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Author, a By the same Autlior, THE YOUNG FUE-TRADEKS. a STalc of tf)e far flort]^. WITH EIGHT ILLUSTRATIONS. Post 8ro, price a.v. ; Gilt^ 6s. NOTICES. AthenoBum. " Tliis is a chantiing book, and will Iks tlio deliplit of hlgh-spiritod boys. It in fiill of fun and advcntiiro. Tlio desciii>ti(iii of himUT-lifo in the backwoodR, and the Hocioty and niumiei-H at tlio tnidinx' stations of tho Iliidsou'w Bay Fur Coni- j)any, are e.xcelloiit, am liave unmiHtikaMosigi-M of boinj^ drawn froni life. Tho adventures anf literature, ; to road und tyle, and the lie lias an iWil portmlt llustrato the ilot humour bo suddenly credit— it is style, and ie INCIDTNI IN riAniOLI IRAVEUINC HUDSON'S BAY: Or Every-Day Life In the Wilds of North America, DURING SIX years' RESIDENCE IN THE TERRITORIES OF THE HON. HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY. Br ROBERT MICHAEL BALLANTYNE, Al THOB OF "THE VOUNO FUR-TRADEB8." THIRD EDITION. LONDON: T. NELSON AND SONS, PATERNOSTER ROW; EDINBURGH ; AND NEW YORK, MDCCCLVII. PRINTED BV T. NELSON AND SONS CONTENTS. rROTACE TO THE FlRST EDITION, Preface to the Third Edition, P. ix X CHAP. 1. Preliminary observations-A.npoiiitment to the service of the Hudson's Bay noZ'"'^'"^"''''''^^"'^ ''^^° Uu.lsou's Bay 8liii.«-The diunor-Set sail for Stor- CHAP. II. Stornoway-The ball-Departure for Hudson's Bay-The sea-Meet with ice- Icebergs-Go out to tea on the Atlantic-Hudson's Straits-Hudson's Bay-Arrival at York Factory. . . "^ -nti^m 14 CHAP III. Til^'f^'f ""''', °?,?T'^'"^~^''''""""^^ °^*''« servicc^The fur trade. Ac- List of forts and estubhshiucuts belonging to the Company, . .30 CHAP. IV. North American ludians-The difTereut tribes, costumes. Ac-Manners and castom8-Modesoflif.>-Cannibalism-Trappingwildanimals, . t CHAP. V. D,Iw'«r ;° "'t ""'""" S^ttlemeni^Boat travelling in the interior-Pcmican- Duck shootnag-Scenorj'-Oxford House-Lakes-Norway House-Winipeg. 7r IV CONTENTS. CHAP. VI. Red Rive^-First settlement— Climate— Skirmish between the two Fur Com- jianies— Death cif Governor Seniplu— Rod River flood— The prairies— My horse " Tauroavi "—Partridge sliooting— Death of the Arctic discoverer, Thomas Simpson Esq,— The Half-breeds— Anecdotes of the Opposition times, . . P. 96 CHAP. VII. Arrival at Norway House— The Indian village— The clerk's house— Mr Cumming's adventure with a black boar— The Indian feast- Spring— How to catch a young buffalo alive— Amusements— Departure for York Factory in a light canoe, 116 CHAP. VIII. York Factory— Tlio climate— Extreme cold in winter— Animals— Game, fish— Brtchohir's Hall— Winter— Ptarmigan or wiiite partridge shooting— Sudden changes in the weather— Christmas and Now-Yeai-'s doings— Disruption of the ice in sjiriug — Shootuig excursion in the marshes, ...,,. 140 CHAP. IX. Receive orders to prepare for a long Journey— Arrangements for the voyage— Loavo York Factory in a smrll Indian canoe— t'anoo gets broken— First encamp- mentr-Sccnory-Mosquitoos— Portages and rajjids— Dexterity of the Indians among rapids— Meet brigades— Running rapids- Namiw escape- Meet north canoes-Lakes— Thunder-storms— Gulls' eggs— Oxford House— Arrival at Norway House .183 CHAP. X. Continuation of the voyage in a, largo canoe through the Interior, by the Great Lakes, to Canada— Our light canoe- The first day— Delay in Lake Winipeg— See a boar— The guide's Uilo— (let some berries fi-om Indians— Pass Fort Aloxamlur— Portages commonco— Hconery— See another lioar— Plums-Got frosli provisions ft-om Indians— Meet Dr Rao, the Arctic discoverer— Pans Rat Portage an I Fort Fmncos— Meet a party of Indiaim— Disagroeablo walk Bud tmvolling-Long portages— Height of land— Dnngors among tho rnpidn— NaiTow cscaiH)— the Ka- kabeeka Fulls— One of o(»r men lost— Kind him again, and arrive at Fort William —Lake Superior— Nearly swamped in ft galo—Dotontlon— Forget our IVosh jirovl- sions— Puss the Piiv-Pass Mlehliiicoton— Pn>vl»ions oxhoustod— Arrive at Huult do 8to Mario— Leave tho 8uult and cross Lakes Huron and NiplgliiguA—Paii. « -hanty — Coniniencemont of civlllsiitiou— Tho vllli4fo of Aylmer— Dytown— Lttko of Two MouuttUus— Arrivid at Lochiuo, • .... 215 CONTENTS. CHAP. XI. Winter travelling in Canada— Departure from Lachine— aieigh tmvelling— Cahoes— Scenorj' along the road— Ludicrous accident— Three Rivers— Quebec- Travelling below Quebec— Outskirts of civilisation— Walk through the forest- Arrival at Tadousac— The Gulf of St Lawrence- Mr Brown's adventures with In- dians— Soal-huntiug, . . . . , _ . P 205 CHAP. XII. A snow shoe jouniey- IJoatin^ winter— Miseries of a thaw— Eaquimain River —Start in company with one man— Our costumes— Sleeping in the snow— Reach Port Neuf—Detentiou— Attempt to proceed in a small boat>-Stopped by ice- Resume our snow-siioos— Arrive at Isle Jcremie— Wrecks on the Gulf of St Law- rence— Frost-bittcii sailors— Start for Seven Islands— Pass Goodbout— Continue the voyage with Indians- Seven Islands— Salmon fisheries— Seal shooting— The Trapper— Anecdotes— Solihido—Rclief— Departure for Tadousac— The last voyage —Conclusion, . . . ,,,„ LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PAOE SHIP AMONG ICEBERGS, . . 22 INDIAN CANOE, • • . . 82 LEGGINS, ..... 51 MOCCASIN ON FOOT, . 62 INDIAN woman's HEAD-DRESS, 54 MAKING A PORTAGE, . 60 INDIAN CHILD AND CRADLE, . 67 SNOW-SHOES, .... 58 FOX IN A TRAP, .... 68 RED RIVER CARIOLE, .... 98 BUFFALO HUNTING, .... 181 CANOE RUNNING A RAPID, 189 SNOW-SHOE ON FOOT, .... 108 DOO-CARIOLE TRAVELLING IN WINTER, 160 PORTAGE DU CHIEN, .... 846 CANADiAN SLEIGH, • ' . . 864 TAKING LUNCHEON IN A SNOW-STORM, 894 1] p tl h^ vi th PREFACE TO EIRST EDITION. In publishing the present work, the Author rests his hopes of its favourable reception chiefly upon the fact that its subject is comparatively new. Although touched upon by other writers in nar- ratives of Arctic discovery, and in works of general information, the very nature of those publications prohibited a lengthened or minute description of that EVERY-DAY LIFE, whose delineation is the chief aim of the following pages. The illustrative woodcuts scattered throughout the vclume are from drawings made on thc'spot hy the Author. He originally intended giving views of eight or ten forts and establishments of the Hudson's Bay Company, but has thought it PREFACE. better to reduce tlie number of these, and substi- tute, for the remainder, representations of scenes and objects which pages of letterpress would often fail in placing correctly before the reader. PREFACE TO THIRD EDITION. The affairs of Hudson's Bay Company being under investigation by a Select Committee of the House of Commons, the Author thinks the present a fitting time to bring another edition of his book before the public. He has only to add, that, as the book was written some years ago, it is necessarily unpre- judiced in anything that bears upon the ques- tions now being discussed. II EDiNBtTjiaHj Afaixk 1857. V._ I siibsti- f scenes Id often HUDSON'S BAY. ' l)eing ttee of iks the edition 3k was iinpre- i qu.es- CHAPTER I. APPOINTMENT TO THK SERVICE OF THE HnuSON's BAY COMPANY. lEADER,--! take for granted that you are tolerably well Itcqiuunted with the different modes of life and travelling peculiar to European nations. I also presume that Vou fnow something of the inhabitants of the East; and it my be, a good deal of the Americans in general. B^t I #uspect, at least I would fain hope, that you have only a ^ague and mdefinit. knowledge of life in those wild, un^i- Vihsed regions of the northern continent of Ameri a that ||uround the shores of Hudson's Bay. I would M^W *-, I say, that may have the satisfaction of giving ^ ab^rr" T^ f ^"^' ^"^ ^^ «^--^^^ you'thatlh'ere U f^^ '['''''^''''^ ^"^« ^'ho move, and breathe (pretty ool air by the way!), and spend their lives in a quarter ff ^^7,!!^..!! ^.^^"^ «-^. in most respects, U Illf -^ .uu ^..,,, as u beaver, roaming among the ponds A 2 HUDSON S BAY. and marshes of his native home, is from that sagacious animal when converted into a fashionable hat. About the middle of May eighteen hundred and forty- one, I was thrown into a state of ecstatic joy by the arrival of a letter appointing me to the enviable situation of apprentice clerk in the service of the Honourable Hud- son's Bay Company. To describe the immeose extent to which I expanded, both mentally and bodily, upon the receipt of this letter, is impossible; it is sufficient to know, that from that moment I fancied myself a complete man- of-business, and treated my old companions with the con- descending suavity of one who knows that he is talking to his inferiors. A few days after, however, my pride was brought very low indeed, as I lay tossing about in my berth on the tumbling wavLi of the German Ocean, eschewing breakfast as a dangerous meal, and looking upon dinner with a species of horror utterly incomprehensible by those who have not experienced an attack of sea-sickness. • Miseries of this description, fortunately, do not last long. In a couple of days we got into the comparatively still water of the Thames ; and I, with a host of pale-faced young ladies, and cadaverous-looking young gentlemen, emerged for the first time from the interior of the ship, to behold the beau- ties and wonders of the Great Metropolis, as we glided slowly up the crowded river. Leave-taking is a disagreeable subject either to reflect upon or to ^vrite about, so we will skip that part of the business and proceed at once to Gravesend, where I stood (^juariiig pancu iium iiii my iricuusj uu luu ucck oi ine J hxjdson's bat. s I that sagacious hat. idred and forty- Dy by the arrival ble situation of onourable Hud- meQse extent to odily, upon the fficient to know, L complete man- is with the con- he is talking to as brought very y berth on the ewing breakfast dinner with a e by those who :ness. ■ Miseries ast long. In a i\y still water of sd young ladies, emerged for the •ehold the beau- s, as we glided Bither to reflect hat part of the , where I stood xiu uccK 01 we I good ship Prince Rupert, contemplating the boats and I crowds of shipping that passed continually before mc and : thinking how soon I was to leave the scenes to which I ;* had been so long accustomed, for a for distant land I -was a boy, however; and this, I think, is equivalent to saying that I did not sorrow long. My future companion and fellow-clerk, Mr Wiseacre, was pacing the deck near nie This turned my thoughts into another channel ,and set me speculating upon his probable temper, quali- ties, and age; whether or not he was strong enouo-h to ^;thrash me, and if we were Hkely to be good friends. ° The captain too, was chatting and laughing with the doctor, If s carelessly as if he had not the great responsibility of jakmg a huge ship across a boundless waste of waters and Jhrough fields and islands of ice, to a distant country ^ome |hree thousand miles to the north-west of England Thus Incouraged, my spii-its began to rise, and, when the cry ^ose on deck that the steamer containing the committee f the Honourable Hudson's Bay Company was in sioht I sprang up the companion-ladder in a state of mind if Ic^ happy, at least as neariy so as under the circumstances fould be expected. ; Upoa gaining the deck, I belield a smaU steamboat ssmg close under our stern, filled ,vith a number of Iderly-lookmg gentlemen, who eyed us with a very critical ^i^ss.ou of countenance. I had a pretty good guess Xo ese gentlemen were; but had I been entirely ignorant hould soon have been enlightened by the remark of a lor who whispered to his comrade, " I say, BiU, them's ^•c gicac guiis I' " ' — - 4 Hudson's bay. j. I suppose the fact of their being so had a sympathetic effect upon the guns of the Company's three ships, the Prince Rupert, Prince Albert, and Prince of Wales, for they all three fired a salute of blank cartridge at the steamer as she passed them in succession. The steamer then ranged alongside of us, and the elderly gentlemen came on board and shook hands with the captain and officers, smiling blandly as they observed the neat, trim appearance of the three fine vessels, which, with every- thing in readines? for setting sail on the following morning, strained at their cables, as if anxious to commence their struggle with the waves. It is a custom of the directors of the Hudson's Bay Company to give a public dinner annually to the officers of their ships upon the eve of their departure from Graves- end. Accordingly, one of the gentlemen of the committee, before leaving the vessel, invited the captain and officers to attend, and, to my astonishment and delight, also begged me to honour them with my company. I accepted the invitation with extreme politeness ; and, from inability to express my joy in any other way, winked to my friend Wiseacre, with whom I had become, by this time, pretty familiar. He, being also invited, winked in return to me ; and, having disposed of this piece of juvenile freemasonry to our satisfaction, we assisted the crew in giving three hearty cheers, as the little steamer darted from the side and proceeded to the shore. The dinner, like all other public dinners, was as good and substantial as a lavish expenditure of '^ish could make it ; but really my recollections of it are very indis- '.'.« i-% A a sympathetic three ships, the ice of Wales, for cartridge at the n. The steamer Iderly gentlemen the captain and ^d the neat, trim lich, with every- lUowing morning, I commence their le Hudson's Bay Uy to the officers :ure from Graves- of the committee, ptain and officers elight, also begged I accepted the from inability to ked to my friend this time, pretty I in return to me ; '•enile freemasonry *v in giving three from the side and mers, was as good re of '^ash could it are very indis- ( Hudson's bay. 5 tinct. The ceaseless din of plates, glasses, knives, forks, and tongues, was tremendous ; and this, together with the i novelty of the scene, the heat of the room, and excellence ... of the viands, tended to render me oblivious of much that ^ took place. Almost all the faces present were strange to ;; me. Who were, and who were not, the gentlemen of the committee, was to me ma'Aer of the most perfect indif- r ference ; and a,s no one took the trouble to address me in " particular, I confined myself to the interesting occupation of trying to make sense of a conversation held by upwards ' of fifty pairs of lungs, at one and the same time. Notl ling intelligible, however, was to be heard, except when a sud- *'jden lull in the noise gave a bald-headed old gentleman, .near the head of the table, an opportunity of drinking the •iealth of s red-faced old gentleman near the foot, upon Vhom he bestowed an amount of flattery perfectly be- .Wildering ; and after making the unfortunate red-faced gentleman writhe for Iialf an hour in a fever of modesty, «at down amid thunders of applause. Whether the ap- ,plause, by the way, was intended for the speaker, or the ipeakee, I do not know ; but being quite indifferent, I flapped my hands with the rest. The red-faced gentle- "^lan, now purple with excitement, then .ose, and durino- a ^olemn silence delivered himself of a speech, to the effe^ct, hat the day then passing was certainly the happiest in lis mortal career, that he could not find words adequately K) express the varied feelings which swelled his throbbino- bosom, and that he felt quite faint with the mighty load of ^onour jnst thTo^m upon his delighted shoulders by his '^aid-headed friend. The red-faced gentleman then sat down Hudson's bay. to the national air of Eat-tat-tat, played in full chorus, with knives, forks, spoons, nutcrackers, and knuckles, on the polished surface of tlie mahogany table. We left the dinner-taLle at a late hour, and after I, in company with some other youngsters, had dono a.- much mischief as we conveniently could without risking our detention by the strong arm of the law, we went do^vn to the beach and embarked in a boat with the captain for the ship. How the sailors ever found her in the impene- trable darkness which prevailed all around, is a mystery to me to this day. Pind her however, they did, and in half an hour I was in the land of Nod. The sun was blazing high in the heavens next morning when I awoke, and gazed around for a few moments to discover where I was; but the rattling of ropes and blocks, the stamping of feet overhead, the shoucs of gruff voices, and, above all, a certain strange and disagree- able motion in my dormitory, soon enlightened me on that pouit. We were going rapidly down the Thames, with a lair breeze, and had actually set sail for the distant shores of Hudson's Bay. What took place during the ntst i»ve or si^: days I know not. The demon of ■^:z-f'vkiia:.!i had completely prostrated my faculties, bodily and mental. Some faint recollections I have of stormy weather, horrible noises, and hurried dinners ; but the greater part of that period is a miserable blank in my memory. Towards the sixth day, however, the savoury flavour of a splendid salmon- tro\^^ floated past mydried-up nostrUs like "Afric's spicy gale," and caused my collapsed stomach to yearn with d in full chorus, and knuckles, ou le. ir, and after I, in ad dono a^ much lout risking our V, we went down h the captain for 3r in the impene- 1, is a mystery to ' did, and in half ins next morning few moments to g of ropes and , the shouts of ige and disagree- tened me on that i Thames, with a he distant shores e or si'': days I had completely tal. Some faint horrible noises, t of that period )wards the sixth plendid salmon- e "Afric's spicy 1 to yearn with HUDSON'S BAY. 7 Strong emotion. The ship, too, was going more quietly tlu'ough the water, and a broad stream of sunshine sliot through the small window of my berth, penetrated my breast, and went down into the centre of my heart, fillino- it with a calm, complacent pleasure, quite indescribabla Sounds, however, of an attack upon the trout roused me, I and with a mighty effort I tumbled out of bed, donned my I clothes, and seated myself for the first time at the cabin able. I Our party consisted of the captain ; Mr Carles, a . hief ffoctor in thQ Company's service; the doctor; young Mr ^AViseacre, aforementioned; the first and second nTar^s '•^and myself The captain was a thin, middle-sized, off- hand man, thoroughly acquainted with his profession- good-humoured and gruff by turns ; and he always spoke' with the air of an oracle. Mr Carles was a mild good- iiaturcd man, of about fifty-five, with a smooth bald head encircled by a giwth of long thin hair. He was stoutly fcuilt and possessed of that truly amiable and captivat- ■ Big disposition which enters earnestly and kindly into the aflairs of others, and totally repudiates self From early manhood he had roughed life in the very roughest and >viidost scenes of the wilderness, and was now returning |o tliose scenes after a sliort visit to his native land" #he dottor was a nondescript ; a compound of gravity fun, seriousness, and hunibug-the latter predominatin"' jHe had been everywhere (at least so he said), had seen f verything, knew everybody, and played the fiddle It -^mnotbe said, I fear, that he played it well; but, amid he various vicissitudes of his chequereH life, the doctor had frequently found himself in company here his violin 8 HUDSON'S BAY. !!! was almost idolised and himself deified, especially when the place chanced to be the American backwoods (where violins are scarce), the auditors semi-barbarous High- landers, and the music Scotch reels. Mr Wiseacre was nothing ! He never spoke except when compelled to do so ; never read, and never cared for anything or anybody; wore very long hair, which almost hid his face, owing to a habit which he had of holding his head always down, and apparently lived but to eat, drink, and sleep. Some- times, though very rarely, he became so far fticetious as to indulge in a winlc and a low giggle, but beyond this he seldom soared. The two mates were simply 7nates. Those who know the population of the sea will understand the description sufficiently. Those who don't, will never, I fear, be made to understand by description. They worked the ship, hove tlie log, changed the watch, turned out and tumbled in with the callous indifference and stern regu- larity of clockwork ; inhabited tarpaulin dreadnoughts an$ do;" and the captain looked fiercely at the compass -«vhich hung over his head, as if he had said sometliing fvorthy of being recorded in liistory, and began to eat. I After a pause of five minutes or so, during wliich time the knives and forks liad been clattering pretty vigor- ously, and the trout had become a miserable skeleton,''tho eaptain resumed bis discourse. " I tell you what it is now, gentlemen, if there's not going to be a change of some sort pi other, I'm no sailor." "It does look very threatening," said Mr Carles, peer-' tog through the stern window. " I don't much like the took of these clouds behind us. Look there, doctor," ho continued, pointing towards the window, "what do' you think of that ?" • ^ ^ "Nothing," replied the doctor through a mouthCul of luff and potatoes ; " a squall, I fancy-wish it'd only wait |11 after dinner." ^ I "It never does," said tlie captain. " I've been to sea -lese fifteen years, and I always found that s.iualls eamo n at breakfast or dinner, like an umvelcome visitor, hey ve got a thorough contempt for tea— seem to know t's but swipes, and not worth pitching into oiu"'s lap- Jut dmner's sure to bring 'em on. if thuyVn ,„ tJM' nd'^h- lourhood, and make 'cm bu'st their cheeks at you. " E«- 10 HUDSON S BAY. li member once, when I was cruising in the Mediterranean, in Lord P 's yacht, we'd been stewing on deck under an awning the whole forenoon, scarce able to breathe, when the bell rang for dinner. Well, down we all tumbled, about ten ladies and fifteen gentlemen, or there- abouts, and seated ourselves round the table. There was no end of grub of every kind. Lord P ws>^ eccentric in that way, and was always at some new dodge or other in the way of cookery. At this time he had invented a new dumpling. Its jacket was much the same as usual — inch-thick duff — but its contents were beyond anything I ever saw, except the maw of an old shark. Well, just as the steward took off the cover, hiss-s went the wind overhead, and one of those confounded squalls, that come rattling down without a moment's warning in those parts, struck the ship, and gave her a heel over that sent the salt-cellars chasing the tumblers like all-possessed ; and the great dumpling gave a heavy lurch to leeward, rolled fairly over on its beam ends, and began to course straight down the table quite sedate and quiet like. Several dives were made at it by the gentlemen as it ])assed, but they all missed, and, finally, just as a youngster made a grab at it with both hands, that bid fair to be successful, another howl of the squall olianged its course, and sent it like a cannon-shot straiglit into the face of the steward, wli're it split its sides and- scattered its contents right and left. I don't know how it ende the nuHchitif it ImJ . The laugh which greeted the captain's anecdote had •carce subsided when the tough sides of the good Prince fiupert gave a gentle creak, and the angle at which the •Ictive steward perambulated the cabin became absurdly ftcute. I Just then the doctor cast his eye up at the compass fuspended above the captain's head. i "Hallo!" said he ; but before he could give utterance to the sentiments to which " hallo " was the preface, the |oarse voice of the first mate came rolling down the com- fanion-hatch— " A squall, sir, scoorin' doon like mad— Wund's veered richt roond to the nor'-east." The captain •nd second mate sprang hastily to their feet and rushed Upon deck, where the rest of us joined them as speedily 9B possible. On gaining the quarter-deck, the scene that presented itself was truly grand. Thick black clouds rolled heavily overhead, and cast a gloom upon the sea, wliich caused it to look like ink. Not a breath of wind swelled the sails, which the men were actively engaged in taking in. Far •Way on our weather-quarter the clouds were thicker and darker, and, just where they met tin; sea, there was .seen a Iright streak of white, which ra[.idly grew broader and fighter, until we could perceive that it was the sea lashed |to a seething foam by the gide which was sweeping rer it. " Mind your helm !" shouted tlie cai)tain. "Ay, ay, sir!" sang out the man at tho wheel; and flU another niomfnf, fh" c^'^-ni l.i..-o* ,, -ii n •- T^ ' -'ti-L iq;t;ii ur, wan an it,s ly, laying the huge vessel over on its side, aa if it had 12 Hudson's bay. been a feather on the wave, and causing her to fly throuoh the black water like a dolphin. In a few minutes the first violence of the squall passed away, and was succeeded by a steady breeze, which bore us merrily along over the swelling billows. "A stiff one that," said the captain, turning to the doctor, who, v^^ith imperturbable nonchalance, was stand- ing near him, holding on to a stancheon with one hand, "while the other reposed in his breeches pocket. " I hope it will last," replied the doctor. " If it does, we'll not be long of reaching the blue water you long so much for." Young Wiseacre, who, during the squall had been clutching the weather-shrouds with the tenacity of a drowning man, opened his eyes very .wide on heariug this, to him, insane wish, and said to me in an under- tone, "I say, do you think the doctor is quite right in his mind?" " I have no doubt of it," replied I. " Why do you ask ? " " Because I heard him say to the captain, he wished that this would last." " Is that all?" said I, while a very vile spirit of vanity took possession of me, inducing me to speak in a tone which indicated a tranquillity of mind that I certainly did not enjoy. " Oh, this is nothing at all. I see you've never been on salt water before. Just wait a bit, old fellow ! " And having given utterance to this somewhat dark and mysterious expression, I staggered across the deck, and amused myself in watching the tliick volumes of spray that iiew, at every plunge, from the sides of the bounding vessel. !"f' "*>, Hudson's bay. 13 J her to fly tlirough a, few minutes the and was succeeded rily along over the in, turning to the alance, was stand- on with one hand, pocket. 3tor. " If it does, water you long so squall had been the tenacity of a .wide on hearing me in an under- [• is quite right iu V The doctor's wish was granted. The breeze continued iteady and strong, carrying us through the Pentland Firth fci grand style, and carrying us in a short time to the fcland of Lewis, where we hove-to for a pilot. After a little signalising we obtained one, who steered our good ihip in safety through the narrow entrance to the bay of Stornoway, into whose quiet waters we finally dropt oiu- ' tichor. ^ # Why do you ask?" ain, he wished that ile spirit of vanity ) speak in a tone hat I certainly did I see you've never I bit, old fellow ! " imewhat dark and oss the deck, and limes of spray that le bounding vessel. 14 Hudson's bay. •* CHAPTER II STORNOWAY— THE VOtAOK— THE iRRIVAL. The harbour of Stornoway is surrounded by high hills except at the entrance, where a passage, not more, I should think, than three hundred yards wide, admits vessels of any tonnage into its sheltering bosom. Stornoway, a pretty, modest-looking town, apparently pleased with its ot, and contented to be for away from the busy and bust- ling world, lies snugly at the bottom of the bay. Here we remained upwards of a week, engaging men for the wUd JN or -west, and cultivating the acquaintance of the people M'ho were extremely kii>d and very hospitable. Occasion^ ally, Wiseacre and I amused ourselves with fishin.^ excur- sions to the middle of the bay in small boats, in which excursions we were usually accomi^anied by two or three very ragged little boys from the town. Om« sport was generally good, and rendered extremely intcrestincr by our uncertainty as to wiiich of the monsters of the dec>p would first attack our hooks. Rock-codlin,. and flounders ap- peared the most voracious, and occasionally a skatu or long-legged crab came struggling to the surfoce. Just before lojiviini- tUic ,,, c.t ir^.i _ ,,,^, j^vttvciui uuiii 5por> Our capuiiu HUDSON'S BAY. 15 gave a grand ball on board, to which were invited the dite of Stornoway. Great preparations were made for the occa- sion. The quarter-deck was well washed and scrubbed ; an awning was spread over it, which formed a capital ceil- ing ; and representatives of almost every flag that waves formed the walls of the large and airy apartment. Oil lamps, placed upon the sky-lights, companion, and capstan, shed a meUow light upon the scene, the romantic effect of which was greatly heightened by a few flickering rays of the moon, which shot through various openings in the drapery, and disported playfully upon the deck At an early and very unfashionable hour on the evening of the appointed night, the guests arrived in detachments ; and, while the gentlemen scrambled up the side of the vessel, the ladies, amid a good deal of blushing and hesitation,' were hoisted on board in a chair. Tea was served ou deck ; and, after half an hour's laughing and chatting, during which time our violin-player was endeavouring To coax his first string to the proper pitch without breaking, the ball opened with a Scotch reel. Every one knows what Scotch reels are, but every one does not know how the belles of the Western Isles can dance them. "Just look at that slip of thread-paper," said the doctor to the captain, pointing to a thin, flat young lady still in her teens; " I've watched her from the first— she's been up at six successive rounds, flinging her shanks about worso than a teething baby, and she's up again for another, just as cool and serene as a night in the latter end of October. I wonder what she's made of." \): kl u H h.\ ■mmiS^Mmm&iemmmmfigflSgg' 16 Hudson's bay. II* " Leather, p'r'aps, or gutta percha," suggested the captain, who had hunself been " flinging his legs" about pretty violently durmg the previous Inlf-hour ; " I wish that she had been my partnei instead of the heavy fair one that you see over there leaning against the mizzen belaying-pins." " Which V inquired the doctor ; " the old lady with the stu'n-sails set on her shoulders V " No, no," replied the captain, " the young lady, fat— venj fat, fair, and twenty, with the big blue eyes, like signal lamps on a locomotive ; she twisted me round just as if I'd been a fathom of pump-water, shouting and laugh- ing all the time in my face, like a sou'-west gale, and never looking a bit where she was going, till she pitched head- foremost into the union-jack, carrying it and me along with her, off the quarter-deck and half way down the com- panion. It's a blessing she fell undermost, else I should have been spread all over the deck like a capsised pail of slops." " Hallo !" exclaimed the doctor, " what's wrong with the old lady over there. She's making very uncommon faces 1 " "She's sea-sick, I do believe!" cried the captain, rush- ing across the deck towards her. And, without doubt, the old lady in question was shelving symptoms of that terrible malady, although the bay was as smooth as a mill- pond, and the Prince Rupert reposed on its quiet bosom without the slightest perceptible motion. With impressive nautical politeness the captain handed her below, and, in the sudden sympathy of his heart, pro- posed, as a remedy, a stiff glass of brandy and water. " Or a pipe of cavendish," suggested the second mate, Hudson's bay. 17 who met them on the ladder as they descended, and could not refrain from a facetious remark, even althouo-h he knew it would, as it did, call forth a thundering^com- mand from his superior to go on deck and mind his own business. "Isn't it jolly," said a young Stornowite, coming up to Wiseacre, with a face blazing with glee— "isn't it iollv I Mr Wiseacre?" *' ^' " Oh ! very," replied Wiseacre, in a voice of such dismal melancholy that the young Stomowite's countenance in- stantly went out, and he wheeled suddenly round to Hght it again at the visage of some more sympathisino- com- ipanion. ° Just at this point of the revelry the fiddler's first strino- Iwhich had endured with a dogged tenacity that was wonder- ful even for catgut, gave way with a loud bang, causino- an abrupt termination to the uproar, and producing a dead Bilence. A few minutes, however, soon rectified this mis- chance. The discordant tones of the violin, as the new ^trmg was tortured into tune, once more opened the safety- ^-alve, and the ball began de novo. Great was the fun, and numerous were the ludicrous Incidents, that happened during that eventful night ; and ■cud were the noise and merriment of the dancers as they ^ent with vigorous energy through the bewildering evo- utions of country-dance and reel. Immense was the lelight of the company when the funniest old gentleman tere volunteered a song ; and ecstatic the joy when he ^1 owed it up by a speech upon evpry subject that an Wmary mmd could possibly embrace in a quarter of an B 18 HUDSON S BAY hour. But who can describe the scene that ensued, when supper was reported ready in the cabin ! A cabin that was very small indeed, with a stair leading down to it so steep that those who were pretty high up could have easily stepped upon the shoulders of those who were near the foot, and the unpleasant idea was painfully sugge.i\;ed, that if any one of the heavy ladies (there were several of them) was to slip her foot on commencing the descent, she would infallibly sweep them all down in a mass, and cram them into the cook's pantry, the door of which stood wickedly open at the foot of the stair, as if it anticipated some such catastrophe. Such pushing, squeezing, laughing, shriek- ing, and joking, in the vain attempt jnade to get upwards of thirty people crammed into a room of twelve feet by ten! Such droll and cutting remarks as were made when they were at last requested to sup in detachments ! All this, however, was nothing to what ensued after supper, when the tiddler became more energetic, and the dancers more vigorous than ever. But enough. The first gray streaks of morning glimmered in the east ere the joyous party " tumbled down the sides/' and departed to their homes. There is a sweet yet melancholy pleasure, when far away from friends and home, in thinking over happy days gone by, and dwelling on ' -le scenes and pleasures that have passed away, perhaps for ever. So I thought and felt, as I recalled to mind the fun and frolic of the Storno- way ball, and the graver mirth of the Gravesend dinner, until memory traced my course backward, step by step, to the peaceful time when 1 dwelt in Scotland, surrounded HUDS02I'S BAY. 19 ,t ensued, when A cabin that I down to it so )uld have easily were near the sugge.r^ed, that everal of them) icent, she would and cram them stood wickedly ated some sucli ughing, shriek- to get upwards twelve feet by as were made . detachments ! ed after supper, ad the dancers The first gray ere the joyous parted to their sure, when far ver happy days pleasures that I thought and ; of the Storno- ivesend dmner, , step by step, ,nd. surrounded by the gentle inmates of my happy home. We had left the shores and the green water behind us, and were now ploughing through the blue waves of the wide Atlantic ; and, when I turned my straining eyes towards the faint blue line of the lessening hills, " a tear unbidden trembled," as the thought arose that I looked, perhaps, for the last tune upon my dear native land. The sea has ever been an inexhaustible subject for the pens of most classes of writers. The poet, the traveller, and the novelist have each devoted a portion of their time and talents to thfi mighty ocean ; but that part of it which it has fallen to my lot to describe is very different from those portions about which poets have sung with rapture. Here, none of the many wonders of the tropical latitudes b'.^guile the tedium of the voyage ; no glittering dolphins force the winged inhabitants of the deep to seek shelter on the vessel's deck; no ravenous sharks follow in our wake to eat us if we chance to fall overboard, or amuse us by swallowing our baited hook; no passing vessel cheered us with the knowledge that there were others besides ourselves roaming over the interminable waste of waters.^ All was dreary and monotonous; the same unvarying expanse of sky and water met our gaze each morning as we ascended to the deck, to walk for half-an- hour before breakfast, except when the topsails of the other two vessels fluttered for a moment on the distant horizon. Occasionally we approached closer to each other, ^nd once or twice hailed with the trumpet ; but these breaks in the S(3litude of our existence were few and far between. 20 Hudson's bay. Towards the end of July we approached Hudson's Straits, having seen nothing on the way worth mention- ing, except one whale, which passed close under the stem of the ship. This was a great novelty to me, being the first that I had ever seen, and it gave me something to talk of and think about for the next four days. The ships now began to close in, as we neared the entrance of the straits, and we had the pleasure of sailino' in company for a few days. The shores of the straits became visible occasionally, and soon we passed with perfect confidence and security among those narrow channels and mountains of ice that damped the ardour and retarded the progress of Hudson, Button, Gibbons, and other navigators in days of yore. One day, during a dead calm, our ship and the Prince of Wales lay close to each other, rolling in the swell of the glassy ocean. There seemed to be no prospect of a breeze ; so the captain ordered his gig to be launched, and invit;ed the doctor, Mr Carles, and myself, to go on board the Prince of Wales with him. We accepted his offer, and were soon alongside. Oi.^ Captain Eyle, a veteran in the Company's service, received us kindly, and insisted on our staying to tea. The passengers on board were, a chief factor,* who had been home on leave of absence, and was returning to end his days, perhaps, in the north-west ; and Mr John Leagues, a young apprentice clerk, going, like myself; to try his fortune in Hudson's Bay. He was a fine, candid young fellow, full of spirit, with a kind, engag- * The chief factorship is the highest rank attainable in the service ; the chief trader beiu;? next. HUDSON'S BAY. 21 ched Hudson's vorth mentiou- inder the stem me, being the e something to ays. we neared the isure of sailinor of the straits 9 passed with those narrow )ed the ardour Ltton, Gibbons, md the Prince in the swell of • prospect of a launched, and to go on board pted his offer, e, a veteran in md insisted on d were, a chief serce, and was )rth-west ; and rk, going, like ly. He was a a kind, engag- le in tlie sei-^dce : ing disposition. From ihQ first moment I saw him I formed a friendship for him, which was destined to ripen into a lasting one many years after. I sighed on parting from him that evening, thinking that we should never meet again ; but about six years from the luae I bade him farewell in Hudson's Straits, I again grasped his hand on the shores of the mighty St Lawrence, and renewed a friendship whicii afforded me the greatest pleasure I enjoyed in the country, and which, I trust, neither time nor distance will ever lessen or destroy. We spent the evening delightiidly, the more so that we were not Hkely to have «ich an opportunity again, as the Prince of Wales would shortly part company from us, and direct her course to Moose Factory, in James's Bay, while we should proceed across Hudson's Bay to York Factory. We left the ship just as a few cat's-paw^ on the surface of the water gave indications of a comincr breeze ^ Ice now began to surround us in all directions, and soon after this I saw, for the first time, that monster of the Polar Seas, an iceberg. It was a noble sight. We passed quite close, and had a fine opportunity of observing it. Though not so large as they are frequently seen, it was beautifully and fantastically formed. High peaks rose from it on various places, and down its sides streams of water and miniature cataracts flowed in torrents. The whole mass was of a delicate greenish-white colour, and Its lofty pinnacles sparkled in the moonbeams as it floated past, bending majestically in the swell of the ocean. About this time, too, we met numerous fields and floes of 1; Mm 'ill 22 HUDSON'S BAY. ice, to get through which we often experienced consider- able difficulty. My favourite amusement, as we thus threaded our way through the ice, was to ascend to the royal-yard, and there to sit and cogitate whilst gazing on the most beau- tiful and romantic scenes. It is ini])ossiblc to convey a correct idea of the beauty the magnificence, of some of the scenes through which \\\ passed. Sometimes thousands of the most grotesque, fan- ciful, and beautiful icebergs and icefields surrounded ib on all sides, intersected by numerous serpentine canals which glittered in the sun (for the weather was fine nearly all the time we were in the straits), like threatls of silver twining round ruined palaces of crystal. The mas,si^ assumed eveiy variety of form and size, and many fancy we had been transported to one of the floating citii Hudson's bay. 23 perienced consider- s threaded our way lie royal-yard, aiul on the most beau- idea of the beauty I througli which \vi lost grotesque, fan- ?lds surrounded ib serpentine canals, ther was fine nearly :e threads of silvii stai. The nias.si> jize, and many "il ince to cathedra! liat I could alnio> )f the floating citii of Fairy-land. The rapid motion, too, of our ship, in what appeared a dead calm, added much to the magical effect of the scene. A light but steady breeze urged her along with considerable velocity through a maze of ponds and canals, which, from the immense quantity of ice that fiurrounded them, were calm and unruflfled as the surface of a mill-pond. Not a sound disturbed the delightful stillness of nature, fave the gentle rippling of the vessel's bow as she sped on her way, or the occasional puffing of a lazy whale, awakened from a nap by our unceremonious intrusion on tis domains. Now and then, however, my reveries were Interrupted by the ship coming into sudden contact with huge lumps of ice. This happened occasionally when we arrived at the termination of one of those natural canals thiniigh which we passed, and found it necessary to force our way into the next. These concussions were occasion- ally very severe ; so much so, at times, as to make the ship's bell ring ; but we heeded this little, as the vessel was pro- iHded with huge blocks of timber on her bows, called ice- |ieces, and was besides built expressly for sailing in the Northern seas. It only became annoying at meal-times, rhen a spoonful of soup would sometimes make a little |rivato excursion of its omi over the shoulder of the owner istead of into his mouth. As wo i)roceedcd, the ico became more closely packed, Ind at last compelled us to bore through it. The shii),' Vjwever, was never altogether arrested, though often much L'tardecL I rocollnot. whiln flma Biirr.^i it was wholly iiii- promised oursclvc- I ; for which purpo' had been amputated o I contented mysul: dsit us in some otiitr earned that our guii; e to board the Princ. though too late for \h The passage across Hudson's Bay was stormy, but no one on board cared for this, all having become accustomed to rough weather. For my part, I had become quite a sailor, and could ascend and descend easily to the truck without creeping through the lubber's hole. I shall not forget the first time I attempted this: our youngest apprentice had challenged me to try it, so up we went together— he on the fore, and I on the main mast. The tops were gained easily, and we even made two or three Steps up the top-mast shrouds with affected indifference; but, alasl our courage was fiiiling, at least mine was, very fest. However, we gained the cross-trees pretty well, and tlion sat down for a little to recover breath. The' top- gallant-mast still reared its taper form high above me and the worst was yet to come. The top-gallant shrouds had no rattlins on them, so I was obliged to shin up; and •# I worked myself up the two small ropes, the tenacity l^th which I grasped them was fearful. At last I reached tte top, and with my fec^t on the small collar that fastens tile ropes to the mast, and my arms circling the mast itBclf-for nothing but a bare pole, and crossed by the royal -yard, now rose above me -I glanced upwards. 