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and presents for the savages. The labour of such expeditions, though it is what the fur traders are accustomed to, is exceedingly great. The canoes are to be unloaded at the rapids, and frequently carried across the land. Mr. Mackenzie marks all the reaches of the river with a minuteness which is as tedious as it is useless. "W. N. W. one mile, round an island one mile, N. W. two miles and a half, S. by W. three miles, W. S. W. one mile, S. W. by S. half a mile." Such a journal might be useful to form a chart for the especial use of the traders at Fort Chepewyan, but of what possible utility can it be in any other part of the habitable world? One singular observation occurs in the early part of the voyage which we transcribe with due scepticism. It is a very curious and extraordinary circumstance, that land covered with spruce pine and white birch, when laid waste by fire, should subsequently produce nothing but poplars, where none of that species of tree were previously to be found.

An inland voyage like this through a country almost without inhabitants, must present objects of perpetual interest to the adventurers, but can furnish them with little to relate. Whether the banks are covered with wood, or spread into extensive plains, if the current be strong or slack, if the wind blows north or south, if they get within shot of the water-fowl, or pursue them without success, are events to them of immediate and material importance, but infinitely insignificant when dilated in wide letter-press over a quarto page. The passages which relate to human manners and human feelings are interesting, but a very small volume would contain these. In about a month they came to a village, containing five families, of about twenty-five or thirty persons in all. The information these people gave them concerning the river was altogether fabulous. That it would require several winters to get to the sea, and that old age would come upon them before the period of their return, and that they would encounter monsters of the most horrid shapes and destructive powers. These Indians, indeed, seem remarkably prone to superstition. Mr. Mackenzie passed near a mountain whereon some pa. nes of snow glittered in the sun. He first suspected they were talc, though they possessed A more brilliant whiteness, but the In

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dians in his company said they were spirit stones. An African who had never before seen snow might well have thus accounted for its brightness and disappearance, but in a North American Indian, such a belief can only have proceeded from a love of the wonderful.

One of these people they induced by the promise of some trifling articles to accompany them, but when it was time to embark his resolution failed him, and after the delay of an hour, says Mr. Mackenzie, we may be said to have compelled him to embark. Previous to his departure he cut off a lock of his hair, and having divided it into three parts, he fastened one of them to the hair on the upper part of his wife's head, blowing on, it three times with the utmost violence in his power, and uttering certain words, the other two he fastened with the same formalities, on the heads of his two children. Though they had forced away this man it was difficult to retain him: he pretended illness that he might be permitted to return to his family, and to prevent his escape it was necessary to keep a strict watch over him during the night. In a few days they exchanged him for another guide, but to the other also they were obliged to use compulsion. The natives always fled from them. At one place only one old man ventured to approach them; he represented himself as too far advanced in life, and too indifferent about the short time he had to remain in the world, to be very anxious about escaping from any danger that threatened him, but at the same time he pulled the grey hairs from his head by handfulls to distribute among the strangers, and implored their favour for himself and his relations. They learnt from every one the same marvellous account of danger. Behind an opposite island they were told there was a spirit in the river which swallowed every person that approached it. This whirlpool they did

not stay to visit.

The continued northerly direction of the river at length convinced Mr. Mackenzie that it must empty itself into the northern sea, to which he determined to penetrate. The journal of the latter part we must extract at length, on account of the conclusion which the author infers from it.

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we went with it to an high point, at the distance of about eight miles, which we confectured to be an island; but on approaching it, we perceived it to be connected with the shore by a low neck of land. I now took an observation, which gave 69° 1' north latitude. From the point that has been just mentioned, we continued the same course for the westernmost point of an high island, and the westernmost land in sight, at the distance of 15 miles.

