Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-29
AN UNEMPLOYED EMPIRE
Unknown Region Between the Rocky Noun
tains and Hudson's Bay.
Astounding In Arabic Land, in Timber
and In Rich Mineral Deposits
Voyage Full of Perils.
From the Toronto Mail and Empire.

A representative questioned his honor,
Lieut.. Gov. Schultz, as to whether it was
in contemplation to send any further eXpe-
ditions, similar to that of last year and the
year previous, to the northern part of the
district of Keewatin. His honor said in
reply that so far he had not heard of any
in that direction, and that there only re-
NAMED one such, viz, from the west CT
Great Slave lake to Christianfield inlet, to
do away with the largest space shown on
DR.. Dawson's now well-known map of I'M
explored Canada. He went on to say that
In his opinion the result of last years ex-
petition was in every way successful, and
likely to be followed by very important re-
suits in the future
1T will be remembered" the governor
observed, that the three great lakes Of
cur vast northern region, which are in area
IS large as Lake Huron, Lake Erie and
Lake Ontario, lie about midway between
the Rocky mountains and the west shore
OF Hudsons bay, and the ice-blocled
channels which communicate with that
bay from the northwest. Between these
lakes ard Hudson's bay, 1t will be seen at
once by reference to DIR. Dawsons map,
lies the larger portion of UNEMPLOYED Can
ada. This great area would have been very
much greater had it not been traversed on
its western side by Capt. (afterward Sir
George) Back. who discovered and de
scended the Great Fish or Back river,
since that time rendered of pathetic inter-
est from the fact that for its mouth the
scurvy-stricken remnants of Sir John
tranklin's crew were making when storm
and famine stayed their progress, and left
for McClintock's battered boats, the ske-
etons of brave men, and a cairn, which
told the sad story of their fate.
Game Is Plentiful.
This route lay almost directly north
from the head Of the great lakes. but still
between it and the eastern and north
eastern coasts there lay the unknown land,
first traversed by the two Tyrrells, in 1893
from the head of Athabasca lake, by a
river which they discovered to the head of
Chesterfield inlet and thence past Marble
Island down to Churchill port or factory.
The expedition of last year was over
known waters only far IS the head Of
Reindeer lake. Thence eastward and north
eastward lay the dark lines by which Daw-
son designateS his UNEMPLOYED areas. The
expedition was but small one, two white
men-Mr. Tyrrell of the geological survey
and Munro Ferguson of his eXcellency's
staff-with four Indian voyagers, accom-
plishing the journey through the entire I'M
explored portion in a way which in
marked contrast to the large, well-ftted
abundantly stored and well provided eXpe-
dition of Sir George Back, who brought
boats especially built from England. with
his command all the material resources and
the knowledge of such travel as the Hud-
son Lay Company could afford him. l.eav-
ing the head of Reindeer lake short dis
lance only, although at considerable eleva-
ton, brought them to the watershed be-
tween the eastern and western waters, and
there ceased all knowledge to be derived
from the ChippewyanS of that region, for
between them and the Eskimos of the coast
there has been war SO long the eldest
member of either of these people could
remember.
To this fact is due, in some measure at
least, the preservation of numbarlass herds
of reindeer encountered by the explorers i'll
their perilous trip, for mutual fear has
left wide line Of neutral territory, into
which no Eskimo nor Chippewyan ven-
lures, and where the reindeer thrives. At
the summit of this divide the Travellers had
to in some. measure guess their way. RilS
trickled into pools. pools into small creeks
creeks into small lakes. These combining.
made a stream at last down which canoes
might make a dangerous passage, for the
descent was great between the divide and
the waters of Hudson's bay. They We're
fortunate in finding a river. which the Is
kimos. when afterward met. called in their
language, the White Partridge river. This
stream, with its formidable rapids. chCtes
falls and narrow eorges. and with many
and perpleXing trrnngs, brought them at
last to a point where, after fatiguing and
difficult portage of twenty miles, they We're
enabled to reacn a smaller river. which
flowed directly eastward and carried them
to the shores of Hudsons bay.
A PeriIOus Trip.
"It is needless to say" went on the gov
ernor, that when two white men with
four companions, in two frail cedar canoes,
attempted a voyage over the wholly I'M
known waters, through an unknown coun-
try, far from possible relief in case of ac-
cident, they were simply taking their lives
in their hands, and he was glad to be
able to say for the honor of Canada and
Canadians and the brave young Scotch a.
D. c., that no journey, in his opinion, of
equal difficulty and danger had ever been
accomplished with more success than that
by which Mr. TyrrelI and Munro Ferguson
crossed the barren grounds last year. Such
travel is not new to Mr.. Tyrrell, who had
the experience OF the year before, and who
is a stout, athletic man. 1t must, how
ever have been wholly new to Munro Fer
guson. who was not at all in good health,
and not exactly the sort of man in APP
pearance one would pick out for the rough
work incident to such journey: yet his
honor was glad to say that, apart entirely
from what Mr.. Tyrrell told him of what
had been accomplished by Mr.. Ferguson,
he had the testimony of two of the voy-
ayers who had accompanied the expedition,
that no one among them was more ready
to test the dangerous rapid, no more ready
to pack al the Dortages, no one who APP
parently feared less to spring into shall
lows and ice cold streams, to wade and
paddle push and lift. in clothes that We're
drenched all day, and which had to be slept
in all night
Results Accomplished.
AS to the results of the trip his honor
thought that in the future, when the enor-
nous petroleum deposit which exists d.
rectly westward of the Reindeer lake re-
glon comes to be transported to the near
est ocean point, the geographical knowl-
edge which the expedition will have COLI
tributed to Canada will be of the greatest
service from a geographical point of view.
Mr.. Tyrrelrs report has not yet been is
sued, but it Is understood that his obser-
vations We're scientifically of the greatest
interest, and owing to his discovery of the
fact that a Huronan belt divides the
binary Laurentian formation of the region
there are future metalliferous possibilities
which may yet be very valuable, indeed,
Hudsons bay. From an anthropological
point of view the discoveries of the party
We're interesting from the fact that there
came under their notice the peculiar con-
dition of some hundreds of Eskimos who
had fixed their abode. unlike the habits
of their race elsewhere on the arctic and
other coasts Of Canada, in the interior of
the country, the cause apparently being
the complete destruction of almost all sea
animals of Hudson's bay by the whaling