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At /.'**. «./f»|- !/A.,„.,rir .i0^.i /..minn n-' ^ // NARRATIVE OF A JOUKNKY ID INK siioKt.x OK Tin: POLAR SEA, IN THE YEARS lHl9 -^O--^! -•^2. BY JOHN FRANKLIN, Cait. R.N.. F.U.S., M.W.S., Asn rcvMANorn of the i^xphdition. 4 .^ ri-IIMNHKD BV AUTHORITY OK THE RIUHT HONOimABLE ^V THE EARI. Ri\THURf*T. /' i — V :^i .y THIRD EDITION. ^ S\ ) 1 V f \ ^ 1 ^ TWO VOI^.-VOf.. I. JT -J X. % V N' rs:. LONDON: rOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE-STREET. MDCCCCXXIV. -• ^t<»mt ■■■■*■ 139352 I 1 LO.NUOM ; I'liiNi'i.i) Hv wii.i u:\u'Lo\vi.s, NiiribMiulierUiitttuuri* TO THE RIGHT IIONOURADLi: THE EARL BATIIURST, K. G., o.v/j OF HIS jtf.ursrr s rmsriPAi. «Kc«AT.i«i/rv HI. ST.UH, Ac iVf. Av. rilE FOLLOWING NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY TO THE NORTHERN COAST OF AMERICA, UNDEUTAKLN BY OllUEU AND UNDER THE Al .SPICES OP HIS LORDSHIP, IS BV PERMISSION, INSCRIBED WITH GREAT RESPECT AND GUATITLDE BY THE AUTHOR. Vol I. CONTENTS OP Tfrfi riRST VOLUME. iNTtlODl'CTION P«go ■ ix CFrAPTER r. Departure from Enjflaiul — 'IVansactioiiH at Stroinno>is — Enter Daviti' StraitH — Perilous Hitiiatiori on the Hht)r(> of UoHolutioii Island — Land on the eoast ol" Laliriulor— Es(|uiruaijx ot* Sava^'c IslandH— York Factory — Preparations for the Jour- ney into the Interior .-----« CHAPTER II. Passacfc up Hayes', Steel, and Hill Rivers — Cross Swampy Lake — Jack River — Knee Lake, and Afap-nctir Islet — TnHit lliver — Holy Lake — HVcpinapannis River — Windy Lake — AVhite Fall Lake and Rivei' — Echenianiis and Sea Rivers — Play-Green Lakes — Lake Wiuipecf — River Saskatchawan — Cross, Cedar, and Pine Island Lakes — Cuuiberhmd House - CHAPTER III. Dr. Richardson's residence at Cumberland- House— His account of the Crec Indians -----.- CHAPTER IV. Leave C!uinberland House — Mode of Travellinj»- in Winter — Arrival at Carlton House — Stone Indians — Visit to a lliif- falo Pound — (Joitres — Doparture from (!arlton House — Isle la (Jrossc— Arrival at Fort Chipewyan - - - a 2 41 91 Uii viii CONTENTS. ' Li k I I I CHAPTER V. Paee Transactions at Fort Chipewyan — Arrival of Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood — Preparations for our Journey to the North- ward 221 CHAPTER VI. Mr. Hood's Journey to the Basqniau Hill — Sojourns with an Indian Party — His Journey to Chipe\7yan 260 CHAPTER Vn. Departure from Chipewyan — Difficulties of the various Navi- gation of the Rivers and Lakes, and of the Portag-es — Slave Lake and Fort Providence — Scarcity of Provisions, .md Discontent of the Canadian Voyagers — Difficulties with re- gard to the Indian Guides — Refusal to proceed — Visit of Observation to the upper part of Copper-Mine River- Return to the Winter-Quarters of Fort Enterprise - - 301 Directions to the Binder. Vol. I. L The Chart shewing the Connected Discoveries of Captains Ross, Parry, and Franklin, to face the Title-Page. Vol. II. II. Route from York Factory III. Isl IV. Slav )rk Factory '\ le a la Crosse > To be placed at ave Lake J the end. # Page ■I'dson ^orth- - - 221 ith an - 260 INTRODUCTION. Navi- Slave I, and th re- isit of iver— ' - 301 aptains lee. ■ ■ ft end. His Majesty's Government having deter- mined upon sending an Expedition from the Shores of Hudson's Bay by land, to explore the Northern Coast of America, from the Mouth of the Copper-Mine River to the eastward, I had the honour to be appointed to this service by Earl Bathurst, on the recommendation of the Lords Commis- sioners of the Admiralty ; who, at the same time, nominated Doctor John Richardson, a Surgeon in the Royal N?.vy, Mr. George Back, and Mr. Robert Hood, two Admiralty Midshipmen, to be joined with me in the enterprize. My instructions, in substance, informed me that the main object of the Expedition was that of determining the latitudes and longitudes of the Northern I;i X INTRODUCTION. Coast of North America, and the trending of that Coast from the Mouth of the Cop- per-Mine River to the eastern extremity of that Continent; that it ^vas left for me to determine according to circumstances, whether it might be most advisable to proceed, at once, directly to the northward till I arrived at the sea-coast, and thence westerly towards the Copper-Mine River; or advance, in the first instance, by the usual route to the mouth of the Copper- Mine River, and from thence easterly till I should arrive at the eastern extremity of that Continent; that, in the adoption of either of these plans, I was to be guided by the advice and information which I should receive from the wintering servants of the Hudson's Bay Company, who would be instructed by their employers to co-ope- rate cordially in the prosecution of the objects of the Expedition, and who would J rovide me with the necessary escort of Indians to act as guides, interpreters, game- killers, ^t.; and also with such articles of clothing, ammunition, snow-shoes, presents. '.1.1 y^ M INTRODUCTION. XI rending le Cop- mity of for me stances, able to rthward thence River; by the Copper- rly till I mity of )tion of guided vhich I servants o would co-ope- of the > would icort of 5, game- ticles of resents. 1 « $ 4'c., as should be deemed expedient for me to take. That as another principal object of the Expedition was to amend the very defective geography of the northern part of North America, I was to be very care- ful to ascertain correctly the latitude and longitude of every remarkable spot upon our route, and of all the bays, harbours, rivers, headlands, cj*c., that might occur along the Northern Shore of North America. That in proceeding along the coast, I should erect conspicuous marks at places where ships might enter, or to which a boat could be sent; and to deposit information as to the nature of the coast for the use of Lieu- teucint Parry. That in the journal of our route,] I should register the temperature of the air at least three times in every twenty- four hours ; together with the state of the wind and weather, and any other meteoro- logical phenomena. That I should not neglect any opportunity of observing and noting down the dip and variation of the magnetic needle, and the intensity of the magnetic force; and should take particular xu INTRODUCTION. i notice whether any, and what kind or degree of, influence the Aurora Boreahs might ap- pear to exert on the magnetic needle ; and to notice whether that phenomenon were attended with any noise ; and to make any other observations that might be hkely to tend to the further development of its cause, and the laws by which it is governed. Mr. Back and Mr. Hood were to assist me in all the observations above-mentioned, and to make drawings of the land, of the natives, and of the various objects of natural history; and, particularly, of such as Dr. Richardson, who, to his professional duties, wa3 to add that of naturalist, might con- sider to be most curious and interesting. I was instructed, on my arrival at, or near, the Mouth of the Copper-Mine River, to make every inquiry as to the situation of the spot whence native copper had been brought down by the Indians to the Hudson's Bay establishment, and to visit and explore the place in question; in order that Dr. Richardson might be enabled to INTRODUCTION. xm make such observations as might be useful in a commercial point of view, or interesting to the science of mineralogy. From Joseph Berens, Esq., the Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company, and the gentlemen of the Committee, I received all kinds of assistance and information, com- municated in the most friendly manner pre- vious to my leaving England; and I had the gratification of perusing the orders to their agents and servants in North America, containing ^he fullest directions to promote, by every means, the progress of the Expe- dition. I most cheerfully avail myself of this opportunity of expressing my gra- titude to these Gentlemen for their personal kindness to myself and the other officers, as well as for the benefits rendered by them to the Expedition ; and the same sentiment is due towards the Gentlemen of the North- West Company, both in England and Ame- rica, more particularly to Simon M^Gil- livray, Esq., of London, from whom I re- ceived much useful information, and cordial letters of recommendation to the partners ■ i t 4 XIV INTRODUCTION. and agents of that Company, resident on our line of route. A short time before I left London I had the pleasure and advantage of an interview with the late Sir Alexander Mackenzie, who was one of the two persons who had visited the coast we were to explore. He afforded me, in the most open and kind manner, much valuable information and advice. The provisions, instruments, and other articles, of which I had furnished a list, by direction of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, were embarked on board the Hudson's Bay Company's ship Prince of Wales, appointed by the committee to convey the Expedition to York Factory, their principal establishment in Hudson's Bay. It will be seen, in the course of the Nar- rative how much reason I had to be satisfied with, and how great my obligations are to, all the Gentlemen who were associated with me in the Expedition, whose kindness, good conduct, and cordial co-operation, have made an impression which can never INTRODUCTION. XV ent on i I had erview e, who visited Forded anner, e. other st, by ers of board rince ee to :tory, ison's Nar- isfied J are iated ness, tion, ever fit •1) ■m I ,i be effaced from my mind. The unfortunate death of Mr. Hood is the only drawback which I feel from the otherwise unalloyed pleasure of reflecting on that cordial unani- mity which at all times prevailed among us in the days of sunshine, and in those of " sickness and sorrow." To Dr. Richardson, in particular, the exclusive merit is due of whatever collec- tions and observations have been made in the department of Natural History; and I am indebted to him in no small degree for his friendly advice and assistance in the preparation of the present narrative. The charts and drawings were made by Lieutenant Back, and the late Lieutenant Hood. Both these gentlemen cheerfully and ably assisted me in making the ob- servations and in the daily conduct of the Expedition. The observations made by Mr. Hood, on the various phenomena presented by the Aurora Borealis*, will, it is presumed, present to the reader some new facts connected with this meteor. Mr. *■ Ciiven in tlic Api)ciulix to the Quarto Edition. XVI INTRODUCTION. Back was mostly prevented from turning his attention to objects of science by the many severe duties which were required of him, and which obUged him to travel almost constantly every winter that we passed in America; to his personal exertions, indeed, our final safety is mainly to be attributed. And here I must be permitted to pay the tribute, due to the fidelity, exertion and uniform good conduct in the most trying situations, of John Hepburn, an English seaman, and our only attendant, to whom in the latter part of our journey we owe, under Divine Providence, the preser- vation of the lives of some of the party. I ought, perhaps, to crave the reader's indulgence towards the defective style of this work, which I trust will not be refused when it is considered that mine has been a life of constant employment in my profes- sion from a very early age. I have been prompted to venture upon the task solely by an imperious sense of duty, when called upon to undertake it. In the ensuing Narrative the notices of i INTROnrCTION. xvu urning )y the ired of almost 3sed in ndeed, ibuted. ly the certion most rn, an ant, to ley we Dreser- eader's yle of efused Deen a profes- e been solely called ices of the moral condition of the Indians as in- fluenced by the conduct of the traders to- wards them, refer entirely to the state in which it existed during our progress through the country ; but lest I should have been mistaken respecting the views of the Hud- son's Bay Company on these points, I gladly embrace the opportunity which a Second Edition affords me of stating that the junction of the two Companies has enabled the Directors to put in practice the improvements which I have reason to believe they had long contemplated. They have provided for religious instruction by the appointment of two Clergymen of the established church, under whose direction school-masters and mistresses are to be placed at such stations as afford the means of support for the establishment of schools. The offspring of the voyagers and labourers are to be educated chiefl.y r r tr , expense of the Company; and such ^ the Indian children as their parents may wish to send to these schools, are to be instructed, clothed, and maintained at the expense of ^t xvin INTRODUCTION. T Church Missionary Society, which has aheady allotted a considerable sum for these purposes, and has also sent out teachers who are to act under the super- intendence of the Rev. Mr. West, the prin- cipal chaplain of the Company. We had the pleasure of meeting this gentleman at York Factory, and witnessed with peculiar delight the great benefit which already marked his zealous and judicious conduct. Many of the traders, and of the servants of the Company, had been induced to marry the women with whom they had cohabited ; a material step towards the improvement of the females in that country. Mr. West, under the sanction of the Di- rectors, has also promoted a subscription for the distribution of the Bible in every part of the country where the Company's Fur Trade has extended, and which has met with very general support from the resident chief factors, traders, and clerks. The Directors of the Company are continu- ing to reduce the distribution of spirits gra- 1 i INTRODUCTION. XIX dually among the Indians, as well as towards their own servants, with a view to the entire disuse of them as soon as this most desirable object can be accomplished. They have likewise issued orders for the cultiva- tion of the ground at each of the posts, by which means the residents will be far less exposed to famine whenever through the scarcity of animals, the sickness of the Indians, or any other cause, their supply of meat may fail. It is to be hop'^d that intentions, so dear to every humane and pious mind, will, through the blessing of God, meet with the utmost success. i < JOURNEY TO THE SHORES ov THE POLAR SEA, CHAPTER I. Departure from Engliiiul — TransartioiiH at Sh'oimipss — Enter Davis' Straits — Pcriluiis Sitiiatit)n on tlu* Sliuro of Ui>8olulioii iHland — Land on the Ooast of Labrador — KHquiinaux of Savaye Islands — York Factory — Preparations for the Journey into the Interior. May." On Sunday, the 23d of May. the whole of our party embarked at Graveserid on board the ship Prince of Wales, belonging to the Hud- son's Bay Company, just as she was in the act of getting under weigh, with her consorts the Ed- dy stone and Wear. The wind being unfavour- able, on the ebb tide being finished, the vessels were again anchored ; but they weighed in the night and beat down as far as the Warp, where they were detained two days by a strong east- erly wind. * Having learned from some of the passengers, who were the trading Officers of the Company, that the arrival of the ships at either of the esta- VoL. I. B JOURNEY TO THE SHORES f(i^ l|l . :i blishments in Hudson's Bay, gives full occupation to ail the boatmen in their service, who are re- quired to convey the necessary stores to the dif- ferent posts in the interior ; that it was very pro. bable a sufficient number of men might not be procured from this indispensable duty ; and, con- sidering that any delay at York Factory would materially retard our future operations, I wrote to the Under Secretary of State, requesting his permission to provide a few well-qualified steers- men and bowmen, at Stromness, to assist our proceedings in the former part of our journey into the interior. Mm/ 30.-— The easterly wind, which had re- tarded the ship's progress so much, that we had only reached HoUesley Bay after a week's beating about, changed to W.S.W. soon after that an- chorage had been gained. The vessels instantly weighed, and, by carrying all sail, arrived in Yarmouth Roads at seven P.M.; the pilots were landed, and our course was continued through the anchorage. At midnight, the wind became light and variable, and gradually drew round to the N.W. ; and, as the sky indicated unsettled wea- ther, and the wind blew from an unfavourable quarter for ships upon that coast, the commander bore up again for Yarmouth, and anchored at eight A.M. OP THE POLAR SEA. iupation ) are re- the dif- ery pro. t not be nd, con- f would I wrote ;ting his 1 steers- sist our ney into had re- we had beating hat an- istantly ved in s were tgh the le light to the d wea- )urable nander red at -^ 4:. J "I 4 Ai* This return afforded us, at least, the oppor- tunity of comparing the longitude of Yarmouth church, as shewn by our chronometers, with its position as laid down by the Ordnance Trigono- metrical Survey ; and, it was satisfactory to find, from the small difference in their results, that the chronometers had not experienced any alteration in their rates, in consequence of their being changed from an horizontal position in a room, to that of being carried in the pocket. An untoward circumstance, while at this an- chorage, cast a damp on our party at this early period of the voyage. Emboldened by the de- cided appearance of the N.W. sky, several of our officers and passengers ventured on shore for a few hours ; but, we had not been long in the town before the wind changed suddenly to S.E., which caused instant motion in the large fleet collected at this anchorage. The commander of our ship intimated his intention of proceeding to sea, by firing guns ; and the passengers hastened to embark. Mr. Back, however, had unfortu- nately gone upon some business to a house two or three miles distant from Yarmouth, along the line of the coast; from whence he expected i:> be able to observe the first symptoms of moving, which the vessels might make. By some acci- dent, however, he did not make his appearance B 2 ■^ij| rx l|i! l\ 4 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES before the captain was obliged to make sail, that he might get the ships through the intricate pas- sage of the Cockle Gat before it was dark. For- tunately, through the kindness of Lieutenant Hewit, of the Protector, I was enabled to convey a note to our missing companion, desiring him to proceed immediately by the coach to the Pent- land Firth, and from thence across the passage to Stromness, which appeared to be the only way of proceeding by which he could rejoin the party. Jime 3. — The wind continuing favourable after leaving Yarmouth, about nine this morning we passed the rugged and bold projecting rock, termed Johmiy Groat's house, and soon after- wards Duncansby Head, and then entered the Pentland Firth. A pilot came from the main shore of Scotland, and steered the ship in safety between the different islands, to the outer anchor- age at Stromness, though the atmosphere was too dense for distinguishing any of the objects on the land. Almost immediately after the ship had anchored, the wind changed to N.W., the rain ceased, and a sight was then first obtained of the neighbouring islands, and of the town of Stromness, the latter of which, from this point of view, and at this distance, presented a pleasing appearance. Mr. Geddes, the agent of the Hudson's Bay ■$; 4t ..-# 1 lail, that ■ i' ate pas- :. For- 1 mtenant 1 convey >• him to le Pent- 3sage to 1 J way of )arty. )le after y '■.■■■ ling we g rock, ■■' I after- red the if- ■ /■ e main y \ 1 safety Michor- 'e was ects on e ship i^., the ■> . ' )tained )wn of oint of easing ■■:! s Bay OP THE POLAR SEA. 5 Company at this place, undertook to communi- cate my wish for volunteer boatmen to the dif ferent parishes, by a notice on the church-door, which he said was the surest and most direct channel for the conveyance of information to the lower classes in these islands, as they invariably attend divine service there every Sunday. He informed me that the kind of men we were in want of would be difficult to procure, on account of the very increased demand for boatmen for the herring fishery, which had recently been esta- blished on the shores of these islands ; that last year, sixty boats and four hundred men only were employed in this service, whereas now there were three hundred boats and twelve hundred men engaged ; and that owing to this unexpected addition to the fishery, he had been unable to provide the number of persons required for the service of the Hudson's Bay Company. This was unpleasant information, as it increased the apprehension of our being detained at York Fac- tory the whole winter, if boatmen were not taken from hence. I could not therefore hesitate in re- questing Mr. Geddes to engage eight or ten men well adapted for our service, on such ^rms as he could procure them, though the Secretary of State's permission had not yet reached me. Next to a supply of boatmen, our attention 1 "i JOURNEY TO THE SHORES. ^1^ I i ■■' I U ■1 was directed towards the procuring of a house conveniently situated for trying the instruments, and examining the rates of the chronometers. Mr. Geddes kindly offered one of his, which, though in an unfinished state, was readily ac- cepted, being well situated for our purpose, as it was placed on an eminence, had a southern aspect, and was at a sufficient distance from the town to secure us from frequent interruption. Another advantage was its proximity to the Maijse, the residence of the Rev. Mr. Clouston, the worthy and highly respected minister of Stromness ; whose kind hospitality and the polite attention of his family, the party experienced almost daily during their stay. For three days the weather was unsettled, and few observations could be made, except for the dip of the needle, which was ascertained to be 74° 37' 48'^ on which occasion a difference of eight degrees and a half was perceived between the observations, when the face of the instrument was changed from the east to the west, the amount being the greate^^t when it was placed with the face to the west. But, on the 8th, a westerly wind caused a cloudless sky, which enabled us to place the transit instrument in the meridian, and to ascertain the variation of the compass, to be 27° 50' west. The sky becoming OF THE POLAR SEA. a house ruments, ometers. , which, idily ac- ise, as it 1 aspect, town to Another ase, the worthy )mness ; .ttention St daily ed, and for the d to be ence of etween rument st, the placed 8th, a which in the of the omfng cloudy in the afternoon, prevented our obtaining the corresponding observations to those gained in the morning ; and the next day an impervious fog obscured the sky until noon. On the even- ing of this day, we had the gratification of wel- coming our absent companion, Mr. Back. His return to our societv was hailed with sincere 4/ pleasure by every one, and removed a weight of anxiety from my mind. It appears that he had come down to the beach at Caistor, just as the ships were passing by, and had applied to some boatmen to convey him on board, wb'li might have been soon accomplished, but they, discover- ing the emergency of his case, demanded an ex- orbitant reward which he was not at the instant prepared to satisfy ; and, in consequence, they positively refused to assist him. Though he had travelled nine successive days, almost without rest, he could not be prevailed upon to withdraw from the agreeable scene of a ball-room, in which he joined us, until a late hour. On the 10th, the rain having ceased, the ob- servations for ascertaining the dip of the needle were repeated ; and the results, compared with the former ones, gave a mean of 74° 33' 20". Nearly the same differences were remarked in reversing the face of the instrument as before. An attempt was also made to ascertain the mag- 8 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES. netic force, but the wind blew too strong for procuring the observation to any degree of ac- curacy. The fineness of the following day induced us to set up the different instruments for examina- tion, and to try how nearly the observations made by each of them would agree ; but a squall passed over just before noon, accompanied by heavy rain, and the hoped-for favourable oppor- tunity was entirely lost. In the intervals be- tween the observations, and at every opportunity, my companions were occupied in those pursuits to which their attention had been more particu- cularly directed in my instructions. Whilst Dr. Richardson was collecting and examining the various specimens of marine plants, of which these islands furnish an abundant and diversified supply, Mr. Back and Mr. Hood took views and sketches of the surrounding scenery, which is extremely picturesque in many parts, and wants only the addition of trees to make it beautiful. The hills present the bold character of rugged sterility, whilst the valleys, at this season, are clothed with luxuriant verdure. It was not till the 14th, that, by appointment, the boatmen were to assemble at the house of Mr. Geddes, to engage to accompany the Expe- dition. Several persons collected, but to my ■^ ■■Mi«>l OF THE POLAR SEA. 'I I great mortification, I found they were all so strongly possessed with the fearful apprehension, either that great danger would attend the service, or that we should carry them further than they would agree to go, that not a single man would engage with us ; some of them, however, said they would consider the subject, and give me an answer on the following day. This indecisive conduct was extremely annoying to me, espe- cially as the next evening was fixed for the departure of the ships. At the appointed time on the following morn- ing, four men only presented themselves, and these, afler much hesitation, engaged to accom- pany the Expedition to Fort Chipewyan, if they should be required so far. The bowmen and steersmen were to receive forty pounds' wages annually, and the middle men thirty-five pounds. They stipulated to be sent back to the Orkney Islands, free of expense, and to receive their pay until the time of arrival. Only these few men could be procured, although our requisition had been sent to almost every island, even as far as the northernmost point of Ronaldsha. I was much amused with the extreme caution these men used before they would sign the agreement; they minutely scanned all our intentions, weighed every circumstance, looked narrowly into the i .V ■I 10 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES plan of our route, and still more circumspectly to the prospect of return. Such caution on the part of the northern mariners forms a singular contrast with the ready and thoughtless manner in which an English seaman enters upon any enterprise, however hazardous, without inquiring, or desiring to know where he is going, or what he is going about. The brig Harmony, belonging to the Moravian Missionary Society, and bound to their settlement at Nain, on the coast of Labrador, was lying at anchor. With the view of collecting some Esqui- maux words and sentences, or gaining any infor- mation respecting the manners and habits of that people. Doctor Richardson and myself paid her a visit. We found the passengers, who were going out as Missionaries, extremely disposed to communicate ; but as they only spoke the Ger- man and Esquimaux languages, of which we were ignorant, our conversation was necessarily much confined: by the aid, however, of an Esqui- maux and German Dictionary, some few words were collected, which we considered might be useful. There were on board a very interesting girl, and a young man, w^ho were natives of Disco, in Old Greenland ; both of them had fair com- plexions, rather handsome features, and a lively manner ; the former was going to be married to OF THE POLAR SEA. 11 a resident Missionary, and the latter to ofticiate in that character. The commander of the vessel gave me a translation of the Gospel of St. John in the Esquimaux language, printed by the Mora- vian Society in London. Jtine 16. — The wind being unfavourable for saihng I went on shore with Dr. Richardson, and took several lunar observations at the place of our former residence. The result obtained was latitude 58° 56' 56', N.; longitude 3° 17' 5,7' W.; variation 27° 50' W. ; dip of the magnetic needle, 74° 33' 20'\ In the afternoon the wind changed in a squall some points towards the north, and the Prince of Wales made the preparatory signal for sea. At three P.M. the ships weighed, an hour too early for the tide ; as soon as this served we entered into the passage between Hoy and Pomona, and had to beat through against a very heavy swell, which the meeting of a weather tide and a strong breeze had occasioned. Some dangerous rocks lie near the Pomona shore, and on this side also the tide appeared to run witii the greatest strength. On clearing the outward projecting points of Hoy and Pomona, we entered at once into the Atlantic, and com- menced our voyage to Hudson's Bay — having the Eddystone, Wear, and Harmony, Missionary brig, in company. Iff JOURNEY TO THE SHORES The comparisons of the chronometers this day indicated that Arnold's Nos. 2148 and 2147, had slightly changed their rates since they had been brought on board ; fortunately the rate of the for- mer seems to have increased nearly in the same ratio as the other has lost, and the mean longi- tude will not be materially affected. Being now fairly launched into the Atlantic, I issued a general mem«3randum for the guidance of the officers during the prosecution of the ser- vice on which we were engaged, and communi- cated to them the several points of information that were expected from us by my instructions. I also furnished them with copies of the signals which had been agreed upon between Lieutenant Parry and myself, to be used in the event of our reaching the northern coast of America, and fall- ing in with each other. At the end of the month of June, our progress was found to have been extremely slow, owing to a determined N.W. wind and much sea. We had numerous birds hovering round the ship ; princi- ' pally fulmars fprocellaria glacialisfj and shear- waters, (proceliana puffimis.J and not unfrequently saw shoals of grampusses sporting about, which the Greenland seamen term finners from their large dorsal fin. Some porpoises occasionally appeared, and whenever they did, the crew were ■ 1 ;iP»" OF THE POLAR SKA. 18 sanguine in their expectation of having a speedy change in the wind, which Jiad been so vexatiousiy contrary, but they were disappointed in every instance. Thursday y July 1 . — The month of July sot in more favourably ; and, aided by fresh breezes, we advanced rapidly to the westward, attended daily by numerous fulmars and shearwaters. The Missionary brig had parted company on the 22d of June. We passed directly over that part of the ocean where the " Sunken Land of Buss" is laid down in the old, and continued in the Ad- miralty charts. Mr. Bell, the commander of the Eddystone, informed me, that the pilot who brought his ship down the Thames told him that he had gained soundings in twelve feet some- where hereabout; and I am rather inclined to attribute the very unusual and cross sea we had in this neighbourhood to the existence of a bank, than to the effect of a gale of wind which we had just before experienced ; and I cannot but regret that the commander of the ship did not try for soundings at frequent intervals. By the 25th July we had opened the entrance of Davis' Straits, and in the afternoon spoke the Andrew Marvell, bound to England with a cargo of fourteen fish. The master informed us that the ice had been heavier this season in Davis* 14 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES. Straits than he had ever recollected, and that it lay particularly close to the westward, being connected with the shore to the northward of Resolution Island, and extending from thence within a short distance of the Greenland coast ; that whales had been abundant, but the ice so ex- tremely cross, that few could be killed. His ship, as well as several others, had suffered material injury, and two vessels had been entirely crushed between vast masses of ice in latitude 74° 40' N., but the crews were saved. We inquired anxiously, but in vain, for intelligence respecting Lieute- nant Parry, and the ships under his command ; but as he mentioned that the ^vind had been blowing strong froi:. the north svard for some time, which would, probably, nave cleared Baf- fin's Bay of ice, we were disposed to hope fa- vourably of his progress. The clouds assumed so much the appearance of icebergs this evening, as to deceive most of the passengers and crew ; but their imaginations had been excited by the inteUigence we had re- ceived from the Andrew Mar veil, that she had only parted from a cluster of them two days pre- vious to our meeting. On the 27th, being in latitude 57° 44' 21" N., longitude 47° 31' 14'' W., and the weather calm we tried for soundings, but did not reach the -•^iJ OF THE POLAR SEA. 11 N., the bottom. The register thermometer was attached to the line just above the lead, and is supposed to have descended six hundred and fifty fathoms. A well-corked bottle was also fastened to the line, two hundred fathoms above the lead, and went down four hundred and fifty fathoms. The change in temperature, shewn by the register thermometer during the descent, was from ^-f to 40.5 ; and it stood at the latter point, when taken out of the tin case. The temperature of the water brought up in the bottle was 41°, being half a degree higher at four hundred and fifty than at six hundred and fifty fathoms, and four degrees colder than the water at the surface, which was then at 45°, whilst that of the air was 4G^ This experiment in shcv/ing the water to be colder at a great depth than at the surface, and in proportion to the increase of the descent, coincides with the observations of Captain Ross and Lieutenant Parry, on their late voyage to these seas, but is contrary to the results obtained by Captain Burhan and myself, on our recent voyage to the north, between Spitzbergen and Greenland, in which sea we invariably found the water brought from any great depth to be warmer than that at the surface. On the 28th we tacked, to avoid an extensive stream of saihng ice. The temperature of the 16 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES water fell to 39,5°, when we were near it, but was at 41°, when at the distance of half a mile. The thermometer in the air remained steadily at 40°. Thus the proximity of this ice was not so decidedly indicated by the decrease of the tem- perature of either the air or water, as I have be- fore witnessed, which was probably owing to the recent arrival of the stream at this point, and its passing at too quick a rate for the effectual diffusion of its chilling influence beyond a short distance. Still the decrease in both cases was sufficient to have given timely warning for a ship's performing any evolution that would have prevented the coming in contact with it, had the thickness of the weather precluded a distant view of the danger. y The approach to ice would be more evidently pointed out in the Atlantic, or wherever the sur- face is not so continually chilled by the passing and the melting of ice as in this sea; and I should strongly recommend ii strict hourly attention to the thermometrical state of the water at the sur- face, in all parts where ships are exposed to the dangerous concussion of sailing icebergs, as a principal means of security. The following day our ship came near another stream of ice, and the approach to it was indi- cated by a decrease of the temperature of the OF THE POi.AH SEA. 17 ng uld to iur- the s a ■,f water at the surface from 44° to 42°. A small pine-tree was picked up much shattered by the ice. In the afternoon of the 30th, a very dense fog came on ; and, about six P.M., when sailing before a fresh breeze, we were suddenly involved in a heavy stream of ice. Considerable difficulty was experienced in steering through the narrow channels between the different masses in this foggy weather, and the ship received several severe blows. The water, as usual in the centre of the stream, was quite smooth, but we heard the waves beating violently against the outer edge of the ice. There was some earthy matter on several of the pieces, and the whole body bore the appearance of re- cent separation from the land. In the space of two hours we again got into the open sea, but had left our two consorts far behind; they followed our track by the guns we discharged. The temperature of the surface water was 35° when amongst the ice, 38° when just clear of it, and 41.5° at two miles distant. On the 4th of August, when in latitude 59° 58' N., longitude 59° 53' W., we first fell in with large icebergs ; and in the evening were encom- passed by several of considerable magnitude, which obliged us to tack the ship in order to prevent our getting entangled amongst them. Vol. I. C 18 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES >'■ ', 1 I ' ' The estimated distance from the nearest part of the Labrador coast was then eighty-eight miles ; here we tried for soundings, without gaining the bottom. The ship passed tlirough some strong riphngs, which evidently indicated a current, but its direction was not ascertained. We found, however, by the recent observations, that the ship had been set daily to the southward, since we had opened Davis' Straits. The variation of the compass was observed to be 52° 41' W. At nine P.M., briUiant coruscations of the Aurora Borealis appeared, of a pale ochre colour, with a slight tinge of red, in an arched form, crossing the zenith from N.W. to S.E., but after- wards they assumed various shapes, and had a rapid motion. On the 5th of August, a party of the officers endeavoured to get on one of the larger icebergs, but ineffectually, owing to the steepness and smoothness of its sides, and the swell produced by its undulating motion. This was one of the largest \Ye saw, and Mr. Hood ascertained its height to be one hundred and forty-nine feet ; but these masses of ice are frequently magnified to an immense size, through the illusive medium of a hazy atmosphere, and on this account their dimensions have often been exaggerated by voyagers. , OP THE POLAR SEA. 19 :he its but to of leir In the morning of the 7th, the Island of Reso- lution was indistinctly seen through the haze, but was soon afterwards entirely hidden by a very dense fog. The favourable breeze subsided into a perfect calm, and left the ship surrounded by loose ice. At this time the Eddystone was per- ceived to be driving with rapidity towards some of the larger masses ; the stern-boats of this ship and of the Wear were despatched to assist in towing her clear of them. At ten, a momentary clearness presented the land distinctly at the dis- tance of two miles ; the ship was quite unmanage- able, and under the sole governance of the cur- rents, which ran in strong eddies between the masses of ice. Our consorts were also seen, the Wear being within hail, and the Eddystone at a short distance from us. Two attempts were in- effectually made to gain soundings, and the ex- treme density of the fog precluded us from any other means of ascertaining the direction in which we were driving until half past twelve, when we had the alarming view of a barren rugged shore within a few yards, towering over the mast heads. Almost instantly afterwards the ship struck vio- lently on a point of rocks, projecting from the island ; and the ship's side was brought so near to the shore, that poles were piepared to push her off. This blow displaced the rudder, and C2 so JOURNEY TO THE SHORES Iraised it several inches, but it fortunately had been previously confined by tackles. A gentle swell freed the ship from this perilous situation, but the current hurried us along in contact with the rocky shore, and the prospect was most alarming. On the outward bow was perceived a rugged and precipitous cliff, whose summit was hid in the fog, and the Vessel's head was pointed towards the bottom of a small bay, into which we were rapidly driving. There now seemed to be no probability of escaping ship- wreck, being without wind, and having the rudder in its present useless state ; the only assistance Ivas that of a boat employed in towing, which had been placed in the water between the ship and the shore, at the imminent risk of its being crushed. The ship again struck in passing over a ledge of rocks, and happily the blow replaced the rudder, which enabled us to take advantage of a light breeze, and to direct the ship's head with- out the projecting cliff. But the breeze was only momentary, and the ship was a third time driven on shore on the rocky termination of the cliff. Here we remained stationary for some seconds, and with little prospect of being removed from this perilous situation ; but we were once more extri- cated by the swell from this ledge also, and carried still farther along the shore. The coast became OF THE POLAR SEA. at :, 1 '*'■ •1- iiow more rugged, and our view of it was termi- nated by another high projecting point on the starboard bow. Happily, before we had reached it, a light breeze enabled us to turn the ship's head to seaward, and we had the gratification to find, when the sails were trimmed, that she drew off the shore. We had made but little progress, however, ^N^hen .^he was violently forced by the current against a large iceberg lying aground. Our pre ipect was now more alarming than at a:^y preceding period ; and it would be difficult for me to portray the anxiety and dismay de- picted on the countenances of the female pas- sengers and children, who were rushing on deck, in '=!pite of the endeavours of the officers to keep them below, out of the danger which was appre- hended if the masts should be carried away. After the first concussion, the ship was driven along the steep and rugged side of this iceberg with such amazing rapidity, that the destruction of the masts seemed inevitable, and every one expected we should again be forced on the rocks in the most disabled state ; but we providentially escaped this: perilous result, which must have been decisive. The dense fog now cleared away fjr a short time, and we discovered the Etldystone close to 1^1 m- JOURNEY TO THE SHORES some rocks, having three boats employed in tow- ing ; but the Wear was not visible. Our ship received water very fast ; the pumps were instantly manned and kept in continual use, and signals of distress were made to the Eddy- stone, whose commander promptly came on board, and then ordered to our assistance his carpenter and all the men he could spare, toge- ther with the carpenter and boat's crew of the Wear, who had gone on board the Eddy stone in the morning, and were prevented from returning to their own vessel by the fog. As the wind was increasing, and the sky appeared very unsettled^ it was determined the Eddystone should take the ship in tow, that the undivided attention of the passengers and crew might be directed to pump- ing, and clearing the holds to examine whether there was a possibility of stopping the leak. We soon had reason to suppose the principal injury had been received from a blow near the stern-post, and, after cutting away part of the ceiling, the carpenters endeavoured to stop the rushing in of the water, by forcing oakum be- tween the timbers ; but this had not the desired effect, and the leak, in spite of all our efforts at the pumps, increased so much, that parties of the officers and passengers were stationed to bail OF THE POLAR SEA. i» iU if '-'Kl out the water in buckets at different parts of the hold. A heavy gale came on, blowing from the land, as the night advanced ; the sails were split, the ship was encompassed by heavy ice, and, in forcing through a closely connected stream, the tow-rope broke, and obliged us to take a portion of the seamen from the pumps, and appoint them to the management of the ship. Fatigue, indeed, had caused us to relax in our exertions at the pumps during a part of the night of the 8th, and on the following morning upwards of five feet water was found in the well. Renewed exertions were now put forth by every person, and before eight A.M. the water was so much reduced as to enable the carpenters to get at other defective places; but the remedies they could apply were insufficient to repress the water from rushing in, and our labours could but just keep the ship in the came state throughout the day, until six P.M.; when the strength of every one began to fail, the ex- pedient of thrusting in felt, as well as oakum, was resorted to, and a plank nailed over all. After this operation a perceptible diminution in the water was made, and being encouraged by the change, we put forth our utmost exertion in bailing and pumping ; and before night, to our infinite joy, the leak was so overpowered that I 24 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES the pumps were only required to be used at in- tervals of ten minutes. A sail, covered with every substance that could be crried into the leaks by the pressure of the water, was drawn under the quarter of the ship, and secured by ropes on each side. As a matter of precaution in the event of hav- ing to abandon the ship, which was for some time doubtful, the elderly women and children were removed to the Eddystoiie when the wind was moderate this afternoon, but the young wo- men remained to assist at the pumps, and their services were highly valuable, both for their per- sonal labour, and for the encouragement their example and perseverance gave to the men. At day-iight, on the 9th, every eye was anxi- ously cast around the horizon in search of the Wear, but in vain ; and the recollection of our own recent peril caused us to entertain consider- able apprehensions for her safety. This anxiety quickened our efforts to exchange our shattered sails for new ones, that the ship might be got, as speedily as possible, near to the land, which was but jUst in sight, and a careful search be made for her along the coast. We were rejoiced to find that our leak did not increase by carrying sail, and we ventured in the evening to remove the sail which had been placed under th^ part OF THE POLAR SEA. 25 where the injury had been received, as it greatly impeded our advance. We passed many icebergs on the 1 0th, and in the evening we tacked from a level field of ice, which extended northward as far as the eye could reach. Our leak remained in the same state; the pumps c^' '^harged in three minutes the quan- tity of water which had been received in fifteen. The ship could not be got near to the land before the afternoon of the 11th. At four P.M. we hove to, opposite to, and about five miles distant from, the spot on which we had first struck on Saturday. Every glass was directed along the shore (as they had been throughout the day,) to discover any trace of our absent consort ; but, as none was seen, our solicitude respecting her was much increased, and we feared the crew might be wrecked on this inhospitable shore. Guns were frequently fired to apprize any who might be near of our approach ; but, as no one appeared, and no signal was returned, and the loose ice was setting down towards the ship, we bore up to proceed to the next appointed rendez- vous. At eight P.M. we were abreast of the S.W. end of the island called Cape Resolution, which is a low point, but indicated at a distance by a lofty round backed hill that rises above it. We entered Hudsou s Straits soon afterwards. l! I M .lOrUNRV TO THE SHORES The coast of Rosolution Island tihould be ap- proaclicd with caution, as the tides appear to be strong and uncertain in their course. Some dangerous rocks lie above and below the water's edge, at the distance of five or six miles from East Bluff, bearing S. 32° E. August 12. — Having had a fresh gale through the night, we reached Saddleback Island by noon — the place of rendezvous ; and looked anxiously, but in vain, for the Wear. Several guns were fired, supposing she might be hid from our view by the land ; but, as she did not appear, Captain Davidson, having remained two hours, deemed further delay inexpedient, and bore up to keep the advantage of the fair wind. The outline of this island is rugged ; the hummock on its northern extremity appeared to me to resemble a decayed martello tower more than a saddle. Azimuths were obtained this evening that gave the variation 58 °45' W., which is greater than is laid down in the charts, or than the officers of the Hudson's Bay ships have been accustomed to allow. We arrived abreast of the Upper Savage Island early in the morning, and as the breeze was moderate, the ship was steered as near to the shore as the wind would permit, to give the Esquimaux inhabitants an opportunity of coming off to barter, which they soon embraced, i OF THR POLAR SKA. 27 of Their shouts at a distance intimated their ap- proach sometime before we descried the canoes paddling towards us ; the headmost of them reached us at eleven; these were quickly fol- lowed by others, and before noon about forty canoes, each holding one man, were assembled around the two ships. In the afternoon, when we approached nearer to the shore, five or six larger ones, containing the women and children, came up. The Esquimaux immediately evinced their de- sire to barter, and displayed no small cunning in making their bargains, taking care not to ex- hibit too many articles at first. Their principal commodities were, oil, sea-horse teeth, whale- bone, seal-skin dresses, caps and boots, deer- skins and horns, and models of their canoes ; and they received in exchange small saws, knives, nails, tin-kettles, and needles. It was pleasing to behold the exultation, and to hear the shouts of the whole party, when an acquisition v/as made by any one ; and not a little ludicrous to behold the eagerness with which the fortunate person licked each article with his tongue, on receiving it, as a finish to the bargain, and an act of appropriation. They in no instance omitted this strange practice, however small the article ; the needles even passed individually through the 28 joriiNiJY TO Tin-: shorrs ceremony. The women brought '"mitations of men, women, animals, and birds, carved with labour and ingenuity out of sea-horse teeth. The dresses and the figures of the animals, were not badly executed, but there was no attempt at the delineation of the countenances ; and most of the figures were without eyes, ears, and fingers, the execution of which would, perhaps, have required more delicate instruments than they possess. The men set most value on saws ; kuttc(i-swa-bah\ the name by which they dis- tinguish them, was a constant cry. Knives were held next in estimation. An old sword was bar- tered from the Eddystone, and I shall long re- member the universal burst of joy on the happy man's receiving it. It was dehghtful to witness the general interest excited by individual acqui- sitions. There was no desire shewn by any one to over-reach his neighbour, or to press towards any part of the ship were a bargain was making, until the person in possession of the place had completed his exchange and removed ; and, if any article happened to be demanded from the outer canoes, the men nearest assisted willingly in passing the thing across. Supposing the party to belong to one tribe, the total number of the tribe must exceed two hundred persons, as thcr*^ were, probably, one hundred and fifty around the OF TirK POLAR SKA. 89 sliips, and low of these were elderly persons, or male children. Their iaees were broad and Hat, the eyes small. The men were in generr . j \L Some of the younger women and the ciii. jn had rather pleasing countenances, but the difference between these and the more aged of that sex, bore strong testimony to the effects which a few years produce in this ungenial climate. Most of the party had sore eyes, all of them appeared of a plethoric habit of body ; several were observed bleeding at the nose during their stay near the ship. The men's dresses consisted of a jacket of seal-skin, the irowsers of bear-skin, and several had caps of the white fox-skin. The female dresses were made of the same materials, but differently shaped, having a hood in which the infants were carried. We thought their manner very lively and agree- able. They were fond of mimicking our speech and gestures ; but nothing afforded them greater amusement than when we attempted to retaliate by pronouncing any of their words. The canoes were of seal-skin, and similar in every respect to those used by the Esquimaux in Greenland ; they were generally new and very complete in their appointments. Those appro- priated to the women are of ruder construction, and only calculated for fine weather ; they are, ao JOURNEY TO THE SHORES Ml I however, useful vessels, being capable of contain- ing twenty persons with their luggage. An el- deny man officiates as steersman, and the women paddle, but they have also a mast which carriv^s a sail, mad(3 of dressed whale-gut. When thci women had disposed of all their ar- ticles of trade they resorted to entreaty ; and the putting in practice many enticing gestures was managed with so much address, as to procure them presents of a variety of beads, needles, and other articles in great demand among females. It is probable these Esquimaux go from this shore to some part of Labrador to pass the win- ter, as parties of them have been frequently seen by the homeward-bound Hudson's Bay ships in the act of crossing the Strait. ■ They appear to speak the same language as the tribe of Esquimaux, who reside near to the Moravian settlements in Labrador: for we per- ceived they used several of the words which had been given tons by the Missionaries at Stromness. Towards evening, the Captain, being desirous to get rid of his visitors, took an effectual method by tacking from the shore; our friends then de- parted apparently in high glee at the harvest they had reaped. They paddled away very swiftly, and would, doubtless, soon reach the shore though it was distant ten or twelve miles. OF THE POLAR SEA. n Not having encountered any of the ice, which usually arrests the progress of ships in their out- ward passage through the Straits, and being con- sequently deprived of the usual means of reple- nishing our stock of water,which had become short, the Captain resolved on going to the coast of La- brador for a supply. Dr. Richardson and I gladly embraced this opportunity to land, and examine this part of the coast. I was also desirous to observe the variation on shore, as the azimuths, which had been taken on board both ships since our entrance into the Straits, had shewn a greater amount than we had been led to expect ; but, unluckily the sun became obscured. The beach consisted of large rolled stones of gneiss and sienite, amongst which many pieces of ice had grounded, and it was with difficulty that we ef- fected a landing in a small cove under a steep cliff. These stones were worn perfectly smooth ; neither in the interstices, nor at the bottom of the water, which was very clear, were there any ves- tiges of sea-weed. The cliff was from forty to fifty feet high and quite perpendicular, and had at its base a small slip of soil formed of the debris of a bed of clay- slate. From this narrow spot Dr. Richardson collected specimens of thirty different species of plants; and we were about to scramble up a 32 JOURNFY TO THE SHORES I! shelving part of the rock, and go into tlie interior, when we perceived the signal of recall, which the master had caused to be made, in consequence of a sudden change in the appearance of the weather. On the evening of the 19th, we passed Digge's Islands, the termination of Hudson's Strait. Here the Eddy stone parted company, being bound to Moose Factory at the bottom of the Bay. ' A strong north wind came on, which prevented our getting round the north end of Mansfield ; and* as it continued to blow with equal strength for the next five days, we were most vexatiously detained in beating along the Labrador coast, and near the dangerous chain of islands, the Sleepers, which are said to extend from the latitude of 60° 10' ta bT 00' N. The press of sail, which of necessity we carried caused the leak to increase and the pumps were kept in constant use. uji- skHa uu >i A favouring wind at length enabled us, on the 25th, to shape our course across Hudson's Bay. ^nothing worthy of remark occurred during this passage, except the rapid decrease in the varia- tion of the magnetic needle. The few remarks respecting the appearance of the land, which we were able to make in our quick passage tlirough these Straits, were transmitted to the Admiralty ; but as they will not be interesting to the general reader, and may not be suf-^i OP THE POLAR SEA. 33 |age the ficiently accurate for the guidance of the Navi- gator, they are omitted in this narrative. On the 28th we discovered the land to the southward of Cape Tatnam, which is so ex- tremely low, that the tops of the trees were first discerned ; the soundings at the time were seven- teen fathoms, which gradually decreased to five as the shore was approached. Cape Tatnam is not otherwise remarkable than as being the point from which the coast inclines rather more to the westward towards York Factory. The opening of the morning of the 30th pre- sented to our view the anchorage at York Flats, and the gratifying sight of a vessel at anchor, which we recognised, after an anxious examina- tion, to be the Wear. A strong breeze blowing from the direction of the Flats, caused the water to be more shallow than usual on the sandy bar, which lies on the seaward side of the anchorage, and we could not get over it before two P.M., when the tide was nearly at its height. Immediately after our arrival, Mr. Williams, the Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company's posts, come on board, accompanied by the Com- mander of the Wear. The pleasure we felt in welcoming the latter gentleman can easily be imagined, when it is considered what reason we had to apprehend that he and his crew had Vol I. D 84, JOURNEY TO THE SHORES I i « been numbered with the dead. We learned that one of the larger masses of ice had provi- dentially drifted between the vessel's side and the rocks just at the time he expected to strike, to which he secured it until a breeze sprang up, and enabled him to pursue his voyage. The Governor ac:, tainted me that he had re- ceived information from the Committee of the Hudson's Bay Company of the equipment of the Expedition, and that the officers would come out i i their first ship. In the evening Dr. Richard- son, Mr. Hood, and I, accompani .J him to York Factory, which we reached after dark ; it is d - tant from the Flats seven miles. Early next morn- ing the honour of a salute was conferred on the members of the Expedition. Having communicated to the Governor the objects of the Expedition, and that I had been directed to consult with him and the senior servants of the Company as to the best mode of proceeding towards the execution of the ser- vice, I was gratified by his assurance that his instructions from the Committee directed that every possible assistance should be given to forward our progress, and that he should feel peculiar pleasure in performing this part of his duty. He introduced me at once to Messrs. Charles, Swaine, and Snodie, masters of dis- jte OF THE POLAR SEA. 96 tricts, who, from long residence in the country, were perfectly acquainted with the different modes of travelling, and the obstructions which might be anticipated. At the desire of these gentlemen, I drew up a series of questions respecting the points on which we required information; to which, two days afterwards they had the kind- ness to return very explicit and satisfactory an- swers ; and on receiving them I requested the Governor to favour me with his sentiments on the same subject in writing, which he delivered to me on the following day. Having learned that Messrs. Shaw, M*Tavish, and several other partners of the N.W. Com- pany, were under detention at this place, we took the earliest opportunity of visiting them; when having presented the general circular, and other introductory letters, with which I had been furnished by their agent Mr. Simon M'Gillivray, we received from them the most friendly and full assurance of the cordial endeavours of the win- tering partners of their company to promote the interests of the Expedition. The knowledge we had now gained of the state of the violent com- mercial opposition existing in the country, ren- dered this assurance highly gratifying ; and these gentlemen added to the obligation by freely communicating that information respecting D 2 3a JOURNEY TO THE SHORES the interior of the country, which their intelli- gence and long residence so fully qualified them to give. ' I deemed it expedient to issue a memorandum to the officers of the Expedition, strictly pro- hibiting any interference whatever in the exist- ing quarrels, or any that might arise, between the two Companies ; and on presenting it to tlie principals of both the parties, they expressed their satisfaction at the step I had taken. The opinions of all the gentlemen were so decidedly in favour of the route by Cumberland House, and through the chain of posts to the Great Slave Lake, that I determined on pur- suing it, and immediately communicated my intention to the Governor, with a request that he would furnish me with the means of conveyance for the party as speedily as possible. It was suggested in my instructions that we might probably procure a schooner at this place, to proceed north as far as Wager Bay; but the vessel alluded to was lying at Moose Factory, completely out of repair ; independently of which, the route directly to the northward was rendered impracticable by the impossibility of procuring hunters and guides on the coast. I found that as the Esquimaux inhabitants had left Churchill a month previous to our arrival, no OP THE POLAR SEA. 87 interpreter from that quarter coiild be procured before their return in the following spring. The Governor, however, undertook to forward to us, next season, the only one amongst them who un- derstood English, if he could be induced to go. The governor selected one of the largest of the Company's boats for our use on the journey, and directed the carpenters to commence refitting it immediately ; but he was only able to furnish us with a steersman ; and we were obliged to make up the rest of the crew with the boatmen brought from Stromness, and our two attendants. York Factory, the principal depot of the Hud- son's Bay Company, stands on the west bank of Hayes' River, about five miles above its mouth, on the marshy peninsula which separates the Hayes and Nelson Rivers. The surrounding country is flat and swampy, and covered with willows, poplars, larch, spruce, and birch-trees ; but the requisition for fuel has expended all the wood in the vicinity of the fort, and the residents have now to send for it to a considerable distance. The soil is alluvial clay, and contains imbedded rolled stones. Though the bank of the river is elevated about twenty feet, it is frequently over- flown by the spring-floods, and large portions are annually carried away by the disruption of the ice, which grounding in the stream, have formt^d 1 38 .lOURNEY TO THE SIIOUKS I i several muddy islands. These interruptions, to- gether with the various collection of stones that are hid at high water, render the navigation of the river difficult; but vessels of two hundred tons burthen may be brought through the proper channels as high as the Factory. The principal buildings are placed in the form of a square, having an octagonal court, in the cen- tre ; they are two stories in height, and have tiat roofs covered with lead. The officers dwell in one portion of this square, and in the other parts the articles of merchandise are kept : the workshops, storehouses for the furs, and the ser- vants' houses are ranged on the outside of the square, and the whole is surrounded by a stock- ade twenty feet high. A platform is laid from the house to the pier on the bank for the conve- nience of transporting the stores and furs, which is the only promenade the residents have on this marshy spot during the summer season. The few Indians who now frequent this establishment, belong to the Swampy Crees. There were several of them encamped on the outside of the stockade. Their tents were rudely constructed by tying twenty or thirty poles together at the top, and spreading them out at the base so as to form a cone; these were covered with dressed moose- skins. The fire is placed in the centre, and a OP THE POLAR SEA, m hole is left for the escape of the smoke. The inmates had a squalid look, and were suffering under the combined afflictions of hooping-cough and measles ; but even these miseries did not keep them from an excessive indulgence in spirits, which they unhappily can procure from the traders w^ith too much facility; and they nightly serenaded us with their monotonous drunken songs. Their sickness at this time, was particularly felt by the traders, this being the season of the year when the exertion of every hunter is required to procure their winter's stock of geese, which resort in immense flocks to the extensive flats in this neighbourhood. These birds, during the summer, retire far to the north, and breed in security ; but, when the approach of winter compels them to seek a more southern climate, they generally alight on the marshes of this bay, and fatten there for three weeks or a month, before they take their final departure from the country. They also make a short halt at the same spots in their progress northwards in the spring. Their arrival is welcomed with joy, and the goose hunt is one of the most plentiful sea- sons of the year.