put fortli their utmost sj)ee(l, tMi- roiin>netl hy the hope, which our reckon iiij;; hiid Icil its to form, of seeiiif; Point Lake in the cvenins;, hut we were ohli^icil to en- camp without f^aininjj; a view of it. We had not seen eilh» i deer or their tracks through the day, an llJi. lllKKLS - 'f.i^ M »i coasl, l)L'iiii; iiiiahic U) cany ihoin any I'm-IIkm'. 'I'Iil- wmv inaili< to. day was livc! miles aivl a (iiiaitcr. St'plemhi't' a. — After walking alxxil two miles this moriiin... wo came upon the borders of a larj^e lake, whose exlieniilies coiilil not lie discerned in consequence (tf the density ol' ||)|. ;,t mos| liei'e ; hnt as its shores seemed (o appioach neaier lo lii,.), other to the sontliward than lo the northward, we delerniiin d oi, Iracinu; it in that direction. We were t^rieved at lindinu; tlie bki expand M-ry ninch beyond the contracted pari we had fnM. !-((ii, and incliiK' now lo the eastward of south. As it w:is considered niori' than prohahle, from llu; direction and size of tlie ImmIv oi Avater ue wire now lia'iiii':, that il was a hi'anch of Point Like; anil as, in any case, we knew that hy passing; round its south 'mkI. we must shortly come to the Copper Mine Uiver. our course wa^ continued in that liiiedion. The a|)pearance of some dwarf pine? and willows, lar!:;er tjnui usual, induced us to sup|)ose Ihe river was near. Wt; encani|)ed early, having; come ei^ht miles. t)ut supper consisted of fri/jc de ror/ie and half a partri(l;th of the oflicers was inadeqnate to the task. To their nfatnated ohstinacy on this occasion, a ifieat portion (/ the melan- cliolv circnnistances which attemled onr suhsecpient priip;ress may, perhaps, be attributed. The men now seemed to have lost all hope of heinn preserved : and all the aricnments we could use failed in stimnlalinv!: them to tlie least exertion. After consuming the remains of the hones and horns of the deer we resuined our march, and, in the evemnj;, reached a contracted part of the lake, which perceivinir to he shallow, we forderelers, lo liuni I had in view, in this arrangetnent, the further object of enahlin"^ Mr. Back lo get across the lake wilh two of these men, to convey the earliest possible account of our situation to the Indians. Ac- cordingly I instructed him to halt at the first pines he slioiikl come to, and then prepare a raft; and if his hunters had killed animals, so that the party couKl be supported uhilst we were making our raft, he was to cross inmiediately with S». fierniaiii and Beauparlant, and send the liidia..s to us as quickly as possi- ble with supplies of meat. We had this evening the oain of discovering that two of our men had stolen part of t!u- orlicers' piovisioii, \vhich hal f).>eii allotted to us with strict impartiality. This conduct was the more reprehensible, as it was plain that we were sulfering, even in a iireatcr desfrec than themselves, from the elfects of famine, owins to our being of a less robust iiabit, and less accustomed to priva- tions. We had no means of punishing this crime, but by the threat that they should forfeit their wages, which had now ceased to operate. - - ^■-Ir. Back and his companions set out at six in the morning, iind we started at seven. As the snow had entirely disappeared, and there were no means of distinguishing the footstejis of stragjjjors. I gave strict onlers, previously to our setting out, for all the parly to licep together: and especially I desired the two Ksquimatix not to leave us, they having often strayed in search of the remains of animals. Our people, however, through dcs|)ondency, ha»l be- come careless and disobedient, and had ceased to dredd punish- ment, or hope for reward. Much time was lost in halting and firing guns to collect them, but the labour of walking was so much OF THE POLAR SEA. 377 lightened by the disappearance of the snow, that we advanced seven or eight miles along the lake before noon, exclusive of the loss of distance in rounding its numerous bays. At length we came to an arm, running away to the north-east, and apparently connected with the lake which we had coasted on the 22d, 23d, and 24th, of the month. The idea of again rounding such an extensive piece of water and of travelling over so barren a country was dreadful, and we feared that other arms, equally large, might obstruct our path, and that the strength of the party would entirely fail, long before we could reach the only part where we were certain of finding wood, dis- tant in a direct line twenty-five miles. While we halted to con- sider of this subject, and to collect the party, the carcass of a deer was discovered in the cleft of a rock into which it had fallen in the spring. It was putrid, but it was little less acceptable to us on that account, in our present circumstances ; and a fire being kindled, a large portion of it was devoured on the spot, affording us an un- expected breakfast, for in order to husband our small remaining portion of meat, we had agreed to make only one scanty meal a day. The men, cheered by this unlooked-for supply, became san- guine in the hope of being able to cross the stream on a raft of willows, although they had before declared such a project im- practicable, and they unanimously entreated us to return back to the rapid, a request which accorded with our own opinion, and was therefore acceded to. Credit and Junius, however, were missing, and it was also necessary to send notice of our intention to Mr. Back and his party. Augustus being promised a reward, undertook the task, and we agreed to wait for him at the rapid. It was supposed he could not fail meeting with the two stragglers on his way to or from Mr. Back, as it was likely they would keep on the borders of the lake. He accordingly set out after Mr. Back, whilst we returned about a mile towards the rapid, and encamped in a deep valley amongst some large willows. We sup- ped on the remains of the putrid deer, and the men having gone to the spot where it was found, scraped together the contents of its intestines which were scattered on the rock, and added them to their meal. We also enjoyed the luxury to-day of eating a 3 B 378 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES Pf • - I !%f3^l|^ large quantity of excellent blue-berries and cran-berries, (vacci- nium uligivwsum and v. vitis idaea,) which were laid bare by the melting of the snow, but nothing could allay our inordinate appetites. In the night we heard the report of Credit's gun in answer to our signal muskets, and he rejoined us in the morning, but we got no intelligence of Junius. We set out about an hour after day. break, and encamped at two P.M. between the rapids, where the river was about one hundred and thirty yards wide, being its nar- rowest part. Eight deer were seen by Michel and Credit, who loitered be- hind the rest of the party, but they could not approach them. A great many shots were fired by those in the rear at partridges, but they missed, or at least did not choose to add what they killed to the common stock. We subsequently learned that the hunters often secreted the partridges they shot, and ate them unknown to the officers. Some fripe de roche was collected, which we boiled for supper, with the moiety of the remainder of our deer's meat. The men commenced cutting the willows for the construction of the raft. As an excitement to exertion, I promised a reward of three hundred livres to the first person who should convey a line across the river, by which the raft could be managed in transport- ing the party. September 29. — Strong south-east winds with fog in the morn- ing, more moderate in the evening. Temperature of the rapid 38°. The men began at an early hour to bind the willows in fagots for the construction of the raft, and it was finished by seven ; but as the willows were green, it proved to be very little buoyant, and was unable to support more than one man at a time. Even on this, however, we hoped the whole party might be transported, by hauling it from one side to the other, provided a line could be carried to the other bank. Several attempts were made by Be- langer and Benoit, the strongest men of the party, to convey the ^raft across the stream, but they failed for want of oars. A pole constructed by tying the tent poles together, was too short to reach the bottom at a short distance from the shore ; and a paddle which had been carried from the sea coast by Dr. Richardson. OF THE POLAR SEA. 379 did not possess sufficient power to move the rait in opposition to a strong breeze, which blew from the opposite shore. All the men suffered extremely from the coldness of the water, in which they were necessarily immersed up to the waists, in their endea- vours to aid Belanger and Benoit ; and having witnessed repeated failures, they began to consider the scheme as hopeless. At this time Dr. Richardson, prompted by a desire of relieving his suffering companions, proposed to swim across the stream with a line, and to haul the raft over. He launched into the stream with the line round his middle, but when he had got a short distance from the bank, his arms became benumbed with cold, and he lost the power of moving them ; still he persevered, and turning on his back, had nearly gained the opposite bank, when his legs also became powerless, and to our infinite alarm we beheld him sink. We in- stantly hauled upon the line and he came again on the surface, and was gradually drawn ashore in an almost lifeless state. Being rolled up in blankets, he was placed before a good fire of willows, and fortunately was just able to speak sufficiently to give some slight directions respecting the manner of treating him. He re- covered strength gradually, and by the blessing of God was ena- bled in the course of a few hours to converse, and by the evening was sufficiently recovered to remove into the tent. We then re- gretted to learn, that the skin of his whole left side was deprived of feeling in consequence of exposure to too great heat. He did not perfectly recover the sensation of that side until the following summer. I cannot describe what every one felt at beholding the skeleton which the Doctor's debilitated frame exhibited. When he stripped, the Canadians simultaneously exclaimed, " Ah que nous sommes maigres." I shall best explain his state and that of the party, by the following extract from his journal : " It may be vvortny of remark, that 1 would have had little hesitation in any former period of my life, of plunging into water even below .^8* Fahrenheit; but at this time I was reduced almost to skin and bone, and like the rest of the party, suffered from degrees of cold that would have been disregarded whilst in health and vigor. During the whole of our march we experienced that no quantity of clothing could keep us warm whilst we fasted, but on those f b nm. 380 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES I rm' occasions on which we were enabled to p;o to bed with full sto- machs, we passed the nic;ht in a warm and comfortable manner." In followinjj; the detail of our frien I .. k'l, ^ if JS8 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 'V: M B W'l \^r' ni .1 ,«; . :l M the whole party, that we were compelled to encamp, after a march of four miles and a half. Belanger and Michel were left far be- In'nd, and when they arrived at the encampment appeared quite exhausted. The former, bursting into tears, declared his inability to proceed with the party, and begged me to let him go back next morning to the tent, and shortly afterwards Michel made the same request. I was in hopes they might recover a little strength by the night's rest, and therefore deferred giving any permission until the morning. The sudden failure in the strength of these men cast a gloom over the rest, which I tried in vain to remove, by repeated assurances that the distance to Fort Enterprize was short, and that we should, in all probability, reach it in four days. Not being able to find any tripe de roche, we drank an infusion of the Labrador tea plant, (ledum palvstre,) and ate a few mor- sels of burnt leather for supper. We were unable to raise the tent, and found its weight too great to carry it on ; we, therefore, cut it up, and took a part of the canvass for a cover. The night was bitterly cold, and though we lay as close to each other as possible, having no shelter, we could not kerp ourselves suffi- ciently warm to sleep. A strong gale came on after midnight, which increased the severity of the weather. In the morning Belanger and Michel renewed their request to be permitted to s;o back to the tent, assuring me they were still weaker than on the preceding evening, and less capable of going forward ; and they urged, that the stopping at a place where there was a supply of tripe de roche was their only chance of preserving life; under these circumstances, I could xm. do otherwise than yield to their desire. I wrote a note to Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood, inform- ing them of the pines wc had passed, and recommending their removing thither. Having found that Michel was carrying a con- siderable quantity of ammunition, I desired him to divide it among my party, leaving him only ten balls and a little shot, to kill any animals he might meet on his way to the tent. This man was very particular in his inquiries respecting the direction of the house, and the course we meant lo pursue ; he also said, that if he should be able, ne would go and search for Vaillant and Credit; and he requested niy nennission to take Vaillant's blanket, if ho OF THE POLAR SKA. :?8!> jhouM find it, to which I agreed, and mentioned it in my notes to the officers. Scarely were these arrangements finished, before Perrault and Fi I tano were seized with a fit of dizziness, and betrayed other symptoms of extreme debiUty. Some tea was quickly prepared for them, and after drinking it, and eating a few morsels of burnt leather, they recovered, and expressed their desire to go forward ; but the other men, alarmed at what they had just witnessed, be- came doubtful of their own strength, and, giving way to absolute dejection, declared their own inability to move. I now earnestly pressed upon them the necessity of continuing our journey, as the only means of saving their own lives, as well as those of our friends at the tent; and, after much entreaty, got them to set out at ten A.M. : Belanger and Michel were left at the encampment, and proposed to start shortly afterwards. By the time we had gone ai)out two hundred yards, Perrault became again dizzy, and desired us to halt, which we did, until he, recovering, proposed to march on. Ten minutes more had hardly elapsed before he again desired us to stop, and, bursting into tears, declared he was totally exhausted, and unable to accompany us further. As the encamp- ment was not more than a quarter of a mile distant, we proposed that he should return to it, and rejoin Belanger and Michel, whom we knew to be still there, from perceiving the smoke of a fresh fire ; and because they had not made any preparation for starting when we left them. He readily acquiesced in the proposition, and having taken a friendly leave of each of us, and enjoined us to make all the haste we could in stnding relielf, he turned back, keeping his gun and ammunition. We watched him until he was near to the fire, and then proceeded. During these detentions, Augustus becoming impatient of the delay, hati walked on, and we lost sight of him. The labour we experienced in wading through the deep snow induced us to cross a moderate sized lake. which lay in our track, but we found this operation far more ha- rassing. As the surface of the ice was perfectly smooth, we slipt at almost every step, and were frequently blown down by the wind with such force as to shake our whole frames. PoorFontano was completely exhausted by the laboiiir of mak :-'V"' 390 A JOURNEY to THE SHORES lh\ ( M-» 'i > I f'A ing; this traverse, aoH we made a halt until his strength was re- cruited, hy which time the party was benumbed with cold. Pro- ceeding again, lie got on tolerably well for a little time, but being again seized with faintness and dizziness, he fell often, and al: length exclaimed that he could go no further. We immediately stopped, and endeavoured to encourage him to persevere, until we should find some willows, to encamp; he insisted, however that he could not march any longer through this deep snow ; and said, that if he should even reach our encampment this evening he must be left there, provided tripe de roche could not be pro- cured to recruit his strength. The poor man was overwhelmed with grief, and seemed desirous to remain at that spot. We were about two miles from the place where the other men had been left, and as the track to it was beaten, we proposed to him to re- turn thither, as we thought it probable he would find the men still there : at any rate he would be able to get fuel to keep iiim warm during the night; and, on the next day, he could follow their track to the oflicers' tent; and, should the path be covered by the snow, the pines wc had passed yesterday would guide him, as they were yet in view. I cannot describe my anguish on the occasion of separating from another companion under circumstances so distressing. There was, however, no alternative. The extreme debility of the rest of the party, put the carrying him quite out of the question, as tie himself admitted ; and it was evident that the frequent delays he must occasion if he accompanied us, and did not gain strength, must have endangered the livts of the whole. By returning he had the prospect ot getting to the tent where tripe de roclie could be obtained, which agreed with him better than with any other of the party, and which he was always very assiduous in gather- ing. After some hesitation he determined on returning, and set out, having bid each of us farewell in the lenderest manner. We watched him with inexpressible anxiety for some time, and were Fejoiced to find, though he had got on slowly, that he kept on his legs better than before. Antonio Fontano was an Italian, and had served many years in De Meuron's regiment. He had spoken to me that very morning, and after his first attack of dizziness, ■;■! OF THE POLAR SEA. 391 about his father; and had bcg;g d, that should he survive, I would take him with me to England, and put him in the way of reach- ing home. The party was now reduced to five persons, Adam, Peltier, Benoit, Samandre, and myself. Continuing the journey, wc came, after an hour's walk, to some willows, and encamped under the shelter of a rock, having walked in the whole four imif-s and a half. We made an attempt to gather some tripe de roc/ie, but could not, owing to the severity of the weather. Our supper, therefore, consisted of tea and a few morsels of leather. Augustus did not make his appearance, but we felt no alarm at his absence, supposing he would go to the tent if he inissed our track. Having fire, we procured a little sleep. Next morning the breeze was lisjht and the weather mild, which enabled us to collect some tripe de roche, and to enjoy the oidy meal we had for four days. We derived great benefit from it, and walked with considerably more ease than yesterday. Without the strength it supplied, we should certainly have been unable to oppose the strong breeze we had in the afternoon. After walking about five miles, we came upon the borders of Marten Lake, and were re- joiced to find it frozen, so that we could continue our course straight for Fort Enterprize. We encamped at the first rapid in Winter River amidst willows and alders; but these were so frozen^ and the snow fell so thick, that the men had great difficulty in making a fire. This proving insufficient to warm us, or even thaw our shoes, and having no food to prepare, we crept under our blankets. The arrival in a well known part raised the spirits of the men to a high pitch, and we kept up a cheerful conversa- tion until sleep overpowered us. The night was very stormy, and the morning scarcely less so ; but, being desirous to reach the house to-day, we commenced our journey very early. We were gratified by the sight of a large herd of rein deer on the side of the hill near the track, but our only hunter, Adam, was too feeble to pursue them. Our shoes and garments were stiffened by the frost, and we walked m great pain until we arrived at some stunted pines, at which we halted, made a good fire, and procured the refreshment of tea. The weather becoming fine in the after- 1 'i? ' M * Uiin '*..' L F.v. 1s i-Vl 392 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES noon, we continued our journey, passed the Dog;-rib Rock, and encamped among a clump of pines of considerable growth, about a mile further on. Here we enjoyed the comfort of a lar"-e fire for the first time since our departure from the sea coast ; but this gratification was purchased at the expense of many severe falls that we had in crossing a stony valley, to get to these pines. There was no tnpe de roche, and we drank tea and ate some of our shoes for supper, ^ext morning, after taking the usual re- past of tea. we proceeded to the house. Musing on what we were likely to find there, our minds were agitated between hope and fear, and, contrary to the custom we had kept up, of supporting our spirits by conversation, we went silently forward. At length we reached Fort Enterprize, and to our infinite dis- appointment and grief found it a perfectly desolate habitation. There was no deposit of provision, no trace of the Indians, no letter from Mr. Wentzel to point out where the Indians might be found. It would be impossible for me to describe our sensations after entering this miserable abode, and discovering how we had been neglected : the whole party shed tears, not so much for our own fate, as for that of our friends in the rear, whose lives de- pended entirely on our sending immediate relief from this place. I found a note, however, from Mr. Back, stating that he had reached the house two days ago, and was going in search of the Indians, at a part where St. Germain deemed it probable they might be found. If he was unsuccessful, he purposed walking to Fort Providence, and sending succour from thence. But he doubt- ed whether either he or his party could perform the journey to that place in their present debilitated state. It was evident that any supply that could be sent from Fort Providence would be long in reaching us, and could not be sufficient to enable us to afford any assistance to our companions behind, and that the only relief for them must be procured from the Indians. I resolved, therefore, on going also in search of them ; but my companions were abso- lutely incapable of proceeding, and I thought, by halting two or three days, they might gather a little strength, whilst the delay would afford us the chance of learning whether Mr. Back had £een the Indians. OF THE POLAR SEA. ayn We now looked round for the means of subsistence, and were gratified to find several deer skins, which had been thrown away during our former residence. The bones were gathered from the heap of ashes, these with the skins, and the addition of tripe de roche^ we considered would support us tolerably well for a time. As to the house, the parchment being torn from the winilows.the apartment we selected for our abode was exposed to all the rigor uf the season. We endeavoured to exclude the wind as much as possible, by placing loose boards against the apertures. The tem- perature was now between 15° and 20° below zero. We procur- ed fuel by pulling up the flooring of the other rooms, and water for the purpose of cooking b}' melting the snow. VV hilst we were seated round the fire, singing the deer skin for supper, we were rejoiced by the unexpected entrance of Augustus. He had fol- lowed quite a difibrent course from ours, and the circumstance of his having found his way through a part of the country he had never been in before, must be considered a remarkable proof of sagacity. The unusual earliness of this winter became manifest to us from the state of things at this spot. Last year at the same season, and still later, there had been very little snow on the ground, and we were surrounded by vast herds of ;ciu-deer. Now there were but few recent tracks of these animals, and the snow was upwards of two feet deep. Winter River was then open, now it was frozen two feet thick. When I arose the following morning, my body and limbs were so swollen that I was unable to walk more than a few yards. Adam was in a still worse condition, being absolutely incapable of rising without assistance. My other companions fortunately experienced this inconvenience in a less degree, and went to col- lect bones, and some tripe de roche, which supplied us with two meals. The bones were quite acrid, and the soup extracted from them excoriated the mouth if taken alone, but it was somewhat milder when boiled with tripe de roche, and we even thought the mixture palatable, with the addition of salt, of which a cask had been fortunately left here in the spring. Augustus to-day set two fishing lines below the rapid. On his way thithrr he saw two deer, but had not strength to follow them. . J n llUffl V&ih .J 94 A .luUKMiY lo Tnr. shork:. Hi m !hl i y/"' ''i ■» i I On the l.'Uh tlic wind bluw violently IVom south-east, ami ilu snow (h'iltcd so ninch, that the party was contincd to the iiousc. In the afternoon of the following day Belan}:;er arrived with a note from INlr. Hack, stating; that he had seen no trace of the Indian;, and desirin*;" further instructions as lo the course he should pursue. Belan«:;cr's situation, however, required our lirst care, as he cann in almost speechless, and covered with ice, having fallen into a rapid, and, for the third time since we left the coast, narrovvK escaped drowning. He did not recover sulliciently to answer our questions, until we had rubbeil him for some time, changed hi^ dress, and given him some warm soup. My companions nurseci him with the greatest kindness, and tlie desire of restoring hint to health seemed to ahsorh all regard for their own situation. I wit nessetl with peculiar pleasure this conduct, so difl'erent from tha' whicli they had recently pursued, when every tender feeling was susj)endcd by the desire of self-preservation. They now no longei betrayetl impatience or despondency, but were composed anil cheerful, and had entirely given up the practice of swearing, to wiiicii the Canadian voyagers are so lamentably addicted. Our conversation naturally turned upon the prospect of getting relief, imd upon the means which were best adapted for obtaining it, The absence of all traces of Indians on Winter River, convinced me tiiat they were at this time on the way to Fort Providence. and that by proceeding towards that post we should overtake them, as they move slowly when they have their families wilji them. This route also offered us the prospect of killing deer, in the vicinity of Rein deer Lake, in which neighbourhood, our nieu in their journeys to and fro last winter, had always found Ihem abundant. I'pon these grounds 1 determined on taking the route 10 Fort Proviiicncc as soon as possible, and wrote to Mr. Back desiring him lo Join me at Rein-deer Lake, and detailing the occur- rences since we had parted, that our friends might receive reliel. in case of any accident happening to mo. Bclanger did noi recover sullicicnt strength to leave us bcfon the 18th. His answers us ti tiie exact part of Round-Rock l-.akc' in wliich he had left Mr. Back, were very unsatisfactory; and vvc rould onlv collect that it was at t considerable distance, and lir OF THE POLAK SEA. was still p;oinf; on with tlie intention of haltins; at the place where Akaitcho was encamped last summer, about thirty miles ofl". This distance appeared so ji^reat, that I told Bclanf!;er it was very un- safe for him to attempt it alone, and that he would he several days III accomplishing it. He stated, however, that as the track was beaten, he should experience little fatigue, and seemed so conli- tlcnt, that I suffered him to depart with a supply of singci! hide. Next day I received information which explaincil why he was so unwilling to acquaint us with the situation of Mr. Back's party. He dreaded that I should resolve upon joining it, when our numbers would be so great as to consume at once every thing St. Germain might kill, if by accident he should he successful in hunting. He even endeavoured to entice away our other hunter Adam, and proposed to Idm to carry off" the only kettle we had, and without which we could not have subsisted two days. Adam's inability to move, however, precluded him from agreeing to the proposal, but he could assign no reason for not acquainting mc with it, previous to Belanger's departure. 