VOYAGE FROM YORK FACTORY TO NORWAY HOUSE IN A SMALL INDIAN CANOE--
DEPARTURE--LIFE IN THE WOODS--DIFFICULTIES OF CANOE NAVIGATION--OUTWIT
THE MOSQUITOES--"LEVE! LEVE! LEVE!"--MUSIC IN THE POT AND ON THE
ORGAN.
On the afternoon of the 20th of June 1845, I sat in my room at York
Fort, musing on the probability of my being dispatched to some other
part of the Company's wide dominions.
The season approached when changes from one part of the country to
another might be expected, and boats began to arrive from the interior.
Two years of fun and frolic had I spent on the coast, and I was
beginning to wish to be sent once more upon my travels, particularly as
the busy season was about to commence, and the hot weather to set in.
As I sat cogitating, my brother scribblers called me to join them in a
short promenade upon the wharf, preparatory to resuming our pens. Just
as we reached it, a small Indian canoe from the interior swept round the
point above the factory, and came rapidly forward, the sparkling water
foaming past her sharp bow as she made towards the landing.
At almost any time an arrival causes a great deal of interest in this
out-of-the-way place; but an arrival of this sort--for the canoe was
evidently an _express_--threw us into a fever of excitement, which was
greatly increased when we found that it contained dispatches from
headquarters; and many speculative remarks passed among us as we hurried
up to our hall, there to wait in anxious expectation for a letter or an
order to appear _instanter_ before Mr Grave. Our patience was severely
tried, however, and we began to think there was no news at all, when
Gibeault, the butler, turned the corner, and came towards our door. We
immediately rushed towards it in breathless expectation, and a row of
eager faces appeared as he walked slowly up and said, "Mr Grave wishes
to see Mr Ballantyne immediately." On hearing this I assumed an
appearance of calm indifference I was far from feeling, put on my cap,
and obeyed the order.
Upon entering Mr Grave's presence, he received me with a benign,
patronising air, and requested me to be seated. He then went on to
inform me that letters had just arrived, requesting that I might be sent
off immediately to Norway House, where I should be enlightened as to my
ultimate destination. This piece of news I received with mingled
surprise and delight, at the same time exclaiming "Indeed!" with
peculiar emphasis; and then, becoming suddenly aware of the impropriety
of the expression, I endeavoured to follow it up with a look of sorrow
at the prospect of leaving my friends, combined with resignation to the
will of the Honourable Hudson Bay Company, in which attempt I failed
most signally. After receiving orders to prepare for an immediate
start, I rushed out in a state of high excitement, to acquaint my
comrades with my good fortune. On entering the hall, I found them as
anxious to know where I was destined to vegetate next winter, as they
before had been to learn who was going off. Having satisfied them on
this point, or rather told them as much as I knew myself regarding it, I
proceeded to pack up.
It happened just at this time that a brigade of inland boats was on the
eve of starting for the distant regions of the interior; and as the
little canoe, destined to carry myself, was much too small to take such
an unwieldy article as my "cassette," I gladly availed myself of the
opportunity to forward it by the boats, as they would have to pass
Norway House _en route_. It would be endless to detail how I spent the
next three days: how I never appeared in public without walking very
fast, as if pressed with a superhuman amount of business; how I rummaged
about here and there, seeing that everything was prepared; looking
vastly important, and thinking I was immensely busy, when in reality I
was doing next to nothing. I shall, therefore, without further preface,
proceed to describe my travelling equipments.
The canoe in which I and two Indians were to travel from York Factory to
Norway House, a distance of nearly three hundred miles, measured between
five and six yards long, by two feet and a half broad in the middle,
tapering from thence to _nothing_ at each end. It was made of birch
bark, and could with great ease be carried by one man. In this we were
to embark, with ten days' provisions for three men, three blankets,
three small bundles, and a little travelling-case belonging to myself;
besides three paddles wherewith to propel us forward, a tin kettle for
cooking, and an iron one for boiling water. Our craft being too small
to permit my taking the usual allowance of what are called luxuries, I
determined to take pot-luck with my men, so that our existence for the
next eight or ten days was to depend upon the nutritive properties
contained in a few pounds of pemmican, a little biscuit, one pound of
butter, and a very small quantity of tea and sugar. With all this, in
addition to ourselves, we calculated upon being pretty deeply laden.
My men were of the tribe called Swampy Crees--and truly, to judge merely
from appearance, they would have been the very last I should have picked
out to travel with; for one was old, apparently upwards of fifty, and
the other, though young, was a cripple. Nevertheless, they were good,
hard-working men, as I afterwards experienced. I did not take a tent
with me, our craft requiring to be as light as possible, but I rolled up
a mosquito-net in my blanket, that being a light affair of gauze,
capable of compression into very small compass. Such were our
equipments; and on the 23rd of June we started for the interior.
A melancholy feeling came over me as I turned and looked for the last
time upon York Factory, where I had spent so many happy days with the
young men who now stood waving their handkerchiefs from the wharf. Mr
Grave, too, stood among them, and as I looked on his benevolent, manly
countenance, I felt that I should ever remember with gratitude his
kindness to me while we resided together on the shores of Hudson Bay. A
few minutes more, and the fort was hid from my sight for ever.
