In Canada's wonderful northland; a story of eight months of travel by canoe, motorboat, and dog-team on the northern rivers and along the New Quebec coast of Hudson bay

Front matter

£?i)E«yGHT DEPOSIT.

His Royal Highness The Duke of Connaught, Governor-General of Canada

In Canada's Wonderful Northland

Introduction

XJEBEC, the oldest portion of Canada, is twice as large as any of the other provinces and comprises, with Ungava added, over seven hundred thousand square miles. Its enormous size can only be comprehended by comparison with that of other countries. It is equal to one fifth of the area of the United States, or six times that of the British Isles, and is larger than Great Britain, France, Spain, and Germany combined.

A thousand miles of its north-west boundary forms the east coast of that great inland sea, Hudson Bay, a body of salt water twenty times as large as Lake Superior, and abounding in fish, seals, and whales. It is boimded on the north by the Hudson Straits, on the east by a narrow strip of territory, Labrador, which is under the jurisdiction of the Government of Newfoundland, on the south by the St. Lawrence River and the United States border, and on the west by the Province of Ontario.

It is nearly four hundred years since Jacques Cartier landed on the shores of what is now called Quebec, and yet, despite its tremendous resources, vi INTRODUCTION

but a comparatively small portion of even the southern part of the Province is populated. There is no doubt that, when, in the future, these resources are developed, Quebec will support an immense population.

Until quite recently, exploration and development have advanced steadily westward, due principally to the advantages of the prairie land, which requires no clearing, and in a very short time may be made to yield a crop. As the young men of the Province have grown up and expansion has become necessary, they have gone westward to open up new country and make homes for their families. The expansion has now reached its westward limit, the Pacific, and the people have begun to realize their provinces have breadth as well as length.

The introduction of the National Transcontinental and other railways into the North is disclosing the fact that there are in the region agricultural lands, timber areas, mineral deposits, water powers, and fisheries that in some cases rival those of the South.

What the possibilities are beyond the National Transcontinental Railway is practically unknown. It is certain there are agricultural lands two hundred miles north of the Rupert River, where with the long, warm day, vegetation will be rapid; there is also an enormous quantity of pulp wood along the rivers flowing into James Bay; deposits

INTRODUCTION vii

of iron ore aggregating millions of tons have been discovered on the islands which border the Hudson Bay coast of the Province; and at other places copper, galena, silver, gold, and asbestos have been found, although no effort has been made to determine the extent and value of the deposits. Recent government investigations have shown that the fisheries in the Hudson Straits and Bay are of great value, the salmon being superior to that of British Columbia, and, situated so near the British markets, will doubtless soon be operated on a commercial basis. When Quebec has had ample time to investigate her new territory, she will find its dormant wealth astonishingly great.

The idea has long prevailed that the northern portions of Canada, Quebec included, are of little value, owing to their high latitude, but similar mistakes have been made in the past regarding the southern parts of Canada when they were being colonized. After the signing of the Treaty of Paris, by which France lost the major part of her Canadian colonies, Voltaire is quoted as saying :

We were foolish enough to establish ourselves on the snows of Canada, among the bears and the beavers. I have begged on my knees that we get rid of Canada.

We have lost in a day fifteen hundred leagues of territory. These fifteen hundred leagues, being a frozen desert, are not a very considerable loss.

viii INTRODUCTION

Another case of mistaken opinion as to the value of certain public lands is that of Canada's great silver camp, one of the richest in the world, which was originally pronounced of no commercial importance, after a cursory inspection by government engineers. Thus we see that without thorough investigation, no territory can be properly judged.

As in the past, Western Canada was not opened up until the entrance of the railways, so it will be with Northern Quebec, and we would say, "All honour to the men who undertake the task.'* What Lord Strathcona and his associates did for the West by the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, other men are endeavouring to do for the northern part of this Province.

