Stewart’s Journal 5
Image of a birchbark canoe on a Canadian River, from Glenbow Archive, image na-843-14, used with their permission
In 1855, James Green Stewart is travelling South from Chantrey Inlet with James Anderson, after an eight day visit on the shores of the Arctic Sea. They are hoping to get home to Great Slave Lake in time to avoid the snows and cold of wintertime in the Arctic. When we pick up his tale, we find the party encamped for two days at Cape Backhouse, at the bottom of Chantrey Inlet. The date is August 11, 1855, and for the moment they are stormbound. A massive Arctic storm is rolling in from the West.
So, on Sunday, August 12th: “About 11 1/2 p.m. we got nigh and after getting clear of the point started sail though the sea was running every high. Reached the mouth [of the Great Fish River] and passed our encampment [of Monday, July 30]. We are now fairly in the river and time it is for the weather is cold, already we had a shower of snow today. The wolves seem so close to us this morning that the me were throwing pemmican to them, which they greedily devoured. When wolves starve here at this season what would we do were we [foolish] enough to winter.” His journal is hard to read, and sometimes I can put words in from Anderson’s record of the journey, and sometimes I cannot. James Stewart’s Journal continues with the record of the next day’s efforts:
Monday 13th. Started at 3 a.m. [making our way] up the first rapid and breakfasted, remained some time with the Esquimaux [Inuit] we saw going down but elicited nothing further from them, they have evidently seen the track and one at least of the unfortunate party.”
It is to be noted that he did not tell Anderson about this, and Anderson did not know of the Inuit telling Stewart about seeing at least one of Franklin’s men.
We made them some few presents and parted on the best terms, went up the rapids through Lake Franklyn in heavy shower of rain and sleet. In a small rapid below McKay’s Peak my canoe was full running on a stone and we sunk on reaching shore. Damage was however repaired before bedtime and all rest as we [word] in to enjoy [Great] Fish River. Repose will do the poor men some [good] in this river.
Tuesday 14th. Started early with a fair wind. Took up our first Cache, passed one of our encampments and a place where we had breakfast going down, passed two rapids on the West side of the river. Showers of rain most of the day, the wind still continues so far, may have sailing again tomorrow. A most beautiful rainbow in the N.E. at 7 p.m., a complete wash about 60 degrees. We hope to have a little dry weather so that our clothes my lose a little of the [mold] contracted since our arrival at the sea and which had continued till now. A [blank] every day to keep one. (?)
Wednesday 15th. Started at 4 1/2 a.m. with a fair wind, passed Meadow bank [Mount Meadowbank] and camped a little below Wolf Rapid. Clear, mild and dry weather today which was very comfortable, this together with the fair wind put us all in excellent spirits today. At this rate we are hasting our downward march.
Remember, these men are paddling UP the Great Fish River against its strong current. To reach the Arctic Ocean they came down 84 sets of rapids, and now they have to climb them all to get home. Clearly they are eager to do so, and with the discomforts they are experiencing, and the danger they will be in if they get caught by an early winter, I can’t blame them.
Thursday 16th. Started at 4 a.m., hauled up Wolf Fall and Rapid, at the latter place we broke our canoe. Breakfasted down the rapid, repaired damages, hauled up several small rapids to Escape Rapid where my canoe was again broken and no wonder, for now that it is so thoroughly soaked with water and the bark being so thin, the least touch makes a hole in it in spite of Baptiste’s [Baptiste Assaminton] exertions. Cloudy all day and toward evening a shower of rain fell. Encamp a short way above Escape Rapid after taking the cache [of pemmican] we had left in going down. It was all safe and in good order, though an ermine had taken up its abode on it.
Friday, 17th August 1855. Started early and with a head wind broke my canoe again and had a row with Mr. Anderson about the lading.
This is the only way that we know that Anderson and Stewart were arguing. Anderson does not mention this incident.
After which we breakfasted, hauled up Sinclair’s Falls or rather carried every thing up it; hauled up Rock Rapid and camped in Lake McDougall. Cloudy weather with showers of rain but not cold.
Saturday 18th. Having a strong head wind and heavy sea we did not get off till 11 a.m. when we embarked and got nearly to the first heavy rapid where we encamped among the Sandhills. Cloudy and cold all day but little rain fell. Saw a deer on the shore as we passed, with one yesterday [it] makes two we have had the pleasure of seeing since we left Point Ogle [Adelaide Peninsula].