My disposition is not a sorrowful one; I never did and never could
remain long in a melancholy mood, which will account for the state of
feeling I enjoyed half an hour after losing sight of my late home. The
day was fine, and I began to anticipate a pleasant journey, and to
speculate as to what part of the country I might be sent to. The whole
wide continent of North America was now open to the excursive flights of
my imagination, as there was a possibility of my being sent to any one
of the numerous stations in the extensive territories of the Hudson Bay
Company. Sometimes I fancied myself ranging through the wild district
of Mackenzie River, admiring the scenery described by Franklin and Back
in their travels of discovery; and anon, as the tales of my companions
occurred to me, I was bounding over the prairies of the Saskatchewan in
chase of the buffalo, or descending the rapid waters of the Columbia to
the Pacific Ocean. Again my fancy wandered, and I imagined myself
hunting the grizzly bear in the woods of Athabasca--when a heavy lurch
of the canoe awakened me to the fact that I was only ascending the
sluggish waters of Hayes River.
The banks of the river were covered with huge blocks of ice, and
scarcely a leaf had as yet made its appearance. Not a bird was to be
seen, except a few crows and whisky-jacks, which chattered among the
branches of the trees; and Nature appeared as if undecided whether or
not she should take another nap, ere she bedecked herself in the
garments of spring. My Indians paddled slowly against the stream, and I
lay back, with a leg cocked over each gunwale, watching the sombre pines
as they dropped slowly astern. On our way we passed two landslips which
encroached a good deal on the river, each forming a small rapid round
its base. The trees with which they had formerly been clothed were now
scattered about in chaotic confusion, leafless, and covered with mud;
some more than half buried, and others standing with their roots in the
air. There is a tradition among the natives that a whole camp of
Indians was overwhelmed in the falling of these slips.
A good deal of danger is incurred in passing up these rivers, owing to
the number of small landslips which occur annually. The banks, being
principally composed of sandy clay, are loosened, and rendered almost
fluid in many places, upon the melting of the snow in spring; and the
ice, during the general disruption, tears away large masses of the lower
part of the banks, which renders the superincumbent clay liable to slip,
upon the first heavy shower of rain, with considerable force into the
stream.
About sixteen miles from York Factory we ran against a stone, and tore a
small hole in the bottom of our canoe. This obliged us to put ashore
immediately, when I had an opportunity of watching the swiftness and
dexterity of the Indians in repairing the damage. A small hole, about
three inches long and one inch wide, had been torn in the bottom of the
canoe, through which the water squirted with considerable rapidity.
Into this hole they fitted a piece of bark, sewed it with wattape (the
fibrous roots of the pine-tree), made a small fire, melted gum, and
plastered the place so as to be effectually water-tight, all in about
the space of an hour.
During the day we passed a brigade of boats bound for the factory; but
being too far off, and in a rapid part of the river we did not hail
them. About nine o'clock we put ashore for the night, having travelled
nearly twenty miles. The weather was pleasantly cool, so that we were
free from mosquitoes. The spot we chose for our encampment was on the
edge of a high bank, being the only place within three miles where we
could carry up our provisions; and even here the ascent was bad enough.
But after we were up, the top proved a good spot, covered with soft
moss, and well sheltered by trees and bushes. A brook of fresh water
rippled at the foot of the bank, and a few decayed trees afforded us
excellent firewood. Here, then, in the bosom of the wilderness, with
the silvery light of the moon for our lamp, and serenaded by a solitary
owl, we made our first bivouac. Supper was neatly laid out on an
oil-cloth, spread before a blazing fire. A huge junk of pemmican graced
the centre of our rustic table, flanked by a small pile of ship's
biscuit on one side, and a lump of salt butter on the other; while a
large iron kettle filled with hot water, slightly flavoured with
tea-leaves, brought up the rear. Two tin pots and a tumbler performed
outpost duty, and were soon smoking full of warm tea. We made an
excellent supper, after which the Indians proceeded to solace themselves
with a whiff, while I lay on my blanket enjoying the warmth of the fire,
and admiring the apparently extreme felicity of the men, as they sat,
with half-closed eyes, watching the smoke curling in snowy wreaths from
their pipes, and varying their employment now and then with a pull at
the tin pots, which seemed to afford them extreme satisfaction. In this
manner we lay till the moon waned; and the owl having finished his
overture, we rolled ourselves in our blankets, and watched the twinkling
star, till sleep closed our eyelids.
Next morning, between two and three o'clock, we began to stretch our
limbs, and after a few ill-humoured grunts prepared for a start. The
morning was foggy when we embarked and once more began to ascend the
stream. Everything was obscure and indistinct till about six o'clock,
when the powerful rays of the rising sun dispelled the mist, and Nature
was herself again. A good deal of ice still lined the shores; but what
astonished me most was the advanced state of vegetation apparent as we
proceeded inland. When we left York Factory, not a leaf had been
visible; but here, though only thirty miles inland, the trees, and more
particularly the bushes, were well covered with beautiful light green
foliage, which appeared to me quite delightful after the patches of snow
and leafless willows on the shores of Hudson Bay.
At eight o'clock we put ashore for breakfast--which was just a
repetition of the supper of the preceding night, with this exception,
that we discussed it a little more hurriedly--and then proceeded on our
way.
