The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-03-20
THE HUDSON BAY COMPANY.
Interesting Information About q Com.
parativsfy Unknown Land.

THE HUDSON BAY COMPANY.
Interesting Information About Com.
parativsfy Unknown Land.
Those who have never seen life as il ex-
lists among the inhabitants of the Hudson
| Bay country would be astonished at the
extent of civilization among class of peO-
pie generally supposed to be savagCs, as
well as at the awful grandeur of the seen.
cry and forbidding aspect of the graveyard
| coasts along the shores of that nOrLuern
sea. In all the uninhabitable region Of
North America there is nowhere to I've
found more bleak and desolate, or dreary
waste than that between Ungava Bay, of
the coast of Labrador on the east, and Fort
Churchill, on the west and southern part
of Hudson Bay proper Although little is
known yet regarding this weird and frozen
region, it has had growth within the last
half century which has been something
phenomenal, and having been meas ured
according TO its needs by the God Of Nd
ture has gone ON advancing from age TO
age, until ut the present time, not alone the
more fertile Islands. but the extent Of iana
back from the coast on either side, is
thickly populated by people who hunt
and fish and breed and talk and chatter
even among the misery and destitution
which life In a region of perpetual frost
and snow must bring Hudson Bay itself
is really an inland sea, extending between
latitude 81 degrees and Ga degrees north,
and longitude n degrees and % degrees
west, and while about /, 900 miles long at
its greatest distance, is only about. 600 miles
in breadth, covering an area Of over 800,
4, g, III e.,
about three months II the year
from the middle June to the
middle of Septcp er nd for the
remainder of TIE car is filed
with drift ice, which renders navigation,
ever! for a short distance, an absolute i'm
possibility The eastern coasts of the bay
are sights to be admired, cliffs rising in
many cases TO height of from 200 to 400
feet abruptly from the waters edge, and,
being composed Of g!acier-like substance
which, being ever coated with ice and
frozen snow, shine in the sunlight until it
is almost impossible 10 look at them for
any length of time. The residents of this
section are not properly Esquimaux, but u
cross between this race and the French
and Indians, who have come in for the
purpose Of hunting and fishing and finally
settled down among the natives TO live rs
they do and share with them in the priva.
tons which no other life affords. On an
average. in the summer months. the ther-
mometer stands at about 45 degrees above,
while the temperature in the winter runs
as low as 60 degrees below zero and will
average about % degrees below. Fish are
scarce and can be caught only in the riv-
ers, of which on the east there is only the
Great Whale, while ON the west there arc
the Hayes, Nelson. Churchill, Moore,
Albany, Weeknisk, Main, and Abbitibhe.
Seal abound in plenty, but are extremely
shy and hard for the natives to get at.
while rorpoise and walrus are equally
difficult TO get hold of. Were it not for
the small fur bearing animals which are
about the shores the poor half-breeds
would stand very good chance of perish
ing by hunger, as they can expect nothing
in the way of favors from the Hudson Bav
companv's stores, a few of which are along
the coast. The natives live in little vii.
lagos composed of from fifty to 100
rude huts. Each community has its
place of worship and its church burial
ground, which IS consecrated by the Mora
Wan missionaries, few of whom are to
be found wandering about from village TO
village, from the eastern extent of the set
Elements down as far as Fort Churchill on
the west. These faithful, beloved men
expect no recompense for their services.
and if they did they wouldn't get it, for
there is not in all the country such thing
as money, the only exchange being in fish.
oil, or furs. Whenever one of tribe dies
the rest of his family-meaning by that
the entire settlcment-stop work for the
day and prepare TO bury him. If the set
Element possesses such thing as dinner
bell, and most of them do, the oldest man
in the village goes about from hut TO hut
and rings the bell in front of each until
the occupants come out, both big and lit
tie, and, falling into line, march after
him. When the circuit has been made,
and big and little are all collected, q march
is made for the kirote, as it is called. the
village church, which consists of about an
acre of ground simply enclosed by a wall
of stones near the middle of the commun-
ity. Into this little field go the entire pop
ulace, and after chanting the virtues of the
dead for some hours, the corpse is taken
away on a skin rack and covered with ice
and snow in the common burial plot. The
rest of the day is spent in rejoicing, and
the next day, if the deceased was married.
his better half makes another choice, and
at the end of a week, if an agreement be
come 10, the dead IL forgotten and the
no longer Borrowing ones begin life over
again