Page 70 - A Trek from Cheticamp to Pleasant Bay as written by Dr. Leo J. LeBlanc

ISSUE : Issue 66

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1994/6/1

Dr. Leo LeBlanc's Trek continued from inside front cover three miles from the dangerous curve at the Fishing Cove River.) I sent one of the men from the Halfway-house to meet the guide. A good fire was on so I had a hot lunch. At 7:30 no guide yet. The second man had to go and meet the other two while I remained in the dark. During my anxious hour of waiting I telephoned Mrs. Aka MacLean, Pleasant Bay, and asked her to send men to meet me at MacKenzie Mountain with lights, for my flash-light was about all in. At 8:15 p.m. leaving George MacLean with my tired guide at the Halfway-house I set out with Herbert MacLean for MacKenzie River. We made good time for in an hour and thirty minutes we were at the Pleasant Bay Lookout. There we were met by Rod Fraser and Dougald Fraser, and good lights. Taking my snow-shoes off I took to running down the Mountain Trail, but I ac? cidentally twisted my left knee in a fur? row. Later I accidentally fell on my stom? ach, which fall did not suit my poor knee. Reaching MacKenzie River Bridge, Duncan Urquhart was in waiting there for us with his team. I donned two overcoats, covered myself with rugs and the team slid away. After travelling some ten miles I reached Intervale Bridge, a quarter of a mile from MuffUr Man 93 King St., North Sydney EX:f>ANDE:D 3ERVIOE3! Exhaust 'Brakes • Struts • Shocks • Springs Michelln and Brunswick Tires • Wheel Balancing (Life Time Warranty) Free Estimates 794-7500 the Fraser home. Duncan Urquhart said, "You will have to get off the sleigh." I did, and I was almost a frozen corpse, but I managed to crawl out, and well I did. Then the horse took a plunge, throwing the driver against the railing of the defunct bridge. I was too cold to laugh. Then I decided to crawl on my hands and knees to pass this bridge which had been carried under by the weight of the snow. Reaching the home I was in order to warm my? self and ask for a cup of good Scotch tea. After warming myself I went to see my lit? tle patient. The temperature was 103? F. The distention had gone due to the treat- ' ment ordered before my leaving home, and a good bowel movement had resulted. I found after a careful examination that the child was suffering with Pleuro-pneumonia. Gave the treatment and remained at the home un? til 2 a.m. Then I said, "Men, I am going." We then left to make that long trek. It wasn't very enticing, but I had to get back--a thirty-two mile walk returning. Larry Fraser, Duncan MacLean and Malcolm MacLean were ready then to accompany me. At 3:30 a.m. we were at the MacKenzie Riv? er Bridge. Leaving Malcolm MacLean to take the team back we set out for the Mountain top. It was then that I felt my left knee to give way, and after a trek of some two miles I could not bend the knee. Deter? mined to make the Halfway-house, I had a hard task to keep up to my two guides though they walked slowly. I was often wishing myself at the wheel of a Ford V8. We got at the Halfway-house at 6:30 a.m. to find my old guide and George MacLean happy and a hot cup of tea ready. My guide said, "I can walk to-day." I smiled and said, "I am crippled up, so call for your WE HAVE INFORMATION ON YOUR PROPERTY • AND YOU SHOULD KNOW WHAT IT IS! We have over 20 pieces of information on every number you see on this map, and we have a number on every property in Cape Breton, Richmond, Victoria, and Inverness Counties. " A SERVICE WORTH INVESTIGATING ~ Cape Breton Land Information Centre From BADDECK Department of Municipal Affairs Land Information Management Services Division ~ 500 George Place, Sydney, N. S. B1P 1K6 ~ CONTROL SYSTEM of concrete monuments for surveying BASE MAPS: Orthophoto for rural areas, Line Maps for cities, town, villages PROPERTY MAPS with boundary information and ownership information REGISTRY ASSISTANCE for government and private users Your Property Is Our Business • Ask Us About It TELEPHONE (902) 563-2280 or 563-2281 • FAX 563-0503

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