Shortly afterwards we met a small canoe, about the size of our own,
which contained a postmaster and two Indians, on their way to York
Factory with a few packs of otters. After five minutes' conversation we
parted, and were soon out of sight of each other. The day, which had
hitherto been agreeable, now became oppressively sultry: not a breath of
wind ruffled the water; and as the sun shone down with intense heat from
a perfectly cloudless sky, it became almost insufferable. I tried all
methods to cool myself, by lying in every position I could think of,
sometimes even hanging both legs and arms over the sides of the canoe
and trailing them through the water. I had a racking headache, and, to
add to my misery, as the sun sank the mosquitoes rose and bit
ferociously. The Indians, however, did not appear to suffer much, being
accustomed, no doubt, to these little annoyances, much in the same way
as eels are to being skinned.
In the afternoon we arrived at the forks of Hayes and Steel Rivers, and
ascended the latter, till the increasing darkness and our quickening
appetites reminded us that it was time to put ashore. We made a hearty
supper, having eaten nothing since breakfast; dinner, while travelling
in a light canoe, being considered quite superfluous.
Our persevering foes, the mosquitoes, now thought it high time to make
their supper also, and attacked us in myriads whenever we dared to
venture near the woods; so we were fain to sleep as best we could on the
open beach, without any fire--being much too warm for that. But even
there they found us out, and most effectually prevented us from
sleeping.
On the morning of the 25th, we arose very little refreshed by our short
nap, and continued our journey. The weather was still warm, but a
little more bearable, owing to a light, grateful breeze that came down
the river. After breakfast--which we took at the usual hour, and in the
usual way--while proceeding slowly up the current, we descried, on
rounding a point, a brigade of boats close to the bank, on the opposite
side of the river; so we embarked our man, who was tracking us up with a
line (the current being too rapid for the continued use of the paddle),
and crossed over to see who they were. On landing, we found it was the
Norway House brigade, in charge of George Kippling, a Red River settler.
He shook hands with us, and then commenced an animated discourse with
my two men in the Indian language, which being perfectly unintelligible
to me, I amused myself by watching the operations of the men, who were
in the act of cooking breakfast.
Nothing can be more picturesque than a band of _voyageurs_ breakfasting
on the banks of a pretty river. The spot they had chosen was a little
above the Burntwood Creek, on a projecting grassy point, pretty clear of
underwood. Each boat's crew--of which there were three--had a fire to
itself, and over these fires were placed gipsy-like tripods, from which
huge tin kettles depended; and above them hovered three volunteer cooks,
who were employed stirring their contents with persevering industry.
The curling wreaths of smoke formed a black cloud among the numerous
fleecy ones in the blue sky, while all around, in every imaginable
attitude, sat, stood, and reclined the sunburnt, savage-looking
half-breeds, chatting, laughing, and smoking in perfect happiness. They
were all dressed alike, in light cloth capotes with hoods, corduroy
trousers, striped shirts open in front, with cotton kerchiefs tied
sailor-fashion loosely round their swarthy necks. A scarlet worsted
belt strapped each man's coat tightly to his body, and Indian moccasins
defended their feet. Their head-dresses were as various as fanciful--
some wore caps of coarse cloth; others coloured handkerchiefs, twisted
turban-fashion round their heads; and one or two, who might be looked
upon as voyageur-fops, sported tall black hats, covered so plenteously
with bullion tassels and feathers as to be scarcely recognisable.
The breakfast consisted solely of pemmican and flour, boiled into the
sort of thick soup dignified by the name of _robbiboo_. As might be
expected, it is not a very delicate dish, but is, nevertheless,
exceedingly nutritious; and those who have lived long in the country,
particularly the Canadians, are very fond of it. I think, however, that
another of their dishes, composed of the same materials, but fried
instead of boiled, is much superior to it. They call it _richeau_; it
is uncommonly rich, and very little will suffice for an ordinary man.
After staying about a quarter of an hour, chatting with Kippling about
the good folk of Red River and Norway House, we took our departure, just
as they commenced the first vigorous attack upon the capacious kettles
of robbiboo.
Shortly after, we arrived at the mouth of Hill River, which we began to
ascend. The face of the country was now greatly changed, and it was
evident that here spring had long ago dethroned winter. The banks of
the river were covered from top to bottom with the most luxuriant
foliage, while dark clumps of spruce-fir varied and improved the
landscape. In many places the banks, which appeared to be upwards of a
hundred feet high, ran almost perpendicularly down to the water's edge,
perfectly devoid of vegetation, except at the top, where large trees
overhung the precipice, some clinging by their roots and ready to fall.
In other places the bank sloped from nearly the same height, gradually,
and with slight undulations, down to the stream, thickly covered with
vegetation, and teeming with little birds, whose merry voices, warbling
a cheerful welcome to the opening buds, greatly enhanced the pleasures
of the scene.
We soon began to experience great difficulty in tracking the canoe
against the rapid stream that now opposed us. From the steepness of the
banks in some places, and their being clothed with thick willows in
others, it became a slow and fatiguing process for the men to drag us
against the strong current; and sometimes the poor Indians had to cling
like flies against nearly perpendicular cliffs of slippery clay, whilst
at others they tore their way through almost impervious bushes. They
relieved each other by turns every hour at this work, the one steering
the canoe while the other tracked; and they took no rest during the
whole day, except when at breakfast. Indeed, any proposal to do so
would have been received by them with great contempt, as a very improper
and useless waste of time.
When the track happened to be at all passable, I used to get out and
walk, to relieve them a little, as well as to stretch my cramped limbs,
it being almost impossible, when there is any luggage in a small Indian
canoe, to attain a comfortable position.
