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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 4 5 6 i- .^' I -t-^' \v:.^- >*f*- -twjr' |ry '^^ -f-^' ■•l^*^> .A"* ^^■ >•" .,,!*J*, H •- /* O t A^ ES \ ' FROIVI* # MONTREAL JHROUGlt^ THE t; '%> v- ,,r^. ^i (I t^f North America, etc* is^% ■ ^ *v ^ « :^H ,^^>^/i^^J .«* ♦'-T^' L^-' *. ■J V M. r: * ^ ^AW ..''.■c;^?-'?^. >J»^ X ** r # Oi'^M \ ' * V 4|i, >-.•?«. \rr . 7 : H\>, .'" . ■> -*. 4^. '4 . ^^ .,. :-#S ■ '» A -«^ r/.-' V^'i''-' ► « ♦-■ Xi «- >!».'•■ ■■; ;«t^ f- / ■'-% \^ TO '#^^' HIS MOST SA.CRED MAJESTY GEORGE THE THIRD, >*,,' THIS VOLUME IS INSCRIBED, BY HIS MAJESTY'S MOST FAITHFUL SUBJECT, \ A.ND DEVOTED SERVANT, v^ ALEXANDER MACKENZIE. i: ■'^V:M ./;;^ W' * ' 4. ?vV .^«f-* - ••rv " •'.¥ .**»JK" '.J \, SSSI^. ,<.-1 \ .1.' ■..)■.-■ ' s p gr ." — '■ «'. ' •*»«*' ■¥ '***.. s I 4^ ■ • '*. "Is* H ■""> _.('"^ f*i:si; ' ' ^*' * "flSiS 1£ . -V- -''Nrji*'*' ■"*. :-m :A.' # t: 'tv. PREFACE o 'N prefenting this Volume to my Country, it is not neceflary to enter into a particular account of thofe voyages whofe journals form the principal part of it, as they will be found, I trufl , to explain themfelves. It appears, however, to be a duty, which the Public have a right to exped from me, to Hate the reafbns which have influenced me in delaying the publication of them. It has been aflerted, that a mifunderftan- ding between a perfon high in office and myfelf, was the caufe of this procraftination. Jt has alfo been propagated, that it was occa- fioned by that precaution which the policy of commerce will fometimes fuggeft; but they are both equally devoid of foundation.* The one is an idle tale ; and there could be no folid reafon for concealing the circumftan- ces of difcoverics, whofe arrangements and profecution were Co honourable to my aflb- ciatcs and myfelf, at whofe cxpence they were undertaken. The delay adtually arofe from the very adive and bufy mode of life in which I was engaged fince the voyages V ' have •t ..r^*' -.^s .■%,#* ■'wr f viii . V" PREFACE have been completed ; and when, at lengthy the opportunity arrived, the apprehenfion of prefenting myfclf to the Pubhc in the c]gl« ra£ler of an Author, for which the courfe and occupations of my life have by no means quahfied me, made me hefitate in commit- ting my papers to the Prefs ; being much better calculated to perform the voyages, ar- duous as they might be, than to write an account of them. However, they are now offered to the Public with the fubmiffion that becomes me. I was led, at an early period of life, by commercial vuws, to the country North- Weft of Lake Superior, in North America, and being ei|^owed by Nature with an in- quifitive mind and enterprifing fpirit ; pof- . fefling alfo a conftitution and frame of body equal to the moft arduous undertakings, and being familiar with toilfome exertions in the profecution of mercantile purfuits, I not only contemplated the practicability of penetrating aCrofs the continent of America, but was confident in the qualifications, as I was ani- mated by the deiire^ to undertake the perilous cnterprize. V , -^ -(J »*^iU ,^ /The general utility of fuch a difcovery^ has '^■:. .# ■ ..^^ -..• ^^-^SfrK^^,^ been mr^ PIPIR 11 of ;aiid leans imit' nuch ;, ar- te aa now I that b, by [orth- erica, n in- pof- body , and n the only Irating It was ani- rilous \yi ^^ been :.A- PREFACE. IX been univerfally acknowledged ; while the wiihes of my particular friends and commer- cial aflbciates, that I fhould proceed in the purfuit of it, contributed to quicken the exe- cution of this favourite project of my own ambition : and as the completion of it extends the boundaries of geographic fcience, and adds new countries to the realms of Britifh commerce, the dangers I have encountered, and the toils 1 have fufFered, have found their recompence ; nor will the many tedious and weary days, or the gloomy and inclement nights which I have paffed, have been paflfed in vain. The firft voyage has fettled the dubious point of a practicable North- Weft paflage ; and I truft, that it has fet that long agitated queftion at reft, and extinguilhed the difputes refpefting it for ever. An enlarged difcuf- fion of that fubje£l will be found to occupy the concluding pages of this volume. In this voyage, I was not only without the neceffary books and inftruments', but alfo felt myfelf deficient in the fciences of aftronomy and navigation : I did not hefitate, therefore, to undertake a winter's voyage to this country, in order to procure the one and acquire the B other it wmmm i X PREFACE. other. Thefe objedls being accompliihed, I returned, to determine the prafbicability of a commercial communication through the continent of North America, between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, which is proved by my fecond journal. Nor do I hefitate to declare my decided opinion, that very great and effential advantages may be derived by extending our trade from one fea to the other. Some account of the fur trade of Canada from that country, of the native inhabitants, and of the extenfive diftri6ls conne6led with it, forms a preliminary difcourfe, which will, I truft, prove interefting to a nation whofe general policy is blended with, and whofe prolperity is fupported by, the purfuits of commerce. It will alfo qualify the reader to purfue the fucceeding voyages with fupe- rior intelligence and fatisfadion. Thefe voyages will not, I fear, afford the variety that may be expedted from them ; and that which they offered to the eye, is not of a nature to be effedlually transferred to the page. Mountains and vallies, the dreary wafle, and wide-fpreading forefts, the lakes and rivers fucceed each other in ge- neral defcription ; and, except on the coafls of t^'^^mmmmmm hed, I ity of rh the ;n the proved ate to great ed by other. Taiiada itants, 1 with 1 will, whole whofc bits of reader I fupe- rd the them ; jye, is sferred s, the b, the n ge- coafls of ^1-''- PREFACE. xi of the Pacific Ocean, where the villages were permanent, and the inhabitants in a great meafure ftationary, fmall bands of wandering Indians are the only people whom I (hall in- troduce to the acquaintance of my readers. The beaver and the buffalo, the moofe-deer and the elk, which are the principal animals to be found in thefe countries, are already fo familiar to the naturalifls of Europe, and have been fo often as well as corredtly def- cribed in their works, that the bare men- tion of them, as they enlivened the landfcape, or were hunted for fooc ; with a curfbry account of the foil, the courfe and navigation of lakes and rivers, and their various produce, is all that can be reafonably expected from me. I do not pofTefs the fcience of the naturalift; and even if the qualifications of that character had been attained by me, its curious Ipirit would not have been gratified. I could not flop to dig into the earth, over whofe fur- face I was compelled to pafs with rapid fteps ; nor could I turn afide to colle£t the plants which nature might have fcattered on the way, when my thoughts were anxioully em- ployed in making provifion for the day that B 2 was ■J . r>.,-;-. .'•1 >cJi PREFACE. was paflihg over Lne. I had to encovmter pe- rils by land and perils by water ; to watch the favage who was our guide, or to guard againft thofe of his tribe who might nneditate our deftru(Slion. I had, alfo, the pafTions and fears of other to control and fubdue. To day I had to ailuage the rifuig difcontents, and on the morrow to cheer the fainting fpi- rits, of the people who accompanied me. The toil of our navigation was inceffant, and of- tentimes extreme ; and in our progrefs over land we had no protedlion from the feverity of the elements, and poiTeffed no accommo- dations or conveniences but fuch as could be contained in the burden on our flioulders, which aggravated the toils of our march, and added to the wearilbmenefs of our way. • Though the events which compofe my journals may have little in themfelves to ftrike the imagination of thofe who love to be aftoni(hed, or to gratify the curiofity of fuch as are enamoured of romantic adven- tures ; neverthelefs, when it is confidercd that I explored thofe waters which had never before borne any other vefTel than the canoe of the favage ; and traverfed thofe deferts where an European had never before pre- ^ ^ fented **- jrpe- hthe rainft our and To :ents, fpi- The Idof- PREFACE. xiii fented himfelf to the eye of its fwarthy na- tives ; when to thefe confiderations are added the important objeds which were purfued, with the dangers that were encountered, and the difficulties that were furmounted to at« tain them, this work will, I flatter myfelf, be found to excite an in*-ereft, and conciliate regard, in the minds of thofe who perufe it. The general map which iliuftrates this vo- lume, is reduced by Mr. Arrowfmith from his three-fheet map of North- America, with the lateft difcoveries, which he is about to republifh. His profefllonal abilites are well known, and no encomium of mine will advance the general and merited opinion of them. Before I conclude, I muft beg leave to in- form my readers, that they arc not to.expe6t the charms of embellifhed narrative, or ani- mated defcription ; the approbation due to fimplicity and to truth is all I prefume to claim ; and I am not without the hope that this claim will be allowed me. I have def- cribed whatever I faw with the impreflions of the moment which prefented it to me. The fucceffive circumftances of my progrefs are related without exaggeration or difplay. '^Mi! i^i jV'* •♦ Ol. WPW mp^w ■W''^, b. xiv PREFACE. I have feldom allowed myfelf to wander into conjedure ; and whenever conjedurc has been indulged, it will be found, I truft, to be accompanied with the temper of a man who is not dilpofed to think too highly of himfelf : and if at any time I have deli- vered myfelf with confidence, it will appear, I hope, to be on thofe fubje£ts which, from the habits and experience of my life, will juftify an unreferved communication of my opinions. I am not a caiididate for literary fame ; at the fame time, I cannot but indulge the hope that this volume, with all its imperfedlions, will not be thought unworthy the attention of the fcientific geo- grapher ; and that, by unfolding countries hitherto unexplored, and which, I prefume, may now be confidered as a part of the Britifh dominions, it will be received as a faithful tribute to the profperity of my country. -: I U ■: ^-rihcyl-- .i; :'m^ ALEXANDER MACKENZIE, i 1 »■'■%■ • 'v£4^\i.^> ',»-■.■ -^ ^ London, f; iTovember 5o, 1801. I .*%.4. •^ '^ fs? ;;;,.GENERAL HISTORY OF THE FUR TRADE FROM CANADA TO THE NORTH-fVEST. i 1 M. X HE fur trade, from the earlieft fettlement of Canada, was confidered of the firft importance to that colony. The country was then fo populous, that, in the vicinity of the eftablilhments, the ani* mals whofe Ikins were precious* in a commercial view, foon became very fcarce, if not altogether extindl. They were, it is true, hunted at former periodsjbut merely for food and clothing. The Indians, therefore, to procure the neceflary fupply, were encouraged to penetrate into the country, and were generally accompanied by fome of the Cana- dians, who found means to induce the remoteft tribes of natives to bring the ikins which were mod in demand, to their fettlements, in the way of trade. Wm^HH^^ \OW '•■m^^i'' Jt is not neceifary for me to examine the caufe,' but -'^ .sV ^ "J . -* ■ — ■■■I ■■ — -.— ■■■•- ^ ♦^■■y , -*^ »■ --y^*" *" :»■'' I 2 A GENERAL HISTORY but experience proves that it requires much lefs time for a civilized people to deviate into the man- ners and cuftoms of favage life, than for favages to rife into a ftate of civilization. Such was the event with thofe who thus accompanied the natives on their hunting and trading excurfions ; for they became fo attached to the Indian mode of life, that they loft all relifli for their former habits and na- tive homes. Hence they derived the title of Cou- reurs des Bois, became a kind of pedlars, and Were extremely ufeful to the merchants engaged in the fur trade ; who gave them the neceffary credit to 'proceed on their commercial undertakings. Three br four of thefe people would join their ftock, put their property into a birch-bark canoe, which they worked themfelves, and either accompanied *the natives in their excurfions, or went at once to the country where they knew they were to hunt. At length, thefe voyages extended to twelve or fifteen months, when they returned with rich cargoes of furs, and followed by great numbers of the natives. During the (hort time requifite to fettle their ac- counts with the merchants, and procure freQi cre- dit, they generally contrived to fquander away all their gains, when they returned to renew their favourite mode of life : their views being anfwered, and their labour fufficiendy rewarded, by indulging themfelves in extravagance and dillipation during the fhort fpace of one month in twelve or fifteen. ^>' ' ''^•- ■ This 1 4 ;9 s much lefs to the man- )r favages to ch was the I the natives IS ; for they ; of life, that bits and na- title of to- rs, and \Vere raged in the ary credit to ngs. Three ir ftock, put , which they ppanied the once to the 1 3 hunt. At Ive or fifteen h cargoes of the natives, tie their ac- ire freih cre- [der away all renew their iganfwered, ly indulging ition during or fifteen. This OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. g This indifiference about amaffing property, and the pleafure of living free from all refjbraint, fooi^ brought on a licentioufnefs of manners which coul4 not long efcape the vigilant obfervation of the inif- iionaries, who had much reafon to complain of their being a difgrace to the Chriftian religion; by not only fwerving from its duties themfelves, but by thus bringing it into difrepute with thofe of the natives who had become converts to it ; and, con- fequently, obib*uding the great objed to which thofe pious men had devoted their lives. They, therckre, exerted their influence to procure the fupreifion of thefe people, and accordingly, no one was allowed to go up the country to traffic with the Indians, without a licence from the government. At firfl thefe permiffions were, of courfe, grant- ed only to thofe whofe character was fuch as could give no alarm to the zeal of the niiffionaries : but they were afterwards beftowed as rewjirds for fer- vices, on officers, and their widows; and they, who were not willing or able to make ufe of them, (which may be fuppofed to be always the cafe with thofe of the latter defcription] were allowed to fel) them to the merchants, who neceffarily employe^ the Coureurs des bois, in quality of their agents^ and thefe people, as may be imagine(ji, gave suffi- cient caufe for the renewal of former complaints^ £o th^t the reniedy proved, in fad, woi^e xfian thf difeafe. . ^ 'AX C At ■■^ zas \\ \ L, \ I •''A GENERAL HISTORY'' ' At length, military pofts were eftabliftied at the confluence of the different large lakes of Canada^ which, in a great meafure, checked the evil confe- iquences that followed from the improper condudb of thefe forefters, and, at the fame time, proteded the trade. Beiides, a number of able and ref- pedVable men retired from the army, prosecuted the trade in perfon under their refpective li- cences, with great order and regularity, and ex- tended it to fuch a diflance, as, in thcfe days, was confidered to be an aftoniftiing effort of com- mercial enterprize. Thefe perfons and the miflio- haries* having combined their views at the fame time, fecured the refpedb of the natives, and the obedience of the people neceffarily employed in the laborious parts of this undertaking. Thefe gen- tlemen denominated themfelves commanders, and not traders, though they were intitled to both thofe charaders: and, as for the miflionaries, if fufferings and hardlhips in the profecution of the great work which they had undertaken, deferved applaufe and admiration, they had an undoubted claim to be admired and applauded : they fpared no labour and avoided no danger in the execution of their impor- tant office ; and it is to be ferioufly lamented, that their pious endeavours did not meet with the fu'c- cefs which they deferved : for there is hardly a trace to be found beyond the cultivated parts, of their meritorious fundions. '• m;..;*;-..-- The t 1 1 led at the f Canada; vil confe- f condudt protefted and ref- irosecuted ective li- , and ex- icfe days, •t of com- :hc miffid- the fame s, and the )yed in the hcfe gen- iders, and both thofe fufFerings ;reat work ^laufe and lim to be abour and eir impor- nted, that h the fuc- dly a trace 8, of their The 1 ■! Of THE FUR TRADE, &c. $ f^v-The caufe of this failure mull be attributed to a vWant of due coniideration in the mode employed .J^y the miffionaries to propagate the religion of which they were the zealous minifters. They ^abituated themfeives to the favage life, and natu- Talifed themfeives to the favage manners^ and, by thus becoming dependant, as it were, on the na« tiyes,they acquired their contempt rather than their veneration. If they had been as weU acquainted with human nature, as they were with the articles of their faith, they would have known, that the uncultivated mind of an Indian muft be difpofed by much preparatory method and inftruction to receive the revealed truths of Chriftianity, to adt ,under its fandions, and be inipelled to good by the hope of its reward, or turned from evil by the fear of its punishments. They (hould have began , their work by teaching fome of thofe ufeful arts which are the inlets of knowledge, and lead the jnind by degrees to objects of higher comprehen- fton. Agriculture fo formed to fix and combine fociety, and fo preparatory to objects of fuperior coniideration, ihould have been the firfl thing in- troduced among a favage people : it attaches the wandering tribe to that fpot where it adds fo much to their comforts j while it gives them a fenfe of property, and of iafting pofleffion, inftead of the .uncertain hopes of the chafe, and. the fugitive pro- duce of uncultivated wilds. Such were the means C 2 by i *w^ If' % A GENfeRAL HIStORY^ by which the forcfts of Paraguay >Vci'e converted 5nto a fcene of abundant cultivation, and its favage ihhabitants introduced to all the advantages of a tivilized life. "^ ; '\ •' ^'> •-' ^ ' The Canadian miflionaries IlioulJ iiave been contented to improve the morals of their own countrymen, fo that by meliorating their charafter and condud, they would have given a ftriking example of the effed of religion in promoting the comforts of life to the furrounding favages ; and hiight by degrees have extended its benign in- ifluence to the femoteft regiclns 6f that country, which was the obje A, and intended to be the fcene, of their evangelic labours. But by bearing the light of the Gofpel at once to the diftance of two thoiifand five hundred miles firom the civilized part of the colonies, it was foon obfcured by the cloud of ignorance that darkened the human miiid in thofe diflant regions. - - -^ / - - > ' The whole of their long route I have often tra- velled, and the recollection of fuch a people as the 'miilionaries having been there, was confined to a few fuperannuated Canadians, who had not left that country fince the ceffion to the Englifh,* in i 763, and who particulaly mentioned the deiath of fome, and the diftrefiing fituation 6f them all. But if thefe religious men did not attain the objeds of their perfevering piety, they were, during Vneir mif- fion, of great fervice to the commanders who en- gaged converted 1 its ravage itages of a bave been their own : chara^er » a fhriking lotlhg the iges ; and )enign in- t country, the fcene, taring the ice of two ilized part the cloud miiid in often tra- ple as the fined to a )t left that in 1763, of fome, . But if )bjenfidence eflary to Tce muft ittendiflg :e of the ce, muft Ee agents Ithflandr began to lad been t riij^ of lejv pof- , feflbr OF THE FUR TRADE, fltc. 9 feflurs, for the natives had been taught by their former allies to entertain hoftiie difpofitions towards the englilh, from their having been in alliance with their natural enemies the Iroquois ; and there were not wanting a fufHcient number of difcontented, difappointed people to keep alive fuch a notion; fo that for a long time they were coniidered and treated as objects of hoftility. To prove this difpoHtion of the Indians, we have only to refer to the condudt of Pontiac, at Detroit, and the sur* prife and taking of Michilimakinac, about this period. : -♦ : 'r Hence it arofe, that it was fo late as the years ^1766, before which, the trade I mean to confider, commenced from Michilimakinac. The firft who attempted it were fatisfied to go the length of the River Cameniftiquia, about thirty miles to the Eaftward of the Grande Portage, where the French had a principal eilablifliment, and was the line of their communication with the interior country. It was once deftroyed by fire. Here they went and returned fuccefsful in the following fpring to Mi- chilimakinac. Their fuccefs induced them to re- . new their journey, and incited others to follow their example. Some of them remained at Came- niftiquia, while others proceeded to and beyond the Grande Portage, which, fince that time has become the principal entrep6t of that trade, and is iituated in a bay, in latitude 48., North, .and lon- gitude ^*-- ^ >'- ^ 10 A GENERAL HISTORY gitude 90. Weft. After paiHng the ufual {tafon there, they went back tp Michilimakinac as before, »nd encouraged by the trade, returned in increafed liumbers* Onp of thefe, Thomas Curry, with a fpirit of enterprize fuperior to that of his contem- poraries, determined to penetrate to the furtheft limits of the French difcoyeries in that country ; or 91 leaft till the froft (hould ftop him. For this purpofe l^e procured guides and interpreters, who were acquaii^ted with the country, and with four C4noe$ arrived at Fort Bourbon, which was one of their pofts, at the Weft end of the Cedar Lake, on the yfSLten of the Saik^tchiwine. His rifk and ^oil were WP^ recpmpenfed, for he came back the toUowing fpring with his canoes filled wijth fine furs, ^yith which he proceeded tp Canada, aad was fajtisfied never again to return to the Indian counicry. ,. ., .. Frpm this period people began to fpread over every part of the country, particularly where the French had eftabliHlied feittlements. Mr. James Finlay was the flrfi who followed Mr. .CurJpy's example, and with the j&me AUJwber of canoes, arrived, in the cpurfe of the ne^t feajton^ at Nipawee, the laft of the French fetdcments 00 the bank of ithe Sa&atcJbfv^^ne River, in latitude ;iearly 34I North, an^ iQngit;ude 10.3 Weft : he found the good foirtune; as he foUov^^ed, in every xcfped, .the jexample, of ius predcccffor. . , , I ^ ■J Y ufual (tafon ic as before, in increafed rry, with a bis contem- :he furtheft It country; 1. For this }reters, who 1 with four I was one of edar Lake, ^is riik and le back the i with fine 'anada, and the Indian fpread over where the jQ followed ne AUTOiber )eyt feaJtoOf leoxents oa in latitude ■Weft: he I, in every; As I OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. ii As may be fuppofed, there were now people enough ready to replace them, and the trade was purfued with fuch avidity, and irregularity, that in a few years it became the reverfe of what it ought to have been. An animated competition prevailed, and the contending parties carried the trade beyond the French limits, though with no benefit to them- felves or neighbours, the Hudfon*s-Bay Company; who in the year 1774, and not till then, thought proper to move from home to the Eaft bank of Sturgeon Lake, in latitude 53. 56. North, and longitude 102. 