- Mr. Fraser sent off two men to go and tell
Jerry and his brother that we are at Rigolette.
Monday, April 25th. - Early this morning Jerry and brother came with
team of dogs each, but they wouldn't go less than thirty dollars
each for two days' run. Mr. Fraser told them they were charging
too much and wouldn't have them, but got some other men for us.
Left Rigolette in the afternoon. Crossed over river in a boat.
Came to William Mugford's, 3 miles from Rigolette.
Tuesday, April 26th. - Snowing. Started at 6 A.M. Wind in our
faces before noon and the new snow made heavy going. I have Mr.
Hubbard's body on my sledge, and also some dunnage, and have four
dogs. George Pottle my teamster. Wallace has George Williams for
his teamster and six dogs. After noon the wind shifted to the
northwest and the wind blew the snow off the crust, and fine going.
A few ridges of hills we came over but not bad. Came 40 miles to-
day. Came to Sam Pottle's house at West Bay at 6.30 P.M.
Wednesday, April 27th. - Started from West Bay 7 A.M. Got to
Cartwright 4.30 P.M., 46 miles. Sam Pottle and George Williams our
teamsters. Drifting and cold all day.
Thursday, April 28th. - Staying here at the post. Mr. Swaffield,
agent here of the Hudson's Bay post, getting us another team. Only
enough dogs for one team here. Mr. Swaffield has sent for Charles
Davies to be ready for starting off in the morning.
Friday, April 29th. - This morning Mr. Davies took sick and was very
bad. So Mr. Swaffield had to get us another man in his place,
Walter Bird. Started 7 A.M. Got to Sandy Hill 2.30 P.M., and got
so soft we could not travel, especially through the portages.
Travelling mostly on ice. Came 30 miles.
Saturday, April 30th. - This morning we started from Sandy Hill 4
A.M., and got to Spotted Islands 8.30 A.M., 25 miles. Our
teamsters don't know the route any farther. Mick Dison and Bill
Dison our teamsters from Spotted Islands. Starting off in the
afternoon 2.30 P.M., got to Seal Island 6 P.M., 20 miles.
Sunday, May 1st. - Very stormy and can't see any distance. Can't
make a start to-day. Staying in George Morris house.
Monday, May 2nd. - Still stormy. We started from Seal Island, 11
A.M. after it cleared up a bit, and got to Coopers Bite, or New
York, 7 P.M., 35 miles. Nobody living there. We came to some
shacks. No stoves in any of them and all the doors off. We
gathered some of the old broken stoves and made kind of a fireplace
in the middle of the house, and built a fire. We cut a hole in the
roof to let the smoke out.
Tuesday, May 3rd. - Started off this morning 4 A.M. It was yet
dark. Got to Williams Harbor 9 A.M., 30 miles. Came to Mr. John
Russel's house. Mr. Russel and his brother James Russel has been
just starting off into the bay, and will not be home till evening.
Mick and Bill Dison do not know the route an farther. - The Russels
home this evening, and will take us to Fox Harbor in the morning.
Wednesday, May 4th. - Started off from Williams Harbor early this
morning 6 A.M., and came to Mr. George Wakeham's at Fox Harbor
about 10 A.M., 25 miles. Cannot get across the bay and the people
tell us that we cannot go round by dog team, on account of a river
near Cape Charles. So we have to wait here till the ice moves out.
Only 6 miles from Battle Harbor. We stay here at Mr. Wakeham's.
The people all along on our trip has been good to us as they could.
We had only to go by Dr. Macpherson's letter, and at every place
they were always ready to help us, because when the Dr. has passed
he told them about us coming along the coast, and they were always
looking out for us. The people all along the coast has heard of my
finding the things on my trip in the bush. One would tell the
other, "This is the man we heard of, when he found everything he
dug for in the snow this winter."
Thursday, May 12th. - About noon a little boat came from Battle
Harbor to Fox Harbor. The Dr. had heard that we were at Fox
Harbor, and right away sent a little boat with five men to help us,
and telling us about a steamer at Cape Charles. She will be
starting for Newfoundland may be in the morning. Wallace and I
were more than glad, and started right away from Fox Harbor. We
were there eight days at Fox Harbor. We came through the floating
ice and went round to Cape Charles. Went aboard the steamer and
found out that the Captain was at Battle Harbor. So we came round
and got to Battle Harbor late in the evening.
Friday, May 13th. - Dr. Macpherson had Mr. Hubbard's body enclosed
in a lead coffin. In the afternoon we went aboard the steamer
_Aurora_, Capt. Kean, that had gone to Cape Charles with a load of
machinery for the new whale factory.
Saturday, May 14th. - In the evening, 7.30 P.M., and starting from
Cape Charles for St. John's, Newfoundland.
Tuesday, May 17th. - Arrived at St. John's, Newfoundland.
Friday, May 27th. - Arrived at New York City.
Saturday, May 28th. - Mr. Hubbard's body was buried to-day in Mount
Repose, in Haverstrawe.
