FROM CANDLE TO FORT GIBBON 401 



Starting was out of the question, so we stayed with the soldiers, 

 reading, playing games, and sleeping. 



On February 8 the weather was still very stormy, but we were 

 tired of waiting, so we hitched our team and started against the 

 wind. After eight hours' travelling we came to a store, only 

 sixteen miles from Loudon, where we put up, as its owner, Mr. 

 Lewis, gave a vivid description of the hard trail ahead, the snow 

 and storm, and the discomforts of sleeping out of doors without 

 a tent, all of which we should expose ourselves to if we did not 

 avail ourselves of his offer to stay in his house as his guests. 

 We were perfectly aware of all this, and had no intention of 

 going further that day, so even if he had not pressed us quite so 

 much we should have stayed and been glad to do so. 



There was an Indian settlement near Mr. Lewis, and the 

 people were nice enough when we sat talking in the store, 

 but if it came to a bargain with them, then God help us ! 



Upon the whole there are many natives living along the banks 

 of the river, but we see very little of them, as all our dealings 

 are with white men, the natives asking too much for everything 

 they have to sell. They are not pleasant people here, and, 

 coming straight from the kind and hospitable Eskimos, I find 

 it hard to put up with their impudence. With sorrow I thought 

 of the future of the Eskimos, when they had been as long in 

 contact with white men as these Indians have, and had lost 

 their old habits and customs. That this will be their fate some 

 day I have no doubt. 



The weather was worse again the next morning when we were 

 going to start, but it was only eighteen miles to the next 

 telegraph station, so we thought we might risk it. However, 

 we were soon sorry that we had started, as the wind was far too 

 strong for travelling, but some fairly good going made up for 

 the poor weather. We reached Melozi at 3 P.M. and stopped 

 promptly, as we had long before lost all desire to face the 

 weather any further. 



The following day, February 9, the weather was fine, but 

 what a trail ! I had to walk ahead on snow-shoes, and some- 

 times I had to go over the trail three times before it was firm 

 enough for the dogs to pull. Again we followed a portage, and 

 when we were halfway through we met a team going in the 

 opposite direction. The situation was far from agreeable. One 



A.I. D D 