15. Weft, and became more jealous of their fellow fubjedts ; and, perhaps, with more caufe, than they had been of thofe of France. From this period to the prefent time, they have been following the Canadians to their different eftablilhments, while, on the contrary, there is not a folitary inftance that the Canadians have followed them ; and there are many trading pofts which they have not yet attained. This, however, will no longer be a myftery when the na- ture and policy of the Hudfon's-Bay Company is compared with that which has been purfued by their rivals in this trade. — But to return to my fubjedt. This competition, which has been already men-, tioned, gave a fatal blow to the trade from Ca- nada, and, with other incidental caufes, in my opi- nion, contributed to its ruin. This trade was carried on in a very diftant country, out of the i s , nJi D reach •^.' r;1 ; I 12 .A GENERAL HISTORY reach of legal reftraint, and where there was a free fcope given to any ways or means in attaining ad- vantage. The confequence was not only the lofs of commercial benefit to the perfons engaged in it, but of the good opinion of the natives, and the refped: of their men, who were inclined to follow their example ; fo that with drinking, caroufing, and quarrelling with the Indians along their route, and among themfelves, they feldom reached their winter quarters ; and if they did, it was generally by dragging their property upon fledges, as the navigation was clofed up by the froft. When at length they were arrived, the object of each was to injure his rival traders in the opinion of the na- tives as much as was in their power, by mifrepre- fentation and prefents, for which the Agents em- ployed were peculiarly calculated. They confi- dered the command of their employer as binding on them, and however wrong or inegular the tranfadtion, the refponfibility refted with the prin- cipal who direded them. This is Indian law. Thus did tliey wafte their credit and their pro- petty with the natives, till the firft was pad re- demption, and the lad was nearly exhaufled ; fo that towards the fpring in each year, the rival parties found it abfolutely neceflary to join, and make one common dock of what remained, for the pur- pofe of trading with the natives, who could en- tertain no rcfpedt for perfons who had conduced •> ■ ' ^ themfelves I '1 t ' was a free lining ad- ly the lofs aged in it, , and the to follow caroufing, heir route, :hed their generally es, as the When at each was of the na- mifrepre- yents cm* tiey confi- s binding gular the the prin- dian law. :heir pro- j pad re- jfted J fo val parties md make r the pur- »uld en- :oftdu6ted hemfelves ! OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. ig themfelves with fo much irregularity and deceit. The winter, therefore was one continued fcene of difagreements and quarrels. If any one had the precaution or good fenfe to keep clear of thefe proceedings, he derived a proportionable advantage from his good conduct, and frequently proved a peace-maker between the parties. To fuch an height had they carried this licentious condu<51:, that they were in a continual ftate of alarm, and were even frequently (lopped to pay tribute on their route into the country^ though they had adopted the plan of travelling together in parties of thirty or forty canoes, and keeping their men armed ;. which fometimes, indeed, proved necef^* fary for their defence. Thus was the trade carried on for feveral years, and confequently becoming worfe, and worfe, fo that the partners, who met them at the Grande Portage, naturally complained of their ill fuccefs. But fpe- cious reafons were always ready to prove that it arofe from circumftances which they could not at that time control ; and encouragements were held forth to hope that a change would foon take place, which would make ample amends for paft difap- pointments. - It was about this time, that Mr., Jofeph Fro-^ bilher, one of the gentlemen engaged in the trade, determined to penetrate into the country yet unex- plored, to the North and Weftward, and, in the D 2 fpring i W h.. J; i:: 14 .' A GENERAL HISTORY fpring of the year 1775, met the Indians from that quarter on their way to Fort Churchill, at Portage de Traite, fo named from that circumftancc on the banks of the Miffinipi, or Churchill River, lati- tude 55. 25. North, longitude 103 J. Weft. It was, indeed, with fome difficulty that he could induce them to trade with him, but he at length procured as many furs as his canoes could carry. In this perilous expedition he fuftained every kind of hardlhip incident to a journey through a wild aad favage country, where his fubfiftence depended on what the woods and the waters produced. Thefe difficulties, neverthelefs, did not difcourage him from returning in the following year, when he was equally fuccefsful. He then fent his bro- ther to explore the country ftill further Weft, who penetrated as far as the lake of lile a la Croife, in latitude 55. 26. North, and longitude 108 Weft. He, however, never after wintered among the Indians, though he retained a large intereft in the trade, and a principal (hare in the direction of it till the year 1 798, when he retired to enjoy the fruits of his labours ; and, by his hofpitality, became known to every refpedtable ftranger who vilited Canada. -...».,..-.: . The fuccefs of this gentleman induced others to follow his example, and in the fpring of the year 1778, fome of the traders on the Saikatchiwine River, finding they had a quantity of goods to r (! fparc. ■ i Vpm that Portage :c- on the er, lati- ^eft. It could t length Id carry, ery kind 1 a wild epended oduced. fcourage r, when his bro- eft, who roffe, in 8 Weft, ong the 3- in the n of it ijoy the became vilited thers to tie year :hiwine oods to Iparc, OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. 15 fpare, agreed to put them into a joint flock, and gave the charge and management of them to Mr. Peter Pond, who, in four canoes, was diredted to enter the Englifh River, fo called by Mr. Frobiflier, to follow his track, and proceed ftill further ; if po/fible, to Athabafca, a country hitherto unknown but from Indian report. In this enterprife he at length fucceeded, and pitched his tent on the banks of the Elk River, by him crroneoufly called the Atha- bafca River, about forty miles from the Lake of the Hills, into which it empties itfelf Here he pafled the winter of 1778-9; faw a vaft concourfe of the Knifteneaux and Chepewyan tribes, who ufed to carry their furs annually to Churchill ; the latter by the barren grounds, where they fuffered innumerable hardlhips, and were fometimes even ftarved to death. The former fol- lowed the courfe of the lakes and rivers, through a country that abounded in animals, and where there was plenty of filh : but though they did not fuffer from want of food, the intolerable fatigue of fuch a journey could not be eafily repaid to an Indian : they wer^ therefore highly gratified by feeing people come to their country to relieve them from fuch long, toilfome, and dangerous journies ; and were immediately reconciled to give an ad- vanced price for the articles neceffary to their com- fort and convenience. Mr. Pond's reception and fuccefs was accordingly beyond his expedtation ; ' "-f .,' ■ n and f^ 1 6 A GENERAL HISTORY and he procured twice as many furs as his canoes would carry. They alfo fupplied him with as much provision as he required during his refidericc among them, and fufficient for his homeward voyage. Such of the furs as he could not embark, he fecured in one of his winter huts, and they were found the following feafon, in the fame ftate in which he left them. ...i^ ? .' • . ^ - Thefe, however, were but partial advantages, and could not prevent the people of Canada front feeing the improper conduft of fome of their af- fbciates, which rendered it dangerous to remain any longer among the natives. Moft of them who paiTed the winter at the Saika^chiwine, got to the Eagle hills, where, in the fpring of the year 1 780, a few days previous to their intended departure^ a large band of Indians being engaged in drinking about their houfes, one of the traders, to eafe him- felf of the troublefome importunities of a native^ gave him a dofe of laudanum in a glafs of grog> which effedually prevented him from giving fur^ ther trouble to any one, by fetting him aileep for ever. This accident produced a firay, in which one of the traders, and feveral of the men, were killed, while the reft had no other means to fave themfelves but by a precipitate flight, abandoning a CO- iderable quantity of goods, and near half which thev had colleded they ter and the fpring. during i ♦». -•-^r •>'»"----• ,. in which men, were ms to fave ibandoning i near half ig thewin- About or THE FUR TRADE, &c. t j About the fame? time, two of the eilablifhments on the Affiniboin river, were attacked with le(s juf- tice, when feveral white men, and a greater number of Indians were killed. In fhort, it appeared, that the natives had formed a refolution to extir- pate the traders ; and, without entering into any further reafonings on the fubjed, it appears to be incontrovertible, that the irregularity purfued in carrying on the trade has brought it into its prefent forlorn fituation ; and nothing but the gre&teft ca^^ lamity that could have befallen the natives faved the traders from definition : this was the fmall pox, which fpread its deflrudtive and defolating power, as the fire confumes the dry grafs of the field. The fatal infedion fpread around with a baneful rapidity which no flight could efcape, and with a fatal effedt that nothing could reiifl. It de- fkroyed with its peflilential breath whole families and tribes ; and the- horrid fcene prefented to thofe who had the melancholy and affliding opportunity of beholding it, a combination of the dead, the dying, and fuch as to avoid the horrid fate of their friends around them, prepared to difappoint the plague of its prey, by terminating their own exigence. The habits and lives of thefe devoted people, which provided not to-day for the wants of to-mor-» row, muft have heightened the pains of fuch an afiiidion, by leaving them not only without remedy, ./n but ir:i.. i h i8 A GENERAL HISTORY but even without alleviation. Nought was left them but to fubmit in agony and defpair. ^ ■ '• ^ To aggravate the pidure, if aggravation were poiTible, may be added, the putrid carcafes which the wolves, with a furious voracity, dragged forth from the huts, or which were mangled within them by the dogs, whofe hunger was fatisfied with the disfigured remains of their mafters. Nor was it uncommon for the father of a family, whom the infection had not reached, to call them around him, to reprefent the cruel fufferings and horrid fete of their reLtions, from the influence of fbme evil fpirit who was preparing to extirpate their race ; and to incite them to baffle death, with all its horrors, by their own poniards. At the fame time, if their hearts failed them in this neceflary a6t, he was himfelf ready to perform the deed of mercy with his own hand, as the laft ad of his affection, and inftantly to follow them to the common place of refl: and refuge frohi human evil. > It was never fatisfadorily afcertained by what means this malignant diforder was introduced, buc it was generally fuppofed to be from the Miffifouri, by a war party. ; ^^ 3 The confequence of this melancholy event to the traders muft be felf-evident ; the means of difpofing of their goods were cut off; and no furs were obtained, but fuch as had been gathe- •^ \i red ;ht was left pair. vation were xafes which ragged forth gled within /as fatisfied afters. Nor f a family, o call them ifferings and le influence to extirpate laffle death, niards. At lem in this )erform the is the laft jllow them ifuge frohi d by what duced, but Miffifouri, r event to means of ; and no ;en gathe- red OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. 19 red from the habitations of the deceafcd Indians, which could not be very confiderable : nor did ihey look from the lofles of the present year, with any encouraging expectations to thofe which were to come. The only fortunate peoplfe con- iifted of a party who had again penetrated to the Northward and Weftward in 1780, at fome dif- tance up the Miffinipi, or Englilh River, to Lake la Rouge. Two unfortunate circumftances, howe- ver, happened to them ; which are as follow. Mr. Wadin, a Swifs gentleman, of ftridt probity and known fobriety, had gone there in the year 1779, and remained during the fummer 1780. His partners and others, engaged in an oppofitc intereft, when at the Grande portage, agreed to fend a quantity of goods on their joint account, which was accepted, and Mr. Pond was propofed by them to be their reprefentative to adt in con- jundtion with Mr. Wadin. Two men, of more oppofite rharaders, could not, perhaps, have been found. In (hort from various caufes, their fitua- tion became very uncomfortable to each other, and mutual ill-will was the natural confequence : without etitering, therefore, into a minute hiftory of thefe transadions, it will be fufficient to ob— ferve, that, about the end of the year 1780, or the beginning of the year 1 78 1 , Mr. Wadin had received Mr. Pond and one of his own clerks to dinner 3 and, in the courfp of tl^e night> the for- ■?Hti,lv. E mei: U ! ^ A GENERAL HISTORY ^> mer was (hot through the lower part of the thigh,' when it was faid that he expired from the lofs of blood, and was buried next morning at eight o'clock. Mr. Pond, and the clerk, were tried for this murder at Montreal, and acquitted : ne- verthelefs, their innocence was not fo apparent as to extinguilh the original fufpicion. The other circumilance was this. In the fpring of the year, Mr. Pond fent the abovementioned clerk to meet the Indians from the Northward, who ufed to go annually to Hudfon's Bay; when he ealily perfuaded them to trade with him, and return back, that they might not take the con<- tagion which had depopulated the country to the Eaftward of them : but moft unfortunately they caught it here, and carried it with them, to the deftruction of themfelves and the neighbour- ing tribes. The country being thus depopulated, the traders and their friends from Canada, who, from various caufes already mentioned, were very much reduced in number, became confined to two panics, who began ferioufly to think of making permanent cftabUlhments on the Miffinipi river, and at Atha- bafca; for which purpofe, 1781-2, they felefted their beft canoe-men, being ignorant that the fmall pox penetrated that way. The moft expeditious party got only in time to the Portage la Loche, or Mithy.Ouinigam, which divides the waters of the Mif&nipi I ■■ •1' > 1 ■■■' .'1 fthe thigh, itn the lofs ing at eight were tried uitted : ne- )parent as to n the fpring ementioned Northward, Bay; when h him, and ^ ke the con- intry to the unately they I them, to neighbour- .\ -/.:. S , the traders •om various ich reduced jarties, who permanent nd at Atha- ey fele<5led at the fmall expeditious Loche, or iters of the Mifllnipi OF THE FUR TRADE, flee. ai Miffinipi from thofe that fall into the Elk river, to difpatch one canoe flrong handed, and light- loaded, to that country ; but, on their arrival there, they found, in every direction, the ravages of the fmall pox ; fo that, from the great diminu- tion of the natives, they returned in the fpring with no more than feven packages of beaver. The ilrong woods and mountainous countries afforded a refuge to thofe who fled from the contagion of the plains ; but they were fo alarmed at the fur- rounding deftru6lion, that they avoided the tra- ders, and were difpirited from hunting except for their fubfiftence. The traders, however, who re- turned into the country in the year 1 782- 3, found the inhabitants in fome fort of tranquillity, and more numerous than they had reafon to expe;. :■; t. •^■.1, ■■■■ ♦ . ■ * This might be properly called the (lock of the company, as it included, with the expenditure of the year, the antount of the property unexpended, which had been appropriated for the adventure of that year, and was carried on to the account of the following adventure. ; „ F . triple ^.y- "■^y ' :i l lWf,;m ' »J^ i namji i ;T,' i< w.» ' I I ^-^T'-^"' Hi &8 A GENERAL HISTORY triple that amount and upwards; yielding pro- portionate profits, and furpailing, infhort, anything known in America. ^ Such, therefore, being the profperous ftate of the company, it, very naturally, tempted others to interfere with the concern in a manner by no means beneficial to the company, and com- monly ruinous to the undertakers. In 1798 the concern underwent a new form, the (hares were increafed to forty -fix, new part- ners being admitted, and others retiring. This period was the termination of the cotnpany, which was not renewed by all the parties concerned in it, the majority continuing to ad upon the old flock, and under the old firm ; the others beginning a new one J and it now remains to be decided, whether two parties, under the fame regulations and by the fame exertions, though unequal in number, err-: continue to carry on the bufinefs to a fuccefsfui ifTue. The contrary opinion has been held, which, if verified, will make it the intercfl of the parties again to coalefce ; for neither is deficient in capital to fupport their obftinacy in a lofing trade, as it is not to be fuppofed that either will yield on any other terms than perpetual participation. It will not be fuperfluous in this place, to explain the general mode of carrying on the fur trade. --r^ •',:.-'' "'-■, '•.' ' .^■'' •*• • ^ The agents are obliged to order the necefTary .flf'^^i ,fH^j.i> { elding pfo- t, any thing JUS ftate of pted others inner by no and corn- new form, , new part- ring. This pany, which cerned in it, le old ftock, beginning a ied, whether s and by the luniber, a!.u a fuccefsfui held, which, f the parties nt in capital rade, as it is ield on any ►n. is place, to g on the fur :he neceflary goods ^ ^'-;.\ OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. 29 goods from England in the month of Odober, eighteen months before they can leave Montreal ; that is, they are not fhipped from London until the fpring following, when they arrive in Canada in the fummer. In the courfe of the following winter they are made up into fuch articles as are required for the favages; they are then packed into parcels of ninety pounds weight each, but cannot be fent from Montreal until the May following ; fo that they do not get to market until the enfuing tvinter, when ihey are exchanged for furs, which come to Montreal the next fall, and from thence are (hipped, chiefly to London, where they are not Ibid or paid for before the fucceeding fpring, or even as late as June j whidh is forty-two months after the goods were ordered in Canada ; thirty-fix afttr they had been (hipped from England, and twenty -four after they had been forwarded from Montreal ; fo that the merchant, allowing that he has twelve months credit, does not receive a return to pay for thofe goods, and the neceffary expences attending them, which is about equal to the value of the goods themfelves, till two years after they are con(idered as ca(h, which makes this a very heavy bu(inefs. There is even a fmall pro- portion of it that requires twelve months longer to bring round the payment, owing to the immenie diftance it is carried, and from the (hortnefs of the feaibns, which prevents the furs, even after ^ ■■ ■-[ .. ; ^,,^,^,f F 2 they M "^,, • ■ I WW a^ " <■ w: 30 A GENERAL HISTORY^ ' they are colleded, from coming out of the country for that period *. The articles neceflary for this trade, are coarfe woollen cloths of different kinds ; milled blankets of different fizes ; arms and ammunition ', twift and carrot tobacco; Mancheiler goods; linens, and coarfe iheetings ; thread, lines and twine ; common hardware ; cutlery and ironmongery of V feveral defcriptions ; kettles of brafs and copper, and fheet-iron ; filk and cotton handkerchiefs ; hats, (hoes and hofe; calicoes and printed cottons, &c. ^ Spirituous liquors and provifions are purchafed ^ in Canada. Thefe, and the expence of trans- port to and from the Indian country, including Wages- to clerks, interpreters, guides, and canoe- men, with the expence of making up the goods for the market, form about half the annual amount ' againil the adventure. . , , ^^ * This will be better liluftrated by the following flatement : > We will fuppofe the goods for 1798 ; The orders for the goods are fent to this country 2 5th Oa. 1 796. . ;■ They are (hipped from London March 1 797. Y They arrive in Montreal June 1 797. They are made up in the courfe of that fummer and winter. -They are fent from Montreal May 1798. They arrive in the Indian country, and are exchanged for ful^ the following winter 1798-9. Which furs come to Montreal Sept. 1799. And are (hipped for LoRdon, where they are fold in M^rch aB4 Aprili and paid for in May or June. . iBooit ; '^\ -". ; .. ^..JJh..,.*. ^ This rl H- le country ire coarfe i blankets on ; twift Sj linens, d twine ; lOngery of d copper, iiefs;hats, ttons, &c. purchafed of trans- including nd canoe- goods for il amount (latement : 1 OA. 1 796. larch 1797. une 1797. 1 winter. May 1798. red 1798-9. Sept. 1799. n 1800. This OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. 3i This expenditure in Canada ultimately tends to the encouragement of Britilh manufadory, for thofe who are employed in the different branches of this bulinefs, are enabled by their gains to purchafe fuch Britilh articles as they mull other- wife forego. The produce of the year of which I am now fpeaking, confided of the following furs and peltries : ,,^ , , 6000 Lynx fkins, 600 Wolverine Ikins, 1650 Fifher Ikins, 1 00 Rackoon ikins,* 3800 Wolf ikins. 1 06,000 Beaver fkins 2100 Bear fkins, 1500 Fox fkins, 4000 Kitt Fox fkins, 4600 Otter fkins, 1 7,000 Mufquafh fkins, 700 Elk fkins, 32,000 Marten fkins, 750 Deer fkins, 1800 Mink fkins, 1200 Deer fkins, dreffed, 300 Buffalo robes, and a quantity of caflo- rum. ^^ Of thefe were diverted from the Britifh market, being fent through the United States to China, 13,364 fkins, fine beaver, weighing 19283 pounds; 1250 fine otters, and 1724 kitt foxes. They would have found their way to the China market at any rate, but this deviation from the Britifh chan- nel arofe from the following circum (lance : >»' - An adventure of this kind was undertaken by a refpedtable houfe in London, half concerned with the North- Weft Company in the year 1792. The 32 A GENERAL HISTORY The furs were of the beft kind, and fuitable to the market; and the adventurers continued this connexion for five fucceffive years, to the an- nual amount of forty thoufand pounds. At the winding up of 1792, 17931 ^794» ^795> ^^ ^^^ year 1797, (the adventure of 1796 not being included, as the furs were not fent to China, but difpofed of in London ), the North - Weft Company experienced a lofs of upwards of^ 40,000 ( their half, ) which was principally owing to the difficulty of getting home the produce procured in return for the furs from China, in the Eaft India Company's Ihips, together with the duty payable, and the various reftri(5tions of that com- pany. Whereas, from America there are no im- pediments j they get immediately to market, and the produce of them is brought back, and perhaps fold in the courfe of twelve months. From fuch advantages the furs of Canada will no doubt find their way to China by America, which would not be the cafe if Britilh subjeds had the fame privileges that are allowed to foreigners, as Lon- don would then be found the beft and fafeft mar|^et: , „ ,-;-,:r' './ ■■*■..,;;.'■ v--: " > r :-. ti^' . But to return to our principal fubjed. — We ft»all now proceed to confider the number of men employed in the concern : viz, fifty clerks, feventy- one interpreters and clerks, one thoufand one hundred and twenty canoe men,. and thirty-five I guides. OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. >., 33 fuitable to inued this 3 the an- . At (he 15, in the not being to China, rth - Weft f;f 40,000 ng to the procured the Eaft the duty that corn- re no im- irket, and d perhaps rom fuch oubt find h would the fame as Lon- nd fafeft — We r of men , feventy- md one lirty-five guides. guides. Of thefe, five clerks, eighteen guides, and three hundred and fifty canoe men, were employed for the fummer feafon in going from Montreal to the Grande Portage, in canoes, part of whom proceeded from thence to Rainy Lake as w^[l be hereafter explained, and are called Pork-- eaters, or Goers and Comers. Thefe were hired in Canada or Montreal, and were abfent from the firft of May till the latter end of September. For this trip the guides had from eight hundred to a thoufand livres, and a fuitable equipment; the foreman and fleerfman from five to fix hundred livres; the middlemen from two hundred and fifty to three hundred and fifty livres, with an equipment of one blanket, one fhirt, and one pair oftrowfers; and were maintained during that period at the ex- pence of their employers. Independent of their wages, they were allowed to traffic, and many of them earned to the amount of their wages. About one third of thefe went to winter, and had more than double the above wages and equipment. All the winterers were hired by the year, and fometimes for three years ; and of the clerks many were ap- prentices, who were generally engaged for five or feven years, for which they had only one hundred pounds, provifion and clothing. Such of them who could not be provided for as partners, at the expiration of this time, were allowed from one hundred pounds to three hundred pounds per an- J*" *- - ,t~L j-i • : . , I , num; ^1 V -4j'. ■.,*'S-('«|(i' 34 A GENERAL HISTORY num; with all neceflaries, till provifion was made for them. Thofc who adted in thfe two-fold capa- city of clerk and interpreter, or were Sq denomi- nated, had no other expedation than the payment of wages to the amount of from one thoiifand iivres per annum, with clothing and provifions. ^The guides, who are a very ufeful fct of men, a(Sted alfo in the additional capacity of interpreters^ and had a ftated quantity of goods, confidered as fufiicient for their wants, their wages being from one to three thoufand Iivres. The canoe mert iire^Cfftwo defcriptions, foremen and fteerfmen, and middle- men. The two lirft were allowed annually one thoufand two hundred, and the latter four hundred, Iivres each. The firft clafs had what is called an equipment, ccnfifting of two blankets, two fliirts, two pair of trowfers, two handkerchiefs, fourteen pounds of carrot tobacco, and fome trifling articles. The latter had ten pounds of tobacco, and all the other articles : thofe are called North Men, or Winterers ; and to the laft clafs of people were at- tached upwards of feven hundred Indian women and children, vidtualled at the expence of the com- pany. ^^^'^ - :'^y': '''■■■ v:*^vL?. ■?«*>: ;..;>?iT[5l''' The firft clafs of people are hired in Montreal five months before they fet out, an^ receive their equipments, and one third of their wages in advance; and an adequate idea of the labour they undergo ijiaybe formed from the following account of the «: ; , v- country ■M' ■: OP ttlE FUR TRADE, &c. 35 country through which they pafs, and their man- ner of proceeding. ' Thie neceflary number of canoes being purcha- fcd, at about three hundred livres each, the goods formed into packages, and the !ecome ;d and lading cult of he ca- cmen, under the OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. 