that Mr. Hearne had travelled near thirteen hundred miles
before he arrived at the fea. His moil Weftern diilance
from the coaft o f Hudfon’s Bay was near fix hundred
miles * ; and that his Indian guides were well apprized of
a vail tra<£l of continent ilretching farther on in that direction,
is certain from many circumilances mentioned in his
journal; one of which, asbefides eitabliihing this fail, it pre-
fents us with a very ilriking piilure o f favage life, has been
tranfcribed in the following note j-.
What
* The Hudfon’s Bay company have a trading poil called Hudfon’s Hrnfe, above
five hundred miles up the country, in lat. 53° o ' 32", and in long. 106° 27'' 30". .
f This day, Jan. i t , 1772, as the Indians were hunting, fome of them faw a
ftrange fnow-lhoe track, which they followed, and at a confiderabie diilance camé to
a little hut, where they found a young woman fitting alone. They brought her to the
tents ; and, on examiningher, found that fhe was one o f the Weftern Dog-ribbedlnixam,
and had been taken prifoner by üie ArathapefcowIndians in the fummer T770 ; and when
the Indians, who took her prifoner, were near this part in the fimimer r y y i, fire eloped
fi-om them, with an intent to return to her own country; but it being, fo fa r off, and-
after being taken prifoner, having come the whole way in canoes, with the winding
of rivers and lakes, file had forgot the way ; and had'been in this little hut ever-ffiice
the firft fetting in o f the fall. By her account o f the moons pall, fince her elopement,
it appears to be the middle of lall July when file left the -Arathapefcow Indians,
and had not feen a human face ever fince. She fupported herfelf very well byfnaring-
of rabbits, partridges, and fquirrels, and was now in good health- and fiefh ; and,. I-
think, as fine a woman o f a real Indian, as I have feen in any part of North America.
She had nothing to make fnares of but the finews of rabbits îègs' and' feet, which
fire twilled together for that purpofe ; and of the rabbits ikins had made herfelf à neat
and warm winter’s clothing. The Hock of materials file took with her when fhe
eloped, confilled o f about five inches o f an iron hoop for a knife ; a flfone Heel, and
other hard Hones as flints, together with other fire tackle, as tinder, &c. ; about an
inch and half of the lhank of the fhoeing o f an arrow, of iron, of which ihe made an
awl. She had not been long at the tents, when half a fcofe o f men wreflled to fee
who Ihould have her for their wife. She fays, when the Arathapefcow Indians took
her prifoner, that they Hole on the tents in the night, when the inhabitants were all
afleep, and killed every foul except herfelf and three other young-women. Her father,
mother, and hufband were in the fame tent with her, and they were all killed. Her
child, of about five months old, fhe took with her, wrapped in a bundle of her cloth.
ing, undifcovered, in the night. - But when arrived at the place where the Aratha-
¡pefcows had left their wives, which was not far off, it being then day-break, thefe
§ Indian
What is now, for the firil time, authentically laid before
the Public, with regard to the difcoveries made by the Hudfon’s
Bay Company, was well known to the noble Lord who
prefided at the board of Admiralty, when this voyage was
undertaken; and the intimate connexion "of thofe difcoveries
with the Plan o f the Voyage, of courfe, regulated
the inftruftions given to Captain Cook.
And now, may we not take it upon us to appeal to every
candid and capable inquirer, whether that part of the in-
ilrudtions which directed the Captain not to lofi time, in exploring
rivers or inlets, or upon any. other account, till he got into the
latitude o f 65\ was not framed judicioufly; as there were
fuch indubitable proofs that no paifage exiited fo far to
the South as any part o f Hudfon’s Bay, and that, i f a paf-
fage could be effected at all, part of it, at leail, mufl.be tra-
verfed by the fliips as far to the Northward as the latitude
72°, where' Mr. Hearne arrived at the fea?
\Ve may add as a farther confideration, in fupport o f this
article of the Inilrudions, that Beering’s Mafic difcoveries,
111 I c ,8’ IlavinS 'raced that continent to the latitude o f 6 f '
Captain Cook’s approach toward that latitude was to be’
wifhed for, that he might be enabled to bring back more
Imllan women Immediately began to examine her bundle; and having there found the
child. Cook it from her and killed it immediately. The relation o f rh.'c il 7 • : 1
fcene.only ferved the ravages of my gang for H I S I r r S
. « t h a t Ihe fays fire l y ¿ S
pnfoner; thofe of her tr.be making their hatchets and chrfels of deers horns 3
kni\es of ftone and bone; their arrows are (hod with a kind of Hate bones and dee t
e t r T b e v b t P ,mT ’ , t0 r ke thCirW00d WOrk’ - - - « n g b u t be a t
b b t h w L e r t f t t t R E S them every y e a^ -
£Iearne’s MS . Journal'.
8 3 authentic