Part 2

I last winter concluded an arrangement for the Company with Baron Wrangle, acting on behalf of the Russian-American Company, by which we become possessed of the whole of the Russian mainland territory (for a term of ten years) up to Cape Spencer. By that means we become possessed of their establishment situated on Point Highfield, entrance of Stickine river, immediately, and have access to the interior country through all the rivers falling into the Pacific to the southward of Cape Spencer.

This arrangement renders it unnecessary for us now to extend our operations from the east side of the mountains or Mackenzie river, as we can settle that country from the Pacific with greater facility and at less expense.

Your services will now therefore be required to push our discoveries in the country situated on the Peel and Colville rivers and I am quite sure you will distinguish yourself as much in that quarter as you have latterly done on the west side of the mountains.

With best wishes, believe me,

Very truly yours, (Signed) GEORGE SIMPSON.

The Yukon is the largest river that flows from the American continent into the Pacific ocean. Rising as the Pelly in the Rocky Mountains on the northern frontier of British Columbia, it maintains a westerly direction for several hundred miles.

It crosses the 141st meridian, which forms the eastern boundary of Alaska, and holding a northwest course for more than six hundred miles, it is joined by the Porcupine river from the north. Up to this point it is called the Pelly, but for the remaining 1200 miles of its course to its embouchure in Behring Sea it is known as the Yukon.

After the failure of previous efforts to establish a Hudson's Bay Company's trading post at Dease's Lake, I volunteered my services for that purpose; and in the spring of 1839, after overcoming many difficulties, I succeeded in my mission, and then crossed over the mountains to the west side, where I struck the source of a rapid river, which I ascertained from the hordes of Indians I met to be the Stikene (afterwards the great highway to the northern gold fields of British Columbia), a discovery which caused no small commotion and surprise at the time among H.B.C. men, especially from the fact that a young man with only a half-breed and two Indian lads had effected what had baffled well-equipped parties under prominent and experienced Hudson's Bay officers from both sides of the mountains. This led to part of the coast being leased by the Company from the Russian government.

On returning to Dease's Lake, we passed a winter of constant danger from the savage Russian Indians and of much suffering from starvation. We were dependent for subsistence on what animals we could catch, and, failing that, on "tripe de roche." We were at one time reduced to such dire straits that we were obliged to eat our parchment windows, and our last meal before abandoning Dease's Lake, on 8th May, 1839, consisted of the lacing of our snowshoes.

In the spring of 1840 I was appointed by Sir George Simpson to explore the north branch of the Liard river to its source, and to cross the Rocky Mountains and try to find any river flowing westward, especially the headwaters of the Colville, the mouth of which was in the Arctic ocean, discovered by Dease and Simpson.

In pursuance of these instructions I left Fort Halkett in May with a canoe and seven men, among them my trusty Indians, Lapie and Kitza, and the interpreter Hoole. After ascending the stream some hundreds of miles, far into the mountains, we entered a beautiful lake, which I named Frances lake, in honor of Lady Simpson. The river thus far is rather serpentine, with a swift current, and is flanked on both sides by chains of mountains, which rise to a higher altitude in the background. The country is well wooded with poplar, spruce, pine, fir and birch. Game and fur-bearing animals are abundant, especially beaver, on the meat of which, with moose, deer, geese and ducks, we generally lived.

The mountain trout are very fine and plentiful, and are easily taken with a hook and any bait. About five miles farther on the lake divides into two branches round "Simpson's Tower." The south, which is the longer branch, extends forty miles. Leaving the canoe and part of the crew near the southwest extremity of this branch, I set out with three Indians and the interpreter.

Shouldering our blankets and guns, we ascended the valley of a river which we traced to its source in a lake ten miles long, which, with the river, I named Finlayson's lake and river. The lake is situated so near the watershed that in high floods its waters flow from both ends down both sides of the mountains towards the Arctic on the one hand and the Pacific on the other.

From this point we descended the west slope of the Rocky Mountains, and on the second day from Finlayson's lake we had the satisfaction of seeing from a high bank a splendid river in the distance. I named the bank from which we caught the first glimpse of the river "Pelly Banks," and the river "Pelly River," after our home governor, Sir H. Pelly.

I may mention, in passing, that Sir George Simpson in a kind letter called them both after me, "Campbell's Banks and River," but in my reply I disclaimed all knowledge of any such places. After reaching the actual bank of the river, we constructed a raft, on which we embarked and drifted down a few miles on the bosom of the stream, and at parting we cast in a sealed tin can with memoranda of our discovery and the date.

Highly delighted with our success, we retraced our steps to Frances lake, where we rejoined the rest of our party, who during our absence had built a house on the point at the forks of the lake which we called "Glenlyon." Returning, we reached Fort Halkett (on Liard river) about the 10th of September, and forwarded the report of our trip by the party who brought up our outfit.