39 the oppofite gunwale in the middle. From hence to the next is but a (hort diflance, in which they make two trips to the fecond Portage de Chau- diere, which is feven hundred paces to carry the loading^one. From hence to the next and lafl Chaudiere, or Portage des Chenes, is about fix miles, with a very flrong current, where the goods are carried feven hundred and fortv paces; the canoe being towed up by the line, when the water is not very high. We now enter Lac des Chau- dieres, which is computed to be thirty miles in length. Though it is called a lake, there is a flrong draught downwards, and its breadth is from two to four miles. At the end of this is the Por- tage des Chats, over which the canoe and lading are carried two hundred and feventy-four paces ; and very difficult it is for the former. The river is here barred by a ridge of black rocks, rifing in pinnacles and covered with wood, which, from the fmall quantity of foil that nourifhes it, is low and flinted. The river finds its way over and through thefe rocks, in nuiherous channels falling fifteen feet and upwards. From hence two trips are made through a ferpcntine channel, formed by the rocks for feveral miles, when the current flackens, and is accordingly called the Lake des Chats. At the channels of the grand Calumet, which are compu- ted to be at the diflance of eighteen miles, the cur- rent recovers its flrength, and proceeds to the Por- r ■•9 ^>4&j- tage . mnp 'iiiipiF^iPPPP^^ 46 A GENERAL HISTORY tage Dufbrt, which is two hundred and forty-five paces long ; over which the canoe and baggage are tranfported. From hence the cuiTcnt becomes more rapid, and requires two trips to the Dechar- ge des Sables *, where the goods are carried one hundred and thirty-five paces, and the canoe to- wed. Then follows the Mountain Portage, where the ranoe and lading are alfo carried three hundred and eighty- five paces j then to the D6charge of the Derlg^ where the goods are carried two hun- dred and fifty paces ; and thence to the grand Ca- lumet. This is the longefl carrying-place in this river, and is about two thoufand and thirty-five paces. It is a high hill or mountain. From the upper part of this i^ortage the current is fceady, and is only a branch of the Utawas River, which joins the main channel, that keeps a more Sou- thern courfe, at the diilance of twelve computed leagues. Six leagues further it forms Lake Cou- longe, which is about four leagues in length : firom thence it proceeds through the channels of the AUumettes to the D^charge, where part of the la- ding; is taken out, and carried three hundred and forty-two paces. Then fucceeds the Portage des Ailumettes, which is but twenty-five paces, over a rock difficult of accefs, and at a very fhort dif- * The place where the goods alone are carried, is called a Dicharge,, and that where goods and canoes are both tranfported overland, is denominated a Portage^ ^^ . tancc ^ .1 I v^mm^~ forty-five iggage are becomes e Dechar- irried one canoe to- ige, where e hundred charge of two hun- yrand Ca- ice in this thirty-five From the is fleady, er, which lore Sou- omputed ake Cou« th : fi-om Is of the ►fthc la- ired and tage des :es, over lort dif- is called a ranfported cance OF THE FUP TRADE, &c. 4^ tance from the Decharge. From Portage de Chenes to thb ipot, is a fine deer-hunting country, and the land in many parts very fit for cultivation. From hence the river fpreads wide, and is full of iflands, with fome current for feven leagues, to the' beginning of Riviere Creu/e, or Deep River, which runs in the form of a canal, about a mile and an half wide, for about thirty-fix miles ; bounded upon the North by very high rocks, with low land on the South, and fandy ; it is intercepted again by falls and cataracts, fo that the Portages of the two Joachins almoftjoin, The firfi: is nine hundred and twenty, fix paces, the next feven hundred and twenty, and both very bad roads. From hence is a fteady current of nine, miles to the River du Moine, where there has generally been a trad- ing houfe ; the ftream then becomes ftrong for four leagues, when a rapid fucceeds, which requires two trips. A little way onward is the D^charge, and dofe to it, the Portage of the Roche Capi- taine, feven hundred and ninety-feven paces in length. From hence two trips are made through a narrow channel of the Roche Capitaine, made by an ifiand four miles in length. A flrong current now fucceeds, for about fix leagues to the Portage of the two rivers, which it about eight hundred and twenty paces ; froni thence it is three leagues to the D^charge of the Trou, which is three hundred paces. Neair adjoining is the rapid of Levellier i from - 1, V; 'If ilini i! Hi 42 A GENERAL HISTORY froEh whence, including the tapids of Matawoen, where there is no. carrying-place, it is about thirty- fix miles to the forks of the fame name ; in lati- tude 46 1 . North, and longitude 78 1. Weft, and is at the computed diftance of four hundred miles from Montreal. At this place the Petite Riviere falls into the Utawas. The latter river comes from- a North- Wefterly direction, forming fevcral lakes in its courfe. The principal of them is Lake Temefcamang, where there has always been a tra- ding poft, whfch may be faid to continue, by a fucceflion of rivers and lakes, upwards of fifty lea- gues from the Forks, pading^ .^eax the waters of the Lake Abbitiby, in latitude 48^? which- is re- ceived by the Moofe River, that cnpties itfelf into James Bay. * - The Petite Riviere takes a South-Weft direiffcion, is full of rapids and catarads to its fource, aiid is not more than fifteen leagues in length, in the •courfe of which are the following interruptions — The Portage of Plein Champ, three hundred and nineteen pa >. . ; the D^charge of the Rofe, one hundred and forty-five pades ; the Dicharge of Campion, one hundred and eighty-four paces ; the Portage of the Grofle Roche, one hundred and fifty paces ; the Portage of Parefleux, four hun- dred and two paces ; the Portage of Priarie, two hundred and eighty-feven paces ; the Portage of La Cave, one hundred paces j Portage of Talon, ■Ir**-"^ two Matawbcn, >out thirty- ; ; in lati- ATcft, and dred miles ce Riviere vcr comes ng feveral :m is Lake been a tra- lue, by a )f fifty lea- waters of kich is re- i itfelf into diredion, ;e, and is h, in the •uptions — ndred and R.ofe, one charge of paces ; the idred and Four hun- iaric, two *ortage of of Talon, two OF THE FUR TRADE, ficc 43 two hundred and feventy-five paces ; which, for its length, is the word on the communication ; Por- tage Pin de Muftque, four hundred and fifty-fix paces ; next to this is Mauvais de Mulique, where many men have been crufhed to death by the ca- noes, and others have received irrecoverable injuries. The laft in this river is the Turtle Portage, eighty* three paces, on entering the lake of that Aame, where, indeed, the river may be faid to take its source. From the firfl vafe to the great river, the country has the appearance of having been ovef^ run by fire, and conlilts in general of huge rocky hills. The diflance of this Portage which is thd height of land, between the waters of the St. Lau- rence and the Utawas, is one thoufand five hundred and thirteen paces to a fmall canal in a plain, that is jull fufHcient to carry the loaded canoe about one mile to the next vafe, which is feven hundred and twenty- five paces. It would be twice this diflance, but the narrow creek is dammed in the beaver fafh- ion, to float the canoes to this barrier, through which they pafs, when the river is juft fufficient to bear them through^ fwamp of two miles to the iaft vafe, of one thoufand and twenty-four paces in length. Though the river is increafed in this part, fome care is necefTary to avoid rocks and flumps of trees. In about fix miles is ihe lake Nepifingui, which is computed to be twelve leagues long, though the rou:*^ of the canoes is fomething more : H it <,/ 44 A GENERAL HISTORY J^ k is about fifteen miles wide in the widefl part, and bounded with rocks. Its inhabitants confift of the remainder of a numerous converted tribe, called Nepifinguis of the Algonquin nation. Out of it flows the Riviere des Fran9ois, over rocks of a coniiderable height. In a bay to the Eafl of this, the road leads over the Portage of the Chaudiere des F'ran9ois, five hundred and forty-four paces, to ^11 water. It muft have acquired the name of Kettle, from a great number of holes in the folid rock of a cylindrical form, and not unlike that cu- linary utenfil. They are obfervable in many parts along flrong bodies of water, and where, at certain feafons, and diftind periods, it is well known the water inundates ; at the bottom of them are gene- rally found a number of fmall flones and pebbles. This circumflance justifies the conclufion, that at foihe former period thefe rocks formed the bed of a branch of the difcharge of thi« lake, although fome of them are upwards of cen feet above the prefent level of the water at its greatefl height. They are, indeed, to be seen along every great river throughout this wide extended country. The French river is very irregular, both as to its breadth and form, and is fo interfperfed with iflands, >hat in the whole courfe of it the banks are feldom vifible. Of its various channels, that which is generally fol- lowed by the canoes is obilruded by the following Portages, viz. des Pins,^ fifty- two paces ; Feaufille, thirty-fix •^mmim left 'parr, ts confift cd tribe, n. Out ocks of a I of this, haudiere paces, to lame of he folid that cu- ny parts t certain >wn the e gene- pebbles, that at bed of though )ve the height. It river The •readth 'hat in ^ifible. ly fol- owing ufille, rty-fix OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. 45 thirty-fix paces ; Parisienne, one hrndred paces j Recolet, forty-five paces ; and the Petite Feaufille, twenty-five paces. In feveral parts there are guts or channels, where the water flows with great velo- city, which arfe not more than twice the breadth of a canoe. The diftance to Lake Huron is eflimated at twenty-five leagues, which this river enters in the latitude 45. 53. North, that is, at the point of land three or four miles within the lake. There is hardly a foot of foil to be feen from one end of the French river to the other, its banks confining of hills of entire rock. The coaft of the Jake is the fame, but lower, backed at fome diftance by high lands. The courfe runs through numerous iflands to the North of Weft to the river Teflklon, com- puted to be about fifty leagues from the French river, and which I found to be in latitude 46. 1 2. 21. North -y and from thence eroding, from iiland to if- land, the arm of the lake that receives the water of Lake Superior (which continues the fame courfe), the route changes to the South of Weft ten leagues to the Detour, palling the end of the ifland of St. jo- feph, within fix miles of the former place. On that iiland there has been a military eftablifhment fince the upper pofts were given up to the Americans in the year 1 7 94 ; and is the Wefternmoft military pofition which we have in this country. It is a place of no trade, and the greater part, if not the whole of the Indians, come here for no other pur- . . H 2 . pofe ..^•. I ;|.i 46 A GENERAL HISTORY t. pofe but to receive the prefencs which o^r govern- ment annually allows them. They are from the American territory (except about thirty families, who are the inhabitants of the lake from the French river, and of the Algonquin nation) and trade in their peltries, as they ufed formerly to do at Michi- limakinac, but principally with Britifti fubjedts. The Americans pay them very litde attendon, and tell them that they keep poffefTion of their country by right of conquefl : that, as their brothers, they will be friends with them while they deferve it ; and that their traders will bring them every kind of goods they require, which ihey may procure by their induflry. Our commanders treat them in a very different manner, and, under the charadter of the reprefen- tatives of their father ; (which parental title the natives give to his prefent Majefly, the common father of al! his people) prefent them with fuch things as the adual date of their flores will allow. How far this condud, if continued, may, at a future exigency, keep thefe people in our interefl, if they aie even worthy of it, is not an objedt of my prefent confideration : at the fame time, I cannot avoid expreffing my perfeft convidion, that it would not be of the lead advantage to our prefent or future commerce in that country, or to the people themfelves ; as it only tends to keep many of them ^in a Aate of idleness about our military eflablilh- .■i-^ . -.itjf' •». , ments. govern* rom the families, French trade in Michi- fubjedts. ion, and country ;rs, they : it ; and kind of cure by iifferenc Jprefen- itle the ommon th fuch 1 allow, y, at a ntereft, : of my cannot that it prefent people f them ablifh. ments. OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. 47 ments. The ammunition which they receive is employed to kill game, in order to procure rum in return, though their families may be in a ftarving condition : hence it is, that, in confequence of ilothful and diflblute lives, their numbers are in a very perceptible ilate of diminution. From the Detour to iiland of Michilimakinac, at the confluence of the Lakes Huron and Michi* gan, in latitude 45.54. North is about forty>-miles. To keep the direA courfe to Lake Superior, the north (hore from the river Teflalon (hould be fol- lowed J croffing to the North- Weft end of St. Jo- feph, and pafling between it and the adjacent if- lands, which makes a diftance of fifty miles to the fall of St. Mary, at the foot of which, upon the South (hore, there is a village, formerly a place of great refort for the inhabitants of Lake Superior, and coniequently of confiderable trade : it is now, however, dwindled to nothing, and reduced to about thirty families, of the Algonquin nation, who are one half of the year ftarving, and the other half intoxicated, and ten or twelve Canadians, who have been in the Indian country ^om an early period of life, and intermarried with the natives who have brought them families. Their inducement to fettle there, was the great quantity of white fi(h that are to be taken in and about the falls, with very little trouble, particularly in the autumn, when that fi(h leaves the lakes, and comes to the running and m 1^: l!l!ln> t^ 48 A GENERAL HISTORY fhallow waters to fpawn. Thefe, when fait can be procured, are pickled juft as the froft fets in, and prove very good food with potatoes, which they have of late cultivated with fuccefs. The natives live chiefly on this filh, which they hang up by the tails, and preferve throughout the winter, or at leaft as long as they laft ; for whatever quantity they may have taken, it is never known that their oeco- nomy is fuch as to make them laft through the winter; which renders their fituation very diftrefling; for if they had activity sufficient to purfue the la- bours of the chafe, the woods are become fo barren of game as to afford them no great profped of re- lief In the fpring of the year they, and the other inhabitants, make a quantity of fugar from the maple tree, which they exchange with the traders for necefTary articles, or carry it to Michilimakinac, where they expcd a better price. One of thefe traders was agent for the North- Weft Company, receiving, ftoring and forwarding fuch articles as come by the way of the lakes upon their vefTcl : for it is to be obferved, that a quantity of their goods are fent by that route from Montreal in boats to Kingfton, at the entrance of Lake Ontario, and from thence in veffels to Niagara, then over land ten miles to a water communication, by boats, to Lake Erie, where they are again received into vef- fels, and carried over that lake up the river Detroit, through the lake and river Sinclair to Lake Hqron , ^ ^ and / OF THE FUR TRADE, 6cc. 49 and from thence to the Falls of St. Mary's, when they are again landed and carried for a mile above the falls, and (hipped over Lake Superior to the Grande Portage. This is found to be a lefs ex- penlive method than by canoes, but attended with more rifk, and requiring more time, than one (hort feafon of this country will admit ; for the goods are always fent from Montreal the preceding fall ; and befides, the company get their proviQons from De- troit, as flour and Indian corn ; as alio coniiderable fupplies from Michilimakinac of maple fugar, tal- low, gum, &c. &c. ^ For the purpofe of conveying all thefe things, they have two veffels upon the Lakes Erie and Huron, and one on Lake Superior, of from fifty to feventy tons burthen. This being, therefore, the depot for tranfports, the Montreal canoes, on their arrival, were forwarded over Lake Superior, with only five men in each ; the others were fent to Michilimakinac for additional canoes, which were required to profecute the trade, and then take a lading there* or at St. Mary's, and follow the others. At length they all arrive at the Grande Portage, which is one hundred and fixiy leagu^ from St. Mary's coaft ways, and fituated on a plea| fant bay on the North fide of the lake, in latitude 48. North and longitude 90. Weft from Green- wich, where the compafs has not above five degrees £aft variation^ At ••■tmf-Uf ppf mmummmm^ mmmm mm mimiiimm 50 A GENERAL HISTORY At the entrance of the bay is an ifland tirhich fcreens the harbour from every wind except the South. The (hallownefs of the water, however, renders it neceflary for the veflel to anchor near a mile from the (hore, where there is not more than fourteen feet water. This lake juftifies the name ^at has been given to it : the Falls of St. Mary, which is its Northern extremity, being in latitude 46. 31. North, and in longitude 84 Weft, where there is no variation of the compafs whatever, while its Southern extremity, at the River St. Louis, is in latitude 46. 45, North, and longitude 92. 10. Weft : its greateft breadth is one hundred and twenty miles, and its circumference, including its various bays, is not lefs than one thoufand two hundred miles. Along its North (hore is the fafeft navigation, as it is a continued mountainous em- bankment of rock, from three hundred to one thou- fand five hundred feet in height. There are nu- merous coves and fandy bays to land, which are frequently Sheltered by iflands from the fwell of the lake. This is particularly the cafe at the dif- tance of one hundred miles to the Eaftward of the Grande Portage, and is called the Pays Plat. This feems to have been caufed by fonje con- vulfion of nature, for many of the iflands difplay a compofition of lava, intermixed with round ftones of the fize of a pigeon's egg. The furrounding *^ rock mm OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. 5i rock is generally hard, and of a dark blue-grey, though it frequently has the appearance of iron and copper. The South fide of the lake, from Point Shagoimigo Eaft, is almoft a continual flraighc line of fandy beach, interfperfed with rocky preci- pices of lime-flones, fometimes rifing to an hun- dred feet in height, without a bay. The embank- inents from that point Weftward arc, in general, of ftrong clay, mixed with ftones, which renders the navigation irkfome and dangerous. On the fame fide, at the River Tonnagan, is found a quantity of virgin copper. The Americans, foon after they got poffeffion of that country, fent an engineer thi- ther ; and I (hould not be furpnfed to hear of their employing people to work the mine. Indeed, it might be well worthy the attention of the Britifh fubjeds to work the mines on the North coaft, though they are not fuppofed to be fo rich as thofe on the South. Lake Superior is the largeft and mod magnifi- cent body of frefh water in the world : it is clear and pellucid, of great depth, and abounding in a great variety of filh, which are the moft excellent of their kind. There are trouts of three kinds, weighing from five to fifty pounds, fturgeon, pick- erel, pike, red and white carp, black bafs, her- rings, &c. &.C. and the laft and bed of all, the Ticamang, or white filh, ^yhich yveighs from four , / .'mf JP-, m i. > I . jt A GENERAL HISTORY to ilxteen pounds, and is of a superior quality in thcfe waters. • This Lake may be denominated the grand rc- fervoir of the River St. Laurence, as no confide- rable rivers difcharge themfelves into it. The prin- cipal ones are, the St. Louis, the Nipigon, the Pic, and the Michipicoten. Indeed, the extent of country firom which any of them flow, or take their courfe, in any direction, rannot admit of it, in confequence of the ridge of land that f^parates them from the rivers thr^^ '^mpty themfelves into Hudloii's-Bayj the guiph of Mexico, and the wa- ters that fall in Lake ^^ichtg?!:, which afterwards become a part of the St. Laurence. This vaft coUeftion of waters is often covered with fog, particularly, when the wind is from the Eafl, which, driving againA the high barren rocks on the North and Weft (bore, diflblves in torrents of rain. It is very generally fai J, that the ftorms on this lake are denoted by afwell on the pif»ceding day ; but this circumflance did not appear from my obfervation to be a regular phenomenon, as the fwells more frequently fubfided without any fubfc- quent wind. ^' • Along the furrounding rocks of this immenfe lake, evident marks appear of the decreafe of its water, by the lines obfervable along them The fpace, however, between the higheft and the loweft, is not (o great as in die fmaller lakes, as it does not ^ amount iity in ■ * '•' nd re- onfide- ic prin- he Pic, tent of >r take t of it, ;parates ^es into he wa- erwards :overed om the n rocks torrents ftorms 'ceding r from , as the fubfe- m felake, water, {pace, ", is not es not imount OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. $3 amount to more than fix feet, the former being very faint. The inhabitants that are found along the coaft of this water, are all of the Algonquin nation, the whole of which do not exceed 1 5o familes.* Thefe people live chiefly on fifh j indeed, from what has been faid of the country, it cannot be ex- pected to abound in animals, as it is totally defti- tute of that fhelter, which is fo neceifary to them. The rocks appear to have been over-run by fire, and the flinted timber, which once grew there, is frequently feen lying along the furface of them : but it is not eafy to be reconciled, that any thing ihould grow where there is fo little appearance of foil. Between the fallen trees there are briars, with hurtleberry and goofeberry bulhes, rafpberries, &c. which invite the bears in greater or lefTer numbers, ' as they are a favourite f^od of that animal : beyond thefe rocky banks are found a few moofe and fal- low deer. The waters alone are abundandy inha- bited. .■ ^ i ;« - .,. ,.,'f... A very curious phenomenon was obferved fome * In the year 1668, when the firft miffionaties vifited the South of this lake, they found the country full of inhabitants. They reL;te, that, about this time a band of the Nepifingues, who were converted, emigrated to the Nipigon country, which is to the North of Lake Superior. Few of their defcendants are now rem^iiiing, and not a trace of the religion communi- cated to them is to be difcovered. ,"*""''".' years ■«*■ ft mm^ PVHi AT'. S;»,jj-'l "r ^4 A GENERAL HISTORY years ago at the Grand Portage, for which ho ob- vious caufe could be afligned. The water with- drew with great precipitation, leaving the gic ind dry that had never before been vifible, the fall being equal to four perpendicular feet, and rufliing back with great velocity above the common mark. It continued thus flUling and rifing for feveral hours, gradually decreafing till it flopped at its ufual height. There is frequently an. irregular influx Jind deflux, which does not exceed ten inches and is attributed to the wind. The bottom of the bay, which forms an am- phitheatre, is cleared of wood, and inclofed ; and on the left corner of it, beneath an hill, three or four hundred feet in height, iind crowned by others of a flill greater altitude, is the fort, picketed in with cedar pallifadoes, and inclofing houfes built with wood and covered with fhingles. They are calculated for every convenience of tride, as well as to accommodate the proprietors and clerks du- ring their fhort refidence there. The North men live under tents : but .the more frugal pork-eater lodges beneath his canoe. The foil immediately bordering on the lak e has not proved very propi- tious, as nothing but potatoes have been found to anfwer the trouble of cultivation. This circum- fiance is probably owing to the cold darnp fogs of the lake, and the moifture of the ground firom the iprings that ifTue from beneath the hills. There are if-V;, i ^ Wl . ^' ,m^ .-■•^ ¥ F*Wr'PW'^^"P''l(*w(B^|< . * h% m OF THE FUR TRADiS, &:c. ^5 are meadows in the vicinity that yield abundance of hay for the cattle ; but, as to agriculture, it has not hitherto been an objcft of ferious confide- ration. ' - I (hall now leave thefe geographical notices, to give fome further account of the people from Mon- treal. — When they are arrived at the Grande Port- age, which is near nine miles over, each of them has to carry eight packages of fuch goods and pro- vifions as are necefibry for the interior country. This is a labour which cattle cannot conveniently perform in fummer, as both horfes and oxen were tried by the company without fuccefs. They are only ufeful for light, bulky articles ; or for trant- porting upon fledges, during the winter, whatever goods may remain there, efpeciaily provifion, of which it is ufual to have a year's ftock on hand. ' . Having finifhed this toilfome part of their duty, if more goods are neccfiary to be tranfported, they are allowed a Spanifh dollar for each package : and fo inured are they to this kind of labour, that 1 have known fome of them fet off with two packa- ges of ninety pounds each, and return with two others of the fame weight, in the courfe of fix hours, beinga diflance of eighteen miles dver hills and mountains. This necefTary part of the bufinefs being ov^r, if the feafon be early they have fome i^efpite, bvit this depends upon the time the North men begin to arrive from their winter quarters, which V r^"^?