The sun., 1894-05-05
IN TIE LABRADOR WILDS.
A LETTER FROM THE LEADER OF THE
GOTERSNRNT EIPEDIIIOM

several Delays, extending IN All over eNhctly
hvs months. or more than sufIleient time TO
have twice circumnaViRated the globs. letter
has Just been received in Quebec that was
despatched from Northwest River Post. Bam-
ilton Inlet, Labrador. on Dec. 8. 1893. by Mr.
A. p Low the fam Gus explorer. in charge OF
the Canadian Government expedition to the
interior Of Labrador. The pos,marks upon
the letter show that IL reached Battle Harbor.
Labrador. on Jan. 81 and left that desolate
spot on Feb. 8. 1t was at LAnRe-au-LouD on
Feb. IL
Though a private letter to n friend. Il Ia
deeply interesting. containing many more de-
tails than furnished in the brief preliminary
report from the expedition published week
or two ago by Government authority. both as
TO the adventures Of the party who were the
hrst to traverse the entire Labrador peninsula
from south TO north. and also In regard to Mr..
Lows plans for crossing IL this year from east
20 west. a distance Of over ! 500 miles through
entirely unknown and unsuryeJed territory.
When he wrote his letter. 8Tr. Low. who is
married man. had not had q word from home
since leaving civilization last June. and H. as
often happens. the mail was unable to reach
Hamilton Inlet last month the party could not
possibly have any news from home until Its
return next autumn. Some OF the parties to
whom Mr.. Low cent messages have died since
his departure for Labrador.
No less than seven OF the Indians engaged
By Mr.. Low at Lake st. John deserted the party
at Aistassini and turned back Nothing could
induce them to go further. although they had
agreed to help the expedition to the East Main
River. north .oi Mistassini. whose headwaters
had to be Ascended in order to reach the In
terror. Instead OF proper guide. only an old
man aud boy could be obtained at Mistassini.
and as Low found that he and his assistant.
Mr.. Eaton. had to load and unload the canoe
for them. and carry both 1t and its contents
over the portages. he grew afraid lest soon
they should have to carry the old man and the
Dor as we'll and so sent them home.
from the Rupert. the outlet OF MistassinL to
the East Main River the party were compelled
pIorers them selves as well as their remaining
men having to carrJ loads OF some 1 20 pounds
1hs wes o hs SS
s. Sss SSSsf 'fs fs. % Main Rvs5 en- Wien
rough and rapid Three-iourths Of the country
hersabouts has been devastated by forest ilres:
low, stunted black spruce and small scrub
Dine or cypress. with a few larch. balsam
The expedition ran for forty lies uI a email
northeast branch OF the East Main and crossed
s.ssht a oi land M into ] smother branch and long
chain of lakes drained by i. finally cross
HssS ssfe soash 81 niles rom m
mouth. Is = VERY largo stream, The zig tiyer
nows into Hudson Bay laO miles north of the
soendsd 1t TO Lake Nichicoon. where there IL .
email Hudson bay COMPANY post supplied
Three large canoes are employed all sum.
mer taking out the previous winters hunt and
Sear. asGT these @ canoes @ % ieaSe Nichicoon as soon
o. the ice is out OF the lakes. about June ~,
and do not return again until the end Of
From Nichicoon TO Lake Caniapscow. a dis.
tance OF eighty n,iles, the route lay through
N intrieafA string of la EaR nn1 n Rmal
height OF land, This lake ia the bead adwaters
Of the river oi the same name the prips,psl xo
Euides 10 UnEsva bay. Lake Caniapseow is
Low reports the important discovery that 1t Is
wrongly placed. being TOO far north and lower
fn Il was is Aug Ii. Ii or two months after leaving
Lake At. John. when the explorers arrived at
fortnight longer was ocGupisi By them in the
perilous descent Of the wild stream to Fort
fIceedipgIy graphic Is Mr.. Lows dsserip-
eon OF the picturesque eanons discovered by
@ soaRssd Pf Ia ehe fsf a the the stream f or
over 300 miles. He says: The river flowing
out OF the lake is nearly quarter Of mile
Tapias Tor three or four. miles, At the third
rapid We met with what might have been a
Eu dSwn. s,aess rock Enocksd ns Sois in It. and
upset throwing. men and outfit into the
ments were caught by the men as they fell
out. and 80 were saved. Eaton lost his satchel
our thermomsters and weather observations
10 date. my revolver. AMI other sundTies; We
S Ss OqT osg s1Opsd d o.
noatsd s ~ and ,s. wsrs BSSsd ~ Se9H fRs
and. luckily. II was very bad. go that We were
not Inclined 70 eat too much of Our, supply
We ate food prepared without that condiment.
II is nothing after you get used 10 II. but that
without it mot to think that the Tread was
only soiiiined rAste. After the accident We
losses. dry the blankets and outfit. and mend
N. S,1 near, .r. miles SSlTw n. sss
nows In a shallow valley nearly on Level with
az sSAS a.S d sy
rapids filled with boulders. The surrounding
country Is rolling Nv with low % ranges Of hills &C
rocky hills. fall. in hall dozen miles over 3oj
hills that rise from 90 to zoo feet above the the
water From here TO its mouth the stream has
the moantaIns apon both sides rise almost
psrpsndieuisrlyt to the height OF 600 iest and
and are covered with white moss and Arctic |
shrub shrubs: The I1Tsr n,nn pats are wooded with
r. Froa % tie point fs shsrs s the river first enters
the valley for over 100 miles II deseends at an |
s 5S ssSsd sd s1Sa NIT 6s
are very sRai low and iilisd with large 6oaHiers
noes, while a constant crossing and rserossiRR
Of the stream must be male to escape the
shoAl water. Besides these almost continuous
rapids that extend nearly to the river smouth.
800 miles below. there are number Of direct
where the river naTTows and rushes through |
steep rocky goraes, The second 10 the finest / |
have ever seen. and II the falls on the Hamilton |
hiver Are better, theI are very Wild; indeed;
The river deseends with n iAll Of thirty feet |
into gorge, VARYING from thirty to hundred |
feet wide. with perpendicular and In many |
places, OysThAnging, Jagged rocky walls. that |
rlss 800 feet above the rushing torrent below.
This gorge ts about mile aud a la long. and |
terminates with a fall Of hundred feet Into = |
circular basin where the water Is all ehuTned |
TO foam. From this basin a narrow channel |
Leads Into a second and larger basin. thirty |
feet below. into which the river pTeclDitates |
ttself In decreasing series OF enormous waves. |
Below, Tor I've miles. the banks remain per- |
pendisular ana from 100 to 800 feet high. The |
total fall 10 $50 feet, and deduetinK 100 feet OF
direct fall the descent In the canon is 100 feet |
In . mile without Any break.