NARROWLY ESCAPE DROWNING--ACCIDENT TO INDIAN GUIDE--AM NEARLY FROZEN
TO DEATH--MISUNDERSTANDING BETWEEN ALGONQUINS AND IROQUOIS--MASSACRE
AT HANNAH BAY.
Nothing occurred this year out of the usual routine, save an accident
that happened to myself, and had nearly proved fatal. A couple of
hounds had been presented to me by a friend, for the purpose of
hunting the deer that abounded in the neighbourhood. The dogs having
one day broken loose from the leash, betook themselves to the hills;
and the first intimation we had of their being at liberty, was the
sound of their voices in full cry on an adjacent hill. I instantly
seized my gun, and following a beaten track that led to a small lake
at the base of the hill, I perceived a deer swimming towards an island
in the middle of the lake, and only a little beyond the range of
gun-shot. An old fishing-canoe happening to be at hand, I immediately
launched it, and gave chase, without examining the condition it was
in. I proceeded but a short distance, however, when I perceived that
it leaked very much. I continued, nevertheless, to paddle, till I got
nearly half-way across to the island; but by this time the quantity of
water in the canoe had increased so much, that my ardour for the chase
began to give way to anxiety for my own safety. I perceived a large
hole in the stern of the canoe, now almost level with the surface of
the lake, through which the water gushed with every stroke of the
paddle. The fore-part appearing free from injury, I immediately
inverted my position,--a movement necessarily effected with much
difficulty in so small a craft; and having thus placed myself, the
stern was consequently raised a little higher. I then paddled gently
towards a long point projecting from the mainland, much nearer me than
the island; and although I used the utmost caution in paddling, the
canoe sunk under me some distance from the shore. The lake, however,
was fortunately shallow at this place, so that I soon found bottom.
Had there been the least ripple on the water, I could not have
escaped; but the weather was perfectly calm, and the lake smooth as
glass.
In the early part of next winter, I went again in pursuit of the
deer; and although I incurred no great risk of losing my life, I yet
experienced such inconveniences as seldom fall to the lot of amateur
hunters in other parts of the world. I left the house early in the
morning, and, starting a deer close by, gave chase, following the
track over hill and dale, until I reached a high ridge bordering on
Lac de Sable. Here the deer slackened his pace, and appeared, by his
track, to have descended slowly into a valley, where he remained until
I started him a second time. I still continued the pursuit, without
thinking of time or distance from the establishment. At length the
night evidently began to close, and I felt faint and exhausted from
want of food, and the exertions I had made during the day. I therefore
gave up the chase; but to retrace my steps by the devious path by
which I had pursued the deer, would have occupied the greater part of
the night; I therefore resolved on returning by a more direct course;
but the upshot was, that, after wandering about for some time, and
repeatedly falling on my own tracks, I passed the night in the woods.
Although nearly overcome with fatigue, I durst not think of lying
down, well knowing what the consequence would be; I therefore walked
backwards and forwards, on a beaten track, the whole night; and next
morning adopted the sure course of finding my way by my tracks of the
preceding day. Meeting an Indian by the way, who had been sent in
search of me, he led me by a short cut, and we arrived at the house
about two o'clock, P.M.
In the autumn of 1829, another opponent entered the lists against
us,--an enterprising Canadian, who had been for a long time in the
Company's service. This adventurer proceeded some distance inland,
and I need scarcely say that a party was sent to keep him company.
