114 



JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



CHAPTER III. 



Dr. Richardson's Residence at Cumberland House — 

 His Account of the Cree Indians. 



From the departure of Messrs. Franklin 

 and Back, on the 19th January, for Chi- 

 pewyan, until the opening of the navigation 

 in the spring, the occurrences connected 

 with the expedition were so much in the 

 ordinary routine of a winter's residence at 

 Fort Cumberland, that they may be, perhaps, 

 appropriately blended with the following 

 general but brief account of that district 

 and its inhabitants. 



Cumberland House was originally built 

 by Hearne, a year or two after his return 

 from the Copper-mine River, and has ever 

 since been considered by the Hudson's Bay 

 Company as a post of considerable impor- 

 tance. Previous to that time the natives 

 carried their furs down to the shores of 



