IN ARCTIC REGIONS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 11251, 16 April 1908, Page 5

IN ARCTIC REGIONS.

GRAPHIC NARRATIVE OF EXPLORATION WORK. WITH DR. BELL IN NORTHERN CANADA. "Real living facts from a real living traveller" was the term applied by Mi C. A. deLautoiuy who occupied the chair at Dr Bell's lecture last evening to the eminent young geologist's brief, but intensely interesting narrative of eighteen months' travels in the Arctic regions of Canada, which was delivered in "4 lecture by Dr Bell, Director of the Geological Survey Department, in His Majesty's Theatre last evening, in aid of ths funds of the School Magazine. THE HOME OF THE SAVAGE. Pointing to a map of the great Dominion of Canada. Dr Bell detailed the vast area lying to the west and north of Hudson Bay, still practically Untrodden by the white man, and where the savages had made their home, living un. der the same conditions as when Christopher Columbus discovered the great new world 400 years ago. For climatic reasons this vast tract would, he said, ever remain the retreat of these strange people and the wild animals of that '-ldria'. ! > ( He : hdd "Had "the honor of leading several 1 expeditions into the regions of the subarctic and Arctic regions, and had explored from -the 60th parallel right into the Arctic circle, from the basin of the great" McKenzie to the northern extreme of the Great Bear Lake. Itj was a country of great lakes, rivers and mountains, its. physical features were on a large scale, and it was peopled with Indians markedly different, of much interest to,, the students of anthropology, who still retained their many curious customs. This was the land of the terrible Arctic grizzly bear, the polar bear;., musk ox, etc., and it contained "features of great interest. Settlement, was sparse and far between. S^.ticssnwas done in canoes for, thousands of miles, and in the winter time by dog teams over the f rozen country. The region towards the extreme north was hot forested, but that again to the south, where- there were wanner conditions, was heavily timbered, as was seen from some of the landscape views thrown with remarkable clearness upon the screen. The Indians along the Hudson Bay territory have, the lecturer said, come more or less into .contact with the whites, and a number of pictures illustrated the. fine stanap of men they were. Other vie\Vs again were illustrated of the remarkable/ fishing resources, and the great fur trade. SEEKING NEW COUNTRY. From South-West Canada, Dr Bell, commissioned by the Canadian Government, set out on an exploration tour of the country round Great Bear Lake, seeking new country. On his journey he fell, in with a party of Indians, arid the information he gained from them about a great new country, rich in all sorts of mineral wealth, ultimately completely changed the direction of his tour. Anxious to investigate this unknown land, he sent an Indian bearer over 1000 mile.i back to communicate witli the authorities; asking for permission . to examine the region between Great Salt Lake and the Great Bear Lake, which lav well within the Arctic Circle. Meanwhile, the explorer pushed on to Fort Resolution, a station of the Hudson Bay Company. There he remained through/the long Arctic winter, stretch- , ing from October to May. The Indians, he explained, who were devout Catholics, hid' t\vo gatherings' a year, on New Year's Day being feasted by the Hudson Bay Cotapany. The then poured into the. trading station,, each of the 1000 .Indians bringing from eight to a dozen dogs apiece. .These animals, he said* slept through the brief sunlight, arid at night, one dog, away across. the clearing^ '^vould set up., a howl, and immediately ; £00 ( to. a lsoO others would take it/., pj and nothing would make tliem' cease. This continued all .the time the ; Indians were in camp, and he was indeed heartily glad to see the last bf them. The dogs, nevertheless, were very yahijable./ :Late in March; an Indian messenger Jiqre;; the good tidings tof authority.^., an^/lhe doctor {"set out for rort Providence.;; The,\weather, changing with Canadian suddenness, was terrific, a blizzard blowing in "the traveller's face. The dogs; ; cqnsumed the leather straps of their,! 