A Woman's Way Through Unknown Labrador An Account Of The Exploration Of The Nascaupee And George Rivers By Mrs. Leonidas Hubbard, Junior
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It Is Not Generally Borne In Mind By Those Who Have Been Interested
In Mr. Hubbard And His Last Venture, That He Did Not Plan His
Outfit For The Trip Which They Made.
The failure to find the open
waterway to Lake Michikamau, which has already been discussed, made
the journey almost one long portage to the great lake.
But even
so, if the season of unprecedented severity in which my husband
made his journey, could have been exchanged for the more normal one
in which I made mine, he would still have returned safe and
triumphant, when there would have been only praises for his
courage, fortitude and skill in overcoming the difficulties which
lie across the way of those who would search out the hidden and
untrod ways.
Nevertheless rising far above either praise or blame stands the
beauty of that message which came out from the lonely tent in the
wilderness. In utter physical weakness, utter loneliness, in the
face of defeat and death, my husband wrote that last record of his
life, so triumphantly characteristic, which turned his defeat to a
victory immeasurably higher and more beautiful than the success of
his exploring venture could ever have been accounted, and thus was
compassed the higher purpose of his life.
For that it had been given to me to fulfill one of those lesser
purposes by which he planned to build up a whole, that would give
him the right to stand among those who had done great things
worthily, I was deeply grateful. The work was but imperfectly
done, yet I did what I could.
The hills were white with snow when the ship came to Ungava. She
had run on a reef in leaving Cartwright, her first port of call on
the Labrador coast; her keel was ripped out from stem to stern, and
for a month she had lain in dry dock for repairs at St. John's,
Newfoundland. It was October 22nd when I said good-bye to my kind
friends at the post and in ten days the _Pelican_ landed us safe at
Rigolette. Here I had the good fortune to be picked up by a
steamer bound for Quebec; but the wintry weather was upon us and
the voyage dragged itself out to three times its natural length, so
that it was the evening of November 20th, just as the sun sank
behind the city, that the little steamer was docked at Quebec, and
I stepped from her decks to set foot once again in "God's country."
DIARY OF LEONIDAS HUBBARD, JR.
KEPT DURING HIS EXPEDITION INTO LABRADOR
Tuesday, July 7th - Last night moonlight and starry and fine. This
morning the shore of Labrador spread out before us in the sunshine.
It calls ever so hard, and I am hungry to tackle it. Landed this
A.M. at Indian Harbour. George and I went ashore in the canoe;
Wallace in ship's boat. Lot of fishermen greeted us. Find all men
and women on the coast are Newfoundland men, and "Liveyeres" (Live-
heres). The former come up to fish in summer and are the
aristocrats. The latter are the under-crust. Could not get any
one to take us to Rigolette. Spent the afternoon getting outfit
together - assorting and packing - weighing it and trying it in the
canoe, while line of Newfoundland salts looked on, commented, and
asked good-natured questions. Canoe 18 feet, guide's special,
Oldtown, canvas. Weight about 80. Tent - miner's tent, pole in
front, balloon silk, weight 6 lbs., dimensions 6 1/2 x 7. Three
pairs 3-lb. blankets; two tarpaulins about 6 x 7; three pack
straps; two 9-inch duck waterproof bags, hold 40 lbs. each; three
12-inch bags; 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 kodak; 30 rolls films, one dozen
exposures each, in tin cases with electrician's tape water-
proofing; one dozen small waterproof bags of balloon silk, for
sugar, chocolate, note-books and sundries. Wallace and I each have
one extra light weight 45-70 rifle, smokeless powder. Also one
pistol each, diamond model, 10-inch barrel, for partridges. For
grub we have four 45-lb. sacks of flour; 30 lbs. bacon; 20 lbs.
lard; 30 lbs. sugar; 14 lbs. salt; 3 or 4 lbs. dried apples from
home; 10 lbs. rice; 20 lbs. erbswurst; 10 lbs. pea flour in tins;
10 lbs. tea; 5 lbs. coffee; 6 chocolate; 10 hardtack; 10 lbs. dried
milk. Put all in canoe, got in ourselves, and found we could carry
it 0.K.
Wednesday, July 8th. - Took observation at noon. Lat. 54 degrees 28
minutes. Steve Newell, a liveyere from Winter's Cove, offered to
take us to Rigolette for fifteen dollars. "Would I give him $1 to
get a bit of grub for his family?" Got flour and molasses.
Started in the _Mayflower_, a leaky little craft, about 5 P.M. No
wind to speak of. Cold drizzle and fog. About 11 we landed at
Winter's Cove. Nasty place to land among the rocks on a desolate
point. From a shanty on the beach came a yelling and hallooing
from several voices to know who we were and what we were doing.
Went into cabin, two rooms - one frame and the other sod. Room
about 12 x 14 - desolate. Two women like furies - ragged, haggard,
brown, hair streaming. One had baby in her arms; two small girls
and a boy. One of women Steve's mother. Dirty place, but better
than the chilling fog. Glad to get in. Fire started. Stove
smoked till room was full. Little old lamp, no chimney. We made
coffee and gave coffee and hard-tack to all. Women went into other
room with children. We spread tarpaulin and blankets, and lay on
floor; so did Steve. Women talked loudly.
Thursday, July 9th. - Started at 5 A.M., launching boat after Steve
had said, "Don't know as we can launch 'er, sir." Fog. Offered
Steve chart and compass. "Ain't got no learnin', sir.
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