138 ON SNOW-SHOES TO THE BARREN GROUNDS 



on the 6th for civilization. Ye gods ! think of the luxury of a big 

 hot bath, a good cigar, and but why should I fill your mind with 

 envy and all uncharitableness ? Truly, when I think of all you 

 have left behind for the barrenness of the Barren Grounds, I agree 

 with Puck : ' What fools these mortals be.' Hoping you may get 

 back speedily and with a whole hide. 



" Yours sincerely, HENRY TOKE MUNN." 



Munn as undoubtedly deserved the heads, as Fort Smith 

 stood in need of meat. Fort Smith is always wanting 

 meat or fish or anything edible. It is the most inade- 

 quately provided post in the country, and has the smallest 

 natural supply, for there are few fish in the river, and, as a 

 rule, the Indians prefer ''starving" on rabbits the women 

 snare to going back into the country a hundred miles or 

 so, where moose and woodland caribou are fairly plentiful. 

 Only " Mc's " success in getting a moose kept us all from 

 half rations after the bison -hunt, and when I passed 

 through on my way back to civilization I 

 found his children crying of hunger. Munn's 

 hard luck, too, will convey some idea of the 

 uncertainty of result and extent of endeavor 

 incidental to hunting. One year he spent in 

 the Northland, making two trips to the Bar- 

 rens for musk-ox, two after bison, and his skill 

 and experience and untold hardships were re- 

 warded by but a single musk-cow. Pike gave 

 two years of his life to the country, made 

 three trips to the Barrens before he secured 



S ri O h, , 



Canadian snow- the musk-oxen he desired, and had one un- 

 shoe ciub, successful bison-hunt. 



3 feet long 



Two days after our return to Fort Smith, 

 Munn went out with Bushy, and on the next day I start- 

 ed for Great Slave Lake. 



The distance from Fort Smith to Resolution is 194 miles 



WOMAN S 