1 was at fust inclined to consider the whole matter as ai fiction of Adams's, but he per- sisted in his story without wavering ; and Belanger, when we met again, confessed that every part of it was true. It is painful to have to record a fact so derogatory to human nature, but I have deemed it proper to mention it, to shew the difficulties we had to contend with, and the effect which distress had in warping the feelings and understanding of the most diligent and obedient of our party ; for such Belanger had been always esteemed up to this time. In making arrangements for our departure, Adam disclosed to me, for the first time, that he was aff'^ctefl with cedematous swell- ings in some parts of the body, to such a degree as to preclude the slightest attempt at marching; and upon my expressing my surprise at his having hitherto concealed from me the extent of his malady, among other explanations the details of the preceding story came out. It now became necessary to aban lie •IDf) A. TOURNCY TO Thl, SHORLS tus, intenflJHc; to send them relief by the first ))arly ol Imliani \vc should meet. My clothes were so much torn, as to be quitr inadequate to screen me from thewind, and Peltier and Samandri fearinc; tliat I might suffer on the journey in consequence, kindly exchanjred with mc parts of their dress, desiring me to send ihcin skins in return by the Indians. Having patched up three pair ol snow-shoes, and singed a considerable quantity of skin for the journey, we started on the morning of the 20th. Previous to my departure, I packed up the journals of the officers, the charts, and some other documents, together with a letter addressed to the Under-Secretary of State, detailing the occurrences of the Expedi- tion up to this period, which package was given in charge to Peltier and Samandre, with direction that it should be brought away by the Indians who might come to them. I also instructed them to forward succour immediately on its arrival to our com- panions in the rear, which they solemnly promised to do, and I left a letter for my friends, Richardson and Hood, to be sent at the same time. I thought it necessary to admonish Peltier, Samandre, ami Adam, to eat two meals every day, in order to keep up their strength, which they promised me they would do. No language that I can use could adequately describe the parting scene. I shall only say there was far more calmness and resignation to the Divine will evinced by every one than could have been expected. We were all cheered by the hope that the Indians would be found by the one party, and relief sent to the other. Those who re- mained entreated us to make all the haste we could, and express- ed their iiope of seeing tlie Indians in ten or twelve days. At first starting we were so feeble as scarcely to be able to move forwards, and the descent of the bank of the river through the deep snow was a severe labour. When we came upon the ice, where the saovv was less deep, we got on better, but after walk- ing six hours we had onl}' gained four miles, and were then com- pelled by fatigue to encamp on the borders of Round-Rock Lake. Augustus tried for fish here, but without success, so that our fare was skin and tea. Composing ourselves to rest, we lay close to each other for warmth. We found the night bitterly cold, and the wind pierced through our famished frames. Of THE POI. AH SEA. m rhe next morning was mild and pleasant for travelling, and we set out after breakfast. We luul not, however, gone many yards before I had the misfortune to hreak my snow-shoes, by falling between two rocks. This accident prevented me from keej)ing pace with Benoit and Augustus, and in the attempt I became quite exhausted. Being convinced that their being delayerl on my account might prove of fatal conseijuence to the rest, I resolved on returning to the house, and letting them proceed alone in search of the Indians. I therefore halted them only whilst I wrote a note to Mr. Back, stating the reason of my return, and requesting he would send meat from Rein-Deer Lake Ijy these men, if St. Ger- main should kill any animals there. If Benoit should miss Mr, Back, I directed him to proceed to Fort Providence, and furnish- ed him with a letter to the gentleman in charge of it, requesting immediate supplies might be sent to us. On my arrival at the house, I found Samandre very disj)iritcd, and too weak, as he said, to render any assistance to Peltier ; upon whom the whole labour of getting wood and collecting the means of subsistence would have devolved. Conscious, too, that his strength would have been unequal to these tasks, they had de- termined upon taking only one meal each day ; under these cir- cumstances I considered my return as particularly fortunate, as I hoped to stimulate Samandre to exertion, and at any rate I could contribute some help to Peltier. I undertook the office of cook- ing, and insisted they should eat twice a day whenever food could be procured, but as I was too weak to pound the bones, Peltier agreed to do that in addition to his more fatiguing task of getting wood. We had a violent snow storm all the next day, and this gloomy weather contributed to the depression of spirits under which Adam and Samandre were labouring. Neither of them would quit their beds, and they scarcely ceased from shedding tears all day ; in vain did Peltier and myself endeavour to cheer them. We had even to use much entreaty before we prevailed upon them to take the meals we had prepared. Our situation was indeed distressing, but in comparison with that of our friends in the rear, we considered it happy. Their condition gave us un- ceasing solicitude, and was the principal subject of our conversation. '■■£: i i 398 A .lOURN/'.Y TO THE SHORES ^ '' ■! iV'tMi; 1-'' rl if Though the weather was stormy on the 2()th, Samandre assist ed nic to gather iripe de roche. Adam, who was very ill, and could not now he prevailed upon to eat this weed, suhsisted prin- f ijjally on hones, though he also partook of the soup. Tjic tripe lie roc/iR had hitherto aflbrded us our chief support, and we natu- rally felt great uneasiness at the prospect of being deprived of it, by its being so frozen as to render it impossible for us to gather it. We perceived our strength decline every day, and every exer- tion began to be irksome ; when we were once seated the greatest effort was necessary in order to rise, and we had frequently to lift each other from our seats ; but even in this pitiable condition we conversed cheerfully, being sanguine as to the speedy arrival of the Indians. We calculated indeed that if they should be near the situation where they had remained last winter, our men would have reached them by this day. Having expended all the wood which we could procure from our present dwelling, without en- dangering its falling, Peltier began this day to pull down the par- titions of the adjoining houses. Though these were only distant about twenty yards, yet the increase of labour in carrying the wood ihtigued him so much, that by the evening he was exhausted. On the next day his weakness was such, especially in the arms, of which he chiefly complained, that he with difficulty lifted the hatchet : still he persevered, Samandre and I assisting him in bringing in the wood, but our united strength could only collect sufficient to replenish the fire four times in the course of the day. As the insides of our mouths had become sore from eating the bone soup, we relinquished the use of it, and now boiled our skin, which mode of dressing we found more palatable than frying it, as we had hitherto done. • On the 29th, Peltier felt his pains more severe, and could only cut a few pieces of wood, isamandie, who was still almost as weak, relieved him a little time, and I assisted them 'n carrying in the wood. We endeavoured to pick some tripe de roche, but in vain, as it was entirely frozen. In turning up the snow, in searching for bones, I found several pieces of bark, which proved a valuable acquisition, as we were almost destitute of dry wood proper for kindling the fire. We saw a henl of rein-deer sport- OF TIIL i'OLAK SLA. 39M .iig ou the river, about lialCa mile from the house; they remained there a considerable time, but none of the party I'elt themselves sufficiently strong to go after them, nor was there one of us who could have fired a gun without resting it. Whilst we were seated round the fire this evening, discoursing about the anticipated relief, the conversation was suddenly inter- rupted by Peltier's exclaiming with joy, '■^ Jih! le tyionde!^^ imagining that he heard the Indians in the other room j immedi- ately afterwards, to his bitter disappointment, Dr. Richardson and Hepburn entered, each carrying his bundle. Peltier, however/ soon recovered himself enough to express his joy at their safe arrival, and his regret that their companions were not with them. When I saw them alone my own mind was instantly filled with apprehensions respecting my friend Hood, and our other com- panions, which were immediately confirmed by the Doctor's me- lancholy communication, that Mr. Hood and Michel were dead. Perrault and Fontano had neither reached the tent, nor been heard of by them. This intelligence produced a melancholy de- spondency in the minds of my party, and on that account the par- ticulars were deferred until another opportunity. We were all shocked at beholding the emaciated countenances of the Doctor atid Hepburn, as they strongly evidenced their extremely debilitated state. The alteration in our appearance was equally distressing to them, for since the swellings had subsided, we were little more than skin and bone. The Doctor particularly remarked the se- pulchral tone of our voices, which he requested us to make more cheerful if possible, unconscious that his own partook of the same key. Hepburn having shot a partridge, which was brought to the house, the Doctor tore out the feathers, and having held it to the fue a few minutes, divided it into seven portions. Each piece was ravenously devoured by my companions, as it was the first morsel of flesh any of us had tasted for thirty-one days, unless indeed the small gristly particles which we found occasionally adhering to the pounded bones may be termed flesh. Our spirits were revived by this small supply, and the Doctor endeavoured lo raise them still higher by the prospect of Hci>burn's being able ;",fMi* m '100 \ lOUKNCV lO nil. SllOKI.S .) ■ ■ If m t to kill a (leer next day, as Ihuy had seen, and even liied at, suv*'- ral near the house. lie endeavoured, too, to rouse us to soni< attention to the comtort of our apartment, and particularly to roll up, in the tlay, our blankets which (expressly lor the -con- venience ol" Adam and Samandre,) we had been in the Imhit of leavinti; by the fire where we lay on them. The Doctor luiviii" brouaiht his prayer-book and testament, some prayers and psalms, and portions of scripture, appropriate to our situation, were itad, and we retired to bed. Next morning the Doctor and Hepburn went out early in scanli of deer ; but, though they saw several herds anm\ OP THE POLAR SEA. 401 drawings, evince a variety of talent, which, had liis life hccn spared, must have rendered him a distinguished ornament to his profession, and which will cause his death to be felt as a loss to the service. itaine'i some Dr. RICHARDSON'S NARRATIVE. After Captain Franklin had bidden us farewell we remained seated by the fire-sidc as long as the willows, the men had cut for us before they departed, lasted. We had no tripe de roche that day, but drank an infusion of the country tea-plant, which was grateful from its warmth, although it afforded no sustenance. We then retired to bed, where we remained all the next day, as the weather was stormy, and the snow-drift so heavy, as to de- stroy every prospect of success in our endeavours to light a fire with the green and frozen willows, which were our only fuel. Through the extreme kindness and forethought of a lady, the party, previous to leaving London, had been furbished with a small col- lection of religious books, of which we still retained two or three of the most portable, and they proved of incalculable benefit to us. We read portions of them to each other as we lay in bed, in addition to the morning and evening service, and found that they Inspired us on each perusal with so strong a sense of the om- nipresence of a beneficent God, that our situation, even in these wilds, appeared no longer destitute ; and we conversed, not only with calmness, but with cheerfulness, detailing with unrestrained confidence the past events of our lives, and dwelling with hope on our future prospects. Had my poor friend been spared to revisit his native land, I should look back to this period with un- alloyed delight. On the morning of the 29th, the weather, although still cold, was clear, and I went out in quest of tripe de roche y leaving Hep- burn to cut willows for a fire, and Mr. Hood in bed. F had no 5 K '"4 T 40ii A JOURNEY lO THE SHORES ■» n success, as yesterday's snow drift was so frozen on the surface ol the rocks that I couid not collect any of the weed ; but, on my return to the tent, I found that Michel, the Iroquois, had come with a note from Mr. Franklin, which stated, that this man, and Jean Baptiste Belanger being unable to proceed, were about to re- turn to us, and that a mile beyond our present encampment there was a clump of pine trees, to which he recommended us to remove the tent. Michel informed us that he quitted ?/Ir. Franklin's party yesterday morning, but, that having missed his way, he had passed the night on the snow a mile or two to the northward of us. Belanger, he said, being impatient, had left the fire about two hours earlier, and, as he had not arrived, he supposed he had gone astray. It will be seen in the sequel. that we had more than sufficient reason to doubt the truth of this stor V . Michel now produced a hare and a partridge which he had killed in the morning. This unexpected supply of provision was received by us with a deep sense of gratitude to the Almighty for his goodness, and we looked upon Michel as the instrument he had chosen to preserve all our lives. He complained of cold, and Mr. Hood offered to share his buffalo robe with him at night : I gave him one of two shirts which I wore, whilst Hepburn, in the warmth of his heart, exclaimed, " How I shall love this man if 1 find thai he n ■ ( I ^i.P in addition to the eveiung prayers. The loss of a young officer of such distinguished and varied talents and application, may be felt and duly appreciated by the enrtinent characters under whose command he had served ; but the calmness with which he con- templated the probable termination of a life of uncommon pro- mise ; and the patience and fortitude with which he sustained, I may venture to say, unparalleled bodily sufferings, can only be known to the coiiipanions of his distresses. Ovi.ing to the effect that the tripe de roche invariably had, when he ventured to taste it, he undoubtedly suffered more than any of the survivors of the party. BickerstetK's Scripture Help was lying open beside the body, as if it had fallen from his hand, and it is probable that he was reading it at the instant of his death. We passed the night in the tent together without rest, every one being on his guard. Next day, having determined on going to the Fort, we began to patch and prepare our clothes for the journey. We singed the hair off a part of the buffalo robe that belonged to Mr. Hood, and boiled and ate it. Michel tried to persuade me to go to the woods on the Copper-Mine River, and hunt for deer, instead of going to the Fort. In the afternoon a flock of partridges coming near the tent, he killed several, which he shared with us. Thick snow^y weather and a head wind prevented us from start- ing the following day, but on the morning of the 23d we set out, carrying with us the remainder of the singed robe. Hepb\-rvi and Michel had each a gun, and I carried a small pistol, whicli Hep* burn had loaded for me. In the course of the march Michel alarmed us much by his gestures and conduct, was constantly muttering to himself, expressed an unwillingness to go to the Fort, and tried to persuade me to go to the south w^ard to the woods, where he said he could maintain himself all the winter by killing deer. In consequence of this behaviour, and the expression of his countenance, I requested him to leave us and to go to the south- ward by himself. This proposal increased his ill-nature, he threw out some obscure hints of freeing himself from all restraint on the morrow ; and 1 overheard him muttering threats against Hepburn, whom he openly accused of having told stories against him. He also, for the first time, assumed such a tone of superiority in ad- • »♦ • OF THK I'OLAR SEA. 40^ ^Iressing me, as evinced that he considered us to be completely in his power, and he gave vent to several expressions of hatred towards the white people, or as he termed us in the idiom of the voyagers, the French, some of whom, he said, had killed and eaten his uncle and two of his relations. In short, taking every circum- stance of his conduct into consideration, I came to the conclusion, that he would attempt to destroy us on the first opportunity that eflbrcd, and that he had hitherto abstained from doing ^o from his ignorance of the way to the Fort, but that he would never suffer us to go thither in company with him. In the course of the day he had several times remarked that we were pursuing the same course that Mr. Franklin was doing when he left him, and that by keeping towards the setting sun he could find his way himself. Hepburn and I were not in a condition to resist even an open at- tack, nor could we by any device escape from him. Our united strength was far inferior to his, and, beside his gun, he was armed with two pistols, an Indian bayonet, and a knife. In the after- noon, coming to a rock on which there was some tripe de roche, he halted, and said he would gather it whilst we went on, and that he would soon overtake us. Hepburn and I were now left together for the first time since Mr. Hood's death, and he acquaint- ed me with several material circumstances, which he had observed of Michel's behaviour, and which confirmed me in the opinion (hat there was no safety for us except in his death, and he offered to be the instrument of it. I determined, however, as I was tho- roughly convinced of the necessity of such a dreadful act, to take the whole responsibility upon myself; and immediately u|X>n Michel's coming up, I put an end to his life by shooting him through the head with a pistol. Had my own life alone been threatened, I would not have purchased it by such a measure ; but I considered myself as intrusted also with the protection of Hepburn's, a man, who, by his humane attentions and devoted- ness, had so endeared himself to me, that I felt more anxiety for his safety than for my own. Michel had gathered no tripe de roche, and it was evident to us that he had halted for the purpose of putting his gun in order, with the intention of attacking us, perhaps, whilst we were in the act of encamping. :1F ■11: 410 A JOURNKY TO THE SHORES I \ HiZ-'v 'ill ' re mm ^ I have dwelt in the preceding part of the narrative upon many circumstances of Michel's conduct, not for the purpose of a«>-«rra- vating his crime, but to put the reader in possession of the reasons that influenced me in depriving a fellow creature of life, Up to the period of his return to the tent, his conduct had been good and respectful to the officers, and in a conversation between Cap- tain Franklin, Mr. Hood, and myself, at Obstruction Rapid, ii had been proposed to give him a reward upon our arrival at a post. His principles, however, unsup|ierted by a belief in tho divine truths of Christianity, were unable to withstand the press ure of severe distress. His countrymen, the Iroquois, are gene- rally Christians, but he was totally iminstructed and ignorant of the duties inculcated by Christianity ; and from his long residence in the Indian country, seems to have imbibed, or retained, the rules of conduct which the southern Indians prescribe to them- selves. On the two following days we had mild but thick snowy weather, and as the view was too limited to enable us to preserve a straight course, we remained encamped amongst a few willows and dwarf pines, about five miles from the tent. We found a species of cornicularia, a kind of lichen, that was good to eat when moistened and toasted over the fire ; and we had a good many pieces of singed buffalo hide remaining. On the 26th, the weather being clear and extremely cold, we resumed our march, which was very painful from the depth of the snow, particularly on the margins of the small lakes that lay in our route. We frequently sunk under the load of our blankets, and were obliged to assist each other in getting up. After walk- ing about three miles and a half, however, we were cheered by the sight of a large herd of rein-deer, and Hepburn went in pursuit of them; but his hand being unsteady through weakness he irissed. He was so exhausted by this fruitless attempt, that we were ob- liged to encamp upon the spot, although it was a very unfavoura- ble one. Next day we had fine and clear, but cold, weather. We set out early, and, in crossing a hill, found a considerable quantity of tripe de roche. About noon we fell upon Little Marten Lake, hav- Wf m eii'ikix'i'lLIJii. -v'^t-tv ••^ -^"^ OF THE POLAR SEA. 4U ing walked about two miles The sight of a place that we knew inspired us with fresh vigour, and there being comparatively little snow on the ice, we advanced at a pace to which we had lately been unaccustomed. In the afternoon we crossed a recent track of a wolverene, which, from a parallel mark in the snow, appeared to have been dragging something. Hepburn traced it, and upon the borders of the lake found the spine of a deer, that it had drop- ped, it was clean picked, and, at least, one season old ; but we extracted the spinal marrow from it, which, even in its frozen state, was so acrid as to excoriate the lips. We encamped within sight of the Dog-rib Rock, and from the coldness of the night and the want of fuel, rested very ill. On the 28th we rose at day-break, but from the want of the small fire, that we usually made in the mornings to warm our fingers, a very long time was spent in making up our bundles. This task fell to Hepburn's share, as I suffered so much from the cold as to be unable to take my hands out of my mittens. We kept a straight course for the Dog-rib Rock, but, owing to the depth of the snow in the valleys we had to cross, did not reach it until late in the afternoon. We would have encamped, but did not like to pass a second night without fire ; and though scarcely able to drag our limbs after us, we pushed on to a clump of pines, about a mile to the southward of the rock, and arrived at them in the dusk of the evening. During the last few hundred yards of our march, our track lay over some large stones, amongst which I fell down upwards of twenty times, and became at length so ex- hausted that I was unable to stand. If Hepburn had not exerted liimself far beyond his strength, and speedily made the encamp- ment and kindled a fire, I must have perished on the spot. This night we had plenty of dry wood. On the 29th we had clear and fine weather. We set out at mn- rise, and hurried on in our anxiety to reach the house, but our progress was much impeded by the great depth of the snow in the valleys. Although every spot of ground over which we travelled to-day, had been repeatedly trodden by us, yet we got bewilder- ed in a small lake. We took it for Marten Lake, which was three Umps its size, and urncied that we saw the rapid and the m I # 41S A JOURNEY To THE .SIfORES ^fim.