1820. The new year was ushered in by repeated discharges of
musketry ; a ceremony which has been observed by the
men of both the trading Companies for many years. Our party
dined with Mr. Connolly, and were treated with a beaver, which
we found extremely delicate. In the evening his voyagers were
entertained with a dance, in which the Canadians exhibited some
grace, and much agility ; and they contrived to infuse some portion
of their activity and spirits into the steps of their female companions.
The half-breed women are passionately fond of this
amusement, but à stranger would imagine the contrary on witnessing
their apparent want of animation. On such occasions they
affect a sobriety of demeanour which is very opposite to their general
character.
January 10.—This day I wrote to Governor Williams and Mr.
Connolly, requesting them to prepare two canoes, with crews and
appointments, for the conveyance of Dr. Eichardson and Mr. Hood,
with our stores, to Chipewyan as soon as the navigation should
open, and had the satisfaction of receiving from both these gentlemen
renewed assurances of their desire to promote the objects of
the Expedition. I conceived it necessary, previous to my departure,
to make some arrangement respecting the men who were engaged
at Stromness. Only one of them was disposed to extend his engagement,
and proceed beyond the Athabasca Lake ; and, as there
was much uncertainty whether the remaining three could get from
the Athabasca to York Factory sufficiently early to secure them a passage
in the next Hudson’s Bay ship, I resolved not to take them
forward, unless Dr. Eichardson and Mr. Hood should fail in procuring
other men from these establishments next spring, but to
despatch them down to York to bring up our stores to this place ;
after which they might return to the coast in time to secure their
passage in the first ship.
I delivered to Dr. Eichardson and Mr. Hood a memorandum,
containing the arrangements which had been made with the two
Companies, respecting their being forwarded in the spring, and some
other points of instruction for their guidance in my absence; together
with directions to forward the map of our route which had
been finished, since our arrival, by Mr. Hood, the drawings and
collections of natural history, by the first opportunity to York
Factory, for conveyance to England*.
The houses of the two Companies, at this post, are situated close
to each other, at the upper extremity of a narrow island, which
separates Pine Island Lake from the Saskatchawan Eiver, and are
about two miles and three quarters from the latter in a northern
direction. They are log-houses, built without much regard to comfort,
surrounded by lofty stockades, and flanked with wooden
bastions. The difficulty of conveying glass into the interior has precluded
its use in the windows, where its place is poorly supplied by
parchment, imperfectly made by the native women from the skin of
the rein-deer. Should this post, however, continue to be the residence
of Governor Williams, it wifi be much improved in a few
years, as he is devoting his attention to that point. The land around
Cumberland House is low, but the soil, from having a considerable
intermixture of limestone, is good, and capable of producing abundance
of corn, and vegetables of every description. Many kinds of
pot-herbs have already been brought to some perfection, and the
potatoes bid fair to equal those of England. The spontaneous
productions of nature would afford ample nourishment for all the
European animals. Horses feed extremely well even during the
* As Samuel Wilks, who had accompanied the Expedition from England, proved to
be quite unequal to the fatigue of the journey, I directed him to be discharged in the
spring, and sent to England in the next ship. Soon after his arrival in England, he
embarked on board the Hecla, in Capt. Parry’s last voyage, and is now serving with
Capt. Lyon, on board the Griper.