C Ihe Ladies c cu. V'VVAN - History and Classics, Department of

Appendix 1 203the MPma~ from old country fine !ypes. Archdeacon Whitaker + wifo. Agiggling nurse, teacher + missionary. 2 French Canadian seamen old Brabant+c +c. Sand pipers about but otherwise not much bird life on river. Time tablesexist not. We got ashore McMurr,!) 1 o'c Capt said might leave 3 a 'c. We strolleddown to wooden floating barge about 4 o'c. Our Tug the Canadusa carnealong about 4.30 with no loading at all from Waterwaysbecause it was King's birthday so trip was useless today. Then wewaited an hour or so while ramshackle carcame + went with sacks + lumps of ice +the engineer who was having his hair cut (like a convict blue ofcourse). Then we transferred all the sacks + ice 1/2 w'!) down to another smallerbarge to save towing up large one next trip + left large one above the quasi rapidmoored to a poplar tree! No dovetailing here + no hurry: "it's the North" s'!)severyone + laughs. Much heartiness handshaking + introductions seems to be alsopart + parcel of the north including introductions to store keeper who sellsyou a p.c.FRIDAY 4 JUNEHot + stea"!)'. Still moored. Walked after b'fastabout 11/2 miles up river alonglimestone ridge full offossil shells: flocks of lovely yellow swallow-tailButterflies. The barge returned from Waterways noon but wewere not yet off for the Sergeant Major of M.P had left a box oftools at Waterways so back thtry went in a little tug after lunch + we i.e. S.S.Athabasca River moved slowJy down to Q spot on L. river bank where we tied up +took on a pile of new cut wood: 1 1/2 hours there perhaps. G + I wandered ashore+ had to put on mosquito veils for 1sttime. Then 4 0' c we moved down + tied upto R. bank till Tug + tool box overtook us. Long chat w. C.M.P. man whohas been 2 years in Ellesmere Land + is now ordered N toBernard Inlet it may be: he showed us interesting snow photos.About sunset time 9 a 'c we passed Fort McK,!) + an Indian settlement withshanties + dusky figures + tents on the banks. And then carne the afterglow:bluest light against the firs, river opening out wide beforeus purple reflections in it + one molten bar of cloud: peace +distance wonderfulJy beautiful. So in that evening light we carne tosandbanks 2 I/2-breeds on the biggest loaded barge that weshove before us take soundings with poles + silently raising eachpole slide one hand along to show the depth. Thus the Capt.watching from wheel house sees the pole + hand silhouetted onthe sunset sky + takes his bearings. Once we nearly stuck + theyhastily shoved out in a canoe to take soundings the matestanding up + a I/2-breed paddling. Poplarssw,!)ing + swishing close tous clouds + water growing more purple: a cool wind blowing-Good world.Gramophone onJy false note.SATURDAY 5 JUNELost all count of d,!)s. Furious wind blOwing + quite a sand stormbut still proceeding slowly through shoals + sand banks. We tiedup for wood in the morning + went ashore into spruce wood + found 2 greenorchids: no mosquitos in this wind. Wrote + had a washingd,!). We areleaving the white Poplars behind + now have corne to cottonwoods. Evening carne to deeper water river full of corkscrewbends + ducks: flat wooded banks. We went up to the Captain'swheel house + there sat enjoying every bend of the river as in adream without beginning or end: afterglow + sunset only faintbut the wind had died down + the peace + loneliness was beautiful: onJy atrapper's hut here + there. The Captain a silent man hailed fromSwitzerland 45 years ago.SUNDAY 6 JUNENotice how everyone talks of the North as of some enclosed place. "He has notbeen outfor 40." "I went in in the nineties." +c +c. Indeed the N. WTerritory is not even represented in Parliament the candidate for this part rangesfrom McMurr,!) to Fort Smith where Alberta ends. Mr Moran + old Brabantwere tellingyams of old Hudson B'!) C. empl,!)ees + others. One Harris ofSimpson + how he missed the priesthood. "We chaps went upto seminary at Montreal + the Priest he looked us over + says"All right you corne back June 24th" So I went away + off I goeson the toot. One day I comes to myself + looks about + finds it's27" All right I says to meself only 4 days late," So I goes up tothe seminary + sits down for a chat with the Priest. Presently hesays to me "Do you know what day of the month it is MrHarris?" "Why sez I tis t!>e 27th" "And do you know whatmonth it is Mr Harris ?" sez he. "Yes" sez oi "tis the month ofJune." "If my eyes serve me right sez he Mr Harris tis themonth of August on this calendar." "God bless me" sez oi I'vebeen blind drunk for 2 months then" + I picks up me hat + outI goes + that is how I never joined the priesthood" ... A very coldrairry wincfy d'!). At 6 AM we went ashore at Chipewyan for 10mins. rocks + quite a settlement of whitewood houses: rockyland for 1st time with little hills covered with firs. EarJy thismorning about 3 AM we came through Lake Athabasca luckiJy before the windrose or we would not have got through. After b'fast passed along a waste of mudflats. Country very flat but more open + low. Spring Cottonwood + firs. Very coldrairry d'!): we spent our best hours in the wheel house with the slow-spoken SwissCaptain. Service after lunch Archdeacon It'hitaker. We passed the Echo at 3 o'c.Great rejoicing as she had started 24- hours ahead of us but her barges would notstand the rough water. This navigation from Waterw,!)s to Fil7,gerald is a trickyaffair: to begin with the water is rather low everywhere + the channel very