Читать книгу The Unexploited West - Ernest J. Chambers - Страница 7
ОглавлениеPortage near Long Spruce rapids, Nelson river.
The distance travelled in 1893 was three thousand two hundred miles, one thousand six hundred and fifty of which had not been previously surveyed or reported on in any way. The whole distance of six hundred miles from Churchill to Lake Winnipeg was covered on snowshoes. During the trip of the following year Mr. Tyrrell travelled two thousand nine hundred miles, one thousand seven hundred and fifty by canoe and seven hundred and twenty-five on snowshoes, most of this distance being through unexplored country.
Jas. W. Tyrrell, C.E., D.L.S., who formed part of this expedition, subsequently published a popular account of the trip of three thousand two hundred miles in a book entitled “Across the Sub-Arctics of Canada.”
During the summer of 1896 Mr. Tyrrell, travelling by canoe, made a survey of the northeastern portion of the old district of Saskatchewan and the adjacent parts of the then district of Keewatin, since annexed to Manitoba, the territory covered comprising an area of rather more than twenty-five thousand square miles, lying between north latitude 50° 40′ and 56°, and west longitude 97° 20′ and 122° 30′.
James Macintosh Bell, F.R.G.S., of the Geological Survey of Canada, made a geological reconnaissance of the north arm of Great Slave lake in 1899, wintered at Fort Resolution, and in 1900, accompanied by Mr. Charles Camsell, travelled to Great Bear lake, made a geological exploration of its northern shores, and returned by a chain of lakes to the north arm of Great Slave lake, proceeding to Edmonton the same winter.
In the summer of 1899, Mr. D. B. Dowling of the Geological Survey explored the upper part of Burntwood river from Three Point lake to its head near Reed lake, Kississing river, from the north end of Athapapuskow lake to its mouth on Churchill river, and the Churchill from above Sisipuk lake to the end of the long arm running from Nelson lake. During the summer of 1893 Mr. Dowling conducted an exploration in that part of southern Keewatin just to the east of the then eastern boundary of Manitoba, and north of the then northern boundary of Ontario. The area covered, now forming part of the province of Ontario, extends from English river and Lac Seul northwards to Berens river, the eastern branch of which forms approximately the northern limit of the area. To the east the exploration included the heads of streams flowing eastward to Cat lake, and on the west White river, a southern branch of Berens river, with the western end of Red lake, confines its extent in that direction.
In 1900, J. W. Tyrrell, C.E., D.L.S., who had been assistant to his brother in 1893, conducted an important exploration of the country between Great Slave lake and Chesterfield inlet on Hudson bay. In all, one thousand seven hundred and twenty-nine miles of survey were accomplished, and in the performance of this four thousand six hundred miles were travelled
With Sleds and Canoes.
Mr. Tyrrell proceeded via Resolution, Great Slave lake, old Fort Reliance, Lockhart river, Pike’s portage, Artillery lake, Clinton-Colden lake, Smart lake, Sifton lake, Hanbury river and Thelon river to a point near the confluence of Dubawnt river. Hence a portion of the party under the direction of C. C. Fairchild, C.E., was despatched to survey Aberdeen, Schultz and Baker lakes, while Mr. Tyrrell returned up the Thelon to devote his attention to the upper part of the river and the divide between the upper Thelon and Artillery lake, traversing, unattended, the one hundred and sixty miles between a small branch of the Thelon and Artillery lake. The party was reunited at Artillery lake, and returned to civilization via Resolution, Chipewyan and Edmonton.
