SOS 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[March 81, 1892. 



A TOUGH TRIP. 



EARLY iu the summer of 1883 I found myself on the north shore 

 of Lake Superior in connection with the surveys for the Canadian 

 Pacific Railway. I had already been a great part of the preceding 

 summer and winter on the coast, and at this particular time I was 

 deputed to examine the country further inland. A flying survey 

 party was organized and started up the Prairie River, a considerable 

 stream emprying into the lake some eight miles east of Jackfish 

 Bay. Having seen them fairly started I conceived the idea of getting 

 some of the supplies ahead and getting an insight into 

 the character of the country at the same time by ascend- 

 ing the Little Pic, a parallel stream, to the "proposed 

 crossing, and thence going back on foot to meet the 

 party. 



Descending the Prairie in our canoe— a line Peterboro 

 —we coasted for some seven or eight miles and soon 

 reached the mouth of the Little Pie and, loading up 

 with a few hundred weight of Hour, bacon and miscel- 

 lanies, we .started to ascend the stream. An Indian boy 

 of 18, Louis, occupied the bow; a young half-breed, 

 Paul, paddled amidships, aud the writer took the steer- 

 ing paddle. It had been a late, cold spring, and though 

 now well on in June, the river was at its height aud 

 pouring a tremendous volume of muddy water into the 

 lake. 



The current was steady and strong, but so were niy 

 boys' arms, and by creeping along shore and dodging 

 from eddy to eddy we ascended the first three or four 

 miles rapidly and without mishap. A continuous wall 

 of gray granite rock followed us ou the west, and to the 

 east w^as an equally high but less precipitous range 

 gradually approaching the river, these now closed 

 together, and through the canyon between them the 

 river came tearing and roaring over great boulders in a 

 mighty ugly looking rapid. There was a narrow strip 

 of intervale on the right, but so matted with fallen 

 timber that a portage with our heavy loads seemed 

 almost out of the question, and we concluded to try 

 tracking. A long light cotton line was got out and one 

 end fastened to the bow of the canoe. Louis clambered 

 over the boulders with the other until he had stretched 

 its full length. Paul held the canoe until this had been 

 accomplished, and I hovered between the two ready to 

 fend off and give signals. At a sign Paul shoved the 

 canoe gently out into the current, Louis hauled upon 

 the line, aDd in a few seconds the canoe was floating at 



his feet. Repeating this operation two or three times, \ 



steadily, if slowly, upward, and were soon in sight of more quiet 

 waters. 



The canoe was trembling in the fierce current behind a great 

 boulder, Louis was gathering in his slack preparatory to taking a 

 fresh pull, when Paul, with the recklessness and impatience begotten 

 from his white father, shoved the canoe out without waiting for the 

 signal. The current caught the bow, and meeting no resistance 

 from the line, swung the canoe broadside on to the boiling current, 

 then as Louis quickly brought a strain upon it she sheered out. 



There was plam sailing ahead for the party for several miles, and 

 my presence was of little use, and I concluded to put in the inter- 

 vening time by exploring the Little Pic still higher up. the high 

 water in the river affording a splendid opportunity So taking mp 

 two dusky satellites again we retrace 1 our steps to the river and 

 with a very meagre outfit embarked in our canoe again and turned 

 her bow against the stream. A huge landslip had almost blocked it 

 up with trees aud debris a couple of miles above, but dodging some- 

 times under, sometimes around the roots and anon hauling across 

 a tree trunk we managed in half an hour's hard work to get. past, 



V 



4% 



3 advanced 



almost across the stream, keeled over far enough to dump most of 

 her deck load into the torrent and then recovering herself as she 

 swung round, came gentlv back to her resting piace behind the 

 boulder. Luckily we had" stowed the heaviest of the stuff in the 

 bottom as ballast, or she would have gone over altogether. Quickly 

 unloading and bailing out the water we started in pursui t of such ot 

 our belongings as floated, but such was the swiftness of the current 

 that they got nearly to the mouth of the liver before we caught 

 them. We picked up the flour but little damaged, and most ot the 

 blankets, but one gun had gone to the bottom and my Kit had disap- 

 peared somewhere, carrying with it a fine prismatic 

 compass. One side of bacon was also in the river 

 beside the gun and escaped being cooked aud eaten, 

 and a large bag of tea was badly wetted. 