When the Ottawa, Abitibi, and Hudson Bay Railway from Ottawa, the North Railway from Montreal, and other projected lines to James Bay, and the government railw^ay from the West to Port Nelson, are completed, many busy ports will undoubtedly develop on the northern shores of Quebec.

The Hudson Bay route is certain to become a great highway to the central and western portions of Canada, to the United States, and to the European markets, and it is highly probable that within the next few years the largest facilities in the world for the storage of grain will be found on the shores of the Hudson Bay^ where immense quantities of

INTRODUCTION ix

wheat must be held awaiting the opening of the season. The opening up of this route will eventually have no effect on any of the present transcontinental railways, for, within the next few years, the traffic from west to east will be so increased that there will be an abundance for all.

The future of this vast territory, New Quebec, must depend a great deal on those who are enterprising enough to penetrate its still unexplored areas and bring its hidden wealth to the attention of those who have the capital to develop it.

It is hoped that some of the readers of the following chapters may catch the spirit of conquest that actuated their ancestors in raising the American Continent to its position in the world today, and assist in opening up this great treasure house, the heritage of the Canadian people. [

PREFACE j|HIS is the narrative of a trip I made to the east coast of Hudson Bay, during the summer and auttmm of 19 12, accompanied by twenty men, including my assistant, Harold A. Calkins, B.Sc, and Horace F. Strong, B.Sc. (Min.). It was my second visit to this undeveloped portion of north-eastern Canada.

The story of the first expedition (1907), I related in the book entitled Glimpses of Northern Canada ^ a Land of Hidden Treasure, issued by the Canadian Government. This unassuming narrative found its way into every public library, both at home and in foreign lands, and the demand on the Government for copies was far in excess of the issue.

The fact that the first book proved interesting to so many has prompted me to tell the story of my later trip, which was made for the purpose of continuing the investigation of the natural resources of what was formerly known as the District of Ungava, now the Territory of New Quebec.

The preparations for the expedition were made with the greatest care. Equipment and provisions

xi xii PREFACE

were chosen with all the forethought that previous experience could suggest, a difficult proposition for operations in a country so remote from any source of supplies.

Difficulties were encountered over which we had no control, due principally to stormy weather, as the season was the roughest in the memory of the inhabitants. This was the more unfortunate because of the fact that the season of 1907 had been as notably good as that of 19 12 was bad, and the preparations had been made with the natural expectation of finding weather conditions similar to those obtaining during the former trip.

In consequence of the stormy season, the trip was lengthened from five to eight months, a circumstance which necessitated travelling on snowshoes, after the freezing of the rivers, from Moose Factory to Cochrane, Ontario, a distance of about two hundred miles.

In the chapters that follow, we have spoken much of rough weather conditions, a matter that affected our travelling almost every day of the journey. Because of that fact the reader may form erroneous ideas regarding the climate of this lately acquired portion of the Province. I would, therefore, ask him kindly to bear in mind that the season of 19 1 2, in the vicinity of Hudson Bay, was conceded to be the worst in fifty years; nevertheless, I do not think anything happened to us that

Preface

Xlll might not have occurred in the experiences of the early explorers of the fertile shores of the southern part of Quebec, which portion was at one time much farther removed from civilization than are at the present time our northern boundaries.

I cannot but acknowledge with gratitude the kindness of the officers of the Hudson's Bay Company and Revillon Fr^res, as well as others resident in the country. Their friendliness was a strong factor, in spite of the stormy season, in turning a tedious and worrisome trip into one of pleasure and replete with pleasant memories. We foimd bighearted men in these remote places filling positions of trust in a most creditable manner.

Mention must be made in particular of Messrs. R. O. Griffith and Blais, Post Managers at Fort George ; Mr. C. J. R. Jobson of the Eastmain Post, whose efforts to make us comfortable during a protracted stay at his Post were unremitting; Messrs. J. G. Mowatt and Hall6, of the Moose River Posts, and also Mr. Draulette, Inspector of the Posts on the Bay for Revillon Freres.

