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

246 Notes to Pages 23-25Fort McMurray, was established as the railhead because itslocation, higher above the river, left it less susceptible toflooding (Aubrey, Place 76).poplars that were very tall and slender with silver stemsIt seems unusual that Vyvyan does not mention aspen, thedominant deciduous tree in the region; given this description,it may be that she does not distinguish one species of poplarfrom another.SS AthabascaIn 1883, when it built and launched the Grahame at FortChipewyan, the HBC began substituting steamers for its bigwooden supply boats, which had to be tracked upstream (Innis344 n8). Two years later, a steamer named Wriglry was built andlaunched at Fort Smith, and commenced service on the Slave­Mackenzie waterway all the way to the Mackenzie Delta andArctic Ocean. Thereafter, once northern travellers reached theAthabasca River watershed, their travel by steamer was relativelyunencumbered. The major obstacle never overcome, however,was twenty-five kilometres of the Slave River between fortsFitzgerald and Smith, where the river falls thirty metres over arocky projection of the Canadian Shield, causing a series ofrapids, named Cassette, Pelican, Mountain, and Rapids of theDrowned (the correct order is seldom agreed upon [Back 67]).By the time ofVyvyan and Dorrien Smith's trip, the MackenzieRiver steamer could usually make three return trips betweenFort Smith and Aklavik each season. Steamboats plied theAthabasca and Mackenzie routes for six decades before theywere replaced by diesel tugs in 1947 (Ethel Stewart, "Early" 41).The SS Athabasca River, which was retired that year, measured 146feet in length; with a beam of 36 feet, it drew 3 feet of water. Itcould carry 150 tons of freight, handle a 200-ton barge, travelat a speed of 13 knots, and provide saloon accommodations for58 passengers (Chalmers 70-3).The archdeacon ... had towed his wife and baby upriver in anEskiDlo skin boatCharles Edward Whittaker (1864-1947), who was born nearBurford, Ontario, was educated at Wycliffe College, Torontoand Stjohn's College, Winnipeg (''Whittaker''). Ordained in1896 and married in 1898 to Emma Hatley, sister to the wife ofBishop Lucas, he served as missionary to the Inuvialuit from1895 to 1917 ("Whittaker"), spending 1902-06 at St Patrick'sMission on Herschel Island (Saxberg 9). He later becamearchdeacon (Boon 232,451), and from 1918 to 1921 was rectorof Christ Church, Whitehorse. In 1921, he and his wife left theYukon for Ontario, where he was rector of StJohn's, Cookstown(1921-23) and Stjames and All Saints, Penetanguishene(1923-30), although he periodically visited the Yukon("Whittaker"). He published one book, Arctic Eskimo (1937).On 28 March 19II, he officiated at the Fort McPherson burialservice for Francis Fitzgerald and the other mounties of thelost patrol Of19II (Steele 157).Portions of Whittaker's held notes from his trip up the RatRiver in 1900 are quoted in his memoir as follows:"Through the Company I bought an Eskimo skinboat,and engaged five men to take us over the Divide, arrangingfor the men's pay to be given them on their return. Laid inprovisions for twenty days for eight persons, with tent andother necessary camp gear. Also a large bag of moccasins,and store of tobacco , as these must be furnished the men,in addition to wages ...."Reached the first rapids early. A jagged stone cut a holein the boat, which I plugged with my handkerchief. Whenthrough the rapid, we hauled out and patched the boat,smearing the rent with tallow. We have sixty miles of thisstream ahead of us, passing an average of forty to hfty rapidsa day. We cook and eat morning, noon and night. The foodis mostly bannocks, made in a fryingpan [sic] over an openfire."Sunday-had a good rest, and sleep. Held service forthe boys, and prayers in our tent."Started early, though quite cold. Mother and daughter,with the baggage and supplies, with a steersman. occupy theboat, while the rest of us pull on the towline, or wadealongside the boat, to steady it in the boiling rapids, or easeit over the many stones in the frequent shallows."We are making good progress, but the food is diminishingrapidly. We counted on reaching the Divide in tendays, with no mishaps. At noon, I addressed the crew,promising them eleven days' wages if they could make it innine, and an extra day's pay for every day they could shortenthe trip. They accepted with good will."Mrs. Whittaker, tired oflong sitting in the boat, wishedto walk along shore; so I carried Mabel, and we tramped,while the boys worked the boat. Soon our shore ended in a