Sunday, 19th. Started at 3 a.m., hauled up the rapid to Lake Garry and encamped at the [blank] wherein had been on our way down a most beautiful Morning. I found that the weather suddenly changed and the evening set in with rain to the great detriment of our Kettles boiling: we have now gained 2 days on our downwards march and are gradually nearing the height of land.
Monday 20th. Started at 4 1/2 a.m., breakfasted below the rapid and arrived at the 3 Esquimaux tents, went ashore and made them more presents. [Continued] up the rapid, crossed Lake Pelly and encamped where the river enters the Lake or a little below, rather. Head wind with rain all day and heavy fog at night. This is the best day’s paddling we have yet made.
Tuesday 21st. Started at 3 a.m. and after paddling 2 Pipes hoisted sail, took up our cache at Bullen’s River, came to the Esquimaux [Inuit], gave them presents and encamped a little above them and below Hawk’s Rapid. Rain all day and all night, everything is wet and was it not the hope of getting home we should be miserable. The poor men suffer a great deal from the constant wetting, they are notwithstanding in excellent spirits.
Wednesday 22nd. The Esquimaux [Inuit] did not come near us during the night, when we started in the morning two of them came and showed us where we had left a paddle in going down, so much for unsophisticated honesty. After this they took leave of us and I was really ashamed of carrying arms in my belt to guard against such poor innocent creatures as that, though had the camp been larger, their demeanor might have been different. After hauling up Hawk Rapid we breakfasted, at which time the rain ceased for a short time, but only to [blank] with [blank] wolves.
I cannot imagine what he is trying to say in that last sentence. However, it is also interesting to see that he, like the other HBC men, wore pistols tucked into their belt to protect themselves against the Inuit. James Anderson did not mention tht he wore such guns, but he probably did. It was probably something that was understood to be what every gentleman did when he moved among the Indigenous people in any territory in Rupertsland. Even the men carried their guns — not pistols, of course, but flintlock guns. Stewart’s journal continues:
We encanped early among the sandhills above Baillie’s River. The men are throughly drenched but fortunately the weather is not very cold, thanks to Providence. We [long blank] are our privations might be felt more severely.
Thursday 23rd. Started at 2 1/2 a.m. The Morning was fine and except a shower or two of rain the day was fine, We camped above the Sandhills.
Friday 24th. Started at 2 1/2 a.m., passed this river. Breakfasted at Lockhart’s Fall and passed through the sandbanks and hills to Beechey’s Lake, where we encamped. Showers of rain at intervals but on the whole the day was fine.
I missed this! This is important. Lockhart’s Falls, on the Great Fish River east of Beechey’s Lake can only be named for James Lockhart, and if James Green Stewart knew that the name of the falls was the Lockhart Falls, then James Lockhart must have already been there, and he must have told both James Anderson and James Green Stewart (although only Stewart used the name of Lockhart Falls in his journal.)
But James Lockhart has left his name in other places as well, and both these places are related to the 1855 Expedition down the Great Fish River. Here is the first place his name appears: the river that is named Outram River by James Anderson is today called the Lockhart River, and it flows into Aylmer Lake. But there is another Lockhart River, and it flows down the steep hill from Artillery Lake into Great Slave Lake, and today it has an enormous power plant on it (now Al-hel-dessy River). Having explored the Al-hel-dessy River, Lockhart delivers provisions up the hill by another river, an easier route to Artillery Lake to cache food for Anderson’s men should they be caught by an early winter. Anderson and Stuart reach Fort Reliance by one branch of this river on their way down the hill, and when they reached Fort Reliance (which James Lockhart had recently rebuilt), Anderson sent men back by the trail that James Lockhart is now climbing, to bring him back to Fort Reliance.
But this Lockhart’s Falls on the Great Fish River completes the story — or complicates it — I’m not sure which. He must have made this exploration very early in the year when the lakes were still frozen, which means he could not travel by canoe. I think that James Lockhart explored the Mountain Portage to the Great Fish River, passing down the river that Anderson named Outram (for his cousin Sir James Outram), but that today bears Lockhart’s name. Lockhart found his way past Aylmer Lake (which was still frozen solid when Anderson’s party reached it) and then descended the Great Fish River as far as Lockhart Falls, before returning to Great Slave Lake by the route through Clinton-Colden and Artillery Lakes. He would have returned to the newly re-constructed Fort Reliance, which would be immediately closed down as soon as the expedition was finished.
