From Athabaska Landing to Great Rapids : The _Midnight Sun_ and
its Voyage.
At Athabaska Landing we found the H.B.C Steamer, _Midnight Sun_ loading
with supplies, all going to the Northern posts. She also towed six
small scows, each carrying from eight to ten tons. These scows are
built from spruce lumber cut at a small saw mill here. They each cost
about one hundred dollars and are seldom brought back up stream, but
are broken up when unloaded and the lumber used for building purposes.
On the afternoon of June 8, we let loose from the shore, and assisted
by the swift current, were soon moving down stream at a speed of about
twelve miles an hour. The cargo of the _Midnight Sun_ as well as that
of the scows, contained almost every article found in a general country
store, flour, bacon, tea, sugar, canned goods, guns, powder, shot,
cartridges, blankets, kettles, axes, clothing, in fact everything that
goes to make life even endurable in those isolated regions. The whole
population of the village was on the bank and waved us _bon voyage_.
The steamer was a flat-bottomed craft, 120 ft. long by 20 ft. beam, and
propelled by a stern wheel, and drew when loaded about 2 ft. 6 ins. of
water.
Once on our way we soon began to look around and make acquaintance
with our fellow passengers. Among others were Chief Trader Anderson,
the Superintendent of the Mackenzie River District for the H.B.C., Mr.
Stefansson, a scientist on his first voyage to the Arctic, and from
whom it is probable the public will have an interesting account when
he returns again from his study of Esquimaux life; four young men, on
their way to Fort McMurray to bore for oil; a Miss Wilgriss, returning
to resume her work at the Anglican Mission at Hay River on the West
shore of Great Slave Lake; Rev. Mr. Winch, a young missionary, _en
route_ to Fort Norman to take charge of the Anglican Mission there; a
tall gaunt white man, reminding one of Abe Lincoln in his early days,
and about half a dozen half breeds, some of them on their way to
different points along the river and others going to their homes in
regions beyond, while of the crew, the captain, engineer and cooks were
white men, the rest half breeds.
We had left “The Landing” at 1.30 P.M. and at seven in the evening tied
up for the night at Calling River about fifty miles from our starting
point, having passed the mouth of Lac La Biche River an hour before.
A half breed, named Piche Prudens, had made a clearing here, where we
found wheat and vegetables growing. He claimed that he raised as good
wheat there as can be grown anywhere on the prairie. We found also in
abundance the pest of all this north land--the mosquito.
The country all the way is forest, though its great enemy, fire has
done its work and left its scars to disfigure the landscape. The timber
consists of spruce, aspen and balsam--poplar, birch, tamarac and
willow. The best spruce lines the river and its tributary streams. Some
of it being large enough for lumber. The soil in many places is sandy
though probably a fair percentage will be found capable of producing
crops. There is very little showing of rock on the surface. The average
width of the river between “The Landing” and Pelican Rapids, which we
reached the second day at 4 P.M., is about sixty rods and of sufficient
depth so far as to afford fair navigation to such a craft as ours.
We tied up for the second night at the upper end of Pelican Rapids,
120 miles below Athabaska Landing. With these rapids we met the first
obstruction to free navigation. It will be seen that this was the
beginning of many annoying delays caused by lack of sufficient water in
the numerous rapids met with all the way to Fort McMurray.
[Illustration:
_Copyright Ernest Brown_
GRAND RAPIDS ON ATHABASKA RIVER]
Within a short distance from our mooring place was observed a gas well,
sunk by the Dominion Government, from which issued a flame of fire some
fifteen feet in height. A few years ago the Dominion Government sank
several wells in the hope of finding oil on reaching the tar sands,
which will be referred to later on. In this case, after reaching a
depth of 837 ft., 87 ft. being through these tar sands, gas was struck
of such strength as to prevent further drilling. The Government also
put down a hole at Victoria, Alberta, hoping also to strike oil on
reaching the tar sands at a calculated depth of 2100 ft. At 1840 ft.
the casing became wedged and the work was stopped. Another attempt was
made at Athabaska Landing with a similar result at 1770 ft. and within
30 ft. of the calculated depth of the tar sands.
On Monday, June 11, we made a start down these rapids, but what with
the strong current running rapidly over a boulder bottom, the speed of
our boat being accelerated by a strong wind blowing down stream we soon
feared for her safety and were rather pleased than otherwise when our
pilot after an exciting experience of about an hour, ordered another
halt, and we found ourselves again tied up to a tree on the bank.
Early the next morning, the wind having abated, we started again, but
in less than an hour were again tied up. A stone had been stove through
the planking of the bottom. After repairing the damage we made another
attempt and reached House River Rapid. We were now beginning to
realise the fact that the Athabaska in this part of its course scarcely
deserves to be called a navigable stream, except, perhaps when it is
swollen by the sudden melting of the snows in the mountains at its
source.
For the next four days we waited longingly for the spring flood to
overtake us, and finally succeeded on June 16 in reaching a point about
four miles above Grand Rapids. Here again we spent four more weary
waiting days, while the men were busy transferring cargo from the
steamer to scows, taking it down to the head of Grand Rapids, where it
was conveyed across an island in the rapids on a tram car pushed by the
men. The descent in these rapids is about fifty feet, and the length of
them one mile.
On the morning of the 20th the steamer, now considerably lightened,
made a last attempt and came down three miles further to the head of
the Rapids. This ended our voyage on the _Midnight Sun_.
[Illustration: LUNCH TIME ON THE ATHABASKA RIVER]