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A Woman's Way Through Unknown Labrador
In 1903 Hubbard's husband, Leonidas, starved to death on his cartographic and ethnographic expedition to Labrador. Hubbard decided to complete her husband's work, becoming a skilled explorer and cartographer in her own right. She set out in July 1905 and with the help of George Elson, a Métis guide who had been employed by her husband on the original trip, and three other guides completed her expedition in record time with significant results, including completing the first accurate map of the Labrador river system, thus correcting the earlier map that had led to her husband's death. Her original photographs and the map are reproduced in this volume.
354 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1908
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 16, 2022
Mina Hubbard leaves storytelling behind in this brief summation of her expedition to map unknown portions of Labrador.
Her husband’s death, her attempt to redeem his failed expedition, and the bitter rivalry between Mina Hubbard and her husband’s former expedition partner, Dillon Wallace, is a sensational event. I recommend anyone interested in the material skip this dull travelogue and read a modern treatment.
Her husband’s death, her attempt to redeem his failed expedition, and the bitter rivalry between Mina Hubbard and her husband’s former expedition partner, Dillon Wallace, is a sensational event. I recommend anyone interested in the material skip this dull travelogue and read a modern treatment.
January 7, 2019
I read the book "The Lure of the Labrador Wild," a sufferfest in which the leader of a three man expedition to the interior of Labrador in 1903 starves to death and his two companions barely escape with their lives as they fight their way out of the wilderness lacking food, the winter coming on, and their clothing in rags. At one point they split one of the guy's moccasins for dinner, so, like I said, sufferfest.
At any rate, I got to wondering about the spouse of the guy who died (Leonidas Hubbard) and so did some internet research and discovered that she had written this book. Apparently, she did not like the way that Dillon Wallace portrayed her husband as the main reason the expedition failed and her husband starved to death (as near as I can tell by reading, this was an accurate claim. Mr. Hubbard made several crucial decisions which doomed the party). Mrs. Hubbard decided that she would mount her own expedition and complete the journey that her husband failed to complete. She did exactly that in 1906, three years after the death of her husband, and one of her three companions was George Elson—a half white, half native man—who had been with her husband on his expedition.
The book has three parts: Mrs. Hubbard's account of their expedition, a copy of Mr. Hubbard's diary during his ill-fated expedition, and Mr. Elson's own account of the last month of the first Hubbard expedition.
The first section of the book is fascinating in that it reads as a sort of interesting travelogue, as Mrs. Hubbard and her three companions take the correct route (her husband's expedition had gotten off route from the very start) and go into the interior of Labrador, and then turn north and follow a river to Ungava, Labrador. While the journey was miserable—apparently flies and mosquitoes during the summer in Labrador are like a biblical plague—it went off basically with only minor glitches. Although I must say that Mrs. Hubbard is a pretty impressive and determined woman just to pull off the expedition. I'm kind of surprised that she is not more well known. They became the first non-native party to traverse the interior of Labrador and gain some interesting geographical knowledge in the process.
Meanwhile, Dillon Wallace, who wrote the book "The Lure of the Labrador Wild" had mounted his own expedition to complete the journey in the same year, 1906! He completed his expedition also, but seven weeks after Mrs. Hubbard's. He also wrote a book about his experience, but neither he, nor Mrs. Hubbard mentions the other expedition, and obviously they both knew about the other. Very interesting.
Mr. Hubbard's diary confirms what we already know from the first book, the party should have turned back way before they actually did, and that decision alone, basically doomed them, although there were other poor decisions. On the way back, the party reaches a point where they can stick to an unknown river and their canoe, or abandon their canoe and retrace their steps through the Susan River Valley which had not been kind to them on the way into the interior. Wallace and Elson (according to Wallace) wanted to keep the canoe and continue down the river. Mr. Hubbard wants to stick to what they know and his decision is final.
There is an interesting tidbit to this ill-fated decision to abandon the canoe and the river. George Elson has a dream the night before they have to decide whether or not to abandon the canoe. In his dream he sees a man (Wallace says that Elson said it was the Lord, but Elson's account only says it was "a man") who tells him:
"Go right on and don't leave the river, but follow the river on. It is the only way that you can save your lives. Follow the river down."
Elson recounts this dream to both Wallace and Hubbard, but Hubbard still! decides to push on to the Susan River Valley, over the objections of Wallace and Hubbard.
Mr. Elson points out in his recollection of what ensued that, after he and Mr. Wallace made it out—he was the one who made it to a rescue party, which then went out and found Mr. Wallace literally on his last legs—a trapper familiar with that part of the interior told him that, had they stuck to the river, it would have taken them two days to get to safety and they all would have lived. Another missed opportunity which turned out disastrous.
At any rate, this book is a good, fast read and an interesting addition to Mr. Wallace's book.
At any rate, I got to wondering about the spouse of the guy who died (Leonidas Hubbard) and so did some internet research and discovered that she had written this book. Apparently, she did not like the way that Dillon Wallace portrayed her husband as the main reason the expedition failed and her husband starved to death (as near as I can tell by reading, this was an accurate claim. Mr. Hubbard made several crucial decisions which doomed the party). Mrs. Hubbard decided that she would mount her own expedition and complete the journey that her husband failed to complete. She did exactly that in 1906, three years after the death of her husband, and one of her three companions was George Elson—a half white, half native man—who had been with her husband on his expedition.
The book has three parts: Mrs. Hubbard's account of their expedition, a copy of Mr. Hubbard's diary during his ill-fated expedition, and Mr. Elson's own account of the last month of the first Hubbard expedition.