"The lake was quite open to us to the westward, and out of the channel of the river there was not more than four feet water, and in some places the depth did not exceed one foot. From the shallowness of the water, it was impossible to coast to the westward. At five o'clock we arrived at the island, and during the last 15 miles, five feet was the deepest water. The lake now appeared to be covered with ice, for about two leagues distance, and no land ahead, so that we were prevented from proceeding in this direction by the ice, and the shallowness of the water along the

shore.

"We landed at the boundary of our voyage in this direction, and as soon as the tents were pitched, I ordered the nets to be set, when I proceeded with the English chief to the highest part of the island, from which we discovered the solid ice, extending from the south-west by compass to the castward. As far as the eye could reach to the southwestward, we could dimly perceive a chain of mountains, stretching further to the north than the edge of the ice, at the distance of upwards of 20 leagues. To the eastward we saw many islands, and in our progress we met with a considerable number of white partridges, now become brown. There were also flocks of very beautiful plovers, and I found the nest of one of them with four eggs. White owls, likewise, were among the inhabitants of the place: but the dead as well as the living demanded our attention, for we came to the grave of one of the natives, by which lay a bow, a paddle, and a spear. The Indians informed me that they landed on a small island, about four leagues from hence, where they had seen the tracks of two men, that were quite fresh; they had also found a secret store of train oil, and several bones of white bears were scattered about the place where it was hid. The wind was now so high, that it was impracticable for us to visit the nets,

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My people could not at this time refrain from expressions of real concern, that they were obliged to return without reaching the sea: indeed the hope of attaining this object encouraged them to bear, without repining, the hardships of our unremitting voyage. For some time past their spirits were animated by the expectation that another day would bring them to the mer d'ouest : and even in our present situation they declared their readiness to follow me, wherever I should be pleased

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"We had no sooner retired to rest last night, if I may use that expression, in a country where the sun never sinks beneath the horizon, than some of the people were obliged to rise and remove the baggage, on account of the rising of the water. At eight in the morning the weather was fine and calm, which afforded an opportunity to examine the nets, one of which had been driven from its position by the wind and current. We caught seven poissons inconnus, which were unpalatable; a white fish that proved delicious; and another about the size of an herring, which none of us had ever seen before, except the English chief, who recognized it as being of a kind that abounds in Hudson's Bay. About noon the wind blew hard from the westward, when I took an observation, which gave 69° 14′ north latitude, and the meridian variation of the compass was 36 degrees eastward.

"This afternoon I reascended the hill, but could not discover that the ice had been put in motion by the force of the wind. At the same time I could just distinguish two small islands in the ice, to the north-west by compass. I now thought it necessary to give a new net to my men to mount, in order to obtain as much provision as possible from the water, our stores being reduced to about 500 weight, which, without any other sup ply, would not have sufficed for 15 people above twelve days. One of the young Indians, however, was so fortunate as to find the net that had been missing, and which contained three of the poissons inconnus,

"It blew very hard from the north-west since the preceding evening. Having sat up till three in the morning, I slept longer than usual; but about eight one of my men saw a great many animals in the water, which he at first supposed to be pieces of ice. About nine, however, I was awakened to resolve the doubts which had taken place respecting this extraordinary appearance. I immediately perceived that they were whales; and having ordered the canoe to be prepared, we embarked in pursuit of them. It was, indeed, a very wild and unreflecting enterprise, and it was a very fortunate circumstance that we failed in our attempt to overtake them, as a stroke from the tail of one of those enormous fish, would have dashed the canoe to pieces. We may, perhaps, have been indebted to the foggy weather for our safety, as it prevented us from continuing our pursuit. Our guide informed us that they are the same kind of fish which are the principal food of the Esquimaux, and they were frequently seen as large as our canoe. The part of them which appeared above the water, was altogether white, and they

were much larger than the largest porpaise.