-:,i! km •i«f fii I'lJ grounds about tlie fo*t, although they were still far distant. Our disappointment when this illusion was dispelled, by our reaching; the end of the lake, so operated on our feeble minds as to ex- haust our strength, and we decided upon encamping; buf upon ascending a small eminence to look for a clump of wood, we caught a glimpse of the Big-Stone, a well known rock upon the summit of a hill opposite to the Fort, and determined upon pro- ceeding. In the evening we saw several large herds of rein- deer, but Hepburn, who used to be considered a good marksman, was now unable to hold the gun straight, and although he got near them all his efforts proved fruitless. In passing through a small clump of pines we saw a flock of partridges, and he succeed- ed in killing one after firing several shots. We came in sight of the fort at dusk, and it is impossible to describe our sensations, when on attaining the eminence that overlooks it, we bt. ^Ul the smoke issuing from one of the chimneys. From not havin,, met with any footsteps in the snow^ as we drew nigh our once cheer- ful residence, we had been agitated by many melancholy torebod- ings. Upon enteri/ig the now desolate building, we had the satis- faction of embracing Captain Franklin, but no words can convey an idea of the filth and wretchedness that met our eyes on look- ing around. Our own misery had stolen upon us by degrees, and we were accustomed to the contemplation of each other's emacia- ted figures, but the ghastly countenances, dilated eye-balls, and sepulchral voices of Mr. Frankliji and those with him, were more than we could at first bear. I fa C'jiicludon of Z)r, Richarchon\- JWirmtivc. The morning of the 31st was very cold, the wind being strong IVom the north. Hepburn went again in quest of deer, and the Doctor endeavoured to kill some partridges : both were unsuc- cessful. A '".rge herd of deer passed close to the house, the Doc- tor fired once at them, but was unable to pursue them. Adam #s- «l OF THE POLAR SEA. was easier this clay, and left his bed. Peltier and Saniandre were much weaker, and could not assist in the labours of the day. Both complnined of soreness in the throat, and Samandre suffered much from cramps in his fingers. The Doctor and Hepburn began this day to cut the wood, and also brought it to the house. Being too weak to aid in these laborious tasks, I was employed in search- ing for bones, and cooking, and attending to our more weakly companions. In the evening Peltier, complaining much of cold, requested of me a portion of z blanket to repair his shirt and drawers. The mending of these articles occupied him and Samandre until past one A.M., and their spirits were so much revived by the employ- ment, that they conversed even cheerfully the whole time. Adam sat up with them. The Doctor, Hepburn, and myself, went to bed. We were afterwards agreeably surprised to see Peltier and Samandre carry three or four logs of wood across the room to replenish the fire, which induced jjs to hope they still possessed more strength than we had supposed. November 1. — ^This day was fine and mild. Hepburn went hunting, but was as usual unsuccessful. As his sti^ngth was rapidly declining, we advised him to desist from the pursuit of deer ; and only to go out for a short time and endeavour to kill a few partridges for Peltier and Samandre. The Doctor obtained a little irijje de roche, but Peltier could not eat any of it, and Samandr^ only a few spoonfuls, owing to the soreness of their throats. In the afternoon Peltier was so much exhausted, that he sat up with difficulty, and looked piteously; at length he slided from his stool upon his bed, as we supposed to sleep, and in thi; composed state he remained upwards of two hours, without oui apprehending any danger. We were then alarmed by hearing ; rattling in his throat, and on the Doctor's examining him he was found to be speechless. He died in the course of the night. Sa- mandre sat up the greater part of the day, and even assisted in pounding some bones ; but on witnessing the melancholy state oi Peltier, he became very low, and began to complain of cold and stiffness of the joints. Being unable to keep up a sufficient fire to warm him, we laid him down and covered him with several blanket ■!&, wm 414 A JOURNEY TO THt SlfORLa m m "'i§1|J^^f He did not, however, appear to ||et better, and I deeply lament to add, he also died before daylight. We removed the bodies of the deceased into the opposite part of the house, but our united strength was inadequate to the task of interring them, or even carrying them down to the river. It may he worthy of remark that poor Peltier, from the time of IJenoit's departure, had fixed on the first of November as the time when he should cease to expect any relief from the Indians, and had repeatedly said that if they did not arrive by that day. he should not survive. Peltier had endeared himself to each of us by his cheerfulness, his unceasing activity, and affectionate care and attentions, ever since our arrival at this place. He had nursed Adam with the tenderest solicitude the whole time. Poor Samandre was will- ing to have taken his share in the labours of the party, had he not been wholly incapacitated by his weakness and low spirits. The severe shock occasioned by the sudden dissolution of our two companions rendered us very melancholy. Adam bee e low and despondent, a change which we lamented the mo \vc had perceived he had been gaining strength and spirits for tlie two preceding days. I was particularly distressed by the thought that the labour of collecting wood must now devolve upon Dr. Richardson and Hepburn, and that my debility would disable me trom affording them any material assistance; indeed both of them most kindly urged me not to make the attempt. They were oc- cupied the whole of the next day in tearing down the logs of which the store-house was built, but the mud plastered between them was so hard frozen that the labour of separation exceeded their strength, and they were completely exhausted by bringing in wood sufficient for less than twelve hours' consumption. I found it necessary in their absence, to remain constantly near Adam, and to converse with him, in order to prevent his refllect- itig on our condition, and to keep up his spirits as far as possible. I also lay by his side at night. On the 3d the weather was very cold, though the atmosphere was cloudy. This morning Hepburn was affected with swelling ill his limbs, his strength as well as that of the Doctor, was rapidly ^\i OF THE POLAR SEA. '11; declining; they continued, however, to be full of hope. Their utmost exertions coulil only supply wood to renew the fire ihrice, und on making it up the last time we went to bed. Adam wan in rather better spirits, but he coidd not bear to be left alone. Our stock of bones was exhausted by a small quantity of soup we made this evening. The toil of separating the hair from the skins, which in fact were our chief support, had now become so wearisome as to prevent us from eating as much as we should otherwise have done. November 4. — Calm and comparatively mild weather. The Doctor and Hepburn, exclusive of their usual occupation, gather- ed some tripe tie roche. I went a few yards from the house in search of bones, and returned quite fatigued, having found but three. The Doctor again made incisions in Adam's legs, which discharged a considerable quantity of wiUer, and gave him great relief. We read prayers and a portion o-^ the New Testament in the morning and evening, as had been our | l eleven A.M., on the 15th, for Moose-deer Island. Our party consisted of Belanger, who had charge of a sledge, laden with the bedding, and drawn by two dogs, our two cariole men, Benoit, and Augustus. Previous to our departure, we had another conference with Akaitcho, who, as well as the rest of his party, bade us farewell, with a warmth of manner rare among the Indians. The badness of Belangci's dogs, and the roughness of the ice, impeded our progress very much, and obliged us to encamp early. We had a good fire made of the drift wood, which lines the shores 3H 426 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES I iiif li^-* w. t of this lake in great quantities. The next day was very cold. We began the journey at nine A.M., and encamped at the Big Cape, having made another short march, in consequence of the roughness of the ice. On the 17th, we encamped on the most southerly of the Rein- deer Islands. This night was very stormy, but the wind abating in the morning, we proceeded, and by sunset reached the fishing- huts of the Company at Stony Point. Here we found Mr. An- drews, a clerk of the Hudson's Bay Company, who regaled us with a supper of excellent white fish, for which this part of Slave Lake is particularly celebrated. Two men with sledges arrived soon afterwards, sent by Mr. M'Vicar, who expected us about this time. We set off in the morning before day-break, with several companions, and arrived at Moose-deer Island about one P.M. Here we were received with the utmost hospitality by Mr. M'Vicar, the chief trader of the Hudson's Bay Company in this district, as well as by his assistant, Mr. M'Auley. We had also the happi- ness of joining our friend Mr. Back ; our feelings on this occasion can be well imagined ; we were deeply impressed with gratitude to him for his exertions in sending the supply of food to FortEn- tcrprize, to which, under Divine Providence, we felt the preser- vation of our lives to be owing. He gave us an affecting detail of the proceedings of his party since our separation ; the substance of which I shall convey to the reader, by the following extracts from his Journal. Mr. BACK'S NARRATIVE. 1B21 October 4. Mr. Franklin having directed me to proceed with St. Germain, Belanger, and Beauparlant, to Fort Enterprize, in the hope of obtaining relief for the party, I took leave of my com- panions, and set out on my journey, through a very swampy country, which, with the cloudy state of the weather, and a keen OF THE POLAR SEA. 487 north-cast wind, accompanied by frequent snow showers, retarded us so much, that we scarcely got more than four miles, when we halted for the night, and made a meal of tripe de roche and some old leather. * On the 5th, wc set out early, amidst extremely deep snow, sinking frequently in it up to the thighs, a labour in our enfeebled and almost worn out state, that nothing but the cheering hopes of reaching the house, and affording relief to our friends, could have enabled us to support. As we advanced, we found to our morti- fication that the tripe de roche, hitherto our sole dependence, be- gan to be scarce, so that we could only collect sufficient to make half a kettleful, which, with the addition of a partridge each, that St. Germain had killed, made us a tolerable meal ; during this day I felt very weak and sore in the joints, particularly between the shoulders. At night we encamped among a small clump of willows. On the 6th we set out at an early hour, pursuing our route over a range of hills, at the foot of one of which we saw several large pines, and a great quantity of willows ; a sight that encou- raged us to quicken our pace, as we were now certain we could not be far from the woods. Indeed we were making considerable progress, when Belanger unfortunately broke through the ice, and sunk up to the hips. The weather being cold, he was in danger of freezing, hut some brushwood on the borders of the lake enabled us to make a Hre to dry him. At the same time we took the opportunity of refreshing ourselves with a kettle of swamp tea. My increasing debility had for some time obliged me to use a stick for the porpose of extending my arms; the pain in my shoul- ders being so acute, that I could not bear them to remain in the usual position for two minutes together. We halted at five among some small brushwood, and made a sorry meal of an old pair of leather trowsers, and some swamp tea. The night was cold with a hard frost, and though two persons slept together, yet we could not by any means keep ourselves warm, but remained trembling the whole time. The following morning we crossed several lakes, occasionally seeing the recent 424 A JOUKNEY TO TH£ SHORES mm. tracks of deer, and at noon we fell upon Marten Lake ; and ii happened to be the exact spot where we had been the last year ivith the canoes, and though I immediately recognized the place, the men would not believe it to be the same ; at length, by point- ing out several marks, and relating circumstances connected with them, they recovered their memory, and a simultaneous expression of "Mon Dieu, nous sommes sauv s," broke out from the whole. Contrary to our expectations, the In kc was frozen sufficiently to bear us, so that we were excused from making the tours of the clifierent bays. This circumstance seemed to add fresh vigour to us, we walked as fast as the extreme smoothness of the ice would permit, intending to reach the Slave Rock that night ; but an unforeseen and almost fatal accident prevented the prosecution of our plan : Belanger (who seemed the victim of misfortune) again broke through the ice, in a deep part near the head of the rapid, but was timely saved, by fastening our worsted belts toge- ther, and pulling him out. By urging him forwards as quick as his icy garments would admit of, to prevent his freezing, we reached a few pines, and kindled a fire ; but it was late before he even felt warm, though he was so near the flame as to burn his hair twice ; and to add to our distress, three wolves crossed the lake close to us. The night of the 7th was extremely stormy, and about ten the following morning, on attempting to go on, we found it totally impossible, being too feeble to oppose the wind and drift, which frequently blew us over, and on attempting to cross a small lake that lay in our way, drove us faster backwards than under all ad- vantages we could get forwards ; therefore we encamped under the shelter of a small clump of pines, secure from the south-west storm that was raging around us. In the evening, from there being no tripe de roche, we were compelled to satisfy, or rather allay, the cravings of hunger, by eating a gun cover and a pair of old shoes; at this time I had scarcely strength to get on my legs. The wind did not in the least abate during the night, but in the morning of the 9th it changed to north-east, and became moderate. We took advantage of this circumstance, and rising with great OF THE POLAR SEA. 42 f» ; and il last year \\e place, by point- ;teil with xpressioti he whole, ciently to lis of the sh vigour jf the ice light ; but roseculion fiisfortune) ead 01 the belts toge- s as quick !3ezing, we late before as to burn vres crossed out ten the d it totally rift, which small lake ider all ad- iped under south-west from there or rather and a pair get on my but in the moderate, ath great difHculty, set out, though had it not been for the hope of reach- ing the house, I am certain, from the excessive faintness which almost overpowered mc, that I must have remained where I was. We passed the Slave Rock, and making frequent halts, arrived within a short distance of Fort Enterprize; but as we perceived neither any marks of Indians, nor even of animals, the men began absolutely to despair : on a nearer app> oach, however, the tracks of largo herds of deer, which had only passed a few hours, tend- ed a little to revive their spirits, and shortly after we crossed thc ruinous threshold of the long-sought-for spot ; but what was out surprise, what our sensations, at beholding every thing in the most desolate and neglected state ; the doors and windows of that room in which we expected to find provision, had been thrown down, and carelessly left so ; and the wild animals of the woods had re- sorted there, as to a place of shelter and retreat. Mr. Wentzel had taken away the trunks and papers, but had left no note to guide us to the Indians. This was to us the most grievous dis- appointment : without the assistance of the Indians, bereft of every resource, we felt ourselves reduced to the most miserable state, which was rendered still worse, from the recollection that ar friends in the rear were as miserable as ourselves. For the moment, however, hunger prevailed, and each began to gnaw the scraps of putrid and frozen meat that were laying about, without waiting to prepare them. A fire, however, was made, and the neck and bones of a deer, found lying in the house, were boiled and devoured. I determined to remain a day here to repose ourselves, and then to go in search of the Indians, and in the event of missing them to proceed to the first trading establishment, which was distant about one hundred and thirty miles, and from thence to send succour to my companions. This indeed I should have done immediately, as the most certain manner of executing my pur- pose, had there been any probability of the river and lakes being frozen to the southward, or had we possessed sufficient strength to have clambered over the rocks and mountains which impeded the direct way ; but as we were aware of our inability to do so, I listened to St. Germain's proposal, which was, to follow the ■m 430 A .TOURNKY TO THE SHORES deer into the woods, (so long as they did not lead us out of our route to the Indians,) and if possible to collect sufficient food to carry us to Fort Providence. We now set about making mittens and snow-shoes, whilst Belanger searched under the snow, and collected a. mass of old bones, which when burned and used with a little salt, we found palatable enough, and made a tolerable meal. At night St. Germain returned, having seen plenty of tracks, but no animals; the day was cloudy, with fresh breezes, and the river was frozen at the borders. On the 11th we prepared for oUr journey, having fii-st collected a few old skins of deer, to serve us as food, and written a note to be left for our commander, to apprize him of our intentions. We pursued the course of the river to the lower lake, when St. Ger- main fell in, which obliged us to encamp directly to prevent his being frozen ; indeed we were all glad of stopping, for in our meagre and reduced state it was impossible to resist the weather, which at any other time would have been thought fine; my toes were frozen, and although wrapped in a blanket I could not keep my hands warm. The 12th was excessively cold with fresh breezes. Our meal al night consisted of scraps of old deer skins and swamp tea, and the men complained greatly of their increasing debility. The fol- lowing morning 1 sent St. Germain to hunt, intending to go some distance down the lake, but the weather becoming exceedingly thick with snow storms, we wer prevented from moving. He returned without success, not having seeii any animals. We had nothing to eat. In the morning of the 14th the part of the lake before us was quite frozen. The*'e was so much uncertainty in St. Germain's answei's as to the chance of any Indians being in the direction \vt were then going, (although he had previously said that the leader had told him he should be there,) and he gave me so much dis satisfaction in his hunting excursions, that I was induced to send a note to the Commander, whom I supposed to be by this time at Fort Enterprize, to inform him of our situation ; not that I ima- gined for a moment he could better it, b" t that by all returning to the fort we might, perhaps, have better success in hunting ; *^m 9F THE POLAR SEA. 431 with this view I despatched Belanger, much against his inclina- tion, and told him to return as quick as possible to a place about four miles further on, where we intended to fish, and to await his arrival. The men were so weak this day that I could get neither of them to move from the encampment ; and it was only neces- sity that compelled them to cut wood for fuel, in performing which operation Beauparlant's face became so dreadfully swelled that he could scarcely see ; I myself lost my temper on the most trivial circumstances, and was become very peevish ; the day was fine but cold, with a freezing north-east wind. We had nothing to eat. October 15. — ^The night was calm and clear, but it was not be- fore two in the afternoon that we set out ; and the one was so weak, and the other so full of complaints, that we did not get more than three-quarters of a mile from our last encampment, before we were obliged to put up ; but in this distance we wero fortunate enough to kill a partridge, the bones of which were eaten, and the remainder reserved for baits to fish with. We were for- tunate, however, in collecting sufficient tripe de roche to make a meal ; and I now anxiously awaited Belanger's return, to know what course to take. I was now so much reduced, that my shoul- ders were as if tl\ey would fall from my body, my legs seemed unable to support me, and in the disposition which I then found myself, had it not been for the remeiT^brance of my friends be- hind, who relied on me for relief, as well as the persons of whom I had charge, I certainly should have preferred remaining where I was, to the miserable pain of attempting to move. October 16. — We waited until two in the afternoon for Belan- ger ; but not seeing any thing of him on the lake, we set out, purposing to encamp at the Narrows, the place which was said to be so good for fishing, and where, according to St. Germain's ac- count, the Indians never failed to catch plenty ; its distance at most could not be moj'e than two miles. We had not proceeded far before Beauparlant began to complain of increasing weakness. This was so usual with us that no particular notice was taken of it, for in fact there was little difference, all being alike feeble : among other tilings he said whilst \vc were resting, that he should m 432 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORKS vim- fit" ^t^ - . 1 ']' 4\ M..1, It ■'Br ■ I -'I % lite never get beyond the next encampment, for his strength had quite tailed him. I endeavoured to encourage him by explaining the mercy of the Supreme Being, who ever beholds with an eye of pity those that seek his aid. This passed as common discourse, when he inquired where we were to put up ; St. Germain point- ed to a small clump of pines near us, the only place indeed thai offered for fuel. " Well," replied the poor man, " take your axe Mr. Back, and 1 will follow at my leisure, I shall join you by the time the encampment is made." This is a usual practice of the country, and St. Germain and myself went on towards the spot ; it was five o'clock and not very cold, but rather milder than we had experienced it for some time, when, on leaving the ice, we saw a number of crows perched on the top of some high pines near us. St. Germain immediately said there must be some dead animal thereabouts, and proceeded to search, when we saw seve- ral heads of deer half buried in the snow and ice, without eyes or tongues : the previous severity of the weather only having obliged the wolves and other animals to abandon them. An ex- pression of " Oh merciful God ! we are saved," broke from us both ; and with feelings more easily imagined than described, we shook hands, not knowing what to say for joy. It was twilight, and a fog was rapidly darkening the surface of the lake, when St. Germain commenced making the encampment ; the task was too laborious for me to reiider him any assistance, and had we not thus providentially found provision, I feel convinced that the next twenty-four hours would have terminated my existence. But this good fortune, in some measure renovated me for the moment, and putting out my whole strength, I contrived to collect a few heads, imd with incredible difficulty carried them singly about thirty paces to the fire. Darkness stole on us apace, and I became extremely anxious ;ibout Bcauparlant ; several guns were fired, to each of which he answered. We then called out, and again heard his responses though faintly, when 1 told St. Germain to go and look for him, js I had not strength myself, being quite exhausted. He said, that i»e had already placed a pine branch on the ice, and he could then lianlly find his way back, but if he went now he should certainly OF THE POLAR SKA. 433 be lost. In this situation I could only hope that as Bcauparlant had my blanket, and every thing requisite to light a fire, he might have encamped at a little distance from us. October 17. — ^The night was cold and clear, but we could not sleep at all, from the pains of having eaten. We suffered the most excruciating torments, though I in particular did not eat a quarter of what would have satisfied me; it might have been from using a quantity of raw or frozen sinews of the legs of deer, which neither of us could avoid doing, so great was our hunger. In the morning, being much agitated for the safety of Bcauparlant, I de- sired St. Germain to go in search of him, and lo return with him as quick as possible, when I would have something prepared for them to eat. It was, however, late when he arrived, with a small bundle which Bcauparlant was accustomed to carry, and with tears in his eyes, told me that he had found our poor companion dead. Dead ! I could not believe him. " It is so, Sir," said St. Germain, " after hallooing and calling his name to no purpose, I went towards our last encampment, about three quarters of a mile, and found him stretched upon his back on a sand bank frozen to death, his limbs all extended and swelled enormously, and as hard as the ice that was near him ; his bundle was behind him, as if it had rolled away when he fell, and the blanket which he wore around his neck and shoulders thrown on one side. Seeing that there was no longer life in him, I threw your covering over him, and placed his snow shoes on the top of it." I had not even thought of so serious an occurrence in our little party, and for a short time was obliged to give vent to my grief. Left with one person and both of us weak, no appearance of Be- langcr, a likelihood that great calamity had taken place amongst our other companions, and upwards of seventeen days' march from the nearest Establishment, and myself unable to carry a burden, all these things pressed heavy on me; and how to get to the Indians or to the fort I did not know; but that I might not depress St. Germain's spirits, I suppressed the feelings which these thoughts gave rise to, and made some arrangements for the journey to Fort Providence. We continued very weak. 3 1 m # 434 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES U'v October 18.