River, he had crossed Thlewiaza or Little Fish River, Magnus Lake, and
several other lakes and streams which are probably tributaries of the
Tha-anne or Rocky-Bank River. Cathawhachaga is evidently the Kazan River
which I descended in 1894, and it is interesting to note that while, in
Hearne's time, it was within the hunting grounds of the Chipewyan
Indians, at the time of my visit, one hundred and twenty-four years
later, these Indians had left it, and its banks were inhabited entirely
by Eskimos. Hearne doubtless crossed the river four miles above its
discharge into Yath-kyed Lake, at a place called by the Eskimos
Paleluah, where the stream is deep and narrow, and has but a moderate
current. This is a well-known crossing place for the caribou on their
annual migrations from the forest to the Arctic Coast and back again,
and the Eskimos wait to spear them while they are swimming across the
stream, just as the Indians doubtless waited when they occupied this
country. Its position is in latitude 62° 36' north, 28' south of the
position assigned to it by Hearne in the text, and the longitude 4° 6'
west of Fort Prince of Wales. His map does not here agree with his
description, but places this crossing of the Kazan River in latitude 62°
40' north, very nearly in its true position. Cathawhachaga is a
Chipewyan word meaning "where fish are plentiful in the river."
[36] Yath-kyed or White Snow Lake, at present known to the Eskimos as
Haecoliguah.
[37] Whitefish, suckers, &c.
[38] See note on p. 87.
[39] The bay of Yath-kyed Lake, at which they seem to have stopped, is
about eight miles north of Paleluah, where the river was crossed.
[U] To prepare meat in this manner, it requires no farther operation
than cutting the lean parts of the animal into thin slices, and drying
it in the sun, or by a slow fire, till, after beating it between two
stones, it is reduced to a coarse powder.
[40] Théwhagon or Yéwuhikun is the Cree name for meat dried and beaten
as above, and it is generally known throughout the fur countries as
"pounded meat." When fat is plentiful this shredded dry meat is often
packed into a sack made of hide, and boiling fat is poured over and into
it. This mixture of dried meat and grease is called pemican.
[V] Wish-a-capucca is the name given by the natives to a plant which is
found all over the country bordering on Hudson's Bay; and an infusion of
it is used as tea by all the Europeans settled in that country.[41]
[41] This plant, _Ledum palustre_, commonly known as Labrador Tea, is
common everywhere in the swamps throughout the forests of the north.
[W] This river, as well as all others deserving that appellation which I
crossed during this part of my journey, ran to the East and North-East;
and both them and the lakes were perfectly fresh, and inhabited by fish
that are well known never to frequent salt water.[42]
[42] The brief description of this portion of his journey here given
leaves his course quite indefinite, but his map shows that he travelled
northward to the west of Yath-kyed Lake, across Nutarawit River, and
thence around the north side of Napashish (Nutarawit) Lake, and westward
to within a short distance of the south shore of Aberdeen Lake. Thence
he turned south-westward until he reached Dubawnt River, where it flows
from Dubawnt Lake. It is there a beautiful stream of clear water flowing
between gently sloping grassy banks. The latitude of this place is 63°
33' north, while on his map it is shown as 63° 38' north. As the
latitudes of the crossing places of Kazan and Dubawnt Rivers, shown on
his map, though differing greatly from his text, are very nearly
correct, we may fairly assume that his intermediate positions are also
reasonably accurate, and that his northern point of this journey, which
he places in latitude 64° 20', is not far from correct.
Dubawnt (properly To' bon') is a Chipewyan word meaning
"water-along-the-shore." It is so called because the main body of the
lake is at all seasons of the year covered with ice, though for a few
days, or possibly weeks, in summer this ice is loosened from the shore,
and there is a lane of water between the ice and the land.
[43] The position of the place where he broke his quadrant on the 12th
of August is difficult to determine either from the text or from his
map. A point in latitude 63° 10' north and longitude 10° 40' west from
Churchill, which is the position given in the text, is shown on his map
almost in the centre of Dubawnt Lake, and the map shows that after
crossing the outlet of the lake his course was at a considerable
distance to the north-west and west from it. It is probable therefore
that his quadrant was broken on the great plain which lies to the west
of the lake, and north-west of the Dubawnt River above the lake.