Being awakened by some casual circumstance, at four this morning, I was surprised on perceiving that the water had flowed under our baggage. As the wind had not changed, and did not blow with greater vioJence than when we went to rest, we were all of opinion that this circumstance proceeded from the tide. We had, indeed, observed at the other end of the island, that the water rose and fell; but we then imagined that it must have been occasioned by the wind. The water continued to rise till about six, but I could not ascertain the time with the requisite precision, as the wind then began to blow with great violence; I therefore

determined, at all events, to remain here till the next morning, though, as it happened, the state of the wind was such as to render my stay here an act of necessity. Our nets were not very successful, as they presented us with only eight fish. From an observation which I obtained at noon, we were in 69° 7' north latitude. As the evening approached, the wind increased, and the weather becaine cold. Two swans were the only provisions which the hunters procured for us.

“Thursday 16. The rain did not cease till seven this morning, the weather being at intervals very cold and unpleasant. Such was its inconstancy, that I could not make an accurate observation; but the tide appeared to rise 16 or 18 inches."

In the preface is this passage. "The first voyage has settled the dubious point of a practicable north-west passage, and I trust, that it has set that long agitated question at rest, and extinguished the disputes respecting it for ever. An enlarged discussion of that subject will be found to occupy the concluding pages of this volume." But the volume contains no such discussion; the north-west passage is never mentioned in the concluding pages, except in this paragraph.

"The discovery of a passage by sea, northeast or north-west from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, has for many years excited the attention of governments, and encouraged enterprising spirit of individuals. The nonexistence, however, of any such practicable passage being at length determined, the practicability of a passage through the continents of Asia and America becomes an object of consideration. The Russians, who first discovered that along the coasts of Asia no useful or regular navigation existed, opened an interior communication by rivers, &c. and through that long and wide-extended continent, to the strait that separates Asia from America, over which they passed to the adjaeent islands and continent of the latter. Our situation at length, is in some degree similar

to theirs; the non-existence of a practicable passage by sea, and the existence of one through the continent, are clearly proved; and it requires only the countenance and support of the British government, to increase in a very ample proportion this national advantage, and secure the trade of that country to its subjects."

Mr. Mackenzie then has not discussed the subject, and we have extracted all the facts upon which his assertion rests. But how do these facts justify that assertion? he has advanced as far as 69° 14′ north latitude: the tide flows there; he has seen whales there; and yet he says he has proved by this the voyage nonexistence of a practicable north-west passage.

He now resolved to examine the islands in the lake, in the hope of meeting with some of the natives. From one party he learnt that the Esquimaux were now at their lake, which was no great distance off, where they kill rein deer; and that they would soon begin to kill lig fish for the winter stock.

The next day Mr. Mackenzie quéstioned another party of Indians respecting the river.

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"They declared their total ignorance of it, but from the reports of others, as they had never been beyond the mountains, on the posite side of their own river; they had, however, been informed that it was larger than that which washed the banks whereon they lived, and that its course was towards the mid-day sun. They added, that there were people at a small distance up the river, who inhabited the opposite mountains, and had lately descended from them to obtain supplies of fish. These people, they suggested, must be well acquainted with the other river, which was the object of my inquiry. I engaged one of them, by a bribe of some beads, to describe the circumjacent country upon the sand. This singular map he immediately undertook to delineate, and accordingly traced out a very long point of land between the rivers, though without paying the least attention to their courses, which he represented as running into the great lake, at the extremity of which, as he had been told by Indians of other nations, there was a Belhoullay Couin, or White Man's Fort. This I took to be Unalascha Fort, and consequently the river to the west to be Cook's River; and that the body of water or sca into which this river discharges itself at Whale Island, communicates with Norton Sound. I made an advantageous proposition to this man to accompany me across the mountains to the other river, but he r refused it.

