[348] Some Account of 'M.ATonATi'R-E.i.^ and of the eminent Services 

 which he rendered to his Country^ as well as to the Hudson's 

 Bay Company. 



Matonabbee was the son of a Northern Indian by a slave 

 woman, who was formerly bought from some Southern Indians 

 who came to Prince of Wales's Fort with furrs, &c. This 

 match was made by Mr. Richard Norton, then Governor, who 

 detained them at and near the Fort, for the same purpose as he 

 did those Indians called Home-guard. As to Matonabbee's 

 real age, it is impossible to be particular ; for the natives of 

 those parts being utterly unacquainted with letters, or the use 

 of hieroglyphics, though their memories are not less retentive 

 than those of other nations, cannot preserve and transmit to 

 posterity the exact time when any particular event happens. 

 Indeed, the utmost extent of their chronology reaches no 

 farther, than to say. My son, or my daughter, was born in 

 such a Governor's time, and such an event happened during 

 such a person's life-time (though, perhaps, he or she has been 

 dead many years). However, according to appearance, and 

 some corroborating circumstances, Matonabbee was born about 

 the year one thousand seven hundred and thirty-six, or one 

 thousand seven hundred and thirty-seven ; and his father 

 dying while he was young, the Governor took the [349] boy, 

 and, according to the Indian custom, adopted him as his 

 son. 



Soon after the death of Matonabbee's father, Mr. Norton 

 went to England, and as the boy did not experience from his 

 successor the same regard and attention which he had been 



accustomed to receive from Mr. Norton, he was soon taken 



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