870 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[May 13, 1905. 
A Tenderfoot in ^the Nipissing 
Country. 
■ My g Dod friend, Doctor Bragdon, had decreed 
Muskoka country more crowded than a trolley car, and 
his spirit longed for new, wilder and more romantic 
haunts than it had known. After a long and severe 
investigation of maps, charts and railway folders, he 
decided that there was only one best of all places — 
The French River. This choice he made, his migra- 
tory instinct was surging, strong against galling chains 
that bind to business, and his spirit, unbound, flew like 
a wild bird to this supposed land of his choice. The 
spirit finding so much delight in roaming over Asphodel 
meadows and under primeval pines and hemlocks; the 
Doctor decided that the body should not be bereft of 
the pure delights in which his untamed spirit reveled. 
Armed with a large map issued by the Department 
of Crown Lands of Ontario, he made an assault upon 
me and immediately carried the inner intrenchments 
and the next day made arrangements with C. O. D. 
Pascault, the genial general passenger agent of the 
Bufifalo & Pittsburg Railroad, to carry the outer works, 
which was done. So on June 8, we left Allegheny City 
and were soon speeding up the mountains of Pennsyl- 
vania. We stopped at A'lount Jewett long enough to- 
see the beauty and sublimity of this mountain view. 
We slipped down around these mountain curves like 
a serpent. All around we saw evidence of the evanes- 
cense of petroleum — new and bright derricks, old ones, 
decaying ones, and greasy spots on the earth. Surely 
the track of oil is the trail of ruin. The next evening 
we were hurrying over Northen Ontario toward North 
Bay, where we took the Canadian Pacific train for 
Sturgeon Falls, arriving there at 11 P. M. 
Here the waters of the Sturgeon River come down 
as the waters come down at Lodore, and with them a 
never-ending stream of logs. It is interesting to see 
these logs come rather timidly to the falls as if ap- 
prehensive of the fate awaiting, and then plunge be- 
neath the flood and not appear for a hundred feet, when 
they are shot nearly their whole length into the air and 
fall into the foam. There is a large pulp mill and 
electric light plant here, and both obtain their power 
from these falls. 
Next morning we got our outfit and supplies from 
Cockburns' and found these men entirely reliable. 
Captain Clark's steamer was chartered and carried us 
down, the lonely stretches of the Sturgeon River. Five 
miles down we passed the Hudson Bay Post, marked 
"H. B. C," which is interpreted by the Canadians to 
mean, "Here Before Christ." This company has 
operated since 1670, in various parts of Canada. There 
are some ruins standing near, which Captain Clark said 
were the ruins of the palisades; for in the very early 
days it was thought needful to protect the treasures of 
the company by these crude defenses. 
At 2 o'clock we were at the fishing stations on the 
western shore of Father Nipissing, as the lake is called. 
The fishermen were busy netting sturgeon, which our 
Indian guide called "Nahma." The eggs of the sturgeon 
are manufactured into xaviar and exported, and likely 
returned Lo America, as Russian caviar. It resembles 
No'. 6 shot fried in lard. On Wednesday afternoon, as 
the low, descending sun sank in the west, our steamer 
sped down a golden highway that was bound on either 
side by somber pines and hemlocks, and I was re- 
nimded of Longfellow's lines: 
"And the evening sun descending. 
Set the clouds on fire with redness, 
Left upon the level water 
One long track and trail of splendor, 
Down whose stream as down a river, 
Westward, westward, Hiawatha 
Sailed into the fiery sunset, 
Sailed into tlie dusk of evening." 
We landed at a deserted lumber camp located at 
Sandy Island, near the west shore of Lake Nipissing, 
and after supper that awful quietude of the silent places 
settled down over all, broken only by the strident notes 
of numerous chimney swifts that swung in circles 
around the house. 
After dark I went in search of these odd little 
creatures and found them hanging like so many bats 
to the rough board partitions. When we cast the light 
from our reflecting lamp the}^ would flit away from 
place. Several of their oddly constructed nests were 
glued to the wall. Late an owl visited the rookery and 
there was a tumult among the swallows. Many times 
during the night, the swallows indicated their fright by 
their harsh screams, and it will never be' known how 
many failed to answer at the morning roll-call. 
At sun-up, Dayne and the Nipissing went trolling for 
maskinonge, the king of these north country waters. 
According to the opinion of our husky guide, this was 
the only best place to catch the largest fish. "Much 
feesh dere. Very much beeg muscallonge dere." Dayne, 
the medical student, tells us they are still there. While 
they were gone I saw what John called "musquash" 
(muskrat) push several tows of green grass through 
the water to the bank, where there were likely some 
young. This little creature had no fear of us. 
Although Dayne caught no maskinonge, he brought 
home a fine .string of pike. One of the largest of these 
pike contained a whitefish that would weigh two pounds. 
