hearne's route. 147 



ing with several old men who had belonged to the 

 party of Copper Indians, that met Hearne atCon- 

 gecathewachaga. The leading facts of his jour- 

 ney are still current subjects of tradition among 

 that tribe, as well as with the Northern Indians ; 

 and from all that we have been able to collect in 

 the fur countries, as well as from an attentive 

 examination of his narrative, we are led to 

 conclude that he visited the various places 

 marked in his map, in the order in which they 

 stand ; that all the rivers and lakes which he 

 names actually exist ; and that he has correctly 

 described the general physical features of the 

 country he traversed. His description of the 

 lower part of the Coppermine River, in particu- 

 lar, is evidently that of one who had been on the 

 spot. Hearne's original journal was very meagre, 

 but, in common with all the residents in the fur 

 countries, he seems to have had an excellent 

 memory, and to have trusted much to it. By its 

 aid, accordingly, and with the co-operation of 

 Dr. Douglass, who edited his work, he has given 

 an exceedingly interesting account of his travels 

 and sufferings, together with very correct and im- 

 portant details of the habits of the various ani- 

 mals he was acquainted with. His printed 

 work does not, however, quote his courses and 

 distances so fully as his original journal (a copy 

 of which we saw at Hudson's Bay) ; the ani- 



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