124 THE BARREN-GROUND CARIBOU 



this day, and the Caribou seen were all travelling 

 north, up- wind, though it meant that they were 

 going opposite to the direction they had been 

 travelling on the previous day. The big lake 

 (Reindeer Lake), which strong winds keep in 

 motion after smaller lakes are ice-bound, was not 

 yet completely and solidly frozen up, and the 

 Caribou appeared to be feeding around the north- 

 eastern shores, possibly waiting to get out to the 

 extensive surface and reach the rich feeding 

 grounds on the countless islands. On the other 

 hand the direction of the wind seemed to have 

 strong influence on their movements. 



Regarding pack- carrying, which I am reminded 

 of by the burden this day carried, I kept the 

 meat load intact that I brought in, which I had 

 packed for five hours — possibly, in that time 

 covering a distance of some twelve miles — over 

 hill and muskeg, and through snow; and next 

 day had it weighed at the Hudson Bay Post. 

 It was 65 lbs. This is a fair load — a load that 

 strained me to carry it the prolonged distance. 



I am not physically a strong man, but I had 

 been all summer on the canoe trail and was 

 hardened and inured to the toil of portaging over- 

 land at bad rapids or inland to lakes. Judging 

 things by the weight of the above pack I would 

 say an able Indian could comfortably burden 

 himself with 80 to 100 lbs. for a long distance. 

 To expect him to carry more, if he was in your 

 service, would be unjust, though I have found 

 good Indians will attempt carrying excessive 

 weights rather than admit the smallest sign of 

 weakness to a white man. 



