Adventures in the West by David R. Elliott

Author:David R. Elliott
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dundurn Press
Published: 2008-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

Courtesy of the Glenbow Archives, NA–1041–6

Hudson’s Bay Company voyageurs at a portage on their way to York Factory. From Picturesque Canada, circa 1882.

September 5, 1875: “. . . Two Red River boats arrived this morning with some provisions which [were] badly wanted. Still no fish, although we have twelve nets in the water. We only got 15 suckers and 2 whitefish this morning. Mr. German held the usual services today. The attendance was better than usual owing to the number of men about the place.”

September 6, 1875: “. . . Only 3 suckers and 4 whitefish out of twelve nets. If the provisions had not arrived when they did we would have been starving soon. I wish for my own part that Mr. Sinclair was back as I am not used to giving out provisions at the present rate.”

September 7, 1875: “. . . I do not think that I have enough hay ‘but I have my orders’ so I must obey them as far as it is in my power . . . Wm. Ray attending the nets but getting nothing worth mentioning. Only 4 whitefish and 1 sucker this morning. The calls for charity in the way of something to eat is something awful, but it is hard to refuse as everyone knows that it is a bad thing to be hungry.”

September 9, 1875: “Snowing and raining all day. It is going to freeze hard tonight . . . We got a better haul of fish this morning: 9 whitefish, 5 trout and 14 suckers. A lot of Indians arrived today from God’s Lake with a little fur which they gave me. I think all the hay is gone to the land of nod. . . .”

September 10, 1875: “Beautiful bright day, wind from the SE. Mr. Sinclair arrived from Norway House about 4 o’clock p.m. . . .”

September 13, 1875: “. . . Mr. Sinclair and myself busy all day debting some Indians that are waiting to get off as soon as possible and the sooner they get off the better as they are a bother . . . Ray attending the nets. We are getting a little more fish now: 19 whitefish, 15 suckers and 2 trout from the nets this morning. I hope the fish will increase as it will save the flour and pork.”

September 15, 1875: “There was a hard frost last night and it has been very cold all day. Debted a few Indians in the forenoon. Four Indians arrived from Trout Lake this afternoon. They brought in a lot of furs. They are the dirtiest lot of men that I have ever seen. They beat the Nelson Indians re being dirty and the Nelson River Indians are dirty enough.”

September 18, 1875: “. . . I gave myself a cut in the leg with an axe this morning which will keep me quiet for a few days.”

September 21, 1875: “. . . The place looks very lonely now that all the Indians are off.

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