^ The ducks frequent the swamps all the summer. The weather was extremely unfavourable for celestial observations during our stay, and it was 40 JOURNBV TO THE SHORES only by wati 'iing the momentary appearances of the sun, that we were enabled to obtain fresh rates for the chronometers, and allow for their errors from Greenwich time. The dip of the noodle was observed to bo 79° 29' 07", and the difference produced by reversing the face of the instrument was 11° 3' 40". A succession of fresh breezes prevented our ascertaining th^, intensity of the magnetic force. The position of York Factory, by our observations, is in latitude 57° 00' 03" N., longitude 92° 26' W. The variation of the compass 6° 00' 21" U. t(>nfl M)'* ■ j'.nl'jJtj'j'' ' ' '■ rroo h:r\ UUi ,f/ t!;"fi »»^t 'r'h '-r i •() ' 'fir iv)d/f ,lufl n)'> (it nrpr !(» trnq hn fi fi )')nd ;j/fT '• t .^-l .*.i;.-t,-i! jnTui-n oiov/ i"^'* v)hv. l)MhTnw7<it' aV; yvjhjd < oj ^x^v/ tifrntvnrtn'Trj ynr •Tf .1-. :!''(; 't( (Ir.tr-Kif-) fini avfitl f)t ^iiillfv/fUf nyr rrv'd o/nri l-frroff;^ OF THE POLAR SEA. 41 ii (iii.tdo (>i irtniu', 1( >dt lo> //oIIj. h; •rt J jo ((il) ' ,' I '.II'! I •<)(!(. li- >il l(> fi CHAPTER II. Passage up Hayes*, Stool, and Hill Rivers — Cross Swampy Lake-— Jack llivcr— Ivnoe Lake and Magnetic Islet — Tnmt River — Holy Lake— AVcepinapannis River — Windy Lake— >Vhite-FalI Luke and River — Echeniamis and Sea Rivers — Play-Green Laket) — Lake Winipejf — River Saskatchawan — Cross, Cedar, and Plue- Island Lakes — Cumberland House. September. ^N the 9th of September, our boat being completed, arrangements were made for our departure as soon as the tide should serve. But, when the stores were brought down to the beach, it was found that the boat would not con- tain them all. The whole, therefore, of the bacon, and part of the flour, rice, tobacco, and ammuni- tion, were returned into the store. The bacon was too bulky an article to be forwarded under any circumstances ; but the Governor undertook to forward the rest next season. In making the selection of articles to carry with us, I was guided by the judgment of Governor Williams, who as- sured me that tobacco, ammunition, and spirits, could be procured in the interior, otherwise I should have been very unwilling to have left 1 4a JOURNKY TO THE SfrORFS these essential articles behind. We embarked at noon, and were honoured with a sahite of eight guns and three cheers from the Governor and all the inmates of the fort, who had assembled to witness our departure. We gratefully returned their cheers, and then made sail, much delighted at having now commenced our voyage into the interior of America. The wind and tide failing us at the distance of six miles above the Factory, and the current being too rapid for using oars to advantage, the crew had to commence tracking, or dragging the boat by a line, to which they were harnessed. This operation is extremely laborious in these rivers. Our men were obliged to walk along the steep declivity of a high bank, rendered at this season soft and slippery by fre- quent rains, and their progress was often further impeded by fallen trees, which, having slipped from the verge of the thick wood above, hung on the face of the bank in a great variety of direc- tions. Notwithstanding these obstacles, we ad- vanced at the rate of two miles an hour, one- half of the crew relieving the other at inter- vals of an hour and a half. The banks of the river, and its islands, composed of alluvial soil, are well covered with pines, larches, poplars, and willows. The breadth of the stream, some distance above the Factory, is about half a mile^ OF I'm-: l»()LAK SKA. and its deptli, (luriiii^^ this day's voyage, varied IVom three to nine teet. At sunset we hmded, and pitched the tent for the night, having made a progress of twelve miles. A large fire was quickly kindled, supi)cr speedily prepared, and as readily despatched, when we retired with our buffalo robes on, and enjoyed a night of «ound repose. It may here be stated, that the survey of tho river was made by taking the bearings of every point with a pocket compass, estimating the dis- tances, and making a connected eye-sketch of tho whole. This part of the survey was allotted to Messrs, Back and Hood conjointly : Mr. Hood also protracted the route every evening on a ruled map, after the courses and distances had been corrected by observations for latitude and longitude, taken by myself as often as the weather would allow. The extraordinary talent of this young officer in this line of service proved of the greatest advantage to the Expedition, and he con- tinued to perform that duty until his lamented death, with a degree of zeal and accuracy that characterized all his pursuits. The next morning our camp was in motion at five A.M., and we soon afterwards embarked with the flattering accompaniment of a fair wind : it proved, however, too light to enable us to stem 44 JOURNEY TO THE S^QRES the stream, and we were obliged to resume the fatiguing operation of tracking ; sometimes under cliffs so steep that the men could scarcely find a footing, and not unfrequently over spots rendered so miry by the small streams that trickled from above, as to be almost impassable. In the courf^q of the day we passed the scene of a very melan- choly accident. Some years ago, two famihes of Indians, induced by the flatness of a small beach, which lay betwixt the cliff and the river, chose it as the site of their encampment. They retired quietly to rest, not aware that the precipice, de- tached from the bank, and urged by an accumu- lation of water in the crevice behind, was tottering to its base. It fell during the night, and,tJie>yhole party was buried under its ruins. i The length of our voyage to-day was, in a direct line, sixteen miles and a quarter, on a S.S.W. course. We encamped soon after sunset, and the tent was scarcely pitched when a heavy rain began, which continued all night. ,, „■ Sixteen miles on the 1 1th, and five on the fol- lowing morning, brought us to the commencement of Hayes' River, which is formed by the con- fluence of the Shamattawa and Steel Rivers. Our observations place this spot in latitude 56° 23' 32" N., longitude 93° i' 37" W. It is f^rty-eigjU wles.i^Pid a h^lf from . Yprk Factory 6i^ ¥iiE ipoLAR i^£v. 4h iticludirig the windings of the river. Steel Ri /er, through which our course lay, is about three hundred yards wide at its mouth ; its banks have more elevation than those of Hayes' River, but they shelve more gradually down to the stream, and afford a tolerably good towing path, which compensates, in some degree, for the rapids and frequent shoals that impede its navigation. We succeeded in getting about ten miles above the mouth of the river, before the close of day com- pelled us to disembark. "'' We made an effort, on the morning of the 13th, to stem the current under sail, but as the course of the river was very serpentine, we found that greater progress could be made by tracking. Steel River presents much beautiful scenery * it winds through a narrow, but well wooded, Valley, v^hich at every turn disclosed to us an agreeable variety of prospect, rendered more picturesque by the effect of the season on the foliage, now ready to drop from the trees. The light yellow of the fading poplars formed a fine contrast to the dark evergreen of the spruce, whilst the willows of an intermediate hue, served to shade the two principal masses of colour into each other. The scene was occasionally enli- vened by the bright purple tints of the dogwood, blended with' the browner shades of the dwarf 48 JOUKNEY TO THE SHORES birch, and frequently intermixed with the gay yellow flowers of the shrubby cinquefoil. With all these charms, the scene appeared desolate from the want of the human rT^ecies. The still- L ness was so great, that even the twittering of the iiihiskeif-johnecsh, or cinereous crow, caused us to start. Our voyage to-day was sixteen miles on a S.W, course. Sept. 14. — We had much rain during the night, and also in the morning, which detained us in our encampment later than usual. We set out as soon as the weather cleared up ; and in a short time arrived at the head of Steel River, where it is formed by the junction of Fox and Hill Rivers. These two rivers are nearly of equal width, but the latter is the most rapid. Mr. M' Donald, on his way to Red River, in a small canoe, manned by two Indians, overtook us at this place. It may be mentioned as a proof of the dexterity of the Indians, and the skill with which they steal upon their game, that they had on the preceding day, with no other arms than a hatchet, killed two deer, a hawk, a curlew, and a sturgeon. Three of the Company's boats joined us in the course of the morning, and we pursued our course up Hill River in company. The water in this river was so low, and the rapids so bad, that we were obliged several times, in the course of the OF THE POLAR SEA. 47 day, to jump into the water, and assist in lifting the boat over the large stones which impeded the navigation. The length of our voyage to-day was only six miles and three quarters. The four boats commenced operations together at five o'clock the following morning ; but our boat being overladen, we soon found that we were un- able to keep pace with the others ; and, therefore, proposed to the gentlemen in charge of the Com- pany's boats, that they should relieve us of part of our cargo. This they declined doing, under the plea of not having received orders to that effect, notwithstanding that the circular, with which I was furnished by Governor Williams, strictly enjoined all the Company's servants to afford us every assist" Jce. In consequence of this refusal we dropt behind, and our steersman, who was inexperienced, being thus deprived of the advantage of observing the route followed by the guide, who was in the foremost boat, fre- quently took a wrong channel. The tow-line broke twice, and the boat was only prevented from goin^;^ broadside down the stream, and breaking to pieces against the stones, by the officers and men leaping into the water, and hold- ing her head to the current until the line could be carried again to the shore. It is but justice to say, that in these trying situations, we received 46 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES much assistance from Mr. Thomas Swaine, who with great kindness waited for us with the boat under his charge at such places as he appre- hended would be most difficult to pass. We en- camped at sunset, completely jaded with toil. Our distance made good this day was twelve miles and a quarter. The labours of the 16th commenced at half past five, and for some time the difficulty of get- ting the boats over the rapids was equal to what we experienced the day before. Having passed a small brook, however, termed Half-ivay Creeks the river became deeper, and although rapid, it was smooth enough to be named by our Orkney boatmen Still-water. We were further relieved by the Company's clerks consenting to take a few boxes of our stores into their boats. Still we made only eleven miles in the course of the day. The banks of Hill River are higher, and have a more broken outline, than those of Steel or Hayes' Rivers. The cliffs of alluvial clay rose in some places to the height of eighty or ninety feet above the stream, and were surmounted by hills about two hundred feet high, but the thick- ness of the wood prevented us from seeing far beyond the mere banks of the river. September 17. — About half past five in the morning we commenced tracking, and soon came I I f. I i * -t OP THE POLAR SEA. 49 to a ridge of rock which extended across the stream. From this place the boat was dragged up several narrow rocky channels, until we came to< the Rock Portage, where the stream, pent in by a range of small islands, forms several cas- cades. In ascending the river, the boats with their cargoes are carried over one of the islands, but in the descent they are shot down the most shelving of the cascades. Having performed the operations of carrying, launching, and restowing the c^T'go, we plied the oars for a short distance, and landed at a depot called Rock House. Here w.e were informed that the rapids in the upper parts, of Hill River were much worse and more numerous than those we had passed, particularly in tlie present season, owing to the unusual low- ness of the water. This intelligence was very mortifying, especially as the gentlemen in charge of the Company's boats declared that they were unable to carry any part of our stores beyond this place; and the traders, guides, and most ex- perienced of the boatmen, were of opinion, that unless our boat was still further lightened, the winter would put a stop to our progress before w« could reach Cumberland House, or any eligi- ble post. Sixteen pieces were therefore necessa- rily left with Mr. Bunn, the gentleman in charge Vol. I. E 50 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES of the post, to be forwarded by the Athabasca canoes next season, this being their place of ren- dezvous. After this we recommenced our voyage, and having pulled nearly a mile, arrived at Borro- wick's Fall, where the boat was dragged up with a line, after part of the cargo had been carried over a small portage. From this place to the Mud Portage, a distance of a mile and three quarters, the boats were pushed on with poles against a very rapid stream. Here we encamped, having come seven miles during the day on a S.W. course. We had several snow showers in the course of the day, and the thermometer at bed-time stood at 30*^. On the morning of the 18th, the country was clothed in the livery of winter, a heavy fall of snow having taken place during the night. We embarked at the usual hour, and in the course of the day, crossed the Point of Rocks and Brassa Portages, and dragged the boats through several minor rapids. In this tedious way we only made good about nine miles. On Sunday the 19th we hauled the boats up several short rapids, or, as the boatmen term them, expressively enough, spouts, and carried them over the Portages of Lower Burntwood and OF THE POLAR SEA. 51 IT Morgan's Rocks ; on the latter of which we en- camped, having proceeded, during the whole day only one mile and three quarters. The upper part of Hill River swells out con- siderably, and at Morgan's Rocks, where it is three quarters of a mile wide, we were gratified with a ^more extensive prospect of the country than any we had enjoyed since leaving York Factory. The banks of the river here, consisting of low flat rocks with intermediate swamps, per- mitted us to obtain views of the interior, the sur- face of which is broken into a multitude of cone- shaped hills. The highest of these hills, which gives a name to the river, has an elevation not exceeding six hundred feet. From its summit, thirty-six lakes are said to be visible. The beauty of the scenery, dressed in the tints of autumn called forth our admiration, and was the subject of Mr. Hood's accurate pencil. On the 20th we passed Upper Burntwood and Rocky Ledge Portages, besides several strong spouts; and in the evening arrived at Smooth Rock Por- tage, where we encamped, having come three miles and a half. It is not easy for any but an eye-witness to form an adequate idea of the ex- ertions of the Orkney boatmen in the navigation of this river. The necessity they are under of frequently jumping into the water to lift the boats E 2 52 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES over the rocks, compels them to remain the whole day in wet clothes, at a season when the tempe- rature is far below the freezing point. The im- mense loads too, which they carry over the por- tages, is not more a matter of surprise than the alacrity with which they perform these laborious duties. At six on the morning of the 21st, we left our encampment, and soon after arrived at the Mossy Portage, where the cargoes were carried through a deep bog for a quarter of a mile. The river swells out, above this portage, to the breadth of several miles, and as the islands are numerous there are a great variety of channels. Night overtook us before we arrived at the Second Portage, so named from its being the second in the passage down the river. Our whole dis- tance this day was one rnile and a quarter. On the 22d our route led us amongst many wooded islands, which, lying in long vistas, pro- duced scenes of much beauty. In the course of the day we crossed the Upper Portage, sur- mounted the Devil's Landing Place, and urged the boat with poles through Groundwater Creek. At the upper end of this creek, our bowman having given the boat too great a sheer, to avoid the rock, it was caught on the broadside by the current, and, in defiance of our utmost exertions, OF THE POLAR SEA. «• hurried '^own the rapid. Fortunately, however, it grounded against a rock high enough to pre- vent the current from oversetting it, and the crews of the other boats having comt to our assistance, we succeeded, after several trials, in throwing a rope to them, with which they dragged our almost sinking vessel stern foremost up the stream, and rescued us from our perilous situa- tion. We encamped in the dusk of the evening amidst a heavy thunder-storm, having advanced two miles and three ^u'^rters. About ten in the mCixdng of the 23d we ar- rived at the Dramstone, which is hailed with pleasure by the boarj' crews, as marking the ter- mination of the laborious ascent of Hill River. We complied with the custom from whence it derives its name, and soon after landing upon Sail Island prepared breakfast. In the mean time our boatmen cut down and rigged a new mast, the old one having been thrown over- board at the mouth of Steel River, where it ceased to be useful. We left Sail Island with a fair wind, and soon afterwards arrived at a depot situated on Swampy Lake, where we re- ceived a supply of mouldy j^emmican*. Mr. Calder and his attendant were the only tenants of this cheerless abode, and their only food was * Buffiilo meat, dried and pounded, aud mixed with melted fat. 54 JOURNRV TO TIIR SIIORF.S the wretched stuff with which they supplied us, the lake not yielding fish at this season. After a short delay at this post, we sailed through the remainder of Swampy Lake, and slept at the Lower Portage in Jack River; the distance sailed to-day being sixteen miles and a half. Jack River is only eight miles long ; but being full of bad rapids, it detained us considerably. At seven in the morning of the 24th, we crossed the Long Portage, where the woods, having caught fire in the summer, were still smoking. This is a common accident, owing to the neglect of the Indians and voyagers in not putting out their fires, and in a dry season the woods may be seen blazing to the extent of many miles. We afterwards crossed the Second, or Swampy Portage, and in the evening encamped on the Upper Portage, where we were overtaken by an Indian bringing an answer from Governor Wil- liams to a letter I had written to him on the 1 5th, in which he renewed his injunctions to the gentlemen of the boats accompanying us, to afford us every assistance in their power. The Aurora Borealis appeared this evening in form of a bright arch, extending across the zenith in a N.W. and S.E. direction. The extent of our voyage to-day was two miles. , About noon, on the 25th, we entered Knee OF THE POLAR SEA. U Lake, which has a very irregular form, and near its middle takes a sudden turn, from whence it derives its name. It is thickly studded with islands, and its shores are low and well-wooded. The surrounding country, as far as we could see, is flat, being destitute even of the moderate ele- vations which occur near the upper part of Hill River, The weather was remarkably fine, and the setting sun threw the richest tints over the scene that T remember ever to have witnessed. About half a mile from the bend or knee of the lake, there is a small rocky islet, composed of magnetic iron ore, which affects the magnetic needle at a considerable distance. Having re- ceived previous information respecting this cir- cumstance, we watched our compasses carefully, and perceived that they were affected at the dis- tance of three hundred yards, both on the ap- proach to and departure from the rock : on de- creasing the distance, they became gradually more and more unsteady, and on landing they were rendered quite useless ; and ii was evident that the general magnetic influence was totally overpowered by the local attraction of the ore. When Kater's compass was held near to the ground on the N. W. side of the island, the needle dipped so much that the card could not be made to traverse by any adjustment of the hand ; but K JOURNEY TO THE SHORES on moving the same compass about thirty yards to the west part of the islet, the needle became horizontal, traversed freely, and pointed to the magnetic north. The dipping needle being landed on the S.W. point of the islet, was adjusted as nearly as possible on the magnetic meridian by the sun's bearings, and found to vibrate freely, when the face of the instrument was directed to the east or west. The mean dip it gave was 80° 37' 50". When the instrument was removed from the N.W. to the S.E. point, about twenty yards distant, and placed on the meridian, the needle ceased to traverse, but remained steady at an angle of 60°. On changing the face of the instrument, so as to give a S.E. and N.W. direction to the needle, it hung vertically. The position of the slaty strata of the magnetic ore is also vertical. Their direction is extremely irre- gular, being much contorted. Knee Lake towards its upper end becomes narrower, and its rocky shores are broken into conical and rounded eminences, destitute of soil, and of course devoid of trees. We slept at the western extremity of the lake, having come during the day nineteen miles and a half on a S.W. course. We began the ascent of Trout River early in the morning of the 27th, and in the course of the OF TIIR POLAR SEA. 47 day passed three portages and several rai)i(ls. At the first of tlicsc portages the river falls be- tween two rocks about sixteen feet, and it is necessary to launch the boat over a precipitous rocky bank. This cascade is named the Trout- Fall, and the beauty of the scenery afforded a subject for Mr. Hood's pencil. The rocks which form the bed of this river are slaty, and present sharp fragments, by which the feet of the boat- men are much lacerated. The Second Portage, in particular, obtains the expressive name of Kufft Portage. The length of our voyage to-day was three miles. On the 28th we passed through the remainder of Trout River ; and, at noon, arrived at Oxford House, on Holey Lake. This was formerly a post of some consequence to the Hudson's Bay Company, but at present it exhibits unequivocal signs of decay. The Indians have of late years been gradually deserting the low or swampy country, and ascending the Saskatchawan, where animals are more abundant. A few Crees were at this time encamped in front of the fort. They were suffering under hooping-cough and measles, and looked miserably dejected. We endeavoured in vain to prevail on one of them to accompany us for the purpose of killing ducks, which were numerous, but too shy for our sportsmen. We had 58 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES M the satisfaction, however, of exchanging the mouldy pemmican, obtained at Swampy Lake^ for a better kind, and received, moreover, a small, but very acceptable, supply offish. Holey Lake, viev/ed from an eminence behind Oxford House, exhibits a pleasing prospect; and its numerous islands, varying much in shape and elevation, contribute to break that uniformity of scenery which proves so palling to a traveller in this country. Trout of a great size, frequently exceeding forty pounds' weight, abound in this lake. We left Oxford House in the afternoon, and encamped on an island about eight miles' distant, having come, during the day, nine miles and a quarter. At noon, on the 29th, after passing through the remainder of Holey Lake, we entered the Weepi- napannis, a narrow grassy river, which runs parallel to the lake for a considerable distance, and forms its south bank into a narrow peninsula. In the morning we arrived at the Swampy Portage, where two of the boats were broken against the rocks. The length of the day's voyage was nine- teen miles and a half. In consequence of the accident yesterday even- ing, we were detained a considerable time this morning, until the boats were repaired, when we set out, and, after ascending a strong rapid, arrived OF THE POLAR SEA. ^ at the portage by John Moore's Island. Here the river rushes with irresistible force through the channels formed by two rocky islands ; and we learned, that last year a poor man, in hauling a boat up one of these channels, was, by the break- ing of the line, precipitated into the stream and hurried down the cascade with such rapidity, that all efforts to save him were ineffectual. His body was afterwards found, and interred near the spot. The Weepinapannis is composed of several branches which separate and unite, again and again, intersecting the country in a great variety of directions. We pursued the principal chan- nel, and having passed the Crooked Spout, with several inferior rapids, and crossed a small piece of water, named Windy Lake, we entered a smooth deep stream, about three hundred yards wide, which has got the absurd appellation of the Rabbit Ground. The marshy banks of this river are skirted by low barren rocks, behind which there are some groups of stunted tress. As we advanced, the country becoming flatter, gradually opened to our view, and we at length arrived at a shallow, reedy lake, the direct course through which leads to the Hill Portage. This route has, however, of late years been disused, and we there- fore turned towards the nortli, and crossing a small 60 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES Wi h n I arm of the lake, arrived at Hill Gates by sunset; having come this day eleven miles. October 1. — !^Iill gates is the name imposed on a romantic defile, whose rocky walls, risi ig per- pendicularly to the height of sixty or eighty feet, hem in the stream for three quarters of a mile, in many places so n.. :rovvly, that there is a want of room to ply the oars. In passing through this chasm we were naturally led to contemplate the mighty but, probably, slow and gradual effects of the water in wearing down such vast masses of rock ; but in the midst of our speculations, the at- tention was excited anew to a grand and pic- turesque rapid, which, surrounded by the most wild and majestic scenery, terminated the defile. The brown fishing-eagle had built its nest on one of the projecting cliffs. In the course of the day we surmounted this and another dangerous portage, called, the Upper and Lower Hill Gale Portages, crossed a small sheet of water, termed the White Fall Lake, and entering the river of the same name, arrived at the White Fall about an hour after sunset, having come fourteen miles on a S.W. course. The wL le of the 2d of October was spent in carrying the cargoes over a portage of thirteen hundred yards in length, and in launching the empty boats over three several ridges of rock OF THE POLAR SEA. 61 which obstruct the channel and produce as many- cascades. I shall long remember the rude and characteristic wild'.iess of the scenery which sur- rounded these falls ; rocks piled on rocks hung in rude and shapeless masses over the agitated torrents which swept their bases, v/hilst the bright and variegated tints of the mosses and lichens, that covered the face of tlie cliffs, con- trasting with the dark green of tlie pines which crowned their summits, added both loeauty and grandeur to the scene. Our two companions, Back and Hood, made accurate sRetches of these falls. At this place we obscured a con- spicuous lop-sticJi, a kind of land-mark, which I have not hitherto noticed, notwithstanding its great use in pointing out the freciuented routes. It is a pine-tree divested of its lower branches, and having ^ily a small tuft at the top remaining. This operation is usually performed at the in- stance of some individual emulou? of fame. He treats his companions with rum, and they in return strip tho tr^e of its branches, and ever after designate it by his name. In the afternoon, whilst on my way to super- intend the operations of the men, a stratum of loose moss gave v/ay under my feet, and I had the misfortune to slip from the summit of a rock into the river betwixt two of the falls. My 6i JOURNEY TO THE CHORES. attempts to regain the banV woj^ , for a time ineffectual, owing to the rodis vviihin my reach having been worn smooth by the action of the water; but, after I had been carried a considerable distance down the stream, I caught hold of a willow, by which I held until two gentlemen of the Hudson's Bay Company came in a boat to my assistance. The only bad cosequence of this accident was an injury sustained by a very •valuable chronometer, (No. 1733,) belonging to Daniel Moore, Esq., of Lincoln's Inn. One of the gentlemen to whom I delivered it imme- diately on landing, in his agitation let it fall, whereby the minute-hand wa^< broken, but the works were not in the smallest degree injured, and the loss of the hand was afterwards sup- plied. During the night the frost was severe ; and at sunrise, on the 3d, the thermometer stood at 25°. After 1' • vi xg our encampment at the White Fall, we passv^a through several small lakes connected with each other by narrow deep, grassy streams, and at noon prrived at the Painted Stone. Num- bers of musk rats frequent these streams ; and we observed, in the course of the morning, many o their mud-houses rising in a conical form to the height of two or three feet above the grass of the swamps in which they were built. OF THE POLAR SEA. tfS The Painted Stone is a, low rock, tei: or twelve yards across, remarkable for the marshy streams which arise on each side of it, taking differ .ml courses. On the one side, the water-course vv liich we had navigated from York Factory commence?, This spot may therefore be considered as one of the smaller sources of Hayes' River. On the other side of the stone the Echemamis rises, and taking a westerly direction falls into Nelson River. It is said that there was formerly a stone placed near the centre of this portage on which figures were annually traced, and offerings deposited, by the Indians; but the stone has been removed many years, and the spot has ceased to be held in veneration. Here we were overtaken by Governor Williams, who left York Factory on the 20th of last month in an Indian canoe. He expressed much regret at our having been obliged to leave part of our stores at the Rock depot, and would have brought them ui with him had he been able to procure and man a \^ at, or a canoe of sufficient size. Having launched ^he boats over the rock, we commenced the descent of the Echemamis. This small stream has its course through a morass, and in dry seasons its channel contains, instead of water, merely a foot or two of thin mud. On these occasions it is customary to build dams }', *..■ *-iik ' ■te-/ 64 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES I. that it may be rendered navigable by the accu- mulation of its waters. As the beavers perform this operation very effectually, endeavours have been made to encourage them to breed in tliis place, but it has not hitherto been possible to re- strain the Indians from killing that useful animal whenever they discover its retreats. On the pre- sent occasion there was no want of water, the principal impediment we experienced being from the narrowness of the channel, which permitted the willows of each bank to meet over our heads, and obstruct the men at the oars. After proceed- ing down the stream for some time, we came to a recently-constructed beaver-dam through which an opening was made sufficient to admit the boat to pass. We were assured that the breach would be closed by the industrious creature in a single night. We encamped about eight miles from the source of the river, having come during the day seventeen miles and a half. On the 4th we embarked amidst a heavy rain, and pursued our route down the Echemamis. In many parts the morass, by which the river is nourished, and through which it flows, is inter- sected by ridges of rock which cross the channel, and require the boat to be lifted over them. In the afternoon we passed through a shallow piece of water overgrown with bulrushes, and hence OP THE POLAR SRA. Oi nj:med Hairy Lake; and, in the ovening, on camped on the banks of Blackwater Creek, by which this lake empties itself into Sea River ; having come during the day twenty miles and three quarters. On the morning of the 5th, we entered Sea River, one of the many branches of Nelson River. It is about four hundred yards wide, and its w aters are of a muddy white colour. After as- cending the stream for an hour or two, and pass- ing through Carpenter's Lake, which is merely an expansion of the river to about a mile in breadtlj, we came to the Sea River Portage, where the boat was launched across a smooth rock, to avoid a fall of four or five feet. Re- embarking at the upper end of the portage, we ran before a fresh gale through the remainder of Sea 'River, the lower part of Play Green Lake, and entering Little Jack River, landed and pitched our tents. Here there is a small log-hut, the residence of a fisherman, who supplies Norway House with trout and sturgeon. He gave us a few of these fish, which afforded an acceptable supper. Our voyage this day was thirty-four miles. October 6. — Little Jack River is the name giv^en to a channel that winds among several large islands which separate Upper and Lower Vol. I. F 66 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES !: Play Green Lakes. At the lower end of this channel, Big Jack River, a stream of consider- able magnitude, falls into the lake. Play Green is a translation of the appellation given to that lake by two bands of Indians, who met and held a festival on an island situated near its centre. After leaving our encampment we sailed through Upper Play Green Lake, and arrived at Norway Point in the forenoon. The waters of Lake Winipeg, and of the rivers that run into it, the Saskatchawan in par- ticular, are rendered turbid by the suspension of a large quantity of white clay. Play Green Lake and Nelson River, being the discharges of the Winipeg, are equally opaque, a circum- stance that renders the sunken rocks, so fre- quent in these waters, very dangerous to boats in a fresh breeze. Owing to this, one of the boats that accompanied us, sailing at the rate of seven miles an hour, struck upon one of these rocks. Its mast was carried away by the shock, but fortunately no other damage sustained. The Indians ascribe the muddiness of these lakes to an adventure of one of their deities, a mischievous fellow, a sort of Robin Puck, whom they hold in very little esteem. This deity, who is named Weesakootchaht, possesses considerable power, but makes a capricious use of it, and delights OF THE POLAR SEA. 07 in tormenting the poor Indians. He is not, how- ever, invincible, and was soiled in one of his attempts by the artifice of an old woman, who succeeded in taking him captive. She called in all the women of the tribe to aid in his punish- ment, and he escaped from their hands in a con- dition so filthy that it required all the waters of the Great Lake to wash him clean ; and ever since that period it has been entitled to the ap- pellation of Winiped', or Muddy water. Norway Point forms the extremity of a narrow peninsula which separates Play Green and Wini- peg Lakes. Buildings were first erected here by a party of Norwegians, who were driven away from the colony at Red River by the com- motions which took place some time ago. It is now a trading post belonging to the Hudson's Bay Company. On landing at Norway House we met with Lord Selkirk's colonists, who had started from York Factory the day before us. — These poor people were exceedingly pleased at meeting with us again in this wild country ; having accompanied them across the Atlantic, they viewed us in the light of old acquaintances. This post w IS under the charge of Mr. James Sutherland, to whom I am indebted for replacing a minute-hand on the chrcaometer, which v.-r^.s F 2 OS JOURNEY TO TIIR SIIOHK: « II broken at the White Fall, and I had afterwards the satisfaction of finding that it went with ex- traordinary regularity. The morning of the 7th October was beautifully clear, and the observations wc obtahied place Norway House in latitude 53° 41' 33" N,, and longitude 98° 1' 24" W. ; the variaUoii of the magnetic needle 14°^ 12' 41" E., and its dip 83° 40' 1 0'. Though our route from York Factory has rather inclined to the S. W., the dip, it will be perceived, has gradually increased. The difference produced by reversing the face of the instrument was 7° 39'. There was too much wind to admit of our observing, with any degree of accuracy, the quantity of the magnetic force. We left Norway House soon after noon, and the wind being favourable, sailed along the northern shore of Lake ^V'inipeg the whole of the ensuing night ; and on the morning of the 8th landed on a narrow ridge of sand, which, running out twenty mile; to the westward, se- parates Limestone Bay from the body of the Lake. When the wind blows hard from the southward, it is customary to carry boats across this isthmus, and to pull up under its lee. From Norwegian Point to Limestone Bay the shore consists of high clay cliffs, against which the OF THE I'OLAIl SEA. GO waves beat with violence during strong; south- eily winds. When the wind blows I'rom the land, and the waters of the lake are low, a narrow sandy beach is uncovered, and affords a landing-place for boats. The shores of Lime- stone Bay are covered with small fragments of calcareous stones. During the night the Aurora Borealis was quick in its motions, and various and vivid in its colours. After breakfasting wc re-cmbarked, and continued our vovage until three P.M., when a strong westerly wind arising, we were obliged to shelter ourselves on a small island, which lies near the extremity of the above- mentioned peninsula. This island is formed of a collection of small rolled pieces of limestone, and was remembered by som^^ of our boatmen to have been formerly covered with water. For the last ten or twelve years the waters of the lake have been low, but our information did not enable us to judge whether the decrease was merely casual, or going on continually, or peri- odical. The distance of this island from Nor- way House is thirty-eight miles and a half The westerly winds detained us all the morn- ing of the 9th, but, at two P.M., the wind chopped round to the eastward ; we immediately em- barked, and the breeze afterwards freshening, IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) ^^ ^/ dp. y. lA V- M 1.0 I.I 1^ 1^ 1 2.5 |50 •^" ■■■ lAo mil 2.0 18 11:25 i 1.4 — 6" 1^ V] J% h ^>. Photographic Sciences Corporation .^ iV <>^ :\ \ [\ ^ 23 V/EST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. M580 (716) a72-4S03 ^ 4^ ■^ <^ '<*> 70 JOTJRNKY TO THE SHORES 1 we reached the mouth of the Saskatchawan at midnight, having run thirty-two miles. Sunday, October 10. — The whole of this day was occupied in getting the boats from the mouth of the river to the foot of the grand rapid, a dis- tance of two miles. There are several rapids in this short distance, during which the river varies its breadth from five hundred yards to half a mile. Its channel is stony. At the grand rapid, the Saskatchawan forms a sudden bend, from south to east, and works its way through a narrow channel, deeply worn into the limestone strata. The stream, rushing with impetuous force over a rocky and uneven bottom, presents a sheet of foam, and seems to bear with im- patience the straitened confinement of its lofty banks. A flock of pelicans, and two or three brown fishing eagles, were fishing in its agitated waters, seemingly with great success. There is a good sturgeon fishery at the foot of the rapid. Several golden plovers, Canadian gros- beaks, cross-bills, wood-peckers, and pin-tailed grouse, were shot to-day ; and Mr. Back killed a small striped marmot. This beautiful little animal was busily employed in carrying in its distended pouches the seeds of the American vetch to its winter hoards. OP THE POLAR SEA. 71 The portage is eighteen hundred yards long, and its western extremity was found to be in 53° 08' 25" North latitude, and 99° 28' 02" West longitude. The route from Canada to the Atha- basca joins that from York Factory at the mouth of the Saskatchawan, and we saw traces of a recent encampment of the Canadian voy- agers. Our companions in the Hudson's Bay boats, dreading an attack from their rivals in trade, were on the alert at this place. They examined minutely the spot of encampment, to form a judgment of the number of canoes that had preceded them ; and they advanced, armed, and with great caution, through the woods. Their fears, however, on this occasion, were for- tunately groundless. By noon, on the 12th, the boats and their cargoes having been conveyed across the port- age, we embarked, and pursued our course. The Saskatchawan. becomes wider above the Grand Rapid, and the scenery improves. The banks are high, composed of white clay and limestone, and their summits are richly clothed with a variety of firs, poplars, birches, and wil- lows. The current runs with great rapidity, and the channel is in many places intricate and dangerous, from broken ridges of rock jutting into the stream. We pitched our tents at the 72 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES entrance of Cross Lake, having advanced only five miles and a half. Cross Lake is extensive, running towards the N.E. it is said, for forty miles. We crossed it at a narrow part, and pulling through several winding channels, formed by a group of islands, entered Cedar Lake, which, next to Lake Wini- peg, is the largest sheet of fresh water we had hitherto seen. Ducks and geese resort hither in immense flocks in the spring and autumn. These birds were now beginning to go off, owing to its muddy shores having become quite hard through the nightly frosts. At this place the Aurora Bo- realis was extremely brilliant in the night, its coruscations darting, at times, over the whole sky, and assuming various prismatic tints, of which the violet and yellow were predominant. After pulling, on the 1 4th, seven miles and a quarter on the lake, a violent wind drove us for shelter to a small island, or rather a ridge of rolled stones, thrown up by the frequent storms which agitate this lake. The weather did not moderate the whole day, and we were obliged to pass the night on this exposed spot. The delay, however, enabled us to obtain some lunar obser- vations. The wind having subsided, we left our resting-place the following morning, crossed the remainder of Uic lake, and in the afternoon, OF THE POLAR SEA. 78 : arrived at Muddy Lake, which is very appropri- ately named, as it consists merely of a few chan- nels, winding amongst extensive mud banks, which are overflowed during the spring floods. We landed at an Indian tent, which contained two numerous families, amounting to thirty souls. These poor creatures were badly clothed, and reduced to a miserable condition by the hoop- ing-cough and measles. At the time of our arrival they were busy in preparing a sweat- ing-house for the sick. This is a remedy which they consider, with the addition of singing and drumming, to be the grand specific for all diseases. Our companions having obtained some geese, in exchange for rum and tobacco, we proceeded a few more miles, and encamped on Devil's Drum Island, having come, during the day, twenty miles and a half A second party of Indians were encamped on an adjoining island, a situa- tion chosen for the purpose of killing geese and ducks. On the 16th wc proceeded eighteen miles up the Saskatchawan. Its banks are low, covered with willows, and lined with drift timber. The surrounding country is swampy and intersected by the numerous arms of the river. After pass- ing for twenty or thirty yards through the willow thicket on the banks of the stream, wc entered n .lOlTRNEY TO THE SHORES an extensive marsh, varied only by a distant lino of willows, which marks the course of a creek or branch of (he river. The branch we na- vipited to-day, is nlmost live hundred yards wide. The exhalations from the marshy soil produced a low fo^, although the sky above was perfectly clear. In the course of the day we passed an Indian encampment of three tents, whose inmates ap])eared to be in a still more miser- able condition than those we saw yesterday. They had just linished the ceremony of conjura- tion over some of their sick companions ; and a do^, which had been recently killed as a sacrifice to some deity, was hanging to a tree where it would be left (I was told) when they moved their encampment. We continued our voyage up the river to the 20th with little variation of scenery or incident, travelling in that time about thirty miles. The near approach of winter was marked by severe frosts, which continued all day unless when the sun chanced to be unusually bright, and the geese and ducks were observed to take a south- erly course in large tlocks. On the morning of the 20th we came to a party of Indians, encamped behind the bank of the river on the borders of a small marshy lake, -for the purpose of killing water- fowl. Here we were gratified with the OP TIIK POLAIl SEA. 71 view of a very lar»j;c tcMit. Its length was about forty i'eet, its breadtli eight(X)n, and its eoverin^ was moose deer leatlier, with a})ertures for the escape oi" the snu^ke (Voni tlu; iires wliieh are j)laccd at each ciul; a ledge of wocjd was phiced on the ground on botli sidc^s the whoh; length of the tent, within which were the sleeping-places, arranged probably according to families ; and the drums and other instruments of enchantment were j)iled up in the centre. Amongst the Indians there were a great many lialf-breeds, who led an Indian life. Governor Williams gave a dram and a piece of tobacco to each of the males of the party. On the morning of the 21st a heavy fall of snow took j)lace, which lasted until two in the afternoon. In the evening we left the Saskat- chawan, and entered the Little River, one of the two streams by which Pine Island Lake dis- charges its waters. We advanced to-day four- teen miles and a quarter. On the 22d the wea- ther was extremely cold and stormy, and we had to contend against a strong head wind. The spray froze as it fell, and the oars were so loaded with ice as to be almost unmanageable. The length of our voyage this day was eleven miles. The following morning was very cold ; we em- barked at day-light, and pulled across a part of 7fi .lOUUNFY TO TflK SHOUES '> Pine Island Lake, about throe miles and a linlfto Cumberland House. The margin of tlie lake was so incrustcd with ice, that we had to break through a considerable space of it to approach the landing-place. V/hcn we considered that this was the effect of only a few days' frost at the commencement of winter, we were convinced of the impractibility of advancing further by water this season, and therefore resolved on ac- cepting Governor Williams's kind invitation to remain with him at this post. We immediately visited Mr. Connolly, the resident partner of the North- West Company, and presented to him Mr. Mac Gillivray's circular letter. He assured us that he should be most desirous to forward our pro- gress by every means in his power, and we sub- sequently had ample proofs of his sincerity and kindness. The unexpected addition of our party to the winter residents at this post, rendered an increase of apartments necessary ; and our men were immediately appointed to complete and ar- range an unfinished building as speedily as pos- sible. November 8. — Some mild weather succeeded to the severe frosts we had at our arrival ; and the lake had not been entirely frozen before the (Uh ; but this morning the ice was sufficiently firm to admit of sledges crossing it. The dogs were OF THE POf.All SKA. 77 harnessed at a very cniiy hour, and tlie wiiittM* ()[K;ratif)i)r. commciKM'd ])y setidinf;" for a supply ol" lisli from JSwanipy River, where men luid been stationed to coUeet it, just belbre the frost set in. Both men and dogs appeared to enjoy the ehange ; they started in full glee, and drove rapidly along. An Indian, who had eome to the house on the preceding evening to request some pro\ision ibr his fiimily, whom he represented to be in u state of starvation, accompanied lliem. His party had been sutlering greatly under the epidemic diseases of hooping-cough and measles; and the hun- ters were still in too debilitated a state to go out and provide them with meat. A supply was given to him, and the men were directed to bring his father, an old and faithful hunter, to the house, that he might have the comforts of nourish- ment and warmth. He was brought accordingly, but these attentions were unavaiUng as he died a few days afterwards. Two days before his death I was surprised to observe him sitting for nearly three hours, in a piercingly sharp day, in the ^aw-pit, employed in gathering the dust, and throwing it by handfuls over his body, which was naked to the waist. As the man was in posses- sion of his mental faculties, I conceived he was performing some devotional act preparatory to his departure, which he felt to be approaching , and fft JOURNEY TO THE SHORES induced by the novelty of the incident, I went twice to observe him more closely ; but when he perceived that he was noticed, he immediately ceased his operation, hung down his head, and by his demeanour, intimated that he considered my appearance an intrusion. The residents at the fort could give me no information on the sub- ject, and I could not learn that the Indians in general observe any particular ceremony on the approach of death. November 15. — The sky had been overcast during the last week ; the sun shone forth once only, and then not sufficiently for the purpose of obtaining observations. Faint coruscations of the Aurora Borealis appeared one evening, but their presence did not in the least affect the electrometer or the compass. The ice daily be- came thicker in the lake, and the frost had now nearly overpowered the rapid current of the Sas- katchawan River ; indeed, parties of men who were sent from both the forts to search for the In- dians, and procure whatever skins and provisions they might have collected, crossed that stream this day on the ice. The white partridges made their first appearance near the house, which birds are considered as the infallible harbingers of severe weather. Mondai/y November 22. — The Saskatchawan, OP THE POLAR SEA. T» and every other river, were now completely covered with ice, except a small stream not far from the fort through which the current ran very powerfully. In the course of the week we re- moved into the house our men had prepared since our arrival. We found it at first extremely cold notwithstanding that a good fire was kept in each apartment, and we frequently experienced the extremes of heat and cold on opposite sides of the body. November 24. — We obtained observations for the dip of the needle and intensity of the mag- netic force in a spare room. The dip was 83° 9' 45", and the difference produced by reversing the face of the instrument 13° 3' 6". When the needle was faced to the west it hung nearly per- pendicular. The Aurora Borealis had been faint- ly visible for a short time the preceding evening. Some Indians arrived in search of provision, having been totally incapacitated from hunting by sickness; the poor creatures looked miser- ably ill, and they represented their distress to have been extreme. Few recitals are more affecting than those of their sufferings during unfavourable seasons, and in bad situations for hunting and fishing. Many assurances have been given me that men and women are yet living who have been reduced to feed upon the 10 .lOURNKY TO THK SIIOKKS bodies of tlicir own family, to prevent nctual blarvation ; ami a ^Iiockiiiii,- case was cited to us (jf a woman who had been principal agent in the destruction of several persons, and amongst tlic number her husband and nearest n'.atives, in order to support life. November 28. — The atmosphere had been clear every day during thj last week, about the end ol' which snow fell, when the diermometer rose from 20° below to 1G° above zero. The Aurora Bo- rcalis was twice visible, but faint on both occa- sions. Its appearance did not affect the electro- meter, nor could we perceive the compass to be disturbed. The men brought supplies of moose meat from the hunter's tent, which is pitched near the Bas- quiau Hill, forty or fifty miles from the house, and whence the greatest part of the meat is procured. The residents have to send nearly the same distance for their fish, and on this service horse-sledges are used. Nets are daily set in Pine Island Lake which occasionally pro- cure some fine sturgeon, tittameg, and trout, but not more than sufficient to supply the officers' table. December 1. — This day was so remarkably fine, that we procured another set of observations for the dip of the needle in the open air ; the OF run I»OLMl SKA. «il iristninicnt b( iiifjf phia^d firmly on a rock, llio rosults gave S'^' IV '2'i\ Tho clian|i;c produced by reversing the luce of the instrument, was 1-2^ 50' 5 j". There had been a determined tliavv during the last three days. The ice on tiie Saskatduiwan River and pome parts of the hike, broke up, and the travelUng across either became dangerous. On this account the absence of Wilks, one of our men, caused no small anxiety. He had incau- tiously undertaken tho conduct of a sledge and dogs, in company with a person, going to Swampy River for fish. On their return, being unaccus- tomed to driving, he became fatigued, and seated himself on his sledge, where his companion left him, presuming that he would soon rise and hasten to follow his track. He however returned safe in the morning, and reported that, foreseeing night would set in before he could get across the lake, he prudently retired into tho woods bcibre dark, where he remained until day-light; when tho men, who had been despatched to look for him, met him returning to the house, shivering with cold, he having been unprovided with the mate- rials for lighting a fire; which an experienced voyager never neglects to carry. We had mild weather until the 20th of December. On the 13th there had been a decided Vol. I. o 82 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES thaw, that caused the Saskatchawan, which had again frozen, to re-open, and the passage across it was interrupted for two days. We nov/ received more agreeable accounts from the Indians, who were recovering strength, and begin- ning to hunt a little ; but it was generally feared that their spirits had been so much deprchised by the loss of their children and relatives, that the season would be far advanced before they could be roused to any exertion in searching for animals beyond what might be necessary for their own support. It is much to be regretted that these poor men, during their long intercourse with Europeans, have not been taught how pernicious is the grief which produces total in- activity, and that they have not been furnished with any of the consolations which the Christian religion never fails to afford. This, however, could hardly have been expected from persons who have permitted their own ou^pring, the half- casts, to remain in lamentable ignorance on a subject of such vital importance. It is probable, however, that an improvement will soon take place among the latter class, as Governor Wil- liams proposes to make the children attend a Sunday school, and has already begun to have divine service performed at his post. The conversations which I had with the gentle- OF THE POLAR SEA. m men in charge of these posts, convinced me of the necessity )f proceeding during the winter into the Athabasca department, the residents of which are best acquainted with the nature and resources of the country to the north of the Great Slave Lake ; and whence only guides, hunters, and interpreters can be procured. I had pre- viously written to the partners of the North- West Company in that quarter, requesting their assist- ance in forwarding the Expedition, and stating what we should require. But, on reflecting upon the accidents that might delay these let- ters on the road, I determined on proceeding to the Athabasca as soon as I possibly could, and communicated my intention to Governor Williams and Mr. Connolly, with a request that I might be furnished, by the middle of January, with the means of conveyance for three persons, intending that Mr. Back and Hepburn should accompany me, whilst Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood remained till the spring at Cumberland House. After the 20th of December th weeather became cold, the thermometer constantly below zero. Christmas-day was particularly stormy; but the gale did not prevent the full enjoyment of the festivities which are annually given at Cumber- G8 94 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES land House on this day. All the men who had been despatched to different parts in search of provision or furs returned to the fort on the occa- sion, and were regaled with a substantial dinner and a dance in the evening. 