Understanding that the new competitor gave our people more trouble
than had been anticipated, I determined on taking an active part in
the game; and as I had only two men with me at Lac de Sable, whose
services were required there, I set off alone, intending to take with
me an Indian who had an encampment by the way, as I was unacquainted
with the route. I slept at the Indian's wigwam, who readily
accompanied me next morning; but the weather being intolerably cold,
the poor fellow got both his ears frozen, _et aliud quidquam
præterea_, in crossing a large lake not far from his camp. The moment
he perceived his mishap, he assailed me in the most abusive terms, and
swore that he would accompany me no farther; which, being conscious
that I was partly the cause of his misfortune, I bore with as much
equanimity as I could; and arriving at the opposite side of the lake,
we kindled a fire, and I proceeded to treat his case according to the
usual practice; that is, rubbing the part affected with snow, or
bathing it with cold water until it is thawed, and the circulation
restored. Having happily succeeded, I forthwith dismissed him, and
determined to find my way alone; and having a tolerable idea of the
direction in which I should go, and the weather being clear, I
entertained no doubt of falling somewhere on the river whereon the
post is situated. I came upon it, as it seemed to me, a considerable
distance below the establishment, just as the sun was setting.
Having travelled in deep snow the whole day, I felt so much fatigued
that I could scarcely exert myself sufficiently to keep my body warm,
the cold being intense. I walked as briskly as my diminished strength
would allow; but at length became so weak, that I was obliged to lay
myself down at short intervals. In this wretched state,--my limbs
benumbed with cold, and thinking I should never see daylight,--I
suddenly came upon a hard beaten path: this inspired me with new
vigour, as it indicated the close vicinity of a shanty. I soon
discovered the desired haven, and crawling up the steep bank that led
to it, I knocked at the door with my snow-shoes, and was immediately
admitted.
The noise I made roused the inmates, who had been sound asleep; and
who, seeing my helpless condition, exerted themselves in every
possible way to relieve me. I was nearly in the last stage of
exhaustion, being unable to take off my snow-shoes, or even articulate
a word. One of these noble woodsmen guided me next day to the post;
when, as a small mark of gratitude for his generous kindness, I
presented him and his companions with what is always acceptable to a
shanty-man, a liberal allowance of the "crathur," to enjoy themselves
withal.
If it be asked why I did not make a fire, when I had the necessary
apparatus; I answer, that I had but a very small axe, quite unfit for
felling so large timber as grew on the banks of this river; and I was,
besides, so benumbed and exhausted as to be unequal to the task even
of lighting a fire.
Sometime after my return from Montreal in the autumn of 1830, I went
to pay a visit to one of my customers whose lands were at a
considerable distance. I was accompanied by one man in a small canoe;
and as it was necessary that one of us should carry the canoe over the
portages, and the other the property, I chose the former, being the
lightest though by far the most inconvenient load. I found it very
oppressive at first, but use rendered it more easy. This was the first
time I carried a canoe.
On our return from the Indian's camp we met with rather a disagreeable
accident, while ascending a small and very rapid river. In pushing
forward the canoe against the stream, my pole happened to glance off a
stone, and the canoe swinging round came in contact with the trunk of
a tree projecting from the bank, and we, or at least I, was upset in
an instant. Fortunately the current, though strong, was smooth and
free from whirlpools; so that, after swimming down a short distance
in search of a landing-place, I rejoined my companion, whom I found
standing on the bank perfectly dry. On inquiring of him how he
happened to avoid a ducking, he told me he sprang ashore while I was
attempting to parry off the tree; doubtless his having done so was in
a great measure the cause of the accident. He, however, acted a very
prudent part after landing, having caught hold of the canoe in the act
of upsetting, and thus preserved the goods from being lost or damaged.
In the course of this year, the Iroquois and Algonquins were nearly
coming to blows on account of the hunting-grounds. This quarrel
originated from a speech which Colonel McKay, then at the head of the
Indian department, had addressed to the Iroquois, in which, making use
of the metaphorical language of the people, he observed that Indians
of all tribes ought to live together in the utmost concord and amity,
seeing they inhabited the same villages, "and ate out of the same
dish." This the Iroquois interpreted in a way more suitable to their
own wishes than consistent with its real meaning. "Our father," said
they, "tells us we eat out of the same dish with the Algonquins;--he
means that we have an equal right to the hunting-grounds." They
proceeded, accordingly, to avail themselves of the supposed privilege.
The consequence was a very violent quarrel, in which Government was
ultimately obliged to interfere.