'liarness, ate the provisions, and * generally behaved as only Northern dogs cari do. The weather 1 again suddenly changed,' and its mildness thawed the, ice, leaving' the doctor : arid his "_ Indian servants wallowing through the sriow v They after sank up to their waists, but there was no danger, the doctor added, there be- , ine 13 feet of ice below. After a compulsory sojourn of two or three weeks at. La Providence, whilst the ice (broke, ' they set out again. Following down ... THE GREAT MACKENZIE River, which; after a course of 3500 niiles, empties itself into the frozen Arctic. The mighty sweeps of this river v ire like huge lakes lined . with forest, -„w hilst on either side rise riiaiestjcajly the high peaks of the mighty Hockles.' There wa'p little difficulty levelling down the river, except when the, -ice broke on one side, of the bank, causing a wave of even 50 feet in height t^Vsyreep across, to the peril of tlie travellers. Being the first people to travel down , that great waterway they were "yery careful. At one point they Approached an Indian encampment, and when the strangers were observed scores of , Canoes put forth from the shore, and presently the doctor was {in the m'dst qf a flotilla of canoes. Thc Indians wore hyonderfully suprised, and loaded the travellers with presents. Eight days were occupied in travelling up the Bear River, one continuous rapid, which could be descended in eight hours^ The journey was full of interesting episodes. Whilst camped on the shore of the Great Bear Lake Dr Bell had an experience which he will doubtless long remember. Away in the distance a long curl of smoke indicated the presence of Indians, but the traveller's companions thought their position quite safe. To their amazement, however, a band of 40 Indians in war paint suddenly appeared, and crossing what they had believed was - an unfordable. river, the chief demanded why the strangers should come into his country without his corisent. The doctor thrillingly related the interview which transpired ; how he was ordered to return down the rive, a. flood of broken ice, a thing of perfect madness; but his knowledge of Indian custom saved liis life, and the friendship of the savage chief was firmly cemented. The event was ceremonised by a Avar dance 'that evening, and "I danced in the u>iddle," added the doctor, "and alto- ? ether it 'was a pleasant evening." The riendship was fortunate, and country, absolutely unknown, was opened to the travellers. The lecturer went on to relate further stages of the tour ,and the origin of the' feud between, the Indians and the Esquimaux. Despite the- desertion of one of the Indians, who did so after an attempt to compel the doctor's _. turn 1 from a journey that to him seemed ' sheer madness, the traveller pushed on, accompanied by a single . -, Indian, without food.. or gun, hoping to strike some Esquimaux camp. Steering through another terrible blizzard by the compass, and extremely hungry, tney sat down to -attend to their bleeding feet. Suddenly the storm lifted,-. and- not ono 100 yards away were, a band of .en, altogether unlike anything he had seen before, wild and terrible Esquimaux, who had never seen a white before. Joining hands the two travellers determined to put ou a bold front; then the curtain ofv snow fell again, and when they reached\the camp tho startled Esquimaux liad fled terrified. An examination of the ' place "showed these people to have Been perfect strangers to the slightest traces of civilisation. After a description of this most interesting camp the lecturer went on to say they reached the Deast River, for which they were aiming, next day, and made au Indian camp in safety. Returning across a portion of his. track a few days later he found the " Esquimaux in a large band had followed their progress daily. His Indian said the signs made by three crossed cariboo bones was a final warning, but he personally took it differently. Thc journey southward was accompanied with much danger ; the Arctic winter showed signs of setting in, lakes were freezing, and they were IN GREAT JEOPARDY and absolutely dependent on fish for sustenance/ The Indians who were to have guided them, thinking by their Bon-arrival at the appointed date, that

they had succumbed to the dangers of that region, had set off back to their own locations. With absolutley no knowledge of the country, except that the waters of the rivers emptying into the Great Bear Lake and Great Slave Lake interlocked, they pushed on. A cold snap set in ; they had almost given up hope of being able to set out until [ the ice had made travelling possible, when they found signs of recent habita--1 tion, and following this, alighted upon ', an amazed Indian village, whoso barbarous inhabitants treated them with the utmost hospitality. Eventually, after further hardships and 5000 miles of travel, the doctor reached the Great Slave Lake again in safety, to the intense surprise of those who had long given liim up for lost. AN APPRECIATED LECTURE. The lecture was received with much applause, the lantern pictures being decidedly fine. On the motion of Mr J. Somervell, Chairman of the Gisborne Sichool Committee, seconded by Mr E. H. Mann, Dr Bell was-accordecf a hearty vote of thanks. The chairman, Mr de Lautour, arid Mr Mann took the oppor-l tunity of laying before the public the] good work that might be done by the School Magazine, for the carrying on of which assistance was desired. _-. — -