1820. The new year was ushered in by repeatod Jan. I'discharges of musketry ; a ceremony which has been observed by the men of both the trading Companies for many years. Our party dined with Mr. Connolly, and were treated with a beaver, which we found extremely delicate. In the evening his voyagers w^ere entertained with a dance, in which the Canadians exhibited some grace and much agility; and they contrived to infuse some portion of their activity and spirits into the steps of their female companions. The half-breed women are passionately fond of this amusement, but a stranger would imagine the contrary on witnessing their apparent want of animation. On such occasions they affect a so- briety of demeanour which I understand to be very opposite to their general character. January 10. — This day I wrote to Governor Williams and Mr. Connolly, requesting them to prepare two canoes, with crews and appoint- ments, for the conveyance of Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood, with our stores to Chipewyan as OF THR POLAR SKA. 85 soon as the navigation should open and had the satisfaction of receiving from both these gentlemen renewed assurances of their desire to promote the objects of the Expedition. I conceived it to be necessary, previous to my departure, to make some arrangement respecting the men w^ho were engaged at Stromness. Only one of them was disposed to extend his engagement, and proceed beyond the Athabasca Lake; and, as there was much uncertainty whether the remain- ing three could get from the Athabasca to York Factory sufficiently early to secure them a passage in the next Hudson's Bay ship, I re- solved not to take them forward, unless Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood should fail in pro- curing other men from these establishments next spring, but to despatch them down to York to bring up our stores to this place : after which they might return to the coast in time to secure their passage in the first ship. I delivered to Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood a memorandum, containing the arrangements which had been made with the two Companies, re- specting their being forwarded in the spring, and some other points of instruf^tion for their gui- dance in my absence ; together with directions to forward the map of our route which had been finished, since our arrival, by Mr. Hood, 86 JOURNEY TO TIIR SHORES the drawings and the collections of natural his- tory, by the first opportunity to York Factory, for conveyance to England*. The houses of the two Companies, at this post are situated close to each other, at the upper extremity of a narrow island, which separates Pine Island Lake from the Saskatchawan River, and are about two miles and three quarters from the latter in a northern direction. They are log-houses, built without much regard to com- fort, surrounded by lofty stockades, and flanked with wooden bastions. The difficulty of convey- ing glass into the interior has precluded its use in the windows, where its place is poorly supplied by parchment, imperfectly made by the na- tive women from the skin of the rein-deer. Should this post, however, continue to be the re- sidence of Governor Williams, it will be much improved in a few years, as he is devoting his attention to that point. The land around Cum- berland House is low, but the soil, from having a considerable intermixture of limestone, is good, and capable of producing abundance of corn, and vegetables of every description. Many kinds of "* As Samuel Wilks, who had acconipauied the Expedition from Enghind, provctl to be quite unequal to the fatigue of the journey, I directed him to be discharged in the spring, and sent to Englan4 ])^ the »ext 8hi|), OF THE POLAR SEA. S7 pot-herbs have already been brought to some perfection, and the potatoes bid fair to equal those of England. The spontaneous productions of nature would afford ample nourishment for all the European animals. Horses feed extremely well even during the winter, and so would oxen if provided with hay, which might be easily done*. Pigs also improve, but require to be kept warm in the winter. Hence it appears, that the residents might easily render themselves far less dependant on the Indians fot sup- port, and be relieved from the great anxiety which they too often suffer when the hunters are unsuccessful. The neighbourhood of the houses has been much cleared of wood, from the great demand for fuel ; there is, therefore, little to ad- mire in the surrounding scenery, especially in its winter garb; few animated objects occur to enhven the scene; an occasional fox, marten, rabbit, or wolf, and a few birds, contribute the only variety. The birds which remained were ravens, magpies, partridges, cross bills, and ♦ " The wild buffalo scrapes away the snow with its feet to {!;et at the herbage beneatli, and the horse, Mhich was introduced by the Spanish invaders of Mexico, and may be said to liave become naturalized, does the same ; but it is worthy of remark, ..it the ox more lately bro»u;ht from Europe, has not yet acquired an art so necessary for procuring^ its food," — ^Extract from Dr. Richardjions Journal.) 88 JOURNEY TO Till-: SHOKKS woodpeckers. In this universal stillness, the residents at a post feel little disposed to wander abroad, except when called forth by their occu- pations ; and as ours were of a kind best per- formed in a warm room, we imperceptibly ac- quired a sedentary habit. In going out, how- ever, we never suffered the slightest inconveni- ence from the change of temperature, though the thermometer, in the open air, stood occasionally thirty degrees below zero. The tribe of Indians, who reside in the vicinity, and frequent these establishments, is that of the Crees, or Knistcneaux. They were formerly a powerful and numerous nation, which ranged over a very extensive country, and were very successful in their predatory excursions against their neighbours, pa^icularly the northern In- dians, and some tribes on the Saskatchawan and Beaver Rivers ; but they have long ceased to be held in any fear, and are now perhaps, the most harmless and inoffensive of the whole Indian race. This change is entirely to be attributed to their intercourse with Europeans ; and the vast reduction in their numbers occasioned, I fear, principally, by the injudicious introduction of ar- dent spirits. They are so passionately fond of this poison, that they will make any ^^^acrifice to obtain it. They arc good hunters, and in ge- OF 'J'lIK I'OLAIl SEA. neral active. Having laid the bow and arrow altogether aside, and the use of snares, except for rabbits and partridges, they depend en- tirely on the Europeans for the means of gain- ing subsistence, as they require guns, and a constant supply of powder and shot; so that these Indians are probably more completely under tlie power of the trader than any of the other tribes. As I only saw a few straggling parties of them during short intervals, and under unfavourable circumstances of sickness and fa- mine, I am unable to give, from personal obser- vation, any detail of their manners and customs; and must refer the reader, to Dr. Richardson's account of them, in the following chapter. That gentleman, during his longer residence at the post, had many opportunities of seeing them, and acquiring their language. Januari/ 17. — This morning the sporting part of our society had rather a novel diversion: in- telligence having been brought that a wolf had borne away a steel trap, in which he had been caught, a party went in search of the marauder, and took two English bull dogs and a terrier, which had been brought into the country this season. On the first sight of the animal the dogs became alarmed, and stood barking at a distance, and probably would not have ventured to ad- JOURNEY TO THE SHORES vance, had they not seen the wolf fall by a shot from one of the gentlemen ; they then, however, went up, and behaved courageously, and were enraged by the bites they received. The wolf soon died of its wounds, and the body was brought to the house, where a drawing of it was taken by Mr. Hood, and the skin preserved by Dr. Richardson. Its general features bore a strong resemblance to many of the dogs about the fort, but it was larger and had a more fero- cious aspect. Mr. Back and I were too much occupied in preparing for our departure on the following day to join this excursion. The position of Cumberland House, by our observations, is, latitude 53° 56' 40'' N. ; longi- tude 102° 16' 41" W., by the chronometers; variations 17° 17' 29" E.; dip of the needle, 83° 12' 50". The whole of the travelling dis- tance between York Factory and Cumberland House is about six hundred and ninety miles. OF THE POLAR SEA. tl CHAPTER III. Da Ricluutlbous Resilience at Cunihcrlaml Mouse — His Account of the Ciee Indians. January' 19. From the departure of Messrs. Frank- lin and Back, on the 19th of January, for Chi- pewyan, until the opening of the navigation in the spring, the occurrences connected with the Expedition were so much in the ordinary routine of a winter's residence at Fort Cumberland, that they may be, perhaps, appropriately blended with the following general but brief account of that district and its inhabitants. Cumberland House was originally built by Hearne, a year or two after his return from the Copper-mine River, and has ever since been con- sidered by the Hudson's Bay Company as a post of considerable importa nee . Previous to that time, the natives carried their furs down to the sho . 3 of Hudson's Bay, or disposed of them near r Ii- ne to the French Canadian traders, vvho visitea this part of the country as early as the year 1697. The Cumberland House district, extending JOI MNKV TO TIIK SIIOIIKS about oJic hundred and filly miles from cast to west along the b.. i of the Saskatchawan, and about as far from i.jrth to south, comprehends, on a rough calculation, upwards, of twenty thou- sand square miles, and is frecjuentcd at present by about one hundred and twenty Indian hunters. Of these a few have several wives, but the ma- jority only one; and, as some are unmarried, we shall not err greatly in considering the num- ber of married women as only slightly exceed- ing that of the hunters. The women marry very young, have a custom of suckling their children for several years, and are besides exposed con- stantly to fatigue and often to famine; hence they are not prolific, bearing upon an average not more than four children, of whom two may attain the age of puberty. Upon these data, the amount of each family may be stated at five, and the whole Indian population in the district at five hundred. This is but a small population for such sl^ extent of country, yet their mode of life occa- sionally subjects them to great privations. The winter of our residence at Cumberland House proved extremely severe to the Indians. The. hooping-cough made its appearaiice arnongst them, in the autumn, arid was followed by the measles, which in the course of ^he wintQr spread OP THE POLAR SEA. OS through the tribe-. Many died, and most of the survivors were so enfeebled as to be unable to pursue the necessary avocations of hunting and fishing. Even those who experienced only a slight attack, or escaped the sickness altogether, dispirited by the scenes of misery which envi- roned them, were rendered incapable of afford- ing relief to their distressed relations, and spent their time in conjuring and drumming to avert the pestilence. Those who were able came to the fort and received relief, but many who had retired with their families to distant corners, to pursue their winter hunts, experienced all the horrors of famine. One evening, early in the month of January, a poor Indian entered the North- West Company's House, carrying his only child in his arms, and followed by his starving wife. They had been hunting apart from the other bands, had been unsuccessful, and whilst in want were seized with the epidemical disease. An Indian is accustomed to starve, and it is not easy to elicit from him an account of his suffer- ings. This poor man's story was very brief; as soon as the fever abated, he set out with his wife for Cumberland House, having been previously reduced' to feed on the bits of skin and offal, which remained ^bout their encampment. Even this miserable fare was exhausted, and they 9i JOURNRV TO THE SHORRS walked several days without eating, yet exerting themselves far beyond their strength that they might save the life of the infant. It died almost within sight of the house. Mr. Connolly, who was then in charge of the post, received them with the utmost humanity, and instantly placed food before them ; but no language can describe the manner in which the miserable father dashed the morsel from his lips and deplored the loss of his child. Misery may harden a disposition naturally bad, but it never fails to soften tW heart of a good man. The origin of the Crees, to which nation the Cumberland House Indians belong, is, like that of the other Aborigines of America, involved in obscurity; but the researches now making into the nature and affinities of the languages spoken by the different Indian tribes, may eventually throw some light on the subject. Indeed, the American philologists seem to have succeeded already in classing the known dialects into three languages: — 1st. The Floridean, spoken by the Creeks, Chickesaws, Choctaws, Cherokees, Pas- cagoulas, and some other tribes, who inhabit the southern parts of the United States. 2d. The Iroquois, spoken by the Mengwe, or Six Nations, the Wyandots, the Nadowessies, and Asseenee- poytuck. 3d. The Lenni-lenape, spoken by a OP TfFE POLAR SR.V. •5 great family moro widely spread than the other two, and from which, together with a vast number of other tribes, are sprung our Crees. Mr. Heckewelder, a missionary, who resided long amongst these people, and from whose paper, (published in the Tranmctiom of the American Philosophical Societi/,J the above classification is taken, states that the Lenape have a tradition amongst them, of their ancestors having come from the westward, and taken possession of the Vftiole country from the Missouri to the Atlantic, after driving away or destroying the original inhabitants of the land, whom they termed Al- ligewi. In this migration and contest, which endured for a series of years, the Mengwe, or Iro- quois, kept pace with them, moving in a parallel but more northerly line, and finally settling on the banks of the St. Lawrence, and the great lakes from whence it flows. The Lenap^, being more numerous, peopled not only the greater part of the country at present occupied by the United States, but also sent detachments to the north- ward as far as the banks of the River Missis- sippi and the shores of Hudson's Bay. The principal of their northern tribes are now known under the names of Saulteurs or Chippeways, and Crees ; the former inhabiting the country betwixt Lakes Winipeg and Superior, the latter OS JOURNEY TO THE SHORES frequenting the shores of Hudson's Bay, from Moose to Churchill, and the country from thence as far to the westward as the plains whicli lie betwixt the forks of the Saskatchawan. These Crees, formerly known by the French Canadian traders under the appellation of Knis- teneaux, generally designate themselves as Eithinyoowuc CmenJ, or, when th-^y wish to discrimir ':e themselves from the other Indian nations, as Nathehwy-withinyoowuc fSoidhern- meiij*. ♦ Much confusion has arisen from the great variety of naniea, applied witliout discriiniuiition to the various tribes of Saultciirs and Crees. Heekewelder c(»nsidcrs the Crees of Moose Factory to be a branch of that tribe of the Lenap6, wlticli is named Minsi, or U'^oif Tribe. He has been led to form this opinion, from the sunihirity of the name given to these people by Monsieur JeVemie, namely, Mon- 8(mies ; but tiie truth is, that their real name is Mon»soa-eythi- ijyoowuc, or Moosc-dccr Indians ; hence the name of the factory and river on which it is built. Tlie name Knisteneaux, Ivriateucaux, or Killisteneaux, was anciently applied to a tribe (kf Circes, now termed Maskeg-ons, who inhabit the river Winipejjf. This small tribe still retains the peculiarities of customs and dross, for which it was remarkable many years a^o, as mentioned by Mr. Henry, in the intciesting account of his journeys in these countries. They are said to be great rascals. The great body of the Crees were at that time named Opunmitish Ininiwuc, or Men of the VVoi>ds. It would, however, be an endless task to attempt to determine the precise people designated by lue early Frem^h writers. Every small band, naming itself from its hunting grounds, was described as a different nation. The Chippeways who frequented the Lake of the Woods were named from a i»articular act of pUlage — Pilliers, or Ri»bbers: and the name Saulteurs, applied to a principal band that frequented the Sauit St, Marie, has been by degrees extended to the whole tribe. It is frequently pronounced and written tSotoos, If OF THE POLAR SEA, 07 The original character of the Crees must have been much modified by their long intercourse with Europeans; hence it is to be understood, that we confine ourselves in the following sketcli to their present condition, and more particularly to the Crees of Cumberland House. The moral character of a hunter is acted upon by the nature of the land he inhabits, the abundance or scarcity of food, and we may add, in the present case, his means of access to spirituous liquors. In a country so various in these respects as that inhabited by the Crees, the causes alluded to must operate strongly in producing a considerable difference of character amongst the various hordes. It may be proper to bear in mind also, that we are about to draw the character of a people whose only rule of conduct is public opinion, and to try them by a morality founded on divine revelation, the only standard that can be referred to by those who have been educated in a land to which the bless- ings of the Gospel have extended. Bearing these considerations in mind then, we may state the Crees to be a vain, fickle, impro- vident, and indolent race, and not very strict in their adherence to truth, being great boasters; but, on the other hand, they strictly regard the rights of property*, are susceptible of the * This is, perhaps, true of the Ciiinberlaud House C'rces aKme: Vol.. I. il M JOURNEY TO THE SHORES i I' ' kinder affections, capable of friendship, very hos- pitable, tolerably kind to their women, and withal inclined to peace. Much of the faulty part of their character, no doubt, originates in their mode of life; accus- tomed as a hunter to depend greatly on chance for his subsistence, the Cree takes little thought of to-morrow; and the most offensive part of his behaviour — the habit of boasting — has been pro- bably assumed as a necessary part of his armour, which operates upon the fears of his enemies. They are countenanced, however, in this failing, by the practice of the ancient Greeks, and per- haps by that of every other nation in its ruder state. Every Cree fears the medical or conjuring powers of his neighbour; but at the same time exalts his own attainments to the skies. *' I am God-like," is a common expression amongst them, and they prove their divinity-ship by eat- ing live coals, and by various tricks of a simi- lar nature. A medicine bag is an indispensable part of a hunter's equipment. It is generally furnished with a little bit of indigo, blue vitriol, vermilion, or some other showy article ; and is, when in the hands of a noted conjurer, such an object of terror to the rest of the tribe, that its many of the other tribes of Crees arc stated by the traders to be thieves, i"' OP THE POLAR SEA. 99 possessor is enabled to fatten at his ease upon the labours of his deluded countrymen. A fellow of this description came to Cumber- land House in the winter of 1819. Notwithstand ing the then miserable state of the Indians, the rapacity of this wretch had been preying upon their necessities, and a poor hunter was actually at the moment pining away under the influence of his threats. The mighty conjurer, immediate- ly on his arrival at the House, began to trumpet forth his powers, boasting, among other things, that although his hands and feet were tied as se- curely as possible, yet when placed in a con- juring-house, he would speedily disengage him- self by the aid of two or three famiUar spirits, who were attendant on his call. He was instantly taken at his word, and that his exertions might not be without an aim, a capot or great coat was promised as the reward of his success. A con- juring-house having been erected in the usual form, that is, by sticking four willows in the ground and tying their tops to a hoop at the height of six or eight feet, he was fettered com- pletely by winding several fathoms of rope round his body and extremities, and placed in its w r- row apartment, not exceeding two feet in dia- meter. A moose-skin being then thrown over the frame, secluded him from our view. He forth- II 2 ino JOURNRV TO TTTK SHORES i> with began to chant a kind of hymn in a very monotonous tone. The rest of the Indians, who seemed in some doubt respecting the powers of a devil when put in competition with those of a white man, ranged themselves around and watch- ed the result with anxiety. Nothing remarkable occurred for a longtime. The conjurer continued his song at intervals, and it was occasionally taken up by those without. In this manner an hour and a half elapsed ; but at length our at- tention, which had begun to flag, was roused by the \iolent shaking of the conjuring -house. It was instantly whispered round the circle, that at least one devil had crept under the moose-skin. But it proved to be only the " God-like man" trembling with cold. He had entered the lists, stript to the skin, and the thermometer stood very low that evening. His attempts were continued, however, with considerable resolution for half an hour longer, when he reluctantly gave in. He had found no difficulty in slipping through the noose when it was formed by his countrymen ; but, in the present instance, the knot was tied by Governor Williams, who is an expert sailor. After this unsuccessful exhibition his credit sunk amazingly, and he took the earliest opportunity of sneaking away from the fort. About two years ago a conjurer paid more 'fi OF THE POLAR SEA. 101 dearly for his temerity. In a quarrel with an Indian he threw out some obscure threats of vengeance which passed unnoticed at the time, but were afterwards remembered. They met in the spring at Carlton House, after passing the winter in different parts of the country, during which the Indian's child died. The conjurer had the folly to boast that he had caused its death, and the enraged father shot him dead on the spot. It may be remarked, however, that both these In dians were inhabitants of the plains, and had been taught, by their intercourse with the tur- bulent Stone Indians, to set but comparatively little value on the life of a man. It might be thought that the Crees have bene- fited by their long intercourse with civilized nations. That this is not so much the case as it ought to be, is not entirely their own fault. They are capable of being, and I believe will- ing to be, taught; but no pains have hitherto been taken to inform their minds*, and their white acquaintances seem in general to find it easier to descend to the Indian customs, and * Since these remarks Mere written the union of the rival com- panies li;)s enabled the gfentlcmen, who have now the nianag'ement of the fur trade, to take some decided steps for the relig'ious instruc- tion and improvement of the natives and half-breed Indians, which have been more particularly referred to in the introduction. loi JOURNEV TO THE SHORES LI modes of thinking, particularly with respect to women, than to attempt to raise the Indians to theirs. Indeed such a lamentable want of mo- rality has been displayed by the white traders in their contests for the interests of their respec- tive companies, that it would require a long series of good conduct to efface from the minds of the native population the ideas they have formed of the white character. Notwithstand- ing the frequent violations of the rights of pro- perty they have witnessed, and but too often ex- perienced, in their own persons, these savages, as they are termed, remain strictly honest. During their visits to a post, they are suffered to enter every apartment in the house, without the least restraint, and although articles of value to them are scattered about, nothing is ever missed. They scrupulously avoid moving any thing from its place, although they are often prompted by curiosity to examine it. In some cases, indeed, they carry this principle to a degree of self-denial which would hardly be expected. It often hap- pens that meat, which has been paid for, (if the poisonous draught it procures them can be con- sidered as payment,) is left at their lodges until a convenient opportunity occurs of carrying it away. They will rather pass several days with- OF THE POLAR SEA. 103 0- vt eating than touch the meat thus intrusted to their charge, even when there exists a prospect of replacing it. The hospitality of the Crees is unbounded. They afford a certain asylum to the half-breed children when deserted by their unnatural white fathers; and the infirm, and indeed every indi- vidual in an encampment, share the provisions of a successful hunter as long as they last. Fond too as a Cree is of spirituous liquors, ,he is not happy unless all his neighbours partake with him. It is not easy, howev^er, to say what share ostentation may have in the apparent munificence in the latter article ; for when an Indian, by a good hunt, is enabled to treat the others with a keg of rum, he becomes the chief of a night, assumes no little stateliness of manner, and is treated with de- ference by those who regale at his expense. Prompted also by the desire of gaining a name, they lavish away the articles they purchase at the trading posts, and are well satisfied if repaid in praise. Gaming is not uncommon amongst the Crees of all the different districts, but it is pursued to greater length . by those bands who frequent the plains, and who, from the ease with which they obtain food, have abundant leisure. The game most in use amongst them, termed piickesann, is 104 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES u played with the stones of a species oiprunus which, from this circumstance, they term puckesann-meefut. The difficulty lies in guessing the number of stones which are tossed out of a small wooden dish, and the hunters will spend whole nights at the destructive sport, staking their most valuable articles, powder and shot. It has been remarked by some writers that the aboriginal inhabitants of America are deficient in passion for the fair sex. This is by no means the case with the Crees ; on the contrary, their practice of seducing each other's wives, proves the most fertile source of their quarrels. When the guilty pair are detected, the woman generally receives a severe beating, but the husband is, for the most part, afraid to reproach the male culprit until they get drunk together at the fort ; then the remembrance of the offence is revived, a struggle ensues, and the affair is terminated by the loss of a few handfuls of hair. Some husbands, however, feel more deeply the injury done to their honour, and seek revenge even in their sober moments. In such cases it is not uncommon for the offended party to walk with great gravity up to the other, and deliberately seizing his gun, or some other article of value to break it before his face. The adulterer looks on in silence, afraid to make any attempt to save his property. In this respect, \ OF THE POLAR SEA. 105 indeed, the Indian character seems to differ from the European, that an Indian, instead of letting his anger increase with that of his antagonist, assumes the utmost coolness, lest he should push him to extremities. Although adultery is sometimes punished amongst the Crees in the manner above de- scribed, yet it is no crime, provided the husband receives a valuable consideration for his wife's prostitution. Neither is chastity considered as a virtue in a female before marriage, that is, before she becomes the exclusive property of one hunter. The Cree women are not in general treated harshly by their husbands, and possess consider- able influence over them. They often eat, and even get drunk, in consort with the men ; a con- siderable portion of the labour, however, falls to the lot of the wife. She makes the hut, cooks, dresses the skins, and for the most part, carries the heaviest load : but, when she is unable to per- form her task, tlio husband does not consider it beneath his dignity to assist her. In illustration of this remark, I may quote the case of an Indian who visited the fort in winter. This poor man's wife had lost her feet by the frost, and he was compelled, not only to hunt, and do all the menial offices himself, but in winter to drag his wife 10$ .TOURNEY TO THE SHORES 1."' with their stock of furniture from one encamp- ment to another. In the performance of this duty, as he could not keep pace with the rest of the tribe in their movements, he more than once nearly perished of hunger. These Indians, however, capable as they are of behaving thus kindly, affect in their discourse to despise the softer sex, and on solemn occasions, will not suffer them to eat before them, or even come into their presence. In this they are coun- tenanced by the white residents, most of whom have Indian or half-breed wives, but seem afraid of treating them with the tenderness or attention due to every female, lest they should themselves be despised by the Indians. At least, this is the only reason they assign for their neglect of those whom they make partners of their beds and mo- thers of their children. Both sexes are fond of, and excessively indul- gent to, their children. The father never punishes them, and if the mother, more hasty in her tem- per, sometimes bestows a blow or two on a troublesome child, her heart is instantly softened by the roar which follows, and she mingles her tears with those that streak the smoky face of her darling. It may be fairly said, then, that re- straint or punishment forms no part of the educa- OF THE POLAR SEA. 107 tion of an Indian child, nor are they early trained to that command over their temper which they exhibit in after years. The discourse of the parents is never restrained by the presence of their children, every transac- tion between the sexes being openly talked of be- fore them. The Orees having early obtained arms from the European traders, were enabled to make harass- ing inroads on the lands of their neighbours, and are known to have made war excursions as far to the westward as the Rocky Mountains, and to the northward as far as M'Kenzie's River; but their enemies being now as well armed as them- selves, the case is much altered. They shew great fortitude in the endurance of hunger, and the other evils incident to a hunter's life ; but any unusual accident dispirits them at once, and they seldom venturo to meet their enemies in open warfare, or to attack them even by surprise, unless with the advantage of superi- ority of numbers. Perhaps they are much dete- riorated in this respect by their intercourse with Europeans. Their existence at present hangs upon the supplies of ammunition and clothing they receive from the traders, and they deeply feel their dependant situation. But their cha- racter has been still more debased by the passion 108 JOURNEY TO THK SHORES for spirituous liquors, so assiduously fostered among them. To obtain the noxious beverage, they descend to the most humiUating entreaties, and assume an abjectness of behaviour which does not seem natural to them, and of which not a vestige is to be seen in their intercourse with each other. Their character has sunk among the neighbouring nations. They are no longer the warriors who drove before them the inhabitants of the Saskatchawan, and Missinippi. The Cum- berland House Crees, in particular, have been long disused to war. Betwixt them and their ancient enemies, the Slave nations, lie the extensive plains of Saskatchawan, inhiibited by the pow- erful Asseeneepoytuck, or Stont Indians, wlio having whilst yet a small tribe entered the coun- try under the patronage of the Crees, now render back the protection they received. The manners and customs of the Crees have, probably since their acquaintance with Euro- peans, undergone a clian^.:;e, at least, equal to that w^hich has taken place in their moral character ; and, although we heard of many practices pecu- liar to them, yet they appeared to be nearly as much honoured in the breach as the observance. We shall however briefly notice a few of the most remarkable customs. When a hunter marries his first wife, he usually OF Tfir: POLAR SEA. 100 takes up his abode in tlio tont of his fathor-iii-lnw, and of course hunts for the family; but when he becomes a father, the families are at liberty to separate, or remain together, as their inclina- tions prompt them. His second wife is for the most part the sister of the first, but not necessa- rily so, for an Indian of another family often presses his daughter upon a hunter whom he knows to be capable of maintaining her well. The first wife always remains the mistress of the tent, and assumes an authority over the others, which is not in every case quietly submitted to. It may be remarked, that whilst an Indian resides with his wife's family, it is extremely improper for his mother-in-law to speak, or even look at him ; and when she has a communication to make, it is the etiquette that she should turn her back upon him, and address him only through the medium of a third person. This singular custom is not very creditable to the Indians, if it really had its origin in the cause which they at present assign for it, namely, that a woman's speaking to her son-in-law is a sure indication of her having conceived a criminal atFectlon for him. It appears also to have boen an ancient practice for an Indian to avoid eating or sitting down in the presence of the father-in-law. We re- no JOURNEY TO THE SHOREfS ceived no account of the origin of this custom, and it is now almost obsolete amongst the Cum- berland House Crees, though still partially ob- served by those who frequent Carlton. Tattooing is almost universal with the Crees. The women are in general content with having one or two lines drawn from the corners of the mouth towards the angles of the lower jaw ; but some of the men have their bodies covered with a great variety of lines and figures. It seems to be considered by most rather as a proof of cou- rage than an ornament, the operation being very painful, and, if the figures are numerous and in- tricate, lasting several days. The lines on the face are formed by dexterously running an awl under the cuticle, and then drawing a cord, dipt in charcoal and water, through the canal thus formed. The punctures on the body are formed by needles of various sizes set in a frame. A number of hawk bells attached to this frame serve by their noise to cover the suppressed groans of the sufferer, and, probably for the same reason, the process is accompanied with singing. An in- delible stain is produced by rubbing a little finely-powdered willow-charcoal into the punc- tures. A half-breed, whose arm I amputated, declared, that tattooing was not only the most OP THE POLAR SEA. 118 painful operation of the two, but rendered in- finitely more difficult to bear by its tediousness, having lasted in his case three days. A Cree woman, at certain periods, is laid under considerable restraint. They are far, how- ever, from carrying matters to the extremities mentioned by Hearne in his description of the Chipewyans, or Northern Indians. She Uves apart from her husband also for two months if she has borne a boy, and for three if she has given birth to a girl. Many of the Cree hunters are careful to prevent a woman from partaking of the head of a moose- deer, lest it should spoil their future hunts; and for the same reason they avoid bringing it to a fort, fearing lest the white people should give the bones to the dogs. The games or sports of the Crees are various. One termed the game of the mitten, is played with four balls, three of which are plain, and one marked. These being hid under as many mit- tens, the opposite party is required to fix on that which is marked. He gives or receives a feather according as he guesses right or wrong. When the feathers which are ten in number, have all passed into one hand, a new division is made ; but when one of the parties obtains possession of them thrice, he seizes on the stakes. 119 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES The game of Platter is more intricate, and is played with the claws of a bear, or some other animal, marked with various lines and charac- ters. These dice, which are eight in number, and cut flat at their large end, are shook together in a wooden dish, tossed into the air and caught again. The lines traced on such claws as hap- pen to alight on the platter in an erect position, indicate what number of counters the caster is to receive from his opponent. They have, however, a much more manly amusement termed the Cross, although they do not engage even in it without depositing consi- derable stakes. An extensive meadow is chosen for this sport, and the articles staked are tied to a post, or deposited in the custody of two old men. The combatants being stript and painted, and each provided with a kind of battledore or racket, in shape resembling the letter P, with a handle about two feet long and a head loosely wrought with net- work, so as to form a shallow bag, range themselves on different sides. A ball being now tossed up in the middle, each party endeavours to drive it to their respective goals, and much dexterity and agility is displayed in the contest. When a nimble runner gets the ball in his cross, he sets off towards the goal with the utmost speed, and is followed by the rest, who OP THE POLAR SEA. lin endeavour to jostle him and shake it out; but, if hard pressed, he discharges it with a jerk, to be forwarded by his own party, or bandied back by their opponents, until the victory is decided by its passing the goal Of the religious opinions of the Crees, it is difficult to give a correct account, not only because they shew a disinclination to enter upon the sub- ject, but because their ancient traditions are mingled with the information they have more recently obtained, by their intercourse with Europeans. None of them ventured to describe the original formation of the world, but they all spoke of an universal deluge, caused by an attempt of the fish to drown Woesack-ootchacht, a kind of demi- god, with whom they had quarrelled. Having constructed a raft, he embarked with his family and all kinds of birds and beasts. After the flood had continued for some time, he ordered several water-fowl to dive to the bottom; they were all drowned: but a musk-rat having been despatched on the same errand, was more suc- cessful, and returned with a mouthful of mud, out of which Woesack-ootchacht, imitating the mode in which the rats construct their houses, formed a new earth. First, a small conical hill of mud appeared above the water; by-and-by Vol,. I. I 114 JOURNEY TO TTIE SHORES its base gradually spreading out, it became an extensive bank, \\hich the rays of the sun at length hardened into firm land. Notwithstand- ing the power that Woesack-ootchacht here dis- played, his person is held in very little reverence by the Indians ; and, in return, he seizes every opportunity of tormenting them. His conduct is far from being moral, and his amours, and the disguises he assumes in the prosecution of them, are more various and extraordinary than those of the Grecian Jupiter himself; but as his ad- ventures are more remarkable for their eccen- tricity than their delicacy, it is better to pass them over in silence. Before we quit him, how- ever, we may remark, that he converses with all kinds of birds and beasts in their own languages, constantly addressing them by the title of bro- ther, but through an inherent suspicion of his intentions, they are seldom willing to admit of his claims of relationship. The Indians make no sacrifices to him, not even to avert his wrath. They pay a kind of worship, however, and make offerings to a being, whom they term Kepoochi- Jcawn. This deity is represented sometimes by rude images of the human figure, but more commonly merely by tying the tops of a few willow bushes together; and the offerings to him consist of OF THE POLAR SEA. 115 every thing that is valuable to an Indian ; yet they treat him with considerable familiarity, inter- larding their most solemn speeches with expos- tulations and threats of neglect, if he fails in com- plying with their requests. As most of their petitions are for plenty of food, they do not trust entirely to the favour of Kepoochikawn, but en- deavour, at the same time, lo propitiate the ani- mal, an imaginary I'epresentative of the whole race of larger quadrupeds that are objects of the chase. In the month of May, whilst I was at Carlton House, the Cree hunter engaged to attend that post, resolved upon dedicating several articles to Kepoochilx wn, and as I had made some in- quiries of him respecting their modes of worship, he gave me an invitation to be present. The ceremony took place in a sweating-house, or as it may be designated from its more important use, a temple, which was erected for the occasion by the worshipper's two wives. It was framed of arched willows, interlaced so as to form a vault capable of containing ten or twelve men, ranged closely side by side, and high enough to admit of their sitting erect. It was very similar in shape to an oven or the kraal of a Hottentot, and was closely covered with moose skins, except at the east end, which was left open for a door. I 2 11^ JOURNEY TO THE SHORES ill ;i Near the centre of the building there was a hole in the ground, which contained ten or twelve red- hot stones, having a few leaves of the taccokai/- meiian, a species oipnimtSf strewed around them. When the women had completed the prepara- tions, the hunter made his appearance, perfectly naked, carrying in his hand an image of Kepoo- chikawn, rudely carved, and about two feet long. He placed his god at the upper end of the sweat- ing-house, with his face towards the door, and proceeded to tie round its neck his offerings, con- sisting of a cotton handkerchief, a looking-glass, a tin pan, a piece of riband, and a bit of tobacco, which he had procured the same day, at the ex- pense of fifteen or twenty skins. Whilst he was thus occupied, several other Crees, who were en- camped in the neighbourhood, having been in- formed of what was going on, arrived, and strip- ping at the door of the temple, entered, and ranged themselves on each side; the hunter himself squatted down at the right hand of Kepoochi- kawn. The atmosphere of the temple having become so hot that none but zealous worshippers would venture in, the interpreter and myself sat down on the threshold, and the two women re- mained on the outside as attendants. The hunter, who throughout officiated as high priest, commenced by making a speech to Ke- OF THE POLAR SEA. 117 poochikawn, in which he requested him to be propitious, told him of the vakie of the things now presented, and cautioned him against ingra- titude. This oration was delivered in a mono- tonous tone, and with great rapidity of utterance, and the speaker retained his squatting posture, but turned his face to his god. At its conclusion, the priest began a hymn, of which the burthen was, " I will walk with God, I will go with the animal;" and, at the end of each stanza, the rest joined in an insignificant chorus. He next took up a calumet, filled with a mixture of tobacco and bear-berry leaves, and holding its stem by the middle, in a horiSontal position, over the hot stones, turned it slowly in a circular manner, fol- lowing the course of the sun. Its mouth-piece being then with much formality, held for a few seconds to the face of Kepoochikawn, it was next presented to the earth, having been previously turned a second time over the hot stones; and afterwards, with equal ceremony, pointed in suc- cession to the four quarters of the sky; then drawing a few whiffs from the calumet himself, he handed it to his left-hand neighbour, by whom it was gravely passed round the circle; the inter- preter and myself, who were seated at the door, were asked to partake in our turn, but requested to keep the head of the calumet within the thres- 118 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES I I'; i i hold of the sweating-house. When the tobacco was exhausted by passing several times round, the hunter made another speech, similar to i\ 3 former ; but was, if possible, still more urgent in his requests. A second hymn followed, and a quan- tity of water being sprinkled on the hot stones, the attendants were ordered to close the temple, which they did, by very carefully covering it up with moose skins. We had no means of ascer- taining the temperature of the sweating-house; but before it was closed, not only those within, but also the spectators without, were perspiring freely. They continued in the vapour bath for thirty-five minutes, during which time a third speech was made, and a hymn was sung, and water occasionally sprinkled on the stones, which still retained much heat, as was evident from the hissing noise they made. The coverings were then thrown off, and the poor half-stewed wor- shippers exposed freely to the aic ; but they kept their squatting postures until a fourth speech was made, in which the deity was strongly reminded of the value of the gifts, and exhorted to take an early opportunity of shewing his gratitude. The ceremony concluded by the sweaters scampering down to the river, and plunging into the stream. It may be remarked, that the door of the temple, and, of course, the face of the god, was turned OP THE POLAR SEA. 119 to the rising sun; and the spectators were de- sired not to block up entirely the front of the building, but to leave a lane for the entrance or exit or some influence of which they could not give me a correct description. Several Indians, who lay on the outside of the sweating-house as spectators, seemed to re^^ ^d the proceedings with very little awe, and were extremely free in the remarks and jokes they passed upon the condi- tion of the sweaters, and even of Kepoochikawn himself. One of them made a remark, that the shawl would have been much better bestowed upon himself than upon Kepoochikawn, but the same fellow afterwards stripped and joined in the ceremony. I did not learn that the Indians worship any other god by a specific name. They often refer, however, to the Keetchee-Maneeto, or Great Master of Life ; and to an evil spirit, or Maatche- Maneeto. They also speak of Weettako, a kind of vampyre or devil, into which those who have fed on human flesh are transformed. Whilst at Carlton, I took an opportunity of asking a communicative old Indian, of the Black- foot nation, his opinion of a future state ; he re- plied, that they had heard from their fathers, that the souls of the departed have to scramble with great labour up the sides of a steep mountain. 