FORT SMITH AND THE TUG 277 



storm. It came; by 8.30 the rain had set in and 

 steadily fell all day. 



The following morning we had our first accident. 

 The steamer with the loaded canoe behind was rushing 

 up a rapid. A swirl of water upset the canoe, and all 

 our large packs were afloat. All were quickly recovered 

 except a bag of salted skins. These sank and were 

 seen no more. 



On October 9 we arrived at Fort Chipewyan. As 

 we drew near that famous place of water-fowl, the long 

 strings and massed flocks of various geese and ducks 

 grew more and more plentiful; and at the Fort itself 

 we found their metropolis. The Hudson's Bay Com- 

 pany had killed and salted about 600 Waveys or Snow 

 Geese; each of the Loutit families, about 500; not less 

 than 12,000 Waveys will be salted down this fall, be- 

 sides Honkers, White-fronts and Ducks. Each year 

 they reckon on about 10,000 Waveys, in poor years 

 they take 5,000 to 6,000, in fat years 15,000. The 

 Snow and White-fronted Geese all had the white parts 

 of the head more or less stained with orange. Only one 

 Blue Goose had been taken. This I got ; it is a western- 

 most record. No Swans had been secured this year; 

 in fact, I am told that they are never taken in the fall 

 because they never come this way, though they visit 

 the east end of the lake; in the spring they come by 

 here and about 20 are taken each year. Chipewyan 

 was Billy Loutit 's home, and the family gave a dance 

 in honour of the wanderer's return. Here I secured a 

 tall half-breed, Gregoire Daniell, usually known as 

 "Bellalise," to go with me as far as Athabaska Landing. 



