The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-12-11
On Snow-Shoes to the Barren
Ground.

Far to the northwest, beginning
ten Days journey beyond Great
Slave Lake and running down to
the Arctic ocean, with Hudson Bay as
it's eastern and Great Bear Lake aud
the Coppesmine River as it's western
boundaries, lies the most complete
and extended desolation on earth.
That is the Barren Grounds. the land
whose approximate 100000 square
miles (for it's exact area ia unknown)
is the dwelling place of no man, and
it's storms and sterility III its most
nog.herly part are withstood the year
round by no living creature save the
musk OK. There ia the timberless
waste where ice.adened blasts blow
with hurricane and ceaseless fury
that bid your blood stand still and
your breath come and go in painful
stinging gasps; where rock and
liehen and moss replace soil and trees
and herbage and where death by
starvation or freezing dogs the foot
steps of the explorer.
There are two seasons and only
two methods of penetrating this
great lone land of the North-by
canoe, when the watercourses are
free of ice, and on snow-shoes dur
ing the frozen period, which occu
pies nearly nine of the years twelve
months The deadly cold of winter.
and greater risk of starvation. make
the canoe trip the more usual one
with the few Indians than hunt the
musk.ox But, because of the many
portages. you cannot travel so rapidly
by canoe as on snow-ahoes. nor go 80
far north for the best of the musk OK
hunting. nor SEQ the Barren Grounds
at their best, or worst, as you care
to consider it That is why chose
to make the attempt on snow,shoes
Arthur Heming, the artist. and !
found ourselves, December p. 1894.
at Edmondton, the end of the rail
road. We had travelled on the Cana
dian Pacific via Winnipeg and Cal.
gary, and through the land of the
Creea. Blackfeet and Sarcee Indians.
without seeing anything so pic.
turesque in the way of costuming as
the Winnepeg d:agoon and a Sarcee
young woman resplendent in beads
and glittering tinsel really ought to
include the mounted policeman,f for he
too has uniform which, with scarlet
jacket and yellow stripped breeches. is
deserving of greater attention. But
the mounted policeman has that which
is far worthier of comment than uni
form He haa the reputation Of be-
ing the most effective arm OF the
Canadian interior Department Aud
he lives up to it, These Riders Of
the Plains," !" as they are called. patrol
a country SO large that the entire
force may lose itself within its do
mains and still be miles upon miles
apart. Yet this comparative handful
maintains order among the lawless
white men and stays diseontentment
among the restless red men IN man,
ner SO satisfactorily aud SO unosten-
tatiously as to make some of ouy
United States experiences read like
those Of tyre
The success OF the Northwest
Mounted Police may be accredited to
its system Of distribution through
out the guarded territory. Unlike
cur army, it does not mass It's force
in forts adjacent to Indian reserva,
tions Posts it has. where recruiting
and drilling are constantly going fol-
ward. bat the main body Of men is
scattered in twos and threes over the
country riding ii,her and tither-a
watch that goes on relief after relief.
This is the secret of their success,
aud system it would well repay our
own government to adopt The
police are ever on the spot TO advise
or to arrest They do NO: wait Tor
action until an outbreak has occur
red; they are always in action
They Constitute most valuable
peace assuring corps, and | wish we
had one like it.
a NEW YEARS DANCE IN THE NORTH.
wES@.
HalEbreeds-French and Cree
constitute the larger share Of popu-
lation at La Biche, # may class as
It's population those scattered over
the immediately surrounding country,
and where the settlement consists Of
last three cabins besides the Hudson
Bay Company's. But, after all. ehe
French blood reveals itself chic ) IN
a few Christian names and the
more fancifal eolosing and Sc Of
some articles Of wear, for .ere IS
little French spoken. the CT, dsen Of
Eoixed parentage almost ASarlaby