2o8 Transactions of the Canadian Institute. [vol. ix 



"Likewise the two Northern Indians that we took in at Churchill, 

 the one named Nabiana, the other lazana (tho' upon the Ship's Books 

 they are called Clayhulla and Cloydiddy) gave me a particular and more 

 affirmative Account than Mr. Norton's. They marked out upon my 

 Table the Tract of Land or Confines of their Country, as far as they 

 knew together with the Course of some remarkable fresh Water Rivers 

 in their Country; but in particular they gave a very good and clear Ac- 

 count of a Copper Mine, which they generally used to go to once in two 

 Years; and at this Copper Mine there is a large River or Strait, salt 

 Water and strong Tides, Plenty of a large kind of black Fish, which by 

 their description I imagine to be Whales; and that they were five days 

 in crossing that salt Water in their Canoes; and that this River or Strait 

 was so deep, that they could find no Bottom with a Deer Skin cut into 

 very fine Thongs, and at least was an hundred Fathoms long; that the 

 Course of this River run towards the Sun at Noonday, and this River 

 appeared to me to be about the Latitude of 63°. or thereabouts; for they 

 seemed, in our Voyage, to have more Knowledge of the Land near that 

 Latitude than in any other Part of our Discovery; and when we sailed 

 to the North-eastward of that latitude, they told us we were going from 

 the Copper Mine, and the River they spoke of. 



"The Country these Nations inhabit in Summer, upon account of 

 their killing Deer, they told me was all barren, high and rocky, and that 

 they go inland in the winter to the Southward to catch Beaver and other 

 Furs. I had frequent Conference with these two Indians, who seemed 

 to be well affected towards me, and were never better pleased than when 

 I was writing a Vocabulary of their language; by which I might be en- 

 abled to discourse with them more familiarly, and they were very eager 

 of learning English. — 



Given under our Hands this 9th Day of April, 1743. 



Edward Thompson. 

 John Wigate." 



Writing of Norton's trip northward. Captain Middleton again says: 

 "But this I aver, that he has very often told me, and not long 

 since, that he went from the Factory in the Fall of the Year, which was 

 sometime in August, and paddled along the shore in a canoe, with a 

 Northern Indian man, and a girl, for the space of fourteen days, before 

 they quitted the canoe ; and travelled afterwards inland to the northward 

 of the west, about ten or twelve days, and then met with the Northern 

 Indians or some of them. Now could they be fourteen days in paddling 

 but twenty leagues, from Churchill the Latitude of 60°, which is but 