At sunset we put ashore for the night, on a point covered with a great
number of _lopsticks_. These are tall pine-trees, denuded of their
lower branches, a small tuft being left at the top. They are generally
made to serve as landmarks; and sometimes the _voyageurs_ make them in
honour of gentlemen who happen to be travelling for the first time along
the route--and those trees are chosen which, from their being on
elevated ground, are conspicuous objects. The traveller for whom they
are made is always expected to acknowledge his sense of the honour
conferred upon him by presenting the boat's crew with a pint of grog,
either on the spot or at the first establishment they meet with. He is
then considered as having paid for his footing, and may ever afterwards
pass scot-free.
We soon had our encampment prepared, and the fire blazing: but hundreds
of mosquitoes were, as usual, awaiting our arrival, and we found it
utterly impossible to sup, so fiercely did they attack us. We at last
went to leeward of the fire, and devoured it hastily in the smoke--
preferring to risk being suffocated or smoke-dried to being eaten up
alive! It was certainly amusing to see us rushing into the thick smoke,
bolt a few mouthfuls of pemmican, and then rush out again for fresh air;
our hands swinging like the sails of a windmill round our heads, while
every now and then, as a mosquito fastened on a tender part, we gave
ourselves a resounding slap on the side of the head, which, had it come
from the hand of another, would certainly have raised in us a most
pugnacious spirit of resentment. In this manner we continued rushing
out of and into the smoke till supper was finished, and then prepared
for sleep. This time, however, I was determined not to be tormented; so
I cut four stakes, drove them into the ground, and threw over them my
gauze mosquito-net, previously making a small fire, with wet grass on
it, to raise a smoke and prevent intruders from entering while I was in
the act of putting it on; then, cautiously raising one end, I bolted in
after the most approved harlequinian style, leaving my discomfited
tormentors wondering at the audacity of a man who could snore in a state
of unconcerned felicity in the very midst of the enemy's camp.
On the following morning we started at an early hour. The day was
delightfully cool, and mosquitoes were scarce, so that we felt
considerably comfortable as we glided quietly up the current. In this
way we proceeded till after breakfast, when we came in sight of the
first portage, on which we landed. In a surprisingly short time our
luggage, etcetera, was pitched ashore, and the canoe carried over by the
Indians, while I followed with some of the baggage; and in half an hour
we were ready to start from the upper end of the portage. While
carrying across the last few articles, one of the Indians killed two
fish called suckers, which they boiled on the spot and devoured
immediately.
Towards sunset we paddled quietly up to the "White Mud Portage," where
there is a fall, of about seven or eight feet, of extreme rapidity,
shooting over the edge in an arch of solid water, which falls hissing
and curling into the stream below. Here we intended to encamp. As we
approached the cataract, a boat suddenly appeared on the top of it, and
shot with the speed of lightning into the boiling water beneath, its
reckless crew shouting, pulling, laughing, and hallooing, as it swept
round a small point at the foot of the fall and ran aground in a bay or
hollow, where the eddying water, still covered with patches of foam
after its mighty leap, floated quietly round the shore. They had
scarcely landed when another boat appeared on the brink, and, hovering
for an instant, as if to prepare itself for the leap, flashed through
the water, and the next moment was aground beside the first. In this
manner seven boats successively ran the fall, and grounded in the bay.
Upon our arriving, we found them to be a part of the Saskatchewan
brigade, on its way to the common point of rendezvous, York Factory. It
was in charge of two friends of mine; so I accosted them, without
introducing myself, and chatted for some time about the occurrences of
the voyage. They appeared a little disconcerted, however, and looked
very earnestly at me two or three times. At last they confessed they
had forgotten me altogether! And, indeed, it was no wonder, for the sun
had burned me nearly as black as my Indian friends, while my dress
consisted of a blue capote, sadly singed by the fire; a straw hat, whose
shape, from exposure and bad usage, was utterly indescribable; a pair of
corduroys, and Indian moccasins; which so metamorphosed me, that my
friends, who perfectly recollected me the moment I mentioned my name,
might have remained in ignorance to this day had I not enlightened them
on the subject.
After supper one of these gentlemen offered me a share of his tent, and
we turned in together, but not to sleep; for we continued gossiping till
long after the noisy voices of the men had ceased to disturb the
tranquillity of night.
At the first peep of day our ears were saluted with the usual unpleasant
sound of "_Leve! leve! leve_!" issuing from the leathern throat of the
guide. Now this same "_Leve_!" is in my ears a peculiarly harsh and
disagreeable word, being associated with frosty mornings, uncomfortable
beds, and getting up in the dark before half enough of sleep has been
obtained. The way in which it is uttered, too, is particularly
exasperating; and often, when partially awakened by a stump boring a
hole in my side, have I listened with dread to hear the detested sound,
and then, fancying it must surely be too early to rise, have fallen
gently over on the other side, when a low muffled sound, as if some one
were throwing off his blanket, would strike upon my ear, then a cough or
grunt, and finally, as if from the bowels of the earth, a low and
scarcely audible "_Leve! leve_!" would break the universal stillness--
growing rapidly louder, "_Leve! leve! leve_!" and louder, "_Leve!
leve_!" till at last a final stentorian "_Leve! leve! leve_!" brought
the hateful sound to a close, and was succeeded by a confused collection
of grunts, groans, coughs, grumbles, and sneezes from the unfortunate
sleepers thus rudely roused from their slumbers. The disinclination to
rise, however, was soon overcome; and up we got, merry as larks, the men
loading their boats, while I and my Indians carried our luggage,
etcetera, over the portage.