The man who denies that the world is growing better has never been brought into touch with the ''new civilization" of Fort George and Great Whale River. This is unique in itself, and may be attributed to the untiring efforts of the Rev. Mr. Walton and his wife, who for the past twenty years have ministered to the Indians and Eskimos of the Eastmain coast. Nowhere in Canada might

XIV

PREFACE one have a feeling of more absolute security than among these people whose honesty and sobriety are unimpeachable. Mr. Walton's hospitality to all comers of good intent is well known, and it was none the less manifest to us that year.

The pleasure and comfort of our stay in Moose Factory, while waiting for the ''freeze up," were due to the kindness and generosity of the Rev. Mr. Haythornthwaite and his wife, who placed their well-furnished home, with its cellar of vegetables, at our disposal, and whose thoughtful attention to our every need never relaxed.

Nor can it be said that all our pleasant recollections are of officials and people of note, for when we had said good-bye to all of these, and had come to the farther end of Moose Island, we found a number of our dusky friends waiting to bid us *' godspeed"; and later when rounding the end of the island beyond, which would shut off the view of the little place that had afforded us so many days of real comfort, we turned to say a last farewell to Moose Factory and the Bay, these kind-hearted people were still watching our onward progress.

I must take advantage of this opportunity to pay a slight tribute to the memory of the late Miss Mary A. Johnston, who received us so kindly at the Industrial School in Moose Factory on our outward journey, and who, we learned on our re-

PREFACE XV

turn, had been called to her home in Clarenceville, Quebec, owing to the serious illness of her mother. Miss Johnston's interest in the Indian had induced her to exchange the comforts of home life for one of self-sacrifice and service in teaching and nursing her dusky brothers and sisters, for which objects she faced the hardships of the outdoor life and the dangers of long canoe journeys with her Indian guides. It was with profound regret we learned that her useful life had been cut short while she was travelling in England last September.

I cannot close without acknowledging the services of my assistant, Harold A. Calkins, who never failed in the capable performance of any duty throughout the entire journey. I shall never forget his faithful night vigils on the boat during that long, stormy season, a duty that was really not his to perform. As a travelling companion he was always kind and cheerful, even in the midst of the most discouraging circumstances, and in discussions of important matters his opinions invariably proved valuable.

In writing up the account of the trip he and I have lived it all over again, and we have found that there are but few of the experiences on which we cannot look back with pleasure.

It is the desire of the writers that the record contained in the following pages may prove of interest and of value to those who follow us in the opening of that vast area. Newest Quebec, and xvi PREFACE

may assist in correcting many of ^Q existing misconceptions commonly held regarding that great country, whose resources may, when fully known, prove to be some of Canada's richest.

W. T. C.

December 38th, 1913.

Contents

PAGE

Introduction v

Preface . xi

CHAPTER II THe Start

OR weeks previous to the date of starting, most of the time was given to preparations which have already been described in detail and to getting private affairs into condition for our long absence. However, when it was decided on the eighteenth of May that we should precede the other members of the party, it seemed as if we could be ready for the event only by some miraculous intervention of Providence.

On Monday, the twentieth of May, our berths were secured on the Imperial Limited, the transcontinental express of the Canadian Pacific Railway, which left Montreal about ten o'clock at night.

That evening was a busy one. Unable to leave our office before seven o'clock, we still had to partake of dinner, see many friends who had come to bid us farewell, and worst of all, the two boxes containing our instruments had to be repacked. How we accomplished everything in the next two hours has been a puzzle to us ever

lO

THE START ii since, but with the assistance of kind friends, byhalf past nine, all our baggage was on two cabs at the door. Our farewells said, we drove hastily to the station, arriving there barely in time to have the numerous parcels of baggage weighed and checked, and to say the last adieux.

