12 F 
EKWAN RIVER 
Fur-bearing 
animalB and 
game. 
Early exiilo- 
rcra of Hud- 
son baj’. 
Description o 
coast by 
Capt. Jrune.K. 
Fur-bearing animals are not particularly numerous, but the Indians 
bring in to the Jludsou’s Bay Company ’-s posts, fox, otter and lieaver 
C.aribou are occasionally secured but not in largo numbers. Black skins, 
bears are also occasionally killed. Last sea.son (1901 ) I was informed 
that the Indians on Akimiski island killed three white or polar bears 
during the early summer, and one was seen by our party along the 
coast north of the Ekwan. 
In the interior, the game birds are all very scarce, the fall hunt for 
ducks and geese being confined lo the shores of the bay. The rivers 
afibnl a limited supply of whitefish, and a small species of this fish is 
caught in the tide-water along the west shore of James bay The nets 
are set or hung on stake.s on the tide fiats, and are coveied by the tide 
for a few hour.s each day. Sutton Mill lake.v an! well supplied with a 
slender variety of gray trout and the stream.H running lo the north into 
Hudson bay are, at certain seasons, well stocked with brook trout. 
In August the stream draining Sutton >Iill lakes was full of these fish, 
and several fine specimens were caught on the lake above at the 
narrows 
11 istoricoJ snmmn ry. 
The southern coast of Hudson hay, oast from Port Nelson (York Fac- 
tory), was visited or expl .»red by Captains laike Fox and Thos. James 
in 1631, and again visited by James in 1632, These two navigators 
met off the coast near the mouth of the Winisk river on .August 29- 
30, 1631. Each had given a name to the country to the .soutlewest. 
Fox called it ‘ New Yorkshire ’ and Janie.s ‘The .South Princijnility 
of \Yales ' proh.'ihly on account of the pno ious name ‘ New Wales’ 
given by Button in 1612 to the land smithwcst of J’ort Nelson. 'Pliese 
two navigators sailed together eastward to the entrance to James 
hay and there .separated, Fox to go north and James southward into 
the hay to winter. Fox called the <.‘aj)o ho had loft ‘ Wolstonholmes 
Ultimuin Vale.’ Jarne.s, after rounrling the cape, cletermined its latitude 
(55“.05') and called it Cape Flenrietta Maria, after the queen and also 
after hl.s own ship. His name fur the capo has been retained and his 
de.scription of the coast near it is still very true and Ls in a concise 
,f form * — ‘ From Port Nelson to this cape the land, trends (generally) 
east-south-cast, hut makes with points and bays, which in the parti- 
culars doth alter it a point, two, or three. The distance is about one 
hundred and thirtie league.s. The varifition at the Cape, taken by 
* Voyages of Fox and James to tlio North-we.st. Haklyut Society, j>. 4'.)0. 