■• "'^ ^ 56 A GENERAL HISTORY which they commonly do early in July. At this period, it is neceflkry to fele<'-t from the pork« eaters, a number of men, among whom are the recruits, or winterers, fufficient to man the North canoes neceffary to carry tO' the river of the rainy lake the goods and provifion requilite for the Athabafca country; as the people of that country, (owing to the (hortnefs of the feafon and length of the road, can come no further), are equipped there and ex- change ladings with the people of whom we are (peaking, and both return from whence they came. This voyage is performed in the courfe of a month, and they are allowed proportionable wages for their fervices. The north men being arrived at the Grande Port- age, are regaled with bread, pork, butter, liquor, and tobacco, and fuch as have not entered into agreements during the winter, which is cuftomary, are contracted with, to return and perform the voyage for one, two, or three years : their accounts are alfo fettled, and fuch as choofe to fend any of their earnings to Canada, receive drafts to tranfmit to their relations or friends : and as foon as they can be got ready, which requires no more than a fort- night, they are again difpatched to their refpedive departments. It is indeed, very creditablfe to them as fervants, that though they are fometimes affem- bled to the number of twelve hundred men, indul- ging themfelves in the free ufc of liquor, and quar- relling .iM,. A -'f. '#: ■ ^•■j A. "»»' OF THE FUR TRAPE, &c. 57 rclling with each other, they always (how greatefl: refpedt to their employers, who are comparatively but few in number, and beyond the aid of any legal power to enforce due obedience. In (horr, a degree of fubordination can only be maintained by the good opinion thefe men entertain of their em- ployers, which has been uniformly the cafe, fmce the trade has been formed and conduced on a re- gular fyftem. ^ The people being difpatched to their refpeiftive winter quarters, the agents from Montreal, aflifted by their clerks, prepare to return there, by getting the furs acrofs the Portage, and re-mafting them to Montreal ; where they commonly arrive in the month of September. The mode of living at the Grande Portage, is as follows : the proprietors , lerks , guides, and in- terpreters mefs together, to the number of fome- times an hundred, at fcveral tables, in one large hall, the provifion confiding of bread, fait pork, beef, hams, fifh, and venifon, butter, peas, Indian corn, potatoes, tea, fpirits, wine, &c. and plenty of milk, for which purpofe feveral milch cows are conftantly kept. The mechanics have rations of fuch provifion, but the canoe-men, both from the North and Montreal, have no other allowance here, or on the voyage, than Indian corn and melted fat. The corn for this purpofe is prepared be- fore it leaves Detroit, by boiling it in a ftrong al- kali. II 58 A GENERAL HISTORY kali, which takes off the outer hufk ; it is then well walhed, and carefully dried upon ftages, when it is fit for ufe. One quart of this is boiled for two hours, over a moderate fire, in a gallon of water ; to which, when it has boiled a fmall time, are added two ounces of melted fuet ; this caufes the corn to fplit, and in the time mentioned makes a pretty thick pudding. If to this is added a little fait, (but not before it is boiled, as it would interrupt the operation), it makes an wholefome, palatable food, and eafy of digeftion. This quantity is fully fufficient for a man's fubfiftence during twenty-four hours ; though it is not fufficiently heartening to fuftain the ftrength neceffary for- a ftate of ac- tive labour. The Americans call this difh Ho- minee *. The trade from the Grande Portage, is, in fome particulars, carried on in a different manner with that from Montreal. The canoes ufed in the latter tranfport are now too large for the former, and fome of about half the fize are procured from the natives, and are navigated by four, five, or fix men, according to the diftance which they have to go. They carry a lading of about thirty-five pack- ages, on an average ; of thefe twenty-three are for * Corn is the cheaped provifion that can be procured, though from the expcnce of tranfport, the bufliel coft about twenty fliilHngs ftcrling, at the Grande Portage. A man's daiJy allowance does not exceed ten-pence. the 1- ^^ : OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. 59 the purpose of trade, and the reft are employed for provilions, ftores, and baggage. In each of thefe canoes are a foreman and fteerfman ; the orfe to be always on the look out, and dired the paflage of the veffel, and the other to attend the helm. They alfo carry her, whenever that office is neceffary. The foreman has the command, and the middle- men obey both ; the latter earn only two-thirds of the wages which are paid the two former. Inde- pendent of thefe a conductor or pilot is appointed to every four or fix of thefe canoes, whom they are all obliged to obey ; and is, or at leaft is intended to be, a perfon of fuperior experience, for which he is proportionably paid. In thefe canoes, thus loaded, they embark at the North fide of the portage, on the river Au Tourt, which is very inconfiderable ; and after about two miles of a Wefterly courfe, is obftruded by the Par- tridge Portage, fix hundred* paces long. In the fpring this makes a confiderable fall, when the water is high, over a perpendlicular rock of one hundred and twenty feet. From thence the river cbntinues to be Ihallow, and requires great care to prevent the bottom of the canoe from being injured by fharp rocks, for a diftance of three miles and an half to the Prairie^ or Meadow, when half the lading is taken out, and carried by part of the crew, while two of them are conducing the canoe among the rocks, with the remainder, to the Carreboeuf . K Portage, m ml' 60 A GENERAL HISTORY Portage, three miles and an half more, when they unload and come back two miles, and embark what was left for the other hands to carry, which they alfo land with the former j all of which is car- ried fix hundred and eighty paces, and the canoe led up againft the rapid. From hence the water is better calculated to carry canoes, and leads by a winding courfe to the North of Weft three miles to the Outard Portage, over which the canoe, and every thing in her, is carried for two thoufand four hundred paces. At the further end is a very high hill to defcend, over which hangs a rock upwards of feven hundred feet high. Then fucceeds the Outard Lake, about fix miles long, lying in a North- Weft courfe, and about two miles wide in the broadeft part. After paffing a very fmall ri- vulet, they come to the Elk Portage, over which the canoe and lading are again carried one thour fand one hundred and twenty paces ; when they enter the lake of the fame name, which is an hand- fome piece of water, running North- Weft about four miles, and not more than one mile an^ an half wide *. They then land at the Portage de Cerife, over which, and in the face of a confiderable hill, the canoe and cargo are again tranfported for one thou- fand and fifty paces. This is only feparated from the fecond Portage de Cerife, by a mud-pond * Here is a moft excellent fiftiery for white filh, which arc exquifite. ;; (where m. en they embark r, which is car- te canoe water is ,ds by a ee miles loe, and and four ery high upwards eeds the ing in a wide in fmall ri- er which ne thour hen they an hand- ;ft about (1 an half le Cerife, ; hill, the ne thou- ted from ud-pond which are (where OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. 61 (where there is plenty of water lilies), of a quarter of a mile in length ; and this is again feparated by a fimilar pond, from the lalt Portage de Cerifc, which is four hundred and ten paces. Here the fame operation is to be performed for three hun- dred and eighty paces. They next enter on the Mountain Lake, running North- Weft by Weft fix miles long, and about two miles in its greateft breadth. In the centre of this lake, and to the right is the Old Road, by which I never pafTed ; but an adequate notion may be formed of it from the road I am going to describe, and which is uni- verfally preferred. This is firft, the fmall new portage over which every thing is carried for fix hundred and twenty fix paces, over hills and gullies ; the whole is then embarked on a narrow line of water, that meanders South-Weft about two miles and an half. It is necelTary to unload here, for the length of the canoe, and then proceed Weft half a mile, to the new Grande Portage, which is three thoufand one hundred paces in length, and over very rough ground, which requires the utmoft exertions of the men, and frequently lames them : from hence they approach the Rofe Lake, the port- age of that name being oppofite to the jundion of the road from the Mountain Lake. They then embark on the Rofe Lake, about one mile from the £aft end of it, and fteer Weft by South, in an oblique courfe, acrofs it two miles ; then Weft- North- Weft 62 A GENERAL HISTORY North-Weft paffing the Petite P^che to the Mar- ten Portage three miles. In this part of the lake the bottom is mud and flime, with about three or four feet of water over it ; and here I frequently ilruck a canoe pole of twelve feet long, without meeting any other obftrudion than if the whole were water : it has, however, a peculiar fudtion or attractive power, fo that it is difficult to paddle a canoe over it. There is a fmall fpace along the South fliore, where the water is deep, and this efFed is not felt. In proportion to the diftance from this part, the fudion becomes more powerful : I have, indeed been pld that loaded canoes have been in danger of being fwallowed up , and have only owed their prefervation to other canoes, which were lighter. I have, myfclf, found it very difficult to get away from this attradive power, with fix men, and great exertion, though we did not appear to be in any danger of finking. * Over againft this is a very high, rocky ridge, on the South fide, called Marten Portage, which is but twenty paces long, and feparated from the Peche Portage, which is ^ur hundred and eighty paces, by a mud-pond, covered with white lilies. From hence the courfe is on the Uke of the fame name, Weft-South- Weft three miles to the height of land, where the waters of the Pove or Pigeon River terminate, and which is one of the fources of the great St. Laurence in this diredion. Having ,.. .: - carried OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. 63 carried the canoe and lading over ir, fix hundred and feventy-nine paces, they embark on the lake of ^auteur de Terre * , which is in the (hape of an horfe-ftioe. It is entered near the curve, and left at the extremity of the Weftern limb, through a very fhallow channel, where the canoe pafles half loaded for thirty paces with the current, which con- ducts thefe waters 4|rough the fucceeding lakes and rivers, till they difcharge themfelves, by the river Nelfon, into Hudfon*s-Bay. The firft of thefe is Lac de pierres a fufil, running Weft-South-Weft feven miles long, and two wide, and, making an angle at North- Weft one mile more, becomes a river for half a mile, tumbling over a rock, and forming a fall and portage, called tiie Efcalier, of fifty-five paces ; but from hence it is neither lake or river, but poffefTcs the character of both, and runs between large rocks, which caufe a current or rapid, for about two miles and an half, Weft- North- Weft, to the portage of the Cheval du Bois. Here the canoe and contents are carried three hun- dred and eighty paces, between rocks ; and within a quarter of a mile is the Portage des Gros Pins, which is fix hundred and forty paces over an high * The route which we have been travelling hitherto, leads along the high rocky land or bank of Lake Superior on the left. The face of the country offers a wild fcene of huge hills and rocks, feparated by ftony vallies, lakes, and ponds. Wher« ever thefe is the lead foil, it is well covered with trees. ridge. 1. ^Stv 64 A GENERAL HISTORY ridge. The oppofite fide of it is wa(hed by a fmall lake three miles round ; and the courfe is through the Eaft end or fide of it, three quarters of a mile North-Eaft, where there is a rapid. An irregular , meandering channel, between rocky banks, then fucceeds, for feven miles and an half, to the Mara- boeuf Lake, which extends North four miles, and is three quarters of a mile wide, terminating by a rapid and decharge, oi ;ne hundred and eighty paces, the rock of iaginaga being in fight, which caufes a fall of about feven feet, and a portage of fifty-five paces. Lake Saginaga takes its names from its nume- rous Iflands. Its greateft length from Eaft to Weft is about fourteen miles, with very irregular inlets, is no where more than three miles wide, and termi- nates at the fmall portage of Le Rocher, of forty- three paces. From thence is a rocky, ftony paf- fage of one mile, to Prairie Portage, which is very improperly named, as th«re is no ground about it that anfwers to that defcription, except a fmall fpot at the embarking place at the Weft en 1 : to the Eaft is an entire bog ; and it is with great difficulty that the lading can be landed upon ftages, formed by driving piles into the mud, and fpreading branches of trees over them. The port- age rifes on a ftony ridge, over which the. canoe and cargo muft be carried for fix hundred and eleven paces. This is fuGceeded by an embarka- . tion y a fmall through fa mile regular , ks, then e Mara- iles, and ng by a 1 eighty t, which )rtage of ) nume- toWcft IT inlets, d rermi- of forty- 3ny paf- li is very about it a fmall ft en.l : th great d upon jd, and iie port- - . canoe ed and ibarka- tion . OF THE FUR ^RADE, &c. 65 tion on a fmall bay, where the bottom is the fame as has been defcribed in the Well end of Rofc Lake, and it is with great difficulty that a laden canoe is worked over it, but it does not compre- hend more than a diftance of two hundred yards. From hence the progreb continues through irre- gular channels, bounded by rocks, in a Wefterly courfe for about five miles, to the little Port- age des Couteaux , of one hundred and (ixty- five paces, and the Lac des Couteaux, .running about South -Weft by Weft twelve miles, and frpm a quarter to two miles wide. A deep bay runs Eaft, three miles from the Weft end, where it is difcharged by a rapid river, and after running two miles Weft, it again becomes ftill water. In this river are two carrying- places, the one fifteen , and the other one hundred and ninety paces. From this to the Portage des Carpes is one mile North- Weft, leaving a narrow lake on the Eaft that runs parallel with the Lake des Couteaux, half its length, where there is a carrying place, which is ufed when the water in the river laft mentioned is too low. The Portage des Carpes is three hundred and nine- ty paces, from whence the water fpreads irregu- larly between rocks, five miles North- Weft and South-Eaft to the portage of Lac Bois Blanc, which is one hundred and eighty paces. Then follows the lake of that name, but I think improperly fo called. as N .'%. ^f A GENERAL HISTORY as the natives name it the Lake Paifeau Minac Sagaigan, or lake of Dry Berries. Before the fmall pox ravaged this country, and completed, what the Nodowafis, in their warfare, had gone far to accomplifh, the deftrudion of its inhabitants, the population was very numerous : this was alfo a favourite part, where they made their canoes, &c. the lake abounding in filh, the country round it being plentifully fupplied with various -kinds of game, and the rocky ridges, that form the boundaries of the water, covered with a variety of berries. ^^ When the French were in pofleffion of this country, they had feveral trading eftablifhments on the iilands and banks of this lake. Since that pe- riod, the few people remaining, who were of the Algonquin nation, could hardly find fubfiftence ; game having become ib fcarce, that they depended principally for food upon fifli, and wild rice which grows fpontaneoully in thefe parts. This lake is irregular in its form, and its utmoft extent from Eaft to Weft is fifteen miles ; a point of land, called Point au Pin, jutting into it, divides it in two parts : it then makes a fecond angle at the Weft end, to the lefler Portage de Bois Blanc, two hundred paces in length. This channel is not wide, and is intercepted by feveral rapids in the courfe of a mile : it runs Weft-North- Weft to tli? Portage des Pins, over which the canoe and lading OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. 67 lading is again carried four hundred pac cs. From hence the chai.nel is alfo intercepted by very dan- gerous rapids for two mij^s Wefterly, to the point of Pointe du Bois, which is two hundred and eighty paces. Then fucceeds the Portage of Laki& Crochc one mile more, where the carrying- place is eighty paces, and is followed by an embarkation ^ on that lake, which takes its name from its figure. It extends eighteen miles, in a meandering form, and in a wefterly direction ; it is in general very narrow, and at about two-thirds of its length be- comes very contradted, with a ftrong current, i Withm three miles of the laft Portage is a re- marktibls rock, with a fmoot?: i . ^, but fplit and cracked in different part-, whi :h hang over the water. Into one of its bTizoni; ' chafms a great number of arrows hi*,c ;:s.ciA '\:x, which is faid to have been done by a war party of the Nadowafis or Sieux, who had done much mifchief in this country, and left thefe weapons as a warning to the Chcbois or natives, that, notwithftanding its lakes, rivers, and rocks, it was not inacceffibJe to their enemies. Lake Croche is terminated by the Portage de Rideau, four hundred paces long, and derives its name from the appearance of the water, falling over a rock of upwards of thirty feet. Several ra- pids fucceed, with intervals of ftill water, for about .three miles to the Flacon portage, which is very L difficult. Kf ."P'lP" W 'NL/sj ft m A GENERAL HISTORY . difficult, is four hundred paces long, and leads to the Lake of La Croix, fo named from its (binpe. It runs about North- Weft eighteen miles to the Beaver Dam, and then finks into a deep bay nearly Eaft. The courfe to the Portage is Weft by North for fixteen miles more from the Beaver Dam, and into the Eaft bay is a road which was frequented by the French, and foUovved through lakes and rivers until they came to Lake Superior by the river Caminiftiquia, thirty miles Eaft of the grand Portage. Portage la Croix is fix hundred paces long : to the next portage is a quarter of a mile, and its length is forty paces j the river winding four miles to Vermillion Lake, which runs fix or feven miles North-North-Weft, and by a narrow ftrait com- municates with Lake Namaycan, which takes its name from a particular place at the foot of a fall, where the natives fpear fturgeon : Its courfe is about North-North- Weft and South-South-Eaft, with a bay running Eaft, that gives it the form of a triangle : its length is about fixteen miles to the Nouvelle Portage. The difcharge of the lake is from a bay on the left, and the portage one hun- dred and eighty paces, to which fuccecds a very fmall river, from whence there is but a fhort dif- tance to the next Nouvelle Portage, three hun- dred and twenty paces long. It is then necelTary to embark on a fwamp, or overflowed country, ^ where eads to fhiape. to the f nearly r North m, and [uented :es and by the grand ng: to md its r miles 1 miles t com- kes its fa fall, urfe is ti-Eaft, brm of to the lake is 5 hun- a very >rt dif- ; hun- ceflary kuntry, where OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. 69 where wild rice grows in great abundance. There is a channel or fmall river in the centre of this fwamp, which is kept with difficulty, and runs South and North one mile and a half. With deep- ening water, the courfe continues North-lMorth- Weft one mile to the Chaudiere Portage, which is caufed by the difcharge of the waters running on the left of the road from Lake Namaycan, which ufed to be the common route, but that which I have defcribed is the fafeft as well as fhorteft. From hence there is fome current though the wa- ter is wide fpread, and its courfe about North by- Weft three miles and an half to the Lac de la Pluie, which lies nearly Eaft and Weft ; from thence about fifteen miles is a narrow ftrait that divides the lake into two unequal parts, from whence to its difcharge is a diftance of twenty-four miles. There is a deep bay running North-Weft, on the right, that is not included, and is remark- able for furnifhing the natives with a kind of foft, red ftone, of which they make their pipes; it alfo affords an excellent fiftiery both in the fummer and winter ; and from it is an eafy, fafe, and ftiort road to the Lake du Bois, (which I ftiall mention prei.ently) for the Indians to pafs in their fmall canoes, through a fmall lake and on a fmall river whofe banks furnifti abundance of wild rice. The difcliarge of this lake is called Lake de Ix Pluie River, at whofe entrance there is a rapid, below which ■X- ■ ..^';^N^ Hi 1^ 8^ I!' m i ' % ■■■ 70 A GENERAL HISTORY whiclii is a fine bay, where there had been an ex- tenfive picketted fort and building when poflefled by the French : the fite of it is at prefent a beautiful meadow, furrounded with groves of oaks. From hence there is a ftrong current for two miles, where the water falls over a rock twenty feet, and, from the confequent turbulence of the water, the carrying- place, which is three hundred and twenty paces long, derives the name of Chaudiere. Two miles onward is the prefent trading eftablifliment, fituated on an high bank on the North fide of the river, in 48. 37. North latitude. Here the people from Montreal come to meet thofe who arrive from the Athabafca country, as has been already defer ibed, and exchange lading with them. This is alfo the refidence of the firft, chief, or Sachem, of all the Algonquin tribes, inha- biting the different parts of this country. He is by diftindion called Nedtam, which implies perfonr' , pre-eminence. Here alfo the elders meet in coun cil to treat of peace or war. - This is one of the fineu rivers in the North- Weft, and runs a courfe W<^ft and Eaft one hun- dred and twenty computed miles ; but in taking its courfe And diftance minutely I make it only eighty. Its banks are covered with a rich foil, particul Arly to . the North, which in many parts, are clothed with fine open groves of oak, with the maple, the pine, and ■ the cedar. The Southern bank, is not fo eleva- ■".: ' ted, OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. 71 ted, and difplays the maple, the white birch, and the cedar, with the fpruce, the alder and various underwood. Its wrters abound in filh, particularly the fturgeon, which the natives both fpear and take with drag-nets. But notwithftanding the promife of this foil, the Indians do not attend to its cuhi- vation, though they are not ignorant of the com- mon procefs, and are fond of the Indian corn, when they can get it from us. Though the foil at the fort is a flifFclay, there is a garden, which, unaffifted as it is by manure, or any particular attention, is tolerably produd:ive. We now proceed to mention the Lake du Bois, into which this river difcharges itfelf in latitude 49. North, and was formerly famous for the richnefs of its banks and waters, which abounded with whatever was neceflary to a favage life. The French had feveral fettlements in and about it ; but it might be almoft concluded, that fome fatal circumftatice had deftroyed the game, as war and thefmall pox had di- miniflied the inhabitants, it having been very un- produdive in animals fince the Britifhfubjedls have been engaged in tra elling through it ; though it now appears to be recovering its priftine ftate. The few Indians who inhabit it might live very comfort- ably, -if they were not fo immoderately fond of fpirituous liquors. This lake is alfo rendered remarkable, in confe- quence of the Americans having named it as the fpot. .«^ >»**■« K'^ i IS I m. 72 A GENERAL HISIORY fpot, tiom which a line of boundary, between them and Britifli America, was to run Weft, until it ftruck the Mifliffippi; which, however, can never happen, as the North- Weft part of theLakeduBois is in latitude 49. Sy. North, and longitude 94. 31. Weft, and the Northernmoft branch of the fource of the Miffiffippi is in latitude 47. 38, North, and longitude 95. 6. Weft, afcertained by Mi'> Thom- fon, aftronomer to the North- Weft Company, who was fent exprefsly for that purpofe in the fpring of 1798. He, in the fame year, determined the Northern bend of the Miflifoury to be in lati- tude 47. 32. North, and longitude 101. 25. Weft; and, according to the Indian accounts, it runs to the fouth of Weft, fo that if the Milfifoury were even to be confidercd as the Miffiffippi, no Weftern line could ftrike it. It docs not appear to me to be clearly determi- ned what courfe the Line is to take, or from what part of Lake Superior it ftrikes through the coun- try to the Lake du Bois : were it to follow the prin- cipal waters to their fource, it ought to keep through Lake Superior to the River St. Louis, and follow that river to its fource ; clofe to which is the fource of the waters falling into the river of Lake la Pluie, v'hich is a common route of the Indiins uy the Lake du Bois : the St. Louis pafles within a i] ore diftance of a branch of the Miffiffippi, whe i it becomes navigable for canoes. This will appear . . :.;. mere I OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. ' 73 more evident from conlulting the map ; and if the navigation of the Miffiffippi isconfidered as of any confequence, bv this country, from that part of the globe, fuch is the neareft way to get at it. ' But to return to our narrative. The Lake du Bois is, as far as T could learn, nearly round, and the canoe courfe through the centre of it among a clufter of illands, fome of which are fo extenlive that they may be taken for the main land. The reduced courfe would be nearly South and North. But following the navigating courfe, I make the diftance feventy-live miles, though in a diredt line it would fall very fhort of that length. At about two-thirds of it there is a fmall carrying -place, when the water is low. The carrying-place out of the lake is on an illand, and named Portagfc du Rat, in latitude 49. 