The Portland daily press., 1891-10-21
EXPLORERS OF ENCHANTED GROUND.
Men Who Have Penetrated the In
dIans' Wonder Land.
Some Early Visits to the Grand Falls
OF Labrador.
Legends Of the Hudson Bay Compa-
ny's Trappers Recalled.

cal paper from st. Johns, N. f., describes
the trip of Mr.. Henry Grier Bryant Of Phil
adelphia to Grand Falls, Labrador Mr..
Bryant and his companions were only a
short time later than the Bowdoin College
students who made the journey last summer.
The Bryant party, while suffering some dis
comfort from poor food and the neglect
which deprived them of soap, got along all
right The letter also tells Of previous Wis
its said to have been made 20 the falls. This
portion of the letter follows;
In the month of August. 1889, John Nc
Lean, an officer Of the Hudson Bay Compa-
ny, who spent % years iu its service. was on
an exploring expedition In that ''great and
terrible wilderness" known as Labrador.
Leaving Ungava Bay, an arm of Hudson's
Bay. In company with Indian guides. he
sterility and desolation, and at length reach
ed Lake Petohikapon, whence the largest
river in Labrador takes its rise. 1t Is called
the Grand, or Hamilton river, and falls into
the head of Hamilton inlet after course of
about 400 miles. Following the stream In
ly down this river, which no white man had
ever seen before, when lone evening" :" he
says in his Journal, "the roar of mighty
cataract burst upon our ears, warning us
bUdt uuUHtT WAS db uduus We SOOu reached
the spot, which presented to us one of the
grandest spectacles In the world. About
six miles above the fall the river suddenly
contracts from width of from 400 to 600
yards to about 100 yards. then, rushing along
In a continuous foaming, rapid. finally con.
tracts to breadth Of about 80 yards ere it
precipitates itself over the rock which forms
the fall; when, still roaring and foaming, it
pursues its maddened course for about dis.
tance of 30 miles, pent up between walls of
rock that rise sometimes to the height of 800
feet on either side. This stupendous fall ex-
ceeds In height the falls of Niagara, but
bears no comparison to that sublime object
in any other respect, being nearly hidden
from the view by the abrupt angle which the
rocks form Immediately beneath us.
felt; not such seen; aSSweSes tSs extraordinary
force with which 1t tumbles into the abyss
underneath that we felt the solid rock shake
under our feet as we stood 200 feet above the
gulf. A dense cloud of vapor. which can be
seen at great distance in clear weather,
foot of the rapid-a distance of thirty miles
the Zigzag course of the river presents
such angles that you see nothing Of it until
within few yards of its banks. Might not
conclusion that the fall had receded this dis
tance? The mind shrinks from the contem-
plati0n of a subject that carries 1t back to a
period of time so very remote; for If the
rock, syenite, always possessed its present
solidity and hardness, the action of the water
duce such result"
Such is the account of the Grand Falls on
the Hamilton or Grand River by Mclean,
the first white man who saw them, in his
Hudson Bay Territory"-a highly interest
ing, book. published nearly fifty years ago
and now out of print, and l believe very
scarce. His description is correct and
graphic, though he underestimate the
hsra to get his canoe with the
ried past the falls and beyond this huge
winding canon, so as to launch it again and
follow the river to the sea. Ali in vain.
After struggling for whole day through
b0gs, swamps and fallen trees, he found the
river inaccessible. and at length gave up the
attempt and returned to the post whence he
started. The falls could not be circum-
vented and he says, with heavy hearts and
weary limbs we retraced out steps,"
For 20 years after McLean's visit the
Grand Falls were left to thunder ON in their
solitude in this land of desolation. No In
dian would approach them, as they have a
firmly believed tradition that no one can
be the abode of evil spirits who are fitting
about under the mist canopy that shrouds
the dreadful boiling caldr0n. Thirty years
ago, however, a Mr.. Kennedy. who had
charge of Fort Nascopee, trading port Of
the Hudson Bay Company, on Lake Petchi-
kapoD, resolved to visit the falls. lie sue
ceeded In inducing an Iro luois Indian who
was at the fort to act as bis guide. This
Indian. who Is still alive, rejolced in the
name of Louis-over-the-fre and did not
share the superstitious dread of the falls
common among the Labrador Indians. Stim-
ulated by the white mans gold, he led the
way and stood beside the awful chasm.
am not aware that any account of Kenne.
dy's visit has ever been given to the world:
but the traditions of the Hudson Bay Com
pany and the living testimony of Louis put
1t beyond doubt. The story of the falls be-
came dim tradition and was almost forgot
ten.
At length, in 1887 Mr. Randale f. HJlme,
an Englishman. resolved to penetrate these
wilds, and solve the mystery. He went
considerable portion of the distance but was
forced to turn back by lack of provisions.
Bryants party last summer followed the
river to the head of canoe navigation and
were then fortunate enough to discover the
Indian trail to Fort Nascopee, which had
been disused for 27 years. They crossed in
succession ak lakes with intervening p0r-
tages. The scenery along these lakes was
beautiful; the climate delightful, the days
warm and the nights cool.
Having reached a seventh lake the party
abandoning the Indian trail, struck out for
the falls In northwest direction, being In
light marching order. and carrying only
small stock of provisions. Their course now
lay through trackless wilderness, awful In
at length, after weartsome tramp Of two
days, their hearts were gladdened by sight
of the object of their tolls.