"At four in the afternoon I ordered my interpreter to harangue the natives, assembled in council, but his long discourse obtained little satisfactory intelligence from them. Their account of the river to the westward was similar to that which we had already received; and their description of the inhabitants of that country was still more absurd and ridiculous. They represented them as being of a gigantic stature, and adorned with wings; which, however, they never employed in flying. That they fed on large birds, which they killed with the greatest ease, though common men would be certain victims of their voracity, if they ventured to approach them. They also described the people that inhabited the mouth of the river as possessing the extrao dinary power of killing with their eyes, and devouring a large beaver at a single mcal. They added that canoes of very large dimensions visited that place. They did not, however, relate these strange circumstances from their own knowledge, but on the reports of other tribes, as they themselves never ventured to proceed beyond the first mountains, where they went in search of the small white buffaloes, as the inhatants of the other side endeavour to kill them whenever they meet. They likewise mentioned that the sources of those streams which are tributary to both the great rivers, are separated by the mountains."

This was all the information Mr. Mackenzie could procure; he had now turned his face homeward, and arrived at Fort Chepewyan, on the 12th of September, having been 102 days on this expedition.

In October 1792, our traveller departed upon his second attempt to cross the continent, he had resolved to go as far as the most distant settlement of the company. At this place, which is in latitude 56° 9′ north, and longitude 117° 35 15" west, preparations had been made to receive him, and there he wintered.

"On the 9th day of May, I found that my acrometer was one hour forty-six minutes slow to apparent time; the mean going of it I had found to be twenty-two seconds slow in twenty-four hours. Having settled this point, the canoe was put into the water: her dimensions were twenty-five feet long within, exclusive of the curves of stem and stern, twenty-six inches hold, and four feet nine inches beam. At the same time she was so light, that two men could carrry her on a good road three or four miles without resting. In this slender vessel we shipped provisions, goods for presents, arms, ammunition, and baggage, to the weight of 3000 pounds, and an equipage of ten peo 7

ple, viz. Alexander Mackay, Joseph Landry, Charles Ducette, Francois Courtois, and Jacques Beauchamp, with two Indians as hunters and interpreters. One of them, when a boy, was used to be so idle, that he obtained the reputable name of Cancre, which he still possesses. With these persons I embarked at seven in the evening. My winter interpreter, with another person whom I left here to take care of the fort, and supply the natives with ammunition during the summer, shed tears on the reflection of those dangers which we might encounter in our expedition, while my own people offered up their prayers that we might return.in safety from it.'

The immediate scenery is very beautifully described.

"From the place which we quitted this morning, the west side of the river displayed a succession of the most beautiful scenery I had ever beheld. The ground rises at intervals to a considerable height, and stretching inwards to a considerable distance: at every interval or pause in the rise, there is a very gently-ascending space or lawn, which is alternate with abrupt precipices to the summit of the whole, or, at least, as far as the eye could distinguish. This magnificent theatre of nature has all the decorations which the trees and animals of the country can afford it: groves of poplars in every shape vary the scene; and their intervals are enlivened with vast herds of elks and buffaloes; the former choosing the steeps and uplands, and the latter preferring the plains. At this time the buffaloes were attended with their young ones, who were frisking about them; and it appeared that the elks would soon exhibit the same enlivening circumstance. whole country displayed an exuberant verdure; the trees that bear a blossom were adand the velvet rind of their branches reflectvancing fast to that delightful appearance, ing the oblique rays of a rising or setting sun, added a splendid gaiety to the scene, which no expressions of mine are qualified to describe. The east side of the river consists of a range of high land covered with the white spruce, and the soft birch, while the banks abound with the alder and the willow."

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The difficulties of this voyage were infinitely more formidable than those of the former expedition. They shall be related in Mr. Mackenzie's own words.