At last, we were off! What a feeling of relief came over us as we dropped into our seats, realizing that the months of preparation were over, and that the trip was no longer a thing of the future! However perfect or imperfect our arrangements were, we had done our best, and our troubles, as we imagined, lay behind us.

On the next afternoon at half past five, we arrived in Chapleau, and stepping from the train, found six guides, headed by Isaiah, our former chief guide, awaiting us, as we had instructed them by telegraph. Isaiah introduced his men, a husky looking crowd, by saying ''all good boys," at the same time giving a broad smile, evidently one of satisfaction.

The rest of the journey was spent in renewing our former acquaintance with Isaiah, who had much to relate of the happenings on the Bay during the intervening five years, and of his hunting exploits since he had been out with us.

Like all Indians, Isaiah had a knowledge of mineral deposits of great economic value within the limits of his hunting grounds, the location of which he was prepared to divulge for a nominal consideration. Fearing that the wealth to be derived from such information would be too large for us to manage, we decided that he had better reserve his secret for more powerful capitalists.

Arriving at Missinaibi Station at about half past nine in the evening, we were met by the manager of the Revillon Freres' Post, who invited us to spend the night with him, and who provided quarters for the guides in the Indian house.

Missinaibi had been the starting point for manyexcursions which we had made down the river of the same name. We had been received by the same gentleman and enjoyed his hospitality several times before, so that it was with feelings of pleasure and anticipation that we visited the little place once again.

The town is situated on Dog Lake, and is on the old portage route between Michipicoten, on Lake Superior, and Moose Factory, near James Bay, by way of the Missinaibi River, a route that has been travelled by the Hudson's Bay Company for the past two hundred years. We supposed we had travelled this route for the last time during the previous summer, and as we had enjoyed some of the finest scenery, killed the best game, and met with some of the most thrilling experiences of our lives on this river, we did not regret the fact that duty brought us this way again.

It was arranged with the guides that all should rise early the first morning, so that the supplies

THE START 13 for the journey down the river to the Crossing could be selected and packaged properly for travelling, our personal camping outfit gotten into readiness, for it had been stored in the warehouse at the Post for nearly a year, and a start on the journey made early in the day.

Consequently, on the following day, May twenty-second, we were up early and busily engaged in packing our clothes and bedding into pack sacks and dunnage bags, for the trunk in which we had brought them thus far was not a convenient package to place in a canoe or carry on one's back for a mile or more over some slippery portage.

The instruments for surveying, mineral kit, tonsorial apparatus, maps, and other valuables which could not be conveniently carried in a bag were packed in two -strong padlocked boxes, constructed for the purpose and just wide enough to sit crosswise in the centre of the canoe. These were heavy loads to handle on the portage, but amply proved their worth in the protection they afforded during the trip on the Bay.

The town of Missinaibi affords only one eating house and it was here that we repaired for our breakfast. Throughout the meal we were entertained by the conversation of two very interesting characters, both of whom were true representatives of their professions. One was an itinerant priest, the other a railway construction man of rather loose ideals along certain lines. The two men were mixed up in a very serious argument, the latter maintaining that there was no essential difference between Romani Catholic, Quaker, Mormon, or Methodist sects, much to the disgust of the former.

The supplies and dunnage loaded, letters written, and farewell telegrams dispatched, the canoes were launched at half past eleven, and the voyage of over eighteen hundred miles began, with a gale of wind and rain in our faces.

At the northern end of Dog Lake, a portage over the height-of-land leads to Crooked Lake. This height-of-land between the two lakes is the great divide between the Hudson Bay and the St. Lawrence River basins. On the Dog Lake side, the waters flow southward to the Great Lakes, while on that of Crooked Lake, five hundred yards distant, the waters flow northward to Hudson Bay.

Arriving at the portage, we were pleasantly surprised to find a push-car and track, installed by some railway contractor to facilitate the freighting of his supplies, by way of the lakes, to his section on the new line of the Canadian Northern Railway. Taking advantage of this convenience, we had our canoes and goods across in thirty minutes, and were launched on Crooked Lake, the first water flowing northward.

