Our party dined with Mr. Connolly and were treated with a
beaver which we found extremely delicate. In the evening his voyagers
were entertained with a dance in which the Canadians exhibited some grace
and much agility; and they contrived to infuse some portion of their
activity and spirits into the steps of their female companions. The
half-breed women are passionately fond of this amusement but a stranger
would imagine the contrary on witnessing their apparent want of
animation. On such occasions they affect a sobriety of demeanour which I
understand to be very opposite to their general character.
January 10.
This day I wrote to Governor Williams and Mr. Connolly requesting them to
prepare two canoes with crews and appointments for the conveyance of Dr.
Richardson and Mr. Hood, with our stores, to Chipewyan as soon as the
navigation should open, and had the satisfaction of receiving from both
these gentlemen renewed assurances of their desire to promote the objects
of the Expedition. I conceived it to be necessary, previous to my
departure, to make some arrangement respecting the men who were engaged
at Stromness. Only one of them was disposed to extend his engagement and
proceed beyond the Athabasca Lake and, as there was much uncertainty
whether the remaining three could get from the Athabasca to York Factory
sufficiently early to secure them a passage in the next Hudson's Bay
ship, I resolved not to take them forward unless Dr. Richardson and Mr.
Hood should fail in procuring other men from these establishments next
spring, but to despatch them down to York to bring up our stores to this
place: after which they might return to the coast in time to secure their
passage in the first ship.
I delivered to Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood a memorandum containing the
arrangements which had been made with the two Companies respecting their
being forwarded in the spring, and some other points of instruction for
their guidance in my absence together with directions to forward the map
of our route which had been finished, since our arrival, by Mr. Hood, the
drawing and the collections of natural history by the first opportunity
to York Factory for conveyance to England.*
(*Footnote. As Samuel Wilks, who had accompanied the Expedition from
England, proved to be quite unequal to the fatigue of the journey I
directed him to be discharged in the spring and sent to England by the
next ship.)
The houses of the two Companies at this post are situated close to each
other at the upper extremity of a narrow island which separates Pine
Island Lake from the Saskatchewan River, and are about two miles and
three-quarters from the latter in a northern direction. They are
log-houses, built without much regard to comfort, surrounded by lofty
stockades and flanked with wooden bastions. The difficulty of conveying
glass into the interior has precluded its use in the windows where its
place is poorly supplied by parchment, imperfectly made by the native
women from the skin of the reindeer. Should this post however continue to
be the residence of Governor Williams it will be much improved in a few
years, as he is devoting his attention to that point. The land around
Cumberland House is low but the soil, from having a considerable
intermixture of limestone, is good and capable of producing abundance of
corn and vegetables of every description. Many kinds of pot-herbs have
already been brought to some perfection and the potatoes bid fair to
equal those of England. The spontaneous productions of nature would
afford ample nourishment for all the European animals. Horses feed
extremely well even during the winter and so would oxen if provided with
hay which might be easily done.* Pigs also improve but require to be kept
warm in the winter. Hence it appears that the residents might easily
render themselves far less dependent on the Indians for support and be
relieved from the great anxiety which they too often suffer when the
hunters are unsuccessful. The neighbourhood of the houses has been much
cleared of wood from the great demand for fuel; there is therefore little
to admire in the surrounding scenery, especially in its winter garb; few
animated objects occur to enliven the scene; an occasional fox, marten,
rabbit or wolf and a few birds contribute the only variety. The birds
which remained were ravens, magpies, partridges, crossbills and
woodpeckers. In this universal stillness the residents at a post feel
little disposed to wander abroad except when called forth by their
occupations; and as ours were of a kind best performed in a warm room we
imperceptibly acquired a sedentary habit. In going out however we never
suffered the slightest inconvenience from the change of temperature
though the thermometer in the open air stood occasionally thirty degrees
below zero.
(*Footnote. The wild buffalo scrapes away the snow with its feet to get
at the herbage beneath, and the horse, which was introduced by the
Spanish invaders of Mexico and may be said to have become naturalised,
does the same; but it is worthy of remark that the ox more lately brought
from Europe has not yet acquired an art so necessary for procuring its
food. Extract from Dr. Richardson's Journal.)
The tribe of Indians who reside in the vicinity and frequent these
establishments is that of the Crees, or Knisteneaux. They were formerly a
powerful and numerous nation which ranged over a very extensive country
and were very successful in their predatory excursions against their
neighbours, particularly the northern Indians and some tribes on the
Saskatchewan and Beaver Rivers; but they have long ceased to be held in
any fear and are now perhaps the most harmless and inoffensive of the
whole Indian race. This change is entirely to be attributed to their
intercourse with Europeans; and the vast reduction in their numbers
occasioned, I fear, principally by the injudicious introduction of ardent
spirits.
