The men chosen to be Voyageurs were lean, short, and a very strong.  Because of all the paddling and hauling their arms, shoulders, and chests were huge when compared to the rest of their body.  Usually about 5 ft. 6 they seldom weighed more than a 120 lbs.  In fact they were not even accepted for this work if they were taller than 5 ft. 11.  They had to be excellent canoe men, able to live deep in the wilderness and perhaps even know how to build a log fort.  It was still late winter when they pushed off into the river dodging remains of ice still flowing.  They took the short cut route via the Ottawa River if they were headed for Lakes Superior and Michigan or they went to the southwest down the St. Lawrence River if their goal was to be the lower lakes; Erie, Huron and Ontario. 

At the furthest point to the West of Lake Superior where the city of Duluth, Minnesota now stands, the Voyageurs were told by the native people that they knew of a waterway that would take them to the Mississippi River but it would not be easy.  It began at the mouth of the St. Louis River, which was easy to paddle, but soon they would find a rugged stream would put their strength to the test. Dangerous rapids had to be avoided by carrying the canoes over the rocks that were so sharp they would quickly ware through their thin sole moccasins and boots.  In the vast wetlands they would sink into swamps waist deep, swarming with mosquitoes and black flies that would drive them crazy.  All of these conditions were common on portages they would have to cross throughout their journey.  68 of them if their final destination was Lake Winnipeg.  

Worse yet to and life threatening were the severe storms on the Great Lakes.  Over the years hundreds of men would end their lives when waves would capsize their canoes.  Paralyzed by the bitter cold water many would never reach the shore.  Amazingly, few of the voyagers knew how to swim! This was not skill that was required by the trade.  Even if they were able to stay afloat, the high winds would fight against them for days at a time.  Records show that it often took five to six weeks to reach Lake Superior after departing from Lachine.  Once off the big lake danger lurked in the white water rapids. Canoes flipped and valuable cargo spilled out with the men following.  Crude wooden crosses on shore often marked the graves of the men who were claimed by these treacherous rivers.  These were places where those who passed later would pause and offer a prayer for their buried friends.  One of the clerks at a fur post, reported in 1800, 30 such crosses at one particularly bad stretch of water.

Day after day they ate corn that had been leached with lye, salt pork, and beans.

Re-enactment-

“All it is corn that has been soaked in lye to remove the shell, the kernel just swells up and turns white we add some pork fat and some water, boil it up and it turns mushy. So generally we do this while paddling to the West or coming here from the West. We just have a part of this as soon as we can, at night throw the pot on and heat it up as fast as possible, indeed it is still fairly cold and un cooked but in the morning we've got it sitting of the fire so it's keeping warm and its cooking so it's nice and mushy and very soft”

 The food they could bring from Lachine was limited; space was needed for trade goods.  “Pemmican” was distributed at posts on their journey, it was made out of dried mashed buffalo to which hot grease and sometimes berries were added. This highly portable energy source was an invention of the Native Americans.  If marooned by weather they might have time to make a rubaboo stew.  This was a mixture of flour, water, and maple sugar that was boiled and then pemmican was added.  One man along on a trip, who was not a Voyager, said he found a few other ingredients he did not expect in his rubaboo including hair, bits of twigs, bark, spruce leafs, sand and small pebbles. No doubt other things looked a lot more appetizing.  They preferred meat like this, on the spit.  So, on route the men did a lot of scavenging for food.  They might find a nesting goose and take the eggs or her mate.  They also looked for bigger game such as deer and moose.  When the big animals were shot they were often far from Camp, hauling all that meat back to the cooking sites would take too much time and effort, so only the best pieces were quickly cut and the rest was left for the scavengers. If they were near starvation they could eat an unappetizing fungus called " Voyageurs bread".  It filled them up but also left them with an upset stomach.  They would prefer to eat turtle soup, the reptiles were numerous and quite easy to catch.  By late July the blueberries and raspberries would appear to keep their bellies full.

The Voyageurs used three different size canoes depending on what they were doing and where they were going.  The “Montreal” was the largest at 36 ft. and used only on the Great Lakes it held a lot of cargo and up to 14 men.  The “north” had a crew of 10, it was smaller and used on the inland lakes and its length was 25 feet.  The smallest was the two-man “Indian” canoe, the best for the long chain of lakes or shallow rivers; it was about the same length as the canoes used today at 15 feet.  All three, of course, were made out of birch bark and made in the same way the Native Americans had invented.  The French also used watercraft of their own design on the bigger Lakes.  This one was called a “batteau”, some were used around the trading posts and they could be outfitted with a small sail if necessary.  At night or during very stormy weather the men could use their canoes for shelter.  They were tipped over on their side and then a blanket draped over the open area.  Drafty to be sure but at least they could stay dry and a little bit warmer.  The men and didn't mind sleeping on the ground even when softer beds were available at the fur posts.  They preferred to sleep on the ground out of habit.  Just the simple act of making a fire to stay warm, cook food, and light the night was a hard task.  Especially when everything in the woods was wet from rain or dew so they carried a flint to make sparks which were directed onto shredded wood called “tinder”.  They might dip some shavings into animal fat they carried along with their fire making tools.  A hollowed out piece of wood or bone might be used to blow directly into the flame just as the sparks began to glow.  When fire was available, a kind of crude bread could be made if flour was available for dough.  It was wrapped casually around a small branch and held over the fire.  This could truly be called a bread stick.  It was certain to have a smoky flavor and was usually somewhat burned but with huge appetites these things didn't matter much to the voyageurs.  One of the favorite foods for the Frenchmen when available was the tale of the Beaver.  As Catholics they were not supposed to eat meat on Fridays but they convinced the church that the Beaver spent so much of its time in the water it should actually be considered as a type of fish.  The church officials bought the story so the men ate the animal any day of the week.  