{47} CHAP. III.
Transactions from the Time the Quadrant was broken, till I
arrived at the Factory
_Several strange Indians join us from the Northward--They
plundered me of all I had; but did not plunder the Southern
Indians--My guide plundered--We begin our return to the
Factory--Meet with other Indians, who join our company--Collect
deer-skins for clothing, but could not get them dressed--Suffer
much hardship from the want of tents and warm clothing--Most of
the Indians leave us--Meet with Matonabbee--Some account of him,
and his behaviour to me and the Southern Indians--We remain in
his company some time--His observations on my two unsuccessful
attempts--We leave him, and proceed to a place to which he
directed us, in order to make snow-shoes and sledges--Join
Matonabbee again, and proceed towards the Factory in his
company--Ammunition runs short--Myself and four Indians set off
post for the Factory--Much bewildered in a snow storm; my dog is
frozen to death; we lie in a bush of willows--Proceed on our
journey--Great difficulty in crossing a jumble of rocks--Arrive
at the Fort._
[Sidenote: 1770. August. 13th.]
The day after I had the misfortune to break the quadrant, several
Indians joined me from the Northward, some of whom plundered me and my
companions of almost every useful article we had, among which was my
gun; and notwithstanding we were then on the point of returning to the
Factory, yet, as one of my companions' guns was a little out of order,
the loss was likely to be {48} severely felt; but it not being in my
power to recover it again, we were obliged to rest contented.
[Sidenote: 1770. August.]
Nothing can exceed the cool deliberation of those villains; a committee
of them entered my tent.[X] The ringleader seated himself on my
left-hand. They first begged me to lend them my skipertogan[Y] to fill a
pipe of tobacco. After smoking two or three pipes, they asked me for
several articles which I had not, and among others for a pack of cards;
but on my answering that I had not any of the articles they mentioned,
one of them put his hand on my baggage, and asked if it was mine. Before
I could answer in the affirmative, he and the rest of his companions
(six in number) had all my treasure spread on the ground. One took one
thing, and another another, till at last nothing was left but the empty
bag, which they permitted me to keep. At length, considering that,
though I was going to the Factory, I should want a knife to cut my
victuals, an awl to mend my shoes, and a needle to mend my other
clothing, they readily gave me these articles, though not without making
me understand that I ought to look upon {49} it as a great favour.
Finding them possessed of so much generosity, I ventured to solicit them
for my razors; but thinking that one would be sufficient to shave me
during my passage home, they made no scruple to keep the other; luckily
they chose the worst. To complete their generosity, they permitted me to
take as much soap as I thought would be sufficient to wash and shave me
during the remainder of my journey to the Factory.
[Illustration: _Photo: J. B. Tyrrell, August 12, 1893._
CAMP ON THE SHORE OF DUBAWNT LAKE]
[Illustration: _Photo: J. B. Tyrrell, August 18, 1893._
DUBAWNT RIVER BELOW DUBAWNT LAKE WHERE HEARNE CROSSED THE RIVER IN JULY
1770]
[Sidenote: 1770. August.]
They were more cautious in plundering the Southern Indians, as the
relation of such outrages being committed on them might occasion a war
between the two nations; but they had nothing of that kind to dread from
the English. However, the Northern Indians had address enough to talk my
home-guard Indians out of all they had: so that before we left them,
they were as clean swept as myself, excepting their guns, some
ammunition, an old hatchet, an ice-chissel, and a file to sharpen them.
It may probably be thought strange that my guide, who was a Northern
Indian, should permit his countrymen to commit such outrages on those
under his charge; but being a man of little note, he was so far from
being able to protect us, that he was obliged to submit to nearly the
same outrage himself. On this occasion he assumed a great air of
generosity; but the fact was, he gave freely what it was not in his
power to protect.
[Sidenote: 19th.]
{50} Early in the morning of the nineteenth, I set out on my return, in
company with several Northern Indians, who were bound to the Factory
with furrs and other commodities in trade. This morning the Indian who
took my gun, returned it to me, it being of no use to him, having no
ammunition. The weather for some time proved fine, and deer were very
plentiful; but as the above ravagers had materially lightened my load,
by taking everything from me, except the quadrant, books, &c., this part
of my journey was the easiest and most pleasant of any I had experienced
since my leaving the Fort. In our way we frequently met with other
Indians, so that scarcely a day passed without our seeing several smokes
made by other strangers. Many of those we met joined our party, having
furrs and other commodities for trade.
