- Snowing heavy, and rime on our to boggans makes heavy
travelling. Some places the river bad to travel, on account of
rapids where it isn't froze. We have some times just a narrow
bridge of ice to go on, as no other way we could go, for the rough
steep mountains on each side.
March 24th. - Drifting and snowing very hard. Only travelled part
of the day. Got to Allan Goudy's house.
March 25th. - Snowing heavy. Got to Cape Corbeau. All very tired.
March 26th. - Stormy to-day and snowing very hard, and our toboggans
so heavy we could not get on at all, and had to leave our loads and
walk empty to the post. Late when we got here at Mr. Blake's house
at the rapids, 3 miles from the post. Will get dog team in the
morning and go back for our loads.
March 28th. - Duncan M'Lean and I took dog team up Grand Lake this
morning and got here again this evening with Mr. Hubbard's body and
the things we left behind in the fall. We dressed him the best we
could and laid him in the coffin the men at Kenemish had made for
him, till we are ready to start on around the coast.
When I was up in the bush, Mr. Wallace has a letter from Dr. Cluny
Macpherson. As soon as he heard the sad news of Mr. Hubbard, he
has started from Battle Harbor to come to Northwest River with his
dog team to help us. When he got to Rigolette, Mr. Fraser has just
been at Northwest River post, and told him we hadn't yet the body
of Mr. Hubbard out from the bush, and besides when he left Battle
Harbor his little child was sick, and a team of dogs brought him
news that his child was getting worse. So then he had to turn back
from Rigolette, and sent a letter to Mr. Wallace to guide us on our
way, from Rigolette to Battle Harbor, from the time we may leave
Rigolette all along, giving full account where we could get men and
teams, and when we got at a place what man to ask for, and gave all
the names of the places, and the names of the people we are to
enquire for, and the best places to stay at nights, and besides
tells of a steamer to come to Battle Harbor about the first of May.
It was hard to get dogs and we were long getting started. In
February I was up at Muddy Lake. Wednesday, Feb. 24th, I went from
Muddy Lake to Goose Bay at John Groves. He asked me if we got dogs
to help us around the coast and to take Mr. Hubbard's body. I said
that we did not yet find teams that could take us around or even as
far as Rigolette.
Thursday, February 25th. - I got to Northwest River.
