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The Pioneers By: Robert Michael Ballantyne (1825-1894) |
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PREFACE. Sir Alexander Mackenzie was one of the most energetic and successful of
the discoverers who have traversed the vast wilderness of British
America. He did his work single handed, with slender means, and slight
encouragement, at a time when discovery was rare and the country almost
terra incognita . The long and difficult route, so recently traversed
by the Red River Expedition, was, to Sir Alexander, but the small
beginning of his far reaching travels. He traced the great river which
bears his name to its outlet in the Polar Sea, and was the first to
cross the Rocky Mountains in those latitudes and descend to the Pacific
ocean. Being a man of action, and not particularly enamoured of the pen, his
journal [For a sight of which apply to the British Museum, London, or
the Advocates' Library, Edinburgh] full though it be of important and
most interesting facts is a bare and unadorned though valuable record
of progress made, of work done, which is unsuited to juvenile minds,
besides being bulky and scarce. Having spent some years in Rupert's Land, and seen something of Red
Indian and fur trading life, I have ventured to weave the incidents of
Sir Alexander's narratives into a story which, it is hoped, may prove
interesting to the young perchance, also, to the old. I take this opportunity of acknowledging myself deeply indebted to Sir
Alexander's daughter, Miss Mackenzie, and to his two sons, for kindly
placing at my disposal all the information in their possession. R.M.B. EDINBURGH, 1872. CHAPTER ONE. SHOWS HOW IT BEGAN. "The world is round," said somebody in ancient times to somebody else. "Not at all; it is flat flat as a pancake," replied somebody else to
somebody; "and if you were to travel far enough you might get to the end
of it and tumble over the edge, if so disposed." Ever since the commencement of this early geographical controversy, men
have been labouring with more or less energy and success to ascertain
the form and character of the earth; a grand, glorious labour it has
been; resulting in blessings innumerable to mankind blessings both
spiritual and temporal. We have heard some people object to geographical discovery, especially
in the inclement parts of the earth, on the ground that it could be of
no use, and involved great risk to life and limb. "Of no use!" Who can
tell what discoveries shall be useful and what useless? "The works of
God are great, sought out of all those that have pleasure therein,"
saith the Scripture. There is no reference here to usefulness, but the
searching out of God's works, without limitation, is authorised; and
those who "take pleasure therein," will be content to leave the result
of their labours in the hands of Him who sent them forth. As to
"risk," why, a carpenter cannot ascend to the top of a house to put the
rafters thereon without risk; a chemist cannot investigate the
properties of certain fumes without risk; you cannot even eat your
dinner without risk. Only this are we sure of that, if man had never
undertaken labour except when such was obviously useful and devoid of
risk, the world would still be in the darkness of the Middle Ages. Reuben Guff held these sentiments, or something like them; and Reuben
was a man who had seen a great deal of life in his day, although at the
time we introduce him to public notice he had not lived more than
six and thirty summers. He was a bronzed, stalwart Canadian. His
father had been Scotch, his mother of French extraction; and Reuben
possessed the dogged resolution of the Scot with the vivacity of the
Frenchman. In regard to his tastes and occupation we shall let him
speak for himself. Sitting under a pine tree, in the wild wilderness that lies to the north
of Canada with the drumstick of a goose in one hand and a scalping knife
in the other; with a log fire in front of him, and his son, a stripling
of sixteen, by his side, he delivered himself of the following
sentiments: "I tell 'ee what it is, Lawrence," (the lad was named after the great
river on the banks of which he had been reared), "I was born to be a
pioneer... Continue reading book >>
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Genres for this book |
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Fiction |
Teen/Young adult |
Travel |
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