The Company now resolved to follow up these discoveries, and with this view I was ordered in 1841 to establish a trading post on Frances lake so as to be ready for future operations westward. In 1842, birch bark for the construction of a large canoe to be used in exploring the Pelly was brought up from Fort Liard with the outfit, and during the winter was sent over the mountains by dogsleighs to Pelly banks, where the necessary buildings were put up, and the canoe was built in the spring of 1843.

Early in June, I left Frances lake with some of the men. We walked over the mountains to Pelly banks, and shortly after I started down stream in the canoe with the interpreter Hoole, two French Canadians and three Indians. As we advanced, the river increased in size and the scenery formed a succession of picturesque landscapes. About twenty-five miles from Pelly banks we encountered a bad rapid--"Hoole's"--where we were forced to disembark everything; but elsewhere we had a nice flowing current. Ranges of mountains flanked us on both sides; on the right hand the mountains were generally covered with wood; the left range was more open, with patches of poplar running up the valleys and burnsides, reminding one of the green braeface of the Highland glens. We frequently saw moose and bear as we passed along, and at points where the precipice rose abruptly from the waters edge the wild sheep--"big horn"--were often seen on the shelving rocks. They are very keen-sighted, and when once alarmed they file swiftly and gracefully over the mountain. When we chanced to get one we found it splendid eating--delicate enough for an epicure.

In this manner we travelled on for several days. We saw only one family of Indians--"Knife" Indians--till we reached the junction of the Pelly with a tributary which I named the Lewis. Here we found a large camp of Indians--the "Wood" Indians. We took them by no ordinary surprise, as they had never seen a white man before, and they looked upon us and everything about us with some awe as well as curiosity. Two of their chiefs, father and son, were very tall, stout, handsome men. We smoked the pipe of peace together, and I distributed some presents. They spoke in loud tones as do all Indians in their natural state, but they seemed kind and peaceable. When we explained to them as best we could that we were going down stream, they all raised their voices against it. Among other dangers, they indicated that inhabiting the lower river were many tribes of "bad" Indians--"numerous as the sand"--"who would not only kill us, but eat us." We should never get back alive, and friends coming to look after us would unjustly blame them for our death. All this frightened our men to such a degree that I had reluctantly to consent to our return, which under the circumstances was the only alternative. I learned afterwards that it would have been madness in us to have made any further advance, unprepared as we were for such an enterprise.

Much depressed, we that afternoon retraced our course upstream; but before doing so I launched on the river a sealed can containing memoranda of our trip.

I was so dejected at the unexpected turn of affairs that I was perfectly heedless of what was passing; but on the third day of our upward progress I noticed on both sides of the river fires burning on the hill-tops far and near. This awoke me to a sense of our situation. I conjectured that, as in Scotland in the olden time, these were signal-fires and that they summoned the Indians to surround and intercept us.

Thus aroused, we made the best use of paddle and "tracking-line" to get up stream and ahead of the Indian signals. On the fourth morning we came to a party of Indians on the further bank of the river. They made signs to us to cross over, which we did. They were very hostile, watching us with bows bent and arrows in hand and would not come down from the top of the high bank to the water's edge to meet us. I sent up a man with some tobacco--the emblem of peace--to reassure them; but at first they would hardly remove their hands from their bows to receive it. We ascended the bank to them and had a most friendly interview, carried on by words and signs. It required, however, some finesse and adroitness to get away from them.

Once in the canoe we quickly pushed out and struck obliquely for the opposite bank, so as to be out of range of their arrows, and I faced about, gun in hand, to observe their actions. The river was there too broad either for ball or arrow. We worked hard during the rest of the day and until late. The men were tired out, and I made them all sleep in my tent while I kept watch. At that season the night is so clear that one can read, write or work throughout.

Our camp lay on the bank of the river at the base of a steep declivity which had large trees here and there up its grassy slope. In the branches of one of these trees I passed the greater part of this anxious night, reading "_Hervey's Meditations_" and keeping a vigilant lookout. Occasionally I descended and walked to the river bank, but all was still.

Two years afterwards, when friendly relations had been established with the Indians in this district, I learned to my no small astonishment that the hostile tribe encountered down the river had dogged us all day, and when we halted for the night had encamped behind the crest of the hill, and from this retreat had watched my every movement. With the exactitude of detail characteristic of Indians they described me sitting in the tree holding "something white" (the book) in my hand, and often raising my eyes to make a survey of the neighborhood; then, descending to the river bank, taking my horn cup from my belt, and even while I drank glancing up and down the river and towards the hill.

