Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-05
IN LONELY LABRADOR
First White Woman to Pene-
trate the Interior.
TRIP OF EXPLORATION
HUNTING WITH INDIANS AND
WATCHING THE AURORA.
Started in a Storm and Was Ship
wrecked Coming Home-Many
Adventures.

Written for The Star.
Draw a line on the map of Canada from
the city of Quebec 10 the Hudson Bay
Company's post, Rupert House, the
lower extremity of James bay. and you
will have marked out that part of Canada
which is called the Labrador peninsula. 1t
lies between the waters of the St. Lawrence
river and gulf. the Atlantic ocean. Hudson
strait and Hudson and James bays and it
includes not only the dependency of New
foundland known as Labrador, but a large
part of the province of Quebec, and all of
TIL extensive territory of Ungara.
This immense RECON is almost wholly I'M
explored by the white man, except in the
immediate neighborhood of Quebec and for
a few miles into the interior along the
shores of the different bodies of water
bounding It. Numerous attempts have been
made to penetrate into the Interior many
expeditions have ended tragically, as did
the Hubbard expedition of two years ago,
with the death of its head by starvation
Now two fresh expeditions are trying this
summer to accomplish what Leonidas Hub
bard failed to do. one is headed by Hub
bard's sole white companion on his ILL
fated expedition, Dillon Wallace! the other
by Mrs. Leonidas Hubbard herself.
The whole country has been marveling
at the pluck of this woman to under take
so perilouS journey, and in some quarters
She is being hailed as the first white wom-
al TO assay a trip of exploration In the La
bradors.
But such is not the case. That honor
rightfulIy belongs to another woman-Miss
Martha Craig-who preceded Mrs Hubbard
into the interior by nearly year, and had
an adventure befall her on nearly every one
of the sixty-odd days that she spent in the
desolate wastes the only white person in
the company of the Indians with whom she
Travelled and hunted from time to time.
mr. tn R1n ri n "
periences in region never before trod by
a white person, on her way back to Que
bee the steamer on which she had embarked
at Mingan was wrecked the reef that
caused Queen Anne to lose seven war ships
and 900 men. and but for singularly for
tunate circumstance Miss Craig and her fell
low passengers would undoubtedly have
met fate similar to that which overlook
this pre-revolutionary expedition against
the French fortress of Quebec.
Good Guides Scarce.
Miss Craig. who has been an extensive
traveller since her student days in Ireland,
where she was born, and later in England
and on the continent for years had a de-
sire to penetrate into the interior of the
Labrador peninsula that she might study
the native Indians and the aurora borealis.
So early last summer she QUILTED in Que
bee and took the steamer for Mingan. a
Hudson bay and fishing post on the north
SlOTe OF the NIulI OF 81 Id "ltlCS 'tppOl
poo miles distant from Quebec. Arrived
there the latter part of July, she set about
TO secure two guides who were familiar
with the country TO the north. This was a
difficult task not because those Indians are
few who know the trails clear through to
the uppermost tip of Ungava, a good 1000
miles toward the arctic circle In straight
line, but none of the Indians understood
English only very few could command a
few words of French, and all We're skeptical
OF Miss Craig's prOpos ton that they &C
company her into the interior. Had not
rnen-stTong men-tried the very same feat
and failed? So what could a woman-and
a slender woman at that-do but turn back
after few days journey northward?
Finally despairing OF securing guides in
Niugan Miss Craig decided to go by sail
boat TO the mouth of the ST. Johns river, a
short distance from Mingan. there hire
guides and proceed up that river into the
Interior. To sail her there she secured the
services of two Montaignies 1ndians-Na-
pi-sh. who spoke smattering of French
and No-ho-po-no, who knew not word OF
any tongue except his own.
The little party was rash enough to start
out on a stormy day, and before they had
got out of sight OF the persons gathered on
the shore of Mingan the waves were tossing
the frail craft about so violently that II
seemed to'the watchers that every succeed
Ing moment would be its last. But the In
dams kept the boats PROV in the direction
OF the ST. Johns. For long time the bat
lie was waged between the elements and the
two men: at last. Miss Craig could stand
the suspense no longer, and she asked Ma
pi-sh:
where are we going Na-pi-sh?''
ITO the bottom" was the reply.
'What?" cried Miss Craig. Ito the bot
tomT'
You told me to go 10 ST Johns I an
trying TO get there. But We will go to the
bottom first"
Then turn back. Na-pi-sh" ordered Mis-.
Craig above the roar of the storm.
Without a word the Indian headed the