37. North, and longitude 94I. Weft, it is about fifty paces long. The lake dif- charges itfelf at both ends of this ifland, and forms, the River Winipic, which is a large body of water, intc.fperfed with numerous iflands, caufing various channels and interruptions of portages and rapids. In fome parts it has the appearance of lakes, with fteady currents ; I eftimate its winding courfe to the Dalles eight miles ; to the Grand Decharge twenty- five miles and an half, which is a long carrying- place for the goods ; from thence to the little D^- charge one mile and an half; to the Terre Jaune Portage two miles and an half > then to its galet fe- venty jiiiim 1 Jipij^pm|^«||| m t. 74 A GENERAL HISTORY venty yards ; two miles and three quarters to the Terre Blanche, near which is a fall of from four to five feet ; three miles and an half to Portage de L'lile, where there is a trading-poft, and, about eleven miles, on the North (hore, a trading efta- blilhment, which is the road, in boats, to Albany River, and from thence to Hudfon's Bay. There is alfo a communication with Lake Superior, through what is called the Nipigan country, which enters that Lake about thirty- five leagues Eafl of the Grande Portage. In fhortj the country is fo broken by lakes and rivers, that people may find their way in canoes in any direftion they pleafe. It is now four miles to Portage de L'lile, which is but fhort, though feveral canoes have been loft in at- tempting to run the rapid. From thence it is twenty-fix miles to Jacob's Falls, which are about fifteen feet high ; and fix miles and an half to the woody point j forty yards from which is another Portage. They both form an high fall, but not perpendicular. From thence to another galet, or rocky Portage, is about two miles; which is one continual rapid and cafcade ; and about two miles further is the Chpte a I'Efclave, which is upwards of thirty feet. The Portage is long, through a point covered with wood : it is fix miles and an half more to the barrier, and ten miles to the Grand Rapid. From thence, on the North fide, is a fafe load, when the waters are high, through fmall rivers s to the 1 four to rtage de i, about ing efta- • Albany There superior, ^, which Eaftof itry is fo ind their 'e. It is :h is but oft in at- ice it is re about If to the another but not galet, or h is one NO miles upwards irough a s and an le Grand is afafe h fmall rivers ? OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. 7^ rivers and lakes, to the Lake du Bonnet, called the Pinnawas, from the man who discovered it : to the White River, fo called from its being, for a confi-. derable length, a fucceffion of falls and catarads, is twelve miles. Here are feven portages, in fo fliort a fpace, that the whole of them are difcerni- ble at the fame moment. From this to Lake du Bonnet is fifteen miles more, and four miles adrofs it to the rapid. Here the Pinnawas road joins, and from thence it is two miles to the Galet du Lac du Bonnet ; from this to the Galet du Bonnet one mile and an half; thence to the Portage of the fame name is three miles. This Portage is near half a league in length, and derives its name from a cuf- tom the Indians have of crowning ftones, laid in a circle, on the higheft rock in the portage, with wreaths of herbage and branches. There have been examples of men taking feven packages of ninety pounds each, at one end of the portage, and putting them down at the other without flopping. To this, another fmall portage immediately fuc- ceeds, over a rock producing a fall. From thence to the fall of Terre Blanche is two miles and an half; to the firft portage Des Eaux qui remuent is three miles ; to the next, of the fame name, is but a few yards diftant ; to the third and laft, which is a De- charge, is three miles and an half ; and from this to the laft Portage of the river one mile and an half; and to the eftabliQiment, or provifion houfe, M is mi f i A GENERAL HISTORY ' is two miles and an half. Here alfo the French had their principal inland depot , and got their ca- noes made. It is here, that the prefent traders, going to great diftances, and where provifion is difficult to procure, receive a fupply to carry them to the Raiiny Lake, or Lake Superior. From the eftablilhment to the entftnce of Lake Winipic is four miles and an half, latitude 50. 37. North. ' The country, foil, produce, and climate, from Lake Superior to this place bear a general refem- blance , with a predominance of rock and water : the former is of the granite kind. Where there is any foil it is well covered with wood, fuch as oak, elm, afli of different kinds, maple of two kinds, pines of various defcriptions , among which are what I call the cyprefs, with the hickory, iron- wood, Hard, poplar, cedar, black and white birch, &c. &c. Vaft quantities of wild rice are feen throughout the country, which the natives coUedl in the month of Auguft for their winter ftores. * To the North of fifty degrees, it is hardly known, or at lead does not come to maturity. Lake Winipic is the great refervoir of feveral large rivers, and difcharges itfeif by the River Nelfon into Hudfon's Bay. The firfl: in rotation, * The fruits «.c, ftrawberries, hurtleberries, plumbs, and cherries, hazlenuts, goofeberries, currants, rafpbcrries, poi- res, &c. " ■; y- /',/_. • :, ■ ■'. ., . j - '.. c next French leir ca- :o great irocure, r Lake, t to the an half, e, from refem- water : there is as oak, > kinds, lich are f, iron- e birch, ire feen collecfl lores. * known, feveral : River otation, imbs, and lies, poi- next 'i OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. 77 next to that I have juft defcribed, is the Afliniboin, or Red River, which, at the diftancc of forty miles coaftwife, difembogues on the South-Weft fide of the lake Winipic. It alternately receives thofe two denominations from its dividing, at the dif- tance of about thirty miles from the lake, into two large branches. The Eaftern branch, called the Red River, runs in a Southern direction to near the head waters of the Mifliffippi. On this arc two trading eftablilhments. The country on ei- ther fide is but partially fupplied with wood, and conlifts of plains covered with herds of the Uuffalo and the elk, efpecially on the Weftern fide. On the Eaftern fide are lakes and rivers, and the whole country is well wooded, level, abounding in beaver, bears, moofe-deer, fallow-deer, &c. &c. The na- tives, who art of the Algonquin tribe, are not very numerous, and are confidered as the natives of Lake Superior. This country being near the Mifliffippi, is alfo inhabited by the Nadowafis, who are the na- tural enemies of the former ; the head of the water being the war-line, they are in a continual ftate of hoftility ; and though the Algonquins are equally brave , the others generally out-number them ; it is very probable, therefore, that if the latter continue to venture out of the woods, which form their only protedlion, they will foon be extirpated. There is nor, perhaps, a finer country in the world for the refidence of uncivilifed man, than that which occu- M 2 pies / 78 A GENERAL HISTORY pies the fpace between this river and Lake Superior. It abounds in every thing neceflary to the wants and comforts of fuch a people. Filli, venifon, and fowl, with wild rice, are in great plenty ; while, at the fame time, their fubfiftence requires that bodily exercife fo neceflary to health and vigour. . This great extent of country was formerly very populous, but from the information I received, the aggregate of its inhabitants does not exceed three hundred warriors ; and, among the few whom I faw, it appeared to- me that the widows were more numerous than the men. The rackoon is a native of this country, but is feldom found to the North- ward of it. The other branch is called after the tribe of the Nadawafis, who here go by the name of Aflini- boins, and are the principal inhabitants of it. It runs from the North-North-Weft, and, in the la- titude of 5ii. Weft, and longitude 103^. rifing in the fame mountains as the river Dauphin, of which I fhall fpeak in due order. They muft have fepa- rated from their nation at a time beyond our know- ledge, and live in peace with the Algonquins and Knifteneaux. Th« country between this and the Red River , is almoft a continual plain to the Miflifoury. The foil is fand and gravel, with a flight intermixture of earth, and produces a (hort grafs. Trees are very rare; nor arc there on the banks of the river fufficient. i nv ou i ca bii I « OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. 79 fufficient, except in particular fpots, to build houfes and fupply fire-wood for the trading eftablilhments, of which there are four principal ones. Both thefe rivers are navigable for canoes to their fource, with- out a fall ; though in fome parts there are rapids, caufed by occafional beds of lime-ftone, and gravel ; but in general they have a fandy bottom. The Afliniboins, and fome of the Fall, or Big- bellied Indians, are the principal inhabitants of this country, and border on the river, occupying the centre part of it; that next Lake Winipic, and about its fource, being the ftation of the Algon- quins and Knifteneaux, who have chofen it in prer ference to their own country. They do not exceed five hundred families. They are not beaver hun- ters, which accounts for their allowing the divifion juft mentioned, as the lower and upper parts of this river have thofe animals, which are not found in the intermediate diftrid. They confine them- felves to hunting the buffalo, and trapping wolves, which cover the country. What they do not want of the former for raiment and food, they fometimes make into pemmican, or pounded meat, while they melt the fat, and prepare the fkins in their hair, for winter. The wolves they never eat, but produce a tallow from their fat, and prepare their fkins ; all which they bring to exchange for arms and ammu- nition, rum, tobacco, knives, and various baubles, with thofe who go to traffic in their country. The IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I il.25 ■^ 1^ ill 2.2 ^ 1^ lllllio U IIIIII.6 V <^ > V Photographic Sciences Corporation ^ S^ \ ^v \\ [V q\ ^ '^ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14S80 (716t 872-4503 ■^

es, and rce, and ick bafs beyond t. ourfe of paflage. e great- II laden, noe and ne hun- a mile >f rdlbks is very ne rock Vinipic, of that I'fifhery lumbers , where ; killed About OF THE FUP. TRADE, &c: 83 About two miles fironv this Portage the na- vigation is again interrupted by the Portage of ^e Rocher Rouge, which is an hundred yards long ; and a mile and half from thence the river is barred by a range of iflands, forming rapids be- tween them ; and through thefe it is the fame dif- tance to the rapid of Lake Travers, which is four mil^ right acrofs, and eight miles in length. Then fucceeds the Grande Decharge, and feveral rapids , for four miles to the Cedar Lake, which is entered through a fmall channel on the left, for- med by an iiland, as going round it would occalion lofsuof time. In this diilance banks of rocks ( fuch as have already been defcribed ), appear at intervals on either fide ; the refl of the country h low. This is the cafe along the South bank of the lake and the iflands, while the North fide, which is very uncommon, is level throughout. This lake runs firft Weft four miles, then as much more Weft South- Weft, acrofs a deep bay on the right, then fix miles to the Point de Lievre, and acrofs another bay again on the right ; then North- Weft eight miles, acrofs a ftill deeper bay on the right 5 and feven miles parallel with the North coaft, North-North- Weft through illands, five miles more to Fort Bourbon *, fituated on a fmall ifland, di- viding this from Mud-Lake. ^ ■ ^. ^r - ^ This was alfo a principal poft of the French, who gave it its name. — ■- .^^, \i ? N The ^ mp mm w^mmm <4' $4 A GENERAL HISTORY 'h The Cedar Lake is from four to twelve miles Wide, exclufive of the bays. Its banks are co- vered with wood, and abound in game, and its waters produce plenty of filh, particularly the ftur- geon. The Mud-Lake, and the neighbourhood of the Fort Bourbon, abound with geefe, ducks, fwans, &c. and was formerly remarkable for a vaft number of martens, of which it cannot how boaft but a very fmall proportion. . The Mud- Lake muft have formerly been a part of the Cedar Lake, but the immenfe quan- tity of earth and fand, brought down by the Safkat- chiwine, has filled up this part of it for a circum- ference whofe diameter is at leaft fifteen or twenty miles : part of which fpace is ftill covered with a few feet of water, but the greatefl proportion is [haded with large trees, fuch as the Hard, the fwamp-a(h, and the willow. This land confifls of many iilands, which confequently form various channeh; feveral of which are occalionally dry, and bearing young wood. It is, indeed, more than probable that this river will, in the courfe of time, convert the whole of the Cedar Lake into a foreft. To the North-Weft the cedar is not to be found. From this lake the Sdkatchiwine may be con- sidered as navigable to near its fources in the rocky mountains^ for canoes, and without a carrying- place, making a great bend to Cumberland Hou(e, on Sturgeon Lake. From the confluence of its , North ..# . /■ ' OF THE FUR TRADE, ficc. 8^ North and South branches its courfe is Wefterly ; fpreading itfelf, it receives feveral tributary ftreams, and encompaiTes a large track of country, which is level, particularly along the South branch, but; is little known. , Beaver, and other animals, whole furs are valuable, are amongft the inhabitants of the North- Weft branch, and the plains are covered with buffalos, wolves, and fmall foxes ; particularly about the South branch, which, however, has of late claimed fome attention, asitisnowunderftood, that where the plains terminate towards the rocky jnountain, there is a fpace of hilly country clothed with wood, and inhabited alfo by animals of the fur kind. This has been adually determined to be the cafe towards the head of the North branch, where the trade has been carried to about the lar titude 54. North, and longitude it4|. Weft. The bed and banks of the latter, in fome few places, difcover a ftratum of free-ftone ; but, in general, they are compofed of earth and fand. The plains are fand and gravel, covered with fine grafs, and mixed with a fmall quantity of vegetable earth. This is particularly observable along the North branch, the Weft fide of which is covered with v,-^ ■ ^f-_¥ J -i/'-iJ^'/ wood. ■-^*' There are on this river five principal faAories for the convenience of trade with the natives. Ne- pawi Houfe, South-branch Houfe, Fort-George Houfe, Fort-Auguftus Houfe, and Upper Efta- N 2 . blilhment. PWPiBBa 86 A GENERAL HISTORY f \ blifhment. There have been many others, which, from various caufes, have been changed for thefe, while there are occafionally others depending on each of them. The inhabitants, from the information I could obtain, are as follow t ^ At Nepawi, and South-Branch Houfe, about thirty tents of Kniiieneaux, or ninety warriors ; and lixty tents of Stone-Indians, or Affiniboins, who are their neighbours, and are equal to two hundred men : their hunting ground extends upwards to about the Eagle Hills. Next to them are thofe who trade at Forts George and Auguftus, and are about eighty tents or upwards of Knifteneaux : on either fide of the river, their, number may be two hundred. In the fame country are one hundred and forty tents of Stone-Indians ; not quite half oi (hem inhabit the Weft woody country; the others never leave t^e plains, and their numbers cannot be lefs than four hundred and fifty men. At the Southern Head- waters of the North branch dwells a tribe called Sarfo^, confifting of about thirty-five tents, or one hundred and twenty men. Oppofite to thofe Eaftward, on the head-waters of the South ■- Branch, are the Picaneaux, to the number of fron* twelve to fifter n hundred men. Next to them, on the fame water, are the Blood-Indians, of the fame nation as the laft, to the number of about fifty teats, or two hundred and fifty men. From them ^ \ \ downwards ,t„;^i.;>-.' *!^ I OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. 87 . downwards extend the Black-Feet Indians, of the fame nation as the two lad tribes : their number may bo eight hundred men. Next to them> and who extend to the confluence of the South and North branch, are the Fail, or Big-beilied Indians, who may amount to about fix hundred war- riOrS. ••'■ ::V ■^:;:: ■;:;,::■;?.;'. wm:^,:' ^i-i'i/* .,|r Of all thefe different tribes, thofe who inhabit the broken country on the North- Wefl fide, an4 the fource of the North branch, are beaver hunters ; the others deal in provifions, wolf, buffalo, and fox ikins ; and many people on the South branch , do not trouble themfelves to come near the trading eftablifhments. Thofe who do, choofe fuch efla- ' - bliihments as are next to their country. The Stone- Indians here, are the fame people as the Stone- Indians, or Adiniboins, who inhabit the river of that name already defcribed, and both are de- ^ tached tribes from the Nadawafis, who inhabit the Weflern fide of the Miffiffippi, and lower part of the Miffifoury. The Fall, or Big- bellied Indians^ are from the South-Eaft ward alfo, and of a people' I who inhabit the plains fix)m the North bend of the>| laft mentioned river, latitude 47. 32. North, lon- gitude 101. 25^ Weft, to the South bend of the^f Affiniboin River, tathe number of feven hundred^ men. Some of them occafionally come to the latter river to exchange drefifed buffalo robes, and bad wolf-ikins for articles of no great value. ■; The t "T r 8S A GENERAL HISTORY'^ The Picaneaux^ Black -Feet, and Blood-Indians, are a diflindt people, fpeak a language of their own, and, I have reafon to think, are travelling North- Weftward, as well as the others juft mentioned : nor have I heard of any Indians with whofe lan- guage, 'that which they fjeak has any affinity. They are the people who deal iii horfes and take theni upon the war-parties towards Mexico; from vrhich, it is evident, that the country to the South- Eaft of them, confifls of plains, as thofe animals could not well be conduced through an hilly and woody country, interfered by waters. The Sarfees, who are but few in number, ap- pear from their language, to come on the contrary from the North- Weftward, and are of the fame people as the Hocky- Mountain Indians defcribed in my fecond journal, who are a tribe of the Chepe- wyans ; and, as for the Knifteneaux', there is no queftion of their having been, and continuing to be^ invaders of this country, from the Eaftward. Formerly^ they ftruck terror into all the other tribes whom they met ; but now they have loft the refpe:"■ . ''^r-;-;^ pending ^■p 1-Indiahs, their own, g North- :ntioned : hofe Jan- affinity, and take CO ; from le South- animals hilly and iber, ap- contrary he fame bribed in ! Chepe- re is no tiuing to aftward. er tribes 5 refpedt brmerly es, and 1 them. The iffea: to confe- id, de- 'ending OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. 89 pending upon their own fuperiority in numbers, will not fubmic tamely to their infults ; fo that the confequences often prove fatal, and the Knifteneaux are thereby decreafing both in power and number : fpirituous liquors alfo tend to their diminution, as they are inftigated thereby to engage in quarrels which frequently have the moft difaftrous termi- nation among themfelves. i; U r*; -i :» The Stone-Indians muft not be confidered in the fame point of view refpeding the Knifteneaux, for they have been generally obliged, from various caufes, to court their alliance. They, however, are not without their difagreements, and it is fome- times very difficult to compofe their differences. Thefe quarrels occafionally take place with the traders, and fometimes have a tragical conclufion. They generally originate in confcquence of ftealing women and horfes : they have great numbers of the latter throughout their plains, which are brought, as has been obferved, from the Spanifh fettlements in Mexico;. and many of theni have been feen even in the back parts of this country, branded with, the initials of their original owners names. Thofe horfes are diflindtly employed as beafls of burden, and to chafe the buffalo. The former are not con- fidered as being of much value, as they may be pur- chafed for a gun, which cofls no more than twenty- one (hillings in Great-Britain. Many of the hun- ters cannot be purchafed with ten, the comparative • :^ ^ •" value, ' ' -i '^■ f-T %• * i iW.- go A GENERAL HISTORY V value of which exceeds the property of any native.' Of thefe ufeful animals no care whatever is taken, as when they are no longer employed, they are turned loofe winter and fummer to provide for themfelves. Here, it is to be obferved, that the country, in general, on the Weft and North fide of this great river, is broken by the lakes and rivers with fmall intervening plains, where the foil is good, and the grafs grows to fome length. To thefe the male buffalos refort for the winter, and if it be very fevere, the females alfo are obliged to leave the plains. But to return to the route by which the progrefs Weft and North is made through this continent. We leave the Safkatchiwine * by entering the river which forms the difcharge of the Sturgeon Lake, on whofe Eaft bank is fituated Cumberland houfe, in latitude 53. 56. North, longitude 102. 1 5. The diftance between the entrance and Cum- * berland houfe is eftimated at twenty miles. It is very evident that the mud which is carried down by the Safkatchiwine River, has formed the land that lies between it and the lake, for the diftance * It may be proper to obferve, that the French had two fettlements upon the Safkatchiwine, long before, and at the conquefto( Canada ; the firft at the Pafquia, near Carrot River, and the other at Nipawi, were they had agricultural inftru- ments and wheel carriages, marks of both being found about Uiofe efiablifliments, where the foil is excellent. - . ' - ' - ' ' ' • ' . . ^ ^ ■ ^ T^ ^mmf^^!''^ "IIP- mm ^PI^IM"^^ ^^^mm y native,' is taken, they are 3vide for that the orth fide ind rivers foil is th. To tr, and if )liged to progrefs itinent. ring the kurgeon iberland ide 102. id Cum-' I. It is id down the land diftance had two uid at the rot River» al inftru- nd about of OF THE FUR TRADE, kc. 91 of upwards of twenty miles in the line of the river, which is inundated during one half of the fummer, though covered with wood. This lake forms an irregular horfc-lhoe, one fide of which runs to the North -Weft, and bears the name of Pine-Ifland Lake, and the other known by the name already mentioned, runs to the Eaft of North, and is the largeft : its length is about twenty -feven miles, and its greateft breadth about fix miles. The North fide of the latter is the fame kind of rock as that defcribed in Lake Winipic, on the Weft fliore. In latitude 54. 16. North, the Sturgeon -Weir River difcharges itfelf into this lake, and its bed appears to be of the fame kind of rock, anc* is al- moft a continual rapid. Its diredt courfe is about Weft by North, and with its windings, is about thirty miles. It takes its waters into the Beaver Lake, the South- Weft fide of which confifts of the fame rock lying in thin ftratas : the route then proceeds from iiland to iiland for about twelve miles, and along the North (hore, for four miles more, the whole being a North- Weft courfe to the entrance of a river, in latitude 54. 32, North. The lake, for this diftance, is about four or five miles wide, and abounds with fifti common to the country. The part of it upon the right of that which has been defcribed, appears more confide- rable. The iflands are rocky, and the lake itfelf furrounded by rocks. The communication from O hence mmmm^ mimmm h 92 A GENERAL HISTORY t hence to the Bouleau Lake, alternately narrow? into rivers and fpreads into fmall lakes. The in- terruptions are, the Pente Portage, which is fuc- ceeded by the Grand Rapid, where there is a De- charge, the Carp Portage, the Bouleau Portage in latitude 54. 5o. North, including* a diftance, to- gether with the windings, of thirty-four miles, in a Wefterly diredion. The lake de Bouleau then follows. This lake might with greater propriety, be denominated a canal, as it is not more than a mile in breadth. Its courfe is rather to the Eaft of North for twelve miles to Portage dc I'lfle. From thence there is ftill water to Portage d*Epi- nettes, except an adjoining rapid. The didance is not more than four miles Wefterly. After croffing this Portage, it is not more than two miles to Lake Miron, which is in latitude $^. 