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126 T H R O U G H T H E M A C K E N Z I E B A S IN
proved to be a prime place for our camp, w i t h plenty of
dead fallen and standing timber, and soon four or five
" long fires " were blazing, a substantial supper discussed,
and comfort succeeded misery. The next day ( Sunday) was
much enjoyed as a day of rest, the half- breeds at their
beloved games, the officials w r i t i n g letters. The weather
was variable; the clouds broke and gathered by turns, w i th
slight r a i n towards evening, and then it cleared. As a night
camp it was picturesque, the f u l l moon i n the south gleami
n g over the t u r b i d water, and the boatmen lounging around
the fires like so mam' brigands.
Next morning we surmounted the B r u l e R a p i d — P u s i t ao
Powestik— short but powerful, w i t h a sharp pointed rock
at its head, very troublesome to get around. Above this
r a p i d the bank consists of a solid, vertical rampart of red
sandstone, its base and top and every crack and crevice
clothed w i t h a r i c h vegetation— a most beautiful and striki
n g scene, forming a gigantic amphitheatre, concentred by
the seeming closing- in of the left bank at P o i n t B r u l e upon
the long straight l i n e of sandstone wall on the right. Nothi
n g finer, indeed, could be imagined i n a l l this remarkable
r i v e r ' s remarkable scenery than this impressive view, not
f r om j u t t i n g peaks, for the sky- line of the banks runs parall
e l w i t h the water, but f r om the antique grandeur of their
sweep and apparent junction.
That afternoon we rounded P o i n t B r u l e , a high, bold cliff
of sandstone with three " lop- sticks " upon its top. The
I n d i a n ' s lop- stick, called by the Cree piskootenusk, is a
sort of l i v i n g talisman which he connects i n some mysterious
way w i t h his own fate, and which he w i l l often go many
miles out of his direct course to v i s i t . Even white men f a ll
i n w i t h the fetish, and one of the three we saw was called
" Lambert's lop- stick." I myself had one made for me
by Gros Oreilles, the Saulteau Chief, nearly forty years
ago, i n the forest east of P o i n t e d u Chene, i n what is n ow
Manitoba. They are made by s t r i p p i n g a tall spruce tree
Object Description
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| Title | Page 144 |
| OCR | 126 T H R O U G H T H E M A C K E N Z I E B A S IN proved to be a prime place for our camp, w i t h plenty of dead fallen and standing timber, and soon four or five " long fires " were blazing, a substantial supper discussed, and comfort succeeded misery. The next day ( Sunday) was much enjoyed as a day of rest, the half- breeds at their beloved games, the officials w r i t i n g letters. The weather was variable; the clouds broke and gathered by turns, w i th slight r a i n towards evening, and then it cleared. As a night camp it was picturesque, the f u l l moon i n the south gleami n g over the t u r b i d water, and the boatmen lounging around the fires like so mam' brigands. Next morning we surmounted the B r u l e R a p i d — P u s i t ao Powestik— short but powerful, w i t h a sharp pointed rock at its head, very troublesome to get around. Above this r a p i d the bank consists of a solid, vertical rampart of red sandstone, its base and top and every crack and crevice clothed w i t h a r i c h vegetation— a most beautiful and striki n g scene, forming a gigantic amphitheatre, concentred by the seeming closing- in of the left bank at P o i n t B r u l e upon the long straight l i n e of sandstone wall on the right. Nothi n g finer, indeed, could be imagined i n a l l this remarkable r i v e r ' s remarkable scenery than this impressive view, not f r om j u t t i n g peaks, for the sky- line of the banks runs parall e l w i t h the water, but f r om the antique grandeur of their sweep and apparent junction. That afternoon we rounded P o i n t B r u l e , a high, bold cliff of sandstone with three " lop- sticks " upon its top. The I n d i a n ' s lop- stick, called by the Cree piskootenusk, is a sort of l i v i n g talisman which he connects i n some mysterious way w i t h his own fate, and which he w i l l often go many miles out of his direct course to v i s i t . Even white men f a ll i n w i t h the fetish, and one of the three we saw was called " Lambert's lop- stick." I myself had one made for me by Gros Oreilles, the Saulteau Chief, nearly forty years ago, i n the forest east of P o i n t e d u Chene, i n what is n ow Manitoba. They are made by s t r i p p i n g a tall spruce tree |
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