“Great sport is afforded to those who are so inclined in harpooning whales. I have counted as many as twenty in one school, going up the river at almost every tide, and an impressive sight it is. In summer at Churchill the Hudson’s Bay Company capture many white whales, from ten to fifteen feet in length and weighing from one thousand to two thousand pounds, by the use of extra strong nets. The flesh is cut up and kept to feed the dogs in winter, while the blubber is boiled down at the factory and the hides are sent to England.
“It will surprise you, perhaps, when I tell you that we fish on dry land at Churchill. That is a fact, nevertheless. The natives of Churchill, both Indians and Eskimos, and also the white men, set their nets on dry land. They set their nets, which are about fifteen feet long, with three upright posts placed vertically on the shore. When they have set them they simply wait for the tide to come in, and when it has come in they simply wait until it has gone out, and there are their fish all ready to be taken out without any trouble. The catch consists chiefly of whitefish, salmon trout, and pickerel, all of good quality.
“When the Hudson bay route is completed, one of the best fishing trades in the world will be opened up. There are five lakes, in all, in the district, all full of fish, and the farthest teaming which is necessary would be about forty miles. On lake Winnipeg at the present time, fish are hauled a distance of one hundred and forty miles, and they are teamed into Edmonton from Lesser Slave lake, a distance of one hundred and seventy-five miles and made to pay. The salmon of the north averages from four to ten pounds in weight, and is of good quality; the whitefish is not so large as that of Lake Winnipeg, but it is of fine flavor, and very firm. The caplin, a small fish resembling the sardine, is found in such quantities at some seasons of the year that they are left in thousands upon the shore when the tide goes out. Fishing usually commences at the latter part of June and finishes at the end of August.”
NORTHERN SASKATCHEWAN