7. North. Its length is about twelve miles, and its breadth mc- gular, from two to ten miles. It is only feparated from Lake du Chitique, or Pelican Lake, by a ihort, narrow, and fmall ftrait. That lake is not more than feven miles long, and its courfe about North-Weft. The Lake des Bois then fucceeds, the paffa^e to which is through fmall lakes, fepa-' rat^d by falls and rapids. The firft is a Decharge : then follow the three galets, in immediate fuccef- fioii. From hence Lake des Bois runs about twen- ty one miles. Itscourfdis South-South- Eaft, and iNorth-North-Weft, and is fuU of illands. . Th© ; :e, to- OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. 93 paflage continues through an intricate, narrow, winding, and (hallow channel for eight miles. The interruptions in this diftance are frequent, but de- pend much on the ftate of the waters Having palfed them, it is neceffary to crofs the Portage de Traite, or, as it is called by the Indians, Ailii- quifipichigan Ouinigam, or the Portage of the Stretched Frog Skin, to the Miffinipi. The waters already defcribed ^ifcharge themfelves into Lake Winipic, and augment thofe of the river Ne'Ion. Thefe which we are now entering are called the Miffinipi, or great Churchill River. ..«■.: All the country to the South eaft of this, within the line of the progrefs that has been defcribed, is interfperfed by lakes, hills, and rivers, and is full of animals, of the fur- kind, as well as the moofe* deer. Its inhabitants are the Knifleneaux Indians j who are called by the fervants of the Hudfpn*s* Bay Company, at York, their home-guards. ^ The traders from Canada fucceeded for feveral years in getting the largeft proportion of their furs, till the year 1793, when the fervants of that company thouglit proper to fend people amongft them, ( and why they did not do it before is befl known to themfelves ), for the purpofe of trade, and fecuring their credits, which the Indians were apt to forget. From the (hort diftance they had to come, and the quantity of goods they fupplied, the trade has, in a great meafure, reverted to them» O 2 as ■» fc /". 94 A GENERAL HISTOPvY-^ / as the merchants from Canada could not meet them upon equal terms. What added ^o the lofs of the latter, was the murder of one of their tra- ders, by the Indians, about this period. Of thefe people not above eighty men have been known to the traders from Canada, but they confift of a much greater number. The Portage de Traite^as has been already hint- ed, received its name from Mr. Jofeph Frobifh- cr, who penetrated into this part of the country from Canada, as early as the years 1 774 and 1 775, where he met with the Indians in the fpring, on their way to Churchill, according to annual cuf-> tom, with their canoes full of valuable furs. They traded with him for as many of them as his ca- noes could carry, and in confequence of this tranf- adion, the Portage received and has (ince retain- ed its prefent appellation. He al(b denominated thefe waters the Englifli River. . The Miffinipi, is the name which it received from the Knifteneaux, when they firft came to this country, and either deftroyed or drove back the natives, whom they held in great contempt, on many accounts^ but particularly for their ignorance in hunting the beaver, as well as in preparing, flretching, and drying the fkins of thofe animals. And as a (ign of their derifion, they ftretched the ikin of a frog and hung it up at the Portage. This was, at that time, the utmoft extent of their conquefl or warfa-^ , . . ring-progrefs I %:. ■0 '"»% , OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. 9^ ring-progrefs Weft, and is in latitude 55. 25. North, and longitude 103I. Weft, The river here, which bears the appearance of a lake, takei its name from the Portage, and is full of iilands% It runs from Eaft to Weft about.iixten miles, and is from four to five miles broad. Then fucceded falls and cafcades which form what is called the grand rapid. From thence there is a fucceffion t n Who the original people were that were driven from j.i OF THE FUR TRADE, fitc. loi from it, when conquered by the Knifleneaux is not now known, as not a fingle veflige remains of them. The latter, and the Chepewyans, j?re the only people that have been known here ; and it is evident that the laft-mentioned confider themfelves as (Irangers, and feldom remain longer than three or four years, without vifiting their relations and friends in the barren grounds, which they term their native country. They were for fometime treated by the Knifteneaux as enemies ;- who now allow them to hunt to the North of the track which has been defcribed, from Fort du Traitc upwards, but when the occafionally meet them, they infift on contributions, and frequently puniQi reiiflance with their arms. This is fometimes done at the forts, or places of trade, but then it appears to be a voluntary gift. A treat of rum is expeded on the occaiion, which the Chepewyans on no other account ever purchafe ; and thofe only who have had frequent intercourfe with the Knifteneaux liave any inclination to drink it. When the Europeans firft penetrated into thi^ country, in 1777, ^^^ people of both tribes were numerous, but the fmall pox was fatal to them allj fo ^llAt there does not exift of the one, at prefent, more than forty refident families ; and die other has been from about thirty to two hundred families. Thefe numbers are applicable to the conftant and lefs ambitious inhabitants, who are fatisfied with - \] P a . the If"^p«»^ mmmwf"^ ""''wmiimmwwmfitmf^ 102 A GENERAL HISTORY > > the quiet poffeflioa of a country affording, without riik or much trouble, every thing neceflary to their comfort ; for fince traders have fpread them- felves over it, it is no more the rendezvous of the errant Knifleneaux, part of whom ufed an- nually to return thither from the country of the Beaver River, which they had explored to itsfource in their war and hunting excurfions and as far as the Safkatchiwine, where they fometimes met peo- ple of their own nation, who had profecuted (i- milar conquefts up that river. In that country they found abundance of fi(h and animals, fuch as have been already defcribed, with the addition of the Builalos, who range in the partial patches of meadow fcattered along the rivers and lakes. From thence they returned in the fpring to the firiends whom they had left ; and, at the fanle time m^t with others who had peneiiated, with the fame defigns, into the Athabafca country,. which will be defcribed hereafter. aio»»5^,> ^<.>t>fyoi i/^ The fpring was the period of this joyful meet^ ing, when their time was occupied m feafling, dancing, and other paftimes; which were occafion-^ ally fufpended for facriiide, and religious folem- nity : while the narratives of their travels, arftilithe hiftory of their wars, stmufed and animated the feftival. The time of rejoicing was but fliort, and was foon interrupted by the neceflary preparations for their annual journey to Churchill^ to excftangc ' . their ^^•"i^wiHi^"'*^ OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. 103 their furs for fuch European articles as were ttow be« . come neceflary to them^ The (hortnefs of the fea« fons, and the great length of their way requiring the utmofl difpatch, the moil adive men of the tribe,' with their youngefl women, and a few of their chil- dren undertook the voyage, under the diredion of fome of their chiefs, following the waters already defcribed, to their difcharge at Churchill FaAory, which are called, as has already been obferved, the Miffinipi, or Great Waters. There they remained no longer than was fufHcient to barter their com- modities, with a fupernumerary day or two to gra- tify themfclves with the indulgence of (pirituous liquors. At the fame time the inconfiderable quantity they could purchafe to carry away with thetn, for a regale with their friends, was held fa« cred, and referved to heighten the enjoyment of their return home, when the amufements, feftivity, and religious folenmities of the fpring were repeated. The ufual time appropriated to thefe convivialities being completed, they feparated, t<> purfue theif different objedb ; and if they were determined to go to war, they made the neceifary arrangements for their future operations. ^ But we muft now renew the pry fpots a drea- lis won- he mo- :o com- uion, I to half its in a which, being OF THE FUR TRADE, &c: toy being turned upon their fides, prefented their red- dened bottoms in contraft with the furrounding verdure. At the fame time^ the procefs of gum* ming them produced numerous fmall fpires of fmoke, which, as they rofe, enlivened the fccne, and at length blended with the larger columns that afcended from the fires where the fuppers were pre- paring. It was in the month of September when I enjoyed a fcene, of which 1 do not piefume to give an adequate defcription ; and as it was the rut- ting feafon of the elk, the whiflling of that animal was heard in all the variety which the echoes could afford it. i ;■: vvr^r.,- ■-i..'.\,-i\ %-:,r -.^(u■..'^ This river, which waters and refleds fuch en- chanting fcenery, runs, including its windings, up- wards of eighty miles, when it difcharges itfelf in the Elk River, according to the denomination of the natives, but commonly called by the white, people, the Athabafca River, in latitude 56. 42. North.'' "i ,:. 4 ■: ■;( ' •■ i f-H=-v' ^,,. :; ,,."t-k/j,, At a fmall diftance from Portage la Loche, fe- veral carrying-places interrupt the navigation of the river ; about the middle of which are fome mi- neral fprings, whofe margins are covered with ful- phureous incruftations. At the junftion or fork, the Elk River is about three quarters of a mile in breadth, and rups in a fteady current, fometimes. contrading, but never increafing its channel, till, iftcr receiving feveral fmall flreams> it difcharge?^ ■ * wm. iiPPiPi 108 A GENERAL HISrORY itfelf into the Lake of the Hills, in latitude 58* 36. North. At about twenty-four miles from the Fork, are fome bitumenous fountains, into which a pole of twenty feet long may be inferted without the lead refiflance. The bitumen is in a fluid flate, and when mixed with gum, or the refinous fub- llance coUeded from the fpruce fir, ferves to gum the canoes. In its heated flate it emits a fmell like that of fea-coal. The banks of the river, which are there very elevated, difcover veins of the fame bitumenous quality. At a fmall diflance from the Fork, houfes have been ereded for the convenience of trading with a party of the Knifte- neaux, who vifit th^ adjacent country for the pur- pofe of hunting. ,;* . At the diftance of about forty miles fi-om' the lake, is the Old Eftablilhment, which has been already mentioned, as formed by Mr. Pond in the year 1778-9, and which was the only One in this part of the world, till the year 1 785. In the year i 788, is was transferred to the Lake of the Hills, and formed on a point on its Southern fide, at about eight miles firOm the difcharge of the river. It was nimed Fort Chepewyan, and is in latitude 58. 38. North, longitude 1 10. 26. Weft, and much better fitukted for trade and fifiiing, as the people here ha^e recourfe to water for their fupport. /This being the place which I made my head- quarters for eight years, and firom whence I took ^ ! my ^8* 36. )tn the 9 which without id flate, us fub- togum a fmell e river, s of the liilance for the Knifte. le pur- 3m the IS been I in the in this be year i Hills, t about It was ;8. 38. better le here head- [ cook my OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. 109 dep£ both [peditioDS. I ihall >arture, feme account of it, with the manner of carrying on the trade there, and other circumftances connected with it. . . - ; . 5 ii.^, The laden canoes wliich leave Lake la Pluie about the firft of Auguft, do not arrive here till the latter end of September, or the beginning of OAo- ber, when a neceffary proportion of them is difpat<- ched up the Peace River to trade with the Beaver and Rocky-Mountain Indians. Others are fent to the Slave River and Lake, or beyond them^ and traffic with the inhabitants of that country. A fmall part of them, if not left at the Fork of the Elk River, return thither for the Knifteneaux, while the reil of the people and merchandife remain here to carry on trade with the Chepewyans. Here have I arrived with ninety or an hundred men without any provifion for their fuflenance ; for whatever quantity might have been obtained from the natives during the fummer, it could not be more than fufficient for the people difpatched to their different pods ; and even if there were a ca- fual fuperfluity, it was abfolutely neceflary to pre- ferve it untouched, for the demands of the fpring. The whole dependance, therefore, of thofe who re- mained, was on the lake, and fifhing implements for the means of our fupport. The nets are (ixty fathom in length, when fet, and contain fifteen mefhes of five inches in depth. The manner of ufing .^t I j»'*l' i^'m I 111. HI WW. i« IP fw^n" "'^ i^f.vn . injim I i; .t no A GENERAL HISTORY Uflng them is as follows : A fmall flone and wood- en buoy are fattened to the iide-line oppolite to each other, at about the diidance of two fathoms : when the net is carefully thrown into the water, the ftone finks it to the bottom, while the buoy keeps it at its full extent, and it is fecured in its iituation by a ftone at either end. The nets are vifited every day, and taken out every other day to be cleaned and dried. This is a very ready opera- tion when the waters are not frozen, but when the froft has fet in, and the ice has acquired its greateft thicknefs, which is fometimes as much as five feet, holes are cut in it at the diilance of thirty feet from each other, to the full length of the net ; one of them is larger than the reft, being generally about four feet fquare, and is called the bafon : by means of them* and poles of a proportionable length, the nets are placed in and drawn out of the water. The fetting of hooks and lines is fo fimple an employ- ment as to render a defcription unneceflary. The white fifti are the principal objed of purfuit : they fpawn in the fall of the year, and, at about the fet- ting in of the hard froft, crowd in fhoals ta the (hal- low water, when as many as poffible are taken, in order that a portion of them may be laid by in the froft to provide againft the fcarcity of winter ; as, during that feafon, the fifti of every defcription de- creafe in the lakti, if they do not altogether difap^ pear. Some have fuppofed that during this period J m.-^' ■'■'■- tl ,rtS'- # J wood- pofite to ithoms ; e water, le buoy id in its nets are r day to y opera- 'hen the greateft ve feet, fet from one of y about ^ means 5th, the . The mploy- . The : they the fet- lelhal- :en, in in the Jr ; as, 3nde- difap** period they I ■■ v»it}%\ mm^i^i^ ^^^"^■^■^pi|""*|"*"|<"*iaiMpMi OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. in they are ftationary, or affume an inadive (late. If there Ihould be any intervals of warm weather du- ring the fall, it is neceflary to fufpend the fifti by the tail, though they are not fo good as thofe which are altogether preferved by the froft. In this ftate they remain to the beginning of April, when they have been found as fweet as when they were caught. *■''■ '^-''''' ■ ■'■"' ' -■'-,'■'■■ ' "" ■•■*--■ Thus do thefe voyagers live, year after year, en- tirely upon fifhy without even the quickening fla- vour of fait, or the variety of any farinaceous root or vegetable. Salt, however, if their habits had not rendered it unneceflary, might be obtained in this country to the Weftward of the Peace River, where it lofes its name in that of the Slave River, from the numerous fait- ponds and fprings to be found there, which will fupply in any quantity, in a (late of concretion, and perfedly white and clean. When the Indians pals that way they bring a fmall quantity to the fort, with other articles of traffic. )"•..>•»', J During a (hort period of the fpring and fall, great numbers of wild fowl frequent this country, which prove a very gratifying food after fuch a long privation of flelh-meat. It is remarkable, * This fifhery requires the mod unremitting attention, as the voyaging Canadians are equally indolent, extravagant, and improvident, when left to themlelves, and rival the favages in a negleft of the morrow. however. ,r .'> »^Kk.«.f;' Tf^jFW^-T^^W/^i- 112 A GENERAL HISTORY however, that the Canadians who frequent the Peace, Safkatchiwine, and Alfinlboin rivers, and live altogether on venifon, have a lefs healthy ap- pearance than thofe whofe fuilenance is obtained from the waters. At the fame time the fpurvy i$ wholly unknown among them. In the fall of the year the natives meet the tra- ders at the forts, where they barter the furs or pro- vifions which they may have procured : they then obtain credit, and proceed to hunt the beavers, and do not return till the beginning of the year ; when they are again fitted out in the fame manner and come back the latter end of March, or the beginning of April. They are nojv unwilling to repair to the beaver hunt until the waters are clear of ice, that they may kill them with fire-arms, which the Chepewyans are avffle to employ. * The major part of the latter return to the barren grounds, and live during the fummer with their relations and friends in the enjoyment of that plenty which is derived from numerous herds of deer. But thofe of that tribe who are mofl partial to thefe defarts, cannot remain there in winter, and they are obliged, with the deer, to take (helter in the woods during that rigorous feafon, when they contrive to kill a few beavers, and fend them by young men, to exchange for iron utenfils and ammunition. 'u A /ivl^w :',a-}')--lnxx'i. jJ^Till the year 1782, the people of Athabafca «*^ ./r/i■^ ':''i-: or!!i ^ifi1' Uf)"=*^ pp l^p-f Ti^r Kwmi ^-' M ii6 A GENERAL HISTORY painted, and fancifully worked in feme parts, with porcupine quills, and mt>ofe-deer hair : the (hirts and leggins are alfo adorned with fringe and taifeb ; nor are the (hoes and mittens without fomewhat of appropriate decoration, and worked with a confi- derable degree of ikill and tafle. Thefe habili- ments are put on, however, as fancy or convenience fuggefts; and they will fometimes proceed to the chafe in the fevered froft, covered only with the ilighoeft of them. Their head-dreiles are compofed of the feathers of the fwan, the eagle, and other birds. The teeth, horns, and claws of different animials, are alfo the occafional ornaments of the heaid and neck. Their hair^ however arranged, is always befmeared with greafe. The making of eVtty article ofdrels is a female occupation; and the women, though; by no means inattentive to ihe. decoration of their own perfons, appear to have aiitiU greater degree of pride in attending to the appearance of the men, whofe faces are painted with niore care than thofe of the women. H- Tiae female d3?efs is fbrmed of the fame mate- thki as thofe of the Other fex, but of a different n^e and arrdngbment. Their (hoes are com- monly plaiti, and their leggins gartered beneath tfieknee. The coat, or body covering, falls down to: the hiiddle of the leg, and is faflened over the (hdulders with cords, a flap or cape turning down abottc eight iiidih^ b6th befote and- behind, and itm**^, ^ agreeably Ov vVv%,.- I irts.witli le Ihirts itaifeb; what of t conii- mate- fferent com- eneath down ^er the down , and ;eably OF THE FUR TRADE, flee. 117 agreeably ornamented with quill-work and fringe ; the bottom is al(b fringed, and fancifully painted as high as the knee. As it is very loofe, Jt is en- clofed round the waifl with a llifF belt, decorated with taffels, and faflened behind. The arms are covered to the wrift, with detached fleeves, which are fewed as far as the betid of the arm ; from thence they are drawn up to the neck, and the corners of them fall down behind, as low as the waift. The cap, when they wear one, confifts of a certain quantity of leather or cloth, fewed at one end, by which means it is kept on the head, and, Hanging down the back, is fattened to the belt, as well as under the chin. The upper garment is a robe like that worn by the men. Their hair is divided on the crown, and tied behind, or fome- times fattened in large knots over the ears. They are fond of European articles, and prefer them to their own native commodities. Their ornaments confitt in common with all favages, in bracelets, rings, and fimilar baubles. ^ Some of the women tatoo three perpendicular lines, which are fome- times double : one from the centre of the chin to that of the under lip, and one parallel on either fide to the corner of the mouth. ^ 'i •* Of all the nations which I have feen on this col- tinent, the Knitteneaux women are the moft come- ly. Their figure is generally well proportioned, and the regularity of their features would be ac- '\ >,-#'- *- R 2 '•- '■^'^ knowledged (.*... mrw^ •^^ WW • 'iMH.l*''':' V'i'''»" f r N , - .*■■ ii8 A GENERAL HIStORY ' knowledged by the more civilized people of Europe. Their complexion has lefs of that dark tinge which is common to thofe favages who have lefs cleanly habits. Thefe people are, in general, fubjeA to few dif« orders. The lues venerea, however, is a common complaint, but cured by the application of (imples» with whole virtues they appear to be well ac- quainted. They are alfo fubjedt to fluxes, and pains in the bread, which fome have attributed to the very cold and keen air wliich they inhale ; but I fhould imagine that thefe complaints mud fre- quently proceed from their immoderate indulgence in fat meat at their feafts, particularly when they have been preceded by long failing. They are naturally mild and affable, as well as juft in their dealings^ not only among themfelves, but with flrangers. * They are alfo generous and hofpitable, and good-natured in the extreme, except when their nature is perverted by the inflammatory influence of fpirituous liquors. To their children they are indulgent to a fault. The father, though he afTumes no command over them, is ever anxious to inflruA them in all the preparatory qualifications for war and hunting j while the mother is equally * They have been called thieves, but when vice can with juftice be attributed to them, it may be traced to their connec- tion with the civilized people who come into their country to traffic. _^. . , ,.. _. :^ , attentive ^; ' j^ tv^^' .d ,r *. 5^^' Europe. ;e which s cleanly few dif* pommon (implesy well ac- icsy and buted to ale ; but luft fre- lulgence len they s well as mfclves, )us and ;, except imatory :hildren though anxious ications equally can with * connec- tuntry to ttcntivc OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. 119 attentive to her daughters in teaching them every thing that is confidered as neceffary to their cha- radter and fituation. It does not appear that the hufband makes any diflindion between the child« ren of his wife, though they may be the off- spring of different fathers. Illegitimacy is only at- tached to thofe who are born before their mothers have cohabited with any man by the title of huf- band. It docs not appear, that chaftity is confidered by them as a virtue ; or that fidelity is believed to be effential to the happinefs of wedded life. Though it fometimes happens that the infidelity of a wife is punifhed by the hulband with the lofs of her hair, nofe, and perhaps life ; fuch feverity proceeds from its having been pradifed without his permiffion : for a temporary interchange of wives is not uncom- mon ; and the oifer of their perfons is confidered as a neceffary part of the hofpitality due to fbran- .gcrs. ■'^ '^- - ^ '■ * ' '■ ^'•^-'- When a man lofes his wife, it is confidered as a duty to marry her fifler, if fhe has one j or he may, if he pleafes, have them both at the fame time. *\ It will appear from the fatal confequences I have repeatedly imputed to the ufe of fpirituous liquors, that I more particularly confider thefe people as having been, morally fpeaking, great fuflferers from their communication with the fubjedts of civilized nations. At the fame time they were not> in a . ilate f y ^■^^y* -,■?.* 1 20 A GENERAL HISTORY Hat? of nature, without their vices, and fpme of them of a kind which is the moft abhorrent to cul- tivated and refleding man. I (hall only obferve that inceil and beiliality are common among them. When a young man manies, he immediately goes to live with the father and mother of his wife, who treat him, neverthelefs, as a perfedt ftranger, till after the birth of his firft child : he then at- taches himfelf more to them than his own parents ; and his wife no longer gives him any other deno- mination than that of the father of her child. < The profeflion of the men is war and hunting, and the more adtive fcene of their duty is the field of battle, and the chafe in the woods. They alfo Ipear fifh, but the management of the nets is left to the women. The females of this nation are in the fame fubordinate date with thofe of all other favage tribes ; but the feverity of their labour is much di- minifhed by their fituation on the banks of lakes and rivers, where they employ canoes. In the winter, when the waters are frozen, they make their journies, which are never of any great length, with Hedges drawn by dogs. They are, at the fame time fubjed to every kind of domeftic drud- gery : they dre^- the leather, make the clothes and ihoes, weave the nets, colled wood, ered the tents, fetch water, and perform every culinary fervice ; (b that when the duties of maternal care are added, it will appear that the life of thefe women is an uninr terrupted "W'j ,^\ JSfiiT OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. 121 terrupted fucceffion of toil and pain. This, in- deed, is the fenfe they entertain of their own (itua- tion j and, under the influence of that fentiment, they are fometimes known to deftroy their female children, to fave them from the miferies which they themfelves have fuffered. They alfo have a ready way, by the ufe of certain fimples, of procuring abortions, which they fometimes pradife, from their hatred of the father, or to fave themfelves the trouble which children occalion : and, as I have been credibly informed, this unnatural a6t is repea- ted without any injury to the health of the women who perpetrate it. .'