After breakfast of ham, eggs, bread, butter and coffee, 
we packed our dufile in our canvas and paddled away, 
calling "Auf wiedersehen" to Sandy Island. We 
threaded our way through the many islands and finally 
emerged upon the placid waters of the historic French 
River. This stream has been a short cut for travelers who 
sojourn to the Great Lakes. They came up the St. 
Lawrence, turned off and worked up the Ottawa as far 
as Mattawa, th rough Mud Lake, Turtle Lake, and 
Trout Lake to the Long Portage at North Bay; down 
the Nipissing to the French River, to the Georgian 
Bay, and thereby saved a journey of 400 or 500 miles. 
Down this river came Champlain, IBrebeuff and very 
many of the early Catholic missionaries, making this 
river a popular highway for white tourists when George 
Washington was a little boy. The river is as wide and 
stately as the Hudson. The part lying between Lake 
Nipissing and the Big Chaudiere seems like an arm of 
Lake Nipissing, and is studded with islands which are 
nearly all wooded with pine, hemlock, spruce and much 
jack pine. 
Being the only one in the party who was not expert 
in handling a canoe, the Nipissing was assigned to me. 
In and out, and around these islands we threaded our 
way until we came to Island No. 126, where we halted. 
A camp-fire was made and tea boiled. Dayne trolled 
once around a small island and caught three large bass, 
which we had for dinner. While we prepared the fish 
for the frying-pan. Doctor Bragdon, whose eyes see 
more and whose ears hear more than any other set 
of eyes and ears I have ever observed, explored the 
island. He soon returned, bringing a large bunch of 
the rare and rich Cypvipedium spcctabilis, one of the, 
most beautiful of the orchid family. After dinner I 
found numerous specimens of this fine flower. Five 
miles further down the river we landed at an Indian 
settlement for some milk, but were driven off by clouds 
of black flies. These black flies are interesting bugs. 
When they , bite they make a wound from which the 
blood flows in a tiny stream, and when many are seek- 
ing to devour you the sensation is awful. My linen 
collar was wilted down with blood. In the evening we 
saw the deer come down to plunge into the river to 
escape this terrible scourge. 
We pitched our tent on a bare, rocky island to avoid 
mosquitoes, and by lining the tent with netting were 
able to keep most of them away. I saw the Indians 
milking their cows while the smoke of burning moss 
enveloped both cow and milkmaid, the smoke keeping 
the mosquitoes away. Fortunately these pests rarely last 
after July i. 
We made our beds of moose moss, which is soft, but 
soon packs down solid. It makes a good bed, but the 
odor, to me, is very offensive. I prefer the jack pine 
or the spruce or the fragrant bals,am. 
All around our island was fine bass fishing, and in a 
few minutes we could catch enough to eat and many 
were returned to the water. In this cool water fish 
are full of fight, and I must concur with Henshall when 
he says, "Pound for pound, inch for inch, the bass is 
the gamest fish that swims." I caught three bass here 
that would weigh twelve pounds and afforded me some 
of the rarest sport I have ever had. 
For many years I have made summer pilgrimages 
to North Bay, Kippewa Lake and Lake Temiscaming, 
and from the Indians in all these localities I had heard 
many strange stories of the greatness of William 
Dokiis, one of the Nipissing Indians. Dokiis has made 
considerable money by trading in furs and supplies 
throughout this northern country. He is the chief of 
a little band of Indians that occupy Okickendawt 
Island, and is indeed a very remarkable man. He offers 
$10,000 to the white man who will marry either of his 
aaughters. 
Now I know many of my bachelor friends in the 
States who would be interested in this proposition; so 
Doctor Bragdon and I planned a visit to his home 
three miles back in the forest. As we paddled into a 
large bay, called Dokiis Bay, I noticed several bear 
skulls hanging on the balsam trees. Here the Indians 
never allow bear skulls tO' be worried by the dogs or 
to be kicked about the camp. The lower jaw is care- 
fully bound to the upper jaw and hung on the balsams; 
by these solicitous plans do these superstitious red men 
hope to appease the spirit of the deceased,* and soothe 
the anger of his friends and relations. The Indians 
are angered if you disturb these skulls in their resting 
place. Not only the one who killed the bear, but his 
friends and relations will resent any impious treatment 
of Br'er Bear's cranium. When unobserved, I pur- 
loined a large head. This will adorn my den when I get 
one. 
,We landed and climbed to the top of a commanding 
hill, from where we could see miles up the French 
PJver. We picked our course through a forest of pine, 
cedar, balsam, black and white birch. From old birch 
trees hung loose bark and the trees were bearded with 
moss. We crossed the swamp on cedar logs that had 
been laid there_ during the winter, and entered the 
woods on the hill beyond. There were many ferns all 
around and several of strange variety, but all seemed 
dwarfed in size, presumably on account of the severity 
*See .reference to same superstition in Mr. Brown's article on 
"Hunting the Bl^ck Sheep." 
of the winters, for in Muskoka, ferns grow large and 
luxuriant. 
