84 CKUISE OF THE NEPTUNE 



in this year, each country returned to the other all places taken 

 during the war, and retained those captured previously, thus 

 leaving to the company the possession of Albany only. 



Affairs remained in this condition until the treaty of Utrecht, 

 in 1713, when the French relinquished all claims to the terri- 

 tory about Hudson bay. 



The first attempt at exploration inland was made by the 

 Hudson's Bay Company, in 1691, when Henry Kelsey, by order 

 of the Governor at Nelson, accompanied some Indians to the 

 interior. From his diary, it would appear that he journeyed, 

 in a canoe, some distance up the Nelson river, and then tramped 

 overland to the open country north of the Saskatchewan. 



In 1719, the Company made extensive preparations for an 

 exploration of the northern parts of Hudson bay. The expedi- 

 tion consisted of a frigate, commanded by Captain Vaughan, 

 and a sloop by Captain Barlow, the chief command being en- 

 trusted to Captain James Knight, who had been governor of a 

 number of the forts, but who was eighty years of age. The 

 expedition sailed from England in June, well store$ with pro- 

 visions, with a house in frame and a large stock of goods for 

 trade. Their instructions were to proceed to the northward, by 

 Sir Thomas Roe's Welcome, as far as 64 latitude, in search of 

 the Anian strait. As the ships did not return to England in 

 1720, fears were entertained for their safety, and orders were 

 despatched by the next ship to send the Whalebone, John 

 Scroggs, master, in search of them. The instructions reached 

 Churchill too late to be acted upon that season, and Scroggs did 

 not sail until 1722. After considerable trouble with shallow 

 water and shoals along the coast, he managed to reach Marble 

 island, where pieces of wreck were found, but they were con- 

 sidered of no importance by Scroggs, who returned without 

 continuing the search. Hopes were long entertained that 

 Knight had made his way to the Pacific, and it was not until 

 1.767 that the fate of the expedition became known. That year 



