A Journey from Prince of Wales's Fort in Hudson's Bay to the Northern Ocean Part 39

Besides the Berries already mentioned, there are three others found as far North as Churchill; namely, what the Indians call the Eye-berry, and the other two are termed Blue-berry and Partridge-berry by the English.

[Sidenote: Eye-berry.]

The EYE-BERRY[235] grows much in the same manner as the Strawberry, and though smaller, is infinitely superior in flavour. This berry is found in various situations; but near Churchill River they are most plentiful in small hollows among the rocks, which are situated some distance from the woods; but they are never known to grow in swampy ground, and I never saw them so plentiful in any part of Hudson's Bay as about Churchill River.

[Sidenote: Blue-berry.]

{454} The BLUE-BERRY[236] is about the size of a Hurtle-berry, and grows on bushes which rise to eighteen inches or two feet, but in general are much lower. They are seldom ripe till September, at which time the leaves turn to a beautiful red; and the fruit, though small, have as fine a bloom as any plum, and are much esteemed for the pleasantness of their flavour.

[Sidenote: Partridge-berry.]

The PARTRIDGE-BERRY[237] is nearly as large as the Cranberry imported from Newfoundland, and though of a beautiful transparent red, yet has a disagreeable taste. These berries are seldom taken, either by the Indians or English; and many of the latter call them Poison-berries, but several birds are fond of them. They grow close to the ground, like the Cranberry, and the plant that produces them is not very unlike small sage, either in shape or colour, but has none of its virtues.

I had nearly forgotten another species of Berry,[238] which is found on the dry ridges at Churchill in considerable numbers. In size and colour they much resemble the Red Curran, and grow on bushes so much like the Creeping Willow, that people of little observation scarcely know the difference; particularly as all the fruit is on the under-side of the branches, and entirely hid by the leaves. I never knew this Berry eaten but by a frolicksome Indian girl; and as it had no ill effect, it is a proof it is {455} not unwholesome, though exceedingly unpleasant to the palate, and not much less so to the smell.

[Sidenote: Hips.]

HIPS[239] of a small size, though but few in number, are also found on the banks of Churchill River, at some distance from the sea. But in the interior parts of the country they are frequently found in such vast quant.i.ties, that at a distance they make the spots they grow on appear perfectly red. In the interior parts of Hudson's Bay they are as large as any I ever remember to have seen, and when ripe, have a most delightful bloom; but at that season there is scarcely one in ten which has not a worm in it; and they frequently act as a strong purgative.

With respect to the smaller productions of the vegetable world, I am obliged to be in a great measure silent, as the nature of my various occupations during my residence in this country gave me little leisure, and being unacquainted with botany, I viewed with inattention things that were not of immediate use: the few which follow are all that particularly engaged my attention.

[Sidenote: Wish-a-ca-pucca.]

The WISH-A-CA-PUCCA,[240] which grows in most parts of this country, is said by some Authors to have great medical virtues, applied, either inwardly as an alterative, or outwardly dried and pulverised, to old sores and gangrenes. The truth of this I much doubt, and could {456} never think it had the least medical quality. It is, however, much used by the lower cla.s.s of the Company's servants as tea; and by some is thought very pleasant. But the flower is by far the most delicate, and if gathered at a proper time, and carefully dried in the shade, will retain its flavour for many years, and make a far more pleasant beverage than the leaves. There are several species of this plant, of which some of the leaves are nearly as large as that of the Creeping Willow, while others are as small and narrow as that of the Rosemary, and much resembles it in colour; but all the species have the same smell and flavour.

[Sidenote: Jackashey-puck.]

JACKASHEY-PUCK.[241] This herb much resembles Creeping Box; and is only used, either by the Indians or English, to mix with tobacco, which makes it smoke mild and pleasant; and would, I am persuaded, be very acceptable to many smokers in England.

[Sidenote: Moss.]

MOSS of various sorts and colours is plentiful enough in most parts of this country, and is what the deer usually feed on.

[Sidenote: Gra.s.s.]

GRa.s.s of several kinds is also found in those parts, and some of it amazingly rapid of growth, particularly that which is there called Rye-gra.s.s, and which, in our short Summer at Churchill, frequently grows to the height {457} of three feet. Another species of Gra.s.s, which is produced in marshes, and on the margins of lakes, ponds, and rivers, is particularly adapted for the support of the mult.i.tudes of the feathered creation which resort to those parts in Summer. The Marsh Gra.s.s at Churchill is of that peculiar nature, that where it is mowed one year, no crop can be procured the next Summer; whereas at York Fort, though the climate is not very different, they can get two crops, or harvests, from the same spot in one Summer. Vetches are plentiful in some parts as far North as Churchill River; and Burrage, Sorrel, and Coltsfoot, may be ranked among the useful plants. Dandelion is also plentiful at Churchill, and makes an early salad, long before any thing can be produced in the gardens.