[Sidenote: 31st.]
[Sidenote: 1770. September.]
The deer's hair being now of a proper length for clothing, it was
necessary, according to the custom, to procure as many of their skins,
while in season, as would make a suit of warm clothing for the Winter:
and as each grown person requires the prime parts of from eight to
eleven of those skins (in proportion to their size) to make a complete
suit, it must naturally be supposed that this addition to my burden was
very considerable. My load, however cumbersome and heavy, was yet very
bearable; but, after I had carried it several weeks, it proved of no
service; for we had not any women properly belonging to our company,
consequently had not any {51} person to dress them; and so uncivil were
the other Indians, that they would neither exchange them for others of
an inferior quality already dressed, nor permit their women to dress
them for us, under pretence that they were always employed in the like
duty for themselves and families, which was by no means the case; for
many of them had sufficient time to have done every little service of
that kind that we could have required of them. The truth was, they were
too well informed of my poverty to do any acts of generosity, as they
well knew I had it not then in my power to reward them for their
trouble. I never saw a set of people that possessed so little humanity,
or that could view the distresses of their fellow-creatures with so
little feeling and unconcern; for though they seem to have a great
affection for their wives and children, yet they will laugh at and
ridicule the distress of every other person who is not immediately
related to them.
[Sidenote: 15th.]
This behaviour of the Indians made our situation very disagreeable; for
as the fall advanced, we began to feel the cold very severely for want
of proper clothing. We suffered also greatly from the inclemency of the
weather, as we had no tent to shelter us. My guide was entirely exempted
from all those inconveniences, having procured a good warm suit of
clothing; and as one of his wives had long before joined our party, he
was provided with a tent, and every other necessary consistent {52} with
their manner of living: but the old fellow was so far from interesting
himself in our behalf, that he had, for some time before, entirely
withdrawn from our company; and though he then continued to carry the
greatest part of our little remains of ammunition, yet he did not
contribute in the smallest degree towards our support. As deer, however,
were in great plenty, I felt little or no inconvenience from his neglect
in this respect.
[Sidenote: 17th.]
[Sidenote: 1770. September.]
Provisions still continued very plentiful; which was a singular piece of
good fortune, and the only circumstance which at this time could
contribute to our happiness or safety; for notwithstanding the early
season of the year, the weather was remarkably bad and severely cold, at
least it appeared so to us, probably from having no kind of
skin-clothing. In this forlorn state we continued our course to the
South East; and, to add to the gloominess of our situation, most of the
Northern Indians who had been in our company all the first part of the
fall, were by this time gone a-head, as we could not keep up with them
for want of snow-shoes.
[Sidenote: 20th.]
In the evening of the twentieth, we were joined from the Westward by a
famous Leader, called Matonabbee, mentioned in my instructions; who,
with his followers, or gang, was also going to Prince of Wales's Fort,
with furrs, and other articles for trade. This Leader, when a youth,
resided several years at the above Fort, and was {53} not only a perfect
master of the Southern Indian language, but by being frequently with the
Company's servants, had acquired several words of English, and was one
of the men who brought the latest accounts of the Coppermine River; and
it was on his information, added to that of one I-dot-le-ezey, (who is
since dead), that this expedition was set on foot.
[Sidenote: 1770. October.]
The courteous behaviour of this stranger struck me very sensibly. As
soon as he was acquainted with our distress, he got such skins as we had
with us dressed for the Southern Indians, and furnished me with a good
warm suit of otter and other skins: but, as it was not in his power to
provide us with snow-shoes, (being then on the barren ground), he
directed us to a little river which he knew, and where there was a small
range of woods, which, though none of the best, would, he said, furnish
us with temporary snow-shoes and sledges, that might materially assist
us during the remaining part of our journey. We spent several nights in
company with this Leader, though we advanced towards the Fort at the
rate of ten or twelve miles a day; and as provisions abounded, he made a
grand feast for me in the Southern Indian style, where there was plenty
of good eating, and the whole concluded with singing and dancing, after
the Southern Indian style and manner. In this amusement my home-guard
Indians bore no inconsiderable part, as they were both men of some {54}
consequence when at home, and well known to Matonabbee: but among the
other Northern Indians, to whom they were not known, they were held in
no estimation; which indeed is not to be wondered at, when we consider
that the value of a man among those people, is always proportioned to
his abilities in hunting; and as my two Indians had not exhibited any
great talents that way, the Northern Indians shewed them as much respect
as they do in common to those of very moderate talents among themselves.