Our troubles now commenced: the longest and most difficult part of the
route lay before us, and we prepared for a day of toil. Far as the eye
could reach, the river was white with boiling rapids and foaming
cascades, which, though small, were much too large to ascend, and
consequently we were obliged to make portages at almost every two or
three hundred yards. Rapid after rapid was surmounted; yet still, as we
rounded every point and curve, rapids and falls rose, in apparently
endless succession, before our wearied eyes. My Indians, however, knew
exactly the number they had to ascend, so they set themselves manfully
to the task. I could not help admiring the dexterous way in which they
guided the canoe among the rapids. Upon arriving at one, the old
Indian, who always sat in the bow (this being the principal seat in
canoe travelling), rose up on his knees and stretched out his neck to
take a look before commencing the attempt; and then, sinking down again,
seized his paddle, and pointing significantly to the chaos of boiling
waters that rushed swiftly past us (thus indicating the route he
intended to pursue to his partner in the stern), dashed into the stream.
At first we were borne down with the speed of lightning, while the
water hissed and boiled to within an inch of the gunwale, and a person
unaccustomed to such navigation would have thought it folly our
attempting to ascend; but a second glance would prove that our Indians
had not acted rashly. In the centre of the impetuous current a large
rock rose above the surface, and from its lower end a long eddy ran like
the tail of a comet for about twenty yards down the river. It was just
opposite this rock that we entered the rapid, and paddled for it with
all our might. The current, however, as I said before, swept us down;
and when we got to the middle of the stream, we just reached the extreme
point of the eddy, and after a few vigorous strokes of the paddles were
floating quietly in the lee of the rock. We did not stay long,
however--just long enough to look for another stone; and the old Indian
soon pitched upon one a few yards higher up, but a good deal to one
side; so, dipping our paddles once more, we pushed out into the stream
again, and soon reached the second rock. In this way, yard by yard, did
we ascend for miles, sometimes scarcely gaining a foot in a minute, and
at others, as a favouring bay or curve presented a long piece of smooth
water, advancing more rapidly. In fact, our progress could not be
likened to anything more aptly than to the ascent of a salmon as he
darts rapidly from eddy to eddy, taking advantage of every stone and
hollow that he finds: and the simile may be still further carried out;
for, as the salmon is sometimes driven back _tail_ foremost in
attempting to leap a fall, so were we, in a similar attempt, driven back
by the overpowering force of the water.
It happened thus: We had surmounted a good many rapids, and made a few
portages, when we arrived at a perpendicular fall of about two feet in
height, but from the rapidity of the current it formed only a very steep
shoot. Here the Indians paused to breathe, and seemed to doubt the
possibility of ascent; however, after a little conversation on the
subject, they determined to try it, and got out their poles for the
purpose (poles being always used when the current is too strong for the
paddles). We now made a dash, and turning the bow to the current, the
Indians fixed their poles firmly in the ground, while the water rushed
like a mill-race past us. They then pushed forward, one keeping his
pole fixed, while the other refixed his a little more ahead. In this
way we advanced inch by inch, and had almost got up--the water rushing
past us in a thick, black body, hissing sharply in passing the side of
our canoe, which trembled like a reed before the powerful current--when
suddenly the pole of the Indian in the stern slipped; and almost before
I knew what had happened, we were floating down the stream about a
hundred yards below the fall. Fortunately the canoe went stern
foremost, so that we got down in safety. Had it turned round even a
little in its descent, it would have been rolled over and over like a
cask. Our second attempt proved more successful; and after a good deal
of straining and puffing we arrived at the top, where the sight of a
longer stretch than usual of calm and placid water rewarded us for our
exertions during the day.
In passing over a portage we met the English River brigade; and after a
little conversation, we parted. The evening was deliciously cool and
serene as we glided quietly up the now tranquil river. Numbers of
little islets, covered to the very edge of the rippling water with
luxuriant vegetation, rose like emeralds from the bosom of the broad
river, shining brightly in the rays of the setting sun; sometimes so
closely scattered as to veil the real size of the river, which, upon our
again emerging from among them, burst upon our delighted vision a broad
sheet of clear pellucid water, with beautiful fresh banks covered with
foliage of every shade, from the dark and sombre pine to the light
drooping willow; while near the shore a matronly-looking duck swam
solemnly along, casting now and then a look of warning to a numerous
family of little yellow ducklings that frisked and gambolled in very
wantonness, as if they too enjoyed and appreciated the beauties of the
scene. Through this terrestrial paradise we wended our way, till rapids
again began to disturb the water, and a portage at last brought us to a
stand. Here we found McNab, who had left York Factory three days before
us with his brigade, just going to encamp; so we also brought up for the
night. When supper was ready, I sent an invitation to McNab to come and
sup with me, which he accepted, at the same time bringing his brother
with him. The elder was a bluff, good-natured Red River settler, with
whom I had become acquainted while in the colony; and we chatted of
bygone times and mutual acquaintances over a cup of excellent tea, till
long after the sun had gone down, leaving the blazing camp-fires to
illuminate the scene.
