Across the sub-Arctics of Canada

by J. W. Tyrrell

During the whole of the 25th our course continued to be westerly and north-westerly, and because of this we began to feel anxious. We had now passed the latitude of Baker Lake, where, according to information obtained from the Eskimos, we were expecting the river to take us. Instead of drawing nearer to it, we were heading away toward the Back or Great Fish River, which discharges its waters into the Arctic Ocean, and was, on our present course, distant only two days’ journey.

Towards evening, however, a marked change was observed in the character of the river. The banks grew lower and consisted of soft, coarse-grained sandstone. The water became shallow and the channel broadened out into a little lake, containing numerous shoals and low islands of sand. Just beyond this, much to our surprise and pleasure, we suddenly came upon abundance of drift-wood—not little sticks of willow or ground birch, but the trunks of trees six or eight inches in diameter, as heavy as two men could carry. No growing trees were to be seen in the district, nor had we seen any during the previous three or four hundred miles of our journey. At first, therefore, the occurrence of the wood seemed unaccountable, but the theory soon suggested itself that we must be close to the confluence of some other stream flowing through a wooded country. No other could account for its existence in this remote region, and accordingly this theory was borne out by the discovery, within a short distance, of a river as large as the Telzoa, flowing in from the westward and with it mingling its dark-colored waters.

The abundance and condition of the drift-wood, which was not badly battered, would indicate that upon the west branch few rapids and no lakes exist between the confluence and the woodland district, which is perhaps in the vicinity of Great Slave or Clinton Golden Lake. Lakes occurring on the course of a river act as catch-basins to prevent the further passage of drift-wood. According to information obtained from the Eskimo, some distance up this river there were great numbers of his people engaged in the building of kyacks. We would have been pleased to visit them, but deeming it unwise at this late season to go out of our way, we pulled on with the stream, which was now double its former strength and flowing again to the northward.

Many geese were seen about the low grassy shores and islands, upon one of which latter camp was pitched on the evening of the 25th, and a great blazing, roaring fire of drift-wood kindled.

It was hoped that henceforward for some time this supply of fuel might continue, for of late we had been entirely without fire for warming purposes. The miserable smudges made of moss or ground birch mixed with deer tallow or sprinkled with alcohol were useful for the purpose of cooking our venison, but for nothing else.

From camp on the morning of the 26th, for a distance of four or five miles, the river still flowed toward the Arctic, but in latitude 64° 41′ north it swerved around to the east, and then the south-east, and bore us down to the western extremity of a magnificent body of water, which has been named Aberdeen Lake, in honor of their Excellencies Lord and Lady Aberdeen. It was a lovely calm evening when the track of our canoes first rippled the waters of this lake, and as we landed at a bluff point on the north shore and from it gazed to the eastward over the solitary but beautiful scene, a feeling of awe crept over us. We were undoubtedly the first white men who had ever viewed it, and in the knowledge of the fact there was inspiration.

For two days following we enjoyed fine weather—something unusual in the Barren Land districts—and this enabled us to carry on the exploration of the large lake with very little delay. We found the total length to be about fifty miles. Portions of the shore toward the west end were low and sandy, and at one point of landing the remains of an old Eskimo camp, and beside it parts of a human skeleton, were found.

Towards the east end other remarkable traces of Eskimos were seen in the shape of stone pillars, well and uniformly built, but for what purpose I confess I cannot tell. If they had been located at conspicuous points, or upon hill-tops, I would say they were intended for landmarks. Several were found on the shore of the bay forming the eastern extremity of the lake, and others in more or less obscure places. I am inclined to think the object in building these stone pillars has been in some way connected with the hunting of musk oxen or deer, but they were evidently not intended merely for shelters or hiding places.