By the time we had struggled back again the day was 

 far 'spent, and finding a short distance above an im- 

 possible fall we went ashore, picked out with some 

 difficulty a level spot sufficiently large to contain our 

 three recumbent forms, and after a frugal meal crawled 

 under our wet blankets and slept with the roar of the ' 

 cataract in our ears as only tired voyagers can sleep. 



Day broke cold and gray with a light fog hanging over 

 the rapids. With no tent to pull down and pack, break- 

 fast was soon despatched and the canoe and its load 

 carried over the rocks to the head of the falls. Afloat 

 once more we found the hills receding from the river 

 which now ran in a steady sweeping current between 

 alder-covered banks of clay aud sand, at first low, but 

 gradually rising on either hand until they became great 

 bluffs, dO to 70ft. high, with the river lapping and eating 

 away their bases, here and there a landslip had oc- 

 curred, leaving a great streak of yellow between the 

 dark green of the spruces and balsams which clothed 

 the higher part of the slopes. 



By noon we had reached the intended crossing and 

 leaving our canoe and most of the stuff we clambered 

 up the steep bank, and w ith a light load each started 

 upon our search for the camp. It was terribly hot upon 

 the hills and the black flies were out in tremendous 

 force, but the country was for the most part fairly open 

 and the walking good, so we pushed on merrily enough, 

 following a stream valley toward a depression in the 

 hills to the west which appeared to afford the most de- 

 sirable approach to the river. Proceeding four or five 

 miles we came across fresh blazes and axe marks, which 

 we rightly conjectured to be the mark of the packers 

 attached 'to the party cutting trail in advance, and fol- 

 lowing these up we emerged at sundown upon the 

 shores of a small lake, upon the opposile snores of 

 which we could see the gleam of white tents and bear 

 the cook chopping wood for the morning's fire. This 

 was luck, eight or ten miles across country in an after - 

 uoon and exactly in the right direction. A loud hail soon brought 

 over our smallest canoe, and by dark we were relating our adven- 

 tures in Euglish and Ojibbeway to our comrades. 



Two or three days were spent in camp exploring the country in 

 the immediate neighborhood and directing the movements of the 

 party, and then bad weather set in; for forty-eight hours we bad 

 such an incessant downpour of rain as must have preceded Noah's 

 deluge. The cook had the greatest difficultyin keeping his fire going 

 and the camp was flooded. Work out of doors was out of the ques- 

 tion, and piling our blankets and effects on islands of logs and brush, 

 we of the engineering staff played whist from morning till night for 

 tobacco, A. couple of the younger members were nearly bank 

 mpted in consequence, and bad the weather not cleared off on the 

 third day their score account;; would have exceeded their pay for the 

 month, but everything has an end; on the third morning the sun 

 came out bright and strong, and our enemies, the black flies, who 

 had been beaten down and demoralized by the rain, were soon in 

 stronger force and hungrier than ever. 



' if PTCM\d& ■ 



and proceeded up stream, ever struggling against the sweeping cur- 

 rent and dodging from bank to bank to take advantage of the 

 smallest eddy at slack water. The clay banks rose higher and higher 

 on either hand, but toward evening we heard a distant roar coming 

 nearer, and rounding a bend we floated in a foam-flecked basin, into 

 which poured a great cataract over a rocky ledge. At the head of 

 the portage was the only piece of dry and level ground we had met 

 with in ten miles, and we gladly availed ourselves of the opportunity 

 to sleep in comfort. 

 Off again in the early morning our progress was a repetition of the 

 previous day's work, with 

 a variation in exploring 

 the course of a tributary 

 stream for a mile or two, 

 but toward afternoon we 

 came to a fork where two 

 equal streams met, one ^ >- 



coming from the north, 

 muddy and white as be- 

 low, and the other from 

 the west, red brown and 

 comparatively clear. We 

 chose the latter as more 

 likely to bring us to some 

 rocky hill or large lake 

 where we could get a 

 more extended view of tbe 

 country round us. and 

 evening coming on we 

 went ashore for the night. 



The day had been warm 

 and windless and tbe 

 black flies and mosquitoes 

 had punished us severely, ^ ,. 

 white man and red alike, 

 but the black fly is some- 

 thing of a gentleman after * 

 all, and goes to bed at 

 night and after dark we 

 had as much comfort as 

 was possible with our sore 

 and raw necks until day 

 dawned. 