4ft("r aknig a long breath, and screwing up my courage I slowly 3hinned up the slender pole, and, standing on tho Wyal-yjird, laid my hand upon tho truck! After a time I be. ame accustomed to it. and thouglit nothing of taking m airing on tho royal-ynrd after breakfast Abouc tho 5th or 0th of August, tho captain sai.l we mn.t be near the land The deep sea lead was ri...d -ni a «harp look-out kept, but no land appeared. ArFaTt 26 HUDSON'S BAY. one fine day, while at the mast-head, I saw something like land on the horizon, and told them so on deck. They saw it too, but gave me no answer. Soon a hurried order to " dowse top-gallant-sails and reef top-sails " made me slide down rather hastily from my elevated position. I had scarcely gained the deck, when a squall, the severest we had yet encountered, struck the ship, laying her almost on her beam-ends, and the sea, which had been nearly calm a few minutes before, foamed and hissed like a seething cauldron, and became white as snow. This, I believe, was what sailors call a luhite squall. It was as short as it was severe, and great was our relief when the ship regained lier natural position in the water. Next day we saw land in earnest, and in the afternoon anchored in " Five Fathom Hole," after passing in safety a sand-bar, which renders the entrance into this roadstead rather difficult. Here, then, for the first time, I beheld the shores of Hudson's Bay ; and, truly, tlieir appearance was anything but prepossessing. Though only at the distance of two miles, so low and flat was the land that it appeared ten miles off, and scarcely a tree was to bo seen. We could just see the tops of one or two houses in York Factory, the principal depot of the country, which was seven miles up the river at the mouth of which we lay. In a short time, the sails of a small schooner came in sight, and in half an hour more tlie Frances (named after the amial)le lady of the governor, Sir George Simpson) was riding alongside. The skipper came on board, . :id immediately there commenced between him and the captain a sliari) fire of questions and answers, which roused mc from a slunibci Hudson's bay. 27 !aw something like n deck. They saw a hurried order to lis " made me slide position. I had U, the severest we ring her almost on Deen nearly calm a d like a seething rhis, I believe, was as short as it was the ship regained t day we saw land 1 in " Five Fathom ar, which renders iifficult. eld the shores of mce was anything 3 distance of two t it appeared ten seen. We could York Factory, the as seven miles up In a short time, ht, and in lialf an e amiable lady of "iding alongside, nmediately there lin a sharp fire of from a slumber in which I had been indulging, and hurried me on deck. Here the face of things had changed. The hatches were off, and bales of goods were scattered about in all direc- tions ; another small schooner had arrived, and the process of discharging the vessel was going rapidly forward. A • boat was then despatched to the factory with the packet- i box and letter-bag, and soon after the Frances stood in i for the shore. The Prince Albert had arrived p.lmost at the same moment with the Prince Rupert, and was now visited by the second schooner, which soon returned to our ship to take the passengers on shore. The passengers who came out in the Prince Albert were on board, namely, the Rev. Mr Gowley, a clergyman of the Church of England, and his lady, and Mr Rob, a sort of catechist or semi-clerical schoolmaster. They were missionaries bound for Red liver Colony, and as I had some prospect of going there iayself, I was delighted to have the probable chance of travelling with companions who, from the short survey I had of them while they conversed with the captain and Mr Carles, seemed good-natured and agreeable. Mr Caries, Mr Wiseacre, and I, now bade adieu to the gno.l ship which had been our home for such a length of t].ii(^ (but I must say I did not regret the parting? and followed our baggage on board the schooner, expectino- to jeaeh th- factory before dusk. "There's many a llip ^wixt the cup and the lip," is a proverb well authenti- _^at.d and often quoted, and on the present occasion its f ruth was verified. We had not been long iir.dor wei^h ^efore the ebb tide began to run so strong" against ul as 28 mnJSON's BAY. to preclude the possibility of our reaching the shore that night. There was no help for it, however ; so down went the anchor to the bottom, and down went I to the cabin. Such a cabin ! A good-sized trunk, with a small table in it, and the lid shut down, had about as much right to the name. It was awfully small ; evn 7 could not stand upright "in it, though at the time I had scarcely attained to the altitude of five feet ; yet here were we destined to pass the night — and a wretched night we did pass ! "We got over the first part tolerably, but as it grew late our eyes grew heavy ; we yarned, fidgeted, and made super- human efforts to keep awake and seem happy; but it would not do. There were only two berths in the cabin; and, as so many gentlemen were present, Airs Gowley would not get into either of them, but declared she would sit up all night. The gentlemen, on the other hand, could not be so ungaliant as to go to sleep while the only lady present sat up. The case was desperate, and so I went off to the hold, intenaing to lie down on a bale, if I could find one. In niy search, I tumbled over something soft, which gave vent to a frightful howl, and proved to be no less a personage than Mr Wiseacre, who had anticipated me, and found a convenient place whereon to lie. "My search, however, was less successful. Not a corner bijr enough for a cat to sleep in was to be found, all the goods having been flung hastily into the hold, so that it was a chaos of box corners, stove legs, edges of kegs and casks, which presented a surface that put to fliglit ail l;npe of liorizontal repose ; so I was obliged to return to the cabin, where I Hudson's bay. 29 found the unhappy inmates winking and blinking at each other like owls in the sunshine. " You had better make use of one of these berths, my young friend/' said Mr Gowley, with a bland smile, as I entered ; " you seem very much overcome with sleep, and we have resolved to sit up all night/' "Do get in," urged Mrs Gowley, who was a sweet, gentle creature, and seemed much too delicate and fragile to stand the rough life that was likely to be the lot of the wife of a missionary to the Red men of the Far North ; " I do not intend to lie down to-night, and, besides, it will soon be morning." A sweet but very sleepy smile flitted across her face as she spoke. Of course, I protested against this with great vehemence, assuring them that I could not think of anything so un- gallant, and that I meant to sit it out manfully with the rest. Mr Rob, who was a comical little Welshman, of about thirty years of age, with a sharp, snub nose, which was decorated with spectacles, sat huddled up in a corner, immersed in sleepiness to such an extent that he would not have sm'led for worlds, and spent tlic weary hour.s in vain efforts to keep his head on his shoulders — an object, apparently, of some difficulty, seeing that it swayed back- wards and forwards and round about like that of a Chinese mandarin ! For a few minutes I sat gazing stcadfiistly at the revolving object before me, when my own head became similarly affected, and fell rirldenly back against the bulk- head with a tremendous crash, wakening them all up, and Causincr Mr Rob to sf-nro a*" Tno ■tt'ifVi oil avn-rr^coi,^-n r^( vacant gravity, mingled with surprise, which slowly and 30 Hudson's bay. tiWe'powef'^''' """^ '°'^ "' ''''^ re-asserted its irresis- Flesh and blood could not stand this: I would have lam do™ on the table, but poor Mrs Gowley's head al- mdy eovered the greater part of that-„r on the floor, but, alas ! it was too smaR At last I began to rea«>n thus w.th myself: "Here are two capital beds, li^To" body m them ; it is the height of folly to pennit 1 1 o remam empty: but then, what a selfish-looking thin, to leave Mrs Gowey sitting up ! After all, she :„„■, g'o ^ bed Oh dear ! what is to be done?" (Ban., went the head again) "You'd better turn in," slid Mr C' Agam I protested that I could not think of it ; but mv eyes would not keep open to look him in the face, A ast my scrup^es-I blush to say it-were overcome, and I albw« mysel^^to be half forced into the berth, while Mr Rob, whosj sclf-demal could endure no longer, took ad- vantage of the confusion thus occasioned, Tnd vanished mto the other hke a harlequin. Poor Mr and Mrs Gowley la,d their innocent heads side by side upon th table, and snored in concert. F ^ tne How long I slept I know not; but long before day i tremendous thumping awoke n.e, and after ! had cdleXd my faculties enough to understand it. I found that the schooner was grounding as the tide receded. "Oh!" thought I. and being utterly incapable of thinking more I fe 1 back on the pillow again, sound asleep and did not awake till long after daybreak. Next morning was beautiful; but we were still aoxound and, from what tliA fii.;,.r.«« ^„:j xi. ^ "*' ii'-^ saia, ihere appeared to bo Hudson's bay. 31 erted its irresis- no prospect of getting ashore till the afternoon. Our patience, however, was not tried so long ; for, early in the day, a boat came off from the factory to take us ashore but the m.i:isionaries preferred remaining in the schooner Mr Carles, young Wiseacre, and I, gladly availed ourselves of the opportunity, and were soon saiHng with a fair breeze up Hayes Eiver. We approached to withm a few yards of the shore ; and I formed, at first sight, a very poor opmion of the country which, two years later I was destined to traverse full many a mile in search of the feathered inhabitants of the marshes. The point of marsh, which was the first land we made was quite low, only a few feet above the sea, and studded here and there with thick willows, but not a single tree. Long lank grass covered it in every place, affording ducks and geese shelter in the autumn and spring. In the centre ot It stood the ship-beacon, a tall, ungainly-looking pile, winch rose upwards like a monster out of the water Alto- gether, a more desolate prospect could not well be imagined ^ The banks of Hayes Eiver are formed of clay, and they improved a little in verdure as we ascended ; but still wherever the eye turned, the same universal flatness met tbe gaze. The river was here about two miles wide, and Wled with shaUows and sandbanks, which render the navigation difficult for vessels of above fifty tons As we proceeded, a small bark canoe, with an Indian and Ins wife m it, glided swiftly past us ; and this was the Af T' ?^ ^^'' ^''' "^ '^''' «^^"der craft, I had seen. Attei^^ards, I became more intimately acquainted with rn..„ than was aitugether agreeable. mil 82 Hudson's bat. In a short ihne we reached the wooden wharf, which, owing to the smaUness of everything else in the vicinity, had rather an imposing look, and projected a long way into the water ; but our boat passed this and made for a small slip, on which two or three gentlemen waited to receive us. My voyage was ended. The boat's keel grated harshly on the gravel, the next moment my feet once more pressed terra firma, and I stood at last on the shores of the New World, a stranger in a strange land. I do not intend to give a minute description of York Factory here, as a full account of it will be found in a suc- ceeding chapter, and shall, therefore, confine myself to a slight sketch of the establishment, and our proceedings there during a stay of about three weeks. York Factory is the principal depot of the Northern department, from whence all the supplies for the trade are issued, and where all the furs of the district are col- lected and shipped for England. As may be supposed, then, the establishment is a large one. There are always between thirty and forty men resident at the post,* sum- * The word "post," used here and elsewhere throughout the hook, signi- fies an establishment of any kind, small or great, and has no reference what- ever to the "post " of epistolary notoriety. Hudson's bay. •'-: 33 mer and winter ; generaUy four or five clerks, a post- master, and a skipper for the smaU schooners The whole IS under the direction and superintendence of a chief factor, or chief trader. As the winter is very long (nearly eight months), and the summer very short, all the transport of goods to and returns from, the interior, must necessarUy be effected as quickly as possible. The consequence is, that great num- bers of men and boats are constantly arriving from the in- land post:^ and departing again, during the summer; and as each brigade is commanded by a chief factor, trader or clerk, there is a constant succession of new faces, which after a long and dreary winter, during which the inhabi- tants never see a stranger, renders the summer at York Factory the most agreeable part of the year. The arrival of the ship from England, too, delights these inhabitants of the wilderness with letters from heme, which can only be received twice a-year-namely, at the time now alluded to, by the ship ; and again in December, when letters and accounts are conveyed throughout the interior by means ot sledges drawn by men. The fort (as aU establishments in the Indian country whether smaU or great, are sometimes called) is a lar^e square, I should think about six or seven acres, enclosed withm high stockades, and planted on the banks of Hayes Kiver, nearly five miles from its mouth. The houses are all of wood, and, of course, have no pretension to archi- tectural beauty ; but their clean white appearance and regularitv havo a ■nlooojr.n, ^«u^i. xi-_ -r. « the front gate stand four large brass field-pieces; but 3^ HUDSON 3 BAT. I a l! these warlike instniin(3nts are only used for tlie purpose of saluting the ship with blank cartridge on her arrival and departure, the decayed state of the carriages rendering it dangerous to load the guns with a full charge. The country, as I said before, is flat and swampy, and the only objects that rise very prominently above the rest, and catch the wandering eye, are a lofty " outlook/' or scaffolding of wood, painted black, from which to watch for the arrival of the ship ; and a flag-staff, from whose peak, on Sundays, the snowy folds of St George's flag flutter in the breeze. Such was York Factory in 184)1 ; and as this descrip- tion is sufiicient to give a general idea of the place, I shall conclude it, and proceed with my narrative. Mr Grave, the chief factor then in charge, received us very kindly, and introduced us to some of the gentlemen standing beside him on the wharf Mr Carles, behig also a chief factor, was taken by him to the commissioned gentlemen's house, while "Wiseacre and I, being apprentice clerks, were shewn the young gentlemen's house — or, as the young gentlemen themselves called it, Bachelors' Hall — and were told to make ourselves at home. To Bachelors' Hall, then, we proceeded, and introduced ourselves. The persons assembled there were, the accountant, five clerks, the postmaster, and one or two others. Some of them were smoking, and some talking, and a pretty considerable noise they made. Baclielors' Hall, indeed, was worthy of its name, being a place that would have killed any woman, a/\ Till] %WTna tj- r\V ciw%r\i^j\ *^j-kCrt., ^vty] » a-.^£><»'^y« After having made ourselves acquainted with every- L4 Hudson's bay. 85 body, I thought it time to present a letter of introduction I had to Mrs Grave, the wife of the gentleman in charge, who received me very kindly. I was much indebted to this lady for supplying me with several pairs of moccasins for my further voyage, and much useful information, with- out which I should have been badly off indeed. Had it not been for her kindness, I should in all probability have been allowed to depart very ill provided for the journey to Red River, for which I was desired to hold myself in readi- ness. Young Wiseacre, on the other hand, learned that he was to remain at York Factory that winter, and was placed in the office the day after our arrival, where he commenced ^vork for the first time. We had a long and sage conversa- tion upon the subject tu same evening, and I well re- member congratulating him, with an extremely grave face, upon his having now begun to do for himself. Poor fellow, his subsequent travels in the country were long and perilous. But let us pause here awhile. The reader has been landed in a new cuantry, and it may be well, before describing our voyage to Red River, to make him acquainted with the peculiarities of the service, and the people with whom he will in imagination have to associate. I I J 36 HUDSON'S BAY. L._,.. CHAPTER III. DESCRIPTION OF "CHK HCDSON'S BAT COMPART. In the year 1669, a company was formed in London under the direction of Prince Rupert, for the purpose of prasocuting the fur trade in the regions surroundmg Hud- son's Bay. This company obtained a charter from Cliarles II granting to them and their successors, under the name of '" the Governor and Company of Adventurers trading into Hudson's Bay," the sole right of trading in all the country watered by rivers flowing into Hudson's Bay. The charter also authorised them to build and fit out men-of-war, establish forts, prevent any other company from carrying on trade with the natives in their terri- tories, and required that they should do all in their power to promote discovciy. ^ Armed with these powers, then, the Hudson s Bay Company established a fort near the head of James's Bay. Soon afterwards, several others were built in different parts of the country ; and before long, the Company spread and grew wealthy, and eventuaUy extended their trade far beyond the chartered limits. With tlio internal economy of the Company mider the % Hudson's bat. 87 superintendence of Prince Kupert, however, I am not acquainted; but as it will be necessary to the reader's forming a correct idea of the peculiarities of the country and service, that he should know something of its charac- ter under the direction of the present active governor, I shall give a brief outline of its arrangements. Reader, you will materially assist me in my description if you will endeavour to draw the following landscape on the retina of your mind's eye. Imagine an immense extent of country, many hundred miles broad and many hundred miles long, covered with dense forests, expanded lakes, broad rivers, wide prairies, swamps, and mighty mountains ; and all in a state of primeval simplicity — undefaccil by the axe of civilised man, and untenanted by aught save a few roving hordes of Red Indians and myriads of wild animals. Imagine amid this wilderness a, number of small squares, each en- closing half-a-dozen wooden houses and about a dozen men, and between each of these establishments a space of forest varying from fifty to three hundred miles in length; and you will have a pretty correct idea of the Hudson's Bay Company's territories, and of the number of, and distance between their forts. The idea, however, may bo still more correctly obtained, by imagining popu- lous Great Britain converted into a wildornoss and planted in the middle of Rupert's Land. The Company, in that case, would build three forts in it — one at the Land's-end, one in Wales, and one in the Highlands ; so that in Britain there would be but three hamlets, with a population of some thii'ty men, half-a-dozen women, and a few children 1 ui 38 'a HUDSON S BAY, a The Company's posts extend, with these intervals between, from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, and from within the Arctic Circle to uhe northern boundaries of the United States. Throughout this immense country there are probably not more ladies than would suflice to form half-a-dozen quadrilles ; and these — poor banished creatures ! — are chiefly the wives of the principal gentlemen connected with the fur trade. The rest of the female population consist chiefly of half-breeds and Indians; the latter entirely devoid of edacation, and the former as much enlightened as can be expected from those whose life is spent in such a country. Even these are not very numerous, and yet without them the men would be in a sad condition, for they are the only tailors and washerwomen in the country, and make all the mittens, moccasins, fur caps, deer-skin coats, (Sec, &c., worn in the land. There are one or two favoured spots, however, into which a missionary or two have penetrated; and in Eed River settlement, the only colony in the Company's terri- tories, there are several churches and clergymen, both Protestant and Roman Catholic. The country is divided into four large departments. The Nortlicrn department, which includes all the establish- ments in the fur north and frozen regions; the Southern department, including those to the south and east of this, the post at the head of James's Ba}', and along the shores of Lake Superior; tlio Montreal department, including the countiy in the neighbourhood of Montreal, up the Ottawa River, and along tho north shore of the Gidf of Hudson's bay. S9 St Lawrence and Esquimaux Bay; and the Columbia department, which comprehends an immense extent of country to the west of the Eocky Mountains, including the Oregon territory, which, although the Hudson's Bay Company stUI trade in it, now belongs to the Ame- ricans. These departments are divided into a number of dis- tricts, each under t!.e direction of an influential officer- and these aga* subdivided into numerous establish- ments, forts, ^.A...to, and outposts. The name oi fort, as already remarked, is given to all the posts in the country, but some of them certainly do not merit the name; indeed, few of them do. The only two in the country that are real, bond fide forts, are Fort Garry and the 8tone Fort in the colony of Red River which are surrounded by stone walls with bastions at the comers. The others are merely defended by wooden pickets or stockades; and a few, where the Indians are qmet and harmless, are entirely destitute of defence of any kind. Some of the chief posts have a complement of about thirty or forty men; but most of them have only ten, five, four, and even two, besides the gentleman in charge. As in most instances these posts are planted in a wilderness far from men, and the inhabitants have only the society of each other, some idea may be formed of the solitary life led by many of the Company's scrvnnts. The following is a list of the forts in the four diff-ercDt departments, as correctly given as possible ; but. owing to ... ,,„.. ^^^iiiiuj, luc cunsiant aoanaoning ot old and establishing of new forts, it is difficult to get I \ 40 Hudson's bay. at a perfectly correct knowledge of their number and names: — Northern Department. Hocky Mountain House. Fort Aseinaboine. Jasper's House. York Fort (tlic dep6t). Churcliill. Severn. Oxford House. Trout Lake House. Norway Houpe. Nelson River House. Berens River House. Red River Colony. Fort Garry. Stone Fort. Manitoba House. Fort Felly. Cumberland House. Carlton House. Fort Pitt. Edmonton. Moose Factory (the depot). Rupert's House. Fort George. Michiskau. Albany. Lao Seul. Kinogomousse. Matawaganiingue. Kuckatoosh. New Brunswick. AV)itibi. TemiBcaming\ie. Grand Lac. Trout Lake. Henry's House. Fort Chipewyan. Fort Vermilion. Fort Dunvegan. Fort Simpson. Fort Norman. Fort Good Hoi)e. Foi-t Halkett. Fort Resolution, Peel's River. Fort Alexander. Rat Portage House. Fort Frances. Isle 4 la Crosse. SOUTHBRM DePAUTMENT. Matarva. C.iniisicomioa. Lacloche. Bault de Ste Maria. Fort William. Pic House. Michipicviton. Bachiwino. Nepigon. Wasliwonaby. Pike Lake. Tema^my. Green Lake. Miuiaaguo. MoKTRKAt Department. Laciiine (the depot). RiTidro du Moine. T .« ,!_■ All. Fort Coulouge. Hudson's bay. 41 KiviSre Desert. Lac des Sables. Lake of Two Mountains. Kikandatch. Weymontaciiingue. Eat River. Ashabmoushwan. Chicoutlmie. Lake St John's. Tadousac. Isle J6r6mle. Port Neuf. Goodbout. Trinity River. Seven Islands. Mingan. Nabisippi. Natosquene. Musquarro. Fort Nascopie. Malnewan Lake. Sandy Banks. Gull Islands. North-west River. Blgolet. Kiboksk. Eyelick. Columhia Department. Fort Yanconver (the dep6t). Fort George. Nez Perc6. Ockanagan. Colville. Fort Hall. Thompson's River, Fort Langloy. Cootanies. Flat-head Post. Nisqually, Alexandria. Port Chilootin. Fort James. Fort Fluz Cuz. Babine Lake. And an agency in the Sandwicli Islands. There are seven different grades in the service. First, the labourer, wlio is ready to turn his hand to anything ; to become a trapper, fisherman, or rough carpenter, at the shortest notice. He is generally employed in cutting fire- wood for the consumption of the establishment ot which he is stationed, shovelling snow from before the doors, mending all sorts of damages to all sorts of things, and, during the summer months, in transporting furs and goods between his post and the nearest dep6t. Next in rank is the interpreter. Ho is, for the most part, an in- telligent labourer, of pretty long standing in the service. M^ 42 Hudson's bay. who, having picked up a smattering of Indian, is conse- quently very useful in trading with the natives. After the interpreter comes the postmaster, usually a promoted labourer, who, for good behaviour or valuable services, has been put upon a footing with the gentlemen of the ser- vice, in the same manner that a private soldier in the army is sometimes raised to the rank of a commissioned officer. At whatever station a postmaster may happen to be placed, he is generally the most useful and active man there. He is often placed in charge of one of the many small stations, or outposts, throughout the country. Next are the apprentice clerks— raw lads, who come out fresh from school, with their mouths agape at the wonders they behold in Hudson's Bay. They generally, for the purpose of appearing manly, acquire all the bad habits of the country as quickly as possible, and are stuffed full of what they call fun, with a strong spice of mischief. They become more sensible and sedate before they get through the first five years of their apprenticeship, after which they attain to the rank of clerks. The clerk, after a num- ber of years' service (averaging from thirteen to twenty), becomes a chief trader (or half-shareholder), and in a fe\> years more he attains the highest rank to which any one can rise in the rarvice, that of chief factor (or share- holder). It is a strange fact, that three-fourths of the Company's servants are Scotch Highlanders and Orkneymen. There are very few Irishmen, and still fewer English. A great number, however, are half-breeds and French Canadians, eSDeciallv ftTiintur flm lnK their re8earche& There is eveiy V. - if -I S ! 44) HUDSON'S BAY. reason to believe, however, that this censure was unde- served A new company, recently formed in a wild country, could not at first be expected to have time or funds to advance the arduous and expensive cause of dis- covery. With regard to their Laving impeded the attempts of others, it is doubtful whether any one in the service ever did so ; but even had such been the case, the un- authorised and dishonourable conduct of one or two of their servants does not sanction the condemnation of the whole Company. Besides, the cause of discovery was effectively advanced in former days by Heme, and in later years by Dease and Simpson, Dr Rae, and others ; so that, whatever might have been the case at first, there can be no doubt that the Company are doing much for the cause now. The trade carried on by the Company is in peltries of all sorts, oil, dried and salted fish, feathers, quills, &c. A list of some of their principal articles of commerce is subjoined : — Beaver-skins. Bear-skins, Black. Ditto, Brown. Ditto, White or Polar. Ditto, Grizzly. Badger-skins. Buflfalo or Bison Robes.* Castorum.t Deer-skins, Rein. Ditto, Red. Ditto, Moose or Elk. Ditto, parchment. Feathers of all kinds. Fisher-skins. Fox-skins, Black. Ditto, Silver. • The hide of the bison— or, as it is called by the fur traders, the buffalo —when dressed on one side and the hair left on the other, is called a robe. Great numbers are sent to Canada, where they are used for sleigh wrappers in winter, lu the inuiau country iiuy air vsivu urr-. iur,f.«.. •-. t A substance procured from the body of the beaver. HUDSON'S BAY. 45 Fox-skiDS, Cross. Ditto, Bed. Ditto, White. Ditto, Blue. Goose-skins. Ivory (tusks of the Walrus). Lynx-skins. Marteu-skins. Musquash-skins. Otter-skins. Oil, Seal. Ditto, Whale. Swan-skins. Salmon, salted. Seal-skins. Wolf-skins. Wolverine-skins. The most valuable of the furs mentioned in the above list is that of the Hack fox. This beautiful animal re- sembles in shape the common fox of England, but it is much larger, and jet black, with the exception of one or two white hairs along the back-bone and a pure white tuft on the end of the tail. A single skin sometimes brings from twenty-five to thirty guineas in the British market; but, unfortunately, they are very scarce. The silver fox differs from the black fox only in the number of white hairs with which its fur is sprinkled ; and the more numerous the white hairs, the less valuable does it become. The cross fox is a cross between the black or silver and the red fox The red fox bears a much inferior fur to the other kinds ; yet it is a good article of trade, as this species is very numerous. These four kinds of foxes are sometimes produced in the same litter, the mother being a red fox. The white fox is of less value than the red, and is also very numerous, particularly on the shores of Hudson's Bay. The variety termed the blue fox is neither numerous nor valuable. It is of a dirty bluish- gray colour, and seldom makes its appearance at the Company's posts. 46 Hudson's bay. Beaver, in days of yore, was the staple fur of the country • but, alas! the silk hat has given it its death-blow, and the star of the beaver has now probably set for ever— that is to say, with regard to rum ; probably the animals them- selves fancy that their lucky star has just risen. The most profitable fur in the country is that of the marten It somewhat resembles the Russian sable, and generally mamtams a steady price. These animals, moreover are very numerous throughout most part of the Company's territories, particularly in Mackenzie's River, whence great numbers are annually sent to England. AU the above animals and a few others are caught in steel and wooden traps by the natives ; while deer, buf- faloes, &c., are run down, shot, and snared in various ways the details of which wiU be found in another part of this volume. Trade is carried on with the natives by means of a standard valuation, called in some parts of the country a castor. This is to obviate the necessity of circulating money, of which there is Httle or none, excepting in the colony of Red River. Thus, an Indian arrives at a fort with a bundle of furs, with which he proceeds to the Indian trading- room. There the trader separates the furs into different lots, and, valuing each at the standard valua- tion, adds the amount together, and tells the Indian (who has looked on the while with great interest and anxiety) that he has got fifty or sixty castors; at the same time he hanas the Indian fifty or sixty Httle bits of wood in Heu of cash, so that the latter may know, by returning these in payment of tho goods for which he really exchan **-' aep6ts on the~'t!!n ""l r"--"*'^ ^"^^'''^f mouth of the™,;™i, ^ ^'' ^'"■' ^""coaver, at the ot the Columbia river, on the shores of the Pacific ; 48 Hudson's bay. York Fort, on the shores of Hudson's Bay ; and Moose Factory, on the shores of James's Bay, whence they are transported in the Company's ships to England. The whole country in summer is, consequently, in commotion with the passing and repassing of brigades of boats laden with bales of merchandise and furs ; the still waters of the lakes and rivers are rippled by the paddle and the oar ; and the long-silent echoes which have Si umbered in the icy embrace of a dreary winter, are now once more awakened by the merry voice and tuneful song of the hardy voyageur. This slight sketch of the Hudson's Bay Company and of the territories occupied by them may, for the present, serve to give some idea of the nature of the service and the appearance of the country. We shall now proceed to write of the Indians inhabiting these wild regions. HUDSON'S BAY. 49 Kii once more CHA 'T:^R IV, NORTH AMERICAN INBIANS-TUU HANNERS AND OCSTOHS, ETC. The aborigines of Nortli America are divided into a great number of nations or tribes, differing not only in outwar.i appearance, but also in customs and modes of life and in some instances entertaining for each other a bitter and implacable hatred. To describe the leading peculiarities of some of these tribes, particularly those called Crees, will be my object in tlie i^resent chapter. j " ^^ Some of the tribes are known by the following names --Crees, Seauteaux, Stone Indians, Sioux, T^^ckfeet Clnpewyan,s^^ Slave Indians, Crows, Flatheads, &c. Of hese,_ the Crees are the quiet.st and most inoffensive; Uiey .nhabitthe woody country surrounding Hudson^ Bay; dwell m tents; never go to war; and spend their time m trappmg, shooting, and fishing. Tlie Seauteaux 22^^ to the Crees in many re.pecis, and inhabt: Z J "t" "t'^;' "^'""'- ^^' ^^^"^ Indian, Sioux, Waddeet Slave Indians, Crows, and Flatheads, inhabi Uie vast Tllflius a^irl fnrrcf- Til ^1 • i • - . I — !. d...,, lorcst.^ m uic interior of Americii a, on I ,50 Hudson's bay. ^ij| f the east and west of the Eocky Mountains, and live chiefly by the produce of the cliase. Tlieir country swarms with bisons, and varieties of deer, bears, &c., which they hunt, shoot, mare, and kill in various ways. Some of these tribes are well supplied with horses, with which they hunt the bufflilo. This is a wild inspiriting chase, and the natives are veiy fond of it. They use the ^m\ a good deal, but prefer the bow and aiTOw (in the use of which they are very expert) for the chase, and reserve the gun for warfare, many of them being constantly engaged in skirmishing with their enemies. As the Crees were the Indians with whom I had the most intercourse, I shall endeavour to describe my old friends more at length. The personal appearance of the men of this tribe is not bad. Although they have not the bold daring carriage of the wilder tribes, yet they have active-looking figures, intelligent countenances, and a peculiar brightness in their diuk eyes, which, from a constant habit of looking around tlieni while travelling through the woods, are seldom for a moment at rest. Tlieir jet black hair generally hangs ill straight matted locks over their shoulders, sometimes (trnameuted with beads and iiicf'es of metal, and occasion- ally with a few partridge feathers ; but they seldom wear a hat or cap of any kind, except in winter, when they niiike clumsy imitations of foniging-caps witli furs — pre- ferring, if the wciither be warm, to go about without any hcnd-dre at all, or, if it be cold, using the largo hood of their capotes ns a covering They are thin, wiry men, not gen< illy very muscular in their i>roportions, but yet capable of enduring girat fatigue. Their average Iieight f Hudson's bay. 5l Is about five feet five inches ; and one rarely meets -ith individuals varying much from this average, nor witli deformed people, among them. The step of a Cree Indian is much longer than that of a European, owing, probably, to his being so much accustomed to walking through swamps and forests, where it is necessary to take long strides. This peculiarity becomes apparent when an Indian arrives at a fort, and walks ^long the hard ground inside the walls with the trader, whose short, bustling, active step, contrasts oddly with the long! solemn, ostrich-like stride of the savage ; which, however appropriate in the woods, is certainly strange and ungrace- ful on a good road. The summer dress of the Indian is almost entirely pro- vided for him by the Hudson's Bay Company ; it consists chiefly of a blue or gray cloth, or else a blanket capote reaching below the knee, made much too loose f(U' the figure, and strapped round the waist with a scarlet or crim- son worsted belt. A very coarse blue striped c(;tton shirt is all the under- clothing they wear, holding trousers to be quiti- 8ui)erflu()us ; in lieu of which they make leggins of various kinds of '•loth, which reach from a few inelies nb(»ve the knoe e wonu'ii, and are provided with flaps or wings on either side. This costume, however, is slightly varied in winter. iMgHlUH. ■ I ii 52 HUDSON S BAY. I) ill a The blanket or cloth capote is then laid aside for one of smoked red-deer skin, which has very much the appear- ance of chamois leather. This is lined with flannel, or some other thick warm substance, and edged with fur (more for ornament, however, than warmth) of different kinds. Fuigerless mittens, with a place for the thumb, are also adopted; and shoes or moccasins of the same soft material. The moccasins are very beautiful, fitting the feet as tightly as a glove, and are tastefully ornamented with dyed porcupir.i quills and silk thread of various colours ; at which work the women are pjirticularly an fait As the leather of the moccasin is very thin,* blanket and flannel socks are worn underneath — one, two, or even four pairs according to the degree of cold ; and in proportion as these socks are increased in number, the moccasin, of course, loses its elegant appearance. The prefixed figure represents the moccasin under its most favourable aspect, without my sock beneath it at all. The Indian women are not so good-looking as tho men. They have an awkward sloucliing gait, and a downcast • Mnnv peoiilo p.t homo have nskcd me how BUih thin thnir/s cnn keep out tho Wit of tlio Miow. Tho nwhT must hour in mind thai tho hikiw for lu'Rrly KPViin montbn, in not even dmni) for fivo miimteii, go o >U8tant in the frost. When it biH-oniei wet in uprinir, Kuropeam adopt orJinnry Knglitdi •jlji!!-*. till tiir Wf for one of le appear- flannel, or . with fur f different le thumb, the same fill, fitting rnamented )f various 1 work the fnilarly an leather of ;'ery tliin,* inel socks ■ath — one, )ur pairs ho doirroo uoportion increased moccasin. I prefixed favourable the men. tlowncast 'ffs onn kwp llO Rllow fur mtHiit in tlie mry Kngliah niTDSON's BAY. 53 look— arising, probably, from the rude treatment tliey experience from their husbands ; for the North American Indians, like all other savages, make complete drudges of their women, obliging them to do all the laborioul and dirty work, ^vhile they reserve the pleasures of the ^hase for themselves. Their features are sometimes good but I never saw a r-ally pretty woman among the Or^es ' Their colour, as web as that of the men, is a din-v brown vvhicli together with their extreme filthincis. renders them any- thmg but attractive. They are, however, quiet, sweet- tempered, and inoffensive creatures, destitute as well of artificial mann'.rs as of stays. Their dress is a gown made without sleeves, and very scanty in the skirt of coarse blue or green cloth ; it reaches do^vn to a little under the knee, below which their limbs are cas(^d in loggins beautifully ornamente.l. Their whole costume hovever, like that of the men, is almost always hid from ■sight by a thick blanket, without whicli the Indian seldom ventures abroad. The wonu>n usui.lly make the top of the blanket answer the purpose of a head-ch-ess; but wlien they wish to appe.ir very mucli to advantage, they put on the cap represented in the ann.«xed illustration. It is a mpiare piece of blue cloth, profusely decorated with dif- ferent coloured beads, and merely sewed up at the top. Tliey wear their luiir in long straggling lock,-, which have not the slightest tendency to curl, and occasionally in queues or piguiils behind ; but in this respect, a.s in every other, they are very careless of their j.ersoiml appearance. TJitse primitive . hihiren of the forest live in tents of dccf-skin or bark ; and sometimes, where skins are scarce, ! I 1 i 54 Hudson's bay. of branches of trees. They are conically shaped, and are constructed thus : — The Indian and his family (probably two wives and three or four children) arrive in their bark canoe at a pretty level spot, sheltered from the north wind, and conveniently situated on the banks of a small stream, where the fish are plentiful, and pine branches (or brush), for the floor of the tent, abundant. Here lie runs his canoe asliore, and carries his goods and chattels up the IxinU. His first business is to cut a number of long poles, and tie three of them at the top, spi-cading them out in the form of a tripod. He then piles all the other poles round these, at haif-a-foui distaiico from each oth'T, and thus encloses a circle of between fifteen and twenty feet in HUDSON S BAY. 55 diameter. Over the poles (if he is a good hunter, and has plenty of deer-skins) he spreads the skin tent, leaving an opening at the top for the egress of tho smoke. If the tent be a birch-bark one, he has it in separate rolls, which M-e spread over the poles till the whole is covered. A small opening is left facing the river or lake, which serves for a doorway; and this is covered with an old blanket, a piece of deer-skin, or, in some instances, by bison-skin or buffalo robe. The floor is covered with a layer of small pine branches, which serve for carpet and mattress ; and in the centre is placed the wood fire, which, when blazing brightly, gives a warmth and coml'urt to the slight habita- tion that could scarcely be believed. Here the Indian spends a few days or weeks, according to the amount of game in the vicinity; and then removes to some other place, carrying with him the covering of the tent, but leaving the poles standing, as they would be cumbrous to carry in his small canoe, and thousands can be had at every place where he may wish to land. The Indian canoe is an exceedingly light and graceful little craft, and well adapted for travelling in througi; h. wild country, where the rivers are obstructed by long rapids, waterfalls, and shallows. It is so light that oni' man can easily carry it on his shoulders over the land, when a waterfall obstructs his prcgiess ; and as it oidy sinks about four or six inches in the water, fe> .jlaccH are too shallow to float it. The birch bark of which it is made is about a quiirter of an inch thick, and tlic inside is litied with extremely tliin flakes of wood, over which a number of light timbers are driven, to give h mx 'H 1 f , 5H HUDSON S BAY. stron^fth and tiglitiiess to the macliinc. In th's frail Ijark, which nicasures from twelve, fifteen, thirty, to lorty ■w feet lonir, and fnini two to four feet broad in the middle, .1 whole Indian family of eight or ten souls will travel liundreds of miles over rivers and lakes innumerable; now floating swiftly down a foaming rapid, and anon gliding over the surface of a quiet lake, or making a portarfe over-land when a rapid is too dangerous to descend ; and, while the elders of the family assist in (•arrying the canoe, the youngsters run about plucking berries, and the shaggy little curs (one or two of which •ire possessed by every Indian family) search for food, or bask in the sun at the foot of the baby's cradle, which .>-tands bolt upright against a tree, while the chiM gazes u|ion all these operations with serene indifference Not less elegant and usffid than the eano s the snow-slioe, witho7 hich the Indian would v.. dly ofT HUDSON S BAY. 57 this frail ■, to forty middle, dll travel imcrable ; Liid anon naking a ;erous to assist in ])lucking of which r food, or Ic, which lil'l gazes \ ■> -, 18 the > >dly off indeed. It is not, as many snppose, used as a kind of skate, with which t 58 Hudson's bay. fig. 1, represents the kind most commonly used by the Crees, but they vary in shape in clirterent parts of the iii Pig. 1. Pig. 2. country, sometimes taking the form represented in fig. 2. On these shoes an Indian will travel between twenty and thirty miles a-day, and they often accomplish from thirty to forty when hard pressed. The food of the Indian varies according to circum- stances. Sometimes he luxuriates on deer, partridges, and fat beaver; whilst at others he is obliged to live almost entirely on fish, and not unfrequently on tripe ds- roche. This substance, however, does no more than re- tard his ultimate destruction by starvation ; and unless he meets with something more nourishing, it cannot pre- vent it. When starving, the Indian will not hesitate to appease the cravings of hunger by resorting to canni- balism ; and there were some old dames with whom I was myself acquainted, who had at different periods eaten several of their children. Indeed, some of them, it was said, had also eaten their husbands ! The followinor anecdote, rehtoA fo !»« u,. r_.---j Curies, who spent many years of his life among the North HUDSON S BAY. 59 American Indians, dejiicts one of the worst of these cases of cannibalism. It was in the spring of ] 8 — that Mr Carles stood in the Indian Hall of one of the far-distant posts in Atha- basca, conversing with a party of Chipewyan Indians, who had just arrived with furs from their winter hunting grounds. The large fires of wood, sparkling and blazing cheerfully up the wide chimney, cast a bright light round the room, and shone upon the dusky countenances of the Chipewyans, as they sat gravely on the floor, smoking their spwagans in silence. A dark shade lowered upon every face, as if thoughts of an unpleasant nature disturbed then- mmds; and so it was. A deed of the most revolt- ing description had been perpetrated by an Indian of the Cree tribe, and they were about to relate the story to Mr Carles. After a short silence, an old Indian removed his pipe, and, looking round upon the others, as if to ask their consent to his becoming spokesman, related the parti- culars of the story, the substance of which I now give. Towards the middle of winter, Wisagim, a Cree Indian, removed his encampment to another part of the country, as game was scarce in the place where he had been resid- ing. His family consisted of a wife, a son of eight or nine years of age, and two or three children, besides several of his relations ; in all, ten souls, including himself. In a few days they arrived at their new encamping ground, after having l " red a great deal of misery by the way. from starvati.il. They were all much exhausted and V. t .Vit' U 1^ u I 60 irUDSON .S BAY. iM worn out, bni; hoped, having lieard of buffaloes in the vicinity, that their sufferings would soon be relieved. Here they remained several davs without finding an" game, and were reduced to uic necessity of de/ouring their moccasins and leathern coats, rendered eatable by being singed over tlie fire. Soon this wretched resource was also gone, and thoy were reduced to the greatest extJ .^mity, when a herd of buffiiloes was descried far ;iv ay in the prairie on the edge of which they were en- camped. All were instantly on the qui vive. Guns were loaded, snow-shoes put on, and in ten minutes the males of the hungry party set off after the herd, leaving Wisa- gun's wife and children wit^i another girl in the tent. :'t was not long, however, before the famished party began to giw tired, Some of the weakest dropped behind ; while Wisagun, with his son Natappe, gave up the chase, and returned to the encampment. They soon arrived at it, and Wisagun, i)eeping in In^tween the chinks of the tent to see what the women were doing, saw Jiis wife engaged in cutting up ^ne of hir o^vn children, preparatory to cooking it. In a transport of i>assion, the Indian rushed forward and stabbed her, and also the other woman ; and then, fearing the ^ xuMi of the oth( r Indians, m fled to the woods. It may be conceived what were the feeling- of the remainder of the party when th. y returned and found their relatives murdered. "^ ' t wri-o so much exhausted, however, by previous suffei ^, i at they could only sit down and gaze on the mutii.aed boilies in despair Dur- ing the night, Wisagun and Natappe returned oiL;aithily to the tect, and, under cover of the darkness, murdered HUDSON S BAY. Gl es in the ved. idiu^ ail'' ie»^ouring atable by L resource I greatest cried far were en- ruiis were the males ng Wisa- tent. 7t began to d ; while liase, and '■ed at it, ■ the tent ! engaged ratory to n rushed lan ; and ed to the g'^ of the id found diaustcd, only sit r. Diir- jivaithiiy tiurdeiuJ the whole party as they lay asleep. Soon after this, the two Indians were met by another party of savages, in good condition, although, from the scarcity of game, the others were starving. The former accounted for this, liowevc! , by saying that they had fallen in with a deer not long ago ; but that, before this had happened, all the rest of the family had died of starvation. It was the party who had met the two Indians wander- ing in the plains that now sat xDund the fire relating the story to Mr Carles. The tale was btill telling when the hall door slowly opened, and Wisagun, gaunt and cadaverous, tlie ver\' ini person; it ion of fomine, slunk into the room, along with Natappe, and seated himself in a corner near the fire. Mr Carles soon obtained from his own lips confirmation of tiie horrible deed, which he excused by saying that most of] relations had died before he ate them. In a few days after this, the party of Indians took their departui »in the house, to proceed to their village in the forest ; and shortly after AA'isagun and Natappe also left, to rejoin their tribe. The ncAvs of their deeds, how- ever, had preceded them, so they were received very coldly; and soon after Wisagiui pitched hm tent, the "thur Indians removed, with one accord, to another place, as though it were impossiljle to live happily under um shadow of the same trees. This exasperated Wisagun so much, thr!t he packed up his tent and goods, launched his canoe, and then, before starting, went up to the village, and told them it was true he had killed all his relatives ; and that he was a conjurer, and had both power and in- ^M m 62 HUDSON S BAY. 