In 1898, Mr. David T. Hanbury tried to reach the unexplored tract between Chesterfield inlet and Great Slave lake via the Norway-House—York-Factory—Churchill route. Finding that he arrived too late at the latter place, he decided to spend the summer on the Hudson bay coast and make preparations for an early start the following year. In 1899, he made an interesting trip from Churchill to Great Slave lake via Chesterfield inlet, Thelon and Ark-i-linik rivers, Clinton-Colden and Artillery lakes, and Lockhart river. As he was the first white man to explore Ark-i-linik or Thelon river, its most western affluent has since been called Hanbury river. In 1901, Mr. Hanbury travelled from Edmonton to Depot island in the northern part of Hudson bay, via Fort Resolution, Great Slave lake, Artillery lake, Hanbury, Thelon and Dubawnt rivers, Baker lake, Chesterfield inlet and Marble island. He spent most of the winter in an Esquimaux camp near Baker lake, and in February started on an adventurous trip back to civilization via Aberdeen lake and Thelon river, thence overland to Buchanan river, down that stream to Backs river, thence to the coast, westward along the coast to the mouth of the Coppermine, up the Coppermine to Kendall river, via Dismal lake, Dease river, Great Bear lake and Great Bear river to Fort Norman. Mr. Hanbury gives an interesting account of these trips in his book “Sport and Travel in the Northland of Canada.”
The United States Biological Survey, in the early spring of 1901, determined to send Mr. Edward A. Preble, Assistant of the Survey and one of its trained field naturalists, to obtain representative collections of the mammals, birds and plants of the great interior region west of Hudson bay drained mainly by the Mackenzie and described in the reports of the Survey as the most neglected large area in North America. As it was evident that only part of the region could be examined satisfactorily in a single season, it was determined to make first a reconnaissance of the region about Athabaska and Great Slave lakes. The route followed by Mr. Preble’s party was via Great Slave lake, including the north arm, to Fort Rae; the chain of lakes and rivers by way of Lake St. Croix to MacTavish bay; Great Bear lake and Great Bear river to the Mackenzie. It had been the intention of Mr. Preble, who was accompanied by his brother and Mr. James MacKinley, formerly of the Hudson’s Bay Company, to cross by one of the Indian routes to the upper Coppermine and to descend that stream, but various circumstances rendered this impossible and he was obliged to take the shorter and more westerly route.
In the spring of 1903, the results of his work in 1901 having been elaborated but not published, Mr. Preble was sent to complete his investigations in the Mackenzie region. This was especially desirable, since on the previous trip he had penetrated only as far as Great Slave lake. Upon his second trip the survey was carried from Great Bear lake to the Arctic coast line. The result of these trips was embodied in a very complete and altogether admirable report—“North American Fauna, No. 27.”—published by the United States Biological Survey in 1908.
In 1905, Mr. Alfred H. Harrison, one of that large class of adventurous Englishmen who love to penetrate into the less known and totally unknown portions of the world for the very love of sport and perilous adventure, made a trip of exploration down Slave and Mackenzie rivers, and remained for nearly two years in the country
About the Delta of Mackenzie river
and Herschell island, and returned home in 1907 by the same route. Mr. Harrison, before he made this trip, had considerable knowledge of the Northland, for he had made a trip as far as Great Slave lake in 1902. Mr. Harrison is, moreover, the son of a former officer of the Hudson’s Bay Company, who in 1852 was stationed at the company’s post at Fort Good Hope. Mr. Harrison, upon his return to England, wrote a book which he entitled “In Search of a Polar Continent” which contains a large amount of interesting information regarding the Mackenzie country.
During the seasons of 1903, 1904 and 1905, Mr. William McInnes of the Geological Survey made explorations in that portion of the southeastern section of this region drained by Winisk river and by the upper branches of Attawapiskat river. These explorations extended from 51° 10′ to 55° 10′ North latitude and from 86° to 90° West longitude. The result was embodied in a report printed in 1909 and numbered 1080.
Messrs. Wm. McInnes and Owen O’Sullivan of the Geological Survey were employed during the summer of 1906 to explore the region along the proposed route of the railway between the Saskatchewan and Churchill. Mr. McInnes explored the country between the Pas and Split lake; Mr. O’Sullivan, the country between Split lake and Churchill. Their reports were published in the summary report of the Geological Survey for 1906.
Mr. McInnes’s route ran from Lake Winnipeg via Nelson river to Split lake and thence along Burntwood river and File river and lake to Reed lake, across Wekusko lake to a point between Grass and Burntwood rivers, back to Reed lake and thence along the Nelson. Mr. O’Sullivan’s route was from Split lake via Assean lake, Outawi river and lake, Waskaiowaka lake, Little Churchill river, Recluse lake, Great Churchill river, Deer lake and river, and Great Churchill river again. The return trip was made via York Factory, Hayes river and Fox river.