Next morning we started at the same time with the boats; but our little
canoe soon passed them in the rapids, and we saw no more of them. Our
way was not now so much impeded by rapids as it had hitherto been; and
by breakfast-time we had surmounted them all and arrived at the
Dram-stone, where we put ashore for our morning meal. In the morning I
shot a duck, being the first that had come within range since I left
York Factory. Ducks were very scarce, and the few that we did see were
generally accompanied by a numerous offspring not much bigger than the
eggs which originally contained them. While taking breakfast we were
surprised by hearing a quick rushing sound a little above us, and the
next moment a light canoe came sweeping round a point and made towards
us. It was one of those called "north canoes," which are calculated to
carry eight men as a crew, besides three passengers. The one now before
us was built much the same as an Indian canoe, but somewhat neater, and
ornamented with sundry ingenious devices painted in gaudy colours on the
bows and stern. It was manned by eight men and apparently one
passenger, to whom I hallooed once or twice; but they took me, no doubt,
for an Indian, and so passed on without taking any notice of us. As the
noble bark bounded quickly forward and was hid by intervening trees, I
bent a look savouring slightly of contempt upon our little Indian canoe,
and proceeded to finish breakfast.
A solitary north canoe, however, passing thus in silence, can give but a
faint idea of the sensation felt on seeing a brigade of them arriving at
a post after a long journey. It is then that they appear in wild
perfection. The _voyageurs_ upon such occasions are dressed in their
best clothes; and gaudy feathers, ribbons, and tassels stream in
abundance from their caps and garters. Painted gaily, and ranged side
by side, like contending chargers, the light canoes skim swiftly over
the water, bounding under the vigorous and rapid strokes of the small
but numerous paddles, while the powerful _voyageurs_ strain every muscle
to urge them quickly on. And while yet in the distance, the beautifully
simple and lively yet plaintive paddling song, so well suited to the
surrounding scenery, and so different from any other air, breaks sweetly
on the ear; and one reflects, with a kind of subdued and pleasing
melancholy, how far the singers are from their native land, and how many
long and weary days of danger and of toil will pass before they can rest
once more in their Canadian homes. How strangely, too, upon their
nearer approach, is this feeling changed for one of exultation, as the
deep and manly voices swell in chorus over the placid waters, while a
competition arises among them who shall first arrive; and the canoes
dash over the water with arrow-speed to the very edge of the wharf,
where they come suddenly, and as by magic, to a pause. This is effected
by each man backing water with his utmost force; after which they roll
their paddles on the gunwale simultaneously, enveloping themselves in a
shower of spray as they shake the dripping water from the bright
vermilion blades. Truly it is an animating, inspiriting scene, the
arrival of a brigade of light canoes.
Our route now lay through a number of small lakes and rivers, with
scarcely any current in them; so we proceeded happily on our way with
the cheering prospect of uninterrupted travelling. We had crossed
Swampy Lake, and, after making one or two insignificant portages,
entered Knee Lake. This body of water obtained its name from turning at
a sharp angle near its centre, and stretching out in an opposite
direction from its preceding course; thus forming something like a knee.
Late in the evening we encamped on one of the small islands with which
it is here and there dotted. Nothing could exceed the beauty of the
view we had of the lake from our encampment. Not a breath of wind
stirred its glassy surface, which shone in the ruddy rays of the sun
setting on its bosom in the distant horizon; and I sat long upon the
rocks admiring the lovely scene, while one of my Indians filled the
tea-kettle, and the other was busily engaged in skinning a minx for
supper. Our evening meal was further enriched by the addition of a
great many small gulls' eggs, which we had found on an island during the
day--which, saving one or two that showed evident symptoms of being far
advanced towards birdhood, were excellent.
On the following morning the scene was entirely changed. Dark and
lowering clouds flew across the sky, and the wind blew furiously, with a
melancholy moaning sound, through the trees. The lake, which the night
before had been so calm and tranquil, was now of a dark leaden hue, and
covered with foaming waves. However, we determined to proceed, and
launched our canoe accordingly; but soon finding the wind too strong for
us, we put ashore on a small island and breakfasted. As the weather
moderated after breakfast, we made another attempt to advance. Numerous
islets studded the lake, and on one of them we landed to collect gulls'
eggs. Of these we found enough; but among them were a number of little
yellow gulls, chattering vociferously, and in terrible consternation at
our approach, while the old ones kept uttering the most plaintive cries
overhead. The eggs were very small, being those of a small species of
gull which frequents those inland lakes in great numbers. The wind
again began to rise; and after a little consultation on the subject we
landed, intending to spend the remainder of the day on shore.
We now, for the first time since leaving York Factory, prepared dinner,
which we expected would be quite a sumptuous one, having collected a
good many eggs in the morning; so we set about it with alacrity. A fire
was quickly made, the tea-kettle on, and a huge pot containing upwards
of a hundred eggs placed upon the fire. These we intended to boil hard
and carry with us. Being very hungry, I watched the progress of dinner
with much interest, while the Indians smoked in silence. While sitting
thus, my attention was attracted by a loud whistling sound that greatly
perplexed me, as I could not discover whence it proceeded--I got up once
or twice to see what it could be, but found nothing, although it sounded
as if close beside me. At last one of the Indians rose, and, standing
close to the fire, bent in a very attentive attitude over the kettle;
and, after listening a little while, took up one of the eggs and broke
it, when out came a young gull with a monstrous head and no feathers,
squeaking and chirping in a most indefatigable manner! "So much for our
dinner!" thought I, as he threw the bird into the lake, and took out a
handful of eggs, which all proved to be much in the same condition. The
warmth of the water put life into the little birds, which, however, was
speedily destroyed when it began to boil. We did not despair,
nevertheless, of finding a few good ones amongst them; so, after they
were well cooked, we all sat round the kettle and commenced operations.