'i w I I I ■ f clination to conjure them to death too. He then strode down to the banks of the river, and, embarking with his son, shot out into the stream. The unhappy man had acted rashly in his wrath. There is nothing more dan- gerous than to threaten to kill a savage, as he will cer- tainly endeavour to kill the person who threatens him, in order to render the execution of his purpose impossible. Wisagun and his son had no sooner departed, than two men coolly took up their guns, entered a canoe, and fol- lowed them. Upon arriving at a secluded spot, one of them raised his gun and fired at Wisagun, who fell over the side of the canoe, and sank to rise no more. "With the rapidity of thought, Natappe seized his father's gun, sprang ashore, and bounded up the bank; a shot was fired which went through the fleshy part of his arm, and the next moment he was behind a tree. Here he called out to the Indians, who were reloading their iruns, not to kill him, and he would tell them all. After a little consideration, they agreed to spare him ; he em- barked with them, and was taken afterwards to the fort, where he remained many years in the Company's service. Although instances of cannibalism are not unusual among the Indian tribes, they do not resort to it from choice, but only when urged by the irrepressible cravmgs of hunger. All the Indian tribes are fond of spirits ; and in for- mer times, when the distribution of rum to the natives was found necessary to compete with other companies, the use of the "fire water" was carried to a fearful extent. Hudson's bay. 63 n strode with his nan had ore dan- will cer- 5 him, in possible. :han two and fol- t, one of fell over J. With er's gun, shot was his arm, Here he ing their 1. After ; he em- s to the ompany's , unusual ) it from cravmgs ad in for- le natives )anics, the 111 extent. Since Sir George Simpson has been governor, however, the distribution of spirits has been almost entirely given up ; and this has proved a most beneficial measure for the poor Indians. Tobacco also is consumed by them in great quantities ; indeed, the pipe is seldom out of the Indian's mouth. If he is not hunting, sleeping, or eating, he is sure to be smoking. A peculiar kind of shrub is much used by them, mixed with tobacco, partly for the purpose of making it go far, and partly because they can smoke more of it at a time with impunity. The Indian is generally very lazy, but can endure, when requisite, great fatigue and much privation. He can go longer without eating than a European, and, from the fre- quent fasts he has to sustain, he becomes accustomed, without injury, to eat more at a meal than would kill a white man. The Indian children exliibit this power in a very extraordinary degree, looking sometimes wretchedly thin and miserable, and an hour or two afterwards waddling about with their little stomachs swollen almost to bursting ! When an Indian wants a wife, he goes to the /air one's father, and asks his consent. This being obtained, he in- forms the young lady of the circumstance, and then re- turns to his wigwam, whither the bride follows him, and mstals herself as mistress of the house without further ceremony. Generally speaking, Indians content themselves with one wife, but it is locivcd r;pon as neither unusual nor improper to take tM^o, or even three wives. The great point to settle is the husband's ability to support them. i-i 64. Hudson's bay. Thus, a bad hunter can only afford one wife, whilst a good one may have three or four. If an old man or woman of the tribe becomes infirm, and unable to proceed with the rest when travelling, he or she, as the case may l)e, is left behind in a small tent made of willows, in wliich are placed a little firewood, some pro- visions, and a vessel of water. Here the unhappy wretch remains in solitude till the fuel and provisions are ex- hausted, and then dies. Should the tribe be in their encampment when an Indian dies, the deceased is buried, sometimes in the ground, and sometimes in a rough wooden coffin raised a few feet above it. They do noc now bury guns, knives, &c., with their dead, as they once did, probably owing to their intercourse with \vhite men. Tlie Supremo Being among the Indians is called Manitow ; but he can scarcely bo said to be worshippeil by them, and the few ideas they have of his attributes are imperfect and erroneous. Indeed, no religious rites exist among them, unless the unmeaning mummery of the medi"ine tent can bo looked upon as sucli. Of late years, however, missionaries, both of the ('lunch of Knglaiul and the Wesleyaiis, have exerted thi..iselves to spread tlie Christian religion among these tribes, tlinn whom few savages can be m(nT unenlightened or morally degraded ; and there is reason to believe that the light of the gospel is now beginning to shiiu' ui)on them with beneficial infiuence. There is no nnisic in the soul of a Cree, and the only timo they attempt it is ^\heu gambling, of which they I \ 1 » Hudson's bay. 65 .1st a good les infirm, ling, he or tent made some pro- ipy wretch IIS are ex- 3 in their is buried, a rough ey do noc 1, as they with ^vhite is called vorshipped ril)ute3 are ritos exist 'ry of the late years, igland and ■<])i'cad tlie whom f« w degraded ; the gospel boncfRiul id the only viilch they are passionately fond, when they sing a kind of mono- tonous chant accompanied with a noisy rattling on a tiii kettle. The celebrated war-dance is now no lono-er in existence among this tribe. They have wisely reno^unced both war and its liorrors long ago. Among the wilder inhabitants of the prairies, however, it is ctill in vogue, with all the dismal accompaniments of killing, scalpinir, roasting, and torturing, that distinguished American war- fare a hundred years ago. The different methods by which the Indian succeeds m snaring and trapping animals are numerous. A good idea of these may be had by following an Indian in his rounds. Suppose yourself, gentle reader, standing at the gate of one of the forts in Hudson's Bay, watching a savage ai ranging his snow-slioes, pr'-pnratory to entering the ploomy forest. Let us walk with tliis Indian on a visit to his traps. The night is very dark, as the n)oon is hid by thick cloud.?, yet it occasionally breaks out sufficiently to illu- mine our path to Stemaws wigwam, and to throw the .shadows of the neighbouring trees upon the pale snow, which crunches under our feet as wo advance, (>\vin'>- to the intense cold. No wind breaks the stillness of the night, or .shakes the lumps of snow off the branches of the neighbouring pines or willow.s; and nothing is heard save the occasional crackling of the trees as the seven; frost acts upon thelj- brunches. The tent, at which wc Ho.;n arrive, is pitched at the foot of an innnense tree, wh'jh stands in a little hollow where the willows and pines aro B I' 66 HUDSON S BAY. luxuriant enough to afford a shelter from the north wind. Just in front, a small path leads to the river, of which an extensive view is had through the opening, shewing the lontT fiintastic shadows of huge Llocks and mounds of ice cast upon the white snow by the flickering moonlight. A huffe chasm, filled with fallen trees and mounds of snow, yawTis on the left of the tent, and the ruddy sparks of fire which issue from a hole in its top, throw this and the surrounding forest into deeper gloom. The effect of this wintry scene upon the mind is melancholy in the extreme — causing it to speed across the bleak and frozen plains, and visit again the warm fireside and happy faces in a far distant home ; and yet there is a strange romantic attrac- tion in the wild woods that gradually l>rings it back again, and makes us imi)atient to begin our walk with the Indian. Suddenly the deer-skin robe that covers the ap«?rture of the wigwam is raised, and a briglit stream of warm light gushes out, tipping the dark green points of the oi)j)osite trees, and mingling strangely with tlie paler light of the moon — and Stemaw stands erect in front of his solitary home, to gaze a few moments on the sky, and judge of the weather, as he intends to take a long walk before laying Ills head upon his capote for the night. H«^ is in the usual costume of the C-ree Iiulians: a large leathern coat, very much overlaj>ped in front, and fjistened round his waist with a scarlet b«lt, protects liis lti«!y from the cold. A small rat-skin cap covers Ids head, and hU legs are cawd in the ordinary blue-cloth loggins. Large moccasins, with two or three pair of blanket socks, elotlie his feet, and fingerlesd mittens, made of deer-skin, complete his costunu'. ^fflPWIfflSfcW^^S'! Hudson's bay. lorth wind, f which an lewing the iinds of ice iilight. A Is of snow, arks of fire lis and ihe Feet of this he extreme )zen pUiins, ces in a far ntic attrac- back again, the Indian, aperture of warm light he opposite light of the his solitiiry udgf of tlie ifore laying ^ is in the ithoni coat, I round his m the cold gsaro viisii] 'casins, witli 18 feet, and [lis costume. 67 After a few minutes passed in contemplation of the heavens the Indian prepares himself for the walk. First he sticks a small axe in his belt, serving as a counterpoise to a larcre huntmg-knife and fire-bag which depend from the othlr bide. He then slips his feet tlirough the lines of his snow- shoes, and throws the line of a smaU hand-sledc^e over his shoulder. The hand-sledge is a thin flat slip or plank of wood from five to six feet long by one foot broad, and is turned up at one end. It is extremely light, and Indians invariably use it when visiting their traps, for the purpose of dragging home the animals or game they may have caught. Having attache 1 this sledge to his back, he stoops to receive his gun from his faithful squum* who has been watching his operations through a hole in the tent • and throwing it on his shoulder, strides off, without uttering a word, across the moonlit space in front of the tent turns into a narrow track that leads domi the dark ravine and disapi)ears in the shades of tlie forest. Soon he reaches the termination of the track (made for the purpo.se of reaching some good dry trees for frewoo.l), arid stepping into the deep snow with the long, regular, firm tread of one accu.stomed to snow-shoe walking, he winds his way rapidly through the thick stems of the surrounding trees and turns aside the smaller bianehes of the bushes. Tlie forest is now almost dark, the foliage overhead having become so dense that the moon only iK-uetrate-s tlnough it in a few places, causing the ..pot.s*<,n which it falls to shmo with a strange phosphoric light, and render- Of the woni, and la uted to »igiiify « wife. m G8 Hudson's bay. ing the surrounding masses darker by contrast. The faint outline of an old snow-shoe track, at first discernible, is now quite invisible ; but still Steniaw moves forward with rapid, noiseless step, as sure of his way as if a broad beaten track lay before him. In this manner he moves on for nearly two miles, sometimes stooping to examme closely the newly made track of some wild animal, and occasionally giving a glance at the sky through the open- ings in the leafy canopy above him, when a faint sound in the bushes ahead brings him to a full stop. He listens attentively, and a noise, Uke the rattling of a cham, is heard proceeding from the recesses of a dark wild-lookmg hollow a few paces in front. Another moment, and the rattle is again distinctly heard : a .slight smile of satisfac- tion crosses Stcmaw's dark visage, for one of his traps is set in that place, and he knows that something is caught. Quickly descending the slope, he enters the bushes whence the sound proceeds, and pauses when within a yard or two of his trap, to peer through the gloom. A cloud passes li^ (.if the: muon, and fi faint ray reveals., it may U. a baauti ful black fox caught in the snare. A slight blow on the Hudson's bay. 69 it. Tlie icernible, forward f a broad le moves examine imal, and the open- nt sound 3e listens chain, is d-looking ;, and the if satisfac- LS traps is is caught, les whence ard or two md passes fc iif^ ft bo anti- low on the 1 snout from Stemaw's axe-handle kills the unfortunate animal ; in ten minutes more it is tied to his sledge, the trap is reset and again covered over with snow, so that it is almost impossible to tell that anything is there ; and the Indian pursues his way. The steel-trap used by the Indians is almost similar to the ordinary rat-trap of England, vath this difference, that it is a little larger, is destitute of teeth, and has two springs in place of one. A chain is attached to one spring for the purpose of fixing a weight to the trap, so that the animal caught may not be able to drag it far from the place where it was set. The track in the snow enables the hunter to find his trap again. It is generally set so that the jaws, when spread out flat, are exactly on a level with the snow. The chain and weight are both hid, and a thin layer of snow spread on top of the trap. The bait (which generally consists of chips of a frozen partridge, rabbit, or fish) is then scattered around in every direction ; and, with the exception of this, noticing distinguishes the spot. Foxes, beavers, wolves, lynx, and other animals, are caught in this way, .sometimes by a fore-leg, sometimes by a liind-leg, and sometimes by two legs at once, and occasionally by the nose. Of all these ways the Indians pref^-r catching by two legs, as there i.s then not the slightest possibility of the animal escaping. When foxes are caught by ouq kg, they often eat it off close to the trap, and escape on the other tlnee. I have frequently seen this liappen ; and / once saw a fox caught which had evidently esoannd in this wnv a.^ -^^o e^ if" '"«- Vim gone, and the stump healed up and covered again 70 HUDSON S BAY. with hair. When they are caught by the nose they are ahnost sure to escape, unless taken out of the trap very soon after being caught, as their snouts are so sharp or wedge-like that they can pull them from between the jaws of the trap without much difficulty. Having now described the way of using this machine, we will rejoin Stemaw, whom we left on his way to the next trap. There he goes, moving swiftly over the s^now mile after mile, as if he could not feel fatigue, turning aside now and then to visit a trap, and giving a short grunt when nothing is in it, or killing the animal when caught, and tying it on the sledge. Towards midnight, however, he begins to walk more cautiously, examines the priming of his gun, and moves the axe in his belt, as if he expected to meet some enemy suddenly. The ftict is, that close to where he now stands are two traps which he set in the morning close to each other for the jnirpose of catching one of the formidable coast wolves. These ani- mals are so sagacious that they will scrape all round a trap, let it be ever so well set, and after eating all the bait, walk away unhurt. Indians consequently endeavour in every possible way to catch them, and, among others, by setting two traps close together; so that, while the wolf scrapes at one, he may perhaps put his foot in the other. It is in this way that Stemaw s traps are set, and ho now proceeds cautiously towards them, his gun in the hollow of his Ictt ana. Slowly he advances, peering througii tho bushcR, but nothing is visible ; suddenly a branch crashes under his snow-^ihoe, and with a savage growl a large wolf bounds towards him, ia^nding alniOst at Hudson's bay. I they are trap very I sharp or 1 the jaws machine, ay to the the Miow !, turning g a short mal when midnight, mines the t, as if he e fact is, which he )urpose of rhese ani- [ round a ig all the 3ndeavour ig others, while the x)t in the B set, and :un in the I, peering iddenly a a savage ulraost at 71 hi feet. A smgle glance, however, shews the Indian that both traps are on his legs, and that the chains prevent his further advance. He places his gun against a L, draw his axe from the belt, and advances to kill the animal It is an undertaking, however, of some difficulty. The fierce brute, which is larger than a Newfoundland dog, stra n every nerve and sinew to break its chains ; whilt its eye glisten in the uncertain light, and foam curls from its blood-red mouth Now it retreats as the Indian advances check Its further retreat, it springs with fearful growl towards Stemaw, who slightly wounds it with his axe as he jumps backward just in time to save himself from 'the infuriated animal, which catches in its fangs the flap of his leggm, and tears it from his limb. Again Stemaw but without success. At last, as the wolf glances for a moment to one side-apparently to see if there is no wav of escape-quick as lightning the axe flashes in the air and descends with stunning violence on its head; anothe^ blow follows, and in five minutes more the animal is fas- tened to the sledge. This, however, has turned out a more exhausting busi- ness than Stemaw expected; so he determines to encamp ami .vst for a few hours. Selecting a large pine, wliosi «pu-adn.g branches cover a patch of ground free fmm mulenvood, he scrapes away the snow with his snow-slioe. S.ien ly but busily he labours for a quarter of an hour- aiKl then, having cleared a spaoo qovpt! "r --V^^f '- - • ' ' diameter, and imdy foui' feet deep, he cuts down a num- i: W i 72 Hudson's bay. l)er of small branches, which he strews at the bottom of the hollow, till all the snow is covered This done, he fells two or three of the nearest trees, cuts them up into lengths of about five feet long, and piles them at the root of the tree. A light is soon applied to the pile, and up glances the ruddy flame, crackling among the branches overhead, and sending thousands of bright sparks into the air. No one who has not seen it can have the least idea of the change that takes place in the appearance of the woods at night, when a large fire is suddenly lighted. Before, all was cold, silent, chilling, gloomy, and desolate, and the pale snow looked unearthly in the dark. Now, a bright ruddy glow falls upon the thick stems of the trees, and penetrates through the branches overhead, tipping those nearest the fire with a ruby tinge, the mere sight of which warms one. The white snow changes to a beautiful pink, whilst the stems of the trees, bright and clearly visible near at hand, become more and more indistinct in the distance, till they are lost in the black background. The darkness, however, need not be seen from the encamp- ment for, when the Indian lies down, he will be sur- Toundtxl by the snow walls, which sparkle in the firelight as if set with diamonds. These do not melt, as might be expected. The frost is much too intense for that, and nothing molts except the snow quite close to the fire. Stemaw has now concluded his arrangements : a snudl piece of dried deer's meat warms before the blaze ; and, meanwhile, he spreads his green blanket on the ground, and fills a stone calmiiet (or pipe with a wooden stem) with tobacco, mixed with a kind of weed prepared by himself. The white Hudson's bay. 73 lottom of done, he L up into the root !, and up branches irks into the least irance of f lighted. desolate, Now, a the trees, oing those , of which iful pink, •ly visible ct in the md. The ! encamp- 1 be sur- e firelight might be id nothing tcmaw has e of dried tiwhile, he Us a stone ceo, mixed The white smoke from this soon mingles with the thicker volumes from the fire, which curl up through the branches into the sky, now shrouding him in their wreaths, and then, as the bright flame obtains the mastery, leaving his dark face and coal-black eyes shining in the warm light. No one enjoys a pipe more than an Indian ; and Stemaw's tranquil visage, wreathed in tobacco smoke, as he reclines at full length under the spreading branches of the pine, j and allows the white vapour to pass slowly out of his mouth and nose, certainly gives one an excellent idea of savage enjoyment. Leaving him here, then, to solace himself with a pipe, preparatory to resting his wearied limbs for the night,' we will change the hour, and conduct the reader to a different scene. ^ It is now day. The upper edge of the sun has just risen, red and frosty-looking, in the east, and countless myriads of icy particles glitter on every tree and bush, in its red rays; while the white tops of the snow-drifts, which dot the surface of the small lake at which we have just arrived, are tipped with the same rosy hue. The lake is of considerable breadth, and the woods on its opposite shore are barely visible. An unbroken coat of pure white snow covers its entire surface, whilst here and there a small islet, covered with luxuriant evergreens, attracts the eye, and breaks the sameness )f the scene. At the extreme left of the lake, where the points of a few bulrushes and sedgy plants appear above the snow, are seen a number of small earthy mounds, in the immediate vicinity of which the trees and bushes are cut and barked II ^a*r« 74 Hudson's bay. in many places, while some of tliem are nearly cut down. This is a colony of beaver. In the warm months of sum- mer and autumn, this spot is a lively, stirring place, as the beavers are then employed nibbling down trees and bushes, for the purpose of repairing their dams, and supplying their storehouses with food. The bark of wil- lows is their chief food, and all the bushes in the vicinity are more or less cut through by these persevering little animals. Their dams, however (which are made for the purpose of securing to themselves a constant sufficiency of water), are made with large trees; and stumris wUl be found, if .' .1 choose to look for them, as thick „s a man's leg, whir;: i ;,i, beavers have entirely nibbled through, and dragg^M hy llieir united efforts many yards from where they grew. Now, however, no sign of animal life is to be seen, as the beavers keep within doors all winter; yet I venture to state that there are many now asleep under the snow before us. It is not, reader, merely for the purpose of shewing you the outside of a beaver-lodge that I have brought you such a distance from human habitations. Be patient, and you shall soon see more. Do you observe that small black speck moving over the white surface of the lake, far away on the horizon? It looks like a crow, but the forward motion is much too steady and constant for that. As it approaches, it assumes the form of a man, and at last the figure of Stemaw, dragging his empty sleigh behind him (for he has left his wolf and foxes in the last night's encampment, to be taken up when return- ing home), becomes clearly distinguishable through the Hudson's bay. /o dreamy haze of the cold wintry morning. He arrives at the beaver-lodges, and, I warrant, will soon play havoc among the inmates. His first proceeding is to cut down sever;)' kes, which he points at the ends. These are driven, after he has cut away a good deal of ice from around the beaver-lodge, into the ground between it and the shore. This is to prevent the beaver from running along the passage they always have from their lodges to the shore, where their storehouse is kept, which would make it necessary to ex- cavate the whole passage. The Ijeaver, if there are any, being thus imprisoned in the lodge, the hunter next stakes up the opening into the storehouse on shore, and so im- prisons those that may have fled there for shelter, on hear- ing the noise of his axe at the other house. Things being thus arranged to his entire satisfaction, he takes an instru- ment called an ice-chisel, which is a bit of steel about a foot long by one inch broad, fastened to the end of a stout pole, wherewith he proceeds to dig through the lodge. This is by no means an easy operation; and although he covers the snow around him with great quantities of frozen mud and sticks, yet his work is not half finished. At last, howevo' , the interior of the hut is laid bare, and the Indian, stooping down, gives a great pull, when out comes a large, fat, sleepy beaver, which he flings sprawling on the snow. Being thus unceremoniously awakened from its winter nap, the shivering animal looks languidly around, and even goes the length of grinning at Stemaw, by way of shewing its teeth, for which it is rev/arded with a blow on the head from the pole of the ice-chisel, which puts an IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 7 A \ {./

. Hudson's bay. 83 sion. The smoke usually occupied five or ten minutes, after which they pulled again for two hours more, and so on. While travelling in boats, it is only allowable to put ashore for breakfast ; so, about noon, we had a cold dinner in the boat : and, with appetites sharjiened by exposure to the fresh air, we enjoyed it pretty well. In a couple of days we branched off into Steel River, and began its ascent. The current here was more rapid than in Hayes River ; so rapid, indeed, that, our oars being useless, we were obliged to send the men ashore with the tracking-line. Tracking, as it is called, is dreadfully harassing work. Half of the crew go ashore, and drag the boat slowly along, while the other half go to sleep. After an hour's walk, the others then take their turn ; and so on, alternately, during the whole day. The banks of the river were high, and very precipitous; so that the poor fellows had to scramble along, sometimes close to the water's edge, and sometimes high up the bank, on ledges so narrow that they could scarcely find a footing, and where they looked like flies on a wall. The banksi too, being composed of clay or mud, were very soft, rendering the work disagreeable and tiresome ; but the light-hearted voyageurs seemed to be quite in their ele- ment, and laughed and joked while they toiled along, playing tricks with each other, and plunging occasionally up to the middle in mud, or to the neck in water, with as much nonchalance as if they were jumping into bed. On the fifth day after leaving York Factory, we arrived at the Rock Portage. This is the first on the route, and it is a very short one. A perpendicular waterfall, eight \Ml > :i g|j HUDSON'S BAY. or ten feet h\^h, forms an effectual barrier to the upward ™s of the boats by water ; so that the only way to progiehs ui uiv. J evervthing across the Some of the men, jumping ashore, -» '--"^ ^/"^^.^"^ with enormous burdens on their backs ; whilst othcra Sed nd pulled the heavy boats slowly «p the ca arac^ ;;:ting aid shouting all the time, -f *^ ^'^j ^ drown the thundering noise of the water wm 'riusscd furiously around the rocks on ^^^^^ In ibout an hour our boat, and one or two others, had 'TtL Wis ■ and we proceeded merrily on our way, S:i*its tL^d in proVtion to the elevation of our ""H'was here that I killed my first duck ; and well do I JlXr ho feehn. of pvidc with which I eontcmpted r ahievcment. That I had shot her s.ttmg about five the "^l'"-™ f ,„i,ich was loaded with yards from the nmzzic "V o > , . ,. , an enormous charge of shot, is undcnuble ; tut this jl d r Isscn my exultation a whit. The sparrows I used to HI iXs of yore, with inexpressible delight, grew • small t! d ,™cs" and cmnieally less, before the plump inhabi- tant of the marshes, till they dwindled into not ung ; and Uioy and fuss with which I hailed tte dcstraietion o the unfortunate bird can only be compared to, and equaUed ? the crowing and flurry with which a hen is accustomed to announce the production of her first egg ■ During the voyage, we often disturbed large flock, c. 'M' i HUDSON S BAY. 85 and geese, and sometimes shot a few. When we chanced to come within sight of them before they saw us, the boats all put ashore ; and L'Esperance, our guide, went round through the bushes, to the place were they were, and seldom failed in rendering at least one of the flock hors de combat At first I would as soon have volunteered to shoot a lion in Africa, with a Bushman beside me, as have presumed to attempt to kill geese while L'Esperance was present — so poor an opinion had I of my skill as a marks- man ; but, as I became more accustomed to seeing them killed, I waxed bolder ; and at last, one day, having come in sight of a flock, I begged to be allowed to try my hand. The request was gi-anted ; L'Esperance lent me his gun, and away I went cautiously through the bushes. After a short walk, I came close to where they were swimming about in the water; and cocking my gun, I rushed furiously down the bank, breaking everything before me, and tumbling over half-a-dozen fallen trees in my haste, till I cleared the bushes ; and then, scarcely taking time to raise the gun to my shoulder, banged right into the middle of the flock, just as they wor^ taking wing. All rose ; but they had not gone far wh< i one began to waver a little, and finally sat down in the water again — a sure sign of being badly wounded. Before the boats came up, however, he had swum to the opposite bank, and hid him- self among the bushes ; so that, much to my disappoint- ment, I had not the pleasure of handling this new trophy of my prowess. Upon one occasion, while sauntering along the banks of the river in search of ducks and geese, while the boats I 86 HUDSON'S BAY. Ill, were slowly ascending against the strong cur nt, I hap- r„l o o^st mv eyel across the stream, and there, to my poned t» »^^* '"y 7 y,,k bear bounding over the ::r^^ h t: LJ aglUty or a cat. He was r.t It n^hot, however, and I was obliged to -"tont my d^ with seeing him run before me for a quarter of a m.le, tVipn turn off into the forest. . Th twas truly the happiest time I ever spent m he Nor- wist Everything was full of novelty and exo.te- ml tpid sucLded rapid, and portage followed por- Tage, in enLs ^^^::^::r^::iz. is:" trnf— wl-rthe men were digging ;':boats,andJarrylngthegooasov^^^^^^^^^^^^ weather was beau^l, and ^t;-^»;^ »1 -""'"^ s:rbSarp.«.^^^^^^^^^^ :^rLrhoSU,a.^— - effectually, yi-'™™'"! ^oitnd was now entering home anu the restraint of school, ana ^■^^ T'"- 1 "trc?u"t 0^ Ze can I look back with :" plltrarSthe time spent in this journey to "^!'::nery through ^-h^e P.sed w. pretty and romantic, but there was nothux^ e,raiiQ _.. HUDSOM S BAT. 87 country generally was low and swampy; the highest ground being the banks of the river,* which sometimes rose to from sixty to seventy feet. Our progress in Hill River was slow and tedious, owing to the number of rapids encountered on the way. The hill from which the river derives its name is a small insignificant mound, and owes its importance to the flatness of the surrounding country. Besides the larger wild-fowl, small birds of many kinds were very numerous. The most curious, and at the same time the most impudent, among the latter, were the whisky-jacks ; they always hovered round us at breakfast, ready to snap up anything that came within their reach, advancing sometimes to within a yard or two of our feet, and looking at us with a very comical expression of coun- tenance. One of the men told me that he had often caught them in his hand, with a piece of peiaicn for a bait ; so, one morning after breakfast, I went a little to one side of our camp, and covering my face with leaves, extended my hand with a few crumbs in the open palm. In five minutes a whisky-jack jumped upon a branch over my head, and after reconnoitring a minute or so, lit upon my hand, and began to breakfast forthwith. You may be sure the trap was not long in going off; and the screeching thai: Mr Jack set up, on finding my fingers firmly closed upon his toes, was tremendous. I never saw a more pas- sionate little creature in my life : it screamed, struggled, and bit unceasingly, until I let it go ; and even then, it lighted on a tree close by, and looked at me as impudently as ever. The same day I observed that when the men were ashore, the whisky-jacks used to eat out of the pemi- I-? i i Hudson's bay. In bags left in the Wats; so I lay do^ closej. on. under cover of a buflalo-skm n^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^ .ade prisoner of '^^^'^l^^T.^'Xr, and nearly the forest. They are of a bluish giay „f feathers, ,,e of a blaeUbjrd^ but they a. h a W ^^^^ ^ that when plucked they co noi sparrow. They live aPr^-^VLTt -sidid very they are very fond ot it), ana aie agreeable eating. Sometimes, 7' tT:,::oS- -^^^^^^^^ danng ^ after a day of the mo ^^^^^^^ ,„„„ ,,^p,a,, the men were constantly pu^im, ^^^^^^^^^ ^„,y with poles, at a very «»■ *; ^.^^^.^ ,„,™p„e„t. four or iive miles ahead "f *» " " ° ^^^^^,^ t,,,elling As wc -ended h,.her up *o^« ^^^^ ^,,^ ^^^„^„,1 '• ™"Xrd :: u!e I oar. and even the sails, when rivers allowed us to r)„,„io„aiiy, wc were sweeping a puff of fair wind arose ^f "'"""^^ff^tin, with, and 4iaiy across the p acul -^^^^.'j.^^erful river, advancing against, the foaming """^^^^^^^^ „„ f„rtto whose raging torrent .«»«7'i *" '' f ~„1 roots, and progress. "^'-^^''^"fl'^^^ZCr^L a waterfall through the deep shades » '^ ' '^j across a lake, :,„a-.,oundonasmallisKo^^^^^^^^^^^^ 0,. V^J'^^Zls seemed U, en.ioy the ::::rvm!;r:ndevenMrsOowley,towho.Ua..d. Bhiprwere'new, liked it exceedingly. Hudson's bay. 8i) one, , had if the y the ,thers, han a least, I very 3times, which rapula, cs only ipment. avelling tranquil Is, when weeping ath, and fill river, r further ocks, and waterfall ss a lake, rely, were velty, and oujoy the loui hard- On our way we passed Oxford House, a small outpost of York Factory district. It is built on the brow of a grassy hill, which rises gradually from the margin of Oxford Lake. Like most of the posts in the country, it is com- posed of a collection of wooden houses, built in the form of a square, and surrounded by tall stockades, pointed at the tops. These, however, are more for ornament than de- fence. A small flag-staff towers above the ildings, from which, upon the occasion of an arrival, a little red Hudson's Bay Company's flag waves its folds in the gentle current of an evening breeze. There were only two or three men at the place ; and not a human being, save one or two wandering Indians, was to be found within hundreds of miles of this desolate spot. After a stay here of about half-an-hour, we proceeded on our way. Few things are more beautiful or delightful than cross- ing a lake in the woods, on a lovely morning at sunrise. The brilliant sun, rising in a flood of liglit, pierces through the thin haze of morning, converting the countless myriads of dew-drops that hang on tree and bush into simrklin*' diamonds, and burnishing the motionless flood of water, till a new and mighty firmament is reflected in the wave — as if Nature, rising early from her couch, paused to gaze with admiration on her resi)lendent imago, reflected in the depths of her own nuitcliless mirror. The profound still- ness, too, broken only by the nu'asurcd .sweep of the oars, tills the soul with awe ; whilst a tranquil but unbounded happiness steals over the heart of the traveller, as he gazes ;he distant horizon, broken here and there by n I ;:l Ji I: i 1 QQ HUDSON'S BAY. he loves till' ever. ,i,„„„i, sli"1itly changed, A» the .laya.lvance3,the scene, *.™f [^^ - ,;4,,i,,„'t,,o i, still »o.t ..oautifuL The '""-'"f ^ ;;i*^ „i.ts, reveals, in all its ^^^^^'.^^^iT^Z warmth „.ith thin fleecy clouas; ''"''•" '"f"'n„°i„ the souL to the body, erea.es a syrn,,^^ t. gW.^^^^^ ^^^^^^.^^^ Flocks of snow-white g^""^ ^'"' .. '^.^4,^ ^^ if to kiss round the boats, dipping bg^y '" "'„ i„„„ rapid :itatr;er:C«- are gone I ^.^^^ steering wide of Ducks, too whirr P-^\ ^^f^^^^^^^^^ curves into the boats, and again ^^cnd.ng u Ion g ^. Tho ^weet planitive cry oi i^ul wmi i their course, ihe s\\tcL pui ^ „„swer of his „■„! rings along *'' .t^it;; ,1:1*0 along --'' T Z ^ is tS: n k water, and the r,;^ I? gi: in drea,ny enjoyment on all that .3 lovely and peaceful n. nature. wiWerness. Tliese arc the j)(e-e.» of travcuin„ Let us change *» PW''«. ^,,^ ^„„^„ii ,eene. The sun no 1™S-' »'™'' ' .„ff„cating beat Bark, bcavy clouds obscure the ^^y .^» ^,_^^, aepresses the spirits and enervates u.. ....u. , - -l- Hudson's bay. 91 nders yhap, those mged, 112 the eckled 'armth \ souL hitions to kiss r rapid 1 world 5 visible ing, till ,nd they wide of •ves into lip-poor- ir of hiH to a long and the ill that is ilderncss. nil scene, tting heat larp, short gusts of wind now ruffle the inky waters, and the floating islands sink into insignificance, as the deceptive haze which elevated them flies before the approaching storm. The ducks are gone, and the plaintive notes of the whip- poor-will are hushed as the increasing breeze rustles the leafy drapery of the forest. The gulls wheel round still, but in more rapid and uncertain flight, accompanying their motions with shrill and mournful cries, like the dismal wailings of the spirit of the storm. A few drops of rain patter on the boats, or plump like stones into the water, and the distant melancholy growl of thunder swells upon the coming gale. Uneasy glances are cast, ever and anon, towards clouds and shore, and grumbling sentences are uttered by tlie men. Suddenly a liissing sound is heard, a loud clap of thunder growls overhead, and the gale, dashing the white spray wildly before it, rushes down upon the boata " A terre! dj terre!" shout the men. The boats are turned towards the shore, and the bending oars creak and groan as they pull swiftly on. Hiss! whirr! the gale bursts forth, dashing clouds of spray into the air; twisting and curling the foaming water in its fury. The thunder crashes with fearful noise, and the lightning gleams in fitful lurid streaks across the inky sky. Presently the shore is gained, amid a deluge of rain which saturates everything with water in a few minutes. The tents are pitched, but the fires will scarcely burn, and are at last allowed to go out Tlie men seek shelter under the oiled cloths of the boats; while the travellers, rolled up in damp blankets, with the rain oozing through the tents upon lil' L * ' : J, HUDSON'S BAY. .r^fnllv iir)on the dismal scene, and ness and misery. ^ork Factory, we arrived m safety at the uqw sluggish This fort is built at the »ou \ot a^™" ^j^^ ^„„,,, stream, kno,™ by the »j; "^ ^^f «„, „f them exceed are ranged in the form o a square „,,it,„,,Ued. one storey in height and mo of them ^ ^_^^^^ ^^^_ The ground on .h.eh ''^^y /^^^^ ,hc stoehades den, composed di.eBy ot ^^^<''\ i „^,s of roelcs like a strange excreseenee Ata.^ - ^^^^^_ ,,,,i,i, rises up between the fort and Kaj ^^ ^^^_^^_ stretches out to the ''^^^TJ'!;;* staff, as a beacon On the top of these "*' ^^^^^y h Js"--"S»'""^'^ to guide the traveller ; f.r Nor^^ay ^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^ hid in a hollow that it cannot be seen the boat almost l^'f '"f„„ .^unds a flat, grassy On the left s.do ot ^^!'^''^l ,^^ ,„„,„„,. months, I»rk, or green, upon ^''''«^' j"'"^jlting scene. Spread here is often a picturesque and »^"'^f ' j^,,^ „f, the out to dry in the sun. n.ay ^^^^^^^ the rising duet factor, lately arnved; a Wtlct^.^^^^^^^ ground, stands <^ ^^^: -L.^ i^'>^ «- '"P tho small wreath ot wmte ^^^^ j,,^^„ .roving that it is ■"'-^;' ' J' .^ Jled up ^^ and j.st or four boats and a n„tt. an» ar^ ^^^^^ ^^ ^ZXto— vl with various games, or rechno up™ the grass, basking in th.= suu,lanc. HUDSON S BAY. 93 Behind the fort stretches the thick forest, its outline broken here and there by cuttings of firewood or small clearings for farming. Such was Norway House in 1841. The rocks were crowded when we arrived, and we received a hearty welcome from INIr Euss (the chief factor in charge) and his amiable family. As it was too late to proceed any further that day, we determined to remain here all night. From the rocks before mentioned, on which the flag- staft' stands, we had a fine view of Playgreen liake. There was nothing striking or bold in the scene, the country being low and swampy, and no hills rose on the horizon, or cast their shadows on the lake ; but it was pleasing and tranquil, and enlivened by one or two boats sailing about on the water. We spent an agreeable evening, and early on the follow- ing morning staited again on our journey, having received an agreeable addition to our party in the person of Miss Jessie Russ, second daughter of ]\Ir Buss, from whom we had just parted. On the evening of the first day after our departure from Nonvay House, we encamped on the shores of Lake Winipcg. This immense body of fresh water is about three hundred miles long by about fifty broad. Tho shores are generally flat and uninteresting, and the water shallow; yet here and there a few pretty spots may bo seen at the heiid of a small bay or inlet, where the ground is a little more elevated and fertile. Nothing particular occurred during our voyage along the. sh.oros of tliG lake oxcot thut wo hoisted our sails n4Mm.,jw i lit .Ji.jl I i -4 >. '{ ^. HUDSON'S BAY. ,ight travelling than ^^^^^f^^.^^ mout/of Ked leaving Norway House, we aruvea ^ y^ ^^ Eiver ; and a ve^ — J ^ S; t^d darling with ,,,, covered w.th^U ^ul^; ^^^ ^^^ swampy ; but as we ascended, thej f'^'^J Fort-twenty mUes elevated till we arnved at the btone ro elevatea, tolerably high. nt:::^;;t:^"^ we ^sed an lndi» — n. the cultivated fields -d f 'to h^u^J^ wh^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^ church spu-e in the "»ds\qu Ue rrfrjhed ^ ^ being so long oocustomed to the shades i Kl Stone Fort is a substantial fortification surrounded Jgh :i :nd flanked with bastions, and has a fine appearance from the nver ^^^^^.^^^ Here my fnend »f f '"'''"''..i^a „„ the settle- 0, his wife's iUn^ l^f;-;^! X 1 LmbarUed. r;:as"lt:Sl to be rowed slowly to Fort Garry. "-Ji^ '^n^Us^wtlld !u r;ay along with the . The "7.^"fJX colonists, which had a thriving houses and to'^* »' ""^ ^^e quantity of live stock cleanly appearance ; and, Horn tne q , i„ the farin-yards, the numb ^^ P g ^l™^;,^ ^„ ,,t and the healthy appearance of *» -^Mdre of the cotUgcs to gaze upon -] J^^f *;, ,„,a t,,,^ .!.„ settlers cenerally were well to do in ii c The houses of' some of the more wcaimy .nhatotants ri Hudson's bay. 95 were very handsome-looking buildings, particularly that of Mr M'Allum, where, in a few hours, I landed. This gentleman was the superintendent of the Eed Kiver Aca- demy, where the children of the wealthier colonists, and those of the gentlemen belonging to the Hudson's Bay Company, are instructed in the various branches of English literature, and made to comprehend how the world was convulsed in days of ycre by the mighty deeds of the heroes of ancient Greece and Rome. Here I was hospitably treated to an excellent breakfast, and then proceeded on foot with Mr Carles (who rejoined me here) to Fort Garry, which lay about two miles distant. Upon arriving, I was introduced to Mr Tinlayson, the chief factor in charge, who received me very kindly, and introduced me to my fellow-clerks in the office. Thus terminated my first inland journey. 96 HUDSON'fi BAY. CHAPTER VL • +n use a hicrh-flown expression, of I. ™st praivles ot North — . ^.^^^_ ^^^ It is situated partly - ^^^^^am called the Assi- I-f ^""-'It:::': 50= "* te„ds up^a^s of fifty iiabomo, in latit.ule ou , n^ilos alo„g the banks otlset^^o ^ The country around .t s a vas ^ ^^^.^^ ^^^^ ^j ^hich scarcely a shrnhs^bse™ ^.^^^ ^,^^ g,.,s covers it «-nghont^^ cn^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^ ,, exception ot a few '*I'°.'''J' . „, tfe meandenng g„„„auas c«:l:r';.:Xr:;,ehes tl. sou, and of some small stream or covers its banks ...h verdant ^hrn^^^^^.^^^ ^.^^^ ^^^ T'- '«*^ "^ *^ UU woodland, which docs not, rttl:; t\^^ into the plains U is -- ir flak, poplar, winow.fe.tU» first of which- Hudson's bay. 97 much used for firewood by the settlers. The larger timber in the adjacent woods is thus being rapidly thinned, and, ere long, the inhabitants will have to raft their firewood dovm the rivers from a considerable distance. The settlers are a mixture of French Canadians, Scotch- men, and Indians. The first of these occupy the upper part of the settlement ; the second live near the middle ; and the Indians inhabit a village at its lower extremity. There are four Protestant churches : the upper, middle, and lower churches, and one at the Indian settlement. There are also two Roman Catholic chapels, some priests, and a Roman Catholic bishop, resident in the colony, be- sides one or two schools ; the principal being, as before mentioned, under the superintendence of Mr M'Allum, who has since been ordained by the Bishop of Montreal, during that prelate's visit to Red River. For the preservation of the peace, and the punishment of evil-doers, a Recorder and body of magistrates are provided, who assemble every quarter at Fort Garry, the seat of the court-house, for the purpose of redressing wrongs, punishing crimes, giving good advice, and eatmg an excellent dinner at the Company's table. There was once, also, a body of policemen ; but, strange to say, they were chosen from among the most turbulent of the settlers, and were never expected to be on duty except when a riot took place ; the policemen themselves generally being the ringleaders on those occasions, it may be supposed they did not materially assist in quelling disturbances. The Scotch and Indian settlers cultivate wheat, barley, ^rket 1 1- - — 1.. and indiaii corn in abundance, for wnicn tuc oniy luar ini !i n 11. i ! «'!' 98 HUDSON'S BAY. is that afforded by the Company, the more wealtJiy settlers, and retired chief factors. This market, however, is a poor one, and in years of plenty the settlers find it difficult to dispose of their surplus produce. Wild fruits of various descriptions are abundant, and the gardens are well stocked with vegetables. The settlers have plenty of sheep, pigs, poultry, and horned cattle; and there is scarcely a manln the place who does not drive to church on Sundays in his own cariole. Cariole. Red River is a populous settlement ; the census taken m 1843 proved it to contain upwards of 5000 souls, and since then it has been rapidly increasing. There is a paper currency in the settlement, which obviates the necessity of having coin afloat. English pence and half-pence, however, are plentiful. The lowest paper note is one shilling sterling, the next five shillings, and tlie highest twenty shillings. The Canadian settlers and half-breeds are employed, during the greater part of the year, in travelling with the Company's boats, and in buffalo hunting. The Scotch settlers are chiefly farmers, tradesmen, and merchants. . 