Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-06-14
LAND OF DESOLATION,
A Trspper's Adventures on an Iceberg in
Hudson Bay

hu0bou nay
give you the story that was told by
old Pierre, the Canadian Voyageur and
trapper. when I was his guest some years
since in his Wilderness cabin north of the
ST. Lawrence;
elt is something more than twenty
wears ago" said he, "that | spent
couple of seasons In the service OF the
Hudson Bay & mpany. You know, |
suppose, that for two centuries they
have had the monopoly Of gathering furs
in the British puss,sslOns, and they have
to-day hundreds of hunters roaming over
tie country from the Columbia TO the
Frozen Sea Of the North, and l believe
that If they were certain there were any
fur bearing animals around the north
pole they would establish a post there.
'sMy district, which they III me choose
for myself, was on the western shore of
Hudson Bay, 30 far north OF Fort
Churchill that I was certain not TO be-
tonbled by any one else getting into my
territory.
"why did you go into suck a desolate
region ~ / asked.
| had been there before, and knew
that there was the right kind Of game
there. ! was after the black fox, the
ENulNNnh Nuu illA6h NAihhhAA AhAfhNA NANN
Is found in Hudson Bay Territory. lfa
trapper can catch single one of them II
is good seasons work, aud ] have
known some Of them to hunt for five
years without getting one, SO you can
understand why IL was that put on my
Rnow-shoes, shOuldernd my traps, and
trampcd north-wnrd for two weeks, only
stopping on tue way long enough to get
food and to camp at nights.
"At last l struck my home. IL was
indeed away up in the land of desOlation.
Looking OH to the east | could see moth
ing but the green expnnse Of Hudson
Bay, with the mountains of ice drifting
through it, wishing slowly oil towards
Bnnin's Bay, while, looking IN whatever
other direction might choose, was moth
ing but the white snow, or here and there
9 few dark punches of dwarlea pine"
GLOW did yuu manage to keep hit
going during that time ~ inquired.
81 was there for the better par. of TIVE
months, and during all that time neve
eaw or felt flicker Of flame, and neye
tasted moulhml of cooked food. Raw
nsh, seal, and bears meat--l walked int
them, or rather they walked into me
with as much enjoyment upon my &c
couut as was yours In eating that trcmen
dous lunch while ago.
"But that isn't here nor there.
isn't often ! 20 hungry no matter whei
may pitch my tent. made my bom
along tic edge OF Hudson Bay where
flung up a building made Of blocks of ic
aud kept myself as comfortable as a ma
could wish.
81 told Won that was after the blac
fox set three traps, several milt
npnrt, and made the rounds every morn
usin Nref rounh nm nv suON-gn gps
FOUND a black fox in each Of those thrC
traps remember" added the O
Canadian hs lis face was wrinkled Int
ID smile. shat when | reached the hr
trap and found what prize had gaint
that | gave a yell of delighti at Il
second came nigh losing my seuses, al
at the the third they were gone entirel
spent over an hour In dancing jig up'
my snow-shoes ninging up my hat, al
hurrahing, until | was little afra
that / would wake them up in LoudO
and have the whole city down upon
for kicking up such distW bance.
"The next morning caught two MOI
and on the morning after that had u
other, and since that time ! have neN
succeeded in catching.a single black i'
Those six must have cleaned out all
stock there was In that territory.
but when looked upon those six blai
glossy hides that had packed away
nv Ice house you may be certain thH
felt proud, and il made me happy
through the two months that ! sp
alone upon the shores Of Hudson Bay
You must know that the ice is sol
times piled hundreds of feet deep ale
the bauks of thai sea, aud u extend
good ways back FROM The watcf, so
every night slept upon the solid lee,
above ground.
cone evening as { lay down TO re
noticed that the wind WAS hlu~hs
bard from the south and the waves n
terrible thrcshing and grlnnlhg OF
ice. saw more than one iccbtig ~
by in the dusk of the evening on its
TO Bafin's Bay, from here, perhaps
sail ON it's course down the Atlantic RI
against the Gulf Stream; for tue oce
like the air, has its currents and couT
currents. Where the surface cur
flows in one direction there is one bent
lowing in the opposite. Constque
the larger part of the mountain oil
reaches through into the lower curT
which controls and sends il crashing
sweeping onward as II II were a stea
breastirC the winds aud waves.
"Wen," continued the narrator,
went to sleep that night in my Ice nc
wrapped up In my furs ard as warn
IL between TWO feather beds. As q
have any clock in my mansion cou
tell what time II was Int guessei
night was about half gone, when l
awnkepsd by the tipping and rockii
the zee. knew what that meant,
was out on the roof AS quick as
ming. -,
and The WAVES were all around me, '
| could lust make out TO see the lonl
of shore. piled with ice and drilted :
fading out in the darkness. My
and a lot of ice about Ms large
steamship had been broken loose ant
sweeping out TO sea.
sThe wind was blowing gallo an
waves rocked the mass SO that kr
was in bad fix; for in the hrsI pl
had no way in getting back TO the
land. Swimming was out OF the
tlon where would have turned in
icirle the minute ! reached mainls
could fight my way through the oh
waves.
''Besides that hadn't any fo1d-
single mouthfu. Ships, you know
very scarce in that part OF the
and might drift for weeks without
s,er hy a living p,rsoui and then
too that the acti.n Of the wind anf
ing waves must suOu cause my no
60 TO pieces.
"All this Won will think was emo
keep mans miud pretty busy,
Thought understood the situation
wells but WAS called upon to enc
not ouly these dangers but Other
greater.
~ hen | awoke ami crept ont
house must have been good MI
land, with the wind blowing like a
do from the south, which was ~
direction 10 carry me north into
Bay, and perhaps 10 the North Poll
II my raft could only hold togeth'
long.
''My only hope of getting b
where had started was in The pos
L L. 81 Laar a