The name of the lake is truly indicative of its character. It s^ shores and surrounding hills, clad

THE START 15 in fir and poplars of many shades of green and bathed in the rays of the spring sun, which shone brightly, presented a picture of great beauty, and as we followed its ever-changing course, leading to all points of the compass, a new and lovelier view appeared at every turn.

Reaching an old camping place, about midway along the shore of the lake, we decided to halt for the night. This was done under anything but favourable circumstances, as a heavy rain began to fall, almost immediately after our landing. It w^as a splendid initiation to our future experiences, and we soon forgot discomfort in the satisfying of our appetites, which, due to the first day in the fresh air, were already assuming larger proportions.

We were awakened after a good night's sleep by the crackling of the fire, and the appetizing odour of fresh fish frying in the pan. The morning was misty, but our spirits were not dampened, for we were determined to reach the railway crossing in record time.

By eight o'clock the next portage was reached. The trail was about half a mile long and led to Missinaibi Lake. Here another push-car was found, enabling us to get our goods across and the canoes into the water again within forty minutes.

Missinaibi (pictured water) Lake is without doubt the most beautiful body of water traversed on the whole river trip. It is thirty-five miles from end to end, of which twenty-five miles lay in our course. Its shores are forest-clad, and rise gradually to hills several hundred feet high. We were not fortunate enough to view the beauties of the lake that morning, for a fog settled down heavily while the party was still on the portage, and remained until nearly noon.

The trail ends on the shore of a little bay. From there the course leads to a bold rocky headland, known as Fairy Point, after rounding which the main body of the lake is entered. To reach this a long cut is necessary, and it is considered a dangerous spot by the Indians because of the frequency of sudden wind squalls about the point.

The guides showed some hesitancy in starting out, as it was quite impossible to see more than a few yards ahead. However, after some persuasion they pushed off, each canoe taking a route of its own. After paddHng for some time, they began to exchange shouts, for they had hopelessly lost their bearings. Coming together gradually it was discovered that the canoes had been moving in circles and were, as we found shortly after when somebody saw land, in about the same place from which we had started. Nothing daunted, another attempt was made, but with similar result. The third time proved effective and the point was rounded amid the cheers of the voyageurs.

THE START 17

The lake is the headwater of the Missinaibi River and from the northern end of it the latter is reached. On the shore of the lake, about two miles from the head of the Missinaibi River, a Hudson's Bay Company's Post is situated. It is known as the Brunswick Post, and is the last of the rapidly receding chain of these, which at one time stretched along this route to the Bay.

The sight of the Post again revived pleasant memories of events which transpired on previous trips, and of many kind acts of hospitality by former Factors who had resided there. Owing to our haste, we did not stop, but gave it a wide berth, and proceeded at once to the outlet of the lake. At this place the Missinaibi River begins with a heavy rapid, known as the Brunswick.

Chapter III

T the head of the Brunswick Rapids, and on the opposite side of the river to the trail, was an Indian encampment. There a stop was made, and while the guides took observations on the rapids, Harold, the Assistant Chief, took observations on the ladies of the wigwam. Many pleasant smiles were exchanged between them. On the return of the guides, we crossed to the portage side of the river, and there part of the goods was unloaded on the sloping bank, to be carried over the trail, while the guides ran the rapids with the lightened canoes.

Now, there chanced to be a box of instruments, weighing a hundred pounds or more, that had to be carried over the portage. Harold, not to be outdone by the Indians, who were displaying their strength before the brunette on the opposite bank, and considering himself no weakling, undertook to carry this box, the heaviest in the pile.

With a mechanical air, he strode up to the box, and, kneeling, placed the pack-strap around it in the usual manner. Putting the carrying part

i8 of the strap across his forehead, he arose with a smile of triumph — all too soon, for the strap was too long, the box shifted, and the would-be Hercules, toppling over backwards, landed amongst the pots, kettles, and cutlery of the cook's box.

