ACROSS THE SUB-ARCTICS OF CANADA. 



CHAPTER I. 



TORONTO TO ATHABASCA LANDING. 



ON the morning of the 10th of May, 1893, in response 

 to a telegram from Ottawa, I took train at Hamilton for 

 Toronto, to meet my brother, J. Burr Tyrrell, of the 

 Canadian Geological Survey, and make final arrange- 

 ments for a trip to the North. 



He had been authorized by the Director of that most 

 important department of the Canadian Government to 

 conduct, in company with myself, an exploration survey 

 through the great mysterious region of terra incognita 

 commonly known as the Barren Lands, more than two 

 hundred thousand square miles in extent, lying north of 

 the 59th parallel of latitude, between Great Slave Lake 

 and Hudson Bay. Of almost this entire territory less 

 was known than of the remotest districts of " Darkest 

 Africa," and, with but few exceptions, its vast and dreary 

 plains had never been trodden by the foot of man, save 

 that of the dusky savage. 



During the summer of 1892 my brother had obtained 

 some information concerning it from the Chippewyan 

 Indians in the vicinity of Athabasca and Black Lakes, 