In 1906 and 1907, W. Thibaudeau, C.E., acting under the instruction of Doctor Deville, Surveyor-General, made some explorations in Churchill district and along the route of the proposed Hudson Bay Railway from Churchill to The Pas on the Saskatchewan. On his trip over the route of the railway Mr. Thibaudeau proceeded from Churchill in a straight line to near Deer river. Crossing the river he followed a route between it and the Churchill, recrossing the Deer at a point a little more than a hundred miles from Churchill. Thence he travelled in a straight line to the Little Churchill, and followed the course of that river to Waskaiowaka lake. Thence he crossed to a point near Assean lake and continued his route via Split lake, Pipe lake, Grass river, Landing lake, Sipiwesk lake, Grass river, and Cormorant and Atikomeg lakes.
Mr. Joseph Keele of the Geological Survey of Canada made a reconnaissance across Mackenzie mountains on Pelly, Ross and Gravel rivers, in the mountain region lying between the Pelly and the lower reach of Mackenzie river in 1907 and 1908.
During the summer of 1908, Inspector E. A. Pelletier, of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police, with a corporal and two constables, patrolled the country between
Great Slave lake and Hudson bay.
They left Fort Resolution on Great Slave lake on July 1 and travelled via Pike portage, Artillery lake, Hanbury river and Thelon river, to Hudson bay at Chesterfield inlet, where they arrived on August 31. No natives or guides were employed from Great Slave lake to Hudson bay and this portion of the journey was made without any mishap whatever.
Inspector Pelletier estimated the distances travelled on this patrol as follows:—
| Miles. | |
| Fort Saskatchewan to Athabaska (teams) | 90 |
| Athabaska to McMurray (scow) | 280 |
| McMurray to Graham’s Landing (steamer) | 290 |
| Graham’s Landing to Fort Smith (teams) | 12 |
| Fort Smith to Fort Resolution (canoes) | 180 |
| Fort Resolution to Fort Reliance (canoes) | 240 |
| Pike portage route between Great Slave lake | |
| and Artillery lake (portage and canoe) | 25 |
| Artillery lake to height of land (portage and canoe) | 100 |
| Height of land to Thelon river (portage and canoe) | 170 |
| Thelon river (canoe) | 220 |
| Beverly lake and river (canoe) | 35 |
| Aberdeen lake (canoe) | 60 |
| River between Aberdeen and Schultz lakes (canoe) | 20 |
| Schultz lake (canoe) | 25 |
| Schultz or Lower Thelon river (portage and canoe) | 35 |
| Baker lake (canoe) | 60 |
| River foot of Baker lake (canoe) | 25 |
| Chesterfield inlet, Hudson bay (canoe) | 130 |
| == | |
| Total | 1,997 |
Of the canoes used on this patrol, one was an eighteen foot length, forty-two inch beam, the other eighteen and one-half foot length, forty-three inch beam; both were eighteen inches deep, longitudinal strip cedar, varnished, fitted with oars for hard pulling against strong winds on the lakes. Inspector Pelletier had a good stock of paddles and fifty-five foot lateen sails. Each canoe weighed one hundred and twenty pounds portaging weight. The portage from Great Slave lake towards Artillery lake was found to be about six miles from the site of Fort Reliance, of which historic establishment a stone chimney alone remains standing.
Some interesting topographical information regarding the region between Hudson bay and The Pas was obtained through the surveys made under the direction of John Armstrong, C.E., for the Department of Railways and Canals in 1908 and 1909, for the purpose of determining a projected location for a railway to Hudson bay from The Pas, the nearest point on the Saskatchewan then having railway connection. From The Pas to a point north of Pipestone lake a single route was laid down; thence two routes, one to Port Nelson, the other to Churchill, were surveyed. Mr. Armstrong, in his report (Sessional Paper No. 20 d.—1910), makes some interesting references to the natural resources of the district covered by the surveys.
