EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 9 



of the countries adjoining Hudson Bay, was taking evidence, 

 one of the chief witnesses was a Captain Carruthers, who 

 in his evidence stated " that he had heard a good deal of a 

 Copper Mine to the northward of the Churchill River — that 

 the Governor (Knight) was mighty fond of the Discovery, and 

 made great inquiries about it, — that the witness had seen 

 copper which was said to be brought from thence, — that the 

 Governor (Knight) was very earnest in this Discovery, which 

 was always his topic." 



Joseph Robson states that " Governor Knight and Captain 

 Barlow being well assured that there were rich mines to the 

 northward, from the accounts of the Indians of those parts 

 who had brought some of the ore to the factory, they were 

 bent upon making the discovery ; and the Governor said he 

 knew the way to the place as well as to his bedside." ^ In the 

 year 17 19, Captain Knight and his associates sailed from Eng- 

 land in two ships, the Albany and the Discovery^ well provided 

 with stores and provisions, and even with strong iron-bound 

 boxes in which to bring back the copper and other precious 

 metals. Unfortunately the expedition was wrecked on Marble 

 Island, and all the officers and crew were lost, although their 

 fate was not definitely known until nearly half a century later. 



Three years later, when the two ships had not returned, 

 and no word had been received from them. Captain Scroggs 

 was sent by the Hudson's Bay Company from Churchill to 

 look for them, and at the same time to continue the search 

 for copper. The story of his journey, as given by Dobbs in 

 his " Account of the Countries adjoining to Hudson's Bay " 

 (London, 1744), says nothing about the explorers who had been 

 lost, but comments on the copper deposits as follows : — 



" He [Scroggs] had two Northern [Chipewyan] Indians with him, 

 who had wintered at Churchill, and told him of a copper mine some- 



1 (( 



'Six Years' Residence in Hudson's Bay," by J. Robson, 1752, p. 15. 

 Robson strongly urged an overland expedition to discover the copper, p. 60. 



