The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-01-08
An Arctic Mail.

Down upon the ice of the Red River of
the North, below the walls Of Fort Garry,
there began in the latter part of December
dog-sedge journey which supplies mail
matter to at least one. sixth of the Western
Continent. The isolated position of the
many posts nt the Hudson's Bay Company,
and the wide and trackless wastes separa-
ting them from all means of communication
with the outside world, and even with each
other, by any OF the ordinary channels OF
intercourse, necessits.tc certain methods of
mail transport peculiar to this country alone.
The boat brlgades of tho summer carry a
mail In addition to their freight; but in the
long winters, when the waters arc locked
up in Ice and the plains covered with snow,
leaving scarcely u landmark discernible by
which the days course may be steered,
other appliances take the place of plank
bottoms and sturdy oarsmen.
Every year, about the 10th of December,
when the landscape Is clothed in it's winter
raiment of white, and the rivers and lakes
are covered with thick ice. there 0tarts from
Fort Garry, bound north, the accumulation
of mail matter known as the Great North
ern Packet. Through its agency commu-
nication is had with every post in the ter
rrory. Tho appliances for the carriage of
this important packet are snow shoes and
sledges. The latter, generally four in num-
Der, are drawn by dogs, of which there are
four TO each slcdge, anu IN whose trappings
considerable taste and ornament arc dis
played. Their drivers, one to each slcdge,
lightly clad for running alongside their
trains, are shod with snow shoes. Each
alternate slcdge is loaded with whitcflsh as
provision for The dogs upon the journey
every animal receiving a single tisn at the
termination Of tho days travel-and pcm-
mican and tea for the drivers.
There Is bound upon each of the remain
ing sledges pair OF stoutly constructed
boxes, measuring about three feet in length
by eighteen inches IN width and fourteen
inches in depth. These wooden mail bags,
when properly packed, contain an astonlsh-
ing amount of printed and written matter.
These receptacles being secured upon the
sledgcs, the party sets forth upon its long
Journey, the dogs running at regular trot
from morning till night, and the drivers
accompanying them on foot, AT the rate of
about forty miles day. The route taken
IL generally that followed by the boat bri-
Badcs IN the summer, shortened whenever
practicable ny crossing points of land jut-
ting out into the lakes, and striking over
land from bend to bend Of the rivers. But
the ice forms the general roadway, and the
whole length of Lake Winnipeg is travcrs-
ito Norway House at It's northern extrcm-
lty. This post constitutes what may be
called general distributing ollce-thc en-
tire packet being ovcrhauled and rcpackel,
30 az TO separate matter going North and
west, from that gong eastward toward
uudson's Bay. Ths latter Is consigned TO
nj fH l..
first carriers, and bringing with 1t the mail
from York Factory in tho bay. After ef-
fccting an exchange the runners separate,
returning Immediately to their respective
starting points.
A now set of packet bearers now travel
from Norway House, carrying the great
mail for the North and West to Fort Carl
ftOn--the chief centre Of the winter packct
arangemente--near tho eastern extremity
OF the great Saskatchewan Valley, q dis
tancc of about seven hundred milce, where
The process of unpacking aud redistribution
again takes place, matter directed 20 the
North being now separated from that 60
ing West. The runners who come down
from the Saskatchewan, in tho West, and
those from Norway House, whose Journey
have just traced, there await the arrival
OF the outward-bound express from the cx-
treme Western districts, strictly 30 called,
being those Of Mackenzie River and Atha-
Daska. When tho runners coming from
theso three directions have met and ex-
changed burdens the last grand link IN the
operation Is completed. The mail for the
West returns; the Norway House men re-
trace their steps eastward; while the Great
Northern Packet journeys on In charge of
the men who have como to moet 1t from the
remote arctic regions TO which 1t is conslgn-
cd. 81 ~ eitss ". ~ ~ @ s.s ~