BACK REFLECTION 1851 NEWFOUNDLAND POLE LINE SURVEY (GISBORNE’S JOURNAL)

Part 2 Of 2

BY PHILIP PILGRIM

OCT. 31ST.

Wind S & gloomy with every appearance of rain; determined to start however & at 10 a.m. we were off, Frank Paul accompanying us for one day’s march in search of deer. We went in W.NW½ W direct for Mitchel’s Hill, so called from an old Indian of that name having once resided there, & at 3½ p.m. having crossed an inconsiderable stream called King’s brook we encamped in a small droke of woods under the hill. By this time we were pretty wet as it had rained so hard since noon. I spent the eve of this the first anniversary of my wedding talking about my dear love to Joe & listening to his various past adventures. After sun down it snowed a little but we passed a tolerably comfortable night under the silk. Ahead 10 miles.

Note. The road must pass round the head of White Bear Bay take the sloping tongue northward & then run off W.N.E.½ E for Mitchell’s Hill. It will average £30 per mile to which add £50 for the first brooks & £35 for the latter. Land is very poor after rising up from the Bay. I should have remarked that either the relative positions of White Bear Bay & Bay of Despair are incorrectly laid down on this chart or else the variation of the compass must be considerably less as we made a full W by N course the whole distance whereas per chart a W. course would barely fetch it.

Memo. During this month of October we had 21 wet days!

NOVEMBER 1ST. 1851.

Thick fog & rain. I offered Frank Paul 6/- to proceed on another day’s march but he declined travelling this season in such weather at any price. At 10 a.m. we left him under Mitchell’s Hill & travelled W by N until we struck the eastern brook of Little Barrysway. Never have I seen a heavier fall of rain. Every little stream a river & the marshed dreadfully heavy. We toiled for 7 successive hours without stopping a moment to either eat or rest, Joe’s only cry being “Must go ahead captain else no catch bush tonight”. My limbs became so chafed from the friction of wet swanskin that blood trickled down them. My long boots were constantly filled with water & our bread became mere poultice. In fact half an hour’s soaking in a pond could not have rendered our march more thoroughly distressing. At 4 p.m. , Joe pulled up & exclaimed “never catch Grandy’s brook tonight must stop”. At this time we were shivering with cold wind having veered from S. to N.E. For a whole hour did we try every means for lighting a fire under a high rock at the foot of which a few stunted trees eked out a bare sustenance. They were not over 5 feet high. At last we succeeded in raising a smoke & contrived to get the chill out of us by submitting to partial suffocation We threw our camp over a short tree & crawled under its flopping shelter to pass the night. We lay close together allowing our dogs to come under the wet blanket for the warmth of their animal heat. Sleep we could not so we passed most of the night talking & listening to the wind & rain. Joe paid me a compliment by saying “that he never see white men travel like me”. “You much better than plenty Indians”. “Suppose your other men here tonight, in morning dead”, etc. Soon after we had started in the morning he asked me “suppose weather like this all day you able to stand him?”. I replied “Me try, Joe”. & nothing seemed to excite his admiration so much as the fact that throughout the entire day & night not a murmur had escaped my lips, so different, as he remarked from the growling & swearing between Despair & White Bear Bays on the occasion of any little shower wetting my men. We saw for the first time, today, a white hare but could not get within a shot. Numerous ptarmigan rose near us but it was too wet to stop for them. At this time we were due north of Little Berrysway a glimpse of those waters we caught during a momentary lull in the storm about sundown.

Ahead 15miles. We marched over 20 miles of ground today.

Note. In laying out the road the contractor should make a W.N.W. course from about 4 miles north of White Bear Bay & run 2 miles north of La Poile Bay as we could perceive an easier lay of country north of us. The whole country over which we passed today is either treeless barren or base marsh & will average £25 per mile to which add £60 for two bridges. Indian Joe Paul should accompany the party working on this section as he is well acquainted with the country hereabouts.

NOVEMBER 2ND.

Cleared up at daylight wind N.E. It was an hour & a half’s work to light our bush fire & then it occupied us until 3½ p.m. before our clothes & bread were dry enough to carry. After an hour’s walk we reached Grandy’s Brook & set to work making a raft. As we had only tomahawks, we had to rest content with a very small one. The moon & stars shone brightly & we set up chatting until one a.m. Among other matters I learned that throughout the summer the reindeer of Newfoundland are divided into two parties the great body. Of them being in the northern portions of the Island & the rest on the high lands of Cape Ray. About the 15th of November they are en route southward & Eastward, the northern herds coming down upon the wide necks between Western Little River & East Bay (Bay of Despair) between Eastern Little River, Long Harbour & Piper’s Hole & via the Isthmus to the peninsula of Avalon. The neck of land between White Bear Bay & Western Little River & between East Bay of Despair & Eastern Little River being almost encompassed by swift streams & lakes are seldom visited by then in any numbers. The Cape Ray herds travel inwards and winter between Little Barrysway Brook & White Bear Bay. At all seasons of the year however stragglers are to be met with in various locations. Judging from every hunter’s information with whom I have conversed & from the number of old antlers & deer paths I am inclined