180 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES it IP Upon attaining the summit of which they are re- warded with the prospect of an extensive plain, abounding in all sorts of game, and interspersed here and there with new tents, pitched in agree- ble situations. Whilst they are absorbed in the contemplation of this delightful scene, they arc descried by the inhabitants of the happy land, who, clothed in new skin-dresses, approach and welcome with every demonstration of kind- ness those Indians who have led good lives ; but the bad Indians, who have imbrued their hands in the blood of their countrymen, are told to re- turn from whence they came, and without more ceremony precipitated down the steep sides of the mountain. Women, who have been guilty of infanticide, never reach the mountain at all, but are com- pelled to hover round the seats of their crimes, with branches of trees tied to their legs. The melancholy sounds, which are heard in the still summer evenings, and which the ignorance of the white people considers as the screams of the goat-sucker, are really, according to my inform- ant, the moanings of these unhappy beings. The Crees have somewhat similar notions, but as they inhabit a country widely different from the mountainous lands of tlie Blackfoot Indians, the difficulty of their journey lies in walking along OP THE POLAR SEA. l«i a slender and slippery tree, laid as a bridge across a rapid stream of stinking and muddy water. The night owl is regarded by the Crees with the same dread that it has been viewed by other nations. One small species, which is, known to them by its melancholy nocturnal hoot- ings, (for as it never appears in the day, few even of the hunters have ever seen it,) is particularly ominous. They call it the cheepai-peethees, or death bird, and never fail to whistle when they hear its note. If it does not reply to the whistle by its hootings, the speedy death of the inquirer is augured. When a Cree dies, that part of his property which he has not given away before his death, is burned with him, and his relations take care to place near the grave little heaps of fire-wood, food, pieces of tobacco, and such things as he is likely to need in his journey. Similar offerings are made when they revisit the grave, and as kettles, and other articles of value, are sometimes offered, they are irequently carried off by pas- sengers, yet the relations are not displeased, pro- vided sufficient respect has been shewn to the dead, by putting some other article, although of inferior value, in the place of that which has been taken away. The Crees are wont to celebrate the returns of 9 li2 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES the seasons by religious festivals, but we are m • able to describe the ceremonial in use on these joyous occasions from personal observation. The following brief notice of a feast, which was given by an old Crce chief, according to his annual custom, on the first croaking of the frogs, is drawn up from the information of one of the guests. A large oblong tent, or lodge, was prepared for the important occasion, by the men of the party, none of the women being suffered to interfere. It faced the setting sun, and great care was taken that every thing about it should be as neat and clean as possible. Three fire-places were raised within it, at equal distances, and little holes were dug in the corners to contain the ashes of their pipes. In a recess, at its upper end, one large image of Kepoochikawn, and many smaller ones, were ranged with their faces towards the door. The food was prepared by the chiefs wife, and consisted of marrow pemmican, berries boiled with fat, and various other delicacies that had been preserved for the occasion. The preparations being completed, and a slave, whom the chief had taken in war, having warned the guests to the feast by the mysterious word peenashewai/ , they came, dressed out in their best garments, and ranged themselves according to their seniority, the elders seating themselves next !i OF THE POLAR SKA. 1^8 the chief at the upper end, and the young men near the door. The chief commenced by addressing his dc '** ^h in an appropriate sjxjcch, in which he told >-, that he had hastened as soon as summer wa m- dicated by the croaking of the frogs to sohcit their favour for himself and his young men, and hoped that they would send him a pleasant and plentiful season. His oration was concluded by an invo- cation to all the animals in the land, and a signal being given to the slave at the door, he invited them severally by their names to come and par- take of the feast. The Cree chief having by this very general invitation displayed his unbounded hospitality, next ordered one of the young men to distribute a mess to each of the guests. This was done in new dishes of birch bark, and the utmost diligence was displayed in emptying them, it being consi- dered extremely improper in a man to leave any part of that which is placed before him on such occasions. It is not inconsistent with good man- ners, however, but rather considered as a piece of politeness, that a guest who has been too liberally supplied, should hand the surplus to his neighbour. When the viands had disappeared, each filled his calumet and began to smoke with II 1S4 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES r great assiduity, and in the course of the evening several songs were sung to the responsive sounds of the drum, and seeseequay, their usual accom- paniments. The Cree drum is double-headed, but pos- sessing very litde depth , it strongly resembles a tambourine in shape. Its want of depth is com- pensated, however, by its diameter, which fre- quently exceeds three feet. It is covered with mot: :^e-skin parchment, painted with rude figures of men and beasts, having various fantastic ad- ditions, and is beat with a stick. The seeseequay is merely a rattle, formed by enclosing a few grains of shot in a piece of dried hide. These two instruments are used in all their religious ceremonies- except those which take place in a sweating-house. A Cree places great reliance on his drum, and I cannot adduce a stronger instance than that of the poor man who is mentioned in a preceding page, as having lost his only child by famine, almost within sight of the fort. Notwithstanding his exhausted state, he travelled with an enor- mous drum tied to his back. Many of the Crees make vows to abstain from particular kinds of food, either for a specific time, or for the remainder of their life, esteeming such OF THE POLAR SEA. JS5 abstinence to be a certain means of acquiring some supernatural powers, or at least of entailing upon themselves a succession of good fortune. One of the wives of the Carlton hunter, of whom we have already spoken as the worship- per of Kepoochikawn, made a determination not to eat of the flesh of the Wawaskeesh, or Ameri- can stag ; but during our abode at that place, slie was induced to feed heartily upon it, through the intentional deceit of her husband, who told her that it was buffalo meat. When she had finished her meal, her husband told her of the trick, and seemed to enjoy the terror with which she contemplated the consequences of the invo- luntary breach of her vow. Vows of this nature are often made by a Cree before he joins a war party, and they sometimes, like the eastern bonzes, walk for a certain number of days on all fours,^ or impose upon themselves some other penance, equally ridiculous. By such means the Cree warrior becomes godlike ; but unless he kills an enemy before his return, his newly- acquired powers are estimated to be productive in future of some direful consequence to himself. As we did not witness any of the Cree dances oursel'/es, we shall merely mention, that like the other North American nations, they are accus- tomed to practise that amusement on meeting witli ISd JOURNEY TO THE SHORES Strange tribes, before going to war, and on other solemn occasions. The habitual intoxication of the Cumberland House Crees has induced such a disregard of per- sonal appearance, that they are squalid and dirty in the extreme; hence a minute description of their clothing would be by no means interesting. We shall, therefore, only remark in a general manner that the dress of the male consists of a blanket thrown over the shoulders, a leathern shirt or jacket, and a piece of cloth tied round the mid- dle. The women have in addition a long petti- coat; and both sexes wear a kind of wide hose, which reaching from the ankle to the middle of the thigh, are suspended by strings to the girdle. These hose, or as they are termed, Indian stock- ings, are commonly ornamented with beads or ribands, and from their convenience, have been universally adopted by the white residents, as an essential par* of their winter clothing. Their shoes, or rather short boots, for they tie round the ankle, are made of soft dressed moose-skins, and during the winter they wrap several pieces of blanket round their feet. They are fond of European articles of dress, considering it as mean to be dressed entirely in leather, and the hunters are generally furnished annually with a capot or great coat, and the OF THE POLAR SEA. 187 women with shawls, printed calicoes, and other things very unsuitable to their mode of life, but which they wear in imitation of the wives of the traders; all these articles, however showy they may be at first, are soon reduced to a very filthy condition by the Indian custom of greasing the face and hair with soft fat or marrow, instead of washing them with water. This pr'ictice they say preserves the skin soft, and protects it from cold in the winter, and the moschetoes in summer, but it renders their presence disagreeable to the olfactory organs of an European, particularly when they are seated in a close tent and near a hot fire. The only pecuharity which we observed, in their mode of rearing children consists in the use of a sort of cradle, extremely well adapted to their mode of life. The infant is placed in the bag having its lower extremities wrapt up in soft sphagnum or bog-moss, and may be hung up in the tent, or to the branch of a tree, without the least danger of tumbling out; or in a journey suspended on the mother's back, by a band which crosses the forehead, so as to leave her hands perfectly free. It is one of the neatest articles of furniture they possess, being generally orna- mented with beads, and bits of scarlet cloth, but I8d JOURNEY TO THE SHORES it bears a very strong resemblance in its form to a mummv case. The sphagnum in which the cliild is laid, forms a soft elastic bed, which absorbs moisture very readily, and affords such a protection from the cold of a rigorous winter, that it" place would be ill supplied by cloth. The mothers are careful to collect a sufficient quantity in autumn for winter use; but when through acci^- <^nt their stock fails, they have re- course to the so \ down of the typha, or reed mace, the dust of rotten wood, or even feathers, although none of these articles are so cleanly, or so easily changed as the sphagnum. The above is a brief sketch of such parts of the manners, character and customs of the Crees, as we could collect from personal observation, or from the information of the thost intelligent half-breeds we met with ; and we shall merely add a few re- marks on the manner in which the trade is con- ducted at the difterent inland posts of the Fur Companies. The standard of Exchange in all mercantile transactions with the natives is a beaver skin, the relative value of which, as originally established by the traders, differs considerably from the pre- sent worth of the articles it represents; but the OP THE POLAR SEA. 129 Indians are averse to change. Three marten, eight musk-rat, or a single lynx, or wolverene skin, are equivalent to one beaver ; a silver fox, white fox, or otter, are reckoned two beavers, and a black fox, or large black bear, are equal to four; a mode of reckoning which has very little con- nexion with the real value of these different furs in the European market. Neither has any at- tention been paid to the original cost of European articles, in fixing the tariff by which they are sold to the Indians. A coarse butcher's knife is one skin, a woollen blanket or a fathom of coarse cloth, eight, and a fowling-piece fifteen. The Indians receive their principal outfit of clothing and am- munition on credit in the autumn, to be repaid by their winter hunts ; the amount intrusted to each of the hunters, varying with their reputations for industry and skill, from twenty to one hundred and fifty skins. The Indians are generally anxious to pay off the debt thus incurred, but their good intentions are often frustrated by the arts of the rival traders. Each of the Companies keeps men constantly employed traveUing over the country during the winter, to collect the furs from the dif- ferent bands of hunters as fast as they are pro- cured. The poor Indian endeavours to behave honestly, and when he has gathered a few skins sends notice to the post from whence he procured Vol. I. K 130 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES his supplies, but if discovered in the mean time by the opposite party, he is seldom proof against the temptation to which he is exposed. However firm he may be in his denials at first, his resolu- tions are enfeebled by the sight of a little rum, and when he has tasted the intoxicating beverage, they vanish like smoke, and he brings forth his store of furs, which he has carefully concealed from the scrutinizing eyes of his visitors. This mode of carrying on the trade not only causes the amount of furs, collected by either of the two Companies, to depend more upon the activity of their agents, the knowledge they possess of the motions of the Indians, and the quantity of rum they carry, than upon the liberahty of the credits they give, but is also productive of an increasing deterioration of the character of the Indians, and will probably, ultimately prove destructive to the fur trade itself. Indeed the evil has already, in part, recoiled upon the traders; for the Indians, long deceived, have become deceivers in their turn, and not unfrequently after having incurred a heavy debt at one post, move off to another, to play the same game. In some cases the rival posts have entered into a mutual agreement, to trade only with the Indians they have respectively fitted out ; but such treaties, being seldom rigidly adhered to, prove a fertile subject for disputes, and OP THE POLAR SEA. 131 the differences have been more than once decided by force of arms. To carry on the contest, the two Companies are obhged to employ a great many servants, whom they maintain often with much difficulty, and always at a considerable expense*. There are thirty men belonging to the Hud- son's Bay Fort at Cumberland, and nearly as many women and children. The inhabitants of the North West Company's House are still more numerous. These large families are fed during the greatest part of the year on fish, which are principally procured at Beaver Lake, about fifty miles distant. The fishery commencing with the first frosts in autumn, continues abundant, till January, and he produce is dragged over the snow on sledges, each drawn by three dogs, and carrying about two hundred and fifty pounds. The journey to and from the lake occupies five days, and every sledge requires a driver. About three thousand fish, averaging three pounds a piece, were caught by the Hudson's Bay fishermen last season; in addition to which a few sturgeon were occasionally caught in Pine Island Lake; and towards the spring a consider- able quantity of moose meat was procured from the Basquiau Hill, sixty or seventy miles distant. The rest of our winter's provision consisted of * As the contending parties have united, the evils mentioned in this and the two preceding- pages, are now, in all probability, at an end. K 2 1.32 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES geese, salted in the autumn, and of dried meats and pemmican, obtained from the provision posts on the plains of the Saskatchawan. A good many potatoes are also raised at this post, and a small supply of tea and sugar is brought from the depot at York Factory. The provisions obtained from these various sources were amply sufficient in the winter of 1819-20 ; but through improvidence this post has in former seasons been reduced to great straits. Many of the labourers, and a great majority of the agents and clerks employed by the two Com- panies, have Indian or half-breed wives, and the mixed offspring thus produced has become ex- tremely numerous. These metifs, or .as the Canadians term them, bols britleSy are upon the whole a good looking people, and where the experiment has been made, have shewn much aptness in learning, and will- ingness to be taught ; they have, however, been sadly neglected. The example of their fathers has released them from the restraint imposed by the Indian opinions of good and bad behaviour ; and generally speaking, no pains have been taken to fill the void with better principles. Hence it is not surprising that the males, trained up in a high opinion of the authority and rights of the Com- pany to which their fathers belonged, and un- acquainted with the laws of the civilized world, OF JIIE rOLAlt SEA. 133 should be ready to engage in any measure what- ever, that they are prompted to believe will forward the interests of the cause they espouse. Nor that the girls, taught a certain degree of refinement by the acquisition of an European language, should be inflamed by the unrestrained discourse of their Indian relations, and very early give up all pre- tensions to chastity. It is, however, but justice to remark, that there is a very decided difference in the conduct of the children of the Orkney men employed by the Hudson's Bay Company and those of the Canadian voyagers. Some trouble is occasionally bestowed in teaching the former, and it is not thrown away ; Ijut all the good that can be said of the latter is, that they are not quite so licentious as their fathers are. Many of the half-breeds, both male and female, are brought up amongst, and intermarry with, the Indians; and there are few tents wherein the paler children of such marriages are not to be seen. It has been remarked, I do not know with what truth, that half-breeds shew more personal courage than the pure Crees"^. * A singnliir clian^'c takes place in tlic physical constitution of the Indian teinales who become inmates of a fort ; namely, they bear children more frequently and longer, but, at the same time, jire ren- dered liable to indurations of the mammse and prolapsus of the uterus; evils from which they are, in a j;^reat measure, exeoipt whilst they lead a wandering and laborious life. IM JOURNEY TO THE SHORES lli The girls at the forts, p?^Moiilarly the daughters of Canadians, are given in marriage very young ; they are very frequently wives at twelve years of age, and mothers at fourteen. Nay, more than once instance came under our observation of the master of a post having permitted a voyager to take to wife a poor child that had scarcely attain- ed the age of ten years. The masters of posts and wintering partners of the Companies deemed this criminal indulgence to the vices of their ser- vants, necessary to stimulate them to exertion for the interest of their respective concerns. Another practice may also be noticed, as shewing the state of moral feeling oa these subjects amongst the white residents of the fur countries. It was not very uncommon, amongst the Canadian voyagers, for one woman to be common to, and maintained at the joint expense of, two men ; nor for a voy- ager to sell his wife, either for a season or alto- gether, for a sum of money, proportioned to her hieauty and good qualities, but always inferior to the price of a team of dogs. The country around Cumberland House is flat and swampy, and is much intersected by small lakes. Limestone is found every where under a thin stratum of soil, and it not unfrequently shows itself above the surface. It lies in strata generally horizontal, but in one spot near the fort, dipping OF THE rOLAIl SKA. 135 to the northward at an an^le of 40°. Homv por- tions of this rock contain very perfect shells. With respect to the vegetable productions of the district the ;;o/}7//wv trcpida, or aspen, which thrives in moist situations, is perhaps the most abundant tree on the banks of the Saskatchawan, and is much prized as fire-wood, burning well when cut green. The popiilus' Oalsaniifcra, or taccamahac, called by the Crces mathch nictcos, or ugly poplar, in allusion to its rough bark and naked stem, crowned in an aged state with a few distorted branches, is scarcely less plentiful. It is an in- ferior fire-wood, and does not burn w^ell, unless when cut in the spring, and dried during the sum- mer; but it affords a great quantity of potash. A decoction of its resinous buds has been some- times used by the Indians with success in cases of snow-blindiwss, but its application to the inflamed eye produces much pain. Of pines, the white spruce is the most common here: the red and black spruce, the balsam of Gilead fir, and Bank- sian pine, also occur frequently. The larch is found only in swampy spots, and is stunted and unhealthy. The canoe birch attains a consider- able size in this latitude, but from the great de- mand for its wood to make sledges, it has become rare. The alder abounds on the margin of the little grassy lakes, so common in the neighbour- 136 JOURNEY TO THE SMOKES hood. A decoction of its inner bark is used as an emetic by the Indians, who also extract from it a yellow dye. A great variety of willows occur on the banks of the streams ; and the hazel is met with sparingly in the woods. The sugar maple, elm, ash, and the arbor vitoe*, termed by the Ca- nadian voyagers cedar, grow on various parts of the Saskatchavvan; but that river seems to form their northern boundary. Two kinds of prunus also grow here, one of which |, a handsome small tree, produces a black fruit, having a very astrin- gent laste, whence the term chokt-cheiry applied to it. The Crces call it tawqiioi/-meena, and esteemed it to be when dried and bruised a good addition to pemmican. The other species J is a less elegant shrub, but is said to bear a bright red cherry, of a pleasant sweet taste. Its Cree name is passee-awef/-meenan, and it is known to occur as far north as Great Slave Lake. The most esteemed fruit of the country, however, is the produce of the aronia ovalh. Under the name of niecsasscootoomeena it is a favourite dish at most of the Indian feasts, and mixed with pem- mican, it renders that greasy food actually palat- able. A great variety of currants and gooseberries are also mentioned by the natives, under the name * Tliiija occidcntalis. t Primus Virginiaria. $ Pruuus Peiisylvunica. OF THE rOLAK SKA. 137 i){ siq)i)oom-mci;mt, but wc only found three speci<'s in the neighbourhood of Cumberland House. Tiie strawberry, called by the Crees otcl-mt'ena, or lieart-berry, is found in abundance, and rasps arc common on the sandy banks of the rivers. The fruits hitherto mentioned fall in the autumn, but the following berries remained hanging on the bushes in the spring, and are considered as much mellowed by exposure to the colds in winter. The red whortleberry (vaccinium vitis idm) is found every where, but is most abundant in rocky places. It is aptly termed by the Crees ivecsaw- gtim-meenaj sour berry. The common cranberry Coxt/coccos' pahistrisj is distinguished from the preceding by its growing on moist sphagnous spots, and is hence called mnskosgo-vieena swamp- berry. The American guelder rose, whose fruit so strongly resembles the cranberry, is also com- mon. There are two kinds of it, (vibimmm oxj/cocoos, and edulej one termed by the natives j)eepoon-me6na, winter-berry, and the other moHg- soa-mema, moose-berry. There is also a berry of a bluish white colour, the produce of the white cornel tree, which is named mmqiia-meena, bear- berry, because these animals are said to fatten on it. The dwarf Canadian cornel, bears a corymb of red berries, which are highly ornamental to the woods throughout the country, but are not other- 138 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES wise worthy of notice, for they have an insipid farinaceous taste, and are seldom gathered. The Crees extract some beautiful colours from several of their native vegetables. They dye their porcupine quills a beautiful scarlet, with the roots of two species of bed-straw (galium tinc- torium, and boreale) which they indiscriminately term sawoyan. The roots, after being carefully washed are boiled gently in a clean copper kettle, and a quantity of the juice of the moose-berry, strawberry, cranberry, or arctic raspberry, is added together with a few red tufts of pistils of the larch. The porcupine quills are plunged into the liquor before it becomes quite cold, and are soon tinged of a beautiful scarlet. The process sometimes fails, and produces only a dirty brown, a circum- stance which ought probably to be ascribed to the use of an undue quantity of acid. They dye black with an ink made of elder bark, and a little bog- iron-ore, dried and pounded, and they have vari- ous modes of producing yellow. The deepest colour is obtained from the dried root of a plant, which from their description appears to be the cow-bane (cicuta virosa.J An inferior colour is obtained from the bruised buds of the Dutch myrtle, and they have discovered methods of dye- ing with various lichens. The quadrupeds that are hunted for food in OF THE POLAR SEA. 139 this part of the country, are the moose and the rein-deer, the former termed by the Crees,mong- soa, or moosoa, the latter attekh. The buffalo or bison, Onoostooshjthe red-deer or American-stag, (wawaskeeshooj the apeesee-inongsoos, or jumping deer, the kinicaithoos, or long-tailed deer, and the apistatchfvkoos, a species of antelope; animals that frequent the plains above the forks of the Saskatchawan, are not found in the neighbour- hood of Cumberland House. Of fur-bearing animals, various kinds of foxes CmakkeeshewiicJ are found in the district, distin- guished by the traders under the names of blacky silver, cross, ?'ed, and blue foxes. The two former are considered by the Indians to be the same kind, varying accidentally in the colour of the pelt. The black foxes are very rare, and fetch a high price. The cross and red foxes differ from each other only in colour, being of the same shape and size. Their shades of colour are not disposed in any detvorminate manner, some individuals ap- proaching in that respect very nearly to the silver fox, others exhibiting every link of the chain down to a nearly uniform deep or orange- yellow, the distinguishing colour of a pure red fox. It is reported both by Indians and traders, that all the varieties have been found in the same litter. The blue fox is seldom seen here, and is supposed to 140 .lUUKNKY TO Tilt: SHORES come from the southward. The gray wolf f »/«- hcu/gunj is common here. In the month of March the females frequently entice the domestic dog from the forts, although at other seasons a strong antipathy seemed to subsist between them. Some black wolves are occasionally seen. The black and red varieties of the American bear (musqiiah) are also found near Cumberland House, though not frequently ; a black bear often has red cubs, and vice term. The grizzly bear, so much dreaded by the Indians for its strength and ferocity, inhabits a track of country nearer the Rocky Mountains. It is extraordinary that although I made inquiries extensively amongst the Indians, I met with but one who said that he had killed a she-bear with young in the womb. The wolverene, in Cree okee/ioohawgees, or ommeethatsees, is an animal of great strength and cunning, and is much hated by the hunters, on account of the mischief it does to their marten- traps. The Canadian lynx (peeshew) is a timid but well-armed animal, which preys upon the American hare. Its fur is esteemed. The marten CivapeestanJ is one of the most common furred animals in the countrv. The fisher, notwith- standing its name, is an inhabitant of the land, living like the common marten principally on mice. It is the okhwk of the Crees, and the pelcan t\ OF THE POLAR SKA. 141 of the Canadians. The mink, (aljaclaahj has been often confounded by writers with the fishe : . It is a much smaller animal, inhabits the banks of rivers, and swims well; its prey is fish. The otter, (neekeek,) is larger than the English species, and produces a much more valuable fur. The musk rat (watmss, or mtisqitash,J is very abundant in all the small grassy lakes. They build small conical houses with a mixture of hay and earth ; those which build early raising their houses on the mud of the marshes, and those which build later in the season founding their habitations upon the surface of the ice itself. The house covers a hole in the ice .vhich permits them to go into the water in searca of the roots on which they feed. In severe winters when the small lakes are frozen to the bottom, and these animals cannot procure their usual food, they prey upon each other. In this way great num- bers are destroyed. The beaver (ammisk) furnish the staple fur of the country. Many surprising stories have been told of the sagacity with which this animal suits the form of its habitation, retreats, and dam, to local circumstances; and I compared the account of its manners, given b^ Cuvier, in his Regne Animal^ with the reports of the Indians, and found them to agree exactly. They have 14» JOURNEY TO THE SHORES been often seen in the act of constructing their houses in the moon-light nights, and the ob- servers agree, that the stones, wood, or other materials, are carried in their teeth, and generaPy leaning against the shoulder. When they have placed it to their mind, they turn round and give it a smart blow with their flat tail. In the act of diving they give a similar stroke to the surface of %e water. They keep their provision of wood under water in front of the house. Their fa- vourite food is the bark of the aspen, birch, and willow ; they also eat the alder, but seldom touch any of the pine tribe unless from necessity; they are fond of the large roots of the nuphar lutea, and grow fat upon it, but it gives their flesh a strong rancid taste. In the season of love their call resembles a groan, that of the male being the hoarsest, but the voice of the young is exactly like the cry of a child. They are very playful, as the following anecdote will shew: — One day a gentleman, long resident in this country, espied five young beavers sporting in the water, leaping upon the trunk of a tree, pushing one another off, and playing a thousand interesting tricks. He approa.ched softly under cover of the bushes, and prepared to fire on the unsuspecting crea- tures, but a nearer approach discovered to him such a similitude betwixt their gestures and the '\ OP THE POLAR SEA. 143 infantile caresses of his own children, that he threw aside his gun. This gentleman's feelings are to be envied, but few traders in fur would have acted dO feelingly. The musk-rat frequently inhabits the same lodge with the beaver, »nd the otter also thrusts himself in occasionally ; the latter, however, is not always a civil guest, as he sometimes devours his host. These are th'^ animals most interesting in an economical point of view. The American hare, and several kinds of grouse and ptarmigan, also contribute towards the support of the natives; and the geese, in their periodical tiights in the spring and autumn, hkewise prove a valuable re- source both to the Indians and white residents ; but the principal article of food, after the moose- deer, is fish; indeed, it forms almost the sole support of the traders at some of the posts. The most esteemed fish is the Coregonus albus, the attthhawmeg of the Crees, and the white-fish of the Americans. Its usual weight is between three and four pounds, but it has been known to reach sixteen or eighteen pounds. Three fish of the ordinary size is the daily allowance to each man at the fort, and is considered as equivalent to two geese, or eight pounds of solid moose- meat. The fishery for the attihhawmeg lasts the whole year, but is most productive in the spawn- 144 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES ing season, from the middle of September to the middle of October. The oitonneebeeSf (Coregonus Artedi,) closely resembles the last. Three species of carp, (Catastomus Hudsonius, C. Forsteri- anus, and C. Lesueurii,) are also found abun- dantly in all the lakes, their Cree names are namai/peeth, meethquaivmaf/peeth, and wapawhaw- keeshew. The occow, or river perch, termed also horn-fish, piccarel, or dore, is common, but is not so much esteemed as the attihhawmeg. It attains the length of twenty inches in these lakes. The methy is another common fish; it is the gadiis lota, or burbot, of Europe. Its length is about two feet, its gullet is capacious, and it preys upon fish large enough to distend its body to nearly twice its proper size. It is never eaten, not even by the dogs unless through necessity, but its liver and roe are considered as delicacies. The pike is also plentiful, and being readily caught in the winter-time with the hook, is so much prized on that account by the natives, as to receive from them the name of dthinyoo-can- nooshwoo, or Indian fish. The common trout, or nammoscoits, grows here to an enormous size, being caught in particular lakes, weighing up- wards of sixty pounds; thirty pounds is no uncommon size at Beaver Lake, from whence Cumberland House is supplied. The Hioden ^.N\ \ OP THE POLAR SEA. 145 clodalis, oweepeetclieesees, or gold-eye is a beau- tiful small fish, which resembles the trout, in its habits. One of the largest fish is the mathcmegh, cat- fish, or barbue. It belongs to the genus silimis. It is rare but is highly prized as food. The sturgeon (Accipenser ruthenus) is also taken in the Saskatchawan, and lakes communi- cating with it, and furnishes an excellent, but rather rich, article of food. Vol. r. I : 146 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES i\ CHAPTER IV. 1. r.ajv';'^rland House — iMode of Travelling in Winter — Arrival at irlt(,n Ilcuse — Stone [ndlans — Visit to a BufTalo Pound — Goitres — Dej ...itire from Carlton House — Isle a la Crosse — Arrival at Fort Chipewyan. i82f). T^ifi^ day we set out from Cumberland January 18. Housefor Carlton House; but previously to detailing the events of the journey, it may be proper to describe the necessary equipments of a winter traveller in this region, which I cannot do better than by extracting the following brief, but accurate, account of it from Mr. Hood's journal : — " A snow-shoe is made of two light bars of wood, fastened together at their extremities, and projected into curves by transverse bars. The side bars have been so shaped by a frame, and dried before a fire, that the front part of the shoe turns up, like the prow of a boat, and the part behind terminates in an acute angle ; the spaces between the bars are filled up with a fine netting of leathern thongs, except that part behind the ?s-^. OP THE POLAR SEA. 147 I main bar, which is occupied by the feet; the netting is there close and strong, and the loot is attached to the main bar by straps passing round the heel but only fixing the toes, so that the heel rises after each step, and the tail of the shoe is dragged on the snow. Between the main bar and another in front of it, a small space is left, permitting the toes to descend a little in the act of raising the heel to make ♦^e step forward, which prevents their extremiues from chafing. The length of a snow-shoe x? fiom four to six feet and the breadth one foot and a half, or one foot and three quarters, beii5g adapted to the size of the wearer. The motioa of walking in them is perfectly natural, for one shoe is level with the snow, when the edge of the other is passing over it. It is not easy to use them among bushes, without frequent overthrows, nor to rise after- wards without help. Each shoe weighs about two pounds when unclogged with snow. The northern Indian snow-shoes differ a little from those of the southern Indians, having a greater curvature on the outside of each shoe; one ad- vantage of which is, that when the foot rises the over-balanced side descends and throws off^ the snow. All the superiority of European art has been unable to improve the native contrivance of this useful machine. h 2 JOURNRY TO THE SHORES *' Sledges are made of two or three Hat boards, curving upwards in front, and fastened together by transverse pieces of wood above. They are so thin that, if heavily laden, they bend with the inequalities of the surface over which they pass. The ordinary dog-sledges are eight or ten feet long and very narrow, but the lading is secured to a lacing round the edges. The cariole used by the traders is merely a covering of leather for the lower part of the body, affixed to the common sledge, which is painted and ornamented accord- ing to the taste of the proprietor. Besides snow- shoes, each individual carries his blanket, hatchet, steel, flint, and tinder, and generally fire arms." , The general dress of the winter traveller, is a capot, having a hood to put up under the fur cap in windy weather, or in the woods, to keep the snow from his neck ; leathern trowsers and Indian stockings which are closed at the ankles, round the upper part of his mocassins, or Indian shoes, to prevent the snow from getting into them. Over these he wears a blanket, or leathern coat, which is secured by a belt round his waist, to which his fire-bag, knife, and hatchet are sus- pended. Mr. Back and I were accompanied by the seaman, John Hepburn ; we were provided with two carioles and two sledges ; their drivers and j^ \ \ OK Tin-: POLAR s^:a. 119 dogs beiug iurnished in equal proportions by the two Companies. Fifteen days' provision so com- pletely filled the sledges, that it was with diffi- culty we found room for a small sextant, one suit of clothes, and three changes of linen, together with our be^dding. Notwithstanding we thus restricted ourselves, and even loaded the carioles with part of the luggage, instead of embarking in them ourselves, we did not set out without con- siderable grumbling from the voyagers of both Companies, respecting the overlading of their dogs. However, we left the matter to be settled by our friends at the fort, who were more con- versant with winter travelling than ourselves. Indeed the loads appeared to us so great that we should have been inclined to listen to the com- plaints of the drivers. The weight usually placed upon a sledge, drawn by three dogs, cannot, at the commencement of a journey, be estimated at less than three hundred pounds, which, however, suffers a daily diminution from the consumption of provisions. The sledge itself weighs about thirty pounds. When the snow is hard frozen, or the track well trodden, the rate of travelling is about two miles and a half an hour, including rests, or about fifteen miles a day. If the snow be loose the speed is necessarily much less and the fatigue greater. lAO JOURNEY TO THE SHORES At eight in the morning of the 18th, we quitted the fort, and took leave of our hospitable friend. Governor Williams, vsrhose kindness and atten- tion I shall ever remember with gratitude. Dr. Richardson, Mr. Hocxl, and Mr. Connolly, accom- panied us along the Saskatchawan until the snow became too deep for their walking without snow- shoes. We then parted from our associates, with sincere regret at the prospect of a long separa- tion. Being accompanied by Mr. Mackenzie, of the Hudson's Bay Company, who was going to Isle a la Crosse, with four sledges under his charge, we formed quite a procession, keeping in an Indian file, on the track of the man who pre- ceded the foremost dogs ; but, as the snow was deep, we proceeded slowly on the surface of the river, which is about three hundred and fifty yards wide, for the distance of six miles, which we went this day. Its alluvial banks and islands are clothed with willows. At the place of our encampment we could scarely find sufficent pine branches to floor " the hut," as the Orkney men term the place where travellers rest. Its prepa- ration, however, consists only in clearing away the snow to the ground, and covering that space with pine branches, over which the party spread their blankets and coats, and sleep in warmth mid comfort, by keeping a good fire at their feet^ OP THE POLAIl S^A. lol without any other canopy than the heaven, even though the thermometer should bo far below zero. The arrival at the place of encampment gives immediate occupation to every one of the party ; and it is not until the sleeping-place has been arranged, and a sufficiency of wood collected as fuel for the night, that the fire is allowed to be kindled. The dogs alone remain inactive during this busy scene, being kept harnessed to their burdens until the men have leisure to unstow the sledges, and hang upon the trees every species of provision out of their reach. We had ample experience, before morning, of the necessity of this precaution, as they contrived to steal a con- siderable part of our stores, almost from under- neath Hepburn's head, notwithanding their having been well fed at supper. This evening we found the mercury of our ther- mometer had sunk into the bulb, and was frozen. It rose again into the tube on being held to the fire, but quickly re-descended into the bulb on being removed into the air ; we could not, there- fore, ascertain by it the temperature of the at- mosphere, either then or during our journey, The weather was perfectly clear. January 19. — We arose this morning after the enjoyment of a sound and comfortable repose, ^nd recommenced our journey at sunrise, iut I I:, f » j I 1 I 15? .TOURNEY TO THK SHORES made slow progress through the deep snow. The task of beating the track for the dogs was so very fatiguing, that each of the men took the lead in turn, for an hour and a half. The scenery of the banks of the river improved as we advanced to-day; some firs and poplars were intermixed with the willows. We passed through two creeks, formed by islands, and encamped on a pleasant spot on the north shore, having only made six miles and three quarters actual distance. The next day we pursued our course along the river; the dogs had the greatest difficulty in dragging their heavy burdens through the snow. We halted to refresh them at the foot of Stur- geon River, and obtained the latitude 53° ol' 41" N. This is a small stream, which issues from a neighbouring lake. We encamped near to Mus- quito Point, having walked about nine miles. The termination of the day's journey was a great relief to me, who had been suffering during the greater part of it, in consequence of my feet hav- ing been galled by the snow-shoes; this, how- ever, is an evil which few escape on their initia- tion to winter travelling. It excites no pity from the more experienced companions of the journey, who travel on as fast as they can, regardless of your pain. Mr. Isbester, and an Orkney man, joined us ' y\ OF THIi POLAR SEA. 153 from Cumberland House, and brought some pem- mican that we had left behind; a supply which was very seasonable after our recent loss. The general occupation of Mr. Isbester during the winter, is to follow or find out the Indians, and collect their furs, and his present journey will ap- pear adventurous to persons accustomed to the certainty of travelling on a well-known road. He was going in search of a band of Indians, of v/hom no information had been received since last Oc- tober, and his only guide for finding them was their promise to hunt in a certain quarter; but he looked at the jaunt with indifference, and calculated on meeting them in six or seven days, for which time only he had provision. Few persons in this country suffer more from want of food than those occasionally do who are employed on this service. They are furnished with a sufficiency of provision to serve until they reach the part where the In- dians are expected to be; but it frequently oc- curs that, on their arrival at the spot, they have gone elsewhere, and that a recent fall of snow has hidden their track, in which case, the voyagers have to wander about in search of them ; and it often happens, when they succeed in finding the Indians, that they are unprovided with meat. Mr. Isbester had been placed in this distressing situa- tion only a few weeks ago, and passed^^four days m h 164, JOURNEY TO THE SHORES without either himself or his dogs tasting food. At length, when he had determined on killing one of the dogs to satisfy his hunger, he happily met with a beaten track, which led him to some Indian lodges, where he obtained food. The morning of the 21st was cold, but pleasant for travelling. We left Mr. Isbester and his com- panion, and crossed the peninsula of Musquito Point, to avoid a detcur of several miles which the river makes. Though we put up at an early hour, we gained eleven miles this day. Our en- campment was at the lower extremity of Tobin's Falls. The snow being less deep on the rough ice which enclosed this rapid, we proceeded, on the 22d, at a quicker pace than usual, but at che expense of great suffering to Mr. Back, my- self, and Hepburn, whose feet were much galled. After passing Tobin's Falls, the river expands to the breadth of five hundred yards, and its banks are well wooded with pines, poplars, birch, and willows. Many tracks of moose-deer and wolves were observed near the encampment. On the 23d the sky was generally overcast, and there were several sr'^w showers, We saw two wolves and some foxes crosa the river in the course of the day, and passed many tracks of the moose and red-deer. Soon after we had encamp- ed the snow fell heavily, which was an advau- OF THE POLAR SEA. US tage to us after we had retired to rest, by its affording an additional covering to our blankets. The next morning, at breakfast time, two men ar- rived from Carlton on their way to Cumberland. Having the benefit of their track, we were enabled, to our great joy, to march at a quick pace without bnow-shoes. My only regret was, that the party proceeded too fast to allow of Mr. Back's halting occasionally, to note the bearings of the points, and delineate the course of the river*, without being left behind. As the provisions were getting short, I could not, therefore, with propriety, check the progress of the party ; and, indeed, it appeared to me less necessary, as I understood the river had been carefully surveyed. In the afternoon, we had to resume the incum- brance of the snow-shoes, and to pass over a rugged part where the ice had been piled river a collection of stones. The tracks of ani»nals were very abundant on the river, particularly near the remains of an old establishment, called the Lower Nipp^v/een. So much snow had fallen on the nigh* of the 24th, that the track we intended to follow was completely covered, and our march to-day was very fatiguing. Wc passed the remains of two * Tliis \v;is iiftcrwiirds ilope by Dr. Riilisirdson during- a voyag^o to Carlton in the spring, rsd .TOURNEY TO TIK^ SHORi.-j f, f. red-deer, lying at the bases of perpendicular cliffs, from the summits of which they had, probably, been forced b;y the wolves. These voracious animals who are inferior in ,5peed to the moose or red-deer are said frequently to have recourse to this expedient in places where extensive plains are bounded by precipitous cliffs. Whilst the deer are quietly grazing, the wolves assemble in great numbers, and, forming a crescent, creep slowly towards the herd so as not to alarm them much at first, but when they perceive that they have fairly hemmed in the unsuspectirig crea- tures, and cut off their retreat across the plain, they move more quickly and with hideous yells terrify their prey and urge them to flight by the only open way, which is that towards the preci- pice; appearing to know that v/hen the herd is onc« at full speed, it is easily driven over the cliff, the rearmost i-'' u.g on those that are before. The wolves then cL^s^end at their leisure, and feast on the mangled carcasses. One of these animals passed close to the person who was beating the track, but did not offer any violence. We encamped at sunset, after walking thirteen miles. On the 26th, we were rejoiced at passing the half-way point, between Cumberland and Carl- ton. The scenery of the river is less pleasing OF THE POLail SEA. Ii7 beyond this point, as there is a scarcity of wood. One of our men was despatched after a red-deer that appeared on the bank. He con- trived to approach near enough to fire twice, though without success, before the animal moved away. After a fatiguing march of seventeen miles we put up at the upper Nippeween, a de- serted establishment; and performed the com- fortable operations of shaving and washing for the first time since our departure from Cumber- land, the weather having been hitherto too severe. We passed an uncomfortable and sleep- less night, and agreed next morning to encamp in future, in the open air, as preferable to the imperfect shelter of a deserted house without doors or windows. The morning was extremely cold, but fortu- nately the wind was light, which prevented our feeling it severely : experience indeed hf.d t; ^jht us that the sensation of cold depend^, less ujy^n the state of temperature, than the force of the wind. An attempt was made to obtain the lati- tude, which failed, in consequence of the screw, that adjusts the telescope of the sextant, being immoveably fixed, from the moisture upon it having frozen. The instrument could not be replaced in its case before the ice was thawed by the fire in the evening. ^^ t i5d JOURNRy TO THE SHORES In the course of the day we passed the conflu- ence of the south branch of the Saskatchawan, which rises from the Rocky Mountains near the sources of the northern branch of the Missouri. At Coles Falls, which commence a short distance from the branch, we fojind the surface of the ice very uneven, and many spots of open water. We passed the ruins of an establishment, which the traders had been compelled to aban- don, in consequence of the intractible conduct and pilfering habits of the Assin^boine or Stone Indians ; and we learned that all the residents at a post on the south branch, had been cut of by the same trib*^ some years ago. We travelled twelve miles to-day. The wolves serenaded us through the niglit with a chorus of their agreeable howl- ing, but none of them ventured near the encamp- ment. But Mr. Back's repose was disturbed by a more serious evil : his buffalo robe caught fire, and the shoes on his feet, being contracted by the heat, gave him such pain, that he jumped up in the cold, and ran into the snow as the only means of obtaining rehef. C'n the 28tli we had a strong and piercing wind from N.W. in our faces, and much snow- drift , we were compelled to walk as quick as we could, and to keep constantly rubbing the ex- posed parts of the skin, to prevent their being OP THE POLAR SEA. 159 frozen, but some of the party suffered in spite of every precaution. We descried three red-deer on the banks of the river, and were about to send the best marksmen after them, when they espied the party, and ran away. A supply of meat would have been very seasonable, as the men's provision had become scanty, and the dogs v/ere without food, except a little burnt leather. Owing to the scarcity of wood, we had to walk until a late hour, before a good spot for an encampment could be found, and had then attained only eleven miles. The night was miserably cold; our tea froze in the tin pots before we could drink it, and even a mixture of spirits and water became quite thick by congelation; yet, after we lay down to rest, we felt no inconvenience, and heeded not the wolves, though they were howl- ing within view. The 29th was also very cold, until the sun burst forth, when the travelling became pleasant. The banks of the river are very scantily supplied, with wood through the part we passed to-day. A long track on the south shore, called Holms Plains, is destitute of any thing like a tree, and the opposite bank has only stunted willows; but, after walking sixteen miles, we came to a spot better wooded, and encamped opposite to a re- % IdO .lOURNEV TO THE SHORES li: 311 markable place, called by the voyagers " The Neck of Land." A short distance below our encampment, on the peninsula formed by the confluence of the Net- setting river with the Saskatchawan, there stands a representation of Kepoochikawn, which was formerly held in high veneration by the In- dians, and is still looked upon with some respect. It is merely a large willow bush, having its tops bound into a bunch. Many offerings of value such as handsome dresses, hatchets, and kettles* used to be made to it, but of late its votaries have been less liberal. It was mentioned to us as a signal instance of its power, that a sacrilegious moose-deer having ventured to crop a few of its tender twigs was found dead at the distance of a few yards. The bush having now grown old and stunted is exempted from similar violations. On the thirtieth we directed our course round The Neck of Land, which is well clothed with pines and firs; though the opposite or western bank is nearly destitute of wood. This contrast between the two banks continued until we reached the commencement of what our compa- nions called the Barren Grounds, when both the banks were alike bare. Vast plains extend behind the southern bank, which afford excellent pas- OP THE POLAR SEA. 161 turage for the buffalo, and other grazing animals. In the evening we saw a herd of the former, but could not get near to them. After walking fif- teen miles we encamped. The men's provision having been entirely expended last night, we shared our small stock with them. The poor dogs had been toiling some days on the most scanty fare ; their rapacity, in consequence, was unbounded ; they forced open a deal box, con- taining tea, ^c, to got at a small piece of meat which had been incautiously placed in it. As soon as daylight permitted, the party com- menced their march in expectation of reach- ing Carlton House to breakfast, but we did not arrive before noon, although the track was good. We were received by Mr. Prudens, the gentle- man in charge of the post, with that friendly at- tention which Governor Williams's circular was calculat 3d to ensure at every station ; and were soon afterwards regaled with a substantial dish of buffalo steaks, which would have been ex- cellent under any circumstances, but were par- ticularly relished by us, after our travelling fare of dried meat and pemmican, though eaten with- out either bread or vegetables. A tcr this repast, we had the comfort of changing our tra- velling dresses, which had been worn for four- VoL. I. M 163 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES teen days ; a gratification which can only be truly estimated by those who have been placed under similar circumstances. I was still in too great pain from swellings in the ankles to proceed to La Montee, the North-West Company's esta- blishment, distant about three miles ; but Mr. Hallet, the gentleman in charge, came the follow- ing morning, and I presented to him the circular from Mr. S. Mac Gillivray. He had already been furnished, however, with a copy of it from Mr. Con- nolly, and was quite prepared to assist us in our advance to the Athabasca. Mr. Back and I having been very desirous to see some of the Stone Indians, who reside on the plains in this vicinity, learned with regret that a large band of them had left the house on the pre- ceding day ; but our curiosity was amply gratified by the appearance of some individuals, on the fol- lowing and every subsequent day during our stay. The looks of these people would hiive prepos- sessed me in their favour, but for the assurances I had received from the gentlemen of the posts, of their gross and habitual treachery. Their countenances are affable and pleasing, their eyes large and expressive, nose aquiline, teeth white and regular, the forehead bold, the cheek-bones rather high. Their figure is usually good, above OF THE POLAR SEA. 163 the middle size, with slender, but well propor- tioned, limbs. Their colour is a light copper, and they have a profusion of very black hair, which hangs over the ears, and shades the face. Their dress, which I think extremely neat and convenient, consists of a vest and trowsers of leather fitted to the body ; over these a bufialo robe is thrown gracefully. These dresses are in general cleaned with white-mud, a sort of marl, though some use red earth, a kind of bog-iron-ore ; but this colour neither looks so light, nor forms such an agreeable contrast as the white with the black hair of the robe. Their quiver hangs be* hind them, and in the hand is carried the bow, with an arrow always ready for attack or defence, and sometimes they have a gun ; they also carry a bag containing materials for making a fire, some tobacco, the calumet or pipe, and whatever valuables they possess. This bag is neatly ornamented with porcupine quills. Thus equip- ped, the Stone Indian bears himself with an air of perfect independence. The only articles of European commerce they require in exchsrige for the meat they furnish to the trading post, are tobacco, knives, ammunition, and spirits, and occasionally some beads, but more frequently buttons, which they string in their hair as ornaments. A successful hunter will M 2 ^J i\ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) 4 /!> y. = 1= 11.25 K ... I 1^ U£ Bi 1,2,2 Hi u mil 1.6 V] vQ >' / Pholpgraphic Sciences Corporation 33 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. MSSO (716) f73-4S03 6^ ^ 1G4 JOURNEY TO •^HE SHORES i probably have two or three dozen of them hanging at equal distances on locks of hair, from each side of the forehead. At the end of these locks, small coral bells are sometimes attached, which tingle at every motion of the head, a noise which seems greatly to delight the wearer ; sometimes strings of buttons are bound round the head like a tiara ; and a bunch of feathers gracefully crowns the head. The Stone Indians steal whatever they can, particularly horses ; these animals they maintain are common property, sent by the Almighty for the general use of man, and therefore may be taken wherever met with ; still they admit the right of the owners to watch them, and to prevent theft if possible. This avowed disposition on their part calls forth the strictest vigilance at the different posts ; notwithstanding which the most daring attacks are often made with success, some- times on parties of three or four, but oftener on individuals. About two years ago a band of them had the audacity to attempt to take away some horses which were grazing before the gate of the N.W. Company's fort ; and, after braving the fire from the few people then at the establish- ment through the whole day, and returning their shots occasionally, they actually succeeded in their, enterprise. One man was kiUed on each OF THK POLAR SEA. 105 side. They usually strip defenceless persons whom they meet of all their garments, but particularly of those which have buttons, and leave them to travel home in that state, however severe the weather. If resistance be expected, they not unfrequently murder before they attempt to rob. The traders, when they travel, invariably keep some men on guard to prevent surprise, whilst the otliers sleep ; and often practise the stratagem of lighting a fire at sunset, which they leave burning, and move on after dark to a more distant encampment — yet these precautions do not always baffle the depredators. Such is the description of men whom the traders of this river have constantly to guard against. It must require a long residence among them, and much expe- rience of their manners, to overcome the appre- hensions their hostility and threats are calculated to excite. Through fear of having their pro- vision and supplies entirely cut off, the traders are often obliged to overlook the grossest offences, even murder, thuogh the delinquents present themselves with unblushing eftrontry almost im- mediately after the fact, and perhaps boast of it. They do not, on detection, consider them- selves under any obligation to deliver up what they have stolen witliout receiving an equiva- lent. 16ft JOURNEY TO THE SHORES The Stone Indians keep in amity with their neighbours the Crees from motives of interest ; and the two tribes unite in determined hostiHty against the nations dwelling to the westward, which are generally called Slave Indians — a term of reproach applied by the Crees to those tribes against whom they have waged successful wars. The Slave Indians are said greatly to resemble the Stone Indians, being equally desperate and daring in their acts of aggression and dishonesty towards the traders. These parties go to war almost every summer, and sometimes muster three or four hundred horsemen on each side. Their leaders, in ap- proaching the foe, exercise all the caution of the most skilful generals ; and whenever either party considers that it has gained the best ground, or finds it can surprise the other, the attack is made. They advance at once to close quarters, and the slaughter is consequently great, though the battle may be short. The prisoners of either sex are seldom spared, but slain on the spot with wanton cruelty. The dead are scalped, and he is con- sidered the bravest person who bears the greatest number of scsdps from the field. These are after- wards attached to his war dress, and worn as proofs of his prowess. The victorious party, during a certain time, blacken their faces and OP THE POLAR SEA. 167 every part of their dress in token of joy, and in that state they often come to the establishmjnt, if near, to testify their delight by dancing and singing, bearing all the horrid insignia of war, to display their individual feats. When in mourn- ing, they completely cover their dress and hair with white mud. The Crees in the vicinity of Carlton House have the same cast of countenance as those about Cumberland, but are much superior to them in appearance, living in a more abundant country. These men are more docile, tractable, and indus- trious, than the Stone Indians, and bring greater supplies of provision and furs to the posts. Their general mode of dress resembles that of the Stone Indians; but sometimes they wear cloth leggins, blankets, and other useful articles, when they can afford to purchase them. They also decorate their hair with buttons. The Crees procure guns from the traders, and use them in preference to the bow and arrow ; and from them the Stone Indians often ^et sup- plied, either by stealth, gaming, or traffic. Like the rest of their nation, these Crees are remark- ably fond of spirits, and would make any sacrifice to obtain them. I regretted to find the demand for this pernicious article had greatly increased im JOURNKV TO THE SHORES within the few last years. The following notice of these Indians is extracted from Dr. Richard- son's journal: ' *' The Asseenaboine, termed by the Crees As- seeneepoytuck, or Stone Indians, are a tribe of Sioux, who speak a dialect of the Iroquois, one of the great divisions under which the American philologists have classed the known dialects of the Aborigines of North America. The Stone Indians, or, as they name themselves, Eascab, originally entered this part of the country under the protection of the Crees, and in concert with them attacked and drove to the westward the former inhabitants of the banks of the Saskatcha- wan. They are still the allies of the Crees, but have now become more numerous than their Ibrmer protectors. They exhibit all the bad qua- lities ascribed to the Mengwe or Iroquois, the stock whence they are sprung. Of their actual number I could obtain no precise information, but it is very great. The Crees who inhabit the plains, being fur hunters, are better known to the traders. "They are divided into two distinct bands, the Ammisk-watche^thinyoowuc or Beaver Hill Crees, who have about forty tents, and the Sacka- wee-thinyoowuc, or Thick Wood Crees, who have thirty-five. The tents average nearly ten inmates OF THE POLAR SEA. M0 each, which gives a population of seven hundred and fifty to the whole. "The nations who were driven to the west- ward by the Eascab and Crees are termed, in general, by the latter, Yatchee-thinyoowuc, which has been translated Slave Indians, but more properly signifies Strangers. " They now inhabit the country around Fort Augustus, and towards the foot of the Rocky Mountains, and have increased in strength until they have become an object of terror to the Eas- cab themselves. They rear a great number of horses, make use of fire-arms, and are fond of European articles ; in order to purchase which they hunt the beaver and other furred animals, but they depend principally on the buffalo for subsistence. " They are divided into five nations : — First, the Pawaustic-eythin-yoowuc, or Fall Indians, so named from their former residence on the falls of the Saskatchawan. They are the Minetarres, with whom Captain Lewis's party had a conflict on their return fiom the Missouri. They have about four hundred and fifty or five hundred tents ; their language is very guttural and difficult. ** Second, the Peganoo-eythinyoowuc Pegans, or Muddy River Indians, named in their own language Pegance'-koon, have four hundred tents. 