In the middle of June in 

 latitude 49 and a fraction, 

 the hours of darkness are 

 very short and we were 

 diiven afloat again at 4 

 A. M. A few minutes 

 paddling brought us to a small rapid wtiieh we ascended without 

 difficulty, and a half hour later reached a wilder one. A portage 

 was necessary, and leaving Louis and Paul to bring on the canoe I 

 landed with the axe and proceeded to clear out the almost obliterated 

 trail, and was cutting a final log in two at the head of tbe portage 

 when a twig caught the blade of the axe, and deflecting it it came 

 down across my foot, protected only by a light deerskin mocassin. 

 A great red gash appeared across it, and the black flies had a nob'e 

 feast, without the trouble of biting and boring. Louis and Paul 

 dropped tbe canoe and came forward anxiously, but after a minute's 



Blankets and provisions were rescued, but the latter were soaked, 

 and axe, frying pan and kettle were gone for good. No use crying 

 over spilt milk, and we were soon afloat- again. The canoe was, for- 

 tunately, uninjured, and it was comforting to reflect that unless 

 Louis missed bhfl next portage and shot us over the falls there was 

 little chance of our coming to grief between our present position and 

 the "cache." This he avoided, and in two hours I was toiling pain- 

 fully over it. The cut had closed in the meantime, and was very 

 painful until the exercise had opened it again and the bleeding com- 

 menced afresh. 



Off again below the falls, and weak from loss of blood, 

 I sank into a half doze, lulled by the dip of the paddies 

 and tbe hum of insects. The Indians, worried by the 

 Hies, plied their paddles vigorously in the effort to 

 create a cm-rent of air and leave the pests behind, and 

 aided by the swift current we swept down the stream 

 at the rate of seven or eight miles an hour, and before 

 they suspected the proximity of the cache we uad 

 passed it unnoticed and were a mile lower down. To go 

 back meant another night of misery on the banks from 

 the attention of the flies, and I doubted my abilitv to 

 walk into camp, where even if I reached it I would only 

 be a care and nuisance for a week at least. So with a 

 sigh for the provisions which would have afforded us a 

 good supper we paddled on again, and by 5 o'clock had 

 reached tbe canyon. Another agonizing scramble and 

 we were afloat again with the boiling torrent which had 

 wrecked our canoe, and which now, after the rains, was 

 even wilder than before in front of us. 



The Indians looked a moment, and with a few hurried 

 words put ashore for another portage, but 1 would none 

 of it, and bracing myself upright in the center with my 

 sound foot against one thwart and my back against 

 another, I ordered them ashore, and with a sweep of my 

 paddle shot out into the stream broadside on, another 

 sweep wiih all my strength whirled her head downward, 

 aud leaping from surge to surge I swept round the next 

 bend and into the eddy at the foot of the rapid before 

 the two boys had fairly made up their minds as to what 

 I was going to do. They soon came scrambling through 

 the brush, and beuding again to their paddles we shot 

 out just as the sun was sinking over the slate islands on 

 to the gently heaving bosom of Lake Superior. A mile 

 along tbe coast we stopped in a beautiful little cove 

 with a sandy beach, "where the black fly ceased from 

 troubling.'' 



We were ravenously hungry, and the only thing in the 

 way of food remaining to us was a little wet flour, but my boys were 

 equal to the occasion which was exactly of the kind which brings out. 

 the best qualities of the Indian race— patience and endurance. Axe 

 we bad none to cut wood or brush, but sufficient driftwood was soon 

 collected for a lire. I had saved a couple of matches and with a 

 forethought which becomes second nature after long sojourns in the 

 wilderness, had dried these in the sun immediately after the upset of 

 the morning. One of these was amply sufficient in an Indian's 

 hands, and shortly we had a bright blaze, the wet flour was then 

 kneeded into dough and small pieces of the latter wrapped around 



Jit 

 W 



faintness I felt all right again and proceeded to examine the injury 

 as well as we could. The toes did not appear to be completely 

 severed, and the big one and the next I could still move; the bleed- 

 ing was not excessive. We had no surgical appliances, however, 

 and judged it better to leave the mocassin on to hold the fragment 

 together, and considering our distance from camp and the impossi- 

 bility of taking my share of the work it seemed unavoidable that we 

 should abandon the expedition and return. So with a regreiful look 

 at the bright river coming from the great white patch of "unex- 

 plored" territory on the map, I turned and hobbled back to the foot 

 Of the portage. 



