North-West Continent of America, 



13 



to kill beaver. The English chief got upwards of an hun- 

 dred skins on the score of debts due to him, of which he 

 had many outstanding in this country. Forty of them he 

 gave on account of debts due by him since the winters of 

 1786 and 1787, at the Slave Lake ; the rest he exchanged 

 for rum and other necessary articles ; and I added a 

 small quantity of that liquor as an encouraging present to 

 him and his young men. I had several consultations with 

 these Copper Indian people, but could obtain no infor- 

 mation that was material to our expedition ; nor were 

 they acquainted with any part of the river, which was the 

 object of my research, but the mouth of it. In order to 

 save as much time as possible in circumnavigating the 

 bays, I engaged one of the Indians to conduct us ; and I 

 accordingly equipped him with various articles of clothing, 

 &cc. I also purchased a large new canoe, that he might 

 -embark with the two young Indians in my service. 



This day, at noon, I took an observation, which gave 

 me 62. 24. North latitude ; the variation of the compass 

 being about twenty-six or twenty-seven degrees to the 

 East. 



In the afternoon I assembled the Indians, in order to 

 inform them that I should take my departure on the follow- 

 ing day ; but that people would remain on the spot till 

 their countrymen, whom they had mentioned, should ar- 

 rive ; and that, if they brought a sufficient quantity of 

 skins to make it answer, the Canadians would return for 

 more goods, with a view to winter here, and build a fort,* 

 which would be continued as long as they should be found 

 to deserve it. They assured me, that it would be a great 

 encouragement to them to have a settlement of ours in 

 •their country ; and that they should exert themselves to 

 the utmost to kill beaver, as they would then be certain of 

 getting an adequate value for them. Hitherto, they said, 

 the Chepewyans always pillaged them ; or, at most, gave 

 little or nothing for the fruits of their labour, which had 

 greatly discouraged them ; and that, in consequence of 

 this treatment, they had no motive to pursue the beaver, 

 but to obtain a sufficient quantity of food and raim ent. 



I now wrote to Messrs. Macleod and Mackenzie, and 

 addressed my papers to the former, at Athabasca. 



Thursday 25. We left this place at three this morning, 

 our canoe being deeply laden, as we had embarked some 



* Fort, is the name given to any establishment in this country. 



