eer ... Another in a series tracing the early history of Cassiar country. by Jerry Rosman Robert Campbel! and the Mysterious ThaltanChieftainess ... I have seen many far-famed chiefs with their bands in every kind of mood, but I never saw one who had such absolute authority or was as bold and as ready to exercise it as this noble woman.” If it wasn’t for the kindness and compassion of a Thaltan Indian woman at Dease Lake, Robert Campbell admitted he wouldn’t have lived to be the first white man to penetrate Yukon Territory. The “‘Discoverer of the Yukon” would have died at his Hudson’s Bay Fort at Sawmill Point, in the winter of 1838-9 and disappeared © into history. Who was this mysterious woman? To understand this story, we have to set the stage of the times, delve into the customs of the Thaltans, and dissect Robert Campbell’s memoirs of the incident. Hudson’s Bay Company was pushing north and west in the first third of the 19th century, looking for a water link with the Pacific Coast. It delegated Robert Camp- bell, a sturdy Scot, the chore of establishing a trading post on Dease Lake. In a letter from HBC Governor George Simpson to Campbell July 4,1837, he is urged to press west. “Let me beg that your attention be par- , ticularly directed to pushing the trade across the Moun- tains and down Pelly River (Campbell’s note:the Stikine is meant as the upper part of that river had been named the Pelly until I found it to be the Stikine), and Robert Campbell is not the man I take him to be unless in due time he plants the HBC Standard on the shores of the Pacific.” Campbell and 15 men arrived at Dease Lake early in July 1838. On the 20th, Campbell headed out to follow his instructions to explore the West side of the Moun- tains. “We took pine (actually spruce)bark canoes with us to the South end of the Lake, 20 miles off, & then shouldering our blankets & light equipments such as small axe, kettle &c., we started on foot trusting to our guns to keep us in provisions.” : On July 22, 1838, Robert Campbell with Hoole and his interpreter, and. two young Indian boys, Lapie and Kitza arrived at “Terror Bridge” over the Tuya River, on ‘ the Dease Lake-Telegraph Creek trail. i When the Thaltans at Terror Bridge first spied Camp- bell & party coming toward the bridge, they fled their hut...Campbell says,““A bright fire, was, however burning & round it to our surprise were 3 metal pots, in one of which some salmon was hanging from the rafters drying & to some of this we helped ourselves for supper, leaving a knife and some tobacco in hunting bags on the walls.” Tlingit Chief Shakes lying in state. Shakes had a rule that all white men coming into Tlingit or Thal- tan country from the East...“‘Were to be killed”. Robert Campbell met with Shakes in July 1838, and lived to tell about it. The next day, a group of 16 Thaltans arrived at Campbells camp at dawn... “crossing the bridge holding out the pipe of peace, which was accordingly smoked and passed around.’ With these mutual- gestures of friendship, the Thaltans had taken on the task of pro- tecting their friend from harm while he was their guest. Although the Thaltans accepted his friendship,and ex- tended their hospitality, they repeatedly warned Camp- bell not to go into Thaltan village because of the pre- sence there of Chief Shakes, the powerful leader of the Coastal Tlingits. Shakes had a hard and fast rule - if any whitei man comes over the mountains from the east, kill him. He is evil. This policy assured the Tlingits of _ 2 =} = . ee eae eA terror Bridge at Tuya River Where Inst met the Thaltan Sans. 1838 Here Campbell met the “Chieftainec$ who A: would later save his life. ooeeApproximate route of Campbell, Hoole Lapzie é Kitza...1838 > kesman 7? continued -trade with the interior tribes. They in turn traded with the Russians at Fort Highfield (also known as Fort Dionysius and Fort Stikine and Wrangell). The Tlingits did not want to lose the rich furs and dried salmon of the interior tribes to Hudson’s Bay Co. As the Nanook Chief said as he tried to keep