cS 



RECREATION. 



wolverines, otters, minks, muskrats and 

 wolves are the fur bearers, their relative 

 values being about in the order in which I 

 have named them. 



In all my travels in the North I found 

 no country so poor in furs as the Macken- 

 zie basin. A few grizzlies are found in the 

 Rockies, but they are small, and the fur is 

 poor. Good black bear skins are found. 

 Silver, cross and red foxes are caught in 

 limited numbers, and a few blue and white 

 foxes are brought in at Peel's river. 



The moose will 

 longest survive the 

 persecutions of his 

 human foes, because 

 of his natural cun- 

 ning, the limitless ex- 

 tent of his range, and 

 the almost insuper- 

 able obstacle which 

 the boundless mus- 

 keag interposes in the 

 path of the hunter. 

 Now that the Indian 

 is armed with modern 

 rifles, the caribou and 

 sheep, with their 

 habit of bunching 

 when alarmed, will be easier to kill off. Be- 

 cause martens and lynxes live on rabbits 

 they will probably outlive the other fur 

 bearers ; but their food being variable in 

 quantity they will vary in numbers in dif- 

 ferent seasons. 



Birds usually desert that country in win- 

 ter. One may travel many miles without 

 seeing a living thing. 



The native inhabitants are poor, lazy, 

 dirty and lousy. The Lower Liard river 



A TYPICAL 

 LOUCHEAUX FACE. 



Indians, and the Mackenzie river Indians- 

 are the wretchedest people I have ever met. 

 1 he mountain Indians are the best hunters, 

 with the Bear Lake tribe a good second. 

 The big river people are the worst of the 

 worthless, continually on the verge of star- 

 vation. No doubt they would starve but 

 for the aid they get from the Hudson's Bay 

 Company. Some of their hunters have 

 rifles, some have muzzle loading shot guns, 

 some have no weapon of any kind, not even 

 a knife. The Gravel river Indians are said 

 to furnish a good deal of dried meat to 

 Fort Norman every year. I have seen them 

 preparing this meat, and it is but fair to 

 say, for the benefit of any possible buyer 

 of dried venison at Fort Norman, that the 

 method of preparing it, the habits of those 

 who prepare it, the loathsome uses to which 

 it is put are so utterly repulsive and abom- 

 inable that no white man could eat it if he 

 knew, nor would it be safe for him if he 

 did. 



I experienced no unusual difficulties in 

 traveling in that country, though embarrass- 

 ing incidents sometimes delayed me. For 

 those I blame only the customs which have 

 grown from dealing with Indians, which 

 are just the same as they were ioo years 

 ago. 



The Hudson's Bay Company is unique. 

 It is like no other concern in the world. 

 Its agents, scattered over an immense re- 

 gion, are marvels of faithfulness and de- 

 votion. In no other such immense associa- 

 tion is a business so extensive conducted 

 with such regard to economy. No other 

 equal body of men would serve on such 

 pay, and with such strict integritv. 



To the possible visitor who would follow 

 my trail I would say, Take letters from 



SLAVIS ; TYPICAL MACKENZIE RIVER INDIANS 