"We could now proceed no further on this side of the water, and the traverse was rendered extremely dangerous, not only from the strength of current, but by the cascades just below us, which, if we had got among them, would have involved us and the canoe in one common destruction. We had

no other alternative than to return by the same course we came, or to hazard the traverse, the river on this side being bounded by a range of steep over-hanging rocks, beDeath which the current was driven on with resistless impetuosity from the cascades. Here are several islands of solid rock, covered with a small portion of verdure, which have been worn away by the constant force of the current, and occasionally, as I presume, of ice, at the water's edge, so as to be reduced in that part to one fourth the exteat of the upper surface, presenting, as it were, so many large tables, each of which, was supported by a pedestal of a more circum-cribed projection. They are very clevated for such a situation, and afford an asshum for geese, which were at this time breeding on them. By crossing from one to the other of these islands, we came at length to the main traverse, on which we ventured, and were successful in our passage. Mr. Mackay, and the Indians, who observed our Bauvres from the top of a rock, were in continual alarm for our safety, with which their own, indeed, may be said to have been nearly connected; however, the dangers that we encountered were very much augmented by the heavy loading of the canoe.

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"When we had effected our passage, the current on the west side was almost equally violent with that from whence we had just caped, but the craggy bank being somewhat lower, we were enabled, with a line of sixty fathoms, to tow the canoe, till we came to the foot of the most rapid cascade we had hitherto seen. Here we unloaded, and carried every thing over a rocky point of 120 paces. When the canoe was reloaded, I, with those of my people who were not immediately employed, ascended the bank which was there, and indeed, as far as we could see it, composed of clay, stone, and a yellow gravel. My present situation was so cleYated, that the men who were coming up. strong point could not hear me, though I called to them with the utmost strength of my voice, to lighten the canoe of part of its Lading. And here I could not but reflect, with infinite anxiety, on the hazard of my enterprize; one false step of those who were attached to the line, or the breaking of the line itself, would have at once consigned the Canoe, and every thing it contained, to instant destruction: it, however, ascended the rapid in perfect security, but new dangers immediately presented themselves, for stones, both small and great, were continually rolling from the bank, so as to render the situation of those who were dragging the canoe beneath it extremely perilous; besides, they were at every step in danger, from the steep ness of the ground, of falling into the

water.

“We now, with infinite difficulty, passed

on

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along the foot of a rock, which, fortunately, was not a hard stone, so that we were enabled to cut steps in it for the distance of twenty feet; from which, at the hazard of my life, I leaped on a small rock below, where I received those who followed me shoulders. In this manner four of us passed and dragged up the canoe, in which attempt we broke her. Very luckily a dry tree had fallen from the rock above us, without which we could not have made a fire, as no wood was to be procured within a mile of the place. When the canoe was repaired, we continued towing it along the rocks to the next point, when we embarked, as we could not at present make any further use of the. line, but got along the rocks of a round island of stone, till we came to a small sandy bay. As we had already damaged the canoe, and had every reason to think that she soon would risk much greater injury, it became necessary for us to supply ourselves with bark, as our provision of that material article was almost exhausted; two men were accordingly sent to procure it, who soon returned with the necessary store.

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"Mr. Mackay, and the Indians who had been on shore, since we broke the canoe, were prevented from coming to us by the rugged and impassable state of the ground. We, therefore, again resumed our course with the assistance of poles, with which we pushed onwards till we came beneath a precipice, where we could not find any bottom; so that we were again obliged to have recource to the line, the management of which was rendered not only diilicult but dangerous, as the men employed in towing were under the necessity of passing on the outside of trees that grew on the edge of the precipice. At the break of day we entered on the extraordinary journey which was to occupy the remaining part of it. The men began, without delay, to cut a road up the mountain, and as the trees were but of small growth, I ordered them to fell those which they found convenient, in such a manner that they might fall parallel with the road, but at the same time not separate them entirely from the stumps, so that they might form a kind of railing on either side. The baggage was now brought from the waterside to our encampment. This was likewise from the steep shelving of the rocks, a very perilous undertaking, as one false step of any of the people employed in it would have been instantly followed by falling headlong into the water. When this important object was attained, the whole of the party proceeded, with no small degree of apprehension, to fetch the canoe, which, in a short time, was also brought to the encampment; and as soon as we had recovered from our fatigue, we advanced with it up the mountain, having the line doubled and fastened succes

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