The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-31
AN INTERESTING BOOK.
A Description of Journey to the Barren
Grounds.


Great Falls. March 3O-What prom
ises to be very interesting book is now
being written by Buffalo Jones who
left Edmonton in the summer of 1897
for the Barren Grounds for the purpose
of bringing out alive some muskoX
calves. The book will be a description
of his journey and many in this coun-
try will read it because of personal ac-
quaintance with the author.
OF his last trip across to the. north
western corner of Great Slave lake and
into the Barren lands beyond he says
AT Fort Resolution we built boat
and sailed to the northeastern extremity
of the lake and camped for the winter,
at point known as Fort Reliance. This
isn't fort at all. but simply the ruins
of cabin in which Captain Black spent
a winter 60 years ago while searching
for captain Ross, who was left in the
Arctic regions. l doubt if there had been
white man there from the time Cap
tain Black left until we got there.
The Indians in that country belong
to the Yellow Knife and Dog Rib tribes.
They differ greatly from the Indians
of the plains in that they are not 50
smaller of stature and of a somewhat
cowardly disposition. Years ago me
Crees used to make expeditions to the
north and bring back slaves from this
nation That is how the river and lake
became named The Indians and Es-
kimo are much afraid of each other,
and there is a neutral strip Of about
100 miles between them, and on this
neither side hardly ever venture The
Indians are armed with shot guns. and
a few of them have rifles. They make
expeditions to the Hudson's Bay COM
pany's posts about once a year and
trade for guns and ammunition
The Eskimos who live further north
along the Arctic coast. get their arms
and ammunition from the whalers who
got around in that region. We built a
cabin near the ruins of the one Captain
Black had wintered in 65 years before,
and spent the winter there We left
there in March, when the thermometer
was 40 degrees below zero and started
for the Northeast, where was certain
I would find musk oxen. We traversed
the country back and forth between the
inlet which opens into the Arctic ocean
and Chesterfield inlet. which opens into
Hudson bay. 1t was in this country
that we first encountered Eskimos. 1t
is impossible to tell how many there are
either of them or of the Indians, for we
would find so or 100 in one place. and
maybe another little settlement in an
other place"
Mr.. Jones did not bring back any
musk oxen. as he states the Eskimo
would not help him and in fact rather
than have him drive out the five calves
which he had caught. they killed them.
The Eskimo, according to Mr.. Jones,
regard the musk OK as holy. OF the
country he says:
There is no vegetation in that re-
gion--nothing but rocks. Lakes cover
about one-third of the country. and
there are many large rivers which are
not shown on the mans. We got back
to Slave lake on July l and on the 18th
we reached Fort Resolution again"
On the outward journey Jones and his
partner determined to go down the
Mackenzie and out by a whaler but
when they reached the Arctic there was
no vessel to be found and they were
compelled to return and work over TO
the Yukon, down which they went to
st. Michaels and thence home.