— While we were this day occupied in scraping to- gether the remains of some deer's meat, we observed Belangci coming round a point apparently scarcely moving. 1 went to meet him, and made immediate inquiries about my friends. Five, with the Captain, he said, were at the house, the rest were lett near the river, unable to proceed ; but he was too weak to relate the whole. He was conducted to the encampment, and paid every attention to, and by degrees we heard the remainder of hi-. tragic tale, at which the interpreter could not avoid crying. He then gave me a letter from my friend the Commander, which in- deed was truly afflicting. The simple story of Belanger I could hear, but when I read it in another language, mingled with the pious resignation of a good man, I could not sustain it any longer. The poor man was much affected at the death of our lamented companion, but his appetite prevailed over every other feeling ; and, had I permitted it, he would have done himself an injury ; for after two hours' eating, principally skin and sinews, he com plained of hunger. The day was cloudy, with snow and fresh breezes from the north-east by cast. The last evening, as well as this morning, the 19th, I mention- ed my wishes to the men, that we should proceed towards Rein- deer Lake, but this proposal met with a direct refusal. Belanger stated his inability to move, and St. Germain used similar lan- guage ; adding, for the first time, that he did not know the route, and that it was of no use to go in the direction I mentioned, which was the one agreed upon between the Commander and myself. I then insisted that we should go by the known route, and Join the Commander, but they would not hear of it ; they would remain where they were until they had regained their strength ; they said I wanted to expose them again to death {/aire perir). In vain did I use every argument to the contrary, for they were equally heedless to all. Thus situated, I was compelled to remain, and from this time to the 25th, we employed ourselves in looking about for the remnants of the deer and pieces of skin, which even the wolves had left ; and by pounding the bones, we were enabled to make a sort of soup, which strengthened us greatly, though each still complained of weakness. It was not without the greatest .a^^ OF THE POLAR SEA. 435 difficulty that I could restrain the men from eating every scrap they found, though they were well aware of the necessity there was of being economical in our present situation, and to save what- ever they could for our journey ; yet they could not resist the temptation, and directly my back was turned they seldom failed to snatch at the nearest piece to them, whether cooked or raw it made no diflerence. We had set fishing-lines, but without any success ; and we often saw large herds of deer crossing the lake at full speed, and wolves pursuing them. The night of the 25th was cold, with hard frost. Early the next morning I sent the men to cover the body of our departed companion Beauparlant with the trunks and branches of trees, which they did ; and shortly after their return I opened his bundle, and found it contained two papers of vermilion, several strings of beads, some fire-steels, flints, awls, fish-hooks, rings, linen, and the glass of an artificial horizon. My two men began to recover a little as well as myself, though I was by far the weakest of the three ; the soles of my feet were cracked all over, and the other parts were as hard as a horn, from constant walking. I again urged the necessity of advancing to join the Commander's party, but they said they were not yet sufficiently strong. On the 27th we discovered the remains of a deer, on which we feasted. The night was unusually cold, and ice formed in a pint- pot within two feet of a fire. The coruscations of the Aurora were beautifully brilliant ; they served to shew us eight wolves, which we had some trouble to frighten away from our collection of deer's bones ; and, with their howling, and tht^^constant crack- ing of the ice, we did not get much rest. Having collected with great care, and by self-denial, two small packets of dried meat or sinews, sufficient (for men who knew svhat it was to fast) to last for eight days, at the rate of one indif- ferent meal per day, we prepared to set out on the 30th. I cal- culated that we should be about fourteen days in reaching Fort Providence ; and, allowing that we neither killed deer nor found Indians, we could but be unprovided with food six days, and this we heeded not whilst the prospect of obtaining full relief was be« if" 436 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES ' -11 fore us. Accordingly we set out against a keen north*east wind, in order to gain the known route to Fort Providence. We saw a number of wolves and some crows on the middle of the lake, and supposing such an assembly was not met idly, we made for them, and came in for a share of a deer, which they had killed a short time before, and thus added a couple of meals to our stock. By four P.M. we gained the head of the lake, or the direct road to Fort Providence, and some dry wood being at hand, we encamp- ed ; by accident it was the same place where the Commander's party had slept on the 19th, the day on which I supposed they had left Fort Enterprize ; but the encampment was so small, that we feared great mortality had taken place among them ; and I am sorry to say the stubborn resolution of my men, not to go to the house, prevented me from determining this most anxious point, so that I now almost dreaded passing their encampments, lest I should see some of our unfortunate friends dead at each spot. Our Are was hardly kindled, when a fine herd of deer passed close to us. St. Germain pursued them a short distance, but with his usual want of success, so that we made a meal off the muscles and sinews we had dried, though they were so tough that we could scarcely cut them. My hands were benumbed throughout the march, and we were all stiff and fatigued. The marching of two days weak- ened us all very much, and the more so on account of our exertion to follow the tracks of our Commander's party ; but we lost them, and concluded that they were not before us. Though the weather was not cold, I was frozen in the face, and was so reduced and affected by these constant calamities, as well in mind as in body, that I found much difficulty in proceeding even with the advantages I had enjoyed. November 3. — We set out before day, though, in fact, we were all better adapted to remain, from the excessive pain which we suffered in our joints, and proceeded till one P.M., without halt- ing, when Belanger, who was before, stopped, and cried out, " Footsteps of Indians." It is needless to mention the joy that brightened the countenances of each at this unlooked-for sight ; we knew relief must be at hand, and considered our sufferings at an end. St. Germain inspected the tracks, and said that threu OF THE POLAR S£A. 431 persons hud passed the day before ; and that he knew the re- mainder must be advancing to the southward, as it was customary with Indians, when they sent to the trading establishment on the first ice. On this information we encamped, and, being too weak to walk myself, I sent St. Germain to follow the tracks, with in- structions to the Chief of the Indians to provide immediate assist- ance for such of our friends who might be at Fort Enterprize, as well as fur ourselves, and to lose no time in returning to me. I was now so exhausted, that had we not seen the tracks this day, I had determined on remaining at the next encampment, until the men could have sent aid from Fort Providence. We had finished our small portion of sinews, and were preparing for rest, when an Indian boy made his appearance with meat. St. Germain had arrived before sunset at the tents of Akaitcho, whom he found at the spot where he had wintered last year ; but imagine my sur- prise, when he gave me a note from the Commander, and said, that Benoit and Augustus, two of the men, had just joined them. The note was so confused, by the pencil marks being partly rubbed out, that I couid. not decipher it clearly ; but it informed me, that he had attempted to come with the two men, but finding his strength inadequate to the task, he relinquished his design, and returned to Fort Enterprize, to await relief with the others. There was another note for the gentleman in charge of Fort Pro- vidence, desiring him to send meat, blankets, shoes, and tobacco. Akaitcho wished me to join him on the ensuing day, at a place which the boy knew, where they were going to fish ; and I was the more anxious to do so, on accountof my two companions: but particularly to hear a full relation of what liad happened, and of the Commander's true situation, which I suspected to be much worse than he had described. ^ In the afternoon I joined the Indians, and repeated to Akaitcho what St. Germain had told him j he seemed much affected, and said, he would have sent relief directly, though I had not beea there ; indeed, his conduct was generous and humane. The next morning, at an early hour, three Indians, with loaded sledges of meat, skins, shoes, and a blanket, set out for Fort Enterprize ; one of them was to return directlv with an answor from Captain 438 A JOURNEr TO THE SHORES Rj;;|^|,i5 ■i pi ^^■aK', *;>•„' '..'t-,^ 11 p'l H^ ff^ir, ^kM,: o'?'-^ i| K^^ GSt'l^ Py m9|:P H^ QnP#^ m^'' ' mI'^EO^^' " 1' K^l }" wpyi 'iW Wm> "^1 * 'f% t' ,■;: '^i>S '!•■; * ' W Frankliii) to whom I wrote ; but in the event of his death, he was to bring away all the papers he could find ; and he promised to travel with such haste, as to be able to return to us on the fourth day. I was now somewhat more easy, having done all in my power to succour my unfortunate companions ; but was very anxious for the return of the messenger. The Indians brought me meat in small quantities, though sufficient for our daily consump- tion ; and, as we had a little ammunition, many were paid on the spot for what they gave. On the 9th I had the satisfaction of seeing the Indian arrive from Fort Enterprize. At first he said they were all dead, but shortly after he gave me a note, which was from the Commander, and then I learned all the fatal particulars which had befallen them. I now proposed that the Chief should immediately send three sledges, loaded with meat, to Fort Enterprize, to make a cache of provision at our present encampment, and also, that he should here await the arrival of the Commander. By noon, two large trains, laden with meat, were sent off for Fort Enterprize. The next day we proceeded on our journey, and arrived at Fort Providence on the 21st of November. Conclusion of Mr. Back's JVarratire. 1 HAVE little now to add to the melancholy detail into whici< I felt it proper to enter ; but I cannot omit to state, that the unre- mitting care and "attentions of our kind friends, Mr. M* Vicar and Mr. M'Auley, together with the improvement o\f our diet, mate- rially contributed to the restoration of our health ; so that, by the end of February, the swellings of our limbs, which had returned upon us, had entirely subsided, and we were able to walk to any part of the island. Our appetites gradually moderated, and we nearly regained our ordinary state of body before the spring. Hepburn alone suffered from a severe attack of rheumatism, which OF THE POLAR SEA. 439 wonfined him to his bed for some weeks. The usual symptoms of spring having appeared, on the 25th of May we prepared to embark for Fort Chipewyan. Fortunately, on the following morning, a canoe arrived from that place with the whole of the stores which we required for the payment of Akaitcho and the hunters. It was extremely gratifying to us to be thus enabled, previous to our departure, to make arrangements respecting the payment of our late Indian companions ; and the more so, as we had recently discovered that Akaitcho, and the whole of the tribe, in consequence of the death of the leader's mother, and the wife of our old guide Keskarrah, had broken and destroyed every use- ful article belonging to them, and that they were in the greatest distress. It was an additional pleasure to find our stock of am- munition was more than sufficient to pay them what was due, and that we could make a considerable present of this most essential article to every individual that had been attached to the Expedi- tion. We quitted Moose-deer Island at five P.M., on the 26th, accom- panied by Mr. M'Vicar and Mr. M*Auley, and nearly all the voyagers at the establishment, having resided there about five months, not a day of which had passed without our having cause of gratitude, for the kind and unvaried attentions of Mr. M'Vicar and Mr. M'Auley. These gentlemen accompanied us as far as Fort Chipewyan, where we arrived on the 2d of June ; here we met Mr. Wentzel, and the four men, who had been sent with him from the mouth of the Copper-Mine River ; and I think it due to that gentleman, to give his own explanation of the unfortunate cir- cumstances which prevented him from fulfilling my last instruc- tions, respecting the provisions to have been left for us at Fort Enterprize.* * "After you sent me back from the mouth of the Copper-Mine River, and 1 had overtaken the Leader, Guides, and Hunters, on the fifth day, leaving- the sea-coast, as well as on our journey up the River, they always expressed the same desire of fulfilling their promises, although somewhat dissatisfied at being exposed to privation while on our return, from a scarcity of animals; for, as I have already stated in my first communication from Moose-Deer Island, we had been eleven days with no other food but tripe de roche. In the course of this time an Indian, with his wife and child, who were travelling in ■# 440 A .lOURNEY TO THE SHORES In u subsequent conversation he stated to mc, that the two In- dians, who were actually with him at Fort Enterprize, whilst he remained there altering his canoe, were prevented from hunting, one by an accidental lameness, the other by the fear of meeting alone some of the Dos-Rib Indians. i m. IP.' I'm d R company with us, were left in the rear, and are since supposed to have pe- rished through want, as no intelligence had been received of tiiem at Port Providence in December last. On the seventh day after 1 had joined the Leader, &c. Sec, and journeying on together, all the Indians, excepting Petit Pied and Bald-Uead, left me to seek their families, and crossed Point Lake at the Crow's Nest, where Humpy had promised to meet his brother Elcch- cho* with the families, but did not fulfil, nor did any of my party of Indians know where to find tiiem ; for we hud frequently made fires to apprize them of our approach, yet none appeared in return us answers. Tins disappoini ment, as might be expected, served to increase the ill-humour of the Lcader and party, the brooding of which (agreeably to Indian custom) was liberally discharged on me, in bitter reproach for having led them from their families, and exposed them to dangers and hardsliips, wliich but for nty influence, tliey said, they might have spared themselvcH Nevertheless, they still continued to profess the sincerest desire of meeting our wishes in making caches of provisions, and remaining until a late season on the road that leads frun> Fort Enterprize to Fort Providence, through which the Expedition-men had tra- velled so often the year before — remarking, however, at iht- sjimt' time, tl»at they had not the least hopes of ever seeing one person rft'jrn ixoa, the Expe- dition. These alarming fears I never could persuade thorn to u;;.miss from their minds; they always sneered at what they called *iry credulity.' -Mf,' said the Gros Fied,f 'the Great Chief (meaning Captain Franklin,) or any of his party, should pass at my tents, he or they shall be welcome to all my pro- visions, or any thing else that I may have.' And I am sincerely happy to un- derstand, by your communication, that in this he had kept his word — in send- ing you with such promptitude and liberality the assistance your truly dreadful situation required. But the party of Indians, on whom 1 had placed the ut- most confidence and dependance, was Humpy and the White Capot Guide, with their sons, and several of the discharged hunters from the Expedition. This party was well-disposed, and readily promised to collect provisions for the possible return of the Expedition, provided they could get a supply of ammunition from Fort Providence ; for when I came up with them they were actually starving, and converHng old axes into ball, having no other substitute — this was unlucky. Yet they were well inclined, and I expected to find means at Fort Providence to send them a supply, in which I was, however, disappointed, for I found that establishment quite destitute of necessaries -, • Akaitcho the Leader, \ Also Akaitcho, OI HIE POI.AK SI. A. 4'!» Wc were here rurnislicd with a canoe by Mr. Smith, ami ii bowman, to act as our j!;nidc ; antl having Icll Fort Chi|)e\vyan on the Tith, we arrived, on the 1th of .luly, at Norway House. Finding at this place, that canoes were about to go (h)wn to Montreal, I gave all our ('anadian voyagers their discharges, ami sent them by those vessels, furnishing them with orders on the Agent of the Hudson's Bay Company for the amount of their wages. We carried Augustus down to York Factory, where wc arrived on the 14th of July, and were rcceiveil with every mark of attention and kindness by Mr. Simpson, the (Jovernor, Mr. M'Tavish, and, indeed, by all the oflicers of the United Com- panies. And thus terminated our long, fatiguing, and disastrous travels in North America, having journeyed by water and by land (including our navigation of the Polar Sea,) five thousand five hundred and fifty miles. and tlien, sliortly uf'terl liadlcft ihem, tliey liadthc mistbrtiiiic of losing three of their hunters, who were drowned in Marten Luke : this accident was, of all others, the most nnkl that could have hu|>pcned — a truth which no one, who has the least knowledge of the Indian character, will deny ; and as they wero nearly connected by relationsiiip to the I»eader, Humpy, and White Capol Guide, the three leading men of this part of the Copper Indian Trilie, it had the effect of unhinging (if I may use the expression) tiie minds of all these families, and finally destroying all the fond hopes I hadsosanguinely conceiv ed of their assisting the Expedition, should it come hack by the Annadessi'; River, of which they were not certain. " As to my not leaving a letter at Fort Knterprize, it was because, by some mischance, you had forgot to give me |)aper when wc parted.* " 1 however wrote this news on a plank, in pencil, and placed it in the top of your former bedstead, where I left it. Since it has not been found there, some Indians must have gone to tl>e house after my departure, and destroyed it. These details. Sir, I have been induced to enter into (rather unexpect- edly) in justification of myself, and hope it will be satisfactory." * / certainly offevedjyfr . Wentzel some paper when he t/nittcil u.i, but he (lecliii- ''(I it, hating then a note-book ,- and JMr. Back gave him a pencil. END OF THE NARRATIVE 3K 1^81 r ;iMH '* ii .-i 1 ^ '■ i i > 1 '^l <*- 'J?V '^^^^ 'W'*'W"-'^'«8»«wa««(«Bi«[ If' GEOGNOSTICAL OBSERVATIONS, BY JOHN RICHARDSON, M.D., ANV SURGEON TO THE EXPEDITION. In the following paper I have aimed merely at a very general account of the different rock formations that presented them- selves on the line of our journey. Tu have given a satisfactory sccount of the structure of so large an extent of country, would have required not only a much better acquaintance with geognosy than I can lay any claim to, but that I should have turned my un- divif.ed attention to that object. Whilst we travelled in canoes, which includes the greatest part of our jour.iey, and nearly the whole of the season in which tlie ground was uncovered, my op- portunities of making collections in Natural History were limited to the short halts it was necessary to make for the needful refresh- ment or repose of the men — a further delay being incompatible with the attainment of the main object of the Expedition. The •want of opportunity for observation it was impossible to remedy, but I was desirous of compensating for my own inexperience in geognosy, by making as extensive a collection of specimens as cir- cumstances would permit. Beyond Fort Enterprize, however, the want of means of transport prevented me from even making an attempt at collection. Those specimens that were obtained to the southward of that place have been submitted to the ino^>ection of Professor Jameson, and I feel happy in an opportunit;- of ac- knowledging a small part of my obligations to that distinguisiied mineralogist. His zeal for the promotion of science led him to take an early and deep interest in oui preceedings, and his en- deavours to serve us have been unwearied. The western shores of Hudson's Bay between the 56 and 58 paralLds of latitude are flat, and the depth of the sea decreases very gradually on approaching them. In seven fathoms of water the tops of the trees are just visible from a ship's deck. Large boulder stones strew the beach, and form alioais, even at the dis- tance of five miles from the shore, which are very hazardous to boats, Nearlv in the centre of this district, Ncl'ion's and Haves' ih 44G APPENDIX. S.^ :(' r '■ * h^., M i'' ' 1 ii * ' J II I Rivers pour their waters together into the bay. The former is a mighty sii(.,;ni, and carries oft" the waters IVom a vast extent of country. 'I'lie S.-iskairhawan, its princ'pai branch, rises by two lieails in the Hot ky Mounlains, one adjoniing the sources of the Missouri and Columbia,* and the other near the heads of the Elk, Caledonia, and Peace Rivers. As these rivers diverging nearly at right angles, ilow ' the four bounding seas, it is more than pro- bable that the Sabkatchawan originates in the loftiest height of land in North America. Red River, another of the branches of Nelson River, has a source far inferior to that of [hr Saskutchav/an in altitude, but remarkable as being in the same height of land from whence the Mississippi! and St. Lawrence dctive their origin. The altitude of this latter height has been calculated by Mr. Schoolcraft at one thousand three hundred and sixty feet above the Atlantic.:^ — By Split Lake and the chain of lakes communicating with it, and by Beaver Lake and its chain of waters, Nelson River receives supplies from the very banks of the Missinippi§ or Churchill River, Indeed, the Beaver Lake chain which lay in our route, originates within a hundred yards of the latter stream. A consideration of these circumstances will give a pretty correct notion of the general declination of a large extent of country. Hayes' River, although it pours out a considerable body of water, traverses a district which appears very small when compared with the one just mentioned It is separated from Nelson River at its mouth by a low point of alluvial land, upon which, at the distance of five or six miles from the sea, York Factory stands. The sur- rounding country, and the banks of the river as far as the junction of the Shamattawa, fifty miles from the sea, has a low uniform swampy appearance. Immediately under a thin stratum of half- decayed mosses, there is a thick bed of tenacious and somewhat slaty bluish clay, containing many boulder stones. As the stream is continually encroaching upon some points, and depositing its spoils on others, its banks are alternately steep and shelving, but the bed of the river is in general from thirty to forty feet below the level of the adjoining ground. The soil nourishes a pretty thick forest, but the trees, consisting chiefly of spruces, larches, and poplarsjil are small except in very favourable situations. Slips of the banks are frequent, and the trees either retain their erect position or lie in various directions athwart the stream, and seem to thrive in both conditions until cut down by the ice in the spring » Specimens of agates and calcedonies, collected near the source of the CoK;mbia, l>y Mr. M'Kenzie, one of the chief factors of Hudson's Bay Com- pany, have been probably washed from amygdaloidal rocks. f Meesee seepi-e, great river. + Sclioolcraft's Narrative of (iovevnor Cass's Expedition. ^ Meessee or Aleotchee-necpoe, much water. H Piiuis ulba, nigra et microcarpa; Populus trepida et balsamlfer.^. -,?.>f*fc1 GEOGNOSTICAL OBSERVATIONS. 