The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-10-08
LIFE ONEHUDsON BAY.

) ing name of a bay, receives the waters
numerous rivers, including the Kiss
katchewan, Hayes, Seal, Severn, Alban
and Churchill. The Churchill is MAZE
tic stream, about mile and half wild
at its mouth. 1t is bounded on the sout
by low point of rock and sand, on tn
north by low range of sand, thrOug
which rocks peer out at different points
On the extremity of this range is the poin
on which, about the year 1745, was con
structed granite fort, mounting thirty
SIX or thIrty-eight Founders; to which
owing to the shOal water which EXTENDED
three-quarters Of a mile, there was no ap
prOach except by the narrow isthmus
Of this fort, the well-knOwn traveller, Mr.
| Samuel Hearne, made a shameful sur
render to the French in 1892. When d,
La PerOuse arrived within about fouI
miles of the frigates, Hearne permitted
| him to take soundings in the river with
out the least molestation. This immu
nifty encouraged the French Admiral t.
land next day four hundred men, who
marched direetlX 10 the fort, with no Other
weapons tfran s1rfah aims. Hearne re-
sisted the entreaties of his men to be al
lowed to NOW down the approaching
enemy. He replied by opening the gates
and gOiug out to meet the invader, tC
whom he surrendered at discretion. All
the stores in the fort, together with large
quantity of furs, fell into the hands OF
men who had obtained so easy conquest.
The fort was set on fire; but the stone
walls were of such strength that they suf
fered but little injury. The French COM
mander afterward confessed that if his
sounding boat had been fired upon he
would not have thought of attacking a
fort of such strength, at a season too far
advanced to permit of regular siege.
Mr.. Hearne was received with cold polite
ness by the French, who conceived con-
temptible opinion of his abilities as COM
mander of the fort. He was afterward
dismissed the cOmpany's service for cow
ardise.
Churchill Factory is situated about
five miles above the fort, on small bay;
and above it, extending a distance Of
seven miles, to the lower rapids, is a
large marsh. The factory receives its
supplies once a year from a vessel which
arrives in the latter part of August or
early in September, and starts back on
her hOmeward voyage after a delay of
about ten days, the severity of the eli
mate rendering it imprudent to make a
longer stay.
Blythe middle of November the Church
i'll river is enchained by ice, on which
even the spring tides, though they rise
ten OF twelve feet above the ordinary
level, have no effect. Not till the mid
die of June does the sun, getting the
mastery of the frost, compel it to release
its hold and let the river flow on its
course. By the middle of October the
marshes and swamps, not being agitated
like the river, by tides, are frozen, and
the earth covered with snow. By the
latter end of December snow covered
the stockade which surrounded the fac
tory from six to ten feet deep. Through
this mass pathways about four feet wide
were cut. Late in April the snow be-
gan to melt away. From the end of
October to the end of April it is i'm
possible to walk only on snow-shOes.
Accustomed to them from their youngest
years, the Indians use them with ease
and dexterity; but the cOmpany's ser
wants sometimes think them a serious
and find them the accom-
paniments of sore feet and sprained
ankles, and frequent tumbles in the
snow, from which it is not always easy
to rise.
In this climate, much of what is done
by the white inhabitants has direct
reference to their self-preservatiOn. All
the fuel that could be collected in the
of the factory, in 1875, |
was barely sufficient to supply single |
fire in the morning and in the evening. |
During the rest Of the day the only re- |
source of the cOmpany's servants, when |
he weather was bad, was to walk in the |
yuard-room under the protection Of
leavy coats of dressed beaver-skin.. On
nilder days grouse shooting may be in
lulged in. BY a stroke Of ingenuity ice
lgainst the piercing cold. The interior
walls of the house were covered with
water, which frOze into solid ice. The
ming was found to hold firm till the
eneral thaw of spring came.
In the intensity of the frost rocks, into
he crevice of which water had run, split
With report resembling that of a gun.
Everywhere they are punctured and riven
rom the effects Of freezing water. This
pIitting frequently takes place during
he thaw, and as late as the month Of
uly. These rocks, extending far to the
orth and the west, everywhere bear
larks of the same process. Among these
ocks are narrow valleys of rounded gran
5e pebbles, at a height of from twenty to
fly feet above the present level of the
"a. of which they appear to have been
nee the beach.
Early in October most of the birds of
assage take their departure for milder
Inmates, but Mr.. Hearne mentions in
5ances Of spotted gOdwits having been
not at the York factory as late as the
latter end" of October. When pools
f water freeze, and ice begins to hang
bout the river edges, the polar or white
ear makes his appearance. He prOwls
bout till the ice encroaches consider
bic distance on the shores of the bay,
hen he goes off to prey upon his favor
e food, the seal. While near the factO-
es he proves a great thief, and is not
isinclined, if need be, to fight for his
Ooty. Mr.. Thomson, who wintered at |
hurchill in 1895, tells of an incident
hich happened in November, when the
low was eighteen inches deep, of q she
ear coming in contact with a grouse
unter. The hunters gun missed fire,
nd in his attempt to make off he fell on
is back. The bear walked up, and hook
lg one of her fore-paws in one of his
dragged him on toward her
lbs. When his first fright was over, the
ears prisoner recovered himself suffi- =
entity to prime his gun anew, and he
anaged to send its contents into the
ely of the animal. She fell with
owl; and the hunter improving the OPP
1rtunity, got off as fast as snOw-shOes
ould permit. When taken young, the
,lar bear is easily tanned, and whether
his tame or wild state, he displays a {
eat deal of sagacity. If we are to be-
eve the accounts of the Esquimaux, he
axes profitable exercise of this quality {
his great work of seal-catching. When
; finds the ice-hole of a seal in a mass j
elevated broken ice, he conceals HIM
If; and when the seal, having come
rth, are drowsily basking in the sun, he {
rings upon one in its halfsleeping con- ?
ton and hugs it to death, cutting with
IS teeth the sinews on the back of its
eek. When bruin has rendered his vic Z
m powerless, he feasts upon it at leisure. {
The return of spring midsummer, after 8
long. gloomy winter, in these regions, |