In fact, notwithstanding the length of the Winter, the severity of the cold, and the great scarcity of vegetables at this Northern settlement, by proper attention to cleanliness, and keeping the people at reasonable exercise, I never had one man under me who had the least symptoms of the scurvy; whereas at York Fort, Albany, and Moose River, there were almost annual complaints that one half of the people were rendered incapable of duty by that dreadful disorder.

I do not wish to lay claim to any merit on this occasion, but I cannot help observing that, during ten years I had {458} the command at Churchill River, only two men died of that distemper, though my complement at times amounted in number to fifty-three.

[Sidenote: Trees.]

The Forest Trees that grow on this inhospitable spot are very few indeed; Pine,[242] Juniper,[243] small scraggy Poplar,[244] Creeping Birch,[245] and Dwarf Willows,[246] compose the whole catalogue. Farther Westward the Birch Tree[247] is very plentiful; and in the Athapuscow country, the Pines, Larch, Poplar, and Birch, grow to a great size; the Alder[248] is also found there.

FOOTNOTES:

[124] The notes to this chapter within brackets are by Mr. Edward A.

Preble of the United States Biological Survey.

[125] See pages 255, 164, 235, and 254.

[126] This is the so-called elk or wapiti, _Cervus canadensis_ Erx., formerly abundant from the west side of Lake Winnipeg north-westward to the Peace River region.

[127] The wolves of the wooded country belong to the species to which the name _Canis occidentalis_ of Richardson seems applicable; those of the Barren Grounds, which are frequently white, may be considered as subspecifically separable under the name _Canis o. albus_ Sabine (type locality, Fort Enterprise, North-West Territory).

[128] _Vulpes lagopus innuitus_ Merriam. This name is applicable to the Arctic foxes of the American mainland. They are larger than and differ in cranial characters from the typical animal of Lapland.

[129] See Pennant, "Arct. Zool.," i. p. 43, 1784, where this statement is credited to Mr. Graham. While Hearne is probably right about the foxes appearing every season, yet at intervals of a few years there is an incursion of more than ordinary numbers, and on these occasions the species reaches farther south than usual.

[130] The Canada Lynx, _Lynx canadensis_ Kerr, is of general distribution throughout the wooded country, and occasionally in summer extends its wanderings for a short distance into the Barren Grounds.

[131] _Thalarctos maritimus_ (Phipps). This species, of circ.u.mpolar distribution, keeps closely to the sea-coasts, and reaches the southern extremity of Hudson Bay, probably the most southern point of its present distribution.

[BY] It is rather singular that the Polar Bears are seldom found on the land during the Winter, on which account it is supposed they go out on the ice, and keep near the edge of the water during that season, while the females that are pregnant seek shelter at the skirts of the woods, and dig themselves dens in the deepest drifts of snow they can find, where they remain in a state of inactivity, and without food, from the latter end of December or January, till the latter end of March; at which time they leave their dens, and bend their course towards the sea with their cubs; which, in general, are two in number. Notwithstanding the great magnitude of those animals when full grown, yet their young are not larger than rabbits, and when they leave their dens, in March, I have frequently seen them not larger than a white fox, and their steps on the snow not bigger than a crown-piece, when those of their dam measure near fifteen inches long and nine inches broad. They propagate when young, or at least before they are half-grown; for I have killed young females not larger than a London calf, with milk in their teats; whereas some of the full grown ones are heavier than the largest of our common oxen. Indeed I was once at the killing of one, when one of its hind feet being cut off at the ankle, weighed fifty-four pounds. The males have a bone in their _p.e.n.i.s_, as a dog has, and of course unite in copulation; but the time of their courts.h.i.+p is, I believe, not exactly known: probably it may be in July or August, for at those times I have often been at the killing of them, when the males were so attached to their mistresses, that after the female was killed, the male would put his two fore-paws over, and suffer himself to be shot before he would quit her. I have frequently seen and killed those animals near twelve leagues from the land; but as the Fall of the year advances, they are taught by instinct to seek the sh.o.r.e. Though such a tremendous animal, they are very shy of coming near a man; but when closely pursued in the water, they frequently attack the boat, seize the oars, and wrest them from the hands of the strongest man, seeming desirous to get on board; but the people on those occasions are always provided with fire-arms and hatchets, to prevent such an unwelcome visit. The flesh of this animal, when killed in Winter, (if not too old,) is far from being unpleasant eating; and the young cubs, in the Spring, are rather delicate than otherwise. The teats of the female are only two in number, and are placed between the fore-legs. The best Drawing of this Animal I have seen, is that done by Mr. Webber, among the Plates of Cook's last Voyage.