All the expeditions which have been thus briefly passed in review made additions to the knowledge we possess of the natural resources of the great unsettled Northwest, but it will be observed that the acquisition of geographical knowledge only was the object for which most of these expeditions were equipped and sent forward. The trained explorers of the Geological Survey of Canada have given us a fair idea of the geological features and natural resources generally along the more accessible lines of travel, particularly in the southern and western parts of this vast unsettled and unsurveyed region, but it is only within the last few years that systematic surveys have been undertaken there to determine the adaptability of certain areas to agricultural development and settlement.
In 1908, Frank J. P. Crean, C.E., of the Railway Lands Branch of the Department of the Interior, was commissioned to explore and procure all the information possible about that tract of country lying to the east of Beaver river and Green lake,
Farm at Mount Nebo on Green lake trail, sixty-five miles from Prince Albert.
South of Churchill river,
and extending east to the old canoe route from Cumberland House via Frog portage to Stanley Mission. Mr. Crean was instructed by Mr. R. E. Young, Superintendent of the Railway Lands Branch, to pay particular attention to obtaining information about the character of the country away from the travelled routes, and to ascertain the value of the district to be traversed for farming, lumbering and mining purposes.
Mr. Crean left Prince Albert August 20, 1908, and returned there January 6, 1909. He proceeded by team to the south end of Green lake, and after reaching that point travelled chiefly by canoe, making side trips inland, where it seemed desirable to do so. After the ice formed he procured dog trains to continue the exploration. On this trip Mr. Crean explored the district bounded on the west by a line from Prince Albert to Stanley mission; on the north by Churchill and Clearwater rivers; on the west by Green lake, Beaver river, the western arm of Ile à la Crosse lake, Buffalo lake, Methye river and Methye lake; and on the south by the surveyed territory along the north bank of the Saskatchewan. Mr. Crean gave the following statistics in his report:—“The gross area explored, and about which some information has been collected, is approximately sixteen million acres. The water covered area in this tract (area of lakes and rivers) may be set down at approximately three million acres—the remaining land area at thirteen million. I would estimate that an area of fully three million five hundred thousand acres is suitable for settlement as soon as surveyed and made accessible by roads, and an area of about eight million acres of swamp or land probably too wet at present for successful cultivation could be reclaimed at a moderate expenditure. All swamp will, however, eventually repay the cost of reclamation. The above figures are, of course, the result of an exploration extending over only a few months, and must be considered to be only approximate. The distance travelled was about three thousand miles, of which one thousand two hundred was made running behind dog trains.”
In 1909, Mr. Crean was again sent out to carry on his exploration of the country north of the surveyed area in Saskatchewan and Alberta and extending west from the territory covered the previous year. He was instructed to cover as much of the country west to the Athabaska and
North to the Clearwater
as time would permit. He left Prince Albert on June 17, 1909, completed his season’s work at McMurray, and thence proceeded to Edmonton, reaching there December 11, 1909. From Green lake, Mr. Crean travelled principally by canoe, making numerous portages, some of considerable length. On some occasions he hired horses and used them as a means of transportation. The total area explored, or about which information was thus obtained, is approximately twenty-one million acres. Mr. Crean reports:—“Of this tract, not over two million acres is covered by water—lakes and rivers. A conservative estimate of the land available for settlement in its present state, when means of access are provided, would be about ten million acres. The greater portion of the remaining area, say nine million acres, could be drained, and, in my opinion, would well repay the expenditure. Throughout the tract there is ample fall which would allow of drainage being successfully carried out. A portion of the tract lies on the head waters of Churchill river, and all the streams contain numerous rapids and falls. On the west side of the height of land sloping towards the Athabaska and the Clearwater there are also excellent facilities for drainage. This tract is well supplied with timber, some of which may be suitable for export.”
