New-York tribune., 1903-02-19
A TRIP TO THE FAR NORTH.
Supplies Denied Prospector by Hudson's
Bay Company.


eures a man of courage and great determine
tion 40 face the soIitudes of Canadas great
northIand but when in addition 10 the haeu-
raj difficulties there are arTayed against the
ira avelIer all tn resources OF q monopoiy "ho'1
slightest word is the only known Ia" 10 'no
Indians the danger is increased tentold- u ~
Chapman OF Gravenhurst mas just returneu
from a trip in the district Of keewatin- re
was prospecting for minerals. and says that re-
lying on securing necessary supplies at Oxiofo
House. a post of the Hudson's Bay Company on
Oxford Lake, he took large supplies WIN
him. At oxford House. the trader Campbell
refused to sell him anything. Fer months ne
lived on what his gun and ishlet brought him.
The trader acted on instructions given him
ty Chief Factor McTavish. Mr.. Chapman De
Iieves that the company was afraid that ne
might locate mine that would result IN tiie
country being opened up This would mean the
loss of a rich furbearing district 20 the COM
pany which it now practically controls
LOOKING FOR GOLD
Mr. Chapman was formerly missionary rep
resenting the Church Missionary Society Oh
England at Fort Churchill. the most no'therls
post of the HudsOn's Bay Company, on tne
bay from which the corporation derives us
name He believes that he has been successlui
I'm locating several gold bearing lodes, ana mas
with him many samples Of the rock. It's Vaiue
will be determined by assayer. and II the
ore proves to be rich in the precious metal
Mr Chapman intends to return to his finds IN
the spring and go IN for extensive development
Mr. Chairman has all his life been engaged III
''b,lsh" work his chief occupation being Win
the lumber companies operating in Northern
Ontario. He has also spent good deal OF tiiiis
as forest ranger in the service OF the ontario
Government. Several years ago he went TO Fort
Churchill on Hudson's Bay, missionary, Dut
relinquished his charge there about year ago
While in the country he had heard from 'le
Indians. as well as observed for himself the
presence of mineral in various localities, and ne
decided to spend some time in investigation In
the district oxford Lake Is about two hun
dred miles northeast of Norway House. when
/, at the lower end of Lake Winnipeg, and at the
eastern end of the lake the Hudson's Bay COM
pany has trading poss
1t was at this post that MIR. Chapman expect
ed to get the supplies to carry him through the
winter He had made arrangements with ma
tive at Norway House 10 go on the exploring
trip with him. but the man told some OF MS
friends of the matter, and the news reached the
ears Of the chief factor, The latter intimated In
language that could convey no mistaken mean
ing that it would be better for the native 10 re-
main at Norway House. He did so. Mr.. Chap
go on alone. He knew the route into the Ok
ford district. and on arriving the Hudson
Bay post put up a small cabin. with clay fire
place and chimney, and then started prospect
ing. He had the necessary tools and small
quantity of dynamite. He located several quartz
veins, and put few shots in to expose thelr
areas. Owing to the difficulties of travel, ne
only brought small samples of the ore out with
him, but he says that on some of the hnds the
ore beds appear to be of considerable maSni-
tude. and If the rock carries gold 10 any extent
1t will prove TO be a valuable discovery
FOOD REFUSED TO PROsPECToR.
It was while he was at Oxford House that
Mr.. Chapman found out the attitude of the
Hudson's Bay Company toward him. He ran
out of -four tea and sugar. and when he went
to replenish his stock the trader, Mr. Campbell.
showed him letter from the chief factor. Nc
TaSish, ordering him not to give any supplies
to "a man named Chapman, who, he under
stood. had pu up camp at Oxford" A year
or ago, as an Independent trader, james
Campbell had a trading post at OXFORD, out at
his death last fall the Hudson's Bay Company
took over the business. and Mr.. Chapman had
nowhere to look for supplies He subssted for
some time rabbits. partridges and hSh, but
to a white man. accustomed TO variety IN MS dlet
the fare was not acceptable. At last, hungerlnS
for tea and sugar and some flour WhereWlth 10
make bread he traded his new Peterboro canoe
with the Hudsons Bay officer for a birchbark
canoe and small quantity of eatables that
his palate craved. AS the Indians Will sell a
birchbark canoe for d pair of boots or an ola
pair of trousers, and Peterboro canoe is worth
from $50 to 800 that distance north, it can be
seen that the deal not Improbable to the
trader.
But the difficulty OF provisions was not all
Mr. Chapman had contend with. The Indians
who knew the Hudson's Bay Company was
against Mr.. Chapman. stole the bait from his
traps. stole the fur Of the animals caught. and
in some cases stole the traps well.
Nevertheless Mr.. Chapman prospected a large
area of country. To the north of Oxford Lake,
and lying between it and Island Lake, he says
there is a fine country. There is a good deal OF
Jack pine and -reat areas of magnificent spruce.
The soil, he says. is very productive. and at one
Indians cabin ne got potatoes and turnips that
he had never seen excelled anywhere. The po-
tatoes had been reproduced from old seed With
fresh seed MIR Chapman says that the northern
country could produce vegetables that could not
be surpassed anywhere.
Mr. Chapman dragged a sleigh himself from
Island Lake to Norway House. where. through
the good offices of friendly Indian, Chief Sin
clair of Jack River. he managed to obtain three
sleigh dogs. He covered the distance to Selllirk
in ten days The ice on Lake Winnipeg, he says,
is very rough and travelling difficult. While
on the way up he encountered the new trans
continental survey party. under Perry They
were getting along slowly. owing 10 the difh-
culties of the winter trail