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THE LONELY LAND by Sigurd Olson

THE LONELY LAND

By

ISBN: 0816629978
Publisher: Knopf

On our continent the only large area which remains just as the early travelers discovered it is the Canadian Northwest. The author and five companions decided to explore this wilderness via the routes traversed by the French voyageurs. This book is a record of their journey with chapter headings taken from the diaries and papers of expedition leaders such as Alexander Mackenzie in the 1780's and George Simpson in the 1820's. Mr. Olson's group began at Ile a la Crosse. Traveling in three canoes, they crossed the same rivers and lakes, the same forested portages, endured similar hardships and experiences, the excitement of running rapids, but they followed a less strenuous schedule and had better equipment. They paddled and portaged 500 miles in less than three weeks to reach Cumberland House- a historic outpost of the North. The six men bring a good deal of interesting information to the record of their trip and Mr. Olson communicates their pleasure in seeing the wildlife, in the ritual of setting and breaking camp, in the exhilaration of shooting the rapids, and the beauty and peace of the wilderness.