44 TRANSACTIONS iSqQ-'oO 



his company, should be a military power, and such it became, 

 destin}'^ compelling it to conquer and to annex. 



Taylor says the name was originally given to an island and 

 afterwards transferred to the channel in which the island lies, by 

 either Button or Fox. It was given because the giver believed 

 that it would be welcome news to Sir Thomas to learn that a 

 channel had been found leading to the Bast. It is thus that 

 through its place names our Northern Archipelago is associated 

 with British India. 



In 1670, as we know, the Hudson Ba5^ Company was in- 

 corporated and soon established itself on the shores of Hudson 

 Bay, there to begin that marvellous career which has been so well 

 described bj^ Beckles Willson.'^^ The)' did not however, during 

 the 17th century attempt explorations in the northerly regions. 

 They had too much to do alternateh' protecting and fighting that 

 curious product of the times, the freebooter Radisson ; defending 

 themselves from that marvellous man, the French Canadian son 

 of Charles Lemo5nie, the Sieur d'lberville ; and establishing 

 themselves in the good graces of the Indians of the Hinterland. 



During the i7tli centur}^ the English despatched 16 explor- 

 ing expeditions to the frozen ocean, the Russians 18, the Dutch 

 I , the Unistoniams then first entering the lists. The Hudson Bay 

 Company despatched six expeditions at different times in fulfil- 

 ment of an undertaking in their charter. One of them was com- 

 manded by Henr}' Kelsey, who is undoubtedly one of the heroes 

 for whom we are indebted to the Hudson Baj^ Company. Fort}* 

 years before Verendrye's journeys of discovery, Kelsey, then a 

 young man, had penetrated (1691) the interior of Rupert's I^and, 

 had crossed the Assiniboine Country, had seen, for the first time 

 among English and French explorers, the buffaloes of the plain, 

 had been attacked b}' the grisly bears of the far west, and, in be- 

 half of the Hudson Bay Compan3^ had taken possession of the 

 lands he traversed and secured for his masters the trade of the 

 Indians hitherto considered hostile.^'' But though he was pro- 

 sperous b}^ land, in the two voj^ages he made Id}' sea he does not 

 appear to have made an}' discoveries of importance to our 

 narrative. 



*Beckles Willson's " The Great Company," page 180. 



