ICE LOOKS UNPROPITIOUS--THE START--AN IMPORTANT MEMBER OF THE PARTY
NEARLY FORGOTTEN--CHIMO.
Stanley's forebodings and Massan's prognostications proved partly
incorrect on the following morning. The mouth of the river, and the sea
beyond, were quite full of ice; but it was loose, and intersected in all
directions by lanes of open water. Moreover, there was no wind.
The gray light of early morning brightened into dawn, and the first
clear ray of the rising sun swept over a scene more beautiful than ever
filled the fancy of the most imaginative poet of the Temperate Zones.
The sky was perfectly unclouded, and the surface of the sea was
completely covered with masses of ice, whose tops were pure white like
snow, and their sides a delicate greenish-blue, their dull, frosted
appearance forming a striking contrast to the surrounding water, which
shone, when the sun glanced upon it, like burnished silver. The masses
of ice varied endlessly in form and size, some being flat and large like
fields, others square and cornered like bastions or towers--here a
miniature temple with spires and minarets, there a crystal fortress with
embrasures and battlements; and, in the midst of these, thousands of
broken fragments, having all the varied outlines of the larger masses,
appearing like the smaller houses, cottages, and villas of this floating
city of ice.
"Oh how beautiful!" exclaimed little Edith, as her father led her and
Mrs Stanley towards the canoes, which floated lightly in the water,
while the men stood in a picturesque group beside them, leaning on their
bright red paddles.
"It is indeed, my pet," replied Stanley, a smile almost of sadness
playing around his lips.
"Come, George, don't let evil forebodings assail you to-day," said Mrs
Stanley in a low tone. "It does not become the leader of a forlorn hope
to cast a shade over the spirits of his men at the very outset." She
smiled as she said this, and pressed his arm; but despite herself, there
was more of sadness in the smile and in the pressure than she intended
to convey.
Stanley's countenance assumed its usual firm but cheerful expression
while she spoke. "True, Jessie, I must not damp the men; but when I
look at you and our darling Eda, I may be forgiven for betraying a
passing glance of anxiety. May the Almighty protect you!"
"Is the country we are going to like this, papa?" inquired Eda, whose
intense admiration of the fairy-like scene rendered her oblivious of all
else.
"Yes, dear, more like this than anything else you have ever seen; but
the sun does not always shine so brightly as it does just now, and
sometimes there are terrible snow-storms. But we will build you a nice
house, Eda, with a very large fireplace, so that we won't feel the
cold."
The entire population of Moose Fort was assembled on the beach to
witness the departure of the expedition. The party consisted of fifteen
souls. As we shall follow them to the icy regions of Ungava, it may be
worth while to rehearse their names in order as follows:--
MR. AND MRS. STANLEY and EDITH.
FRANK MORTON.
MASSAN, the guide.
DICK PRINCE, principal hunter to the party.
LA ROCHE, Stanley's servant and cook.
BRYAN, the blacksmith.
FRANCOIS, the carpenter.
OOLIBUCK, AUGUSTUS, and MOSES, Esquimau
interpreters.
GASPARD, labourer and fisherman.
OOSTESIMOW and MA-ISTEQUAN, Indian guides
and hunters.
The craft in which these were about to embark were three canoes, two of
which were large and one small. They were made of birch bark, a
substance which is tough, light, and buoyant, and therefore admirably
adapted for the construction of craft that have not only to battle
against strong and sometimes shallow currents, but have frequently to be
carried on the shoulders of their crews over rocks and mountains. The
largest canoe was sixteen feet long by five feet broad in the middle,
narrowing gradually towards the bow and stern to a sharp edge. Its
loading consisted of bales, kegs, casks, and bundles of goods and
provisions; each bale or cask weighed exactly 90 pounds, and was called
a _piece._ There were fifteen pieces in the canoe, besides the crew of
six men, and Mr Stanley and his family, who occupied the centre, where
their bedding, tied up in flat bundles and covered with oiled cloth,
formed a comfortable couch. Notwithstanding the size and capacity of
this craft, it had been carried down to the beach on the shoulders of
Massan and Dick Prince, who now stood at its bow and stern, preventing
it with their paddles from rubbing its frail sides against the wharf;
for although the bark is tough, and will stand a great deal of tossing
in water and plunging among rapids, it cannot sustain the slightest blow
from a rock or other hard substance without being cracked, or having the
gum which covers the seams scraped off. To those who are unacquainted
with travelling in the wild regions of the north it would seem
impossible that a long journey could be accomplished in such tender
boats; but a little experience proves that, by judicious treatment and
careful management, voyages of great length may be safely accomplished
in them--that they are well adapted for the necessities of the country,
and can be taken with greater ease through a rough, broken, and
mountainous region than ordinary wooden boats, even of smaller size,
could be.
