JOURNEY TO THE NORTHERN OCEAN 107 



I then determined to engage Matonabbee to be my guide ; 1770. 

 to which he readily consented, and with a freedom of speech and 

 correctness of language not commonly met with among Indians, 

 not only pointed out the reasons which had occasioned all our 

 misfortunes in ray two former attempts, but described the 

 plan he intended to pursue ; which at the same time that it 

 was highly satisfactory to me, did honour to his penetration 

 and judgment ; as it proved him to be a man of extensive 

 observation with respect to times, seasons, and places ; and 

 well qualified to explain everything that could contribute 

 either to facilitate or retard the ease or progress of travelling 

 in those dreary parts of the world. 



Having engaged Matonabbee, therefore, as my guide, I 

 began to make preparations for our departure ; but Mr. 

 Norton, the Governor, having been very fully occupied in 

 trading with a large body of Indians, it was the seventh of 7th. 

 December before I could obtain from him my dispatches. 

 It may not be improper to observe, that he again wanted to 

 force some of the home-guard Indians (who were [62] his own 

 relations *) into our company, merely with a view that they 



* Mr. Norton was an Indian ;i he was born at Prince of Wales's Fort, but 

 had been in England nine years, and considering the small sum which was 

 expended in his education, had made some progress in literature. At his 

 return to Hudson's Bay he entered into all the abominable vices of his country- 

 men. He kept for his own use five or six of the finest Indian girls which he 

 could select ; and notwithstanding his own uncommon propensity to the fair 

 sex, took every means in his power to prevent any European from having inter- 

 course with the women of the country ; for which purpose he proceeded to the 

 most ridiculous length. To his own friends and country he was so partial, that 

 he set more value on, and shewed more respect to one of their favourite dogs, 

 than he ever did to his first officer. Among his miserable and ignorant 

 countrymen he passed for a proficient in physic, and always kept a box of 

 poison, to administer to those who refused him their wives or daughters. 



With all these bad qualities, no man took more pains to inculcate virtue, 



[^ He was a son of Richard Norton, an Englishman, and a former 

 Governor of Fort Prince of Wales, by an Indian woman. He was undoubtedly 

 a man of forceful character, and was able to retain the confidence of the 

 directors of the Company in London, but whether he was the moral degenerate 

 described by Hearne is uncertain.] 