Some were good and others slightly spoiled, while many were intersected
with red veins, but the greater part contained boiled birds. The
Indians were not nice, however, and we managed to make a good dinner off
them after all.
In the afternoon the weather cleared up and the wind moderated, but we
had scarcely got under weigh again when a thunderstorm arose and obliged
us to put ashore; and there we remained for four hours sitting under a
tree, while the rain poured in torrents. In the evening Nature tired of
teasing us; and the sun shone brightly out as we once more resumed our
paddles. To make up for lost time, we travelled until about two o'clock
next morning, when we put ashore to rest a little; and, as the night was
fine, we just threw our blankets over our shoulders and tumbled down on
the first convenient spot we could find, without making a fire or taking
any supper. We had not lain long, however, when I felt a curious chilly
sensation all along my side, which effectually awakened me; and then I
saw, or rather heard, that a perfect deluge of rain was descending upon
our luckless heads, and that I had been reposing in the centre of a
large puddle. This state of things was desperate; and as the poor
Indians seemed to be as thoroughly uncomfortable as they possibly could
be, I proposed to start again--which we did, and before daylight were
many a mile from our wretched encampment. As the sun rose the weather
cleared up, and soon after we came to the end of Knee Lake and commenced
the ascent of Trout River. Here I made a sketch of the Trout Falls
while the men made a portage to avoid them. With a few Indians encamped
on this portage we exchanged a little pemmican for some excellent
white-fish, a great treat to us after living so long on pemmican and
tea. Our biscuit had run short a few days before, and the pound of
butter which we brought from York Factory had melted into oil from the
excessive heat, and vanished through the bottom of the canvas bag
containing it. Trout River, though short, has a pretty fair share of
falls and rapids, which we continued ascending all day. The scenery was
pleasing and romantic; but there was nothing of grandeur in it, the
country being low, flat, and, excepting on the banks of the river,
uninteresting. In the afternoon we came to the end of this short river,
and arrived at Oxford House. We landed in silence, and I walked slowly
up the hill, but not a soul appeared. At last, as I neared the house, I
caught a glimpse of a little boy's face at the window, who no sooner saw
me than his eyes opened to their widest extent, while his mouth followed
their example, and he disappeared with a precipitancy that convinced me
he was off to tell his mother the astounding news that somebody had
arrived. The next moment I was shaking hands with my old friend Mrs
Gordon and her two daughters, whom I found engaged in the interesting
occupation of preparing tea. From them I learned that they were
entirely alone, with only one man to take care of the post--Mr Gordon,
whom they expected back every day, having gone to Norway House.
I spent a delightful evening with this kind and hospitable family,
talking of our mutual friends, and discussing the affairs of the
country, till a tall box in a corner of the room attracted my attention.
This I discovered to my delight was no less than a barrel-organ, on
which one of the young ladies at my request played a few tunes. Now,
barrel-organs, be it known, were things that I had detested from my
infancy upwards; but this dislike arose principally from my having been
brought up in the dear town o' Auld Reekie, where barrel-organ music is,
as it were, crammed down one's throat without permission being asked or
received, and even, indeed, where it is decidedly objected to.
Everybody said, too, that barrel-organs were a nuisance, and of course I
believed them; so that I left my home with a decided dislike to
barrel-organs in general. Four years' residence, however, in the bush
had rendered me much less fastidious in music, as well as in many other
things; and during the two last years spent at York Factory, not a
solitary note of melody had soothed my longing ear, so that it was with
a species of rapture that I now ground away at the handle of this organ,
which happened to be a very good one, and played in perfect tune. "God
Save the Queen," "Rule Britannia," "Lord McDonald's Reel," and the "Blue
Bells of Scotland" were played over and over again; and, old and
threadbare though they be, to me they were replete with endearing
associations, and sounded like the well-known voices of long, long
absent friends. I spent indeed a delightful evening; and its pleasures
were the more enhanced from the circumstance of its being the first,
after a banishment of two years, which I had spent in the society of the
fair sex.
Next morning was fine, though the wind blew pretty fresh, and we started
before breakfast, having taken leave of the family the night before.
This was the 1st of July. We had been eight days on the route, which is
rather a long time for a canoe to take to reach Oxford House; but as
most of the portages were now over, we calculated upon arriving at
Norway House in two or three days.
In the afternoon the wind blew again, and obliged us to encamp on a
small island, where we remained all day. While there, a couple of
Indians visited us, and gave us an immense trout in exchange for some
pemmican. This trout I neglected to measure, but I am convinced it was
more than three feet long and half a foot broad: it was very good, and
we made a capital dinner off it. During the day, as it was very warm, I
had a delightful swim in the lake, on the lee of the island.
The wind moderated a little in the evening, and we again embarked,
making up for lost time by travelling till midnight, when we put ashore
and went to sleep without making a fire or taking any supper. About
four o'clock we started again, and in a couple of hours came to the end
of Oxford Lake, after which we travelled through a number of small
swamps or reedy lakes, and stagnant rivers, among which I got so
bewildered that I gave up the attempt to chronicle their names as
hopeless; and indeed it was scarcely worth while, as they were so small
and overgrown with bulrushes that they were no more worthy of a name in
such a place as America than a _dub_ would be in Scotland. The weather
was delightfully cool, and mosquitoes not troublesome, so that we
proceeded with pleasure and rapidity.
