the committee, who directed this voyage, admitting the
impracticability of effecting a paffage at Repulfe Bay, had
refufed allowing the ihips to go into it, being fatisjied a; to that
place *.
Setting Repulfe Bay, therefore, afide, within which we have
no reafon for believing that any inlet exifts, there remained
no part of Hudfon’s Bay to be fearched, but Chefterfield’s.
Inlet, and a fmall track of coaft between the latitude 6s°,
and what is called the South Point of Main, which had been
left unexplored by the Dobbs and California.
But this laft gleam of hope has now difappeared. The
averfion of the Hudfon’s Bay Company, to contribute any
thing to the difcovery of a North Weft paflage, had been
loudly reported by Mr. Dobbs ; and the Public feemed to believe
that the charge was well founded. But ftill, in juftice
to them, it mull be allowed, that, in 1720, they had fent
Mefirs. Knight and Barlow, in a iloop on this very difcovery
; but thefe unfortunate people were never more heard
of. Mr. Scroggs, who failed in fearch of them, in 1722,
only brought back proofs of their fhipwreck, but no freih
intelligence about a paffage, which he was alfo to look for.
They alfo fent a iloop, and a fhallop, to try for this difcovery,
in 1737; but to no purpofe. If obftruCHons were
thrown in the way of Captain Middleton, and o f the Commanders
o f the Dobbs and California, the Governor and
. Committee o f the Hudfon’s Bay Company, fince that time,
we muft acknowledge, have made amends for the narrow
* Account of the Voyage, by the Clerk of the California, Vol. ii. p. 273. Mr.
Dobbs himfelf. fays, That he thought the paffage would he impra£iicahle, or? at leajl9 very difficult, in cafe there was one farther North than 67°.
Account o f Hudfon’s Bay, p. 99.
prejudices
prejudices o f their predeceffors ; and we have it in our
power to appeal to faits, which abundantly teftify, that
every thing has been-done by them, that could be required
by the Public, toward perfefting the fearch for a North Weft
paffage.
In the year 1761, Captain Chriftopher failed from Fort
Churchill, in the Hoop Churchill; and his voyage was not
quite fruitlefs ; for he failed up Chefterfield’s Inler, through
which a paffage had, by Mr, Ellis’s account of it, been fo
generally expefted. But when the water turned brackiih,
which marked that he was not in a ftrait, but in a river, he
returned.
To leave no room for a variety of opinion, however, he
was ordered to repeat the voyage the enfuing fummer, in
the fame iloop, and Mr. Norton, in a cutter, was appointed
to attend him. By the favour of the Governor and Committee
o f the Company, the Journals of Captain Chriftopher,
and of Mr. Norton, and Captain Chriftopher’s chart of the
Inlet,, have been readily communicated. From thefe authentic
documents, it appears that the fearch and examination
of Chefterfield’s Inlet was now completed. It Was found
to end in a freih water lake, at the diftance of about one
hundred and feventy miles from the fea. This lake was
found alfo to be about twenty-one leagues long, and from
five to ten broad, and to be completely clofed up on every
fide, except to the Weft, where there was a little rivulet; to
furvey the ftate of which, Mr. Norton and the crew of the
cutter having landed, and marched up the country, faw that
it foon terminated in three falls, one above another, and not
water for a fmall boat over them ; and ridges, moftly dry
from fide to fide, for five or fix miles higher.
Thus