Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-04-16

| ca, ana. with but few exceptions. Its vast
and dreary plains had never been trodder
by the foot OF a man, save that Of the
dusky savage"
Three expert Iroquos canoemen from
| Quebec. a half-breed. who was a famous
portager from the Northwest, and two
other voyageuIs from the Hudson's Bay
! Company service. accompanied the Tyr
| rclis. Cedar canoes eighteen feet Ions
| and weighing only l2O pounds, each cap
| able of carrying 1900 pounds, nineteen
| foot Eastwood canoe, survey instru-
ments and provisions. made up tho equip
ment. The q. +. II. was taken to I'd
monitor, on the north branch OF the Sas-
katchewan; then a trail was followed to
Athabasca Landing, trading-post 100
miles from Edmonton, on the banks Of
Athabasca river. on the last day of May
the canoes were launched. The brawny
voyaseurs took their places, and to the
rhythmic strokes OF the broad maple pad
dies the little party glided away from the
vanishing trading-post TO an Unknown
land The water was high the current
swift, and sixty miles was tho record Tor
the first day. Great walls OF ice stlll
chung TO the overhanging banks and the
Rapid of the Jolly Fool, where careless
canoeman lost his life, was easily passed.
Next came Grand Rapid, 165 miles
from Athabasca Landing, where the
waters have fall OF some eighty feet
within half mile. At this point the
Hudson's Bay Company steamers are
unloaded and steamers and scows tow
ed for a distance of eighty miles to
Fort McMiurray. Great is the ado among
Indians ana half breeds when the COM
pany's steamer comes to Grand Rapid.
The explorers arrived just in time to
witness the scene. ION the evening OF
the 4th the steamer Athabasca put In
an appearance and made fast TO the
shore Il little above the scows. Grand
Rapid was no longer an uninhubited
wilderness, but had become transformed
into Il scene of strange Wild life.
Large. dark. strengthening figures,
many Of them bare TO the waist. and
adorned with head-dresses of foX-tails
or feathers, were everywhere TO be seen.
Some Of them. notably those Of the
Chippewyan tribe, were tho blacklist
and most savage-loOldns Indians l had
ever seen. AS II was already nearly
night when the last of them arrived by
the steamer, the work OF transshpping
was left for the morning. In the dark
woods tho light OF many camp-iires be-
gan TO appear. and around them the
whole night long the Indians danced
and gambled. keeping up their execrable
drum music"
Noyagcurs seldom attempt 10 run Grand
Rapids but the three bold fellows from
Quebec refused 10 be inundated, and
took their places, Louis I'm tho bow.
Michel in the middle, and Old Pierre IN
the stern" Grave were the forebodings
Of onlOokers as the canoe swept into the
surging stream. Soon the light craft was
going ahead al the ratio of nm express
flyer. Everywhere in the channel great
rocks obstYIcted the river, and the canoe
sped over the churnLng. boiling waters
between jagged boulders on one side and
dangerous reefs on the other Present
ly," says Mr. Tyrrel. lit appeared as If
they were doomed TO be dashed on
a long. ugly breaker nearly in
mid-stream. But not so! With
two or three lightning strokes Of their
paddles the collision was aYerted. In a
moment they We're in worse danger, for /
right ahead were two great rocks. over
and around which the waters tumbled and /
rushed. Would they Try the right side or
the left? only an instant was afforded |
for thought. but i'm that instant Pierre /
saw his only chance, and took il, heading /
his canoe straight for the shoot between 1
the rocks. Should they swerve foot To /
one side or the other the result would be ]
fatal, but they shot straight through the /
notch and disappeared in the trough be- /
low Rising buoyantiy from the pillows I.
Of foam and flying spray, they swept on
with the rushing waters, until, in a little /
eddy, halfway down the rapid. they
pulled to shore. They were soaked but |
without concern or excitement"
Leaving Grand Rapid. the explorers |
started down the river TO Fort McMurray. /
Fifteen miles below the rapid they passed 1
q place where there was great flow Of /
natural gas. The gas. bubblug up /
through the water and escaping from riffs /
i'm the left bank. burned with a hot, pale |
blue flame. Except for its occasional |
use by the boatmen 10 cook the meals OF |
passing campers. the entire and bOunt- |
full supply IS lost. Well might greedy |
gas corporations and rate-ridden house |
holders groan over the waste. Beyond |
the gas-wells were the tar-beds of the |
Athabasca. stretching over great area. |
During warm weather" writes Mr.. Tyr |
rell. "in many places the faces Of the |
river banks from three to five hundred |
feet In height. present the appearance or |
tar. and here and there tar-wells |
are found. having been formed by the |
accumulation Of the viscid tar in natural |
of the rock" The Brule and !
the Boiler Rapids-where one canoe came |
TO grief-the Middle Rapids, Long Rapids, |
Crooked Rapids Stony Rapid, Little Cas-
cade. Big Cascade-where portage was |
Mountain Rapid, were |
reached I'm quick succession. The rather |
appalling title OF the last-named rapid IN
iuced the boatmen to reconnoitre Mr.
ryrrell says:
AS we proceeded the stream became |
rearfully swift and the waves increasing
~ heavy At the speed We were making
the bend I'm the river was soon
reached, but just beyond another
bluff point came in view. We would
have gone ashore to make a fur
her inspection, but this was impossi-
bic. as the banks were Of perpendicular
md overhanging walls OF limestone. So
swift was the current be-
coming, we eagerly looked for some place
1n the bank where a landing might be
made, but none could be seen. Retreat
vas impossible against the enormous
strength of the river All we could do
vas TO keep straight in the current. My
)rother's canoe, steered by Old Pierre,
being little in advance Of my own, gave
ne a good opportunity of seeing the fear
al race we were running. Suspicious Of
LANCER were already aroused, and the
outcome was not long deferred. As we
we're rounding the bluff Old Pierre sud
lenly stood up from his seat in the stern.
md i'm another instant we were gazing
Il what looked like the end of the river.
Right before us extended a perpendicular
4 90. a. l.rtf |