NELSON BROS. FISHERIES LIMITED 325 Howe St. Vancouver, B. C. e@ Quality Packers and Producers CANNED SALMON CANNED PILCHARD CANNED HERRING FISH MEAL FISH OILS SALT SALMON Brands: 2 Portage Universal King Edward Paramount Rampart Swan HARRIS LUMBER CO. LTD. LUMBER AND BUILDING SUPPLIES PAcific 8357 553 Granville St., Vancouver, B. C. COLUMBIA BITULITHIC LIMITED STREET PAVING and GENERAL CONTRACTORS Warrenite-Bitulithic Pavement VANCOUVER. B. C. The Willson Stationery Company Limited PRINTERS — STATIONERS Office Furniture Dealers Labour-saving Office Machines 830 W.Pender St. Vancouver,B.C. PRIVATE EXCHANGE—PA cific 4331 B. L. JOHNSON, WALTON Co., LTD. SHIPPING AND INSURANCE AGENTS 2 * Marine Building VANCOUVER, B. C. Page Thirty-eight them stolen by the Chilkats who were adepts at pilfering. The friendly Indians turned to and helped put everything out of sight. This was hardly done before about twenty hard-looking Chilkats appeared on several rafts on which they had drifted down the Lewes from its source. These Chilkat traders could easily float down the Lewes on their rafts, but on the homeward journey had to tramp through the woods and bush along the shore with heavy packs of fur and leather—out of curiosity Campbell weighed some of them and found they ran from 100 to nearly 200 pounds. Fair dealing in trade, says Campbell, was unknown among them, and he found out soon what adept thieves they were. First NorTHWEST Mali But he found that they traded on the coast with Captain Charles Dodd, of the Hudson’s Bay Company steamer Beaver and for a small consideration began a yearly exchange of letters. Indians were proud to be entrusted with letters which they looked- on with awe as a mysterious form of speak- ing. Letters were actually passed from tribe to tribe from northern British Columbia to Oregon. Mr. P.’s incompetence now began to take effect. Campbell accuses him of wasting provisions and not making use of the means at his disposal to increase supplies. Stewart, Campbell’s assistant, could not get supplies through from Pelly Banks owing to Mr. P.’s neglect. In spite of this Fort Selkirk passed a winter enjoying an abundance of “country produce,” but with almost no goods for trade, and during the summer of 1849 could not get much goods as the other party had left the stuff scattered along the way or had not brought it over the mountains from Fort Frances. Fort Selkirk lay 1100 miles from its base of supplies, Fort Simpson. “My gallant and ever ready friend, Mr. Stewart, with another staunch man, Andrew Flett, remained behind to await the arrival of the boats and outfit at Frances Lake,” Campbell relates. “We expected them back at Selkirk early in November. Days and weeks passed. I sent two men with all the fish we had to make caches. Then two more were sent. They missed Stewart, but over- took him on the way back. Stewart and Flett were mere skeletons when they arrived well on in December.” = Boats with annual supplies had “no arrived at Frances Lake near the close o navigation. The men crossed the mountain without provisions. At Pelly Banks, Mr. P had next to nothing, so they struggled on They killed a wolverine. It kept body anc soul together, but they had almost decidec to lay down and die before they found th. caches. P. declined to follow them althougk assured Campbell would provide for them In the spring of 1850, Campbell sent Stewart and John Read off for Fort Simpsor from which no communication had beer received since October, 1848. “If no worc of supplies was received before the begin- ning of September it was impossible for us to return over the old route, and we could not risk another winter without supplies (particularly powder and shot). We would drift down stream till we could reach the Russian trading posts on the Pacific coast,” decided Campbell. But on August 23, an Indian arrived with news of a boat load of supplies at Frances Lake. So all the men started back to Finlayson Lake at the crest of the pass in the mountains. Campbell and Marcette attempted to cross in an old canoe while the men used small rafts. Wind and waves set the canoe leaking and it sank. Though nearly paralyzed by the intense cold they hung on to the canoe and swam for the distant shore. The waves tossed them about. They struggled des- perately and at last touched bottom, nearly. too benumbed to drag their feet through the water. | WILDERNESS PRIVATION When some of the men joined them they hugged them with joy, put their warm shirts on the victims, and soon got a blazing fire. From Stewart and Read at Lake Frances they got belated news of what had happened at Pelly Banks the previous winter. All the fort but one small house had burned during the early part of the winter. Mr. P. and Lapie were found emaciated to skin an¢ bone, while two men and several of the Indians had died of starvation; others hae committed acts of cannibalism. Fish nets had been carelessly allowed to rot. They had run out of shot and ball, though they had plenty of powder. “If we had not exercised a little forestall and. jealously husbanded our slender 5 Editors kindly note: Address “The Shoulder Strap,’’ 1872 Parker Street, VANCOUVER, B. C. Not to Victoria. Nootka-Banfield Company Ltd. Packers of Canned Salmon and Pilchards Manufacturers of FISH MEAL AND FISH OIL Yorkshire Building, Vancouver, B. C.