'T Hudson's bay. 99 ^thy settlers, jr, is a poor difficult to of various veil stocked sheep, pigs, ly a man in Sundays in isus taken souls, and nt, which English !'he lowest shillings, in settlers 3r part of ts, and in y fanners, The rivers, which are crossed in wooden canoes, in the absence of bridges, are well stocked with fish, the princi- pal kinds being goldeyes, sturgeon, and catfish. Of these I think the goldeyes the best, at any rate they are the most numerous. The wild animals inhabiting the woods and prairies are much the same as in the other parts of North America, viz., wolves, foxes, brown and black bears, martens, minx, musquash, rabbits, &c. ; while the woods are filled with game, the marshes and ponds with ducks, geese, swans, cranes, and a host of other water-fowL Red Pdver was first settled upon by the fur traders, who established a trading post many years ago on its banks; but it did not assume the character of a colony till 1811, when Lord Selkirk sent out a number of emigrants to form a settlement in the wild regions of the North- West. Norwegians, Danes, Scotch, and Irish, composed the motley crew ; but the great bulk of the colonists then, as at the present time, consisted of Scotchmen and Canadians. Unlike other settlements in d wild country inhabited by Indians, the infant colony had few difficulties to contend with at the outset. The Indians were friendly, and had become accustomed to white men from their previous con- tact, for many years, with the servants of the Hudson's Bay Company ; so, with the exception of one or two l^roils pinonir themselves and other fur traders, the colonists plodded peacefully along. On one occasion, however, the Hudson's Bay Company and the North- West Company, who were long at enmity with each other, had a sharp skii'mish, in which Mr Semple, then Governor of tae If" I, 100 Hudson's bay. I.! i i Hudson'.- Bay Company, was kiUed, and a number of Ms men were killed and wounded. The whole affair originated very foolishly. A body of men had been observed from the walls of Fort Garry, travelling past the fort, and as Governor Semplc wished to ascertain their intentions, he sallied forth with a few men to intercept them, and demand their object. The North-West party, on seeing a body of men coming to- wards them from the fort, halted till they came up ; and Cuthbert Grant, who was in command, asked what they wanted. Governor Semple required to know where they were going ; being answered in a surly manner, an alter- cation took place between the two parties (of which the North-West was the stronger), in the middle of which a shot was unfortunately fired by one of the Hudson's Bay party. It was never known who fired this shot, and many believe that it was discharged accidentally; at any rate, no one was injured by It The moment the report was heard, a volley was iired by the N orth-Westers upon the Hud- .soii's Bay party, which killed a few, and wounded many; a-noncr the latter was Governor Semple. Cuthbert Grant did his utmost to keep back the fierce half-castes under his command, but without avail ; and at last, see-u- tliat this was impossible, he stood over the wounded ??.r.m1r% and endeavoured to defend him. In this he suceccO.eu toi some time, but a shot from behind at last took effect m the ..nfortunate Governor's body, and killed him. After this. . '^ rpmainder of his party fled to the fort, and the vict-^-i'j half-' .irieds pursued their way. . Puring iho cime that these two companies opposed each Hudson's bay. 101 cr of his "body of ■t Garry, c wished th a few ;ct. The ming to- up; and 7ha,t they here they an alter- .vhich the ' which a son's Bay and many ly rate, no vas heard, the Hud- ed many; Dert Grant 3tes under ee"'U;4 tliat id Psr.iplo, scciitleu. tor k effect in im. xYfter ft, and the posed each other, the country was in a state of constant turmoil and excitement. Personal conflicts with fi!,ts between the men — and, not unfrequently, the gentlemen — of the op- posing parties were of the commonest occurrence, and freq arn( ly n;ore deadly weapons were resorted to. Spirits were distribiited among the wretched natives to a dreadful extent,, and the scenes that sometimes ensued were dis- gusting in the extreme. Amid all this, however, stratagem was more frequently resorted to than open violence by the two companies, in their endeavours to prevent each other from procuring furs from the Indians. Men were con- stantly kept on the look-out for parties of natives return- ing from hunting expeditions ; and those who could arrive first at the encampment always carried off the furs. The Indians did not care which company got them; "first come, first served," was the order of the day ; and both were equally welcome, provided they brought plenty of fire water. Although the individuals of the two companies were thus almost always at enmity at the forts, strange to say, they often acted in the most friendly manner to each other, and (except when furs were in question) more agreeable or friendly neighbours seldom came together than the Hudson's Bay and North- West Companies, when the;- plantea their forts (which they often did) within two hundred yards of each other, in the wilds of North Ame- rica. The clerks and labourers of the opposing estab- lishments constantly visited each other ; and during the Christmas and New- Year's holidays, parties and balls were given without number. Dances, however, were not con- ■m ■ i.f. 1 t i I 102 HUDSON S BAY. fined entirely to the holidays; but whenever one was given at an unusual time, it was generally for the purpose of drawing the attention of the entertained party from some movement of their entertainers. Thus, upon one occasion the Hudson's Bay Company's lock-out reported that he had discovered the tracks of Indians in the snow, and that he thought they had just returned from a hunting expedition. No sooner was this heard than a grand ball was given to the North-West Company. Great preparations were made ; the men, dressed in their newest capotes and gaudiest hat-cords, visited each other, and nothing was thought of or talked of but the ball. The evening came, and with it the guests ; and soon might be heard within the fort sounds of merri- ment and revelry, as they danced, in lively measures, to a Scottish reel, played by some native fiddler upon a violin of his own construction. Without the gates, however, a very different scene met the eye. Down in a hollow, where the lofty trees and dense underwood threw a shadow on the ground, a knot of men might be seen, muffled in their leathern coats and fur caps, hurrying to and fro with bundles on their backs and snow-shoes under their arms ; packing and tying them firmly on trains of dog-sledges, which stood, with the dogs ready harnessed, in the shadow of the bushes. The men whispered eagerly and hurriedly to each other, as they packed their goods, while others held the dogs, and patted them to keep them quiet ; evi- dently showing, that whatever was their object, expedition and secrecy were necessary. Soon all was in readiness : the bells which usually tinkled on the dogs* necks, were vas given arpose of •om some bmpany s tracks of had just r was this )rtli-West the men, hat-cords, or talked he guests ; of merri- ;ures, to a n a violin lowever, a low, where shadow on 3d in their [ fro with lieir arms ; ng-sledges, he shadow . hurriedly tiile others juiet ; evi- expedition readiness : lecks. were Hudson's bay. 103 unhooked and packed in the sledges — an active-looking man sprang forward and set off at a round trot over the snow, and a single crack of the whip sent four sledges, each with a train of four or five dogs, after him, while two other men brought up the rear. For a time tlie muffled sound of the sledges was heard as they slid over the snow, while now and then the whine of a dog broke upon the ear, as the impatient drivers urged them along. Gradu- ally these sounds died away, and nothing was heard but the faint echoes of music and mirth, which floated on the frosty night-wind, giving token that the revellers still kept up the dance, and were igno...nt of the departure of the trains. Late on the following day the Nor'-West scouts reported the party of Indians, and soon a set of sleighs departed from the fort w'l'di loudly ringing bells. After a long day's march of forty miles, they reached the encampment, where they found all the Indians dead drunk, and not a skin, not even tie remnant of a musquash, left to repay them for their trouble ! Then it was that they discovered the ruse of the ball, and vowed to have their revenge. Opportunity was not long wanting. Soon after this occurrence one of their parties met a Hudson's Bay train on its way to trade with the Indians, of whom they also were in search. They exchaiiged compliments with each other ; and as the day was very cold, proposed lighting a fire and taking a dram together. Soon five or six goodly trees yielded to their vigorous blows, and fell crashing to the ground ; and in a few minutes one of the party, light- ing a sulphur match with his flint and steeh sot fire to a 104j Hudson's bay. huge pile of logs, which crackled and burned furiously, sending up clouds of sparks into the wintry sky, and cast- ing a warm tinge upon the snow and the surrounding trees. The canteen was qu' kly produced, and they told their stories and adventures, while the liquor mounted to their brains. The Nor'- Westers, however, after a little time, spilled their grog on the snow, unperceived by the others, so that they kept tolerably sober, while their r'vals became very much elevated; and at last they began boast- ing of their superior powers of drinking, and, as a proof, each of them swallowed a large bumper. The Hudson's Bay party, who were nearly dead drunk by this time, of course followed their example, and almost instantly fell in a heavy sleep on the snow. In ten minutes more they were tied firmly upon their sledges, and the dogs being turned homewards, away they went straight for the Hud- son's Bay Fort, where they soon after arrived, the men still sound asleep ; while the Nor'-Westers started for the Indian camp, and, this time at least, had the furs all to themselves. Such were the scenes that took place thirty years ago in the northern wildernesses of America. Since then, the two companies have joined, retaining the name of the richer and more powerful of the two — the "Hudson's Bay Company." Spirits were still imported after the junction ; but of late years they have been dispensed with throughout the country, e.Kcept at the colony of Red River, and the few jK)st3 where opposition is carried on by the American fur companies ; so that now the poor savage no longer grovels in the dust of his native wilder- Hudson's bat. m furiously, , and cast- rrounding they told • mounted ter a little ed by the heir r'vals ^an boast- ,s a proof, Hudson's IS time, of itly fell in nore they ogs being the Hud- ; men still 1 for the 'urs all to ars ago in then, the lie of the Hudson's after the nsed with f of Red ;arried on the poor ve wilder- ness under the influence of the white man's fire water ; and the stranger who travels through those wild romantic regions no longer beholds the humiliating scenes, or hears of the frightful crimes, which were seen and heard of too often in former days, and which always have been, and always must be, prevalent wherever spirituous liquors, the great curse of mankind, are plentiful, and particularly where, as in that country, the wild inhabitants fear no laAVS, human or divine. In the year 1826, Red River overflowed its banks and flooded the whole settlement, obliging the settlers to for- sake their houses, and drive their horses and cattle to the trifling eminences in the immediate vicinity. These eminences were few and very small, so that during the flood they presented a curious appearance, being crowded with men, women, and children, horses, cattle, sheep, and poultry. The houses; being made of wood, and only built on the ground, not sunk into it, were carried away by dozens, and great numbers of horses and cattle were drowned. During the time it lasted, the settlers sailed and paddled among their houses in boats and canoes ; and they now point out, among the waving grass and verdant bushes, the spot where they dwelt in their tents, or paddled about the deep waters in their canoes, in the " year of tho flood." This way of speaking has a strangely antediluvian sound. The hale, middle-aged colonist will tell you, with a ludicrously grave countenance, that his house stood on such a spot, or sucli and such an event happened, " a year before the jiood." Fort Garry, the princij)al establishment of the Hud- 106 HUDSON'S BAY. son's Bay Company, stands on tlie banks of the Assina- boine River, about two hundred yards from its junction with Red River, It is a square stone building, with bas- tions pierced for cannon at the corners. The principal dwelling-houses, stores, and offices, are built within the walls, and the stables at a small distance from the fort. The situation is pretty and quiet ; but the surrounding country is too flat for the lover of the grand and pic- turesque. Just in front of the gate runs, or rather glides, the peaceful Assinaboine, where, on a fine day in autumn, may be seen thousands of goldeyes playing in its limpid waters. On the left extends the woodland fringing the river, with here and there a clump of smaller trees and willows surrounding the swamps formed by the melting snows of spring, where flocks of wild-ducks and noisy plover give animation to the scene, while, through the openings in the forest, are seen glimpses o the rolling prairie. Down in the hollow, where the stables stand, are always to be seen a few liorses and cows, feeding or lazily chewing their cud in the rich pasturage, giving an air of repose to the scene, which contrasts forcibly with the view of the wide plains that roll out like a vast green sea from the back of the fort, studded here and there with little islets and hillocks, around wdiich may be seen hovering a watchful hawk or solitary raven. The clinuite of Red River is salubrious and agreeable. Winter commences about the month of November, and spring generally begins in April. Although the winter is very long and extremely cold (the thermometer usually HUDSON'S BAY. 307 varying between ten and thirty degrees below zero), yet, from its being always dry frost, it is much more agreeable than people accustomed to the damp thawy weather of Great Britain might suppose. Winter is here the liveliest season of the year. It is then that the wild, dcmi-savage colonist leads the blushing half-breed girl to the altar, and the country about his house rings with the music of the sleigh bells as his friends assemble to congratulate the happy pair, and dance for three successive days. It is at this season the hardy voi/ageurs rest from their toils, and, circling round the blazing fire, recount many a tale of danger, and paint many a wild romantic scene of their long and tedious voyages among the lakes and rapids of the interior ; while their wives and children gaze with breathless interest upon their swarthy, sunburnt faces, lighted up with ani- mation as they recall the scenes of other days, or, with low and solemn voice, relate the death of a friend and fellow voyageur who perished among the foaming cataracts of the wilderness. Turing the summer months there ai-e often very severe tlnmder-storms, accompanied with tremendous showers of hail, wliich do great misch-'ef to the crops and houses. The hailstones are of an enormous size, upwards of an inch in diameter ; and on two or three occasions they broke all the windows in Fort Garry that were exposed to the storm. Generally sjjcaking, however, tlio weather is serene and calm, particrlaily in autumn, and during the delicious season peculiar to America called the Indian summer, which precedes the commencement of wititcr. lit 1 1 108 HUDSON S BAY. , The scenery of Red River, as I said before, is neither grand nor picturesque, yet, when tlie sun shines brightly on tlie waving gi-ass, and glitters on the silver stream, and when the distant and varied cries of wild-fowl break in plaintive cadence on the ear, one experiences a sweet exulting happiness, akin to the feelings of the sailor when he gazes forth at early morning on the polished surface of the sleeping sea. Such is Red River, and such the scenes on which I gazed in wonder, as I rode by the side of my friend and fellow- clerk, ]\.T'Kenny, on the evening of my arrival at my new home. Mr M'Kenny was mounted on his handsome horse '; Colonel," while I cantered by his side on a horse that afterwards bore me over many a mile of prairie land. It i3 not every day that one has an opportunity of describing a horse like the one I then rode, so the reader will be pleased to have a little patience while I draw his portrait. In the first place, then, his name was " Taureau." He was of a moderate height, of a brown colour, and had the general outlines of a horse, when viewed as that animal might be supposed to aj»pear if reflected from the depths of a bad looking-glass. His chief peculiarity was the great height of his hind-quarters. In youth they had outgrown the fore-quarters, so that, upon a level road, you had all the advantages of riding down-hill. He cantered delight- fully, trotted badly, walked slowly, and upon all and every occasion evinced a resolute pig-headedness, and a strong disinclination to accommodate his will to that of his rider. He was decidedly porcine in his disposition, very plebeian in his niannerjs, and doubtless also irt his sentlxiients. Hudson's bay. 109 Such -was the Bucephalus upon which 1 took my first ride over tlie lied Kiver prairie ; now swaying to and fro on his back as we galloped over the ground, anon stotting, in the manner of a recruit in a cavalry regiment as yet imaccustomed to the saddle, when he trotted on the beaten track ; and occasionally, to the immense delight of M'Kenny, seizing tight hold of the saddle, as an uncertain waver in my body reminded me of Sir Isaac Newton's law of gra- vitation, and that any rash departure on my part from my understanding would infallibly lay me prostrate on the ground. Soon after my arrival I underwent the operation which my horse had undergone before me, viz., that of being broken in ; the only difference being that he was broken in to the saddle and I to the desk. It is needless to de- scribe the agonies I endured while sitting, hour after hour, on a long-legged stool, my limbs quivering for want of their accustomed exercise, while the twittering of birds, barking of dogs, lowing of cows, and neighing of horses, seemed to invite me to join them in the woods. Often, as my weary pen scratched slowly over the paper, their voices seemed to cliange to hoarse derisive laughter, as if they thought the little missliapen frogs croaking and whistling in the marshes freer far than their proud masters^ who coop themselves up in smoky houses the live-long day, and call themselves the free, unshackled " lords of the crea- tion ! " I soon became accustomed to these minor miseries of human life, and ere Ions could sit m "T— W.'.t'PjfW" ! •yiQ HUDSON'S BAY. " From mom till night To scratcli and write Upon a tliree-legg'd stool ; Nor mourn the joys Of truant boys Who stay away from school." There is a proverb which says, " It is a p heart that never rejoices." Now, taking it for grantea ..at the pro- verb speaks truth, and not wishing by our disregard ot it to be thought poor-hearted, we-that is, M'Kentfy and I- were in the habit of rejoicing our spirits occasionaly-not in the usual way, by drinking brandy and water (though we did sometimes, when nobody knew it, indulge m a glass of beer with the red hot poker thrust into it), but by shouldering our guns and sallying forth to shoot the par- tridges, or rather grouse, which abound in the woods of Ked River On these occasions M'Kenny and I used to ran<^e the forest in company, enhvening our walk with converse, sometimes light and cheerful, often philosophi- cally deep, or thinking of the " light of other days. We seldom went out without bringing home a few brace of gray grouse, which were exceedingly tame; so tame, indeed, that sometimes they did not take wing untd two or three shots had been fired. On one occasion, after walkincr about for half-an-hour without getting a shot, we started^ covey of seven, which alighted upon a tree close at hand ; we instantly fired at the two lowest, and brought them down, while the others only stretched out their long nocks, as if to see what had happened to their com- rades, but did not fly away. Two more were soon s^ot; !^',«U.-.,«llJLl'l"ff" Hudson's bay. Ill eart that , the pro- jard of it J and I — ally — not r (though in a glass ), but by t the par- woods of I used to tvalk with )hilosophi- lys." We N brace of so tame, r until two ision, after a shot, we 1 tree close nd brought out their their com- soon shot J and while we were reloading our guns, the other three flew off to a neighbouring tree. In a few minutes more they followed their companions, and we had bagged the whole seven. This is by no means an uncommon exploit, when the bkds are tame ; and though poor sport, yet it lielps to fill your la ' ^with somewhat better fare than it would often contft^^x' without such assistance. The only thing that we had to avoid was, aiming at the birds on the higher branches, as the noise they make in falling frightens those below. The experienced sportsman always begins with the lowest bird, and if they sit still after the first shot, he is almost sure of the rest. Shooting, however, was not our only amusement : some- times, on a fine evening, we used to saddle our horses and canter over the prairie till Eed River and the fort were scarcely visible in the horizon ; or, following the cart road along the settlement, we called upon our friends and acquaintances; returning the polite "honjoiir" of the French settler, as he trotted past us on his shaggy pony, or smiling at the pretty half-caste girls, as they passed along the road. These same girls, by the way, are gene- rally very pretty ; they make excellent wives, and are un- commonly thrifty. With beads, and brightly coloured porcupines' quills, and silk, they work the most beautifid devices on the moccasins, leggins, and leathern coats worn by the inhabitants ; and during the long winter months they spin, and weave an excellent kind of cloth, from the wool produced by the sheep of the settlement, mixed with tliat of the buffalo, brought from the prahies by the hunters. - _r^, ' ..^ l .».W» j WJitf "'W "W* ^ -rrif- 112 HUDSON'S BAY. About the middle of autumn the body of Mr Thomas Simpsou, the unfortunate discoverer, who, m company with Mr Dease, attempted to discover the Nor'-West Passage, was brouoht to the settlement for burial. Poor Mr Snnp- Z hid .;t out with a party of Eed Eiver half-bree s, for the purpose of crossing the plains to St Lewis, and pro- ceedin/thence through the United States to England. Soon Tfter his departure, however, several of the party re- turned to the settlement, stating that Mr Simpson had, in a fit of insanity, killed two of his men and then shot him- self and that they had buried him on the spot where he fell' This story, of course, created a great sensation in the colony ; and as all the party gave the same account of the affair upon investigation, it was beheved by many tha he had committed suicide. A few, however, thought chat he had been murdered, and had shot the two men m self- defence. In the autumn of 1841 the matter was ordered to be further inquired into; and, accordingly, Dr Bunn was sent to the place where Mr Simpson's body had been interred, for the purpose of raising and examming it. Decomposition, however, had proceeded too far ; so the body was conveyed to the colony for burial, and Dr Bunn returned mthout having discovered anythmg that could throw light on the melancholy subject. I did not know Mr Simpson personally, but from the report of those who did, it appears that, though a clever and honourable man, he was of rather a ha^ighty disposition, and in consequence was very much disliKed by the half- breeds of Red Paver. I therefore think, with many of Mr Simpson's friends and former companions, that x^e di-. not li ii , ■-■ij»y,'.-im«iiw«||" HUDSON'S BAY. jjg km himself, and that this was only a false report of his had J,, succeeded in making important additions to onr g ogr ph.cal knowledge, and who might reasonably ex- pe t honour and remunemiou upon returning to hi ru.t.ve land, would, without any known or "apparen cause, first commit murder and then suicid. By h^s mdancholy death, the Hudson's Bay Company L, faithful servant, and the world an intelligent and enter- prising man. ° "n tnier- Winter, aecor^ling to its ancient custom, passed away ami sprmg. not with its genial gales and scented Howe's' but with burning sun and melthig snow, chan<.ed the f2 c^ nature and broke the icy covering of M Eiv'e. D,^" ats vamshed, and a few of the half-breed settlers doZ more haidy and savage contented themselves with the bomiet «,n in the shape of their own thick blaTk hat Carioles still continued to run. but it was merely f 1 «" force of habit and it was evident they would soon Je up n despair Sportsmen began to think of ducks and Z7 farmers of ploughs and wheat, and .o„«., to dream of ^P.d streams and waterfaUs, and o/<&ta„t toy ^to light canoes. ^ ° "^ . ^"^^^ediately upon the ice on tlie lakes and rivers breik Z 1 . ^f^'' ""^"'^ '' ^^^^^y« *he first that leaves zie s River, and carrying fes to the sea-c^asu III / .., m ■r' 1 ^y . HW W W " II W WI I' 1^ 114 HUDSON'S BAY. Tl^:Z:nXt..y went" out .H. a bc^ »* L steersmen of the boats (-» - ^;|^^'^^^„ ^^.f^ .„d then, scanning the group of d^*,^*' „»- Herculean '»° ''"^'^;^*^ 4,^3^, Hs friend the guide. !^"r:r n ft's™n chose another man • and After th^, one ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ completed ^^nal were "n marked do,vn in a boolc, and they ^ proe"d d to the trading-room, for the purpose of tak- ICvauces" in the shape of shirts, trousers, bonnets, :;s,t*rco:' knives, capotes, and all the other thmgs ^ Ir^l or seven were loaded w.ai goods for the «• an^th :^;;-. dressed in their new clothes ItoW after shating hands with, and in n^y ca.es embarKM, ai » ^^ j 4 ^^d then, ship- embraemg, their '"»"™'^;;;" ^^^ '^^^^ „„d rowed ping their oars, they ho &o ^^^^ ^^^^^^ swiftly duvw Bad rvive^, .iiioUio Hudson's bat. iJo boat-songs, which was every now and then interrupted by several of the number haUooing a loud farewell, as they passed here and there the cottages of friends. With this brigade I also bade adieu to Eed River and after a pleasant voyage of a few days, landed at Norway House, while the boats pursued their way. i 116 HUDSON'S BAY. il CHAPTER YIL NORWAY HOnSE. NO.WAV HorSE, as wc have before >"-«°™^; \^;;;'; ,m,u the rfiores of Playgreo i.ake. close to JaA Kiver : a .listant about twenty miles from Lake Wnupeg. A^ it, ri..ht-haud eonier rises a huge abrupt rock, f.om wL e^sumnut, where starrds a flag-staff, a fine ™w o^ Phv,n-een Lake and the sm-romulmg counti-y i obUmed. Ch thtarock a number of ^M were assembled to wi^ "r »-ival, and among them Mr Buss, who sauntered down to the wharf to meet us as we stopped ashore. A few days after my arrival, the Council "resolved that I shonU winter at Norway H.mse; so next day m accordance with the resolution of tlu.t augt.st assenO^l^ I to,.k up my quarters in the clerks" room, and took pos- session of the books and papers. Uis an authors privilege, I believe, to jump from pto to ,>lace and annihilate time at pleasure. I avad my* t of t to pass over the autunm-during whuh I '""»"'■ fished, and paddled in canoes to the In.bau vdlage a Eossville a hundred timcs-and jump at oace mt« the middle of winter. Hudson's bay. 117 Norway House no longer boasts the bustle and excite- ment of the sunnner season. No boats arrive, no groups of ladies and gentlemen assemble on the rocks to gaze at the sparkling waters. A placid stillness reigns Ground, except in the immediate vicinity of the fort, where a few axe-men chop the winter firewood, or start with trains of dog-sledges for the lakes, to bring home loads of white- fish, and venison. JMr Russ is reading the " Penny Cyclo- pedia" in the Hall (as the winter mess-room is called) and I am writing in the dingy little office in the shade,' which looks pigstyish in api)earance without, but is warin and snug within. Alongside of me sits Mr Gumming, a tall, bald-headed, sweet-teinpered man of forty-five wlio has spent the greater part of his life among the bears and Indians of Hudson's Bay, and is now on a Christmas visit at Norway House. He has just arrived from his post a tew hundred miles off, whence lie walkc-d on snow-shoes and is now engaged in taking oft* his moccasins and blanket socks, which he spreads out carefully below the stove to dry. We do not continue long, however, at our diff-erent occupations. Mr Evans, the AV\.sleyan missionary, is to give a feast to the Indians at Rossville, and afterwards to examine the little children who attend the village school. To this feast we are invited; so in the aftenioon Mr Cumming and I put on our nioose-.skin coats and snow- shoes, and set oft' for the village, about two miles distant from the fort By the way Mr Cumming related an fidvonfurn !,« l,„.i * 3 coun li If 1 1 f L'lling through ntry; and as it may 'Xmm ^1^ HUDSON'S BAY. .orve to shew the dangers sometimes encountered by those Xllr through^the wilds of North America, I wdl o-ive it here in his own words. MR CUMMING'S ADVENTURE WITH A BEAR. l„-„uoh caught our snow-»I.oca, or » «* W .,f ,l„y Ut up the eastern '— J^^^ ^ „,„„„ ,„„„ For a n..»rter of ^^^^^J^f^^Zli and panted in the :;::::: x::::^"'"yu;tenh;g for a, hot fro„.,uy Hudson's bay. 119 Indian's gun. At last he fired, and almost immediately after firedagain ; for youmustknow that some Indians can load so fast that two shots from tlieirsingle barrel sound almost like the discharge in succession of tiie two shots from a double- barrelled gun. Shortlyafter, I heardanother shot ; and then, as all became silent, I concluded he had killed the bear, and that I should soon find him cutting it up. Just as I thought this, a fierce growl alarmed me ; so, seizing a pistol which I always carried mth me, I hastened forward. As I came nearer, I heard a man'.s voice mingled with the growls of a bear; and upon arriving at the foot of a small mound, my Indian's voice, apostrophising death, became distinctly audible. ' Come Death ! ' said he, in a contemptuous tone ; 'you have got me at last, but the Indian does not fear your A loud angry growl from the bear, as he saw mo rushing up the hill, stoi)ped him ; and the unfortunate man turned liis eyes upon me with an imploring look. He was lying on his back, while the bear (a black one) stood over him, holding one of his arms in its mouth. In rushing up the mound I unfortunately stumbled, and filled my pistol with snow ; so that when the bear left the Indian and rushed towards me, it missed fire, anil I had only left me the poor, almost hopeless chance, of stunning the savage animal with a blow of the butt-end. Just as he was rearing on his hind legs, my eye fell upon tlio Indian's axe, which fortunately lay at my feet, and seizing it, I brought it down with allmy strengthon the bear's head, just at the moment that he fell upon me, and we -oiled down the hill together. Upon recovering myself, I found that the blow of the axe had killed him mstantly, and that 1 '. 120 Hudson's bay. I was uninjured. Nrl, so the Indian : the whole calf of his left leg was bitten off, and his body lacerated dread- fully in various places. He was quite sensible, however, tliouo;h very faint, and spoke to me when I stooped to examine his wounds. In a short time I had tied them up; and placinp; him on the sledge with part of the bear's car- case, which I intended to dine upon, we returned immedi- ately to the fort. The poor Indian got better slowly, but he never recovered the perfect use of his leg, and now hobbles about the fort, cutting firewood, or paddling about the lake in search of ducks and geese in his bark canoe." Mr Gumming concluded his story just as we arrived at the .'Ittle bay, at the edge of which the Indian village of "Rossville is built. From the spot where we stood, the body of the village did not appear to much advantage ; but the parsonage and church, which stood on a small mound, their white walls in strong contrast to the back- ground of dark trees, had a fine picturesque effect. There were about twenty houses in the village, inhabited entirely by Indians, most of whom were young and middle-aged men. They spend their time in farming during the sum- mer, and are successful in raising potatoes and a few other vegetables for their own use. In winter they go into the woods to hunt fur-bearing animals, and also deer ; but they never remain long absent from their homes. Mr Evans resided among them, and taught them and their children writhig and arithmetic, besides instructing them in tlic principks of Christianity. They often assembled in the school-house for prayer and sacred music, and Hudson's bay. 121 lole calf of Lted dread- i, however, stooped to i them up ; bear's car- n\ immedi- slowly, but , and now lling about rk canoe." 3 arrived at I village of stood, the advantage ; on a small ) the back- ect. There tod entirely niddle-aged ig the sum- afew other go into the deer ; but lomes. Mr II and their icting them I assembled music, and attended Divine service regularly in the church every Sunday. IVIr Evans, wlio was a good musician, liad taught them to sing in parts ; and it has a wonderfully pleasing effect upon a stranger to hear those dingy sons and daughters of the wilderness raising their melodious voices in harmony in praise of the Christian's God. Upon our arrival at the village, we were ushered into Mr Evans' neat cottage, from the windows of which is a fine view of Playgreen Lake, studded with small islands, stretching out to the horizon on the right, and a bound- loss wilderness of trees on the left. Here were collected the ladies and gentlemen of Norway House, and a number of indescribable personages, apparently engaged in mystic preparations for the approaching feast. It was with some- thing like awe that I entered the school-room, and beheld two long rows of tables covered with puddings, pios, tarts, steAvs, hashes, and vegetables of all shapes, sizes, and descriptions, smoking thereon. I feared for the Indians, although they can stand a great deal in the way of reple- tion ; moderation being, of course, out of the question, with such abundance of good things placed before them! A large shell was sounded after the manner of a buglei and all the Indians of the village walked into the room and seated themselves, the women on one side of the lon theysneceeded i„ doi,,. i„ „,„ f,,,,,,,,,-,,, „„„„„,,_ ' ' ""■"""« ""'' " '"''l. "■>■>• "II -t oB- CmII .aliop in se ; away went the .startle,l animals at a ronnd trot, ' . soon ,nerea.sed to a gallop „, ,1,,. borsenu.,, neared I " n„,se. Soon the sl.ots became nr.re nnn.eron.: " ; V and ibere a Idack spot on the prairie tol.l wbero U M, bad fa ,e,, n„ ,,„,^,„. ,,, „f ,,,,, owncas eaeb bnnter, upon killin^an ani.nal, n,e,-elv down Ins cap or nn'tfen to n.ark it a, bis own, and <" t".""l in pnrsnit of ,be ber,I, loading bis ,Mn, as 1,. ^i:T^ ^'r""«''"""™"-.l'y'l-way:„rever ;i; "tw :i;: ;^^^^^^ ,..k:..i; ., ' .: ^ ■ ^ '^"^'" ""'itt.s ]], (i„,j,. mouths whirl! tliey .sj.it into the muzzles of the irguns after (hop- I fti I .1 t i I! f 132 HUDSON S BAY. piiig in a little powder, and instead of ramming it down with a rod, merely hit the butt-end of the gun on the pommel of their saddles, and in this way fire a great many shots in quick succession. This, however, is a dangerous mode of shooting, as the ball sometimes sticks half-way down the barrel and bursts the gun, carrying away a finger, and occasionally a hand. In this way they soon killed as many buffaloes as they could carry in their carts, and one of the hunters set off in chase of a calf. In a short time he edged one away from the rest, and then, getting between it and the herd, ran straight against it with his horse and knocked it down. The frightened little animal jumped up again and set off with redoubled speed, but another butt from the horse agahi sent it sprawUng ; again it rose, and was again knocked down ; and in this way was at last fairly tired out ; when the hunter, jumping suddenly from his horse, threw ii rope round its neck, and drove it before him to the encampment, and soon after brought it to the fort. It was as wild as ever wlicn I saw it at Norway House, and seemed to have as much distaste to its thral- dom as the day it was taken. As the summer advanced, the heat increased, and the mosquitoes becanu; perfectly insupportable. Nothing could save one from the attacks of these little torments. Almost nil other insects went to rest with the sun : sand- flics, which bite viciously during the day, went to sleep at night ; the large bull-dor/, whose bite is terrible, slum- bered in tlie evening ; b'.it the moscpiito, the long-legged, determined, vicious, j)ersevcriiig mosquito, whose ceaso- Hudson's bay. 133 it down I on the at many ingerous half-way away a i as they s set off )ne away :he herd, ;ocked it ip again utt from and was ist fairly from his it before it to the Norway its thral- , and the Nothing torments. n : sand- D sleep at lo, slum- ig-leggcd, )so cease- less hum dwells for ever on the ear, never wont to sleep I Day and niglit, the painful, tender little pimples on our necks and behind our ears were being constantly re- touched by tliese villanous flies. It was useless killing thousands of them ; millions supplied their place. The only thing, in fact, that can j^rotect one during the night {nothing can during tlie day) is a net of gauze hung over the bed ; but as this was looked upon by the young men as somewhat effeminate, it was seldom resorted ta The best thing for their destruction, we found, was to fill our rooms with -niuke, either by burning damp moss or by letting ; . large pulls of gunpowder, and then throwing the uoors and windows open to allow them to fly out. This, however, did not i)ut them all out ; so we generally si.ent an hour or so before going to bed in liunting tjiem with candles. Even this did not entirely destroy them ; and often might our friends, by looking telcscopieally through the key-hole, have seen us wan! dering during the late hours of the night in our shirts, looking for mosquitoes, like uidiappy ghosts doomed to search perpetually for something they can never find. The intense, sutibcatuig heat also added greatly to our diseoinft»rt In fine weather I used to visit my friend Mr Evans at Kossville, where I ha O 1 o >- 1 1 1 1 1 1 5 '^ ^ !>; r-« «o t» lO o O PH CO CO ■^ 1- 1- o u y, tc > ^; !_> c o 1 1 1 1 1 1 1-5 E N a -f F-4 f o o o CI CI M CO 1> -.3 iO o 2 rH Tt* i* o CI f-< Tl rs c « 1 i O M 1 1 1 1 1 1 'A o 1.-5 l.-^ o OS o H CJ o >a *r o Tjl CO i! A p- s a S 1 1 1 1 1 1 c3 N » ?? V, 1-3 CI o 11 s? a I-H c> ■M o o .. 1— 1 rt o ■^^1 U > a o 1 c 1 1 I. -J N 1 N "3 5J 1 1 1 1) N s f, 'c- o St o 2 1 1 1 1 o £ 1 £ 1 iJ ^ i^ fj ji Si (H A ,_, lO "S o in lO e> CO CI »i r-i p: "1 1 * D J £ 1 1 1 1 1 i 1 £ ^ u ?? ^ CO 1» r-4 •<• o> 1- P, ^T S i ^ 1 1 1 > z j; 2 1 s "5 ^ i .i< •i tH i! CI »H ll A ?1 >-< l4 is p; 1 1 1 1 g ^ 1 V. E _i u 1 Si M si ►^ i i ^ U ?) o at ?1 ri m ♦1 $i f, put ■u '■J rt b, ■c £ it ^ ;> ^ O "5 a d 3 3 C. .:^ ■^ 2 « ^ V 2 .. S § ":( 1^ fj ' ;j "o c »-« CJ B o .a 6 4-1 -.: ^ a « >i w ni 1 -4 b r*. :-1 PHWHI Hudson's bay. :j > c 1 u o f^ g 1 o 05 U 3 ki i » e> » o ti 2 ^ w f* ?? 1 1 %\ n Uo Summer may be said to commence in July, the preced- ing month being a fight between summer and winter which cannot claim the slightest title to the name of sprmg. As August advances the heat becomes great • but about the commencement of September nature wears a more pleasing aspect, which lasts till the middle of October. It is then clear and beautiful, just cold enou-h to kdl all the mosquitoes, and render brisk exercise a-re"e- able. About this time, too, the young ducks berrin t'o fly south, affording excellent sport among the marshes. A week or so after this winter commences, with li-dit falls of snow occasionally, and hard frost during tlfe night blocks of snow-birds (the harbingers of cold in autumn and heat m spring) begin to appear, and soon the whirring wmgs of the white partridge may be heard amon-r the snow-encoiupassed willows. The first thaw generally takes place in April, and May is characterised by melting snow, disruption of ice, and the ariival of the first flocks of wild-fowl. The country aroun.l the fort is one immense level swamp, thickly covered with willows, and dotted here and there with a few clumps of j)ine-trees. The only large ^niber m the vicinity grows on the banks of Hayes and kelson Rivers, and consists chiefly of spruce fir The swampy nature of the ground has rendered it necessary to raise the houses in the fort several feet in the air upon blocks of wood, and the squares are intersected by (.k-vated wooden platforms, which form the only promenade the " sui.i,;^ the suiniiicr, as no one can ven- tui-e fifty yards beyond the gates without wetting hia feet. If ' II 14;6 HUDSON'S BAY. J Nothin- bearlnr. the most, distant resemblance to a hillock exists in the land. Nelson River is a broad stream, whidi discharrres itself into Hudson's Bay. near the mouth of Hayes River, between which lies a belt of ^wa^ip and willows, known by the name of the Point of Marsh Here xnay be found, during the spring and autumn, nullion. o ducks, geese, and plover, and during the "- b;^ " of mosquitoes. There are a great many strange pi nts and shrubs in this marsh, which forms a wide field of research and pleasure to 'he botanist and the sportsman: but the lover of beautiful scenery and the florist will find little to please the eye or imagination, as nature has here pnt on her plahiest garb, and flowers there are none. Of the feathered tribes there are the large and small gray Canada goose, the laughing goose (so called from the resemblance of its cry to laughter), and the wavie or white coose. Tlie latter are not very mimerous. There arc treat numbers of wild-ducks, pintails, widgeons, divers. Bawbills, black ducks, and teal ; but the prince of ducks (the canvas-back) i. not there. In spring and autumn ihe whole country becomes musical with the wihl cries and '^luiU whistle of immense hosts of plover of all kiiids- lon- legs, short legs, black legs, and yellow legs-sand- pip:rs and snipe, vhich are assisted hi their noisy conceits by myriads of frogs. The latter are really the best songsters in Hudson's Bay.* Bitterns are also found in «, exactly like little blrd^. that „.any r^"^ ^:::!^':^^:^ZZ ^ iUno, ha%c nuBtaki'n U.em h,i U.f ir.uncrcu ^■.^.^.. - -« =- - - only fault ii that they scarcely evci ccaae «uiging. ■H; lUIIMIi J«llii| I JiDUKi mn-" ■ »■" e are none. HUDSON'S BAY. 147 feot aero, thel;;;^ d , : rL""'1, '"^'""™ «™ much bigge,. than a man's S" "" '""^ ^"-"^ "^'^ »«" In M'inter the woorkOr • t I TIT— r~r\tt*»*-*- to be ruvel- f the Htove prociawucu tuc -.x.ivi ^"^ excruciating fit of sui-presscd laughter ; whilo »,.*»i««4ik«<*~*t^»i««*»te«> , .,m£ , tM!0 l %i ll lt« i^- Hudson's bay. 149 introducing the extreme, r, stood my arms, which the i3urpose stood below, ning of the jd heads ; at tor, grinning ick stream of ^hich he held jolly skipper, 1 stances, to a climax red the door lil was raised, r opened, and } that ensued lad Mr Grave ringe into his r escaped and walked slowly h a wonderful putating knife two wrestlers im, where they tain smothered !pr to be revel- lughter ; while poor Cru.