447 rmer is a extent of s by two ;es of the : the Elk, nearly at than pro- jht of land ls a source eniarkable isslssippit this latter isand three t Lake and r Lake and tn the very the Beaver I a hundred cumstances ination of a dy of water, npared with River at its he distance The sur- Lhe junction ow uniform um of half- i somewhat the stream positing its elving, but feet below ,es a pretty |es, larches, lions. Slips their erect , and seem the spring bource of the In's Bay ^•^'"' lera lloods. It is worthy of remark that the sub-soil is perpetually frozen. This retains the surface water, and converts the country into a swamp in which sphagna and other mosses grow, but owing to the shortness of summer they decay very slowly, and little peat is formed. The surface is still hard when the smaller plants, under the powerful influence of an almost midsummer sun, begin to flower; and by the middle of September, when the neat has pene- trated the farthest into the earth, the leaves arc falling. In a fa- vourable summer the ground is thawed to the depth of four feet, but there still remains a frozen bed, whose thickness we had not an opportunity of acertainmg by personal observation, although we were informed by the residents that it exceeds eleven feet, and that underneath there is loose sand. We did not observe the ground permanently frozen any where in the interior; and its occurrence at York Factory ought, perhaps, to be attributed to the vicinity of the sea. A frozen ocean can contribute nothing towards tempering the severity of winter, but the ice which hangs upon these shores generally to the middle of August, must have a powerful effect in diminishing the summer heat; hence the warmest summers on the American continent, be- tween the 55 and 65 parallels of north latitude, are to be looked for at the greatest distance from the sea: accordingly wc find that ve- getation is much more active even on the elevated range of the Rocky Mountains than it is on the same parallel on the shore of Hudson's Bay. The same rule does not apply to both sides of the American continent, for, to the westward of the Rocky Mountains, the winter, ameliorated by an open sea, is much milder than to the eastward, and this difference is likely to be permanent: because the current setting through Behring's Straits, and along the northern shores of the continent, must contiime to bring down annually large bodies of ice to the east coast, to be detained there in the winding passages of a vast archip'ilago, and in bays and inland seas for the summer. It may be proper to remark that this accumulation of ice principally operates on the temperature of summer, and has only a remote effect in increasing the cold of winter; but that it is upon the heat of the former season, that vegetation entirely depends in these northern climates. Returning after this digression to Hayes' River, we may state ihat the boulders which obstruct its channels and line its banks, shew that there occur in its rh>er district rock^ oi ihc /irimitivc class, as red granite, hornblende rock, gneiss, and sienite; of the iransition class, as grey wacke ; and of the nvcondnry c/ass, :\s red sandstone, belonging most probably to the new red sandstone for- mation, undpr which we include the rothliegendc and the variega- 'ed sandstone; and two kinds of limestone, one having a bluish- ;:>rcy colour, splintery fracture, glimmering lustre, and translucent edges; the other rosembling marl, and having a yellowish-grey co- ■our, an earthy fracture, and being dull and opaque. 44b APPENDIX. ■ V;' ',™'^- i '■■ \ \ The limestones appear to belong to the s ' ne or a similar lor malion with the vast l)e(ls, to be hereafter mentioned in our ac- count of the Saskatehawan and Elk Rivers, and to have been brought down by the Shamatta\va,on whose banks it is said lo form high cliffs. Indeed a low ridge of this sort of linjesione, aboui twenty miles wide, seems to run fronj the northward of Churchill to Severn River, at the distance of thirty or forty miles fro^u the sea-shore, and nearly parallel to it.* The principal branch of Hayes' River above the Shamattawa is named Steel River. The banks of this stream have the same gen- eral character with those of Hayes' River, but their elevation is greater although they shelve more gradually down to the water. Steel River is formed of two branches of nearly equal size, named Fox and Hill Rivers. The former flows from the N.W., and it is most probable that fragments of grey wacke, which we observed on the banks of Hayes' River, came from that source, as we found no traces of the transition series on Hill River, the other branch and the one through which our route lay. 4 In the lower parts of Hill River the banks are composed nearly of the same materials as those in Hayes' and Steel Rivers, but they rise more precipitously from the very narrow channel of the rivei to an elevation of nearly two hundred feet. Their outline, too, is more varied, being broken into conical eminences by numerous ravines which open into the river at right angles. Many steep cliffs, sections of these eminences, and of course of a conical form, have their bases washed by the streams; one of the most remarka- ble is named the Sugar Loaf. The banks being exactly similar in form and constituent parts to those which occur on Lake Winipeg and the Saskatchawan on the confines of the limestone formation there, I am inclined to believe that this part of Hill River cuts the western boundary of the other limestone district, which has been spoken of as running parallel to the coast. We did not observe, however, any of the solid strata in the bed of the river, although the clay on the banks contained many imbedded fragments of the stone, as well as miich calcareous matter intimately blended with it. About a mile below the Rock Portage, or ninety miles from the sea, (including the windings of the river course) rocks in situ first occur. They consist of gneiss, and rise in the channel of the river from under the lofty clay banks which still continue. The gneiss formation appears to extend from this place to Lake Winipeg, and to contain subordinate beds and veins of granite, beds of hornblende, rock, and mica slate, which we shall enumerate in the order in which they occurred on our route. The general di- rection of the strata appears to be from NIL to SW, but our oppor- tunities of observation were too limited to decide this fact. At the Rock Portage a ridge of gneiss, crossing the stream ob ' See Mr. Auld, Transactions of the (ieoiogical Society, vol. v. p. 2. a %*- m^ timm GEOCiNOSTlLAL OBSERVATIONS. 44M milar ioi in our ac- lave been id ^o Ibrm one, uboiiv Churchill s trcHUi ihe >osed ncuvly crs, but they of the rivci itUne, too, is y numerous Many steep conical form, ost remarka- milar in form -Vinipeg and nation there, the western en spoken of e, however, gh the clay ihe stone, as h it. iles from the s in situ first of the river ol. V. p. 2. liqucly, forms a chain of small islands, and prodiiccs several cas- cades. The gneiss at this spot is intersected in every direction by veins of quartz, and there is but little mica disseminated through it, the greatest part of this mineral being confined to kidneys, which are insensibly blended with the enclosing rock. The great nunjbcr of the veins, their intricate ramifications, and reunions, viewed in conjunction with the dificrent portions of the i-ock very dissimilar to each other, but uniting together by imperceptible gradations, seem to mark that the whole of this bed of rock is of cotemporane- ous origin. Hand specimens from one part of the rock might be denominated quartz rock, from another, mica slate. After passing the Rock Portage, the clayey banks gradually de crease in height, and in the upper parts of the river they entirely disappear, and the gneiss rises into small ridges on the borders oi the stream, and forms numerous islands in the small lakes into which the river expands, or raiher through which it flows. WhiUit the clay continues the country is well clothed with wood, but afterwards, for want of soil the trees are in general stunted. The bed of the river is every where uneven, and composed of strata of rock, which are divided by deep fissures into irregular lozenge- formed masses. At the point of rocks four miles above the Rock Portage, a grey gneiss occurs containing much mica, and intersected by veins of quartz. And five miles further on, there are several detached coni- cal hills; the highest having an altitude of about six hundred feet, is named the Hill, and is the origin of the appellation of the river From the summit of the 1 1 ill tliirty five lakes arc said to be visible ; indeed, all the valleys stem to be filled with water, the almost in- sulated summits of the hills and ridges being along visible. We had no opportunity of visiting these hills. A few miles above the Hill, at the Lower Burntwood Portage, a vein of granite was observed crossing the gneiss, and a similar vein occurs about one quarter of a mile higher up the river. At Mor- gan's Rocks the exposed bed of rock appears to be granitic gneiss, and at the the Upper Burntwood C arrying Place half a mile farther on, there is a bed of hornblende rock and another of a red granite which is composed of red felspar, grey quartz, and very little mica. At the Swampy Portage there is a bed of red felspar, containing small disseminated grains of epidote — and at the Upper Portage hornblende slate occurs alternating with grey gneiss, .slightly inter mix' '' with hornblende, together with beds of quartz rock, con- taining^ precious garnets. The direction of the strata here is from east to west, the dip about 80° to the northward. In Gound-Watcr Creek, two miles distant, the same kind of hornblende slate is found, having the same dip, and alternating with red granite composed of red felspar, grey quartz, and dark green mica. And at Bird's Lake, and on Sail Island, near the debouchure of S- 'cunpv Lake, extensive portions of grey gneiss are exposed r, L '^1 w Mu 450 Al'l'KNDlX. ilif '. unaccompanied by olher rocks. After crossing Swampy Lake, the river changes its name from Hill to Jack River. At the Lower Portage in Jack River, a red granite occurs; and at the Lon^ Carrying Place a little higher up, a granitic gneiss, having dis seminated iron pyrites, alternates with a compact grey micaceous gneiss. The strata of gneiss are much contorted at their line ol junction with the granite; but their general line of direction is north and south, and they apparently dip to the eastward. At the Upper Portage, the strata of grey gneiss have a direction from E.S.E. to W.N.W. and a 'lortherly dip, but t!iey arc much con- voluted and contorted. They contain a bed of primitive green- stone, having disseminated iron pyrites. This greenstone contains diallage, and is therefore passing into diallage rock. The rocks in Jack River are low, and sparingly covered with soil ; the woods thin, and the surrounding country flat, and destitute even of the mode rate elevations which occur in Hill River. The borders of Knee Lake presented the same appearances thai were observed in Jack River. Inonc place, which we were inuuccti to examine from the unusual luxuriance of the trees, the soil was very thin; but the subjacent rock consisted of primitive greenstone, with disseminated iron pyrites. This rock, situated about fifteen miles from the lower end of tlie lake, forms a low cliff' which has somewhat of a columnar structure. Nine miles farther, vertical strata of mica slate rising a little above the water, formed a number of smooth flat islands. The direction of its strata was E.N.E. and W.S.W. The magnetic islet near the /cnee of the lake, referred to in page 32 of the Narrative, is composed of the same rock high ly impregnated with magnetic iron ore, and having its thin layers alternating with layers of that mineral. The strata ol this islet arc vertical, and very much undulated in direction. The gneiss rose on the borders of the lake into roundish eminences, whilst the mica slate formed even islands scarcely appearing above the water. At the upper end of the lake the gneiss exposed is grey and compact The same rock was observed in Trout River (the name whicli the sfeam now assumes), and half a mile above the Lower Carrying Place ir was found impregnated with magnetic iron ore. The strata have a direction from E.S.E. to W.N.W. — the dip, if any, is to the north. At the second portage, in Trout River, the bed of the river is formed of vertical mica slate, whose thin layers lacerating the boatmen's feet, have obtained for it the name of Knife-edge Portage. At the third portage, the ground is strewed with large boulder ';tones of grey gneiss, containing well crystallized precious garnets. At the Upper Carrying-Place, mica slate occurs, and half a mile above it vertical strata of gneiss appear, its layers alter- nating with layers of magnetic iron ore. Ar island, near the centre of Holy Lake, is composed of chlorite, and mica slates. At the upper end of Holy Lake, the designation of the river is changed to Weepinapannis. This stream flows through MM GF.OGNOSTICAL OBSERVATIONS. 451 a marshy country, and is divided by low barren rounded masses of lOfik into a great variety of channels. At the Lower Portage, in the Weepinapannis, granitic andhorn- l)lendic gneiss occur, the former intersected by a vein of red gra- nite. — Moore's Island is composed of a bed of granite. Half a mile above it, the rocks consisting of granitic gneiss are intersected by n vein of red granite. The direction of the strata here is N.E.b.E. and S.VV.b.W.— Near the Crooked Spout, hornblendic gneiss al- ternates with pcrphyriiic granitic gneiss, and red granite passing into grjciss. At the upper end of the small piece of water termed the windy Lake, the stream, now very much diminished, obtains the name of Rabbit Ground. The rocks here resemble those in the Weepina- pannis. At II ill Gates, the stream runs through a narrow chasm in the rocks, above ten miles long. The predominating rock is grey gneiss, TMore or less compact, and sometimes inclining to granite, but more often to mica slate. Near the centre of the chasm, the eminences separated by narrow valleys, and composed as it were of rounded masses heaped one upon another, rise to the height of two hundred and fifty feet. The ])redouinating stone here is a granite inclining to gneiss. The stratification of the rocks that bound this chasm is obscurely mantleform. After leaving Hill Gates we passed through a marshy lake, and arrived at the White Fall, where the stream, rushing through an- other chasm, forms a succession of cascades. The rocks at this place, consisted of compact grey gneiss containing an extensive bed of graphic granite. Kidneys of a less compact gneiss were con- tained in the granite. A shallow swampy piece of water, bounded by gneiss, conducted us from the White Fall to the Painted Stone, where the principal iiranch of Hill River may be said to originate. The portage at the Painted Stone is made over a low rock of grey gneiss, much intersect- ed with veins of quartz and felspar. It is only a few yards long, and separates the Echemamis, a rivulet tributary to the Nelson, from one of the sources of Hayes' River. The Echemamis flows, or rather filters, through a swamp for thirty miles; when, having previously formed a slight expansion termed Hairy Lake, and assumed the name of Blackwater Creek, it terminates in Sea River, one of the arms of the Nelson. This swampy district is traversed by many round-backed ridges of gneiss, having a direction from east to west, and rising to the height of one hundred and fifty feet. Several beds of hornblende slate are enclosed in the gneiss. On Sea River, and in Play-Green Lake, the same rocks were observed. At Sea River Carrying- Place, a granitic gneiss forms a round-backed low ridge, running nearly east and west. It contains some small beds of porphyritic icd granite, in whirh thovf* arc included some masses of mica slate ; m u. 458 APPENDIX. m ;;■*--' the slate pcnetratini:; and intimately mixing with the granite at the line of junction. In Play-(irccn Lake the gneiss forms many low smooth round-backed islands. The primitive rocks disappear under the clay, below Norway Point. The north shore of Lake Winipeg is formed into a penin- sula by Play-Green Lake and Limestone Bay. It consists of steep clay cliffs, similar to those which preceded the gneiss in Hill Kiver, but containing rather more calcareous matter. — When the lake is low, there is a flat beach betwixt it and these clifls ; but in southerly winds the waves wash their bases. The beach is composed of a fine calcareous sand, and small fragments of water-worn limestone. The same materials form a narrow bank, which running to the S.W. for about eight miles, separates liimestonc Bay from the bodj of the lake. The fragments belong to two kinds of limestone ; the one yellowish white and dull with a conchoidal fracture, and translucent edges; the other bluish and yellowish grey, dull, with an earthy fracture and opaque. We did not observe any rocks of the former kind i7i nitu in this neighbourhood ;* but cliffs of the latter appear on the west side of Limestone Bay, and continue to bound the lake as far as the mouth of the Saskatcbawan, and as we have been informed, down the whole of its western shore. This limestone, which extends over a vast tract of country, pro- bably belongs to the great series of limestone formations under the green sand, and above the new red sandstone. It may in general be characterized as compact, splinty, yellowish-grey limestone. It appears to contain a considerable portion of clay, as most of the varieties adhere to the tongue when newly broken. Perhaps the whole bed owes its origin to shells cemented together by argillace- ous matter. Many portions of it arc almost entirely composed of bivalve shells; and even the most compact kinds, when long ex- posed to the weather or to the action of fire, shew traces of shells. it yields readily to the action of the weather, and burns into a very white lime, but requires to be long exposed to the heat. Its strata are in general horizontal; and where large beds of it are exposed, it ;? tiaversed by fissures crossing each other at right angles. When washed by the rivers, too, it tumbles down in large cubical fragments, which soon separate in the direction of the strata into thin layers. This is well exhibited at the Grand Ra/iid nea\ the mouth of the Saskatcbawan, where there is a fine section of it, It may be proper here to take a general view of the extent of this formation; and in so doing, to make a few general remarks upon the districts in which we observed it, or through which we suspect it to extend. We obtained specimens exactly similar to those in Lake Winipeg from Manito-baw Lake, and were inform- ed that it abounds much farther to the southward. In our journey * A similar rock, however, was found in Vine Island Lake, fifleen mik'S N N.E. of Cumberland-House. ■-Jk. : 4,'-#. GEOCNOSTICAL OBSERVATIONS. •15H up the Saskatchawan, wc traced it to the Necpewan, a distance ol three hundred miles, where it is succeeded or covered by calcare- ous clayey cliflFs, similar to those which preceded it on our route. From this place to the foot of the Rocky Mountains^ the rivev flows through a plain of fine sand. Its bed is about two hundred feet below the plain, and it presents almost every where a regular gradation of three distinct banks, shewing the height of the water at former periods. The channel of the river is continually shifting, encroaching on the steep bank on one side, and forming with its alluvia low flat points on the opposite shore. Between the Ncepewan and Carlton, the plains are interspersed with clumps of wood; but above the latter place the dry sandy soil produces only a short grass, which supports numerous herds of buffalo. The newer depositions beneath the high bank contain more vegetable matter, and are covered with willows, and occasion- ally with aspen trees. These plains are said to extend to the Mis- souri, and to be interrupted by few hills. Two only of moderate height, and even outline, were observed in the neighbourhood of Carlton, the limit of our journey in this direction. The older traders relate, that many lakes have dried up on the plains since they first visited the country. The hollows are annually partially filled by the melting snow, but the water filters away, or is evapo- rated early in the summer. Many ponds or small lakes, however, still remain. The traders report that they have observed limestone in several pf the creeks that flow into the upper parts of the Saskatchawan; and it is probable that the limestone fo'-mation not only extends through a vast portion of the plains, but also that it runs parallel to the Rocky Mountains as far as M'Kenzie's River. Captain Franklin observed it on the Beaver River: it exists abundanily and almost exclusively on the Clear Water and Elk Rivers; and we found it again on the islands on the south side of Great Slave Lake. Be- tween this limestone and the Rocky Mountains, rocks of the coal iormation exist; beds of coal on fire havini; been known to the traders for many years on the upper part of the Saskatchawan and on M'Kenzie's River. '1 iiese were the only circumstances we could gather with regard to the western boundaries of this forma tion. We touched more than once on its eastern boundary in the course of our journey, but no where had we a good opportunity of observing its geognostical relation to other rocks. The most singu- lar circumstance attending it is the entire exclusion of foreign beds. We never observed it associated with any other rock, ex cept perhaps on Elk River, where it appears in contact with com- pact earthy marl, and slaggy mineral pitch, or bituminous sand stone; and on the Copper-Mine River, where rolled fragments of a similar stone were found connected with layers of dark flinty slate. The cliff's on the west side of Lake Wijiipcg arc from twenty ti. thirty feet high: and at the Grand Rapid there i'> ". section uf >'. ... I ' " i^, I hi' 454 APl'tNUlX. im>. .■■::• . I ■■: ( nearly sixty feet deep. It is here covered with a very thin layer of soil, and its strata-dip to the northward at an angle of 10°. About Cumberland-House, the country is uniformly flat and swampy, but the rock shews itself frequently above the surface Its strata here are generally horizontal, but in on place we observed it dipping to northward at an angle of 40°, About thirty miles to the southward of Cumberland-House there is a round-backed hill named Basquiau, of considerable altitude, being visible at that distance. It forms a long ridge with an even outline, but we had no opportunity of examining it more nearly, 'i'here are several salt springs at its foot, from which a considcra- ble quantity of salt is annually extracted.* Salt springs and lakes also exist from twelve to twenty miles to the northward of Carlton House, as was ascertained by Captain Franklin in his winter jour- ney; and I obtained a small quantity of salt which the Indians pro- cure in that neighbourhood, and use as a purgative. They report that in the state of a fine powder, it covers the shores of a small lake in the summer-time to the depth of two or three inches. t In our voyage in the spring of 1820, we traced the linnestone to the north side of Beaver Lake. In Pine Island Lake the strata are in general horizontal. On an island beyond the fishing filaccj fifteen miles N.E. from Cumberland House, the strata dipping east 10°, consist of yellowish-grey, very compact limestone, resembling hornslone. Twelve miles further on, at the portage of the Little Red Rock, near the mouth of Sturgeon-Weir River, a more crys- talline limestone is coloured reddish-yellow, by oxide of iron. It^ strata dip to the eastward at a very small angle. At the Rat Pon :ige, two miles higher up the river, there is an extensive bed yellowish-grcy and somewhat crystalline limestone, perfectly fla' and splitting readily into thin horizontal slabs. A number o; parallel fissures running N.W. and S.E., are crossed in differen directions by minor cracks. The bed of Sturgeon-Weir Ri is every where composed of limestone. It has a considerable descent. On the cast and west sides of Beaver Lake, the ground is broken by eminences from a hundred and fifty to two hundred feet high. These consist of a limestone similar to that which occurs at the Rat Portage, sometimes having a yellowish-grey colour, but more generally coloured deep red by oxide of iron. There are many mural precipices amongst these small hills, and also some deep vents or caves, in which the snow remains unmelted the whole ■■..."it i).-v.«: • The salt springs, mentioned above, in all probability arise from the upper part of the new red sandstone. f Dr. Fife analyzed a small portion of this salt, which was obtained from an Indian, and found it to be effloresced sulphate of soda. See page 460. The occurrence of so much sulphate of soda is an interesting and I'emarkable fact; for though it appears more abundantly in colder latitudes than in others, yet Tfiere are no accounts of its having been found in such abundance as the Indians report it to be in the place just mentioned. •MM ■MMHM (..LOe.NU.MlCAl. OBSERVATIONS. 