At the top of the hill we came upon a real old-time 
Indian tepee made of poles, bark and skins of animals. 
Smoke was coming out at the top and curlmg up 
through the trees. I had longed for years to see the 
primitive abode of the red man, and fearful, lest the 
vision vanished, I took a snap-shot and then hastened 
to see how many dusky denizens of the woods resided 
herein, and was chagrined to find this was not a resi- 
dence, but a smoke house. Within hung a ton or more 
of sturgeon drying, higher up hung strips of venison 
being smoked and dried. 
While we were examining the contents of the tepee, 
one of the aforesaid $io,ooo-prize maids came along bear- 
ing on a wooden shoulder yoke two pails of spring water. 
Since the dowry was large, the interest in the coy 
Indian girl was larger. Old Dokiis has two daughters 
of marriageable age or more. Little Angelina was 64. 
and Louisa, what you could detect with a pair of opera 
glasses, younger. 
The stipulations are that the young Lochinvar must 
be either Scotch or Irish and Catholic — must have 
means of his own requirements, and have a reputation 
for integrity and sobriety, it being the determination 
of the old chief that no skittewaba (whiskey) shall 
ruin the happy homes of his girls. Guess they are now 
safe. 
A bit further on we came to the house surrounded 
by the proverbial round-pole fence. The house was an 
ambitious structure of smoothly hewn logs, neatly 
joined and spotless in a fresh coat of white-wash. 
Everything within and without that house was a model 
of neatness. 
The chief was down at the Big Chaudiere (pro- 
nounced, shy-air) spearing sturgeon and presently re- 
turned and dropped on the wood, pile some sturgeon, 
demonstrating that at 90, his eye was sharp and his 
aim sure, since both are needed to spear sturgeon. 
Here indeed- was a wonderful character — simple in 
manner, taciturn as becomes the Indian, and both 
truthful and honest. 
As chief he has power to dispose of some 30,000 
acres of pine timber that are a choice tract. Lumber 
merchants have offered him thousands of dollars in 
bribes to sell. They have wheedled and brow-beaten 
him all to no purpose. "No, no, no, no! My people 
walk under pine tree for long time, very-very long 
time. Hunt here. Spear sturgeon here. Paddled 
canoe here. Me no sell! No, no, no, indeed no!" 
I may say his progeny will have no such high ideals 
to mamtain, for the son said to your correspondent: 
"Me want to sell very bad for very good price. Pine 
tree no good to Indian." 
These Indians are all very superior people. In a 
hou.s_e belonging to a family of a deceased son of Old 
Dokiis, I observed a piano and other musical instru- 
ments. This son had married a quarter-breed Indian 
at Moose Factory on Hudson Bay. Hither this girl 
had gone from Ottawa as a little girl. Her sister 
stayed in Ottawa, and later married, her husband finally, 
becoming the Earl of Strathcoma. Thus the hand of 
destiny sent one to the solitudes of Canada and her 
more favored sister to the Court of St. James. Re- 
cently the Countess died leaving $20,000 to this family 
of Dokiis. 
On our way home we flushed a merganser duck that 
swung in circles over our heads. A silver-crowned 
eagle spied the duck and came down upon her with 
wings set, and speeding like an express train. But 
the duck has some speed herself and dropped, into the 
water and was saved. 
_A short distance above, on the top of the tall, dead 
pine, a pair of eagles have nested for- over twenty 
years, and were still there last summer; but some 
vandal will shoot these birds and this interesting land- 
mark that is on the river brink will thus vanish. With- 
in a quarter of a mile below there is another eagle's 
nest, and I understood there were young in each nest 
last season. 
Saturday afternoon was spent in fishing and cruising; 
and such fishing! The bait was as much sought after 
as a city lighting contract./ Long strings of bass, pike, 
pickerel, maskinonge, and, in streams hardby, trout 
may be taken. 
Sunday morning was spent in shaving, bathing, and 
in a general cleaning up. The writer borrowed a camp 
ax, and for a couple of miles blazed a trail. I had 
heard so many say that it is no easy thing to follow a 
trail unless it is made with care. A mile back in the 
woods, I came upon what we called in Pennsylvania a 
"pheasant." I figured the bird would dash toward a 
spruce thicket, so I aimed a stone at a black spot on 
the ground, full three feet from the bird, calculating 
she would reach this spot in her flight to the thicket. 
I threw the rock — the pheasant never moved a feather, 
and, strange to relate, I knocked the bird over and 
killed it. I hung it on a birch branch and hastened on 
and soon came to a swamp and was forced to retrace 
my steps. I soon lost the trail and could not find my 
bird, but finally struck the river above the canoe. 
I persuaded our dusky Indian guide to go along to help 
hunt the dead bird, and in an incredibly short time 
he found the trail and followed it as easily as I would 
walk up Broadway. Every stone that had been dis- 