Camp- bell from going into the main camp, “You are the first white man I have e ver seen, I have smoked and eat with you: I love your blood & do not want to see it spilled. Shakes will kill you & though I & my band would be willing to protect you, we could not do so as Shakes’ men are as the sands of the beach.” Campbell was insistent. He entered the village, met with Chief Shakes, and returned safely to Lapie, Kitza and Hoole who had stopped short of the village. The Thaltans guarded Campbell closely during his talk with Shakes, shouting,“‘Jf the White Chief is killed, there will be plenty blood spilled here!”” Here Campbell reports meeting the mysterious woman who was to play a major role in his survival at Dease Lake that winter. “Here too I first met a remarkable woman, the Chieftainess of the _Tahannies(Thaltans) The Nahanny tribe over which she and her father, a very old man, held sway .were then about 500 strong, and like other Indians had a nomadic hunting life. Now & then a few of the leading men visited the coast at the mouth of the Stikine; but the Chieftainess said I was the first white man she ever saw. Unfortunately, we had no interpreter, so that our con- versation was very limited. She commanded the respect not only of her own people, but of the tribes they had intercourse with,” NOTICE Too Jhinerman Yu are hereby notified | thatifyougoneinto . these diggens you will Ketch hell. Son you had. better luk out or yull smell | powderand brim |. Stoneitnothemp. . ie Sg res Oe Ce UNCER REN EES _ Hundreds of Chinese miners came into the Cassiars a between 1874 and 1900. The patient, persistent and Continued on page 10 hard-working “‘Celestials” quickly aroused fear and ani- —s_ + ,posted along the Stikine River and the trails to Dease. __. ‘Lake and McDame Creek. © ©" “ “~~ PMR oe Se a a ae Se oe ee oe ee ee a ee mosity. among the white miners. In 1874 this sign was ~ | ee a fia {Electronics Cont. from Page 3.... and the current was swift, so | couldn’t drag my- self out. ‘I'll never let you go’, he said. | yelled, ‘| see some open water right down there’, | said, And | got a chance if | can get to that’. So, he let me go, and | whipped under the ice til | could see the open water above me. By this time one of the snowshoes was ripped off, so | jammed both feet in the bottom of the river and pushed hard. It flung me up on the edge of the ice, and | pulled myself out. It happened so fast, my partner was still looking in the other hole as | was pulling myself out of the new one! We were lucky to find a punky stump and axed it out and built a big fire right away. | changed my clothes from the skin out, right there on the riverbank. It was a close one, but it wasn’t the first - nor the last time - | fell through the ice. I have a lot of respect for ice. Especially this year,; because it hasn’t been cold enough.” MIRED IN THE MUSKEG...a common problem on the Dease Trail. “We didn’t have those towing chains on the side of the wagons for decorations”, | _ Glen said. ““Many’s the time we had to use them to pull out of that ferocious muck!” WE MADE IT! Glen’s two-Cat team arriving at the arehouses at Dease Lake. seal GLEN’S SUMMER PALACE...at McDame Post. 83 year-old Glen Hope spends his summers. at McDame Post in this tent frame camp and cul- tivates one of the most envied gardens in Cassiar Country. “You could grow most anything there”, he said, “And I do!” SALES | & W. SERVICE ONE STOP PHOTO SHOPPING EXPERT EQUIPMENT TESTING 299 Carmacks Street 778-7515 MAJOR APPLIANCES KELVINATOR ZENITH COLOUR, BLACK & WHITE TV STEREOS C.B. RADIO — call _ 536-7514 P.O. BOX 282 WATSON LAKE THE FIRST SNOWMOBILE? In 1930, Glen Hope went back home to his family in Three Hills, Alberta for Christmas, There was a wrecked Chev- rolet - one of the first ones with a cab on it - at the automotive agency his family operated.