APPENDIX. 



No. L 



M7\ BuchaiCs Expedition into the Interior of 

 Net^foundland. 



oiNCE the first establishment of the fishery on the bailks of 

 Newfoundland, very little communication has at any time 

 been had %vith the natives of this large island, and for more 

 than half a century past none at all; indeed, it was considered 

 by many as doubtful whether there were on the island any 

 permanent inhabitants, or whether the Indians, sometimes 

 seen on the western coast, did not come in their canoes 

 across the Strait of Bellisle merely for the purpose of fish- 

 ing and killing deer. A settler, however, reported that, in 

 the autumn of 1810, he had discovered a storehouse on the 

 banks of the River of Exploits. Upon this report, Sir 

 John Duckworth sent Lieutenant (now Captain) Buchan, 

 commander of the schooner Adonis^ to the Bay of Ex- 

 ploits for the purpose of undertaking an expedition into 

 the interior, with a view of opening a communication with 

 the native Indians, if any such were to be found. His 

 vessel was soon frozen up in the bay; and on the 12tli 

 January, 1811, Mr. Buchan began his march into the in- 

 terior, along the banks of the river, accompanied by twenty- 

 four of his crew and three guides ; and, having penetrated 

 about one hundred and thirty miles, discovered some 

 Nvigwams of the natives. He surprised them; and their 

 inhabitants^ in number about seventy-five persons, became 



a 



