INTRODUCTION. xiix: 



«« of iflands and fhoals, as f^r as I could fee, by ilie affid- 

 «' ance of a pocket telefcope ; and the ice was not yet broken 

 *' up, only thawed away about three quarters of a mile 

 « from the fhore, and a little way round the iilands and 

 *' fhoals. 



" By the time I had completed this furvey, it was about 

 « one in the morning of the i8th; but in thefe high la- 

 ** titudes, and this time of the year, the fun is always a 

 " good height above the horizon. It then came on a thick 

 *' drizzling rain, with a thick fog ; and, as finding the river 

 •" and fea, in every refped, not likely to be of any utility, 

 " I did not think it worth while to wait for fair weather, to 

 *' determine the latitude exadlly by an obfervation. But, by 

 " the extraordinary care I took in obferving the courfes and 

 ** diftances, walked from Congecathawhachaaga, where I had 

 *' two good obfervations, the latitude may be depended on, 

 " within twenty miles at fartheft." 



From the map which Mr. Hearne conftrufled of the 

 country through which he pafTed, in this fmgular journey, 

 and which we have been permitted to copy upon our.ge- "^ 



neral chart, it appears that the mouth of the copper-mine 

 river lies in the latitude 72°, and above 25° Weft longitude 

 from the fort, from whence he took his departure *. 



The confequences refulting from this extenfive difcovery, 

 are obvious. We now fee that the continent of North Ame- 

 rica ftretches from Hadfon's Bay fo far to the North Weft, 



* Mr. Hearne's journey, back from the copper-mine river, to Fort Prince of Wales, 

 lafted till June 30, 1772. From his firfl fetting out till his return, he had employed 

 near a year and feven months. The unparalleled hardfhips he fuffered, and the effen- 

 tial fcrvice he performed, met with a fuitabie reward from his mafters, and he is now 

 the Governor of Fort Prince of AVales, where he was taken prisoner by the French 

 ■in 1782 ; and laft fumm"er returned to his ftation. 



Vol. I. g that 



