To Mr. Hubbard.
They saw Wallace's trail through the snow, and along where he went,
and only less than a couple hundred yards from the tent, and had
turned back and followed his own trail again, thinking he had gone
past the camp. They found Mr. Wallace was frost-bitten on the
point of his toe, the big toe on his left foot. He had yet a
little of the flour when they found him. The two lads stays up
with Mr. Wallace, so when he gets a little stronger they would come
down to Grand Lake. They had a tent and stove, and lots of
provisions.
Sunday, November 1st. - I went with Allan over where be lives, 7
miles from Donald's, 4 miles by the lake, then up the Nascaupee
River 3 miles. My first glimpse of the Nascaupee River. The
Nascaupee River is a nice big river compared to the Susan and
Beaver River, and much wider and deeper. When we came along here
in the summer, we saw this bay where the Nascaupee River comes out
from, from a distance; but we thought it was just only a bay, and
high mountains all round, and we never thought a river came out
from there. So we did not go in there at all. We saw also from a
distance, where Beaver River run out from; but we thought it was
only an island. So we still just went on and followed the map.
It was late in the evening when we got back to Donald's. Donald
and Allan would start off again in the morning to meet the two lads
and Wallace.
Monday, November 2nd. - Donald and Allan meeting Mr. Wallace, they
arrived at Donald's in the evening. Mr. Wallace then told me of
his trip after I left him; but he couldn't remember all, as he at
last lost track of every thing. He was troubled with his eyes,
being nearly smoke blind, and that he could not find the tent. He
thought he had gone past the camp. He says he did not know where
the tent was. He made Duncan a present of Mr. Hubbard's washing
rod.
Tuesday, November 3rd. - We said good-bye to Donald's, and went with
Allan and Duncan over to their place. We staid there couple of
days while Allan getting his boat ready for us to use to Northwest
River. The day after I went over there I asked Duncan M'Lean if he
could go with me this winter when I go up to get Mr. Hubbard's
body. He told me he would be willing to come along with me and
help me all he could. I told him I would try to get one or two
more at Northwest River post.
Thursday, Noveinber 5th. - In the morning Wallace and I started off
from Allan's house. When we got to the mouth of the river we could
not go any farther. Snowing very hard and could not see any
distance, and the wind against us. We stayed at the mouth of the
river till in the evening. The wind shifted to the northwest, and
we sailed across to Cape Blanc, just opposite the Nascaupee. We
went to a little shack I knew. When we passed here in the summer
we saw the shack just near the lake. This was the little shack
where I thought I might find some food or, perhaps, find some
trappers when I was coming down the Susan; but it was just a little
shack or tilt for the trappers' use when travelling along Grand
Lake, just big enough for two men to sleep in. Wallace and I were
glad to get in, and a little stove in too, and nice and warm.
In the morning, Nov. 6th, nice wind and fair for us, and got to
Northwest River. The people were so sorry to hear the sad news of
Mr. Hubbard, especially those who have seen him.
I also came across Mr. Bakie, who knew about Beaver River, and
enquires if we came to where it branches and connects again, on the
south side of a high half barren hill.
I said, "Yes, that is just the place where we left our canoes and
went over to Susan Brook."
He tells me, "If you had come over that rapid where you left the
canoe, you would go 6 miles and just come to another. Only about
50 yards you would carry your canoe, and from there smooth and deep
water, no rapids, but swift current. Even if you didn't have the
strength of paddling, the swift current would have brought you
down, right down to my house."
Mr. Bakie lives just near Donald Blake's at Grand Lake, just near
the river - Beaver River. How sorry I was when we did not follow
Beaver River. It would only take us two days to come from where we
left the canoe to where Donald Blake or Mr. Bakie's house. Mr.
Bakie has his trapping on Beaver River, and he knew all about it,
and tells me that we had come over the worst part of the river.
KEEPING A PROMISE AND SOMETHING MORE
At the New Year I saw Duncan M'Lean again, and he said he would
meet me on the 16th January at Donald's, to start from there up the
bush to get Mr. Hubbard's body, and the things we left, if I can
find them. He would be out from his trapping path then, and
besides the rivers frozen up. All the people round there thought
that I could not find anything whatever.
I did not meet Duncan, and did not get started on my trip till 8th
March.
