Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-02-25
ROUTE OFTHE TRRELLs TO cHesTERFt0TNLET AND RETURN

ing their canned goods, provisions, five
gallons OF alcohol. which for weeks was
their only means of cooking, astronOm-
icsl snd scientific Instruments, and ex-
ira clothing.
Time had hurried forward, and it
was the 1St OF July when they started
with loaded canoes along the north
shore OF Lake Athabasca, making a
survey OF the shore as they went, for .
distance Of 21O miles. AT Fort ChipDe-
wyan, through the influence OF Dr..
Mckay, thew secured a guide TO accom-
panYthem as far as the Indians had
penetrated, toward the north. There
had been difused among the IRdlans,
in the Saskatchewan district, sort OF
terror OF this unknown land, and they
talked with the Indians euga5ed in the
expedition, trying 20 brighten them
from going. AT last the IrOquOis came
GO the explorers aud said: "These men
tell us shat the Eskimo, whom we shall
meet. will eat u.s." NO" said the
younger Tyrrsll, who had lived among
the Eskimo in Labrador, and
could speak the language, They are
good fellows. Don't be afraid. IL is
little wonder then, that before they
reached the east end Of AthabasCa Lake,
their guide deserted them, aud really
be had been of no service % them.
They made rapid progress along the
the lake, their cedar canoes shooting
along, while the guide in a birch bark
canoe was hardly visible 10 the distance.
At Fort Fond du Lac, about half way
down the lake, they Fell in with the last
Indians they saw, who described 30
them three canoe routes, running from
Black Lake, but who were ignorant OF
where they went They claimed that
after they climbed the height Of land,
they would get out Of the woods, and
sketched a map of the limits or the
woods, which they afterwards found
Incorrect.
Black river, which flows into the
eastern end OF Lake Athabasca, is a
rapid stream, broken by two cataracts,
forcing a portage OF seven miles. The
river has steep rocky banks and flows
from Black Lake which is sixty or sew
enty miles long. The lake has densely
wooded shores, heavy grOwths OF dark
spruce, intermingled with birch and
poplar, which crown the nearly perpen-
dicular banks OF black trap several hun
dred feet high. Its gloomy depths rem
dered more dark by the rock at the bot
tom, are of Dantean grandeur. Ihey
cOaSted along the shores OF this forbid
ding sheet ot water for twenty miles.
Mosquitoes were plenty, but the
black dies. small sand flies, apparently,
were so thick. that the air seemed TO
swarm with them The Indians have a
Legend that az Black Lake God first
made black flies, aud that these swarmS
are few left over from the innumer-
able Swarms that a0iict the globe The
lakes abound in fish, mostly white nsh
and trout
Leaving the lake. they plunged into
the untrOdden wilderness, climbing up
sleeps, through dense, dark forests OF
spruce, reaching a little lake, which
they crossed. and then eusued lot Of
uttle pOrtageS, Until they reached q
large lake almost fifty miles IN length,
which they christened Lake DAILY.
Around them spread a wilderness, above
them rose the wooded heights they were
Go gain.
The rock is Of Laurentian formation,
gneiss aud mica Schists. BY hard and
tedious climbing, they finally reached
the height OF land 1000 feet They
made portage OF mile, and found an
other lake about fifty miles in length,
aud trsversed it's western shore. Their
route was nearly due north. This sec
ond lake was entirely unCOnnected with
the height Of land. The Northern lake
is forty or fifty feet tue lowest, and is
wooded. Tired, sore, but enthusiastic,
thew reached she height of land, and re-
solved TO commemorate IT, Climbing q
tall tree. on the very TOP OF the conti-
pent. they trimmed off the limbs, and
nailed a flag 90 this primitive Flagstaff,
and left it as q memorial OF their enter
prise. Up 20 this time, they had seen
very little Of life. They had seen one
black bear, and caught a few fine fish,
both lakes and rivers being full Of them.
One of the party caught a trout IN
Black Lake which weighed twenty-five
pounds.
They found water flowing north from
the north end of the lake, aud followed
l. down, passing through several large,
ard some smaller lakes, where rapids
i,terrupted, and made difficult she nav
igstion. THEIR Indians were equal 10
tbe task aud showed wonderful skill in
running these rapids. All around them
we're foods. In fact, the barren lands
-,.ct