Midnight Sun
The ten tons of luggage was piled high in each scow , and all covered with a great tarpaulin to protect the cargo of side-meat , salt , sugar , flour , and steel traps , cloth , strouds , other rough supplies , as well as the better stock of trade goods -- prints , powder , ball , rifles , matches , a scant supply of canned goods -- and such other additions to the original stock as modern demands instituted by the independent traders for the most part had now made necessary in the traffic with the tribes . That year , indeed , a few hand sewing-machines went north , and some phonographs -- things of wonder to the ignorant native of that far-off land . The progress of the boats , although steady , seemed very slow , and , as there was no work to do , the men amused themselves as best they might . There were several fiddlers in the fleet , and now and then , as the _ Midnight Sun _ swept down , well handled by the commodore , François , they passed a scow on whose bow deck a scantily clad half-breed was dancing to the music of the violin . Now and again across the water came the curious droning song of the Cree steersmen , musical but wild . The great brigade was off on its start for the long journey from the Rockies to the icy sea , continuing one more year of the wild commerce which had become a part of the land itself for more than a century now . `` It 's wonderful -- wonderful ! ''