After
Passing The Mouth Of The Fairy Lake River* The Rapids Ceased.
The main
stream was then about three hundred yards wide and generally deep, though
in one part the channel was interrupted by several sandy banks and low
alluvial islands covered with willows.
It flows between banks of sand
thinly wooded and as we advanced the barren hills approached the water's
edge.
(*Footnote. This is an Indian name. The Northern Indian fairies are six
inches high, lead a life similar to the Indians, and are excellent
hunters. Those who have had the good fortune to fall in with their tiny
encampments have been kindly treated and regaled on venison. We did not
learn with certainty whether the existence of these delightful creatures
is known from Indian tradition or whether the Indians own their knowledge
of them to their intercourse with the traders, but think the former
probable.)
At ten we rejoined our hunters who had killed a deer and halted to
breakfast. We sent them forward; one of them who was walking along the
shore afterwards fired upon two brown bears and wounded one of them,
which instantly turned and pursued him. His companions in the canoes put
ashore to his assistance but did not succeed in killing the bears, which
fled upon the reinforcement coming up. During the delay thus occasioned
we overtook them and they continued with us the rest of the day.
We encamped at the foot of a lofty range of mountains which appear to be
from twelve to fifteen hundred feet high; they are in general
round-backed but the outline is not even, being interrupted by craggy
conical eminences. This is the first ridge of hills we have seen in this
country that deserves the appellation of a mountain range; it is probably
a continuation of the Stony Mountains crossed by Hearne. Many plants
appeared in full flower near the tents and Dr. Richardson gathered some
high up on the hills. The distance we made today was fifty miles.
There was a hoar frost in the night and the temperature at four next
morning was 40 degrees: embarking at that hour we glided quickly down the
stream and by seven arrived at the Hook's encampment which was placed on
the summit of a lofty sand cliff whose base was washed by the river. This
chief had with him only three hunters and a few old men and their
families, the rest of the band having remained at their snares in Bear
Lake. His brother Long-legs and our guide Keskarrah, who had joined him
three days before, had communicated to him our want of provision, and we
were happy to find that, departing from the general practice of Indian
chiefs, he entered at once upon the business without making a long
speech. As an introductory mark of our regard I decorated him with a
medal similar to those which had been given to the other leaders. The
Hook began by stating that he was aware of our being destitute of
provision, and of the great need we had of an ample stock to enable us to
execute our undertaking, and his regret that the unusual scarcity of
animals this season, together with the circumstance of his having only
just received a supply of ammunition from Fort Providence, had prevented
him from collecting the quantity of meat he had wished to do for our use.
"The amount indeed," he said, "is very small, but I will cheerfully give
you what I have: we are too much indebted to the white people to allow
them to want food on our lands whilst we have any to give them. Our
families can live on fish until we can procure more meat, but the season
is too short to allow of your delaying to gain subsistence in that
manner." He immediately desired aloud that the women should bring all the
meat they had to us; and we soon collected sufficient to make three bags
and a half of pemmican, besides some dried meat and tongues. We were
truly delighted by this prompt and cheerful behaviour and would gladly
have rewarded the kindness of himself and his companions by some
substantial present, but we were limited by the scantiness of our store
to a small donation of fifteen charges of ammunition to each of the
chiefs. In return for the provision they accepted notes on the North-West
Company to be paid at Fort Providence, and to these was subjoined an
order for a few articles of clothing as an additional present. I then
endeavoured to prevail upon the Hook to remain in this vicinity with his
hunters until the autumn, and to make deposits of provision in different
parts of the course to the sea as a resource for our party, in the event
of our being compelled to return by this route. He required time however
to consider this matter, and promised to give me an answer next day. I
was rejoiced to find him then prepared to meet my wish and the following
plan was agreed upon: As the animals abound at all times on the borders
of Bear Lake he promised to remain on the east side of it until the month
of November, at that spot which is nearest to the Copper-Mine River, from
whence there is a communication by a chain of lakes and portages. There
the principal deposit of provision was to be made, but during the summer
the hunters were to be employed in putting up supplies of dried meat at
convenient distances, not only along the communication from this river,
but also upon its banks as far down as the Copper Mountain. They were
also to place particular marks to guide our course to their lodges. We
contracted to pay them liberally, whether we returned by this way or not;
if we did they were to accompany us to Fort Providence to receive the
reward, and at any rate I promised to send the necessary documents by Mr.
Wentzel from the sea-coast to ensure them an ample remuneration.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 117 of 172
Words from 118793 to 119813
of 176017