Mr. Crean, during this exploratory trip, visited the country between Green lake and Meadow lake, Birch lake and Loon lake to the westward; Waterhen lake and Island lake; Canoe lake and Burnt lake; White Fish river and lake, and Watchush lake; Gipsy lake, Gordon lake and McMurray; Gregoire lake. Pembina river. Cowpar lake, Winefred lake, Ipiatik lake, Heart lake and Lac La Biche, all to the westward of the area investigated in 1908.
Mr. Crean’s report of his exploration in the season of 1908 was printed for public information, but owing to the great demand for copies the edition was soon exhausted and it was decided therefore, to issue the two reports in one new publication. The gross area covered by the two reports, and as to which some information was gathered, might be stated at approximately forty million acres.
Inspired with the wish to see for himself the country for the administration of which he was responsible, the Hon. Frank Oliver, then Minister of the Interior, in 1910 made the trip from Edmonton via Athabaska, Athabaska river, Lake Athabaska, Slave river, Great Slave lake, and Mackenzie river, to Fort McPherson, thence passing over to the Yukon by trail to Lapierre’s House. Mr. Oliver left Edmonton June 2 and reached Fort Yukon on July 14. From Athabaska to Grand rapids (one hundred and sixty miles) and from McMurray to Chipewyan (two hundred miles) the Minister and his private secretary made the trip alone in a Peterborough canoe. The result of the Minister’s observations, as communicated to the press, aroused considerable interest in the newest northwest throughout Canada.
The reports of explorers and travellers as to the character and resources of the great northwest have been supplemented by a considerable amount of information received from Hudson’s Bay Company officials, and others engaged in the fur trade, missionaries, prospectors and pioneer settlers. Certain
Recent Parliamentary Inquiries
resulted in the placing upon record of some of the most instructive of this class of information.
Much data of a most valuable character was obtained by two select committees of the Senate which sat during the sessions of 1887 and 1888, under the presidency of the late Honourable Senator Schultz, who was mainly instrumental in having the said committees appointed. The reports of these committees, with the evidence taken, were printed as appendices to the Journals of the Senate (1st Session, 6th Parlt., 50 Victoria, and 2nd Session, 6th Parlt., 51 Victoria).
During the parliamentary session of 1906-7, the Hon. Senator T. O. Davis, of Prince Albert, was instrumental in having a select committee of the Senate appointed to enquire as to the value of that portion of the Dominion lying north of the Saskatchewan watershed and east of Rocky mountains, comprising the northern parts of the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan and Mackenzie territory, and the extent of navigable waters, rivers, lakes, and sea-coast contained therein; also similarly to enquire and report from time to time as to the value of the portions of the Dominion on both sides of Hudson bay, including the territories of Keewatin and Ungava, and the extent of navigable waters, rivers, lakes and sea-coast contained therein. The committee, in accordance with the authority delegated to it, sent for persons, papers and records bearing upon the subjects submitted for its consideration, and examined a number of gentlemen possessing special knowledge, through personal experience or otherwise, of the regions named as the special subject of enquiry. The evidence thus obtained was, under instructions from the Senate, edited, condensed and arranged by the compiler of the present volume, and published, first in the journals of the Senate (3rd Session, 10th Parliament), and subsequently in the book published under the direction of the Department of the Interior, entitled “Canada’s Fertile Northland.” It aroused much interest in the subject, not only in Canada, but throughout the civilized world.
Taking advantage of this, the Minister of the Interior gave instructions for the preparation of a summary or digest of the Schultz committee reports of 1887 and 1888, at that time out of print, the work being entrusted to the same compiler, under the direction of the late Mr. R. E. Young, Superintendent of Railway Lands and Chief Geographer. The result was the volume “The Great Mackenzie Basin”, the first edition of which was published in 1908.
Altogether, from one source or another, during the three centuries which have elapsed since the British flag first appeared in Hudson bay, a vast amount of reliable information, covering many widely-separated districts of the territory under review, has been obtained; but hitherto much of the practical value of this useful data scattered through the pages of publications of various descriptions has been lost for
Lack of Systematic Compilation.
In bringing all this information together and compressing it within the limits of one volume, a difficulty presents itself in the tremendous extent of country concerned.