So this is who James Lockhart is: He was Irish but born in about 1831, in Lachine, according to the authors of the book, Searching for Franklin. In 1849, he apprenticed at Lachine and York Factory until 1852. If he was born in 1831, he was about 18 years old when he joined the company, and maybe 21 when he left for Fort Garry, Red River. He remained there until 1855, when he was promoted to the position of clerk and sent to Great Slave Lake, in the Mackenzie River district. His position there was to provide backup for James Anderson’s and James Green Stewart’s Expedition down the Great Fish River to the Arctic Sea. I think he made some pretty amazing journeys if he did all that I said he did. He was also highly commended by Anderson for his work. There is quite a bit more information on him in Searching for Franklin, so I will have to patiently looking it all up and write about him later, if the information warrants it: certainly the information about his birthplace, etc., conflicts with what his descendants say on the Red River Ancestry site. When I figure this all out, I will write what I learned about James Lockhart here: https://nancymargueriteanderson.com/james-lockhart/
So, let us continue with James Stewart’s Journal of his journey up the Great Fish River in 1855. Right about this time, the men in this expedition are leaving what we now call the Territory of Nunavut, and are entering the North West Territories. Nunavut is where the Inuit live, and pretty much every Indigenous person who lives in the North West Territories will be First Nations that belong to the Mackenzie River district.
Saturday 25th. Started at 2 1/2 a.m. with the line. Strong head wind all day, passed one encampment and in the evening arrived at Fidler’s Portage which we crossed and encamped at the E. end.
The were two Fidlers on this expedition: John Fidler, and Henry Fidler. Both were from Red River, of course.
Saw a band of Musk Cattle today, the first we have seen since we left the sea, indeed the last we saw were in the river on our way down.
Musk Oxen are not cattle, but goats. Or at least more closely related to Mountain Goats than to any form of cattle.
The weather was cold and raw with showers of sleet and rain to keep us from getting mouldy. Soon after starting my [blank] canoe was broken in rounding a strong point. We got on shore before the canoe filled, this accident delayed us sometime. Our line also broke in the Stewart’s Rapid, clashing so much on the rocky beach cuts them in a very short time.
Sunday 26th. Rain, head wind, snow, sleet and everything bad, took the whole day in crossing Lake Beechey and encamped a little above the willow island. Fired at some Musk oxen but killed none. Took our cache of dried meat which was quite safe, none of our caches have been troubled except a little grease left at Fidler’s portage badly secured.
Monday 27th. Started at 2 1/2 a.m. with the same weather. Passed [Long?] Rapids put up sail, broke our canoe and encamped at the foot of Malley’s Rapids. Mr. A encamped on the opposite side of the river.
Tuesday 28th. Frozen hard put during the night. After repairing our canoe we started at 6 am., hauled up the [Malley?] rapids and breakfasted. Passed [??] Lake, hauled up the rapids where Captain [George] Back repaired his boat and encamped. Beautiful weather all day.
Wednesday 29th. Breakfasted at the 1st portage and encamped at [the little lake before] Sussex Lake [long blank] and for our poor men who have been so much [hacked?] by hard work and bad weather. They are in capital spirits and have been all along, tomorrow we hope to be afloat in Lake Aylmer, having accomplished our trip in far less time then Captain Back. A most beautiful day we had for the portages, the weather seems to have changed for the better.
This seems a good time to give these poor men a rest. They are almost at Sussex Lake, and from Sussex Lake they will travel to Aylmer Lake, Clinton-Colden, and Artillery Lakes. They actually don’t have far to go but it is entirely unfamiliar to them, and so there will be problems.
When I continue this thread of James Stewart’s Journals, I will begin here: https://nancymargueriteanderson.com/what-ever-i-call-it/
To return to the beginning of this story, go here: https://nancymargueriteanderson.com/stewarts-journal/
Copyright, Nancy Marguerite Anderson, 2026. All rights reserved.