Observers' Field Reports 89 



the midst of it. A number of seal would then be seen close to us. The prevailing winds 

 seemed to us to blow across the ice and chilled us thoroughly. The coast is very low-lying, 

 and the water shoals very gradually. There is also a great deal of loom and a general 

 distortion effect of all objects near the horizon, so that at the distance we had to be from 

 shore, except at high tide, we could either not see the shore at all or could distinguish no 

 feature of the landscape. The tides sweeping along the shore might carry us back or forward 

 without our noticing it. It was thus impossible for us to make even a guess at our progress. 

 On the whole we were very lucky and managed to find fair camping places, and observation 

 points at proper places. After leaving Winisk, no trees were visible except at a distance 

 till near Opinnagau, well inside of James Bay. For firewood we depended entirely upon 

 drift, and sometimes the only water obtainable was from floating ice. Wild fowl were 

 plentiful and sometimes animals could be seen along the beach. The weather was generally 

 cloudy, with many smart squalls and sometimes heavy winds. Fogs occasionally made 

 traveling difficult. Our direction was held in such weather by keeping within a certain 

 depth of water. This meant following all the little windings of the shore. These could be 

 cut off to a certain extent in clearer weather, but it was not advisable to get too far out when 

 the coast line was in^^sible, except for an occasional distant point that might be either a 

 distant small rock lifted to view by refraction or a sea gull or duck. 



At Winisk we found again a total absence of supplies. We occupied a station here 

 and obtained an Indian to accompany us to Attawapiskat. At Cape Henrietta Maria we 

 occupied the extreme outer edge of the island forming the turning-point between Hudson 

 and James bays and, for lack of another name, called it "the cape to the island." The 

 map positions of all the points of this coast are very many miles in error, with the 

 exception of Fort Severn and possibly Winisk. From Cape Henrietta Maria, the latitude 

 positions at least are good, and from this point the progress of the party could be followed 

 very closely. It was, moreover, easier to get ashore. The weather was, however, worse, and 

 the greatest delays of the trip occurred between the cape and Fort Albany. A little below 

 the point of the cape we noticed the heaviest deposit of black sand on the beach. 



Along the whole coast the rate of progress depends upon the time of the high tide. 

 If it occurs early and late in the day, a good day's work can be done. If it is in the middle 

 of the day, every thing has to be portaged out a long distance to water and some hours ma^^ 

 be thus wasted every daj'. Moreover, the change of tide does not take place regularly, as 

 the traveler is himself changing his position, and he may change just so as to keep the tide 

 at its worst position of the day, or he may be held up by the wind so as to encounter the 

 worst tidal conditions. The tides also race back and forth over and along the beach, so that 

 in places it is absolutely impossible, with the expenditure of every ounce of effort of the men, 

 to make a foot of headway against the tide. At too frequent intervals long lines of reef run 

 far out into the bay, and these are often not disclosed until the canoes are very close to them ; 

 this necessitates a long detour straight out to sea or even back over the route, and, if 

 the tide is bad, this may be impossible and the rest of the day be lost. Our best camping- 

 places were on small islands, but sometimes we were caught in almost impossible places 

 where there was no wood, fresh water, nor dry land. 



Near Ekwan, sand and gravel bars extend for miles out into the bay, and probably the 

 most dangerous part of the trip was at this point. We had been delayed for many days by 

 the continued heavy weather and took advantage of the first passable day. The wind 

 increased to such a force that with the cross-waves it kept us bailing the canoes continuously 

 at the same time that it required great exertion to make any headway against the wind. It 

 was imperative to make the point before low water, otherwise it meant many miles of port- 

 aging and the loss possibly of days. The Indians were badly frightened and almost refused 

 to go further. We rounded the point at last in the roughest water for such canoes to live 

 in and made a successful landing on a good beach. 