“I narrowed the axles, then I took the fenders off and put skiis on the front wheels, and a set of fol- lower wheels on the back. The tracks were tire chains around the four back wheels. My brother, George, used it all winter to take the Doctor around, so it must have worked all right.” Ethnic Cookery Crunchy Granola _ Ina large roaster mix: oatmeal 1" chopped almonds ~ sesame seeds raw sunflower seeds fine unsweetened coconut wheat germ milk powder soya flour Pt bt tek te et et ee HNO ANASO} Mix together | C. liquid honey, 1 C. oil. Add to dry ingredients and mix well. Brown in slow oven, stirring often until golden brown color. ; BEEF IN BURGANDY STEW ¥% c. butter or marg. 1% lb. small white onions %c. flour . 1 Tbsp. tomato paste ¥% tsp. pepper % tsp. thyme 4 parsley sprigs % c. salad oil 4 lb. chuck cut in 2” cubes 1 tsp. Meat extract paste 3 c. Burgandy “2 bay leaves ¥% tsp. marjoram 3/4 Ib. mushrooms (washed) chopped parsley Method: 1) preheat oven to 325 degrees F. 2) In four qt. dutch overn heat butter & oil - in fat, saute onions 5 min.; remove. 3) Add beef 1/3 at a time to fat; brown well on all sides & remove. 4) Remove dutch oven from heat; discard all but 1 Tbsp. fat. Stir in flour, meat extract paste & tomato paste until smooth. . 5) Gradually add Burgandy, stirring until smooth. Then add beef, pepper, herbs, parsley sprigs & mushrooms, stirring until well mixed. 6) Bake, covered 1% hours. 7) Add onions; bake ¥% - 1 hour longer or until meat is tender & sprinkle with chopped parsley. Pat Stewart WATSON LAKE HOTEL 006-7461 ATLAS TRAVEL. . MICHAELS GIFT SHOP ELECTROLUX SALES AND SERVICE VACUUM CLEANERS, RUG SHAMPOOERS, HASSOCKS AND ALL SUPPLIES Nz Also Commercial Machines... Mrs. Linda Amundson P.O. Box 391 Watson Lake, Y.T. Phones 536-7418 Watson Lake Sports i . by Susan Michaels The Watson Lake season is progressing, and here are the league standings as of February 13, TEAM GP W Laie fi PT Watson Lake Hotel 17 13 2iee 28 Belvedere 16 3 -10 3 9 Tilden-Sportsman 7s 4 8 5 13 M. Charchuck of Watson Lake Hardware leads in goal-tending with a 3.20 average. and 89.8% saves. He blacked 458 out of 510 shots on goal. G. McClean of Watson Lake Hardware has 53 points with 33 goals and 20 assists and only 4 penalty minutes in 12 games played. B’ Close of Watson Lake Hardware is second with 37 points, and S. Melnychuck of Tilden-Sports- men is third with 36 points. Belvedere Motor Hotel WATSON LAKE 536-7411 Lounge Dress Shop Dining Room - Beauty Salon Tavern Subscribe to the Courier! Sectal Yews A Bridge Social was held in the Cassiar Curling Rink on Saturday, February 12, 1977. There were six tables of players and plenty of enthu - isam. Prizes were sponsored by Phillips Travel. High men’s score won by Frank Buckley, with high Ladies score won by Jan Rosser. Low men’s score won by Mario Gimmi, with low Ladies score won by Jan Anderson. High partners score - Single Round won by John Ellis and Cliff Smith. One of Hilda Voss’s beautifully decorated cakes was won by Grant Smith who was much delighted with the prize. The scrumptuous buffet luncheon provided by the ladies was thoroughly enjoyed. Liquid refreshment was provided by the men. Officially the evening ended at mid-night, but one diehard table was still playing at 4:30 AMIE. Since the event was so successful, anyone in- terested in playing bridge, or forming a bridge club, please contact Marvel Nitti 778-7220. : Marvel Nitti PHILLIPS “have Ltd Marvel Nitti 190 Zimmerman Street 718-7220 ABC CHARTERS to Scandinavia....from Vancouver Copenhagen ; Oslo. Gothenburg Frankfurt Dublin é Iceland (from Winnipeg) From 26 to 50 days ; NOW AVAILABLE! Wardair Charters from Vancouver --TO London "Prestwick Manchester Amsterdam Frankfurt From 4 - 6-- 10 weeks, Frares from $389 and up, depending on location and month of departure, ABC CHARTER FLIGHTS From 3-4-9 - 12 weeks, depending on location. London Scotland _. Frankfurt Amsterdam Zagreb Athens ALSO CHARTERS FOR FRIENDS & RELATIVES From AMSTERDAM TO VANCOUVER, also ... Frankfurt Zagreb Athens From 6% - 8 - 12 weeks. Fares subject to Gov't approval Charters must be booked 60 days in advance. For full details, see your Travel Agent....EARLY! HOURS ee ee athe 10 AM to 6 PM Closed Tuesday and all day Sunday pak Ra fh os —