1846: A NIGHT IN VANCOUVER ISLAND WOODS.

A story from the earliest days of Fort Victoria on Vancouver Island.

from The East Kent Gazette(1861). Sittingbourne, England

(published by Papertown Station: https://www.papertownstation.com/post/1846-a-night-in-vancouver-island-woods)

Before the discovery of gold at Vancouver Island, when the only European residents were confined within the quadrangle of a wooden fort, or, more properly speaking, a stockade, I was on one occasion very nearly perishing in the woods of that beautiful island. The abundance of game of all sorts, and my own love of adventure, tempted me to set out alone, thereby hoping to have a better chance of securing a deer than if accompanied by a comrade. I started for a small stream running into Esquimalt harbour, where the Indians informed me the animals came at daybreak to drink. I soon found myself following a trail, which I believed led to the desired spot; of this, however, I gradually became doubtful, as the ground began to rise, and the trail grew less distinct as I advanced.

The grand trunks of pine trees, towering far above the rest of the forest, and the thick dark foliage they supported, impressed my mind with that indescribable feeling of awe which we experience in the broad silent desert or the perfect calm at sea. I had seen no trace of deer, and the only sounds which met my ear were the sharp tapping of the large woodpecker, and the flapping wings of the pigeons. The stems of the trees were blackened by the action of fire, and in many places stone giants’ trunks, felled by the wintry gales, lay across my path. I toiled on without reaching the stream for which I was in search. The sun was high in the heavens, and all chance of reaching the drinking-place by the deer in time I knew then was at an end.

After taking a biscuit from my pocket and a sip from my flask, I turned to retrace my steps; but in this I was even less successful, for the trail I had followed appeared to get less distinct, and branched off in several directions. Hearing a rustling sound in the underwood, I stood quite still, and presently, to my delight, I detected the head of a deer about two hundred paces in front of me. I raised my gun and fired, when the animal gave a bound, and, as I fancied, fell.

Without thinking of the trail, I ran forward until I reached the exact spot at which the creature was when I pulled the trigger, but he was nowhere to be seen; upon the leaves, however, there were traces of blood, which I followed, hoping soon to come up with the wounded buck. The difficulty of tracing the blood upon the ground became greater, and at length I was compelled to stop and again try to find my way back. After many fruitless attempts, I was forced to give up, and I quickly began to think I was truly undone. The usual expedients by which the Indians regain their lost trail were at that time unknown to me, and having no compass, or any knowledge of the trend of the coast line, I was uncertain in which direction to proceed. I had no watch, and was then forced to guess the hour, by which means alone I could determine my position by the sun, as it was impossible to obtain a sight of the sun’s disc. My scant stock of biscuits was exhausted, and the difficulty of struggling through the scrub had wearied me, so that I fancied it would be wiser to remain where I was until I could determine my course by the sunset; then I knew that by travelling eastward, I must reach the coast. A wolf came near me while seated upon a fallen tree, but I failed to obtain a shot at him, and soon heard his long dismal howl, far away in the forest.

As soon as the twilight commenced, I began to think the night would prove the most uncomfortable part of my adventure: so, to relieve the painfulness, I kindled a fire and collected all the dry wood I could lay my hand on. Previously obtaining a large span of open ground, where there could be no fear of the forest taking fire. Sleep was out of the question, for as soon as darkness set in, I could have the various predacious animals around me in the distance, and occasionally the light would fall upon the shining eyeballs of a wolf or bear, several of whom were bold enough to approach me so near that I could see their forms distinctly. One bear actually drew so close to me that I could see the glittering of his ugly fangs, and perceive that his skin hung loosely upon his bones. Several times the brutes endeavoured to summon courage to face the flames, but a burning piece of wood thrown at him sent him howling back into the gloom. Nothing daunted, he returned to the attack again. The same dose, however, and I put an end to his intrusion by sending a ball through his chest.

At the report of my gun, the whole of the forest seemed alive; birds, bats, and animals of every description, added their sounds to the unearthly screaming of the stricken wolf. Although I had collected a large stack of wood before nightfall, keeping three fires burning, between which I placed myself under some branches, the excitement made me impatiently long for the morning; added to this, I was now began to suffer from want of water; not having been able to find any water from the time of my leaving the woods. As the sun gradually threw its curvier beams high into the heavens, the excitement of the nocturnal fevers grew less, and at sunrise I found myself alone once more. After making a careful glance around on every side, I stepped from my lodging in quest of the wolf I had shot. To my surprise, not a trace of the carcase was to be found. I had no doubt he was killed by my ball, from the quiet way in which he lay for an hour or two afterwards: he must therefore have been carried off by his comrades.

Directly the sun showed, I turned my back to it, and pushed my way through the undergrowth, having previously reloaded my double-barrel gun. The further I went, the thicker the tangled scrub became. My thirst was increasing, and my want of rest had now reversed my condition. For hours I toiled on, yet never seemed to find the trace of human beings. Sometimes I went through gigantic ferns, where it was quite impossible to steer any course, once again almost desert, everything else was hidden, dry resin many feet above my head. I could hear the deer push through them. I occasionally fired not at a squirrel or a bird, in the hope that the report of my piece might reach a hunter’s ear, and thus bring me help. Another night at length stared me in the face. I searched for berries, but could find none, and water was nowhere to be seen. The ground and wood were parched and dry. I was so exhausted that it was with difficulty I could make a fire, and then but the minutest shadings of a growing wolf, or the loud sniffing of the black bear, came to my ears, inclined me to exert myself.

Towards the morning I noticed a thickness in the air, coming up with the wind, and soon perceived the smell of smoke to windward of my fires. At first I hoped it was some party sent to search for me, and to whom I discharged one barrel of my gun. What was my horror, however, while listening for an answer to it, when I heard the crackling of sticks and the roar of flames! The forest was on fire. In my fear I rushed madly away from the flames, but they were evidently fast overtaking me; and near me on every side galloped deer, wolves, and bears, while birds of various kinds flew before the clouds of blackening smoke.

In the horror of the moment my smart was forgotten; the two dreadful nights I had passed were obliterated from my memory, and I struggled on, exerting all my remaining strength. As I burst through a dense growth of ferns I observed an Indian lad running, not away from the fire, but across it. I shouted, and the boy beckoned. In a moment it occurred to me that my only chance of safety was to follow the lad. Throwing my gun and powder away, I gave chase, and notwithstanding his fleetness managed to keep him in sight. Every nerve was strained, every sense on the alert, for already I could feel the hot air fanning down of flame. Onward I staggered, the smoke now blinding me, and the trees so being so snatched that I felt my efforts must soon terminate. Still, I fancied through the distant trees I could see the fire gleam upon the sea. From this time I knew no more, for I reeled forward and fell to the ground.

When I recovered myself, I was lying upon the sea shore, close to the water, with several Indians around me by my side. As I recovered, I became aware of my hair having been burnt, and my clothes very much scorched. It appears that the Indian boy told two of his tribe that a white man was following him, whereupon they had entered the forest in time to see me fall, and had at great peril dragged me after them to a place of safety.

These men proved to be Indians of a friendly tribe, who had been dispatched in search of me, upon the prompting of some twenty blanketers they brought me in alive. They started the morning after I failed to return, and had travelled by trail as far as the first night bivouac, but could not proceed, the underwood having caught light from the flint; and so they were obliged to take to the water, where they providentially met with the boy, who stated he was being close at hand; and thus my life was saved when lost in the Vancouver Island woods. — Leisure Hour