1^.) buninicr. On Ihc cast side of llie lake, near the site of an olil fort, the strata dip to the S.W. at an angle of 30^. About three miles from the mouth of Ridge River, primitive hornblende slate f(jrnis a small island. The firimitive atrata which we fell in with here, and traced to Islc-ala-Crosse Lake, seem to be a continuation of the range we quitted at the south end of Play- Green Lake; and neither at that place nor here could we discover any rocks interposed between them and the limestone. About a mile distant from the above-mentioned island of hornblende slate, cliffs of limestone bound the lake. We had no opportunity of ob- serving the limestone more nearly in contact with other rocks than at this place. The bounding line between the two formations seems to run about W.b.N. from Play-Green Lake to the upper part of Isle-d-la-Crosse Lake. We crossed this boundary line on entering the Ridge Rive. At the Ridge Portage, two miles from the mouth of the river, a ridge of mica slate crosses the stream. Its strata dip N.E. at an angle of 45°. From this place up to the junction of Hay River, the mica slate in irregular ridges bounds the stream. Above Hay River, sixteen miles from Beaver Lake, the river is wider and less rapid, and is termed by the Canadian voyagers. La graiide riviere Here the mica slate is succeeded by gneiss, which forms irregular roundish eminences, rising a hundred and fifty feet above the water. The gneiss is traversed in every direction by veins of flesh-colour- ed felspar, and contains many kidneys of mica slate. These rocks are very sparingly covered with soil, and consequently support feu- trees. At the Carp Portage,* fifteen miles N.VV.b.N. of the Ridge Portage, there occurs a light red-coloured rock, composed of fel- spar intermixed with hornblende, together with a small quantity ol quartz of the same colour with the ielspar, and having disseminated a few grains of iron pyrites. This rock is inter.sccted by veins of felspar, and contains kidnt - of mica slate. At the Birch Discharge, : miles N.X.W. of the Carp Portage, the same sock alternates with mica slai';. The boundaries of thr stream between these portages consist ' f the rounded ridges of gneiss above-mentioned. At the Bivch-point Portage, two miles and-a-half above the Birch Discharge, the strata, consisting of grey gneiss, dip to the N.N.E. a; an angle of 30'^. The gneiss rocks con- tinue with little variation for eleven miles, as far as .'sland Portage, where the rock running across the river, and producing a fine cas cade, may be termed thick mica slate, containing much quartz. The strata dip here to the northward at an angle of 25°. Above this portage there is a small expansion of the river termed Island Lake, beyond which another contraction and fall is produced by the • So named frotii tlie r, reat number of sucking Carp ( Catas tomus Hudsonius), which are observt .1 endeavouring to surmount the rapid ii» tlie spawning season. ft ' if,- h liV k IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) // ^ ^^ «> 1.0 1.1 Uim |Z5 |50 "^ ■■■ ■^ 1^ |2.2 tii Hi 140 I nln: 2.0 L25 i 1.4 1.6 1 Hiotjcgraphic Sciences Corporation \ ■^\ •\ <^ rv > ^ > 6^ '^'V- 33 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. MSSO (716) S72-4S03 -us than c Three of horn- an of the Lhe Frog i and the I is three gh a low few feet strata on iir course e than a are, per- hat, they nto crag- Ln height, their ir- e its way sions of a ascade or Portage, ,f 45°— at rtage, the angle of rock; the lUte veins Portage, ing to the here has bounded If the last '.ncnlioncd place, the stream is barred across by a ridge of red fjneiss containing much felspar. It dips N.N.W. at an angle of H0°, and encloses many kidneys of flesh-coloured felspar. Eleven -and c half miles to the westward, the gneiss contains hornblende; and half a mile farther on it approaches to n^ca slate, and dips N. N.W. at an angle of 45°. Beyond this place the river expands a little, and the rocky eminences have a general round-backed out- line ; but on a near approach they are rugged, and some short coni- cal peaks occur. Ai the Little Rock and Mountain Portages, the strata consisting of mica slate dip N.W. ai an angle of 60°; and at Otter Portage, a light-red fine-grained gneiss dips to the north- ward at an angle of 70". At the Great Devil Portage, two and a half miles N.W.b.W. of the Otter Portage, compact gneiss oc- curs dipping to the N.W. 80**, An expansion of the river above 'his place, termed the Devil's Lake, is very beautiful, containing many rocky islands, covered with spruce and aspen trees. Tlie strata of gneiss in this lake had a direction from east to west, and were nearly vertical. At the Big Rock Discharge, nine and a half miles west of the Devil's Portage, the strata consist of gneiss. In an island, a linle above it, there is a vertical bed of mica slate ; and a mile farther on, at the Little Trout Rock, there is a bed of granite. Half a mile above, at the Trout Portage, the strata of gneiss enclose a bed of granite; and seven and a half miles S.W. b.W., at the Osier Portage, the strata consist of gneiss. Ab«jve this the river forms a considerable expansion, which is termed Bl^ck Bear Island Lake. The islands in this lake are very numer- ous, and consist mostly of round-backed elevations of gneiss ex- tremely barren. One steep conical island, near the east end of the lake, consists entirely of large rounded masses of light-red granite, piled on each other to the height of a hundred and fifty feet. It seemed as if the softer parts of a bed of granite, projecting above the gneiss strata here, had been washed away, and left the more durable masses in their present position. This island can scarcely have been formed by a collection of boulder stones, for it is not easy to conceive in what manner the action of the waves could have piled stones up in such a form, and still less to acceunt for all these boulders, consisting of a course-grained granite, in a countty com- posed of gneiss with many subordinate beds. At Cardinal's Rapid, at the west end of Bear Island Lake, there is a bed of mica sbte ; a short way below this the gneiss rises abruptly into a rounded island two hundred feet high. At the Portage de Canot Tourn^, six miles and a half W.N.W. of Cardinal's Rapid, the strata con- sisting of fine granular gneiss, with much mica, dip to the west- ward at an angle of 80°; and at the Pine Portage, a mile further, the same rock, preserving the same dip, alternates with a grey gneiss containing much less mica. Above this place the country is more flat, better clothed with wood, and exhibits much less naked rock ; the gneiss formation % X:. A M gn( 158 APPENDIX. m^ V'iSc j M iiXll mr: conlinucs. In Sand Fly and Sandy Lakes, Ihcrc are some njoderatr clevaiion% of [rnviss; the soil is .>andy, and supports sonic groves of ti.e Pimib Hanksiana, which scidum grow in any soil. The same rocks rose in round-hacked ridges of greater elevation as \v«! went to t.he northward in Knee Lake. IJciweeii Lake Primeau and l^le•a-la■Crosse Lakes, several beds of granite rise to the height of lif y or sixty fctt above the gneiss, and some of them crossing the s:ieam form a series of bad rapids. After surmounting the last of these rapids, wc ran for forty miles to tnc soutlivvitrd throngli Isle a-Ia-Crosse Lake, and I imagine c; nie agoin upon ihe verge of the limestone formation. The ouiury is Hat and sandy, varied only by some long low even ridges. Many fragnieiits of the limestone, that has been already described, lie on the surface. Captain Franklin observed limestone in one part of iJeaver River, which flows into the south side of Isle-a la- Ciosse Lake; and we were informed by the traders that it occurs throughout the river. The same sandy soil was observed in our progress up Deep Uiver, and through Cross, Buffalo, and Methyc Lakes. The ground here, however, is slightl) varied with hill and dale. Where the river had made a section of the hills, they were observed to be composed of small boulders of gneiss and limestone, intermixed with fine white quartzy calcareous sand. On the south side of Buffalo Lake, there is a long low ridge, with a slightly cre- nated or indented outline. In Methye River the boulders are larger and more numerous, forming a long series of bad rapids in that small stream. On the north side of Methye Lake, the eleva- tions of sand assume a more decided hilly form, and on the further side of Methye Portage, they form boundaries to the beautiful valley of the Washacummow, from one thousand two hundred to one thousand five hundred feet high. The prevailing tree, in this sandy district, is the Pinus Banksiana. This valley, from two to three miles wide, and bounded on each side by these almost precipitous sand-hills, is traversed by the Clear Water or Washacummow River. At the distance of ten miles below the portage, the channel of the river is obstructed by a ridge of limestone. This ridge ap- pears to have once blocked up the outlet of the valley altogether, for portions of it still rise from the solid strata through the thin sandy soil ot the plain to the height of fifty or sixty feet. These projecting parts have generally a columnar form, and bear from their arrangement a striking resemblance to the ruins of an exten- sive city. The stone much resembles that at the Grand Rapid on the Saskatchawan, but perhaps contains silica instead of alumina. Like that it yields readily to the action of the stream, falling down in large tabular masses. The outline of the sandy boundaries of this singular valley, strongly countenances the idea of the waters of ^he Washacummow having been at some distant period accumula- ted therein. Tongues of sand frequerttly project from the hills on each side, and run across the plain, exactly similar in appcarancf t GE0GN08TICAL OBSERVATIONS. 459 to the ridj;es thrown up by the currents, and eddies of an extensive lake. The ground on the poriai-eii sounds hollow ; and this, to- gether with the ruinafoYvn appearance ot the rucks, and the oc- currence of sulphureous springs in the neighbourhood, has im- pressed the traders with a notion that the whulc has been the work of a volcano. From this spot downwards, the bed of the Washa- cummow is formed of this stone, or of a calcareous sandstone into which it passes. It produces a long succession of cascades and rapids. A the White Mud Portage the strata are horizontal, and consist :>f siliceous limestone. The portage obtains its name from the existence of some whitish marl in the hollows, formed by the decomposition of the rock. The same rock occurs at the Cas- cade, and intermediate portages. A short way below the last port- age, a small rivulet, having a strong smell of sulphurated hydrogen gas, flows in; and two or three sulphureous springs arise on the bank of the river, issuing apparently from a siliceous limestone. The beds of the springs were incrusted with calcareous tufa. Further down, the chaiuiel of the river is composed of horizontal beds of common yellowish-grey compact iimcsioiic. At the junc- tion of the Red Willow River, there rises through the soil a large mass of limestone which contains hornsiouc. VVe did not ascer- tain whether this mass was tonnecicd with tlic strata underneath, which consists of sandstone in plates. Below this, where the Washacummow, in its winding course through the valley, approaches the high-bounding hills, sections of their sides, formed by the ravines which opened into the river, enabled us to observe that they were composed of sand more or less aggluti- nated by bitumen, which latter hardens into slaggy mineral pitch. This sandy bed, from six hundred to eight hundred feet thick, rests immediately upon yellowish-grey limestone containing many bivalve shells and orthoctSratites. The dip, where it could be observed, (for it was very slight,) appeared to be to the northward. The limestone forms the channel of the river throughout, and some portions of it, decaying more rapidly than others, exhibit more plainly the shells which enter very largely into its composition. At the junction of the Washacummow with the Elk River, or as it is termed, at the Forks of the Athabasca, the northerly dip is more clearly discerned than elsewhere. The stream here, too, has made a section of the superincumbent bed of sand, upwards of oi?c hundred and fifty feet in depth, and shews it to consist of a variety of strata, having different shades of colour and tenacity according to the quantity of bitumen they contain. The limestone, more or less thickly covered with slaggy mineral pitch, continues to form the banks of Elk River, as fur down as Pierre au Calumet, in lat. 57° 25'. The hil'.s or banks, which bound the view on each side, do not rise so hi(;h as in Clour Water River; and we have been informed, that at a little distance from the river, a plain upon a level with the summit of these hills extends 460 Al'l'KNUlX. ^■W from near Athabasca Lake to the Clear Water Kiver tolerably well wooded, and frequented by buffalo. About nineteen miles below the Forks, and a mile within tiie right bank of the river, a saline sulphureous spring occurs. This spring rises from the sum ..it of a rounded eminence, which in about fifty-six yards in diam^jter, sixty feet high, and entirely in- crusted with, or perhaps in a great proportion composed of, saline deposits.* This eminence is bounded on three sides by the high bank of the river, which here recedes a little, and forms an even round-bucked ridge, rising two hundred feet above the spring. A small clayey plain on the S.W. side of the eminence is traversed by the rivulet from the spring, and opens into a bay of the river. • Tlie following jcvler from Dr. Fife to professor Jiimesoii gives the analysit-. of a suit iiR-ntioiicd in u former page, us being found on the shores of a lakr near (Jurlton-llotisc, and also of the incrustation just spoken of in the text. Edinburgh, January 13, 1823. Dkak StH, Knclosed is an account of the experiments performed on the aub stances you sent me for analysis. First incrustation of white matter from the lake near Carlton-House : — When put into water, it immediately agglutinated, forming minute hard globules whicli seemed to prevent the farther action of the fluid; but by heat- ing it, it was entirely dissolved. 'I'hc only substance I could detect in the solution by the use of reagents was sulphuric acid in a state of combination. I accordingly suspected that the white matter was effloresced sulphate of soda. To ascertaui' if I was right in my suspicions, I dissolved a few grains by the aid of heat, and procured frgm the solution a beautiful group of regularly- formed prismatic crystals, resembling those of sulphate of soda, and which effloresced on exposure to a dry air. I consider the white matter then to be merely sulphate of soda deprived of its water of crystaUization by lung ex- posure to the atmosphere. Second deposition from the Salt Springs in the Elk Kiver : — When recently broken, it presented in several places groups of irregular- shaped crystals, intermixed with a wiiite powdeiy matter, and with a yellow substance resembling flowers of sulphur. It had a slightly saline taste, and, when rubbed, a faint sulphureous odour. When thrown on a hot iron, it emitted blue Hame and the vapour of sulphureous acid. By long boiling in successive portions of water, it was almost all dissolved, the solution affording by the usual test sulphuric acid, muriatic acid, lime, and magnesia. The mu- riatic acid, and magnesia were, however, in small quantity compared to the others, and in the last portions of water in which the saline matter was boiled could scarcely be detected. As it did not attract moisture on expo.sure to :ur, I suppose the muriatic acid must have been in combination with soda, as muriates ot lime and magnesia are both deliquescent. What was left undis- solved by the w.-iter contained sulphur and a very minute quantity of iron. I consider this inerustatiun, then, as composed principally of sulphate of lime, with a slight admixture of sulphate of magnesia and muriate of soda, and with sulphur and Iron. I regret that the time allotted me for the analyses was not sufficient to en able me to ascertain the proportion of the ingredients. Yours, &c. Anhukw Fvpk GEOCJNOSTICAL OBSERVATIONS. 461 n ihe This ich is tly in- salinc c high l^ even ig. A versed i river. analysi^- (f a lakf e text. 823. the sub je: — lUte hard by heat- ct in the ibination. of soda. 19 by the [egularly- d which len to be long ex- A large and apparently travelled fragment of hornhlendic gneiss lie son lite acclivity under the spring, but the nearest rocks observed in aim were composed of yellowislri-white compact splintery lime- stone. At the new Fort, a considerable distance above Pierre au Calu- met,, a liniestone similar to that last mentioned occurs, having its strata waved or dipping both to the east and west. Below this, there is a peaty bog whose crevices are filled with petroleum. This mineral exists in great abundance in this district. We never observed it flowing from the limestone, but always above it, and generally agglutinating the beds of sand into a kind of pitchy sandstone. Sometimes fragments of this stone contain so much petroleum as to float down the stream. The limestone dips under the water and disappears at Pierre au Calumet, and the pitchy sandstone cliffs which rest on it also terminate there. This spot, situated between three or four miles below an old fort, obtains its name from a bed of yellowish-grey compact marl, which forms a small cliff on the bank of the river, and is quarried by the voyagers for the purpose of making Calumets or pipes. A portion of this bed, acted on by the weather and the water of the river, is convert- ed into earthy marl, and is much used by the traders under the name of white earth for whitewashing their apartments. Immedi- ately under the marl, and generally covered by the river, there is a bed of limestone almost entirely composed of orthoccratites and bivalve shells.* For some distance below Pierre au Calumet to a place called Burnt Point, the banks of the river rise in a gentle swell until they attain the height of 300 feet at a short distance from the shore. They appeared to consist of sand with limestone boulders, but we saw few sections of them. Between Burnt Point and Athabasca Lake, the banks are every where lew and alluvial, containing much vege- table matter, and overgrown with willows and aspens. In Athabasca Lake we again came upon the edge of the primi- tive formation. The country around Fort Chipewyan is composed of roundish masses of naked rock, which heaped, as it were, on each other, and rising as they recede from the lake, attain, at the distance of a mile from the shore, an elevation of five or six hun- dred feet. The valleys are narrow, their sides often precipitous, and the general form of the hills may be termed short conical, but their outline is very uneven. The rocks also form many islands in the lake from two to three hundred feet high, and generally bound- ed on one or more sides by precipices. The Fort seems to stand upon a granite rock. A little to the eastward, a reddish granite is associated with grey gneiss. The strata much convoluted and in- .M Fl ^^ Int to eiv * This orthoceratitic limestone bears some resemblance to tiie mountain limestone of mineralogists. It may therefore possibly belong t o the formation tinder the new red sandstone. •162 API'KNDIX. tcrsected in various directions by veins filled with a bluisii grcy vitreous looking quartz. In a bay of the lake, about a niili farther to the eastward, there is a cliflF oJ clay slaie. On leaving; I'ort Chipewyan, we paddled through several miles ol lake, and then descended the Stony River. Rucks, similar to those in Athabasca Lake, but possessing less elevation, rise above the swampy borders of this stream At the distance of eighteen miles from Fort Chipewyan, it falls into the Peace River, when the united streams assume the name of Slave River. The niost abundant rock on the Slave River is granite. A red granite occurs opposite to the portage into Duck Lake. Near a point termed the Bute, the rocks, comprised of felspar, quartz, and chlorite, have a slaty structure. Hclow this, the granite rising in the channel of the river forms the Carreboeuf Islands. A rock, examined opposite ihest islands, was composed of felspar and quartz, probably a variety of granite. Lower down, the ridges of granite rise higher and prove a more formidable obstruction to the river, pro- ducini^ muny cascades and rapids. At the Cassette Portage, a bed of mica slate, composed of i^rcy quartz and mica, occurs in the granite. At the Little Hock Portage l)elow the Portage d'Embar- ras, a rock, composed of felspar quartis and chlorite, occurs. It is similar to that observed at the Bute above-mentioned, but it wants the slaty structure. It is the protogine of Jurine. At the upper end of Mountain Portage, the san.e chloritic, granite, or protogine, again occurs in large quantity. In the middle of the portage, a va- riety of this rock occurs, composed principally of quartz, with a lit- tle chlorite and felspar; and adjoining to this bed there is another, composed of red felspar and grey quartz. The protogine succeed- ing again forms the lower and principal part of the portage. At the Hauling Place below the Mountain Portage, a variety of gra- nite which has been just mentioned aa composed of red felspar and grey quartz again occurs, and alternates with the protogine both there, at the Pelican Fall, and at the Portage dea JVoyea. The granite disappears about a mile and a half below the latter portage, and the banks of the river from thence to Slave Lake are alluvial. The Salt River flows in from the westward a short way below the portages. We ascended it for twenty-two miles, including its >vindings, but not above half that distance in a straight line, for the purpose of visiting the salt springs from whence it derives its taste and name. Seven or eight copious saline springs issue from the base of a long even ridge about six hundred feet high, and spread- ing their waters over an extensive clayey plain, deposit a considera- ble quantity of very pure common salt in large cubical crystals. The mother water flowing into the Salt River gives it a very bitter taste, which it retains until near its junction with the Slave River, when the addition of some fresh water streams renders it only slight- ly brackish. A few patches of greyish compact gypsum were ex- posed on the side of the ridge from whence the springs issue, a fart ■Ni which seems to point out the upper part of the new red sand-stone, IS the formation from whence they take their rise. A pure white gypsum is said to be found at Peace Point in Peace River, which is probably a continuation of this formation. The salt plains are much frequented by deer and buifalo. The banks of Slave River, below the influx of Salt River, are, as have been already mentioned, entirely alluvial. A great quantity of large drift timber is brought down by Peace River; and as the trees retain their roots, which are often loaded with earth or stones, they readily sink, especially when water-soaked, and accumulating in the eddies, form shoals which ultimately augment into islands. A thicket of small willows covers the new-formed island as soon as it appears above water, and their fibrous roots serve to bind the whole firmly together. Sections of these islands are annually made by the river, assisted by the frost; and it is interesting to study the diversity of appearances they present, according m their different ages. The trunks of the trees gradually decay until they are con- verted into a blackish-brown substance resembling peat, but which still retains more or less of the fibrous structure of the wood, and layers of this often alternate with layers of clay and sand, the whole being penetrated to the depth of four or five yards or more by the long fibrous roots of the willows. A deposition of this kind, with the aid of a little infiltration of bituminous matter, would pro- duce an excellent imitation of coal with vegetable impressions of the willow root. What appeared most remarkable was the hori- zontal slaty structure thai the older alluvial banks presented, or the regular curve that the strata assumed from unequal subsidence. It was on the rivers only that we could observe sections of these depo- sits, but the same operation goes on in a much more magnificent scale in the lakes. A shoal of many miles in extent is formed on the south side of Athabasca Lake, by the drift timber and vegetable debris brought down by the Elk River; and the Slave Lake itself must in process of time be filled up by the matters daily conveyed into it from Slave River. Vast quantities of drift timber are buried under the sand at the mouth of the river, and enormous piles of it are accumulated on the shores of every part of the lake. The waves, washing up much disintegrated vegetable matter, fill the interstices of these entangled masses, and in process of time a border of spurious peat is formed round the various bays of the lake. Moose Deer Island, and the islands adjoining to it, seem to be on the boundary of the limestone formation which we have so often mentioned. Large fcagments of the stones containing shells were imbedded in the soil; and although we did not discover any of the rot ks in aitUy yet the form of the rising grounds, on the different islands, strongly countenanced the opinion that the strata under- neath consisted of limestone. The stone, from Mr. Wentzel's in- formation, occurs in horizontal strata, traversing the bed of the Riviere aux Liard», (the south branch of M'Kcnzie's River,) and ^>i i;f.ognostical observations. '163 4()4 APPENDIX. betwixt that and Slave Lake near the Troul River there is an ox tensive plain of white earthy marl similar to that which wc observ- ed at Pierre au Calumet, on Athabasca River, associated with the limestone. Farther down M^Kenzie's River, and more to liie west- ward, the coal formation exists. There are beds of coal on tire twenty or thirty miles above the influx of Cireat Dear Lake River, and below that there are petroleum and sulphur sprin^^s. Reverting again to our route. Primitive rocks occur a little to the eastward of Riviere a Jean, one of the many channels by which Slave River pours its waters into the lake. Stony Island is a small naked rock rising fifty or sixty feet above the water, and precipitous on the north side. It is a mass of granite consisting of flesh-colour- ed felspar and quartz, with but little or no mica. The Rein-deer Islands, which lie in the traverse to the north side of the lake, con- sist of a much coarser granite with the mica in large plates. These islands are numerous, and rise from a hundred two hundred feet above the water. They abound in precipices, and are for the most part naked ; but towards the centres of the larger ones, there is a little soil and a few groves of pine. The same kind of granite pre- vails on the northern shores of the lake, from the Big Cape to some distance to the westward of Fort Providence. It forms small hills, with steep, somewhat precipitous, sides, and narrow valleys between. The lower part of these hills generally consists of coarse granite, much intersected by veins of quartz and felspar, and frequently en- closing masses of felspar ; their summits, on the contrary, mostly smooth and rounded, never peaked, are formed of a more com- pact and durable rock, which is the same kind of granite that is observed at Fort Chipewyan, and is composed of a crystallized red felspar, intermixed with small rounded grains of quartz, generally grey, but sometimes tinged red. It contains little or no mica. The granite formation continued for a considerable distance on our route towards Fort Enterprize, but it contained more and more foreign beds as we advanced to the northward. At our encamp* ment of August 2d, on the borders of the lake, the strata consist- ed of clay slate, and had a slight dip to the northward. At the mouth of the Yellow-Knife River, and in Lake Prosperous, mica slate prevailed. Between Rocky and Carp Lakes, the granite con- tains many beds of mica slate, often passing into rlay Hiate, and the country is tolerably well wooded. While spruce occupies the rocky situations, Pinus Banksiana the sandy spots, and aspen the low moist places. At Carp Lake the hills are of lower altitude, have fewer preci- pices, and more rounded summits; the valleys are less fertile, con- tain a gravelly soil, and nourish fewer trees. This appears to be the commencement of the gneiss, or, as it may be termed in this latitude, the Barren Ground formation, for it seems to exist throughout the great district to the eastward of the Copper-Mine C.EOGNOSTICAL OBSERVATIONS. 