A loud burst of laughter came from the lady on the opposite bank, who evidently enjoyed the joke on the white upstart. Harold, much abashed by the hilarity of the dark beauty, resolved on turning the joke, and, after adjusting his strap, picked up the box, and adding still another package to his load, walked down the trail with defiant step, which however slackened as soon as he was hidden from view by the bushes.

After the rapids, the river enters a low, marshy country, which is known as the Little Swampy Ground. The night was spent on an immense rock, practically the only dry spot within several miles. Surrounded by millions of frogs in the adjacent swamp, we laid our tired bodies down, hoping for rest in sleep, but only to grow mentally weary of the greatest chorus of croakers that it has ever been our misfortune to be thrown among.

The next day was one of most interesting experiences. We had been going only half an hour, when a moose was seen swimming across the river ahead of us. Quick and silent paddling soon brought us within range, and Isaiah, who was in the bow of the canoe, brought him, a two-

20 7A^ CANADA'S NORTHLAND

year-old bull, down with a well-aimed shot, just as he reached the bank.

Fifteen minutes was all that was required by the guides to dress the carcass and we resumed our journey, leaving a portion of it cached for some fortunate traveller who might be following behind us. Several other moose were seen during the succeeding days, but it has always been our rule never to take life unless it is necessary for the purpose of securing food. Consequently, they were not molested.

We soon passed out of the sluggish waters of Little Swampy Ground and entered a long stretch of heavy rapids, full of rocks. The waves were very large in places, and at times threatened to swamp the canoes, but thanks to our dusky guides, only a small quantity of spray was shipped, a mere shower-bath.

Next came the Long Rapids, which are said to be the most dangerous on the upper river. These we had never run on any of the previous trips. The chief danger lay in two chutes, each about an eighth of a mile long. In these the water is deep but the waves are very high, so that when in the trough it wotild be impossible to see over the crest. We got through safely and, although drenched to the hide and shivering with the cold, pronounced it the finest ride of our lives.

Another rapid was entered shortly after, which was also long and dangerous, owing to a sharp

The Brunswick Rapids

The Split Rock Falls ledge of rock with a shallow covering of water* the channel leading over it. This rapid was passed through safely, although we scraped over the rock, much to our discomfort of mind.

A short distance farther down the river, Big Swampy Ground was entered. The water was very high and all that could be seen for a great distance ahead was scrubby swamp and an occasional clump of trees.

We stopped for dinner at one of our old camping places, a large outcrop of rock rising prominently in the midst of the swamp. As the sun was bright and warm we got fairly well dried out, and with a good warm dinner added to that, again resumed our journey, feeling in good trim for the rather dangerous course of the afternoon.

We arrived at Green Hill Portage at five o'clock, having travelled in one day exactly the same distance that is usually covered in two. As it was still early in the day, we were able to get all the goods over the portage, three quarters of a mile of hard climbing, and make our camp at the foot of the slope, beside the rushing water of the lower Green Hill Rapids.

To the writers this was a memorable spot, for it was there they had their first experience of running a rapid without a guide. It is enough to say that on the present occasion no experiments were tried. Perhaps no place on the river affords such a picturesque spot for camping as this.

Many a weary traveller has made his bed of boughs on this beautiful slope of the river bank, and has laid himself down thereon, to be lulled to sleep by the song of the rushing waters below.

It was here also that on a previous occasion we had given up hope of ever seeing our guides and canoes again. We had separated on the upper end of the portage, the guides leaving to run the dangerous rapids, and we to walk the trail. Naturally, it was expected that they would be awaiting us at the lower end. Little wonder then that, after waiting for two hours, we should have concluded that an accident, probably fatal, had befallen them, and that long before our arrival, guides and canoes had been swept down by the terrific current.