170 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES . "Third, the Meethco-thinyoowuc, or Blood Indians, named by themselves Kainoe'-koon, have three hundred tents. " Fourth, the Cuskoeteh-waw-th^sseetuck, or Blackfoot Indians, in their own language Saxoe- koe-koon, have three hundred and fifty tents. •' The last three nations, or tribes, the Pegans, Blood Indians, and Black-feet speak the same language. It is pronounced in a slow and distinct tone, has much softness, and is easily acquired by their neighbours. I am assured by the best in- terpreters in the country, that it bears no affinity to the Cree, Sioux, or Chipewyan languages. ** Lastly, the Sassees, or Circees, have one hundred and fifty tents; they speak the same language with their neighbours, the Snare In- dians, who are a tribe of the extensive family of the Chipewyans*." On the 6th of February, we accompanied Mr. Prudens on a visit to a Cree encampment and a buffalo pound, about six miles from the house; • "As the subjects maybe interesting' to philulu^sts, I subjoin a few words of the Blackfoot language : — ■■ < '* Peestah kan, tobacco. Stoo-an, a knife. ISfoohksce, an awl. Sassoopats, iuunuinition. NappGe-o6hkee, rum. Meenee, bead«. Cook kcet, give ine. Pooininees, fat. Eeninoe, buffalo. Miss ta poot, keep off. PooxapoKt come here. Saw, no. Kat CBtsits, n;inc,r have none Stwee, cold ; it is cold Keet sta kce, a heaver. Pennakdinit, a horse. Nauui^, a bow. Ahisceu, good." OF THE POLAR SEA. 171 we found seven tents pitched within a small clus- ter of pines, which adjoined the pound. The largest, which we entered, belonged to the Chief, who was absent, but came in on learning our arrival. The old man (about sixty) welcomed MS with a hearty shake of the hand, and the customary salutation of" What cheer!" an expression which they have gained from the traders. As we had been expected, they had caused the tent to be neatly arranged, fresh grass was spread on the ground, buffalo robes were placed on the side opposite the door for us to sit on, and a kettle was on the fire to boil meat for us. Afte r a few minutes' conversation, an invitation was given to the Chief and his hunters to smoke the calumet with us, as a token of our friendship : this was loudly announced through the camp, and ten men from the other tents immediately joined our party. On their entrance the women and children withdrew, their presence on such occasions being contrary to etiquette, llie calu- met having been prepared and lighted by Mr. Prudens's clerk, was presented to the Chief, who performed the following ceremony before he commenced smoking: — He first pointed the stem to the south, then to the west, north, 173 .lOlTRNEY TO TJfK SIIOUKS T ) and east, and afterwards to the heavens, the earth, and the fire, as an offering to the presiding spirits; — he took throe whiffs only, and then passed the pipe to his next companion, who took the same number of whiffs, and so did each per- son as it went round. After the cahimet had been replenished, the person who then com* inenced repeated only the latter part of the cere- mony, pointing the stem to the heaven, the earth, and the fire. Some spirits, mixed with water, were presented to the old man, who, before ho drank, demanded a feather, which he dipped into tlie cup several times, and sprinkled the moisture on the ground, pronouncing each time a prayer. His first address to the Keetchee Manitou, or Great Spirit, was, that buffalo might be abundant every where, and that plenty might come into their pound. He next prayed, that the other animals might be numerous, and particularly those which were valuable for their furs, and then implored that the party present might escape the sickness which was at that iime prevalent, and be blessed with constant health. Some other sup- phcations followed, which wc could not get inter- preted without interrupting the whole proceeding ; but at every close, the whole Indian party as- sented by exclaiming Aha; and when he had OF THE POLAR SEA. 17* finished, the old man drank a little and passed the cup round. After these ceremonies each person smoked at his leisure, and they en- gaged in a general conversation, which I regretted not understanding, as it seemed to be very hu- morous, exciting frequent bursts of laughter. The younger men, in particular, appeared to ridicule the abstinence of one of the party, who neither dranked nor smoked. He bore their jeer- ing with perfect composure, and assured them, as I was told, they would be better if they would follow his example. I was happy to learn from Mr. Prudens, that this man was not only one of the best hunters, but the most cheerful and con- tented of the tribe. Four Stone Indians arrived at this time and were invited into the tent, but one only accepted the invitation and partook of the fare. When Mr. Prudens heard the others refuse, he gave im- mediate directions that our horses should be nar- rowly watched, as he suspected these fellows wished to carry them off. Having learned that these Crees considered Mr. Back and myself to be war chiefs, possessing great power, and th^t thtiy expected we should make some adflrfes'^ to them, I desired them to be kind to the trader^', to'be industrious in procuring them provisioia and furs, and to refrain from stealing their stores and 174 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES t horses ; and I assured ♦l.^m, that if I heard of their continuing to behave kindly, I would men- tion their good conduct in the strongest terms to their Great Father across the sea, (by which ap- pellation they designate the King,) whose favour- able consideration they had been taught by the traders to value most highly. They all promised to follow my advice, and assured me it was not they, but the Stone Indians, who robbed and annoyed the traders. The Stone Indian who was present, heard this accu- sation against his tribe quite unmoved, but he probably did not understand the whole of the communication. We left them to finish their rum, and went to look round the lodges, and ex- amine the pound. The greatest proportion of labour, in savage life, falls to the women ; we now saw them em- ployed in dressing skins, and conveying wood, water, and provision. As they have often to fetch the meat from some distance, they are as- sisted in this duty by their dogs, which are not harnessed in sledges, but carry their burthens in a manner peculiarly adapted to this level coun- try. Two long poles are fastened by a collar to the dog's neck ; their ends trail on the ground, and are kept at a proper distance by a hoop, which is lashed between them, immediately be- OP THE POLAR SEA. 17j hind the dog's tail; the hoop is covered with networlc, upon which the load is placed. The boys were amusing themselves by shoot- ing arrows at a mark, and thus training to become hunters. The Stone Indians are so expert with the bow and arrow, that they can strike u very small object at a considerable distance, and will shoot with sufficient force to pierce throup;h the body of a buffalo when near. The buffalo jx^und was a fenced circular space of about a hundred yards in diameter; the en- trance was banked up with snow, to a sufficient height to prevent the retreat of the animals that once have entered. For about a mile on each side of the road leading to the pound, stakes were driven into the ground at nearly equal dis- tances of about twenty yards; these were in- tended to represent men, and to deter the animals from attempting to break out on . either side. Within fifty or sixty yards from the pound, branches of trees were placed between these stakes to screen the Indians, who lie down behind them to await the approach of the bufialo. The principal dexterity in this species of chase is shewn by the horsemen, who have to manoeuvre round the herd in the plains so as to urge them to enter the roadway, which is about a quarter of \7S JOURNEY TO THE SHORES k a mile broad. "When this has been accomplished, they raise loud shouts, and, pressing close upon the animals, so terrify them that they rush heed- lessly forward towards the snare, When they have advanced as far as the men :vho are lying in ambush, they also rise, and increase the con- sternation by violeiit shouting and fihiig guns. The afirighted beasts having no alternative, run directly to the pound, where they are quickly despatched, either with an arrow or gun. There was a tree in the centre of the pound, on which the Indians had hung strips of buffalo flesh and pieces of cloth as tributary or grateful offerings to the Great Master of Life; and we were told that they occasionally place a man in the tree to sing to the presiding spirit as the buf- faloes are advancing, who must keep his station until the whole that have entered are killed. This species of hunting is very similar to that of taking elephants on the Island of Ceylon, but upon a smaller scale. The Crees complained to us of the audacity of a party of Stone Indians, who, two nights before, had stripped their revered tree of many of its offerings, and had injured their pound by setting their stakes out of the proj^r places. Other modes of killing the buffalo are practised OP THE POLAR SEA. 177 by the Indians with success ; of these the hunt- ing them jn horseback requires most dexterity. An expert hunter, when well mounted, dashes at the herd, and chooses an individual which he en- deavours to separate from the rest. If he suc- ceeds, he contrives to keep him apart by the pro- per management of his horse, though going at full speed. Whenever he can get sufficiently near for a ball to penetrate the beast's hide, he fires, and seldom fails of bringing the animal down; though of course he cannot rest the piece against the shoulder, nor take a deliberate aim. On this service the hunter is often exposed to considera- ble danger, from the fall of his horse in the nu- merous holes which the badgers make in these plains, and also from the rage of the buffalo, which, when closely pressed, often turns sud- denly, and, rushing furiously on the horse, fre- quently succeeds in wounding it, or dismounting the rider. Whenever the animal shews this dis- position, which the experienced hunter will rea- dily perceive, he immediately pulls up his horse, and goes off in another direction. When the buffaloes are on their guard, horses cannot be used in approaching them; but the hunter dismounts at some distance, and crawls in the snow towards the herd, pushing his gun be- fore him. If the buffaloes happen to look towards Vol. I. N ITS JOURNEY TO THE SHORES him, he stops, and keeps quite motionless, until their eyes are turned in another direction; by this cautious proceeding a skilful person will get so near as to be able to kill two or three out of the herd. It will easily be imagined this service cannot be very agreeable when the thermometer stands 30° or 40° below zero, as sometimes hap- pens in this country. As we were returning from the tents, the dogs that were harnessed to three sledges, in one of which Mr. Back was seated, set off in pursuit of a buffalo-calf. Mr. Back was speedily thrown from his vehicle, and had to join me in my horse- cariole. Mr. Heriot, having gone to recover the dogs, found them lying exhausted beside the calf, which they had baited until it was as ex- hausted as themselves. Mr. Heriot, to shew us the mode of hunting on horseback, or, as the traders term it, running of the buffalo, went in chase of a cow, and killed it after firing three shots. The buffalo is a huge and shapeless animal, quite devoid of grace or beauty; particularly awkward in running, but by no means slow; when put to his speed, he plunges through the deep snow very expeditiously ; the hair is dark brown, very shaggy, curling about the head, neck, and hump, and ahuost covering the eye, particu- OP THE POLAR SEA. 179 larly in the bull, which is larger and more un- sightly than the cow. The most esteemed part of the animal is the hump, called by the Canadians bosy by the Hudson's Bay people the tdg ; it is merely a strong muscle, on which nature at cer- tain seasons forms a considerable quantity of fat. It is attached to the long spinous processes of the first dorsal vertebrae, and seems to be destin- ed to support the enormous head of the animal. The meat which covers the spinal processes them- selves, after the wig is removed, is next in es- teem for its flavour and juiciness, and is more exclusively termed the hump by the hunters. The party was prevented from visiting a Stone Indian encampment by a heavy fall of snow, which made it impracticable to go and return the same day. We were dissuaded from sleeping at their tents by the interpreter at the N.W. post, who told us they considered the hooping-cough and measles, under which they were now suf- fering, to have been introduced by some white people recently arrived in the country, and that he feared those who had lost relatives, imagining we were the persons, might vent their revenge on us. We regretted to learn that these diseases had been so very destructive among the tribes along the Saskatchawan, as to have carried off about three hundred persons, Crees and Assee- N2 ISO JOURNEY TO THE SHORES naboines, within the trading circle of these esta- blishments. The interpreter also informed us of another bad trait peculiar to the Stone Indians. Though they receive a visitor kindly at their tents, and treat him very hospitably during his stay, yet it is very probable they will despatch some young men to way-lay and rob him in going towards the post: indeed, all the traders assured us it was more necessary to be vigilantly on our guard on the occasion of a visit to them, than at any other time. Carlton House, (which our observations place in latitude 52° 50' 47" N., longitude, 106° 12' 42" W., variation 20° 44' 47" E.) is pleasantly situated about a quarter of a mile from the river's side on the flat ground under the shelter of the high banks that bound the plains. The land is fertile, and produces, v/ith little trouble, ample returns of wheat, barley, oats, and potatoes. The ground is. prepared for the reception of these vegetables, about the middle of April, and when Dr. Richard- son visited this place on May 10th, the blade of wheat looked strong and healthy. There were only five acres in cultivation at the period of my visit. The prospect from the fort must be pretty in sum- mer, owing to the luxuriant verdure of this fertile soil; but in the uniform and cheerless ^^^arb of winter, it has little to gratify the eye. OF THi: roL.va ska. 181 Beyond the steep bank behind the house, com- mences the vast plain, whose boundaries are but imperfectly known; it extends along the south branch of the Saskatchawan, and towards the sources of the Missouri, and Asseenaboine Rivers, being scarcely interrupted through the whole of this great space by hills, or even rising grounds. The excellent pasturage furnishes food in abundance, to a variety of grazing animals, of which the buf- falo, red-deer, and a species of antelope, are the most important. Their presence naturally at- tracts groat hordes of wolves, which are of two kinds, the large, and the small. Many bears prowl about the banks of this river in summer; of these the grizzle bear is the most ferocious, and is held in dread both by Indians and Euro- peans. The traveller, in crossing these plains, not only suffers from the want of food and water, but is also exposed to hazard from his horse stum- bling in the numerous badger-holes. In many large districts, the only fuel is the dried dung of the buffalo; and when a thirsty traveller reaches a spring, he has not unfrequcntly the mortifica- tion to find the water salt. Carlton House, and La Montee, ar" provision- posts, only an niconsiderable quantity of furs being obtained at either of them. The provisions are procured in the winter season from the Indians, Hi JOURNEY TO THE SHORES in the form of dried meat and fat, and when con- verted by mixture into pemmican, furnish the principal support of the voyagers, in their pas- sages to and from the depots in summer. A considerable quantity of it is also kept for winter use, at most of the fur-posts, as the least bulky article tliat can be taken on a winter journey. The mode of making pemmican is very simple, the meat is dried by the Indians in the sun, or over a fire, and pounded by beating it with stones when spread on a skin. In this state it is brought to the forts, where the admixture of hair is partially sifted out, and a third part of melted fat incorporated with it, partly by turn- ing the two over with a wooden shovel, partly by kneading them together with the hands. The pemmican is then firmly pressed into leathern bags, each capable of containing eighty-five pounds, and being placed in an airy place to cool, is fit for use. It keeps in this state, if not allowed to get wet, very well for one year, and with great care it may be preserved good lor two. Between three and four hundred bags were made here by each of the Companies this year. Tht.e were eight men, besides Mr. Prudens and his clerk, belonging to Carlton House. At La Montee there were seventy Canadians and OF THE POLAR SEA. 183 half-breeds, and sixty women and children, who consumed upwards of seven hundred pounds o buffalo meat daily, the allowance per diem for each man being eight pounds : a portion not so ex- travagant as may at first appear, when allowance is made for bone, and the entire want of farina- ceous food or vegetables. There are other provision posts. Fort Augustus and Edmonton farther up the river, from whence some furs are also procured. The Stone Indians have threatened to cut off the supplies in going up to these establishments, to prevent their enemies from obtaining ammunition, and other European articles ; but as these menaces have been fre- quently made without being put in excution, the traders now hear them without any great alarm, though they take every precaution to prevent being surprised. Mr. Back and I were present when an old Cree communicated to Mr. Pradens, that the Indians spoke of killing all the white people in that vicinity this year, which information he re- ceived with perfect composure, and was amused, as well as ourselves, with the man's judicious re- mark which immediately followed, " A pretty state we shall then be in without the goods you bring us." The following remarks on a well-known disease are extracted from Dr. Richardson's Journal : — ** Bronchocele, or Goitre, is a common disorder 184 .lOflRNEV TO THE fillORES at Edmonton. I examined several of the indi- viduals afflicted with it, and endeavoured to ob- tain every information on the subject from the most authentic sources. The following facts may be depended upon. The disorder attacks those only who drink the water of the river. It is in- deed in its worst state confined almost entirely to the half-breed women and children, who reside constantly at the fort, and make use of river water, drawn in the winter through a hole cut in the ice. The men, being often from home on journeys through the plain, when their drink is melted snow, are less affected; and, if any of them exhibit during the winter, some incipient symptoms of the complaint, the annual summer voyage to the sea-coast generally effects a cure. The natives who confine themselves to snow wa- ter in the winter, and drink of the small rivulets which flow through the plains in the summer, are exempt from the attacks of this disease. *' These facts are curious, inasmuch as they mi- litate against the generally-received opinion that the disease is caused by drinking snow-water; an opinion which seems to have originated from bronchocele being endemial to sub-alpine districts. " The Saskatchawan, at Edmonton, is clear in the winter, and £dso in the summer, except dur- ing the May and July floods. The distance from OF THE POLAR SRA. 185 the Rocky Mountains (which I suppose to be of primitive formation,) is upwards of one hundred and thirty miles. The neighbouring plains arc alluvial, the soil is calcareous, and contains nu- merous travelled fragments of limestone. At a considerable distance below Edmonton, the river, continuing its course through the plains, becomes turbiii, and acquires a white colour. In this state it is drunk by the inmates of Carlton House, where the disease is known only by name. It is said that the inhabitants of Rocky Mountain House, sixty miles nearer the source of the river are more severely affected than those at Edmonton, The same disease occurs near the sources of the Elk and Peace Rivers ; but, in those parts of the country which are distant from the Rocky Moun- tain Chain, it is unknown, although melted snow forms the only drink of the natives for nine months of the year. •' A residence of a single year at Edmonton is sufficient to render a family bronchocelous. Many of the goitres acquire great size. Burnt sponge has been tried, and found to remove the disease, but an exposure to the same cause irunrM^.ately reproduces it. "A great proportion of the children of women who have goitres, are born idiots, with large heads, and the other distinguishing marks of cretins. I could not learn whether it was neces- 188 .lOlIllNEY TO THE SIIOHKS sary that bt *^arents should have goitres, to pro- duce cretin ciii iren: indeed the want of chastity in the half-breed women would be a bar to the deduction of any inference on this head." Fcbrucm/ 8. — Having recovered from the swell- ings and pains which our late march from Cum- berland had occasioned, we prepared for the com- mencement of our journey to Isle A la Crosse, and requisitions were made on both the establish- ments for the means of conveyance, and the ne- cessary supply of provisions for the party, which were readily furnished. On the 9th the carioles and sledges were loaded, and sent off after break- fast ; but Mr. Back and I remained till the after- noon, as Mr. Prudens had offered that his horses should convey us to the encampment. At 3 P.M. we parted from our kind host, and in passing through the gate were honoured with a salute of musketrjr. After riding six miles, we joined the men at their encampment, which was made under the shelter of aL few poplars. The dogs had been so much fatigued in wading through the very deep snow with their heavy burdens, having to drag upwards of ninety pounds' weight each, that they could get no farther. Soon after our arrival, the snow began to fall heavily, and it continued through the greater part of the night. Our next day's march was therefore particularly tedious, the snow being deep, and the route lying OF THE POLAIl SEA. IS7 across an unvarying level, destitute of woocl, ex- cept one small cluster of willows. In the after- noon we reached the end of the plain, and came to an elevation, on which poplars, willows, and some pines grew, where we encamped ; having travelled ten miles. We crossed three small lakes, two of fresh water and one of salt, near the latter of which we encamped, and were, in consequence, obliged to use for our tea, water made from snow, which has always a disagree- able taste. We had scarcely ascended the hill on the fol- lowing morning, when a large herd of ted-deer was perceived grazing at a little distance; and, though we were amply supplied with provision, our Canadian companions could not resist the temptation of endeavouring to add to our stock. A half-breed hunter was therefore sent after them. He succeeded in wounding one, but not so as to prevent its running off with the herd in a direc- tion wide of our course. A couple of rabbits and a brace of wood partridges were shot in the after- noon. There was an agreeable variety of hill and dale in the scenery we passed through to-day ; and sufficient wood for ornament, but not enough to crowd the picture. The valleys were intersect- ed by several small lakes and pools, whose snowy covering was happily contrasted with the I8H JOURNKY TO rili: SIIOUKS dark green of the pine-trees which surrounded them. Aller ascending a moderately high hill by a winding path through a close wood, wo opened suddenly upon Lake Iroquois, and had a full view of its picturesque shores. We crossed it and encamped. Though the sky was cloudless, yet the weather was warm. We had the gratification of finding a beaten track soon after we started on the morn- ing of the l'2th, and were thus enabled to walk briskly. We crossed at least twenty hills, and found a small lake or pool at the foot of each. The destructive ravages of fire were visible during the greater part of the day. The only wood we saw for miles together consisted of pine- trees stript of their branches and bark by this element: in other parts poplars alone were grow- ing, which we have remarked invariably to suc- ceed the pine after a conflagration. We walked twenty miles to-day, but the direct distance was only sixteen. . The remains of an Indian hut were found in a deep glen, and close to it was placed a pile of wood, which our companions supposed to cover a deposit of provision. Our Canadian voyagers, in- duced by their insatiable desire of procuring food, proceeded to remove the upper pieces, and exa- mine its contents ; when, to their suprise, they OK THE POLAR SEA. ISO found the body of a female, clothed In leather, which appeared to have been recently placed there. Her former garments, the materials for making a fire, a fishing-line, a hatchet, and a bark dish, were laid beside the corpse. The wood was carefully replaced. A small owl, perched on a tree near the spc-t, called forth many singular remarks from our companions, as to its being a good or bad omen. We walked the whole of the 13th over flat mea- dow-land, which is much resorted to by the buffalo at all seasons. Some herds of them were seen, which our hunters were too unskilful to approach. In the afternoon we reached the Stinking Lake, which is nearly of an oval form. Its shores are very low and swaiDpy, to which circumstances, and not to the bad quality of the waters, it owes its Indian name. Our observations place its western part in latitude 53° -25' 24" N., longitude 107° 18' 5S" W., variation 20° 32' 10' E. After a march of fifteen miles and a half, we encamped among a few pines, at the only spot where we saw sufficient wood for making our fire during the day. The next morning, about an hour after we had commenced our march, we came upon a beaten track, and perceived recent marks of snow-shoes. In a short time an Iroquois join- ed us, who was residing with a party of Cree- IdO JOURNEY TO THE SHORES Indians, to secure the meat and furs they should collect, for the North- West Company. He ac- companied us as far as the stage on which his meat was pkiced, and then gave us a very press- ing invitation to halt for the day and partake of his fare ; which, as the hour was too early, we declined, much to the annoyance of our Canadian conrr anions, who had been cherishing the pros- pect of indulging their amazing appetites at this well-furnished store, ever since the man had been with us. He gave them, however, a small supply previous to our parting. The route now crossed some ranges of hills, on which fir, birch, and pop- lar, grew so thickly, that we had much difficulty in getting the sisdges through the narrow pathway between them. In the evening we descended from the elevated ground, crossed three swampy meadows, and encamped at their northern ex- tremity, within a cluster of large pine-trees, the branches of which were elegantly decorated with abundance of a greenish yellow lichen. Our march was ten miles. The weather was very mild, almost too warm for the exercise we were taking. We had a strong gale from the N.W. during the night, which subsided as the morning opened. One of the sledges had been so much broken the day before in the woods, that we had to divide its OF THE POLAR SEA. 191 cargo among the others. We started after this had been arranged, and finding almost imme- diately a firm track, soon arrived at some In- dian lodges to which it led. The inhabitants were Crees, belonging to the posts on the Sas- katchawan, from whence they had come to hunt beaver. We made but a short stay, and pro- ceeded through a Swamp to Pelican Lake. Our view to the right was bounded by a range of lofty hills, which extended for several miles in a north and south direction, which, it may be re- marked, was that of all the hilly land we had passed since quitting the plain. Pelican Lake is of an irregular form, about six miles from east to west, and eight from north to south ; it decreases to the breadth of a mile to- wards the northern extremity, and is there termi- nated by a creek. We went up this creek for a short distance, and then struck into the woods, and encamped among a cluster of the firs, which the Canadians term cypres, {^phms BanhianaJ having come fourteen miles and a half February 16. — Shortly after commencing the journey to-day, we met an Indian and his family, who had come from the houses at Green Lake ^ they informed us the track was well beaten the whole way. We therefore, put forth our utmost speed in the hope of reaching them by night ; but were disappointed, and had to halt at dark, about ^i 192 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES twelve miles from them, in a fisherman's hut, which was unoccupied. Frequent showers of snow fell during the day, and the atmosphere was thick and gloomy. We started at an early hour the following morning, and reached the Hudson's Bay Com- pany's post to breakfast, and were received very kindly by Mr. Mac Farlane, the gentleman in charge. The other establishment, situated on the opposite side of the river, was under the direction of Mr. Dugald Cameron, one of the partners of the North- West Company, on whom Mr. Back and I called soon after our arrival, and were honoured with a salute of musquetry. These establishments are small, but said to be well situated for procuring furs ; as the numerous creeks in their vicinity are much re- sorted to by the beaver, otter, and musquash. The residents usually obtain a superabundant supply of provision. This season, however, they barely had sufficient for their own support; owing to the epidemic which has incapacitated the Indians for hunting. The Green Lake lies nearly north and south, is eighteen miles in length, and does not exceed one mile and a half of breadth in any part. The water is deep, and it is in consequence one of the last lakes in the country that is 'frozen. Excellent tittameg and trout are caught in it from March to December, OP THE POLAR SEA. 193 but after that time most of the fish remove to some larger lake. We remained two days, awaiting the return of some men who had been sent to the Indian lodges for meat, and who were to go on with us. Mr. Back and I did not need this rest, having completely surmounted the pain occasioned by the snow-shoes. We dined twice with Mr. Cameron, and received from him many useful suggestions respecting our future operations. This gentleman having informed us that pro- visions would, probably, be very scarce next spring in the Athabasca department, in con- sequence of the sickness of the Indians during the hunting season, undertook at my request to cause a supply of pemmican to be conveyed from the Saskatchawan to Isle A la Crosse for our use during the winter, and I wrote to apprize Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood, that they would find it at the latter post when they passed ; and also to desire them to bring as much as the canoes would stow from Cumberland. The atmosphere was clear and cold during our stay ; observations were obtained at the Hudson Bay Fort, lat. 54° 16' 10" N., long. 107° ^9' 52" W., var. 22° 6' 35" E. February 20. — Having been equipped with carioles, sledges, and provisions, from the two m Vol. r. O 194 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES posts, we this day recommenced our journey, and were much amused by the novelty of the salute given at our departure, the guns being principally fired by the women in the absence of the men. Our course was directed to the end of the lake, and for a short distance along a small river; we then crossed the woods to the Beaver River, which we found to be narrow and very ser- pentine, having moderately high banks. We encamped about one mile and a half further up among poplars. The next day we proceeded along the river; it was winding, and about two hundred yards broad. We passed the mouths of two rivers whose waters it receives ; the latter one, we were informed, is a channel by which the Indians go to the Lesser Slave Lake. The banks of the river became higher as we ad- vanced, and were adorned with pines, poplars, and willows. Though the weather was very cold, we travelled more comfortably than at any preceding time since our departure from Cumberland, as we had light carioles, which enabled us to ride nearly the whole day, warmly covered up with a buffalo robe. We were joined by Mr. M'Leod, of the North-West Company, who had kindly brought some things from Green Lake, which our sledges could not carry. Pursuing our route OP THE POLAR SEA. 196 along the river, we reached at an early hour the upper extremity of the " Grand Rapid," where the ice was so rough that the carioles and sledges had to be conveyed across a point of land. Soon after noon we left the river, incHning N.E., and directed our course N.W., until we reached Long Lake, and encamped at its northern extrerxiity, having come twenty-three miles. This lake is about fourteen miles long, and from three quar- ters to one mile and a half broad; its shores and islands lovir, but well wooded. There were fre- quent snow-showers during the day. February 23. — ^The night was very stormy, but the wind became more moderate in the morning. We passed to-day through several nameless lakes and swamps before we came to Train Lake, which received its name from being the place where the traders procured the birch to make their sledges, or traineaux ; but this wood has been all used, and there only remain pines and a few poplars. We met some sledges laden with fish, kindly sent to meet us by Mr. Clark, of the Hudson's Bay Company, on hearing of our approach. Towards the evening the weather became much more unpleasant, and we were ex- posed to a piercingly cold wind, and much snow- drift, in traversing the Isle t\ la Crosse Lake ; we were, therefore, highly pleased at reaching the O 2 loo JOURNEY TO THE SHORES Hudson's Bay House by six P.M. We were received in the most friendly manner by Mr. Clark, and honoured by volleys of musketry. Similar marks of attention v^^ere shewn to us on the following day by Mr. Bethune, the partner in charge of the North- West Com- pany's Fort. I found here the letters which I had addressed from Cumberland, in November last, to the partners of the North-West Company, in the Athabasca, which circumstance convinced me of the necessity of our present journey. These establishments are situated on the southern side of the lake, and close to each other. They are forts of considerable importance, being placed at a point of communication with the English River, the Athabasca, and Columbia Districts. The country around them is low, and intersected with water, and was formerly much frequented by beavers and otters, which, how- ever, have been so much hunted by the Indians, that their number is greatly decreased. The Indians frequenting these forts are the Crees and some Chipewyans ; they scarcely ever come except in the spring and autumn; in the former season to bring their winter's collection of furs, and in the latter to get the stores they require. Three Chipewyan lads came in during our stay, to report what furs the band to which they OF THE POLAR SKA. 19? belonged had collected, and to desire they might be sent for ; the Indians having declined bringing either furs or meat themselves, since the oppo- sition between the Companies commenced. Mr. Back drew the portrait of one of the boys. Isle ci la Crosse Lake receives its name from an island situated near the forts, on which the Indians formerly assembled annually to amuse themselves at the game of the Cross. It is justly celebrated for abundance of the finest tittameg, which weigh from five to fifteen pounds. The residents live principally upon this most delicious fish, which fortunately can be eaten a long time without disrelish. It is plentifully caught with nets throughout the year, except for two or three months. March 4. — We witnessed the Aurora Borealis very brilliant for the second time since our de- parture from Cumberland. A winter encamp- ment is not a favourable situation for viewing this phenomenon, as the trees in general hide the sky. Arrangements had been made for re- commencing our jourrey to-day, but the wind was stormy and the snow had drifted too much for traveUin^ with comfort ; we therefore stayed and dined with Mr. Bethune, who promised to render every assistance in getting pemmican con- veyed ^to us from the Saskatchawan, to be iii & i (« 198 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES I readiness for our canoes, when they might arrive in the spring ; Mr. Clark also engaged to procure six bags for us, and to furnish our canoes with any other supplies which might be wanted, and could be spared from his post, and to contribute his aid in forwarding the pemmican to the Atha- basca, if our canoes could not carry it all. I feel greatly indebted to this gentleman for much valuable information respecting the country and the Indians residing to the north of Slave Lake, and for furnishing me with a list of stores he supposed we should require. He had resided some years on Mackenzie's River, and had been once so far towards its mouth as to meet the Esquimaux in great numbers. But they assumed such a hostile attitude, that he deemed it unadvisable to attempt opening any communication with them, and retreated as speedily as he could. The observations we obtained here shewed that the chronometers had varied their rates a little in conssquence of the jolting of the carioles, but their errors and rates were ascertained previous to our departure. We observed the position of this fort to be latitude 55° 25 35" N., lon- gitude 107° 51' 00" W., by lunars reduced back from Fort Chipewyan, variation 22° 15' 48'' W., dip84M3'35". OF THK POLAR SKA. m March o. — We recommenced our journey this morning, having been supplied with the means of conveyance by both the Companies in equal proportions. Mr. Clark accompanied us with the intention of going as far as the boundary of his district. This gentleman was an experienced winter traveller, and we derived much benefit from his suggestions; he caused the men to arrange the encampment with more attention to comfort and shelter than our former companions had done. After marching eighteen miles we put up on Gravel Point, in the Deep River. At nine the next morning, we came to the com- mencement of Clear Lake. We crossed its southern extremes, and then went over a point of land to Buffalo Lake, and encamped after travel- ing twenty-six miles. Afler supper we were en- tertained till midnight with paddling songs, by our Canadians, who required very little stimulus beyond their natural vivacity, to afford us this di- version. The next morning we arrived at the establishments which are situated on the western side of the lake, near a small stream, called the Beaver River. They were small log buildings, hastily erected last October, for the convenience of the Indians who hunt in the vicinity. Mr. Mac Murray, a partner in the N.W. Company, having sent to Isle k la Crosse an invitation to :0OO .lOURNEV TO THE SHORES Mr. Back and I, our carioles were driven to his post, and we experienced the kindest recep- tion. These posts are frequented by only a few Indians, Crees, and Chipewyans. The country round is not sufficiently stocked with animals to afford support to many families, and the traders subsist almost entfrely on fish caught in the au- tumn, prior to the lake being frozen ; but the water being shallow, they remove to a deeper part, as soon as the lake is covered with ice. The Aurora Borealis was brilliantly displayed on both the nights we remained here, but particularly on the 7th, when its appearances were most diversi- fied, and the motion extremely rapid. Its corus- cations occasionally concealed from sight stars of the first magnitude in passing over them, at other times these were faintly discerned through them; once I perceived a stream of light to illu- mine the under surface of some clouds as it passed along. There was no perceptible noise. Mr. Mac Murray gave a dance to his voya- gers and the women; this is a treat which they expect on the arrival of any stranger at the post. We were presented by this gentleman with the valuable skin of a black fox, which he had entrapped some days before our arrival; it W^s forwarded to England with other snerimen^, OF TIIK POLAR SKA. nei Our observations place the North- West Com- pany's House in latitude 55° 53' UO'' N., longi- tude 108° 51' 10" W., variation 22" J3' 22" E. The shores of Buffalo Lake are of moderate height, and well wooded, but immediately beyond the bank tlie country is very swampy and inter- sected with water in every direction. At some distance from the western side there is a conspi- cuous hill, which we hailed with much pleasure, as being the first interruption to the tediously uni- form scene we had for some time passed through. On the 10th we recommenced our journey after breakfast, and travelled quickly, as we had the advantage of a well-beaten track. At the end of eighteen miles we entered upon the river *' Loche," which has a serpentine course, and is confined between alluvial banks that support stunted willows and a few pines; we encamped about three miles further on ; and in the course of the next day's march perceived several holes on the ice, and many unsafe places for the sledges. Our companions said the ice of this river is al- ways in the same insecure state, even during the most severe winter, which they attributed to vvarm springs. Quitting the river, we crossed a portage and came upon the Methye Lake, and soon afterwards arrived at the trading posts on its western side. These were perfect huts, '* ■ i| I) lot JOI RNEV TO THE SHORES which had been hastily built after the com- mencement ot* the last winter. We here saw two hunters who were Chipewyan half-breeds, and made many inquiries of them respecting the countries we expected to visit, but we found them quite ignorant of every part beyond the Athabasca Lake. They spoke of Mr. Heame and of his companion Matonnabee, but did not add to our stock of information respecting that journey. It had happened before their birth, but they remembered the expedition of Sir Alex- ander Mackenzie towards the sea. This is a picturesque lake, about ten miles long and six broad, and receives its nr nie from a species of fish caught in it, but r*ot much estef^med; the residents never eat any part but the liver except through necessity, the dogs dislike even that. The tittameg and trout are also caught in the fall of the year. The position of the houses by our observations is latitude 56° 24' 20" N., longitude 109° 23' 06'' W., variation 22° 50' 28" E. On the 13th we renewed our journey and parted from Mr. Clark, to whom we were much obliged for his hospitality and kindness. We soon reached the Methye Portage, and had a very pleasant ride across it in our carioles. The track was good and led through groups of pines, i OF THK POLAIl SKA. 908 SO happily placed that it would not have required a great stretch of imagination to fancy ourselves in a well-arranged park. We had now to cross a small lake, and then gradually ascended hills beyond it, until we arrived at the summit of a lofty chain of mountains commanding the most picturesque and romantic prospect we had yet seen in this country. Two ranges of high hills run parallel to each other for several miles, until the faint blue haze hides their parti- cular characters, when they slightly change their course, and are lost to the. view. The space between them is occupied by nearly a level plain, through which a river pursues a meandering course, and receives supplies from the creeks and rills issuing from the mountains on each side. The prospect was delightful even amid the snow, and though marked with all the cheerless cha- racters of winter; how much more charming must it be when the trees are in leaf, and the ground is arrayed in summer verdure! Some faint idea of the difference was conveyed to my mind by witnessing the effect of the departing rays of a brilliant sun. The distant prospect, however, is surpassed in grandeur by the wild scenery which appeared immediately below our feet. There the eye penetrates into vast ravines two or three hundred feet in depth, that are I £04 •OURNSY TO THE SHORES clothed with trees, and lie on either side of the narrow pathway descending to the river over eight successive ridges of hills. At one spot termed the Cockscomb, the traveller stands in- sulated as it were on a small slip, where a false step might precipitate him into the glen. From this place Mr. Back took an interesting and accurate sketch, to allow time for which, we encamped early, having come twenty-one miles. The Methye Portage is about twelve miles in extent, and over this space the canoes and all their cargoes are carried, both in going to and from the Athabasca department. It is part of the range of mountains which separates the waters flowing south from those flowing north. According to Sir Alexander Mackenzie, " this range of hills con- tinues in a S.W. direction until its local height is lost between the Saskatchawan and Elk Rivers, close on the banks of the former, in latitude 53° 36' N., longitude 113° 45' W., when it appears to take its course due north." Observations, taken in the spring by Mr. Hood, place the northside of the portage in latitude 56° 41' 40" N., longitude 109° 52' 15" W., variation 25° 2' 30" E., dip 85° 7' 27". At daylight on the 14th we began to descend the range of hills leading towards the river, and no small care was required to prevent the sledges^ OF THE POLAR SEA, §05 from being broken in going down these almost perpendicular heights, or being precipitated into the glens on each side. As a precautionary mea- sure the dogs were taken off, and the sledges guided by the men, notwithstanding which they descended with amazing rapidity, and the men were thrown into the most ridiculous attitudes in endeavouring to stop them. When we had ar- rived at the bottom I could not but feel astonish- ed at the laborious task which the voyagers have twice in the year to encounter at this place, in conveying their stores backwards and forwards. We went across the Clear Water River, which runs at the bases of these hills, and followed an Indian track along its northern bank, by which we avoided the White Mud and Good Portages. We afterwards followed the river as far as the Pine Portage, when we passed through a very romantic defile of rocks, which presented the ap- pearance of Gothic ruins, and their rude charac- ters were happily contrasted with the softness of the snow, and the darker foliage of the pines which crowned their summits. We next crossed the Cascade Portage, which is the last on the way to the Athabasca Lake, and soon afterwards came to some Indian tents, containing five families, belonging to the Chipewyan tribe. We smoked the calumet in the Chief's tent, whose name was ,- T i 11 H ,: li S m 800 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES the Thumb, and distributed some tobacco and a weak mixture of spirits and water among the men. They received this civility with much less grace than the Crees, and seemed to consider it a matter of course. There was an utter neglect of cleanliness, and a total want of comfort in their tents ; and the poor creatures were miserably clothed. Mr. Frazer, who accompanied us from the Methye Lake, accounted for their being in this forlorn condition by explaining, that this band of Indians had recently destroyed every thing they possessed, as a token of their great grief for the loss of their relatives in the prevailing sick- ness. It appears that no article is spared by these unhappy men when a near relative dies; their clothes and tents are cut to pieces, their guns broken, and every other weapon rendered useless, if some person do not remove these ar- ticles from their sight, which is seldom done. — Mr. Back sketched one of the children, which de- lighted the father very much, who charged the boy to be very good, since his picture had been drawn by a great chief. We learned that they prize pictures very highly, and esteem any they can get, however badly executed, as efficient charms. They were unable to give us any infor- mation respecting the country beyond the Atha- basca Lake, which is the boundary of their pere- OP THE POLAR SEA. ttor grinations to the northward. Having been ap- prized of our coming, they had prepared an en- campment for us ; but we had witnessed too many proofs of their importunity to expect that we could pass the night near them in any comfort, whilst either spirits, tobacco, or sugar remained in our possession ; and therefore preferred to go about two miles further along the river, and to encamp among a cluster of fine pine-trees, after a journey of sixteen miles. On the morning of the 15th, in proceeding along the river we perceived a strong smell of sulphur, and on the north shore found a quantity of it scat- tered, which seemed to have been deposited by some spring in the neighbourhood : it appeared very pure and good. We continued our course the whole day along the river, which is about four hundred yards wide, has some islands, and is confined between low land, extending from the bases of the mountains on each side. We put up at the end of thirteen miles, and were then joined by a Chipewyan, who came, as we sup- posed, to serve as our guide to Pierre au Calumet, but as none of the party could communicate with our new friend, otherwise than by signs, we waited patiently until the morning to see what he intended to do. The wind blew a gale during the night, and the snow fell heavily. The next i-' s j,, , I'i SOS JOURNEY TO THE SHORES I day our guide led us to the Pembina River, which comes from the southward, where we found traces of Indians, who appeared to have quitted this station the day before; we had, therefore, the benefit of a good track, which our dogs much re- quired, as they were greatly fatigued, having dragged their loads through very deep snow for the last two days. A moose-deer crossed the river just before the party : this animal is plenti- ful in the vicinity. We encamped in a pleasant well-sheltered place, having travelled fourteen miles. A short distance on the following morning, brought us to some Indian lodges, which be- longed to an old Chipewyan chief, named the Sun, and his family, consisting of five huntCi-S, their wives, and children. They were delighted to see us, and when the object of our expedi- tion had been explained to them, expressed them- selves much interested in our progress ; but they could not give a particle of information respect- ing the countries beyond the Athabasca Lake. We smoked with them, and gave each person a glass of mixed spirits and some tobacco. A Canadian servant of the North- West Company, who was residing with them, informed us that this family had lost numerous relatives, and that the destruction of property, which had been made OF THE POLAR SEA. 209 after their deaths, was the only cause for the piti- able condition in which we saw them, as the whole family were industrious hunters, and, therefore, were usually better provided with clothes, and other useful articles, than most of the Indians. We purchased from them a pair of snow-shoes, in exchange for some ammunition. The Chipewyans are celebrated for making them good and easy to walk in ; we sav»^ some here upwards of six feet long, and three broad. With these unwieldy clogs an active hunter, in the spring, when there is a crust on the surface of the snow, will run down a moose or red deer. We marlo very slow progress after leaving this party, on account of the deep snow, but continued along the river until we reached its junction with the Athabasca or Elk River. We obtained observations on an island, a little below the Forks, which gave, longitude 111° 8' 42" W., variation 24° 18' 20" E. Very little wood was seen during this day's march. The western shore, near the Forks, is destitute of trees ; it is composed of lofty pp»'pendicular cliffs, which were now covered with snow. The eastern shore sup- ports a few pines. March 18. — Soon after our departure from the encampment, we met two men from the establish- ment at Pierre au Calumet, who gave us correct Vol. I. P 910 JOITRNEV TO THE SHORES information of its situation and distance. Having the benefit of their track, we marched at a tole- rably quick pace, and made twenty-two miles in the course of tlie day, though the weather was very disagreeable for travelling, being stormy, with constant snow. We kept along the river the whole time : its breadth is about two miles. The islands appear better furnished with wood than its banks, the summits of which are almost bart. Soon after we had encamped our Indian guide rejoined us ; he had remained behind the day before, without consulting us, to accompany a friend on a hunting excursion. On his re- turn he made no endeavour to explain the reason of his absence, but sat down coolly, and began to prepare his supper. This beha- viour made us sensible that little dependence is to be placed on the continuance of an Indian guide, when his inclination leads him away. Early the r^ext morning we sent forward the Indian and a Canadian, to apprize the gentleman in charge of Pierre au Calumet of our approach ; and, after breakfast, the rest of the party pro- ceeded along the river for that station, which we reached in the afternoon. The senior partner of the North- West Company in the Athabasca de- partment, Mr. John Stuart, was in charge of the post. Though he was quite ignorant until this OF THE POLAR SEA. 911 morning of our being in the country, we found him prepared to receive us with great kindness, and ready to afford every information and assist- ance, agreeably to the desire conveyed in Mr. Simon M'Gillivray's circular letter. This gen- tleman had twice traversed this continent, and reached the Pacific by the Columbia River ; he was therefore, fully conversant with the different modes of travelling, and with the obstacles that may be expected in passing through unfrequented countries. His suggestions and advice were con- sequently very valuable to us, but not having been to the northward of the Great Slave Lake, he had no knowledge of that line of country, except what he had gained from the reports of Indians. He was of opinion, however, that positive informa- tion, on which our course of proceedings might safely be determined, could be procured from the Indians that frequent the north side of the lake, when they came to the forts in the Spring. He recommended my writing to the partner in charge of that department, requesting him to collect all the intelligence he could, and to provide guides and hunters from the tribe best . acquaint- ed with the country through which we proposed to travel. To our great regret, Mr. Stuart expressed much doubt as to our prevailing upon any expe- ls jj in' 2\2 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES rienced Canadian voyagers to accompany us to the sea, in consequence of their dreac' of the Esquimaux ; who, he informed us, had already destroyed the crew of one canoe, which had been sent under Mr. Livingstone, to open a trading communication with those who reside near the mouth of the Mackenzie River ; and he ako men- tioned, that the same tribe had driven away the canoes under Mr, Clark's direction, going to them on a similar object, to which circumstance I have alluded in my remarks at Isle a la Crosse. . This was unpleasant information ; but we were comforted by Mr. Stuart's assurance that himself and his partners would use every endeavour to re- move their fears, as well as to promote our views in every other way; and he undertook, as a necessary part of our equipment in the spring, to prepare the bark and other materials for con- structing two canoes at this post. Mr. Stuart informed us that the residents at Fort Chipewyan, from th#recent sickness of their In- dian hunters, had been reduced to subsist entirely on the produce of their fishing-nets, which did not then yield more than a bare sufficiency for their support ; and he kindly proposed to us to remain with him until the spring : but, as we were most desirous to gain all the information we could as <)F Tin: POLAIl SKA. :^13 early as possible, and Mr. Stuart assured us that the addition of three persons would not be mate- rially felt in their large family at Chipewyan, we determined on proceeding thither, and fixed on the 22d for our departure. Pierre au Calum^ receives its name from the place where the stone is procured, of which many of the pipes used by the Canadians and Indians are made. It is a clayey limestone, impregnated with various shells. The house, which is built on the summit of a steep bank, rising almost per- pendicular to the height of one hundred and eighty feet, commands an extensive prospect along this fine river, and over the plains which stretch out several miles at the back of it, bounded by hills of considerable height, and apparently bette^ furnished with wood than the neighbourhood of the fort, where the trees grow very scantily. There had been an establishment belonging to the Hudson's Bay Company on the opposite bank of the river, but it was abandoned in Decem- ber last, the residents not being able to procure provision, from their hunters having been dis- abled by the epidemic sickness, which has car- ried off one-third of the Indians in these parts. They belong to the Northern Crees, a name given them from their residing in the Athabasca li Sli JOURNEY TO THE SHORES department. There arc now but few families of these men, who, formerly, by their numbers and predatory habits, spread terror among the natives of this part of the country. There are springs of bituminous matter on several of the islands near these houses ; and the stones on the river-bank are much impreg- nated with this useful substance. There is also another place remarkable for the production of a sulphureous salt, which is deposited on the sur- face of a round-backed hill about half a mile from the beach, and on the marshy ground underneath it. We visited these places at a subsequent pe- riodof the journey, and descriptions of them will ap- pear in Dr. Richardson's Mineralogical Notices. The latitude of the North- West Company's House is 57° 24' 06'' N., but this was the only observation we could obtain, the atmosphere being cloudy. Mr. Stuart had an excellent thermometer, which indicated the lowest state of temperature to be 43° below zero. He told me 45° was the lowest temperature he had ever witnessed at the Atha- basca or Great Slave Lake, after many years' resi- dence. On the 21 st it rose above zero, and at noon attained the height of 43° ; the atmosphere was sultry, snow fell constantly, and there was quite an appearance of a change in the season. On the OF TriK rOLAK SI^A. 215 22(1 wc parted from our liospitablc friend, and rcconimenced our journey, but under tlio expec- tation of seeing him again in May ; at which time the partners of the Company usually assemble at Fort Chipewyan, where we hoped the necessary arrangements for our future proceedings would be completed. We encamped at sunset at the end of fourteen miles, having walked the whole way along the river, which preserves nearly a true north course, and is from four hundred to six hundred yards broad. The banks are high, and well clothed with the Hard, spruce, fir, alder, birch-tree, and willows. Having come nineteen miles and a half, on the 23d, we encamped among pines of a great height and girth. Showers of snow fell until noon on the fol- lowing day, but we continued our journey along the river, whose banks and islands became gra- dually lower as we advanced, and less abund- antly supplied with wood, except willows. We passed an old Canadian, who was resting his wearied dogs during the heat of the sun. He was carrying meat from some Indian lodges to Fort Chipe\7yan, having a burden exceeding two hundred and fifty pounds on his sledge, which was dragged by two miserable dogs. He came up to our encampment after dark. We were much amused by the altercation that took place between -*:i ? I 216 JOURNEY TO THE SIIORKS him and our Canadiun companions as to the qua- lifications of their respective dogs. This, how- ever, is such a general topic of conversation among the voyagers in the encampment, that we should not probably have remarked it, had not the old man frequently offered to bet the whole of his wages that his two dogs, poor and lean as they were, would drag their load to the Athabasca Lake in less time than any three of theirs. Having expressed our surprise at his apparent temerity, he oooUy said the men from the lower countries did not understand the management of their dogs, and that he depended on his superior skill in driving ; and we soon gathered from his remarks, that the voyagers of the Athabasca de- partment consider themselves very superior to any other. The only reasons which he could assign were, that they had borne their burdens across the terrible Methye Portage, and that they were accustomed to live harder and more pre- cariously. March 25. — Having now the guidance of the old Canadian, we sent forward the Indian, and one of our men, with letters to the gentleman at the Athabasca Lake. The rest of the party set off afterwards, and kept along the river until ten, when we branched off by portages into the Em- barras River, the usual channel of communication OF THE ruLAIl SKA. 817 in canoes with the hike. It is a narrow and ser- pentine stream, confined between alluvia' banks which support pines, poplars, and wiilc Wc liad not advanced far before we ovt, >ok the two men despatched by us this morning. The stormy weather had compelled them to encamp, as there was too much drifting of the snow for any attempt to cross the lake. We were obliged, though most reluctantly, to follow their example; but comforted ourselves with the reflection that this was the first time we had been stopped by the weather during our long jourtiey, which was so near at an end. The galo afterwards increased, the squalls at night became very violent, disburthened the trees of the snow, and gave us the benefit of a continual fall of patches from them, in addition to the constant shower. We therefore quickly finished our suppers, and retired under the shelter of our blankets. March 26. — The boisterous weather continued through the night, and it was not before six this morning that the wind became apparently mo- derate, and the snow ceased. Two of the Cana- dians were immediately sent off with letters to the gentlemen at Fort Chipewyan. After break- fast we also started, but our Indian friend, having a great indisposition to move in such weather, 2J8 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES remained by the fire. We soon quitted the river, and after crossing a portage, a small lake, and a point of land, came to the borders of the Mam- nxa-wee Lake. We then found our error as to the strength of the Avand ; and that the gale still blew violently, and there was so much drifting of the ouow as to cover the distant objects by which our course could be directed. We fortunately got a glimpse through this cloud of a cluster of islands in the direction of the houses, and decided on walking towards them; but in doing this we suffered very much from the cold, and were obliged to halt under the shelter of them, and await the arrival of our Indian guide. He con- ducted us between these islands, over a small lake, and by a swampy river, into the Athabasca Lake, from whence the establishments were visible. At four P.M. we had the pleasure of arriving at Fort Chipewyan, and of being re- ceived by Messrs. Keith and Black, the partners of the North- West Company in charge, in the most kind and hospitable manner. Thus ter- minated a winter's journey of eight hundred and fifty-seven miles, in the progress of which there was a great intermixture of agreeable and disagreeable circumstances. Could the amount of each be balanced, I suspect the latter would much preponderate; and amongst these OF THE POLAR SEA. 219 the initiation into walking in snow-shoes must be considered as prominent. The suffering it occasions can be but faintly imagined by a person who thinks upon the inconvenience of marching with a weight of between two and three pounds constantly attached to galled feet, and swelled ankles. Perseverance and practice only will enable the novice to surmount this pain. The next evil is the being constantly exposed to witness the wanton and unnecessary cruelty of the men to their dogs, especially those of the Canadians, who beat them unmercifully, and habitually vent on them the most dreadful and disgusting imprecations. There are other in- conveniences which though keenly felt during the day's journey, are speedily forgotten when stretched out in the encampment before a large fire, you enjoy the social mirth of your compa- nions, who usually pass the evening in recounting their former feats in travelling. At this time the Canadians are always cheerful and merry, and the only bar to their comfort arises from the fre- quent interruption occasioned by the dogs, who are constantly prowling about the circle, and snatching at every kind of food that happens to be within their reach. These us3ful animals are a comfort to them ai'terwards, by the warmth 220 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES they impart when lying down by their side or feet, as they usually do. But the greatest grati- fications a traveller in these regions enjoys, are derived from the hospitable welcome he receives at every trading post, however poor the means of the host may be; and from being disrobed even for a short time of the trappings of a voyager, and experiencing the pleasures of cleanliness. The following are the estimated distances, in statute miles, which Mr. Back and I had tra- velled since our departure from Cumberland: From Cumberland House to Carlton House . . 