128 



cmbelliflilng fiftions among them, ftamps a charafter upon the Jndlvi- 

 duals who poffefs it, even at this day, not unlike that of the minftrels 

 and early poets. In the Miami nation there is a chief ftill living, who 

 bears the name of the fabulift, (literally the lying chief,) from his ex- 

 •«elling in works of amufement and invention. The fiibjefts, the tex- 

 ture, 



added a noble appendage to their cftablifhrnent as Indian traders, an aftronomer and geo- 

 grapher, furnirtied with fit inftruments, and attended by proper aflitlants. Mr. M'Ken- 

 zie as one of that company, explored the great northern lake called Slave-Lake, by 

 Hearne confounded with the Arthapefco, and defcending from thence, by a river, which 

 will ever bear his name, followed its courfe, uninterrupted by falls, for a diftance of 

 feven hundred miles down to the northern frozen ocean. Two years afterwards, taking 

 his departure from his eftabliflied winter ftation, on the river of Peace, one of thofe 

 which fall into the Arthapefco river, he proceeded afcending the ftream toward its fource 

 to the great weftern chain of mountains, from their fparry rocks, called the ftony moun- 

 tains ; and tranfporting his canoe and inftruments acrofs the ridge, defcended into one 

 of the ftreams on the weftern fide, which conduced him into a river of confiderable 

 magnitude, running in a fouth-wefl direftion. This he followed for many days, but 

 finding from its courfe, and the information of the Indians, that it would carry him to 

 far to the fouthward, before its difcharge into the fea, as to render his return before the 

 winter difficult, he laid up his canoe, deferted the river, and proceeded with his party^ 

 confifting of one European, fix Canadians, and two Indians, by a direft weftern over- 

 land courfe, through the territory of fome very troublefome native tribes, till he arrived, 

 the firft who had traverfed the continent of North America, on the ftiores of the Pa- 

 cific ocean. About the fame time that Mr. M'Kenzie reprefenting a company of Bri- 

 tifh Merchants was employed in defcending the great river I have mentioned, from 

 *he interior ; Captain Vancouvre in the execution of his Majefty's magnificent plans 

 for acquiring a knowledge of our globe, was entering it from the ocean. This is the Co- 

 lumbia, by the Indians called Tacoutch river, whofe embouchure lies nearly in latitude 

 46, and which perhaps pays a larger tribute to the Pacific than any other American 

 river. I have in my pofleffion the obfervations of latitude and longitude, made by Mr. 

 M'Kenzie, at and after his departure from Peace -River; I have alfo heard himi relate, 

 with that modefty which fo much diftinguilhes him, the particulars of his difficult three 

 month's route. But I refrain from anticipating by more minute details, that account 

 which I have much urged Mr. M'Kenzie to give to the public ; and which will come 

 more naturally, and with a greater intereft and effed, from his pen, the pen of a dif- 

 coverer. 



Since the above note was read at the Academy, I have feen the publication of 

 Mr. M'Kenzie's work announced. 



