Wreck in Far North

The Eldorado had been chartered by Messrs Revillon Frères of Paris, France, and sailed from Québec bound for Fort George, Rupert's House, Moose Factory, Hannah Bay, and Fort Albany, with provisions, supplies and requisites for the purpose of establishing the outposts for fur hunters that the firm were anxious to put up.

After leaving her pilot near Father Point, the Eldorado passed down the Gulf, through the Belle Isle Straits, round the Labrador coast, through the Hudson Straits as far as Charles Island before land was sighted. All the way the vessel was enveloped in thick fog and numberless icebergs were also encountered on the coast of Labrador, but none in the Hudson Straits. In these waters, as also lower down in Hudson Bay, the sailors describe the mirage as something wonderful, and most deceptive. Land is apparently visible where there is no land, ships can be seen in the clouds, and many other astonishing spectacular phenomena are visible hourly. The air in this region is so clear that many times objects such as land and rocks can be seen 90 miles away.

After passing down through the Hudson Straits, navigation becomes most difficult and dangerous rocks and shoals are abundant and the deviation varying as much as 37 degrees or two and a half degrees. Much difficulty was experienced by the officers in getting their bearings, and it was necessary to stop the ship every day to find her position. After passing the dangerous shallows, full of rocks and boulders, near the Sleeper Islands, the steamer passed on and made for Fort George, and the navigation again became most dangerous.

One man on each side of the ship was kept continuously casting the lead, and the necessity of this was well proven, when the depth at several points was found to be over 25 feet on the one side and only four feet on the other, showing the countless dangers which they were hourly passing.

GOES ON REEF

The steamer, however, went quietly on her way, till within nine miles of Fort George, where she went on a reef, and found that it was absolutely impossible to get off again. The depth here was on an average of 12 to 14 feet, and the wonder is that the Eldorado, which has a registered tonnage of 820 tons, and was carrying about 1,450 tons of cargo, drawing about 16 feet of water, had found a channel through all these death traps. No ship had ever before coasted so near inland in these regions except the small Hudson Bay Company's boats and steamers.

On September 4 at dusk everybody left the ship. The wind was blowing very strong and there was great danger of the ship breaking up during the night. On returning next day she was found to be in a very much battered condition; the cargo was floating around the ship and over three feet of water was found in the 'tween decks. Provisions and live stock were salvaged, but the weather was too severe to make more than one trip.

On September 6 instructions were given to be in readiness to leave the ship. In the meantime the Hudson Bay Company's representative, Mr Gillis, appeared on the scene, and after conferring with Mr d'Agnew, who was in charge of the expedition, arranged to assist in the rescue of the whole party on condition that they all moved from the scene at once. This decision was notified to the captain, who instantly refused to abandon the ship until all hope of salving her or the cargo had disappeared. Upon this Mr Gillis objected that he, could not assist only part of the company and leave the captain in charge of the vessel.

However, as it was a question of all going together or the party being left in the lurch on their own resources, hundreds of miles away from the nearest point from which they could proceed on their journey, the captain, to save the party, and seeing that there was little hope for the ship, consented, under protest, to leave with the rest, and orders were given to prepare to leave for Charlton, with provisions for fifteen days, and the party then proceeded upon the journey of 200 miles.

The party left on three of the Hudson Bay Company's lighters and two of the ship's lifeboats. The first and second mates were in charge of the lifeboats, Captain Berry in charge of the sailing lighter, while two of the company's pilots were in charge of the two lighters on which were Mr d'Agnew and the rest of the party.

Having arrived at Charlton Island, the party, numbering forty-four, consisting of Mr d'Agnew, his wife and daughter, and maid, eleven carpenters, the officers and crew of the vessel, then embarked upon one of the Hudson Bay Company's small steamers to Moose Factory. Here, at most exorbitant prices, they obtained provisions consisting of flour, baking powder, tea, pork and biscuits, and having obtained boats and canoes, set off up Moose River under the care of Indian guides.

HAD TO TURN BACK

Some distance had been traversed, but many difficulties were encountered, and the information that the river was more difficult of navigation higher up, caused them to return and pass up the Abitibi River. The hardships and difficulties which had to be overcome would require a many-paged book to recount. After getting over 16 portages, 20 rapids and through the two lakes, the party finally arrived at Douglas Farm.

During their progress up the Abitibi River the difficulties can hardly be described. The Indians who accompanied them firstly refused to work in wet weather and on Sundays. In passing the rapids and the portages much of the food got spoiled and provisions therefore ran short. The dangers of the river which in some places was very shallow and in other places very narrow, were not among the least of their troubles. Then, in the portages, the ladies' skirts were found to be so much in the way that they were obliged to convert these articles of attire into pantaloons to enable them to make any progress over the land.

Every now and then a boat would be caught in the rapids and swung against boulder, capsized or otherwise injured, and one of the boats suffered to such a degree that the whole bottom had to be covered with the tin from cans.

Thus the 240 miles of river were passed, about four whole days having been lost through accidents and emergencies of one kind or another. On the Abitibi lakes the party met Major Rodgers, who communicated the news of the America Cup yacht races. The scenery along the banks of the river and the river itself is described as gorgeous, and the big waterfalls, the tremendous force of water, the wild woodland scenery, were painted in glowing terms by the wanderers.

Douglas Farm having been reached, the baggage and canoes were placed on teams and sent by road to Temiskaming by steamer for Liskeard, they slept for the first time for many days in proper beds. Mr d'Agnew, however, had been most provident, and had supplied the expedition with oilskins and sleeping bags, so that an experience that might had been too much for many of the party turned out to be merely a few weeks of hardship.