*^'«»^ . r^ ; ^ > The funeral rites begin, like all other folemn ceremonials, with fmoking, and are concluded by a feaft. The body is drefled in the beft habili- ments pofleffed by the deceafed, or his relations, and is then depofited in a grave, lined with branches : fome domeflic utenflls are placed on it, and a kind of canopy ereded over it. During this ce- remony j great lamentations are made, and if the departed perfon is very much regretted the near re- \',',nons cut off their hair, pierce the flefliy part of their thighs and arms with arrows, knives, &c. and (Slacken their faces with charcoal. If they have diftinguilhed themfelves in war, they are fometimes -laid on a kind offcaiFolding; and I have been in- formed that women, as in the Eaft, have been known to facrifice themfelves to the manes of their .■**»..| , i'^ hufbands. H«P , I'W" f i»' iiyj,pi,«^piP^pi ^""""P"^l"l""lPid god, c inches which a ; whole le cloth, fl piou9 ^hich is »f fcarce rhere is 3r every batde. piece of f which are OF THE FUR TRADE, &:c. ii?5 ' are in great eftimation for their medicinal qualities, and a pipe. Thefe articles being all expofed, and the ftem refting upon two forks, as it muft not touch the ground, the mailer of the lodge -fends for the perfon he mod efteems, who fits down op- pofite to him; the pipe is then filled and fixed to the ftem. A pair of wooden pincers is provided to put the fire in the pipCj and a double-pointed pin, to empty it of the remnant of tobacco which is not confumed. This arrangement being made, the men alfemble, and fometinies the women are allowed to be humble fpedlators, while the moft religious awe and folemnity pervades the whole. The Michiniwais, or Affiftant, takes up the pipe, lights it, and prefents it to the officiating perfon, who receives it ftanding and holds it between both his hands. He then turns himfelf to the Eaft, and draws a few whifFs, which he blows to that points The fame ceremony he obferves to the other tbre^ quarters, with his eyes directed upwards during the whole of it. He holds the ftem about the middle between the three firft fingers of both hands, and raifing them upon a line with his fore- . headj he fvfings it three times round from the Eaft, wit;h the fun, when, after pointing and balancing it ii> vwous diredions, he repofe^ it on the. forks : he then makes a fpeech to explain the defign of their feeing called together, which concludes v^th ..an ^knowledgnaem. pf paft mercies, arid a prayer ipMfflff ^W ^t 12€ A GENERAL HISTORY^ for the continuance of them, from the mafter of Life. He then fits down, and the whole company declare their approbation and thanks by uttering the word bo ! with an emphatic prolongation of the lafl letter. The Michiniwais then takes up the pipe and holds it to the mouth of the officia- ting perfon, who, after fmoking three whifi»out of it, utters a fhort prayer, and then goes round with it, taking his courfe from Eaft to Weft, to eyery perfon prefent, who individually fays fomethingto him on the occafion : and thus the pipe is gene- rally fmoked out ; when, after turning it three or four times round his head, he drops it downwards, and replaces it in its original fituation. He then .returns the company thanks for their attendance, and wifties them, as well as the whole tribe, health and long life. Thefe imoking rites precede every matter of great importance, with more or lefs ceremony, but . always with equal folemnity. The utility of them will appear from the following relation, satiii > If a chief is anxious to know the difpofition of his people towards him, or if he wilhes to fettle any difference between them, he announces his '.itention of opening his medicine-bag and fmo- king in his facred ftem ; and no man who enter- tains a grudge againft any of the party thus aflem^ bled can fmoke with the facred ftem ; as that cere- mony diffipates all differences, and is never vio- lated. No RRHfWWMpiPiH«HI|MP mmm mmmmmifimmmmmm iler of mpany ittering tion of ^es up ofHcia- out of td with > every hing to s gene- hree or iwards, e then idance, » health itter of ny, but )f them ion of I fettle ces his d fmo- • cnter- aflem<^ t cere- er vio- No OF THE PUR TRADE, ficc. 127 No one can avoid attending on thefe occafions } but a perfon may attend and be excufed from afiif- ting at the ceremonies, by acknowledging that he has not undergone the neceffary purification. The having cohabited with his wife, or any other wo- man, within twenty-four hours preceding the ce- remony, renders him unclean, and, confequently, difqualifies him from performing any part of it. If a contract is entered into and folemnifed by the ceremony of fmoking, it never fails of being faith- fully fulfilled. If a perfon, previous to his going a journey, leaves the facred flem as a pledge of his return, no confideration whatever will prevent himi from executing his engagement.* The chief, when he propofcs to make a feafl, fends quills, or fmall pieces of wood, as tokens of invitation to fuch as he wifhes to* partake of it. At the appointed time the guefb arrive, each brings ing a diOi or p^ttj^ and a knife» and take their feats on each fi|HI the c)iief, who receives them fitting^according to their refpedive ages. The pipe is then lighted, and he makes an equal divifion of every thing that is provided. While the com- pany are enjoying their meal, the chief iings, and accompanies his fong with the tambourin, or Ihi- fhiquoi, or rattle. The guefl who has firf): eaten *'f'^ It is however to be lamented, that of late there is a relax- ation of the duties origioaily attadied to thefe feftivals. t i wummt ^ipf^p^p 128 A GENERAL HISTORY Jiis portion is confidercd as the moft diftinguilh- ed perfon. If there fhould be any who cannot finilh the whole of their mefs, they endeavour to prevail on fome of their friends to eat it for them, who are rewarded for their affiftance with amrwu- jiition and tobacco. It it proper alfo to remark, that -at thefe feafts a fmall quantity of meat or drink is facrificed, before they begin to eat, by throwing it into the fire, or on the earth, un^.*.^: ' Thefe feafts differ according to circumftances; fometimes each man*s allowance is no more than he can difpatch in a couple of hours. At other times the quantity is fufficient to fupply each of them with food for a week, though it muft be devoured in a day. Gn thefe occafions it is very difficult to procure fubftitutes, and the whole mud be eaten whatever time it^ may require. At fome of thefe entertainments there is a more rational ar- rangement, wheii the gueds JH||gillowed to carry home with them the fqperflJ^Ppart of their por- tions. Great care is always takep that the bones may be burned, as it would be confidered a pro- fanation weire the dogs permitted to touch them. /^ The public feafts are conducted in the fame ihanner, but with fome additional ceremony. Several chiefs officiate at them, and procure the necefTary provifions, as well as prepare a proper place of reception for the. tnumerous company. Here the guefts difcourfe upoia public topics, re- i^^'. ' '' .;JV.-- ,- peat "^^TP"^ ^^w mm HP :ingul(h- o cannot avour to or them, i ammu- remark, meat or eat, by iftances ; ore than it other T each of muft be it is very ole muft At fome ional ar- te carry leir por- le bones da pro- :h them, tie lame rcmony. :ure the I proper >mpany. pics, re- peat , OF THE FUR TRADE, ficc. 129 peat the heroic deeds of their forefathers, and ex- cite the rifing generation to follow their example. The entertainments on thefe occafions confift of dried meats, as it would not be practicable to drefs a fufficient quantity of frefli meat for fuch a large affembly; though the women and childftit are excluded. ' / . Similar feafts ufed to be made at funerals, and annually, in honour of the dead ; but they have been, for fome time, growing into difufe, and I never had an opportunity of being prefent at any of them. , . .:;.,;, -, The women, who are forbidden to enter the places facred to thefe feftivals, dance and fing around them, and fometimes beat time to the mufic within them ; which forms an agreable contraft. -y*-. With rcfped to their divifions of time, they compute the length of their journies by the num-^ ber of nights pafTed in performing them ; and they divide the year by the fucceflion of moons. la this calculation, however, they are not altogether correct, as they cannot account for the odd days. The names which they give to the moons are defcriptive of the feveral feafons. - : if ■ May . . Atheiky o Piihim. June n 52f pppinu o Piftiim. '. ..^,., - f - , , ' ', ' - k- . Frog-Moon. „^ot , TheMobn in which birds begin to lay their eggs. July ,ft *.-■ ! July A GENERAL HISTORY Aupafcen o Fiihim. Auguft. Aupahou o Pifliim. September Wafkifcon o Pifliim. . October Wifaco Pifliim . November Thithigon Pewai o Pifliim . Kuflcatinayoui o Pifliim December Pawatchicananafis o Pifliim. January Kufliapawaflicanum o Pifliim February Kichi Pifliim. March Mickyfue Pifliiiti. April Nifcav/ o Pifliim. Ttie Moon when birds caft their feathers. The Moon when the young birds begin to fly. The Moon when the moofe-deer caft their horns. The R utting' Moon. Hoar-Froft-Moon. Ice-Moon. Whirlwind-Moon. Extreme cold Moon. Big Moon ; fome fay, Old Moon. Eagle Moon. , Goofe-Moon. Thefe people know the medicinal virtues of fnany herbs and fimples, and apply the roots of plants and the bark of trees with (uccefs. But the conjurers, who monopolize the medical fcience, find it neceffary to blend myftery with their art, and do not communicate their knowledge. Their materia medica they adminifter in the form of pur- ges and clyflers; but the remedies and furgical ope- rations are fuppofed to derive much of their effed from magic and incantation. When a blifter rifes in the foot from the froft, the chaffing of the ihoe, &c they immediately open it, and apply the heated blade of a knife to the part, which painful mi^ ^m on when aft their • on when ing birds >fly. an when b-deercaft rns. ig.Moon. l-Moon. I J-Moon. )ld Moon, n ; fome Mooin on. K)n. rtues of roots of But the fcience, leir art, . Their of pur- cal ope- ir effed blifter of the 1 apply which painful OF THE FUR TRADE, &c: 131 painful as it may be, is found to be efficacious. A (harp flint ferves them as a lancet for letting blood, as well as for fcarification in bruifes and fwellings. For fprains, the dung of an animal juft killed is confidered as the beft remedy. They are very fond of European medicines, though they are ignorant of their application : and thofe arti- cles form a confiderable part of the European traf- fic with them. Among their various fuperftitions, they believe that the vapour which is feen to hover over moift and fwampy places, is the fpirit of fome perfon lately dead. They alfo fancy another fpirit which ap- pears, in the (hape of a man, upon the trees near the lodge of a perfon deceafed, whofe property h!is not been interred with them. He is reprefented as bearing a gun in his hand, and it is believed that he does not return to his reft, till the pro- perty that has been withheld from the grave has been facrificed to it. Examples of the Knisteneaux and Alpn- ;- quill Tongues, - > J" M % Good Spirit £vii Spirit Man Woman Knifteneaux. Algonquin. '■ ' Ki jai Manitou - Ki jai Manitou. . Matchi Manitou - Ethini - Efquois T Matchi Manitou. Ininiv Ich-quois. Male Ti 131 A GENERAL HISTORY 1 ' Knifteneaux. Algonquin. Male Nap hew - Aquoifi. Female Non-genfe - Non-genfe. Infant A' wafli ifli Abi nont-chen. Head Us ti quoin O'chiti-goine. Forehead - Escaa tick catick. Hair Wcs ty-ky Wineffis. Eyes Es kis och Oflcingick. Nofe Olkiwin - 0*chengewane. Noftrils - Oo tith ee go mow Ni-de-ni-guom. Mouth toune - tonne. My teeth - Wip pit Uh Nibit. Tongue Otaithani - O-tai-na-ni. Beard Michitoune Omichitonn. Brain With i tip Aba-e winikan.. Ears tow ee gie O-ta wagane. Neck qui ow O'quoi gan. Throat koot tas gy Nigon dagane. Arms niJk - nic. Fingers Che chee - Ni nid gines. Naiis. Wos kos fia Os-kenge. Side O's fpig gy Opikegan. My back - No pis quan Ni-pi quoini. My belly - Nattay Ni my fat. Thighs povam - Obouame. My knees No che quoin nah Ni gui tick. Legs Nolk - Ni gatte. Heart thea » Othai. My father Noo ta wie m Noflai. My mother Nigah wei m Nigah. J , My boy vfon) - Negoufis - m Nigouifles. -^ My girl (daughter) Netanis m Nidanifs. My brother, elder Ni ftefs - m Nis-a-yen. My fifler, elder - Ne mifs - m Nimifain. My grandfather m Ne moo (hum - Ni-mi-chomifs. tj/l^ grandmother N' kum , m No>co-miis. A ■>1ft--' My ■«■■ OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. 13 j | If Kni(\eneaux. Algonqnin. B , My uncle - N' o'ka mi6 - Ni ni michomen. B ' My nephew Ne too fim Ne do jim. ' Mf A 1 My niece - Ne too fim efquois Ni-dojim equois. 1 1* My mother in law Nifigoufe - Ni figoufifs. BB 1 My brother in law Niftah Nitah. My companion - Ne wechi wagan Ni*wit-chi- wagan* ^ \ m My huiband Ni nap pern Ni na bem. fl k Blood Mith coo - Mifquoi. Wk\ • OfdMan - Shi nap - Aki win fe. Bi n* I am angry Ne kis fi waih en Nif katifliwine. j I fear Ne goos tow Nileft gufe. li Joy Ne hea tha torn - Mamoud gikiti. ^■1 1 Hearing Pcthom Oda wagan. Track Mis conna Pemi ka wois. B: t». Chief, great ruler Haukimah Kitchi onodis* B Thief Kifmbutheflc lCemoutifk6. ^H k Excrement Meyee Moui. ' ^^B/ >• Buffalo Moullouche Pichikc. ' .. ill. ■-. Ferret Sigous Shingoufs. '\ ft Polecat Shicak Shi-k^k. ■B Elk Mouftouche Michai woi. V Rein deer Attick Atick. H Fallow deer Attick Wa wafquefli. 1 ■ ' .} Beaver Amiflc Amic. H Woolverinc Qui qua katch ^ Quin quoagki. ||H Squirrel Ennequachas Otchi ta moui ' , f;B • • Minx Sa quafue ^ Shaugouch. ' ; tii .- Otter Nekick - Ni guickk J » ,||| ^.. • Wolf Mayegan - Maygan.. 'ffi! ' .'* Hare Wapouce - Wapoucc. ''»' v^: ■4,^^.' Marten Wappiftan Wabichirtfe. ' ■ t ' .,. <" . Moofe Monfwah Monfe. ' ■ 1 ' ' . Bear Mafqua Macqua. ^■• ■ 'V Fiflier Wijalk Od-jifck. !■ 1. ' Ly^* JL - Picheu Pechou. IB ^k iV T z Porcupine^ fB Mjr , 1 •■y 134 A GENERAL HISTORY | r • '> ' Knifleneaux. Algonquin. Porcupine Cau quah . Kack. "Fox Ma kifew - Wagouche. Muflc Rat Wajafk - Wa-jack. /_•;- Moufe Abicuiliifs - Wai wa be got) noge. Cow Buffalo Noflii Mouflouche Nochena pichik. | Meat-flcfh Wias - Wi-afs. Dog - - Atim - Ani-moufe. Eagle Makufue - - Me-guiffis; Duck Sy Sip - Shi-fip. Crow, Corbeau - Ca Cawkeu - KaKak. Swan Wapifeu - Wa-pe-fy. Turkey Mes fei thew - Miffi(ray. Fheafants - Okes kew - Ajack. Bird Pethefew - - Pi-na-iy. Outard Nifcag - Nic kack. White Goofe - Wey Wois - Woi wois. Grey Goofe Peftafifti - - Pos-ta-kifk. Partridge Pithew - Pen ain&. Water Hen Chiquibifh - Che qui bis. Dove Omi Mee - mi-mis. Eggs Wa Wah - Wa Weni. Pike or Jack Kenonge - - Kenong6. Carp Na'may bin - Na me bine. Sturgeon - Na May - - NaMaiu. White Filh Aticaming - Aticaming. Pikrel Oc-chaw - - Oh^ga. rifh (in general) Kenong6 • - Ki-cons. Spawn Waquon. - - Wa qnGc|c. Fins Chi chi kan - nidj-igan. Trout Nay gouie - Na Men Goufe. Craw Fifli A ihag gee - A cha kens chaque. Frog Athick - - - Omaka ki. Wafp Ah moo - A mon. Turtle Mikinack • Mi-ki-nack. Snak? Kinibick - - Ki nai bick .; #. •.( .- .f 1 A^ Aw niHMiP THE FUR TRADE, &c. 135 Knifleneaux. Algonquin. Awl - Ofcajick - Ma-gofe. Needle - Saboinigan - Sha-bo-ni>gan. Fire Steel - - Appet - Scoutccgan. Fire wood - Mich-tah - - Mi(rane. Cradle - Teckinigan - Tickina-gan. Dagger - Ta comagau - Na-ba-ke-gou-mah. Arrow - Auguflc or Atouche Mettic ka nouins. Fifl) Hook - Quofquipichican Maneton Miquifcam Ax - - - Shegaygan '• Wagagvette. Ear-bob - Chi-kifebifoun - Na be chi be foun. Comb - Sicahoun - - Fin ack wan. Net - Athabe m AlTap. Tree - Miftick m Miti-coum. Wood - Miftick - - Mitic. Paddle - Abor - Aboui. Canoe - Chiman - S-chiman. Birch Rind - Wafquoi - - Wig nafs. Bark - Wafquoi - - On-na-guege. Touch Wood - Poufagan - - Sa-ga-tagan. Leaf - Nepeihah - Ni-biche. Grafs - Mafquofi - - Mafquofi. Rafpberries - Mifqui-meinac w Mifqui meinac. Strawberries - O-tai-e minac . O'-tai-e minac. Allies - Pecouch « Pcngoui. i ' Fire - Scou tay - - Scou tay» , Grapes - Shomenac . - Shomenac. Fog - Pakilhihow « A Winni. ) . Mud - Afus ki - A Shiiki. i '■> Currant - . - Kifijiwin - - Ki fi chi woin. ' Road • Mefcanah • - Mickanan. Winter - Pipoun - Pipone. •■■■'' Ifland - Miniftick - M Minifs. Lake - Sagayigan - Sagayigan. Sun - Pifim - Kijis. Mooa - Tibifca pefim (the / night Surt m Dibic k'jifs. 136. A GENERAL HISTORY i *vt Knifteneaax. Algonquin. Day - Kigigah - Kigi gatte. Night - Tibifca Dibic kawte. Snow - , . Counah So qui po. Rain - Kimiwoin Ki mi woitii. Drift - Pewan * Pi woine. Hail - Shes eagan Me qua menfan. Ice - - Mefquaming Me quam. Froft - Aquatin Gas-ga'^in. Mill - Picafyow An-quo-et. Water - Nepec Ni-pei. World .- - Mefle afky ( ail the earth) - » Miffi achaki. Mountain - Wachee « Watchive. Sea - Kitchi kitchi ga Kitchi-kitchi ga ming • ming. Mokning - - Kequifliepe m Ki ii-jep. Mid-day • - Abetah quiiheik Na ock nuoi. Portage - Unygam - Ouni-g'-a. Spring - Menoufcaming Mino ka ming. River -' Sipee Sipi. Rapid - Bawaftick Bawetick. Rivulet - Sepeefis Si[H wes chin. Sand - Thocaw Negawe. Earth - Afkee Ach ki. Star - Attack Anang. Thunder - - Pitbufeu - Ni mi ki. Wind - • loutin No tine. Calm - Athawoftin A-no-a-tinc. Heat - Quiftiipot Aboycc. ' ■ Evening - - Ta ka(hik6 O'n-a guche. North - Xiwoitin - « Ke woitinak. South - Sawena wooh Sha>wa-na-wang. Eaft - Cofhawcaft.ak Wa-ba-no-notine. Weft - Paquifimow Panguis-chi-mo. To-morrow - Wabank - Wa-bang. •* ,'t ,"• -, .'. , ' Bone X'iP 1 ... -:: . n OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. 137 {H KniAeneaux. Algonquin. >HI Bone - Oikann - Oc-kann; iBl Broth . Michim waboi . Thaboab. Bf Feaft - Ma qua fee • Wi con qui wine^ B| Greafeoroil - Pimis - Pimi-tais. ■ Marrow fat - Ofcan pimis - Oflca-pimitais. ', - I Sinew • Afstis - Attift. iB: Lodge - Wig-waum - Wi-gui-wam. |B| Bed • Ne pa win. > Ne pai wine. 'Bi Within - - Pendog kiS - Pendig. iB Door - Squandam • Scouandam. |B 1 Pifh - Othagan - - O' na gann. I^^^B - Fort - Wafgaigan - Wa-kuigan. ; B Sledge - Tabanaflc -» - Otabanac. . - ^ ^^B Cinfture - - Poquoateboun - Ketchcpifou. ^ B Cap - Aflotin - Pe Matinang. ^^ fl Socks - Aihican • A chi gaji. ^1 9|< Shirt - Papackewyan. - Papakiweyan. ^iB Coat - Papife-co-wagan i Papife-co-wagan. , B Blanket • - Wape weyang - Wape weyan. B Cloth - Maneto weguiu - Maneto weguiQ. ,: B Thread - - Affabab - - Aflabab. fl Garters - Chi ki-bifoon - Ni gafke-tafe befoun; B Mittens - AftiOack - " Medjicawine. ?, / ■ Shoes - Mafkifin - . Makifin. v* 1 Smoking bag - Kufquepetagan - Kafquepetagan. h ' M' Portage (ling - Apilan - Apican.. f^t > m Strait on - - Gei aflc • « Goi-ack. < > 'i' m Medicine - . Mas ki kee - Macki-ki. • t;-}^ ji Red - Mes coh - - Mes-cowa. -.t.-n-i M Blue • Kafqutch ( fame as ' ,: ! j| black ) - - O-iawes-cowa. ■ White - Wabifca - * V/abifca. ! •' , |l Yellow . Saw waw - . Ojawa. ^4v>! ^ '^- 'B Green . CHibatiquare - O'jawes-cowa. • /' 8 iftrown • O'JAwescowa. " 1 Grey, .,..> *-.:. 13S A GENERAL feriSTORY f ' 1 ^ "^^ Kniftencaux. ■'' ' 'Algonquin. Grey, &c - . - - ''*'^:i O'JAwes-cowa. Ugly -, Mache na goufeu Mbus-counu-goufe. Hahdfome - - Catawaffifeu - Nam bifla. Beautiful - - Kiffi Sawenogan Quoi Natch. Deaf - Nilna petom ■ Ka ki be chai. Good-natured • Mtthiwafhin Oriichifhin. Pregnant • - Fa^wie . And'jioko. Fat - - Outhineu - • Oiii-ni-noe. Big . - - Mlilliikitee • Mefsha. Small or little - Abifalheu - • Agu-chin. Short - - Chemaiiih Tackofi. Skin - - Wian Wian. Long - - Kinwaiii Kiniwa. Strong > - Mafcawa - CMachecawa. ^Mas cawife. Coward ♦• • Sagatahaw Cha-goutai-ye. Weak - Nitha miflew Cha goufi. Lean - 1 .i,; (Mahta waw Ka wa ca tofa. Brave . Ntma Guftaw Son qui taige. Young man - Ofquineguifh Ofkinigui. Cold - Kiffin Kiffinan. Hot - Kichatai Kicha tai. Spring . Mtnoufcaming - Minokaming. Summer - Nibin Nibiqui. Fall - Tagowagonk Tagowag. One - Peyaq Pecheik. Two - Niftieu Nige. Three - Ni(htou Nis-wois. Four - Neway Ne au. Five •> Ni-anuan - Na-nan. Six - - - Negoutawoefic - Ni gouta waswois. Seven - Nifti woific Nigi-was-wois. , Eight - Jannanew She waswois. Nine - Shack Shang was wois. Ten - ;Mitatat Mit-aflvvois. ^ ^ Eleven OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. Knifteneaux. Algonquin. 139 Eleveo Eleven - Peyac ofap - MitaiTw ois, hachi, pe cheik. Twelve ^ Niiheu ofap MualTwois, hachi, nige. Thirteen - •► Nichtou ofap MitafTwois, hachi, nifwois. Fourteen - - Ncway ofap MitalTwcis, hachi, • ne-au. Fifteen » Niannan ofap - Mitafiwois, hachi, nanan. Sixteen - Nigoutawocfic ofaj » Mitaflwois, hachi, " » negoutawafwois^ Seventeen - - Nifli woefic ofap MitafliWois, hachi, nigi wafwois. Eighteen - - Jannanew ofap - MitaflTwois, hachi, lliiwafwois. Nineteen - - Shack ofap MitafTwois, hachi, fliang as wois. . Twenty - Niftieu mitenah - Nigeta-nan. Twenty-one - Nifliew mitenah ■• peyac ofap Nigeta nan, hachi, pechic. Twenty-two, &c Niiheu mitenah .. . ' nifhew ofap - / Thirty - Niflitou mitenah Nifwois mitanan. Forty - Neway mitenah " Neau mitanan. Fifty - Niannan mitenah Nanan mitanan* Sixty - Negoutawoific mi- "* ' u ' 4. tenah Nigouta was wois mitanan. Seventy - Nifhwoiiic mitenah Nigi was wois mi- . , , X tanan. -: . . Eighty . Jannaeu mitenah She was wois mi- tanan. * U Ninety \ ^' i m 146 ' A GfeNmAL HISTORY Kniftenfcau*. Algonquin - Shack mitenah - Ninety t Hundred - Two Hundred One thouiand Firft - Latt More Better Beft - I, or me - YoUf or thou They, or them We - My, or mine Your's Who Whom What His, or her's All - Mitana ilnitinah Nelhew mitena a mitenah Mitenah mitena mitenah > Nican Squayatch - . Minah Athiwack mitha- wafliin - Shang was wois mi- tanan. Ningout^ack. \ Nige wack. ^ I Kitchi-wack. - Nitam. - Shaquoiyanque. - Awa chi min. Athiwack mitha- wafhin - Nitha Kitha Withawaw Nithawaw - Nita]ran Kitayan Awachimin o nichi flien. ftiin. Some, or fome few Veypeyzc - The iame - - Tabefcoutch All the world All the men More Now and then Sometimes - Seldom - Kitchi o nichi - Nin. - Kin . - Win na wa. • Nina wa. - Nida yam. • Kitayam. > Auoni. - Kegoi nin. - Wa. - Otayim mis. - Kakenan. - Pe-pichic - Mi ta yoche. Miffi acki wanque Mifliiwai alky. Kakithaw Ethinyock Mifli Inini wock. Mina - - Minawa. v; - Nannigoutengue. I as-cow-paco. - - Awoine - Otayan - Kakithau Wica-acko. Arr ivc OF THE FUR TRADB, ^tc. 141 • i Knifteneaux, • Algonquin. woismi. Arrive - Ta CQUchin Ta-gouchin. Beat - Otamaha - Packit-ais. ck. To burn - - Miftafcafoo Icha-quifo. To fing - Nagamoun Nagam. To cut - Kifquifhbn Qui qui jan. :k. To hide - - Catann Cafo tawe. To cover - • Acquahoun A CO na oune. , To bdieve - Taboitam Tai boitam. que. To fleep - - Nepan Ni pann. in. To difpute - Ke ko mi towock Ki quaidiwine. To dance - - Nemaytow Nimic. 1 nichi To give . Mith Mih. To do - Ogitann O-gitoune. To eat - Wiffinec - Wiffiniwin. chi fliin. To die - - Nepew Ni po wen. Ta forget - - Winnekiflcifew - Woi ni mi kaw. To fpeak - - Athimetakcoufi^ - Aninntagoufli^. 1. To cry ^tears) - Mantow Ma wi. To laugh - - Papew Pa-pe. » To fet down - Nematappe Namatapewin. To walk - - Pimoutais - Pcmouffai. To fall - - Packifln Panguifliin. X To work - - Ah tus kew Anokeh. -" To kill - - Nipahaw - Niflii-woes. s. To fell - - Attawoin - Ata wois. To live - Pimatife - Pematisw To fee - Wabam Wab. e. To conac - - Aiiamoteh fittarfi-moufs. iky. Enough - Egothigog - Mi mi nic. iwock. Cry ( tears ) - Manteau - Ambai mawita. It hails - Shifia^n • Sai faigaun. rngue. Ther^.is - } Aya wa - - There is feme J ^ Aya wan. It rains - Quimiwoin Qui mi woin. Arrivii U a i After i * m 142 A GENERAL HISTORY 1 ■ r . ■ . ( ■ - ! Knifteneaux. Algonquin. After to>niorrow Awis wabank - Awes wabang. To-day - Anoutch - • Non gum. Thereaway - Netoi - Awoit^. Much - Michett - m Ni bi wa. Prefently - - Pichifqua - - Pitchinac. Make, heart - Quithipeh - - Wai we be. This morning - Sbebas - Shai bas. This night - Tibifcag .. * De bi cong. Above • Efpiming - m / kitchiai. Below W Tabaflifti - M Ana mai. Truly - Taboiy - Ne da wache* Alrejidy - Saihay - Sha fhaye. Yet, more - - Minah - Mina wa. Yefterday - - Tacouibick - Pitchinago. Far - - Wathow - Waflh. Near - • Quifhiwoac ■i Paiftiou. Never - Nima wecatch •• Ka wi ka. No - - Nima - Ka wine. Yes - - Ah - m In. By-and-bye - Pa-nima m Pa-nima. Always - Ka-ki-kee - Ka qui nick. Make hafte ^ Quethepeh * Niguim. Its long fince / • Mewaiiha Mon wifha. Some Account of the Ckepewyan Indians^ ■ 1 *' - t , . ■ THEY are a numerous people, who coniider the country between the parallels of latitude 6q. and 65. North, and longitu4e loo. to uo» Weft, a& m OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. 