During my conversation with this Leader, he asked me very seriously, If
I would attempt another journey for the discovery of the Copper-mines?
And on my answering in the affirmative, provided I could get better
guides than I had hitherto been furnished with, he said he would readily
engage in that service, provided the Governor at the Fort would employ
him. In answer to this, I assured him his offer would be gladly
accepted; and as I had already experienced every hardship that was
likely to accompany any future trial, I was determined to complete the
discovery, even at the risque of life itself. Matonabbee assured me,
that by the accounts received from his own countrymen, the Southern
Indians, and myself, it was very probable I might not experience so much
hardship during the whole journey, as I had already felt, though
scarcely advanced one third part of the journey.
[Sidenote: 1770. October.]
{55} He attributed all our misfortunes to the misconduct of my guides,
and the very plan we pursued, by the desire of the Governor, in not
taking any women with us on this journey, was, he said, the principal
thing that occasioned all our wants: "for, said he, when all the men are
heavy laden, they can neither hunt nor travel to any considerable
distance; and in case they meet with success in hunting, who is to carry
the produce of their labour? Women," added he, "were made for labour;
one of them can carry, or haul, as much as two men can do. They also
pitch our tents, make and mend our clothing, keep us warm at night; and,
in fact, there is no such thing as travelling any considerable distance,
or for any length of time, in this country, without their assistance.
Women," said he again, "though they do every thing, are maintained at a
trifling expence; for as they always stand cook, the very licking of
their fingers in scarce times, is sufficient for their subsistence."
This, however odd it may appear, is but too true a description of the
situation of women in this country; it is at least so in appearance; for
the women always carry the provisions, and it is more than probable they
help themselves when the men are not present.
[Sidenote: 23d.]
[Sidenote: 25th.]
[Sidenote: November. 1st.]
Early in the morning of the twenty-third, I struck out of the road to
the Eastward, with my two companions and two or three Northern Indians,
while Matonabbee and his crew continued their course to the Factory,
promising {56} to walk so slow that we might come up with them again;
and in two days we arrived at the place to which we were directed. We
went to work immediately in making snow-shoe frames and sledges; but
notwithstanding our utmost endeavours, we could not complete them in
less than four days. On the first of November we again proceeded on our
journey toward the Factory; and on the sixth, came up with Matonabbee
and his gang: after which we proceeded on together several days; when I
found my new acquaintance, on all occasions, the most sociable, kind,
and sensible Indian I had ever met with. He was a man well known, and,
as an Indian, of universal knowledge, and generally respected.
[Sidenote: 1770. November.]
Deer proved pretty plentiful for some time, but to my great surprise,
when I wanted to give Matonabbee a little ammunition for his own use, I
found that my guide, Conreaquefè, who had it all under his care, had so
embezzled or otherways expended it, that only ten balls and about three
pounds of powder remained; so that long before we arrived at the Fort we
were obliged to cut up an ice-chissel into square lumps, as a substitute
for ball. It is, however, rather dangerous firing lumps of iron out of
such slight barrels as are brought to this part of the world for trade.
These, though light and handy, and of course well adapted for the use of
both English and Indians in long journies, and of sufficient strength
for leaden shot or ball, are not strong enough for {57} this kind of
shot; and strong fowling-pieces would not only be too heavy for the
laborious ways of hunting in this country, but their bores being so much
larger, would require more than double the quantity of ammunition that
small ones do; which, to Indians at least, must be an object of no
inconsiderable importance.
[Sidenote: 20th.]
[Sidenote: 21st.]
[Sidenote: 1770. November.]
[Sidenote: 23rd.]
[Sidenote: 1770. November.]
