st across the Northwest River, acting as my driver.
Upon my arrival I was cordially welcomed by Mr. Sidney Cruikshanks, the
lumber "boss"; Mr. James McLean, the storekeeper, and Dr. Hardy. It
was arranged that I should stop and sleep with the doctor at McLean's
house. The doctor did some more cutting, and under his careful
treatment my foot so improved that it was thought I could with safety
return to the post on December 15th, to prepare letters and telegrams
for the winter mail, which was scheduled to leave there by dog team for
Quebec on the 18th. It was the 20th before the mail got away, and with
it went the first news of Hubbard's death to reach his relatives and
friends.

My dispatches, forwarded from Chateau Bay, the outpost of the Canadian
coast telegraph service, were received in New York on January 22d, the
letters two months later.

Immediately upon my return to Northwest River, my feet began to trouble
me again. Word was sent to Dr. Hardy, who, regarding it as a call of
duty, arrived on December 31st. I very much regret to say, that in
responding to the call, Dr. Hardy received a chill that hastened, if it
did not cause, his death. After examining my feet upon his arrival, he
advised me to return with him to Muddy Lake. So it was arranged that
George, with Mackenzie's dogs and komatik, should drive Dr. Hardy and
me to the Kenemish lumber camp, twelve miles across Groswater Bay,
where there was a patient that required attention, and that from there
Hardy and I should go on to Muddy Lake with other dogs. Alas! the
doctor never saw Muddy Lake again.

Before starting, I learned from Allen Goudie and Duncan MacLean, who
came from the interior to spend New Year's Day, that Grand Lake was
frozen hard and an attempt might be made to bring out Hubbard's body.
Accordingly, I engaged Duncan MacLean and Tom Blake, also a breed, to
undertake the task with George, and to recover, so far as possible, the
photographic films and other articles we had abandoned at Goose Camp
and Lake Elson. Blake was the father of Mackenzie's housekeeper, and
lived at the rapid at the eastern end of Grand Lake. As he had, at the
request of friends, frequently prepared bodies for burial, it was
arranged that he should head the expedition, while George acted as
guide, and the agreement was that, weather permitting, the party should
start inland on January 6th. A coffin, made by the carpenter at
Kenemish was all ready to receive the