Our party remained several days at this place, until they had made a
fresh stock of "pemmican" from the flesh of the caribou, several more of
which they succeeded in killing; and then, arranging everything anew,
and taking with them such skins as they wanted, they continued their
journey.
They had two days' hard travelling through a rocky mountainous country,
where they could not find a stick of wood to cook their meals with, and
were exposed to cold more than at any other place. Both Francois and
Lucien had their faces frost-bitten; but they were cured by Norman, who
prevented them from going near a fire until he had well rubbed the parts
with soft snow.
The rocks through which they passed were in many places covered with the
_tripe de roche (Gyrophora_) of several species; but our voyageurs cared
nothing about it so long as their pemmican lasted, and of that each of
them had nearly as much as he could carry.
In the most dreary part of the mountains they chanced upon a herd of
those curious animals, the musk-oxen, and shot one of them; but the meat
tasted so rank, and smelt so strongly of musk, that the whole of it was
left to the wolves, foxes, and other preying creatures of these parts.
On the third day, after leaving their camp by the lake, a pleasant
prospect opened before them. It was the valley of the Mackenzie,
stretching to the west, and extending north and south as far as the eye
could reach, covered with forests of pine and poplar, and other large
trees. Of course the landscape was a winter one, as the river was bound
up in ice, and the trees themselves were half-white with frozen snow;
but after the dreary scenery of the Barren Grounds, even this appeared
warm and summer-like. There was no longer any danger they should be
without a good fire to cook their dinners, or warm themselves at, and a
wooded country offers a better prospect of game. The sight, therefore,
of a great forest was cheering; and our travellers, in high spirits,
planted their tent upon the banks of the great Northern river. They had
still many hundred miles to go before arriving at their destination; but
they determined to continue their journey without much delay, following
the river as a guide. No more "near cuts" were to be taken in future.
They had learned, from their recent experience, that "the shortest way
across is sometimes the longest way round," and they resolved to profit
by the lesson. I hope, boy reader, you too will remember it.
After reaching the Mackenzie the voyageurs halted one day, and upon the
next commenced their journey down-stream. Sometimes they kept upon the
bank, but at times, for a change, they travelled upon the ice of the
river. There was no danger of its giving way under them, for it was
more than a foot in thickness, and would have supported a loaded waggon
and horses, without even cracking.
They were now drawing near the Arctic circle, and the days grew shorter
and shorter as they advanced. But this did not much interfere with
their travelling. The long nights of the Polar regions are not like
those of more Southern latitudes. They are sometimes so clear, that one
may read the smallest print. What with the coruscations of the aurora
borealis, and the cheerful gleaming of the Northern constellations, one
may travel without difficulty throughout the livelong night. I am sure,
my young friend, you have made good use of your globes, and need not be
told that the length of both nights and days, as you approach the pole,
depends upon two things--the latitude of the place, and the season of
the year; and were you to spend a whole year _leaning against the pole
itself_, (!) you would _live but one day and one night_--each of them
six months in length.
But no doubt you know all these things without my telling you of them,
and you are impatient to hear not about that, but whether the young
voyageurs safely reached the end of their journey. That question I
answer briefly at once--they did.
Some distance below the point where they had struck the Mackenzie, they
fell in with a winter encampment of Dog-rib Indians. Some of these
people had been to the Fort to trade; and Norman being known to them, he
and his Southern cousins were received with much hospitality. All their
wants were provided for, as far as it lay in the power of these poor
people to do; but the most valuable thing obtained from the Indians was
a full set of dogs and dog-sledges for the whole party. These were
furnished by the chief, upon the understanding that he should be paid
for them on his next visit to the Fort. Although the reindeer of North
America are not trained to the sledge by the Esquimaux and Indians,
several kinds of dogs are; and a single pair of these faithful creatures
will draw a full-grown man at a rate that exceeds almost every other
mode of travelling--steam excepted. When our voyageurs, therefore,
flung away their snow-shoes, and, wrapped in their skin cloaks, seated
themselves snugly in their dog-sledges, the five hundred miles that
separated them from the Fort were soon reduced to nothing; and one
afternoon, four small sledges, each carrying a "young voyageur," with a
large bloodhound galloping in the rear, were seen driving up to the
stockade fence surrounding the Fort. Before they had quite reached the
gate, there was a general rush of trappers, traders, voyageurs,
_coureurs-des-bois_, and other _employes_, to reach them; and the next
moment they were lost in the midst of the people who crowded out of the
Fort to welcome them. This was their hour of happiness and joy.
To me there is an hour of regret, and I hope, boy reader, to you as
well--the hour of our parting with the "Young _Voyageurs_."