The Drama of the Forests

An artist's curiosity about daily life in the northern woods shapes Arthur Heming's account of Canada's fur trade. Drawing on years of travel and observation, he combines firsthand and reported experiences into a continuous narrative covering a single year. The opening follows a canoe trip with Spear, a trader whose ambitious claims about his settlement mix business prospects with descriptions of forest country.

Winter travel brings a different set of demands. The narrator accompanies Oo-koo-hoo, his wife Ojistoh and their granddaughter Neykia across snowy country toward a New Year's gathering. Taking turns hauling sleds and making beds of balsam twigs, the party shares the work of moving through the woods. A visit to the Spear household then turns attention to family conversation and plans for the trading business. Readers interested in the Canadian North can find observations about seasonal forest life alongside social encounters, while Heming's introduction explains his choice to change names and combine experiences.