233 From Carlton to Isle j\ la Crosse .... 230 From Isle a la Crosse to north side of the INIethyc Portagfe 12i From the Methyc Portage to Fort Chipe^vyan . 210 857 Miles. OP THE POLAR SEA. SSI CHAPTER V. Transactions at Fort Chipevryan — Arrival of Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood — Preparations for our journey to the Northward. March '26. ^^ ^he day after our arrival at Fort Chipewyan we called upon Mr. Mac Donald, the gentleman in charge of the Hudson's Bay Estab- lishment called Fort Wedderburne, and delivered to him Governor Williams's circular Letter, which desired that every assistance should be given to further our progress, and a statement of the re- quisitions which we should have to make on his post. Our first object was to obtain some certain information respecting our future route ; and ac- cordingly we received from one of the North- West Company's interpreters, named Beaulieu, a haif-breed, who had been brought up amongst the Dog-ribbed and Copper Indians, some satis- factory information which we afterwards found tolerably correct, respecting the mode of reaching the Copper-mine River, which he had descended a considerable way, as well as of the course of £38 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES that river to its mouth. The Copper Indians, however, he said, would be able to give us more accurate information as to the latter part of its course, as they occasionally pursue it to the sea. He sketched on the floor a representation of the river, and a line of coast acr: "ding to his idea of it. Just as he had finished, an old Chipewyan Indian named Black Meat, unexpectedly came in, and instantly recognised the plan. He then took the c != rcoal from Beaulieu, and inserted a track along the sea-coast, which he had fol' owed in returning from a war excursion, made by his tribe against the Esquimaux. He detailed seve- ral particulars of the coast and the sea, which he represented as studded with well-wc oded islands, and free from ice, close to the shore, in the month of July, but not to a great distance. He de- scribed two other rivers to the eastward of the Copper-mine River, which also fall into the Northern Ocean. The Anatessy, which issues from the Contway-to or Rum Lake, and the Thloueea-tessy or Fish River, which rises near the eastern boundary of the Great Slave Lake; but he represented both of them as being shallow, and too much interrupted by barriers for being navigated in any other than small Indian canoes. Having received this satisfactory intelligence, I wrote immediately to Mr. Smith, of the North- OF THE POLAR SEA. 2£3 West Company, and Mr. M' Vicar, of the Hud- son's Bay Company, the gentlemen in charge of the posts at the Great Slave Lake, to communi- cate the object of the Expedition, and our pro- posed route ; and to solicit any information they possessed, or could collect, from the Indians, relative to the countries we had to pass through, and the best manner of proceeding. As the Copper Indians frequent the establishment on the north side of the lake, I particularly requested them to explain to that tribe the object of our visit, and to endeavour to procure from them some guides and hunters to accompany our party. Two Canadians were sent by Mr. Keith with these letters. The month of April commenced with fine and clear but extremely cold weather ; unfortunately we were still without a thermometer, and could not ascertain the degrees of temperature. The coruscations of the Aurora were very brilliant almost every evening of the first week, and were generally of the most variable kind. On the 3d they were particularly changeable. The first appearance exhibited three illuminated beams issuing from the horizon in the north, east, and west points, and directed towards the zenith: in a few seconds these disappeared, and a complete circle was displayed, bounding the horizon at an S24 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES elevation of fifteen degrees. There was a quick lateral motion in the attenuated beams of which this zone was composed. Its colour was a pale yellow, with an occasional tinge of red. On the 8th of April the Indians saw some geese in the vicinity of this lake, but none of the migratory birds appeared near the houses before the 15th, when some swans flew over. These are generally the first that arrive; the weather had been very stormy for the four pre- ceding days, and this in all probability kept the birds from venturing farther north than where the Indians had first seen them. In the middle of the month the snow began to waste daily, and by degrees it disappeared from the hills and the surface of the lake. On the 17th and 19th the Aurora appeared very brilliant in patches of light, bearing N. W. An old Cree Indian having found a beaver-lodge near to the fort, Mr. Keith, Back, and I, accompanied him to see the method of breaking into it, and their mode of taking those interesting animals. The lodge was constructed on the side of a rock in a small lake, having the entrance into it beneath the ice. The frames were formed of layers of sticks, the intei^stices being filled with mud, and the outside was plastered with earth and stones, which the frost had so completely consolidated. OP THE POLAR SEA. SS5 that to break through required great labour, with the aid of the ice chisel, and the other iron instru- ments which the beaver hunters use. The chase however, was unsuccessful, as the beaver had previously vacated the lodge. On the 21 st we observed the first geese that flew near the fort, and some were brought to the house on the 30th, but they were very lean. On the 25th flies were seen sporting in the sun, and on the 26th the Athabasca River having broken up, overflowed the lake along its channel; but except where this water spread, there was no appearance of decay in the ice. May, — During the first part of this month, the wind blew from the N.W., and the sky was cloudy. It generally thawed during the day, but froze at night. On the 2nd the Aurora faintly gleamed through very dense clouds. We had a long conversation with Mr. Dease of the North-West Company, who had recently arrived from his station at the bottom of the Athabasca Lake. This gentleman, having passed several winters on the Mackenzie's River, and at the posts to the northward of Slave Lake, possessed considerable information respecting the Indians, and those parts of the country to which our inquiries were directed, which he very promptly and kindly communicated. During our Vot. I. Q SS6 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES conversation, an old Cliipewyan Indian, named the Rabbit's Head, entered the room, to whom Mr. Dease referred for information on some point. We found from his answer that he was a step-son of the late Chief Matonnabee, who had accompanied Mr. Hearne on his journey to the sea, and that he had himself been of the party, but being then a mere boy, he had forgotten many of the circumstances. He confirmed how- ever, the leading incidents related by Hearne, and was positive he reached the sea, though he admitted that none of the party had tasted the water. He represented himself to be the only survivor of that party. As he was esteemed a good Indian, I presented him with a medal, which he received gratefully, and concluded a long speech upon the occasion, by assuring me he should preserve it carefully all his life. The old man afterwards became more communicative, and unsolicited began to relate the tradition of his tribe, respecting the discovery of the Copper Mine, which we thought amusing: and as the subject is somewhat ' connected with our future researches, I will insert the translation of it which was given at the time by Mr. Dease, though a slight mention of it has been made by Hearne. " The Chipewyans suppose the Esquimaux originally inhabited some land to the northward OP THE POLAR SEA. 827 which is separated by the sea from this country ; and that in the earliest ages of the world a party of these men came over and stole a woman from their tribe, whom they carried to this distant country and kept in a state of slavery. She was very unhappy in her situation, and effected her escape after many years residence among them. The forlorn creature wandered about, for some days, in a state of uncertainty what direction to take, when she chanced to fall upon a beaten path, which she followed and was led to the sea. At the sight of the ocean her hope of being able to return to her native country vanished, and she sat herself down in despair, and wept. A wolf now advanced to caress her, and having licked the tears from her eyes, walked into the water, and she perceived with joy that it did not reach up to the body of the animal ; emboldened by this appearance, she instantly arose, provided two sticks to support herself, and determined on following the wolf. The first and second nights she proceeded on, without finding any increase in the depth of the water, and when fatigued, rested herself on the sticks, whose upper ends she fastened together for the purpose. She was alarmed on the third morning, by arriving at a deeper part, but resolved on going forward at any risk, rather than return ; and her daring Q 2 I S98 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES perseverance was cr^vvned with success, by her attaining her native shore on the fifth day. She fortunately came to a part where there was a beaten path, which she knew to be the track made by the rein-deer in tlieir migrations. Here she halted and prepared some sort of weapon for killing them ; as soon as this was completed, she had the gratification to behold several herds advancing along the road, and ha'l the hap- piness of killing a sufticient number for her win- ter's subsistence, which she determined to pass at that place, and therefore formed a house for herself, after the manner xhe had learned from the Esquimaux. When spring came, and she emerged from her subterraneous dwelling, (for such the Chipewyans suppose it to have been,) she was astonished by observing a glittering appearance on a distant hill, which she knew was not produced by the reflection of the sun, and being at a loss to assign any other cause for it she resolved on going up to the shining object, and then found the hill was entirely com- posed of copper. She broke off several pieces, and finding it yielded so readily to her beating, it occurred to her that this metal would be very serviceable to her countrymen, if she could find them again. While she was meditating on what was to be done, the thought struck her that it OP THE POLAR SEA. would be advisable to attach as many pieces of copper to her dress as she could, and tlien proceed into the interior, in search of some in- habitants, who, she supposed, would give her a favourable reception, on account of the treasure she had brought. " It happened that she met her own relations, and the young men, elated with the account she had given of the hill, made her instantly return with them ; which she was enabled to do, having taken the precaution of putting up marks to indi- cate the path. The party reached the spot in safety, but the story had a melancholy catas- trophe. These youths overcome by excess of joy, gave loose to their passions, and offered the grossest insults to their benefactress. She pow- erfully resisted them for some time, and when her strength was failing, fled to the point of the mountain, as the only place of security. The moment she had gained the summit, the earth opened and ingulphed both herself and the moun- tain, to the utter dismay of the men, who were not more astonished at its sudden disappearance, than sorrowful for this just punishment of their wickedness. Ever since this event, the copper has only been found in small detached pieces on the surface of the earth." On the 10th of May we were gratified by the JOURNEY TO THE SHORES appearance of spring, though the ice remained firm on the lake. The anemone (pulsatilla, pasque flower,) appeared this day in flower, the trees began to put forth their leaves, and the mus- quitoes visited the warm rooms. On the 17th and 1 8th there were frequent showers of rain, and much thunder and lightning. This moist weather caused the ice to waste so rapidly, that by the 24th it had entirely disappeared from the lake. The gentlemen belonging to both the Companies quickly arrived from the different posts in this department, bringing their winter's collection qf furs, which are forwarded from these establishments to the depots. I immediately waited on Mr. Colin Robertson^ the agent of the Hudson's Company, and commu- nicated to him, as I had done before to the several partners of the North- West Company, our plan, and the requisitions we should have to make on each Company, and I requested of all the gentlemen the favour of their advice and sug- gestions. As I perceived that the arrangement of their winter accounts, and other business, fully occupied them, I forbore further pressing the subject of our concerns for some days, until there was an appearance of despatching the first brigade of canoes. It then became neces- sary to urge their attention to them ; but it was OP THE POL.Va SEA. 811 evident, from the determined commercial oppo- sition, and the total want of intercourse between the two Companies, that we could not expect to receive any cordial advice, or the assurance of the aid of both, without devising some expedient to bring the parties together. I therefore caused a tent to be pitched at a distance from both esta- blishments, and solicited the gentlemen of both Companies to meet Mr. Back and myself there, for the purpose of affording us their combined assistance. With this request they immediately complied ; and on May 25th we were joined at the tent by Mr. Stuart and Mr. Grant, of the North-West Company, and Mr. Colin Robertson, of the Hud- son's Bay Company, all of whom kindly gave very satisfactory answers to a series of questions which we had drawn up for the occasion, and promised all the aid in their power. Furnished with the information thus obtained, we proceeded to make some arrangements re- specting the obtaining of men, and the stores we should require for their equipment, as well as for presents to the Indians ; and on the following day a requisition was made on the Companies for eight men each, and whatever useful stores they could supply. We learned with regret, that, 2S9 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES in consequence of the recent lavish expenditure of their goods in support of the opposition, their supply to us would, of necessity, be very limited. The men, too, were backward in offering their services, especially those of the Hudson's Bay Company, who demanded a much higher rate of wages than I considered it proper to grant. June 3. — Mr, Smith, a partner of the North- West Company, arrived from the Great Slave Lake, bearing the welcome news that the prin- cipal Chief of the Copper Indians had received the communication of our arrival with joy, and given all the intelligence he possessed respect- ing the route to the sea-coast by the Copper- Mine River ; and that he and a party of his men, at the instance of Mr. Wentzel, a clerk of the North- West Company, whom they wished might go along with them, had engaged to ac- company the Expedition as guides and hunters. They were to wait our arrival at Fort Provi- dence, on the north side of the Slave Lake. Their information coincided with that given by Beaulieu. They had no doubt of our being able to obtain the means of subsistence in tra- velling to the coast. This agreeable intelligence had a happy effect upon the Canadian voyagers, many of their fears being removed : several of OP THE POLAR SEA. 233 them seemed now disposed to volunteer; and indeed, on the same evening, two men from the North- West Company offered themselves and were accepted. June 5. — This day Mr. Back and I went over to Fort Wedderburne, to see Mr. Robertson re- specting his quota of men. We learned from him that, notwithstanding his endeavours to per- suade them, his most experienced voyagers still declined engaging without very exorbitant wages. After some hesitation, however, six men engaged with us, who were represented to be active and steady ; and I also got Mr. Robertson's permission for St. Germain, an interpreter belonging to this Company, to accompany us from Slave Lake if he should choose. The bow-men and steers-men were to receive one thousand six hundred livres Halifax per annum, and the middle men one thousand two hundred, exclusive of their neces- sary equipments ; and they stipulated that their wages should be continued until their arrival in Montreal, or their rejoining the service of their present employers. I delivered to Mr. Robertson an official re- quest, that the stores we had left at York Factory and the Rock Depot, with some other supplies, might be forwarded to Slave Lake by the first brigade of canoes which should come in. He 334 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES also took charge of my letters addressed to the Admiralty. Five men v/ere afterwards engaged from the North-West Company for the same wages, and under the same stipulations as the others, besides an interpreter for the Copper Indians ; but this man required three thousand Uvres Halifax currency, which we were obliged to give him, as his services were indispensable. The extreme scarcity of provision at the posts rendered it necessary to despatch all our men to the Mammawee Lake, where they might procure their own subsistence by fishing. The women and children resident at the fort were also sent away for the same purpose; and no other families were permitted to remain at the houses after the depar- ture of the canoes, than those belonging to the men who were required to carry on the daily duty. The large party of officers and men, which had assembled here from the different posts in the department, was again quickly dispersed. The first brigade of canoes, laden with furs, was de- spatched to the depot on May 30th, and the others followed in two or three days afterwards. Mr. Stuart, the senior partner of the North- West Company, quitted us for the same destina- tion, on June 4th ; Mr. Robertson, for his depot, on the next day ; and on the 9th we parted with our friend Mr. Keith, to whoye unremitting kind- eF THB POLAR SEA. ^ nesQ we felt much indebted. I intrusted to his care a box containing some drawings by Mr. Back, the map of our route from Cumberland House, and the skin of a black beaver, (pre- sented to the Expedition by Mr. Smith,) with my official letterL, addressed to the Under Secretary of State. I wrote by each of these gentlemen to inform Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood of the scarcity of stores at these posts, and to request them to procure all they possibly could on their route. Mr. Smith was left in charge of this post during the summer ; this gentleman soon evinced his desire to further our progress, by directing a new canoe to be built for om use, which was commenced immediately. June 21 . — This day an opportunity offered of sending letters to the Great Slave Lake ; and I profited by it, to request Mr. Wentzel would accompany the Expedition agreeably to the de- sire of the Copper Indians, communicating to him that I had received permission for him to do so from the partners of the North- West Com- pany. Should he be disposed to comply with my invitation, I desired that he would go over to Fort Providence, and remain near the Indians whom he had engaged for our service. I feared lest they should become impatient at our unex- pected delay, and, with the usual fickleness of 336 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES the Indian character, remove from the establish- ment before we could arrive. It had been my intention to go to them myself, could the articles, with which they expected to be presented ol my arrival, have been provided at these establish- ments ; but as they could not be procured, I v/as compelled to defer my visit until our canoes should arrive. Mr. Smith supposed that my ap- pearance amongst them, without the means of satisfying any of their desires, would give them an unfavourable impression respecting the Expe- dition, which would make them indifferent to ex- ertion, if it did not even cause them to withdraw from their engagements. The establishments at this place* Forts Chipe- wyan and Wedderburne, the chief posts of the Companies in this department, are conveniently situated for communicating with the Slave and Peace Rivers, from whence the canoes assemble in the spring and autumn ; on the first occasion tliey bring the collection of furs which has been made at the different out-posts during the winter; and at the latter season they receive a supply of stores for the equipment of the Indians in their vicinity. Fort Wedderburne is a small house, which was constructed on Coal Island about five years ago, when the Hudson's Bay Company re- commenced trading in this part of the country. OP THE POLAR SEA. Fort Chipewyan has been built many years, and is an establishment of very considerable extent, conspicuously situated on a rocky point of the northern shore; it has a tower which can be seen at a considerable distance. This addition was made about eight years ago, to watch the motions of the Indians, who intended, as it was then reported, to destroy the house and all its inhr'ntants. They had been instigated to this rash design by the delusive stories of one among them, who had acquired great in- fluence over his companions by his supposed skill in necromancy. This fellow had prophe- sied that there would soon be a complete change in the face of their country; that fertility and plenty would succeed to the present sterility; and that the present race of white inhabitants, unless they became subservient to the Indians, would be removed, and their place be filled by other traders, who would supply their wants in every possible manner. The poor deluded wretches, imagining they would hasten this happy change by destroying their present traders, of whose submission there was no prospect, threat- ened to extirpate them. None of these menaces, however, were put in execution. They were probably deterred from the attempt by perceiving that a most vigilant guard was kept against them. 938 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES The portion of this extensive lake which is near the establishments, ir called " The Lake of the Hills," not improperly, as the northern shore and the islands are high and rocky. The south side, however, is quite level, consisting of alluvial land, subject to be flooded, lying betwixt the dif- ferent mouths of the Elk River, and much inter- sected by water. The rocks of the northern shore are composed of syenite over which the soil is thinly spread; it is, however, sufficient to support a variety of firs and poplars, and many shrubs, lichens and mosses. The trees were now in full foliage, the plants generally in flower, and the whole scene quite enlivening. There can scarcely be a higher gratification than that which is enjoyed in this country in witnessing the rapid change which takes place in the course of a few days in the spring; scarcely does the snow disappear from the ground, before the trees are clothed with thick foliage, the shrubs open their leaves, and put forth their variegated flcfwers, and the whole prospect becomes animating. The spaces between the rocky hills, being for the most part swampy, support willows and a few poplars. These spots are the favourite resort of the mus- quitoes, which incessantly torment the unfortu- nate persons who have to pass through them. Some of the hills attain an elevation of five or OF THE POLAR SEA. 299 six hundred feet, at the distance of a mile from the house ; and from their summits a very picturesque view is commanded of the lake, and of the sur- rounding country. The land above the Great Point at the confluence of the main stream of the Elk River is six or seven hundred feet high, and stretches in a southern direction behind Pierre au Calumet. Opposite to that estabhshment, on the west side of the river, at some distance in the interior, the Bark Mountain rises and ranges to the N.W., until it reaches Clear Lake, about thirty miles to the southward of these forts, and then goes to the south-westward. The Cree Indians generally procure from this range their pro- vision, as well as the bark for making their canoes. There is another range of hills on the south shore, which runs towards the Peace River. The residents of these establishments depend for subsistence almost entirely on the fish which this lake affords ; they are usually caught in suf- ficient abundance throughout the winter, though at the distance of eighteen miies from the houses ; on the thawing of the ice^ the fish remove into some smaller lakes, and the rivers on the south shore. Though they are nearer to the forts than in winter, it frequently happens that high winds prevent the canoes from transporting them thither, and the residents are kept in consequence with- S40 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES out a supply of food for two or three days to- gether. The fish caught in the net are the attih- hawmegh, trout, carp, methye, and pike*. The traders also get supplied by the hun- ters with buffalo and moose deer meat, (which animals are found at some distance from the forts,) i/ i t' '^ greater part of it is either in a dried state, c poui'd^d ready for making pemmican; and is required tor the men whom they keep travelling during the winter to collect the furs from the Indians, and for the crews of the canoes on their outward passage to the depots in spring. There was a great want of provision this season, and both the Companies had much difficulty to provide a bare sufficiency, for their different brigades of canoes. Mr. Smith assured me that afler the canoes had been despatched he had only five hundred pounds of meat remaining for the use of the men who might travel from the post during the summer, and that five years preceding, there had been thirty thousand pounds in store under similar circumstances. He ascribed this amazing difference more to the indolent habits which the Indians had acquired since the commercial struggle commenced, than to their recent sickness, men- tioning in confirmation of his opinion that they * See page 92. or THE POLAR SEA. 941 could now, by the produce of little exertion, ob- tain whatever they demanded from either esta- blishment. At the opening of the water in spring, the In- dians resort to the estabhshments to settle their accounts with the traders, and to procure the ne- cessaries they require for the summer. This meeting is generally a scene of much riot and confusion, as the hunters rec !,ve such quantities of spirits as to keep them in a ate of intoxica- tion for several days. Tnis spring, however, owing to the great deficiency of spirits, we had the gratification of seeing them generally sober. They belong to the great family of the Chipewyan, or Northern, Indians ; dialects of their language being spoken in the Peace, and Mackenzie's Rivers, and by the populous tribes in New Cale- donia, as ascertained by Sir Alexander Mackenzie in his journey to the Pacific. They style them- selves generally Dinneh men, or Indians, but each tribe, or horde, adds some distinctive epithettaken from the name of the river, or lake, on which they hunt, or the district from which they last migrated. Those who come to Fort Chipewyan term them- selves Saw-eessaw-dinneh, (Indians from the ris- ing sun, or Eastern Indians,) their original hunt- ing grounds being between the Athabasca, and Great Slave Lakes, and Churchill River. This Vol. I. H 2i2 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES district, more particularly termed the Chipewyan lands, or barren laiintri/y is IVequented by nu- merous herds of rein-deer, which furnish easy subsistence, and clothing to the Indians ; but the traders endeavour to keep them in the parts to the westward where the beavers resort. There are about one hundred and sixty hunters who carry their furs to the Great Slave Lake, forty to Hay River, and two hundred and forty to Fort Chipewyan. A few Northern Indians also resort to the posts at the bottom of the Lake of the Hills, on Red Deer Lake, and to Churchill. The distance, however, of the latter post from their hunting grounds, and the sufferings to which they are exposed in going thither from want of food, have induced those who were formerly accustomed to visit it, to convey their furs to some nearer sta- tion. These people are so minutely described by Hearne and Mackenzie, that little can be added by a passing stranger, whose observations were made during short interviews, and when they were at the forts, where they lay aside many of their distinguishing characteristics, and strive to imitate the manners of the voyagers and traders. The Chipewyans ave by no means prepos- sessing in appearance : they have broad faces, OF TIIR POLAR SEA. St'J S, projecting cheek-bones and wide nostrils ; but they have generally good teeth, and fine eyes. When at the fort thev imitate the dress of the Canadians, except that, instead of trowsers, they prefer the Indian stockings, which only reach from the thigh to the ancle, and in place of the waistband they have a piece of cloth round the middle which hangs down loosely before and be- hind. Their hunting dress consists of a leathern shirt and stockings, over which a blanket is thrown, the head being covered with a fur cap or band. Their manner is reserved, and their habits are selfish ; they beg with unceasing importunity for every thing they see. I never saw men who either received or bestowed a gift with such bad grace ; they almost snatch the thing from you in the one instance, and throw it at you in the other. It could not be expected that such men should dis- play in their tents, the amiable hospitality which prevails generally amongst the Indians of this country. A stranger may go away hungry from their lodges, unless he possess sufficient impu- dence to thrust, uninvited, his knife into the kettle, and help himself. The owner, indeed, never deigns to take any notice of such an act of rude- ness, except by a frown, it being beneath the dignity of a hunter, to make disturbance about a piece of meat. R 2 844 JOURNKY TO THR SHOIIKS As some relief to the darker shades of their character it should be stated that instances of theft are extremely rare amongst them. They profess strong affection for their children, and some regard for their relations, who are often numerous, as they trace very far the ties of con- sanguinity. A curious instance of the former was mentioned to us, and so well authenticated, that I shall venture to give it in the words of Dr. Richardson's Journal. *' A young Chipewyan had separated from the rest of his band for the purpose of trenching beaver, when his wife, who was his sole com- panion, and in her first pregnancy, was seized with the pains of labour. She died on the third day afler she had given birth to a boy. The husband was inconsolable, and vowed in his an- guish never to take another woman to wife, but his grief was soon in some degree absorbed in anxiety for the fate of his infant son. To preserve its life he descended to the office of nurse, so de- grading in the eyes of a Chipewyan, as partaking of the duties of a woman. He swaddled it in soft moss, fed it with broth made from the flesh of the deer, and to still it's cries applied it to his breast, praying earnestly to the great Master of Life, to assist his endeavours. The force of the powerful passion by which he was actuated produced the OF THE POLAR SKA. 1U6 same effect in his case, as it has done in some others which are recorded: a flow of milk ac- tually took place from his breast. He succeeded in rearing his child, taught him to be a hunter, and when he attained the age of manhood, chose him a wife from the tribe. The old man kept his vow in never taking a second wife himself, but he delighted in tending his son's children, and when his daughter-in-law used to interfere, saying, that it was not the occupation of a man, he was wont to reply, that he had promised to the great Master of Life, if his child were spared, never to be proud, like the other Indians. He used to mention, too, as a certain proof of the approba- tion of Providence, that although he was always obliged to carry his child on his back while hunt- ing, yet that it never roused a moose by its cries, being always particularly still at those times. Our informant* added that he had often seen this Indian in his old age, and that his left breast, even then, retained the unusual size it had ac- quired in his occupation of nurse." We had proof of their sensibility towards their relations, in their declining to pitch their tents where they had been accustomed for many years, alleging a fear of being reminded of the * Mr. VVentzel, 246 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES .1 I hapny hours they had formerly spent there, in the society of the affectionate relatives whom the sickness had recently carried off. The change of situation, however, had not the effect of relieving them from sorrowful impressions, and they occa- sionly indulged in very loud lamentations, as they sat in groups, within and without their tents. Unfortunately, the spreading of a severe dysen- tery amongst them, at this time, gave occasion for the renewal of their grief. The medicinal charms of drumming and singing were plentifully applied, and once they nad recourse to conjuring over a sick person. I was informed, however, that the Northern Indians do not make this ex- pedient for the cure of a patient so often as the Crees ; but when they do, the conjuror is most assiduous, and suffers great personal fatigue. Particular persons only, are trained in the mys- teries of the art of conjuring, to procure the re- covery of the sick, or to disclose future events. On extraordinary occasions the man remains in his narrow conjuring tent, for days without eating, before he can determine the matter to his satisfaction. V/hen he is consulted about the sick, the patient is shut up with him ; but on other occasions he is alone, and the poor creature often works his mind up to a pitch of illusion that can scarcely bo imagined by one who has not OP THE POLAR SEA. :i47 witfiessed it. His deluded companions seat them- selves round his tent, and await his communica- tion with earnest anxiety, yet during the progress of his manoeuvres, they often venture to question him, as to the disposition of the GreaJt Spirit. These artful fellows usually gain complete as- cendancy over the minds of their companions. They are supported by voluntary contributions of provision, that their minds may not be diverted by the labour of hunting, from the peculiar duties of their profession. The chiefs among the Chipewyans are now totally without power. The presents of a Hag, and a gaudy dress, still bestowed upon them by the traders, do not procure for them any respect or obedience, except from the youths of their own families. This is to be attributed mainly to their living at peace with their neighbours, and to the facility which the young men find it getting their wants supplied independent of the recommenda- tion of the chiefs, which was formerly required. In war excursions, boldness and intrepidity would still command respect and procure authority ; but the influence thus acquired would, probably, cease with the occasion that called it forth. The traders, however, endeavour to support their authority by continuing towards them the accustomed marks m mi 248 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES of respect, hoisting the flag and firing a salute of musketry on their enteiing the fort. The chief halts at a distance from the house, and despatches one of his young men to announce his approach, and to bring his flag, which is car- ried before him when he arrives. The messen- ger carries back to him some vermilion to orr* • ment the faces of his party, together with a look- ing-glass and comb, some tobacco, and a few rounds of ammunition, that they may return the salute. These men paint round the eyes, the forehead, and the cheek-bones. The Northern Indians evince no Httle vanity, by assuming to themselves the comprehensive title of " The People," whilst they designate all other nations by the name of their particular country. If men were seen at a distance, and a Chipewyan was asked who those persons were, he would answer. The People, if he recognised them to belong to his tribe, and never Chipe- wyans ; but he would give them their respective names, if they were Europeans, Canadians, or Cree Indians. As they suppos^e their ancestors to come ori- ginally from the east, those who happen to be born in the eastern part of their territory, are considered to be of the purest race, I have been OF THE POLAR SEA. ;3t9 !n informed, that all the Indians who trade at the different posts in the north-west parts of America, imagine that their forefathers came from the east, except the Dog-ribs, who reside between the Copper Indian Islands and the Mackenzie's River, and who deduce their origin from the west, which is the more remarkable, as they speak a dialect of the Chipewyan language. I could gather no information respecting their religious opinions, except that they have a tradition of the deluge. The Chipewyans are considered to be less expert hunters than the Crees, which probably arises from their residing much on the barren lands, where the rein- deer are so numerous that little skill is requisite. A good hunter, however, is highly esteemed among them. The i'acility of procurmg goods, since the commercial opposition commenced, has given great encouragement to their native indolence of disposition, as is ma- nifested by the difference in the amount of their collections of furs and provision between the late and former years. From six to eight hundred packs of furs used formerly to be seni from this department, now the return seldom exceeds half that amount. The decrease in the provision has been already mentioned. The Northern Indians suppose that they ori- ginally sprang from a dog ; and about five years zdb JOURNEY TO THE SIf(mi,j< ago. a superstitious fanatic so strongly pressed upon their n :nds the impropriety of employing these animals, to which they were related, for purposes of labour, that they universally resolved against using them any more, and, strange as it may seem, destroyed them. They now have to drag every thing themselves on sledges. This laborious task falls most heavily on the women ; nothing can more shock the feelings of a person accustomed to civihzed life, than to witness the state of their degradation. When a party is on a march the women have to drag \]\<:- tent, the meat, and whatever the hunter possesses, whilst he only carries his gun and medicine case. In the evening they form the encampment, cut wood, fetch water, and prepare the supfK^r ; and then, perhaps, are not permitted to partake of the fare until the men h^^H- finished. A successful hunter sometimes ha^ ^.vo or three wives; whoever happens to be the favourite, assumes authority over the others, and has the management of the tent. These men usuallv treat their wives ft/ unkindly, and even with harshness; except, in- deed, when they are about to increase the fac^iily, and then they shew them much indul- gence. Hearne charges the Chipewyans with the drea Iful practice of abandoning, in extremity, I: ■{ fi^'fl " OF THE POLAR SEA, "(36. S,- their aged and sick people. The only instanco that came under our personal notice was attendeu with some palliating circumstances : — An old wo> man arrived at Fort Chipewyan, during our resi- dence, with her son, a little boy, about ten years old, both of whom had been deserted by their relations, and left in an encampment, when much reduced by sickness : two or three days after their departure the woman gained a little strength, and with the assistance of the boy, was enabled to paddle a canoe to the fishing station of this post, where they were supported for some days, until they were enabled to proceed in search of some other relations, who, they expected, would treat them with more kindness. I learned, that the woman bore an extremely bad character, having even be-jn guilty of infanticide, and that her companions considered her ofFencer merited the desertion. This tribe, since its present intimate c liiexion with the traders, has discontinued its v/ar excAir- sions against the Esquimaux, but they still speak of that nation in terms of the most inveterate hatred. We have only conversed with four men who have been engaged in any of those expedi- tions ; all these confirm the statements jf Biack- meat respecting the sea-coast. Our observaiions concerning the halt-breed population in this m A ff^^ i m 262 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES i ! vicinity, coincided so exactly with those which have been given of similar persons in Dr. Richardson's account of the Crees, that any statement re- specting them at this place is unnecessary. Both the Companies have wisely prohibited their ser- vants from intermarrying with pure Indian women, which was formerly the cause of many quarrels with the tribes. The weather was extremely variable during the month of June; we scarcely had two clear days in succession, and the showers of rain were frequent; the winds were often strong, and ge- nerally blowing from the north-east quarter. On the evening of the 16th the Aurora Borealis was visible, but after that date the nights were too light for our discerning it. The musquitoes swarmed in great numbers about the house, and tormented us so incessantly by their irritating stings, that we were compelled to keep our rooms constantly filled with smoke, which is the only means of driving them away: the weather indeed was now warm. Having re- ceived one of Dollond's eighteen-mch spirit ther- mometers from Mr. Stuart, which he had the kind- nessto send us from his post at Pierre au Calumet, after he had learned that ours had been rendered useless, I observed the temperature, at noon, on the 25th of June, to be 63°. OP THE POLAR SEA. 253 I a. On the following morning we made an excur- sion, accompanied by Mr. Smith, round the fish- ing stations on the south side of the lake, for the purpose of visiting our men ; we passed several groups of women and children belonging to both the forts, posted wherever they could find a suf- ficiently dry spot for an encampment. At length we came to our men, pitched upon a narrow strip of land, situated between two rivers. Though the portion of dry ground did not exceed fifty yards, yet they appeared to be living very com- fortably, having formed huts with the canoe's sail and covering, and were amply supported by the fish their nets daily furnished. They sometim.es had a change in their fare, by procuring a few ducks and other water-fowl, which resort in great abundance to the marshes, by which they w^ere surrounded. Juli/ 2. — The canoe, which was ordered to be built for our use, was finished. As it was con- structed after the manner, described by Hearne, and several of the American travellers, a detail of the process will be unnecessary. Its ex- treme length was thirty tw'o feet six inches, including the bow and stern pieces, its great- est breadth was four feet tea inches, but it was only two feet nine inches forward where the bowman sat, and two feet four inches be- S/>4 JOURNKY TO THE SIfORKS ! I iiij! i hind where the steersman was placed; and its depth was one foot eleven and a quarter inches. There were seventy -three hoops of thin cedar, and a layer of slender laths of the same wood within the frame. These feeble vessels of bark will carry twenty-five pieces of goods, each weighing ninety pounds, exclusive of the neces- sary provision and baggage for the crew of five or six men, amounting in the whole to about three thousand three hundred pounds' weight. This great lading they annually carry between the depots and the posts, in the interior ; and it rarely happens that any accidents occur, if they be managed by experienced bowmen and steers- men, on whose skill the safety of the canoe entirely depends in the rapids and difficult places. When a total portage is made, these two men carry tlie canoe, and they often run with it, though its weight is estimated at about three hundred pounds, exclusive of the poles and oars, which are occasionally left in where the distance is short. On the 5th, we made an excursion for the pur- pose of trying our canoe. A heavy gale came on in the evening, which caused a great swell in the lake, and in crossing the waves we had the satisfaction to find that our birchen vessel proved an excellent sea-boat. OP THE POLAR SEA. 255 July 7. — This morning some men, and their families, who had been sent off' to search for Indians with whom they intended to pass the summer, returned to the fort in consequence of a serious accident having befallen their canoe in the Red Deer River ; when they were in the act of hauling up a strong rapid, the line broke, the canoe was overturned, and two of the party nar- rowly escaped drowning ; fortunately the women and children happened to be on shore, or, in all probability, they would have perished in the con- fusion of the scene. Nearly all their stores, their guns and fishing nets, were lost, and they could not procure any other food for the last four days than some unripe berries. Some gentlemen arrived in the evening with a party of Chipewyan Indians, from Hay River, a post between the Peace River, and the Great Slave Lake. These men gave distressing ac- counts of sickness among their relatives, and the Indians in general along the Peace River, and they said many of them have died. The disease was described as dysentery. On the 10th and 11th we had very sultry weather, and were dreadfully tormented by musquitof i. The high- est temperature was 73°. July 13. — This morning Mr. Back and I had the sincere gratification of welcoming our long- T"! « iV 25(t JOURNRY TO THE STfORES i I ^1: lull, * 'I I separated friends, Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood, who arrived in perfect heahh with two canoes, having made a very expeditious journey from Cumberland, notwithstanding they wore detained near three days in consequence of the melanrboly loss of one of their bowmen, by the upsetting of a canoe in a strong rapid ; but, as the occurrences of this journey, together with the mention of some other circumstances that happened previous to their departure from Cumberland, which have been extracted from Mr. Hood's narrative, will appear in the following chapter, it will be un- necessary to enter farther into these points now. The zeal and talent displayed by Dr. Richard- son and Mr. Hood, n the discharge of their several duties since my separation from them, drew forth my highest approbation. These gen- tlemen had brought all the stores they could pro- cure from the establishments at Cumberland and Isle a la Crosse ; and at the latior place they had received ten bags of pemmican from the North- 'VVest Company, which proved to be mouldy, and so totally unfit for use, that it was left at the Methye Portage. They got none from the Hud- son's Bay Post. The'voyageria belonging to that Company, being destitute of provision, had eaten what was intended for us. In consequence of these untoward circumstances, the canoes arrived OF THE POLAR SEA. 85: with only one day's supply of this most essential article. The prospect of having to commence our journey from hence, almost destitute of provision, and scantily supplied with stores, was distressing to us, and very discouraging to the men. It was evident, however, that any unnecessary delay here would have been very imprudent, as Fort Chipewyan did not, at the present time, furnish the means of subsistence for so large a party, much less was there a prospect of our receiving, anv supply to carry us forward. We, therefore, hast- ened to make the necessary arrangements for our speedy departure. All the stores were demanded that could possibly be spared from both the esta- blishments; and we rejoiced to find, that when this collection was added to the articles that had been brought up by the canoes, we had a sufficient quantity of clothing for the equipment of the men who had been engaged here, as well as to furnish a present to the Indians, besides some few goods for the winter's consumption; but we could not procure any ammunition, which was the most essential article, or spirits, and but little tobac 0. We then made a final arrangement respecting the voyagers, who were to accompany the party ; and, fortunately, there was no difticulty in doing 4^ n n Vol. I. S IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) fe // ^4l '/. % % 1.0 11.25 Ui |2^ 12.5 ~ 1^ 12.2 ^ B^ 1.1 r-^u^ U 11.6 '/ Hiotographic Sciences Corporation \ L1>^ v> lV »» -. ^ ^ ^ ^ 0^ •e^ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 872-4503 JOURNEY TO TIIR SHORES this, as Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood had taken the very judicious precaution of bringing up ten men from Cumberland, who were engaged to proceed forward if their services were required. The Canadians, whom tliey brought, were most desirous of being continued, and we felt sincere pleasure in being able to keep men who were so zealous in the cause, and who had given proofs of their activity on their recent passage to this place, by discharging those men who were less willing to undertake the journey ; of these, three were Englishmen, one American, and three Canadians. When the numbers were completed, which we had been recommended by the traders to take as a protection against the Esquimaux, we had six- teen Canadian- voyagers, and our worthy and only English attendant John Hepburn, besides the two interpreters whom we were to receive at the Great Slave I-ake; we were also accompanied by a Chipewyan woman. An equipment of goods was given to each of the men who had been engaged at this place, similar to what had been furnished to the others at Cumberland ; and when this distribution had been made, the re- mainder were made up into bales, preparatory to our departure, on the following day. We were cheerfully assisted in these and all our occupa- OP THE POLAR SKA. s:>9 tions by Mr. Smith, who evinced an anxious desire to supply our wants as far as his means permitted, Mr. Hood having brought up the dipping needle from Cumberland House, we ascertained the dip to be 85° 23' 42", and the difference pro- duced by reversing the face of the instrument was 6° 2' 10". The intensity of the magnetic force was also observed. Several observations had been procured on both sides of the moon during our residence at Fort Chipewyan, the result of which gave for its longitude 111° 18' 20" W., its latitude was observed to be 58° 42' 38" N., and the variation of the compass 22° 49' 32" E. Fresh rates were procured for the chronometers and their errors determined for Greenwich time, by which the survey to the northward was car- ried on. !!.' t i S 8 , I S80 JOURNEY TO THK SHORES 1 i I « !i i CHAPTER VI. Mr. Hood's journey to the Basquiau Hill — Sojourns with an Indian Party — His Journey to Chipewyan. March. Being desirous of obtaining a drawing of a moose-deer, and also of making some observa- tion on the height of the Aurora, I set out on tlie 23d, to pass a few days at the Basquiau Hill. Two men accompanied me, with dogs and sledges, who were going to the hill for meat. We found the Saskatchawan open and were obliged to follow it several miles to the eastward. We did not, then, cross it without wading in water, which had overflowed the ice; and our snow-shoes were encumbered with a heavy weight for the remainder of the day. On the south bank of the Saskatchawan were some poplars ten or twelve feet in circumference at the root. Beyond the river, we traversed an extensive swamp, bounded by woods. In the evening we crossed the Swan Lake, about six miles in breadth, and eight in length, and halted on its south side for the night, twenty-four miles S.S.W. of Cumberland House. OF THE POLAR SEA. 261 of At four in the morning of the 24th we con- tinued the journey, and crossed some creeks in the woods, and another large swamp. These swamps are covered with water in summer, to the depth of several feet, which arises from the melted snow from the higher grounds. The tracks of foxes, wolves, wolverenes, and martens, were very numerous. The people employed in carry- ing meat, set traps on their way out, and take possession of their captures at their return, for which they receive a sum from the Company, proportioned to the value of the fur. In the evening we crossed the Goose Lake, which is a little longer than Swan Lake, and afterwards the River Sepanach, a branch of the Saskatchawan, forming an island extending thirty miles above, and forty below Cumberland House. We turned to the westward on the Root River, which enters the Sepanach, and halted on its banks having made in direct distance not more than twenty miles since the 23rd. We passed the Shoal Lake on the 25th, and then marched twelve miles through woods and swamps to a hunting tent of the Indians. It was situated in a grove of large poplars, and would have been no unpleasant residence if we could have avoided the smoke. A heavy gale from the westward, with snow, confined us for several 'n Hei .lOURNEy TO THR SHORES days to this tent. On the 30th two Indians arrived, one of whom named the Warrior, was well known at the house. We endeavoured to prevail upon them to set out in quest of moose, which they agreed to do on receiving some rum. Promises were of no avail; the smallest present gratification is preferred to the certainty of ample reward at another period ; an unfailing indication of strong animal passions, and a weak under- standing. On our compliance with their demand they departed. The next day, I went to the Warrior's tent, distant about eleven miles. The country was materially changed: the pine had disappeared, and gentle slopes, with clumps of large poplars, formed some pleasing groups: willows were scat- tered over the swamps. When I entered the tent, the Indians spread a buffalo robe before the fire, and desired me to sit down. Some were eating, others sleeping, many of them without any covering except the breech cloth and a blanket over the shoulders ; a state in which they love to indulge themselves till hunger drives them forth to the chase. Besides the Warrior's family, there was that of another hunter named Long-legs, whose bad success in hunting had reduced him to the necessity of feeding on moose leather for three weeks when he was compassionately re- i OF THR POLAR SKA. •^fi3 lieved by the Warrior. I was an unwilling wit- ness of the preparation of my dinner by the Indian women. They cut into pieces a portion of fat meat, using for that purpose a knife and their teeth. It was boiled in a kettle, and served in a platter made of birch bark, from which, being dirty, they had peeled the surface. However, the flavour of good moose meat will survive any process that it undergoes in their hands, except smoking. Having provided myself with some drawing materials, I amused the Indians with a sketch of the interior of the tent and its inhabitants. An old woman, who was relating with great volubility an account of some quarrel with the traders at Cumberland House, broke off from her narration when she perceived my design ; supposing, per- haps, that I was employing some charm against her ; for the Indians have been taught a super- natural dread of particular pictures. One of the young men drew, with a piece of charcoal, a figure resembling a frog, on the side of the tent, and by significantly pointing at me, excited peals of mer- riment from his companions. The caricature was comic ; but I soon fixed their attention, by pro- ducing my pocket compass, and affecting it with a knife. They have great curiosity, which might easily be directed to the attainment of useful i 1:1 2(ii .lOIIKNEY TO THi: SHORKS knowledge. As the dirt accumulated about these people was visibly of* a communicative nature, I removed at night into the open air, where the thermometer fell to 15° billow zero, although it was the next day 60° above it. In the morning the Warrior and his companion arrived ; I found that, instead of hunting, they had passed the whole time in a drunken fit, at a short distance from the tent. In reply to our angry questions, the Warrior held out an empty vessel, as if to demand the payment of a debt, before he entered into any new negotiation. Not being inclined to starve his family, we set out for another Indian tent, ten miles to the southward, but we found only the frame, or tent poles, stand- ing, when we reached the spot. The men, by digging where the fire-place had been, ascer- tained that the Indians had quitted it the day before; and as their marches are short, when encumbered with the women and baggage, we sought out their track, and followed it. At an abrupt angle of it, which was obscured by trees, the men suddenly disappeared ; and hastening forward to discover the cause, I perceived them both still rolling at the foot of a steep cliff, over which they had been dragged while endeavouring to stop the descent of their sledges. The dogs were gazing silently, with the wreck of their OF TriK POLAR SKA. 305 harness about them, and the sledges deeply buried in the sncw. The effects of this accident did not detain us long, and we proceeded after- wards with greater caution. The air was warm at noon, and the solitary but sweet notes of the jay, the earliest spring bird, were in every wood. Late in the evening we descried the ravens wheeling in circles round a small grove of poplars, and, according to our expectations, found the Indians encamped there. The men were absent hunting, and returned unsuccessful. They had been several days without provisions, and thinking that I could depend upon the continuance of their exertions, I gave them a little rum ; the next day they set out, and at midnight they swept by us with their dogs in close pursuit. In the morning we found that a moose had eaten the bark of a tree near our fire. The hunters, however, again failed; and they attri- buted the extreme difficulty of approaching the chase, to the calmness of the weather, which enabled it to hear them at a great distance. They concluded, as usual, when labouring under any affliction, that they were tormented by the evil spirit ; and assembled to beat a large tambourine, and sing an address to the Manito, or deity, praying for relief, according to the hu JOURNEY TO THE SHORES explanation which I received; but their prayer consisted of only three words, constantly repeated. One of tile hunters yet remained abroad ; and as the wind rose at noon, we had hopes that he was successful. In the evening he made his appear- ance, and announcing that he had killed a large moose, immediately secured the reward which had been promised. The tidings were received witli apparent in- difference, by people whose lives are alternate changes from the extremity of want to abundance. But as their countenances seldom betray their emotions, it cannot be determined whether their apathy is real or affected. However, the women prepared their sledges and dogs, with the design of dismembering, and bringing home, the carcass : a proceeding to which, in their necessitous con- dition, 1 could have had neither reasonable nor available objections, without giving them a sub- stitute. By much solicitation I obtained an audience, and offered them our own provisions, on condition of their suspending the work of destruction till the next day. They agreed to the proposition, and we set out with some In- dians for the place where the animal was lying. The night advancing, we were separated by a snow-storm, and not being skilful enough to follow tracks which were so speedily filled up. OF TIIK roi.AR SRA. a.