They confessed that had I knelt down to drink they would have rushed upon me and drowned me in the swift current and after thus despatching me would have massacred the sleeping inmates of my tent. How often without knowing it are we protected from danger by the merciful hand of Providence!

Next morning we were early in motion and were glad to observe that we had outwitted the Indians and outstripped their signal-fires. After this we travelled more at leisure, hunting as we advanced, and in due time reached Frances lake.

For a few years after this we confined our operations to trading between Frances lake and Pelly banks; but during the summer we sent hunting parties down to Pelly to collect provisions for our establishments; and by this means we obtained accurate information respecting the Pelly river, its resources and Indian tribes.

In the winter of 1847-8 we built boats at Pelly banks and, sending off our returns to Fort Simpson, we started off early in June, 1848, to establish a post at the forks of Pelly and Lewis rivers, which I named Fort Selkirk. Ever since our discovery of the Pelly in 1840 various conjectures were hazarded as to what river it really was and where it entered the sea. Fort Yukon was, I think, established in 1847, from Peel river near the mouth of the Mackenzie.

From the first I expressed my belief, in which hardly anyone concurred, that the Pelly and the Yukon were identical. In 1850, having obtained Sir George Simpson's permission, I explored the lower river, descending a distance of about 1200 miles and by reaching Fort Yukon proved the correctness of my opinion.

From Fort Yukon I directed my boat and party upwards into the Porcupine river. I was accompanied by Mr. Murray, who was conveying the returns and whose duty it was to take back with him the Yukon outfit from La Pierre's house at the head of the Porcupine river, to which point supplies were transported over the mountains in winter by dogsleighs from Peel river. La Pierre's house duly reached, we left our boat there and walked over the mountains to Peel river, about ninety miles; thence by boat we ascended the Mackenzie river to Fort Simpson.

I thus performed a circuit of several thousand miles from my point of departure on the Liard river. Great astonishment was felt by all my friends and acquaintances when they saw me reach Fort Simpson by coming up the Mackenzie river instead of descending the Liard, for no one entertained a suspicion that the Pelly river had any connection with the Yukon or that the Pelly was linked with the Porcupine, Peel and Mackenzie rivers.

Thenceforward this new route, so unexpectedly found out, was made the highway for the transport of outfits to, and results of trade from the Pelly and all intermediate posts.

When I visited England in 1853 this vast stretch of country--until then a blank on the map and untrodden and unknown of white men--was under my direction correctly delineated on his map of North America by J. Arrowsmith, Hudson's Bay Company's topographer; and hence it happens that many of these rivers and places of note are named after my friends or after the rivers in my native glens.

I may mention that in these explorations, which embraced a period of fifteen years, we had to rely for the means of existence almost entirely on the natural resources of the scene of our operations, however dreary and barren a region it might be. We were once cut off from all supplies and connection with our people, to the extreme peril of our lives, for over two years--from May, 1848, till September, 1850--during which time we received neither a letter nor supplies, and the opening up of communication with the outside world was ultimately brought about by our own unaided and determined efforts in the face of appalling obstacles.

The Pelly-Yukon is a magnificent river, increasing in size as it is joined by the many affluents that swell its tide. It sweeps in a gentle, serpentine course round the spurs of the double mountain range that generally skirts each side of the valley. Of these twin ranges the more distant is the loftier. Many of its summits are dotted with wreaths of snow, while others wear a perpetual mantle of white.

At a distance of some forty-five miles from Yukon the mountains recede, the river widens and for miles wanders among countless islands. Many of the Pelly's tributaries are large streams--especially the M'Millan, Lewis, White, and Stewart rivers.

Four kinds of salmon ascend the river in great numbers in their season; and then comes a busy harvest time for the Indians, who assemble in large camps along the river and handle their spears with great dexterity. Large numbers of salmon are killed, some for present and some for winter use. This fish has been seen and killed above Pelly banks, which is more than two thousand miles from the sea.

Steamers from the Pacific have already ascended to Fort Yukon (twelve hundred miles); and during the freshet they can ascend more than twelve hundred miles further (to Hoole's Rapid).

The lakes all over the country abound in excellent white fish.

The fauna of the country is abundant and varied. It includes moose and reindeer, bears (black and grizzly), wolves and wolverines, rats and hares, the fox and lynx, the beaver, the mink, and the marten. I saw the bones, heads and horns of buffaloes; but this animal had become extinct before our visit, as had also some species of elephant, whose remains were found in various swamps. I forwarded an elephant's thigh bone to the British Museum, where it may still be seen.

The flora of the country is rich and diversified. I forwarded several specimens of the vegetation to Sir William J. Hooker, director of the Kew Gardens, I also sent him specimens of all the rocks from Yukon to Pelly banks. The climate is more pleasant and genial than in the same latitude on the east side of the mountains.

