DAVID THOMPSON. 139 



worked out from rough sketches which were saved when most of his 

 notes were lost in a wreck on Black River. Returning to Deer Lake 

 he built Bedford House in Lat. 57^ 23' ; Long. 102^ .58' 35", and re- 

 mained there till May 23rd, 1797, keeping his customary meteorolo- 

 gical journal, and taking a long series of observations for latitude and 

 longitude. 



OnTuesdaj^ May 23rd, 1797, he left the service of the Hudson's 

 Bay Company and entered that of the North- West Company, the 

 folloAA-ing entry being written in his journal of the above date. " This 

 day left the service of the Hudson's Bay Co., and (entered) that of 

 the Company of Mei'chants from Canada. May G-od Almighty prosper 

 me." On the same date he left Bedford House, and on May 28th, 

 arrived on foot at Alex. Fraser's house at the head of the Deer's 

 River. On June 7th, he left this House and descending the Deer's 

 River, proceeded as quickly as possible to Cumberland House, meeting 

 on the way Messrs. McLeod, Roderick McKenzie and Simon Fraser, 

 members of the Noi'th-VVest Company for which he was now working. 



He reached Cumberland House on June 23rd, and left it on the 

 27th, reached Lake Winnipeg on the 28th, and travelling by way of 

 Winnipeg River, he reached Lake Superior' on July 22nd, having as. 

 usual, made a survey of his route. 



Here, being thrown among new associates, he makes a note of tlie 

 men composing the North- West Company, and having charge of the 

 different districts. The following list includes the most of those 

 named : 



Wm. McGillivray and Alex. McKenzie, agents ; Rod. McKenzie, 

 Angus Shaw, and James Finlay for Montreal ; Cuthbert Grant, back 

 of Red River ; Wm. Thorburn, Red River ; Daniel McKenzie, Fort 

 Des Prairies and Red Deer River ; Wm. McKay, Muskeiko Country ; 

 Simon Fraser, Grand Portage ; Sayer, Lake Superior. 



Clerks; Donald McTavish, Beaver River; Alex. McKay, Isle a la 

 Crosse ; John McGillivray, Muskrat River Country ; Duncan McGil- 

 livray, Upper Fort Augustus; John McDonald and J. Hughes, Fort 

 George ; Arch. Todd, Lower Fort Des Prairies ; McGillis, Red Deer 

 River; John McDonald and George McKay, Pted River and back 

 countries. 



