344 DISCOVERIES OF 1789- 



constituted the principal food of the Esquimaux. 

 On the island where they encamped, and which 

 he called Whale Island, several red foxes were 

 seen, one of which was killed. The latitude of 

 Whale Island was 69° 14' N. No natives appeared 

 either on the shore of the continent or on the 

 islands ; but in various places were seen the 

 remains of their habitations, their domestic 

 utensils, frames of sledges and of canoes made of 

 whalebone, which left no doubt on Mr. Mac- 

 kenzie's mind that they were the deserted abodes 

 of the Esquimaux. 



If Hearne's account of his visits to the mouth 

 of the Copper Mine River was unsatisfactory, 

 that of Mackenzie to the mouth of that river 

 which bears his name is still more so ; for wx are 

 completely left in the dark, and almost w^ithout the 

 smallest guide to form an opinion, whether the ex- 

 tensive but shallow water, in which Whale Island is 

 situated, be the sea or a lake. He evidently 

 means to impress the reader with an idea of its 

 being the sea, but forbears even the mention of 

 the word; yet the title of his book* implies, and 

 on his chart it is asserted, that he had reached the 

 *^ frozen ocean." It is observed by a writer in a 

 popular critical journal, t that " the simple, 

 easy, and obvious test of dipping his finger in the 



* Voyage from Montreal through the continent of North 

 America to the Frozen and Pacific Oceans. 



t The Quarterly Review, No. XXXI. p. 167. 



