igii] The Coppermine Country 207 



With regard to Richard Norton's journey, Arthur Dobbs makes the 

 following statement: — 



*"For there are several persons, now living, who know the exact 

 time of Norton's setting out upon his travels, and the time of his return, 

 who all agree, that Norton was a poor boy, taken an apprentice by the 

 Hudson's Bay Company, and sent over to one of their factories in Hud- 

 son's Bay. After he had served three Years of his Time, he became a 

 tolerable Linguist for the languages of those nations that traded with 

 the Hudson's Bay Company's Factors. When Norton was about seven- 

 teen Years of Age, a factory was first begun to be settled near Churchill 

 River, in order to enlarge the Company's Trade; and Norton was pitched 

 upon, though a youth, to go in quest of a nation of northern Indians, 

 (he speaking their language) to acquaint them there was a factory settled 

 at Churchill, for promoting a commerce between that Nation and the 

 Company. Norton set out in his canoe, with a northern indian, the mid- 

 dle of July 171 7, and went no farther to the northward than the latitude 

 of 60 degrees. He there left his canoe, and travelled inland in quest of 

 this Northern Nation, took a great sweep to the southward of the west, 

 and found them returning to their winter quarters. He engaged some 

 of those people to travel with him to Churchill, where they all arrived 

 about Christmas the same year, after having endured a great many hard- 

 ships. How does this relation which is well known to be a matter of 

 fact, tally with Captain Middleton's Story of the Indians' and Norton's 

 travelling by land to 68°, their seeing the sun running round the horizon 

 for several days together, especially Norton, who must have inverted 

 the order of Nature, by seeing the sun above the horizon for several days 

 together in winter-time, when in 68°." 



In the same book Dobbs quotes Edward Thompson and John 

 Wigate, the Surgeon and Clerk of the "Furnace" as follows: — 



*^" Whereas it hath been reported by Capt. Middleton, that Mr. 

 Norton, late Governor of Churchill, travelled from Whale Cove, in the 

 Latitude of 62°. off to 65° odd inland, without Interruption of any Lakes, 

 Rivers or Straits, and could perceive no such Things as any Inlet or 

 Opening to the South Sea, &c. 



"To confute this, it has been several Times reported by the said 

 Norton, that so far as he travelled he saw nothing but broken lands and 

 Islands, from 60°. to the Extent of his Journey; and that the native In- 

 dians he had then with him gave him a very good Account of a Copper 

 Mine upon the Side or Bank of a large River or Strait ; and that a 

 Person might easily go with a Ship or Sloop, and lie close to the side there- 

 of, and fill their Vessel with the aforesaid Metal at Pleasure. 



* Remarks upon Middleton's Defence, by Arthur Dobbs, 1744, pp. 24-25. 

 ♦^Remarks, &c., pp. 146-7. 