4G5 \ an ex- obscrv- wiih the lie wesi- l oil lire e Uiver, I liulc to ly which 4 a small ccipitous h-colour- tcin-dccr ake, con- I. These »dred feet the most there is a anite pre- 5 Cape to rms small )W valleys le granite, uently en- ry, mostly lore com- ite that is ilUzed red generally mica, istance on and more rous, mica janite con- le, and the lupies the ispen the irer preci- Irtile, con- lears to be ^cd in this to exist Iper-Mine River, termed the Barren Oroinuls by the Imlians. The soil ap pears to be very favourable to the production of the cenomycea ran- gifcrina and nivalia, and some other con^;«;ncrous lichens, but very inimical to every other species of v lactation. On the borders of the formation, as at Prospect Hill, a little above Carp Lake, trees occur only in detached and distant clumps. At Tort Enterprizc, a thin grove grows in a very favourable situation on the sheltered banks of Winter River; but nearer the middle of the Barren Grounds there is not even a shrub to be seen, although parallel to them a strip of wood follows the transition, and secondary forma- tions on the Copper- Mine River to a much higher latitude. In- stead of enumerating the different places where the rocks were cursorily examined on our route, we shall confine ourselves more particularly to those of the same formation in the neighbourhood of Fort Entcrprize, where during our long stay, we had an oppor- tunity of observing more closely the relations of the different rocks to each other. The country about Tort Enterprizc consists of short and very obtuse conical, or sometimes round-backed, hills, of moderate ele- vations, never disposed in mountain ranges, but entirely unconnect- ed and separated from each other by inclined valleys of moderate extent. Their summits are almost universally formed of naked smooth rock, and generally of a species oi durable red granite that has been more than once mentioned as composed of well crystalliz- ed reddish felspar and grey quartz. Large irregular, but some- what cubical, fragments of this rock are scattered over the surface of the hills, or rest upon their very summits, by two or three an- gular points, as if left exposed there by the decay of the less dura- ble material that enclosed them. A remarkable instance of this occurs about a mile and a half to the southward of Fort Enterprize, on a hill which is thence termed the Big Stone Hill. This hill, which is the highest for many miles, rises from six to eight hun- dred feet above Winter River. The acclivities of the hills, gene- rally speaking, consist of gneiss wrapped in a mantle form round the granite. These acclivities arc more or less thickly covered with a coarse gravelly soil, and very often exhibit accumulations of large cubical fragments of gneiss, which fall from small mural precipices. In the upper parts of the inclined valleys, at the base of the hills, there is commonly a very thin layer of mountain peat, but the bottom of almost every valley is occupied by a lake. Most of these lakes communicate with each other only when flooded by the melting snow, and many of the smaller ones are entirely land- locked; they all contain iish. On the borders of the formation, where a few trees exist, the white spruce is confined to the sandy soil that is partially accumulated on the banks of the streams. A few birches sometimes grow amongst the large stones on the banks of a rapid, and two or three stunted black spruces now and ther occur on the peaty spots. ■ ^m L'Jiri Provi- the rocks e, granite E.N.E. of lilU there north at er, begin- iss — ditto covering with kid- earing N lonsisis of »J,E. side, regular have ac- ss, which thin layer leiss, and gle of 70^ ere is one compact [This rock ;aied with te pyrites, bout half is a high W, Tht l)U!>c of the precipice is formed of coarse granular gneiss, the sum- mil of red granite, which falls down in tabular or cubical fragments The Dog-Hib Rock, a remarkable hill, having three precipitous sides but a gradual ascent on the iourili, lies about eight miles N. b.E. from Fort Entcrprize. The base of the hill consists of com- pact hornblendic gneiss, which is traversed by a vein of very coarse granite several yards wide. The upper part of the hill consists of strata of hornblendic gneiss, dipping N.b.W. at an a ijlc of 45**. About thirty miles due north of Dog-Hib Rock, an irregular ridge of hills of coarse sand and gravel occurs. The intermediate district is a continuation of the gneiss formation, without any ma- terial alteration in appearance, and beds of gneiss or granite occa- sionally shew themselves at the foot of the ridge. These sand hills constitute a small height of land between the source of Winter River and a dilatation of the Cooper-Mine River, named Point Lake. The gneiss app ars in abundance on the north side of this height, associated with miich mica slate and some clay slate. The hills are higher here, and the valleys narrower and deeper, than in the neighbourhood of Fort Entcrprize. On an arm of Point Lake, about forty-five miles due north of Eort Entcrprize, the rocks belong to the transition class. The hills here are six or seven hundred feet high, and are in their general character rather round-backed, but obtuse conical elevations and high and steep cliffs are very numerous. At the encampment in lat. 65° 13' N., from whence we started on June 25th, the following strata occur, dipping to the westward at an angle of 80", but much waved and convoluted: — Greywacke passing into Greywacke slate — Greywacke with small imbedded crystals of hornblende— dark greenish or blackish grey transition clay slate, having a thick slaty structure. Several flat islands in the lake consist of transition greenstone. A rock standing apart from the neighbouring- hills on the borders of the lake, about a mile and a half to the southward of the encampment, having a rounded summit, but bounded on three sides by mural precipices about two hundred feet high, is composed of compact earthy green- stone, containing disseminated iron pyrites covered with layers of transition greenstone slate. The precipices in some places present a very obscure appearance of twisted columnar structure, and the rock falls down in large irregular but somewhat rhomboidal frag- ments. The upper and under surfaces of these fragments are smoothish, and present a greater quantity of pyrites than is dis- semmated through the rest of the rock. On the north side of the lake, two miles from the encampment, there is a high bluff hill with a precipitous side, which seems to consist principally of a transi- tion conglomerate. The basis is earthy clay slate. The imbedded masses have an ellipsoidal form and smooth surface, are from one to two feet in diameter, and appear to consist of the same material with the basis, but impregnated with much silica, and not .shewing [i % V'^-' !i't i •? 468 APPENDIX. evident siaty strucluie. When broken, they present un even tine gained fracture. In the sheltered valleys on this part of Point Lake, a few clumps of good-sized spruce fir occur; farther to the eastward, at Obstruc- tion Rapid, where the gneiss formation of Fort Enterprize seems to cross the river, and extend beyond Rum I^ake, there is no wood. During our first and second day's journey down Point Lake from the above-mentioned encampment, being eleven and a half miles on a W.N.W. course, the rocks we had an opportunity of examining, consisted of greenish-grey transition clay slate, generally having a curved structure, and splitting into slates of very unequal thick- ness. On the following day, June 27th, our route lay to the N.W. for ten and a half miles through a part of the lake, whose bounding hills bore a strong resemblance in altitude and form to those about Fort Enterprize. The rocks we examined were grey gneiss, red granite, hornblendic gneiss, and a crystalline greenstone. These rocks form high and precipito.13 islands, and shores at the west end of Point Lake, but the appearance of the country alters immedi- ately on entering Red Rock Lake. The strata here belong, most probably, to the transition series, which, at the lower end of Point Lake, had given place to, or perhaps alternated with, primitive rocks. The hills which bound Red Rock Lake are four hundred or five hundred feet high, have an even round-backed outline, pre- rent few cliffs and little naked rock, have rather moderate acclivi- ties, and are thinly covered with small white spruce trees. The cenomyce rangiferina.) and other lichens, so abundant on the barren grounds, become rare here, and continue so throughout the re- mainder of the Copper-Mine River. A bed of reddish clay slate was observed at the upper end of the lake, and large fragments of the same rock thickly strew its shores. At the lower end of the lake, a greenish-grey faintly glimmering clay slate occurs, dipping W.b.N. at an angle of 30". We passed through Rock-Nest Lake on June 30th. With the exception of the Rock-Nest, and one or two hills adjoining it ap- parently composed of trap rocks, the borders of this lake are low, consisting of long even gentle elevations, every where well clothed with spruce trees. The strata, where we had an opportunity of examining them, consisted of clay slate. A t the place of our encamp- ment, on the 30th, the clay slate had a colour intermediate between greenish grey and clove brown ; the surface of the slates feebly glistening, cross fracture dull, structure rather thick slaty, and clp of its strata E.N.E. at an angle of 40". The Rock Nest bore an exact resemblance in altitude and form to Salisbury Craigs in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh. I am inclined to think that the cliff which crowned it was transition greenstone, and the steep acclivity clay slate, but we had not an opportunity of examining them. After leaving Rock-Nest Lake, the Copi>er-Mine River flows 't'- GEOGNOSTICAL OBSERVATIONS. 4b5 for six or seven miles between banks, consisting of gentle cleva tions and dales, wooded to the edge of the stream, and flanked on both sides, at the distance of three or four miles, by a range of very barren hills, with steep acclivities and rounded summits. The chan- nel of the river is rocky, producing a series of rapids ; but unfortu- nately the notices respecting the strata have been lost, and we have only a general impression that a hornblendic gneiss, probably of the transition series, was abundant. On descending the river still farther, the high hills recede a little, and the rocks on the im- mediate borders of the stream give place to fine sand, in which the river has made sections from one hundred to two hundred feet deep. Sandy plains, on a level with the summits of the cliffs, thus produ- ced, extend six or seven miles backwards, and are bounded by irregular ranges of hills eight hundred or a thousand feet high. These hills are round-backed, with moderately steep acclivities, but they are sometimes, though not frequently, terminated by high cliffs. We were precluded from visiting them by their distance. The plains are chequered with small clumps of wood, and produce a short grass which attracts the musk oxen thither at certain sea- sons, but few rein deer frequent this part of the country. About twenty or twenty-five miles below the Fairy-Lake River, the woods become thinner and more stunted, and the barren hills approach the water's edge. The sandy banks re-appeared, however, at in- tervals, and in some places the river expanded considerably, flow- ing with a gentle current over a fine sandy bottom. Its medium breadth may be stated at three hundred yards, which in the rapids was diminished to half that width. A few miles farther down we approached hills from twelve to fifteen hundred feet high, running in ranges nearly parallel to the river or about N.W. These were the first hills we had seen in the country that can be said to possess the form of a connected mountain range, They are in general ra- ther round-backed, but the outline is not even, being interrupted by craggy eminences rather obtusely conical. It is very probable that they are a part of the range upon which Hearne bestowed the name of Stony Mountains. We encamped on the night of July 6th in lat. 66" 45' 1 1", lon- gitude 115" 42' 23", and forty-three miles W.b.N. of the Sandy River, at the foot of the most rugged part of the range, where it i!^ washed by the river. A high peak, which was examined here, consisted of red granite and sienite, and some large beds of green- stone were also observed ; but perhaps all these rocks are subordi- nate to the clay-slate formation, that rock occurring in considerable quantity here, having a greenish colour, and continuous pearly lustre. The rocks at this spot appear to ue primitive, but they are soon succeeded by others, which have more the aspect of the tran- sition class. Seven miles further down the river, at the encamp- ment of July 7th, the hills shewed less elevation and a more even outline, with less exposed rock. That which was observed consist- ed of a more dull and earthy clay slate. .1 ■ hm ^m- V h ;<■'■■ »! r 1 470 APPENDIX. A Leaving this place on July 8th, we continued our course ciowii the river, which flowed for some miles between two ranges of hills, pretty even in their outline, and round-backed, but with rather steep acclivities. The immediate borders of the stream were ei- ther high banks of fine sand, or steep gravel cliffs ; and sometimes in places where the hills receded to a little distance, the interven- ing space was occupied by nigh sandy ridges, apparently the an- cient banks of the river. We now approached a range of hills which were visible from yesterday's encampment, and which in form bore a considerable rest mblance to those in the neighbourhood of Point Lake, but havmg more the appearance of a connected range. We had no opportunity of examining these hills, but judg- ing from the analogous forms of those at Point lake, we infer that they consist of clay slate, hurnblendic gneiss, and granite, connect- ed with rocks of the transition series. The Copper-Mine River runs to the westward in a tortuous course along the foot of this range, until it succeeds in effecting a passage through it in 116" 31' west longitude. At this place, accord ng to Indian account, the Bear Lake approaches nearest to the Copper-Mine River, the breadth of the height of land between them not exceedmg thirty or forty miles. Below this spot, which is marked by the influx of a small stream, the .iver absumes a northerly course, and becoming much narrower and more rapid, passes betwixt high but even ranges of round-backed hills, beiwten which and the water there are interposed high and steeply-rounded banks of a clayey soil, well covered with trees. * The beds of the Mountain Torrents, which open into the river here, contain many fragments of a dark red sandstone, which would seem to indicate that the old red sandstone formation occurs in these mountains. The river contracting to the width of a hundred and twenty yards, at length forces itself through the Rocky Defile^ a narrow channelwhich it has cut during a lapse of ages in the shelv- ing foot of a hill. The channel is bounded by perpendicular rocky walls, varying- in height from fifty to a hundred and fifty feet, above which there is imposed an immense body of fine sand. The form of the land would lead one to suppose, that the river at some distant period, pent in by the rock, formed a long narrow lake, whose su- perfluous waters were discharged by a magnifirent cascade— an opinion which is countenanced by the figures of the sandy ridges, which rise immediately above the rapid to the height of five hun- dred or six hundred feet. The walls of the rapid consist of a very dark purplish-red compact felspar rock. It probably belongs to the old red sandstone formation, and seems to rest upon or to alter- nate with a rock, which seems to be a variety of the old red sand- stone, and which is composed of light-reddish and greyish felspar and quartz, the former indistinctly crystallized. This latter rock is every where exposed in the bed of the river for ten or twelve OEOGNOSTICAL OBSEKVATIOKS. 471 miles below the rapid. For this space the river flows about three hundred feet below the level of a sandy plain, which is bounded to the westward at a considerable distance, by a continuation of the range of hills through which the river forces itself at the Bear- Lake Portage, and to the eastward and northward by a lofty ridge of trap rocks, which constitute the famous Copper Mountains. The surface of these plains is variegated by some small conical sandy eminences, and ornamented by clumps of moderately large spruce trees (thirty feet high), amongst which the River Mouse winds, and falls into the Copper-Mine River from the westward. In the beds of the torrents that intersect the plains, there are found fragments of reddish-grey granular foliated limestone, of deep red sandstone, of grey sandstone composed of grey quartz and felspar, probably a variety of the preceding and of red sienite, all mem- bers, perhaps, of the old red aandsione formation, or that which lieb under coal, and occasionally alternates with transition rocks. There occur also fragments of pale red sandstone, composed prin- cipally of quartz, and a little felspar with imbedded circular con- cretions of quartz ; and of greyish-white quartzose sandstone, with imbedded portions of the pale-red kind, both of which probably belong to the new red sandstone formation. Fragments were also found of dark-greeny felspathose trap, coloured by hornblende, of greenstone, of dark-flesh red felspar in granular concretions, with imbedded patches of hornblende, of red felspar, associated with hornblende, and passing to greenstone; and of red felspar partly coloured with hornblende, and containing amygdaloidal portions of prehnite, most of which belong to the trafi formation, connected with the new red sandstone. Many pretty large masses also occur of a compact wine-yellow limestone, resembling conchoidal horn- stone, having a flat conchoidal fracture, and alternating with thin layers of flint inclining to flinty slate. This stone is precisely similar to some of the more compact varieties of the limestone near Cumberland-House, although in the latter situation we never observed it associated with flinty slate. The Copper Mountains consist principally of trap rocks which seem to be imposed upon the new red sandstone or the floelz iime- stone which covers it. A short way below the influx of the Mouse, the Copper-Mine River washes the base of some bluish-grey clay- stone cliffs, having a somewhat slaty structure, dipping to the north at an angle of 20**. The Copper Mountains appear to form a range running S.E. and N.W. The great mass of rock in the mountains seems to consist of felspar in various conditions; sometimes in the form ol felspar rock or claystone, sometimes coloured by hornblende, and approaching to greenstone, but most generally in the form of dark reddish-brown amygdaloid. The amygdaloidal masses, contained in the amygdaloid, are either entirely pistacite, or pislacite enclos- ing calc-spar. Scales of native copper are very j^tiierally dissemi- mi % 472 APPENDIX. nated through this rock, through a species of trap tufl' which ncarly rescfnbled it, and also through a reddish sandstone on which it ap- pears to rest. When the felspar assumed the appearance of a slaty clay-stone, which it did towards the base of the mountains on the banks of the river, we observed no copper in it. The rough, and in general rounded and more elevated parts of the mountain, arc composed of the amygdaloid; but between the emitxences 'there oc- cur many narrow and deep valleys, which are bouided by perpen- dicular mural precipices of greenstone. It is in these valleys^ amongst the loose soil, that the Indians search for copper. Amongst the specimens we picked up in these valleys, were plates of native copper ; masses of pistacitc containing native copper ; of trap rock with associated native copper, green malachite, copper glance or variegated copper ore and iron-shot copper green, of greenish-grey prehnite in trap, (the trap is felspar deeply coloured with horn- blende,) with disseminated native copper; the copper, in some specimens, was crystallized in rhomboidal dodecahedrons. Wc also found some large tabular fragments, evidently portions or a vein consisting of prehnite, associated with calcareous spar, and native copper. The Indians dig wherever they observe the preh- nite lying on the soil, experience having taught them that the largest pieces of copper are found associated with it. We did not observe the vein in its original repository, noi does it appear that the Indians have found it, but judging from the specimens just mentioned, it most probably traverses felspathose trap. We also picked up some fragments of a greenish-grey coloured rock, ap- parently sandstone, with disseminated variegated copper ore and copper glance; likewise rhomboidal fragments of white calcareous spar, and some rock crystals. The Indians report that they have found copper in every part of this range, which they have examin- ed for thirty or forty miles to the N. W., and that the Esquimaux come hither to search for that metal. We afterwards found some ice chisels in possession of the latter people twelve or fourteen inches long, and half an inch in diameter, formed of pure copper. To the northward of the Copper Mountains, at the distance of ten miles, in a direct line, a similar range of trap hills occurs, hav- ing, however, less altitude. The intermediate country is uneven, but not hilly, and consists of a deep sandy soil, which, when cut through by the rivulets, discloses extensive beds of light-brownish red sandstone, which appears to belong to the new r ' sandstone formation. The same rock having a thin slaty structure, and dip- ping to the northward, forms perpendicular walls to the river, whose beds lie a hundred and fifty feet below the level of the plain. The eminences in the plain are well clothed with grass, and free from the large loose stones so common on the Barren Grounds, but the ridges of trap are nearly destitute of vegetation. Beyond the last-mentioned trap range which is about twenty miles from the sea, the country becomes still more level, the same \f GEOGNOSTICAL OBSERVATIONS. 