^ty, who slipped his foot in rapidly descending from his chair, lay sprawling in an ocean of water, which he had upset upon himself in his fall. Mr Grave merely went to Mr Wilson's room to aslc a few questions, and then departed as if he had seen nothing ; but a peculiar twist in the corners of his mouth, and^'a comical twinkle in his eye, shewed that, although he said nothing, he had a pretty good guess that his "young men" had been engaged in mischief ! Such were the companions to whom I introduced my- self shortly after ; and, while they went off to the office, I amused myself in looking round the rooms in which I was to spend the approaching winter. The house was only one storey liigh, and the greater part of the inierior formed a large hall, from which several doors led into the sleeping apartments of the clerks. The whole was built of wood ; and few houses could be found wherein so little attention was paid to ornament or luxury. The walls were originally painted white; but this, from long exposure to the influence of a large stove, had changed to a dirty yellow. No carpet covered the floor; neverthe- less, its yellow plajiks had a cheerful appearance ; aiul gazing at the nu./ierouo knots with wliicli it was covered, often afforded me a dreamy kind of annisement when I had nothing better to do. A large oblong iron ))ox, on four crooked legs, with a funn(>l running fmm it through the roof, stood exactly in the middle of ti)e room ; thii^« wns a stove, but the empty wood-box in the corner shewed that its services were not required at that time. And truly they were not; for it was the height of summer, and the osinc!; on Utile odoriferous heaps of cut tobiicco, I inferred that my future companions were great smokers. Two or three books, a pair of broken foils, a battered mask, and several surgical instruments, over which a huge mortar and j.estle presided, completed the catalogue. The different sleeping apartments around were not only interesting to contemplate, but also extremely cha- raci eristic of the pursuits of their different tenants. The first I entered was very small, just large enough to con- tain a bed, a table, and a chest, leaving little room for the occupant to move about in ; and yet, from the appearance of things, he did move about in it to some purpose, as tlie table was strewn with a number of saws, files, bits of ivory and wood, and in a corner a small vice held the head of a cane in its iron jaws. These were mixed with a number of Indian account-books and an inkstand ; so that I con- eluded I had stumbled on the bedroom of my friend "Mr Wilson, the postmaster. The quadrant case and sea-chest in the next room p'. . > .w si jt^i&tM* Hudson's bay. 151 it to be the skipper's, without the additional testimony of the oiled-cloth coat and sou'- wester hanging from a peg ia the wall. The doctor's room was filled with dreadful-lookiiiitr in- struments, suggestive of operations, amputations, bleeding wounds, and human agony ; while the accountant's was equally characterised by methodical neatness, and the junior clerks' by utter and chaotic confusion. None of these bedrooms were carpeted ; none of them boasted of a chair — the trunks and boxes of the persons to whom they belonged answering instead ; and none of the beds were graced with curtains. Notwithstanding this emptiness, however, they had a somewhat furnished appearance, from the number of greaicoats, leather capotes, fur cips, worsted sashes, guns, rifles, shot-belts, snow-shoes, and powder- horns, with which the walls were profusely decorated. The ceilings of the rooms, moreover, were very low, so much so that, by standing on tiptoe, I nould touch them with my hand ; and the window in each was only about three feet high by two and a half broad, so that, upon the whole, the house was rather snug than otherwise. Such was the habitation in which I dwelt — such were the companions with whom I associated at York Factory. As the season advanced the days became shorter, the nights more frosty, and soon a few flakes of snow fell, in- dicating the approach of winter. About the beginning of October the cold, damp, snowy weather that usually pre- cedes winter set in ; and shortly afterwards Hayes River was Ahj. Oi diiiting ice, and txie whole cuuiitiy covered "flW! 152 Hudson's bay. with snow. A week or so after this, the river was com- pletely frozen over ; and Hudson's Bay itself, as far as the eye could reach, was covered with a coat of ice. We now settled down into our winter habits. Double windows were fitted in, and double doors also. Extra blankets were put upon the beds ; the iron stove kept constantly alight ; and, in fact, every preparation was made to miti- gate the severity of tlie winter. The water froze every night in our basins, although the stove was kept at nearly a red heat all day, and pretty warm all night; and our out-of-door costume was changed from jackets and shooting-coats to thick leather capotes, fur caps, duffle socks, and moccasins. Soon after this, white partridges shewed themselves ; and one fine clear frosty morning, after breakfast, I made my first essay to kill some, in company with my fellow- clerk and room-mate Crusty, and the worthy skipper. The manner of dressing ourselves to resist the cold was curious. I will d(iscribe Crusty, as a type of the rest. After donning a pair of deer-skin trousers, he proceeded to put on three pair of blanket socks, and over these a pair of moose-skin moccasins. Then a pair of blue cloth leo'o'ins were hauled over his trousers, partly to keep the snow from sticking to them, and partly for warmth. After this he put on a leather capote edged with fur. This coat was very warm, being lined with flannel, and overlapped very much in front. It was fastened with a scarlet worsted belt round the waist, and with a loop at the throat. A pair of thick mittens made of deer-skin hung round his shoulders by a worsted cord, md hia neck was Hudson's bay. 153 wrapped in a huge shawl, above whose mighty folds his good-humoured visage beamed like the sun on the edge of a fog-bank. A fur cap with ear pieces completed his cos- tume. Having finished his toilet, and tucked a pair of snow-shoes, five feet long, under one arm, and a double- barrelled fowling-piece under the other, Crusty waxed extremely impatient, and proceeded systematically to aggravate the unfortunate skipper (who was always very slow, poor man, except on board ship), addressing sundry remarks to the stove upon the slowness of seafaring men in general, and skippers in particular. In a few minutes the skipper appeared in a similar costume, with a mon- strously long gun over his shoulder, and under his arm a pair of snow-shoes gaudily painted by liimself; which snow-shoes he used to admire amazingly, and often gave it as his opinion that they were " slap-up, tossed-off-to-the nines " snow-shoes ! Truly they were large enough ; the following sketch will shew the proportion the shoe bore to his leg and foot. In this guise, then, we departed on our ramble. Tlie sun shone brightly in the cold blue sky, giving a warm appearance to the scene, although no sensible warmth pro- ceeded irom it, so -old was the air. Countless millions m iii W ii ll llii—WWWWIWP VOHma 154 HUDSOy :;. TiAY. I u I • n III of icy particles coveivKl cv(}\y Lush and tree, glittering tremulously in its ray;: like diamonds — pslia ! that hack- neyed simile : diamonds of the jjurest water never shone like these evanescent little gems of nature. The air was biting cold, obliging us to walk briskly nlong t. keep our blood in circiiktion ; and the breath Hew thick and white from our mouths and nostrils, like clouds of steam, and, condensing cv our hair and the breasts of our coats, gave us the appearance of being powdered with line snow. Crusty's rc^X countenance assumed a redder hue by con- trast, anu he cut a very comical figure when his bushy whiskers changed from their natural auburn hue to a pure white^ under the influence of this icy covering. The skipper, who all tins while had been fl'^mdering slowly amolig the deep snow, through whieu his short legs were but ill calculated to cairy him, suddenly wheiled round, and presented to our view the phenomenon of a very red warm face, and an extremely livid cold nose thereunto affixed. We instantly apprised him of the fact that his nose was frozen, which he would ocarcely believe for some time ; however, he was soon cnnvinced ; and after a few minutes' hard rubbing, .■ was ^ ^stored lo its usual tem- perature. We had hitherto been w^' * ig through the thick yoods near the river's bank ; but finding no white partridges there, we stretched out into the frozen g^' ^mps, which now presented large fields and plains of compact snow, studded here and there with chui a^^d thickets of willows. Among these we soon disci ored Vesh tracks of birds 'a the snow, whereat the skipper beeame excited HUDSON S BAY. 155 flittering lat liack- 'er shone 3 air was keep our id white am, and, ats, gave ic snow, by con- is bushy bo a pure g. The g slowly egs were :1 round, very red hereunto that his for some ;er a few iial tem- :'k ■'voods xrtridges s, which ,ct 8U0W, ckets of tracks of I excited (the sport being quite new to him), and expressed his belief, in a hoarse whisper, that they were not far off. He even went the length of endeavouring to walk on tiptoe, but being unable, from the weight of his snow-shoes, to accomplish this, he only tripped himself, and, falling with a stunning crash through a large dried-up bush, buried his head, shoulders, and gun in the snow. Whir-r-r ! went the alarmed birds — crack ! bang ! went Crusty 's gun, and down came two partridges; while tbo unfortunate skipper, scarce taking time to clear his eyes from snow, in his anxiety to get a shot, started up, aimed at the birds, and blew the top of a willow, which stood a couple of feet before him, into a thousand atoms. The partridges were very tame, and only flew to a neighbouring clump of bushes, where they alighted. Meanwhile Crusty picked up his bird^ and wliile reloading his gun, complimented the skipper upon the beautiful manner in which he pointed. To thif ' . answered not, but, raising his gun, let drive at a solitary bin^ which, either from fear or astonishment, had remained and the rest, and escaped detection until now, owing to its resemblance to the surrounding snow. He fortunately succeeded in hitting this time, and bagged it with great exultation. Our next essay was even more successful. The skipper fired at one which he saw sitting near him, killed it, and also two more which he had not seen, but whicli had happened to be in a line with the shot, and Crusty and I killed a brace each when they took wing. During the whole day v/e wandered about the woods, suinetinies killing a few ptarmigan, and oucusioually a IL. ■a«H f 156 kind of Hudson's bay. which are called by the grouse, country wood-partridges. Whilst sauntering slowly along in the afternoon, a rabbit darted across our path; the skipper fired at it without even putting the gun to his shoulder, and to his utter astonishment killed it. After this we turned to retrace our steps, thinking that, as our game-bags were pretty nearly full, we had done enough for one day. Our sport was not done, however ; we came suddenly upon a large flock of ptarmigan, so tame that they would not fly, but merely ran from us a little way at the noise of each shot. The firing that now commenced was quite terrific. Crusty fired till both barrels of his gun were stopped up ; the skipper fired till his powder and shot were done ; and I fired till—/ sicimied my tongue ! Lest any one should feel surprised at the last statement, I may as well explain how this happened. The cold had become so intense, and my hands so benumbed with load- ing, that the thumb at last obstinately refused to open the spring of my powder-flask. A partridge was sitting impudently before me, so that, in the fear of losing the shot, I thought of trying to open it with my teeth. In the execution of this plan, I put the brass handle to my mouth, and my tongue happening to come in contact with it, stuck fast thereto, — or, in other words, was frozen to it. Upon discovering this, I instantly pulled the flask away, and with it a piece of skin about the size of a six- pence. Having achieved this little feat, we once more bent our steps homeward. During our walk the day had darkened, and the sky insensibly become overcast. Solitary flakes of snow fell H 1 ^m-T-i -m J 1 HmI]""*^ jfc. ^HiiL-. 'ple of the lowly along path ; the gun to his it. After lat, as our ne enough ; we came tame that little way ommenced of his guu jwder and .y tongue ! atement, I cold had with load- i to open i^as sittinfj osing the Seeth. In die to my itact with frozen to the flask ! of a six- nore bent 1 the sky snow fell BrDSON's BAT. 137 -nb.-e trees, LZyrZ^\^r. 'T^"" ''' P>ste, gently moved the iT T "'™''' "' ""'« distanee. With ,„ * 'l'"""*™' ^»<' ^^ "way in the ^ign. of an Ipl In" ? ^ ™' "' '''''" ™'1™1'W ton as fast a Tr&r't; T '"'^™'' '"'^^''^ ">o of rcaehingit bl 1? C'^rVr """ "'"^ """^ bad laid aside her sparklinget: ' Itf'' f"""^ 1" her simple robe of white T,.l > . """^ ''''<^'^^-^^ »^, ;^,,, ^e different in abotit ten minutes our ff" »^^™ ^^ ,,„„ dear, .rpcarances:*n,. — t— ^^ ^r:lr- /IVmore, dripping w..^^^,,.,^^^ *^^^rr^^™~::nt:ituVmtothe :::W-n,wl.Hhcr«pam^^^^^^^ ^^,,,^ ,,„ The trading-room, «'• »» J ^„,,i , ^torc in the Indian-shop, «as much lOa^hat.^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^ likely to be needed by I d a„»^ y^,,^,.^,, ^aps, ,,i,edbale,ot ^>"*; .^^^^ ^ ;;^^^^^^^ files, scalping- &e.. and iu ™*''^^™t',. of twine, fire-stccl.. canoc- Hudson's bay. ».i «,:; ?i; t; :: sir ""• /" """'*"« — and tin kettle tZZ T ' " ™''^''^ "' '=»»" -plained in tl.o t i,l IZ IW T f ""'' '^ to look about him „, II , • "'"'" "'™ •"■='•■"' enJeav,„n.cd to f "j ont 7 T.'^"' ^''^''''''y' ''^ ''° lun he woul, llik to . e V ^i "'""^ """'-^ ''*'' his .«o,,h ^low^ope 7^,0 ''If '■"■■"'"■''' '''■^'^^'• of ivonrl f,.. It 11 ' requisite number of bits & tif 1 hi! ;•. r"'"' '"■■'' "' "'■■"'■ » <•-' '-•»! ivi.., T,iu nil Ins sticks WC'IV yono m„l 1. 1 ^^ During wintc. wo breakfasted usually „t nine „VU.k " - .»t uo»Ti 10 tae desk till one, when ,ve .Uned. " ifte; rmm m ma ii m m I:-'; P r ^ ir "Si ^ A IGO HUDSON'S BAY. dinner wo resumed our pens till six, when we had tea, and Ten wrote again till eight after whieh we either amused " :!elves with boohs (of whieh wc had a fow) U.ked uP a row or putting on our snow-shoes, went oft to pay a r'nM 'visit to our traps. On Wednesdays and Satur- day", however, we did no work, and generally spent these 'i: ■: t?:f-the few principal establisim.ents of the Compl , where the aecouuts of the country are ^^W annually, to be forwarded to the Hudson s Bay House m Loudon that so much writing is necessary. , Lonuon, ui.li. .„,„.„.,,.liod we prepared for As the Christmas holidays appioacnou, we 1 i ttie rmtnients of that joyous season^ On t e „»rm,^ before Christmas, a gentleman who had spent the plr ,f the winter allalone at his outpost, arrived o pas U hi ays at York Faetovy We were greatly del,gh..d to have a new face to look .at, having seen no one but ou- sdversin'the ship left for Knglaud. nearly teur months "^'Z visitor had travelled in a dog eariol. This ma Lisvery ii.ano.v, just broad enough ,. admit «>« Tt U a woodon frame covered with deer-sRin •,r le, L::! gaudily, and is «cneral,.v d-" by 1 * 1 * nnrrti tiTo invaluable in vi»e •ii^ti'rr^^^^^^^^^^ trreptlr:!- snow which covers the earth for so large a of the gruuud uv« whicU it .omet.nic i«v*»e.. ! PRIIPSMnHMIl had tea, and tlier amused , kicked up a off to pay a ^s and Satur- y spent these nicnts of the ■ are collected Bay House in 3 prepared for 1 the morning ipent the first Lrrivcd to pass eatly di'.lighted o one but our- y four months cariole. This h to admit one with deer-skin rally drawn by aluahle in the seUjs, owing to h for so large a ffalo robes; while th^^ d, and iirt^vf-nU th.; from the incqualitioH M i i 1 1 ' r i' WA r h s' yapx- ' : /' '' V? t{ I 1.J - .1 ! « mrnmmmm :fii fi ttHmim II I i' J ■ h h 5'»V^ HUDSON'S BAY. 161 portion of the year. The comparatively light weiMit of even when the snow is so soft as to be ineapable of sun porting them, they are still able to sprawl alon" ml ^.ly than any other speeies of quadruped could T Wh great vigour, being followed by a driver on snowlshoe; backs of the poor animals, should any of them be observed lacken their pace, that they are continually reJdT. hiin with depreeatoiy glances as they run alon. Should he lash give a flourish, there is generally a short yelp from the pack; and should it descend amo4st them wi H ICC ly terrific. These drivers are sometimes verv cruel • and when a pack of dogs have had a %ht, and got le ; traces hopelessly ravelled (as is often th^ c se). th^ have h on known to fall „n their knees in their ,J^o f .tl one of he poor dogs by the nose with thJir teetJi afd ahnost bite it oif Dogs arc also used for X„Li ! carioles. which vehicles arc used by gentlemen ^2 Company's service who are either too old or Z Lto TOlk on snow-shoes. The eariol,. ;. i„ p .'^ sliDDer hnth K„.l. ■ " *"" '«" "" ike a ipper bath, both m sha,» and size. It is lined with l'"«Hlo .^.bo,, in the midst of a bundle of which h„„r s„rfj^r„f ' 7 '™'"1"--'' »•'"' hi"' over the Imrd-beatcn suiiace of a ake or river wliHo ti,,> i • . "*^"'^^" ^.™ -I^--"o "y a .oya^ear who walks bclimd on snow- m t J K 162 HUDSON'S BAY. shoes, hokUng on to a lino attacled to t^^ ''^^^ P^^ °^ the cariole. The weather during winter is so cold tha Ut "a matter of the greatest f i«f '^ ^^ "* to keep his toes from freezing, despite the buffalo robes , a^d ometimes, when the dogs start fresh in the mornmg^ ;l a good breakfast, a bright, clear, frosty day, and a Z" expanse of comparatively open country be„,re them °lll L snow from exposure has become qmte hard Iw y they go witha loud yelp, upsetting the driver m the wTwho'rL to heap undeserved and very -P-per J^ thets upon the poor brutes, who. careermg over the ground at he rate of devcn miles an hour, swing the nuserable clriole over the snow, tear it through the bushes, bang . Tt on one side, then on the other, against stumps and t«es yel"ng al the while, partly with frantic glee at the bought of Ling bolted, and partly with fearful anticipa- tbn of the tremendous welting that is to come -, unt d a r the cariole gets jammed hard and fast aniong he r of the forest, or plunges down the steep bank of a river head over hools tiU they reach the foot-a horrible and s^'tgUng compound of dogs, traveller, traecs, parchment, Wffalo T^^bes, blank, ts, and snow ! Chllmas morning dawned, and I opened my eyes . Whold the sun flashing brightly on the window, m its Xours to make a foi.ible entry into my r m, through the thick hoarfust which covered the panc^ ft.«'tly I became aware of a gentlo breathing near mo, ^d tuniin-r my eyes slowly round, I beheld my eoin- ":!LXrtvTanding on tiptoe, witn a tremendous grin on "his'countenance, and a huge idlow m hU hands, wnic. HCDSON's BAT. 163 rascal ! " shouted cZ7v ' P T "'"""' '° y™' y™ "Turn out of 1? ^'i T^' """"S' "ent the pillow. cen^' whack t:,^ r'^ '""^ "' P'^*»™ ^o-'-ok^- «.on the othe. oeeup:t3 7^ t ,T: X slttt: S;rt?xt:ef:re^t:fs?^^^ of the .Upper, who, having w JteTt^^Wf *; ^ was now endeavouring to throttle him partiauJ I .?' shut and fastened the door of th„^^^ ^' '''"""^ ftatwe should breakfa.,t; thirdly hat t^, ' n'"^' vitea all the men at the forf anr] «// fi, t ,. wo^en, and ehildrcn, inhawl; h! e ttr^ t^r,"' -les round. As the latter, however. 7m2 t^^Z «We .went,, we did not f^ that more would « ■■.olhl 164 HUDSON'S BAY. I ii \Vt o..an.. calcuMe. to aecojn— • Iv- P— ; then, of these '7V"''7' ~ ringing. »d shortly prisoners just as the treakfast-bell ^s nn . ^^^^^^ ^ftenvards wont out to shoot J - '^Udlbout dusk, after me, hut merely say, that we all ;ith game-b»gs full, and ^W*.- — ^^^^ Our Christmas dmner was a good one in point of view, and a very pleasant one, in a soeia^ Lv. We ate it in the winter — ^ -t J^,,, J,id Hudson's Bay) this was quite a =°"S »»;'"" J floor, and apartment True there was - J'PJ^-;''; ^V ,,,3 ^ *^''' ^^h^rwe etng tmid wi. several mahogan. , •;- the waUs w ^ ^he stove, largo or.i,.vn,gs '",^™' %' "T L lead and the paint- too, was .«:,htly polished -"'hW''™^^ ^ ,t riMng i„g of the room had been -^f^^J^", ^5., „,eater d,™b those innoeent «■"«« J^^° " olsequenSy, ae- ^1 "^^rt r-r rr;— 5 1 sLp j ^d customed to aonntuts, a -Dreseiit grand ■""^rrr-rorr iUui— ^by an afgand whereon reposed a P'f > 7';;;'";^ ,„„e-eat-me-up- plump wild-goose, which 1 ad a ^^ ° . .^ ^.,3 painfully • 1- „K„ Tll-mclt expression about it that was pu j to procure which one of our ^^ ^^.^^ ^^ dtS: tt thr^eaL rarities on the board were uJ HUDSON'S BAY. Jg5 large decanters of port wine, and two smaller ones of Made™. These were flanked by tumblers and glasses • show "^°" *'" ''''"''' "" *'""' '^^ ^Soodly " Come away, gentlemen," said Mr Grave, as we e d the room and approached the stove where he stood, smiling with that benign e= <\y. o M.^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) ^< A I '^ f^'/- :/ 5r /^^. /A 1.0 I.I '- llllil 25 22 2.0 1.8 1.25 u 16 ^ 6" ^ Photographic Sciences Corporation ^ A iV ^> c\ •<^\^ \ ^ *> ^ 33 WIST MAIN STRUT wnsTiR MY. usao (71«) S72-4S03 6^ » 166 nCDSOS's BAY. iJ profusely apologetic upon discovering tlieir mistake But Tl^^e wi It sto,™ is often suececded by the greatest ealrn, It most hilarious „,irth by the -st -to.n gravUy T„ the midst of our fun, Mr Grave proposed a toast Each fiied a b«n,per, and silence reigned around wh.lehera.sed his glass, and said, " Let us drink to absent friends. We erch hisFored, " Absent friends," and set our gla.,ses down r iknee while our minds flew back to the scenes of U r d ys, and we mingled ag,ain in .spirit with our dear deaTfriend at home. How difterent the m.rth of the ' v^i on s there, circling round the wh.ter hearth, rojn hat of the men seated round the Christmas t,d, e n t he Nor'-West wilderness ! I "- ^ ucxigKtcd ac its suduen release, hurried l, 172 Hudson's bay. I ¥ ^ onwards. In another place, where it was not so closely packed, a huge lump suddenly grounded on a shallow ; and in a moment the rolling masses, which were hurrying towards the sea with the velocity of a cataract, were pre- cipitated against it with a noise like thunder, and the tre- mendous pressure from above, forcing block upon block with a loud hissing noise, raised, as if by magic, an icy castle in the air, which, ere its pinnacles had pointed for a second to the sky, fell with stunning violence into the boiling flood from whence it rose. In a short time after- wards°the mouth of the river became so full of ice that it stuck there, and in less than an hour the water rose ten or fifteen feet, nearly to a level with the top of the bank. In this state it continued for a week ; and then, about the end of May, the whole floated quietly out to sea, and the cheerful river gurgled along its bed with many a curling eddy and watery dimple rippling its placid face, as if it smiled to think of having over- come its powerful enemy, and at length burst its prison walls. Although the river was free, many a sign of winter yet remained around our forest home. The islands in the middle of the stream were covered with masses of ice, many of which were piled up to a height of twenty or thirty feet. AH along the banks, too, it was strewn thickly ; while in the woods snow still lay in many places several feet deep. In time, however, these last evidences of the mighty power of winter gave way before the warm embraces of spring. Bushes and trees began to bud, gushing rills to flow, frogs to whistle in the swamp, and HUDSON'S BAY. 173 nagic, an icy ducks to sport upon the river, while the hoarse cry of the wild-goose, the whistling wings of teal, and all the other sounds and cries of the long-absent inhabitants of the marshes, gave life and animation to the scene. Often has nature been described as falling asleep in the arms of winter, and awaking at the touch of sprincr- but nowhere is this simile so strikingly illustrated as i^ kese hyperborean climes, where, for eight long silent months, nature falls into a slumber so deep and unbroken that death seems a fitter simile than sleep, and then bursts into a life so bright, so joyous, so teeming with animal and vegetable vitality, and, especially when contrasted with her previous torpidity, so noisy, that awakening from sleep gives no adequate idea of the change. Now was the time that our guns w'ere cleaned w^th pecuhar care, and regarded with a sort of brotherly affec- tion Not that we despised the sports of winter, but we infinitely preferred those of spring. Young Crusty and I were inseparable companions : we had slept m the same room, hunted over the same ground and scribbled at the same desk, during the whole winter and now we purchased a small hunting canoe from an Indian, for the purpose of roaming about together in spring. Our excursions were always amusing ; and as a description of one of them may perhaps prove interesting to the reader, I shall narrate "^ A CANOE EXCURSION ON THE SHORES OF HUDSON'S BAY. It is needless to say that the dav wn rhn«P w- fi.,. . that the sun shone brightly; that the curling eddies of n 1 if f- I 'b 1 '1. II w 174 HUDSON'S BAT. the river smiled sweetly; that the jagged pinnacles of the blocks of ice along shore, which had not yet melted, sparkled brilliantly ; that the fresh green foliage of the trees contrasted oddly with these white masses; that Crusty and I shouldered our canoe between us, after hav- ing placed our guns, &c., in it, and walked lightly down to the river bank under our burden. It is needless, I say, to describe all this minutely, as it would be unnecessary waste of pen, ink, and paper. It is sufficient to say, that we were soon out in the middle of the stream, floating gently down the current towards the Point of Marsh, which was to be the scene of our exploits. The day was indeed beautiful, and so very calm and still, that the glassy water reflected every little cloud in the sky; and on the seaward horizon everything was quivering and magically turned upside down — islands, trees, icebergs, and all ! A solitary gull, which stood not far otf upon a stone, looked so preposterously huge from the same atmospherical cause, that I would have laughed immoderately,, had I had energy to do so ; but I was too much wrapped in placid enjoyment of the scene to give way to boisterous mirth. The air was so calm that the plain- tive cries of thousands of wild-fowl which covered the Point of Marsh struck faintly on our ears. " Ah ! " thought I ! — but I need not say what I thought. I grasped my powder-flask and shook it— it was full, crammed full! I felt my shot-belt— it was fat, very ftit, bursting with shot ! Our two guns lay side by side, vying in brightness; their flints quite new and sharp, and standing up in a lively wide-awake sort of way, as much as to say, " If you Hudson's bay. 1 •"" do not let me go, I'll g„ ba„g off by myself ! " Happinc, aLTf r *r," """^ '" ^ ™J''y'=<' '''"""y; ""d Crusty and I, feelmg tliat we could keep it down no lonn-er burst the paddles, made our light canoe spring over the water while we vented our feelings in a lively song, which, reach: .ng tl e astonished ears of the afore-mentioned preposter- ously large gull, caused its precipitate departure In half-an-hour we reached the point; drao-o-ed the canoe above high-water mark; shouldered onr s^T,, and «th long strides, proceeded over the swamp I search r2tlf "f''i°? "^ ''"""= ^""^ 'P"''' <•»' f-^ ''hole point aw^ to the horizon was teeming with ducks and plover. We had scarcely gone a hundred yards ere a krge widgeon rose from behind a bush, and Crusty, who was m advance, brought it down. As we plodded on the fa nt cry of a w.ld-goose caused us to squat down suddenly bchmd a ncghbouring bush, from which retreat we gazed round to see where our friends were. Another cy torn bchmd attracted our attention; and far a«y on th" honzon we saw a large flock of geese S ,ng in a mathe- — y correct triangle. Now, although far out o7s t and almost out of sight, we did not dosplir of ^ettin. o ,e of these birds; for, by imitating their cry, there waH possibihty of atlmcting them towards us Geese Tf en answer to a call in this way if well imitated, pici good fecdmg-place, and wish them to alight Knowin. thi., Crusty and 1 continued in our squatting position-^ ^. fl 176 Hudson's bay. I utterly unmindful, in the excitement of the moment, of the fact that the water of the swamp lay in the same proximity to our persons as a chair does when we sib down on it— and commenced to yell and scream vocifer- ously in imitation of geese ; for which, doubtless, many people unacquainted with our purpose would have taken us. At first our call seemed to make no impression on them ; but gradually they bent into a curve, and, sweeping round in a long circle, came nearer to us, while we con- tinued to shout at the top of our voices. How they ever mistook our bad imitation of the cry for the voices of real geese, I cannot tell— probably they thought we had colds or sore throats ; at any rate they came nearer and nearer, -Screaming to us m return, till at last they ceased to flap their wings, and sailed slowly over the bush behind which we were ensconced, with their long necks stretched straight out, and their heads a little to one side, looking down for their friends. Upon discovering their mistake, and be- holding two human beings instead of geese within a few yards of them, the sensation created among them was tre- mendous, and the racket they kicked up in trying to fly from us was terrific ; but it was too late. The moment we saw that they had discovered us. our guns poured forth their contento,and two out of the flock fell with a lumbering smash upon the ground, while a third went off wounded, and, after wavering in its flight for a little, sank slowly to the ground. Having bagged our game, we proceeded, and ere long filled our bags with ducks, geese, and plover. Towards the afternoon we arrived at a tent belonging to an old i \ HI7D90N'S BAY. 177 agaed „ dme, and accordiiiKly bent our steps towards ]..» hab,tat,o„. Here we found the old India^. and W w,fe squatt„,g down on the floor and wreathed in Ik part y ron. the wood Are which burned in the midd"e of the tent, and partly fron, the tobaeeo-pipes stuek in their a kettle of pea-soup, in whieh were boiled several plover and a large white owl ; which latter, when lifted out of the pot. looked so very like a skinned baby that we eould -.■cely beheve they were not gdlty of cannibalism. Hh dyed qu Us. On our entrance, the old man removed his we, and east an inquiring glance into the soup kettle h.s apparently gave him immense .satirfactior Tl: urned to ^ ,;„, a smiling countenance, and remarked ' fhi 'life- ' T'.T'^' '^«''^''- ''""■« «p™' '"^ ->- too Aold to shoot much ; obliged to tot AoJi." Vs ^ agreed was uncommonly hard, and after presenting him nth sevcra, ducks and a goose, proposed an inspection of the contents of the kettle, which being agre^ to we denohshed nearly half of the soup, and left him and Z wiie to "Aeat '■ the "/lowl." Afte." resting an hour ,vith this hospitable fellow we departed, to prepare our encampment ere it became daX -we intended passing the night in the swampTund'; top of a pole and, on inquiring, found that this was the maehme m which Old Morris caught his "Aowls." The 178 Hudson's bay. ■ l:' i ..! white owl is a very large and beautiful bird, sometimes nearly as large as a swan, i shot one which measured five feet three inches across the wings, when expanded. They are in the habit of alighting upon the tops of blighted trees, and poles of any kind, which happen to stand con- spicuously apart from the forest trees, for the purpose, probably, of watching for mice and little birds, on which they prey. Taking advantage of this habit, the Indian plants his trap on the top of a bare tree, so that, when the owl alights, it is generally caught by the legs. Our walk back to the place where we had left the canoe was very exhausting, as we had nearly tired ourselves out before thinking of returning. This is very often the case with eager s})()rtsmen, as they follow the game till quite exhausted, and only then it strikes them that they have got as long a walk back as they had in going out. I recollect this happening once to myself I had walked so far away into the forest after wild-fowl, that I forgot time and distance in the ardour of the pursuit, and only thought of returning when quite knocked up. The walk back was truly wretched. I was obliged to rest every ten minutes, as, besides being tired, I became faint from hunger. On the way I stumbled on the nest of a plover, with one egg in it. This was a great acquisition ; so seating myself on a stone, I made my dinner of it raw. Being very small, it did not do me much good, but it inspired me with courage ; and, making a last effort, I readied the encamp- ment in a very unenviable state of exhaustion. After an hour's walk. Crusty and I arrived at the place where w ) left the canoe. HUDSON'S BAY. Our first care was to select a dry UO.n Woa »,^4. -.- •' 179 which was not an easy matte'r 1,7 ''",' *''"''"'" '" ■"''"^P' We fouml one at lastLT , ''' " '™"I'y P^^- i' •'-'"om up. inte„cm>rto S i ' rr'"'.''''V''"'"' retted to rest jlft„. , '^ ^"'""^ "■ ""''e" we found a sua- ency ;. r- r"'' °" "» -''-*">-'^. we earned up to th ™ "^ '" ""'"-■ » «'■"- «''"«'> we front of tL 1 ™rr™'' '"' '""^'1 '" " ''-r. in flint and steTa„d ?hr TTT ''"""'''- Vmeansofa minutes to rfee ana Jean! I, """'' '«'*'"'" "' " ^w »- w point "^ 'z;:: td '" "t""' '"■'"''"= "- COM and blaek and ,T ' ""*"'« *<= "'^ '"ok Tiie interiorof oui „ 1^,"'""' "^ ^•"■'^™ «'"-"'''- otocrfnl and snug 1X1' TT ""*"' "^'^ ''"''^ light. And wh,,T„ , """""' "f "«^ &■«•'■« rosy them on »tkks beforeTw ,!, f ' '''"'"'' "'"^ »""^'' 'here were worse t Li, '!^:: ?, ""'' *" "«'-' '"-t tJ.e swamps. ' "" ""*" *" encan,,,nient in Windsor d„eks:sr:r:'''!,'"''''' '"- "■"■^"'"^ overhead. So ofte^ id ' '"^ ''^■*'' '" ««■""< '-iwasten;:!r:oX;:x:v:t7''^' *''''' *.*« t„e apparent h'n pe,^:„lf ^ ; , f™' ;;;;'-'"- b "'y ^.uji, and Ji'nvintr stnVi, iujuiicf to attend to the roa^tinir of Cri and, after "ft^ ty to U- my widgeon, I .sallied forfh yona tiie %ht of the Urv, endeavoured was to be seen, peer through the gloom. Nothing f ' 'IAN CANOE. On the aftornonn of the 20th of June 1845, I .«;at in my iooin at York Fort, mu.siiig on the probability of my beinu; dcspatchod to some other ])art of the Conii>any's wide dominions. T lie season approached when chanji^es from one part of the country to another mi^ht be expected, and boats began to arrive from the interior. Two years of fun and frolic had I si)ent on the coast, and I was be«>inning to wish to be sent once more upon my travels, particularly as the busy season was about to commence, and the hot weather to set in. As I sat coroeeeded to [)aek up. It happened Just at this time that a brigade of inland boats was on the eve of startinu; for the distant re^nons of the interior; and as the little canoe, destined to portunity to forward it by the boats, as they woidd have to pass Norway House en route. It would be end- less to detrtil how I spent the next three days; how I never appeared in pul)lic without walkinjr v(>ry fast, as if pressed with a superhuman amount of business ; how I rinnma^ed about here and there, seeing that everythin^r was prepared ; lookinj; vastly imi)ortant, and thinkin:. I shall, therefbre, without further jjrefaee, pro- ceed to describe my travellinjj; eipiipments. The canoe in which I and two Indians were to travel from York Factory to Norway House, a distance of nearly three hundred miles, measured between five and si.v yards Ions:, by two feet and a half broiul in the middle, tjiperinsj from tlience to nothing) at each end. It was made of birch bark, and could with great ease be carried by one man. In this we were to embark, with ten days' provisions for three men, three blankets, three small bimdles, and a little travollintr ease beloU'*'ina' to myself" Hudson's RAY. ,^. a» liKht ,.» ,,„.,«i|,|,. 1,,,, r ,. , '■'" "■'l""'"K to he intorior '^'^^^ "^ '^""^' ^« '^tuite.l for the .- so .any ,,,.,,,,,.;:; J' ,:«^^^ ""'"'' r"'« ""■'•'■ '"kerchiefs f.™, *i, "^ :j" •■;: 'rave, to.,, rtoo,l amoHK th,.,„ „„,, „, ' ."f' f' bon..v„h.„t ,„„,„y .•ou,,t:„a,„,.e;i™ ;:,„ ';""",r '"^ -n„.„,her with «,,.tit„de his kh ,Z! ' ! ., '™ '' ""'•'■ -a«i together on the shores of Hi,.' ^^."'7^:: i « ■ 11 : r ■Hi \ i 186 Hudson's bay. minutes more, and the fort was hid from my sight for ever. My disi)osition is not a sorrowfid one ; I never did and never could remain long in a melancholy mood, which will account for the state of feeling I en.joyed half an liour after losing siglit of my late home. The day was fine, aiul I began to anticipate a pleasant journey, and to speculate as to what part of the country I miglit be sent to. The whole wide continent of North America was now open to the excursive flights of my imagination, as there was a possibility of my being sent to any one of the numerous stations in the extensive territories of the Hudson's Bay Company. Sometimes I fancied myself ranging through the wild district of Mackenzie's River, admiring the scenery described by Franklin and Back in their travels of discovery; and anon, as the tales of my companions occurred to me, I was binmding over the prairies of the Saskatchewan in chase of the buffalo, or descending the rapid waters of the Columbia to the Pacific Ocean. Again my fancy wandered, and I imagined myself hunting the grizzly bear in the woods of Athabasca, when a heavy lurch of the canoe awakened me to the fact that I was only ascending the sluggish waters of Hayes River. The banks of the river were covered with huge blocks of ice, and scarcely a leaf had as yet made its ai)pearance. Not a bird was to be seen, except a few crows and whisky-jacks, which chattered among the branches of the trees, and Nature appeared as if undecided whether or not she should take another nap, ere she bedecked herself in HUDSON'S BAY. 187 the garineiits of aurinrr lu t ,. over each fnumalo wIm ^., "'"^' *"* " '"« "'^ked dropped ,lowr ir'o '"*^ *''" ■^"'"'"■^ pine' »« they whieh they had formerly been ZZ7l """ "* about in Wiaotie ^„../ ,"'""""' ^'''^ ""w scattered n.u.l,,o„e::?e ;I"r;;/'»!'7 ""•' — '• with with their root, n f tj^^'^ "'"' "*"» »^""«"g t>.e native, that a wh 1 ™„„ .? ,■" " '™"""" ™""« i" the falh-ng „f thc,o!li,,r ""' """ "^"whehned A good deal of daiiger is iiicum.,1 ;„ „ • river,, owin,, tothen.^nber o T^ L^r'"?-? ""^ anniially. Tlie b-,,,1... i ."" '"'"'"''IM which occur -dy iy, „,: ^, '3' P;7'H'y con,po,ed of -.y piace,, upon the 1:4™*:' ^r:! "•"'.' '■■ and the ice during tl,e ceneral ii ? ''""«• large ma,,e, of thelowor p r of hTT ''"'' """^ der, the »peri„c„n,be>r 1,^ ablt r" ' ''''"'" """ iieavy shower of r-,;,, t ''* "P"" *" first st.J„. "^ ™"' '^'^ considerable force into the About sixteen miles from Yorlr ]?„„. a stone, and tore a small Tl '^."'"f ""^ we ran against This obliged nsto „^ "^ ■'" *' '"'""■" "^ ""r canoe. "Pportun?; o Valtrth?, "T""*'^' "''™ ' '""' "" Indians in rcfc the "' "'"' *«'«'i'y of the three inches loC ™ 1 "^m ^ "•""' '"""• '"">-" -torn of trr: 2 -s iKetr-' ■■■' "'^' w.th considerable rapidity, ^nto llisteXd 188 Hudson's bay. h ' piece of bark, sewed it with wattai)e (the fibrous roots of the pine-tree), made a small fire, melted gum, and i)lastered the place so as to be effectually water-tight, all in about tlie space of an hour. During the day we passed a brigade of boats bound for the factory ; but being too far off, and in a rapid part of tlie river, we did not hail them. About nine o'clock we imt ashore for the night, having travelled nearly twenty miles. The weather was pleasantly cool, so that we were free from moscpiitoes. The spot we chose for our encamp- ment was on the edge of a high bank, being the only place within three miles where we could carry up our provisions; and even here the ascent was bad enough ; but, after we were up, the top proved a good spot, covered with soft " moss, and well sheltered by trees and bushes. A brook of fresh water rippled at the foot of the bank, and a few deciiyed trees afforded us excellent firewood. Here, then, in the bosom of the wilderness, with the silvery light of tlie moon for our lamp, and serenaded by a solitary owl, we made our first bivouac. Supper was neatly laid out on an oil-cloth, spread before a blazing fire. A huge junk of pemican graced the centre of our rustic table, flanked by a small pile of ship's biscuit on one side, and a lump of salt butter on tlie other; while a large iron kettle filled with hot water, slightly flavoured with tea-leaves, brought up the rear. Two tin pots and a tumbler performed out- post duty, and were soon smoking full of warm tea. We made an excellent supper, after which the Indians pro- ceeded to solace themselves with a whiff, while I lay on my blanket enjoying the warmth of the fire, and admiring HUDSON'S BAY. ,„„ tlie apiwrcntly extreme folicitv nf tl,„ with l,alf-d,«c,l eye, wJ)" a , """' "'^ "'"y «"»• «eath, n-om tlirBbi f *".'"'*" ™'lin« in .sr.owy "ft"'-l tl.e,„ extreme", !f.V' "" '"""' "'""'' »»"'« ™«- woil covered wiih beaSdTl t .t "l ''■^''"' ^ appeare,! to me quite delightful ,L, ^"'*'' "^ and « .„, „„ th:.,,::;;.*yi:!:'-/™- "».s exception, tha ^ *Z ,^' f ! ''r ''"^' "'''"■ "'«' an.l then proceeded on on. 2 "" """ ''""'"^y- Sliortly afterward., we met a ,n„ii „ Of our own, whicd. containeTa::!: - ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ on thcr way to York Factory with a few pack.:„f ''S 11 190 HUDSON'S BAY. i 1$ w After five minutes' conversation we parted, and were soon ^i* of sight of each other. Th- day, which had hitherto been ugrveable, now became oppressively sultry ; not a breath of wind ruffled the water ; and as the sun shone down with intense heat from a perfectly cloudless sky, it became almost insufferable. I tried all methods to cool myself, by lying in every position I could think of, some- times even hanging both legs and arms over the sides of the canoe and trailing them through the water. I had a racking headache, and, to add to my misery, as the sun sank, the mosquitoes rose and bit ferociously. The Indians however, did not appear to suffer much, being accustomed' no doubt, to these little annoyances, much in the same way as eels are to being skinned. - Ill the afternoon we arrived at the forks of Hayes and Steel Rivers, and ascended the la^^or, till the increasincr darkness and our quickening appetites reminded us that it was time to put ashore. We made a hearty supper, hav- ing eaten nothing since breakfast ; dinner, while travelling m n light canoe, being considered quite superfluous _ Our persevering foes, the mosquitoes, now thought it high time to make their supper also, and attacked us in myriads whenever we dared to venture near the woods- so we were fain to sleep as best we could on the opph beach, without any fire, being murb too warm for th?t but even there they found us out, and most efiectrailv prevented us from sleeping. On the morning of the 2oth, we arose very little re- freshed hy our short nap, and continued our journey The weai. . w?"^ still warm, but a little more bearable HUDSON'S BAY 191 the usual way, .rtife p.^ee^;^^ It "'"" '"""■' "»'' '" descried, ou roumtogVpoT^^ ! 17 ^, "'' "'^ ^""'^o'. ^e *«^''»'. on u>o o;p„r"^d 1;; "' '"'*'' ^'°" '° tatof our man, who was trll ''"' "^o ""o em- -'7-t being u>o r.p"r r h*e" ."" T " '"'^ (">« P-'Jle). and crossed oLtneetloh"'' "^^ "' *» "«. we found it was the Noml H f """■'■ «" '"'"l- «eorge Kippling. , Re,XT«»- "^l^"", in charge wth us, and then commenced t? ' *'"'»'' '"""'s ■»y two men in the IndTan ,a„ '"""'"''' •''^™'"-«' «* tely unintelligiWe ,« "f r ^ '^'' ""'='' ''^"« P«- ^004 Each hU creHf wh,; ;r"^ ''"^^ »' -«ier- f- to itself and o verTClte: ! "^T "''^^' '""' " tapods, from which hu.e t „ to I ? '"''''"* 8ipsy-iike thorn hovered three volun It i? "T"'"' "'" *"'-«' Storing their contt„ts wi h. ' '''"' '"''' «>»Ployed -'i^S deaths Of smoke mXr'f /"""'^^ ^^^ numerous fleecy ones in theS e skv t ^f "n """"S *^ every imaginable attitn.le saf, o^;, ? "" '•'■™'"'. « sun-burnt, savage-looking hatf LI. ' f""* '''"'™<'' the and smoking in perfect hafc l,?*"^' ''"'«''"^' alike, ill lio-hf ni^.K ^_ , ^ ^^''^- -iliey were all drr-^P.-^ ■ - =- v.„.n capote, with hoods, corduroy tro,!!:;' ^' \ 192 Hudson's bay. striped sliirts open in front, with cotton kerchiefs tied sailor - fashion loosely round their swarthy necks. A .scarlet worsted belt strajjped each man's coat tightly to his body, and Indian moccasins defended their feet. Their head-dresses were as various as fanciful — some wore caps of coarse cloth, others coloured handkerchiefs, twisted turban-fashion round their heads; and one or two, who mi^5ht be looked uj>on as voyajeiir fops, sported black beaver hats, covered so jjlenteously Avith bullion tassels and feathers as to be scarcely reconjnisable. The breakfast consisted solely of j)emican and flour, boiled into the sort of thick soup dignified by the name of rohbihoo. As might be expected, it is not a very deli- cate dish, but is, nevertheless, exceedingly nutritious ; and those who have lived long in the country, particularly the Canadiahs, are very fond of it. I thiidc, however, that another of their dishes, composed of the same materials, but fried instead of b( tiled, is nnich superior to it. They call it richeau ; it is unconnnonly rich, and very little will suffice for an ordinary man. After stayiug about a (piarter (tf an hour, chatting with Kippliug about the good folks of lied River and Norway House, we took our dci>arturc just as they commenced the first vigorous attack U})on the capacious kettles of robbjboo. Shortly after, we arrived at the mouth of Hill River, which we began to ascend. The face of the country was now greatly changed, and it was evident that here .spring liad long ago dethroned winter. Tiie banks of the river were covered from top to bottom with the most luxuriual I y. HUDSON'S BAY. 193 dicularly down to " "f ^ .^ ' '» =•'■"»»' Perpc- vegctatiL erit at ?''",'^''8e, perfectly devoid of i^iti^ipice, some clinormfr hv tlipir rn«f„ j , iiio" wifli li'ffio I • 1 1 "^fe^Ldiion, and teem- the Plea.::l7the Ji?'"™"« '•'"'''• ^'^"^ ^"""-l f.- bei.,g elothed' with i^^rXTlT came a slow and fatiLruin.r nrom.^ f ' *'^" against the stron,. eum't' L ' 1^ "T"" '' '^''^ "'^ J''ir(>at nuni! >r of lopsti'rks. These are tall pino-trcos, denuded of their lower briiiiehes. a. small tuft hv'm^ left at tlui top. They are ^cneially made to server aa landmarks, and sonu'times the voifotfciirs make them in hojunir of jr(>ntlemen who hiiiipen to be travellinir for i\w tirst time alono' the route, and those trees are chosen wliieh, from their l)eini>- on elevated j»;round, ar(> eonspj- cuous objeets. The travi>ller for whom they are made is always oxpeeted to aeknowlt>di>e his ,s(d upon him by presentini,^ the boat's erew with a pint of orou. either on the spot or at the first t>stablish- ment they meet with, lie is then considered as ha>^in^ \md for his footinj;. and may (-ver afterwards pa,ss ,seot- flXH\ Wo soon had our encampnient prepared, and the fire blazinjj;; but hundreds of mos(pn"toes were, as usual, await- ing our arrival, and we found it utterly impossible to sup, 80 ti(>reely did they attack u.s. \V(> at last went to leeward of the fire, and (h'voured it hastily in the .smoke, prefer- rinji; to risk beini; suffocated or snjoke-diied to bein<,' eaten up alive ! It was certainly amusing t«) see u.s rush into the thick .^moke, bolt a t\'W moufhfuls of p(>mican. and then rush out a^ain for fresh air; our hands swiu'-'in" like the .sails of a windmill round our heads, while every now and then, as a mosquito fastened on a tender part, we jvjive ourselves a resoundinj;- slap on the side of the head, wliich. hud it (!oine froin Mi>> ii^in.l .>r .>>... «l..... ,......M ian canoo, to on a point rii('.s(> ai'c tall a Hniall tuft iijidc to servo >iik(! tJicni ill I'lliiiir ibr tlid < all! choHcri I, arc consjii- 1 arc made is f tlio honour flew with a rst i'stablish- (l as hav'ini; Is pass scot- aiuj the lire usual, await- n- •^i">n! h\ a sta.t« <>n the r,,J| The ,1 so that w(! f\-jf, "«'ii.i,^ inornin< "y was deliirhMully we started at <'oo I, and •piietly att lip tl "onsidcrali 'y "loscpiMoeN VV( "! ''iicmy's an eaily hour. •'I' hreakfa.st, win '" '''iiTcnt. I„ ,1, "iidortahh /■e .scarce, as we K|,M,.,j •>u whici • we laiKh'.l, \ "^vecamein.si^rhfnffl '■\vvay we proceeded x.\\\ "'^^.^^".^'<". A'<'.. was pi,,ehed as| "^'"'' ''y Mic /n.lians " 'I ■' ^o the '< VVljite "'''''"' -----^■^^<::::i:::::: 1.