The work of dropping down with the current was comparatively 

 easy, and resigning my steering paddle to Louis, who had the 

 steadiest head of the two, I stretched myself in the center of the 

 canoe with my feet on the gunwale. In ten minutes we had entered 

 the small rapid above our camp in one more we were broadside on 

 to a sunken log, and in a fraction of a second I was swimming ashore 

 with only one foot in operation and dragging the canoe after me. 



bits of sticks which were stuck up in the sand around the fire. In 

 ten minutes we had a fair apology for bread, sufficient to stay our 

 worst cravings. Tea there was none, but tobacco still remained, 

 and after a delicious smoke we stretched out side by side on the 

 sand, and lulled by the gentle lapping of the swell on the beach, slept 

 until the sun was high in air next morning, but as tbis happens in 

 that latitude at 6 A. M. we could hardly be accused of sloth t'uluess. 



The morning was perfect, the stillness deathlike, and the undula- 

 tions of the oily surface of the lake almost imperceptible, except 

 where they rose and fell almost noiselessly on an adjacent rocky 

 point. So absolutely breathless was the air that the 

 gnats and dragon flies ventured a mile out fr m the 

 land and dropped exhausted at last into the lake to 

 meet a common fate. No more perfect day for a long 

 coasting trip such as that before us could have been 

 chosen, and after another meal of hot "bread" we 

 pushed off tor our final day's run of twenty-five miles to 

 the Pic Biver. So steadily did the boys ply their 

 paddles that a little after noon we sighted the sand 

 dunes around the H. B. C. post, and a few minutes after 

 were struggling against the thick brown flood which 

 was pouring out of the river. A few strokes more and 

 tbe bow of our canoe slid upon the sandy beach and onr 

 tough trip was over. 



A bountiful, if homely, meal was spread before us, 

 saleratus bread, potatoes, whiteflsh and eranbei ries, 

 accompanied by the inevitable hot tea, and an old 

 Indian crone was called in to doctor the wounded foot. 

 On removing the mocassin two toes were found to be 

 almost severed and a third cut to the bone, but so ex- 

 cellent were the remedies applied and so ut terly devoid 

 of poison was my circulation after months of constant 

 onen air life and persistent drain of blood by tbe black 

 flies that in three days I could get about a little with 

 crutches and could volunteer as pilot to a party of rail- 

 way men coasting to Nepigon in a Mackinac boat. In 

 ten days I could walk about with a limp, and in fifteen 

 was ascending the Pic River to rejoin my party. My 

 gratitude is ever due to the kindly little Orkneyman in 

 charge of the post, and to his gentle, pretty, half breed 

 wife. 



I have had many a bard trip since then, two narrow 

 escapes from shipwreck, and as many experiences of 

 starvation, besides many a bitter winter's night in an 

 open bivouac amid the snow, but never have I struck a 

 more welcome haven of rest nor kinder hearts than 

 greeted me at the Pic Post. It was an important post 

 then, with an annual brigade of great clumsy "York" 

 boats descending annually from tributary stations in- 

 land, but the construction of the railway has afforded 

 new outlets, and its glories have departed, and my 

 friend has gone elsewhere, fleeing from tbe approach 

 of civilization. May the beaver and marten increase, bis Indian 

 customers pay their debts, and his profits be large and promotion 

 rapid, is the earnest wish of the writer. H. K. W. 



Mohawk C. O— Spring has come and with it the paint and varnish 

 brushes have come into use. Several canoes are being overhauled 

 and fitted wi'h new sails. Others are changing hands, and some 

 new boats are expected this spring. The varnish brush will be 

 applied to one 30ft. war canoe which will be in great demand next 

 summer. Several members are making plans for a short cruise down 

 the Hudson, on or about May 30. The following officers have been 

 chosen for 1892; Com., Evert Jones; Vice-Coat., Ceo. U. Dexter: 

 Sec y, F, Stevenson: Parser, Geo. H.Rich. There are 35 active mem- 

 bers' at -present of whom S or 10 expect to attend the '92 meet. 



A. C. A. Membership.— Eastern Division: Howard L. Rogers, F. J . 

 Burrage, Lawrence W. Webster. Boston, Mass. Central Division: I„ 

 C. Woodworth, Gouverneur, ». Y. 