The Indians informed us, this spring, of a dreadful murder that had
been committed in the early part of the winter by some of the natives
of Hudson's Bay. The particulars of this tale of blood I since learned
from an individual that escaped from the massacre. The Indians
attached to the posts established along the shores of Hudson's Bay are
comparatively civilized; most of them speak English, and are employed
as voyageurs by the Company. Few or no precautions are taken at these
posts to guard against treachery; the gates are seldom shut, and some
of the posts are destitute of palisades or defence of any kind. Of
this description was the post where the catastrophe occurred which I
am about to relate.
The post of Hannah Bay is situated about sixty miles to the north
of Moose Factory, and was at this time under the charge of a Mr.
Corrigal. His establishment consisted of two or three half-breeds, and
an Indian who had been brought up by the whites. He and some of the
men had families. In the course of the winter five Indians came in
with their "hunts," and agreeably to their usual practice encamped
close by. Those Indians are designated "Home Guards,"--a term
generally applied to the Indians attached to a trading post; they hunt
in winter at a convenient distance from the post, and are employed in
summer as voyageurs, or in performing any other necessary duty.
Notwithstanding their thus being frequently in company with white men
and Christians, they still retain many of the barbarous habits, and
much of the superstitious belief of their forefathers, aggravated, I
regret to say, by some of the vices of the whites.
Among the number of those just mentioned was an individual who had
acquired considerable influence among his tribe, from his pretending
to be skilled in the art of divination. This man told his fellows that
he had had a communication from the Great Spirit, who assured him that
he would become the greatest man in Hudson's Bay if he only followed
the course prescribed to him, which was, first, to cut off their own
trading post, and then with the spoil got there to hire other Indians,
who should assist in destroying all the other posts the Company
possessed in the country. Accordingly, it was determined to carry
their design into execution, whenever a favourable opportunity
occurred. This was not long in presenting itself. They came one day to
the establishment, and told the people that the "man of medicine" had
come for the purpose of performing some extraordinary feat that would
astonish them all. The silly creatures believed the story, and went to
the borders of the lake, where they observed the sorcerer showing off
a variety of antics very much to their amusement. The conspirators,
seeing this part of the stratagem succeed, rushed into the house, and
immediately despatched Mr. Corrigal and his family. The men, hearing
the report of the guns, hastened back towards the house. The two that
first arrived were saluted by a volley of balls; the one fell dead,
the other fled. The third, seeing what had happened, seized his
youngest child, and also fled. The murderers pursued. The poor fellow,
encumbered by the weight of his child, necessarily fell behind. A ball
from the pursuers killed the child, and wounded him in the hand.
Dropping, then, the lifeless body, he soon came up with his fellow,
and both escaped without further injury.
It was about noon when they began their flight. One of them reached
Moose Factory next day about noon, the other soon after. The
distance--nearly sixty miles--travelled in so short a space of time,
may appear incredible; but fear gave them wings, they fled for their
lives and never halted. One of them, my informant, lost all the toes
of one of his feet by the frost.
Measures were immediately adopted to frustrate the further diabolical
designs of the Indians, as well as to avenge the innocent blood that
had been shed. Messengers were despatched with all possible haste to
Rupert's house, the nearest post, to give the alarm, and a party of
men, under an efficient leader, was sent to seize the murderers. This
expedition, however, proved unsuccessful, as the Indians could not be
found in that direction; but, in the meantime, two of them who had
come to Rupert's house to "spy the land," were seized and sent bound
to Moose Factory, and one of them was compelled to act as guide to
another party. Led by him, they approached the camp without being
perceived, and found the "man of medicine" sitting very composedly in
his tent, surrounded by the spoils he had taken from the fort. He was
secured, and the rest of his associates, who were absent hunting, were
soon "tracked," and secured likewise. They then all underwent the
punishment they deserved.
The fort presented a horrible spectacle. Men, women, and children
shared the same fate, and the mangled limbs of their victims were
scattered among the articles of property which the wretches, not being
able to carry off with them, had attempted to destroy.