54 



NORTH AMEEICAX FAUNA. 



PREVIOUS EXPLORATIONS AND COLLECTIONS. 

 EARLIEST EXPLORERS. HEARNE AND MACKENZIE, 1770-1793. 



Samuel Hearne. who made his famous journey of exploration in 

 1770-71, was the first civilized traveler to penetrate the Great Slave 

 Lake region. Though not a naturalist, he had a general knowledge 

 of the larger birds and mammals, was a good observer, and recorded 

 in his narrative many notes on the fatma.« 



During the eighteenth century the Indians of the unknown region 

 west of Fort Prince of Wales (Churchill) on their occasional trad- 

 ing visits brought to the post specimens of native copper, which 

 they claimed to have discovered near the banks of a large river far 

 to the northwestward. The Hudson's Bay Company, in accordance 

 with its avowed policy of prosecuting discovery, finally decided to 

 send an expedition to discover the source of the metal and at the 

 same time to throw light on the supposed existence of a feasible 

 l^assage by sea to the westward. Hitherto all the expeditions in 

 search of the Northwest Passage had been by sea. but now the com- 

 pany decided to imdertake exploration by land. 



For this important mission Samuel Hearne. a factor in the serv- 

 ice of the company, who for some years had been stationed at Fort 

 Prince of AVales, was selected. He made three attempts, two of 

 Avhich were unsuccessful. The first failed because of lack of provi- 

 sions, and the second because Hearne was plundered by his Indian 

 companions and broke his sextant. On these trip- he attempted to 

 penetrate to the northwestward through the Barren Grounds; but 

 on the third venture, leaving in December. 1770, he kept more to 

 the westward and, being in the wooded country, was able to provide 

 himself with provisions and to travel with much less discomfort. 

 As he was accompanied by a ninnber of families of Indians as 

 bearers and hunters, his progress was necessarily slow and indirect, 

 on account of the difficulty of crossing lakes and large rivers, and 

 of providing food for so many. His general line of travel was at 

 first a little north of west to Clowey Lake, which was reached May 

 3, 1771, and thence a little west of north to the eastward of Great 

 Slave Lake, probably passing Artillery Lake, to the stream since 

 called Coppermine Eiver, Avhich was reached probably near Sand- 

 stone Rapid. At Bloody Fall, named from the circumstance, the 

 Indians, small parties of whom had joined the company from time to 

 time, fell upon a large party of Eskimos, then their bitter enemie,-. 

 and, much to Hearne's horror and disgust, massacred the entire 

 compan3\ 



For full references to publications, see Bibliograplay, p. 535. 



