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E D M O N T O N T O L E S S E R S L A V E L A K E 35
men on board keeping the boats clear of it, and, on a fair
path, with good water, make very good time. Indeed, the
p u l l seems to give an impetus to the trackers as well as to
the boat, so that a loose man has to lope to keep up with
them. But on bad paths and bad water the speed is sadly
pulled down, and, i f rapids occur, sinks to the zero of a
few miles a day. The " spells " vary according to these circumstances,
but half an hour is the ordinary pull between
" pipes," and there being no shifts i n our case, the stoppages
for rest and tobacco were frequent. At this rate we calculated
that it would take eight or ten days to reach the
mouth of Lesser Slave River. Mr. d'Eschambault and myself,
having experienced the crowded state of the first and
second boats, and foregathered during the trip, decided to
take up our quarters on the scow, which had no awning, but
which offered some elbow room and a tolerably cozy nook
amongst the cases, bales and baggage with which it was
encumbered.
We had a study on board, as well, in our steersman,
P i e r r e Cyr, which partly attracted me— a bronzed man,
with long, thin, yet fine weather- beaten features, frosty
moustache and keenly- gazing, dry, gray eyes— a tall, slim
and sinewy man, over seventy years of age, yet agile and firm
of step as a man of thirty. Add the semi- silent, inward
laugh which Cooper ascribes to his Leather- Stocking, and
you have Pierre Cyr, who might have stood for that immortal's
portrait. That he had a history I felt sure when I
first saw h im seated amongst his boatmen at the Landing,
and, on seeking his acquaintance, was not surprised to learn
that he had accompanied Sir John Richardson on his last
journey i n Prince Rupert's Land, and Dr. Rae on his
eventful expedition to Repulse Bay, i n 1853, i n search of
F r a n k l i n . He looked as i f he could do i t again— a vigorous,
alert man, ready and able to track or pole with the best— a
survivor, i n fact, of the old race of Red River voyageurs,
whose record is one of the romances of history.
Object Description
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| Title | Page 41 |
| OCR | E D M O N T O N T O L E S S E R S L A V E L A K E 35 men on board keeping the boats clear of it, and, on a fair path, with good water, make very good time. Indeed, the p u l l seems to give an impetus to the trackers as well as to the boat, so that a loose man has to lope to keep up with them. But on bad paths and bad water the speed is sadly pulled down, and, i f rapids occur, sinks to the zero of a few miles a day. The " spells " vary according to these circumstances, but half an hour is the ordinary pull between " pipes," and there being no shifts i n our case, the stoppages for rest and tobacco were frequent. At this rate we calculated that it would take eight or ten days to reach the mouth of Lesser Slave River. Mr. d'Eschambault and myself, having experienced the crowded state of the first and second boats, and foregathered during the trip, decided to take up our quarters on the scow, which had no awning, but which offered some elbow room and a tolerably cozy nook amongst the cases, bales and baggage with which it was encumbered. We had a study on board, as well, in our steersman, P i e r r e Cyr, which partly attracted me— a bronzed man, with long, thin, yet fine weather- beaten features, frosty moustache and keenly- gazing, dry, gray eyes— a tall, slim and sinewy man, over seventy years of age, yet agile and firm of step as a man of thirty. Add the semi- silent, inward laugh which Cooper ascribes to his Leather- Stocking, and you have Pierre Cyr, who might have stood for that immortal's portrait. That he had a history I felt sure when I first saw h im seated amongst his boatmen at the Landing, and, on seeking his acquaintance, was not surprised to learn that he had accompanied Sir John Richardson on his last journey i n Prince Rupert's Land, and Dr. Rae on his eventful expedition to Repulse Bay, i n 1853, i n search of F r a n k l i n . He looked as i f he could do i t again— a vigorous, alert man, ready and able to track or pole with the best— a survivor, i n fact, of the old race of Red River voyageurs, whose record is one of the romances of history. |
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