{7 T was bewilf leered for several hours in the woods, when I met with an ImHan, who led me back at such a pace that I was always in the rear, to his infinite diversion. The Indians are vain of their local knowledge, which is certainly very wonder- ful. Our companions had taken out the entrails and young of the moose, which they buried in the snow. The Indians then returned to the tents, and one of my men accompanied them ; he was the person charged with the management of the trade at the hunting tent; and he observed, that the opportunity of making a bargain with the Indians, while they were drinking, was too advantageous to be lost. It remained for us to prevent the wolves from mangling the moose; for which purpose we wrapped ourselves in blankets between its feet, and placed the hatchets within our reach. The night was stormy, and apprehension kept me long awake; but finding my companion in so deep a sleep, that nothing could have roused him, except the actual gripe of a wolf, I thought it advisable to imitate his example, as much as was in my power, rather than bear the burthen of anxiety alone. At day-light we shook off the snow, which was heaped upon us, and endeavoured to kindle a fire; but the violence of t'l N 3U8 JOURNEY TO rilK SIIOUKS the storm defeated all our attempts. At length two Indians arrived, with whose assistance wo succeeded, and they took jx)saession of it, to show their sense of our obligations to them. Wo were ashamed of the scene before us; the en- trails of the moose and its young, which had been buried at our feet, bore testimony to the nocturnal revel of the wolves, during the time we had slept. This was a fresh subject of derision for the In- dians, whose api)etites, however, would not suffer them to waste long upon us a time so precious. They soon finished what the wolves had begun, and with as little aid from the art of cookery, eating both the young moose, and the contents of the paunch, raw. I had scarcely secured myself by a lodge of branches from the snow, and placed the moose in a position for my sketch, when we were stormed by a troop of women and children, with their sledges and dogs. We obtained another short respite from the Indians, but our blows could not drive, nor their caresses entice, the hungry dogs from the tempting feast before them. I had not finished my sketch, before the impa- tient crowd tore the moose to pieces, and loaded their sledges with meat. On our way to the tent, a black wolf rushed out upon an Indian, who happened to pass near its den. It was shot; OF THR POL. Ml SKA. 819 rt and the Indians carried away throo black whclpy, to innprove the breed of their dogs. I purchased one of them, intending to send it to England, but it perished for want of proper nourishment. The latitude of these tents, was r)S° 12' 4()" N., and longitude by chronometers 10.'^° 13' 10' W. On the Oth of April we set out for the hunting tent by our former track, and arrived tiiere in the evening. As the increasing warmth of the weather had threatened to interrupt communication by re- moving the ice, orders had been sent from Cum- berland House to the people at the tent, to quit it without delay ; which we did on the 7th. Some altitudes of the Aurora were obtained. We had a fine view, at sunrise, of the Bas- quiau Hill, skirting half the horizon with its white sides, chequered by forests of pine. It is seen from Pine Island Lake, at the distance of fifty miles; and cannot, therefore, be less than three-fourths of a mile in perpendicular height ; probably the greatest elevation between the Atlantic Ocean, and the Rocky Mountains. A small stream runs near the hunting tent, strongly impregnated with salt. There are several salt springs about it, which are not frozen during the winter 4 . 'I I' I «70 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES The surface of the snow, thawing in the sun* and freezing at nidit, had become a strong crust, which sometimes gave way in a circle round our feet, immersing us in the soft snow beneath. The people were afflicted with snow blindness ; a kind of ophthalmia occasioned by the reflection of the sun's rays in the spriiig. The miseries endured during the first journey of this nature, are so great, that nothing could induce the sufterer to undertake a second, while under the influence of present pain. He feels his frame crushed by unaccountable pressure, he drags a galling and stubborn weight at his feet, and his track is marked with blood. The dazzling scene around him affords no rest to his eye, no object to divert his attention from his own agonizing sensations. When he arises from sleep, half his body seems dead, till quickened into feeling by the irritation of his sores. But fortunately for him, no evil m^''es an impression so evanescent as pain. It cannot be wholly banished, nor re- called with the force of reality, by any act of the mind, either to affect our determinations, or to sym- pathize with another. The traveUer soon forgets his sufferings, and at every future journey their recurrence is attended with diminished acuteness. It was not before the 10th or l^thof April, i imummm OP THE POLAR SKA. ari that the return of the swans, geese, and ducks, reave certain indications of the advance of spring. The juice of the maple-tree began to flow, and the women repaired to the woods for the purpose of collecting it. Ttiis tree which abounds to the southward, is not, I believe found to the north- ward of the Saskatchawan. The Indians obtain the sap by making incisions into the tree. They boil it down, and evaporate the water, skimming off the impurities. They are so fond of sweets that after this simple process, they set an extra- vagant price upon it. On the 15th fell the first shower of rain we had seen for six months, and on the 17th the thermometer rose to 77° in the shade. The whole face of the country was deluged by the melted snow. All the nameless heaps of dirt, accumulated in the winter, now floated over the very thresholds, and the long-imprisoned scents dilated into vapours so penetrating, that no re- treat was any security from them. The flood descended into the cellar below our house, and destroyed a quantity of powder and tea; a loss irreparable in our situation. The noise made by the frogs which this inun- dation produced, is almost incredible. There is strong reason to believe that they outlive the severity of winter. Tliey have often been found I I «r» JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 11 w frozen and revived by warmth, nor is it possible that the multitude which incessantly filled our ears with its discordant notes could have been matured in two or three days. The fishermen at Beaver Lake, and the other detached parties were ordered to return to the post. The expedients to which the poor people were reduced, to cross a country so beset with waters, presented many uncouth spectacles. The inexperienced were glad to compromise, with the loss of property, for the safety of their persons, and astride upon ill-balanced rafts with which they struggled to be uppermost, exhibited a ludicrous picture of distress. Happy were they who could patch up an old canoe, though obliged to bear it half the way on their shoulders, through miry bogs and interwoven willows. But the veteran trader, wedged in a box of skin, with his wife, children, dogs, and furs, wheeled tri- umphantly through the current, and deposited his heterogeneous cargo safely on the shore. The woods re-echoed with the return of their exiled tenants. An hundred tribes, as gaily dressed as any burnished natives of the south, greeted our eyes in our accustomed walks, and their voices, though unmusical, were the sweetest that ever saluted our ears. From the 19th to the 26th the snow once OF THE POLAR SKA. 273 more blighted the resuscitating verdure, but a single day was sufficient to remove it. On the 28th the Saskatchaw^an swept away the ice which had adhered to its banks, and on the morrow a boat came down from Carlton House with provi- sions. We received such accounts of the state of vegetation at that place, that Dr. Richardson determined to visit it, in order to collect botani- cal specimens, as the period at which the ice was expected to admit of the continuation of our jour- ney was still distant. Accordingly he embarked on the 1st of May. In the course of the month the ice gradually wore away from the south side of the lake, but the great mass of it still hung to the north side with some snow/isible on its surface. By the '21 st the elevated grounds were perfectly dry, and teeming with the fragrant offspring of the season. When the snow melted, the earth was covered with the fallen leaves of the last year, and already it was green with the strawberry plant, and the bursting buds of the gooseberry, raspberry, and rose bushes, soon variegated by the rose and the blossoms of the choke cherry. The gifts of na- ture are disre[;arded and undervalued till they are withdrawn, and in the hideous regions of the Arctic Zone, she would make a convert of him for whom the gardens of Europe had no charms, Vol r. T i 274 JOURNEY TO THR SHORES I or the mild beauties of a southern climate had bloomed in vain. Mr. Williams found a delightful occupation in his agricultural pursuits. The horses were brought to the plough, and fields of wheat, bar- ley, and Indian corn, promised to reward his labours. His dairy furnished us with all the luxuries of an English farm. On the 25th the ice departed from Pine Island Lake. We were, however, informed that Beaver Lake, which was likewise in our route, would not afford a passage before the 4th of June. Ac- cording to directions left by Mr. Franklin, appli- cations were made to the Chiefs of the Hudson's Bay and North- West Companies' Posts, for two canoes, with their crews, and a supply of stores, for the use of the Expedition. They were not in a condition to comply with this request till the arrival of their respective returns from Isle a la Crosse and the Saskatchawan Departments. Of the six men whom we brought from England, the most serviceable, John Hepburn, had accom- panied Mr. Franklin, and only one other desired to prosecute the journey with us. Mr. Franklin had made arrangements with Mr. Williams for the employment of the remaining five men in bringing to Cumberland House the ammunition, tobacco, ^•c, left at York Fort, which stores were, if pos- OF THE POLAR SEA. 875 sible, to be sent after us in the summer. On the 30th Dr. Richardson returned from Carlton House, and on the 31st the boats arrived belong- ing to the Hudson's Bay Company's Saskatcha- wan Department. We obtained a canoe and two more volunteers. On the 1st of June the Sas- katchawan, swelled by the melting of the snow near the Rocky Mountains, rose twelve feet, and the current of the little rivers bounding Pine Island ran back into the lake, which it filled with mud. On the 5th the North- West Company's peo- ple arrived, and Mr. ConoUy furnished us with a canoe and five Canadians. They were enga- ged to attend us till Mr. Franklin should think fit to iUscharge them, and bound under the usual penalties in case of disobedience, or other improper conduct. These poor people enter- tained such dread of a ship of war, that they sti- pulated not to be embarked in Lieutenant Parry's vessels, if we should find them on the coast ; a condition with which they would gladly have dispensed, had that desirable event taken place. As we required a Canadian foreman and steers- man for the other canoe, we were compelled to wait for the appearance o^ the Isle a la Crosse canoes under Mr. Clark. On the 8th Mr. Williams embarked for York Fort. He gave us a circular letter addressed to T 2 yrs .louRNKv TO rnr: siioiiks the Chiefs of the Hudson's Bay Company's Posts, directing them to afford us all possible assistance on our route, and he promised to exert every endeavour to forward the Esquimaux interpreter, upon whom the success of our journey so much depended. He was accompanied by eight boats. With him we sent our collections of plants, mine- rals, charts, and drawings, to be transmitted to England by the Hudson's Bay ships. After this period, our detention, though short, cost us more vexation than the whole time we had passed at Cumberland House, because every hour of the short summer was invaluable to us. On the 1 1th Mr. Clark arrived, and completed our crews. — He brought letters from Mr. Franklin, dated March 28th, at Fort Chipcwyan, where he was engaged procuring hunters and interpreters. A heavy storm of wind and rain from the north- east again delayed us till the morning of the 13th. The account we had received at York Factory of the numerous stores at Cumberland House proved to be very erroneous. The most material stores we received did not amount, in addition to our own, to more than two barrels of powder, a keg of spirits, and two pieces of tobacco, with pemmican for sixteen days. The crew of Dr. Richardson's canoe consisted of three Englishmen and three Canadians, and OF THE POLAR SEA. i77 the other carried live Canadians; both were deeply laden and the waves ran high on the lake. No person in our party being well acquainted with the rivers to the northward, Mr. Conolly gave us a pilot, on condition that we should ex- change him when we met with the Athabasca brigade of canoes. At four A.M. we embarked. We soon found that birchen-bark canoes were not calculated to brave rough weather on a large lake, for we were compelled to land on the oppo- site border, to free them from the water which had already saturated their cargoes. The wind became more moderate, and we were enabled, after traversing a chain of smaller lakes, to enter the mouth of the Sturgeon River, at sunset, where we encamped. The lading of the canoes is always, if possi- ble carried on shore at night, and the canoes taken out of the water. The following evening we reached Beaver Lake, and landed to repair some damages sustained by the canoes. A round stone will displace the lading of a canoe, without doing any injury, but a slight blow against a sharp corner penetrates the bark. For the pur- pose of repairing it, a small quantity of gum or pitch, bark and pine roots, are embarked, and the business is so expeditiously performed, that the speed of the canoe amply compensates for every delay. The Sturgeon River is justly called S78 JOUHNEY TO THK SHORES by the Canadians La Riviere Maligna, from its numerous and dangerous rapids. Against the strength of a rapid it is impossible to effect any progress by paddling, and the canoes are tracked, or if the bank will not admit of it, propelled with poles, in the management of which the Canadians shew great dexterity. Their simultaneous mo- tions were strongly contrasted with the awkward confusion of the inexperienced Englishmen, deaf- ened by the torrent, who sustained the blame of every accident which occurred. At sunset we encamped on an island in Beaver Lake, and at four A.M., the next morning, pass- ed the first portage in the Ridge River. Beaver Lake is twelve miles in length, and six in breadth. The flat limestone country rises into bold rocks on its banks, and at the mouth of the Ridge River, the hmestone discontinues. The lake is very deep, and has already been noticed for the number and excellence of its fish. The Ridge River is rapid and shallow. We had emerged from the muddy channels through an alluvial soil, and the primi- tive rocks interrupted our way with frequent portages, through the whole route to Isle a la Crosse Lake. At two P.M. we passed the mouth of the Hay river, running from the westward ; and the ridge above its confluence takes the name of the Great River, which rises at the height of land called the Frog Portage. OK THK POLAll Sf:A. y/D The thermometer was this day 100^ in the sun, and the heat was extremely oppressive, from our constant exposure to it. We crossed three port- ages in the Great River, and encamped at the last ; here we met the director of the North- West Company's affairs in the north, Mr. Stuart, on his way to Fort Wilham, in a hght canoe. He had left the Athabasca Lake only thirteen days, and brought letters from Mr. Franklin, who de- sired that we would endeavour to collect stores of every kind at Isle a la Crosse, and added a favourable account of the country, to the north- ward of the Slave Lake. On the 16th, at three A.M., we continued our course, the river increasing to the breadth of half a mile, with many rapids between the rocky islands. The banks were luxuriantly clothed with pines, poplars, and birch trees, of the largest size : but the different shades of green were un- distinguishable at a distance, and the glow of autumnal colours was wanting to render the va- riety beautiful. Having crossed two portages at the different extremities of the Island Lako we ran under sail through two extensive si • o of water, called the Heron and Pelican Lakes; the former of which is fifteen miles in length, and the latter five ; but its extent to the southward has not been S^hO JOIJUNCY TO THE SIIORKS explored. An intricate 'jliannel, with four small "ortages, conducted us to the Woody Lake. Its c orders were, indeed, walls of pines, hiding the face of steep and high rocks ; and we wandered in search of a landing-place till ten P.M., when we were forced to take shelter from an impending storm, on a small island where we wedged our- selves between the trees. But though we secured the canoes, we incurred a personal evil of much greater magnitude, in the torments inflicted by the musquitoes, a plague which had grown upon us since our departure from Cumberland House, and which infested us during the whole summer; we found no relief from their attacks by ex- posing ourselves to the utmost violence of the wind and rain. Our last resource was to plunge ourselves in the water, and from this uncom- fortable situation we gladly escaped at day-light, and hoisted our sails. The Woody Lake is thirteen miles in length, and a small grassy channel at its north-western extremity, leads to the Frog Portage, the source of the waters descending by Beaver Lake to the Saskatchawan. The distance to the Missinippi, or Churchill River, is only three hundred and eighty yards ; and as its course crosses the height nearly at right angles to the direction of the Great River, it would be superfluous to compute the OF THK POLAR SKA. ^H\ elevation at this place. The portage is in lati- tude 55° 20' 0" N., and longitude 103° 34' 50" W. Its name, according to Sir Alexander Mac- kenzie, is derived from the Crees having left sus- pended a stretched frog's skin, in derision of the Northern Indian mode of dressing the beaver. The part of the Missinippi, in which we em- barked, we should have mistaken for a lake, had it not been for the rapidity of the current against which we made our way. At four P.M. we passed a long portage occasioned by a ledge of rocks, three hundred yards in length, over which the river falls seven or eight feet. After crossing another portage we encamped. On the 18th we had rain, wind, and thunder, the whole day ; but this weather was much pre- ferable to the heat we had borne hitherto. We passed three portages, and, at six P.M., en- camped on the north bank. Below the third portage is the mouth of the Rapid River, Howing from a large lake to the southward, on which a post was formerly maintained by the North-West Company. Next morning we found ourselves involved in a confused mass of islands, through the openings of which we could not discern the shore. The guide's knowledge of the river did not extend beyond the last portage, and our per- plexity continued, till we observed some foam 2Si JOIJUNKY TO TIIK SIIOUKS Hojitinj; on the water, and took the direction from which it came. The noise of a heavy fall, at the Mountain Portai^e, reached our ears, at the dis- tance of four miles, and wo arrived there at eight A.M. The portage was a difficult ascent over a rocky island, between which and the main shore were two cataracts and a third in sight above tliem, making another portage. We surprised a large brown bear which immediately retreated into the woods. To the northward of the second portage we again found the channels intricate, but the shores being sometimes visible, we ven- tured to proceed. The character of the country was new and more interesting than before. The mountainous and strong elevations receded irom the banks, and the woods crept through their openings to the valleys behind ; the adventurous pine alone ascending their bases, and braving storms unfelt below. At noon we landed at the Otter Portage, where the river ran with great velocity for half a mile, among large stones. Having carried across the principal part of the cargo, the people attempted to track the canoes along the edge of the rapid. With the first they succeeded, but the other, in which were the foreman and steersman, was overset and sw^ept away by the current. An account of this misfortune was speedily conveyed OF TIIR I'OLAU SKA. 383 to the upper end of the portage, and tho men hiunched the rcmaiiiiiif^ canoe into the rapid, though wholly unacquainted with the dangers of it. The descent was quickly accomplished, and they perceived the bottom of the lost canoe above water in a little bay, whither it had been whirled by the eddy. One man had reached the bank, but no traces could be found of the foreman, Louis Saint Jean. We saved the canoe, out of which two guns and a case of preserved meats had been thrown into the rapid*. So early a disaster deeply affected the spirits of the Cana- dians, and their natural vivacity gave way to melancholy forebodings, while they erected a wooden cross in the rocks near the spot where their companion perished. The loss of this man's services, and the neces- sity of procuring a guide, determined us to wait for the arrival of the North-West Company's people from Fort Chipewyan, und we encamped accordingly. The canoe was much shattered, but as the gunwales were not broken, we easily repaired it. In the evening a N.W. canoe ar- rived, with two of the partners. They gave us an account of Mr. Franklin's proceedings and * ]Mr. Hood himself uas the first to leap into the canoe and iiu ito the men to Follow him, and shoot the raj)id to save the iivesi of their companions. — Dr. Richardson's Journal. h 284 JOUIINEV TO THE SHORES referred us to the brigade following them for a guide. During the 20th it rained heavily, and we passed the day in anxious suspense confined to our tents. A black bear came to the bank on the opposite side of the river, and on seeing us glided behind the trees. Late on the 21st, Mr. Robertson, of the Hud- son's Bay Compaay arrived, and furnished us with a guide, but desired that he might be ex- changed when we met the northern canoes. We took advantage of the remainder of the day, to cross the next portage, which was three-fourths of a mile in length. On the 22nd we crossed three small portages, and encamped at the fourth. At one of them we passed some of the Hudson's Bay Company's canoes, and our application to them was unsuc- cessful. We began to suspect that Isle A la Crosse was the nearest place at which we might hope for assistance. However, on the morning of the 23rd, as we were about to embark, we en- countered the last brigades of canoes belonging to both the Companies, and obtained a guide and foreman from them. Thus completely equipped, we entered the Black Bear Island Lake, the navigation of which requires a very experienced pilot. Its length is twenty-two miles, and its OP THE POLAR SKA. 9Si breadth varies from three to five, yet it is so choked v^^itli islands, that no channel is to be found through it, exceeding a mile in breadth. At sunset we landed, and encamped on an island, and at six A. M. on the '24th, left the lake and crossed three portages into another, which has, probably, several communications with the last, as that by which we passed is too narrow to convey the whole body of the Mis- sinippi. At one of these portages called the Pin Portage is a rapid, about ten yards in length, with a descent of ten or twelve feet, and beset with rocks. Light canoes sometimes venture down this fatal gulf, to avoid the portage, un- appalled by the warning crosses which overhang the brink, the mournful records of former failures. The Hudson's Bay Company's people whom we passed on the 23rd, going to the rock house with their furs, were badly provided with food, of which we saw distressing proofs at every portage behind them. They had stripped the birch trees of their rind to procure the soft pulpy vessels in contact with the wood, which are sweet, but very insufficient to satisfy a craving appetite. The lake to the westward of the Pin Portage, is called Sandfly Lake; it is seven miles long; and a wide channel connects it with the Serpent 1^1 u 296 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES Lake, the extent of which to the southward we could not discern. There is nothing remarkable in this chain of lakes, except their shapes, being rocky basins filled by the waters of the Missi- nippi, insulating the massy eminences, and mean- dering with almost imperceptible current between them. From the Serpent to the Sandy Lake, it is again confined in a narrow space by the ap- proach of its winding banks, and on the 26th we were some hours employed in traversing a series of shallow rapids, where it was necessary to lighten the canoes. Having missed the path through the woods, we walked two miles in the water upon sharp stones, from which some of us were incessantly slipping into deep holes, and floundering in vain for footing at the bottom ; a scene highly diverting, notwithstanding our fa- tigue. We were detained in Sandy Lake, till one P. M., by a strong gale, when the wind be- coming moderate we crossed five miles to the mouth of the river, and at four P. M. left the main branch of it, and entered a little r^ulet called the Grassy River, running through an extensive reedy swamp. It is the nest of innumerable ducks, which rear their young, among the long rushes, in security from beasts of prey. At sunset we encamped on the banks of the main branch. OF THE POLAR SEA. 2S7 At three A. M. June 28th, we embarked in a thick fog occasioned by a fall of the temperature of the air ten degrees below that of the water. Having crossed Knee Lake, which is nine miles in length, and a portage at its western extremity, we entered Primeau Lake, with a strong and favourable wind, by the aid of which we ran nineteen miles through it, and encamped at the river's mouth. It is shaped like the barb of an arrow, with the point towards the north, and its greatest breadth is about four miles. During the night, a torrent of rain washed us from our beds, accompanied with the loudest thunder I ever heard. This weather continued during the 29th, and often compelled us to land, and turn the canoes up, to prevent them from filling. We passed one portage, and the con- fluence of a river, said to afford, by other rivers beyond a height of land, a shorter but more diffi- cult route to the Athabasca Lake than that which is generally pursued. On the 28th we crossed the last portage, and at ten A. M. entered the Isle a la Crosse Lake. Its long succession of woody points, both banks stretching towards the south, till their forms were lost in the haze of the horl. on, was a grateful prospect to us, after our bewildered and inter- rupted voyage in the Missinippi. The gale I ?8S JOIIRNRV TO TfIR SHORES wafted us with unusual speed, and as the lake increased in breadth, the waves swelled to a dangerous height. A canoe running before the wind is very Hable to burst asunder, when on the top of a wave, so that part of the bottom is out of the water; for there is nothing to support the weight of its heavy cargo but the bark, and the slight gunwales attached to it. On making known our exigencies to the gen- tlemen in charge of the Hudson's Bay and North- West Companies' Forts, they made up an assort- ment of stores, amounting to five bales ; for four of which we were indebted to Mr. Mac Leod of the North West Company, who shared with us the ammunition absolutely required for the sup- port of his post; receiving in exchange an order for the same quantity upon the cargo which we expected to follow us from York Factory. We had heard from Mr. Stuart that Fort Chipewyan was too much impoverished to supply the wants of the Expedition, and we found Isle a la Crosse in the same condition ; which, indeed, we might have foreseen, from the exhausted state of Cumber- land House, but could net have provided against. We never had heard before our departure from York, that the posts in the interior only received annually the stores necessary for the consumption of a single year. It was fortunate for us that OF THE POLAR SEA. SS9 Mr. Franklin had desired ten bags of pemmican to be sent from the Saskatchawan across the plains to Isle a la Crosse for our use. This re- source was untouched, but we could not embark more than five pieces in our own canoes. How- ever, Mr. Mac Leod agreed to send a canoe after us to the Methye Portage, with the pemmican, and we calculated that the diminution of our pro- vision would there enable us to receive it. The Beaver River enters this lake on the S.E. side, and another river which has not been named on the S.W. Both these rivers r"< branches of the Missinippi, as it is the only outlet from the lake. The banks appeared to be rocky, and the beach in many places sandy, but its waters are yellow and muddy. It produces a variety of fish, among which its white-fish are esteemed the best in the country. The only birds visible at this season, are common to every part of the Missinippi; gulls, ducks, pigeons, goatsuckers, and the raven; and geese and swans pay a momentary visit in passing to the north and returning. There was little in the forts differing from the establishments that we had before seen. The ground on which they are erected is sandy, and favourable to cultivation. Curiosity, however, was satisfied by the first experiment, and utility Vol. I. U 290 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES alone has been unable to extend it. Isle a la Crosse is frequented by the Crees and the Chipewyans, It is not the dread of the Indians, but of one another, that has brought the rival Companies so close together at every trading post; each party seeking to prevent the other from engaging the affections of the natives, and monopolizing the trade. Whenever a settlement is made by the one, the other immediately fol- lows, without considering the eligibility of the place ; for it may injure its opponent, though it cannot benefit itself, and that advantage which is the first object of all other commercial bodies, becomes but the second with the fur traders. On the evening of the 30th we embarked, and entered a wide channel to the northward of the forts, and extending towards the north-west. It gradually decreased in breadth till it became a river, which is the third fork of the Missinippi, and its current being almost insensible, we en- tered the Clear Lake at ten A.M. on the 1st of July. Of this lake, which is very large, no part is known except the soutli border, but its extent would lead us to conclude, that its evaporation must be supplied by another river to the north- ward, especially as the small channel that com- municates with Buffalo Lake is motionless. The existence of such a river is asserted by the OP THE POLAR SEA. S9l Indians, and a shorter passage might be found by it across the height of land to Clear Water River, than the portage from the Methye Lake. In Buffalo Lake, the wind was too strong for us to proceed, and we therefore encamped upon a gravel beach thrown up by the waves. We embarked at three A.M. July 2d, and at four P.M. entered the mouth of the Methye River. The lake is thirty-four miles in length, and four- teen in breadth. It is probably very deep, for we saw no islands on this wide expanse, except at the borders. On the south-west side were two forts, belonging to the Companies, and near them a solitary hill seven or eight hundred feet high. At eight P.M. we encamped in the Methye River, at the confluence of the river Pembina. A route has been explored by it to the Red Willow River, across the height of land, but the difficul- ties of it were so great, that the ordinary route is preferred. On the 3d we passed through the Methye River, and encamped on the borders of the Methye Lake. The soil from Isle a la Crosse to this place is sandy, with some portion of clay, and the tress numerous ; but the Methye River is stony, and so shallow, that to lighten the canoes, we made two portages of five and two miles. The paths were overflowed with cold U 2 i 293 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES spring water, and barricadocd by fallen trees; we should have been contented to immerse our- selves wholly had the puddle been sufficiently deep, for the musquitoes devoured every part that was exposed to them. On the 4th we crossed the Methye Lake, and landed at the portage on the north-west side, in one of the sources of the Missinippi. The lake is seventeen miles in length, with a large island in the middle. We proceeded to the north side of the portage with two men, carrying a tent and some instruments, leaving the canoes and cargoes to be transported by daily jodrijeys of two or three miles. The distance is fourteen statute miles, and there are two small lakes about five miles from the north side. Several species of fish were found in them, though they have no known communication with any other body of water, being situated on the elevation of the height. The road was a gentle ascent, miry from the late rainy weather, and shaded by pines, poplars, birches, and cypresses, which terminated our view. On the north side we discovered through an opening in the trees, that we were on a hill eight or nine hundred feet high, and at the edge of a steep descent. We were prepared to expect an extensive prospect, but the magnificent scene before us was so superior to what the nature OF THE POLAR SEA. ■Z\)3 of the country had promised, that it banished even our sense of suffering from the musquitoes, which hovered in clouds about our heads. Two parallel chains of hills extended towards the setting sun, their various projecting outlines exhibiting the several gradations of distance, and the opposite bases closing at the horizon. On the nearest eminence, the objects were clearly defined by their dark shadows; the yellow rays blended their softening hues with brilliant green on the next, and beyond it all distinction melted into gray and purple. In the long valley between, the smooth and colourless Clear Water River wound its spiral course, broken and shattered by encroaching woods. An exuberance of rich herbage covered the soil, and lofty trees climbed the precipice at our feet, hiding its brink with their summits. Impatient as we were, and blinded with pain, we paid a tribute of admira- tion, which this beautiful landscape is capable of exciting, unaided by the borrowed charms of a calm atmosphere, glowing with the vivid tints of evenmg. We descended to the banks of the Clear Water River, and having encamped, the two men re- turned to assist their companions. We had some- times before procured a litde rest, by closing the tent, and burning wood, or flashing gunpowder m JOUUNEV TO THE SHORES within, the smoke driving the musquitoes into the crannies of the ground. But this remedy was now ineffectual, though we employed it so perse- veringly, as to hazard suffocation: they swarmed under our blankets, goring us with their enve- nomed trunks, and steeping our clothes in blood. We rose at daylight in a fever, and our misery was unmitigated during our whole stay. The musquitoes of America resemble, in shape, those of Africa and Europe, but differ essentially in size and other particulars. There are two distinct species, the largest of which is brown, and the smallest black. Where they are bred cannot easily be determined, for they are nume- rous in every soil. They make their first ap- pearance in May, and the cold destroys them in September; in July they are most voracious; and fortunately for the traders, the journeys from the trading posts to the factories are generally concluded at that period. The food of the mus- quito is blood, which it can extract by penetrating the hide of a buffalo ; and if it is not disturbed, it gorges itself so as to swell its body into a trans- parent globe. The wound does not swell, like that of the African musquito, but it is infinitely more painful; and when multiplied an hundred fold, and continued for so many successive days, it becomes an evil of such magnitude, that cold, OF tfif: polar ska. ^95 famine, and every other concoi litant of an inhos- pitable dimate, mik-«t yield the pre-eminence to it. It chascs tho buffalo to the plains, irritating him to madness ; and the rein-deer to the sea-shore, from which tfiey do not return till the scourge has ceased. On the Gth the thermometer was 106° in the sun, and on the 7th 110°. The musquitoes sought the shade in the heat of the day. It was some satisfaction to us to see the havoc made among them by a large and beautiful species of dragon-fly, called the musquito hawk, which wheeled through their retreats, swallowing its prey without a momentary diminution of its speed. But the temporary relief that we had hoped for was only an exchange of tormentors : our new assailant, the horse-fly, or bull-dog, ranged in the hottest glare of the sun, and carried off a portion of flesh at each attack. Another noxious insect, the smallest, but not the least for- midable, was the sand-fly known in Canada by the name of the bmlot. To such annoyance all travellers must submit, and it would be unworthy to complain of that grievance in the pursuit of knowledge, which is endured for the sake of profit. This detail of it has only been as an ex- cuse for the scantiness of our observations on the I 296 .lOUUNEY TO THK SHORES most interesting part oi* the country through which we passed. The north side of the Mcthye Portage is in lati- tude 60° 41' 40" N. and longitude 109'^ 52' 0" W. It is, by our course, one hundred and twenty- four miles from Isle X la Crosse, and considered as a branch of the Missinippi, five hundred and ninety-two miles from the Frog Portage. The Clear Water River passing through the valley, described above, evidently rises not far to the eastward. The height, computed by the same mode as that of the Echiamamis, by allowing a foot for each mile of distance, and six feet on an average, for each fall and rapid, is two thousand four hundred ard sixty-sevrii feet above the level of the sea, admitting it !« be nine hundred feet above the Clear Water Ri ver. The country, in a line between it and the mouth of Mackenzie's River, is a continual descent, although to the east- ward of that line, there may be several heights between it and the Arctic Sea. To the eastward, the lands descend to Hudson's Bay ; and to the westward also, till the Athabasca River cuts through it, from whence it ascends to the Rocky Mountains. Daring was the spirit of enterprise that first led Commerce, with her cumbrous train, from the waters of Hudson's Bay to those of the ♦)K Tin: POLAIl SKA. s?9r Arctic Sea, across an obstacle to navigation so stupendous as this ; and persevering has been the industry which drew riches from a source so remote. On the 8th two men arrived, and informed us, that they had brought us our ten bags of pemmi- can, from Isle a la Crosse, but that they were found to be rotten. Thus were we unexpectedly deprived of the most essential of our stores, for we knew Fort Chipewyan to be destitute of pro- visions, and that Mr. Franklin depended upon us for a supply, whereas, enough did not remain for our own use. On the 9th, the canoes and car- goes reached the north side of the portage. Our people had selected two bags of pemmican less mouldy than the rest, which they left on the beach. Its decay was caused by some defect in the mode of mixing it. On the 10th, we embarked in the Clear Water River, and proceeded down the current. The hills, the banks, and bed of the river, were com- posed of fine yellow sand, with some limestone rocks. The surface soil was alluvial. At eight A.M. we passed a portage on which the limestone rocks were singularly scattered through the woods, bearing the appearance of houses and turrets overgrown with moss. The earth emitted a hol- low sound, and the river was divided by rocks. ill hi 298 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES into narrow crooked channels, every object indi- cating that some convulsion had disturbed the general order of nature at this place. We had passed a portage above it, and after two long por- tages below it we encamped. Near the last was a small stream so strongly impregnated with sul- phur, as to taint the air to a great distance around it. We saw two brown bears on the hills in the course of the day. At dajdight, on tlie 11th, we embarked. The hills continued on both sides to the mouth of the river, varying from eight hundred to one thousand feet in height. They declined to the banks in long green slopes, diversified by woody mounds and copses. The pines were not here in thick im.penetrable masses, but perched aloft in single groups on the heights, or shrouded by the livelier hues of the poplar and willow. We passed the mouth of the Red Willow River on the south bank, flowing through a deep ravine. It is the continuation of the route by the Pembinaj before mentioned. At noon we entered the ma- jestic Athabasca or Elk River. Its junction with the Clear Water River is called the Forks. Its banks were in accessible cliffs, apparently of clay and stones, about two hundred feet high, and its windings in the south were encircled by high mountains. Its breadth exceeded half a mile OF THE POL All SEA. 299 u and was swelled to a mile in many places by long muddy islands in the middle covered with trees. No more portages interrupted our course, but a swift current hurried us towards the quarter in which our anticipated discoveries were to com- mence. The passing cliffs returned a loud con- fusion of echoes to the sprightly canoe song, and the dashing paddles; and the eagles, watching with half-closed eyes on the pine-tops, started from their airy rest, and prepared their drowsy pinions for the flight. About twenty miles from the Forks are some salt pits and plains, said to bo very extensive. The height of the banks was reduced to twenty or thirty feet, and the hills ranged themselves at an increased distance from the banks in the same variety as those of the Clear Water River. At sunset we encamped on a small sandy island, but the next morning made a speedy retreat to the canoes, the water having nearly overflown our encampment. We passed two deserted settle- ments of the fur traders on opposite banks, at a place called Pierre au Calumet. Beyond it the hills disappeared, and the banks were no longer visible above the trees. The river carries away yearly large portions of soil, which increases its breadth, and diminishes its depth, rendering the water so muddy as to be scarcely drinkable. Ill i 300 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES Whole forests of timber are drifted down the stream, and choke up the channels between the islands at its mouth. We observed the traces of herds of buffaloes, where they had crossed the river, the trees being trodden down and strewed, as if by a whirlwind. At four P.M. we left the main branch of the Athabasca, entering a small river, called the Embarras. It is narrow and muddy, with pines of an enormous size on its banks. Some of them are two hundred feet high, and three or four feet in diameter. At nine P.M. we landed and en- camped ; but finding ourselves in a nest of mus- quitoes, we continued our journey before day- break ; and at eight A.M., emerged into the Athabasca Lake. A strong wind agitated this sea of fresh water, which, however, we crossed without any accident, and landed on the north side of it, at Fort Chipewyan ; where we had the satisfaction of finding our companions in good health, and of experiencing that sympathy in our anxiety on the state of affairs, which was only to be expected from those who were to share our future fortunes. OF THE POLAR SEA. 301 CHAPTER Vir. Departure from Clupewyan — Difficulties of the various Navigations of the Rivers and Lakes, and of the Portages — Slave liake and Fort Providence— Scarcity of Provisions, and discontent of the Oanadiaa Voyatfers — Difficulties with regard to the Indian Guides — ^Refusal to proceed — Visit of Observation to the Upper part of Copper- Aline River — Return to the Winter- (Quarters of Fort Enterprise. 1830. Early this morning the stores were dis- Ju!y 18. tributed to the three canoes. Our stock of provision unfortunately did not amount to more than sufficient for one day's consumption, exclu- sive of two barrels of flour, three cases of pre- served meats, some chocolate, arrow-root, and portable soup, which we had brought from Eng- land, and intended to reserve for our journey to the coast the next season. Seventy pounds of moose meat and a little barley were all that Mr. Smith was enabled to give us. It was gratifying, however, to perceive that this scarcity of food did not depress the spirits of our Canadian com • panions, who cheerfully loaded their canoes, and embarked in high glee after they had received 309 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES the customary dram. At noon we bade farewell to our kind friend Mr. Smith. The crews com- menced a lively paddling song on quitting the shore, which was continued until we had lost sight of the houses. We soon reached the west- ern boundary of the lake, and at two entered the Stony River, one of the discharges of the Atha- basca Lake into the Slave River, and having a favouring current passed swiftly along. This narrow stream is confined between low swampy banks, which support willows, dwarf birch, and alder. At five we passed its conflux with the Peace River. The Slave River, formed by the union of these streams, is about three quarters of a mile wide. We descended this magnificent river, with much rapidity, and afi;er passing through several nar )w channels, fonned by an assemblage of islands, crossed a spot where the waters had a violent whirling motion, which, when the river is low, is said to subside into a dangerous rapid ; on the present occasion no other inconvenience was felt than the inability of steer- ing the canoes, which were whirled about in every direction by the eddies, until the current carried them beyond their influence. We encamped at seven, on the swampy bank of the river, but had scarcely pitched the tents before v/e were visited by a terrible thunder-storm ; the rain fell in tor- OF THE POLAR SEA. 303 rents, and the violence of the wind caused the river to overflow its banks, so that we were com- pletely flooded. Swarms of musquitoes succeeded the storm, and their tormenting stings, superadded to other inconveniences, induced us to embark, and, after taking a hasty supper to pursue our voyage down the stream during the night. At six on the following morning we passed the Rein-Deer Islands, and at ten reached the entrance of the Dog River, where we halted to set the fish- ing nets. These were examined in the evening, but to our mortification we obtained only four small trout, and were compelled to issue partof our preserved meats for supper. The latitude of the mouth of Dog River, was observed 59° 52' 16" N. The nets were taken up at daylight, but they furnished only a solitary pike. We lost no time in embarking, and crossed the crooked channel of the Dog Rapid, when two of the canoes came in such violent contact with each other, that the sternmost had its bow broken off". We were for- tunately near the shore or the disabled canoe would have sunk. The injury being repaired in two hours, we again embarked, and having de- scended another rapid, arrived at the Cassette Portage of four hundred and sixty paces, over which the cargoes and canoes were carried in about twenty-six minutes. We next passed I 301. JOURNEY TO THE SHORES through a narrow channel full of rapids, crossed the Portage d'Embarras of seventy yards; and the portage of the Little Rock, of three hundred yards, at which another accident happened to one of the canoes, by the bowman slipping and letting it fall upon a rock, and breaking it in two. Two hours were occupied in sewing the detached pieces together, and covering the seam with pitch; but this being done it was as effective as before. After leaving this place we soon came to the next portage, of two himdred and seventy -three paces ; and shortly afterwards to the Mountain Portage, of one hundred and twenty : which is appropri- ately named, as the path leads over the summit of a high hill. This elevated situation commands a very grand and picturesque view, for some miles along the river, which at this part is about a mile wide. We next crossed a portage of one hundred and twenty yards ; and then the Pelican Portage, of eight hundred paces. Mr. Back took an accurate sketch of the interesting scenery which the river presents at this place. After descending six miles further we came to the last portage on the route to Slave Lake which we crossed, and en- camped in its lower end. It is called " The Portage of the Drowned" and it received that name from a melancholy accident which took place OP THE POLAR SEA. ao5 many years ago. Two canoes arrived at the upper end of the portage, in one of which there was an experienced guide. This man judging from the height of the river, deemed it practicable to shoot the rapid, and determined upon trying it. He accordingly placed himself in the bow of his canoe, having previously agreed, that if the pas- sage was found easy, he should, on reaching the bottom of the rapid, fire a musket, as a signal for the other canoe to follow. The rapid proved dan- gerous, and called forth all the skill of the guide, and the utmost exertion of his crew, and they narrowly escaped destruction. Just as they were landing, an unfortunate fellow seizing the loaded fowling-piece, fired at a duck which rose at the in- stant. The guide anticipating the consequences, ran with the utmost haste to the other end of the portage, but he was too late: the other canoe had pushed off, and he arrived only to witness the fate of his comrades. They got alarmed in the middle of the rapid, the canoe was upset, and every man perished. The various rapids we passed this day, are produced by an assemblage of islands and rocky ledges, which obstruct the river, and divide it into many narrow channels. Two of these chan- nels are rendered still more difficult by accumu- lations of drift timber ; a circumstance which has Vol. I. X I i 9 Mi 306 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES given a name to one of the portages. The rocks which compose the bed of tne river, and the nume- rous islands, belong to the granite formation. The distance made to-day was thirteen miles. July 21. — We embarked at four A.M. and pursued our course down the river. The rocks cease at the last portage ; and below it the banks are composed of alluvial soil, which is held to- gether by the roots of trees and shrubs that crown their summits. The river is about a mile wide, and the current is greatly diminished. At eight we landed at the mouth of the Salt River, and pitched our tents, intending to remain there that and the next day for the purpose of fishing. After breakfast, which made another inroad on our preserved meats, we proceeded up the river in a light canoe, to visit the salt springs, leaving a party behind to attend the nets. This river is about one hundred yards wide at its mouth. Its waters did not become brackish until we had as- cended it seven or eight miles ; but when we had passed several rivulets of fresh water which flowed in, the main stream became very salt, at the same time contracting its width to fifteen or twenty yards. At a distance of twenty-two miles, in- cluding the windings of the river, the plains com- mence. Having pitched the tent at this spot, we set out to visit the principal springs, and OF THE POLAR SEA. a07 had walk=id about three miles "when the musquitoeB compelled us to give up our project. We did not see the termination of the plains toward the east, but on the north and west they are bounded by an even ridge, about six or seven hundred feet in ..eight. Several salt springs issue from the foot of this ridge, and spread their waters over the plain, which consists of tenacious clay. During the summer much evaporation takes place, and large heaps of salt are left behind crystallized in the form of cubes. Some beds of grayish compact gypsum were exposed on the sides of the hills. The next morning after filling some casks with salt for our use during winter, w.e embarked to return, and had descended the rivc.i a few miles, when turning round a point, we perceived a buffalo plunge into the river before us. Eager to secure so valuable a prize, we instantly opened a fire upon him from four muskets, and in a few minutes he fell, but not before he had received fourteen balls. The carcass was towed to the bank, and the canoe speedily laden with meat. After this piece of good fortune, we descended the stream merrily, our voyagers chanting their liveliest songs. On arrival at the mouth of the river, we found that our nets had not produced more than enough to supply a scanty meal to the X2 SOS JOL'RNRY TO TliR SHORES men whom we had left behind, but this was now of little importance, as the acquisition of meat we had made would enable us to proceed without more delay to Slave Lake. The pois.son inconnu mentioned by Mackenzie, is found here. It is a species of the Genus Salmo, and is said by the Indians to ascend from the Arctic Sea, but being unable to pass the cascade of the Slave River, is not found higher than this place. In the evening a violent thunder-storm came on with heavy rain^ thermometer 70°. At a very early hour on the following morning we embarked, and continued to paddle against a very strong wind and high waves, under the shelter of the bank of the rivers, until two P.M., when having arrived at a more exposed part of the stream, the canoes took in so much water that we were obliged to disembark on a small island. The river here is from one mile and a quarter to one mile and three quarters wide. Its banks are of moderate height, sandy, and well wooded. July 24. — We made more progress notwith- standing the continuance of the wind. The course of the river is very winding, making in one place a circuit of seven or eight miles round a penin- sula, which is joined to the west bank by a narrow isthmus. Near the foot of this elbow, a OF TflE POLAR SEA. ao9 long island occupies the centre of the river, which it divides into two channels. The longitude was obtained near to it 113° 2o 36", and variation 27° 2.5' 14" N., and the latitude 60° 54' 52" N., about four miles farther down. We passed tho mouth of a broad channel leading to the north- east, termed La Grande Riviere de Jean, one of the two large branches by which the river pours its waters into the Great Slave Lake ; the flooded delta at the mouth of the river is intersected by several smaller channels, through one of which, called the Channel of the Scaffold, we pursued our voyage on the following morning, and by eight A.M. reached the establishment of the North-West Company on Moose-Deer Island. We found letters from Mr. Wentzel, dated Fort Providence, a station on the north side of the lake, which communicated to us, that there was an Indian guide waiting for us at that post; but, that the chief and the hunters, who were to ac- company the party, had gone to a short distance to hunt, having become impatient at our delay.