I kept company with Matonabbee till the twentieth, at which time the
deer began to be so scarce that hardly a fresh track could be seen; and
as we were then but a few days walk from the Fort, he advised me to
proceed on with all speed, while he and his companions followed at
leisure. Accordingly, on the twenty-first, I set out post-haste,
accompanied by one of the home-guard (Southern) Tribe, and three
Northern Indians. That night we lay on the South side of Egg River; but,
long before daybreak the next morning, the weather became so bad, with a
violent gale of wind from the North West, and such a drift of snow, that
we could not have a bit of fire: and as no good woods were near to
afford us shelter, we agreed to proceed on our way: especially as the
wind was on our backs, and though the weather was bad near the surface,
we could frequently see the moon, and sometimes the stars, to direct us
in our course. In this situation we continued walking the whole day, and
it was not till after ten at night that we could find the smallest tuft
of woods to put up in; for though we well knew we must have passed by
several hummocks of shrubby woods {58} that might have afforded us some
shelter, yet the wind blew so hard, and the snow drifted so excessively
thick, that we could not see ten yards before us the whole day. Between
seven and eight in the evening my dog, a valuable brute, was frozen to
death; so that his sledge, which was a very heavy one, I was obliged to
haul. Between nine and ten at night we arrived at a small creek, on
which we walked about three quarters of a mile, when we came to a large
tuft of tall willows, and two or three sets of old tent-poles. Being
much jaded, we determined not to proceed any farther that night; so we
went to work, and made the best defence against the weather that the
situation of the place and our materials would admit. Our labour
consisted only in digging a hole in the snow, and fixing a few deer
skins up to windward of us; but the most difficult task was that of
making a fire. When this was once accomplished, the old tent-poles amply
supplied us with fuel. By the time we had finished this business, the
weather began to moderate, and the drift greatly to abate; so that the
moon and the _Aurora Borealis_ shone out with great splendour, and there
appeared every symptom of the return of fine weather. After eating a
plentiful supper of venison, therefore, of which we had a sufficient
stock to last us to the Fort, we laid down and got a little sleep. The
next day proving fine and clear, though excessively sharp, we proceeded
on our journey early in the morning, and at night lay on the South East
side of Seal River. We should have made a much longer day's {59}
journey, had we not been greatly embarrassed at setting out, by a jumble
of rocks, which we could not avoid without going greatly out of our way.
Here I must observe, that we were more than fortunate in not attempting
to leave the little creek where we had fixed our habitation the
preceding night, as the spot where we lay was not more than two or three
miles distant from this dangerous place; in which, had we fallen in with
it in the night, we must unavoidably have been bewildered, if we had
not all perished; as notwithstanding the advantage of a clear day, and
having used every possible precaution, it was with the utmost difficulty
that we crossed it without broken limbs. Indeed it would have been next
to an impossibility to have done it in the night.
[Sidenote: 24th.]
[Sidenote: 25th.]
The twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth proved fine, clear weather, though
excessively cold; and in the afternoon of the latter, we arrived at
Prince of Wales's Fort, after having been absent eight months and
twenty-two days, on a fruitless, or at least an unsuccessful
journey.[44]
FOOTNOTES:
[X] This only consisted of three walking-sticks stuck into the ground,
and a blanket thrown over them.
[Y] Skipertogan is a small bag that contains a flint and steel, also a
pipe and tobacco, as well as touchwood, &c. for making a fire. Some of
these bags may be called truly elegant; being richly ornamented with
beads, porcupine-quills, moose-hair, &c. a work always performed by the
women; and they are, with much propriety, greatly esteemed by most
Europeans for the neatness of their workmanship.
[44] The text gives very little information from which to follow
Hearne's course from the point where he broke his quadrant on August
12th, till he arrived at Churchill on November 25th, so that we must
follow him as well as possible from the route laid down on his map.
His route is marked crossing the Dubawnt River in latitude 63° north,
near where it flows into an arm or bay of Dubawnt Lake. The river
actually flows into the lake from the south-west in latitude 62° 55',
and it is probable that he crossed it three miles above this in latitude
62° 53' 30", where, in 1893, we found the most northerly grove of
stunted spruce growing on the bank of the river, and where very old
remains of Indian camps were plainly to be seen.