CHAPTER IV. 
CHIPPEWYAN TO BLACK LAKE. 
Fort CHIPPEWYAN is an old and important. trading- 
post of the Hudson’s Bay Company. Before many 
of our Canadian and American cities came into exist- 
ence, Chippewyan was a noted fur-trading centre. 
From here—or rather from a former site of the post, a 
few miles distant—Alexander Mackenzie (afterwards 
Sir Alexander) started, in 1789, on his famous journey 
down the great river which now hears his name. About 
the beginning of the present century the post was 
moved to the position it now occupies on the rocky 
northern shore of the west end of the Lake. 
The Fort consists of a long row of eighteen or twenty 
detached log buildings, chiefly servants’ houses, con- 
nected by a high strong wooden fence or wall, so as to 
present an unbroken front to the water, behind which, 
in a sort of court, are situated the Factor’s dwelling and 
two or three other good-sized log buildings. At the 
west end of the row stands an Episcopal Mission church 
and the Mission house, which at the time of our visit 
was occupied by Bishop Young, the see of whose diocese 
was formerly here, but since removed to Fort Vermilion, 
some 270 miles distant on the Peace River. Within 
easy sight, a short distance farther west, across a little 
4 
