Churchill People and Industries. 139 



in a general way further on. Early every spring two large boats 

 are sent up to the walrus grounds just to the north-west of Marble 

 Island. Last season this enterprise was conducted by Mr. George 

 MacTavish, chief clerk, who, with a crew of half-breeds and Indians, 

 took twenty-two large walrus in a few days, and could have easily 

 secured as many more, only that the blubber from the carcases of 

 those he captured more than loaded his boats. He experienced a 

 very successful trip, with the exception that one of his Indians 

 died suddenly of heart disease during the voyage up. 



Aside from the walrus hunt, Mr. Spencer is developing a large 

 porpoise, or white whale fishery, on the very shores of Churchill 

 harbour, where, with his nets and traps, he took last season one 

 hundred and ninety of these mammals of immense size. By extend- 

 ing his facilities, five hundred or a thousand might be taken an- 

 nually. As I have said, two large blubber refineries have been 

 opened at Churchill, where the fat from the porpoise and walrus is 

 refined and placed in casks ready for shipment to Europe. This 

 oil, together with the furs which are taken from the natives in ex- 

 change for merchandise, and the ivory from the walrus, make up an 

 annual budget at Churchill of great value. These products of the 

 Dominion are exported each year in the Company's ships, and find 

 a ready market in the old world, to the great advantage of the 

 Company's treasury. 



I was greatly struck with the advantages of Marble Island, or 

 the west main coast in that vicinity, for a trading station. If an 

 enterprising company were organized with even a moderate capital, 

 and established properly in the north-western portion of the bay, with 

 all the appliances for whale, porpoise, and walrus fishing, and with 

 plenty of marketable merchandise to exchange with the natives for 

 furs, the enterprise would unquestionably be fruitful of very large 

 returns. I wonder that this opportunity has not been improved 

 long ago. 



Since the arrival of Mr. Spencer at Churchill, some seven years 

 ago, he has worked successfully to develop the porpoise and walrus 

 fisheries. " Thoroughly understanding the business himself, he went 

 to work, erected buildings, built boats and nets, and was soon doing a 