The second canoe was in all respects similar to the one we have
described, excepting that it was a few inches shorter. The third was
much smaller--so small that it could not contain more than three men,
with their provisions and a few bales, and so light that it could with
the greatest ease be carried on the shoulders of one man. It was
intended to serve as a sort of pioneer and hunting craft, which should
lead the way, dart hither and thither in pursuit of game, and warn the
main body of any danger that should threaten them ahead. It was manned
by the two Indian guides, Oostesimow and Ma-istequan, and by Frank
Morton, who being acknowledged one of the best shots of the party, was
by tacit understanding regarded as commissary-general. It might have
been said that Frank was the best shot, were it not for the fact that
the aim of Dick Prince was perfect, and it is generally admitted that
perfection cannot be excelled.
Although differing widely in their dispositions and appearance, the men
of the expedition were similar at least in one respect--they were all
first-rate, and had been selected as being individually superior to
their comrades at Moose Fort. And a noble set of fellows they looked,
as they stood beside their respective canoes, leaning on their little,
brilliantly coloured paddles, awaiting the embarkation of their leaders.
They all wore new suits of clothes, which were sufficiently similar to
give the effect of a uniform, yet so far varied in detail as to divest
them of monotony, and relieve the eye by agreeable contrast of bright
colours. All of them wore light-blue cloth capotes with hoods hanging
down behind, all had corduroy trousers gartered below the knee, and all
wore moccasins, and had fire-bags stuck in their belts, in which were
contained the materials for producing fire, tobacco, and pipes. So far
they were alike, but the worsted belts of some were scarlet, of others
crimson, and of others striped. Some gartered their trousers with
thongs of leather, others used elegant bands of bead-work--the gifts,
probably, of sorrowing sweethearts, sisters, or mothers--while the
fire-bags, besides being composed some of blue, some of scarlet cloth,
were ornamented more or less with flowers and fanciful devices elegantly
wrought in the gaily-dyed quills of the porcupine.
On seeing Stanley and his wife and child approaching, Massan gave the
order to embark. In a moment every man divested himself of his capote,
which he folded up and placed on the seat he was to occupy; then,
shaking hands all round for the last time, they stepped lightly and
carefully into their places.
"All ready, I see, Massan," said Stanley, as he came up, "and the ice
seems pretty open. How say you? shall we make a good day of it?"
Massan smiled dubiously as he presented his thick shoulder as a support
to Mrs Stanley, while she stepped into her place. He remembered the
conversation of the previous evening, and determined that, whatever
should happen, he at least would not cast the shadow of a doubt on their
prospects. But in his own mind he suspected that their progress would
be interrupted ere long, as the wind, although very light--almost
imperceptible--was coming from the north-west.
"It'll be full flood in less nor half an hour," he replied, "and--(take
care, Miss Edith, give me your little hand; there, now, jump light)--and
we'll be past the p'int by that time, and git the good o' the ebb till
sun-down."
"I fear," said Frank Morton, approaching, "that the ice is rather thick
for us; but it don't much matter, it will only delay us a bit--and at
any rate we'll make good way as far as the point."
"True, true," said Stanley; "and it's a great matter to get fairly
started. Once off we must go forward. All ready, lads?"
"Ay, ay, sir."
"Now, Frank, into your canoe and show us the way; mind we trust to your
guidance to keep us clear of blind alleys among these lanes of water in
the ice."
At this moment Edith--who had been for the last few minutes occupied in
alternately drying her eyes and kissing her hands to a group of little
children who had been her play-fellows during her sojourn at the fort--
uttered a loud exclamation.
"Oh! oh! papa, mamma--Chimo!--we've forgot Chimo! Oh me! don't go away
yet!"
"So we have!" said her father; "dear me, how stupid to forget our old
friend!--Hallo! Frank, Frank, we've forgot the dog," shouted Stanley to
his young comrade, who was on the point of starting.
On hearing this, Frank gave a long, shrill whistle. "That'll bring him
if he's within ear-shot."
