Voyageur

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THE VOYAGEUR i C.BEttTSCH 1\ '\\ " , I , , \ ,t , .t ii THE VOYAGEUR BY GRACE LEE NUTE Illustrations by Carl W Bertsch 11 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY PRESS iii First published in 1931 by D. Appleton and Company Reprinted in 1955 by the Minnesota Historical Society First paperback printing, 1987, by the Minnesota Historical Society www.mnhs.org/mhspress Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 @ The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Information Sciences-Permanence for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984. International Standard Book Number 0-87351-213-8 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Nute, Grace Lee, 1895The voyageur. Reprint. Originally published: New York: D. Appleton, c1931. Bibliography: p. Includes index. 1. French-Canadians. 2. Fur trade-Canada. 3. Canada-Social life and customs. I. Title. FI027.N96 1986 971'.004114 86-28468 iv TO HELEN BIGELOW MERRIMAN v "SAID ONE OF THESE MEN, LONG PAST SEVENTY YEARS OF AGE: 'I COULD CARRY, PADDLE, WALK AND SING WITH ANY MAN 1 EVER SAW. I HAVE BEEN TWENTY-FOUR YEARS A CANOE MAN, AND FORTY-ONE YEARS IN SERVICE; NO PORTAGE WAS EVER TOO LONG FOR ME. FIFTY S,ONGS COULD I SING. 1 HAVE SAVED THE LIVES OF TEN VOYAGEURS. HAVE HAD TWELVE WIVES AND SIX RUNNING DOGS. I SPENT ALL l\fY ~ONEY IN PLEASURE. WERE I YOUNG AGAIN, I SHOULD SPEND MY LIFE THE SAME WAY OVER. THERE IS NO LIFE SO HAPPY AS A VOYAGEUR'S LIFE!' " vi ...