192 THE DRAMA OF THE FORESTS 



to forward the mail without delay. A through way-bill ac- 

 companies every packet from point of departure to point of 

 delivery. At each post along the route the time of arrival 

 and the time of departure of the mail must be entered upon 

 the way-bill, as well as the names of the packeteers and of the 

 officers in charge." 



"I understand that packets contain not only the despatches 

 of the Company, but the private mail of the employees, that 

 of missionaries of all denominations, that of chance 'explor- 

 ers' or travellers, and even that of opposition fur-traders. Is 

 that a fact?" 



"Yes, sir, and moreover, no charge is made by the Company." 



"Do the Company's officers experience much trouble in 

 procuring men to act as packeteers?" 



"Oh, no; none whatever. As a rule, when men enter the 

 Company's service, they stipulate that they shall be given a 

 place on the packet; for that affords them an opportunity to 

 pay a visit to the next post, and to join in the dance which is 

 always held on the arrival of the mail. Trippers consider 

 themselves greatly honoured on being given charge of a packet; 

 for it means that they are held to be trustworthy, and thor- 

 oughly familiar with the topography of the district." 



"Before the advent of the railroad and the steamboat, 

 which was the longest of the Company's packet routes?" 



"By all odds that of the Yukon packet. It made the journey 

 from Montreal to Fort Yukon, which was then situated at the 

 junction of the Porcupine and Yukon rivers. It was routed 

 by way of the Ottawa River, Lake Huron, Lake Superior, 

 Lake of the Woods, Lake Winnipeg, the Athabasca River, 

 the Slave River, and the Mackenzie River. It was forwarded 

 in summer by canoe, in winter by dog-train, for the enormous 

 distance of four thousand five hundred miles. And let me tell 

 you, it is to-day, as it was two hundred years ago, the pride 

 of the Company's people that not one packet was ever lost 



