Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1852-04-28
Guuptr,a GlurkubtHg RrgiatR
LIFE IN THE wILDERNEss.

suAaA tAouSel apparently VI NhlPPsmasS
from the North shore. The Madeline or
Apostle Islands are in front. rising out of
the clear depths of Lake Superior; on
the right, far to the Southeast. and be-
You'd the Bay of Chegorinegan, rise the
Mountains that overlook the mouth of the
Montreal river. Near the lodge is small
fire, and kettle is suspended over it from
stake stuck in the ground obliquely
across the fire. There is no longer the
light OF day. but only lingering twilight
which, in high latitudeS, and under clear
skies, eliminates the western horizon for
hours after darkness has become general
in every other direction. What can be
more repulsive than the coarse features OF
that tall squaw, sitting upon her haunch-
es, Watching the kettle and the white hsh
which it contains. Now you get q profile
The few sticks she has just added to the
fire fash up, throwing holder light and
blacker shade upon the outlines of her
face. Now she rises, aud takes the kettle
and its contents into the lodge, where the
voices Of the children are heard. She is
heavy and awkward, but she is firm and
athletic, She moves like person con-
scious Of strength; and, what though la
Dor and many tedius marches have distor-
ted her limbs, there is still vigor in that
frame. Her face, broad and haggard as
it appears, is not altogether savage. Her
tangled hair. hanging wildly about her
shoulders, parting occasionally, discloses
head round, full and large-not square,
angular and distorted, as with many; in
truth, with most of her race and sex.
Let us take peep into that lodge. We
pull aside the blanket which attaches TO
the door, and (such is the Indian etiQuette)
it causes no surprise. Those children
evidently have white blood in their veins.
Indeed, there sits short and slender man,
beside whom the squaw towers up, like
the father above his son. Bon soir-
Entrez messieurs' entered. A Ca
madam Frenchman is never at loss for
words. Bouchettc, the trader whom we
SAW before us, WAS from Canada, and
French-the lowest voyageur, who serves
the Fur Company in the capacity Of SER
want, laborer, and soldier, for 500 to
$3.50 year-who cndures the fatigue of
iuceSsant travel, aud the exposures of ri
gorous seasons, SHOWS, rains, und winds,
from extreme youth to extreme age. new
er forgets to be in good humor to stran-
gers, and polite to everybody, Strange
beings hunger and toll, either of which
render most men morose and mutinous, do
not disturb the equanimity of the voya
geur.
He sings rs loud on short allowances
as on II full stomach. The livelong day
he packs his load Of ninety.ive pounds
across the Portage from pose to pose : rain
or sunshine, it is all the same to him.
At break of day he springs from his bed
of boughs, throws aside his blanket, full
of vigor and life. mimcry, spirits, and
music. But why did the sLunted Buuchettc
take to wife the Amazon who sits beside |
him? You shall hear. The winds rose
too freely over the sea on the morrow for
either party to proceed, We had won the
confidence of the trader in the evening, |
and ventured TO inquire why he should
mate with such woman, "a trader" in |
the northwest is an agent or clerk Of a
/ low grade, who is sent out from the sta |
i tons or posts to collect furs from the In
dian villages in the graduation of service,
he is next to the last or lowest. The |
Governor of the Hudson Bay Company is
great man, residing in London. He is
next in consequence to the Governor
General of India. He traverses the Brit
lsh North American dominions once in two
years; and making the circuit of the
world, returns to London.
Thence are next the Governors, the |
factors Of districts, having charge of sew
eral posts. They are partners in the
Company, men of force, of character, pro-
perty, and business qualifications. There
are under them factors of posts, then
clerks, then traders, then V0yGgeurS. The
Indian obtains credit for his goods in
most cases, and the traders are obliged
to make severe journeys in the cold of
winter, from village to village, clan to
clan, and family to family. AS fast as furs
are caught, they are collected, and taken
to the post on dry trains, and the Indian
who takes them credited on the books of
the Company.
Bouehette was engaged in this lonely
employment in the winter Of 1893, in the
vicinity of Lac Ia Pluie He was moving
in a company Of the Gems DIES Bots, vic
!ous, heartless and cruel tribe. AS they
)ourneyed on through the snow, their wild |
rice became exhausted, and yet the jour
ney must be pursued without delay, yes,
even without slackening their speed
Hard life How few people Of the States
realize the pains that are endured every
year in these far-otf regions of trade ~
How few of them are impressed with the
idea that the life of the Indian is a contin-
ued struggle with famine He has no.
thing to live for but food. In most parts
OF the northwest, especially before you
reach the Buffalo region it is moro than
nc usually docs, to procure a regular and
sufficient supply-not more than he can
do' but more than he actually does. His
confidence IN the Great Spirit is unbound