April 2004 (1859)
This wasn't as much an event as it was a discovery of just how tough the original 6 men who explored the Brunette River were.
Historically, in April of 1859, 4 Royal Marine Light Infantry and two Aboriginal men paddled up a slow brown river to see where it went.
In April of 2004, 6 re-enactors in two canoes entered the Brunette River where it empties into the Fraser River and paddled, pulled, and carried their canoes up to Burnaby Lake. What no one had bothered to tell our Expedition is that there were some cement fish weirs between the Fraser and Burnaby Lake. By the time they reached the shore of Burnaby Lake, they were soaked to the skin and all their rations had spent the day marinating in Brunette river water. Yummm.
The following is the original report of the 1859 Expedition:
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Royal Marine Camp, Queenborough, 25 April, 1859
To His Excellency Sir, I have the honour to inform you that according to your order, I proceeded last Monday in charge of an exploration expedition consisting of Captain Bazalgette, RM, one Private, RM, and three Indians with rations for five days for the purpose of ascertaining the relative position of Burrard Inlet with regard to Queenborough.
The route I pursued for
the purpose of affecting this was by the small River Brunette to Burnaby
Lake, making the latter my Head Quarters.
The distance from Queenborough to
the lake I ascertained to be by the River about 6 miles. The river is
exceedingly tortuous in its course, and its stage at the time that I
proceeded up it was very low, but perfectly navigable for small canoes the
portages owing to the fallen timber are numerous; but these obstacles
might easily be removed.
The Lake is two miles and a half in
length by one in breadth and the deepest part that I could find, I sounded
at two fathoms, its entire shores are also very swampy – its bearing is
N.70 W. from where the Brunette running to the Fraser flows out of it –
and is about N.70 W. of Queenborough. On the Second day I despatched
Captain Bazalgette R.M., to reconnoiter the head of the lake and he
discovered a river which he followed up on a Westerly course for 3 miles
(Still Creek).
This river runs into a lake but with
an almost imperceptible motion, it is also much deeper than any other part
of the latter that I sounded. Its average depth being three fathoms, it
also winds in small turns of every fifty of sixty yards but its general
bearing is West, its shores are swampy and covered with alder, its general
appearance might be likened to a Canal. On the same day I started with an Indian and two days provisions and took a course due North from the eastern point of the lake over a Mountain 600 feet above the level of the sea – covered with dense forest – on reaching the summit I found Burrards Inlet to be immediately beneath it on the opposite side branching off into two arms the Southern most one of which bore to the eastward and appeared to terminate within a short distance. The Northern most one hugging the base of the opposite high range of mountains was shut out from any observation. The mountain I ascended had an exceedingly steep descent to the Northward the breadth of the inlet was at the broadest part two miles: observing on this occasion that the mountain a short distance from where I had crossed it terminated abruptly to the Eastward and that a comparatively cleared valley about a mile in width skirted it in the direction of the Inlet, I devoted my third day to endeavouring to find out the nearest and most direct point from the latter to Queenborough and by returning about a mile and a quarter down the river Brunette from the Lake, I entered the valley and found it lead over a perfectly level and nearly cleared Country direct to the termination of the Southernmost branch of the inlet the distance from River to the latter being about two and a half miles and I compute the distance that exists between that part of the river and Queenborough to be about three miles in a direct line this would make the nearest point of the Inlet five and a half miles from Queenborough. On the fourth day I tried to get up the River at the head of the Lake further than Captain Bazalgette had been but after three miles the snags were so numerous from the fallen trees that I found the labour of getting the Canoe over
Too great to proceed much further
than he had already been the depth of the River continued the same at this
point – it also flows through a perfectly unbroken valley which heads due
West to Burrard Inlet. From the head of the lake and the distance across
the former I should say to be about eight miles.
I have the Honour to be |
Using the letter as a guide to where to go, what to attempt to accomplish and how to proceed, or group tried to follow their actions as closely as possible, leaving on the same day as their 1859 Expedition.
This is one of the reports that we wrote having completed the Re-enactment of the 1859 Expedition.
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27th April 1859
Queenborough
Sir,
Having had the honour to complete
the exploration, as per your orders of the 22nd Instant, I beg to report
to you the findings of the same.
The party consisted of Captain
Bazalgette, RMLI, Colour Serjeant Prettyjohns, RMLI, Pvt. Miles, RMLI,
Seaman Duncan, carpenter's crew, HMS Bacchante, Presse an old Voyageur
and myself.
