EMBARK FOR THE NORTH--PASSENGERS ARRIVE AT FORT
WILLIAM--DESPATCH FROM GOVERNOR--APPOINTED TO MACKENZIE'S
RIVER DISTRICT--PORTAGE LA LOCHE--ADVENTURE ON GREAT SLAVE
LAKE--ARRIVE AT FORT SIMPSON--PRODUCTIONS OF THE POST.
I spent the remainder of the winter enjoying the good things of this
life, and on the 28th of April received orders to proceed to Lachine,
preparatory to embarking for the north. I embarked on the 29th, but
the crews were so intoxicated that we were compelled to land on an
island near by, to allow them to recover from the effects of their
carousals.
I was joined here by Captain Stalk of the 71st, and Lieutenant Lefroy
of the Artillery; the former accompanying us on a jaunt of pleasure,
the latter on a scientific expedition. There were also four junior
clerks in the Company's service. Our brigade consisted of three large
canoes manned by about fifty Canadians, and Iroquois Indians.
We were detained in our insular encampment by stress of weather until
the 2d of May, when we set out. Our crews being now perfectly sober,
plied their paddles with the utmost good-will, singing and whooping,
apparently delighted with their situation. Ignorance here was bliss;
they little dreamed of the life that awaited them. I may here premise,
that as I have already narrated the particulars of a similar voyage,
I shall pass on to the different stages of our route without noticing
the uninteresting incidents of our daily progress.
We arrived at Fort William on the 28th of May, where we exchanged our
large Montreal canoes for smaller. Here Captain S. remained to await
his passage back to Canada; not much disposed to try such a jaunt
of pleasure again, I suspect,--and Lieutenant L., taking a canoe for
himself with a view of prosecuting his scientific researches more at
leisure than our go-a-head mode of travelling admitted, left us also.
We were detained a day at Fort William, repairing canoes, arranging
crews, &c., and on the 30th, I took leave of my excellent _compagnons
de voyage_ with sincere regret.
On descending Lac la Pluie River, we landed at an extensive Sauteux
camp, where we found a Protestant (Methodist) Missionary, with a
native interpreter as his only companion. I learned with much regret,
that this gentleman's exertions in his vocation had been attended with
little or no success, although he had been two years engaged in it;
while the Romish priests, in the same space of time, had converted
numbers.
The natives were occupied with the sturgeon fishing, and had
apparently been tolerably successful. Having procured a supply for the
use of our crews by barter, we set off, and without experiencing any
accident, reached Bas de la Rivière on the 13th of June, where I found
letters from the Governor, directing me to proceed with all possible
speed to York Factory.
Having learned on my way coming up, that one of the gentlemen in
McKenzie's River district had resigned, and would quit the country
this year,--I felt convinced I should be appointed his successor; that
being one of the most wretched parts of the Indian country, it was
quite a matter of course that I should be sent thither. Knowing from
dear-bought experience, however, that my constitution could no
longer bear the hardships and privations to which I had been so long
subjected, I wrote the Governor on the subject, and requested that
he would grant me an appointment where I might enjoy some degree of
comfort--a favour which I humbly conceived my former services entitled
me to--otherwise I should retire from the service. We had a fine
passage across Lake Winnipeg, and I landed at Norway House with all my
party safe and sound, on the 18th of June. I remained there till the
21st, and then set out for York Factory, where I had been about ten
days, when an express arrived from Norway House with the Governor's
final orders to me, and also his reply to my last communication, which
I here insert at full length.
"Red River Settlement, "_June_ 22, 1843.
"DEAR SIR,
"My eyes are so completely worn out, that I cannot give you a single
private line under my own hand. I have perused with attention your
private letter of the 14th instant, and should have been glad had it
been in my power to have met your wishes in regard to an appointment;
but from the few commissioned gentlemen disposable this season, it was
quite impossible to consult wishes. You were, therefore, long before
receipt of your letter, appointed to McKenzie's River. That is now one
of the finest fields we have for extension of trade, and I count much
on your activity for promoting our views in that quarter. But while
directing your attention to the extension of _your district_, you must
likewise use your best endeavours to curtail the indents, as they have
of late been on a most alarming scale, comprehending nearly as many
articles as appear in our Columbia requisition; if you look on my
notes on the last requisition, you will find that I have been under
the necessity of making some further curtailments. I am sorry the
idea of retiring has entered your mind, as I was in hopes we could
count upon some efficient services out of you while still young and
vigorous.
"The Company have of late declined making any purchases of retired
interests; it would be therefore quite unnecessary to make any
application on that head, as they have lost money by all the recent
purchases they have made in that way.
"I am at the Lower Fort, where Mr. Ross came in on me very
unexpectedly, just as we were preparing to get on horseback for the
upper part of the settlement, so that I am much pressed for time,
which will account for the brevity of this communication.
"Pray let me hear from you in Canada by the last canoes, as I shall
not then have taken my departure from Montreal.
"I remain, &c. &c.
(Signed) "GEORGE SIMPSON."
Judging, from the instructions contained in the above communication,
that I was appointed to the charge of the district, I made up my mind
to try how far my health could endure the hardships of which I already
had had more than my share; and without a moment's delay, set out for
Norway House in a light canoe, where I arrived on the 16th of July.
My friend Mr. C---- arrived with his returns from Athabasca a few
days afterwards, and his arrangements being completed on the 24th, I
embarked as a passenger with him.
