Camp No. 15, 8th February, 1875.
My Dear Edward, —
On the 4th we had a very heavy snowstorm, just to make things lively I suppose. Jarvis left early with two men and a very light sled, while the rest of us spent the day in getting the stuff over the portage and through the canon. It was a bad trail and the late snow hadn't improved it at all. The first trouble was a steep hill, about 150 feet high, and it took us all to get. one sled up at a time. The dogs didn't seem to care for the place at all and when two men would be hauling and two pushing the sled, ten to one the dogs would turn about and go down the hill. Tough on the whip. However, we got everything over safely about 4 P. M. and camped at end of canon. The next morning we were off bright and early and went only a short distance before we struck another canon and fall and had to follow another portage made by Jarvis. It wasn't very bad and with 8 dogs on each sled we took the stuff over in fair style. The worst part was at the further end where the descent to the river was almost perpendicular. Here the sled invariably reached bottom before the dogs, though the latter did their level best to get out of the way. It was killing work on the beasts; how they stand it I can’t see.
After crossing the portage we had canon all the afternoon and after working hard, very hard all day, we camped just 6 miles from last camp. I broke track all day, Jarvis' trail having drifted full. I managed it thus: Started off about 5 miles an hour and walked away some distance, then back to the dogs and then forward again, hoping to give them the benefit of three pair of snow shoes. We didn't get to camp till 6 and the dogs couldn't have gone another mile. Poor beggars, sometimes I am sorry for them, but that don’t pay, we can’t afford to rest them or ourselves and we both need it.
On the 6th we had very warm weather which made it worse. We passed another fall, and had the usual amount of hauling, dog whipping and general hard work. Road bad enough for anything. Overflowed with water and no track visible, though Jarvis and men passed over it only the day before; at 10 A. M. on the 7th we came to the forks (No. 3) and I got a note from Jarvis with instructions to follow N. Fork up to where I'd find his sled. This I did and camped there. Jams came in in the evening, having been to head of South Branch and found no pass. He had also fired at a moose but the distance was too great and he didn't hit. A moose would be a great thing for us, as with it we could take a rest and food ourselves and dogs. Though we are not very hard up yet if the rations be a leetle small.
To-day 1 have been 7 miles up this the N. Branch. Above camp 1 mile is a fall of 200 feet which I went around via side of mountain, above that the river widens out and meanders through muskeg and meadow for three miles, then it gets rapid and canony and turns to north. Evidently it rises in the mounting and comes from glaciers.
Camp No. 15. Continued.
I turned when I had reached an elevation of 4, 000 ft., which is 250 ft. higher than the Yellow Head Pass; so that from an engineering point this branch a worthless. There is nothing left for us now but to retrace our stops to Camp No. 9 and try the south branch. This we will do to-morrow. We both feel that it is tough to turn back but the quality of the Smoky River Pass must be known and we are going to find it out. The Stewart Lake Indians are delighted, as they think we are going to Fort George. Johnny is as unmoved as ever, and Alec ready for anything. So good-night.
Yours sleepily,
C. F. H.
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