In arranging the matter of this volume, with a view to enabling the reader to follow more readily, the whole area under review has been divided into certain arbitrary geographical sub-divisions. In a region so vast, the differences of climate, soil and general physical character of the country in the various districts are very considerable, and emphasize the necessity of treating certain geographical sub-divisions separately.
A glance at the map is necessary to enable the reader to understand the divisions of the country which it has been deemed advisable to make in projecting this volume, to permit of the intelligent treatment of the subject.
The region designated “The Keewatin Area” comprises that part of what was formerly the provisional district of Keewatin which lies east of the province of Saskatchewan, south of the 60th parallel of north latitude, west of James bay and southwest and west of Hudson bay. Its southern limits are defined by the former (up to 1912) northern boundary of Manitoba and the former (up to the same date) northwesterly boundary of Ontario.
During the first session of the 12th Parliament of Canada (1911-12) the whole of this territory was annexed to the two provinces lying immediately to the south of it, Ontario and Manitoba. The dividing line between the portion of the former district of Keewatin annexed to the province of Ontario, and that annexed to the province of Manitoba, is described in the legislation extending the boundaries of the two provinces as a line from the extreme north end of the eastern boundary of the province of Manitoba as it existed at the time of the extension of boundaries, “thence continuing due north along the same meridian to the intersection thereof with the centre of the road allowance on the twelfth base line of the system of Dominion Land Surveys; thence northeasterly in a right line to the most eastern point of Island lake, as shown in approximate latitude 53° 30′ and longitude 93° 40′ on the railway map of the Dominion of Canada, published, on the scale of thirty-five miles to one inch, in the year one thousand nine hundred and eight, by the authority of the Minister of the Interior; thence northeasterly in a right line to the point where the eighty-ninth meridian of west longitude intersects the southern shore of Hudson bay; thence easterly and southerly following the shore of the said bay to the point where the northerly boundary of the province of Ontario as established under the said Act intersects the shore of James bay.”
At the date of the final revision of these pages for the press, the division of the territory was too recent to permit of effective separate treatment of newest Ontario and newest Manitoba as separate territorial units, and any attempt to effect such separate treatment, it was felt, would only result in confusion.
The “Northern Saskatchewan Region” comprises the whole of the province of Saskatchewan, north of the surveyed area.
The “Northern Alberta Region” comprises the whole of the province of Alberta, north and east of the surveyed area.
The “Mackenzie River Region” includes all the territory in the great Mackenzie basin, north of the province of Alberta, extending northward to Beaufort sea, west to the boundary of Yukon territory, and eastward to the basin of Coppermine river, that of Yellowknife river, a line in prolongation of the latter stream across Great Slave lake and following the right bank of Slave river to the northern boundary of Alberta.
The area comprised within the designation “The Barren Lands” includes the immense territory extending eastwards from that last defined to Hudson bay, and including the bare, treeless, but wrongly called “Barren Lands.”
With this brief and general outline of the various districts before him, the reader will more readily follow the attempt to present in a systematic and intelligible form all the data of practical value available regarding the varied natural resources of this vast territory.
