The new era., 1860-04-26
Written For the New Err
"Reminiscences of Missionary
Life 10 the Northwest.
No. 4
By REV. SHERMAN HALL.

BY REV. SHERMAN HALL.
Having decided who were to compose
the first mission family to the western
part Of Leke Superior, the next thing
was to make prepa alton for the jour
ney. We had already reached the
highest point where we could avail our
selves of t>ssels or other public CON
veyances for. travelling. No vessels
keel then plowed the clear, deep,
cool, beactifui waters Of Lake Superior
There was not sufficient cummerce on
this lake to warrant the expense OF build
lag vessel to sail on it alone; and the
falls Of ST. Mary's river, at its loves ex-
tremity, did not permit vessels to pass
up from the lakes below into this.
All tie travelling done in those days
on this lake and throughout the whole
OJibwa country was done in barges,
0eA1 u SohoCo, VI Oti iool. MOSl vi tue
country does not admit of the use ol
horses or other animals for travelling or
carrying burdens, except that in the win
ter time the dog is frequently used for
carrying light loads. A large portion
OF their country is covered with thick
woods, or is full Of marshes and swamps
and lakes
All the goods for the Indian trade
were conveyed at that time through the
lakes and rivers in these crafts, or on
the backs Of men, to the most distant
posts, some of which were from a thous-
and TO fifteen hundred miles from Mack
NAV by the routes usuall,- travelled -
Most Of the the goods were taken in
barges through the lake, to the point
whence they were to pe conveyed to
some interior post, and then transferred
to canoes by which they were taken in
land. These canoes are SO light that
they can be forced with poles up the
small and rapid rivers which flow into
Lake Superior and the Mississippi.
The barges used by the fur traders of
this regions thirty years ago were light
boats, made as strong as they could be,
with cedar ribbing and pine planks of
an inch and quarter thick, held to-
gether by common nails, with very little
iron fastenings about them They were
about forty feet in length, flat on the
bottom, without keels, pointed at each
end, and eight or nine feet wide on the
top at the widest point in the SWELL
They were so shaped that they would
ride over a considerable sea, when not
too heavily loaded. They were sup
piled with sails which were used only
When the wind blew directly aft or but
few points quarterng. Oars were
their principal propelling power. Five
men were the usual crew to boat
four to man the oars and one at the
helm. They were supplied with rud-
ders, but the stearing was most fire.
quently done with large canoe paddle.
They had no decks, nor could any avn
ing be used to shield the passenger
from the direct rays of the burning sun,
or II a shower suddenly overlook him, to
prutect him from the pelting rain drops
These would carry from FIVE to six tons
burden. In going up the lake they
were usually loaded as heavily as they
would bear. They could not advance
against head wind--even though it
was but very light breeze,-and if the
wind blew from any other quarter enough
to produce slight sea they Immediately
put ashore. They always ran close
to land; for often the wind on the lake
springs up SD suddenly as to endanger
them, if they have to run any distance
before reaching the shore. If they are
driven ashore by the wind, they must
be unloaded and drawn up on the beach
to prevent them from being dashed to
pieces by the rolling waves, unless they
are fortunate enough to put into the
mouth of some river or find some little
indenture in the shore of the lake that
affords them harbor.
They were manned by Canadian
Frenchmen, who were used as the prin-
cipal employees Of the fur traders for
transporting goods through the lakes
and rivers and across the land to and
from their different posts. Occasion
ally would be seen at the oar a half
breed and an Indian. u.