473 nearly J it ap - a slaty on the jh, and lin, arc ere oc- perpen- valleys, mongst f native ap rock ance or ish-grey th horn- in some IS. Wo ions oi a ipar, and he preh- that the e did not ;)ear that lens just We also rock, ap- ore and dcareous hey have exam in - quimaux nd some fourteen copper, stance of urs, hav- uneven, hen cut rownish andstone and dip- he river, |he plain, and free nds, but twenty Ihe same kind of sandstone continuing as a subsoil. The plains nourish only a coarse short grass, and the trees which had latterly dwindled to small clumps, growing only on low points on the edge of the river under shelter of the high bank, entirely disappear. A few ranges of trap hills intersect this plain also, but they have much less ele- vation than those we passed higher up the stream. The river in its section of the plain, as far as Bloody Fall, pre- sents alternately cliffs of reddish sandstone, and red-coloured slaty indurated clay or marl, and shelving white clay banks. At Bloody Fall, the stream cuts through a thick bed of dark purplish red fel- spar rock, similar to that observed at the Rocky Defile, and associ- ated as at that place, with a rock composed principally of light red felspar and quartz, but which is probably a species of red secondary granite. At the Bloody Fall, the felspar rock is covered to the depth of six or seven hundred feet with a bed of greyish white, and rather tenacious clay, which being deeply intersected with ravines, forms steep hills. Nearer the sea, the river is bounded by very steep cliffs of yellowish-white sand; and on the sea-coast, the above- mentioned red granite re-appears on the west bank of the river, forming a rugged ridge about two hundred and fifty feet high. The islands that we observed in the Arctic Sea are uniformly rocky, and generally bounded with mural precipices of trap rocks, clinkstone or claystone, which have a surprising uniformity of ap- pearance. The main shore, however, presents some diversity. For sixty miles eastward of the Copper-Mine River, the beach is loW) shelving, and gravelly, and the ground in the interior has a gentle rise and even outline. Towards Tree River, however, the trap rocks re-appearing form an exceedingly sterile and rocky coast. The cliffs of the islands on which we landed were compos- ed of greenstone, dark brown claystone, porphyry, and perhaps of basalt, but of the occurrence of the last-mentioned rock we are not quite certain. Three or four miles to the westward of Port Ep- worth, a steep promontory is formed of a rock which is composed of red felspar, quartz, and is a variety of the secondary granite al- ready mentioned. At Port Epworth, the country is exceedingly sterile ; one cliff rising above another with stony valleys between, almost destitute of herbage. The rocks observed here were liver- brown clinkstone porphyry, with a few beds of earthy greenstone. The same formation extended to the mouth of Wentzel's River, the trap cliffs succeeding each other with tiresome uniformity, and their debris entirely covering the narrow valleys that intervene to the exclusion of all vegetation. None of the rivers on this part of the coast bring down any drift timber. To the eastward of Went- zel's River, the coast running out forms Cape Barrow. We round- ed this large projection in thick foggy weather, which permitted us to have a very indistinct view of the shore ; but we landed on several parts near the pitch of the cape, and found the rocks to '.onsist of a beautiful admixture of red and grey granite, forming 3 O . .K H Vf i. I I •A 474 APPENDIX. \ very steep craggy, and acute peaks, rising abruptly from the water to the height of one thousand five hundred feet. The granite is traversed by large veins of red felspar running from N. to S., in- tersected at right angles by smaller veins. In one or two places, the larger veins were filled with greenstone. The granite hills terminate abruptly, or recede from the coast at Detention Harbour, and give place to much less elevated strata of gneiss, enclosing some beds of red granite. A vein of galena was traced for two hundred yards, running through the gneiss at Galena Point. This vein, about two inches in diameter, was entirely filled with galena, iivithout the slightest appearance of any sparry substance. A few miles to the eastward of Galena Point, the gneiss recedes from the shore, and appears to enter into the composition of a ridge which runs nearly in a straight line until it is cut by Hood's River, about fifteen miles above its mouth. On the western point of Moore's Bay, there is a precipice of indurated iron-shot slaty clay. The promontory which forms the east side of the same bay is formed of trap rocks and claystone porphyry, whose mural precipices consti- tute the sides of very narrow valleys that open at each end to the sea. Several species of carex grow in these wet and spongy valleys, on which account the rein-deer seem to resort to them. Very few lichens were observed. Some small fragments were found amongst the debris of the porphyry, containing copper green and scales of native copper. From Moore's Bay to the entrance of Arctic Sound, an iron-shot clinkstone porphyry prevails, having a columnar appearance. The eastern shore of Arctic Sound, rising gently towards the ridge of gneiss lately mentioned, is covered with grass, and presents little or no naked rock ; but on Banks's Peninsula, the clinkstone por- phyry re-appears along with an earthy-looking greenstone, forming, as usual, parallel ranges of mural precipices. On the eastern point of Brown's Passage, the strata consist of light red sandstone dipping slightly to the westward, succeeded by bluish-grey slate clay, and having lofty cliffs of greenstone, iron- shot amygdaloid and trap tuff superimposed. On Barry's Island, -which lies off this part of the coast, the rocks consist of trap rocks, forming cliffs from fifty to one hundred and sixty feet high, super- imposed on thick beds of indurated clay or marl, variously colour- ed red or grey in thin horizontal strata. On the northern extremity of the island, there is a red amygdaloidal rock which contains many beautiful pebbles, and some imbedded masses of jasper. Most of the pebbles are composed of concentric layers of calcedony with drusy cavities, but some of them approach nearly to pure carne- lian. Near the encampment of August 3, a dark red cliff, probably of claystone porphyry, is intersected by a vein several yards thick of a bluish-white substance. The vein made an angle of forty-five with the horizon, and was seen at a considerable distance. We had -* f GEOGNOSTICAL OBSERVATIONS. 475 water lite is 5., in- tlaccs, ; hills rbour, closing jr two This galena) A few om the ; which , about yloore's . The rmed of consti- d to the spongy o then). Its were er green ron-shot e. The ridge of nts little ne por- forming, |onsist of seded by Ine, iron- Is Island, |p rocks, t, super- colour- ttremity Ins many Most of )ny with |e carne- )bably of thick of forty -five 1 We had r.o opportunity of examining it. Nearly opposite to this, near Sir James Gordon's Bay and Tinney's Cove, some portions of the sandstone strata, of a reddish-grey colour, have a beautiful por- phyritic appearance from imbedded pieces of white quartz, mostly quadrangular, and about an inch in diameter. Other portions of the rock had none of these imbedded pieces. Between this spot and the mouth of Back's River, the eastern shore of Bathurst's Inlet consists of gneiss, with beds of granite, forming a continued range of hills rising pretty steeply from the water to the height of five or six hundred feet. In Sir James Gordon's Bay, the strata consist chiefly of light ted and greyish sandstone, still of the new red sandstone formation, with trap rocks generally greenstone. To the northward of Fowler's Bay, the gneiss re-appear^ containing beds of granite and hom- blendic gneiss. In one spot near Point Evritt, hexagonal crystals of hornblende, some of them above a foot long, occur, imbedded in the gneiss. Most of the crystals were contaminated with scales of mica. The islands in the oifing consist, as usual, of floetz trap, or porphyry ; and on the north side of Buchan's Bay, the new red iiandstone re-appears, having a fine grain and light-red colour. Cape Croker is composed of red sandstone, whose debris form a tihelving and utterly barren shore. The northern shore of Melville Soui)d has a barren clayey soil, which, when washed away, exposes strata of greyish-white sand- stone, associated with or passing into a slaty clay. A few cliffs of greenstone or claystone porphyry, superimposed on the flat strata, presented from the opposite coast as we entered the sound, the ap- pearance of islands. Had the intermediate low land been visible, a tedious circumnavigation of the sound would have been spared. The coast presented the same appearance as far as Point Turna- gain. The horizontal strata consisted of a kind of greyish-blue slaty clay, much impregnated with quartz, and passing into the new red sandstone. Cliffs of greenstone, porphyry slate, or red amygdaloid, were frequently imposed on the clay. At Slate Clay Point, on the eastern side of Walker's Bay, the layers of the indurated slate clay were disposed in a concentric manner, so as to form large globular concretions. The outer layers of the concretions running insensibly into each other. Having now enumerated, as distinctly as circumstances would permit, the rocks we had an opportunity of observing on the coast, we may state that the new red sandstone formation seems to pre- vail. All the islands visited were formed of trap or porphyry be- longing to that formation, and judging from similarity of form, the rocks of the other islands belong to the same class. The gneiss formation is next in extent, and indeed it appears to run nearly parallel to the coast within the red sandstone from Cape Barrow across Hood's River above Wilberforce Falls to the bottom of Ba- ift^m ■ il »■ 476 APPENDIX. N thurst's Inlet, and from thence to Hope's Bay, on the western &ide of Melville Sound. The only foreign beds we observed in the gneiss were granite, perhaps quartz rock, and hornblendic gneiss, or sienite. We saw no clay or mica slate, nor did we observe any formations intermediate between the gneiss and new red sand- stone ; nor except at Cape Barrow, where granite predominates, any other formation than the two just mentioned. Our opportuni- ties for observation, however, were not extensive, the necessity of proceeding without delay limiting our geognostical and botanical excursions to the short period that was required to prepare break- fast or supper. From Point Turnagain, we proceeded to Hood's River, and trac- ed it for some distance. The river, at its mouth, is from one to three hundred yards wide, and is bounded by steep and high banks of clay, reposing on flcetz rocks, which occasionally shew them- selves. At the first rapid, in lat. 67** 19' 23", a bed of reddish secon- dary granite crosses the stream. At the second rapid, in lat. 67*^ 12' 14", and in other places, the rocks consist mostly of the red indurated slaty clay, or the red amygdaloid, which we often saw on the coast associated with the new red sandstone. Six or seven miles higher up, at Wilberforce's Falls, the river makes a descent of about two hundred and fifty feet into achasm, whose walls consist of light-red felspathose sandstone, belonging most probably to the old red sandstone formation, or that which lies under coal, and oc- casionally alternates with transition rocks. The gneiss formation appears a short distance above these falls, producing hills precisely similar in character to those about Fort Enterprize. After quitting Hood's River, and ascending out of the valley through which it flows, we entered upon an even clayey and very barren country, interspersed with shallow lakes. This plain continued nearly to Craycroft's River, when the gneiss re-ap- peared, presenting the genuine barren ground hills and precipices, together with their vegetable associates, ce7iomyce rangiferina, cetraria nivalis^ cucullata and islandica, cornicularia ochrileuca, dufourea arctica^ crbutus al/iinoj rhododendron lafifiofiicufn, and em/ietrum nigrum, plants which seem to characterize the Barren Grounds. This formation continues without any essential change of aspect, but with some occasional difierences in the altitude of its hills, until it unites with the Fort Enterprize district at Obstruc- tion Rapid, between Providence and Point Lakes. Its hills assume the form of ranges in the neighbourhood of Congecathewachaga and Rum Lakes. It is to be observed!, however, that we travelled over this district when the ground was deeply covered with snow ; and when circumstances were not favourable either for observing or recording the appearances of the rocks, with sufficient accuracy for drawing up a geognostical accoutit of them at a future period We shall now proceed to ofier a few f m-- GE0GN08TICAL OBSERVATIONS. CONCLUDING REMARKS. 477 The observations of Werner, Humboldt, Von Bucli, Saussurc, Ebcl, and Daubuisson, in many districts in the continent of Europe and in America, and by Jameson in Scotland, shew that the gene- ral direction of the primitive and transition strata, is nearly from N.E. to S.W. It is, therefore, interesting to find, that the gene- ral result of my notes on the positions of these rocks which we traced (except in a few instances when our route lay to the west- ward of their boundary) through twelve degrees of latitude, also gives N.E. and S.W. as the average direction of their strata. The strata of the two classes of rocks just mentioned, were always more or less inclined to the horizon, the mean angle consi- derably exceeding 45°. Their dip was sometimes to the cast, some- times to the west. These rocks exhibited the same varieties of structure, that they do in other extensive tracts of country. In general, the slaty struc- ture was parallel to the direction of the strata, as in gneiss, mica- slate, clay-slate, 8cc. When the waved structure made its appear- ance, it was sometimes conformable with the seams of stratification, as was very often noticed in the transition clay-slate of the Copper- Mine River; or it was entirely independent of these, and then it was very irregular in its direction. The afifiarently-confused ar- rangements of structure of clay-slate and other slaty rocks, more particularly observed at the magnetic islet in Knee Lake, and on Point Lake, proved, on a more extended and accurate examination, to be caused by the arrangement of the mass of strata into vari- ously-formed distinct concretions, in many of which the direction of the slaty structure was under very different angles, and in very different directions. In short, in these apparently-disturbed strata we had, though on a great scale, the same beautiful arrangement that occurs in the rock named by Werner, " Topaz Rock." Indepen- dent of these various structures observable in individual strata, we remarked that the strata themselves, whatever their structure might be, werei.cither variously waved or quite straight in their di- rection. The general forms, connexions, and distributions of the moun- tains, hills, and plains, in the tracts we traversed, and of the cliffs on the coast of the Arctic Sea, were nearly the same that geologist*; have remarked as characterizing similar rocks, similarly circum- stanced in other quarters of the globe. Granite with sienite, gneiss, mica-slate, and clay-slate, which some geologists consider to be the predominating primitive rocks, occur in all their usual relations; of these the gneiss appears to be the most extensively distributed, and to be always attended with n very seamy vegetation. Granite is the next in frequency, then mica-slate, and the least abundant arc the cU^y-slate and p»ctog:irp. \ i n\ -s il ^/ / 478 APPKNDIX. *^! P J The granite is generally of a red colour, and vunes lioni course to bmall granular. The loose blocks of stone, which crown the sum- jnitit of almost all the hills in the Barren iiroiinda^ are generally of this latter variety. Of the gneiss there are two varieties, the one red and the other grey. The mica-slate, clay-slate, and sienite, •iresent the common varieties. The protoglne granite, of which there is considerable abundance in Slave River, and in some other quarters, appears to belong to the mica-slate formations. These primitive rocks are traversed by veins of fulspar, quartz, and granite; and the granite of Cape Barrow was also intersected by veins of augite greenstone of the same description with those met with in the granite districts of Great Britain. The occurrenco of the vein of galena, at Galena Point, is an interesting fact, as connected with the geographical distribution of that important ore. The Esquimaux, that frequent the shores of the Arctic Sea, make their culinary utensils of potstone, but we did not discover the place from whence they obtained it. The transition roclcs were observed in sitUy only on Point Lake, on the Copper-Mine River, and, perhaps, at Wilberforce Falls on Hood's River, and as far as our observations extended, afforded neither limestone nor lydian stone. None of the transition slate that we examined contained chiastolite; and if any beds or imbed- ded masses of glance coal existed, they escaped our notice. The transition rocks being principally clay-slate and grey wacke, bore a strong resemblance to those in Dumfries-shire, my native county. The secondary formations, if examined by travellers more fortu- nately situated than we were, will doubtless exhibit many curious and highly-important relations. The facts already stated, shew that the following formations of this class occurred on or near the line of our journey. First, The old red sandstone, or that which lies under coal, and occasionally alternates with transition rocks. This was observed upon the Copper-Mine River. Second, The coal formation, which did not present itself in the direct line of our route; but as it is known to occur in some districts in M'Kenzie's River, and also towards the Rocky Mountains, placed apparently upon the old red sandstone, and under the vast deposit of secondary limestone, it is here mentioned. Third, The new red or variegated sandstone. This important formation is of very considerable extent in several of the tracts we passed through, and probably lies over an extensive deposit of the coal formation. In some instances, where the old red sandstone was wanting, it appeared to us resting upon gneiss and other primi- tive rocks. Here, as in other quarters of the world, the new red sandstone contains gypsum and salt springs that seem to issue from it, implying that it contains beds of salt or of muiialiferous clay, which aflfbvd the impregnating material lo the Kprings. The springs N \ The }ortant icta we of the idstone I primi- 2w red le from Is clay, ]pring% oKOGNOSTICAL OBSERVATIONS. 47!> on tlic Slave River afford by spontaneous evaporation during the short summers, u very large quantity of fine salt. Fourth, The secondary limestone appears generally to belong to the vast deposit which lies above the new red sandstone and under chalk, and which is known to form very extensive tracks of country, not only in other quarters of North America, but also on the con- tinent of Europe and in England. Some of the varieties may, on more minute examination, prove to belong to the mountain lime- stone of geologibts. Fifth, The secondary trap and porphyry rocks, which occur so abundantly on the coast of the Arctic Sea, and throughout the whole extent of the Copper Mountains, are to all appearance connected with the new red sandstone. The frequency of native copper in those rocks, both on the Copper Mountains and on the sea-coast, is a very interesting feature in their composition, and deserves the particular consideration of those who make the grouping or associa- tions of simple minerals objects of attention. Many of these trap and porphyry rocks prescnied the columnar structure which has been considered as indicative of a volcanic origin, but their other characters and the horizontal strata upon which they reposed seem- ed to give them a still greater claim to Neptunian origin. Our opportunities of observation, however, were much too limited to permit us to offer a decided opinion upon this disputed point. Alluvial Defiositfs, — The extensive formation of these depositcs in the line of our journey, afforded us numerous examples of their different kinds. In the preceding notes, we have alluded to exten- sive alluvial formations, occasioned by lakes which have either gradually dried up, or have burst suddenly and left their con- cavities more or less deeply covered with sand, gravel, and other alluvial matters. Other kmds have evidently had their origin from the action of rivers. Some formations on the sea-coast were oc- casioned by the conjoined action of the sea, and the wasting in- fluence of the weather. The peninsula, between Point Turnagain and Melville Sound, is almost entirely composed of a low flat of this kind, a few trap cliffs appearing at considerable distances only. The general wasting influence of the weather on the more elevated exposed rocks throughout the country, has formed a covering of alluvial matter of greater or less depth to the subjacent rocks, which protects them from the further gnawing effects of the atmos- phere. With regard to the large rolled blocks which are so plentifully scattered over the surface of some countries, and which have been considered to have been deposited by the waters of the flood, we have no remarks of moment to make. During our journey from York Factory to Fort Enterprize, we seldom had an opportunity of ascending out of the valley of the river through which our route lay, and any blocks of stone observed in such a situation may as readily be supposed to have been transported by the river as by a V V ui •180 APPENDIX. more general cause. On the Barren Grounds, where we adopted a different style of travelling, the loose stones, which were very numerous, even in the most elevated situations, were, as far as wc observed, similar to the rocks on which they rested, and may be supposed to be the more durable remains of the covering strata, which have been destroyed by long-continued action of the atmos- phere. Their angular forms and their resting-places, often upon the very summit of the hills, militate against their having travelled from a distance. The very general, though rude, resemblance these blocks bore ti) large crystals is a remarkable circumstance, and seems to indicate a crystallization in the great of the red granite, of which they were very frequently composed, and of whose beds or strata they arc perhaps the remains. We may conclude with observing, that the preceding details shew that in the regions we traversed, the rocks of the primitive, transition, secondary, and alluvial classes havr the same general composition, structure, position, and distribution, as in other parts of America which have been examined ; and as these agree in all respects with the rock formations in Europe and Asia, they may with propriety be considered as universal formations, parts of a f^rafld and harmonious whole, the production of infinite wisdom. / adopted re very tr as wu may be r strata, I atmos- ;n upon ravelled , bore tt) indicate ley were they art r details rimitivc, general licr parts ree in all hey may arts of a isdom . AURORA BOREALIS. GENERAL REMARKS. 00 few observations of the Aurora Borealis in high northern lati' tude have been recorded, that I trust a minute account of the va- rious appearances it exhibits, will not be thought superfluous or \ininteresting. The remarks of the late Lieutenant Hood are co- pied verbatim from his journal. They speak sufficiently for them- selves, to render any eulogium of mine unnecessary.* To this excel- lent and lamented young officer, the merit is due of having been, 1 believe, the first who ascertained by his observations at Basquiau- Hill, (combined with those of Dr. Richardson at Cumberland- House,) that the altitude of the Aurora upon these occasions was far inferior to that which had been assigned to it by any former observer. He also, by a skilful adaptation of a vernier to the gra- duated circle of a Kater's Compass, enabled himself to read off* small deviations of the needle, and was the first who satisfactorily proved, by his observations at Cumberland-House, the important fact of the action of the Aurora upon the compass-needle. By his ingenious Electrometer invented at Fort Enterprize, he seems also to have proved the Aurora to be an electrical phenomenon, or at least that it induces a certain unusual state of electricity in the atmosphere. The observations of Dr. Richardson, independent of their merit in other respects, point peculiarly to the Aurora being formed at no great elevation, and that it is dependent upon certain other at- mospheric phenomena, such as the formation of one or other of the various modifications of cirro-stratus. With respect to my own observations, they were principally di- rected to the effects of the Aurora upon the mangetic needle, and the connexion of the amount, &c., of this effect, with the position and appearance of the Aurora. I have been anxious to confine • The publishers of the present edition of Franklin's Narrative have been induced to omit the greater part of the Appendix, comprising' Observations on the Aurora Borealis, and on the Magnetic Needle, by Lieutenant Hood, Captain Franklin, and Dr. Richardson ; Remarks and Tables connected with Astronomical Observations ; a Zoological Appendix ; Notes of Fishes, and a Botanical Appendix; from a conviction that its contents, besides being un- interesting to the general reader, would so greatly enhance the price of the work as effectually to retard its general circulation and utility. 3 P «... /•I it .yi M ■^sw- isa AlM'r.NIHX. I I'/ '^m^ ^»ii ''■« myself to a mere detail of facts, without vcnturiiij; upon any theory. My notes upon the appearances of tlie Aurora coincide with those of Dr. Richardson, in proving;, that that phenomenon is frequently seated within the region of the clouds, and that it is dependent, in some degree, upon the cloudy state of the atmosphere. The manner in which the needle was aflected by the Aurora wiiU need some description. The motion conunuiiicated to it was nei- ther sudden nor vibrutory. Sometimes it was simultaneous with the formation of arches, prolonj^alion of beams, or certain other changes of form, or of activity of the Aurora; but generally the cilect of these phenomena upon the needle, was not visible immedi- ately, hut in about half an hour or an hour, the needle had attained id maximum of deviation. From this, its return to its former position wa*very gradual, sel- dom regai'ung it before the following morning, and frequently npt until the afternoon, unless it was expedited by another arch of the .\urora operating in a direction dilVerent from the former one. The bearings of the terminations of the arches are to be taken with considerable allowance. They were estimated by the position of the Aurora, with respect to the sides of the house, the angles of which had been previously determined. The bearings given in the whole of my observations refer to the magnetic meridian, and are reckoned from the magnetic north, towards the cast round the whole circle, which, it is conceived, will afford a means of more readily computing the horizontal extent of the arches. It is to be noticed, that the bearings given by Ur. Richardson and Lieutenant liood are true, and not magnetic. I. ,', ' M ¥