% HUDSON S KAY. nil aroli of solid water, whicli falls hissinn; and curlins^ into tho stream lielow. Hero we intended to encamp. Ah we ai)i)roaelied the cataract, a boat suddenly appeared on tlie top of it. and shot with the speed of liyhtnini^ into the boiliui!; water beneath, its reckless crew slioutino-, pnllinjj, la nulling, and hallooing, as it swept round a small point at the foot of the fall, and ran aground in a bay or hollow, where the eddylno- water, still covered with patches of foam after its nn'.iihty leap, floated (piietly round the shore. They had scarcely landed, when another boat appeared on tiie brink, and, hoveriuii; for an instant, as if to prepuR' itself for the leap, flashed throuj^di the water, and the next moment was auround beside the flrst. In tliis maniuT seven boats successively ran tlu; fall, and grounded in the bay. Ujutn our arrivino", we found them to be a i>Rrt of the Saskatchewan brigade, on its way to the common ])oint of rendezvous, York Factory. It was in cliarge ,)f two frien«ls of mine ; so I accosted them, without introducing myself, and chatted for some time about the occurrences of the voyagi>. They api)eareil a little disconcerted, however, and looked very earnestly at me two o'- three tinu>s. At hist, they confessed they had forgotten me altogether ! And. indeed, it was no wonder, for the sun liad burned me nearly as black as my Indian friends, while my dress con- sisted of a blue capote, sadly singed with the fire— a straw hat, whose shape, from exposure ami bad usage, was utterly indescribable — a pair of conluroys, and Indian moccasins ; whidi so metamorphosed me, that my friends, who j)er- fectly recollecteJ me the moment 1 meutioueJ mv name. i cuiHu]"^ into im|). Ah we muvd on the linuj into the :in,i>', jmllin^, I small )>()int ay or lioUow, h pati'hos of 11(1 the shore, apjieared on if to prepari' and tlie next this manner gronnded in I jiart of the non jioint of f two friends U'ino; myself, enees of the lowever, and 's. At last, ther ! And, bnrned nie ly dress eon- ire — a straw !, was utterly I moeeasins ; lis, who per- il! 111V 11I1TI11I "light liave re HUDSON 'h hay. '"•'^"^''1 in ignorance to this day h If): '"'ij^litened then, „n tJ,e s^bje,;. ay Iiad I not Aft -;;|.ppn- one of these gentlemen offered ' w. tarned in toirot|„.r, b„t "f Iiis tent, and for We "10 a share not to sl( of the nijjrht. the noi,*. lep rn'S'''"''T'"'''''*"^^^^-''-'-yvoiees ''a.l eeasod to disturb the tran,uiLy If At the first poep of usual uiij^husant d 'ly our cars were saluted wit], the ft-on, the leathern th, «<>und of " Ure ! Ihe ! U ■"'It of the ^ruido. N( ve ! ' issuinrr ■sjimo 'x "«''iv.l, too, i,, ,„arti,.„|., „ *"^ "■ «''"'■'' " ">"'■■ .»,«„„, , j: ■ '^;:;rt''«^ ' •■"-. '"y xi'le, lu,vo I li.,t,,K„l with j, ' "« " ''"'» "' H-, 1..-.V.. fo,,e • S"t . ;;;- ,;"";'y '- .» oa,.,y „ •; l"w„n,l .s,.,„.,,,|y „„,,il,le "lZ,Z .■ n T^' hii«l stentorian •■ I,he ' W„, / ;/ / • ' '" "' '»»^ » «""n,l to a close „„ T ■"■""«''' ""■' l"*f>.I '^tion of ; • ::i:r ■""r''"' '^ " ^•■■"f"-' «■■- f""" t,,„ u^fon^ri :f :;„::•':''';■-■ ■"■" — • The .l«„.clu„.„„„ to ri«., however, w«, vm If 198 Hudson's bay. IJ soon overcome ; and up we got, merry as larks, the men loading their boats, while I and my Indians carried our luggage, &c., over the portage. Our troubles now commenced : the longest and most difficult part of the route lay before us, and we prepared for a day of toil. Far as the eye could reach, the river was white with boiling rapids and foaming cascades, which, though small, were much too large to ascend, and consequently we were obliged to make portages at almost every two or throe hundred yards. Ripid after rapid was surmounted ; yet still, as we rounded every point and curve, rapids and falls rose, in apparently endless succes- sion, before our wearied eyes. My Indians, however knew exactly the nund)er they had to ascend, so they set themselves manfiUly to the task. I could not help ad- miring the dexterous way in which they guided the canoe among the rapids. U )on arriving at one, the old Indian who always sat in the bow (this being the principal seat in canoe travelling), rose up on his knees and stretched out Ins neck to take a look before commencing the attempt ; and then, sinking down again, seized his paddle, and pointing signiHcantly to the chaos of boiling waters that rushed swiftly past us (thus indicating the route ho intended to pursue to his partner in the stern), dashed into the stream. At first we were borne down with the speed of lightning, while the water hissed and boiled to within an inch of the gurwale, and a person unaccustomed to such navigation would have thought it folly our at- tempting to ascend ; but a secoiul glance would prove that our Indians had not acted rashly. In tho coiitro of rks, the men ' carried our st and most we prepared 3h, the river ig cascades, ascend, and ;es at almost after rapid •y point and iless succes- s, however, so they set ot help ad- d the canoe old Indian, cipal seat in retched out e attempt ; •addle, and ing waters le route he rn), dashed n with the I boiled to iccustomed ly our at- luld prove 1 COllti'f of HUDSON'S BAY. j^^ comet for about™ e' 17,'"^'''' T '''"= *^ '"" "^ " opposite this rock tl' f r » ? ""' '""'■ ^' ™» J««t for it with all r ;„ 1 r"'" *'" T'"' """ '^^''^ before, swept „.s d<™„ a„ f , ™™"'' ^"'^'"''' '' ' '^^ and after a fcl v.-f "'"'■™<' P""" °f 'ho eddy «oa«n.,;eti;;r:ro?t:oef 'V-t ^^'^ long, however-iu,t lo,„r I " "' "<" ^^y ^tone. and the oldll ""f *^^ ,'° '"* '"' ""^er our paddle,, o„ee more we ,i.,?' ""' ""PP"* again, and soon reaehe, II 1 f , ,""" ''" ^'™'» yard by yard, did we e, d fo :^, '■"* .. '" ""« "^. saining a foot in a minut am "'' I """""■^ ^^"^'y bay or curve presented : !»,; /I f TLttr 'T"""^' vancng more rapi.Hy I,, fL ! "'""=''• "<<- l^ened to anyt,!i„g'„.„r ' S^Ii'Tr ""'' ''°' ''^ «aIinon as he darf. m, • n 7 *^'^ ^^^^^t of a the simile may be still fnvfi ^ ^"'^'^^ and iUHj. ut stij] further earric*? mif . ^ , salmon ,s sometimes driven back >^ f ' ' "' ""' '%' to lea,, a fall, so were w ,t a sb 7'""'"" '"'""P'" back by the overpowering f:;e:;r'::r"""' '''™' P«pen„ic„lar fall of ab,™ t™ f ' T ''™™' "' » *-"i«y of the cnrr:: r;,™ ;; ;e ■*-■ «-''-^'*ns paused t„-brei\X:::j »*i I t if 1;m 1 1 i'B'ii: I m I li'l !• % 200 Hudson's bay. to doubt the possibility of ascent ; however, after a little conversation on the subject, they determined to try it and got out their poles for the purpose (poles being always used when the current is too strong for the paddles) We now made a dash, and turning the bow to the current the Indians fixed their poles firmly in the ground while the water rushed like a mill-race past us. They then pushed forward, one keeping his pole fixed while the other refixed his a little more ahead. In this way we advanced inch by mch, and had almost got up-the water rushing past us in a thick black body, hissing sharply in passing the side of our canoe, which trembled like a reed before the powerful current-when suddenly the pole of the Indian m the stem slipped ; and almost before I knew what had happened, we were floating down the stream about a hundred yards below the fall. Fortunately the canoe went stern foremost, so that we got down in safety Had It turned round even a little in its descent, it would have been rolled over and over like a cask. Our second attempt proved more successful ; and after a good deal of straining and puffing we arrived at the top, where the sight of a longer stretch than usual of calm and placid water rewarded us for our exertions during the day. In passing over a portage we met the English River brigade : and, after a little conversation, we parted The evening was deliciously cool and serene as we glided qiuetly up the now tranquil river. Numbers of' little islets, covered to the very edge of the rippling water with luxuriant vegetation, rose like emeralds from the bosom of the broad river, shining brightly in the rays of the , after a little to try it, and being always the paddles). ) the current, jround, while They then bile the other we advanced ater rushing y in passing reed before pole of the fore I knew the stream tunately the m in safety, tit, it would Our second ^ood deal of , where the and placid ! day. glish Eiver irted. The we glided ra of little water with the bosom ays of the Hudson's BAY from among them hZt ' "P"" '""' "««» <»««.gi„g broadshee/c* eW pX'r °" *"e''W vi.io°„ f banks covered with fote j ™ ' f'^ ''^'""»'l fr-^* »«, ^0 well suited to the n , ^, ' ""'™ 1""''""'? <"«fere..t from any ot „ 1;.? '° ''""''y- "<' «« ^«<1 one ..efloe,,,, with a kta,! f ' ,T"^' "" ""^ '''■ melancholy, how far tl,„ ""'""' ""<' l''™»"« l-C. -dhownTa,;,, ,X ""/'■"'" '"^ ""«™ »f toil will pa.,., iiJi::'::z y" "' ""'^"^ "'"' Canadian home.,. How ,f.f, , ""™ ""'"■" "' «'«r Woaoh, i., thi« feeliZIS'; '""' "'"'" ""■'''■ »''"•" «- dee,, and manly fee,!:?,' , """ "' ^"'"""'■™' - *'ters, while a e„„L tion n7 """ "™^ "'" Maoid «"t arrive; an,l £ eZeT "1'''"''"'' *'''" """ ^'"'" «ow,.„eed to the very ed e of H *"""■, *" ™'" ""^ eome ...ddenly, and a„',;ta. c t "' "''"" *^y effected by each m-n. i i • ^ ' *^ "* P^"se. This is after whie^they:: ^^T' "'" "'■' "'■"-' f"- tane„„.„y. enveh-pin^^ '„ ^ 'f ,;' *" «"™»'^ ™->- tl.ey shake the d ip^i ' "1 ''^ '" t,*"''^ of spray a.. Wades. Truly it 2 aZJ ■*" ''"«'" ™»"«»" P;oeeeded happily o„ our'wayw I ;," "'™ = «' "'^ of uninterrupted travelling w ^ V'"'"""? J'™W't I^ie. and. after making onlor two i , T"' ^""'"'"J' entered Knee Lake. Th s bC! 7'*'""^™'" P"^'"'""'' name from turnin,. at a ,h ^ , '^'"^' "''""'■"■d i', ° '' " *"'■'' "i* ■X'ar its eentre, a,id 204 HUDSON'S BAY. I ^1 r .1 stretching out in an opposite direction from its preceding course ; thus forming something like a knee. Late in the evening we encamped on one of the small islands with which it is here and there dotted. Nothing could exceed the beauty of the view we had of the lake from our encampment. Not a breath of wind stirred its glassy surface, which shone in the ruddy rays of the sun setting on its bosom in the distant horizon ; and I sat long upon the rocks admiring the lovely scene, while one of my Indians filled the tea-kettle, and the other was busily engaged in skinning a minx for supper. Our evening meal was further enriched by the addition of a great many small gulls' eggs, which we had found on an island during the day, which, saving one or two that shewed evident symptoms of being far advanced towards bird- hood, were excellent. On the following morning the scene was entirely changed. Dark and lowering clouds flew across the sky, and the wind blew furiously, with a melancholy moaning sound, through the trees. The lake, which the night before had been so calm and tranquil, was now of a dark leaden hue, and covered with foaming dves. However, we determined to proceed, and launched our canoe accord- ingly ; but, soon finding the wind too strong for us, we put ashore on a small island and breakfasted. As the weather moderated after breakfast, we made another attempt to advance. Numerous islets studded the lake, and on one of them we landed to collect gulls' eggs. Of thes^ we found enough ; but among them were a number of little yellow gulls, chattering vociferously, and in HUDSON'S BAY. 205 temble consternation at our approach, while the old ones kept nttering the most plktive cries overhead The eggs were ve.y small, being those of a smTlt, of guU wh:ch frequents those inland lakes in g..eatnurber? tion on the subject we landed, intending to spend the remainder of the day on shore. We now, for the first time since leaving York Factory prepared inner, which we expected would be on te a sumptuous one, having collected a good many egjrthe mornmg; so we .set about it with alacrity. A fir ,™ quickly made, the tea-kettle on, and a hu^e pot comr njg upwards of a hundred eggs placed' A the fe These we mtended to boil hard and carry with J Ji,Z 2e r^L' rr,*^ ^^"^^^^ of kr^th ': , 2w;i, "*""' """^"'^ "' «"»ee. While «.und that greatly perplexed me, as I could not discover whence ,t proceeded. I g„t „p o„ce or twice to se X 1 coud be, but found nothing, although it sound d If if cose bes.de me. At last one of the Indians rose and o^tf k melt ':• 'r '" ' ^^-^ -'»"itude one of 1! ,\ T '"''""'S " "'«'= ^^i^'. ^"k up one of the eggs and broke it, when out came a young ^ «th a monstrous head and no feathers. squrkZ^l oMrpmg an a most indefatigable manner ! " So mXor our d.nner ! thought I, as he threw the bird intole lake put life into the little bu^whi;rhr;:;i%:*; 206 Hudson's bay. n destroyed when it began to boil. We did not despair, nevertheless, of finding a few good ones amongst them; so, after they were well cooked, we all sat round the kettle and commenced operations. Some were good and others slightly spoiled, while many were intersected with red veins, but the greater part contained boiled birds. The Indians were not nice, however, and we managed to make a good dinner off them after all. In the afternoon the weather cleared up and the wind moderated, but we had scarcely got undei-weigh again when a thunder-storm arose and obliged us to put ashore; and there we remained for four hours sitting under a tree, while the rain ])oured in torrents. In the evening Nature tired of teasing us; and the sun shone brightly out as we once more resumed our ])addles. To make up for lost time, we travelled until al)out two o'clock next morning, when we put ashore to rest a little; and, as the night wjis fine, we just threw our blankets over our shoulders and tumbled down on the first convenient spot we could find, without making a fire or taking any sujiper. We had not lain long, however, when I felt a curious chilly sensation all along my side, wliich effectually awiikened me; and then I saw, or rather heard, that a peifect deluge of rain was descending upon our luckless heads, and that I had been rejjosing in the centre of a large puddle. This state of things was desi)erate; and as the poor Indians seemed to be as thoroughly uncomfortable as they possibly could be, I p"oi)osed to stfirt jigain, which we did, and before daylight were nuiny a mile from our wretched encam[)- nieat. As the aun rose the weather cleared up, and soon HUDSON'S BAY. not despair, mgst them; i the kettle and others d with red birds. The ;ed to make d the wind ^eifth again put ashore; tider a tree, ling Nature ^ out as we lip for lost :t morning, ' night was ulders and could find, Ve had not )^ sensation . me; and ge of rain that I had This state ns seemed iihly could ind before I encamp- , and soon m after we came to the piuI «f ir t i the ascent of TroutR v "^ l''"'}^^^ ^^ con.menood Trout Fall, wime 1^ ","' ^ """'« " ^'"''«'' »' ^e With a few Id * '™ ""^r " '"'*S" '" "oM «'em. changed a Tittle 21 T""* "" *" '""•'■■S^' ^- ^-- Our biscmit In,!™" ',"*,''' 'r= °" I'™''^"" ""'1 t^a. "^■^"tterwV;:'::t^,:a:ttr™',''T''"™'' into oil from tlie pv.„. • ■ ^'""'^ '""• '"ulW bottom ofth can a r '"'' """ ™"'*°'' ""■<"■«'' *« which weeoutin,.ed'.e':u : " ;"t "' "^"'' pieasin.r and ronimti,.. i . ." ^'^' '"' ""'"'"''•y was "anks of the .,v:, unl:. la^' " ' t^t"^ "" "■" came to the end „f fi,i. a . • ifternoon we House. We d«l '''""■■• "'"' ""'■"■" "' 0-^f<"-d hiii,hntnot: d rri:;^'"f''''-^'''"'^"p''- who no sooner .saw me th-n. 1.; ■ ''^ '''"'^'«^' p. While ,n. mo^rt,,!: nr^^^^^^^^^^^^ had arrived U , "■''""'"'"'« >'™« that somebody -y old f d A :,::,"""■;",' "'- -^'""'"^ '"-i" with' al""-. wit), only one i! t ' , ' "'"^ "™ '■'"'"■'/ «"nlon, wl,o,n tlj ~Jl ."";' t ""*' "' to Norway Ho ' "'"" "' "'"'> ^^- l-a".) nggone I 'i \ 208 Hudson's bay. I spent a delightful evening with this kind and hospi- table family— talking of our mutual friends, and discussing the affairs of the country, till a tall box in a comer of the room attracted my attention. This I discovered to my delight was no less than a barrel organ, on which one of the young ladies at my request played a few tunes. Now, barrel organs, be it known, were things that I had detested from my infancy upwards; but this dislike arose princi- pally from my having been brought up in the dear town o' Auld Reekie, where barrel-organ music is, as it were, crammed down one's throat without permission being asked or received, and even, indeed, where it is decidedly objected to. Everybody said, too, that barrel organs were a nuisance, and of course I believed them; so that I left my home with a decided dislike to barrel organs in general. Four years' residence, however, in the bush ha long time f"/t,.„': 7."" "'"°' '"''"'' « ™«'- but al most of the r., "' '" '''''' O^'"'''' H™^e; wi* the., a 00,,,: ^iir;,::; — r "^^- «" immense trout in exchan„„ f ^"* "" '»"t I neglected to n e„ , ;„t r """ "™'""- ^'"■' ".'-e than three feet , an, d a"? m"""?' '' *»' very good, and we mn,le ae , , I r •■""•' ^ " '"^ the day, as it was v^ li ^ T 1' '''•'?,,"'!' ^ I*-""^' the late, on the lee J^l^'^' " ''^"*'""''" """ "' The wind moderated a little in th^ «, • «^^ain embarked makincr „ 7 / . ''^"""^'' '^"^^ ^<' t ngh a n ,.," IJ: "• """• "'"''' *« '^^elled *«..,;, rive :ml wl ,;r'r ", '""'^ ''"'^■'' "'"' gave np the att „ t f eir™ I?h ''""'' "'"^ ' -"" and overgrown with r,!!!!;"'.".,""^^ "^ »» 'if 210 HUDSON S BAY. ! * ;i dub would bo in Scotlaiul. Tho weather was dcliolit- fully I'ool, and mosciuitoos not troul)lesonie, so that we l)roceeded with pleasure and raiiidity. While thus thi'eadinf>; our way throu;;h narrow ehannels and ])assages, upon turning- a jioint we met tlu'oe li^ht eanoes Just on the point of imttinjr ashore for breakfast, so I tohl my Indians to run ashore near them. As wo approaehed. I saw that there were tive jjentlenu'n assem- bled, with whom 1 was aeipiainted, so that 1 was rather anxious to «;et ashore; but, alas! fortune had determined to play me a seurvy triek, f(u- lu) sooner had my foot touelu'il the slippery stone on whi'h 1 intended to land, than (h)wn 1 eanu- squash on my breast in a most liumiliat- iu«? manner, whik" my leos kept jdayfuUy wavino- alxuit in tiic eoolin,<>- element. This unfortunate aeeident 1 .saw oeeasioned a strange clon;issin^rtI,r„„o.], .I,,,,, <'l»iinnels, we arrived at Rol; ;ces. ^ii'Mi of'.swainpsandn ro /A///eMr.s'ninnin,ir;ihoutinaIid itisoij'sPoita'a', wh irrow u'l-e we found <»" their haeks, andotJ ui'ctions, some with ^ro,),],s )f tl le HTsreturnin^rlioht to the other en.l P<'''t".i.^t'. We found tiiat they !„•! ford H(ms(. l,„ats, whieh had o 'f th I'ortaoe, where they intcxh-d to "owhite. KobinsonsP oeinir ,ij;oin nearly oitai •y !)e!on;^rod to the Ox- just arrived at the othiT end cneanjj), as it was a mil •' '" I<^''i,i,^th ; aJld ,y t<» York Faetory must pass aiid returnin,ir— the track is 1 "ad, and pretty firm, altJiou'd '•; '^^ the h,n;re.st o„ the route as all the hriwule.v over It twice— in .r„i 'I'Hten into a mr ^'<>(id j„()a,[ •Inrin^- heavy ' 't '« lather uneven, and "'^'"•^ ■^""H'what mu.ldy. Over this all '•oats are dran:.,d,„„i launched at tl the lie U]»per or lower end i:i •'■ii'.ii an [fie cariioes nvn ii> like manm-r carried over P-wL. ee 'fe^cs aie ni "'■'■^" '^'^y^^'''''^^im^:':;:::^::fr' -^ "■: "■ '"■ '"'-""M by l,i:, ,,,„„,„„i„„.s, ,..„,• stw !,/'""'■ "" '»"»'''<; "f-"tai„i„,, ,•,,„„ „„,,, „-;;„,„. r'" l'we», »„ tlint it will 1„, ,,,,s,lv c.,„,.,.iv.,l tl . ■* mg rajiid river ■^ wjiere lie is (,ften obliired >f ascend' igc'U to jump int„ I. 212 Hudson's bay. I I the water at a moment's notice, to lighten the boat in shallows, left entirely out of the question. This portage is made to avoid what are called the "White Falls — a suc- cession of cataracts up which nothing but a fish could lK)ssibly ascend. After carrying over our canoe and lug- gage, we encamped at the upper end. The river we com- menced ascending next morning was pretty broad, and after a short paddle in it we entered the Echimamis. This is a sluggish serpentine stream, about five or six yards broad, though in some places so narrd" that boats scrape the banks on either side. What little current there is, runs in a contrary direction to the rivers we had been ascending. Mosquitoes again attacked us as we glided down its gloomy current, and nothing but swamps, filled with immense bulrushes, were visible around. Here, in days of yore, the beaver had a flourishing colony, and numbers of their dams and cuttings were yet visible ; but they have long since deserted this much-frequented waste, and one of their principal dams now serves to heighten the water, which is not deep, for the passage of brigades in dry seasons. At night, when we encamped on its low, damp banks, we were attacked by myriads of mosquitoes, so that we could only slee]) by making several fires round us, the smoke from which partially protected us. About three o'clock in the morning, which was very wann, we re-embarked, and at noon arrived at the Sea Portage (why 80 called I know not, as it is hundreds of miles inland), which is the last on the route. This portage is very short, aiul is made to surmount a pretty large waterfall. Almost immediatelv aftorwiirds w ci)t*^»''*"i„g Wnie ^'^ ' 'P'" "' "" ^^^*y» Church at We now approached the termination of our ionrnev for ti tnneat lea.t; and it was with pleasin. .Co Iec«, that I recognised the well-known rocks where la ^ often wandered three years before wi, si"ht of the fort it ''"' ^^ '^a'ne in mZ , ■ *'■'' ■" " '*'"^ "f ''"•'tie and excil*- sl'aking „f hands going forward, from the number of »»«»-. collected on the lan,ling-place 1,1 " ,' " aasembleil at the wharf fb„t tl, i , • ""^ arrival. Our poor H Me '""' J""' '"'™ "" of ... -t , ^ """^ ™« "»' taken any notice w d X : If ■^' ■""" -- "f «'° pe"i»e «t:: served that there was some one in the nii.ldle of it ^tt„,g m a very lazy, indolent position, which L aui^ uncommon among Indians. In anotherminu t gaT Li We had now been travelling twelve clavs nn.l h , . passed over uuwards nf ih- T ^ ' "'"' voyage. ''^^ ^"'^"^^^ ^^"""g the ! ■! I. We ought to ]iave performed this voyage in a much shorter time, as canoes proceed faster than l)oats, which seldom take longer to complete this voyage than we did ; but this arose from our detention during high winds in Hudson's bay. 215 CHAPTER X. varaci„„» book , a..2j^ ei. /rr^^lf f J sc.e„t,fic fi,her, extremely partial to ^troZl^lZ^! and cntertainins a powerful mUn^n T ", , '^'' flies ! Jioweriul antipathy to slender rods and fort "":^f ^l""."? '""^^ """' '" "- "PP-^nee of the tort. The clerks' house was stiU as full »„H .= as when Polly told frightful stori" T'CtZZ:!, on the point of setting out for the w,-|,i ^'""'''^""'l '*3of.heesta\,is:rn:ri:— c^;r'^^ One fine morn no- insf «« M„ "d f. tering down to the river with our mJ T fi,ii i? " ^^^ rods, a north ranno a^Me. and we were speell^ eo'l tirM-Td T liain on their safe arrival' These we^ I be ," F,f • * :I 1 ! 1; « f J 1 ■ 1^ 1 Is ■ 216 Hudson's bay. panions on the impending vo>'age to Canada, and tlie canoe in which they had arrived was to be our convey- ance. Mr Bain was a good-natured, light-hearted Higldander, and his lady a pretty lass of twenty-three. On the following morning all was really; and soon after breakfast we were escorted down to the wharf by all the people in the fort, who crowded to the rocks to witness our departure. Our men, eight in number, stood leaning on their pad- dles near the wharf; and, truly, a fine athletic set of fellows they were. The beautifully-shaped canoe floated lightly on the river, notwithstanding her heavy cargo, and the water rippled gently against her sides as it swept slowly past. This frail bark, on which our safety and pro- gression depended, was made of birch bark sewed together, lined in the inside with thin laths of wood, and pitched on the seams with gum. It was about thirty-six feet long, and five broad in the middle, from whence it tapered either way to a sharp edge. It was calculated to cany from twenty to twenty-five cwt., with eight or nine men, besides three passengers, and provisions for nearly a month.' And yet, so light was it, that two men could carry it a quarter of a mile without resting. Such was the machine in which, on the 20th August 1845, we embarked; and, after bidding our friends at Norway House adieu, departed for Canada, a distance of nearly two thousand three hun- dred miles through the uninhabited forests of America. Our first day was propitious, being warm and clear ; and we travelled a good distance ere the rapidly thicken^ la, and the our convey- Highlander, ; and soon e wharf by he rocks to 1 their pad- letic set of noe floated cargo, and LS it swept by and pro- d together, nd pitched ■ty-six feet 3 it tapered d to carry nine men, y a month. carry it a le machine ■ked; and, i, departed hree hun- merica. md clear; y thicken- HUDSON'S BAY. 217 which lay cbel thi "° TT""' "'-^ " *'' ™* thick fop;.t Wd a „.""''■ "'"' ''^'''"'' " 'I'e 1 , aiiu. supper m course of nremraf.-rw, xi things soon began to wear a wer a3 « '" " spread in Mr Bains tent by oTfof 2 ' T ""' appointed to the office of c'oland .alT" An iT we were seafprl ^» ^ n , waiier. And when ground, and Mr ZZ^f'1 T"' ''°*^ "P™ '''« tive minute, Td tZ ! J'"''' 1''"^"^ ^t the fire for -thii«„Lt«:,':r:trt::t^^^^^^ out of the same tpfflo • .1 ' ^^^ ^^^^^^ '^'"PPer «re, Our tabed *' ^^ J™ "s"' "^ /"e ca^^- and rough but witl.»l 1 i ""^"SC being hard *« w^ *Pt^Tr:f::l:;:::^:r rr^"^ branches of the pine4ree si , "'''°'™ ™ " ?"<> "^ occasionally on I ^^Z' ZTZlf'T"' '"''''■' unfrcnuentiv on rn,,„i> ■ ""' ''"* i ""l not -Mis^z^raSrirttes^v^'^'"" worst. " ' ^"^ '^"e sandy one the Early on the followincr mornin. 1.^. u.. , ,. ^ we were roused i.omour^sIumber7;or:::Sf:?* 218 HUDSON S BAY. '! ! %' I tw, t W I our journey may be said to have commenced in earnest. Slowly and silently we stepped into the canoe, and sat down in our allotted places, while the men advanced in silence, and paddled up the quiet river in a very melan- choly sort of mood. The rising sun, however, dissipated these gloomy feelings, and after breakfast, which we took on a small island near the head of Jack River, we revived at once, and started with a cheering song, in which all joined. Soon after, we rounded a point of the river, and Lake Winipeg, calm and clear as crystal, glittering in the beams of the morning sun, lay stretched out before us to the distant and scarcely perceptible horizon. Every plea- sure has its alloy, and the glorious calm, on which we feli- citated ourselves not a little, was soon ruffled by a breeze, which speedily increased so much as to oblige us to encamp near Montreal Point, being too strong for us to venture across the traverse of five or six miles now before us. Here, then, we remained the rest of the day and night, rather disappointed that delay should have occurred so soon. Next day we left our encampment early, and travelled prosperously till about noon, when the wind again increased to such a degree that we were forced to put ashore on a point, where we remained for the next two days in grum- bling inactivity. There is nothing more distressing and annoying than being wind-bound in these wild and uninhabited regions. One has no amusement except reading, or promenading about the shores of the lake. Now, although this may be very deliffhtful to a person of a romantic disposition, ^^MkJii^^^^ ^ HUDSON'S BAY. 219 it was anything but agreeable fn „. ,1, pretty far advrnced al.rf rt ' ^^ ''"'"'" ™» Norway House, an/no booL , ™""= "^^fore leaving ■lid not caicia'te upon bS^ !,'„::, "^'S'"' - - cularly disappointed at not !,av n! bro 1 '"""■ while we lay upon the rocks onlfi? , ^ '^ ^""' '"■■ on the foamin," lake a bltr, ^^' ®" '= ^''""""^ slowly round L bo'tom " XT P-;?-'' -^-g on whieh we were encamned T, ^ u ^^ *" I'"'"' I'niing hi., as Mr BrTwas „ tT , "^^^ '" ""™P' •« to attack him with axe. After fh """"='" '" ''™" of high winds commence, whtlr I i f "'"»"'"'■ ^^^"■■^^ and gave us much «n list ~f ""^ """="• good idea of the hara.si„. nature !, '"""'■ ^ Lake Winipeg may be obt;. C^rfonf"' """ or t™ of my journal, as I .rote "o L ,*""' ""^^ J/o«rf«y. 25th August—The wind b! . this mornin.. we left tl, „ """« moderated and t..velled 14 t^^., Jte nflT' T "'• ^'^ """' when it began to blow s' llul rafwe"' ' "n""^ proceed a g.r:v:e"Sr:t:t--^--'- - eampment till after breakfast wf lad a"! 7' ""- journey, however, travelling abo!l%?' . _',^'""' '^y' night pitched our tent, s on "'g-place, as our guide told us, within about forty miles, and a point of rock, the only camp. ten miles. No dry 220 Hudson's bay. ground was to be found in the vicinity, so we were ftiin to sleep upon tlie flattest rock we could find, with only one blanket under us. This bed, however, was not so disagreeable as might be imagined, its principal disadvan- tage being, that, should it happen to rain, the water, in- stead of sinking into the ground, forms a little pond below you, deep or shallow, according to the hollowness or flat- ness of the rock on which you repose. Wednesday, 27th. — Set out early this morning, and travelled till noon, when the wind (fc/ain drove u;; ashore, where we remained, in no very happy humour, all day. Mr Bain and I played the flute for pastime. Thursdai/, 2Hth. — The persevering wind blew so hard, that we remained in the encampment all day. Tiiis was indeed a dismal day ; for, independently of being delayed, which is bad enough, the rain fell .so heavily thai it began to penetrate through our tents, and, as if not content with this, a gust of wind more violent than usual tore the fastenings of my tent out of the ground, and dashed it over my head, leaving me ex[)osed to the i)itiless i)elting of the storm. Mr Bain's tent being in a more sheltered spot, fortunately escaped. Fridaij, 2iHIi. — The weather was nnich improved to- day, but it still continued to blow sutticiently to prevent our starting. As the wind moderated, however, in the evening, the men carried the baggage down to the beach, to have it in readiness for an early start on the morrow. Satiirdiif/, noth. — In the morning we found that the wind had again risen, so as to prevent our leaving the encamp- ment. This detention is really very tiresome. We have HUDSON'S BAY. 221 tlmt I were roLred?; ,r'V'7'"= "'-^naWy. 01 ou»toraod to suci, wo,-k, has not giVen ^UeSV ' "", of com„l„i„t .since we left No.^; H™"e T ^ o" 7'' .%.s s„,ce we pitched o„r tents i tins vUe 1^ n H " '""g we n,ay still ..emain is yet to be seen "^ ' """ "."■ ."coated Iltthr'S'"'' """ "?-- "^ »™t.d to ,1„ „,. die , Z aft :,. ;"•"■ '"■'""■''■ '" '""■ --e With „.eat .liffic ^ ^i H: ll^^ r " '"'""" '"" that thundered a.r-iln.f fi. ^ ""mense waves We >• --aiM : to : ::r^^ in the shape of a ham a li 1 t , " '" '"■">i»'""« luver. a^cunt of wuiipeg It V \ m , m I A m 222 HUDSON'S BAY. The travelling now before us was widely different from that of the last fifteen days. Our men could no longer rest upon their paddles when tired, as they used to do^on the level waters of the lake. Tlie river was a rapid one ; and towards evening we had an earnest of the rough work in store for us, by meeting in rapid succession with three waterfalls, to surmount which we were obliged to carrv the canoe and cargo over the rocks, and launch them above the falls. While the men were engaged in this laborious duty, Mr Bain and I discovered a great many plum-trees laden with excellent fruit, of which we ate as many as we conveniently could, and then filling our caps and handker- chiefs, embarked with oiu- prize. They were a great treat to us, after our long abstinence from everything but salt food, and I believe we demolished enough to have killed a whole parish school— boys, master, usher, an '^ '"^ ''""''" "■'ly fifty yard, .„. ., f,,„„t w f„ " "" .■'■^' "^ l'^' »•'" Wo mu.le ten portage f J ""f ■''"i'«'v-e,cd hiin. """«"f the day ',!!,,■ """"■' '',"«"'-^ 'h„.iu« ,he :--:d-:;::;:-«i:,£^^ H ,u\ WO ictt tll(. flK-aiii.,n.P.,fc .,t ..,, „__, . •""' '"''' """ '""'■' ■'"■■'"»■"• " 'ow n,i„ut:: :;;; J,;;;;;' i ! J t^ i .-a 2"' J) HUDSON S BAY. After brcaLfast, as we paddled quietly Jilong, we descried three canoes eoniiiii? towards us, lilled with Indians of the Seauteaux tribe. Tliey mave us a few fresh ducks in ex- change for some pork and tobacco, witli which they were mucli delighted. After a short conversation between them and one of our men, who understood the lan,u;uas>;e, we parted, and i)roceeded on our way. A little rain fell dur- injj the day, but in the afternoon the sun shone out and lighted u}) the .scenery. The fctrests about this part of the river wore a much more cheerful aspect than those of the lower countries, being compo.sed chiefly of poplar, birch, oak, and willows, whose beautiful light green foliage had a very pleasing effect upon eyes, long accustonu'd to the dark pines ah»ng the shores of Hudson's Iky. In the afternoon we met another cunoe, in whicli we saw a gentleman sitting. This strange sight .set us all speculating as to who it couhl be ; for we knew that all the canoes accust(uneil annually to go tiirougii these wilds liad long since ])asse(l. We were soon enlightened, how- ever, on the subject. Both canoes nuide towartls a fiat rock that ottered a convenient s])ot for landing on ; un.e ,»ty «,.e „„ .,e,x',„I Ih , I', r.',: ^l''''""""^ I>rov sions • and nfh.,. »,. i- ^ *"^" ^'""'^ ^or i-tho.„„eX:f.:h!;;::"s;:j;::^^^^^^^^^^^^^ d.»,.;wintor with fcF '" ''"^ ^"'^ "' "''™'' ""^ '"'« •.■'"■Wtic clmracter, however th„t 7h '"""'""*•'■ '.« will o„,le«vour ,o Ir '" ' r"''^''''''''''''''''y I'loiiuK aiuon^, these wild re.n,,,,: """" ''''- iiovo „hat thil oxpe,,i.rwi,,t':,i!::frr':"'- out .y « co.,„„y i,.u.ateiy ac,„„[,. ted ;;;;;: ^iZt II ¥ 1! 226 HUDSON'S BAY. 1 ties and dangers of the country through which it will have to pass, and the best methods of overcoming and avoid- ing them. Besides, the Doctor himself is well accustomed to the life he vidll have to lead, and enters upon it not with the vague and uncertain notions of Back and Franklin, but with a pretty correct apprehension of the probable routine of procedure, and the experience of a great many years spent in the service of the Hudson's Bay Company.* After a few minutes' conversation we parted, and pursued our respective journeys. Towards sunset we encamped on the margin of a small lake, or expanse of the river ; and soon the silence of the forest was broken by the merry voices of our men, and by the crashing of the stately trees, as they fell under the axes of the voyageurs. The sun's last rays streamed across the water in a broad, red glare, as if jealous of the huge camp-fire, which now rose crackling among the trees, cast- ing a ruddy glow upon our huts, and lighting up the swarthy faces of our men as they assembled round it to rest their weary limbs, and to watch the operations of the cook while he prepared their evening meal. In less than an hour after we landed, the floor of our tent was covered with a smoking dish of fried pork, a huge ham, a monstrous t?a-pot, and various massive slices of bread, with butter to match. To partake of these deli- cacies, we seated ourselves in Oriental fashion, and sipped * Since the abore was written, several years have passed, and Dr Rae'a name has become famous, not only on account of successful discovery, but also in connexloa with the expeditions sent out in search of Sir John Franklin. w ih it will have ig and avoid- ill accustomed m it not with md Franklin, the probable a great many ly Company.* and pursued in of a small iilence of the men, and by (11 under the earned across of the huge le trees, cast- iting up the round it to ations of the ! floor of our ricd pork, a lassive slices >f these deli- , and sipped i, and Dr Rae's discovery, but :h of Sir John HUDSON'S BAY. 227 XV7 the opening of our t n t a T/ ' ™'' ^''"'^ ""''"■8'' their s„„per ronnd the fir' or IT-"'"' "''"^ '""^ ^^ the gr., ™oked their pl^e'n I^^ "' '"=* "J"" Supper was soon over, and I went o^it f„ preparatory to turnined, and their hu^e ormTwe "'^^'- ^^^ "^" ^''^ the fire, enveloped in e^I"d ir/,'"" '"^''''^'' ^'-""'d curled in volumes from thrir , , """ '""'''<'■ ""hich chatting and lan.M g ot "tr'T", ""'• ^''"^ '-o ju«t as I came „p, the^ Zl >""" '^''^* ^ "», « +• , ^^ ^ ' ^^^" bird, oil . T ^ *'"y ^^^' "1 chase of little birds and squirrels, strode in the v^^n^n of earlv m..^ , over frozen plains of snow or das 1 T ^ T "^ currents and mighty rivers in h-rT ^'''""^^' shade would cro«s his brow a. h>, „o,H ^3^ ' V! recent struggle with the bear, and = 3 would aSVl into silence. =^ " relapse smilet rr.'"^ "'^^'"'^ ''*'^ "-'^ '1^''* ; ""d once he smiled, as if he recognised his wife, but he never slke o any „„e. We scarcely knew when his spirflerso calm and peaceful was his end. ' "His body now reposes beneath the spreadin.. branches o a lordly pine, near the scenes of his childhood "h re he^l;ad spent h.s youth, and where he met his umimeTy Ah?' f^t^"""'^- T^ '°°''^* ™™'' "P™ hfa audi;. „ Alas for the sympathy of man-the !,alf of them had gone to .sleep; and Baptiste, for whose benefit aestorv had been related, lay or n.ther sprawled upon the turf behmd the fire, his .shaggy head resting on th d cated «mp of an old tree, and his empty pip'e hanging grace- fully from h,s half-open mouth. A slight "humph " ^Ped he worthy guide as he shook the !shes fro^h 3 Early the following morning we raised the camp and 234. Hudson's bay. continued our journey. The scenery had now become more wild and picturesque. Large pines became nume- rous ; and tlie rocky lissures, through which tlie river rushed in a black unbroken mass, cast a gloomy shadow upon us as we struggled to ascend. Sometimes we managed to get up these rapids with the paddles, and when the current was too powerful, with long poles, which the men fix(;d in the ground, and thus pushed slowly up ; but when both of these failed, we resorted to the tracking line, upon which occasions four of the men went on shore and dragged us uj), leaving four in the canoe to paddle and steer it. When the current was too strong for this, they used to carry parts of the cargo to the smooth water further up, and dnig the canoe up light, or, taking it on their shoulders, carry it overland. We made nine or ten of these portages in two days. In the afternoon we came in view of a llomaii Catholic mission station, snugly situated at the bottom of a small bay or creek ; but as it was a little out of our way, and from its quiet a])pearance seemed deserted, we did not stop. In the afternoon of tlie following day, the 9tli of Sep- tember, we arrived at the Com])any's jiost, called llii Portage House, where we were hosi)itably entertained for a few hours by Mr M'Ki;.zi(>, the gentleman in char'^e. On the portage, over which we had to carry our canoe and bnggage, a large jmrty of Indians of both sexes and nil ages were collected t(, witness our departure ; and Mr MKenzie advised us to keep a sharp look-out, as they were much ad- dicted to appro^ iating the ]>roperty of others to their own ♦ I ,.-...l.J Xi-J _-. , •. n — "u an u]>i>ortuiiiiy oi puivute use, provided they could H low become ;anie iiume- h the liver )iiiy shadow iietiines we addles, and km;o tu )e up light, •land. We ys. In the lie mission [lall bay or id fiuni its top. th of Sep- ealled lUt Mitertained ill ehar<«;e, ennoe and nd all ages M'Kenzie ' mmh ad- tluir own rtuuity of Hudson's bay. 235 doing so unoWed; so. while our men were runnincr ro.k,s Ml Bam and his lady remained at one end to ou.rd tl-m and I at the other. Everything, however wal >ot sa% across ; the Indians merely stoo^l lookin<. 'o 1' seemed further from their thoiiuhts than ste-ilin.r t,, T a I a. Ilul of tobacco, f„r,vl,icl. tl.crc was « groat scramble n.u l,o„. „. sy voices ,.ied away in the .lista,, e I , ' frc...c.n.ycajt,:LL':n;:^;;:;, 1 here is „o,bi„., I ,|,i„k, better calculate! to awaken 1 10 ,„or.3 sole,.,,, feeli„„,, „f „„, „„„„.^ (, '^^ ' ; I" tl,e tl„.illi„g to„es of saerd ,„„s e) tl,;„ ""'■;: '■■""■»■ »""W"1 wi* i"m„„..rable i»I ts ,"|, " ! burst,,,. ,,„ the traveller's view as l,o e,„e,,™ ^n ' Z ■'■ 7\ '""' "' "'" ^-"'•™ »il.l™,c ' T ,\'7 '"""";•'■ r"'. ""■""■I"-","? ".It to the l,ori.o„-l, «.,bra,.„, the beavy „„., l„x„,.i„„t fo,i„,,e of „ ,„„ W wi«" e,l ,s es or reflee.i,,,. the woo,l-,.|a,| ,T,o„,„„i„ ^ts "»«,.,, clotl,o,l i„ „|, ,„,. v„ric,n,te,l b„es of „,„ , ' a l,e,,, ,itteri„g with ,|az.li„« brillia„ey J of will ■r'"'""" "'"'""" ''"^' ""»« '"'"'l>"l.s < t w,i,l-to,vl el,attc,., as they feci, will, v„,.ie,l e,v ,c>,- S:!i:T;:^''""™''™!'"-'--"-"^'i.«.t.,o",c:;;, stillness of the natu' scene: nil tends to " up to nature's Ood rai.^c the soul i IMIU IM ■lil and remind s one of the 236 Hudson's bay. beautiful passage of ScripLure, " Lord, how manifold are thy works ! in wisdom hast thou made them all : the earth is full of thy riches." At the same time, when one eonsideis how very few of the human race east even a passing glance on the beauties of nature around, one cannot but be impressed with the truth of the lines, "Full many a flower is born to bluah unseen, And waste its sweetness on the desert air." At night we encamped at the furthest extremity of the lake, on a very exi)osed s])ot, whence we looked out upon the starlit scene, while our supper was spread before us in the warm light of tlie fire, which blazed an sky. Ne.\-t mTlrning we commenced the ascent of Lac la Pluie River. This is decidedly the most beautiful river we had yet traversed, not only cm account of the luxu- riant foliage, of every Inu'. with which its nohle baidcs are covered, but chii-fly from the resemblance it bears in many places t(. the scenery of Englan.l, recalling to mind the grassy lawns and verdnnt banks of Britain's streams, nnd tiiinsporting the beholder from the wild scenes of the western world to liis native home. The trees along its banks were larger uiid more varied than any wel.ad hitherto .seen.— ash, poplar, cedar, red an.l white pines, oak, and birch, being abundant, whilst flowers of gaudy hues enhanced the beauty of the scene. Towards noon our guide kept a sharp look-out for a convenient spot whereon to dine : and ere long a flat shelving rock, partly shade.l by trees and partly exposed to thu bhtiu of naiiifold are m all : the s, when one \ist even a round, one lines. nity of the -I out u])on I before us (I crackled <; up clouds of Lac la itiful river tlie luxu- •ble banks it bears in s; to mind s streams, lies of the t alon■'. im 238 HUDSON'S BAY. found the post in cliarge of a chief trader, who had no other society than that of three or four labouring-men ; so, as may be supposed, he was delighted to see us* Our men carried the canoe, &c., over the portage to avoid tho waterfall, and, as it was then too late to proceed further that night, we accepted his pressing invitation to pass the night at the fort. There was only one spare bed in the house, but this was a matter of little moment to us after the variety of beds we had had since starting ; so, spread- ing a buffalo robe on the floor for a mattress, I rolled my- self in my blanket and tried to sleep. At first I eoukl not manage it, owing to the unearthly stillness of a room, after being so long accustomed to the oi)en air and the noise of rivers and cataracts, but at last succeeded, and slei)t soundly till morning. D;une Fortune does not always persecute her friends ; and although she ha.l retarded us hitherto a good deal with contrary winds and rain, she kindly assisted us when we commenced crossing Lac la Pluie next morning, l)y raising a stift", fair breeze. Now, be it kiu)wn that a c^moe, from having no keel, and a round bottom, cannot venture to hoist a sail unless the wind is directly astern— tho least bit to one side would be sure to capsize it ; so that our getting the wind precisely in the proper direction at the commencement was a great piece of good fortune, inasmuch as it enabled us to cross the lake in six hours,' instead of (as k generally the case) taking one, two, or three days. In tlie evening we arrived, in high si)irits, at a portage. on which we eiieanmnJ iped Hudson's bay. Our progress now becaniP a Uffi^ portages ami .small hkeTZlT T '"'""'1'*"' ''^ we 3ometi,„cs passed wMwMffiT ''""'''' *''™"«'> '^'"''l' »- of the wL'ttanJ'Sf "™S/^fr''''^- came to tlie Mocan River whw! ""■ *'' '™ Indian hoy. dressed h. thTeZt^I 1' 'Tr' ^ '"* fashion-i„ other words TT f^ *^ I"''""' «™™er "kedness. with threxcep ton "f '" .' '''"' "' "^f-' ..pon casting o„r eyes ToCh! "■ ''"=^«"''"' ^ a„d worthy foth^r, in a shniir? / T' ^^ '"''"=''' W' eatehing fish with a ,, oT 'h ' ''"'" ^P'"^"' "' pictnres<,„e-l„oki„„ felW !', -m".™' """^ " ^"''. ness of his dress IndlZ ""'""''^'••""''•»« «>e scanti- eeaUngs, When I fil ,? , ' > """'"""' "' '»' l'™" roek cLe to ttete of tl ""' '" "" ""'""« "l'™ » of which hegazl Sen ,v " rf "■"""'• ''■"" ^''^ "'-«^-^ the act of strik"; sirr r " '■''"'"«^'' ^'^"'^ air, a.,1 his bo,.;,,,^^ t" T'-'T^ *""«'' "■" fee it q,„-ek,y «,r' X e It ™'f ""^ ^"'"^ '" out with a l,ea.,tif„l whileV? ' ""'""''" " ^mo f tering like .n!:^ ^t'^;;:!^'::' j' : «r '-.. the space of half-an-hour he l,„d u *'''■ I" this manner, and we Z2J ""T"" '"•'f-'-'o™. ir « f- ,.h,g.H of ol ceo 'Hi '»•"''''"'■'''''■•' *■-""■• dose at hand; .„ wWk „".''""'" "'"' '"""'^ were "•" up to sec them, """ ™''«' *<' i'"^^^. I The tent, whieh was made of •!,„„.. .<.,. , , , '"Sether, was ,,iu« ben^th thr^ZClt':;;:;' y imiiinM 240 Hudson's bay. pine, upon tlie lower limbs of which hung a pair of W(^ni- out snow-shoes, a very dirty blanker, and a thort bow, with a quiver of arrows near it. At the foot of it, upon the ground, were scattered a few tin pots, several p;urs of old moccasins, and a gun ; wJiile against it leaned an Indian cradle, in which a small very brown baby, witli jet-black eyes and hair, stood bolt upright, basking' in the sun's rays, and If^aring a comical resemblance to an Egyptian mnnuny. At the door of the tent a child of riper years amused itself by rolling about among the chips of wood, useless bits of deer-skin, and filth, always ..trewn around a wigwam. On the right hand lay a pile of fire- wood, with an axe beside it, near which crouched a half- starved, wretched-looking nondescript dog, who commenced barking vociferously the moment he cast eyes upon me. Such was the outside. The interior, filled with smoke from the fire and Indians' pipes, was, if possible, even dirtier. Amid a large pile of rabbit-skins reclined an old woman, busily plucking the feathers from a fine duck, which she carefully preserved (the feathers, not the duck) in a bag, for the purpose of trading them with the Com- pany at a future period. Her dress was a coat of rabbit- skins, so strangely shaped that no one could possibly tell how she ever got it off or on. Tliis, however, was doubt- less a matter of little consequence to her, as Indians sel.lom take the trouble of changing their clothes, or even of undressing at all. The coat was fearfully dirt< d hung up(m lier in a way tiuit led me to suppose s{ hud worn it for six moni" and that it would fall nr. i- m a few days. A pair Oi xaded blue cloth lefftfiiij .: n^ciotpd HUDSON'S BAY. lier costume—her dirtv ci, 1 1 'l"ite destitute of covl, '"S"; "7^' ""* ^^^ l^-S long time since a comb l,»,l , ? , '™' evidently a otl.c.r.ide.atayouZ w ! ^ ""'"'=''' ''■ 0" «« 1-1 .seen &,„„„), w J :?^t,k:t '' ,"' "" ""^ ^™ "1 silence. A few dirtv litnl I f , '""'""« '»■* PPe "'g among several p C f fe'f f '"^^ '"^ •'?--'- and disputed withL o° til , /' "'' ''" "''^'"'''■■k. comnmdious place whereon tTL the? '\ "" '""' of ae tent sent up a cloud of sm ke wW "' "" '""''"^ au aperture at the ton a,„I f ' ''**"'«' *'»™gh few dices of deer-me: u t^:,;,;-- "^Pended^a I had merely time to „„ T *' "'7™^'''«« "f Poking, to the Indians: who .. u" !, '' '""' ^'■'^- " ^mt oheer/' when the ,„ud voice of tr'-""""' *''''» «™''^ glades of the forest informed me at^:'"' ''"'""''' "'^ to proceed. ™ ""' t™ canoe was ready The country through which w. . mteresting, on account of rt '^ ^""^ ™s ve,y I-'-es through whil wfw„u,,r"'' "' "'" ■'"™™ ""^ 7« i-idii"g with ch-ftieuity :„•;;:; 2 /'«"- - of a narrow river, which „/' "'''""« «'™nt ™Jdeniy became a !; ZC' ":'T " """>' "^ '™J. ">«. we arrived at a prtaje ^ » "' """ "™""« «""e a series of ,„,»! „™j t,,' ,?"