THE SKETOHER.

Otago Witness, Issue 1970, 22 August 1889, Page 31

THE SKETOHER.

LORD LONSDALE IN THE LAND OF MIDNIGHT SUN. Lord Lonsdale has just arrived in England from his exploring expedition in the Arctic regions, and it is to be hoped that his Lordship is a wiser, if not a sadder man. If the numerous stories told about hia adventures be true, he has every reason to chank his lucky stars that he is again permitted to enjoy his freedom on the shores of Albion. The Morning Journal chattily relates the the following incidents during his Lordship's journey : — Though when at the Hudson's Baj Company's posts Lord Lonsdale would take 6uch provisions as his limited means of transport tation permitted, his chief reliance was upon his rifle and the game of the country. The result was that on several occasions he had to go without food for from two to five and a-half days. When asked if he did not find tlys experience very distressing, he laughed and said. v No ; " that he missed the first meal he skipped more than any of the others. The most inconvenient feature of his fast was, he said, that he found himself weakened thereby. This is a fact that is borne out by the experience of many other explorers. ■fl An amusing incident occurred when Lord Lonsdale was on Great Bear Lake. A large number of Indians were gathered in his tent for the simple purpose of watching every motion of the strange white man. They lingered around while he ate his supper of oatmeal porridge and tea, and carefully scrutinised the graceful motion of his spoon. Then he took out his pipe, and after filling it with tobacco, he struck a fusee or wind match to light it. But the snap and the sudden bursting forth of flame filled his guests with surprise and terror, so that they could not get out of the tent quick enough. Some burst through the doorway, but others could not wait for such a slow exit, and fell upon their hands and knees and crawled unceremoniously out under the canvas. It was several minutes before the more venturesome gained courage to return cautiously; but when they did, t and saw him calmly puffing at his pipe and the smoke curling peacefully around his head, they laughed at their fears, and the tent was soon refilled with interesting spectators. Another time, while encamped upon Peel river, his Lordship found that some dishonest Indians had been pilfering from his stores, and concluded to teach them a lesson that this could not be done with impunity. He therefore directed his attendant to select a dry piece of firewood, which was brought into the tent, and an augur hole bored into it from one end and then filled with powder. A plug was subsequently inserted and driven in tightly and the end sawed off so as to entirely conceal the fact it has been tampered with. When the Indians had their attention drawn to some other spot, the attendant placed the dry stick where it would be selected for the bottom of the pile when the fire was to be kindled. The scheme worked like a charm, for soon the Indians were seated round the fire, cooking their meal and baking bread in a pan over the flame. Soon there was a tremendous explosion, the fire was scattered in every direction, the tea-kettle was blown into the air and the pan of bread disappeared entirely. The frightened Indians rolled over or scampered off as fast as their legs could carry them. When they gathered courage to return they asked the white man what had happened. He stooped down, scooped up some of the flour in the palm of his hand, and after examining it carefully said that it was stolen flour, and that that kind always acted in that way. There was no more flour stolen while he remained in that camp. In a similar manner Lord Lonsdale put a stop to the robbing of his traps on the Peace river. He had reason to believe that he had trapped some foxes and wolves and that the Indians, visiting his traps before he had an opportunity to overhaul them, had quietly removed the animals, for he found a few tufts of hair or fur in the teeth of some of the traps. He therefore asked them if they had ever heard of the devil. They acknowledged that they had, but desired no further acquaintance with his satanic majesty. Lord Lonsdale told them that he had an impression that the devil lived in the sulphur springs near by ; that whenever there was burning sulphur in the ground the devil put it there, and he believed he would make his appearance in the neighbourhood and take a look at their traps. If he did they would catch no more game. T-tey replied thst he had never been there or they would have seen his tracks, which they would recognise because he had feet like a moose. His Lordship told them that was an error, for he had one foot like a man and the other like a moose. One night ?oon after this conversation, he fastened a moose's foot to one of his shoes and took a tour of the traps. The next day the Indians came to him with terror depicted on their countenances and told him that the devil had been around some time during the night, and took him out to exaniifte the tracks. He also recognised the footprints of the evil one, and advised them to remove their traps to some other place, and to keep away from the spot where he had been walking. They needed no urging to do this, and ever afterwards gave his traps a wide berth. Lord Lousdale found the Indians to have great faith in the white man as a medicine man. One day a big fellow came to him complaining of feeling badly, and he judged that the sufferer had a slight bilious attack. He therefore gave him some antibilious pills, and next day the patient was all right again. Then there was an enormous demand for pills everywhere in camp. Nothing but pills would relieve the Indian disorder. There seemed to have suddenly arisen a widespread epidemic, and there was a universal demand for pills. One old hunter, who spoke a few words of English, came and complained of illness, and added that one of his wives was very sick also. She had too many children, and the other wife had no children. Both were sick, and the children were sick also. He concluded this schedule of family miseries with a plea for pills and plenty of them, and held out both hands to hold the supply. The traveller's slender stock of medicine would not have sufficed to even make a pretence of supply-

ing tho demand if he bad not hit upon the expedient of assuring them that he was all oufc of Indian pills, and that white men's pills would kill initead of cure them.