Diary, 1903-1904, of trips with A. F. Camsell, Merritt Cary, and Alfred Emerson Preble to the Athabaska-Mackenzie region
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Transcription
Fireplace, a small cooking stone with sheet iron sides and cast iron top. A "nugget". This was connected with the chimney by stovepipe. When this was fired it added considerably to heat the place, the fireplace from sending a good share of its heat up the chimney. In honour of our arrival candles burned at each end of the room on a small shelf. The occupants of this house were Scendge-tah an oldish man slightly gray and his wife — who occupied the corner both right of the fireplace. A married bridegroom — with her husband Sahtay occupied the space of the other side of the fireplace. A young man Danguis no relation to the family, and a young woman the house occupied the bed at the left hand of this door. This was cleared of its bedclothes and placed at our service. The former occupants making their beds on the floor beside it. The remaining bed was the resting place of Charlotte, a widow of the grass variety about about 20 or 22. These two daughters went among the best looking girls of the region and had Greensboro taken an active part in the New Year Dance at the fort. Jan 15: I had started from the fort down on consequence of having run about 17 miles upon a hard track a few days previously and my trunk 23 miles yesterday did not improve it so that I did not feel like going down to the cache this morning. I therefore engaged one of the Duncans, Danguis to go with his Fran of dog and bring back a part of the stuff. Mr. Cannell and the Duncans left about 7.30 and I remained at the house. Shortly after Mr. Cannell left. The old Duncan went off to five lynx across stirring before noon with their lynxes. Zero ran frog but the other a small one was yet warm and this one was stunned two after dinner. The old man's son in law also spent the forenoon going to his rabbit snare ring with a load of rabbits. I was invited to partake of roasted rabbit several times during the day and found it good much better than the same animal fried. The grass widow's and the younger brother played checkers for some time. I would gladly have played to pass the time but can