When the well-known sound broke upon Chimo's ear, he was lying coiled up
in front of the kitchen fire, being privileged to do so in consequence
of his position as Edith's favourite. The cook, having gone out a few
minutes previously, had left Chimo to enjoy his slumbers in solitude, so
that, when he started suddenly to his feet on hearing Frank's whistle,
he found himself a prisoner. But Chimo was a peculiarly strong-minded
and strong-bodied dog, and was possessed of an iron will! He was of the
Esquimau breed, and bore some resemblance to the Newfoundland, but was
rather shorter in the legs, longer in the body, and more powerfully
made. Moreover, he was more shaggy, and had a stout, blunt,
straightforward appearance, which conveyed to the beholder the idea that
he scorned flattery, and would not consent to be petted on any
consideration. Indeed this was the case, for he always turned away with
quiet contempt from any of the men who attempted to fondle him. He made
an exception, however, of little Edith, whom he not only permitted to
clap him to any extent, but deliberately invited her to do so by laying
his great head in her lap, rubbing himself against her, and wagging his
bushy tail, as if to say, "Now, little girl, do what you will with me!"
And Eda never refused the animal's dumb-show request. When she was very
young and had not much sense--at which time Chimo was young too, but
possessed of a great deal of sense--she formed a strong affection for
the Esquimau dog, an affection which she displayed by putting her little
arms round his neck and hugging him until he felt a tendency to
suffocation; she also pulled his ears and tail, and stuffed her fat
little hands into his eyes and mouth,--all of which dreadful actions she
seemed to think, in her childish ignorance, must be very pleasant to
Chimo, and all of which the dog appeared really to enjoy. At all
events, whether he liked it or not, he came regularly to have himself
thus treated every day. As Eda grew older she left off choking her
favourite and poking out his eyes, and contented herself with caressing
him. Chimo also evinced a partiality for Mr Stanley and Frank Morton,
and often accompanied the latter on his hunting excursions; but he
always comported himself towards them with dignified hauteur, accepting
their caresses with a slight wag of acknowledgment, but never courting
their favour.
On jumping up, as we have already said, and observing that the door was
shut, the dog looked slowly and calmly round the apartment, as if to
decide on what was best to be done; for Chimo was a dog of great energy
of character, and was never placed in any circumstances in which he did
not pursue some decided course of action. On the present occasion there
was not a hole, except the key-hole, by which he could hope to make his
escape. Yes, by-the-bye, there was a hole in the window, which was made
of parchment; but as that was merely the bullet-hole through which the
animal that had given his skin for a window had been shot, and was not
larger than a shilling, it did not afford much hope. Nevertheless Chimo
regarded it with a steady gaze for a minute or two, then he turned to
the fire, and having satisfied himself that the chimney was
impracticable, being full of flames and smoke, he faced the window once
more, and showed his teeth, as if in chagrin.
"Whew-ew! Chimo-o-o!" came Frank's voice, floating faintly from afar.
Chimo took aim at the bullet-hole. One vigorous bound--a horrible
crash, that nearly caused the returning cook to faint--and the dog was
free.
"Ah, here he comes!--good dog!" cried Frank, as the animal came bounding
over intervening obstacles towards the canoes. Chimo made straight for
the small canoe, in answer to his master's call; but, like many dogs and
not a few men, he owned a higher power than that of a master. The voice
of his little mistress sounded sweetly in his ear, like the sound of a
silver bell. "O Chimo, Chimo! my darling pet! come here--here." It was
a soft, tiny voice at the loudest, and was quite drowned amid the
talking and laughter of the men, but Chimo heard it. Turning at a sharp
angle from his course, he swept past the light canoe, and bounding into
that of Mr Stanley, lay down beside Eda and placed his head in her lap,
where it was immediately smothered in the caresses of its young
mistress.
Mr Stanley smiled and patted his little girl on the shoulder, as he
said, "That's right, Eda; the love of a faithful dog is worth having and
cherishing." Then turning towards the stern of the canoe, where Massan
stood erect, with his steering paddle ready for action, he said to that
worthy--
"Now, Massan, all ready; give the word."
"Ho, ho, boys; forward!"
The paddles dipped simultaneously in the water with a loud, gurgling
sound; the two large canoes shot out into the stream abreast of each
other, preceded by the light one, which, urged forward by the powerful
arms of Frank and the two Indians, led the way among the floating fields
of ice. The people on shore took off their caps and waved a last
farewell. Dick Prince, who possessed a deep, loud, sonorous voice,
began one of those beautiful and wild yet plaintive songs peculiar to
the _voyageurs_ of the wilderness. The men joined, with a full, rich
swell, in the chorus, as they darted forward with arrow-like speed--and
the voyage began.