* Soon after landing, I visited the Hudson's Bay Post on the same island, and engaged Pierre St. Germain, an interpreter for the Copper Indians. We regretted to find the posts of both the Com- panies extremely bare of provision; but as the gentlemen in charge had despatched men on the i* . 310 .lOUUXEY TO THK SHORKS preceding evening, to a band of Indians, in search of meat, and they promised to furnish us with whatever should be brought, it was deemed advisable to wait for their return, as the smallest supply was now of importance to us. Advantage was taken of the delay to repair effectually the canoe, which had been broken in the Dog Rapid. On the next evening the men arrived with the meat, and enabled Mr. M'Cleod, of the North- West Company, to furnish us with four hundred pounds of dried provisions. Mr. M'Vicar, of the Hudson's Bay Company, also supplied one hun- dred and fifty pounds. This quantity we con- sidered would be sufficient, until we could join the hunters. We also obtained three fishing-nets, a gun, and a pair of pistols, which were all the stores these posts could furnish, although the gentlemen in charge were much disposed to assist us. Moose-Deer Island is about a mile in diame- ter, and rises, towards the centre about three hundred feet above the lake. Its soil is in general sandy, in some parts swampy. The varieties of the northern berries grov^ abundantly on it. The North- West Company's Fort is in latitude 61° 11' S" N. ; longitude 113° 51' 37'' W., being two hundred and sixty statute miles distant from Fort Chipewyan, by the river course. The OK TUB POLAa SEA. 311 variation of tho compass is 25° 40' 47" E. The houses of tho two Companies arc small, and have a bleak northern r u ;. There are vast accumulations of drill v on the shores of the lake, brought down by the river, which afford plenty of fuel. The inhabitants live principally on the fish, which the lake at certain seasons furnishes in great abundance ; of these, the white fish, trout, and poisson inconnu are considered the best. They also procure moose, buffalo, and rein-deer meat occasionally from their hunters ; but these animals are generally found at the distance of several days' walk from the forts. The Indians who trade here are Chipewyans. Beavers, martens, foxes, and musk-rats, are caught in numbers in the vicinity of this great body of water. The musquitoes here were still a serious annoyance to us, but less nume- rous than before. They were in some degree replaced by a small sandfly, whose bite is suc- ceeded by a copious flow of blood, and consider- able swelling, but is attended with incomparably less irritation, than the puncture of the musquito. On the 27th of July we embarked at four A.M., and proceeded along the south shore of the lake, through a narrow channel, formed by some islands, beyond the confluence of the principal branch of the Slave River; and as far as Stony }■ u f :t i'l 312 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES Island, where we breakfasted. This island is merely a rock of gneiss, that rises forty or fifty feet above the lake, and is precipitous on the north side. As the day was fine, and the lake smooth, we ventured upon paddling across to the Kein-Deer Islands, which were distant about thir- teen miles in a northern direction, instead of pur- suing the usual track by keeping further along the south shore which inclines to the eastward from this point. These islands are numerous, and consist of granite, rising from one hundred to two hundred feet above the water. They are for the most part naked ; but towards the centres of the larger ones, there is a little soil, and a few groves of pines. At seven in the evening we landed upon one of them, and encamped. On the Ibllowing morning we ran before a strong breeze, and a heavy swell, for some hours, but at length were obliged to seek shelter on a large island adjoining to Isle a la Cache of Mackenzie, where the following observations were obtained: latitude 61° 50' 18" N., longitude 113° 21' 40" W., and variation 31° 2' 06" E. The wind and swell having subsided in the afternoon, we re- embarked and steered towards the western point of the Big-Island of Mackenzie, and when four miles distant from it, had forty- two fathoms soundings. Passing between this OF THE POLAR SEA. 313 IS island and a promontory of the main shore, termed Big Cape, we entered into a deep bay, which receives the waters from several rivers that come from the northward ; and we imme- diately perceived a decrease in the temperature of the waters from 59° to 48°. We coasted along the eastern side of the bay, its western shore being always visible, but the canoes were ex- posed to the hazard of being broken by the numerous sunken rocks, which were scattered in our track. We encamped for the night on a rocky island, and by eight A.M. on the following morning, arrived at Fort Providence, which is situated twenty-one miles from the entrance of the bay. The post is exclusively occupied by the North- West Company, the Hudson's Bay Company having no settlement to the northward of Great Slave Lake. We found Mr. Wentzel and our interpreter Jean Baptiste Adam here, with one of the Indian guides : but the chief of the tribe and his hunters were encamped with their families, some miles from the fort, in a good situation for fishing. Our arrival was announced to him by a fire on the top of a hill, and before night a messenger came to communicate his intention of seeing us next morning. The cus- tomary present, of tobacco and some other arti- cles, was immediately sent to him. 314 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES Mr. Wentzel prepared me for the first confer- ence with the Indians by mentioning all the in- formation they had already given to him. The duties allotted to this gentleman were, the ma- nagement of the Indians, the superintendence of the Canadian voyagers, the obtaining, and the general distribution, of the provision, and the issue of the other stores. These services he was well qualified to perform, having been accustomed to execute similar duties, during a residence of upwards of twenty years in this country. We also deemed Mr. Wentzel to be a great acquisi- tion to our party, as a check on the interpreters, he being one of the few traders who speak the Chipewyan language. As we were informed that external appearances made lasting impressions on the Indians, we pre- pared for the interview by decorating ourselves in uniform, and suspending a medal round each of our necks. Our tents had been previously pitched and over one them a silken union flag was hoisted. Soon after noon, on July 30th, several Indian canoes were seen advancing in a regular line, and on their approach, the chief was discovered in the headmost, which was paddled by two men. On landing at the fort, the chief assumed a very grave aspect, and walked up to Mr. Wentzel with a measured and dignified step. OF THE POLA.R SEA. 315 looking neither to the right nor to the left, at the , persons who had assembled on the beach to wit- ness his debarkation, but preserving the same immoveability of countenance until he reached the hall, and was introduced to the officers. When he had smoked his pipe, drank a small portion of spirits and water himself, and issued a glass to each of his companions, who had seated them- selves on the floor, he commenced his harangue, by mentioning the circumstances that led to his agreeing to accompany the Expedition, an en- gagement which he was quite prepared to fulfil. He was rejoiced, he said, to see such great chiefs on his lands ; his tribe were poor, but they loved white men who had been their benefactors; and he hoped that our visit would be productive of much good to them. The report which preceded our arrival, he said, had caused much grief to him. It was at first rumoured that a great medi- cine chief accompanied us, who was able to re- store the dead to life; at this he rejoiced; the prospect of again seeing his departed relatives had enlivened his spirits, but his first communi- cation with Mr. Wentzel had removed these vain hopes, and he felt as if his friends had a second time been torn from him. He now wished to be informed exactly of the nature of our expedition. In reply to this speech, which I understood had 3. J JOURNEY TO THE SHORES been prepared for many days, I endeavoured to explain the objects of our mission in a manner best calculated to ensure his exertions in our ser- vice. With this view, I told him that we were sent out by the greatest chief in the world, who was the sover 4gn also of the trading companies in the countr;y , that he was the friend of peace, ^ and had the interest of every nation at heart. Having learned that his children in the north, were much in want of articles of meichandize, in consequence of the extreme length and difficulty of the present route ; he had sent us to st arch for a passage by the sea, which if found, would en- able large vessels to transport great quantities of goods more easily to their lands. That we had not come for the purpose of traffic, but solely to make discoveries for their benefit, as well as that of every other people. That we had been directed to inquire into the nature of all the pro- ductions of the countries we might pass through, and particularly respecting their inhabitants. That we desired the assistance of the Indians in guiding us, and providing us with food ; finally, that we were most positively enjoined by the great chief to recommend that hostilities should cease throughout this country ; and especially between the Indians and the Esquimaux, whom he considered his children, in common with other OF THF POLAR SEA. 317 natives; and by way of enforcing the latter point more stronj^ly, I assured him that a forfeiture of all the advantages which might be anticipated from the Expedition would be a certain conse- quence if any quarrel arose between his party ^and the Esquimaux. I also communicated to him that owing to the distance we had travelled, we had now few more stores than was necessary for the use of our own party, a part or these» how- ever, should be forthwith presented to him ; on his return he and his party should be remunerated with cloth, ammunition, tobacco, and some use- ful iron materials, besides having their debts to the North- West Company discharged. The chief, whose name is Akaitcho or Big-foot, replied by a renewal of his assurances, that he and his party would attend us to the end of our journey, and that they would do their utmost to provide us with the means of subsistence. He admitted that his tribe had made war upon the Esquimaux, but said they were now desirous of peace, and unanimous in their opinion as to the necessity of all who accompanied us abstaining from every act of enmity against that nation. He added, however, that the Esquimaux were very treacherous, and therefore recommended that we should advance towards them with caution. The communications which the chief and the ,;!: nis JOURNEY TO THE SHORES guides then gave respecting the route to the Copper-Mine River, and its course to the sea, coincided in every material point with the state- ments which were made by Boileau and Black- meat at Chipewyan, but they differed in their descriptions of the coast. The information, how- ever, collected from both sources was very vague and unsatisfactory. None of his tribe had been more than three days' march along the sea-coast to the eastward of the river's mouth. As the water was unusually high this season, the Indian guides recommended our going by a shorter route to the Copper-Mine River than that they had first proposed to Mr. Wentzel, and they assigned as a reason for the change, that the rein-deer would be sooner found upon this track. They then drew a chart of the proposed route on the floor with charcoal, exhibiting a chain of twenty-five small lakes extending towards the north, about one half of them connected by a river which flows into Slave Lake, near Fort Providence. One of the guides, named Keskarrah, drew the Copper- Mine River, running through ths Upper Lake, in a westerly direction towards the Great Bear Lake, and then northerly to the sea. The other guide drew the river in a straight line to the sea from the above-mentioned place, but, after some dispute, admitted the correctness OP THE POLAR SEA. S19 of the first delineation. The latter was elder brother to Akaitcho, and he said that he had ac- companied Mr. Heame on his journey, and though very young at the time, still remembered many of the circumstances, and particularly the massacre committed by the Indians on the Esquimaux. They pointed out another lake to the south- ward of the river, about three days' journey dis- tant from it, on which the chief proposed the next winter's establishment should be formed, as the rein-deer would pass there in the autumn and spring. Its waters contained fish, and there was a sufficiency of wood for building as well as for the winter's consumption. These were im- portant considerations, and determined me in pur- suing the route they now proposed. They could not inform us what time we should take in reach- ing the lake, until they saw our manner of tra- velling in the large canoes, but they supposed we might be about twenty days, in which case I entertained the hope that if we could then pro- cure provision we should have time to descend the Copper-Mine River for a considerable dis- tance if not to the sea itself, and return to the lake before the winter set in. It may here be proper to mention that it had been my original plan to descend the Mackenzie's 'I 1 I 320 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES River, and to cross the Great Bear Lake froai tW eastern side of which, Boileau informed me, ther^'' is a communication with the Copper-Mine River ' by four small lakes and portages ^ but, under our present circumstances, this course could not be' followed, because it would remove us too far from' the establishments at the Great Slave Lake, to" receive the supplies of ammunition and some* other stores in the winter which were absolutely^' necessary for the prosecution of our journey, or" to get the Elsquimaux interpreter, whom we ex-" pected. If I had not deemed these circumstances * ' paramount I should have preferred the route by ' Bear Lake. *^^ Akaitcho and the guides having communicated all the information they possessed on the different points to which our questions had been directed, I placed my medal round the neck of the chief, and the officers presented theirs to an elder bro- ther of his and the two guides, communicating to them that these marks of distinction were given as tokens of our friendship and as pledges of the 1? sincerity of our professions. Being conferred in *^ the presence of all the hunters their acquisition was highly gratifying to them, but they studiously avoided any great expression of joy, because such an exposure would have been unbecoming *' the dignity which the senior Indians assume ^ *5 OP THE POLAR SEA. 32^ during a conference. They assured us, however, of their being duly sensible of these tokens of our regard, and that they should be preserved during their lives with the utmost care. The chief evinced much penetration and intelligence during the whole of this conversation, which gave us a favourable opinion of his intellectual powers. He made many inquiries respecting the Discovery ships, under the command of Captain Parry, which had been mentioned to him, and asked why a passage had not been discovered long ago, if one existed. It may be stated that we gave a faithful explanation to all his inquiries, which policy would have prompted us to do if a love of truth had not ; for whenever these northern nations detect a falsehood in the dealings of the traders, they make it an unceasing subject of reproach, and their confidence is irrecoverably lost. We presented to the chief, the two guides, and the seven hunters, who had engaged to accom- pany us, some cloth, blankets, tobacco, knives, daggers, besides other useful iron materials, and a gun to each ; also a keg of very weak spirits and water, which they kept until the evening, as they had to try their guns before dark, and make the necessary preparations for commencing the journey on the morrow. They, however, did Vol. I. Y '* i ' 1 I '*>1 322 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES not leave us so soon, as the chief was desirous of being present, with his party, at the dance, which was given in the evening to our Cana- dian voyagers. They were highly entertained by the vivacity and agility displayed by our companions in their singing and dancing : and especially by their imitating the gestures of a Canadian, who placed himself in the most ludi- crous postures ; and, whenever this was done, the gravity of the chief gave way to violent bursts of laughter. In return for the gratifi- cation Akaitcho had enjoyed, he desired his young men to exhibit the Dog-Rib Indian dance ; and immediately they ranged themselves in a circle, and, keeping their legs widely sepa- rated, began to jump simultaneously sideways; their bodies were bent, their hands placed on their hips, and they uttered forcibly the interjec- tion tsa at each jump. Devoid as were their attitudes of grace, and their music of harmony, we were much amused by the novelty of the exhibition. In the midst of this scene an untoward accident occurred, which for a time interrupted our amuse- ments. The tent in which Dr. Richardson and I lodged, having caught fire from some embers that had been placed in it to expel the musquitoes, was entirely burnt. Hepburn, who was sleeping OF THE POLAR SEA. 3S3 within it, close to some powder, most provi- dentially awoke in time to throw it clear of the flame, and rescue the baggage, before any material injury had been received. We dreaded the consequences of this disaster upon the fickle minds of the Indians, and wished it not to be communicated to them. The chief, however, was soon informed of it by one of his people, and ex- pressed his desire that no future misfortune should be concealed from him. We found he was most concerned to hear that the flag had been burnt, but we removed his anxiety on that point, by the assurance that it could easily be repaired. We were advised by Mr. Wentzel to recommence the dancing after this event, lest the Indians should imagine, by our putting a stop to it, that we con- sidered the circumstance as an unfavourable com- mencement of our undertaking. We were, how- ever deeply impressed with a grateful sense of the Divine Providence, in averting the threatened destruction of our stores, which would have been fatal to every prospect of proceeding forward this season. August 1 . — This morning the Indians set out, intending to wait for us at the mouth of the Yellow-Knife River. We remained behind to pack our stores, in bales of eighty pounds each, an operation which could not be done in the pre- y 2 334 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES sence of these Indians, as they are in the habit of begging for every thing they see. Our stores consisted of two barrels of gunpowder, one hun- dred and forty pounds of ball and small shot, four fowling-pieces, a few old trading guns, eight pistols, twenty-four Indian daggers, some pack- ages of knives, chisels, axes, nails, and fastenings for a boat ; a few yards of cloth, some blankets, needles, looking-glasses, and beads ; together with nine tishing-nets, having meshes of different sizes. Our provision was two casks of flour, two hundred dried rein-deer tongues, some dried moose-meat, portable soup, and arrow-root, suffi- cient in the whole for ten days' consumption, besides two cases of chocolate, and two canisters of tea. We engaged another Canadian voyager at this place, and the Expedition then consisted of twenty-eight persons, including the officers, and the wives of three of our voyagers, who were brought for the purpose of making shoes and clothes for the men at the winter establishment ; there were also three children, belonging to two of these women*. * The following- is the list of the officers and men who composed the Expedition on its departure from Fort Providence : John Franklin, Lieutenant of the Royal Navy and Command<;r. John Richardson, M.D., Surg-eon of the Royal Navy. Mr. George Back, of the Royal Navy, Admiralty Midshipman. Mr. Robert Hood, of the Royal Navy, Admiralty Midshipman. Mr. OF THE I»OLAR SEA. 3^ Our observations place Fort Providence in latitude 62° IT 19" N., longitude 114° 9' 28" W. ; the variation of the compass is 33° 35' 55" E., and dip of the needle 86° 38' 02". It is distant from Moose-Deer Island sixty-six geographic miles. This is the lust establishment of the traders in this direction, but the North- West Company have two to the northward of it, on the Mackenzie River. It has been erected for the convenience of the Copper and Dog-Rib Indians, who generally bring such a quantity of rein-deer meat that the residents are enabled, out of their superabundance, to send annually some provision to the fort at Moose-Deer Island. They also occasionally procure moose and buffalo meat, but these animals are not numerous on this Mr. Frederick Wentzel, Clerk io the North- West Company. Juhn Hepburn, English seaman. Canadian Vovagbrs. Joseph Peltier, Gabriel Beauparlant, Matthe\v Pelonquiii, dit Credit, Vincenza Fontano, Solomon Belang-er, Joseph Benoit, .loseph Gag'ne, Pierre Dumas, Joseph Forcier, Ignace Perrault, Francois Samandre. Pierre St. Germain, Jean Baptiste Adam, Registe Vaillant, Jean Baptiste Parent, Jean Baptiste Belanger, Jean Baptiste Bellcau, Emanuel Cournoyee, Michel Teroahaute, an Iroquois. Interpretrks. Chipewyan Bois Brules. If' , (il 836 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES side of the lake. Few furs are collected. Les poissons inconnus, trout, pike, carp, and white-fish are very plentiful, and on these the residents principally subsist. Their great supply of fish is procured in the latter part of September and the beginning of October, but there are a few taken daily in the nets during the winter. The surrounding country consists almost entirely of coarse grained granite, frequently enclosing large masses of reddish felspar. These rocks form hills which attain an elevation of three hundred or four hundred feet, about a mile behind the house ; their surface is generally naked, but in the valleys between them grow a few spruce, aspen, and birch trees, together with a variety of shrubs and berry-bearing plants. On the afternoon of the 2d of August we com- menced our journey, having, in addition to our three canoes, a smaller one to convey the women ; we were all in high spirits, being heartily glad that the time had at length arrived when our course was to be directed towards the Copper- Mine River, and through a line of country which had not been previously visited by any European. We proceeded to the northward, along the eastern side of a deep bay of the lake, passing through various channels, formed by an assemblage of rocky islands ; and, at sunset, encamped on a h OF THE POLAR SEA. 327 projecting point of the north main shore, eight miles from Fort Providence. To the westward of this arm, or bay, of the lake, there is another deep bay, that receives the waters of a river, which communicates with Great Marten Lake, where the North- West Company had once a post established. The eastern shores of the Great Slave Lake are very imperfectly known : none of the traders have visited them, and the Indians give such loose and unsatisfactory accounts, that no estimation can be formed of its extent in that direction. These men say there is a communi- cation from its eastern extremity by a chain of lakes, with a shallow river, which discharges its waters into the sea. This stream they call the Thlouee-tessy, and report it to be navigable for Indian canoes only. The forms of the south and western shores are better known from the survey of Sir Alexander Mackenzie, and in consequence of the canoes having to pass and repass along these borders annually, between Moose-Deer Island and Mackenzie's River. Our observations made the breadth of the lake, between Stony Island, and the north main shore, sixty miles less than it is laid down in Arrowsmith's map ; and there is also a considerable difference in the longitude of the eastern side of the bay, which we entered. I t ;l I 338 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES This lake, owing to its great depth, is seldom completely frozen over before the la«t week in November, and the ice, which is generally seven feet thick, breaks up about the middle of June, three weeks later than that of the Slave River. The only known outlet to this vast body of water, which receives so many streams on it^ north, aqd south shores, is the Mackenzie's River. August 3. — We embarked at three A.M. and proceeded to the entrance of the Yellow-Xnife River of the traders, which is called by the natives Beg-ho-lo-dessy ; or. River of the Toothless Fish. We found Akaitcho, and the hunters with their families, encamped here. There were also seve- ral other Indians of his tribe, who intended to accompany us some distance into the interior. This party was quickly in motion after our arrival, and we were soon surrounded by a fleet of seven- teen Indian canoes. In company with them we paddled up the river, which is one hundred ajod fifty yards wide, and, in an hour, came to a cas- cade of five feet, where we were compelled to make a portage of one hundred and fifty- eight yards. We next crossed a dilatation of the river, about six miles in length, upon which the name of Lake Prosperous was bestowed. Its shores, though scantily supplied with wood, are very pic- turesque. -U OP THE POLAR SEA. I ii 'Afcaitcho caused himself to be paddled by his siaVe> a young man, of the Dog-Rib nation, whom he had taken by force from hiS friends; when he thought himself, however, out of reach of our ob- servation, he laid aside a good deal of his state, and assisted in the labour; and after a few days further acquaintance with us, he did not hesitate to paddle in our presence, or even carry his canoe on the portages. Several of the canoes were managed by women, who r>roved to be noisy com- panions, for they quarrelled frequently, and the weakest was generally profuse in her lamenta- tions, which were not at all diminished, when the husband attempted to settle the difference by a few blows w'th his paddle. An observation, near the centre of the lake, gave 114° 13' 39" W., and 33° 8' 06" E., varia- tion. Leaving the lake, we ascended a very strong rapid, and arrived at a range of three steep cas- cades, situated in the bend of the river. Here we. made a portage of one thousand three hundred yaxds over a rocky hill, which received the name of the Bowstring Portage, from its shape. We found that the Indians had greatly the advantage of us in this operation; the men carried their small canoes, the women and children the clothes and il i ! I i I il 330 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES provisions, and at the end of the portage they were ready to embark ; whilst it was necessary for our people to return four times, before they could transport the weighty cargo with which we were burdened. After passing through another expansion of the river, and over the Steep Portage of one hundred and fifteen yards, we encamped on a small rocky isle, just large enough to hold our party, and the Indians took possession of an ad- joining rock. We were now thirty miles from Fort Providence. As soon as the tents were pitched, the officers and men were divided into watches for the night ; a precaution intended to be taken throughout the journey, not merely to prevent our being sur- prised by strangers, but also to shew our com- panions that we were constantly on our guard. The chief who suffered nothing to escape his ob- servation, remarked, " that he should sleep with- out anxiety among the Esquimaux, for he per- ceived no enemy could surprise us." After supper we retired to rest, but our sleep was soon interrupted by the Indians joining in loud lamentations over a sick child, whom they supposed to be dying. Dr. Richardson, however, immediately went to the boy, and administered some medicine which relieved his pain, and put a OP THE POLAR SEA. 331 Stop to their mourning. The temperatures, this day, were at four A.M., 54°, three P.M. 72°, at seven P.M. 65°. On the 4th we crossed a small lake, and passed in succession over the Blue Berry Cascade, ^nd Double Fall Portages, where tlie river falls over ridges of rocks that completely obstruct the pas- sage for canoes. We came to three strong rapids beyond these barriers, which were surmounted by the aid of the poles and lines, and then to a bend of the river in which the cascades were so frequent, that to avoid them we carried the canoes into a chain of small lakes. We entered them by a portage of nine hundred and fifty paces, and during the afternoon traversed three other grassy lakes and encamped on the banks of the river, at the end of the Yellow-Knife Portage, of three hundred and fifty paces. This day's work was very laborious to our men. Akaitcho, however, had directed his party to assist them in carrying their burdens on the portages, which they did cheerfully. This morning Mr. Back caught seve- ral fish with a fly, a method of fishing entirely new to the Indians ; and they were not more de- lighted than astonished at his skill and success. The extremes of temperature to day were 54° and 65°. On AuiJjust 5th we continued the ascent of the 1 I *i 388 JOURNEV TO THE SHORES river which 'varied much in breadth as did the current in rapidity. It flows between high rocky banks on which there is sufficient soil to support pines, birch, and poplars. Five portages were crossed, then the Rocky Lake, and we finished our labours at the end of the sixth portage. The issue of dried meat for breakfast this morning had exhausted all our stock ; and no other pro- vision remained but the portable soups, and a few pounds of preserved meat. At the recommenda- tion of Akaitcho, the hunters were furnished with ammunition, and desired to go forward as speedily as possible, to the part where the rein-deer were expected to be found ; and to return to ua with any provision they could procure. He also as- sured us that in our advance towards them we should come to lakes abounding in fish. Many of the Indians being likewise in distress for food, decided on separating from us, and going on at a quicker pace than we could travel. Akaitcho himself was always furnished with a portion at our meals, as a token of regard which the traders have taught the chiefs to expect, and which we willingly paid. ■ i The next morning we crossed a small lake and a portage, before we entered the river; shortly afterwards, the canoes and cargoes were carried a mile along its banks, to avoid three OP THE POLAR SEA. sm very strong rapids, and over another portage into a narrow lake; we encamped on an island in the middle of it, to set the nets ; but they only yielded a few fish, and we had a very scanty supper, as it was necessary to deal out our provision spar- ingly. The longitude 114° 27' 03" W. and vari- tion 33° 04" E., were observed. We had the mortification of finding the nets en- tirely empty next morning, an untoward circum- stance that discouraged our voyagers very much ; and they complained of being unable to support the fatigue to which they were daily exposed, on their present scanty fare. We had seen with re- gret that the portages were more frequent as we advanced to the northward, and feared that their strength would fail, if provision were not soon obtained. We embarked at six, proceeded to the head of the lake, and crossed a portage of two thousand five hundred paces, leading over ridges of sand-hills, which nourished pines of a larger size than we had lately seen. This conducted us to Mossy Lake, whence we regained the river, after traversing another portage. The Birch and Poplar Portages next followed, and beyond these we came to a part where the river takes a great circuit, and its course is interrupted by several heavy falls. The guide, therefore, advised us to quit it, and proceed through a 3S4 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES chain of nine lakes extending to the north-east, which we did, and encamped on Icy Portage, where the nets were set. The bottom of the valley, through which the track across this port- age led, was covered with ice four or five feet thick, the remains of a large iceberg, which is annually formed there, by the snow drifting into the valley, and becoming consolidated into ice by the overflowing of some springs that are warm enough to resist the winter's cold. The latitude is 63° 22' 15" N., longitude 114° 15' 30" W. We were alarmed in the night by our fire com- municating to the dry moss, which, spreading by the force of a strong wind, encircled the encamp- ment and threatened destruction to our canoes and baggage. The watch immediately aroused all the men, who quickly removed whatever could be injured to a distant part, and afterwards suc- ceeded in extinguishing the flame. August 8. — During this day we crossed five portages, passing over a very bad road. The men were quite exhausted with fatigue by five P.M., when we were obliged to encamp on the borders of the fifth lake, in which the fishing nets were set. We began this evening to issue some portable soup and arrow- root, which our com- panions relished very much ; but this food is too unsubstantial to support their vigour under their di.^ OP THE POLAR SEA. 335 daily exhausting labour, and we could not furnisli them with a sufficient quantity even of this to sa- tisfy their desires. We comme-ced our labours on the next day in a very wet uncomfortable state, as it had rained through the night until four A.M. The fifth grassy lake was crossed, and four others, with their intervening portages, and we returned to the river by a portage of one thou- sand four hundred and fifteen paces. The width of the strcc a 'ere is about one hundred yards, its bank£ ar-j moderately high and scantily covered with v;ood. We afterwards twice car- ried the caigoes along its banks to avoid a very stony -pid, and then crossed the first Carp Portage in longitude 114° 2' 01" W., variation of the compass 32° 30' 40" E., and encamped on the borders of Lower Carp Lake. The chief having told us that this was a good lake for fishing, we determined On halting for a day or two to recruit our men, of whom three were lame, and several others had swelled legs. The chief himself went forward to look after the hunters, and promised to make a fire as a sig- nal if they had killed any rein-deer. All the Indians had left us in the course of yesterday and to-day to seek these animals, except the guide Keskarrah. August 10. — The nets furnishing only four sue JOURNEY TO THE SHORES carp, we embarked for the purpose of searching for a better spot, and encamped again on the shores of the same lake. The spirits of the men were much revived by seeing some recent traces of rein-deer at this place, which circumstance caused them to cherish the hope of soon getting a supply of meat from the hunters. They were also gratified by finding abundance of blue berries near the encampment, which made an agree- able and substantial addition to their otherwise scanty fare. We were teased by sand -flies this evening, although the thermometer did not rise above 45". The country through which we had travelled for some days consists principally of granite, intermixed in some spots with mica-slate, often passing into clay-slate. But the borders of Lower Carp Lake, where the gneiss formation prevails, are composed of hills, having less alti- tude, fewer precipices, and more rounded sum- mits. The valleys are less fertile, containing a gravelly soil and fewer trees ; so that the country has throughout a more barren aspect. August 11. — Having caught sufficient trout, white-fish, and carp, yesterday and this morning, to afford the party two hearty meals, and the men having recovered their fatigue, we pro- ceeded on our journey, crossed the Upper Carp Portage, and embarked on the lake of that name. Kr! l^F»iftIE POLVR SEA, 337 where we4iftd the gratification of paddling for ten miles. We put up at its termination to fish, by the advices of our guide, and the following obser- vations were then taken: longitude 113° 46' 3^" W., variation of the compass 36° 45' 30' E., dip 87°4i'' 48". At this place we first perceived the north end of our dipping-needle to pass the perpendicular line when the instrument was faced to the west. We had scarcely quitted the encampment next day before an Indian met us, with the agreeable communication, that the hunters had made several fices, which were certain indications of their having killed rein-deer. This intelligence in- spiced our companions with fresh energy, and tliey quickly traversed the next portage, and paddled through the Rein-Deer Lake ; at the north side of it we found the canoes of our hunters, and learned from our guide, that the Indians usually leave their canoes here, as the water communi- cation on their hunting grounds is bad. The Yellow- Knife River had now dwindled into an insignificant rivulet, and we could not trace it beyond the next lake, except as a mere brook. The latitude ci its source 64° 1' 30" N., longitude 113° 36' W., and its length is one hundred and fifty^six statute miles. Though this river is of sufficient breadth and depth for navigating in ca- VOL. I. z 33g JOURNEY TO THE SHORES noes, yet I conceive its course is too much inter- rupted by cascades and rapids for its ever being used as a channel for the conveyance of merchan- dise. Whilst the crews were employed in making a portage over the foot of Prospect Hill, we ascended to the top of it, and as it is the highest ground in the neighbourhood, its summit, which is about five hundred feet above the water, com- mands an extensive view. Akaitcho, who was here with his family, pointed out to us the smoke of the distant fires which the hunters had made. The prospect is agreeably diversified by an intermixture of hill and valley, and the appearance of twelve lakes in different directions. On the borders of these lakes a few thin pine groves occur, but the coun- try in general is destitute of almost every vege- table, except a few berry-bearing shrubs and lichens, and has a very barren aspect. The hills are composed of gneiss, but their acclivities are covered with a coarse gravelly soil. There are many large loose stones both on their sides and summits composed of the same materials as the solid rock. We crossed another lake in the evening, en- camped, and set the nets. The chief made a large fire to announce our situation to the hunters. August 13. — We caught twenty fish this morn- OP THE POLAR SEA. 339 ing, but they were small, and furnished but a scanty breakfast for the party. Whilst this meal was preparing, our Canadian voyagers, who had been for some days past murmuring at their meagre diet, and striving to get the whole of our little provision to consume at once, broke out into open discontent, and several of them threaten- ed they would not proceed forward unless more food was given to them. This conduct was the more unpardonable, as they saw we were rapidly approaching the fires of the hunters, and that pro- vision might soon be expected. I, therefore, felt the duty incumbent on me to address them in the strongest manner on the danger of insubordina- tion, and to assure them of my determination to inflict the heaviest punishment on any that should persist in their refusal to go on, or in any other way attempt to retard the Expedition. I considered this decisive step necessary, hav- ing learned from the gentlemen, most inti- mately acquainted with the character of the Ca- nadian voyagers, that they invariably try how far they can impose upon every new master, and that they will continue to be disobedient and intractable if they once gain any ascendency over him. I must admit, however, that the preseiic hardships of our companions were of a kind which few could support ithout murmunng, and Z 2 . I 1 .340 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES I no one could witness without a sincere pity for their sufferings. After this discussion we went forward until sun- set. In the course of the day we crossed seven lakes and as many portages. Just as we had encamped we were delighted to see four of the hunters arrive with the flesh of two rein-deer. This seasonable supply, though only sufficient for this evening's and the next day's consumption, instantly revived the spirits of our companions, and they immediately forgot all their cares. As we did not, after this period, experience any de- ficiency of food during this journey, they worked extremely well, and never again reflected upon us as they had done before, for rashly bringing them into an inhospitable country, where the means of subsistence could not be procured. Several blue fish, resembling the grayling, were caught in a stream which flows out of Hunter's Lake. It is remarkable for the largeness of the dorsal fin and the beauty of its colours. August 14. — Having crossed the Hunter's Port- age, we entered the Lake of the same name, in latitude 64° G' 47" N., longitude 113° 25' 00" W; but soon quitted it by desire of the Indian guide, and diverged more to the eastward that we might get into the line upon which our hunters had gone. This was the only consideration that could have OF THE POLAR SEA. 31.1 induced us to remove to a chain of small lakes connected by long portages. We crossed three of these, and then were obliged to encamp to rest the men. The country is bare of wood except a few dwarf birch bushes, which grow near the borders of the lakes, and here and there a few stunted pines ; and our fuel principally consisted of the roots of decayed pines, which we had some difficulty to collect in sufficient quantity for cook- ing. When this material is wanting, the rein- deer lichen and other mosses that grow in pro. fusion on the gravelly acclivities of the hills are used as substitutes. Three more of the hunters arrived with meat this evening, which supply came very opportunely as our nets were unpro. ductive. At eight P.M., a faint Aurora Borealis appeared to the southward, the night was cold, the wind strong from N.W. We were detained some time in the following morning before the fishing-nets, which had sunk in the night, could be recovered. After starting we first crossed the Orkney Lake, then a portage which brought us to Sandy Lake, and here we missed one ofour barrels of powder, which the steersman of the canoe then recollected had been left the day before. He and two other men were sent back to search for li, in the small canoe. The rest of the party proceeded to the 342 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES portage on the north side of the Grizzle- Bear Lake, where the hunters had made a deposit of meat, and there encamped to await their return, which happened at nine P.M., with the powder* We perceived from the direction of this lake, that considerable labour would have been spared if we had continued our coursf- yesterday instead of striking off at the guide's suggestion, as the bottom of this lake cannot be far separated from either Hunter's Lake or the one to the westward of it. The chief and all the Indians went off to hunt, accompanied by Pierre St. Germain, the interpreter. They returned at night, bringing some meat, and reported that they had put the carcases of several rein-deer en cache. These were sent for early next morning, and as the weather was unusually warm, the thermometer, at noon, being 77°, we remained stationary all day, that the women might prepare the meat for keeping, by stripping the flesh from the bones and drying it in the sun over a slow fire. The hunters were again successful, and by the even- ing we had collected the carcases of seventeen aeer. As this was a sufficient store to serve us until we arrived at Winter Lake, the chief pro- posed that he and his hunters should proceed to that place and collect some provision against our arrival. He also requested that we would allow OF THE POLAR SEA. 343 him to be absent ten days to provide his family with clothing, as the skin of the rein-deer is unfit »or that purpose after the month of September. We could not refuse to grant such a reasonable request, but caused St. Germain to accompany him, that his absence might not exceed the ap- pointed time. Previous to his departure the chief warned us to be constantly on our guard against the grizzly bears, which he described as being numerous in this vicinity, and very feroci- ous ; one had been seen this day by an Indian, to which circumstance the lake owes its ?ppe'. ccion. We afterwards learned that the only bear in this part of the country is the brown bear, and that this by no means possesses the ferocity which the Indians, with their usual love of exaggeration, ascribe to it. The fierce grizzly bear, which frequents the sources cf the Missouri, is not found on the barren grounds. The shores of this lake and the neighbouring hills are principally composed of sand and gravel ; they are much varied in their outline and present some picturesque scc^.ery. The following observations were taken here: latitude 64° 15' 17" N., longitude 113° 2' 39" W. ; variation of thv^ compass 36° 50' 47" E. ; and dip of the needle S7° 20' 35". On August the 17th, having finished drying the 8U JOUilNLV T(k THR SHORKS meat, which had been retarded by the heavy showers of rain that fell in the morning, we em- barked at one P.M. and crossed two lakes and two portages. The last of these was two thou- sand and sixty-six paces long, and very rugged, so that the men were much fatigued. On the next day we received the flesh of four rein-deer by the small canoe which had been sent for it, and heard that the hunters had killed se- veral more deer on our route. We saw many of these animals as we passed along; and our companions, deligliled with the prospect of having food in abu idance, now began to accom- pany iheir paddling with singing, which they had discontinued ever since our provisions became scarce. We passed from one small lake to an- other over four portages, then crossed a lake about six miles in diameter, and encamped on its border, vvhere, finding pines, we enjoyed the luxury of a good fire, which we had not done for some days. At ter. P.M. the Aurora Borealis appeared very brilhant in an arch across the zenith, from north- west to south-east, which afterwards gave place to a beautiful corona borealis. August 19. — After crossing a portage of five hundred and ninety-five paces, a small lake and anotner portage of two thousand paces, which occupied the crews seven hours, we embarked OF THE POLAF. Sft\. 315 on a small stream, running to'^'artl' the north- west, which carried us to the Iu.i'c, -where Akait- cho proposed that we should pas?^ Ihe winter. The officers ascended several of the loftiest hills in the course of the day, prompted by a natural anxiety to examine the spot which was to be their residence for many months. The prospect, however, was not then the most agreeable, as the borders of the lake seemed to be scantily fur- nished with wood, and that of a kind too small for the purposes of building. We perceived the smoke of a distant fire which the Indians suppose had been made by some of the Dog-ribbed tribe, who occasionally visit this part of the country. Embarking at seven next morning, we paddled to the western extremity of the lake, and there found a small rive' , which flows out of it to the S.W. To avoid a st' ig rapid at its commence- ment, we made a port, '^e, and then crossed to the north bank of the rive? , where the Indians recommended that the winter establishment should be erected, and we soon found that the situation they had chosen possessed all the ad- vantages we could desire. The trees were nu- merous, and of a far greater size than we had supposed them to be in a distant view, some of the pines being thirty or forty feet high, and two feet in diameter at the root. We determined on i: i' 1^ It H: II I 346 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES placing the house on the summit of the bank, which commands a beautiful prospect of the surrounding country. The view in the front is bounded at the distance of three miles, by round- backed hills; to the eastward and westward lie the Winter and Round-rock Lakes, which are connected by the Winter River, whose banks are well clothed with pines, and ornamented with a profusion of mosses, lichens, and shrubs. In the afternoon we read divine service, and offered our thanksgiving to the Almighty for his goodness in having brought us thus far on our journey; a duty which we never neglected, when stationary on the sabbath. The united length of the portages we had crossed, since leaving Fort Providence, is twenty- one statute miles and a half; and as our men had to traverse each portage four times, with a load of one hundred and eighty pounds, and return three times light, they walked in the whole upwards of one hundred and fifty miles. The total length of our voyage from Chipewyan is five hundred and fifty -three miles*. * Stony and Slave Rivers . . . . Slave Lake Yellow-Knife River Barren country between the source of the Yellow-Knife River and Fort Enterprise Statute Miles. 260 lOf 156.5 29.5 553 OF THE POLAR SEA. 347 A fire was made on the south side of the river to inform the chief of our arrival, which spread- ing before a strong wind, caught the whole wood, and we were completely enveloped in a cloud of smoke for the three following days. On the next morning our voyagers were divided into two parties, the one to cut the wood for the building of a store-house, and the other to fetch the meat as the hunters procured it. An interpre- ter was sent with Keskarrah, the guide, tosearch for the Indians who had made the fire seen on Saturday, from whom we might obtain some sup- plies of provision. An Indian was also despatched to Akaitcho, with directions for him to come to this place directly, and bring whatever provi- sion he had as we were desirous of proceeding, without delay, to the Copper-Mine River. In the evening our men brought in the carcases of seven rein-deer, which two hunters had shot yesterday, and the women commenced drying th e meat for our journey. We also obtained a good supply of fish from our nets to-day. A heavy rain, on the 23d, prevented the men from working, either at the building, or going for meat ; but on the next day the weather was fine, and they renewed their labours. The ther- mometer, that day did not rise higher than 42''. and it fell to 31° before midnight. On the mom- .i Slil H I ' 1 3B JOURNEY TO THE SHORES I i i ing of the 2oth, we were surprised by some early symptoms of the approach of winter; the small pools were frozen over, and a flock of geese passed to the southward. In the afternoon, how- ever, a fog came on, which afterwards changed into rain, and the ice quickly disappeared. We suffered great anxiety all the next day respecting John Hepburn, who had gone to hunt before sun- rise on the 25th, and had been absent ever since. About four hours after his departure the wind changed, and a dense fog obscured every mark by which his course to the tents could be directed, and we thought it probable he had been wmder- ing in an opposite direction to our situation, as the two hunters, who had been sent to look for him, returned at sunset without having seen him. Akaitcho arrived with his party, and we w^ere greatly disappointed at finding they had stored up only fifteen rein-deer for us. St. Germain infoiHied us, that having heard of the death of the chief's brother-in-law, they had spent several days in bewailing his loss, instead of hunting. We learned also, that the decease of this man had caused another party of the tribe, who had been sent by Mr. Wentzel to prepare provision for us on the banks of the Copper-Mine River, to remove to the shores of the Great Bear Lake, distant from our proposed route. Mortifying as OP THE POLAR SEA. 34!) these circumstances were, they produced less painful sensations than we experienced in the evening, by the refusal of Akaitcho to accom- pany us in the proposed descent of the Copper- Mine River. When Mr. Wentzel, by my direc- tion, communicated to him my intention of pro- ceeding at once on that service, he desired a conference with me upon the subject, which being immediately granted, he began, by stating, that the very attempt would be rash and danger- ous, as the weather was cold, the leaves were falling, some geese had passed to the southward, and the winter would shortly set in ; and that, as he considered the lives of all who went on such a journey would be forfeited, he neither would go himself, nor permit his hunters to ac- company us. He said there was no wood within eleven days' march, during which time we could not have any fire, as the moss, which the Indians use in their summer excursions, would be too wet for burning, in consequence of the recent rains ; that we should be forty days in descending the Copper-Mine River, six of which would be ex- pended in getting to its banks, and that we might be blocked up hj the ice in the next mocrx , and during the whole journey the party must ex- perience great suffering for want of food, as the rein-deer had already left the river. t;' Stt JOURNEY TO THE SHORES He was now reminded that these statements were very different from the account he had given, both at Fort Providence and on the route hither ; and that, up to this moment, we had been en- couraged by his conversaticj to expect that the party might descend the Copper-Mine River, accompanied by the Indians. He replied, that at the former place he had been unacquainted with our slow mode of travelling, and that the alteration in his opinion arose from the advance of winter. We now informed him that we were provided with instruments by which we could ascertain the state of the air and water, and that we did not imagine the winter to be so near as he supposed ; however, we promised to return on discovering the first change in the season. He was also told that all the baggagn being left behind, our canoes, would now, of course, travel infinitely more ex- peditiously than any thing he had hitherto wit- nessed. Akaitcho appeared to feel hurt, that we should continue to press the matter further, and answered with some warmth: *' Well, I have said every thing I can urge, to dissuade you from going on this service, on which, it seems, you wish to sacrifice your own liveS) as well as the Indians who might attend you : however, if after all I have said, you are determined to go, some OF THE POLAR SEA. 351 of my young men shall join the party, because it shall not be said that we permitted you to die alone after having brought you hither ; but from the moment they embark in the canoes, I and my relatives shall lament them as dead." We could only reply to this forcible appeal, by assuring him and the Indians who were seated around him, that we felt the most anxious solici- tude for the safety of every individual, and that it was far from our intention to proceed without considering every argument for and against the proposed journey. We next informed him, that it would be very desirable to see the river at any rate, that we might give some positive information about its situation and size, in our next letters to the Great Chief; and that we were very anxious to get on its banks, for the purpose of observing an eclipse of the sun, which we described to him, and said would happen in a fevv days. He received this communication with more temper than the pre- ceding, though he immediately assigned as a reason for his declining to go, that " the Indians must now procure a sufficient quantity of deer- skins for winter clothing for themselves, and dresses for the Canadians, who would need them if they had to travel in the winter." Finding him so averse to proceed, and feeling at the same ^. 'm\ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) ^ «^ // £/ /. '/ -^ Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. MS80 (716) S72-4S03 4^