New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-11-25


In the summer of 1905 Mrs Hubbard under
took the completion of exploration project in
which. two years earlier. her husband had lost
his life. His intention had been to cross the
Labrador wilderness from Groswater Bay on
the east coast to Ungava Bay, five hundred
miles more to the north and west. The Mas
caupee River practically unexplored was TO
furnish the route into the interior far as Lake
Michikamats and from the height of land not far
beyond this lake the George River would be FOL
lowed northward from its source TO the coast
Owing to defective information Hubbard had
missed the trail at a river fork some fifty miles
inland. and had been led off into barren ut
terly tenantless country where famine, sickness
and cold brought a tragic conclusion to his en-
terprise.
1t was in the first instance. as memorial to
her husband that Mrs. Hubbard resolved TO
carry through his cherished project on her own
responsibility In this she was successful. Just
two months after her departure from the Hud-
son Bay Company's post at Northwest River
she reached the north coast She had secured
data for correcting the official maps in mum
Der of important particulars, and she had re-
corded many interesting observations on the
climate scenery. fauna and flora of this all but
unknown country. The trip was made by
canoe Three guides accompanied her. Many
fatlSGinS pOrJdgeS were necessary On dNCpuHt VI
dangerous rapids but otherwise the journey
was without serious hardship. OF disComforts
there were a plenty chief among them being
the pestilence of mosquitoes. gnats. flies and
every variety of predatory insect with which
summer Labrador teens. But these furnished
only an added inducement to press on toward
Jngava and haste was truly imperative, for il
the post were not reached before the arrival
there of the supply steamer there would be no
means Of returning to civilization before the
following spring
Mrs Hubbard has vivid appreciation of the
scenic beauty of the wilderness. Its sombre dis
tances its utter solitude, which at first dis
turbed her, came finally to exert irresistible
fascination Perhaps the most picturesque
single incident Of her journey was the encounter
she describes with herd OF migrating caribou
This was on a barren hill near the head of Lake
Michikamats Whittier why the caribou
make summer migration Is still mystery.
When Mrs Hubbard's party saw them they
were travelling eastward.
Along the bank where this lower slope droP ped
to the swamp lay ng9eg OF how 5e Won nod po
sibly carry them Beyond. the lower slope OF the
it's sleeper part was dotted with many feed
ing the luxuriant moss.
A little later they observed the herd swimming
across the head Of the lake.
Three-ouarters of mile out vas an island. a
barren ridge standing out of the water and from
mainland 10 island thew formed as they sV am a
broad. unbroken bridge; from the further END OF
which they poured i'm steady stream over the MIL
ton their fving forms clearly outlined against
the sky. How long We watched them | could not
say. for l vas too excited to take any note OF
time.
Mrs Hubbard's volume includes, besides the
record Of her own trip the travel diary kept by
her husband up to the day when, for sheer
akness. he could no longer write. 1t is fine
record of courage and good cheer under over
vhelming odds.