By the 21st the elevated grounds
were perfectly dry and teeming with the fragrant offspring of the season.
When the snow melted the earth was covered with the fallen leaves of the
last year, and already it was green with the strawberry plant and the
bursting buds of the gooseberry, raspberry, and rose bushes, soon
variegated by the rose and the blossoms of the choke-cherry. The gifts of
nature are disregarded and undervalued till they are withdrawn and in the
hideous regions of the Arctic Zone she would make a convert of him for
whom the gardens of Europe had no charms or the mild beauties of a
southern climate had bloomed in vain.
Mr. Williams found a delightful occupation in his agricultural pursuits.
The horses were brought to the plough and fields of wheat, barley, and
Indian corn promised to reward his labours. His dairy furnished us with
all the luxuries of an English farm.
On the 25th the ice departed from Pine Island Lake. We were however
informed that Beaver Lake, which was likewise in our route, would not
afford a passage before the 4th of June. According to directions left by
Mr. Franklin applications were made to the chiefs of the Hudson's Bay and
North-West Companies' posts for two canoes with their crews and a supply
of stores for the use of the Expedition. They were not in a condition to
comply with this request till the arrival of their respective returns
from Isle a la Crosse and the Saskatchewan departments. Of the six men
whom we brought from England the most serviceable, John Hepburn, had
accompanied Mr. Franklin, and only one other desired to prosecute the
journey with us. Mr. Franklin had made arrangements with Mr. Williams for
the employment of the remaining five men in bringing to Cumberland House
the ammunition, tobacco, etc., left at York Fort, which stores were if
possible to be sent after us in the summer. On the 30th Dr. Richardson
returned from Carlton House, and on the 31st the boats arrived belonging
to the Hudson's Bay Company's Saskatchewan department. We obtained a
canoe and two more volunteers. On the 1st of June the Saskatchewan,
swelled by the melting of the snow near the Rocky Mountains, rose twelve
feet and the current of the little rivers bounding Pine Island ran back
into the lake, which it filled with mud.
On the 5th the North-West Company's people arrived and Mr. Connolly
furnished us with a canoe and five Canadians. They were engaged to attend
us till Mr. Franklin should think fit to discharge them and bound under
the usual penalties in case of disobedience or other improper conduct.
These poor people entertained such dread of a ship of war that they
stipulated not to be embarked in Lieutenant Parry's vessels if we should
find them on the coast, a condition with which they would gladly have
dispensed had that desirable event taken place. As we required a Canadian
foreman and steersman for the other canoe we were compelled to wait for
the appearance of the Isle a la Crosse canoes under Mr. Clark.
On the 8th Mr. Williams embarked for York Fort. He gave us a circular
letter addressed to the chiefs of the Hudson's Bay Company's posts
directing them to afford us all possible assistance on our route, and he
promised to exert every endeavour to forward the Esquimaux interpreter,
upon whom the success of our journey so much depended. He was accompanied
by eight boats. With him we sent our collections of plants, minerals,
charts, and drawings to be transmitted to England by the Hudson's Bay
ships. After this period our detention, though short, cost us more
vexation than the whole time we had passed at Cumberland House because
every hour of the short summer was invaluable to us. On the 11th Mr.
Clark arrived and completed our crews. He brought letters from Mr.
Franklin dated March 28th at Fort Chipewyan where he was engaged
procuring hunters and interpreters. A heavy storm of wind and rain from
the north-east again delayed us till the morning of the 13th. The account
we had received at York Factory of the numerous stores at Cumberland
House proved to be very erroneous. The most material stores we received
did not amount in addition to our own to more than two barrels of powder,
a keg of spirits, and two pieces of tobacco, with pemmican for sixteen
days.
The crew of Dr. Richardson's canoe consisted of three Englishmen and
three Canadians and the other carried five Canadians; both were deeply
laden and the waves ran high on the lake. No person in our party being
well acquainted with the rivers to the northward, Mr. Connolly gave us a
pilot on condition that we should exchange him when we met with the
Athabasca brigade of canoes. At four A.M. we embarked.
We soon found that birchen-bark canoes were not calculated to brave rough
weather on a large lake, for we were compelled to land on the opposite
border to free them from the water which had already saturated their
cargoes. The wind became more moderate and we were enabled, after
traversing a chain of smaller lakes, to enter the mouth of the Sturgeon
River at sunset, where we encamped.
The lading of the canoes is always if possible carried on shore at night
and the canoes taken out of the water. The following evening we reached
Beaver Lake and landed to repair some damages sustained by the canoes. A
round stone will displace the lading of a canoe without doing any injury
but a slight blow against a sharp corner penetrates the bark. For the
purpose of repairing it, a small quantity of gum or pitch, bark and pine
roots are embarked, and the business is so expeditiously performed that
the speed of the canoe amply compensates for every delay.