We set off from the wharf at the RE
Camp in the morning of the 23rd in a steady rain. By the time that the 2
canoes were fully loaded we had an inch of water in them to shift and 3
to 4 inches of freeboard. I am pleased that we packed Light Marching
Order otherwise we would have required larger canoes.
We travelled against the current of
the Fraser for about a mile to discover the entrance of Brunette Creek,
as the brunette River mouth was effectively blocked by logs. We saw much
local game and were paced by sea otters.
We passed into the mouth of the
creek and followed the right hand channel into Brunette River proper. It
was very brown and very meandering.
As the party missed coming into the
river on the rising tide, we soon discovered that we were not only
contending with the existing current but the out-flowing tide as well.
We found ourselves unable to make headway either paddling nor poling and
were forced to pull the canoes upstream.
At a distinct clearing, we noted,
with some surprise that the shoreline was covered with thick bamboo as
many of us had experienced recently whilst in China. It was also at this
point that the banks became increasingly overgrown and thus
impracticable for towing along the shore. The party then advanced
upstream bodily in the river. The river, though shall in spots, was
usually between 2 and 5 feet deep and the bottom rocky, with large
stones near the East bank.
At the Cedar Grove where the
previous party took respite, we dined upon cold pork, hardtack, rum and
a pipe. Bazalgette and I used our telescopes to determine the extent of
the upcoming rapids and decided to forge on, in the river, rather than
attempt an overland portage. At this junction some of the kit was
re-arranged to give greater facility to the vessels for the upcoming
part of the expedition.
The remainder of the trip up the
Brunette was accomplished by alternately dragging or towing the boats.
At the mouth of the Lake we
encountered the river too blocked to continue and so unloaded the
baggage and portaged to the entrance of the mouth. After re-embarking,
we landed at a spot chosen by Presse as a suitable camp site. The men
soon had a slant up, with a bed of cedar boughs covered with a
tarpaulin, as a floor. A roaring fire soon had us drying out and tea was
soon on the boil. The trip, to this point, had taken over 5 1/2 hours.
The party rested here for the night.
We noted a great deal of beaver activity, as well as flocks of Canada
Geese, woodpeckers and teal. Evening rations of pork and split pea soup
were prepared and eaten with hard tack. The party went to sleep early
and faired the night well.
In the morning, awoken by the tap of
the woodpecker and the cry of the raccoon, we prepared a meal of burgoo,
bacon and hard bread sandwiches, washed down with tea and coffee
rations. After ablutions, the party set to work breaking camp and
loading the baggage onto the canoes.
We set off down the Lake and noted a
great deal of water-fowl and beaver lodges. At the approach of the
largest of these, Presse pointed out a spot for us to set up our
headquarters camp for the day. The lake bottom is of a thick dead
foliage in which one sinks to mid calf. The water level was less than 1
foot for a considerable distance and thus we resorted to towing once
more.
The campsite, at the junction of a
small penninsula and a creek flowing into the Lake, was an ideal spot to
observe the lake as a whole and do our survey. The weather was
threatening all day but rainfall did not occur. The men, fatigued for
their exertion the day before, took turns sleeping under the slant.
Skillagee was prepared and the tea and coffee
ration put to good effect. By day's end, half the map was complete and
we broke headquarters are returned to the first camp for the evening.
Hoping to improve our lot, the party
re-arranged the slant and prepared a meal of pork and dahl with the
addition of Press' garlic! The new accomidations
proved warmer than the evening before and the party was soon fast
asleep.
As the sun burned off the morning
mists on the lake, the party set to work on preparing breakfast and
clearing the campsite. Bacon and burgoo, tea and coffee made their
appearance once more and we set off to the headquarters camp by 9 am.
We noted a great deal more natives
on the Sunday than the day previous and we exchanged a great deal of
information with them, learning much in the process.
By mid-afternoon, the party began
making preparations to return to Queenborough and by 4pm we were on our
way.
In conclusion, though a strenuous
expedition, it was a most informative one. We have all discovered what
kit and rations are preferred, here in British
Columbia, as opposed to what we learned in China. The lessons will not
be forgotten the next time we are on the
march.
I remain,
Your Most humble and Obedient Servant,
Lt. G.L Blake, RMA
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Below are some of the images taken of the party as it went through its Second day of the re-created 1859 Expedition.
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