Wicked River
The Rivière Maligne, otherwise known as the Wicked River, earned its ferocious nick-name over the years. The Maligne was, of course, the Sturgeon-Weir River that led the early free-traders, the…
Read moreMeasles and Dysentery
I wrote about the 1847-1848 measles epidemic in my first book, The Pathfinder, in which I said: Measles began to sicken a few Dakelh around the fort [Fort Alexandria, Fraser…
Read moreBirchbark Canoes
From a book titled Canoe Crossings, I learned that what made birchbark canoes so special was that the grain of the bark that covered them was transverse rather than longitudinal.…
Read moreAurora Borealis
The Aurora Borealis was a familiar sight to all the Hudson’s Bay men, but no York Factory Express man, other than Aemilius Simpson, ever wrote about it. Where did he…
Read moreBuilding a York Boat
As I am reading through the Fort Selkirk post journals, I realized the HBC men at that post are building a York Boat. From scratch! Now, this is interesting! You…
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