Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-01-22
Winter Travelling in Northern mlehl-


Winter Travelling I'm Northern BIicIi.
'rs--zsz-=5s' gan.
As our readers well know the residents of
the Upper Peninsula are almost entirely shut
ont from the rest of fhe world during the win
ter months. and until within two or three
years the only mode of egress has been by
snow-shoes and dog-trains. ~
The mails are carried by Indians and half
breeds when the travelling Is good, on their
backs, and when il is bad by dog-trains-
The snow falls to a depth from two TO five
or six feet. The snow-shoes used ny the men
are about eight to ten inches in width, and
from two and half to four and half feet in
length. They are fiat. and are made of a bow
of maple wood. round at the toe and coming
to point at the heel.wh the ends are fast
ened by thongs Of raw deer skin. The space
is filed by lace=work of raw deer or moose
skin strings, with the exception OF small
space immediately in front of a cross-piece of
wood. upon which the ball of the foot rests.
The shoes used by the women are smaller
than those used by the men, and of different
shape. The feet Of the persons using the
shoes are encased in mocassius OF buckskln,
sufficiently large to admit three or four thick
nesses of blanket. The blanket is used not
only to keep the feet warm, but also to pre-
vent the toes from being chafed by the strings
by which the shoes are fastenedto the feet.
The dog trains used are made Of fat board,
about half an inch in thickness, ten inches in
width, and from six to ten and twelve feet In
length. and are turned up in front. AT each
side of the train a rope is fastened. running
the whole leRgth of it. and a "train-cloth' of
canvas is us,d d. considerably larger than the
train. The articles TO be carried are placed
on the cloth. from one end Of the train TO the
I'll NJ l se hon faxynr har
and laced up by means of string passing
under the ropes at the side.
For a tramp the edibles carried are, usually,
some -four, pilot bread, salt pork. tea and
sugar; and cooking utensils, tin kettle and
fryng-pan. The food for the dogs is
generally tallow and corn meal. The bed
clothes are a single blanket to each man.
Indians or halfbreeds are employed as guides
and assistants during tramp.
Imagine white man and an Indian about
starting on tramp" of three or four hun
dred miles. through forest unfrequented by
all living beings except wild birds and
animals. The provisions are placed upon the
train, the dogs are harnessed to 1T, one ahead
of the other, to the number of four or five
The Indian takes the lead with his snOw-shoes,
the dogs follow with the train, and the ''pale
face" brings up the rear, with yells to the
dogs in front of him. Tramp, tramp, tramp,
until noon, when a halt is made; the train Is
unpack d. the kettle, tea, and sugar is pro-
duced, fire lighted, and, tafter taking cup
of tea, the word is given, and again the tramp
commences.
The party makes another halt in time to
prepare the camping ground before night sets
in. The dogs are left standing in their har
ness, the Indian takes the axe and cuts enough
fuel to last until morning, the white man
uses snOw-shOe for a shovel, and clears
away the snow until the ground is reached.
A shelter is then built over the cleared space,
of poles covered with evergreen bOugbs. The
front of the ''wigwam" is left open, and the
ground covered with hemlock boughs In
medately opposite the front a rousing log
fire is built the dogs embarrassed and the
supper prepared. The supper is composed
of cup of tea. some pork, cooked in the
frying pan, and some -four cooked in the fat
left from the pork.
After supper the pipes and tobacco are
produced, and the white man smokes in front
of the fire, while the Indian cooks the supper
of corn and talOw for the dogs, in the same
kettle in which the tea had been made but
few minutes before. After being satisfied with
bis smoke the pale face and Indian wrap
their blankets round them and lay down side
by side on the hemlOck bOughs. with their
feet to the fire, and sleep as sweetly and as
sOundly as seer did king upon the richest
damask." In the morning, before day the
Indian prepares the breakfast which is eaten
and the travellers again move on. The dogs
are fed once a. day, and the reason is they
travel much better. A distance of thirty
miles per day is Travelled with ease by those
accustomed to the use of snow-shocs. When
toward spring the days become longer and
the sun hotter, the travelling is done at night
and the resting and sleeping by day.
The veteran Indian ''snOw-shoer" will never
drink water or eat snow during the time be is
on his journey, as he says it makes him Every
much weak" The Indians and halfbreeds,
on coming in from a long journey, on their
arrival at their place of destination. viii. if
night is near and dance is in prospect, stay
about till the ball begins. go to il and
dance until daylight. We have known of
parties Of young men putting on their
snow-sho=s on Christmas morning. walk
ing thirty miles to a ball, dancing all
night, and then walkinga distance of twelve
miles TO breakfast. We have in our mind one
of the most wonderful feats of pednstrianisn,
which, IL it were not we'll subtantiated,
would he difficult of belief. 1t took place 8
number Of years ago:
Mr.. Schoolcraft, residing at Sault st. Marie.
wished to send an express to Mackinac, dis
lance by the trail about seventy-Rve miles. He
sent for balfbreed called La Branch. and
told him he must go to Mackinac. and that he
must start at IL o'clock VI. that day. La
Branch objected, as there was TO be ball in
the evening Of the next day. Shoolcraft told
him that he must go, aud that "a he wanted
to attend the ball if he was back from Mackin-
&c by 10 O'Clock the next evening he would
give him twenty dollars extra pay. At II
o'clock he started, and the next day at 10 p.
NJ. appeared again, having gone the whole
distance one hundred and fifty miles-in
thirty-four hours. After receiving the pro-
missed twenty dollars, he said "he could have
been in by o'clock, but he waited two hours
on the hill back OF the town for fear he might
get in ahead of time and lose his money!"
After leaving Mr.. Schoolcraft's store, La
Branch went to the ball and trpped the moe
casined toe until day-light Dgrou 4luerf,ssr