We reached the small river Mithai on the 4th of September, when we
found the water so low as barely to admit of the passage of the
light boats. It happened most fortunately that there were a number of
Chippewayan Indians encamped on the spot at the time, else we should
have been completely at a nonplus. The crews, good souls! hired
those Indians at their own expense, to carry the greater part of the
property in their small canoes to the upper part of the river. At the
portage we found a number of half-breeds, with their horses, from
the Saskatchewan, awaiting our arrival, in the expectation of being
employed to transport the goods. Nor were they disappointed; sooner
than undergo the harassing toil of carrying the outfit across a
portage of twelve miles, the men hired the half-breeds, parting with
their most valuable articles in payment.
Several propositions have been made, of late years, to the Governor,
for sparing the men the inhuman labour of this portage, which they
must either perform, or sacrifice a considerable part of their paltry
wages to avoid it. It was suggested, for instance, that a sufficient
number of horses should be stationed at a certain locality, with the
requisite conveniences, near the portage, and a couple of men hired
on purpose to take care of them, whose wages the winterers should
pay out of their own pockets, which they readily assented to; as the
transport, by this arrangement, would only cost them one-third of what
it cost them to employ the half-breeds. His Excellency, however, was
quite "sick" of the Portage La Loche subject; he knew as much about it
as anybody, and felt quite assured that it was the easiest part of the
men's duties throughout the voyage! While canoes were used, the duty
at Portage la Loche was not nearly so severe as at present; a canoe
carried only twenty-five pieces, and was manned by six men; a boat's
crew consists only of seven men, while the cargo consists of from
sixty to seventy pieces.
The descent of the Clear Water and Athabasca rivers was effected
without any accident, and we arrived at Athabasca on the 16th of
September; whence I set out again, after a few days' delay, for Fort
Resolution, on Great Slave Lake, where I was detained by stress of
weather until the 29th.
I left the post late in the evening, and intended to encamp on an
island at a convenient distance; but the season being far advanced, I
felt anxious to proceed, and inquired of my pilot whether he thought
there would be any risk in travelling all night? "Not the least," was
the reply; and we rowed on accordingly till morning; when lo! the only
objects to be seen were sea and sky. In vain we strained the organs
of vision to discover land; there we were, as if in the midst of the
ocean, surrounded on all sides by the unbroken circle of the horizon.
I do not know that I ever felt more seriously alarmed than at this
moment, thus to find myself exposed on an unknown sea, as it might
well be termed, in an open boat, and at such an advanced period of
the season, without any means of ascertaining what course to steer for
land. It would appear our steersman had been napping at the helm in
the course of the night, and thus allowed the boat to deviate from her
course without noticing it; hence the awkwardness and even the danger
of our present situation.
While considering with myself what was best to be done, a fine breeze
sprang up; I ordered the sail to be hoisted immediately, determined on
going before it until we made land, no matter where. Fortunately the
wind continued steady all day, and we at length reached the land a
little after sunset, having run at least forty miles. We put ashore
at the first convenient landing we could find, and encamped for the
night. Having consulted a map I had with me, and observing by the sun
the direction in which we had crossed the lake, (for we had actually
crossed it at its greatest width,) I could make out pretty clearly
that we had turned our backs to our true course! We had, however, a
good supply of provisions, and a voyageur is never discouraged while
he has the provender before him. Having now learned, to my cost, what
confidence my pilot was entitled to, I determined on keeping land in
view for the future.
We embarked early next morning, and, after a tedious and laborious
passage of seven days, arrived at Big Island fishery at the outlet of
the Lake on the 8th of October, where I found a boat ready to start
with a cargo of fish, in which I embarked; and landing finally at Fort
Simpson on the 16th, my long trip of five months _per mare et terram_,
was brought to a close; and high time it should, for the weather was
become excessively cold, and the ice was forming along the beach.
I was much grieved to find Mr. Lewis confined to bed in consequence of
a shocking accident he had lately met with, his right hand being blown
off by the accidental discharge of his fowling-piece.
Having perused the governor's official letter to Mr. Lewis, I found
the following paragraph in it relating to myself:--"On retiring from
the district next season, you will be pleased to invest Mr. McLean
with the management, handing to that gentleman all correspondence,
papers, &c., connected with the public business." This paragraph,
taken in conjunction with the instructions I had previously received,
confirmed both Mr. L. and myself in the opinion that I was to succeed
him in the charge; and we took our measures accordingly.
I was very agreeably surprised to find that the high latitude of this
locality (61° north) did not prevent agricultural operations from
being carried on with success. Although the season had been rather
unfavourable, the farm yielded four hundred bushels of potatoes,
and upwards of one hundred bushels of barley; the barnyard, with its
stacks of barley and hay, and the number of horned cattle around it,
had quite the air of a farm standing in the "old country." It is to be
regretted that the gentlemen here should have paid so little attention
to the cultivation of the soil in former times, as the produce
would, ere now, not only have contributed to the support of the
establishment, but have afforded assistance to the natives in years of
scarcity.
For these three years past the distress of the natives in this
quarter has been without parallel; several hundreds having perished of
want--in some instances, even at the gates of the trading post, whose
inmates, far from having it in their power to relieve others, required
relief themselves. Here, as in most other parts of the wooded country,
rabbits form the principal subsistence of the natives, and when they
fail, starvation is the sure and inevitable result; but no former
period has been so productive of distress, to so fearful an extent, as
the present. With the produce of the farm, Mr. L. was enabled to save
the lives of all those who resorted to his own post; but at Forts Good
Hope, Norman, and De Liard, no assistance could be given; as those
posts, like most others in the Indian country, depend entirely on
the means the country affords in fish, flesh, and fowl, for their
subsistence.