A Womans Way Through Unknown Labrador | Page 4

This book is the result of a determination on my part to complete Mr.
Hubbard's unfinished work, and having done this to set before the
public a plain statement, not only of my own journey, but of his as well.
For this reason I have included the greater part of Mr. Hubbard's diary,
which he kept during the trip, and which it will be seen is published
exactly as he wrote it, and also George Elson's account of the last few
days together, and his own subsequent efforts.
I hope that this may go some way towards correcting misleading
accounts of Mr. Hubbard's expedition, which have appeared elsewhere.
It is due also to the memory of my husband that I should here put on
record the fact that my journey with its results--geographical and
otherwise--is the only one over this region recognised by the
geographical authorities of America and Europe.
The map which is found accompanying this account of the two
journeys sets forth the work I was able to accomplish. It does not claim

to be other than purely pioneer work. I took no observations for
longitude, but obtained a few for latitude, which served as guiding
points in making my map. The controlling points of my journey
[Northwest River post, Lake Michikamau and its outlet, and the mouth
of the George River] were already astronomically fixed.
The route map of the first Hubbard Expedition is from one drawn for
me by George Elson, with the few observations for latitude recorded by
Mr. Hubbard in his diary as guiding points. My husband's maps,
together with other field notes and records, I have not had access to, as
these have never been handed over to me.
Grateful acknowledgment is here made of my indebtedness to Mr.
Herbert L. Bridgman and Mr. Harold T. Ellis for their help and counsel
in my work.
Here, too, I would express my sincere appreciation of the contribution
to the book from Mr. Cabot, who, descendent of the ancient explorers,
is peculiarly well fitted to speak of Labrador. The great peninsula has
been, as he terms it, his "playground," and by canoe in summer or on
snowshoes in winter he has travelled thousands of miles in the interior,
thus placing himself in closest touch with it.
To Dr. Cluny Macpherson for his generous service I am deeply
grateful.
To George Elson for his loyal devotion to Mr. Hubbard and myself my
debt of gratitude must ever remain unpaid.
To Dr. James E. C. Sawyer, my beloved pastor, I am indebted for the
title of my book.
MINA BENSON HUBBARD

CONTENTS
I. LEONIDAS HUBBARD, JR. II. SLIPPING AWAY INTO THE

WILDERNESS III. CLIMBING THE RAPIDS IV. DISASTER
WHICH THREATENED DEFEAT V. TO THE BEND OF THE
RIVER VI. CROSS COUNTRY TO SEAL LAKE WATERS VII. OFF
FOR MICHIRAMAU VIII. SCARING THE GUIDES IX. MOUNT
HUBBARD AND WINDBOUND LAKE X. MICHIKAMAU XI.
STORM-BOUND ON MICHIKAMATS XII. THE MIGRATING
CARIBOU XII. ACROSS THE DIVIDE XIV. THROUGH THE
LAKES OF THE UPPER GEORGE XV. THE MONTAGNAIS
INDIANS XVI. THE BARREN GROUND PEOPLE XVII. THE
RACE FOR UNGAVA XVIII. THE RECKONING DIARY OF
LEONIDAS HUBBARD, JR. NARRATIVE BY GEORGE ELSON

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
The Author Leonidas Hubbard, Jr. Where Romance Lingers Deep
Ancient Valleys George Elson Job Gilbert On Into the Wilderness The
Fierce Nascaupee The White Man's Burden Making Canoe Poles Job
Was in His Element Coming Down the Trail with Packs Washing-Day
On the Trail In the Heart of the Wilderness Solitude (Seal Lake) Joe
Skinning the Caribou The Fall Wild Maid Marion Gertrude Falls
Breakfast on Michikamau Stormbound From an Indian Grave A Bit of
the Caribou Country The Indians' Cache Bridgman Mountains The
Camp on the Hill A Montagnais Type The Montagnais Boy
Nascaupees in Skin Dress Indian Women and Their Rome With the
Nascaupee Women The Nascaupee Chief and Men Nascaupee Little
Folk A North Country Mother and Her Little Ones Shooting the Rapids,
The Arrival at Ungava A Bit of the Coast A Rainy Camp Working Up
Shallow Water Drying Caribou Meat and Mixing Bannocks Great
Michikamau Carrying the Canoe Up the Hill on the Portage Launching
In the Nascaupee Valley A Rough Country The French Post at
Northwest River Hudson's Bay Company Post as Northwest River
Night-Gloom Gathers Map of Eastern Labrador showing Route

A WOMAN'S WAY THROUGH UNKOWN LABRADOR

CHAPTER I
LEONIDAS HUBBARD, JR.
There was an unusual excitement and interest in Mr. Hubbard's face
when he came home one evening in January of 1903.
We had just seated ourselves at the dinner-table, when leaning forward
he handed me a letter to read. It contained the very pleasing
information that we were shortly to receive a, for us, rather large sum
of money. It was good news, but it did not