Aged Fur Trader Moves

H. J. Moberly, 86, fur trader in the employ of the Hudson's Bay Company for thirty-seven years, passed through Edmonton, June 15th, on his way from Cedarvale, B.C., to his home at Duck Lake, Sask.

This aged veteran of the H.B.C. fur trade service has the distinction of having seen Edmonton at an earlier date than any living white man. He reached the Saskatchewan at Edmonton in 1854, sixty-seven years ago. Mr. Moberly has been staying for the past year at the fruit ranch of his son, forty miles west of Hazelton, B.C.

_Published Monthly by the Hudson's Bay Company for Their Employees Throughout the Service_

The Beaver

"_A Journal of Progress_"

Copyright, 1921, by the Hudson's Bay Company

Address all communications to Editor, "THE BEAVER," York and Main Streets, Winnipeg, Canada.

Vol. I JULY, 1921 No. 10

A National Flag for Canada

Canada has no flag; a startling assertion, but true. The Dominion emblem so familiar to Canadians is a marine ensign authorized by the Imperial Government many years ago _for use on Canada's merchant shipping_. No flag has ever been officially adopted by the Canadian people.

Among designs submitted for a distinctive Canadian flag, one which most appeals to the sense of fitness displays the Union Jack in the upper left quarter and nine blue stars in the form of the Great Dipper and North Star on a field of white in the remaining three quarters. One star for each province, in the form of the familiar constellation of the Northland, sealed with the symbol of Empire!

The antipodean dominion of New Zealand has the Southern Cross on a field of red, with the Union Jack, for her official flag. This design was adopted from several hundred submitted by citizens.

Canada too should have a flag of her own--an emblem to emphasize her essential nationhood--of a design that will connote her stewardship of this North Portal of the Empire.

Carrying Water

A motorist, mired down on a country road, asked a passing lad with a team to pull him out.

Paying the boy's price of two dollars the car owner remarked, "Well, son, do you make much money at this sort of thing?" "You are the fifth I have pulled out to-day," replied the boy.

"I should work nights, too, at that rate," said the motorist.

"I do," said the boy, "at night I haul water for the mud-hole."

In business many young men are like the boy and the mud-hole. They have a single eye to making the job _last_. Fixed in a situation with certain routine things to do they lose ambition and are chiefly concerned with stretching their duties to fill a day. No origination. No progress. No increasing of efficiency to fit themselves for greater responsibilities.

They are "carrying water" in this blind way oftentimes until it's too late to stride out into bigger things.

Don't "carry water." Mend the road, and find a way to speed up traffic. The pay will be higher and the work more satisfying.

Arena Lust

The day of the Gladiator is not past. Near New York this month the pugilistic champion of the United States, for the consideration of merely a million dollars, will stand up for something less than an hour to pummel and be pummeled by the pugilistic champion of Europe.

Nearly seventy thousand fervid partisans will look on, eating peanuts--primordially yelling for blood.

Among them, it is said, will be hundreds who figure prominently in Bradstreet's, the Blue Book and the Society Column.

Gentlewomen will be there--in the fifty dollar seat section. Roustabouts and longshoremen, barristers, doctors and preachers, business men and government officials--and small boys roosting in neighboring trees--all with "thumbs down" when one bruiser weakens.

Who is there to stop wars and rumors of wars while the spirit of the gladiatorial combat is thus rampant in human society, breaking through the carefully laid veneer of civilization?

H.B.C. Enters Consignment Fur Business

_Company Takes Over Warehouses of Defunct Nesbitt Firm; Will Strengthen London Market_

By PRO PELLE

One of the most interesting events in the fur trade last month was the announcement by the Hudson's Bay Company of its intention to accept consignments of skins for sale at its London auctions. The news came as a surprise to many, as it has long been known that the famous old Company took particular pride in offering no skins for sale at its auctions save those collected by its own posts and graded with that excellency which has earned for the Company the reputation of setting an accepted standard for all skins.

To those who are familiar with the past history of H.B.C., the news did not come altogether as a surprise. The Company has demonstrated on many occasions in the past that it does not hesitate to reverse its decisions and alter its policies when the changes wrought by time and economic progress in the domain of the Company make such changes a business necessity.

Many in the fur trade wondered why the Company did not enter the consignment business sooner but the sequence of events has since demonstrated that by keeping out of that end of the business until after the speculators had had their fling, the Company was able to enter on the "ground floor," so to speak, and with everything in its favor.

The establishment of great fur auction companies in St. Louis, New York and Montreal tended to deprive London of its old-time prestige, and, naturally, anything that detracted from the influence of the London fur market also affected the Hudson's Bay Company.