?'"« """ ''■ «"-™ which .,ve pushed om.„:J:™.t.,™" '"'" "-k». thro,„h "' -other h.k, and mo;;:;;;;;*™;'^; «»d the„ar,ived iivtrs, With nuiiiurous 1 :'il 1 242 HUDSON'S RAY. portages. Sometimes ludicrous accidents happened to us, bad enougli at the time, but subjects of mirtli afterwards.' One cold frosty morning (ft)r the weather had now become cold, from the elevation of the country through wliich we were passing), while the canoe was going (piietly over a small reedy lake or ford, I was awakened out of a nap, and told that the canoe was aground, and I must get out and walk a little way to lighten her. Hastily pulling up my trousers (for I always travelled barefoot), I sprang over the side into the water, and the canoe left me. Now aU this happened so quickly that I was scarcely awake; but the bitterly cold water, wliich nearly reached my knees, cleared up my foculties most effectually, and I then found that I was fifty yards from the shore, with an unknown depth of water around me, the canoe out of sight ahead of me, and Mr Bain (who ],ad been turned out while half asleep also) standing with a rueful expres- sion of countenance beside me. After feeling our v..iy cautiously— for the bottom was soft and muddy~we reached the shore; and then, thinking that all was right, proceeded to walk round to join the canoe. Alas ! we found the bushes so thick, that tlu^ were very nearly im- penetrable; and, worse than all, that they, as well as the ground, were covered with tliorns, which scratched and lacerated our feet most fearfully at every step. There was nothing for it, however, but to persevere; and after a painful walk of a quarter of a mile, we overtook the canoe, vowing never to leap before we looked upon any other occasion whatsoever. In this way we proceeded, literally over hiU and dale, Hudson's bay 243 Stuiseon Lake, Uc du MoH M ^ ', ^"''*''" ^'■™'-' "«..y portage., of vario,,, ),.„!« 1 , T "'""™' »'"' tlie evening „f the ] ,,ti, L ' """ "'"' ''"^ription,, till "'"0 river called tsj ';?""''"' "'" '*"'"'«■' PortaRo. ^'™"' "'' "'"vod at the Savan ^^.?l'zri:!r«r:-;!'«^-'.-we.sto,,„.. *- and ..,„,. „„:;;; x: 't,:.r* -- «" TJie reason of it was tin's Ti Z ""^ ""^^ "^w. ^'-"g their ].acH;.tt Jt ^l'""^^'^^ ^^^'^l-y. posed chiefly of Ouv, -n \ ^^""'•'^'•^^' «»^l l>ein,^. com- -i^^lo snpph's iutt t ': ,:;^r^'^'^' ""^-^-^ their fiirs out of it in Ju T ^\ ''"^^ '^^'^^^^^^^ ^" their winch we now t'vl!^ r.' ''" ""^ ^-^« -- a larire scale it n.,v l ^'^ '^""''^^ "" ^^"«'"ess on --,.ondi„„ ;:;:[ 'r/rt:':' ■" • "*•- -»" ■'»n.l,eri„g twenty canoe.,) "ed ™ , >"""" ^''"'" «oene,, dnring the ™,„n,er „ t,,s C"' ""'?'"'' "■'■■^'' experienced it, can f,,™, .,„ ■''" ™° "''" '"i-" not ^"•-^>.e pacing If .wv; ;::;::;::: r ''] r^-^ a stranger, I have .seen fonr ™1 ™ '""^ «'""' montory suddenly and 1 1/ ™"^'P ■'"•■nd a pro- the same n.oment' t Vm "'"""• "'^ ™"' """•'' «' ^-'™. ».. «.ey plied ,,:'.,. r;: - -"« "f the »,„. ear, and I l„ve f .. ,,„■,'„ '"''''™' ■-"■•"* upon my «.eh a scene. What, th.^th "'"""" ™ '^"""■^'"^ those who had spent Vlo,^V^ "Z '"" "f "*''' "' o> urtary winter m tJie wiJd !i i f\ 1 244 ilUDSON's BAY. Nortli-AVest, far romoved from tho l)ustlc and cxcitomciit of the civilised world, vvljoii thirty or forty of these picturesque canoes burst unexwu,;;. ..,,on fi,e„, ],alf shroud-d in tlie sin-ay tliat flew from the brioht vermilion paddles, while the men, who had overcome difficulties and dangers innumerable durin,g a long voyao-e through the wilderness, urged tiieir liglit craft over the troubled water wirh the speed of the rein-deer, and with hearts joyful at tht iiaj)py termination of their trials and privations, sang, with all the force of three hundred manly voices, one of their lively airs, which, rising any — To render CCS, which 24o .>«d« w,.rc „..gK.W a,„l got o, , f 1 l'"""'"' '^"'^ 'luently. we fo„,„l the i„.., ,,ver tl„ ™ V™ ' "'"""■ tree, &ilo„ a.ro.,, t,„.,„ ^ Z " '"""f ° '^'"^V"'- "»^***^"^-'--f;or ing hill. After crossing two it. a neigh bour- of ^'nall lakes, we launched mor." portages, and a our canoe on the bosom of the variety I '' ^i,i ?l , 1i] ' i i 1 1 ' i i ! I ^1 2i6 Hudson's bay. river Du Ch.en, and began for the fi,..,t time since the commencement of our jonrncy to descend, having ,«« ed over the he,glu of land. We saw several gray iroTse here, and m the evening one of our n.en canght on! i " a cunons mam.er. They were extremely tan,e,°and alJed to catch one for sn,,,,er. Cutting a long branch from a -ghbonring tree, he tied a running „oos°e o„ o enTof t. and gomg qnietlynp to the bird, put the noose gently over Its head, and pulled it off the tree ! This is a common practice among the Indians, partictUarly when they have run short of gunpowder 8u„da,j. 2I.«._Crossed Lac du Chien, and made the - portage of the same name, fron, the top of which we h d a most beautiful view of the whole country for miles round Havmg crossed this portage, we proceeded do™ "he Kamen.staquoia Eiver. on the banks of whil after n.ak,ng another portage, we pitched our tents J/o«rf«3,, 22d_Rain obliged us to put 'ashore this mormng. Nothing can be more wretched than travelMn n ra.ny weather. The men, poor fellows, do not ZZ the least attempt to keep themselves dry but the nt -ngers endeavour, by means of „i,cd elofts. t^ ke pT:; last they are. obl.ged to throw off the covering. Even were th.s not the case, we should still be wretched as the am always find., its way in somewhere or other! L have been often awakened fron, a nap by the cold t ick In. of moisture do™ my back, and have discovered upon ".ovmg. that I was lying in a pool of water. Asho,7w Hudson's bay. 247 are generally » little „,ore comfortable, bnt not much bowsnun an Htee ji^^' ™f/«7"^ ''">^<^ f-m the sends the li,*t e T '^ '''™^' ""=' '» <=»"»«) danger;:nfj;:rSr;f"'"*^^^^^^^^^^ «er.-.™.tlnJ«^^^^^^^^^ rock, and. whe*,J^!;Vrir-t™h """', '"■"* ""^ " —1...^ .„and Buh Its broadside to the stream, 'H . I 1 248 HUDSON'S BAY. 'i"ims, and well act-ustimiccl to •jiu.l. ,i„„ sprang simultaneously „^„. j,,^ ,;."'" '''"'' ''™f«. •>™.g thus Iigl,.enod^,„sj:;;r;He ocV"'"? "f "i' down thu remainilpr of n, f ' '""' "'"'"'•l rally ,lisen„,a, J,;, ,„^, C , ie' .t,, / " ri"'" ^'"^ «-- ;-™..u„ew.i,,..eH,e,o;rri;::r wat.Tfall. wl,i,.h I w. „ ' "^™''."'' I^"'"' '" «™a «.- ,n«..uuy ;•,/«:,;," r;:: t„™:;r f '.- roar soon Lrui.lo.l mo t.. Z W ' "^' '^' ^^"'» o,„. ,,,, „:„:'/;;:';'« ^r '"""■""■ lake Superior, tl,„t i,„„,,,„, „ , " * " ''>"l«'l water., of •*">- n,„l rolli,,. biiiowsvfewr 7 "''"''"•" '"'''^ Co.n,«ny, oo„Lne., at" ,^^""" '"" ^'""'-^^-' over, ,n,u.|, „f ,-,, j,-),,,.^, , "" * "' ""^"- Now, I,„,v- ■•".«« ''«vo been p^lid ' ■""'"', """yof .l,e ,,„i,,,. -rw.ketHoo,.l,;:'ff;;:;.:\7;';-;).M.e i,,.,. wl"to-fi.|,, witi,;,,, '„;'"' '"""^ '"""''■'■'J" of beautiful <"■ 'He i„„„e.,.,e trout: ''^;::" '" 7.w.,etl„.r t,,,,, measure three feet ]„„„ ,J , "" f"™'''' «"metiu„., Tlic- one «,. h,,., to "lift t P7"""™'"oly luoad. "••■•ival, n,u„t have hoe,, 1 T >" l^-" '"""""« "' '""' The fur tri I f j ^ ^^ ^ """ ■"'="■ *""M are .•„;,•;;,:,; ;!;:'„;;;;;; j^ «;""<. <-.' .i.e f„r.s •■ountrf. ""Mint (I m other jwrts „f the " "'""'*'• «f '"»*« rf« n,„U, '■ '"■ "''T '"'«'■ canoes, If 1» 250 Hudson's bay. T are always kept in store here, for the use of the Company's travellers. These canoes are of the largest size, exceedino- the north canoe in length by several feet, besides bein" much broader and deeper. They are used solely for the pur],ose of travelling on Lake Superior, being much too large and cumbersome for travelling with throu-h the interior. They are carried by four men instead of two like the north canoe, and, besides being capable of carryir.cr twice as much cargo, are paddled by fourteen or sixteen men. Travellers from Canada to the interior generally change their candtes de maitre for north canoes at Fort \Vilham, before entering upon the intricate navigation through which we had already passed; while those gohicr from the interior to Canada change the small for the laroe canoe. As we had few men, however, and the weathlr appeared settled, we determined to risk coasting round tlie northern shore of the lake in our north canoe. The scenery around the fort is very pretty. In its im- mediate vicinity the land is flat, covered with small trees aiKl wdlows, which are agreeably suggestive of partridoos and other game ; but in the distance rise go(,dly-siLl mountains ; and on the left hand, the noble expanse of the Lake Superior, with rocky i.sland.s on its mL-htv bosom, and abrupt hills on its shores, stretches out t.rthe horizon. The fort is built at the mouth of the Kamenis- tacpioia River, and from its palisades a beautiful view of the surrounding country can be obtained. As the men wanted rest, and our canoe a little rcmir we (ktermine-l to remain all day at Fort William; so some ot the men employed themselves re-gumming the canoe HUDSON S BAY. I'ttlo time to spare from en, , ^"""'"^ *" "'"« ^hore, .,., „,,„/, tL Tav ""re:t*^'"'' '^""^ » wet blanket. ' '" consequence, slept in a -^^^:A:'Jl:T'''' ;•" »'-«^' 01 tJ>e fort -*'■" a circuit o1l„ ';:!■,:"," '"!""' "'" ""^ ""« the pri,„eval forest w.s hi t T' "'"'■'' ^l""^''' '^""S '0 n,eet With M:;^i::rr^,:7"'-'-ie.i«,,eea «een„oo„e b„t rougl. „„„,,;„'' ^"' "", '""">"'«." *" >n-t her. W,,ile'tl,eyT« toff T" T"'' ""'-'''''' c«Ii other, Mr Baimn.I T '""''" ""-'■'"«' of of »iK. fort; a.„ ■ t L:~ ;"'■"' "' *° ^■^'■""•^ >"'>"«<.u.s visits to a s„„eH 7 ,' *'"'''y' ■■""' 1»W "-,1 with ,„iik ir ; "V" '';" '"';'■ "'"■"'' -- -ln.irea.he<,„ir,„,,;;;rjj:-''^^^ number of eow.s at tlie lu, f ^ .^' ^^'""^^ '^^^''^ a tcred in our walk VdT " 7 "^ ''^''''^' ^« ^»^<>«n- I"theevenln,^:,:;;:i'-V"-^I^^^^ a po.tn..te, who ha! the seal l "'""'"■ ''■'"^" " ''"'k darkened under tL'TZeeofHiffr*""^ *'■ ™'- than half an honr the Z^ V^ ^^ ' '"'^ ^ ^'^^- around „., like tl,o.,e of thcAtk ,1 ,"= "'"' ''''""'« ™all Man.,, abont a ndle litt ' , '"'"'' "'"'^ '"^ " canoe was steered; whilt ll.r „" t r^f ^"/'"^ quiekly as the romdniess nf rt„ '^""""■'' as the wind increased »dth^^ f 7 """''' """*■ ««" Some of the waves had to, t/f.,™' '"" '"' ^''"'C''- -;' «'- was gettinrmt : ^^:.tr'^■'■^■'-■ v.deneo pernutted „s to reach hi W I , / '^""' ''"- not in comfort, as most of . . ' '"'^°*>'> """•gh ■nanv of then, a go; tllrStc",':; ""•'^ "-" «'• -" On landing, we pitched onr tents m„i ^ eeeded to dry onrselves, and i, fc tt ? f' ""' P™" con>f„rtablo as possible. The i^n ,'""',"' "^ "^ onoan,ped was a small rocky o, t ' 1'"'' *' '""^ heathery-looking shn.bs, aZng Ihich ^j'f ""',' f "■' sands of blaeberries On w,lki. , "'"' """•- of it, I discovered an ImU™ ef "■'""" '" "" "*" -'« Sriir:^-:-^^^^*^^^^^^^ -K.fd':re:t.i,:r::™--::^,-.;v';e around ifc, as if they wished in f) ^ ^ """'' ^^^^ beat it down and sUt^s'Vn^- , l^'!'™'-!-'; '« towards the dose of the third %, Th;:,;;;;; "^l^rated n 254 1 1 ;. 1 i •i ' h ■■■ \. Hudson's bay. and we ventured again to attempt the traverse This ^me we succeeded, and in two hours passed Thunder J^omt, on the other side of which we encamped The next day we could only travel till breakfast-time as the wind again increased so much as to oblic^e us to put ashore. We comforted ourselves, however, ;ith the prospect of a good mutton-chop. ^ The fire was soon made, the kettle on, and everything m preparation, when the dreadful discovery was mad: that the whole of the fresh mutton had been foro-otten - Words cannot paint our consternation at this di.;covery Poor Mrs Bam sat in mute despair, thinking of the misery being redu.ed again to salt pork ; while her husband, MlK, had hitnato stood aghast, jumped suddenly f^.rward a^id sei.m, . ... of fine potatoes that had been given to the men tuvew it, in a transport of rage, into the lake vowing that as we were, by their neghgence, to be de' pm.l^f^.^niuttoii, they certainly sho^^^ It was very laughable to behold the rueful countenances of the men, as their beautiful, large, white potatoes sank to the bottom of the clear water, and shone brightly there as If to tantalise them, while the rippling wLr caused them to quiver so much, that the lake seemed to rest on a pavement of huge potatoes ! None dared, however at- tempt to recover one ; but, after a while, when Mr Bain's back was turned, a man crept cautiously down to the waters edge, and gathered as many as were within reach,-always, however, keeping an eye on his master and stooping m an attitude that would pen his 1" HUDSON'S BAY. o-- ZOO uie minutiae or our vovao-e aprn«- aiong over the slllater ^ '^1" ^^ ""'"""^' while the lake was lasheT 1! ^/ """" '•i""''-''^"' by a stron. »,le s! n^ll ^ T ""'' °^ '"'™ ""'' '''"ows the season: lire; 7t^Z ll' ''] '-"- "f every 1„11 and calm hour that Z,™> sotf T '"""°'' "' ami the lake caln, Fof ,^ ''""' "'"' '='o«dless, theypaddH^tthfirj;::- and as it was gettino- rather ohmJ t ' '^ '^'''''^^' ...y green Mault (^lilTl^lJ ::^ TT'l '" wen as a bed), and soon fell fast asW "''"" "^ How louo- T eloT^f T 1 . , ^ ut when I awoke, t]ie way '.Sdtt HtaZe t' oltr"''"™'' - ^"-' ™ '^= .1 <^ A / c^ >PJ w IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET {MT-3) 1.0 28 I.I |J5 1.25 25 M IIM 14 11.6 Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WIST MAIN STRUT WIBSTIR.N.Y. MS80 (716) J73-4S03 V A {/ <,v <;o y. ^- f/i fv ^v^ L1>' N> -f*. ** <^-: 6^ '^I^ 5^ /^'^ ..:"-' €^ C/a li 256 Hudson's bay. rc^nilar, rnpid Jiiss of the paddles struck upon my ear and upon throwin- off tlie l.lanket, the first thhvr that met my oy^' was tlie dark sky spau^ded witli tlie most gor.^eous an.l brdhant stars I ever beheld. The wliole seen^ in- deed, was one of tlie most nui-nifi.ent and awful that can be imaoined. On our left hand rose tremendous i.recipiees ami ehfts, aroun.l the bottom and amono' the caverns <»f which the black waters of the lake curled .juietly (for -i most deathlike, unearthly calm prevailed;, sen.lin^r forth a faint hoU.,w murmur, which ended at h)no- intervals in a low melancholy cadence. Before and behind u.s, abrupt C'rao"r l,n,,. ,l,.,.,„„y y,,a,., . ,, ; « la,l,o« «•„ a,,,,,.a,.,.,l ,„„,, , ,„,„,,, „,,„/,, ™ to mo, a„,l all of tl„.,„ loo,..,, „, ,,,,„„-f„| ,, , ' "; a-mg ac,.„..ton„.,l to In.li,,,, ,|,„„„,), „,„^ j ,,„ ' f '^^ w,tl, ov..,.y one in,,ivi,,nal,y t,,at ,,ass..,, „„. ,•„ ,„ ,' " '"V'-'W I »™"t,-,...,, a,,o„t, „tt,.,.,y , t of t,,e fa,.t tliat ,ny ,,„.„ l,,,,, |,,„„ ^^.f^ ■ J """" Iw.a.«oon awaken,.,, to t,,i.s ,sta,.tlin« ,,;,,,a,,ility 1 ^J a - ll-,,,.„„k ,,o,.t of a „„ „,, „,,,., ' suio oy„lentIy ,„ ,..,„.e,, „f „„. „,„,. ^'' y burst .nto an e.,„.e.i„,. „f nnboun,,,,,",-,,,, J'l!: Hudson's bay. i. 2GI rc'colk'ctin^r that tlii.s was I'liarat'tcr of aoh iiioniislstcnt with his UMsiunwl that we must start soon, as tl tijisy. ■it'ty, l.(x;ainc awfully irvavi', and told nio le men were all gett getting The following day we arrived at liytown. This town is i)ictures(iuely situated on the, l,row of a stupendous eliff, whi.-h deseenr(»eeeded on our way. Durino- the day we passe.l the loek.s of the Ki.leau Canal, which rise, to the nu.nl.er of ei-I.t or ten one over another like steps ; and imn.v.liately IkIow them «I>l'<'Hred the Curtai.i Falls. These falls are not very IMcturesque, hut their great height and eurtain-liko sinoothness render them an int.-resting object. After this. Villages and .letaehed Imuses becan.e numerous all the wayd..wn the river; and late in the evening of the 24th we arrived at a station belonging to tbe Hu.lson's Bay Conipany, on the Lake of the Two Mountains, where we ])assed the remainder of the niglit. Here, for the first time since" leaving hon.e, I was ushered into a civilised drawing-room ; and when I found inyselt seated on a cudioned chair, with my moeca- sined .■orduioy trousers and inoecasins ; while his k,no-.lass, I eannot say that I f.lt extremely horriHnl. lliis was the hrst tin.e that I had seen myself-if I ,„ay so speak-sinee leavino- Norway H<,use ; and, truly, T Juul no reason to feel i)rond of my appearanee. The following n.ornin- at four oVloek, we left the Lake .>f the Two Mountains ; and in the aftenmon of the ..>th detoher 184.5, arrive.l at La.-hine. where, for the mu>, n.y travc>ls eame to a .lose-havin. been journeying u\ the wdderness f„r sixty-six days. ■ The villa,ire of Lac-hine is prettily situated on the "an -s „f the St Lawrenee, about nine miles above M.m- tiral. The eonntry ar.nin.l it is populous and pr(-tty an. the v.ew aeross the river beautiful. Just in fro,^ ot the Hudson s Bay H<>ni, and tllO 1)C(1- f, (Iri'sscd >tty, > front Stillil'd ivuncrs ' flows miles laoad ; and o)i the opposite shore lies the villa<,'e of Ookanawufian, inhahited hy a trihe of Jiofiuois Indians. Lachine itself is very small ; its only street, however, is Will peopled, and the honses of whirh it is eomposed are scattered over a hujL'c space of ;^a'(.iind. The Hndson's Bay ILmse is the most imp(»sin,Lr huildin;^' al.out the place, but it does not reflect much credit on its architect. There are three churches in the villa/^^e,— a Preshyterian, Episcoi.alian, and Roman Catholic church, tin; latter hviu'y most ^rencjilly attended hy the inhabitants, who are chiefly French Canadians. Soon after my arrival, winter set in, and I became ac(piainte»l with a few of the inhabitants of Lachine. The moment the snow fell, wheeled carria^^cs were super- seded by carioles and slei^dis of all descriptions. These beautiful vehicles are mounted on runners, or lar^e skates, and slide very smoothly and easily over the snow, e.Kcei»t when the road is bad ; and then, owiii^r to the want of si)rings, slei;^hs become very ron<,rli earria«res inc' -d. They are usually drawn by one horse, the harness ai d trappin;j;s of which are profusely covered with small round bells. These bells are very necessary aj.penda;,'es, as little noise is made by the ai)proach of a slei^rh (^ver the soft snow, and they serve to warn travellers in the dark. The cheerful tinklinony, ill a, fniitloss attvumt t.^ l- aiKl loudly tlllklillir hdh imdvm, witli two str oiig Iior.sos, •Ms ci to,. ..1,,.;. aw,,;;,,; '°"""-^" *' ^ ""''■'-'« uic iij),s that are ahout to tasfo if t i tain l„„ i„„ • ""^' """ "•'■•"'g'^^— •listniice uiKw- Hudson's hay. 2(1.5 CllAl'TEU XI. W.NTKR TUAVKU.NO ,N CANAnA-TADOf.AC. ETC. ii'Md iiiyscJt HI readiness to stiut «"iilv flw, v ii • r- .. s,«M,,.,t known. i,s . .„„„•„„ „,,„„t j|„.^,^^ ,„„ >."U-, l„.low M,.n,n.«I, on tl„. n,„n,l, of tl„. river S,. „ .v an .Seven ls,„n„s i. two ,„„„„,.„ ,„„,, ,,„,„„ ^X r: ■ '•" *'"■, J""'"^'y '» ""t " « t one. Tl,. creator ,nr ;";ct,':r"' « ^""^"^-^"'-^1':;;: In i)ioi)jiniti()n for tliis ion , v flw.» t i Next ,.u„.„in, I f„„n,, „n,t „„ jo„„,ey was r,o.st,o„ea to the Mlow„,j; , „y, ,„ I ,,,„t i,„„ ji,,,,, ntmjc tliouulit, en,le„vo,u-,n(! to fln.l „ut if anythinL' l,a,l keen forgotten. N„lhin«, I,„wever, reou.re,, t,. ul t„« -1 ,o,„« to bed only Lalf unUre^ed. in order to ZZIy f :1 I-' 266 Hudson's bay. at a moments notice, I soon fell into a short disturbed slumber, from which the servant awakened me long before daylight, by amuamcmg that the sleigh was at the door In ten mmutos I was down stairs, where Mr Stone shortly afterwards joined me; and after seeing our traps safely deposited in the bottom of the sleigh, we jumped in, and slid noiselessly over the quiet street of Lachine ^ The stars shone brightly as we glided over the crunch- ing snow, and the sleigh-bells tinkled merrily as our horse sped oyer the deserted road. Groups of white cottages and solitary gigantic trees, flew past us, looking, in the uncertain light, like large snow-.h-ifts ; save where the twinkling of a candle, or the first blue fl.uies of the morn- ing fire indicated that the industrious habitant had risen to his daily toil. In silence we glided on our way, till the distant lights of Montreal awakened us from our reverie, and we met at intervals a solitary pedestrian, or a sleioh- load of laughing, fur-encompassed faces, returning fronran evening ])arty. About seven o'clock we arrived at the hotel from which the stage was to start for Quebec,-but when did staoe- coach, or sleigh either, keep to its time? No sicni of it was to be seen, and it required no small application of our knuckles and toes at the door to make the lazy waiter tum^out to let us in. No misery, save being too late, can equa. that of being too soon ; at least, so I thought, while walking up and down the coffee-room of the hotel, upon the table of which were scattered the remains of last night s supper, amid a confusion of newspapers and fa- ends of cigars ; while the sleepy waiter made unavailincr : disturbed oiig before t tlie door, •ne shortly 'aps safely od in, and le erunch- o?ir horse cottages, ig, in the vhere tlie he morn- had lisen y, till the reveries, a sleigh- <; from an m which tl stage- iign of it )n of our y waiter late, can It, while d, upon of last nd fag- ivailing I '.% ■i tm^ i fi t m i ^n..nii|. I.II. iiii jgui , i j| j;i .)..i I f-- I I ^r»*yiHBp>ii'W[ii' i? Hudson's bay. 267 efforts to coax a small spark of fire to contribute some warmth to one or two damp billets of wood. About an hour after its appointed time, the sleigh drove up to the door, and we hastened to take our places. The stage, however, was full, but the driver informed us that an "extra" (or separate sleigh of smaller dimensions than the stage) had been provided for us ; so that we enjoyed the enviable advantage of having it all to ourselves. Crack went the whip, and off went the leader with a bound, the wheeler following at a pace between a trot and a gallop, and our " extra " keeping close in the rear. The lamps were still burning as we left the city, although the first streaks of dawn illumined the eastern sky. In fifteen minutes more we had left Montreal far behind. There is something very agreeable in the motion of a sleigh along a good road. The soft muffled sound of the runners gliding over the snow harmonises well with the tinkling bells ; and the rapid nu)tion through the frosty air, together with the occasioiud jolt of going into a hol- low, or over a hillock, is very exhilarating, and we enjoyed our drive very much for the first hour or so. But, alas ! human happiness is seldom of long duration, as we soon discovered ; for, just as I was falling into a comfortable doze, bang! went the sleigh into a deep "cahoe," which most effectually wakeiu-d me. Now these same "cahoes" are among tiie disadvantages attending sk-igh travdliiKr in Canada. Tliey are nothing more or less than dcej) hoi" lows or undulations in the road, into which the shigha um-xpectediy plunge, thereby i)itching the travelk-r roughly forward ; and upon the horses jerking the vehicles out of f- '■ ; ; (J, V 1 1 ' i; , ! 1 268 Hudson's bay. tl.cn,, tI„.ow„,g I,i,„ backward in a way that is pretty sure b™,g l„s hc.,ul iuto closer acquaintance with 2Zt of the sle,gh than is ,,„ite agreeable, particularly if he ^e anoy,co „, sleigh travelling. Those which we uow en eouutercl were certainly the worst I ever trrelle 1 ove " ^".g .n .succession like the waves of the .sc-a. JJ„M,; «r couveyaucc plunge son.ctimes so rough y tlLt I ^ over 3 ■ • ' """^ ""■ J"'"-"' •■*'-'"■'-' ■'"""'"■"OS oyL ,^' """ '"^" ^"'' •™"'-^' 'ill ••'""«" nine h, ^.r ;■;' 7-''"'t' "* •■' "™*- -»f'«'«ue-iookin inn, Mhere the .Inver ehangcl his horses, ami the ,>a,se ," g«s sat ,lown to a hurried breakfast ' The .uorning turned out beautifully clear an,l warn, at least „ c„n,pa,,s„„ „,■„. „.hat it had been ; and nn, re entcr,„g the sleigh we all looked extrcu ly ha, y .nd rf sp.«ed to be pleased with eve,y,hi„g a.ul evmb v The couuery th,,,ugh which we L. passed wa^, t r s,f ,c a,„l va,,ed Hills and valley, co'vcrcd with g t t^- ■ng snow and ,lark pines, followcl each other in end le a uecess,o„; while i„ every valley, an,I f,.„„, eve I , ," ^m-t<,p, we saw huudreds „f ,,a„,l.ts and villag' w W imc streets and thoroughfa,,. were ..-owded with bul /mM... engaged in their various occupations an.l wi,,:' Th,. laughing voices of n,er,-y little ehiM,,,,, rompinLv T^^^rl'^^^f ''''"'' •*■«•' •'oll.s as they set out for .... ...«rkct w,:h the produce of their fa.ins, or, dressed in Hudson's bay. 269 pretty sure 1 the back y if he be } now en- siled over, d makiiiff hn. I ex- luler.stand ^vliicli we :>nictime8 out nine >lo()kinir i J>assen- mwm, at iI)ou re- Vy, and ^rybody. s pictu- glittor- ondless moim- , w]iose h busy winter >ui|)in^ lively Jut for fsed in testival. The «cnc was rendered still ,„<,re „l„„i,,„ ,,„ e extreme elearness of the frosty air and th !l ^ «e" '"'" """""" "' "" »'-«"- %'-abl' and In some places the roads were extremely preeipitous • an,I when we arrived at the f.»t of a lar/l ill 1™!' generally to get out and walk, preferring tl.i \ i , clr,j,,ed slowly np by the jaded' h':::: "'' "'" '" ■"'"« ' b„f Mr'l"'" '\ "7 *'«'''^ *"" •■''•*' »"™l tin.es • out Mr .Stone and I in tho « nv* ,.o » xr , ' iU' , ' "^^ extra, suffered moro in nau wer. ami, eonsoqnently, more liable to tip over Upon npsett,„g, .t nnacoonntably happened that Tor Mr Stone was always „n,lermost. But he s„bn,itte< to fate n,ost sto ..lly ; thon,d. from the natnre o tM, ny Ibow .nvanably thrust him ,leep into the snow m wh.eh, after bein. extrieated, a spleLlid profile Z,. s.on was eft, to serve as a warning to o'ther I ^ ^1 ' """ " «"'""'»" •-' ''- ouH ^■nts, they only aflbr,le,l snbjeet for nnVtl, at the time and eo„vers„ti,m at the end of the stagc-e.ee t ml when the sleigh turned over so rapidly, that I va 1 ™ oa.redb„tsmaiiop^smo„t::7;;;;r::%™ in •m IH 1 , i ill 4 ■. , i ;' Km . i t, '■ li 1 !l 270 HUDSON'S BAY. sequently, went quite through it, and my unfortunate nose was divested to ratlier an alarming extent of its cutaneous covering. With this exception, we proceeded safely and merrily along, and about seven o'clock in the evening arrived at the small town of Three Rivers. Early next morning we resumed our journey, and about four in the afternoon arrived at the famous city of Quebec, without having encountered any very inte- resting adventures by the way. The first sight we had of Quebec was certainly any- thing but prepossessing. A recent fire in the lower town had comi)letely destroyed a large portion of it ; and the first street I passed through was nothing but a gaunt row of blackened chimneys and skeleton houses, which had a very melancholy ghostlike appearance, when con- trasted with the white snow. As we advanced, however, to where the fire had been checked, the streets assumed a more agreeable aspect— shops were open here and there, and workmen busily employed in repairino- da- maged houses, and pulling down dangerous ones. Upon arriving at the steep street which leads from the lower town to within the walls, the immense strength of the ramparts and fortifications struck me forcibly. The road up which we passed to tlie gate was very narrow ; on one side a steep hill descended to the lower town ; and on the other cowered the city walls, pierced all over with loop-holes, and bristling with cannon. At the head of the road, in an angle of the wall, two silent but grim- looking guns pointed their muzzles directly down the road, SL- as to command it from one end to the other. ir ifortunate 3nt of its proceeded ck in the t'S. 'iiey, and nous city eiy inte- iinly any- wer town ; and the a gaunt ?s, which hen con- however, assumed lere and •ing da- . Upon le lower h of the riie road :'ow: on ivii ; and ^er with head of t grim- wn the :• other. Hudson's bay. 271 All the other parts of the walls thnf T i, we. even „„. .trongty « tht/hif^'"™^' '" ^^^ (at least in winter)-the houses be^t htf aL T streets very narrow The buildfuo-. . " ^' place flnrl fi tJUildmos, too, are coninon- piace, and the monument to Wolfe and Mnnf. i very insignificant affair. In fac^ 0^1 T '' " little else fUn fi,o •., ' ^Juebec can boast of tl.e ri^t \lc Z' 17' '' ^""'""'^ f™« fifi.,,; i " ""P-'egnaWe strength of its for tifications. Some of the suburban vil?n« i very beautiful; and although I aw tt' •"•?'' "'" I eould form some idea of the , "'""'yet "".St be in summer "''""""« '''^^'^^ «>ey After spending three pleasant days here we o^, • , 0- sleigh again, and resulned our jomly ' °^' """ in ^he^'slShTf 'r'r *"""",' ^'° "^"' - "- '-died .he':;:r;;r: ;\i^^^^^ r " ^-"^ ^'°- - not higher than those of Wa h't'rT V'^ -::rarer:^"f-r™'^^^^^ rose nearly half-way up the falls. ^ " '^"'^' The seenery below Ouebee j, mi.rh v— ■nountainous than that abo^^auTt ridded,!' 272 Hudson's bay. marks of civilisation began gradually to disappear— vil- lages became scarcer, and roads worse, till at last we came to the shanties of the wood-cutters, with here and there a solitary farm-house. Still, however, we occa- sionally met a few sleighs, ^vith the conductors of which our driver seemed to be intimately acquainted. These little interruptions broke, in a great degree, the monotony of the journey; and we always felt happier for an hour after having passed and exchanged with a Canadian a cheerful bonjour. Our driver happened to be a very agreeable man, and more intelligent than most Canadians of his class ; more- over, he had a good voice, and when we came to a level part of the road, I requested him to sing me a song, which he did at once — singing with a clear, strong,' manly voice, the most beautiful French air I ever heard ; both the name and air, however, I have now forgotten.' He then asked me to sing, which I did without further ceremony, treating him to one of the ancient melodies of Scotland ; and thus, vnth solos and duets, we beguiled the tedium of the road, and filled the woods with mdody ! much to the aimoyance of the unnnisical American fea- thered tribes, and to the edification of our horse, who pricked up his ears, and often glanced backwards, appa- rently in extreme surprise. Towards evening, the driver told us that we should soon arrive at Baie de St Paul, and in half an hour more our weary horse dragged us slowly to the top of a hill, whence we hatl a splendid view of the village. In all the miles of country I had passed over, I had seen nothing to Hudson's bay. 273 -ppear — vil- at last we bh here and , we oeca- rs of which ed. These } monotony or an hour Canadian a 3 man, and iiss; more- to a level le a song, ir, strong, ver heard ; forgotten. »ut frrther lelodies of } beguiled li melody ! rican fea- orse, who rds, apjDa- 7e should lour more of a hill, In all the othing to equal the exquisite beauty of the Vale of Bale de St Paul From the hiU on which we stood, the whole valley of many miles in extent, was visible. It was perfectly level and covered from end to end with thousands of little hamlets and several churches, with here and there a few small patches of forest. The course of a little rivulet which meanders through it in summer, was apparent' even though covered with snow. At the mouth of th-s' several schooners and small vessels lay imbedded in ice • beyond which rolled the dark, ice-laden waves of the Gulf of St Lawrence. The whole valley teemed with human life. Hundreds of Canadians, in their graceful sleighs and carioles, flew over the numerous roads inter- sectmg the country ; and the faint sound of tinklino- bells floated gently up the mountain side, till it reached the elevated position on which we stood. The whole scene was exquisitely calm and peaceful, forming a stran.re and strikmg contrast to the country round it. Like the Happy Valley of Rasselas, it was surrounded by the most wild and rugged mountains, which rose in endless succes- sion one behind another, stretching away in the distance till they resembled a faint blue wave on the horizon. In this beautiful place we spent the night, and the following at Mai Baie. This village was also pretty, but after Baie de St Paul I could but little admire it. Next night we slept in a shanty belonging to the tim- ber-cutters on the coast of the gulf, which was truly the most wretched abode, except an Indian tent, I ever had the chance (or mischance) to sleep in. It was a .small lit, with only one room ; a low door— to enter lo which S 274 i. !'l 1 HUDSON'S BAY. we hart to stoop_a„.I a solitaiy square window fill„^ "•'"■ '7 "--'' ""-. of glas. Thef„„,r wlf .e coar,,est description, and eortainly „ot too Z I t Kvejyth„,g was extren.dy dirty, „„d the close Iw s furt!,er adulterated with thick clouds of tob,«co Lie winch curied f,.„n> the pipes of half-a-do.en wood chop 1' Such was the place in which we passed the Iv t « 1 esumc our travels. We now entered our slei.* for the as tnue. and after a short drive arrived at the enrnW ^on of the horse road. Here we got out, and rested a hort t"- m a shanty, preparatory to taking to our snow^^s e The roa,l now lay through tho primeval forest a, d aims. In the afternoon we arrived at another slrmtv havmg walked about eighteen miles. Here we founf; geatleman who superintended the operation Ttle 1 m berers or wood-cutters. He kindly offered to dr ve i "o" hlofferldl ! f" r""'^ "'^ "^ sMly accepted ^is^oBer, and m a short tune arrived at the river Sague- ove?i: irmor'"'" '" "^ """"'»- *I'"'. '-ver freezes over at its month; so we crossed it in a boat and on tl,. ev^n^oftherthofPebruaryweai-rivedail^rrf This establishment belongs to the Hudson's Bay Com pany and ,s situated at the bottom of a krge Jd deep bay adjouuug the mouth of the river Sa^ueu^y UnlS itlow, filled ' was of the abundant. 3e air was 'CO smoke, l-cliopjjers. light; and )ned us to gh for the 3 terniina- cd a short low-slioes. )rest, and II, so we nder our r slianty, found a the lum- ive us to niination accepted r Sague- • freezes i on the i post of ly Com- id deep Unlike Hudson's bay. 275 the posts of the north, it is merely a group of houses scattered about in a hollow of the mLtal, Uout i:; attemp at arrangement, and without a stockade. The post when viewed from one of the hills in the neighbour- hood, is rather picturesque; it is seen imbedded in th. moun ains, and its white-topped houses contrast prettily with the few pines around it. A little to the ri.ht roll! the deep, unfathomable Saguenay, at the base of ^ecipi- tons rocks and abrupt mountains, covered ^n some places with stunted i™, but for the most part Um^nZ, Up the river, the view is interrupted by a lar-re rock th Bull. To the right lies the Bay of St Catherine with a new settlement at its head; and above this flows the majestic St Lawrence, compared to which the broad Saguenay is but a thread. Tadousac Bay is one of the finest natural harbours in the St Lawrence. Being very deep quite close to the shore It IS much frequented by vessels and craft of every descrin- tion and dimension. Ships, schooners, barques, brigs, and batteaux, lie calmly at anchor within a stone's-throw of moul f '.r f T ' "'^'''' ''' ^^^" ^^^^^'"-^ ^^-"t at the mouth of the harbour, attempting to enter; while nume- rous pilot boats sail up and down, almost under the win- tZt^ i ^T"'' '^^ ^^ '^' ^«^"^ ''' ^^^^^^^^^^^ of vessels, whose white sails glimmer on the horizon like the wings of sea-gulls, as they beat up for anchorage, or pro- ceed on their course for England or Quebec. The mLi- licent panorama is closed bv thp di-ts-^t V-'i-> "'^^^. opposite shore, blending with the azure sky. This, how- 276 HUDSON'S BAY. rInT;,-r '\f^ "^"''' '^' ^'"^ ^^^"^ ' monotonous repetition of bare granitt '-ills and stunted pines* Here then, for a time, my travels came to a close, and 1 set about making myself as comfortable in my new quarters as circumstances would permit Tadousac I found to be similar, in many respects, to the forts m the north. The country around was wild, moun- tamous, and mhabited only by a few Indians and wild animds. There was no society, excepting that of Mr Stone's family; the only other civilised being, above the rank of a labourer, being a gentleman who superintended a timber- cuttmg and log-sawing establishment, a quarter of r. mile from the Company's post. My bourgeois Mr Stone was a very kind man, and an entertammg companion. Ho had left Scotland, his native and, when very young; and had ever since been travel- ling about and dwelling in the wild woods of America A deep scar on the bridge of his nose shewed that he' had not passed through these savage countries scatheless. The r7t:7ht' '' ""^ '' '''' ''-' ^^^ ^^^-« ^ - ' -y At one of the solitary forts in the wild regions on the west side of the Rocky Mountains, where my friend M Stone dwelt, the Indians were in the habi' of .eUh. hx)r^s-^f which they had a ^reat many-to fh. ,r ..- t of the Hudson's Bay Company. They had, ^uwc.er, an Hudson's bay. lonotonous IS* close, and i my new !cts, to the ild, moun- and wild VIr Stone's rank of a a timber- of K mile 1, and an his native n travel- 3rica. A t he had iss. The so I may s on the iend Mr f selling o/er, an lies to the '. During ed by ice. 277 uncommonly disagreeable propensity to steal these horses again, the moment a convenient opportunity presented Itself, and to guard against the gratification of this pro- pensity was one of the many difficulties that the fur traders had to encounter. Upon one occasion, a fine horse was sM by an Indian to Mr Stone; the price (probably several yards of cloth and a few pounds of tobacco) paid, and the Indian went away. Not long after the horse was stolen ; but as this was an event that often happened, it was soon forgotten. Winter passed away spring thawed the lakes and rivers ; and soon a party of Indians arrived, with f,n-s and horses to trade. They were of the Blackfoot tribe, and a wilder set of fellows one wodd hardly wish to see. Being much in the habit of fightmg with the neighbouring tribes, they were quite pre- pared far battle, and decorated with many of the trophies of war. Scalp-locks hung from the skirts of their leather shirts and leggins. Eagles' feathers and beads ornamented their heads ; and their faces were painted with stripes of black and red paint. After conversing with them a short time, they were admitted through the wicket one by one, and their arms taken from them and locked up. This precaution was ronderea necessary at these posts, as the Indians used to buy spirits, and often quarreUed with each other • but having no arms, of course they could do themselves Httle damage. When about a dozen of them had entered the gate was shut, and Mr Stone proceeded to trade their furs and examiiifi tlipir lirir-o/^o „.i v- i i 1 1 , ^ - ' *L u ; — •■— ^, Wiicu he beheld, to his surprise. the horse that had been stolen from him the summer 278 HUDSON'S BAY. I i before; and upon asking to whom it belonged, the same Indian who had formerly sold it to him stood forward and said It M^as his. Mr Stone (an exceedingly quiet, good- natured man, but, like many men of this stamp, very pas- sionate when roused) no sooner witnessed the fellow's audacity, than he seized a gun from one of his men, and shot the horse. The Indian instantly sprang upon him; but, being a less powerful man than Mr Stone, and, withal unaccustomed to use his fists, he was soon overcome, and pommelled out of the fort. Not content with this, Mr Stone followed him down to the Indian camp, pommelling hmi al the way. The instant, however, that the Indian found himself surrounded by his own friends, he faced about, and with a dozen warriors attacked Mr Stone and threw him on the ground, where they kicked and bruised hmi severely ; whilst several boys of the tribe hovered around nim with bows and arrows, waiting a favourable opportunity to shoot him. Suddenly a savage came for- ward with a large stone in his hand, and, standing over Ins fallen enemy, raised it high in the air and dashed it dowii uptone and d bruised ■ hovered a vo arable •ame for- ling over lashed it the story, II the act rendered )oked for Several ?s took, D rescue, one was his, they •v; and, after a short scuffle with the Indians, without any blood- shed, they succeeded in carrying their master up to the fort, where he soon recovered. The deep cut made by the stone on the bridge of his nose left an indelible scar. Besides Mr Stone, I had anotlier companion, namely, Mr Jordan, a clerk, who inhabited the same office with me, and slept in the same bed-room, during the whole winter. He was a fine-looking athletic half-breed, who had been partially educated, but had spent much more of his life among Indians than among civilised men. He used to be sent about ^he country to trade with the natives, and, consequently, led a mucli more active life than I did. One part of his business, during the early months of spring, was hunting seals. Tliis was an anmsing, though, witliiil, rather a murderous kind of sport. Tl^e manner of it was this : — My friend Jordan chose a fine day for his excursion ; and, embarking in a boat with six or seven men, sailed a few miles down the St Lawrence, till he came 'to a low flat point. In a small bay near tliis he drew uj) tlie boat, and then went into the woods with his party, where eadi man cut a large pole or club. Arming themsdvos with these, they waited until tlie tide receded, and left the point dry. In a sliort time, one or two seals crawled out of the sea to bask upon tlie shore ; soon several more ai)peared ; and, ere long, a band of more than a hundred lay sunning themselves upon the beach. The ambuscade now prepared to attack the enemy. Creeping stealthily down as near as was possible without being •« my resulence there. The winter became severe and stormy, confining us much tu the house, and X ,. ' thing that I eaii recollect a, being at all interestim, or ^sculapius. The Indians who were living near tl„l .,„.. - me time had been very unhealthy; and one af^eriio„; Hudson's bay. 281 with melo- Lffles all de- end Jordan 1 arms, and ■; while in linian (who 3 work was rtls a huge its endea- i the back, t rap had > teeth, at d, strikinnr a pool of 'cd, appa- l the seals luccessful, earned to ss than a nd thirty ed to the isac dur- i^ere and iging us ihe only Hthig or ^ciple of hll(> T-triuf 1 ^• ternoon an old sickly-looking fellow came to me, and said that he was not at all well, and wanted medicine. Upon hearing this, I questioned him very closely regarding tha nature of his complaint; and, after much consideration, came to the conclusion that he had consumption, or something of that sort. Being ignorant of the precise treatment necessary for this disease, I struck out a new line of treatment of my own ; so, going to the medicine-chest, I took out a strengthening plaster, and clapped it on his back ; and then, by way of counteracting its effects, placed a blister on his chest, and, thus doctored, sent him away, with a reconmiendation not to go about much for a few days ! In a short time he became much better; but whether from the effects of my treatment, or other causes, I will not take upon myself to say. This last essay of mine must have frightened the good people with whom I lived, and induced them to i)etitiou for my being sent away ; or perhaps Dame Fortune took a special pleasure in knocking me about the world : but certain it is, that very shortly after the medical transaction mentioned in the foregoing paragraph, I received orders again to prepare for a journey ; and, as on many a former occasion, the time given me for preparation was not long. HUDSON'S BAY. CHAPTEH XII. It w.as on a cold, bleak mornino. about fW 1 ■ • March 18J.6, that I awoke fi-oni , I ''<'S"'""'g of ".y bed-room at Tad ,^,c Z ''?, """"^ ™°»^« "' hours I „,„,t take le of ,;'"''" """"'" f«- travel, „„ snow-.,hoe/Z,v '7 T'"" I""'''™' "'■<> wre„eetothep„:v;:::j:;:::,r"«'^«»'^o^«t ookod out upon the chcerle«^ pt ec ' w'" ""' " ' I'.tmg. frosty wi„ter-.,ti)l reime d ■ '"to-coM, of Ta,h.„s„e Bay were , * •'"■™"''- ^'"■' '^">'-<=^ ioe that had bo mlhen 7 '""' "'" '""'^ ™»' "f broad St Law r m fl " T T"*' '"'f"'-^' ">"' «« •lowu f.'o„. tl e r ;,""".""■"■' ,"f "»'y i''o. brought «onted one uui r m e 11 """ "'"'™- '^'"•' ''""' V^^ "-.• -ow, over :hi " 'irr: LI ''""^ "^"^ °"" ^'cary mile. " *® traverse many a Pliicallv : so, ai-ter mi r ^"'^ ^'^'"^^'^ '''•"•>'^o- ' ' ''"^"'^^ "'>' ^^i"^^-' «t ti,e weatluT in one HUDSON'S BAY. 283 inning of nooze in in a few ers, and If of St ss trees, tv, as I [•—cold, shores coat of nid the I laden rouo'lit id pre- ?s and liiny a liloso- n one or two short grumbles, I sat down in a passable state of equanimity to breakfast. During the meal, I discussed with Mr Stone the prospects of the impending journey, and indulged in a few excursive remarks upon snow-shoe travelling ; whilst he related a few incidents of his own eventful career in the country. On one occasion, he was sent off upon a long journey over the snow, where the country was so mountainous that snow-shoe walking was rendered exceedingly painful, by the feet slipping forward against the front bar of the shoe when descending the hills. After he had accom- plished a good part of his journey, two large blisters rose under the nails of his great toes ; and soon the nails them- selves came off. Still he must go on, or die in the woods; so he was obliged to tie the nails on his toes each morning before starting, for the purpose of protecting the tender parts beneath ; and every evening he wrapi)ed them up carefully in a piece of rag, and put them int(j his waistcoat l^ockct— being a/raid of losing them if he kept them on all night. After breakfast, I took leave of my friends at Tadousac; and, with a pair of snow-sh.es under my arm, followed my comjianion Jordan to the boat which was to convey me the first twenty miles of the journey, and then land me, with one man, who was to be my only companion. In the boat was seated a Romaii Catholic priest, on his way to visit a party of Indians a short distance down the gulf. Tho shivering men s]iii)ped their oars in silence ; and vvc glideii thiough the black water, wliile the ice grated harshly against the boat's sides, as we rounded 284! HUDSON'S BAY. fr^'o'"rr™*- P"". »« Tado«e was hidden Wack and coW, and the ^Z *""" '<">'« «» ^Irndder, and tarn to look uLTtH' ?"' " "'"'^^^ °"^ cheering p,o,pect n.e 3 r ; w e"\ ''"' ,*^^-"' ™d the few stunted if^ 1 ' "?""' ™'"'"e' ef snow; here and there oltd t V'T *''' ''""'■^ ^ank ■-e. No hirds i^yi^ : Xi ^: :ri "'- "- ™ly sound that meets the ear w ,.'"'■''' ' "'l *e .'he cohl. eoM wind, is Xasto ^^ " '"" '«'"■« "^ .00, as they meet and war in f ?, """'""^ «<>"» "f ™'ts. Fortunately, hZel tit " "' °"'"^<' ™'- «l.ore, and we «,eVwith lit 1 T ™' "° '"" ^^ ^e The priest bore the cold 2 " T""''"" ™ "^ «v. JorJan, bein. n.ade mi b •" T''' """^ '"^ f"end treated it witl tl,.co2n^''\'"'''''"S. of iron, be expceted from s„eh meSi " """*"™^ """ »%ht 111 the evening we arrived at P . . • • „ we took np our quarters in a smain";'""" ^''''- ''here poor seal-iisher, 'whose Z^ly^lt:f'''^'''"^"^Sio. tended a saw-mill a sbnw 71 '^'"' """" who at- habitants of this 1 tt ° am^' h"'"' ^"^"-'"■3-- ..'