| [1] | At the Semple murder trials at York in October, 1818, Sherwood, the Northwest Company’s counsel, ironically described Red river valley (Manitoba) as the “land of milk and honey, where nothing, not even a blade of corn, will ripen.” |
| [2] | “The nations of Europe had adopted the principle that discovery gave title to the government by whose subjects or by whose authority it was made, against all other European governments, which title might be consummated by possession.” (Chief Justice Marshall.) |
| [3] | This was the same Henry Kelsey who showed conspicuous bravery at the capture of Fort Nelson by the French under d’Iberville in 1690, and who subsequently became a Deputy Governor in the Hudson’s Bay service.—(E. J. C.). |
| [4] | “The Last Great Monopoly.” |
| [5] | Joseph Robson, who had been employed as a stone mason and engineer in the construction of Fort Prince of Wales at Churchill between 1733 and 1748, and had been up Nelson river for a distance of forty or fifty miles, was one of the chief witnesses. Being asked as to the number of British subjects in the Company’s settlements, he said that the first year he was at York Fort there were 36 persons there, and at Churchill 44 or 45; that he never saw any British subjects there, except the Company’s servants, nor any other people desirous to “fix” there, or that the Company had ever offered encouragement to British subjects to “settle” there. He expressed the opinion that some of the country about Hudson bay might be settled and inhabited, if people would go up the rivers till they found a better climate, and there erect settlements. He declared that he did not doubt that he himself could find three or four hundred British subjects, who would willingly go there to live winter and summer, and, he added, he would go for one. He added that speaking from his own experience, the cold of the Hudson bay winter might be endured without any inconvenience, their clothing being adapted to the climate. He had suffered more from cold in England, than ever he did at Hudson bay. It was true that flesh will freeze, but he never knew any person to lose his fingers from frostbite at Churchill or York. |
| [6] | In 1773 Hearne established Cumberland House as a southern outpost of the Hudson’s Bay Company. It was Hearne, the hero of this daring trip of exploration, who, as governor of Prince of Wales fort (Churchill), in 1782, ignominiously surrendered that stronghold to the French squadron under La Pérouse, without firing a shot. |
| [7] | Governor Morton’s instructions to Hearne set forth the object of the expedition in detail. They included the following:—“The Indians who are now appointed your guides, are to conduct you to the border of the Athapapuscow (Great Slave lake) and Indians’ country, where Captain Matonabbee (an Indian chief) is to meet you in the spring of one thousand seven hundred and seventy, in order to conduct you to a river represented by the Indians to abound with copper ore, animals of the fur kind, etc., and which is said to be so far to the northward that in the middle of the summer the sun does not set, and is supposed by the Indians to empty itself into some ocean. This river, which is called by the Northern Indians Neetha-San-San-Dazey, or Far Off Metal river, you are, if possible, to trace to the mouth, and there determine the latitude and longitude as near as you can; but more particularly so if you find it navigable; and that a settlement can be made there with any degree of safety, or benefit to the Company.”“Be careful to observe what mines are near the river; what water there is at the river’s mouth; how far the woods are from the sea-side; the course of the river; the nature of the soil and the productions of it; and make any other remarks that you may think will be either necessary or satisfactory. And if the said river be likely to be of any utility, take possession of it on behalf of the Hudson’s Bay Company, by cutting your name on some of the rocks, as also the date of the year, month, etc.” |
| [8] | A synopsis of the account of Hearne’s journey was published in pamphlet form in 1773 and re-published in 1778-80, the complete account being published in book form in 1790. (Beckles Wilson.) |
| [9] | The history of the Peace and Athabaska country commences in 1778, when Peter Pond, subsequently a partner in the Northwest Company, pushing northwestward in search of new fur districts, reached the Athabaska by way of Methye portage and Clearwater river, and descending it, founded a fort known as “The Old Establishment,” about thirty miles above its mouth. In 1788 this post was abandoned, and a new one built on the south side of Lake Athabaska, on what is now known as “Old Fort Point.” Still later, this site was also deserted and a better one selected on the north shore, near the outlet of the lake. A general map of the Northwest was published by Peter Pond in 1785.Peter Pond’s venture proved extremely remunerative, and he was followed by other traders who gradually spread themselves over the then unknown country to the north and west. (J. M. McConnell’s report.) |
| [10] | In 1827 Franklin returned from the northwest via Lake Winnipeg, the great lakes and Ottawa river. In passing Ottawa, in August, he laid the cornerstone of the lowest tier of locks on Rideau canal. |
| [11] | The English Government, in 1821, after the union of the Northwest Company with the Hudson’s Bay Company, granted the reorganized company a license of exclusive trade over the country to the west of the watershed of Hudson bay, or Rupert’s Land. The license was renewed in 1838. |
| [12] | Dease was one of the Company’s chief factors; Simpson, who was a cousin of Sir George Simpson, was an accurate astronomical observer. |
| [13] | In all, 21,500 miles of coast line of which 5,780 miles were previously unknown, had been examined. (“Cruise of the ‘Neptune’.”) |
THE KEEWATIN AREA
