New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-28

and moro nroductivp of misery than the mosqulto
The first steamer for Labrador Will leave d.
Johns on July 81 On arriving at Batue iiarDor'
in the Strait of Belle Isle. mails and passengers
are transferred to another steamer winoh ru''' as
far north rs Main one Of the Moravian mission
stations calling at the principal intermediate
norts Mr. Rrvaut and party will be landed al
Rigolet q post of the Iudson's BAY Conpuns
I'm Hamilton Iuet Thence q sail OF two GAYS WIN
hiring them 20 the Northwest River. at the head oi
the Inlet. where there is another post OF the HUI
sons Bay Company. Here their preparations ior
the ascent of Grand River must be made. boa's
or canoes must be procured guides ana ooa'men
ENGAGED. The mouth Of Grand River is at
short distance from Southwest River Goose bay
River being inst passed. In one days boating
on Grand River the first falls-seventy feet, taken
I'm two leaGs-are reached. Here boats, provisions,
etc. muse he portrayed TO the bead OF the faiis'
There Is first O steep ascent of 2l0 feet; then
level path through the woods Of about half
mile and then q descent 70 the river Of / 40 feet
Boats have to he dragged along the rough por-
tage path and then the stuff has TO be carried
on mems shoulders.
Up to this point the current Of the river is mod
crate and wide. so that sails and oars can DE used
most of the way but above the falls the TiVer
narrows and the water flows rapidly. Now TOT
the voyagers the tug Of war begins. Rowing
becomes impossible. except at Gull Island Lake
and near It. and tracking most Of the distance Is
necessary. This is hard work as the banks are
rugged In the extreme. and the crackers have 10
scramble over jagged rocks. boulders and fallen
timber. dragging the heavily laden boats. and hav-
ing often to change from one bank to the other
TO avoid various obstacles that are met to pass
PERCEPTIONS cliffs that line the river.
After two DAYS struggle Of this kind. Gulf
Island Rapid is reached. and though short 10 is
fierce and difficult to ascend. especially lust after
heavy rain. Here all cargo must be taken
ont of the boats Which, with one man steering.
have to be slowly and painfully dragged through
the rapid. while the stuff is portrayed along the
rugged shore.
Above the rapid the river flows through a
gorge for fifteen miles, with very swift cur
rent, rendering tracking again necessary most Of
the way After this more rapids are reached in
successon-U Horseshoe, Ninipi and Mount Rapids
the most formidable being Nimpi Rapids, where
the banks are extremely rough and burnt forests
spread around.
When the Mount Rapids are past the voyagers
find themselves entering Lake Waminikapou.
which is 40 mks in length, the Grand River
flowing through it, The entrance Of this lake is
so miles from the mouth Of the river, and now
the explorers have comparatively easy times in
rowing or sailing the length of this lake TO the
point where the Grand River enters it-a distance
of between forty and fifty miles. AS far as at
present known about thirty miles of further
river navigation will bring the explorers TO the
object of their search, the Grand Falls. But
what are the difficulties TO he encountered in
those last thirty miles is entirely unknown, as
no white man has made tie ascent. When, how
ever, this point has been reached it will require
something formidable indeed TO prevent a party
of daring Americans from seeing the famous falls.
In 1887 a young Engshman-Randle f. IIolme.
of Oxford University-made attempt TO reach
these falls but after conquering oil the difficulties
of the rapids and rowing half way up Lake
Waminikapou he had TO turn back for want
of provisions. He had so little food left that TO
perSevere would have meant starvation It was
tantalizing to be obliged to turn back when, as
he rec1oncd he was within fifty miles of the
falls and twenty of these would have been the
still waters Of the lake. The cause Of his failure
was that he was misinformed to the distance,
and did not carry with him sufficient stock Of
provisions. He was also too late in starting
August "a being the date of his entering Grand
River, and he was insuflicently equipped, hav-
ing only q small boat with two men. lie showed
great pluck, however and bnt for the cause re-
ferred 10 would have reached the goal. Bad
weather also detained him at several points. The
account of his journey is interesting, and from
it many of the foregoing facts have been gathered
regarding the river and the distances. No
one since has attempted to reach these
'als Sir Henry Blake, now Governor of Jamaica,
lad made progress in arrangements for a
Journey to the falls, but his removal cut short |
he project. He was an experienced traveller, |
md would hardly have failed had ne once entered |
IN the journey.
| sincerely hope that Mr. Bryant and his party |
nay succeed in lifting the veil and telling us |
Ill about these mysterious falls. Possibly, after |
spending part of the summer IN exploration. they |
may be Induced to pass winter in extending the |
knowledge Of this vast peninsula of the Interior |
If which far less is known than of the interior OF
Africa. The experience Of the officers and men |
Of the IIudson's Bay Company and of several mis-
il0nares who have spent years In this great and |
terrible wilderness proves that even the winter |
here is far from being comfOrtless aud IN Ger |
ain circumstances may be even agreeable. Winter |
S the season for travel and exploration, and also
or sport. Flying over the frozen rivers at the |
ate Of twenty miles an hour, behind team of
,avage Labrador dogs. is different thing from |
painfully and slowly dragging boats against swift |
'iverS and roaring rapids.
Nature in her widest and granndest forms can |
De studied in Labrador The region presents the |
great attraction of novelty Few portions of il |
beyond the coast have been visited by white men, |
IS rocks, its vegetables and animal productions |
rs soil and climate. all objects of study for the
naturalist and scientist Only the barest outline
If its geography is yet ascertained Here too, the
ed man Is still found in more primitive con- |
lition and treer from the effects Of contact |
With the white races than in any other part OF |
he continent. The traces of European footsteps |
L Labrador are yet faint and few, that the |
ed races in their original condition may still be
studied here. The EsqumauX, TOO, who never |
cave the coast may still he found in their unadul
Grated simplicity though the bulk of them are |
low converted to Christianity.