■ght, and prepared our snoTihoesloTth" ""'"""'' ^" boat was there to leave us „„d "^ t' * ';7™w. as the iiiglit was calm and frostv „„ "'""/« Tadousae. The of fine weather for Ir JuT, 1 "7!'"? ^^ l'-"- HUDSON'S BAY. was hidden essing than fny Walter's "1" looks so makes one t there no 'old, hard, 5 of snow; tlie banks lore deso- ; and the sighing of fields of ^ing cur- near the the wav. V y friend of iron, it might ; wliere iHg to a vho at- nily in- ned all , as the The romise I what 285 an hour will bring forth ? Before morning, the weather became milder, and soon it began to thaw. A fine warm day, with a bright sun, be it known, is one of the most dreadful calamities that can befall a snow-shoe traveller, as the snow then becomes soft and sticky, thereby drench- ing the feet and snow-shoes, which become painfully heavy from the quantity of snow which sticks to and falls upon them. In cold frosty weather, the snow is dry, crisp, and fine, so that it falls though the network of the snow-shoe without leaving a feather's weight behind, while the feet are dry and warm; but a thaw !— Oh ! it is useless attempt- ing to recapitulate the miseries attending a thaw; my next day's experience will shew what it is. Early on the following morning I jumped from my bed on the floor of the hut, and proceeded to equip myself for the march. The apartment in which I had passed the night presented a curious appearance. It measured about sixteen feet by twelve, and the greater part of this space was occupied by two beds, on which lay, in every ima- ginable position, the different members of the half-breed family to whom the mansion belonged. In the centre of the room stood a coarsely-constructed deal table, on which lay in confusion the remains of the preceding night's sup- per. On the right of this, a large gaudily-painted Yankee clock graced the wall, and stared down upon the sleeping figures of the men. This, with a few rougli wooden chairs and a small cupboard, comprised all the furniture of the house. I soon eimrlo/l f»|i<- ^-^■,,. , j> . ., , o" " -^"- '"J ^'Ji'i nura among tlic sleeping figures on the floor, and bade him equip himself for the 286 HUDSON'S BAY. and commenced our journey "^ ^'^""'^ pair of c L„C t™";, "7, ?""'■■" •1"'"''^' »J a belt. Over t Z' , 1 f ''°""'' '"' "™^' '''"' » ^'^■■•■■kt -,. .on,;::,; t:ziz iii'r t n"^---^- bonnet covered l,is head- and L . A Glengarr)r >..Hler a pair of raw ^1^^, """"' "^ *'"""^' ''^^'- the cold' Hi. buTdef ™ itrr "'''"'™'''™"' %s- provisions, andabritl '!''' TP''"""*' ''^^ carried over Ids shonlde'T, ?""°' *'"* '»«"■• be *ess consisted Tti-lVr", '™'" ™"»- ^^ ^^o/« *. „. troutr^ctT^; " " ^r " ™.st by a leathern belt from wbW. f , ""'"' ""^ completed my cost„n,°e. ^uTbXnT , '""'""""• blanket, a g.eat-coat, an,I a th> t k J O ""7 ^"™ of oftencc or defence were the IM.T r T ""'^ •■'™' ™entione,l, and a sn^uTxe fo , '" "'^-''"''''^ ''^f^^ wish to „,ake a fire. wH™ Lft n"' ''"' ^^'"•"'" ''^ little prospect of n.eetinr Iv „^ *-"""' "" """■" «-«« behoves oL. when tSl^^ It"! """■■ """ '' possible. " ""'- '" <""''y as little as Thns we started from Esqnimain River The 1,„ , • , however, of all was, that neither T . „ best joke, travelled that ,vay before "1' V '"^ •""" '""* '""^^ to walk fifty miles tWh ^ ,:;,'l"^"', ^^ «"" -^ bad "= nr. aaiiiuuuitea country ; and Hudson's bay. ^ none. In id ourselves 't the house Pressed in a lity, and a ;li a scarlet th leggins, Glengarry iiel socks, feet from -bag, two latter he nn. My a pair of ound my a small occasins, ?e green ily arms e before oiild we lere was and it little as St joke, xd ever tve had ", and 287 that then we should, or at least ought to, reach Isle Jere- mie. There were two solitary houses, however, that we had to pass on the way; the one an outpost of the Hud- son s Bay Company, the other a saw-mill belonging to one of the lumber companies (or timber traders) in Quebec. In fact the best idea of our situation may be had from the fo lowmg lines, which may be supposed to have been uttered by the estaJ)lishment to which we were bound :— "Through the woods, through the woods, follow and find me feearch every hollow and dingle and dell • " ' To the right, left, or front, you may pass, or behind me, Unless you are careful and look for me well. The first part of our road lay along the shores of the ot Lawrence. The sun shone brightly, and the drifting ice in the gulf glittered in its rays as it flowed slowly out to sea • but ere long the warm rays acted upon the snow, and rendered walking toilsome and fatiguing After about an hours walk along the shore, we arrived at the last hut we were likely to see that day. It was inhabited by an Indian and his family. Here we rested a few minutes, and I renewed my snow-shoe lines, the old ones having broken by the way. ° Shortly after this, we passed the wreck of what had once been a fine ship. She lay crushed and dismasted among the rocks and lumps of ice which lined the deso- late shore, her decks and the stumps of her masts drifted over with snow Six short months before, she had bounded over the Atlantic wave in all the panoply of sail and rigging pertaining to a large three-master, inclosing 288 HUDSON'S BAY. m her sturdy hull full mauy a darin. heart beating high with sanguine hopes, and dreaming <>f fame and kl embraces can have a an a v reck L The ice, 3en covered sharp frost ^ake of ice fairly upon vhen down t'eadmill to / time we ire covered 3, to extri- 1 out of the • along, till d been en- overed for ' this, and, ■ the shells )art of our our snow- the supe- hudson's bay. 289 rior advantages of travelling in cold weather, and the delights of walking on sandy beaches in contrast with wet snow. These cogitations, however, were suddenly inter- rupted by our arrival at tho place where the ice had parted from the general mass ; so, with a deep sigh we resumed our snow-shoes. My feet, from the friction of the lines, now began to feel very painful ; so, having walked about ten miles, I proposed taking a rest. To this my man, who seemed rather tired, gladly acceded, and we pro- ceeded to light a fire under the stem of a fallen tree which opportunely presented itself Here we sat down comfortably together; and while our wet shoes and socks dried before the blazing fire, and our chafed toes wriggled joyously at being relieved from the pamful harness of the snow-shoes, we swallowed a cup of cor^ou with a degree of luxurious enjoyment, ap- preciable only by those who have walked themselves into a state of great exhaustion after a hurried break- last Greatly refreshed by the tea, we resumed our journey m better spirits, and even affected to believe we were taking an agreeable afternoon walk for the first mile or so. We soon, however, fell to zero again, as we gazed wistfully upon the long line of coast, stretching away to the horizon. But there was no help for it ; on we splashed sometimes through ice, water, and snow, and sometimes across the shingly beach, till the day was far spent, when I became so exhausted, that I could scarcely drag one foot alter the other, and moved along almost mechanically My man, too, strong as he was, exhibited symptoms of fatigue • 290 HUDSON'S BAY. *■ i'i Vi though to do him justice, he was at least seven times more heavily laden than I. While we jogged slowly along in this enviable condition a lump of ice oflTered so tempting a seat, that we simul- taneously proposed to sit do™. This was veiy foolish Eestmg without a fire is bad at all times; and the ex- hausted condition we were then in made it far worse as I soon found to my cost Tired as I was before, I could'have walked a good deal further, but no sooner did I rise again to my feet, than an inexprcssilJe weakness overcame me and I felt that I could go no further. This my man soon perceived, and proposed making a fire and having a cup of tea, and then, if I felt better, we might proceed This I agreed to ; so entering the woods, we dug a hole in the snow and m half-an-hour had a fire blazing in it that would have roasted an ox ! In a short time a panfu of snow was converted into hot tea ; and as I sat sipping this, and watching the white smoke as it wreathed npwardt from the pipe of my good-natured guide, I never felt rest more delightful. ^ The tea refreshed us so much, that we resumed our journey, intendmg, if possible, to reach Port Neuf durino- the mght ; and as we calculated that we had walked be- tween fifteen and eighteen miles, - : hoped to reach it in a few hours. Away, then, we went, and plodded on till dark without reaching the post ; nevertheless, being determined to tra- vel as long as we could, we pushed on till near midnitvht when being quite done up, and seeing no sign of ^the estabhshment, we called a council of war, and sat down on HUDSON'S BAY. seven times ble condition, It we simul- very foolish. and the ex- r worse, as I I could have I rise again ^ercame me, ly man soon ing a cup of ed. This I hole in the in it, that 16 a panful sat sipping ed upwards ^er felt rest sumed our feuf durinar walked be- ■each it in rk without ed to tra- midnight, ^n of the ^t down on 291 a lump of ice to discuss our difficulties. I suggested, that It we had not already passed the post, in all probability we should do so, if we continued to travel any further in the dark. My companion admitted that he entertained precisely the same views on the subject ; and, furthermore that as we both seemed pretty tired, and there happened to be a nice little clump of willows, intermixed with pine trees close at hand, his opinion was, that nothing better could be done than encamping for the night. I agreed to this-and the resolution being carried unanimously the council adjourned, and we proceeded to make our encamp- ment. ^ First of all, the snow was dug away from the foot of a large pine with our snow-shoes, which we used as spades • and when a space of about ten feet long, by six broad, was cleared, we covered it with pine branches at one end and made a roaring fire against the tree at the other The snow rose all around to the height of about four feet, so that when our fire blazed cheerily, and our supper was spread out before it upon my green blanket, we looked very comfortable indeed, and what was of much more conse- quence, felt so. Supper consisted of a cup of tea, a loaf of bread, and a lump of salt butter. After having partaken largely of these delicacies, we threw a fresh log upon the fire, and rolling ourselves in our blankets, were soon buried m repose. Next morning, on awaking, the first thing I became aware of was the fact, that it was raining, and heavily too, m the shape of a Scotch mist. I could scamely Ueheve it, and rubbed my eyes to make sure, but there ■ :n 292 Hudson's bay. ', ' I'll:'! V ii I was no mistake about it at all. The sky was gray cold, and dismal, and the blanket quite wet ! " Well " thought I, as I fell back in a sort of mute despair, " this IS certainly precious weather for snow-shoe travelling!" I nudged my sleeping companion, and the look of melancholy resignation which he put on, as he became gradually aware of the state of matters, convinced me that bad as yesterday had been, to-day would be far worse. When I got upon my legs, I found that every joint in my body was stiffer than the rustiest hinge ever heard of m the annals of doors ! and my feet as tender as a chicken's, with huge blisters all over them. Bezeau however, though a little stiff, was otherwise quite well' bemg well inured to hardships of every description. It is needless to recount the miseries of the five miles' walk that we had to make before arriving at Port Neuf, over ground that was literally next to impassable. About nme o'clock we reached the house, and remained there for the rest of the day. Here, for three days, we were hospitably entertained by the Canadian family inhabiting the place ; during this time it rained and thawed so heavily, that we could not venture to resume our journey. On the 16th, the weather became colder, and Bezeau announced his opinion that we might venture to proceed. Glad to be once more on the move— for fears of beincr arrested altogether, by the setting in of spring, had begun to beset me— I once more put on my snow-shoes ; and, bidding adieu to the hospitable inmates of Port Neuf, we again wended our weary way along the coast ky was gray, et ! " Well/' iespair, "this travelling!" the look of s he became mvinced me, ould be far very joint in I ever heard tender as a n. Bezeau, quite well, ption. le five miles' b Port Neuf, ble. About ained there ys, we were ' inhabiting 1 so heavily, ley. and Bezeau to proceed. rs of beinof pring, had riow-shoes ; }S of Port : the coast. HUDSON'S BAY. 293 Alas ! our misfortunes had not yet ceased. Tlie snow was much softer than we anticipated, and the blisters on my feet, which had nearly healed during the time we staid at Port Neuf, were now torn open afresh. After a painful and laborious walk of eight or nine miles, we arrived at a small house, where a few enterprisin^r men lived, who had penetrated thus far down the gulf to erect a saw-mill. Here we found, to our infinite joy, a small flat-bottomed boat, capable of carrying two or three men ; ,so, with- out delay, we launched it, and putting our snow-shoes and provisions into it, my man and I jumped in, and pulled away down the gulf, intending to finish the twenty miles that still remained of our journey by water We were obliged to pull a long way out to sea. to avoid the ice which lined the shores, and uur course lay a good deal among drifting masses. Half-an-hour after we embarked, a snow-storm came on, but still we pulled along, preferring anything to resuming the snow-shoes. After a few hours' rowing, we rested on our oars, and refreshed ourselves with a slice of bread and a glass of rum, which latter, having forgotten to bring water with us, we were obliged to drink pure. We certainly cut a strange figure, while thus lunching in our little boat- surrounded by ice, and loc.king hazy through the thickly falling snow, which prevented us from seeing very far ahead, and madn tho niruinfa;»« ^,, ~u„^- i- » — -..-ttuio Oil siiuFc luuk quite spectral. For about five miles we pulled along in a straight lino, 29:t Hudson's bay. after wl.ich the iee trended outwards, and finally brought >« to a «,and-.till, by running .straight out to ia. TWs 'I I ■) was an .nterrnption we were not at all prepared for and we felt rather undecided how to proeeed, ' After a "li "le confabulatron, we detern.inod to pull out, and see if e ice d„l not a^au. turn in the proper direction • but after I-ul ng straight out for a ,uarter of a mile, we .^e," 1 .n,agn,ed we ,x.reeived, to our horror, tha the iee msM of be,ng stationary, as we supposed it to be w^ floating s ,w,y out, to sea with the win,l, and carryi g ,!^ «"->« w,th .t. No ti„,e was to bo lost; so, wh di g about, wc r„wed with all our strength for the shor- 3 "fter a pretty stilf p„„ g„i„ed the solid iee. He; we l"».le,l the flat „p out of ,l,e water with great d.lKc dr/ and mice more tint „„ ,„,,■ ■,,.„ * "'ntuiiy, Our road still lay along shore, and, as the weather was Hudson's bay. 295 finally brought to sea. This ired for, and After a little d see if the n ; but after ^e perceived, tiat the ice, it to bo, was carrying us 0, wheeling shorr ; and Here wo t difficulty, '^eather was getting colder, we proceeded along much more easily than heretofore. In an hour or two the snow ceased to fall, and shewed us that the ice was not drifting, but that it ran so far out to sea, that it would have proved a bar to our further progress by water" at any rate. The last ten miles of our journey now lay before us ; and we sat down, before starting, to have another bite of bread and a pull at the rum bottle ; after which, we trudged along in silence. The peculiar compression of my guide's lips, and the length of step that he now adopted, shewed me that he had made up his mind to get through the last part of the journey without stoi)ping; so, tightening my belt, and bending my head forwar'd,' I plodded on, solacing myself as we advanced, by hum- ming, "Follow, follow, over mountain,— follow, follow, over sea ! " &c. About four or five o'clock in the afternoon, upon rounding a point, we were a little excited by perceiving evident signs of the axe having been at work in the forest,— and a little further on discovered, to our inex- pressible joy, a small piece of ground enclosed as a garden. This led us to suppose that the post couhl not })e far off; so we pushed forward rapidly ; and upon gaining the summit of a small eminence, beheld, with delight] the post of Isle Jeremie. This cstablislunent, like most of the others on the St Uwrence, is merely a collection of scattered buildings, most of which are storehoiisps nn.l Mfnl.lpq Tf ot.....h. :~ a hollow of the mountains, and close to a large bay, where sundry small boats and a sloop lay quietly at 296 Hin)SON's BAY. ! I anchor. Upon a little hillock dose to the principal house away the broad St Lawrence, the south shore of which ... md.s mctly seen on the horizon, We had not Tl .nchuafon however, to admire the scenery just tin so hasteu,„g down the hill, „y „a„ 'Jshed iuto' engaged eating bread and pork, and recounting his alventures to a circle of admiring friends; while I warmed myself beside a comfortaWe fire in thT all and^chatted with the gentleman in charge of tl,e '1 At Isle Jeremie I remained about six weeks- or that t me ; as, during a great part of it, I „as absent to visit the Company's posts lower down the St Law- ^nce leaving me i„ charge of Isle Jeremie ; and a I had little or nothing to do in the way of business four Mians not having arrived from the'nteriorm s „f my t,mc was spent in reading and shooting. It was here I took my first lessons in navigation-I n.oa„ in a practical way ; as for the scientific pfrt of the busines.,, that was deferred to a more favouraCoppo7 tunity and, truly, the lessons were rather rough 'Se way of It was this :-Our flour at Isle Jeremie'had ™ out. Indian, were arriving every day calling lou.lly for flour and more were expected; so Mr Cord told me one hne momincr. tn imf roa.i« ♦ x_ m , boat, for a load of flour. This I prepared t, do at o„t HUDSON'S BAY. 297 ncipal house, it, stretches ore of which d not much ' just then ; rushed into was busily ounting his s ; while I n the hall, 3f the esta- weelcs ; or ishment for was absent •rival, went e St Law- and as I siness (our '), most of igation — I )art of the t)le oppor- igh. The e had run loudly for told me, ttc in the J at once, and started after breakfast in a large boat, manned by two men. The wind was fair, and I fired a couple of shots with my fowling-piece, as we cleared the harbour, in answer to an equal number of salutes from two iron cannons that stood in front of the house. By-the-by, one of these guns had a melancholy interest attached to it a few months after this. While firing a salute of fourteen rounds, in honour of the arrival of a Roman Catholic bishop, one of them exploded while the man who acted as gunner was employed in ranmiing home the cartridge, and blew him about twenty yards down the bank. The unfortnate man expired in a few hours. Poor fellow !— he was a fine little Canadian, and had sailed with me, not many weeks before, in a voyage up the St Lawrence. But to return. Our voyage, during the first few days, was prosperous enough, and I amused myself in shooting the gulls which were foolish enough to come within range of my gun, and in recognising the various places along sliore where I had rested and slept on the memorable occasion of my snow-shoe trip. But when did the St Lawrence prove friendly for an entire voyage ? Certainly not when I had the pleasure of ploughing its rascally waters ! The remainder of our voyage was a succession of squalls, calms, contrary winds, sticking on shoals for hours, and being detained on shore,' with an accompaniment of pitching, tossing, oscillation and botheration, that baffles all descripti(m. Howevt- time brings the greatest miseries to an end ; and, in the process of time, we arrived at Tadousac-- loaded our boat de(>j)ly with flour— sliook hands with our friends— 1 i '. I 298 HUDSON'S BAY. related onr adventures— bade th™ ,rli„„ j found onrselves senddin. do,™ h sH '""" snoring breeze on our qu^rteT ^™'"'^^' ™* " .« our blankets round .. S ^L^ZJ; and fehctated ourselves considerably on such good forJ continucd'soVe :;l,e ti^'. rtC! T '"' ™'' " wbiirri^^br ^™'^ ^^^^ Su'':;''lxl: wnne running before a st ff breeze thvmmh fi good deal of ^^^-rZ; , : ^ :: ™^; ;^ ;'">Pe.» a ucnma us. J l,e first nitimation we had of its nrp i.«toHv I , ""mediately. The sheets were T^^^ I/'"^. -" '^"» '»n.ened to be "•""■" """ """"-»>■«'■ "' "- ™.»c time exCaiming to Z I — and again fence, with a ite of things, up ; so we s very cold), 3h good for- as, not lonff ig swamped, ■ong, and it 3 evening of Lsle Jercmie, 1 tlie green boat liad a ;o wiiat the ' shipped a t happened, to catch a ■eeping fast of its pre- de us turn IS too late te vicious, 3oat in the bows, and steersman leets were ned to be m to. cut ng to the Hudson's bay. 299 steersman, " You've done for us, now, Cooper ! " He was mistaken, however, for the sails were taken in just in time to save us ; and, while the boat lay tumbling in the sea, we all began to bale, with anything we could lay hands on, as fast as we could. In a few minutes the boat was lightened enough to allow of our hoisting the fore- sail ; and about half-an-hour afterwards we were safely anchored in the harbour. This happened within about three or four hundred yards of the shore ; yet the best swimmer in the world would have been drowned ere he reached it, as the water was so bitterly cold, that when I was baling for my life, and, consequently, in pretty violent exercise, my hands became quite benumbed and almost powerless. Shortly after this, I was again sent up to Tadousac, in charge of a small batteau, of about ten or fifteen tons, with a number of shipwrecked seamen on board. These unfortunate men had been cast on shore about the com- mencement of winter, on an uninhabited part of the coast, and had remained without provisions or fire for a long time, till they were discovered by a gentleman of the Hudson's Bay Company, and conveyed over the snow in sleighs to the nearest establishment, which happened to be Isle Jeremie. Here they remained all winter, in a most dreadfully mutilated condition, some of them having been desperately frozen. One of the poor fellows, a negro, had one of his feet frozen off at the ankle, and had lost all the toes and the heel of the other, the bone laid bare for about , inch and Mr Coral, the gentleman who had saved them, did all in his 300 HUDSON'S BAY. vided with food and warmTtW '' """ ''"^ trifling and nnnecessa^ Wfef he\:! ','''^"" " '■'^'' a painful and lingering^d™' ' " "™^ """" fr™' tin.': vz::'^^; :r r ** '^^''--- «- ^econd bier residing IrAC-llT' "' "" ''™"'^^ ^'^ oureo„.eLe.no.dIrnt^2«""""'^'-<'-'«' na't amtL\:lr """ '''™"^*'^' "•"' ""f-'- know at the time ZT-' ' T"""' "' *<» ""t «hore. wo rinded 'to a f Tf." """" ^"'"'""^^ «'"* to >etgo'onra„::'r Wh rr «t UhT T""' "' "''■' ""•» sixteen ' till at I»,f f ? ' 7? "ham-ten ! twelve 1 ■Me bit z::::vz'^Zir rr' "-^ " After attaching our ,nZ u ""^ "" ''»ttom. anchor at las * older Thtt'" "" """" ""^' *•■» situation to remain in J^f^?' '''" ^ '""^^'-s would have to run „„; to 1 J'"' '"'^" *™» "«> take » 1„„„ .:„.."_""'. '" ''\'""' «» much cable would - - -a ™..= .o get m ; »„ 1 ordered my two men, in Hudson's bay. 301 ig their frozen they were pro- tn sorry to say, i perished had were the first, )rino-, to open tter invective ■ only charge g them a few ed them from ic, the second srotlier scrib- t, we directed >ut, unfortu- jged, in the E^iver. This but is very we did not )ner close to of her, and 3n! twelve! and only a no bottom. »r one, the dangerous strong, we able would yo men, in k very pompous, despotic way, to heave up the anchor agam ; but not a bit would it bidge. We all heaved at the wmdlass, still the obstinate anchor held fast— again we gave another heave, and smashed both the hand- spikes. In this dilemma, I begged assistance from the neicrh- bourmg schooner, and they kindly sent all their men'on board with new handspikes ; but our refractory anchor would not let go, and at last it was conjectured that it had got foul of a rock, and that it was not in the power of mortal man to move it. Under these pleasant circum- stances, we went to bed, in hopes that the falling tide might swing us clear before morning. This turned out just as we expected— or, rather, a little better— for next morning, when I went on deck, I found that we were drifting quietly down the Gulf; stern foremost, all the sails snugly tied up, and the long cable dragging at the bows ' Towards evening we arrived at Jeremie ; and I gladly resigned command of the vessel to my first lieutenant One afternoon, near the middle of April, I sat sunning myself m the verandah, before the door of the principal house at Isle Jeremie ; and watched the fields of ice as they floated down the Gulf of St Lawrence, occasionally disappearing behind the body of a large pig, which stood upon a hillock close in front of me, and then reappearing agam as the current swept them slowly past the interven- ing obstacle. Mr Coral, with whom I had been leading a veiy quiet harmless sort of life for a couple of weeks past, leant against a wooden post, gazing wistfully out to sea. Sud- HUDSON'S BAY. denly he turned towards me anH v^Uh me that as there was notZ; ' T , ^'''* ^"^^^^ *°^^^ the establishmem Te Te^^to': 7 1' "^ ^^ '^ '' Islands, to relieve the ^ ntleirat ^h f""*' '"^" charge: adding, that as! wThTd 1 t^ efoff tl n lowing morning at an early hour I h^d tZ i few things to-night. '^'^''^ ^^'^ "P ^ Now, this order may not seem at tha « ^ i very dreadful one • but takinT f -f '* ^^'^''' ^ world, at any moment he (Mr Cotl) mi 'h "" r^''"'' and«.e„va„.M,top4a.S2:;r:;^^^^^^^^^ impassable forest or ^iLn '^™'™' '"'' "''^' mlL of water. PrZt ittt: ^T' •'"""'" "' the less disa„.eeable and' ^re' t;;,! H^lH a dmgty, o„ the following mom!, ,g, embaZd f„ a small Indian canoe, similar to the on: in which I had Wrly travelled with two Indians, in the N Iwt My compamons were, a Canadian, who acted a stel ma„-a genuine Patlander, who ostensibly acted aJ bowsman, bnt in reality was more nsefd i„ fteta , of baUast-and a yonng Newfoundland dog, whTelThad got as a present from Mr Stone, while at fadlle ^ HUDSON'S BAY. eat gravity told for me to do at down to Seven It post of his set off the fol- 3tter pack up a first glance, a lideration that 7 miles below pear as if one starting. Not [ merely, in a ' readiness to undiscovered think proper, voyage, walk through al and most I number of eing at once s method, 1 barked in a vhich I had North-West. tl as steers- ly acted as the way of 'hich I had usac. 303 warouiril , '^ '"' allotted^places, the canoe was quite full ; and we started from Isle Jeremie in .ood spirits, with the broad, sun-like face of Mike L:n h oommg over the bows of the canoe, and the black muz.le of Humbug (the dog) resting on its gunwale. It IS needless to describe the voyage minutely. We had the usual amount of bad and good weather, and ran 1 ^'f rr *""'' "^ "P^^"^"^ ' ^^ h^d' ^H several breakfasts, dmners, suppers, and beds in the forest ; and an estabhshment nearly half-way between the post I had 1 rl '" '' "'"' ' "^'^ '^""^- Here we stayed all nig.t^ proposmg to start again on the morrow. But the weather was so stormy as to prevent us for a couple ot days trusting ourselves out in a frail bark canoe Early on the third morning, however, I took my place as steersman in the stern of our craft (my formei gu d being obliged to leave me here), and my man Se squeezed his unwieldy person into the bow. In the middle lay our pi^visions and baggage, over which the black muzzle of Humbug peered anxiously out upon the ocean. ^ this trim we paddled from the beach, amid a shower of advice to keep close to shore, in case the %->/._ alias the whales-might take a fancy to upset us. Po mte des Monts, where rough weather obliged us to put ashore. Here I remained all night, and slept in the wtl TT' '^^"^^""^ ^"^^^^"^ «f moderate height, which stands on a rock off Pointe des Monts, and seLs to warn sailors off the numerous shoals with which this 304 HUDSON'S BAY. illijt! found an Indian with his boat, who was just starting for Seven Islands ; and after a little higgling, at which Mike lift for r ""f ^" '^^'"' '"' ^^^-'I "" gi- ™ * hftjor a few pounds of tobacco. Away, then, we went, " A wet slieet and a flowing sea, And a wind that foUow'd fast," ploughing through the water in beautiful style The interior of our boat presented a truly ludicrous and rather filthy scene. The Indian, who was aTn": looking man of about thirty, had brought his whole famdy-sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, wife, and mo! ther-and a more heterogeneous mass of dirty dark- skmned humanity, I never before had the ilUuck to trave with. The mother of the fiock was the most e. traordmary being that I ever beheld. She must have been very near a hundred years old, as black and wrink- led as a smged hide, yet active and playful as a kitten She was a very bad sailor, however, and dived down into the bottom of the boat the moment a puff of wind arose Indians have , most extraordinary knack of diminishing their bulk, which is veiy convenient sometimes. Upon this occasion it was am,i.,ing to watch them settling L- dually down, upon the slightest appearance of wind, until Tte"?? »'■»-' b-'lfeve they had squeezed thcmselve quite through the bottom of the boat, and left only a few dirty blankets to tell the tale. Truly, one nirely meet! with such a compact moss of human ballast If how ever, a slight lull occurred, or the sun peeped out from we fortunately ist starting for at which Mike to give us a then, we went, de. ily ludicrous, > was a fine- It his whole ife, and mo- dirty, dark- e ill-luck to ;he most ex- ! must liave I and wrink- ^ as a kitten, d down into wind arose, diminishing nes. Upon settling gra- wind, until themselves ' only a few arely meets If, how- l out from Hudson's bay. 305 behmd a cloud, there was immediately a perceptible increase m the bulk of the mass, and gradually I few heads appeared, then a leg, and soon a few arms; till at last the whole batch were up. laughing, talking, singino- eatmg. and chattering, in a most uproarious state o^f confusion ! After the usual amount of storms, calms, and contrary winds, we arrived in safety at the post of Seven Islands where I threw my worthy friend Mr Anderson into a state of considerable surprise and agitation, by informin.. Inm that in the individual before him he beheld his august successor ' = ^ The establishment of Seven Islands is mythma- b„t an inviting place, although pi.-tty enough on a fine day ■ ami he gener^ appear, e of the surrounding sceneiy is lonely wdd and desolate. The houses are buUt on a low islands. The trees ai-ound are thinly scattered and very smalL In the background, rugged hills stretch as far as the eye can see; and in front, seven lofty islands, from which h. bay and post derive their name, obstruct the view, atfordmg only a partial glimp.,e of the open sea beyond. No hamau habitations exist within seventy miles of the place. Being out of the line of sailing, no vessels ever visit it, except when driven to the bay for sliolter; and the bay is so large, that many vessels come m and go out again without having been observed. Alto- gether, I found it a lonely and desokte place, durin.r a residence of nearlv four m„ntl,o An extensive salmon fishery U is carried on at a laro-e r' 1 II 1 'II 306 Hudson's bay. river called the Moisie, about eighteen miles below the post where the Company sometimes catch and salt up- wards of eighty and ninety tierces of fish. During my sojourn there, I made one or two excur- sions to the fishery, a description of which may perhaps prove interesting to those versed in the more practical branches of ichthyology. It was a lovely morning in June when Mr Anderson and I set out from Seven Islands on foot, with our coats (for the weather was warm) slung across our backs, and walked rapidly along the beach in the direction of the ru'er Moisie. The weather was very calm, and the mos- quitoes, consequently, rather annoying ; but, as our pro- gressive motion disconcerted their operations a little we did not mind them much. Tlie beach all the way was composed of fine hard sand, so that we found the walk very agreeable. A few loons dived about in the sea and we passed two or three flocks of black ducks, known in some parts of the country by the name of " old wives •" but, having brought no gun with us, tlie old ladies were permitted to proceed on their way unmolested. The land ajl along presented the same uniform line of forest, with the yellow sand of tlie beach glittering at its edge ; and, as we cleared the islands, the boundless ocean opened upon our view. In about four hours or so, we arrived at the mouth of the Moisie, where the first fishery is established. Here we found that our men hml caught and salted a good many .salmon, some of which had just come from nets, th( and lay on the grass, i»lump and glittei'ing7in their Hudson's bay. 307 pnstme freshness. They looked very tempting, and we ..lad one put in the kettle immediately, which, when we set work at him soon afterwards, certainly did not belie his looks. The salmon had only commenced to ascend the river that day and were being taken by fifties at a haul m the nets. The fishery was attended by three men, who kept seven or eight nets constantly in the water, which gave them enough of employment^two of them attending to the nets, while the third split, salted, and packed the fish m large vats Here we spent the night, and slept in a small house about ten feet long by eight broad. buUt lor the accommodation of the fishermen Next morning we embarked in a boat belonging to a rapper, and went up the river witli a fair wind, to visit he fisheries higher up. On the way we passed a seal-net belonging to the owner of the boat, and at our request he visited It and -ound seven or eight fine seals in it : they were all dead, and full of water. Seal-nets are made the same as salmon-nets, except that the mesh is larger the seal having a pretty good-sized cranium of hfs own all out of the net, and proceeded onward with our cargo are moderately high, and covered to the foot with the richest and most variegated verdure ; while here and here, upon rounding some <,f the curvatures of the stream long vistas of the river may be seen, imbedde.l in luxu- riant fohage. Thirteen or fourteen miles up the river is tnclrog Creek fishery, at which we arrived hite in the afternoon, and found that the man superintending it had 308 HUDSON'S BAir. w taken a good „a„y fi.I,, ,„d expected more. He visited h^ nets whUe we were there, but returned with only a few salmon. Some of them were badly eut up by fhe seals, which are the most formidable enemies of fishermen the nets. We were detained here by rain all night and slept in the small fishing-lion,se. Travelling makes people acquainted with stran.-e bed, as well as strange bed-fellows; but I question if ,n„ny people can boast of having slept on a bed of neh. This we were obl.ged to do here, having brought no blankets with us as we expected to have returned to the Point fishery in the evening. The bedstead w,« , i , , „ . ° oeusiaia was a hmtr low platform, in one end of the little cabin, and v,^ hZ enoug to let four people sleep in it-two of us'yh : tr A 7" """; '"" '™ '""" »* *» ""- ^"''. «^ot to ttct A large salmon-net formed a pretty good mat- ress; another, .spread out on top of' us, 'served Ta blanket ; and a couple of trout-nets were excellent as pillows From-this imcatorial couch we arose .„.ly on the following morning, and brcakfa.,ted on a splendid fresh salmon ; after which we resumcl our journey. I, a eouple of hours we arrived at the Bapid fi.shery, where I found that my ol,l friend Mike, the Irishnm ,, ha. caught a great number of sidmon. He was very bitter however, in his remarks upon the seals, which il seem^' had made great havoc among hi, nets during the last two d«y.s. A black bear, too, was in the habit of visiting his station every morning, and, sitting „„ » r„ek not f„. ,.«• watcaed uis motions with great apparent interest wliile'he Hudson's bay. e. He visited d with only a ut up by the ! of fishermen, ides breaking all night, and strange beds tion if many f nets. This t no blankets to the Point a long low md was bior of us lying lier end, feet ' good mat- served cs a excellent as ose caily on a sjilendid )nniey. In liery, whore hmun, had very bitter, h it seems lie last two nsiting his not far (>ff St while ho 309 took the fish out of the nets. Mike, poor man, regretted ve^ much that he had no gun, as he might jWhap: shoot the baste. Bears are very destructive at times to the sal ed salmon, paying visits during the night to the vats and carrying off and tearing to pieces far more than they are capable of devouring. While inspecting the" nets here, we witnessed an inte- restmg seal-hunt. Two Indians, in separate canoes, were floa mr . letly in a small eddy, with their guns cocked ready ...t,r^ at the first unfortunate seal that should shew his head on the surface of the stream. They had not waited long when one popped up his head, and instantly got a shot which evidently hurt him, as he .splashed a ittle, and then dived. In a minute the Indian reloaded his gun, and paddled out into the stream, in order to have another shot the moment the seal rose for air ; this he did in a short time, when another shot was fired, which turned h.m over apparently lifeless. The In.lian then laid down h,s gun, and seizing his paddle, made towanls the spot where the seal lay. He had scarcely approached a tew yards, however, when it recovered a little, and dived )uuch to the Indians chagrin, who had approached too near the head of a small rapid, and went d<,wn. .stern fore- most, just at the moment his friend the seal did the same On arriving at the botton, the animal, after one or two Ivuks. expired, and the Indian at last .secured his ]>rize Alter this we embarked again in our boat; and the wind Jor once determined to be accommodating, a.s it shifted in our .uvour. almost at the same time tliat we tume.N. .n whuh the eorpse wa, jjaeed, and then bnricKl No cen.nn>ny attended the intennent of U,i, poor ,,ava,.e • 2J7" "■":' ""r' "™' *" *-"""■ ; «"ode,, n Zant: ;.''"■^^ "'■'-" -■•" '-e been vi.,ited y Ronmn Cathobo pnest^ are in tl,e habit of erecting over their departed ivlativos. *' Tlie almost total absence of reliKion of any kind among these unhappy natives i, truly n.elaneholy. The v^v ..an,e o our blesse,! Saviour is ahnost unknown by |' Amcua. It ,s strange that, while so many n.issionarics mve been sent to the southern parts of the earth, so f w honhl have been sent to the northwar,!. There ai-e not I l-ebeve, more than a dozen or so of Protestant clergy: n.o>j over the whole wide .lorthern continent ^or ,at least a eentu.y these North An.orican Indians We hunted for the white n.en, and poured annually Z liuhm, a copious strean, of nealth. Surely it is the ,lutv of e/-™j.„„ Britain, in return, to send it fai, . Z • -i'^iiui.ig a cvuplc of .iuys at the Hudson's day. 313 less that at e travelling, onvd in our lie in a very » to make a i^'h wooden lien Iniried. oor savajufe ; ■ only mark lall M'ooden visited by ecting over ind amonjr The very wn by the s of North issionaries th, so few i are not, It clergy- ti Indians iially into the duty Hifnl ser- I'oughout s at the establishment— during which time they sold me a great many furs— set out again to return to their distant wig- wams. It is strange to contemplate the precision ai^l certainty with which these men travel towards any part of the vast wilderness, even where their route lies across numerous intricate and serpentine rivers. But the strangest thing of all is, the savage's certainty of finding his way in winter through the trackh^ss forest, to a ])la(^ where, perhaps, he never was before, and of whi(,-l) he has liad only a slight desr-ription. They have no conii)as,ses, but tlie means by whicli they discover the cardinal points IS curious. If an Inii«i c<.....iii^,iati„g tflis scene for some time, HUDSON'S BAY. devoured the >pened to an bable. Tliis of the gulf n, in a small «hi<^ a large I'ecounoitrinif ired to upset ■ndered this ually began against it. t saw it, but id, he seized )e, however, came leaky, e the whole tid monster, iigest child, overboard ; >f the party res of soli- 3(1 through leaving an )se of pre- its waves unruffled, lun's i-ays, ?tli before iome time, 315 I rose, and was just turning away from the window, when I descried a man, accompanied by a boij, walking along the sea-shore towards the house. Tliis unusual siglit created in me almost as strong, though not so un- pleasant a sensation as was awakene«l in the bosom of Robinson Crusoe when he discovered the foot-print in the sand. Hastily putting on my cap, I ran out to meet him, and found, to my Joy, that he was a trapper of my ac(iuaintance ; and, what added immensely to the novelty of the thing, he was also a white man and a gentleman ! He had entered one of the fur companies on the coast at an early age, and, a few years afterwards, fell in love with an Indian girl, whom he married ; and, ultimately, he became a trapper. He was a fine good- natured man, and had been well educated ; and to hear philosophical discourse iiroceeding from the Vipn of one who was, fn outward appearance, a regular Indian, w,as very strange indeed. He was dressed in the usual capote, leggins, and moccasins of a hunter. "Wlmt haveyougot for dinner?" was his first ques- tion, after shaking hands with me. " Pork and i)ancakes," said I. " Oh," said the trapper, " the first salt, and the latter made of flour and water ? " "Just so ; and, with the exception of some bread, and a few ground pease in lieu of coffee, this has been my diet for three weeks back." " You might have done better," said the trapper, point- ing towards a blue line in the sea ; " look, there are fish enough, if you only took the trouble to catch them." SIG Hudson's bay. u- A. ho saw this, r advanced to the edge of the water t Le, r "" r""'-™-' "i-overed, that whatTh d taken for sea-weed, was a shoal of kipplin. so dense tJ,!f they seemed scarcely ,,1,le to move ' Uiwn beholding this, I recollected having seen a connle of old hand-nets in some of the stores wtvi, • J^tely sent the trapper's son (a^T :f ^^t^r o~:::rh':th~i:^^^^^^^^^ - '-*•-' the fish on by dolr T 7 "'' '""""^ Wer, as they^ s^- to ^Z:%^Zr^Z last fhpf J. ^ ^ ^'^'"'"'^ «« exciting at a 1} , and m an hour we returned home, laden with kin plmg, and wet to the skin. P" The fish, which measured from four to five inches lona m. really-excellent, and lent an additional llt^ pork, pancakes, and pease cofee ' the' s:! zi !"::rr " r '" ^"'' -^ ^---^ „f V J ,,. ' " " ^"7 pleasant time we hid of It padd n,g abont in a canoe, or walking thro^h the woods, whde .,y companion told me numerous anX -th winch his memory was stored. Some of the e 2' e"':.;::::;:'""' "■" "^ ^-^ -^'^ ^°" ""^ - «'e He had been out on a shooting exDeditinn .r,^ -.ning h„.„e in his canoe, whelTnt: igrhel land, he discovered n MspI- K- " • - -veie.i a wack btur waikmg leisurely along Hudson's bay. of the water, It what I had so dense that seen a couple ch we imme- Ive) to fetch. ', tucking up and scooped t quickness, 5htning, and 'et ourselves exciting at our clothes n with kip- nches Ions, elish to the me durinar le we had lirough the anecdotes, these were which he id on the and was g a head- rely along 317 the beach. Now, the place where he discovered him was a very wild, rugged spot. At the bottom of the bay rose a high precipice, so that Bruin could not escape that way ; along the beach, in the direction in which he had been walking, a cape, which the rising tide now washed, prevented his retreating ; so that the only chance for the brute to escape was, by nmning past the trapper within a few yards of him. In this dilemma, the bear bethought himself of trying the precipice ; so, coUectino- himself, he made a bolt for it, and actually mana red to scramble up thirty or forty feet, when bang went the boy's gun ; but the shot missed, and it api)eared as if the beast would actually get away, when the trapper took a deliberate aim and fired. The effect of the shot was so comical, that the two hunters could scarcely re-load their guns for laughing Bruin, upon receivin.r the shot, covered his head with his fore-paws, and" curling himself up like a ball, came thundering ' do^vll the precipice head over heels, raising clouds of dust, and hurling showers of stones down in hi,, descent, till he actually rolled at the trapper's feet ; and then, gettino- slowly up, he looked at him with such a bewildered expression, that the man could scarcely refrain from laughter, even while in the act of blowing the beast's brains out. This man had also a narrow escape of having a boxing match with a moose-deer or elk. The moose hal a strange method of fighting with its fore-feet ; getting up on its hind-legs, and boxing, as it were, with great energy and deadly force. The trapper, upon the occasion referred 318 HUDSON'S BAY. f to, was travelling with an Indian, who, having discovered the track of a moose in the snow, set off in chase of it while the trapper pursued his way with the In 322 HUDSON S BAY. } '■ being left quite dry by the tide. As this happened within a few miles of our journey's end, I left the men to take care of the boat, and walked along the beach to Tadousac. Here I remained some time, and then travelled through the beautiful lakes of Canada, and the United States, to New York, But here I must pause. As I said before, I write not of civilised, but of feavage life ; and, having now o'ershou the boundary, it is time to close. On the 25th of May 184)7, I bade adieu to the Western hemisphere, and sailed for England in the good ship New York. The air was light and warm, and the sun unclouded, as we floated slowly out to sea, and ere long the vessel bathed her swelling bows in the broad Atlantic. Gradually, as if loth to part, the wood-clad shores of America grew faint and dim ; I turnetl my eyes, for the last time, upon the distant shore ; the blue hills quivered for a moment on the horizon, as if to bid us all a long farewell, and then sank into the liquid bosom of the ocean. THE END. kY T. KIUOX AND fiONI. • ■-? med within Qen to take a Tadousac. led through I States, to said before, md, having he Western d ship New iclouded, as essel bathed i shores of yes, for the lis quivered I all a long 3om of the