[132] _Ursus america.n.u.s_ Pallas. This species inhabits all the region west of Hudson Bay nearly or quite to the limit of trees, though it is rare near the border of the woods.

[BZ] The insects here spoken of are of two kinds; the one is nearly black, its skin hard like a beetle, and not very unlike a gra.s.shopper, and darts through the water with great ease, and with some degree of velocity. The other sort is brown, has wings, and is as soft as the common cleg-fly. The latter are the most numerous; and in some of the lakes such quant.i.ties of them are forced into the bays in gales of wind, and there pressed together in such mult.i.tudes, that they are killed, and remain there a great nuisance; for I have several times, in my inland voyages from York Fort, found it scarcely possible to land in some of those bays for the intolerable stench of those insects, which in some places were lying in putrid ma.s.ses to the depth of two or three feet. It is more than probable, that the Bears occasionally feed on these dead insects.

[133] The insects here referred to are mainly May-flies (Ephemeridae), which are washed up along the sh.o.r.es of the lakes in this region in incredible quant.i.ties, and are eaten by the bears, as Hearne says.

[CA] It is common for the Southern Indians to tame and domesticate the young cubs; and they are frequently taken so young that they cannot eat.

On those occasions the Indians oblige their wives who have milk in their b.r.e.a.s.t.s to suckle them. And one of the Company's servants, whose name is Isaac Batt, willing to be as great a brute as his Indian companions, absolutely forced one of his wives, who had recently lost her infant, to suckle a young Bear.

[134] By brown bears, Hearne probably refers to the brown or cinnamon phase of the black bear. This colour phase, which is often spoken of as if const.i.tuting a distinct species, is rare near the northern border of the range of the animal.

[135] _Ursus richardsoni_ Swainson. See _ante_, p. 181.

[136] _Gulo luscus_ (Linn.). This powerful freebooter ranges north to the extremity of the continent, and has been detected in a few instances on the islands of the Arctic Sea.

[CB] Mr. Graham says they take their lodging in the clefts of rocks, or in hollow trees. The former I acknowledge, but I believe that neither Mr. Graham nor any of the Company's servants ever saw an instance of the latter. In fact, during all my travels in the interior parts of Hudson's Bay, I never saw a hollow tree that was capable of affording shelter to any larger animal than martins, jackashes, or wejacks; much less the quiquehatch or Bear, as some have a.s.serted.

[This statement is from Pennant, "Arct. Zool.," i. p. 68, 1784, and given on the authority of Mr. Graham.]

[137] _Lutra canadensis_ (Schreber). This valuable fur-bearer is found throughout the wooded country, but is rare near the borders of the forest.

[CC] The Otter is very fond of play; and one of their favourite pastimes is, to get on a high ridge of snow, bend their fore-feet backward, and slide down the side of it, sometimes to the distance of twenty yards.

[138] _Lutreola vison lacustris_ (Preble, North Am. Fauna, No. 22, p.

66, 1902). This race differs from the typical race of Eastern Canada in its larger size and some minor cranial characters. It inhabits the region west of Hudson Bay, north to the limit of trees.

[139] _Mustela pennanti_ Erxleben. As far as known, this fur-bearer reaches its northern limit on the coast of Hudson Bay near Cape Tatnam.

[CD] Mr. Graham a.s.serts that this animal frequents the banks of creeks, and feeds on fish; but these are by no means their usual haunts. I have, however, no doubt, but when they find fish on the land, that they may eat it, like other carnivorous animals; but they are as shy of taking the water as a domestic cat. They climb trees, and catch partridges, mice, and rabbits, with as much ease as a martin. They are easily tamed and domesticated, are very fond of tea-leaves, have a pleasant musky smell, and are very playful.

[This statement is apparently from Pennant ("Arct. Zool.," i. p. 82, 1784), who gives Mr. Graham as authority.]