A General History of the Fur Trade. 



9 



who penetrated as far as the lake of Isle a la Croisse, in 

 latitude 55. 26. North, and longitude 108. West. 



He, however, never after wintered among the Indians,, 

 though he retained a large interest in the trade, and a prin- 

 cipal share in the directing of it till the year 1798, when he 

 retired to enjoy the fruits of his labours ; and, by his hos- 

 pitality, became known to every respectable stranger who 

 visited Canada. 



The success of this gentleman induced others to follow 

 his example, and in the spring of the year 1778, some of 

 the traders on the Saskatchiwine River, finding they hud a 

 quantity of goods to spare, agreed to put them into a joint 

 stock, and gave the charge and management of them to Mr. 

 Peter Pond, who, in four canoes, was directed to enter 

 the English River,,, so called Jby Mr. Frobisher, to follow 

 his track and proceed still further ; if possible, to Athabas- 

 ca, a country hitherto unknown but from Indian report. 

 In this enterprize he at length succeeded, and pitched his 

 *ent on £he banks o£ the Elk River, by him erroneously 

 called the Athabasca River, about forty miles from th&,Lake 

 of the Hills, into which it empties itself. 



Here he passed the winter of 1778-9 ; saw a vast con- 

 course of the I£nisteneaux and Chepewyan tribes, who used 

 to carry their furs annually to Churchill ; the latter by the 

 barren grounds, where they suffered innumerable hardships, 

 and were sometimes even starved to death. The former 

 followed the course of the lakes and rivers, through a 

 country that abounded in animals, and where there was 

 plenty of fish; but though they did not suffer from want of 

 food, the intolerable fatigue of such a journey could not be 

 easily repaid to an Indian j they were, therefore^ highly 

 gratified by seeing people come to their country to relieve 

 them from such long, toilsome, and dangerous journies ; 

 and were immediately reconciled to give an advanced price 

 for the articles necessary to their comfort and convenience. 

 Mr. Pond's reception and success was accordingly beyond 

 his expectation ; and he procured twice as many furs as his 

 canoes would carry. They also supplied him with as much 

 provision as he required during his residence among them 9 

 and sufficient for his homeward voyage. Such of the furs 

 as he could not embark, he secured in one of his winter 

 huts, and they were found the following season in the same 

 state in which he left them. 



