New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-11-28
LABRADOR WILDS
WON BY WOMAN
American Missionary Returns Al
ter Braving Dangers to
See Grand Falls.

missionary. who says she is probably the
first white woman to see the Grand fails
on the Grand River in Labrador arrlNeu
here yesterday from Halifax by the heu
Cross steamship Stephano. She went 10
the northernmost mission in Labrador TWO
years ago and worked under the direction
of DR.. Wilfred r. Grenfell frequently
making Journeys on snowshoes for DIS
tance of eighteen miles to attend some
families in need
81 think / am the first white woman
10 see the Grand Falls" said Miss Coates.
, Il had heard much about them and last
summer l decided ] would attempt the
Journey. Of 325 miles up the Grand River
[ selected one Of the Indian guides at the
mission to accompany me lie was ABOUT
one-fourth Indian, but considers hlmseh
a white man. He knew the country well
and was Just the sort OF pilot Tor the
trip. II took us about 40 days TO cover
the entire distance.
1--WE started out with two canoes, but
one was smashed in the swift current
and thereafter we both had 20 use the
same canoe II was an unusually interest
ing trip. but the heat was great and the
insects were annoying. Grand Fails is
really a succession OF three falls, the
water dropping down about S5 feet. The
width is about 800 feet. There were q
few bottles near the bank containing
notes Of those who had made the
journey"
Miss Coates carried an axe and rlhe
yesterday, the weapons she had during
her hike in the North. she said she would
have them shipped to the home OF her
sister in Calgary. Alberta, as she feared
she might be considered savage SUI
fragette. She will spend the winter with
her sister, starting West within a few
days.
Miss Coates is blue-eyed and red of
cheek, with the 1.-THE figure Of trained
athlete She had thorough schooling
in the outdoor even before she went into
the Labrador wilds, having assisted her
sister in Alberta in clearing large farm.
all without the aid of men folk.
But with all her outdoor life Miss
Coates had never qualified as an explorer
before her venture into the Northern
wilderness. From the softness Of her
speech and the feminine manner of the
young woman it would never be imagined
she would dare dangers that would tax
the courage of the hardest men,
Up in the Mud Lake Mission Miss
Coates was renowned for her steady eye
when glancng along rifle barrel. few
men being able TO compete with her In
that line. She also had shown her hardi-
hood. even on the bleakest days, by
plunging into frozen streams for Der
daily bath while the mercury firted with
the zero mark.
When the little nurse announced her
determination of being the first white
woman to look upon the solitary grandeur
Of the falls her friends tried to dissuade
her from what seemed foolhardy ad-
venture. She was quietly determined.
however and set about getting together
her equipment.
The mere fact that she had never pad
died a canoe In her life, much less been IN
one of the frail craft, did not feaze the
little nurse. "Ill learn as I go along
said she, and she did. Fred Bourcie, her
guide was a bit skeptical himself as 10
lust how long Miss Coates would endure
the rigors of the trip, but he learned to
marvel at her "gameness" before the
journeys end was reached.
Many stirring adventures were met with
during the trip of fifty-ive days through
the wilderness rarely trod by man be-
! fore. Once the young woman was almost
swept to what looked like certain death IN
the rapids of a stream, but handled her
! paddle like a Canadian trapper and came
out unscathed.
| With the appearance of the Grand
Falls themselves. Miss Coates was dis
appointed Niagara, she said. was far
superior sight After taking photo
graphs of the falls the intrepid nurse
wrote a note and placed ii in bottle
on the brink Of the falls, Just to show
any men who hazarded the same trip in
the future that a woman had faced the
same perils before.
Even Bourcie, trained in the ways Of
the wilds as he Is. was dumbfounded
when his fair companion announced her
determination of making the 1900 miles
of frozen waste from the falls TO Hud-
son Bay 1t was only after many hours
of argument in which he pointed out
that the lack of provisions and equip
ment would certainly bring them to
grief, that the guide prevailed upon
Miss Coates to forego her Hudson Bay
! trip until a later date.
When Miss Coates meets Dillon Wal
lace. if she ever does. she IS going TO
tell him what she thinks Of Labrador
| as a wilderness. Last night she dis
missed its hardships lightly and said
its dangers were of no consequence.
This slender girl, who has faced
black bears in their haunts, steered frail
canoes through whirling rapids, and
seen no human being except lone guide
! for weeks at a time Is keen again to
do battle with the northland.