The first section of the book is fascinating in that it reads as a sort of interesting travelogue, as Mrs. Hubbard and her three companions take the correct route (her husband's expedition had gotten off route from the very start) and go into the interior of Labrador, and then turn north and follow a river to Ungava, Labrador. While the journey was miserable—apparently flies and mosquitoes during the summer in Labrador are like a biblical plague—it went off basically with only minor glitches. Although I must say that Mrs. Hubbard is a pretty impressive and determined woman just to pull off the expedition. I'm kind of surprised that she is not more well known. They became the first non-native party to traverse the interior of Labrador and gain some interesting geographical knowledge in the process.
Meanwhile, Dillon Wallace, who wrote the book "The Lure of the Labrador Wild" had mounted his own expedition to complete the journey in the same year, 1906! He completed his expedition also, but seven weeks after Mrs. Hubbard's. He also wrote a book about his experience, but neither he, nor Mrs. Hubbard mentions the other expedition, and obviously they both knew about the other. Very interesting.
Mr. Hubbard's diary confirms what we already know from the first book, the party should have turned back way before they actually did, and that decision alone, basically doomed them, although there were other poor decisions. On the way back, the party reaches a point where they can stick to an unknown river and their canoe, or abandon their canoe and retrace their steps through the Susan River Valley which had not been kind to them on the way into the interior. Wallace and Elson (according to Wallace) wanted to keep the canoe and continue down the river. Mr. Hubbard wants to stick to what they know and his decision is final.
There is an interesting tidbit to this ill-fated decision to abandon the canoe and the river. George Elson has a dream the night before they have to decide whether or not to abandon the canoe. In his dream he sees a man (Wallace says that Elson said it was the Lord, but Elson's account only says it was "a man") who tells him:
"Go right on and don't leave the river, but follow the river on. It is the only way that you can save your lives. Follow the river down."
Elson recounts this dream to both Wallace and Hubbard, but Hubbard still! decides to push on to the Susan River Valley, over the objections of Wallace and Hubbard.
Mr. Elson points out in his recollection of what ensued that, after he and Mr. Wallace made it out—he was the one who made it to a rescue party, which then went out and found Mr. Wallace literally on his last legs—a trapper familiar with that part of the interior told him that, had they stuck to the river, it would have taken them two days to get to safety and they all would have lived. Another missed opportunity which turned out disastrous.
At any rate, this book is a good, fast read and an interesting addition to Mr. Wallace's book.
July 26, 2009
I read this book in 2006 after reading the lure of the labrador wild, the story of Mina Hubbard's husbands attempt at finding his way across labrador. It's a great book, the true story of a strong, independant woman and her trek through the labrador wilderness. One of my personal heros, george, is an integral part of the story so I have to love it, even if it wasn't an interesting tale of wildernes survival and the awesome power of a woman who is both furious and absolutely fearless. I don't know which edition I read.
April 29, 2018
I really liked this book. Mina was not a person to adventure and yet through her husband's passion and love, she did travel by canoe through Labrador.
Mina is responsible for the exploration of a new route through Labrador in 1905 when most women would have stayed home.
I like the way she wrote, and I liked the way she described her experiences.
Mina loved her husband so much, that when he died in 1903 traveling through Labrador, she decided to finish his exploration in 1905.
If you are a woman adventurer, read this book, it is worth it.
The book I read also included black and white photos and a map.
Mina is responsible for the exploration of a new route through Labrador in 1905 when most women would have stayed home.
I like the way she wrote, and I liked the way she described her experiences.
Mina loved her husband so much, that when he died in 1903 traveling through Labrador, she decided to finish his exploration in 1905.
If you are a woman adventurer, read this book, it is worth it.
The book I read also included black and white photos and a map.
January 11, 2024
Listened to Librivox version.
After reading the story of her late husband's traffic trek,I was curious to see what this brave and strong young woman would do in trying to complete his work in finding the route to lake Michicamau in upper Labrador. She has a few guides accompany her, including George, from the failed expedition. There are serious and successes. She certainly is, and is treated as, a fair woman of the era - suffering more from the bugs and prevented from doing much of the labor or taking risks.
After reading the story of her late husband's traffic trek,I was curious to see what this brave and strong young woman would do in trying to complete his work in finding the route to lake Michicamau in upper Labrador. She has a few guides accompany her, including George, from the failed expedition. There are serious and successes. She certainly is, and is treated as, a fair woman of the era - suffering more from the bugs and prevented from doing much of the labor or taking risks.
October 17, 2017
I read this book in preparation for my own travel to Labrador, and it gave me a good picture of a land about which I formerly knew nothing. Mrs. Hubbard was a determined, resourceful, and observant person, with the ability to write engagingly about her experience. The accompanying preface and appendices add much to the story as well.
May 14, 2017
Just couldn't make it through. Seemed to be a lot of underlining resentment and negativity towards her husbands friend. Got the free ebook version so we try again some time.
March 3, 2022
I enjoyed the 50% that were her travels. I skimmed the beginning with the discussion of her husband’s failed trip and didn’t get far into her husbands journal that comprises the last 40%.
October 1, 2022
3.5 stars
February 6, 2014
I really enjoyed reading this book. It's made me wish there were more books like this, with a female protagonist as courageous as Mina Hubbard. She's an amazing role model! People said "You're a woman! You can't do that!" but she did it anyway with amazing results! In exploring Labrador, at the time mostly unmapped, she not only showed that a woman could do something like that, but that women should do that. Her work was and is a fitting tribute to her husband, whom she loved and whose work she wished to continue, she became a wonderful model which to follow.
November 7, 2013
read it long ago and remember that it was a wonderful story
January 4, 2015
Since I just downloaded a free Kindle version from amazon...
Well I tried. I read about half. Good on you Mrs Hubbard, I just didn't have the time.
Well I tried. I read about half. Good on you Mrs Hubbard, I just didn't have the time.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews