The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1924-11-20
FOLLOWING THE TRAILS WITH THE FUR TRADERS OF NORTHWEST;
THE DIFFERENT MODES OF TRAVEL EMPLOYED I'M EARLY DAYS
BY MARTHA e.. PLAssMANN

IF distances were estimated by the
comparative time taken to cover
them a hundred years ago and to-
day, 1t would seem there had been a
remarkable ~shrinkage of the earth's
surface during that period. We are
told when in the Colonial days, and
later, a man undertook the journey
from New Hampshire or Vermont to
Boston, prayers were offered for his
safe return. He then, in winter,
slung a bucket or pail, whichever he
cnose to term it, of frozen bean por-
ridge underneath his wagon, where
with to refresh himself on the way,
and cOurageously set out. If ne were
fortunate lie might make the round
trip within a month. This will give
some idea of what a short journey
then meant. Communication be-
tween more distant points meant a
proportionate extension of time.
When the Northwest, or Hudson's
Bay Fur companies began trading in
the northwest, it was necessary to
order their goods from England.
eighteen months before they were to
be sent from Montreal. Arriving in
summer, they would be made up into
packages of about ninety pounds each
in the winter and started west in
May. They were taken in canoes of
birch bark, by way of the st. Law
renee, the Ottawa, Lake Nipissing,
French river, Lake Huron, Lake SUI
perior, Rainy lake, Lake Winnipeg,
and the Saskatchewan river. On
reaching the various posts the goods
were bartered for furs which, says
Alexander Mackenzie, "come to
Montreal the next fall, and from
thence were shipped chiefly to Eng
land and "a months after they
had been forwarded from Montreal "
If the goods we're sent to more out
lying posts, often an additional
twelve months elapsed before they
were sold and returns made.
While there was competition be-
tween the two companies, the Hud
sons Bay company used wooden
boats, which had the advantage of
being stronger but the disadvantage
that they were more difficult to
transport from one waterway to the
rext. The canoes of the Northwest
company were sometimes ninety feet
not measure over thirty-six feet.
l. my WO1C 0dPdOlO Ol 1dIlYluS
heavy freight, but were easily in
jured. For mending them, gum,
birch bark, and th~read-like roots of
cedar, called "watape," were carried
in every boat. 1t is necessary to use
great care in launching the canoes.
as the gravel at the bottom of the
q leak.
Most of the boatmen were French
voyaguers, or mixed bloods, who re-
the Indians in their love of
gay attire, and also in other ways.
The departure of the canoes from
above Montreal, a distance of nine
miles, must have been a scene never
to be forgotten. There might be.
perhaps a hundred canoes with eight
men to each, including a steersman
a pilot TO revery ten canoes.
The cargo of a canoe consisted of
,wo-thirds trading goods, and one
bird provisions. Then there were
cooking utensils, t%arpaulin for a tent,
Material for repairing the canoes,
dippers and sponges for bail
ng. AS each n was loaded, it
vas launched, and rowed about wait
ng for the rest. At last all are
aunched, the chief steersman lifts
lis pole above his head, then drops
t. At once "five hundred paddles
lip as with one arm, and there shoots
tut from the n~inety-foot canoes, the
harrow, swift craft of the partners,
acing ahead to be at the rendez-
Gus before the cargoes arrive"
hose on shore cheer the out-goers,
Who join in a chanson to which
heir bars keep time. There was
ute as much enthusiasm at the re-
urn of the brigade, but the travel
yoyageurs could not then have
cen so picturesque.
In the large canoes of the Gale =