Page:Furcountryorseve00vernrich.djvu/61

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A FACTORY. 2$ be treated better than her travelling companions, but yielded to the urgent request of Captain Craventy, who was but carrying out the wishes of the Company. The vehicle which brought Thomas Black to Fort Reliance also conveyed him and his scientific apparatus from it. A few astrono- mical instruments, of which there were not many in those days — a telescope for his selenographic observations, a sextant for taking the latitude, a chronometer for determining the longitudes, a few maps, a few books, were all stored away in this sledge, and Thomas Black relied upon his faithful dogs to lose nothing by the way. Of course the food for the various teams was not forgotten. There were altogether no less than seventy-two dogs, quite a herd to pro- vide for by the way, and it was the business of the hunters to cater for them. These strong intelligent animals were bought of the Chippeway Indians, who know well how to train them for their arduous calling. The little company was most skilfully organised. The zeal of Lieutenant Jaspar Hobson was beyond all praise. Proud of his mission, and devoted to his task, he neglected nothing which could insure success. Corporal Joliflfe, always a busybody, exerted himself without producing any very tangible results ; but his wife was most useful and devoted; and Mrs Paulina Barnett had already struck up a great friendship with the brisk little Canadian woman, whose fair hair and large soft eyes were so pleasant to look at. We need scarcely add that Captain Craventy did all in his power to further the enterprise. The instructions he had received from the Company showed what great importance they attached to the success of the expedition, and the establishment of a new factory beyond the seventieth parallel. We may therefore safely affirm that every human effort likely to insure success which could be made was made , but who could tell what insurmountable difficulties nature might place in the path of the brave Lieutenant ] who could tell what awaited him and his devoted little band?