While thus threading our way through narrow channels and passages, upon
turning a point we met three light canoes just on the point of putting
ashore for breakfast, so I told my Indians to run ashore near them. As
we approached, I saw that there were five gentlemen assembled, with whom
I was acquainted, so that I was rather anxious to get ashore; but, alas!
fortune had determined to play me a scurvy trick, for no sooner had my
foot touched the slippery stone on which I intended to land, than down I
came squash on my breast in a most humiliating manner, while my legs
kept playfully waving about in the cooling element. This unfortunate
accident, I saw, occasioned a strange elongation in the lateral
dimensions of the mouths of the party on shore, who stood in silence
admiring the scene. I knew, however, that to appear annoyed would only
make matters worse; so, with a desperate effort to appear at ease, I
rose, and while shaking hands with them, expressed my belief that there
was nothing so conducive to health as a cold bath in the morning. After
a laugh at my expense, we sat down to breakfast. One of the gentlemen
gave me a letter from the Governor, and I now learned, for the first
time, that I was to take a passage in one of the light canoes for
Montreal. Here, then, was a termination to my imaginary rambles on the
Rocky Mountains, or on the undulating prairies of the Saskatchewan; and
instead of massacring buffalo and deer in the bush, I was in a short
time to endeavour to render myself a respectable member of civilised
society. I was delighted with the idea of the change, however, and it
was with a firmer step and lighter heart that I took my leave and once
more stepped into the canoe.
After passing through a succession of swamps and narrow channels, we
arrived at Robinson's Portage, where we found _voyageurs_ running about
in all directions, some with goods on their backs, and others returning
light to the other end of the portage. We found that they belonged to
the Oxford House boats, which had just arrived at the other end of the
portage, where they intended to encamp, as it was now late. Robinson's
Portage is the longest on the route, being nearly a mile in length; and
as all the brigades going to York Factory must pass over it twice--in
going and returning--the track is beaten into a good broad road, and
pretty firm, although it is rather uneven, and during heavy rains
somewhat muddy. Over this all the boats are dragged, and launched at
the upper or lower end of the portage, as the brigades may happen to be
ascending or descending the stream. Then all the cargoes are in like
manner carried over. Packs of furs and bales of goods are generally
from 80 to 100 pounds weight each; and every man who does not wish to be
considered a lazy fellow, or to be ridiculed by his companions, carries
two of these _pieces_, as they are called, across all portages. The
boats are capable of containing from seventy to ninety of these pieces,
so that it will be easily conceived that a _voyageur's_ life is anything
but an easy one; indeed, it is one of constant and harassing toil, even
were the trouble of ascending rapid rivers, where he is often obliged to
jump into the water at a moment's notice, to lighten the boat in
shallows, left entirely out of the question. This portage is made to
avoid what are called the White Falls--a succession of cataracts up
which nothing but a fish could possibly ascend. After carrying over our
canoe and luggage, we encamped at the upper end. The river we commenced
ascending next morning was pretty broad, and after a short paddle in it
we entered the Echimamis. This is a sluggish serpentine stream, about
five or six yards broad, though in some places so narrow that boats
scrape the banks on either side. What little current there is runs in a
contrary direction to the rivers we had been ascending. Mosquitoes
again attacked us as we glided down its gloomy current, and nothing but
swamps, filled with immense bulrushes, were visible around. Here, in
days of yore, the beaver had a flourishing colony, and numbers of their
dams and cuttings were yet visible; but they have long since deserted
this much-frequented waste, and one of their principal dams now serves
to heighten the water, which is not deep, for the passage of brigades in
dry seasons. At night, when we encamped on its low, damp banks, we were
attacked by myriads of mosquitoes, so that we could only sleep by making
several fires round us, the smoke from which partially protected us.
About three o'clock in the morning, which was very warm, we re-embarked,
and at noon arrived at the Sea Portage (why so called I know not, as it
is hundreds of miles inland), which is the last on the route. This
portage is very short, and is made to surmount a pretty large waterfall.
Almost immediately afterwards we entered Playgreen Lake, and put ashore
on a small island, to alter our attire before arriving at Norway House.
Here, with the woods for our closet, and the clear lake for our basin as
well as looking-glass, we proceeded to scrub our sunburnt faces; and in
half an hour, having made ourselves as respectable as circumstances
would permit, we paddled swiftly over the lake. It is pretty long, and
it was not until evening that I caught the first glimpse of the bright
spire of the Wesleyan Church at Rossville.
We now approached the termination of our journey, for the time at least;
and it was with pleasing recollections that I recognised the well-known
rocks where I had so often wandered three years before. When we came in
sight of the fort, it was in a state of bustle and excitement as usual,
and I could perceive from the vigorous shaking of hands going forward,
from the number of _voyageurs_ collected on the landing-place, and of
boats assembled at the wharf, that there had just been an arrival. Our
poor little canoe was not taken any notice of as it neared the wharf,
until some of the people on shore observed that there was some one in
the middle of it sitting in a very lazy, indolent position, which is
quite uncommon among Indians. In another minute we gained the bank, and
I grasped the hand of my kind friend and former chief, Mr Russ.
We had now been travelling twelve days, and had passed over upwards of
thirty portages during the voyage.
We ought to have performed this voyage in a much shorter time, as canoes
proceed faster than boats, which seldom take longer to complete this
voyage than we did; but this arose from our detention during high winds
in several of the lakes.