When the men left Lachine they were issued a shirt, a pair of pants, and a food ration. No more than 40 lbs. of supplies were allowed per man.  They also carried kegs of rum and a small amount was given to the men daily. The steersman was paid the most out of the crew, 300 shillings for a round-trip, basically a few dollars.  Second, was the guide with a mere 50 schillings.  There was a bonus if the two could sing well, not for entertainment exactly, the rhythm kept the men paddling in time with each other and the songs helped to break the boredom on the long trip.   The guide’s job was to watch for landmarks; perhaps a rock outcropping, unique shape of the land, or maybe a tree with some limbs removed marking the entrance to a portage.  These were called the lob pines and they could be spotted from a great distance.  Some still can be found on the routes today centuries after being trimmed by the first nation explorers, the Native Americans.  Much credit must be given to these first people who showed the Europeans the best routes to travel through the wilderness.  These were trails the natives and their ancestors had used for hundreds of years, the shortest distance between Lakes known by the Ojibwa, Sioux, Cree and others.

 Fur Company and government officials went to along on some of the trips.  They demanded and were given preferred treatment. Because of their position they even didn't have to touch the water.  They were not friends of the lowly paddlers but the voyageurs knew they would be rewarded if they flattered them.  For example naming a lob pine or guide rock in their name could result in a ceremony with an extra drink of rum for all.  It was a custom that could not be denied.  The European world of men and women’s fashions fueled the need for trade.  Any man of social standing had to have a hat of felt made from beaver fur.  It was pressed and formed into a high top hat.  It indicated that the wearer was a man of wealth since such a hat was $10, this when the yearly income of $500 was considered to be a very good living.  The voyageurs would not be able to afford such a hat...

The lingering memento of the voyagers is the yellow iris seen all along their routes of travel.  It appears like the French royal insignia called the fleur-de-lis used by King Louis the 14th.  It is said the men carried the seeds and planted them as part of his claim to the Great Lakes or it could be just a nice legend.

When the canoes entered the immense waters of Lake Superior the guides would direct the men to stay within sight of shore.  Perhaps they would go the northern route to destinations along the north shore.  On the southern route they would head to La Pointe, which is in the apostle Islands, or they would have Fond Du Lac, now Duluth. Grand portage near the Canadian border would probably be their most likely destination.  This is where some of them would go inland along the difficult and famous grand portage trail.  Imagine trying to carry the canoes and trade goods around this waterfall.  It’s certainly almost an impossible job so they had to find another way.  To avoid this barrier they would travel 9 mi. from the grand portage fur post to the tiny settlement of fort charlotte.  The fort was above the falls on the pigeon river.  Going inland meant an uphill climb of 760 ft. much of which was over sharp rocks.

The men were likely to be assigned a total of eight to packs to be carried over that nine Mile trail for each additional pack they were paid a single Spanish dollar.  They were able to ease their load a bit by using what was called the templine.  It went across the forehead and it held the packs on their back.  To cut down on the number of trips they would actually carry two 90 lb. packs at the same time weighing more than the man who carried them!  They didn't get a rest on the return trip to the post either; they brought back the big bundles of furs.  Each round-trip took them about six hours and business was so great in the peak years that up to 300 and men were needed to move everything over a two week period.  The men were in such good condition they could walk least a third of a mile before resting.  When on the move they trotted along at a good speed so as not to waste time.  2 and 3 mile portages were common.  The longest portage was for those who traveled into Wisconsin.  A 45-mile venture was required with 122 rest points or “poses” as they were called.  The pace was relentless; they would walk 12 to 15 hours on an average day.  Though the natives along the trade route were very peaceful the Europeans thought it was necessary for their safety to put up stockades or small forts.  Famed trader John Askin in Michigan erected the first of which in 1768.

After the exhausting trip from Lachine it was a great relief for the voyagers to arrive at grand portage there the locals called them the boatman.  They wanted to visit with those called the north men, rugged ones who stayed inland all winter in close contact with the Native Americans.  The north men were always hungry for news and conversation with others who spoke their language. After the parties where rum flowed there were always some flights.  Usually between the north men and the boatman, for this reason they stayed apart in the village one group on the west side of the stream and the other on the East.  The North men would anger the boatman by calling them pork eaters, which was their main diet.  The north men had a more poetic nickname they were known as the winterers.  The winterers wanted more comfort than the others so they put up their tents.  While the pork eaters were less fussy, they were happy as usual to sleep on the ground or under their canoes.  Incidentally this is the location of the first jail in Minnesota and it got a lot of use.