New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-13
THE NORTHERN FUR TRADE
HARD LIFE OF THE HUDSON BAY COM
PANY'S VOYAGEURS.
From The Toronto Globe.

uUautity
Indian NAV secure the result Oh ms 'Pl
hunt varies greatly. of course, but IN 6 800
year from $500 to sou may De IaNen 1 haars
average He may have eight or Ten pe 90 80
Joynp beavors four or five offers. nuilpci VI
Ivrvos martens and minks. and SeVeral NUM-
musquash or muskrats. when al Ihe NJ ~
have come in the furs are PRESSED lIto ldC 80 "
q hundred pounds each and sent III ioiA 80 80
-. 49, rro,iior trails over which they are caitcu
~ the nearest railway station 10 ne ShiPP'u
Iondon England. where they are careIuIIS o
ed and afterward sold at me Two sa ana March,
which are attended by buyers from al p'N - "
the world 49,, ara over
In the hard life Of the vOyageur there are eve
nrnsent the elements of danger ana cNCl'riIic,,,
win tbc drst glance Of dawn the guide SHOUTS
his warning "I.evc, Leve' and the men SP,l',7
from their blankets. pack their camp ' uat nno
tie boats and are off. SIX oars 20 ~ 'is ~
70 a man. besides sweep III inc h''' i,
both how and steersman. The oars are hiie'
ard heavy and the rowcrs rise to thtI ,i,,,
sink back onto their seats with each ION" - ~
Az \ o'clock they put ashore for prcah'dS'' an"
al ont noon another halt is made; then thcS FO
or until night falls when they stop ior 'ht uiS
ga, their supper and throw themselves on tnI
ground for a few hours rest i nav ,ir.d at
bv yoyaCcurs that they have been so urea a'
rI,ht that they were unable to eat ana nave
runc themselves down on the nearest IcNcI of",,
without so much removing thrlr cot'S VI
sno'chin,, a blanket and slept the sleep OF dead
WEAKNESS until reused at daybreak by the crI VI
the guide. , -, o,.orac,
Fifteen I, twenty miles Is perhaps an aN''dN'
d1v's tourney. much depends upon me Wa'rt'
T., so,na nIaCos RAPIDS and portages occur WIN
cxasperating frequency; in others lhc Su'"'"
broad and deep and there Is n niue Cu'Itm',
Again, in crossing lake win a Id ,, vol
sail NAV be made and the rowers nave WEI,
come rest, while in breasting RAPID arouhu
which II Is unnecessary or impoSSlple 10 P"i' 'H
..,,oclin,," is resorted to- A long line - al
,achcd TO the bow Of the boat ana the men u'S
embark leaving only the streersman 10 keep her
rose off the shore or off rocks in the ''IttI',
while the men. far ahead on the pahK' maui h''
up against the torrent. Accidents are common.
A lIock of oycrhanging ice four or hVe ieet
mick left by the spring food, may fall upon a
man as no masses beneath it and crush out MS
life a sudden access OF force IN IN, "a, -. remL
tho boat rounds bend may jerk the uachtIs
from their feet and into the river, ana SoHlt
may not get out again. or the boat may "i',
upon a rock smash 10 atoms ana the car 81 anu
the men in her b. lost
rOILsOME PORTAGES.
But portaging Is the hardest work which comes
TO the vOyageur. for sometimes II II IT," iI
drag the heavy York boat and to carry h'I I''t
a, four or five tons over rough. rocky point "
mile in width portage strap IS iaSlInr" ~
one "picce" Of about one hundred p'uidS' an
other piece perhaps two are placed upon u,.I'
ord with the strap against his forehead, WIN
barred legs and shoelcss feet. man ai''I Ii.,,'
tolls across the portage. until thr hhiI"" 49,
beneath is soft and damp WIN hu i,' rh.
They are glad when the last piece - over. ~
clumsy oars seem light when they pick them UP
again. 49, ..,,,i,,,t.J
In former times buffalo pemmican consutu''n
tho chief food of the voyagcur. now dflrd Hp'S'
and carbon meat have taken its place Ih'h
tea and -four were luxuries enjoyed but once
wear at Christmas. now they form part % no
daily ration. ,, -, = ,,,,,,rv's
oO7cer ar clerk does not possess much oi nov
city. If the clerk is fortunate enough 10 ~ S'a-
toned at the district headquarters ne may
perhaps live at the same table with MS com
,nissioned officer and family, there may De
young ladies. in which event music ana cdiuS
holm TO while away the long winter evenings
There is also a library Of greater or less dIin'h-
sions. and if he be Of literary turn MAGAZINES
and papers reach him as often as from t"i'e 10
twelve times a year, as he may be near o' Ia'
from the arteries of the great outside "pIIh'
In any event the arrivals OF the malls l"ii'
nerhaus the most notable breaks IN Inc mohot-
onous life. bringing udings 81 nome anu 'I''"'T
and Of those things OF which ne was oi'c
mart and which linger ever IN ms h'aTt an"
memory no matter how long II may nave been
since he babe farewell to them all Dances t'o'
assist in killing time. and If the occasion Dc
wedding A dance is likely 10 last Tor Two OF
thrcc DAVIS. for leisure is usually abundant IN
this great quiet land.
HUNTING BIG GAME.
Pm, hunting il the main recreation ~ the ma
FORTY Of the officers and clerks. The staH AZ
post often go off and camp for a W''h' an"
hundred or more geese ana douDie thdl "ui', MR.
of ducks load the boats on the return. nv
rtarmigan-brown in summer ana Whlte IN
wintcr-is good gam" bird, and IN some 10
calitics minated grouse or prairie chickens are
very numerous. our ubiquitous littlr iIlehl'
the partridge too is nowhere more frequently
at home to the hunter than here ana ne Is
ofton such A stranger to the guile Of man that
an Indian will walk up 10 the tree upon Which
ne is sitting and slip the moose that b" mas
fixed to the end Of a pole over his hcad. Altcr
the first snow in the fall rabbit shooting Is
good snort and in seasons when they are pien-
tiful fifty or sixty to the credit OF single
huntsman in an afternoon is not an uncommon
score Then there is the large game. such as
moose and deer while now and then a Stupld
bear pokes his nose in dangerous proximity 10
he fnrt he staff iurnS ont and he is shot Tor