igii] The Coppermine Country . 209 



one degree? Twenty miles a day in a canoe, is esteemed but easy labour 

 for him who paddles. Let us suppose they went but fifteen miles in 

 twenty-four hours, one day with another; this gives two hundred and ten 

 miles in the space of time mentioned, which are 3° 30', and makes the 

 latitude 62° 30'; — 



"From all the Accounts I could get, and I have made the strictest 

 Enquiry, the Northern Indian Nations live between the Lat. of 63° and 

 64°, The most particular account I ever had, was after I came home from 

 my last voyage, and this was from the Indian Linguist, whom I had then 

 with me, and at my lodgings after my return, till about Christmas, 1742, 

 when he died. He had been several winters and summers among them, 

 and said they were never less than three weeks or 21 nights, which is 

 their way of reckoning, in coming to the factory ; but were much longer 

 in going back, (The reason of this difference of time, is that in coming to 

 the factory, the way is frozen, but the ice broken up when they return). 

 As near as he could make it out, their country lies in a straight line with 

 the sun setting in summer (from Churchill) which must be about N.W. 

 Now admit these Indians travelled but 20 miles in 24 hours, which to 

 them is nothing when the ground is frozen, this would make 421 miles, 

 and that distance N.W. will give near 5° of Lat. which added to that of 

 Churchill, places these Northern Indians in Lat. 64° north; this agrees 

 with all the accounts I have heard, and with what Scroggs' Indian said. 

 See his Account in Whalebone Bay; from whence they desired him to 

 let them return home, as then being not above three or four day's journey 

 from their own country. (Vid. Mr. Dobbs' Remarks, p. 115.) 



"I all along understood, and do yet believe, that Mr. Norton con- 

 tinued that winter and one summer with these northern Indians, and 

 returned the winter following, after having travelled throughout their 

 country, to engage as many as possibly he could, to come down and trade; 

 and if this was the case, he might very well have observed the sun's 

 going round several days together, and the imputed blunder falls to the 

 Ground."* 



A few years later, in 1748, at the request of Arthur Dobbs, a Parlia- 

 mentary Investigation was held into the conduct of the Hudson's Bay 

 Company, and the following references to the Coppermine Country, 

 in addition to those already cited, appear in the Report of the Committee 

 and in the evidence submitted. 



Edward Thompson, who had been three years at Moose River in 

 the Company's service as surgeon, said: 



• A Reply to the Remarks of Arthur Dobbs, by Captain C. Middleton. London, 

 1744, p. 26. 