143 as their lands or home. They fpeak a copious language, which is very difficult to be attained, and furnifhes dialedts to the various emigrant tribes which inhabit the following immenfe track of country, whofe boundary I (hall defcribe*. It begins at Churchill, and runs along the line of reparation between them and the Knifteneaux, up the Miffinipi to the lile a la CroiTe, palling on through the Buffalo Lake, River Lake, and Por- tage la Loche : from thence it proceeds by the Elk River to the Lake of the Hills, and goes direftly Weft to the Peace River ; and up that river to its fource and tributary waters ; from whence it proceeds to the waters of the river Columbia ; and follows that river to latitude Si. 24. North, and longitude 122. ^4. Weft, where the Chepewyans have the Atnah or Chin nation for their neighbours. It then takes a line due Weft to the fea-coaft, within which, the country is poffelfed by a people who fpeak their language^, and are confequently defcended from them : there can be no doubt, therefore, of their progrefs being to the Eaftward. A tribe of them is even known at the upper eftab- lifhments on the Saikatchiwine j and I do not * Thofe of them who come to trade with us, do not exceed eight huadred men, and have a fmattering of the Knifteneaux tongue, in which they carry on their dealings with us. t The eoaft is inhabited on theNorth-Weft by the Elkimaux, and on the Pacific Ocean by a people different from both. pretend ^v 144 A GENERAL HISTORY pretend to afccrtain how far they may follow the Rocky Mountains to the Eaft. , ' It is not poflible to form any juft eftimate of their numbers, but it is apparent, neverthelefs, tha^ they are by no means proportionate to the vail ex- tent of their territories, which may, in fome degree, be attributed to the ravages of the fmali pox, which are, more or lefs, evident throughout this part of the continent. • - . The notion which thefe people entertain of the creation, is of avery Angular nature. They believe rhat,at the firft, the globe was one vaft and entire ocean, inhabited by no livii^ creature, except a mighty bird, whofe eyes were fire,who(fe glances were lightning, and the clapping of whofe wings were thunder. On his defcent to the ocean, and touching it, the earth inftantly aro(e, and remained on the fur- £u:eof the waters. This omnipotent bird then called forth all the variety of animals from the earth, except the Chepewyans, who were produced from a dog; and this circumflance occafions their averflon to the flefh of that animal, as well as the people who eat it. This extraordinary tradition proceeds to relate, that the great bird, having fini(hed his work, made an arrow, which was to be preferved with great care, and to remain untouched -, but that the Che- pewyans were fo devoid of underilanding, as to car- ry it away ; an^ the facrilege fo enraged the great bird, that he has never fince appeared. They w the Ate of *s, thaw aft ex- iegree, which >art of of the believe entire iccept a es were 5s were luching the fur- n called , except a dog; n to the vho eat relate, :, made 1 great le Che- tocar- e great They OF THE FUR TRADE, ficc. 145 They have alfo a tradition amongft them, that they originally came from another country, inhabit- ed by very wicked people, and had traverfed a great lake, which was narrow, (hallow, and full of iflands, where they had fufFered great mifery, it being always winter, with ice and deep fnow. At the Copper-Mine River, where they made the firft land, the ground was covered with copper, over which a body of earth had fince been coUedted, to the depth of a man's height. They believe, alfo, that in ancient times their anceftors lived till their feet were worn out with walking, and their throats with eating. They defcribe a deluge, when the waters fpread over the whole earth, except the higheft mountains, on the tops of which they preferved themfelves. They believe, that immec&itcly after their death, they pafs into another world, where they arrive at a large river, on which they embark in a ftone ca- noe, and that a gentle current bears them on to an cxtenlive lake, in the centre of which is a moft beautiful ifland; and that, in the view of this de- lightful abode, they receive that judgment for their conduft during life, which terminates their"* final ftate and unalterable allotment. If their good actions are declared to predominate, they are landed upon the ifland, where there is to be no end to their happinefs ; which, however, according to their no- tions, confifts in an eternal enjoyment of fenfual pleafure. i 146 A GENERAL HISTORY pleafure, and carnal gratification. But if their bad adtions weigh dbwn the balance, the flone canoe finks at once, and leaves them up to their chins in the water, to behold and regret the reward enjoyed by the good, and eternally ftruggling, but with unavailing endeavours, to reach the blifsful iiland, from which they are excluded for ever. They have fome faint notions of the transmigra- tion of the foul ; fo that if a child be born with teeth, they inftantly imagine from its premature appearance, that it bears a refemblance to fome pcfon who liad lived to an advanced peiiod, and that be has aflumed a lenovated life, with* thefe extraordinary tokens of maturity. The Chepewyans are fober, timorous, and va- grant, with a felfiOi difpofition which has fome- times created fufpicic^ps of their integrity. Their ftature has nothing remarkable in it ; but though they are feldom corpulent, they are fometimes ro- buft. Their complexion is fwarrhy ; their features coarfe, and their hair lank, but nor always of a dingy black ; nor have they univerfalJy the piercing eye, which generally animates the Indian counte- nance. The women have a more agreeable afpedt than the men, but their gait is awkward, which proceeds from their being accuftomed, ni.ne months in the year, to travel on fnow-ihoes and drag fled- ges of a weight from two to four hundred pounds. They are very fubmiffive to their hus- bands eir bad canoe hins in enjoyed It with iiland, migra- with mature o fome )d, and h* thefe and va- j fome- Their though mes ro- features ^s of a )iercing counte- j afpedl , which months ig iled- lundred sir hus- bands OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. 147 bands, who have, however, their fits of jealoufy ; and, for very trifling caufes, treat them with fuch cruehy as fometimes to occafion their death. They are frequently objedts of traffic j and the father pofTefTes the right of difpofing of his daughter*. The men in general extrad their beards, though fome of them are feen to prefer a bufliy,' black beard, to a fmooth chin. They cut their hair in various forms, or leave it in a long, natural flow, according as their caprice or fancy fuggefls. The women always wear it in great length, and fome of them are very attentive to its arrangement. If they at any time appear defpoiled of their trefTes, it is to be efleemed aproof of the hufband*s jealoufy, and is confidered as a feverer punifliment than ma- nual corred:ion. Both fexes have blue or black bars, or from one to four flraight lines on their cheeks or forehead, to diflinguifh the tribe to which they belong, Thefe marks are either ta- tooed, or made by drawing a thread, dipped in the necelTary colour, beneath the Ikin. There are no people more attentive to the com- forts of their drefs, or lefs anxious refpedting its exterior appearance. In the winter it is compofed of the ikins of deer, and their fawns, and drefled as fine as any chamois leather, in the hair. In the fummer their apparel is the fame, except that it is * They do not, however, fell them as flaves, but as companions to thofe who are fuppofed to live more comfortably than themfelves. X prepared t: :1 i ■f »■' 148 A GENERAL HISTORY prepared without the hair. Their (hoes and \z^^ gins are fewn together, the latter reaching upwards to the middle, and being fupported by a belt, utxder which a fmall piece of leather is drawn to co- ver the private parts, the ends of which fall down both before and behind. In the ihoes they put the hair of the moofe or rein-deer with additional pieces of leather as focks. The (hirt or coal, when girted round the waifv., reaches to the middle of the thigh, and the mittens are fev^ed to the fleeves, or are fufpended by firings from the fhoul- ders. A rufFor tippet furrounds the neck, and th.^ ikin of the head of the deer forms a curious kind of cap. A robe, made of feveral deer or fawn Ikins fewed together, covers the whole. This drefs is worn fingle or double, but always in the winter, with the hair within and without. Thus arrayed, a Chepewyan will lay hin-felf down on the ice in the middle of a lake, and repofe in comfort; though he will fometimes find a. difficulty in the morning to difencumber himfelf from the fnow drifted on him during the night. If in his paffage he fhould be in want of provifion, he cuts an hole in the ice, when he feldom fails of taking fome trout or pike, whole eyes he inflantly fcoops out^ and eats as a great delicacy ; but if they fliould not be fufficient to facisfy his appetite, he will, in this necefiity make his meal of the filh in its raw li:ate; but, thofe whom I faw, preferred to drefs their viduals #■■ id \q^^ )wards under o co- down ly put itional r coal, middle to the (houl- ind th.^ IS kind fawn is drefs in the Thus down pofe in fficulty 3m the f in his be cuts taking fcoops fliould will, in its raw fs their iduals ^'iWJJ'-*" ii«i* win*" - - V ■ 1 -■•'" OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. 149 victuals when circumftances admitted the neceffary preparation. When tlicy are in that part of their country which does not produce a fufficicnt quan- tity of wood for fuel, they are reduced to the fame exigency, though they generally dry their meat in the fun.* The drefs of the women differs from that of the men. Their leggins are tied below the knee ; and their coat or fliift is wide, hanging down to the ancle, and is tucked up at pleafure by means of a! belt, which is fattened round the waift. Thofe who have children have thefe garments made very * The provifion called Pemican, on which the Chepewyans, as well as the other favages of this country, chiefly fubfift in their journies, is prepared in the following manner. The lean parts of the fleili of the larger animals are cut in thin flices, and are placed on a wooden grate over a flow fire, or expofed to the fun, and fometimes to the froft. Thefe operations dry it, and iu thai Itate it k pounded between two ilones : it will theii keep with care for feveral years. If, however, it is kept in hrg{; quantitiflj^' is difpofed to ferment in the fpring of the year when it mud W expofed to the air, or it will foon decay. The infide fat, and that of the rump, which is much thicker in thefe uild than our domefcic animals, is melted down and mixed, in a boiling (late, M'irh the pounded meat, in equal pro- poi tioBS : it is then put in bafkets or bags for the convenience of carrying it. Thus it becomes a nutritious food, and is eaten, without any further preparation, or the addition of fpice, fait,, or any vegetable or farinaceous fubftancc. A little time recon- ciles it to the palate. There is another fort made with the ad- dition of marrow »nd dried berries, which is of a fuperior quality, X 2 full 15© A GENERAL HISTORY full about the fhoulders, as when they are travelling they carry their infants upon their backs, next their fkin, in which fituation they are perfedlly comfor- table and in a pofition convenient to be fuckled. Nor do they difcontinue to give their milk to them till they have another child. Child-birth is not the objedl of that tender care and ferious atten- tion among the favages as it is among civilifed people. At this period no part of their ufual oc- cupation is omitted, and this continual and regu- lar exercife muft contribute to the welfare of the mother, both in the progrefs of parturition and in the moment of delivery. The women have a An- gular cuflom of cutting off a fmall piece of the navel - string of the new-born children, and hang it about their necks : they are alfo curious in the covering they make for it, which they decorate with porcupine's quills and beads. Though the women are as much in the power of the men, as any other articles of tlair property, they are always confulted, and poflefi^ very con- fiderable influence in the traffic with Europeans, and other important concerns. Plurality of wives is common among them, and the ceremony of marriage is of a very fimple nature. The girls are betrothed at very early period to thofe whom the parents think the beft able to fup- port them : nor is the inclination of the woman confidered. Whenever a feparation takes place, which illing their ifor- OF THE FUR TRADE, &:c. i5i which fometimes happens, it depends entirely on the will and pleafure of the hufband. In common with the other Indians of this country, they have a cuflom refpedlingthe periodical ftate of a woman, which is rigoroully obferved : at that time (hemuft feclude herfelf from fociety. They are not even allowed in that fituation to keep the fame path as the men, when travelling : and it is confidered a great breach of decency for a woman fo cir- cumftanced to touch any utenlils of manly occu- pation. Such a circumftance is fuppofed to defile them, fo that their fubfequent ufe would be fol- lowed by certain mifchief or misfortune. There are particular ikins which the women never touch, as of the bear and wolf; and thofe animals the men are feldom known to kill. They are not remarkable for their adivity as hunters, which is o\ ng to the eafe with which they fnare deer and fpear fifh : and ihefe occupa- tions are not beyond the flrength of their old men, women, and boys : fo that they participate in thofe laborious occupations, which among their neigh- bours, are confined to the women. They make war on the Efquimaux, who cannot refifl their fuperior numbers, and put them to death, as it is a principle with them never to make priforters. At the fame lime they tamely fubmit to the Knifte- neaux, who are not fo numerous as themfelves, when they treat them as enemies. They V W 152 A GENERAL HISTORY They do not affedt that cold referve at meeting, either among themfclves or ftrangers, which is com- mon with the Kniftcneaux, but communicate mu- tually, and at once, all the information of which they are poflefled. Nor are they roufed like them from an apparent torpor to a ftate of great activity. They are confequently more uniform in this refpedt, though they arc of a very perfevering difpofition when their intereft is concerned. As thefe people are not addided to fpirituous liquors, they have a regular and uninterrupted ufe of their underftanding, which is always diredled to tl>e advancement of their own intereft; and this difpofition, as may be readily imagined, fcmetimes occalions them to be charged with fraudulent ha- bits. They will fubmit with patience to the feve- reft treatment, when they are confcious that they deferve it, but will never forget or forgive any wanton or uhneceffary rigour. A moderate con- dud I never found to fail, nor do I hefitate to re- prefent them, altogether, as the moft peaceable tribe of Indians known in North America. ; There are conjurers and high-priefts, but I was not prefent at any of their ceremonies ; though they certainly operate in an extraordinary manner on the imaginations of the people in the cure of difcrdcrs. Their principal maladies are, rheuma- tic pains, the flux and confumption. The venereal complaint is very common ; but though its progrefs w OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. 153 is flow, it gradually undermines the conflitution, and brings on premature decay. They have recourfe 10 fuperftition for their cure, and charms are their only remedies, except the bark of the willow, which being burned and reduced to powder, is flrewed upon green wounds and ulcers, and places contrived for promoting perfpiration. Of the ufe of fimples and plants they have no knowledge; nor can it be expe6l:ed, as their country does not produce them. Though they have enjoyed fo long an intercourfe with Europeans, their country is fo barren, as not to be capable of producing the ordinary neceffaries naturally introduced by fuch a communication ; and they continue, in a great meafure, their own in- convenient and awkward modes of taking their game and preparing it when taken. Sometimes they drive the deer into the fmall lakes, where they fpear them, or force them into inclofures, where the bow and aiTow are employed againft them. Thefe animals are alfo taken in fnares made of fkin. In the former inftance the game is divided among thofe who have been engaged in the purfuit of it. In the latter it is confidered as private property ; neverthelefs, any unfuccefiful hunter pafling by, may take a deer fo caught, leaving the head, fkin, and faddle for the owner. Thus, though they have no regular government, as every man h lord in his own family, they are influenced, more or lefs, by cer- tain 154 A GENERAL HISTORY tain principles which conduce to their general benefit. In their quarrels with each other, they very rare- ly proceed to a greater degree of violence than is occalioned by blows, wrefUing, and pulling of the hair, while their abufive language confifts in ap- plying the name of the mod offenfive animal to the objed of their difpleafure, and adding the term ugly, and chiay, or ftill-born.* Their arms and domeftic apparatus, in addition to the articles procured from Europeans, are fpears, bows, and arrows, filhing-nets, and lines made of green deer-lkin thongs. They have alfo nets for taking the beaver as he endeavours to efcape from his lodge when it is broken open. It is fet in a particular manner for the purpofe, and a man is employed to watch the moment when he enters the fnare, or he would foon cut his way through it. He is then thrown upon the ice, where he remains as if he had no life in him. The fnow-lKoes are of very fuperior work- manfhip. The inner part of their frame is ftraighr, the outer one is curved, and it is pointed at both ends, with that in front turned up. They are alfo laced with great neatnefs with thongs made of deer Ikin. The fledges are formed of thin flips of board turned up alfo in front, and are highly polifhed with crooked knives, in order to * This name is alfo applicable to the foetus of an animal, when killed, which is ccnfidered as one of the greatefl delicacies. flide )enefit. y rare- than is of the in ap- mal to e term idition fpears, lade of lets for e from et in a man is ters the ►ugh it. remains work- braighr, at both are aHo lade of in flips id are fder to animal, lelicacies. . Hide OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. 155 ilide along with facility. Ciofe-grained wood is, on that account) the befl ; but theirs are made of the red or fwamp fpruce-fir tree. , The country, which thefe people claim as their land, has a very fmall quantity -of earth, and pro- duces little or no wood or herbage. Its chief vege- table fubftance is the mofs, on which the deer feed ; and a kind of rock mofs, which, in times of fcarcfty, preferves the lives of the natives. When boiled in water, it diflblves into a clammy, glutinous, fubftance, that affords a very fufficient nourifhment. But, notwithftanding the barren ftate of their coun- try, with proper care and economy, thefe people might live in great comfort, for the lakes abound with fifh, and the hills are covered with deer. Though, of all the Indian people of this continent they are conlidered as the moft provident, they fuf- fer feverely at certain feafons, and particularly in the dead of winter, when they are under the neceffity of retiring to their fcanty, ftinted woods. To the Weftward of them the mufk-ox may be found, but they have no dependen:e on it as an article of fuftenance. There are alfo large liares, a few white wolves, peculiar to their country, and feveral kinds of foxes, with white and grey partridges , &c. The beaver and moofedeer they do not find till they come within 60. degrees North latitude; and the buffalo is ftill further South. That animal is known to frequent an higher latitude to the Weftward of . Y their ■ !' ^ ,:^f a 156 A GENERAL HISTORY i their country. Thefe people bring pieces of beau- tiful variegated marble, which are found on the furface of the earth. It is eafily worked, bears a fine polifh, and hardens with time ; it endures heat, and is manufadbured into pipes or calumets, as they are very fond of fmoking tobacco ; a luxury which the Europeans communicated to them. Their amufements or recreations are but few. Their mufic is fo inharmonious, and their dancing £q awkward, that they might be fuppofed to be afhamed of both, as they very feldom pradife either. They alfo (hoot at marks, and play at the games conunon among them; but in fa£t they pre- fer ileeping to either ; and the greater part of their time is pailed in procuring food, and reding from the toil neceflary to obtain it They are alfo of a querulous difpofition, and are continually making complaints ; which they exprels by a conftant repetition of the word edmy, " it is hard, " in a whining and plaintive tone of voice. They are fuperftitious in the extreme, and almod every adion of their lives, however trivial, is more or lefs influenced by fome whimfical notion. I ne- ver obferved that they had any particular form of religious worfhip ; but as they believe in a good and evil fpirit, and a flate of future rewards and punilhments, they cannot be devoid of religious impreiSons. At the fame time they manifeil a de- 7 " cided OF THE FUR TRADE, «cc. 157 cided unwillingnefs to make any communications on the fubjed. The Chepe\yyans have been accufcd of abandon- ing their a^d and infirm people to perifti, and of not burying their dead ; but thefe are melancholy neceflities, which proceed from their wandering way of life. They are by no means univerfal, for it is within my knowledge, that a man, rendered help- lefs by the palfy, was carried about for many years, with the greatefl tendernefs and attention, till he died a natural death. That they (hould not bury their dead in their own country cannot be imputed to them as a cuftom ariiing from a favage infenfi- bility, as they inhabit fuch high latitudes that the ground never thaws ; but it is well known, that when they are in the woods, they cover their dead with trees. Befides, they manifeft no common refpeft to the memory of their departed friends, by a long period of mourning, cutting off their hair, and never making ufe of the property of the decea- fed. Nay, they frequendy deftroy or facrifice their own, as a token of regret and forrow. If there be any people who, from the barren (late of their country, might be fuppofed to be cannibal* by nature, thefe people, from the difficulty they, at times, experience in procuring food, might be lia- ble to that imputation. But, in all my knowledge of them, I never was acquainted with one inftance of that difpofition ; nor among all die natives which Y z I *>?5v 15S A GENERAL HISTORY I met with in a route of five thoufand miles, did I fee or hear of an example of cannibalifm, but fuch as arofe from that irrefiftible neceflity, which has been known to impel even the moftcivilifed people to eat each other. Examples of the Chepewyan Tongues. Man . Binnie. Woman - Chequois. Young man - Quelaquis. - . Young woman - Quelaquis chequoi. My fon - Zirazay. .; . . . ■ ■ My daughter - Zi lengay. My hufband - Zi dinnie. , My wife - - Zi zayunai. My brother - Zi raing. My father - . Zi tah. » . My mother . Zi nah. My grandfather M Zi unai. ■ Me or my - - See. I . • Ne. You - ■- . Nun. . • - They m Be. ;; Head m Edthie. • Hand m Law. f Leg - w - Edthen: ' , Foot m Cuh. ' • ■• ' f Eyes - Nackhay. ' . ■ . ■■ Teeth m Goo. * Side - Kac-hey. Belly « - Bitt. Tongue OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. Tongue - - Edthu. Hair - Thiegah. Back - LoiTeh. Blood - Dell. The Knee - Cha-gutt. Clothes or Blanket • Etlunay. Coat - Eeh. LeggiQ - Thcli. Shoes - Kinchee, • Robe or Blanket - - Thuth. Sleeves - Bah. Mittens - Geefe. Cap - Sah. Swan - Kagouce. Duck - Keth. Goofe > Gah. White par'cridge - Cafs bah. Grey partridge . Deyee. Buffalo - Giddy. Moofe deer - Dinyai. Rein-deer - - Edthun^. Beaver - Zah. Bear - Zafs. Otter - Naby-ai. Martin - Thah. Wolvereen - Naguiyai. Wolf - Yefs ( Nouneay. ) Fox . Naguethey. Hare - Cah. Dog - Sliengh. Beaver-ikin - Zah thith. Otter-lkin - - Naby-ai thith. Moofe-ikin . Deny^ai thith. Fat . •. Icah. Greafe - Thlefs. - Meat - • . Bicl «59 Pike ;6o A GENERAL HISTORY ; Pike . • - uyuh. ^ .? White.fi(h « - Slouey. Trout - Slouyzinai. Pickerel - - O'Gah. Fifhhook • - Ge-eth. Fiihline - - Ciulez. . One - Slachy. . Two - Naghur. Three - Tagh-y. Four . Dengk-y. Five . Safoulachee. Six - Alkitar-hy-y. Seven m Eight - Alki deing.hy. Nine - Cakina hanoth-n^ Ten - Ca noth aa. Twenty - - Naghur chanolthiuu Fire - Counn. Water m Toue. Wood t • Dcthkin. Ice • Thun. Snow . Yath. Rain • - • Thinnelfee. Lake * Touey, River - Teflc. Mountain - • Zeth* Stone - - Thaih. Berries . Gui-eh. , Hot - Edowh. Cold - Edzah. . - Ifland • Nouey. Gun - Telkithy. - ' Powder - m - Telkithy couxina. . z^*- Knife • Be{s» Axe - Thynlc. Sun : ijs^h- ■ * R«i s( Bl i ■ .'?'■' V^i OP TMg ttrft f kADE. Aic. iii Ited - . - Dell cGiifc. Black . . Ddlzin. Trade, or barte* - Na-houn-ny. Good - Leyzong. Not good - Leyzong houtley. Stinking • - Geddey. Bad, ugly - Slieney. Long fince - Galladinna. Now, to-day - Ganneh. To-morrow - Gambeh. By-and-bye, or prefently - Carahoulleb. Houfe, or lodge - - Cooen. Canoe - Shaluzee. Door - - The ball. Leather-lodge • - N'abalay. Chief - Bufhahudry. Mine - Zidzy. ' His . - Beczy. Yours' - Nur^ti;- Large - Unlngw ) Small, or little - * <'J',":m.^'(u I love you - Ba ehoinichdinh. I hate you •. - Bucnoinichadinh hillay. I am to be pitied - £(l-chouneft-hinay. My relation - Sy lod, innay. Give me water - Too hanniltu. Give me meat -p - Beds-hanniltu. Give nie fiih - Sloeeh anneltu. Give me meat to eat - Bid Barheether. Give me water to drink • ToBarhithen. Is it far off - Netha uzany. Is it near - Nilduay uzany. It is not far - Nitha.hillai. It is not near - - Nilduay. How many ^ Etlaneldey. /' ■r^ Red What ■.-'.«J: ,. ., .i.3 ■^•OT|pp^r^|P|PlipiK^I|||PP|Hipii;^;;i^n<*«»• I-yah. KKi,{si It's hard - - Eduyah, You lie - -?^Untz«e. What then - ' j^- ^ iEdlaw-gueh. i T>^ -t ■ -'it ii jm :t ^1 ?:.;.. If iv, <%'• 5/**5 .. > ■■•*v i [ '^■., '^.'y;- s J ■ »,'•••. >*4> ; t:^^?r ft^"-*-;*^ ■ •♦ .*'iSf ■>.r. •-■* ■,,^' :^ '^if.t .* t •.,.'■1 •■■V'' **'^«'' '••■'<* ; * . '. I'.j*. .■• ■ * •" ;■ <,*■'' ■' . ^ <■ 'jr-' -■»..■'•». JOURNAL .,. ■ ,>>':^v, - ei,: j:^'iS%4^L-^.^ - Ji& iis;'i'jrl._. .1^, i ^jrv ::■ '■'■ Si c^^ %' .■;■' y s.rv ■ I ■"■ -u'n ii n .A -. .'t:f rOURNAL